MONDAY 1ST JUNE 2020

Pantami Hails ICT's 14.07% Contribution to GDP Despite pandemic, stock market gained N1.2tn in May

Goddy Egene in Lagos and Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has expressed

satisfaction with the latest statistics released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which shows ICT has contributed 14.07 per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter

of 2020.

The minister, in a statement at the weekend by his Technical Assistant in charge of Information Technology, Dr. Femi Adeniyi, said: "The Minister of Communications

and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, is delighted to hear of the growth of ICT’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP in the first quarter of 2020 (Q1 2020). The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released

Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product Report for Q1 2020 on May 25, 2020.

"The report observed that the country’s GDP grew by 1.87 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in Q1 2020. The

non-oil sector contributed 90.50 per cent to the nation’s GDP in Q1 2020 as opposed to the 9.50 per cent contributed to the total real GDP by the oil Continued on page 33

FG Threatens to Sue ASUU over Lingering Strike... Page 8 Monday 1 June, 2020 Vol 25. No 9184. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Tinubu Meets APC Govs, Promises Fair Primaries in Edo, Ondo Analysts criticise state executives for breach of travel ban

Alike Ejiofor

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, yesterday met with eight

governors of the party over the impending governorship primaries for Edo and Ondo States, promising to prevail on the party’s national leadership to ensure a fair process.

The governors, who represented their colleagues on the party’s platform were the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Senator Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Alhaji

Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Alhaji Sani Bello (Niger), Muhammad Abubakar (Jigawa), Mr. Solomon Lalong (Plateau), Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Mr. Godwin

Obaseki (Edo), Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and their host, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Sources close to the meeting held at the Old Lagos Government House, Marina,

Lagos said the governors discussed the primaries for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States Continued on page 33

States May Decide on Reopening of Schools, Businesses, Says PTF Says with 3% fatality rate, Nigeria winning pandemic war OPS anxious as Buhari gets report, makes fresh pronouncements today NMA, PSN demand extension of lockdown, stricter implementation 307 new cases move tally to 10,162 with 3,007 discharged, 287 dead Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja, Martins Ifijeh and Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has recommended to President Muhammadu Buhari to allow states to decide on the reopening of schools, businesses and worship centres shut since March as part of the efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The recommendation was among a raft of others, the PTF made to the president at a meeting yesterday at the State House ahead of his decision today on the next phase of action to take as the two-week extension of the easing of restrictions on socio-economic activities, which expires today.

The president had on May Continued on page 33

SIXTY HEARTY CHEERS...

Son of the celebrant, Tobi; wife, Bamidele; the celebrant and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; and daughters, Oyinda, Damilola and Lamisa, during the governor’s sixtieth birthday celebrations in Abeokuta…weekend

2

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

3

4

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

5

6

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

7

MONDAY, ͚˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

8

NEWS

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

FG Threatens to Sue ASUU over Lingering Strike Says union's main target is IPPIS Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has indicated the federal government's intention to drag the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) before the National Arbitration Panel and even the National Industrial Court (NIC) if the union fails to respond to invitation for negotiations.

He urged the striking lecturers to take the opportunity of a recent invitation by the federal government to return to the roundtable.

The minister said he had invited the leadership of the union for a zoom meeting, but they insisted on meeting him face-to-face.

"I invited ASUU for a zoom meeting in compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) COVID-19 guidelines, but they insisted on meeting me face-to-face. We have labour laws," he said.

But ASUU said negotiations via zoom would not produce the desired solution to the lingering dispute.

The union added that for it to suspend the strike, the federal government must make substantial progress in addressing its key demands, which include payment of arrears of earned allowances, revitalisation fund and constituting visitation panels for federal universities.

However, Ngige warned that if the union refuses to come for talks, the federal government might invoke the labour laws to compel its response.

He said: "The law permits the federal government to take the union to the National Arbitration Panel and even the National Industrial Court."

According to a statement by

his media aide, Mr. Emmanuel Nzomiwu, the minister spoke in his hometown, Alor, Anambra State, where he donated palliatives worth N15 million to vulnerable households to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on them.

He said the ASUU strike was all about the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), adding that "any other reason given by ASUU is an excuse."

Ngige accused the leadership of the union of deceiving the members and not telling them the truth.

"We have a hierarchy of arbitration. There is the National Arbitration Panel. If I am tired, I can refer it to the National Arbitration Panel. If I am tired, I can refer it to the National Industrial Court. The better thing for them is to come and negotiate on a first-hand basis where we are not bringing an external arbitrator," Ngige said.

The minister described the position of ASUU in the dispute with the federal government as laughable, saying "as an employee, you lack the right to dictate for your employers how to receive wages."

"It is even in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention on wages. You cannot dictate for your employers how to pay you. But the important thing is for your salaries and wages to come to you. As a workman, you receive your payment as compensation for services rendered. So, that is on the statute everywhere. But for some strange reasons, this has been an issue with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Why? They claimed that they are being migrated from the GFMIS (Government Integrated Financial Management Information (GFMIS) platform to the IPPIS)," he stated.

Ngige said the federal

government had complained that it was losing a lot of money paying lecturers from the GFMIS platform, which only transmits money for their salaries to the university system through the bursar's office, from where they are paid.

"The anomalies are that one, some of the people are ghost workers. They don't exist at all but their names exist and they are drawing money from the federal government.

"Some people receive more than their due, because after the salaries, some who are teaching in various other universities are supposed to take 50 per cent as extra pay for teaching in that other universities and the maximum universities, they should teach is two. Some teach in three, some teach in four

universities.

"Again, the taxes that are being deducted by your bursar and your vice-chancellors are not reflective of the taxes of PAYE (Pay As You Earn). They are not and because they are not, the shortfall of the taxes that are deducted, the various state governments where the universities are domiciled have petitioned the Joint Tax Board (JTB) to demand the shortfalls," Ngige added.

The minister said over time, the shortfalls in tax deduction accumulated to over N800 billion and JTB (Joint Tax Board) penalised the federal government for these monies not paid to the states.

He added that the federal government from the office of Accountant General of the

Federation paid over N800 billion to states.

According to him, the uncompromising attitude of ASUU in the dispute is worrisome to the federal government.

He said not minding that the strike, which commenced on March 9 did not follow due process, he brought the lecturers to a roundtable with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation.

"We had discussions and they now said that some of the agreements we had in Memorandum of Action 2019, were not implemented vigorously and we agreed that they will be paid N25 billion for their earned academic allowances and another N25

billion for revitalisation of university system.

"The federal government paid the first tranche of N50 billion, N25 billion, and N25 billion.

"Thereafter, there was the issue of national minimum wage. Flowing from national minimum wage, there was the issue of consequential adjustment on that minimum wage, which cost the federal government N160 billion. I negotiated it.

"The federal government had to pay retroactively with effect from when the president signed the National Minimum Wage Act. So, the federal government could not pay ASUU the next tranche of N25 billion because it was due to be paid in October last year. They said there was a breach.

FEEDBACK FOR THE PRESIDENT...

Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu (left), and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, after brieďŹ ng President Muhammadu Buhari on COVID-19 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja‌yesterday

SANs Hail Buhari’s Renewal of A’Court President's Acting Appointment Confident of Dongban-Mensem's confirmation Alex Enumah in Abuja Some senior lawyers at the weekend defended President Muhammadu Buhari's decision to renew the appointment of Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.

They faulted claims that the president violated constitutional provisions by renewing her acting appointment.

The president in March, following the retirement of Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, had appointed Dongban-Mensem as acting president of the court pending the appointment of a substantive president.

Her appointment, according to constitutional provisions, should not exceed three months.

She was appointed into the post being the most senior justice of the Court of Appeal at the time of the retirement of Justice Bulkachuwa.

The National Judicial Council (NJC), the body that oversees the appointment as well as the discipline of judicial officers had in late April in line with the law, recommended Justice Dongban-Mensem to Buhari for appointment as substantive president of the Court of Appeal.

With barely a week to the expiration of the acting capacity tenure, Buhari on Friday renewed her appointment for another three

months, rather than forward her name to the Senate for confirmation, fuelling speculation that she may not be presented to the Senate for confirmation for the substantive post.

But four senior lawyers, who spoke to THISDAY on the issue, dismissed such speculation as baseless, saying that the president has not gone outside the law by renewing her appointment for another three months since it was recommended by the NJC. According to Mallam Ahmed Raji (SAN), Buhari acted within the provisions of Section 238(5) of 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Section 238(5) reads: "Except on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, an appointment pursuant to the provisions of subsection (4) of this section shall cease to have effect after the expiration of three months from the date of such appointment and the president shall not re-appoint a person whose appointment has lapsed."

But defending the president, Raji said: "It opens with 'except on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council.....' The implication of the above quote is that the president may appoint a justice of the court to perform the functions of the president of the court more than once for a term not exceeding three months at a time if the National Judicial Council so recommends.

"Unless it can be shown that the NJC did not recommend the reappointment, it is difficult to allege any breach. There is a rebuttable presumption that the reappointment was made pursuant to a recommendation of NJC." He also dismissed speculation that Justice Dongban-Mensem may not be the choice of the president for the position, saying "the president is entitled to the benefit of the doubt that the necessary checks are being conducted to avoid errors."

"The office of the President of the Court of Appeal is a very important one. I agree there should not be too much delay, most especially when the recommended appointee is not new in the system and is eminently qualified," he added.

Another senior lawyer, Mr. John Baiyeshea (SAN), also described Buhari’s action as being in order as it was in consonance with provisions of the constitution.

Baiyeshea expressed confidence that Justice DongbanMensem would be appointed as substantive president of the appellate court.

"I verily believe that before the end of second acting appointment necessary, steps will be taken

by President Buhari to forward her name to the Senate for confirmation as substantive

president of the court.

"The other suggestion about preference of another justice of the court for appointment as President of the Court of Appeal is at best speculative.

"The Acting. President of the court is the most senior justice of the court. She has paid her dues and she has done well over the years just as the immediate past president of the court, Justice Bulkachuwa, was the most senior justice when she was appointed; that's the same situation here.

There can't be any discrimination.

"We are all Nigerians, and we have an equal stake to all positions. Besides, I'm not aware of any contrary or adverse recommendation from the NJC that will prevent Justice DongbanMensem from being appointed as the President of the court.

So, let's wait and see," he said.

For Mr. Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), "the renewal or extension of the acting appointment is not unconstitutional and is allowed by virtue of Section 238(5) of the constitution. Since the first appointment has not lapsed, it is in line with the constitutional provision to renew the acting appointment.

"The position would have been different if the initial period of three months had expired."

Akinlaja explained that since the first three months took effect from March 6, a renewal is done

within three months of that time is not improper and "the renewal can continue to be done as long as it suits the president to do it within the running three months."

"It can only be a matter of speculation that the renewal of the acting capacity is an indication that the president is not minded to confirm the appointment.

"There is in my humble view no basis for such speculation bearing in mind that the president is allowed by the constitution to do what he has done. The instructive legal position here is that where a person has a right to act in a particular way, the motive for so acting is of no moment in law. That being so, I believe it is imperative for us to eschew speculation and keep our fingers crossed while the acting capacity lasts," he added.

Another senior lawyer, and President, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS), Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) told THISDAY that “I don’t know of the theories behind the delay in confirming the appointment of the AG PCA, Hon. Justice Monica Dongbam-Mensem. “But what I know is that she has performed brilliantly well during her acting appointment.

She has led the court admirably.

Building on the enviable records of her predecessor; she has taken

the court to great heights. “She has vigorously decongested the dockets of the court. It will be a great disservice to the nation in general and to the justice system, in particular, to further delay her confirmation. "She needs to be able to settle down to the urgent tasks of the court.

All hands must be on deck to confirm her appointment before the expiration of her second acting appointment.�

In his own contribution, an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. Steve Ekeh, also noted that the president did not violate the law by extending the acting period.

He, however, faulted the president for always delaying the appointment of judicial officers.

"It is unfortunate that when it comes to appointing heads of superior courts and forwarding their names to the Senate for confirmation, the president does not have a record of promptness.

"We saw the case of Justice Onnoghen. It took public outrage and the acting President to have Onnoghen's forwarded to the Senate for confirmation. In the present case of Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, the scenario is playing out.

"She has been on acting capacity for three months, which has elapsed without the president forwarding her name to the Senate for confirmation.

MONDAY, ͚˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

9

NEWS

Govs Give Conditions to Support Financial Autonomy for States’ Legislature Presidential committee demands compliance with executive order Chuks Okocha in Abuja Governors of the 36 states of the federation have given conditions to support the Executive Order 10, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari to grant financial autonomy to states’ legislature and judiciary, THISDAY has learnt.

As part of efforts to make the state legislature and judiciary more independent, Buhari had recently signed the executive order that ensures finances of the two arms of government at the state level get directly to them.

The order was based on the recommendations of the presidential implementation committee constituted to fashion out strategies and modalities for the implementation of financial autonomy for states’ legislature and judiciary in compliance with section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

Despite the constitutional provision, the governors have refused to put states' legislature and judiciary on first line charge.

However, the Presidential Implementation Committee on Financial Autonomy for Judiciary and Legislature has urged the governors to comply with the Executive Order 10.

THISDAY gathered that in a move that suggested that the governors got the hint that the president would sign the order, the Deputy Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) and Governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who is also a lawyer with legislative experience, had met the Conference of Speakers on May 21, shortly before Buhari signed the order, to discuss issues bordering on financial autonomy for the legislature and the judiciary.

The meeting, it was learnt, was a virtual conference and the speakers were represented by six speakers from the six geopolitical zones, though others joined during the teleconference.

THISDAY gathered that at the meeting, the speakers pledged their loyalty to the governors, stating that they are not out to antagonise them and sought for help to make the legislature more effective.

It was learnt that about nine states, including Lagos, Delta and Bayelsa, have since commenced financial autonomy for the judiciary and legislature.

A source privy to the meeting told THISDAY that the governors gave their conditions to support the autonomy being canvassed by the state legislature.

The source stated that the governors told the speakers that legislative autonomy should not mean that they will form an alternative government or get involved in award of contracts for capital projects.

According to the source that observed the virtual conference, the speakers assured Tambuwal that they would not constitute opposition to the state governments.

The speakers also pledged not to be involved in capital

projects and award of contracts that border on the duties of the state executive arm of government.

According to the source, "the virtual conference agreed that the state governors will ensure financial autonomy for the judiciary and legislature to the extent that the autonomy will be limited to the legislature handling only the salaries and training of the members of the state Houses of Assembly.

"It was agreed at the meeting that the Houses of Assembly will not engage in the award of contracts on any capital project within their respective states. “For instance, the issue of the renovation of the National Assembly was brought up. “It was made clear to the speakers that the renovation of the National Assembly is being facilitated by the Federal Capital Development Authority ( FCDA). “The speakers were informed that it was the FCDA that built the National Assembly in the first place and the planned renovation is also being carried out by the same FCDA.�

The source said the issue of constituency projects came up during the virtual meeting and it was agreed that the model at the National Assembly should also be adopted at the state level.

Under the National Assembly model, constituency projects are always championed by the lawmakers at the National Assembly level, but the execution of the jobs is not done by the respective senators and members of the House of Representatives but by the executive.

"Senators and members of the House of Representatives compile the constituency projects and they are captured in the Appropriation Bill but the execution is usually done by the federal ministry or agency of government, where the projects belong,� the source added.

The source told THISDAY that it was because of the outcome of the virtual meeting with the speakers that the governors in the communiquĂŠ of their last meeting resolved to meet with the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN,) to discuss the implications of the Executive Order 10.

THISDAY gathered that even though the speakers had agreed to the terms of the governors, it was also necessary for the governors to reach final agreement with Malami to avoid potential conflicts that could arise as a result of party differences between a governor and his state legislature.

"Though the speakers pledged their loyalty to the state governors, there is the need to address the thin lines over the issue of award of contracts and execution of capital projects.

"This is necessary because there could be some differences due to party affiliation between some governors and members of the state legislature and therefore there is the need to spell out the lines of

engagement on this issue of financial autonomy," the source stated.

Presidential Committee Seeks Compliance with Executive Order The Presidential Implementation Committee on Financial Autonomy for Judiciary and Legislature has urged governors to comply with the Executive Order 10.

The Secretary of the committee, Senator Ita Enang, told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the financial autonomy would facilitate development and promote financial accountability at the state level.

Enang, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta

Affairs, said the greatest challenge in Nigeria’s democracy was wastage at the state level, adding that the Executive Order 10 would guarantee financial transparency in states.

Enang noted that one important feature of the financial autonomy is that all three arms of government will prepare their budget together, adding that they will know what the state government has and what it does not have. “In the budgeting process, they will know how much each of the arms of government will use in settling salaries and allowances of the legislators, paying their aides, legislative staff, and office maintenance, among others. “The governors will no longer be responsible for their expenses; it will also make the House of Assembly responsive.

“So, what the president is doing is to ensure that each state House of Assembly is independent not to attack the governors but to check the executive and make government more responsible and responsive to the yearnings of the people and development will be faster. “The governors will know that the judiciary is independent and same with the legislature. These arms of government need not get approval from the governors to execute their respective duties,� he added.

Enang said the provision stipulated that the governors upon receipt of money due to any arm of government in the consolidated revenue fund of the state from the Federation Account and internally generated revenue, should remit the same to the

respective arms. “But where any governor fails to remit the money due to the arms, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) will deduct that amount standing to the credit of that state in the Federation Account and remit directly to arms concerned. “It is important to emphasise that this deduction is not the first line action, but it is only applicable when one arm of the government is oppressed. “We are confident that none of the 36 states will in any manner deprive their state legislature or judiciary of the fund that is due to them. “The implementation committee will be very conciliatory and respectful of the powers of each arm of government at the states level and the powers and privileges of the governors,� Enang said.

COURTESY VISIT...

Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (left), and Chief of the Air Sta, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during the air chief’s visit to the governor in Sokoto...recently

Zenith Bank Named ’Best Bank in Nigeria’ in Global Finance Awards Nume Ekeghe Zenith Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, has emerged as the 'Best Bank in Nigeria' in the recently released Global Finance Magazine World’s Best Banks Awards 2020.

A statement at the weekend said the awards, which was published in the May 2020 edition of the Global Finance Magazine, was based on the performances of the banks that were chosen in their respective regions and countries over the period from January 1 to December 31, 2019.

Commenting on the recognition, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, said: “This award is a clear demonstration of the bank’s

market leadership, occasioned by our superior product offerings, best-in-class service and top-of-the-range technology which create value for our teeming customers.�

Zenith Bank has clearly distinguished itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service quality, unique customer experience and sound financial indices.

The bank, with a knack for setting the pace and raising benchmarks, is a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

As a testament to its resilience and market leadership, Zenith Bank announced an impressive

result for the year ended December 31, 2019, with profit after tax (PAT) of N208.8 billion, achieving the feat as the first Nigerian Bank to cross the N200 billion mark.

In the recently released Q1 2020 unaudited financial results, the bank also recorded an improved result over the corresponding period in 2019, with gross earnings rising by six per cent to N166.8 billion and profit before tax (PAT) growing to N58.8 billion.

Consistent with this superlative performance and in recognition of its track record of exceptional performance, Zenith Bank was ranked as the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria 2019 by the World Finance and the Best Digital Bank in Nigeria 2019 by Agusto & Co. The bank was also voted as Bank of the Year and Best

Bank in Retail Banking at the 2019 BusinessDay Banks and other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards. Most recently, the bank was recognised as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria, for the third consecutive year, in the Banker Magazine “Top 500 Banking Brands 2020� and the Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the THISDAY Awards 2020.

Global Finance’s "World’s Best Banks Awards" are recognised amongst the world’s most influential banking/finance and corporate professionals as the most coveted and credible awards in the banking industry, with winners chosen in more than 150 countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Western Europe.

10

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020

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

Getting Set for the Impending ‘War’ in Edo Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Demola Ojo and Adibe Emenyonu write that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State is going to face the toughest fight of his political life as personalities jostling to oust him rev the engine of their political machine

Obaseki

S

eventeen years after he left political office as Secretary to the Edo State Government, many political players in the state said that Pastor Osagie IzeIyamu remains a political phenomenon and burning issue in the state politics. With little or no political patronage to distribute -- a Nigerian political culture, which is a magnetism for political followers and supporters, his political structures across the state keep on swelling day after day.

A huge cult-like political followers, there appears to be a strong belief among his teeming supporters that his political decisions are always right; and wherever he goes they go. ‘’The most challenging job for a leader is to influence others to follow. It can only be conceivable if you inspire your followers by setting a good example. When the going gets tough, they look up to you and see how you react to the situation. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu inspires his followers’’, Dr. Izebuwa Odigie, one of Ize-Iyamu’s supporters said.

Describing him as a ‘’great political leader, a man with progressive approach, always very calm under pressure’’ Dr. Odigie said Ize-Iyamu’s actions always inspire others to dream more, learn more and do more.’’

Ize-Iyamu’s movement from the opposition party, PDP to APC with huge followers -- about three months ago, many people argued, is a mark of his political relevance and leadership qualities.

A leading contender in the Edo State governorship race scheduled for September this year -- under the platform of the ruling APC, Ize Iyamu, recently obtained his governorship nomination form amidst celebration by his swarming supporters.

Accompanied by five other aspirants: Prof.

Ebegue Amadasun, Gen Charles Airhiavbere, Engr Chris Ogiemwonyi, Hon. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma and Hon Saturday Uwuilekhue and other leaders of the party, including members of Edo State APC caucus at the National Assembly -- in a show of solidarity, Ize-Iyamu who described himself as one of the founders of APC, assured that the primary that would produce the party’s candidate, would be free, fair and credible.

A senior pastor in the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), Benin-City, Ize-Iyamu told journalists after picking his form, that the other six aspirants, including the former deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, stepped down for him and gave their support in his aspiration to the number political position in the state to avoid a rancorous primary. ‘’There are issues in the Edo APC; but the leaders of the party are resolute that the state

Ize-Iyamu would not be lost to the opposition. Every one of us here may have personal ambitions. ‘’But we are bound together by the common desire to fast-track the transformation of our state through a transparent, effective, and accountable governance that will improve the living standards and social well-being of our people’’, the governorship hopeful added.

Although he was very reluctant to criticise Governor Godwin Obaseki while interacting with journalists at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja, he however said that even though APC is the ruling party in the state, majority of its members are not happy with the pace of development, rancour and the level of insecurity in Edo State.

He dismissed the purported endorsement by the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole. ‘’Our National Chairman cannot not endorse any aspirant now in order not to compromise his integrity as the father of all the aspirants. Of course, by the time a candidate emerges, that person will enjoy his full support’’, he explained.

On the mode of the primary that is generating huge controversy, Ize-Iyamu explained that he no problem with the mode of primary to be adopted by the national body of the party. And promised to abide by the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) – ‘’the organ that is empowered to fashion out guidelines’’ for the conduct of the primary.

“If they want us to do Indirect Primary so be it; if they want us to do Direct Primary so be it. But if you want to use the COVID-19 situation what should be recommended really, is Direct Primary, because the process decentralises the system.

Meanwhile, Indirect Primary will congregate thousands of people in one place for voting.

And that is not healthy for us.

“But the governor is insisting on Indirect Primary because it is easier to buy delegates.

Those who are afraid of the Direct Primary are those who are afraid of free, fair and credible election”, he argued.

Earlier while speaking at the event, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Emma

Odubu Ibediro, warned that the ruling party’s major opponent, the PDP, is praying for an implosion in the party, but assured that the opposition ‘’will wait forever and wait for nothing.’’ ‘’With the way we are going to conduct our primary, it will leave no one in doubt that the APC is more united more than ever. Naturally, the social media have been awashed with a lot of comments; but I want to assure you that contrary to what people may think, I am very optimistic that the forthcoming primary will prove APC as a party that will be fair to all’’, Ibediro firmly stated.

He was very confident that the processes for the primaries will be so transparent that ‘’whoever wins will know that he/she has won and whoever loses, it will be obvious that he/ she have lost’’, while urging all the aspirants to see the contest as a game Speaking on behalf of other aspirants who stepped for Ize-Iyamu, former Minister of State for Works, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, said that they share the same commitment and vision for accelerated development of Edo State -- anchored on purposeful and effective leadership with Ize Iyamu, saying they will be leveraging on the abundant human and natural resources in the state to create a new Edo. ‘’We therefore commit ourselves to helping our brother realise his ambition and aspiration, which today becomes ours and to which we pledge our unflinching support’’, Ogiemwonyi said, calling on all members of their teeming supporters to join them in providing the needed support for Ize- Iyamu’s ambition and aspiration. ‘’The task of rescuing Edo at this time is more important than all political considerations and I know with our support, Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu will accomplish the task.’’

Former chief of staff and secretary to the Edo state government, Ize-Iyamu was the gubernatorial candidate of the Edo state PDP for the 2016 Edo state gubernatorial election; he was until that time a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the National vice-chairman, South-South Zone of the defunct

Obaseki’s political foes under the platform of Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, and loyalists to Oshiomhole are currently at crossroad in search of a consensus candidate against him. This is as all entreaties within and outside the party to allow peace reign among the two political warlords have failed thus leaving the PDP to harvest from the disbursement

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) – one of the party that formed APC. He served as Director General of Adams Oshiomhole’s 2nd term Campaign Organisation; he was also the Coordinator of Goodluck/ Sambo Campaign Organisation. He has been honoured by the Benson Idahosa University with an honorary doctorate degree in Public Administration.

Ize-Iyamu was born in Benin City on June 22, 1962. He is described as a descendant of an illustrious family ‘’deeply rooted in nobility and with an outstanding record of service to the community and society’’, Ize-Iyamu’s forefather, Chief Odia was the Iyase’N’ohenmwen (Prime Minister) of Benin in the reign of Oba Osemwende (1816 – 1848 A.D). His maternal heritage is also of notable repute: His mother’s father was the well-known Obasohan of Akpakpava.

A most significant aspect of the history of the Ize-Iyamu family is that it holds the record of building and owning the first storey building “Egedege N’Okaro” in the whole of the MidWestern Region, Nigeria which is the present day Edo and Delta States. History indicated that it was built in 1906 by Osagie’s great grandfather Late Chief Iyamu, the Inneh of Benin Kingdom.

And Ize-Iyamu has consistently said that it is in this revered historical house that he grew up under the shadows of inspiration.

Ize-Iyamu attended St. Joseph Primary School and Ebenezer Nursery and Primary School in Benin City. He had his Secondary education at Edo College -- the premier secondary school in Edo State and passed out with grade I in his West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations. He attended the University of Benin where he graduated with an LLB (Hons) and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos where he bagged the Bachelor of Law (BL).

Osagie Ize-Iyamu is happily married to Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, a Consultant Orthodontist with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and University of Benin. They are blessed with four children Jostling to Confront Obaseki Gone are the days when the main threat to a Nigerian governor being re-elected came from an opposition party. The precedent set by the landslide defeat of erstwhile governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, to a challenger within his party and now current governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the lead up to the 2019 elections, means sitting governors cannot rest on their oars come nomination time.

This is the case in Edo State, as preparations intensify for the gubernatorial election to be held September 19. Governor Godwin Obaseki knows he needs to first scale the hurdles within

11

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020

MONDAY DISCOURSE

Ihama his party, before contemplating a re-election bid in September.

The All Progressives Congress under whose banner Obaseki contested and won elections in 2016, was also the party under which Ambode lost to Sanwo-Olu in the Lagos primaries late 2018.

Following Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, expressing its readiness to go on with elections in September despite uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, the APC, last week, fixed June 22 as the date for primary elections in Edo State. Sale of forms to governorship aspirants was scheduled between May 20 and June 2.

Back Story Stakeholders and analysts are keeping a close eye on the APC primaries in Edo because of the glaring cracks within the party at state level, which has attracted widespread attention. For months now, Governor Obaseki has had a longrunning fallout with APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole.

Oshiomole is not only Obaseki’s predecessor as governor, he made sure – with much persuasion and lobbying – to sell his anointed successor to party faithful and supporters who were not convinced about Obaseki’s suitability for the job.

Despite the fact that Obaseki was the head of Oshiomole’s Economic and Strategic Management team for eight years, many of the state’s party members and supporters leaned towards the then deputy governor, Pius Odubu.

However, it didn’t take long for those with misgivings to feel justified. Obaseki accused Oshiomhole of meddlesomeness and an overbearing desire to influence his government.

He threatened to remove Oshiomole from the Edo State APC after instigating his suspension and was the protagonist of a plot that almost saw Oshiomole unseated as National Chairman of the APC early this year, but for the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Following the narrow escape, Oshiomole struck a conciliatory tone, especially because influential ministers from the South-South region were involved in his travails. But this should not be misinterpreted as the power tussle being over.

In fact, Oshiomole is believed to be backing either Odubu or Ize-Iyamu as an alternative ticket bearer to the incumbent governor. Both lawyers are reputed to have the support to defeat Obaseki in a primary election and the grassroots following to successfully prosecute a gubernatorial campaign.

Apart from being deputy governor for eight years, Odubu represented Edo State at the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. A loyal party man to the core, Odubu was recently nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and later confirmed by the Senate. The President however put this and other appointments on hold and approved an interim board to look into transactions under previous boards.

For many, Odubu’s large following, despite his preference for a low profile, and his aversion to conflict, make him a natural choice in what many see as a fait accompli in the battle to unseat Obaseki.

But Ize-Iyamu’s much publicised return to the APC in November last year, after a five-year sojourn in the PDP, has thrown all permutations into disarray.

Oshiomole encouraged Ize-Iyamu to return to the party in a bid to frustrate Governor Obaseki’s return ticket, and personally came to receive

Imasuagbon him in a planned mega rally that was derailed by the governor. Those in the know believe only the promise of the party’s ticket would have compelled Ize-Iyamu to return to the party he abandoned in 2014 to “go back home”.

The pastor is a foundation member of the PDP in the state and a staunch follower of former governor Lucky Igbinedion, who appointed him Secretary to the State Government during his eight-year tenure. He later pitted his tent with the Action Congress, which transformed into the Action Congress of Nigeria and later morphed into the APC. Ize-Iyamu rose to become the National Vice Chairman (South-South) in the APC, until his departure to PDP in 2014 with hundreds of his loyal supporters. He was the party’s candidate in 2016 against Obaseki but lost at the polls.

Party Man versus Returnee The question is, which one of these gladiators will step aside for the other? Those within the party believe Odubu’s loyalty has earned him the chance, while he also boasts a strong following that can sway elections his way. Despite misgivings about Ize-Iyamu’s devotion to the party’s cause, his support base across party lines might be a benefit during a general election.

But Ize-Iyamu is also seen as a polarizing figure within the party’s ranks, with a recent open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari by “Concerned Edo APC Stakeholders” which was published in the newspapers, highlighting his weaknesses.

Stating their concerns, the group loyal to Obaseki bemoaned the fact that Ize-Iyamu returned to the party “just three months ago,” as against others who stayed behind to help build the party. They doubt his capacity of having the financial muscle to prosecute a campaign and have misgivings over the fact that he served as SSG to Igbinedion.

They also drew attention to the fact that he was Director General of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign in Edo State, as well as that of Atiku Abubakar. They went as far as accusing him of being a PDP mole, with plans to return to the PDP if he becomes successful.

The big picture they claim, is to capture Edo State and make the South-South a completely PDP region.

The “Concerned Stakeholders” described Ize-Iyamu as “a serial decampee who runs to different parties every year and runs out immediately he loses,” and pointed out that Oshiomole himself has campaigned incessantly against him and badmouthed him in the past.

Party faithful seem more receptive to the candidacy of Odubu, a doctor of jurisprudence and student of governance, who used his time at the National Assembly to push for projects

Ikhine in his state.

He has been recognized for his excellence at the House of Representatives where, as the only member from Edo State to serve in the appropriations committee from 1999-2003, he influenced projects like the Benin Outer Ring Road (Bye-Pass), the Benin-Warri Expressway and the rehabilitation of Benin-Abraka road, as well as initiating many other projects in several communities within his constituency.

The APC is still debating the type of primaries it will hold – direct, indirect or consensus – but there is no denying that if there is any chance of defeating the incumbent governor at the primaries, Odubu and Ize-Iyamu need to present a common front.

Contending with the PDP Challenge Since the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released a revised time-table for the governorship election in Edo State, the stakes over who get the party’s tickets is high.

The search for the right choice of candidate according to political watchers will certainly determine how far both the APC and the PDP will go in the general election.

The PDP as its stand today is positioned to harvest from the internal crisis rocking the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, if it puts its house in order.

While, the APC on the other hand is fractured, battered and divided between, the national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his predecessor, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state over the soul of the party.

Obaseki’s political foes under the platform of Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, and loyalists to Oshiomhole are currently at crossroad in search of a consensus candidate against him.

This is as all entreaties within and outside the party to allow peace reign among the two political warlords have failed thus leaving the PDP to harvest from the disbursement Already, among aspirants seeking the PDP governorship ticket are Mr Kenneth Imansuangbon, Mr. Gideon Ikhine, Hon Ifaluyi Isibor, and member of federal house of representative, Hon Ogbeide Ihama.

Kenneth Imansuagbon Kenneth Imansuagbon, popularly known as the ‘riceman’ owing to his yearly rice distribution joined active politics in 2004 and attempted to contest the governorship in 2007 under the defunct Action Congress. Imasuangbon could have joined the ruling PDP then but he opted for a party of the masses.

The AC had no structure but Imansuangbon gave it life by paying for its secretariat and providing furniture to be used by party members.

He was however pressured to step down for

Former chief of staff and secretary to the Edo state government, Ize-Iyamu was the gubernatorial candidate of the Edo state PDP for the 2016 Edo state gubernatorial election; he was until that time a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the National vicechairman, South-South Zone of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) – one of the party that formed APC. He served as Director General of Adams Oshiomhole’s 2nd term Campaign Organisation; he was also the Coordinator of Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Despite seeing the party to victory, Imansuangbon, who was not happy with the manner the party was run, left for the opposition PDP when the party was at its lowest ebb. He helped reconciled warring factions and put the party in strong shape. In 2012, Imasuangbon contested at the PDP primaries but lost to General Charles Airhiavbere at the behest of late Chief Tony Anenih. Not satisfied with the manner the primaries was manipulated, Imasuangbon returned to the APC In 2016, he was among the aspirants that contested against incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki and also lost out at the primaries.

Imansuangbon returned to the PDP in 2018 to help campaign for his friend, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who was gunning for the presidential ticket of the party. Tambuwal’s lost did not deter him to leave the party and he has been providing necessary financial support to make the party strong in Edo He has again indicated interest to contest for the governorship ticket under the PDP and this time Imasuangbon is the right person the PDP can hope on to defeat Obaseki.

Imasuangbon is the only PDP aspirant that has not held any political appointment or elective positions. He has not received any contract from either the state or federal government. He has spent his money to finance the Edo PDP through troubled times and never cared to the paid back.

Across the state, Imansuangbon is a household name. He will not be a candidate that will need introduction. He has helped to pay medical bills for patients in several hospitals. Traditional rulers are abreast of his good gestures towards the people.

The Edo PDP needs victory and the man that can take the party’s flag to Osadebey Avenue is Kenneth Imansuangbon.

Engr Gideon Ikhine Engr Gideon Ikhine, is considered a greenhorn politically. He is from Edo Central senatorial district, a district jostling for the PDP governorship ticket. Ikhine resigned from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in 1997 to establish Nugi Limited, an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) company.

Within 10 years after its establishment, Nugi Limited grew to become a major player in the Nigerian construction industry employing hundreds of Nigerians.

Engr. Ikhine’s pioneering role and contributions to society, has earned him the privilege of sitting as a Member of The Provisional Council of Foundation Faith Church and a Pioneer Member, Board of Trustees, Salem University, Lokoja, Kogi State.

Engr. Gideon Ikhine’s first stint in Politics dated back between 1987 and 1988 and later went in the pursuit of his professional engineering career.

His political involvements and support for his party the PDP from the National through State to LGA and Ward levels, have seen him exhibit passion in the restructuring and repositioning of the party on several occasions. He has demonstrated commitment to the Party by supporting the aspirations of party members to the State House of Assembly and National Assembly on various occasions.

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

12

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

13

14

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻËœ 2020

COMMENT

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

COVID-19 AND SMART FOOD MARKETS

COVID-19 presents an opportunity to think creatively and make our markets more hygienic and resilient to shocks, writes Betty Kibaara

N

othing excites me more than visiting an open-air market and sampling some succulent, juicy pineapple, or a yellow-ripe sweet banana amidst small chit-chat with the friendly women vendors. These pleasantries are no longer the norm. With all of us wearing masks, I can hardly recognize my vendors and they cannot make out their customers. I don’t taste the fruits until they are washed in soapy water.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that while open markets are a key component of a sustainable food system, they aren’t built for a crisis like this one. Urban food markets in Africa often lack adequate infrastructure, resulting in over-crowded spaces and massive amounts of food waste.

Vendors have little or no control over the hygiene practices of their suppliers and customers, making food safety protocols difficult to follow.

Various governments in Africa, have provided guidelines to help secure the food supply during this challenging time.

While this is a good short-term measure, we need to be thinking about the long-term changes that will make our markets more resilient for the future. African countries can develop prototypes for “smart� markets fit to our context, designed to ensure health and safety, and equipped to meet our food needs now and into the future. The big question however is, what could an African Smart Market look like?

Firstly, the vast roofs of markets are a perfect place to install solar panels, enabling markets to run on sustainable energy.

The power generated could also serve surrounding consumers and businesses.

Secondly, modern African markets provide the perfect opportunity for water harvesting infrastructure. The roofs of the markets could collect water during rains and would help keep the market well-sanitized and supply customers and vendors with clean drinking water.

Good water supply goes well with sanitation facilities.

Water, sanitation and hygiene facilities are critical to limiting infection spread and protecting health. Clean facilities, maintained by private sector partners, could offer services such as sorting bays and improve hygiene by sanitizing surfaces for vendors.

SAFEGUARDING HUMAN HEALTH, FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY MUST BE A PRIORITY THROUGHOUT THE FOOD SYSTEM

Nigeria is the second largest tomato producing country in Africa with production of 1.5 million metric tons per annum with an estimated demand of 2.5 million metric tons. Unfortunately, 50% of the harvested tomatoes go bad after harvest.

This mainly because of the use of raffia baskets that are piled on top of each other and the lack of cooling trucks during long distance transportation. Improving storage infrastructure and sharing storage best practices can increase the availability of food on local and regional markets, leading to improved food security and increased resilience for smallholder farmers.

Through the YieldWise Initiative, and in partnership with TechnoServe, The Rockefeller Foundation has trained farmers on post-harvest loss reduction technologies as well as linked the farmers to processors and buyers of fresh tomatoes.

Safeguarding human health, food safety and traceability must be a priority throughout the food system. While subsistence production, informal distribution channels, and traditional community markets make it difficult to implement large-scale food safety interventions, smart markets could promote a shift in consumer attitudes by designating a section where traders only sell certified and traceable produce.

This could be a big step toward creating consumer demand for food safety and traceability and lay the groundwork for future reform.

Therefore, a carefully considered market design is the final piece of the puzzle. For example, traders in the sunniest and windiest spots often cover their stalls in dirty sacks, introducing unnecessary risk of contamination. Markets could be optimized to have clear entries and exits and take into account the direction of the sun and wind, minimizing the need for extra work and unsanitary makeshift solutions.

As we think about designing the markets of the future, we should also explore business models to help markets become self-sustaining.

We must take COVID-19 as an opportunity to think creatively and help our markets evolve to be more hygienic, more sustainable and more resilient to future shocks and disruptions. By doing this, we can help protect our local vendors’ livelihoods and ensure that millions of Africans have secure access healthy, nutritious food.

Kibaara is Director, Food Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation

SITUATING NAMI’S MANAGEMENT TWEAK The retirement of some directors in FIRS is in the best interest of the service, writes Louis Achi

A

ccording to the notable American author and leadership guru John Calvin Maxwell, “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.� Quickly moving beyond pessimism and idle optimism, Muhammad Nami, the executive chairman of the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS) appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, in December 2019, settled for active, informed realism.

Beyond pushing innovative, proficient domestic tax revenue generation, through efficient and accountable processes and templates, the new unassuming tax chief also boldly incepted progressive administrative tweaks in the revenue agency.

Weighing the unfolding global picture with its market volatilities and product vulnerabilities, Nami, an astute certified tax, accounting and management professional with privileged credentials, immediately incepted novel governance measures to produce impactful results. A core focus area was in human resources including a significant shakeup in top management.

It could be recalled that the board of the FIRS in a meeting held on Friday, March 20, 2020 took the decision and approved that all directors who had served in the agency for eight years and above should be retired.

The nine affected directors include - Victor Ekundayo (Career and Skills Development), Kemi Odusanya (Facility), Emmanuel Obeta (Chairman’s Office), Chiaka Okoye (Programme Office, Non-Tax), Kola Okunola (ICT), Asheik Maidugu (Planning and Statistics), Innocent Ohagwa (Human Capital Development), Ezra Zubairu (Programmes and Policy Monitoring) and Olufemi Oluwaniyi (Team Lead, Tax Operations Group).

The agency took the decision in line with Paragraph 10.1(a)(iii) of Human Resources Policy and Programmes (HRPP)� of the FIRS

after considering a number of career progression complaints by some staff in the Service.

Further, FIRS Establishment Act, 2007, Section 7, empowers the FIRS board to take certain far-reaching decisions in the interest of the service and by extension, the country. Section 7 (d) states that the board shall‌ “employ and determine the terms and conditions of service including disciplinary measures of the employees of the Serviceâ€?. Section 7(J) states that the board shall “do such other things which in its opinion are necessary to ensure the efficient/performance of the functions of the Service under this Actâ€?.

It was in the discharge of such responsibilities that the board approved the retirement of the nine directors who had spent eight years and above as directors, as provided by the FIRS statutes.

In retiring this category of personnel, the FIRS board considered subsisting issues in the service which have to do with career progression. The agency had noted that there was stagnation in career progression because some directors had served for about 10 years while younger members of staff who also possessed requisite expertise could not progress in their career line.

Some staff had taken a number of promotion examinations and passed but could not be promoted. The affected staff and the staff unions had complained to the management to intervene in the situation.

Significantly, some of the retired directors were given new appointments on a contract basis. These include - Chiaka Okoye (group lead, Digital Support), Olufemi Oluwaniyi (coordinating director, Tax Operations), Asheikh Madugu (acting coordinating director, ECFIRS), Innocent Ohagwa (acting coordinating director, Support Services), and Ezra Zubairu (acting coordinating director, Compliance Support). Faosat Oguniyi became group lead, Enforcement Support, while Kola Okunola and Auta Mohammed were retained as special advisers on ICT and Administration

respectively; Nneka Ofekwuna is the board secretary.

Interestingly, in a milieu where sectional sensitivities rule the roost, this human resources tweak provoked a storm in a section of the media and ranks of some stakeholder alleging nepotistic, religious and tribal biases.

Good a thing, the agency came out with specific clarification on the in-house administrative measures. A statement issued by Director, Communications and Liaison, Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, noted that “management had observed that there was stagnation in career progression in the service because some directors had served for about 10 years while younger members of staff who also possessed requisite expertise could not progress in their career line.

In the agency’s words: “Some staff had taken a number of promotion examinations and had passed but could not be promoted.

The affected staff and the staff unions had complained to the management to intervene in the situation‌In doing that, the FIRS Board considered subsisting issues in the service which have to do with career progression. “Consequent upon the appointment and inauguration of the new executive chairman together with the board by the Federal Government, the career progression issue was tabled before the board on March, 20, 2020. “In its wisdom, the board used its prerogative to direct the nine directors to be retired immediately. The retirement of the directors was a selfless and courageous decision taken in compliance with the laws. It was done in good faith and in the best interest of the service.â€?

To rest the frenzied allegations of sectional agenda swirling around the top management staff retirements, the FIRS executive chairman himself spoke very clearly and indeed eloquently on related, fundamental issues.

According to Nami, claims in a section of the media alleging appointments and retirements along ethnic and religious lines at the FIRS

“are very far from the truth in relation to publicly available evidence. The FIRS is one national institution which any Nigerian joins and is assured of rising to the very top in the hierarchy based on his or her individual competence and hard work on the job, and not on the basis of any tribal or religious affiliation.� “If any FIRS worker had been a victim of tribalism or religious discrimination in the past, I say to such marginalized worker: Not anymore and not on my watch at the FIRS.�

Perhaps understandably, some miffed retirees alleged the new appointments negated the federal character policy and are the executive chair’s allies. But these sour gripes apparently fly in the face of further specific clarifications by FIRS. According to the tax agency, its actions were in sync with extant related rules. “The FIRS is not part of the civil service, but part of public service. The FIRS, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, are part of public service, not civil service. This informs, for instance, NNPC, CAC, whenever there is a leadership change, most of the senior officers are usually retired to pave way for their subordinates because they have separate boards to authorise such actions,� the Director of Communications and Liaison Department, Abdullahi Ismaila, clarified in a statement.

He added that “The FIRS is governed under the FIRS Establishment Act 2007, which has given it autonomy to hire and fire without recourse to Civil Service Rules, but to its own rule and therefore not part of civil service.�

Ismaila further stated that the FIRS was only accountable to its board, adding that the retirement of the directors was approved by the board.

As things stand, only few can claim that the new FIRS boss has not brought bold and novel governance direction to the agency. He has imaginatively adjusted the sails of the agency’s ship. This is Nami’s forte.

15

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

EDITORIAL THE WASTE CALLED REFINERIES It’s time to privatise the refineries

A

recent report by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that no drop of petrol or kerosene was produced by any of the refineries for months between 2019 and 2020 is symptomatic of the waste in the country. The corporation’s refineries which have a combined production capacity of 445,000 barrels a day could not produce white products (petrol and kerosene) in the months of April, July, August, September, October, November, and December 2019, as well as in January 2020. The question therefore is: Why do we still hold on to these refineries?

This financial bleeding of Nigeria should not continue under a government that sermonises about corruption. The waste of scarce resources on things that do not directly benefit our economy and people also calls to question the commitment of the current NNPC leadership to doing the right thing. In January 2019, when they had a cumulative production capacity of 19.8 per cent, the refineries returned a cumulative loss of N8.362 billion IT MAKES NO SENSE TO to the country. In BE PUMPING BILLIONS February of the same OF NAIRA MAINTAINING year when their REFINERIES THAT OFFER cumulative production capacity went up NO VALUE AND HAVE BECOME EXPENSIVE COST to 15.2 per cent, they returned a loss of CENTRES N10.259bn as losses.

By the following month when they recorded an abysmal 3.4 per cent production capacity, the loss was N16.036bn. Between April 2019 and January this year, the losses totalled over a hundred billion naira.

Over the years, hundreds of billions of naira have been spent on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries by the NNPC, but none of them worked at optimal level at any time. The issues with the refineries are not just that they do not produce refined products for Nigeria’s domestic economy, but also that they

gulp huge funds as operational expenditures (OPEX).

Between 2015 and 2018, calculations by credible agencies such as the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Reforms in Nigeria (FOSTER) showed that about N276.8bn was spent in OPEX for the refineries. The cost for unsuccessful TAM was put at $396.33m between 2013 and 2017. Yet, we could have built several refineries with such humongous amount of money that was frittered.

G 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

iven continued losses from its operation, many have suggested that these refineries be shut and scrapped. The logic is that it makes no sense to be pumping billions of naira maintaining refineries that offer no value and have become expensive cost centres. While the rehabilitation of moribund refineries has remained the unrelenting mantra since 1999, it must by now be clear to the current administration that we cannot continue to subsidise failure which the refineries clearly represent, at great national cost.

It is our candid advice that the federal government should consider and adopt options such as privatising the refineries by divesting huge chunks of its shares to competent and resourceful investors in the private sectors. The government has an example to follow in its 2005 divestment of shares in Eleme Petrochemical Company which is now Indorama. But in doing this, we also strongly insist that competent consultants must be engaged to evaluate the assets of the refineries before a supervisory sale closely monitored by the National Council of Privatisation (NCP) and Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) could be undertaken.

To ensure that the processes leading to the refineries’ divestment are not interfered with by politics, we also strongly recommend that a transparent and fair bidding process independently managed by the BPE and transaction advisors be adopted while a post-privatisation performance mechanism be set up to review and checkmate likely unwholesome activities. But it makes no sense to continue to waste scarce resources on unproductive refineries.

TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor

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.

The Mindless Murder Of George Floyd

T

he Trans-Atlantic slave trade that spanned the 18th and 19th century was one of the most brutal assaults on the human race. Human beings from the African continent were treated worse than sub-humans and animals. They were packed like sardines into waiting ships and sent off to the New World to work as labourers in plantations and the homes of the Caucasians with no pay save for the miserable meals they were given to keep them alive.

The only permanent thing in life is change and this applied to Africans or black Americans as their lot through the efforts of the likes of Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, William Edward Blyden Du bois, etc., led to the end of slave trade which was the major precursor of the American civil war under the Presidency of the legendary Abraham Lincoln.

The lot of the blacks didn’t change the fate of the former slaves as they were excluded from the major goings on in the US when a policy of segregation was aggressively pursued. The likes of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, Rev Jesse Jackson, Malcolm X, etc., did their best to put an end to the misery of the blacks in the country that prides herself as ‘God’s own country.’ Since then the lot of the blacks have immensely improved even though in most cases they are merely tolerated.

George Floyd was one such black. He was diligent in his work as a bouncer in a club in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he eked out an honest living. Unfortunately the Covid-19 pandemic left him jobless which was also the fate of millions of his American counterparts. He didn’t take the law into his hands as he may have been tempted to have done in his desperate bid to survive.

His journey to the land of his ancestors began on May 25, this year

when he purchased a pack of cigarettes from Cup Foods, a grocery store.

The store attendant alleged that he paid with a counterfeit $20 bill and promptly called the police to step in.

This was rather tragic as the store owner, Mike Abumayyaleh said in tears that he was a regular customer to the store and had a sanguine look around him. The employee alleged that Floyd was drunk and not in control of himself and refused to hand him back the pack of cigarettes.

He then called 911 and was arrested by the local cops.

Once handcuffed Mr Floyd became compliant. It was when officers tried to put Mr Floyd in their squad car that a struggle ensued.

At some point, Mr Derek Chauvin, a police officer, kept his knee on Mr Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes until he passed away. Floyd’s death is condemnable as he was killed in cold blood by Chauvin for reasons best known to him. This was a case of a first-degree murder and one wonders why the life of a promising black man was brutally cut short by a cop who was supposed to protect him!

While I condemn the looting of shops by the blacks in that community, I am in support of the peaceful protests that greeted his death. Why are many blacks targeted in needless killings by the white cops? What crime have they committed? Is it a crime to be black? What happened to diversity and inclusiveness? The beauty of the US is that it is a land built on the back of immigrants. Cop Chauvin should be tried and the full weight of the law should be applied on him to serve as a deterrent.

Former US President Barack Obama broke the glass ceiling in 2008 when he was elected the first Black President of the US. Tragically, this glass ceiling is still there for many blacks whose attempt to reach their full potential is blocked by their erstwhile Caucasian task masters.

Tony Ademiluyi, Lagos

Just Tell Me The Truth

T

witter has suggested fact checking two of President Trump’s tweets and it makes the headlines of most papers and now President Trump is issuing an executive order to remedy the situation including possibly shutting down Twitter.

The Washington Post has a list of apparently18,000 false or misleading claims by the President and yet they are still publishing - maybe they should be careful of a fire and brimstone response in the near future. Maybe the truth should be published and be subject to being checked. In this line I did some online searches for interesting facts to review. Fact Check: I didn’t, I just went with what I already know.

These are some of more popular online facts that I couldn’t fact check reliably.

- The earth is flat

- We didn’t go to the Moon - Lizard people rule the world There were hundreds of other items online that I have some doubt about although I would be happy if Elvis was still alive.

These are some facts that seem to escape many people: - Your child is not the most important person in the world.

- Being good on a sports field doesn’t give you the right to be bad off it.

- Influencers don’t influence me.

- Dumb people and their opinions are more common than you think.

On a more serious side we also need to accept that Vaccinations do work, the 5G network didn’t spread the COVID-19 virus and couldn’t. We need to know the truth although we might not be able to handle it.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

W and of t

Ton

16

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

17

18

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

19

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

Í° ͡ Ëœ Í° ÍŽ Í° ÍŽ MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

REPO 3 2

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

2 5.25 6.50

S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

513.01% 0.28% 1.27%

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

10.17 % 6.62 %

EXCHANGE RATE N361/1US DOLLAR* ĚŠ

Quick Takes GTBank Named ‘Most Admired Brand’

MEDIABRIEFING

L-R:LagosStateCommissionerforWealthCreationandEmployment,Mrs.YetundeArobieke;CommissionerforScienceandTechnology,Mr.HakeemFahm, andSpecialAdvisertotheGovernoronInnovativeandTechnology,Mr.TunbosunAlake,duringamediabriefingheldinAlausa,Lagos...recently

‘AfCFTA is Africa’s COVID-19 Economic Palliative’ Stories by Dike Onwuamaeze The Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Mr. Wamkele Mene, has described an efficient implementation of the intra-African free trade agreement as a critical tool in the hands of the continent’s leaders to stimulate and re-inject dynamism into Africa’s post COVID-19 economy.

Mene, who participated as the guest speaker in a virtual conference that was hosted by the American Business Council (ABC), Nigeria, in Lagos, at the weekend, said the AfCFTA remains the continent’s hope for economic recovery.

He, stressed that no African country has the financial muscle to initiate a significant economic stimulus package the way the

ECONOMY United States of America has done when it launched more than $1 trillion as stimulus package.

He added: “I believe that even with the challenges of COVID-19, which I see as a crisis with an opportunity, most developed countries have introduced economic relief packages to re-inject dynamism and growth in their own economies. “The United States of America introduced over $1 trillion stimulus package. The European Union has introduced $500 billion and may increase it to close to a $1 trillion. “The USA also packaged $60 billion to its aviation sector in form of grants and loans. But many African countries do not have the monetary policy space, neither do they have the fiscal policy space to provide such substantial

economic relieve packages, which means that for us as Africa, the implementation of the AfCFTA agreement is our own stimulus and economic relief package.�

He also explained that an effective implementation of the free trade area agreement would significantly boosting intra-African trade and investments and stave off the severe contraction in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of between 2.5 and five per cent of the GDP that was predicted for the continent by the World Bank.

Mene added: “The AfCFTA is actually the driver of economic growth in Africa and a critical tool that we have in our disposal. As I said there are very few countries in Africa that can put on the table the substantial amount in stimulus packages that we have seen elsewhere. So this AfCFTA is Africa’s stimulus and economic recovery plan.�

He stated that the AfCFTA would liberate the continent from inhibitive trade policies of the western world that has consigned African countries as the producer and exporter of primary commodities with the imposition of 1000 per cent tariffs or more on the export of processed primary products like leather from Africa.

He also said the agreement would ignite industrialisation in the continent by encouraging member states to add value to their primary products and sell them within the continent at zero tariffs. “What we require is an action plan for the implementation of an industrial development plan strategy across Africa in a disciplined manner over a number of years. This, to me, is the important factor as we implement the free

GuarantyTrustBankPlchasbeenrankedAfrica’s‘MostAdmiredFinance Brand’ in the 10th anniversary ranking of Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands.

Therecognitionwasannouncedinavirtualeventandwouldbepublished in the June issue of the African Business magazine.

In the special report examining the results of the 2020 survey, the founder of Brand Africa, Thebe Ikalafeng, in a statement explained: “GTBank’s clever marketing, global presence and some of its agship food and fashion events have undoubtedly helped make it a ďŹ xture of daily life in some of its key markets, especially its home base Nigeria.â€?

He added that the bank, which recently won plaudits for building a 110-bed isolation centre in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic, has taken banking and ďŹ nance to the people.

GTBank has long been regarded as one of Africa’s outstanding brands and enjoys a massive youth following thanks to its innovative and forwardthinking approach to ďŹ nancial services and customer engagement. It currentlycommandsthelargestsocialmediafollowingamongstallďŹ nancial institutions in Africa and in 2019, the Bank hosted over 700,000 people at its consumer-focused events, GTBank Food and Drink Festival and The GTBank Fashion Weekend, among them dozens of business leaders and industry experts from around the world.

In 2019, GTBank removed all banking charges for young undergraduates under the age of 25 on its GTCrea8 Account Package. The move was unprecedented in the ďŹ nancial services sector, but not unusual for a bank that had pioneered zero-naira account opening in the country, and in which people over the age of 65 also bank for free.

Wema Sta Donates to Communities

Wema Bank Plc said its sta recently deepened service to humanity as they made ‘salary for love’ donations to help cushion the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a statement, in line with the bank’s corporate social initiatives, the ‘Salary for love,’ is a one-day basic salary donation which is a voluntary contribution by sta to assist the government and health workers in ďŹ ghting the spread of the virus. “As a bank and a responsible organisation, we recognise the need to support the government and citizens of the country at this period,â€? the MD/CEO of Wema Bank, Mr. Ademola Adebise said. “The ‘Salary for love’ donation will contribute to the cause in helping to ďŹ ght and reduce the spread of the virus in Nigeria. It is a seless cash donation from members of sta of Wema Bank PLC, and we are proud of everyone who contributed,â€? he added.

ThebankdisclosedthatoverN4millionwasraisedandusedinpurchasing items such as face masks, antiseptic soaps, foodstu, among others.The items were shared to families in communities aected by the lockdown, according to the bank.

The bank also said it created a COVID-19 account to enable members of sta donate voluntarily towards the ďŹ ght against the spread of the virus in Nigeria. “Last month, we donated palliatives to state governments and communities, and this is something we will continue with the understanding that some of us have had to face harsher economic realities during this pandemic,â€? Adebise added. “We believe that our contribution will not only help curb the spread of the virus, it will also help soften the impact of the pandemic on Nigerians,â€? he said.

Senegal Gets AfDB’s Loan

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a loan of ₏88 million for Senegal, hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.Thefundistosupportthecountry’snationalCOVID-19Economic and Social Resilience Program.

The ďŹ nancing, which falls under the Bank’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Continued on page 20 Facility, would provide the nation with an emergency budget support program (PUARC) aiming to address the health, social and economic impacts of the crisis. The operation would target support measures providing relief to the most vulnerable households, while safeguarding jobs and enabling businesses to quickly resume.

He said: “Furthermore, if you look at it carefully you will see that this pandemic has disrupted many of our activities in this country, especially in the “I have instructed the educational sector. If you look around, most schools in the urban Commissioner for Physical centres have been conducting Planning and Urban Development virtual classes. “But this cannot be done as to discipline and sanction officials of today in our rural areas and that have been found culpable to local governments. Some places do not have sufficient broadband compromise any form of approval penetration or maybe insufficient in digital literacy and skills for the right-of-way� required.

FG Reiterates Need to Create Digital Economy The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, has stated that the disruption caused COVID-19 has strengthened federal government’s resolve to focus on digitalisation as a means of diversifying the country’s economy.

Pantami, said this during a webinar organised by the Nigeria Economic Society Group (NESG) on the topic: “Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the Nigerian Digital Economy and Post Pandemic Strategies.�

He said the importance attached to digitalisation by the federal

ECONOMY government was demonstrated recently, by President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the protection of the country’s digital infrastructures would now be the collective responsibility of all the security formations in Nigeria. “It was predicted in 2016 that 60 per cent of world economy is going to be digitalised by 2022. And with this pandemic, that prediction has also been challenged because by looking at the way digitalisation is taking place globally it is clear that 75

per cent or thereabout of the world economy is going to be digitalised,� the minister said.

He also called on all the stakeholders to come together to encourage the journey that would fast track the enthronement of digital economy in Nigeria. “The responsibilities are collective one and all stakeholders must come together to ensure that we achieve digital economy in the country,� he said.

The minister identified education as one of the sectors that have been severely hit by COVID-19, especially schools in the rural communities of Nigeria.

Governor, Lagos State Continued on page 20

Babajide Sanwo-Olu

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ 2020

20

BUSINESSWORLD ‘AFCFTA IS AFRICA’S COVID-19 ECONOMIC PALLIATIVE’ trade agreement,� he said.

He, however, stated that he was concerned about the difficult challenges member countries would face while implementing the agreement and playing by its rules in spite of the optimism and political will shown by African leaders at African Union’s session about the AfCFTA. “What I worry about is the inability or willful lack of compliance because sometimes conditions are difficult. The worry I have is the implementation and compliance with the rules. “Where the bigger challenge will be is from the border (custom) officials in the remote parts of the member states and whether or not the officials will adhere to the rules that required them to apply the AfCFTA procedures.

This is the number one concern for me,� he said.

FG REITERATES NEED TO CREATE DIGITAL

“This brings about the need to transform digital literacy and skills and at the same time our broad band penetration. This is key because today those in the cities have the privieleges of having access to virtual classes and meetings. But if you go to our local governments and rural communities this is difficult.�

According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, COVID-19 has made stakeholders to look inward for initiatives that would enable Nigeria to contain the challenges the country is faced with.

Danbatta, identified content development, innovation and entrepreneurship as the three key areas to focus on in providing digital solutions that would support the country’s economic and social development.

He said: “When we talk about driving local content, innovation and entrepreneurship, we must first of all put necessary things in place that will ensure that we have the infrastructure that will cause innovation, local content and entrepreneurship.

We have to do this quickly and within the shortest possible time. We must address the infrastructure deficiency that is manifest in this country.�

NEWS

CBNExtendsDeadlineforSubmissionof2019ResultsbyOFIs NECA hails interest rate reduction

r

Dike Onwuamaeze and Chris Uba

country. “Therefore, the deadline for submission has been extended by three months. For the avoidance of doubt, all OFIs are required to submit the 2019 audited financial statements on or before July 31, 2020. Please note that the CBN will monitor compliance with the extended date and defaulters would be sanctioned accordingly.�

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has applauded

the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) over its decision to reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 13.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

In a statement issued by the Director-General of NECA, Dr. Timothy Olawale, the association said the development signalled a pro-growth response, that could lead to reduction in the cost of credit, increase investment and impact positively on output growth, in order to address the current global challenges.

“We applaud the current decision of the MPC, which aligned perfectly with the association’s earlier recommendation. “It is our belief, that the committee understands that high interest rate is a risk to the economy at this time. “We, therefore, called for synergy between the fiscal and monetary policy in order to move the economy, which is already in bleeding stage. “Development of more robust and coordinated stimulus packages

for the sectors that are worst hit by the pandemic, and opening up the non-oil economy for more productivity, to reduce the shock expected from falling global oil prices, would be a welcome development in pulling the economy from nose-diving into recession.�

NECA noted, however, that the MPC held other key parameters unchanged as the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) was left at 22.7 per cent while the liquidity ratio was kept at 30 per cent.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the deadline for the submission of the 2019 audited financial statements by Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) under its regulation, from April 30th, to July 31, 2020.

The Director, OFIs Supervision Department, CBN, Nkiru Asiegbu, who disclosed this in a letter addressed to the OFIs, some of which include Finance Houses, microfinance banks, Bureau De Change, explained that the decision to extend the deadline was due to the lockdown in most cities as result of the COVID-19.

The CBN explained: “Pursuant to the provisions of Section 27 (1)(a) of BOFIA, all banks and OFIs are required to forward the audited financial statements of each financial year to the CBN for approval before the end of the fourth month following the year to which they relate. “Accordingly, the 2019 audited financial statements should have reached the CBN on or before April 30th, 2020. However, we have observed that the lockdown of most cities in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic has restricted the engagement of L-R: Representative of Lagos state Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye; Corporate Communication Affairs Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mrs. external auditors and the daily Victoria Nwadoka; and Field Operations Manager, Mr. Babatunde Idowu, during the donation of face masks by NestlĂŠ Nigeria to the state government, operations of all OFIs across the in Lagos... recently ETOP UKUTT

FOR A SAFER LAGOS

Lagos Pledges to Drive Economy with Technology Emma Okonji The Lagos State government has renewed its e-governance operations with the innovation of the LASG Campus Network, an enterprise infrastructure that connects thousands of computers from all state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) within and around the secretariat for e-governance operations.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, who disclosed this recently during the 2020 ministerial press briefing, commemorating the one year in office of Governor Sanwo-Olu led administration, said the state remained fully committed to leading in information and communications technology (ICT).

He said the upgrade optimises the current network to reliably and securely support new and existing applications and devices.

Fahm, noted that the objective of the optimisation was to increase network availability, performance and security of the LASG Campus Enterprise Network, while at the same time stabilising its ICT environment for a smarter Lagos.

The Commissioner further disclosed that the improved online solution brought about the first-ever virtual meeting, held by the Lagos State Executive Council in the state and in Nigeria.

Speaking on the role of digital technology in driving Lagos economy, Fahm, explained that the LASG Enterprise GIS Upgrade and Integrated Land Administration

Automation Programme would provide a fully digital mapping platform and an integrated end-to-end land admin system effectively reducing silos of information system and developing programmes such as security, aerial surveillances, search and rescue operations, health, mapping flood and erosion control, among others.

He added that, in order to ensure public services are delivered despite the huge population of the state, the state recently launched two aerial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), commonly called drones which would help in digital mapping and accurate planning, in line with the state’s vision of achieving a smart city status. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and

Technology, Mr. Tunbosun Alake, said his office would continue to focus on three core areas to further drive technology development in the state. The core areas include: Launch of the Innovation and Technology Masterplan; Develop the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Policy; and Create the Lagos Solution Hub. “The state innovation and technology master plan addresses four main pillars that are required to enable a vibrant innovation ecosystem, which include: Access, Data, Infrastructure and Funding, and the research and innovation council was established to promote research and innovation activities in public and private institutions,�

Alake said.

He, however, disclosed that the state government approved the sum of N250 million seed capital for technology and innovation, tech start-ups and young innovators, adding that the fund is meant to assist those in the ICT industry push their entrepreneurial skills to the next level and also help in conducting researches that would solve issues of national significance.

Giving details of the four main pillars that would enable a vibrant ecosystem in the state, Alake said access to data and markets would enable creators get the tools and critical ingredients they needed, while broadband infrastructure would drive the technology innovation, and funding would provide the necessary tools for the right connectivity.

Fidelity Bank, Foundation Support Vulnerable Persons in Benue Nume Ekeghe

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

Fidelity Bank Plc has donated N10 million to Eunice Spring of Life Foundation (ESLF), a pet project of the Benue First Lady.

The donation would enable the organisation, in no small measure, implement its humanitarian projects designed specifically for the people of Benue State.

According to a statement, the

donation would also cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the less privileged in the state.

Speaking during the presentation of the cheque, Fidelity Bank’s Executive Director, North, Hassan Imam, stated the bank was delighted with ESLF’s interventions in its four strategic areas of education, health, governance and economic empowerment.

According to Imam, ESLF boasts

of unique and sustainable initiatives that would be most impactful in the lives of the vulnerable people in the society. Whilst disclosing that the Foundation’s laudable initiatives prompted the donation from the bank, he assured that the donation would not be a one-off support.

Receiving the cheque on behalf of ESLF, the Founder of the organisation and First Lady

of Benue State, Dr. Eunice Ortom, expressed gratitude to the bank for the gesture and promised that the foundation would make judicious use of the financial support.

Earlier, the ESLF Programme Manager, Tine Agernor, pointed out that the Foundation had intervened in the areas of skills acquisition, economic empowerment for women and youths. Agernor said the Foundation was eager

to partner with well-meaning individuals and organisations to carry out these humanitarian efforts.

Also present at the event were Fidelity Bank’s Regional Bank Head, North Central, Sadi Zawayi; Branch Managing Director, Makurdi, Emmanuel Adukwu the bank’s Branch Head in Benue State University, Makurdi, Annet Olije Gyen.

Chi Limited Provides COVID-19 Relief Items Chi Limited has announced the donation of some of its products to the COVID-19 Presidential Taskforce and to several isolation and treatment centers across states of the federation.

A statement explained that the donation, which included 15,000 packs of Hollandia Evap Milk, would provide support in the fight

against the virus. Chi Limited also expressed appreciation to healthcare professionals and other frontline workers for their tireless and unrelenting efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a responsible corporate citizen, the company is committed to providing healthy nourishment for frontline medical personnel as they

work to make a difference in the lives of the Nigerian population,� the statement added.

Managing Director of Chi Limited, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, was quoted to have commended the government, health professionals, and other key stakeholders that have been at the forefront of combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that, “in the midst of this crisis, our frontline healthcare workers are being tasked like never before. We commend and thank them for their dedication, commitment and relentless efforts at this trying time. “We understand the challenges that COVID-19 currently poses to our communities. We are grateful to be able to give back by

supporting our healthcare workers and those affected by the COVID-19 disease who are currently in isolation and treatment centers across the country. “With our nourishing Hollandia Evap Milk, we can provide them with the required nutrition they need at this time.

We believe that together, we can beat this,� Roy added.

21

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Resetting Africa Despite the damage the coronavirus is causing to Africa, the pandemic should be seen as an opportunity to birth a new Africa that guarantees food security, quality and affordable healthcare and cutting-edge education for citizens in the continent, writes Obinna Chima

T

he coronavirus pandemic has exposed the underbelly of economies in Africa, thereby shining the light of their fragile state.

According to the Africa Development Bank, disruptions due to the pandemic could see economies in the region lose between $22 billion and $88 billion, as the continent faces unprecedented health and economic crises which threaten to reverse the development progress of recent years.

On its part, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stressed that no country in the region would be spared, projecting that economic growth in Africa would contract this year. In its prediction, the Washington-based institution projected that across the continent, the less diversified economies would be hit the hardest, reflecting the impact of lower commodity prices and containment efforts. “The large adverse shocks will exacerbate social conditions and aggravate existing economic vulnerabilities. Given the limited social safety net available, people will suffer. “Moreover, the pandemic is reaching the shores of the continent at a time when budgetary space to absorb such shocks is limited in most countries, thus complicating the appropriate policy response,� the IMF stated in its Regional Economic Outlook for sub Saharan Africa released recently.

These concerns and how to navigate the anticipated economic downturn in the region was the focus at the United Bank for Africa’s (UBA) 2020 Africa Day Conversations, held last week. The presidential panel at the forum, with the theme: “Growth, Jobs, and Sustainable Development Amidst a global Pandemic,� was moderated by the Chairman of the bank, Mr. Tony Elumelu.

Some members of the panel included President of Liberia, Mr. George Weah; United States Senator, Mr. Chris Coons; President, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mr. Peter Maurer; President and Founder, Africa CEO Forum, Amir Ben Yahmed; former AfDB President, Donald Kaberuka; President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah; Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, Georges Chikoti, and the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Achim Steiner.

They stressed the need for policymakers in the continent to look inward and adopt measures to create enabling environment for businesses to thrive post-COVID-19. This, they said was vital in rebuilding the African economy that has been damaged by the virus.

Job Creation and Youth Empowerment Elumelu, stressed that job creation efforts in the continent should target SMEs so as to increase productivity and income.

Elumelu, who is also the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, spoke on the need to mobilise everyone and explained the necessity to discover a more fundamental solution to Africa’s challenges through collaborative efforts.

He added: “This is the time for us to deal with the situation we have and also forge a better situation for everyone, acting again collectively. “This is not the time for finger-pointing but for a collaborative effort by governments and organisations to fight the pandemic globally.�

Elumelu called for cooperation among stakeholders if Africa is to have a quick recovery from the pandemic. “There is a need to flatten the curve, we need global co-operation to stem global depression.

Africa requires a large stimulus package and we need long-term solutions to prevent a cycle of debt,� he added.

Unlocking Opportunities in AfCFTA To Oramah, Africa must leverage the opportunities that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) provides to facilitate trade and economic growth in the region.

He said: “The pandemic has taught us that there comes a time when every group of people fends for themselves and there comes a time

time to go out in the morning and return back home by 3 o’clock.� “So far we have been doing our best to make sure that they are sustained because some people take loans from banks and are unable to pay the banks then the market shuts down so we have to take the responsibility to repay their loans so that when they come back to the market place, they will not be running from banks,� he added.

Elumelu

Oramah

when you must be independent. “I hope that the message that this pandemic is teaching us about independence will help us to integrate our continent better so that we will trade better, invest among ourselves better and promote our growth and development as a people without always looking out for others to bail us out. “The pandemic has shown so many weaknesses we have across our continent, not only from the point of view of infrastructure but from the appropriate economic policies that would help drive growth and also help manage events of the kind we are experiencing today,� he added.

He said many African countries were not prepared for the shock that came with the pandemic. “The priority for our governments should be to make sure that the AfCFTA gets implemented without delay.

If there was any doubt about the importance of that agreement that our leaders so courageously put in place about two years ago, this COVID-19 pandemic has told us that this is the way to go,� he stated.

He said building a sustainable supply chain within the continent was pertinent.

Oramah said: “We have to put away all reservations we have so we can build supply chains across Africa. This is the only way we can begin to foster dynamic growth in our continent. “If we do not do that, we would remain perpetual commodity exporters and we have seen what perpetual commodity exporters suffer when we have events like this as oil prices have crashed and there was no market for it. “At the same time, companies and countries were looking for medicals and pharmaceutical supplies and we did not have the infrastructure to produce them as well as the capacity and we were waiting to be supplied from outside.

And the supply chains were all disrupted. “So, the AfCFTA is the answer and we must waste no time and use this opportunity to overcome whatever challenges that we may have at or country level and even collectively as a continent. “When we start with it, we would be able to build the health infrastructure, manufacturing base, physical infrastructure that would connect so that when we are confronted with events like this, we would be able to handle them. “Another thing we need to do is to build a domestic capital market. Today, we have 55 countries, the stock exchanges are fragmented, not liquid and quite small, many economies do not have strong financial systems and I have never seen any continent that developed without a strong financial system.�

In his contribution, Coons said collaboration among the countries in Africa would aide economic recovery. “I look forward to the future of Africa and its development. Before the pandemic, we have supported strong and significant investments

to unlock the potential of Africa and to provide for more robust growth and foster partnership. “It is important first to look at the rate in which African leaders have responded well and quickly and so far the response has gone fairly well. “I am encouraged by the progress by the AfCFTA, by the ways in which the African Union emerged from Ebola stronger and I support the multilateral institutions that we would need in order for all of us to prevent future pandemics and to recover from this one. “As the world’s youngest continent, there are ways that we can partner to invest in and create excitement among African youths,� he added.

According to Coons, lessons from the pandemic should be used in building the foundation for rapid and sustainable growth as well as investment in Africa’s youths, badly needed to transform the continent.

He stressed the need to support entrepreneurial development in the continent.

To Chikoti, the task of economic recovery on the continent rests on both the government and the private sector. “The responsibility of COVID-19 does not rest on the government alone, the private sector needs to play a big role in lifting the burden of the pandemic. African governments need to accept the support of the private sector in alleviating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa,� he added.

Speaking further, Chikoti said: “I think all vulnerable countries should be able to receive as much help and support as possible. We have countries that have lost completely their economy.

For example, the tourism and hotel industry have completely collapsed in most countries. “So that means that food security as very much been impacted. So, we have to improve the private sector that engages with societies and also digitalise at a greater pace so that ICT and technology becomes successful in many countries.�

Supporting Informal Sector In his submission, the Liberian President revealed how collaboration worked in his government in an attempt to stem the sufferings brought by the pandemic. “In Liberia we have taken measures to ease the financial burden on vulnerable business in the informal sector by providing small loan assistance to SMEs and traders. In addition, we are working with commercial banks to mediate repayment of loans because we know that the pandemic has shattered almost everything, people have lost their jobs, businesses have shut down‌ the only way we can grow is for us to help them grow,â€? the football legend explained.

He said his government didn’t lockdown the economy completely as a result of the pandemic, “because we know that it is a tough time in our economy, rather we eased it by giving people

Digital Connectivity, Investing in Health For Steiner, digital connectivity is essential in rebuilding economies in the region post Covid-19.

This would make it easy for persons to stay in touch with friends, family, and work remotely.

In addition, it would encourage innovation and improve learning opportunities. “Digital connectivity is very crucial to connect schools to the internet. We need to address inequality; also, the virus has put a spotlight on Africa’s healthcare system. “Africa needs to look at intermediate strategies like micro-insurance to ramp up this sector.

Healthcare has the ability to make a large percentage of the occupation fall into extreme poverty,� he added.

Speaking further, Steiner pointed out that the developmental gains recorded by the continent in the last decade were now at risk, in terms of manpower and economic.

According to Steiner, “The health system across Africa is still uneven. The universal health coverage is not a reality and it will be very difficult for governments to finance in the near future, national health services that can essentially be funded just from the public purse. “We need to look at micro-health insurance.

Insurance sectors working with governments could massively expand coverage for hundreds of millions of people to cover the major health risks. “These are the things that throw people back into poverty and 40 per cent of people who escape from extreme poverty often fall back into it often because of health crisis. We need to also look at the education sector like impacting entrepreneurial skills, the reality of what is happening right now is that hundreds of millions of children are deprived of their education and I think we have learned very quickly that digital connectivity could be a crucial leap-frogging opportunity to connect all schools in the continent.�

On his part, Maurer said there was need to look at pandemic as part of a broader health system which needs stabilisation. “We must do more than life-saving. This pandemic has illustrated the weakness of health, water, sanitation and social systems, and we have to heavily invest into the stabilisation of these systems,� he stated.

Also, Yahmed said: “We have to get away from the commodity driven model which has failed in creating prosperity. Secondly, self-reliance should be one of the major objectives. The pandemic is wake up call for Africa, creating new streams of revenue and self-reliance by the African continent. “We need to use this crisis to take Africa to the next level. This crisis is going to be a super accelerator of already existing trends.

I think it has to be a wake-up call for us to attain goals we haven’t reached. “Create new revenues for the economy. We also need to attain self-reliance. Self- reliance is an important goal. Africa manufactures only two per cent of what it produces. We need to use this crisis to take Africa to the next level.

Invest in digital infrastructure, digital education, agriculture is another opportunity we need to grab. We need to get the AFCTA working.�

Kaberuka also said what Africa needed to tackle the pandemic was something unusual, adding: “it is not business as usual. It is not marginal action; it is radical action.�

Therefore, for countries in Africa to cushion the effect of the pandemic on their citizens, among other economic stabilisation measures, a large dose of fiscal and monetary policy interventions would be crucial to support and protect vulnerable persons.

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

22

Pulling the Rate Cut Trigger in Pandemic Battle

ACCI President Urges FG to Review Nigeria-India Ties James Emejo in Abuja The President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Prince Adetokunbo Kayode has called on the federal government to renegotiate economic ties between Nigeria and India to achieve a win-win situation.

He noted that the existing 1973 trade agreement between both countries had become obsolete and needed a review for their mutual benefits going forward.

Speaking as a panelist during a web conference tagged: “India - Nigeria Business Promotion, Challenges and Opportunities - Post COVID-19�, Kayode said as much as India had benefited immensely from Nigeria in terms of medical tourism and adoption of Indian technology, the latter should also the country in its current efforts to diversify its economy from oil.

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) last week caught market analysts off guard as it slashed the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 13.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

The decision, which was in line with the mood adopted by most central banks across the globe since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to support measures already taken by the federal government to enable the country to navigate through the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.

The cut, which came 14 months after the MPR was last adjusted, signaled the committee’s resolve to pursue an accommodative monetary policy stance that will inject liquidity into the Nigerian economy despite the persisting currency and inflationary pressures.

It is also expected to translate to a reduction in the cost of credit and positively impact productivity. “Central to the committee’s consideration were the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the oil price shock and there likely short to medium-term consequences on the Nigerian economy,� said the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Currently, the Nigeria’s economy is in a state of extreme distress with major economic indicators looking grim amidst increasing vulnerabilities.

For instance, Nigeria’s oil revenue target fell

by N125.52 billion in the first quarter of 2020 to N940.91 billion. The shortfall was due to the double whammy of the headwind caused by the pandemic and the slump in oil price due to a sharp drop in demand and the price war between the two powerful crude oil producers, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Similarly, recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that inflation rate in the country hit a two-year high at 12.34 per cent (year-on-year) in April 2020, compared to 12.26 per cent in the preceding month.

Even though the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.87 per cent (yearon-year) in real terms in the first quarter of 2020 (Q1 2020), there have been predictions that the economy is heading towards a steep recession.

Central to the committee’s consideration were the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the oil price shock and there likely short to medium-term consequences on the Nigerian economy

of the Nigeria economy which are channeled into development and commercial banks. “The COVID-19 disease pandemic has impacted negatively on the relationship between the two countries especially in one of the key areas where Nigerians travel to India, which is medical tourism.�

According to him: “Some of us attended schools that Indians were teachers. For us to move forward, we need to rejig the already existing obsolete 1973 trade agreement between Nigeria and India. In doing so, we have to bear in mind that Nigeria has several more areas that it can do business with India. “Nigeria is ready to use Indian technology. India should also help Nigeria to diversify its economy into agriculture, mining, manufacturing amongst others.�

FirstBank Introduces Virtual Account Opening for Customers

EmeďŹ ele

Obinna Chima

He further recalled that in his participation in Great Gujarat gathering in 2019, it was discovered that several Indian companies are rather using Indian firms in Nigeria to carry out activities in a manner that tend to undermine local legislations particularly in the area of trading in retail and distribution services.

The ACCI president added that the absence of Indian manufacturing hubs in Africa in general and Nigeria is particular as well as intrusion into local businesses bothering on retailership and distribution services needed to be addressed to strengthen ties between both countries.

In a statement issued by Head, Media and Strategy, ACCI, Mr. Gena Lubem, Kayode said:�We have enjoyed a good economic relations with India and it is estimated that $10 billion investment in the development

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Aisha Ahmed, acknowledged recently that the country’s economic situation might worsen as she projected that the GDP might contract by 8.94 per cent this year.

However, there are reasons to cherish a glimmer of hope that things may not turn out that bad. The MPC members opined that despite the gloomy economic outlook, a faithful implementation and utilisation of all the stimulus packages already announced by the CBN, which included concessionary rates, loan restructuring, and targeted loans to agriculture, manufacturing and health sectors and measures put in place by the fiscal authorities, would produce the desired impetus needed to propel economic recovery in Nigeria. With respect to output, the committee urged the federal government to continue exploring options for partnership with the private sector to fund investments in infrastructure. This, according to the MPC’s members, would aid employment generation, support production and boost output growth.

The committee also reiterated the need for both direct foreign and domestic investments that would support growth in key sectors of the economy, including Nigerian automobile manufacturing, aviation and rail industries.

Emefiele believes strongly that the country might escape a recession as the federal and state governments begin to ease the lockdown and take actions to get businesses revving again, get the health sector bustling again and get farmers tilling the ground again. “So, while we are trying to save lives, we must also save livelihoods. One way to do that is that we must reopen the economy. We must get the manufacturing plants back again and we must begin to see the fumes coming out from the rooftops of the manufacturing companies. “If we don’t, the unprecedented unemployment that will result from factories and manufacturing plants that are shutdown can be so unprecedented that we would have hurt livelihoods as a result of the lockdown. But we must take the protocols from our health experts,� he explained.

Therefore, the country, more than ever needs to see increased interaction between the fiscal and monetary policy authorities in order to overcome the present macroeconomic headwinds.

In addition, the government will also need to provide the required support to the real sector to enable them remain in business and ensure that purchasing power and consumer confidence are strong.

The central bank must also be aggressive in its Anchor Borrower Scheme (ABP) and if possible, scale up the intervention to see that more agricultural produce are accommodated and that more states benefit from the scheme.

Other opportunities in the agricultural value chain should also be explored to improve the country’s capacity to export agricultural produce.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced that it has reinforced its technology infrastructure to enable anyone in the country open an account at the bank through their mobile phones, without visiting any of its branches nationwide.

According to the bank, its investment in its mobile banking infrastructure was in furtherance of the need to deepen financial inclusion in the country, enabling account opening to be carried out on its *894# USSD banking, FirstMobile (self-service telephone banking), its website, as well as its staff. Others channels, according to a statement, are through the Direct Sales Executive (DSE) application installed on their mobile

phone, ATMs and the bank’s over 55,000 FirstMonie Agents spread across the country. “Opening an account with FirstBank through any of these means is seamless, convenient, fast, and user-friendly. “The DSE App is an end to end encrypted mobile application installed on the phone(s) of FirstBank staff which enables them to open an account for to-be customers. “Upon the completion of the account opening process via the DSE App, the customer is notified of his or her account number through a text message on the mobile phone used to register the account. “With FirstBank’s *894# USSD banking, various banking

activities are carried out on a mobile phone – across the four major GSM network operators in the country – without the use of the internet. “To open an account via this means, dial *894# then select ‘open an account’ to provide the information required or by simply dialling *894*0#,� the bank stated.

The bank currently has over 9.5 million of its nearly 20 million customers on its USSD banking platform. It stated that its FirstMonie Agent Banking is an agent banking initiative designed to take banking closer to people, thereby bridging the gap between the banked and unbanked.

Chevron/NNPC Donates Ambulance, Others to Delta Sylvester Idowu in Warri Chevron/NNPC JV has donated an ambulance to the Delta State government as part of efforts to curtail spread of the coronavirus.

Aside the ambulance, the oil firm also handed a ventilator, test kits, personnel protective equipment and medical consumables.

In addition, the CNL/NNPC JV further handed over three buses to support the contact tracing activities in the state.

The states Commissioner for health, Ononye Mordi, had blamed the spread of the disease and deaths on late testing of effected persons, a situation he said reduces

their chances of survival.

But while presenting the items, Chairman and Managing Director, Jeff Ewing commended the state’s efforts in preventing the spread of the virus.

Ewing, in an address read by the Area Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Sam Daibo, said the equipment provided by the oil and gas industry under the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), were to support the government in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

He disclosed that Chevron companies in Nigeria contributed

significantly to the equipment handed over to the state government. “We are pleased with the leadership provided by the NNPC to coordinate the oil and gas industry response to this rapidly evolving situation; we are optimistic that our country will emerge from this pandemic stronger and more united in a tradition of care,� he assured.

Receiving the donation on behalf of government, the Secretary to the State Government, Chiedu Ebie, thanked the NNPC/Chevron for partnering with the Delta State government in the fight against Covid-19.

Ojemudia Becomes PILA President Ebere Nwoji The Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) has elected Mrs. Joyce Ojemudia as its new President.

With the election, Ojemudia is expected to drive the affairs of the professional insurance ladies in the next two years.

Ojemudia, who takes over from Mrs. Ose Oluyanwo, becomes the 13th President of PILA, a body which serves as an advocacy group to promote gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities in the insurance sector.

With almost two decades of

work experience in the industry, Ojemudia is expected to bring her wealth of knowledge and contact to position ladies in insurance business for prime position in the industry and financial services sector in Nigeria and globally.

In her acceptance speech at the weekend, Ojemudia, said she and her team would continue to build on the strength and accomplishments of her predecessors, whilst also giving vigorous attention to taking on new directions.

She said the focus of her tenure would be anchored on the theme: ‘Mission to Movement,’ whilst promising to continually apprise

members with details of the thrust of office as time progresses.

Ojemudia, said one of her key priorities is the completion of PILA Secretariat. “The completion of our Secretariat remains our first priority as this will open a new chapter in the history of our prestigious Association and give significant brand equity to the Association. It will also open new vista of financial resources to the Association.�

According to her, capacity building would be given serious attention during the two years tenure through training and retraining of members.

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

IMAGES

23

Photo Editor ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ ÔËÖË Email Ă‹ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜Ë›Ă‹Ă”Ă‹Ă–Ă‹ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

President Buhari during the United Nations Virtual High Level Meeting on Financing for Development in the Era of Covid-19 and Beyond at the Presidential Villa,Abuja...recently

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu (right), exchanging greetings with his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat during the ag-o of Lekki Regional Road as part of activities to commemorate the First Year in OďŹƒce of the Sanwo-Olu administration, at Eti-Osa Local Government...recently

FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu (right)and an oďŹƒcial of Nigerian Correctional Service, Kuje, during her visit to secure the release of 5 inmates with her May 2020 salary to mark Eid al-Fitr. in Abuja...recently

L-R: Director of Media, Adron Homes and Properties, Mr. Saidi Balogun; Group Executive Secretary, Adron Homes and Properties, Mr. Ayodeji Ojo-Omoniyi and Managing Editor, Real Estate Reporters, Mr. Oki Samson, during the Presentation of Award to the GMD, Aare Oba Adetola Emmanuel King as the “Real Estate Man of the Yearâ€? in Lagos‌recently

L-R: NASFAT Welfare Secretary, Alhaji Rahman Olarinde presenting food items to a beneďŹ ciaries, during the NASFAT feeding programme held in Lagos to celebrate end of Ramadan in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan and some members of the senate arriving for the commencement of plenary session in Abuja...recently

Chairman of Post COVID-19 Economic Team/Vice President Yemi Osinbajo left) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, during the Speaker’s visit to the Vice President in Abuja...recently

R-L: Founder, Bayo Omoboriowo Foundation, Mr. Bayo Omoboriwo; handing a food package to Mr. Ola Sule iduring the Three Crowns Milk intervention programme for low-income families in partnership with NGOs, held in Ibadan oyo state..recently

24

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 08038901925

Nigerian Navy at 64: A Sustained Fight against Maritime Crimes Chiemelie Ezeobi, who reviewed the scorecard of the Nigerian Navy as it clocks 64 today, writes that the force has come a long way from the colonial marine department of the Royal Navy to one of the best navies in Africa, which has primarily sustained its fight against maritime illegalities in its waters and the Gulf of Guinea

Nigerian Navy's newly acquired helicopter, an AW 139 Leonardo

A recently acquired fast patrol boat, Nigerian Navy Ship OSUN

W

(coastguard duties), including enforcement of all national and international maritime laws ascribed to or acceded to by Nigeria.

Its roles are backed by the Armed Forces Act which charged the NN to enforce and assist in coordinating the enforcement of all national and international maritime laws ascribed or acceded to by Nigeria. Other duties include making of charts and coordinating national hydrographic surveys as well as promoting, coordinating and enforcing safety regulations in the territorial waters and the EEZ of Nigeria.

ith a coastline of about 420 nautical miles (nm) and 200nm Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), translating to about 84,000 square nautical miles (nm), Nigeria’s maritime area of interest includes the entire Gulf of Guinea (GoG )which is about 574,800 square nm and spans a total coastline of about 2,874 nm.

However, the rich endowment of Nigeria’s maritime domain, its networks of oil and gas installations and associated shipping are threatened by maritime crimes such as piracy, sea robbery, crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, militancy and hostage taking.

Given that Nigeria relies on the sea for about 90 per cent of its import and export with oil being a major part of the trade, the thorny issue of insecurity in its maritime domain is undeniably a major source of concern. These challenges are what the Nigerian Navy (NN) under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, are tackling one crime at a time.

History According to Wikipedia, the origin of the Nigerian Navy could be traced to the colonial marine department of the Royal Navy. This department was established in 1887 as a quasimilitary organisation combining the duties of the present day Nigerian Ports Authority, the Inland Water Ways and the modern day navy.

The colonial administration did not consider it necessary to establish a proper navy, as they considered it the duty of the Royal Navy to give naval protection to Nigeria and that the Maritime Department was adequate to look after security of the ports and coastal approaches as well as provide harbour services for Royal Navy ships on West African patrols. This was the situation until the end of the Second World War in 1945.

After the war, the colonial administration preferred that emphasis be placed on port-related duties for Marine Department. A proposal was then made to establish the Nigerian Ports Authority. The officers of the Marine Department who were Royal Navy Reserve officers did not give up on the idea of a navy and continue to press for the establishment of a naval force.

Their efforts eventually led to the 1956 policy statement by the government for the establishment of a Nigerian Naval Force (Sessional paper No.6 of 1956).

On 1 June 1956, the NNDF commenced operations with 11 assorted ships and craft comprising two survey vessels (PETREL and PATHFINDER), two training boats (DIGNITY

Chief of Naval Sta, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas and NYMPH), one patrol craft (CHALLENGER), three VIP boats (VALIANT and FRANCES with her Launch), one tug (TROJAN) and one general purpose launch (JADE).

Similarly, on 1 August 1956, the first naval legislation was passed by the House of Representatives and was assented to on September 5, 1956

by Sir James Robertson, the Governor General.

It was called the Nigerian Navy Ordinance.

The NNDF as a result of the legislation was designated the Royal Nigerian Navy. In 1963, when Nigeria became a republic, the prefix “Royal� was dropped and the name became Nigerian Navy (NN). The Ordinance that set up the NN had several limitations, the principal one among them was the limitation placed on the Navy to patrol only three nautical miles, which was the limit of the territorial waters.

The shortcomings were corrected by the post independence Navy Act of 1964. This Act removed the principal limitation of the NN to the country’s territorial waters. In these early years, the NN had only a few patrol boats but has now grown significantly into a multi-mission maritime arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces with various wartime and peacetime roles.

Tripartite Role With its establishment, the NN, according to the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Armed Forces Act CAP A20 is charged with the territorial defence of Nigeria by sea. Its tripartite roles cover the full spectrum of military, policing and diplomatic functions.

Under these spectrum, its roles include enforcing and assisting in coordinating the enforcement of all customs, immigration, bunkering, fishery protection and pollution laws

Past Icons of the Navy Often referred to as Icons of the Navy, the past list of of CNS since the inception of the NN includes Captain FW Skutil, who was CNS from 1956 to 1958 and Commodore AR Kennedy who held the helm of affairs from 1958 to 1964. Others were Vice Commodore JEA Wey from 1964 to 1973; Vice Admira NB Soroh, from 1973 to 1975 and Vice Admiral MA Adelanwa from 1975 to 1980.

Not left out were Vice Admiral AA Aduwo from 1980 to 1893; Vice Admiral AA Aikhomu from 1984 to 1986; Vice Admiral Patrick Koshini from 1986 to 1990; Vice Admirak Murtala Nyako from 1990 to 1992; Vice Admiral DPE Omotsola from 1992 to 1993; Rear Admiral S. Sa'idu who was appointed in 1993 and removed same year.

Others after his include Rear Admiral AA Madueke from 1993 to 1994; Rear Admiral OM Akhigbe from 1994 to 1998; Vice Admiral J. Ayinla from 1998 to 1999; Vice Admiral VK Ombu from 1999 to 2001; Vice Admiral SO Afoloyan from 2001 to 2005; Vice Admiral GTA Adekeye from 2005 to 2008 and Vice Admiral II Ibrahim from 2008 to 2010.

Ibrahim was succeeded by Vice Admiral OS Ibrahim from 2010 to 2012; Vice Admiral DJ Ezeoba took over in 2012 and handed over to Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin in 2013. In 2015, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas took over as the 20th Chief of the Naval Staff.

Navy at 64 Over the years, the navy has grown from a mere marine department to a fighting force that is capable of withstanding external and internal threats to Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

This year, exactly on this day, the navy marked its 64th anniversary.

As part of activities to mark the milestone, the Nagy reviewed its celebration in line with the current COVID-19 Pandemic. On the first day of the week-long celebration, all ships were dressed overall from Monday, May 25 to Monday June 1,2020.

The navy also distributes palliatives and donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

to their host communities. This took place last Thursday and Friday. Today, the NN will commission a COVID-19 Isolation Centre in Lagos with a view to supporting the FG’s fight against COVID-19 Pandemic. Lastly, a modified and highly restricted Ceremonial Sunset will also be held at command level on Monday, 1 June 2020 to mark the end of the week-long activities of the NN 64th Anniversary.

In a briefing to mark the year, the Chief of Policy and Plans (CPPLANS), Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, recapped the successes recorded by the navy, especially in the last five years that the present Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has been at the helm of affairs.

Policy Thrust On assumption of office in 2015, Mohammed said the CNS placed a high premium on operational availability of ships, training and motivation of personnel. In fulfillment of the operational availability of ships, with the help of the federal government, the navy has taken delivery of numerous ships including recent acquisitions of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Seaward Defence Boats, patrol crafts and training ships as well as helicopter.

To man and operate these high value assets, he said the NN parades crops of professionally competent personnel, who are given qualitative training, both locally and abroad on regular basis.

According to Mohammed, the NN personnel undergo professional military education and most of the courses being run at the training schools and colleges, are given requisite accreditation for improved performance of the under training officers and ratings.

Additionally, he said the NN training schools are being affiliated with tertiary institutions and relevant professional schools as well as bodies in the Country. The NN also benchmarks training in line with international best practices for the enhanced maintenance and operations of the Fleet. These have assisted in no small measure, the building of further capacity and human resource development.

As regards manpower generation, the NN in the last five years, commissioned a total of 944 officers and enlisted 7,465 ratings. Currently, 1,226, who have completed basic training are scheduled to join the Fleet shortly while another set comprising 1,250 trainees, will commence training at the NN Basic Training School, thereafter.

Furthermore, he said the NN has equally reinvigorated its welfare programmes to further motivate personnel. The development and welfare of NN personnel is a core aspect of NN administration. Overtime, the NN has

25

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

FEATURES

Ongoing construction of Nigerian Navy’s latest warship, a Landing Ship Tank in Damen Shipyard in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Some of the NN welfare schools have also been rehabilitated, with new schools being built at both primary and post primary levels.

Also, he noted that NN has set up various loan schemes to assist personnel achieve their personal goals. These include the Nigerian Navy Microfinance Bank, Nigerian Navy Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Navy Exchange and Welfare Loan amongst others. For housing of personnel, construction of barracks accommodation and renovation works are ongoing in all naval establishments, adding that all these have enhanced productivity with resultant improved operational efficiency of the NN. Operational Achievements In terms of operational achievements, Mohammed said the NN over the years has been focused on capacity development in order to improve maritime security in Nigerian waters, and the Gulf of Guinea (GoG). The maritime threats that have significant effects in Nigeria’s maritime environment are piracy/sea robbery, crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, smuggling, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF), insurgency, hostage taking, human and drug trafficking.

He said: “In order to combat these threats, the NN adopted the Total Spectrum Maritime Strategy (TSMS) to guide its operational engagements.

The strategy is based on a proactive layered response to 5 conflict spectrums characterised by distances to and from the coast. “Within the last five years, the NN conducted and also participated in over 60 exercises and operations. Pertinently, 35 major exercises and operations were game changers. Some of the game changers are Ex TSARE TEKU, Ex EAGLE EYE, Op RIVER SWEEP, Op CALM WATERS and Op SWIFT RESPONSE geared towards combating illicit activities in Nigeria’s territorial waters especially the back waters. “Some combined Exercises such as Ex OBANGAME EXPRESS, Ex NEMO and Op JUNCTION RAIN were conducted in collaboration with regional and international navies and other maritime stakeholders for the good governance, law and order in the GoG.�

Acquisition of Platforms In order to enhance response capability, the CPPLANS noted that within the period under review, the NN acquired three capital ships. These are NNS UNITY (an OPV), a new survey vessel and a Landing Ship Tank (LST).

The survey vessel is expected to join the fleet before the end of the year while the LST would join in 2021.

Furthermore, 11 River Town Class boats were acquired. Out of these, seven have been inducted into the NN fleet namely NNS NGURU, SHIRORO, EKULU, OSE, GONGOLA, CALABAR and OSUN, while four more are programmed to join the fleet later this year.

He said: “Additionally, in the last five years, the NN also invested in local content development through the local construction of Seaward Defence Boats (SDB). The second locally built SDB, NNS KARADUWA was commissioned in 2016 while her sister ship, a third locally built SDB is programmed to join the service this year. “In an effort to boost operations, 12 Manta Class boats and Inshore Patrol Craft were acquired and will be inducted into the fleet, this year. For riverine operations, the service took delivery of 148 River Patrol boats, with another 24 expected in the later part of 2020. Thirty six Rigid Inflatable Boats were also procured, with another batch of 56 programmed for delivery

in 2020 ending. “The renewed emphasis on fleet renewal under the able leadership of V Adm IE Ibas was further underscored with the acquisition of three Whaler boats that are also expected to join the fleet this year. Other acquisitions under this ambitious fleet renewal effort are the acquisition and deployment of 11 houseboats for the Choke Point Management and Control operations. “One houseboat is also expected to be deployed in 2020. One tug boat has been inducted into the service while two others are expected to join the fleet in 2020. Similarly, one water barge and one fuel barge are expected in 2020. The NN equally committed enormous resources to equipment availability to support its operations. “Accordingly, the NN took delivery of a total of 168 outboard engines with requisite spares.

As part of the Ministry of Defence’s critical intervention, the NN just took delivery of one Leonardo AW139 helicopter and is currently being inducted. “In support of FGN policy on local content, the NN engaged local companies such as Messrs Epenal, TUWASCO, HABTOB and Sewa to build platforms for the Service. This has not only enhanced local content development but facilitated capacity building in Nigeria’s maritime industry.�

Anti Piracy Operations According to the CPPLANS, the NN instituted dedicated operations and initiatives to enhance its policing capability towards the peaceful use of the nation’s maritime environment. These initiatives, he noted have engendered several recorded successes in the operations of the bases.

For instance, 2016 which recorded the highest piracy attacks in the past five years recorded 70 incidents of piracy attacks. Out of these, 51 were successful while 19 were unsuccessful.

Also, in 2017, there were 48 piracy related cases out of which 27 were successful while in 2018, there were 36 reported cases and only nine successful.

Furthermore, in 2019, 21 piracy related cases were reported and only seven of these attacks were successful. As at 20 May 2020, there were nine pirate attacks of which only 2 were successful and seven unsuccessful.

With the above statistics, Mohammed said it is evident the rate of successful pirate attacks has been on the decline from 2016 – 2019. “The success rate of pirate attacks which was 72.86 per cent in 2016 decreased to 56.25 per cent in 2017. However, in 2018, the success rate of pirate attacks decreased to 25 per cent. The seven successful pirate attacks out of 21 reported piracy cases in 2019 denotes a considerable reduction in reported cases of pirate attacks may be adjudged to override the percentage increase in the rate of successful pirate attacks in 2019. “It is worthy to mention that in May, June, September, October and November 2019, no piracy related incident occurred in the Nigeria’s maritime space, a feat that attracted the commendation of the International Maritime Bureau. “This is attributed to NN increased number of hours and sustained presence at sea. Last month on April 18, 2020, the NN rescued 11 crew men onboard a Portuguese flagged container ship, MV TOMMI RITSCHER that was attacked by pirates in the Republic of Benin waters. More recently, the NN recorded a remarkable achievement in anti-piracy operations in the rescue of a fishing vessel, MV HAILUFENG II which was hijacked off the coast of Cote D’Ivoire on

Aerial view of the Nigerian Navy Sport Complex billed for commissioning soon May 15, 2020. The feat further demonstrated our capability and brings to fore the leadership role of the NN in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea. “The improvement in Nigeria’s maritime security due to anti-piracy operations was attested to by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, who stated that the increase in maritime activities is evident in the 10,673 vessel calls at Nigerian Ports with a gross registered tonnage of over 329 million between 2016 and 2018�, he added.

Anti-Crude Oil Theft Operations The NN performed credibly well in the fight against COT and illegal oil bunkering through ops conducted by ops bases and FOBs within the period under review.

According to information provided by Mohammed, the bases cumulatively destroyed a total of 2,287 illegal refineries between 2015 -2019.

These activities, he said were complemented with series of swamp buggy operations in the areas were illegal refineries were discovered.

He said the breakdown of the destroyed illegal refineries from 2015 to 2019 shows that in 2015, about 140 illegal refineries were destroyed and 128 illegal refining sites in 2016. “However, in 2017, a total of 1,218 illegal refineries were destroyed, while 383 and 418 illegal refining sites were destroyed in 2018 and 2019 respectively. “From records, 2017 recorded the highest number of illegal refining sites destroyed. This figure decreased in 2018 and later increased slightly in 2019. The reduction in the number of illegal refining sites destroyed from 2017 - 2019 could be attributed to the ongoing swamp buggy operations in the Niger Delta which makes it difficult for perpetrators to reactivate destroyed illegal refining sites�.

The NN also recorded successes in anti-COT and illegally sourced petroleum product which has reduced illegal oil dealings within the Nigerian maritime environment from 2017-2019.

Citing instances he said: �In 2017, the NN denied criminal oil entrepreneurs dealing on illegal oil about 218,057 barrels of crude oil valued at about N3,724,413,560 and 60,553,415 litres of AGO valued at N11,807,915,925. Similarly, in 2018, illegal oil dealings of about 295,028 barrels of crude oil valued at about N5,039,078,240 and 23,991,325 litres of AGO valued at N4,678,308,375 were denied the criminal oil entrepreneurs by the NN. “In the same vein, in 2019, the NN denied criminal oil entrepreneurs dealing on illegal oil 296,192 barrels of crude oil valued at about N5,058,959,360 and 42,729,530 litres of AGO valued at N8,332,258,350. It is evident that the number of barrels and ltrs of crude oil and AGO denied the criminal oil entrepreneurs by the NN increased from 2017-2019. This could be attributed to the increased effort of the Ops Bases and TOPs Branch sensitisation and directives to all Bases on zero tolerance to COT and illegal bunkering activities. “The reduction in the number of illegal refineries located since 2018 is attributable to the success of Op RIVER SWEEP, which resulted in the impounding of approximately 9,406,810 barrels of crude oil, 130,517,570 litres of AGO, 897,475 litres of PMS and 3,407,500 litres of DPK from 2017 to 20 May 2020. The yearly details of the products impounded are as shown on the screen.�

Anti-Smuggling Operations According to Mohammed, in the area of antismuggling operations, OPS SWIFT RESPONSE

and CALM WATERS resulted in the arrest of a total of 82 smuggling boats and 22 vehicles cumulatively laden with a total of 61,719 bags of rice.

He said a total of 449 suspected smugglers were arrested and their boats with products were handed over to Nigeria Customs Service for further action. These achievements he added, also reinforce NN drive towards eradicating rice smuggling in support of the FG policy on local rice production.

Increased Maritime Domain Awareness In this regard, the CPPLANS said the NN carries out round the clock surveillance of Nigeria’s maritime space using the Regional and Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) and Falcon Eye facilities in addition to the use of vessels and helicopters.

He said: “The NN has 24Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Centres located across the Nigerian coastline. Due to their availability, NN patrols are now more mission oriented with attendant reduction in operational logistic costs.

The infrastructure has been instrumental in several rescue operations. “For instance, the MDA infrastructure was instrumental to the rescue of the crew of the Bristow helicopter that crashed in Lagos on 3 Feb 16 and many other classified operations.�

Increased Collaboration “The NN recognises the centrality of collaboration with other maritime nations and international maritime agencies for successful maritime security operations. Accordingly, it holds regular international conferences and sea exercises with navies of other nations and major maritime stakeholders for the purpose of capacity building, intelligence and information sharing. “For instance, the NN successfully hosted International Maritime Conference and Regional Maritime Exercise in 2016 and 2018 and would have hosted the 2020 edition but for the COVID-19 Pandemic. These have led to shared responsibilities with improved international and regional cooperation and synergy of efforts in tackling the myriad of challenges in Nigerian maritime environment. “A critical achievement in terms of collaboration during the period under review is the operationalisation of the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) on Arrest, Detention and Prosecution of Vessels and Persons in Nigeria’s Maritime Environment,�

Mohammed disclosed.

Hydrographic Successes Finally, the NN also recently recorded another operational milestone as the second indigenous navigational chart of some parts of Nigerian waters was produced by the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office (NNHO). The new chart covers parts of Badagry Creek, from Ogunkobo, through Navy Town and Mile 2 to Tin-Can Island in Lagos waters.

Work on the chart started in 2019. With the completion of the chart, the NNHO has commenced work on its electronic version which will be forwarded to the International Centre for Electronic Navigational Charts for validation and release.

Although these operations have contributed in enhancing maritime security with significant economic gains, it is imperative to sustain and possibly improve the level of security in order to optimise the potentials in the nation’s maritime domain.

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

26

PERSPECTIVE

Moment of Truth for Nigeria’s Research and Development Sector Olobayo Kunle “I hope the lesson will really be that we can’t afford as a society to create the ďŹ re brigade once the house is on ďŹ re. We need that ďŹ re brigade ready all the time hoping that it never has to be deployedâ€? – Virologist Peter Piot, who co-discovered Ebola and spent years leading the ďŹ ght against HIV For the first time in as long as many of us can remember, something has displaced politics from prime position in our national discourse. Now it is COVID 19 or nothing. Cyberspace is filled with enough news (and mis-news) to fill days that seem to last 30 hours rather than the 24 hours that nature prescribes. In the course of this unprecedented phenomenon, we have all become Public Health experts, engineers, scientists, drug developers, inventors, sociologists, just name it without having to step out of our homes, pay fees, listen to any boring lecturer or seat any “foolishâ€? exams.

As Nigerians, it has also given us the long hoped- for opportunity to descend on our leaders.

Some of the depictions and descriptions of our leaders in the social media can be truly hilarious and entertaining, helping to relief the boredom and sometimes the foreboding that come with losing your rhythm; forget the e-meetings and e-parties, if it is not the real thing it cannot be the real thing.

However, as a pharmaceutical scientist, one strand of discussion which interests me is the contribution (or the lack) of Nigerian scientists to the fight against the virus and the accompanying debilitating disease that it causes. This discussion is always there, although it has ebbs and highs, depending on what the news is on scientific progress in managing the pandemic.

To encapsulate it in the form of questions, it is always asked – what are Nigerian Scientists doing? Can’t they see what their colleagues and contemporaries in this or that country are doing?

Then will follow discussions that reflect various levels of understanding or misunderstanding of the issues at stake. What you get as answers range from justification to vilification and everything in-between depending on the composition of the group. It will, however, as in most public discourse in Nigeria, almost always devolve into a blame game, finger pointing and premature abandonment of the subject matter.

Truth be told, it is practically impossible to make a clear case in the limited format and anonymous nature of the social media. I will attempt in this article to provide context for the level of contribution of research and development (R&D) to the nation’s fight against COVID and suggest practical ways to improve our response to such events. However, I can say this upfront, the Nigerian research and development sector has been practically absent in the COVID response.

When considering our present situation and the clamour for R&D inputs into the management of the ongoing pandemic in Nigeria, the one refrain that keeps coming to mind is from the song of the “Rainmaker� - Majek Fashek, in the 80s: “You cannot plant cassava and reap cocoyam� or something to that effect. The truth is that the Nigerian research and development sector is neither configured nor positioned to address or solve our problems as a nation. This is paradoxical because on the face of it we are doing well as a nation.

We have hundreds of universities which are conceptually centres of research endeavours.

We also have many research institutions with all sorts of mandates. All of these are funded by the various governments with public funds.

These institutions are staffed by “highly-degreed� academics with Professors and lecturers in all the required fields. Some of these institutions have very impressive physical structures that easily compare to what one will find in similar institutions of repute in the developed world. In spite of these, our scientists have not been part of the race to develop vaccines or drugs to address the rampaging COVID19 nor have our engineers developed cheaper, more efficient ventilators.

It should be made clear that non-core activities such as the production of hand sanitizers or coupling together pieces of cast away electronic components to produce ventilators, important as they may seem do not count for scientific intervention given the immense potential intellectual capacity available in our R&D system.

A key constraint in our maximally utilising our R&D capacity as a people is that we have not as a people defined what our objectives are

Buhari for our university system and what returns we want for our investments in the sector. While universities by definition are centres of learning and research, we have unfortunately over the years turned them into centres of teaching. The strange philosophy, which we presently operate as a nation, that requires and actively encourages everyone to have a university education is counter-productive.

This unrealistic approach which requires that Universities admit and teach students courses that they neither have the passion nor the desire to undertake, has over-stretched the physical and human infrastructure of the universities. In the meantime, the huge student numbers result in unbearable workload for the academic staff who are therefore forced to just teach with little or no time for serious research activities that could result in the discovery of the drugs and other research outputs that our people so now desperately desire.

This is a gross under-utilization of the skills and knowledge of especially senior academics; whose areas of expertise and international repute have very little bearing on undergraduate course content.

Nigeria, today does not have a research innovation fund that can be tapped into by scientists. Any research grant of substantial value obtained by Nigerian scientists is most probably from a foreign organization or government. As the saying goes, he who pays the piper dictates the tune. It will be wishful thinking to believe that a foreign organization will fund our scientists to work for us. In most cases our scientists are used by the international granting agencies or foreign colleagues to carry out preliminary work or collect data which will then be used for product development in the sponsor’s home countries. This explains some of the seemingly irrelevant work done by our otherwise intelligent world-renowned scientists.

It might be argued that TETFUND exists to address this gap. One must acknowledge that TETFUND is probably the major reason that we still have a semblance of a university system in Nigeria today. Unfortunately, the impact of this otherwise laudable initiative is blunted, in my opinion, by two major factors – the wide mandate of the fund and the exclusion of the nation’s research institutes from its activities. TETFUND is overstretched by getting involved in issues like providing physical infrastructure such as buildings and the like in tertiary institutions. I have read of TETFUND interventions in fencing a university campus or the building of very large lecture theatres that are under-utilised or the purchase of buses; all of these in Universities where research equipment is either non-existent, insufficient, obsolete or dysfunctional.

Where it awards research grants (which I must say it does fairly regularly), they tend to be small and are for projects that have not been aligned to address specific national goals and aspirations nor the requirements of the industry.

It is an irony that research institutes set up by the federal government, with specific mandates which in some cases include product development that can feed the nation’s manufacturing sector, are excluded from the most viable and dependable research funding provided by the Government through the TETFUND. A careful and deliberate alignment of the research and development of the universities and the research institutes would better ensure that research outputs gets to practical utilisation by the nation’s manufacturing more consistently and rapidly. The absence of the industry in the research equation in Nigeria affects the ability of academia to respond to contemporary issues as it affects agenda-setting and the utilisation of

research output. Most Nigerians tend to forget that the objective of the scientist is to find answers to challenging questions or to solve problems.

There is a world of difference between this and the actual utilisation of these answers/solutions in practical terms for the betterment of society. It is the responsibility of the industrial sector to do pilot scale-up of such discoveries and eventually mass produce them. This is why, for example, for the production of ventilators we should be looking at the industry rather than the academia, assuming of course that the academics have researched into and developed the processes required for local production.

Unfortunately, a lot of the manufacturing activities in the country is at the basic level and can largely be described as “assembling� thus requiring very little R&D input. As it stands today, the industrial sector in Nigeria (due to a number of valid reasons) is unable to provide either the push or pull for the research sector. This is why there are a number of patented discoveries that have been left uncommercialised thus becoming a disincentive for further work.

While on the whole a fair proportion of the country’s scientists are of good quality and even of international repute, there are those of questionable quality who have found themselves in the academic arena not out of passion or even interest but for lack of something better to do. This trend which began at the primary education level decades ago has now reached the level of tertiary education.

R&D, which is the ultimate definition and manifestation of intellectual engagement in the sciences, is the product of passion, knowledge and drive. This is more so in the developing world where those generous research grants available to our contemporaries in other parts of the world are unavailable.

Obviously then the uncommitted and accidental researchers, some of whom have reached positions of leadership, will be unproductive in terms of R&D output thus reducing the overall impact of the sector as we are now witnessing.

R&D is universal and the language international.

So, while there can be indigenous knowledge and technology, concepts and protocols are universal.

The quality of research output is therefore necessarily dependent on the level of knowledge and awareness of current trends in a particular area by the researcher. Most academics and researchers in Nigeria today are local champions, with outdated knowledge of the concepts and developments in their areas of specialisation.

No wonder a few days ago, some academics were celebrating a device as novel when there were already newspaper adverts in some countries offering the item for sale about a month prior. So even though we want to develop home-grown solutions, we must use universally acceptable principles that will protect our people who are the ultimate consumers and targets of our innovations.

Our scientists need to be encouraged and enabled to take advantage of opportunities to interact regularly and meaningfully with their contemporaries across the world in order to update and sharpen their skills. We are all aware of how many students and academics the currently roaring giant, China, sends out on all kinds of scholarships, missions and collaborations to the Western world with the target of skill and knowledge acquisition for the ultimate use of their country.

At our present stage of development, going by the trajectory of countries that have successfully industrialised and attained a comfortable level of sufficiency, our government will have to be the

driver and facilitator of the process of R&D for product development.

While acknowledging the efforts of the federal government in establishing relevant institutions, its commitment and investment in the sector is far from sufficient.

Recognising that government is an aggregation of our individual will and wishes as a people, we must also ask ourselves if we are prepared to patiently wait for research results while government invests, since research has a long gestation period which in the case of drug development could be as long as 10 years.

Would we not rather ask what the President/ Governor has achieved if he diverts money from refurbishing public buildings to the intangible area of research and development, especially where the success rate of such investment can be as low as 0.1% in terms of product development?

There is undoubtedly a need for attitudinal/ cultural shift in our society to be more tolerant of the methodical rigour and long-term continuous investment that is required to have useful and sustainable research and development output.

Now that the moment of truth is upon us with the clear realisation that we cannot continue to depend on the world to carry our load for us and spoon feed us. Now that we have seen that the rest of the world can be too busy to worry about us. What should we do? What can we do?

The most fundamental thing required is a mental shift. From not caring to being very concerned.

From being today’s people responding to only physical stimuli which are at the bottom of the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs such as hunger, shelter and ostentatious accumulation of the things that money can buy.

We must shift to becoming a more thinking people, a more caring people who will not just be concerned about our immediate and personal needs but those of the larger society. We must become a people who worry about tomorrow and try to fix it. It is this sort of shift backed with resources that will stimulate our researchers to perform at their best and be there for us as a people in our hour of need such as now.

We must become a people who reward intellectual endeavour not necessarily with material rewards but in the several other intangible ways that will encourage our young people to want to be innovators and problem solvers. Something needs to be adjusted in our educational system to create in our young people a hunger to solve society’s problems rather than the present view of education as just a meal ticket.

In practical terms, the latent energy, innovativeness and perseverance of our scientists should be released by reducing the teaching load of senior academics. We should consider converting the majority of our universities to undergraduate institutions. Such institutions should award first degrees and employ lecturers who will only teach and not be expected to engage in research.

Some might argue that this will create an inferior academic class. The truth, however, is that there are people who are passionate teachers and moulders of character who are not interested in research and development. Some of the classical textbooks a number of us read in our undergraduate programs were written by such people. This step will free designated post graduate universities (by inference R&D universities) to focus on research, and the provision of the required manpower for future research and development.

Research funding in Nigeria must be more consistent and focused. This can be achieved by having a research council consisting of individuals with a diverse array of skills should report to the President. Most importantly, all segments of society should be represented while avoiding the over -representation of any sector including academics.

Such a council should set out the research goals of the country in the short, medium and long term. Such research goals which must address identified national issues should be costed and realistic, with strict time frames.

Research grants from an innovation fund should be provided by the Research Council to ensure the implementation of the identified research agenda.

Such grants should be open, competitive and fit strictly into the vision of the national research agenda. Rather than attempt to achieve spread or balance in any form (institutional, professional, geographical or political), the granting conditions should only be focused on the ability to optimally deliver the targeted objectives.

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

T app to b wh too Gra enc acr esp Res I bec R& wil and

27

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻËœ 2020

MARKET NEWS

Stockbrokers Affirm Business Continuity amidst COVID-19 Concerns Goddy Egene Stockbrokers in Nigeria have identified critical factors that would continue to sustain their operations despite some concerns in the ecosystem.

The Chairman, Association for Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Chief Onyenwechukwu Ezeagu explained that the Nigerian capital market was not caught unprepared by COVID-19 because operators had been

subjected to minimum operating standard (MON) by the Nigerian Stock Exchange over the years.

According to him, these are set of standards prescribed and enforced by the NSE for dealing member firms to enable them develop strong robust control and governance framework as well as effective human capital that will enable them achieve best-in-class operations.

Ezeagu said: “ The pandemic has not taken away the level

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

the market has attained in terms of technology and ability to reach out to customers. The operators have been prepared for a situation where customers are connected online real time and we have been engaging in virtual trading. Remember that in some years past, we were all subjected to a rigorous set of minimum operating standards, (MON) by the NSE. The MON covers the entire structure of our operations, including corporate governance and

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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

human capital. The philosophy is to globalise our business and the policy has always been religiously enforced by The exchange for enhanced healthy competition among Dealing Members. Therefore, this period only serves to put our potentials into real test and our members are equal to the task which is evident in the fact that trading was never disrupted by the lockdown.�

Appraising the attitude of investors at the commencement

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

of lockdown, Ezeagu described it as mixed, saying “initially, some investors did not know that the NSE was open for business but when we let them know, it was a great relief and they started to patronize the market.� “It was a pleasant surprise to them and this ignited some positive sentiments towards the market, “ he added.

The ASHON boss, however, admitted that there were concerns in the entire ecosystem

O F

such as the degree by which COVID-19 would affect the economy already badly hit, ability of investors to keep faith, health concerns of workers across the board in the capital market and investors. “It is a healthy man that will invest and so we are concerned about the rate of spread and containment of corona virus.

We are equally concerned about the sustainability of our Business Continuity Plan deployment,� he said.

1 6 / 0 4 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

28

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

29

30

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

31

32

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 •T H I S D AY

MONDAY, ͚˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

33

PAGE THIRTY-THREE STATES MAY DECIDE ON REOPENING OF SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, SAYS PTF

18, extended the easing of the lockdown on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun States as well as extending the 8 pm-6 am curfew imposed nationwide, the ban on interstate movements and the lockdown of Kano State.

However, the incidence of the pandemic has been on the rise as the virus infected 307 more people yesterday, bringing the total figure of confirmed cases to 10,162 with 3,007 persons discharged and 287 people dead.

The 307 new cases were reported from 15 states, including Lagos 188, FCT 44, Ogun 19, Kaduna 14, Oyo 12, Bayelsa nine, Gombe five, and Kano, three.

Delta, Imo, Rivers, Niger and Bauchi had two each, while Plateau and Kwara had one apiece.

The meeting of the PTF with the president was a

sequel to the expiration of the extension of the easing of the lockdown, which commenced on May 18, by the federal government.

Already, there is anxiety on the next line of action of the president and its economic implications as the representatives of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have called on the federal and state governments to direct a total relaxation of the lockdown to avert looming retrenchment of workers.

But the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) called for an extension of the nationwide lockdown and stricter implementation of measures in place to curb community spread of COVID-19.

Speaking with State House reporters after the meeting, PTF Chairman and Secretary

to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the task force, which met with the president to submit its fourth interim report to him on the successes and challenges recorded by the group in the last two weeks, would await the decisions of the president on its recommendations.

With the two-week extension which expire today, a fresh pronouncement by the president on the way forward must be made today.

The president is expected to unveil fresh guidelines on the way forward following the update he had received from the PTF. Mustapha, however, said the issues bordering on re-opening of businesses, worship centres and schools, would be pushed to state

and local governments, if the president approves their recommendations.

He was swift to add that the final decision on that will, however, be dependent on the expected presidential pronouncement.

He said: "The communities are in the states. So, the ownership of the next stage will be the responsibility of the states, the local government, the traditional institutions, the religious leaders at the different levels of our communities because that is where the problem is.

"So, the issues of places of worships, the issues of schools, the issues of some certain businesses that were not opened hitherto are part of the packages that we have looked at and we've made the appropriate recommendations. But you know that Mr. President is

the only one that can take decisions in respect of that."

Mustapha stated that the states, as a unit of the federation, also have their own responsibilities.

He added that PTF had met with religious leaders and had reached an agreement with them on guidelines to be observed in reopening the worship centres.

"In the framework, the states are sub-nationals, they have their own responsibilities too. So, it is in the exercise of those responsibilities that they had meetings with those religious bodies and agreed on the guidelines and protocols on how they open up. But in the framework of the national response, we are taking that into consideration," he added.

He also said the task force briefed the president on the

challenges confronting the group, adding that Buhari assured members that the country was behind them.

He said the president expressed appreciation to health workers who are at the forefront of the battle to defeat the virus.

He stated that the meeting harped on the necessity to continuously persuade Nigerians to observe the prescribed protocols on how to stay safe.

"As far as the work of the PTF is concerned, he was upfront with his commendation and assured us that the nation is fully behind us in the work that he has charged us to do and that he's also appreciative of the work of the frontline workers, particularly the medical personnel, the security personnel and the

Meanwhile governors that attended the meeting came under searing criticism of social critics yesterday, saying they did not lead by example.

President Muhammadu Buhari had imposed an inter-state travel ban in March as part of measures

to curb the spread of COVID-19, save for movement of essential services and goods.

However, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had complained to the president during their teleconference with him last month that security agencies were sabotaging the inter-state travel ban, forcing the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to hand down a stern directive to the agencies to buckle up and enforce the presidential directive.

According to a critic, “It is unfortunate that these governors who were complaining about the citizens’ breach of the rule are the ones now attending meetings in Lagos.�

Another critic called on the president to query

the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, for granting their plane the permit to fly, saying that it was a breach of presidential directive. “There was nothing essential about that meeting,� he said, adding: “It is embarrassing that governors and other officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress are the ones behaving as if they are above the law.�

He pointed out that a few weeks ago the National Working Committee of the party also met in Abuja with its officials travelling from all regions of the country to attend. “This lawlessness at the high levels of government is shameful and the president must call his party men to order,� he said.

put our potentials into real test and our members were equal to the task, which is evident in the fact that trading was never disrupted by the lockdown,� Ezeagu said.

A stockbroker and Managing Director of Network Capital Limited, Mr. Oluropo Dada, said the business continuation framework activated by the NSE by deploying digital channels to support remote trading was embraced by the traders.

Dada said: “Everything worked seamlessly to the advantage of the market.

The Q1 results of those big banks that provide over 65 per cent of the trading activities in the sector were released to the market and those results compared favourably with the historical records, meaning that those banks are still creating values. Also, the dividend declared for 2019 financial years were paid by major banks during the month, thereby providing liquidity to the shareholders and by extension to the market.�

In the opinion of Senior Equity Research Analyst at Cordros Capital, Mr. Mustapha Wahab, the market is now in a stronger condition than at the beginning of this COVID-19 episode. “In other words, the panic element has eased significantly. There have been a few developments over the recent past weeks,

which I believe provide respite for investors. “For one, Nigeria received the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s approval for $3.4 billion (N1.2 trillion) loan request. The approval came earlier than expected and is the IMF’s largest COVID-19 emergency financing provided to-date.

While the loan will do little to address the significantly stressed balance of payment condition, it sure will provide some notable support to the 2020 budget in a year where government spending is necessary,� Wahab said.

According to him, the positive results posted by some companies in the Q1 of 2020 and dividend announced by some for 2019 financial year also impacted the growth recorded. “On the corporate side, we have seen some fairly impressive first quarter results thus far. The cumulative banks' earnings that have been published to-date show earnings growth of eight per cent, with core income lines and asset quality fairly strong. For consumer goods companies, we like the fact that Nigerian Breweries Plc maintained revenue at last year’s level, even though profit was weaker (owing to high operating expenses).

"As expected, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc delivered strong numbers, driven by strong growth across revenue lines,� Wahab

explained.

Companies such as BUA Cement Plc had declared a dividend of N1.75 per share.

Last week, 11 Plc recommended a dividend of N8.25 per share while Dangote Cement Plc declared a dividend of N1.10 per share.

Berger Paints Nigeria Plc also recommended a dividend of 25 kobo.

TINUBU MEETS APC GOVS, PROMISES FAIR PRIMARIES IN EDO, ONDO and proposed to grant the incumbents, Obaseki and Akeredolu, the right of first refusal.

But Tinubu was said to have responded that ordinarily, he would not have been opposed to that.

However, he reportedly pointed out to them that once other party members indicate interest, the democratic thing to do in the circumstances would be to allow the primaries to hold.

He reportedly told them it would be difficult to hold down the ambition of other party faithful, advising them to come to terms with the possibility of intra-party contests in the two states.

The sources close to the meeting said there were discussions around the mode of primaries with

the governors favouring the indirect process. But the national leader was said to have told them to recognise the constitutional right of the National Working Committee (NWC) to organise the primaries, stating firmly that he personally had always preferred the direct mode of selecting the party’s candidates.

Citing the presidential primaries that produced President Muhammadu Buhari as well as Oyetola in Osun and Sanwo-Olu in Lagos, Tinubu reportedly said the direct primaries give the candidates and the party the opportunity to test their electoral machinery and popularity, saying once a candidate emerges through that process, the general election becomes

much easier.

He, however, assured them that whichever one the national secretariat of the party approves, he would prevail on the leadership to ensure that the process is free and fair to all the aspirants.

The governors were said to have thanked the national leader for granting them an audience and for assuring them of the fairness of the process of the primaries to be held this month in Edo and next month in Ondo.

THISDAY gathered that the governors may meet with President Buhari today or later in the week at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to discuss the Edo and Ondo elections.

Both Obaseki and Akeredolu are having strong opposition in their

respective states and preferred the indirect primaries mode because of the distinctive advantage, it has for the incumbent. But their opponents preferred the direct primaries, a preference that also has the approval of the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC, at least for the Edo contest.

Analysts Criticise State Executives for Breach of Travel Ban

Continued on page 34

PANTAMI HAILS ICT'S 14.07% CONTRIBUTION TO GDP sector. “It is noteworthy that the ICT sector contributed 14.07 per cent to the total real GDP in Q1 2020, higher than its contribution a year earlier (13.32 per cent) and in the preceding quarter, in which it accounted for 13.12 per cent. This contribution is unprecedented," the statement said.

The minister noted that the growing contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP is a direct result of the focused and committed effort of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He added that the strategic policy directions of the federal government include the inclusion of the digital economy in the mandate of the ministry, the unveiling and implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and the National Broadband Plan, amongst others.

According to him, "the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how critical the ICT sector is to the growth of our country’s digital economy and by extension, the general economy.�

The minister called on all sectors to take advantage of the federal government’s new focus on the digital economy to enable and improve their processes through the use of ICTs, saying that it would enhance the output of all the sectors of the economy and boost Nigeria’s GDP.

Despite Pandemic, Stock Market Gained N1.2tn in May Meanwhile, the Nigerian stock market gained N1.171 trillion in May, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, representing a growth of 93 per cent compared with the N604 billion recorded in April.

Also, the market, measured by the main index, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index rose by 9.7 per cent up from 5.3 per cent recorded in April.

The market had dipped by 20.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 and a positive performance was not envisaged at the beginning of the second quarter (Q2) given the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted negatively on the global economy.

But the Nigerian market recovered N604 billion in April contrary to the expectation of further decline due to the economic lockdown as a result of the COVID-19, and a further N1.171 trillion gain posted in May, showing that in the two months of Q2, the market gained N1.775 trillion.

Market statistics obtained

by THISDAY showed the market capitalisation of the NSE rose from N11.997 trillion at the beginning of May to N13.168 trillion at the end of the month. This shows a growth of N1.171 trillion.

The NSE -ASI appreciated from 23,021.01 to 25,267.82, showing a growth of 9.7 per cent in May as against 5.3 per cent growth the previous month.

Stock market operators and analysts said while there had been uncertainties brought by COVID-19, the stock market had shown resilience as some investors reacted to some positive developments in the capital market community.

According to them, the stock market has remained open for trading electronically.

There have also been some positive corporate actions while the announcement of a substantive director general and executive commissioners for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) boosted investor hope, hence the significant improvement recorded in May. The Chairman, Association of Securities Dealing Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Chief Onyenwechukwu Ezeagu, said the pandemic had not taken away the level the market has attained in terms of technology and ability to reach out to customers. “The operators have been prepared for a situation where customers are connected online real time and we have been engaging in virtual trading. Remember that in some years past we were all subjected to a rigorous set of minimum operating standards, so this period only served to

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN % AXAMANSARD 0.18 2.03 9.7 NEIMETH 0.10 1.13 9.7 CADBURY 0.65 8.65 8.1 BUACEMENT 3.00 42.00 7.6 CAVERTON 0.18 2.58 7.5 TOP LOSERS NGN % LEARNAFRICA 0.12 1.13 9.6 DANGSUGAR 1.10 12.90 7.8 VITAFOAM 0.45 5.55 7.5 JAIZBANK 0.05 0.70 6.6 ETI 0.35 5.10 6.4 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â‚Ś1,000.00 Volume: 325.612 million shares Value: N4.477 billion Deals: 5,647 As at Friday 29/5/2020 See details on Page 27

MONDAY, ͚˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

34

NEWS

Bandits Kill APC LG Chairman in Katsina, Take over Villages Francis Sardauna in Katsina Bandits have killed the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Batsari Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State, Mr. Abdulhamid Duburawa.

The lawmaker representing Batsari Constituency at the State House of Assembly, Hon. Jabiru Yauyau, confirmed the killing of the APC chairman in a telephone interview with THISDAY yesterday.

Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Faskari LGA in the state, yesterday also raised the alarm that the bandits had taken over their villages and communities.

Yauyau said the bandits, riding on motorcycles,

stormed the residence of the victim at Sabon-Garin Duburawa village in Ruma ward of the council area about 12:47 pm yesterday.

He said: "It is true, some bandits riding on motorcycles attacked our party chairman, Abdulhamid Sani Duburawa, at his hometown Sabon-Garin Duburawa and shot him severally and left.

"He was rushed to the Batsari General Hospital for treatment but unfortunately for us, he died. His body has been moved to his residence here in Batsari in preparation for burial."

The lawmaker called on security personnel to intensify efforts in tackling banditry in the area, saying "if not,

the bandits will finish us."

However, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah, a Superintendent of Police, was yet to respond to inquiries as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the IDPs in Faskari LGA in the state, yesterday raised the alarm that bandits have sacked their villages and communities.

The displaced persons, who are currently taking refuge in Faskari Model Primary School alleged that despite the deployment of security personnel by the federal government to flush out the hoodlums in the state, killings had continued unabated in their villages.

The refugees, in separate

interviews with THISDAY in the makeshift camp said the bandits had taken over Birni Kogo, Ungwan Tsamiya, Ungwan Liman, Ungwan Zuru, Bangi and Kafi, among other villages in the local government area.

The Chairman of the camp, Mr. Aliyu Lawal, had told THISDAY that there were 2,624 IDPs in the camp and over 3,000 others outside the temporary camp.

According to Lawal, the displaced persons are from 23 villages of Birnin Kogo, Tsamiya, Zuru, Bangi, Kafi, Ungwan Liman, Gago, Gidan Wakili, Makera, Gidan Sharo, Danmairo, Sabuwar Ungwa, Ruwan Kusa, Bika, Kogon Kura, Dan Boka, Maigiya,

Gwanki, Dudu, Ungwan Dorawa, Shuwaki, Akwanfa and Rabah.

One of the IDPs, Saratu Maigora, from Zuru, said the marauding bandits ransacked their village and carted away all their belongings, including foodstuffs.

She added that banditry and other heinous activities orchestrated by the miscreants have become a daily occurrence in most communities in Faskari.

"Since the day we were displaced by bandits in Zuru, they couldn't allow us to return. They have taken over our ancestral homes; we want to go. The police should go and kill these bandits," she stated.

Another refugee, Mr. Abubakar Kabiru, said: "We have been displaced by bandits for almost a month.

Many people who survived the invasion are squatting with families and friends or getting shelter wherever they can with untold hardship."

On his part, Adamu Bangi, said: "Even yesterday (Saturday) bandits killed three people and kidnapped six others in Matseri village of Faskari.

"They came on motorcycles and attacked Matseri and adjoining villages; shooting sporadically and in the process killed the victims.

The government should put an end to these killings,� he added.

Outrage as Four Men Rape, Kill UNIBEN Undergraduate in Church Chiemelie Ezeobi The rape and murder of Miss Vera Omozuwa, a 22-year-old 100-level Microbiology student of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in a church has fuelled national outrage.

Omozuwa died yesterday after doctors battled for three days to save her after she was gang-raped by four unknown men and beaten to a pulp with a fire extinguisher.

The case, which was reported at the Oregbeni Police Station, Benin, has elicited outrage with JusticeforUWA trending on all social media platforms throughout yesterday.

The undergraduate was said to have gone to her church,

Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Edo Province 10, Ikpoba Hill, Benin, to read when the culprits raped and killed her.

She was found hours later by the church’s security guard, who had earlier visited the key-keeper to get the church keys but was told Omozuwa was with it.

On getting to the church, he saw the undergraduate in a bad shape in a pool of her blood and quickly raised the alarm.

Although she was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital where she managed to narrate her ordeal, she succumbed to her injuries three days later.

Reacting to the incident, the school decried the news of the rape and subsequent murder of its student.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Lilian Salami, in a statement through the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, described the news as shocking.

Noting that a delegation has been sent by the university to commiserate with the bereaved family, she said the action of the culprits was condemnable and should not be condoned by any society.

While commiserating with the bereaved family on the loss of their daughter, Salami prayed God to grant her soul

peaceful rest.

The vice-chancellor urged students of the institution and all young people to be wary of the company they keep and the places they visited.

Although there was no official response from the RCCG headquarters about the incident, Mr. Leke Adeboye, the son of RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, said they were on top of it.

Writing on his Twitter handle @LekeAdeboye he said: “I can't comment, as I am not the church or the government authorities in that area but best believe a lot of happening behind the scene; she could easily be my

STATES MAY DECIDE ON REOPENING OF SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, SAYS PTF people who come in contact with the patients in the time of collection of samples, the testings, the care that they are giving," he said.

Asked if Nigeria was winning the war against the virus, Mustapha answered in the affirmative, saying with only three per cent fatality rate while most countries grapple with over 10 per cent fatality rate, Nigeria is winning the fight.

"We are winning. As a matter of fact, you juxtapose the rate of cases with our fatality rate, which is basically about 3 per cent. In other countries and other climes, it's over 10 per cent, but the most important thing that you will realise, when we started this exercise, we had only five testing stations.

"Now, we've ramped it up to 28, without a correspondent increase in the number of deaths. We've gone beyond 60,000 now, that reflects in the number of confirmed cases," he said.

He quoted experts as saying that 80 per cent of victims may not know they have contracted the virus, adding that that accounts for the reason some people in isolation centres query why they are there.

According to him, one of the PTF's challenges presented to the president is the failures of some governors to cooperate with the task force.

"We discussed challenges generally and I believe that in the context of those discussions, certain steps will be taken.

"We are doing everything to ensure that the entire nation is on the same page with one response and it is very

important that we realise that no state is an island unto itself when you deal with public health matters," he said.

OPS Seeks Total Reopening of Economy Representatives of the OPS have called on the federal and state governments to direct full relaxation of the lockdown imposed on the country to contain the spread of COID-19 pandemic in order to avoid strangling the domestic economy and avert massive retrenchment of workers.

They called for the lifting of the curfew and the ban on interstate travel and the limited working hours imposed on government and private organisations.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Dr. Timothy Olawale, told THISDAY that the effect of the initial lockdown was devastating on businesses while recovery after the partial lifting of the lockdown has been slow and uninspiring.

According to him, businesses, especially manufacturing concerns and those requiring shifts, could not function optimally because of the curfew and shortness of the hours available to work in the day time.

Olawale stated that the governments should avoid extending the lockdown because this is a critical time that businesses are in the process of making crucial decisions on whether to retrench or retain their workforce, warning that a

stitch in time saves nine.

He said: “Full relaxation of the lockdown is needed to help save jobs before it will be too late. Moreover, nothing short of full-scale restoration of normal business will be good enough for businesses. “COVID-19, as we have seen and judging from opinions of scientists, is not in a hurry to go. Therefore, we have to work out how to live with it through an informed and detailed protocol to protect ourselves.�

Also, the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, said the federal government should commence a progressive easing of the lockdown to allow some sectors like the aviation, hospitality and transport to resume operations.

According to him, what is needed at the moment is nationally functional guidelines to enable Nigerians to be safe from the pandemic while pursuing their businesses.

He said: “Government should allow the domestic economy to function optimally and unconstrained in order to avoid double jeopardy, especially now that Nigeria is faced with a challenging external shock due to the slump in the oil prices. “We must be thinking of things that will help the country to achieve the objectives the government has in mind like social distance, use of mask and not the ban on interstate travel and curfew that have been poorly implemented.�

He also called on the federal government to lift the curfew and present a common

national response that would end the confusion that arose from conflicting orders from the state governments on interstate movements.

NMA, PSN Demand Extension of Lockdown, Stricter Implementation While the OPS has called for full relaxation of the lockdown, stakeholders in the health sector, including the NMA and the PSN have called on the federal government to extend the nationwide lockdown and institute stricter implementation of measures put in place against community spread of the disease.

Newly elected President of the NMA, Prof. Innocent Ujah, during an interview with THISDAY yesterday, said with the COVID-19 cases rising, it would be in order for the government to extend the lockdown and institute stricter implementation, as this would help slow down the spread of the virus.

He said: “But for this to happen, the government should also ensure there are palliatives on the ground for the poor. People on lockdown who make daily stipends will be affected. They should be provided with support.

"We have so far had a six-week lockdown. What has the implementation and compliance been?

Have people started using face masks? Are Nigerians following social and physical distancing protocols? Did the implementation of the interstate lockdown work?

We know social distancing is the most difficult protocol for

baby sister.�

When her bereaved family and friends brought the matter to social media, Nigerians urged the police to bring her killers to book.

Amnesty International (AI) while condemning the rape and brutal murder, also lamented the increasing cases of rape in Nigeria.

In a series of tweets on their Twitter page they wrote: “While the nation is still coming to terms with this gross violation, in Jigawa State, 11 men were arrested for raping a 12-year old girl at Limawa in Dutse, the state capital. “Although rape is a crime in Nigeria, government’s response

to it continues to be, woefully inadequate. “Rising cases of rape across Nigeria was a result of the failure of law enforcement to ensure that rapists face justice. “We are deeply concerned that perpetrators of rape in Nigeria invariably escape punishment."

Pastor Apostle Suleiman said: “I strongly condemn the gruesome killing of Vera Uwaila, a 100 level microbiology student of our great UNIBEN. “Dastardly as it is, we are yet to hear of any arrest. May God give her parents fortitude to bear the loss. Justice must be served. She was just 22years old. #justiceforuwa.�

Nigerians to comply with. In homes with ‘face-me-I-faceyou’, are these protocols followed? These are the information we should know before a new order is made. “By now the government should have told us the research it has done, and compliance level of this policy of lockdown. It should always take decisions based on scientific evidence. If these measures weren’t followed, thereby causing an increase in the cases, it should further implement them.�

On his part, the President of PSN, Mr. Sam Ohuabunwa, said it would be a mistake for the government to relax its healthcare protocols completely, especially as COVID-19 cases were still rising in the country. “If we are to depend on science, it means the government should not loosen up completely when infection rates are climbing.

What government needs is gradual easing while it maintains some restrictions. “If the government opens up interstate and air travels, then we should be ready to have a spike in COVID-19 cases. This will not be very good for us, especially because of the state of our healthcare which is very fragile. We don’t have sufficient isolation centres; we don’t have enough medical personnel; we don’t have enough personal protective equipment to handle major crises associated with the pandemic. We are still having an increase. This is not the time to ease our protocols,� he added.

While calling on Nigerians to remain where they are as the virus will not move if

they don’t move, he said the government should enforce all the regulations earlier put in place, including the 8:00 pm nationwide curfew, interstate travel ban and closure of its airspace, adding that easing of lockdown should only happen when COVID-19 cases are flattening.

Lagos Releases Guidelines for Test Kits Validation from Companies The Lagos State Biosecurity Governing Council has released guidelines for companies and organisations requesting validation for test kits from its bio-bank.

Rapid test kits have enabled nations battling COVID-19 to conduct several hundreds of thousands of tests daily on persons suspected to be infected by the virus.

Announcing this Sunday in a tweet, the Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the requirements included a letter of application for request, minimum of 300 units of Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits requiring validation, testing manuals for the kits, previous scientific publication on the kits, if available, and evidence of payment of validation study application fee.

He said: “Once applicants have met the requirements, the Lagos Bio-bank will conduct a validation study in line with best practices and issue a report accordingly.

The report can then be used for application for product registration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).�

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

35

NEWS

Police Inspector Runs Amok, Kills Colleagues in Lagos Chiemelie Ezeobi A Police Inspector, Monday Gabriel from No 21 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Abuja, yesterday ran amok and shot his colleagues, killing some and injuring others.

The suspect who was on special duty in a federal government facility in Ikoyi, Lagos, ran amok and started shooting sporadically, Gabriel, who was said to have gone berserk following a

disagreement with other members of his team, opened fire on them before hijacking their operational vehicle.

He left his colleagues in a pool of their blood and drove straight to Akoka in Yaba where he attempted to access a compound but he could not.

According to sources, the building had a metallic door and the policeman said to be attached to the Federal Inland Revenue

Service (FIRS) again opened sporadic fire on the property to gain access.

Residents said they were frightened at the sporadic sound of gunshots and took cover not knowing what was happening.

Distress calls were made to the Bariga Police Division and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), who

deployed operatives to the scene and restrained the active shooter.

No fewer than 30 bullet holes were counted in the apartment, corridor and ceiling of the premises.

Although he tried to escape, the hijacked vehicle ran into the gutter, which was where he was arrested by the police.

From short videos obtained from residents, the cop was screaming incoherently, a development suggestive of a possible mental illness.

He was heard alleging that some persons wanted to corrupt him and that he should be allowed to go home in the name of Jesus.

Reacting to the incident, the state Police Spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana said only one policeman, Sergeant Felix Okago died from the shots.

Elkana said: “In an attempt to escape, he took a patrol van and headed towards third mainland bridge, shooting as he was escaping.

CBN Orders Immediate Resolution of Failed Electronic Transactions James Emejo in Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a revised timelines for reversals and resolution of refund complaints on electronic channels.

According to a statement by the bank, effective from June 8, 2020, all failed “OnUs” ATM transactions - when customers use their cards on their bank’s ATMs, is expected to be reversed instantly compared to the current three-day timeline for resolution.

The CBN noted however, that where instant reversal fails due to any technical issue or system glitch, the timeline for manual reversal shall not exceed 24 hours.

The new directive was contained in a statement issued yesterday by CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okorafor .

According to the apex bank,

refunds for failed “Not-onUs” ATM transactions (where customers use their cards on other banks’ ATMs) shall not exceed 48 hours henceforth compared to the existing timeframe of three to five days.

The amended framework further stipulated that resolution of disputed/failed PoS or web transactions shall be concluded within 72 hours from the current five days.

All banks are further directed to resolve backlog of all ATM, POS and Web customer refunds within two weeks starting June 8, 2020 .

Meanwhile, key service providers in the Nigerian payments system have also committed to establish an integrated dispute resolution platform for the industry and enhance their payment system infrastructure and processes to reduce incidences of transaction failure.

India Evacuates 312 Citizens from Nigeria Chinedu Eze The Indian government yesterday commenced the evacuation of its citizens stranded in Nigeria as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The government of India celebrated the first direct flight from Nigeria when the nation’s major carrier, Air Peace, airlifted 312 if its citizens from the Murtala Muhammd International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to Kochi.

According to a tweet by the High Commission of India in Abuja, the repatriation exercise was conducted in the early hours of yesterday with the airlifting of 312 Indian nationals.

The commission revealed that the aircraft conveying the evacuees departed the Murtala Muhammed International

Airport, Lagos.

It noted that the flight, operated by a Nigerian airline Air Peace, was the first indigenous airline to fly directly to India.

The Indian authorities appreciated the Nigerian government for its support in ensuring that the first phase of the evacuation was successful.

According to the verified twitter account of Indians in Nigeria, @ india_nigeria, the “repatriation of India nationals from Nigeria began today (Sunday) with the Lagos-Kochi Air Peace flight with 312 passengers. It is the first ever Nigerian airline to fly directly to India.”

The Indians in Nigeria commended the Nigerian government, the Indian embassy in Nigeria and others that made the flight a reality.

Zamfara Lawmaker, Tukur Jekada Dies at 60 A member representing Bakura state Constituency, Tukur Jekada, is dead.

Aged 60, Tukur died yesterday evening after a brief illness.

Until his death, he was the Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

He was buried in his hometown, Birnin Tudu in Bakura Local Government Area of the state.

His funeral was attended by the Speaker of the House, Nasiru Muazu Magarya, and other prominent personalities.

WELL DESERVED HONOUR...

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; apex nurse of Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Mrs. Basirat Adeoye; and the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, during the governor’s award presentation to frontline health workers as part of activities to commemorate his administration’s first year in office, at Lagos House, Marina...recently

PDP Wins all 23 Chairmanship Seats in Benue LG Election George Okoh in Makurdi The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has won all the 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship seats in the state local government elections conducted at the weekend by the state Independent Electoral Commission.

The election was held in the 23 local government areas and the 276 wards in the state.

In an election that witnessed the lowest turnout with five political parties in contest, the PDP was declared victorious by the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BESIEC) Chairman, Mr. Tersoo Loko, while announcing the result yesterday.

According to Loko, the PDP also won all the councillorship seats in the 276 council wards of the state.

He described the exercise as

“the freest, most credible and most transparent of its kind ever held in the state.”

According to the BESIEC chairman, the election did not witness any incidents of ballot snatching or any other forms of violence associated with previous elections in the state.

Loko urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adopt the model of the Benue State electoral body

in its 2023 and other subsequent elections.

Two journalists, including the General Manager of AIT in Jos, Plateau State, Mr. Steve Ayua, also won the championship race.

The participating political parties in the council polls were the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), AfricanAction Congress (AAC), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

N’Assembly May Pass Revised 2020 Appropriation Bill Tomorrow Deji ElumoyeinAbuja There were strong indications at the weekend that the revised 2020 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly last Thursday may be passed on Tuesday (tomorrow) by the parliament.

Also, the $5.513 billion external loan request of the Executive to finance the

proposed amended budget, may be approved by the approved on the same day by the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Sources told THISDAY weekend that the National Assembly committees like Appropriation, Finance, and Local and foreign debts in both the Senate and House of Representatives, from

Friday through the weekend sat late into the night looking at the estimates and ensuring that they were at par with what the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, had pledged before the leadership of the National Assembly before now.

Specifically, the committees were said to be concerned about the

N213.5 billion voted for COVID-19 Intervention Fund in the revised budget especially the beneficiaries.

A source hinted that there is the standing instruction to the committees to ensure that the proposed beneficiaries of COVID-19 Intervention Fund are spread across the six geo-political zones of the country.

Barde’s Aides May Face Death Penalty KingsleyNwezehinAbuja SixNigerianAirForcepersonneldetailed to provide security for the late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS),Air Chief Marshal Alex Barde, may face the death penalty following the guilty verdict pronounced on them by the General Court Martial (GCM) constituted to try them, THISDAY checks have revealed.

Thisisinadditiontoalikelytotalof36 years jail sentence for the six personnel as stipulated by the ReviewedArmed Forces Act 2004.

The NigeriaAir Force headquarters had at the weekend issued a statement to the effect that the personnel were found guilty and variously sentenced.

It did not, however, mention specific sentences to individual personnel.

Badeh, who was also a former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), was ambushed and killed on December 18, 2018, by gunmen on his way back from his farm on the Gitata-Keffi highway in Nasarawa State.

The statement had said six NAF personnel, who were aides to the late CDS, were awarded various sentences by the general court-martial sitting

at the NAF base, Bill Clinton Drive in Abuja.

The six NAF personnel, who stood trial for various offences, are Squadron Leader Tom Gwani, Flight Sergeant Amu David, Flight Sergeant Philemon Degema, Flight Sergeant Sabo Simon, Sergeant Mukhtar Abdullahi and Sergeant Alfred Alexander.

ADC Asks Ehanire to Apologise to Nigerians over Chinese Medical Team The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said Nigerians would not accept anything short of an apology from the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a whole, for deceiving Nigerians as regards the true intention of a Chinese team that arrived the country on April 8, 2020.

A statement released yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Ms. Yemi Kolapo, insisted that senior ministers of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet had failed to address the pertinent questions raised by concerned Nigerians on the whereabouts of the “15-member Chinese medical team.”

According to Kolapo, the lame explanation by the federal government that the 15 Chinese men were guests of the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) and not of the Nigerian government could not close the “untidy” case, even with the follow-up clarification by the CCECC.

The party said: “Members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, health workers, and other essential service providers have worked tirelessly in these trying times to mitigate the effect of the dreaded COVID-19 on human lives and on the Nigerian economy and should be supported and encouraged.

36

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Delta North Monarchs Summon Elected Subjects over Insecurity Traditional rulers in Delta North senatorial district (Anioma nation) have summoned the senator representing the area, Peter Nwaoboshi, and the three House of Representatives members, including Victor Nwokolo (Ika), Nicholas Ossai (Ndokwa) and Ndudi Elumelu (Aniocha/Oshimili), to explain

what they are doing to reverse the deteriorating security situation in the zone.

Also to appear before the royal fathers are the members representing state constituencies in the area at the state House of Assembly.

The monarchs are very worried by the level of insecurity as

AbdulRazaq Slashes Telecoms RoW Fee to N1 Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has directed the reduction of the Right of Way (RoW) fee for telecommunications firms from N5,500 per linear metre to one Naira per kilometre of fibre.

The state now has the second lowest RoW fee in Nigeria after Kaduna State.

Commissioner for Communications, Mr. Murtala Olanrewaju, said the reduction takes immediate effect.

Until now, telecoms were paying N5,500 per linear metre as the fee for laying fibre cables in the state to strengthen their digital connections.

Olanrewaju said AbdulRazaq directed that the RoW fee be slashed to N1 only per kilometre, a decision designed to deepen digital penetration in Kwara State, jerk up the state’s ease of doing

business ratings, and ease people’s access to the internet and other digital communication even in the remotest part of the state.

“Apart from driving up investment in the sector, the long-term effects of this significant step such as strengthening access to digital communications and bringing more businesses to the hinterlands cannot be quantified,” the commissioner quoted the governor as saying.

He added that internet and broadband penetration have been known to have a direct correlation with economic development.

A study carried out by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on Africa reported that a 10 per cent broadband penetration would lead to a 2.5 per cent increment of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita.

manifested in kidnappings, killings and other violent crimes.

The traditional rulers had earlier summoned the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa.

Rising from their meeting at the Palace of the Obi of Owa Kingdom, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizomor II, the monarchs said it has become imperative for a collaborative approach to tackle the hydra headed security challenge.

Efeizomor who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the state government for plans to establish an independent local security outfit to be known as ‘Operation Delta Hawk’, saying that all stakeholders must key into the plan to achieve the desired goal.

He appreciated the efforts of members of local vigilance groups across community in the zone in waging war against all forms criminality, and called for my support for them.

Efeizomor reiterated the call of the royal fathers that nomadic herdsmen residing in camps built in bushes should vacate the bushes and come into the residential communities to live with the natives and other settlers from various ethnic nationalities.

He said despite the notorious activities of suspected herdsmen, indigenes of host communities will remain unprovoked but continue to explore all legal means to foster peaceful and harmonious co-existence.

“Delta is a peace loving state, and at no time do we want war.

Those who raise camps in our bushes are doing it against our wishes.

“We are urging the camp inhabitants, irrespective of tribe, to come out and live with us. If they continue to stay in the bush, we can’t be safe in our homes, and we don’t have what it takes to dislodge them from the bushes.

“We are rather appealing to them to come and live with us in towns so that they can also contribute to community development,” he added.

In attendance at the meeting of the traditional rulers were: HRM Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor II, obi of Owa Kingdom;

HRM Obi Kikachukwu of Ubulu-Unor;HRM Jonathan Kenegide, the Ogene of Ibedeni; HRM Obi Osadume II, Obi of Igbodo Kingdom; HRM Obi Charles Anyasi II, the Obi of Idumuje-Unor; HRM Obi David Ogbudu, the Obi of Atuma; HRM Obi Chukwumalieze, Obi of Onicha-Ugbo; HRM Obi Henry Jegbefume, the Obi of Akumazi; HRM Obi Louis Nwaoboshi, the Obi of Ibusa; HRM Dein Benjamin Keagborekuzi, the Dein of Agbor Kingdom; HRM Obi Ijeh Jideuwa, Obi of Issele-Azagba; HRM Obi Nduka Ezeagwuna, the Obi of Isele-Uku Kingdom and HRM Michael Mbanefo Ogbolu, the Ugoani of Okpanam.

VISIT...

Lawan, Omo-Agege, Tinubu ROYAL Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Ondo State, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan (left), and business mogul, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, during the monarch’s visit to Ibrahim at his country home, Igbotako in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State..recently Mourn Buhari’s Nephew President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; his deputy, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu have commiserated with President Muhammadu Buhari over the death of his nephew, Alhaji Ibrahim Dauda.

In a condolence message to the President, the APC National leader said: “Mr. President, please accept my deepest sympathy and condolences over the passing of your nephew, Alhaji Ibrahim Dauda.

“Coming after the recent demise of another family member, this may be further dampening. But we cannot question God. We must take solace in the good and deeply

religious life Alhaji Ibrahim Dauda lived and the memories of the time you shared together.

“I beseech Allah SWT to support and strengthen you at this time even as you confront the nation’s current existential challenges, Tinubu said, according to the statement issued by his spokesman, Alhaji Tunde Rahman.

Lawan, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Ola Awoniyi, in Abuja, extended his condolences to the family of Alhaji Dauda, the Daura community, and the government and people of Katsina over the tragic loss.

The Senate President prayed that the Almighty Allah would comfort those that he left behind.

Coalition Seeks Buhari, N’Assembly’s Intervention in NNPC’s Recruitment Exercise Sunday Okobi A coalition, Transparency in Public Service Recruitment Project (TPSRP), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to conclude the 2019/2020 Experienced Hire Recruitment exercise by contacting all successful candidates based on merit.

The recruitment exercise, the group noted, was the brain child and vision of

the immediate-past Group Managing Director of NNPC, the late Dr. Maikanti Baru.

The coalition of 17 civil society groups lamented in a letter addressed to the President Buhari, the Senate, the House of Representatives and others that after concluding the oral interview for the recruitment exercise on July 11, 2019, a total of1050 successful candidates for the Graduate Trainee cadre were contacted on February 14, 2020 and offered employment, while till date, the candidates for the Experienced Hire Cadre have not been contacted by the NNPC.

PDP Wins all LG Seats in Cross River Elections Bassey Inyang in Calabar The People Democratic Party (PDP) has recorded a resounding victory in last Saturday’s local government area elections held in 196 wards and the 18 local government areas of Cross River State.

From the results so far announced by the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC), the PDP emerged victories in all

the election results declared from 10 local government areas.

The PDP also emerged victorious in 110 wards were results have been declared for councillorship elections.

The electoral commission said only five political parties-PDP, YPP, APC, NNPP, and LP-contested in the elections.

The 10 LGAs that PDP candidates won are Calabar South, Calabar Municipal, Etung ,Ikom,Obubra, Odukpani,

Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bakassi and Yakurr.

Chairman of CROSIEC, Dr. Mike Ushie, while announcing the results for 10 council areas, said results from other local government areas with very difficult terrain were being awaited as of yesterday evening.

Ushie said: “The results are not manufactured here. I am going to read it the way they were sent from the field.”

Ushie said in Akamkpa LGA, the PDP chairmanship candidate, Mr. Linus Bassey Etim, emerged unopposed, but was able to score a total of 50,442 votes and was declared winner.

In Etung, the chairmanship candidate of the PDP, Mr. Etuk John Nkom, was declared winner by 26,694 votes while the APC candidate, Mr. Nkum Etang Eteng, scored 413 votes representing 1.5 percent.

$5.513bn Loan: SERAP Writes Buhari, Seeks Loan Audits, Spending Details Udora Orizu in Abuja Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a Freedom of Information request to President Muhammadu Buhari requesting him to use his leadership position and the opportunity of the 5th anniversary of his government in office to provide spending details of all loans obtained by the government since May 29, 2015, including

details and locations of projects on which the loans have been spent.

SERAP is also urging him to set up an independent audit of all loans to resolve any allegations of mismanagement and corruption, and to publish spending details of loans obtained by successive administrations since 1999.

Buhari had last week sought the National Assembly’s approval for fresh external borrowings totalling

$5.513 billion to finance deficits in the revised 2020 appropriation bill, critical projects, and support for some states of the federation in their fight against Covid-19.

In the FoI request dated May 30, 2020, signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Mr. Kolawole Oluwadare, and copied to Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abukabar Malami; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning,

Mrs Zainab Ahmed, and Director-General of Debt Management Office (DMO), Patience Oniha, the organisation expressed concerns that while governments since 1999 have borrowed money in the name of Nigeria and its citizens, much of the funds have reportedly been mismanaged, stolen or squandered, leaving the citizens with the burden of having to repay these loans.

Police Arrest 11 Men for Raping 12-year-old Girl in Jigawa The Jigawa State Police Command said it had arrested 11 men for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl in the state.

The men were said to have raped the victim on different occasions.

The suspects were arrested when one of them allegedly lured the victim to the Limawa Market in of the Dutse Local

Government Area of the state.

Upon interrogation, the victim named the other suspects, who had carnal knowledge of her.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abdu Jinjiri, as saying that the suspects were arrested on Saturday after the police received a complaint that one of them tried to have

sexual intercourse with the victim.

He said, “A case of rape is being investigated at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department in Dutse following a report received by the police that a 57-year-old man from Ma’ai village, Dutse LGA, was seen in the Limawa Market trying

to lure a 12-year-old girl of the same address to seclusion to have sexual intercourse with her.

“In the course of interrogation, the victim listed the names of 11 men, who had sexual intercourse with her at different times, and to this end, the police arrested the listed suspects, who will be charged as soon as investigations are completed.”

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 • T H I S D AY

37

MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

38

24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

Kaduna Ex-military Gov Accuses Buhari of Favouring North in Appointments Peter Uzoho A former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Dangiwa Umar (rtd), has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of favouring the north in his appointments.

Umar, in an open letter to the president yesterday, urged him to preserve his name in history by putting right the skewed appointments.

However, according to a list of ministers and their aides obtained from a source at the presidency, the southern part of Nigeria accounted for 54.2 per cent or 103 of the 190 appointments made by Buhari, while the north accounted for 45.8 per cent or 87 appointments.

According to the list, the Southeast accounted for 15 appointments or 7.9 per cent; South-south, 24 appointments or 12.6 per cent and South-west, 64 appointments or 33.7 per cent.

In the northern part of the country, the North-east cornered 29 appointments or 15.3 per cent; North-central has 21 appointments or 11. 1 per cent while the Northwest got 37 appointments or 19.5

per cent.

The skewed appointment, according to Umar in his May 30, 2020 letter, “is more glaring in the leadership cadre of our security services.”

In the letter, Umar asked Buhari to learn from the great acts of exemplary leadership which, at critical moments, managed to pull this nation back from the precipice and assured its continued existence.

He cited an example: “In February, 1965, the (Northern Peoples Congress) NPC-led federal government was faced with a decision to appoint a successor to the outgoing Nigerian Army General Officer Commanding (GOC), General Welby Everard, a Briton. Four most senior officers were nominated; namely, Brigadiers Aguiyi Ironsi, Ogundipe, Ademulegun and Maimalari.

The first three were senior to Maimalari but he was deemed to be more qualified due to his superior commission. He was the first Sandhurst Regular trained officer in the Nigerian Army. His being a Muslim Northerner like

PANDEF Asks Buhari to Address Lopsided Appointments in NNPC Sunday Okobi Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has welcomed the reconstitution of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

by President Muhammadu Buhari with cautious considerations.

PANDEF described the move as a mere scratching of the surface of the problem and urged Buhari to further, carry out a holistic rejigging of the lopsided NNPC management structure, and correct the imbalances, in the interest of equity, fairness, peace and national cohesion.

In a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Hon. Ken Robinson, PANDEF recalled that the position of Group Managing Director of the NNPC was traditionally and rightly, reserved for persons from

the South-south geopolitical zone, which produces about 95 per cent of the nation’s crude extraction.

It argued that it would not be out of place to ask for the restoration of that tradition.

“PANDEF however notes that the latest NNPC Board composition as announced by the presidency, shows a departure from the 2016 Board arrangement, which had no representation from the South-East zone, an oil producing zone, and to that extent, therefore, commendable.

“PANDEF further implores those, particularly from the Niger Delta Region, newly appointed to the Board of the NNPC, to shun partisan and miniature interests in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities”.

CAN Can’t Speak for Christians, Says Okotie The Pastor of the Household of God Church, Oregun, Lagos, Rev Chris Okotie has finally broken his long silence, with his renewed challenge to the authority of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to speak for Christians, an opinion he has always canvassed.

In a statement released yesterday, Okotie stated that CAN is an amorphous organisation sustained by a Christian appellation.

“It is bereft of any authority to speak on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ. Arrayed in Episcopalian vestments, they are the modern day Pharisees who arrogate divine honors to themselves.

“They have a form of godliness and yet hobnob nicodemusly with enemies of the Lord Jesus.

“The true ministers of the sanctuary must recognise CAN’s treachery and reprehensible Phariseeism.

“That which a man spits against

heaven shall fall back upon his face. We shall not bow to the idol called Corona Virus. Jesus is Lord”.

Okotie has also condemned CAN’S proposed recommendations of social distancing in the seating arraignment in churches as “blasphemous infidelity” and desecration of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Reacting in the statement issued through his media Adviser, Ladi Ayodeji, Okotie made it clear that he was in full support of social distancing and other safety measures ordered by the government to contain the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic.

However, the Pastor rejects the extension of social distancing to churches because it compels the reordering of seating arrangements, and the determination of the size of congregational worship per service for fears of the spread of the deadly virus.

the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammadu Ribadu and the Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa granted him added advantage by today’s standards.

But to the surprise of even the Igbos, and opposition from some senior NPC members, Minister Ribadu recommended Ironsi, pointing to his seniority. The

Prime Minister concurred and Aguiyi Ironsi was confirmed as the first indigenous GOC of the Nigerian Army.”

Assessing the appointments made by the president in the last five years of his administration, Umar said: “Mr. President, I regret that there are no kind or gentle words to tell you that your skewed

appointments into the offices of the federal government, favouring some and frustrating others, shall bring ruin and destruction to this nation.

“At this time and in the light of all that have happened since you took office, any conversation with you Mr. President cannot gloss over the chaos that has

overtaken appointments into government offices in your administration…Nigeria has become dangerously polarised and risks sliding into crisis on account of your administration’s lopsided appointments, which continues to give undue preference to some sections of the country over others.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY...

L-R: Chairman, Delta State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Austine Obidi; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Chiedu Ebie; General Manager, Neconde Energy Limited, Mr. Chris Ucheobi; and Chief Operating Officer, Neconde Energy Limited, Mr. Boma Brown, during the company’s donation of medical equipment to the state...weekend

Activist Alleges Unconstitutional Act in C’River CJ Appointment Peter Uzoho As the short tenure of the Acting Chief Judge of Cross River State, Justice Maurice Eneji, elapses in a few days’ time, the Founder and Executive Director of Project Alert on Violence Against Women, Ms Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, has alleged a plot by the state House of Assembly and the executive to replace him with someone else other than Justice Akon Ikpeme.

The state Governor, Prof. Ben

Alade, acting with the state lawmakers had controversially appointed and confirmed Eneji, who was junior to Ikpeme by judicial ranking as the acting chief judge of the state in outright defiance to the National Judicial Council (NJC), which had screened Ikpeme for the position.

The Cross River State House of Assembly had argued that they could not confirm Ikpeme for the position because she was from Akwa Ibom State and that

allowing her hold the position of the state’s chief judge would pose “security threat” to the state.

However, Effah-Chukwuma in a statement issued yesterday alleged that another “shenanigans” was about to happen in the state in the Cross River Chief Judge appointment.

According to her, “In a few days, the three-month tenure of the controversial acting Chief Judge of Cross River State, Justice Maurice Eneji, comes

to an end. Stakeholders who condemned his appointment by Governor Ben Ayade anxiously await and fear a repeat of the shenanigans that led up to his appointment; shenanigans that threaten the principles of separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. Will the Cross River State legislature and judiciary effectively come under the control of the executive led by Governor Ben Ayade?

Decaying Body of Kidnapped ex-Edo Commissioner Recovered in Forest Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Nineteen days after he was abducted from his farm, the decomposing body of former Edo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Egbe Ediagbonya, has been recovered from a forest near his farm in Utese.

Ediagbonya, who was also former Chairman of Ovia North East Local Government Area, was

kidnapped in the early hours of May 16 in his Utese farm.

His abductors initially asked for N15 million ransom and directed the family to drop N2 million in Patani, a border town between Delta State and Bayelsa State even though he was abducted in the border area between Edo State and Ondo State.

Shortly after the family dropped the ransom, the abductors were said to have sent an SMS to the family

that their father’s body was in a cassava farm near Utese where he was kidnapped.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Edo State, DSP. Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the development, said the body was found “by some farmers in a forest sharing boundary with Ondo State at Utese village.

“The farmers who were uneasy and apprehensive about the horrible sight rushed to the

village to break the news. Thereafter moved to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Okada, and reported the development to the Divisional Police Officer of the station.

“At the scene, the remains of Edioagbonya was identified by his family and immediately his remains was professionally evacuated and taken to Igbinedion University Hospital Mortuary, Okada, for autopsy examination.

Travel Agents Can Earn Revenue despite COVID-19, Says Operator The Chief Executive Officer of Free On Board (FOB) Global Logistics Limited, Mr. Jimmy Adebakin, has disclosed that travel agents could earn revenues while they wait for passenger’s flights to resume globally.

Adebakin, in a statement he issued yesterday, said that collaboration with SABRE would help Nigerian travel agents to

earn higher commissions on every client they introduced to FOB that requires freight services for imported goods and non-oil commodities’ export from Nigeria.

“Travel agents will earn higher revenues and commissions as compared to revenues and commissions on hotel room sales, provision of airport protocol services (meet and greet services or selling

airport business lounge services) because an average Nigerian businessman or woman travels internationally about three or four times a year but the same person imports goods every week from different parts of the world to Nigeria either by sea freight or airfreight.

“The collaboration between FOB, SABRE and travel agents means

earning uncapped commissions now and even after the COVID-19 pandemic. This opportunity has created sustainable new source of revenue to travel agents.

“I thought about it that we should introduce freight forwarding services to travel agents since cargo aircraft are still operating to Nigeria and Nigerian seaports are still working,” he said.

NGO Donates Face Masks, Soap to Children in Lagos As part of its contributions to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, a non-governmental organisation, Dare To Care (D2C) Foundation, has donated hundreds of face masks and soap to vulnerable children,

especially hawkers, on the streets of Lagos.

The organisation said it made the donation after observing that majority of children who hawk on the streets and in market places to support their

families during this COVID-19 pandemic were not wearing masks, which was made compulsory by the government of Lagos State.

The Executive Director of D2C Foundation, Ms. Olajumoke

Omolale, praised the efforts of the state government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We believe this could be very dangerous to them, their families, friends and neighbours,” Omolale said.

Ëœ ͸͚˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

39

MONDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Klopp: Okocha’s Goal against Kahn Most Spectacular in Germany’s Club Football Duro Ikhazuagbe Twenty-seven years after Austin Jay Jay Okocha’s wonder goal against legendary goalkeeper, Oliver Khan, in a Bundesliga match in 1993, Liverpool’s Manager, Jurgen Klopp has insisted that that goal remains spectacular in Germany’s club football history.

The then wide-eyed Okocha came into that game for Eintracht Frankfurt from the bench in the second half to change the game with his free flowing dribbles.

He dribbled all Karlsruher defenders and Kahn before slotting the ball into the net to set the entire stadium aglow as Frankfurt won 3-1.

That goal was voted the Goal of the Season 1992/93 by most football magazines and some television stations Reminiscing on it in 2016, Kahn joked in a tweet that he still ‘feels dizzy’ from the effects of Okocha’s dribbles.

In a book titledMade in Africa: The History of African Players in English Football,by Ed Aarons, due to be published today by Arena Sport, UK’s The Guardian in a review quoted Klopp as describing that goal as spectacular.

Hear Klopp: “He scored the most spectacular goal in the history of German football. It took like five minutes of Kahn and his defenders diving on the floor before he put the ball in the net!� stressed the Liverpool’s German gaffer while remembering that mesmerizing play from Okocha.

Klopp also eulogized other great Africans like Ghana’s

Anthony Yeboah who was Okocha’s teammate at Frankfurt.

He admitted that some of the world’s best players have been Africans, a decision. he said informed why they formed the core of his team at Anfield. “Some of the world’s best players have been from Africa.

George Weah. Didier Drogba.

Yaya TourĂŠ. In their generation they were some of the best players so why should we (Liverpool) not sign them?

Like several managers who love players from the continent due to their abundant talents, Klopp said the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) whose schedule was previously January/ February was always a nightmare for any European coaches having several African players in their starting line up at that crucial time of the season. “In the past because the Africa Cup of Nations was in the winter it was really a reason not to sign an African player because you would lose him for four weeks in the middle of the season. That was really something we had in our minds always,� revealed Klopp.

Few weeks after emerging winners of the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and had unbeaten runs for weeks, Klopp tasted his first defeat after his African Stars led by Mohamed Salah (Egypt) and Sadio Mane (Senegal) left him for AFCON in Egypt.

It was the first time the African football showpiece was moved from winter to summer. Now, the next edition scheduled to hold in Cameroon in 2021 in January may bring back the usual Club versus

Anthony Joshua Rules out Fight with Mike Tyson Nigerian born British heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, who currently holds three of the four world title belts, has said he has no interest in taking on Iron Mike Tyson.

Tyson has been the talk of boxing circle again with promises of a comeback.

When asked if he Joshua would step in the ring with the 53-year old Tyson, he told The Sun of UK: “With all due respect I wouldn’t. “Even if I fought Iron Mike and beat him, I think I’d be the only one cheering. People would boo. He is a legend. He is the greatest boxer of the modern era. “There are only two recognised champions the world knows of, Ali and Mike Tyson — the most recognised faces in the world when it comes to boxing.�

Joshua has made no secret

of his desire to fight another Tyson, WBC king Fury.

Deontay Wilder, who has the option of a third fight with Fury after the Brit’s win in February after their draw in 2018, is also a possibility for Joshua.

That is if Joshua overcomes mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev next.

He added: “Who would I prefer? It would be the current champ, Tyson Fury, every day of the week. It used to be Wilder and now it is Fury.�

He added: “And I don’t want to be in that position where I am talking down Tyson Fury. “He is a great person and he has done great things in boxing but until the day we fight that is where it ends and I don’t have anything else to say about him,� concludes Joshua.

Chelsea Linked with Summer Move for Ndidi Chelsea are said to have expressed an interest in signing Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, if they find themselves needing midfield reinforcements this summer.

While the centre of the pack is currently one of the Blues’ strongest positions, that could change as both Jorginho and N’Golo KantÊ have been linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge, and losing either would obviously leave Chelsea needing

a high-profile replacement.

Now, here’s where the fun starts. The English media, such as the Leicester Mercury, have picked up reports which supposedly stem from Mundo Deportivo and claim that Chelsea are one of several sides keen on landing Ndidi this summer.

The Nigerian is said to be valued at ÂŁ40million and could fill the void left by either Jorginho or KantĂŠ.

Country tussle for the services of key players. The Covid-19 pandemic will be a major factor in deciding wether the competition will even hold as scheduled by CAF. Klopp who spent most of his own playing career at Mainz in the German second division before

becoming one of the world’s best managers can claim to have played a special role in the story of African players in English football. “We are quite ‌ as a family. I’m ‌ my wife worked and lived in Africa,â€? he explained in the book review by UK’s The Guardian.

His wife,Ulla, who was a teacher in a German school In Kenya played a big part in shaping his views of Africans. “She was a teacher In a German school. Our elder son lived there for a couple of years so they are really interested in Africa. She

was a teacher. She helped me to understand some of the culture,� observed the coach who is waiting to be crowned with his wards as champions of the English Premier League for the first time in 30 years.

Okocha in Eintracht Frankfurt colours during the 1992/93 season

Lille Owner, Lopez, insists on ÂŁ72m for Osimhen to Switch Femi Solaja with agency report With almost certainty that Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen, is likely to switch to any of the elite clubs in Europe, Lille owner, Gerard Lopez, has insisted that nothing short of ÂŁ72million will make the French side to release their brightest star this season.

Osimhen, who lost his father recently, has received interests from Liverpool and other offers from Spain and Italy.

According to UK’s Dailymail

Victor Osimhen

and quoting the club owner, it said only fee in the same valuation of what Arsenal paid for Nicolas Pepe last summer to land him can sway their prized starlet from Lille.

Interestingly, the AFCON 2019 bronze medal winner with the Super Eagles of Nigeria last summer in Egypt was the direct replacement of Pepe.

The 21-year-old Osimhen, who is described by club staff as the ‘Rubix’s cube’ of the side because he is so difficult to figure out on the pitch, has been the best in the team this season scoring 18 goals in his debut campaign in Ligue 1 after joining from Belgian Pro League side, Sporting Charleroi.

It was gathered that teams like Tottenham and Arsenal are rivalling Liverpool just as the La Liga giants, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid had indicated interests in the Under-17 World Cup winner with the Golden Eaglet at Chile 2015.

Lopez said he has been inundated with offers for his prized asset but he will not be forced to cash in on a cut-price deal amid the coronavirus crisis. “There are multiple offers,’ he told Sportsmail. “We turned down

one English and one Spanish offer this January transfer window. “There is a wide array (this summer) and I wouldn’t want to give the names of the clubs who are bidding but what I can tell you is that there are multiple (offers). There are three championships that have clubs that have bid for him.�

THISDAY recalled that Osimhen joined the club on a five-year deal for a fee around ÂŁ10m last summer and the club are now looking at the possibility of making a huge profit 12 months on if he does leave for England, Spain or Italy. “I am not being a sales guy because last year people didn’t believe that we had the offers we had with (Nicolas) Pepe and it turns out we had multiple of them. “Let me tell you with Osimhen, it is the same thing, whatever number you heard, the high number I have read is very much on the money of the offers that we have received. That’s where we are,â€? he pinted out.

Pepe was the major exit last summer joining Unai Emery’s Arsenal for a club-record fee— a move the Spanish boss recently

revealed he was not behind and that opened the spot for Osimhen to spearhead the attack.

His ÂŁ72m sale to Arsenal was key in them raising ÂŁ128m from player sales last summer. In the last three years, the club have made ÂŁ219m from players, spending ÂŁ149m on incomings.

Lopez revealed it is not just Osimhen that has clubs jockeying to earn his signature right now.

The club’s production line, which has seen Eden Hazard, Yohan Cabaye, Franck Ribery and Divock Origi come through, is also demanding sizeable fees for players. “If we were to activate for every single player we have received an offer for, I am going through my mind right now, we would sell nine players out of the starting XI, a further six players that are usually non-starters and a further two players from the youth team,’ Lopez, who has spent the pandemic creating PPE kit StoBox, explained. “So, if I was to take offers from everyone else, I would be selling 17 players this summer. It would be absolutely nuts.�

Dare Tasks Rohr to Deliver on Extended Contract Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, has outlined Nigeria’s expectations from Super Eagles Head Coach Gernot Rohr following the extension of his contract with Nigeria for another two and a half years.

The minister while speaking in an interview at the weekend said he was not averse to the contract extension but insisted that Nigerians must get results if the German coach must stay on. “The Nigeria Football

Federation (NFF) is statutorily in charge of the growth and development of football in Nigeria. Of course, under the supervision of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Even before I became Minister, there are processes and procedures that are followed when it comes to bringing on a new national coach or renewing the contract of a coach who is already in the house and I think it was important for us to follow the processes and procedures in place.

“For Rohr, because he had been signed on earlier, he deserved to be given the right of first refusal, that was what the NFF did and that was what I also allowed to happen. It is best practices, it is global practice but the NFF also had a review of his performance in the last three years and based on that review, his new contract had new conditions that never existed before. “Some of the conditions bother on mode of payment,

while some are technical issues regarding the development of our football and that to me, is fundamental.�

Mr. Dare added that it would not be business as usual, insisting that the coach would be held to a higher depth of responsibility, a greater depth of technicality and a greater level of success where he could have his contract reviewed if he falls short of the direction outlined in the terms of his contract.

Monday June 1, 2020

TR

UT H

& RE A SO

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Umar to Buhari “Nigeria has become dangerously polarised and risks sliding into crisis on account of your administration’s lopsided appointments, which continues to give undue preference to some sections of the country over others” – Former military Governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Dangiwa Umar (rtd) accusing President Buhari of making skewed appointments to favour the North.

IJEOMANWOGWUGWU BEHIND THE FIGURES

ijeoma.nwogwugwu@thisdaylive.com

Covid-19: Reviewing the Protocol on Banking, Et Al

I

chuckled when I read Olusegun Adeniyi’s short piece last Thursday titled “Banking with Coronavirus”.

He was obviously frustrated with his bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) Plc, which like all banks in the country had refused to reopen all their branches in Lagos and Abuja after the partial lifting of the lockdown, effectively leading to congestion at the few branches that they had deigned to open and accelerating the spread of Covid-19. I called him after reading the article and started by teasing him, just as I had Dr Reuben Abati during the lockdown a month earlier. “Segs my dearest (we are big on terms of endearments in our work place), don’t tell me that you and Reuben belong to the same league of educated Nigerians that refuse to use digital platforms for their banking transactions just because you are concerned that they will force you to spend more at the click of a button on your phone or computer,” I said.

But jokes aside, I told him that I was just as disappointed with Nigerian banks since the restriction on movement was lifted and the partial reopening of offices was allowed in the last few weeks in Lagos and Ogun States and Abuja. I was of the view that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and all commercial banks should have revisited the protocol on banking services within days after restrictions were lifted, by reopening all branches. Of course, this should have been complemented with physical distancing measures, provision of hand sanitizers at their entrances, carrying out temperature checks, and regular disinfection of their premises.

In my view, it was the least they could do to curtail the spread of Covid-19. Instead, the CBN and banks have doubled down on keeping a limited number of branches open, mindless of the community spread of Covid-19 which every right thinking Nigerian knows has by far exceeded the official number of cases that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports daily.

I must confess that before Segun’s article, I had communicated my concern to corporate affairs officials at GTBank and United Bank for Africa Plc and tried to convince them to plead with their management to reopen all their branches, hoping that this would force other banks to follow suit. But they all rebuffed the notion on the pretext that they needed to protect their staff and branches from getting infected. I found their excuses ridiculously implausible because by exposing bank customers to Covid-19 community spread through their congested banking halls, they were not keeping the larger community safe, including their personnel.

It took me a few days after those phone calls to figure out that the banks were playing games, notwithstanding the health crisis that they were helping to exacerbate. It occurred to me that the banks were using the cover of Covid-19 to cut costs and reduce their losses by keeping commercially unviable branches shut during this period. With this as a strategy, they will be able to increase profitability without a care in the world of the consequence of their irresponsible action. This is unacceptable and should not

Mustapha be sanctioned by the CBN or the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19.

First and foremost, no bank in the country is allowed to close down any of its branches without an impact assessment and the approval of the CBN. The central bank should have by now seen the result of the banks’ actions and inactions and met with their CEOs to review the protocol on branch reopening. As Segun pointed out, several countries that implemented lockdown measures due to Covid-19, included banking in the category of essential services that would not be impeded. In more advanced countries, banking drive-in services were available to customers that needed to carry out transactions. In less developed countries, banks continued to provide services as long as they implemented physical distancing for their staff and customers, as well as other measures to keep their premises Covid-free.

If the CBN had already directed the banks not to lay off their personnel as a cost cutting measure during the pandemic, then it might as well permit them to reopen all their branches to the banking public in order to save lives. But in reality, there is a grand deception being played out by banks, with the central bank looking the other way. The reason being, bank personnel (including contract staff) that the CBN had specifically directed should not be sacked, have effectively been furloughed and/or laid off quietly by the banks through the closure of their branches. Although this may not be out in the open, but in a few weeks from now, several workers will wake up to discover that they have been quietly taken off bank payrolls and are without jobs.

To be fair, while I understand the need for banks to adopt cost cutting measures to shore up their dwindling margins resulting from the pandemic, rising non-performing loans led by the oil sector, and a contracting economy, the CBN governor Mr Godwin Emefiele must reconsider his stance on maintaining the cash reserve ratio (CRR) at 27.5 per cent. Last week’s surprise reduction of the monetary policy rate by 100 basis points to 12.5 per cent by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will

have little or no impact because of the policy rate’s limited transmission on a broader economy. However, by reducing the CRR and releasing the sterilized funds held by the central bank, Emefiele will provide the banks with liquidity that will help to dampen their cost of operations and at the same time provide them with more cash for onward lending to cash-strapped sectors.

At 27.5 per cent, amounting to approximately N9.3 trillion, the CRR accounts for a third of money supply in circulation. But since the cash is sterilized, it leaves the banks with only 72.5 per cent of their liquidity for lending and running their operations. With less cash to boost revenues and offset high operating costs, I find it difficult to understand how financial system stability can be maintained. Moreover, sterilization as a means of keeping inflation under check and curbing foreign exchange demand has proved to be unsuccessful in the past five years. Rather, concerns over inflationary pressure can be addressed by using FX to manage liquidity, as it is a more potent tool for inflation management.

Surely, Emefiele must know that by selling dollars to bank customers in dire need of FX to import raw materials and plant and machinery, among other goods and services, he can mop up excess naira in circulation and keep a lid on inflation.

As it stands, the $3.4 billion rapid financing instrument approved last month by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to assist Nigeria partially plug its fiscal deficit, has helped to shore up FX reserves but only for a limited period. So the responsibility lies with Emefiele to reposition Nigerian banks to become more responsive to financial intermediation so as to shield the economy from a sharp contraction.

Beyond keeping their brick and mortar branches open, banks should continue to innovate to find ways to serve their customers through digital and mobile money platforms, as this ultimately will play a huge role in reducing cost. A study presented by Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) via Webinar on May 15, showed that financial services in Kenya and South Africa remained resilient during their lockdowns because of the strong digital payment systems in place in both countries.

In Nigeria, on the other hand, the country experienced the highest disruption in financial distribution during the lockdown.

In another paper presented by Ashley Immanuel, head of programmes at EFInA, she observed that over the past decade, Nigeria had fallen behind several other African countries in terms of financial inclusion because mobile money had taken off in those markets but remained low in Nigeria (only 3% of Nigerian adults used mobile money in 2018). EFInA’s research, she added, indicated that the newly established category of Payment Service Banks has the potential to drive financial inclusion, including in underserved areas. According to her, “Accelerating the deployment of Payment Service Banks may be one of the most efficient ways to expand financial access following the COVID-19 pandemic and set the ‘digital rails’ that Nigerians

can use to access other services that will improve their lives, such as pay-as-you-go solar solutions.”

She cautioned that in the longer-term, Nigeria runs the risk of its citizens becoming financially excluded as a result of this health crisis, at the exact moment when they as individuals and the overall economy would need their participation the most. “Global evidence suggests that access to financial services can help households weather financial shocks and can contribute to economic growth. Yet the EFInA Access to Financial Services in Nigeria Surveys found that financial inclusion dipped following the last recession. Companies that can innovate and extend low-cost, digitally enabled services to the Nigerian mass market will have an enviable customer base when the economy recovers. Building this business case will require support from regulators, including evaluating regulations on fees and pricing to help financial service providers reach low-income customers profitably,” she stated.

In the meantime, as banks and telecommunication firms put on their thinking caps on how to come up with ways to provide services to their customers digitally or through mobile banking and at the same time grow financial inclusion, the PTF on Covid-19 must step in by meeting with the CBN and the banks. The meeting will enable all parties to review the public protocols on movement and opening hours for banks nationwide. In order to decongest bank branches, it will make sense to allow banks to open for longer hours, say from 8am to 4pm. The PTF would also have to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to lift the 8pm to 6am curfew as there is no correlation between the spread of Covid-19 and night movement. What should be of paramount concern is the observance of physical distancing in public transportation and places, personal hygiene, and ensuring people wear masks in public.

By imposing a curfew on a congested city like Lagos, we are more likely to experience non-observance of physical distancing at bus parks and in buses when people are compelled to rush to their homes before 8pm, which may account for the spike in Covid-19 cases in Lagos. However, if people are free to head home at their convenience, they are more likely to observe physical distancing. The same could be said for some states where food markets are only allowed to open for a few days a week and for shorter hours. Limiting the days and times when markets can open equally defeats the purpose of physical distancing, as more people are likely to converge on markets in unmanageable numbers on the few days that they are open.

Essentially, the PTF on Covid-19 led by Mr Boss Mustapha, who doubles as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), needs to be proactive about tinkering and reviewing the rules for Nigerians to follow during the pandemic. So far, they appear to be more fixated on procurement and contract awards behind closed doors than devising simple and cheaper strategies that can keep Nigerians safe and healthy.

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com