FRIDAY 10TH JUNE 2022

FG: We’ve Traced Owo Killings to ISWAP Afenifere urges Buhari to fish out perpetrators

Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Fidelis David in Akure The federal government, yesterday, gave an update on last Sunday's killing of 40 worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State,

saying the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) masterminded the dastardly attack.

Unfortunately, gunmen, again struck in Sabo area of Ondo town, in Ondo West Local Government Area of the state and have killed

six men.

But a Pan-Yoruba Socio-Cultural Group, Afenifere, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to fish out perpetrators of last Sunday's terror attack at St. Francis Catholic Church.

Briefing newsmen on Thursday at the end of the National Security Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said security agencies had been directed

to go after the perpetrators of the act and bring them to justice.

According to him, the motive of the terror group was believed to be pitting Nigerians against each other and making it appear as ethno-religious war.

While noting that the ISWAP's imprints had been determined in the attack, he said arrests were yet to be made, and that, there was no ethnic agenda, urging Nigerians to Continued on page 5

CVR: Igbos Allege Marginalisation, Claim Hoodlums Invaded, Injured Registrants in Lagos...page 57 Friday 10 June, 2022 Vol 27. No 9922. Price: N250

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Despite Waning Investments, Oil Financing Boosts Nigeria’s FDI to $7bn... Page 55

2023: INEC Rolls Out Conditions for Submissions of Presidential, Governorship Candidates Expects 1500 nominated candidates from each political party Pledges to be sure all eligible Nigerians are registered voters Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti With the presidential nomination conventions by political parties

concluded, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, rolled out conditions for the submissions of presidential, governorship, National

and State Assemblies’ candidates to the commission.

The commission, which said it was expecting 1,500 candidates to be nominated by each political party

for the 2023 general election, also pledged that all eligible Nigerians must be registered as prospective voters ahead of the elections.

1500 multiplied by 18 political

parties gives you 27,000 candidates expected to be presented to INEC by all the parties.

This is as the federal government, has promised to secure voters

during the governorship election in Ekiti State June, even as the Inspector General of Police, Usman Continued on page 5

Buhari: Tinubu Has Track Record to Lead Our Party to Victory in 2023 Hosts candidate Says presidential primary most competitive, peaceful in nation’s history Buhari a dependable leader, says Tinubu Adamu, NWC members pledge to work hard to deliver candidate Northern APC governors visit standard-bearer, as search for running mate begins Osinbajo, Jonathan congratulate ex-Lagos governor Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja In his first public statement on the presidential primary of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, declared that the winner, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had the skills and track record to lead the ruling party to victory at the polls next year. Buhari stated this in a letter to the returning officer of the APC presidential primary convention and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, commending the success of the exercise.

The president, who later hosted Tinubu, said the APC presidential primary was one of the most Continued on page 5

THANK YOU VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT...

L-R: MD/CEO Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu; APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; President Muhammadu Buhari and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during a thank you visit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja...yesterday SUNDAY AGHAEZE

Court Discharges, Acquits Wife of Former PPMC MD, Five Others of Alleged Money Laundering Charges... Page 54

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United States Condoles Akeredolu over Ondo Catholic Church Attack NHRC condemns spate of killing across Nigeria

Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Fidelis David in Akure The United States of America (USA) has condoled the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over last Sunday's terror attack at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.

A total of 40 persons out of the 127 involved in the attack were killed, leaving 61 survivors currently on admission in different hospitals and 26 already discharged.

In a letter to governor

Akeredolu, dated June 7, 2022 and signed by the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, the USA extended its heartfelt condolences to the people of the state and Owo community.

The USA condemned the attack in strongest terms, while expressing its concern over the growing pattern of violence that afflicts communities across Nigeria.

The letter, quoted by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Richard Olatunde read: "On behalf of the United States and the staff of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, I

would like to extend my deepest condolences to you, Ondo State, and the Owo community for the horrific event and lives lost at the St. Francis Catholic Church on Sunday, June 5.

“This tragedy saddens us deeply and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families during this difficult time. The United States condemns this attack in the strongest terms, and we are concerned with the growing pattern of violence that afflicts communities across Nigeria.

“We remain steadfast in our efforts to support Nigeria in enhancing civilian security throughout the country. Once again, please accept our deepest condolences," the letter added.

Meanwhile, the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned in its entirety the spate of killings and total disregard to the sanctity of human lives being perpetrated by various criminals within the country.

A statement yesterday by the

Commission noted that Sections 33 and 34 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended talks about the protection of lives and dignity of citizens of Nigeria subject only to the exceptions therein stated.

The Governing Council of the Commission however lamented that heinous crimes and killings were being perpetrated with impunity as exemplified in the recent Kaduna train attack; the attack at St. Xavier Francis Catholic Church, Owo; the killing of a young man Ahmed

Usman at the Lugbe axis of the Federal Capital Territory for alleged blasphemy; the stoning to death of Deborah, a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto also on grounds of alleged blasphemy; the killing of a pregnant woman Fatima (Harira) and her four children, and various others across the country.

The Council condoled with the families who had lost their loved ones in the attacks and pray that God Almighty would grant them the fortitude to bear these irreparable losses.

2023: INEC ROLLS OUT CONDITIONS FOR SUBMISSIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL, GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES Alkali Baba, has hinted that the police would deploy 17,374 of their men for the election.

However, the conditions for submission of candidates were rolled out by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja.

Rolling out the conditions, the INEC boss, said, "For emphasis, the Commission wishes to remind Political Parties that only the names of candidates that emerged from democratic primaries as provided by Sec. 84 of the Electoral Act 2022 shall be submitted to the Commission.

"Similarly, the list of all Presidential and Governorship candidates must be accompanied by the names of their running mates (i.e. Vice Presidential and Deputy Governorship candidates) without which the nomination is invalid.

"All nominations must be uploaded to the portal on/or before the deadlines. The portal will automatically shut down at 6.00pm (1800hrs) on Friday 17th June 2022 for national elections and 6.00pm (1800hrs) on Friday 15th July 2022 for State elections.

"With this innovation, the Commission has eliminated the physical interface between party officials and INEC staff for the purpose of submitting the list of candidates for the 2023 general election," he stated.

The INEC chair further stressed that a Nomination Centre, has been set up at the Commission’s Headquarters to receive and process all nominations by political parties, including dedicated telephone lines to serve as Help Desk for any party that may need assistance.

Accordingly, Yakubu said, "In our avowed commitment to openness and transparency of the process, the media will be invited to the Nomination Center so that Nigerians will see our level of preparedness for the exercise."

He urged all political parties to upload the details of their candidates for each constituency to the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP).

"To achieve this objective, four officials recommended by each of the 18 political parties were trained on the procedure for uploading the

nomination forms to the dedicated web portal. Confidential Access Codes to the portal have already been given to each political party to facilitate the uploading of its nominations," he said.

In view of this, Yakubu said, "Turning to the nomination of candidates by political parties for the 2023 general election, all primaries end today Thursday 9th June 2022. For the next one week from tomorrow 10th June 2022, all political parties are required to submit their list of candidates for national elections (Presidential/ Vice Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives) latest

by Friday 17th June 2022.

“For state elections (Governorship/Deputy Governorship and State Houses of Assembly), the list of candidates shall be uploaded from 1st to 15th July 2022 as already provided in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election already released by the Commission," he stressed.

Also, when he led journalists to the nomination centre located within INEC headquarters, he disclosed that INEC expected each political parties to nominate 1,500 candidates for 2023 general election within the window made available for the exercise.

By implication, the commission is expecting 27000 candidates from the 18 political parties for next year’s

general election.

He clarified that the centre was basically for INEC staff to process the nominations submitted by political parties, and not for the use of political parties as they could upload their nominations from anywhere.

He advised political parties not to wait till the last day before commencing their uploading of their nominations into the commission’s dedicated portal as deadline remained sacrosanct.

“My advice to political parties is that since they have concluded their primaries, they should start uploading from tomorrow, Friday, June 10. Let them not wait until the last day which is June 17, because if there are difficulties on the last day, they will not be able to upload after 6pm.

“So let them start uploading earlier so that when there are issues, they can be attended to before 6pm, but this centre is essentially for the commission. No more human interface,” he said.

Also, rising from a Security Council Meeting, Minister for Internal Affairs, Rauf Aregbesola, said adequate security arrangement had been made for the Ekiti State gubernatorial election taking place on June 18, 2022.

According to him, “Appropriate preparation is put in place for the elections coming up in Ekiti, this month, and Osun, next month,

principally by Nigeria Police and supported by other security agencies, and to some extent, the military. That's the long and short of it.

“The president wants us to assure Nigerians that his administration is committed to providing adequate security and ensuring the maintenance of law and order, so that Nigerians will be able to go about their businesses, particularly, farmers, who will want to go to their farms without any fear of attack or molestation."

On his part, Inspector-General of Police, Baba, while commenting on the level of preparedness for the upcoming Ekiti and Osun state elections, said “for the police, just like the Minister said, other security agents followed, but as for the police, we are deploying 17,374 policemen.”

Answering question on the recent kidnap and release of the Prelate of Methodist Church, His Eminence Samuel Kanu-Uche, the IG said no arrest had been made, but said the matter was still being investigated.

“For the issue of the kidnapping of the Methodist Church Prelate, no arrest has been made in terms of suspects, but we are still on it, arrest doesn't have to come immediately.

The case is still under investigation.

The case is open and we are still looking for the suspects.

“We have leads, we have some

issues that we are still following through how the ransom was collected and how the negotiations were done. We have information to that effect and we're looking at getting into the real aspect of getting the suspects arrested."

He, however, appealed to the public to disregard reports that a helicopter attack recently claimed some casualties in Kaduna, saying it was fake news.

His words: “As for the issue of helicopter attack, the allegations are there, the assertions are there. We have not been able to say there is any helicopter attack on innocent citizens, like you have suggested. But most of the times, these assertions are made and up till now, we've not been able to see or we've not been able to identify any helicopter that is flying and killing people unnecessarily.

“But there are instances where our own helicopters, security forces helicopters, are flying, but we don't have that allegation of innocent people being killed, except where in some instances in the past, where the military helicopters had, maybe in one way or the other, missed target or misdirected target and so forth.

“But that issue has not been an issue of discussion in the security meeting. We are still looking into the allegation and we are still looking into the assertions. If there are any leads to follow, we'll do that.”

directed to mobilise, identify and preempt all those involved in the blasphemy attacks in two areas of the country, namely Sokoto and Abuja, of recent. The assurance is that we are committed to maintaining law and order and providing adequate security for Nigerian citizens."

Meanwhile, THISDAY has learnt that the attack on the Sabo area of Ondo town, in Ondo West Local Government Area of the state, happened in the wee hours of Wednesday.

THISDAY also learnt that the victims had been buried since Wednesday while one of the victims, who survived the attack was still receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the state.

Eyewitness said the gunmen stormed the area on motorbikes around 12:30am and opened fire on innocent roadside petty traders.

He said, “They came to our area (Sabo) on motorbikes and each was carrying three gunmen. All of a sudden, they started shooting people, who were mostly Suya and tea vendors. A J5 bus driver, who was on transit and stopped to eat was the first victim. They killed a guardsman and another shopkeeper, who was trying to lock up his shop and run away from the assailants.

“They again gunned down two young men, who were eating noodles at a Mai Shayi store. That makes five victims in Sabo alone. Again, they struck another area called Iba,

A non-governmental organisation and election observer specialist, Yiaga Africa, has warned the three prominent parties contesting the June 18 governorship poll in Ekiti State to shun vote buying and allow the will of the electorate to prevail.

Yiaga also appealed to Ekiti State's electorate to troop out en masse to display their civic responsibilities and vote for candidates of their choice in the June 18 governorship poll.

The body tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to correct the perceived lopsidedness in the spread of votes across units, fearing that this could trigger apathy in the impending electoral battle, when voters are finding it difficult to vote or queue for long.

Yiaga said this in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, at a press conference organised to sensitise the populace on the need to resist apathy and vote buying in the election, among other issues.

The Director of Programme, Yiaga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, who addressed the pressmen, said the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party, were the three suspected political parties with tendencies to allegedly induce the voters out of the 16 parties in the race.

FG: WE’VE TRACED OWO KILLINGS TO ISWAP unite and defeat the terrorists.

His words: “The National Security Council, has just risen from its meeting today, which reviewed, very critically, all aspects of security situation in the country and came up with conclusions, commending the efforts of the military and other security agencies in mitigating the insurgency, particularly, in the Northeast, where the fundamentalists there have been weakened, degraded and equally in the Northwest, where the bandits are equally weakened, and the Northcentral, where we’re engaged with pockets of bandits.

“The council is quite concerned about the violent attack in Owo, Ondo State, and has been able to locate the perpetrators of that horrendous

attack. From all indications, we are zeroing in on ISWAP, the Islamic State for West Africa.

“It is not an ethnoreligious thing, the animals in ISWAP wanting attention, recognition, are suspected to have launched that attack. We have directed all the agencies concerned to go after them and bring them to justice”.

Aregbesola said the Council was also concerned about killings in the name of blasphemy and has directed the security agencies to go after perpetrators of two incidents that occurred in Sokoto State and Abuja recently.

"We are equally concerned about the spate of attacks in the name of blasphemy. The police have been

about 8.30pm.

The former Lagos State governor, who emerged victorious at the APC presidential primary in Abuja on Wednesday, was accompanied on the appreciative visit to Buhari by the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Oando Oil Plc, Wale Tinubu.

Tinubu was at the villa to thank the president for his support and successful hosting of the APC presidential primary. He vowed to sustain Buhari’s legacies if elected president.

Commending Buhari for helping to ensure a level playing field for contestants at the primary election, Tinubu said, “He promised the whole country and the world that he will build a legacy of transparency and consistency. Legacy of a level playing ground for all the aspirants. He will

where they also shot dead another man,’’ he added.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the development but said it was an armed robbery case, not a reprisal attack, stressing that the victims involved in the failed robbery were from Yoruba, Igbo and Northern extraction.

"The Command wishes to state clearly that there was no reprisal attack on the Hausa Community at Sabo area in Ondo town or any part of the state as purported by war mongers.

"On Tuesday, 7th of June, 2022, there was an attempted robbery on a J5 vehicle with plate no MKA - 469 YJ carrying Onions and Potatoes coming from Zaria enroute Ore, had a stop over at Ondo town and was attacked by men of the underworld around 0110hrs .

“In the cause of this attempt, the robbers shot the driver, while the motorboy escaped with bullet injury, a motorcyclist alongside the pillion and a passerby were also hit by stray bullets," noting that investigation had since commenced and effort was ongoing to arrest the assailants.

"The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, Oyeyemi Oyediran, urged the people of the state to remain calm and disregard the fake news, as the rumour mongers are out to stir unnecessary chaos and disrupt the peace of the state. This is also to warn the peddlers of this fake news to desist as the Command will not fold its arms and let them shatter the peace being enjoyed in the state," the PPRO added.

It was against these developments that Afenifere, yesterday, paid a condolence visit to Ondo State

Continued on page 58

Continued on page 55

BUHARI: TINUBU HAS TRACK RECORD TO LEAD OUR PARTY TO VICTORY IN 2023 competitive and peaceful in the history of Nigeria’s democracy.

Buhari’s comments as came the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and members of the party’s National Working Committee (APC) visited Tinubu and pledged to work together to deliver him in the 2023 presidential poll.

APC governors from the northern geopolitical zones also paid a congratulatory visit to Tinubu, in an apparent signal of the start of intense search for a running mate that would help the party win next year’s election.

The forum of former Deputy Governors of Nigeria, who were members of APC, said they trusted the leadership of the party and Tinubu to decide on the best running mate that would serve the interest of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, joined

Group Warns APC, PDP, SDP against Vote Buying

other prominent personalities from around the world to congratulate Tinubu on his victory at the just concluded presidential primary of APC. Buhari, in the letter he personally signed and addressed to Bagudu, who is also the chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), commended the role the Kebbi State governor played in the success of the primary election that produced Tinubu.

He asked members of the party to close ranks and work conscientiously for the success of the APC presidential candidate in the February 2023 poll, saying he looks forward to working closely with all the 22 APC governors to ensure Tinubu’s victory.

The president stated that the party's standard-bearer had the capacity, commitment, and particularly enviable track record of leading APC to electoral victory. He said the APC project was far from over "and we need all of you to come together to

ensure our progressive journey to peace and prosperity is sustained."

The letter read, “I was pleased to see how you were very professional and efficient in handling the sensitive political position of Chairman Progressives Governors Forum.

“Your commitment in pursuit of equity and fairness speaks volumes in the cooperation displayed by APC governors. This, indeed, demonstrates the camaraderie that brought us together over eight years ago.

“The party primaries were peacefully conducted and the delegates have selected the candidate to carry the APC flag in the 2023 presidential election.

“Today, as a patriotic APC member and stakeholder, I trust that you will come together to work with our candidate to win the 2023 elections.

“In the past seven years in government, we have achieved a lot. However, we have a lot more to do. The APC project is far from

over and we need all of you to come together to ensure our progressive journey to peace and prosperity is sustained.

“Our candidate, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is no stranger to you. He is our friend and brother. We know his commitment, his track record, and his capacity to lead our party to success. So, now is the time for all of us to come together and march forward, as we did in 2015, to a convincing APC victory.

“I look forward to working closely with APC governors to support Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all our APC candidates to success in 2023.

“While I wish our great party success in the 2023 elections, please, accept the assurances of my consideration and personal regards.”

Buhari played host to Tinubu, Thursday night, at the State House, Abuja. He received the presidential candidate at his official residence

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NEWS

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

INSECURITY ON THEIR MINDS...

L-R: Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Samuel Adebayo; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, during the National Security Council Meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the SUNDAY AGHAEZE Council Chamber, State House, Abuja…yesterday

Rising Fertiliser Costs May Prolong Global Food Tensions, Says FAO Food imports to hit $1.8trn in 2022 Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja Spiraling costs of farm input like fertiliser could deter growers from expanding production and worsen food security in poorer countries facing record import bills, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation

(FAO) has said.

In its latest Food Outlook, the UN agency pointed out that Nigeria, other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and other nations that buy more food than they export were likely to face an increase in costs, for which they would get lower amounts

of essential foodstuffs.

Fertiliser prices have been rising in the last six months, with Nigerian farmers lamenting.

The commodity which was sold between N11,000 and N16,000 in January this year, now costs between N24,000 and N30,000, depending on type and

Another Interim Administrator for NDDC Will Spell Doom, Group Warns Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Nigerians based in North Carolina, United States of America have said the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was provoking rising discontent in the six states in the region.

They warned that any attempt to appoint another interim administrator would truncate the fragile peace in the region.

Other militant groups and ex-militant leaders in the region had been clamouring for the constitution of a substantive Board of the NDDC since the beginning of the Buhari’s administration. The group under the aegis of the Niger Delta Patriotic Alliance (NDPA), North America Chapter, Washington DC, USA, in an open letter to Buhari warned that despite the existing peace in the Niger Delta region, the seven years refusal to set up a substantive board for the NDDC and attempt to appoint another interim administrator may provoke a violent reaction from the people of the region.

In the letter signed by its Secretary General, Mr. Keneth Friday, warned against the alleged plot to sack the Interim Administrator, Mr. Effiong Akwa and replace him with another.

The group declared that facts available showed that the alleged

planned sack of Effiong Akwa, for another interim administrator would provoke a new form of agitation and restiveness among the youths and stakeholders across the region.

In the statement made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, the group added: “What the region needs, according to studies and research, is the appointment of a substantive Board for the NDDC. "They don’t want you to sack the incumbent interim administrator for another. If the interim administrator is to be sacked, he must be replaced with a substantive board for the commission.

“Mr. President, the People of the Niger Delta region are calling on you to distance yourself from any appointment of a New NDDC Interim Administrator.

"You must have observed that for almost seven years of the life of your administration, you have not constituted a substantive NDDC Board for the commission despite the decision of the key stakeholders to keep the peace in the region.”

The group added: “The people in the Niger Delta region are not happy with your administration’s decision to toy with a commission that contributes to contentious issues of development, empowerment and other economic activities in the region.

“While we are urging that you

retain the Interim Administrator, Mr. Effiong Akwa until a substantive board is appointed, we want to point out that the appointment of a substantive NDDC Board will provide a wider and legal representation across the Niger Delta region that will expedite economic growth and development.

"Instead of acceding to the provocative plan of anti-APC politicians for the sack of Effiong Akwa and replace him with another interim administrator, it is better for Mr. President to salvage the falling rating of his administration and that of his party by appointing a substantive board to complete the announced sanitisation of the commission.”

location.

A recent report by a management consulting firm, Boston Consulting Group, had revealed that Nigeria and 44 countries suffered the direct and indirect impact of Russia-Ukraine war-induced food crisis.

The Boston report listed heavy reliance on food imports, high import bills, high inflation, high debt burden, climate risk and civil unrest as additional factors worsening the food crisis.

However, the latest FAO report revealed that the everhigher fixed costs for farmers of so-called “agricultural input” such as fertiliser and fuel were likely to be responsible for this year’s bigger-than-ever global food import bill.

It stated that the world's most vulnerable now pay even more for less food, adding that countries were expected to spend a staggering $1.8 trillion importing food they need this year.

"This would be a new world record but worryingly, it’s going to buy them less food, not more," the FAO report added.

The agency explained that all but $2 billion of the additional $51 billion that was going to be spent worldwide on edible imports this year was due to higher prices.

The multilateral organisation explained that in view of the soaring input prices, concerns about the weather and increased market uncertainties stemming from the war in Ukraine, its latest forecasts pointed to a likely tightening of food markets and food import bills reaching a new record high.

It stressed that an index of input costs for farmers was running at a record high and had climbed more steeply than food prices in the past year, suggesting low prices in real terms for many farmers.

"The findings do not augur well for a market-led supply response that could conceivably rein in further increases in food prices for the 2022/23 season and possibly the next," FAO said.

Mounting input costs linked to high energy prices and supply disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have coincided with record food prices this year as measured by FAO's global food commodity index.

The FAO noted that many developing countries were expected to reduce volumes of imported food in response to rising prices, even as it projected that least-developed countries would cut volumes so sharply as to lower their overall import bill.

"These are alarming signs

from a food security perspective, indicating that importers will find it difficult to finance rising international costs, potentially heralding an end of their resilience to higher prices," it said.

The FAO stated that developing countries, as a whole, are reducing imports of cereals, oilseeds and meat, which reflects their incapacity to cover the increase in prices, it pointed out.

Among the most vulnerable nations, the FAO estimated that least developed countries would have little option but to spend five per cent less importing food this year.

Sub-Saharan African States and other nations that buy more food than they export are likely to face an increase in costs for which they would get lower amounts of essential foodstuffs.

“These are alarming signs from a food security perspective,” said the FAO, which also warned that, “importers will find it difficult to finance rising international costs,” and that these could, potentially, break them.

To help avert even greater food insecurity among lowincome nations and to guarantee food imports, the UN agency recommended the creation of a balance-of-payment support mechanism.

NCC Commences Bridging of Digital Divide Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday commenced the bridging of existing digital divide expected to transform the country from social exclusion to an all-inclusive one that would guarantee communication services for all.

Owing to this, the NCC convened an awareness and engagement programme for persons with disabilities in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The programme afforded the commission opportunity to evolve policies

and regulatory guidelines that would address concerns of the physically challenged regarding ICT accessibility.

In a welcome address at the awareness and engagement programme, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the commission had undertaken several initiatives geared towards assisting the people with disabilities in communications services provision.

Danbatta, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Zonal Operations

of the NCC, Mr. Isa Olatiwo said: "An industry consultative meeting on service provision with respect to the disability group which was held in July, 2008 in order to sensitise both operating companies and equipment manufacturers on the need to jointly address challenges faced by people with disabilities.

"To join the information-rich countries of the world, the government of Nigeria pursued a continuous programme and aggressive market liberslisation policy that has made Nigeria one

of the most liberalised telecom markets in the world."

The NCC executive vice chairman maintained that the full spectrum of ICT required everyone to have equal opportunities for participation in everyday socio-economic life in the digital economy which included ICT products such as mobile phones, computers, and ICT devices.

Danbatta concluded that the need for everyone to have access to ICT services was the basis for the inclusion of a forum for people living with disabilities.

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POLITICS

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

There is Only One Labour Party in Nigeria Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress clears the air on the existence of another faction of the Labour Party

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t has been brought to our attention that a so-called faction of the Labour Party recently conducted what we can describe as a “beer parlour” presidential primary and supposedly elected-a presidential candidate. Nothing can be more spurious, hilarious and ridiculous!

There is only one Labour Party in Nigeria. For the purpose of public education and clarity, we will take a recourse to history. The Labour Party is the creation and offspring of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The decision to give birth to the Labour Party was taken by the statutory organs of the NLC and affirmed by the decision of the National Executive Council of Congress at its meeting in Bauchi in 2003 when it approved the formation of the Party for Social Democracy (PSD).

It was at the inaugural convention of PSD in 2004 that NLC decided to change the name of PSD to the Labour Party and it has remained so since then.

The Labour Party has since then gone through both bright and blight times. Yet, the ownership of the Party by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress has never been in doubt. As a matter of fact, the original certificate of the registration of the Labour Party is domiciled in the national headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Also, a Federal High Court judgement by Justice G.O. Kolawole in March 2018 clearly establishes that Labour Party belongs to workers.

The point is that the Labour Party is what the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) say it is. The leadership of the NLC and TUC recognize the leadership of the Labour Party led by Barr. Julius Abure, a former trade union leader and workers are part of the leadership. The NLC and TUC are aware of only one presidential primary which was held in Asaba, Delta State on 30th May 2022 and produced HE Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and standard bearer.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (‘NEC) monitored the presidential primary that produced HE Peter Obi. INEC recognizes only the Labour Party leadership led by the Chairman, Barr. Julius Abure and the National Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Umaru Ibrahim. They are the only Labour Party officials whose details are provided on INEC website.

The leadership of the NLC and TUC gave our full support to the processes that produced HE Peter Obi as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. Nigerians especially workers, youths and women attended the presidential primary of the Labour Party in their thousands and were thoroughly satisfied with the outcome of the same.

We understand that with the current repositioning of the Labour Party as the party for workers, youths, students, women, traders, farmers, professionals, physically disabled persons, the unemployed and the downtrodden, the Labour Party has become the albatross of establishment political parties who have suddenly become jittery and are devising all forms of conspiracy theories and subterfuge to distract the Labour Party from ongoing mass mobilization efforts for sweeping electoral victory in the 2023 general elections. The recruitment of one Calistus Okafor, a mischievous petty

trader, to advance their evil plot of distraction is a new low and should be disregarded by the public.

This, therefore, serves as a public

disclaimer on Mr. Calistus Okafor.

We warn the general public to steer clear of Calistus Okafor and characters who might want to cash in on

the popularity of the Labour Party to hoodwink, extort and swindle unsuspecting members of the public.

We, hereby, direct Nigerian workers and all the structures of the NLC and TUC to completely disregard the impersonation by Calistus Okafor who has no locus standi to speak for Labour Party. Workers and millions of members of Labour Party who desire a new Nigeria should regard tantrums by characters like Calistus Okafor as a mere storm in a tea cup.

Truth is that the bull has already left the barn! Nigerian workers, youths, students, women, professionals, the disabled, and the unemployed have embraced the Labour Party as the political vehicle of the downtrodden, the political alternative and a voice for the re-start of a genuine journey of national development. There is no amount of political devilry that can stop us!

Forward ever!! Backward Never!!!

We encourage workers, youths, women, traders, farmers, professionals and all who seek the survival of Nigeria to continue to register for their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and to safeguard their PVCs. We will answer all those who have held Nigeria down with our PVCs in 2023.

As Emmanuel Crosses the Rubicon on Market Economy Umo Robinson, celebrates the achievements of the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration in Akwa Ibom State

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unday, May 29, 2022, and the attendant ritual of a broadcast by governments in the country to mark their anniversaries, offered yet another opportunity to advance and deepen the discourse on state-craft; and, possibly, adopt the ideas thrown up in the process for implementation.

In Akwa Ibom State, Governor Udom Emmanuel similarly gave a broadcast.

But the governor’s broadcast was more than a ritual in several respects. Enhanced by the mystique associated with the number “7”, Mr. Emmanuel’s 7th anniversary address to the people of the state was a rhapsody of arrival; a reenactment of the biblical “Uhuru” celebration song, beautifully crafted by the Patriarch David in Psalm 126:6: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

That phrase: “precious seed”, is a fitting metaphor for the new deal which the Udom administration cut with the people of the state on coming on board in 2015.

Many years ago in the former Cross River State, with the present Akwa Ibom State as its Mainland area, our own Kings, like King David of old, were carriers of the “precious seed” on behalf of the people.

With the sense of thrift expected of fathers, they went about sowing same and achieving results such as the Pamil Industry in Abak; Sunshine Battery and Biscuit Industry in Ikot Ekpene; the Quality Ceramics in Itu; Qua Steel in Eket and the Abestonic Limited in Oron, etc. In addition to the Civil Service, these companies afforded the people a variegated employment and business option, and a burgeoning market economy in tow.

Suddenly, however, there emerged a leadership culture where seeds were promptly eaten, rather than planted; where there was little or no sowing, but a continuous orgy of harvest from the magical farm of crude-petroleum - politics and the Civil Service; the only farm-gates and delivery points. One was therefore

either a civil servant or politician, while the rest of the people were hangers-on, holding chasuble for rewards ranging from occasional “empowerments” to charitable tips.

This was essentially the situation on ground when Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, an investment banker, appeared on the scene in 2015, crying out: “Hey guys, you don’t eat your seeds, you plant them for more and more seeds before consumption.”

There are his direct words in his 2022 anniversary broadcast: “Akwa Ibomites, seven years ago, I stood before you and made a solemn pledge to serve you diligently, transparently, faithfully and with God as the bedrock of our governance ideals. It was, to put it plainly, a distillation of the social contract with you. It was a contract to move the levers of development and growth of our state through industrialization and infrastructural renaissance, using the three gateways of development: Land, Air and Sea. It was a contract to provide quality healthcare and quality education to our children in line with the realities of 21st Century expectations”.

According to Mr. Emmanuel, his contract with Akwa Ibom people was “aimed at engendering a new order, as well as

ignite entrepreneurial spirit in the people and show in practical terms that all we need to succeed and thrive is embedded in us, and that a reliance on government from cradle to grave was a self-limiting proposition that must be jettisoned. It was a contract to dare and dream, to prove doubters wrong that even without controlling policies, where the passion is right and creativity shapes the heart and mind of a leader, great and enduring achievements can be made”.

Indeed, in the last seven years, the governor has registered enduring achievements with regards to the initial contract which he signed with the people of the state as predicated on the five cardinal points of Job Creation; Poverty Alleviation, Infrastructural Consolidation and Expansion, Wealth Creation and Economic And Political Inclusion.

The score-card is equally superlative with regards to the expanded version of the contract or the 8-point Completion Agenda, comprising Industrialization; Infrastructure, Aviation Development; Agriculture; Human Capacity Development, Security, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Rural and Riverine Development.

The achievement profile is of course generic, and only a sneak-peak at the enormous results recorded by firing on all cylinders during the last seven years.

Even the governor himself admitted that as exhaustive as his anniversary speech tried to be, it hardly did justice to his full score-card. “I cannot mention all the roads we have constructed, but soon all the roads we have constructed, commissioned or have work on-going would be published in major national newspapers, on social media platforms, and other media channels so that Nigerians would see what we have used the resources available to us to achieve for our people”, he said.

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

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022

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POLITICS

EPISTLES of ANTHONY KILA

J.O.S Okeke: Pillar of our Public Speaking Lessons from Eagle Square Diaspora in America Chido Nwangwu pays glowing tribute to an Anthony Kila reviews the just concluded presidential outstanding rallying point for the Nigerian election of the All Progressives Congress through the speech delivery segment of the convention community in the United States of America

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few hours before noon on Friday June 3, 2022, I called an extraordinary man, a distinguished but retired Houstonarea medical doctor, J.O.S Okeke, to wish him a happy 88th birthday!

He’s a truly selfless and exemplary leader.

He’s a role model and guardian to many.

Essentially, I have distilled those lessons and more — which capture, in part, the resilient life of this diligent man who was born on June 3, 1934. First and foremost, he is a good man who has made our community better through outstanding service and leadership.

Second, he always kept to time! In this age of the unfashionably late African syndrome popularly known as “African time”, you bet Dr. Okeke will be at any scheduled event or meeting 10 minutes before the formal start. Unlike 95% of his kinsmen and compatriots, he is an embodiment of punctuality!

Third, for me, writing or speaking about Dr. J.O.S Okeke is a joyful excursion into a life of value; a life of commitment to humanity; a worthy reflection on a distinguished person who embodies the best traditions of selfless, dedicated and honest

leadership and service to our community.

Fourth, it is joyful because, in many ways, he represents the reality and warm promise that we do not lack good men and women in the quest and struggle to optimize the existential options and competing agenda we face abroad and at home. Dr. Okeke is a good man. He’s and should be seen as a leadership role model for our folks Fifth, it is joyful because, in an era where most of our leaders are users, liars and double-faced con artists, I have never seen Dr. Okeke dissemble, lie or obfuscate on the interests of the community. I saw and followed first-hand his advocacy for our community in the greater Houston area. He was respected by Houston’s first African-American Mayor Dr. Lee P. Brown. I served as an adviser on Africa business/community to the Mayor.

Sixth, it is joyful because, in a period where feeble, occasional, distant whistling are made by some masquerades who play community “leader” and in some cases say nothing at all, Dr. J.O.S Okeke spoke with timely lucidity and believable engagement as the leader of the Igbo diaspora. He is energetic.

Seventh, it is joyful to honour a man who sacrificed the peak hours and the restful times of his successful career as a medical doctor in the early 1990s to champion the structural establishment of the World Igbo Congress (the umbrella organization of the diaspora Igbo of South-eastern Nigeria). He was the founding chairman; and I was at the Ichie Hall in Houston when he was elected. He helped give the Congress a reasonable toga of respect and clout. He did not gallivant around politicians from or inside Nigeria.

-Dr. Nwangwu is the Publisher of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Yahaya Bello as Hero of APC Presidential Primary Yemi Kolapo, Director, Media and Publicity, Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation commends her principal’s conduct as worthy of emulation

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election has come and gone. The process was largely peaceful but highly compromised.

This is however not new in a country where democracy is defined as the government of the oppressors by the oppressors and for the oppressors.

It is sad to note that those who should know and who many progressives had thought of as leaders with integrity are the ones working against the people they were (s)elected to represent for egocentric reasons.

In this process, one leader stands out, according to the majority of Nigerians. And that leader is one that has proven to the downtrodden and those regarded as “Nigerians without surnames,” that regardless of age-long intimidation by the elite, the best of our people can stand tall without compromising the values that we should have been known for as a nation.

That leader, I say with all sense of fairness, is Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello of Kogi State.

He is the hero of this process and has made his point loud and clear to the admiration of even his worst enemies.

If there was a clear, desperate gang-up by northern governors and the leaders of a party against one person, and that person never for

once disappointed his teeming supporters but rather fought to the very end, not minding the crooked process, then he should be celebrated by the constituency he represents - the youths.

A mode of primaries whereby delegates who have largely been pocketed by their paymasters and who defer to the highest bidder are made to choose flag-bearers of a political party is as warped as the process itself.

It is obvious that in a bid to prove that he is not one of them, enemies of this project, Nigeria, went beyond speaking with delegates and oiling their palms to ensure that votes that did not represent Yahaya Bello’s popularity were counted against his name. But they have unwittingly made him the hero of the moment.

We do not have to talk much but to pray that God Himself would deliver Nigerians from the hands of enemies of democracy. Poverty is a tool they have used for long to keep Nigerians poor. At the right time, however, this jinx must break!

We only wish that this obvious crack in the ceiling would not eventually make the ceiling cave in.

We want to thank the media immensely for their solid support in spite of persecution and mischievous information being churned out by detractors. You are indeed partners in progress.

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ear Readers, The All Progressives Congress (APC)’s presidential primary election has come and gone, the winner, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is known and has been declared as the party’s flag-bearer. Congratulations to the Jagaban of Borgu and his formidable team for a landside and undisputable victory. Numbers don’t lie, disputing them is churlish.

The event was sheer drama filled with suspense and colourful personalities, twist and turns like every respectable spectacle.

The two days of the convention showed its ability to hold a significant part of the country captive and glued to their TV sets. Those two days, however, were just the climax of days, even weeks, of fascinating and instructing intrigues delivered by top political gladiators and leaders of the APC. With this ability of politics and politicians to engage and entertain so many, Nollywood should be worried.

The convention itself, like a ritual or a tension filled spectacle had four major protagonists and five major acts. The leading characters were the aspirants, delegates, regulators and back ground actors. During the show and by sheer chance, a gentleman called Sulieman Idris got a special a mention like one of the less than one percent very special characters that graced the show at Eagle Square: He lost his debit card and his name was mentioned to the whole of the country.

Aspirants played the roles of gladiators whose visible and assessable swords and shields were their words delivered speech after speech. Thankfully, the Eagle Square for the convention was more like a Greek Arena rather than a Roman Coliseum. Some aspirants used their speech to step down whilst others used them to step up. Delegates were there to play the role of judges whose votes were designed to be influenced by speeches and other messages passed before the speeches. Party and INEC officials assisted by security forces played the role of validating and marshalling voters and later their votes. The back ground actors of the day were various kind of audiences from institutional dignitaries on the scene to chair the event right to the crowd on the scene to cheer arrival, accreditation, speeches, voting, vote-counting and declaration of the winner.

Like every spectacle worthy of such name, the APC and other political primary elections offer some important lessons that we all can learn and use in our daily lives. Let us face it, there is currently an unhealthy but understandable desire in the country to be delegates by many. I will today pretend not to know why such desire is trending amongst many and I will instead focus on lessons we can learn about public speaking. An act that in our times has become mainly aimed at persuading, pleading, pleasing or pitching.

A very important factor in public speaking is time management, it is important to know how much time you have to speak and what you intend to do with the amount time you have. No matter how important the dignitaries, it makes no sense to have two minutes of speaking time allocated and you use 47 seconds to greet people name by name, that takes away from content, you risk being interrupted or derailed. It is neither elegant nor safe to ask for more time from the moderator during public speeches. It is your duty to gauge your speech before time and adapt it to the allocated time, if you really must ask for more time then negotiate it before your speech. Feel free to choose which of the aspirants did not think this way.

In public speeches, perception tend to be more impressive than analysis. It is very

helpful to look the part. You have the right to your own style and culture but when you are in the process of pleading, persuading, pleasing or pitching, it is important to look the part your audience expect. You cannot be speaking with the aim of becoming a CEO, President or any kind of public leader and dress casually or like a rebel unless you are sure your audience wants that. It is true that the robe does not make a monk but it surely helps. Your facial expressions and tone of voice matter more than you might think. You are not really allowed to be yourself when public speaking. I did not say Governor Ben Ayade.

Your speech should be directed mainly at your audience with the aim of making clear to them why they should do what you are canvassing for. Do not spend time validating or praising other’s performance or abilities.

Your listeners want to know what value you are adding, tell them quickly and clearly what is new and useful about you. Unless they ask you to tell them, don’t spend your speech showing how much you know about others, listeners tend not to care. It is about you: your ideas and ability, make it about that you not about others. Many aspirants annoyingly did the contrary at the Eagle Square.

Conjuring the image and feelings of those that matter to those that will decide your fate or assent desire is a good tactic. There is something consoling, reassuring even sacred and magical about the feeling of those we care about, humans tend to think that doing what is good for their loved ones makes any act right even noble. A speaker that is able to tie his or her pitch to the benefit of the loved ones of the audience is seen by many as thoughtful, caring and reliable. The first person to introduce this slant at Eagle Square was Senator Rochas Okorocha, VP Yemi Osibajo doubled on it later and that move had some positive effect in terms of speech making.

Yes, the best speaker did not win at Eagle Square and yes elections are not won anywhere by speeches alone. Nothing is won by speeches alone but they help and whilst what we witnessed was a final act of a long process where most acts were played behind the curtain, in real life your speech might actually decide your fate.

-Prof. Kila is Centre Director at CIAPS Lagos. He can be reached at @anthonykila

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T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 2022 Friday10, June 10, 2022 Vol 27. No 9924 TR

See page 32 TYRANNY OF TERROR AND DOLLARISED PARTY CONVENTIONS OLUDAYO TADE urges the electorate to vote in credible candidates from outside the two major parties See page 32 THE SEARCH FOR PDP VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Udom Emmanuel fits the bill, argues AKIN OMODELE

See page 33 FROM THE CREEKS TO THE CASTLE TUNDE OLUSUNLE pays tribute to Timi Alaibe, businessman, former managing director of NDDC, at age 60 See page 33 EDITORIAL THE CASE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE BUSINESSES

See page 34

& RE A S O

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opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

FINALLY, A NEW NIGERIAN PATRIARCH Buhari’s neutrality in the process leading to the emergence of Bola Tinubu as standard bearer is a lesson in leadership, writes LOUIS ODION

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Former Lagos State governor’s victory at the All Progressives Congress’ presidential convention confirms hard work pays, writes BOLAJI ADEBIYI

FOR TINUBU IT’S VICTORY SO SWEET The Yoruba say only the clay god that wants to demystify itself will go to the stream for a bath. Made of clay, such a god would easily dissipate at the touch of water.

That may well be the lot of the erstwhile political associates of Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State, who, despite passionate appeals from older political war horses like Bisi Akande, founding national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, insisted on squaring up with the former governor at the party’s presidential nomination last Tuesday in Abuja.

By Wednesday morning when the results of the duel were announced, children who thought they had matured and learnt more tricks than their father had been wholly GHP\VWLÀHG :LWK D ZKRSSLQJ YRWHV 7LQXEX SLFNHG WKH WRS SUL]H EHVWLQJ RWKHU contestants who turned out to be very feeble LQ WKH HSLF ÀJKW 5RWLPL $PDHFKL WZR WHUP JRYHUQRU RI 5LYHUV 6WDWH DQG IRUPHU minister of Transportation, came a distant VHFRQG ZLWK D SDOWU\ YRWHV ZKLOH <HPL 2VLQEDMR YLFH SUHVLGHQW RI WKH IHGHUDWLRQ FDPH WKLUG ZLWK EDOORWV LQ KLV NLWW\ Nine others had earlier stepped down, eight of them, including Abubakar Badaru and Kayode Fayemi, governors of Jigawa and Ekiti States; Ken Nnamani, former president of the Senate; Ibikunle Amosun DQG $MD\L %RUR΀FH ERWK VHQDWRUV *RGVZLOO Akpabio, former minister of Niger Delta; DQG 8MX .HQ 2KDQHQ\H WKH RQO\ IHPDOH aspirant, asked their supporters to cast their ballot for Tinubu.

For him, it was not only a sweet victory but also evidence that hard work and tenacity of purpose pay. Sidelined by powerful forces within the kitchen cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari as early DV WKH IRUPHU /DJRV 6WDWH JRYHUQRU rather get angry and bellyache laid low, RͿHULQJ SROLF\ DGYLFH ZKHQHYHU KH IHOW LW ZDV QHFHVVDU\ :KHQ LQ KLV SROLWLFDO skills were needed to return the president WR R΀FH KH ZDV UHFDOOHG DQG KDQGHG WKH campaign of Buhari. Again, as soon as victory was achieved, he got shoved aside.

In fairness to Buhari, he treated Tinubu with dignity, granting him audience whenever he requested even as the president refused to be lured into gating the former Lagos State governor. Perhaps one of the most talented political strategists among the pool of politicians in the arena today, Tinubu must have borrowed a sense from the Yoruba adage that advises the marketer to ignore the noise of the marketplace and concentrate on the negotiation with their client. This probably explains why in spite RI DOO SURYRFDWLRQV E\ SUHVLGHQWLDO KDQJHUV on, he remained calm and ensured that his relationship with the president remained cordial.

7KLV PXVW KDYH SDLG RͿ KDQGVRPHO\ IRU

him as, despite the fact that he did not get any overt presidential endorsement, it is also hugely helpful that there was no open hostility to his aspiration by the president.

Though there was gossip about Buhari’s preference for Ahmad Lawan, the president of the Senate, who reportedly joined the race at the behest of Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the party, that now turns out an idle talk in the face of the resounding defeat of Lawan last Tuesday.

5DWKHU WKDQ ZDLW IRU WKH SUHVLGHQWLDO endorsement that eventually never came IRU DQ\ RI KLV FR FRQWHVWDQWV 7LQXEX LQWHQVLÀHG KLV QHWZRUNLQJ DPRQJ WKH critical stakeholders in the party and the external political landscape. Knowing that LW LV WKH FKLOG WKDW PXVW ÀUVW UDLVH LWV KDQGV before it could be carried, the Jagaban of Borgu entrenched himself in relevant strategic places.

7KRXJK IURP WKH 6RXWK ZHVW KH NQHZ that in the APC, the North held the Ace. Tinubu, therefore, built strong relationships ZLWK WKH LQÁXHQWLDO JRYHUQRUV RI KLJK YRWLQJ VWDWHV OLNH .DQR·V $EGXOODKL *DQGXMH Aminu Masari (Katsina) and Abubakar

However, the Jagaban Borgu has only crossed the first hurdle. The next stage is the straight fight with Atiku Abubakar, his erstwhile ally who is flying the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party.

In that forthcoming contest, Tinubu would need more than hard work to survive

%DJXGX .HEEL LQ WKH 1RUWK ZHVW ZKLOH PDQDJLQJ WKH XQSUHGLFWDELOLW\ RI 1DVLU HO 5XIDL RI .DGXQD 6WDWH HYHQ DV KH NHSW $OL\X Wamakko, the former governor of Sokoto 6WDWH LQ KLV ORRS ,Q WKH 1RUWK FHQWUDO KH was chummy with Niger’s Sani Bello and Kwara’s Abdulrahman Abdulrazak while cornering Kashim Shettima, the articulate former governor of Borno State to hold the 1RUWK HDVW IRU KLP It was not as if he ignored his region. With /DJRV DQG 2VXQ 6WDWHV ÀUPO\ LQ KLV JULS KH knew he needed to manage his erstwhile DOOLHV 5RWLPL $NHUHGROX JRYHUQRU RI 2QGR 6WDWH DQG FKDLUPDQ RI 6RXWKHUQ *RYHUQRUV· Forum, as well as Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State, who was also an aspirant. In Ogun, where Dapo Abiodun, the governor, preferred Osinbajo, he relied on his old ally, Segun Osoba, the former governor of the state.

In Oyo the only state where they had no governor, he had worked for him Bayo $GHODEX WKH SDUW\·V ÁDJ EHDUHU LQ DQG WKH PRPHQW WKH IRUPHU ÁDJ EHDUHU ORVW out of the political equation, he was wise enough to seek accommodation with Teslim Folarin, the talented political conspirator ZKR KDG FOLQFKHG WKH JRYHUQRUVKLS ÁDJ RI WKH SDUW\ LQ WKH VWDWH WKDW KDV GHOHJDWHV Although it was not clear how he PDQDJHG WKH 6RXWK HDVW DQG WKH 6RXWK south what was not in doubt was that Tinubu was the only aspirant that traversed WKH FRXQWU\ VDIH WKH 6RXWK HDVW FDQYDVVLQJ his aspiration to the delegates. Most of the others did haphazard visits to a few states in the mistaken expectation that all they needed was for Buhari to raise their hands and they would be done. That did not happen.

However, the Jagaban Borgu has only FURVVHG WKH ÀUVW KXUGOH 7KH QH[W VWDJH LV WKH VWUDLJKW ÀJKW ZLWK $WLNX $EXEDNDU KLV HUVWZKLOH DOO\ ZKR LV Á\LQJ WKH ÁDJ of the Peoples Democratic Party. In that forthcoming contest, Tinubu would need more than hard work to survive. All hands must be on the deck of his party.

That, he seems to know and has begun WKH IHQFH PHQGLQJ SURMHFW LQ KLV SDUW\ “The competition is over,” he said in KLV DFFHSWDQFH VSHHFK FDOOLQJ RQ KLV FR contestants to come on board. Yesterday, he began a tour of the abodes of those who stepped down for him and meet also the National Working Committee and the 1RUWKHUQ JRYHUQRUV RI WKH SDUW\ ZKR resolved that power must shift to the South, a resolution that enhanced Tinubu’s victory.

Adebiyi, the managing editor of THISDAY Newspapers, writes from bolaji.adebiyi@ thisdaylive.com

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Buhari’s neutrality in the process leading to the emergence of Bola Tinubu as standard bearer is a lesson in leadership, writes LOUIS ODION

FINALLY, A NEW NIGERIAN PATRIARCH To frame the epic coronation at the Eagle 6TXDUH 7XHVGD\ QLJKW FDVXDOO\ DV -DJDEDQ·V WULXPSK LV WR RPLW RQH VLJQLÀFDQW GHWDLO D major detour in the movement of the forces RI 1LJHULD·V KLVWRU\ $V HQHUYDWHG SDUW\ GHOHJDWHV EHJDQ to disperse from the Abuja coliseum strewn with the shards of broken aspirations and the cadavers of decapitated dreams :HGQHVGD\ DIWHUQRRQ WKH RQH ZKRVH ramrod shadow would appear to loom larger over the nation’s political space is no RWKHU WKDQ 3UHVLGHQW 0XKDPPDGX %XKDUL %\ RQH VXSUHPH DFW RI VWDWHVPDQVKLS DW D YHU\ WHPSWLQJ PRPHQW LW FDQ QRZ EH VDLG WKDW WKH ODQN\ LQIDQWU\ JHQHUDO IURP Daura has indeed earned a durable perch LQ 1LJHULD·V SROLWLFDO KLVWRU\ $GGHG WR

%XKDUL XQHTXLYRFDOO\ GHQRXQFHG WKH VHOI DSSRLQWHG WULEH VWLPXODWHG E\ D FDUQDO desire to keep power in the north at all costs.

(DUOLHU LQ VHHWKLQJ DQJHU WKH\ WULHG WR throw the Chairman of the Presidential 6FUHHQLQJ &RPPLWWHH -RKQ 2GLJLH 2\HJXQ under the bus after telling an uncomfortable truth. While submitting his report as chairman of the screening committee for WKH FDQGLGDWHV WKH RFWRJHQDULDQ GLG WKH KRQRUDEOH WKLQJ H[SHFWHG RI KLV KRDU\ KDLU ³ FDQGRXU 7HQ KDG EHHQ IRXQG XQZRUWK\ +H KRQHVWO\ UHSRUWHG WKDW WKH\ KDG VHQVHG DQ[LHW\ DQG VDZ WKH GLVWXUELQJ VKDGRZ RI north-versus-south while chatting with the PRWOH\ FURZG WKDW FDPH IRU VFUHHQLQJ +H thus advised the national leadership of the

WKLV KLVWRULF VSHFWDFOH LV WKH QRYHOW\ RI D FRQWHQGHU 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW <HPL 2VLQEDMR who chose to live out the true meaning of (UQHVW +HPLQJZD\·V ZRUGV WR EH GHIHDWHG DQG QRW VXUUHQGHU LV WKH XOWLPDWH YLFWRU\ 7KH IDFWRU RI WULEH LV RI FRXUVH QHYHU WR EH GRZQSOD\HG LQ VXFFHVVLRQ ULWHV 7KH WUXO\ GLVFHUQLQJ ZRXOG QRW KDYH PLVVHG WKH rather hideous rendition of this in the buildup to the contest for the APC presidential WLFNHW SDUWLFXODUO\ LQ WKH ODVW WKUHH PRQWKV 1RW D IHZ EHFDPH JHQXLQHO\ DSSUHKHQVLYH ZKHQ 30%·V QDPH ZDV EHLQJ GURSSHG UHSHDWHGO\ LQ WKH ´DQRLQWHG FDQGLGDWHµ JDPELW LQ ZKDW KDG FOHDUO\ EHFRPH WKH ODVW GLWFK HͿRUW E\ D SRZHUIXO V\QGLFDWH WR LPSRVH WKHLU ZLOO KRZHYHU RͿHQVLYH WR WKH QDWLRQ·V GHOLFDWH HWKQR religious sensibilities.

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SDUW\ WR EH PLQGIXO RI WKDW VHQVLWLYLW\ ZKLOH WDNLQJ ÀQDO GHFLVLRQ 7KDW DSSDUHQWO\ DQQR\HG $GDPX LURQLFDOO\ D EHQHÀFLDU\ RI UH ]RQLQJ RI national chairmanship from the south to WKH QRUWK UHFHQWO\ +H ZRXOG WKHUHDIWHU WHOO D EHZLOGHUHG QDWLRQ WKDW DOO WKH ZHUH ´UH TXDOLÀHGµ %\ ÀDW ,W PHDQW WKDW 2\HJXQ DQG RWKHUV KDG ODERXUHG LQ YDLQ 6R RQ WKH HYH RI WKH ÀQDO KRXU WKH VHGXFWLYH WUDS ZDV WR OXUH 30% ZLWK WKH PDLGHQ RI FRQWULYHG ´FRQVHQVXV FDQGLGDWHµ +DG %XKDUL IDOOHQ IRU WKH WHPSWDWLRQ RI WKH ÁHVK WKH\ SUREDEO\ ZRXOG WKHQ SURFHHG WR consecrate him as the eternal patron saint of WKH WULEH %XW %XKDUL FKRVH WR EH SDWULDUFK of the Nigerian nation. He realized the imperative of power shift to the South as a PDUN RI KRQRU KDYLQJ EHQHÀWWHG IURP WKH VDPH FRYHQDQW LQ ,Q WDNLQJ WKLV QREOH VWHS %XKDUL SUREDEO\ DOVR GUHZ LQVSLUDWLRQ IURP WKH ZRUWK\ H[DPSOH RI -RQDWKDQ LQ LQ DGPLWWLQJ GHIHDW HYHQ EHIRUH UHVXOWV ZHUH R΀FLDOO\ announced despite pressures from agitated disciples who seemed more frightened E\ WKH IHDU RI ORVLQJ XQHDUQHG SULYLOHJHV WKDQ DQ\ FRQFHUQ IRU WKH FRQWLQXHG survival of Nigeria. With that singular DFW -RQDWKDQ WUDQTXLOLVHG D WHQVHG QDWLRQ LQWR SHDFH VR GUDPDWLFDOO\ WR WKH VKDPH RI IRUHLJQ GRRPVD\HUV ZKR GLGQ·W VHH 1LJHULD H[LVWLQJ EH\RQG RQ DFFRXQW RI GLVSXWHG EDOORWV 6XFK UHFLSURFLW\ RI WKH DFWV RI JRRG IDLWK DFURVV GLYLGHV E\ VXFFHHGLQJ OHDGHUV LW PXVW EH UHDOL]HG LV UHTXLUHG LQ nation-building.

Odion, FNGE, is the Senior Technical Assistant on Media to the President (OVP)

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022

OLUDAYO TADE urges the electorate to vote in credible candidates from outside the two major parties

TYRANNY OF TERROR AND DOLLARISED PARTY CONVENTIONS +RUULÀF NLOOLQJV KDYH EHFRPH D FRPPRQ feature across Nigeria’s geo-political space to WKH H[WHQW WKDW FULPLQDOV KDYH ZLGHQHG WKHLU WHQWDFOHV FRPSHWLQJ RYHU ZKR FRXOG LQÁLFW WKH JUHDWHVW KDUP 2Q WKH RWKHU VLGH LV JRYHUQPHQW elected to protect lives and properties but seems to be either bereft of what to do to tame them or complicit in the evil. Nigeria is fast becoming a state of normlessness or state of nature where OLIH LV QRW RQO\ VKRUW EXW XQFHUWDLQ :KLOH WKH SUHVLGHQWLDO ÁDJEHDUHU RI $OO 3URJUHVVLYHV &RQJUHVV $VLZDMX %ROD $KPHG 7LQXEX LV VLQJLQJ (PLORNDQ LW LV P\ WXUQ WR EH SUHVLGHQW Nigerians are afraid of Ta lo kan (who will be the QH[W YLFWLP RI LQVHFXULW\ DV WKH\ KDYH EHFRPH helpless. I watched the viral video of the WRUWXUH NLOOLQJ RI D 1LJHULDQ DUP\ FRXSOH LQ WKH VRXWKHDVW , YLHZHG WKH HPRWLRQDOO\ GLVWXUELQJ ‘blasphemous burning’ of Deborah Samuel LQ 6RNRWR DQG WKH W\UDQQ\ RI WHUURU NLOOLQJV LQ D &DWKROLF &KXUFK LQ 2ZR WKH KRPHODQG RI WKH VLWWLQJ *RYHUQRU RI 2QGR 6WDWH 5RWLPL $NHUHGROX 6$1 ZKLFK H[WHUPLQDWHG QR fewer than 40 parishioners in cold blood with over 70 persons injured. The òwò terror DWWDFN RQ WKH FKXUFK ZDV D WKURZEDFN WR HDUO\ period of terrorism in northeast Nigeria when UHOLJLRXV LQVWLWXWLRQV ZHUH WDUJHWHG DWWDFNHG DQG YLFWLPL]HG 7KH zZz PDVVDFUH LI SRRUO\ PDQDJHG ZLOO LQGXFH IHDU QXUWXUH SHUFHLYHG ethnic agenda of domination on the southwest DQG PD\ GDQJHURXVO\ HQFRXUDJH HWKQLFL]HG FRQÁLFW %XW DV WHUURULVWV LQWLPLGDWHG ZLWK GHDWKV LQ zZz PRQH\ EDJV LQ WKH 3HRSOHV 'HPRFUDWLF 3DUW\ 3'3 DQG $OO 3URJUHVVLYHV &RQJUHVV $3& % Ji LQWLPLGDWH DQG GRPLQDWH RWKHU aspirants through the purchase of delegates.

The high cost of nomination forms was GHVLJQHG WR H[FOXGH RWKHUV 7KH\ DOVR HQVXUHG their cronies became delegates. The role of GROODUV LQ D QDLUD HFRQRP\ XQGHUVFRUHV ZK\ WKHUH LV LQVHFXULW\ DQG ZK\ 1LJHULD UHPDLQV WKH pauperized people capital in the globe. Across 1LJHULD WKH EURRP DQG XPEUHOOD SDUWLHV DUH LQ the political trading market where delegates have become traders of their conscience following the economics of voting the highest ELGGHU DV SUHIHUUHG E\ WKH OHDGHUVKLS RI WKHLU respective parties. Manifestoes of aspirants meant nothing as it was a waste of saliva to be addressing people whose ears have been blocked with dollars. After the emergence RI $WLNX $EXEDNDU LQ WKH 3'3 DQG %ROD Ahmed Tinubu in the APC (not leaving out 3HWHU 2EL WKH MRXUQH\ LV FRPSOHWHG DQG ZH VKRXOG EH UHÁHFWLQJ RQ RXU RZQ SRVLWLRQV LQ WKH HPHUJLQJ RUGHU RI WKLQJV $W OHDVW ZH ZLOO DJUHH REMHFWLYHO\ WKDW QRW RQO\ WKRVH LQ ,QWHUQDWLRQDOO\ 'LVSODFHG 3HUVRQV ,'3V FDPSV DUH ,'3V PDQ\ RI XV DUH GLVSODFHG DQG LQVLGH VXFK GLVSODFHPHQWV LV RXU YXOQHUDELOLW\ WR QHJRWLDWH RXU VXUYLYDO ZLWK H[WRUWHUV DQG beg for stipends. .L]] 'DQLHO·V VRQJ %XJD SUHVHQWV D XVHIXO DQDO\WLFDO IUDPH WR VLWXDWH FXUUHQW KDSSHQLQJV LQ 1LJHULD DQG ZK\ WHUURULVWV VHH WKHPVHOYHV DV ¶ZRUNLQJ· DQG GHOHJDWHV VHH WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR GROODUL]H OR\DOW\ .L]] 'DQLHO stresses the importance of being alert to shoot at DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ ZKLOH LW ÁLHV EHFDXVH LW LV D ELUG WKDW QHYHU SHUFKHV +HQFH EHLQJ GXOO LQ WKH IDFH RI RSSRUWXQLW\ LV FRQVLGHUHG XQZLVH +H believes that those who work deserves to get SDLG EXW LQFLGHQWDOO\ 'DQLHO PDNHV UHIHUHQFH WR GROODU WKH SRSXODU FXUUHQF\ UHSRUWHGO\ XVHG DW SDUW\ FRQYHQWLRQV RI WKH WZR PHJD

political parties who have not improved WKH OLIH FKDQFHV RI 1LJHULDQV VLJQLÀFDQWO\ EXW KDYH SURGXFHG PRUH SRYHUW\ LQVHFXULW\ GHFUHSLW HGXFDWLRQ KHDOWK DQG road infrastructure. These two parties $3& DQG 3'3 KDYH MRLQWO\ SURGXFHG SRZHUIXO LQGLYLGXDOV ZKR FRQVLVWHQWO\ weaken institutions to allow them have XQIHWWHUHG DFFHVV WR FROOHFWLYH SDWULPRQ\ ,I QRW KRZ GRHV RQH H[SODLQ D JRYHUQPHQW ZLWK FDVKOHVV SROLF\ DQG GLJLWDO QDLUD SROLF\ DLPHG DW GULYLQJ ÀQDQFLDO LQFOXVLRQ DQG FKHFNLQJ IUDXG SDUWLFLSDWLQJ DFWLYHO\ LQ activities at variance with their publicized policies all in the name of politics? Politics LV FHUWDLQO\ DQ LQWLPLGDWLQJ DQG EXJDULVHG phenomenon which renders the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) helpless in this instance. ´:DNH XS 'RQ·W VOHHS QR VOHHS :DNH XS &ROOHFW \RXU PRQH\ FROOHFW \RXU PRQH\ :DNH XS HK &ROOHFW \RXU PRQH\ FROOHFW \RXU PRQH\ :DNH XS JLGGHP *EH·UD JEH·UD R *EH·UD JR JHW WKDW PXOODK ZDNH XS 2K DK PR QL NR NDOD NDOD JE·RZR \̥Q R .DOD JE·RZR \̥Q O·̹Z̹ GHDOHUµ VD\V .LVV 'DQLHO LPSO\LQJ WKDW GHOHJDWHV D UDUH VWDWXV HYHU\ IRXU \HDUV QHHG WR JUDE WKDW RSSRUWXQLW\ DQG FROOHFW PRQH\ IURP the ‘dealer’ as against leader. A dealer is D PHUFKDQW D WUDGHU LQYHVWLQJ IRU UHWXUQ for himself and household while a leader EUHDNV JURXQG RI RSSRUWXQLWLHV EH\RQG KLV LQQHU FDXFXV )RU WKH GHDOHU E\ WKH WLPH UHWXUQ FRPHV LW ZLOO EH DW WKH H[SHQVH RI WKH PDMRULW\ RQ ZKRVH EHKDOI WKH GHOHJDWHV KDYH FROOHFWHG GROODUV 6DGO\ WKH VWUXFWXUH of leadership emplacement across sectors KDV EHHQ HUHFWHG E\ PRQHWL]HG OR\DOW\ Politicians are just the macro representation of what happens in micro-institutions such DV DOXPQL DVVRFLDWLRQV FKXUFK PRVTXH FDPSXV SROLWLFV DQG UHOLJLRXV HOHFWLRQV during which those capable of making positive impacts are edged out through the weaponization of cash.

7KH WHUURULVWV ZKR PDVVDFUHG LQ 2ZR DUH DOVR IXQGHG E\ VRPHRQH ZKR PD\ EH EHQHÀWWLQJ IURP ZDU HFRQRP\ 'HDOHUV on people’s lives don’t bother about the QHJDWLYH FRQVHTXHQFHV RI WKHLU DFWLRQV 7KH\ DUH OLNH GUXJ GHDOHUV ZKR GRQ·W FDUH how illicit drugs’ consumption is killing 1LJHULDQ <RXWKV DQG LQÁDPLQJ LQVHFXULW\ 7R .LVV 'DQLHO KRZHYHU WKRVH ZKR ¶ZRUN· GHVHUYHV WKHLU SD\ LUUHVSHFWLYH RI ZKDW KDSSHQV WR RWKHUV ´<RX GRQ ZRUN \RX GRQ WU\ WU\ <RX VXSSRVH WR GH\ M·DL\H M·DL\H .LOR NDQ PL NDQ SHUVRQ PDWWHU R" 3HUVRQ ZH\ GRQ PDG R :KHQ , ODQG , ODQG VRIWO\ RQ D VRID ÁRRU 6R IDU VR JRRG koni baje o. The use of the proceeds of ¶ZRUN· LV DOVR WR LQWLPLGDWH GRPLQDWH 7KH ÀJKW LV WRXJK WKH VWDNHV DUH KLJK DQG WKH FRVW LV KLJK DQG DW WKH HQG WKRVH ZLWK ELJ SRFNHWV QRW QHFHVVDULO\ WKRVH ZLWK ZKDW it takes to engineer positive change for the XOWLPDWH KDSSLQHVV RI WKH PDMRULW\ JHW WR WKH SRVLWLRQ DQG WKH VRFLHW\ VXͿHUV IRU LW )URP ORFDO WR QDWLRQDO KRZ PDQ\ RI WKRVH ÁDJEHDUHUV ZDQW WKH EHVW OLYLQJ ZDJHV IRU workers? Who among them will be treated in Nigerian hospitals?

Dr Tade, a sociologist writes via dotad2003@yahoo. com

333

T H I S D AY FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022

Udom Emmanuel fits the bill, argues AKIN OMODELE

THE SEARCH FOR PDP VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE The presidential primary election of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party 3'3 KDG FRPH DQG JRQH ,W ZDV D ÀHUFHO\ fought battle between gladiators who believed they deserved the ticket. Former 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW $WLNX $EXEDNDU ZKR ÁHZ WKH ÁDJ RI WKH SDUW\ LQ FOLQFKHG WKH ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

The choice of running mate is as important as the presidential candidate. The political calculation and the need to balance interests of various tendencies both ethnic, religious and political are very critical.

So as the main opposition PDP shop for suitable running mate for the Turaki Adamawa, the party needs not to embark on wild goose chase. Udom Emmanuel, the governor of Akwa-Ibom State and one of the frontline presidential aspirants perfectly

ÀWV WKH ELOO The 2023 general elections will be keenly contested with the emergence of the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the standard bearer of the party. Leadership performance, especially the track record of candidates in their previous assignments will come to the fore.

In the same manner, the global exposure and professional antecedence of candidates and their running mate matter at this critical point in the nation’s history. Neophytes and leaders without vision will be a huge disservice to nations in distress.

Let us examine the suitability of Governor Udom Emmanuel using the performance and other feats as yardstick.

The Akwa-Ibom State governor is a levelheaded leader and a great team player. If he becomes vice-presidential candidate, he will obviously be a massive asset to the opposition in the build up to the 2023 general elections.

He was a top bank executive before his IRUD\ LQWR SROLWLFV $V D ÀQDQFLDO H[SHUW of repute with deep knowledge of the economy, Udom will serve better as the vice president of Nigeria as the nation’s constitution positions him to head the economic team.

The man who has massively industrialized Akwa-Ibom State cannot be said to be a stranger to managing the nation’s economy. In fact, Nigeria urgently needs Emmanuel’s expertise in the light of the economic quagmire the nation has found itself in.

In terms of prudent management of scarce resources and creation of jobs for the teeming population of youths, Governor Emmanuel has a solid scorecard to show. ,Q KLV HͿRUW DW UHYLYLQJ WKH HFRQRPLF

prospects of the state, Governor Emmanuel ÁRDWHG WKH RQO\ VXUYLYLQJ VWDWH RZQHG airline in Nigeria, Ibom Air. Against all criticisms of naysayers, he assembled best hands in the aviation sector to run the company. Today, Ibom Air is not only the pride of Akwa Ibom State but that of Nigeria in general.

He once noted that, “We started with an initial three CRJ 900 Bombardier aircraft, later added additional two, bringing the ÁHHW WKHQ WR ÀYH DQG HDUOLHU WKLV \HDU added two brand new Airbus 220-300 6HULHV EULQJLQJ RXU WRWDO ÁHHW WR VHYHQ We have also increased our routes from an initial Uyo-Abuja-Lagos-Uyo to other cities such as Calabar, Port Harcourt, and Enugu”.

“In less than three years after it commenced commercial operations, Ibom Air has become a dominant force LQ 1LJHULDQ DYLDWLRQ LQGXVWU\ Á\LQJ WKH colours of Akwa Ibom State within the Nigerian aviation space and proving cynics wrong who thought we were embarking on what they call in my country a ‘’ white elephant project.’’.

In other sectors, the governor is making big waves, the inspiring story of Ibom Air that has become the airline of choice for many travellers is just one out of many great strides of the governor Emmanuel administration.

In the areas of infrastructure, roads especially, Governor Emmanuel towers high above his peers. Hundreds of kilometers of roads have been constructed under his watch.

The Udom government built the First /HG IDFWRU\ DW ,WDP ÀUVW 6KRSULWH DW ,ERP Tropicana, the Automobile Assembly Plant at Itu and DAAR Communications Broadcasting Complex, Abak among others.

The governor, knowing the importance RI (GXFDWLRQ DOVR RUJDQL]HG WKH ÀUVW HYHU Education Summit where experts and other stakeholders reviewed the education template in the state and consequently realigned it to modern standards. As a result, a greater premium is placed on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to build the future manpower for the emerging industrialized state.

Youth Empowerment Programmes (AKEES) established by the Udom Emmanuel Administration has taken PDQ\ MREOHVV \RXWKV RͿ WKH VWUHHWV KDV DOVR contributed to the improved peaceful coexistence of the people of the state.

Consequently, Akwa-Ibom under the dynamic leadership of governor Emmanuel is adjudged one the most peaceful states in the country. It was not a coincidence. It was a product of creative ways of using economic empowerment to guarantee social harmony.

So, PDP needs someone with such an impressive pedigree in both private and public sectors. He has built robust political networks across the land, there is no state in Nigeria where Udom Emmanuel is known. He is loved by many and he is not controversial.

Omodele writes from Ibadan

TUNDE OLUSUNLE pays tribute to Timi Alaibe, businessman, former managing director of NDDC, at age 60

FROM THE CREEKS TO THE CASTLE He was one of the most noticeably young faces at the year 2000 December inauguration of the foundation board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), in the federal executive council chambers of the presidential villa, Abuja. Nigeria’s president at the time, Olusegun Obasanjo, had initiated the NDDC, as a more focused, more impactful, more enduring, more sustainable replacement to the Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission, (OMPADEC). In the course of his consultations and campaigns ahead of his election in 1999, Obasanjo had been severally inundated with strident calls and clamour, for fresh developmental impetus for those parts of the country which literally lay the golden egg.

The new president reckoned that 203$'(& OLNH VLPLODU RXWÀWV HVWDEOLVKHG by preceding administrations, had failed to impact the growth and development of the oil producing sections of the country, as intended.

This was in spite of humongous sums regularly voted by previous governments, for the transformation of the zone, via the machinery of OMPADEC. He responded by promptly establishing the NDDC, just as he consented to the remittance of 13% of accruing ÀVFDO UHVRXUFHV E\ WKH IHGHUDO JRYHUQPHQW WR the oil producing states, to boost multi-sectoral development in the oil-bearing states.

The new board was largely composed RI WHFKQRFUDWV RI YDULRXV KXHV 7RS ÁLJKW economist, journalist and administrator, Onyema Ugochukwu, was Chairman; while PLQLQJ HQJLQHHU DQG ÀUVW LQGLJHQRXV GHSXW\ managing director at Shell Petroleum, Godwin Eyarubere Omene was managing director.

Thirty-eight -year- old Ndutimi, better known by the short form of his name, “Timi,” Alaibe, an accountant and banker, was executive director, ÀQDQFH DQG DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ RI WKH QHZ FUHDWLRQ among other appointments. The 19-man board of the NDDC, also drew members from the ranks of professionals, university scholars and bureaucrats to broaden its knowledge base and experiential vistas.

Alaibe would rapidly become a very familiar face and dominant force, all through the teething years of the organisation. The RYHUDUFKLQJ PDQGDWH RI KLV R΀FLDO EULHI which accorded him superintendence over almost a dozen directorates and departments, made him the virtual rotor of the new baby. $PLDEOH DFFHVVLEOH FKDULVPDWLF KLV R΀FH ZDV HYHU EXVWOLQJ ZLWK WRS R΀FHUV EXUHDXFUDWV within the system, contractors and guests alike. Even at that, Alaibe’s forehead never betrayed furrows of fatigue or discomfort as he helped to emplace a seamlessly functioning work environment. He routinely retired to an adjoining room behind his desk, whenever he needed to catch his breath. His close aides and friends named that room a “coven!”

My relationship with Ugochukwu, Chairman of the Board, implied I was a regular face in Port Harcourt, especially between January 2001 and May 2005. The typically warm, friendly and receptive Alaibe, appropriated my friends and I, as his own guests on our fairly regular visits to the “Garden City.” With his beloved wife, Alaere, who went to be with the Lord, over a decade ago, Alaibe’s home was always wide open to receive us. His love for good music and tennis were unmistakable, madam’s kitchen ever active, satisfying us with delicacies. Alaere, by the way, had native-speaker competence in Yoruba, which privileged my culinary options on our visits!

Timi Alaibe was an integral part of the team, steered by Ugochukwu, which developed a regional masterplan, to guide systematic development in the Niger Delta. This is a region spread across 5000 communities, covering 185 local government areas, collectively straddling nine states in the region, in three geopolitical zones, the South West, South South and South East.

He had reason, on a number of occasions, to RYHUVHH WKH DͿDLUV RI WKH RUJDQLVDWLRQ LQ WKH absence of substantive chief executives. In no time, higher responsibilities beckoned in the NDDC as Alaibe was appointed managing director in 2007, a position he held until 2009. This capped his near one decade of stewardship in the NDDC. The aggregate experience Alaibe garnered on this brief, the rapprochement he developed with critical stakeholders prepared him for further national assignments. Successor to Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, established a Presidential Amnesty 3URJUDPPH DV SDUW RI WKH FRQWLQXLQJ HͿRUWV WR assuage restiveness in the Niger Delta region.

In 2009, Yar’Adua appointed Alaibe Adviser RQ 1LJHU 'HOWD $ͿDLUV DQG FRRUGLQDWRU RI WKH programme. Part of his job was to superintend the demobilisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-militants, who accepted the amnesty proclamation. He has, ever since, become a recurring decimal, not only in Niger 'HOWD DͿDLUV EXW RQ WKH QDWLRQDO VWDJH Alaibe’s trajectory had its beginnings in Igbainwari, in Kolokuma-Opokuma local government area, in the heart of the Ijaw country, in Bayelsa State, where he was born June 10, 1962. He began his education at Isoko Primary School, Marine Beach, Apapa, Lagos in 1967. Following the relocation of his parents to Port Harcourt in 1970, he continued his education at Christ the King School, Oromenike, graduating in 1973. For his secondary school education, Alaibe attended Government Secondary School, Kaiama, in present day Bayelsa State. He subsequently earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, (RSUST) and a masters in business administration from the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Between 1986 and 1998, he worked in DFFRXQWLQJ ÀUPV DQG VHYHUDO EDQNV HDUQLQJ his stripes and medals in the industry. He cut his teeth at Peat Marwick Ogunde and Ani, which is now “KPMG,” a reputable, topRI WKH UDQJH DFFRXQWLQJ ÀUP +H ZDV DOVR in the erstwhile African Continental Bank, (ACB); All States Bank, (ASB) as well as the %DQFVKDUHV /WG D UHSXWDEOH ÀQDQFH DQG investment organisation. In 1994, he moved over to the former Societe Generale Bank, (which has been reincarnated as Heritage Bank), functioning in several departments ZKLFK DͿRUGHG KLP YHU\ EURDG H[SRVXUHV in the entire gamut of the banking industry.

It was from his position a general manager, corporate and investment banking, that he was appointed into the NDDC. Over the last decade, Alaibe has made forays into the private sector as an entrepreneur. His interests are in dredging, FLYLO FRQVWUXFWLRQ RͿVKRUH PDULQH ORJLVWLFV and support services.

Dr. Olusunle, poet, journalist, author and scholar, is a Member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors

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T H I S D AY

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022

EDITORIAL

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

THE CASE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE BUSINESSES Tax breaks should be extended to small scale businesses to stabilise

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Letters to the Editor Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

LETTERS RISING INSECURITY IN KOGI STATE 2Q 6DWXUGD\ -XQH RQ WKH VDPH GD\ 0U =DNDUL 8PD UX .LJEX D IRUPHU )HGHUDO &RPPLVVLRQHU RI WKH 1DWLRQDO 3RS XODWLRQ &RPPLVVLRQ ZDV EUXWDOO\ NLOOHG LQ KLV KRXVH LQ /DÀ D 1DVDUDZD 6WDWH $QG MXVW KRXUV EHIRUH WKH DWWDFN RQ 6W )UDQ FLV &DWKROLF &KXUFK 2ZR LQ 2QGR 6WDWH FULPLQDOV EURNH LQWR WKH UHFWRU\ RI 2XU /DG\ RI 3HUSHWXDO +HOS &DWKROLF &KXUFK LQ 2EDQJHGH 2NHKL /RFDO *RYHUQPHQW $UHD RI .RJL 6WDWH DQG DEGXFWHG 5HY )U &KULVWRSKHU 2QRWX RI WKH &DWKROLF 'LRFHVH of Lokoja thereby throwing the sleepy community into sadness DQG IHDU 7KH DWWDFN FRQWLQXHV D WHUULI\LQJ WUHQG RQ &KULVWLDQ FOHULFV ZLWKLQ WKH FRXQWU\ $ WUHPXORXV WKUHDG FRQQHFWV WKLV ODWHVW NLG QDSSLQJ WR RWKHUV LQ WKH FRXQWU\ (DUO\ ODVW PRQWK WKH &DWKROLF $UFKGLRFHVH RI .DGXQD FRQ À UPHG WKDW LWV SULHVW )U -RVHSK $NHWHK %DNR ZKR ZDV NLG QDSSHG IURP WKH SDULVK UHFWRU\ DW 6W -RKQ &DWKROLF &KXUFK .X denda where he was parish priest had died in the hands of his NLGQDSSHUV 2Q 0D\ WZR FDWKROLF SULHVWV EHORQJLQJ WR WKH 0LV VLRQDU\ 6RFLHW\ RI 6W 3DXO DQG VHUYLQJ XQGHU WKH &DWKROLF 'LR cese of Sokoto were abducted along with two boys serving in WKHLU UHFWRU\ LQ .DWVLQD 6WDWH

2Q 0D\ WKH SUHODWH RI WKH 0HWKRGLVW &KXUFK ,Q 1L JHULD 5HY 6DPXHO .DQX 8FKH ZDV DEGXFWHG LQ $ELD 6WDWH DORQJ ZLWK WZR RI KLV ELVKRSV +H ZDV UHOHDVHG RQO\ DIWHU WKH VXP RI 1 PLOOLRQ ZDV SDLG WKH NLGQDSSHUV /LNH D GDP WKDW KDV RYHUÁ RZHG LWV EDQNV LQVHFXULW\ LQ 1LJH ULD LV RQ D VWHDG\ ULVH ,W LV IDVW EHFRPLQJ WKH IULJKWHQLQJ H[SHUL HQFH RI PDQ\ 1LJHULDQV WKDW QR SODFH LV VDIH Kogi State used to know many attacks on innocent NigeriDQV 0XOWLSOH FDVHV RI DEGXFWLRQ RQ LWV URDGV ZHUH FURZQHG E\ WKH KRUULÀ F .DEED -DLOEUHDN RI 6HSWHPEHU WR MDU 1LJHULDQV DZDNH WR WKH ELWLQJ UHDOLW\ WKDW WKH FRQÁ XHQFH VWDWH ZDV DÀ UH -XVW ZKHQ LW VHHPHG VRPH VRUW RI VROXWLRQ KDG EHHQ IRXQG IRU WKH SUREOHP ERPEV ZHQW RͿ LQ WZR GLͿ HUHQW ORFDWLRQV LQ .DEED within last month as if to announce that danger was still very PXFK SUHVHQW (\HEURZV ZHUH UDLVHG ZKHQ 0U .LQJVOH\ )DQZR WKH .RJL 6WDWH &RPPLVVLRQHU IRU ,QIRUPDWLRQ VDLG VRPHWLPH LQ WKDW the security partnership between the state government and Fulani herdsmen was bearing fruits while citing the example of KRZ )XODQL KHUGVPHQ FDSWXUHG Á HHLQJ LQPDWHV IURP WKH MDLO EUHDN LQ .DEED DQG KDQGHG WKHP EDFN WR WKH VWDWH JRYHUQPHQW

It appears that the most vulnerable people of Kogi, those who live in those areas that are especially vulnerable because they are UXUDO UHPDLQ VWDUYHG RI WKHVH IUXLWV As for many communities in Kogi State as well as all over NiJHULD WKH TXHVWLRQ LV QR ORQJHU LI EXW ZKHQ :LWK HYHU\WKLQJ WKDW is going on in the country at the moment, there is hardly anyone who does not look over their shoulders when they go outside or strain their ears while at home, listening for telltale sounds while WKHLU KHDUWV SRXQG VR KDUG DV LI WR H[LW WKHLU ULE FDJHV 7KH IHDU LV UHDO WKHVH GD\V WKDW DW WKH KDQGV RI GUXJ IXHOHG criminals long dead to their humanity and the humanity in others, one could be forced to ultimately join one`s ancestors XQWLPHO\ ,QVHFXULW\ UHPDLQV DQ LVVXH LQ 1LJHULD SULQFLSDOO\ EH cause many of those who should take responsibility and account WR 1LJHULDQV RQ WKH XVH RU DEXVH RI WKHLU R΀ FHV VLW EDFN DQG GR QRWKLQJ If insecurity ravages Nigeria today, it is because taking decisive action to confront the menace headlong is not the priority of the many political merchants Nigerians have had the misfortune RI HOHFWLQJ LQWR R΀ FH Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022 •T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

37

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

REPO

A T

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

J U N E

S & P INDEX

8 , 2 0 2 2

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

11.25%

CALL

10.25%

INDEX LEVEL

613.31%

1/4 TO DATE

-0.85%

N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

11.50%

1-MONTH

9.56%

1-DAY

0.16%

YEAR TO DATE

7.64%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10.52%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.44%

Nigeria Projected to Spend Over $1.5bn on International Travel in 2022

Chinedu Eze With COVID-19, a major threat to air travel and economic growth, Nigeria may spend over $1.5 billion on international travel in 2022, THISDAY investigations has revealed.

In 2021, Nigeria spent about $1 billion on international travel despite and COVID-19 pandemic, which had negative impact on the global economy. But 2022 half-year results from travel agencies have shown that Nigerians may spend more money on foreign travel.

Recently, the International Air Travel Association (IATA) noted that Nigeria is one of the countries

that quickly bounced back on international travel post COVID-19 restrictions.

IATA added that there are projections that in 2022, Nigeria would record about 4 million passenger traffic on international travel, compared to 2,219,146 recorded in 2021 The Managing Director of Nigeria’s second biggest travel agencies, Finchglow Travels and the former President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Bankole Bernard, told THISDAY that his company, which remained number one until few months ago when it was surpassed by Wakanow, hoped

to earn N40 billion revenue by the end of 2022, which is about 35 per cent increase from last year’s N26 billion.

Bernard said that travel rebound started last year but restrictions due to COVID-19 protocols on air travel was a disincentive but this year many countries have opened up and many Nigerians are willing to travel, noting that many travel for business, some for tourism, others for medical reasons and many are overseas students, remarking that many Nigerians are travelling overseas for higher education.

He explained that the N26 billion revenues his company recorded last year was due to restrictions in air

travel, disclosing that in 2019, his company earned N36 billion before COVID-19 devastation of the pandemic in 2020.

“In the last few months Walanow has topped us at Finchglow, but we made N26 billion last year and we project that we would make N40 billion this year. This is very possible because in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic we recorded N36 billion revenue. That was money made by Finchglow alone but we have other two companies on IATA platform, which still earned revenue during the period,” Bernard said.

The former NANTA President said a lot of people are travelling because there is no restriction

anymore, noting that Nigerians travel for many reasons.

“Nigerians have seen many people die, including their loved ones, so they have decided to enjoy their money. Nigerians are no more investing everything they have like before. They want to enjoy themselves because no one goes into the grave with his money. So there is paradigm shift in people’s perception of life. The attitude now is, let me enjoy my life. There is no need saving money for unborn child. Some have even relocated,” Bernard said.

He said that incidentally there is increase in some people’s income despite the seeming economic

quagmire in Nigeria, stating that some Nigerians are doing multiple jobs across countries, circumstances facilitated by COVID-19 lockdown.

“I have a brother that is doing three jobs. One of the jobs is in the UK, one in Canada and the other in Nigeria. In the UK he works with T-Mobile. He is a supervisor. The job he is doing is a specialised one; so many people do not have that skill. Work modalities have changed.

Also, many Nigerians are travelling overseas for education. Those that can afford it are leaving Nigeria to study overseas. Even those that cannot afford it are securing scholarship Continued on page 38

PMI Report: Manufacturing Tops Private Sector’s Growth in May Dike Onwuamaeze The Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) of the Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc for the month of May 2022 stated that the manufacturing sector topped the growth experienced by the Nigerian private sector during the month under review.

The report said that the PMI headline reading was 53.9 in May, which was a little lower than the 55.8 recorded in April but sustained a twenty-three successive monthly

improvement in business conditions in Nigeria’s private sector. The headline figure derived from the PMI survey above 50.0 signaled an improvement in business conditions on the previous month, while readings below 50.0 showed deterioration.

It said: “All four of the monitored sub-sectors recorded marked expansions, led by the manufacturing sector. Services, wholesale and retail and agriculture followed behind, respectively.

“Business conditions in Nigeria’s private sector strengthened in May, but the rate of improvement slowed from April. Softer uplifts were recorded in output, new orders, purchasing activity and input inventories. That said, new orders continued to rise sharply which prompted a quicker expansion in headcounts. In turn, sentiment improved with companies also hoping that fruitful marketing campaigns would support output growth over the next 12 months.”

The Head of Equity Research

West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Muyiwa Oni, who commented on the PMI, said: “The Stanbic IBTC PMI headline index touched lower to 53.9 in May from 55.8 in April, but it continued to indicate expansions in private sector activity.

Growth was driven by increasing demand and output levels.

“Notably, the manufacturing sector has posted its strongest growth since October 2021. Output has expanded for 16 consecutive months in the sub-sector, averaging at 60.9 in 2021 compared to 62.3

so far this year.

“However, the manufacturing sector faces sharply rising diesel prices and insufficient FX supply.

Average diesel prices rose 21 per cent month –on-month and 176 per cent year-on-year in April due to rocketing global energy prices.”

The report also noted sharp price pressures were once again evident during the month under review as “overall input price inflation was among the quickest in the survey’s more than eight years’ history.”

It said that “firms passed on higher expenses and sought to increase profit margins with output price inflation quickening in May,” adding that “larger workforces and higher prices for fuel, raw materials, transportation and other inputs led to another substantial increase in overall input prices in May. Moreover, firms raised staff wages at the third-strongest rate in the series history. Higher expenses were passed on to clients with Continued on page 38

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T H U R S D AY, J U N E 9 , 2 0 2 2 BILLS

BONDS DESCRIPTION

Price

Yield

14.20 14-MAR2024 13.53 23-MAR2025 12.50 22-JAN2026 16.2884 17MAR-2027 13.98 23-FEB2028

110.82

7.57

107.90

10.20

106.34

10.35

120.47

10.70

113.11

10.84

Change Updated Time (%) June 3, -0.01 2022 June 3, 0.00 2022 June 3, -0.10 2022 June 3, -0.10 2022 June 3, -0.21 2022

MATURITY

Discount

Yield

OTC F X F U T U R E S

CPS

Change Updated Time (%)

NTB 14-Jul22 NTB 11Aug-22 NTB 8-Sep22 NTB 13-Oct22

2.59

2.59

0.00 June 3, 2022

3.25

3.27

0.00 June 3, 2022

3.50

3.53

0.05 June 3, 2022

3.52

3.56

0.00 June 3, 2022

NTB 10Nov-22

3.97

4.04

0.00 June 3, 2022

MATURITY TRBH CP V 26-JUL-22 FSDH CP VI 1-AUG-22 NENL CP I 24-OCT-22 FSDH CP VII 27-OCT-22 SIBP CP III 27-OCT-22

Discount Yield

Change Updated Time (%)

11.49

8.17

0.07 June 3, 2022

8.05

8.16

0.09 June 3, 2022

14.66 15.55

0.07 June 3, 2022

8.97

9.30

0.06 June 3, 2022

8.17

8.44

0.06 June 3, 2022

CONTRACT Current TENOR Contract Rate ($/₦) (MONTH) NGUS JUN 29 1 427.24 2022 NGUS JUL 27 428.93 2 2022 NGUS AUG 31 3 430.63 2022 NGUS SEP 28 4 432.32 2022 NGUS OCT 26 5 434.02 2022

Updated Time

June 3, 2022 June 3, 2022 June 3, 2022 June 3, 2022 June 3, 2022

38

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

AIR WATCH

IATA’s Report Shows Drop in Cargo Demand A I R Chinedu Eze The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released April 2022 data for global air cargo markets showing a drop in demand and contraction in capacity.

The body said the effects of Omicron in Asia and the Russia–Ukraine war continue to create a challenging operating backdrop that is driving the decline.

Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), fell 11.2 per cent compared to April 2021 (-10.6 per cent for international operations). Global demand is down 1% compared to April 2019.

Capacity was 2 per cent below 2021 (+1.2 per cent for international operations). Both global capacity and international

capacity decreased slightly in April compared to March. Asia experienced the largest falls in capacity.

IATA identified factors to include the war in Ukraine, which led to a fall in cargo capacity used to serve Europe as several airlines based in Russia and Ukraine were key cargo players. And the zero-COVID-19 policy in China led to capacity challenges due to flight cancellations because of labor shortages.

Another factor is new export orders, as IATA explained that a leading indicator of cargo demand and world trade are now shrinking in all markets except the US Global goods, remarking that trade has continued to decline in 2022, with China’s economy growing more slowly because of COVID-19 related lockdowns (among other factors).

The lockdowns have brought much of the world’s largest port, Shanghai, to a standstill.

Supply chain disruptions due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict are also adding to the downward pressure on trade.

“Air cargo demand fell by 11.2 per cent in April and capacity contracted 2% compared to April 2021. The combination of the war in Ukraine and COVID-19 lockdowns in China have pushed up energy costs, intensified supply chain disruptions, and fed inflation. The operating environment is challenging for all businesses, including air cargo. But with China easing lockdown restrictions, there is cause for some optimism and the supply/demand imbalance is keeping yields high,” said IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh.

WATCH

Boost for Aviation Businesses

Ibom Air Celebrates 3 Years of Operation Chinedu Eze Fast growing domestic carrier, Ibom Air has marked three years of commercial flight operations with an inaugural flight from Uyo to Lagos.

The airline during the period has airlifted over 1.5 million passengers flown and about 22,000 flights and the airline has come to be known for its brand promise of schedule reliability, on-time departures and excellent service.

According to the Chief Operating Officer, George

Uriesi, “Looking back over the last three years and how far we have come as a business, this milestone presents yet another opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to our esteemed passengers.

And so, on behalf of the board, management and staff of Ibom Air, I say a big thank you to all our valued customers and stakeholders, including our shareholder, the government and people of Akwa Ibom state. Our immense thanks go to His Excellency, the Executive

Governor of Akwa Ibom State, for taking the bold step, believing in and standing by this vision.”

Uriesi further said: “We are humbled by the overwhelming public acceptance and goodwill we have enjoyed from the Nigerian traveling public, which has motivated us to remain resolute and determined to keep pushing the envelope as we contribute our quota to the growth and stability of the aviation industry in Nigeria and Africa.”

LAAC Conference Gets Aviation Ministry, Agencies’ Support Chinedu Eze The Ministry of Aviation and the agencies in the industry have indicated their interest and support for the upcoming annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), which would be held on July 28, 2022 in Lagos.

The 2022 edition of the conference is with the theme: ‘Sunset Airports: Economic and Safety Implications.’

The agencies in separate press statements to the league assured that they would support LAAC fully and commended the league

for contributing to the growth of the Nigerian aviation industry through its unbiased critique of the sector and its consistency in setting agenda for the industry through its past conferences.

The agencies are Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Accident Investigation Bureau - Nigeria (AIB-N) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

The Director-General, NCAA

Capt. Musa Nuhu, said the agency was proud to associate with LAAC. He said: “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is proud to associate with the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) and partner for the successful hosting of this year’s edition.

“The relationship has been worthwhile and the conference in itself has also been a veritable source of developmental information needed for the growth of the industry. This is why stakeholders in the sector are always looking forward to every passing edition.”

PMI REPORT: MANUFACTURING TOPS PRIVATE SECTOR’S GROWTH IN MAY selling price inflation quickening in May.” Moreover, the report said that new orders rose sharply in May, albeit at a softer pace than in April as firms raised their output levels to extend the current run of output growth to 18 months.

Firms also continued to raise

purchasing activity as companies were committed to raising their inventories as part of efforts to protect against future price hikes.

According to the report, firms were also optimistic that their output levels would expand over the next 12 months.

“In fact, the degree of optimism

improved from April. Firms reported that business expansions would support growth in output and as a result added to their headcounts. Staffing levels have risen in each of the last 16 months with the latest uptick the thirdquickest in this sequence,” the report said.

NIGERIA PROJECTED TO SPEND OVER $1.5BN ON INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IN 2022 and when they get admission to study they can also work and pay some of their fees,” the Managing Director of Finchglow Group said.

Top 10 agencies that raked in over $1 billion in air travel in 2021 include Wakanow, Finchglow Travel, SatGuru Travel and Tours, Quantum Travels and Dees Travel and Tours.

Others were TouchDown Travels, TravelStart, 247 Travels, Super International Travels and Waheguru International Voyages.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated that a total of 15,225,627 travellers passed through Nigeria’s airports in 2021.

This was an increase of 101.02 per cent in domestic and international travel when compared to 2020.

The details showed that the total number of international passengers who passed through Nigerian airports was 2,219,146, as against 1,408,026 passengers in 2020.

This represented 57.61 per cent growth rate, while in 2021, the total number of domestic passengers who passed through Nigerian airports was 13,006,481 as against 9,069,295 in 2020, which also represented a 43.41 per cent growth rate.

Furthermore, the data showed that the number of arrivals in 2021

stood at 6,533,740, which was higher compared to 4,870,072 in 2020.

On the other hand, departure stood at 6,472,741 in 2021 compared to 4,199,223 in 2020. Similarly, the total number of international passengers who passed through Nigerian airports was 2,219,146 in 2021 as against 1,408,026 passengers in 2020. This represented 57.61 per cent growth rate. Similarly, the number of arrivals in 2021 stood at 1,109,621, which was higher compared to 690,765 in 2020. Also, departure stood at 1,109,525 in 2021 compared to 717,261 in 2020.

Chinedu Eze Aviation is a global industry that has uniform standards in every country and what is unique about the sector is that anyone coming to any country knows the he will met the same aeronautical regulations and similar immigration laws about air travel.

It is the uniform regulation that enables airlines to operate to any part of the world from its hub and this has also enabled investment, knowing that investing in airport facility, business around the airport or ancillary services will attract similar rules.

In air travel, Nigeria is a big market in Africa but over the years it has not attracted the kind of investment that should reflect the size of the market both from local and international investors. This is what prompted the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to create opportunity to bring in potential investors from all over the world to review available investment potential in the aviation industry and other areas of business in Nigeria.

The Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu put it this ways, “We observed that in Nigeria, we don’t have any platform that is recurrent for stakeholders to sit down, assess their position, analyse it, share knowledge and take necessary steps to promote cooperation, collaboration and the general progress of the industry. It is like everyone is doing its own, we don’t sit down to collaborate and cooperate. It is when you cooperate that you have synergy. So, FAAN decided to arrange it, organise it and implement this national aviation conference in the interest of the Nigerian aviation industry. It is called FAAN National Aviation Conference (FNAC) because FAAN is funding it 100 per cent. We are doing it as a form of national service for the whole industry,” he said.

Many innovations, transformation of a business climate and attraction of business opportunities could be whelped from such meeting. As government agency, FAAN organising the conference is giving assurance to potential businesses that any opportunity that comes from the conference is certified and authentic because it is coming from renowned government agency.

Yadudu explained that the summit is coming from FAAN to all the agencies, airport stakeholders, passenger organisations, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the media, labour unions, Airport Council International (ACI), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), embassies, state governments across Nigerian and other interested organisations.

“There will be lectures and presentations by the industry stakeholders on their key concerns. At the beginning, FAAN was trying to develop topics for the participants, but we agreed later that participants should present papers on critical issues they want to bring to the industry. This included all the aviation agencies. Also, the airlines will present papers on their most critical areas of concerns. The event will be annually and it will be a major event for FAAN,” the FAAN Managing Director said.

This means that the agency has created a platform for breakthrough ideas, which will be brainstormed and become the nucleus of

new policies that may be birthed to guide the industry in future.

It would also serve as melting pot where ideas would be created, escalated, debated and reconciled. Airlines coming, as service users would put on the table the issues that gnaw at their operations, offer new ideas and expectations and the service providers would deliberate over them and state their positions.

Also international orgnisations will reiterate their benchmark and industry operators and agencies will review them and dovetail the regulations to their operating standards.

Captain Yadudu said, “The major substance is to promote collaboration and cooperation towards the development of the industry and all stakeholders. It is a Nigerian event and it is for Nigerian aviation. Things we might discuss may not be outside Nigeria. So, we will look at ourselves and discuss issues as they affect us. Nigerian experts will have much more at stake than foreign experts. So, that is why we are making it a Nigerian aviation industry issue.”

The Conference set in Abuja from June 14-17, 2022 was not initiated this year as it was supposed to hold from April 1-4, 2020 but was truncated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic which grounded the sector and entire world but with recovery however slow, FAAN saw the vista of opportunity to galvanize the industry and give it a direction.

FAAN said that FNAC is set to promote collaboration and cooperation towards the development of the industry by all stakeholders and in turn, same stakeholders feel someone is listening which is key to changing the narrative of aviation in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), service providers like the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET), airline operators, caterers, travel agencies and others are expected to engage from their various perspectives and look at all standards and recommended practices in aviation and how they are domesticated in the country to make the industry vibrant and serve better.

FAAN said this year’s theme is, “Advancing the Frontiers of Possibilities for Safe, Secure and Profitable Air Transport,” which would enable stakeholders to brainstorm and share knowledge and ideas on contemporary developments which will provide veritable solutions to the growth of the industry as it affects Nigeria.

The agency explained that in the course of this engaging conference, there would be presentations by experts and professionals in the industry including: Alicia Stephens (World Bank Group), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu(Managing Director (FAAN), Chairman Air Peace Limited, Chief Allen Onyeama, Capt Roland Iyayi Managing Director, Top Brass, EmekaOffor- Ag. Executive Secretary/ chief Executive NIPC and Peter Onyeri(Safety), Dr. Anne Egbadon-Eyinaya fsi, Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe and Professor Adesoki Adesuga, Managing Director, Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA).

FNAC is also expected to attract local and international investors through its investment forum, which would feature on 16th and 17th June, 2022and dwell prospects with opportunities in the Nigerian aviation industry.

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BUSINESSWORLD

OIL & GAS

As Oil Nations Boom, Nigeria Returns Empty-handed Although crude oil prices have for months stayed above $100 in the international market, a development rarely seen, it has not had any positive impact on the Nigerian economy, writes Emmanuel Addeh.

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igerians should ordinarily be rejoicing over the rising prices of crude oil in the international market. However, unlike many oil-producing countries, the country is not feeling the impact of the rocketing commodity prices for various reasons.

Aside the many wrong-headed policy decisions and neglect of major fundamentals, previous administrations and the present government have largely mouthed slogans, rather than get down to the hard work of giving the oil industry a general turnaround.

While other forward-looking nations are cognisant of the fact that investment remains key to the continuity of the sector, Nigeria has always seen it as a cash cow.

The unwritten rule has been to take and take more without giving back. Unfortunately, the sector does not work that way. Like it is done in farming, the sector requires planting (investment) before harvest (returns).

To be sure, the issues bedeviling the petroleum sector in Nigeria are not recent, but what is different with the current situation is that it is far worse than what obtained in the past—more like a mess.

NNPC’s Failure to Meet Obligations As it is, Nigeria through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) cannot meet any of its obligations, whether in terms of gas supply, crude production, refining, remittances to the federation account, among others.

Benefiting optimally from the production of its oil and gas resources, has now become an uphill task, due in part, to Nigeria’s non-domestication of the proceeds of its resources, leading to a haemorrhage of the sector.

While in the past, it was taken for granted that once the prices of oil start rising in the international market, even for non-economists, it will rub off on the Nigerian economy vis-àvis its foreign reserves, strengthening the naira and generally creating a more robust economic environment, many are now lost as to why the situation has changed.

Indeed, Nigeria’s most prized export commodity has risen from a low of $10 in 2020 to a high of $85 in 2021 and now around $120 in 2022. Recall that at some point it hit a record $139.

On the contrary, Nigeria continues to borrow massively in spite of what ordinarily should be a boom period for the economy and for foreign exchange inflow.

To the discerning, the reasons are not far-fetched.

Nigeria now has to deal with paying more subsidy since there’s a positive relationship between the international prices of the commodity and how much Nigerians get the product at the pump.

While N400 billion was initially budgeted for the purpose, President Muhammadu Buhari has recently secured the stamp of the National Assembly to up it to N4 trillion for the year. This followed the deferment of petrol subsidy removal, which is part of the much-talked-about Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by 18 months.

What that simply means is that the little gains

from the sector, irrespective of the irredeemable inefficiency of the NNPC, is now being deployed in the payment of petrol subsidy.

With a consistently weakening price of the naira versus the dollar, things are now worse, since transactions in the oil industry are mostly dollar-denominated.

To put this in proper context, in the whole of the 12 months of 2021, petrol subsidy rose to N1.43 trillion, according to data from the NNPC. But total deductions in the first four months this year for the purpose has nearly hit N1 trillion (N947.53 billion). It has also exceeded the company’s initial projected N400 billion budget by N799.95 billion as of April.

Invariably, it has also significantly impacted the NNPC’s remittances to the Federation Accounts this year, because as it is, not even a kobo has been remitted to the joint account this year.

NNPC IMPORTS PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

Recall that the NNPC is currently the sole importer of the product into Nigeria as other marketers have stopped importing the commodity due to their inability to adequately access dollars for transactions.

A corollary to the payment of subsidies is the almost 100 per cent importation of all consumed products including petrol, diesel, kerosene and even percentage of gas, although the country has a whopping 206 TCF of proven gas reserves.

As it is, Nigeria does not refine a drop of products, so it imports all it needs to power the economy, costing billions in dollars, thereby fleecing the country of the much needed forex.

Both the funding of subsidies and importation of products are largely opaque.

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, recently attempted to explain the paradox between rising oil prices and negligible impact on the economy.

According to her, the situation of rising prices was having little impact because of corresponding increase in expenditures.

“The high price of oil means that we would be able to earn more revenue...but we also have the challenge of having to buy petroleum products for use in-country, because we do not have functional refineries.

So that eats into the revenues we would have otherwise realised,” the minister said.

Another major reason Nigeria cannot take advantage of massive rise in crude oil prices is that it has not been able to meet its production allocation by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

So it has significantly under-produced for many months.

These challenges range from technical to community issues, outright oil theft, to ageing upstream assets, then incessant force majeure as well as its inability to restart its oil assets shut down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

DECLINING OIL RIGS

For instance, Data obtained from Baker Hughes Incorporated and OPEC showed that Nigeria’s oil rigs, which depict the level of oil production activities by operators, had reduced to 11 at the end of April 2022, a sharp decline from a three-year high of 30 rigs count recorded in 2015. According to the upstream commission, Nigeria has as many as 53 oil wells.

OPEC’s data also showed that Nigeria’s oil production has slumped to an average of 1.35 million barrels per day recently. Although it hit roughly 1.4 million bpd in May, according to secondary sources, Nigeria still has a deficit of 350,000 barrels per day.

At a price of $120 per barrel, that would translate to a whopping $42 million per day and roughly $1.302 billion every month. That would make massive difference in the country’s ailing economy.

In addition, Nigeria’s resources even if optimised, will make little impact on an uncontrolled population. Unlike small countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia with small populations, Nigeria does not have a population policy, or if it exists it is not implemented.

Despite its huge oil reserves, Nigeria has one of the lowest production per capita among oil-producing countries in the world, producing less than a barrel per 100 people.

In Saudi Arabia, for instance, it is about 28 barrels per 100 people, in Kuwait it is roughly 60 barrels per 100 people, while in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) production per capita is 32 barrels per 100 people.

For mostly religious reasons, despite the urgent need to do so, Nigeria has refused to do something about its surging population, precipitated by a very high birth rate.

So, even if oil prices move higher than it is today, chances are that it will still a drop in the ocean, given a surging population and with the fact that Nigeria is producing less oil than it was drilling 25 years ago.

As a result, the economic indices remain grim. There’s simply no miracle to it. It’s pure garbage in, garbage out! For example, although oil prices rose by over 50 per cent in 2021, the Nigerian currency, the naira, fell 55.92 per cent in 2021, declining in value from N363/$ to N566/$, according to a recent report by the Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited.

DECLINING INCOME PER CAPITA

The Lagos-based research and consultancy firm further stated that the country’s income per capita shrank by 3 per cent to $2,100 during the year 2021, with Nigeria hit by two recessions in two years.

With life expectancy at 55.75 years, the 4th lowest in the world, and unemployment rate at 33.3 per cent, still the 4th highest in Africa, the report stated that Nigeria’s misery index hit 48.7 per cent last year.

Added to that, the FDC document indicated

that 93.3 million Nigerians are currently neck-deep in poverty, even as diaspora remittance dropped by 26.09 per cent to $17 billion.

But while it would appear that there are no immediate solutions to the depressing economic indicators, however the silver lining may be that the country should be able to streamline its massive spending on importation of petroleum products if the expected Dangote refinery coupled with the rehabilitation of the state-owned refineries come online any time from next year.

With the planned completion of the humongous Dangote refinery, worth roughly $20 billion and covering around 250,000 hectares, the foreign exchange frittered on importing refined products could be retained in-country.

Once in full operation, the refinery is expected to produce petrol and other petrochemical products such as polyethylene and polypropylene.

Recently, the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the federal government currently spends about 30 per cent of its dollar earnings on the importation of petroleum products, putting pressure on the local currency.

“By the time the Dangote refinery begins operation, it would be a major FX saving source for Nigeria. Right now, the overall forex we spend on imported items, the importation of petroleum products consumes close to 30 percent,” he said.

Somehow, all players in the industry agree that the current situation is unacceptable.

Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva, this week in an interview with The Energy Year, a market intelligence organisation, described Nigeria’s situation as “precarious” because of the multitude of challenges besetting the oil sector.

According to the minister, while the goal is to restore Nigeria as the leading crude oil producer in Africa, if the country can tackle security and technical issues, it should be able to ramp up production to 2.6 million bpd, and in the long run, boost it to 3 million bpd.

Describing fuel subsidies as “the biggest impediment to the growth of the downstream sector, Sylva stated that nobody wants to invest in an industry where they cannot even recover their cost of production.

“Once the subsidies are removed and these projects are operational, a golden period for the Nigerian downstream sector will begin,” he maintained.

On Wednesday, Chairman, House Committee Chair on Public Accounts, Wole Oke, lamented that while many countries with oil endowments have been able to utilise the resources for the benefit of their citizens, Nigeria has not been able to do so.

He lamented that although Nigeria has similar potential as Saudi Arabia however, as at 2022, its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is 5,000 USD, while that of Saudi Arabia is $24, 224.

Oke said that while other nations were making progress, since the first quarter of 2022, NNPC has failed to make remittances to the Federation Account despite the current rise in price of crude oil, describing it as depressing. Where does Nigeria go from here? Well, as they say, there are no shortcuts!

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BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

The Metamorphosis of Nigeria Air As Nigeria Air secures Air Transport Licence, aviation industry stakeholders are eager to know its investors following the federal government’s declaration that it is a private sector driven concern, writes Chinedu Eze

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any Nigerians are looking forward to having a national carrier. Some out of nostalgia, having worked or experienced the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited and some because they believe that national carrier will help to balance the current lopsided international travel market, where foreign carriers hold sway.

Since the Mohammadu Buhari administration took office in 2015 it had nursed the desire to have a national carrier. This was made obvious when the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika announced in early 2016 that Nigeria would establish a national carrier.

That announcement aroused the people’s expectation and since then they have been looking forward to the actualization of a national airline.

BENEFITS OF NATIONAL CARRIER Aviation industry sources said that the federal government sees national carrier as catalyst to the growth and development of other sectors of the economy. This means that the airline would not be established solely for profit but to support other sectors of the economy like tourism, manpower development, aircraft maintenance, catering, developing airports and creating a hub, while the airline is subsidized; maybe, not directly by government but from money generated by ancillary services, while government eliminates charges by the airline that could weigh it down.

But this is contradicted by what has become commonplace; that the airline would be private sector driven, which expectedly means that the private sector would have major stake in the company and ordinarily,private investors put their monies in businesses that would yield them profits.

However, few years ago, the Chairman of Aso Savings and Loans Plc, an aviation consultant, Ali Mohammed Magashi during the Colloquium on Aviation in 2017, organised by Simon Tumba of Nigeria Travel Mart in Lagos, said that airline sub-sector does not guarantee better returns on investment, yet it needs huge capital and that is why the private sector is not enthused in investing in airline business. This is backed by the fact that airline operators, including Richard Branson, acknowledge that airline business could make a billionaire become a millionaire, so there is no huge return on investment.

Magashi therefore argued that because of the poor returns on investment, the private sector might not be able to invest the quantum of funds needed for the sector. But considering the fact that aviation is a critical infrastructure, which facilitates the growth of other sectors of the economy, as it provides the fastest movement from one place to another, conveying passengers and cargo; it is indispensable in the economic mix of any nation.

He argued that because the need for this service is critical, it becomes part of government’s social services to the people and this explained why most of the airlines established in the world before now started as national carriers.

RISING HOPE On Monday, the Nigeria Air received the Air Transport Licence (ATL) from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority

(NCCA), the Director General Cpt. Musa Nuhu, presented the certificate to interim management of Nigeria Air. Nuhu explained that ATL was a prerequisite for the airline to acquire Air Operation Certificate (AOC) to start operating.

According to him, NCAA works and supports all operators currently existing and aspiring in the industry to get necessary documents after meeting all the requirements.

“This ATL has gone through all the processes.

So, at this point in time, I will like to do the presentation. We look forward for the fulfillment of the AOC process so that we can hand over AOC certificate to you.

“As the regulator, we work with operators. That is a goal to promote the growth of the industry. It is important to have strong airlines in Nigeria in view of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).

“Also, in view of Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which can make significant contribution to the growth of Nigerian economy, “ he said.

In other words, the Director General said Nigeria needs a national carrier because it would help the country to compete effectively and promote her participation and reaping the benefits of SAATM and AfCFTA. Nuhu said Nigeria stood to get the best from the AU Agenda 2063 Air programme being one of the largest markets in Africa, adding that participating in Single Africa Air Transport Market as a nation would increase Gross Domestic Products (GDPs).

The Acting Chief Executive, Nigeria Air, Captain Dapo Olumide said his team would definitely double efforts in order to fulfill all necessary processes to receive AOC certificate from NCAA to start flying.

“We already have aircraft identified because, that is one of the requirement for the NCAA. We are waiting for the terms of agreement with Provider of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

“What we need now is to go through stages to get AOC certificate from NCAA. No magic in the process. It is not something that can be issued because they like your face.

“When you have an AOC and ATL, you can commence commercial scheduled operations.

The date to start operation is largely based on the process one is following to get the AOC certificate,“ he said.

EQUITY HOLDING Former member of the Aviation Road Map Committee, has expressed curiosity on how NCAA gave Nigeria Air ATL without the airline presenting its Memorandum of Association, which would detail the equity holding of the airline, the investors who have majority shares, the technical partner and the 5 per cent presumably owned by the federal government, as it claimed that it would have only 5 per cent stake.

“Before you obtain ATL you have to present

your memorandum of association. Maybe the new airline presented it to NCAA. If they did not present it, it means they have started circumventing the rules. If they have the equity holding, why are they keeping it away from the public?

“We want to know how the airline is paying for the lease of the three aircraft they have ordered. Is it from the federal government’s 5 per cent? How have they been funding their activities without investment by equity holders? They should make all these public so that we understand how the airline is progressing,” he said.

Managing Director of Flights and Logistics Solutions Limited, Amos Akpan, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY on Tuesday, x-rayed the consequences of keeping Nigerians in the dark about the equity holding of the airline.

“If they say the airline will be private sector driven, who are the investors? What percentage of equity is privately owned and by who? We should know because it’s our traffic rights and our air services agreements they will exploit. The new airline is expected to be efficiently managed. We expect the management to have learnt from the mistakes of its predecessor. For profitability, it’s too early to determine, but their feasibility should show profitability. The caution is that the unique Nigerian environment poses its own threats to the hypothesis and analysis in the field of operations.

What you contend with in field operations beats the experts’ predictions,” he said.

INCREASING CAPACITY Akpan also noted that Nigeria Air would not address the problems currently challenging the industry, but it would add to existing capacity: more seats, more cargo space, more flight frequencies, adding that it would not bring down the cost of fuel, the cost of personnel, the cost of forex, the cost of handling, and the cost of funds, but it would create room for recruitment in the industry.

“It’s coming into operations is indicative of a vibrant sector still attracting investment,” he said.

Akpan said that it would be too early to determine if the airline would survive, stating that it depends on the choice of business module, which he said would be a key to its ability to sustain its operations.

“This will determine the aircraft type, the routes, and its unique competitive advantage.

I don’t think they will be insulated from the same problems facing existing airlines that are currently in operations. It takes a minimum of nine months for a fresh applicant to go through the process and be issued an AOC; Nigeria Air still has till 2023 to know her date to commence operations. That is a long time from now. The impact of Nigeria Air in the industry will not be felt until some months after it commences flight operations. Add six months to nine months, hypothetically, anything can still happen. We can only remain hopeful,” he said.

The Secretary General of Aviation Round

Table and former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Group Capt.John Ojikutu (retd), told THISDAY that he is still doubtful whether the airline would eventually materialise, despite its obtaining of Air Transport Licence.

He queried the dark clouds surrounding the airline’s ownership and equity holding and expressed his view about what industry stakeholders and other Nigerians are expecting to have as national carrier.

“I have my doubts except we are banking on a government carrier and not a national carrier. We were told the carrier would include foreign technical partners/investors 40 per cent; Nigerian investors 30 per cent; Nigerian public 25 per cent and the federal government, 5 per cent. It is the shareholders of 5 per cent we are hearing about daily; where are the major shareholders of 40 per cent, 30 per cent and 25 per cent? Don’t they talk? By the way, what is the share capital? What contributions are we expecting from the various shareholders?” Ojikutu asked.

DOMESTIC SERVICE Official source from the Ministry of Aviation told THISDAY that the new airline would start with domestic service in order to gain experience, after which it would extend to regional service and finally international service.

The source argued that the national carrier alone would not take all the Nigerian Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) routes but would be thrown open to all local airlines.

But THISDAY learnt that the Nigerian government has not pushed for any domestic airline after Arik Air and Melview Airline to operate to London, which is a very lucrative route, despite the fact that government has designated some of them to the route, observing that government is hoping that when the national carriers starts operation its first international destination might be London.

“You know that when a country designates its airline to an international route it will follow up with diplomatic procedures to ensure that the airline is accepted by the country so designated, especially when that country’s airline or airlines are already operating to your country. That way you remove impediments on the way of the airline and you can even take drastic action when you don’t get the response you want by even stopping that country’s airline from operating to your country,” the official told THISDAY. Ministry official also said that the management of the new airline has embarked on recruiting technical staff and soon its offices in different parts of the country would be opened.

However, Ministry of Aviation officials, including those driving the Nigeria Air project have kept mum over questions on the equity holding and it is government that is funding the process of establishing the airline.

It is the same government with supposed 5 per cent equity that disclosed that it has the plan to acquire 30 aircraft for the airline in five years. It is this ambivalence that has made industry insiders to be sceptical about the planned national carrier.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

BUSINESSWORLD

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NEWS

May &Baker Records 27% Revenue Growth Amid Headwinds Ugo Aliogo May &Baker Nigeria Plc has announced a 27 percent growth in revenue to N11.9billion for the year ended on December 31, 2021 from N9.4 billion recorded in the previous year amid headwinds.

Despite the impact of FX volatility, worsening power supply, and supply chain disruptions on its business operations, the company recorded a net operating profit after tax of N1.05 billion, up 9 percent from N965 million recorded in 2020.

The drug manufacturer struggled to keep costs down as sales costs went up 28 percent to N7.2 billion in 2021 compared to N5.6 billion in 2020. Also, its finance cost jumped by 53percent to N207million in 2021 owing to new loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from N135million in 2020.

Gross profit grew by 24

percent to N4.7billion from N3.8 billion in the full year of 2020.

Administrative expenses also jumped 27 percent to N1.2 billion from N968 million in 2020, the company attributed the increase to accelerating inflation in the country.

The company’s result shows impressive growth in its performance and also reflects its resilience and nimbleness. Speaking during the Company 71st Annual General Meeting (AGM), the Chairman, Board of Directors, May &Baker, Daisy Danjuma, said businesses still had to contend with the scarcity of dollars for importation and a fear of impending further devaluation for the naira which moved from N415/USD in January 2021 to N449/USD in December 2021. An 8percent devaluation of official CBN spot rate for settlement of Form Ms. Speaking on the healthcare sector in 2021, Danjuma said the pandemic presented big

opportunities for the healthcare sector and major pharmaceutical companies in the country took advantage and responded with the introduction of new products, fresh investments to boost local manufacturing capacity.

May &Baker recorded a share loss of N34million in 2021 from the joint venture business with the federal government – Biovaccines Nigeria Limited compared to N24 million in 2020.

Earnings per share rose by 9 percent to 60.8kobo per share in 2021 from 55.9kobo per share in 2020. Tax expense jumped 45 percent to N411 million in 2021 from N284 million in 2020.

May and Baker Nigeria proposed a final dividend of 30 Kobo for every 50 kobo shares held, representing a total dividend payout of N517.6million, subject to appropriate withholding tax.

Accion MFB Shareholders Approve 20k Dividend Ugo Aliogo Shareholders of Accion Microfinance Bank (MFB) has endorsed a 20 kobo dividend per share declared by the directors as well as remuneration of directors for the 2022 financial year.

The endorsement was given during the bank’s 16th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos.

The Shareholders described the dividend payout as a step in the right direction following an impressive financial performance recorded by the company in 2021 despite the harsh operating environment.

The proposed final dividend of 20 kobo, represents N241,481.80 million dividend payout for the year December 31, 2021.

Speaking during the meeting, the Bank’s Chairman, John Fischer, assured the shareholders of its commitment to continue to deliver maximum returns for the shareholders’ investments.

He revealed that the bank is adopting innovative strategies to generate revenue, reinforce its customer base and leverage technology adding that this will help the bank in securing a strong strategic position in the market.

According to Fischer, successful capture of the market value will create sustainable value for all stakeholders, rely on scalable and open banking technology, leverage the full power of the bank by tapping into distribution channels and after sales services.

He thereafter said the bank is strong and positioned to take advantage of coming opportunities and guard against potential risks.

Corroborating him, the Managing Director, Accion MFB, Taiwo Joda, noted that the bank’s strategies which were deployed in 2020 led to the company’s impressive performance in 2021. “Gross earnings grew by 12.4 per cent to N5.47 billion as against N4.86 billion recorded in 2020 due to the increase in loan

uptake. Our profit before and after tax stood at N1.007 billion and N571 million respectively while our current and savings accounts grew by 19.1 and 4.82 per cent respectively compared to a decline of 10.6 and 1.35 percent in the previous year,” Joda said.

Similarly, our loan disbursement increased significantly by 61 percent from N18.3 billion in 2020 to N29.4 billion in 2021 while we made a digital leap in terms of the bank’s products and services,” He revealed.

The Bank’s MD also expressed optimism that 2022 will be a better year because the bank has adopted new business models that will shape its operations and remains focused to deliver its set targets.

“We are committed to delivering on our targets for the year and continue to project the bank as a one-stop shop in the industry meeting the needs of our target market in line with our strategy,” Joda said.

BUA Cement Donates N25m Worth Of Drugs, Motorized Borehole to Host Communities In Sokoto

By Onuminya Innocent In Sokoto The BUA Group one of the Africa’s leading Cement giant company has donated drugs and solar motorized borehole worth twenty -five million naira (N25million) to host communities of Wamakko local government area of Sokoto State.

Presenting the drugs to the representative of the beneficiary communities , the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BUA Cement Eng . Yusuf Haliru Binji said the gesture was to make sure clinics and hospitals in the host communities have adequate drugs.

Binji who was represented by the head of administration and corporate services Sada Suleiman stressed that the gesture was an annual event saying that the company donated same

last year to 7 host communities but decided to extend it to 8 Communities this year.

He further disclosed that the company also carried out some empowerment programmes through scholarship, building of Mosques training vunerable persons in skill aquisition in the host Communities.

According to him “ What you are witnessing today is that we are giving back what the communication had given to us he said.

The beneficiary Clinics are , Mobile Police clinic, Gidan Boka clinic, Gidan Bailu clinic , Kalambaina clinic.

Other are Barking Kusu clinic, Wajeke clinic Sabon Garin Alu clinic and Arkilla clinic.

In a related development the company has also constructed and handed over 10, 000 gallons of water project to Dagelawa community of Wamakko local government area of the state.

The water project which consists solar motorized borehole and overhead tank is to cushion the effects of water scarcity in the community.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries the vice chairman of Wamakko local government Alhaji Zubairu Muhammad Dundaye. Thanked BUA Cement Company for the benevolence gesture saying it has gone a long way in ammeriolating the plight of the benefitting communities.

He urged other company in the state to emulate BUA noting that provision of infrastructures is not only left for government alone.

In his remark the District head of Wajeke Alhaji Muhammad Mailatu Gumbi appreciated the efforts of BUA in living up to its cooperate social responsibilities, He added that the gesture have saved the community for going a long distance in searching for portable water.

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FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022 •T H I S D AY

This

Weekend

NEWS Africa Soft Power Summit Returns to Real-world Setting See page 45

ETRENDS How #EndSARS and Celebrities Will Possibly Influence the 2023 Elections See page 46

a

ART WEEKEND With ‘Fragile,’ German Photographer Wolfgang Tillmans Enchants Lagos Audience See page 47

POLSCOPE APC Presidential Primary: Drama, Dross and Dreams See page 48

Bishop Peace Okonkwo: chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com

07010510430

UTH

& R E ASO

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WEEKLY MAGAZINE

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

Group Features Editor: CHIEMELIE EZEOBI

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͮ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

COVER

Bishop Peace Okonkwo:

Vibrant at 70 The wife of Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM, Bishop Peace Okonkwo, is a woman whose life has impacted countless lives. Saddled with a burden to alleviate the sufferings of humanity, particularly women, she is constantly ministering to them and affecting their lives. As she clocks 70 today, the philanthropist and Resident Pastor of TREM reflects on her life journey and what has kept her strong and vibrant for the last seven decades, in this interview with MARY NNAH

What does June 10th signify in your life? une 10 means so much to me. It was the day y I was born. It is a special day.

Growing g up, p I know that June 10 is my y birthday. y It is 70 years on the face of the earth. 70 7 years!

J

But you y don’t look 70.

Everyone y says y so. s I say that apart from the few things g Id do, it is the grace of God. God has g given me that grace. I eat right and I do some walking walkin exercise. Not much. I just walk around m my compound. That’s all.

What were your yo childhood fantasies y while growing g g up up? p My y daddy y died w when we were very small.

It was my y grandmother grandmo g that brought us up. It wasn’t so wonderfu wonderful but we waded through it. My y grandmother grandmoth g sent us to school, and God helped p us. Look Lo at where we are today and my y grandmother g grandmot is no more.

And then while growing up we just look up p to God. My y grandma gran g on Sunday evening after service will ensure en we read the bible. I can’t say y I wanted to t be a doctor or a lawyer, No. we just followed follow God as he leads us.

It is like you y were w prepared by your grandmother from f childhood to be a pastor?

So to speak, p she taught us the bible the much she knew aand we tried to live by it.

At that time, we just wanted to live and please God. She will tell us everything we are seeing se here it is God that made it possible. So, we pray to God and an thank Him for making it possible. p possib But then, th I didn’t know I was going g g to be a pastor. When the bishop p came to marry me he was not no a pastor. I just like to work behind the scene. I like to p pr pray, and help people. The pastorate pasto p just came. God had a plan p for me which, I can see now. The way he took me he was wa working it out. I just married ma him (bishop) and the rest re started to unfold. Even the day my husband made me a bishop, I cried my eyes out because I knew I didn’t know much then. I said for what?

All I wanted was to serve God. He said God told him. Thank God he didn’t tell me at home, if he did, I wouldn’t have gone to church that day. At that time, I didn’t feel I was ready for it. He just came that day and said, the Lord told him to make some p people pastors and bishops.

W When he called my name a I almost fainted. Tears were roll rolling down my eyes. Did y say bishop? I’m trying to you hand pastorate already. I just handle gav in and started trusting g gave Go He helps me a lot, with God. wo and prayers. He told words me that God told him so. I just followed what God said.

A what point in life was At you husband when you y your me him? met He wasn’t a pastor when m him. He was working I met in the bank then. I knew his fam My grandmother at family. tha time was in the same that ch church as them. I knew Ma Iloh (his senior sister), Mama pa p particularly.

After the war, ev everybody was looking for Go So, we went to the God. same sa church, UCC. I love listening lis to music and also I love to dance. I just went there t to listen to the music and uplift my spirit. That was where I met him, in the youth fellowship.

Bishop had an air.

When he’s coming, he’s always flinging his father’s car key. But he’s a pleasant person. He’s very shy. He couldn’t talk to me; he went to talk to the senior sister that he liked me. The rest is history.

Has the bishop annoyed you before?

We are husband and wife. We always have some issues to talk about

“Life is full of ups and downs. Good and bad, but you just have to trust God. I have passed through a lot. You just believe God for the best. No matter how bad it is, it would get better.” but one thing is that I don’t allow it to go down.

The way we live; I will tell him, my friend, this thing you did, I don’t like it. He would try and explain it to me. Marriage means understanding.

Bishop is the simplest person you can deal with. He is very simple. I’m the hard one. Don’t look at his hard face. He’s very soft in the heart.

If you look at the face you will be deceived.

What was life like before the ministry?

Life was rough. When we were young, grandma doesn’t believe in grinding, you will beat it. You know how difficult it is to beat dry pepper. And we trekked to school. We didn’t have a car. St. Berths to Uwani in Enugu, we trekked it. When we returned from school, grandma has not cooked.

The egusi is there to peel. You will do it or else you won’t eat. Life was rough. Even when I came into the ministry, it wasn’t that rosy. I drank gari without sugar and milk. But look at it today, If I don’t want to eat, I don’t want to eat because of weight. Processing time is not an overnight thing. You just have to trust and believe God. It was tough.

I remembered when I started working, I was married at that time, and I have gone into molue.

A young boy was struggling to come inside the molue and I offered he sat on my lap not knowing the young boy was targeting my purse. He took my purse and by the time I got down, I didn’t see my keys. It wasn’t easy at all. People that look at us and say I want to be like Bishop Peace, get ready, you will pass through the mill but if you are ready to put your eyes on Jesus, you will do more than I am today.

Let’s look at the good and the bad side of life.

The good side is when I married the bishop.

When I had my first child is another good side.

The bad side was when my first daughter died and when we lost the bishop’s brother (the doctor), it was bad. One thing we have to do in life is to look up to Jesus. If he allows it why can we question Him? Our lives are in His hands. Everything that comes to me passes through Jesus. If Jesus allows it, I allow it. I keep on serving.

When I lost my first daughter, it was terrible; women came from the church to sit around me. I told them, let’s go to church. The young girl is dead and she’s been buried. The women were like what is wrong with this woman, is she off? I didn’t know I was ministering to somebody there - one of our pastors’ wives when her only brother died, remembered what I said. And that kept her going.

How did you do it that your only daughter is in the ministry and well behaved?

When I lost my first child and I didn’t have another child till about four years, I made a commitment to God that if He gave me another child, I will give her to Him. So, when she was growing up, living like a normal child, I didn’t tell her anything. I still remember what I told God and God is a covenant keeper. As she started growing, I was following her with my prayers. I threw her back to God. I didn’t tell her.

After graduation from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she returned to Nigeria and started working with the Bank of Industry, they were paying her good money, N400, 000 a month but she was not happy. She said: ‘Mummy I’m so sad, whenever I go to work I’m not happy but when I come to church I’m glad’. She said once she will do one year and then resigns and that was what she did. She has been rendering service in the church since then.

Growing up, who influenced you as a person?

I would say, apart from my grandma, my auntie. After I finished primary school, she decided I come to England. She is the one that was behind me, telling me Peace, don’t worry, it would get better.

It’s been 70 years of God’s grace in your life, what lessons have you learnt along the line?

Where would I start? Life is full of ups and downs. Good and bad, but you just have to trust God. I have passed through a lot. You just believe God for the best. No matter how bad it is, it would get better.

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NEWS

AfricaSoftPowerSummitReturnstoReal-world SettingwithImpactful3-daySessioninKigali ˾ ØØÙßØÍÏÝ Ëã ËÝ ÐÜÓÍË ÙØÞÒ Ë×ÓÎÝÞ ÝßÝÞËÓØËÌÖÏ ÍÙÖÖËÌÙÜËÞÓÙØÝ

Two-time NBA All-Star, Luol Ajou Deng; Founder & Creative Director, Africa Soft Power Project (ASP), Nkiru Balonwu; QC Matrix Chambers and Fmr Deputy Mayor of London, Matthew Ryder; Co-Founder and CEO, Enda Athletic, Inc, Navalayo Osembo; Director of Daily Content, International Olympic Committee, Benny Bonsu; CEO, NBA Africa, Victor Williams and Former NBA Basketball Player, Charles Smith at the 2022 ASP “Africa Month” Summit in Kigali, recently The 2022 Africa Soft Power “Africa Month” Summit, hosted an all-star cast of industry leaders, across the creative, cultural, knowledge and digital industries around the continent and global diaspora in Kigali to three days of impactful conversations, centered around the theme of “Africa & The Global Community. The New Face of Collaboration”.

Hosted by The Africa Soft Power Project (ASP) from May 26th – 28th, the summit which was held at the prestigious Kigali Serena Hotel, featured sessions on sports, music, fashion, financing/digital infrastructure, tourism/trade and payments, with discussants highlighting how to leverage Africa’s digital, creative and knowledge economies to benefit the continent, the global diaspora community, and beyond.

President of the Basketball Africa Africa League, Amadou Gallo Fall; Two-time NBA All-Star, Luol Ajou Deng; Founder, Gina Din Group (GDG), Gina Din-Kariuki; Former Deputy Mayor of London and QC, Matrix Chambers, Matthew

Ryder; Rapper, Founder & CEO TASCK, Jude ‘M.I’ Abaga; Director, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, Ngaire Blankenberg; CEO, NBA Africa, Victor Williams; CEO, Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), Mike Ogbalu III and Regional Director, East Africa, IFC, Jumoke JagunDokunmu were among the array of industry leaders at the 2022 Africa Soft Power Summit.

While declaring the event open, Founder and Creative Director of the Africa Soft Power Project, Nkiru Balonwu, expressed her excitement about the massive support received from discussants, partners and sponsors from within the continent and in the diaspora.

“What we are witnessing today is evidence of what we can achieve for the continent, when we come together. Leveraging the power of collaboration, we are determined to build structures, talents and institutions that are long-lasting and survive us” Balonwu said.

“Across music, sports, fashion, art, innovation and digital capabilities, The Africa Soft

Power Project is committed to enabling progress for Africa and Africans, we are leveraging soft power to create respected African thought-leaders, unite the global black community and ultimately chart a sustainable course around how we can propel ourselves and the continent forward” Balonwu added.

President of the Basketball Africa League, Amadou Gallo Fall, during his goodwill message, lauded the quality of influential panelists and industry leaders present at the 2022 summit, adding that such collaborations will help advance the African narrative, not just for sports but across other industries.

“At the Basketball Africa League, we are aligned with the objectives of the Africa Soft Power Project, around leveraging valuable collaborations to move the continent forward, which connects with what we are doing with the league. As you well know, basketball is a perfect sport, where fashion, music and sports come together and if you think about

how the African “lifestyle” and popular culture have been an influence on the world stage, from music, to fashion and even the arts, you will agree that we have a great opportunity to bring all of that together around the BAL” Speaking on the role of collaboration in advancing Africa’s payment ecosystem especially for Nigeria’s creative, knowledge and technology industries, Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, Regional Director, Eastern Africa, International Finance Corporation (IFC) said that there was a need for valuable collaboration between financial institutions and the creative, knowledge and digital industries.

“Banks and financial institutions will only finance projects that they have full understanding of, If they don’t understand it, they will not finance it. It is important therefore, that financial institutions make a deliberate effort to understand the different phases of creative and digital engagements alongside the value that will be derived from such investments.”

Ivy Luxuria Estate, Propelled by Service to Humanitarian President Marcopolo Properties Limited, Chief (Dr.) Emmanuel Frank Okafor has said his newest housing scheme, Ivy Luxuria Estate, was propelled by his desire to render service to humanity.

“I have looked around the country and realised that a lot of people need shelter and I felt that if I could provide this, I will have helped humanity.

That is what drove me into this business”, he noted further.

Speaking at the unveiling of the Ivy Luxuria Estate in Lekki, Lagos, Okafor said though the houses in the estate were not at all for free, his concept was different in the sense that his company is poised to give the service at a minimal cost.

“We are not out to make the whole profit in the world. Our goal is to give the structure to humanity at a minimal based cost, that is as if you are using your money to build it,” he added.

Okafor, who revealed that the estate has 100 housing units for families, added that “Marcopolo is a brand that provides for the lower, middle and high classes in the building sector”.

Conscious of the dilapidating road network in the Lekki -Ajah axis, he said estates owners in the area are talking to the Lagos State government on the need for intervention, adding, “we believe we have a listening governor in place of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and we are talking to him because one of the important

aspects of a community is the roads and power supply.

“So we have been talking to the governor and we believe very soon they are going to come up on board to ensure the roads are made accessible”.

Ivy Luxuria Estate is an upscale residential development situated a few minutes

from Chevron Drive, off Orchid hotel road. The estate is developed by a premium real estate development company, Marco Polo Properties Limited.

Residents will enjoy amazing facilities such as a gym, swimming pool, playground for kids, water treatment plant, 24/7 power, and Security will all be provided.

Chosen Crusade Begins June 11 The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries has concluded plans to hold its biennial two-day powerpacked crusade titled, “…

And the Enemies Submitted”.

Scheduled to take place between Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 at the Chosen Revival Ground, along OshodiApapa Expressway, Lagos at 8 am daily, the crusade will inspire people’s faith given the state of insecurity, economic woes, political turmoil, social anarchy.

Noting that God’s power will be made manifest, a press release by the church’s Public Relation Officer, Pastor Louis

Chidi, stated, “Many may be thinking that devil our arch enemy is now in control of the affairs of men.

“But that assumption is erroneous because our God is still the Almighty and Sovereign God. He knows there would be a time of public outcry and a time to intervene and deliver His people. He has time for everything, time to weigh the enemies of His children on the balance, and time to judge them.

“The time now is for God to deliver His people and cause their enemies to submit. It does not matter how strong your enemy may be, our assurance is

that God has set aside the two days to deliver His people from all forms of bondages which they have been subjected to by their enemies.

“His children have cried enough and He has heard their cry and will on that day in a dimension never witnessed before, demonstrate His power to deliver them from all afflictions.”

The release noted further that the crusade, which will be presided over by the icon of revival evangelism, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, is designed to spiritually deal with everything that constituted itself as an enemy of man.

EFFICACY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LTD BECOMES ISO CERTIFIED Rebecca Ejifoma As proof of world-class efficiency, quality and productivity, Efficacy Construction Company Ltd has been awarded an ISO 9001 Certification, which serves as a remarkable achievement for the company’s reputation.

The MD of Efficacy Construction Company Ltd, Dr. Oyeleke Ajiboye, in his remark at the presentation of the certificate described the certification as a good milestone for their organisation.

“This is our 14th year in the built industry business and becoming ISO certified as a company that is propelling towards an efficient quality management system, is a good thing for us,” he added.

According to Ajiboye, “for them at Efficacy, it’s all about standardisation. Having put in place a quality assurance department, monitoring, and training, among others, Efficacy Construction Company Ltd successfully sailed through to clinch this Dr. Ajiboye revered certificate.

“With this certificate, we can seek foreign partnership and also compete at international level. The certification gives us a greater edge to compete amongst other similar service providers nationally.”

Indeed, Efficacy Construction Company Ltd prides itself as a firm that provides building and civil construction services from high rise, low rise to affordable houses, roads, water treatments, to design works among others.

Despite the bleeding economy, Ajiboye maintained that Efficacy would not compromise quality for whatever reason.

“We won’t jeopardise quality or try to trade quality for affordability. They have to go hand-in-hand.”

The Corporate Affairs Manager, Barr. Bunmi Oyemade also hinted that with more recent concerns about standards and quality of materials and projects in the construction industry, being ISO Certified stamps CONFIDENCE and TRUST in the hearts of all their stakeholders -- clients, partners, government, and the general public.

CLUB GIVES HELPING HAND TO OYO INDIGENES Oluyole Club, Lagos, a socio-cultural organisation of notable Ibadan indigenes based in Lagos, has rendered financial assistance to 10 young persons who all hail from Ibadan in Oyo State.

The club, whose mission, among others, is to develop and promote the cultural, intellectual, and social welfare of its members and Ibadan, noted that it is using the money to help brilliant students to get rid of ignorance and stagnancy in the society.

Speaking during the 2021 Annual Party/Lecture and Bursary Awards, held at LCCI Conference and Exhibition Centre, Lagos, during which awards scholarships were given to 10 students from various higher institutions in Nigeria, the president of the Club, Alhaji Rasak Oladejo, said, ‘‘the best way to develop any nation is through education, many of us were not born with a silver spoon and I used scholarship all through my life.

“Without the scholarship, I do not know where I will be.

If you want to get rid of ignorance, it is through education.’’

He revealed that though the club used to give scholarships to post-graduate students it has now decided to extend it to undergraduate students.

N75, 000 cheque was presented to each of 10 university first-year students to ease their financial burden for academic excellence.

The beneficiaries include Azeez Moyosoreoluwa (UNILAG); Owolabi Barakat Adebunmi (LAUTECH); Olayiwola Olaitan Hafiz (UI); Suara Oreoluwa Grace (UNILAG); Babalola Wasilat Olaronke (UNILAG); Oguntola Ayanfe Ogo-Oluwa (LAUTECH); Olalekan Kolawole Victor (UI); Olubode Sunday Samuel (LAUTECH) and Abioye Daniel Olanrewaju (UI).

Oladejo also disclosed that the annual bursary received a boost from the chairman of the governing council of Lead City University, Ibadan, Prof. Jide Owoeye, who offered six scholarships to indigent candidates from Ibadan to study in the institution annually.

“The club, with the assistance of the university, started taking advantage of the scholarship from the 2019-2020 sessions to date,” he said.

He described the club as made up of distinguished and accomplished indigenes of Ibadan that are based in Lagos and contribute to the socio-economic development of Ibadan.

“One major area of innovation introduced by the club is the commencement of intellectual discourse on strategies for advancing the socio-economic development of Ibadan and Nigeria in general”, he added The Chairman of the bursary award committee, Oluniyi Fatokun, said the bursary award is for less privileged Ibadan indigenes and that family members of the club cannot benefit.

Fatokun disclosed that about 62 students from different institutions applied for the bursary award while ten were selected on merit and they have completed 100 level with a good Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).

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E-TRENDS AMAZE AFRICA APP ATTRACTS TOP GUNS FOR OFFICIAL LAUNCH

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

How #EndSARS and Celebrities Will Possibly Influence the 2023Elections Vanessa Obioha and Iyke Bede write that the outcome of the #EndSARS protest may be behind the latest campaigns by celebrities to young Nigerians to get their PVCs and vote in the 2023 elections

Don Jazzy at Amaze Launch

Iyke Bede Famed music producer Don Jazzy, filmmaker Biodun Stephen; and reality television star Bisola Aiyeola were some of the high profile names that attended the official launch of the Amaze Africa App held recently at the Ogidi Studios, Lekki, Lagos.

AmazeAfrica is a social networking app built with direct monetising of content in mind while elevating fancelebrity interactions using a more personalised approach. Essentially, for a set fee by the celebrity, the app will serve as a direct conduit between talents from an array of industries such as entertainment, sports, etc, with their fans through requests for personalised videos and shout-outs for either themselves or their loved ones, regardless of the occasion.

Excited about the new platform, Don Jazzy, one of the early birds to sign up to the platform, indicated that it is a welcomed idea that will help personalities leverage their fan base.

“I know the number of requests I get daily from fans that want a shoutout.

All these are things I do all the time, but now we have a platform where we can monetise these kinds of content,” he said. According to the tech startup, the app cuts the waiting time for fans who need to be in touch for these specific needs as opposed to other social networking sites that don’t prioritise and monetise the initiative.

Adopting this approach to monetisation of content, it offers celebs easy payment solutions and as well as setting their preferred availability period on the app.

“To a very large extent, other popular social networking platforms are very different from Amaze,” noted Product Manager, Amaze, Ebun Feyisetan.

“With other social networking apps, celebrities are mostly working with brands to help promote their products.

But with Amaze, aside from the fact that these celebs are making money leveraging fame, they are also building a stronger connection with your fans,” he concluded.

FELABRATIONARTWORK AND AFROBICS DANCE COMPETITIONS BEGIN WITH CALL FOR ENTRIES As preparations are underway for the annual celebration of the life and times of the Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, organisers have opened calls for entries for the Artwork and Afrobics Dance competitions. This year marked the sixth edition of these contests which have attracted artists and dancers.

The submission portals for both competitions will be open on June 15, 2022, and close on July 31, 2022.

The competitions are open to contestants and participants worldwide.

This year’s artwork competition theme is ‘Fear Not For Man’ which doubles as Felabration’s theme song and submissions will be judged by Prince Yemisi Shyllon, Otunba Mufu Onifade, and Sarah Boulos.

For the Felabration Afrobics Dance competition, the different stages will also take place at the New Afrika Shrine.

B

y tomorrow, Saturday, June 11, a youth-focused music concert organised by the European Union Support to Democratic Governance Programme in Nigeria (EU SDGN), would be held at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos.

Tagged ‘Youth Vote Count 2.0: Mega Concert’, the concert is leveraging pop culture, music, and celebrity to attract people to carry out their civic duty by registering to vote. According to the organisers, it will only admit persons who have obtained their PVC or other proof of registration. Given the low turnout of voters in previous elections, the concert is a rally for young and old Nigerians to get their PVCs and make their votes count in the 2023 general elections.

Billed artists like Falz who has over the years used his eccentric musical style to advocate for good governance, took to his Twitter handle to amplify the event. He will be joined by other entertainers who are keen on the emergence of a transformed Nigeria in the upcoming elections.

Lately, celebrities have been campaigning for young Nigerians particularly to get their PVCs. Their voices are heard on social media platforms and in physical gatherings. The rising clamour is not unconnected to the sad events that have rocked the country in the past few years.

From the incessant bloodbath in the northern and southern regions to the notable #EndSARS protest which is inching closer to two years.

Although it started as a protest against police brutality, #EndSARS metamorphosed into a call for good governance and leadership. The outcome of that event was bloody

Clockwise- Mr P, Yinka Davies, Falz,Toyin Abraham

and to date, the finger-pointing game has left so many questions unanswered.

But all hopes are not lost as celebrities, encouraged by the support and courage of young Nigerians are deploying new strategies to keep that passion for change burning. Increasingly each day, they are harnessing the failed state of the protest, using it as a prop to influence change in the electoral system targeting the younger demographic. So far, this is working.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC),

When Captain Morgan Came to Town Recently, the world’s most desired rum, Captain Morgan, treated play advocates, creatives and party enthusiasts to a night of fun at the launch of Captain Morgan Gold with a Treasure Land party at Wave Beach, Lagos.

The beach was transformed into a Treasure Land coloured with music, beach games and delicious hors d’oeuvre – each offering a twist to the unique experience.

Adventurers were pampered with special palm readings, cosy on-site masseuse, rhum and row, synchronized dance and photo sessions with the Captain; while enjoying Captain Morgan-infused cocktails and frozen dessert at the beachfront.

The vivacious sounds of

Fans celebrate with Captain Morgan

Reekado Banks combined with the thrilling performances from DJ Kaywise, DJ Titanium, and DJ Anonymous also fueled the crowd’s excitement from start to finish. The highlight of the soiree was the Captain Bar where mixologists served Captain’s special Cranberry Mule, Sunkissed Captain, and Captain and Cola cocktails made with the sensational taste of Captain Morgan Gold.

As the event drew to a climax, party-rockers and their crew truly got the opportunity to explore Captain’s secret mix of delightful spices and flavours, locally produced and expertly blended to create that delicious taste as rich as a pocketful of gold coins.

about 4.5 million Nigerian youths between the ages of 18 and 34 registered for the first time in the continuous voters’ registration (CVR) to collect their permanent voters’ card (PVC) as at May 30. This extrapolated figure accounted for 69.5 per cent of completed registrations for first-time voters.

It can be deduced that a large number of youths — a mix of millennials and Gen Zs — who showed up at INEC offices and other registration units may have been influenced by posts on social networking sites like Twit-

ANIMATED SHORT FILM, AMI, SHUNS POLITICAL THUGGERY Mary Nnah

To address concerns about the dangers of young people getting involved in political thuggery, a 3D animated short film titled Ami has been released.

Produced and co-directed by Tunde Oluwa, the 16-minutes film was inspired by the October 2020 Endsars crisis in Nigeria.

According to Oluwa, who doubles as creative director of Blackice animation studios, this is reiterating the implication of getting involved in political thuggery especially as we are in the electioneering season.

“I decided to use 3D animation as a medium of passing this message because the target audience is young adults who mostly spend part of their leisure time playing video games.

“The style and details in the film are about 85 percent close to the graphics one will get in a new generation game console.

I believe young people will appreciate this and find it easy to relate with. Also, my background in architecture made animation a part of me, effortlessly.”

The animation film, which featured the voices of actors, Segun Dada, Olalekan Fehintola, Omowunmi Dada, and Oriyomi Joseph, is Nigeria’s first most detailed, most relatable 3D animation short film. For artistic and co-director of the short film, Joseph

ter, with a majority of the advocates being celebrities. This shows that the campaigns are beginning to gain momentum months ahead of the February slated elections, and as it advances, more and more youths are realising the potential role they have to play in deciding who leads the nation in a manner where their voices can be heard.

Celebrities, also now understand the power they wield and are swift to action through sensitisation.

For instance, vocalist and reality TV show judge Yinka Davies, and Nollywood actress Ronke Oshodi urged Nigerians to exercise their franchise during the recent PullUp Naija initiative to sensitise youths to come out en masse to register.Another well-known face in Nollywood, actress Toyin Abraham uploaded an Instagram video of her collecting her PVC at Eti-Osa Local Government. In the video, she revealed that there were over a million uncollected PVCs, with thousands of uncompleted ongoing registrations. Some celebrities like Peter Okoye of P-Square, however, took a more personal route concerning PVC with a recent tweet.

“I have just instructed my security and my management that no one is allowed to visit my house or my office without showing their PVC! This also includes my management team and entourage! No PVC! No Visits and Travels!... We must get it right this time.”

With such actions, these celebrities are not only urging their younger fans to be part of the desired change in Nigeria but also inspiring them to think of a future where youth participation in governance will not be up for debate. By going out to vote, they will prove that they are not just noisemakers on social media but are walking the talk.

Duke, said, “accountability is key in any democratic system; as such, we hope that the youth and necessary government monitoring agencies will focus on holding political office holders accountable for their promises and responsibilities.

“We hope to use this film to start discussions and design workable programmes and implementation plans for transparent accountability in our country. “Also, we hope to educate the youths and make them realise that they must stand their ground to protect their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and our collective peace and unity as a nation, by saying No to Violence.”

Duke, who also runs Elects Network and Synergy Limited, said it partnered Blackice Animation studiostodesign strategic programmes that will scale up its audio-visual artwork into a measurable impactbased social campaign through its #100tags4change Initiative.

“We need to work with the youths, in an inclusive system where we can change things for the better. Just as I and Tunde have made a decision to start advocating for what is right in a nonviolent way by makingthisfilm, weneedtoencourageotheryouthsto thinkintrospectivelyandfindwaysof demanding accountability from political office holders, in a nonviolent way, because it’s our right as citizens of this country.

“We have plans to train 50 -100 youths in animation so they too can create social and economic impact-based advocacy film, by this we can all together gradually become ambassadors for a new and better Nigeria and influence policy and procedure in the country.”

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

With ‘Fragile,’ German Photographer Wolfgang Tillmans Enchants Lagos Audience The touring exhibition, ‘Fragile’ which is a career-defining voyage across eight cities finally berths in Lagos as the German cultural organization, Goethe Institut hosts a warm reception for the legendary photographer, Wolfgang Tillmans. Yinka Olatunbosun reports on the statement pieces-photography and installations- that pulled the ‘art geng’ in the city to the show

A

s a teenager in search of an artistic voice, Wolfgang Tillmans tried his hands on music, painting and even made clothes. After his encounter with the black-andwhite-photocopier, he bought a camera- a token that changed his life and shaped his worldview.

At first he was intrigued with the stars in the sky and later, on stage. He would photograph musicians and bands while enjoying the nightlife. Elements of his die-hard passion for music surfaced in this exhibition with the sound produced to accompany his video works. His subcultural photography evolved through the conscious effort to reimagine the world, without necessarily pushing some popular agenda. Or so he claimed. Subtle references to Black Lives Matter and other political statements could be glimpsed from his multi-cultural pieces.

With support from Institut fur Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), this touring exhibition has over 200 works from 1986 to 2020. In spite of western roots, the messages embedded in his offerings at the Lagos exhibition of ‘Fragile’ were relatable. A case in point is the large print photograph titled ‘End of Broadcast.’ Showing no recognizable signal, Tillmans explained that the title alludes to the moment at the end of an official programme of a television station. Further, he likens this to switching off a signal

View of the exhibition hall

by censorship or other violent causes. Unpredictable in style, Tillmans certainly loves to reuse and recompose his visual materials. Aself-acclaimed news junkie, the photographer demonstrated his interest in the human condition everywhere he travels. His table top installations called ‘Truth Study Centre’ which is usually a contextual presentation is a constant feature of his touring show. In Lagos, he makes a collage of popular new items sourced online to reflect the social realities in Nigeria. One of them was the popular hashtag Horrible bosses trend on Twitter where Nigerians expressed their anger and frustration over toxicity in

the workplace.

Whileexplainingtheideabehind this aspect of his show at the Art Twenty-One, an exhibition space in Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, he said: “At every exhibition, I make a newversionofthisinstallationcalled Truth Study Centre comprising seven tables newspaper articles, photographs, that have to do with perception and the issue of people lying or people pretending, withholding truth. There is an article about historical art and restitution. This installation is to speak about the things I care about so much but that I can’t put in a picture.”

Forhim,summinguphisexperience of the touring exhibition is

difficult. But he is sure that he had recreated the same experience from coast to coast. In the past fiveyears,theshowhadmadeitsstop at Kinshasa, Nairobi, Johannesburg, AddisAbaba, Yaounde, Accra and Abidjan. Tillmans is a world-class observer. He would zoom in on his object of interest and turn it to his subject of interrogation. It could be the human ear or the headlamp of a car. “Looking is free- it is free of charge. You can look at your mind and turn it upside down, you can look at it and look at different angles with an open mind. I don’t just put focus on the everyday but also on the extraordinary,’’ he said.

The exhibition runs till July 10.

Gust of Female Energy at Tiwani Contemporary’s New Group Exhibition Yinka Olatunbosun At Tiwani Contemporary, Victoria Island, Lagos, five is a company.

The gallery which opened earlier this year presents five artists in the show titled “The Company She Keeps.’’

Using varied materials, the works of Chioma Ebinama, Miranda Forrester, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Nengi Omuka and Charmaine Watkiss collectively explore botanicals, intimacy as well as the valorization of labour.

Each artist brings her ‘X-factor’ to the exhibition hall. Starting with Nengi Omuku, who hails from Rivers state.

Her installation called ‘Candyscape’ is a large oil painting that reaffirms her interests in the politico-cultural representations of the figurative body whilst using her signature silk Sanyan fabric.

“I got the Sanyan from Iseyin. I had always questioned what we understood as our traditional fabric. In Rivers state, we wear what is called the head of an animal. I learnt that it came from a colonial blanket. I came to Lagos and asked for the most traditional version of the aso oke. Someone eventually showed me the vintage Sanyan and explained to me that thread comes from the North,’’ she explained. The woven piece- a product of hard labourtransmits messages about historical and cultural landmarks, philosophical concepts, political thoughts, or religious and moral values of African society.

Like Nengi, the artist cum curator,

One of the works at the exhibition

Temitayo Ogunbiyi explores yet any symbol of labour in the sculptural piece titled “You will labour to find value anew (Sweet Mother, MamaIbadan).”Thetoweringwork was made by collecting grinding stones used by the artist as well as many other women with the aim of questioning gender role expectations. Ogunbiyi recalled how she received a grinding stone as a wedding gift, thus reasserting the traditional expectations of a woman, regardless of her level of education or access to technology.

“I was very happy to have the opportunity to show in this space the idea of scale and thinking about motherhood. When I saw the work come together, it

made me think of the number of women whose work has gone into my very existence. Tuesday morning, I lost my grand aunt at 93; hence the title of the work,’’ she explained.

Withthesecondpieceofsculpture, she tells a story of variety – mango shapes of different sizes and even the hair strand, thus showing the beauty in the labour of women.

Aformerfootweardesigner,Charmaine Watkiss had over 20 years of experience working in digital design before becoming an artist.

Working primarily in the mediums of drawing and printmaking, her career has included several successful shows, accolades, and a slew of international residences. In this exhibition, the London-based artist

showcases Ase- a visual homage to Watkiss’ matrilineal deities. Tracing the narrative to transatlantic trade, she tells the story of the deities as part of a custodial and reparative rite and as plant warriors. They are the human and spiritual embodiment of medicinal plants and seeds dispersed to the new worlds from West Africa.

The audio piece by Chioma Ebinama titled “Prayer for when fear strikes at dawn’’ gave the journalists at the preview of the show a taste of the bliss at dawn that the artist recorded from her balcony in Athens, Greece where she is based. Previously shown in London, Ebinama is a prolific artist whose works have been influenced by journaling and literature. The audio piece gives a sensation of whispers conveying intimacy.

“The Bride 2 is subtly drawn from ChinuaAchebe’s ‘’Things FallApart,’’ she said with reference to a scene of matrimonial rite in the colonial era from the popular African classic. Using watercolour on rag paper, she brings a suspended circular painting while drawing upon non-western philosophies.

Miranda Forrester, a London-based figurative painter brings two-large scaled works namely “Give Me All of You” and two selected pieces from the installation series titled “Introspection I-IV.” The latter incorporates a hand-painted mural and paintings using oil, gloss and image transfer on transparent polycarbonate panels.

US MISSION SUPPORTS PRESERVATION OF ROCK ART IN NIGERIA Yinka Olatunbosun In an atmosphere of funfair that characterised its grand opening at the National Museum, Onikan in Lagos, the traveling exhibition titled “The Ancient Rock Art of Nigeria” was kicked off. At the gathering which attracted select members of the art community in Lagos, the United States mission reiterated its support for the preservation of Nigeria’s rich heritage through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and other partnership mechanisms.

The U.S. Mission in collaboration with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and the Trust for African Rock Art, launched the show to raise awareness of the importance of preserving Nigerian rock art. In his remarks, Brandon Hudspeth, the acting U.S. Consul General, reaffirmed the commitment of the U.S. Mission towards preserving Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.

According to him, the scope and depth of the various Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation projects in the country have helped to strengthen collaborative efforts in the preservation of Nigeria’s cultural heritage, both for future generations and tourism.

“I am proud to say that since the program’s inception, Nigeria has received 10Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grants worth $1 million with projects spread across the country.

This achievement shines a light on Nigeria’s historical and cultural heritage. It is also a symbol of the high regard in which the United States holds Nigerian culture,” Hudspeth added.

Speaking on the project, Professor Abba Issa Tijani, the Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments said: “The U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has been yielding great results in terms of capacity building, documentation and digitization of our rich cultural heritage.

This is just the beginning. We look forward to many more productive partnerships with the U.S. government.”

David Coulson, the Executive Chairman, Trust for African Rock Art, revealed what necessitated the travelling exhibition, adding that is to engage communities living near the rock sites on the beauty of rock art as well as the perils it faces from both human and natural forces.

THE VILLAGE HEADMASTER TV DRAMA BECOMES A FAVOURITE AMONG VIEWERS OF ALL AGES Tosin Clegg Since the first episode of the new production of The Village Headmaster TV Drama Series premiered on Sunday 29th April 2022, the show has quickly become a hit among millions of viewers; including the elderly who watched the original production which aired in1968 – 1988, as well as the younger ones who have fallen in love with it based on the artful storytelling, performances, and production.

The iconic programme, which was revived through a ground-breaking partnership between Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Wale Adenuga Productions (WAP), is produced in line with the best international standards, and contains the precise amounts of Suspense, Culture, Romance, Comedy, Action and other elements of a great TV Series.

It stars some original cast, including Dejumo Lewis (Kabiyesi), Ibidun Allison (Amebo), Dan Imoudu (Chief Dagbolu), Dele Osawe (Teacher Fadele), Melville Obriango (Teacher Oghene), Kate Adepegba(Folake), and Lara Akinsola (Doyin); as well as a diverse list of artistes from across Nigeria, including Chris Iheuwa, Jide Kosoko, Rachael Oniga, Mr Macaroni, Funky Mallam, Yemi Shodimu, 9ice, Monica Friday, Mr Latin, Eric Obinna, Adekunle Salawu, Deborah Anugwa, Henry Arnold, Jide Alabi, Jumoke Odetola, Kristy Imanlehin, Rykardo Agbor, Ronke Oshodi Oke, Babatunde Aderinoye, Mide Martins, Sam UcheAnyamele, Omo Ibadan, and others.

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POLSCOPE

áÓÞÒ ÎÎã ÎÓàáÜÓ ÏÎÎã˛ÙÎÓàáÜÓ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט ͸΀͸ͽ ͻ͸; ΁ͻͽ;

APC Presidential Primary: Drama, Dross and Dreams

iven the many shifts and postponements of the much-awaited presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), not a few people had feared the special convention will end without leaving the party fragmented and brutally bruised. But by noon of last Wednesday, when the three-day event ended, it was clear that the feared disintegration was pretty far from happening,especially as the convention ended in a way that left many of those spoiling for war, jubilant.

But the convention was preceded with heaps and heaps of intrigues, shenanigans and bales of outright mischief. Some of them are discussed below:

other aspirants with very clear margins bespeaks of how deep and calculated his strategies were. Truly, he had been at it. The result speaks volume. But having won the presidential ticket of the APC, he would yet have one more river to cross, and that would be the February 2023 presidential election, where he would run against the candidates of other political parties, especially the rival PDP (fielding Atiku Abubakar) and Labour Party (fielding Peter Obi).

Character and competence will be the dominant currency in the next market.

Tinubu must realise it is not over until it is over. The bigger and deeper river is yet ahead. So many factors, beside money, will come to count. He cannot face the contest with a Déjà vu spirit.

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SCATTERED ZONING PLAN It went without saying that the understanding within the APC was that after President Buhari had ended his tenure, a Southerner will take over from him. This is the reason two northerners; Gov Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and now Senator Adamu Abdullahi from Nasarawa State, had served as national chairman of the party, so the south can produce the presidential flagbearer. But surprisingly in mid April, the trio of Mohammed Badaru (Jigawa governor), Sani Yerima (former Zamfara governor) and Ahmad Lawan (sitting Senate President)joined the race and confused the calculation and understanding. The very silly argument was that in case PDP produces a northern candidate, only a northern candidate from APC can tackle a northern PDP candidate.

Such a warped reasoning. Even when few days to convention the northern APC governors resolved that power should shift to the south, some northern oligarchs still thought the south should remain subjugated eternally. One of such Oligarchs is Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the party.

ADAMU ABDULLAHI LIED IN THE NAME OF THE PRESIDENT To further befog the air and probably increase the tension in the polity, the reticent Abdullahi Adamu announced at the National Working Committee of the party that President Muhammadu Buhari had anointed Ahmad Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate of the party. It came like a bolt from the blues. Nobody saw it coming. Nobody, except Adamu believed it. The governors who had earlier met with Mr President were shocked. It was not clear what kind of dirty game Adamu wanted to play, trying to sell and push political dross. The governors were confused.

Could the national chairman of the party have lied using the name of the President? Yes, he did! The arising ruckus was threatening to shake the very foundation of the party, and perhaps the country. The presidency had

TimiAlaibe, the Principal, Hits Diamond Mark

Tinubu

to quickly issue a disclaimer, stating that it has not anointed anyone as consensus candidate. Adamu could not hide his shame. He squirreled home, turning off his phone. But the governors angrily drove to his home, searched him out and there he stood bemused and dazed in infamy nurtured by adult crookery. Alas, Adamu lied!

His days as a party leader should be numbered.

A COURAGE-FREE PRESIDENT AdamuAbdullahi probably felt he could fill the gap left yawning

by President Buhari’s inaction, by dropping a name, hoping it could be gullibly taken as the presidential gospel. A cabal will fester when the true leadership is weak and ineffective.

Mr President, had said last January that he had a favourite candidate to succeed him, but that he was keeping it as a secret so the person does not get assassinated. As the weeks ran into months, everybody kept thinking Mr President would soon give a hint of the said preferred successor. But days turned into nights and nights turned into weeks and months until June 7, and it was clear Mr President did not have the courage to announce whom he wants. He was annoyingly indecisive. He placed everybody on suspence.He did not want to offend anybody. Yet, people had staked their lives, career and resources in support of his ill-serviced ambition over the

years.So, he kept encouraging every comer into the race, including his deputy (Osinbajo)and his two-time Campaign DG—Rotimi Amaechi).

He didn’t want to be seen as siding with anybody. He lacked the balls to face the aftermath of his position. I miss Olusegun Obasanjo.Suddenly, Buhari has become more Catholic than the Pope, seeming to be even more democratic than Lincoln and Aristotle put together. Here was a man who pleaded with the governors to allow him choose his successor, barely a week before the convention. He held two sets of special dinner first, with all aspirants and then stakeholders, yet, he could not muster enough courage to make known his preference. He suddenly started talking about “level-playing field”. How does this accord with his desire to choose your successor? So,Mr President, who is the much talked aboutpreferred successor?How have you rewarded loyalty and service?

Everybody was thrown under the bus. Not a good credential for an army general!

TINUBU’S FINAL RIVER Last Wednesday, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the man popularly called Jagaban, matched nearer his “life-long ambition” when he won the highly contested presidential primary of his party. He had boasted that he has never lost any election. The June 7 contest supported this claim. Beating 13

STEPPING DOWN OF PRESIDENTIAL PRETENDERS It was somewhat funny seeing how it became fashionable for those with and those without any political weight started to announce their stepping down for Bola Tinubu last Wednesday morning. For many of them, it was essentially to shield their impending zero score under the guise of stepping down. Listening to them speak, one could tell many of them had nothing to offer, it was thus convenient to claim they stepped down for one who was clear to win, apart from the prospect of being “settled” for all their expenses, at least the N100 million nomination form. Politicians are crafty.

OSINBAJO AND THE BROKEN BRIDGE That Professor Yemi Osinbajo lost in a distant third position at the primary confirmed the fear many had had: that the Vice President will not only come out of the contest fatally bruised, hispolitical bridge would have been verily broken. Many thought it was sheer vaunting ambition to contest against his political benefactor, Bola Tinubu. The Vice President probably banked on the support of his principal, President Buhari who turned out noncommittal. With no known structure nor access to a bottomless vault, Osinbajo was soon stranded and left hanging in a balance, depending only on is intelligence and acclaimed oratory. They would hardly count when dollar is speaking. Wisely, he made no confrontational statement all through the campaign, as he knew he had no capacity whatsoever to confront the political behemoth calledJagaban. Now that the contest is come and gone, what will happen to Osinbajo’s political career?

Would that be the end of his political career? Would he go back to his legal practice or go and join ASUU? Can he face Tinubu after 2023? Can the broken bridge be rebuilt? These would be the matters arising for the erudite professor.

TimiAlaibe

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ith the soft dimple on his left cheek, you can take him for a fresh university graduate, and you won’t be wrong. But he had long left that stage of life. Some call him Oga, others call him Principal, but his name indeed is NdutimiAlaibe. Today marks his sixtieth year on planet earth. And as expected, the carpets are not only being rolled out, the drums are beating and the songs of jubilation are echoing even from the creeks of River Nun. He is my friend and brother.

He has crossed many rivers in life.

Perhaps a few more are ahead. But for a few isolated cases, the lines have continued to fall in pleasant places for him. TimiAlaibe had risen from the ashes of a challenged background to tower high in a country where competence and capacity are not exactly rewarded.

He has climbed many trees, conquered many territories and also fought many battles. The late DiepreyeAlamyeseigha, former governor of Bayelsa State, had once described TimiAlaibe as “a one-tree forest”. God has remained his armour and buckler, as he trudges on in life.

Perhaps for him, Wole Soyinka’s book, You Must Set Forth at Dawn, will apply perfectly. He got off the regular dais long before his contemporaries understood where they were standing. To say he is super smart will be saying the obvious. But above all, he is a candidate of grace and fair fate.

Today, he is not only a proud father, he is also a grandfather.

To say he is a good man is not only to be expected, but it is indeed an understatement. He ticks all the boxes of a faithful friend. He is with you when the sun is shining and when the rain is falling. He thinks about you and for you.

He chimes well in matters of character nobility.

I join family and friends to celebrate the man with a heart of gold as he steps into the Diamond club today. Happy Birthday sir!

The Evil Pentecost in Owo t was the day of Pentecost. The day celebrated in Christendom to mark the outpouring of the spirit and fire of the Holy Ghost on the apostles. It marked the beginning of the spreadof the gospel of Christ and the birth of the Church. It is one ceremony the orthodox churches treasure and celebrate.

But while the rest of Christendom was relishing the anniversary, an evil variant of the outpouring of fire was taking place in Owo, an ancient town in OndoState; a town that has produced two governorsof the state (the late Pa Adekunle Ajasin and the sitting Gov RotimiAkeredolu).

Instead of the Holy Spirit, some “unknown gunmen” believed to be bandits, were pouring hot fire on the innocent worshippers at St Mary’s Catholic Church, Owo.Both hot lead and even bomb explosives were unleashed on the pious worshippers. A wrong fire! At the

I

end of that evil impartation, some 30 or so persons were dead. Surely, it was an evil Pentecost!

The only sin of the people being that they went to worship their God in a church. Nothing else! The various stories of the victims are as chilling as they are infuriating.

It is instructive that the attack came barely 48 hours after Gov Akeredolu had openly insisted that the next president of the country (under the platform of the APC) should come from the South, the north having produced the sitting President Muhammadu Buhari, who, by next May 29, would have served for eight full years. It was a logical and fair demand. It is even more instructive that the attack took place in Akeredolu’s own town. The fortuitous coincidence is too striking to be ignored or dismissed.

Yet, it is not the first time Ondo is

coming under such merciless attack from people believed to be Fulani herdsmen. Few years ago, (in August 2017 and November 2020) the farm of an elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, had been attacked , destroyed by the same assailants. Earlier, on September 21, 2015, Falae himself had been kidnapped by the herdsmen who freed him after some ransom was paid.

On July 13, 2019, Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the second daughter of Pa ReubenFasoranti was attacked and killed on the way from Akure to Ore by the same Fulani herdsmen.

In the face of the manuy killings and kidnappings, Gov Akeredolu had issued an order asking all forest-dwelling herdsmen to register and move out of the Ondo forests. I remember how the duo of Minister of Justice and Attorney Generalof the Federation, Abubakar

Malami and President’s Spokesman, Garba Shehu, issued statements condemning Akeredolu’s orders, mischievously citing sections of the Nigerian constitution that support freedom to live in any part of the country, even though the constitution did not envisage that people will be living in forests.

Back to the Owo massacre, in few days, it will be one week since the church was soaked in the blood of its members.

There are yet no indications of arrest of suspects. It may well, so be the end of the story. With the party primaries concluded, the nation is moving on, as the practice is. The frequency of evil acts in the land has so benumbed us. Nothing shocks us anymore. Or haven’t we moved far from the story of Deborah Samuel’s lynching and subsequent burning for alleged blasphemy?

How much more blood do we have to

Gov Akeredolu

shed to redeem Nigeria from its traducers?

Sadly, the Ondo State government is already thinking of mass burial for the Owo church victims. Hey, why mass burial? They do not deserve to be given mass burial. A decent burial is the least their souls and bodies will require from a country that crushes its jewells.

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Popoola Highlights NGX Capacity to Provide Sustainable Devt, Combat Climate Change Kayode Tokede The Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Mr. Temi Popoola has re-emphasized the capacity of the NGX in advancing sustainable development and combat climate change by fostering the growth of long-term sustainable finance.

Popoola in a statement celebrating World Environment Day, said as the sustainable exchange championing Africa’s growth, NGX has a long-standing commitment to fostering the growth of long-term sustainable finance in Nigeria and across Africa.

He noted that securities exchanges are uniquely positioned at the heart of the financial industry, facilitating the effective and efficient allocation of resources for the purpose of economic growth

and development, saying the convening power of securities exchanges also positions these outstanding institutions as a driving force for change.

“Amidst the unfortunate loss of lives and the associated economic downturn brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global capital market offered some respite through innovative financial solutions such as the COVID-19 bonds that are actively helping the global economic recovery.

“At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced high level collaborations across the private and public sectors. More so, we saw the birth of innovative financial instruments developed in respond to the COVID-19 crisis such as the unprecedented $3 billion impact bond raised by

the African Development Bank, ”he said. He explained, “This year’s World Environment Day creates an opportunity for reflection. We need to reflect on the collective challenges we face in preserving the only place we know as our home and start to make decisions that put social and environmental benefits at the core of our individual activities and business operations.

“We have ‘Only one Earth’ and we all have a part to play in preserving it. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that our activities as individuals and businesses have an immediate impact on our loved ones, and on people all around the world. As we continue building back our lives and return business activities to normalcy, it is critical to rethink our model of growth.”

NAICOM Urges PILA to Deepen Insurance Penetration The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has urged the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) to use their position influence acceptance of insurance for better penetration and growth of the industry.

Sunday Thomas, commissioner for Insurance and CEO of NAICOM gave the advice during the investiture of Margaret Nkechi Moore as the 14th President of PILA held in Lagos.

Thomas said PILA as the foremost female professional body in Nigeria has over the years provided a forum for developing and promoting forthright professional insurance ladies, whose attributes would be the highest demonstration of empathy in relating with

insurance policyholders.

He said increasingly, insurance is becoming accepted as a social intermediation, rather than a commercial concern and so requires that its offered and sold in that sense.

“Suffice it to say that people are more likely to see the value and benefits of insurance when presented as a social product and with women in the lead, he said.

To the new president and her team, Thomas said: “I am highly confident that you and your team will work assiduously to see that women lead by example in deepening insurance penetration; using your influence as mothers, wives and above all women professionals to challenge the men that indeed you can

do better.”

On her trust of office, Margaret Moore said her administration will strive to have active PILA chapters in all the six geopolitical zones of the federation with Lagos remaining the hub.

On the PILA Africa project, she said her administration will key into the recommendations of the committee set up in 2013 in Gambia to work out modalities for establishment of the body as a Pan African insurance ladies organisation.

“This administration shall key into this to ensure that it becomes a reality, up and running with well-established constitution for the growth and empowerment of African Insurance Women.”

KPL Woos Investors with Estate Co-ownership in Lagos, Other States Kayode Tokede In its drive to allow investors own properties and support the federal government in tackling housing deficit in Nigeria, a real estate development company, KPL relaunched estate co-ownership in Lagos, and three other states.

Speaking recently at the 2022 investors banquet with a theme: ‘Gathering of businessmen and women and captains of industry with real estate foresight’ in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, KPL, Peace Omesue, noted that the company relaunched the initiative to create room for more investors to own their estate.

According to her, “What actually gave birth to the Estate to ownership project was as a result of people owning their own estate inside an existing estate.

“A lot of investors have realised that it is difficult to keep properties they bought from a family, especially developed locations like Mowe, Ibeju Lekki and Epe. Most people are afraid to venture into real estate projects due to the fear factor.

KPL came up with an idea of owning a mini-estate inside an existing estate. It could be one hectare or more. The aim is to help people not to lose their money anymore and give them peace of mind, security and comfort for their properties they purchased with KPL.” She noted that the initiative was suspended by developers in the country, stressing that KPL reintroduced it to create room for more investors to own an estate inside the company’s existing estate.

She said, “What we normally do is that we go to fast developing areas, buy hectares of land and encourage people to own a mini-estate inside an existing estate.

“This mini-estate is secured, comes with a peace of mind and investors know who is collecting the money from them.”

She explained that a property owner with KPL gets 70 per cent value of the land and they get rental income on the land if investors are not using the property and decide to rent it out for farming.

She added that, “The major thing is that the land is safe since investors are buying from us. At KPL, we promise high return on your investment, peace of mind and security.

EFG Hermes Completes Role as Joint Bookrunner in $2bn Borouge’s IPO Kayode Tokede EFG Hermes, the leading investment bank franchise in Frontier Emerging Markets (FEM), announced that its Investment Banking division successfully concluded its role as joint bookrunner on Borouge plc’s $2 billion (AED 7.35 billion) Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).

The transaction marks the largest-ever listing in Abu Dhabi’s history since ADNOC Drilling’s $1.1 billion (AED 4 billion) IPO. Borouge, one of the world’s

leading providers of advanced polyolefin solutions, listed 3.0 billion shares — 10per cent of its share capital — at a share price of AED 2.45, indicating a market capitalization of AED AED 73.6 billion ($20 billion).

EFG Hermes’ Co-Head of Investment Banking, Mohamed Fahmi in a statement said,“We’re extremely proud of this transaction — as we continue to play a proactive role in enriching the Emirati market and the Middle East at large with a multitude of accretive investment prospects.”

He said further that, “Despite the macroeconomic turbulence that continues to pose a threat

to global markets, the UAE still manages to hold its stance as a promising and resilient equity market.

“The nation’s recent IPOs, which boomed particularly in 2021, have garnered significant investor interest, solidifying the UAE’s position as a highly favourable destination for equity investors.

“Borouge plc’s deal comes as the latest addition to a series of megahit offerings in the region that are fueling economic growth, creating jobs, enhancing competitiveness, and broadening investment opportunities in the GCC.”

L-R: 14th President of the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) ,Lady Margaret Nkechi Moore and Commissioner for Insurance/CEO, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM),Sunday Olorunda Thomas, during the investiture of Margaret More as the new President of PILA in Lagos... recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT MONDAY MAY 30, 2022

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $118.84 a barrel on Friday, compared with $116.50 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

51

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͮ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

London Stock Exchange Lauds Orjiako’s Achievements as Seplat’s Pioneer Chairman Kayode Tokede The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has celebrated the many achievements of Dr ABC Orjiako, the pioneer chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Nigeria’s leading energy company.

Seplat Energy Plc which is listed on both Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and London Stock Exchange is driving the country’s energy

transition towards cleaner, more reliable energy.

Orjiako retired last month after 13 years as the board chairman of Seplat Energy Plc. Orjiako in his reaction at the event in London, said: “It is the magnanimity of the LSE (London stock exchange) and LSEG’s Africa Advisory Group (LAAG) that made it possible for us to be here today. It is not an easy thing to ring the

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

opening bell of the LSE, for me to use this to mark my exit as the chairman of Seplat brings very old memories to me starting from 2014 when we first rang the bell to list our security in this market.”

“One of the things that gladdens my heart is the fact that everything on the board turned green as we rang the bell; this is very important for us in Seplat.

Colour green not only signifies

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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

good performance in the market but because green is a very important symbol in Seplat.

It symbolises life, it symbolises what this company represents particularly sustainability and business,” Orjiako said.

The Chief Executive Officer, LSE Plc, Julia Hogget, noted, “I have had the opportunity occasionally to meet members in person, but this is really the first opportunity. Not all of us,

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

but a lot of us have managed to come for this important occasion and to acknowledge the many achievements that you (ABC Orjiako) have had in your career.”

Speaking, Chairman, Seplat Energy Plc, Basil Omiyi said: “I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Board and management of Seplat Energy on this special occasion organized by the LSE and LAAG in honour of Dr

O F

ABC Orjiako, the Pioneer Chairman of Seplat Energy in recognition of his accomplishments with the Exchange and to mark his retirement from the board of Seplat Energy.”

Also speaking, Suneel Bakhshi, chairman of LSEG’s Africa Advisory Group said, “It is a pleasure to say there is a natural respect from all LAAG members for ABC.

0 9 / 0 6 / 2 0 2 2 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

52

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

Friday, June 10, 2022

Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index fell bySheds 14bps7bps The dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ϭϰďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ The Thisday Afrinvest 40 index dipped 7bps to

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

at 1,674.89 points due to sell-pressure on ZENITH (-0.6%), Ϯ͕ϰϵϲ͘ϬϬ ŝŶĚĞdž ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƐĞůů ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ WAPCO (-1.3%), and UBA (-0.7%). These stocks cumula-

on ZENITH (-Ϯ͘ϰйͿ͕ ACCESS (-0.5%), and UBA (-

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϭϯ͘Ϯй͘

ϭ͘ϯйͿ͘ ƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ

Current Price

Ticker

8.3% of the index.

ASI up 11bps as DANGCEM Gains 3.3%

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

WƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ĚĂLJ͕ Extends ƉƌŝĐĞ ƵƉƟĐŬ The Local Bourse Losses...ŝŶ ASI,KEz&>KhZ down (+9.8%), E' D ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ & E, (+0.7%) bol4bps

index

rose

by

ĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĐŚŵĂƌŬ ŝŶĚĞdž ĨĞůů

5 Zenith Bank PLC 6 Dangote Cement PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC

11bps to 39,550.36 points. ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ ŝŵͲ

8 FBN Holdings Plc 9 Lafarge Africa PLC

proved to -1.8% while ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ

10 Access Holdings PLC 11 United Bank for Africa PLC

4bps to 53,170.73 points due to sell pressure on ZENITH (-Ϯ͘ϰйͿ͕ (-0.9%), and NB (-1.1%). േϮϯ͘ϰďŶ ƚŽ േϮϬ͘ϲƚŶ͘GTCO dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ Ϯϰ͘ϱй ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ Ϯϭ͘ϲй ƚŽ ϭϭϬ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ value ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƌŽƐĞ ďLJ ϴϴ͘ϱй ƚŽ േϯ͘ϭďŶ͘ The most ʬϭϮ͘ϱďŶ traded stocks ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ƐŚĞĚ ƚŽ by volume were dZ E^ KZW ;ϭϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ & E, (11.1m

ʬϮϴ͘ϳƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ ĂŶĚ K E K ;ϳ͘ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ E ^d> ;േϮ͘ϮďŶͿ͕

E' D ;േϭϰϱ͘ϬŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;േϭϯϰ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

ƟǀĞůLJ ƚŽ ϯϭϴ͘ϰŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ ʬ3.3bn.

bearish as 4 indices lost, 1 index gained ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ &Z-/ d

was bullish as 4 indices gained, 1 lost while the ŝŶĚĞdž ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŽƉƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵͲ

5.2x

0.8x

6.2%

17.7%

84.9%

18.2%

6.2%

240.00

0.0%

8.0%

21.8%

21.8%

105.6%

13.9%

15.2x

18.7x

5.5%

74.25

0.0%

6.1%

10.7%

10.7%

23.3%

12.1%

27.9x

6.3x

3.9%

3.6%

22.20

-0.9%

4.5%

-14.6%

-14.6%

19.8%

3.2%

3.7x

0.7x

13.4%

27.4% 34.8%

1.2% 6.6%

22.85

-2.4%

4.3%

-9.1%

-9.1%

20.6%

2.6%

2.9x

0.5x

13.6%

277.00

0.0%

3.8%

7.8%

7.8%

37.7%

16.4%

12.5x

4.6x

7.5%

8.0%

1,400.00

0.0%

2.5%

-10.1%

-10.1%

112.8%

16.1%

24.3x

28.3x

3.6%

4.1%

10.30

0.0%

2.5%

-9.6%

-9.6%

20.1%

1.9%

2.2x

0.4x

3.4%

45.0%

28.00

1.8%

3.1%

16.9%

16.9%

15.5%

11.1%

7.6x

1.1x

7.1%

13.2%

9.75

-0.5%

2.3%

4.8%

4.8%

17.9%

1.6%

2.1x

0.3x

7.1%

46.9%

7.70

-1.3%

1.7%

-4.3%

-4.3%

15.6%

1.4%

2.2x

0.3x

13.0%

45.3%

33.60

0.3%

1.2%

-6.7%

-6.7%

15.6%

2.1%

7.1x

1.1x

8.9%

14.1%

63.00

-1.1%

1.6%

26.0%

26.0%

10.5%

3.9%

27.1x

2.7x

2.5%

3.7%

1,289.50

0.0%

2.5%

98.4%

98.4%

7.5%

3.6%

13.2x

1.0x

3.2%

7.6%

11.10

-0.9%

1.4%

27.6%

27.6%

18.4%

1.0%

2.4x

0.4x

6.0%

42.3%

16 International Brew eries PLC 17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 18 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria 26 Presco PLC

Across sectors performance was Across sectorsunder withinourourcoverage, coverage, performance

34.6% 149.6%

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

P/BV

84.9%

22 FCMB Group Plc 23 United Capital PLC 24 Guinness Nigeria PLC

Bearish Sector Performance Bullish Sector Performance

P/E

45.5%

19 Fidelity Bank PLC 20 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƌŽƐĞ Ϯϳ͘ϵй ĂŶĚ ϳϵ͘ϰй ƌĞƐƉĞĐͲ

ROA

0.0%

12 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC 13 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 14 SEPLAT Energy PLC 15 Ecobank Transnational Inc

-0.07%

ROE

1,766.00

3 BUA Cement Plc 4 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC

stered ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ the local bourse as the AllzĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ĚŽŵĞƐƟĐ ďŽƵƌƐĞ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŝƚƐ ŶĞŐͲ Share

2496.00

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC

Price Previous Price Current Change Price Change Weighting Index to Change YTD Date

7.40

4.2%

1.3%

49.5%

49.5%

-9.9%

-3.4%

193.50

0.0%

1.2%

36.3%

36.3%

43.6%

25.5%

10.1x

4.2x

4.0%

9.9%

35.00

0.0%

1.0%

23.5%

23.5%

15.9%

4.5%

5.4x

0.8x

6.1%

18.7% 39.3%

1.4x

-7.2%

3.35

1.5%

0.7%

31.4%

31.4%

13.3%

1.2%

2.5x

0.3x

10.4%

2.13

2.9%

0.4%

-8.2%

-8.2%

2.9%

0.9%

20.3x

0.6x

11.7%

4.9%

16.25

0.0%

0.4%

-6.6%

-6.6%

16.7%

6.6%

8.7x

1.4x

6.2%

11.5%

10.7%

1.1%

3.25

0.0%

0.4%

8.7%

8.7%

13.35

-0.7%

0.4%

34.8%

34.8%

90.50

0.0%

0.7%

132.1%

132.1%

1.32

1.5%

0.4%

37.5%

37.5%

17.8%

8.1%

13.5x

0.3x

6.0%

3.4x

11.2%

2.2x

0.5%

0.5x

1.5%

7.4%

162.00

0.0%

0.4%

84.5%

84.5%

7.6x

4.5x

4.0%

13.2%

27 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 28 AIICO Insurance PLC

12.85

0.0%

0.2%

-2.7%

-2.7%

18.5%

5.7%

12.9x

2.3x

3.1%

7.7%

0.68

1.5%

0.2%

-2.9%

-2.9%

21.1%

3.6%

27.6x

0.6x

2.9%

3.6%

29 TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeri 30 Custodian and Allied Insurance

234.50

0.0%

0.2%

5.7%

5.7%

1.7x

7.9%

7.00

0.0%

0.2%

-11.4%

-11.4%

19.5%

5.5%

4.1x

0.8x

7.1%

24.3%

31 Vitafoam Nigeria PLC 32 Unilever Nigeria PLC

22.50

0.0%

0.2%

0.0%

0.0%

50.3%

19.0%

4.2x

2.1x

6.7%

23.9%

14.90

0.0%

0.1%

2.8%

2.8%

8.8%

5.4%

29.1x

1.3x

3.4%

3.4%

& Gas indices led advancers, up 1.5% and 0.5% ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚ-ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ E ^d> (-

33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 34 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

26.90

0.0%

0.2%

20.4%

20.4%

18.1%

2.3%

6.0x

0.8x

9.3%

16.7%

6.50

0.0%

0.1%

10.2%

10.2%

6.1%

0.7%

10.2x

0.7x

9.8%

9.1%), hE/> s Z (-3.5%), (-6.4%), ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͕ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ƉƌŝĐĞ >/E< ^^hZ ƵƉƟĐŬ ŝŶ KZE Z^d

35 Oando PLC 36 Wema Bank PLC

6.20

3.3%

0.1%

40.3%

40.3%

14.5%

2.6%

2.7x

0.4x

37.5%

3.23

-1.8%

0.0%

348.6%

348.6%

15.6%

0.9%

12.0x

1.7x

7.4%

8.4%

3.85

0.0%

0.1%

-14.4%

-14.4%

22.3%

12.9%

4.0x

0.8x

5.7%

25.1%

1.9x

0.3x

6.5%

52.3%

AFR-ICT ŝŶĚĞdž ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŚĞ Insurance and Oil er 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ Insurance indices, down 4.6% and

and D E^ Z (-Ϯ͘ϮйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬͲ ;нϴ͘ϵйͿ͕ D E^ Z ;нϮ͘ϵйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ K E K ;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͘ ing indices fell by Ϭ͘Ϯй ĂŶĚ ϮďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůů-

&ŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ͕ ƚŚĞ Consumer and Industrial Goods

37 NEM Insurance PLC 38 Sterling Bank PLC 39 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

ŽīƐ ŝŶ K E K (-0.8%), E/d, (-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͘

1.54

0.0%

0.1%

2.0%

2.0%

9.9%

0.9%

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-17.7%

-4.1%

6.25

0.0%

0.0%

16.2%

16.2%

1.8x

-9.5%

1.0x

1.1%

indices rose 0.1% apiece due to buying interest in ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶͲ

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a in e r s

/Ed Z t hZz t WͲ er, up ;нϰ͘ϮйͿ͕ 1.8% driven by ;нϮ͘ϭйͿ͕ price ĂŶĚ apprecia-

T ic k er

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

UP L

2.90

9.4%

T R A N SC OR P

165.2

1.5%

C OR N ER ST

0.61

8.9%

GT C O

22.2

-0.9%

ELLA H LA KES

3.69

7.9%

UB A

19.1

-1.3%

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ Ϯ͘ϰйͿ ĂŶĚ h ;-1.3%).

IN T B R EW

7.40

4.2%

FB NH

13.3

0.0%

R EGA LIN S

0.28

3.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

12.6

-2.4%

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ

OA N D O

6.20

3.3%

N GXGR OUP

10.4

-0.4%

10.4

-0.7%

(+3.3%). ƟŽŶ in E' D K ;нϭ͘ϴйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ index de-

ĐůŝŶĞĚ ϭ͘Ϯй ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ƐĞůůŽīƐ ŝŶ E/d, ;-

;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͕ ƐĞƩůŝŶŐ Ăƚ 1.6x Outlook ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϯdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ Ϯϰ stocks Investor ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ advanced while 15 stocks declined. MRS (+9.9%), MAY-

M A N SA R D

2.13

2.9%

UC A P

C A D B UR Y

17.00

2.1%

A C C ESSC OR P

8.2

-0.5%

1.8%

ST ER LN B A N K

4.7

0.0%

1.6%

WA P C O

4.7

1.8%

WA P C O H ON YF LOUR

breadth, strengthened to -Ϭ͘ϬϮdž ĨƌŽŵ -0.03x in while ABCTRANS (-8.3%), LASACO (-6.7%), and LIVE-

ĐůŝŶĞĚ ǁŚŝůĞ ϴϰ ŇĂƚ͘ In day, today͛s trading STOCK (-4.8%) led ĐůŽƐĞĚ losers. Previous we expect the ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ earnings season session of the week, we ŵŝdžĞĚ͕ expectĂƐ the market to

3.20

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s

BAKER (+9.8%), and HONYFLOUR (+9.8%) led gainers

the prior session as 15 stocks advanced, 17 de-

28.00

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

C ILEA SIN G

3.20

-8.6%

N EST LE

678.5

0.0%

F T N C OC OA

0.33

-8.3%

GT C O

493.1

-0.9%

IKEJ A H OT EL

1.20

-3.2%

M TNN

291.3

0.0%

290.7

-2.4% -0.4%

T ic k er

P ric e C hg %

GLA XOSM IT H

7.10

-2.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

gradually winds up.ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂďƐĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĐĂƚĂͲ ĐůŽƐĞ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ

Z EN IT H B A N K

22.85

-2.4%

N GXGR OUP

260.2

WEM A B A N K

3.23

-1.8%

T R A N SC OR P

225.9

1.5%

lysts.

C UT IX

2.70

-1.5%

UB A

148.6

-1.3%

UB A NB LA SA C O

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

7.70

-1.3%

UC A P

138.7

-0.7%

63.00

-1.1%

FB NH

135.2

0.0%

1.04

-1.0%

WA P C O

130.0

1.8%

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Damilare Asimiyu | dasimiyu@afrinvest.com

53

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022 • T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 6-June-2022, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Dollar Fund N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.08% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.76 3.83 6.20% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 4.56% Anchoria Equity Fund 149.87 151.57 7.63% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.20 1.20 4.66% info@anchoriaam.com ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 22.37 23.04 10.28% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 517.39 532.99 14.68% ARM Ethical Fund 43.43 44.74 11.49% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.06 1.07 -1.77% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.04 1.04 2.71% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.28% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 105.63 105.63 8.49% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Naira 1,113.22 1,113.22 11.32% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.12 2.12 7.52% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.37 2.42 19.79% CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,011.79 1,011.79 4.08% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.05 1.05 3.77% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.29% Paramount Equity Fund 20.53 20.91 17.73% Women's Investment Fund 153.80 155.76 8.33% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.98% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.04 1.04 8.15% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.08 1.08 17.76% Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 102.56 102.56 4.49% FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Bond Fund 1459.91 1459.91 10.46% FBN Balanced Fund 194.84 196.24 11.17% FBN Halal Fund 120.22 120.22 9.24% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.24% FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) 124.04 124.04 5.49% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 167.67 169.86 10.23% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.74% Legacy Debt Fund 3.97 3.97 -0.86% Legacy Equity Fund 1.98 2.02 14.10% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.23 1.23 1.72% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn

Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

4,231.03 3,563.01 100.00

4,293.36 3,562.39 100.00

20.02% 6.26% 5.11%

FSDH Dollar Fund 1.10 1.10 3.85% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.30% Vantage Balanced Fund 3.08 3.12 14.21% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 140.66 140.66 2.65% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.34 1.37 12.39% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.09 1.09 4.12% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.58 1.61 11.53% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,167.90 1,167.90 4.19% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 12.72 12.77 16.18% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 8.03% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 102.18 102.18 7.60% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 8.00% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.69 1.72 7.51% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.80 11.82 5.54% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 5.91% PACAM Equity Fund 1.54 1.55 7.98% PACAM EuroBond Fund 114.73 117.66 0.80% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 130.85 134.11 9.68% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.04 1.04 8.50% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,742.37 3,785.11 -0.81% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 239.05 239.05 0.08% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.49 1.52 -0.33% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 320.69 320.70 0.12% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 275.07 278.83 -0.54% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.67% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 12,471.39 12,643.08 -1.43% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.32 1.32 0.11% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.57 118.57 0.08% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 109.63 109.63 0.15% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 1.07 1.09 15.04% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.51 1.53 10.65% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.22 1.24 12.06% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.11 1.11 3.21% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 2.01 2.01 2.88% United Capital Eurobond Fund 125.29 125.29 2.41% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.60% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund 14.10 14.24 6.96% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 16.28 16.46 11.45% Zenith Income Fund 22.67 22.67 3.27% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.49% VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund 4.15 4.25 3.46% Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund 6.41 6.51 9.61% Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund 19.60 19.80 10.78% Vetiva Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.45% Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund 21.86 22.06 9.36% Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund 152.52 154.52 -3.30%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

116.80 51.75

3.19% 1.76%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

15.42 148.27 117.53 17.10 16.40

15.52 151.86 120.05 17.20 16.50

10.20% -1.84% -1.14% 24.07% 11.73%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.55

12.10%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

54

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

NEWS

DIRI AT EU EMBASSY...

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri (middle) with the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Ms Samuela Isopi (2nd left) and other officials when the governor visited the EU Embassy in Abuja... yesterday

Court Discharges, Acquits Wife of Former PPMC MD, Five Others of Alleged Money Laundering Charges Orders immediate unfreezing of bank accounts, unsealing of properties Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court yesterday freed Mrs. Ochuko Momoh, wife of a former Managing Director of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Haruna Momoh and five others in a money laundering related charges.

Justice Taiwo in a judgment delivered held that the prosecution failed to prove its allegations against the defendants.

The court accordingly discharged and acquit them from the charge.

The court in addition ordered that all her bank accounts as well as that of her companies frozen as a result of the case be immediately unfrozen, "upon service" of the judgment on the plaintiff and the affected banks.

The court also ordered the prosecution to immediately unseal all properties both immovable and movable belonging to Mrs. Momoh.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) had in 2020, arraigned the defendants on a 22-count criminal charge bordering on alleged money laundering running into billions of naira.

They pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were admitted to bail so as to prepare effectively for their defense.

Besides Mrs. Momoh, other defendants included Blessing Azuka-Agozi, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Energopol Nigeria Limited, Blaid Construction Limited and

Blaid Farms Limited.

The prosecution had accused the defendants of laundering the sum of $700 million while Haruna Momoh held sway at the PPMC between 2011 and 2015.

They further alleged that Mr. Momoh through his wife's firms laundered another sum of N249 million.

Before yesterday's judgment, the prosecution led by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, called seven witnesses and tendered several documents to prove its case against the defendants.

However, delivering judgment in the suit yesterday, Justice Taiwo remarked that in a criminal case, it was the duty of the prosecution to prove the allegations of crime, adding that where there was a doubt, the court must resolve the issue in favour of the defendants.

According to the judge, the case of the prosecution was unreliable because it was built on mere speculation and conjecture.

Justice Taiwo stated that the prosecution failed to prove that the transaction leading to the deposits of the monies in the accounts of the 5th defendants were from illegal activities.

According to the judge, evidence before it showed that the N249 million was payment made to the 5th defendant for the contract it carried out for the PPMC. In addition, the court held that the prosecution failed to prove that the 5th defendant was given undue advantage over other companies that bided for the contract, or was not qualified to be awarded the contract.

The judge stressed that the prosecution ought to have even check whether the contract was executed by the defendants in the first place before making allegations.

The judge noted that witnesses called by the prosecution stated that they did not have reason to suspect the monies from Mrs. Momoh because of the nature of her business (poultry), adding that all transactions were done in line with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial regulators.

Similarly, on the allegation that the second defendant refused to honour plaintiff's invitation in respect of the suit, the court held that it is untenable in law for the prosecution to have made such invitation orally.

"The case of the prosecution is weak and unreliable", the judge said.

"Consequently the prosecution haven failed to prove the allegations the defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted from all the 22 criminal count charge", Justice Taiwo added.

Following request by Mr. Ade Adedeji, SAN, counsel to the 1st, 5th and 6th defendants, the judge ordered the immediate unfreezing of the accounts of Blaid Construction and Blaid Farms belonging to Mrs. Momoh.

The interim order of forfeiture was made by Justice Inyang Ekwo pending the determination of the criminal case.

Recall that Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court had in a judgment delivered on July 4,

2019, ordered the ICPC to vacate attachments placed on the assets of Mrs. Momoh and ordered them to also erase all inscription such as, "keep off, under investigation

by ICPC." The judge held that, "where there is no prosecution for 12 months all seized property should be released to the owners.”

Speaking to journalists shortly after the judgment, Mrs. Momoh's lawyer, commended the court for ensuring that justice was served at the end of the day.

"After four years, indeed more than that, justice has been served with what happened today.

"Our client has been discharged and acquitted on all the 22 count charge which were fabricated, which were not proved, which were conjectures.

"We thank the court, we thank the judiciary for their thoroughness, for their hard work, for their painstaking efforts to see that indeed justice was served," he said.

Adedeji, however, urged the prosecution to always do their job diligently and ensure that they commence prosecution only when they have real facts and are convinced that they have a case against anyone.

Hon Justice Taiwo Taiwo observed that the court in July 2019, had earlier ruled through Hon Justice BFM Nyako that investigations by any government agency should not and cannot be in perpetuity. And the view of the court remains the same in this matter. Therefore, the matter should be put to rest at this point.

Unpaid Allowance: Protesting Workers Disrupt Activities at National Assembly Udora Orizu in Abuja The industrial action embarked upon by members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) has entered day four as the protesters arrived the National Assembly complex yesterday with cooking pots, mattress, water etc.

The aggrieved workers who had on Monday commenced an indefinite strike, accused the management of the National Assembly of reneging on a Memorandum of Understanding

it entered with the union to fully implement their Revised Condition of Service and the training and re-training of staff.

They also demanded the payment of arrears of minimum wage, leave grant and other allowances.

The protesters blocked the gates of the complex and prevented workers, visitors and other ancillary service providers at the National from gaining entrance.

They displayed various placards which some carried ‘CNA say Lawan and Gbajabiamila borrow

money go do election’ among others.

Both Senators and House of Representatives members had extended their recess to June 14, to enable their political parties conclude their primary elections.

It was observed that the protesting workers had hired a caterer who was seen preparing dishes at the gate l. They also brought in mats and other indoor games as a way of sustaining their siege to the Complex. It was further observed that a disc jockey had also been stationed at

the gate and providing musical entertainment.

No vehicular movement was also allowed into the complex except members of the armed forces, Department of State Service, police and other paramilitary personnel attached to the National Assembly.

The Chairman of the National Assembly Chapter of PASAN, Sunday Sabiyi, told reporters that the workers would not back down until management meets all demands tendered before them.

Ugwuanyi Offers Bursary to 165 Enugu Law Students The administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has offered bursary to 165 Enugu students in different campuses of the Nigeria Law School across the country.

The I65 beneficiaries of the bursary were identified and listed

by Enugu law students when they interacted with Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu, recently.

Confirming the disbursement of the bursary to the law students, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Scholarship Board, Uche Levis Abonyi, in a statement explained that each of the beneficiaries received the sum of N100,000 from the state government, through his office.

Abonyi disclosed that Ugwuanyi started paying the bursary to Enugu State indigenes

in the Nigeria Law School in 2020, during the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

He added that the state government during the peak of COVID-19 in 2020 paid the sum of N24,600,000 to Enugu law students to cushion the adverse effects of the pandemic, stressing that, “this payment was made at a time most states were struggling to pay workers'

salaries because of economic recession.”

The Executive Secretary urged the students to be good ambassadors of the state wherever they find themselves, and, “always have our dear state, Enugu, in your prayers for the sustenance of peace, security and good governance entrenched by Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration.”

Reacting on their behalf, the leader of the law students, Michael Kenechukwu Onah expressed gratitude to Ugwuanyi for continued show of humility, benevolence and steadfastness to the wellbeing of Enugu indigenes and residents in spite of the nation’s economic challenges.

Onah reiterated the commitment of the law students

towards making Enugu State proud, promising Ugwuanyi that they would surely make him proud in the Bar Finals coming up in August this year in appreciation of his kind gesture.

Describing the bursary as, “a privilege, not a right,” the leader of the law students, reassured the governor of their support, prayers and solidarity.

55

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

NEWS

JONATHAN GOES TO FRSC TO RENEW DRIVER’S LICENCE...

L-R: Former Corps Marshal, FRSC, Osita Chidoka; Corps Marshal, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi; former President, Goodluck Jonathan, and Corps Public Education Officer, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, when the former president went for the renew of his driver's licence at FRSC's Headquarters, Abuja… yesterday

Despite Waning Investments, Oil Financing Boosts Nigeria’s FDI to $7bn Africa gets $83bn, West Africa sees 48% increase Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria emerged West Africa’s largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with its flows doubling to $4.8 billion, mainly due to a resurgence in investments in the oil and gas sectors, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said yesterday.

With other international project finance deals in the country, it jumped to $7 billion, a report by the organisation said, including the $2.9 billion Escravos Seaport project to construct an industrial complex.

Although the report which covered business activities in 2021 said that there had been a jump in investments, however Nigeria has been starved of funding for its oil and gas sector in recent times, a development that is partly responsible for its inability to meet its production quota.

“Nigeria, West Africa’s largest recipient of FDI, saw its flows double to $4.8 billion, mainly because of a resurgence in investments in the

oil and gas sectors. “ International project finance deals in the country jumped to $7 billion. These included the $2.9 billion Escravos Seaport project to construct an industrial complex,” it said.

But despite the overall positive FDI trend on the continent, total greenfield announcements into Africa remained low at $39 billion, showing only a modest recovery from the $32 billion recorded in 2020 – and way below the $77 billion registered in 2019, UNCTAD said.

It added that the number of international projects in renewables in Africa climbed to 71 – nearly double the 36 recorded in 2011.

These include a $20 billion project to provide solar and wind energy from Morocco to the United Kingdom via 3,800 km of sub-sea cables.

“For long-term prospects, the African continent has great potential to attract international investment in the green and blue economies, as well as infrastructure,” James Zhan, Director of UNCTAD’s investment and enterprise division said.

FG: WE’VE TRACED OWO KILLINGS TO ISWAP Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), in Akure, the state capital.

Led by its national leader, Ayo Adebanjo, in company with other members, Adebanjo commiserated with the governor, the Olowo of Owo, the Catholic church and the poeple of the state over the ugly incident, even as he referred to the governor as a true son of Yoruba race, saying his courage in establishing Amotekun corps was typical of a true Yoruba man.

The Afenifere leader, particularly, commended Akeredolu for doing his best to secure not only the state but the South-West region, adding that the security situation in the Southwest could have been worse, but for the establishment of the Amotekun corps.

He said: "The elections we are going into will be an exercise in futility if we don't change the constitution. We want state police and restructuring before the elections.

So, change the constitution before moving further," Adebanjo insisted.

He saluted the courage and stance

of the governor on issues of national importance, saying Akeredolu has always demonstrated that he was a politician with a second address.

The Afenifere leader insisted on the change of the constitution to give the country a people's constitution and equal opportunity to all.

He said Nigerians were currently suffering under what he called "military imposed fraudulent constitution".

The group, however, donated N1.5m to the church and victims of the attack.

Speaking, Akeredolu appreciated them for visiting and, noted that his administration would not back down on its Anti-open Grazing Law. "What we have suffered is not just gruesome, for me it is like an annihilation, because these animals in human's skin did not come to kidnap, because they picked nobody.

They did not come to steal, because they took no Kobo. But they came to maim and kill. So, that is why we have never minced words to say they are terrorists.

“A challenge is to further improve the investment climate and strengthen Africa’s capacity to absorb such sustainable investment,” he added.

The continent saw foreign direct investment rebound strongly after the fall in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to UNCTAD. In all, African countries hit a record $83 billion in 2021, according to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2022, more than double the amount reported in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic weighed heavily on investment flows to the continent.

Despite the strong growth, investment flows to Africa accounted for only 5.2 per cent of global FDI, up from 4.1 per cent in 2020.

While most Africa countries saw a moderate rise in FDI in 2021, around

45 per cent of the total was due to an intra-firm financial transaction in South Africa.

“If we exclude this transaction, the increase in FDI flows to Africa, while still positive, would be more in line with what we observed in other developing regions,” Zhan stressed.

In terms of sub-regions, Southern Africa, East Africa and West Africa saw their investment flows rise while those to Central Africa remained flat and North Africa registered a decline.

The largest holders of foreign assets in Africa remained Europeans, led by investors in the United Kingdom ($65 billion) and France ($60 billion).

FDI to Southern Africa increased almost tenfold to $42 billion. The strong increase was due primarily to a large corporate reconfiguration

in South Africa – a share exchange between Naspers and Prosus in the third quarter of 2021.

New project announcements in the country included a $4.6 billion clean energy project finance deal sponsored by UK-based Hive Energy and a $1 billion greenfield project

by US-based Vantage Data Centres to build its first African campus.

Investment flows to Mozambique grew by 68 per cent to $5.1 billion. The country saw a jump in greenfield projects, including UK-based Globeleq Generation’s plan to build power plants for $2 billion.

Meanwhile, investment flows to Zambia remained negative at -$457 million, a steep fall from -$173 million in 2020, due mostly to a $1.5 billion copper mine divestment by Swiss-based Glencore to state-owned ZCCM Investments Holdings.

Projects in extractive industries also helped push FDI to Ghana up to $2.6 billion – an increase of 39 per cent compared with 2020.

Senegal also saw a notable 21 per cent increase in FDI, which reached $2.2 billion. The country registered a 27 per cent rise in announced greenfield projects.

Investment flows to East Africa increased by 35 per cent to $8.2 billion. Ethiopia, a central hub for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, saw FDI flows rise by 79 per cent to $4.3 billion in 2021. Four out of five international project finance announcements in the country were in renewables.

Other notable increases were reported by Uganda (31 per cent to $1.1 billion) and Tanzania (35 per cent to $922 million), which saw new greenfield project announcements triple in 2021.

Report: Worsening Insecurity Will Harm Nigeria, Others’ Economic Outlook Says Afreximbank disbursed $8bn as COVID-19 response Dike Onwuamaeze The African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) has warned that the worsening security situation in Nigeria and some other countries in Africa would weigh negatively on the continent’s growth outlook in 2022.

The warning was contained in the bank’s report titled: “Africa’s 2022 Growth Prospects: Poise under Post-Pandemic and Heightening Geopolitical Pressures,” released yesterday, which was written by the Chief Economist and Director of Research at Afreximbank, Dr. Hippolyte Fofack. The bank also disclosed that it disbursed $8 billion as part of its COVID-19 response efforts to help African economies adjust to the virus-induced macroeconomic fallout.

It said: “If the security environment continues to decay, it will weigh heavily on Africa’s growth outlook by deterring private capital and diverting scarce resources away from productive investments, including

infrastructure.

“Sustaining the growth of these investments is critical if we are to capitalise on the competitiveness and productivity gains associated with the AfCFTA. As governments across the region draw on a wide range of instruments and policies — including external and internal adjustments, as well as support from multilateral and development finance institutions — to navigate myriad short term risks, they must not lose sight of the long-term benefits of security and structural reforms. Such measures are essential if countries are to put themselves on the path of robust, inclusive growth and fiscal and debt sustainability.”

The Afreximank also said in the report that African economies exhibited remarkable resilience for growing by 6.9 per cent in 2021 from 1.7per cent contraction recorded at the peak of COVID-19 in 2020.

According to the bank, Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was projected to expand by around 3.9 per cent in 2022, adding that

growth forecasts showed that the economic expansion of 16 countries (representing around 30 per cent of all African nations) would exceed 5.0 per cent in 2022, But the report also charged central banks in Africa to effectively pursue the price stability objective without derailing the incipient global recovery, which has been caught in the crossfire in Ukraine.

The report added: “The latest example is the Afreximbank’s Pandemic Trade Impact Mitigation Facility (PATIMFA), which enabled the bank to disburse more than $8 billion as part of its COVID-19 response efforts to help its worstaffected members adjust to the virus-induced macroeconomic fallout.

“These counter cyclical financing facilities have also enabled Afreximbank to leverage more resources from other development partners and institutions to fast-track the process of economic recovery and sustain the region on a long-run growth trajectory.”

The report also stated that the

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would be a game changer for African industrialisation.

“Realising the AfCFTA, which entered into force last year, was an important milestone on the path towards the diversification of sources of growth and trade in Africa for enhanced macroeconomic stability.

The convergence of countries across the region towards the harmonised rules of origin later this year will help cement the agreement as a game[1] changer for African industrialisation.

“Ultimately, it will enable the region to capitalise on the accelerated reordering of global supply chains for greater resilience, building back better post-pandemic,” the report said.

The Afreximbank further stated, “in the immediate short term, the most important challenge — as systemically important central banks pivot towards inflation-fighting mode — is to effectively pursue the price stability objective without derailing the incipient global recovery, which has been caught in the crossfire in Ukraine.

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NEWSXTRA

50 HEARTY CHEERS...

L-R: Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; his wife and celebrant, Tamunominini; their children, Tayo and Feyi, during the 50th birthday Church Service of the governor's wife held at Cathedral of St. Peter, Aremo, Ibadan ... yesterday

NLC, Falana Back Peter Obi as Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate Disclaims Okafor, says he was recruited to distract the party Factional candidate, Ezenwafor withdraws from 2023 race

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana have thrown their weight behind the emergence of former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi as the presidential standard bearer of the Labour Party in next year's general election.

Against the background of the emergence of a splinter group laying claim to both the leadership of the party and its presidential ticket, the labour union said both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) recognise the leadership of the Labour Party led by Julius Abure, a former trade union leader.

In a statement signed by NLC President Ayuba Wabba, the Congress said Labour Party was a, "creation and offspring of the Nigeria Labour Congress," adding that workers are part of the leadership of the party.

Wabba said the NLC and TUC recognise only one presidential primary which was held in Asaba, Delta State on May 30, 2022, and produced Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and standard bearer.

In the statement, the NLC added: "It has been brought to our attention that a so-called faction of the Labour Party recently conducted what we can describe as a ‘beer parlour’ presidential primary and supposedly elected a presidential candidate. Nothing can be more spurious, hilarious and ridiculous.

"There is only one Labour Party in Nigeria. For the purpose of public education and clarity, we will take a recourse to history. The Labour Party is the creation and offspring of the NLC." The NLC further explained that the decision to give birth to the political party was taken by its statutory organs and affirmed by the decision of the National Executive Council of Congress at its meeting in Bauchi in 2003, when it approved the formation of the Party for Social Democracy (PSD).

While tracing the origin of

Labour Party, Wabba said it was at the inaugural convention of PSD in 2004 that the NLC decided to change the name of PSD to the Labour Party.

Wabba said Labour Party may have gone through challenges but that the ownership of the party by the NLC and TUC has never been in doubt.

"As a matter of fact, the original certificate of the registration of the Labour Party is domiciled in the national headquarters of the NLC. Also, a Federal High Court judgement by Justice G.O. Kolawole in March 2018 clearly establishes that Labour Party belongs to workers.

"The point is that the Labour Party is what the NLC and TUC say it is. The leadership of the NLC and TUC recognise the leadership of the Labour Party led by Julius Abure, a former trade union leader and workers are part of the leadership.

"The NLC and TUC are aware of only one presidential primary which was held in Asaba, Delta State on 30th May 2022 and produced Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and standard bearer," he said.

In the statement, the NLC stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the presidential

primary that produced Obi, adding that INEC recognises only the Labour Party leadership led by the Chairman, Julius Abure and the National Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Umaru Ibrahim.

"They are the only Labour Party officials whose details are provided on INEC website.

"The leadership of the NLC and TUC gave our full support to the processes that produced Peter Obi as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. Nigerians especially workers, youths and women attended the presidential primary of the Labour Party in their thousands and were thoroughly satisfied with the outcome of the same," Wabba added.

The NLC described the emergence of factional group led by Calistus Okafor as a fruitless effort to distract the Labour Party from ongoing mass mobilisation efforts for sweeping electoral victory in the 2023 general elections.

It urged workers, youths, women, traders, farmers, professionals and all who seek the survival of Nigeria to continue to register for their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and to safeguard their PVC. "We understand that with the current repositioning of the Labour Party as the party for workers, youths, students, women, traders,

farmers, professionals, physically disabled persons, the unemployed and the downtrodden, the Labour Party has become the albatross of establishment political parties who have suddenly become jittery and are devising all forms of conspiracy theories and subterfuge to distract the Labour Party from ongoing mass mobilisation efforts for sweeping electoral victory in the 2023 general elections.

"The recruitment of one Calistus Okafor, a mischievous petty trader, to advance their evil plot of distraction is a new low and should be disregarded by the public.

"This, therefore, serves as a public disclaimer on Mr. Calistus Okafor. We warn the general public to steer clear of Calistus Okafor and characters who might want to cash in on the popularity of the Labour Party to hoodwink, extort and swindle unsuspecting members of the public.

"We, hereby, direct Nigerian workers and all the structures of the NLC and TUC to completely disregard the impersonation by Calistus Okafor who has no locus standi to speak for Labour Party.

"Workers and millions of members of Labour Party who desire a New Nigeria should regard tantrums by characters like Calistus Okafor as a mere

storm in a tea cup.

"Truth is that the bull has already left the barn! Nigerian workers, youths, students, women, professionals, the disabled, and the unemployed have embraced the Labour Party as the political vehicle of the downtrodden, the political alternative and a voice for the re-start of a genuine journey of national development.

"There is no amount of political devilry that can stop us! Forward ever!! Backward Never," it said.

No faction in Labour Party, Falana Declares Also, Falana, who is the lawyer to the NLC yesterday declared that there was no faction within the party.

Falana stated this in a statement made available to THISDAY in Abuja.

The statement by one of the Counsel in his chambers, Abubakar Marshall, insisted that there was no faction in the LP. The statement read, "The dispute in the Labour Party led to the institution of Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/865/2014 (Labour Party & 3 Ors v Comrade Salisu Mohammed & 8 Ors).Sometime in 2018.

"The parties resolved to resolve the intra party dispute amicably.

They agreed and signed some terms of settlement. Thus, by an

Skills Acquisition: FG Replicates Massachusetts Institute of Technology in New Curriculum Kuni Tyessi in Abuja In order to improve employability, skill acquisition and entrepreneurship, the federal government has approved the duplication of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Abuja.

The institute which is set to take off this year would serve as a hub where all the top ideas of growing the country would be incubated and released for the various sectors of the Nigerian economy. According to him, the institute would take off this year.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu who hinted that the new education curriculum being developed would focus on skills and entrepreneurship in a bid to enhance the employability of graduates, said focus would be on technology, science, engineering among others.

Speaking at a one-day 'Transforming Education Summit organized by the National Universities Commission (NUC) yesterday in Abuja, the minister who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education

Trust Fund (TETFund) Sonny Echono noted that the whole world is now focusing on education because of the central role it plays.

He noted that the summit which is being held ahead of the global summit in September in New York, by the United Nations Secretary provides opportunity to brainstorm on the many challenges facing Nigeria's education sector such as poor funding, out-of-school children among others, as to find sustainable solution and transform the sector.

According to him, five thematic areas have been identified for

discussion, "The issue of curriculum for example, it has become important that the education sector should be increasingly more relevant and the changing role of the teacher being a facilitator rather than absolute harbinger of knowledge.

"The president has approved an institute in Abuja that resembles the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which will serve as a hub where all the top ideas of growing the country will be incubated and released for various sector of our economy. According to him, this institute will take off this year.

order made on 6th March 2018, the Federal High Court endorsed the terms of the settlement and ruled inter alia: "That the 1st Claimant (Labour Party) though not a trade union is an institutional political party founded, promoted and registered by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on behalf of the Nigerian Workers.

"The parties agree to convene an expansive and inclusive National Convention of the party as stipulated by the party’s constitution.

"When the unity convention was not called by the leadership of the Labour Party we embarked on contempt proceedings on behalf of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

"We equally petitioned INEC as a party to the suit to ensure compliance with the court judgment. It was at that stage that the INEC facilitated a meeting of the parties to agree on the modalities for convening the convention.”

It added: "Based on the intervention of the INEC the parties agreed to convene the unity convention but the plan was put on hold as a result of the directive of INEC to all registered political parties to conclude their primary elections not later than the 9th day of June 2022.

"It is public knowledge that the Labour Party has held its primary elections under the leadership of Comrade Julius Abure.

"The presidential primary election which produced Mr. Peter Obi as the presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party was held at Asaba, Delta State on May 30, 2022. The primaries were monitored by the INEC in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

"However, Mr. Calistus Okafor filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to be declared the Chairman of the Labour Party.

"Even though the case was filed three years ago, the Claimant secured an order last week to serve the originating processes on the Defendants by substituted means.

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NEWS

STRANSACT CHARTERED'S ALLIANCE WITH RSM INTERNATIONAL...

L-R: Partner, Stransact-RSM International Mr. Victor Athe; Partner, Abayomi Salawu; Lead Partner/Head of Technology and Regulatory Services, Stransact-RSM International, Eben Joels, and Partner, Bolaji Mogaji at a media briefing to announce Stransact Chartered Accountants correspondent status and Strategic alliance with RSM International held in Lagos … yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

CVR: Igbos Allege Marginalisation, Claim Hoodlums Invaded, Injured Registrants in Lagos Police, INEC sue for peace, says eligible voters would be accommodated Ohaneze Ndigbo condemns targeted attack, says its call to anarchy, seeks Sanwo-Olu’s intervention Peter Obi calls for extension of voters’ registration

Chiemelie Ezeobi and Rebecca Ejifoma

A large number of Igbos in Lagos State, yesterday alleged marginalisation and targeted disenfranchisement as they attempted to register in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).

The allegation followed viral videos on social media that claimed Igbos at Alaba International, Ojo, were attacked by hoodlums and the machine carted away while attempting to register at the local government office.

The leadership of the market had earmarked yesterday as a closed market day to enable all eligible voters go to their respective local government area offices and register to vote or collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).

But there were allegations that hoodlums invaded registration centres at Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, Ago Palace Way, and some parts of Isolo, while registrants at the Ikotun-Egbe, Ejigbo and Idimu axis alleged that they were given pieces of papers instead of their PVCs because they are Igbos.

Particularly in Ojo, attempts by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register those on ground ended in chaos as hoodlums disrupted the process, leaving several injured.

In the said video, the registrants took to Twitter to register their displeasure after they were deprived of getting their PVCs. Lending a voice to the clamour, Nigerian artiste and activist, Debo Adebayo popularly known as Mr. Macaroni via his Twitter handle wrote: "I have seen different videos of Igbo traders being attacked in Lagos while trying to register for their PVC. “We can’t be shouting get your PVC and some people are attacking others while they are trying to do it! It is wrong and Evil! These are the issues.

"The government should provide safety measures for the people to register, except you don't want us to register."

He reminded Nigerians, however, that every citizen has the right to collect their PVC and the Igbos are not exempted! "Stop the oppression," he cautioned, "Do not disenfranchise the people! Let us vote!"

He also clamoured for extension of the exercise, noting that, "several challenges including insecurity have slowed down the process. Please

extend the deadlines! @inecnigeria, Please let the people vote.

"We have received so many messages from Nigerians on our various platforms, asking us to continue to appeal to INEC to make the registration process stress free for Nigerians. @inecnigeria una Weldon! But you can do better."

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, also called on INEC to extend voter registration.

He made the call on his Twitter handle, @PeterObi, yesterday, while highlighting that voters’ registration across the country, especially in the south-east had been impeded by bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Tweeting from his Twitter handle @PeterObi, he wrote, "Information reaching me indicate that voter registration across Nigeria, more so in the South East, is dogged by inertia & bureaucratic bottlenecks.

"I respectfully call on @inecnigeria to facilitate speedy registration of Nigerians to enable them exercise their voting rights.-PO." Reacting to the incident, Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, condemned the reported attack on its people.

In a statement seen by THISDAY, the organisation said: "several videos currently circulating on social media show several youths being attacked by thugs where they had gone to obtain their Permanent Voters' Cards, PVCs. "They could be heard wailing in the video that despite closing shops for that purpose, some hired thugs had prevented them from obtaining the card.

"Some Igbo youths sustained injuries in the process.

Reacting through a statement by

its President-General, Mr. Okwu Nnabuike, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide said Ndigbo should not be pushed beyond the walls.

"We have already been pushed to the walls, what they are doing now amounts to pushing Ndigbo beyond the walls and the consequences could be drastic.

"The two major political parties in the country cannot deny the

South-east presidential ticket and at the same time deny them the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

"This is a call for total anarchy in the land and we are urging the security agencies to rise to the occasion," Okwu said.

He called on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide

Sanwo-Olu, "to call their people to order.

"We are saying this because Bola Tinubu has serious hatred for Ndigbo which he demonstrated by shunning the entire South-east during his consultations with delegates ahead of his party's primary election.

"We do not begrudge him as it is within his right to choose who to interact with. However, what we will not condone is the mindless

and unprovoked attack on Igbos resident in Lagos State.

"If those behind this mayhem are not doing his bidding, he should come out and condemn their actions in strong terms.

"The same goes for the Lagos State Governor, who is the Chief Security Officer. He must ensure the protection of every resident of Lagos State no matter where the person comes from.

AfBA: Bad Governance, Sabotage, Religious Bigotry Fueling Terrorism Irabor seeks new approach to tackle security crises in Africa Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The African Bar Association (AfBA) yesterday declared that bad governance, sabotage within security circle and religious bigotry were fueling terrorism in Nigeria and other African countries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Maiden Armed Forces and Other Security Agencies Law Conference in Abuja, the Chairman of the body, Mr. Hannibal Uwaifo, said conflicts were complicated by bad governance and religious bigotry which made it difficult for the Armed Forces and security agencies to bring the situation under control.

The position of the continental bar association came just as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, said the asymmetric

nature of conflicts in Nigeria and Africa required a new approach in containing security crises on the continent.

Also, a former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Alexander Ogomudia (rtd), lamented the insecurity bedeviling the continent especially the West of the Sahel, which he said was, "becoming something else."

He also pointed the way forward in averting collateral damage in war situations by war commanders, saying that such commanders should be guided by the Rules of Engagement (RoE).

Uwaifo, who spoke at the conference in Abuja with the theme: "Enhancing the Operational Capacities of African Armed Forces and other Security Agencies: Law as a Vital Instrument," said, "sabotage from within, inadequate

intelligence gatherings, lack of synergy amongst security agencies are also factors contributing to the deteriorating security situation.

Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Sudan, Libya, Cameroun, CAR, the DRC, Somalia, Mali, Niger, Chad and so on are some of the worst hit where hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost including those of our armed forces and security personnel, while the military and security agencies continue to suffer these heavy casualties in defence of the territorial integrity and security of our borders, public perception of their actions and inactions appears very poor."

He said the volatile situation was, "largely due to the activities of politicians, lack of information, acts of criminals within and intersecurity agencies rivalry. There have also been largely no frequent

interactions with civil groups who are largely the vocal voice of the civil populace.

"The high casualty rate of our security forces arising from these conflicts and the lack of popular support for the military and other security agencies has become a source of concern for the African Bar Association and its leadership."

Speaking further, he said, "in Nigeria, terrorists, bandits, and other criminal gangs have been terrorising towns and villages in the northern part of the country for over a decade.

"Most of these criminals are fueled by political activities and religious extremism. The Nigerian Military and other security agencies saddled with the responsibility of tackling them are either lacking in equipment or morale.

FG Declares Monday, June 13 Public Holiday to Commemorate Democracy Day Michael Olugbode in Abuja The federal government has declared Monday, June 13 as public holiday to commemorate the 2022 Democracy Day. The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated Nigerians on the occasion and urged all citizens to support the present administration in its efforts at ensuring a secured, united and prosperous nation.

Aregbesola advised Nigerians to use the occasion to reflect on the

long journey the country has made towards the enthronement of a civil democratic order, before national Independence in 1960 till date and the sacrifices of our patriots.

He reminded Nigerians of the challenges, “we have faced and overcome, including a civil war,” adding that any form of agitation that threatens the unity of the country should be shunned for the good of all.

He said Nigeria would be a haven of peace, unity and progress if all citizens love their neighbours and embrace the spirit of brotherliness.

Aregbesola said: “As we mark another Democracy Day in the history of our dear country, let us reflect on the efforts of our founding fathers and ensure that Nigeria remains one united, secured, peaceful and an indivisible entity,” noting that, “no development can take place in an acrimonious environment.”

He added: “With the challenges we face in Nigeria today, I see an opportunity for us not to break up or break down, but to break open; open up to ourselves in truth so that we may appreciate each other, understand each other, honour each

other and live together in peace and prosperity.”

The minister advised Nigerians to judiciously put into use the recently unveiled Nigeria Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System (N-Alert) Mobile App designed to mitigate security challenges and other disasters with the slogan, "See Something Do N-Alert", in the usage of the Mobile App, which has been upgraded to meet with current challenges in the country.

He assured that with the concerted efforts being put in place by the President Muhammadu

Buhari-led administration to secure the lives and property of Nigerians and stabilise the economy, the nation would continue to get better.

Aregbesola enjoined Nigerians to keep faith with democracy, saying, “although it might not have brought our best expectations, we should keep at it, knowing that practice makes perfect, and the alternatives are far worse and have proved ruinous and disastrous to the nation, if our recent history is anything to go by.”

He said: “There will surely be light at the end of the tunnel.”

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NEWSXTRA

2022 DIGITAL PAYEXPO...

L-R: West Africa Regional Director, AfricaNenda, Jamelino Akogbeto; Managing Director/CEO, 9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB); Branka Mracajac; Managing Director/CEO Intermarc Consulting, Adeyinka Adeyemi and Managing Director/CEO, Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, at the Digital PayExpo, 2022, held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria...yesterday

2023: Kachikwu Beats Moghalu, Eight Others, Clinches ADC Presidential Ticket James Sowole in Abeokuta and Ogheneuvde Oghwovoirole in Abuja

The founder of Roots Television Nigeria, Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu has won the presidential primary election of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Kachikwu scored 978 votes to defeat a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, who came second in the election with 589 votes.

Other aspirants in the contest included a person with special need, Dr. Chike Okogwu, who stepped

down before the primary election, Dr. Chukwuka Monye who scored 339 votes while Princess Chichi Ojei polled 72 votes, among others.

Prior to the commencement of voting, 2,040 delegates were accredited to vote in the primary held within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

The National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu in his welcome address had lamented that the country had gone from being strong to almost been irrelevant due to the leadership failure of the APC and PDP. Nwosu said the party was aiming to produce 75 percent of

the lawmakers both at the state and federal levels.

He stated that the lawmakers would make quality laws that would benefit Nigerians and not for the few.

Addressing the delegates before the commencement of the election, Kachikwu, who is the younger brother of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said his emergence would put an end to the political careers of the standard bearers of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 election. ‘’I am here to offer myself to you

not because I am better than anybody here, but because I care about the future of our country. I offer myself because God has given me the main recognition to stand side-by-side with Atiku, Tinubu and to send them into retirement,” he stated The Delta State born politician, who said he was on a “rescue mission’’ to savage what the All Progressives Congress had destroyed in the last seven years, promised to initiate wide-ranging public service reforms to eradicate corruption and win the war against terrorism.

Kachiukwu also promised to create equal opportunities for men and women and an improved welfare

BUHARI: TINUBU HAS TRACK RECORD TO LEAD OUR PARTY TO VICTORY IN 2023 and crannies of this country. We Chief Emma Eneukwu; National 'Tinubu, APC Leadership will not rest on your oars until we Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore; to Choose Acceptable have delivered you as president.” National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Thanking the chairman and Felix Morka; National Organising Running Mate'

be committed to democratic principles and values. And he did so.

"He didn’t endorse anybody, he didn’t impose anybody, he did not, at any time, attempt to tinker with the process of this election to favour one tribe or the other. He was steadfast, he was trustworthy, he was dependable, he was a leader.”

On his selling point ahead of the 2023 election, Tinubu said he was clear-minded on his mission and possessed a wealth of experience from both the private and public sectors. He said he was “ready to hit the ground running same day and not mess up the legacy of progress and honesty that is left behind for me and handed over to me by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Adamu, NWC Members Pledge to Work Hard to Deliver Tinubu

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by the national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, visited the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to congratulate him and give assurances that the party leadership would work diligently to deliver him as president.

Adamu said during the visit, “We are here visiting you to join you in thanking God for giving you to us and to all Nigerians, by making you the presidential flag bearer of our party for the 2023 election.

“You have come a long way; you have seen it all. I can tell you that we have a commitment beyond description, a commitment to deliver you as president. Our party has spoken loud and clear, and delivering the will of the people, our delegates have given you the mandate to lead.

“We are all now your soldiers.

We will follow you to the nooks

members of the NWC, Tinubu said, “I am honoured by this visit. We are all members of the same party, and as such, belong to the same progressive family. I appreciate your visit, I truly feel as if I am with family members.

“I want to thank everyone of you individually and collectively. You have formed a very dynamic team in a short period of time. You have sent jitters to other parties that our party remains united, and you must continue to live up to expectations.

“Today, as I have done throughout my campaign, I assure you that I am ready to reciprocate and vindicate our efforts in making the ultimate sacrifice: relentless public service to our beloved nation.

“We have begun a new story of greatness, prosperity in the history of our nation. You helped me to complete the introduction; we must now work together to etch the substance of the book itself. Our book will not be complete until you have delivered me as president.”

Tinubu described the APC national chairman as a straightforward, focused, and courageous man, whom he had worked together with as a fellow-governor in 1999.

The former governor stated, “I thank you and I reiterate my commitment to the greatness of our party. We must work together, we must not let our enemies, who want to divide us, succeed. We must not allow it. Almighty Allah will crown our work with success as we embark on the journey to a greater Nigeria.”

Among the NWC members who joined the chairman on the visit were Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Abubakar Kyari; Deputy National Chairman (South),

Secretary, Alhaji Sulaimon Argungu; National Woman Leader, Dr. Betta Edu; and National Youth Leader, Mr. Dayo Abdullah Isreal.

Others were National Vice Chairman (South-west), Dr Isaac Kekemeke; National Vice Chairman (South-south), Chief Hon. Victor Giadom; and National Vice Chairman (North-east), Comrade Mustapha Salihu.

Northern APC Governors Visit Tinubu, as Search for Running Mate Begins

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Northern States Governors Forum, yesterday, paid a visit to the presidential candidate of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, in Asokoro, Abuja.

The northern governors, who visited Tinubu, included governor of Kebbi State and Chairman of Progressive Governors' Forum (PGF), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Governor of Kastina State, Aminu Masari; Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje; Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya; Plateau State Governor, Simon Lanlong; and Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello.

Although the purpose of the visit was not made public, sources said it might not be unconnected with the search for a running mate for Tinubu.

Already, there were speculations that the ruling party might settle for a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

It was gathered that the meeting, which was held behind closed-doors, was centred on a possible running mate to Tinubu in the 2023 election.

Former deputy governors, who were members of APC, assured that the leadership of the ruling party, as well as the presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu, would choose the vice presidential candidate that would best serve the interest of Nigeria.

Chairman of the Forum of former Deputy Governors of Nigeria and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Lucky Imasuen, at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, wondered why people were already speculating whether the ruling party would settle for a Musilm-Muslim ticket.

Imasuen said, "Why are we crying foul, when there is no smoke? I will tell you without any hesitation that the man we have chosen is a leader.

When you choose a leader, you choose him to represent the people.

"Himself (Tinubu) and the party leadership, you can rest assured that they will bring the best vice presidential candidate that will best serve the interest of Nigeria. So, just be patient. I can't tell you where it's going, because I'm not the candidate and I'm not the national chairman."

The forum stated that the emergence of Tinubu as the standardbearer of the party had sent jitters to the camp of the opposition party, which had realised the irreversible error they committed by choosing a presidential candidate against the mood of the nation.

Osinbajo: Tinubu’s Sterling Contributions to Democracy Stand Him Out

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo congratulated Bola Tinubu on his emergence as presidential candidate of

package for teachers and initiate a technology-driven education and healthcare system to stop medical and education tourism abroad.

The ADC presidential candidate pledged to eliminate corruption by ensuring that Nigerian workers are paid better salaries and build modern cities with better amenities, world-class health facilities and accessible and affordable internet services across the country Also, human rights activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore yesterday was declared winner in the presidential primary election of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the 2023 general

elections.

Sowore was declared the winner unopposed at the party’s national convention held in Abuja, which was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The event was attended by members of the party across the country.

Sowore said during the party’s convention that the process of stabilising the party would commence before the convention to elect another chairman.

Sowore affirmed that other parties have elected their own “thieves”, stressing AAC must elect its own “police.’’

the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that his contributions to Nigeria's democracy and its progress stand him out.

In a congratulatory message dated June 9, 2022 and personally signed by him, the vice president, who came a distant third in the presidential primaries, enjoined all APC members to close ranks and work towards the success of Tinubu in the February 2023 presidential poll.

The vice president stated in the letter, "I congratulate Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory at our party primaries and his emergence as the presidential candidate and flag bearer of our great party, the APC, for the forthcoming 2023 presidential election. I also congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and all leaders of the APC for a successful Special Convention and Presidential Primary.

"For many decades, our flag bearer has shown passion, patriotism, courage and determination in the cause of nation building. His sterling contributions to our democracy and its progress stand him out. His wealth of experience will certainly be critical in our party’s continued efforts to attain a more secure and prosperous Nigeria.

"To all members of our great party, regardless of who you voted for at the primaries, we must now unite behind our presidential candidate and flag bearer to ensure victory for our party in the 2023 elections. As true progressives, we must remain strong and united in pursuing our collective vision as a party towards building a country that can provide a decent life and livelihoods for all our people.”

Jonathan, congratulated the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, that of APC, Bola Tinubu, and their counterpart in the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, as well as those of the other parties on their emergence as their parties’ standard-bearers.

Jonathan also appealed to the political parties participating in the 2023 general election to base their campaigns on issues and shun violence during the electioneering.

In a statement by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president urged the candidates to run campaigns devoid of rancour and divisiveness, and utilise the opportunity to promote peace and unity.

Jonathan commended the candidates for their interest in leading the country, which he described as a demonstration of their commitment and belief in the progress of the nation.

Noting that Nigeria was at a critical junction in its march to nationhood, as it grapples with security and economic challenges, Jonathan said the 2023 elections presented an opportunity to renew the dreams of the founding fathers and revitalise the economy.

He charged the candidates to, in their campaigns, eschew violence and acts that could encourage any form of bloodletting or exacerbate the national fault lines. He said it was the responsibility of all political leaders to strive to de-escalate the tension in the country.

Jonathan also reminded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies of their responsibilities, stressing that the significance of the 2023 election, imposes on them a historic burden to continue the process of deepening the reforms of our electoral system.

Jonathan Congratulates Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, Other Parties’ Presidential Candidates

Former President, Dr. Goodluck

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FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Kaduna Confirms Killing of 32, Debunks Aerial Attack by Terrorists John Shiklam inKaduna The Kaduna state government has debunked reports that terrorists used a helicopter to kill 32 people in an attack on four communities in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

The Adara Development Association (ADA) had alleged in a statement on Wednesday that terrorists invaded four communities in Kajuru LGA, with a helicopter, killing 32 people.

The statement signed by President of ADA, Awemi Maisamari, said during the attack, “The valiant natives who came out in large numbers from neighbouring villages were already driving back the invaders and taking control of the situation when a helicopter appeared.

“To the horror of the natives, the white painted helicopter, faced the brave natives instead and started gunning the youths from the air, clearly leaving out the killers who can be distinctly identified by the mode of dressings and from their positions…”

However, the Kaduna state government, while confirming the killing of the 32 people in the attacked communities, said the story that a helicopter provided air support to the bandits against the locals was not true.

The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, explained in a statement yesterday that, “an helicopter (under Operation Whirl Punch) dispatched to the area, had earlier scanned the first two communities and sighted burnt houses and properties on fire.

He said the helicopter intercepted the bandits at the Ungwan Maikori community and engaged them as they retreated, before the arrival of ground troops to the general area.

Aruwan said the Kaduna State Government had initially received reports from security agencies, that bandits attacked the villages of Dogon Noma, Ungwan Sarki and Ungwan Maikori in Kajuru LGA on Sunday.

He said the security report indicated that, the bandits stormed

the area in large numbers on motorcycles and proceeded to raze several houses, as they attacked and killed locals.

The commissioner said: “Since

the attack on Sunday, security agencies and traditional leaders in the locations have been updating the government on the development.

“As of the time of this report, 32 persons have been confirmed dead following the attack…”

He said: “While the government mourned the gruesome killing and

burning of houses in the attacked locations, a report was published suggesting that the victims of the attack were killed by terrorists using a helicopter is not true.

BEST WOMAN LEADER AWARD WINNER…

L-R: Group Chairman, Emerging Africa, Chief(Mrs) Onikepo Akande; Executive Vice-Chairman, Emerging Africa and Winner, Best Woman Leader in Africa Award, Mrs. Toyin F. Sanni, and Nigeria’s Ambassador & Permanent Delegate to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Dr. Hajo Sani, at the 5th Africa Investment Forum & Awards, Paris, France.. recently

Rivers PDP Guber Candidate NDLEA Arrests 666 Suspects for Alleged Drug Trafficking in Borno Escapes EFCC Arrest Blessing IbungeinPortHarcourt It was a narrow escape for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr Siminialayi Fubara, who may have been in detention now following his attempted arrest by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in Port Harcourt.

THISDAY learned that while enroute from Abuja after receiving his certificate of return Tuesday evening, Fubara was accosted by operatives of the anti-craft agency at the Port Harcourt International Airport in Omagwa.It was

further gathered that some of his supporters, who were on ground to welcome him, resisted the arrest by the EFCC and subsequently took him away from the area.

Fubara, who is the former Director of Finance and Accounts, Rivers State, was among other government officials recently declared wanted by the EFCC over alleged N117 billion fraud linked to the State Government account.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has condemned the alleged attack on their operatives on official assignment to arrest the PDP governorship candidate.

BUA Cement Donates N25m Worth of Drugs, Borehole to Host Communities in Sokoto Onuminya Innocent inSokoto

The BUA Group, one of Africa’s leading cement companies has donated drugs and solar motorised borehole worth N25 million to host communities in Wamakko local government area of Sokoto State.

Presenting the drugs to the representative of the benefiting communities, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of BUA Cement, Engr. Yusuf Haliru Binji said the gesture was to make sure clinics and hospitals in the host communities have adequate drugs.

Binji who was represented by the company’s Head of Administration and Corporate Services, Sada Suleiman, stressed that the gesture was an annual event saying that the company donated same last year to seven host communities, but decided to extend it to eight communities this year.

He further disclosed that the company also carried out some empowerment programmes through scholarship, building of mosques, training vulnerable persons in skill acquisition in host communities.

Court Sets Aside Judgment Favouring Tenure Elongation of Outgoing Chairmen Chuks Okocha inAbuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Kubwa district under Justice Mohammed Ibrahim has set aside the judgment given in favour of tenure elongation for the immediate past chairmen and their councilors, ordering immediate swearing-in of the newly elected chairmen and their councilors.

On May 18, 2022, residents of FCT received a judgment from the FCT High Court in Kubwa suspending the swearing-in of the elected chairmen and the

councilors, which generated confusion in the territory, and the legal team of the FCTA had to seek redress of the judgment in court.

Justice Ibrahim Mohammed while delivering a fresh judgment yesterday clarified that everybody is in a learning process, that persons are bound to make mistakes and also bound to make corrections.

He said that it was very clear that some mistakes were made and a judgment was entered, which brought a lot of issues concerning the elongation of the tenure of the outgoing chairmen in the six area councils.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested no fewer than 666 suspects for alleged drug trafficking in Borno between 2021 and June 2022.

The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Icha, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri yesterday.

Icha said that in 2021, the agency arrested 561 suspects, comprising 553 males and eight

females, while in the first quarter of 2022, 113 persons were arrested for various drug offences.

He explained that large quantities of drugs ranging from cannabis sativa, Cocaine, heroine, tramadol, Rohypnol and Diazepam, among other substances, were recovered from the suspects.

Icha said one of the suspects was arrested with 10.522kgs of compressed cannabis sativa concealed in a warehouse in

Ungwan Doki, Maigadari ward, Maiduguri.

The NDLEA commander said that the suspect was charged to court and granted bail, but re-arrested nine months later with 20kgs of Indian hemp.

“We charged most of them to court but at the end of the day, they are granted bail. As we speak, we have about 123 cases pending before the Federal High Court,” he said.

He said the agency had intensified the war against

drug users and traffickers to safeguard the future of young Nigerians.

“We have embarked on aggressive campaign toward ensuring drug supply and demand reduction, where we track those that are manufacturing, producing, compounding or transporting substances and making it available for sell.

“When we arrest them, we charged them to court and take them out of business.

ASUU Decries Unionism Ban in Edo Tertiary Institutions The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday expressed shock over the decision of the Edo Government to ban staff union activities in the state-owned tertiary institutions.

Chairman, Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma chapter of the ASUU, Dr Cyril Onogbosele, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said there was no basis for government’s action.

NAN had reported that

the state government at its Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Benin banned staff unions in all its higher institutions following lingering industrial action by the ASUU at the AUU. The industrial action led to a mass protest by the students, who claimed the strike was having an untold disruption in the academic programme.

The unions affected by the ban are the ASUU and NonAcademic Staff of Universities,

Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities.

Others are Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and all allied unions operating across all state-owned tertiary institutions.

But Ogbonosele said the suspension of the unions is a breach on the freedom of association which he said is a fundamental right.

“We studying it and want to tell government that this

is not the way to go.

“If a union is on strike over issues, you engage the union on how to resolve them not to ban its activities because the union is a body recognised by law and our strike is lawful.

“We follow due processes in declaring strike. Banning the union activities is not the way He said alleged that students protest, which the state government justified for the ban, was orchestrated by the university administration.

Lalong, Zulum Congratulate Tinubu, Say He is Leaders Builder The Governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong and his Borno State counterpart, Professor Babagana Zulum, have commended the winner of All Progressives Party (APC) presidential primary and the ruling party’s candidate for 2023 election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and praised him for his determination for success.

Lalong also commended the decision of the northern

governors to ensure equity and justice by insisting that the presidential candidate of the party must come from the south.

The Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Town Planning, Plateau State, Mr. Yakubu Dati, spoke on behalf of Lalong, saying said that governor, who chairs the Northern State Governor Forum (NSGF) was at the forefront of this campaign

for equity and justice which eventually paved the way for Tinubu to emerge as the presidential standard flag-bearer of the APC. He said the 14 governors took a position that the presidential ticket of the APC should go to the southern part of Nigeria for fairness..

On his part, Zulum in a statement, also congratulated Mr. President, Muhammadu

Buhari, national leaders and all stakeholders of the APC, for the successful conduct of their primaries.

“Without the slightest doubt, Asiwaju’s antecedents as a freedom fighter (for the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria) which culminated into his founding role in the APC’s formation, makes his choice very unique for our party,” he said.

Benue to Ensure Effective Administration of Criminal Justice Law

George Okoh In Makurdi

Benue State government has promised to partner with the judiciary to ensure effective administration of Criminal Justice in the state.

Governor Samuel Ortom stated this yesterday while inaugurating the administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee in Makurdi.

Governor Ortom, who was represented by the

Commissioner of Justice , Mike Gusa, further stated that the main aim of the administration was commitment to the rule of law and due process to ensure a free crime society.

He urged the committee members to equipped themselves with the training technique and make use of them.

Speaking in his capacity the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Aondover Kaka’an

commended the organisers, saying the law would help enhance quick dispensation of Justice in the state.

The Controller of Correctional centre in charge of Benue State Command, Julie Anyanwu, said it was a beginning of a good thing to happen in the state as the committee would ensure proper dispensation of Justice within short time, adding that it would also go a long way to decongest correctional centre.

Earlier in a welcome address the representative of the Executive Secretary , Administration of Criminal Monitoring Committee (ACJMC,) Moyo Boluwade, expressed happiness over the success of the event due to large turnout of people and the hospitality shown to them.

Boluwade promised the support of the body at federal level at all times to ensure that they succeed.

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Insecurity: NSCDC Canvasses Non-kinetic Strategy The Commandant-General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Ahmed Abubakar-Audi, has advised officers of the corps to adopt non-kinetic methods of security management to improve service delivery.

Abubakar-Audi gave the advice at a capacity-building workshop on security management, organised by the Imo Command of NSCDC in Owerri yesterday.

The commandant-general, represented by the Corps’ Zone “E” Commandant in charge of Operations, Mr. Udoh Ukoh, said that it was imperative for security operatives to adapt to changing forms of crime for effective service delivery.

Speaking on the theme: “Security Management/ Intelligence and Community Policing in a Diverse Society”, Abubakar-Audi harped on the need to embrace dialogue, in addition to more conventional methods of security management.

While thanking the command for organising the workshop, he urged the personnel to pay full attention to lectures so as to derive maximum benefits.

“We know that problems will always surface, but our ability to

surmount them is what makes us better security operatives.

“I thank the Imo Command for organising this workshop and promise you that we’ll present a paper to the headquarters to ascertain whether we can

replicate the workshop in other commands,” he said.

Speaking, the acting NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr. Chukwuemeka Odimba, said that the workshop was aimed at improving the capacity of

officers to enable them meet up with changing security challenges.

He pledged his determination to ensure that the command maintained a cordial relationship with other security agencies in the state, as part of its contributions

to security development.

According to him, efforts were in top gear to close ranks with critical stakeholders in the security sector in order to bring cases of insecurity to the barest minimum.

According to the News Agency

of Nigeria (NAN), Odimba thanked the management of the corps for the moral and logistics support he had received since assuming office on April 26, saying that this had led to the addition of six operational vehicles.

READY FOR THE CONTEST…

L-R: National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyorchia Ayu; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and watching while Ayu presents Certificate of Return to Gombe State PDP Governorship candidate, Mr. Jibrin Muhammad Barde, when Barde was presented with Certificate of Return in Abuja…recently

Police Rescue Motorcyclist Kogi Elder Statesman Freed after 15 Days in Captivity from Lynching in Lagos Ibrahim Oyewale ÓØ ÙÕÙÔË

Rebecca Ejifoma

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command yesterday rescued a commercial motorcyclist from being lynched by an irate mob at Jakande Estate, Isheri area of the state.

The motorcyclist was said to have run over a pedestrian after he rode against traffic.

Upon seeing that the victim died on the spot, road users acted on impulse and attempted jungle justice.

The motorcyclist was, however, rescued after police officers arrived at the scene.

According to the State Police

Spokesman, Superintendent of Police (SP) Benjamin Hundeyin, “This morning, a motorcycle rider veered off the road and hit a pedestrian.

“Unfortunately, the pedestrian died on the spot.

People around decided to lynch the motorcycle rider.”

Hundeyin confirmed that the police arrived at the scene on time and rescued the motorcycle rider from the lynching.

“The police immediately took the rider to hospital for treatment and evacuated the pedestrian,” the spokesman said.

One of founding fathers’ of Kogi State and elder statesman, Isah Ozi Salami, who was abducted by gunmen two weeks ago has regained his freedom from his abductors.

The elder statesman was said to have been released on Wednesday after spending almost two weeks at the kidnapper’s den.

It was gathered that Pa Isah Ozi Salami was released about 11.00 am on Wednesday and got to his house at about 9.00 pm .

The former Managing of Nigerian Paper Mill , Jebba was abducted when he left his house to attend early morning at nearby mosque on the 26th May, 2023.

THISDAY gathered his abduction has created a lot

panic following the inability of his abductors to communicate the member or demand ransom for almost two weeks until few days ago when the suspected kidnappers called the family to demand N120 million .

It was learnt that this move was said arouse the hope that their father was still alive as negotiation commence.

However, nobody can say specifically how much has

been paid by the family to secure the release of the elder statesman.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, who confirmed the release of Alhaji Isah Ozi Salami, said he has been released on Wednesday.

The PPRO explained that he was not aware whether the family paid the ransom or not.

EFCC Arrests 140 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Lagos Kingsley Nwezeh ÓØ ÌßÔË Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested 140 suspected internet scammers also known as yahoo boys.

A statement by the

commission said the suspects were nabbed in separate sting operations at popular hotels, notably, Lakers Lounge Hotel and Bar and De Butlers, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, following credible intelligence on their involvement in internet-related

fraud.

However, four of the suspects were released as no incriminating item was found on them.

It said the suspects were aged ages between 16 and 40 years.

Items recovered from the suspects include exotic cars, electronic devices, laptop computers and mobile phones.

The statement affirmed that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigations were concluded.

for Tinubu to preserve and fortify Yoruba’s unity and cohesion.

Fayemi, who was welcomed from Ondo-Ekiti border town by APC members, was cheered by crowd at Igbara Odo, Ilawe, Odo and Ado Ekiti, as part of the welcome rally organised for him by the party after the presidential primary.

At the shadow poll that took place in Abuja with 23 presidential contestants, Fayemi stepped down for Tinubu, who had now emerged the party’s candidate.

Addressing the party

supporters at the Fajuyi Pavilion, in Ado Ekiti, Fayemi said the party was resolute to deliver Ekiti to APC, by ensuring that the governorship candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, wins the June 18 poll and send a signal that Tinubu is well fortified to win the coming presidential poll.

Fayemi applauded Ekiti delegates and party faithful across Nigeria for demonstrating enormous support for him during his consultations to states, saying the success of the shadow election, had proved the bookmakers and naysayers,

who predicted doom for APC wrong.

“I thank all our members for this rousing welcome.

I never knew this would happen to welcome me back home. They may say Ekiti people are stubborn, but we are very honourable.

“From next week Saturday, we will continue to see the effect of my action. Asiwaju’s winning will begin from Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. Before 12noon on June 18, news will be filtering out that Biodun Oyebanji has won. Those who hate him are now getting weary.

Ibom Air Celebrates Third Anniversary Tinubu’s Victory I’ll Begin with Ekiti Gov Poll, Fayemi Boasts of schedule reliability, on-time OkonBassey ÓØ ãÙ The Ibom Air solely own by the Akwa Ibom State Government has lined up programmes to celebrate its three years of scheduled commercial fight operations in the country.

Ibom Air commenced scheduled commercial flight operations with an inaugural flight from Uyo to Lagos on Friday, the 7th of June 2019.

Three years down the line, the airline has recorded over one and a half million passengers flown and about 22,000 flights later.

The management in a statement said Ibom Air had come to be known for its brand promise

departures and excellent service.

The Airline began as a bold new idea, which has quickly grown to earn its place in the nation’s aviation landscape, winning notable awards, including Airline of the Year two years in a row- 2020 and 2021 respectively, amongst many other awards from notable institutions.

The Chief Operating Officer of the airline, George Uriesi said, “Looking back over the last three years and how far we have come as a business, this milestone presents yet another opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to our esteemed passengers.”

Victor Ogunje ÓØ ÎÙ ÕÓÞÓ

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday boasted that the All Progressives Congress (APC)will use the June 18 governorship poll to open the window of victory for the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Fayemi, who was given a heroic welcome to Ekiti after his participation in the presidential primary of the party held on Tuesday, stated that he unexpectedly stepped down from the race

APGA Strengthens Strategies Kaduna PDP Stakeholders Petition Ayu, Seek for Abia 2023 Project Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo ÓØ ×ßËÒÓË The leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State has warned party members against engaging in activities that could distract the party from achieving its political goal of winning power in the state next year.

The state Chairman of APGA, Rev Augustine Ehiemere, issued the warning yesterday at a press conference to address

issues arising from the recent governorship primary of the party, which was won by Prof Greg Ibe. A chieftain of the party, Chief Chikwe Udensi, who was a governorship aspirant had organised a parallel governorship primary and announced himself as the governorship candidate of APGA. He has also alleged that the state leadership was compromised and ungrateful to him having been sustaining the party over the years.

Senatorial Primaries Cancellation The stakeholders alleged that They also alleged that there Sunday Aborisade ÓØ ÌßÔË A group of stakeholders in the Kaduna State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorcha Ayu. They are demanding the immediate cancellation of the party’s senatorial primaries held in Kaduna South which produced Mr. Sunday Marshall Katung, as candidate.

the exercise was characterised with irregularities and inducement of delegates.

In the petition, made available to THISDAY in Abuja yesterday, the PDP stakeholders also said that the primaries should be cancelled over alleged tax evasion.

In the petition, which was received by the PDP National Chairman on May 31, 2022, the stakeholders alleged that Katung failed to disclose his assets.

were irregularities in terms of non- accreditation of delegates for the election. The election result was declared by the returning officer, Sabo Babayero.

Katung polled 112 out of the 269 votes cast, while Senator Danjuma La’ah came second with 74 votes.

Shehu Garba got 52 votes, Monday Dikko 21 votes, Adams Jagaba seven votes while Suleiman Dauke and Mark Jacobs got no votes.

They therefore tasked the Senator Iyorchia Ayu led National Working Committee (NWC ) to order a fresh primary or hand over the ticket to the first runner up, Senator Laah to avoid the Zamfara or Bayelsa governorship experiences.

In the petition signed by Abdulrasheed Ahmed Dogara, Habila Tadi Norman, Dennis Baba and Suleiman Isah also accused Katung of tax evasion and other sharp practices.

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Security Agencies Move to Stop Youth Restiveness in Niger Laleye Dipo in Minna

Security operatives in Minna, Niger State have held a workshop on the best ways to checkmate youth restiveness and other crimes within the state’s capital and other towns.

The workshop arose as a result of the heightened clashes between various youth gangs in the state capital, which has resulted in no less than five deaths as well as injuries to many others and destruction of valuable property.

The workshop, which was titled “The Legal and Non Legal Weapons of Self Defence,” was packaged by the Niger State

Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) in collaboration with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The Director General of the NSEMA, Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed Inga, said that the government was disturbed by the increase in youth groups clashes that have contributed to the tense security situation in Minna and the state as a whole.

Inga blamed the elites in the society for giving support to the youth gang leaders whom he said have become more daring, adding that the workshop was organised to find solution to the menace.

He, therefore, asked the security agencies to suggest steps that would be taken to bring the incidences to an end, assuring that the state government would give them the needed support.

A Legal Practitioner, Mr. Dantani Sallau, who is one of the resource persons during the workshop, in his presentation narrated an ugly incident that occurred in Minna recently when a notorious gang leader whose boys reportedly killed a young boy went to the burial ground to stop the burial of the deceased but was deterred from achieving his mission by collaborative efforts of members of the public.

Man Murders Pregnant Wife, Stabs Self in Lagos The police command in Lagos State yesterday confirmed a report of killing of a woman with four months pregnancy by her 25-year-old husband, Wasiu Olanrewaju.

The alleged murder occurred at Araromi-Ale Community, Oko-Afo, Badagry in Olorunda Local Council Development Area

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(LCDA) of Lagos State.

The spokesman for the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for more investigation.

“The man is still on admission at a hospital in Badagry; he will be taken to SCID, Panti, Yaba, when he is stable.

“He will be charged to court,” he said.

A reliable source had told NAN that Olanrewaju and his wife, Fathia, were always at loggerheads and their latest quarrel led to stabbing of the 21-year-old woman by the man, resulting in her death.

“Another quarrel erupted and the woman was heard saying she would not agree with him,” an eyewitness told NAN. The witness said that the woman made the statement on her way back home.

“Olanrewaju had laid ambush in the room with a knife.

Oduah Sponsors 236 for Training in Broadcast Journalism, Film Making David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Former Aviation Minister and Senator Representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Senator Stella Oduah, has trained 236 members of her constituency in broadcast journalism and film making.

The students, who were drawn from each of the seven local government areas that make up her constituency, were also trained in other courses including acting, script writing and cinematography.

Speaking during their graduation ceremony at ABS Film Academy yesterday, Oduah who was represented by her aide, Mr. Iwuchukwu Samuel, said that she is passionate about human capital development.

Odua said: “I believe in human capital development and because the job is not there, I believe that if you have skills,

you can use it to fulfill your dreams and also be self-sufficient.

“These grandaunts have passion for the courses they read, but didn’t have the resources to make their dreams come through, so we only facilitated their coming to here to fulfill that passion.

“We picked 100 persons from all the seven local government areas in the northern zone, but of course, some people couldn’t graduate. I want to announce that it does not just end here, we have plans to employ some of the students who studied broadcast journalism in Buwa TV, which is one of our establishments, which is also on Startimes.

“All that you need to practicalise what you have learnt is in Buwa TV. For those who will seek greener pastures elsewhere, we wish you the very best in life.”

Quest Oil Unveils New Retail Outlet in Edo Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City Quest Oil Group, an indigenous energy provider, has commissioned a new retail petrol station in Benin City, capital of Edo State.

This is in line with the company’s ongoing expansion plans in Nigeria aimed at deepening her footprint across the oil and gas value chain, particularly, the downstream sector.

In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony, The Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Dele Goke, said: “We believe that this retail station will avail the good people of Edo State the opportunity to experience the excellent customer service that Quest is known for, access quality petroleum products, as well as employment for the unemployed youths in the area.”

Quest, according to Goke, was established over 10 years ago with a vision to become a value-driven energy company providing eco-friendly and innovative services in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

He said that in order to deepen her footprint in the downstream sector, Quest acquired Ascon Oil Company in 2019 and is currently in the process of rebranding her retail stations across Nigeria.

According to him, Quest initiated a unique franchising model code named CODO which stands for Company Owned Dealer Operated.

“This model provides the opportunity for investors to co-own the retail stations and become a part of our growing network across Nigeria, leveraging on her large customer base and strength.

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

The Spirituality of Hajj (3) By: Spahic Omer/IslamiCity (continued from last week)

IHRAM AND TALBIYAH In the same vein, Malcolm X said: “The people of all races, colours, from all over the world coming together as one: it has proved to me the power of the One God… Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and the overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colours and races here in this Ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad, and all the other prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colours…There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colours, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and the non-white.”

Talbiyah is an integral part of everything ihram stands for, perfectly complementing it. Linguistically, it means “answering (after hearing)”, “agreeing” and “accepting”. In the Hajj context, it is an extension of the intention (niyyah). Thus, while the latter is uttered quietly and privately, the former is chanted, preferably, openly and loudly.

Talbiyah is an invocation for drawing ever closer to, and for an eventual union with, the beloved Creator. It is an affirmation of one’s tawhidic faith and of one’s readiness to sacrifice his possessions and self for the sake of the Creator’s ordinances. A pilgrim finds himself and feels the impact of Allah’s announcement in the following Qur’anic verse: “And (due) to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House - for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves - then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds” (Alu ‘Imran, 97).

Talbiyah, moreover, is answering the call of Allah – the Owner of the House (Ka’bah) and the Host of Hajj. Ibrahim had been summoned to proclaim to humanity the ritual and convention of Hajj. A pilgrim desires to be of those whose hearts yearn towards the Makkah and its holy mosque as well as Hajj, and of those who have been foretold that they will hasten to the caller (Ibrahim) and his call. They will do so from each and every corner of the globe and will be using all available means of transport.

Which further means that he who turns a deaf ear – and a blind heart - to this call is lifeless and his senses debilitated. Consequently, talbiyah features references to God’s blessings upon people and their expected gratitude for them. A pilgrim is quick in recognizing and thanking God for everything, but especially for the blessing of all blessings, which is the truth of Islam. As he indirectly rejects the lifelessness and blindness of non-belief by asserting that there is no good, nor excellence (i.e. there is no life worth living, and no paradigm worth subscribing to), except that which is in God’s Hands.

Exuberant, a pilgrim wishes to be included into the coverage of those heavenly declarations of the truth and to be an instrument of their realization.

He does not want to be left behind in any way.

Those declarations are comprehended by the heart, pronounced by the tongue, and translated into the vicissitudes of the real world by limbs. And these three: the heart, the tongue and limbs, make up a believer’s axis which connects him with the rest of worthy material and immaterial alignments. That talbiyah is encouraged to be recited openly, loudly and basically everywhere, proves its external and collective dimensions.

According to Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali, “as for the state of sanctification (ihram) and the talbiya from the miqat (onward), let the pilgrim know that this has the sense of answering the call of God Most High. Therefore, have the hope that you will be accepted, as well as the fear that you will be told: “You are neither accepted (in my service, i.e. your talbiya is not honoured) nor blessed”, so that you will waver between hope and fear, and be stripped of your might and power, thereby becoming completely dependent on the Grace and Generosity of God Most High. For the time of talbiya is the real beginning of the matter and the place of the danger.

Sufyan bin ‘Uyayna said: “Ali bin al-Husayn may God be pleased with them - once performed the Pilgrimage. When he had entered the state of sanctification and was well mounted on his camel, his colour became pallid; then he trembled and a shiver befell him to the extent that he could not recite the talbiya. When it was said to him: “Why are you not reciting the talbiya?” He said: “I fear that it will be said to me: “You are neither accepted nor blessed.” And when he later recited the talbiya he fainted and fell off his camel. This continued to happen to him until he completed his pilgrimage.”

Having responded to the universal call, for a pilgrim things become personal afterwards. In a sea of pilgrims, he - when all is said and done - is

on his own. The central aspect of Hajj sets in. Other aspects, though important, are supplementary, playing second fiddle to the former. A pilgrim is committed to his own personal case as a part of an extensive grid. He is not sure and worries if his response to the call is accepted or not, in keeping with a maxim that it is easy to love or care, but hard to be loved and cared about, in that reciprocity is the answer.

As an anomaly on earth and in heaven, one-way relationships never worked, and never will.

A pilgrim is thus expected to work on going from strength to strength during Hajj, and through recurring life challenges after that, to make sure that his response has been heard, that he has been welcomed to the spiritual festival hosted by the Creator, and that his Hajj efforts have been appreciated – and accepted.

Sure enough, one of the indicators that a person’s Hajj has been accepted is that after Hajj he feels positive changes in his life overall, in his attitude, manners and relationships. The same is to be felt by others. A victorious pilgrim does not talk about his Hajj; he walks (lives) it.

When a pilgrim sees multitudes of people on Hajj, he relates the phenomenon to the humble beginnings of the place. He perceives God’s answers to Ibrahim’s prayers intended for that place, and the fruits of Prophet Muhammad’s work as a grand finale.

He is so happy to be linked with such historical developments which dictated the course of human history, with holy prophets being main protagonists.

It is confirmed that all prophets performed the pilgrimage. A pilgrim’s repetitive and loud talbiyah is a mark of excitement and appreciation to be part of the best company that graced the world. As if the voices of talbiyah tend to transcend the barriers of time and space and reach out to those illustrious personalities and their legacies. As if the voices, additionally, are directed to reverberate horizontally throughout the world, and vertically throughout the universe, in order to be heard by all creation and be attested to. A pilgrim “sees’ those prophets and their victories. He personally bears witness to them.

As one would expect, Hajj spells the convincing evidence of those victories.

For instance, it was narrated that Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas said: “We were with the Messenger of Allah between Makkah and Madinah, and we passed through a valley. He said: ‘What valley is this?’

They said: ‘Azraq Valley.’ He said: ‘It is as if I can see Prophet Musa putting his fingers in his ears and raising his voice to Allah reciting talbiyah, passing through this valley.’ Then we travelled on until we came to a narrow pass, and he said: ‘What pass is this?’ They said: ‘Thaniyyat Harsha’ or ‘Laft.’ He said: ‘It is as if I can see Prophet Yunus, on a red she-camel, wearing a woollen cloak and holding the reins of his she-camel, woven from palm fibres, passing through this valley, reciting talbiyah.”

Talbiya is an intimate communication between a pilgrim and his Creator and Master. A pilgrim refers to himself as “I”, the singular first-person pronoun, and to God as “You”, the second-person pronoun. This means that there should be nothing standing between a person and God in his prayers, yet in the rest of the communication modes and the whole life. Hurdles of all sorts are to be promptly recognized and conquered. Regardless of how much each pilgrim succeeds in actualizing this admittedly profound proviso, it nevertheless ought to be the goal not just of Hajj, but also of other spiritual endeavours of a person.

As a result, Hajj is not as much about “coming” and “being”, as it is about “becoming”. The words of talbiya: “Here I am, O You (Allah), here I am…” together with the implication of ihram - represent the starting point and the first phase of the transformation.

Muhammad Asad often touched on this transformational sentiment, weaving it subtly through a variety of topics and subtopics. For example, at one point he drew attention to the condition of a ship that transported the Egyptian and North-African pilgrims across the Red Sea to the port-city of Jeddah, the gateway to Makkah, and in which Muhammad Asad also was a passenger for his first Hajj. He said that the condition was terrible, bordering on inhumane, because the shipping company, greedy for the profits of the short Hajj season, had literally filled the ship to the brim without caring for the safety, comfort and amenities of the passengers.

However, the pilgrims did not care. In great humility, with only the goal of the voyage before their eyes, they bore uncomplainingly all that unnecessary hardship.

They were immune, as it were, to the suffering and were ecstatic. Muhammad Asad added: “Whoever saw this had to recognize the power of faith which was in these pilgrims. For they did not really seem to feel their suffering, so consumed were they with the thought of Makkah. They spoke only of their Hajj, and the emotion with which they looked toward the near future made their faces shine. The women often sang in chorus songs about the Holy City (Makkah), and again and again came the refrain (of talbiyah): ‘Labbayk, Allahumma, Labbayk!’ (“Here I am, O Allah, here I am)”.

To Be Continued

FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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PERSPECTIVE

MMA2 and 15 Years of Innovative Approach to Airport Operation Kamal Ololade Ahmed Perhaps it was because of the sombre state of the nation that the Board, Management and Staff of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) did not roll out the drums when recently their poster child, the MMA2 terminal at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos clocked 15 years.

Save for a few congratulatory adverts in the newspapers and online buzz, the day almost went announced.

This has however not slowed down MMA2 in giving those who travel through the terminal value for their money and Nigerians something to proudly point at whenever there is a discourse on what a modern airport should look like.

Since it came on board 15 years ago, MMA2 operated by BASL has changed the face of the Nigerian aviation sector through innovative approach to airport operation and management. It has also clinched many laurels that acknowledged it as the best airport terminal in the country.

Paradoxically, when the terminal was conceived, the government of the day wanted just ‘a shed’ where passengers would just buy tickets, move to the tarmac and fly. It is to the credit of the chief promoter of the MMA2 terminal, Dr. Wale Babalakin SAN, who insisted that the initial drawing should be changed, that Nigeria now has one of the best airport terminals in Africa.

The Federal Government, then under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, eventually agreed to the upgrading since all the costs would be borne by the concessionaire.

Critics of Babalakin have often accused him of being one of the private sector favourites of the Obasanjo regime. Such criticism however

ignored the fact that his company, was not the preferred bidder in the MMA2 Design-BuildOperate – Transfer ( DBOT) arrangement for the terminal.

The winner was Sanderton Ventures Limited (SVL), but BASL was called up from the reserve bench, to borrow a phrase from sports enthusiasts, when SVL could not meet up with the challenges.

The story of MMA2 has being an interesting one which began in 2000 when the Federal Government launched a process of reforms in the national economy, including the aviation sector.

The old domestic terminal of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) had been gutted by fire and government wanted a brand new one to replace it without any financial obligation on its part.

It then advertised for a DBOT bid, and as stated earlier, SVL came tops and was awarded the concession. Months after however, the project remained in limbo as SVL failed to commence work.

The mantle thereafter fell on the reserve bidder, BASL which, in 2003, was awarded the concession by the Federal Government to develop, finance, manage and operate the terminal and ancillary assets under a DesignBuild-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) arrangement.

The project description included the airport terminal building, a multi-storey car park, an apron, a four-star hotel and a conference centre.

MMA2 was the first major DBOT project of such magnitude in Nigeria by Nigerians. Many were skeptical about the project coming into fruition, but Babalakin and his team immediately set to work, raising funds and assembling experts to beat the deadline.

Their dreams came into fruition on April 7, 2007 when an ecstatic president Obasanjo (as he then was) inaugurated the terminal while operations began there on April 7, 2007.

In a reminiscence years after, Babalakin said “For Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) in Lagos, there was a well-advertised bid for the airport and there were responses. At the end of the day, some companies emerged as the winner and we emerged as the reserved bidder.

“A year later, the Minister of Aviation called us and said the preferred bidder had not delivered on their commitment and told us to come in as the reserved bidder. When we came in, the design we were given by the authority was just a shed; we were told to build a shed for Nigerians as their Airport.

“I had gone to South Africa for a meeting and South Africa was then completing its domestic airport. When I looked at it, I cried that we were going to build a shed in 2003, when South Africa had just completed a domestic terminal that looked like something out of this world in 2003.

“So, I came back and told the then minister, Mrs Kema Chikwe, what I saw. She looked at it and was amazed. She advised me to make a presentation. We went through the whole process and our design was approved. That is the MMA2 you see today; to actualise it, we brought in South African architects and supported them with Nigerian architects.

“That is why 13 years after it was completed, there is no airport terminal in Nigeria that has the flow of MMA2 because it was well-thought out and designed.”

The MMA2 efforts have not gone unappreciated

by many stakeholders. The terminal has many awards in its kitty. These included, but not limited to: The Most COVID-19 Compliant Terminal (awarded by League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents’ (LAAC) in 2021); Nigerian Airport of the Year 2017 (awarded by WorldStage Limited); Best Domestic Terminal of the Year 2021 ( by Nigeria Aviation Award -NIGAV) and The Most Functional Airport Terminal in Nigeria for 2016( at the 22nd Business Travels Award in United Kingdom).

An aviation stakeholder and former Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Alhaji Muhammed Tukur, has also described the terminal as world-class.

He stressed that the facility is the only one in Nigeria that boasts of self-service kiosks in the country that makes airport facilitation faster aside other facilities.

Tukur said MMA2 had grown in leaps and bounds, pointing out that there had been a tremendous expansion in all aspects of business, from aeronautical services to space and premises, cargo operations, car park, security, safety and marketing at the terminal.

As one wishes the terminal a happy anniversary, it is hoped that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation, will speed up the ongoing concession of the international airports it has called and received bids for.

Nigeria deserves similar top rate airports obtainable in advanced and modern nations of the world and MMA2 is a living proof that the goal is attainable by us.

•Kamal Ololade Ahmed, a public affairs analyst wrote from Kaduna

A VICE PRESIDENT FOR ATIKU The very qualities I personally admire in Wike, his frankness, his sometimes-blunt way of saying what others are afraid to think to themselves and his consistent battle against the contrived boobytraps of our federation, are the things others fear about him.

I wrote about Wike on this page on January 22, titled, “Governors, Just Look at Wike”, where I hailed the man for doing “what every state governor should endeavour to do”; which is to govern in real terms. As I said then, and as I still do believe: “The beauty of Wike’s intervention does not lie in the mere fact that he has given an ultimatum to LG Chairmen, no! It lies, instead, in the fact that he is calling out politicians who are in office as servants of the people to do their work. He is saying that it must not take a special, supposedly “crack team,” from Abuja to deal with every domestic problem. He is also, metaphorically speaking, asking his fellow governors and their LG Chairmen to do their jobs” and that “they have a duty to identify criminality and propose ways of dealing with same, in their largely closely-knit communities where everyone knows what everyone else is doing”; and that it is wrong for people to “carry official titles/cars and have their names on the government payroll, without actually being on the job”.

But will the north be comfortable with a Wike vice presidency, or a president recommended by him? That is the question. An Okowa vice presidency has been touted for various political reasons, especially with regards to what happened in Atiku’s favour during the primaries. But what manner of vice presidency will that be? One driven by experience at the national level, or one of nominal office holding; wherein the major power players will politely sniff contempt at the vice president as they carry on the business of running Nigeria, and even doing his job?

The Jonathan experience in this regard is of more than passing interest here. He was a barely visible and barely-heard deputy governor. He became a practically non-existent vice president, who was apparently content to just breath unmolested in Aso Rock. Then fortune and circumstance inflicted the presidency on him.

It was a sleepwalking presidency. When the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the actual administrative engine room of the presidency, put together the Belgore Committee, assembled extant records of conferences and meetings, extracted issues on which there was already consensus, to be put together and sent as Executive bills to the national assembly, he dithered until the National Assembly snatched the initiative and

Atiku commenced some constitutional amendments.

Then there is Anyim Pius Anyim, another PDP heavyweight, to be considered for the position of vice president. He is a former Senate President and former SGF. On June 1, 2011, President Jonathan told Nigerians that he would make Anyim his SGF “because of his experience in public administration, especially in the legislature.” It would be recalled that the scramble for that office was particularly tumultuous in a subterranean sort of way under Jonathan. As he told Nigerians on the day he inaugurated his favoured occupant for the position, “The Secretary to the Government of the Federation … is to co-ordinate government policies, ministries, extra-ministerial departments and agencies, including the Cabinet Office. I, therefore, urge you Senator Anyim to bring these virtues and experience to bear on your service as you co-ordinate the activities of the government.

Nigeria must have a government that truly prides itself in the service of its citizens.”

And Jonathan’s trust was not misplaced.

Anyim was detailed, patient, undistracted by vaulting ambition and simply kept to his assigned role.

As SGF, Anyim even took to the papers to present a position on democracy and national transformation, in defence of his boss. In a piece titled “The democracy and transformation we mean”, and which appeared on this page shortly after the Democracy Day celebrations of 2014, advanced some views on sustainable democracy and national development. It was under him, and through his office as SGF, that the idea of a mid-term report by a sitting government emerged. As he said, then, “It is within the context of making democracy a reality for the generality of Nigerians that the administration made a mid-term performance review report a central marker of Democracy Day proceedings. The primary purpose is to enable everyone see the progress made so far in implementing policies and programmes.”

Then there is Emeka Ihedioha, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Tambuwal’s bosom and loyal friend. In fact,

many people immediately began to tout his name as soon as Tambuwal stepped down for Atiku. The claim in the quarters from where this was emanating was that the North had played a big Joker, whereby Tambuwal will be VP, with Ihedioha standing in his name. I consider this laughable at best. Emeka Ihedioha has enough experience and leverage.

He was a dependable ally and deputy to Tambuwal. He is also a strong stakeholder in his party – and no less qualified than many others who are desperately jostling for the position as I write.

The other person to consider, even if he would feel outraged at the mention of his name in print on this matter, having inexplicably gone underground after his tenure as Minister for Information and National Orientation, is Chukwuemeka Chikelu. He is urbane, exceptionally intelligent, realistic in concrete terms, thorough, highly respected in political circles and always unwilling to make concession to anything that will not serve the national interest. He will make an incredible vice president. The only problem would be his availability for the job. A person like him, and with his reach and network, would have long been in the hustings. But his aversion for rowdy markets and gatherings where drinking joints are mistaken for policy formulation platforms will be a major impediment.

Then we can speak of Ben Obi. He is a dependable, soberly down to earth, informed, great negotiator and bridge builder. He has been described as a mercilessly loyal gentleman who is not given to vaulting and distracting ambition.

His experience in the security community, general public administration, peace-building at the national level and extensive political exposure make him someone Atiku and the PDP may wish to look at.

But, going back to the first question raised at the beginning of this piece namely: Does Atiku want “a vice president who will be the product of “political correctness”, we must now look more closely. Atiku cannot afford to make political correctness, in terms of temporary support during the primaries, an overriding consideration in deciding who should be his vice president. He is inheriting a nation in tatters. There is nothing to share, and little patronage to dispense, from the day he is sworn in and for several years thereafter. He needs someone who understands the issues, is unshaken by passing political fancies and not given to loyalty deficits. Does he want a vice president who will be the quite engine room of his government? If yes, he had better sober up – knowing that he is the only person in the line of fire now.

63

FRIDAY, ͹͸˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Super Eagles Labour to 2-1 Victory over Sierra Leone in Abuja G’Bissau hammer São Tomé 5-1 to lead Group A

Duro Ikhazuagbe Nigeria’s Super Eagles returned to winning ways on Thursday evening as the three-time African champions laboured to a 2-1 victory over Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in an AFCON 2023 Group A qualifier at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.

The performance of these Eagles under new Portuguese Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, was far from satisfactory. They appeared rusty and lacked the familiar flair of the senior Nigerian team.

The three points from the game appears only consolation to Nigerian fans who were locked out of the game as punishment for the crowd trouble experienced in the last World Cup playoff with Ghana at the Abuja stadium.

The visitors from Freetown drew the first blood barely 11 minutes into the game when

A F C O N 2 0 2 3 Q UA L I F I E R S Jonathan Morsay unsettled the hosts with a flying header to give the Leone Stars the 1-0 lead. It was exact same time that Ghana’s Thomas Partey scored the long range goal that snatched the 2022 World Cup ticket from Nigeria.

The Coach John Keister’s side almost doubled their lead with the same Morsay hitting the base of Francis Uzoho’s goalpost.

However, Everton midfielder, Alex Iwobi, redeemed Nigeria’s pride leveling scores 1-1 in the 16th minute when in a one on one exchange with Moses Simon, drilled to the far corner of goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara’s post.

With the clock ticking three minutes left for the first half break, Napoli Forward, Victor Osimhen streched to loop a right wing cross

into the net for Nigeria’s second goal. It came from an Ola Aina

cross from the flank headed by Moses Simon into Osimhen’s path.

The second half was almost an even affair but with the visitors making dangerous incursion into

Ethiopia shock Egypt Nigeria’s vital area. In the other half of the field, Leone Stars put up more zeal to curtail the attacking forays of the Super Eagles. As the game

Nigerian Ladies Beat Brazil in Opening Game at Kwibuka Cricket Tourney The Nigeria national Women Cricket team, Female YellowGreens shoved aside their Brazilian counterparts in their opening match of the ongoing 2022 Kwibuka T20i Women’s Tournament at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Rwanda.

The Nigerian Ladies similarly went ahead to beat their South American opponents by 8 wickets.

Nigeria won the toss and opted to field at the 3rd match of the ongoing event. The Nigerian team held the Brazilian Women to 53 all out in the first innings, with a well-coordinated bowling order.

Abdul Rasaq Rukayat took four wickets, Eseigbe Rache had three while Samson Rachel and Lillian Ude had two and one respectively to rattle the Brazilian side.

In the second innings, it only took the Nigeria women 10.5 overs to put up a 56-run total and get the first victory in the bag in the Kwibuka Campaign.

Coach of the National Women’s Team, Leke Oyede, said that the team will improve as they play more matches and he believes that the best of the team has not been seen.

“We came to this event with our match plan and experience has taught us to take the matches as they come. We are very happy for this victory, but we are more focused on the next match.

There is no gainsaying that the victory was well deserved, but we still have some work to do.

We were a bit careless in some areas and we need to plug all the leakages as we perfect our game plans," he said after the match.

The Nigerian team will be taking on Germany today at the IPRC pitch.

In the opening match of the tournament, host Rwanda lost to Uganda by six wickets while defending champions Kenya beat Botswana by 35 runs.

Salah Wins PFA Player of the Year Award

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Chelsea's Sam Kerr have won the men's and women's PFA players' player of the year awards.

The pair won the Golden Boot in 2021-22 as top scorer in the Premier League and Women's Super League respectively.

Manchester City's Phil Foden, 22, won the young player of the year award for the second consecutive season.

Egypt's Salah becomes the sixth male player to win two PFA player of the year awards, after Mark Hughes, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Gareth Bale and last year's winner Kevin de Bruyne.

Salah scored 24 Premier League goals, level with Son Heung-min, as Liverpool missed out on the title by one point to City. He also provided 14 assists in the league - and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. "I have my room with trophies in a cabinet and I made sure I had space for one more," said Salah, who also won in 2018.

"I always keep space and just try to imagine the trophies are going to come,” joked the lively Egyptian forward.

Mohamed Salah...wins second PFA Award

dragged into added time, they were even more ferocious, struggling for a possible equaliser.

Joe Aribo, Osimhen and substitute Ademola Lookman all missed chances as Nigeria pushed for another goal, but in added time, it took Aribo’s last-second intervention to deny the Leone Stars.

Nigeria’s Captain, William Troost-Ekong is not likely to feature in Eagles next match next week as he was stretchered off the pitch for a possible groin injury.

To say the least, the playing turf of the MKO Abiola Stadium did not help Super Eagles play as it appears a poor job.

Meanwhile, while Eagles laboured to the 2-1 victory, Guinea Bissau hammered São Tomé and Principe 5-1 to lead the Group A. The Super Eagles will on Monday in Morocco face Sao Tome and Principe in Agadir, Morocco in Nigeria’s Match-day 2 fixture of the AFCON 2023 qualifiers.

In Lilongwe, without star forward Mohamed Salah, record African champions Egypt were stunned by Ethiopia at the Bingu National Stadium losing 2-0 in their second Group D match of the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

AFCON 2023 (Qualifiers) Nigeria 2-1 S’Leone G’Bissau 5-1 São Tomé Burundi 0-1 Cameroon Ethiopia 2-0 Egypt Guinea 1-0 Malawi

Super Eagles celebrating their victory over Sierra Leone in their firs AFCON 2023 qualifying match in Abuja... yesterday

S’Sudan 1-3 Mali Lesotho 0-0 Côte d’Ivoire

22ND AFRICAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Amusan Successfully Defends 100h Hurdles Title, Ekevwo, Godbless Fail in Sprint Final Sprint hurdler Tobiloba Amusan became the fifth woman to successfully defend the 100m hurdles title after she stormed to victory in a wind-aided 12.57s at the ongoing 22nd African Athletics Championship in Mauritius.

Amusan, 25, first won the title four years ago at the 21st edition of the championship and has now become the third Nigerian after Maria Usifo (1984 and 1985) and Glory Alozie (1996, 1998 and 2000) and fifth African to successfully defend the sprint hurdles title.

The reigning African Games champion was however denied the chance to break Alozie's 12.77s championship record set at the 11th edition of the championship in Dakar, Senegal in 1998 by an excessive 4.0m/s tail wind.

Amusan's victory has increased Nigeria's overall gold medal haul in the event to 12. Quarter-miler Patience Okon George qualified for her straight fourth final in the women's 400m after running 53.24s to win her semifinal heat.

The 30-year-old will be hoping to strike gold this time around after winning bronze in 2014, 2016 and return Nigeria as African champion eight years after Folasade Abugan ran 51.21s to win at the 19th edition of the championship in

Marrakech, Morocco in 2014 to become the seventh Nigerian to win gold in the history of the championship.

In the men's version, the trio of Sikiru Adeyemi, Nathaniel Samson and Johnson Nnamani failed to advance to the final thereby extending Nigeria's wait to get

an African champion 24 years after Clement Chukwu won the gold medal in Dakar, Senegal.

In the 100m sprint, reigning African Games fastest man, Raymond Ekevwo and home girl Tima Godbless failed in their bid to return Nigeria to reckoning in the men and women's 100m

finals at the ongoing 22nd African Athletics Championship decided Thursday in Mauritius.

The two athletes ran new personal season's best in all conditions and new personal best respectively in their bid but both came agonisingly failed get to the podium.

Youths Storm Mikel Obi’s Back2Base Programme Femi Solaja After several weeks of planning, the maiden edition of John Mikel Obi Back2Base programme began yesterday with many youths on ground to participate or watch from the stand at the University of Lagos Sports Centre, Akoka in Lagos.

The multisport programme had many willing youths hitherto without prior registration but eager to be part of the event disappointed because the organisers over the past few weeks had registered only qualified players.

However, many of kids returned to the stand and watched with delight how participants displayed their talents across the three sports namely-football, tennis and basketball.

“I’m delighted that the Back2Base project is underway and this is one of the several ways to discover talents that can be nurtured to become stars of tomorrow. I started playing from the sandy pitch and from there I moved into manageable football field and it will be a great opportunity for many of these young talents to discover themselves,” Mikel recalled yesterday after the first match between All Stars against Agbado Ijaiye Meiran which ended goalless.

According to the organisers of the programme, the two matches played yesterday will produce the best 11 in each department and will tackle the best 11 from today’s fixtures for the final match tomorrow. Gift items and cash rewards are to be

given out to the best players.

In the other match played yesterday, Almosho Pipeline took on Agbado Ijaiye Adura. Today, Ajegunle FC will square up with Evans Square, Ebute Meta while Alimosho Akinola will take on Magboro Prayer City (MFM) in the second match.

The same metric was adopted in the Tennis and Basketball events.

In all, eight teams were registered across all the three sports but only tennis had female participants which the organisers said subsequent editions will allow participants across all genders.

The programme is to be rounded up tomorrow with a Gala night and awards giving ceremony at Radisson Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Friday June 10, 2022

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MISSILE CSOs to Military, Buhari We are alarmed by the revelations from the Prelate who was kidnapped along with his two colleagues and released after paying huge sums in ransoms. But we are even more alarmed by the revelation from security sources and the victims themselves suggesting that the military is likely to be complicit in the increasing cases of crime in the Okigwe axis–Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), urging President Buhari to probe the Military’s alleged connivance with criminals.

AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

akinosuntokun@thisdaylive.com

The Coup That Failed T

he choreography and orchestration began with the imposition of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC. Then in cahoots with so called Independent national electoral commission, INEC, the party orchestrated the one week extension of the deadline for the conduct of their party primaries. This was to enable them exploit the vulnerabilities of whatever choice of candidate the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, made.

From what we know of Senator Adamu, no one zeros in on a personality of his skill set with a noble objective in mind. You do so when you are looking for the best man to do a dirty job. Caught in the dragnet of efcc indictment, he had valiantly laboured to buy his way out by posturing as a fulminating ethno-regional chauvinist. And it paid off. Anyone looking for an unconscionable interlocutor for the prosecution of the campaign for the emergence of two northern moslems as candidates of the two dominant parties, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, couldn’t find a more suitable factotum. His emergence coincided with the progress of this notion from the level of theory to that of praxis. It subsequently climaxed four days ago with the furtive announcement

by Adamu that senate president Ahmed Lawan has been chosen as the consensus presidential candidate of APC. It is in the nature of Nigeria to distort and deform universal norms and standards. The dictionary meaning of consensus is “the judgment arrived at by most of those concerned, group solidarity in sentiment and belief”. But according to Adamu, the consensus he announced was a directive from one man, the president. Never mind that when the blowback started coming thick and fast, the latter had to dissociate himself

Adamu from the announcement. Upon the furtive announcement the chairman took to playing the fugitive when he disappeared altogether from public radar.

According to the People’s Gazette “The crisis preceding the national convention and presidential primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress intensified on Monday night after the party’s chairman went underground… We don’t know where he disappeared to and the governors and other important people are saying they have to see him urgently,” a senior party official told Peoples Gazette. “It is hard to believe that the chairman could just leave his office and switch off his phones like that.”

Simultaneous with the deployment of this conspiracy was the fulani carnival in Abuja and the terrorist attack in Owo, ondo state. A day preceeding attack, the chairman of the miyyeti Allah, Bello Bodejo, “addressed a mammoth crowd of Fulani pastoralists from across Nigeria and beyond and “rained curses on some state governors whom, he claimed, chased Fulani pastoralists away from their states using state systems, assuring them that peace will continue to elude them until they reverse their decisions and wholeheartedly welcome and accept the pastoralists as members of the society. “We know our friends and enemies and we will act at the right time,” he threatened “In as much as we don’t support arms struggle, our people have, undoubtedly, been badly treated over the years in Nigeria. We have been cheated, denied all the necessary opportunities for good life and education, and this time, our sources of livelihood are being targeted. Obviously, we have been pushed to the wall, hence the justification to the recent display of anger by our people. It’s left for the government to do the needful” There is a saying in Yoruba that “Àje ké lánàá, omo kú lóòní.” The witch crowed yesterday and the child died today.

The characteristics of the assault are as follows.

First this is the first time an assault of this magnitude will occur anywhere in southern Nigeria. It is therefore a turning point of sorts.

Second, Owo is the metropolitan gateway and border town between eastern Yoruba and the North Central zone. Third the target was a church. Fourth it was calculated to do maximum damage given the military style of bombing the church to smoke out the victims and then open fire on them as they flee the inferno.

Fifth is that it has the trappings of a retaliatory attack and coded message to

Mr Rotimi Akeredolu in his capacity as the governor of ondo state, an indigene of Owó city, a family parish member of the catholic church.

His offence? Over a year ago, in response to the existential crisis posed by the violent impunity of the fulani herdsmen, Akeredolu posted the public notice that “Today we have taken major steps at addressing the root cause of kidnapping, in particular, and other nefarious activities detailed and documented in security reports, the press and debriefings from victims of kidnap cases in Ondo State.”

“These unfortunate incidents are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen. These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransom and carrying out other criminal activities. As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the State, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the State. In light of the foregoing, the following orders are hereby issued: 1. All Forest Reserves in the State are to be vacated by herdsmen within the next 7 days with effect from today, Monday 18th January, 2021.

2. Night-grazing is banned with immediate effect because most farm destruction takes place at night.

3. Movement of cattle within cities and highways is prohibited.

4. Under-aged grazing of cattle is outlawed.

Now imagine for a moment that the backdrop to the terrorist attack on the Catholic Church in owo, ondo state, was the spectre of the emergence of two northern moslems as the candidates of the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. •To be continued

OKEYIKECHUKWU EDIFYING ELUCIDATIONS

okey.ikechukwu@thisdaylive.com

A Vice President for Atiku T wo questions are central for anyone who wants the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, to succeed in office. That is in the event that he ends up defeating the financially powerful APC contender, Bola Tinubu, and the people’s candidate, Peter Obi. The first question is, does he want a vice president who will be the product of “political correctness”, or does he want a vice president who will be the quite but effective and efficient engine room of government?

The second is, should the subsisting concern about the PDP’s perceived ill treatment of Ndigbo be part of his calculations? The answer to the first question is a yes. We shall try to address the second question later. Much

later in today’s intervention.

Atiku needs a VP with capacity, that is confirmed capacity for effective administration, attention to files, the strength of character to face his job and watch his boss’s back. That is why his criteria for choosing a running mate must emphasise anything ability to perform in office. But then, there is the matter of first winning the election. So, should that not be part of the calculation in choosing a running mate? It would be a central consideration in that regards only if the PDP machinery fails to rise to the occasion, and the extant leverage of all stakeholders are not pooled to bridge perceived gaps. The refusal to do this led to the avoidable self-sabotage that cost the party the elections in 2019.

Regarding the second question, it is a matter of record that the South East is also somewhat angry with Atiku for even contesting at all.

The logic of the anger is that he should have been in the forefront of driving a national campaign, at least within the PDP, to follow the presumed agreement about a rotational formula that would bring the presidency to someone of Igbo extraction. To that extent, and for that very reason, the presumption is that the least he can do is to choose onye Igbo as his running mate. That said, the matter of a reasonable choice is not made any easier for the man.

First there are many Igbos in contention, some of them by some stranglehold, based on their contributions to the VP’s efforts so

far. Others are doing their best to leverage whatever contacts they have in the right places, in order to swing a decision in their favour.

There is also the political argument about Wike. He actually won the primaries, if the truth must be told. It took the combined votes of Atiku, Tambuwal and whatever forces they rallied, to beat Wike by about 100 votes. What does that tell you?

Based on the above, the argument has been advanced, and is being pursued vigorously, that Wike should be Atiku’s running mate; even if in order to assuage his well-advertised indignation over the sordid business of that night at eagle square. But there is a problem.

Continued on page 62

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