WEDNESDAY 15TH JUNE 2022

Presidency: No Cabal Influences Buhari’s Decisions Says president refused to act as autocrat at APC convention Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Presidency, yesterday, dismissed insinuations about President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision-making process, saying the president is in charge, and

has been responsible for all decisions taken by his administration in the last seven years without interference from any third party or cabal. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu,

stated this yesterday in a release.

Shehu made reference to the recent presidential primary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that Buhari refused to act as a dictator; instead, he ensured a level playing field for

all participants.

He emphasised that contrary to swirling misgivings in some quarters, the president had never relied on the opinions of third party elements, but had always taken his decisions without the

backup of the so-called cabals or back-up boys.

The presidential aide said those still assailing the APC and the president, expounding conspiracy theories, and making all manner of speculations needed to understand

those important points about the country's leader.

Shehu said the strong leader myth had lasted for far too long in the country, with people assumContinued on page 50

Drama in Plenary as Senate Majority, Minority Leaders Resign... Page 5 Wednesday 15 June, 2022 Vol 27. No 9927. Price: N250

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Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580

NEWS

WOMEN IN OIL AND GAS...

L-R: Chairperson Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) Diversity Sectoral Working Group (SWG), Mrs. Alero Onosode; Minister of State Petroleum Resources Chief Timipre Sylva; Chairperson, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Senator Margery Chuba-Okadigbo; Executive Secretary Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, and a member of the NNPC, Mrs Lami Ahmed, at the Nigeria Women in Oil and Gas Conference 2022 held in Lagos …yesterday

Drama in Plenary as Senate Majority, Minority Leaders Resign Sunday Aborisade in Abuja It was a day of high drama at plenary yesterday in the Senate, as both the Majority Leader and Minority Leader resigned their posts, and nearly 70 per cent of the senators lost their bid to return to the red chamber.

The Senate resumed after a six-week recess announced to enable members to participate in the congresses and conventions of their political parties ahead of next year’s general election.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan announced the resignation of the Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, and Majority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe. Lawan said the resignations followed the senators’ defection from the political parties under which they got elected into the Senate.

He said Abdullahi, in his letter of resignation, attributed his decision to his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abaribe, on the other hand, defected from PDP to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Lawan said.

The senate president, in yet another letter, notified his colleagues that the chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Adamu Aliero, had defected from APC to PDP. Lawan, therefore, directed the Chief Whip, Senator Orji Kalu, to relocate both the former senate leader and his colleague in the minority caucus to other seats.

Abaribe's defection to APGA and

formal exit as Minority Leader was deferred as a result of the inability of the senate president to come with his defection and resignation letter to plenary.

Lawan said Abaribe’s letter would be formally read on the floor before his exit as Minority Leader.

The defections of Abdullahi and Aliero, both from Kebbi State, were conveyed in two separate letters addressed to the senate president, and read on the floor during plenary.

Abdullahi and Aliero represent Kebbi North and Kebbi Central senatorial districts, respectively.

The defections brought the total number of PDP senators to 39, from 38, with the exclusion of Abaribe, who is set to formally defect from the main opposition party to APGA on Wednesday. It also cut down the number of APC senators from 71 to 69.

The senate leader, in his letter titled, “Defection From APC to PDP And Resignation As The Majority Leader Of The 9th Senate,” said his decision was informed by the democratic challenges and deficits faced by APC in Kebbi State. He explained that all attempts to remedy the situation through the intervention of the North-west zone’s governors and the defunct Abdullahi Adamu-led National Reconciliation Committee failed.

Aliero also cited same reasons advanced by Abdullahi for his defection.

Attempts by Senators Phillip Aduda, George Thompson, and Gabriel Suswan to stop the relocation of Abaribe, because he

Machina Writes Adamu, Denies Stepping Down for Lawan Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Yobe North in the 2023 elections, Bashir Machina, has denied stepping down for the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.

Machina, in a letter dated June 13th, 2022 and addressed to the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdulahi Adamu clarified that he was committed to the mandate, which he won at the primary.

"I write to reaffirm my continual aspiration as the All Progressives Congress unequivocal senatorial candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District, following my clearance, participation, and victory at the

party primaries, where I polled 289 votes out of the 300 total votes cast.

"I write to reaffirm that I remain committed to the mandate, which I won at the primaries, and I have not in any form or manner communicated otherwise.

"I have been informed of a purported malicious, and mischievous report and insinuation to the contrary. Please note that I never at any time, signed or communicated in any form any intent to vacate the mandate, which was won at the primaries."

Machina maintained that he was totally committed to his mandate and was working towards delivering Yobe North Senatorial district in the 2023 elections.

had not formally communicated his decision to his caucus, were rejected by the senate president.

He also advised Senator Betty Apiaffi to seek legal redress, when she cited constitutional provisions, which required the defectors to lose their seats.

Meanwhile, Lawan advised his colleagues, who lost the just concluded primary elections, to cheer up and continue to pursue what they believed in. He also wished those, who defected to other political parties, well and prayed for better opportunities for them in the nearest future.

Lawan called on lawmakers

to stay committed to the political system of their respective parties, not minding the outcome of the just concluded primaries.

The upper chamber had suspended plenary on May 11 to enable lawmakers participate in the primaries of their political parties.

Lawan, in his welcome address, underscored the need for the senate to prioritise the country's security challenges, and undertake further amendment of the Electoral Act. He said the electoral process in the just concluded primaries had thrown up issues that must be critically looked at by the National Assembly.

Speaking on the outcome of the party primaries, he said, “Some of us participated in the congresses for their senatorial districts, some of our colleagues went for governorship of their states, and four of us went for the presidency of our great country.

“We have recorded different results from those activities, but as politicians, it is never over until it is over. We should continue to support the political system that we believe in. Those of our colleagues who have recorded successes, we wish them more successes in the general election. And those who have not succeeded as much, we are hopeful that between now and

then, the situation may be better.

“But on the whole, our commitment to ensuring that this democracy benefits from legislative interventions of the National Assembly should remain our focus.

As a parliament, we still have issues that require our legislative intervention.

“The electoral process may have thrown up certain issues that the National Assembly could also look at and address, because the Electoral Act itself, even though a good document, is not a perfects document. So, it needs some refinement from time to time to improve our electoral process.”

Uzodinma: Tinubu, Not APC Govs, Has Final Say On Running Mate Says issue should not threaten national unity Deji Elumoye in Abuja Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, has declared that the final say about who becomes the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was solely that of the party’s standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He, however, said the search for a credible running mate to Tinubu should not be allowed to threaten the nation's unity.

Uzodinma, who spoke with newsmen after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja Tuesday, emphasised that the 22 APC governors could not impose any running mate on Tinubu.

His words: “The decision also to choose a running mate does not reside with any of us the governors.

It is the presidential candidate that will look at the local characteristics and every factor, political and apolitical that will make him win his election and take the decision.

So, it's not a decision that we will sit here and take for the candidate.”

He noted that APC having held a successful convention that led to the emergence of Tinubu as the party’s flag bearer, contrary to the expectations of some people, the choice of a running mate would take into considerations all the indices that will promote fairness and unity of the country.

“But we are looking for united Nigeria, where governance will

be the issue, where a president would be a judged by his capacity to deliver democratic dividends, develop Nigeria to look like other parts of the Western world where democracy is working.

“I don't want us to reduce governance in Nigeria to certain things that will encourage divisiveness, rather, we should be a united Nigeria, be our brother's keepers, have a president of Nigeria that will be a president representing, every tribe, every religion, every denomination. And when we get there, we will cross the bridge," he said.

Asked if he foresaw a governor as running mate to Tinubu, Uzodinma said, “Why not? Ahmed Tinubu, have you forgotten he was a governor for eight years?

If he chooses a governor so be it, we will support it. For now, we are no longer talking about who becomes running mate and who is not running mate.

"I have told you whose decision it is. The next thing as party leaders now and opinion leaders, is for us to rise up, mobilise the quality and get members of our party to commit to a successful election by 2023, so that our president that is leaving will also be handing over to our own president of APC, that is our preoccupation now – how to win the election,” he said.

On the alleged move by Tinubu to run with a Muslim/Muslim ticket, the Imo governor argued that the Nigerian Constitution does

not dwell on religion as a factor for the selection of presidential running mate.

According to him: "There is no where in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where religion is a factor or characteristic as to who becomes the president or who becomes the running mate.

"But we are looking for united Nigeria, where governance will be the issue, where a president would be a judged by his capacity to deliver democratic dividends, develop Nigeria to look like other parts of the Western world where democracy is working.

"I don't want us to reduce governance in Nigeria to certain things that will encourage divisiveness. Rather, we should be a united Nigeria, be our brother's keepers, have a president of Nigeria, that will be a president representing every tribe, every religion, every denomination, and when we get there, we will cross the bridge.”

Uzodinma admonished that each section of the country required the others to be able to produce the president, saying the South East zone would work on what has so far prevented it reaching the goal.

He said, "When I appeared on Channels in the morning of the convention I told you that one of the conventions governing our polity in Nigeria is power shift. That power comes to the north and goes to the south. When power came to the south, in 1999, we ceded it to South West and all of us voted as

Nigerians.

"The next time power came to the South, it went to South South and all of us voted as Nigerians.

We expected that now that power came back to the South, it will go to South East but this is not a decision of a geopolitical zone alone.

"No geopolitical zone can become a president without the participation of other political zones. So, when you don't get the cooperation, you begin to find out why and you work towards getting the cooperation next time, because it has to be united country for you to become a president.

"We're not talking about president of South East, president South South or president of South West. We are talking of the President of Nigeria.

For a Southerner to become a president, he needs to vote for North, for northerner to become the president, he needs the vote from the South.

"In our constitution, two-thirds of the states, you must have at least minimum of 25% votes registered in those states. Today, we'll look at the guidelines. We'll look at the rules. Our country is a rule-driven country. And the grund norm is the constitution of the country.

"So, we're working with it. All we're saying is that for equity, for fairness for justice, that there's certain sentiments to be considered when we're taking national decisions, but we don't think that is enough to disorganise our country. We must move forward."

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NEWS

13TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF DANGOTE CEMENT...

L-R: Deputy Company Secretary, Dangote Cement Plc, Edward Imoedemhe; Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Group Managing Director/CEO, Michel Puchercos; Non-Executive Director, Olakunle Alake, and Non-Executive Director, PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN Halima Aliko-Dangote at the 13th Annual General Meeting of Dangote Cement Plc, held in Lagos…yesterday

Fuel Subsidy, Nigeria Merely Struggling to Service its Debts, Finance Minister Laments Declares policy hurting economy W’Bank estimates country may lose N5trn oil revenue to subsidy in 2022 Says seven million Nigerians may slip into poverty this year Soludo harps on fuel subsidy removal Government revenues under serious attack, says AGF

Obinna Chima, Nume Ekeghe in Lagos, Ndubuisi Francis and James Emejo in Abuja The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed yesterday expressed concern that the federal government’s continuous retention of the controversial fuel subsidy regime was hurting Nigeria’s ability to service its debts.

Also, the World Bank has projected that Nigeria may post a N5 trillion loss in oil revenues in 2022, despite oil price rally due to the retention of its fuel subsidy policy.

Owing to negative consequences of the fuel subsidy policy, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has called for it’s the government to phase it out immediately, noting that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) hasn’t credited states in recent time as a result of the burden of fuel subsidy.

They all made the remarks at the hybrid launch of the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update titled: “The Urgency for Business Unusual,’ held in Abuja.

But speaking at a different gathering, the acting Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Chukwuyere Anamekwe, yesterday

lamented that government's revenues were currently under serious attack and called for articulated deployment of fiscal discipline and strategies to mitigate identified challenges.

The Finance Minister called on Nigerians to understand that fuel subsidy was causing a massive fiscal burden, saying a situation whereby the federal government borrows for consumption was wasteful.

Ahmed said: “This premium motor spirit (PMS) subsidy is costing us an additional N4 trillion than was originally planned. So, this is an unplanned deficit. We have gone to the National Assembly; we have gotten approvals, but the approval was simply for us to cut down on some of the investment costs. “So, investments that we needed to make in oil and gas sector which we are delaying and deferring to a later time and reducing the rollout of those investments. But we also had asked that we needed to borrow more which is very serious.

“Already we have borrowing increasing significantly and we are struggling with being able to service debt because even though revenue is increasing, the expenditure has been increasing at a much higher rate so it is a very difficult situation.”

She said further: “So Nigerians

need to understand that this PMS subsidy we are carrying now is hurting the nation, its impeding the government's ability to be able to invest in human capital development. N4.5 trillion is money that we could have invested in health or education.

“But where we are investing it in consumption, which is very wasteful, because how many Nigerians own cars that are benefiting from this subsidy.”

She further pointed out that Nigeria was facing challenges from not gaining from the current oil price rally.

“We are in some kind of crossroads. It is not hearsay to say that Nigeria has not derived what it should from the current high crude oil prices, rather rising crude oil prices are posing significant fiscal challenges to our economy and may lead to some negative receipts and indeed we have started seeing already those negative receipts.

“There are three factors preventing Nigeria from fully benefiting from the current boom in the international crisis. First of all, our prediction had fallen below Nigeria's estimated capacity and the OPEC quota because of insecurity vandalism and theft. Secondly, the domestic

price of payments has remained fixed, while global PMS prices have continued to rise.

“The third is that rising international crude prices also increases the burden of PMS because we buy refined petroleum products.

The higher crude oil price goes in the global market, the more we're paying for PMS, and by maintaining this PMS subsidy we as a country unfortunately forego investments that will have used the monies into essential infrastructure, goods or services that would have increased the overall productivity of the nation.

So this is really the bane of the major issue that we're facing now.”

Meanwhile, the World Bank has projected that Nigeria may post a N5 trillion loss in oil revenues in 2022 as oil prices continue to rally and the war between Russia and Ukraine rages. This is N2 trillion above the multilateral institution’s earlier prediction.

The Washington-based institution also declared that although Nigeria's growth prospects had improved, inflationary and fiscal pressure increased considerably, leaving the economy much more vulnerable.

Speaking during the unveiling of the NDU, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham

Emefiele to Address Maiden Non-oil Exports Summit James Emejo in Abuja The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele would address the maiden summit on Non-oil Exports under the Race to $200 billion in Foreign Exchange (FX) Repatriation (RT200) programme.

The summit would hold in Lagos, tomorrow.

The RT 200 initiative was launched in February 2022, by the central bank in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee to boost forex repatriation by non-oil exporters.

With the theme: “Setting the Roadmap toward Achieving RT200 and Non-oil Export for Development,” the forum would focus on the current situation in the economy, the commitment to addressing the challenges as

well as driving the development and improvement of the non-oil export sector.

A statement issued by the Director, Corporate Communications Department of the apex bank, Osita Nwanisobi, disclosed that the one-day summit specifically seeks to identify challenges across the non-oil export value chain from the perspectives of all stakeholder groups as well as provide understanding of the current situation and the implications to Nigerian citizens and the economy as a basis for urgent action.

The statement listed other objectives of the summit to include understanding trends and lessons from other countries including regional and global market outlook; share best practices across the agriculture exporting value chain and guidance on how to obtain financial assistance

and to identify opportunities for improving the performance and viability of non-oil exports.

Ultimately, it said the CBN and its partners, through the summit would seek to launch the development of a comprehensive Non-Oil Export Optimisation framework.

The summit which was expected to extract voluntary commitments and initiatives to support the nonoil Export Renewal Plan would feature a keynote by Emefiele as well as expert presentations and panel discussions to address the country’s current non-oil export sector situation and proffer recommendations.

Participants at the summit would cut across stakeholders in the non-oil sector including but not limited to the mineral resources, manufacturing and agricultural export sectors including primary

agriculture players; aggregators, storage, logistics and freight transport operators; exporters; road transport agencies; security agencies and government ministries at federal and state levels.

It would be recalled that the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee in February 2022, unveiled the RT200 programme, a set of plans, policies, and programmes designed to increase the nation’s earnings exclusively from non-oil exports to $200 billion in FX repatriation, within the next five years.

The RT200 initiative was designed to be implemented through five anchors: Value Adding Exports Facility (VEF); Non-Oil Commodities Expansion Facility (NCEF); Non-Oil FX Rebate Scheme (NFRS); Dedicated Non-Oil Export Terminal; and the hosting of a Bi-annual Non-Oil Export Summit.

Chaudhuri, who presented the highlights, predicted that inflationary pressure would be compounded by the fiscal pressure Nigeria would face this year because of the ballooning cost of fuel subsidy at a time when production continues to decline.

The World Bank chief stated that based on this, Nigeria, for the first time since its return to democracy, and as the only major oil exporter, was unlikely to benefit fiscally from the windfall opportunity created by higher global oil prices.

He said: “When we launched our previous Nigeria Development Update in November 2021, we estimated that Nigeria could stand to lose more than N3 trillion in revenues in 2022 because the proceeds from crude oil sales, instead of going to the federation account, would be used to cover the rising cost of gasoline subsidies that mostly benefit the rich.

"Sadly, that projection turned out to be optimistic. With oil prices going up significantly, and with it, the price of imported gasoline, we now estimate that the foregone revenues as a result of gasoline subsidies will be closer to N5 trillion in 2022.

"And that N5 trillion is urgently needed to cushion ordinary Nigerians from the crushing effect of double-digit increases in the cost of basic commodities, to invest in Nigeria’s children and youth, and in the infrastructure needed for private businesses small and large to flourish, grow and create jobs.”

He stated that inflation in Nigeria, already one of the highest in the world before the war in Ukraine, was likely to increase further as a result of the rise in global fuel and food prices caused by the war.

According to the bank's estimates, this was likely to push an additional one million Nigerians into poverty by the end of 2022, in addition to the six million Nigerians that were already predicted to fall into poverty this year because of rising prices, particularly food prices.

According to the report, Nigeria’s growing macroeconomic challenges in 2022 highlight the continuing urgency of a departure from business as usual, and the need for consensus around a package of robust reforms.

It highlighted three policy priorities: Reducing inflation through a

sequenced and coordinated mix of exchange rate, trade, monetary, and fiscal policies including the adoption of a single, market-responsive exchange rate.

The priorities also included addressing mounting fiscal pressures at the federal and sub-national levels by phasing out the petrol subsidy (estimated to cost up to N5 trillion in 2022) and redirecting fiscal resources to investments in infrastructure, education, and health services; increasing “pro-health taxes”, and improving tax compliance.

Others are catalysing private investment to boost job creation by improving the transparency of key government-to-business services and eliminating trade restrictions.

“Despite the better-than-expected performance of the services and agriculture sectors and higher oil prices stemming from the war in Ukraine, Nigeria is experiencing a curious case of lower fiscal revenues.

This is limiting the government’s ability to expand basic services, support the economic recovery, and protect the poor during this difficult time,” said Marco Hernandez, World Bank Lead Economist for Nigeria and co-author of the report.

In addition to assessing Nigeria’s economic situation, this edition of the NDU also casts a spotlight on the unintended effects of Nigeria’s trade restrictions; the importance of investing in adolescent girls to defuse Nigeria’s demographic timebomb; and the imperative of bringing Nigeria’s out-of-school children back to school.

Also, speaking during an exclusive interview with THISDAY, Chaudhuri maintained that Nigeria needs urgent reforms and a coordinated mix of policies that involve exchange rate management, monetary policy, fiscal policy and trade.

“The bottom-line is that we are more concerned now than we were six months ago because we see the fiscal pressures and the inflationary pressures, building up in a way that will directly impact the livelihoods and just everyday choices of millions of Nigerians will have to make and the government's ability to respond to those needs will be limited by the fiscal pressures.

“Nigeria has always proved to Continued on page 50

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CONDOLENCE VISIT TO AKURE...

L-R: Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; his Ogun State counterpart; Dapo Abiodun, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu; National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, during a condolence visit to the Ondo State Governor on the recent killings at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State at the Governor’s Office, Akure... yesterday

UK Judge Rules No Evidence of Fraud in FG’s $1.7bn Case Against JPMorgan Admits American bank could have done things differently Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency report A London High Court yesterday affirmed that there was no evidence of fraud against an American Bank, JPMorgan, in a case of $1.7 billion brought before it by the federal government.

The court had begun to hear the details of the lawsuit launched

by Nigeria against the bank for its role in a disputed 2011 oilfield deal, maintaining that the bank failed in its “duty of care.”

The federal government alleged that JPMorgan was, “grossly negligent,” in its decision to transfer funds paid by oil companies, Eni and Shell into an escrow account to a company controlled by the country’s former oil minister, Dan Etete, instead of into government coffers.

Nigeria’s lawyer, Roger Masefield, had argued that Nigeria’s case rested on proving two key points, namely that: There was a fraud and that JP Morgan was aware of the risk of fraud.

He maintained that JP Morgan had breached its duties, describing the evidence of fraud as “little short of overwhelming.”

According to Masefield: “Under its Quincecare duty, the bank was entitled to refuse to pay for as long as it had reasonable grounds for believing its customer was being defrauded.”

The damages sought by the federal government included the cash sent to Etete’s company Malabu Oil and Gas, which was around $875 million paid in three instalments in 2011 and 2013, plus interest, taking

the total to over $1.7 billion.

The Nigerian government at the time had asked JP Morgan to make the transfers as part of the oilfield sale, court documents showed, in the case that dates back to 1998 when Nigerian military ruler Sani Abacha awarded the offshore oilfield licence, OPL 245, to a company Etete owned.

Nigeria alleged that the bank ignored, “glaring” red flags, including “overwhelming” evidence of fraud and stark warnings from its own compliance staff when it authorised the payments.

But Judge Sara Cockerill ruled yesterday that the Nigerian government couldn’t show that it had been defrauded.

“With the benefit of hindsight, JPMorgan would have done things differently. But again, none of these things individually or collectively amount to triggering and then breaching its duty of care to its client,” Cockerill stated.

The judge added that by the time of the 2013 payments, the bank was “on notice of a risk” of fraud, but pointed out that it wasn’t enough reason to give a judgment against the bank.

“There was a risk – but it was, on the evidence, no more than a possibility based on a slim foundation,” the judge held.

Bloomberg quoted a spokesman of the Nigerian government as saying that: “The Federal Republic of Nigeria is naturally disappointed by the outcome of the judgment and will be reviewing it carefully before considering next steps.”

“The Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) will continue its fight against

fraud and corruption and to work to recover funds for the people of Nigeria,” it added.

Also reacting in a statement, the bank said: “This judgment reflects our commitment to acting with high professional standards in every country we operate in, and how we are prepared to robustly defend our actions and reputation when they are called into question.”

Justice Cockerill dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that it had fallen at the first hurdle because there was no evidence a fraud had been perpetrated against Nigeria in a deal in which Malabu surrendered its claims in 2011 after Nigeria’s

to have said the recent promotion of over 21,039 junior cadre policemen showed the commitment of IGP Baba to boost the morale of the Force’s rank and file as well as enhancing the performance of the police.

While also commending the speed with which the Police Service Commission headed by a former IGP, Alhaji Musiliu Smith had been working with the Police to strengthen the Force, Marwa said, “the IGP is not only working relentlessly to make the police better, he has also been supportive of our work in NDLEA. “It’s on record that he recently

notice” that it may in fact facilitate a fraud.

A Milan court last year cleared oil companies Shell and Eni and their senior and former executives of any wrongdoing in the 2011 oilfield deal, and Etete of corruption charges.

They had all denied wrongdoing.

Neither the oil companies nor Etete were parties to the High Court case.

Earlier, in the run-up to the latest case, a $20 million price tag on the well– of which Etete paid about $2 million, according to court documents – was widely viewed by industry experts as too low given that the block was expected to yield billions of dollars of crude, although

it remains undeveloped.

Subsequent Nigerian administrations contested Etete’s rights to the field, triggering years of legal wrangling until a deal designed to end the battles was struck in 2011.

Etete’s company Malabu Oil and Gas handed the undeveloped OPL 245 back to Nigeria as part of a resolution agreement involving Shell and Eni. To complete the deal, Shell and Eni paid a signature bonus of about $200 million directly to the Nigerian government and then deposited $1.1 billion in the Nigerian government’s escrow account with JPMorgan, according to court documents.

OPEC: Nigeria’s Oil Production Fell to Record 1.024m bpd Low in May Oil companies dealing with 1,200 litigations over cleaner fuels, says Barkindo Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Still struggling with its oil production quota, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) yesterday revealed that Nigeria reported a paltry 1.024 million barrels per day production in May, a multi-year low.

However, while direct country reporting of total barrels drilled was roughly 1 million bpd, secondary sources, according to OPEC, indicated that the country produced 1.258 million bpd.

In all, with the latest figure released by the OPEC, it means that Nigeria's underperformance was as high as 700,000 barrels per day for the month, although the cartel’s total allocation to Nigeria

Marwa Commends IGP over NDLEA- Police Partnership The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba for his willingness to strengthen the working relationship between the anti-narcotic agency y and the police.

Marwa gave the commendation yesterday, while decorating one of the newly promoted police officers attached to his office, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mande Umar with his new rank as ASP11.

He was quoted in a statement

government agreed to pay it $1 billion so the oilfield could be developed.

But no allegations of wrongdoing were made against JPMorgan staff. However, the US bank had provided a depository account for Nigeria’s government to make the payments, the court heard during the trial earlier this year.

The Financial Times of London, reported that the case was closely watched in the banking industry because the court also examined whether JPMorgan had breached its duty as a bank not to follow a customer’s instructions where it suspects or has been “put on

signed a clear letter to all police commands and formations to support and cooperate with the NDLEA. That’s why you will see police commands transferring all drug related cases to NDLEA without delay and whenever our men come under attack, they are always ready to give a helping hand. That is commendable and I give IGP Baba credit for that.”

He said all issues he had taken to the IGP and the Smith-led PSC have been promptly treated. He urged Umar who was recently promoted from Police Inspector to ASP11 to see the elevation as an encouragement to work harder.

exceeded 1.75 million bpd for the month.

The 1.24 million bpd production was about 195,000 bpd less production when compared with April’s total of 1.219 million bpd, OPEC said in its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) released Tuesday.

Despite assurances by the various government agencies, what the OPEC figures imply is that rather than improve, the country’s oil production has actually deteriorated in the past months.

Fingering massive theft as one of the reasons for its inability to meet its quota, the federal government had also months ago, deployed heavy military presence in the Niger Delta to curb the menace.

But the OPEC data has now confirmed that the action has not made any difference, as nothing appears to have changed since the rejigging of the security arrangement in the region.

On the economy, OPEC said that Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) advanced by 3.1 per cent y-o y in Q1, 2022, following almost 4 per cent y o-y growth in the prior period.

It stated that this was driven by a solid performance in the information and communication industry, adding that the non-oil sector grew by 6.1 per cent y-o-y in 1Q22, faster than 4.7 per cent Q4, 2021.

However, it noted that Nigeria's inflation outlook has deteriorated in recent months, reaching 16.8 per cent y-o y in April 2022, up

from 15.9 per cent y o-y in March. “ Like most African countries, Nigeria’s economy is grappling with rising food prices since it is largely dependent on agricultural imports, especially grains. “ Also, increasing diesel prices and the ongoing dollar shortage contributed to the upward trend in inflation,” it said.

OPEC said that the pace of growth may flatten amid fuel and power shortages, low water levels and higher borrowing costs for corporations and households following a 150 basis point increase in the policy rate by the central bank in May. Meanwhile, speaking at the MedGas Event Dinner in Athens, Greece yesterday, OPEC Secretary General, Sanusi Barkindo, said that the world economic growth in 2022 has been revised down by the cartel to 3.5 per cent from 3.9 per cent in previous assessments.

“World oil demand in 2022 is forecast to increase by 3.4 mb/d y-o-y, representing a downward revision of 0.3 mb/d. Non-OPEC liquids supply growth in 2022 was revised down by 0.3 mb/d y-o-y to 2.1 mb/d.

“Against the backdrop of a fragile situation for the global economy, oil market stability is absolutely essential. For this reason, OPEC’s cooperation with 10 non-OPEC oil producing countries under the ‘Declaration of Cooperation’ is absolutely pivotal,” he said.

Signed on 10 December 2016, the ‘Declaration of Cooperation’

between OPEC and 10 non-OPEC Producing Countries is a pioneering framework for multilateral energy cooperation.

Barkindo said that the declaration had enabled the oil industry to withstand and recover from both the severe oil market downturn of 2014-2016 and the unprecedented oil market contraction following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the energy transition, he reiterated that in recent years, public discourse around energy, climate and sustainable development had become noisier and more forceful.

Unfortunately, Barkindo argued that the conversation has become less global and inclusive, with some voices all but excluded, saying the narrative is often overtaken by emotion, with rational discussions based on facts, hard-data and science, taking a back seat.

“Our industry is at an inflection point and has never before faced so many challenges across multiple fronts in its long history.

Put simply, we are under siege.

“In the courts, there are currently over 1,200 litigation cases against oil companies worldwide.

Environmental NGOs, investors and even some corporate boards are pressuring oil companies and governments to pursue aggressive policies and initiatives that could, in the end, be more disruptive than productive for the global energy industry, especially given current concerns related to energy security.

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Gunmen Abduct Celestial Church Shepherd in Ogun Abduct seven-month-old Baby, others in Katsina

James Sowole in Abeokuta and Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, yesterday, reportedly attacked the Celestial Church of Christ, Oshofa Parish at Wasimi, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State and abducted two persons.

The abducted persons, according to a source, were Assistant Shepherd of the Parish, Rev. Oluwaseun Ajose and a Sunday School Teacher, identified as Mr. Dagunro Ayobami.

Just is coming at the same time when terrorists attacked Shola Quarters in Katsina Local Government Area of Katsina State and abducted a nursing mother with her seven-month-old baby and six others.

The Shepherd of the Parish, Rev. Oluwatomisin Ehuwaojomo, confirmed the incident to journalists in a telephone conversation.

According to Ehuwaojomo, the abductors called him and demanded a ransom of N50 million for the release of the two church workers.

He said that the incident was extremely unexpected and sought the support of the police and other security agencies to rescue the victims.

He said that he was not in the church when the incident happened, adding that he was sleeping in his room at the time.

He said: “When my assistant shepherd called me almost two hours after they left, the kidnappers refused to speak with me twice.

Okowa Swears in Four New Judges, Charges them on Ethics

Omon-Julius OnabuinAsaba

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, yesterday in Aaaba, swore in four new judges and a member of the state Judicial Service Commission, urging them to uphold the ethics of the state judiciary and the legal profession in the discharge of their duties.

The governor charged the judges to deploy patience and wisdom in the dispensation of justice for all citizens.

Noting that the judges were appointed in line with procedures enshrined in Section 271, sub-section

(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, he reminded them of their onerous but well-deserved new responsibilities and urged them to consistently demonstrate the proper judicial temperament expected of their offices.

The appointments were made not only in line with the provisions of the constitution but based on due recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Okowa said: “In the discharge of your duties as judges, you must exhibit the qualities of impartiality, courage, integrity, patience, humility, wisdom, and commonsense.

But on his third attempt, they spoke with me and demanded N50 million ransoms.

“I told them that I am a servant of God, nobody pays

me a salary. I have spoken with the Ogun State Commissioner of Police. The command is on the matter.”

Contacted, the Ogun State

Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, said that he was yet to be briefed about the incident.

Terrorists have attacked

Shola Quarters in Katsina Local Government Area of Katsina State and abducted a nursing mother with her seven-month-old baby and six others.

Violence at Abuja IDPs Camp Leaves One Dead, Two Injured Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja One person was confirmed killed yesterday while two others were left seriously injured following a violence that ensued at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Durumi, a suburb of Abuja.

The Durumi camp is

considered as one of the largest IDP camps in Nigeria for person displaced by insurgency, banditry and other internal unrests. The camp is located around the Games Village, just off the Goodluck Jonathan Expressway, Abuja.

Sources informed THISDAY last night that the violence that

led to the shooting of the victim, suspected to be an IDP, occurred when some officers of Department of State Services (DSS), acting on security reports stormed the camp to carry out the arrest of some suspects for some security breaches.

However, it was gathered that the operation by the security outfit

to effect the arrest was fiercely resisted by some of the people at the camp and the development escalated to a full-scale violence.

THISDAY gathered that the victim was shot by security operatives while trying to resist arrest. He died right on the spot while two other persons were also left with gunshot injuries.

Medical Doctors Withdraw Services over Abduction of Colleague in Abia Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogoin Umuahia Medical doctors in Abia State have suspended further rendering of medical services in all public and private hospitals across the state to register their grievances over the abduction of their colleague, Professor Uwadinachi Iweha.

Iweha, who is the Provost of

Gregary University College of Medicine, Umuahia campus, was kidnapped on Sunday, June 5, 2022, by unknown hoodlums as he was driving out of his residence at Umuajameze Ezeleke Umuokpara Umuahia South Local Government.

Ten days after the ugly incident, the fate of Iweha, who was the Chief Medical Director of Abia State University Teaching

Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, and Abia Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, is still unknown.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Abia State, Dr. Chimezie Okwuonu, yesterday announced the withdrawal of medical services in a statement he jointly signed with the State Secretary of NMA, Dr. Robinson Ugwuanyi, after

the prayer/rally the NMA held simultaneously in Umuahia and Aba. Okwuonu said: “The NMA Abia State have commenced a withdrawal of services in both public and private sectors, to register its deep displeasure at this unfortunate incident and give its members time to join the family in searching for its member.”

Umahi Warned against Imposing Tinubu on Ebonyi Electorate A foremost socio-cultural organisation of Ebonyi State abroad, The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in Diaspora, has berated Governor David Umahi over his Monday’s order to Ebonyi indigenes to vote for the All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu to the detriment of his

Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, come 2023.

Umahi had, while inaugurating his new appointed commissioners and aides, on Monday, in Abakaliki, said, “Ebonyi people will vote for APC and not LP.” However, AEISCID, in a statement signed by its President, Paschal Oluchukwu, yesterday

described Umahi’s outburst as disappointing, disgusting and unfortunate, stressing that the governor remains the worst betrayal in the country.

The group also slammed the governor for rejecting the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The statement partly read: “The Lord manor had also

selfishly decreed that henceforth, only Ebonyi agenda will be his interest, not Igbo agenda. In the most bizarre manner, Umahi proclaimed that Ohaneze Ndigbo President, Prof. George Obiozor was no longer his President and that he wouldn’t have anything in common with the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

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

Ekiti: A Build-up to Saturday’s Governorship Poll Victor Ogunje looks at the political permutations in the run-up to Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti

Fayemi

A

t its presidential primary convention held in the Federal Capital Territory, on June 8, 2022, the former Lagos State Governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was overwhelmingly elected the party’s Presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

This singular change of event seems to have tilted and quaked the political permutations in the impending Ekiti State governorship election and subtly coersing the opposition to return to the drawing board to prevent negative backlash.

Before his emergence, the Segun Oni-propelled Social Democratic Party (SDP) seems to be gaining traction and sat comfortably in a vantage position to give the ruling APC governorship candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, a run for his money. Oni’s candidacy was popular and garnering supports among the people to the extent that the APC felt threatened and disoriented.

In actual fact, looking at the trajectory of governorship election in Ekiti, third force had never been a threat to the two dominant parties: APC and PDP. But Oni seems to be defying the odds on the premise that none of those who flied the party’s tickets as third forces had once been elected as a governor.

Oni has this advantage and he was deploying this courageously to the admiration of his backers.

Except the SDP handlers are deluding themselves, the emergence of Tinubu, the APC national leader as presidential candidate of the party had raised the stake and disorganising the earlier permutations in Ekiti state. This enigmatic feat had not only emboldened the APC, but the mantra of Yoruba agenda that was never prominent in the gubernational race was gradually becoming more amplified on daily basis since this new twist came to the fore.

It was a general belief that Tinubu, being from the Southwest must be supported by the zone regardless of party affiliations and this has been a serious snag the SDP and its proponents would have to contend with to be able to win this election.

After the emergence of the former Lagos Governor, Ekiti will be the first turf to test his political popularity and information filtering out suggested that he was resolute to deliver Ekiti to APC and President Muhammadu Buhari. This particular scenario, had made Ekiti election becoming more complicated, intriguing and assuming a dimension of a “must-win” for the ruling party.

Putting things in the right perspective, the current Kayode Fayemi government in the state has a lot of axes to grind with workers. And the civil servants relevance to the outcome of any governorship election in a civil service state like Ekiti can’t be underestimated. The workers operate like a cult-like group that determine where the pendulum swings.

The fact that the civil servants were disenchanted with non payment of promotion, salary and pension arrears, and non remit-

Oni

tance of deductions by this present government, had created acrimony between Fayemi and workers and popularise Oni’s aspiration.

The workers, being what they are, had succeeded in demarketing the government to a large extent. This has become a serious albatross for APC and knotty issue to resolve in this impending electoral battle.

But as angry as the workers are, some of them have serious attachment to Yoruba agenda, which Tinubu now represents with his presidential ambition and the general feeling has been that losing Ekiti may plummet the presidential hopeful’s chances and rob him of victory. This is one dilemma of the workers, which at the same time was causing anxiety in the polity.

Again, the role Governor Fayemi played in Tinubu’s emergence had also shored up his popularity suddenly. This sudden change of event actually caught the SDP unawares.

The governor was one of the prominent aspirants that stepped down for the APC National Leader at the convention.

Fayemi stepping down was one issue that had really affected the political climate and had gone a long way in changing the matrix of winning for SDP, and this has become an unassailable fact, except Oni’s handlers are not politically savvy or are not being sincere to accept the reality.

To some Ekiti people, they saw this as a good political calculation, which came at a time the zone felt disappointed with some heavyweight politicians, who were largely perceived to have betrayed their political leader, because of inordinate presidential ambition.

This school of thought, particular the civil servants and pensioners, most of whom are politicians, had started having a soft spot for the governor for showing respect to his benefactor, Tinubu.

A deep dissection of the com-

Oyebanji

Adeyeye

position of SDP showed that it was chiefly composed by defectors from both APC and PDP. But the larger chunk of those that actually solidified Oni’s political base are members of Southwest Agenda for Tinubu 2023 Presidential Ambition (SWAGA).

The group started the presidential campaign for the former Lagos Governor and the National leader of the body, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, is an influential politician from Ekiti State. This is also another serious factor that is creating anxiety and deep-seated dilemma in Ekiti SDP. Underscoring how pivotal SWAGA is to Oni’s aspiration, SDP Deputy governorship candidate, Ladi Owolabi, was the Chairman of SWAGA in Ado Ekiti Local Government before he switched camp to SDP to be a running mate to the former governor in a new party. Despite switching camp, the cord of unity with the group still remains intact and strong.

Adeyeye, who had been having a running battle with Fayemi on how he was abruptly removed from the Senate through judicial pronouncement, started the campaign for Asiwaju’s presidency. It was like leaving certainty for uncertainty and people opined that with Tinubu as the candidate, the SWAGA members might be armstrong and left with no option than to withdraw their overt and subtle support for Oni, so that the APC Presidential candidate would neither feel betrayed nor disgraced in Ekiti.

Though, Tinubu and Oni are strong political allies and bed-fellows. Since 2014 when Oni defected from the PDP to the ruling APC, Tinubu respected him as a trusted and honest person and that accounted for why he made him the APC National Deputy Chairman(South) to former APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

In the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti, rumour was rife that Oni was being bankrolled by the former Lagos governor, but Fayemi , who was then a Minister won the primary and the main election. The presence of Tinubu’s inlaw and former House of Representatives member, Hon Oyetunde Ojo as Oni’s strong backer then substantiated that the rumour could not be far from the truth.

Fayemi clinching the ticket further fueled political enmity and widen the gulf with Oni. The belief then was that the Governor

deployed his connection as a serving Minister to forcefully hijack the process to his own advantage. This formed the basis upon which Oni left the party and returned to the People’s Democratic Party(PDP).

As things stand today, many politicians around Oni owe that unwavering belief that Tinubu can’t undo Oni’s chances in the election based on past relationship .

And to counter the permutation being reeled out that losing Ekiti might send a wrong signal to APC at the national level, some SDP members, particularly those of SWAGA and APC extraction have persistently been countering that Oni will return to APC after winning the election to work for Tinubu.

But less than 48 hours after the APC presidential primary convention,news filtered round Ekiti that Asiwaju had directed all his foot-soldiers in SWAGA to work for the APC candidate in Ekiti. In fact, this gained traction to the extent that the SDP had to react on every available platform that such message was never passed by anyone.

At another breathe, a message credited to Senator Adeyeye was also circulated that all SWAGA members that have been maintaining relationships with SDP should severe ties with immediate effect. This also sent jitters with some SDP chieftains reacting violently to disprove this.

A source in the SDP, who craved anonymity on what Tinubu portends to the party said: “SWAGA represents the tripod on which we stand. It occupies the nucleus of our party and going back to APC at this crucial time will automatically affect our chances.

“We are very happy that Tinubu emerged, but Oni and SDP will run into serious hitch if the former Lagos State Governor commandeers his foot-soldiers in SDP to leave, in fact, that will be catastrophic”, the source stated.

An inkling of what the governorship election in Ekiti was in relation to Tinubu’s presidency and the Southwest agenda was handed down when Fayemi returned to Ekiti after the presidential convention. He made it clear that he stepped down for his political mentor in Yoruba’s interest and the coming election was seen as part of the consolidation of the interest that Fayemi alluded to.

The governor had while addressing the mammoth crowd of party supporters said he 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. This sounded weighty and buttressed the fact that the stake had risen for APC and Tinubu in this Ekiti election.

Fayemi applauded Ekiti delegates and party faithful across Nigeria for demonstrating enormous support for him during his consultations in states, saying the success of the shadow election, had proved the bookmakers and naysayers, who predicted doom for APC wrong.

“The emergence of Tinubu, the APC national leader as presidential candidate of the party, had raised the stake and disorganising the earlier permutations in Ekiti state. This enigmatic feat had not only emboldened the APC, but the mantra of Yoruba agenda that was never prominent in the gubernational race was gradually becoming more amplified on daily basis since this new twist came to the fore.”

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POLITICS

Waiting on the Vice Presidential Candidates The choice of running mates to the presidential candidates of the main political parties is generating tension among stakeholders, Segun James writes

Tinubu

Atiku

T

he political parties have up till this Friday to submit the names of their presidential flag bearers as well as their running mates to the electoral umpire, the Independent National Elrctoral Commission (INEC).

Most parties had in the last two weeks chosen their presidential candidates in the respective presidential primary convention held in Abuja.

But most if not all the parties are yet to choose running mates for their candidates two days to the expiration of the deadline.

Critical stakeholders in the parties who profess different religious beliefs are now at daggers drawn with each other as the race for the vice presidency of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gather momentum.

Within the two leading parties, hardliners are ascending on both sides. Bellicose rhetoric has returned and they are tightening their grips on the home front, and lashing out at opponents.

Where does the buck stops when it comes to who decides on the issue of Vice Presdent?

Past experience in the country had shown that in situations where deputies are forced on candidates, the synergy was always missing.

It happened to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the case of Chief Kofoworola Akerele-Bucknor who was his first deputy governor in Lagos in 1999. It also happened between Governor Orji Uzor Kalu and his deputy Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and between President Umar Musa Yar’Adua and his deputy and later successor, Dr. Goodluck

Jonathan.

The problem of trust and ambition is normally the high point of the crisis as they see each other as rivals and are at most times, mutually suspicious.

Exceptional times call for exceptional measures. This appears to be the situation in the Tinubu camp as he gets set to unveil his deputy in the race for the presidency. Although it is believed that the position has been zoned by the party to the Northeast where his main rival, Atiku Abubakar hails from, Tinubu it is believed may eventually pick a candidate from the Northwest for obvious reasons.

It is noteworthy that the Northwest has the highest voting number in the country; and he needed this for advantage as, unlike the Northeast, he would not need to scramble too much to fight for the limited vote with a son of the soil who is firmly on ground. For Tinubu, his choice of where his Vice will come from is straight.

But that may not be the same for Atiku. While his choice may once again be the Southeast, the zone which has been most loyal to the PDP in the past, he may however be having problem of choice as he and the North have been accused

Obi

of bad faith for denying the Southeast region the party’s presidential ticket.

The situation is made worse by the fact that majority of the PDP governors are from the southeast and south-south region.

From all indications, they may also be averse to sponsoring the party in the general election.

Already, Atiku has been alleged to have spent a fortune to procure his ticket to the detriment of the southeast. But how much is he willing as an individual to spend nationwide to prosecute his presidential election in the case he gets no financial support from the governors? That’s the question as to who becomes his running mate becomes dire.

But as the situation becomes bleaker within the PDP, it is believed that the party may go into an alliance with the Labour Party (LP) reminiscence of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) in 1999 which produced the Olu Falae and Umar Shinkafi ticket with Peter Obi, once again emerging as Atiku’s deputy.

For the PDP, the Southwest remains a no-go area as the race for the vice-presidential ticket thickens. The region is known for delivering block votes for any candidate they support.

With a son-of-the-soil in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu contesting, it is certainly a no-go area for the PDP. But no matter the situation, Atiku may be torn between the devil and the deep blue sea as he picks a deputy. Right now, the situation is even direr given that the June 17th date given as a deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the submission of names is just two days away.

As for Obi and the Labour Party, the choice

is clear. A deputy from any part of the North would do. But like Atiku in terms of funding for the race, he would be one man running and a one-man army. Given his being aversed to “unnecessary” spending in the political space, will he be able to attract the best hands to assist him in his one-man battle to be the change in the polity.

The controversies surrounding the polity over the issue of vice presidency extend beyond the basic political negotiations and power play.

Like many places, Nigeria remains deeply divided on the question of religion and ethnicity. In recent times, matters relating to both issues have gained momentum.

It’s known that more than half of all political couplings end in failure. Like many marriages hinged on politics, they are often fraught with irreconcilable and cultural differences.

Yet activities are up sharply in the battle for the vice presidency. For a particularly stark example, consider the insistence by the Christian community that they are opposed to a Muslim-Muslim option that particularly stares the APC in the face.

The insistence on a Muslim-Christian ticket makes little strategic sense, given that the beautiful bride in the race for the election is the Northwest which is predominately Muslim. And any mishandling of the issue will probably affect the APC and slow down the political reconciliation within the party.

As the party’s leadership attend one emergency meeting after another, the political high drama will end by weekend, the subsequent implication will only be known with time.

Can a Senator Represent Two Districts at a Time?

Tunji Adebola

T

he ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), will quickly need to resolve the unfolding constitutional aberration and blatant illegality playing out in Ogun West Senatorial district of Ogun State before it mutates into a huge political conflagration. It is still confounding how a sitting Senator serving in a State will go to a different State to contest an election to become a Senator while maintaining his position as a Senator in the State that brought him into the National Assembly.

This glaring case that borders on duality of mandate is what confronts the good people of Ogun West today. The national leadership of the APC must urgently intervene in this matter and halt the impending crisis before it gets out of hand and consumes everyone.

One does not need to be a constitutional expert to know that what Senator Solomon Olamilekan has done by crossing over from Lagos West to contest in an election after purportedly winning the Senatorial ticket of the APC in Ogun

West is offensive to the law, unethical and constitutes a flagrant breach of the Constitution and principle of political representation.

Both the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Constitution of the APC require that a contestant to any elective position must be ordinarily resident in the ward or Local Government area of the State in which he is contesting. The express intention of the law in this regard is to ensure that mercenaries and interlopers are not allowed to abuse the electoral process. It is not within the contemplation of the framers of the Constitution that one person at any given point in time is allowed to hold two mandates at the same time and in two different locations. It is not only absurd; it offends the federal character principle as

enshrined in Section 14 of the Constitution.

The new leadership of the APC has a moral responsibility to ensure that this aberration is not allowed to stand.

The danger in condoning this flagrant act of impunity and illegality is that it may backfire against the party in the long run as the opposition parties may take advantage of the absurdity to overturn the purported election of Senator Olamilekan to take over the seat.

In response to a petition by Senator Tolu Odebiyi on this matter, Olamilekan stated as follows:”Irrespective of the fact that one is a sitting member of the Senate representing a Senatorial district in a State, once the person meets the qualification requirements in Section 65 of the Constitution and is not disqualified by any of the grounds in Section 66 of the Constitution, there is nothing preventing him from contesting an election as a Senator representing any Senatorial district in Nigeria.” The qualification requirements he is talking about are those that deal with minimum age of 35, being a citizen of Nigeria, possessing

a minimum of school certificate or it’s equivalent and is not bankrupt.

On the other hand, grounds for disqualification in Section 66 include the non-satisfaction of the aforesaid.

It also includes other issues like being of unsound mind and maintaining a foreign account amongst others.

If the truth must be told, the reasons adduced by Olamilekan are not enough to guarantee that seat for the APC. The key issue which puts the APC at risk in the Ogun West Senatorial district election is whether it is constitutionally right for a sitting Senator in another State to go to another State to contest, while holding on to his seat in the Senate? This is risky for APC because the opposition can retrieve the seat through the law courts. The APC cannot afford to take this huge risk.

The party must therefore do everything that is humanly possible to resolve this matter to avoid any impending backlash that might result from court actions by the opposition parties.

-Adebola, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Ilaro, Ogun State.

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

20

FEATURES

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

Connecting Communities to Endless Opportunities Adibe Emenyonu writes on the initiatives by Enageed Resource Limited, a Sahara Group Company, to give free healthcare, ICT Training and capacity building for her host community in Edo State

Medical personnel attending to patient during Enageed Resource-free healthcare in Ajoki Community of Edo State

Some management team of Enageed Resource and people of Ajoki community during the ICT, and other capacity training programme

Indigenes of Ajoki waiting to be attended to during the free healthcare programme

Enageed Resource Management Team and Elders of Ajoki community during the former's capacity programme in Ajoki

E

sther Koma is a community leader in Ajoki, an oil producing community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. Ajoki is an Itsekiri community in Edo with their larger brothers and sister, living across Delta and Edo States.

Considering that the community is located in a remote area of Edo State, it lacks modern amenities even though it is an oil bearing community. But reprieve came to them in February when the Edo State government in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and Enageed Resource began the construction of a 17.8km road to connect the community to major towns and cities.

This was not all as recently, people of the area benefitted from a free healthcare, ICT training, business development initiative, business registration opportunities and financial independence.

Against this backdrop, the community woman leader, Madam Esther Koma said she is extremely grateful to the company for the medical outreach particularly for the elderly, asserting that the treatment she received was very beneficial to her and would enable her carry out her daily duties with ease.

Similarly, Michael Ukuyon, the community youth leader and entrepreneur, confessed that the event significantly improved his computer skills and would help him transact his business in line with global standards.

No fewer than 600 Ajoki residents and their dependents benefitted from the project which reinforces Enageed's commitment to seamless host community relations that promotes economic development, health and safety, and environmental sustainability Flagging off the initiative, with sessions aimed at giving residents foundational knowlege on how to improve their various skill sets, pursue self-development goals, Enageed Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr. Henry Menkiti, disclosed that a sister

firm to Enageed, Asharami Energy (a Sahara Group Upstream Company) had invested in the sustainability of its processes and operations to ensure the safety of residents and facilities in keeping with global standards.

Menkiti who noted that this has been instrumental to the cordial relations and economic growth in Ajoki and its environs, declared: "Enageed developed the new initiative to improve the capacity of local community contractors and set their businesses on a steady growth and expansion pedestal. We are proud of our collaboration with our host communities across all our locations where Enageed is deeply rooted as a proud member and stakeholder."

The Enageed COO, explained that the theme: “Connecting our Communities to Endless Opportunities” reaffirms Enageed's position that building human and social capital is a never-ending act and is integral to strategic community investments.

"Enageed is aware that millions of people around the country have challenges with accessing basic amenities, employment, health care, and education.

We are deliberate about the development of our communities. Enageed has assembled seasoned facilitators to provide key lessons on fundamental 21st-century skills and how to leverage Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

which continues to change the way we live, work and do business.

"To ensure our community contractors have the right skills for an increasingly digital and globalised world, the ICT session which is one of the key components of this training would bridge this gap.

"Another key component is the session on financial literacy that is designed to help beneficiaries effectively manage and plot the growth of their businesses. This session would ensure our contractors are more knowledgeable about finance, how to access finance and how to keep their books in a way that is relevant to their business," he said.

Addressing the people on the overview and objectives on local capacity development initiative, the Head of Supply Chain Management, Frank Emeruwa, further noted that the company's commitment to promoting healthy communities is driving the free medical screening sessions for members of the community.

According to him, "Enageed is unwavering in its commitment to the safety and health of its employees and host communities. We are hopeful that this session will enlighten the community on how to stay healthy and provide relief for people requiring eye care interventions and other basic health challenges.

"We stand ready to ensure continuous development in the communities we operate in, and believe the skills

We stand ready to ensure continuous development in the communities we operate in, and believe the skills learned and knowledge gained will better equip community contractors to improve the efficiency of their operations and grow their business

learned and knowledge gained will better equip community contractors to improve the efficiency of their operations and grow their business. We therefore look forward to the future outcome of this training to foster innovation and economic development in the Ajoki Community."

In his goodwill message, the Secretary General of Ajoki Community, Scott Omesan, commended Enageed for the laudable initiative, which he noted would continue to facilitated cordial relations between the community and Enageed.

Omesan promised that as a Community, "we shall do everything possible to protect the company's facilities in our domain."

He also added: "We also expect continuous cooperation with the company in the spirit of the local content policy. Today's programme has given our youths the opportunity to learn more about ICT. Also, the medical outreach has afforded a lot of our people the opportunity to know their health status in the area of eye challenges and others.

With such initiatives, i believe the relationship between us and the company will continue to be cordial."

In delivering his remarks, the Community and Stakeholders Relations Manager to Enageed, Babatomiwa Adesida thanked the community for their unwavering support towards ensuring the organization's peaceful operations in their area. He reiterated Enageed's commitment to continually empowering the community and enjoined the youth to remain dedicated to developing their skill sets which is a key element to promoting financial independence.

Responding on behalf of the local beneficiaries, a youth of Ajoki community, Friday Eseoghene, expressed appreciation to Enageed for the computer literacy programme which he confirmed has opened his eyes beyond what he could have ever imagined and asked for many more of such events, assuring the organisation of the youths dedication to promoting peace and unity in the community.

21

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

PERSPECTIVE

Buhari's Seven Years of Delivering Affordable Housing to Nigerians through FMBN John M. Terhemen Ikyaave

access to information on their NHF accounts.

Key components include the *219# USSD Short Code service via GSM Mobile networks, the NHF Mobile Apps available on android & iOS platforms, the online Self-Service Kiosk via the Bank’s web portal (www.fmbn.gov.ng/nhfmobile) and SMS and email notification services to NHF customers.

The suite of digital services enable contributors to receive instant notifications of NHF contributions on the go, update NHF personal records, check NHF balance of contributions, register and retrieve NHF numbers, request for statements of account, calculate home affordability and mortgage payments, and obtain latest NHFrelated information from the FMBN Bulletin Board online service.

The greater transparency, clearer disclosure and convenient access to records of contributions from the comfort of homes and offices or while on the go via personal computers or mobile phones, which the platforms engender, has boosted subscriber and stakeholder confidence in the NHF scheme.

T

he Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has delivered record-breaking achievements in the seven years of the Buhari administration. Across all corporate indicators the Bank has from 2015 to date surpassed all previous performance records.

This includes mobilization of funds to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, disbursement of mortgage loans and housing construction finance.

Start with the historic optimization of the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme as a source of long-term low-cost finance to power delivery of affordable housing to Nigerians.

Under the direction of President Muhammadu Buhari and the supervision of the Hon. Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, FMBN within the period pooled over N279billion in additional inflows to the NHF Scheme at an annual average of about N68billion.

As of 2015, when the Buhari administration came on board, less than N230Billion had accrued to the NHF Scheme over a 23-year period (at about N10billion per annum).

The mobilization of over N279billion in additional funding to the NHF Scheme in just seven years of the Buhari administration is remarkable and represents over 100 percent increase over the N230billion that had accrued to the scheme from its inception in 1992.

FMBN was able to accomplish this feat by ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of the NHF scheme, engaging state governments to resume contributions and building strategic partnerships with labor centers such as the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

The Bank also drove an aggressive campaign that saw historic participation of the informal sector, the self-employed and cooperative societies in the NHF scheme. Overall, these efforts helped to increase the number of subscribers to the NHF scheme from 4,539,084 to 5,466,092 an addition of about 927,008 subscribers.

On the back of the increased inflows into the NHF Scheme, which serves as FMBN’s financial backbone, the Bank significantly increased the scale of its affordable housing drive between 2015 to date. Specifically, FMBN disbursed over N231.3billion in affordable housing loans across its product windows.

The quantum of this liquidity injection into the supply and demand segments of the Nigerian mortgage market is unrivalled in the Bank’s over 35-year history.

To stimulate supply and availability of affordable housing stock, FMBN partnered reputable property developers and deployed over N135.8billion for the construction of over 16,684 affordable homes under the estate development, ministerial pilot housing scheme, cooperative housing development and the FMBN Mega City project intervention windows.

A combination of factors including understanding of the income profiles of NHF subscribers, smart housing design, the pruning down of developers’ profit motive through extensive reviews of bills of quantities and prioritization of affordability, enabled FMBN to deliver one, two and three bedrooms at prices ranging from N4M to N8M. On the housing demand side, FMBN deployed N144.4billion. This includes disbursement of N71.7billion in NHF mortgage loans to over 10,000 Nigerians and N72.7billion in home renovation loans to 89,223 beneficiaries.

Remarkably, the total loan disbursement of N231.3 billion between 2015 – 2022 represents over 70% of total loan portfolio of N297 billion advanced by the Bank since commencement of the NHF Scheme 30 years ago. This translates to an annual average of N33 billion (or more than 600% increase) during the Buhari years compared to an annual average of just N6 billion in previous years!

Refund of NHF Contributions to Retirees The Buhari years also witnessed a radical departure from the perennial problem of delayed refund of NHF contributions to retirees. In the last seven years FMBN recorded over N46.8 billion as pay-out of NHF contributions to 309,000 retired contributors.

President Buhari This accounts for about 80% of the cumulative N52.9billion refunded to 390,441 retirees since the scheme was established in 1992. The significant improvement in the rate of NHF refund arose from the review of the Bank’s internal processes and Management’s commitment for improved efficiency in service delivery to Nigerian workers who are its customers.

Easing Access and Affordability for FMBN Loan Products The Buhari years also witnessed an unprecedented drive to make FMBN housing products more affordable to the low- and medium-income earners that constitute the majority of contributors to the NHF scheme.

Notably, FMBN effected a markedly downward review of equity requirements for accessing FMBN housing loans. Effective 2018 NHF mortgage loans of N5million and under attract zero (0%) equity contribution, a downward review from the 10% previously required as loan down payment. Also, mortgage loans of over N5million to the maximum amount of N15million require a flat equity contribution rate of 10%, down from the 20% and 30% previously required as a pre-condition for FMBN home loans.

This implies that workers who contribute to the National Housing Fund (NHF) are eligible to access a N5 million loan without having to put down a single kobo as equity while those seeking for loans above N5 million to N15 million will only put down 10% as equity.

Additionally, FMBN created several innovative products to ensure that more Nigerians can benefit from FMBN. A notable example is the introduction of the ‘Rent-to-Own’ Homeownership Scheme. The scheme offers an easy and convenient payment arrangement towards homeownership for Nigerian

workers.

Under the product, a Nigerian worker is able to move into an FMBN-funded housing property as a tenant and conveniently pay towards ownership of the property in monthly or annual installments over as long as 30 years at an interest rate of just 7%.

Another is the individual Home Construction Loan. The construction loan provides up to N15million at a 7 percent interest rate to NHF contributors who wish to undertake self-construction.

The housing loan targets NHF contributors with unencumbered land, appropriate titles, and approved building plans. Beneficiaries can pay back over 30-years depending on their age and number of years left in service.

FMBN also developed the Diaspora Mortgage Loan to deepen the Bank’s resource base and improve the country’s foreign reserve capacity, while helping Nigerians in diaspora to become homeowners in the country.

Additionally, the Bank also recently approved the implementation of Interest free Rent-to-Own (Ethical RTO) scheme to cater for the needs of many Nigerians yearning for non-interest products.

Digitization of FMBN Business Operations The period 2015 – 2022 also recorded the most concerted and pragmatic steps to digitize the operations of the nation’s apex mortgage institution for faster and more efficient service delivery.

Noteworthy is the federal government’s approval for the purchase and implementation of a modern Core Banking Software for the Bank. The deployment of the digital platform is at advanced stages and there are plans to have it go live sometime in August 2022. Once completed, it would eliminate manual processes, ensure faster home loan applications, quicker NHF refund treatment, and improve overall operational efficiency at the bank.

As part of the FMBN digitization process, FMBN launched FMBN Digital Platforms that are already operational. The platforms have ushered in a new era of transparency and accountability in the operations of the National Housing Fund (NHF) by empowering contributors with real-time

While the housing deficit remains a huge issue that requires trillions of naira to fix, within the context of the financial resources available to FMBN, the Buhari Years (2015- 2022) represent a period of unprecedented transformation, high-performance and impact at the FMBN

Implementation of the National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme for Nigerian Workers FMBN also recorded historic efforts aimed at strengthening stakeholder participation and confidence in the operations of the National Housing Fund (NHF).

The Bank partnered the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) Trade Union (TUC) and the Nigeria’s Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) on the National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme for Nigerian Workers with the objective of a structured and sustainable approach to affordable housing delivery for Nigerian workers nationwide.

About 1,400 housing units are ready for commissioning in twelve (12) sites across the six geopolitical zones of the country in addition to Lagos and Abuja, in batches of a minimum of 200 units per zone. The second phase has also commenced and is planned to deliver about 2,160 houses in another fourteen (14) locations.

House types include finished semi-detached bungalows as well as 1-, 2- and 3-bedrooms in blocks of flats.

Furthermore, in recognition of the need to chart a reliable path for effective repositioning of the Bank, FMBN during the Buhari years developed a 5-year Strategy Plan in collaboration with Messrs. KPMG. The Strategy document initially expected to run from 2020 – 2024 is currently under review.

The plan aims to deliver 100,000 housing units, grow NHF annual collections from N50 billion to over N300 billion, expand the NHF customer base by 25 million new contributors drawn mostly from the informal sector to 31m.

Conclusion While the housing deficit remains a huge issue that requires trillions of naira to fix, within the context of the financial resources available to FMBN, the Buhari Years (2015- 2022) represent a period of unprecedented transformation, high-performance and impact at the FMBN. The Bank’s historic strides found direction under the Buhari Administration’s broad agenda, which is in tangent with its corporate mandate to advance affordable home ownership through the supply of sustainable long-term liquidity to the Nigerian mortgage market; promote a viable primary and mortgage market and the management of the National Housing Fund (NHF).

The stellar results and increased impact of the Bank are helping to change the longstanding narrative from negative to better corporate performance, improved transparency, greater efficiency, and service improvement.

As the Buhari administration’s second term enters its final year, FMBN under the competent leadership of Hamman Madu leadership, an industry professional with a record of leading transformation, remains poised to sustain the momentum of reform, high performance, and impact with the objective of driving delivery of affordable housing and promoting the development of a more vibrant mortgage finance market in the country.

-M. Terhemen, a housing policy analyst based in Abuja, wrote in via housingtodayngr@gmail.com

22

WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

23

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

1 3 , 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%

MTN Nigeria, 21 Others’ OPEX Reached N1.06trn in Q1 on Inflation, Naira Depreciation

Kayode Tokede Following double-digit inflation and depreciation of the naira at both official rate/ parallel markets, MTN Nigeria Communication Plc, Access Holdings Plc and 20 other companies in Nigeria recorded a 19 per cent increase in Operating Expenses (OPEX) in the first quarter of 2022.

THISDAY analysis of the companies’ unaudited first quarter result and accounts for period ended March 31, 2022 revealed that the spike in OPEX impacted on profits.

The 22 companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) announced a total of N1.06 trillion OPEX in Q1 as against N891billion announced in Q1 2021 unaudited results published by the NGX. The investigated companies constitute 13 Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), three cement manufacturing companies, one telecommunication company, two oil/gas companies, among others.

Analysis of the 22 companies’ performance revealed that MTN Nigeria Communication Plc,

followed by Access Holdings Plc, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) recorded the highest OPEX in Q1 2022.

A breakdown revealed MTN Nigeria reported OPEX of N214billion in Q1 2022, an increase of 18.3 per cent from N180.77billion reported in Q1 2021, while Access Holdings grew its OPEX by 28.08 per cent to N117.19billion in Q1 2022 from N91.5billion in Q1 2021.

The Chief Executive officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola in a statement said : “We continue to progress with

our expense efficiency programme (through which we realised N6.3 billion in Q1) and remain disciplined with capital allocation. As a result, we contained the 15.7% increase in operating expenses below the rate of inflation in Nigeria. This was achieved despite the ongoing effects of Naira depreciation on lease rental costs and acceleration in our site rollout.”

The Group Managing director, Access Holdings, Mr. Herbert Wigwe during investors/analysts presentation early in the year said

that the Holdings, “OPEX growth was mainly driven by the recent expansion in Zambia, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana and of course the new subsidiary we have in Guinea.

“The acquisitions that we made brought with it increased operating expenses from the various entities that we have before we start revving up the revenues derived from those entities.”

ETI’s OPEX had grew by nearly eight per cent to N105.32billion in Q1 2022 from N97.63billion reported

in Q1 2021.

The growth in OPEX of these 22 companies is on the backdrop of Nigeria’s inflation rate that jumped to 15.92 per cent in March 2022, highest in five months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The bureau also had stated that Nigeria’s inflation rose to 16.82 per cent in April 2022, following a similar uptick recorded in the previous month as a result of the increase Continued on page 24

Jime: Port Standing Task Team Saved Nigeria $6bn in 2 Years Eromosele Abiodun The Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Emmanuel Jime has stated that the supervision of the activities of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) in the implementation of the Nigerian Ports Process Manual saved Nigeria over $6 billion between 2020 and 2021.

In a chat with newsmen in Lagos yesterday, Jime said the activity of the PSTT is focused on three

cardinal areas, which are; joint vessel boarding, joint cargo examination and operation free port access roads.

On joint vessel boarding by mandated government agencies, he said activities of the team saved the Nigerian economy an average vessel demurrage of $20, 000 per day between year 2020 and 2021, which ultimately translates to the sum of $6 billion.

He added, “Likewise, the average time for resolving complaints with regards to vessel infractions has also

considerably reduced from 7-10 days to 1 – 4 hours. More than 85% of vessels that called at Nigerian Ports in 2021 left without any incident, which was not the case in time past. On the other hand as regards Compliance with Joint Cargo Examination by all government agencies involved in cargo clearance, the exercise has helped to increase the number of cargos examined per day from 125 to an average of 230 boxes daily per terminal. “ He added that the implementation

of the Manual has facilitated the ease of doing business in the ports and drastically reduced corruption tendencies.

As part of his achievements in office since his appointment about a year ago, he said the NSC collaborated with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) on the establishment and operation of Domestic Export Warehouses. “A total of 12 Domestic Export Warehouses nationwide have been approved for commencement of operations. Some

of the facilities granted approval to begin operations included; GEZEWA Commodity Exchange in Kano, MV EHILOMEL, Onne in Rivers State, ESSLIBRA in Ikorodu-Lagos State, Harris Logistics in Lokoja-Kogi State, Sealink Limited in Ajaokuta – Kogi State, Kaduna Inland Dry Port in Kaduna State, AMES-Edo Inland dry Port in Benin-Edo State, etc., “he added.

He added that the NSC in 2021 received and handled 518 complaints, while in first quarter of 2022, 100

complaints were received and handled.

“The Council in 2021 was able to recover the sum of N1.072 billion while in the first quarter of 2022, stakeholders were saved of the sum of N18.493 million. The Council is currently working on compilation and analysis of complaints handled in the second quarter of year 2022, “he said.

Another achievement he added Continued on page 25

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T U E S D AY, J U N E 1 4 , 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

110.10

7.93

108.01

10.14

106.48

10.30

120.26

10.74

113.18

10.81

Change Updated Time (%) 9, -0.01 June 2022 9, 0.04 June 2022 9, 0.00 June 2022 9, 0.07 June 2022 9, 0.00 June 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

2.60

0.00 June 9, 2022

3.35

3.37

-0.15 June 9, 2022

3.45

3.48

0.00 June 9, 2022

3.76

3.81

0.17 June 9, 2022

NTB 10Nov-22

3.76

3.82

0.00 June 9, 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 11.19 11.35 7.76

Change Updated Time (%) 0.00 June 9, 2022

7.85

0.00 June 9, 2022

14.49 15.33

0.00 June 9, 2022

8.77

9.07

0.00 June 9, 2022

7.96

8.21

0.00 June 9, 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 9, 2022 June 9, 2022 June 9, 2022 June 9, 2022 June 9, 2022

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS L-R: Head, Marketing and Communications, Dana Air, Mr.Kingsley Ezenwa; Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dana Air, Mr. Sukhjinder Mann; Chief Commercial Officer, Wakanow, Mrs. Adenike Macaulay and Chief Executive Officer, Wakanow, Mr. Adebayo Adedeji, during the courtesy visit of the Wakanow team to Dana Air to commence the partnership of both organizations at Dana Air office at MMA2 Lagos… recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

FG: Importation of Frozen Fish Drain on Foreign Exchange James Emejo in Abuja The federal government has lamented the country’s continued importation of fish to bridge existing deficit, describing it as a huge drain on the scarce foreign exchange.

Nigeria requires about 3.6 million metric tons (MMT) of fish annually to meet local consumption and currently produces only about 1.2 MMT. The deficit of about 2 MMT is supplemented by annual importation, a situation which further exerts undue pressure on foreign exchange.

Speaking at the opening of the internal coordination meeting of the implementation of Fisheries Governance Project Phase 2 (FisheriesGov 2) in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, noted that the impact of frozen fish importation on forex was currently being regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He said, “It is a toll on our foreign exchange but it is being regulated by the CBN because it is only the CBN governor that will issue form ‘M’ to anybody that wants to bring frozen fish into the country so that monetary expenditure in terms of foreign exchange will be given by the CBN.” The minister was represented at the occasion by the ministry’s Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Dr. Ime Umoh, who said the government had moved to close the existing deficit in fishing capacity.

Senior Adviser,

Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CADAP), Ms Panduleni Elago, said closing the fish deficits in Nigeria was

still a far cry.

She said the project is all about achieving food security among the 15 member countries of the Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

She said, “As you all may be aware, fish is one of the cheapest and healthy protein

sources to a human being.

As we try to end hunger in Africa by 2025, we also seek to support all those involved in the fishery sector including the

small-scale farmers to ensure they have food on their plate and not only food nutritious food which could be coming from food protein.”

NEPZA, FIRS Agree on New Tax Regime for Economic Zones, Sign Pact James Emejo in Abuja The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have signed a pact aimed at enhancing a better understanding of the Free Trade Zones Scheme’s tax-exempt index.

The development seeks to end the unbridled suspicion over its implementation over the years.

The Managing Director of NEPZA, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba,

said the new tax pact would also put an end to the arbitrary freezing of bank accounts of any of the free zones enterprises or uncontrolled entering of the zones to harass them without permission of the authority and collaborative understanding of the FIRS. Adesugba, during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the new tax regime in Abuja, however, pointed out that all

stakeholders would require a deeper understanding of the importance of the Special Economic Zones scheme and its incentives, adding that such understanding would stimulate the needed competition and development of the scheme.

However, Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Muhammad Nami said NEPZA’s mandate in attracting both the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Local Direct Investment placed it as

an important agency to drive the country’s industrialisation.

He said the public must appreciate the mandate of the FIRS basically geared toward the collection of revenues to be used by the government for the good of the citizens, adding that the collaboration is required to set the country’s tax records straight.

On her part, Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service in charge of the Free Trade Zone,

Mrs. Catherine Ekekezie, expressed delight in the pact struck by the two agencies.

She explained that the perceived misunderstanding of the operations of the zone scheme stemmed from a lack of in-depth knowledge of the laws and regulations that guided the scheme, adding that agencies of government could only work harmoniously when they took time to study sisters’ agencies’ Acts, rules and regulations.

APM Terminals Apapa Signs MoU to Recycle its Used Tyres Nigeria’s largest container terminal, APM Terminals Apapa, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an indigenous firm, FREEE Recycle Limited, to recycle its used tyres.

In December 2021, APM Terminals Apapa carried out a successful trial by using pavement blocks produced out of recycled and compressed used tyres for exterior flooring.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony in Lagos on Thursday, the Terminal Manager, APM Terminals Apapa, Steen Knudsen, said the MoU is in furtherance of the company’s contribution to reducing the harmful effects of industrial wastes on the environment.

He said, “We are reducing

environmental footprint in Nigeria, and I am super excited we have FREEE Recycle Limited to partner with. We are recycling the tyres into materials that can be used in other parts of the supply chain.

“It is important to partner with companies that have different expertise to complement our efforts to ensure that together, we reduce the environmental footprint in our businesses.”

The Procurement Manager of APM Terminals Apapa, Chinyere Adenaike, said the leading terminal operator remains committed to sustainability and protection of the environment.

“We are committed to always taking constant care to ensure responsible operational practices that minimise, reduce and prevent

negative environmental impact in the community. At the leadership level at Apapa, we have committed to a thorough review of our capital investments in equipment to ensure it is in line with our Maersk global ambition of zero CO2 Emission by 2040,” Adenaike said.

The Managing Director of FREEE Recycle Limited, Ifedolapo Runsewe, commended APM Terminals Apapa for taking the lead in reducing solid waste in the country, and said that the MoU will enhance a collaborative effort in recycling tyres into reusable products.

The Chief Operating Officer of FREEE Recycle, Theopilus Okoyomon, said, “We know the dangers tyres pose to our environment. They lead

to emissions of CO2 and they are a breathing space for malaria mosquitoes.

APM Terminals leading the way is more like a clarion call to all other companies to step forward.”

A representative of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Maryann Okeke, commended the tyre recycling initiative.

“We do get a lot of tyres from Lagos channels. Our commitment to consistent dredging has opened us to solid waste that can be recycled, we are having discussions with the Lagos State Government and carrying out sensitization on the removal of solid waste from the habour. Sometimes, truck drivers would come to the harbour, exchange tyres and leave the damaged ones there. But having such partnership in place will help us

to make use of those solid wastes,” Okeke said.

A representative of BASF West Africa, Oyewale Akeredolu, said, “For us at BASF, business success tomorrow means creating value for our customers, partners and environment today. I am glad to be here with FREEE Recycle and APM Terminals today – I believe, on behalf of BASF, that they are doing something quite remarkable. We are happy to be a part of the story for FREEE Recycle by providing them with environmentally friendly systems and technology to be able to convert waste tyres into reusable products.

Not every company will find their wastes efficiently managed, recycled and reused.”

MTN NIGERIA, 21 OTHERS’ OPEX REACHED N1.06TRN IN Q1 ON INFLATION, NAIRA DEPRECIATION

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Deputy Business Editor Chinedu Eze Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) KayodeTokede(CapitalMarkets) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Reporters Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy) Ugo Aliogo (Development)

in energy and food prices. This represents the highest rate recorded since August 2021.

According to analysts at the Economist Intelligence, prices of global commodities, including energy, are rising rapidly and fueling runaway inflation and instability in much of Africa including its most populous nation Nigeria.

They added that the cost of living crisis is being exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict which have resulted in sanctions, airspace bans and security aggravating pandemicrelated supply-chain difficulties.

Besides inflationary pressure, the marginal increase in Naira/US dollar exchange rate in the official market also resulted in the hike in general prices of goods and services in the first three months under review.

The Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Naira at the Investors & Exporters Foreign Exchange (I & EFX) was trading at an average price of N415.54/Dollar from N380/Dollar when it opened for trading in 2021.

Meanwhile, analysts have expressed that cost of buying

diesels and trucks materials in the period under review have increased significantly, a major factors also contributing to cost of goods and services distribution.

The CEO, Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf explained to THISDAY that inflationary pressures remain a key concern in the Nigerian economy, both for businesses and the citizens.

He highlighted that implications of high inflation rate include escalation of production and operating costs for businesses, leading to erosion of profit margins, drop in sales, decline in turnover and weak manufacturing capacity utilization, high food prices which impacts adversely on citizens welfare and aggravates poverty.

He further stated that Weak purchasing power, which poses significant risk to business sustainability and price volatility, which undermines investors’ confidence are major implications of high inflation pressure.

He explained that the major drivers of inflation and cost in the economy include exchange

rate depreciation, which has a significant impact on headline inflation, “especially the core sub index and liquidity challenges in the foreign exchange market impacting adversely on manufacturing output.”

He added, “High transportation costs affecting distribution costs across the country. This is also reflected in the huge differential between farm gate prices and market prices; monetization of fiscal deficit (CBN financing of deficit) is highly inflationary because of the liquidity injection effects on the economy.

This becomes worrisome when statutory thresholds are exceeded and high transactions costs at the nations ports increases production and operating costs of businesses.”

To tame the current inflationary pressure, he urged government to reform the foreign exchange market to stabilize the exchange rate and reduce volatility and address foreign exchange liquidity issues through appropriate policy measures.

Others are: “Address the security concerns causing

disruption to agricultural activities, address the challenge of high transportation cost, reduce fiscal deficit monetization to minimize incidence of high-powered money in the economy, reduce import duty on intermediate products and raw materials for industries to reduce production costs, especially in the light of the sharp depreciation in the exchange rate and address concerns around high energy cost.”

Analyst at PAC Holdings, Mr. Wole Adeyeye in a chat with THISDAY also said that the operating expenses of most companies increased significantly in 2022, driven mainly by higher input costs.

According to him: “The upsurge was witnessed in inputs sourced locally (especially raw materials & consumables, fuel and power consumed, distribution expenses, among others). In addition, most listed companies complained about the depreciation of Naira as it raised cost of imported raw materials during the period.

“The high cost of imported raw

materials and inputs sourced locally resulted in lower profitability of some listed companies, especially those who found it difficult to pass the cost to the final consumers.”

Similarly, some analysts believe regulatory levy by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), were primarily drivers in commercial banks OPEX. In his reaction, Head, Financial institutions, Agusto & Co, Mr. Ayokunle Olubunmi had attributed hike in commercial banks OPEX to increasing cost of operating environment, and regulatory costs.

According to him: “Hike in operating expenses differs from banks to banks. AMCON levy and NDIC premium also contribute to OPEX of banks.

“Don’t forget that double-digit inflation rate and fall in the Naira have impacted on companies’ expenses. Since these companies are not operating in isolation, of course it is expected to affect their OPEX in the period.”

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Menace of Tomato Paste Importers Three years into the official ban of imported tomato paste in Nigeria, Chinese and Nigerian importers have continued to flood the Nigerian market with the product at the detriment of the health of Nigerians, local manufacturers and the economy at large, writes Nume Ekeghe

T

he government of Nigeria and its several policymakers have in recent years been preaching the need to not just diversify the economy of the country away from oil but to work towards food sufficiency.

Asides this, the government is saddled with ensuring that food products that are substandard or harmful to the wellbeing of its citizens are not circulated within the country. This had prompted the ban of imported tomato paste into the country in 2019.

However, three years into the ban, imported tomato paste that is of substandard value and deemed harmful to health of consumers have continued to flood the Nigerian market. THISDAY findings show that up to 91.1 per cent of imported tomato paste in Nigerian markets are substandard and unhealthy for consumers.

GROUNDS FOR BAN ON IMPORTS

Prior to the ban in 2019, the former DirectorGeneral of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii had met with importers of tomato paste and announced plans to conduct a study of the quality of tomato paste being imported into the country.

With samples taken from the major markets in Lagos state, the base of distributions of the imported tomato paste, the report which was submitted in early 2015 had focused on the study and laboratory analysis of the tomato content.

“The Codex Standards and the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) has specified that tomato content should be 28 per cent minimum. The majority of the brands of tomato paste sampled were registered brands.” The report read in part.

The resultant finding however showed that 91.1 per cent of the imported tomato paste was “unsatisfactory” as “the food safety implications and attendant health effects of these findings are very alarming. Its results indicate that companies of registered tomato paste products from China are conniving with the Chinese manufacturers to dump substandard products to the unsuspecting Nigerian consumers.” This led to the recommendation of the report that amongst others, the importation of tomato paste brands in retail parks be suspended until further notice.

In June 2019 the Ministry of Finance had issued a circular, adding tomato paste on the revised import prohibition list. Of the 12 items listed in the circular issued by the then Permanent Secretary, Dr Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, it was stated in item 8 that, “Tomatoes, whole or in pieces H.S Code 2002.10.10.00 and Tomato Concentrate, put up for retail sale, H.S, Code 2002.90.20.00 and 2002.90.90.00.”

IMPACT OF SUBSTANDARD TOMATOES

With tomato paste being one of the most consumed household foods, the impact of the continued consumption of adulterated products cannot be over emphasised. According to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, while speaking at this year’s World Food Safety Day had stated that “unsafe food hinders development especially on low and middle income economies which lose around $95 billion in productivity associated with illness, disability and premature death suffered by workers.”

According to him, the diseases resulting from in-take of contaminated food, Ehanire said over 200 diseases were caused by unsafe food consumption with children sharing about 40 per cent of the food borne disease burden.

“Unsafe food causes one in every six deaths from diarrhea, a major killer of children of the age group” he stated.

A statement by the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in commemoration of the 2022 World Food Safety Day had noted that safe food was an essential component of sustainable development and contributes towards improvement of public health, poverty reduction, and increased food security.

Adeyeye was quoted in a statement saying

“We know that food safety is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play in ensuring we have safer food for better health: from growers to processors, to transporters, sellers, buyers, and those who prepare or serve food.

“Policy makers, educational institutions and workplaces, as well as consumers are not left out; food safety is the responsibility of all. We must all work together to help achieve safer food for better health.”

ENFORCEMENT WITH KID’S GLOVES

Despite the outcome of the survey which showed that 91.1 per cent of imported tomato paste in Nigerian markets are below standard and not healthy for consumption, as well as the resultant ban on the importation of the product into the country, imported tomato paste still flood Nigerian markets.

Findings show that importation of tomato paste in retail packs rather than wane has been increasing on a massive scale as Chinese importers and their Nigerian counterparts are massively importing contaminated tomato paste into the country.

THISDAY investigation revealed that the Chinese and their Nigerian cohorts are flooding the country with fake tomato paste with the aid of officials of NAFDAC, Nigeria Customs Service and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

It was learnt that a high percentage of tomato paste imports from China in retail packs are substandard and do not meet the prescribed quality standards and specification. Experts told THISDAY that food safety issues and attendant health implications need to be urgently addressed and challenges tackled to safe guard the health of the nation.

A local tomato paste manufacturer who craved anonymity told THISDAY that efforts to get the agencies to go after the merchants of death did not yield any result. “We have written several letters to inform NAFDAC of the overwhelming presence of fake products as well as to work with, in order to save innocent Nigerians and indigenous, trusted tomato paste manufacturers. Nothing is being done. We are at the forefront of promoting and encouraging the patronage of ‘made in Nigeria’ products and local manufacturing.”

IMPORTS STRANGLING LOCAL PRODUCTION

Aside the health concerns, the importation of these substandard pastes seems to be having a negative impact on the local tomato

paste industry. With more than half of the homegrown tomatoes in the country going to waste, many had been encouraged to go into the local production of tomato paste.

However the Nigerian manufacturers are beginning complain bitterly that the importers of adulterated tomato paste are running them out of business with many jobs at risk. As against the around 250 jobs that the importation of tomato paste brings into the job market, between 7,000 and 10,000 jobs created by the local industry is now at stake.

In a letter to the Minister of Health seen by THISDAY, local manufacturers of tomato paste had called on the federal government to urgently intervene to stem the tide of the influx of fake and substandard tomato paste that the Chinese and Nigerian importers are dumping in Nigeria for many years.

“Despite the fact that China and Vietnam where these tomato paste products are imported from do not allow the same tomato paste to be consumed in their various countries, they export it here to kill Nigerians gradually via cancer.

It is a pity that Asians and their cohorts are leading the importation of banned tomato paste and other food products into our country.

“Unfortunately, the products are made of starch and colour as contained in a speech delivered by a former Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhil at a tomato stakeholders’ forum held at NAFDAC auditorium in Lagos. A NAFDAC internal memo dated February 10, 2015 also indicates that 91.1 per cent of imported tomato paste are substandard, yet, no enforcement.

“The current NAFDAC Director General replied one of our letters and pleaded with us to give her time to act, but it is over six months now and we believe that her letter to us was to buy time, as we suspect that some NAFDAC cabals might be the brains behind the importation, because we have more than ever before high quantities of imported tomato paste in the markets as of today, than when we wrote to NAFDAC,” the letter stated.

Local manufacturers also called on the minister to declare zero tolerance on fake and substandard tomato paste and other food products, saying, “this will enable Nigeria get rid of the menace and the health and well-being of Nigerians will be assured. Be reminded sir that any harm or damage caused by the inefficiency of

NAFDAC or any department under your ministry, you will surely share part of the blame.

“We suspect that some local and foreign importers in collaboration with some government agencies are bent on destroying the health of Nigerians by the dumping of these deadly products into our markets, just for the sake of their economy. Regrettably, NAFDAC silence or sleeping on duty has emboldened them to increase imports, an investigation in our markets will convince you. The effect of the consumption of these fake and substandard tomato paste and other food products is deadlier than the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

A TIGHTER NOOSE ON LOCAL PRODUCTION

Despite the laxity granted the importers of substandard tomato paste in the country, local manufacturers say they have been held to cutthroat standard particularly by NAFDAC. Whilst the high enforcement of standards on local production had led to a higher quality of the locally made product, it had created an uneven ground. Thus the higher quality locally produced product cannot compete in the market with the cheaper substandard version that is imported into the country.

An official of another local manufacturer speaking with THISDAY said NAFDAC enforcement of standards for local manufacturers is very effective, “hence most locally produced tomato paste are of high quality. Unfortunately, they are not applying the same stringent enforcement measures on foreign and imported tomato paste, as the quantity of imports is far bigger than what local manufacturers struggle to produce.

“We are yet to utilize up to 15 per cent of our installed capacity due to the regulatory agencies inaction. We are worried because we believe in made in Nigeria, hence we never imported or marketed any food products, since inception we sell what we produce in our Nigerian factory. That is why we need the sector to be properly sanitized to truly safeguard the health of Nigerians, as we can never join them to kill Nigerians.

“Despite the huge amount of money we pay as NAFDAC charges, port charges and custom duties for every import of our raw materials, which is quite discouraging and frustrating, whereas importers of fake and substandard products pay little or nothing to government coffers, yet, NAFDAC prefers Nigerian manufacturers with about 7,000 to 10,000 workers to close their factories for import cabals that employs less than 250 Nigerians,” he stated.

JIME: PORT STANDING TASK TEAM SAVED NIGERIA $6BN IN 2 YEARS was the signing of MoU with Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to institute a consumer protection regime for the shipping and port industry adding that, “We have concluded arrangements for the

inauguration of a joint committee that will drive the implementation of the MoU.” Others are the signing of MoU with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on the operations of Inland Dry Ports in Nigeria, 95 per cent

completion of the Dala Inland Dry Port in preparation for official commissioning and commencement of operations in July, 2022, 85 per cent completion of the Funtua Inland Dry Port in preparation for its official commissioning later in the year.

He added that the NSC under his watch facilitated and supervised the handover of the Heipang-Jos Inland Dry Port Project to Plateau Investment and Property Development Company (PIPC) to ensure the completion

and commissioning of the project later in the year.

We also facilitated full automation of port processes and activities, ensured industrial harmony through the council’s intervention during disputes involving Maritime

Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and Shipping Companies.

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PERSPECTIVE

Essence of Drilling Systems Utilizing Cutting-edge AI, Geoscience Kenechukwu Nwakwesi writes on drilling management specializing in development, testing, and implementation of directional drilling systems utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence, geoscience and petrophysics

D

irectional Drilling is a complex process that involves the remote control of tool alignment and force application to a very long drill string subject to various external forces. The first use of directional drilling system in oil fields was motivated by economics, and the motivation has not changed today. Since the time when onshore drillers employed the directional drilling technology to reach offshore reservoirs, the technology has greatly developed into a distinct complex form known as the Extended-reach drilling (ERD) - a form of directional drilling considered as expensive and complex, used increasingly to tap into hard-to-produce reservoirs, making viable projects that might otherwise be considered as non-commercial. ERD systems are considered complex due to challenges with regard to geological aspects of data requirement and transmittal, reactive geosteering response times, and accuracy of well placement.

Irrespective of these challenges, the introduction of directional drilling systems is to allow production from multiple reservoirs through a single well, while maintaining the proper orientation and control of BHA trajectory at the same time, which in return reduces drilling costs and minimizes the environmental impact of the drilling process. With the immense benefits provided by directional drilling, the amount of uncertainty related to directional drilling makes accurate controlling of the bit tool face orientation while ensure the adequate rate of penetration challenging, leaving much to the traditional technique of drilling operators. To address these challenges, an effective approach in drilling Management that specializes in the development, testing, and implementation of directional drilling systems utilizing artificial intelligence, geoscience and petrophysics should be adopted.

To adopt the synergistic utilization of cutting-edge AI, geoscience and Petrophysics in directional drilling, it is note-worthy that each approach is uniquely important. However, the successful integration of AI techniques into existing reservoir, drilling and production aspects has provided an increase in the productivity for service operations in the directional drilling system. Directional drilling success, depending on prevalent conditions, is a function of several general factors. These include the selection of best technologies and tools, procedural optimization, concrete problem-solving, accurate prediction and rapid decision-making. Figure 1 shows sub-categories based on the applicability of Al in drilling operations.

Although there is growing need for precise execution of complicated well trajectories increased the demand for directional drilling expertise. It is good to know that there are two main categories of systems used in directional drilling today: i.

Bent-sub downhole motors and ii.

Rotary steerable systems.

BENT-SUB DOWNHOLE MOTORS

Directional drilling with bent-sub downhole motors according to OTC-28633-MS is generally more cost effective and prevalent in shale and it involves two distinct operations: rotation and sliding drilling.

In rotating drilling of the bent-sub downhole motors, the entire drill string is rotated using a motor located at the surface called the top drive motor. This motor applies torque to the entire drill string and turns the slightly angled drill

path. During this process, only the drill bit rotates to excavate rock while orientation of the motor’s bend angle holds constant direction as surface weight is applied and drilling fluid clears debris from the face of the bit.

MUD PULSE “DOWNLINKING” SEQUENCE

Nwakwesi bit symmetrically in the hole. This action leads to a straight run for the drill bit and an increased ROP. Meanwhile, in slide drilling, the top drive motor is not used and instead the drive that rotates the bit is supplied by a device called the mud motor located near the tip of the drilling tool.

Tool face angle orientation Maintaining the right tool face angle orientation is seen here as the Key performance Indicator when using bent-sub downhole motors. Between rotary and slide modes during the course of drilling a well to reach the target depth and location. Alignment of the direction of the drill bit is known as tool face angle orientation. There are many factors that complicate the directional drilling process including borehole friction, mud motor stall, weighting of the bit during drilling and torque effects from the drill string itself, and low bit-rate telemetry. Awareness and control of tool face orientation is critical to preserve the proper well trajectory and eliminate deviations that require corrective measures and add to well costs.

ROTARY STEERABLE SYSTEMS (RSS)

Using a Steerable bottomhole assembly (SBHA) comprising a mud motor with a bent housing, an experienced directional driller can orient the bend of the motor in the direction prescribed on the well plan to steer the well on the intended trajectory in a process known as sliding. When the well trajectory is intended to remain relatively straight, the entire drill string is rotated from surface in a process referred to as rotating.

A SBHA is supported from a drill string that extends from surface and is driven by a subsurface directional tool combined with the drill bit. The conventional approach to directional drilling is to ‘slide’ the SBHA, using mud motors and bent housings, to adjust the geometry/direction of the well

When using RSS some performance indicators are easily verified and measured, while others are more complex and require in-depth analysis to extract results. Dogleg severity (DLS), build rate, turn rate, and steering times achieved by RSS settings have been used as criteria to quantify steerability. Settings programmed in the RSS tool electronics control the inclination and azimuth in which a well is drilled using a steering mechanism that continually rotates.

The drilling team utilizes a technique known as mud pulse “downlinking” to modify the RSS settings in real-time. Steering commands are transmitted in a series of mud pulses called a “downlink sequence” by adjusting the rig pumps to change the flow-in rate from the surface. Location, frequency and durations of RSS downlinking sequences while on and off bottom are key reference points to extract performance indicators that impact the drilling process. Service providers have direct accessibility to RSS data retrieved from the tool’s memory (post-run) or during real-time drilling; the latter being dependent on availability of parameters sent up hole via MWD mud-pulse transmission.

Having known the two main categories of systems used in directional drilling today and the key performance indicators that quantify steerability of each directional drilling system.

The assessment of the impact on drilling performance and drive directional efficiency will be based on the selected directional drilling system.

WELL PLANNING

It is no longer news that directional drilling in the energy industry is a challenging task where gains in efficiency may be realized using Artificial Intelligence (AI) that provide tangible value to the drilling operator. Complications arise in managing and controlling the directional drilling system in such a way as to maximize ROP and minimize corrective steering actions.

To ensure that the adequate ROP is achieved, the synergistic use of AI with the help of petrophysical properties is employed at each step of the directional well planning. Processing past drilling data and drilling simulations using deep learning AI systems has proven to improve directional drilling guidance information for directional drillers to design and develop a directional drilling system with least possible complications.

The deep learning system which is a type of machine learning that trains multi-layered neural networks, to generate predictions based on complex patterns in previously collected data, will ingest historical and simulation data corresponding to the information used and actions taken by expert directional drillers and use that data to generate decisions that correspond with those experts would have made when

presented with new situations. Reinforcement learning is another type of machine learning that uses simulation to inform the actions taken in a given environment to maximize a particular goal or reward. Typically, an agent takes actions in an environment which is interpreted into a reward and updated state which are fed back into the agent. Applying experience in artificial neural networks directional drilling.

Applying experience in artificial neural networks (ANN) to the directional drilling, the authors sought to improve efficiency through optimized ROP, less tortuous borehole, fewer POB, and greater consistency across operations.

Therefore, the project was broken down into the following tasks to achieve the stated objectives: i. Information formulation including Operator engagement and data preparation, ii. Immersion and analysis including artificial neural network construction and evaluation and iii. Drilling simulation and reinforcement learning, and supervisory mode development for advising a human directional driller.

At the end of the project, the stated objectives were met and a feed-forward multilayer perceptron network was constructed as the first step toward deep machine learning for directional drilling. The neural network predicts future differential pressure and rotary torque based on current tool face, weight on bit, total pump output, rate of penetration, current rotary torque and current differential pressure. In this way, it mimics the historical choices of experts. After removing data errors, the directional drilling logs were filtered down to on-bottom sliding events based on a 21-point sliding standard deviation.

CASE STUDY 2

In the SPE-199584-MS paper, in this paper a downlink recognition model that utilizes deep learning Models such as the U-net, ResNet and Transfer Learning was adopted. A decision to utilize rotary steerable assemblies or conventional mud motor assemblies is anchored in economical and operational considerations. Generally, RSS assemblies have a higher day rate compared to conventional assemblies, but their advantages promise to yield operational time savings which can lower the net cost to an operator. This is usually attributed to elimination of slide drilling at lower rates of penetration and the potential elimination of downhole tools like agitators to optimize slide drilling. Operationally, RSS systems tend to have lower failure rates and advertise a reduction in wellbore tortuosity.

However, RSS systems often have disadvantages when it comes to azimuthal walk in horizontal wellbores and time spent control drilling at lower rates of penetration while downlinking on bottom or time spent downlinking off bottom.

In conclusion, the use of AI with geoscience and petrophysical properties have been of great benefit to the directional drilling systems. t ,FOFDIVLXV /XBLXFTJ IBT PWFS ZFBST XPSLJOH FYQFSJFODF BT B (FPTDJFOUJTU QMBZJOH B NBKPS SPMF JO FOTVSJOH UIBU ZPVOH HFPTDJFOUJTU BOE FOHJOFFST UIJOL CFZPOE UIFJS EBZ UP EBZ JOUFSQSFUBUJPO NPEFMMJOH BOE EFTJHO CZ DPOTUBOUMZ JOUFHSBUJOH NPEFSO SFBMJUJFT TVDI BT UFDIOPMPHZ "SUJmDJBM *OUFMMJHFODF FOWJSPONFOUBM GBDUPST DMJNBUF DIBOHF BOE TPDJBM DIBMMFOHFT JO NFFUJOH QSFTFOU BOE GVUVSF FOFSHZ EFNBOET

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T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY JUNEJune 15, 2022 Wednesday 15, 2022 Vol 27. No 9929 TR

See page 28 PETER OBI AS UMAHI’S NIGHTMARE NDUKA NWOSU writes that David Umahi’s verbal outbursts is unfortunate

See page 28 OUR PRESIDENT IS NOT MISSING ABA SAHEED satirizes President Buhari’s frequent trips abroad See page 29 DISAPPEARING PAYPHONE BOOTHS AND KIOSKS With more than 200 million active lines, public telephone kiosks are almost nonexistent, writes SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE See page 29 EDITORIAL THE OWO TRAGEDY FALLOUTS

See page 30

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opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

MILITARY, LAWYERS AND SECURITY CHALLENGES The African Bar Association and the Defence Headquarters held a workshop on building operational capacities for military and civilian lawyers, writes SONNIE EKWOWUSI

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Religion should not be the yardstick to determine who governs the country, argues LEO IGWE

POLITICS BEYOND RELIGION IN NIGERIA The emergence of Muslim presidential candidates of the two major parties, especially that of Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) from southern Nigeria has generated a lot of debate on the role of religion in political permutations in the country. Discussions on the choice of the vice president have been RYHUVKDGRZHG E\ WKH UHOLJLRXV D΀ OLDWLRQ of potential candidates. Many people have been projecting and analyzing how the religious particulars of the proposed vice president would yield victory or defeat for the ruling party. Analysts have been weighing in on whether Tinubu’s party, the $3& ZRXOG À HOG D 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW RU D 0XVOLP &KULVWLDQ WLFNHW DQG VXFFHHG DW the polls in February.

This debate has yielded two schools RI WKRXJKW )LUVW RI DOO VRPH WKLQN WKDW D 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW ZRXOG OHDG WR D GHIHDW for the APC. Those in this school of thought advise that Tinubu and the APC should go IRU D 0XVOLP &KULVWLDQ WLFNHW RU WKH\ ZRXOG lose the election in February. These persons DUH RI WKH YLHZ WKDW D 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW would alienate the Christian electorate in the FRXQWU\ 7KH\ KDYH DUJXHG WKDW VXFK D WLFNHW is insensitive to the religious diversity in the country. At a time when the government of Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the north has polarized the country along UHOLJLRXV OLQHV WKH\ RSLQH WKDW DQ DOO 0XVOLP SUHVLGHQWLDO WLFNHW ZRXOG QRW DXJXU ZHOO IRU the country. The Christian Association of Nigeria has been one of the bodies opposing DQ DOO 0XVOLP SUHVLGHQWLDO WLFNHW Another school of thought insists that APC and Tinubu should go ahead and SLFN D 0XVOLP IURP 1RUWKHUQ 1LJHULD DV a running mate. They are of the view that religion should not count or be factored into the choice of a vice president. People in this school of thought are saying that competence, not religion should be the main criterion for choosing a vice president.

Muslim politicians such as the governor of .DGXQD 6WDWH 0DOODP (O 5XIDL KDYH EHHQ WKH PDLQ SURWDJRQLVWV $FFRUGLQJ WR (O 5XIDL UHOLJLRXV D΀ OLDWLRQ VKRXOG QRW EH D factor in determining who would be BAT’s running mate. He gave an example with his state, Kaduna, where he chose a Muslim as his running mate and still went ahead to win the state elections. Some have noted WKDW (O 5XIDL XVHG 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW ZKLOH VHHNLQJ UH HOHFWLRQ QRW ZKHQ KH UDQ IRU WKH À UVW WLPH ,Q KLV À UVW WHQXUH KH KDG D &KULVWLDQ DV KLV UXQQLQJ PDWH ,Q DGGLWLRQ VRPH SHRSOH DUH RI WKH YLHZ WKDW (O 5XIDL LV proposing this idea because he is interested in becoming a vice president. And in the FXUUHQW GLVSHQVDWLRQ LW LV RQO\ D 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW WKDW ZRXOG IDYRU KLP 1RZ OHW XV WDNH D FULWLFDO ORRN DW WKH HQWLUH debate. First of all the controversy over

D 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW LV URRWHG LQ WKH assumption that northern politicians would QRW DFFHSW D QRQ 0XVOLP LQ WKLV FDVH D Christian as a vice president come what may. ,W KDV EHHQ VDLG WKDW WKHUH LV DQ XQZULWWHQ SROLWLFDO FRGH WKDW QR QRQ 0XVOLP SUHVLGHQW or vice president would ever emerge from the region. , PHW DQ DLGH WR DQ $3& 0XVOLP GHOHJDWH from Taraba State during the just concluded convention in Abuja. He made it clear that the problem with BAT’s presidential candidacy was that he was a Muslim, and the north would never accept a Christian vice president from the region.

He said that there has always been an understanding in the north that the South would produce a Christian president or vice president, and the north’s presidential RU YLFH SUHVLGHQWLDO FDQGLGDWH ZRXOG always be a Muslim. He stressed that northern politicians were not ready to alter this arrangement and would do anything possible to frustrate any development that would violate this understanding. He said if BAT emerged and chose a christian as KLV YLFH SUHVLGHQW $WLNX KDG ZRQ EHFDXVH muslim politicians in the north would prefer to vote for a muslim presidential candidate in another party to voting for a muslim presidential candidate from the south with a christian vice president from the QRUWK , PHDQ , IRXQG KLV GHFODUDWLRQ TXLWH XQIRUWXQDWH ,W ZDV VKRFNLQJ WR NQRZ WKDW QRQ 0XVOLP SROLWLFLDQV LQ 1RUWKHUQ 1LJHULD DUH VHFRQG FODVV FLWL]HQV $QG ZKHQ LW FRPHV to the presidency and vice presidency, they FDQ YRWH EXW FDQQRW EH YRWHG IRU , PHDQ WKLV XQMXVW UHDOSROLWLN VLWXDWLRQ LV JURVVO\ XQIDLU and must change.

1RZ WKLQN DERXW LW LI WKH XQGHUVWDQGLQJ ZHUH WKDW D QRQ 0XVOLP YLFH SUHVLGHQW position was unacceptable to the north, why did Muslim delegates overwhelmingly vote

Nigeria is not only a country of Christians and Muslims.

Millions of Nigerians do not identify as Christians or as Muslims. There are Nigerians who are atheists/ humanists, traditional religionists, Eckists, Mormons, Grail Messengers, OOBUists, Bahai faithfuls, Jehovah Witnesses, etc

for BAT? Why didn’t northern politicians vote and ensure that a southern Christian FDQGLGDWH HPHUJHG" ,W PD\ EH WKDW 0XVOLP politicians from the north are now ready to PDNH D VKLIW DQG DOORZ D QRUWKHUQ &KULVWLDQ YLFH SUHVLGHQWLDO FDQGLGDWH WR HPHUJH ,W could also be that Muslim politicians would, FRPH ZKDW PD\ JR DKHDG ZLWK D 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW DV (O 5XIDL GLG LQ .DGXQD ,Q other words, nothing has changed. So, with the emergence of BAT, a Muslim presidential candidate from the south, the north may EH GLVSRVHG WR HOHFW D QRQ 0XVOLP YLFH president. But only time will tell.

As the second school of thought has rightly noted, religion should not be the \DUGVWLFN WR GHWHUPLQH ZKR JRYHUQV 1LJHULD , PHDQ ZK\ VKRXOG WKH UHOLJLRXV FRQIHVVLRQ RI SUHVLGHQWLDO DQG YLFH presidential candidates matter? What has UHOLJLRQ LQ WKLV FDVH &KULVWLDQLW\ DQG ,VODP JRW WR GR ZLWK WKH DELOLW\ DQG FDSDELOLW\ RI D SHUVRQ WR HͿ HFWLYHO\ JRYHUQ D FRXQWU\ VXFK as Nigeria?

Nigeria is not only a country of Christians and Muslims. Millions of Nigerians do not identify as Christians or as Muslims. There are Nigerians who are atheists/humanists, WUDGLWLRQDO UHOLJLRQLVWV (FNLVWV 0RUPRQV Grail Messengers, OOBUists, Bahai IDLWKIXOV -HKRYDK :LWQHVVHV HWF /LNH WKHLU Christian and Muslim counterparts, they are also entitled to participate in politics and governance. They are entitled to vote and be YRWHG IRU 'LVFXVVLRQV RYHU 0XVOLP 0XVOLP 0XVOLP &KULVWLDQ &KULVWLDQ &KULVWLDQ DQG &KULVWLDQ 0XVOLP WLFNHWV KDYH PDGH UHOLJLRQV HVSHFLDOO\ &KULVWLDQLW\ DQG ,VODP the main parameters for the choice of president and vice president.

The debate has made it seem as if the only way to politically succeed in Nigeria is to profess Christianity in the south and ,VODP LQ WKH QRUWK ,QFLGHQWDOO\ QRERG\ SROLWLFDOO\ UHFNRQV ZLWK 1LJHULDQV ZKR DUH neither Christians nor Muslims, no matter how competent they are. Nobody explores WKH SRVVLELOLW\ RI D 0XVOLP 7UDGLWLRQDOLVW WLFNHW D 0XVOLP $WKHLVW WLFNHW D &KULVWLDQ 7UDGLWLRQDOLVW WLFNHW RU DQ $WKHLVW 0XVOLP RU $WKHLVW &KULVWLDQ WLFNHW 7R PDNH SURJUHVV the emphasis on religious credentials of FDQGLGDWHV PXVW EH DEDQGRQHG ,QFOXVLYH politics must be encouraged. Competent DQG TXDOLÀ HG SHUVRQV RI YDULRXV IDLWKV DQG none must be considered for the positions of governance, of president or vice president without emphasis on their ir/religious FUHGHQWLDOV ,W LV WKHQ DQG RQO\ WKHQ WKDW LW could be said that politics in Nigeria has moved beyond religion.

nskepticleo@yahoo.com

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T H I S D AY

The African Bar Association and the Defence Headquarters held a workshop on building operational capacities for military and civilian lawyers, writes SONNIE EKWOWUSI

NDUKA NWOSU writes that David Umahi’s verbal outbursts is unfortunate

MILITARY, LAWYERS AND SECURITY CHALLENGES

)RU WKH ÀUVW WLPH SUREDEO\ VLQFH WKH &ROG War, millions of people across the world are not just uncertain about their future or concerned about their children’s future, they are deeply worried about their safety and the safety of their property. If anything, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has heightened this anxiety. What President Putin of Russia had on 24th February 2022 dubbed a simple “military operation” which in his view, would last for only three or four days, has continued to drag on and runs the risk of snowballing into a Third World War. One of the tragic consequences of a civilization geared for war, banditry, terrorism and so forth; a civilization failing to work to create a climate of peace; a civilization squandering its treasure on the worthless dross of gun-running and bloodletting rather than building a climate of peace is the rapid increase in insecurity of lives and property.

Most African countries, unfortunately, are at the crossroads at the moment. ,QVWHDG RI SHDFH ZKDW ZH ÀQG WRGD\ LV D caricature of peace or complete turmoil.

Most countries on the continent are either HQJXOIHG LQ RQH ZDU RU FRQÁLFW 7R EH VXUH the struggle to create a climate of peace on the African continent is crucial to the future of Africa and by extension to the global human society and its people and governments. Pursuant to a Report on the economic costs of violent extremism in Africa organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in 2020 in Addis Ababa, a causality exists between the violence in the various WKHDWUHV RI FRQÁLFW LQ $IULFD DQG LWV HͿHFW RQ the peoples of the continent. In their report titled “Measuring the Economic Impact of Violent Extremism Leading to Terrorism in Africa”, the UNDP and IEOP estimate that 16 of the 18 African countries - Congo Democratic Republic, Uganda, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, Central African Republic, Kenya, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania and Libya - had lost an average of $97 billion per year in informal economic activity since 2007. This is informal economic activities alone and suggests other losses within the formal sector that are equally staggering.

In Nigeria alone, a damning UNDP Report says that over 350,000 people have been killed directly and indirectly in the North East of Nigeria alone in the last 12 years. About 70% of the victims are women and children. At the moment, Nigeria is under siege. For example, on June 5, 2022 the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), launched a premeditated attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo local government area, Ondo State, leaving in its wake the death of about 40 worshippers and many injured ones. The problem is that in most cases, the responses of African governments to the aforesaid calamities and tragedies have been simply nonchalant or sometimes have been tepid as political considerations and intrigues are allowed to trump security initiatives.

And sometimes, these responses have ended up aggravating the insecurity as gross violations of human rights by state actions indirectly help in providing violent

WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

non-state actors with new recruits.

Peeved by the foregoing, the African Bar Association (AFBA) in collaboration with the Defence Headquarters, organized a three-day conference last week at the Nigerian Air-Force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja. Let me quickly say that the AFBA has been responsible for an enormous amount of social change in Africa, because being a lawyer is not just a way of basking in the euphoria of selfcontentment or self-aggrandizement: being a lawyer is a calling to nip tyranny in its bud through the instrumentality of the law. Being a lawyer is a vocation to restore the rule of law to its enviable Olympian height. Any society bereft of the rule of law is heading for anarchy if not extinction.

Why? Because recourse to the rule of law is the bedrock upon which the society lays its claim to civilization. Therefore African lawyers shall negotiate for freedom and MXVWLFH VDFULÀFH IRU IUHHGRP DQG MXVWLFH they shall not surrender for freedom; they shall not surrender for justice-now or ever. Why? Because justice is the ultimate safeguard of civilized conduct. Fiat justicia ruat coelum (Let justice be done though the heaven may fall). Ancient philosopher Aristotle so praises justice that he says, “Neither the morning star nor the evening star are as glorious as justice”. To Cicero, “the brightness of virtues shines above all in justice”. In the immortal words of Hon. Justice Chukwudifu Oputa (of the blessed memory), “Injustice breeds intolerance, violence and social disorder in the same way justice brings along with it the blessings of peace and mutual understanding. There will be no peace in a society where justice is denied or defeated.

Where there is wrong it is only natural that justice is evoked to remedy the wrong and thus restore the necessary balance”.

The theme of the three-day AFBA Conference was: “Enhancing the operational capacities of African Armed Forces and Security Agencies: Law as a vital instrument”. It is important to state WKDW WKH FRQIHUHQFH ZDV WKH ÀUVW RI LWV kind in Africa. It was actually a training workshop that essentially focused on building operational capacities for both military and civilian lawyers, senior PLOLWDU\ R΀FHUV KROGLQJ FRPPDQG DQG DGPLQLVWUDWLYH SRVLWLRQV 0LOLWDU\ R΀FHUV and personnel in charge of human rights DQG KXPDQLWDULDQ LVVXHV R΀FHUV LQYROYHG LQ PLOLWDU\ FLYLOLDQ DͿDLUV R΀FHUV involved in Military Justice System and their counterparts in the security agencies such as the Police, the Immigration Service, Customs Service, Drug Law Enforcement Agencies. The conference was also organized for practicing lawyers, academics, human rights organizations, anti-corruption agencies, Judges, 0DJLVWUDWHV DQG -XGLFLDO 6WDͿ DQG WKH public. The conference speakers, resource persons and participants came from 22 countries including the United States of America, France, Bolivia, Nigeria, Brazil, *XLQHD %LVVDX *KDQD %XUXQGL /LEHULD Zambia, Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Burkina Faso.

Ekwowusi writes from Lagos

PETER OBI AS UMAHI’S NIGHTMARE Ever since Vice President Atiku Abubakar chose Peter Obi as his running mate in the run XS WR WKH 3UHVLGHQWLDO HOHFWLRQ *RYHUQRU David Umahi has not been happy with the Labour Party Presidential candidate for the 2023 general election. +H KDG FODLPHG KH ZDV ÀJKWLQJ DJDLQVW WKH marginalisation of the Ebonyi man in the general scheme of things because both Ebonyi and Imo States were excluded from the list drawn down by the party for consideration. He did not say Imo State also complained of marginalisation but on Monday Umahi returned with his marginalisation theory accusing everyone of what he had earlier referred to as the Ebonyi fear of marginalisation in the Southeast. Really?

party and how PDP marginalised Ebonyi State at various times in this ongoing political experiment. He had been wooing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammad Buhari despite the fact he became a governor on a PDP ticket. In a bid to realise a pet ambition, Umahi railed abuses on the PDP, claiming marginalisation of Ebonyi State and crossed over to the party and reminded it he had seen in a dream he would be the next President of Nigeria. ,Q KLV ÀUVW WHQXUH DV *RYHUQRU KH campaigned for Buhari ‘s second term bid as President. Obviously, there is something in Umahi’s DNA that makes him feel taller

Is this the same Ebonyi State that produced the ÀUVW DQG ODVW *RYHUQRU RI (DVWHUQ 1LJHULD 6LU (Dr.) Francis Akanu Ibiam, that produced Dr. Aja Nwachukwu as Nigeria’s First Republic Minister of Education and a host of other great Ebonyians in this polity?

So, what is Umahi talking about? Is it the fear of marginalisation that is behind his hatred of Peter Obi? What is lacking in his plethora of achievements that Peter Obi is reminding him of? The fact is that the Peter Obi brand is Umahi’s obsession worsened by his lack luster performance at the last APC Presidential

when he dreams dreams as Nigeria’s next President. After all his transformation of Ebonyi State to a modern state has been celebrated far and near. A President David Umahi would replicate what he did in (ERQ\L LQ WKH ODUJHU 1LJHULDQ VSDFH *UHDW Yet, apart from a few advertorials on television, Umahi did not travel to Borno State to campaign and tell the people he would make a clean sweep of Boko Haram and turn Sambisa Forest into a Dubai; he did not visit the nearby Abia State to teach the governor the art of governance and promise the indigenes he would make their state as good if not better than his dear state. He did not proceed to Kaduna State and tell them he would resolve the ethnic religious killings going on in the state Umahi has seen Obi traversing the entire Nigerian space as the arrowhead and avant garde of a new movement, with a tremendous following among the youths and other age brackets in the country.

A new Nigerian movement for positive change is unfolding. What the polity had always wanted and yearned for is a restructured Nigeria without rent seekers, a Nigeria where tribe and tongue do not matter. Nigerians are connecting with the Obi-dient mantra of no more sharing. And the lyrics from the Obi choir are rhythmic and resonating with hope and greatness for the future.

7KHUHIRUH DOO WKLV ÁH[LQJ FRPLQJ IURP *RYHUQRU 8PDKL LV D VKRXW RXW WR %$7 DQ application letter to campaign for him and wait for an appointment in anticipation of victory and payback. Umahi never FDPSDLJQHG DV D SRWHQWLDO ÁDJ EHDUHU RI the APC. He took so much for granted and felt entitled.

Nwosu was former GMD of Leadership Newspapers

Umahi never campaigned as a potential Presidential flag bearer of the APC. He took so much for granted and felt entitled. We saw Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo campaigning across the length and breadth of the country. Umahi sat like a dummy at Government House Abakaliki waiting for an Ohanaeze endorsement to drop on his laps primaries.

Umahi went into the APC with the understanding he has been promised he would be Nigeria’s next President. The Southeast was okay with that proposition though with an air of trepidation. The sense of hurry with which he stampeded himself into the ruling party was alarming. He entertained himself on the beauty of his exit from the opposition

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T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

ABA SAHEED satirizes President Buhari’s frequent trips abroad

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With more than 200 million active lines, public telephone kiosks are almost non-existent, writes SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE

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4 30

T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

EDITORIAL

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

THE OWO TRAGEDY FALLOUTS There is need for a thorough investigation of the mayhem

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ast Thursday, the federal government blamed the Islamic State West Africa 3URYLQFH ,6:$3 DQ ,6,/ D΀OLDWHG armed group, for the June 5 attack that killed dozens of worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State. The Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, who dispelled the notion that the heinous attack was due to “ethno-religious thing,” said the security agencies had located the “imprints of the Islamic State of West Africa Province.” While we commiserate with families of the deceased and wish quick recovery for the wounded victims, it is unfortunate that investigation into the killings is now marred by a needless controversy.

The scepticism about ISWAP being responsible for the killings is understandable.

That the vicious armed group which loves publicity is yet to claim credit for the attack is quite unusual.

Besides, many experts have given opinions about why, both in style and substance, the attack could not have been carried out by ISWAP. This perhaps explains why the Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, said the federal government was hasty in reaching conclusion about the brains behind the deadly attack.

Akeredolu told a Swiss-based Christian human rights Organisation, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) that since ISWAP is known for claiming responsibility for their attacks, he doesn’t agree with the conclusion.

“ISWAP don’t hide their attacks. If they have done it, they would have owned up. We are yet to know their identity and our security people are still on their trail,” Akeredolu said.

The families of the dozens of people who were killed in cold blood inside a church deserve justice for their loved ones. And the authorities must ensure a thorough investigation for that to happen. However, whatever may be their misgivings, nobody should exonerate ISWAP that has been credited for several deadly attacks not only in the Northeast but in other

areas as well. Last month, the terror group claimed responsibility for an assault on a cultural event in Kogi State, and for a bombing in Taraba State that claimed 30 casualties. Some security analysts have noted the possibility of its expansion to the southern part of the country.

There is no doubt that the canvass of insecurity is broadening with large scale and unexplained violence in many communities across the country.

While some analysts say the expansion of armed groups in the south is unlikely to materialise because of a lack of local support and inadequate logistics, the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command in Africa, Major General Dagvin Anderson, once raised the alarm that ISIS and Al-Quaeda were penetrating new territories across the country, and on the verge of furthering their terrorist campaigns to the south of Nigeria.

Anderson particularly warned that these threats should not be underestimated, and that the terrorists could seize “opportunities” and weaknesses as they emerge.

However, the Army Defence Headquarters had downplayed the threats, arguing that Anderson was raising an unnecessary alarm. But as things stand, the entire country is indeed gradually being sucked in by various terrorist groups and vicious criminals. In the Northeast that is under the siege of insurgents, more than 40,000 persons have been killed and millions of others rendered homeless. The Northwest is also coming increasingly under the vice grip of bandits and other criminal gangs.

The announcement that ISWAP was responsible for the Owo attack should put the authorities on high alert. Opening a frontier of religion-induced terror in the southern part of the country raises the prospect of danger. Sectarian violence with ethnic colouration WKDW VXFK LQÀOWUDWLRQ ZRXOG UHSUHVHQW LV D UHFLSH IRU disaster. The federal government must do all within its power to combat such threat.

The canvass of insecurity is broadening with large scale and unexplained violence in many communities across the country

T H I S D AY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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

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 NIGERIA AND ACCESS TO THE INTERNET Recently, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the communications arm of the United Nations (UN), concluded its World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in Kigali, Rwanda. At the conference, over $18.5 billion was pledged to support global internet access which is widely recognized as a key aspect of sustainable development.

Life moves at a furious pace these days and by the minute, GLͿHUHQW HYHQWV JR GRZQ DURXQG WKH ZRUOG 7R NHHS XS ZLWK the speed at which things move, there is a need for information that is easily and readily accessible.

In these days of globalization, when the world is interconnected, and a whole lot of information is usually only a click away thanks to the internet, it is no rocket science to deduce that access to the internet is key to many Nigerians particiSDWLQJ LQ DͿDLUV ZLWKLQ WKHLU RZQ FRXQWU\ DV ZHOO DV NHHSLQJ tabs on what is going on in other countries in a world where ZKDW DͿHFWV RQH VWURQJO\ DͿHFWV RWKHUV DV 5XVVLDCV KHLQRXV invasion of Ukraine is showing.

Do enough Nigerians have adequate access to the internet?

What is the service provided by telecommunications compa-

QLHV ZLWKLQ WKH FRXQWU\ OLNH" +RZ DͿRUGDEOH LV GDWD WR 1LJHrians? $FURVV WKH ZRUOG DERXW ELOOLRQ SHRSOH RI WKH ZRUOGCV seven billion people have no access to the internet. This has invariably reduced the quality of their lives, depriving them of key life-changing opportunities.

Data show that in Nigeria, in spite of the fact that there are about 148 million internet users, some 25 million Nigerians are still without access to basic telephony services.

Experts have long been of the opinion that advancing internet access in developing countries can help achieve sustainDEOH HFRQRPLHV EHFDXVH WKH LQWHUQHW RͿHUV D ORW RI SRWHQWLDO and opportunities for sustainable development.

In the summer of 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council released a non-binding resolution condemning intentional disruption of internet access by governments. The resROXWLRQ UHD΀UPHG WKDW ´WKH VDPH ULJKWV SHRSOH KDYH R΁LQH must also be protected online.”

The right to internet access, also known as the right to broadband or freedom to connect, is the view that all people must be able to access the internet in order to exercise and

enjoy their rights to freedom of expression and opinion and other fundamental human rights, that states have a responsibility to ensure that internet access is broadly available, and WKDW VWDWHV PD\ QRW XQUHDVRQDEO\ UHVWULFW DQ LQGLYLGXDOCV DFcess to the internet.

Given that the right to internet access is closely linked to the right of freedom of speech which encompasses freedom of expression as well, what is the implication of being without internet access for millions of Nigeria who do not enjoy it at the moment? Simply put, they are cut adrift. They are denied access to information which goes a long way in encouraging PHDQLQJIXO SDUWLFLSDWLRQ LQ WKH DͿDLUV RI WKH FRXQWU\ Without access at all to the internet, or where such access is VHYHUHO\ DͿHFWHG E\ SRRU FRQQHFWLYLW\ RU WKH H[WRUWLRQDWH FRVW of data, many Nigerians are denied their right to information.

And as knowledge is power, they are rendered powerless. ,I SURYLGLQJ 1LJHULDQV ZLWK DGHTXDWH DQG DͿRUGDEOH LQWHUnet access is given the priority it deserves, many Nigerians will be sustainably empowered.

Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmial.com

31

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

The Terminal Manager, APM Terminals Apapa, Mr. Steen Knudsen (right) and the Managing Director of FREEE Recycle Limited, Ifedolapo Runsewe, at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the recycling of used tyres at APM Terminals Apapa, Lagos… recently

Stakeholders Converge to Promote Nigeria Leather Sector Oluchi Chibuzor To further drive growth within the Nigerian leather sector whilst also educating and creating maximum visibility for leading leather players across Africa, key stakeholders spread across Sub-Saharan Africa gathered at the just concluded Lagos Leather Fair (LLF) 5 to discuss the road map to the future of the leather industry.

The 2-day event which sought to reiterate the potential economic impact of the leather sector on the Nigerian economy had in attendance over 2000 key stakeholders including the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo, Ex-Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, and members from several Federal Ministries, Bank of Industry, Trade bodies, financial institutions, Leather designers, players in the leather ecosystem as well as local and international

investors.

Speaking at the fair, the Convener of the Lagos Leather Fair, Femi Olayebi, expressed her delight about the large gathering and the quality of conversations had at the fair.

She said, ”It has been a delight for us to once again hold a physical edition of Lagos Leather Fair, and we are extremely pleased with the success recorded. The crowds poured in across the two-day event in droves, and it is a testament to the value that the finished leather goods sector for the wider industry if properly harnessed. For five years now, we have constantly provided a platform for leather and lifestyle enthusiasts and industry players to come together, to enhance visibility for the industry, whilst also championing conversations on how to move the industry forward.

And this year, despite the impact

of the pandemic, we have seen that industry players have continues to hone their craftsmanship, their skills, and their innovation, in order to drive the shift that we need to make the industry’s potential a reality.”

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo said, “We are proud of the good works of Lagos Leather Fair over the past 5 years, they have created a solid platform where everyone within the leather ecosystem can meet up and hold conversations on how to move the industry forward. The result of this has become very visible with the growing attention gained by the industry and increased collaboration amongst players.

For us as a ministry, we will continuously drive support till the potential of the leather industry is fully harnessed in Nigeria.”

ACCA, Nile University Sign MoU to Boost Students’ Employability James Emejo in Abuja The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nile University of Nigeria to boost the employability, entrepreneurship and accounting and finance capacity of the students. ACCA Country Head Nigeria, Mr. Tom Isibor, said the agreement seeks to support the university in implementing the ACCA qualification as well as to

improve the students’ work readiness.

He told THISDAY at the MoU signing that the partnership also entails identifying areas of mutual interests and other aspects which require collaboration between both parties.

He said, “There’s no point of signing an MoU that is going to gather dust on the shelf and we are very particular about capacity development and we are looking at universities that are willing to partner with us.

“It is about employability; it’s about entrepreneurship and improving the students’ capacity in accounting and finance. Those are the long-term benefits to both organizations and our partnership is not limited - it is for both public and private universities but it is also a matter of interest.”

The Vice-Chancellor, Nile University of Nigeria, Prof. Dilli Dogo, described the partnership as one of the most important MoUs the university had signed in recent times.

Insight Publicis Wins Amazon PrimeVideo Media Account Amazon Prime Video has named Insight Publicis, an agency based out of Nigeria as its creative agency of record as it prepares to launch in Africa’s biggest economy in Q3 2022.

It is the latest move in Amazon’s investment in expanding its streaming service, available in more than 240 countries, into Nigeria’s vibrant

film scene.

Founded in 1979, Insight Publicis is a member of Redefini, the largest integrated marketing communications group in West Africa, and also a member of Publicis Groupe, the largest marketing and communications group by capitalisation, globally.

With a population of over 210 million people, the continent’s largest entertainment industry,

and the second biggest film industry in the world, the Nigerian market has become an important territory for the streaming players. Its entertainment sector, known globally as “Nollywood”, is valued at just over $6 billion — with potential to become Nigeria’s most lucrative export with around 2,500 films produced annually.

Bello, Awosika Others to Grace RIMAN’s Annual International and AGM Nume Ekeghe Chairman Access Bank Plc, Mrs. Ajoritsedere Awosika, the Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Bello Hassan, and an array of other dignitaries are expected to attend the Risk Management Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) annual

conference, RIMAN announced.

RIMAN in a statement noted that the 21st Annual International Conference and AGM of RIMAN will take place at the Grand Ballroom of Eko Hotels and Suites from June 23rd to 24th, 2022.

The President of RIMAN, Dr. Ezekiel Oseni, stated: “RIMAN, the foremost professional body for risk management practitioners in

Nigeria, has remained consistent in promoting best practices for risk management in Nigeria, and holds an annual international conference for both its members and prospective members.

Executives have realized that more robust Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) frameworks are required to remain competitive in this new era.”

32

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

EDUCATION Time to End BSc, HND Dichotomy Following the failed efforts by previous administrations to end the lingering disparity between HND/BSc holders in the private sector and government agencies, agitations have been renewed for President Muhammadu Buhari to give his assent to the bill seeking to abolish the dichotomy. Vanessa Obioha writes

M

rs. Maria Agbodion (not real name) graduated over 20 years ago from the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, with a Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate. She got a job with the Edo State government as a teacher and was posted to Auchi. To properly consolidate her position in the teaching profession, she proceeded to Ambrose Alli University for a postgraduate diploma in education (PGDE).

Initially, holders of the National Certificate of Education (NCE) certificate were barred from going beyond Level 14 in the Edo State Civil Service, but those with HND and PGDE, which are by far higher qualifications, have now been included in the list of those barred from crossing Level 14 too. It is strictly for those with a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), and many have considered this as discriminatory.

This is why graduates with HND are urging President Muhammadu Buhari to give his assent to the bill seeking to abolish the dichotomy between B.Sc and HND holders in the country.

They noted that the president’s assent would ensure the growth of polytechnic education in Nigeria. The dichotomy between B.Sc and HND holders in the country, especially when it comes to employment, have been in national discourse for a long time.

Discrimination either during employment or in service is not new in Nigeria. The trend places degree holders above HND holders in the work pool and subsequent promotion. On many occasions, HND holders cannot go beyond grade level 14, especially in civil service across the country, while degree holders can rise to grade level 17 before retiring from active service.

Many have argued that in terms of academic discipline, both the holders of the two certificates spent the same number of years in school. But in the practical aspect, HND holders are ahead of the B.Sc holders. This is so because 70 per cent of learning in polytechnics is practical, being technological-based institutions aimed at equipping students with technical knowledge that helps graduates be self-reliant.

In developed nations where Nigeria copied her system of education, HND and degree holders are employed on the same grade level. In fact, these countries don’t care about the certificate one has; all they are after is what one can offer as a graduate. But in Nigeria, the holders of a degree are favoured more than HND holders.

Specifically, Nigeria copies the polytechnic system of education from the United Kingdom.

While most of the UK polytechnics have since converted to universities or are now degreeawarding institutions, Nigeria is still running hers without clear-cut policy direction. These days, hardly do Nigerian universities admit Ordinary National Diploma (OND) graduates for direct entry. Also, due to discrimination, HND graduates are now forced to undergo a two-year conversion programmes in the universities.

Also, even those who graduate with distinction or upper credit are not allowed to study medicine or law through direct entry in most universities. They are simply told to write JAMB. The discrimination polytechnic graduates face or go through in Nigeria has made many

to wonder that if the polytechnic education system is no longer working, it should be scrapped, rather than continue to subject its graduates to hardship.

It was to put an end these discriminations and disparities that the two chambers of the National Assembly - the Senate and House of Representatives recently passed a bill for a perpetual end to the dichotomy between the two certificates. The legislation was titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma in the Same Profession/Field for the Purpose of Employment; and for Related Matters’.

Sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo central), the legislation seeks to resolve the controversy and promote Nigeria’s technological advancement by encouraging many qualified students to pursue polytechnics and technology-based studies.

However, on June 2, 2021, the Senate passed the bill to abolish the HND/BSC dichotomy. The bill stipulates punitive measures against disparities and discrimination against holders of HND; this means that the two certificates are now equal. With the passage of the bill by the National Assembly, what is now left is the president’s assent, ensuring the growth of polytechnic education in the country.

Before then, in 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, in a move to end the regime of discrimination, approved a new policy reversing the existing one, which restricts HND holders from rising above salary grade level 14

in the public service, unlike their university graduate counterparts.

The new policy at the time was looked upon as the beginning of a new dawn and a ray of hope for HND holders in the country.

While attempting to enforce the policy, Obasanjo gave the directive at a meeting with members of the National Assembly Committees on Education and the Minister of Education at the time, Chinwe Obaji. The president directed his then Chief of Staff, Mohammed Abdullahi, and former Head of Service, Yayale Ahmed, to immediately prepare a position paper reflecting the new position so that the government could immediately commence its implementation.

Under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in September 2007, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) also directed that the dichotomy and ceiling on salary grade level attainable by HND holders should be removed.

Even the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari has had cause to seriously frown at the disparity and discrimination between degree and HND holders in the civil service.

Based on this, the then Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, in a circular dated March 26, 2018, passed the decision of the National Council on Establishment (NCE) to all concerned. In the circular, HND holders will enjoy Salary Grade Level 08 (SGL08) in the civil service at the entry point like their colleagues with university degrees. It also encouraged serving officers who hold HND to fulfil all specified conditions in the scheme of service and extant rules for career progression beyond SGL 14.

The approval of the Civil Defence swiftly followed this, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board (CDFIPB) for the abolition of the dichotomy between holders of a bachelor’s degree and HND in the services under the Ministry of Interior.

The board’s secretary, Malam Al-Hassan Yakmut, said the chairman of CDFIPB and former minister of interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.) gave the approval at the board’s meeting held on May 10, 2020, in Abuja.

Yakmut said after the board’s meeting, a technical committee was immediately set up to work out modalities for the implementation, “including the harmonisation of ranks in accordance with the abolition.”

Despite this, discrimination against HND holders in private and public agencies persists because there were no sanctions for non-compliance.

This is why while addressing journalists in Abuja recently, the Coordinator of the Coalition of HND stakeholders, Sebastian Onyemaobi, called on President Buhari to give his assent to the bill seeking to abolish the dichotomy between the two certificates in the country. He argued that the bill would also end the outdated class-concept and certificate-based approach practised in Nigeria, including introducing the globally accepted performance-based approach to workplace administration.

“The passage of this bill has rekindled the joy, hope and self-esteem of millions of HND holders who over the years have been enmeshed in abject traumatisation due to unwarranted discrimination, harsh and inhumane treatments at their various workplaces in both public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy in spite of their vast potentials, hard work and immense contributions to national development,” said Onyemaobi. “While we wait with ecstatic expectations, the signing of this epoch-making bill into law, the coalition wishes to assure our dear president, the National Assembly and all Nigerians that HND holders and indeed the polytechnic system will work hard to live up to their expectations and justify the confidence reposed on them if this bill is signed into law.”

He added, “Also, we assure you that upon signing of this momentous bill into law, HND holders will be greatly propelled to utilise their talents and potential to the fullest and contribute immensely, more than ever before, to national development.”

A polytechnic graduate, Femi Adedayo, wondered why the federal government could not reform its education system to allow students to explore their potential in a particular aspect of their study, be it BSc or HND. Agbodion believes that HND holders are better in practicals than their degree counterparts.

She noted that only the federal government could put an end to the dichotomy between the holders of the two certificates. She called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to use his good offices to abolish the disparity in Edo State.

The teacher noted that the policy is discriminatory and renders hopeless all the efforts she put in going to school to obtain the HND and PGDE certificates and her commitment to work for the past 20 years.

“I wonder why the Nigerian government can’t reform its education system to give people a chance to explore their potential in a particular aspect of the study, be it BSc or HND; let it be equal in terms of everything because, to some extent, people with HND are more brilliant when it comes to practical than BSc holders,” she stated. “Therefore, Nigerian students are calling on our dear President Buhari and other relevant authorities to, as a matter of urgency, take the bull by the horns by signing into law the bill to end the dichotomy between HND holders and degree holders.”

Akwa Ibom Education Development Plan Can’t Be Faulted, Says Commissioner Okon Bassey ÓØ ãÙ

Ini Ememobong, Commissioner of Information and Strategic in Akwa Ibom, says the state’s education policy cannot be faulted due to the government’s 10-year development plan.

“In 2019, the government of the day convened an education summit and set up a think tank whose duty was to draw up a 10-year road map for education because the problem

in Nigeria is policy inconsistency.

Every policy takes colouration and the complexion of the person who makes it. We don’t want to have distorted development in education.

For us here, we decided to have a 10-year education road map,” said Ememobong. “To make sure it is non-partisan, we made sure that members of the opposition were there. Education stakeholders were there also. We later realised there were issues in education.”

The commissioner stated this while conducting journalists around facilities initiated by the government. According to him, Governor Udom Emmanuel declared an emergency in the sector and held an education summit in an attempt not to have a distorted development in education.

“We were having issues in personnel, in infrastructure and in the curriculum. The 10-year-plan included that we did research to the point that the ratio gap of students-teachers was

alarming,” added the commissioner.

Ememobong explained that having discovered the deficit in the educational sector in Akwa Ibom, the governor called for the recruitment of both primary and secondary teachers and the building of infrastructures in schools across the state.

“His Excellency directed that the deficit should be reduced by recruiting teachers: 1000 teachers were taken for primary school and 1,000 for the secondary school because the teach-

ers, students’ ratio was unbelievable remembering the fact most of the teachers were retiring,“ explained Ememobong. “In terms of infrastructure, he declared an emergency in education, WAEC fees are free, and it runs into over N800 million every year. The focus on education has been consistent, and we have been following that plan, but the challenge with that plan is that the determination of curriculum is not the business of the state government.”

33

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

EDUCATION

H&M Advocates Holistic Children in Dalliance with Doom Education, Rewards Talented Students Becky Uba umenyili

Uchechukwu Nnaike

School owners and teachers have been advised not to restrict students to academics alone, but to also expose them to extracurricular activities to ensure holistic education.

The co-founder of Hands and Minds Consult, Mrs. Iziegbe Ekpe said this at this year’s Schools Talent Competition, where students were rewarded for displaying their skills in singing, dancing and creative arts (drawing).

The competition with the theme ‘... Outside the Box’, was organised in conjunction with Grooming Centre. It featured about 400 students from 16 schools, and the winners received prizes like laptop computers, tablets and other gifts.

According to Ekpe, the competition was introduced after the organisation noticed that the system had little or no outlet to help young people thrive in extracurricular activities, as well as reward schools that create opportunities for their students to discover their talents and gifting.

She said the organisation believes in the acquisition of talents, which should be harnessed into skills. “So we have created a positive platform

for children both at the primary and secondary levels to learn, self-express, compete in a healthy way and get rewarded, and most importantly enjoy the beauty of their gifts.”

While calling for a balance between curricular and extracurricular activities, she said 21st century education goes beyond the four walls of the classroom. “Learning should be eclectic, a child should go through school and all aspects of his life should be touched.

Through this event, we want to promote holistic education. we don’t want to downplay any aspect”, she said.

One of the judges, Mrs. Sandra Orji, who is the Product Marketing Manager at Grooming Centre, expressed satisfaction with the students’ performance.

She said some of the criteria for selecting the winners included skills displayed, composure and content, among others.

At the end of the competition, Ostra School and St Jude’s School emerged winner in the art category.

Peculiar Treasure and Ostra Schools came tops in the music category; while Preserved Generation School and Cornerstone College came first in the dance category.

Children are indisputably the hope of the future of every nation. Thus, there is a need to train them on paths of good morals and a well-cultured lifestyle.

Globally, the call for proper upbringing of children (and youths) has assumed a clarion dimension such that any nation still in dearth of all the necessary steps to be taken to grant them a dignified nurturing must have its governance re-assessed.

In recent times, there have been numerous cases of abuse of all sorts on children worldwide, but particularly in Nigeria.

Suffice it to say that the campaigns by some activists seem to have yielded little or no meaningful result in addressing the plethora of ill reports on the physical, social and psychic assaults rained on children.

To address these abuses, the Child Rights Act of 2003 stipulates several privileges to be accorded children in the country, ranging from the birth-tokindergarten stage, nursery and primary school, and secondary level of education. A thumb rule of training shows very clearly with convictions that early

grooming contributes to good formation. Therefore, it is expected that any child properly trained would become an asset to the family and nation at large.

Since the enactment of the Child Act 2003, most states have adopted the act (except Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kano and Zamfara states).

This means that 28 states out of the 36 states in the country have adopted the act; well, what can we show for it?

If the stipulations in the act are observed and duly implemented by the greater number of states that have adopted the act, it would ordinarily have created a form of endearment to others that are yet to adopt it. However, incidents prove that the rate of abuse of children even in these states that have adopted the act is so alarming that one wonders whether the act is in force or not.

Presently, we live in a generation where abuses seem to have assumed normalcy that would beat the imagination of any orthodox person or body to wonder if we still live in the same world where morale discipline

was upheld in a deified manner by parents. It’s no longer news that physical molestation of children, sexual harassment/assault even in homes by the same family members, and unwholesome exposure to economic and social dangers constitute the day-to-day story of a higher percentage of the average Nigerian child.

One would ordinarily tend to assume that such abuses would be found only in low-income homes and setting but alas, that is not so as recent developments point out the hidden ugly sides of some high and mighty in the society (influential homes, posh schools and even religious circles).

As children marked their special day on May 27, it’s important all hands must be on deck to objectively address the many issues of abuses and security lapses that confront these innocent ones and propel them to a dangerous future devoid of sheer goodness, which naturally ought to flow from right tutelage.

A more dangerous situation where children do whatever catches their fancy. No thanks to the pollution of the atmosphere caused by social

media and its ‘juicy-toxic’ effects. Entertainments (games, movies, music, publications) have promoted and glamorised social ills. Regulations have not prevented an avalanche of detrimental materials from reaching youths. The Internet has worsened the situation.

While enforcement of the set rules must be encouraged at all levels, it is equally important that the government (at all levels) should encourage good publications and educative programmes through research and sponsorship.

The corporate bodies and organised private groups must also include this task in their social responsibility departments.

Schools and religious bodies must also play their part in this character formation scheme. Of course, parents are and remain the first tutors of basic morals, especially at an age when it’s easier to develop disciplinary tenets in the children.

Experts think the best way to celebrate the children is to eliminate all sorts of dangers (both present and potential) that line up their paths and engage them meaningfully for a better tomorrow.

Experts Advocate Increased Access to Digital Resources, Infrastructure to Boost Learning among Displaced Youths Education experts have called for increased access to digital resources and improved infrastructure to achieve good learning outcomes for youth in displaced communities.

This was the outcome of the conversations during the May edition of EdTech Mondays, an initiative of the Mastercard Foundation, in partnership with Co-Creation Hub. The virtual roundtable moderated by a social engineering practitioner, Joyce Daniel, featured panelists like the Assistant Education Officer, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Eileen Akintemi; Associate Community Based Protection Officer, UNHCR, Jonathan Darko, as well as two internship students from the National Open University, Ikom, Sakur Elias and Sandra Tiwa.

Speaking at the roundtable with the theme ‘Using EdTech to drive learning for displaced youth,’ Darko noted that the COVID-19 pandemic, which became a major challenge that affected many students, particularly those in displaced camps, has reinforced the significant role technology can play in ensuring quality education globally.

He explained that technology is critical in promoting quality education in this era,

especially access. “We have worked with various partners to ensure that refugees have access to education, particularly in the host communities, by providing innovative ways of learning for refugees outside the classroom,” he said.

Some innovative ways include distant learning programmes or opportunities and online platforms to expand access and complement existing traditional platforms.

‘UNHCR is contributing its quota by tapping into opportunities from universities with distant learning programs where refugees can learn in the comfort of their homes via learning resources.” he said.

He noted that despite the challenges of poor infrastructure and resources, the potential for EdTech among youth in displaced communities remains quite tremendous.

He therefore advised stakeholders to invest resources in improving internet access and creating more centres for refugees to learn to note that every intervention made in the area of education would equally benefit the host communities.

On his part, Akintemi said it is crucial for EdTech products to be developed in line with different languages among the refugees, to achieve a good learning outcome.

Nigerian children deserve better

Entries Open for ‘2022 Maltina Teacher of the Year’ Competition Secondary school teachers can now apply for the 2022 edition of the ‘Maltina Teacher of the Year ’.

Entries will be received from May 26 to July 22, 2022.

Speaking at the flagoff ceremony for this year ’s award in Lagos, the Company Secretary/ Legal Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Uaboi Agbebaku, said, “The teaching job is a special one, and there is really

no reward on earth that is big enough to compensate teachers for what they do.

Indeed, we owe them a great deal of gratitude for the crucial roles they continue to play. So, for us in Nigerian Breweries, the Maltina Teacher of the Year Awards is an avenue to honour them.”

According to Agbebaku, eligible teachers should log on to the competition’s website (www. maltinateacheroftheyear.

com) to apply.

Alternatively, they can download the forms, fill them out, scan and email the forms to maltinateacheroftheyear@heineken.com.

“The first runner-up of the competition will receive a trophy and a cash reward of N1,500,000, while the second runnerup receives a trophy and N1,250,000.

All state champions will be rewarded with recognition plaques and a cash prize of

N500,000 each,” he added.

He commended the stakeholders in the education sector for their continued support for the Maltina Teacher of the Year award, such as the federal and state ministries of education, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) and the media.

34

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ JUNE 15, 2022

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Firstbank Secures $150m Afreximbank PATIMFA to Support Nigerian Businesses African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the disbursement of a $150 million finance facility to First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider.

The funding, it stated in a statement, was provided under Afreximbank’s Pandemic Trade Impact Mitigation Facility (PATIMFA).

According to the statement, the Afreximbank’s $150 million financial support will be accessible to FirstBank customers that are involved in the manufacturing and importation of products and equipment required to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as initiatives to rehabilitate hospitals and strengthen diagnostic and testing capacity.

The loan, it added, will also be

used for the financing of trade debt payments falling due to avert payment defaults in trade debt obligations. In addition, proceeds of the facility will help beneficiary businesses manage the impacts of the Ukraine crisis.

President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, Professor Benedict Oramah, commented: “This new disbursement under PATIMFA is a further proof of the relevance of the programme in helping African economies to recover from the crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since April 2020, when PATIMFA was launched, we are more than proud to have disbursed more than $7 billion to help Afreximbank member countries manage the adverse impact of the financial, economic

and health shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through First Bank, one of our trade finance intermediaries, this $150 million facility will help build the resilience of many businesses to the adverse impacts of the pandemic, while helping them overcome the consequences of the current Ukraine crisis.”

Also expressing his delight in the partnership, FirstBank’s CEO, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, said: “We commend Afreximbank for this impactful financial response. It will immensely contribute to empowering many businesses adversely impacted by the economic shocks caused by Covid-19.

The selection of FirstBank as a partner in this initiative is a testament to their confidence in our capacity and proven track record over the years.”

Dukia to Trade Gold Bullion Bars on LCFE Chinedu Eze Dukia Gold & Precious Metals Refining Company Limited has completed arrangements for the trading of fully refined London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) investment grade gold bullion bars, its derivatives and related products on the floor of the Lagos Commodities & Futures Exchange (LCFE).

This development was disclosed at a virtual seminar organised by the licensed precious metals mining & refining company and bullion merchant in conjunction with LCFE and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD).

The Managing Director of Dukia Gold & Precious Metals Refining Company Limited, Ms. Bose Owolabi, in her welcome ad-

dress stated that the seminar was one of the many initiatives along with other partners conducted ahead of the introduction of the Dukia Gold Exchange Traded Certificate (DGETC).

Managing Director of the Lagos Commodities & Futures Exchange (LCFE), Mr. Akin Akeredolu-Ale, while welcoming participants, stated that the build up to the virtual seminar on investing in Gold started as far back as 2019.

He stated that both the LCFE and Dukia Gold had long focused on how Nigerians can invest and trade in responsibly sourced gold on a structured and regulated platform such as the LCFE. He further expressed optimism that the Nigerian economy is taking off on a good note particularly with the develop-

ment of a commodity trading ecosystem particularly for the solid minerals sector, a move which he affirmed will further diversify the nation’s economy.

Minister of Mines & Steel Development who was Chairman of the event, remarked that Gold investments are said to be a unique, timetested wealth preservation instrument, thus creating a vehicle for Nigerians to build and preserve wealth over the long term. He noted that Good Delivery Gold bars and their derivatives are unlike jewelry, ornaments or raw gold, are investment grade precious metals (IPM), which are essentially financial assets that are actively traded, similar to financial instruments such as stocks and bonds.

Yiaga Targets Active Youth Participation in Leadership Processes Gilbert Ekugbe Worried over the low turnouts of youth participation in the last presidential elections in 2019, Yiaga Africa has announced plans to get over 600,000 youths registered for the 2023 elections across the six geopolitical zones in the country.

The move according to Yiaga is to maximise the huge population of the Nigerian youth to elect into office the right candidate with the right capacity to govern the affairs of the country.

The Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, at the roundtable on voter mobilisation for Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection with Lagos-based Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), stated that to achieve this feat, it would be organising a campaign, the youths vote counts 2.0 concert scheduled to hold on the 11th of June 2022

at the Tabawa Balewa Square (TBS) flagging off from Lagos to Abuja, pointing out that the plan is to take the campaign to six Geo political zones.

“The plan is to go to six cities and the six geopolitical zones like we did in 2019 where we went round six universities where INEC was registering voters whilst the event was taking place and in 2019, through the youths vote count, INEC registered 25000 students.

This time, we are raising it and our goal is to actually gets about 100000 young people and the voters register using the youths vote count campaign.

In his words: “The entry permit is your PVC or the voters registration slip. Registration will be taking place by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and over 30 points registration points.

So we invite unregistered voters to come there and register next week.”

According to him, the goal of

the campaign is to reach 100,000 youths in each geo-political zones to register, saying that Yiaga would use the opportunity to influence voter behaviour and getting people interested and prepared to vote in the next election.

“So it is going to be an election for the young people and they have got to make the numbers count and the only way they can make the numbers count is if they collect their P V C and they vote for leaders of their choice, but we are also making another point that if 60 per cent of young people show up and there are 60 percent of uninformed young people, then Nigeria is not going to change,” he said.

Earlier, the Desk Officer, CSO, Liaison INEC, Lagos State, Buba Luka, said with level of collaboration between Yiaga and CSOs is aimed increasing the number of people that would come out to register and collect their PVCs.

Wema Bank Shows Commitment to Women Empowerment Nigeria’s most innovative bank, Wema Bank Plc, is once again demonstrating its commitment to women empowerment by partnering with Shecan Nigeria to organize a conference to help Nigerian women realize their potentials and develop their capabilities.

Specifically, the partnership entails helping women and young female entrepreneurs attain their personal and

business potential through mentoring and skill acquisition programs needed to improve their financial status.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the partnership, Wema Bank Plc’s Head of Marketing Communications and Investors’ Relations, Mrs. Funmilayo Falola, said Wema Bank was committed to the transformative ideals of women empowerment as

a means of eradicating poverty from the society.

According to her, empowered women are good managers of resources, good business managers and great contributors to the household economy.

The Convener, Shecan Conference, Ezinne Ezeani, thanked the bank for the high impact partnership, noting that many women had benefitted from the partnership.

L-R (front row): Director, Finance and Accounts, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Bilikisu Adamu Sani; Vice President Middle East and Africa, Airbus Helicopters, Arnaud Montalvo; DirectorGeneral, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Musa.S. Nuhu; MD/CEO, EAN Aviation, Segun Demuren and Head of Regional Strategy and Commercial Development Africa and Middle East, Airbus Helicopters, Gerard Franchini, during the announcement of EAN as distributor for Airbus Helicopters in West Africa 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).

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

Shareholders Commend Dangote Cement 2021 FY Performance, Approve N20 Dividend Kayode Tokede The shareholders of Dangote Cement Plc yesterday commended the Management of the company for an impressive performance despite the economic challenges in the year under review.

Unanimously, the shareholders approved N20 per share for the year ended December 31, 2021 as against the N16

paid in the preceding year.

This represents a 25 per cent increase in dividend compared to the 2020 dividend of N16.00 per share, reinforcing the Company’s commitment to maximising shareholder value.

The shareholders gave their approval at the 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos. They commended the management for the impressive performance

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

recorded in the year under review. They also applauded the company for its efforts in reducing unclaimed dividend of the company.

Chairman of the company, Aliko Dangote, said that “Over the last decade, Dangote Cement has recorded exponential growth across all areas.”

According to him, Group volumes are now at almost 30Mta, our capacity has tripled

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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

to 51.6Mta and we export cement from five countries across Africa.

“As the volatile global environment propels us into a new era of uncertainties, we are fortunate that the last two years have taught us resilience, adaptability and grit. These values are what we need to face unpredictable times in the future.

“Dangote Cement remains

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

the leading cement company in Africa, well-positioned for a positive and sustainable future.

We are resolute in transforming Africa, while creating sustainable value for our stakeholders.”

Dangote said in January 2022, the Company completed the second tranche of its buy-back programme as Dangote Cement has now repurchased 0.98 per cent of its outstanding shares, saying this share buy-back pro-

O F

gramme reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to creating value and identifying opportunities to return cash to shareholders.

He also noted that “We began operations in our new 3Mta Okpella plant in Edo state in 2021, where we are successfully ramping up production and have contributed to creating a new industrial hub.

1 4 / 0 6 / 2 0 2 2 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

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T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022

CITYSTRINGS

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

The Making of Aare Bobagunwa of Offa Kingdom History was made recently in the ancient town of Offa, the second largest city and perhaps the most cosmopolitan in Kwara State, when Oba Mufutau Muhammed Gbadamosi conferred the title of Aare Bobagunwa of Offa Kingdom on an illustrious son of the soil and former Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Dr. Waheed Olagunju. As captured by Raheem Akingbolu, the three-day event was full of lessons, glitz and expectations

L-R: Former Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga and Aare (Dr) Waheed Olagunju, Yeye Aare Mobolaji Olagunju; former Minister of Internal Affairs, Amb. (Dr) Tunji Olagunju

I

t was not the first time an Offa man or woman would be honoured at home. It was also not the first time Offa would attract prominent Nigerians from far and near to their ancient city. And of course, it was not the first time the Juju Maestro, King Sunny Ade, would perform in Offa.

But, it was the first time a traditional chieftaincy ceremony would be intellectualised in South-west Nigeria as stated by Professor Adebayo Ninalowo, a renowned development and political sociologist, one of the discussants at the Pre-investiture that was delivered by erudite legal luminary Professor Akin Oyebode on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

The conferment of Aare Bobagunwa of Offa and Yeye Aare Bobagunwa of Offa on Dr. Waheed Olagunju and his wife, Hajia Mobolaji Olagunjurespectively, on Saturday, May 28, 2022 was also one of the rare occasions, when a Nigerian President, his vice and those that matter in the corridor of power in Kwara State, including the state governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq and his deputy, Mr Kayode Alabi, would unite in honour of an Offa man.

It is also important to add that the colourful ceremony brought to the fore the age-long harmony between the Christians and Muslims of the town, which has repeatedly been cited as one of the basis for its rapid development.

The well-attended ceremony, which had popular juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, on bandstand to entertain guests also attracted goodwill messages from many prominent Nigerians, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Abdurahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara and his deputy Mr Koyode Alabi as well as a former Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga.

Dr. Olagunju, a former television broadcaster with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is a member of Offa Club 80 and Offa Metropolitan Club and was a key figure in the socio-cultural group’s social and infrastructural interventions in Offa including the construction of a township library and an Ultra Modern Medical Centre among others.

He is the Chairman of the Offa Descendants Union’s (ODU) Economic Development Committee, a group that puts in place a technology innovation hub in the town with the view to training 60,000 students/participants from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Kwara State.

In his congratulatory message, which was publicly presented at the event by veteran broadcaster, Ms. Siene Allwell-Brown, President Muhammadu Buhari, noted the upwardly mobile career of the former Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Waheed Abiodun Olagunju, spanning over 29 years, where he served diligently and held so many positions

L-R: Yeye Aare, Aare Bobagunwa, Deputy Governor, Alabi and Oba Gbadamosi

and distinguished himself in selflessness, sacrifice and, most significantly, promoting values of diversity, unity and charity in working for the improvement of Small, Medium Scale Enterprises, which serve as live-wire of economies.

In the statement, which was signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari also congratulated Dr. Olagunju’s wife on her investiture as “Yeye Aare Bobagunwa of Offa Kingdom,” rejoicing with the family on the double honour.

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, lauded the contribution of the new Aare Bobagunwa of Offa Kingdom, to national development.

Speaking during the investiture of Olagunju in Offa, AbdulRazaq stated that, “By all accounts, Dr. Waheed Olagunju stands out as one of Nigeria’s role models worthy of emulation by the up-and-coming generation.

“He is well educated with an enriching service career in the Bank of Industry.

Until his retirement as MD/CEO of Bank of Industry, he has facilitated employment and access to BOI facilities to develop so many entrepreneurs across the nation, for Kwarans and Offa people in particular.

“And a world-class sportscaster with national and international exposure.

Until his retirement in BOI with rich exposure in meetings of IMF and World Bank with international exposure during his service, no doubt, he had served in different capacities.”

Waxing philosophically, Dr. Aganga, justified the conferment of the title on Olagunju on the basis of his passion to impact humanity. “I think when you talk about honour and awards, you have to look at the award and chieftaincy title from two angles. You have to look at first from the point of the giver and then the receiver. Any value, any honour, any chieftaincy title is only as valuable as the reputation and integrity of the giver, in this case, the Offa Kingdom and in fact, His Royal Majesty, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye.

“When you look at Offa itself, the Offa kingdom has a major role to play in Yoruba history. The Offa kingdom has produced so many illustrious sons and daughters for this nation and when you see what they are doing, you will

be impressed.

"His Royal Majesty has a 10- year vision for the social economic transformation of Offa Kingdom and they do have a 10-year economic development plan to transform Offa, economically, and socially.

When you get your honor, award and chieftaincy title from such an authority, you must regard it and respect it.

"Then look at it from the point of view of the receiver and in this particular case, Dr. Waheed Olagunju, and his wife Hajia Mobolaji Olagunju. I am privileged to know Waheed for a number of years now. He worked closely with me as the Minister of Finance and he worked directly with me when I was in the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment.

"In fact, it was during my tenure that he became an executive director at BOI and also became an acting CEO of BOI for the first time. Throughout that period, I found him to be a remarkable, unique, talented and hardworking human being.

"I benefitted from him being a member of that team. The Olofa of Offa will benefit from making him the Aare Bobagunwa of Offa and Offa people will benefit also.

I can't think of anybody more worthy of that Chieftaincy title,” the former minister stated.

Another illustrious son of Kwara, who is also the Head of Business Development at BUA Group, Mr. Tajudeen Ahmed, described Olagunju as a global citizen, who deserves nothing but the best. "Dr. Olagunju is our good brother and an illustrious son of our Kwara State. Beyond Offa and Kwara, I think he has impacted humanity and contributed meaningfully to Nigeria. That people turned out to celebrate him today is evidence of his good personality, character and accomplishment.

Intellectual Excursion into the ‘Offa Titun’ As a man of class, who has consistently contributed to the development of the modern Offa, Olagunju broke a significant record by commencing the investiture on Thursday, May 26, with a lecture by one of the country’s most cerebral Professor of Law, Akin Oyebode, which centred on the theme ‘Mobilising Popular Participation for the Emergence of Offa Titun’.

In a communiqué issued after the lecture, it was stated that the lecture was

"By all accounts, Dr. Waheed Olagunju stands out as one of Nigeria’s role models worthy of emulation by the up-and-coming generation"

organised to engender passion and commitment to tackling new experiences and the challenges of the present realities.

From the totality of the lecture by Professor Akin Oyebode, (MON), the remarks by the Special Adviser to the President on Finance and the Economy, Dr. Sarah Omotunde Alade, and the discussion of the lecture by the following erudite scholars: Professor Adebayo Ninalowo, Professor Abiodun Abinuthe Vice Chancellor of Summit University Offa, Professor Gafar Ijaiya of the University of Ilorin and Dr. Biodun Adedipe a renowned economist, the lecture indeed provided the platform for re-examining and reigniting the bold commitment to grow Offa into an edifice of global significance.

The new inductees into the honourary royalhood have enriched the ceremony with an intellectual fervour and therefore the occasion was unprecedented within Nigeria’s chieftaincy ceremonies.

The import of the lecture therefore is that Offa sons and daughters, especially the present and upcoming generations deserve a hometown that supports their dream and position them at a clear advantage within the larger peer-to-peer competition.

According to the communiqué, which was signed by the rapporteur, Gbolahan Balogun, “Offa is poised to fly and destined to go places in terms of human resources she is endowed with.

Although government efforts cannot be underestimated, Offa deserves a more ambitious push to drive and expand every facet of its present attainment, and there is therefore every reason to be committed to a self-led growth and close the developmental gap within Offa.

The passion within the minds of sons and daughters of Offa to develop the community has really transformed into concrete actions as footprints of community-led development abound across the town.”

It was also established that Olofa of Offa is strategically mobilising the community’s social capital for popular participation in a way that the envisaged new Offa would be a reality.

The event markedly signified a build-up to special recognition of outstanding individual contribution towards Offa titun. It also recognised that Dr. Olagunju’s effort was a symbolic pivot to the growth of Offa and her common heritage.

And the medal was finally awarded to him to goad others to action.

Another take-home lesson from the lecture is that that the youth of the community have a lot to learn from the accomplishments of the celebrant and that the idea of a New Offa (Offa Titun) sprang from Kabiyesi’s efforts at uniting the community in a renewed effort that will take the community into a new height.

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

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WEDNESDAY, ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

'DEPOSIT INSURANCE IN NIGERIA- RE-STRATEGISING FOR TOMORROW'...

L-R: Executive Director, Corporate Services, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Emily Osuji; Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Mustapha M Ibrahim; Member Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi; member, Senator Sadifi U Abubakar; and Senator Yakubu Oseni at the stakeholders retreat of the committee with the NIDC held PHOTO: SUNDAY ADIGUN in Lagos...recently

Yadudu: Aviation Sector Lost $2.5bn in MRO Investments to Neighbouring Countries in 2021 Sector remains third fastest growing in country, says minister Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, yesterday revealed that as at 2021, the country lost $2.5 billion (about N1.25 trillion) in Maintenance Repair and Operation Facilities (MRO) investments to neighbouring countries.

Yadudu noted that having such investments in Nigeria could have created more employment opportunities for Nigerians, increase revenue generation and training of

technical personnel for maintenance of aircraft.

The FAAN boss made the disclosure at the maiden edition of the National Aviation Conference in Abuja.

Yadudu, in his welcome address stated that the conference with the theme: "Advancing the Frontiers of Possibilities for Safe, Secure and Profitable Air Transport," is a gathering of industry stakeholders assembled to discuss the past, present and the future challenges and opportunities in the Nigerian aviation industry.

He noted that the interlink

and value chain between the air transport, tourism and hospitality industry for economic growth cannot be over emphasised.

According to him, the theme of the conference was carefully chosen to proffer solutions to major industry challenges as well as chart the way forward for a national air transport industry that would be effective, efficient and profitable, in addition to being a major catalyst to national economic growth and development.

"As you are all aware, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the global socio-economic space

negatively, and also slowed down global travels, thus affecting aeronautical operations and revenue generation.

"As we commence the process of rebounding, it is imperative to come together to identify and analyse the positives from these challenges, with a view to consolidating on them and fostering sustainable development in our industry.

"This is the motive for inviting all stakeholders - airlines, handling companies, aviation agencies, concessionaires, security agencies, etc to discuss issues, share ideas, and proffer solutions to the myriad

Nigeria's Agric Research Sector Loses $100m Annually Due to Inability to Attract Grants, Says ARMTI Boss Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Executive Director of the Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) Ilorin, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni has said that Nigeria's agriculture research sector loses about $100 million yearly due to its inability to attract grants from local and foreign foundations and organisations.

Oladunni made the remark in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday, during the opening of a week-long workshop on grantsmanship for agricultural research officers by the institute.

He, however, said the country needs agric research to improve its food production, reduce food shortages and poverty as well create job.

The ARMTI boss said the institute deemed it necessary to contribute its own quota into developing the skills, knowledge and research competence of the nation's scientists, "to make them develop more, better, quality and high-yielding varieties to improve food security in Nigeria."

He stated, "Based on the background that some of the commodities such as crops, livestock, fisheries or even agro-forestry are already

being produced in the country but the quantum of our production is far below international output.

"Nigeria is not losing anything below a $100 million grants every year due to inability to attract both local and foreign grants. And you know what that can do in the research system only in agriculture.

“When you extend this and look at value chain for research, there are lots to gain by research scientists among other actors along the research value chain that are losing this opportunity.

"For instance, in soya beans production, the highest you can have as output per hectare today is 1.3 tonnes as against 10 tonnes per hectare in some other climes.

"You can see the enormity of what we're saying. It's not just in style of production, but varieties being planted. And that's where research comes in. Research must be able to make production high yielding.

"We need to improve the tonnes of food we produce in this country to make food shortages go down, make poverty go down and increase employment within the system.

It's only when you have the right varieties of commodities cutting across livestock, fisheries and crop

production that you can get some of these things done.

"That's the essence of having research institutes and faculties of agriculture in our tertiary institution because agric research is not meant for research institutes alone.

Every participant is supposed to be involved.”

Oladunni, who said 50 participants at the training programme were drawn across research institutes in the country, added

that, "almost every research institute in the country is represented and faculties of agriculture around us and outside here, including our own staff are involved."

Speaking on behalf of participants, Dr. Ishaku Leo Elisha from Vom, Plateau state, said they would collaborate through networking among themselves to spread the knowledge garnered during the programme towards making the training worthwhile.

of challenges facing our industry."

Speaking further, he said the industry had assembled a crop of seasoned faculty who had distinguished themselves globally in various fields of aviation, from regulation, operation, financing, among other critical areas, to bring the issues to the fore and also proffer lasting solutions.

"At this juncture, let me state that our potentials and capacity in the global air transport industry is grossly underutilised. If we are desirous of attaining the status of a major player in the global aviation sphere, this is the time to reposition and move the industry forward. The focus is on Nigeria because we have the largest fleet of aircraft within the subregion,” he added.

Yadudu said: "As at 2021, it was reported that Nigeria lost $2.5 billion (about N1.25 trillion) in MRO investments to neighbouring countries.

"Today, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, London bridge, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, the British museum in United Kingdom, etc. have all been consciously developed into major tourist attractions that drive passenger traffic to those destinations and by implication attract businesses and generate employments for the locals and foreigners alike,” he added.

Declaring the conference open, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed that despite the huge challenges affecting the industry, it remained the third fastest growing sector of the Nigeria economy.

According to Sirika, "there is 34 per cent returns on investment as the four major airports has been earmarked as free trade zone for investment.”

He added that foreign investors could own 100 per cent share of any investments at the airport, saying, “the aviation sector in Nigeria is a gold mine, with a lots of latent potentials waiting to be explored. Our vantage position in terms of regional positioning, population and natural resources has positioned us strategically as a continental leader.

"While we continue to emphasise safety and security, we must operate profitably, so as to be able to achieve efficiency and sustainability. Therefore, we must continue to discuss issues that bother on these variables, pull resources together to take advantage of these opportunities.

"On the part of government, our doors are open and we are always willing to discuss business and partner with investors to bring the desired growth and development to the industry", Sirika said.

FG Inaugurates Committee on UNWTO Global Conference on Tourism Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government has constituted the planning committee on the first UNWTO Global Conference on tourism, culture and creative industry billed for Lagos from November 14th to 16th, 2022.

The planning committee would be assisted by 11 sub-committees; namely Venue and Logistics, Accommodation, Media and Publicity, Ceremonial and Entertainment, Protocol and Transportation, Sponsorship and Marketing, Technical Support, Security and Traffic, Content and Programmes,

Secretariat as well as Finance.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who inaugurated the committee, yesterday, said the hosting right for the inaugural edition of the Global Conference was granted in clear recognition of the country's rising profile in tourism, culture and the creative industries not just in Africa but around the world.

He said the global conference on, ‘Linking Tourism, Culture and the Creative Industries: Pathways to Recovery and Inclusive Development,’ would be a catalyst for the recovery of the critical sectors

which value prior to the COVID- 19 pandemic was valued at $2.25 trillion.

He added that the granting of the hosting right for the Global Conference to Nigeria was a clear demonstration of the confidence of the UNWTO and its member states in the country's capacity to deliver.

The minister said the hosting of the conference would provide an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s tourism, culture and creative assets, project the country’s image as a safe and desirable destination for leisure and business, generate

foreign exchange and highlight the restart of travel and tourism in a safe and seamless manner after the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in a near collapse of the sector.

The committee is to be chaired by the Minister of Information and Culture, while some of the members include representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lagos State, Bankers' Committee, Cappa & D’Alberto, Executive Chairman, Nigerian Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa and Nigeria's Ambassador to Spain, Mr Demola Seriki.

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FIFTY

US Has Contributed $6bn Towards Tackling HIV in Nigeria, Says Ambassador Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The United States government has contributed $6 billion to assist Nigeria in her fight against the human immunodeficiency viruse (HIV) over the past 35 years.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said this at the unveiling of a publication on Nigeria's strides in confronting HIV in Abuja, yesterday.

She said the US government through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) had improved access to HIV treatment services to every corner of this country.

"It is truly an honor to join you today to reflect upon the success of Nigeria’s HIV response over the past 35 years. When Nigeria’s first case was reported in 1986, it marked the beginning of what appeared to be an unstoppable epidemic.

"The launching of the New Dawn publication takes us back into history when an AIDS-Free generation seemed unimaginable.

But today, we have come to celebrate that the impossible is possible and reaching HIV epidemic control is a reality for Nigeria!

“The US government through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has improved access to HIV treatment services to every corner of this

country.

"We are most proud of how we reached this point together.

Our key partnerships with the national and state governments, UNAIDS, and the Global Fund were instrumental in determining what systems and strategy we needed to gain traction and outpace HIV. "Since 2003, the United States has contributed over $6 billion to strengthen the systems side of the equation to train and recruit hundreds of thousands of health workers, upgrade existing laboratories infrastructures to world class status and develop the most up-to-date data management and supply chain systems to advance the government of Nigeria’s ability to deliver comprehensive HIV services," she explained.

The envoy said the current targeted strategy was based on the Ministry of Health’s highly successful population-based survey, the Nigerian AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS).

"The data we received allowed us to zoom in on reaching 95-9595 goals as it informed our ART Surge strategy to target treatment for populations of unknown HIV status and enlist governors and religious and traditional leaders for state-level buy-in.

"The result of this unprecedented achievement and journey with the Nigeria Government is

PRESIDENCY: NO CABAL INFLUENCES BUHARI’S DECISIONS ing that a leader must dominate everything, and even determine electoral outcomes.

The statement said, “Luckily, for Nigeria, President Buhari does not suffer from such constraints.

He refuses to act as the elected autocrat. The president had a clear purpose leading up to the primary: to ensure a transparent, free and fair process that will bring back people's faith in democracy by taking good governance up to the grassroots level.

"By this alone, people’s faith and that of the international community in our democracy has received a major boost since the completion of the APC nomination. The flag-bearer has been chosen. He has the president’s unwavering support. The journey to victory continues."

The presidential spokesman, however, clarified that the speculations in the media about the president's favourite candidate ahead of the APC primary were expected, especially, in a situation where the opportunity to choose a presidential candidate came once in eight years.

According to him, the successful conduct of the convention and the eventual emergence of the party's standard-bearer must have been

a disappointment for those who assembled to witness a catastrophe.

Shehu stated, "No intrigue, no division, no disagreement, no defeated candidates rejecting the result, no splits, no third-party runs. Only determination to rally around the chosen flag-bearer to deliver victory and an APC third term in February 2023.

The opposition reaction to this successful nomination convention has come by way of a counter offensive, so that we do not go on the offensive."

He alleged that there was clear evidence of a conspiracy to destabilise the governing party and defame the president, as the media were inundated with made up stories and speculating about the role of the president in the contest: whether he had a favoured candidate, and whether manoeuvres were made to install him; whether the chosen flag-bearer was the president’s choice, or another.

The presidential aide further stated, "Speculation is easy. But facts are simple. The president always said he had a favoured candidate. He said that candidate was whoever was chosen by the APC in a democratic primary to lead the party at the election."

what we celebrate today in this publication led by the UNAIDS country team," she said.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria said the world body was inspired by

Nigeria’s exemplary early-days of the response to the epidemic (1986-2004) and the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey—the world’s largest population-based HIV survey.

He said the New Dawn was conceptualised during the leadership of former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, and the former Director General of National Agency for the Control

of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Sani Aliyu.

The New Dawn publication chronicled more than 150 people who contributed, fought, or experienced the evolution of the response at one time or another.

36 Attorneys-General Meet in Lagos to Discuss Paris Club Refund, Others Wale Igbintade

The Attorneys-General of the 36 states of the Federation would be meeting in Lagos from tomorrow to discuss some critical legal issues bordering on Value Added Tax, Paris Club Refunds, Stamp Duty, among others.

The meeting scheduled to hold from June 15-17, would have the Chairman of the Nigerian Southern Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, delivering the keynote address at the opening session.

Other issues to be deliberated upon by the States Attorneys-

Generals are the proposed amendments to the Stamp Duties Act, pensions and gratuity for Judges, and amendments to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999)as amended.

Furthermore, they are to discuss Anti-Corruption Commission established by states, and the FIRS threat to recover “unremitted tax deductions by states” and local governments.

The meeting is also expected to be addressed by the governors of Lagos and Plateau State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Simon Lalong.

Other speakers are the AttorneysGeneral of the Federation and

Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Olumide Akpata and the Director General of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, Asishana Okauru.

The Attorney-General of Lagos State, Moyosore Onigbanjo who is also the interim chairman of the Body of Attorney’s-General of States of the Federation will also make a presentation at the meeting.

The body was established as part of efforts to form a formidable force of state Attorney Generals, to take positions on legal issues, advise the Attorney-General of the

Federation (AGF) and take legal action or review legal actions taken on behalf of all states.

Part of its mandate includes the pursuit of true federalism, adherence to the constitution, rule of law, independence of the judiciary, as well as liaison with the AGF on behalf of the states on legal issues.

The state Attorneys-General recently warned the federal government not to tamper with funds accruing to the states and the 774 Local Government Councils in the guise of satisfying the alleged $418 million London/Paris Club Loan refund-related judgment debts.

Aviation Fuel: We're Yet to Enjoy Govt’s Intervention, Says Okonkwo Sunday Aborisade and Gabriel Emameh in Abuja The Chairman, United Nigeria Airlines Limited, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, has said the Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) had not started enjoying the palliatives promised by the federal government to cushion the effect of the high cost of aviation fuel currently crippling the industry.

Obiora stated this in an interview

with journalists in Abuja, after his investiture as the National Grand Patron of Ndigboamaka Progressive Market Association.

The group is the umbrella organisation of all Igbo traders in the 58 markets in Lagos State.

He said the AON had suspended its industrial action following government's promise that measures that would cushion the effect of the aviation fuel scarcity and skyrocketed price, would be put

in place.

He added that the measures promised by the government were still at the implementation stage at the moment.

He nevertheless expressed optimism that the government would soon start the implementation of the palliative measures.

Okonkwo added, "Nothing much has changed except that the government of the day was very magnanimous, kind, listened

NPC Engages 13,862 Enumerators, Supervisors, Others for Trail Census Francis Sardauna in Katsina The National Population Commission (NPC) has engaged the services of 13,862 enumerators, supervisors and facilitators to conduct trail census across 7,468 Enumeration Areas (EAs) in the country.

The commission added that the trial census would cover 36 States and the FCT, while six local government areas would be selected from six states across the six geo-political zones of the country for full

population enumeration.

The NPC Federal Commissioner in Katsina State, Bala Almu-Banye, revealed this yesterday, while closing the north-west zonal training for principal trainers in Katsina, the state capital.

He said: "Forty-five EAs shall be selected each from the remaining 30 states and the FCT. In total, 7,468 EAs have been selected for this trial census to test run their suitability and readiness for the actual census.

"Also, the commission will use a total of 13,500 field functionaries which comprise 11,510 enumerators, 1,529 supervisors and 823 facilitators for trial census."

In his remarks, the State NPC Director, Bala Mairuwa said 98 participants were selected from the seven states of Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa and Kaduna.

He explained that Katsina and Daura local governments of Katsina State would be enumerated 100 per cent.

to us (airline operators) and put a lot of things in motion to sustain the impact of the aviation fuel price increase.

"We are very happy and grateful to them but the truth of the situation is that those initiatives taken are still at implementation stage. It has not been fully implemented, so we see not feeling the impacts yet.

"The aviation fuel has continued to rise but I can tell you that some of those promises have been implemented and the impacts we hope we will feel soon.

"For that reason, the aviation industry continues to struggle. But we thank the traveling public for their understanding."

He commended the leadership of the umbrella body of the Igbo traders in Lagos State for it's good gesture despite the fact that he did not pay them to do so.

He said, "People should be recognised based on their contribution to the society and their integrity instead of giving awards the highest bidder.

The Secretary General of the apex Igbo traders organisation, Chinedu Ukatu, carried out the investiture on behalf of the group.

Ukatu said Obiora was recognised based on his invaluable contributions to the development of the association.

FUEL SUBSIDY, NIGERIA MERELY STRUGGLING TO SERVICE ITS DEBTS, FINANCE MINISTER LAMENTS be resilient in the past, we certainly hope Nigeria gets through at least another side of elections. But there has to be a broader consensus amongst the elites, and then ultimately, Nigerian people as a whole, that this situation on the fiscal front and in terms of certain key some of the key reforms that we've highlighted cannot continue.

“There is a need for Nigeria to embark on a different path that will help Nigeria realise its full potential.

It's become even more urgent. And then the fact that growth has picked up is great but that's just at the most first step. Right now, the fiscal and inflationary pressures just have to be dealt with a sense of urgency.”

On his part, Hernandez said: “In terms of reducing inflation, what we have highlighted previously, both in public and private conversations with governments and stakeholders across the country, is that there needs to be a sequence and coordinated

mix of policies involved in exchange rate management, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and trade.”

Soludo, however, advised the federal government to immediately remove fuel subsidy.

“We have had this analysis over and over and so the diagnosis is clear. We know this problem, we know that Nigeria is grappling with several unsustainables, be it in the area of security or in the area of macroeconomic framework and subsidies that nobody gets. We subsidise those who own cars but have no money to build the roads for them to drive on,” he added.

Soludo lamented that subnationals were bearing the cost of subsidies, he added: “In May, States received zero from the federation account coming from oil and we've reached the end and there is only one way. That is the federal government decides that it wants to subsidise PMS. Why do you have

to charge it to the sub-nationals?

They should charge it on the revenue of the federal government and not charge on the federation.”

“The solutions are pretty obvious, just get them off, and remove this subsidy like yesterday. This ought to have been removed like yesterday, it benefits nobody.

“If we continue with subsidy, central bank would continue to print money, the deficit will continue to rise and how does the federal government pay its bills? It has got to resort to ways and means and the ways and means continue to fuel inflation and the depreciation of the exchange rate.”

Government Revenues under Serious Attack, Says AGF Meanwhile, Anamekwe has lamented that government's revenues were currently under serious attack and called for articulated deployment of fiscal discipline and strategies to mitigate

identified challenges.

Specifically, he said due to dwindling revenues, the treasury has had to resort to other sources of revenue in order to augment for the payment of the federal government public servants.

Anamekwe, pointed out that there had been an increase in government expenditure due to increasing security challenges and social needs of the citizenry.

Speaking at the opening of a 3-day retreat for members of the Technical Sub-Committee on Cash Management themed: "Enthroning Fiscal Discipline in Nigeria's Public Financial Management: A Clarion Call to Stakeholders," organised by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) in Nasarawa State, he called for solutions towards addressing the fiscal challenges.

He said, "Now that these challenges stare us in the face, you are

expected at this gathering to come out with ideas that will push us through."

The AGF further noted that the cash management retreat had become a veritable tool providing the needed platform for sharing quality information and knowledge that help to keep stakeholders abreast with public financial management reforms and managing fiscal challenges among others.

He said the retreat would no doubt help in the advancement of the desired recovery strategies.

Nonetheless, he said the meeting must among other things, strive to identify the challenges to revenue generation and other means of enhancing inflow into the federal government coffers, as well as ensure the reduction in the cost of governance in the most acceptable way.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Director of Funds, OAGF, Mr. Sabo

Mohammed, said the persistence of deficits, as well as the inexorable rise in public sector indebtedness over the past years called for concerns.

He said financial resource scarcity had become a central policy concern with prediction of rising populations, natural resource depletion and hunger.

He said fiscal discipline requires that the governments maintain fiscal positions that are consistent with macroeconomic stability and sustained economic growth.

Mohammed said, "Fiscal deficits often indicate a variety of adverse domestic and external shocks that affect budgets directly as well as through their impact on the economic environment."

However, he noted that maintaining fiscal discipline remained essential to sustaining macroeconomic stability, reducing vulnerabilities and improving aggregate economic performance.

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BAO MEGA RALLY...

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; APC Governorship candidate, Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji; and National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu; during the APC Mega rally held in support of Oyebanji at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti…yesterday

CAN: We’ll Consider Muslim-Muslim Ticket Declaration of Religious War It's threat to national unity, says Catholic Church Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said Christians across the country would consider the decision by any political party to field a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket as a declaration of war against the freedom of religion, as well as the peace and security of the country. A statement signed by CAN’s General Secretary, Rev. Joseph Bade Daramola, said such a move would amount to a deliberate action to plunge the country further into religious violence and extremism, and equally destroy the unity of Nigeria.

CAN said in the statement, "Therefore, we give notice to all political parties that we will protect the religious diversity of the Nigerian state and will mobilise politically against any political party that sows the seed of religious conflict by presenting to Nigeria a presidential ticket that is MuslimMuslim or Christian-Christian.

"We will consider such action as a declaration of war against the freedom of religion, the peace and security of the Nigerian state. We will consider such insensitive action as evidence of a deliberate action to plunge the country further into religious violence and extremism and destroy the foundations of the continuation of the Nigerian state.

“As an association committed to praying and working for peace, justice, and stability of the Nigerian state, we are always concerned

about issues that can throw the country into strife and pains and raise our voice as a plea for wisdom.

“We are burdened by a responsibility to speak truth to power and comfort and defend those, who are brutalised by abusive use of state power. We are not partisan.

We are children of God, who love our country and are passionate for its safety and wellbeing.

"We recognise the right of political parties to decide on who becomes their candidates for general election.

The constitution and the electoral law have granted the members of the parties the exclusive right to choose the candidates that citizens will vote into political offices in 2023.

"This right calls for a deep sense of responsibility and accountability.

It requires that in exercising this right, party members be sensitive to the issues that confront the country and focus on promoting the common good."

Similarly, the Catholic Church in Nigeria said foisting a MuslimMuslim presidency on the country would threaten the existing fragile unity and cohesion among the people. In a press statement issued by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja, the church said any attempt by any political party to present a Muslim-Muslim presidential candidacy would amount to tacit endorsement of the negative voices of many non-state actors, who have been threatening the country's unity and peaceful coexistence.

The statement jointly signed by the Secretary-General, Very Rev. Fr. Zacharia Nyantiso Samjumi, and Director, Social Communications, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh, stated, "With the present glaring crisis and division in the nation, a Muslim-Muslim ticket would be most insensitive and a tacit endorsement of the negative voices of many non-state actors, who have been threatening this nation’s unity and peaceful coexistence without an arrest."

The Catholic Church further said going by the Kaduna experience, one could perceive the havoc the Muslim-Muslim ticket had brought upon the predominantly Christian people of Southern Kaduna.

"We, therefore, strongly advise those political parties toying with divisive agenda to have a rethink by presenting a more inclusive ticket, while calling on all people of goodwill to resist this budding injustice that may be hatched against a cross section of the people," it said.

The church said political parties must not lose sight of the fact that the unity of the country had over the years been maintained by a delicate balancing of the religious and the regional.

It stated, "Even in the despotic military era, most juntas ensured a balance of the religious architecture in their regimes. For instance, we had Murtala-Obasanjo, Obasanjo-

Senior Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has written the British Prime Minister, Mr Boris Johnson, asking him to stop dispatching asylum seekers and refugees to Africa.

Falana urged the prime minister to provide the leadership necessary for the United Kingdom’s government to immediately halt the “patently unlawful and discriminatory plan” and comply with the country’s international legal obligations.

He recalled that Johnson had announced on 14 April 2022 that under the UK and Rwanda's new migration and economic development partnership, anyone entering

the UK illegally, as well as those who have arrived illegally since January 1, will be relocated to Rwanda.

He said that the UK government had also simultaneously published a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concluded with the government of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement.

The MoU, he said, foresees the transfer of asylum seekers whose claims are not being considered by the United Kingdom, to Rwanda, which will process their claims and settle or remove (as appropriate) individuals after their claim is decided.

But Falana, a former President of the West Africa Bar Association (WABA), said it was concerning that the Home Office is offering to fly

slap on the sovereignty of Nigeria and an indictment of the federal government.

The church, however, acknowledged that there were still things to be happy about. It noted the newly enacted Electoral Act 2022, which allows the use of electronic devices for accreditation, capturing, and transmission of results.

The Catholic Church said the prompt release of election timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the renewed confidence in the electoral process by the electorate, as demonstrated in the massive last-minute turn out for voter registration, amongst others, were positive signs.

2022 Poll:Tinubu, 14 APC Governors Storm Ekiti for Oyebanji Ekiti votes pivotal to my presidential bid, says ex-Lagos governor Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 election and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and 14 governors elected on the platform of the party, yesterday, stormed Ekiti State to campaign for the party’s governorship candidate in the Saturday, June 18 election, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji.

Also, at the grand finale political rally, held by the party to reinforce

support for Oyebanji, were former Osun State governor and first Interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande and the current National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

Beside the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, present at the occasion were Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State, Nasir elRufai of Kaduna State, Abdurasaq

Falana Writes British PM, Kicks Against Plan to Send Asylum Seekers, Refugees to Africa Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Yar'adua, Babangida-Ebitu Ukiwe, Abacha-Diya. This also applied to the heads of the various military formations and the different government parastatals, like Customs, Immigrations, Finance, etc.

"Significantly, it was only during the General Muhammadu Buhari era as military Head of State (Dec 31, 1983 - Aug. 27, 1985) that we had a Muslim-Muslim military dictatorship."

The Catholic Church also condemned what it described as the atrocious attack and murder of its faithful at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo on Sunday, June 5, during Holy Mass. It said the incident was not just an attack on humanity, but also a terrible

asylum seekers and refugees back to the conflict zones they escaped from in the first instance if they do not wish to be sent to Rwanda.

“According to my information, asylum seekers and refugees are being sent to Rwanda because of their method of reaching the UK — generally crossing the Channel to enter the UK. “The largest nationality groups affected seem to be Afghans, Iranians and Sudanese. Sudanese refugees reportedly represent more than a third of those being sent to Rwanda.

“This patently racist, unlawful and discriminatory plan is inconsistent and incompatible with the UK's international human rights obligations, and commitments to refugees.

“ The UK authorities cannot and should not escape their international legal obligations to asylum seekers and refugees and push to shift such obligations to another country,” he maintained.

Specifically, Falana stated that the MoU and the plan to send asylum seekers and refugees to Rwanda blatantly violate the UK's legal obligations under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

In addition, he stated that it was also a breach of the Convention against Torture; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Abdurahman of Kwara State and Inua Yahaya of Gombe State.

Others were Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Solomon Lalong of Plateau State, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, Babagaba Zulum of Borno State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.

Addressing the mammoth crowd of party supporters that converged on the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado Ekiti and venue of the rally, Tinubu said APC had started a revolution in Nigeria since 2015 by sweeping away the PDP. Tinubu averred that the revolution pioneered by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and, which was sustained in 2019 should be allowed to reach an enviable height by voting for APC in all elections.

Tinubu said: "President Buhari, a man of honour and dignity, had kept his promise by passing the ball to us in the south that we should produce the next President and it is now left for us to vote APC to maintain the unity and progress of our nation."

Speaking about the significance of the Ekiti election to his presidential aspiration, Tinubu said, "To those, who are aggrieved in Ekiti, nothing is wrong in having quarrels in a party, but it is not good to burn down the house.

"That is why I want you to vote for 'Emilokan of Ekiti', Biodun Oyebanji. This is our first test after my emergence, don't let us fail. Don't let us disappoint President Buhari.

We must put Nigeria on the path of

progress and you will never regret voting for APC in this election."

In his submission, Governors Akeredolu, Sanwo-Olu and Bagudu, described Oyebanji as the best man to continue with the purposeful leadership laid by Governor Fayemi.

Bagudu, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, added that Tinubu had been picked as the presidential candidate and that the Southwest zone must stand by him, and that the only way to demonstrate this is by winning Ekiti for APC. "The Progressive Governors' Forum knows that Ekiti will do us proud on Saturday by overwhelmingly voting for APC, banking on the solid foundation Governor Fayemi has provided.

"Biodun Oyebanji is the only one that can continue the good work Fayemi has begun. He will not disappoint you. The Southwest has a big task ahead of 2023 and holding the zone strongly for Asiwaju to be able to win the 2023 presidential election will be to the benefit of all of us," Bagudu stated.

Presenting the flag to the candidate, Adamu expressed optimism that Oyebanji would be elected the next governor to succeed Fayemi, whom he said had done wonderfully well in the last four years.

"Since the nomination of my brother and your father, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as our presidential candidate, this is our first outing. We want to see you come out and vote for this humble and service-inclined young man.

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NEWS

END OF PROJECT WORKSHOP...

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues, Mrs. Barbara Osobajo; Chief Imam, Benin Central Mosque, Sheikh Abdulfatah Enabulele; Governor Godwin Obaseki; his wife, Betsy; Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly candidate for Edo Central, Mrs. Maria Edeko, during the ‘End of Project Workshop’ organised by the Nigerian Academy of Science Gender Based Violence Project, at the Government House, Benin City,...yesterday

Ekiti: INEC Bemoans Vote Buying, Inducement; Assures Voters’ll Decide Next Governor Choose peace over violence, NPC urges residents IGP charges Police to be apolitical, urges them to be firm

Chuks Okocha in Abuja With the Ekiti State governorship election slated for this Saturday, June 18, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Manhood Yakubu, has expressed concern over vote-buying and inducement to voters, even as he assured the people that only legitimate voters would determine the next governor of the state.

Also, the National Peace Committee (NPC), has appealed to the residents of the state to choose peace over violence in the coming governorship election in the state.

This is as the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba, also in Ado Ekiti, has urged police officers deployed to maintain security to

be apolitical, firm, and professional in the discharge of their election security mandate.

Yakubu, who spoke yesterday in Ado Ekiti, when he met stakeholders, said, "Like every conscientious Nigerian, the Commission is deeply worried by the use of money to induce voters on Election Day. "Clearly, vote buying is a threat to our electoral democracy. To discourage the practice, we changed the configuration of our polling units to bring the ballot boxes closer to the voting cubicles and also banned the use of mobile phones and photographic devices by voters while in the voting cubicles.

"We have also intensified our collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

(EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to deal with both the buyers and the takers under the law. I urge all stakeholders to join the Commission in tackling the menace," he stated.

According to him, INEC was aware that stakeholders had expressed concerns about the election and would like to be given assurances in two critical areas.

"First is the transparency and credibility of the election; and secondly, its security and peaceful conduct. We are taking both issues very seriously. I will speak about our preparations for free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election.

"I am also glad that the Inspector General of Police, as the head of the lead agency in internal security, is

personally here today to address the triple dimensions of securing the process before, during and after the elections.

"For us in INEC, let me reassure political parties, candidates and the electorate that the choice of who becomes the next Governor of Ekiti State is entirely in the hands of voters. INEC will not take any action to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate.

"Our focus is on the processes and procedures as provided by law.

In this regard, the election holding this weekend is historic being the first governorship election that the Commission will be conducting based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, which came into force about four months ago

Sylva Calls for More Women Participation in Oil, Gas Industry Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, yesterday called for more participation of women in the oil and gas industry, stressing that harnessing their natural strength, intuition, knowledge and expertise for the growth of the industry had become imperative.

Sylva, who spoke at the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) Diversity Working Group’s Conference in Lagos, stated that although women make up 48 per cent of the global work force, they only account for 22 per cent of the labour force in the oil and gas sector.

Cognisance of this, the minister stated that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) had taken a step in inaugurating the group as provided in Section 58 of the Act setting it up by deliberately promulgating gender- friendly policies.

He recalled that the government, through its NCDMB - Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) partnership, had rolled out a $40 million fund to empower women in the oil industry, separate from the Nigerian Content Initiative (NCI) Fund which is equally available to women (and men) who meet the criteria.

Still, Sylva said women need one another to survive the realities of the oil and gas sector, whether locally

or internationally.

The minister pointed out that it was estimated that women occupied about 50 per cent of non-technical positions at entry level compared to only 15 per cent of technical and field role positions.

According to him, gender diversity and inclusion decreases with seniority with only a tiny proportion of women in executive positions.

“The percentage of women in the industry drops over time from 36 per cent to 24 per cent between the middle and executive level,” he quoted a recent study by Global Energy Talent Index Report, as indicating.

He stressed that more strides could be achieved if women groups in the industry embraced one another, adding that it was time to work together in championing the cause of women in the industry.

With the recent appointment of Elohor Aiboni as the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration & Production as Company (SNEPCo) and Margrey Okadigbo as pioneer chair Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Sylva said Nigeria would not be left behind in its determination to ensure adequate representation of women in the industry.

“To take advantage of the changing landscape, women in the Nigerian oil and gas industry must work together towards increasing women participation in

the industry, engendering growth, building capacities and capabilities, identifying opportunities, mentoring and coaching, in order for the industry to progress as a whole.

“In order for all these to happen, we need the buy-in, commitment and sponsorship of all players across the various segments of the oil and gas value chain to support the diversity and inclusion agenda,” he added.

He further charged organisations to review their policies so that opportunities are created for qualified women in technical and C-Level positions.

“In addition, we cannot overemphasise the need for supplier diversity across all sections of the oil and gas supply chain and now is the time for affirmative action in this regard,” he stressed.

Sylva said these just as the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Senator Margery Okadigbo, at the same event appealed to the NCDMB leadership to consider replicating one of its flagship capacity building programmes, Project-100 Module, for the empowerment of Nigerian women in oil and gas industry.

The conference was part of NCDMB's commitment to deepen women’s participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Also speaking at the conferernce, Okadigbo, appealed to the NCDMB leadership to consider replicating

one of its flagship capacity building programmes, Project-100 Module, for the empowerment of Nigerian women in oil and gas industry.

Project 100 is an initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources alongside the NCDMB to look holistically at 100 wholly indigenous oil and gas companies and nurture them to the next level by enhancing their capacities, supporting them financially through the NCI Fund and helping them to find opportunities in the industry, in collaboration with the NNPC. Okadigbo pointed out the oil and gas industry was perhaps one of the most challenging for women professionals as significant contributor to the Nigerian economy, saying it was imperative to encourage the participation and involvement of women in the sector.

"I am appealing to the NCDMB leadership to consider a replication of the NCDMB Project 100 Module for women in oil and gas business.

We believe this will further help to encourage more women participation in the industry," she said.

The NNPC chair said there was no better time to promote the conversation around empowering women in oil and gas than now, especially with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and with President Muhammadu Buhari graciously appointing women including herself into strategic board positions and executive management positions.

on 25th February 2022.

“It is also the first election to be conducted based on our revised Regulations and Guidelines anchored on the provisions of the new Electoral Act. We have also revised our Training Manual to reflect the provisions of the new Electoral Act as well as the Regulations and Guidelines.

"We have taken every step and made every arrangement for the successful conduct of the governorship election this weekend. We held many meetings with political parties and their candidates. We had several engagements with the security agencies at national, state and local government levels. We consulted with stakeholders,” he stated.

On his part, Chairman of the Peace Committee and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, urged the people to come out without fear, but with hope to exercise their franchise and vote to deepen the democratic process in the state.

Abdulsalami also advised the youths not to make themselves pawns in the hands of the political class but should be aware that the security, stability, and future of Nigeria remain their common patrimony.

He urged everyone taking part in the election to follow due process, conduct themselves with civility and patriotism, and ensure they do not take the laws into their hands no matter the grievances they may hold against individuals and other stakeholders in the poll.

He reminded INEC, security agencies, and others that Nigerians and the world were monitoring them as they expect a level-playing field for all parties.

Also, the police IG, said, “The Ekiti election will certainly not be different as our professionalism and patriotism will, once again, be put to test and subjected to public scrutiny.

“In this regard, you should all note that our mandate includes working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in creating a conducive and enabling environment that will guarantee the peaceful conduct of the elections.

“We are also statutorily charged with the responsibility of securing INEC personnel, electoral materials, and other critical assets of the Commission as well as the electorates and the local and international observers.

“In carrying out our duties under

the Electoral Act, we should be mindful not to abandon our routine, primary mandate of guaranteeing security within the public space so that criminal elements do not feast on our electoral engagement to have space for their heinous crimes.

“In essence, our roles in Ekiti at this period are twofold. First is to police the electoral process in conjunction with our friendly forces, which include the Military, DSS and other sister security agencies. Second is to police the public space and ensure that criminals are deterred from perfecting their ignoble trade.

“It is in furtherance to this that I am here to personally encourage, inspire and motivate you towards appreciating the task ahead and how much the nation looks up to you to guarantee the credibility of the outcome of the elections. I have during my earlier interaction with the stakeholders vouched on your behalf that you shall all be apolitical, firm, and professional in the discharge of your election security mandate.

“I also assured them that while we shall be civil enough to protect the law-abiding citizens, we shall also be decisive in dealing with any political and subversive deviants that may test our will by attempting to disrupt the peaceful order during the election.”

He, however, clarified that the heavy deployment of security agencies in the state, was not intended to scare voters and cause apathy on election day.

On the contrary, the deployment was geared towards protecting the sanctity of the ballots and making the outcome of the election credible and acceptable to all stakeholders.

CORRIGENDUM In one of our sub-headlines on June 12 stories published on page 6 of THISDAY, Monday, June 13, 2022, we inadvertently wrote: Owie: Those Who Annulled June (OHFWLRQ $FWHG LQ ¶%DG )DWH· LQVWHDG RI LQ ¶%DG )DLWK· 7KH HUURU LV KLJKO\ UHJUHWWHG –Editor

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NEWS

REWARD FOR HARDWORK...

L-R: Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd); newly promoted ASP, Mande Umar, and ASP, Musa Abdullahi, during Umar’s decoration at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja ... yesterday

2023 Polls: Military Moves to Review Rules of Engagement, Code of Conduct Pledges loyalty to constitution, president MNJTF commander warns terrorists to surrender now or be eliminated Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen, Faruk Yahaya yesterday disclosed that he had approved new Rules of Engagement (RoE) and Code of Conduct document expected to govern operations and conduct of military personnel during the elections.

He also pledged the loyalty of the Nigerian Army to the constitution of the country and the president.

The army chief's disclosure came as the Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Maj Gen. Abdul Khalifah Ibrahim, warned insurgents, who were yet to lay down their arms and surrender to troops to do so or be eliminated.

The army chief, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the Second Quarter Chief of Army Staff Conference 2022, in Abuja, said the need to ensure that army personnel were neutral during the polls informed the decision to review the rules of engagement.

He warned officers and men to remain apolitical.

"At this juncture, let me hasten to remind us that the nation is currently preparing for general elections.

"All personnel must remain apolitical while providing enabling and

secured environment for electoral processes to thrive. In this regard, I directed the review of Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct for Operation Safe Conduct and the approved guidelines would be conveyed to you soon," he said, while noting that the Nigerian Army would continue to enhance its civil-military relations efforts and provide the necessary support in aid of civil authority.

Reviewing the military's performance in the last one year, he said troops, had, so far cleared the terror enclaves in the north-east, forcing thousands of terrorists to surrender.

He said the conference was convened to enable the Army review its operations and strategies.

"We thank the Almighty God for enabling us to hold second quarter conference at the time scheduled in our forecast of events for 2022.

"As seasoned commanders and heads of establishments, you are all conversant with the importance of conferences of this nature, which provide us the platform to appraise the conduct of our activities and re-strategise as necessary to achieve greater performance," he said.

Yahaya maintained that the military had sustained the onslaught against insurgents in the north-east and other theatres of operations.

"In the north-east, troops of Operation Hadin Kai have sustained the onslaught against the terrorists leading to the clearance of the several criminal enclaves and the surrendering of large numbers of insurgents and their families.

"Concerted efforts have also been made to contain and checkmate the secessionist activities in the South-east

and illegal oil bunkering activities in the south-south.

"This conference would, therefore, enable us to fine-tune our strategies and establish new benchmarks for the enhancement of our operations in all theatres of operations. I commend the sacrifices and bravery of our troops," he said.

Meanwhile, the Force Com-

The Coalition of Southern Kaduna All Progressives Congress (APC) Volunteer Groups has asked the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Uba Sani to pick Dr. Manzo Daniel Maigari as his running mate.

Maigari served as the Commissioner of Agriculture and later Commerce during the first tenure of Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

In a statement yesterday, the group said the choice of Maigari as running mate to Sani was arrived at after a painstaking assessment of his leadership qualities and achievements.

The statement signed by the Convener of the coalition, Mr. Abeku Audu, said since the emergence of the APC administration in Kaduna state in 2015, no Southern Kaduna politician had contributed so much in terms of attracting goodwill and popularity to the party than Maigari.

“The statement described the

former commissioner as a “rising technocrat of exemplary character” who has equipped himself with verse knowledge in agribusiness and entrepreneurship.

Audu said, “After painstaking assessment of those aspiring to be running mate to the APC governorship candidate from Southern Kaduna, we have chosen Dr. Manzo Daniel Maigari, a former Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce under the first tenure of His Excellency, Mallam Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai.”

According to the statement, Maigari’s, “leadership in the Ministry for Agriculture led to the support of no fewer than 300 Southern Kaduna youths and women with grants, ranging from N1.3 million to N3.2 million to assist them start Agribusinesses.”

The statement said, “Apart from establishing three commodities Aggregation Centres to boost Agribusiness in the State, no fewer than 252 Southern Kaduna youths

of Lake Chad to come out and surrender like thousands of their colleagues, who are presently being rehabilitated before it is too late.

The force commander urged the MNJTF troops not to be distracted but remain dogged as terror groups, Boko Haram and ISWAP were continually degraded and their capacity to resist diminished.

Sanwo-Olu, Abiodun, AbdulRahman Donate N75m to Victims of Owo Catholic Church Attack Akeredolu warns against war

Fidelis David in Akure Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and their Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, yesterday announced the donation of N25million each, totaling N75 million for the victims of the June 5 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, in Ondo State.

The governors were in the state to pay condolence visit to governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over the terror attack which claimed 40 lives out of the 127 involved in

the incident, leaving 61 survivors currently on admission in different hospitals and 26 already discharged.

The immediate past Governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, also joined the entourage.

Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who spoke on behalf of the Lagos and Kwara States Governors, said the attack was not just on the people of Owo and Ondo State, but the entire people of the South-west region.

He stressed that the region would soon meet to take a position to further consolidate and improve

Southern Kaduna APC Coalition Makes Case for Maigari as Running Mate to Sani John Shiklam in Kaduna

mander, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Maj. Gen. Abdul Khalifah Ibrahim, has warned insurgents yet to lay down their arms and surrender to troops to do so or be eliminated.

The commander, who spoke in N'Djamema, Chad, advised the remaining terrorists hibernating in the Tumbuns and other parts

were recruited as Forest Rangers.”

The group noted that, “As Commissioner of Commerce, he upgraded the 24 BATCs to Community Skills Development Centres in Kaduna State and fully equipped them for optimal use.”

The statement said Maigari remains an unbeatable candidate for nomination for the choice of running mate to the APC flag bearer.

Audu described Maigari as an exceptional political asset that must be deployed to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming general elections in 2023.

He stressed that Maigari’s, “greatest strength is in his humanist disposition and rallying developing partners for several interventions to the Ginger value chain in which no fewer than 75,000 youths and women in southern Kaduna were supported with credit facilities and inputs, including creating 60,000 jobs under the supervision of his

company, AgroLog Limited.”

“As the Chairman of Greysoft Technologies, the former commissioner has been an advocate of IT skills to confront challenges of the future.

“To demonstrate his concern for the people, in February 2022, through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of his company, he donated relief materials to no fewer than 10,000 IDP families in the state, especially in Southern Kaduna, including supporting them with ginger seeds and other inputs for economic recovery.

“As a group, we have not consulted with Dr. Maigari on the need to throw his hat in the ring, but we are calling on leaders of APC, especially from Southern Kaduna, to present this Veterinary Doctor and accomplished technocrat to be nominated to serve as a running mate as he is an invaluable asset to not only Southern Kaduna but also the state and the country in general.”

security architecture in the zone.

He said: "We have come this morning to commiserate with His Excellency and the good people of Owo and of course, Ondo State by extension. On behalf of our families and poeple and governments of Ogun, Kwara and the Lagos States on the very dastardly event that happened on the 5th of June, 2022, at the Catholic church in Owo. "The news filtered in on the evening of the 5th and it came as a shock to all your brother governors across the length and breadth of this country, but in particular those of us that come from the South-West zone. We find this attack not just an attack on the good people of Owo, or the good people of Ondo State but the entire people of the South-west zone.

"Of course we have met and we have condemned this act which we find as most unfortunate. Your Excellency, this is an attack too many.

We know that you have been at the vanguard of ensuring peace and security for your poeple. In fact, you are the champion of the Amotekun in the South-west.

"We, your brothers wonder if this is more personal because of the role you have played in ensuring that our zone is secured. One wonders if there is a particular reason this attack was launched in your hometown of Owo. “We are deeply pained, we deeply saddened and we commiserate with you. We pray for the lives of the departed, we pray that the almighty God forgives their sins and accept their souls. We commiserate with their families, we sympathise with those that are still in the hospitals", governor Abiodun said.

In his response, Akeredolu,

thanked the governors for their solidarity while describing their visit as not just symbolic, but important. He warned that the people of the South-west would not tolerate another unprovoked attack on the region under any guise.

Akeredolu said the people of Ondo State and South-west region at large have always come to the country in peace and unity.

Akeredolu, who described the Owo attack as one too many, noted that the people of the south-west region have always maintained peace and unity of the country.

He said: "We are part of this country and we have always come to this country in peace and we have maintained peace.

We have been trying every time to maintain Nigeria because we believe in Nigeria. “Let someone point to an incident in which we left our enclave or we left this peaceful environment and went to cause problems in other places.

Let them tell us. We have come to this country in peace, and now people want to visit us with war.

You want to maim and kill us; it is not easy.

"It is a dreadful assault. I said to people that if we were at war and we were armed and faced ourselves, in one day 40 people would not die from our side. But this is not war, we were not at war.

"This is an assault on us, on our psyche. We cannot continue this way. We believe in this place, we believe in South-Western region, we believe in Yoruba. Is Yoruba part of the Nigeria we believe in? Yes. But I thank you for your solidarity.

You have come all the time and we have always worked together, all of us", he stressed.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWSXTRA

Party Primaries: Gbajabiamila Blames Lawmakers’ Losses on Delegate System Udora Orizu in Abuja The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has attributed the failure of many lawmakers in the 9th National Assembly to secure return ticket ahead of 2023 general elections to the delegate system of candidates’ selection at the just concluded party primaries.

The lawmakers had last year amended the Electoral Act making provision for only direct primary as the mode for selection of candidates for elective positions by political parties. The bill was, however, rejected and sent back to the parliament by President Muhammadu Buhari, who insisted on direct, indirect and consensus.

Delivering his remarks at the resumption of plenary yesterday, Gbajabiamila opined that his colleagues who lost out at the primaries did not lose because they were rejected by their constituents, but because of the process (delegate system) which members of the House of Representatives foresaw.

This delegate system, he lamented made many lawmakers to lose out because they were not

given a fair shot, as the process is not what it’s supposed to be.

He, however, enjoined his colleagues to set aside their feelings about recent electoral

experiences and focus on serving the mandate they still have.

The Speaker also directed the leadership of both APC and

PDP caucuses to schedule for a meeting with the lawmakers to discuss the matter, adding that they have begun to witness the implementation of the newly

amended Electoral Act 2022 and drawing lessons that will guide future reform efforts.

Gbajabiamila said: “The past two months have been dominated

by political pursuits across the country as political parties carry out various activities to nominate their candidates for the forthcoming general elections.”

DISCUSSING ENERGY INVESTMENT...

L-R: Executive Vice President, Oando Clean Energy Limited, Ademola Ogunbanjo; Director, Investment and Sector Development Department (ISD), Faruk Yusuf Yabo; Head of Solar Department, JRB Solar Investment, Prince Bernard; Honourable Minister for Power, Nigeria, Abubakar D. Aliyu; National Vice Chairman, Steering Committee REEEA-Alliance (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Associations, Prof. Chidi Magnus Onuoha; Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad; Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Usman Danfodio University Sokoto, Prof. Sani Sambo, at the Nigeria Africa Energy Investment Summit in Abuja…recently

Facebook Post Sends Pick Northern Christian as Running Mate, Oodua Youths Tell Tinubu Man to Jail in Kogi Fidelis David in Akure

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

A Magistrate Court sitting Lokoja has sentenced a middle-aged man, Mr. Habibu Achile Rabiu, to two months imprisonment with payment of a fine of N5,000 for contravening Section 393 of the Kogi State Penal Code by posting false information on his Facebook timeline.

The Trial Magistrate, Chief Magistrate A.A. Agatha, while delivering her judgment explained that Rabiu was guilty of raising false alarms punishable under law.

Rabiu was tried at Magistrate Court 3 over the comments on his Facebook timeline that the

rate at which fever was killing people in the state was alarming, particularly during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The Department of State Security, DSS subsequently arrested Rabiu at Anyingba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State and was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court 3 in Lokoja.

The Prosecuting Counsel, Mr. M.A Abaji, argued that the defendant acted contrary to Section 393 of the Kogi State Penal Code by intimidating people, creating fear and inciting people against the state government.

Police Suspend Curfew in Bauchi Communities assessed the security situation of Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command has suspended the curfew imposed on Yelwan Tsakani, Lushi and Anguwan Kusu communities of Bauchi local Government Area.

The suspension of the curfew, according to the state Police Commissioner, Umar Sanda, followed a review of the improvement of the security in the affected areas within the last few days.

Sanda visited the warring communities on a situation assessment inspection where he

the communities, sympathised and comforted the natives, and directed a thorough investigation into the matter to bring the perpetrators to book.

The commissioner appealed to community and religious leaders, youth leaders in the areas, and the public to maintain a close watch over the behaviour of youths in the area as well as happenings in the area and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station to forestall any reoccurrence of such incident.

Shippers’ Council to Hold Maritime Seminar for Judges WaleIgbintade

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI) would organise a three-day seminar for judges on the interpretation and application of both domestic and international maritime law principles in the settlement of shipping and maritime related disputes.

The event, which is the 16th edition, would hold from July 5 to July 7, 2022, at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.

Disclosing this yesterday, the

Executive Secretary of the NSC, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Jime, said that the seminar would bring the nation’s judges, lawyers, practitioners and other stakeholders together to enrich their knowledge and equip them to deal with current issues in Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in ports and rising legal issues.

According to Jime, the seminar would enable judicial officers to be abreast on current issues in Maritime Adjudication and Practice (MAP) like the challenges of simple contracts in the adjudication of maritime claims in Nigeria.

The Oodua Youth Parliament has called on the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to pick a Northern Christian as his running mate in the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement made available to journalists in Akure yesterday by the Speaker, Abdulmojeed Oyeniyi, the youths alleged that there is a conspiracy to sabotage Tinubu’s mandate adding that picking a Christian running mate from the Northern part of the country will give him the needed victory.

The statement reads: “Against the wishes of some northern elites holding onto divisive and extremist views, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) emerged as the presidential candidate of APC. But the same people who felt they have failed in their calculations have not given up. They have rise up again and this time, they want to scuttle the chances of Tinubu so that power will remain in the North for another eight years.

“They are now using their extremist Imams and youths on social media to threaten the peace of the country and subvert the victory of Tinubu that is certain if the right Christian from the

North is chosen as his running mate. Some of these northern elites who have already shown their bigotry and intolerance even in National Television are conspiring to sabotage the South West chances of having power in 2023 after they ruled for eight years.

“They are now bent on ensuring that power is handed over to another northerner and they won’t mind undermining their own party, the APC’s chances so that Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) can win in the general election. We believe that this move by some northern oligarchy to

subvert the South West of the right to have a democratically elected President must be rejected and resisted by all advocates of democracy both at the individuals levels and institutions,” the group said.

It alleged that the malicious sabotage which bears similar trade mark with the one that stopped MKO in 1993, if allowed to go through, will retard the integrity the Nigeria’s democracy has built both in the eyes of Nigerians and also in the eyes of the international community particularly the bilateral friendship with Britain and the United States.

Wike Orders Immediate Payment of Gratuities, Pensions to Rivers Retirees Blessing Ibunge in PortHarcourt

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate commencement of payment of outstanding gratuity, monthly pension and death benefits for retirees in the State public service.

In a statement yesterday, the Director General of the Rivers State Pension Board,

Mr. Ijeoma Samuel, revealed that the exercise will be done in batches.

“The first batch is for all those who had retired up to June 2014. All affected retirees and next of kin for deceased retirees under the first batch are requested to come to the Ministry of Justice conference hall for physical verification from 15th-23 June, 2022.”

The DG urged those in the first batch of the exercise to come along with their retirement identification cards and every other relevant supporting documents.

He insisted that the exercise is strictly for only those covered under the first batch which are retirees up to June 2014.

Samuel said: “We don’t want a situation somebody

who retired in 2020 will be paid first before the person who had retired in 2014. We have adopted the principle of first retired, first paid .

“We want the entire exercise to be credible. There shall be no preferential treatment. There will be no jumping of queues.

After the first batch, we will immediately commence the next batch.”

Ortom Laments Killing of Scores in Benue George Okoh in Makurdi Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has described as barbaric, the gruesome killings of farmers in Edumoga, Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state by gun men believed to be Fulani terrorists.

An angry Ortom condemned the dastardly act yesterday and described the murderers as cowards and criminals who must be fished out and

prosecuted forthwith.

He said: “When I started shouting about the menace of killer herdsmen in my state, many people thought I was playing to the gallery.

Gradually, this has spread to all other parts of the country because the federal government has refused to act appropriately and decisively against them.

“This is the reason why they have continued with impunity. It has clearly

shown that the killing of these innocent farmers in Edumoga, Okpokwu local government is yet another barbaric act by Fulani herdsmen. They must not go unpunished “.

Ortom therefore, reiterated his earlier call on his people to stand up to defend themselves against the invaders because even the laws of the land allows for self-defence.

“We are capable of defending ourselves if authorities

concerned refused to do so.

We are not cowards. We are just law abiding,“ Ortom stated.

The governor said the peaceful attitude of Benue people who accommodate others should not be taken for granted.

He stressed that the law must take its course to apprehend the criminal elements no matter how long it takes just he told his people to remain law abiding.

2023: Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Urged to Form Alliance to Defeat Tinubu, Atiku Human rights activist and convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, has called on the presidential candidates of Labour Party, Peter Obi; New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso and African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore to form an alliance ahead of 2023 elections.

According to him, the coming together of Obi, Kwankwaso,

Sowore and other politicians will lead to the defeat of the two prominent parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that are fielding Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar that order.

Adeyanju stressed that it will be a Herculean task for Obi, Kwankwaso, Sowore, and others

to defeat Tinubu and Atiku except they form an alliance.

He added that elections are won in villages and not in the towns and cities, adding that the emerging politicians should swallow their pride and work together.

Adeyanju equally emphasized the importance of political structures at the

grassroots said these on Twitter.

“There’s no way Peter Obi, Kwankwaso, Sowore and other politicians can defeat APC and PDP if they don’t work together because elections are not won in urban areas, but rural areas. Politicians should learn to swallow their pride and work together.

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WEDNESDAY, ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAYSPORTS Former Gunner, Campbell, Gives Costa Rica Last Slot to Qatar 2022 World Cup

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Duro Ikhazuagbe in Doha Former Arsenal player, Joel Campbell, earned Costa Rica the last slot of the 32- team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup scheduled to hold between November and December in Qatar.

It took the former Gunner just three minutes into the game at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Doha to get the job done for the Latin Americans and cause massive celebrations in its capital San Jose last night.

Campbell drilled a low shot into the bottom corner of New

Zealand’s goal with goalkeeper Oliver Sail dumbfounded.

Although the New Zealanders had 64-36 ball possession for most part of the first half, they failed in the bid to cancel the goal and bid for a third appearance at the Mundial after their previous outings in 1982 and 2010.

They however ended the second half with 10 men following the sending off of Kosta Barbarouses barely 10 minutes after he was introduced for his career ending fouling of Francisco Calvo.

PSG’s goalkeeper, Keylor Navas proved efficient for Costa Rica

as the 35-year -old shot stopper organised his defence well and helped the team with his commanding presence.

Costa Rica are to play in Group E of Qatar 2022 along with Germany, Japan and Spain.

They are to open their campaign with the 2010 winners Spain on November 21.

Ranked 31st in the world, Luis Fernando Suarez's side who

are going to play in their sixth mundial, have advanced beyond the group phase in three of the past five tournaments.

Their best performance came in 2014 when they reached the quarter-finals, finishing top of a group that included Uruguay, Italy and England, before beating Greece on penalties in the last 16 and losing in a shootout to the Netherlands.

ALL THE 32 TEAMS FOR QATAR 2022 A B C D E F G H

-

Qatar England Argentina France Spain Belgium Brazil Portugal

Ecuador Iran S’ Arabia Australia Costa Rica Canada Serbia Ghana

Senegal USA Mexico Denmark Germany Morocco Switzerland Uruguay

Netherlands Wales Poland Tunisia Japan Croatia Cameroon South Korea

Ndidi Begins Rehab in Dubai for Full Recovery from Kneel Injury Duro Ikhazuagbe Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has taken his recovery from the kneel injury which sidelined him for the final two-and-a-half months of the 2021/22 English Premier League season to Dubai to hasten his return to action.

Ndidi got injured in Leicester’s UEFA Europa Conference League clash at French club, Rennes.

With most of his teammates on international duties with their respective countries and others holidaying while the Foxes have started plans for pre-season, Ndidi is in Dubai working seriously with Elites Sports Performance for his quick recovery.

Leicester City’s Mercury reported yesterday that the Foxes midfield enforcer was progressing well with his rehab and will be back soon.

An official of the Dubai outfit, Chris Bowman was quoted by Mercury to have expressed happiness with the recovering rate of the Nigerian international.

“Pleasure to assist Wilf (Ndidi) with his rehab whilst here in Dubai this last week. Thanks to LCFC becoming the latest club to trust our service Elite Sports Performance with their player and wishing Wilfred the best of luck with the comeback,” observed Bowman yesterday.

This is certainly going to be good news to Leicester City Boss, Brendan Rodgers who is starting the club’s pre-season on June 27.

Also, new Super Eagles Manager, Jose Peseiro, will be glad to have Ndidi to plug the problems in the team’s

defensive midfield position which came glaring during the two international friendlies played against Mexico and Ecuador in USA last month.

After leapfrogging Guinea Bissau to the top of AFCON 2023 Group A on six points following the record 10-0 win against minnows São Tomé & Principe in Morocco, Nigeria’s next game of the series will come up Guinea Bissau on a home and away basis in September.

Keylor Navas (Number 1) leading Costa Rica celebration after defeating New Zealand 1-0 to qualify for the 2022 World Cup at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Doha...last night

Ogba: 2022 C'wealth Games Trials to Showcase Nigeria's Rising Profile in Athletics

Wilfred Ndidi...begins rehab in Dubai to be fit for next season

33 Nigerian Players Scouted for Pro Contracts with Euro Clubs

Olawale Ajimotokan inAbuja

Thirty-three players have been selected for professional contracts with clubs in Europe after the fiveday Ejike Ugboaja FC scouting programme that ended in Abuja over the weekend. The intensive exercise attracted five scouts from Europe.

The bulk of the selected players are from Ejike Ugboaja FC. They include, Gabriel Abu Gaiya, Philip Segun, Eke Victor Elvis, Joseph Lelachukwu, Joel Ezra, Ibrahim Hussaini, Shauibu Garba and Yusuf Dami Ola. Others include Lukman Abdulhameed, Morientex FC Kaduna, Stephen Osuimori, Global Football Academy Zaria, Obere Emmanuel, Ejele Football Academy, Delta State, Benson Richmond and Ejele Football Academy, Delta State.

Chairman of Ejike Ugboaja FC, the organisers of the programme, Christopher Ejike Ugboaja, announced the list yesterday.

He congratulated the players who made the list and also showered praises on those who participated in the programme.

He urged them not to be discouraged and keep training to make it in another talent hunt exercise in the future.

Ugboaja also thanked the scouts for honoring his invitation for the exercise, commending them for a thorough scouting that involved about 500 players from 28 teams in about five days.

Meanwhile, one of the scouts, Mr. Queirolo Fillipo from Italy, admitted after the programme that praised Nigeria for being endowed with lots of talents with impressive football skills.

Chairman of the organising committee for the 2022 Nigerian Athletics Championship, Chief Solomon Ogba, believes the event will be staged to match the rising profile of track and field in Nigeria.

A number of Nigerian athletes have attained world-class status between last year and now and Ogba is confident the glory days are back for the sport.

"We want to organise a championship befitting our rising profile. I cannot remember the last time we produced three women who have gone inside 11 seconds in the 100m in one year or produce athletes that will break records as old as the athletes themselves," said Ogba, a two-time president of the AFN. Favour Ofili (10.93), Rosemary

Chukwuma (10.99) and Grace Nwokocha (10.97) have all ran sub-11 seconds this year while in the men's version, as many as five, Udodi Onwuzurike (10.03), Raymond Ekevwo (10.04), Favour Ashe (10.04), Alaba Akintola (10.04) and Ushoritse Itshekiri (10.09) have gone under 10.10 seconds.

"Last year we had four national records broken in the sprint and jumps. Ofili (22.75) broke Regina George's eight-year-old 200m indoor record (23.00s), Tobi Amusan ran 12.44 seconds to break an African record Glory Alozie set in 1998 while Ese Brume also broke Chioma Ajunwa's 7.12m African record, a record as old (25 years) as Brume.

Ruth Usoro also jumped

14.50m in the USA to break Chinonye Ohadugba's 14.21m national record set in 2007.

"This year we have had more long standing records broken.

Ezekiel Nathaniel (48.42) broke Henry Amike's 35-year-old 400m hurdles record (48.50) while Prosper Nnamdi's 81.08m effort last month was one centimetre better than the 81.07m national record set by Pius Bazighe in 1999," said an excited Ogba. " "Ofili also improved her 200m indoor to 22.46 and added the outdoor version. She ran 21.96 seconds to become the first Nigerian woman to go under 22 seconds."

Ogba charged the AFN President, Tonobok Okowa and members of the executive committee to organise a

championship that takes into account the country's rising status in international athletics. " Everything is set for the championship. The best of Nigerian track and field stars will be here. Remember this will serve as selection trials for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the World Athletics Championship in Oregon, USA," said Ogba.

The championship will hold from June 21 to June 23 in Benin City, capital of Edo State and Ogba describes it as" strategic choice."

"We have a good, world-class track at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and the edifice hosted the athletics event of the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival last year."

NBA Africa, KFC Partnership Excites Basketball Fans NBA Africa and KFC Africa have announced a partnership that will see both pantheons collaborate on many activations targeted at basketball fans across Nigeria and a few other African countries.

Through this novel partnership, KFC loyalists and basketball enthusiasts will be able to enjoy unique, co-branded products, limited-edition merchandise giveaways, and limited-edition KFC x NBA promotions.

The high point of the partnership includes the

opportunity for selected basketball fans to win tickets to live NBA games in the U.S, complimentary access to NBA League Pass, and the league’s premium live game subscription service.

Emmanuel Kasambala (KFC Marketing Director for the Rest of Sub-Saharan Africa) highlighted KFC’s excitement at being able to connect with the vast population of Nigerian youths in areas that resonate most with them.

He also hinted at longer-term plans to inspire Nigerian youth

to achieve more in life through basketball, including various community-centered basketball initiatives.

Also speaking on the development, NBA Africa CEO, Victor Williams said, “We are excited to partner KFC Africa to launch a series of fan-centric activities and promotions as part of our efforts to provide compelling ways for basketball fans across the continent to engage with the NBA, We want to meet our fans where

they are and make the game of basketball more accessible, and through this partnership with one of the world’s most iconic food brands, we look forward to reaching new and existing fans and providing them with more opportunities to experience the NBA.” Both partners are confident that this partnership will provide rich value to Nigerian KFC lovers and basketball fans through several of these meaningful value offerings.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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Price: N250

MISSILE

Gbajabiamila to Opponents of Direct Primaries

“I am aware that many of our members who are probably not coming back because of this same process (the delegate system)… When we fought for direct primaries in this house, we knew exactly what we were saying. It pains me very deeply, that the process has gone the way it has gone”-– Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila blaming the defeat of many members of the House of Representatives to adoption of delegate system instead of direct primaries.

KAYODEKOMOLAFE What’s Left of Politics without Ideology?

THE HORIZON

kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com

0805 500 1974

T

he 2015 election won by President Muhammadu Buhari has, perhaps, been the most issue-based contest in this dispensation. His party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was more or less hurriedly put together to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after 16 years of dominance in the polity.

A fusion of parties and political forces, the APC had no option than to sell concrete programmes as a negation of the policies the PDP was offering at the time. Thus the famous three-point agenda of Buhari emerged as security, economy and anti-corruption war. The ideas behind this agenda were enunciated by the APC partisans at various levels.

There were, of course, the undercurrents of the geo-political question about the continuation of President Goodluck Jonathan in power after completing the tenure of his boss, President Umaru Yar’adua, who died in office. Some political forces argued that after eight years of President Olusegun Obasanjo, a southerner, the logic of “power rotation” in Nigeria suggested that in 2015 a northerner should be elected to complete the “northern turn” begun by Yar’adua.

However, this was not the dominant factor for Buhari’s victory.

Definitely, ethnicity, regionalism and religion were not the only issues of the 2015 elections.

Beyond the turn-by -turn considerations, issues of governance dominated the campaigns.

For instance, there were voters who preferred Buhari to Jonathan because they were convinced that the former would stem the rising tide of insecurity in the nation at the time.

As a result, the opposition parties and indeed critics in general could today justifiably hold the APC to its promise as its record in the last seven years is severely scrutinised. At least, the spokesmen and defenders of the party and the government elected on its platform have been put in a position to explain its performance on the basis of programmes.

If issues were not raised and the campaign was solely based on the ethnicity, region or religion of the candidates, there would be no basis for a critical assessment and the defence of governance in the last seven years today.

Now, the serious debate of issues (as opposed to ethnic and religious labelling mixed with insults and curses) depends on the ideas informing the programmes and policies which different parties are selling to the electorate.

Ideas are squarely in the realm of ideology. And the centrality of ideology to politics is indisputable.

So, if you remove ideology from politics what is left is a hollow ritual of ascension to power by contending forces in the polity.

The contests among aspirants for the tickets of their respective parties have not been about ideology.

It would seem, therefore, an indulgence in idealism to be busy with a reflection on party ideology in a week of realpolitik in which the 17 presidential candidates are struggling to beat the deadline set by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) for them to name their running mates. Whereas zonal and religious factors would reign supreme in the crucial decisions of this week, party ideology would hardly be part of the calculations.

Yet, it is important to put ideology to the fore in Nigerian politics because workable ideas are sorely needed to tackle the various problems.

Kwankwaso

Obi

Nigerian politics suffers from the poverty of the political resources provided by ideology. This poverty of ideas is manifested in the non-organic nature of the parties. The politicians themselves dramatise this absurd situation by the manner in which they move in and out of political parties.

They have no qualms about the unprincipled political behaviour at all.

The movement across political parties is so easy because of the patent absence of ideological boundaries. That is why a convinced conservative politician such as Senator Abdulahi Adamu could become the chairman of a progressive party and no one sees any contradiction in it. As a former secretary of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Adamu could become the APC chairman without any ideological question whatsoever.

In this game of partisan migration, a politician could gleefully announce his exit from his political party and then register as a member of two or more parties; thereafter the politician could return to the original party. And this happens without any expressed ideological differences with the party. The politician doesn’t feel obliged to explain his position to his public.

More often than not, politicians walk away from political parties because of the failure or lack of the prospect to secure party tickets to contest elections. For instance, a question could be asked: what ideological differences do Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Mr. Peter Obi have with PDP as constituted at present? The two prominent politicians separately called it quits with PDP when it became unlikely that either of them could emerge as the presidential candidate of the party.

Kwankwaso left the PDP for the APC having become governor and minister on the platform of the PDP. He contested the APC presidential primary election in 2015 and lost, but he was later elected senator on the party’s platform.

Thereafter, Kwankwaso returned to his original party in this republic, the PDP. He has now founded a new party, the Nigerian New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), of which he is today the presidential candidate. The Herculean task

now is how to turn NNPP into a truly national platform like the PDP. Even at that, the NNPP is not ideologically distinguishable from the PDP or APC, two of the former parties of Kwankwaso.

Similarly, Obi was elected governor on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He later abandoned this platform for the PDP and ran as the running mate to Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the platform of the PDP in the 2019 elections. At a time he was considered a probable candidate of the PDP in some informed quarters, Obi suddenly announced his exit from the party. He has joined the Labour Party (LP) for the sole purpose of securing the party’s presidential ticket. The projection is that Obi may soon realise that joining the LP might be different from moving in and out of PDP. The LP is a party sponsored labour centres which minimally subscribe to a sort of social democratic ideology. For instance, beyond his professed commitment to the liberalisation of sectors of the economy for increased productivity, Obi may have to adopt the Workers’ Charter of Demands as the genuine basis for a productive

“Some ideas informed certain policy steps taken in the past in the management of the Nigerian political economy. The purveyors of those ideas are now disowning them because of the unpleasant outcomes.”

economy underlined by distributive justice. His neo-liberal impulse may have to be tempered in the discussion of policies. To plan for a political economy based on social justice, which is the goal of any labour party anywhere in the world, the matter goes beyond crunching of figures and engaging in statistical games.

The stories of Kwankwaso and Obi are sketched in the foregoing as examples of migrations in the political landscape without ideological compass. It is important to mention the names of Kwankwaso and Obi because they are politicians of consequence in the build-up towards 2023. That is why it should rankle those who care about the nation’s democratic development that politicians such Kwankwaso and Obi are not paying attention to the ideological content of their politics.

Last year, former Speaker of the British Parliament John Bercow left the Conservative for the opposition Labour Party. He gave the public a justification for the movement. According to him, the Conservative Party under the leadership of Boris Johnson had become “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic.”

He said he was attracted by the Labour Party’s ideology of “equality, social justice and internationalism.” Running election on the platform of the Labour Party was not his sole reason for joining the party as it is the political culture in Nigeria. Hardly has any Nigerian politician given a weighty ideological reason for leaving one party for another in this Fourth Republic.

The usual fault identified in the parties is the mode of nominating candidates for elections.

Since the “collapse of communism” in the old Soviet Union eastern Europe, it has become a pastime of public intellectuals here to proclaim the “end of ideology” as neo-liberals are wont to do elsewhere. Ironically, this position itself is deeply ideological. It is because the neo-liberals cannot defend the outcomes of their ideological postulations that they claim to be pragramatic and non-ideological. For instance, neo-liberals cannot own up to the increasing inequality that is one of the outcomes of the ideology behind globalisation. This much was evident at the last World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where there were reflections on the possible “end of globalisation.”

Contrary to the branding of ideology as the preoccupation of the Left, the reality is that policies in different climes and by different governments are informed by conservative, liberal or radical ideologies depending on which political force is controlling power.

Each of the ideological options has its own consequences. Doubtless, some ideas informed certain policy steps taken in the past in the management of the Nigerian political economy.

The purveyors of those ideas are now disowning them because of the unpleasant outcomes. The various soul-depressing indices of the economy are the results of those decisions or lack of policies.

All told, the quality of elections would be enhanced if politics had some ideological content.

Political parties and politicians seeking power on their platforms should be identified with definite ideas behind policy choices.

In this respect, ideology becomes a resource for mobilising the people in tackling issues of underdevelopment and promoting the cause of progress.

But when politicians live in denial of ideology, regionalism and religion become the dominant factors of politics.

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