FRIDAY 29TH JUNE 2019

Uber Plans to Offer Boat Service in Lagos Alike Ejiofor with agency report Uber Technology Inc. has unveiled plan to launch its boat business in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and biggest city, to beat traffic congestion.

The ride-hailing service company yesterday disclosed that it was in talks with the Lagos State Government and regulatory authorities to start Uber Boats services on its waterways.

Uber’s Chief Business

Officer, Brooks Entwistle, confirmed this development in an interview with Bloomberg.

“We know the traffic is a priority and we think we can help there,” Entwistle said.

“We are having fruitful good discussions with the

regulators right now, it is what we are doing this week; we are meeting with partners,” he added.

The executive did not give a time line on when the service will begin.

Lagos, sub-Saharan Africa

biggest city with an estimated population of 22 million, is known for its traffic congestion leaving commuters spending hours in their cars.

Public transport services are scarce and unreliable.

Its vast waterways provide

good transport options but they are hardly used.

Uber, which faces competition from Estonianride hailing firm, Bolt, said it would seek partnership with Continued on page 9

Nigeria Set for Highest Oil Exports to Europe... Page 9 Friday 28 June, 2019 Vol 24. No 8845. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

2023 Political Calculations Fueling Demonstrations against Kyari, Others Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Cold political calculations and positioning for the 2023 presidential elections are behind recent demonstrations against prominent persons believed to be in the kitchen cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari, security sources told THISDAY last

night.

Demonstrators had, at different times this week, taken to the streets of Abuja and Kaduna to protest what they called undue influence of close associates of the president, including his chief of staff, Malam Abba Kyari; nephew, Alhaji Mamman Daura; and long-standing friend, Alhaji

Isa Funtua, among others.

The protesters had specifically called on the president to check the influence of the trio, asking that Kyari not be returned as his number one aide.

But security sources who spoke to THISDAY said they apprehended supporters and friends of Governor Nasir el-

Rufai of Kaduna State, as the masterminds of the protests.

According to them, elRufai and former minister of Transportation, who was also head of the Buhari Campaign in 2015 and 2019, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, are both angling to take over the presidency in a bid to strategically position themselves as the inheritors of

post-2023 Buhari presidency.

Amaechi is said to be seeking the position of Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF).

THISDAY gathered that having lost out in their bids to install their cronies to lead the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and before that, the Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN), they are now focused on taking up the positions of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chief of Staff to the president (COS).

It was learnt that contrary to the belief that Amaechi wants to return as minister of Continued on page 9

Finally, Nigeria to Sign African Continental Free Trade Agreement To negotiate conditions for assent Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja Following the recommendation of the Presidential Committee on African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, Nigeria will sign the agreement, with conditions authoritative presidency sources have told THISDAY. The phase one of the agreement was adopted by African Union (AU) Heads of State at its 10th Extraordinary Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, on March 21, 2018.

But Nigeria pulled out of the signing ceremony at the last minute, following agitations from the private sector that the agreement would make Nigeria a dumping ground for goods and services in Africa.

However, the presidential committee led by Dr. Desmond Guobadia after reviewing concerns about the agreement, recommended that Nigeria should append its signature, saying on the balance, the country stands to gain.

"Your Excellency, our reports show that on the balance, Nigeria should consider joining the AfCFTA, and using the opportunity of the ongoing AfCFTA Phase I negotiations to secure the necessary safeguards required to ensure that our domestic policies and programmes are not compromised," he told the president.

Presidency sources said the president, who had allied with the concerns of the Continued on page 8

FG Denies Persecution of Christians... Page 8

VOTE FOR AFRICAN TRADE...

L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari; his Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari; and Chairman, Presidential Committee on Impact and Readiness Assessment of African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AFCFTA), Mr. Desmond Guobadia, during the submission of the report of the committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja... yesterday godwin omoigui

2

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

3

4

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

5

6

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

7

8

FRIDAY, ÍşÎ€Ëœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT

Amidst Criticisms, Presidency Summons Agric Perm Sec over Ruga Settlements James Emejo in Abuja Apparently jolted by the barrage of criticisms the announcement of commencement of implementation of federal government’s cattle settlement policy, tagged Ruga settlement, has generated, the presidency yesterday summoned the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammadu Umar.

Umar had on Monday, told journalists that the federal government had commenced the implementation of the policy in 12 states, saying it was a pilot scheme meant to test-run the government’s solution to the endemic herders’ confrontation with crop farmers nationwide.

His pronouncement attracted loud outcry from the government of Benue State and the governors of South-east states, who stated clearly on Tuesday that the policy would be resisted by them.

The protesters on Wednesday received hefty support from such socio-cultural groups as Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pan-Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF) and the Middle-Belt Forum as well as social critics, who rejected the policy as unworkable and unacceptable.

Ministry sources told THISDAY yesterday that Umar was called to the presidency to explain his statement, which is believed to be unauthorised, particularly given the sensitive nature of the policy said to

still be at consultative stage.

The permanent secretary had said the federal government had commenced the building of Ruga settlements to curb the recurrent clashes between farmers and cattle herders, pointing out that the establishment of the settlements had been "settled along with other people that are interested in rearing animals."

But THISDAY gathered that he might have exceeded the limits of his office by discussing the issue without authorisation as this ought to be the prerogative of the minister.

A source said the permanent secretary might have spoken too soon as the federal government had not concluded consultations with the pilot

states, most of them still resistant to the policy. “Obviously, the Perm Sec was too forward in his pronouncement. While it is true that the federal government had the policy on the ground, it was still negotiating with some of the states involved and wanted a consensus before proceeding with implementation,� a source said, adding: “But with the serious resistance from most of the pilot states, it is not impossible for the federal government to abandon the policy.�

Umar’s categorical statement, said the source, put the federal government on the spot and could jeopardise the implementation of the policy.

Umar had during an interview with journalists on

Monday stated that the federal government had commenced the establishment of farm settlements to stop the constant clashes between farmers and herders, which have negatively impacted the economy.

According to him, already, the government has commenced the establishment of “Ruga Settlements� in 12 pilot states for the benefits of cattle rearers.

He said: “It is a concept that we developed to deal with internal security and we felt that to do away with herders and farmers’ conflict, we need to settle those that breed animals. “We want to get them a place whereby we develop a settlement for them, we provide water for their animals, we

provide pasture, we provide schools for their children; we provide security, agro-rangers. “We also felt we need to develop cattle markets whereby you don’t need to be transporting animals for a very long distance. “Under the new plan, cattle herders are expected to be registered and recognised with cooperatives for the purpose of the ranching scheme. “These cooperatives will then be able to get rental agreements for land from state governments and also benefit from ranch resources on several terms including loans, grants, and subsidies. “The Ruga settlement is one of the very important things not only in Nigeria but most of the countries in the Sub-Saharan."

FG Denies Persecution of Christians Tells British parliamentary group NCEF’s allegation untrue Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The federal government yesterday denied the allegation by the Northern Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was practising bigotry and alienating Christians.

It also denied that the Boko Haram terrorism has link with the official policy of the government, stressing that the violent acts by the terrorist group predated the Buhari administration, like many others that were inherited on coming to office in 2015.

The response by the federal government was contained in a letter to the British Parliamentary Group, signed by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, Justice George Oguntade.

Two letters were addressed to Rt. Rev. Philip Mounstephen, a former Secretary of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and now Head, “Independent Review of Foreign and Commonwealth

Office (FCO) Support of Persecuted Christians, “and Baroness Berridge, the Chair of “All Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief.�

According to a presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, in the correspondences, Nigeria dismissed as inconceivable and outright false allusions that the Boko Haram terrorism served a government agenda against Christians. “It would be useful for me to engage with this process to ensure that you are thoroughly briefed on the situation in Nigeria,� Oguntade reportedly wrote in the correspondences.

Responding to the interim report on Foreign and Commonwealth Office Support for Persecuted Christians, Oguntade, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, told Mounstephen: “The safety and security of all Nigerians, whatever their faith, is a fundamental priority of the Buhari government. The government knows that Nigeria

can only achieve its potential if there are religious tolerance and cooperation.�

He said President Muhammadu Buhari’s deputy is a pastor, adding that the president “has befriended church leaders and church groups both within and outside Nigeria.�

He added that the President’s cabinet was balanced between Muslims and Christians, noting that he himself was a former Chancellor of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

According to Justice Oguntade, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has maintained regular contacts with Christian and Muslim leaders as part of efforts to build and sustain interfaith dialogue.

He stressed that the country’s security challenges has no ethnic and religious colourations.

The High Commissioner said the farmers/herders clashes predated the Buhari administration, noting that such clashes bordered on the desire for pasture by the herders and the desire to protect crops from

encroachment and destruction by the farmers.

Oguntade said the clashes had a long history and the Buhari administration was taking a major step to address the root cause of the crises and violent clashes pitting Muslim and Christian farmers against the herders.

According to the High Commissioner, “the issue of grazing routes is historically central to these conflicts and the Buhari administration is taking a holistic approach to the matter with a view to ending it once and for all, so that Nigerians can live in peace with one another.�

He assured the international community that the Buhari administration would ensure that “the competition over scarce land is resolved peacefully for the benefits of all parties.�

He also rejected attempts by the reporting group to link Boko Haram terrorism with official policy, stating that the violence by the terrorist group predated the Buhari administration.

He added that criminal groups such as the Boko Haram terrorists who kill Muslims and Christians do not represent Muslims. “Boko Haram is a murderous death cult whose savagery has destroyed thousands of lives. “The government is totally dedicated to eradicating their stain from our land. “Since the Buhari administration has been in power, Boko Haram has been significantly degraded – with the support and assistance of the UK Government. We shall not rest until this mission is completed and the people of North-east Nigeria – both Christians and Muslims – can live in peace again,� he said.

The two letters were each accompanied by a copy of an opinion article signed by the president and published on November 30, 2018 by London-based CHURCH TIMES, entitled: Don’t Politicise Religion in Nigeria.

In the article, Buhari, among other things, said Muslims and Christians could flourish

together. “These two great religions (Islam and Christianity) can not only peacefully coexist but flourish together. But we must first turn to one another in compassion. For as Amos teaches us: “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to meet?� “We must resist the temptation to retreat into our communities because if we do, our palette of possibilities will remain primary. It is only when we mix them together that we can imagine new and greater possibilities. “As our constitution spells out, politicising religion should have no place in Nigeria.

However, it is all the more reprehensible when in doing so; it feeds fears and plays to man’s baser instincts. “For it makes us turn away from one another; it makes us retreat into our communities and walk different paths, and it blinds us to each other’s Godgiven dignity,� the president had said in the article published in CHURCH TIMES.

FINALLY, NIGERIA TO SIGN AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT private sector on the inherent negative consequences of the agreement, which might open up the country for imported goods at the expense of the domestic market, has now been persuaded to table these concerns before the AU and negotiate favourable conditions for Nigeria before putting pen to paper.

The president had told committee that the federal government would review its submissions and consider them in making its final decision on the matter.

But a presidential source said yesterday that Buhari had caved in to pressure from pro-AfCFTA proponents having been persuaded that his concerns could be allayed by further negotiations with his brother heads of government in the continental body.

Nigeria’s withdrawal from the signing of the agreement had met with criticism from former president, Chief

Olusegun Obasanjo, who has been championing the need for the country to sign the pact.

Obasanjo had said last Thursday at the 2019 Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) event in Moscow, Russia, that Nigeria had no justifiable reason for not signing the agreement, which countries such as Eritrea, Niger and even Benin, a neighbouring country, had signed.

But while presenting the presidential committee’s report yesterday in Abuja, Guobadia, listed reasons why the committee recommended that Nigeria should sign the agreement.

According to him, signing the agreement would present Nigeria with the opportunity for it's manufacturing industry to expand its business frontiers in Africa, noting that trade barriers, which had limited expansion of business in Nigeria, would be corrected by the agreement.

He said opportunities offered

by the agreement would make African goods more attractive and cheaper.

While acknowledging the risks inherent in Nigeria’s signing AfCFTA, which include smuggling and abuse of rules of origin, Guobadia said the committee believed that such risks would be high for Nigeria bearing in mind that 92 percent of its imports come from other parts of the world and smuggling.

"Our study has shown that the AfCFTA is not without major risks and undesirable impacts. The most significant of which is the potential rise in smuggling and abuse of rules of origin. The risk is that it will provide incentive for traders to disguise goods imported from outside the continent as made- in-Africa goods, to qualify for duty-free treatment.

"This risk is high for Nigeria considering that 92% of Nigeria's imports come from the rest of the world and smuggling,

under-reporting of imports and other forms of abuse of rules of origin already constitute major challenges faced by Nigeria in ECOWAS," he said.

Guobadia added that the risks in AfCFTA is compounded by lack of capacity, resources and will by some African countries to secure their borders, pointing out that the committee realised that certain costs would be required to manage negative impacts of the agreement.

"The risk is further complicated by the lack of capacity, resources and "will" on the part of some African countries, to enforce their borders. Tackling this threat will require collective efforts at the highest level of ECOWAS and the African Union," he stated.

However, to guard against the adverse impacts of the agreement, the committee recommended: the extension of the timelines to achieve trade liberalisation and integration ambitions and possibly replacing

them with a readiness criteria; introduction of explicit rules on import quota restrictions; adoption of a common market access offer for trade in goods and services for ECOWAS, including synchronised Sensitive and Exclusive Lists; adoption of the common market access offer for trade in goods to replace and supersede the 2013 ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), which created vulnerabilities for Nigerian industry and manufacturing; and adoption of appropriate continental customs cooperation and other mechanisms to tackle predatory trade.

"Considering the potential impact of predatory trade on her economy, Nigeria should consider championing the effort at ECOWAS and AU/AfCFTA to implement and enforce these safeguards.

"At the domestic level, we recommend that: a National Continued on page 9

TOP GAINERS CCNN BOCGASES INTERBREW COURTVILLE CHIPLC TOP LOSERS FORTOIL BERGPAINTS NIGBREW

NGN NGN 1.20 13.20 0.37 4.13 1.60 18.30 0.02 0.25 0.02 0.26 NGN 3.00 27.40 0.70 6.45 4.50 57.50 STERLBANK 0.15 2.20 TRANSCORP 0.05 1.09 HPE Nestle Nig Plc â‚Ś1,400.00 Volume: 301.175 million shares Value: N5.033 billion Deals: 4,187 As at yesterday 27/6/19 See details on Page 43

% 10 9.8 9.5 8.7 8.3 % 9.8 9.7 7.2 6.3 4.3

9

FRIDAY, ÍşÎ€Ëœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Nigeria Set for Highest Oil Exports to Europe OPEC to rollover output cut deal Ejiofor Alike with agency reports Nigeria is set to export highest volume of crude oil to Europe in June following production outages being experienced by producers in the UK’s North Sea oilfields, according to oil traders.

This is coming as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is expected to roll over a deal on cutting crude supplies at a meeting next week and discuss deepening the production curbs that have been in place since January 1, 2019.

Reuters reported that Nigeria is set to export about 905,000 barrels per day (bpd) to the continent this month, the most since a roughly five-year high of about one million bpd in November, 2018.

Nigeria’s exports to Europe hit a five-year high of one million barrels per day in November 2018 but slumped to 677,000 – 700,000 barrels per day in the last seven months.

Norwegian and UK offshore fields in the North Sea normally provide a steady supply of lighter crude to refineries feeding northern Europe’s major economies and are traditionally more competitive than Nigerian grades due to their proximity.

But planned maintenance on

Norway’s Ekofisk oilfields this month slashed exports to just one cargo from the usual 10-15.

Also, Flotta, another of the 12 North Sea fields, was said to be closed for repairs over two weeks in late May. Supply of the five North Sea crude grades that underpin the dated Nigeria’s Brent benchmark is set to fall to around 720,000 bpd in June, from 948,000 bpd the month before.

The contamination of a pipeline carrying Russian Urals crude in April interrupted flows to central and eastern Europe for a month and left stocks in need of replenishment.

Higher volumes to Europe have provided an unexpected boon, with Nigerian exports to the United States on the wane for a decade due to increased US shale oil production, and demand relatively steady in Nigeria’s key markets India and Indonesia. “(Europe) always tends to act as the clearing house at lower value than the East,� one trader selling Nigerian crude said.

Though European gasoline margins have been middling and especially poor among southern European refiners, several factors may mesh in coming months to support Nigerian differentials, which stand near multi-year highs.

President Muhammadu Buhari Traders said the possibility of a permanent shutdown to the fire-stricken Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in the city, though it was a consistent importer of Nigerian crude, would increase demand for gasoline refined in Europe.

Nigeria’s Egina, heavy sweet crude from a new offshore field, has proved consistently popular among refiners in northwest Europe.

OPEC to Rollover Crude Oil Output Cut Deal Meanwhile, OPEC is to roll over a deal on cutting crude supplies at a meeting next week and discuss deepening the curbs

that have been in place since January 1, 2019.

A deal between OPEC and allies, including Russia, to curb oil output by 1.2 million barrels runs out at the end of June.

With the expiration of the agreement this week, the group has scheduled meetings from July 1-2 in Vienna, Austria to discuss the next steps.

However, Iraq’s Oil Minister, Thamer Ghadhban, has said the group would extend the current deal and consider deeper production cuts.

He said the issue would be discussed in Vienna but declined to specify what alternative level of cuts were being suggested. “The rollover at least would be at the same level because it has not been very effective, it has been effective to a certain level to minimise the glut in the market, but there are now ideas or calls for agreeing (on) even more,� Ghadhban said on the sidelines of the CWC Iraq Petroleum Conference in London.

Reuters reported that Algeria had floated an idea of deepening the cut by some 600,000 bpd, to make it 1.8 million barrels per day.

Oil prices hit their highest in about a month on Wednesday, buoyed by United States government data that showed a larger-than-expected drawdown

in crude stocks as exports hit a record high, and surprise drops in refined product stockpiles.

The price of the global benchmark, Brent crude, which dropped to $65 per barrel yesterday, had risen $1.44, or 2.2 per cent to settle at $66.49 a barrel on Wednesday, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.55, or 2.7 per cent, to settle at $59.38 a barrel.

The product drawdown comes at the same time as news that the largest and oldest refinery on the US East Coast would be shut after a massive fire last week caused substantial damage.

According to agency reports, Philadelphia Energy Solutions plans to shut down the 335,000 bpd refinery complex next month.

The crude inventory fall and refinery outage added to uncertainty over oil supplies created by the war of words between Washington and Tehran.

This has prompted fears that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s busiest oil supply route, could be disrupted.

Asked if a war was brewing, US President Donald Trump told Fox Business Network on Wednesday: “I hope we don’t but we are in a very strong position if something should happen.�

Tehran has condemned a fresh round of US sanctions, describing it as “mentally retarded.�

But the US Special Representative on Iran, Brian Hook, told Reuters in an interview yesterday that the United States’ policy of maximum economic pressure on Tehran was working. “We are dedicated to this policy of maximum economic pressure because it is working, it is denying the regime historic levels of revenue,� Hook said.

Hook was speaking before a meeting with senior French, British and German diplomats in Paris to convince them that the US policy was the best way to get Iran back to the negotiating table.

Bilateral tensions spiked anew after Iran shot down a US drone last week in the Gulf.

Relations have been tense since Washington blamed attacks on oil tankers just outside the Gulf on Iran, while Tehran has denied any role.

In the search for a longer-term direction, the oil markets will watch the G20 meeting this weekend followed by a meeting of the OPEC and non-OPEC producers, a group known as OPEC+, taking place from July 1-2, to discuss extending output cuts for the second half of this year.

FG, States, LGs Share N679.699bn May Allocation Excess Crude Account balance now $63m Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) yesterday shared a total of N679.699 among the three tiers of government—the federal, state and local governments—as allocation for the May. The amount, shared at a joint meeting of FAAC, which held

in Kano, includes total revenue distributable for the month, including Value Added Tax (VAT) of N106.826 billion and Exchange Gain of N1.142 billion.

A breakdown of the distribution to the various tiers of government, including the cost of collection to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS, Department of Petroleum

Resources (DPR) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS), showed that the federal government received N284.163 billion, representing 52.68 per cent, the states received N187.605 billion or 26.72 per cent.

The local government councils got N140.997 billion, representing 20.60 per cent, while the oil producing states

received N40.436 billion as 13 per cent derivation revenue.

A communiquĂŠ issued after the meeting by the FAAC Technical Committee indicated that the cost of collection/ transfers/FIRS refund stood at N26.498 billion.

Gross revenue available from VAT for May was N106.826 billion when compared to the

N96.485 billion distributed in April, resulting in an increase of N10.341 billion.

Distributable statutory gross revenue of N571.731 billion received for the month was higher than the N518.916 billion received in April by N52.815 billion.

According to the communiquĂŠ, revenues from

Oil Royalty and Companies Income Tax (CIT) recorded significant increases while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) decreased significantly.

Import Duty and VAT also recorded marginal increases.

The committee also said as at yesterday, June 27, 2019, the Excess Crude Account (ECA) had a balance of $63.005 million.

in 2017, with taxis zipping up the Nile River that dissects Cairo to bypass clogged streets.

The company has expanded the service to cities including

Mumbai and along the Croatian coast. It is also looking to partner with Lagos bus companies to provide ride services through its platform according to the CBO.

Entwistle added that the transport company was in talks with regulators to start operations in Francophone Dakar and Abidjan.

to take over the presidency in order to help the president deliver on his electioneering promised to the people, the belief is that both are positioning themselves for a post-Buhari presidency in 2023. el- Rufai has not publicly indicated he is interested in presidency 2023 nor has he confirmed or denied this development. Attempts to reach him last night proved abortive as he has multiple telephone

numbers. “With Kyari out of the way, the schemes of el-Rufai and Amaechi will not go unchallenged,� a source close to the SGF said, adding: “Both the persons they are scheming to displace and other key players in the power game in the All Progressives Congress, including the party’s national leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, are not likely to fold their arms and do nothing.�

create jobs for our very vibrant, young and dynamic population."

The president said Nigeria would henceforth ensure that agreements that it negotiated would boost business opportunities in the country, adding that the country should only pursue an agreement that would create wealth for investors and jobs.

In addition, Nigeria will also focus on agreements that enhance the prosperity of the country.

The president said the committee report would play crucial roles in the eventual decision that the federal government would take on AfCFTA. He commended members of

the committee whom he said had deployed their skills and energy to come up with the report, saying that Nigeria would ensure that negotiated agreements create business opportunities for Africa’s manufacturers, service providers and innovators.

"The AfCFTA we aspire to have should therefore not only create wealth for investors but also jobs and prosperity for our vibrant and hardworking citizens. The benefits of economic growth must be prosperity for the masses.

"Let me assure you that your report will form part of the consideration in our decision on the next steps on the AfCFTA in particular and on broader trade integration subjects," he said.

UBER PLANS TO OFFER BOAT SERVICE IN LAGOS local players for the service.

It currently has 1.3 million active riders and 36,000 drivers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The United States- based

company said its franchise in Africa is still at early stages. “Our strategy is in every country we going into we want to find local partners to help us

with our business,� Entwistle said, adding: “Partnership is core to our business.�

San Francisco-based Uber launched a boat service in Egypt

2023 POLITICAL CALCULATIONS FUELING DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST KYARI, OTHERS Transportation, his interest is to become the SGF, an ambition that is sure to set him on a collision course with the former holder, Mr. Boss Mustapha, and another SGF aspirant, Senator George Akume, also a former governor of Benue State.

Meanwhile, el-Rufai’s friends say he is scheming to abdicate his governorship and take over as COS, intending to displace Kyari. This scheme,

explained a security source, was the strategy behind his insistence on appointing a fellow Muslim as his deputy in the 2019 governorship election of a state as religiously volatile as Kaduna. “Governor el-Rufai knew what he wanted to do and felt that his Muslim constituency would not forgive him if he resigns and a Christian takes over as it happened when former

governor, Namadi Sambo, who left to become vice-president to former president, Dr, Goodluck Jonathan,� the source said, adding: “That was why he insisted on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, hoping that when he resigns another Muslim would take over; a Christian would then be appointed deputy governor to balance the religious equation in the state.�

Sambo’s deputy, Mr. Patrick

Yakowa, a Christian from Southern Kaduna, had succeeded him when he moved to the presidency in 2010, an occurrence that the Muslim North part of the state was said to have bellyached over for a long time, particularly when Yakowa contested and won another term of office before his death in a plane crash in 2012.

Another security source said although Amaechi and el-Rufai are telling people that they want

FINALLY, NIGERIA TO SIGN AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT Action Committee on AfCFTA be established to coordinate relevant ministries, departments and agencies to drive the implementation of the AfCFTA readiness projects and initiatives.

"The AfCFTA negotiation mandate should be updated based on the report of this Committee and submitted to Your Excellency for your consideration and further directives," the committee further recommended.

Responding, Buhari said AfCFTA would have both negative and positive impacts in Nigeria.

The president said free trade was good as long as it was fair and done on equitable basis and that Nigeria as the largest

economy and the most populous country in Africa could not rush to sign the agreement.

According to him, if the agreement must succeed, policies aimed at promoting production in Africa must be developed, adding that if Nigeria allows frivolous importation, its trade will be dominated.

He also said the implication of such development would be the prosperity of importing "while landlocked nations will continue to suffer and depend on aid."

He added: "Our position is very simple, we support free trade as long as it is fair and conducted on an equitable basis.

The AfCFTA will have both positive and negative effects

on us as a nation and on our region.

"As Africa’s largest economy and most populous country, we cannot afford to rush into such agreements without full and proper consultation with all stakeholders. As you mentioned in your report, intra-African trade is only 14 percent of Africa’s total trade. Our consumption is mostly of goods imported from outside the continent.

"For AfCFTA to succeed, we must develop policies that promote African production, among other benefits. Africa, therefore, needs not only a trade policy but also a continental manufacturing agenda. Our vision for intra-African trade

is for the free movement of 'made in Africa goods.' That is, goods and services made locally with dominant African content in terms of raw materials and value addition.

"If we allow unbridled imports to continue, it will dominate our trade. The implication of this, is that coastal importing nations will prosper while landlocked nations will continue to suffer and depend on aid.

"As I stated during the inauguration of this committee, many of the challenges we face today, whether security, economic or corruption are rooted in our inability, over the years, to domesticate the production of the most basic requirements and

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

10

NEWS

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

Buhari Condemns Failed Coup in Ethiopia Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The Chairman of ECOWAS and Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Abuja condemned in strong terms the failed coup in Ethiopia, which claimed some lives and condoled with families of those who lost their loved ones in the episode.

Buhari expressed ECOWAS solidarity with the government of Ethiopia as well as the group’s respect for the sovereignty, independence and unity of Ethiopia.

Buhari, in a statement he personally signed as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government,

admonished Africans to adhere to what he described as “relevant African Union Instruments, principally the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Lomé Declaration on the Unconstitutional Change of Government.”

Insisting that Africa remains committed to the ideals of the African Union on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance adopted at the Eighth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2007, Buhari advised member-states to act with caution and shun all actions that have the capacity to erode peace, unity and stability of Ethiopia.

“In my capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and on behalf of our Regional Organisation, we strongly condemn the coup attempt in the Amhara Region and the tragic events in the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, on Saturday, June 22, 2019.

“We express our deep

sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the coup attempt and to the people and Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

“We reaffirm the imperative for the adherence to relevant African Union Instruments, principally the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Lomé Declaration on the

Unconstitutional Change of Government.

“We are committed to the ideals of the African Union on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance adopted at the Eighth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2007.

“We urge all concerned to exercise maximum restraint

and avoid any action that could undermine the peace, unity and stability of Ethiopia.

‘At this trying period, we also convey our full solidarity to the people and Government of Ethiopia.

We finally reiterate our respect for the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Ethiopia.

Tribunal Rejects HDP’s Application for Withdrawal of Petition against Buhari Dismisses Buhari, INEC’s applications for dismissal of PDM’s Petition that from the evidence before

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Respite came the way of the candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in the February 23 presidential election, Chief Ambrose Owuru, following yesterday’s dismissal of an application seeking to strike out the name of the party from the petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) sitting in Abuja.

Chairman of the five-member presidential election panel, Justice Mohammed Garba, in a ruling yesterday dismissed the application for lacking merit.

Owuru, who contested the February 23 presidential election under the platform of the HDP, is challenging the emergence of Buhari as winner of the presidential poll.

Their petition dated March 7 and marked: PEPT/001/2019 is seeking the nullification of President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the poll on grounds of alleged irregularities and violation of the 1999 Constitution as well as the Electoral Act. However, few days after the panel commenced sitting, one Poland Tapre, who claimed to be the chairman of the HDP, announced appearance for the party and informed the tribunal of the HDP’s intention to withdraw from the petition, claiming that the 1st petitioner, Owuru did not obtain the consent of the party before filing the petition.

In the application argued by his lawyer, Tony Agbonlahor, the factional chairman told the tribunal that Owuru, who flew the flag of the HDP in the presidential election, has been on suspension as chairman since August, 2018, adding that the leadership of the party did not authorise the inclusion of the HDP as joint petitioner in matter.

However, Owuru in his submission made by his lawyer, Chukwuemeka Njoku, urged the tribunal to ignore Poland on the grounds that he was an impostor, and stranger seeking to disrupt the hearing of the petitioners’ petition, and should accordingly be dismissed.

Delivering ruling in the motion yesterday, the tribunal in a unanimous decision, held

it, Owuru who is the party’s presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election is the authentic Chairman and leader of the HDP. The tribunal further held that R-L: Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State; and former in election matters, the party Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, when the governors visited Kogi to facilitate the reconciliation of the All Progressives cannot be easily separated from Congress (APC) members in the state in Lokoja...yesterday its candidate, which made the HDP a necessary party in the suit.

In another development, the tribunal also dismissed two separate applications seeking Chinedu Eze The NCAA explained that minima. It is quite important operations even at adverse the dismissal of the petition there are many other hazardous for all intending air travellers weather conditions. of the Peoples Democratic The Nigerian Civil Aviation weather occurrences such as and airline operators to note The stakeholders who Movement (PDM) against Authority (NCAA) has warned severe turbulence, microburst that in line with Standard made the call to the federal the outcome of the February pilots and airline operators to or low-level wind shear and and Recommended Practices government, said it was very 23 presidential election, which exercise extreme caution during occasionally hail, which are (SARPs), Air Traffic Controllers critical that navigational aids produced President Buhari as flight operations as rainy bound to affect air navigation. (ATC), may temporarily close are upgraded and obsolete winner.

The regulatory authority airspace during inclement ones replaced to enable the The candidate of the PDM, season sets in with attendant thunderstorm. directed all pilots to recourse weather conditions. These are Nigeria Airspace Management Aminchi Habu and the PDM are The regulatory body explained to utmost restraint whenever adverse weather conditions Agency (NAMA), deliver its challenging their exclusion from the February 23 presidential that the rainy season, which is adverse weather is observed such as severe thunderstorms, services according to global torrential, is prevalent in the or forecast by Nigerian squall lines microburst or low best practices. election.

Speaking during the second They are asking the tribunal southern and northern parts of Meteorological Agency (NiMET). level wind-shear as observed to nullify the February 23 Nigeria, is usually accompanied It added that pilots and or forecast by NiMET”, the quarter Business Breakfast presidential poll and conduct by severe thunderstorms, which flight crews shall mandatorily authority said.

Meeting organised by Aviation a fresh one which would include could threaten safety of flight obtain adequate, en route and The NCAA said it expected Roundtable, a group of industry them. operations. destination weather information strict adherence to this directive think-tanks, immediate past However, both the Independent The warning is coming at and briefing from NiMET to ensure the safety of air rector of the Nigerian College National Electoral Commission the time aviation stakeholders Aerodrome Meteorological transportation in Nigeria. of Aviation Technology (NCAT), (INEC) and President Buhari, in have called on the federal offices before flight operations.

Meanwhile, aviation Samuel Caulcrick, explained response to the petition, had government to provide funds for “In the same vein, Air stakeholders have called on the that globally, countries are urged the tribunal to dismiss the PDM’s petition on the grounds the acquisition and installation Traffic Controllers (ATC) and federal government to provide reluctant to privatise the air of non-compliance with section of critical navigation facilities to Flight Crews/Operators shall funds for the acquisition and navigation because private 18(1) of the 1st Schedule of the enhance flight operations even ensure total compliance with installation of critical navigation sectors are profit-driven, while at adverse weather conditions. all aerodromes operating facilities to enhance flight air navigation is about safety.

Electoral Act. In their separate motions, counsel to INEC and Buhari, Yunus Usman (SAN) and Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), claimed that the petitioners failed to apply Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, no matter what you feel about “I have on several occasions for pre-hearing notice of their the Ogun State capital, and Nigeria. called for interventions in the petition within the seven days Former President Olusegun honoured him as “Father of “Don’t let us fall into the educational system of the required by law.

Obasanjo has stated that the Nation”, Obasanjo said primordial life of breaking this country.

Usman in his submission developed countries willing that if he hadn’t had a formal country along ethnicity and “The government only needs said the application not filed to do business with Nigeria education he wouldn’t have religion. Let every Nigerian to re-introduce the former shift within time is deemed to have were scared by insecurity and been opportuned to engage stand firm and say it is my programme. In doing this, there been abandoned and asked corruption. in both the national and country, because we have no will be morning and afternoon the tribunal to dismiss the shifts for the students.

He has also raised the alarm international assignments alternative,” he explained. petition.

“Let us do things that will He urged the Nigerian over the 13 million children he has found himself.

But the petitioners in opposing who are out of school in the “Most of these developed take us to the promise land,” youths not to let anybody the motions claimed that the country and advocated for countries want to do businesses he added. tell them they are young to application was made well the re-introduction of a shift with us but almost all of them He stated that he felt sad rule the country. within the time provided by law. programme in the educational are afraid, because of insecurity that more than 13 million “I started making my Counsel to the petitioners, system of the country in order and corruption in the land.

Nigerians are out of schools. meaningful contribution to Aliyu Lemu, accordingly urged to cater for those roaming about “We behave like ostrich that To address the malaise, the this country in 1960. I was the tribunal to dismiss the motions the streets. buries its head in the sand. former President said he has under 24 years old when I for being frivolous and lacking These developed countries at various times called for participated in the Congo war.

Addressing Nigerian youths merit. under the aegies of the National know us more than ourselves. interventions, one of which By the time we had civil war I Delivering ruling, the Youths Council of Nigeria As a result, we shouldn’t was the re-introduction of was under 35 years and when tribunal however dismissed (NYCN) who had visited keep saying or do things that the shift programme in the I became the Military Head the two applications for being him at his Abeokuta residence, will make us a laughing stock. educational system of the of State, I was under 40 years unmeritorous.

“God has given us a country, country. old.

Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential

STRATEGISING FOR KOGI GUBER POLL…

NCAA Warns Pilots, Airlines over Thunderstorm

Obasanjo: Corruption, Insecurity Scaring Foreign Investors

11

FRIDAY JUNE 28 , 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

ICPC: Lai Mohammed to Appear in Court over Alleged N2.5bn Fraud Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja The immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has been scheduled to appear before a Federal High Court, Abuja, to explain his role in the alleged misapplication of N2.5 billion federal government’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme.

The planned appearance of Mohammed was revealed by the Independent Corrupt Practice

and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which is prosecuting the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, over an alleged abuse of office and money laundering.

ICPC had filed a 12-count charge before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa, against Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa and Dipo Onifade and others, saying that the NBC director general

Stop Intimidating Judges, Secondus Tells Buhari Chuks Okocha in Abuja The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to look inwards at his stinking executive and stop the hostility and ill- treatment of the Nigeria’s judiciary.

Speaking against the backdrop of President Buhari’s unprovoked attacks on the former Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen on Tuesday while hosting some Yoruba leaders at the Aso Villa, Secondus said that the president’s aversion on the judiciary is becoming very apparent, dangerous and antithetical to democratic norms.

He accused the president of continuing to bemoan his past with the judiciary by displaying his unconcealed anger and unforgiving desire to take a pound of flesh on them.

The national chairman remarked that the motive behind the endless attacks on the judiciary by the President especially last Tuesday’s narration of his so-called ordeal with the courts was strategically designed to cow them into submission to his undemocratic desires.

Secondus said in a statement from his media office that even among Buhari’s audience where he was lampooning the judiciary were persons

whose questionable source of wealth is not known yet he pretends not to be aware because it favours his political interest.

“We all know it as a fact that the motive of the President in his countless berating of the judiciary at the slightest moment is deliberately designed to frighten them, take away their confidence and force them to submit to his wishes by intimidation”.

Secondus described as preposterous and highly unacceptable the continuous ridiculing of the highly revered arm of government just because they did not dance to his selfish tune at some point.

He then urged all lovers of democracy in the country to rise up in defence of this critical arm of government, which gets bashing from an executive arm that seeks absolute power from the back door.

The PDP boss notes that the double standard apparent in the administration of President Buhari comes glaringly when he ceaselessly berates the Judiciary and turns blind eye to the monumental corruption going on in the executive arm.

The PDP chairman charged members of the Judiciary never to abdicate their responsibilities in the sustenance of democracy and refuse to be intimidated, but to insist on delivering justice in the land knowing that it is the only route to growth and development.

Lagos Invites Femi Falana to Testify against Evans The Lagos State Government yesterday filed an application seeking to present Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) as a witness in its trial of the suspected billionairekidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans at an Igbosere High Court, Lagos.

Prosecution counsel, Mr. Y. G Oshoala, told Justice Adedayo Akintoye that Evans made a claim concerning Falana while testifying in a trial-within-trial which required clarification by the lawyer-activist.

A trial-within-trial is a mini trial conducted to find out, among others, if a defendant in a criminal matter made his confessional statement voluntarily or otherwise.

Oshoala’s application followed the resumption of proceedings in the fourth and fifth in a series of kidnap,

murder and attempted murder charges brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

But only two charges are before Justice Akintoye.

Three others are before Justices Hakeem Oshodi and Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja High Court.

In the first charge before Justice Taiwo, Evans and three others – Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba – pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder.

In the second charge, Evans is being tried alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba.

Oshoala made the application during trial on the second charge.

misled the former minister into approving government funds to a private company.

“The former minister’s involvement had come under questioning following discovery

by ICPC during investigations, that a government White Paper that governs the execution of the DSO programme was allegedly flouted by the head of NBC”, ICPC said in a statement yesterday.

“Mohammed had however admitted in a statement to the commission that he was misled

by Kawu, as opined in court by a witness from ICPC, Osanato Olugbemi.”

Olugbemi, led in evidence by counsel to ICPC, Henry Emore, also told the court that the payment of N2.5

billion from NBC to Pinnacle Communications Limited, as seed grant was suspicious because ICPC found out through its investigations that only government-owned company was approved to benefit from the grant, according to the White Paper.

The court also heard that the processes that led to the final payment of the fund to the private company were shrouded in secrecy as revealed by the minutes from an NBC emergency board management meeting where issues of carriage fees owed Pinnacle and not seed grant was discussed.

He told the court that 47 suspicious transactions were originated by the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications,

Omoluwa, immediately after the receipt of the funds on June 2, 2017. The transactions includes payments of N363 million to one Idowu Olatunde, N274.4 million to one James Segun and N127 million to Dipo Onifade, the Chief Operating Officer of the company.

He informed the court that Omoluwa refused to explained the reasons for the payments to Olatunde and James when asked by ICPC, but Onifade explained that he received the N127 million as legal fees he rendered to Pinnacle Communications Limited.

A Bureau de Change operator, Salisu Mamman Daura, who also testified in court, said he received N167 million in two installments of N97 million

and N70 million respectively, from Pinnacle Communications Limited.

Daura added that the sums were converted into $265, 000 and $195, 735 respectively, at the rate of N360 to an American dollar, and handed in cash to one Alhaji Sabo, supposedly on behalf of Pinnacle Communications.

Counsel to the accused persons, Alex Iziyon (SAN), A Yusuf and A. V. Etuwewe for Omoluwa, Onifade, Kawu and Pinnacle Communications respectively, took turns to cross-examine both witnesses after which the matter was adjourned to July 1, 2019 for continuation of trial and ruling on two pending motions by the trial judge.

IT’S NICE MEETING YOU, KABIYESI…

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State (left), and Oba Adefarakanmi Agbede of Igbara-Oke, Ondo State, at the recent South-west Security Summit, in Ibadan, Oyo State…recently

Malabu Bribery Claim: Russian Middleman Recants, Says No Evidence against Jonathan A former Russian diplomat, Ednan Agaev, who once alleged that former President, Goodluck Jonathan, allegedly received $200 million in the controversial Malabu oil deal, has reversed himself on the claim, stressing that the initial statement in which he indicted the former president was made under duress.

Agaev, a middleman and defendant in the case, helped to negotiate the transfer of

the OPL 245 oil block to Shell and Eni, two multinationals at the heart of the scandal.

He made the new claim last Wednesday while giving evidence before an Italian court in Milan over the controversial Malabu scandal.

According to Premium Times report, Agaev’s initial statement was read, but he declined to confirm the statement, claiming he was under pressure in the

interview to mention a name.

When confronted with his exact statement alleging that Jonathan may have received money, a defence lawyer interrupted and objected to the evidence on payments to the former president.

Agaev, when further asked whether he thought Jonathan got money from the deal, said his statement to the FBI should be understood that he thought it was a

possibility money would go to Jonathan, but he had no evidence.

Commenting on his previous statement, Agaev said it was just speculation, and declined to confirm his statement. It was reported that at this point, the President of the court, however, silenced him even as the lawyer continued to interrupt. He promptly denied any wrongdoing.

Shippers’ Council Wants Speedy Launch of National Fleet Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Nigerian Shipper’s Council (NSC) yesterday in Abuja, called for the speedy implementation of the National Fleet which, it hinted, would reduce the loss of billions of dollars along the country’s territorial waters.

This is even as it disclosed that Nigeria loses about $6 billion annually to cargo charges.

NSC stated that it was imperative to move for the speedy implementation of the National Fleet as the lack of indigenous shipping companies in the ownership and operation of international carriage of goods has resulted in the country’s huge loss of billions of dollars to the shipping companies of other countries.

The NSC’s Executive

Secretary, Hassan Bello, stated this on the sidelines of a one-day training organised for Aviation/Transportation Correspondents in Abuja.

According to Bello, “it will be a thing of pride to have ships fly Nigerian flag. The advantage of having national fleet is for our national pride. We need to see ships flying Nigerian flag.

“It is not rocket science; all we need to get it running is

private sector participation. The private sector should lead the way and what the committee for the fleet implementation is doing is to create that investment climate so that investors will come and make it a worthwhile venture.”

He stressed that the annual freight cost is estimated at about $5 billion and $6 billion. I am just giving you a base figure of 2015.

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

12

NEWS

Amaechi Raises the Alarm over Plot to Smear Him Esther Oluku The immediate past Minister of Transportation, and former Governor of Rivers State, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday raised the alarm over a plot to smear his image.

In a statement made available to THISDAY, Amaechi alleged “ a deceitful plot and plan of the planners and executors of this ominously funded campaign is to tarnish the towering status; and do as much damage as possible to the character and reputation of Amaechi in the hearts, minds and eyes of members of the

public, using both traditional and online (social) media.

Amaechi decried the conspiracy of a campaign targeted at putting him and a member of his immediate family in a questionable position in the internal affairs and operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

According to the statement, the said scheme was designed and intended to bring disrepute and opprobrium to his character and reputation.’

“In respect to the NDDC, the defamation campaigners

Fayose: Nigerians Now Conquered by Kidnappings, Herdsmen Menace Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said that “kidnappings and herdsmen menace” currently bedeviling the South-west region and the country in general will not end until leaders, especially some governors stop seeing themselves as “Cabal Yes Men”.

The former governor said he had warned of this doom long ago, adding that Nigeria and its people seemed conquered by the menace.

Fayose, in a tweet via his verified Twitter handle, said that unless the leaders and

governors in the country, rise above being seen as “Cabal Yes Men”, at the expense of their own people, Nigerians will continue to be defenseless and conquered.

“I warned against kidnappings and herdsmen menace now bedeviling the South-west and Nigeria long ago.

“We have now become conquered people and we will remain defenseless except our leaders and governors desist from wanting to be seen as “Cabal Yes Men” at the expense of the well-being of the people. ”

intend to create, make and push to the public space all sorts of speculative and baseless allegations against Amaechi; from the ridiculous, to the puerile and completely bizarre stories backed with distorted, phony and fake documents.

“The Moriki general area was professionally cordoned and offered no escape route which led to the bandits returning fire against our operatives.

“That action led to two soldiers and one mobile policeman paying the supreme price with their dear lives.

“The death of the three saddened all the operatives especially the Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Jide Ogunlade, who however expressed determination, confidence and ability of the operation to fully contain banditry in the state,” Orisun said. Mallam Lawali Moriki an eye witness to part of the operation told NAN in an interview that “we saw a lot of movement by security

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan One of the daughters of the former premier of the defunct Western Region, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, yesterday expressed disappointment over the absence of governors from the Southwest region at a book launch in honor of her father, Chief Obafemi Awolowo Awolowo-Dosumu, who spoke at the presentation of the Yoruba translation of an autobiography of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, titled ‘AWO’, organised

by Alaroye Newspaper, a Yoruba tabloid, lamented that it was unfortunate that the governors in the region, namely Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), shunned the programme while only Seyi Makinde (Oyo), sent his

men more than usual these past days.

“This was followed by heavy gun fire from all parts of the bushes in our locality and we have seen many bodies of the bandits being packed in security vehicles.”

NAN recalls that the Force Commander, on Tuesday warned the bandits that they would be smoked out of their hideouts if they failed to surrender.

Ogunlade had expressed disappointment in the failure of the bandits to accept amnesty offered in May

by Gov. Bello Matawalle, noting that some of them even tried to hoodwink the state government with a fake surrender.

SEC to Commence Capacity Building for Stakeholders on Commodities Exchange Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has expressed its readiness to commence capacity building for stakeholders and the public on commodities exchange to bridge the current knowledge gap.

SEC said the move was part of the implementation of the report of its Technical Committee on Commodities Trading Ecosystem.

The acting Director General of the SEC, Ms. Mary Uduk, stated this when a delegation of the Commodity Brokers Association of Nigeria (CBAN), led by its Registrar, Alhaji Saleh Kwaru, visited the commission in Abuja.

Uduk, who was represented

by the acting Executive Commissioner, Operations, SEC, Mr Isyaku Tilde, said the Commodities Trading Ecosystem committee’s report, published on SEC’s website, contains no fewer than 40 recommendations on how to have an efficient commodities exchange.

“One of the recommendations is capacity building of stakeholders and the public on commodities exchange, to bridge existing knowledge gap to ensure we reap the benefits of trading in commodities. The SEC is ready to partner with CBAN in that regard.

“The aim of SEC is to have an efficient commodities exchange becauseright now that sector of the capital market is dormant.

“We wish to alert members of the public of the hawking presence and devious plots of these ‘Operation Destroy’ Amaechi campaigners.

“Specifically, we want to notify and appeal to both traditional media and online (social) media practitioners

to be wary of the insidious shenanigans of these purveyors and hawkers of fake news that is solely intended to deceive the public and destroy the sterling record of many years of meritorious public service by Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.”

Awo’s Daughter Angry with S’West Govs for Shunning Book Launch in Honour of Her Father

Army Kills 29 Bandits after Ultimatum, Loses Three Personnel No fewer than 29 bandits have been killed by operativex of Operation Hadarin Daji in an onslaught carried out by the troops in Moriki forest of Zamfara.

This was confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the Public Relations Officers of the operation, Lt. Oni Orisun in Gusau yesterday.

He said that the troops moved against the bandits after they failed to embrace the 24-hour ultimatum issued by the Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Jide Ogunlade for them to surrender and embrace peace.

“The Force Commander was clear and did not mince words when he said the operation will land heavily on them after the expiration of the ultimatum.

“For clarity, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is not involved in anyway, in the management and operations of the NDDC. We wish to alert members of the public of the hawking presence and devious plots of these ‘Operation Destroy Amaechi’ campaigners.”

Part of the issues that the committee is trying to address is capacity building and public enlightenment campaigns.

“I believe that part of the things CBAN is doing is capacity building, which is one area where we can collaborate going forward,” she said.

Earlier, the Registrar of CBAN Alhaji Saleh Kwaru, commended the SEC for developing the Nigerian Capital Market Master Plan, and for registering two private commodities exchanges to open up the market.

Kwaru said the association started 13 years, and currently had 800 members certified by the Nigeria Commodities Exchange (NCX) to provide training.

deputy, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan, to represent him.

THISDAY learnt that all the six governors from the region were duly invited to the event which was held at the International Conference Center, University of Ibadan.

The event was attended by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Alabi; Aare Ona Kankanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams; and Mr. Yinka Odumakin, among others.

Awolowo-Dosumu noted that it was disheartening that none of the governors invited was present at the event.

She said: “We called this gathering in the name of our father, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. I am so delighted to see the Alaafin of Oyo here.

“It is disheartening that only one state governor sent

a representative. I don’t know whether the governors do not like Chief Awolowo.

I encourage Yoruba elders to be visionary and not forsake their visions. Awolowo never forsook his vision for the Yoruba race, and that’s why we’re all benefitting from it.”

The guest speaker, Prof.

Banji Akintoye, urged youths in Yorubaland to emulate Awolowo and continue with his legacies, and urging the Yoruba people to reject never to be dominated by people from other regions in the country.

He said: “We thank Alaroye for this. This is a wakeup call to the Yoruba race, so that our nation, the Yoruba nation, will not be brought down by anybody.

It is enough that we have been submerged in Nigeria as a county, nevertheless, we should not allow the submergence to destroy us.

“There is an intention by

a small group of people to reduce the Yoruba race. It is a deliberate attempt by the few people to destroy the people of Nigeria. The Yoruba people must not permit.

We must continue with our culture of hospitality, but if anybody or any group threaten our land, we have the strength and power to expunge them from our land, and we will.”

The Publisher of the newspaper, Adedayo Alao, said the event was organised to give the Yoruba people opportunity to bare their mind to their leaders, saying “the security situation is getting worse by the day.

Truly, things are happening.

The public was not invited to the security summit that held on Tuesday. It is not fair and not in the interest of the Yoruba people. If our people are harsh now, it is because we have been neglected.”

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

13

14

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

COMMENT

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

OFF TO A GOOD START

Paul Oladele reflects on ex-Governor Amosun’s administration and lauds Abiodun’s right steps

O

f the last-minute theatrics displayed by the then outgoing governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the most bizarre and grotesque was the installation of 75 traditional rulers on a whim. Never in the history of this great state has such level of desecration of traditional institution taken place. Amosun distributed Obaship titles like confetti. It is important to note the press report which indicated Amosun’s Obas were being installed on a daily basis – his own brand of departure gift to the poor masses in our rural communities - up to the last few hours of his exit from power on May 29, 2019. You woke up in the morning and thought about the next tantrums to throw. You descended on the sacred traditional institution and upset the apple cart.

One cannot but agree with the current governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for describing the queer action of his predecessor as “unprecedented in the history of our traditional institution� and his desire to retrieve the highly revered Obaship institution from disrepute to which it had been plunged. The Ogun State House of Assembly must be commended for its resolution “suspending all traditional rulers appointed and promoted from February, 2019 till May 28, 2019 during the last minutes of Governor Amosun.�

So much has been remarked in recent times on the monumental waste of the scarce resources of Ogun State on 15 model schools (or were they 25?) that littered the woods of the state. Each of the school was said to have been built at a cost of over N1 billion, yet only one of them is partly functioning while the others are left to the mercy of the elements, reptiles and area boys. It is haunting to observe that while the waste on model schools was going on, Amosun, allegedly, was paying his political appointees half salaries and owing the civil servants pension and cooperative deductions. But more regrettable to the private residents like me who manage their own businesses and pay tax to the coffers of Ogun State government is that such colossal amount of money should have gone into renovating the dilapidated public schools that litter the entire nooks and crannies of our state.

But a greater harm that befell the education sector can be viewed from the prism of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) which the ex-governor purportedly converted to Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUTECH) without the wherewithal to nurture the new institution. It is instructive to note the media reports that while the ex-governor was busy converting, on paper, MAPOLY to MAUTECH, the staff of Tai Solarin College of Education were being owed 24 months’ salaries! When you consider the fact that MAPOLY, then Ogun State Polytechnic, had produced many leading lights in this country and was probably the most flourishing institution, being able to substantially generate and pay its staff’s salaries as and when due, the disruption caused by Amosun’s misadventure is most galling. The

ONE WAS PLEASED TO READ A REPORT INDICATING THAT DAPO ABIODUN HAS ORDERED THAT THE MOSHOOD ABIOLA POLYTECHNIC, ABEOKUTA SHOULD REVERT ITS ACTIVITIES TO THE WAY THINGS WERE

former governor, by his decision, crippled MAPOLY and for two years, the students could not advance in their studies, no new intake and salaries of workers could not be paid. Amosun’s thoughtless policy killed MAPOLY, a once flourishing institution.

Therefore, one was pleased to read from THISDAY, a news report indicating that “Dapo Abiodun has ordered that the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta should revert its activities to the way things were. Gov. Abiodun also set up a committee to see to the operational modalities of the Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology, Abeokuta and that of the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia. According to report, the former Governor of Ogun State, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, had introduced a policy that replaced MAPOLY with Ogun Poly, Ipokia and created MAUSTECH, which led to controversies and protests by both lecturers and students before completing his tenure. However, Gov. Abiodun has stated that his directive would remain until the committee determined the way forward for the institutions. Abiodun made this known on Sunday through a statement issued in Abeokuta by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin. The governor said the development became necessary due to the fact that the state-owned MAPOLY had been in comatose since MAUSTECH and Ogun State Polytechnic were created. ‘As a responsible government, we cannot fold our arms and allow the situation to continue. We cherish human capital development‌.’â€?

There appears to be so much mess for Abiodun to clear. The pictures of the derelict state of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) that I saw a few weeks ago made me to break down in tears. I had read in the papers that the former governor was attempting to build a 250-bed specialist hospital and that work was already in progress just before May 29, 2019. I never believed the story because I knew the state hospital in Ijaiye, right at the heart of the state capital, Abeokuta, was in a shambles. Little did I know that the state’s university teaching hospital in Sagamu was itself in ruins. Most of the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state, which are closer to the masses, are empty of medical facilities. It is good to read in the papers the new governor will focus on reviving the PHCs. One should not even mention here for lack of space the daily harrowing experiences of residents of Igbesa, Atan-Agbara, where the former governor claimed to generate N7 billion IGR monthly yet the roads have been in tatters for years nor our agonies at Ishasi-Akute due to abandoned projects of the ex-governor! I pity Dapo Abiodun.

One can only pray for God to grant him the grace to do his best, as the challenges are so enormous. But so far, he’s on the right track and we hope the interest of the downtrodden will continue to be uppermost on his mind throughout his term in office.

Oladele, public policy commentator, wrote from Ishasi-Akute, Ogun State

A MODERN BRIDGE BUILDER

Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, embodies unity and cohesion, writes Chris Egbuna

A

stanza in the old Nigerian National Anthem embodied the thoughtful and timeless line: “Though tribe and tongue may differ in brotherhood we stand�. Part of the versed profundity of the aforesaid line is in it striking an unmistaken chord with our unending quest for oneness as Nigerians. To foster the desired national cohesion and unity, there is a compelling need for Nigerians to always forge a common front and extend our bonds of friendship and brotherhood beyond the confines of our ethnic geography. It is in this light that the epochal event witnessed recently in Ado-Ekiti, the historic capital of Ekiti State, fondly dubbed the Fountain of Knowledge, in direct acknowledgement of the state’s prodigious production of professors and other academics, could be viewed. It was the conferment of the esteemed chieftaincy titles of Aare Amuogun of Ado-Ekiti on Chief Willie Obiano, Governor of Anambra State and Erelu Aare Amuogun on his dutiful and dynamic wife Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano by the Ewi of AdoEkiti Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe (Aladesanmi 111).

The selection of Obiano by the revered Ewi of Ado-Ekiti is both fortuitous and well-deserving.

Obiano has been remarkable in strengthening the bonds of friendship and brotherhood in an otherwise fractured polity. He remains one of the best examples of a modern bridge builder, resisting the temptation for cheap political gains.

His was the lone voice in the Eastern wilderness urging the people to embrace national unity and shun sectarianism. At the height of recent electioneering, he had clamoured for a better appreciation of the bonds of brotherhood and urged his brethren in the East to be so guided in their choice of a president. For him, bridge building that speaks to our being our brother’s keeper goes beyond rhetoric. It is a sine qua non

for a better Nigeria.

Generally regarded as a humane, farsighted and committed leader, Obiano is very cosmopolitan. It could not have been otherwise for his education and work history show a man at home in every part of the country. Ironically, Obiano today presides over the affairs of a vital component of the Nigeria nation; Anambra State, which has as its motto: “Home For All�. Needless to say that Obiano has spared no effort in ensuring that Nigerians from every part of the country and all walks of life feel at home in Anambra State. He has also ensured that the widely travelled “Ndi Anambra� find comfort and succour in every part of the country where they reside. The tumultuous welcome that heralded his arrival at Ado-Ekiti, to receive the chieftaincy title, by both the Anambra community in Ekiti State and the indigenes was clearly indicative of his wide acceptance.

Despite criticisms in certain quarters, chieftaincy titles have remained a bulwark for the truly accomplished. Indeed, the conferment of chieftaincy titles by notable traditional rulers in Nigeria has remained, in the main, a major index of sieving and recognizing high achievers in the society. It is partly in this light that the conferment of the chieftaincy titles of Aare Amuogun of Ado-Ekiti on Obiano and Erelu Aare Amuogun on his wife could be viewed as a further attestation of the potency of chieftaincy titles as effective recognition platforms for encouragement and appreciation.

Beyond the deserved recognition of Obiano’s astuteness as a leader and the giant strides that signpost his administration, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti by this rare recognition has helped to further strengthen the age-long relationship between the East and the West of Nigeria. This latest gesture by the revered monarch, as deserving as the recipient is, points to collaboration with a difference. It is a desirable collaboration that should be encouraged in the contemporary

Nigerian political space and sustained in the cultural landscape. More than anything else, it gives practical expression to the most sought after cum cherished ideal of “handshake across the Niger�.

Handshakes generally signify good tidings, comradeship, fellowship and friendship. For it to be effective, it has to be pre-planned, measured and conveys warmth and radiate affection between the co-operating parties. The concept of handshake across the Niger speaks to co-operation and unity of purpose. It is anchored on the imperatives of de-emphasizing the things that divide the people of Nigeria and emphasizing the things that unite us. Its philosophical underpinning rests on collective goodwill and finds practical expression in our national motto of Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress. More importantly, it is wont to rekindle a rich past and enhance the prospects of a reassuring future.

The Ado-Ekiti conferment is also significant in many other ways. Remarkably, the Ewi exercises sovereignty over a domain that sired the late Lt. Col. Francis Adekunle Fajuyi. The immortal Fajuyi gained martyrdom on July 29, 1966 when he stood by his boss and guest Maj. Gen. J. T. U. Ironsi till death. In a treatise entitled: Handshake Across The Niger: A Necessity For Mutual Growth And Development, Alban Ofili-Okonkwo, a profound thinker and easily one of the outstanding strategists in Nigeria today, stated that it is clearly beyond dispute that what happened between Fajuyi and Ironsi rates far above a handshake; it measures beyond a union between a man and a woman whose vows are “until death do us part�. It speaks to abiding friendship as well as to rare honour and to human dignity.

Nigeria, at present, appears to be at a crossroad. It is in this regard that the concept of a handshake across the Niger becomes very

germane to our collective efforts for national re-birth and unity. Oba Adejugbe has set the pace in this regard by honouring a truly outstanding leader from another tribe. Obiano, a quintessential bridge builder, is not new to awards nay honours.

A multiple award winner and beneficiary of strings of accolades and chieftaincy titles, he was in December 2013, awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award by President Barack Obama of the U.S. In 2015, he won the prestigious Zik Prize for Good Governance. In 2016 Vanguard Newspapers named him the Governor of the Year. Also in 2016, Leadership Newspapers acclaimed him Man of the Year. Ditto Silverbird television and Sun newspaper, among others.

Evidently, the latest honour done to Obiano by the respected Ewi of the ancient kingdom of Ado-Ekiti is essentially homage to greatness. And greatness remains an attribute, which harbours, as a main ingredient, remarkable achievement that translates into even development and ensures for the great; immortality.

Indeed, Nigeria’s greatness will be accentuated by the collaborative efforts of its various nationalities and people toward ennobling ideals and common objectives. Globally, the general trend towards greatness has been concerted efforts towards togetherness. Not even the recent recourse to Brexit has dampened the zeal among Europeans to be “stronger together� (apologies to Hilary Rodham Clinton). Indeed, the cherished concept of the world as a global village still shores up its relevance not only in a world bounded together by communications technology but one that places premium on the universality of our common existence and the recognition of the truly deserving. Herein lies the importance of the recent recognition of Obiano by the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.

Egbuna, a Developmental Analyst, wrote from Nnewi

15

T H I S D AY FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019

EDITORIAL Nigeria And The Global Peace Index The present ranking is another wake-up call

T

hat the 2019 edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI), which is described as the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, retained Nigeria on the same spot as last year came as no surprise. Nigeria has in the past one year been anything but peaceful.

Nearly every part of the country has been engulfed by violence. Not only are citizens afraid to travel through some Nigerian roads, many can no longer visit their farms where several men and women had been hacked down, killed or raped. It is therefore understandable that like 2018, Nigeria is still ranked 148th among 163 independent states and territories by the GPI. From the Boko Haram insurgency to herdsmen violence and banditry, it is evident that peace has eluded the country. Hardly does any day pass by without scores of Nigeria being either massacred or raped even in the presence of their husbands in different parts of the country. In FROM THE BOKO many of the states, HARAM INSURGENCY TO the highways have HERDSMEN VIOLENCE also been taken AND BANDITRY, IT IS over by kidnappers.

EVIDENT THAT PEACE HAS The Ibadan - Ife Expressway, Okenne ELUDED THE COUNTRY - Lokoja road and Kaduna-Abuja road as well as the forests of Ondo and Ekiti States, kidnapping has reached a crescendo. In most of these notorious routes, killer herdsmen are being fingered with all the dire implications for peace and security in the country.

There are compelling reasons why the authorities must act fast. Following the lackadaisical attitude of the security agencies and the federal government towards reining in the sophisticated gun-wielding criminals, there is a growing perception that otherwise law abiding citizens may have to make their own security arrangements to secure their lives and property. This feeling that help would not come from official quarters has intensified with the extension of the aggression

Letters to the Editor

of some herdsmen to the southern part of the country as more farming communities fall under their unprovoked attacks.

S

T H I S DAY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI AJAYI, DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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

uch feeling of insecurity and the compelling urge for citizens to arrange for their own defence can only worsen the situation on the ground. Private or community arrangements for security against gunmen would require private accumulation of arms. In this bid to balance terror, our country runs the risk of becoming home to massive illicit arms with assured disastrous consequences.

Placing Nigeria among the five least peaceful countries in sub-Saharan Africa and ranking it along with violence-ridden countries such Somali, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic is worrying. Nigeria is being ranked along with failed states such as Somalia. This is a wake-up call on the presidency to do the needful by decisively addressing Nigeria’s security challenges beyond the routine security meetings in the State House which yields no tangible result.

The GPI, which is produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, measures peacefulness across the domains of safety and security, ongoing conflict, and militarisation. With the rampaging level of conflicts, banditry and other criminal activities across the country, we couldn’t have expected a better ranking. This is more so that there is no noticeable will by the federal government to tackle the menace of insecurity and restore lasting peace to the troubled country. Instead, recent agitations from various parts of the country have portrayed the leadership of the country as contributing to the menace following its decision to keep the heads of security agencies in office despite their lack-lustre performance.

What particularly worries is that though bestial killings dominate headlines almost on a daily basis, not much seemed to have been done to arrest the situation. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address this dangerous descent to anarchy in the interest of peace and stability in Nigeria.

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

CRIMINALITY, PETTY OFFENCES AND TRUE JUSTICE

T

he main essence of justice in any sane society is to ensure a just and an equitable state, in which in some circumstances requires punishment for perpetrators of bad deeds to serve as deterrent to others. The society survives because of the existence of laws and order.

Otherwise, there would be anarchy, and peace in the society would be threatened. Justice is the finishing product of law and order.

Unarguably, criminals must not go unpunished but there are serious concerns over the manner poor individuals are languishing in prisons in Nigeria for committing petty acts. Justice can only be seen to have been done when necessary factors are put into consideration given the circumstances leading to actions by the affected persons.

Without mincing words, it would amount to killing an ant with a sledge hammer when poor people are hurriedly sent to prison for petty acts. Though, it might be a bit hard to demarcate the line between felonies and petty offences since offenses remain offences no matter the size. Yet, it would be out of place to criminalize acts, especially when punishments attached to these offences are not commensurate with the acts.

The case of the hungry teenager sentenced to six-month jail term by a magistrate court in Osogbo, Osun State, for stealing one sachet of noodles was a good example of blindness of the judicial sledge hammer that landed on an ant. The story of the poor boy was interesting though the space here wouldn’t permit the narration.

The bottom-line is that the 19-year-old boy lost his father and no one to cater for him. He stole noodles because he was hungry. Was

he really a criminal? Anyway, I thank God for using some good Samaritan to bring the little boy out of the prison and saving him from becoming a hardened criminal in the prison where he was almost initiated into bad gangs.

While bothering that the instance above is a case of stealing that justice was done, what about instances of indigent folks arrested for hawking or loitering who end up in prisons? Are they also criminals? Some ladies resort to selling their bodies because there are no options of survival for them. Instead of providing them with better means of livelihood, these ladies are arrested and eventually jailed. Does that reflect true justice? So, what exactly are the offenses they committed that warranted imprisonment? These are petty offenses that could attract minor punishment such as community services to warn the offenders and discourage them from repeating such actions.

Praise God! Stakeholders, including civil society activists and legal practitioners are lending their voices to this effect; to decriminalise petty offences in Nigeria. The President of Lawyers Alert Nigeria, Mr Rommy Mom observed that criminalizing petty offenses is an indication of inequality in justice delivery system in the country. Lawyers Alert Nigeria held a strategic meeting on this matter in Abuja, on June 11, for the second time, and it was well attended. The stakeholders eventually formed an alliance to collaborate, synergize and work together in advocating for the decriminalization of petty offences in the country.

Rommy Mom, a lawyer who is also a commissioner at the Nigeria Police Service Commission frowned that arresting, humiliating and prosecuting helpless citizens over petty offences should

stop. He commended the partners for seeing this issues through the same lens as Lawyers Alert, and forming an alliance to actualise the decriminalization of petty offences. He said the setting up of the Alliance for Decriminalization of Petty Offences was to ensure that all stakeholders work together as a team to achieve the goal. Mr. Mom said the vision of the coalition is to achieve decriminalization of petty offences in Nigeria by employing research, advocacy, litigation and awareness creation as tools.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja branch, Mr Folarin Aluko said poor people have been the victims of petty offences in Nigeria. He said when a segment of the society becomes the target of a particular law, it’s an indication of inequality which also amounts to discrimination.

Aluko lamented that many citizens are languishing in prisons for committing petty offences and that this contribute to prisons congestion across the country. He said there is need to decriminalize petty offences just as he frowned at wrong, unwarranted and indiscriminate arrest of citizens, especially the indigent and vulnerable ones particularly in Abuja.

For Ogechi Ogu, Deputy Director, Prison Rehabilitation and Welfare Action, the congestion in prisons across the country is worrisome and disheartening, especially for the fact that those who have committed petty offences are contributing to the congestions in the prisons.

With this, it has become imperative to advocate and ensure decriminalization of petty offences in Nigeria and ensure that the real unrepentant criminals face the full wrath of the law.

Hameed Oyegbade, Osogbo, Osun State

16

ADVERTORIAL

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

17

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019

18

POLITICS

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

Mission For a Greater Lagos Begins

Sanwo-Olu

Gboyega Akosile

A

good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something special – Nelson Mandela.

The above expression from one of the greatest ethical and political leaders of all-time aptly describes the man Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the 15th Governor of Lagos State who recently celebrated his natal day.

Truth be told, Governor Sanwo-Olu is an embodiment of a good head, a good heart and of course a literate tongue having been privileged to have experienced the best in terms of education locally and internationally. And the result so far so good has been delivery of democratic dividends and meeting expectations of the teeming population of the state.

Now, some people may argue that it is too early in the day to shower accolades on the governor but the popular expression that the signs of a beautiful Friday will be noticed from the preceding Thursday clearly exemplifies the actions taken so far by Governor Sanwo-Olu and his amiable and cerebral deputy, Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat since they effectively took charge of the affairs of the Centre of Excellence and State of Aquatic Splendor on May 29.

Like a greyhound after a rabbit, Governor Sanwo-Olu came out of the take off point with some decisive pronouncements and moves that disabused the mind of some doubting Thomases that he is actually prepared and ready for the task of administering the most populous state in Nigeria and in fact, a state that has been correctly adjudged as the fifth largest economy in Africa.

I have had the unique privilege of working with Governor Sanwo-Olu at very close range even before he took over the most tasking and challenging job in the state and one thing that is con-

stant is that his passion, zeal and energy for a greater Lagos remain undebatable.

I mean people could recall how the governor vigorously campaigned across the state during the electioneering and the zestfulness on display when he met with the relevant groups and organisations across all the social strata of the state.

The good thing, however, is that Governor Sanwo-Olu has not stopped.

In fact, he made it abundantly clear in his inaugural speech, and so far so good, he is walking the talk.

Another critical point which I must not fail to mention is that many who thought that the governor would be vindictive have been pleasantly surprised as he has shown that nobody in the service of the state would be harassed on the basis of certain interests. Staff can only be reprimanded if they have failed to carry out their duties as professionally expected of them.

The governor is forward looking and he has carried on with commendable equanimity, focusing on the job at hand rather than looking for who did what during the electioneering.

I have heard him on several occasions, warning that nobody should be hounded or maltreated on the account of working in the immediate past administration.

His Excellency, Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu is a personification of humanity, a selfless leader and an uncommon Nigerian, who thinks more about the other person’s feelings than of his own.

I have witnessed the display of his kindness many times that I can comfortably say that he is a very good man.

For many who rightly belong to the school of thought that talk is cheap and who were not ecstatic about Governor Sanwo-Olu’s brilliant inauguration speech, which by the way he eloquently delivered, the steady implementation since his assumption can be said to be a worthy consolation.

The speech virtually captured all the key areas that needed to be addressed and the direction that the new govern-

ment is headed.

By the following day, Governor Sanwo-Olu made some moves which clearly showed that he was ready to walk the talk. The first point of call was a meeting with civil servants where he emphatically told them that the government cannot afford to fail Lagosians at this critical point in time.

One striking thing was the fact that the governor was very much aware of the challenges faced by the civil servants and conversely he knew the areas where workers have to improve in terms of positive disposition to work and so on.

So, on May 30, he promised to look into their welfare first with the provision of new buses to convey them to work and within three days, that promise was fulfilled. Thirty five new buses were immediately handed over to the workers to aid their movement from home to work and back home.

Also as I write this piece, all civil servants have received their salary for the month of June. That is the spirit Governor Sanwo-Olu is bringing into governance in Lagos.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also signed an executive order to address issues around traffic management, security and the environment after which he proceeded to Apapa for on-the-spot-assessment of the situation there.

The issue of Apapa gridlock and the state of the environment has for long been a national embarrassment and so it was a brilliant move for the Governor to immediately visit the area where he expressed commitment to his promise to truly put the deplorable and harrowing situation in the area in the dustbin of history, working in concert with the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders.

It must be added that just a few days ago, Governor Sanwo-Olu was back in Apapa with Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and other senior government officials both from the Lagos State Government and the Federal Govern-

ment, to further assess the progress of work in the effort to restore complete sanity and order in the area.

Another pleasant move by this government is the two-prong approach to traffic management which is enforcement of traffic laws and fixing of potholes. With regards to potholes, the government has already said that two lines would be released to the public through which residents can just take pictures of bad state of any road within the state and then the rehabilitation gangs would be deployed accordingly.

The Governor has boosted the morale of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials by increasing their monthly allowance by 100 percent with a promise to revamp all their moribund infrastructure as well as procurement of new equipment for better efficiency.

In the area of security, Governor Sanwo-Olu has also been proactive. As a matter of fact, he has met with all the top security chiefs in the state, with a pledge that the security architecture of the State would be overhauled to address contemporary security challenges including cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism and indiscriminate driving against traffic, among others.

Just under 30 days, there are many positives to draw from the purposeful and inspiring leadership of Governor Sanwo-Olu and one can only imagine the goodies in the offing for residents and investors as there is already a clear roadmap as captured in the six pillars of his developmental agenda for the state otherwise known as T.H.EM.E.S, which stand for Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; making Lagos a 21st century economy; entertainment and tourism as well as security and governance.

-Akosile is the Deputy Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide SanwoOlu

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019

19

PERSPECTIVE

The Many Lamentations of Akpabio Wole Arisekola

S

enator Godswill Akpabio Tuesday lamented the monumental manipulations that characterised the Akwa Ibom West senatorial district election in the February 23 presidential and National Assembly Election, saying the election that produced Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election was highly skewed against him by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Akpabio made the allegation when speaking as evidence-in-chief in a petition he filed at the National Assembly Election Petitions sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, challenging the declaration of Ekpenyong as winner of the election.

Akpabio said he contested against the PDP and INEC. Led in evidence by his counsel, Sunday Ameh, Akpabio said, “If this is (election) how INEC is going to conduct election in Nigeria, it is a pity.”

He said in his testimony that INEC showed a great deal of bias against him by mutilating result from many units and wards in the senatorial district to make sure votes to him were either reduced or invalidated to make them insignificant in overall result in the district.

Akpabio, who was visibly agitated in the witness box, told the court he felt so bad that the election which he got majority of votes cast

Akpabio was mutilated to favour his opponent.

Akpabio accused INEC of hooding election materials when he requested them to prepare his case.

“It was what INEC gave me that I relied on to prepare my case. Out of 169 units in the senatorial district, only in 166 polling units INEC gave us true certified copy of the result sheet.”

When told by the first respondent (Ekpenyong’s) counsel, U. U Njoku, that his claims to

winning the election was based on invalidated votes, Akpabio said, “Majority of votes cast for me were lawful while those for my opponent were unlawful.”

In response to Solomon Umoh’s claims, counsel to the second respondent, the PDP, that he (Akpabio) did not vote during the election, because there was no election in his polling unit, Akpabio said it was a great disservice by INEC to say that the result from his polling unit 9, Ward 11 in Ukana West 2 were not recorded in the final result sheet for the local government.

Also, answering question from INEC’s counsel, Robert Emukpoeru, that he (Akpabio) did not apply for smart card reader and voters’ register because they will not support his case, Akpabio said he knew that they were sensitive materials which were exclusive to INEC. Earlier, the three-man tribunal had over ruled the second respondent’s counsel, Umoh , who objected to the admissibility of police report which confirmed that election was peaceful in the petitioner’s polling unit as against INEC’s claims that the result from the polling unit was cancelled due to violence.

But the tribunal in a ruling dismissed the objection raised by Umoh, that a witness cannot give evidence on an exhibit that he had not been listed in his deposition and affidavit on oath, insisting that it was not listed among the evidence in his deposition.

In a ruling, Chairman of the panel, Justice

W. Akanbi, said the exhibits were conveniently covered by many paragraphs of the petitioner’s statement on oath and reply to respondents’ response to the petitioner’s petition.

“We are of the view it is the duty of the petitioner to tender evidence in open court.

The court cannot sit in the confines of its home to sort out exhibits to be identified.

“We hold the view that the exhibits are conveniently covered. They respondents cannot say they were taken by surprise. They were lifted from evidence in court. Objection over ruled,” the court held.

Earlier, a witness, Anietie Ekong, who was subpoena by the tribunal said he would be surprised that there was no result in Unit 9, Ward 11 in Essien Udim Local Government Area, where Akpabio voted in the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Ekong, told the court that to say Akpabio did not vote during the February 23 election will be “ridiculous.”

He spoke under cross examination, after he was lead to present a video clip in the open court by Ameh which showed Akpabio and wife going through accreditation and voting during the election.

He said he was surprised that INEC is saying there was no election, and that Akpabio didn’t go through accreditation and voting in his polling unit.

-Arisekola is a journalist and publisher

Osun Guber Election Petition Questions the Fate of Democracy Wale Oluwade

T

he Osun state governorship election petition has reached its final denouement at the Supreme Court where a decision one way or the other is eagerly awaited by all and sundry. This keen interest is nevertheless not just limited to Nigeria. Foreign nations, trading partners, foreign investors, global multilateral institutions (World Bank, IMF, United Nations, EU, Commonwealth, African Union, ECOWAS, etc), election observer missions (EU, IRI, NDI, ECOWAS, etc), and local civil society organizations have all expressed interest in the outcome of this long drawn saga. But why this interest?

What exactly makes this case critical for these groups of local and foreign bodies?

The answer isn’t farfetched. The outcome of this seemingly innocuous case has long term implications for the fate of democracy and justice in Nigeria. The First to Third Republics crashed because certain democratic principles and practices that underpin democratic practice were crudely and violently trampled upon by political actors aided and abetted by willing state collaborators. The current Fourth Republic, twenty years old, is the longest unbroken years of democratic practice in Nigeria since independence yet this has not been without a repeat of these ugly demons.

My focus in this intervention is a brief evaluation of the strategic practices that differentiate democracy from neo-fascism or dictatorship. These four strategic practices which undergirds democratic governance are; sanctity of the ballot, independence of state institutions, freedom of choice, and a conducive atmosphere.

1. Sanctity of the Ballot What distinguishes democracy from every other form of government is that it derives from the power of the people, that is, the electorates, who are duly registered to vote during elections. Democracy as espoused extempore by Abraham Lincoln is; “the government of the people, by the people and for the people.” The single most definitive hallmark of democratic governance is that at periodic intervals, the people of a particular jurisdiction exercise their inalienable right to elect the leaders of their choice. This they do by casting their ballots during elections. Thus, this simple exercise indicates the primacy of the ballot.

In a democracy, the voters are the only kingmakers. The sanctity of the ballot or

votes cast for individual candidates during an electioneering process is a sacred exercise that cannot be subject to the shenanigans of political actors. Therefore, it becomes criminal and most invidious for an electoral officer to seek to alter the choice made by voters through manipulation or falsification of the ballots after votes have been cast.

In the Osun election of September 22, 2018, votes were duly cast by the registered and accredited voters and at the end of the exercise, total votes cast by the two leading candidates were; Senator Ademola Adeleke (PDP) - 264,698 and Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, (APC) -254,345. With a margin of 353 votes, Senator Adeleke had clearly won the election. The constitution provides in section 179(2)(a)(b) the conditions required for a candidate to have been deemed elected as governor; “he has the highest number of votes cast at the election and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all local government areas in the state.”

Having satisfied the clear and unambiguous provisions of the law as stated above, rather than declare him winner of an election that was generally attested to have been free and fair, the States’ Returning Officer, Prof Afuwape, decided on his own and in clear breach of the provisions of the Electoral Act, to cancel the votes cast at seven polling units on the pretext of election violence!! With this done, the margin of difference became less than the cancelled votes, consequently declaring the elections “inconclusive” and ordering a rerun. While the cancellation was criminal and a grand heist, the contrived rerun was a mere charade and barefaced electoral banditry the kind never before witnessed in this clime. Interestingly, there are 30 recommendations, comprising the first 7 given special priority in the final EU EOM Report on the 2019 Nigeria general elections released June 15, 2019, and the first of these special priority is the whimsical, capricious and illegal ‘cancellation of votes cast at polling units’ by INEC officers.

2. Independence & Impartiality of State Institutions Another practice of democratic governance is the role that state institutions play during and after the conduct of elections.

Beginning with INEC, its impartiality and absolute independence ought to be beyond question. But as stated above and in several other elections conducted after Osun 2018, specifically, the March 9, 2019 governorship elections in Kano, Lagos, Adamawa, Bauchi,

Benue, Sokoto, etc., INEC performed well below average. Local and foreign observers said as much. Likewise, the security agencies, specifically the police and army were even more complicit in the disenfranchisement, militarization, and ultimately, bastardization of the electioneering process.

The dubious innovation into our electioneering process is the phenomenon of “inconclusivity” whereby those who have lost at the polls working in cahoots with INEC and security agencies are given a backdoor to rig and manipulate the process fraudulently thereby robbing the people of their expressed will. As attested to by the majority judges at the Osun election petition tribunal, “INEC officials went to work”, a euphemism for doctoring and mutilating of election documents, specifically form EC8As after all participating parties agents have appended their signatures on the carbonized copies. By the time the CTC of originals with INEC were subpoenaed and tendered in court as exhibits, they were manifestly different from the pink copies issued to respective party agents. Thankfully, Justice George Mbamba of the Appeal Court affirmed this finding in his minority judgment delivered April 9, 2019.

3. Freedom of choice As different from a monarchy which is by hereditary or selection by kingmakers, or dictatorship which essentially is by force or violence, democracy involves the people, citizens, that is, anyone who is at least 18 years-old, making the decision on the leaders they prefer. While power resides in an individual or few persons in every other form of government, power resides in the majority of the people in a democracy.

Consequently, for the people of Osun to made a choice at the polls on September 22, 2018. The idea that Senator Ademola Adeleke is unfit to occupy the office of governor, regardless of having satisfied every requirement of the law and electoral guidelines, simply because “the powers that be” say so makes our brand of democracy a travesty of this noble art of governance.

4. A Conducive Atmosphere The process of voting on Election Day ought to be carnival-like and celebratory which such momentous occasion demands.

Election Day cannot be a day for war and mayhem. It certainly cannot be a day when hundreds of people, mainly voters, lose their lives simply because they choose to exercise their franchise. The day of elections

or even the period of campaigns ought not to be characterized by violence, arson, bodily injuries and deaths. Same EU EOM Report confirmed that at least 150 persons lost their lives during last elections and/ or campaigns preceding it!! Yet, in spite of the lessons of history that truncated the previous democratic experiences in Nigeria, political actors seem not to have imbibed these lessons. Rather than improve, we have actually become worse. September 27, 2018 date of the contrived re-run in Osun was a day of sorrow, tears and blood for voters who came out but were denied their right to vote.

Conclusion The APC national chairman Adams Oshiomhole while speaking concerning the imbroglio of the Bauchi State House of Assembly crisis where two separate speakers and deputy speakers emerged, said; “I have had conversation with the governor, so I have all the facts. We members of the NWC have met with the IG of Police after deliberating on the issues. We will prevail on him to ensure the police do not provide security for an illegal act. Because the worse form of robbery is political robbery. It is worse than robbing people of their property.” (Front page, ThisDay Newspaper, 22/06/19). My initial reaction reading this was to recall a Yoruba saying that; “the man who is fond of cutting off people’s heads does not like another playing with a sword around him!”

Nevertheless, I agree wholeheartedly with the APC Chairman. However, if the penalty for armed robbery is death and we are being told that political robbery is worse, what then should be done to perpetrators of electoral banditry? While I would never call Mr. Oshiomhole a hypocrite because I respect elders, however, one would however wish that this latter-day sudden conversion to the democratic principles of fairness, equity and respect for the ballot would also make him campaign strenuously for the restoration of the people’s mandate violently, brazenly and callously stolen in Osun and Kano states governorship elections.

The Yorubas again say that “A house built on spittle shall be demolished by dew.”

Time and chance beckon on the judiciary as one of the key builders of a new Nigeria founded on the solid foundation of justice, truth, equity and fairness. The decision of the Supreme Court will undoubtedly have far reaching implications for our democracy, the course of justice and good governance going forward.

20

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

21

T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 28, 2019

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T REPO

10.86 % ͯͯ˛Ͳ͹ %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

11.50 % 12.25 % 12.63%

J U N E

7 ,

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

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

2 0 1 9

393.05 % -0.52 % -0.48 %

S & P INDEX ͯ˚Ͳ YEAR TO DATE

1.67 % 10.11 %

EXCHANGE RATE ͹͎ʹ˛͡ͳ˚ͯ ̊ ̊

Quick Takes NCAT Rector, others for LAAC conference The Conference Committee of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) has selected aviation agency Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) to form the panel of discussants at its forthcoming conference.The 23rd annual conference, which is scheduled to hold on July 17, 2019 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja is with the theme: ‘Boosting Aviation Investment Through Policy.’ The Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Capt. Captain Abdulsalami Muhammed, would be the moderator of the panel, while Capt. Muhtar Usman, the Director of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Engr. Akin Olateru, Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) would be part of the panelists. Others are the Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, and the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Hamisu Yadudu.

Others expected to play key role at the event are the Chairman/ CEO of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, and the CEO of Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera, among many others.

BombardierConcludesCommercialAviationDivestment

THIS IS OUR SCORECARD

L-R: Deputy Managing Director, NEM Insurance Plc, Mrs. Susan Giwa-Osagie; Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Tope Ă—Ă‹ĂœĂžËœ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ ĂœË› Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă–Ă“Ă? ĂŁĂ?ĂŒĂ‹Ă?Ëœ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ͳ͡ÞÒ Ă˜Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‹Ă– Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂœĂ‹Ă– Ă?Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă™Ă—ĂšĂ‹Ă˜ĂŁ Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ë&#x; ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ ETOP UKUTT

Aviation Politics Hurting Nigerian Airlines’ International Operations, Says Onyema Chinedu Eze The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has said one of the reasons why Nigerian airlines have failed to successfully operate international destinations is because of international aviation politics, which according to him does not favour the airlines since they are not major players in the global air travel market.

He explained that for an airline to profitably operate international destinations, it must have to partner and code-share with other major carriers so that passengers could be carried farther than the final destination of the airline.

Onyema, who made this

ECONOMY known during an interview with THISDAY sister broadcast station, Arise TV, pointed out that a Nigerian airline could take a passenger to London and the passenger would continue his flight to New Zealand with the Nigerian airline’s code-share partner.

This he said, enables airlines to operate beyond point to point and enables it charge for tickets beyond its own destinations, as its partners in different countries take its passengers to their final destinations.

But due to the fact that there are alliances and partnerships among the major carriers, they could shut out some airlines,

especially those ones from African countries, he said, adding that without code-share partnership, airlines would operate limited destinations and would not attract customers who travel to places beyond the destinations they operate.

Onyema, said the airline, which plans to start international operations on July 5, 2019, had put that factor into consideration and has done everything necessary to break the jinx of Nigerian airlines’ failure in the international air travel market. “We are very prepared despite all the huge odds that has staked against us in the political aviation arena internationally, we are not scared of anything we are starting with Sharja and Dubai,

UAE coming July 5, 2019. We have been deploying our Boeing 777 to such operations and we are really ready to make a difference and give Nigerians what they have been lacking�, Onyema said.

He also noted that aero politics is the reason why air travel from Nigeria is dominated by foreign carriers which charge Nigerian passengers exorbitant fares, as travellers do not have alternative airlines owned by Nigerians that can compete with them. “You see, it is unfortunate that Nigerians have been paying through their nose over the years for international flight Continued on page 22

Bello: National Fleet Will Boost Shipping Contribution to GDP Eromosele Abiodun The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, has decried the poor contribution of the shipping sector to the nation’s gross domestic products (GDP) and has called on the federal government to expedite action on the establishment of a national fleet to reverse the trend.

He stated this in Lagos as Nigeria joined the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and other maritime nation’s of the world to celebrate this year’s Day of the Seafarers with the theme, “On Board with Gender Equality.�

According to him, “Some of the benefits Nigeria will derive from a national fleet will be to

CAPITAL MARKET stem and preserve the outflow of foreign exchange for the carriage of the nation’s cargos.

Enhance the development of the Nigerian maritime industry with significant contribution to the GDP. At present, shipping contributes a paltry 0.05 per cent to GDP. In other countries such as Greece, it is 3.6 per cent and the United Kingdom 0.2 per cent.�

Establishment of a national fleet, he added, will massively support the federal government’s economic diversification drive by stimulating the rise of various ancillary services, creating wealth and providing employment to Nigerians.

Bello disclosed that the

country spent about $9 billion as freight on wet and dry cargo due to lack of national fleet in 2015. “In the international carriage of goods, Nigeria does not have a single ship, so all what we have been doing is slave for foreign ships. About $9 billion and rising is what we pay, not for Nigerian ships but ships elsewhere. Imagine what the earnings of freight will do, if these are Nigerian ships?

When we talk of Nigerian ships, we are also talking about our Nigerian banks, insurance companies, mariners, seafarers, surveyors and our seamen. All these are not gaining because we don’t have ships. So the issue is not actually whether women are going to be employed but on what ships. We need to have

those ships before women are employed,� he said.

He added: “The national fleet issue is also important to us.

We ought to have Nigerians owning and operating ships, we have lost a lot of money on freight to foreign companies, billions of dollars, if we are the ones having that, the billions we earn in freight will at least have effect on our economic growth, employment and open up ancillary services. We are talking about ship yards, ship repair yards; we are also talking about our flag administration, nautical colleges, having trained seafarers to do that. “The national fleet is threeyear so that we can have it in Nigeria, but to do that, there are Continued on page 22

Bombardier would complete its move away from commercial aircraft production with the sale of its regional jet business to Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Airwise.com reported that under the sale agreement Mitsubishi would buy Bombardier’s CRJ business for USD$550 million in cash and the assumption of USD$200 million of liabilities. MHI would acquire the maintenance, support, refurbishment, marketing, and sales activities for the CRJ Series located in MontrĂŠal andToronto, and service facilities in West Virginia and Arizona. Also included are type certificates. MHI’s chief executive Seiji Izumisawa said the transaction “represents one of the most important steps in our strategic journey to build a strong, global aviation capability. “MHI has a decades-long history in Canada, and I hope this transaction will result in the expansion of our presence in the country, and will represent a significant step in our growth strategy.â€?

Bombardier’s CEO Alain Bellemare said the agreement“represents the completion of Bombardier’s aerospace transformation.�He said the company’s focus will now be on its rail and business jet franchises.

Bombardier would retain its QuĂŠbec production facility, with CRJ jet production finishing in the second half of 2020 after the delivery of the current order backlog. It will also continue to supply components and spare parts from Mirabel.

LS ScientiďŹ c Unveils Labs

LS Scientific, a provider of laboratory products and services is set to launch four world class laboratories in Nigeria and host industry leaders in a tour of its facility in Lagos, between August 6th and 8th. The company offers a portfolio of branded laboratory products and a range of services including training, equipment and instrumentation servicing, calibration services, laboratory design and upgrade and custom manufacturing services.

The Managing Director, Mr Olumurewa Odunjo, while speaking on the three-day business tour of their Lagos facility titled“LS Scientific Laboratory Launch and Equipment Expo,� said the event would showcase four International standard laboratories and equipment.

He added:“We are launching these Laboratories, Physico-Chemical Laboratory, Microbiology Laboratory, Instrumentation Laboratory and Engineering Laboratory,�

Odunjo, further stated that the LS Scientific physicochemical laboratory offers a diverse range of analytical tests, from classical wet chemical methods to modern instrumental methods of analysis, while theAnalytical Microbiology laboratory routinely performs enumeration of total aerobic bacteria. They provide bacterial identification of food borne pathogens, shelf life evaluation, routine microbiological monitoring of food quality and manufacturing practices for Food Products, Pharmaceutical, water and waste as well as environmental analysis.

Too much of intra African trade that would have occurred are not occurring because of currency issues, because people want to earn dollars somewhere to be able to pay for intraregional trade. But if they know they will pay for it in local currency, they don’t have to be looking for foreign currency President, African Export–Import Bank,

Dr. Benedict Oramah

22

T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 28, 2019

BUSINESSWORLD AVIATION POLITICS HURTING NIGERIAN AIRLINES’

operations. A six hour flight to Europe cost more than nine hour flight from Johannesburg to Europe. So already foreign airlines are making a feast out of Nigerians and often times most of them would never want any of the Nigerian airlines to succeed. “But we in Air Peace are trying to help our nation and the domestic airlines are the ones creating the jobs. The foreign airline put together in the last 60 years has not created the jobs Nigerian airlines have created. The number of people they have employed within that period is not anything near what Air Peace alone has created in our first year of operation, not to talk of now we have created up to 3000 direct jobs and over 9000 ancillary jobs in the economy besides acting as a catalyst for economic development,�

Onyema insisted.

The Air Peace Chairman also blamed Nigerian airlines for failing to operate international destinations successfully, noting that in addition to aero politics sometimes the Nigerian carriers are not adequately prepared in terms of equipment to compete effectively with foreign airlines.

BELLO: NATIONAL FLEET WILL BOOST SHIPPING CONTRIBUTION TO GDP

so many so laws and policies that you have to review that is what the fleet is doing, there are also incentives we have to offer private sector. Don’t forget that the national fleet is private sector led, government will not put a kobo, but the government will have to look at laws, policies that militate against investment especially in that sector. We are talking about tax holidays and relaxing of certain procedures, and overall conducive atmosphere for that investment to thrive.�

Bello, while calling for more participation of women in seafaring, also informed that only about two per cent of the world seafarers are women. “The reason for the low percentage of women in seafaring is understandable. It ranges from the harsh working environment in the sea to issues such as sexual harassment, gender discrimination and inappropriate comments.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

NEWS

Discos: With N36trn Investment, Stable Power Supply Possible in Chineme Okafor in Abuja Electricity distribution companies (Discos) in Nigeria have said it will take about $100 billion – approximately N36 trillion, worth of investment in Nigeria’s power sector over a period of 20 years for the country to enjoy stable electricity supply.

Electricity supply in Nigeria has remained erratic with statistics from the office of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, indicating the country is only able to supply an average of 3975 megawatts (MW) of electricity daily to its huge population, while 3153MW is constrained from reaching them.

Speaking through their association - the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), in a recent statement revealed that this would include over $10 billion - about N3.6 trillion, worth of investment over the next five years in the distribution networks.

They noted that such investments would raise the operational status of the distribution systems to reasonable standards that could guarantee quality of supply and service to consumers. The Discos also stated that about $40 billion – approximately N14.4 trillion, would be further needed to be invested over the next 20 years from the $100 billion for the entire value chain in their networks.

The statement explained the Discos made this disclosure at a seminar on their Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), which the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory

Commission (NERC) requested them to prepare and submit.

Once approved by the NERC, each Discos’ PIP would be used to review its tariff in the sector.

It was also gathered this would be implemented in 2020.

Accordingly, the PIP process would review present capital expenditure (CAPEX) of the Discos; inflation rate; gas price;

foreign exchange rate; and existing energy generation capacity in the country to ensure cost reflective tariff for them.

Citing a recently published study by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union (EU), ANED said in the statement: “Indeed, NESI (Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry) as a whole need to invest more than

USD 100 billion in the next 20 years if Nigeria wants to cover 24/7 hours of power supply to its citizens,.�

It further stated that the interface project between the Discos and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which was developed by the TCN indicated the Discos would have to invest $4.2 billion in the interface with

the transmission network to follow TCN expansion plan.

Furthermore, the AFD; African Development Bank (AfDB); World Bank; and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), along with Discos’ private investors had at the seminar discussed collaboration strategies to finance the PIPs of the Discos in the short term.

Ě‹ Ë? âĂ?Ă?Ă&#x;ÞÓà Ă? Ă“ĂœĂ?Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœËœ Ă“Ă˜Ă‹Ă˜Ă?Ă? Ęś ĂŽĂ—Ă“Ă˜Ëœ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™ĂœĂžĂ? Ă&#x;ĂžĂ’Ă™ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ Ě™ ĚšËœ ÙÒË××Ă?ĂŽ Ă?ÖÖÙ̋ ÙÕÙ˞ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă“ĂŽĂ?Ă˜ĂžËš Ă’Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜ Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?Ă“Ă–Ëœ Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă˜ Ă˜Ă?ÞÓÞĂ&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă™Ă? Ă&#x;ĂŒĂ–Ă“Ă? Ă?Ă–Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ě™ ĚšËœ Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă‹Ă— Ă&#x;Ă’Ă•ĂžĂ‹Ăœ Ă“ĂœĂ‹Ă”Ă™ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă’Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ëœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? ÞËÞĂ? ÒËÚÞĂ?ĂœËœ Ëœ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă‘Ă&#x;Ă˜ Ă? Ă?ĂŽĂ“Ă‹Ă–Ëœ ĂŽĂ&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă?Ă?ĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ëœ ĂĄĂ’Ă?ĂœĂ? ĂĄĂ‹Ă? Ă’Ă™Ă˜Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?ĂŽ Ă‹Ăž ÞÒĂ? Ă?Ă Ă?Ă˜Ăž ÞÒËÞ Ă’Ă?Ă–ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ë&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ

MAN Rector Advocates Sanction for Discrimination against Women in Shipping Eromosele Abiodun The Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Akwa Ibom State, Commodore Duja Effedua (rtd), has called for sanctions, including jail terms for operators in the maritime sector who discriminates or abuse female workforce onboard ships in Nigeria.

Speaking to Maritime journalists on the sideline of the 2019 Day of The Seafarers organised by the Nigerian Maritine Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Lagos, he expressed support for gender equality.

He urged shipowners to employ more females in their workforce in line with the theme

of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2019 Day of The Seafarers which states, “Onboard with gender equality.�

According to him, “Anybody that believes that men are still intellectually superior to their female counterparts is still living in the past. We have seen female pilots, Generals, Admirals, Air Vice Marshals. We have seen female Captains commanding very large merchant ships. These should be role models to the younger females that we have now. “On my own part, I am onboard with gender equality.

I have always encouraged it at the Academy. In our last admission, 29 female cadets applied for admission, and we took 28 out of the 29 that applied. The only

one that was not taken was down to her medical condition. In the process of admission, we did not lower the bar just to get them in. The girls were academically sound. They were not inferior to their male counterparts.�

He added: “They have been there for about eight months now and they are doing quite fine. I will advise ship-owners to consider more women in the new design of ships they are acquiring. Even old ships could be reflected to accommodate for more females accommodation onboard. The issue of sexual harassment against female workers onboard vessels should attract jail-terms. I don’t think it’s fair or right to abuse women in whatever form. Many of us have wives and children who

are girls. “In this regard, I think the Nigerian Navy ought to be commended because the Navy has been at the forefront of campaign against abuse of women onboard vessels. We are the first organisation (Nigerian Navy) in Nigeria to have introduced females onboard. I use the word “We� because I am still part of the Navy. Females working onboard naval vessels have been a success story thus far. There has not been any record of abuse or harassment against females while working onboard naval vessels. NIMASA too should be commended for its efforts in promoting gender equality amongst the nation’s seafarers.�

On the regimental nature of the academy, which compels female

cadets to shave their head, the MAN rector assured that the policy would be softened to a reasonable extent in days ahead. “People have complained about the regimental nature of the academy where our girls shave their head completely.

The female operators here today complained that it is dehumanizing, and I have assured them that we will look at the policy to see the best that we can do.

We must not forget that the Maritime Academy of Nigeria is a regimented institution. That is why we have the regiment of about 60 men onboard unlike other academies. We might just try to balance it later, and make it a low cut style instead of the skin cut that the academy currently practises, “Effedua added.

Bala-Usman: Nigeria Forging Ahead to Bridge Gap in Gender Inequality Eromosele Abiodun The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman has stated that gender equality is a global phenomenon, stressing that Nigeria is forging ahead to bridge inequality gap with more favourable policies to spur women participation in the maritime sector.

The NPA boss who stated this while speaking at a forum in Lagos, noted that every Nigerian must be given a chance to contribute to the drive by the federal government to grow the economy.

Bala-Usman, who was represented by the Director, Marine and Operations, Sekonte Davies, said: “We must give our citizens irrespective of the gender, their deserved place in growing the national economy.�

She called for more encouragement for girls to study related courses that would enable them to take career in the maritime sector.

Usman, enjoined other agencies to create a working condition that would encourage women (during and after childbirth), adding that the NPA has increased the maternity leave

from 12 weeks to 16 weeks.

Meanwhile, in furtherance to its strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes the management of the NPA has delivered a newly built infrastructure to archive vital documents to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

Speaking at the NIS Ikoyi passport office in Lagos, BalaUsman, who was represented by the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication, Adams Jatto reiterated the fact that the authority takes pride in adding value to the society through the implementation of strategic and deliberate

CSR intervention projects at locations that support our cooperate goals.

She added that the building was delivered to the service, with the belief that it would be put to proper use for documentation, records, and information storage that are central to our nation’s security and history.

She assured that the organisation would try to maintain existing good relations with the service in line with international best practice, adding that NPA would have built a bigger facility but were constrained by the lack of enough space at

the Immigration office.

Earlier in his address, the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede expressed profound appreciation for the good gesture, promised to work more closely with the management of the NPA at the Ports and assured that no delay in cargo clearance would be traced to the Immigration especially as a result of request for bribe.

Babandede also expressed the service commitment to the success of the federal government ease of doing business and transparency in all their activities.

T H I S D AY ˾ JUNE 28, 2019

23

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Bristow to Develop Manpower in Aviation Sector ÒÓØÏÎß äÏ Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited is spearheading indigenous manpower development in the aviation sector in Nigeria.

To this end, the company has structured prgramme for human capital development in the industry and has recently invested about N100 million in the training of pilots, engineers and others.

In an exclusive partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and in furtherance of its commitment to the development of local Nigerian capacity and content, Bristow said it was investing over N100 Million towards the training of 20 qualified Nigerian National graduates at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria.

The company said the NCAT training was designed to provide necessary Aircraft Maintenance Engineering skills to the trainees at the end of a 90-week rigorous Airframe, Power Plant and

abridged Avionics course.

According to Bristow, over 80 graduate candidates were initially selected for this program. This was done in collaboration with the NCDMB through a series of tests as part of the overall selection process. 20 candidates emerged on merit following which Bristow has offered full sponsorship of their training at NCAT. According to the company’s Manager for Nigerian Content Development, Mr. Obafemi Joseph, “Bristow is delighted to be part of this initiative as it will assist in developing local human capacity in the Nigerian aviation industry and also help in meeting the identified skill gap within the industry” The Managing Director of Bristow, Captain Dapo Oyeleke, also stated that, “Bristow will continue to invest heavily in the training of staff and also assist in the development of exceptional human capacity to the benefit of the aviation industry in Nigeria and the country as a whole”.

“In the current year, Bristow has already committed well over N250million to the training of our staff in line with our commitment to excellence and also in pursuit of our desire to continue to strengthen our team in such a manner that proactively prepares us for the challenges of the future. This is a continuous process in our drive to continue to attract and retain the industry’s best and provide secure employment through the long term.” Oyeleke added.

It is also noteworthy that in the first quarter of 2019, Bristow, as part of its corporate social responsibility and in support for the federal government’s policy on the ease of doing business donated a block of two classrooms and also commissioned a borehole water project at the Nigeria Immigration Service training school in Kano, alongside the donation of 100KVA solar powered system at the Nigeria Immigration Service training school in Ahoada, Rivers State.

‘IATA Safety Audit has Reduced Bureaucracy in Ground Handling Operations’ The Managing Director/ he said ISAGO audit has of other benefits, some of Chief Executive Officer, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO), Basil Agboarumi, has highlighted the critical roles being played

by IATA’s Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) in Ground Handling and Airline operations in Africa.

Agboarumi, who was one of the keynote speakers during the just concluded maiden edition of aviation handing conference in Africa held in Casablanca, Morocco, said ISAGO has standardised ground handling operations through its audits thereby ensuring safety of aviation across the world.

While speaking on the topic titled ‘Effectiveness of ISAGO in Managing Ground Handling Services for Airlines Benefits for Africa’,

eliminated Multiple Audits per Ground Service Provider (GSP) and Individual Airline Auditing Systems, increased safety in aviation by ensuring standards which has led to reduction in air accidents unlike what was obtainable before the existence of ISAGO. The Managing Director stressed that the introduction of ISAGO audit has given room for audit sharing thereby driving down the number of redundant audits and also improving operational safety, Standardisation across multiple operations, reduction of incidents in ground operations and enhancing company’s image/ reputation.

Apart from ensuring safety in aviation, Basil stated further that ISAGO has a lot

which include promotion of efficiency and quality service delivery through innovations and technology, lowering operational cost by eliminating multiple audit which enables ground operators and airlines to focus their resources on operations, to ensure implementation of Safety Management System (SMS) in operations.

The chairman of the conference, Paul Drever said the conference was organised to bring together the buyers, users and manufacturers of GSE to explore how to drive the sector forward.

He went on to discuss the operational challenges in airside operations in Africa and how GSE is used in the continent and how it can be improved.

How Data, Digital Transformation Can Drive Customer Experience

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged aviation stakeholders to embrace data and digital transformation to help deliver frictionless customer experience while enhancing safety and efficiency.

“We must transform paperbased and legacy processes into digital ones and use data to drive decision-making in all facets of our business.

Organizational silos will need to be shed to ensure a holistic focus on the entire customer experience. And we will need to do all this while continuing to ensure the highest levels of safety, security and environmental sustainability,” said IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac.

In his remarks delivered at the IATA Aviation Data Symposium, de Juniac focused on three building blocks to achieving success, including the need for airlines to develop core data science capabilities and use data to drive safety and operational improvement.

“The statistics tell us that despite yearly fluctuations, the long-term trend is toward improving safety. Nevertheless, we must intensify our efforts to ensure the accident rate remains disconnected from the expected doubling in air traffic demand over the next 20 years. Greater use of data will be critical to these efforts,” said de Juniac.

He cited IATA’s Global Aviation Data Manage-

ment (GDM) program as an example.

“GADM captures data from more than 470 different industry participants, through accident and incident reports, ground damage occurrences and flight data. This supports a proactive data-driven approach for advanced trend analysis and predictive risk mitigation.”

De Juniac alands tresses the need for IATA’s Turbulence Aware initiative.

“Using data already being collected by aircraft systems, Turbulence Aware will help airlines avoid turbulence, resulting in a decline in turbulence-related injuries, reduced fuel burn and improved operational efficiencies,” he said.

âË×ÓØÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ßØáËã

ØÍÓÎÏØÞÝ ËÞ ÓÜÚÙÜÞ

Last weekend Air Peace Flight P47291 Abuja-Port Harcourt skid off the runway upon landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport due to heavy downpour.

Although the 87 passengers and six crew disembarked from the aircraft unhurt and there was no visible damage done to the aircraft after it was pulled back to the runway, many industry observers have expressed concern over the development because of so many of similar incidents at the airports in recent times.

Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa is one of the five designated international airports in the country and after the last rehabilitation of the runway, it is considered as one of the airports that have the best runways in the country.

The airport has been providing service to both domestic, international airlines and private operators and the airport is strategically located because Port Harcourt is the hub of oil and gas operations in Nigeria.

The runway has been a host to many incidents of overshooting, incursion, excursion, besides the tragic Sosoliso crash, the killing of antelope by aircraft while landing and the landing on cattle at the runway. It has been a long runway history for Port Harcourt airport.

For instance, in April 16, 2008, a Virgin Nigeria 737-300 operating from Lagos to Douala with 172 passengers including the under 20 Nigerian female soccer team diverted to Port Harcourt due to hydraulic problems and overran the runway with minor injuries of three passengers. Also, on 14th of July 2008, a Chanchangi Boeing 737-200 overran the runway in drizzle and gusting winds with only two passengers receiving minor injuries. Similarly, on February 20, 2018, a Dana Air MD83 landed in Port Harcourt in poor weather conditions and overran the runway, ending up on soft ground, no injuries occurred. In the same vein, on 23rd of January 2019, a Dornier Aviation Nigeria Dornier 328-100 veered off the runway during landing and into the grass with no injuries.

Finally on the 22nd of June 2019 an Air Peace Boeing 737-500 overshot the runway during heavy rain with no injuries.

The CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi told THISDAY that the runway at the Port Harcourt Airport is notorious for aquaplaning, which affects aircraft during the rains, when the runway has been flooded.

Sanusi said there should be proper investigation into the runway so that remedial actions could be taken to eliminate the flooding that happens whenever it rains for a prolonged time.

“When they do the investigation they should look at the slopes. Every runway has slopes, which drain the water from the centre. Maybe the runway does not have many slopes and that is why it is

very notorious for aquaplaning. They should also look at the runway to see that it meets international standards.

“I recall that we made input when they were resurfacing the runway. We said that there should be a crest not a valley so that water can be dissipated immediately it rained. So they should look at the slopes that are on the runway,” Sanuis added.

The Chief Pilot of Air Peace, Captain Victor Egonu told THISDAY that it was after the flight had taken off from Abuja that the Air Traffic Control informed the pilot that there would be thunderstorm at the airport of destination and that the controller did not report the rain until the flight was approaching the airport, which meant it had just started drizzling and there was no turbulence during the flight.

On the Port Harcourt Airport runway he said, “Port Harcourt runway record of water logging. The runway surface is not drained when it rains. There is depression on the runway because it is old. There is high risk of aquaplaning in Port Harcourt.”

“It is also in Lagos at the Runway 18L (domestic runway), which is always water logged when it rains. This is why when it rains pilots choose to land at the Runway 18 R (international runway), which is wider and drains water easily,” Egonu said.

He also noted that drainages had been built on the Runway 18L to eliminate water logging and suggested that the Port Harcourt runway should be looked into and be rehabilitated.

The Port Harcourt Airport has a new international terminal which was unveiled last year by President Murtala Muhammed and few days ago Turkish Airlines started three times weekly flight to the airport.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) however, said it has commenced an intensive re-assessment of runways at the nation’s airports.

“This move is aimed at improving on the efficiency of the facilities, thereby forestalling potential accidents on the runways.

Although, the regular friction measurement for Port Harcourt International Airport was conducted in March 2019 and the result falls within the minimum friction coefficient level, the facility witnessed a skidding incident recently.

“It is therefore with the intention to increase the friction coefficient levels of our runways in accordance with NCAA advisory circular that the Authority is embarking on this exercise across the nation’s airports as the rain is becoming very heavy and unpredictable,” FAAN said in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu.

The agency said that as a short term measure to increase the safety of the Port Harcourt runway, the Authority just carried out a de- rubberization exercise between 15 to 22 June, 2019 to remove any contaminant.

T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 28, 2019

24

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION

How Government Can Support Local Carriers For Nigeria to reduce capital flight and encourage employment in the aviation sector, there is need to support local carriers, writes Chinedu Eze

T

he Executive Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison once described an airline as a diplomat because it carries the flag and name of a country to different parts of the world. Airlines are also the means countries use to cement diplomatic relations. For example, after the historic reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the peaceful relation between the hitherto warring nations was cemented with the successful operation of Ethiopia Airlines to Asmara, Eritrean capital.

This is why countries protect local airlines and support them when they finds it difficult to secure approval to fly to other countries.

Some years ago when Arik Air protested against slot allocation on its Abuja-London flight by Heathrow Airport management in London, the matter was taken up by the federal government, which wanted to stop British Airways operations to Abuja and top official of the British government stepped in and the matter was resolved.

What this means is that for airlines to operate international destinations successfully, they must be fully supported by government.

That is why it is said that no airline can succeed without the support of government. The former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, always stressed that there is nothing wrong supporting your own.

There are invaluable gains that accrue to any nation that has successful airlines. Firstly, thousands of its citizens would be employed in the sector. There is a robust manpower development pogramme and airlines in international operations bring foreign exchange home. This, to some level, squares with the capital flight by foreign carriers. Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ăœ ĂœĂ‹ĘŠĂ?

The Consumer Protection Department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) recently released passenger traffic figures for year 2018, which indicated that 14. 2 million people travelled in that year. The traffic, compared to 2017-estimated increase of 11.2 million passengers, representing 20.8 per cent traffic upsurge, which means that both domestic and international airlines earned more revenue in 2018 than in 2017.

Specifically, 34 airlines on the international routes airlifted 4.08 million passengers, while nine domestic airlines collectively carried the 10.09 million passengers mark in 2018. Industry observers said the increase shows the exploits of local airlines, weathering the storm of a “toxic business environment that has almost made it impossible for airlines to last beyond the fifth year anniversary.�

Although there are varied opinion about this, but the former Chief Operating Officer of Medview airline and currently the Director of Engineering, Ibom Air, Lukeman Animaseun recently told THISDAY that to check outrageous fares charged Nigerian travellers by foreign airlines and also to help domestic airlines operate profitably, government need to support its own airlines.

These supports could be in the area of stable aviation fuel supply at relatively lower prices, access to single digit interest, long-term loans, a review of the multidesignation of foreign airlines to various airports in the country and standing behind Nigerian carriers when they apply to operate to other countries. ĂšĂ?ĂœĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă?

Clearly, Nigerian airlines face many operational challenges. Besides the high and undulating prices of aviation fuel, which price can change under hours, there are also infrastructural challenges and policies that are seemingly inimical to successful airline service in Nigeria. This unfavourable situation reflects in the current status of the airlines. For example, Med-View Airlines Plc, acquired Boeing 777 aircraft for its Hajj operations and revival of the truncated London and Dubai operations. The airline has, however, continued to slide, downsizing more operations and staffers lately due to the difficulty in accessing credit facility at outrageous interest rates and

Commercial airlines are a catalyst to economic development in any country. That is why every country supports its airlines. We are not asking for any ďŹ nancial assistance but for an enabling environment that makes things work.

It is not complimentary for us as a country that all our airlines are dying other challenges.

Following its takeover by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in February 2017, and injection of reportedly N1 billion, Arik Air showed signs of stability but not recovery. But THISDAY learnt that besides paying salaries and meeting basic obligations, many of the aircraft owned by Arik are not in operation. Many of them are grounded.

So far, Air Peace appears to be one of the most stable airlines, which accounted for about 40 per cent of the 2018 total passengers on the local front.

Many operators come into the industry and invest hugely, but are usually constrained by the hostile operating environment. Air Peace came with unprecedented investment in aircraft in its bid to make a strong case for Nigerian flag carriers on regional and international skies and connecting most airports on its domestic service.

To this effect, the airline recently placed a firm order for 10 brand new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft. The order comprised purchase rights for another 20 E195-E2 jets. Also, 124-seater jet in dual class and 146-seater jet in single class configurations respectively. With all purchase rights exercised, the contract is valued at N640.5 billion ($2.12 billion) based on current list prices.

The carrier also set a regional record in September 2018, when it ordered 10 brand new aircraft from Boeing, which when delivered would increase its fleet size to about 37 aircraft. With the new order, Air Peace’s fleet size is estimated to 57.

Air Peace had earlier set a domestic record as the first Nigerian airline to acquire and register the Boeing 777 aircraft in the country.

Three of the four wide-body aircraft it ac-

quired for its long-haul operations to Dubai, Sharjah, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai have so far been delivered. Ă&#x;ÖÞÓÚÖĂ? ÞËâĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă’Ă‹ĂœĂ‘Ă?Ă?

In many countries of the world, domestic airlines enjoy certain levels of tax holidays, even when the airlines are privately owned.

This is to encourage them because they serve as catalyst for economic development in any nation. But in Nigeria sundry charges and levies at airports nationwide, account for at least 65 per cent of airlines’ earnings. Besides the five per cent charge on every ticket bought by passengers, which goes to NCAA and other agencies, there are other charges on the operators.

These include the second popular five per cent Cargo Sales Charge, five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT), Passenger Service Charge of N1000 per ticket on local route, Charter Sales Charge, Aircraft Inspection Fees, Simulator Inspection Fees, Landing Charges, Parking Charges and Terminal Navigational Charge.

Others are enroute charge, fuel surcharge, airport space rent, electricity charges, apron pass, ODC (on duty card) registration fee, service recovery charge, processing fee, Avio Bridge, aircraft registration and processing ee.

The airlines also pay Toll Gate Fee, VIP Lounge, Trolley Service, Clearance Fee, Check-In Counter Charge, Courier/Tarmac/ Pre-Release charges, Import Charge (Dom), Export Charge (Dom), Import Royalty, Export Royalty, Ports Charge, Exports Charge, Transhipment and Concession Fee. Together, these charges eat deeply into the earnings of the airlines. Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, recently said if this current regime of taxation are s not reviewed downwards, no airline would survive.

Onyema said though the charges had been in the system for long and some of them as fallouts of legislations, it was high time they were reviewed to ease the burden on commercial airlines. “I suggest that government should raise a consulting firm to go round the country to find out why airlines have been dropping off.

Heavy taxation is part of it. We are suffering.

Air Peace supports payment of taxes to government; no government runs without the citizens paying tax. Airlines must pay their taxes. What we are asking is for these taxes to be streamlined in such a way that it will help us to help the government and help the country. “Commercial airlines are a catalyst to economic development in any country. That is why every country supports its airlines. We are not asking for any financial assistance but for an enabling environment that makes

things work. It is not complimentary for us as a country that all our airlines are dying,�

Onyema said.

Chairman AON, Meggison, observed that over 50 indigenous airlines have existed in the country in the last 18 years, but only nine are flying presently. “The mortality rate of airlines in Nigeria is high. The owners of the defunct airlines have all been success stories in other business endeavours except in aviation. Could all of them have been responsible for the failure of their airlines? The answer is no! Rather, the unfriendly policies and harsh operating environment have been the bane of aviation sector’s growth in Nigeria. We are mindful that if these issues and policies are not addressed urgently, the remaining airlines run the risk of becoming defunct in no time,â€? Meggison said. Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă“ĂœĂ–Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă?

President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Bankole Bernard, said the airlines, as well as other stakeholders in the aviation industry have a lot to gain working in harmony than in silos and with a policy direction for growth and mutual benefit. Bankole said Nigeria should take a cue from countries like Ghana that are creating the enabling environment for aviation to thrive. “I can say to you categorically that it is not possible for Airbus A380 aircraft to land in Nigeria. Even if they want to, we don’t have the infrastructure. That is one of the biggest aircraft in the world. But this same aircraft landed in Ghana. What makes Ghana better off than us? This is not about politics; it is about doing the right thing. We have the capacity to do the right things; we just choose not to do them. “There are a lot of things we can tap into. If the plan is to have Nigeria Air as our national carrier and it is not working out yet, are we saying there is no alternative plans to improve the sector? In what way have we supported the local airlines? Because the same problems facing the local airlines also lie in wait for the Nigeria Air and it will kill it within a short period. So, it will be just another white elephant project. It is high time we woke up from our sleep and understands that the aviation industry is a sensitive one that requires the government’s full attention. “This is because it is the fastest and safest means of moving from point A to point B. More so, when foreigners come into your country that is the first port of entry that showcases your worth as a nation,� Bernard added.

With Air Peace venture into international destinations, Nigeria has got another chance to support more of its airlines to airlift passengers beyond the country.

T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 28, 2019

25

BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME

Ensuring Patronage of Eastern Ports Eromosele Abiodun posits that the recent privatisation of the Warri port and the approval of 10 per cent discount habour dues for vessels calling at eastern ports last week, are steps expected to ensure sustained patronage and reduce pressure on Lagos ports

A

s part of efforts to increase patronage at the Eastern ports, and decongest Apapa port, the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), last week, announced the approval of a 10 per cent discount on harbour dues in all concession terminals at the Eastern ports.

The NPA, in a statement said the ports that would be affected by this initiative are: Calabar, Rivers and Delta Ports.

The NPA had explained :“The authority, however, wishes to clarify that this discount will only apply to harbour dues payable by the following types of vessels/cargoes: Container vessels with at least 250 20-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), general cargo vessels with at least 16,000 MT, combo vessels with at least 16,000 MT and RORO Vessels with at least 250 units of vehicles. “Theses discounts shall not apply to: vessels coming INBALLAST, vessels calling at private jetties and vessels calling carrying liquid bulk.

The application of these discounts will take immediately effect.�

The move came after several efforts to get importers to patronise eastern ports seem to have not yielded the expected dividend leading to massive congestion at Lagos ports. This is because over the years, seaports across the country suffered neglect, depriving Nigeria of the economic advantages of having efficient and well managed ports.

Apart from the Lagos ports, there are seaports at Warri, Koko, Onne, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Ibom Deep Seaport at Ibaka, Akwa Ibom State, which is still at the design stage.

The main problem with these ports is that the river channels leading to them are too narrow to accommodate large vessels. The shipping companies find it more convenient to take their vessels to Lagos than to the eastern ports.

The situation worsened after the concession of the ports started in 2006. This was sequel to the withdrawal of the 30 per cent incentive granted vessel owners to use the eastern ports when the federal government controlled the ports.

Not long ago, apart from the Onne Port, most of the other ports servicing the Southeast, South-south and the Eastern flank of the North are virtually idle.

The channels into these ports need to be dredged, their facilities need to be upgraded and incentives provided to enable them take up more of the nation’s maritime business.

Apart from shallow channels, which make it impossible for bigger vessels to access the port, decrepit port infrastructure is another major problem.

While the Calabar Port suffers from shallow draught, the Onne Port is contending with insecurity such as pirate attacks and sea-robbery among others.

Other identified challenges include deplorable berths, dearth of finger mooring jetties to berth NPA crafts, lack of operational vehicles and fire hydrants at quays.

Cargo handling equipment and the port quays areas are also inadequate to make trade facilitation efficient.

Also, while high siltation at the Calabar Port has impeded safe navigation, the Port Harcourt Port suffered under constant pirate attacks, which made the port unattractive for foreign shipping lines. Because of the aforementioned challenges, no fewer than 754 vessels are said to have deserted the eastern ports between 2013 and 2016. Specifically, the number of vessels that berthed at the ports reduced from 2,268 vessels in 2013 to 1,514 in 2016.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the number of vessels that berthed at the Delta port fell from 609 in 2013 to 433 in 2016, while the Gross Registered Tonnage at the port also dropped from 8,687,160 in 2013 to 6,177,809 in 2016. ËŞĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ The NPA had in a bid to reverse the situation, last year, commenced the dredging of Warri port at the cost of $44.861million (N16.150 billion). The dredging has been completed and

government of the burden of financing the sector.�

According to him, the concession is for a period of 25 years at an annual lease fee of $1,621,500, in addition to the entry fee and monthly throughput fee chargeable on the volume of cargo handled.

Okoh assured that the implementation of the development plan for the concessionaire would be closely monitored by the relevant government agencies, including the NPA, the BPE and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission to ensure compliance.

Ëœ ËÎÓäË Ă‹Ă–Ă‹Ě‹ Ă?Ă—Ă‹Ă˜

The objective is to increase efďŹ ciency in our ports, improve service delivery, upgrade and modernise facilities in the ports, reduce the cost of shipping and clearing of goods at the ports and relieve the government of the burden of ďŹ nancing the sector vessels have started calling at the port. Confirming the above, a Warri based Customs broker and former National Financial Secretary of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Val Orhobabhor, said he gathered that the dredging project had been completed.

Aware of the perennial gridlock in Apapa as a result of the activity at the Lagos port, the NPA management recently announced that it was working with professionals in the maritime sector to make the eastern ports attractive for business.

Last year, the NPA deployed equipment worth over $30 million in Onne Port, Rivers State. The measure, which was taken by the Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza BalaUsman was to boost efficiency, security and make the port attractive for business. Onne Port Complex is one of the key ports under the NPA. It is situated on the Bonny River Estuary along Ogu Creek.

Findings revealed that six pilot cutters, tug boats and 17 meter offshore patrol boats, have

been deployed in the port to make the port attractive and stem the cycle of criminalities within and around the port.

Sources at Onne Port confirmed that it cost the NPA more than $30 million to deploy the sophisticated equipment. One of the sources however, condemned what he described as indiscriminate anchorage of vessels and urged the perpetrators to desist. He also urged investors to take advantage of the strategic location of the port, located in one of the largest oil and gas free zones in the world.

Apart from supporting exploration and production for economic activities, the free zone provides a logistic oil service centre for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria (Onshore and Offshore), while also providing easy access to the entire West African and sub-Sahara oil fields.

The official, who declined to have his name in print, assured stakeholders and investors that adequate depth of the channel leading to the port would be dredged to accommodate big ocean going vessels and guarantee adequate security. Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ“ Ă™ĂœĂž ĂœĂ“Ă Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜ Also, as part of measures to make the eastern ports attractive for business, the NPA and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) handed over Terminal B of the Warri Old Port to private concessionaire, Ocean & Cargo Terminal Services Limited.

BPE Director-General Mr. Alex Okoh, who spoke at the handover ceremony, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was committed to a private sector-driven economy.

He also called on local and international businessmen to take advantage of the government’s open door policy to establish businesses in the country.

Okoh said the Nigerian ports were the main gateway to the country and key to the federal government’s objective of diversifying and growing the economy.

He pointed out that the objective of the government in port concession was to increase efficiency at the ports with the ultimate goal to modernise the ports and make them more competitive.

The BPE boss said: “The objective is to increase efficiency in our ports, improve service delivery, upgrade and modernise facilities in the ports, reduce the cost of shipping and clearing of goods at the ports and relieve the

Ă‹Ă?Ă•Ă–Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă˜Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“ĂžĂŁ The NPA is also tackling insecurity which led to inflated cost of importing goods through the eastern ports. An importer, Mr. Robert Francis, recently told THISDAY that shipment of cargoes from China to Lagos, which used to cost about $1,500, now costs between $4,000 and $4,500 because of insecurity and high salinity of the sea. He therefore, urged youths in the area to give peace a chance to make the ports attractive and competitive. “In addition, vessels calling at Onne Port in Rivers State also slammed $45,000 (N16.2 milion) on importers for an average of six hours per night for delay to berth. The delay, which is estimated at $7,500 per hour, is said to be caused by incessant robbery and shallow port channels,â€? he said.

Worried by the problems, former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi had at a stakeholders’ interactive session in Warri last year, explained that one of the factors militating against the success of the maritime sector was insecurity in the Niger Delta region, which he said was also hampering the growth and development of the region.

He said Niger Delta was not working because of the people in the area. His words: “How many Lagosians are on the water in Lagos? None. The reason vessels will not come to the eastern ports is because there is no war insurance on vessels because of restiveness in the region. “War insurance means if the goods cost N10, 000 in Lagos, it will get it N20, 000 here because there is extra cost on it. There is insecurity in Lagos, but not as bad as it is in the eastern ports.â€? ÞËÕĂ?ÒÙÖÎĂ?ĂœĂ? Ù××Ă?Ă˜ĂŽ Meanwhile, stakeholders in the maritime industry have continue to hail the NPA for the authority’s effort at making other ports across the country viable. For instance, former President of ANLCA Mr. Olayiwola Shittu commended the NPA for repositioning the port for greater efficiency.

He urged other stakeholders to collaborate with the NPA in its efforts to make the port a hub of maritime activities.

Another stakeholder, Mr. Felix Abraham, said the deployment of the equipment has assisted the port in taking its rightful position as hub for the East and Central Africa subregions in oil and gas and has an advantage of accessibility and proximity to the eastern commercial centres like Onitsha, Nnewi and Aba, among others.

According to him, “Activities such as pipe coating, waste treatment and boat building are provided by companies located in Onne. The port is highly industrialised with modern facilities and equipment that can stand the test of time anywhere in the world. “It has one of the biggest habour mobile cranes in Africa, (Liebherr 600) with a lifting capacity of 208 metric tonnes. Also, 220 Gmk 5220 grove twin cranes that have capacity of lifting single heavy duty cargo of 300 tonnes.�

On his part, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikewoli 11 called on stakeholders in the Delta ports to give maximum and unflinching support to NPA management so that the transformation the authority has brought to the region could be sustained.

The paramount ruler pointed out that Calabar port, which also has the same challenge of shallow draught, has been improved upon by the NPA with the use of Flat Bottom Vessels (FBV) to attract more cargoes to the port in Warri.

T H I S D AY Ëž JUNE 28, 2019

26

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

As Expectations of Special Economic Zones Rise Ă‹Ă˜ ĂŒĂ“ĂŽĂ™ĂŁĂ?

W

ith the promise of boosting manufacturing’s share of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product to 20 percent, generating $30billion in annual export earnings and creating 1.5 million new jobs in an export-oriented manufacturing value chain, among others, the development of special economic zones by the Nigeria SEZ Investment Company Limited (NSEZCO) is likely to be a game changer.

But with the variables involved, it takes dedication, all-out commitment and continuity to make changes of that scale.

Project MINE, the Presidential Priority Intervention project, is using special economic zones to boost manufacturing and exports; and NSEZCO is the special purpose vehicle set up by the Federal Government to facilitate Public-Private Partnerships with development finance institutions and other investors, to develop special economic zones across the country.

Since its establishment, the Government has repeatedly stated its commitment to the project and even flaunted it in advertisements during the last presidential elections.

In a recent example, when the strategic investment partners investors and advisers felt threatened by wild allegations that spurred investigation, the Federal Government intervened to reassure them of its commitment to the project.

It is now time to deliver and, of course, the expectations are high.

Sources say that until he spoke at the meeting of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the strategic investors, nobody knew how Mr. Gbenga Oyebode really felt that afternoon.

Weeks before the meeting, there had been reports in some newspapers that Oyebode had been invited by the police in an ongoing investigation over his role in the registration of NSEZCO. In claims of authenticity, some of the reports even displayed copies of the invitation letter.

Although his voice didn’t betray emotions when he spoke, Oyebode was clear about the need to protect a reputation built over years of hard work, a source said.

Mallam Abubakar Malami, the then Attorney-General of the Federation, who was at the meeting, explained to the investors that the investigation into the affairs of the company was to establish the integrity of the Federal Government and the propriety of its actions in the light of the negative perceptions created in the media.

He also reiterated that the Federal Government had no intention to frustrate investment in the company and its smooth take-off.

A source described how in a direct response to the mood at the meeting, the host, Vice President Osinbajo, who spoke earlier, avoided a prepared speech to speak directly to the situation.

He condemned the misrepresentations that had been created about NSEZCO in certain sections of the media and regretted the embarrassment this may have caused the investors. He reaffirmed FG’s endorsement of the strategies and plans put in place for the actualization of the Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

The Vice President also assured the investors of the readiness of the Buhari administration to offer all the support required to complete their investments in the company.

Restating the government’s commit-

ĂŒĂ“Ă‹ ÞËÞĂ?Ëœ Ùà ÕÚĂ?ËäĂ&#x;

ment to Project MINE, he said it is the vision and plan of the Buhari administration to be the pre-eminent manufacturing hub in Sub-Saharan Africa and a major exporter of manufactured products.

According to him, “the project is fundamental for us as industrialization is a major pillar of our Economy Recovery and Growth Plan�.

On February 8, this year, the Federal Government, at a ceremony presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, signed investment agreements with three Development Finance Institutions; Afreximbank, Bank of Industry and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) for the development of special economic zones in the country. Other investment partners expected to join the three are African Development Bank (AfDB) and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

At the meeting with the Vice President were representatives of the investment partners, including the African ExportImport Bank, Bank of Industry, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Africa Finance Corporation and the African Development Bank and the legal advisers, Aluko & Oyebode.

Mr. Olukayode Pitan, Managing Director, Bank of Industry and Mr. Abdoulaye Kone, Regional Chief Operating Officer – Anglophone West Africa, African Export-Import Bank, who spoke on behalf of the investors and Mr. Oyebode on behalf of the advisers, thanked the Federal Government for the assurances given to them and confirmed their commitment to the project.

Earlier, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, then Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment thanked the Vice President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the investors for their support.

He said from all indications, NSEZCO remains on course to raise $500million for investment in Special Economic Zones in Nigeria.

With the dust long settled and the strategic partners of NSEZCO reassured of

Ă“Ă‘Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă‹ËŞĂ? Ă“Ă˜Ă“Ă?ĂžĂ?Ăœ Ă™Ă? Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ëœ Ă•Ă?Ă?Ă’Ă&#x;Ă•ĂĄĂ&#x; Ă˜Ă?Ă–Ă‹Ă—Ă‹

the commitment of the Buhari administration, it is expected that all the talk translates into action to be seen and felt in Funtua, Enyimba, Lekki, and other locations.

The early stage projects in the first phase of NSEZCO’s operations include: Enyimba Economic City, Abia State: A 9,500+hectare multi-township economic city at the heart of the South-East and South-South geopolitical areas of Nigeria. Pre-development work has been completed and three major anchor investors have been secured. Construction expected to commence in the second quarter of 2019: Lekki-Epe Model Industrial Park, Lagos State: A 1,000-hectare multi-cluster model industrial park in the North East quadrant of the Lekki Free Zone area.

Pre-development work is currently ongoing and two major anchor investors have been secured; Funtua Cotton Cluster, Katsina State: Aggregating cotton grown by over 800,000 farmers in Northern Nigeria into a world-class vertically integrated ginning, spinning, weaving and garmentmaking cluster in the traditional centre of cotton ginning in Nigeria, that will also supply yarn and cloth to other textile clusters around the country.

It is also expected that with the clarifications made at the Vice President’s meeting with the strategic investors, they will not have to worry about any more dust from government circles. Investment decisions, taken by boards of companies, are sensitive to uncertainty and crisis.

Sources say that with the expected changes in government, they may also need assurance on continuity of the Project MINE, which promises to be a flagship project of the Federal Government in manufacturing, job creation and export promotion.

It looks like there is no opportunity to climb back on this project.

Already, the Shandong Ruyi Group, the leading integrated textile and gar-

ment group in China and one of the largest worldwide, had in 2018 announced an investment commitment of $2bn to the Cotton, Textile and Garment industry in Nigeria by way of anchor investments in manufacturing facilities in Enyimba Economic City, Abia State, Kano and Lekki Model Industrial Park.

More recently on the 28th of March 2019, CCCG Industrial Investment Holding Company (CIHC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Group ranked 91st in the Fortune 500 companies and the 3rd largest international contractor globally, signed a Letter of Intent to invest in the Lekki Model Industrial Park Project as a Developer and to be the Lead Investor in a package of external infrastructure projects to serve the entire Lekki Free Zone Area, including, power, water, access roads and bridges.

In addition to its potential to generate revenue and reduce unemployment, Project MINE seeks to: Create local models of global best practice in the provision of world class infrastructure at competitive costs connecting SEZs to international and regional markets with transport links, uninterrupted power, ICT, water, sewage and other services to ensure smooth and efficient operation of SEZ businesses.

Promote the “cluster� effect to be gained by locating similar export-oriented manufacturing businesses within the same locality.

Attract world class investors with strong positions in global supply chains and investors with potential to increase the scale of operations rapidly to set up operations in SEZs. Create an enabling environment for SEZ businesses by instituting best in class legal and regulatory frameworks, using technology and streamlined processes to facilitate movement of people, goods and capital and easy access to government services, approvals and permits. t "CJEPZF XSPUF GSPN -BHPT

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 08152252325

Leke Alder:

Analysing Trends, Impacts

28

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

COVER LEKE ALDER: ANALYSING TRENDS, IMPACTS

Leke Alder wears many hats as a lawyer, polymath and philanthropist. Alder who is the Founder & Principal of Alder Consulting, Nigeria’s leading creative intelligence firm, is often credited with introducing branding as a discipline to Nigeria and has consulted on policy, politics and business at the highest levels locally and internationally. MARY NNAH reports that at a recent forum, the thrust of discussion was 2019 Church Report released by Alder Consulting that measures the perception of the church in Nigeria, as well as its impact on society and national development Why do a report on the church many may ask, especially as Alder Consulting, Nigeria’s leading creative intelligence firm, is basically known for brand consultancy having introduced consulting model for branding in Nigeria with the release of the first research-based brand report, The Alder Brand Report in 2001 as well as presented Nigeria’s first social media report – The Alder Social Media Report, same year.

To this enquiry, Principal, Alder Consulting, Mr. Leke Alder, the initiator of the 2019 Church Report, was quick to say that, “the church is the barometer of society, not just because it is a complete microcosm of society; the church is a societal interface, an arbiter between the people and the government. Society is invariably reflected in the church.�

Alder explained further that through the church we can measure the values of society, see the perspective of youths, and identify socio-cultural mores, the level of engagement in society and so on. “The church is not a building. It is a people collective, a reflector of mankind in her most banal state�, he added.

Therefore, Alder Consulting, he explained, “undertook the survey not only to provide the clergy a window through which they can view society, but also to provide society a window through which they can view the clergy.�

Alder however, stressed that the window is for all stakeholders – government, legislature, social workers, parents as well as youths, adding, “we all get to see one another�.

Expressing the hope that this report will help relevant authorities focus on the big issues of today in the society, Alder while speaking at the presentation ceremony, said, the report measures the perception of the church in Nigeria, and its impact on society and national development, while it provides feedback from church members and the general public, as well as information about socio-cultural shifts that affects the church.

Not just that, the church report, he said, also highlights public perception of church stewardship, use of technology and social relevance as well as investigate emergent issues of youth sexuality and mental health in Nigeria churches.

Ultimately, the Alder Church Report highlights the social relevance of the church and in particular, captures the reaction of the youth demographic on burning topics such as sexuality and mental health.

The survey for the Alder Church Report, according to Alder, was done both online and offline, spanning six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. In all, there were 4,634 respondents; 68 per cent of whom were below 35 years old.

The gender ratio for the survey was 58 per cent male to 42 per cent female, while 50 per cent were single and 50 per cent married.

Reflecting on key highlights from the Alder Church Report, which full report is available for the general public at alderconsulting.com/churchreport/, Alder revealed that from the survey, 30 per cent of the respondents are of the opinion that the Church should not be involved in politics. However, 23 per cent say that pastors can vie for public office, while 80 per cent think that churches should advocate for good governance.

The survey, he said, found that more millennials consume Christian content in digital format (e-Bible, Video Messages and Audio Messages) in the North-west, than in any other region of Nigeria. This, he stressed, speaks to a strong desire for teachings in this part

spiritual function of the church, and get involved in advocacy for good governance. “Praying for the nation is subordinated to advocacy for good governance because we would have expected that being a church, we would expect the pastors to pray more and that would be number one, but that is being subordinated. “In other words, the people are saying that the secular and the spiritual must come together in solving Nigeria’s problems and that their prayers are not enough. They have to pray but at the same time advocate for good governance�, he said. “Personally I receive a lot of mails from young people on a weekly basis and one of the things I have found out is that this mental health issue is major because on a weekly basis I get a mail from somebody who wants to commit suicide, which means that depression in country is huge. Now, we cannot hold the church responsible for these problems neither can we hold her responsible for the solutions. All the church can do is to intervene in the situation. There are things that only policy can solve but the people look up to the church for certain things. “Therefore, providing this report to the church tells them where they should intervene specifically, especially in the areas of mental and emotional health, which we don’t pay too much attention to in our country�, Alder noted Alder who noted further that the report is also going to encourage more people to study in that area of mental health, as there was an obvious need for more hands in that field, added, “some years back, when you see someone with depression, you are most likely to tell the person to go for deliverance but now, the church is recognising that there is need for professional help at that level�.

Alder

of Nigeria.

Church members, the report further revealed, would like the Nigerian Church to demonstrate financial responsibility by giving back to society (81 per cent). 46 per cent would like professional financial auditing, 40 per cent would like churches to publish financial reports, while 25 per cent want churches to pay tax.

Regarding the use of technology, Alder revealed that respondents ranked the church lowest on online response time (58 per cent). Mobile responsiveness, aesthetic appeal and loading speed were ranked 63 per cent, 64 per cent and 64 per cent respectively. Other rankings include user experience (65 per cent), frequency of updates (66 per cent) and functionality (68 per cent).

On use of social media, the church was scored below average for reach (47 per cent), relevance of message (48 per cent) and audience engagement (48 per cent), the report stated further while also enlightening that content effectiveness, vis-a-vis the impact of church messages on the world, scored 51 per cent.

The survey further revealed that millennials would like the church to be more responsive to issues of drug abuse, domestic violence, unemployment, depression, rape and sexuality while the number of millennials who believe in premarital sex has risen to 20 per cent from 17 per cent (2018). This, Alder believes, may signal a mind shift regarding sex and sexuality among millennial churchgoers.

With regards to church attendance, it revealed that weekly attendance in church has increased from 42 per cent to 50 per cent, while twice weekly attendance has dropped to 43 per cent from 48 per cent.

Regarding how the church can impact

the next generation, the report revealed further that millennials who emphasised “Teaching the Word�, scored 92 per cent.

In terms of current impact, they scored Financial Empowerment lowest (56 per cent), despite the multiplicity of teachings on the subject.

Revelation from the survey pointed out that there appears to be a drop in church influence on culture as it is ranked below average (45 per cent) while it was ranked 68 per cent in 2016.

To this end, Alder stressed that the church should pay more attention to big issues in the society, such as politics, depression, sex, marriage abuse and the likes, which he summed up to four big issues: politics, emotional and mental health, professional progression and sexuality. “Progression is what would generally cause success. The youths want to succeed and so they want the church to be more involved in policies that would create more job opportunities and also enable environment that are conducive for budding business; they want the church to address the youth’s sexuality and also their mental and emotional health. “There is a lot of depression in the country, especially amongst the youths, so they need help. Sometimes professional assistance in these areas are usually very expensive and sometimes, most of them don’t know that they need to see a therapist. For example in the area of sexuality, there are people having problems in their marriages and need professionals they should be referred to. So, churches need to set up these structures so that society can come to them for help�, Alder explained.

He noted further that in the area of politics, churches should go beyond praying for the nation, which is the

About Alder Alder has consulted on policy formulation for the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Federal Ministries of Information & Communication, Education, Foreign Affairs, and Solid Minerals Development, among others.

He has also consulted on political strategy and communication campaigns at national and sub-national levels. Leke Alder wrote the blueprint for Nigeria’s image management programme - the Heart of Africa project and was the Chief Consultant to the Federal Government on the project. He was appointed by the Federal Government to the Board of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and was Chairman of the Board Tenders Committee as well as Chairman of the Communications Committee. He served on the board for four years.

He was a member of the Steering Committee for the World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Nigeria and the Chairman, Sub-Committee on Media, Host Broadcasting & Advertising. Alder has been a member of the organising committee of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and a Member of the Board of Trustees of Day Waterman College.

He has served as a panelist at the Annual Africa Business Conferences of Harvard Business School, Wharton Business School and Kellogg School of Management.

He is the author of several books and was the host of a weekly radio business programme, Minding Your Business with Leke Alder on 92.3 Inspiration FM, Lagos.

Alder is a lawyer, polymath and philanthropist. His photographs and furniture designs have raised millions of Naira for nine orphanages supported by his foundation - Leke Alder Foundation, which has impacted over 120,000 lives.

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

29

NEWS

PayPorte New Website to Focus on Fashion, Lifestyle Stories by Mary Nnah PayPorte Global Systems, Nigeria’s first Omni-channel retail company, has launched a redesign of their website, payporte.com; featuring more unique contemporary designs and interface.

The completely redesigned website offers shoppers a wider variety of fashion and lifestyle products to reflect the brand’s new tagline “More Than Shopping, It’s a Lifestyle�. The new website which officially went live for shopping on Monday, June 24, 2019, embodies aesthetic enhancements, improved functionality to provide a smooth shopping experience and enhanced navigation to help shoppers easily find and shop products faster and easier. www.payporte.com offers a trusted, frictionless and smooth checkout experience; wide variety of trendy and urban fashion and lifestyle products for the style forward young men and women as well as presents functional and integrated social media buttons for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Twitter to foster multi-channel shopping experience for shoppers.

Speaking on the new innovation, the Chief Executive Of-

Payporte Global Systems Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Mr Eyo Bassey

ficer, PayPorte, Eyo Bassey, said, “We are excited about our newly redesigned website which is far more improved than the updated version of the old site released last year. “We took a lot of customers’ feedback into our business strategy and this led us to take certain strategic decisions including suspending the old site so as to effectively redesign a new one from scratch for improved shopping experiences for our customers.� “We believe the new site will offer greater shopping experience to our customers as we continue to provide them with top quality products that meet their fashion and lifestyle needs�, Bassey added.

The website compared to the updated version of the old site released July 2018, has a clean uncluttered design, improved

functionality and is stocked with trendy fashion pieces focused on the Company’s new direction as a fashion and lifestyle company.

The payporte.com website has an entirely new look and features such as improved and dynamic product images, WhatsApp shopping, instalments payment plans, dynamic products images, among others. “In line with our promise to provide the best quality products to our customers, we have partnered with top fashion brands in the world to stock new products. “Our goal is to be the onestop-shop retail store for urban fashion and lifestyle products in Nigeria and Africa hence we have made our store available online and offline as well�, said Head of Product Management, Payporte, Adenike Bankole.

PayPorte commenced business activities in 2014 as an online store with the highest quality of products to meet needs. The company recently transformed into an Omni-channel retail company to meet market realities with a greater focus on fashion and lifestyle products, in addition to changing its tagline from “Your Preferred Online Store� to a more fashion and lifestylefocused phrase “More Than Just Shopping, It’s a Lifestyle�.

AfricanCircleLiquidWasteTreatment PlantCommencesOperation The multi-million naira state of the art liquid waste treatment plant built by African Circle Pollution Management Limited (ACPML) has begun operation in the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt.

The multi-purpose facility which is built on the build, operate and transfer (BOT) agreement ACPML signed with the Federal Government is situated in Port Harcourt Dockyard. It is a shouting distance to the location of Nigeria’s oldest seaport, Port Harcourt Port. The plant commencement of operation is coming on the heels of its formal unveiling by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo last weekend. The flag off was witnessed by top government officials, community leaders and stakeholders in the maritime sector of the economy as well as the oil and gas industry.

In his key note address, Osinbajo reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to the ideals of the environment, maritime and the oil and gas industries in the policies formulation and implementation of the President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration.

He stated that the unveiling of the plant was significant in many ways as it would help Nigeria to meet global standards and practices as prescribed by the various conventions and guidelines of the United Nations (UN) specialised agency, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Apparently elated by the feats of the firm, the vice president gave kudos to the management of ACPML which has the former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar as the chairman of its board of directors, even as he enjoined other indigenous companies to emulate it.

His words: “I am happy to note that as a wholly indigenous firm, African Circle Pollution Management Limited has kept to its own side of the provisions of the agreement and I want to assure

‘Death for a Believer is Entrance to Glory’, Ashimolowo Exhorts

Late Obembe’s wife (front row, middle) Bishop Oluremi Ayotunde Obembe, anked by her children and clerics that graced the ocassion

The founder of UK-based Kingsway International Christian Center (KICC), Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo has described death as a glorious transition to everlasting glory for those who believe in Christ Jesus.

Speaking while delivering a sermon at the burial service held in honour of late presiding Archbishop of El-Shaddi Bible Churches worldwide, Joseph Olanrewaju Obembe at the Great Grace Cathedral, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, penultimate Friday, Ashimolowo said, “Death for the unsaved person is an enigma.

For the atheist it is the end.

But death for the believer is an entrance to glory�.

Speaking further, the cleric maintained that when a believer dies, he only moves from one room to another, which he described as glorious. He said therefore that the late Archbishop Obembe has journeyed to a glorious place and has gone home to rest. “What we have with us is just the body which I call the vehicle with which he came to the world. When you enter your room you don’t take your car into your room. You park it outside. Our late Archbishop has packed his car outside. His body is the car but he has gone into the room. He is with the Lord�,

Ashimolowo noted.

While noting death is inevitable for everyone here on earth, he called on Nigerians to realise that life is transient and in addition to the fact, every man will give account of his stewardship to God, man would also be remembered for what he lived and stood for after his demise.

He said, “As one grows older there are certain things you used to do that you can no longer do.

I am 67. I know what I am saying. Old age restricts you. You can no longer jump out of bed anyhow again. “When you are over 60 you wake up gradually. Wisdom demands that we take some practical steps to remain strong and fit. But that does not mean we will be here forever. We will all have to go one day�, he noted.

He recalled that the late Archbishop, “Never wavered in his faith. He was a committed believer,� adding, “I am sure in my heart that he is in the presence of the Lord. I am sure in my heart that he found grace before his maker. Ultimately it is not by works. Works will not take anybody to heaven. It is grace that will take us there�.

Ashimolowo who was downto-earth in his message told the congregation that no matter how human beings try, death is inevitable.

“We believe God heals and we claim faith for healing. But the truth is that we still fall sick here in this world. We experience sorrow and suffering. That you are comfortable does not mean you don’t go through challenges.

That is the reality. “No matter the supplement we take death is inevitable. We really now don’t know what to eat. They tell us not to eat a particular food today and another person comes to tell us to eat it. “They tell us some foods will give us cholesterol and shorten our lives. We are just being given all kinds of dietary recommendations. But all that cannot stop death. It is inevitable�, Ashimolowo said.

The burial ceremony which began on Monday June 10 was brought to a close on June 14 at the church’s Dolphin Estate headquarters with a three hour service. His remains were later interred at his Ogudu GRA, Lagos home.

Obembe died on May 1, 2019 after a protracted illness.

He was a one-time chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Presiding Archbishop of El-Shaddai Bible Church. He was also the Apostolic Prelate of International Communion of Charismatic and Apostolic Ministries ICCAM.

‘Nigeria’sPrivateSectorCrucialtoAchievingSDGs’ Vice President Yemi Osinbajo anked by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Dr. Sokonte H. Davis and others during the event

you that the Federal Government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari will not relent in its efforts to ensure it live up to expectations by doing its own part.�

He expressed delight that ACPML as an indigenous waste management organisation saddled with the responsibility of collection, storage, processing and disposal of ship generated waste in the country has not looked back since it began operation over a decade ago.

Giving an insight into the operations of the company, Abubakar in his welcome address said the building of the waste treatment plant was part of its contractual agreement with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and its commitment to a cleaner maritime environment in line with global standards and practices. According to the chairman of the firm, the liquid waste treatment plant is not only fully automated but has capacity to handle several functions that vital to delivery of ACPML mandate.

Former Governor of Ogun State and a member of the Board Management Committee (BMC) of ACPML, Chief Olusegun Osoba, in his remarks disclosed that the plant cost the company about $8 million USA dollars.

He commended the Managing Director of the NPA, Ms. Hadiza

Bala Usman for the support she has been giving to the company since her appointment as the boss of the government agency.

He enjoined the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to help in the provision of land required for the building of ACPML facility in Bonny Island, Rivers State, even as he revealed that the land owners had made things difficult for the firm.

Wike in his response expressed his willingness to support ACPML to deliver on its assignment on the condition that the company employs indigenes of Rivers State in its facilities.

He expressed dismay that NPA has not lived to expectations by providing its own counterpart funding for the construction of the road leading to Port Harcourt Dockyard despite an agreement to that effect.

He urged NPA Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Dr. Sokonte H. Davis who is an indigene of Rivers State to use his good office to ensure that the government agency do what it is expected of it for the state.

The governor who is known for his outspokenness also enjoined the Federal Government to carry out the dredging of the channels to Port Harcourt to enhance vessel traffic to the seaport.

The private sector remains a crucial sector with countless opportunities to drive the course of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their associated targets in Nigeria.

This was the submission of Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, Head of Sustainability at Access Bank Plc during her opening remark, at the one-day summit organised by the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of UN body recently.

She explained that the private sector has a huge contribution to make to the implementation of the SDGs through commitment to seeking shared value and environmentally sustainable ways of operating.

Reacting to the submit theme: “Sustainable Population Growth, Demographic Dividend and the Future of Nigeria: The Role of the Private Sector�, Victor-Lanyan said achieving the SDGs as it relates to better

health facilities for pregnant women and youth development will be near impossible without the active involvement of the private sector. Delivering a keynote address at the summit, Country Representative of the UNFPA, Eugene Kongnyuy said if Nigeria is to achieve the SDGs, especially the health SDGs the private sector must play a key role in collaboration with government and development partners, to address the challenges of inadequate health infrastructure, inadequate equipment, inadequate Human Resources for health, weak supply chain management for medicines and many other factors. He said while government has the primary responsibility to foster an environment for peace, justice and sustainable development through enabling policies and implementation of enabling laws, business and philanthropy also have a critical role to play.

According to him, no country or institution can solve challenges

L-R: Eugene Konguyuy, Country Director Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Stephanie Linus Okereke, United Nations Population Fund ( UNFPA ) Regional Ambassador; Omobolanle Victor - Laniyan, Head, Sustainability Access Bank and Adebola Williams, Co-Founder, Red Media at the event

on its own without collaborating with another. “We must harness the power of the private sector and civil society for shared solutions to complex challenges. “We need to build an inclusive global partnership, with mutual accountability and a fair sharing of responsibilities. We must leverage our comparative strengths, capacities and resources to achieve meaningful results�, he added. In a 13-point communique issued at the end of the summit, attended by representatives from Oando Foundation, Coca-Cola Plc, Microsoft, Tolarams Group, West African Gas Pipelines Company, Merck, Pharm Access Foundation, DKT, HACEY Health Initiative, Lagos Business School, Access Bank Plc, Chevron, Nigerian Breweries, and UNICEF, Ondo State Government and several civil society bodies, they resolved to proactively engage NGOs and CSOs, particularly those focused on women, youth and poverty eradication, to form a partnership on reaching out to underserved areas.

Participants unanimously agreed that in carrying out corporate social responsibilities, ensure partnership with civic society organisations and participatory needs assessment of target groups to provide sync between the company’s activities and achievement of the sustainable development goals.

They also resolved to recognise the potentials of young people and harness this strength towards sustainable development through mentoring and more internship opportunities.

30

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

‌Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Awaiting Their Magic In October 2018, MultiChoice Nigeria opened its doors to 20 aspiring filmmakers to the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, an arm of its empowerment initiative that focuses on grooming the next generation of storytellers.

Vanessa Obioha captures the students’ experiences so far

The 20 lucky MTF students with Femi Odugbemi

The mood that Thursday afternoon at the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy in Lagos was boisterous. Hearty laughter and chatter could be heard from the break room where the students were having their recess. Some in groups of twos and threes, cracking jokes and engaging in cheerful conversations. Once in a while they strolled into the reception to pick on the receptionist who have somewhat become their favourite pal. The spirit of camaraderie is so palpable that it is hard to believe that a few months ago, they barely knew each other.

For some of them, it still feels surreal that it was only last October that they began this journey of innovation. They were aptly called the lucky 20 by Steve Ayorinde who served as the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture in Lagos state at the time during a ceremony held in their honour. That gathering also had the likes of prolific chronicler of Nollywood, Jonathan Haynes and the Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture Dr. Iddi Ziblim.

Indeed, they are the lucky 20. Out of the over 3000 applications received, they were the chosen ones. A total number of 60 students were enrolled into the project that spread across the East and Southern Africa regions where MultiChoice Africa operates. The initiative which has three touch points is specifically geared to stimulate not only the growth of African filmmakers but institutions as well.

The academy serves as a learning hub where aspirants will go through a 12-month intensive training that focuses on the art and business of filmmaking.

Other touch points of the initiative include Masterclasses for film practitioners and a

portal for the filmmakers to network and market their ideas.

In Nigeria, which is the academy hub for the West Africa region, the students are mainly from Nigeria and Ghana.

Despite the huge publicity of the initiative, quite a few of the students applied at the last minute. For instance, one of the students Blessing Bulus revealed that she applied on the last day of application. “Someone in my church called me to tell me about MTF. He didn’t really know much about it but asked me to check the internet for more information. I did and to my surprise there has been a call of application for almost three months and that day was the last day. So I had to gather my documents immediately and applied.�

It was the same for Ghanaian student Dumevi Yaamoakoa who only applied a day before the call of entry closed.

In her own case, taking some time off the internet was responsible for her late application. Yet it was not an easy decision for her. Being selected meant that she would have to relocate to Nigeria. With the moral support from her family, she took a leap of faith and applied.

Kemi Adeyemi whose eyes are focused on production needed three signs before she could make up her mind. First it was her father who mentioned MTF to her, then her friends. By the time she saw the advert on TV, her mind was made up. Prior to that, she was contemplating whether to go to Canada to study filmmaking or not.

More interesting is Moses Akerele’s experience. He admitted that he was quite reluctant to apply in the first place. “I was on training in France when a couple of friends told me about MTF. I had done some other trainings in filmmaking

and I was always eager to learn but at that point, I felt training wasn’t for me. They all applied and kept asking me if I had. Coming back home, I read up on it and it looks like something I would love to be part of so I registered, only to realise that I didn’t complete my registration. I got a mail that I should complete my registration which I did. I was called for an interview and the rest is history.�

He turned out to be the only one among his friends who made it to the Academy.

Studying at MTF has expanded their views on filmmaking. From the theoretical aspect — which Akereke finds more tasking — to the immersion programme where they were on set of some of Africa Magic productions such as ‘Battleground’ and ‘Ajoche’ “Ajoche set was the memorable,� enthused Yaamoakoa. “It was the most exciting. I was just taking pictures and then sending it to my dad, my mum and my friends. I was so excited. Everything was overwhelming.�

The students were also opportuned to be mentored by veterans in the creative industry like Tunde Kelani and Michelle Matthews whose teaching touched Adeyemi the most. “She made me understand what it takes to have a proactive dream and not just pipe dreaming�.

What is most striking for them is the depth of knowledge they have acquired.

They all admitted as we sat in the library hall that it was more than a film school. “It exceeded my expectations,� said Adeyemi. “I didn’t realize that it would be all that it was or the opportunities that it would come with or the connection and the direction that it took.�

“In a regular film school, you are usually taught how to handle the camera. But coming here, you are taught the business of filmmaking. It has broadened my knowledge on how to tell stories not only for African audience but also on a global scale,� added Yaamoakoa.

But more importantly is that it has enlightened them on how to tell stories that matter. It is a major problem which Bulus has identified in most Nollywood stories today. “One thing that is lacking in our industry is its story itself. Most times we concentrate more on the camera angle and then the narrative is missing. I think we should focus on the story more.�

Her thoughts resonated with Akerele who is looking forward to telling stories in the most appropriate way. “Telling stories that would ignite something different. We say it a lot that people relate to a story but there is more to relating to a story. Understanding the audience is key. I might not make a story that will appeal to the world but I want to tell a story that will serve a purpose.�

Now in the last lap of their training, the lucky students can’t wait to show their magic. “Some of my friends have been asking me to come back and create magic with them,� gushed Yaamoakoa.

Perhaps the most chuffed about their journey so far is the Academy Director, Femi Odugbemi who posted a picture of the students on set as they wrapped up their first production on Instagram with the caption: “The game has changed. Generation-next want more and will do more to take it to the next level. The countdown has begun‌ tick.. tock‌tick.â€?

31

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

E-TRENDS

MultiChoiceRaises the StakesasBig Brother NaijaSeason 4StartsSunday In anticipation of the Big Brother Naija Season 4 which officially kicks off on Sunday, June 30, the leading video entertainment company during the week upped the grand prize.

Whoever will win this season will be walking home with N60 million grand prize, about 33.3 per cent increase of last year’s prize.

The breakdown of the prizes for the winner includes: a N30m cash prize; a top of the range SUV from Nigerian automaker, Innoson Motors; a trip to Dubai for two packaged by TravelBeta; a home makeover courtesy Scanfrost; a year’s supply of Pepsi and One Africa Fest VVIP experience; a year’s supply of Indomie noodles & Munch it; and a brand new Oppo mobile smartphone.

There’s also a bonus prize of two VIP Tickets to watch a European Football final game LIVE, courtesy Bet9ja.

With major sponsors such as Bet9ja, this season is expected to be very dramatic more than previous editions, particularly now that the programme has come home.

Excitement and anticipation greeted the news of the relocation to Nigeria when the company announced it in January.

However, the company is giving its best shot to ensure that the new Big Brother Naija house will have no parity.

According to the Chief Customer Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, the new Big Brother Naija House will be the first purpose-built facility in Africa and perhaps in the world housing all the zones in one complex. Previous facilities had the house, studio for the live shows, production and post-production units all in separate buildings and sometimes in different locations.

This new and improved BBNaija house,

Former BBNaija Housemates with host Ebuka

which measures about 1800sqm with an additional 250sqm for support building services such as the sick bay and artiste lounges, is designed and built to be bigger and better than any of the Big Brother Africa or Mzansi houses.

For example, the studio for the live eviction shows is said to be double the size

of what was in the house in South Africa, giving room for bigger performances, wider coverage of studio audience reactions and other stage and sound production. Fans should also expect to have more camera vantage positions in the house to capture even more content. An insider revealed that the house is designed

Nollywood Stakeholders Geared for French Nigerian Cinema Days A slew of Nollywood stakeholders will be speaking at the upcoming French Nigerian Cinema Days. Scheduled for July 2 and 3 at the new Alliance Francaise Cultural Centre in Ikoyi, the two-day event will feature robust roundtables discussions, exhibitions and film screenings.

Organised by the French Embassy as part of its commitment to boost the cultural exchange between the two countries, the event aims at promoting more film collaborations between the two countries. “The key of this event is how we can work together and bring our mutual content in the best places,� said the French Embassy’s Audio Visual attache for

Chioma Ude

West Africa, Talhouarne Yoann.

About 10 French film producers will be on

ground to network as well as scout for fresh talents in the industry. 10 projects

by Nigerian filmmakers

will be pitched to the producers.

Nollywood stakeholders who would be speaking at the event include the Director General of National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Adedayo Thomas; convener of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Chioma Ude; Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan; Executive Director of Filmone, Moses Babatope among others.

Issues to be addressed include the various challenges that threaten a co-production between Nigeria and France as well as the roles French and Nigerian public agencies can play to develop the cinema industry.

Reekado Banks Brings the Music toTrace Live At Terra Kulture Arena in Victoria Island, tonight, the ex Mavin artiste Reekado Banks will be delivering a spectacular show on the Trace Live Stage.

Tagged ‘I Am’, Banks will be taking the audience on a musical journey, sharing his experience as an artist while showcasing this artistry. With hits such as ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’, and ‘Oluwa ni’, Trace Live with Reekado Banks promises an evening of exceptionally mixed cocktails, social networking, glitz, glamour, and the epic sounds from Reekado Banks. Trace live is an intimate live show that has provided a platform for artistes to own the center stage, showcasing the instrumental ensemble

Reekado

of their songs through a live performance with the support of a live band

and also made it possible for each artiste to tell the story of their journey. It

is partnered by Bolanle Austen Peters and Cabal Entertainment.

to take 7x handheld cameras and 32 Q-ball cameras that will capture every activity in and outside the house.

The exterior as expected will have the garden area which provides grounds for a jacuzzi and other outdoor recreational activities for the housemates to engage in during the show.

Burna Boy’s Brings the BETTrophy Home Burna Boy’s award winning streak is nowhere coming to a halt as he emerged the winner of the 2019 BET International Act Award on a star-studded event in Los Angeles, USA. In a category that has other great African acts, including another Nigerian artiste Mr. Eazi, Burna proved again that this is his time to shine.

It was indeed a great moment for his mother who also doubles as his manager. She has somehow being burdened with the responsibility to receive Burna’s awards as he was nowhere to be found in the hall when he was announced the winner. “He is the most restless being,� she said as she accepted the award on stage. This particular award on previous editions except last year when Davido won was usually handed backstage.

But since Alex Okosi who is now in charge of the BET International took the reins, recipients of the award can now shine on the live stage.

Burna’s recent accolade is coming days after his latest single ‘Anybody’. Earlier this year, Burna became the first ambassador of Star Lager Beer. Teni on the other hand who was nominated in the Best New International Act category failed to clinch the award.

South African rapper, Sho Madjozi beats her in that category.

For its 19th edition, the BET Awards which has become synonymous with powerful artistry and social commentary, threw all in the ring to deliver a spectacular show. From the touching tribute to the late American artiste and activist Nipsey Hussle

Burna Boy with his BET trophy

who passed in March to Rihanna’s heartfelt introduction to Lifetime Achievement Award Winner and hip hop and soul legend, Mary J. Blige.

There was also Tyler Perry’s moving speech on black power and helping others in need.

The night was not void of spectacular performances.

Regina Hall who hosted the show opened with a tribute to her hometown of Washington D.C. with witty commentary and a go-go musical number by Suga Bear from E.U. Cardi B and Offset took things a notch higher with their steamy performance of their newest hit “Clout� and Cardi B’s “Press�, all set against a show-stopping fireworks backdrop.

However, it was Lizzo, the sassy female rapper who made most jaws dropped. Her boldness and sassiness on stage got many on their feet, applauding the rapper who is very confident in her skin.

Other winners of the night include BeyoncĂŠ for Female R&B/Pop Artiste of the Year and Donald Glover who took the Best Video of the Year Award for his ‘This is America’ music video .

32

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

POTPOURRI

2019AlderReportMeasuresthe RelevanceoftheChurchtoSociety

L-R: Founder, Emotions City, Ms. Oyinkansola Alabi; Principal Consultant, Alder Consulting, Mr. Leke Alder and Senior Pastor, Elevation Church, Pastor Godman Akinlabi, at a press conference on the Alder Church Report 2019 in Lagos

Mary Nnah The 2019 Church Report

by Alder Consulting, Nigeria’s leading creative intelligence firm, has put into the public space its measure of the perception and relevance of the church to society.

According to the Principal, Alder Consulting, Mr. Leke Alder, the initiator of the 2019 Church Report, “the church is the barometer of society, not just because it is a complete microcosm of society; the church is a societal interface, an arbiter between the people and the government. Society is invariably reflected in the church.�

Ultimately, the Alder Church Report highlights the social relevance of the church and in particular, captures the reaction of the youth demographic on burning topics such as sexuality and mental health.

The survey for the Alder Church Report, according to Alder, was done both online and offline, spanning six geopolitical zones in

Nigeria.

In all, there were 4,634 respondents; 68 per cent of whom were below 35 years old. The gender ratio for the survey was 58 per cent male to 42 per cent female, while 50 per cent were single and 50 per cent married.

Speaking on the high rate of depression in the country and need for the churches to join hands in tackling emotional and mental health in the society, Founder, Emotions City, Ms. Oyinkansola Alabi said depression comes in four stages. “One of the major causes of depression is unemployment. But before you actually get into depression, there are three stages actually - you deal with cluelessness, helplessness and hopelessness and then depression is usually the fourth stage. “There are two phases of depressions; you have the mild depression where you are overwhelmed by life and then the chronic depressions. “At this point, if is there

is no meaningful intervention from mild to chronic depression, people begin to have suicidal thoughts and may commit suicide. So, the report will help us to know where to focus on,� she postulated.

Speaking further, she said, “I function as a pastor and I have been a pastor for 16 years, so, the good thing about this report is that we need to go back to the drawing boards as pastors to say that there is no big deal in seeing a professional when one is suspected of having emotional and mental health problem. So, there is a place for prayer but there is a place where you must refer a person to a professional.�

Speaking also at the event, the lead pastor of The Elevation Church, Lagos, Godman Akinlabi said the report was a kind of motivation rather than an indictment. “Sometimes you do things but the way people perceive them is different. And if truly we want to serve people, we need to get feedback from the people. Feedback is very

important. “Even Jesus Christ asked the question: Who do men think I am? So it is okay for the church in Nigeria to ask who do men think we are? And we shouldn’t say we don’t care about what people think if truly we are sent to lead and to influence these people, and then we should be willing to understand what their perception is.�

Akinlabi explained further that, “there is a difference between felt needs and real need. “Sometimes felt need is more important than real need. What I mean by that is that sometimes, people feel this is what they need and if you don’t fix that, even their real need, you may not be able to fix it.� He said therefore that the responses from people as published in the 2019 Church Report

by Alder, is to him, more or less from the point of view of a felt need, adding, “this is what people are saying and we should respond appropriately to them without feeling that it is an indictment�.

Mouka DistributorsVow to Consolidate Brand Growth After a pleasurable experience in Dubai and London, distributors of Mouka foam have pledged their resolve to consolidate the growth of the brand. The distributors disclosed this after their return from the seven-day trip to the Middle Eastern and European countries. Speaking about their experiences in both countries where they were fully treated to a special time, the distributors pledged their resolve to take the growth of the brand to a higher level. “On the company’s side, it’s a good thing they have done.

They took us for a boat cruise and desert drive in Dubai. They are wonderful. In so many sectors, nocompany can be compared to that of Mouka, I dare to say that,� declared Timothy Ifurunwa, one of the beneficiaries of the business trip. “I’m still going to write a letter of appreciation to the management of Mouka. Not too many establishments can do what Mouka has just done.

I call them ‘talk and do’. They kept their words,� said Igboko Chinonso owner of Ideal Plux Investment Limited, distributor

of Mouka Foam.

According to Funmi Paulo, who also embarked on the journey, the experience was quite an opener as it availed beneficiaries the opportunity to reinvent themselves. “It was a pleasurable experience, and what Mouka has done is fantastic,� she said. “I’ll like to say thank you to the management of Mouka for the gift because to me it was a gift. I had never dreamt of travelling out of the country, but this opportunity has now enabled me to do that. They made the promise and they kept their word�.

On his part, Chukwudi Okoro, owner of Picotex, said the trip was not just entertaining but was also an eye-opener. “When we arrived, we were taken to one of the five-star hotels closest to the beach. It was a delight. We went for boat cruise and later for desert ride, it was fun. We were taken to the museum where we learnt the history of how Dubai started as a country,� Okoro recalled.

He further said: “Mouka has shown that it is not just a company but a family. With

this trip, Mouka has shown that it has the interest of the distributors at heart. We do have meetings in five-star hotels but this time they surprisingly took us to Dubai. This present generation of administrators in the company treat distributors as family. It’s like a father-son relationship. “The only way I can appreciate them is to work hard and promote the brand. I promise I will never disappoint the company. We the distributors are going to make sure Mouka remains the number one brand in Nigeria because Mouka has come to stay and there is no going back on that.�

For Evergreen Onyedum, operator of Evergreen International Services, Mouka has done that which others in Nigeria’s foam and mattress industry could not do. “I’m short of words. I can only say, ‘God bless Mouka Limited, God bless the industry and God bless Nigeria.’This trip is a sort of energizer to do more to keep Mouka at the top,� he enthused. Speaking about the gesture, Mouka’s Commercial Director, Dimeji Osingunwa

said the effort would certainly enhance the brand’s leading position in the Nigerian bedding industry as the initiative would further project Mouka’s uniqueness.

According to Osingunwa, several independent reports currently being monitored

by Mouka have shown that each time the company runs a loyalty scheme or promotion aimed at distributors, it always leads to the brand’s incremental growth. “This trip was organised to reward some of our loyal business partners who have supported us through the years. For the last three years, the business has been on consistent growth trajectory. This wouldn’t have been possible without the loyalty and support of our distinguished distributors,�

Osingunwa stated.

The annual distributors’ business trip, heralds Mouka’s new financial year, and is widely viewed as Mouka’s forte which has in no mean measure aided the brand’s distinctiveness in the Nigerian bedding market.

Is US, Global North Trying to Silence Africa at Climate Talks?

Nnimmo Bassey The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) is concerned that the US and other Global North countries may be bullying African countries in order to obstruct discussions on fossil fuel industry interference at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

HOMEF is calling on delegates from the African region attending the experts meeting on the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany to join the Least Developed Countries (LDC) in saying no to corporate bullying and demand a Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy as a framework of checks and balances for all non-party stakeholders. This will help weed out those that greatly contribute to the climate crisis that use their access within the space to weaken policy.

HOMEF observed that African negotiating block spoke strongly in support of the COI policy in the climate negotiations just last year in 2018 and now openly oppose the same recommendation.

The U.S. has a long track record of bullying the Global South, using development aid and other leverage points to silence countries. Given its opposition to this policy over the last four years, Bassey questioned whether the U.S. was up to its old tricks again, especially given the U.S.’ veiled threat in response to the LDC’s position, that a conflict of interest policy would somehow harm Parties with great interest in renewable energy, knowing that this was an area of interest to developing countries.

Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey said: “The U turn by the African negotiating bloc on the COI issue is suspicious.

It is disheartening that an issue as important as protecting the climate negotiations from industry meddling is now subjected to a carrot and stick experiment by US and countries of the global North.�

Bassey said that the disappointing position of the African delegation on the COI issue in the Bonn talks, gave little hope for impacted citizens of the African continent who look up to them to lift off the heavy burden of the climate crisis weighing on their shoulders. He commended Uganda for braving the odds to become the lead voice for a COI policy and framework in the LDCs, insisting that what delegates from other African countries should do is get out of their stupor and support the LDCs to save Africa. A COI framework is key to keeping big polluters and their allies out of the room to pave way for real solutions to the climate crisis. Now is the time for African governments to take a stand. Enough is enough�, he insisted.

Also at the Bonn meeting was Mr, Philip Jakpor, Head, Media & Campaigns Environmental Rights Action.

WIMBIZ Holds Interactive Breakfast on the Cost of Exclusion Sunday Ehigiator Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) recently held its 13th CEO/Policy-Maker Interactive breakfast series, themed ‘Hidden Figures: The Cost of Exclusion’, in Lagos.

The interactive breakfast series which was attended by over 90 Chief Executive Officers, engaged stakeholder, CEO’s and policy makers across various industries and sectors on discuss surrounding gender equality in national development, governance and business environments, while proffering solutions to the critical challenges that women face. The theme which was deliberately chosen, afforded the speakers the opportunity to highlight the cost of women exclusion to Nigeria’s economic growth, the correlation between gender affirmative reforms and GDP, economic growth, job creation & wealth distribution. The panel session which was moderated by awardwinning media icon and CEO Biola Alabi Media, Biola Alabi, featured speakers such as Managing Director/ CEO, FSDH Merchant Bank, Hamda Ambah; UN Women Country Representative for Nigeria & ECOWAS, Comfort Lamptey; GMD/CEO Flour Mills Nigeria plc, Paul Gbededo and Head of Service, Lagos State Government Hakeem Muri Okunola, who brought their expertise to bear in a well engaging fashion. In her welcome remarks, WIMBIZ Executive Council Chairperson, Mrs. Olubunmi Talabi, pointed out the unconscious bias that can affect the progression of women within the workplace.

According to her, “women do the majority of the world’s unpaid labour, as they are more likely to be economically disadvantaged and are treated in some circles as inferior aside being seen as vulnerable to violence.�

Speaking on the importance of fair representation for all Nigerians, Talabi said, “After the recent held 2019 elections, the number of female senators dropped from eight to seven out of a total 109 available seats. The number of female members of the House of Reps dropped from 19 to 11 out of an available 360 seats. “We only had six female cabinet members, out of 37, during the season of the 8th Assembly. As a new dawn commences, with the 9th Assembly starting coincidentally today, June 11 2019, we hope that during this next level dispensation, the number of female cabinet members will not fall.� The panel discussion stimulated open and broad dialogue on the issue of exclusion as panelist took turns to contribute to the topic. Lamptey was of the opinion that, “Legislation is key and an important starting point for more women inclusiveness. Political will is also key. Legislation can’t happen without political will. It’s important to have leaders that believe in the inclusion of women in decision making.�

33

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

ART WEEKEND

‌For pure art enthusiasts

Off-ScreenIntriguesinNollywoodScoundrels

Nollywood Scoundrels is a parody with a subtle yet profound political message and a shock value, says Yinka Olatunbosu

Greenwood School Wins Apen Spelling Bee Competition Yinka Olatunbosun

A scene from Nollywood Scoundrels

For its title, one would expect to see a play about the Nigerian movie industry which is loosely described by the term “Nollywood�. That is the plot of the comedy titled, “Nollywood Scoundrels.’’ Two desperate filmmakers in need of a big break in Nollywood arrange for a special audition for the star actor.

Several ridiculous personalities are encountered during the audition.

Some have no real talent for acting; some will not listen to the director while others are present only for selfish reasons.

In its production at Terra Arena, Lagos, the playwrightdirector,Olasunkanmi Adebayo, carefully assembled a collage of diverse attitudes towards audition.

Amongst these was a young girl with a compulsive selfie attitude;

an unauthorized street drug seller, an indigenous actor with the ‘h’ factor; dancers without direction; aggressive individuals and finally, with some relief a very gifted actress. She was the last to be called in and was completely stunning.

Unfortunately, the showstopper was not looking for an acting job.

She only applied for “The Bank Audition’’ in hope of securing a job at a bank.

All effort to convince this exceptional talent went futile. She refused to be convinced that she was the best person for the role.

This drama has a subtle political message: the best man or woman you may have encountered that has demonstrated sterling leadership qualities may have no interest in holding public office. Nollywood Scoundrels, asides being a social commentary, is an expose

of the idiosyncrasies of the movie industry. It opens with the Assistant Director reeling out the names of popular Nollywood actors who were supposed to be present for the audition but typically arrive late or refuse to show up at all.

Although the characterisation in Nollywood Scoundrels may seem exaggerated, the director of the play claimed that the scenarios portrayed on stage are not different from the real off-screen intrigues that precede the actual shooting of a movie from his experience in the movie industry as a film director. “I have worked with different producers, casting actors and having various experiences,’’ he explained. “I started jotting down my experiences and some of my personal frustrations at the Nollywood industry and I thought I could make a parody out of it. It

is the story of the struggle of the regular young people in Nigeria. It was fun for me. “I used to direct for some reality television shows like Project Fame and Nigerian Idol.

When people see these characters at audition, they wonder if we hired them to amuse people. They just come. There is also a political undertone to the play. We have clowns in power.

Misplaced people are occupying public offices and this is just a metaphor on our socio-political reality.’’ The play was first staged at the 2018 Lagos Theatre Festival and much later in the year, it was performed at the Lagos Country Club. In addition to the original cast, a few more were added to the June production to extend the production time by 20 minutes.

Absurdist Drama, Rain Thrills A 50-man Audience Yinka Olatunbosun Strictly performed for a Lagos audience made up of 50, the June 23 premiere performance of Rain, written by Biyi Bandele, a UK based Nigerian playwright, poet and film director and directed

by Toyin Oshinaike was a curtain raiser for the series of performances slated for July at the Esther ’s Revenge, Freedom Park, Lagos.

It is not a coincidence that the play was staged in the rainy month of June as the award-winning piece treats some environmental themes with lines that referenced flooding. Devoid of a logical plot structure and dramatic conflict, absurdist drama is an avant-garde experiment in theatre, largely influenced by the traumatic experience of the horrors of the second-world war.

Toyin Oshinaike

As expected, the dialogue was a meaningless exchange, marked by repetitions. The

two-hander technique was used by the playwright to create a story of two crazy

street sweepers, Banza (Toritseju Ejoh)) and Lagbaja (Timi Charles Fadipe) who tell each other tall stories.

Set in an unconventional space- a lounge within the former colonial prison walls, Rain is one play that tests directorial skills more than acting skills. With seat arranged in clusters, the actors were tasked to perform around the spaces between tables and not just the centre stage which was made of two heaps of automobile tyres, dangling green ropes and a thick black polythene backdrop with handwritten texts, some of which read, “Eat sh*t� and “100 Million Flies.’’ In the absence of actual flies, the pillars in the venue constitute a major distraction.

Inspite of the dramatic oddity, the audience reeled in laughter at the incredible stories and witty lines.

For instance, one of the exchanges went thus: “I met God yesterday� with the response “You met God? Oh My God!�

Heavy on buffoonery, Rain is just one of many absurdist plays that Toritseju Ejoh, an energetic actor had been involved since he graduated from the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Abuja. “Well, luckily for me I have encountered a couple of them in my career spanning 13 years. I have also been involved in some plays that were not absurd but had absurd characters in them, it is just a lack of sequential reason. You just pick a part of the play and see how you can interprete it. I can assure you that there are four beautiful stories in the play,’’ he said after the opening show.

Biyi Bandele won the International Student Playscript competition of 1989 with Rain.

Greenwood House School, a dynamic Nursery and Primary School in Ikoyi, has emerged as the winning school in the Association of Private Educators in Nigeria (APEN)/Grace Schools Senior Primary Spelling Bee Competition.

The competition tagged “Super Spellers� with 51 participants from several schools in Lagos was held at Grace Schools, Gbagada, Lagos recently.

Fitrah Adegbite, a 10-year-old Primary five student who represented Greenwood House School in the competition defined his achievement as a result of the intense support and training given to him by his teachers at Greenwood House School.

Commenting on the student’s performance in the spelling bee competition, Dr. Mrs. Titilola Ekua Abudu, the Co-founder and Administrator of Greenwood House School explained that the school is always committed to giving their students the best education as teachers spend quality time preparing the students for competitions like this.

Abudu explains: “The students practice regularly and for the finals at least three times daily.

A teacher is primarily assigned to each student with other teachers to support. Sometimes they spare time after school to train. We applaud competitions like this as they play a role in motivating students to work hard and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity extended to us to partake.�

Greenwood House School was recently awarded membership status by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). COBIS is an organization in service of British International Schools around the globe. This membership indicates total quality assurance and reiterates Greenwood House School’s commitment to excellent all-round quality education for students and its dedication to teacher training.

The Principal of Greenwood House School. Mr. Ronald Cilliersexpressed delight on the COBIS membership. He stated, “This membership status simply attests to the quality of education that we provide for our students and the opportunities we create for our teachers to excel. We will continue to put our best foot forward in educating our students and providing a solid educational foundation for them�.

34

F R I DAY ˾ JUNE 28, 2019

FERTILITY

with DR. KEMI AILOJE Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

EMBRYO QUALITY AND PREGNANCY RATE (Part 1)

T

he success of an Invitro Fertilization (IVF) cycle is affected by many factors with embryo quality as one of the most important.The majority of all miscarriages are caused by abnormalities in the embryo, therefore the transfer of quality embryos increases a patient’s chances of successful pregnancy following IVF treatments.

In Fertility centers all over the world, the embryologists play animportant role in embryo selection to be transferred to the uterus(womb).

about an embryo’s potential based on the experience of many embryologist grading, millions of embryos that look good physically may not tell us what is going on insidegenetically.

What is an Embryo?

An embryo is an early stage of development approximately second to eight weeks of fetal development after which it can then be called a fetus.

Generally, in organisms that reproduce sexually, an embryo develops from a zygote, the single cell which results from the fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sperm cell.The zygote possesses half the DNA from each parent.

How Do Embryos Develop?

In a normal pregnancy, sperm fertilizes an egg as it travels down the fallopian tube.The cells in the fertilized egg divide and grow into an embryo as it moves to the uterus and it implant in the uterus to continue growing.

In an IVF cycle, fertilization and embryo development take place in the embryologist laboratory.The eggs and sperm are combined and the fertilized eggs begin the process of dividing and growing.

Embryos that have grown for three days in the lab are called cleavage stage embryos. Sometimes they are allowed to grow for five days before transfer and are called blastocysts.When the embryos are ready, a Specialist Gynaecologist/Reproductive Endocrinologist will transfer the best quality embryo to the uterus.The number to be transferredis agreed upon before the procedure takes place by the patient and the clinician, usually no more than two embryosrecommended. If it all goes well, one or two of the embryos will implant in the uterus and grow into a

ARCF.COM

baby or babies except where there is an inevitable further split.

Embryo Grading The embryologist monitors the embryos and prior to choosing which ones to transfer at the cleavage or blastocyst stage, grades them to determine which ones have the best chance of being healthy and resulting in a successful pregnancy and live birth. Embryo grading may be done at the cleavage stage or blastocyst stage. Embryo grading at the cleavage stage includes the number and appearance of the cells and the degree of fragmentation, which is the presence of small pieces of cellular material which have broken off during division of

the cells.There are two different points of each blastocyst, inner cell mass or ICMwhich is what become the fetus and the outer layer, called the trophectoderm orTE, which is what, becomes the placenta.

Embryo Grades and Chance of Pregnancy One of the most common questions the embryologists get from patients is “how does the grades of embryos predict my chances of becoming pregnant’’.The objective of this write up is to explain how we grade embryos and what those grades mean as far as the embryo’s potential for development is concerned. All embryo grading systems are subjective, while we can make educated guesses

Day 3 (Cleavage Stage) Embryo Grading: Quality ofDivision Day 3 embryos are referred to as cleavage stage embryos.The reason for this designation is that the cells in the embryo are dividing or cleaving but the embryo itself is not growing inside. For example, think of a Pizza, when you slice it, you create more pieces of Pizza but you don’t increase the size of the Pizza itself.This is what a cleavage stage embryo is like.The genetic material replicates and the cells divide, but the volume of embryo does not differ from the volume of the unfertilized egg. Conceptually, the division should be in a very specific sequence of one cell becoming two, two become four, and four become eight and so on. However, actual embryos do not divide synchronously we commonly see three, five, six cells, etc.This is not an indication of a poor embryo, but of one that is growing normally. Also, as embryos divides, sometimes, a small portion of cytoplasm inside of the cell breaks off and forms a bleb that we call fragments.They do not contain nuclei and are not complete cells.

The cause of fragmentation is poorly understood, but embryos containing a lot of fragmentation are developmentally disadvantaged simply because the cells loose too much cytoplasm and thus become cellular machinery to the fragments.

Cleavage stage embryos are graded using two criteria:The number of cells in the embryos and their appearance under a high-power microscope.While the number of cell is objective, agood normally growing day 3 embryo will contain, between 6 to 10 cells (blastomere).We know that embryos that contain these numbers of cells are more likely to develop into viable blastocysts than embryo with fewer cells and are likely to result in better implantation and live birth of healthy babies TO BE CONTINUED

XTRA

The Rage against Mall Abba Kyari Comr. Solomon Adodo On the 24th June 2019, an unusual political activity took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. A public demonstration staged by an obscure political group that gave its name as APC Concerned Nation Stakeholders led by an even more obscure figure called Dr. Symeon Chilagorom proclaimed that they were protesting against internal forces pulling down the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In his public speech, the Convener of the group, Symeon Chilagorom specifically identified ALH Mamman Daura, Samaila Isa Funtua and Mall Abba Kyari as members of the group that is pulling down the administration. In his words, “the people of this country elected Muhammadu Buhari as their President, not Mamman Daura, Samaila Isa Funtua and Mall Abba Kyari.”

Of the three people mentioned in that speech, only Abba Kyari holds an office in the Buhari government. He is Chief of Staff in the Presidency. The other two accused persons hold no office in the government whatsoever. The agitators protesting their role in government have a responsibility to prove to Nigerians how the President has abdicated his executive responsibilities to them or how they have hijacked those duties and responsibilities.

The office of Chief of Staff is not of Cabinet rank, the holder of the office wields no executive powers, controls no ministry and or department of government. He is an extension of the office of the president, playing managerial and advisory roles such as selection and coordination of key staff, control of people who come to see the President and protecting the interest of the President or any other responsibilities

that are entrusted to him by his principal.

To demonstrate that he is subordinate to the president, the Constitution does not require that he is screened and confirmed by the Senate.

To accuse him of usurping the powers of the President is to accuse the President of gross incompetence and dereliction of duty. Even as Symeon Chaligorom and his group make great pretense of “love for the President” and vouching for his “personal integrity and capabilities”, the implication of their public pronouncement and outburst on Monday is that the President is incompetent and has lost control of his office.

It is indeed sad that people who profess love for their Presidentand trust in his competence will in the same breath accuse him of abdicating his office to a subordinate he employed and has the powers to fire. This accusation is even more grave and an open insult on the President when a few individuals who have no office in government are accused of rendering the president impotent in exercising the powers invested in him by the constitution he swore to uphold and defend. The target for destruction by Symeon and his confederates in the APC Concerned Nation Stakeholders is not Mamman Daura, not Ismaila Funtua and certainly not Abba Kyari. The target is the President himself.

With ‘friends’ like Symeon Chulagorom and his group, President Buhari does not need to worry about who is his enemies.

Since his appointment as Chief of Staff to President Buhari in 2015, Abba Kyari has been faced with a cocktail of spurious allegations against his person. None of these allegations have been proven and remain in the realm of speculation and fiction by those who are envious of his enhanced status. The public is yet to be

presented with any evidence that the man is corrupt and or incompetent for the job.

The demonstration on Monday carried the unsubstantiated allegations a notch higher.

If anything, a glance at the resume of Abba Kyari gives one conclusive prove that President Buhari couldn’t have made a better choice for the office of Chief of Staff.

Trained at University of Warwick in England where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology, he also possesses a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law from the University of Cambridge.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar after attending the Nigerian Law School in 1983. In 1984, he obtained a master ’s degree in law from the University of Cambridge. He later attended the International Institute for Management at Lausanne, Switzerland and participated in the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School, in 1992 and 1994. These are the best universities one could attend anywhere in the world.

After such a brilliant academic career, Abba Kyari worked in a couple of blue chip firms where he acquired management skills and gained a lot of corporate experience. He worked for the law firm, Fani-Kayode and Sowemimo for some time after his return to Nigeria. From 1988 to 1990, he was Editor with the New Africa Holdings Limited Kaduna. In 1990 he served as Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in BornoState. From 1990 to 1995, Kyari was Secretary to the Board of African International Bank Limited.

At the United Bank for Africa, he was Executive Director, Management Services and was later appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Bank.

He was appointed a Director of Unilever

Nigeria Plc. in 2002 and is a Director of Exxon Mobil Nigeria. He is a recipient of the Nigerian Honor Award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (O.O.N).

There is no doubt that Kyari must have made enemies among some prominent people in the country who see him as an obstacle to their inordinate political ambition and rapacious desire for material resources. All the noise against Kyari must be coming from this group of people who see the country as a cow to be milked.

The other two gentlemen who are being maligned with spurious and unsubstantiated allegations are private citizens who have made their marks in their chosen careers but have no office in government. Why Symeon Chulagorom and group should embark on a campaign of gratuitous calumny against these two patriots is difficult for all sane Nigerians to understand.

The constitution under which President Buhari was elected into office does not bar him from having blood relations nor does it require of him to cut communication with his blood relations or friends. There is nothing in the laws of the land or morality that bars him from having blood and or personal relations with other Nigerians.

Since President Buhari’s election in 2015, the two gentlemen have been subjected to spurious allegations from some aggrieved politicians and their collaborators in the media. The public demonstrations last Monday is perhaps the most bizarre demonstration of hatred and political illiteracy since the 4thRepublic began. This one too shall come to pass. ....Comr. Solomon Adodo is the National Convener, Guardians of Democracy and Development

35

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

COLLAGE EVENTS

Osun to Host the World on August 17 Solomon Elusoji

L-R; CEO of Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF); Ronke Kuye, MD/CEO Propoor AMN Ltd; Sherifat Suleiman, CEO EFInA; Esaie Diei, Senior Associate, Strategy, Innovation & Partnership; Lehle Balde and Executive Director NIBSS; Christabel Onyejekwe at the EFInA Agent Network Breakfast event in Lagos on Tuesday ABIODUN AJALA

Osun State is set to host the Osun Cultural Carnival on August 17. The carnival, according to the organisers, Our Heritage Branding and Advertising, was conceived with the aim of transforming the state into the heartbeat of African culture. “The cultural carnival will be one of the biggest cultural events in Africa, where both young and old, white or black would all gather together to learn, get entertained and celebrate the richness of the Osun Heritage and culture with the theme – Connect with the Richness,� a press release announcing the festival divulged.

It is expected that the carnival “will cause a global attraction with over 80,000 audience attending and special performances from cultural troops from Brazil, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Ghana, Morocco and Mali.�

The organisers, who say they are partnering with the Osun State Government, believe the “carnival will be the biggest and most celebrated cultural carnival in Africa, promoting the Osun heritage and culture to the world as the biggest tourism and cultural state in Africa.

Organisers Create Interactive Website as Build up to Karis Awardee 2019 Mary Nnah

L-R: Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, Wapa Apariel, Adetola Adebowale; presenting a Sewing Machine to Eniola Awode and Pastor Mrs. Adetutu Olurinto, during the graduation ceremony of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Alpha and Omega Area, River of Life Parish, Province 17 Fashion School, in Alagbado Lagos..recently

For many years, the nomination of the Karis Awardee had been done by the Head of Department and Members of the Benevolence Department of Household of God Church, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos and then approved by the Pastor of the Household of God Church International Ministries, Chris Okotie.

However, because the Karis Award has grown bigger and better, the Benevolence Department realised the need to take the nomination process beyond the department and the Household of God Church to the general public to give opportunities to many more persons worldwide, to nominate more qualified persons for the annual award.

Consequently, the Benevolence Department has designed an interactive website that with effect from the 2019 Karis Award, any interested person in and outside Nigeria can access it, follow and participate in the nomination process.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos to announce the launch of the website, Head, Benevolence Department, Mike Igbokwe, said the launch of the website, which signals the take-off of process for Karis Award 2019, an offshoot of the Household of God Church annual G.R.A.C.E. Event, aims to create awareness in the general public globally so as to make room for more participants and nominations, while he called on the public to start participating in the nomination process.

The annual national G.R.A.C.E. Event, he said, is one of the church’s ways of giving back to the society; recognising those who have contributed to national development and encouraging patriotism and excellence in national development.

Speaking further, Igbokwe explained that the Karis Award is mainly for the recognition of, and the giving of an award along with a cash reward to a Nigerian (living or dead) who gets award of N2 million cash attached to the award. “The qualification is that the Nigerian must have distinguished himself/herself through his/her contribution to the development of our country in one area or the other, but his/her contribution has not been recognised adequately or at all.

LMSN Grand Finale Holds August 4 in Lagos Mary Nnah

L-R: Group Public Relations/Event Manager, DUFIL Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Temitope Ashiwaju; one of the beneďŹ ciaries of DUFIL scholarship award, Miss Lebura Favour; Desk OďŹƒcer, Debate, Quiz and Competition, Rivers State Universal Education Board, Mrs. Susan Ejiohuo; and Factory Manager, DUFIL Prima Foods Plc,Port Harcourt, Mr. Yogesh Yengul at the scholarship presentation to some students of Choba Community in Rivers State... recently

R-L; President, The Nigerian Academy of Engineering, Prof. Fola Lasisi presenting membership certiďŹ cate to a new Fellow, Mr. Siky Aliyu and his wife, Oluremi at the 2019 Annual Lecture/Induction of New Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering at UNILAG Campus, Lagos... recently ABIODUN AJALA

The Luxury Model search Nigeria (LMSN), a competition that seeks to discover the next female leader, will hold its grand finale which is set to hold on Sunday, August 4, 2019 at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos.

LMSN, organisers says it is different from the usual beauty pageant and model search as it stands as a platform where young and intelligent ladies can break into the fashion and entertainment industry.

Brain behind the pageant, Suzzie Odeniyi, popularly known as Suzzie D, who is also the CEO of Celebrity Network said, “The Luxury Model Search Nigeria would be a model search/beauty pageant with the end goal of finding that one girl that will be a leader with exemplary qualities asides beauty.� “LSMN can be said to be the search for a girl with beauty and brains who can stand on her own and knows what she wants�, she added.

The LMSN competition which began its auditions across Nigeria, on June 22 starting from Port Harcourt, moves its train to Abuja on June 29, 2019 while the final audition will hold in Lagos on July 6, 2019. At the end of all the auditions, 20 girls will emerge as finalists and move on to the grand finale.

The winner will win 1 Million naira alongside an international modelling contract with Suzzie D Celebrity Network, while the first and second runner up will win, N500, 000 and N250, 000 respectively.

The uniqueness of the LMSN competition lies in the fact that it welcomes girls of any size or weight unlike other pageants and modelling competitions that are restricted to a certain size.

The other requirements for LMSN asides being beautiful, smart and Nigerian are that the ladies should not be less than 5 feet 8, must have no tattoos, be between the ages 16 to 25 as well as be unmarried and available to travel internationally.

The most amazing part of the competition is that anyone who fits the criteria can attend and participate in the auditions for free, as the registration forms are totally free. So, if you have always wanted to be a model and at the same be an advocate for change, now is the time to make a move at no cost at all.

36

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

LIFE

As the World Congregates in Abuja to Honour Emeka Offor

By Tunde Olusunle It was scheduled to hold in the month of May. The plan was to have it coincide with his investiture with an honorary doctorate degree by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, NAU, Awka, Anambra State, Friday May 10, 2019. The honour was in recognition of his longstanding exertions and enterprise as an inimitable entrepreneur, a tireless creator of opportunities and a critical contributor to the national economy over time.

The pan-Nigerian, multi-religious, cross-cultural, even international colouration of the friends and organisers of the high profile reception conceived to honour Sir Emeka Offor on his conferment with the doctorate degree (honoris causa) in Entrepreneurship by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, however, necessitated a rescheduling till Saturday June 29, 2019, to allow for maximum participation and attendance.

Friends, admirers and acquaintances of ‘Sir E’ as Emeka Offor is fondly called, straddle ethnicities, cultures, faiths, professions, ideologies, nationalities and political persuasions. They are an interesting mix of governors (serving and retired), parliamentarians, ministers of the federal republic, businessmen, diplomats, academics, technocrats, bureaucrats, even the apolitical, all united by their multifarious linkages with and admiration for him.

Saturday June 29, 2019, was therefore unanimously admitted as the consensual date by ‘Friends of Emeka Offor ’ as the congregation of this group of close friends and associates of the respected business mogul, are known, to felicitate with him on his most recent honour.

Emeka Offor ’s name and enterprise reverberate across the Nigerian socioeconomic space and beyond. In a country which is not in short supply of certified achievers and referential icons in business, commerce, and contributions to economic development, Offor sprouts above the shrubs, at home and abroad.

From oil and gas; through telecommunications and energy; and thenceforth to aviation and engineering; from clearing and forwarding to insurance brokerage and logistics, Emeka Offor has etched indelible footprints on the sands of time, in nearly four decades of his business and entrepreneurial odyssey.

Immediate past Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku had observed in a press statement preceding the investiture, that ‘Offor has developed people and also developed our economy’ in several ways. He is reputed as one entrepreneur who survived the odds and sired several other entrepreneurs along the way. Instructively, Offor was honoured side by side with two accomplished Nigerian statesmen, the revered royalty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and the renowned diplomat, politician and administrator, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, which conferred authenticity on the honour.

Yet, his trajectory is not one of those fairytale platinum spoon-cultivated or gold crockery-nurtured stories denominating the profiles of a few members of his generation. Emeka Offor ’s story is a prototype of hard-worn ascent from a very modest, perhaps disadvantaged and uncertain background to the very apex of fame, fortune and respectability. It has been recorded elsewhere that he is a self-made man in every sense of the word, who started from the ground and worked his way to the top.

He was the first of ten children born into the family of Benneth Offor and his wife, Comfort, on February 10, 1959, in Kafanchan, in the Old Northern Region which is today in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. Leadership and fellowfeeling were therefore bestowed on him by the circumstances of his birth and upbringing. His parents hailed from Umuneke Umudalagbayim kindred, Nkalafia, Oraifite in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra State.

The senior Offor was in the primordial Nigeria Police Force, NPF, a career which engendered regular occupational movements and transfers.

Oor

Offor ’s education and working life bears the imprint of a pan-Nigerian troubadour, a fact evidenced by his deep understanding of the sociocultural dynamics of his country and the effortless ease with which he interacts with friends and people across Nigeria’s diverse ethno-religious spectrum. He had his foundational education at Eziukwu Primary School in Aba, in present day Abia State and subsequently in St. Michael’s Primary School, Ogbete, Enugu, Enugu State. He proceeded to Merchant of Light Secondary School, Oba and thenceforth to Abbott Boys High School, Ihiala, both in modern day Anambra State. He worked briefly as a teacher in his alma mater, Abbott Boys High School, where he had a lifechanging experience with his father.

The young Offor who believed that as a pupil teacher he was a young adult who could take decisions by himself, got queried by his father for not apprising him of his monthly pay packet and for spending from his own earnings, without his father ’s express approval! In later life, though, he continued to build himself and to demystify the wrong notion that success and excellence are necessary by-products of paper certification.

Determined to be his own man, Offor took a plunge into the unknown as it were. His father ’s former colleague, Pa Geoffrey Abadi, took the young Offor to Warri, the economic nerve centre of present day Delta State and found him a job as a transport clerk with Rivways Lines Nigeria Ltd. The company was in the business of the importation of bitumen products. Pa Abadi would further assist Offor in cutting his teeth as a cub entrepreneur, by facilitating his purchase and supply of small quantities of bitumen to smaller companies.

Within two years of apprenticeship, Offor had begun to aim higher, supplying bitumen to construction giants notably Julius Berger Nig. Ltd; Guffanti Nigeria Ltd and Fougerolle Nigeria Ltd, among others. His business prospered because of his dedication, business acumen, integrity and commitment.

By 1985, Offor took the plunge into the corporate world and established

Chrome Oil Services Ltd. Today, that experiment has spawned a sprawling business empire with several thriving subsidiaries, which include: Kaztec Engineering Ltd; Nimek Investments Ltd and Global Scansystems Nigeria Ltd. There are also: Enugu Electricity Distribution Company; Elcrest Exploration and Production Company Ltd; Chrome Insurance Brokers Ltd and Inland Containers Nig Ltd. Offor has been Chairman of the Board of EHRC Energy Inc., an independent oil and gas company, based in the United States of America, which explores and produces oil and gas in the Gulf of Guinea, among several international engagements on the business front.

While images of the typical bourgeois adorn the pages of celebrity publications in their yacht cruises and grand revelry, Offor is eternally driven by the imperative to give back to the society, particularly the underprivileged, in recognition of his own background. The Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, SEOF, which he established therefore, is a non-profit, charity organization committed to poverty reduction and the creation of live-improving conditions for marginalized Nigerians, especially in the provision of qualitative education and healthcare. He is committed to pricking global conscience to the realization that the very poor and needy are potentially active and productive members of society, given requisite empowerment and mentoring. The Foundation operates a cooperative for widows, runs a youth empowerment and employment scheme and engages in infrastructural development.

Set up in 2003, Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, SEOF, has been in active collaboration with several international bodies and groups to minister to the needs of the less privileged. In partnership with Books For Africa, BFA, the Foundation has donated books, computers and other instructional materials to schools and institutions in Nigeria and about 19 other African countries, to the tune of nearly $30 million. Nnamdi Azikiwe University for instance, received over 10,000 volumes of books on jurispru-

dence, medical sciences, engineering, information technology and other academic disciplines. The June/July nationwide book distribution exercise will see about 200,000 volumes of books being appropriated to institutions of learning at various levels.

Since 2007, the scholarship scheme of SEOF has privileged over 150 primary school pupils; 200 students of secondary schools and 300 undergraduate and postgraduate students. This has cost the SEOF well over N150 million.

University graduates who earn a first class honours degree are also given automatic employment into subsidiaries in the Chrome Group, through the facilitation of SEOF. The Foundation has also endowed a professorial chair worth N20 million for the Faculty of Physical Sciences of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The Foundation equally provides a fellowship for Nigerian medics desirous of researching into glaucoma at the University of Mainz, Germany, while also supporting the Department of Opthamology of the institution with an annual grant of â‚Ź150,000 for research into glaucoma. SEOF is also in partnership with the Carter Foundation in the articulation of panaceas for River blindness, in Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo Enugu and Imo, States.

Respected journalist, former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE and pioneer Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, CON, has known Emeka Offor for over two decades. According to him, the award of the honorary doctorate in entrepreneurship to Sir Emeka Offor, is richly deserved. His words: ‘I am very delighted by the award of this honorary degree to Sir Emeka Offor. It is an honour to a man who richly deserves honour for his doggedness, his compassion and magnanimity, and genuine generosity of spirit. His contributions to community development, to a wide variety of charities are truly enormous.

These, characteristically, are executed with minimum noise and publicity.

Ugochukwu also salutes Offors loyalty to friendship. According to him, ‘On top of his many commendable qualities is his unwavering commitment to friendship and relationships.

Sir E, stands by his friends through thick and thin. And he does have a lot of friends. I’m happy to count myself among his friends.’ Barr Steve Ahaneku has known Offor for nearly three decades and he is continually fascinated by the man and his multivalent endeavours: ‘Sir Emeka Offor is compassionate, loyal and humane.

These for me are his greatest strengths and they are responsible for the huge sense of empathy that he has. He is there for you in good and bad times, and his commitment is total. Ahaneku comments on Offor’s official disposition: ‘His work ethic is incredible and his determination to succeed in all he does, is phenomenal. He is many things to many people, and most of them will agree that his generosity knows no bounds.’ Chief Ahaneku salutes the authentic and strikingly humble Nigerian in Offor: ‘He is one of the few genuinely detribalized people I know. He is multilingual and speaks quite a few Nigerian languages.

He is a global citizen with no chip on his shoulders, ever conscious of his roots.’ Before his most recent honour, Sir Emeka Offor has been variously honoured by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International; the Consulate of Romania in Nigeria; the Botswana Book Project; the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture; the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Association of Energy Correspondents among others.

He has also been recognized by the Oraifite Community- USA Chapter; the Nnewi Sports Club and the Consulate of Nigeria in Atlanta.

He has served as the Chairman of the Governing of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo and is a Knight of Saint Christopher of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion. t0MVTVOMF JT B .FNCFS PG UIF /JHFSJBO (VJME PG &EJUPST /(&

37

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

ENTREPRENEUR

A Simple Footbridge Can Change the ‘World’ Femi Balogun, Manager MERL, LEAP Africa

viduals within the community to spread the word and to also raise additional resources to support the construction of the bridge.

In the aftermath of the bridge construction, speaking with community members revealed how enthralled they were about what ‘their children’ (as they described them) had achieved. The intervention essentially can be defined as the moment of leadership emergence for the students who had articulated a vision and communicated this to a useful degree as they engaged stakeholders to realise an outcome that was for the good of the entire community. In this case, leadership comes to play as this group of students were able to meet certain social needs, having released into the social context certain ideas and tendencies that was well received because they indicate solutions of needs which are dimly sensed.

Demonstrating excitement, our conversation with the community chief revealed that an initial makeshift bridge had been damaged during a political rally. The local government had initially promised to fix the bridge, but the promise never came through.

As a result, he was in full praise of the students and in awe to learn of how enterprising 14-year-old teenagers had become. The reconstruction of the bridge according to him had brought ease to the community – the women who are trading, the students who go to school, as well as artisans who have jobs on the other side of the city. Just at the foot of the bridge we met James.

James owns a barber shop close to the bridge, he seemed to be smiling when we asked him how excited he was about the bridge. He replied us reluctantly - ‘the bridge don dey bring customer ’ (meaning the footbridge is bringing in customers) and kept moving his hands directing us towards the local chief. While at the site we witnessed h ow people commuted on the bridge with ease – everyone seemed to have abandoned the boats by the bank of the canal. We were able to determine that over 800 people use the footbridge daily, enabling residents to have access to both sides of the community as well as ease access to school and the health care centre on the Iwaya side of the canal. Before the footbridge, accessing the other side had its hazards, but this appears to have deceased significantly. From an economic perspective, the footbridge holds the potential of increasing household income and investments into the community more broadly. At the domestic level this is substantial, and at the community level this is massive. A simple footbridge has transformed the lives of the people of Ago-Egun.

Although we were unable to determine how long the bridge would last, residents of Ago-Egun have been reconnected after a long time of isolation. The footbridge may likely weaken when the rains return, but the students have already won the hearts of the community and this will make it easy for them to mobilise the community again, if the bridge comes crashing down. The implicit notion here is that the students have not only been inspired to become good citizens, but they have also been equipped and empowered to lead change in their communities and beyond – a life skill to exercise leadership.

F

ootbridges provide connections for communities to safely and easily access basic services and opportunities, but this infrastructure is either in a poor condition or non-existent in many underserved communities around the world. A key challenge to constructing and sustaining road networks in underserved communities is the fact that their transport infrastructure is simply underserved. This is because they areoften difficult to access, with complex logistics and limited local contracting capability as well as the paucity of skilled engineers. This condition leaves residents in communities like Ago-Egun disconnected from safe access to school, health care as well as employment and other economic opportunities.

Ago-Egun is a fishing community on the Makoko/Iwaya waterfront in the Bariga area of Lagos. It is part of the several other communities that constitute one of the largest aquatic trading communities on the suburb of the mainland coast of the Lagos lagoon.

While this may seem like a beautiful scenery for tourism and relaxation, the waterways and canal along Ago-Egun and its environs are not so fancy to look at. Essentially, the settlements that constitute the Makoko/Iwaya community is branded by a plethora of unplanned settlementsthat remains a flashpoint of environmental degradation particularly the canal that straddles the community. The canal is surrounded by heaps of refuse and the stench of human waste putting the lives of community dwellers at the risk of air and water borne diseases.

The extent of environmental decay and the trauma of mobilitythat residents of Ago-Egun encounter on a daily basis as a price for survival remains a collective embarrassment and is enough reason for any responsible government to act. This leadership gap shaped the basis of the community development project implemented by selected students from Fazil Omar Secondary School, Iwaya, Lagos. The community change project formed part of the key activities they had to engage in during the yearlong leadership and life skills training organised by LEAP Africa tagged ‘iLEAD’.

Having to cross the canal to school, the students explain the difficulties they must encounter daily using a boat.

They must wait on long queues and endure the stench of both material and human waste resulting in lateness to school and acute disorientation. If their school uniform gets stained from splashes of the smelly murky water of the canal, they either go to school that way or return home. For many of the students, returning home means they are done for school that day, due to having just one pair of uniform.

At the community level, traders and business people are disconnected from potential customers because of the trauma associated with crossing the canal. Artisans such as carpenters, plumbers and builders who live in Ago-Egun are also cut off from business and employment opportunities. Students give account of experiences where traders loose valuable goods in the canal as well as the suffering that comes with it.

Residents of Ago-Egun community were left with no viable alternative, leaving many stranded and the continued hurdle of life-threatening crossing.

Furthermore, the difficulty associated with access to other basic services like health care was a nightmare especially for pregnant women and people who have emergencies.

After defining the many problems that the absence of a bridge imposes on the community, the students with support from their teachers were able

The bridge before its reconstruction

Students of Fazil Omar walking through the completed bridge constructed as part of their change project initiative

to bring together critical stakeholders to support the building of the footbridge. Beginning with the local chief of the community, the students sold the vision and were able secure buy-in. This allowed them to leverage the influence of the chief to garner the support of local artisans who provided labour at a reduced rate and to negotiate the cost

of materials required to construct the bridge. This is because the students were only provided with a seed fund of N50,000 (approx. $150) from LEAP Africa which required them to engage their enterprise abilities to fundraise with support from their teachers. Following this, the students went seeking the audience of other groups and indi-

The project was initiated by selected SS1 students from FazilOmar Secondary School as part of their community development initiative on LEAP Africa’s leadership and life skills training programme called ‘iLEAD’. iLEAD is a one-year public secondary school leadership programme that equips underserved youth in public secondary schools with leadership and life skills and aimed at transforming mindsets and equipping youth to be value creators and change agents.

38

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

METRO

‌Your city life in print

Humanitarian Gesture at Bogije IDP Community Ă’Ă“ Ă“Ă—Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽËœ Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ?Ăœ ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă&#x;Ă?ÚÓĂ?Ă?Ă? Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă™Ă–Ă–Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă‹ Ă™ Ă“ĂŽ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă‘ĂœĂŁ Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ‹ĂžĂ“Ă™Ă˜Ëœ ĂœĂ?Ă?Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂ–ĂŁ Ă Ă“Ă?Ă“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă?Ă’Ă“Ă–ĂŽĂœĂ?Ă˜ Ă“Ă˜ ÞÒĂ?

Ă?Ă‹Ă—Ăš Ă–Ă™Ă?Ă‹ĂžĂ?ĂŽ Ă“Ă˜ ÙÑÓÔĂ? Ă?Ù××Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă“ĂžĂŁËœ ĂŒĂ?Ă”Ă&#x;Ě‹ Ă?Ă•Ă•Ă“Ëœ Ă‹Ă‘Ă™Ă?Ëœ MARY NNAH ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂžĂ?

It is no longer news that a lot of people have become displaced due to the heavy activities of terrorists in some parts of the country. These situations have left a lot of children not just vulnerable in IDP camps, but also led to a rise in child hunger and malnutrition.

In the light of this fact, and believing that no child should go to bed hungry, Chi Limited, under the auspices of the Hollandia No Kid Hungry Foundation, recently visited children in the IDP camp located in Bogije community, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. Through their leading dairy brand, Hollandia, the company spent the day partying with children and donating some of their dairy products to them.

Although the event was slated to commence at 10 am, some parents had started bringing their children in as early as 8 am. Bogije community literally came alive that Monday morning with the indigenes expressing their excitement at the sight of visitors to their otherwise sleepy community.

Initially, 300 children were targeted for the intervention but by the time the event fully kicked off at 11 am, there were well over 500 children present. However, there was enough food, drinks and gifts pack to go round.

Speaking during the visit, the Managing Director CHI Limited, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, represented by the Head of Administration, Mr. Ebere Osunkwo, said that as a socially responsible company, they are naturally passionate about child malnutrition.

Taking into cognisance the unsatisfactory situation with child nutrition nationally and globally, the Hollandia No Kid Hungry Foundation was initiated as a vehicle for making its own contribution towards reducing the spiralling number of cases of hunger and malnutrition amongst children.

He added that the Bogije IDP camp visit marked a notable milestone in the Hollandia No Kid Hungry Foundation’s drive towards alleviating child hunger and malnutrition.

He said: “Many children have found themselves in certain adverse conditions due to no fault of theirs. When you think of these children in the IDP camps, you can imagine how many go to bed hungry every single night. Even when they get to eat, how nutritious is the food they consume? So we thought to ourselves, what better way to identify with them than on their day. This is why we chose to celebrate the Children’s Day and World Nutrition Day with them and at least put smiles on their faces.�

Speaking further, he said: “We are in a world marked with extreme inequality. This has brought along malnutrition and hunger.

Through the Hollandia No Kid Hungry Foundation, we are trying in our little way to alleviate the suffering of few. This is deeply entrenched in our company’s core values.� “We are here today to share your frustrations, share your pains and most especially your joys. We are here to show you that there is still hope. Please, be strengthened by the fact that our commitment to this cause is real�, Osunkwo added.

He also disclosed that the initiative will be a continuous one, which will in due course be taken to other IDP communities around the country.

The Hollandia No Kid Hungry Foundation chose Children’s Day, marked every May 27, as well as the World Nutrition Day, which comes up every May 28, to celebrate with the children as both days are of great importance.

Proceedings at the Hollandia IDP Camp visit were interpreted in Yoruba and Hausa languages because of the concentration of people from Northern and Western Nigeria present.

There were also dance competitions for different age categories and winners emerged in the various categories.

One of recipients of Hollandia’s goodwill was six-year-old Rahmat Yusuf. She said she was very happy about the gifts from Hollandia. “I like yoghurt very much so I am happy that I have yoghurt now. I will share it with my sister and brother�, she said.

Responding on behalf of the community, Chief Tajudeen Oniwolu, the Baale of the Bogije Oniwonlu Estate, expressed his

Vice Chairman of Oniwolu Royal Family, Prince Olufadeji Odukoya and Brand Manager, Operations and Activations, CHI Limited, Godspower Utawure, presenting gift items to some children of the Bogije Internally Displaced Persons settlement under the auspices of the Hollandia No Kid Hungry Foundation on Children’s Day

Marketing Manager, CHI Ltd, Peter Adegor; Head of Administration, CHI Limited, Ebere Osukwo; Baale, Bogije Oniwolu Estate, Chief Tajudeen Oniwolu and Brand Manager, Operations and Activations, CHI Limited Godspower Utawure during the visit

Head of Administration, CHI Limited, Ebere Osukwo with Prince Wasiu Oniwonlu donating gift items to some of the children at the Bogije Internally Displaced Persons settlement

gratitude and joy at the event which he described as auspicious. He said: “I am very grateful to the management of CHI Ltd for this special visit and the donation of their products to the children today being Children’s Day. “It is obvious for all to see that the children are very happy and as the Baale of this community, this really gladdens my heart. I call on other companies to emulate this kind gesture. I also beckon on CHI Ltd to continue with this very laudable initiative�.

Hollandia collaborated with the Web of Hearts Foundation for the Children’s Day IDP visit. The Web of Hearts Foundation is a nonprofit organisation which caters for returnees and IDPs.

Commenting on the initiative, Mrs. Regina Ayomanor, Project Coordinator, Web of Hearts Foundation said: “As seen on the faces of the children, we are indeed happy and grateful to Hollandia for this act of kindness to the IDP children in this community. It is true that children ought to live up to their dreams, but some of these children have no food, not to talk of a future. “We say a big thank you to Hollandia No Kid Hungry Foundation for the huge impact they have made today and look forward to more partnerships with them in the future.�

Hollandia, the leading dairy brand in Nigeria from the stables of CHI Limited, has

over the years been involved in activities aimed at providing food for disadvantaged children through the foundation.

According to UNICEF, about 2.5 million Nigerian children suffer from severe acute malnutrition. The report further states that Nigeria has the second highest number of stunted children in the world, mostly resulting from child malnutrition and hunger. World Nutrition Day is marked on May 28.

Being a dairy brand loved by children in households across Nigeria, the Hollandia brand is passionate about children and views these facts as further impetus to step up the battle against hunger and malnutrition among Nigerian children.

39

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

CRIME&SECURITY

Navy Charges Operatives to Keep Fit, Shun Drugs and Obey Constituted Authority Stories by Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Nigerian Navy (NN) last Saturday charged its personnel to stay away from drugs in order to perform their assigned tasks optimally.

Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Admiral Stanfford Enoch, gave the charge after the quarterly 10km route march designed to test the physical and mental fitness of officers and ratings of the NN. The FOC who was represented by the Chief Staff Officer (CSO), Rear Admiral Idowu Yusuf said the charge was necessary given the scourge of drug abuse the country was currently battling.

He also charged them on the need to be psychologically, physically and mentally alert at all times.

Enoch also warned the operatives to avoid practices, actions that could bring the navy to disrepute including flaunting traffic laws in any part of the country especially Lagos.

He said the command would not hesitate to sanction any of its operatives caught disobeying traffic laws, reminding them that the military uniform does not give them immunity from punishment if they commit any crime.

On the route march, the FOC said the exercise which brings all units and formations under the command together once a quarter was in line with directives from the Naval Headquarters.

He said the aim was to assess their physical fitness, mental alertness, stamina and psychological

The Chief Sta OďŹƒcer, Naval Training Command, Rear Admiral Idowu Yusuf (extreme right) and other senior oďŹƒcers after the 10km route march

The Flag OďŹƒcer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji addressing oďŹƒcers and men after the route march at Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos

disposition, applauding the about 1,000 personnel who partook in it for exhibiting combat readiness.

He said, “Let me start by saying bravo zulu to the entire command for the impressive turnout for this

exercise. It shows that personnel of the command are physically, mentally and psychologically fit and can be called upon at anytime to carry out the duty required of it. “We went for roughly 10km

march and nobody fell or broke down. It is good and shows that we are alert. I want to encourage you all to do more sports at your convenience. “Sports is life. Naval personnel

fight mostly on water and so, must go the extra mile to ensure physical fitness in order not to fall short on any assignment given. “I want to also reiterate the command’s position on discipline. You must carry yourselves in that light and avoid getting involved in anything that could smear the image of the navy.

Stay away from drug abuse. You cannot perform optimally if you are on drugs.�

The route march began from the command headquarters in Harbour Road, Apapa and extended to Costain and back.

The Western Naval Command (WNC) also had its quarterly route march inside Navy Town Ojo which was led by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Rear Admiral Oladele Daji.

According to Daji 2,184 ratings and 165 officers participated in the march that commenced from the Naval Air Base, Ojo, which served to boost public confidence.

He said, “Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) WEY, Western Fleet, NNS BEECROFT, Navy Reference hospital, among others participated in this route march. In the face of the current security challenges in the country, the need to keep personnel fit for operations cannot be overemphasised. “That is why fitness and mental alertness are among the critical elements of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas’ policy thrust. “It is with this in mind that the Nigerian Navy organise a-day route march every quarter aimed at raising the level of physical fitness of personnel in the command.�

Expert Proers Solutions to Contain Crude Oil Theft ČŠ ÂœČą –žÂ?’—’ȹ ’™Ž•’—Žȹ —Â?›ŠœÂ?›žŒÂ?ž›Žȹž—Â&#x;ÂŽÂ’Â•ÂœČąÂ—ÂŽÂ ČąÂ‹Â›ÂŠÂ—Â?ČąÂ•Â˜Â?Â˜Ç°ČąÂ’Â?Ž—Â?Â’Â?¢ȹ To curb the burgeoning menace of crude oil theft bedeviling the nation, the Chief Executive Officer, Umugini Pipeline Infrastructure Limited (UPIL), Blessing Ayemhere has proffered workable solutions across board.

Ayemhere advised the government to create alternative operation routes, secure the evacuation routes and expand export activities to the eastern side of the Niger Delta in order to contain the menace of crude oil theft.

Speaking at the unveiling of UPIL’s new logo and brand identity in Lagos, Ayemhere also advised the government to conclude the crude tracking process so that it can be fully operational and complement the current strategy being used by the company.

He noted that the menace was a huge challenge for operators in the sector which they were using multiple strategies to stop it.

He said, “Vandalism in the oil and gas sector has become a big deal. Aside from the well heads, we also have vandalism of the pipelines along the right of ways. “So, we are combating such occurrences from time to time. It is something that is operating in the system and what we are doing is to put multiple strategies in place to safeguard the security of the pipelines and the products

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of Midwestern Oil and Gas, Mr. Charles Odita (third left); CEO UPIL Blessing Ayemhere (third right), Oando’s representative Mrs. Nwandoo Ihyemibe Hassan (second right), Mrs. Rachel Akhul (second left) and other directors during the unveiling of the new brand identity of the ďŹ rm...recently

in them. “The crude tracking technology has not fully come to effect but every crude has its specific identity.

What we do right now is to ensure that the pipelines that we use are tracked and we are alerted if there is an intrusion or any issue on our pipelines. “Once we are able to mature as a country to track our crude specifically, then, that would be the next phase. “The solution is to create alternative operation routes, secure the evacuation routes and also expand

beyond the western side to the eastern side of the Niger Delta.�

The midstream firm which transports crude oil to downstream terminal facilities for exploration and production companies was formerly Umugini Asset Company Limited (UACL).

A combination of a red horizontal strip and the wordmarks that represents it name, Ayemhere said the new logo projects the company’s seamless expertise in the pipeline and storage sector in oil and gas industry. “It also strives to reinforce our

safe, efficient and environmentally friendly service-proposition. “We have looked forward to the unveiling of our new brand identity, UPIL. It is a pipeline infrastructure company that operates in the midstream oil and gas sector of Nigeria. “Before now, we have not really had a dedicated pipeline company.

We are actually one of the first pipeline companies operating in the exploration and production space. Our focus is to take the responsibility and the burden of evacuating crude from producers to the point of offtake in the terminal at various locations. “That is what we do and that is why we are rebranding to actually give effect to what we do and to make the market know the problem we are here to solve. The producers of crude oil have their production facilities their responsibility is to extract crude oil, exploit it and so, the crude needs to be taken to the terminals for sale because that is where the buyers come to carry the product with their barges. “So, our responsibility is to connect producers to the buyers through the evacuation route. What we do actually is to take the crude through pipelines underground to the terminals. “We do not get involved in barging or shipping at the terminal. The

buyers who are the offtakers bring their barges, ships, offtake tanks and they move from the terminal. So, we are not responsible for the security of the barges in the waterways. “Our pipeline length is 51.4km and we have what we call the install and the technical capacities. Install capacity is 45,000 barrels/day while the technical capacity is 82,500 barrels/day. “Currently, we are still operating below that and what we are trying to do is to help producers along that route know that we have already built an infrastructure that they can key into.�

At the unveiling were the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Midwestern Oil and Gas, Mr. Charles Odita; Managing Director, Mart Umusadege Resources Nigeria Limited, Mr. Chris Omon; President, SunTrust Oil Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ugo Okafor represented by Mrs. Rachael Akhul; Managing Director, Enyo Retail and Supply Limited, Mr. Abayomi Awoboku; Managing Director, DEL Waste Management Limited, Mr. Brume Okolobi; Executive Director, Technical, Mr. Victor Okolo; Head, Services, Dr. Nonye Barrow and Oando’s representative, Mrs. Nwandoo Ihyemibe-Hassan.

40

F R I DAY Ëž Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

POLSCOPE

åÓÞÒ ĂŽĂŽĂŁ ĂŽĂ“Ă ĂĄĂœĂ“ Ă?ĂŽĂŽĂŁË›Ă™ĂŽĂ“Ă ĂĄĂœĂ“ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ă™Ă—Ëœ ͸΀͸ͽ ͝͸͞ Π͝ͽ͞

Children and Legacy Management

E

ver since I read a Facebook post by my Oga and very senior colleague , Mr Sunmi Smart Cole, my views and values for material issues of life have been radically changed, perhaps for life.

The said post is about a man who was apparently in public service and whose prevalent ambition in life was to build himself a big mansion. He didn’t readily have the money, but he still wanted the big mansion. He then took a huge loan from the bank. The story says that he spent the longest part of his active life servicing that loan. And as a result he ignored many other issues of life, including even taking enough good care of himself, pursuing solely, the mansion project. When he eventually retired, he was, understandably, weak and wearied, having been “stretched to his limits�. But he had his mansion.

Few years after, he died.

He had two children and his wife surviving him.

Not long after the man’s death, the two children and their mother reasoned that the same mansion their father literally lived for, is damn too big and old fashioned, describing the sheer mass of the house as “waste of space�.

They resolved to sell the house. They did. And used the proceed to buy a much smaller house and some cars for themselves. And that was the very end of the legacy of the man. The mansion he toiled and lived for all his life was gone, shortly after his death. The children literally moved on. It doesn’t matter, as they say, if the man was turning in his grave. Nobody has ever witnessed such turning anyway. The dead is dead.

And gone. And helpless.

The Facebook post went on to admonish people to take care of themselves while they are yet alive. That was a simple but great counsel.

Too often, parents are over burdened by the quest for such a great and wonderful life for their children, so much that they deny themselves too many things, even the basics and simple pleasuresof life, just so the children will have a splendid tomorrow. We literally want to live their lives for them, rather than equip them enough to live their own lives. If we built them all the houses they want, bought them all the cars they possibly could buy and saved all the huge monies in the bank accounts for them, hey, what else would they spend all their lives doing?

Except in few cases, some of these children do not share the same values with their parents. Their views, focus and concerns are verily different.

Sometimes, they merely tolerate the opinion and nuances of their parents, just while they are yet alive. And soon after their passage, they break out in the very opposite direction of their parents.

Some are even so prodigal-like that they vagrantly distort or scatter all that their parents laboured to put in place. And in some of such cases, the children have, soon after their father’s passage, come to shameful ruin.

I am not certain, but it is possibly the fear of what will happen to his famous Law Chambers that thelate Gani Fawehinmi ordered that the chamber be shut down and dismantled after his death.

I know of the son of a first generation politician who was quite famous and influential in his time. He died and left for his many children a very big house in a choice part of Victoria Island,

Lagos. A few times I had visited the son (who is a friend) in the house, I notice how they really struggle to sustain and maintain the house. Sometimes, even replacing burnt electric bulbs is an issue. It is pretty consoling that this late politician’s house is yet standing.

I once read the counsel of an old man who advised that as soon as a man is 60, he should avoid goinginto new investments. That may be very true and wise. Too often, men are engrossed so much in expanding their material threshold so much that they spend all their active lives chasing wealth and material acquisitions to the detriment of their health.

When the graph of their lives start plotting down, they in turn spend all the money they had gathered to chase and service their health. And in many cases, they hardly won. They become vulnerable and nearly helpless so much that the vital decisions of how they are managed is now taken by others.

They practically work till a few steps to their graves. No time to sit back and savour all they have labored for. They’d be lucky if they have loving and caring children.

The Facebook post adds a counsel: “Slow down, take a walk and pamper yourself a bit. There is a kind of joy and fulfillment that comes with eating from the fruit of your labour�.

Life is short. Perhaps even shorter in a country where too many things are in hurried competition to send you out.

So, do yourself some good. Indulge yourself when you can. Live good and pleasant life. Wear good clothes. Yes, good clothes.Wear some cologne, if you may. Spoil yourself a little, when you can, not on credit. Be true to yourself, all the time.

Go Ahead, Ban Alamajiri System No word can possibly describe how happy i was last weekend when I listened to the National Security Adviser, Alhaji Babagana Mongono saying the

government is set to ban the Almajiri system of education. My happiness was further reinforced seeing that the man making the announcement is a northerner. I had always wondered why that system had been allowed to run unchecked all the while.

But I was rather crest fallen, when 24 hours after, one of the Spokesmen of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, another northerner, somewhat countered what the NSA said, by explaining that the said ban is not immediate but “an objective�, so it does not creat a backlash, even as President Buhari had openly denounced the Almajiri system .

The Alamjiri system of education allows parents to give birth to as many children as they do not have the capacity to train or even cater for . And at very early age, say six or less, the children are releasedto some Islamic teachers, sometimes in very far away towns and villages; sometimes, outside the state, to be trained in Quaranic system of education. Thus in the homes of such Islamic teachers, there could be as many as 100 or more children under his tutelage. There is no provision for the children’s welfare. Thus, they are unleashed into the society to go beg for food and alms. This runs for years. Sometimes the children do not even know or are unable trace their biological parents anymore. They seemingly get lost in the mix. They grow into adolescence and adulthood, knowing little about how to survive and live, save for begging.

Even when former President Jonathan built the Alamajiri schools, it did not change the sorry story. Why should any responsible government close its eye to this anomaly in the name of culture and religion?

It is not for nothing that it was the NSA who made the announcement.

No doubt, findings and intelligence

Canticles‌.

Oshiomhole: When a Godfather Becomes Opposition Leader

H

ey, what exactly is happening between Adams Oshiomhole and the Edo State Governor? The news from that state are pretty unsettling It is just one of those political steam. It will all simmer soon.

This is more than political steam. Didn’t you hear that the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was recently beaten up by thugs in a state he governed, just few years ago?

I think the incident was exaggerated.

I don’t know about exaggeration. But please somebody should tell Mr Oshiomhole to take it easy. He should respect himself and calm down. He should be getting ready to be admitted into the league of Elder Statesmen. But the way he is going, he is losing grip and focus of his social standing.

I think the people of the state should be respectful. How can they rise in arms against their former governor and the chairman of a ruling party both in the state and at theNational level? Are they so rude and rudderless?

Tell him to follow and mind his lane. Haba!

What does that mean?

He should face his job as National Chairman of the APC. He shouldn’t be seen to be over meddling in the nitty gritty of the Edo politics. He cannot be National Chairman in Abuja and alternate Governor of Edo State at the same time.

But he’s done governing Edo State. He’s moved on.

He should move on indeed!.

He should stop breathing down the neck of the governor, simply because he projected him to be voted for. Oshiomhole is a Christian. He must be reminded of the golden rule: do unto others what you want them do unto you.

Yes, how has he offended that rule?

Are you asking me? When Oshiomhole was governor, who was dictating what to do for him? Did anyone person nominate his entire cabinet or top government functionaries?

Why is he micro-managing Governor Godwin Obaseki? That is the root of all the problem.

Babagana Mongono

had shown that the Boko Haram menace that has plagued the nation for ten years now derives its workforce from the Almajiri. Is it not said that the idle mind is the devil’s workshop?With an unsustainable career in begging, what else is left for an adult Almajiri, who is himself an epitome of ignorance and poverty?

It is to be expected that they will be primary raw materials for the Boko Haram army. The sheer number of the Alamjiri in the north explains why, for years, despite the killings, decimation and de-radicalisation scheme of the federal government, the war is still raging. Were it not for ignorance which dwells among the

Alamjiri, how could they be lured into suicide missions just because their wives are promised or given N10,000?

They have been the fuel that has kept the fire of terrorism burning in the country. They have nothing at stake. Their value for life is scant, no thanks to the brainwash they are fed with.

Yes, it may not be abrupt banning, but the truth is that it is anachronistic and it should have ended like yesterday. The time to act is now.

Let the practice stop!

Have you forgotten how Oshiomhole stuck out his neck for Obaseki during the election of Obaseki?Have you forgotten how he went with him, introducing him across the state at the various campaigns? Is it this disloyalty that is Oshiomhole’s reward? Is it fair?

Nobody is disputing all that.

But how can a man sell off a goat and refuse to let go the rope tying the goat to a stake?

Is that why the state will do things in crooked and untoward manner? Didn’t you hear of the nocturnal inauguration of the just nine members of the state assembly at 9.30 pm? Is it a cult? Or didn’t

Oshiomhole

you hear that a house member so inaugurated came in a knicker and T’ shirt to the hallowed chamber?

Where did you ever hear of that abominable dress code among lawmakers in this country?

The inauguration was not done at 9.30pm. Stop exaggeration! Show me any section of the law that says only trousers and wrappers can be worn by lawmakers to the chamber.

Look, it is all a mark of utmost bad faith for the governor to start biting the fingers that fed him.

When someone is said to be a godfather, he should not turn himself to an opponent simply because the godson does not want to be reduced to a robot. Were it not so, why is Oshiomhole now standing strongly against the re-election bid of Obaseki? He wants to give Obaseki the Ambode treatment? That will surely trigger some crisis in the state I don’t know who is a robot here. All men of good faith must show loyalty and gratitude to those who mentored them. That’s all! I am sure Oshiomhole is asking for. Not anything more.

He is asking for far more than that. If you know the inner details of the grudge fight, you will know that the former comrade governor is extremely overbearing. He wants to control, regulate and approve everything happening in the state. If possible, he’d want to regulate the air Gov Obaseki breathes. Who does that! Pray, why is he so concerned about who becomes the Speaker of the State Assembly, after he had imposed his blood brother as one of the lawmakers? Is that not a cultic love for power?

Do you know that Gov Obaseki is silently stoking the fire to force Oshiomhole to resign as National chairman of APC? Is that not betrayal?

And don’t tell me about Oshomhole breathing down his neck. If he cannot stay the heat, he should leave the kitchen. Was there no Terms and Condition binding their understanding?

That is not true! Do you have any proof of Gov Obaseki moving for Oshiomhole’s ouster?

I am sure the respected Oba of Benin has to intervene at this juncture so the Edo people can maximally reap the benefit of democratic governance.

41

FRIDAY JUNE 28 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Constant Electricity in Nigeria, a Mirage for Now Christopher Ikadeh

I

t is worrisome that in 2019, Nigeria, a country of about two hundred million people, generates a measly 3000 MW despite enormous resources that have been committed to the power sector.

What makes it more hideously abominable is the downward trend in the generating capacity despite increased government spending over the last forty years.

Nigeria’s energy capacity is inadequate.

As a result, cost of business is cosmically high. Unplanned downtime costs businesses significant losses that affect their bottom line.

Added to that is the overhead cost of diesel to run generators. While impact of electricity shortage on big businesses might be quantified monetarily, it’s effect on small and medium scale business is that of survival. The overall effect of low energy production impacts standard of living, a parameter for estimating Human Development Index (HDI). Little wonders why Nigeria right now positions 159 out of 189 nations in HDI. According to CIA estimates, Nigeria’s average power per capita, which is the energy per person, stands at 14. This value is a far cry from South Africa’s 445, Morocco’s 495, and Egypt’s 171.

In comparison, Brazil, with a population of 209 million generates 150,000MW, Indonesia’s installed capacity as of 2018 stood at 62,589MW. South Africa, a sub-Saharan African country with a population of 52million produces 32,000MW with an anticipated increase of 9,600MW after Kusile and Medupi Power Stations are commissioned.

As dreadfully miserable as the indicators look, the elephant in the room is the refusal of successive regimes to give the problem the attention it deserves; instead, we have witnessed more of buck-passing than responsibility, rhetoric than action, political grandstanding than a commitment to solving the perennial darkness which lamentably has become the bane of our development.

In 1999, following the collapse of the military regime and the handover to a democratically elected government, Chief Bola Ige was appointed as the Minister of Power and Steel. Hopes were rekindled. Bola Ige, who had come from the political bloodline of the sage, Obafemi Awolowo had an outstanding career as a lawyer and a governor of the old Oyo state. In his maiden speech as the Minister of Power and Steel, Bola Ige affirmed that steady power would be accomplished in a half year and his name would be written in gold. Though assessing his performance on the state of the power sector as at the time he was moved to Justice Ministry would be unfair to his public life, he, unfortunately, has joined the ever-growing list of failed ministers of power and steel.

Barth Nnaji, the Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering who founded the Automation and Robotic Laboratory in Massachusetts Institute of Technology took over the mantle at the power ministry. Leading to his appointment, pundits believed the ideal man would be one who combined technical expertise and administrative acuity, so when it was time for President Goodluck Jonathan to shop for a Minister of Power and Steel, little wonder the lot fell on Prof. Nnaji. However, what followed was another 2 years of promises, brandishing of numbers, and shenanigans that culminated in the resignation of Prof Barth Nnaji. Another dashed hope.

Buhari

With the change mantra rending the air following the 2015 general elections, Babatunde Fashola, a former governor of Nigeria’s wealthiest state, was appointed to man the power ministry.

Before the government of President Buhari came on board, Fashola had taken a swipe at the incumbent administration of President Goodluck Jonathan with the now infamous proclamation that a serious government would fix the power problem in six months. Unknown to himself and the public, he was Inadvertently setting a yardstick that would come to hunt his performance; for it is now four years, not six months since he assumed responsibilities at the power ministry, power supply is still more epileptic and the industry still comatose with the delivery of paltry 3000MW. From power generation to retailing, Nigeria’s power industry is in crisis. Existing infrastructure is degenerating, and there is no overarching energy policy to tackle the problem headlong.

What aggravates the situation is the fact that the big Megawatt stations are nearing the end of their economic lives. Theoretically, the shelf life of a power station is about forty years. What does that portend? Aging power stations are plagued with high cost of maintenance due to frequent outage management, reduced output performance, unreliability, and sometimes the risk of safety.

What then is the solution? An approach that focuses on increasing the capacity on the grid, not through the palliative measures of optimizing existing stations but by the addition of more megawatt. Does it sound commonplace?

Well, unfortunately, that is the only solution. A government that promises 200 million people a constant power supply with an installed power of 14,000MW and operating capacity of 3000MW is dealing in mischievous deceit. Their efforts, even if genuine, would be one in futility that would further drain taxpayers’ resources.

At the very minimum, Nigeria needs two power stations that would output 10, 000MW on completion. What energy source would balance the tripod variables of standard safety,

high generating capacity, and low emission rates?

Nuclear power stations are off the table due to the unavailability of Uranium and the non-existent safety culture in Nigeria. Fossil fuel power plants might not get the approval of environmentalists and financiers because of high C02 emission rates. Hydro-electricity appears to be the most viable of the renewal pack because it is cheap, requires low maintenance, and can generate a massive megawatt.

Nigeria has the potential to generate 10,000MW on the river Niger. The approach must be from the construction of power stations must be from the perspective of her size, a realization many nations, even sub-Saharan ones are waking up to. For example, Ethiopia, Renaissance Hydro Dam, will on completion generate 6000MW and Brazil currently produces 14,000MW solely from hydroelectricity. The current piecemeal, two-digit energy production by the Nigerian government will not solve the problem of energy shortage.

Why Nigeria fails to harness and build sustainable wind energy despite having an average wind speed of 6m/s, will continue to leave many experts in the industry a state of wonderment.

Brazil and Mexico with an average wind speed of 6.21 m/s and 6.61 m/s generate 14,707MW and 4,935 MW respectively from wind energy.

Nigeria can generate an estimated 5,000MW in the short term from the northern states of Borno, Jigawa, Kano where the wind speed is as high as 9m/s.

Analysts argue it is unrealistic for the government to underwrite such multi-billion-dollar capital projects in the face of the global economic crisis and a downward trend in crude oil prices.

How then did South African state-owned Eskom finance the twin power stations of Medupi and Kusile which on completion will add 9600MW to the country’s grid? How, amidst global outcry of environmental concerns of high emissions from coal-powered station did the South African government secure the world bank loan that kick-started the projects in 2007?

The United States and other superpowers, which are the major donors to the World Bank

had balked at the ideas of funding coal-fired power stations due to its high emission. Despite the disapproval, South Africa was able to convince the Bank solely on the reasons that continued power shortage would have a debilitating effect on the ailing economy. Obi Ezekwesili, the then World Bank President for Africa threw her weight behind this argument. She said, “Without an increased energy supply, South Africans will face hardship for the poor and limited economic growth.”

There are two takeaways in the preceding argument. First, increased energy production is central to any country’s development and a key economic growth driver. The procurement should be top on any government’s agenda. It is not new to approach the world bank for funding of energy projects. The Bank has bankrolled projects in Germany, Indonesia, Poland, Bulgaria, and China. Second, Nigeria can secure the loan if there is a justification that the investment would be on the production of clean energy such as biomass, solar PV, hydro and even gas-fired power plant.

Is Nigeria’s deteriorating economy not enough bargaining chip to advance justification for the loan approval? If in the past, Nigeria had secured loans to build infrastructures whose value did not directly impact the economy, why would it be difficult now that the consideration is on a project that underpins economic growth?

Additionally, Nigeria has an abundant gas deposit in the Niger-Delta, high wind speed of more than 7 m/s in northern Nigeria, abundant refuse-derived fuel (solid waste) scattered all over the country especially Lagos, year-round sunny weather that guarantees a reliable and constant solar energy.

A project of this size and complexity needs expertise which may not be available in Nigeria.

The government should engage a global leader with a track record in engineering, procurement, construction, and management delivering power stations project on schedule and budget.

Experience shows North American and European-based EPCM companies have the competency, knowledge, and resources to deliver projects of that size, though at a higher cost.

In conclusion, it is a waste of time on the part of the ministry to continue the quick fix approach to energy management, hoping a magic wand would keep the light on. If at the moment, there are no power stations under construction that would add at least 10,000MW to the grid in the next five years, then we are as far from the solution as we were in 2015. Without an overarching plan to drastically increase the power on the grid, Nigerians would continue to experience darkness as they have been for the past 40 years.

There must be a clear-cut blueprint on how to achieve it, and this must be backed up by a concerted effort to consistently ramp up power production. Otherwise, the hope of ever living in a country where power is stable will continue to be a mirage for many Nigerians.

Constant electricity is achievable. It requires vision, accountability, a hefty dose of mental fortitude, and political will to disrupt the energy space. Whoever will get the credit of supplying Nigeria a constant electricity, for him, it will not be business as usual.

To be continued t *LBEFI B 1SPKFDU 1MBOOFS BOE QPXFS TUBUJPOT FYQFSU XSPUF JO GSPN .FMCPVSOF "VTUSBMJB

Firm Launches Scheme to Bridge Housing Deficit in Nigeria

W

eith the country’s present housing deficit estimated at about 20 million, Landwey Investment Limited, has launched a financial credit service scheme, Wey Money, to address the challenge.

The Chief Executive Officer, Landwey Investment Limited, Mr. Olawale Ayilara, explained that Wey money is first of its kind in Nigeria done by a real estate company to help solve issues surrounding mortgages in the country.

He noted that the initiative was also aimed at giving existing estate subscribers of Landwey access to affordable single digit loans of 9 per

cent per annum to fund and expand their businesses.

Ayilara, while launching the scheme in Lagos, pointed out the urgent need for real estate companies to start constructing vertical housing units in a bid to maximize the limited available land mass in the State to house more occupants as it is done in developed economies.

In his words, “There are lots of potential in Nigeria’s real estate sector space and there is a lot that needs to be done. We need to start building vertically so that we can occupy the size of population we are building. Lagos is a metropolis city and people move into the city on a daily basis and before you know it

in some years to come we would exhaust the land spaces to erect structures. So, there is an urgent need to build vertical housing units that will take more occupants just as they have it in developed countries.

“With WeyMoney, all subscribers can access funding that helps them stay financially afloat, take care of business that cannot wait and access loan facility in record time. The launch is in line with our continued quest to ensure that its clients maintain their financial stability and see their investments reach fruition.”

“We have created this unique, customer-centric solution that furnishes the most convenient, easy access loan facility for our subscribers.

Wey Money offers variable loan rate with zero deposit required up to 1 year. You can get access to credit up to 70 per cent of your property’s current market value with conditional pre-approval available and zero fees for early loan repayment,” he added.

He said further: “We all know that to borrow money from the bank, you will need your property to stand as a collateral, but many entrepreneurs find it difficult to get quick loans from the bank and lots of them go through loan sharks who give loans at 25 to 30 per cent interest rate, but with this scheme, believe we can add value to our clients and going by our data, a lot of our clients are business owners.”

42

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍśËœ 2019

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

‘CBN Under Emefiele Has Been Friendly to Farmers’ Sylvester Idowu Ă“Ă˜ Ă‹ĂœĂœĂ“ A group of farmers in Nigeria have applauded the recent reappointment of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, saying it will enable Emefiele to do more for the country.

The farmers under the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), noted that some of the policies initiated by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government through the apex bank were yielding positive results and needed to be consolidated on.

According to a statement made available to THISDAY in Warri, by the South-south Chairman/ National PRO of AFAN, Eugene Jacob, the farmers stated that Emefiele’s leadership was the most agriculturally-friendly to

farmers in the country since its inception.

The group, while thanking President Buhari over Emefiele’s reappointment, noted that the importation of agricultural commodities to the country has drastically reduced in favour of local farmers in the country.

AFAN stated that majority of the policies initiated by CBN under the leadership of Emefiele has led to the creation of jobs and wealth in the agricultural sector the economy. “We recognise the good services done by Mr Godwin Emefiele – his efforts so far on agriculture, job and wealth creation.It’s good to recognise most crucial issues that are facing the state which are population explosion, unemployment and food security. Nigeria was

importing rice and other communities with trillion of naira, but with the commitment of Emefiele’s team. “Nigeria has gradually reduced the importation rate of rice and other commodities drastically. The situation has resulted in employment creation for our unemployed youths throughout the country with the robust policies for agriculture.

Nigeria is now conserving her foreign exchange�, the statement explained. It added, “The establishment of the Anchor Borrowers Programme helped to stop the importation of commodities and created the needed employment in all states of the federation.

CBN has been agriculturally friendly since Emefiele’s tenure.

We appreciate him for being supportive.�

EEDC Expresses Concern over TCN’s Handling of Security Peter Uzoho The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has expressed concern over the way the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is handling the issue of security cover due to be posted by the disco.

The Disco, which stated this in a letter to the TCN that was signed by its Deputy Managing Director, also urged the transmission company, “to vacate and retract,� a newspaper publication announcing its suspension as a market participant. “EEDC wishes to state that the publication is a premeditated act of utmost bad faith, calculated to embarrass EEDC and same has indeed embarrassed in the eyes of esteemed customers as EEDC has been inundated with enquiries as to the status of EEDC as a licensee,� it insisted.

EEDC said it was surprised that an advisory letter on level of security cover was sent to it a day after the market operator (MO) announced through

a newspaper publication, its suspension as a market participant in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

The TCN had in a letter sent to EEDC on June 26, 2019, stated that, “EEDC average, lowest and highest monthly bill for year 2018 were N724, 491, 451.08; N653, 172, 505.63; and N844, 339, 097.24 respectively.�

It had added that the, “estimated three months security cover derived from these are N2,173, 474,353.23; N1, 959, 517,516.90; and N2, 533, 017, 291.72 respectively.

It had also stated that, “EEDC’s average, lowest and highest monthly bill for the first three months of year 2019 were N811, 033, 325.02; N740, 962, 166.62 and N875, 362, 197.82 respectively. It had said the estimated three month security cover derived from these are N2, 433, 099, 975.07; N2.222, 886, 499.86; and N2, 626, 086, 593.46 respectively. “As a result of the above

analysis, you are advised to provide a security cover not less than 2, 433, 099, 975.07 Naira, assuming you have not done this calculation as expected�.

However, in response to the TCN’s letter, the EEDC in a letter addressed to the Executive Director, Market Operator, TCN, dated June 26, 2019, with the titled: Re: Advisory on Level of Security Cover to Post,� stated: “Your letter with Ref. No.MO/003/017/004/2019 dated 26th June, 2019 but received after close of business via the same date, in refers.

The letter further read: “In the said letter, you finally advised EEDC on the amount of Security Cover to be posted and suggested that EEDC ought to know the level of cover. We wish to state that being the market operator of the Nigerian Electricity Market, MO is under a duty to before now advise a market participant of the level security cover posted and that cannot be said to be aware by such a market participant.�

Uber to Launch BoatTaxi in Lagos Hamid Ayodeji åÓÞÒ Ă‹Ă‘Ă?Ă˜Ă?ĂŁ ĂœĂ?ĂšĂ™ĂœĂž Global ride-hailing firm, Uber Technologies Inc. is in talks with regulators over plans to expand into two West African countries and provide a boat service in Nigerian megacity Lagos, a company executive said on Thursday.

Brooks Entwistle, Uber’s chief business officer, said this during an interview with Reuters in Lagos.

In much of sub-Saharan Africa there are low levels of personal car ownership, rapidly expanding populations and a lack of efficient mass transport systems in fast-growing cities.

Uber, which said it has 36,000 active drivers in sub-Saharan Africa, operates in a number of countries in East and South Africa but is largely absent from West Africa, aside from Nigeria and Ghana.

The firm has identified the region as a target for potential expansion, Entwistle told Reuters.

He said the company was in talks with regulators in Ivory

Coast and Senegal regarding the possible launch of services. “Both Abidjan and Dakar are logical opportunities for us,� said Entwistle, adding that discussions were at an early stage. He did not disclose further details. “We have talked about West Africa today as being a big growth priority for us and launch priority for us moving forward,� said Entwistle.

Ivory Coast and Senegal have two of the world’s fastest growing economies, according to the International Monetary Fund. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is also the continent’s most populous nation.

A number of motorcycle ride-hailing firms have also targeted West Africa as an area for expansion in the last few months.

Lagos, a megacity of around 20 million inhabitants built on a lagoon where Uber began operating in July 2014, is beset by heavy congestion.

Entwistle said the company was in talks with state regulators about providing a transport system on the city’s waterways

as a way of bypassing its choked roads. “We are looking at the waterways here, which are very interesting to us as it relates to a potential service,� Entwistle said.

The company has launched a boat service in the Indian city of Mumbai in the last few months. “We did launch Uber Boat in Mumbai and we have watched the product develop. It’s in its early stages and we think there is high relevance here,� he said, referring to Lagos.

The Uber executive, who described Lagos as “one of the great growth opportunity cities in the world�, said the company has also held discussions with a bus firm and regulators in the city.

He said the talks were in line with a global push by the company to develop products that can work alongside public transit systems.

Entwistle, said the combination of population growth and congestion made Lagos, and other cities in the region, attractive.

L-R: Chief Operating Officer Interswitch, Mrs. Oremeyi Akah; Asset Operations Manager, Shell Nigeria, Mrs. Elohor Aiboni Bonga; Executive Director, Wema Bank, Mrs. Folake Sanu; Founder SheCan Nigeria, Mrs. Ezinne Ezeani; Compere of the session, Mrs. Olive Emodi; Nigeria’s First Female Urologist Dr. Abimbola Bolarinwa, and Head, Business Development Division West, Sigma Pensions, Mrs. Mabel George, at the SheCan conference held in Lagos...recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

NOVEMBER 2018 Money Supply (M3)

31,794,803.44

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

6,333,064.28

Money Supply (M2)

25,461,739.17

-- Quasi Money

14,773,076.98

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,688,662.18

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,711,763.59

---- Demand Deposits

8,976,898.59

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

18,990,400.78

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,804,402.66

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,062,986.22

---- Credit to Government (Net)

2,980,229.66

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

7,093,619.43

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

-4,144,571.43

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

23,082,756.56

--Other Assets Net

13,258,583.57

Reserve Money (Base Money

6,811,192.37

--Currency in Circulation

2,100,129.91

--Banks Reserves

4,366,259.05

Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

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

Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ Í°Í´ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $65.60 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $64.79 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), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

43

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ Í°ÍśËœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

MARKET NEWS

Med-View Eyes Diversification to Boost Returns to Stakeholders Goddy Egene Med-View Airline Plc is to diversify its operations and reduce dependence on air passenger traffic as major source of revenue, as part of efforts to improve earnings and deliver returns to shareholders.

The Chief Executive Officer of Med-View Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, disclosed this to shareholders at the third annual general meeting (AGM) of the company in Lagos yesterday.

According to him, the company has been in discussion with some financial institutions to raise capital to turn around its fortune, He said the diversification programme entails development of infrastructure that would make Med-View Airline Plc becomes a Maintenance and Repair Organisation(MRO) and Aviation Training Organisation (ATO). “The infrastructural development of Med-View’s(MRO) and

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

ATO are aimed at addressing overdependence on air passenger traffic to raise inflow. It will also generate more foreign currency, foreign direct investment (FDI) and restoration of fiscal sustainability. The company is in the final stage of embarking on the project in partnership with Chinese Construction Company (CCEC), who has submitted drawing plans and quotation to build the structure. This is done in order to foster continuous growth. The challenges associated

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

with these anticipated projects will be significant but we remain optimistic on the sustainable growth in the company’s economic activity despite the current challenges,� he said.

The Med-View Airline boss said the reduction of fleet due to C-Check in Med-View affected the possible upward growth of the revenue of the company thereby resulting in a record low profit. “The lack of support and trust which banks in Nigeria

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

have towards aviation business did not help matters as none of the banks take risks but were not willing to take up this in particular,� he said.

However, he assured stakeholders that the board and management are continually seeking to achieve the best for the company, stressing that�

Med-View is firmly on the path to improved performance, sustained growth, profitability and adequate returns to all stakeholders with the shortest

O F

possible period of time.�

Meanwhile, trading at the stock market closed on positive note as the three days losing streak was halted. The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index rose by 0.47 per cent to close at 29,749.35, while market capitlisation added N61.9 billion to be at N13.1 trillion. However, activity level was mixed as volume traded fell 23.6 per cent to 301.1 million shares while value traded surged to N5.0 billion.

2 7 / 0 6 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

44

˾ FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019

Friday, June 28, 2019 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Advanced 43bps

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

Yesterday, the Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index advanced 43bps to ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ ϭ͕ϯϬϭ͘ϲϯ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ GUARANTY ;Ϭ͘ϱйͿ͕ DANGCEM

;Ϭ͘ϱйͿ ĂŶĚ NESTLE

;ϯ͘ϳйͿ͘ dŚĞƐĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůLJ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ ϯϴ͘ϭй ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž͘

ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ ZĞĐŽƌĚƐ 'ĂŝŶ͙ NSE ASI up 0.47% dŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ďŽƵƌƐĞ ŝŶ LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͛s trading session recorded a gain ĂƐ ƚŚĞ E^ ůů ^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ; ^/Ϳ ĐůŝŵďĞĚ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ďLJ ϰϳďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ Ϯϵ͕ϳϰϵ͘ϯϱ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ůŽƐƐ ŵŽĚĞƌĂƚĞĚ ƚŽ -ϱ͘ϯй͘ dŚƵƐ͕ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ Eϲϭ͘ϵďŶ ĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŽ Eϭϯ͘ϭƚŶ͘ dŚĞ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ĂƩƌŝďƵƚĞĚ ƚŽ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŝŶ NESTLE ;нϯ͘ϳйͿ͕ SEPLAT ;нϲ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ DANGCEM ;нϬ͘ϲйͿ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĨĞůů Ϯϯ͘ϲй ƚŽ ϯϬϭ͘ϭŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƵƌŐĞĚ ƚŽ Eϱ͘ϬďŶ͘ TRANSCORP ;ϰϱ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ GUARANTY ;ϯϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ĂŶĚ ACCESS ;ϯϭ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁĞƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁŚŝůĞ GUARANTY ;Eϵϳϴ͘ϵŵͿ͕ NESTLE ;Eϳϳϴ͘ϲŵͿ ĂŶĚ DANGCEM ;Eϲϰϴ͘ϭŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ǁĂƐ ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂƐ ϱ ŽĨ ϲ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĞŶ͘ dŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ index ůĞĚ with a Ϯ͘ϲй ŐĂŝŶ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ CCNN ;нϭϬ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ WAPCO ;нϮ͘ϭйͿ͘ dŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƌŽƐĞ ϭ͘ϴй ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ĂŶ ƵƉƟĐŬ in SEPLAT ;нϲ͘ϬйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ gains in NESTLE ;нϯ͘ϳйͿ͕ INTBREW ;нϵ͘ϲйͿ ĂŶĚ UNILEVER ;нϬ͘ϮйͿ

ĚƌŽǀĞ

ƚŚĞ

ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ

'ŽŽĚƐ

ŝŶĚĞdž

Ϭ͘ϳй

ŶŽƌƚŚǁĂƌĚƐ͘ The AFRI-/ d ĂŶĚ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ Ϭ͘ϰй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞdž ƐŚĞĚ Ϭ͘ϯй ĂƐ Ă ƌĞƐƵůƚ ŽĨ ƐĞůůŽīƐ ŝŶ STANBIC (-ϭ͘ϯйͿ͕ ZENITH (-Ϭ͘ϴй йͿ ĂŶĚ STERLING (-ϲ͘ϰйͿ͘

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

-11.3%

30.2%

17.1%

5.6%

4.9x

0.7x

6.4%

0.5%

19.4%

-10.6%

-10.7%

33.1%

5.3%

4.6x

1.5x

9.0%

21.8%

2 Zenith Bank PLC

19.85

-0.8%

12.1%

-13.9%

-4.3%

24.7%

3.2%

3.3x

0.8x

14.1%

30.0% 12.0%

3 Dangote Cement PLC 4 Nestle Nigeria PLC 5 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 6 FBN Holdings Plc 7 Cement Co Northern Nigeria PLC 8 United Bank for Africa PLC 9 International Brew eries PLC 10 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C 11 Access Bank PLC 12 Ecobank Transnational Inc

185.00

0.5%

10.0%

-2.5%

-0.5%

40.1%

21.8%

8.3x

3.0x

8.9%

3.7%

8.7%

-5.7%

-5.1%

81.2%

27.4%

23.5x

17.6x

4.3%

4.3%

57.50

-7.3%

4.6%

-32.7%

-24.8%

9.5%

4.4%

26.4x

2.6x

4.2%

3.8% 25.1%

6.65

-2.2%

5.0%

-16.4%

-16.9%

10.0%

1.1%

4.0x

0.5x

3.8%

13.20

10.0%

3.5%

-32.0%

-32.0%

4.7%

4.3%

3.8x

0.5x

3.0%

26.1%

6.15

0.0%

3.9%

-20.1%

-21.2%

15.5%

1.7%

2.6x

0.4x

13.7%

38.3%

5.1x

0.5x

3.4%

19.4%

7.7%

18.30

9.6%

2.4%

-40.0%

-41.9%

-23.8%

-3.2%

530.00

6.0%

3.3%

-17.2%

-14.6%

10.1%

6.3%

4.5x

6.70

0.8%

3.8%

-1.5%

3.1%

22.2%

2.1%

1.7x

0.4x

10.40

-1.4%

2.4%

-25.7%

-27.3%

15.3%

1.2%

2.9x

0.5x

-1.9%

58.7% 34.2%

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

39.50

-1.3%

2.5%

-17.6%

-14.9%

30.3%

4.6%

5.9x

1.6x

3.7%

14 Unilever Nigeria PLC

32.05

0.2%

2.4%

-13.4%

-13.4%

12.7%

7.7%

17.9x

2.2x

4.7%

15 Lafarge Africa PLC

12.10

2.1%

1.9%

-2.8%

0.8%

-6.3%

-1.6%

16 Guinness Nigeria PLC

47.65

0.2%

1.0%

-33.8%

-33.8%

6.8%

3.7%

16.0x

1.2x

3.9%

6.3%

17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

64.00

-3.9%

1.2%

-16.0%

-16.0%

21.0%

16.0%

10.1x

2.1x

4.7%

9.9% 11.4%

0.8x

16.9% 5.6% -8.4%

18 Total Nigeria PLC

150.00

0.0%

1.1%

-26.1%

-26.1%

19.3%

4.5%

8.8x

1.7x

11.9%

19 11 PLC

170.00

0.0%

1.3%

-8.4%

-8.4%

30.5%

12.8%

7.1x

1.8x

4.9%

14.1%

14.00

0.0%

0.8%

-39.4%

-36.9%

6.6%

2.0%

6.5x

0.4x

7.1%

15.4%

21 Oando PLC

3.95

-1.3%

1.0%

-21.0%

-17.7%

14.3%

2.5%

1.8x

0.2x

22 Fidelity Bank PLC

1.70

0.0%

1.0%

-16.3%

-16.3%

12.7%

1.4%

2.0x

0.2x

6.5%

49.2%

23 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.09

-4.4%

0.9%

-17.4%

-13.5%

16.4%

3.6%

4.1x

0.6x

2.7%

24.5%

24 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

11.35

0.0%

0.8%

-25.6%

-23.3%

22.3%

12.6%

5.7x

1.3x

10.0%

17.6%

2.0x

55.8%

25 Diamond Bank PLC 26 FCMB Group Plc

1.62

1.3%

0.6%

-14.3%

-10.0%

8.8%

1.2%

27 UAC of Nigeria PLC

6.25

0.8%

0.4%

-35.9%

-34.6%

-7.9%

-3.6%

0.2x

8.6%

49.3%

0.3x

10.2%

-31.3%

2.20

-6.4%

0.7%

15.8%

15.8%

9.3%

0.9%

6.8x

0.6x

29 Presco PLC

52.00

0.0%

0.3%

-18.8%

-18.8%

7.3%

4.6%

13.6x

2.0x

3.8%

7.4%

30 NASCON Allied Industries PLC

15.00

0.0%

0.3%

-16.7%

-16.7%

32.2%

12.9%

9.8x

3.2x

6.7%

10.2%

31 Forte Oil PLC

28 Sterling Bank PLC

27.40

-9.9%

0.4%

-0.3%

-2.1%

48.9%

7.4%

32 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

7.00

1.4%

0.5%

25.0%

25.0%

6.6%

1.2%

12.2x

0.9x

33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

20.90

0.0%

0.3%

4.0%

-5.4%

19.9%

2.3%

4.2x

0.8x

34 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC

14.7%

2.1x

-7.7% 8.2% 9.6%

23.6%

7.10

0.0%

0.2%

-41.3%

-42.3%

0.7x

2.1%

27.50

0.0%

0.2%

-21.1%

-21.1%

68.7%

31.5%

9.3x

5.8x

10.5%

10.7%

36 Wema Bank PLC

0.65

-1.5%

0.2%

3.2%

3.2%

7.3%

0.7%

6.8x

0.5x

4.6%

14.8%

37 Beta Glass PLC

66.35

0.0%

0.2%

-2.9%

-2.9%

6.4x

1.1x

2.0%

15.5%

38 Dangote Flour Mills Plc

17.50

0.0%

0.4%

155.5%

165.2%

-15.8%

-5.1%

39 Transcorp Hotels Plc

5.40

0.0%

0.1%

-11.5%

-9.2%

6.0%

3.2%

12.0x

0.7x

40 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

1.94

0.0%

0.1%

6.0%

6.0%

11.0%

3.1%

8.5x

0.9x

35 Chemical and Allied Products P

2.7x

-6.4% 2.8%

ĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ĐůŝŵďĞĚ ŚŝŐŚĞƌ ƚŽ ϭ͘ϰdž ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ Ϭ͘ϵdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ

CCNN

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

13.20

10.0%

T R A N SC OR P

46.0

-4.4%

B OC GA S

4.13

9.8%

GUA R A N T Y

31.9

0.5%

IN T B R EW

18.30

9.6%

A C C ESS

31.8

0.8%

C OUR T VILLE

0.25

8.7%

FB NH

28.7

-2.2%

C H IP LC

0.26

8.3%

Z EN IT H B A N K

23.3

-0.7%

ET ER N A

3.95

8.2%

WA P C O

19.7

2.1%

A B CTRA NS

0.29

7.4%

UB A

18.2

0.0%

ǁŽƌƐƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞƌƐ͘ 'ŽŝŶŐ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ͕ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƚŽ ƚĂŬĞ

SEP LA T

530.00

6.0%

ST ER LN B A N K

13.2

-6.4%

ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ ĂƩƌĂĐƟǀĞ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂŚĞĂĚ ŽĨ ĞĂƌŶŝŶŐƐ ƌĞůĞĂƐĞƐ͘

J A IZ B A N K

0.47

4.4%

F ID ELIT YB K

8.6

0.0%

J A P A ULOIL

0.24

4.3%

ET I

7.7

-1.4%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

FO

27.40

-9.9%

GUA R A N T Y

979.0

0.5%

6.45

-9.8%

N EST LE

778.6

3.7%

57.50

-7.3%

D A N GC EM

648.1

0.5%

2.20

-6.4%

M TNN

484.2

0.4% -0.7%

B ER GER NB ST ER LN B A N K T R A N SC OR P OKOM UOIL

P ric e C hg %

1.09

-4.4%

Z EN IT H B A N K

464.8

64.00

-3.9%

WA P C O

236.8

2.1%

1.40

-3.4%

A C C ESS

210.2

0.8%

C UT IX NP FM CRFB K

1.16

-3.3%

FB NH

193.1

-2.2%

UA C -P R OP

1.50

-3.2%

OKOM UOIL

129.8

-3.9%

FB NH

6.65

-2.2%

GUIN N ESS

125.3

0.2%

Asset Management

Investment Research

Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Ola Belgore | obelgore@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Oluwarotimi Ashimi | oashimi@afrinvest.com

Adedayo Bakare | abakare@afrinvest.com

Brokerage

8.3% 11.7%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s P ric e C hg %

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

16.3%

1,400.00

P ric e

BERGER (-ϵ͘ϴйͿ ĂŶĚ NIGERIAN BREWERIES (-ϳ͘ϯйͿ were the

P/E

0.43%

T ic k er

BOCGAS ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ ĂŶĚ INTBREW ;нϵ͘ϲйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ FORTE (-ϵ͘ϵйͿ͕

ROA

30.80

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬ

Leading the gainers yesterday were CCNN ;нϭϬ͘ϬйͿ͕

ROE

1,301.63

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

LJĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ ǁŝƚŚ Ϯϲ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐŝŶŐ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϭϴ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘

Price Change Index to Date

1 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

20 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

ƵůůŝƐŚ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĐƌŽƐƐ ^ĞĐƚŽƌƐ

Price Previous Current Change Price Weightin YTD Change g

45

FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

C & I Leasing, OCS Services Partner to Maintain Offshore Assets Goddy Egene Shareholders of C & I Leasing Plc should expect improved performance and higher dividend going forward as the leading leasing firm has entered a joint venture partnership with OCS Services DMCC (OCS) India. The joint venture, which will operate in Nigeria under the brand name

OCS Integrated Services Nigeria Limited (OCSISNL), has been set up to operate and maintain offshore assets with emphasis on floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units used by the offshore oil and gas industry for the production and processing of hydrocarbon and storage of oil.

The brand was officially unveiled yesterday in Lagos at

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

a ceremony attended by investors, patrons and regulators of the oil and gas sector among other stakeholders.

Commenting, Managing Director/CEO of C &I Leasing Plc, Mr. Andrew Otike-Odibi said: “This joint venture is expected to offer excellent, differentiated service to businesses in the Nigerian oil and gas sector by leveraging

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 26Jun-2019, unless otherwise stated.

on the cumulative decades of experience and expertise from both organizations providing offshore support in Africa and Asia along the lines of business process outsourcing, personnel management, offshore vessel operation and maintenance.”

According to him, the joint venture is also committed to impacting the sector by identifying

and nurturing talent in the sector and creatingprospects for more jobs and skill development opportunities for interested young Nigerians.

Also speaking, the Senior Vice President, Operation and Maintenance, Sangram Dhotealso said that OCSISNL intends to introduce a collaborative growth agenda to the Nigerian offshore

business environment.

He said the joint venture has remarkable potential to provide a win for all stakeholders and the merits of the partnership are undeniable. He further stated that OCSISNL will provide a perfect mix of technical expertise, operational efficiency, local understanding and quality service delivery.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 145.84 148.07 -7.22% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 8.11% Nigeria International Debt Fund 278.19 278.19 1.82% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.88 0.89 4.50% ACAP Income Funds 0.77 0.77 34.54% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.28% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.33 2.35 4.65% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 15.16 15.62 -8.60% ARM Discovery Fund 340.74 351.02 -4.46% ARM Ethical Fund 28.68 29.54 1.56% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.19% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 95.32 95.99 -5.80% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.76% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.83 1.83 13.49% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.66% Paramount Equity Fund 11.98 12.09 1.48% Women's Investment Fund 105.96 106.70 2.36% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.98% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 98.91 99.37 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 98.87 99.18 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,201.85 1,202.70 7.59% FBN Heritage Fund 142.49 143.41 -0.20% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.86% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 117.07 117.52 5.97% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 117.02 117.47 6.19% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 133.82 135.69 -10.79% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.28% Legacy Debt Fund 3.44 3.44 6.00% Legacy Equity Fund 1.11 1.13 -8.68% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.05 1.05 2.35% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,035.11 3,064.02 1.67% Coral Income Fund 2,925.54 2,925.54 6.78% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.85% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 108.74 109.30 1.07% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A

INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.51% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.15 2.17 0.06% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.87% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 131.92 132.01 5.56% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.21 1.23 5.40% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,115.42 1,115.42 6.77% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 10.73 10.82 -6.73% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.08% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.28 1.31 4.51% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.60 11.68 4.19% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.82% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 125.13 125.87 3.71% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.03 1.03 6.93% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,358.99 2,371.24 1.91% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 202.89 202.89 6.71% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.89 0.90 -5.79% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 257.78 257.88 6.33% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 152.79 154.50 -6.34% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.88% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,898.78 7,991.71 -6.96% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.12 1.12 2.96% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.20 1.21 0.62% United Capital Bond Fund 1.72 1.72 7.80% United Capital Equity Fund 0.71 0.73 0.70% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.25% United Capital Eurobond Fund 111.38 111.38 3.84% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.14 3.72% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 10.53 10.70 0.16% Zenith Ethical Fund Zenith Income Fund Zenith Money Market Fund

11.29 22.12 1.00

11.44 22.12 1.00

-5.16% 14.66% 12.25%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 121.56 52.50

-44.85% 3.25% 1.47%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.61 97.52 81.37

9.71 99.55 82.84

-8.89% -16.88% -8.25%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.56 6.03 13.08 10.55 143.37

3.60 6.11 13.18 10.75 145.37

-10.84% -20.74% -10.68% -14.57% 8.88%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

111.37

17.40%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

46

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNA TIONAL

Terror Threat Still High in EU Countries, Says Police Report The threat from terrorism especially from radical Islamists is still high in countries of the European Union (EU), a report from the police agency, Europol

said on Thursday.

The report said that although there had been less attacks in 2018 than last year, more attempts by jihadist groups have been

UN Urges 48 Countries to Scrap Remaining HIV Travel Curbs UN agencies on Thursday demanded that the 48 countries that still restrict travel for people living with HIV should lift the policies.

“HIV-related travel restrictions fuel exclusion and intolerance by fostering the dangerous and false idea that people on the move spread disease,’’ said Mandeep Dhaliwal, an official with the UN Development Programme.

Out of the 48 countries – which include Australia, Egypt, the Maldives and Indonesia – most ban entry or residence based on someone’s HIV status.

In 19 countries, foreigners who carry the immune deficiency virus can be deported.

“Travel restrictions on

the basis of HIV status violate human rights,’’ said Gunilla Carlsson, who heads UNAIDS, the UN agency that fights HIV and AIDS. Most of the countries that still have such measures in place are in the Middle East and North Africa, but travel restrictions can also be found in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South-East Asia, the Pacific region and the Caribbean.

Dozens of antiretroviral medicines have been developed to treat HIV since the virus was discovered in 1981.

The UN is trying to extend access to antiretroviral therapy, which combats the virus and vastly reduces the risk of transmission.

disrupted than the year before, the report added.

Terrorist attacks killed 13 people in the EU in 2018 and all the perpetrators were jihadist, Europol said.

The increase in the arrest of right-wing extremists in the EU from 20 in 2017 to

miners there were illegal’’ adding that a search for bodies was ongoing.

Congo is rich in minerals like copper and cobalt and accidents in mines are not uncommon.

Copper is a chemical element that is soft and malleable with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.

President of the UN General Assembly (PGA), Ms Maria Espinosa, has called for strong multilateral actions against human trafficking.

Speaking at a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, Espinosa said although human trafficking was a major crime, its impact was either forgotten or downplayed.

She urged UN member states to implement the Global Combat on Migration with emphasis on prevention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the PGA was reacting to the drowning of a man and his baby daughter in a river at the Mexico-U.S. border on Wednesday.

The El Salvadoran man, identified as Oscar Alberto

Copper is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, as a building material, and as a constituent of various metal alloys, such as sterling silver used in jewelry.

It is also used in cupronickel to make marine hardware, coins, constantan used in strain gauges and thermocouples for temperature measurement.

UK Discovers £26bn in Statistics Review Britain’s economy is around 1.3 per cent larger than previously thought a gain of 26.0 billion pounds statisticians said on Thursday after a major revision of growth data from the past 20 years.

Britain is the world’s fifth largest economy, with annual economic output worth 2.8 trillion dollars last year according to figures published by the

International Monetary Fund in April.

New analysis by Britain’s Office for National Statistics shows that average annual gross domestic product growth between 1997 and 2016 was about 0.1 percentage points higher than previously estimated at 2.1 per cent.

However, the figures do not change the broader picture of a marked

slowdown in growth since the 2008 global financial crisis. This was capture only a few months of the period after the Brexit referendum in June 2016 which has weighed on the economy.

Moreover, growth since 2008 appears to have been even more reliant on domestic consumption rather than investment,something which was already a concern for British policymakers.

Martinez, and his daughter, Angie Valeria, drowned while trying to cross from Mexico into the US Photos of their bodies were found face down in shallow water with the head of the 23-month-old girl tucked into his father’s shirt and her arm around his neck, have sparked global outrage.

“To be honest with you, when I saw that, I was almost in tears because this can not be happening.

“We cannot have more people die because they decide to migrate to another country, and that is precisely why member states came together and crafted the Global Combat on Migration.

“That is why we have a very strong international framework on human rights. I think all these painful tragedies cry for very strong responses.

“The other big lesson of the terrible disaster yesterday is that we need to fight human trafficking, which is a major crime.

“Sometimes we tend to

Ethiopian police arrested 56 members of Amhara political party following failed attempt to seize power in the province,the party’s spokesman, Christian Tadele, said.

Spokesman for the National Movement of Amhara said the arrests took place in the national capital Addis Ababa.

This, he said, had become increasingly popular among the ethnic group that comprises around a quarter of Ethiopia’s population since its founding in 2018.

President taken to hospital a police station.

Citizens of the Tunisian capital were stricken by panic as the city centre was ravaged by the two suicide blasts that occurred within less than an hour of each other.

A video posted on Twitter shows the aftermath of one of the blasts in downtown

Tunis.

People were seen escaping the area as it was scoured by armed police officers arriving at the scene.

The footage shows rocks and debris lying on the ground.

The camera then closes up on what appears to be blood

forget or downplay what human trafficking does,” she Espinosa said.

According to her, human trafficking creates more than four billion dollars every year for the criminals who “nurture illegal networks of human trafficking”.

She also called on nations, regional bodies and the United Nations to tackle the root causes of migration which she identified as inequality, poverty and lack of opportunities for young families.

On his part, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the tragedy underscored the “desperation faced by so many individuals and families as they go about searching for better life”.

“It should be another reminder that the flow of refugees and migrants must be managed by countries of destination, countries of transit and countries of origin.

“Above all, it should be handled with respect for human rights and human dignity,” the UN Chief said through his spokesman, Mr Stéphane Dujarric.

Ethiopian Police Arrest 56 Members of Amhara Political Party

Panic Grips Tunis after Blasts Target Police Car, Embassy Tunis, the Tunisian capital was rocked by two suicide blasts on Thursday, killing one police officer and leaving several people injured.

The first suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near a police car in the vicinity of the French embassy, while the other blew himself up near

of which 24 failed or were foiled – a decrease from 205 attacks in 2017.

Separatists or ethnonationalists alone carried out or attempted 83 attacks last year making them the biggest group of perpetrators, the report said.

UNGA President Seeks Tough Actions against Human Trafficking

36 Illegal Miners Dead in Congo Copper Mine Collapse Authorities in Congo told dpa on Thursday that 36 illegal miners have died in a collapse at a copper mine in south-east Congo.

Governor of Lualaba, Richard Muyej, where the accident at the Kamoto Copper Company took place confirmed that “the current death toll is 36 miners’’.

Muyej said that the “the

44 last year “indicates that extremists of diverging orientation increasingly consider violence as a justified means of confrontation,” the report added.

EU member states reported 129 terrorist attacks in 2018,

splattered on the sidewalk and curbs.

Meanwhile, President, Beji Caid Essebsi, was yesterday brought to a military hospital after suffering a “severe health crisis.”

Further details were immediately available on Essebsi, who is 92 years old.

The party emerged as a rival to an Amhara party in the ruling EPRDF coalition.

It condemned the violence that took place in the region and denied any link to an attempt to seize power there.

The police and prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Last Saturday, gunmen shot dead two top military officials in Addis Ababa and three top regional officials in Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara region, in what the government called a failed regional coup.

Dozens of other people were killed in Bahir Dar in fighting that followed when militia attacked the regional police headquarters, ruling party headquarters and regional president’s office.

The government accused the region’s security chief, Gen. Asamnew Tsige, an Amhara ethnic nationalist, of trying to seize power in the region and was killed by government forces on Monday.

47

˾ FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Can Man Ever Be Rich? – 1 Spahic Omer/IslamiCity

Once while describing an aspect of man’s fundamental nature, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that the son of Adam becomes old with senility, but yet two things remain with him intact: greed and hope (Sahih al-Bukhari).

The Prophet (pbuh) also taught that when the latter two become unrestrained, taking over a person’s total being, he with his actions and decision making, in turn, becomes uncontrollable.

He stops at nothing in order to try to satisfy his raging impulses. No action, or word, that comes from such a person should be seen as a surprise.

The Prophet (pbuh) thus said that if the son of Adam possessed two valleys of gold, he would long for a third one; “and nothing would fill (satiate) the stomach – or the mouth -- of the son of Adam but dust (that is, after he dies)” (Sahih Muslim).

Man can easily become a world of paradoxes.

Under the pressure of his recurring misjudgments, his inborn disposition and a myriad of external factors and forces, man can easily give in to the advances of his perennial anxieties, unfounded optimism and profligacy, relegating the transcendent power of his reason (intellect or ‘aql), as well as his primordial nature (instinct or fitrah), to the backseat. One moment he can think and act like an angel; the next he can be like a devil.

The similar thing Satan (Iblis) had in mind when he plotted to deceive Adam and his wife Eve (Hawa) and drive them out from the Garden of Eden. He whispered to them, coaxing them: “Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?” (Ta Ha, 120).

Also: “Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest you should become angels or such beings as live forever (immortals)” (al-A’raf, 20).

Why is man intrinsically unsatisfied and greedy, and is that a bad thing in itself?

Man has been created for the splendid purpose of vicegerency (khilafah) on earth. As the pinnacle of Almighty God’s act of creation -- whom God had created and fashioned with His Own Hands (Sad, 75) and in His Own Image (Sahih Muslim) – man signifies both the essence of the creation phenomenon and its microcosm, as much physically as metaphysically.

Man exists in order to recognize the truth, embrace it and live it in every undertaking of his.

This could be interpreted as being equivalent to knowledge, in which case man would have been created to know; or to productivity, in which case man would have been created to work and be productive as well as beneficial to himself and his animate and inanimate surroundings, generating cultures and civilizations in the process; or to moral integrity, in which case man would have been created in order to possess an internally consistent framework of values and principles that would ensure moral consistency in the external world of actions, decisions, methods, measures and codes.

Almighty God terms this as follows: “I have only created jinns and men that they may serve (worship) Me” (al-Dhariyat, 56). This implies, firstly, man’s cognition of the existence of his Creator and Master, and, secondly, man’s conforming of his existence to whatever he may perceive of the divine Will and Plan.

That also means that each creature is given the chance of development and progress towards the Goal, which is Allah. “Allah is the source and center of all power and all goodness, and our progress depends upon our putting ourselves into accord with His Will. This is His service. It is not of any benefit to Him; it is for our own benefit” (Abdullah Yusuf Ali).

Moreover, every living reality in the heavens and on the earth has been subjected to man and his noble existential mission. Everything partially exists only due to the existence of man, serving him and facilitating the fulfilment of his extraordinary assignments.

Consequently, God has conferred dignity on man, honoring him greatly and favoring him far above the rest of creation (al-Isra’, 70).

Man -- both the believer and nonbeliever -- easily comprehends his superior status and position, and what he has gotten. He swiftly develops a deep affection for the favors and possessions.

Seeing how perfectly meaningful and beneficial they are for his subsistence, man naturally starts craving for as much of those gifts, kindnesses and provisions as possible.

In addition, seeing that he is entirely dependent on them and that no segment of his physical, intellectual and spiritual life could be extricated from and lived in isolation from the matrix of those benefits, provisions and gifts, just a thought of losing any of them, or of being unable to fully delight in them, fills man with dread.

That is why man is most terrified of the notions of death and the permanent loss of any of the granted benefits. Though death, as the destroyer of all pleasures and dreams, is unavoidable, man

will never stop fantasizing about an immortal world. As an illustration of one of the biggest paradoxes in man, man will even try to undertake some vain steps towards the actualization of such an imaginary world.

However, those feelings are natural and fully consistent with the inherent nature of man. In principle, there is nothing wrong with them. Man has been tested thereby, and the problem is not the test itself, but how man copes with it and performs. The question is how man prioritizes his yearnings and needs, and how he adjusts them to his life undertakings.

It is completely ordinary that man wants to possess as much as possible, and that he wants neither his possessions, nor himself, to perish or “die”. However, death is as real and undeniable as man’s fear of it and his pining for immortality.

That there is no way for any sort of reconciliation between the two extremes would be unfair. There must be a way out for man to satisfy his cravings.

But what is it, and what is actually meant by being rich, wanting more, wishing for immortality, etc.?

Man is a dual being, consisting of a physical and spiritual dimension. The two are to be integrated in such a way that the latter is to be regarded as a goal and the former a means. Furthermore, the latter’s existence is at once real and ultimate, whereas the former’s is conditional and relative, existing only because of the existence of the soul and serving as its carrier.

The soul, it follows, is to be of a primary, and the body of a secondary, concern to man. The body and its requisites are to always play second fiddle to the soul and its own requisites. The soul is eternal, while the body perishes.

Thus, man’s inborn and everlasting insatiability and hopes are to be directed towards that which is also everlasting, absolute and innately appealing to the former, that is, the absolute truth and everything that goes with it. Only then will man truly feel happy and satisfied, because the two are meant for each other.

The solution is that man turns his full attention to the real and permanent truth inside and around himself, cultivating it and reaping its benefits for the good of this world and the Hereafter, leaving the perishable to the perishable to perish, lest he gets contaminated with its unfavorable repercussions and effects. Man should avail himself of the impermanent only as much as necessary for the attainment of the permanent.

It is grievously wrong that man makes relative, material and so, transitory things and experiences the target of his intrinsic and perennial “greed”.

The two will never be compatible, as they are worlds apart in terms of their respective meanings, scopes and operations. Amassing and enjoying only material things will never make man truly happy and satisfied, since such a life pattern goes against the fundamental spiritual and moral laws of existence. The benefits generated thereby are nothing but illusory, temporary and superficial in character. Such a prospect by no means will appeal to an enlightened, guided and spiritually charged individual.

Thus, a greedy person with materialistic tendencies will never acquire a quantity of possessions and things which will make him feel he has enough and is genuinely rich. He will be obsessed with numbers, whereas being rich and satisfied is never about numbers, or statistics. He will be preoccupied with exteriors, forms and sheer means, whereas being rich and happy is all about the soul, and to some extent, the mind. Being rich is a state of the soul and mind. A person is rich if he feels thus, and another is poor if he feels like so.

Accordingly, the Prophet (pbuh) once explained that whoever makes this world, rather than the Hereafter, his most important matter, God will confound his affairs and make poverty appear before his eyes (Sunan Ibn Majah), so wherever he wants to look and whatever he wants to see, he will see only poverty. Poverty will become his greatest fear and the actual condition of his mind and soul. But whoever makes the Hereafter his most important matter, the Prophet (pbuh) continued: “Allah will settle his affairs and make him content in his heart and the world will come to him although he does not want it.”

Similarly, a Companion Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said to him: “O Abu Dharr, do you say an abundance of possessions is wealth?” I said: “Yes”. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Do you say a lack of possessions is poverty?”

I said: “Yes”. The Prophet (pbuh) repeated this three times, then he said: “Wealth is in the heart and poverty is in the heart. Whoever is wealthy in his heart will not be harmed no matter what happens in the world. Whoever is impoverished in his heart will not be satisfied no matter how much he has in the world. Verily, he will only be harmed by the greed of his own soul” (al-Tabarani; Hadith is Sahih according to al-Albani).

To Be Continued

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

48

NEWSEXTRA

Buhari: FG to Begin Payment of New Minimum Wage Soon Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has assured public servants that the implementation of the new national minimum wage would

commence soon.

He also advised state governments and employers in the private sector to work towards providing a living wage for their workers

Money Laundering: EFCC Asks Banks to Reject Payment Instruction from NDDC Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has directed commercial banks not to honour any payment instruction from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The directive was predicated on an ongoing investigation by the agency that unraveled diversion of funds from a domiciled account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to commercial banks.

This is coming as the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has decried the surge in the digital currency-related crimes in the country, saying the commission was inundated with petitions from victims.

A copy of a letter obtained

by THISDAY and addressed to the Managing Director, WEMA Bank Plc, showed that EFCC was investigating a case of fraud, diversion of funds and money laundering by the Professor Nelson Brambaifa-led NDDC. It said preliminary investigation showed that funds from the NDDC account domiciled in the CBN were being diverted to commercial banks.

In view of the development, the EFCC asked commercial banks to reject payment instruction from NDDC to corporate bodies with accounts in commercial banks.

In the letter dated June 10, 2019 entitled: Investigation

Activities: Re: Payment of Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC”, the agency said it was “investigating a case of fraud, diversion of funds and money laundering in which the above-named agency (NDDC) featured”.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that funds are being diverted from the above account domiciled in the CBN to commercial banks.

“In view of the above, you are requested to henceforth, reject any payments instruction from the accounts of the Niger Delta Development Commission to accounts of corporate bodies domiciled in your bank until further notice to forestall further diversion of the funds.”

“This request is made pursuant to Section 38 & 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and section 21 & 6 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, (as amended) 2011,” said the letter signed by the Lagos Zonal Head of the EFFC, Aminu Ado Aliyu.

When contacted, EFCC Spokesman, Tony Orilade, confirmed the authenticity of the document. He said the document emanated from EFCC. Meanwhile, Magu, has described as worrisome the surge in the digital currency-related crimes in the country, saying the commission was inundated with petitions from victims.

President Buhari who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha at the 11th triennial delegates’ conference of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), said as a result of several reforms embarked upon by the government, the Nigerian economy is expected to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2019.

He asked state government and the private sector to implement the minimum wage as a way of encouraging workers to contribute to the development of the country, adding that his government will continue to pay particular attention to the welfare of workers.

While expressing concern over the level of insecurity in the country, the president said that the government was working hard to defeat all forms of insecurity in the country, including terrorism, kidnapping as well as farmers/ herders clashes.

Buhari, who added that the security challenges in the country is not insurmountable, also assured that his government remains committed to making Nigeria a better place.

He further disclosed that the government was “mapping out policy measures and laws that will help to maintain our unity and at the same time lift the bulk of our people out of poverty and on the road to

prosperity.

“The security challenges we are currently facing are not unsurmountable. I can report that we are meeting these challenges with much greater support to the security forces in terms of funding equipment and improved local intelligence.

“We are meeting these challenges with superior strategy, firepower and resolve.

I can assure you that we will win the war against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and farmers-headers clashes,” he said.

He noted that since he took over the mantle of leadership in the country, he has been working to build a solid foundation for the country

“These efforts have begun to yield results. The economy is making a steady progress and our GDP is expected to grow by 2.7 per cent the year. Our external reserves have risen to $45 billion and can finance a number of our foreign commitments.

“With the steps taken to integrate rural economies to the national grid, provide credits and inputs to rural farmers and micro-businesses as well as providing the enabling environment for business in Nigeria, our people will be liberated from the shackles of poverty. We will try to create 10 million jobs yearly to continue to boost our economy and make life better for our people.

BUSINESS ON THEIR MINDS…

L-R: Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Dr. Marc Lucassen; Deputy Consulate General, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos, Mrs Alexandra Herr; Consul General, Consulate General of Switzerland, Lagos, Yves Nicolet; and Commercial Counsellor, Austrian Embassy in Nigeria, Hannes Scheiner, at the Austrian-Germany-Swiss Business Outlook 2019 press conference in Lagos …yesterday ETOP UKUTT

Jonathan: Why Govs Fight their Political Godfathers

PDP Berates INEC Chairman over Alleged False Claims

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday berated the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for claiming that INEC is the most improved service institution in the country, when in reality, it has become the most debased, degraded and corrupted institution, particularly with the rigging of the 2019 presidential election.

The PDP, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologondiyan said for making such reckless claims at a time Nigerians and the international community are

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has for the first time since the official opening of the Bayelsa State Government House at Onopa, Yenagoa, attended an event at the edifice inaugurated by former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, two years ago.

Speaking during a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) event to pick members of the Elders Advisory Council, the former president argued that governors were always afraid of not being allowed a second term by their godfathers.

According to Jonathan, immediately governors are elected, they start building their own teams, independent of their political benefactors, so as to consolidate and guarantee themselves a second term, which usually sets them against their godfathers.

He explained that it was part of the reason immediately he went to Abuja as vice president, he wrote a memo on the idea of an elders’ advisory council which could help douse such unwarranted

tensions between governors and those who supported them in their careers.

Jonathan added that part of his reasoning was that the PDP as a party should also be able to establish a minimum benchmark for the return of governors for their second term, to reduce needless acrimony generated in many states.

He said: “When I went to Abuja as Vice President, I sent a memo that most of our problems we have at the state level is because there are a conflicts, but that in most cases, there are no people with authority to resolve the conflicts. So, it is good that we have a mini BoT at the state level.

“I have said that there is bound to be friction between governors and people at the centre, for the simple reason that the governors always feel that the godfather will not like to give them a second term.

“So, immediately they become governors, they start consolidating on their own and push the other people to the receiving end.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

in huge disappointment over the irregularities, violation of rules, alteration of results and outright rigging that characterised the last elections, Yakubu has further confirmed that the commission under his watch is decadent and compromised.

“It is indeed outrageous that while Nigerians are hurting over the subversion of their mandate, the INEC chairman, who ought to be apologising is rather insulting their sensibilities with his provocative claims.

“Prof. Yakubu cannot claim that INEC under his watch is the most improved service institution when all indices show that it performed far below the bar in the 2019 elections.

“How can anyone in good conscience make such spurious claims when the massive irregularities that defaced the 2019 elections is responsible for the unprecedented 766 election petitions across the country as against 297 petitions filed in the 2015 elections?

“It is indeed an unpardonable affront on the sensibility of Nigerians for Prof. Yakubu to claim that this INEC that has become notorious for compromised voters register, missing ballot papers, alteration of results and inconclusive elections, is the most improved service institution in the country”, the statement said.

According to the PDP, “is it

not completely preposterous for Prof. Yakubu to claim that INEC is the only agency which has offices in all LGAs and whose staff work exceptionally hard when there are many more agencies with offices in all the LGAs that engage in very tedious national assignments, even with far less allocation than INEC. “What would the INEC Chairman say about an agency like the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which has offices in all the LGAs and yearly mobilises thousands of corps members across the country yet without incidences of inconclusive mobilisation or missing service materials?

Shell, Communities Resolve Dispute over OML 25 Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Stakeholder communities of Oil Mining License (OML) 25 in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) have agreed on the procedures for the reopening of the oil facility.

The stakeholders communities and Shell have also agreed

to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) next Monday to be facilitated by the Rivers State Government on their respective responsibilities in the final resolution of the conflict.

This was the outcome of the meeting yesterday between Stakeholder Communities of OML 25, SPDC, Service Commanders and officials of the state government on the

directive of the state Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Representative of the Rivers State governor and Secretary of the Rivers State Government (SSG), Dr. Tammy Danagogo, directed the Solicitor-General of the state to draft a memorandum of understanding on the premise of the resolutions reached at the meeting. He said the MOU

would be signed on Monday.

Danagogo outlined the four key resolutions reached during the crucial meeting on the re-opening of OML 25.

He said: “SPDC should pay the agreed funds into an account. The Permanent Secretary of the Community Affairs has been mandated to ensure that the funds are transferred to the communities.”

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

49

NEWSEXTRA

FG Moves to Cut off Enugu Disco, Two Others from National Grid Our services will not be disrupted, Ikeja Electric assures customers Ejiofor Alike The federal government has ordered the disconnection of three electricity distribution companies from the national grid over “non-compliance with

the conditions of market rules”.

The Discos were alleged to be owing the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) N231 billion energy service debt.

In notices issued by the Market Operator (MO), an

Gunmen Kill One, Kidnap Bank Manager in Yola Daji Sani in Yola Gunmen yesterday killed an unknown tricycle operator who raised the alarm while they (gunmen) were trying to kidnap a bank manager in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

An eyewitness said the gunmen were on the trail of the bank manager working with Bank of Agriculture, Yola branch, Ahmed Inuwa, who visited his farm along Yola- Bole road in Yola South Local Government Area at about 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday.

“When the gunmen struck at the farm, the unknown tricycle operator tried to raise the alarm to attract people, but immediately, the gunmen shot him dead while another person sustained injury in the process,” the source disclosed.

The eyewitness noted that after killing the transporter, the gunmen went ahead to abduct the bank manager at gunpoint.

A family source told THISDAY that the abductors have demanded N5 million ransom on the bank manager

who doubles as the head of recovery of the bank.

The source said after series of negotiations, the amount was reduced to N1.5 million, adding that negotiation is still ongoing to get it reduced further.

“After the incident, the abductors called the family members and demanded N5 million ransom.

“But after series of negotiations, we were able to beat the price tag down to N1.5 million while further negotiations are still going on as family members, friends and colleagues tasked themselves to raise the money,” the source disclosed.

Confirming the incident, the Adamawa State police command spokesman, a DSP, Sulaiman Nguroje, said, the police are on the trail of the kidnappers and are putting efforts towards rescuing the kidnapped banker.

He said following the incident, the state police commissioner has sent anti-kidnap team to the area to rescue and arrest the criminals.

‘We Secured Approvals before Medical Evacuation on Benin- Ore Highway’ Chinedu Eze The company that operated the helicopter that allegedly airlifted a sick patient at the Benin-Ore highway last weekend said it secured approvals from relevant regulatory agencies before embarking on the evacuation service.

The company, Tropical Arctic Logistics Limited (TAL), said the chopper was chartered for a medical evacuation operation, and that that was not the first time it had engaged in such service.

This was disclosed by the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Femi Adeniji, when he addressed journalists in Lagos yesterday.

Adeniji said the company received approval from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which endorsed the clearance for the flight, stressing that it did not breach any aviation regulation in its bid to conduct life-saving operations in collaboration with Flying Doctors.

The COO said the company was yet to receive any queries or communication from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) concerning the flight.

Adeniji also explained that the company was surprised at the undue outrage over the

incident, noting that what was a normal operation has gained global attention to the company.

He also denied that the operating helicopter was never involved in any scheduled flight diversion as alleged.

“We wish to state that our mission for that flight was to save a life. We immediately swung into action and rushed to the site in record time to pick the individual who is currently recuperating in the hospital. We are a licenced logistics company which carries out medical evacuation operations, and was engaged to airlift an individual who suffered a serious health challenge while caught in traffic and needed emergency evacuation on the day in question.

“The Benin-Ore road evacuation was conducted in close collaboration with security agencies, the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Police, which worked assiduously in trying to clear the gridlock caused by the on-going road construction.

They directed us to a clear portion of the road where the operation was handled free from any incident,” Adeniji explained.

NCAA had last Monday said it would investigate the operation of TAL concerning the airlifting of the patient.

arm of the TCN, a directive was given for the suspension of Eko, Enugu and Ikeja distribution companies for failing to renew their security cover.

Security cover is a deposit established to serve as a form of guarantee of payment for all amounts due from the DisCos to the market operator for energy received.

The Discos were reportedly given the room to address the situation but they were said to have refused to respond within the stipulated time.

“The restriction of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company intake from the grid through a Disconnection Order to the Transmission Service Provider to disconnect some

facilities of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company until the Event of Default stated in NIISO/2019/003 is remedied,” the notice to Ikeja Disco read.

The market operator enforcement panel (MOEP) recommended the suspension of Enugu DisCo having defaulted in payment and not addressing the issue within the stipulated time.

“That Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) is under suspension through Market Operator issued Order TCN/ISO/MO/002,” the notice read.

“That Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has been suspended from the Market Operator Administered

Market due to an event of default that was not remedied.

A directive was also given for the suspension of Eko Electricity Distribution Company on similar grounds.

Meanwhile Ikeja Electric, through its spokesman, Mr. Felix Ofulue, yesterday stated that the company had provided security cover to the market operator.

“However, the MO by its letter datedJune 13, 2019 and received on Friday, June 21, 2019 advised IE to increase the value of the Security Cover within two business days. In view of the very short notice period, Ikeja Electric submitted a duly acknowledged letter to the MO on Tuesday, June 25,

2019 seeking for extension of time to submit the Bank Guarantee to provide sufficient time for its bankers to process the requests through the bank’s credit committees and other relevant approvals procedures.

We are therefore at a loss at the MO’s order, signed on June 26, 2019 and published today.

Notwithstanding the above, IE assures all its customers and other stakeholders that everything will be done to ensure that there is no deliberate disruption to services.

“We will continue to engage the Market Operator - who plays a critical role in stabilising the Market and the Sector - to resolve the issues raised in the publication.”

REWARD FOR EXCELLENCE…

L-R: Founder, Bridge House College, Ikoyi, Mr. Austin Okere; Chairman, Board of Trustees, WIMBIZ, Mrs. Funmi Roberts; Chairman, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu; Executive Director, Bridge House College, Ikoyi, Mrs. Foluke AbdulRazaq; College Ambassador, Ayodele Oluwatimilehin; and Senator Kahirat Gwadabe, during the 15th annual lecture and prize giving day of the School in Lagos... yesterday KOLA OLASUPO

Mid-West Group Opposes Ruga Settlement for Fulani Herdsmen Emmanuel Otaru As opposition by different groups and leaders of thought in the country against the federal government plan to establish Ruga settlement for Fulani herdsmen across the country gathers momentum, another ethnic group, the Mid-West Movement, has joined the strident call on the government to have a rethink in the interest of peace and unity of the country.

In a statement by the group, made up of pan-Edo/Delta

(Bendel) sons and daughters, the group said: “Our attention has been drawn to the renewed plot by the federal government to forcefully or tacitly annex swaths of lands in a bid to settle Fulani herders in the Ruga settlements”, adding that “the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Umar, has reiterated this untoward plan.”

According to them, “The Mid-west Movement totally and unequivocally rejects this brazen 21st century ‘colonisation’ in its

entirety. We call on the federal government to immediately rescind its planned veiled colonisation of our peoples, as we enjoin the governments of our home states of Edo and Delta to reject same in clear and unequivocal terms.

“While not opposing the desire of the federal government to settle nomadic herdsmen and any other such groups whatsoever, this should be done in areas and lands that are native to such groups.

The planned aggregation in whatever guise of the lands

of the 12 ethnic nationalities of the Mid-West region of Nigeria, without recourse to consultation with the traditional rulers and bonafide owners of the lands is akin to an invasion.

“As peace loving people and firm believers in one Nigeria where peace, justice and equity reign, the Mid-West/ Bendel peoples of Edo and Delta States firmly advise the federal government against the perpetuation of any policy that may impact negatively on the already strained national unity.”

Gbenga Daniel Mourns Oba Haroun Olaoye Abass A former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as described the late Bejeroku of Oke Agbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state, His Royal Highness, Oba Haroun Olaoye Abass, as a visionary traditional ruler whose reign was marked by tremendous development

within his domain and its environs.

In a statement issued yesterday on the transition of the nonagenarian monarch by Daniel’s Media Officer, Ayo Giwa, the former governor said Oba Abass was an exceptional leader and a socialite who held executive posts in both private

and public sectors before his ascendance on the throne in 1992.

“His foresight and progressive ideas stood him out among his contemporaries earning him great respect from his subjects. He was a loveable personality who will be greatly missed by his people and the

entire Ijebuland,” the former governor stated.

The former governor commiserated with the royal family and the good people of Oke Agbo, Ijebu Igbo as he prayed Almighty Allah to grant him peaceful rest and strengthen those who shared in the grief.

50

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

DSS: We are Guided by Tenets of Democracy, Committed to National Security Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, said yesterday that the agency was guided in its activities by the tenets of democracy and committed to national security imperatives.

The DG, who spoke in Abuja, also commended President Mohammadu Buhari for ascenting to the National Institute for Security Studies Establishment Act, 2019, saying the act would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the security agency.

He said DSS as an institution was guided by the tenets

of democratic rule and the provisions of the Constitution.

Bichi said the agency was committed to its core mandate of detection and prevention of crime saying the security situation in the country would have been worse were it not for its proactive approach to threats to national security.

“Our core mandate is to detect and prevent crime. Are we achieving that? Yes. The security situation could have been worse. The dynamics of threat continue to change, the approaches continue to change.

Crisis and conflict are not peculiar to Nigeria. They are everywhere.

“We are continually preventing, we are continually detecting.

We are working with sister agencies, law enforcement agencies to ensure that citizens pursue their legitimate duties and do businesses without let or hindrance. We are committed and re-dedicated to national security that provides us peace and an enabling environment that provides us a conducive environment for the pursuit of our ambition,” Bichi, who spoke through the Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, said.

He said: “we work to strike a balance between the functionality of a state and security and freedom of the citizens. We are guided in all of these by the tenets of democracy and the provisions of the constitution.

Ugwuanyi Restates Commitment to Quality Education Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has reiterated his administration’s commitment towards raising the standard of education in the state through recruitment of more qualified teachers, construction, renovation and equipping of schools.

Ugwuanyi, who spoke during the inauguration of solar energy supply system sponsored by Dr. Theodora Kay-Njemanze in collaboration with Queen’s School Enugu Alumni, North East Chapter, United States of America (USA), added that

his administration’s renewed commitment was demonstrated by the renovation and re-equipping of facilities in the school and over 500 schools in the state.

The governor commended the old girls of Queen’s School Enugu for contributing to the enhancement of quality and welfare of their alma mater, calling on other well-meaning citizens to emulate the initiative and play their part in ensuring the transformation and development of their society, the state and the country as a whole.

“As a state government, we are committed to raising standards and quality of education. We have demonstrated this by renovating and re-equipping facilities here in Queen’s Secondary School and over 500 schools in Enugu State,” he said.

Ugwuanyi reassured that his administration will continue to provide a conducive learning environment and render its support to associations, which have given back to the society, such as the Queen’s School Enugu Alumni North East chapter, USA.

“The function of government is to ensure the welfare and security of citizens and the fundamental objective principles of state policy.

We know for instance that the DSS will support the state to be alive to function just as we know that we have to protect the citizens to be alive to discharge their responsibilities”, he said.

He commended President Buhari for ascenting to the NISS Act which he said would empower the agency to discharge its duties effectively in terms of training and retraining of personnel.

“The role of the DG Yusuf Magagi Bichi in the getting the bill to become a reality is commendable. He pursued it. He just came in September last year and he said no, let us reintroduce the bill and between the time he came and now, the bill was passed and now the president has ascented to it.

“The DG should be commended. He is a game changer in the national security management. It is a value adition to the national security achitecture”, Afunaya said.

The NISS Act 2019 signed

into law by President Buhari recently is “Än Act to provide for establishment of the National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja for the administration and management of the Institute and determining the standard of knowledge and skill to be aquired by the personnel of the institute for related matters.

Director of the NISS, Mr. Ayodele Sadique Adeleke, hailed President Buhari for ascenting to the bill saying the act would take the agency and the nation’s security architecture to the next level.

Makinde Harps on Yoruba Unity Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, has said that the Yoruba people must remain united if they hoped to achieve the much-desired growth in the Southwest.

The governor stated this at the public presentation of an autobiography, titled ‘Awo’, said that without unity there cannot be development.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the governor decried the security challenges in the Yoruba-speaking states and in the nation in general.

He said collaboration and exchange of ideas among the Southwest states would

enhance efforts geared towards tackling the insecurity.

He also urged the Yoruba to remain united, adding that by speaking in one voice, the forces of darkness attempting to overwhelm the region would be defeated.

Also speaking at the public presentation, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi (III), said that vices such as kidnapping, harassment from herdsmen and other criminality have enveloped Yoruba land.

He said: “What is worrisome is that most of the herdsmen perpetrating these criminal activities are

alleged to be non-Nigerians, but migrants from some West African countries.

“The Yoruba are proud of their harmonious relationship with indigenous Fulani.”

The monarch also stated that the solution to the current security challenges lay in the restructuring of our federal system, noting that the central government was too powerful.

Also speaking at the event, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, said that the Yoruba were against the federal government’s proposed cattle ranches in the Southwestern states and other

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

51

52

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 • T H I S D AY

53

54

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 08111813083

AFCON 2019

Madagascar Defeat Burundi to Record First Tournament Victory Algeria beat Senegal to reach Last 16

Marco Ilaimaharitra’s thunderous free-kick gave Madagascar their first Africa Cup of Nations win by beating Burundi.

The former France youth international smashed his effort into the top corner after 76 minutes to maintain his side’s unbeaten record.

Carolus Andriamahitsinoro’s free-kick and thumping drive were kept out by Burundi keeper Jonathan Nahimana, as well as a header cleared off the line.

Burundi’s best chance fell to Enock Sabumukama, who struck narrowly wide.

Stoke striker Saido Berahino barely had a sniff of goal for Burundi before being subbed after 61 minutes. His side are bottom of Group B having lost both their games.

Madagascar are second in

the group with four points after this victory and a draw against Guinea. They face Nigeria, who are top with six points, in the final group game on Sunday Elsewhere, Algeria beat Senegal to clinch a place in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16.

The match was billed as a showdown between Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez, of Manchester City, and Senegal’s Liverpool forward Sadio Mane - but both players had quiet games.

Youcef Belaili blasted home the only goal of the game from the edge of box from Sofiane Feghouli’s cross.

Senegal almost equalised with the final action of the game, with Mane heading over from close range.

Africa’s highest ranked team need to beat Kenya in

their final group game to be guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.

Mane was unfortunate not to win a penalty when he was sandwiched by Adlene Guedioura and Ramy Bensebaini with 20 minutes to go. The video assistant referee system does not come in until the quarter-final stage.

The game did not live up to the hype, with Senegal not having a shot on target until the 78th minute when Youssouf Sabaly’s 20-yard shot was parried by Rais M’Bolhi and Mbaye Diagne put the rebound wide from close

range.

There was no action of note in the first half at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, with former West Ham winger Feghouli curling wide moments before setting up the only goal.

Stoke City midfielder Badou Ndiaye blazed a shot over for Senegal just after the hourmark and Mahrez, in a rare

moment of magic, lashed an effort just wide from long range.

Group C’s other game was

between Kenya and Tanzania as at press time in the same stadium. Both sides look to pick up their first points of the tournament.

One Coach, Two Teams; No Problem Multi Tasking, Says Dupuis Madagascar coach Nicolas Dupuis, is one of the few technicians at the Total Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2019 training two teams. The Frenchman combines his Madagascar job with his role as Technical Director of French fourth-tier side FC Fleury 91.

Dupuis finds himself in the same position as DR Congo’s Florent Ibengue, who doubles as head coach of local side AS Vita.

Ibengue has been combining the two roles since 2014.

For Dupuis balancing and multi-tasking has not been a problem, even with the demands that come with the two jobs.

“I think it is something great when you can share your knowledge at two different places. Balancing the two is just a matter of understanding between the different employers.

But, it is not easy, because you have to make a lot of sacrifices,” the tactician said in Egypt yesterday.

“You have to divide your time well and give attention to all the details. The two teams are very special to my heart and they are good projects I love working on,” “But for me at this time, I made it clear to Fleury and I told them that even before I joined them that my concentration will be hugely on Madagascar. We have qualified

for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time and it is my duty to ensure we prepare well and perform well at the competition,” Dupuis who has been the Barea head coach since 2017 stated.

Well you would say he has achieved massively with the two, helping Fleury finish 10th in the National League Two (French Fourth tier) while Madagascar are in the AFCON for the first time in their history.

His contract with Madagascar ends right after the AFCON after penning an extension and he says he might still be open to continuing writing the good story they have penned since he joined the Indian Ocean country.

“We have done a lot of work since I came in. We will see after we finish here. We want to do well, make history for Madagascar and I think we have a chance. I have a special bond with these players and it would be beautiful to continue this story,” the coach states.

The Frenchman gave the Islanders their first win at the tournament when they defeated fellow first timers Burundi in the Group B Day Two clash yesterday in Alexandria.

Madagascar held Guinea to a 2-2 draw in their opening clash last Saturday.

Their last group match is against the Super Eagles on Sunday.

Madagascar players celebrating their first AFCON victory over Burundi yesterday

Sunusi, Udoh to Receive Eunisell Boot Award Today Sunusi Ibrahim and Mfon Udoh will receive their Eunisell Boot Awards and N2 million each for scoring 10 Goals respectively, at 2018/19 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

Eunisell values a goal at N200,000.

Ibrahim who was first to arrive Lagos Thursday afternoon from Abuja said: “ I’m happy to be in the Centre of Excellence to receive the prestigious Eunisell Boot.

“Its a dream come through for me and reward for my

hardwork.

“I want to use this medium to thank Eunisell as they have placed value on every player in the domestic league.”

For Udoh, “I was delighted when I read online that Eunisell will reward Sunusi and I for

emerging top scorers despite the fact that I lost out on cards.

“I say a big thank you to Eunisell for the award, as there’s now a reward scoring goals.

The Eunisell Boot Award holds at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos.

CBN Tennis: Oyinlomo Quadri Upsets Top Seed Blessing Samuel Upcoming junior tennis sensation, Oyinlomo Quardri yesterday created a major upset at the on-going 41st Central Bank of Nigeria Open Senior Tennis Championship when she defeated tournament top seed, Blessing Samuel 2-0 ( 6-1, 6-1) in their quarter- final clash to book a semi-final ticket.

Unseeded Oyinlomo who entered the tournament through a wild card granted her by the Nigeria Tennis Federation, kept no one in doubt about her mission in this year’s tournament.

She defeated Number 3 seed, Airhunwunde Osariemen 6-0, 6-0 in one of the second round matches to come face to face with the Number 1 seed Blessing Samuel whom

she equally sent to the cleaners.

Having proved bookmakers wrong, Oyinlomo said she wasn’t surprised beating the top players having defeated her at the National Sports Festival held in December 2018 in Abuja.

With the top seed out of the way, 16-year old Oyinlomo said she now has her eyes fixed on the CBN trophy plus the N.7million star prize money but hopes to take the rest games one at a time.

Women seed 2, Christy Agugbom did not disappointed her fans as she recorded a two straight win of 6-1, 6-3, over another junior player, Omolayo Bamidele in their quarter final match up to move into today’s semi-final.

Also Blessing Anuna beat Bukola Olowu 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to also move on.

Aanu Aiyegbusi outplayed Jumai Mohammed 6-2, 6-3 in another quarter final encounter to also claim a semi-final ticket.

According to the fixtures, giant killer, Oyinlomo Quardri will face Blessing Anuna in the first women singles semifinals while Number 2 seed, Christy Agugbom battles Aanu Aiyegbusi in the second semis which promises to be a titanic battle between the two top players in the country.

In the men’s singles category, top seed and defending champion, Sylvester Emmanuel, defeated Oche Adeyi, 7-5, 6-0 to cruise into the quarter-finals and same goes to tournament

seed 2, Imeh Joseph who beat Christian Paul 6-2, 6-3. to move into the last 8 as well.

Six times winner, Abdulmumuni Babalola beat Joseph Iyorhe 6-2, 6-3. Nonso Madueke outclassed Idoko Emmanuel 6-3, 6-1 while Thomas Otu stopped Albert Bikom 7-5, 6-3, as old warhorse, Shehu Lawal dropped Uche Oparaoji, 6-2, 6-3.

The men’s singles quarterfinals and semi finals will be played today while the men’s and women’s doubles finals as well as the wheelchair events finals also comes up today ahead of Saturday’s grand finale which holds at the package ‘B’ of the MKO Stadium, former National Stadium Abuja.

55

FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Rohr Wants No Further Distractions as Eagles Focus on Madagascar Super Eagles Head Coach Genort Rohr wants all the distractions caused by the dispute over allowances to be settled finally before Nigeria roll out tank against Madagascar in the last Group B clash on Sunday.

Speaking yesterday in Alexandria, the Franco-German gaffer said in as much as Nigeria has began the group phase very well, nothing should be allowed to put a wedge on Eagles good fortunes.

“I hope that the things

that were decided yesterday (Wednesday) will be done so that everybody can focus on the next game (against Madagascar),” he stated.

Rohr insisted that the decision taking on Wednesday

by Eagles before the game against Guinea, should help to stem any further bickery over bonuses and allowances.

Leganes of Spain defender Kenneth Omeruo’s header in the 73rd minute off the corner kick by Moses Simon was all that Nigeria needed to

pick maximum points from Guinea’s Syli National and the ticket to the Round of 16.

The Super Eagles manager who stated that he was satisfied with the performance of the five new players introduced in the match against Guinea, said that the players had the same spirit as those that they replaced.

“Starting the game at 4:30 pm was difficult for the players; it was hot and not easy. I want to say congratulations to all the players of both teams, because they did well in the game.

“We started slowly because we knew Guinea has a good team, good organisation. We changed five starting players

and the spirit was the same.

It was not easy to prepare for the match because today (Wednesday) was a special day.

“But finally, my players showed they are professionals and in the second half, with passion they showed they could make a difference,” he said, adding that he was happy for the goal scored by

Umeruo through the corner kick. “We have been trying the corner kick situation during our training in camp and I am happy that we scored through the corner kick. It is good to know that we have qualified even with our next game against Madagascar. But we will play to win our game,” he concluded.

Nigeria’s Next Opponent Hit

By Home Tragedy Nigeria’s next opponents in the on-going Africa Cup of Nations, Madagascar, have recorded a tragic incident at home.

At least 16 people were crushed to death and dozens more injured at a stadium hosting national independence day celebrations in the capital, Antananarivo.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon outside the Mahamasina Stadium, where several thousand people had gathered for a concert following the traditional military parade held to mark the national holiday.

The bodies of 16 people killed, including three

children, were being stored in the mortuary of Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona Hospital in the city. Photos showed the dead lying on the ground partially covered by white sheets.

Officials of the team here in Alexandria tried to shield the tragic report from the players but relatives of some of the players broke the news to them and the camp is in somber mood as at yesterday when the news broke out. It is likely that both teams, Super Eagles and their opponent, Madagascar will wear the traditional black arms band in respect of the victims

FEMI’S AFCON 2019 FLAKES Like Iroha, Like Ighalo

Perhaps Odion Ighalo’s goal could be ranked among the best so far at the on going tournament. The mental speed at which Ola Aina delivered the pass for Ighalo to score the crucial goal is still the talking point and soccer pundits have been able to draw a similarity between the goal and the one scored by Benedict Iroha in the semi final against Côte d’ Ivoire at Tunisia ’94 edition of the tournament. Like Aina, Rashidi Yekini back-heeled the pass to wing-back Iroha to fire from a close range on the left side of the field. The video of the comparison or similarity has been trending on all social media platforms lately.

*Finally, Mo Salah Registered First Goal

Ambitious Mohamed Salah, who is aiming to add Ballon d’Or to his cabinet following his exploit with Liverpool last season that earned the Reds the UEFA Champions League trophy.

AFCON win on home soil next month will no doubt put him in contention for be next ‘World Best’ crown. That title has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo until Luka Modric broke through last summer. Mo Salah on Wednesday set the tone to achieving this feat with a goal to his name in Egypt’s 2-0 win against DR Congo.

Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen (on the turf) is not likely to feature in Nigeria’s group match against Madagascar on Sunday due to

5XWKOHVV (QJODQG &UXVK 1RUZD\ WR /DQG LQ 6·ÀQDO England reached their second consecutive Women’s World Cup semi-final yesterday as they produced an excellent performance to beat Norway 3-0 in Le Havre, France.

Lucy Bronze’s brilliant secondhalf strike capped a fine night that saw the Lionesses become the first senior England team to reach the last four at three consecutive major tournaments.

Two slick team moves had given them a deserved 2-0 half-time lead, as Jill Scott and Ellen White found the net from close range either side of White hitting the post.

Nikita Parris saw a late penalty well saved by Ingrid Hjelmseth but that did not dampen England’s jubilant mood at full-time, as they celebrated with sheer joy after moving

within one win of their first major final.

White’s tap-in took her goals tally to five for the tournament, putting her joint leader in the race for the Golden Boot alongside the United States’ Alex Morgan and Australia’s Sam Kerr.

Backed by thousands of delighted travelling fans, the Lionesses will now face either France or the US in the semi-

Gov. Dickson Pledges to Sustain Restoration Cup Tournament Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has assured indigenes of the state that the Restoration Cup Football Tournament would be sustained beyond his tenure.

He made the pledge yesterday in Yenagoa during the formal draw ceremony of the Third Governor Henry Seriake Dickson Football Tournament and presentation of kits to representatives of the

160 participating teams.

The Tournament Director, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, who is also his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, quoted the governor as calling on participating communities and organisations to exhibit sportsmanship during and after the competition.

He also charged the youths and leaders of the various communities to be peaceful during the games, noting

that no one is a loser as the idea of the tournament is to come together to foster unity, brotherly love and friendship.

Governor Dickson, who described the Restoration Cup as a football talent development programme, commended the organisers, the Commissioner for Sports Development, Mr. Perekiye Buruboyefe, friends and partners for their efforts toward sustaining the

The Birthday Boy Rohr

Ahead of the last match against Madagascar, the team’s Head Coach, Gernot Rohr is 66 years old today! The Franco/German tactician was born June 28, 1953 in Mannheim, Germany. It is expected that the best birthday gift the Super Eagles can offer him would be another win on Sunday.

Another significance of that Eagles lone goal win against Syli Stars of Guinea was that it happened on the very day the national team clocked 70 years going by the UK Tourists of 1949.

* AMOKACHI IN 12-MANTECHNICAL GROUP Every of the 52 games at the ongoing AFCON will produce a ‘Man of the Match’ and Confederation of African Football (CAF) has chosen 12 wise men that will coordinate the winners. Former Nigerian international and 1994 winner with Super Eagles, Daniel ‘The Bull’ Amokachi is in the prestigious list which also have Belhassen Malouche (Tunisia), Serame Letsoaka (South Africa), Jean Michel Benezet (France), Abrham Mebratu (Ethiopia), Edgar Watson (Uganda), Khalilou Fadiga (Senegal), Herita Ilunga (DR Congo), Taoufik Korichi (Algeria), Miller Gomes (Angola), Diomansy Kamara (Senegal) and Jamal Fathi (Morocco).

The list is made of former players and current coaches.

finals on Tuesday in Lyon.

The hosts and the holders meet in their highly anticipated last-eight tie on Friday at 20:00 BST. England’s well-deserved progression also boosted their hopes of representing Great Britain at the 2020 Olympics, with the three best-finishing European teams qualifying for next summer’s Tokyo Games.

England defeated Norway 3-0 to land in the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi final…yesterday

competition.

He congratulated the Restoration Starlets picked from the 2018 edition, their technical crew and officials for the team’s performance at the Africa Youth Cup held in Cape Verde in April where they came third.

He assured the team of support while promising the players and technical crew cash reward for making the state

Friday June 28, 2019

TR

UT H

& RE A SO

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Sagay to Lawan “He (Lawan) knows that nobody will take him seriously. I respect and like him but what he has done is to give half-truth. He is telling us the actual salary without mentioning anything about the allowances. That’s where the jumbo pay comes in when you talk of building, furniture, domestic this or that, 15 items and those items alone bring everything up to N13.5m a month.

So, simply mentioning the base salary, which brings it over N14m, is not sufficient” – The Chairman of PACAC, Prof. Itse Sagay, telling Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, to come clean on the actual entitlements of senators.

HAKEEMBELLO

GUEST COLUMNIST

BRF At 56: The Art of Making Things Better...

“Our people may doubt what we say or plan, but certainly will not doubt what we do.”

T

hose were the words of former Governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN at the 7th Lagos Economic (Ehingbeti) Summit on 8 April 2014.

A few months thereafter, in what represents a vote of confidence on the performance of Fashola and his team, Fitch, a global rating agency, upgraded Lagos State’s National Long-term rating from ‘AA (nga)’ to “AA+ (nga)’ “for its continued solid operating performance, improved transparency and efforts towards an increasingly sophisticated and transparent administration, which is conducive to growing private sector investments.”

Without a doubt, Lagos State, and by extension Nigeria, has been the better for the circumstances which brought out Mr Fashola from his private legal practice and thrusted him into public service, who in his characteristic self, applied himself wholly to the responsibility.

“Being in public office for us cannot be a tea party. It cannot be a picnic.

Rather, it demands the highest degree of discipline, sacrifice, commitment and determination to make enduring changes,” he had told his colleagues in the Executive, and members of the Legislature, during the presentation of his maiden Budget as the Governor in 2008.

This prior commitment to public service must have been his guiding principle when he responded to the challenge of heading the unprecedented combo of the hitherto separate Ministries of Power, Works and Housing from President Muhammadu Buhari.

Fashola rolled up his sleeves, and like the “skilled mechanic” (credit Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka) that he is, - for his methodical approach and detailed planning to solving problems – soon after being inaugurated, headed to the various ministries, and for weeks received comprehensive briefings from the public servants there in preparing for his maiden Press Briefing where he laid out his agenda for each of the sectors under the merged Ministry.

With overwhelming support from President Buhari, and with increased budgetary allocations to the Ministry, infrastructural renewal began to manifest across the country within a short period of time to the extent that there was no State in the Federation without Federal Government presence. As Fashola would put it, “if we are not building a road in a state, we are building a house or intervening in a transmission system.”

A columnist with The Nation newspaper, Steve Osuji who had earlier wondered why such critical sectors could be handed over to one individual, even if the person had proven track record of deliverability

Former Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (2nd left) interacts with one of the site food vendors, Mrs Folake Emmanuel and other construction site workers during his inspection of the National Housing Programme site in Akinyele Area of Oyo State

was later to testify to the wisdom in the President’s decision.

Wrote he: “Who says a tree cannot make a forest; who says only an engineer could head the Works, Power and Housing ministry, who says leadership is not everything?” He termed it the “Fashola Effect.”

In May 2017, during his tour of duty as Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Fashola travelled “by road to 34 states to visit road projects, driving for a minimum of 12 hours per day.” He later toured the remaining two States – by road as well.

In Kano, the Emir, HRH Muhammadu Sanusi III told him: “…Nobody needs to know how many megawatts of power you are producing now; we experience it. We know the number of hours we used to be in darkness and what we are experiencing now. Most people now get electricity for 16,17, 18 hours on the average since you came in. Frankly, that is significant progress….”

A journalist, Ebitimi Tamuno, wrote in The Nation of 3 April 2017 that Fashola and his entourage arrived the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri a little over midnight (and) Governor Kashim Shettima was bewildered because nobody had driven on that route that late in seven years of Boko Haram then.

Transition being a central metaphor in human existence, the critical junction of the completion of a tenure of office as the Minister of Power, Works and Housing after three years and six months meant for Mr Fashola a period to render an account of stewardship both to Mr President and the Nigerian public whom

he served.

And this he did on Monday 29 April 2019 when he presented a Tenure Completion Report during the public presentation of the book, “Proof of Infrastructure Delivery Across Nigeria.”

As an avowed team player, he summed up thus: “Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of my brother ministers, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Minister of State who started this journey with me, and Suleiman Hassan Zarma, Minister of State who joined in 2017, and who has now been redeployed to head the Ministry of Environment, I feel confident to say that with the help, support and cooperation of our staff, under the leadership of our permanent secretaries and directors, we have delivered on the agenda I set out at the 2015 press briefing.”

Worthy of note at that event was the attestation of the members of the legislature who had oversight functions over the Ministry headed by Mr Fashola.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Kabir Gaya who stated that his committee members travelled to 33 states by road affirmed that “roads which were neglected for the past 18 years are back on track” and commended “the (Minister’s) zeal and commitment to serve his boss (President Buhari) and to serve the nation.”

At the event also, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing made his job as Information Minister “much easier than it would have been because right from the beginning they gave us things to say about this Administration’s achievements.”

For the records, Mr Fashola’s then colleague, the Minister of State, Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri, testified at the valedictory session (on 28 May 2019) for both of them: “(The) Minister is an embodiment of hard work, a visionary, excellent, innovative, focused and integrity-based leader…which made it possible for us to hold and discharge our responsibility reasonably well.”

Indeed beyond these testimonies, says the Permanent Secretary (Power), Louis Edozien, who himself was drafted from the private sector, is the message that Fashola continually passed on to them at the ministry that “the journey is not over; the work is never done and we as public servants must understand that we have a commitment to deliver service (and) continue this journey to the end and make the country better for all of us.”

And, that indeed, is what drives Mr Fashola: working with his heart and might to make things better than how he met it. Perhaps, it is better put by Modestus Umenzekwe, a former President of Odunade Building Materials Dealers Association, and a frequent road user, who wrote in The Cable (8 September 2016): “One admirable thing about Fashola is that he executes every assignment as though his life depended on them. He is, to a considerable extent, the face of what the Catholic Church has in recent decades popularised as common good.”

And, on that good note, here’s wishing my boss a hearty 56th birthday. t)BLFFN #FMMP JT 4QFDJBM "EWJTFS Communications to the former Minister PG 1PXFS 8PSLT BOE )PVTJOH

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com