MONDAY 20TH JULY 2020

Oil Communities Demand Return of NDDC to Presidency Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Oil-bearing communities yesterday demanded the return of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the presidency for proper supervision, rather than leaving it under the Ministry

of Niger Delta Affairs, pointing out that they had earlier raised the alarm in November 2019 that allowing the Minister of Niger Delta, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, to superintend over the NDDC would be to the detriment of the region.

The communities, under

the auspices of the Host Communities of Nigeria, Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON), also called for the immediate inauguration of a substantive NDDC board to oversee the commission’s administration and clean up the current mess in the agency.

A statement by the National Director, Media and Publicity of the organisation, Mr. Monday Whiskey, said the decision was arrived at after a meeting of the national leadership, including state chairmen, youth and women wing and selected leaders from

the 10 oil-producing states.

The states are: Delta, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Abia and Imo. The group resolved that everyone who has been fingered in the sleaze in the interventionist agency must

be prosecuted.

It said: “We hereby resolve as follows: That we demand without further delay, the return of the NDDC to the presidency for proper administration and supervision.

Continued on page 46

Report: Nigeria to Lose N720bn to Power Sector’s Inefficiency... Page 5 Monday 20 July, 2020 Vol 25. No 9233. Price: N250

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Oshiomhole Apologises for Backing Obaseki,Vows to Return Edo to APC No regrets for not being stooge, says governor INEC predicts low voters' turnout in Edo, Ondo gov elections Akeredolu frustrated by inability to remove me, says Ajayi

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja, Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City and James Sowole in Akure A former National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has apologised to the people of Edo State for supporting Governor GodwinObaseki to emerge as the state governor in 2016.

He, however, said his

mission for now would be to ensure the governor's defeat in the governorship election scheduled for September 19.

But in a swift response, Obaseki said he had no regrets for not being a stooge of Oshiomhole.

Both politicians had fallen apart shortly after Obaseki became governor in 2016.

The quarrel persisted until Continued on page 46

Politicians Sponsoring Banditry, Insurgency Over 2023 Ambitions, Says Masari Zamfara bandits surrender 50 guns in barter deal Francis Sardauna in Katsina and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, has attributed the prevailing cases of banditry and Boko Haram insurgency bedeviling the North to the activities of some politicians who want to contest the 2023 general

election.

This is coming as bandits in Zamfara State have surrendered 50 guns within the past one week, in acceptance of the state government’s offer of two cows for every gun returned.

The governor said such politicians believed that by Continued on page 46

MARITAL BLISS...

Newlyweds, Mr. Jide Odunsi (left) and former Miss Kessiana Edewor, during their wedding ceremony in Apapa, Lagos… weekend kunle ogunfuyi

Air Force Rules Out Foul Play in Arotile’s Death...Page 8

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

Report: Nigeria to Lose N720bn to Power Sector’s Inefficiency

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja With an average daily loss of N2 billion to inadequate power infrastructure in the country, the Nigerian economy will be deprived of about N720 billion in 2020, an analysis of figures from the Advisory Power Team (APT) of the Office of the Vice President has shown.

Information from the office indicated that the losses were induced by problems associated with gas supply and grid infrastructure challenges in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

A trend analysis in the industry, which ran from between January and projected to end in December showed a loss of at least N2 billion daily. Gas unavailability tops the list of problems bedeviling the power sector coupled with failing transmission and distribution infrastructure.

Although the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had recently intervened with the

approval of over N200 billion to the power sector as a way of sorting out the challenges, the beneficiaries said it was for payments for debts owed in 2019.

The national oil company had earlier this month also announced an increase of 19.14 per cent in the average daily natural gas supply to power plants.

The NNPC said the increase translates to 788 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd), equivalent to power generation of 2,873MW, although there has been no marked improvement in power supply.

In May, about 3,958mwh/h was lost to gas shortage problems, the average energy supply stood at 4,179mwh while peak power was 5,316mwh, which was achieved in February.

Also, on May 7, 2020, for instance, the average energy sent out was 4,441 mwh/h (up by 11 MW from the previous day) while 2,993 MW was not generated due to the unavailability of gas.

In the same month, 1,021.10MW

was not generated due to high frequency resulting from unavailability of distribution infrastructure, while 4.0 MW was recorded as losses due to water management.

The power sector lost an estimated N1.92 billion daily in May for that month due to constraints from insufficient gas supply, weak distribution and transmission infrastructure.

While Nigeria sources most of its electricity from thermal, gas-fired power plants, accounting for 70 per cent, generation from hydropower plants makes up about 30 per cent of the total.

Some of the country’s power plants have not also been producing at all, including AES, ASCO, Egbin Station 6, Dadin

Kowa and Sapele NIPP, according to the information supplied by the office.

The stations with the highest output during the year are Egbin 2-5, Delta, Azura, Odukpani, Kainji, Jebba, Afam VI, Geregu, Shiroro and Okpai while the lowest were Afam VI and V, Sapele and Ihovbor NIPP. In July, the trend continued with over N2 billion loss per day on the average for the entire month.

“On July 13 2020, average energy sent out was 3,981 MWH/ Hour (up by 260.06 from the previous day).

“The power sector lost an estimated N2,101,000,000 on July 13, 2020 due to constraints from insufficient gas supply,

distribution infrastructure and transmission infrastructure.

“Peak generation attained on July 13, 2020 was 4,987.8mw, peak average energy sent out ever is 4,685 MWH/H on 17 April 2020”, the vice president's office said.

It added that on July 14 , 2020, average energy sent out was 3,919 mwh/hour (down by 61.26 from the pervious day).

“The power sector lost an estimated N2,013,000,000 on July 14, 2020 due to constraints from insufficient gas supply, distribution infrastructure and transmission infrastructure,” the APT stated.

It, however, put the peak generation attained on July 14 2020 at 4,662 MW, while peak

average energy sent out ever still remained 4,685 MWH/H and peak generation attained ever stayed at 5,375 MW. The electricity Generation Companies (GenCos ) recently said although they had increased their generation capacity to 8,145mw , they were only able to produce 3,987mw, with 4,159mw left stranded as a result of the constraints in the national grid capacity.

Before he was fired a few weeks ago, Mr. Mohammed Gur, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) managing director, had publicly knocked the Distribution Companies (Discos) for lacking the requisite infrastructure to improve the country's power supply.

Presidency: Anti-corruption War at Historic Crossroads Says attacks on Buhari unwarranted

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The presidency yesterday pushed back criticisms that the anticorruption war was flagging due to the recent allegations of graft against some top government officials.

It said contrary to the belief of critics, the anti-graft war was at historic crossroads and called on all Nigerians to join hands together to collectively remedy the trend.

Reacting to a range of editorial comments at the weekend that President Muhammadu Buhari was not in charge of his government in view of recent events involving allegations and counter allegations of corruption by some government officials without any seeming decisive expression or action by the president, the presidency said Buhari would not be distracted by unfounded attacks.

"The war against corruption is today at historic crossroads.

This is the time all Nigerians should stand together to roll it back. President Buhari is determined not to be diverted by unfounded attacks, neither would he compromise the sacred mandate of Nigerians. He is determined to get justice for Nigerians on all these corruption cases being pursued," it stated.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the Buhari government did not deserve the criticisms against it in the media over issues of corruption because the president's sense of probity remained intact.

Shehu who said Nigerians' perception about the president remained the same, described the criticisms as disinformation.

He added that the decision of the government to first investigate the allegations against individuals in affected institutions was not a sign of weakness or an expression of vacuum in leadership but only complying with procedure on how allegations should be handled.

Shehu said: "President Buhari’s integrity, uprightness and probity are intact and well known. Let us remind these so-called editorial writers that ECOWAS, Africa Union and the international community at large recognised President Buhari as Champion of the Anti-Corruption fight in Africa.

"Nigerians are convinced that he is honest. They voted for him as president against the background of corruption, public policy paralysis and growing menace of terrorists threatening to take over a sizable portion of the nation’s territory.

In his five years in office, there is not a single charge of corruption against his person.

"As the leader of the country, President Buhari fully understands and bears the full weight of the solemn oaths he swore to defend the nation’s constitution, its citizens and territory. Disinformation is not a viable option for opposition.

"The Buhari government has done nothing to warrant these criticisms. Under our laws, you are innocent until proven guilty: Investigation, trial then conviction.

Not the other way round. To carry out investigations before condemnation or conviction should not be misconstrued as a weakness or a vacuum in leadership.

"The fact that these baseless and appallingly mischievous attacks can freely be aired is itself evidence of the right to freedom of expression prevailing in the country today.

"Whether it is Ibrahim Magu, Godswill Akpabio, NDDC, NSITF and the others, Nigerians are bound to hold differing opinions, write letters, opinion columns, editorials and even stage lawful protests.

"What is sometimes worrisome is that several of these comments, disguised as objective criticisms, are merely speaking the language of the opposition-the people who ruined the country during their 16 years of corruption on an industrial scale."

FINANCIAL MATTERS...

L-R: Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Lamido Yuguda; Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services, Mr. Ibrahim Boyi; and Deputy Director, Home Finance Department, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Ebade Atuola, after a meeting between SEC management and the Minister of Finance in Abuja…weekend

Analysts Predict Retention of Monetary Policy Tools MPC meets today James Emejo in Abuja Analysts have predicted that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will likely hold all monetary policy tools constant at its meeting today.

At the last MPC held in May, the committee had reduced the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), otherwise known as interest rate by 100 basis points, from 13.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

It had also expressed confidence that given the measures being put in place by both the monetary and fiscal authorities, the country would head off the recession that had been predicted by multiple institutions.

But analysts told THISDAY at the weekend that the central bank is currently faced with limited options to respond to the current macroeconomic realities amid concerns over liquidity surplus and rising inflation which peaked at 12.56 per cent in June.

Prof. Uche Uwaleke of the Nasarawa State University said the MPC appeared to have stretched its limits in terms of monetary policy tools available to respond to current

macroeconomic conditions.

He said: "The reality is that monetary policy tools have been stretched to the limits.

“The MPC can only advise the CBN to sustain and ensure the effective implementation of heterodox measures already introduced to strengthen the asset quality and financial soundness of the banking sector, including the recent Global Standing Instruction, which will facilitate repayment of loans by banks' customers leading to a reduction in non-performing loans and improvement in liquidity."

According to him, to support economic growth in a period of the pandemic, through increased credit to the real sectors, the MPC will likely advise the apex bank to maintain the loan-to-deposit ratio of 65 per cent for banks.

Uwaleke, a former Imo State Commissioner of Finance, said: "I see the MPC commending the CBN for all its COVID-19 measures aimed at containing the economic impact of the crisis, including the recent non-interest interventions in the agric value chain, textiles, healthcare, creative industries and SMEs in general.

"All these have the potential of positively impacting the capital

market.

"By way of direct impact, the CBN should also consider accommodating capital market operators in its COVID-19 intervention schemes.”

Also, commenting on the expectations for the MPC meeting, an economist and former bank CEO, Dr. Muhammad Rislanudeen, predicted that the committee would maintain the status quo.

He explained: "I believe the MPC will safely maintain status quo as even though further reduction of MPR may support growth, especially in this pandemic period but at same time it will increase liquidity in the system and may trigger increased foreign exchange speculation and elevated inflationary trend.

"More so, the recent 2020 amended budgetary approval of N2. 3 trillion stimulus package, especially the N.1.2 million specified for loans to small and medium enterprises, will come from the balance sheet of the central bank by way of quantitative easing which may also be inflationary."

In addition, analysts at Lagosbased Financial Derivatives Company Limited anticipated

a retention of all monetary policy tools.

According to the firm, headline inflation is expected to continue its upward trajectory as aggregate demand picks up following the gradual reopening of the economy and increase in general economic activities—school hostels, hotels, bars, restaurants and fast food outlets re-opening.

“Food inflation is expected to taper in third quarter as the harvest season commences.

However, higher logistics costs could be a constraint.

“Meanwhile, non-food prices are likely to remain sticky downwards as the impact of the currency devaluation becomes more excruciating. In spite of the rising inflation trend, we do not expect a change in the monetary policy stance at the MPC meeting on Monday.

“We are of the view that inflationary pressures will persist with the effect of market determined petrol prices and cost reflective tariffs this quarter.

Therefore, at the September meeting of the MPC, there is a very strong probability that the CBN will move towards tightening monetary policy again,” they added.

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Air Force Rules Out Foul Play in Arotile’s Death Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) yesterday unveiled the killers of Nigeria’s first female combatant helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died in Kaduna last week.

It, however, ruled out foul play in the death, restating its earlier position that she was run over by a friend's vehicle.

It said the deceased officer died of trauma due to the bleeding from head injuries she sustained in the accident.

NAF identified the three suspects being detained over the incident as Mr. Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr. Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun, saying they were her former secondary schoolmates, who would also be handed over to the police for prosecution.

At a media briefing on the preliminary investigation report on the death of Arotile in Abuja, the Director, Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said Arotile was run over by a friend's vehicle and died of trauma to the head and bleeding.

"Upon recognising their schoolmate, Arotile, after passing her, Mr. Adejoh, who was driving, reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction.

"In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries," he said.

Daramola noted that the late Arotile was subsequently rushed to the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna for treatment, while Mr. Folorunsho (one of the occupants of the vehicle) who is also an accident and emergency nurse at the St. Gerard's Catholic Hospital, Kaduna, administered first aid.

"Flying Officer Arotile was confirmed dead by the on-call doctor at the 461 NAF Hospital at about 4.45pm on 14 July 2020 as a result of the head injuries," he stated.

He said the three suspects involved in the accident would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

On conspiracy theory surrounding the tragic accident, Daramola said: "The NAF sincerely hopes that the findings of the just-concluded preliminary investigation into this unfortunate and painful incident will address the misinformed issues raised in the social media on the tragedy.

"While it would have been ideal for the entire investigation to be concluded before details

on the incident are released, the NAF, in sensitivity to public concerns occasioned by the spread of false information, appreciates the imperative to provide more clarity at this very difficult moment.

"Please note that the details being revealed today have already been communicated to the Arotile family, who ideally should be allowed to mourn their daughter and sister in peace, but for the unfortunate nature of the sad occurrence".

The NAF explained that investigation was instituted in line with the normal procedure in the air force during such occurrences.

He said an investigation was immediately instituted after the accident to formally determine the circumstances of the incident.

He said the preliminary investigation revealed that "the late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, a Squadron Pilot at the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group (405 HCTG) Enugu, attached to the Air Component of Operation GAMA AIKI in Minna, having recently completed her promotion examinations, was in Kaduna awaiting deployment for her next assignment.

"During this period, she stayed with her sister, Mrs. Damilola Adegboye, at Sabo Area in Kaduna, visiting the NAF Base whenever necessary.

"On 14 July 2020 at about

10.55a.m, the late Flying Officer Arotile received a phone call from her colleague, Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 HCTG, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu, requesting that she comes to the base so that they could work out the modalities.

"At about 10.58am, the late Arotile placed a call through to Squadron Leader Diepiriye Batubo, the Group Operations Officer (GOO) of 405 HCTG, who was in Minna at the time, to clarify issues regarding her deployment.

"It must be highlighted that the call from Flying Officer Karimo as well as the one to the Squadron Leader Batubo both took place before 11.00am, over five hours before the incident, which led to her death.

"Flying Officer Arotile was later conveyed from Sabo to the NAF Base Kaduna by her sister, Mrs. Adegboye, where the deceased dropped her phone for charging at a house in the Instructor Pilots’ Quarters belonging to Squadron Leader Alfa Ekele.

"Her elder sister later dropped her off at the Base Mammy Market at about 4.00pm, where she proceeded to photocopy and laminate some documents. It was while she was returning from the Mammy Market at about 4.30pm that three of her former schoolmates at the Air Force Secondary School (now

Air Force Comprehensive School) Kaduna; Mr. Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr. Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr. Festus Gbayegun, drove past her in a Kia Sorento SUV, with Registration Number AZ 478 MKA." He added that Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun, all civilians, who live outside NAF Base Kaduna, were on a visit to the air force base when the accident occurred.

According to Daramola, Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun were detained at the Air Provost Wing, 453 Base Services Group Kaduna while investigations began.

He said they were subjected to toxicology tests at the 461 NAF Hospital, but no traces of alcohol or psychotropic substances were found in their system.

"It was, however, discovered that the driver of the vehicle, Mr. Nehemiah Adejo, did not have a valid driver’s license," he said.

In addition, he said traffic officers from the Kawo Police Station and the Kaduna State Police Command as well as Road Traffic experts from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were also called in to provide support during the investigation.

The preliminary investigation concluded that "the death of Flying Officer Arotile was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and significant

bleeding resulting from being struck by the vehicle.

"Being a civil case, the matter will be handed over to the Nigeria Police with a view to further investigating and charging the suspects to court in accordance with extant laws".

The Nigerian Air Force stated that being a highly professional and disciplined organisation, it "will not join issues with any individuals or groups regarding the spurious allegations of ‘foul play’ espoused in some quarters.

Suffice it to say that Flying Officer Arotile was a pride of the NAF in whom the service had invested massively in terms of resources, time and energy.

"Consequently, it is ludicrous for anyone to even remotely insinuate malevolent intent on the part of the service against one of its most prized assets.

"It is extremely sad and disheartening that, rather than allow the Arotile family and the Nigerian Air Force to grieve for our dearly departed Tolulope in peace, many have chosen to politicise her death while others are using the incident to push meritless, misguided ethnic and religious agendas.

"The Nigerian Air Force wishes to implore everyone to respect the sensibilities of all those who have suffered most by this loss, those who really knew Tolulope - her family, her friends and her Nigerian Air Force colleagues."

Magu Awaits Panel's Decision on Request for Copy of Allegations Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, is awaiting the decision of the Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential panel on his request for a copy of allegations of financial malfeasance and insubordination leveled against him by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami.

Counsel to Magu, Mr. Wahab Shittu, last week wrote to the panel, demanding a copy of the 21-point allegations against him written by the Justice minister.

But speaking to THISDAY at the weekend, another Counsel to Magu, Mr. Tosin Ojaomo, said Magu was awaiting the panel's decision on his request.

He said Magu was waiting for the panel to meet his demands.

"You saw the letter we wrote to the panel. We are waiting for

the panel to meet our demands.

That is the only update for now," he said.

Magu in a 16-point letter signed by his lawyer, Shittu, a copy of which was made available to THISDAY last week, had complained that despite his request, he had been denied access to copies of the allegations against him.

He, therefore, demanded a copy of the report of the Presidential Audit Committee; a copy of the memo of the AGF to the president and individual petitions submitted to the panel.

"Our client observes that rather than being afforded copies of the allegations against him, some of these allegations are flying [a]round the social media platforms with prejudicial consequences,” it said, adding: “our client requests that these allegations be formally served on him to enable him [to] respond to the same immediately.”

STILL ON THE PANDEMIC...

Plateau State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Regina Seomlat (left), and the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the governor, Mr. Makut Macham, during a media briefing on the activities of the state’s COVID-19 committee in Jos…Weekend

WTO: Okonjo-Iweala Promises Support for Low-income Countries Obinna Chima Nigeria's candidate for the position of Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, has assured least developed countries (LDCs) and Small Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) that are members of the global trade body of her support if given the job.

She said she would provide opportunities for them to participate in regional and global supply chains in order to enhance their presence in the trading system.

Okonjo-Iweala, in a presentation to the General Council of the WTO, a copy of which was posted on the organisation’s website at the weekend, said: “We must have a WTO that works for the benefit of all members regardless of

size or level of economic development. LDCs and SVEs should have opportunities to participate in regional and global supply chains to enhance their presence in the trading system.

“We must be sensitive to the particular policy challenges that those countries face. A revamped trading system should offer opportunities for MSMEs to increase and diversify their market access, enabling them to generate employment and contribute to economic growth and sustainable development.”

She also promised to work with member-countries to develop a global trade body that is responsive to the challenge of facilitating the greater participation of women in international trade, particularly in developing countries, saying greater efforts should be made to include women-owned

enterprises in the formal sector.

According to her, considering the challenges facing the global economy, including COVID-19, there is need for coherence in the policy responses of international organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, International Finance Corporation, regional development banks, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations.

She added that the stalemate in multilateral trade negotiations had led many member countries of the WTO in recent years to embark on plurilateral negotiations to advance particular issues.

Okonjo-Iweala noted that the energy associated with those discussions has helped refocus attention on the WTO and would be best if these

negotiations could produce outcomes that reinforce the multilateral trading system.

Members have also entered into regional trade agreements to secure access to markets, tackle issues that are not sufficiently addressed in the WTO or that are not part of the multilateral rulebook, she stated.

“RTAs can complement multilateral efforts and their success in tackling new and traditional issues should inspire WTO members to do likewise.

“But despite their benefits, RTAs cannot be a perfect substitute for the MTS. In our times, countries cannot solely rely on trade agreements with selected partners. Technology and other innovations have reduced the impact of distance and the world is too connected.

“Companies, including MSMEs, are increasingly

able to offer their products to consumers all around the world.

By linking economies of the world through basic common rules, the WTO has a unique value added.

“The MTS also has unique challenges, but it merits our greatest efforts. Let me conclude by reiterating the importance of the WTO at this critical and uncertain period. The WTO is needed to ensure that trade and global markets remain open and are further extended,” she added.

Okonjo-Iweala explained that she has the right combination of skills and experience need lead WTO into the future.

“The WTO plays an essential role in world trade through mechanisms designed to foster transparency, predictability and stability in the MTS, monitor trade developments, promote

exchanges and build trust.

“It also assists developing countries, especially the least developed and small economies, to boost trade through technical assistance and capacity building.

Trade and trade policy have rightly become central to national development strategies.

“In recent years, the multilateral trading system (MTS) has been going through difficult and challenging times.

But, in my view, the world now needs, more than ever, a reinvigorated WTO. “The challenges facing the WTO did not start with the current pandemic. Since 1995, the negotiating function of the WTO has not produced many results and although there have been some successful agreements, key areas like agriculture remain stuck,” she said.

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Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG

POLITICS

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

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

Can Federal Lawmakers Make a Statement of Courage With the NDDC Probe?

Nseobong Okon-Ekong and Segun James implore the National Assembly to display courage in the ongoing probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission and avoid reenactment of the ugly past in which federal lawmakers embark on investigation of profligacy only to be enmeshed in the same web

Buhari

Lawan

Akpabio

Nunieh

I

at the NDDC headquarters.

Akpabio said the story of NDDC in the last 19 years has not been rosy. The NDDC which was expected to change the development narrative of the Niger Delta region , according to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, had become an automated teller machine (ATM) to politicians and few privileged individuals who have access to the men in power, while the ordinary people of the Niger Delta are left to bear the brunt of environmental degradation, poverty and underdevelopment. He promised to stem the tide of humongous sleaze that have been perpetrated in the interventionist agency over the years. What he conveniently kept away from from the people was his involvement in everything he mentioned right from when he became governor up to the period he served as a senator. His accusing fingers were indeed pointing at himself.

Akpabio cleverly conceived and sold the idea of a forensic audit of the Commission from 2001 to 2019 to President Muhammadu Buhari, but it was a decoy. He had no intention to carry out any forensic audit. Which explains his insistence to work with an IMC instead of the statutory Board. Another act that exposed his true intention is the refusal to appoint a world acclaimed audit firm.

From Nunieh’s account to the world, Akpabio had perfected a grand scheme to hoodwinked all stakeholders in the NDDC with the impression that a forensic audit was going on. Nunieh said it is lie. “I raised the issue of Forensic Audit that the President brought IMC so that we could superintend over the audit and that the issue he

raised against me was that on national television I said that NFIU, EFCC, the DSS and the World Bank consultants must be part of that. I believe the President’s legacy for anti-corruption and I know Mr. President, I have worked with him, I know that he is interested and he loves the people of the Niger Delta so I went there to make sure that the President is impressed. I said that this is the letter that the President wrote to the Senate for setting the IMC, just one line, he said that “I have directed that the forensic audit of the Commission be carried out which is being overseen by the constituted Interim Management team”. Akpabio insists that its not the Interim Management, that its him, that I should send the money for the audit to him, I said its like the Ministry of Health implementing a Federal Medical Centre, and that its criminal, I will not do it.”

She reasoned that an audit cannot be going on at the NDDC because the instrument used to secure it was defective. “Why do I say there is no forensic audit. I raised the issue of certificate of no objection, I am sure the Presidency is taking that very very seriously. Part of the insubordination was that I did not go to the FEC (Federal Executive Council) meeting, and I did not go because I did not want to contravene any provision of the Procurement Act. They keep saying that people are afraid of forensic audit. I am saying that there is no forensic audit going on at NDDC. The only documents that was presented and in Akpabio’s memo to Mr. President he said that I refused to carry out the verification exercise. All contractors and Nigerians will bear me witness

that there was a verification exercise in all the states. Secondly the paper that they presented to the lead consultant was the document and the DSS report from the verification exercise that I did, that is the last thing that happened about forensic. There was an application to the BPP (Bureau of Public Procurement) and it is so embarrassing asking for a due process certificate of no objection for the award of the contract of the procurement of the lead consultant. Now the source of funding for that was from the 2020 Budget. Now that I am speaking to you today (July 13) the NDDC has no budget. I presented the 2019 budget which was passed and has lapsed. The 2020 budget has not even been discussed, has not even been passed. So the BPP gave a certificate of no objection for the procurement of the lead consultant who Akpabio brought and who he said could take control. Akpabio said that why he wanted that person and he didn’t want any NFIU, he didn’t want the World Bank consultants to come in.

He said this at the meeting and he was rebuked

by Mr. Sariki Abba.”

Part of what the audit seeks to unravel is how the NDDC its current debt profile of about N2 trillion and the liter of over 12,000 uncompleted and abandoned projects. Akpabio should know as Nunieh revealed how the Minister pressurised her to convert Dollars in the NDDC account and give it to him. He also asked for Hundreds of Millions of Naira in Christmas gifts. His girlfriend, she informed, supplies diesel to the NDDC headquarters which is the reason all attempts to connect the building to public power supply were frustrated by the Minister. Her refusal to do the minister’s bidding of course, drew Senator Akpabio’s ire.

Her insistence to be kept out of any illegality allowed Akpabio to conveniently turn his back against her, while finding a way to circumvent due process.

n Nigeria’s continuing drama of the absurd, particularly in governance, the latest gripping episode on which all eyes are focused is the sordid details of financial infractions at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), by the ongoing inquiry by federal lawmakers.

The NDDC-gate which has entrapped the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio on all sides has many elements of a blockbuster; pursuit of power, big money, sex and treachery. An amazed nation is enthralled by the mind boggling revelations coming out of the NDDC probe. Civil society groups in the long suffering region that had recently been clamouring for the disbandment of the Interim Management Committee, which runs the NDDC in place of a substantive Board previously approved by the Senate but held in abbeyance may feel justified that the ill they seek to correct all along has become an inescapable national discourse. There have been insistent calls for an interrogation of the motives behind Akpabio’s actions since he took charge of the NDDC. Statements by a former Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Ms Joi Nunieh corroborate what activists in the beleaguered region, which is home to much of Nigeria’s oil and gas wealth have been saying against Akpabio; that he came with a mission to cover the tracks of his financial shenanigans in the agency and perhaps further milk the country’s cash cow to death. Nunieh’s evidence are weighty. She is not an anonymous whistleblower. She is not a faceless petitioner. She is the former head of the agency with access to first hand information and incontrovertible facts, complete with names of persons, dates, figures and places. And she has been speaking under oath.

So, Nunieh has told the federal lawmakers and the world that one of Akpabio’s first actions was to call for files of certain companies that were linked to him. As a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio had the privilege, at different times, to nominate Managing Director of the NDDC, Chairman of the NDDC Board and Executive directors. By asking for those files, he sought to bury any shred of information that may indict him. To achieve this, he ensured the transfer of top directors from the headquarters of the NDDC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to less dignifying offices in the other states which constitute the nine Niger Delta states.

More than one year after he assumed office, Akpabio has done none of the major things he was grandstanding about on his first at work

At the NDDC, I want to make it clear that when Akpabio saw I was not cooperating, he refused them to give me an official vehicle. I didn’t have an official vehicle.

When I first came in, there were two bulletproof cars that I was using. I came to Abuja, a gentleman met me at the airport and said I’m one of your contractors, I’m the one that gave you the car that you are using, and I said so I’m using a contractor’s car and I’m supposed to supervise a forensic audit. I told Akpabio I thought the car I was using was from the commission. He said don’t worry; the man is a very good friend of mine

Intervention of the National Assembly Another side to the NDDC probe was enacted when the management of the commission last week walked out on federal lawmakers probing the commission, claiming that the chairman of the committee on Niger Delta is an interested party in the goings-on in the commission and that he was not in a position to be an unbiased arbiter in the crisis rocking the commission.

Rarely does it get much ironic than when the sinner calls another to repent when he has not repented of his own sins. Now the battle field has expanded beyond the initial boundaries.

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T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY JULY 20, 2020

MONDAY DISCOURSE

Wike

Pondei

Otedola

Elumelu

But will the National Assembly do its duty this time given the monumental fraud allegedly committed by otherwise respected Nigerians?

Would Senator Akpabio be left off the hook by his former colleagues in the legislature in the usual Nigerian style? Would he be asked to take a bow and leave? Should the Minister be suspended from office pending the outcome of the investigation as demanded by the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? Since some members of the House of Representatives themselves are being named in the ensuing scandal? Should they recuse themselves? And would their colleagues be diligent enough to probe them?

These and other questions must be answered urgently before the trail of the missing monies grow cold.

The House of Representatives Committee on NDDC has summoned the Minister of Niger Delta Affair, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to respond to allegation of N81.5 billion irregular expenditure in NDDC. The committee also summoned the acting Managing Director of NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, and the Managing Director of AHR Global Service Ltd, among others.

The resolution was reached at the ongoing investigative hearing on the alleged N40 billion irregular expenditure on Friday in Abuja.

The summon was sequel to the refusal of the officials to honour an earlier invitation to appear and respond to allegations of wrong doing.

The Chairman of the Committee, Olubumi Tunji-Ojo (APC-Ondo), ruled that they should appear unfailing on Monday, July 20 to answer questions. But in a surprise action the directors of the commission walked out on the panel saying that the chairman, specifically is an interested party in the probe of the commission and he should not be the judge in his own case. The action of the directors is telling and indictment on the credibility of the lawmakers.

This is not the first time that members of the Senate and the House of Representatives will embark on the investigation of profligacy only to be enmesh in the same web.

Flashback to Past Probes

because we got to the very root of the rot in the power sector.

“When we made our recommendations asking the EFCC to further investigate, many people followed us and most of them were very bitter at a point at the abandoned contract sites”.

He explained further: “Let me tell you the truth, in Nigeria, we must change. Buhari anchored his campaign on trust asking for change. The change is that we must do things in a normal way, we must deviate, we must leave that comfort zone and come back to the challenges that face us.

The report has since been flushed into the toilet.

he eventually did, the lawmaker sought the approval of the House to clear the companies.

“He did this without even asking Zenon to produce a single document of the forex transaction. He clearly wanted to extort money for an offence I did not commit. That is why I went to report to the security agencies,” he said.

“If I had anything to hide I wouldn’t have gone to the agencies. There is an old adage that says “people who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.

Lawan later admitted that he did collect the bribe, as usual, his colleagues in the House did nothing to his case and he served till the end of his term as lawmaker. End of the story.

Now, the probe has moved to the NDDC. Today, Akpabio’s is crying that his political enemies are after him. Will he survive this?

Clearly, Akpabio’s frequent boast that ‘more money can buy what money cannot’ buy may fail him this time again as it did when his seeming invincibility was routed in the 2019 National Assembly elections. Senator Chris Ekpenyong kicked Akpabio out in an uncommon victory in the Ikot Ekpene senatorial race. His bid retrieve the office failed at the tribunal. On appeal, he was give a noose to hang himself, as the court only allowed a fresh election in couple of polling units. Assuming Akpabio won voters from all voters, it would still not be enough to erase the margin of lead secured

by Ekpenyong. It was a difficult choice, made easy by his appointment as a minister.

This fact may have been lost on the former Governor when he got into a spat with the woman. Like Williams Shakespeare wrote ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’ Today the Minister is been scotched by the fire from the woman’s hell. She has been fighting red hot and smoking.

In the last couple of weeks, the news of how the NDDC has been mismanaged and financial improprieties by its managers have left Nigerians flabbergasted at the rot in the management of the national commonwealth by officials saddled with the duty the government.

It is true that the Niger Delta is the cash cow that sustains the nation’s economy. It is also true that unlike most oil producing areas the world over, the Niger Delta is the least developed in relationship with what it generates to the national coffers. It is in realization of this that the federal government set up the NDDC as an intervention agency to correct the anomaly and speed up the development process of the region.

Although not original, but certainly visionary.

The plan by the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s led administration to develop the region was hinged on the unending militancy that disrupting oil exploration and exploitation activities. The idea was not only to help stabilize the polity but to ensure that the nation’s oil production go on undisrupted and prevent the country from falling into economic problem.

Ordinarily, the task has been daunting. Past efforts the carry out this task have not been too impressive. During the military era, the government of General Ibrahim Babangida set up the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) to do the job.

It failed and was scrapped by Obasanjo who replaced it with the NDDC. At NDDC, every year, successive administration of the commission claims to have unearthed cans of worms in the projects embarked upon by previous administrations. Yet the government seems to have left the commission to do its own things without any supervision. Such action breeds corruption; and the commission became the clearing room.

That was the situation until the federal government ordered a forensic audit of the finances and management of the commission, sanitize the system, inspect the workings in the commission and look at the projects that it has allegedly carried out in the almost 20 years of its existence.

Ndudi Elumelu Panel The drama surrounding the recommendations of the House of Representatives panel instituted to probe the power sector took a new twist as the review committee set up by the House rejected 84 of the 88 recommendations.

The Committee was led by Godwin Ndudi Elumelu is fresh on the country’s collective memory.

In 2009, a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power, Godwin Ndudi Elumelu, watched and almost shed tears as his colleagues on the floor of the House tore his report on the power sector to shreds.

A member of his committee had written a minority report indicting him and the then Dimeji Bankole-led 6th assembly did not waste time setting up an adhoc committee to review his findings.

The verdict of the review committee was a complete overhaul of Elumelu’s report. Out of 88 recommendations, the committee endorsed only four for implementation.

The Delta State-born former lawmaker, on a Channels Television programme, revealed how he painstakingly worked on the eight-volume report that could not sail through.

Asked whether the report was still intact, Elumelu said, “We didn’t dilute it and we were very blunt in all our recommendations

The Femi Otedola/Lawan Faruk Imbroglio In 2012, Oil marketer, Femi Otedola, in a spat with members of the House of Representatives, claimed that he paid $620,000 to a House member, Faruk Lawan to get his companies exonerated from the list of firms that abused government fuel subsidy. He dismissed the House’s decision to re-list the companies as “blackmail” aimed at extorting money from him.

“If people at my level who have worked hard to build their businesses can be blackmailed this way all in a bid to extort money from them, I pity people that are just starting out in business in this country,” Mr. Otedola said.

The businessman said he was pressured

by Mr. Lawan to pay bribes to clear his companies, which he insists did no wrong. The payment turned out a trap after the billionaire organized with security agents to record Mr. Lawan receiving the money.

The scandal forced the House, which says it was not embarrassed and had no cause to be remorseful, to re-list Mr. Otedola’s companies amongst 13 other indicted firms.

The billionaire later accused the house of celebrating corruption, and said he did not believe Mr. Lawan acted alone in the episode.

“As far as I know, Lawan could not have been working alone in this extortionist plot. A tree does not make a forest,” he said. “Actions of today by the house is laughable, a mere celebration of corruption and a further indictment on their honorable member.”

Mr. Otedola claimed his companies were originally indicted after he refused to part with the amount Mr. Lawan asked for. When

Nunieh as Akpabio’s Nemesis Under normal cercumstances, a nasty power struggle between a minister and the manager of an agency under him would have ended with the manager being humbled; but in this case, it was the minister who has been battered and given a bloodied nose.

Well, the truth is, Ms. Joi Nunieh, the former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the intervention agency created by the federal government to engineer the rapid development of Niger Delta, the region whose natural resources - crude oil - has been the mainstay of the nation’s economy in the last 50 years; is no longer in her position and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio is no longer in a position to order her about.

This is not the first time that members of the Senate and the House of Representatives will embark on the investigation of profligacy only to be enmesh in the same web. In 2012, Oil marketer, Femi Otedola, in a spat with members of the House of Representatives, claimed that he paid $620,000 to a House member, Faruk Lawan to get his companies exonerated from the list of firms that abused government fuel subsidy.

He dismissed the House’s decision to re-list the companies as “blackmail” aimed at extorting money from him. IIf people at my level who have worked hard to build their businesses can be blackmailed this way all in a bid to extort money from them, I pity people that are just starting out in business in this country,” Mr. Otedola said

The Can of Worms When the former Managing Director, Joi Nunieh, appeared before the House of Representatives Panel via Zoom she opened a can of worms. A process she had started penultimate week in various press interviews.

Nunieh was scheduled to appear before the House of Representatives Panel investigating the NDDC on Thursday, but failed to appear due to the invasion of her residence in Port Harcourt by policemen as early as 4am.

Speaking under oath, through Zoom, the former NDDC Acting Managing Director accused the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, of pressuring her to employ people outside the Niger Delta. She said Akpabio told her to indict Senator Peter Nwaboshi as the owner of 98 companies working as contractors for the NDDC. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY ˞ ˜ Ͱ͎˜ Ͱ͎Ͱ͎

COMMENT

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

IN DEFENCE OF IBRAHIM MAGU

Magu did remarkably well in the fight against corruption, argues Dumbo Hinks

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brahim Magu, the embattled acting chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who was recently suspended on allegations of corrupt practices is going through a path no anti-corruption fighter would like to be put on: to be indicted or tried for the same crime they live and fight against.

On the back of a phony order reportedly issued by a presidential investigative committee, Magu, who is a profound symbol of everything good about President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign was arrested and quizzed over claims that are at best flimsy and malicious. So far, no one has been able to prove the claims levelled against Magu.

When Magu was arrested and interrogated over these allegations, it looked more like a game of vendetta playing out. This was even made more suspicious by the source from which the petition came. For a while, we have observed silent conflicts of interests between Magu and an occupant of the office from which the petition against him came. We have equally seen media reports questioning the commitment of this same source to President Buhari’s anti-corruption fight and it is clear that the petition and actions followed are hypocritical.

America’s three-sport athlete, Wes Fesler, once said that, ‘hypocrisy is the audacity to preach integrity from a den of corruption,’ and true to Fesler’s words, the source of the petition against Magu can best be described this way. It is clear that the persons after Magu are those whose hands are not clean and are afraid of the man who has put governors, top military officers and captains of industry to jail for stealing public funds and abusing public trust.

It is unfortunate that this is happening to a man whose accomplishments are clear and evident. The biggest credibility of President Buhari’s government and indeed that of the APC lays with Magu. Through his dogged fight and commitment to Mr. President’s corruption fight, Magu has been able to drastically cut down the level of stealing of public funds; the fear of Magu indeed is the beginning of wisdom. Those after him know this and want him out by all means. The president should be aware of this. I have never met Magu, but let me say this today, that the joke isn’t on Magu who has been suspended from office after a kangaroo interrogation; the joke is on those who have grudges against him. For whatever the case against Magu may be, it is clear that the agents of the petition against him were unhappy with his style at the EFCC which stopped them from carrying on with their corrupt tendencies, from stealing from Nigerians.

If government processes are to be followed, petitions against public officers are carefully investigated, and the defendants given opportunities to respond or defend whatever charges brought against them. Most times, the process includes administrative inquiries, and in the case of a first-rate officer like Magu, setting up a competent and neutral panel should be the only logical practice in the case of the allegation against him, and not the hasty process that was adopted.

Amongst those accusing Magu of corruption, none would have done the job he was doing better than him; and if indeed there is any of them without sin, let him like Jesus Christ asked the Pharisees in the Bible, throw the first stone. In any corruption war, there will always be people backing the status quo; they will do everything possible to fight back

THROUGH HIS DOGGED FIGHT AND COMMITMENT TO MR. PRESIDENT’S CORRUPTION FIGHT, MAGU HAS BEEN ABLE TO DRASTICALLY CUT DOWN THE LEVEL OF STEALING OF PUBLIC FUNDS

and sustain the corrupt practices. The case of Magu is simply about corruption fighting back and Mr. President must be aware of this.

When it is considered objectively, Magu has remained an efficient anti-corruption fighter and trusted ally of the president’s campaign.

Magu has accomplished a lot in his capacity as acting chair of the EFCC. In his five years in office, he has been able to secure about 2,240 convictions. In 2015 alone, the commission secured 103 convictions; the number went up to 109 in 2016, 189 in 2017, 315 in 2018, 1281 in 2019.

As at mid-2020, about 243 convictions have been recorded already, in addition to high profile convictions of former governors and politically exposed persons, including captains of industries who have been found guilty of corrupt practices across the country.

Globally, Magu’s accomplishments at the EFCC lifted Nigeria’s outlook in reference to financial crimes. He has helped this government recover huge sums of stolen money and property which have been useful to its revitalisation of the economy. Magu has given Nigeria and the APC government a huge global recognition as anti-corruption fighters through his works and collaborations with other anticorruption agencies across the world.

A plaque from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was recently presented to him in recognition of this commitment and determination to rid Nigeria of financial fraudsters and crimes.

Such person who has given so much energy and heart to President Buhari’s anticorruption should not be treated the way he is being treated now. The FBI presented Magu a plaque for his ‘unique role’ in the joint field operation code-named, ‘Operation Rewired’ which was intended to crackdown global cyber-crime.

Operation Rewired, was a coordinated law enforcement effort by the US Department of Justice, in conjunction with anti-corruption agencies around the world including the EFCC. This was a joint effort that lasted for more than four months and it led to the arrest of 281 fraudsters in the US, Nigeria, Turkey and Ghana, as well as in France, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, and the UK. The operation resulted in the seizure of nearly $3.7 million. Beyond the EFCC’s efforts against business email compromise (BEC) menace in Nigeria, Magu’s commitment to stopping crooked politicians from gaining political powers and access to public treasury is known; it is always expected that interests would fight back, but then it was never thought that such interests will be found in the same government that Magu serves. I will urge the president to take seriously the present saga playing out against Magu to avoid occasions where people hijack and bring down his government.

One thing is clear, and as put by Indian politician and attorney, A.K. Antony, ‘there is no compromise when it comes to corruption; you have to fight it.’ Magu is an asset that must not be treated shabbily or allowed to go away; President Buhari has to decide his anticorruption intents and recall Magu to continue the good works he has started at the EFCC. Chief Hinks, former chairman of Ekeremo local government area, wrote from Bayelsa

WHO IS AFTERYEMI OSINBAJO?

Etim Etim contends that the attacks on the vice president are politically motivated

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n the last five years, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has been the most castigated and perhaps traumatized senior member of the Buhari administration. The humiliation and disrespect he suffered under the former Chief of Staff to the President were legendary. No public official should be put through such dishonour by another member of the same government.

Now, there seems to be a well-organized network of persons determined to denigrate and humiliate the VP with a constant barrage of malicious publications. Femi Fani Kayode constantly demeans the Vice President for reasons that are not clear.

Just two weeks ago, Jackson Ude, another PDP member who publishes a blog known as Pointblank News from a base in the US, wrote falsely that the suspended EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, had given Prof Osinbajo N4 billion from the N39 billion he allegedly looted from the agency. Last year, there was a sensational, but false publication which alleged that Prof Osinbajo had collected some N90 billion from the FIRS to fund that year’s elections in Lagos.

Just this week, as I was concluding this piece, a man who claims to be an assistant to the suspended chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, has come up with another bizarre story and Fake News of how the VP had met with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some Igbo leaders and a judge to plot the imprisonment of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu so as to clear the way for Asiwaju to clinch the presidential ticket effortlessly. It has now come to air, no such assistant worked with Magu.

As if this was not strange enough, it was further revealed in another publication that Shehu Garba, one of the President’s spokespersons, was behind the tale of Magu giving billions to the VP. Garba has denied but the curiosity continues.

In all the cases, the Vice President’s Media Team

has strongly debunked his involvement in any sleaze, scheme, conspiracy theory or any wrongdoing. Since this story broke over the weekend, I have tried unsuccessfully to speak to Garba and hear his own side of the story. I am so worried that his name could be linked to something so evil. It is not long ago that the First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari, had accused him of spreading negative stories about her.

May be Garba himself is a victim of another plot in a bigger plot! He should clear his name vigorously.

But who are behind these flurries of fabrications against the vice president and for what purpose?

I ask because what is clear is that some people somewhere are set to turnaround what many regard as Osinbajo’s sterling reputation and rising profile.

According to an official statement from his Office released soon after the Jackson Ude publication: “such mindless, vicious and reckless publications have now become the preferred tool of unscrupulous and reprobate elements in our society who are procured with monetary inducement to peddle blatant falsehood, tarnish the image of upright public officials and mislead unsuspecting Nigerians’’.

I believe that the attacks against the VP are mostly politically motivated. Nigerians will recall that Jackson Ude, the main purveyor of these acerbities, had worked in the Public Affairs unit of the Jonathan administration with Dr. Doyin Okupe. The two were the major attack dogs hired by that administration, and together with FFK, the Campaign Communication Director, they sniped at President Jonathan’s opponents in the build-up to the 2015 elections.

So it stands to reason that both FFK and Ude are still bitter at the crushing defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan, and are still nursing grudges against the VP who remains a major asset to the APC ticket and has become an important member

of the Buhari team.

There is also the view that the sponsors of these noxious publications are not comfortable with the warm relationship between the President and the Vice President. Their assumption is that the cordiality will give the professor a better competitive edge in the politics of 2023. The presidential interests of both Governors Femi Kayode of Ekiti State, Nasir elRufai of Kaduna and Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu are not hidden. I do not imagine that they are not concerned with a potential challenge from a Vice President who enjoys both the trust of the President and a rising profile among Nigerians. Although the VP has, apparently overburdened and distracted by all the scheming and permutations, recently announced that he has no such ambition, at least for now, Nigerians continue to expect that he will give it a shot. There are very few Vice Presidents in a presidential democracy who don’t want to succeed their bosses. It is therefore reasonable to expect that other contenders will not take Yemi Osinbajo lightly. I have personally spent a long enough time in politics and political communication to know that desperate aspirants will do everything possible to destroy a perceived strong opponent before the race begins. They employ smear campaigns in the media and spread damaging rumours and unsubstantiated claims. Those of them with strong media influence, especially the newspaper publishers, can also instigate hostile press coverage against their perceived opponents.

Another possible source of the persistent attacks on the VP is some disgruntled persons in the State House. ‘The Villa boys’, as these middlelevel officials are called, have been known to play damaging roles in our politics. While some work with politicians to upstage or spread dirt on their opponents, others deceive desperate candidates to part with huge cash in the pretext of getting them

party nominations, helping to tip court judgments in their favour or arranging meetings with the First Lady or the Chief of Staff. I know many candidates who have been duped by these ‘Villa Boys’. They are merciless and ruthless.

Prof Osinbajo has never really been a favourite of some of the ‘Villa Boys’, especially those who operated within the orbit of the late CoS. The reader may wish to refer to my article titled ‘The Abba Kyari we did not know’ published soon after his passing in which I detailed how they and their late boss dealt with the VP. The VP’s rave coverage in the media when he acted for his sick boss in 2017 stung some of them to the quick. They just could not stand the diminutive lawyer being presented as a better alternative to the ailing boss. Obviously, those grudges still persist three years after. The mention of Shehu Garba’s name in connection with one of these publications has therefore alarmed me a great deal. I am waiting anxiously to hear from him.

Prof Osinbajo’s credentials and reputation are never in doubt. The President himself regularly gushes over ‘his intellect and youth’. There is no doubt that the VP is loyal to his boss and is delivering on his assignments. The recently published Economic Sustainability Plan designed by him and Committee attests to his depth and rigor. A humble gentleman who connects easily with the people, he does not even flaunt these qualities like an Atiku Abubakar would. Remember how the former Vice President tried to upstage his boss midway into their tenure? As 2023 comes close, I have no doubt that those who see Yemi Osinbajo as their potential rival will not let up in their plan to make him look bad before Nigerians. It is up to him to push back vigorously in defense of his true character. The good thing is that Nigerians already know who the real Osinbajo is. Let’s hope truth prevails and good overcomes evil.

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T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY, JULY 20, 2020

EDITORIAL VANDALISM OF CRITICAL PIPELINES The authorities could do more to curtail the menace

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recent report by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that vandalism of its pipelines across the country rose by 50 per cent in January is not only disturbing, it indicates that the authorities have not done much to tackle this menace that has gone on for decades. According to the report released in April, no fewer than 60 pipeline points were vandalised compared to 40 incidents recorded in December 2019. This level of sabotage questions the effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Anti-Electricity Vandalism Response Squad (AEVRS) established to offer practical solutions to the problem.

While we lament this deplorable situation, we restate our earlier position that the menace of vandalism persists in the oil and gas sector because of the existence of some “market” for the stolen items.

Obviously no criminal would be foolish enough to take the risk of stealing crude oil or transformers and power-line cables THE LEVEL OF SABOTAGE without having an assured off-taker QUESTIONS THE market somewhere.

EFFECTIVENESS OF In the case of power THE ANTI-ELECTRICITY sector, these stolen VANDALISM RESPONSE transformers and SQUAD ESTABLISHED other equipment TO OFFER PRACTICAL turn up for resupply SOLUTIONS TO THE by contractors in PROBLEM the sector. After all, no single individual can afford the purchase and installation of such specialised equipment without the active connivance of the officials.

There is no doubt that the incidents of theft and equipment vandalism are costing the nation huge sums of money. But more worrisome is that the immediate consequence of this criminality is that life is made more difficult for law abiding citizens who are thrown into darkness due to erratic and unreliable

Letters to the Editor

power supply. Also, the nation’s economy is seriously threatened as industries are being shut down and employees laid off because companies cannot meet production target as many operate below their installed capacity.

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

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

t is unfortunate that as the nation remains over burdened with the quest for improved and steady power supply, there are unpatriotic elements hell-bent on sabotaging government efforts and throwing their fellow citizens into hardship. It is therefore time that the authorities took serious measures against these criminals. To the extent that what we are dealing with is a serious crime that borders on economic sabotage, the security agencies should be up and doing in apprehending the hoodlums and bringing them to justice. The Inspector-General of Police should find out why the personnel deployed to AEVRS have been ineffective.

We also call on the host communities to provide assistance by way of real time intelligence and information to the security agencies whenever they notice these crimes. Criminals come from within specific communities and when they realise that they would be exposed by their kinsmen they would certainly have a second thought. Community leaders should consider it a patriotic duty to join in the fight against the vandalism of critical national assets like pipelines.

However, what is worrying is that the security agencies have a long history of tough words that have been of no effect as the criminally-minded people within our society get more and more emboldened. It is therefore incumbent on all the critical stakeholders to come up with a solution that will work. But as we stated earlier, the communities have to be vigilant in keeping a close eye on the equipment within their neighbourhood, even for the sake of their own enlightened self-interest. The bottom-line remains that we must protect these vital assets of the nation from the grip of criminals. It is in everyone’s overall interest.

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.

Nigeria’s Lost Generation Needs Free Educational Data

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he British government recently promised a “New Deal” to kick-start its economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling to mind the vast investment in jobs and infrastructure designed by President Roosevelt to save America from the Great Depression.

When details of this “New Deal” arrived, it turned out that the people of Britain (649,000 of whom have lost their jobs due to COVID-19) were being offered £10 (4000 Naira) off restaurant bills for 14 days in August.

Not so much a New Deal as a meal deal – it would be like the Nigerian government trying to rebuild our economy with discounts in Mr Biggs! It was hard for me not to feel the way the people of Britain must have felt when they heard this when I heard Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami announce government ambitions for a 40% cut in data prices by 2025.

Two weeks ago, I called on Dr Pantami to require telecommunications firms to make educational resources exempt from data charges to save a generation of Nigerians from having their education permanently disrupted by COVID-19.

Data is a luxury many Nigerian families cannot afford. Education is a necessity. A 40% price cut in five years time will not help Nigeria’s lost generation one bit.

In the same speech Dr Pantami announced government plans to “promote digital economy and improve the living standard of the citizenry” with an emphasis on “skill acquisition”.

This is music to my ears, but during the speech the minister also boasted that broadband penetration in Nigeria has risen to 40.18%.

Dr Pantami spoke of targeting a rapid rollout of 5G capability across Nigeria – but we are yet to achieve significant 4G penetration! Indeed, with government projections stating that by 2025 only 70% of Nigerians will have any sort of internet.

The youth of Nigeria will never develop digital skills if less than half of them are able to access the internet and those who are cannot afford to. Dr Patami’s goals are the right ones and I genuinely applaud both his efforts and ambitions. And there is not getting around it - universal broadband takes time to deliver.

But our children need action now. Especially those unable to access education.

One in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is Nigerian. 10.5 million of our five to 14-year-old are not in school.

This is a national disgrace. And that was before COVID-19 robbed so many more children of months of education.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revolutionised digital and online education as lessons move online across the world.

But in Nigeria, many homes are not equipped to adapt to these new methods of learning. This means children who have fallen behind will never catch up, and Nigeria will continue to feel the effects of the coronavirus for long after the pandemic is over.

Some 170 million Nigerians have a mobile phone subscription, but many of those with smartphones cannot afford the data fees to make the most of the opportunities of the digital age. Many

Nigerian parents will be burning through data trying to use online resources to help with their children’s schooling. When the data ends, so does the learning.

As head of the Digital Democracy campaign -Rate Your Leader, I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to tell our telecommunication companies that this isn’t good enough.

Our app allows registered voters to directly contact their local politicians – building trust, transparency and accountability, and allowing a two-way flow of information which educates and benefits both parties. We know Nigerians want this – so tell your local leaders!

All of this is done with the touch of a smartphone button from the comfort of the home. It would take next to nothing for children otherwise unable to access education to learn the same way. But while Rate Your Leader requires minimal data, online educational resources do not.

As for the telecommunications companies themselves, free data for education should not be seen as an act of charity but a sensible business decision. It is companies like them who stand to gain most from a more digitally-skilled workforce and wider internet access. For any of our telecommunication companies with consistent modest, profit after tax for decades, this modest investment would pay for itself many times over.

Nigeria’s lost generation needs free data for education now – not a price cut in five years Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and creator of free Rate Your Leader app.

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FEATURES

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

Weighing the Impact of COVID-19 on Women Chiemelie Ezeobi who was part of a recent webinar writes that the focus was on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid

Godwin Ehigiamusoe

F

or women who comprise 1.5 billion of the world’s low-wage workforce and twice as many of its carers, it is perhaps ironical to state that are the most vulnerable to the economic and health crises that unfold in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s an unfortunate reality.

Before the pandemic, a majority of women worked as low-wage workers in the manufacturing, service and informal sectors. Unfortunately, these low-wage employments lack a social safety net such as paid sick leave, parental leave, or retirement contributions to cope with the economic shocks of the ongoing pandemic.

As a result, girls are now vulnerable to early marriages in order to relieve the family of another mouth to feed; women are facing greater financial barriers and sexual violence has become rampant.

According to experts, to ensure that women do not slip further into poverty and marginalisation, efforts taken by public and private stakeholders must take into consideration these seen and unseen costs.

This is backed by reports by global research which suggests that women's financial inclusion and empowerment has positive benefits for the family and society at large.

Widespread Effect of COVID-19 The widespread regression in almost all sectors has been one of the most notable effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. The world has experienced unprecedented social and economic shocks during this pandemic and most entities are only now activating plans of action to facilitate relief.

This has led regions across the globe to join in on communal efforts to alleviate the suffering of millions of people.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) showed evidence that the economic impact has been felt more intensely, in the lowermiddle-income and upper-middle-income countries. Its published numbers reflect a 22 per cent and 24 per cent average loss respectively, in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) across countries. The social impact of the pandemic has also stunted positive moving curves, most especially among women. These numbers were only just beginning to gain positive momentum and now, there is an indication that a lot of progress will be undone in the post-pandemic era.

Elderly and children age groups in need of higher amounts of care have been served predominantly by women and a large part of this care is met with little to no wage compensation. Lockdown measures that have spanned across the globe have necessitated a spike in this kind of labour.

A large number of women have been forced to take up the mantle of caring

Saudatu Mahdi

for the young and elderly. This includes women who are gainfully employed and women who aren’t.

Women at a Disadvantage Projections predict that a large part of the women workforce will not smoothly return to work. This is especially worrisome because presently, only 65 per cent of women aged 25-54 are in the labour force, compared to 94 per cent of men. Coupled with the fact that women currently work three times more hours of unpaid care work than men(including pre-COVID), women already in the labour force are disadvantaged in productive work hours.

There is now a valid argument for the assertion that women are more significantly edged towards the poverty line.

In Nigeria, the wage gap and the financial situation of women are not outside the norm. A significant number of women in this region are still financially excluded.

They generally earn less than men and as a result, are closer to the poverty line. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exasperated the situation. Recent reports show that 70 per cent of women in developing economies find themselves in the informal economic sector. The situation has resulted in little protection against dismissal, a lack of paid sick leave, parental leave, and retirement contributions, and overall limited access to social protection. Packages which are the crux of global social protection relief in response to COVID 19.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) released a report in 2019, highlighting some of the factors responsible for the financial exclusion of women. The level of income, education, and trust in financial services were the main factors pointed out. These factors among others have limited women’s access to financial products and services. The World Bank reported that only 27 per cent of females in Nigeria owned a transaction account as of 2017. A lack of regular income and the unaffordability of financial services costs are strong characteristics of the COVID-19 era for a lot of women and these characteristics mirror the ones responsible for the reported low numbers.

Focus on COVID-19 Impact on Women A number of entities, who are conscious of this looming situation are putting in efforts to increase widespread awareness, as well as bring possible solutions to light.

Recently, a media parley on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Women at the Bottom of The Pyramid�, was held as an excellent example of these efforts. The initiative sought to provide innovative solutions to the problems of women. The discussion

Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi

focused on a number of angles to enhance the understanding of all parties involved, including the media.

The discussion sought to explore more innovative solutions to the problems women at the bottom of the pyramid are facing including- how can the government and private sector stakeholders enable lowincome women to thrive amidst, and in a post-pandemic Nigeria; what role does financial inclusion play in alleviating the adverse effects of government measures on low-income women; and what learnings can we take from this to enhance women's empowerment in our society?

Thus, the objective of the webinar was to educate the media on the challenges faced by women amidst COVID-19; outline the work and activities that need to be undertaken by multiple stakeholders to overcome these challenges; outline the prospects of empowering low- income women and its impact on the broader economic stability of Nigeria; discuss the approach that various participants have taken in their own organisations and spheres of influence, and the effects as a result; build capacity and share a nuanced understanding that can be reflected in the media’s reporting, in order to amplify awareness about the pertinent issues faced by these key contributors to the economy.

Providing real-world context, four experts participated- Godwin Ehigiamusoe, the founder and former Managing Director of Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) Microfinance Bank Limited; Saudatu Mahdi, Women’s Rights Advocate and the Secretary-General of Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), and Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi, medical doctor, Women Health Activist, and the first Nigerian elected as president of the Medical Women International Association.

The discussion was moderated by Tosin Oluwaseinde, founder of The Money Africa and was hosted by Onyebuchi Ajufo.

Helping Low-income Women Thrive Firstly, the discussion sought to illuminate how the government and private sector may enable low-income women to survive and thrive amid and subsequent to the pandemic. It also looked to dissect the role of financial inclusion in alleviating the adverse effects of government measures on low-income women. Additionally, the discussion looked to provide knowledge on how to enhance women’s empowerment in society.

While speaking, Ehigiamusoe highlighted the fact that a restructuring of loan facilities with an emphasis on disadvantaged women was needed. He cited mid-term loans offered to small business owners.

This financial product had been used by LAPO microfinance bank to help low scale

business owners with cash flow problems.

He also touched on the need for open conversations between government agencies and the most vulnerable women, to help them understand the specific challenges faced by these women.

Generating National Database for Women Mahdi in turn reiterated the fact that women and young girls have been generally more vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. She pointed out the need for a national database of women in the lowest economic strata. She made known that this database would give financial agencies a clearer understanding of where these services are needed most and how they could be made available. She explained that the accounts of violence against women have increased due to the pandemic, and subsequently called for responders to women abuse to be listed as essential services, citing the difficulties agencies like WRAPA have had, trying to get to women who have suffered abuse.

Creating Unfettered Access to Credit Nwadinobi called for “unfettered access to decent credit� for women. She remarked that the majority of macro loans were given to men and that women were inadvertently nudged towards owning and running small scale businesses predominantly. She also called for more attention to be paid to violence against women, citing that violence aggravates health issues and costs.

Essential Services Targeted at Women At the end, all parties involved in the conversation agreed that there is now an increased need for essential services to be directed towards women and young girls. Services such as learning facilities for young girls now that schools are closed and increased health and security facilities for women and mothers. These services would significantly reduce incidents of violence and reduce the chances of young girls dropping out of school, which is a loss to the economy. Another major consensus for rectifying this burgeoning situation is that all decisions and plans must present equal representation of women. This demands a consultation from stakeholders on women’s issues and a call for more women’s voices in response efforts.

There was also a call for reorientation in society, calling on more men to take up increased roles in domestic and informal care work. With these efforts properly put in place, there are strong indications that there would be a greater percentage of financially included women and reduced health risks among women and young girls.

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FEATURES

Who Killed Tolulope Arotile?

The country was thrown into mourning last Tuesday when the Air Force announced that Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, died at the NAF Base in Kaduna.

But who killed her? Asks Davidson Iriekpen

W

ho killed Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot? This is one question the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) needs to urgently unravel going by the interests a lot of Nigerians and groups have shown in unraveling the circumstances leading to her death. Before her demise, both social and conventional media were agog with reports on how she was leading a major onslaught against bandits and armed Islamic fundamentalists in the North.

It was believed that her sorties led to the deaths of several militants and bandits. It was also gathered that her last operation was in the North-central states tagged "Operation Gama Aiki in Minna, Niger State where despite rockets fired at her, she succeeded in killing many bandits and fundamentalists.

Then to the consternation of many Nigerians, on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, the sad news broke that the 24-year-old combatant had died.

The initial information many Nigerians got when the said news broke was that Arotile died as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at the NAF Base in Kaduna. While they were still wondering how the deceased could have deliberately driven herself to death in the base or who could have driven a car on top speed in the base to cause her death, a statement by NAF opened a floodgate of suspicions.

According to the statement signed by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the events that resulted in the death of Arotile started when the 24-year-old was allegedly hit by a car driven by a former classmate who wanted to greet her at the NAF Base in Kaduna State. He said the unnamed exclassmate was reportedly reversing the car when it hit Arotile who fell and hit her head on the tarmac. He added that the deceased subsequently died while receiving treatment at the hospital where she was taken to. “Flying Officer Arotile died on July 14, 2020 at the age of 24, when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her. Before her untimely death, Flying Officer Arotile made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, armed banditry and other forms of criminality in the country, flying several combat missions,� the statement read.

The circumstances of Arotile’s death have raises many questions: Who could have wanted her dead? Or who could have sneaked into the base and murdered her?

This is why many family members and observers and who read the NAF’s statement on the cause of death of the young officer, are not buying the statement. They feel that there is more to death than meet the eyes, adding that the air force certainly has more questions to answer concerning her death.

For instance, those familiar with the Air Force Base said with the number of speed breakers on the roads and their heights, it would be extremely difficult for a car to knock anyone down in the barracks. They wondered what happened to the driver of the car, his or her name and where the suspected killer is at the moment?

Many are wondering if the bandits or Boko Haram members she had seriously battled in combat operations or their agents in military uniform could have engineered the murder the 24-year-old officer who made significant and outstanding contributions to the war against terrorism, armed banditry and other forms of criminality in the country.

One of such persons who is not convinced by the statement from the NAF is her immediate elder sister, Damilola Adegboye. She is demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her sister’s death. First, she wondered how the reverse of a vehicle could kill a person in such manner. “We in the family are not convinced that Tolu can just die like that in a freak accident.

I know that the military is well trained in the art of investigation, we want them to carry

Late Flying OďŹƒcer Tolulope Arotile out a thorough investigation that can convince us beyond all doubts that the incident that led to her death was real.â€?

She said on the day of the incident, Arotile and herself were in the room where she was sleeping “a call came into her phone which she picked but from the way they spoke, I knew the caller must be a senior officer calling her to come to Air Force base. She felt reluctant and I offered to drop her off.

One hour later, I read online that something serious had happened to her. I couldn’t believe that somebody I just dropped off is dead,� she explained.

Last Friday, the NAF released a statement saying that Arotile would be buried on July 23 in Abuja with full military compliment.

But before that is done, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights, lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the suspension of all burial plans until the conclusion of the investigations into her death.

Adegboruwa posed 10 questions which the air force must answer due to its inconsistent stories that has not helped to douse the suspicions.

The SAN asked: “Who drove the car?

Where did the accident happen? Where was Arotile going to? A reversing car means it had passed her, so was she trekking? Was she blindfolded not to see the reversing car to escape? Were her legs tied? What kind of medical treatment did she receive? In which hospital was she treated? Who called her out from her rest after a successful air combat on bandits? Why are there inconsistent statements from the Nigerian Air Force, being released in bits and pieces?�

Also, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere and the World Yoruba Congress (WYC) have joined in calling on the federal government to thoroughly investigate the “gruesome murder� of Arotile, saying her death is suspicious.

Adams, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said he is taking lightly the NAF explanation that a reversing car killed combat pilot Arotile. “The best we can do as a nation is to get to the root of the circumstances culminating in her death. As far as I am concerned, reports of her death remained suspicious to me because her death has raised many questions. “How would such a promising, young girl be killed by a reversing car within the premises of the barrack? Who drove the car?

What was his or her name? Where was the suspected killer at the moment? And what is the present situation? We will like to know, and that is why I am charging the international community to investigate and look into the circumstances surrounding her death.

Similarly, Afenifere while expressing shock over the death of Arotile, called for a coroner inquest into her death. In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere said it was not satisfied with the explanation given for the cause of her death.

The statement read: “We do not accept that her death was an accident until the report of a coroner says how she died and how a supposed attempt to stop and greet could come with a deadly impact. We say this against what is known of the infiltration of the forces by sympathisers and agents of Boko Haram.�

On its part, the Yoruba World Congress (WYC) called for a thorough and transparent investigation of the accident. A statement by its President, Prof. Banji Akintoye, said: “The WYC calls for a thorough and transparent investigation of the accident.�

Another pro-Yoruba group, Apapo O'odua Koya (AOKOYA), has equally said the least it expects from Arotile’s death is an independent enquiry. It added that the theory that she died in a motor accident inside the Air Force Base is a cock and bull story and doubtful.

In a statement it released at the weekend and signed by Captain Abigo Oritsebugbemi (rtd) and its Middle Belt Coordinator, Akeem Meduna, the group said: "We want full investigation into this suspicious death. We find it difficult to believe the story based on the information at our disposal. How can she have died in a traffic accident right inside the Air Force Base in Kaduna? “We have made preliminary findings and all officers who spoke to us could not understand how that could have happened. One officer, her colleague in Kaduna specifically said the case of murder was the strongest motive.

There must be an independent enquiry for anyone to be convinced Tolulope Arotile was not murdered. We have been informed that their agents and supporters in the military marked her and only succeeded in setting a trap for her.�

Also, the Joint National Action Civil Society Coalition called on the federal government, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the Nigerian Police, to undertake a thorough investigation, including commissioning a coroner’s inquest into her death. The group which is the

umbrella body of 10 associations, said given the strategic importance of her position to national security, and the various versions of how her death occurred, it was not impossible that she was murdered. “Given the strategic importance of her position to national security, and the various versions of how her death occurred that have emerged in the public domain, we call on the federal government, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the Nigerian Police, to undertake a thorough investigation, including commissioning a coroner’s inquest into her death. “Considering her crucial role in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria, it must be taken into consideration that the flying officer may have been a target of criminal elements for reasons best known to them. It must also be recalled that since Nigeria launched its war on terrorism, law enforcement officers have inadvertently become the counterstrike targets of organised criminal groups. “Whilst reports from the Nigerian Armed Forces have alleged that the circumstances surrounding her death were purely accidental, it is important for all doubts to be cleared through an exhaustive inquest as to the cause of her death. “The Joint National Action Civil Society Coalition respects and acknowledges the sacrifices of the Nigerian military and officers of law enforcement agencies who battle at the frontline against insecurity in our country, and urges the Government of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Armed Forces to ensure the security and welfare of all its security assets.�

It was not until after these outcries from individuals and groups that the Air Force at the weekend said it had arrested two persons in connection with Arotile’s death.

According to NAF’s spokesman, Commodore Daramola, “The two boys are in custody and the NAF will do a thorough investigation into the matter. It is a routine process – our own processes that are ongoing because it happened inside a NAF base. “At the appropriate time, whatever information needs to go out will go out. But we cannot pre-empt that investigation process.

Whatever needs to be known will be known; it is standard practice. So, we are investigating the circumstances leading to her death by a road traffic accident. It is an investigation because it may go beyond NAF.�

Many Nigerians are hoping and praying that this is not where that matter will end or be counted among unresolved murder cases in the country.

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T H I S D AY ˞ Ͱ͎˜ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

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Quick Takes IoD to Launch Code of Ethics

TheInstituteofDirectorsNigeria(IoD)issettoformallyunveilitsNigeria Code of Ethics for members and sta of the institute.

The institute explained that the event would hold virtual on Thursday, 6th of August 2020.

In a letter to THISDAY, it pointed out that poor corporate governance, corruption and unethical practice aects everyone in the country. “Our future depends on organisations being run honestly, responsibly and managed eectively for long-term prosperity and sustainability. “We will therefore appreciate it, if your organisation will complement and support our Institute’s eorts to campaign for good ethical practices in our organisations,â€? it stated.

It added that the IoD Nigeria Code of Ethics 2020 sets out clearly the valuesandprinciplesthatshouldguideorganisationsanddirectorsinorder toincreasepublicconďŹ denceinboardsofdirectors,ensuringsustainability, and creating wealth for the beneďŹ t of business and the society as a whole The theme for the launch is “Doing Good is Good Business, the Ethics Dimension.â€? “Weexpectittobeahighlyengagingandinformativeevent.Dr.Christopher Kolade and Mr. M. K. Ahmad, have both agreed to be Chairman and Lead Speaker respectively, at the occasion. “The Special Guest of Honour is the Minister of Industry,Trade & Investments, Adeniyi Adebayo, CON. We shall also have a very distinguished panel to engage on the theme.

BUSINESS REVIEW

L-R:GroupFinanceDirector,UACofNigeriaPlc, Mr.IbikunleOriola;Non-ExecutiveChairman,Mr.DanAgbor,andCompanySecretary, Mr.GodwinSamuel, at ETOPUKUTT the2020annualgeneralmeetingof UACofNigeriaPlcheldinLagos...recentl

NSE: Trading Value Declines by 45% Goddy Egene The stock market witnessed a decline in value of investment by investors last week, committing only N7.436 billion as against N13.453 billion invested the previous week, showing a fall of 44.7 per cent.

The weak patronage led to a depreciation of 0.08 per cent in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index by 0.08 per cent to close the week at 24,287.66, while market capitalisation ended at N12.670 trillion respectively.

Market analysts attributed the lower value of trading to the cautious stance of investors, who are waiting for companies to release their half year financial results.

Some market analysts had said the financial performance of companies for first half of the year will determine the level

CAPITAL MARKET of patronage by investors going forward.

Although many investors are adopting cautious trading, operators have advised discerning ones to take advantage of the current low prices and increase their investments in the market.

For instance, a stockbroker, Mr. Ayo Oguntayo, explained that some stocks have suffered significant price depreciation in the last month of the Q2 due to profit taking after a rally in April and May. “Just like the scenario that occurred after the decline in Q1 when investors swooped on shares due to their low prices, the decline in June has provided an opportunity for discerning investors to come in ahead of the release of H1 financial

performance of companies. “Although there are some apprehension that the COVID-19 pandemic may have impact on the results, there are possibilities of some companies still coming up with positive results because many of them activated their business continuity plan that helped to mitigate the negative impact of the lockdown,� Oguntayo said.

Speaking in the same, the Chief Executive Officer of Wyoming Capital and Partners, Mr. Tajudeen Olayinka, said now that market has had a better understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fact that everyone has got to live with the virus going forward, it was unlikely that market would go through a repeat of the experience we had at the start of the pandemic. “However, market needs to analyse H1 results that are

being awaited, to determine the impact of the pandemic on listed companies, before taking further investment decisions or charting a way forward. “More importantly, how the various measures put in place by government would impact the economy as a whole. On a balance of probability, we may see a better market in H2 2020,�

Olayinka said As investors wait the H1 results, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Mr. Lamido Yuguda has pledged the determination of the current management of the commission to make the capital market more accessible to Nigerians. “We need to make operations in the capital market as easy as possible, that way we can attract Continued on page 22

FG Urged to Adopt Technology in Tackling Corruption Emma Okonji The Managing Director of SystemSpecs, Mr. John Obaro, has enjoined the federal and state governments, regulators as well as other players in the private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy to leverage technology to tackle the menace of corruption and illicit flow of funds.

Obaro, made the call recently, when he shared his thoughts during a panel discussion at a 2-day Africa Regional Webinar on Combating Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the

ECONOMY Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

At the event where Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, delivered the keynote address, Obaro noted the damage corruption was inflicting on Nigeria and the need to put in place a system driven by technology to minimise human intervention, reduce the use of discretion in financial matters, encourage the adoption of an end-to-end digital

system, fully embrace a cashless economy and minimise the time to justice.

According to Obaro, “It is indisputable that as a nation we must now, more than ever, know everyone and update their data as they progress through life. It is, therefore, time we took a critical look at our identity management system and converge all data that exist in various silos, for national good.�

He also emphasised the need to deploy and enforce clear budgeting processes and ensure procurement systems are automated.

Obaro, noted that the execu-

tion of smart contracts and clear tax laws can go a long way in minimising the use of discretion, especially in the management of public funds.

Obaro, on his part, encouraged the Nigerian government to work towards a system that digitises processes across various facets of life including our electoral system. “At the earlier stage of Treasury Single Account (TSA) implementation in Nigeria, people presented receipts they had used before – a practice from the pre-TSA era.

Continued on page 22

DuďŹ l Brands Win Awards

CHINI Africa, Cannes Lions oďŹƒcial festival representative in Nigeria and organisers of the Pitcher Awards have announced Indomie Instant noodles and Power Oil from DuďŹ l Prima Foods Plc, as the 2020 winners of the Pitcher Awards Advertiser of the Year and the Public Relations and Reputation Management categories respectively.

The2020editionofthefestivalreceived entries from countries across Africa including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Cape Verde, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The Pitcher Awards was presented to the brand during an online ceremony held on recently.

The awards ceremony was part of a series of events called, “Pitcher Festival of Creativity,� including seminars, exhibitions and academy programmes designed to celebrate and promote creativity in Africa.

Since its introduction to the Nigerian market DuďŹ l Prima Foods products have become household names in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Over the years, the company has created several stories that have strongly resonated with all categories of audience, including children and mothers. Some of their most successful campaigns went beyondpromotingtheproducttoarousingself-discovery,self-expression, and personal development among consumers.

According to the Chief Executive OďŹƒcer of CHINI Africa Nnamdi Ndu, “Indomie came as a natural choice for this year’s Advertiser of the Year award considering the unique role creativity has played in catapulting a virtually unknown brand to a regular staple and a generic name for its product category. Also, considering the novel tactics deployed by Power Oil for her Unbranded Oil Campaign, DuďŹ l Prima Foods Plc’s ingenuity, creativity as well as the hard work of the people behind these brands is commendable.â€?

Moody’s AďŹƒrms Afreximbank’s Rating

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced that the global credit ratings agency Moody’s, recently aďŹƒrmed its long-term credit rating at Baa1, with a stable outlook. The agency determines its rating for supra-nationals based on three criteria: capital adequacy, liquidity, and funding and strength of member support. Moody’s noted that Afreximbank’s credit proďŹ le was, “supported by its collateralised trade ďŹ nance business model, with a short average asset maturity and a relatively well-diversiďŹ ed loan portfolio that allows it to respond exibly to the coronavirus crisis.â€?

The report added that, “the stable outlook is supported by the Bank’s successful equity-raising performance and its track record of adapting its strategy to challenges in the operating environment of member countries without undermining its asset-quality performance.�

“The PIB has not been watered down. I don’t know, who has seen the bill. It’s still in draft. It has gone through several modifications�

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources,

Chief Timipre Sylva

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BUSINESSWORLD NSE: TRADING VALUE DECLINES BY 45% investments. We are aware that some investors have left their money due to the Herculean procedures involved, hence our desire to ensure that people are able to benefit from investments, with that, we can increase investor confidence. “We will look at the processes involved and streamline them to ensure that investors are able to get their money without much difficulties. “When that happens people can be motivated to come back to the market. Unless we are able to attract people back, we cannot get the capital market that we can be proud of. We should make our local individual investors the key to succeed in our quest to rebound the market. Local investors don’t have anywhere to go to, and as long as they trust us, they will remain.�

According to him, commission has zero tolerance for sharp practices in the capital market and urged stakeholders to ensure that they operate according to laid down rules and regulations.

FG URGED TO ADOPT TECHNOLOGY IN TACKLING CORRUPTION

However, as a result of the checks put in place through technology, that old practice that let people defraud the system was put to an end,� Obaro said, adding that the country can take advantage of this current period to encourage individual and corporate citizens to minimise the use of cash and instead adopt the digital channels. “It is time to truly go digital,� he said, while identifying the need to adopt a workable system whereby e-payment would be the major avenue for transactions, promote financial inclusion and encourage a credit culture in which people would not need to amass resources before they can acquire the essential needs of life like housing and shelter,� he added.

In address, vice president Osinbajo said: “Our experience in Nigeria as in other developing countries is that anonymous corporate ownership covers a multitude of sins including conflict of interests, corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, and even terrorism financing.�

NEWS

Poultry Farmers Push for Interest Rate Reduction, Other Incentives Raheem Akingbolu With 60 per cent increase in the price of major raw materials being used by the poultry farmers and business failure of about 40 percent farmers, the National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Mr. Ezekiel Mam, has called on federal government, the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial operators to wade in and put framework in place to enable poultry farmers access loan at five per cent interest rate, to rescue the once flourishing industry.

Mam, who spoke to THISDAY at the weekend on how the lockdown has almost crippled the industry, expressed the fear that if nothing was urgently done to revive poultry activities, the entire business value chain would fall. “To say poultry farming business is in comatose is like stating the obvious -we have not had it this bad. During the lockdown, demand for poultry needs; meat and eggs, dropped and many farmers had no other alternative but to destroy their eggs. “As a result of the restriction, our major trade partners like the hotels, quick service restaurant and events centres were not allowed to open. There was also transportation problem because most of the

farmers outsource the logistics arm of the business. “In some cases, consumers look for alternatives. Hence, there was a sharp difference between the supply rate and demand rate.

After the ease on the lockdown, when many would expect businesses to take shape, the price of raw material suddenly went up.

“For instance, a 100kg of maize which was N9, 000 before the lockdown now goes for N20, 000 and above. As I speak now, for any farmer to arrange feed (grains and corns), the farmer has to buy at exorbitant prices. We also have to pay high charges for transporting poultry to markets,� he said.

While speaking on how to curtail the high capital intensive outlook of the industry, the national president, who stated that the association was still discussing with the federal government over palliative for farmers, also advocated for other incentives that would attract young Nigerians to farming now that the country

is desperate to be self-sufficient in food production. “Poultry farming is capital intensive, we were already stabilising and meeting local demand well before the lockdown.

Now, considering the fact that it’s capital intensive, we need government support for our members to bounce back.

CSRINACTION

L-R:ChiefAmudaYusuf,AshojuObaofIjoraLand;ObaAbdulfataiAromire,ObaofIjoraandIganmuKingdom;ManagingDirector,Seven-UpBottlingCompany Ltd(SBC),ZiadMaalouf,andNationalMarketingManager,SBC,SegunOgunleye,duringthedonationof2SureSanitizertoIjoraCommunityandsensitisation onhygiene,heldinLagos‌recently

BOFIA: CBN, NDIC Seek to Limit Litigation over Failed Banks’Resolution James Emejo in Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is proposing the amendment of Sub-section 12 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2004 (BOFIA) to restrict remedy for successful action against revocation of license to monetary compensation in line with international best practice.

This is just as the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and other stakeholders backed the CBN recommendations.

Speaking at a public hearing on the Banks and other Financial Institutions Act, 2004 (BOFIA) Repeal and Re-enactment Bill, 2020 which was organised by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, the CBN Director,

Legal Services Department, Kofo Salam-Alada, said the proposed amendment would ensure prompt payment of insured depositors without added complexities from litigations.

He also recommended that compensation be aligned to the value of paid- up share capital of the bank to prevent cases of award of excessive monetary compensation to persons under whose corporate control the bank was run aground.

Specifically, Managing Director/ Chief Executive, NDIC, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim agreed to the need to review the BOFIA, adding that insider NPLs are major cause of bank failure and should be addressed.

He said while existing penalties for infractions were laughable, fines should be increased and recovery mechanism equally enhanced by

going after culpable directors of failed banks. He however, stressed the need for delineation of roles between the NDIC and CBN He said a provision should be included in BOFIA to increase the commission’s involvement in banking certification in order to determine whether a financial institution is insurable before licensed is award going forward.

Nonetheless, the CBN called for provisions to enhance failed bank recovery and resolution tool kit to give more options for managing failing institutions and systemic crisis without recourse to public treasury.

The apex bank further urged the National Assembly to introduce a new sub-section that would invalidate any transaction which results in the transfer of significant ownership or control of a bank without the approval of the CBN

as well as void any transfer of interest there under.

He said this may forestall any change in structure that may compromise corporate governance principles and endanger the interest of depositors.

The CBN further proposed the creation of a Credit Tribunal to strengthen credit recovery processes and enforcement of collateral rights Alade explained that such tribunal would boost measures to address the problem of Nonpreforming loans (NPLs) and create an efficient regime for the recovery of eligible loans of banks and other financial institutions (OFIs).

Among other recommendations to the commttee, chaired

by Senator Uba Sani, Emefiele called for the strengthening of the framework for reporting for insider transactions as part of measures

to boost credit administration processes in banks.

He also sought enhancements to regulatory measures for single obligor limits, transfer of significant holdings as well as strengthening the sanctions regime to make it more deterrent.

The CBN Director said there was need to review of provisions to recognise the unique business models of new entrants into the financial services sector including non-interest banks and payment system service providers.

The apex bank also called for amendment to allow for effective management of dormant accounts to ensure efficient administration for ultimate benefit of the owners of the funds and/or their beneficiaries as well as enhanced requirements for payments, settlement and clearing activities to address unfolding developments.

Group Unveils Initiative to Support Entrepreneurs Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT)

James Emejo and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja No fewer than 60 young entrepreneurs from each of the country’s six geopolitical zones will access between N60, 000 to N1 million as startup capital to grow their businesses under a landmark initiative to boost job creation and enhance living standards of Nigerians.

The initiative, termed Project 60:60:60 and themed: “Opening Doors of New Entrepreneurship Opportunities (2020-2030)�, is designed to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th independence celebration.

The convener, Hon. Abimbola Daramola said there are further plans to establish 37 entrepreneur-

ship laboratories across the country to boost the capacity of start-ups.

He said the initiative is in line with the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to create 100 million of jobs within the next four to five years.

Addressing journalists in Abuja during the entrepreneurs’ pre-boot camp conversation, the former lawmaker said as the country moves toward the attainment of her 60th independence anniversary, it becomes imperative to set a national agenda for the next decade.

He said project 60:60:60 represents a complementary private sector driven effort to make the next decade (2020-2030) a period to develop permanent agenda to

raise new entrepreneurs.

Daramola further identified under-employment, unemployment and joblessness as the greatest challenges confronting Nigerians, adding that at the dawn of the 60th anniversary, the country is heading for recession with 39.4 million jobs under threat, made worse by raging Covid-19 pandemic.

According to him, the 60:60:60 initiative basically seeks to give additional value and “make our attainment of this Diamond age impressionable.�

He said: “We want to see how many entrepreneurs that through this initiative we can raise within the next 10 years. For instance, if we set up the 37 entrepreneurship

laboratories across the country, we will ensure that 1000 people get trained from those laboratories, which fit into the dream of President Muhammadu Buhari who said that he want to raise a hundred million jobs within the next four to five years. “You must understand that crude oil is not the mainstay of the economy anymore, people are talking about diversification and many more, it is time to work our talk. In doing this, the private sector’s will is the reason we have started this initiative and I am sure the economy of this country will feel a pinch of the impact of what we are trying to do.�

Further stressing the need to refocus the orientation of Nigerians,

the former House of member said going forward, entrepreneurship has to be people-oriented, adding that “Covid-19 is going to make things worse if we don’t plan exit strategies.�

He said: “This vision starts this year as part of our 60th year independence anniversary with the selection of 60 young people with workable creative ideas, skills, and vision from the six geopolitical zones on the basis of their entries. “The successful ones will attend the 60th independence anniversary entrepreneurship boot camp and thereafter will be given free startup capital or business support fund to take off under guided application of the funds and operational supervision.�

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NEWS

DBN Highlights Benefits of Credit Guarantee to MSMEs Oluchi Chibuzor Current realities in Nigeria including the Covid-19 has brought to fore the urgent need for additional support in alleviating the financial constraints faced by MSMEs. This was the main thrust of the discussion by industry experts at the just concluded DBN webinar series with the theme: “Risk Sharing: A Key Driver for Increased Financial Access and Economic Development for MSMEs,� a virtual knowledge sharing series which held recently via zoom.

The panelists included the

CEO, InfraCredit, Mr. Chinua Azubike; Group Head Emerging Business, Access Bank Plc, Mrs. Ayodele Olojode; Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank, Mr. Ahmed Rostom and MD, JNC International, Mrs. Claire Omatseye. They all alluded to the fact there was need to increase awareness in ensuring that the much-needed stimulus and alternative means of facilitating financing are discovered to stem the shock to Nigeria’s economic and financial system.

The panelists highlighted that Credit Guarantees Schemes (CGS)

are popular instruments that were created to help alleviate the credit constraints faced by MSMEs. In Nigeria, however, there exist some challenges with risk sharing in the local market as most MSMEs do not fully grasp the concepts of risk-sharing and credit guarantees.

They also stressed the need for key industry stakeholders, MSMEs, banks, and regulators to openly discuss alternative means of financing and the existence of risk-sharing.

Group Head Emerging Business, Access bank Plc, Mrs.

Ayodele Olojode explained that MSMEs do not have regular and sustained access to finance because of limitations such as high interest rates, lack of tangible collateral and economic conditions.

She emphasised that, “risk sharing facilities will help increase access to finance which helps MSMEs grow, increases employment and output in the economy.�

She further explained that, “the credit guarantee industry in Nigeria is still at a nascent stage, where the volume of guarantees and the size of the industry

contributions to SMEs remain low compared to peers in other economies. Credit guarantee is the future because it will compensate for insufficient collateral, provide regulatory capital relief for banks, growth for MSMEs, increased economic GDP and job creation.�

Speaking on the economic challenges and the impact of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank, Mr. Ahmed Rostom, shared data from surveys carried out by the Bank recently.

The survey highlighted the impact the pandemic has had on

the Nigerian economy, stating that 42 per cent of individuals who were working before March 2020, especially those working in the hospitality and service industry lost their jobs.

On her part, Omatseye stressed the importance of risk sharing among all stakeholders. “For MSMEs, risk sharing helps eliminate financial oppression and predatory lending, while also ensuring prosperity is shared equitably. For the government, risk sharing contributes to the realisation of its economic objectives and stabilisation policies,� she said.

Stanbic IBTC Upgrades Mobile App Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has upgraded its mobile app by introducing exciting features to enable seamless transactions for its customers.

The mobile app tagged ‘Super App,’ according to a statement from the bank, consists of the entire range of the Stanbic IBTC Group products such as My Bank, Mutual Funds, Pension, @Ease, Insurance and Stockbroking.

It further stated that the app offers quick log-in capability with facial and fingerprint biometric options, strong customer data protection and voice banking features.

It also contains features such as instant soft loans for customers through the instant cash advance/ EZ cash, bills payment, and funds transfer.

Other offers from the Super App include Automated Teller machine (ATM) cardless withdrawals, loading of prepaid cards and payment of multiple beneficiaries, amongst others.

Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Dr. Demola Sogunle, said the upgraded mobile app was a restatement of the organisation’s commitment to providing seamless and unique banking experiences

to its customers. “The upgrade of our mobile application is in furtherance of our digitisation agenda. This is driven by our desire to drive optimum satisfaction amongst our numerous customers. “The super app offers our clients the opportunity to transact across the range of financial services we offer, ranging from core banking transactions to managing mutual funds, pensions, insurance and stockbroking accounts,� he stated.

Other functions of the super app include the customers’ ability to subscribe to and withdraw from mutual funds; application for insurance policies and management of their stockbroking and pensions accounts, regardless of having a functional Stanbic IBTC Bank account.

The Stanbic IBTC Holdings Chief Executive stated further: “Our upgraded app is revolutionary and a first in the Nigerian market. Being a universal financial services organisation, we continually explore avenues of easing financial transactions. Our customers and clients will indeed find the additional functionalities invaluable.�

Study Links Juice Consumption to Higher Nutrient Raheem Akingbolu New research has shown that consumption of fruit juice by children aged two to 18 years is closely linked to improved nutrient adequacy during their formative years.

Drinking 100 per cent fruit juices plays an important role in the diets of young children by supplying them with the important nutrients during these crucial years of growth and development, it stated. The research titled, “A longitudinal study of fruit juice consumption during preschool years and subsequent diet quality and BMI,� which was carried out by Boston University and published online at BMC Nutrition in May 2020 by Lynn L. Moore and colleagues found that young children who regularly consumed 100 per cent fruit juice at a young age went on to eat more fruits and vegetables and were more likely to develop healthier diets and eating habits in their teenage years than their peers who drank much less fruit juice when they were younger.

The results of the study encour-

aged the inclusion of 100 per cent fruit juice as part of an overall balanced diet, whilst stressing that contrary to previous research, regular consumption of fruit juices did not put children at a greater risk of being overweight in later years.

The study also noted the required daily quantity, calling out that it is also important for pre-school and nursery age children to drink at least one and a half cups of 100 per cent pure fruit juice every day.

The study stated that 100 per cent fruit juice could help meet recommended daily goals for fruit intake because it is a nutrient-dense drink that provides vitamins, minerals (folic acid, thiamine and magnesium) and beneficial plant nutrients like polyphenols.

Lead researcher, Moore said: “Fruit consumption, particularly whole fruit consumption, has many health benefits throughout one’s lifespan. “Avoiding fruit juice during these early formative years may have unintended effects on evolving dietary behaviors�.

MEDIABRIEFING

L-R: Board Members, Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation, Mrs. Bola Okolie; Dr. Ade Adeyemi-Bero; Chairman, Ituah Ighodalo; Managing Partner, AT3 Resources, Mrs.TosinAdefeko,andExecutiveSecretary,IbidunniIghodaloFoundation,Mrs.AdedayoRichards,attheofficiallaunchofProject40at40bytheFoundation inhonourofitslatefounder,heldinLagos‌recently

Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation Rolls out CSR Initiative for Couples Dike Onwuamaeze The Founding Pastor of Trinity House Church, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo has stated that the Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IFF) will require a maximum of N150 million to fulfill his late wife, Mrs. Ibidunni Ighodalo, last wish of helping 40 couples that could not have their own babies to have access to In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) medication.

Ighodalo made this statement at the weekend, during the launching of “Project 40at40,� in memory of his late wife, who was also the founder of the IIF. The “Project 40at40� initiative,

according to the foundation, is in accordance to late Ibidunni’s last wish before she passed away last month.

The IFF said: “Her desire was to celebrate her 40th birthday, which would have come up on July 19, 2020, by granting 40 couples in dire need of reproductive interventions a once in a life time opportunity to become parents. The board of the IIF is determined to ensure that her last wish is fulfilled.�

Ituah Ighodalo, who is also the Chairman of the IFF, said: “We understand the emotional, psychological and financial strain that comes with pursuing fertility treatment and having gone

through that pain herself, Ibidunni in her life time made it her life’s work to help desiring but struggling parents. We are committed to Ibidunni’s vision to give joy and keep hope alive.�

He stated that intending beneficiaries would apply online at www.ibidunnifoundation.org and pledged a transparent application and selection process for the 40 beneficiaries, which informed the online application to avoid any discrimination.

The Chairman of the IIF said couples must be legally married to qualify with a visible means of income to ensure that they would be able to take care of the baby when

it arrives. In addition, women above the age of 50 would not be eligible to apply.

He emphasised that the target are couples on the low income level that could not have been able to afford the IVF fertility treatment on their own. He said he would be more involved with the administration of the foundation and appealed to public spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the Foundation to make the dream come through.

He also assured that the IIF would ensure that granting access to stranded couples in terms of having babies would be sustained for many years to come.

Foundation Commemorates World Skills Day In commemoration of UN youths world skills day, Slum Art Foundation in collaboration with WE FOR GOOD organisation and One Delta Africa, has engaged in an online art exhibition to showcase to the unique works of art done by children living within the Slum in Ijora Badia, Lagos State.

The online exhibition by the foundation whose sole focus has been to empower children living within slums through mentorship, restructuring of mindset and helping to build their creative talents and skills is geared at showcasing and auctioning the various paintings with magnificent storytelling to art lovers and donors looking to purchase the art pieces and

support the foundation.

Speaking on the Exhibition, Cofounder, Slum Art Foundation and four-time Guinness World Record holder, Adetunwase Adenle, stated that, the online exhibition was driven by the present reality of digital and online engagement in a Covid-19 era in ensuring that art lovers worldwide are able to experience the paintings done by the children living with the slum.

He further stated that, in line with the recent government policy which has maintained the closure of schools, aimed at protecting the vulnerable whilst combating the pandemic, it was imperative to drive for an online sales exhibition where funds gotten would be redirected to the educational development of children involved

in the paintings, their families and their immediate community in showcasing their exemplary character and the benefits of diligent works.

Also speaking on the Exhibition, representative of One

Delta Africa, Shade Oni Faari, expressed gratitude to the efforts

by Slum Art foundation team in empowering children within the ijora badia slum with useful skillsets and taking them off the streets.

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For Nigeria’s Creative Industry, It’s Breath of Fresh Air With the support of the Bankers’ Committee and the Central Bank of Nigeria for the creative industry, beginning with the National Theatre whose official handing over was done last week, will translate to job creation, poverty reduction and inclusive growth, writes Obinna Chima

N

igeria is a country with over 250 ethnic groups. This is a reection of the country’s rich cultural heritage.

Through music, movies, writing, food, fashion, dancing, arts among others, the country’s treasure are continuously showcased to the world.

In fact, the Nigerian music industry has been estimated to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.4 per cent by 2021, estimated at about $73 million.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, who revealed this recently, stated that the music industry had untapped potentials despite the enabling environment available for it to thrive. “Nigeria’s music industry grew by nine per cent in 2016 to reach a value of $39m and is set to grow by 13.4 per cent CAGR by 2021, with an estimated worth of about $73 million. “The lucrativeness of the industry, as well as the enabling environment it provides for all genres to thrive is noteworthy. It is, however, surprising that the industry is not maximising its potential for growth. Uncontrolled leakage exists, backed by untapped potential that undermine the healthy development of the industry,� she had lamented.

Abubakar had assured that the federal government would support the industry to enable it provide wealth, create jobs, as well as contribute to the nation’s GDP. “Government is committed and determined to provide more support to the industry towards building on the foundation already laid for sustained long-term growth. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to give the creative industry the attention it requires for improved contribution to GDP, wealth and job creation,� she stressed.

And one of the factors that have hindered the growth of the sector is its poor state of infrastructure.

For instance, the National Arts Theatre, the primary centre for the performing arts in Nigeria, has lost its glory as well as its potential as a means of non-oil revenue generation for the country.

This national asset that was built in 1976 as one of the four main venues of the historic Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) that took place in 1977, has completely lost its splendour.

Indeed, just like the National Stadium at Surulere, Lagos, this facility has now been turned into a meeting point for mostly town unions and indigenes from other tribes that reside in Lagos State. Hardly does one hear of any cultural event taking place at this edifice once hosted all Nigerian state government functions and musical extravaganzas such as the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Roy Ayers, Skyy, Shalamar, Whispers, Third world and Dynasty; stage events like Wole Soyinka’s adaptation of D.O Fagunwa’s Langbodo and even Stevie Wonder, who received one of his numerous Grammy Awards at the National Theatre.

The sorry state of this national monument and the desire to aggressively ramp up activities in the non-oil sector forced the Bankers’ Committee, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to intervene in the National Theatre as well as the creative sector.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and banks under the aegis of the Bankers’ Committee last week unveiled plans to spend about N25 billion as initial funding on the development of Nigeria Creative Centre at the National Theatre, Lagos and three other major cities in Nigeria. The other cities are Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu.

The amount derives from the Creative Industry Funds Initiative (CIFI) of the Bankers’ Committee.

The CBN and other members of the Bankers’ Committee had set up the Creative Industries and Financing Initiative through which banks set aside, on an annual basis, five percent of their profit after tax (PAT).

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the CEO, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and other top officials of the Lagos State government, attended the official handing over of the edifice to the Bankers’ Committee.

Unlocking Opportunities in Creative Sector Emefiele, who thanked President Muhammadu

EmeďŹ ele Buhari for approving the handing over of the edifice and its adjoining land to the Bankers’ Committee, said by his action, the president had demonstrated that he recognised that a renovated National Theatre and the complementary facilities that will be built along with it will help in unleashing creative talents of Nigeria’s youths across multiple sectors and in supporting Buhari’s objective of creating new employment opportunities for Nigerians.

The CBN governor said the handover was timely considering the external headwinds facing the economy presently.

He noted that the impact of the COVID-19 on the global economy and the containment measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus had led to a slowdown in global growth which has also affected the Nigerian economy. “Given our dependence on crude oil as a major source of government revenue, as well as for our foreign exchange earnings, these challenges have served to reinforce the need for stakeholders to promote policies and programmes that will enable greater diversification of the Nigerian economy. “A diversified economy that supports increased productivity in agriculture and manufacturing sectors, while harnessing the talents of our youths in the creative industries will lead to the build-up of a more resilient economy, which is better able to withstand external shocks, while creating wealth and jobs for our growing population,� he said.

Emefiele, who is also the chairman of the Bankers’ Committee, said upon completion in another 18 months, the facility would have transformed into Nigeria’s Creative Industrial Centre, which would be comparable to other world-class entertainment and convention centres in any part of the world. “The creative centre, which comprises music, movies, fashion and ICT, can be a key source of growth for our economy creating up to one million jobs for the country’s teeming youths,� he said, adding that it would also aid the objective of reducing the country’s dependence on revenue from crude oil.

Emefiele explained: “India for example in 2018 generated over $240 billion from exports of IT, movies, music and fashion related goods and services. This amount is over five times our annual earnings from the sale of crude oil. With our human capital resources and an enabling environment that will help harness the creative talents of our youths, Nigeria has the potential to earn over $20 billion annually from the creative industry. “With the growing demand for Nigerian music, movies and fashion, across Africa and in various parts of the globe, our creative industries are spurring innovation, creating jobs, and helping to shape perceptions of Nigeria, as a nation with a strong spirit of creativity and ingenuity. “We must do more to encourage the innovative works of these young talented Nigerians as they can make significant contributions to the growth

Mohammed and development of our country. “Second, given our growing population of close to 200 million people, out of which 60 per cent are under the age of 35, it is imperative that we strive to create opportunities that will keep our youths engaged, as it would portend great dangers for the progress of our nation if we allow these talents go to waste.�

According to Emefiele, the goal for the National Theatre, is to create an environment where start-ups and existing businesses are rewarded for their creativity. He said the National Theatre when fully renovated would be able to support skills acquisition and job creation for over one million Nigerians over the next five years.

These Nigerians would be empowered with funds at single digits interest rate, high level training using state-of-the-art tools, and networks, which would enable them to turn their ideas into a reality, he said. “When they are able to achieve their objective of creating a new music product, a high-quality movie, an IT software application, or a fashionable outfit, the bankers committee will work to ensure that they are able to distribute their work on a larger scale. “Furthermore, individuals will have the opportunity to showcase their work at the creative industries centre, which will expose them to domestic and external investors that can provide them with additional resources, which would enable production and expansion of their creative works. “The supporting facilities such as retail outlets, hotels, entertainment centres, and an international conference centre will also help to reposition the centre as a viable location for high level international meetings and conventions. I would like to once again thank Mr. President for handing over the National Theatre to the Bankers’ Committee. “We are fully aware that a vibrant creative industry in Nigeria can provide a positive and beneficial growth path for young Nigerians who seek to utilise their talents in creating products and services that offer value at home and abroad. The handover of the National Theatre and the activities that will take place hereafter, will ensure that these skills are harnessed to support the growth of the creative industries, and by extension the growth of the Nigerian economy,� he said.

On his part, Wigwe explained that the entire banking industry came together and decided to intervene in the moribund national asset. “It is not just about the banking community; we are also partnering the Lagos State and federal governments. Lagos State government is going to support us as far as the dredging issues are concerned and ensure that there is an entire urban regeneration around the whole of that area. “We are doing this for some reasons. The first is that we need to restore our national heritage.

The national theatre is one of the most iconic

buildings all over the world. The second thing is that this will help to create employment to millions of Nigerians over the next five years, apart from those who are going to be involved in construction and all of that. “The third thing is that it is a classic example of an urban regeneration exercise in line with the sustainability principles of the central bank,� Wigwe who is the chairman of body of bank CEOs said.

The Deal Mohammed said the agreement was for the Bankers’ Committee to transform and upgrade the facility.

According to the minister, the project would be executed in two phases – with the first being the restoration and upgrade of the National Arts Theatre to its glory days at a cost of N7 billion and the second which entails the development of the adjoining fallow land at a cost of N18 billion.

According to him, “The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture will continue to hold the key to the national theatre on behalf of all Nigerians. “This iconic National Theatre remains a national heritage and will not be ceded to anybody or group as some have chosen to call what we are doing here today. “This is a public-private partnership, which has two phases. Phase one is to restore and upgrade the National Theatre to its glory days. Phase two will be the development of the fallow land within the premises. This project will not lead to a single job loss, instead, it will create more. “Some 6,000 jobs would be created during the construction phase and the completed project would generate up to an additional 600 permanent and 2,000 jobs. The project which has been approved by the president is a win-win for everybody. Attempts in the past to restore the national theatre to its glory days had failed.�

He described the handover of the facility as a historic day in the annals of the Creative Industry in Nigeria.

The minister stated, “For over 40 years, no major renovation work has been done on the National Theatre, while the adjoining land has been lying fallow. Many attempts to restore the National Theatre have failed and the government has no money to restore the complex. “As you know, this is the hub of the Creative Industry in Nigeria. The National Theatre was established to encourage the advancement of the performing arts throughout the country; to create opportunities for performing artists of the country, as well as to aid the promotion of social development and the improvement of the quality of life. In its present state, it is not living to its billing.�

Sanwo-Olu commended the president, the CBN governor and the banks for the initiative.

He said: “We have agreed and said in the next 18 months maximum, there is no contract delay.

Maximum, in the next 22 months, we would bring Mr. President here and walk him around the new refurbished National Theatre and all its adjoining wings. “Lagos is a cynosure, Lagos is a centerpiece. I think it would be a shame on us if we are not doing what we are doing today – if people can think 40 or 45 years ago and put this edifice here. The least we are doing is what we are doing today – to turn it around and make it happen so that people who are coming behind us can be proud of it.�

In his remarks, Dare noted that on completion, the National Theatre would bring about massive job creation for youths, talent discovery and development, revenue generation and innovation and technology hub. With the pandemic still biting hard globally and even in our nation, he said the project was desirable. “It is the much-needed shot in the arm to vaccinate our youths against the multi-headed challenge of unemployment. The creative city project is important for the Nigerian youth. I commend the Bankers’ Committee for pioneering the vision and being the first to take a risk and a bet on the youths of this country. “The Nigerian youth represents a critical component to propel the world towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals that we are all focused upon.

The coast has never been bigger and the urgency of the moment has been more pertinent. The moment is now for our youths. We must hand over to our youths, a far better future than was handed to us,� he stated.

MONDAY JULY 20, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY Ëž JULY 20, 2020

CITYSTRINGS

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

Nwafor: Anambra ex-SARS Commander and Allegations of Extra-judicial Killings David-Chyddy Eleke in this report looks at allegations of human rights abuse against retired Chief Superintendent of Police, James Nwafor, who served as commander of the dreaded police arm of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Awkuzu, Anambra State

A

mansea community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State is an agrarian border community that serves as a gateway into Enugu State. Even though the community is part of the Anambra State capital territory, the development that comes with the creation of a state capital did not in any way rub off on her.

She lacks basic amenities and infrastructure, just like other far-flung parts of the state. One of its major lacks is portable water. Its indigenes drink from a river, whose bridge separates Anambra and Enugu States (Ezu river). The river also serves for recreation like swimming, just as for fishing too. To get drinking water, the indigenes of the area throng Ezu river every early morning before fishermen and swimmers arrive to stir up the dirt from under the water while carrying out their activities.

It was a normal morning like every other morning on January 19, 2013 that the indigenes went to get drinking water when they discovered over 35 corpses floating on the river and they raised the alarm. Though it was not clear whose corpses they were, no one could recognise any of the corpses that were said to have been offloaded into the river in the dead of the night, but many accused the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), which was then headed by CSP James Nwafor of being responsible for the corpses, but a panel of enquiry instituted by the senate was unable to prove so, and the matter died.

Recently, there have been allegations of atrocious acts and human rights violation against Nwafor who has retired from the force. It would not be the first time such allegations would be leveled against him, but some members of the human rights society have vowed to ensure that Nwafor is made to account for his actions while in office.

A twitter user, Miss Obianuju who started the fresh round of allegation after seeing Nwafor on the social media site accused him of killing her brother, Chijioke in 2012, and daring his family to do their worst. Obianuju lamented how police operatives from SARS Awkuzu, Anambra State arrested her brother, branding him a criminal, and that was the last they saw of him. “When my parents went to see Nwafor, he told them that Chijioke had been killed, and that there was nothing they could do about it.� She further lamented that some other officials told her parents to raise money for her brother’s release, which they did by selling a landed property, yet her brother was not released. “My father in 2013 even went to Ezu river and swam in the river when he heard that some corpses were dumped in the river, just to look for my brother among the corpses, but could not see him.�

Obianuju’s allegations have stirred a fresh round of trouble for Nwafor, who had retired in 2016 and is now living a private life. Nwafor who hails from Ebonyi State had been appointed by the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano as his Special Adviser on Security. However, a nameless human rights group had gone online, claiming to have petitioned the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu, calling for investigation into the allegations against Nwafor. The group also circulated a message online, asking people who had fallen victim to Nwafor’s recklessness

Nwafor

while in service to call and testify about their experiences with him.

Though it is not certain if there is truly a petition against the policeman, online messages have also been circulated that Nwafor has been invited to Abuja to answer to allegations against him.

A lawyer who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity corroborated Obianuju’s claims about Nwafor’s propensity for extra-judicial killing. He said, “Nwafor shot my client before me. The family of a young man briefed me after he was arrested allegedly for armed robbery or so. When I went to the SARS office, Nwafor ordered that the client be brought into his office. Nwafor pulled out some papers containing a statement which he said was his client's confession. Looking at the client who had been badly injured probably from torture, I told Nwafor, - this statement must have been made under duress and cannot be acceptable."

According to him, Nwafor retorted: "Okay you said under duress?" and immediately pulled out a gun from his drawer and gunned down the young man, and said "counsel do your worst."

The lawyer said he became scared that Nwafor might murder him as well for being a witness to an extrajudicial killing. He hurriedly ran out and when the boy's parents saw him and were wondering what was happening, he merely urged them "let's leave this compound immediately. This matter has come to the public domain, and I have pursued it with several petitions to the police authority. Mine was also among the deluge of petitions against the aborted redeployment of Nwafor to Anambra in 2016 after he had been earlier transferred. Nothing has happened till today, anyway,� he said.

When THISDAY called one of the phone numbers provided in the material circulated online asking people to call

and testify against Nwafor if they have had bitter encounter with him, a man who simply identified himself as Gayu said he was not a member of any human rights group and never authored any petition against anyone. “I don’t know how they put my name in the petition, I am not from Anambra State. I am an Hausa man, I live in Kaduna and have never been to Anambra before.

People have been calling me about the petition, but I know nothing about it.�

Also, Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police while speaking to THISDAY said he was not aware of any petition against Nwafor. “Investigations are not just opened like that. There must be a petition against someone before we can start investigating. If anyone feels they have something against any police office, whether serving or retired, let them petition the commissioner of police and the matter will be investigated.�

Haruna said he was not aware if a petition has been sent to the Inspector General of Police. When THISDAY made efforts to find out from the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, calls to his phone number was not taken nor returned.

Meanwhile, Nwafor has gained support from some groups and individuals who lauded him for his dedication to service, while working as SARS commander.

To those who lauded him, Nwafor was instrumental to the extermination of violent criminals and kidnappers in the state. One of them, Mrs Aisha Edward Maduagwu, coordinator of Association of People Living With Sickle Cell Disorder in a letter to the Executive Secretary, National Human Right Commission, Abuja said, “It is with dismay that I bring to your notice the scandalous activities of some persons parading as human rights activists on

social media and soliciting for people allegedly dehumanised by the former OC SARS Awkuzu, CSP. James Nwafor (rtd), to come foward with petitions against the former OC SARS. “These faceless individuals have no official address were they operate as activists. The phone numbers they provided in their social media publications is the only legitimacy that represents their image, aside telling callers to come to Abuja to lodge their complaints. This continuous pestering of people to come up with any kind of petitions against the former OC SARS Awkuzu is not only unprofessional, but a calculated attempt to infringe on his fundamental human right, and also endangering both his life and his family's. “Those who had served Anambra State meritoriously through dedication to duty like CSP James Nwafor (rtd), should be respected and honoured for putting their life in line to fight kidnappers and armed robbers to a standstill. Such heroes should neither be maligned nor hunted for pecuniary gains. Anybody with issues of abuse against CSP James Nwafor (rtd), should approach the right channels for a fair hearing, rather than resorting to the social media and defrauding members of the public with sweet promises of compensations. “CSP James Nwafor (rtd) has been walking with a free conscience ever since he left police service. He is presently an SSA on security to the Governor of Anambra State. James Nwafor is neither on the run nor has the police authority invited him for any questioning. It is pertinent to inform the authorities and the general public that all the main allegations against CSP James Nwafor has been duly investigated countless times and nothing was found on him,� the letter stated.

T H I S D AY ˞ Ͱ͎˜ Ͱ͎Ͱ͎

IMAGES

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

L-R: Publicity Secretary, Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), Mrs. Uzoaku Juliana; Baale of Makoko Community, Chief Raymond Akinsemoyin; Member, IDFP, Prof. Fatimo Abdulkareem; Apostle Mother Julie Akerele; and another member of IDFP, Imam SheďŹ u Majemu, during a sensitisation programme and donation of safety items to Makoko residents by IDFP in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

Representative of BUA Foundation/Managing Director BUA Cement, Yusuf Binji, (left) presenting a N200million donation by BUA foundation to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State to help the state combat the coronavirus pandemic in Adamawa state...recently

Minister of Women Aairs, Dame Pauline Tallen signing the condolence register opened for the late Flying OďŹƒcer Tolulope Arotile at the Nigerian Air force headquarters in Abuja..recently

L-R: Managing Director, Perfection Motor/Executive, Lee Group, Philip Seng; Representative of Osun State Governor/Secretary, Osun State COVID-19 Food and Relief Committee, Chief Bayo Jimoh; Member of the Committee, Dr. Segun Aina and another member, Sir Ademola Aladekomo, during the presentation of 100,000 of Biobase face masks to Osun State Government by Lee Group of Companies in Lagos...recently

U.S.-based Nigerian medical doctor and Chief Executive OďŹƒcer of MonteďŹ ore Medical Centre, New York, Dr Philip Ozuah (left) and Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen,at the Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, for the third evacuation ight of Nigerians from the U.S...recently

L-R: Chief of Sta to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of State for Solid Mineral Development, Chief Uchechukwu Ogar and the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the Virtual Launch of Gold Purchase Programme at the Presidential Villa, Abuja...recently PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI

L-R: Minister of Humanitarian Aairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya UmarFarouq; Governor of Zamfara, Bello Matawalle; and Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Bala Bello, during the minister’s courtesy visit to the Governor at Gusau Government House...recently

L-R: Kebbi State Governor, Senator Atiku Bagudu Abubakar; Minister of Mines and Steel, Arch Olamilekan Adegbite; Governor of Central Bank, Mr Godwin EmeďŹ ele; Minister of State Mines and Steel, Dr Uchechukwu Oga and Executive Secretary SMDA, Hajiya Fatima ShinkaďŹ during a press brieďŹ ng after the launch of Raw Gold Bar by President Muhammadu Buhari held at the Council Chambers, Abuja...recently PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

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T H I S D AY ˞ Ͱ͎˜ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Obaseki to Inaugurate Independent Power Plant Today Peter Uzoho Businesses in Edo State are set for positive growth trajectory as the federal government, through the Nigeria Electricity Services Agency (NEMSA), is set to inaugurate the 33KV Transmission line of the Governor Godwin Obasekibacked CCETC-Ossiomo 55MW Independent Power Plant (IPP) today.

In a statement, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Electricity, Pharmacist Joy Ebhodaghe, entitled: ‘NEMSA Testing and Certification of the CCETC-Ossiomo Independent Power Plant and the 33KV Transmission Line’, the energy ministry stated: “We wish to bring to the attention of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), the Nigeria Electricity

Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the general public that as part of the testing and certification of the CCETC-Ossiomo IPP by the Nigeria Electricity Services Agency (NEMSA), the 33KV Transmission line will be energised from 10.00am-12noon on Monday July 20, 2020. “The announcement serves as notice to all persons and agencies that have activities along the said Sapele Road, Benin City corridor within the stipulated period.�

The milestone is the product of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s resolve to fix the energy crisis in the state through the provision of an alternative source of electricity supply to support the state’s industrialisation drive and create a competitive energy market.

The state government recently announced that the 55MW CCTEC-Ossiomo Power

Plant was set for a test run to open up the state’s power sector for the benefit of residential and industrial consumers.

The CCETC-Ossiomo benefits from a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) entered with the Edo state government, which paves way for the supply of stable electricity to government buildings and public utilities, such as hospitals, offices, street lights, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and other such public facilities.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the coming on stream of the power plant would cement the state’s status as a hub for power generation and distribution in the country, as power consumers would now have a flexible regime that guarantees that they buy power from willing sellers.

Obaseki

MARKET INDICATORS

Report: COVID-19 to Slowdown Marine Insurance Ebere Nwoji Global Marine Insurer, Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty SE’s (AGCS) has said the coronavirus pandemic has endangered the long-term safety improvements in the shipping industry for 2020 and beyond.

The marine insurance giant, observed that the difficult operating conditions and a sharp economic downturn caused by the pandemic presents a unique set of challenges for marine insurers and maritime operators.

AGCS, in its Safety &Shipping Review 2020, noted that though the shipping industry has continued to operate through the pandemic, despite disruption at ports and to crew changes, reduction in sailing due to restrictions could see loss activity fall in the interim.

It however highlighted challenges that could heighten risks in the face of the pandemic.

The Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting at AGCS,Captain Rahul Khanna, said: “Piracy remains an ongoing issue. We thought we had a handle on it but it has manifested yet again. “Hijackings by Somalian pirates may have reduced for now, but incidents have been increasing in West Africa and parts of Asia, where we see a worrying pattern of violent attacks against crew, as well as kidnappings. “Ship-owners also face additional cost pressures from a downturn in the economy and trade. We know from past downturns that crew and maintenance budgets are among the first areas that can be cut and this can impact the safe operations of vessels and machinery, potentially causing

damage or breakdown, which in turn can lead to groundings or collisions. It is crucial that safety and maintenance standards are not impacted by any downturn.�

He added: “According to the report, the South China, Indochina, Indonesia and Philippines maritime region remains the top loss location with 12 vessels in 2019 and 228 vessels over the past decade – one in four of all losses. High levels of trade, busy shipping lanes, older fleets, typhoon exposure, and safety issues on some domestic ferry routes are contributing factors.�

The report, however, stated that in 2019, losses declined for the second successive year, highlighting that the Gulf of Mexico recorded four and the West African Coast three, ranking second and third. The East African Coast was on the fourth spot.

Investment One Promotes Financial Literacy Bamidele Famoofo Investment One Financial Services Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading investment groups, is complimenting the efforts of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), to spread the knowledge of investment in Nigeria.

The tech savvy company, in its bid to pursue this objective, recently organised a virtual investment simulator (VIS) to enhance investors’ knowledge in trading shares in the stock market.

VIS provides a gaming environment where individuals can interact with the Nigerian Stock Exchange in near-real time. According to a statement from the company, it provides a platform for amateur traders to improve their skills and to compete for prizes in a competition.

To spur the interest of emerging investors, a platform was created for people to participate in what it christened ‘The Investment One All Stars League’, where participant will not only practice how to trade in shares but also get rewarded.

“During the league, each trader begins with N10m in virtual cash and has a trading limit of N2m per day.

The top three traders at the conclusion of the three-month league will have their trading accounts funded with real money as a reward,� said Investment One. To date, three seasons of the famous All Stars League have been conducted by Investment One, and it has produced beneficiaries that have their accounts funded for investment in the capital market.

Ecobank Group Wins Award Ecobank said it recently won the prize of Africa’s Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility in the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2020.

Euromoney recognises Ecobank’s focus on sustainability and partnerships and its core capabilities in delivering positive social and environmental outcomes across Africa.

Chief Operating Officer of the Ecobank Foundation, Carl Manlan, said: “At Ecobank we leverage human capabilities and other core resources to partner for African transformation. We are passionate about co-designing partnerships to drive change at

community levels across our panAfrican footprint. The Euromoney Award for Excellence recognises our collaboration with African communities and like-minded partners.�

Also, CEO of Ecobank Group, Ade Ayeyemi, said: “The Ecobank Foundation is doing amazing work in delivering on its commitment to improve the quality of life of people across the African continent. The Foundation should be rightly proud of its ceaseless impact and the real difference that it is making in numerous parts of the continent. Through the Foundation, our Group leverages its resources and capabilities to

contribute to the economic and social development of Africa.�

Ecobank’s Corporate Responsibility primarily concentrates on the three key areas of health, education and financial inclusion.

Some of its interventions include a three-year campaign to raise awareness of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and educate communities by providing key information about the dietary and lifestyle changes required to help prevent NCDs such as cancer and diabetes. Ecobank Day is our volunteer community day targeted at helping the vulnerable sectors in our local communities, among others.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

SEPTEMBER 2019 Money Supply (M3)

35,029,779.72

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

7,374,356.91

Money Supply (M2)

27,655,422.82

-- Quasi Money

116,533,891.21

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,121,531.60

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,625,047.69

---- Demand Deposits

9,496,483.91

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

13,911,335.83

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

21,118,443.89

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

35,918,179.45

---- Credit to Government (Net)

10,452,199.38

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

11,007,422.79

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

25,465,980.07

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-14,799,735.56

--Other Assets Net

7,000,253.07

Reserve Money (Base Money

2,005,600.83

--Currency in Circulation

4,677,530.81

--Banks Reserves

317,121.43

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 ÍŻÍ´ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $43.80 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $44.12 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), 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

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T H I S D AY ˞ Ͱ͎˜ Ͱ͎Ͱ͎

United Capital Grows Half-year Revenue to N4.5bn, Profit Hits N2.3bn Goddy Egene United Capital Plc has announced its unaudited financial statements for the half year (HY) ended 30, 2020, showing growth in key indicators despite the challenging global economic climate. Total Revenue in HY 2020 rose 14.1 per cent to N4.45 billion, from N3.24 billion in HY 2019.

The increase was on the back of a strong year-on-year increase

of 347.65 per cent increase in net interest margin, 85.03 per cent increase in net trading income and 77.15 per cent increase in fee and commission income.

Profit before tax (PBT) increased by 14.1 per cent to N2.27 billion, compared with N1.99 billion in 2019. Profit after tax (PAT) grew faster from N1.65 billion to N1.91 billion, showing an increase of 16 per cent. Total assets jumped by 46 per cent from N219.73

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

billion to N150.46 billion as at the end of 2019. Commenting on the performance the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Peter Ashade, attributed the growth to their well-articulated plans, business continuity plan in economic crisis and solid risk assessment framework. “With our well-articulated plans, business continuity plan in economic crisis and solid risk assessment framework we

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

were able to deliver an increased revenue of over 37.26 per cent, increased PBT of 14.10 per cent and PAT increase of 15.98 per cent. During this same period, we successfully issued our N10 billion Series 1 bond under the N30 billion Medium-Term Debt Programme , the first to be issued by an investment banking firm in Nigeria -which was oversubscribed by about 24 per cent,� he said.

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic has lasted than envisaged and caused greater speculations of global recession and slower global recovery from the pandemic, adding that the Nigerian economy has been greatly affected by the pandemic . “As we stated at the release of our last quarter result, our business was not immune to these challenges. However, the group was able to endure the challenges,

O F

thanks to the well-articulated and diligent implementation of our plans set out last year. Going into the remaining half of the year, we remain assiduously committed to deliver greater returns to our shareholders, by constantly reviewing our strategy in the light of global and domestic happenings, ensuring that we provide value to all our stakeholders from time to time,�

Ashade said.

1 7 / 0 7 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

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˾ MONDAY, JULY 20, 2020

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DKE z͕ :h>z ϮϬd,͕ ϮϬϮϬ ŽŵĞƐƟĐ ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ͗ ŽŵĞƐƟĐ ƋƵŝƟĞƐ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

DĂƌŬĞƚ ^ƵƐƚĂŝŶƐ >ŽƐƐĞƐ͙ ^/ ĚŽǁŶ ϴďƉƐ ǁͬǁ

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

dŚĞ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ďŽƵƌƐĞ ƉĞƌƐŝƐƚĞĚ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůů-^ŚĂƌĞ /ŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ŽŶ ϯ ŽĨ ϱ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĚĂLJƐ - DŽŶĚĂLJ ;-ϰϰďƉƐͿ͕ dƵĞƐĚĂLJ ;-ϯϰďƉƐͿ ĂŶĚ &ƌŝĚĂLJ ;ϭϳďƉƐͿ - ǁŝƚŚ ŐĂŝŶƐ ŽŶůLJ ŽŶ tĞĚŶĞƐĚĂLJ ;нϲƉƐͿ ĂŶĚ dŚƵƌƐĚĂLJ

;нϴϮďƉƐͿ͘

ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕

ŵĂƌŬĞƚ

ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ĨĞůů ƚŽ േϭϮ͘ϳƚŶ ĂƐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ůŽƐƚ േϵ͘ϴŶ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ůŽƐƐ ǁŽƌƐĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ -ϵ͘ϱй͘ ĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ϭϮ͘ϲй ƚŽ ϮϬϯ͘ϭŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ϰϰ͘ϳй ƚŽ േϭ͘ϱďŶ͘ ^d Z>/E' ;Ϯϵϯ͘ϳŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ & D ;ϱϱ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ĂŶĚ & E, ;ϰϵ͘ϳŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁĞƌĞ

1,061.86

-0.24%

-27.7%

6.2%

15.4%

4.2%

3.8x

0.5x

7.5%

20.8%

118.00

0.0%

33.8%

12.4%

8.3%

104.9%

13.3%

11.7x

12.3x

4.2%

8.5%

348.00

0.0%

18.4%

16.4%

16.4%

12.3%

4.0%

3 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC 5 Nestle Nigeria PLC

ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ͕ ƵƉ ϯ͘ϵй ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘ϱй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ͕ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ /Zd > & ;нϱ͘ϵйͿ͕ hd/y ;нϭϬ͘ϯйͿ ĂŶĚ h D Ed ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŇŝƉ ƐŝĚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ĂŶŬŝŶŐ ŝŶĚĞdž ůĞĚ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ͕ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŶŐ ϯ͘ϵй ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůů ƉƌĞƐƐƵƌĞƐ ŝŶ hE/dz E< ;ϴ͘ϮйͿ͕ E/d, ;-ϱ͘ϳйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'h Z Edz ;-ϰ͘ϮйͿ͘ >ŝŬĞǁŝƐĞ͕ ƐĞůů-ŽīƐ ŝŶ >/E< ^^hZ ;-ϭϰ͘ϵйͿ͕ E/' Z/ E

ďLJ ϭ͘ϵй ĂƉŝĞĐĞ͘

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ĨĞůů ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϲdž ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ Ϭ͘ϴdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ůĂƐƚ ǁĞĞŬ ĂƐ Ϯϯ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϯϲ ůŽƐĞƌƐ͘ dŚĞ ƚŽƉ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ǁĞƌĞ hd/y ;нϭϬ͘ϯйͿ͕

ϭϭ͘ϵйͿ ĂŶĚ t W/ ;-ϭϭ͘ϰйͿ ůĞĚ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵŝŶŐ ǁĞĞŬ͕ ǁĞ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ŽŶ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͘

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

3.3%

8.9%

-27.6%

-26.4%

31.1%

5.2%

3.1x

1.0x

13.0%

32.6%

6.1%

-15.3%

-15.8%

24.5%

3.2%

2.4x

0.5x

17.7%

42.3%

1,175.00

0.0%

4.4%

-20.1%

-20.1%

73.6%

24.3%

21.2x

16.4x

6.3%

4.7%

126.00

0.0%

4.4%

-11.3%

-11.3%

20.5%

11.4%

10.6x

2.3x

13.0%

9.4%

6.20

0.8%

3.0%

-38.0%

-38.6%

16.1%

1.4%

2.2x

0.3x

10.5%

46.1%

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC 14 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 15 International Brew eries PLC

23 Guinness Nigeria PLC 24 FCMB Group Plc 25 Sterling Bank PLC 26 UAC of Nigeria PLC 27 Custodian and Allied Insurance 28 Presco PLC 29 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 30 Total Nigeria PLC 31 Oando PLC 32 NASCON Allied Industries PLC

6.15

-0.8%

2.8%

-14.0%

-14.6%

15.6%

1.5%

2.4x

0.4x

16.3%

41.1%

5.00

0.0%

2.5%

-18.7%

-23.1%

13.3%

1.3%

2.6x

0.3x

7.6%

38.6%

30.00

-2.3%

1.6%

-49.2%

-49.2%

7.8%

3.3%

17.7x

1.4x

6.7%

5.7%

11.00

0.0%

2.2%

-28.1%

-20.3%

41.6%

22.0%

13.2x

0.5x

9.1%

7.6%

386.00

0.0%

1.6%

-41.3%

-34.8%

8.2%

4.9%

4.6x

0.3x

10.8%

21.6% 24.5%

29.00

0.0%

1.6%

-29.3%

-27.5%

25.9%

3.7%

4.1x

1.0x

10.3%

17.00

0.0%

1.0%

-13.7%

-13.7%

3.6%

1.3%

13.2x

0.5x

7.0%

3.80

0.0%

0.4%

-60.0%

-60.0%

-30.1%

-8.6%

0.6x

7.6% -75.4%

4.35

0.0%

0.7%

-33.1%

-33.6%

12.4%

0.8%

1.5x

0.2x

1.76

1.7%

0.7%

-14.1%

-12.9%

12.4%

1.3%

1.9x

0.2x

11.4%

53.9%

173.40

0.0%

0.9%

17.2%

17.2%

21.1%

9.1%

7.7x

1.5x

5.0%

13.0%

70.50

0.0%

0.9%

26.8%

26.8%

20.0%

13.9%

11.1x

2.2x

2.9%

9.0%

12.00

-1.6%

0.5%

-11.8%

-14.3%

19.7%

10.4%

6.6x

1.3x

9.2%

15.2%

0.4x

1.7%

64.9%

0.60

-3.2%

0.3%

-39.4%

-43.9%

12.85

0.0%

0.3%

-41.6%

-37.9%

-6.1%

-3.8%

13.90

0.0%

0.2%

-53.7%

-53.7%

3.0%

1.6%

11.7x

0.3x

11.0%

8.5%

1.90

0.0%

0.4%

2.7%

4.4%

9.5%

1.1%

2.0x

0.2x

7.4%

50.0%

1.1x

-6.3%

1.25

0.0%

0.3%

-37.2%

-34.2%

8.4%

0.8%

3.8x

0.3x

2.4%

26.5%

7.30

0.0%

0.3%

-15.1%

-18.0%

-6.3%

-3.0%

2.2x

0.4x

1.4%

44.6% 20.1%

4.80

0.0%

0.2%

-20.0%

-20.0%

13.0%

4.7%

5.0x

0.6x

9.4%

49.45

0.0%

0.3%

4.1%

4.1%

12.5%

5.3%

14.2x

1.7x

4.1%

7.1%

5.40

-0.9%

0.2%

-10.0%

-10.7%

8.6%

1.2%

6.4x

0.6x

4.7%

15.7%

97.50

0.0%

0.2%

-12.1%

-12.1%

8.9%

1.9%

12.8x

1.2x

7.2%

2.31

3.6%

0.1%

-42.1%

-42.1%

14.5%

2.6%

1.0x

0.1x

7.8% 100.5%

9.60

0.0%

0.1%

-25.9%

-25.9%

15.1%

4.9%

6.8x

2.2x

4.2%

14.6%

33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 34 Wema Bank PLC

15.50

0.0%

0.1%

-6.5%

-22.1%

22.6%

2.6%

2.8x

0.6x

10.2%

35.4%

0.51

-1.9%

0.1%

-31.1%

-25.0%

9.3%

0.7%

2.5x

0.4x

7.8%

40.2%

35 Ardova PLC 36 Continental Reinsurance PLC

12.55

7.7%

0.1%

-30.7%

-30.3%

6.5%

1.9%

15.1x

1.0x

37 Beta Glass PLC 38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 39 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

61.55

0.0%

0.1%

14.4%

14.4%

17.2%

11.7%

5.3x

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-17.3%

-5.1%

1.58

0.0%

0.1%

-20.2%

-20.2%

13.7%

3.7%

4.00

0.0%

0.0%

-18.4%

-18.4%

-0.6%

-0.3%

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e T ic k er

6.6%

0.0%

40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

4.8x

0.9x

2.7%

-9.5%

0.6x

21.0%

0.5x

1.8%

-1.2%

T o p 10 G a i n e r s T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

14.1

0.0%

GLA XOSM IT H

4.75

9.2%

J A P A ULOIL

12.2

-8.3%

A R D OVA

12.55

7.7%

NB

11.7

-2.3%

CHA M S

0.23

4.5%

M B EN EF IT

11.5

0.0%

NA HCO

2.06

4.0%

FB NH

11.3

0.0%

C A VER T ON

1.90

3.8%

WA P C O

11.1

0.0%

OA N D O

2.31

3.6%

UB A

9.1

-0.8%

A C A D EM Y

0.33

3.1%

WEM A B A N K

8.6

-1.9%

F ID ELIT YB K

1.76

1.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

8.3

0.0%

A C C ESS

6.20

0.8%

ET I

7.9

0.0%

UC A P

2.72

0.7%

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

Value

P ric e C hg %

NB

349.6

-2.3%

LIN KA SSUR E

0.40

-9.1%

SEP LA T

249.2

0.0%

J A P A ULOIL

0.22

-8.3%

GUA R A N T Y

156.3

-2.3%

R EGA LIN S

0.22

-4.3%

Z EN IT H B A N K

130.6

0.0%

T R A N SC OR P

0.60

-3.2%

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

WA P C O

122.1

0.0%

N EM

2.00

-2.9%

M TNN

68.7

0.0%

NB

30.00

-2.3%

21.50

-2.3%

C UST OD IA N

67.5

0.0%

GUA R A N T Y

UB A

56.9

-0.8%

WEM A B A N K

FB NH

56.5

0.0%

ET I

34.4

0.0%

0.51

-1.9%

D A N GSUGA R

12.00

-1.6%

UB N

5.40

-0.9%

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

18.7%

1.6x

C UST OD IA N

EW&D Z& ;нϭϬ͘ϬйͿ ĂŶĚ /< : ,Kd > ;нϵ͘ϴйͿ ǁŚŝůĞ >/E< ^^hZ ;-ϭϰ͘ϵйͿ͕ E/' Z/ E Z t Z/ ^ ;-

P/BV

0.0%

11 Lafarge Africa PLC 12 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

Z t Z/ ^ ;-ϭϭ͘ϵйͿ ĂŶĚ KEK/> ;-ϭϬ͘ϲйͿ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ /ŶƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ͕ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ ĂŶĚ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ůŽǁĞƌ

P/E

-2.3%

21 Transnational Corp of Nigeria 22 Unilever Nigeria PLC

&Z-/ d ĂŶĚ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ were ƚŚĞ

ROA

21.50

8 United Bank for Africa PLC 9 FBN Holdings Plc 10 Nigerian Brew eries PLC

ǀĂůƵĞ͘

ROE

15.75

6 Dangote Cement PLC 7 Access Bank PLC

19 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 20 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

bearish as 4 ŽĨ ϲ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ǁͬǁ͘ dŚĞ

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 1 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 2 Airtel Africa PLC

'h Z Edz ;േϲϳϳ͘ϬŵͿ ĂŶĚ E/d, ;േϯϲϲ͘ϬŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ

WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌĂŐĞ ǁĂƐ

Price Change Index to Date

Ticker

16 Ecobank Transnational Inc 17 Fidelity Bank PLC 18 11 PLC

ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁŚŝůĞ DdEE ;േϭ͘ϱďŶͿ͕

Price Previous Current Change Price Weightin YTD Change g

Current Price

39

MONDAY, JULY 20, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Shareholders Endorse Chams Plc’s Recapitalisation Drive Goddy Egene Shareholders of a leading provider of innovative and intelligent business solution in Nigeria, Chams Plc,

endorsed the company’s plan to float N500 million rights issue and execute debt-equity conversion to boost its working capital and enhance implementation of the five-year strategic

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

plan.

The shareholders gave the approval at the 36th annual general meeting (AGM) in Lagos last week.

They commended the company’s

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 16Jul-2020, unless otherwise stated.

ability to weather the storm despite the tough operating environment and urged the management to ensure proper approach towards the re-financing plan.

One of the shareholders, Peter

Owolabi, urged the company to encourage the high net worth shareholders to take up their rights, and further advised that the company should work hard to pay dividend next year.

Another shareholder, Alhaja Ayodele Kudaisi, said the company should maximize emerging opportunities in online businesses to boost its income in the domestic and international markets.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 0.92 0.92 1.71% ACAP Income Funds 0.78 0.78 9.72% 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 6.41% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.87 2.93 16.54% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 13.97 14.39 -8.77% ARM Discovery Fund 332.48 342.50 -3.75% ARM Ethical Fund 28.48 29.34 -2.08% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.86% 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 92.06 92.71 -4.18% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.09% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.18 2.18 24.52% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 1.81 1.83 -9.17% 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 0.06 0.04 5.95% Paramount Equity Fund 10.77 10.96 -13.97% Women's Investment Fund 107.26 108.16 -2.88% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) N/A N/A CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.75% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.92 0.93 -1.17% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.55 1.55 16.33% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Halal Fund 107.19 107.21 7.19% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.58% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 117.19 117.86 1.48% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 117.52 118.18 1.26% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 112.04 113.81 -13.90% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.24% Legacy Debt Fund 3.79 3.79 3.64% Legacy Equity Fund 1.08 1.10 -4.77% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.11 1.11 2.77% 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 3,065.40 3,096.54 0.77% Coral Income Fund 3,199.62 3,199.62 4.03% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 4.44% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.19% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.27 2.31 3.51% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 8.77% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 146.73 147.27 2.30% 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 N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.34 1.37 10.27% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.00 12.06 6.45% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.70% PACAM Equity Fund 0.99 1.00 PACAM EuroBond Fund 107.03 109.41 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 111.90 114.72 -10.75% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 5.14% 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 2,521.35 2,532.80 -0.40% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 0.28% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 -0.57% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 0.37% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 0.67% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.31% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 -1.80% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.16 1.16 0.22% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.18 118.18 0.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.14 1.15 -5.74% United Capital Bond Fund 1.83 1.83 5.69% United Capital Equity Fund 0.63 0.64 -10.54% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.15% United Capital Eurobond Fund 115.98 115.98 3.68% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.06 -2.75% 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 9.99 10.09 -2.89% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.11 11.19 -4.51% Zenith Income Fund 24.43 24.43 9.75% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.55%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

116.13

3.64%

53.10

2.02%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

8.88 81.78 64.91

8.98 83.52 66.08

1.97% -3.77% -1.66%

Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

2.70 4.06 10.98 1.00 10.90 197.81

2.74 4.14 11.08 1.00 11.10 199.81

-23.92% -31.08% -9.23% 5.24% 4.86% 4.59%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.26

16.90%

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.

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MONDAY, ͺ͸˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE FORTY-SIX OSHIOMHOLE APOLOGISES FOR BACKING OBASEKI, VOWS TO RETURN EDO TO APC last month when the governor was disqualified from contesting the APC governorship primary, forcing him to switch to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he picked up the ticket to run on September 19.

Oshiomhole, addressing a crowd that gathered to welcome him at his Iyamho country home, said: "I have made a mistake by supporting a man who has no vision for my people. So, I want to correct my mistakes by making sure a servant of God, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, is elected as governor and kick the snake out of the government house.

“From now till September 19, I am here in Edo State because a political lion that I am, I am not scared of anything.”

Saying Ize-Iyamu is not a stranger to Edo politics, Oshiomhole stated: “He campaigned for me in 2012 and I won all the 18 local government areas of Edo State. He knows the roots unlike the current governor, who just became governor and does not know the efforts people made to make him governor. We will kick out this MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) governor and replace him with a pastor who will sweep out the Coronavirus party by the grace of God." He added that his preoccupation now is to see that the state returns to the path of development.

According to him, "Now the snake that enters our family home, God has driven the snake to where he belongs.

"I have come home to join you and start the process of reclaiming the house back to the family of APC. And if the people say, yes, and God says yes, there is no man born of a woman that can say no.

"So, now I have only one mission and I know it is our common mission: to bring Edo back to the part of sustainable development. "We want to return to the government of the people by the people and for the people."

Oshiomhole accused Obaseki

of highhandedness against APC members in the state.

"The governor was demolishing the houses of our members while some were being jailed for trump-up charges; these are the people who fought for him to become governor,” he said, adding: "I even pleaded with those who were being persecuted to take it easy, that they shouldn't burn the house we all laboured to build because they wanted to smoke out the snake. But now, the snake has been smoked out of the house.”

He said the campaign would be easy because there were visible projects the APC would use to campaign, unlike the incumbent who had been busy signing MoUs.

No Regrets for Not Being Stooge, Says Governor Obaseki, however, fired back at his predecessor, saying Oshiomhole was unhappy with him because of his refusal to allow him to have a third term by proxy.

The governor, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the former national chairman was disappointed because the governor refused to be used in his (Oshiomhole) quest to become a godfather in the state.

The statement described the adverse comments of Oshiomhole as just an expression of his frustration over his failure to achieve his goal to govern the state for a third term using Obaseki as a proxy.

“In 2016 when Oshiomhole nominated and supported Obaseki, his hidden motive was used Governor Obaseki who he thought would be a pawn in his game to defraud Edo people and enthrone himself as the ultimate godfather of Edo politics at the expense of the will and wishes of Edo people,” He said Obaseki’s refusal to mortgage the interest of the majority of Edo people for the

satisfaction of Oshiomhole is at the root of the ongoing hostility.

“If Oshiomhole had made any mistake in supporting Obaseki in 2016, it is to the extent that he thought that the governor will submit himself as a tool to be used to hold the collective will and best interest of all Edo people hostage and for this Obaseki owes Oshiomhole no apologies because the interest of Edo people is and will always be greater than the interest of one man.”

Akeredolu Frustrated

by Inability to Remove Me, Says Ajayi In Ondo State, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, at the weekend berated his principal, Mr. Oluwatotimi Akeredolu, over his comment that he regretted making him (Ajayi) his deputy in 2016, saying the governor's comment was borne out of frustration over his inability to remove him from office.

The governor, during his campaign tour of Eseodo Local Government Area of the state on Saturday had described the choice of Ajayi as his deputy in 2016 as an error.

However, Ajayi in a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Babatope Okeowo, said he was never a burden on Akeredolu before, during and after the election that produced the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in the state.

The deputy governor said his contributions to the contest and eventual victory were immense and tangible.

He said: "We understand the frustration of Governor Akeredolu over his inability to remove his deputy illegally through the instrumentality of the House of Assembly.

"These and many injuries Governor Akeredolu caused himself cannot be blamed on his deputy who he was sidelined for the past three-and-a-half years.

"It must be put on record that Akeredolu contested in 2012

governorship election and came a distant third in the election won by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Labour Party.

"It was the experience, weight, and political capital, Hon. Ajayi brought into 2016 gubernatorial election that produced the current All Progressives Congress (APC)led government in the state.”

The plot to remove Ajayi from office by the state House of Assembly suffered asetback following the refusal of the state Chief Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, to set up a sevenman panel to investigate allegations of impeachable offences levelled against Ajayi.

The chief judge, in a reply to a letter from the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun, had cited some constitutional errors in the lawmakers’ process to remove the deputy governor.

However, the state legislature had said there was no going back on the mission to remove Ajayi as the House would return to the drawing board to perfect theremoval plot.

INEC Predicts Low Voters' Turnout in Edo, Ondo Gov Elections Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the weekend expressed concern that COVID-19 might affect the turnout of voters in the Edo and Ondo States’ governorship polls.

The commission also restated its decision not to allow voters without face masks into polling units to vote, noting that there will be strict enforcement of the policy.

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, while featuring on a programme on ARISE NEWS Channel, thebroadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said it was impossible for the elections to be postponed as a result of the pandemic because of its

likely constitutional implications.

He stated that the commission would step up its enlightenment and education campaigns in both states to ensure that people come out to vote despite the fears of the virus.

According to him, though the times are unusual, all countries are now devising means to ensure that they do not remain stagnant, noting that the INEC could not be left out.

On the likelihood of INEC staff spreading the COVID-19 disease to voters if they are not first screened, INEC stated that for now, there is no plan to make testing mandatory but it would do so in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), if the need arises.

Okoye said: “The commission is concerned about voter turnout in Edo and Ondo States and Nigerians should be concerned too, but we must realise that we are in a very unusual situation.

“We are in a situation that’s called novel. There’s apprehension, there’s fear all over the place. But countries must adopt strategies on how to move on. Nobody has been able to tell us when this coronavirus will end.

“The implication is that society must move on. Now, we cannot engage in the orthodox voter education that we used to do. Political parties have a role to play, the media and civil society groups too.

“We will raise our enlightenment campaigns. We need to assure our people that these strategies can work only if they take personal responsibility for their health.”

On why senatorial elections were postponed and not the governorship because of COVID-19, he said that governorship elections were time-bound and could lead to a constitutional crisis if postponed.

He said if the president was allowed to postpone elections as in the time of war, it would become both a presidential and a political issue, which might be outside the purview of INEC.

“So, rather than engage in these constitutional debates, whether the COVID-19 amounts to war, whether someone has authority, it is better to deploy all necessary containment strategies instead of slipping into a constitutional crisis, which nobody knows how it will end,” he added.

Okoye stated that though INEC's spending would increase in relation to nonpharmaceutical expenses, it will decrease in terms of the savings from physical meetings, flights and others.

He reiterated INEC's plan to test run its new electoral model with the Nasarawa Central State Constituency election, to see if it will work in Edo and Ondo States.

“We have fixed the Nasarawa election for the August 8. We want to see how the security agencies will deal with the issue of crowd control and how we manage the collation centres and also the registration area centres where we will leave presiding officers and their assistants overnight.

“If there are challenges, we will look at how to deal with them before the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. This is an unusual situation,” he added.

He noted that protocols still remain fluid and will continually be adjusted as demanded by the times, stressing that the commission will mobilise resources from neighbouring states to complement what is available in both states.

However, the commission stated that its policy on adherence to the NCDC protocols remained sacrosanct.

“Our policy is that if you are not wearing a face mask, you should not even come close to the polling units and it’s one of the things we are enforcing strictly.

“We might have voluntary testing before and after the election. We are trying to work out the logistics with the NCDC. If the advice is that it must be mandatory, then the commission will not have anything against it,” he said.

POLITICIANS SPONSORING BANDITRY, INSURGENCY OVER 2023 AMBITIONS, SAYS MASARI sponsoring violence and other acts of criminality, they would be blackmailing the Buhari administration to contest in the forthcoming general election.

Masari, who spoke yesterday during an interactive meeting with ward and local government chairmen of the state All Progressives Congress (APC), said most of the bandits and Boko Haram attacks in the country were sponsored by politicians.

Masari, who spoke yesterday during an interactive meeting with ward and local government chairmen of the state All Progressives Congress (APC), said most of bandits and Boko Haram attacks in the country were sponsored by some politicians.

"Most of the bandits and Boko Haram attacks facing the northern part of the country are sponsored by some politicians who are enemies of the present APC government at both federal and state.

"During the administration of

President Goodluck Jonathan, there were multiple bombs in Maiduguri, Kano and even Abuja.

"The Kano bombing then killed more than 500 people.

Mosques, churches and roads were closed due to insecurity but today, God has prevented us from such insecurity but we have forgotten.

"Today, politicians who are willing or intending to contest 2023 elections are sponsoring banditry because the way the bandits mastered how to operate guns and by how they specialised in ambushing soldiers, we should know that there is someone behind it.

"They are saying we dislodged PDP administration because of insecurity, so they want to make use of insecurity to also sent APC away, that is why all APC should be vigilante.

He explained that the military and other security agents are doing a tremendous job of ridding the country of insurgency and banditry,

saying the scourge continued due to the inability of other critical stakeholders to support the ongoing war against the hoodlums.

He said if the other stakeholders were doing half of what the military were doing in the area of security in the last five years, Nigeria would have defeated insurgency and banditry.

Masari, however, warned APC officials in the state who are seeking political positions in the forthcoming election to desist or face sanction from the party.

He said that sectional politics currently being played in the state over 2023 governorship election was capable of dividing the citizenry.

The governor reiterated that politicking at this period would derail the APC administration in fulfilling pledges made to the electorate in the 2019 general election.

He called for vigilance, especially by leaders of the

party that leaves in the rural communities, saying it is their responsibility to inform security agencies of suspicious characters or movements.

"The military and the police cannot do it alone, they don't have the numbers, neither do they have all the equipment required to complete the fight alone. Community members have all that it takes to inform and support the fight against insecurity," he added.

Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Government has restated its commitment to rehabilitate and empower bandits willing to lay down their arms and embrace peace being canvassed by the government.

The state government had at the weekend offered two cows for every gun returned by bandits in a fresh deal with the outlaws.

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Bello Mutawalle, Mr. Zalani Bappa, told THISDAY at the weekend that Mutawalle had reiterated

his commitment to continued dialogue with the bandits.

Zailani added that there were no new conditions or terms different from the ones earlier agreed upon by the government and the bandits.

According to Zailani, government will not compensate any repentant bandits but would rehabilitate and empower those who wish to abandon banditry by encouraging them to take to cattle rearing.

He, however, stated that the state government had completed the Ruga settlement at Maradun aimed at resettling the repentant bandits.

He said the government was not regretting engaging in dialogue with the bandits because the government’s efforts were yielding positive results.

"Just within a week, scores of bandits surrendered about 50 weapons to the government,” he stated.

He appealed to bandits that are yet to surrender to have a rethink to escape the wrath of

mismanagement of huge resources allocated to it over the years, particularly in the last eight months that it had been under interim management.

Following a protest by the Niger Delta states governors that there was an embarrassing disparity between the hefty funds that flowed into the intervention agencies and the development projects on the ground, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that a forensic audit be carried out on the

financial transactions of the commission, instituting a threeman interim headed Ms. Joi Nunieh to oversee the exercise.

But Nunieh soon ran into trouble with Akpabio and was removed in February and was replaced by Prof. Keme Pondei.

The new interim committee has in the last few months been having running battles with supervisory committees of the National Assembly over alleged fraud, leading accusations and counter-accusations.

OIL COMMUNITIES DEMAND RETURN OF NDDC TO PRESIDENCY “That we demand without further delay the immediate sacking and prosecution of all the actors who perpetrated these heinous crimes against the people of the oil-producing communities.”

HOSCON noted that it was becoming uncomfortable with the mind-boggling amounts being allegedly stolen in the agency and called for a presidential intervention.

According to the group: “We are no longer comfortable with

the multi-billion-naira fraud allegations that have bedeviled the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the kangaroo three-member Interim Management Committee (IMC) leading to wastage of over N80 billion.

“We demand without further delay that the already screened and confirmed board by the National Assembly under the chairmanship of Dr. Pius Odubu be urgently inaugurated to put a stop to this wanton

wastage and outright stealing that is ongoing currently at the commission.

“HOSCON, as the most formidable grassroots pressure group in the Niger Delta that has laboured so much to ensure sustainable peace in the region rich in oil and gas, will not sit aloof and allow some selfaggrandising political appointees that are selfishly motivated to set the region on fire.”

The NDDC has been in the news for alleged

the military The spokesman stated that the governor acknowledged the effort of the special military operation going on in the state.

"Last week, military operations in the state led to the killing of scores of bandits with the rescue of many held captive and the recovery of 200 cattle,” he said.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN % IKEJHOTEL 0.10 1.12 9.8 PRESCO 4.20 49.45 9.2 CADBURY 0.50 7.25 7.4 COURTVILLE 0.01 0.21 5.0 HONEYWELL 0.04 0.96 4.3 TOP LOSERS NGN % NAHCO 0.20 1.98 9.1 UNITYBANK 0.04 0.45 8.1 ETI 0.35 4.35 7.4 FIDSON 0.20 2.65 7.0 ABCTRANS 0.03 0.47 6.0 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,256.80 Volume: 207.42 million shares Value: N1.70 billion Deals: 3,648 As at Friday 17/7/2020 See details on Page 33

MONDAY JULY 20, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

47

NEWSEXTRA

Magu: Presidency Asks Nigerians to Prepare for Surprises Ejiofor Alike As the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel probing the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) gets ready to submit its report, the Presidency last night asked Nigerians to prepare for surprises.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said this on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme.

Shehu said the Presidency had been receiving some little updates from the panel, stressing that the findings would surprise Nigerians.

He, therefore, asked Nigerians to ignore the outbursts of certain persons who have questioned the probe.

Responding to a question on claims by Magu’s lawyers that the probe was a witchhunt, Shehu said, “I guess this is a question for the Justice Ayo Salami panel and I must say that panel is composed of some of this country’s most honoured people with integrity who will do the right thing.

“I am not going to preempt the panel investigation but I just advice Nigerians to hold their hearts in their hands. By the time they are done with this job and they come out with the reportsprepare yourselves for surprises.

“I don’t know what will come out but if the sense we are getting from what is being done over there is anything to go by, I think that Nigerians should not be confused by any outbursts

by anybody.”

Shehu noted that

the

probe of Magu could cause temporary embarrassment

to the President Buhari but expressed optimism that

the Buhari-led government would be vindicated at last.

IN SEARCH OF PEACE...

L-R: Members of All Progressives Congress’ Reconciliation Committee for Ondo State, Hajiya Binta Muazu; Sen. Bamidele Opeyemi; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Mr. Gambon Magaji; National Leader of APC, Senator BolaTinubu; member of the committee, Mr. Iquo Inyang; Leader of the committee, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State; member of the committee, Mr. Jasper Azuwatalum; and member of the committee, Senator Adamu Aliero, during the visit of the committee to Tinubu at his Bourdillon, Lagos residence... weekend

Buhari Wishes Onyeama Speedy Recovery as Minister Tell Obaseki to ‘Leave Me Alone,’ Okunbo Urges Buhari Tests Positive for COVID-19 Peter Uzoho Obaseki to deliver dividends hireling of desperate Edo State verges on mischief.”

Omololu Ogunmade and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari last night wished the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, who went in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday a speedy recovery.

A statement by presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said Buhari described Onyeama as a strong pillar of his administration and commended him for his contributions to efforts to contain the spread of the virus and also ensuring the safety of Nigerians abroad as a member of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

“The country is eternally grateful to Geoffrey Onyeama for his diligence in attracting international support for Nigeria to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and boost the economy. I wish him speedy recovery,” the president was quoted.

The minister confirmed his positive status yesterday through his verified Twitter handle.

He explained that he had throat irritation, which forced him to go for the test the forth

time.

According to him, “I Did my fourth COVID-19 test yesterday at the first sign of a throat irritation and unfortunately this time it came back positive.

That is life! Win some lose some. Heading for isolation in a health facility and praying for the best.”

Meanwhile, Onyeama also revealed that Air France conveying 22 Nigerians from Paris has departed for Abuja, adding that all the evacuees tested negative for the virus He said: “@AirFrance conveying 22 Nigerian evacuees from #Paris, has departed for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The flight is expected to arrive Abuja at 14:40 pm local time today, 19th July, 2020.

“Some of the evacuees are Nigerians in France, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Norway, Germany, Holland, UK and Canada. All passengers tested negative before boarding.

“So far, a total of 93 Nigerians in Europe have been repatriated in the evacuation exercise coordinated by the Embassy of Nigeria in France, in cooperation with our Missions in Germany, Belgium, Holland and Hungary.”

Nigeria’s COVID-19 Cases Rise By 556 to 36,663 Martins Ifijeh Nigeria has recorded 556 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 36,663 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

Announcing this yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Dis e a s e C o n t ro l ( N C D C ) s a i d Edo recorded 104 cases; Lagos, 97; Federal Capital Territory (FCT),

70; Benue, 66; Oyo, 61; Kaduna, 38; Plateau, 28; Osun, 19; Akwa Ibom, 14; Rivers, Katsina and Ondo, 13 each; Ogun, six; Kano, five; Nasarawa, four; Gombe and Ekiti, two each; and Borno, one.

It said: “Nigeria has recorded 36,663 new cases of COVID-19.

15,105 patients have been discharged, while 789 persons have died.”

Renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Capt. Idahosa Wells Okunbo, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the people of Edo State to prevail on Governor Godwin Obaseki to “leave him alone”.

Okunbo, in an open letter to President Buhari and the people of Edo State yesterday, accused Obaseki of serially attacking him through orchestrated campaign of calumny to damage his reputation.

He said those attacks were being executed by attack dogs hired by the Edo State Government under the watch of Obaseki.

Okunbo said: “I have, for some time now experienced an unprecedented dose of orchestrated bashings and campaign of calumny calculated to malign my person and cast aspersions on my hard-earned reputation.

“This spate of coordinated attacks, with their attendant mode of vicious execution, can best be described as the unconscionable actions by attack dogs and

Government on the watch of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

“After a deep evaluation of these seamless attacks and poisonous bitterness against my person, I have come to the conclusion that, as a good-hearted Edo son, I do not deserve the embarrassing treatment.

“My pedigree will never ever allow me to deliberately concoct any wrong against my state and its Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki who, today, by the grace of God, enjoys the mandate of the good people of Edo State to preside over their affairs.

He also said: “I am, however shocked, bewildered and pained to observe that despite this very sincere, robust and stated commitment to support the anticipated pace of infrastructure development, progress and other social investment initiatives through the deployment of my modest goodwill and network of capital, for which I am eternally grateful to God, alas, the response has been to paint my person with tar brush of public odium that

He said he had vowed to remain a lover and promoter of peace and to be at peace with himself and most members of the society, despite the unpleasant experiences, but that the governor through his actions and inactions, had made that impossible.

He maintained that his contributions to peace, progress and visible development of the economy of the state, pursuant to their collective aspirations and shared commitments remained a fait accompli.

According to Okunbo, “these contributions are self-sacrificing without necessarily expecting any iota of reciprocal gesture or patronage from the Government of Edo State.

“I, therefore, find it sickening and incomprehensible to understand or accept any justification for the series of sustained virulent attacks against my person in the social and print media by some agents of Edo State Government.”

Okunbo, who listed efforts he made towards supporting

of democracy to the people of the state, wondered what wrong he had committed “for identifying with Governor Obaseki and galvanising support for his administration?”.

He said all the moves he made to settle the quarrel between the governor and the immediate-past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, was rebuffed by the governor, who said “he was embarking on a fight to finish with Comrade Oshiomhole.”

According to him, the governor sent a message to him with a “warning that I should steer clear from the ensuing fight between him and Oshiomhole, else he would inflict severe collateral damage on me,” a threat he said the governor confirmed to him personally on phone.

Okunbo also accused Obaseki of severally mocking and persecuting him when he thought he was going to run for governorship in the state, citing attacks targeted at his company as examples.

Higher Tax, Oil Receipts Raise June Federation Account to N651bn Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) at the weekend shared a total of N651.184 billion as June allocation among the federal, states, local governments and relevant agencies.

This figure is N103.877 million higher than the N547.309 billion shared for May due to higher receipts from taxes and oil revenue.

The global benchmark, Brent, has since recovered to about $43 a barrel from a 21-year low below $16 in April.

A communiqué released

by FAAC after its monthly meeting, which was held via

virtual conferencing, put gross statutory revenue available at N524.526 billion.

According to the communiqué, the meeting, chaired by the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris, put gross revenue from the Value Added Tax (VAT) at N128.826 billion, while revenue from the Exchange Gain was N42.832 billion.

This brought the total revenue for the month to N696.184 billion.

From this total, the sum of N45 billion was saved in the Excess Non-Oil Revenue Account and the balance of N651.184 billion was shared among the three tiers of government and relevant agencies.

The breakdown shows that the federal government received N227.584 billion from the gross statutory revenue, states received N115.434 billion and the local government councils received N88.995 billion.

The sum of N24.722 billion was given to oil-producing states as 13 per cent derivation revenue .

Similarly, the federal government received N17.971 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, state governments received N59.904 billion, local government councils (N41.933 billion), while revenue/relevant agencies received N5.153 billion as cost of collection.

The sum of N3.865 billion

was transferred to the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

The communiqué said the federal government received N20.576 billion, states received N10.436 billion, the local government councils received N8.046 billion and the oilproducing states received N3.774 billion from the Exchange Gain revenue.

It added that in June, import and excise duty, VAT, Companies Income Tax, oil and gas royalty recorded significant increases with Petroleum Profit Tax declining.

The balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) as at July 16, 2020 was $72.407 million.

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Military Denies Killing of 15 Soldiers By Bandits in Katsina Troops kill eight Boko Haram commanders Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied reports that no fewer than 15 soldiers and officers were at the weekend killed and 28 others wounded in an ambush by suspected bandits in Katsina State.

DHQ claimed that only one brave officer and two gallant soldiers paid the supreme price while four other soldiers were wounded in action.

This is coming as military said its troops in Operation Lafiya Dole killed no fewer than eight top Boko Haram commanders while

attempting to infiltrate Army Super Camp in Damask.

It was alleged that the troops from Special Army Super Camp 4 were advancing on foot in Shimfida in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State at about 8 p.m. on Saturday when the armed militants opened fire on them from a hilltop, military sources said.

The officers killed in the attack included a major, a captain and a lieutenant, military sources said.

However, in a statement issued by the Acting Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), DHQ, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko, the military said only one officer

and two soldiers paid the supreme price in the Katsina ambush.

“In line with their noble mission to rid the North-West zone of armed bandits, cattle rustlers, Kidnappers and other sundry criminals, on 18 July 2020 gallant troops of Combat Team 1, Operation Sahel Sanity with the support of Air Task Force advanced and captured one of the notorious armed bandits strongholds located deep in the forest in Jibia LGA of Katsina State known as Dangote Camp.

Initial resistance by the bandits was effectively subdued by the superior tactics and dexterity of the troops which resulted in inflicting heavy casualty on the bandits. At the end

of the encounter, 17 bandits were neutralized while several others were believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds as evident by the trails of blood along their escape routes. Equally, five AK 47 Rifles, three Dane guns, two AK 47 Rifle magazines, 152 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition and seven motorcycles were captured from the fleeing bandits.

“Regrettably, one brave officer and two gallant soldiers paid the supreme price while 4 other soldiers were wounded in action. However, the wounded in action soldiers are currently responding positively to treatment in a military medical facility,” the

statement explained.

The statement added that troops conducting fighting patrol along Faskari – Sheme – Dandume Road in Katsina State, on Saturday arrested five suspected bandits, including one female.

According to the statement, one of the suspects, Bashir Usman who claimed to be a policeman during interrogation but could not validate his claim with any form of identification, was apprehended with one AK 47 Rifle loaded with 28 rounds of ammunition while riding on a motorcycle.

Other items recovered from him include one handset and the sum N6,050. 00 only.

The DHQ also disclosed that the troops following a tip off that bandits invaded Kuka Uku Village in Batsari LGA, Katsina State and kidnapped a 16-year-old Miss Hadiza Sani, promptly mobilised to the area and made contact with the bandits who abandoned the victim and fled due to the troops aggressive pursuit.

The rescued victim has since been reunited with her family.

Meanwhile, the military has said its troops attached Operation Lafiya Dole have killed no fewer than eight top Boko Haram commanders while attempting to infiltrate Army Super Camp in Damask.

Police Officer, Daughter, Four Others Abducted in Kaduna John Shiklam in Kaduna Six people, including a female police officer and her daughter, have been abducted by gunmen who invaded Janruwa area on Patrick Yakowa way in Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna State.

Eye witnesses said the incident happened at about 10p.m. last Saturday night.

The hoodlums were said to be in large number and were shooting sporadically as they broke into houses.

A resident of the community said the bandits raided four houses and abducted six people.

He said the community was helpless as they could not challenge the bandits who were heavily armed.

According to him, a female police officer, her daughter and four others-two female teenagers,

two young men-were abducted during the incident, adding that the bandits broke windows to get their victims.

“They picked most of the victims through the widows.

After destroying the windows and removing the burglaries, they ordered their victims out of the house.

“There was nothing anybody in the community could do to challenge them because they were armed with guns.

“The victims had no other option than to follow the attackers politely, as they risked being killed if they don’t obey them.

“The only grown up woman among those kidnapped was the police woman. When they attempted to break into her house, she ran out, not knowing that the bandits were many outside.

Police Arrest Notorious Leader of Terror Gang in Lagos Chiemelie Ezeobi The Satellite Police Division of the Lagos Police Command has arrested Prince Yusuf, the suspected leader of a dreaded criminal gang terrorising Satellite town and environs.

Yusuf was said to have been arrested after the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Satellite Town, CSP Chike Oti launched a manhunt for him and his gang.

The gang had carried out a fresh attack on some residents of the area whom they also extorted, wounded and even destroyed their properties.

When alerted on the fresh attack, the Area Commander of Festac Police Area Command, ACP Halilu Muawiya swiftly swung into action and ordered the DPO to personally lead a team to quell the raging crisis.

After initially resisting arrest, the gang fell to the superior firing power of the police and the arrest of the kingpin threw the residents into wild jubilation.

The kingpin was alleged to have spearheaded series of attacks on truck and tanker drivers plying Abule-Ado, Abule-Osun, Alakija, VinNiger, some parts of Festac, old Ojo Road, Satellite Town, and

the expressway from Mile 2 to Trade Fair Complex.

They were also alleged to have been coordinating robbery attacks on motorists plying the expressway, especially at night when there is traffic gridlock in the area.

Over the years, the police have had several deadly encounters with the vicious gang led by the arrested suspect and each time, they escaped to their hideout in Badagry.

After the situation must have died down, they would come back to strike again, a move that became a recurring decimal to the dismay of residents.

Despite series of complaints and petitions by the residents, the gang held sway in attacking and forcefully confiscating many properties belonging to people in the area who refused to be extorted huge sums of money.

In their commando style, they re-enacted their nefarious act by breaking into the warehouse of a popular moviemaker, Gabosky Okoye, early this year.

Also, they nearly killed another businessman, who refused to pay the N10million levy they illegally imposed on his warehouse.

A BOOST TO TRANSPORTATION...

L-R: Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mr. Fidet Okhiria; TEAM Project Manager for the Warri-Itakpe rail line, Mr. Chiedu Nwazojie; and Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, during the inspection of the Warri-Itakpe rail line...weekend

Buhari Extends NSCDC CG’s Tenure By Six Months President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a six-month tenure extension for the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Muhammadu.

The Corps spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Okeh, disclosed this yesterday in a statement.

The statement denied reports that Buhari approved a five-year extension to the NSCDC boss’ tenure, which was to end on July 17, 2020.

It noted that the fake news was being peddled by mischief-makers

“who wanted to cause problems in the NSCDC.” The statement read, “The Corps wishes to place on record that the Hon. Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola has graciously approved an extension of the tenure of the NSCDC Commandant General for a six-month period having been found worthy of the office.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has asked applicants to access the recruitment portal with their National Identity Number to

complete the online registration and submit same through the portal.

The online application, which is free of charge, is open from July 14 –August 23, 2020.

According to a statement by the FCT police spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, applicants must be Nigerian by birth and possess the National Identity Number.

They must also possess a minimum of five credits in not more than two sittings in the West Africa Senior

School Certificate Examinations, General Certificate Examinations or the National Business and Technical Education Board with credit pass in English and Mathematics.

It added, “Applicants must be between 17-25 years and must be medically, physically and psychologically fit and must not be less than 1.67m tall for male and 1.64m tall for female.

“Females must not be pregnant at the time of recruitment and applicants must be free from any pecuniary embarrassment.”

2020 UTME: JAMB to Begin Admission Exercise on August 21 The Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) has directed all institutions to begin the conduct of the first and second choice admission exercise with effect from August 21, 2020.

While directing institutions to desist from advertising or selling application forms for admissions into some listed programmes, the organisation told them to advise candidates to apply for the programmes through its office.

The spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who gave the directives in the 2020 admission guidelines released to journalists in Abuja yesterday, warned that duplication of application forms was not allowed.

The guidelines ,which insisted that application for admission

into all forms of programme in tertiary institutions must be conducted by JAMB, also warned that all admission exercise must be conducted on the Central Admission Processing System.

Benjamin stressed that sanctions would be applied to any institution that violates any of the guidelines.

Meanwhile, JAMB has appealed to Computer-Based Test centres to obey all official protocols on the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to its weekly bulletin, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, had urged CBT owners and operators to take the COVID-19 pandemic serious during a web-hosted meeting to deliberate on new operational processes under the extant COVID-19 dispensation.

The guideline reads in part: “All applications for admissions to First Degree, National Diploma, National Innovation Diploma and the Nigeria Certificate in Education into Full Time, Distance Learning, Part Time, Outreach, Sandwich, etc, must be processed only through JAMB. “Institutions that desire to place advertisement can do so by advising candidates who applied for the current Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to change to their institution as first choice rather than requesting the candidates to purchase another application form or apply.

This is to prevent the issue of double registration which

is a violation of the JAMB mandate.

“The admission-exercise for the 2020/2021 academic session would be conducted on CAPS. No institution is allowed to publish, announce, exhibit or paste any name(s) of admitted candidate without prior approval of the name on CAPS. Indeed, the exercise is to be fully conducted only on CAPS. “The first and 2nd choices admission-exercises be conducted for all institutions from August 21 2020 to a later date that would be determined by the Federal Ministry of Education and communicated to all the institutions. The uncertainties of the COVID-19 make it impossible to fix a terminal date.

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South-west APC Hails Yari over Comment on Power Shift in 2023 Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The South-west caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, for joining the league of northern elites canvassing for power to shift to the South in 2023.

The party said the action had shown that there are highly progressive and patriotic people in the North, who have unflinching belief in the unity of the country, and that Yari is one of those leaders.

Yari had in a chat with journalists last Saturday said with President Muhammadu Buhari serving out his second term in

2023, power should automatically return to the South in the spirit of rotational presidency that has become a silent convention in Nigeria.

In a statement issued in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the APC South-west Publicity Secretary, Hon. Karounwi Oladapo, said it had always been his ardent conviction that the presidency can only return to the South with wide consultations across the North.

Karounwi clarified that his earlier submission that power may remain in the North in the 2023 after Buhari’s presidency was not intended to diminish the South, but was made based on the

advantage the North commands in the country’s politics in view of their numerical strength.

“With this statement coming from one of our revered leaders in the North, his Excellency Abdulaziz Yari, our fears in the South are gradually being allayed.

“If you look at the political configuration of this country, one would discern that in terms of numerical strength and voting, the North enjoys better leverage than the South. So I am one of the southerners who believed that the South has dimmed and remote chances with North still struggling to grab the presidency in APC in 2023.

“Politics is about consultations

SERAP Writes Buhari, Wants Presidential Panel to Probe NDDC Udora Orizu in Abuja Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari urging him to urgently set up a presidential investigative panel to probe corruption allegations in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

SERAP also asked him to immediately suspend the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio and all those implicated in the allegations pending the outcome of any such investigation.

In the letter dated July 18, 2020, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said it specifically wants a probe into allegations that the agency illegally spent N81.5 billion on travels, condolences, consultancy and public communication between January and July 2020.

It further asked the president to ensure that witnesses and whistleblowers are protected and findings

of the investigation made public, adding that when there’s relevant admissible evidence, suspected perpetrators should be handed over to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for prosecution.

The letter read in part: “SERAP is concerned that allegations of systemic and widespread corruption in the NDDC are not only punishable offences but also directly undermine the human rights of Nigerians, especially the people of the Niger Delta.

“SERAP notes that your government has expressed the commitment to ‘get to the root of the problem undermining the NDDC’. However, the most effective way to ‘get to the root’ of the corruption problem in the agency, and to ensure and protect the integrity of a forensic audit is to establish a special panel to carry out credible, independent, impartial and effective investigations into the alleged corruption in the NDDC. “A decisive action is needed by you and your government

to stop the corruption in the NDDC, and ensure that anyone suspected to be responsible is brought to justice, and to fully recover stolen, mismanaged or misappropriated public funds.

Ensuring an independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the corruption allegations in the NDDC would be entirely consistent with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended), the NDDC Act, and Nigeria’s international obligations, including under the United Nations Convention against Corruption to which the country is a state party.

“SERAP also urges you to instruct the police authorities and security agencies to immediately end the harassment and intimidation of former acting Managing Director of NDDC, Ms. Joy Nunieh, or any other witnesses and whistle-blowers.

Suspected perpetrators will escape justice if witnesses and whistle-blowers are intimidated, harassed or threatened.”

Falana Commends Wike for Protecting Ex-NDDC MD from Arrest Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday hailed the move by the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, stopping the police from arresting a former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh.

Falana also demanded that the Department of State Services (DSS) obey three separate court orders for the release of an Aba, Abia State-based lawyer, Mr. Emperor Ogbonna, who was arrested in March this year for criticising Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in a Facebook post.

On Wike’s intervention preventing Nunieh’s arrested, Falana noted in his statement yesterday that the security operatives’ invasion of her house on July 16 was a desperate attempt to prevent her from testifying before a committee of the House of Representatives probing into diversion of huge funds belonging to the NDCC. He said if Wike had not prevented the arrest, the police would have abducted and detained Nunieh in further violation of her rights.

He added that since the Rivers State Police Command had dissociated itself from the planned arrest, “the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu should investigate the circumstances surrounding the deployment of the team of police personnel involved in such reckless abuse of power”.

The statement read in part, “In a desperate bid to prevent Ms Joi Nunien from testifying before the House Committee probing the monumental criminal diversion of the huge public fund allocated to the Niger Delta Development Corporation the police invaded her house in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at 4 am on Thursday, July 16, 2020.

“No doubt, Ms Nunieh would have been abducted and taken to custody but for the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike who intervened and prevented the Police from further infringing on her fundamental rights to personal liberty, dignity and privacy of her home guaranteed by sections 34, 35 and 37 of the Nigerian Constitution.”

He said while “Governor deserves kudos for his timely

intervention”, “the principalities who feel offended by Ms Nunieh’s disclosures” should explore the option of suing her for libel in a civil court”.

He also called on President, Muhammadu Buhari to “dissolve the illegally constituted Interim Management Committee of the NDDC which has since become a cesspool of grand corruption”.

On Ogbonna’s detention since March this year, Falana said the lawyer “had been dumped in the detention facility of the State Security Service in Umuahia”, adding that “all efforts made by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Mr Ogbonna’s lawyers to enforce the two orders granted by the Federal High Court for his release from illegal custody have proved abortive”.

He added following a public interest filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja by Mr. Monday Ubani to challenge the lawyer’s continued detention, the court on Friday “granted the application for the bail of Mr. Ogbonna pending the determination of the substantive application.”

and concession. When you are contesting against a stronger political side in politics, the issue of consultation becomes a better instrument to deploy. So, the South must consult more rather than relying solely on the rotational principle that had no legal fecundity.

“But with this statement from Yari and the one earlier made by the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, I believe

that our northern compatriots are beginning to see things from the same spectrum like those of us from the South.

“The unity of this country is very important and the principle of rotational presidency remains one of the fulcrums on which it is anchored, if the political practice is sustained faithfully like we are trying to do.

“We commend Governor Yari for displaying statesmanship by

viewing the highly inflammable issue from a broader perspective, which borders on our unity, and we are grateful to him.”

“We charge the PDP leaders in the South to make similar request from their compatriots in the North, so that the country can return to the 1999 era when major political parties picked their presidential candidates from the South for the rotational presidency to become a norm.”

Jonathan-led ECOWAS Mission Recommends Unity Govt to End Crisis in Mali As a means of resolving Mali’s lingering political crisis, the mediation team of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by former President Goodluck Jonathan has recommended the formation of a government of national unity with members drawn from different interest groups in the country, including the ruling coalition, the opposition parties and the civil society.

It also recommended the establishment of a technical committee to be set up by ECOWAS to monitor the implementation of the proposed measures which also include the reconstitution of the dissolved constitutional court as well as the resolution of the dispute over 31

legislative seats recently set aside by the defunct constitutional court.

Former President Jonathan who is ECOWAS Special Envoy to Mali led his mediation team on a three-day mission to Mali which ended yesterday, July 19, 2020, with a view to finding a solution to the socio-political crisis in Mali.

The mission’s communique issued yesterday at a press conference in Bamako said: “As a matter of urgency, there is the need to put in place a government of national unity, based on consensus and taking into account the recommendations of the Inclusive National Dialogue, the implementation of the Mali Peace and Reconciliation

Agreement resulting from the Algiers process.”

According to the document, the proposed government will have 50 per cent of its members drawn from the ruling coalition, while the opposition and civil society groups will produce 30 per cent and 20 per cent of its membership, respectively.

The communique signed

by Jonathan stated further: “A Technical Committee will be put in place by ECOWAS to monitor and follow up on the implementation of the proposed measures. This committee will comprise representatives of the Government, Parliament, civil society, the Judiciary, Women and Youth associations, and the ECOWAS Representation in Mali.”

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15.4m Children Risk Acute Malnutrition in Nigeria, Says UNICEF Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have warned that up to 15.4 million cases of acute malnutrition in children less than five years are expected in 2020 in West and Central Africa.

They said one third of them is from its most severe form, if adequate measures are not put

in place now.

In a statement issued by UNICEF, the global body said this represents a 20 per cent increase from earlier estimates in January 2020, according to an analysis of the combined impact of food insecurity and COVID-19 on acute malnutrition in 19 countries of the regions.

Conflict and armed violence have led to massive population displacements and drastically

limited access to basic social services, causing child malnutrition to increase to unprecedented levels.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 4.5 million cases were anticipated

to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2020 in six countries of the regions. Today, with growing insecurity and COVID-19, that number has jumped to almost 5.4 million.

UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, MariePierre Poirier, said: “Children suffering from severe acute malnutrition are at higher risk of COVID-19-related complications.

Good nutrition for children, starting from their early days, protects them against illnesses and infections and supports their recovery when they become ill.

Kidnappers Abduct Lawmaker’s Daughter in Kano Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The suspected kidnappers have abducted the daughter of the Kano State House of Assembly member representing Danbatta constituency, Murtala Musa Kore.

The incident occurred at about 2a.m. yesterday when the kidnappers were said to have stormed the residence of the lawmaker at his sleepy village of Kore in Danbatta Local Government Area of the state.

Sources informed THISDAY in Kano that the kidnappers wanted to kidnap the lawmaker but took away his 17-yearold daughter, who is an SS II student.

The lawmaker said: “I was in Kano when I received a call from home by 2:35a.m. I learned that kidnappers have abducted

my daughter, Juwairiyya.

“The abductors invaded my house and tied up my elder brother, Lawal Kore, whom they had mistaken for me. When he told them that I wasn’t home they went inside my family’s quarters to verify his claim.

“They told my wives and children that they were there to kidnap me and were not ready to leave empty-handed, therefore, they kidnapped my daughter.”

However, the kidnappers are yet to contact him for ransom.

Meanwhile, the state police command, has failed to confirm or deny the story.

Abdullahi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state, also assured journalists the matter would be investigated and the findings would be made available to journalists.

UNICEF, Imo Govt Move against Female Genital Mutilation Amby Uneze in Owerri The Imo State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is mobilising stakeholders in a determined bid to end the dreadful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Imo State.

The state government and UNICEF recently organised a joint training programme for law enforcement and judiciary officers in Ikeduru and Oguta Local Government Areas on the need to abandon the practice of FGM. The training, which also attracted the participation of the traditional, religious and community leaders as well as members of male and female groups in all the 53 communities of the two local government, was aimed at enlightening the participants of the prosecution processes and the harmful nature of the practice of FGM on girls and women, which is described as a component of violence against women and the girl child.

The training stated that Imo State currently holds the unenviable number one position as the state with the highest prevalence of FGM in the country.

The Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF, Enugu

Field Office, Mr. Victor Atuchukwu, told the participants that “this unhealthy development is a call for action for all to quickly and urgently get to work, enforce the laws that protect the rights and privileges of children, women and girls in the state in respect of the state’s Female Genital Mutilation (prohibition) law 2017, the state’s Child Rights Law (2004) as well as the National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the country (2013-2020).

Atuchukwu maintained that preventing FGM would require committed enforcement and prosecution workforce that would implement the provisions of the protective law and policies of the state.

He recalled that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the state last year, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Gender and Vulnerable Group Affairs and the State Ministry of Health and the support from the UNICEF, worked tirelessly to enable traditional rulers, religious and community leaders and members of men and women groups in all the communities in Ikeduru and Oguta to appreciate the harmful nature of the obnoxious FGM.

COURTESY VISIT...

L-R: Chairman, Abaji Area Council, FCT, Mr. Abdulrahman Ajiya; Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Mr. Adamu Candido; Chairman,Gwagwalada Area Council, Mr. Adamu Mustapha Danze; and FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, during the visit of officials of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to the minister in Abuja ...yesterday

Obaseki Didn’t Give Us N15bn to Get Ticket, Says PDP The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, of peddling what it described as falsehood that it sold its ticket to Governor Godwin Obaseki, at N15billion.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at the weekend, the Edo PDP Campaign Council described the allegation as a fantom charge, insisting that there was no iota of truth in

the claim.

The leader of the Publicity Committee of the council, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who was accompanied by other members of the committee such as Senator Dino Melaye, wondered where the governor would have drawn such amount of money to give to the party.

Dokpesi said it was unimaginable Ize-Iyamu, who defected to the PDP in 2016 to contest for the position

without giving anybody a dime, would be making such allegation.

He asked Edo residents to ignore what he referred to as the propaganda and lies of the APC, saying that the allegations were designed to pit PDP members in Edo against their leaders.

He said: “I do not know from which of the resources we would have expected Obaseki to have drawn N15bn to give to who?

“When Ize-Iyamu left APC did

he give anybody a dime to come into PDP that he ran in the ticket in 2016?

“There is no iota of truth in that allegation. It is a fantom charge and it is part of the known propaganda and lies that that party parades at all times.

“To who did he give the money? Is it to the leaders, the governors, members of BoT? It is arrant nonsense and unacceptable allegation.

SARS Busts Robbery Syndicate in Anambra, Arrests Three Suspects Rebecca Ejifoma Operatives of the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) of the Anambra State Police Command has busted a robbery syndicate terrorising Ekwusigo and its environs in the state, and arrested three suspects at the weekend.

The suspects, Onyebuchi Osadebe, 28; Chibuike Ebere, 23, and Umoke Kelechi, 22, were

said to have been arrested around 12:30p.m. following actionable intelligence.

According to the state Police spokesman, Haruna Mohammed, the syndicate had on the July 11 this year, around 6:15a.m. at Umuobi village, Akwu-ukwu, allegedly robbed one Emmanuel Obi of his N700,000; £8,000; and $3,000 including some phones at gunpoint.

Upon arrest, the police recovered exhibits, including one pump action gun, one fabricated gun, four live cartridges; N610, 000; £4,600; $600; one shuttle bus newly purchased with the victim’s money; two new tricycles and three phones belonging to the victim.

“The suspects have confessed to the crime voluntarily, and investigation

is ongoing after which they would be prosecuted,” Mohammed said.

Consequently, the state Commissioner of Police, John Abang, reassured residents that under his watch, the command would continue to make the state unbearable for criminal elements until they repent or relocate from the state.

NGO Petitions EFCC over Alleged Diversion of N300m Kwara LG Funds Hammed Shittu in Ilorin A non-governmental organisation, Kwara Advancement Initiative (KIA), has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) to fish out the perpetrators of the alleged unlawful deduction of N300 million from the monthly allocations of local governments in

Kwara State.

The group made the request in a petition dated July 17, 2020, and addressed to the zonal coordinator of Ilorin Zonal Office of EFCC. The acknowledgment copy of the petition signed by Ibrahim Sulyman on behalf of KAI was made available to journalists in Ilorin, the state capital.

The state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had also in the wake of the allegation, invited the EFCC to investigate the matter. He also promised to a set up a panel for the same purpose.

The state House of Assembly has also set up a panel to investigate the allegation of illegal deductions from the local governments’ monthly

allocations.

KAI, in its petition to EFCC, alleged that a serving commissioner in the state had exposed how another cabinet member was allegedly deducting N300million from the LGs funds monthly without the knowledge of the commissioner in charge of the concerned ministry.

Ekiti Bans Drivers, Cyclists from Carrying Passengers Without Face Masks Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has ordered commercial drivers and motorcyclists operating in the state to desist from carrying passengers who are not wearing face masks.

Fayemi declared that the state government would from Monday (today) begin an aggressive

enforcement of the compulsory use of face mask and observance of social distancing and promised stiffer penalty to defaulters.

He warned that those found breaching the outlined COVID-19 protocols would be prosecuted and appropriate legal sanctions like fines and observation of community services would imposed as punitive measures.

The governor expressed concern over widespread lack of compliance with COVID-19 regulations in the state, especially as it related to wearing of face mask.

The governor, who spoke through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, in Ado Ekiti yesterday, said that the state government has set up special

offences court where violators would be prosecuted.

Fapohunda, who reminded transport operators on the need to reject passengers without nose masks in order to avoid attracting sanctions against themselves, said that “both the cyclist and the offender are liable. Okada riders or indeed the transport operators should also enforce the wearing of the mask.

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Lagos Govt Endorses Dangote Cement’s New Millionaire Promo The Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB), Mr. Abiola Bashir Are, has described the newly-unveiled Dangote “Bag of Goodies 2” Consumer Promo as a vital private sector intervention that would greatly reduce the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumers of Dangote Cement.

Are, who disclosed this at the media unveiling of Dangote Bag of Goodies Promo Season 2 in Lagos recently, commended the manufacturing giant for investing in the lives of its consumers.

He said that the decision by the company to make 1,000 consumers millionaires testified that the company has the interest of the consumers at heart.

He stated: “A million naira is a big deal to most people in Nigeria now. We are here to validate the promo. It was done before during Season 1 and I believe that Dangote is doing it again. The promo is

important especially in this time of global COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychologically, these are things that give people hope. We are here to support the promotion.

The purpose of the LSLB is to support businesses, especially when it comes to promotion of products and services. I wish all the prospective winners good luck.”

The Representative of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mrs. Susie Onwuka, said that the company has followed due process in its Season 1 of the Bag of Goodies Consumer Promotion.

Onwuka said: “We are here today to ensure that the interests of the consumers are protected.

The company has followed due process by registering the promo. We will also ensure that the company is able to deliver what it promised the consumers.

So, we thank the company for always investing in the

PDP Berates APC on Allegation of Destruction of Campaign Bill Boards Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) purporting that the party (PDP) and Edo State Government destroyed billboards of the APC. The party condemned in strong terms the destruction of the billboards stating clearly that PDP or the state government has no hands in the destruction or damage to billboards.

This is coming as Adams Oshiomhole yesterday threw himself into the state governorship campaign with stinging rebuke against the incumbent Governor and successor, Godwin Obaseki, warning him to campaign on issues and not promote violence.

Oshiomhole also tweeted that: “Keeping calm is not always an act of cowardice.”

In a statement issued yesterday by the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the party,

Chris Nehikhare, it stated that they cannot be blackmailed or distracted by baseless allegations, saying the Edo people were too politically sophisticated to fall for sThe statement described the allegations as desperate attempt to change the narrative, maintaining that it was unsubstantial aimed at distracting both the party and the state government from its activities.

It advised the APC to look inwards as it was a common knowledge that the party was already divided, populated by known thugs in the many factions that exist within it.

According to the PDP, “Edo people have not forgotten how they resorted to bombing each other’s residences as they battled for their gubernatorial ticket.

Edo people have not forgotten the treachery, blackmail, threats and counter threats employed to arrive at their predetermined candidate.

consumers of Dangote Cement.

We have always witnessed the previous promo and they have always been carried out

according to laid- down rules and regulations.”

Similarly, the Deputy Director/ Coordinator of the Nigeria

Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lagos Zonal Office, Mrs. Nkiru Onuzulu, said that the commission holds

Dangote Cement in high regard due to its contribution to the general wellbeing of its consumers.

CREATING CONDUCIVE WORKPLACE...

Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Semiu Adepegba (left), and Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Saidu S. Garba (third left), during the inauguration of the ratings’ transit accommodation of the Nigerian Navy at Effurun Barracks, Delta State... weekend.

SYLVESTER IDOWU

Navy Inaugurates Rating’s Transit Accommodation in Delta Sylvester Idowu in Warri The Flag Officer Commanding the Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Saidu S. Garba, has commissioned a block of rating’s transit accommodation at Effurun in Delta State.

The accommodation, which comprised of a block of 14 rooms, was purposely built by the Ministry of Defence to ameliorate the challenge of residential accommodation of ratings on transit through Warri area.

Garba, who was joined

yesterday by the Commander of NNS Delta, Commodore Semiu Adepegba, to inaugurate the building on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, lauded the decision of the Ministry of Defence as one that would boost the morale of personnel.

He said: “The decision of the Ministry of Defence to embark on this project is laudable and highly commendable. It lays credence to the avowed commitment of the Federal Government in supporting

the services and in this case, the Nigerian Navy to address some of the welfare problems faced by personnel and engender high morale and boost operational effectiveness,” he said.

Garba said that the accommodation came at an opportune moment when ratings would be graduating from training school in Port Harcourt and be posted to Warri on transit before deployment.

“I wish to acknowledge the kind gesture of the Ministry of

Defence on this giant stride. Let me also appreciate the Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Salihi Magaji (rtd) and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas for their efforts at completing and furnishing the accommodation,” he added.

He also appealed to the Delta State Government, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for assistance to complete the perimeter fencing of the barrack and the construction of NNS Delta j e t t y, w h i c h h e h a d a p p ro v e d .

Togolese Woman Allegedly Chains Housemaid Rebecca Ejifoma A Togolese woman, Mrs. Rali, of 163 Agege Motor Road, Mushin Olosha, Lagos, was alleged to have maltreated, chained and locked up a 15-year-old girl, Rosa.

The alleged maltreatment was exposed by aggressive residents of Mushin who raised the alarm on Saturday that the Togolese woman was holding the girl in sub-human bondage.

Rali, who is popularly known in the area as Iya Sunkanmi,

was accused of binding Rosa’s hands and feet with iron chains, locked her up and left home in the morning of Saturday, July 18, until the police arrived in the evening.

Some neighbours told THISDAY that they heard the excruciating cries of Rosa for help through the window and called on social workers and the Community Development Association (CDA) members and later reported the matter at the Alakara Police Station.

A Child Advocate with the Solace Centre for Community and Rights Advocacy (SCCRA), Mr. Adeyemi Akin-Akala, said that when he and some police officers got to Rali’s home at 6:30pm, the residents complained that some police officers, including a female, came to the scene but left without rescuing the poor girl who was in chains.

Akin-Akala said he went back to the house with two policemen and the JWC officer and ‘invited the CDA chairman of the area, the

Igbo traders’ task force chairman and the landlord of the building down to the door and broke it open, went in and didn’t see the girl.”

He told THISDAY that the endless search for the girl would have been averted if the police had rescued the girl earlier.

He added: “All the neighbours are supportive on tracking down the woman.”

The neighbours also said that they were pained and disappointed in the police because of the disappearance of the girl.

Bows out from National Assembly Floods Destroy Bridges in Kano Omolori removal in court as everything removal from office in court? is now, challenge my friend Chuks Okocha in Abuja Displace 3, 954 residents

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Sale Jili, has disclosed that two bridges were washed away by flood in two local government areas of the state.

Jili said the flood affected not less than 3,954 persons in seven local government areas.

He told THISDAY yesterday that the flood incident, which occurred last Wednesday, washed away the bridges in Rimingado and Tofa Local Government Areas of Kano State and cut off many towns and villages from the headquarters of the two local governments.

Jili, who attributed the flood to torrential rain, disclosed that it has cut off the two local government

areas from the state capital.

“One of the affected bridges is in Watari village, which links Ungogo Local Government Area with Tofa Local Government while the second bridge is between Tamawa village and Karofin Yashi village in Rimingado Local Government Area.

“So many villages have been cut off from the headquarters of the two local government areas while the two areas have also been cut off from the state capital,” he said.

Jili also said that The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NMA) predicted floods in some local government areas of the states.

He also stated that the SEMA has forwarded comprehensive report on the flood incidents to the state government for immediate assistance to the victims of the disaster.

Expectations that the out-gone Clerk of the National Assembly, Ataba Sani Omolori, will proceed to court to challenge his removal from office was dashed as he has called the new Clerk, Ojo Amos Olatunde, to congratulate him.

He also stated categorically that he would not challenge his

happens according to the will of God. He had also since last Saturday went to the National Assembly to park all his personal belongings from his former office.

THISDAY accosted the out-gone clerk while parking out and the following ensued: “Sir, will you challenge your

Omolori said: Why? It has ended the way God wants itwhich we Muslims call destiny.

We thank Almighty Allah for everything. We have moved forward. Absolutely no regrets for what we do and what we did not do.

“Why should I go to court?

To help the legislators enforce their resolution and even as it

and colleague, who is the new clerk of the National Assembly?

When THISDAY asked what he was doing there, Omolori replied: “As you can see, I’m parking my personal belongings.”

He was further told that his removal elicited mixed reaction, as some people are happy while some are not.

Christian Pilgrims Commission Seeks Role in Conflict Resolution Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Rev. Yakubu Pam, has said the commission would like to contribute to the effort in building peace and religious harmony in the country.

He said the NCPC was planning to submit a proposal to

the federal government to consider establishing a department charged with the task of resolving such fledging conflicts like the inter religious disputes, herdsmenfarmers clashes, communal and inter-state conflicts in the country.

Speaking in an interview with THISDAY in Abuja yesterday, Rev. Pam said he would also like to promote a

new orientation regarding the annual Christian pilgrimage to Israel so that pilgrims can begin to see themselves as agents of peace and national development.

“I am working on a plan to make a proposal to the federal government to consider setting up a department that will be able to attend to the issues of peace and conflict resolution in

the country.

“We want to bring a new concept. NCPC can do a lot in helping to build peace in this country. So I am already working on it to see if there is a way that something can be done in the aspect of building peace for the country, especially in the area of ensuring religious harmony,” he said.

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Federal High Court Suspends Transfer of Judges The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has suspended indefinitely the annual redeployment of the court’s judges, which began nearly eight months ago.

Justice Tsoho said the suspension followed the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The CJ, in a July 13 circular sighted yesterday, directed judges to resume hearing of all cases pending before them.

Many cases have been stalled and many judges have been unable to hear new matters since December following uncertainty about their posting schedule.

The circular, titled ‘Suspension of transfer of Judges’, reads: Your Lordships are by this circular informed that in view of the difficulties and uncertainties brought about by the emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic, posting of Judges has been suspended

till further notice.

“In the meantime, Judges should attend to ALL cases pending before them.”

On Friday, Justice Tsoho went on self-isolation following a confirmed case of COVID -19.

The CJ, in a statement by the

FHC’s acting Information Officer, Catherine Oby Nwandu, also ordered some key staff in his office to do same, pending the results of screening tests conducted on him, members of his immediate family and close aides.

“The Court is thus following

medical protocols and all precautionary measures for the COVID – 19 prescribed by global and national health authorities.

Mr Tsoho urged the staff of the court to go about their lawful duties while ensuring that they are well protected.

NorthernGroups Move to Tackle Insecurity

Blame corruption for insecurity in north

Northern Coalition Groups (NCG) said they are working towards tackling insecurity in the 19 states of northern Nigeria.

The groups also attributed the worsening insecurity in the north to corruption occasion by unemployment.

At the state executive/interest groups harmonisation and security assessment meeting held in Makurdi, Benue State capital.

The group’s Board of Trustee Chairman, Alhaji Nastura Ashir Sharif, represented by Mohammed Abdulahi Mohammed, noted that they have resolved to tackle insecurity in the north through collective effort .

They blame corruption as main reason for the insecurity in the north and reiterated calls for the Service chiefs to be changed so as to give the fight against bandits a new bite and fresh ideas .

They said they are going round all states in the north to collate views directly from victims of insecurity so as to find a lasting solution.

“After going round the northern states and meeting with stakeholders, we shall take their views on insecurity to the central body of CNG and deliberate over it to find a common ground.”

The leaders resolved that very soon the insecurity in the north will be a thing of the past, saying each state had its own security situation just as Benue is about herdsmen and farmers clash, kidnappings and bandits.

The one-day meeting of Northern Coalition Groups (CNG) with a theme ‘Harmonisation and security assessment’ was attended by many interest groups across the 23 local government area in Benue State.

Presidential Candidate of ID Explains Defection to APC The Former National Chairman and Presidential Candidate of The Independent Democrats (ID), Mr. Edozie Madu, has explained why he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) In an interview with journalists at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport during the inspection of federal government projects in the Southeast, Madu said that he joined the APC to attract development to the Southeast.

Madu, who is also a member of the Governing Council of AUDA-NEPAD, said: “Since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999, no government has brought development to the door steps of the people of the Southeast than the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

“We had the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Deputy Senate

President, Ministers of Aviation, Petroleum and Finance who also served as the coordinating minister for the economy in the previous administration and we still don’t have one, I repeat one tangible project to show for it.

“But under the APC, the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu has just been renovated and brought up to international standard, the Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway projects are ongoing. The Second-Niger Bridge has finally left the pages of newspapers and campaign rallies to become reality. This is just a few of the projects being handled by the federal government in the region. I do not see why any honest person in the Southeast would not join hands with the APC government to attract more development for our people.”

NANS’ Senate Backs Probe of NDDC By N’Assembly The Senate Secretariat of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the National Assembly.

In a statement issues yesterday, the Senate of NANs said it observed with uttered dismay what it described as the recent ignominious fiasco playing out by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of NDDC and its supervisory minister.

Th group argued that after careful consideration of the revelations into the activities of the agency by various members involved, its only sane for the actors to recuse themselves by stepping down while the verification and hearing into the colossal fraud revealed lasted.

“As a reputable organisation it is paramount to lend our voices in other to set the record straight. The parliament is empowered by the Constitution and Act of National assembly to oversight, scrutiny of inflow and expenditures of all public funds expended by agencies of government etc, with a view to blocking leakages and ensuring that works paid for are duly executed for the benefit of the general masses,” the group said.

The statement, which was signed by the President of the Senate of NANS, Mr.Gambo Abu Mohammed argued that parliament remains the conscience of every virile democracy, adding that it should be seen to be discharging such responsibilities of oversight into government expenditures without hindrance or disrespect.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY...

L-R: Assistant Vice-President, Sales, DANA Pharmaceuticals Limited, Mr. Gerald Oputa; Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji; Country Head, Dana Pharmaceuticals Limited, Mr. Bharat Vaswani; Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Lagos State, Mrs. Kemi Durosinmi- Etti; and Director, Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Iyabode Akinsanya, during the presentation of essential drugs to Lagos State Government by DANA Pharmaceuticals Limited in Lagos..recently

Anambra Traditional Rulers Task Buhari on Onitsha Port Laud pace of work on second Niger Bridge

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Traditional rulers in Anambra State have tasked President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to dredge the River Niger to make the Onitsha seaport functional.

The monarchs spoke through the traditional ruler of Ukwulu Community, Igwe Peter Uyanwa, during a meeting with oil mogul, Prince Arthur Eze, in his palace in Ukwulu Kingdom, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Igwe Uyanwa said Igbo people were predominantly business people, who deal in importation, and that the dredging of the River Niger

will save them the troubles of travelling to Lagos frequently to receive their consignment.

He commended the president on the projects being aggressively worked on in the South-east geo-political zone, saying they are testimonies of President Buhari’s love for the zone.

“We thank Buhari for the second Niger Bridge, the Onitsha-Owerri expressway, the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, the Akanu Ibiam International airport, the zone 13 police command among others.

“If you go to the Enugu airport today, it is like an airport in New York. If it was not for the COVID-19,

we would have started using the airport long ago. All these are testimonies of the love of Buhari for the people of this region.

“We are asking our brother, Prince Arthur Eze to convey our commendation to the president. We are very happy for what he is doing in the zone, and we are happy for our brother (Eze), who is ever supportive of this administration.

“We are also pleading with him to dredge the River Niger and make the port functional to help our people who risk their lives from here to Lagos to receive their consignments. We hope

he will do this for us,” the traditional rulers said.

Other traditional rulers who expressed happiness over projects by the Buhari administration in the region included Igwe Elibe Okonkwo, the traditional ruler of Alor; Igwe Austine Ndigwe of Awka Kingdom; Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo of Nawfia community among others.

Prince Eze, who addressed the monarchs, said he would be leading them to President Buhari soon to convey their commendation physically to him.

He joined the monarchs to laud President Buhari on his projects in the Southeast and the love of the people of the zone.

NGO Wants Nigerian Students to Participate in 2020 WASSCE OpenFees, an Abuja-based nongovernmental organisation that caters for the basic education of indigent students has insisted that the Nigerian students should be allowed to write the 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), stressing that if politicians can hold elections following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, it should also be possible for final year students to take their examinations.

The group asked the federal government and other stakeholders to “stop the politics and take a stand” on the 2020 WASSCE for the sake of students whose future is at stake.

In a statement issued yesterday, OpenFees said, “Science, technology and rigorous enforcement of hygiene and social distancing rules are already making it possible for schools elsewhere to reopen gradually and there is no reason why we can’t use that here.”

In addition, the statement said, “We are particularly concerned that JSS 3 and SS 3 students in public schools most of who have not had significant learning, because of poor access to online resources would have to wait for another year before taking their final exams.

“If government can invest half

the time and resources it wants to use to conduct elections, in spite of COVID-19, to provide safe environment for students, it should be possible for these final year students to take their exams without too much difficulty.”

The statement said even though the Ministry of Education issued a statement on last Thursday that Nigeria would consult with the four other West African countries in WAEC and possibly hold the examination in September, “there remains a heavy cloud of uncertainty and doubt over the government’s commitment.”

“We note for example,” the statement continued, “that

governors of the 19 northern states in Nigeria have yet to officially change their position that WAEC will not hold this year, while governors of the six South-west states have said they will go ahead and all of this is happening at a time when Federal Ministry of Education is supposed to have issued a COVID-19 compliance testing notice to schools.”

The statement said the overriding interest should be the safety and wellbeing of students and that while delay is inevitable, it is possible to learn from and use the experiences of countries where schools are already reopening.

29 Suspects Escape from Police Custody in Abia Twenty-nine suspected criminals have reportedly escaped from the custody of the Central Police Station (CPS) in Umuahia North Local Government Area, the Abia State capital.

The suspects were said to have fled from the CPS on Saturday night.

It was however gathered that 20 of the suspects have been rearrested while nine are

on the run.

Sources said the suspects pretended to have been pressed, asking to use the restrooms.

They were said to have briefed the cell guard to assist them, not knowing they had sinister motive.

According to information, the cell guard innocently opened the cell to hand water to the suspects.

As the guard opened the cell door, the suspects, who were said

to have pushed it against him, overpowered the guard and fled.

Investigations revealed the cell of CPS, Umuahia, like most police stations in the state, is overstretched as correctional centres have been reluctant to accept suspects over COVID-19 scare.

The situation is said to have forced courts to order remand of some of the suspects in police

custody.

When contacted, the Command Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed the incident.

He called on members of the public to be on the lookout for the fleeing suspects and report to the nearest police station.

Ogbonna promised all the fleeing suspects would be rearrested and prosecuted.

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Ë&#x153; ͺ͸Ë&#x153; ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

MONDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Osimhen Passes Napoli Medical, Club Set to Announce Deal Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

Finally, after weeks of going back and forth on the deal, Nigeria and Lille forward, Victor Osimhen, 21, has moved a big step to completing a record-breaking transfer to Italian Serie A side Napoli after passing his medical at the Naples based club at the weekend.

Napoli that paraded Argentine

super star, Diego Maradona in the 1990s, are now set to make a formal announcement of the transfer of the 2015 Under-17 World Cup winner with the Golden Eaglets in Chile as the prized jewel they snatched from the French side in a reported deal said to be around 80 million Euros.

Osimhen is to sign a five-year contract, which will pay him at least four million Euros a year

Emenalo Opens Up on His Time on Chelsea Job and the Challenges Former Super Eagles defender Michael Emenalo has opened up on the prejudice and hardship he faced while steering the ship of one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest football clubs, Chelsea.

After originally joining the Blues as chief scout, Emenalo progressed through the ranks to take a seat at the top table as Technical Director, overseeing Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crucial matters and developing the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth system which can be seen bearing fruit today.

Yet Emenalo feels â&#x20AC;&#x153;the narrative that white is good has to change,â&#x20AC;? he revealed in an exclusive interview with UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Guardian, while documenting for the first time the extent of some of the discriminations he faced.

Emenalo admits it was incredibly difficult holding such a high position yet wanting to

Michael Emenalo

speak out more on race related issues, with an expectance placed on him to become something of an activist.

Yet even at the start of his Chelsea reign, Emenalo revealed the shocking extent of the scepticism that met his appointment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some people said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why did this Russian owner, who knows thousands and thousands of people, confide in him? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s African so he must have killed somebody for the owner.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? No one stopped to think it could possibly be because of my intellect or experience,â&#x20AC;? Emenalo recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was appointed (as technical director) some journalists didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I spoke English.

They said I had never played the game.â&#x20AC;?

This, of course, was far from true. Emenalo won 14 caps for Nigeria and marked Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta in the 1994 World Cup. He was named as one of the sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stand-out performers at the tournament.

Emenalo went on to work with some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most high profile managers, and happened to be responsible for giving several of them marching orders on multiple occasions.

Yet although he gained more experience as the seasons passed by, Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former technical director always felt like he had that little bit more to prove.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Royal Queens FCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission is to Support Survival of the Girl-childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The CEO of Royal Queens FC, Sifo Matilda Obiageli, has said that apart from competing for honours in the Nigerian Women Premier League, removing the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Girl-childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from the streets for them to earn meaningful living in football, is part of the mission for the establishment of the outfit.

Royal Queens FC of Warri were crowned champions of the 2019 Women Professional Football League last October at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja, Kogi State.

The team achieved the feat by defeating top club sides like the Pelican Stars Football Club and the Police Machine FC among others.

The Warri-based team did not concede any goal in the process to solidify their promotion to the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiership division.

The team established on 17 January, 2019 as a grassroots/ academy team by the illustrious Itsekiri family of Dr. and Mrs. Omatsola Sifo, was launched on February 15, 2020 at the Warri Township Stadium, their home ground.

The event was graced by HRH, the Olu of Warri as the Royal Father

of the day with Barr. Eroro Emiko as chairman.

A brand new 18-seater Toyota Hiace Hummer bus has been purchased to aid the movement of players and officials while a two-storey building has also been acquired in the heart of Warri for use as club-house for players and officials.

According to the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO, the Royal Queens are battle-ready to make a mark in the 2020/2021Nigeria Women Premiership League season scheduled to start once the Federal Government gives the go-ahead for sporting activities to resume from the Covid-19 lockdown.

Mrs Sifo Matilda Obiageli CEO of Royal Queens FC

after tax.

Germany-based Nigerian journalist, Oma Akatugba, who has been on top of this unfolding transfer saga and enjoys close ties with the Lille star, announced via Twitter yesterday that Osimhen has passed a medical. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medicals done @ victorosimhen9 is in top health. Everyone in Naples are happy. The club president is smiling from ear to ear. The announcement will happen soon. Stay here. Only,â&#x20AC;? Akatugba announced on his verified Twitter handle on Sunday afternoon.

As at press time, there was no formal statement on the deal from Napoli.

Meanwhile, Juventus and Inter Milan were interested in signing Osimhen some years ago, according to one of the representatives of Odion Ighalo.

Patrick Bastinelli who brokered Ighaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transfer to Udinese at a time, said both Juventus and Inter liked his presentation of Osimhen, but the snag was that he was then a minor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Juve and Inter deserve credit for their scouting networks,â&#x20AC;?

Bastinelli told Italian top media, La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I spoke to both Fabio Paratici and Piero Ausilio about

Osimhen years ago and they both immediately appreciated the quality that would then flourish over time.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, at the time Osimhen was only 17 years old and did not have an EU passport, so he could not be registered by

a Serie A club. Therefore, due to red tape issues, the deal never went through,â&#x20AC;? revealed the top agent to the Italian newspaper.

Victor Osimhen...passes Napoli medical

IBB Members Plead for Reopening of the Golf Club Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Members of IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja have urged the federal government to ease the closure of the club out of fear for the spread of COVID-19.

Some golfers at the club lamented that the closure of the golf course is putting their lives at the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular heart diseases a result of exposure to Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of regular sporting activities .

The 18- hole golf course in Abuja has been closed since March, when the federal

government imposed a lockdown on the Ogun, Lagos states and the FCT, in response to the escalating cases of coronavirus in the country.

By virtue of the safety protocols imposed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, sporting activities as well as bars, public parks, gyms, cinema and theatres have remained shut down in spite of measures to ease the lockdown and gradually restart the economy. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;We urge government to reopen the golf course and allow us to exercise and recreate at the club. Golf is a good source of Vitamin D

and we are saying that lack of recreational activities for over three months now has placed us at risk for vitamin D deficiency with implication for our health and well being because we can no longer play golf in the sun,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; declared a member of the club, Mr Abel Abia- Bassey.

Abia- Bassey also lamented that the unending closure has placed a burden before the club to ensure the golf club is well maintained while also paying the salaries of its workers for the past four months, even though it has not been generating revenue during the period.

Some members also could not rationalise why the club remains under lock despite that golf courses in Benin, Ibadan, Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt are open for the members to play golf in spite of cases of coronavirus in those cities.

The Club House of IBB Club was locked with no members in sight, when our correspondent visited the club yesterday.

However, it was observed that the fairways and the adjourning lawns were well maintained to prevent the golf course from becoming a habitat for snakes and other creepy creatures.

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chess Community Joins the Rest of the World to Mark Chess Day Femi Solaja

As Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), marks its year of foundation which has been transformed to World Chess Day, the Nigerian chess community will not be left out in the marking of the day this morning.

The World Chess body was founded in Paris, France on July 20th, 1934 with motto â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gens una sumusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; a Latin word for â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are one peopleâ&#x20AC;? and till date with 190 members and as far back as 1999, is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

To celebrate the International Chess Day, today , top chess personalities, including the FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian, and Hou Yifan, will take part in a high-level virtual event tagged â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chess for Recovering Betterâ&#x20AC;?.

Reports available to THISDAY yesterday, indicate that the event will be attended by United Nations and government officials, permanent missions to the UN, representatives of civil society, academia, and other relevant stakeholders. It will be broadcast live by the UN, and also on FIDEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Youtube Channel.

In Nigeria, which happens to be one of the leading pillars of the sport both in competition and political terrain, foremost chess club in the country, Orchid-Lekki Chess Club, has put forward a Zoom meeting tagged â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigerian Chess Now and Beyondâ&#x20AC;? with the panel of discussant including the President of Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF) and Vice President of the World body, Mr. Lekan Adeyemi, former NCF boss and pioneer Scribe of the body, Dr Sylvanus Ebigwe, President of Chess

Players Association of Nigeria (CPAN) Ayokanmi Ajayi, FIDE Master Adebayo Adegboyega, International Master Daniel Anwuli and Olakunle Kasumu, the representative of Orchid-Lekki Chess Club are all panellist of the event.

Aside the Zoom meeting, the playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association, CPAN, has also put forward a three-way event spread over the week including Online puzzle show to be hosted by National Master Olawale Oyeleye on the playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FaceBook page and participants stand the chance to win N500 for every puzzle solved.

Among other programmes lined up is the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;After event Partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that will follow on Saturday after a main chess tournament to be organised by the club.

But at the global scene, the meeting, according to the President of FIDE, aims at providing a platform to discuss

the unique capabilities leveraged by chess in supporting social cohesion, equality, and inclusion, with a focus on COVID-19 response and recovery efforts for building back better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Globally, chess is recognized as a powerful tool for promoting the values of discipline, equality, respect for rules, and mutual understanding. In 2019, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted resolution 74/22 under agenda items â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sport for development and peaceâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Culture of peaceâ&#x20AC;?, designating the 20th of July as World Chess Day,â&#x20AC;? he stated.

FIDE has been celebrating the International Chess Day since 1966, following a recommendation of UNESCO. The date marks the establishment of the International Chess Federation, which was founded during the Paris 1924 Summer Olympics.

55

Ë&#x153; ͺ͸Ë&#x153; ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

MONDAYSPORTS

Redirecting Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sporting Future- Post COVID 19

I

n his keynote speech at the Africa sports ventures group and UNESCO online sports conference on the future of sports in Africa - post Covid-19 to mark Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day, Liberiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President George Weah lamented that opportunities to young African talents would evanesce because of the effects of the pandemic. Citing the effects that containment measures such as lockdowns, social distancing, quarantines, and curfews, will have on an already under-funded and under-supported sports programmes in Africa. The former World Footballer of the Year noted that this will cause sports clubs to close down and the cycle of developing talents for scouts to export to European leagues and circuits will become non-existent.

He points out that various special Funds have been established to provide loans and grants to businesses, debt relief, salary payments to the unemployed, food for citizens, purchase of medical equipment and PPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, construction of new emergency hospitals, and many other measures but nothing directly for the support of sports programmes, which, he says, are an important part of

the socio-economic fabric of our various societies.

Well, what His Excellency failed to note is that Sports has taken a big leap into the future because of Covid-19. So Sports as we traditionally know it would change drastically post pandemic.

Africa needs to step up and be better prepared to deliver to the fans or lose out completely in the economic ecosystem. A clear example of the direction Sports may go was seen in the innovative Inspirational Games that took place early July.

With the pandemic at its worst and travel restrictions in force, The Inspiration Games, hosted from Switzerland, brought about 30 athletes across seven venues in three continents simultaneously taking part in an athletics meet.

This novel idea described as different, an experiment and challenging by various media, had top-class athletes compete in various races from 100 yards to 300 meters hurdles and the relay. The competition had seven events and each event had three competitors. Technology was key in the execution of the event as broadcast, officiating and fan experience was stretched the limits.

It was a grim reality to technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in post Covid sports. The influence of technology has never been

understated in the future of sports. There have been lots of documents written about sports in the millennium and scientific breakthroughs are consistent in all.

In one report titled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Future of Sportsâ&#x20AC;?, Sports concessionaires Delaware North explained a few things we can expect in the next 25 years, ranging from advanced ultra-modern arenas that can morph (transformer-like) into different structures to suit the event, with

George Weah Former World Footballer now President of Liberia

self-driving and self-parking cars, to inbuilt video elastic walls, to hologram 3D replays, to better security with facial recognition quick cameras that automatically and instantly locate possible incidents and also artificial intelligence employed in choosing fan seats based on social media contacts and behaviour.

Basically, like the Inspirational Games showed us, as the athletes competed alone thousands of miles away from each other, broadcasters have to employ tech skills in bringing images together to make it appreciated by fans who remain on

smart phones via social media, etc.

Technology is usually advanced to satisfy three component in Sports.

First of all, athletic performance.

There has been advances here, especially in material science.

Improving equipment to make athletes perform better and the presence of wearable devices which have microscopic GPS, accelerometers and other data collection tools embedded in them help athletes track everything from body composition parameters to heart rate, glucose absorption, hydration levels, overtraining, fatigue, speed, muscle activation, respiratory rhythms and sleep activity. But advancements are breaking boundaries now.

Technological advances also help athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance from the medical angle. We could soon see athletes use genetic enhancement for injury prevention and safety, a blurred line between artificial and natural body parts as science learns to rebuild humans, rules beginning to allow athletes to use performance enhancers up to predetermined, safe levels. And probably, different competitions for enhanced athletes (those perfected or created in the lab) and natural athletes.

Next component of Sports that technology affects is its delivery.

The last century has seen us gone from radio commentary only to delayed analogue TV, LIVE TV, digital broadcast, cable and satellite

FROM THE GOLDMINE

By ENEFIOK UDO-OBONG Twitter @eneeudo Instagram @thegoldmine1 TV, pay per view and now we all watch via smart devices. The media have advanced so fast in the last decade it is almost unbelievable.

And this advancement will continue as the consumer grows in importance as they hold key with numerous options soon the lexicon broadcast will be phased out and replaced by words like streaming. Interactive contents are very popular and ways to engage audience is directing technology.

3D broadcast and VR broadcasts are being experimented in different sports. Delivery of the rules is also a key part that technology is coming to affect. Track and field and many racing sports including horse riding have been using technology to help them. From false start computers to photo finish, we have seen how technology has attempted to make sports fairer. We have seen the influence of hawk-eye in sports like tennis and they have now been integrated into Goal Line Technology in football. Despite the controversies, VAR is something that is here to stay in football.

The third component technology will greatly influence is fans experience. Fans are closer than ever to their sporting heroes with social media allowing interaction.

Technology will improve fans

stadium experience. However, the experience will be entirely different.

VR/AR will be commonplace and provide the spectator a different tailor-made viewing experience.

Robotised kiosk delivery and guides/holograms equipped with artificial intelligence will improve convenience, reducing queues and waiting times. 5G will provide real time data and stats and allow for exclusive in-stadium social networking platforms. A.I. will alter stadiums into deep learning organic structures.

So while His Excellency President Weah is asking for financial support for sports programmes in Africa so that we can continue to produce raw materials and talents that would be harvested in the European circuits and leagues, I dare say we need a drastic mind-set change in how we are placed on the sporting value chain. We need financial support and investment in science and technology because as we know, due to the global pandemic, The Future of Sports in NOW.

* EneďŹ ok is an author, Speaker, administrator, Life coach, businessman and Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ONLY Male two Time Olympic Medalist

Spurs Inflict Huge Blow on Leicesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Champions League Ambitions Tottenham boosted their chances of Europa League football next season and inflicted a huge blow on Leicesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Champions League ambitions with a superb performance.

Brendan Rodgersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Leicester side have been in the Premier Leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top four for much of the season but this devastating away defeat leaves them with a difficult task going into their final league game next Sunday.

The Foxes finish the season against fifth-placed Manchester United, but should the Red Devils beat West Ham on Wednesday and claim a draw at the King Power, they will be assured of a top-four finish at the expense of Leicester.

James Justinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own goal from Son Heung-minâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strike and a double from Harry Kane including a sumptuous curling effort - sealed Spursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; victory following a splendid first-half showing.

Leicester did have chances but could not find a way past an inspired Hugo Lloris, who made a string of superb saves to deny Jamie Vardy, Ayoze Perez and Demarai Gray.

Jose Mourinhoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side move up to sixth in the table, two points clear of Wolves, but Nuno Espirito Santoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side have a game in hand.

Spurs were in disarray when chairman Daniel Levy made the shock decision to sack the popular Mauricio Pochettino and replace him with ex-Chelsea and Manchester United boss Mourinho.

They were 14th in the league and had won just three of their opening 12 league games this season, but the Portuguese boss has utilised his vast experience to turn things around.

Though a desperately poor loss against Sheffield United left him questioning the mentality of his players, their overall form has

been excellent since the restart, and they have collected five wins and two draws from eight games.

While clinching European football for next season looked unlikely earlier in the campaign, a late season surge means seventh could be enough for a Europa League spot, depending on the winners of the FA Cup. Spursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; finishing in the first 45 minutes was clinical - forward Son seeing his shot deflect in off James after wrong-footing Kasper Schmeichel, before England captain Kane showed his class.

The striker, who recently passed 200 career goals, has tormented Leicester whenever he has played against them and took his tally to 16 in 14 games against the Foxes with a cool, left-footed finish and a brilliant second which curled precisely into the far post past the reach of Schmeichel.

Having gone 3-0 up by halftime, there was no way back for Leicester in the second period

FA C U P

Chelsea End Man Utdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Unbeaten Run to Set up Final Clash with Arsenal Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea endured a Wembley nightmare last night as Chelsea strolled to a 3-1 victory and set up an FA Cup final date with Arsenal on August 1.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ditched his usual FA Cup keeper Sergio Romero to keep faith with De Gea - but the experienced Spain international produced two horrendous errors either side of half-time to gift Chelsea two goals.

De Gea made a flimsy attempt to deal with Olivier Giroudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flick in first-half stoppage time then weakly fumbled Mason Mountâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

tame 20-yard shot into the Hudson-Odoi fouled net moments after the restart. Anthony Martial but it could Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excellent not even be described as performance fully merited a consolation as Chelsea this victory and Unitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closed out the win. abject misery after a dreadful performance was complete when captain Harry Maguire diverted Marcos Alonsoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross into his own net at the near post with 16 minutes left.

Frank Lampardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side were in complete control from first to last as they comprehensively ended Manchester Unitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 19-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Bruno Fernandes pulled a goal back from the penalty David De Dea...poor against spot late on after Callum Chelsea

as Mourinhoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s men expertly saw out the game.

Leicester boss Rodgers had said that a European spot was their target, one which they have accomplished, but he will be distraught at his sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capitulation since the restart which leaves them uncertain of a place

in the Champions League next term.

Having been outstanding for the entire season and at one point being the closest challengers to eventual champions Liverpool, their miserable run has come at the wrong time and they have now won just two of their last

eight games.

They are clinging on to fourth place but are level on points and goal difference with Manchester United, who know a heavy victory against West Ham in their next league match will leave Leicester needing a big win of their own on the final day.

Tottenham Hotspurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Harry Kane ( white jersey) scored a brace in the 3-0 crushing of Leicester City... yesterday

Chukwuezeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Father-figure, Cazorla, Set to Dump Villarreal There were strong indications last night that veteran Spanish striker, Santi Carzola is set to leave Villarreal FC as the club confirmed that the player has refused to sign a contract extension with them.

Cazorla is presented with two clear options: a return to Arsenal in a coaching capacity or a player/coaching role under Xavi at Al Sadd in Doha, Qatar.

Before this development, the veteran Spanish forward has been a father- figure to Chukwueze since he joined the Yellow Submarines some seasons ago and the relationship has blossomed with the AFCON 2019 bronze medal winner with Super Eagles scoring vital goals for the club even to the admiration of FC Barcelona Captain, Lionel

Messi who voted for him as second behind Ansu Fati.

Cazorla has chosen not to extend his contract with the club, amid speculation he could return to Arsenal in a coaching capacity.

The 35-year-old midfielder has enjoyed a sensational season with the Spanish side, scoring 15 goals and providing 10 assists in 39 appearances.

Cazorla made his final appearance for Villarreal in the final league match against Eiba.

When asked last month if he was open to a reunion with former Arsenal teammate and current Gunners manager Mikel Arteta - whose coaching staff he would join - Cazorla kept his cards close to his chest but said he had made

a decision about his next move.

And he has now confirmed he is leaving Villarreal - where he emerged at the age of 18 - alongside teammate Bruno Soriano in a video posted by the club.

Cazorla said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Villarreal have given me everything. At the age of 18, they opted to sign a boy from Oviedo who knew no-one. I am proud to be able to finish my career with Bruno. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that, as happened with my previous farewell match (when Cazorla left in 2006), it will be a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;see you laterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.â&#x20AC;?

As well as a return to the Emirates Stadium, where he was a fan favourite throughout his six years of service, Cazorla is linked with a big-money contract at Al Sadd.

Monday July 20, 2020

TR

UT H

& RE A SO

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Oshiomhole to Obaseki

“I have made a mistake by supporting a man who has no vision for my people.

So, I want to correct my mistakes by making sure a servant of God, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is elected as governor and kick the snake out of Government House” – Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, apologising to the people of Edo State for supporting Obaseki against Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

SHAKAMOMODU THIS REPUBLIC

shaka.momodu@thisdaylive.com

0811 266 1654

It’s Time for Akpabio to Go A

nyone watching the drama playing out at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, and the immediate-past Acting Managing Director of the Interim Management Committee (IMC), Ms. Joi Nunieh, must have by now given up on the calibre of people in leadership positions at all levels of governance in this country. There is almost always a lack of sincerity of heart and purpose in the actions and inactions of our leaders. The country is laden with treasury raiders and men of plunder and avarice masquerading as agents of a new beginning. Is it any wonder the once promising country is failing on all fronts?

These gangsters in power are daily devising all sorts of criminal ways to pillage and balkanize our commonwealth. It’s all about the money, more money, and fetish oath of loyalty to sustain themselves in power to continue to superintend over the fleecing of the country’s resources.

Corruption has taken over our country and eaten so deep into its soul that hope of redemption is fading fast. The forces of repression are just too powerful. The mind-boggling sums of money being stolen daily across all agencies and parastatals of government under this supposedly corrective administration frighten one to the very core and would shock any sane Nigerian into numbness.

It is now so brazenly done that it requires no effort to even hide it.

Akpabio, the controversial and colourful Minister of Niger Delta, is not one that would refrain from stirring up trouble. Convinced that he had a case, he swaggered into ARISE TV News studio Saturday night, June 11, clearly with intent to malign, damage and demean Ms Nunieh, who at an earlier press conference in Abuja, had made weighty corruption allegations against him.

She had also revealed how he pressured her to swear an oath of allegiance to him which she refused. When given opportunity live on-air to clear himself, he had no convincing response to the serious allegations levelled against him, instead, he devolved into Nunieh’s private love life, alleging she had character problems, which could be attested to by the four ex-husbands she married, with emphasis to drive his message home that she was a loose woman. He challenged the interviewer to bring the ex-husbands to the studio to testify to his allegation of temperament and character issues he levelled against her.

In that interview, the minister tried to be clever by half and tried unsuccessfully to make a distinction without a difference. But he is clearly the loser for it as subsequent events have exposed his shenanigans. He has lost the respect of many.

You see, both Akpabio and Ms Nunieh have laid their cases to the public and it is not difficult for any reasonable person to discern who was telling the truth between the two of them except for those who would prefer to negotiate the evidence.

While Akpabio was blowing hot air and no substance, Ms Joi Nunieh made a compelling case against him in her response on the same ARISE TV News on Monday morning, June 13. She laid her case in a dignified and methodical manner, tearing Akpabio’s hubris and infantile allegations against her apart, one after the other. She was articulate, composed, methodical, logical and civil while laying out her case against the braggadocio minister; didn’t seem like one motivated by the desire for revenge or someone out to gain cheap publicity. She was urbane, private and I dare say even brilliant. You could hardly fault her training as a lawyer. To think that Akpabio himself is also a lawyer left much to be desired when matched

Akpabio with Nunieh. One could easily see between the two who took their studies seriously in school.

Clearly one was studious, the other was playful.

I was really gripped by her arresting and explosive revelations detailing Akpabio’s abuse of office and corruption. She did not just throw a grenade, or launch an RPG, she dynamited the minister on live television, blowing his career baloney powered by fetish oath-taking and built on false confidence and hubris to smithereens.

At the end of her interview, Akpabio looked like a rain-drenched village cock shivering in a cold morning.

Even the interviewers were almost speechless and, in some moments, too shell-shocked by her meticulous delivery on real-time TV. I heard Akpabio is still in office and he is carrying on pretending to be unfazed by Nunieh’s explosive allegations, including sexual harassment/assault for which he was given a hot blinding uncommon slap that possibly shocked and restrained his libido. He was used to getting his way with women perhaps, whom he probably sees as added perks that come with his power of office.

But this time, his power and mantra of what money can’t buy more money can buy clearly didn’t work with Nunieh. His obsession with Nunieh’s love life was immediately visible in his interview.

And as Nunieh asked, why the interest? Does he want to be her fifth husband?

It is easy to deduce that in the job, while one was eager to defraud the system and break the laws, the other was stridently trying to abide by the laws and protocols governing public servants and public expenditures. While one had the integrity to protect, the other couldn’t be enamoured of such niceties. While one saw public resources as a bazaar and an extension of his personal wealth to be shared to his cronies and used for political patronage, the other saw things differently - public resources should be used for the advancement of the public good.

Clearly, it was a contest between good and evil.

And the mendacity of evil was on full-throated display.

In saner societies, Akpabio should have resigned or forced to step down by now. But this is Nigeria where impunity rules the day, where lawless men and women make laws for others to obey, where the head of the anti-corruption agency is himself enmeshed in mind-boggling corruption allegations, where government officials are constantly devising all sorts of cunning ways and means of looting public treasury that would

make even Satan shudder and green with envy.

This is just a tip of the iceberg. Take a glance at the milking of NDDC with this bizarre spending: N1.5 billion as ‘Covid-19 relief’ among staff; ‘community relations’ costing N1.072 billion; consultancy, N4.1 billion; duty tour allowances, N486 million; Imprests (October 2019 to May 2020), N790.9 million; Lassa fever, N1.956 billion; legal services, N906 million; maintenance, N220 million; medicals, N2.6 billion; overseas travel (February to May 2020 when we were all supposed to be on lockdown), N85.6 million; logistics, N61 million; condolences, N61.7 million; public communication, N1.121 billion; security, N744 million; engagement of stakeholders (February to May 2020), N248 million, etc. while the police got N475 million to buy face masks, hand sanitizers and personal protective equipment (PPE).

From Akpabio’s interview and Nunieh’s explosive reactive interview, I am convinced beyond any iota of doubt that the minister MUST resign immediately, failing which he should be given the boot and prosecuted without further delay, nothing less. Akpabio cannot hide under a so-called forensic audit that we knew from the outset and has now been confirmed to the whole world by Nunieh as a gimmick, to fleece the interventionist agency to death. Any delay in sacking him will make President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed him culpable in the mindboggling thievery going on in NDDC. If the president still pretends to stand for anything of value, no matter how infinitesimal, this is the time to be outraged by that scrap of value left, if any.

The explosive revelations in Nunieh’s interview should rouse his conscience to for once, walk the talk. Akpabio should not be occupying his office as minister a minute longer. His damaged goods can’t be restored and every minute he hangs on to office is a burden on those who keep him there. Both his interview and Nunieh’s have cratered any whiff of morality left of him beyond redemption to hang on to office. The fact that we still prefix honourable minister to his name when there is nothing honourable about his behaviour speaks a lot about the values that now define us as a people. Can anyone tell me what is honourable in Akpabio’s conduct? I cannot think of conduct more forbidden than Akpabio has been accused of.

Apparently, Akpabio lobbied the power brokers to bring NDDC under the supervision of his ministry, not because he cared about the failure of the interventionist agency to meet the goals for which it was not established nor was he worried about the massive corruption and contract scam that had become rife there. No, far from it. His motive hidden beneath his public posture of the forensic audit and refocusing of NDDC, it now appears, was to seize control of the agency’s cash-filled vault and dispense as he fancies. It was never about the development of the region, it was all about his self-interest. To achieve this, he wanted some form of satanic oath-taking to secure the loyalty of the managing director.

This is a man who would profess Christianity in the day and embrace the dark world of Juju at night all to maintain power. We even heard that an Akpabio’s loyalist stated he would kill for him if directed to do so by the minister before asking about the person’s offence. Who knows how many people have been killed already by those gangsters? Yet the authorities are not doing anything about such a grave allegation. Again, who knows what he has made the current acting managing director of NDDC to go through to retain his job? Who knows?

In November 2019, when Akpabio’s desperation

and obsession with NDDC had started to manifest in public, I wrote an article titled: The Paradox in Akpabio’s Anti-Corruption Crusade. I had stated clearly that a man who mismanaged his state’s resources as governor and could not account for trillions of naira in eight years cannot be the right person to lead the crusade to rid NDDC of corruption. Especially when he was under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for money laundering and theft of his state’s money. Here are excerpts from that article published on this column.

“Akpabio contaminates our values, and with him, you get a sense of menace and danger lurking on the horizon. This is the strange paradox here in Nigeria that people that had or still have their hands in the cookie jar are the ones claiming to be leading the anti-corruption crusade...

“It is not because he believes the intervention agency has largely failed. The minister is not serious about fighting corruption; his antecedents and persona speak volumes. Rather, Akpabio’s obsession is to take over effective control of the agency and proceed to use it as an avenue to dispense favours to his cronies. He wants to rebuild his badly diminished political clout. He and his political base would be the ultimate beneficiaries of his fake war on corruption.

The NDDC is essentially a contract-awarding agency, all in the multi-billion naira range. It is therefore easily understandable why Akpabio wants to effectively bring it under his control.

Who knows what crooked stories he might have whispered into the ears of the powers that be before making his audacious power grab?

“Only a pretender will claim that there is no corruption in the NDDC. Truth be told, the agency is reeking of corruption. It has been badly run; massive corruption by way of contract inflation, poor execution, outright looting of the money meant to provide succour to the people of the Niger Delta region who bear the brunt of environmental degradation as a result of oil exploration are rife. I want the NDDC probed and thoroughly so. All those who have undermined the objectives of its creation MUST be brought to book. All the contractors who have collected money and failed to show up at site or failed to execute contracts to specifications must be held to account alongside their enablers.

“But I can’t for the life of me understand how Akpabio will accomplish this task altruistically when he is still facing allegations of corruption himself. More so, considering the circumstances, he cannot be the one to lead the charge to clean up the mess in NDDC. His hands are soiled in the mess that Nigeria has become. I shudder at his vain attempt to play to the gallery, I pity those who allow themselves to be fooled by the man’s sudden piety and sanctimonious posturing. I am NEVER going to fall for it. I read some fellas are threatening fire and brimstone if he is sacked.

“Really? Since when? You know there is a saying in the land of my fathers that when you have been in slavery for too long, and you are suddenly free, you begin to crave slavery. That’s why I pity Akpabio’s supporters. They have been living in the dark and want to continue to live in darkness because light hurts them.”

Nine months after I wrote that article, Akpabio has succeeded in seizing total control of NDDC. But the dire prophecy of the article has been fulfilled; the minister has been unmasked. The man who claimed he wanted to fight corruption in NDDC is now enmeshed in several jaw-dropping corruption, sexual harassment/assault, oath-taking or occultism scandals, etc. What a paradox!

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