FRIDAY 2ND JULY 2021

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National Assembly Passes PIB, Approves 3% for Host Communities Divests NNPC of regulatory power

Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja

the National Assembly yesterday passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), after about 13 years RI OHJLVODWLYH ÀUHZRUNV

The two chambers of

Although the House of Representatives apparently skipped certain parliamentary procedures to pass the

Presidency: Jinx broken

bill as witnessed by journalists at plenary, the Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee on the 3,% +RQ 0RKDPPHG

0RQJXQR ODWHU WROG reporters that what transpired at the plenary did not actually mean that they passed it as

ZLGHO\ UHSRUWHG The President of the 6HQDWH 'U $KPDG Continued on page 8

FG Projects N11.9tn Budget, N900bn for Subsidy in 2022...

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Friday 2 July, 2021 Vol 26. No 9580. Price: N250

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PDP Governors Vow to Resist Plot to Foist One-Party State Wike: We risked our lives to keep Matawalle Renews legal battle to unseat Uzodimma

Chuks Okocha, Alex Enumah in Abuja, Eromosele Abiodun and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors yesterday drew the battle line with All Progressives Congress (APC) over jitters of a plot to turn Nigeria into a oneContinued on page 10

DSS Raids Igboho’s House, Declares Him Wanted Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The Department of State Services (DSS) said last night that it raided the residence of the Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, accusing him and his associates of planning Continued on page 8

HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE…

L- R: Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Governor Dapo Abiodun; Commissioner for Housing, Mr Jamiu Akande; and the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, during the inauguration of Prince Court Estate, Kemta, Idi-Aba in Abeokuta…yesterday

Kanu’s Collaborators will Not be Spared, Vows FG...

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NEWS

Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike Email ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com. 08066066268

FG Projects N11.9tn Budget, N900bn for Subsidy in 2022 Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The federal government is projecting N900 billion for fuel subsidy in an HVWLPDWHG 1 WULOOLRQ EXGJHW IRU 7KH 0LQLVWHU RI )LQDQFH Budget and National 3ODQQLQJ 0UV =DLQDE Ahmed, said at a public presentation of the 2022 0HGLXP 7HUP ([SHQGLWXUH )UDPHZRUN 07()

DQG )LVFDO 6WUDWHJ\ 3DSHU )63

yesterday in Abuja that at least N900 billion was being projected for fuel VXEVLG\ LQ The minister lamented that subsidy is exerting huge cost on the country, adding that in a particular month, N150 billion was spent on subsidising SHWURO She said: “Right now, we are subsidising FRQVXPSWLRQ LQ 1LJHULD We sell at N165 per litre when our neighbours are VHOOLQJ DW 1 SHU OLWUH ,W is only the marketers that DUH EHQHÀWLQJ E\ WDNLQJ this product from Nigeria and selling it across ERUGHUV 7KH FRPPRQ PDQ LV QRW EHQHÀWLQJ “The transition is not an easy one if we have WR UHPRYH WKH VXEVLG\ What are the alternatives?

What can we provide for citizens? So we are projecting if we will be paying at least N900 billion subsidy for next

\HDU µ Ahmed regretted that the huge amount being channelled into subsidy could have been available LQ WKH )HGHUDWLRQ $FFRXQW and shared to provide education, infrastructure and lead to a reduction in JRYHUQPHQW ERUURZLQJ “We will reduce our ERUURZLQJ :H ZLOO increase the amounts that states and local governments are FROOHFWLQJ :H DUH EHLQJ penny wise, pound foolish to think that by giving this subsidy that citizens are EHQHÀWWLQJ %XW DW WKH HQG of the day, the citizens are actually the ones that are carrying the brunt of the ZHDOWK\ “Some have two, three, four cars and they are the ones that we are VXEVLGLVLQJ ,W LV QRW helping the farmer who needs a bus from his farm WR WKH PDUNHW %XW LI ZH JHW rid of subsidy completely, it is not a popular view ZLWK ODERXU µ $KPHG VDLG The minister listed the key parameters for the 2022 budget to include a GHÀFLW RI 1 WULOOLRQ DQ RLO EHQFKPDUN SULFH RI SHU EDUUHO DQ 1 WR the dollar exchange rate DQG RLO SURGXFWLRQ RI PLOOLRQ EDUUHOV SHU GD\ The budget is also to be anchored on a 13 per cent LQÁDWLRQ UDWH DQG D per cent gross domestic SURGXFW *'3

2Q WKH IXQGLQJ RI WKH 1 WULOOLRQ GHÀFLW $KPHG said it would be done through borrowing from both domestic and foreign VRXUFHV DW SHU FHQW Debt service obligations DUH DOVR SURMHFWHG DW 1 WULOOLRQ Ahmed stated that the GUDIW 07() )63 KDV EHHQ SUHSDUHG against the backdrop of the global economic recovery amidst improved vaccination outlook

and lower incidence of LQIHFWLRQ However, the minister VDLG WKH 07() VKRZHG that there were continuing global challenges in the aftermath of the &29,' On measures to address the increasing government overdraft from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the apex bank’s ‘ways and means’ window, the minister stated that by next year, the government

would securitise the debt RZHG WR WKH EDQN According to her, from next year, the federal government will stay ZLWKLQ WKH ÀYH SHU FHQW limit provided by the &%1 $FW DQG WKH )LVFDO 5HVSRQVLELOLW\ $FW )5$

On the 2021 budget performance, Ahmed said D WRWDO RI 1 ELOOLRQ KDG been released for capital SURMHFWV DV RI 0D\ Reacting to a question RQ WKH ULVLQJ GHÀFLW

WKH 0LQLVWHU RI 6WDWH IRU )LQDQFH %XGJHW DQG National Planning, Prince &OHP $JED VDLG WKH GHÀFLW was trending down with the increase in revenue and reduction in operating FRVWV He said the federal government was conscious of growing revenue sources, especially in the non-oil sector, adding that it LV SXUVXLQJ GLYHUVLÀFDWLRQ of its earnings from oil to QRQ RLO

WORK BEGINS…

Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Qatar, Mr. Yakubu Ahmed (left), and Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, during the ambassador’s presentation of a letter of credence to the emir in Doha…yesterday

Osinbajo Seeks Better Management of Solid Minerals Deji Elumoye and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo yesterday warned managers of solid mineral resources to get their acts together to enable Nigeria to harness the potential of the sector for economic GHYHORSPHQW He said buried in the ground in various parts of Nigeria were riches that could guarantee every Nigerian employment and IRRG VHFXULW\ He spoke at the maiden edition of the strategic engagement on sustainable mining titled: ‘Resurrecting Our Buried Prosperity,’ organised by

WKH 0LQLVWU\ RI 0LQHV DQG 6WHHO 'HYHORSPHQW Osinbajo, in his address at the webinar, stated that as of 1940, Nigeria was already globally a leading producer of tin, columbite and coal, adding that potential coal reserves are today estimated to be as high as three billion WRQQHV ´0XFK RI RXU FRDO LV high-grade clean and bituminous with a low VXOSKXU DQG DVK FRQWHQW And this is not mere speculation because before the discovery of oil, Nigeria developed its infrastructure, roads, rail, dams, provided free education in the western region for example, from

the proceeds of minerals, DJULFXOWXUH DQG WD[HV µ KH VDLG He added: “Even farther back in 1913, gold in commercial quantities had already been found in parts of Northern Nigeria and what is now 2VXQ 6WDWH %LWXPHQ ZDV discovered as far back as 1900 mostly in the Southwest zone, the bitumen belt covering what are now Ondo, Ogun, Lagos and Edo States and today with deposits in excess of 42 billion tonnes we have the second-largest bitumen deposit in the world and almost twice RXU RLO UHVHUYHV “How about iron ore?

We have the 12th largest

iron ore deposit in the world, more than three ELOOLRQ WRQQHV %HVLGHV the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) FRQÀUPV WKDW 1LJHULD KDV over 44 mineral deposits in commercial quantities in over 500 locations across the 36 states and the )HGHUDO &DSLWDO 7HUULWRU\ RI 1LJHULD 7KHVH PLQHUDOV range from industrial and energy minerals such as iron ore and coal to gemstones, including sapphires, rubies and HPHUDOGV µ KH H[SODLQHG “So buried in the ground in various parts of Nigeria are riches that could ensure that no Nigerian is unemployed, underfed, or QHJOHFWHG $QG WKLV LV QRW

mere speculation because, before the discovery of oil, Nigeria developed its infrastructure, roads, rail, dams, provided free education in the western region for example, from the proceeds of minerals, DJULFXOWXUH DQG WD[HVµ 2VLQEDMR VDLG According to him, except Nigeria gets the management of its solid mineral resources right, it will continue living in the SDUDGR[ RI VXͿHULQJ LQ WKH PLGVW RI SOHQW\ He added that while the 0LQLVWU\ RI 0LQHV DQG Steel has the legislative mandate to regulate mining, many states and local governments have embarked on the

imposition of their own rules and regulations, including issuance of Registration, Permits, Community Development Agreements (CDA) DQG 0HPRUDQGXP RI 8QGHUVWDQGLQJ 028 RQ PLQHUV According to him, some state governments, in a bid to shore up their revenues, impose illegal fees, taxes, and levies on foreign and local licensed mining companies and RSHUDWRUV He added that enforcement of the taxes often leads to the frequent arrests and harassment of licensed miners and their workers and closures of PLQLQJ VLWHV

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Kanu’s Collaborators will Not be Spared, Vows FG Promises IPOB leader fair hearing Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government has vowed to go after collaborators of the Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of %LDIUD ,32% 0U 1QDPGL Kanu, no matter how KLJKO\ SODFHG 7KH 0LQLVWHU RI ,QIRUPDWLRQ and Culture, Alhaji /DL 0RKDPPHG ZKLOH addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, however, promised that the federal government will JLYH .DQX D IDLU KHDULQJ 0RKDPPHG VWDWHG WKDW Kanu and his collaborators

will face the full wrath of the law for their activities that challenged the nation’s sovereignty and WKUHDWHQHG LWV XQLW\ The minister, who refused to take questions from the media after reading his speech, said forensic investigation carried out so far had revealed a treasure trove of information on .DQX DQG KLV FROODERUDWRUV Kanu, who jumped bail and left the country in ZDV UH DUUHVWHG ODVW )ULGD\ LQ $GGLV $EED Ethiopia and repatriated to Nigeria on Sunday for the continuation of his treason

WULDO He was re-arraigned in court on Tuesday and ordered by Justice Binta 1\DNR RI WKH )HGHUDO High Court, Abuja, to be remanded in the custody of the Department of State 6HUYLFHV '66 +LV FDVH ZDV DGMRXUQHG WLOO -XO\ 0RKDPPHG VDLG WKH security and intelligence agencies were on the trail of the proscribed IPOB OHDGHU IRU RYHU WZR \HDUV He stated that Kanu OLYHG D ÀYH VWDU OLIHVW\OH across several countries, travelling on chartered private jets, living in

luxury apartments and turning out in designers’ FORWKHV DQG VKRHV “Of course, as we all saw, he was wearing attire PDGH E\ )HQGL D OX[XU\ Italian fashion brand, ZKHQ KH ZDV DUUHVWHG µ KH VDLG He also described the operation, which culminated in the re-arrest of Kanu as one of the most classic operations of its W\SH LQ WKH ZRUOG He commended the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies, which collaborated to reDUUHVW .DQX

He said: “We commend the professionalism, diligence, patriotism and SDLQVWDNLQJ HͿRUWV RI RXU security and intelligence DJHQFLHV :H DOVR WKDQN the sister international agencies that collaborated ZLWK XV WR SXOO RͿ WKLV DUUHVW µ He, however, berated those demanding a fair trial for Kanu “as if he didn’t get one before he decided to MXPS EDLO DQG ÁHH µ The minister, however, assured the nation of a fair trial for the separatist leader, saying that the fair deal that he denied

many of the victims of the violence, which he willfully instigated through his broadcasts and tweets, will not be denied KLP On the speculations on how Kanu was re-arrested and in which country, 0RKDPPHG VDLG ´:KDW we can tell you, once again, is that the re-arrest was made possible by WKH GLOLJHQW HͿRUWV RI RXU security and intelligence agencies, in collaboration with countries with which ZH KDYH REOLJDWLRQV :H continue to respect and KRQRXU WKH REOLJDWLRQV µ

OPEC Defers Decision on Oil Output Cuts Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) yesterday failed to agree on whether or not to keep crude oil output at current levels or open the taps for a further easing of production quotas by roughly two million barrels between now and 'HFHPEHU Earlier, there were expectations that the cartel could boost production output by another 400,000 barrels beginning in August, an increase seen as likely to be easily absorbed by the market amid expectations IRU ULVLQJ GHPDQG It was gathered that WKH -RLQW 0LQLVWHULDO 0RQLWRULQJ &RPPLWWHH -0&& IDLOHG WR FRPH to a conclusion on the recommendations and will meet again today to LURQ RXW WKH URXJK HGJHV At the inconclusive meeting, the OPEC+ ministerial committee had proposed the planned increase to the wider group, but a disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia, the biggest producers in the OPEC+ alliance, remained largely XQUHVROYHG Last year, following the

death-blow, dealt on the oil market by the COVID-19 pandemic, OPEC+ resolved to cut output by almost 10 PLOOLRQ ESG IURP 0D\ 2020, with plans to phase out the curbs by the end of $SULO Before the deferment of the meeting, oil prices reacted with Brent crude WUDGLQJ DERYH D EDUUHO close to a two-and-a-halfyear high as the policy from August to December ZDV EHLQJ DZDLWHG While the full house decided to shift a GHÀQLWLYH GHFLVLRQ RQ WKH matter till today, OPEC KDG HDUOLHU ÀQLVKHG its meeting just before an OPEC+ ministerial committee met after that, before the inconclusive RQH E\ 23(& PLQLVWHUV The Joint Technical Committee (JTC) of OPEC had a day earlier stated that it expected oil demand to grow by six million bpd in 2021 but ÁDJJHG ULVNV RI D JOXW LQ 2022, saying there were ´VLJQLÀFDQW XQFHUWDLQWLHVµ including an uneven global recovery and rising cases of the Delta variant RI &RURQDYLUXV Sources close to the meeting said the idea of a gradual increase featured in both policy drafts put

PROGRESS REPORT…

L-R: Company Secretary/General Counsel, NOVA Merchant Bank, Mr. Nnadozie Ohaji; Chairman of the Board, Mr. Phillips Oduoza; and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nath Ude, during the 4th Annual General Meeting of NOVA Merchant Bank in Lagos…recently forward for the vote at the ministerial meeting, while one of the proposals suggested extending the coalition’s output restraint GHDO XQWLO WKH HQG RI Russia hinted that it viewed the current oil SULFH RI DURXQG per barrel as a sign of overheating, prompting 0RVFRZ WR VXSSRUW a further increase of production by the group, with Russian Deputy 3ULPH 0LQLVWHU $OH[DQGHU Novak, saying that prices LQ D UDQJH RI EEO

ZRXOG EH RSWLPDO One of the factors that could shape the decision today is the status of talks between Iran and the 8 6 ZKLFK DUH VHHNLQJ to revive their nuclear pact and potentially lift sanctions on the Islamic 5HSXEOLF·V RLO H[SRUWV Speaking during one of the sessions, the Secretary*HQHUDO RI 23(& 'U Sanusi Barkindo, had urged members to be watchful of the pace of the global vaccination rollout versus the speed of

COVID-19 variants taking KROG He, however, stated that OPEC still sees growth in WKH VHFRQG KDOI RI WKH \HDU On the supply side, Barkindo reiterated that non-OPEC liquids production in 2021 is IRUHFDVW WR JURZ E\ PE G D GURS RI PE G from the number presented LQ 1RYHPEHU He said OPEC membercountries and all Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) participants had contributed to the rebound

and recovery since November last year, with overall conformity levels consistently over 100 per FHQW He added that the administering of three billion doses of vaccine against COVID-19 worldwide represents an unprecedented achievement in the history of medical science, FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH HͿHFWV of around $26 trillion LQ ÀVFDO DQG PRQHWDU\ stimulus in some FRXQWULHV

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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PASSES PIB, APPROVES 3% FOR HOST COMMUNITIES Lawan, said the demons behind the non-passage of the bill for many years KDG EHHQ GHIHDWHG Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare said the federal lawmakers had EURNHQ WKH MLQ[ However, there was uproar at the Senate as the senators disagreed on the SURÀW VKDUH SHUFHQWDJH WR be allocated to the host communities in the PIB, EHIRUH ÀQDOO\ VHWWOLQJ IRU WKUHH SHU FHQW The Senate passed the much-awaited PIB after a clause-by-clause consideration of all the FODXVHV RI WKH ELOO 7KH ELOO ZDV ÀUVW VHQW WR the National Assembly in E\ 3UHVLGHQW 8PDUX Yar’Adua, now deceased, without translating into DQ $FW Chairman of the Senate Joint Committee on 3HWUROHXP 8SVWUHDP Downstream and Gas, Senator Sabo Nakudu, had earlier while presenting its committee’s report before the Senate went into a closed-door session with WKH 0LQLVWHU RI 6WDWH IRU 3HWUROHXP 5HVRXUFHV 0U Timipre Sylva, and the *URXS 0DQDJLQJ 'LUHFWRU of the Nigerian National

Petroleum Corporation 113& 0DODP 0HOH .\DUL The bill had proposed ÀYH SHU FHQW RI WKH DQQXDO SURÀW VKDUH RI WKH RLO companies for the host FRPPXQLWLHV Shortly after the Senate resumed plenary after its executive session with Sylva and Kyari, Lawan commenced the clause-byclause consideration of the ELOO By the time he got to clause 240, which made SURYLVLRQ IRU ÀYH SHU cent trust fund for host communities, the plenary EHFDPH URZG\ ([SODLQLQJ ZK\ WKH ÀYH per cent was reduced to three per cent shortly after the plenary, Nakudu said the earlier percentage, ZKLFK ZDV ZDV LQFUHDVHG WR ÀYH SHU FHQW He added that it was reduced after Kyari H[SODLQHG WKDW ÀYH SHU cent is a huge amount of PRQH\ According to him, the three per cent amounts to half a billion dollars, adding that enabling environment needs to be created to attract investors as fossil oil is fast going RXW RI IDVKLRQ 0DMRULW\ RI VHQDWRUV ODWHU voted for three per cent contribution to the host

communities, following a motion by Senator Ahmad Kaita, seconded by Senator Ibrahim Gobir, for an amendment to clause

RI WKH ELOO (ͿRUWV E\ WKH 'HSXW\ Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, 6HQDWRUV -DPHV 0DQDJHU George Sekibo and Albert Akpan for an upward UHYLHZ ZHUH UHMHFWHG Sekibo, in a move to sustain his agitation for an increase in contributions to host communities, UHOLHG RQ 2UGHU RI WKH Senate Rule and called for D GLYLVLRQ But the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, prevailed on him to withdraw his call for division and reminded him of the commitment of senators to fostering unity while keeping in mind their obligation at all times to protect the QDWLRQDO LQWHUHVW Lawan also told Sekibo of the overwhelming support of the lawmakers who had earlier approved that host communities should receive remediation and relief from monies DFFUXLQJ IURP JDV ÁDULQJ LQ WKH 3,% Sekibo then withdrew his HDUOLHU FDOO IRU GLYLVLRQ During a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill,

the Senate also approved the funding mechanism of 30 per cent of NNPC Limited’s oil and gas SURÀW LQ WKH SURGXFWLRQ VKDULQJ SURÀW VKDULQJ and risk service contracts to fund exploration of IURQWLHU EDVLQV It approved clause 4 of the bill, which seeks the establishment of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission to provide technical regulatory functions to enforce, administer and implement laws, regulations and policies relating to upstream SHWUROHXP RSHUDWLRQV The commission will, among others, ensure compliance with applicable national and international petroleum industry policies, standards and practices for upstream petroleum operations; and establish, monitor, regulate and enforce health, safety and environmental measures and standards relating to upstream petroleum RSHUDWLRQV In addition, the Senate also adopted the committee’s recommendation to retain provisions in Clause 29 of the bill, approved the establishment of the 1LJHULDQ 0LGVWUHDP DQG Downstream Petroleum

5HJXODWRU\ $XWKRULW\ Clause 29(3) empowers the agency to be responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of midstream and downstream petroleum operations in the petroleum industry in 1LJHULD Its function include i m p l e m e n t i n g government’s policies for midstream and downstream petroleum operations as directed by the minister; and to promote, establish and develop a positive environment for international and domestic investment in midstream and downstream SHWUROHXP RSHUDWLRQV Others are to ensure strict environmental implementation of policies, laws and regulations for midstream and downstream petroleum operations; and to develop and enforce a IUDPHZRUN RQ WDULͿ DQG pricing for natural gas DQG SHWUROHXP SURGXFWV The recommendation of the joint committee was DPHQGHG LQ FODXVH G

to ensure that all monies UHFHLYHG IURP JDV ÁDULQJ be channelled for the purpose of environmental remediation and relief of the host communities as

against the development of infrastructure in midstream gas RSHUDWLRQV 7KH Senate, however, retained the recommendation of the joint committee in Clause 53, which HPSRZHUV WKH 0LQLVWHU of Petroleum Resources to incorporate Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation as a limited liability company, to be known as NNPC Limited, six months after the FRPPHQFHPHQW RI WKH $FW It adopted clause 53 that mandates the minister, at the incorporation of NNPC Limited, to FRQVXOW ZLWK WKH 0LQLVWHU RI )LQDQFH WR GHWHUPLQH the number and nominal value of the shares to be allotted, which would form the initial paid-up share capital of NNPC /LPLWHG The Senate also approved the ownership of all shares in NNPC Limited to be vested in the government at incorporation and held E\ WKH 0LQLVWU\ RI )LQDQFH Incorporated on behalf of WKH JRYHUQPHQW Lawan, after the passage of the PIB congratulated the National Assembly and the Joint Committee on Downstream Petroleum

to surrounding police VWDWLRQV 7KDW QR UHVFXH team came from any of the police units, including WKH '66 R΀FH LQ ,EDGDQ for the several hours that the attack lasted, makes it GL΀FXOW QRW WR EHOLHYH WKDW the government is complicit LQ WKH DWWDFNµ ,Q KLV UHDFWLRQ )DQL .D\RGH said two people were killed and their bodies were taken away with a large number RI RWKHUV DUUHVWHG He added that Igboho’s passport and travel documents were stolen together with his phones, his SHUVRQDO HͿHFWV FRPSXWHUV DQG 1 PLOOLRQ He said: “There were about 100 soldiers and security agents involved and Sunday managed to escape after his boys shielded him from the EXOOHWV 7KH\ LQVLVWHG WKDW he should leave whilst they resisted the attack as best as they could and with few QXPEHUV ´0\ TXHVWLRQ LV WKLV what has this man done to deserve this? There is nothing he has been asked to do in terms of keeping the peace in the South-west by the federal government and the Yoruba elders that he has not done, including guaranteeing the security

and safety of the local +DXVD )XODQL SRSXODWLRQ building bridges, keeping the peace and having a dialogue with other ethnic QDWLRQDOLWLHV LQ 1LJHULD µ In a statement by his Special $VVLVWDQW RQ 0HGLD 0U Kehinde Aderemi, Adams said the attack was a ploy to silence Igboho from expressing his views on the VWDWH RI WKH QDWLRQ He, however, charged the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and to bring the SHUSHWUDWRUV WR ERRN IOO in a statement by (PHULWXV 3URI %DQML Akintoye, and made available to THISDAY by his &RPPXQLFDWLRQV 0DQDJHU 0U 0D[ZHOO $GHOH\H accused the Nigerian Army, accompanied by those he labelled international terrorists hired by the Nigerian state, of attacking ,JERKR·V KRPH Akintoye also alleged that the assailants were all dressed in military uniform DQG VSRNH WKH )UHQFK ODQJXDJH ÁXHQWO\ He stated that the gunmen killed seven occupants of the building and whisked away Igboho’s wife and RWKHUV

Continued on page 10

DSS RAIDS IGBOHO’S HOUSE, DECLARES HIM WANTED a violent insurrection against WKH VWDWH The secret police said its operatives raided his residence in Soka, Ibadan yesterday and arrested 13 of KLV DVVRFLDWHV It said operatives recovered VHYHQ $. DVVDXOW ULÁHV IXOO\ FKDUJHG $. magazines and 5,000 rounds RI PP DPPXQLWLRQ Parading the suspects, the 3XEOLF 5HODWLRQV 2΀FHU RI WKH '66 'U 3HWHU $IXQDQ\D said Igboho, in the course of agitation for selfdetermination, had become well-armed and a threat to SXEOLF RUGHU He said: “The agency wishes to inform Nigerians and the world that Sunday Igboho and his group, in the guise of campaign for selfdetermination, have become well-armed and determined WR XQGHUPLQH SXEOLF RUGHU “This, the arrests and seizures are, no doubt, a FRQÀUPDWLRQ RI D JUDQG SODQ

by Igboho and his cohorts to wage a violent insurrection DJDLQVW WKH 1LJHULDQ 6WDWH µ The agency also alerted “foreign missions and licensing authorities within and outside Nigeria about this development and the possibility that Igboho could declare some of his personal

permit and identity cards missing in order to seek their UHSODFHPHQW µ Afunanya said the agency needed to inform stakeholders that the ÀYH $. DVVDXOW ULÁHV recovered from the building were suspected to be those collected by Igboho’s men from Nigerian Customs and Immigration personnel at Idi ,URNR 2JXQ 6WDWH He said his associates engaged the operatives in a JXQ GXHO He said: “The gun duel, which lasted for an hour RͿHUHG ,JERKR WKH FKDQFH WR HVFDSH 6XQGD\ $GH\HPR D N D 6XQGD\ ,JERKR LV QRZ RQ WKH UXQ ,JERKR PD\ UXQ DV IDU DV KH FDQ +H PD\ KLGH DV ORQJ DV KH ZDQWV +H might have attacked security operatives as his strength FDUULHG KLP “But this will be the end of KLV VKHQDQLJDQV 6RRQ KH ZLOO QRW KDYH D KLGLQJ SODFH His strength will surely fail him and the law will catch XS ZLWK KLP 7KH ODZ PD\ EH VORZ %XW LW ZLOO EH VWHDG\ µ He advised Igboho to turn himself into the nearest security agency, calling also on those cheering and eulogising him to appeal to or advise him to do the QHHGIXO

“He should surrender himself to the appropriate DXWKRULWLHV +H RU DQ\RQH FDQ QHYHU EH DERYH WKH ODZ 0HDQZKLOH WKRVH DUUHVWHG ZLOO EH FKDUJHG DFFRUGLQJO\ µ he said

Afenifere, Others Kick Apparently thinking that the raid was an unlawful attack, the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere; the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua ,22 D IRUPHU 0LQLVWHU RI $YLDWLRQ &KLHI )HPL )DQL .D\RGH DQG WKH $DUH Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, yesterday condemned the DWWDFN RQ ,JERKR·V UHVLGHQFH While Adams claimed that eight people were killed, an aide to Igboho put the death WROO DW WZR “The situation now is very EDG 7ZR <RUXED VRQV KDYH been killed in the house of &KLHI 6XQGD\ ,JERKR 7KH two bodies have been taken DZD\ E\ WKH PLOLWDU\ :H do not know of the location ZKHUH WKH\ ZHUH WDNHQ WR µ ,JERKR·V VSRNHVPDQ 0U 2OD\RPL .RLNL VDLG Those who lost their lives were said to be relatives of ,JERKR

There were bloodstains on WKH ÁRRU RI WKH SUHPLVHV DV well as some of the rooms, indicating that some persons ZHUH KLW E\ EXOOHWV There were also expended bullets at the front of the house and also on the SUHPLVHV Some vehicles destroyed by bullets included a Sienna bus branded with pictures RI 3URI %DQML $NLQWR\H DQG ,JERKR Reacting to the incident, Afenifere and IOO had accused the federal government of being behind WKH DWWDFN Afenifere in a statement by its National Publicity 6HFUHWDU\ 0U -DUH $MD\L said the manner of the attack indicated culpability on the SDUW RI WKH JRYHUQPHQW It said: “We are forced into this deduction for a number RI UHDVRQV )LUVWO\ H\HZLWQHVV accounts indicated that the vehicles and uniforms of the attackers were that of the VHFXULW\ DJHQFLHV 6HFRQGO\ the failure of security agencies to confront the attackers further implicated WKH JRYHUQPHQW ,W ZDV reported that the attack lasted for more than three KRXUV ´,JERKR·V UHVLGHQFH is in a highly-populated area within minutes’ reach

FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021

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PDP GOVERNORS VOW TO RESIST PLOT TO FOIST ONE PARTY STATE SDUW\ VWDWH The governors in a statement yesterday in Abuja expressed their determination to resist the alleged plot to foist a oneSDUW\ VWDWH RQ WKH FRXQWU\ The governors spoke against the backdrop of Tuesday’s defection of =DPIDUD 6WDWH *RYHUQRU +RQ %HOOR 0DWDZDOOH IURP WKH 3'3 WR $3& 0DWDZDOOH LV WKH WKLUG PDP governor, after his colleagues in Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi, and Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade, to cross over to the ruling party in the ODVW VHYHQ PRQWKV But the APC has denied the allegation of trying to turn Nigeria into a oneSDUW\ VWDWH However, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, excoriated 0DWDZDOOH IRU EHWUD\LQJ the PDP, saying that the governors of the main opposition party risked their lives by travelling on what he described as, ´YHU\ WHUULEO\ EDG URDGµ from Sokoto to Gusau, the =DPIDUD 6WDWH FDSLWDO WR DSSHDO WR 0DWDZDOOH QRW WR OHDYH 3'3 3'3 KDV DOVR ÀOHG D fresh document, seeking the listing of its suit seeking the sacking of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, E\ WKH 6XSUHPH &RXUW The PDP governors, in the statement yesterday by the Director-General of the 3'3 *RYHUQRUV· )RUXP +RQ &\ULO 0DGXDEXP called on President 0XKDPPDGX %XKDUL DQG the APC to concentrate WKHLU HͿRUWV RQ WDFNOLQJ LQVHFXULW\ DQG ÀJKWLQJ Boko Haram instead of

poaching governors of the PDLQ RSSRVLWLRQ SDUW\ 7KH\ VDLG ´,I 0U 3UHVLGHQW or APC can spend 10 per cent of the energy they use in wooing PDP governors and stalwarts in tackling the ravaging incidents of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, KHUGHUV IDUPHUV FRQÁLFWV separatist tendencies, or in building infrastructure, providing food, health care, education and tending to the general wellbeing of Nigerians, our country would be a EHWWHU SODFH µ The governors also mocked the APC, saying that a political party that cannot constitute its board of trustees and that is ruled by a military-like National Executive Committee and unelected executives at all levels, contrary to Section 223 of the constitution, has QRWKLQJ WR DWWUDFW DQ\RQH The governors stated that anyone defecting from PDP or any other party to APC today under the terrible conditions they have put Nigeria into is looking for something else other than the good of the QDWLRQ They said the APC and its government at the federal level had become a threat to Nigeria and its GHPRFUDF\ They added: “The PDP governors will continue to resist the attempt by the APC to foist a one-party GLFWDWRUVKLS RQ 1LJHULDQV :H DUH FRQÀGHQW WKDW LI Nigerians are allowed to express their political preferences through a free and fair election, APC will be roundly rejected as the PDP remains the only credible, acceptable

alternative platform that could deliver good JRYHUQDQFH IRU 1LJHULD µ They accused the APC and the federal government of deploying unlawful threats, intimidation and underhand tactics against RSSRVLWLRQ JRYHUQRUV ´:KHQ 0U 3UHVLGHQW directly and prejudicially regretted in his recent LQWHUYLHZ WKDW =DPIDUD State is governed by another party other than his own, it was a clear subtle threat to the governor of the state to join him or face the FRQVHTXHQFHV µ WKH\ VWDWHG The governors alleged that threats had been deployed E\ WKH $3& &DUHWDNHU National Convention Planning Committee to make opposition JRYHUQRUV MRLQ $3& Wike: We Risked Our Lives to Keep Matawalle in PDP Wike yesterday took a VZLSH DW 0DWDZDOOH IRU betraying the opposition SDUW\ He said PDP governors risked their lives by travelling on what he described as, “very WHUULEO\ EDG URDGµ IURP Sokoto to Gusau, the =DPIDUD 6WDWH FDSLWDO WR DSSHDO WR 0DWDZDOOH QRW WR OHDYH 3'3 He stated that none of the three governors who have so far defected to APC have told Nigerians why they left PDP, adding that they left to seek political relevance and protection from prosecution from the %XKDUL DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ Wike spoke during an interview with

ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of 7+,6'$< 1HZVSDSHUV He said: “I have never taken such a risk in my OLIH Á\LQJ GRZQ WR 6RNRWR with my colleagues and travelling by very bad road from Sokoto to =DPIDUD DQG RI FRXUVH the issue of insecurity IRU WKUHH KRXUV :H ZHQW to see our colleague and you can’t understand what your colleague was VD\LQJ µ He advised the PDP to go to court to challenge 0DWDZDOOH·V GHIHFWLRQ as it was the party which went to court to challenge the none-adherence to the Electoral Act by the APC, which led to the Supreme Court judgment that paved the way for 0DWDZDOOH WR EHFRPH JRYHUQRU “PDP went to court to say WKDW WKH $3& GLG QRW IXOÀO the Electoral Act; they did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act because INEC said there was no primary and INEC said every party PXVW FRQGXFW SULPDU\ µ KH DGGHG Wike, however, was optimistic that many APC bigwigs will defect to the PDP as the 2023 general election approaches, adding that he will not advise anyone to defect from the APC to PDP now because not everyone can face the persecution of the APC-led federal JRYHUQPHQW He said: “So, many people in APC cannot now RSHQO\ GHIHFW WR 3'3 <RX must be very careful with fear of being hunted; for fear of now going to the (FRQRPLF DQG )LQDQFLDO

Crimes Commission ()&& LW LV QRW HDV\ EXW I can tell you, you will see what will happen as we move next year towards going to the period when Buhari’s tenure will H[SLUH ´<RX ZLOO VHH 0DQ\ people will come out at that time; the president will not have anything to GR %XW LI DQ\ERG\ WULHV it now, then you must be prepared to face the consequences, so it’s not HDV\ µ PDP Renews Legal Battle to Unseat Uzodimma 0HDQZKLOH WKH 3'3 KDV ÀOHG D IUHVK GRFXPHQW requiring the listing of the VXLW LW ÀOHG VHHNLQJ WR VDFN the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, DW WKH 6XSUHPH &RXUW Investigation revealed that the suit will soon be listed for hearing at the DSH[ FRXUW According to a PDP source, WKH VXLW ÀOHG ODVW \HDU E\ the main opposition party is now ripe for hearing because some processes ZHUH UHFHQWO\ ÀOHG E\ VRPH RI WKH SDUWLHV The source said the PDP, WKURXJK LWV ODZ\HU 0U Phillips Umeadi (SAN), UHFHQWO\ ÀOHG D IUHVK document, requiring the listing of the case for KHDULQJ The source added that what is left is for the Deputy Registrar (Litigation) to liaise with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) for a hearing date, after which parties would EH QRWLÀHG The PDP, in the suit, is seeking an order of the

Supreme Court to reverse its decision that removed +RQ (PHND ,KHGLRKD IURP R΀FH DV JRYHUQRU RI ,PR 6WDWH Respondents in the motion RQ QRWLFH ÀOHG E\ WKH PDP in an earlier appeal

by Ugwumba Nwosu, PDUNHG 6& is: Nwosu, the Action Peoples Party (APP), governorship candidate, Uche Nnadi and the Independent National Electoral Commission ,1(&

The PDP, in the appeal, is claiming that it was wrong for the court to declare Uzodimma of the APC the ZLQQHU RI WKH 0DUFK governorship election in Imo State after disqualifying Nwosu from contesting on the grounds that he allowed himself to be nominated as the governorship candidate of both the Action Alliance and APC for the same HOHFWLRQ It wants the court to declare that both the AA and the APC did not sponsor any candidate for the election in view of Nwosu’s double nomination by the AA and APC and his subsequent GLVTXDOLÀFDWLRQ E\ WKH court in its judgment given RQ 'HFHPEHU PDP wants the court to order INEC to issue a FHUWLÀFDWH RI UHWXUQ WR Ihedioha, its candidate in the election, “as the duly elected governor of Imo State, having scored the second-highest number of votes in the said election sequel to the judgment of this court in Appeal No: 6& 6HQDWRU Hope Uzodinma & another Y 5W +RQ (PHND ,KHGLRKD & others delivered on -DQXDU\ µ

National Assembly Passes PIB, Approves 3% For Host Communities Sector; Petroleum Resources (Upstream); and Gas for the “tremendous and historical achievement of passing the long-awaited 3HWUROHXP ,QGXVWU\ %LOO µ He said the passage of the PIB was an indication that WKH ´GHPRQµ EHKLQG LWV non-passage in the past had EHHQ ÀQDOO\ GHIHDWHG Lawan appealed to 3UHVLGHQW 0XKDPPDGX Buhari to give expeditious assent to the bill when it is eventually forwarded to hi P Addressing journalists on PIB after plenary, the Senate spokesman, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, said: “On the three per cent that was approved for the upstream operating expenditure, from the projection made E\ WKH 113& *0' ZKR briefed us, it will amount WR PLOOLRQ IRU WKH KRVW community development IXQG

0HDQZKLOH WKH 6HQLRU Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Omoworare, has congratulated Buhari, Lawan, and the Speaker of the House Representatives, +RQ )HPL *EDMDELDPLOD RQ the passage of the PIB by the 1DWLRQDO $VVHPEO\ He said: “It should be QRWHG WKDW WKH HͿRUWV E\ WKH executive and legislature in Nigeria to put in place contemporary legislative and legal framework in the oil and gas sector has proved abortive since the year 2000; also, the non-amendment of the extant framework being WKH 3HWUROHXP $FW RI KDV DͿHFWHG WKH LQÁRZ RI foreign direct investment as well as growth in local FRQWHQW “Breaking this jinx and achieving this feat is a testament that the executive and the legislature can really

work together and truly engage each other, without compromising party position and individual perspective, in the most positive manner with a view to actualizing the common goal and communal good IRU 1LJHULDQV µ Also yesterday, the House of Representatives y passed WKH 3,% ,W FRQVLGHUHG DQG adopted the report on the PIB for passage during its committee of the whole VHVVLRQ The adoption, followed the FRQVLGHUDWLRQ RI DOO WKH clauses of the bill, presented

by Chairman of the Ad-hoc &RPPLWWHH RQ WKH 3,% +RQ 0RKDPPHG 0RQJXQR 0RYLQJ WKH PRWLRQ IRU WKH FRQVLGHUDWLRQ 0RQJXQR said by passing the bill into law, the House would have ZULWWHQ LWV QDPH LQ JROG 7KH FODXVHV RI WKH ELOO were put to a voice vote by WKH 'HSXW\ 6SHDNHU +RQ

Idris Wase and they were unanimously adopted by WKH ODZPDNHUV Speaking after the consideration of the report, WKH 6SHDNHU +RQ )HPL Gbajabiamila, hailed the House for achieving the IHDW He said: “I want to commend the 24 wise men and the 360 members in SURGXFLQJ WKLV VHFWLRQV ODZ ,Q WKH FRPLQJ ZHHN the electoral amendment ZLOO IROORZ VXLW %\ WKH WLPH we are done, irrespective of which side of the divide you are on, this 9th House would have done us proud and recorded on the right VLGH RI WKH ODZ µ %XW 0RQJXQR ODWHU WROG reporters that contrary to what has already been reported by the media, the bill had not been passed but was considered and adopted by the committee RI WKH ZKROH

%XW KLV FODULÀFDWLRQ FRQÀUPHG WKDW WKH lawmakers may have skipped the third reading stage to pass the bill He said: “The Petroleum ,QGXVWU\ %LOO KDV VXͿHUHG over the years in previous DVVHPEOLHV %XW WKLV WLPH around, the 9th House of Representatives decided to take the bull by the horn and SDVVHG WKH ELOO :H GHFLGHG to pass it with the speed of light because of the urgency LW GHPDQGV 1LJHULD KDV lost a lot in terms of direct foreign investment in our oil and gas industry, as a result of obsolete laws DͿHFWLQJ WKH RLO DQG JDV LQGXVWU\ ,Q DEURDG WKHLU RLO and gas laws is in tandem with international best SUDFWLFHV µ He added that the bill will now be scheduled for third UHDGLQJ DQG ÀQDO SDVVDJH and then referred to the %XKDUL IRU DVVHQW

p g

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T H I S D AY • DAY, JULY 2, 2021

NEWS

UK High Commission Denies Issuing Travel Document to Kanu Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The British High Commission in Nigeria has denied issuing travel document to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

THISDAY had reported that the federal government had launched further enquiries into the role of the British High Commission in Kanu’s breach of his bail terms, including his escape from Nigeria.

According to the report, the

main issue the government and its intelligence agents are probing is how the IPOB leader, whose Nigerian and British passports were in the custody of the Federal High Court, was able to obtain another British passport to travel out of Nigeria and traverse other African countries while he was on the run from the law. $ WRS LQWHOOLJHQFH RIÀFHU KDG WROG THISDAY had told THISDAY that Kanu was unlikely to obtain another British travel document without the support of the High Commission.

But following THISDAY’s enquires,

the British High Commission in an email complaint yesterday by its Political Counsellor, Mr. Jonathan Bacon, denied the report of the involvement of the commission.

“As promised – in response to \RXU TXHVWLRQ EHORZ ZH FDQ FRQÀUP that the British High Commission in Nigeria did not issue any travel

documents for Kanu. We, therefore, UHDIÀUP WKH FDWHJRULFDO GHQLDO VHQW to you yesterday.

“In relation to (b) (in your email of 16:47 yesterday), the scenario you describe refers to a hypothetical situation involving someone with a British passport subject to court proceedings in the UK, and so is

not directly comparable to this case,” Bacon explained.

THISDAY had quoted an intelligence source on Wednesday as saying: “Following the storming of his parent’s compound in Afaraukwu, Abia State, by a detachment of soldiers on 14th September 2017, Kanu ‘disappeared’ virtually into thin air,

the federal government felt concerned.

Since both, his Nigerian and British passports were still in the custody of the Federal High Court in Abuja, there were strong suspicions that Kanu got the support of the United Kingdom High Commission in Nigeria for his escape. That was later proved to be the case.”

House Fails to Lift Suspension Placed on Twitter Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives has thrown its weight behind the decision of the federal government to suspend the operation of microblogging company, Twitter in the country indefinitely.

The Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, had pre-empted the opposition lawmakers when he mandated the House Committees on Communication, Justice, Information and Culture, and National Security and Intelligence to immediately commence investigation into the circumstances of the decision by the federal government to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria and the legal authority for the ban on the operations of the micro blogging platform.

However, Gbajabiamila and his deputy, Hon. Idris Wase were yesterday sharply divided during the debate on the recommendations of the committee.

Wase has insisted that the committee should be able to explore all avenues before coming back to the floor, stressing that there should be a provision in the report that should have said the government acted in good faith or not.

But the committee insisted that it did not make any judgment based on the recommendations.

Contributing, the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, stated categorically that the committee has not done a prudent work.

It was at this point that Gbajabiamila rose in defence of the committee, saying it was uncharitable to condemn its work.

In the report, the joint committee noted the pros and cons of social media but was silent on whether the suspension should be lifted or not.

The recommendations are: “That time be allowed for the Federal Government of Nigeria and Twitter to enter into the dialogue process that is already ongoing, so as to create room for amicable settlement on the matter;

Fashion trailblazers storm Glo-sponsored African Voices Two trailblazers who are re-designing the African fashion landscape will this week be on African Voices Changemakers, the CNN magazine programme sponsored by telecommunications service provider, Globacom.

They are Nkwo Onwuka, Creative Director of Abuja, Nigeria-based Nkwo Design Studios, and Rich Mnisi, Creative Director, Rich Mnisi, an exclusive label domiciled in South Africa.

Operating under the label, Dakala Cloth, Onwuka desires to reduce textile waste. She has, to this end, focused on creating limited edition fashion styles from left-over pieces of denim, made in Nigeria cotton, end-of-line fabrics and cutting table waste.

The label aims to harness the capabilities of past and contemporary technology to promote a sustainable preservation of traditional crafts.

The fashion enthusiast transforms traditional methods of hand craft like weaving, beading, hand dyeing and embroidery to give newness to fabrics and make them suitable for conventional use.

His South African contemporary, Mnisi, is a young designer who has special interest in pop-culture fashion. A graduate of Fashion Design and Business Management of the South African School of Fashion, he founded his own brand OATH Studio in 2014, the year he won the African Fashion International Young designer award at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa.

IPOB: Ortom Asks FG to Arrest Miyetti Allah Leaders George Okoh in Makurdi Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has urged the federal government to deploy the same capacity used in capturing leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to leaders of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, who are undisguised in supporting recent attacks on communities by Fulani herdsmen.

The governor urged the presidency to demonstrate the zeal it applied in re-arresting IPOB leader to arrest

the leaders of Fulani organisations who have claimed responsibility for many killings in Benue State and other parts of the country Ortom, who stated this in Makurdi, yesterday while flagging off the distribution and sales of fertilizer at the Benue Fertilizer blending plant in Makurdi, noted that “the leaders of the Miyetti Allah are here in Nigeria and had admitted to their members being involved in several killings across the country, particularly in Benue State, and nothing has been done to them.

Multichoice Unveils Biggie Goals Promo Leading video entertainment provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, has announced a special discount offer tagged, Biggie Goals, on its DStv and GOtv decoders.

The discount sees the DStv HD decoder, dish kit and One Month Compact package subscription drop from N18,600 to N9,900, while GOtv decoder, GOtenna with One Month Max package subscription will go from

N9,500 to N6,900.

Speaking on the offer, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, explained that the Biggie Goals offer is a way of widening access to quality entertainment programming at very affordable rates and a chance for their valued customers to experience a wider range of content on higher packages.

FIFTEEN HEARTY CHEERS… L-R: Non-Executive Director, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Sam Okagbue; Chairman, Aminu Babangida; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Tomi Somefun; Non-Executive Director, Oluwafunsho Obasanjo; and Non-Executive Director, Afiz Mohammed Bashir, at the bank’s 15th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos …yesterday

Military Arrests ISWAP Fighter in Ogun …Kills 73 terrorists in two weeks Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Nigerian Army has arrested a member of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Ogun State.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) also said yesterday that no fewer than 73 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists were killed by troops of Operations Hadin Kai in the past two weeks in the North-east.

The terrorist identified as Mr. Ibrahim Musa was arrested at No. 31 Abartura Street in Sango-Ota, Ogun State. The ISWAP member was on a mission to Lagos to acquire certain items for his group’s operations in Maiduguri, Borno State.

This is according to a statement issued yesterday and signed by the Acting Director, Defence Media Operation, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko Onyeuko said troops “sustained routine patrols to forestall activities of vandals on NNPC pipelines at Gaun, Akute, Wawa 1 and 2 and Mabgero areas. Additionally, troops carried out standing patrols and raid operations at strategic areas in the Zone including Majidun Area, during which one Mr. Ibrahim Musa, an ISWAP member was arrested at No 31 Abartura Street in Sango-Ota, Ogun State.

“Intelligence report revealed that Ibrahim was on a mission to Lagos

to acquire certain items for ISWAP’s operations in Maiduguri.

In another development, the DHQ said yesterday that no fewer than 73 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists were killed by troops of Operations Hadin Kai in the past two weeks in the North-east.

It said 55 captives comprising 15 adult males, 12 adult females and 27 children escaped from terrorist enclaves within the period following its coordinated land and air bombardment in the area.

At a media briefing in Abuja, Acting Director Defence Media Operations(DDMO), Brigadier General Onyeuko, said the spiritual base and training camps of the terrorists in the parts of Borno State and the fringes of Lake Chad were destroyed by air bombardments

“Between 18 and 30 June 2021, troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-east zone simultaneously conducted several land and air operations.

“These were clearance operations and aggressive fighting patrols to deny terrorists freedom of movement at different locations.

“Similarly, troops conducted ambush operations as well as responded to distress calls, repelled BHT elements attacks on troops’ locations and dominated the theatre of operations”, he said.

He stated that the air component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted series of intelligence surveillance reconnaissance and air interdiction missions to reveal and destroy terrorists’ enclaves as well as their logistic supplies and equipment.

Policeman Shot Dead in Ekiti Bank Robbery Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti A police officer was yesterday reportedly shot dead and many injured during a bank robbery in Otun Ekiti, the headquarters of Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State .

The deceased was said to be a security guard attached to a branch of a new generation bank located at the heart of the ancient town.

The bank invasion, which hap-

pened around 5pm, came barely two years after some suspected armed robbers invaded the town and killed four persons .

A resident of the town told journalists that the robbers, stormed the bank and shot sporadically into the air to scare those within the vicinity of the bank.

“The robbers forced their way into the banking hall with dynamites and carted away huge amount of money stacked in Ghana must go bag,” he said.

The bank officials and customers were said to have scampered to safety before the police reinforced to confront the robbers.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, said the robbers attacked the bank with dynamites, but insisted that the they did not gain entry into the banking hall.

Abutu further explained that men of the command and military men attached to the area engaged

the robbers in a gun duel, which he said resulted in the loss of one of the mobile policemen.

“There was a bank robbery incident today in Otun-Ekiti at about 5:00 pm, and in the process of shootout between our men and armed robbers, we unfortunately lost one of our men.

“The commissioner of police has ordered a discreet investigation into the incident in ensuring the armed robbers are arrested and brought to book,” he added.

Court Jails Unilorin, Kwara Poly Students over Love Scam Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, the state capital, yesterday convicted one Ganiyy Rasaq Olarewaju, a 300 level student of the University of Ilorin, and one other person, Olakunle Adebisi, a National Diploma II student of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin.

The duo were accused of love scam by the Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency had on June 28, 2021, arraigned Olarewaju and Adebisi on one separate charge, to which they pleaded guilty.

Upon their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, called two witnesses, Dagogo Urowayino and Shetima Yusuf, against Olarewaju and Adebisi respectively, to review the facts of the case.

The two witnesses narrated how the defendants were arrested and tendered several fraudulent messages printed from their emails.

The documents and the defen-

dants’ phones were later admitted in evidence, following which the Judge adjourned until today for judgment.

In a separate judgment on the two cases yesterday, Justice Abdulgafar, while relying on the evidence placed before the court; the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and the plea of the defendants, pronounced the defendants guilty and sentenced them accordingly.

While Adebisi was sentenced to six months imprisonment,

Olarewaju bagged one month imprisonment at the Mandala Correctional Centre, Ilorin.

However, the judgement allowed the suspension of the sentencing for the two convicts.

According to the judge, Adebisi would commence serving his term after two years when he must have graduated from the Kwara State Polytechnic, while Olarewaju sentencing would commence after one year when he must have finished his studies at the University of Ilorin.

12

FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021

COMMENT

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

THE PARTY TO BEAT

The All Progressives Congress is consolidating on its leadership, writes Mamman Mohammed “We shall work to reposition the All Progressives Congress to remain Nigeria’s leading party and Africa’s largest political party that will stay in office beyond two, three or even four terms of office.”

-- Hon. Mai Mala Buni. Yobe State Governor and Chairman APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.

H

e is a man of few words and when he talks, he carefully selects his words, measured and calculated.

He addresses an individual or group with humility and listens attentively to make you feel at home, giving you all the attention you deserve. His power to tolerate and accommodate, even in the face of provocation makes him uniquely different.

One year after taking over a dying APC, Governor Buni provided exemplary leadership to the extraordinary caretaker committee to rescue the party which has now bounced back to life as President Muhammadu Buhari said with pride when receiving the committee’s report on Friday 25th June 2021.

President Buhari said “with the work done by the committee the party has bounced back to life, I have listened with great interest the remarkable job you have done so far. We are all witnesses to the crisis that engulfed the party leading to litigations and presented a picture of selfishness and division.’’

President Buhari’s position corroborated that of the Progressive Governors’ Forum who had earlier passed a vote of confidence on the Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary convention Planning committee.

Arising from a meeting in Abuja, the APC Governors passed the vote of confidence, commending Governor Buni “for providing excellent leadership to the party at the most critical period.” He is popularly referred to as “Limamin Sulhu” meaning, the Apostle of Reconciliation, because of his reconciliatory prowess. While some of his fellow politicians refer to him as a political rainbow that sucks away rain water from the skies of opposition parties, others describe him as the white ant that sucks away the sweetness from sugar of the opposition parties. He is certainly a man with a magnetic character that attracts both the friend and foe.

One year into the stewardship of Buni’s administration as the chairman Caretaker/Extraordinary committee, the party recorded genuine reconciliation and welcomed back those who earlier left the party in anger, while others who went to court, willingly withdrew their cases.

Already on the count, three serving governors have left the PDP and joined the APC. First, it was Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Dave Umuahi, followed by his Cross River State counterpart Prof. Ben Ayade and now the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Mattawale. There are also indications of more high-powered defections into the party.

Submitting his report to President Buhari, Buni said, “With your excellent leadership roles for the party, we are witnessing high powered defections including serving governors from PDP to our great party. It is also interesting that the fortune of the party in the last one year has greatly improved across the country and especially, in the Southeast

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR APC TO PROMOTE INTERNAL DEMOCRACY AND ELECT CREDIBLE OFFICIALS IN THE FORTHCOMING CONGRESSES AND CONVENTION TO CONSOLIDATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED BY THE PARTY AND ITS SUCCESS IN SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS

which has been the stronghold of the opposition.

Buni noted that all issues and members were given a fair hearing, and an open door policy was created to accommodate all those that were aggrieved, leading to withdrawal of cases in court and peaceful settlements. “The party is now more peaceful, orderly and accommodating than what we met on the ground,” Buni said.

The Yobe State governor said the registration and revalidation of members across the country recorded more than 40 million members, and an appeal committee was also set up to hear all matters related to the process so that no member gets disenfranchised.

“We have observed that youth and women constitute huge population of the voting group. We had a youth and women committee, and also people with disability,’’ he said.

Buni said a Contact and Strategy Team had been set up in every state to come up with an acceptable template that would ensure transparency, credibility and acceptability of the internal electoral processes. He also said a committee was constituted to review the party’s constitution to check loopholes that give room for conflict and litigations. Over 500 memoranda were received and the process had been completed and ready for submission to the convention for ratification.

At a time when APC continues to wax stronger, the opposition parties continue to suffer in focus and weak leadership. The Buni regime continues to exploit available opportunities and deplete the strength of the opposition as seen in the continuous defection of high profile politicians with thousands of their supporters, and reducing the opposition parties to paper weight which believe in making noise than making the party strong.

While APC has largely overcome its internal problems under the purposeful leadership of Governor Buni, the opposition parties are lacking confidence, sense of direction and ability to galvanize their members to form a formidable force.

With 22 states in its kitty and a population of over 40 million members, it is obvious that the All Progressives Congress is more than ever ready to consolidate its leadership in Nigeria’s political sphere. And with the ever growing strength of the party, it is a political suicide for the opposition political parties whose fortunes had continuously been reducing to run a race against the APC in the 2023 general elections.

Buni said the committee had been cautious and meticulous in making the far-reaching arrangements to achieve this great feat. He expressed the readiness of the party to conduct “credible, transparent, flawless and generally acceptable congresses and convention for the party to produce a strong leadership that will enjoy the support, trust and confidence of all members.”

It is therefore very important for APC to promote internal democracy and elect credible officials in the forthcoming congresses and convention to consolidate the achievements recorded by the party and its success in subsequent elections.

Mohammed is the Director-General Press and Media to Yobe State Governor.

HERO OF PURPOSEFUL JOURNALISM Lanre Arogundade pays tribute to Tunji Bello, journalist, lawyer and administrator

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obust framed, fine-skinned and afrohaired while oozing handsomeness in his parliamentary gown, he somewhat stood out among the students’ union leaders that had thronged Great Ife campus on that occasion in the 1982/83

session.

Back at the students’ union office soon after the event, a group of us whispered and joked that the guy from the University of Ibadan (UI), must be an ‘e dey happen chap’ – the other moniker in those days for those categorised as ‘ome aje butter’ – students or young guys whose mien pointed at privileged background.

The guy was Tunji Bello. He was the students’ union leader – the Vice President – who had come to represent the University of Ibadan students’ union at the second memorial anniversary for four students from the University of Ife who were cut down in their prime by the Police during a funeral procession in Ile-Ife town on June 7, 1981. The irony was that the march was to protest the beheading of another student – Bukola Arogundade.

The brutal killing of Bukola Ojewoye, Fatimah Adebimpe, Paul Alonge, and Wemimo Akinbolu after the Police had fired live ammunition and tear gas at thousands of students lined up behind the then students’ union president, Femi Kuku, in front of Mayfair Hotel in the Lagere area of the town shook the campus to its foundation. It shocked a nation to whom humanity then mattered.

Indeed, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), under the leadership of Dr. Biodun Jeyifo had to set up an administrative panel of inquiry comprising Chief Gani Fawehinmi (the head) and Labanji Bolaji, veteran journalist and member, to unravel the mystery behind the death of the students. It was the panel that found conclusively that their death was a direct outcome of the police assault on the peacefully marching students.

The Fajemifo Christopher executive on which

I served as the Secretary-General came into office two sessions after the massacre and one of our early resolutions was to organise a befitting commemorative activity including the erection of a June 7 statue in front of the students’ union building, to serve as a permanent memorial for the June 7 four.

It was thus the unveiling of the statue, the memorial march by students’ union leaders from Ife and nearby campuses and other related activities that marked the first crossing of paths with Tunji Bello.

Beyond the specific symbolism of immortalising the June 7 four, the commemorative events organised by our Exco were reflective of the ideology driven, purposeful and focused nature of students unionism in that era. The elements of the mission that shaped unionism included defence of independent students’ unionism; protection of students welfare; promotion of a culture of enlightened and robust debate of national and international issues; holding the civilian governments accountable for their deeds or misdeeds; and doing same to the military governments that succeeded them in the aftermath of the military putsch of 1983, which marked the demise of the second republic.

The early to mid-80s was also a period when the privileges being enjoyed by the students such as subsidised feeding system, subsidised accommodation and affordable tuition fees were already being threatened. At first, the attack on the educational system was a product of the profligacy of the Shehu Shagari led National Party of Nigeria’s (NPN) federal government. It was that corruption ridden government that started the establishment of more universities for political considerations without giving deep thought to how they would be funded.

Later, the attack became bye-products of the shift in the direction of neo-liberalism by the military governments.

By the late 80s, it had become clear that the attempt to commercialise education was in part fulfilment of the conditionalities imposed by

the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to which the country had turned for loans. The most notorious of the initiative in this direction was the Ibrahim Babangida military junta’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), which he claimed had no alternative but which was duly resisted by students, youths and Nigerians in what became famously known as the anti-SAP riots of 1989.

Tunji Bello deserves to be acknowledged as a player and leader in the student movement of that era, which to a significant number of Nigerians constitutes a golden generation.

Sections of that generation believe their radical and or revolutionary vision of Nigeria should not die with campus activism but should be taken into the arena of their professional callings and the larger society. This was especially so with those who had been active as campus journalists, students’ unionists and leaders; and members of socialist, black nationalist, anti-apartheid, etc., movements, some of whom would later become professional journalists.

One of the earliest indications of that commitment was the convergence of a group of erstwhile campus activists and unionists now working as journalists in Lagos at the then secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Yaba, Lagos, to form the Progressives Journalists Associations (PJA) in the period between 1988 and 1989. Adopting the ideology of socialism, the main aim of PJA was to use the instrumentality of journalism to transform Nigeria through the pursuit of journalism with social relevance. In the course of time the platform expanded to accommodate like-minded elements especially those who didn’t have campus activism background and it got transformed into the New Trend movement of the NUJ. As I attested in my recent tribute to another active participant in that movement, Femi Ojudu, who also recently turned 60, Tunji Bello was a prominent player in that movement and would

emerge from the forum to be one of the leaders of the NUJ in Lagos State. I wrote: “The New Trend platform took the Lagos Council of NUJ by storm when in 1989 it elected the dynamic leadership of Ladi Lawal, Tunji Bello, Richard Akinnola, Kayode Komolafe, Bong Ita, Niyi Bankole, Dagogo Jack, etc.

It later extended its foray to the national level with the subsequent election of Sani Zoro as the National President of NUJ”.

Tunji Bello was the Treasurer in that famous Ladi Lawal executive, which embarked on educational and welfare empowerment of journalists. The exco put up a robust defence of press freedom for which it established the Press Freedom Defence Committee and was active in decrying human rights abuses that was characteristic of the military government of that era so much so that by the time of the June 12 crisis of 1993 following the annulment of the presidential mandate freely given by Nigerians to Bashorun MKO Abiola, the council teamed up with other pro-democracy forces to be part of the Joint Action Committee on Nigeria (JACON) led by late Gani Fawehinmi.

On the above account, Tunji Bello, also deserves to be acknowledged and commended as a key player and leader in that radicalisation of the NUJ via the new trend platform.

History, as far as my relationship with Tunji Bello is concerned, ran full cycle when I joined the National Concord where he was already established on the features and political desks, and would soon become the Political Editor. Though I also became the Features Editor we related more as former student unionists and NUJ combatants than as line editors. We became friends and on occasions embarked on joint rendezvous the full details of which can only be preserved as unwritten memoirs.

zExcerpts from ‘In Pursuit of Public Purpose - Essays In Honour of Tunji Bello at 60’ published to mark his birthday

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EDITORIAL YET, ANOTHER MULTIBILLION COURT SCANDAL Bad habits and corruption in the system are causing the nation mounting anxiety

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years before turning to the courts to seek justice. At the Federal High Court, Abuja, it accused the Union Bank and CBN of the alleged offences of stealing and criminal conversion, arguing that the sum of 2,556bn British pounds was transferred to CBN while Union held back 397 million pounds as commission. Petro Union further alleged that the money in CBN was lodged in a company account called Goldmatic. The Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation were joined in the suit.

combination of weak and compromised institutions cutting across the executive, legislature and judiciary is increasingly encouraging the culture of corruption and impunity in Nigeria. While the country is still struggling hard to free itself from the attempt by the Process and Industrial Development Ltd (P&ID) to skim off $9.6 billion in damages through a failed gas processing contract, another similar case has popped up. A company named Petro Union Oil and Gas Ltd is demanding a mind-boggling sum of about $15 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Union Bank Plc and indeed, Nigeria, for a transaction that was at best intriguing. The court must act expeditiously to curtail another assault on our commonwealth.

The facts of the case are winding, involving deeply obscure flow of money. In 1994, Petro Union allegedly lodged a cheque from a branch of Barclays Bank, United Kingdom, THE DELAYS IN OUR JUDICIAL to the tune of 2.556 billion British pounds SYSTEM ARE DELIBERATE with Union Bank in ACTS OF INDIVIDUAL Lagos. According LAWYERS AND JUDGES to the account, the WHICH OF COURSE ARE EXTENSION OF A NATIONAL money would be used to establish a CULTURE OF TARDINESS bank in addition to AND CORRUPTION IN MOST three petrochemical SPHERES refineries in Nigeria.

But the cheque could not be honoured because of some discrepancies. The company that issued it – Gazeaft Limited – reportedly did not exist on the Register of Companies in the UK. Besides, the account from which the money was drawn was closed in 1989 while the cheque was presented five years later in 1994.

However, the managing director of Petro Union turned to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where the matter was investigated but thrown out in 2005 with Union Bank cleared of all allegations. But Petro Union waited for seven

Letters to the Editor

H 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 OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

owever, pertinent questions remain unanswered: Why would the Union Bank transfer a substantial part of the money to a private company in CBN when it is not a depositors’ bank? Do private companies open accounts with the apex bank? Did any company by that name even exist? What was the deal?

Surprisingly, however, Petro Union secured a judgement in its favour and was affirmed by the Appeal Court. Meanwhile, the judgement obtained by Petro Union at the Federal High Court in 2014 for the sum of 2,556bn pounds carries additional head-scratching baggage: an interest of 15 per cent per annum from 22 June 1995 until when payment is made. Today, the judgement sum together with interest is more than 12bn British pounds (about $15.5bn), enough to energise and reflate the stagnant and debt-dependent economy.

In all, besides the issue of fairness, what should be of interest to Nigerians remains the speed with which the entire process is being handled. The delays in our judicial system are deliberate acts of individual lawyers and judges which of course are extension of a national culture of tardiness and corruption in most spheres.

The crisis of credibility is taking a serious toll on the institution and the nation at large.

On the present case involving Union Bank, we urge the federal ministry of justice to mount a vigorous challenge to this latest attempt at fleecing Nigeria of scarce resources. The idea of settling spurious judgement debts is neither sustainable nor is it in the national 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.

COMBATING OPEN DEFECATION IN NIGERIA

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ature can never be cheated; when it calls, we can’t but respond. Bowel movement is an important aspect of human anatomy that helps the body get rid of waste products. Significantly, it gives no notice; it can happen at anytime and anywhere. It sometimes happens in the most unexpected places. The most embarrassing thing that can happen to anyone is to get a sudden call of nature in the middle of nowhere.

Basically, in this situation the first point of call and the most reasonable thing to do would be locating the nearest toilet. It is rather unfortunate that the case is different for some people. Rather, they engage in open defecation.

According to the 2018 National Outcome Routine Mapping (NORM) Report, 47 million Nigerians practice open defecation. This is to show that, at least, one out of four Nigerians engage in open defecation.

Unfortunately, Nigeria loses N455 billion (US$ 1.3b) annually due to poor sanitation. Open defecation is the human practice of defecating or excreting outside rather than making use of the toilet. It involves defecation in street gutters, behind bushes or open bodies of water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), open defecation contaminates sources of drinking water and spreads diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery. W.H.O estimates that inadequate sanitation causes 432,000 diarrhea deaths annually. Apart from the horrible city smell and spread of communicable diseases like polio, typhoid fever and hepatitis, open defecation poises serious danger to society and those practicing it are prone to attacks by wild animals while defecating in bushes, they are also vulnerable to being kidnapped.

In addition, it can also make women and girls vulnerable to sexual violence and other forms of risks. In places where there may be no bushes, people have to bear the inconvenience of waiting until nightfall to defecate in the open. They are exposed to different forms of danger on their way to or from the bush.

Essentially, the act of open defecation is an environmental degradation and abuse of nature, fondly referred to as “shot put” by Nigerians. It is said to be a traditional cultural practice which has become a norm that has existed for a while and travel down in time. Many Lagosians living in the slums often use this code-name “shot put” to identify the mode of toilet.

Ironically, the public toilets that are provided for public use are being ignored for open spaces. Some people find it easy in doing this because of the accessibility of these open spaces. So, even with existence of public toilets some people would rather opt for roads, bushes or gutters.

Similarly, some engage in this act as a result of non-availability of toilets, while some incorrigible elements within the society take pleasure in engaging in such unethical and unlawful act.

Shockingly, some defaulters are of the view that the open space is as good as a toilet while some don’t want to pay to use public toilet.

Indeed, open defecation has come to be one of the major problems facing the state. This problem is created by ignorant and unlawful citizens who, while trying to solve an immediate problem, ended up creating a bigger one; causing pollution and spreading infections.

Lagos, being the centre of excellence, one would expect that open defecation should not be on the list of environmental pollution in the state, but some environmental defaulters have made this hard to achieve,

as the act is being perpetuated on a daily basis. With a tissue paper or sachet of pure water at hand, they only need to find a “perfect” space to release their waste.

Interestingly, some pedestrians have tagged it “competition of faeces”, as defaulters are openly seen carrying out this act early in the morning.

The daily complaints include stepping on faeces on road-sides, for this to be happening in the 21st century, it is an eye sore, an anomaly that must be stopped.

Unfortunately, this inappropriate behaviour has blighted the environmental advancement efforts of the government. The horrible smell that emanates from some parts of the city, where this act is being practiced, is such that can put off potential investors.

Regrettably, there has been an increase in the percentage of open defecation even with the existence of public toilets. According to the Lagos Bureau of Statistics, over 310 public toilets constructed by local governments as well as 600 private public toilet operators and 140 public toilets had been registered to reduce open defecation in the state. These public toilets are located in strategic areas to serve the needs of the people across the state.

Considering its environmental impact, the Sanwo-Olu’s administration has intensified efforts to eradicate open defecation in Lagos State. In 2020, a task force on open defecation was inaugurated on the directives of the governor. They immediately swung into action and arrested some residents who were openly defecating in some parts of the state. Their activities should be sustained for a more productive result.

Yusuf Olukolu, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

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FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021

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POLITICS

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

Senator Odebiyi’s Bold Step to Prioritize Education Olubunmi Omoogun, Media Aide to Senator Tolu Odebiyi, Senator representing Ogun West highlights the laudable achievements of Odebiyi in the education sector

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t has become a habit of most nonpartisan individuals in the country to view modern day politicians as people who lack principles and decorum unlike the politicians of old who avowed unshakeable self-devotion to the people’s cause. Even after they’ve left us, the undying love people have for these politicians of old is still evident due to their legacies, principles, moral compass, decorum and the vital roles they played in the struggle for a better Nigeria.

The late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, an exceptional politician during his time, made great, never forgotten impacts, as he prioritized free education, while harnessing and aggregating available resources of Western region for the development of the region. All these Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo did, with clinical precision.

Chief Awolowo knew that education, education and education can only be the long lasting gift you can give to someone.

The former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, also stressed the importance of education, when he said that ‘education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’.

Sen. Tolu Odebiyi, a progeny of his late father, Chief J.A.O Odebiyi, his father also an ally of the late Sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and others like Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Hon. Akin Deko, Hon. Ayodele Okusoga, Chief Anthony Enahoro, S.O. Ighodaro Esq, Balarabe Musa, Chief Bola Ige and co who had social welfare as their number one priority.

Carefully treading along that focused path and understanding that education is the future of Africa, an outstanding and impactful gesture that deserves huge appreciation is the presentation of scholarship awards of One Hundred Thousand Naira N100,000 and brand new laptops to 53 Ogun West undergraduate students in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria. A scholarship programme that will continue till their graduation from school. This means that their tuition fees from Year 1 through to Year 4 will be taken care of by Sen. Tolu Odebiyi, Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District in the National Assembly. An unprecedented feat in the history of that Senatorial District.

Imagine the joy of the parent of an academically gifted but economically disadvantaged student the moment tuition fee ceases to be a stumbling block to their child’s academic or career goals.

An emotional moment it was when these 53 students stepped forward to receive their scholarship awards from Sen. Tolu Odebiyi.

Indeed, this great gesture lifted the spirit of the parents and reinforced their belief that Nigeria can still re-enact the system of free education of old.

According to one of the students who received scholarship award and a brand new laptop, Olasode Ajibola, “As a recipient of Senator Tolu Odebiyi scholarship, I will like to show my sincere appreciation for the invaluable support and contribution towards making our academic dreams a reality. By awarding me this scholarship, you have reduced my financial burden, which helps me to focus more on the most important aspect of school learning. Your generosity towards humanity has inspired me to also help others and give back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me”.

Bamgbose Abraham Abidemi, another beneficiary, thanked the Senator for the rare opportunity and for the impact of this scholarship on their academic growth and development.

Ayinde Grace, a proud student of University of Lagos, commended Senator Odebiyi for being a great philanthropist

and lover of youths. “I really thank God in your life sir, because without Him it is impossible for you to do this great and uplifting job you are doing in Ogun West. Your love for education, youths

and human capital is extraordinary. Most especially this undergraduate scholarship which has helped me navigate my academic worries”. Miss Ayinde said.

Adejumoke Adejobi-Osu from Imeko

Understanding Obiano’s Succession Plan James Eze, Media Aide to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State reveals why his principal wants the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Soludo as his successor

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ith the emergence of the renowned economist and former CBN Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the coming gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano appears to emphasize the point that succession is an important obligation of leadership and that part of a leader’s silent mission should be to find someone with the right orientation and temperament to succeed him.

Indeed, it says much about Obiano’s personal philosophy that in a country where the tradition for outgoing governors is to handpick spineless and clueless aspirants who they can easily manipulate as successors, Governor Obiano worked very hard to ensure the emergence of an astute Professor of Economics whose exploits are known all over the world, to stand in line to succeed him. It is a strong statement of his resolve to allow Anambra State to flourish under the tender care of someone with a proven capacity for leadership.

There is a great deal of hope that Soludo’s candidacy will not only inspire confidence in the party machinery and galvanize the push for victory in the November 6, 2021 election but that it will also assure Ndi Anambra that their beloved state is on a trajectory that makes greatness inevitable.

In a sense, Obiano’s efforts to have a competent successor like Soludo is a powerful reminder of the implied wisdom in the popular proverb that “a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Most advanced societies in the world today are products of courageous leaders who predicted the future by ensur-

ing that the basic philosophies of growth and progress were sustained through a clear line of succession. Governor Obiano was evidently plotting his succession graph when he tapped Soludo to deliver his 3rd Anniversary Lecture in March 2017. It was a subtle hint at succession that most people did not notice. It brought the renowned economist closer to the point where he could observe things at close quarters. But it also gave him a great chance to leave an enduring imprint in the memory of the party and the hierarchies of leadership in the state. His choice to speak on “Anambra: An Emerging Start-up State and our Collective Challenge” also points an unwavering finger at what was to come. Similarly, when Governor Obiano set up Anambra’s Vision 2070 Project and drafted Soludo to head the Committee, he was dropping subtle hints about his dreams of sustainable progress and whom he thought should guide Anambra into a brighter future after him. All these show that nothing was left to chance.

It has to be stated, that the emergence of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the candidate of the ruling party with a clear chance of victory in the coming election raises hopes of a greater Anambra State. There is probably no better person to continue Obiano’s legacy than Soludo who is a consultant to 20 international development and financial institutions, a former Chief Economic Adviser to the President, a former Governor of CBN and a chairman or member of 25 committees. His pedigree as an achiever has been confirmed with over 200 national and international awards.

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

in Ogun West said, “If you know about Ogun West Senatorial District, the most marginalized and neglected zone in Ogun State, you will understand why an educational empowerment or job creation Sen. Odebiyi is bringing would mean so much to us”.

While staying true to that passion of building future leaders and remembering the yesteryears when good governance and sterling leadership qualities was sacrosanct, Sen. Odebiyi at the scholarship presentation to the 53 students in Ilaro, Ogun State said, “Education plays a major role in shaping the future of the youths, thereby making them to became better citizens who would be useful to themselves and the society”.

No doubt, the future of any young person is education.

According to the Senator who agrees with Goldman Sachs that countries of the world will be shaped by young educated people like the 53 students who just received scholarship awards, notes that “It is important for the youths especially the beneficiaries to go into the future with a new hope, a new vision, a new mind, a new approach and a new idea to enable them to contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the state and nation at large”.

Odebiyi said, he will continue to build a mass of educated youths with morals, knowledge, expertise and mentality to move this great country forward.

Today, he goes down in history as a Senator who defied all the odds to bring clean and hygienic water to the good people of a rustic town called Moro, a town located in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, after 150 years of unavailability of portable water. The cause of this was linked to the huge presence of limestone deposits that prevented water from coming out of the ground irrespective of how deep the ground is dug.

Another history was made in April 2021, when his novel Bill to establish the National Institute for Border Studies in Imeko, Ogun State to provide for teaching, research, instruction and training of students in border management that will strengthen the capacity, unlock the skills and potentials of the youths, was passed by the 9th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the good of all Nigerians.

The Institute, once established will be the first of its kind in Africa.

His projects such as the construction and equipping of ICT Centre, provision of 30 KVA sound proof generators, renovation and equipping of girls and boys resident hostels and provision of toilets facilities, renovation and furnishing of classrooms in Egbado College, Ilaro, (one of the legacy schools in Yewa land), as well as facilitation of employment opportunities for constituent members in various departments and agencies of government, facilitation of COVID-19 household government grants to his constituents to cushion the negative impacts of the pandemic, empowerment support programmes for women and youths, water projects and provision of electricity transformers that cut across the five Local Government Areas in Ogun West won him the Voice Hero of the Tear Award and the Distinguished Legislative and Grassroots Leadership Award for burning the midnight oil to impact positively in the lives of the people and in recognition of his giant strides in education, growth and development of his constituency. Sen. Odebiyi, just like the Omoluabi (well-bred) politicians of old, is making sure Ogun West is not left behind in the long road to sustainable economic and infrastructure development.

-Olubunmi Omoogun writes from Abuja

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021

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PERSPECTIVE

Ogun LG Polls: Gov Abiodun’s Push for Internal Democracy

Should Britain Intervene in Nnamdi Kanu’s Arrest?

Chido Nwangwu, Publisher, USAfricaonline.com raises germane questions that may task the justice system on the recent arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra

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he dynamics of the power of language in diplomatic and coercive arenas of power have remained the syrup to sell and propagate interests. Pointedly, the artful interplay of language can make a world of difference as to whether the road to war or the highway to peace will be chosen. Even in families and across all religions and political persuasions, the deployment of language, action verbs and adjectives have either caused considerable expense to relationships or elevated ordinary and regular folks to new heights of camaraderie.

Essentially, therefore, language and meaning are at the epicenter of what is generally known by those of us who are trained in Political Science as “the games nations play.“ Nigeria’s Attorney General and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami (SAN) announced at a news conference that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu was “brought back” (not arrested) by the Nigerian government on Sunday June 27, 2021. Malami, an influential insider within the presidency of retired General Muhammadu Buhari as well as the Abuja federal court presided by Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, had repeatedly said that Kanu violated the terms of the bail granted him in 2017. Malami said Kanu was “intercepted through the collaborative efforts of the Nigerian intelligence and security services.” Malami did not indicate where Kanu was “intercepted” and which countries and services/agencies were involved in “the collaborative efforts.”

Generally, interception happens in sports such as soccer, football and basketball. So, that’s how the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu became artfully and carefully characterized as an interception.

On the other side of the issue and definition of the events, I received a statement from the U.S-headquartered World Igbo Congress (WIC) on what it described as “the abduction and arraignment of Nnamdi Kanu in Nigeria and that court hearing is scheduled for July 26, 2021. It has also been confirmed to us that Nnamdi Kanu, a British citizen, was abducted in a country other than the United Kingdom to which he travelled on British passport.

Consequently, this raises the specter of illegal abduction and international gangsterism which violate the process of extradition.”

I believe that on July 26 and 27, 2021, among the core questions that will be asked in the court room presided by Justice Nyako will be whether the Nigerian government merely “intercepted” Nnamdi

Kanu or “abducted” Nnamdi Kanu? What will be the court’s interests regarding the bail terms and conditions previously given to Nnamdi Kanu? Will the court discuss whether the crux of the matter is did Nnamdi Kanu “jump bail” or did he run away for his personal and family safety?

I recall that in May 2017 on USAfricaonline.com, I mentioned “the non-dramatic fluency with which they sorted and settled -- within 30 hours-- the harsh reality of the mountain high jump, stringent and extremely difficult to meet conditions ordered on April 25, 2017 as required bail terms for the temporary release of the leader of the IPOB, by the Federal High Court Justice Nyako, a wife of a former top military officer and governor, showed the credibility and clout of IPOB . She required Kanu to provide three sureties; one of whom must be a serving Senator in Nigeria, a Jewish religious leader and highly respected person, who owns land anywhere in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. The bail bond was set at N100 million, for each surety. Kanu was also ordered not to grant any interviews to the media/press, pending the outcome of his trial and should not be seen in a meeting/gathering of more than 10 persons.”

Meanwhile, the World Igbo Congress has already called on “the British government to stand up and defend the right of her citizen. The UK government needs to investigate the collusion of any other country or party in this saga. The government of the US, the UN and the international community to take note of the ongoing abuse of human rights in Nigeria including this matter of abduction of Nnamdi Kanu.”

Finally, let me ask two simple questions: If as Nnamdi Kanu proclaims himself to be a British citizen, what will Britain say or do in this complex situation? Should Britain intervene or will they give Nnamdi Kanu the middle finger?

I believe that on July 26 and 27, 2021, among the core questions that will be asked in the court room presided by Justice Nyako will be whether the Nigerian government merely “intercepted” Nnamdi Kanu or “abducted” Nnamdi Kanu?

What will be the court’s interests regarding the bail terms and conditions previously given to Nnamdi Kanu? Will the court discuss whether the crux of the matter is did Nnamdi Kanu “jump bail” or did he run away for his personal and family safety?

Funmi Branco commends the steps taken by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State to ensure the emergence of popular All Progressives Congress candidates for local government election in the state

I

n a few days time, the people of Ogun State will be heading to the polls to freely elect councillorship and council chairmanship candidates of their choice. The local government, as everyone knows, is the closest level of government to the people, and any fissure at this level promises to upset the country’s march to democratic development and hence the sustenance of life. This is why the people must approach the coming elections with all the seriousness that it deserves. Indeed, there is a massive cause for cheer going by the actions and pronouncements of the Dapo Abiodun-led administration in the state which offer hope that the coming elections will be truly democratic, reflecting the wishes of the Ogun electorate.

In the first instance, quite unlike some governors who would merely dictate the names of candidates for the various local governments in the comfort of their offices and thereafter impose such candidates on the people, the Iperu-born prince and business mogul chose to invite major stakeholders in the three senatorial districts in the state to his office and interface with them, with a view to ensuring sterling representation across the wards in the state. He told the stakeholders that the party needed to come up with candidates that would be acceptable to the people, urging them to go back to their various places, hold meetings with the aspirants for the various positions, and come up with a consensus list where necessary. Where such an arrangement is not possible, they were to prune down the list of aspirants so that those who would participate in primaries would be known. This, it has to be acknowledged, would reduce cost and, what is more, reduce acrimony within the fold.

In places where people intended to use their financial purse to overwhelm the system, the governor also invited stakeholders and urged them to conduct a fair process. He harped on the fact those who had served the party faithfully ought to be recognized even if they did not have a huge purse. This was partly in response to protests by some aspirants who alleged that candidates were being imposed on them. Thus, in pushing for strict screening and free, fair and transparent primaries, Prince Abiodun aims to see a situation where the party leadership would put only the best of the best forward. This is as it should be.

According to the Electoral Knowledge Network (EKN), if a political party would like the democratic principles of electoral politics to be applied within the party, it may consider practices like internal information and consultation processes, internal (formal or informal) rules and structures for the organisation and decision-making within the party, and transparency in the party’s functioning at all levels.

The claim cannot be doubted that in Nigeria, imposition of candidates on the party by some influential leaders has spelt doom for many political parties and even their candidates whose political ambitions had been truncated undemocratically in preference for some sacred cows. Indeed, as Yigal Mersel, a researcher, Hauser Global Program and Emile Noel Fellow at the Jean Monnet Center, New York University has argued, “the very interdependence between political parties and democracies should pro-

mote the parties’ adherence not only to democratic goals and activities but also to democratic internal structures.”

Such internal democracy, she argues, must be mandatory, and “in rare cases, there is valid justification for banning political parties that lack internal democracy.”

To be sure, the level of interaction so far demonstrates the fact that the governor wants a fair process. He wants to build the party and deepen democracy.

He is, without doubt, a governor who believes in grass roots mobilization and development, and party supremacy. To him, “you must initiate and communicate ideas with the grass roots; you must not behave like an island on your own; you must not embrace autocracy just because you are governor.” That is not mere rhetoric: Governor Abiodun has allowed the various constituencies to bring out their preferred candidates and fortunately, the candidates that have emerged so far are accomplished individuals freely chosen by the people, which is why there has been no rancour or voice of dissent since their emergence. This is a very good development for our body politic. In any case, naysayers can now realize that being a technocrat does not preclude one from being a good politician.

With Governor Abiodun’s distribution of goodwill, peace and stability are assured in the state.

Instructively, even as the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems well positioned to win the election, a level playing field has been created for all political parties in the state. In some other states, the ruling party ceaselessly harasses opposition candidates.

That is not the case in Ogun, although it continues to be a problem not only in the country but around the world. In January 2020, Joyce Fegan of the Irish Times reported that political parties were being asked to play fair online in the General Election and to avoid using the “toxic tactics” employed in the UK and US. According to the report, “All parties are being asked to sign up to the Fair Play Pledge, which has four commitments. Parties are being asked to campaign honestly and openly, respect the dignity of others, participate in financial fair play and once elected champion election integrity in the new Dáil. The Fair Play Pledge has been endorsed by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICLL), Transparency International Ireland and DCU’s FuJo (Future of Journalism).” Happily, with Governor Abiodun’s push for transparency within the Ogun APC and the larger local government electoral process in general, the good people of Ogun State can expect better days ahead, particularly if purpose-driven candidates are put forward across board.

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FRIDAY JULY 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO 22 % 23 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

20 % 21 % 21.50 %

J U N E

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08024557078

2 5 , 2 0 2 1

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

528.35 % 21 % 21.50 %

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE -5.42 % YEAR TO DATE -21.17 %

EXCHANGE RATE N411.67/1US DOLLAR* ̩

Quick Takes

Air Peace Resumes Warri, Freetown Flights

Air Peace has announced the resumption of Warri and Freetown flight operations from July 9 and 21, 2021, respectively.

Spokesman of the airline, Stanley Olisa, explained in a statement that Warri service from Lagos and Abuja, would operate daily while the Freetown flights would operate on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

According to him, “Air Peace is happy to announce to its teeming customers the resumption of its Warri and Freetown flight services to broaden connectivity. We shall resume more routes and increase frequencies to specific destinations as we take delivery of more brand new E195-E2s and other aircraft on maintenance overseas.”

Olisa, who said customers can now book the resumed Warri and Freetown flights on the airline’s website- flyairpeace.com or its mobile app, reiterated Air Peace’s commitment to providing best-in-class flight services while observing the highest standards of safety. Air Peace currently services 16 domestic routes, five regional routes and two international destinations, including Johannesburg while it boasts of a varied fleet of 28 aircraft, the latest being three brand new 124-seat capacity E195-E2 jets.

Ibom Air New Deliveries Begin Operation

RENDERING ACCOUNT TO SHAREHOLDERS

L-R: Company Secretary, C&I Leasing Plc, Mbanugo Udenze; Non-executive Director, Tunde Edun; Vice Chairman, Emeka Ndu; Chairman, Samuel Onyishi; Non-executive Director, Florence Okoli, and Group Managing Director/CEO, Andrew Otike-Odibi, at the company’s 30th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos…recentl

FAAN Awaits FG’s Directive on Enugu Airports’ Reopening for International Flights Chinedu Eze The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said everything is set for international flight operations to resume at the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu, even as it awaits the federal government’s approval to reopen the airport.

THISDAY learnt that the Airport Council International (ACI) Africa has given health certificate to the airport for meeting Covid-19 protocols requirements.

The agency said other logistics and safety issues have been completed, so the airport can now receive international flights.

The Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu told THISDAY that international

AVIATION flight service was supposed to have resumed four weeks ago, but there were minor hitches that must be corrected. These he said the agency had corrected and awaiting report of work from the airport, adding that issues concerning security had been completed.

“Flight operation was supposed to resume just about three or four weeks ago, but have some minor hitches but they are very critical hitches. And we are expecting a report this week. If we get the report within a day or within 48 hours we can work on it.

“The hitches are not on security but on the facility. We have our standards. There are

some things you can look at the airport and think they are working fine or you don’t need to improve but based on our own regulations and standards, we know we have to take them up to that standard, but the passengers might not really understand. We have to make sure those critical facilities are top standard,” he said.

The FAAN boss also explained that earlier in June the agency had completed issues relating to Covid-19 protocols and had gone far in completing the requirement for fire cover for international operations.

According to him, there was a need to close the airport in order to work on safety-critical facilities and put them to standard before reopening it.

“We have done with protocol issues; fire cover issue is the one we are dealing with and we have already gone very far in resolving it. That is why I said we are just waiting for a report.

“We don’t want to say that despite the pressure on us we are just going to commence operation, it is a technical reason which has to do with safety of operations. Those were what caused the delay in reopening the airport,” he said.

Yadudu also noted that the airport has to be put in good standard, including regards to safety, which was the major reason for the delay.

“We have the responsibility Continued on page 22

NIMASA: IOCs Hindering Development of Nigeria’s Indigenous Shipping Business Eromosele Abiodun The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has stated that the failure of many International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the country to remit the two per cent statutory surcharge to the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF), has forestalled the growth of the fund and by implication, the growth and development of indigenous shipping business in Nigeria.

The Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act 2003 requires every shipping line trading within the coastal region to pay two per cent of the value of every contract awarded to it into the CVFF. The fund was set up to enable indigenous shipping

MARITIME operators acquire ships as part of efforts to develop indigenous shipping business and curtail foreign domination. However, many IOCs had relied on the cabotage waiver clause in the Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act 2003 to cheat the Nigerian government.

It was learnt that the fund, which is made up of two components of naira and U.S. dollar, has N32billion and $209million respectively, bringing it to a total of N136.5billion as at March 2020.

Speaking during the presentation of his management’s one-year scorecard to newsmen in Lagos, Jamoh disclosed that plans were underway for the disbursement of the N136 billion.

IOCs, he alleged, were

frustrating the efforts of the federal government to develop indigenous shipping business in the country, as they have refused to pay the two per cent surcharge into CVFF. Jamoh revealed that the federal government has concluded plans to review the Cabotage Vessel financing fund policy.

The move, according to him, was aimed at developing indigenous shipping and fleet capacity to meet modern shipping demands.

While insisting that the CVFF Policy, like a product, has undergone its “product life cycle” said that an assessment of the policy by a committee set up by the Minister of Transportation in 2019, exposed some shortfall in the hitherto promising project.

Specifically, he said, “In January 2019, the Minister

of Transportation inaugurated a committee to look into the guidelines of the CVFF Act and see if we would have to review it so that it can stand the test of time because there are a lot of things inside it that may be a hindrance or would become a bottleneck in terms of implementing the disbursement.

“In so doing, the committee sat down and we looked at it.

Whatever we want to do, we must go back to the National Assembly for the review of that act because what others were suggesting may likely be a hindrance of the implementation and the law may not allow us to do it that way.”

He also stated that a post disbursement review and assessment of the law should Continued on page 22

Ibom Air has announced that its two new Airbus A220 aircraft hit the skies yesterday, bringing the much-needed capacity, more comfort, enhanced safety and increased reliability to the domestic air travel market.

The airline said both new leased aircraft were the result of the its decision to fast- track its fleet development plan in order to respond to a surge in passenger numbers, which stretched the capacity of its CRJ900 fleet to the maximum, adding that with the arrival of both leased jets, the airline is now able to provide the much-needed capacity sought by its fast-increasing clientele.

“Ibom Air’s passengers on the Lagos-Abuja route can now experience three flights each way daily, in the comfort of the A220. The A220 will also serve the Uyo to Lagos and Uyo to Abuja routes, while the airline’s fleet of five CRJ900s fills up any gaps, providing adequate capacity on all the other routes,” the airline said.

AccordingtotheAirline’sChiefOperatingOfficer,Mr.GeorgeUriesi,“We are pleased to introduce the Airbus A220, one of the most advanced passenger jets in the world, into the Nigerian domestic market.

“While our fleet of Bombardier CRJ900s did a splendid job powering the airline during its start-up phase, we had to adjust our business strategy and fast track our move to higher capacity aircraft. With the introduction of the A220, this capacity squeeze will be adequately addressed.”

Ibom Air also disclosed that it is currently in negotiations with Airbus to procure a fleet of brand new A220s for deliveries commencing fourth quarter 2022.

CADAM Seeks End to Drug Abuse

As drug supply and demand increases in Nigeria, the need to tackle the menace through evidence-based strategy rather than punitive measures adopted by various regulatory agencies in the country has been emphasised.

This was the views of Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry (CADAM), a faith-based NGO under the auspices of the Redeemed Christian Church of God as one in seven persons aged 15 to 64 had used a drug compared to the global average of one to 20.

Speaking in Lagos, yesterday, during a walk to mark the 2021 World Drug Day with the theme, ‘Share the Facts on Drug’, the DirectorGeneral, CADAM, Dokun Adedeji, said it was time the nation reviewed its modalities on fighting the drug scourge to save lives.

He said governments needed to step up their game by living up to their responsibility of providing healthcare support for people with drug use disorder.

According to him, evidence-based Prevention programs should be developed and implemented at all levels of Government so as to reach the otherwise unreached populations in the rural area.

Adedeji, however, stressed the need for enforcement agencies to be well equipped and trained on how to mitigate the rise in international drug trade, while noting that, “All approaches should be geared towards promoting better public health outcomes.

“The growth in global drug supply and demand poses a great challenge to law enforcement, compounds health risks and complicates efforts to prevent and treat drug use disorders. More people are using drugs, and there are more drugs, and more types of drugs, than ever before.”

“It is only one aviation so we find Emirates conditions as discriminatory against our country and it is not acceptable” Minister of Aviation,

Senator Hadi Sirika

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BUSINESSWORLD FAAN AWAITS FG’S DIRECTIVE ON ENUGU AIRPORTS’ REOPENING FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS to ensure that we expedite work to ensure that safety parameters are met before opening. Closing the airport till now is not something we are happy about, but we have to do so in the interest of all stakeholders, all Nigerians, and FAAN itself,” Yadudu said.

However, THISDAY learnt on Wednesday that every work at the airport has been completed, but awaiting the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to give a go ahead for resumption of international flight operations at the airport.

“I am sure the airport will be re-opened. All necessary things are in place now. We have received ACI health certification for the airport.

But are airlines ready to start going there?”a senior official in FAAN asked.

THISDAY also learnt that Ethiopian Airlines, which is the only international carrier that operates to Enugu, is ready to resume flights to the airport, once government orders for the reopening of flights.

NIMASA: IOCS HINDERING DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA’S INDIGENOUS SHIPPING BUSINESS be expected.

“The first thing I did was to advise that okay, let us implement the law as it is and see if we are having the problems that are envisaged.

When we disburse it and we identify the problem then we can propose the review and that was the basis of the promise I made. Today, we are working towards that to see that we implement the law as it is.

“As you implement policy, you will see the shortfall or shortcoming of that policy.

So one would have to start reviewing that policy to stand the test of time one finds himself. We have reached a milestone on the issue of the CVFF and identified the banks that have interest to be part and parcel of the disbursement of this fund, “he explained.

Also, he revealed that the agency has so far shortlisted 11 companies and have made their presentation to the supervising ministry.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

NEWS

NEXIM Bank Boss Canvasses Risk-based Auditing James Emejo in Abuja The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria ExportImport Bank (NEXIM), Mr. Abubakar Bello, has stressed the need for internal auditors to be more proactive in providing assurance over governance, risk and control.

Specifically, he said the adoption of agile principles in audit practice remained a trend which is currently sweeping across internal audit worldwide.

Bello, at the 49th quarterly general meeting of the Association of Chief Audit Executives of Banks in Nigeria (ACAEBIN), which was hosted by NEXIM Bank, however said many auditors were unsure of how to get started and as such, found it difficult to scale-up.

Speaking on, ‘Agile Auditing: The Future of Internal Audit,’ the NEXIM bank boss said there was a growing imperative for organisations to adopt more agile ways of working across functions and programmes to keep up with the huge competitive landscape and ever-increasing pace of change which hitherto poses a challenge to the internal audit function.

He said auditors must see

it as an opportunity to deliver deeper insight into strategic business issues and risks, respond rapidly to changing priorities and emerging issues while becoming forwardlooking in anticipating risks.

Bello further hinted that the era where the internal audit function was traditionally car-

ried out using the waterfall model which tend to be more structured with defined stages and runs on a linear fashion was gone.

As such, he enjoined auditors to adopt a more collaborative and iterative approach to audit planning, scoping and delivery.

He noted that there was an increasing demand by stakeholders for a more efficient assurance, better advice on processes and controls, and greater risk anticipation, pointing out that this need had become intense due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses.

He also urged the audit profession not to see the word agile as a mere buzzword that connotes speed but should rather encompass what it truly means and applied into improving their audit processes and methodology to enable them to become valued stakeholders.

THIS IS OUR SCORECARD

L-R: Acting Managing Director, Global Spectrum Energy Services Plc, Augustine Oyagha; Chairman, Osahon Idemudia, and Company Secretary, Vivian Eriokpa, at the company’s 14th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos…recently

Institute of Directors Elect New President, Council Members Dike Onwuamaeze The Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria has elected Dr. Ije Jidenma as its 17th President and Chairman of its Governing Council.

Jidenma’s election took place during the 37th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the IoD that was held recently at the Institute’s Secretariat in Lagos State.

According to a statement signed by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the IoD Nigeria, Mr. Bamidele Alimi, Jidenma was elected for a two-year tenure in line

with the institute’s rules and regulations to succeed Mr. Chris O. Okunowo, who retired after his tenure expired at the 2020 AGM. Other officers elected during the AGM, according to Alimi, were the First Vice President, Mr. Tijjani Borodo and the Second Vice President, Mr. Adetunji Oyebanji.

Jidenma had served as the First Vice President of the institute prior to her election as president and chairman of council.

Alimi described her as, “an accomplished management consultant and professional.

She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology with specialisation in Psychometrics from the University of Lagos.”

She is the Founder and Chief Executive of Leading Edge Consulting and has consulted for SMEs, indigenous companies, the public sector, multilateral organisations, and international nongovernmental organisations.

She is also the Managing Partner of the IRC Global Executive Search Partners that is ranked as the fastest-growing executive search alliance in the world, with footprints in over 90 cities of the world and

across six continents, where she currently leads its EMEA Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure practice.

Earlier on in her career, she had worked in operational capacities as a Training and Development Officer with the Industrial Training Fund from 1983-1986 and as a Senior Consultant with Price Waterhouse (now PwC) from 1986-1990.

She later worked in executive capacities as Head of Human Resources as well as Head of Strategic Planning of Merchant Bank of Africa before leaving the bank in

1995 in pursuit of her doctorate degree.

Jidenma is an alumnus of some of the world’s most renowned educational institutions, including the Chief Executive Programme of the Lagos Business School and the Leading Professional Services Firm Programme of the Harvard Business School among others.

She has also worked assiduously in her various spheres of influence to elevate the African trajectory and narrative, bringing the same to the global stage to enrich humanity.

Access Bank Donates Office Complex to Immigration Dike Onwuamaeze The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. Muhammad Babandede, has commended the Access Bank Plc for using its resources to support government agencies in order to improve services being rendered to Nigerians.

Babandede, gave the commendation Wednesday, during a ceremony to hand over an office block at the Ikoyi Passport Office, Lagos State, which was constructed, furnished and

donated to the NIS by the Access Bank.

He said the bank deserved commendation because of the sustainable manner it has been partnering with the NIS to enhance its facilities over the years.

The comptroller general said: “We have always had a good relationship with the Access Bank. It is encouraging to find a private enterprise that would use its resources in a good direction and Access Bank has been a big corporate organisation that has made it easier for us to service

the public,” adding that the NIS would put the facility donated by the bank into good uses.

He also said the NIS was contributing to improving ease of doing business in Nigeria through its visa on arrival programme that enables foreign investors to visit Nigeria for businesses without hassles.

He also said the NIS has reduced physical contact with passport applicants through its online platform.

In his speech during the commissioning ceremony, the

Group Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said the facility would not only aid the NIS in the execution of its duties, but also add value to the lives of Nigerians.

Wigwe said: “At Access Bank, we support good things that have national interest, which is the reason we want to identify with what is happening here.

“We recognise the importance of the NIS to national development and we are thankful for the sterling leadership of the agency, which is driving positive

reforms policies that will foster the safety of our nation, increase the attractiveness of Nigeria to foreign investors and once again position Nigeria as a strong player in the global economy.

“As an organisation driven by the ethos of sustainability, we take immense pride in our ability to continuously contribute to the effort of the government in providing the requisite infrastructure for parastatals to execute their responsibilities effectively – and each time, we ‘up the ante.”

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Asst. Editor, Money Market

Nume Ekeghe

Senior Correspondent

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Chinedu Eze (Aviation) ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ (Maritime) Ë×ÏÝ ×ÏÔÙ (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

TITAN Farms Foresees Reduction in Price of Rice Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The Chairman of TITAN Farms Limited, Gbenga Olatubosun Eyiolawi, has estimated that the price of rice will soon come down in the country following the commissioning of the Lagos/Ibadan railway transport service by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the development will reduce cost of logistics in processing the product.

He made the disclosure in Ibadan while delivering a keynote address titled, “Food Security : The Challenges of Rice Farming and Milling in Nigeria”, at a media interactive session organised by the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters

Association of Nigeria (FIBAN), Oyo State Chapter.

The event chaired by the Oyo State deputy governor, Mr. Raufu Olaniyan, was witnessed by other stakeholders which included the President of Market Men and Women Association of Oyo State, Alh. Sunmaila Jimoh who doubles as the President of Rice Sellers Association of Oyo

State; Alhaja Saratu Konibaje, the Iyaloja of Oyo State and Iyaloja Genaral of Ibadanland, Alhaja Sariat Ojikutu Olorunero, and the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Bodija Market, Sulaiman Ileomo.

The TITAN Farms boss said with the railway terminus located in Moniya, Ibadan, just five minutes’ drive away from the factory, there could be drop

in logistics cost, security and insurance, expressing optimism that the price of rice will soon drop.

While explaining how insecurity was affecting farming business, he noted that this was the reason most investors now resort to protecting their businesses through insurance covers.

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ACFTA Opens Profitable Business Windows for Egypt Air Charles Ajunwa The Africa to Africa Tourism Promotion initiative carved out of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) by the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), has opened up windows of profitable passengers’ capacity for Egypt Air. The airline which was among the four African Carriers, RwandAir, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian airlines pooled by NANTA President, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, to kick start the initiative geared towards facilitating intra African trade and tourism, has seen its passenger traffic on the rise, since COVID-19 which slowed down travel business across board.

According to NANTA president, the report of patronage

by NANTA members under the scheme, was instructive of the value of collaboration under the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement and to which the four airlines have

committed to support through commercial aviation platform.

“I have received calls of appreciation from the management of Egypt Air, commending NANTA members for coming out with trade and tour groups since we birthed the agenda and you won’t believe it, all flights for shopping and holidays are headed towards Cairo and as the summer beckons, we expect Nigerians who are used to Dubai, will find Cairo a more better and inspiring alternative,” Akporiaye noted.

She reiterated that the collaboration with the airlines would grow bigger and better, keep the airlines busy and profitable all the round the year and NANTA members smiling to the bank.

“We are waiting for Kenya Airways to come up with their holiday brand, ditto RwandAir and Ethiopian airlines. Interestingly, RwandAir has reached us with its ambitious project and we at

NANTA, will provide the needed support, particularly in getting them a window into Nigerian vast and virgin tourism market.

“We are waiting for Ethiopian Airlines to address some concerns, otherwise, we are ready for the tourism trade revolution worth more than $3 trillion,” she further explained Akporiaye praised the efforts of NANTA members to leverage on the initiative to remain afloat and survive the hash travel business climate brought about by COVID-19 pandemic, which influenced global border restrictions, thereby impacting on airline ticket sales.

She called on other professional travel trade operators on NANTA membership, to join in the campaign, and organise trade and tourism tours, instead of waiting on tickets sales alone, adding that Egypt Air has promised to offer visa assistance to those with group tours, pilgrimage and trade visits.

SAHCO Fetes Partners Chinedu Eze Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc has hosted clients, customers, and aviation industry stakeholders to express appreciation for their support, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ground handling company also promised to improve its relationship with its customers with the provision of state-of-the-art faculties and excellent service delivery in the company.

The event, with the theme: ‘A Night With SAHCO Plc,’ which was held in Lagos, SAHCO said it was an opportunity for its staff and customers to wine, dine and discuss more business.

In his welcome address, SAHCO Chairman, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, who was represented by his daughter, expressed delight with the performance of the company’ in the past year, despite the pandemic.

Afolabi noted that the annual appreciation night

had become a platform to appreciate its esteemed clients for their huge contributions to the success of the company.

“As a customer-centric organisation, SAHCO strategy has always revolved around developing bespoke solutions that address the needs of our clients. These solutions and services are also delivered by a crop of efficient and highly motivated staff who understand the prime place that our clients occupy in the scheme of things in our company.

Boosting NAMA’s Revenue

L-R: Managing Director, NAMA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu; General Manager, Commercial, Mrs. Umeh and Director, Human Resources, Mrs. Maira Bashir, during a reward ceremony for staff members…recently Chinedu Eze Over the years the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has depended on the revenues earned from airlines that fly over Nigeria’s airspace to other destinations as well as foreign airlines that operate into Nigeria.

THISDAY learnt that in recent times, domestic carriers have been paying their debts.

In the past, most of them used to owe the aviation agencies, including NAMA. Industry insiders explained that because domestic airlines have undulating history, many of them have short life span and have become unreliable source of revenue that can sustain the operations of the airspace manager, NAMA. The federal government some years ago had directed the agency to become self-sustaining and at the same time pay 25 per cent of their annual income to the federal government as revenue generating agency, known as consolidated revenue fund.

This presented fiscal dilemma to NAMA because at certain period after this policy was introduced, NAMA had poor communication system in the upper airspace and could not provide the needed service to over fliers. These are aircraft that are travelling to other destinations by flying across Nigeria’s airspace. In flying across Nigeria’s airspace, they expect to know the en-route weather conditions, their flight path and other relevant information that would guide them safely.

These services are paid for and that is how NAMA generates most of its revenue, as flight traffic to the Americas, Southern Africa and other destinations cross Nigeria’s airspace.

To ensure effective collection of revenues from over fliers, NAMA engaged the services of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which serves as medium between the airlines and the agency.

But during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and thereafter, NAMA literally became bankrupt. Its revenue fell to 10 per cent of its annual earnings and it found it difficult to pay workers salary. Informed source told THISDAY that the agency borrowed for many months to pay salaries.

Hopefully the revenue has risen to 46 per cent of pre-covid-19 earnings, according to the Managing Director of NAMA, Captain Fola Akikuotu and the agency hoped that revenue earning would eventually bounce back to 2019 status and higher over time.

Despite this set back, NAMA said it is elated because IATArecently commended the agency for its transparent billing system, which its clients, the airlines are satisfied with.

IATA said compared to other countries, Nigeria’s NAMA has almost zero errors in the bills the agency send to them. NAMA told THISDAY that in the whole of AFI (Africa and India) Region, Nigeria remains the best

as it has zero errors in its bills.

The world body said airlines promptly pay NAMA bills whenever they are presented to them because they are usually clear and transparent; unlike that of many similar agencies in other parts of the world whose bills are allegedly obscure, forcing the airlines to contest and sometimes refuse to pay for the bills So last week the NAMA management decided to reward the General Manager, Commercials, Mrs. Joy Umeh, who is behind the aggressive drive for revenue for the agency.

In rewarding Umeh, Akinkuotu also commended all the staff of the commercial department and expressed appreciation over the way they coordinate and earn revenues for the agency.

“IATAhas commended NAMAthat it keeps accurate figures. We met IATA in Geneva in 2020 and they let us know that the airlines are happy with our bills. The COVID-19 had adverse effect on our revenue, just like others in the aviation industry. In fact, in April 2020, we only made 10 per cent of our usual income. But Mrs. Umeh told us not to worry and since then the revenue kept going up.

“Today it is 46 per cent. I recall that whenever I am down because of the financial situation in NAMA, Mrs. Umeh will come and say, Oga, this is much we have made. That gives me hope. It is not only Mrs. Umeh; I know it is the whole commercial department that did it, but we must give her credit for her coordination.

“During Covid-19 we faced difficult times.

Our revenue is dependent on debt recovery so without service there won’t be payment. It was really tough but the commercial department gave us hope. Madam (Mrs. Umeh), I am proud of you. Yes, nothing gratifies more than recognition, but in a competition, somebody must win, but that does not mean that those who did not win performed badly.

“As we celebrate Mrs. Umeh for her doggedness, steadfastness, not waiting for commendation, we hope also that others will have their own turn; not only from the commercial department but also in other areas in the agency. I have spent over four years in this agency and I know that you people work very hard. We have to institutionalise this award to encourage the staff,” the NAMA Managing Director said.

In response, the elated Umeh thanked Akinkuotu and the management of NAMA, saying that the award was not only for her but also for all the staff of the Commercial Department of the agency. She also said that the award would ginger her and the staff of the department further to do more exploits for the agency. With high expectation, the Managing Director, Captain Akinkuotu said he was optimistic that the revenue of the agency would rebound.

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BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Bernard: Cost of COVID-19 Test for Travellers Should Be Reduced The Managing Director of Finchglow Travels and former President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Bankole Bernard, in this interview speaks about his expectations for the economy post Covid-19 in order to spur economic recovery. Chinedu Eze brings the excerpts:

W

hat do you think Nigeria may be losing due to these ban on some countries over COVID-19?

Well, there is what we call post COVID-19 recovery. And a lot of countries that seem to understand what they are doing are already experiencing post-COVID-19 recovery.

Putting relevant measures in place and capitalizing on the weakness of other countries within the economies around the world. For not allowing flow of movement, as it were, due to fears, will continue to make us lose out. I will give you an instance. I hope you know that COVID-19 test in America is free. Nobody charges one dollar for COVID-19 test in America. I just got back from America. And I did not see America close her borders to any country because they know the importance of holidays. Most of their holiday destinations and recreational centers are open.

And they are still preaching that people should be vaccinated. It shows you the importance of recovery and they are recovering from it as quickly as possible. In what way have we put such measures in place? This is America that was an epic COVID-19 center at a point. We were far from being an epic center. We have not even experienced up to 5000 deaths record in Nigeria as it were. So why can’t we capitalize on the fact that we have low COVID-19 record and do what other countries are doing. That is what Kenya, Qatar and others are doing.

How do you see the ban of passengers from South Africa by Nigeria as Air Peace goes to South Africa. South African Airways is not operating yet. So with the ban, Nigeria does not have direct flight to South Africa.

What is the implication of this on air travel in Nigeria?

I honestly do not understand the rationale why travellers from South Africa are banned from coming to Nigeria. Is it because they said the COVID-19 variant there is stronger? It is not a problem at all. There are measures that you just need to put place. Can’t we just apply those measures? Because we must understood something, that what we have is what they call bilateral agreement between two countries.

Which means the aviation sector of Nigerian government and the aviation sector of the South African government will have to execute that bilateral agreement process on behalf of the two nations. So why should we now say that Air Peace cannot fly there and bring back passengers? Is that not a loss to the airline? I don’t know how they are doing this. How would they survive it?

Is it not the best opportunity to grow own local brand? The health sector will always come up with precautionary measures but they should not dictate to us how we would carry out our business in the aviation sector because they do not know where the shoe pinches. They do not understand the bilateral agreements. It is the virtue of the pandemic that brought them into that relationship. So you cannot be a stranger in a relationship and be the one dictating the tune of that relationship. It is never done; it is not possible. We need to put ourselves together, we need to be able to prove to our health sector that, look if we put these measures in place, then we see no reason why we will have the restriction. But if we continue to live in fear, we will have what is called economic loss and we will be losing out in the scheme of things.

This is when a Nigerian carrier should benefit from the weakness of what is happening around the world and that opportunity is denied it.

The information we got is that so many Nigerians who would have come back are stranded in Dubai. The Minister said that the policy of Dubai on COVID-19 protocol is discriminatory to Nigeria?

That news that Nigerians are stranded in Dubai is sensational news. We must not be carried away. But at the same time, I believe that the government needs to come to roundtable and iron out these diplomatic challenges. I consider it challenges because when the two countries have established a bilateral agreement

that money to pay for your accommodation if you go elsewhere. So why waste it? So other destinations are enjoying while others are still struggling. Those destinations that have opened their doors, they are enjoying, I mean you can be at wonderful places like Maldives, all those holiday spots, they have all opened because they know what they will lose. They know the importance of visitors into their country.

Benard

and something seems not right about it, there is need for them to come to a round table as quick as possible and resolve it. The challenge between the two governments goes beyond you and I. But I will say to you that Nigerians are going to Dubai, and they are going there via Cotonou. Who is losing out? We are the ones losing out. You know why we are losing out? Because what would have come to our NCAA (the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority) is being lost out. So other people are benefiting from what we are losing out. We are helping other people’s economy to grow. Because Kenya Airways is lifting Nigerians to Dubai, Qatar is doing the same. Egypt is doing the same. Only Emirates and Nigeria are not benefiting from it because we will now not have direct flights.

So why can’t we just put our ego aside and go into discussions and get it resolved. Dubai needs us as much as we need them. So both governments just need to sit at the round table and get this thing resolved because they say when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. It is the travellers that are feeling the pinch; it is the business people that are feeling the pinch. Because instead of booking a direct flight, they now have to connect through other countries, which is unnecessary hassles to us and the nation at large.

So how far are the Nigerian travel agencies making out under this situation now?

You are aware that summer period is the peak period where we travel agencies make money and we make huge sales. Even the ones that are not doing well will do well at that time because the demand is very high. As a matter of fact, that is the only time that demand surpasses supply.

But when you close some routes that means we are going to lose out on inventory. Some other people will capitalize on it. Government has discouraged Nigerians from enjoying their little summer. Because after you worked, you have saved up for your summer, you should be able to go. I don’t think it is fair; we have already broken the protocol in place, if you don’t have your negative COVID-19 tests. If you don’t pay for another COVID-19 test, you cannot come into the country. So before you even board the flight, all that has been done and uploaded. So I see no reason why they will think that it is going to come from outside again. When people are coming in from the neighbouring countries borders and nothing is being done about that. They are making it impossible for us travel agencies to thrive at the peak of our business. At least to recoup from what we have lost last year for the five months

lockdown that we experienced last year. I think it is unfair and I think the government needs to look into it. They need to look into it and help us see how our business can thrive once again.

We are not even talking about going back to 2019 market situation; we are willing to have an increment at this time to have new normal period. Because if you experience an increase it means that we will make more profits.

How do you see Nigeria’s COVID-19 protocol and what do you recommend for the country?

To a very large extent the COVID-19 protocol we put in place is quite commendable. But my question is this, Why must travellers pay through their nose? If United States of America can say COVID-19 test is free, why should you make your citizens pay that huge sum? I think it is unfair. I think it is something the government can look into. We should stop thinking that air travel is luxury. It is no longer luxury but necessity. Let us start to look at it that way. Let us start to look at travel as an essential service and not one luxury thing. I mean nobody is flying private jets. We are talking about going from point A to Point B using a commercial flight. So the COVID-19 test protocol they put in place is good, but I believe that the cost can come down.

I think the cost needs to come down. There is no need putting the cost at over N40, 000. In Abuja it is cheaper. Are we saying the government is in the business of making money from its own people?

How do you see the load factor; do you think foreign airline are having good load factor from Nigeria?

To be honest with you, some are having it good, some are having it bad. The likes of Qatar, Airways, Egypt Air, Turkish Air, they are all smiling out of Nigeria. Once you open your boarder people are willing to pass through it. British Airways is not having it so smooth because the cost of COVID-19 is discouraging people from going there. So, people are not going there as much as they would love to.

Remember that London used to be number one destination for Nigerians. But not anymore because when you look at the cost then you might as well think of other alternatives. And people are going to Kenya and they are from Kenya going to other cities around the world.

A lot of places have opened, because the 200 pounds you pay for test in the UK, when you look at it at the rate of black market, it is around N113, 734.08. With that you will probably use

There are reports that Ghana is attracting more people from all over the world especially from the US and maybe Canada because of favourable disposition towards foreign visitors. Do you think Ghana is really taking up that advantage over Nigeria?

Well, like I said, for business to thrive we have to create an enabling environment. We could see the movement of visitors as a serious business, but we have not been able to latch onto such opportunities. Ghana has seen it and they have latched on it. The question is, there must be sync between our aviation sector and our tourism sector for it to thrive. I can tell you that the crime rate in America has gone up, but how well has it the affected their tourism sector. They have opened up all their tourist attractions and people are going there. Ghana created enabling environment that allows such travel to happen.

But we have not done that. Ghana is attractive because Ghana is calling everyone to come; that her doors are open. More hotels are opening up in Ghana than they are in Nigeria. So it is left for us. Then look at it, the Nigerian currency is becoming weaker by the day. So it means that the purchasing power will be very weak.

So Ghana will continue to thrive because they have seen some level of stability. What stability have we provided in terms of economy, and security and social political problems? So when we come to terms with things like that, then we will be showing to the rest the world that we are for serious business. But as for now, Ghana is enjoying when they find out that we are giant Africa and we are sleeping. So the day we wake up, that is the day our day will start and we will be able to benefit. I just hope it won’t be too late.

Your company celebrated 15 years of operation recently. What other plans do you have to continue for the future?

Well, at this particular point in time, let’s look at it very well. You will say why should we be celebrating after Covid-19 and after we have lost a lot of money? But you see the company’s foundation is built on relationship, is built on professionalism. Because we realized that as big player in the industry, if we do not celebrate this kind of milestone, people would not understand how far we have come. And we will not be able to inspire others that are looking forward to coming into the business or making a living out of the business. So our celebration of 15 years is to inspire others and inspire those that are struggling. I mean hold onto it, there will light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what the challenges are now it means that the future is going to be brighter. That is the message we are trying to pass to the people and to pass to our customer, to let them understand that, the new normal is what we are focusing on.

And what is the new normal? Ensuring that we are able to provide a safe, healthy service to our clients so that they are able to fly seamlessly or with the airline that respects COVID-19 protocols. So that is the message we are trying to pass to our clients and to the general public at large. That we are here to celebrate 15 years of professionalism, we are here to celebrate 15 years of success, and transition from one stage to another. It has not been easy but we are grateful to God that we have metamorphosed from a small travel agency to a big one within the 15 years.

We have offices: two in Abuja, one in Port Harcourt and five in Lagos. Despite all that we have not closed any, we are still forging ahead. And by the grace of God the next five years will be talking about creating our own airline to operate within the Nigerian airspace.

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 07010510430

Karl Toriola: Connecting Nigerians One City at a Time

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COVER

Karl Toriola: Connecting Nigerians One City at a Time Karl Toriola is the current CEO of MTN Nigeria. Born in Ile-Ife, Osun State, the Electrical/Electronics graduate from OAU, Ile-Ife with Masters degree in Communication Systems from the University of Wales, the United Kingdom, boasts of over 25 years of experience in Oil and Gas, Strategy and Management Consulting, as well as the Telecommunications industry.

CHIEMELIE EZEOBI reports that with this new position, there are high expectations from the boardroom guru, which he is bent on living up to by connecting Nigerians one city at a time, but not without touching lives of the users

“M

indful of the unique responsibility we have to keep Nigeria and Nigerians connected to the people they love and the information, services, and technology they need, we will continue to invest in the resilience of our network, accelerating the expansion of our 4G coverage and rural connectivity programme.”

Those above words are the ethos and guiding force behind the key strategic directives of the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) MTN Nigeria, Karl Olutokun Toriola.

As the new CEO of MTN Nigeria, one of the largest telecommunications networks, he took over from Ferdi Moolman on March 1, 2021 to call the shots at the network infrastructure with its over 80 million subscribers as of July 2020 according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Goal One of the major goals he has set upon assumption of office is to ensure the company makes the lives of its millions of customers better than they met it, beyond just connecting their lines to actually touching their lives through the numerous corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects they carry out nationwide.

Continuity As CEO, he is now tasked with sustaining the numerous successes he met at MTN Nigeria. In fact, at a recent virtual gathering at the NSE closing gong event, he opined that he hopes to drive share price and in essence deliver a stronger and deeper stakeholder relationship, thus sustaining the company on the growth trajectory he met on ground.

Commitment to MTN In the capacity of his new role, he has continuously reiterated his commitment to take MTN higher, which he has set to achieve with his many programmes, one of which is the MTN Revv Programme, an initiative

by MTN that brings SMEs together under the mentorship of top business executives and industry experts to relearn, rethink and retool their businesses for growth in the nation’s digital economy.

Targeting Underserved Communities For Toriola, the underserved communities are important in the scheme of things. At the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which took place on Monday, June 7, 2021, the company announced that it was extending telecommunications coverage to millions living in underserved and unserved communities across Nigeria. This initiative is run under its rural telephony programme.

Already, MTN has impacted the lives of 20 million Nigerians living in areas that do not have access or have little access to Internet coverage. The company, under Toriola, has again identified more than 3,000 locations across Nigeria, where it would roll out coverage over the next three years.

Currently, more than 583 live rural sites have been installed across the country. More than half of these were installed in 2020,

Toriola

during the initial rollout. Some of these rural sites include Kurba in Bauchi State, Agbiyi Umuede in Abia State, Tobolo in Ogun state, Tudun Faila in Sokoto State, Uzo Uwani in Enugu state amongst many others.

Living up to its brand slogan ‘Everywhere you go’, MTN plans to install more than 1,000 new sites every year. Staying on course, the company hopes to have completed the full rollout at the end of 2022, covering all the locations it Identified.

“Together, we are deploying infrastructure that will accelerate connectivity and aid the consistent rollout of low-cost connectivity solutions in these areas that have non-existence or limited network coverage and broadband services,” the company stated.

Academic Laurels Born in Ile-Ife, Osun State, he had his primary, secondary and university education within the walls of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in the state.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical/Electronics from OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, he also earned a Master of Science Degree in Communication Systems from the University of Wales, the United Kingdom.

A firm believer in self development, he also completed several programmes at INSEAD, Singapore; Wharton Business School, USA; London Business School, UK; Harvard Business School, USA; and Institute of Management Development (IMD), Switzerland.

Also in his kitty is the Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), as well as a membership of the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and the Institute of Directors (IoD).

Growth Trajectory To many who know, Toriola’s career trajectory was certainly not a flash in the pan as he has grown through the ranks in MTN in particular and the telecommunications industry in general.

Before joining MTN, he spent three years as ELS Manager at Ericsson, and another three years at Econet (which later became VMobile and afterwards Zain). He left in 2006 to join MTN, where he spent the first five years as Chief Transformation Officer. He would later become the Nonexecutive Director in Benin Republic, Cameroun and afterwards CEO MTN Congo. He was also CEO MTN Cameroun; Group Operations Executive and Vice President, West and Central Africa. All these were before his present appointment as CEO of MTN Nigeria in 2021.

Aside from his successes in the telecommunications industry, Toriola has over 25 years of experience in Strategy and Management Consulting, Oil & Gas and the Telecommunications industry. All these he got from working at conglomerates like Bain & Company Inc., South Africa; Mercer Management Consulting, San Francisco; and Schlumberger in their Gabon, Nigeria and Indonesia offices.

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NEWS

Dubai Tourism, Princewill Trust Announce Winners of Vision and Success Challenge 2021 Stories by Mary Nnah Dubai Tourism Corporation for Commerce Marketing under its Education Tourism Initiative, CLR education consulting in partnership with Princewill Trust has officially announced the winners of the 2021 Vision and Success Opportunity Challenge.

The winners are Ms. Soruchi Nwanodi, Mr. Samuel Onyeocha, Mr. Melford Ekene, and Ms. Deborah Ibaningo.

The Vision and Success Opportunity Challenge was a forum created by Princewill Trust, where ambitious young leaders pitch ideas and strategies for furthering their vision and success in life.

The challenge was designed to help current Nigerian university undergraduates and postgraduates imagine realistic career models and investigate how to shift from concept to reality while still pursuing their studies.

The winners are rewarded with a group trip to Dubai which comprises an economy round trip Flight Ticket (origination Port Harcourt), hotel accommodation for six nights (includes breakfast/ lunch/dinner), Entry Permit (Visa), COVID tests, ground transportation in Dubai, airport transfer in Dubai and operational/leisure tours.

The projected travel date is

Ms. Soruchi Nwanodi, Mr. Samuel Onyeocha

Mr. Melford Ekene, and Ms. Deborah Ibaningo

in September 2021.

Speaking about the initiative, Salim Mohamed Dahman, market lead for Africa, said, “The city of Dubai was chosen for this challenge to gain first-hand knowledge of a global business hub known for its great vision, hospitality, and commerce.

“The tour is also intended to introduce winners to the next step in their vision and success journey, including learning resources and post-graduation opportunities in Dubai”.

Founder and initiator of Princewills Trust, Prince Tonye Princewill, emphasised that it took a huge effort by Stella Fubara-Obinwa and her team in Dubai Tourism and Nneka Oduah and her team at CLR to pull this off.

“We would have loved to have more people go, but the standards are high and this aspect will never be compromised. Lighthouses do not move for ships, it is the other way round”, he added.

With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Dubai Tourism’s mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai among global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the emirate.

Dubai Tourism is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai’s tourism sector. It markets and promotes the Emirate’s commerce sector and is responsible for the

licensing and classification of all tourism services, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. Brands and departments within the Dubai Tourism portfolio include Dubai Business Events, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.

Meanwhile, Business Chief, a leading US-based digital media resource focused on business and industry-specific news, has ranked Dubai fourth in its list of ‘Top 10 Smartest Cities Worldwide’.

In selecting 10 of the smartest cities across the globe, Business Chief noted that smart cities use ICT technologies to fuel smarter and more sustainable development practices, such as transportation networks, water supply, and heating, as well as promoting safer urban spaces. Dubai recently went through a seven-year plan to digitally transform all government and economic services, including communications, urban planning, transportation and many more. Most of these services are now digitised and accessible to citizens through the DubaiNow app. AI is being utilised in the transportation sector and has helped significantly reduce fatigue-related traffic collisions. Automation has been leveraged by the police, and the city already has three autonomous police stations.

Foodz Naija: Peak Yoghurt Support Young Foodpreneurs with Seed Money

The second edition of fast rising Street Foodz Naija, a docu-reality TV series powered by Foodbay TV and officially refreshed by Peak Yoghurt, from the stable of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, recently ended in Lagos with the cash prize of N2 million won by Fajana Oluwafemi (La Krim).

The TV show which is focused on celebrating street foodpreneurs aired for 13 weeks and featured 13 contestants vying for the ultimate prize of being crowned ‘King’ of Street Foods. Each week featured different tasks which the contestants competed in as groups or individuals.

The Street Credibility task, which was sponsored by Peak Yoghurt, featured contestants competing in groups to achieve the highest sales of a street food recipe created by them and sold to customers on the street.

L-R: Orah Egwu, Snr. Category Manager, Peak Yoghurt; winners of the Street credibility task powered by Peak Yoghurt - Atigogo Patrick Oghenekevwe (Chef Chencko); Owoeye Damilare (Chefs D Naija); Chinenye Okam (Native Chef); and Grace Onwubuemeli, Marketing Manager, Peak, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, at the Grand Finale of Street Foodz Naija Season 2 held in Lagos, recently

At the end of the task, the three chefs - Chinenye Okam (Native Chef), Atigogo Patrick Oghenekevwe (Chef Chencko) and Owoeye Damilare (Chefs D Naija), came up tops and were each rewarded with N500,000 seed money to expand their business.

Speaking at the finale,

Marketing Manager for Peak Milk, Grace Onwubuemeli, explained that Peak Yoghurt was on the platform as a sponsor purposely to support Nigerian creative youth entrepreneurs.

“It has been worth the while, we spotted and deployed a very good op-

portunity to confirm to our youth, once again that hard work, diligence, and attention to details pays”, she added.

Senior Category Manager for Peak Yoghurt, on her part, Orah Egwu, emphasised the importance of encouraging innovation and creativity among the youth.

“Nigerian youths are creative, hardworking and driven, and they need support to reach their Peak, hence why we decided to support their dreams by providing seed money to the winners of the street credibility task to expand their business”.

Also speaking at the event, Managing Director, Maxima Media Group, Oluwafemi Ogundoro, explained that Street Foodz Naija was born out of the need to empower the street foodpreneurs in Nigeria.

Jamika Entertainment Partners NGO to Fete Poor Families in Lagos Sunday Okobi Entertainment powerhouse and major record label, Jamika Entertainment, in partnership with a non-governmental organisation, Kick Against Child Abuse (KACA), has donated cash and food items during the Okota charity outreach programme, ‘Feed the Hungry’, organised by the Young Elites Champs (YEC) in Lagos State.

The programme, which is aimed at feeding impover-

ished families in the Okota community in Lagos, is the brainchild of the founder of the YEC, Ms. Treasure Arize.

Some of the items donated included bags of rice, beans, cartons of noodles, packs of seasoning, and other food stuff.

Speaking to journalists at the event recently, Arize emphasised on the hardship many families are facing due to the economic downturn of Nigeria, the COVID-19 pandemic and security challenges.

According to her, “in the words of Mother Teresa, if you can’t feed 100 people, then feed just one. A small donation of N1, 000 can feed a family that has nothing to eat, and I believe there are many well-to-do Nigerians that can afford to support poorer families.

“So I decided to use my foundation to help as much as I can, and with these donations from Jamika Entertainment and KACA, we are looking to surpass the goals that we

had set.”

Also, the Head of Operations for Jamika Entertainment, Mr. Stanley Ihensekhien, said the music label is not backing down on its goals to provide support for poor families in Nigeria in whatever capacity.

He said: “We don’t just do good music, we do good deeds.

Helping the less privileged is a moral and good thing to do for entertainers, because a hungry man has no energy to dance or listen to music and be merry.”

Ciroc Debuts Summer House

L-R: National Sales Manager, Reserve Brands, Diageo Nigeria, Opeyemi Makinwa; Captain Tunde Demuren; Asst. Brand Manager, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Diageo Nigeria, Cynthia Ufele; Marketing Manager International Premium Spirits & Reserve Brands- Diageo Nigeria, Ifeoma Agu; CEO at Digitrakar Digital Media Limited, Andrea Giaccaglia and Superstar artist and label boss Banky W during the event

Fashion and entertainment’s elite has kicked off summer at Cîroc Summer House, the first in a series of day parties offering guests the taste of summer. The party, which was held last weekend, signalled the return of uber-hip celebrations.

Cîroc Summer House silky attired attendees were pampered with a cosy on-site masseuse and a lovely Glam Bar complete with mani-pedi sessions; while enjoying Ciroc- infused Cotton Candies and Lollies at the beach front.

It was an opportunity for old friends to reconnect and new connections made.

The event featured summer-themed photo installations, carefully curated gourmet meals from Kewa Kitchen and Ile Eros, and Summer inspired Cîroc infused cocktails.

Dj Crowd Kontroller, Dj Lambo, Dj Kaywise, VDJMobi and Do2dtun thrilled guests with electrifying performances. Some of the guests spotted include; Banky W, Ebuka Obi Uchendu, Orezi, Sophie Alakija, Tek and Ghost of Show Dem Camp, Loose Kaynon, Lynxxx, Denola Grey, Bayo Oke-Lawal, Frodd, Diane Russet, Samuel and Bisola Otigba, Daala Oluwari among other trend setting celebrities.

Speaking at the event, Marketing Manager Premium Spirits & Reserve Brands, Guinness Nigeria Ifeoma Agu, said Ciroc is always seeking to immerse consumers in new, dynamic, fun, and luxurious celebratory experiences that reinforces the brand’s leading position as the No. 1 luxury vodka brand in Nigeria with exciting range of flavours that complement the summer vibes in a way only Ciroc can do.

Also commenting on the experience, Brand Manager Reserve Brands, Guinness Nigeria, Abi Ipaye, noted that Cîroc is renowned for its playfully disruptive take on the vodka industry bringing unmatched excitement and challenging industry norms.

AccessBankGroupRewards Excellenceat2021CEOAwards The 2021 Access Bank Group CEO Awards held recently to reward individuals who have shown commitment and hard work towards the growth of the bank.

The virtual event themed ‘Building Global Leadership’ provided a platform to celebrate outstanding performance and drive the Bank’s ‘One People, One Culture’ ideology across the group.

With footprints in affiliates spanning the African continent and beyond, the Bank is truly aspiring to become Africa’s Gateway to the World by showcasing diversity through its African subsidiaries on a global stage.

The CEO Awards, one of the programs under the Bank’s ‘We Clap Initiative’, was designed to support the development of a culture of excellence and motivate employees and teams for superior performance across the bank.

Winners were assessed based on their accomplishments, reputation and ability to demonstrate commitment by aligning with the core values of the bank.

Red Lantern International Creates The Novel Emergency App Tackling Insecurity Worldwide An emergency mobile application has just hit the Global Network as Red Lantern International Limited has found a way to provide emergency services through a single platform that is accessible worldwide. The technical service company launched LASER GLOBAL with various innovative features emphasising on safety, speed, security and information.

The developers aim to assure the users that in incidents like brutality, accident, fire outbreak, robbery or kidnapping they can manage themselves effectively by getting the help they need quickly.

The Emergency App introduces groundbreaking features such as the distress button ‘SOS’ which alerts five of your personally selected emergency contacts; friends, family, agents and/or trusted persons.

Your current location and other personal details are sent instantly to these contacts. The tracking system lets the application send your location periodically until the situation has been contained.

In addition to this, the application lets users receive traffic and security updates surrounding their location. The news feed keeps users in the know of possible security threats through different news articles provided by different media platforms like Arisetv, CNN etc.

It is a major tool that will be used by tourists with security concerns. With the tracking feature provided, movement is monitored and SOS is easily accessible. Employers of expatriates and foreign companies are most certainly in luck when it comes to providing security measures for their employees.

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E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Real Life Disputes Get the Hammer on Judging Matters Stories by Vanessa Obioha Unsuccessful Ajo (communal contribution), a phone repair argument between friends, a missing DJ? These are some of the cases that have been judged by the duo Justice Olusola Williams and TV host and lawyer Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on the legal reality TV show ‘Judging Matters’.

As the name implies, the show addresses small claims and minor cases in Lagos which are at most times, not given adequate attention in established courtrooms.

“I was very happy and excited when I was contracted to do the show,” says Williams, a retired judge. “It was something I had dreamed of because I know there is a need for speedy disposal of cases in an entertaining manner,

which would educate people about our justice system.”

The cases mirror the lives of everyday people dealing with disputes that threaten friendships and relationships. Trust is betrayed, and friendships are taken for granted.

For instance, in one of the cases, a female defendant is remorseless over defaulting in a loan repayment between her and the plaintiff due to their friendship. In another case, a defendant feels entitled to free services because of her relationship with the plaintiff. Some of the cases are often hilarious and unbelievable.

“Quite a number of them have been truly hilarious and sometimes shocking. But I’ll always remember the tenant who refused to pay rent for

The Dissident Club Hosts Filmmaker Nnaebue Filmmaker Ike Nnaebue who is currently in Paris, France for the editing of ‘No U-turn’, — his personal migration documentary — will be hosted by The Dissident Club today, July 2.

The club is a bar/cafe/ restaurant in Paris managed by two Pakistani journalists in exile: Taha Siddiqui and Sara Farid. The duo organises debates, conferences, screenings, exhibitions and performances.

The virtual session themed ‘A Peek at African Cinema’ will see the filmmaker talk about African Cinema and the Nollywood success story. He will be joined by other African filmmakers and stakeholders like the Founder of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Chioma Ude; South African filmmaker and Founder Bolobathaba Media Group, Molatelo Bossman; and Founder, African Film Consortium, Mykel Parish. The session will be moderated by Siddiqui.

Nnaebue’s short film ‘Wings of My Dreams’ will also be screened.

Earlier this year, Nnaebue embarked on a road journey from Nigeria to Europe to relive his young adulthood adventure when he tried to reach the continent through the backdoor.

Ike Nnaebue

Alongside his crew, the first part of the journey saw him filming from Lagos to Bamako.

However, they were forced to halt at Bamako as Morocco had to close borders due to a sudden spike in coronavirus cases in some of the cities.

He will return to Morocco later this month to complete the journey.

“Deciding to start the editing in Paris was an amazing idea. I needed all the concentration I could muster,” he said. “I have the most amazing Co-Producer who knew she had to pull me out of Lagos and put me in Paris for 30 days to bring out the best in me at the most critical part of making this film.”

‘No U-turn’ is the filmmaker’s first documentary.

The Voice Nigeria: Talents Gear up For Live Shows Vanessa Obioha The stage is finally set for the live shows. Last week’s episode revealed the talents returning to the show through the Viewer’s Save — a voting process that allows viewers to save their favourite talents to participate in the live shows. Tamara, Toeseen, Nuel Ayo and Jeremiah were the lucky talents.

With their teams complete, coaches are now focused on getting their talents to emerge

on top. Already, the talents have selected their songs for the first performance on the live shows. The coaches while guiding them through, also reminded the talents to give in their best as their fates now lie in the hands of the viewers.

Any talent who emerges as the overall winner automatically makes his or her coach the winning coach of the season. Indeed, the game is on for both the coaches and the talents.

Justice Olusola Williams and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

years simply because the landlord died and he believed the late landlord’s son was too small to ask him for rent. The case was a combination of greed, wickedness, ageism, non-challenge and all things terrible. But because Nigerians are effortlessly funny, it was such a delight to watch,” recalls Obi-Uchendu. Leaning on their legal backgrounds, Judge

Williams, and Obi-Uchendu who serves as the General Counsel resolve these cases professionally while tearing down the veneers of deceit by either defendants or plaintiffs.

“I always knew there was a need for attending to small claims speedily, but this show drove it home to me more,” notes Olusola. “In one case, the

landlord was being oppressed by a tenant and he had no money to brief a lawyer.” Although these cases are considered minor claims, their relevance is not in question. Williams does a good job of educating the participants on the consequences of their actions.

She emphasises the importance of holding up one’s end of an agreement.

“Another eye-opener is how trusting Nigerians are. We loan money, pay for goods, enter agreements etc. with no documentation. I find that some people do not realize they should make paying their debts a priority. There was a lack of appreciation of the fact that you are legally bound to do what you agreed to do.

That is why for Season 1 we were having lessons From the

Bench on each court session, to educate people.”

There were also moments when she drops the hammer and picks up the chalk. For instance, in an episode on the second season, she corrects the plaintiff on the proper way to address her. The plaintiff had called her ‘mummy’.

‘Judging Matters’ was one of the reality TV shows that birthed during the lockdown period of last year, offering viewers a healthy dose of edutainment. A production of Africa Magic, the show has become a staple in most homes, educating Nigerians on how the justice system in Nigeria works. In a way, it gives voice to the voiceless who for lack of knowledge on the legal system become victims of bad decisions.

AFRIMA Returns to Live Events, Calls For Entries The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) is returning this year with a live event. The organisers made the announcement recently in Ethiopia as they unveiled the calendar for this year’s edition.

The call for entries which began June 28 kicked off the lined-up events. It will officially close on Friday, August 20. The year under review is June 1, 2020, to August 20, 2021.

The submission of entries will be followed by a pre-screening process slated for August 21 to 28, after which the International Jury of AFRIMA comprising a 13-man panel of experienced and respected African music experts and practitioners will carry out the AFRIMA Adjudication process from August 29 to September 6.

Wizkid with his AFRIMA award in 2017

The nominees will be publicly unveiled on September 7. The public voting will commence the following day, September 8 and will end 24 hours before the main awards ceremony. Speaking on

behalf of the African Union, the Director of health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Cisse Mariama Mohamed, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple

setbacks for the continent, but “AFRIMA is committed to uniting the continent through entertainment and honouring their tradition of celebrating the scintillating musical culture of Africa by featuring exhilarating Pan-Africa events through the lifespan of the calendar year in 2021.”

In partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), AFRIMA 2021 will be hosted by a yet-to-be-disclosed African city from November 18. Since its inception, AFRIMA has a tradition where countries bid to host the awards. This year’s event will be a three-day fiesta of music, glamour, Afrocentrism and entertainment, all culminating in the main awards ceremony where winners will be revealed.

Durban FilmMart Alumni Projects to be Screened at DIFF Five alumni projects of Durban FilmMart (DFM) have been selected to screen at this year’s Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). The films participated as official projects at the (DFM) Africa’s premier Film Finance and Co-Production market.

“It is very heartening to witness more and more film projects that have participated in Durban FilmMart processes being showcased at festivals and cinema circuits across the world, thus fulfilling the central purpose of DFM, to facilitate getting films made, African films in particular,” says Magdalene Reddy, acting General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “The DIFF has always been primarily a place for fresh voices to be discovered,” added

Chipo Zhou, Festival Manager and curator of DIFF 2021. “We are pleased that initiatives have come full circle from the DFM to the film festival. We enjoy our collaboration with DFM and look forward to reaping the benefits of the current projects in the future.”

The films include four new

documentaries and a film. ‘Murder in Paris’, a political crime-thriller, directed by Enver Samuels, traces the motives for the assassination of anti-Apartheid activist Dulcie September. In ‘As I Want’, directed by an emerging voice in Arabic documentary filmmaking Samaher Alqadi, picks up her camera as

a form of protection and begins documenting the growing women’s rebellion, not knowing where the story will lead her. ‘The Colonel’s Stray Dogs’ profiles political activist Ashur Shamis, who lives with a million-dollar bounty on his head after a lifetime in Muammar Gadaffi’s crosshairs. The film is directed

by Ashur’s son, Khalid Shamis.

‘Zinder’, directed by Aicha Macky, is a town in the impoverished lepers’ area of Kara-Kara, Niger, where a culture of gang violence now reigns. ‘Five Tiger’ is a short film from South Africa directed

by Nomawonga Khumalo and features a God-fearing woman who finds herself in a transactional relationship as she tries to support her sick husband and daughter.

Alpha P Features on MasterKraft’s Peaches Remix Following his feature on ‘Rhythms of Zamunda’, the accompanying music compilation of Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming 2 America’ film, Universal Music Nigeria artiste Alpha P lends his vocals to the ‘Peaches Masterkraft

Remix’ alongside fast-rising artiste Omah Lay. The remix is a blend of pop and sounds of Africa.

‘Peaches’ is a song by international artiste Justin Bieber which has reached the Billboard Chart number 1. The remix version with

Ludacris, Usher and Snoop Dogg also attained a similar feat. MasterKraft stitches the vocals perfectly for listening pleasure.

The year so far has been a good one for Alpha P who

emerged Apple Music’s Artist of the Month in March and was a Rookie of the Year nominee in the 2020 Headies. With this collaboration, the artiste is steadily achieving his goal to make universal sounds.

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Last Farewell for Mother of Nigeria’s Ambassador to U.S. Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia It was such a difficult and dreaded moment for Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America (USA), Dr Uzoma Ikechi Emenike and her family as they bid good bye to their loving mother, Lady Felicia Olaocha Ohadiugha.

It was the last farewell to the matriarch of the Ohadiugha family in her journey to eternity, a voyage which every mortal is bound to undertake at the appointed time, day and year. The remains of the virtuous and prayerful lady, who passed on to eternity at the age 92, was laid to rest on Saturday, June 26, 2021. She flew home in a blaze of glory.

The funeral ceremony was graced by an array of dignitaries from far and near. The funeral mass was held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church Umule Ohuhu in Umuahia North local government of Abia State.

Though the local church was stretched well beyond its capacity, it could still not accommodate the throng of sympathisers, friends and well wishers.

The Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Most Rev Lucius Ugorji, officiated at the funeral mass concelebrated with 18 priests. The deceased was a Lady of St. Mulumba Order of Knighthood in the Catholic Church. She was inducted with her late husband, Sir Martin Ohadiugha in 1991.

The funeral mass was a fitting opportunity to deliver a message of peace for the beleaguered Nigerian nation, which has been traumatised by insecurity with its attendant bloodletting.

In the homily delivered by Rev Fr Sylvester Anyanwu, Nigeria’s political leaders were charged to put aside their political differences and work very hard to restore peace in the country. He reminded leaders that the business of peace making has its rewards because it yields dividends of divine blessings. “If you’re a peace maker, God will bless you,” he said, adding, “let’s give peace a chance”.

L-R: Secretary of APC Contact/Strategy Committee, Chief Ikechi Emenike; wife and Nigeria’s Ambassador to U.S. Dr Uzoma Emenike and other family members during the funeral mass for late Lady Felicia Olaocha Ohadiugha (the ambassador’s mother) at Holy Trinity Catholic Church Umule Ohuhu, Umuahia, Abia State... recently

The cleric said every well meaning Nigerian should be concerned at the spate of bloodletting in the land, adding that people have become refugees in their own land.

Rev Fr. Anyanwu, who is the parish priest of St Ambrose Catholic Parish, Eziama Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government, said time has come for the ‘live and let live principle’ to find true meaning in Nigeria. “Whenever you are, wherever you come from, let’s embrace peace, “ he said.

The burial ceremony of Nne Ambassador (ambassador’s mother) as the deceased was fondly called, had the trappings of religious, social and political dimensions.

The political aspect had to do with the ambassador’s spouse, Chief Ikechi Emenike, who is the secretary of the Contact and Strategy Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

It was just as well that the members of the APC family from the 184 wards in Abia State

Amadi-Obi, Atafo, Others UnveilThe Macallan Home in Lagos Raheem Akingbolu Creative photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi and Fashion Icon, Mai Atafo, were among exclusive guests who witnessed the unveiling of the ‘Spiritual Home’ of The Macallan, a Single-Malt Scotch Whisky brand.

The unveiling took place recently at Miliki, a luxury private lounge in the serene area of Etim-Iyang Crescent in Victoria Island, which according to the organisers is now the official home of the premium whisky.

According to a statement by the brand’s Spokesperson and Ambassador, Motunrayo Abiona, The Macallan is one of the finest premium products of the Edrington Group in Scotland and has made her way to the Nigerian market since 2017.

The Macallan is one of the highest-selling ultra-premium single-malt Scotch in the world.

“Today’s event at Miliki is unique and memorable because we have found a Spiritual Home which is the tradition in every Country where our brand exist. We decided to have a soft launch with friends, family, whisky enthusiasts as well as connoisseurs, here at the new home.”

Explaining the choice of home for the brand, the founder

L-R: Top Nigerian fashion designer, Mai Atafo; Ace Photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi; Ambassador Motunrayo Abiona and Director at Coca-cola Hellenic, Samuel Oluwatoye at the unveiling of The Macallan Home in Lagos, recently

of Miliki, Patrick Koshoni, said the space aligns with what The Macallan brand stands for.

“Our space creates an exclusive meeting point between western luxury and homemade luxury. We created an ambience where high net worth individuals can converge to relax and reflect on their achievements and accomplishments.

Interestingly, the space is a fusion of the brand attributes of The Macallan. You can call it The Macallan Lounge immersed in African Luxury.” He added. According to Abiona, the brand, having found its way into the Nigerian consumer luxury market, has since gained wide acceptance.

On what makes The Macallan unique,Abiona emphasized that its exceptional oak cask is responsible for 100 per cent of The Macallan’s natural and vibrant colour. At The Macallan, natural colour is something we insist upon. It is the interaction of spirit and wood alone which

delivers the rich diversity of colour evident throughout The Macallan range.

“The level of craftsmanship we put into distilling The Macallan has made it exceptional among others. It is the mastery of spirit and wood that creates the world’s most precious whisky - The Macallan” she added.

The Macallan is currently being distributed in the country by the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC)” she concluded.

Some of the guests present at the exclusive launch include; Ace Photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi; top Nigeria Fashion Designer, Mai Atafo; Matthieu Seguin, Managing Director, Nigerian Bottling Company (Coca-Cola Hellenic); Samuel Oluwatoye, Director at Coca-Cola Hellenic; Patrick Koshoni, founder of Miliki; The Macallan Brand Ambassador, Adeyinka Adepetun, among others.

came to sympathise with their most respected leader over the loss of his mother in-law. The national leadership of APC was equally on hand to identify with the top notcher of the party. Leading the entourage was the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo, and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State were also part of the entourage.

Other political bigwigs at the event include Senator Abubakar Gada, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Rep Nkiru Onyejeocha, Minister of state for Solid Mineral and Steel Development, Mr. Uche Ogah and Minister of state for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Silva.

In their testimonies, the children of Lady Felicia Olaocha Ohadiugha and all that came in contact with her were in unison that her life was worth celebrating not because of the longevity but how she lived her life.

“You had such grace and peace around you.

Ever so patient, compassionate and self-effacing,” Ambassador Emeniken said of her late mother.

“When you corrected and disciplined you did so with love”.

Chief Emenike in his tribute, lauded his late mother-in-law for her motherly dedication in raising her children, who have all recorded successes in their personal and career endeavours.

“At home and in her workday activities in the public sphere she evinced such cultured calmness and poise that could only be a manifestation of divine grace,” he said.

Lady Felicia Olaocha Ohadiugha, who was a real beauty outwardly and inwardly, was career teacher and retired as a headmistress, special class in 1984. She was variously described as a teacher per excellence, mentor, disciplinarian, virtuous woman and prayer warrior, who served God and humanity without holding anything back

One-year-oldTimileyinNeedsN200,000toClearSurgeryBills Rebecca Ejifoma One-year-old Adeife Timileyin is currently in dire need of N200,000 to clear off the surgery bills in the hospital.

Timileyin was admitted last month at the Adenike Fadeyibi Hospital at Ayobo, after living with a medical condition, bilateral hydrocele, for eight months.

Timileyin’s mum, Yemilade Aladimehin, who discovered the condition when her baby was two months old, said medical results had shown that both scrotal sacs had excessive bilateral hydrocele with dilatation of the left inguinal canal by the fluid.

While noting that the surgery has been successfully

Adeife Timileyin

done last month, she pleaded that all they need is to clear off the balance of the bill.

Donations can be made to

the UBA account 2202076218 Adeife Timileyin while the mother can be reached on 07036460006.

Woman Narrates Ordeal in Kidnappers Den A 48-year-old mother of three, Mrs Chioma Anyanwu, who was kidnapped on June 21, 2021, and released four days later by her abductors has narrated her ordeal while in the custody of the abductors.

Anyawu was dropped along the Lokoja road in Kogi State on her way to Abuja by five armed kidnappers.

Describing her ordeal “as horrific and monstrous”, she told family friends that her husband paid the ransom

money, an amount she declined to disclose.

According to her, the kidnappers had stopped their station wagon vehicle, which was on transit, and selected four passengers (two men and two women).

“We were immediately blindfolded and marched into the bush and we were asked to hold each other ’s hands.

“We trekked for over thirty minutes before we were asked to sit down while

they scrolled through our phones.

“We barely had anything to eat all through the four days coupled with their incessant threats as they desperately demanded for ransom,” she recollected.

Her husband, Mr. Uche Anyawu, who thanked God for the release of his wife, said the four days experience was not only traumatic, but hellish, adding that he was seriously warned not to involve the security agency.

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Nigeria’s Race to A Smoke-Free Screen With over seven million deaths recorded every year due to tobacco-related illnesses, stakeholders in government, film industry, legal, media and public health recently mobilised for a smoke-free Nollywood in a summit held in Lagos. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

A

ccusing fingers have always pointed in the direction of Nollywood for the prevalence of smoking scenes on screen, as well as the glamourisation of smoking and tobacco products placement. The argument that often ensue is that art imitates life.

Hence, if people smoke in real life situations, it is just natural to expect the same in movies. While it is important to preserve artistic truth, it is more important to preserve human lives.

That was the background to the summit held on June 17 which had as moderator, the ace broadcaster, Edmund Obilo. The summit which was convened by CorporateAccountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) had participants drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police.

Others include members of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP), The Golden Movies Ambassador, Directors Guild of Nigeria, Motion Picture Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN) and the Kannywood Women Association of Nigeria (K-WAN) amongst others.

The aim of the gathering was to familiarise the stakeholders with the

A view of the participants at the summit

legal framework against the use of tobacco. In the welcome speech by the Executive Director, CAPPA, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, it was revealed that streaming sites have joined the movement against smoking scenes.

For instance, Netflix, in 2019, issued a strong statement against the portrayal of smoking in movies rated PG-13 or TV-14.

Nollywood is eager to join the league of nations that have upheld several legislations on smoking. To be sure, five major players in Hollywood namely Disney, AT&T’s Warner Bros, Comcast’s Universal, Sony and Viacom’s Paramount have banned smoking in non-adult movies except where it is absolutely necessary for historical accuracy and artistic expression. Also, in 2005, India banned smoking in films and TV series in 2005 with a caveat that if cinemas must screen old movies with smoking scenes, they must screen it with anti-tobacco messages.

According to Akinbode, stakeholders are being guided by the legal framework for tobacco usage in Nigeria. The National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019 prohibits tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorships in movies and entertainment. He also revealed details of the screening for 36 movies conducted in 2020.

“22 out of the 36 movies reviewed had scenes which glamourised smoking. Ten of the smoking scenes were viewed as necessary to depict the character of the actor or buttress the message being passed, while thirteen clearly depicted cigarette packs with some brand names evidently visible,’’ he said. In her intervention, Dr. Kemi Odukoya, the Associate Professor, College of Medicine, University of Lagos remarked that Nigeria is a prone target of the tobacco industry due to a number of factors including population, high poverty and illiteracy

rates, corruption as well as weak and ineffective law enforcement.

She revealed further that between 1995 and 2015, it was estimated that there is an increase in current smokers in Nigeria from 8 to 11 million with more men recorded as smokers than women.

According to her findings, the median age of initiation into smoking is 16.8 years. The broad range of tobacco use include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah also known as Shisha.

“Shishasmokingisabondingactivity among young people. There’s a social benefit that shisha provides but it is damaging to the body. Tobacco affects the heart even more than the lungs. It causes over two million deaths from cardiovascular diseases every year.

We need smoke free laws to protect the public spaces and buildings from tobacco pollution,’’ he said.

In his presentation, the lawyer and technical officer, CTFK, Michael Olaniyan observed that a young person is more likely to get addicted to tobacco than an older person which is why adverts on tobacco target youths.

“Nigerian movies and songs have gone global. If we continue to promote tobacco use, we are promoting the culture of smoking globally,’’ he said.

Some of the recommendations made by the participants at the summit include the enforcement of the existing laws on tobacco that is the NTC Act 2015 and NTC Regulations 2019, adequate monitoring of spaces that children interface including cartoons for tobacco industry and the establishment of tobacco control desk in all the enforcement agencies for enforcement exercises at national and state levels amongst others.

OshodiArtGallery Inaugurates‘MissArt Nigeria’Contest

Stakeholders at the Miss Art Nigeria press briefing in Lagos

The Ikorodu-based Oshodi Art Gallery has inaugurated a beauty pageant show called ‘Miss Arts Nigeria 2021’ with the aim to empower the Nigerian lady through art, beauty and culture. A first of its kind, Miss Arts Nigeria is a cultural reawakening for female participants who are willing to promote and learn more about their culture.

The contest which is open to ladies between the ages 18 and 27 years will involve skill acquisition in the area of animation, adire making, traditional meal preparation amongst others. The contest is indeed an extension of the gallery’s preoccupation.

“We will also like to inform stakeholders, private institutions and government parastatals that Miss Art Nigeria 2021 that is officially open for partnership both in product, monetary and service mediums. Oshodi art gallery will be using the medium to promote its various art collections to Nigeria and the rest of the world,’’ Dr. Paul Oshodi, the CEO, Oshodi Art Gallery, said.

He further revealed that each contestant would be required to dress in

NationalTheatreWorkers DebunkRumoursof Management’sAllegedLooting Yinka Olatunbosun

Non-BinaryArtistRaisesIdentityQuestioninASoloExhibition Stories by Yinka Olatunbosun A non-binary artist, Eleez born Elizabeth Chioma Ekpetorson stood before the cameras set by the television crew and photographers. It was hard to place her gender from her looks. June 19 was her opening show for the second solo exhibition at the National Museum, Onikan which is titled, “Different Shades of Being.’’

Ekpetorson who obtained her BA in Fine Art and Design from the University of Port Harcourt, River States, began working as a full time studio artist in October 2016. Since then, she has explored themes around self-acceptance, women, and other subject in her works.

“I chose that title because as a non-binary artist, living in Nigeria, I had to accept my difference and embrace it especially in a country where you are expected to look a particular way or dress in a particular way,’’ she began.

“I had to do this show to prove to others that you should also accept yourself. The different shades of being highlights the differences in nature, you and I. We are different from each other and that difference should not lead to animosity. There is a popular saying that variety is the spice of life. That’s why I chose the title, “Different shades of being.’’

Non-binary is considered as an umbrella word for gender identities that are neither male nor female outside the gender binary. That gender fluidity mirrors her diverse painting technique as she would later reveal.

One of Eleez’s works at the exhibition

“There are some works I did under impasto. It is always a mix impressionism, cubism and every other thing. In all of these, I see it as just expressing myself and if I wake up any day and the way I can express myself is in a particular way, nothing stops me from doing that

because that’s the particular shade of my being. That’s why I picked the title,’’ she explained.

To be sure, the piece titled ‘Duality of Nature’ reflects the exhibition theme as well as the artist’s nature as non-binary. The work chronicles the period the artist battled depression.

her nature as non-binary, is manifest in series such as ‘Two Seasons’, which is a piece showing human forms each backing the other; and ‘Self Assured’presented as two nude female figures, representing where the artist accepts herself for who she is.

She fell in love with cubism at an early age because she was always preoccupied with lines. Gradually, she began to explore that in creating her forms on canvas.

“When I looked at people who could draw straight lines, I got fascinated by it. And you know, you become what you admire. So I started veering towards that. I also think it is a part of my nature because I am someone that likes everything to be straight-forward and not beating about the bush. A large bulk of the works in this show were executed this year except ‘Nolstagia.’ I see each of my works like a diary; you connect in different emotions. I don’t want to put ideas into people’s minds by saying what the works are all about,’’ she said.

Eleez is usually influenced by humans, animals and experiences drawn from daily life.

“For instance, while talking to you now I am inspired. I am influenced by some of the teachers who taught me during my internship and industrial training at the Universal studio of arts. Also, my contemporaries inspire me,’’ she said.

Ekpetorson’s second solo exhibition which opened on Saturday, June 19, 2021, was organised by Affordable Art Online, promoters of the Ibadan Art Fair.

The National Theatre workers have dissociated themselves from an online publication by Western Post Nigeria with the title, ‘The National Theatre workers accuse top management staff of looting, selling off government property.’’

This was addressed during a press briefing organised by the Joint Union Congress (JUC) of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) and Radio, Television, Theatre and Art Workers’ Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) held recently at the National Theatre, Lagos.

It was revealed that the opinion expressed in the publication does not represent the voice of the staff of the cultural institution. Hence, the entire National Theatre workers have distanced themselves from the publication.

“The workers of National Theatre have enjoyed industrial harmony and mutually beneficial industrial relations practice since the assumption of office of the new General Manager/CEO, Prof. Sunday Enessi Ododo.

“Our Treasury Single Account (TSA) remittance has improved tremendously over and above what it used to be since the new management came on board in spite of the on-going renovation of the complex,’’ a statement signed by AUPCTRE Chairperson, National Theatre branch, Comrade Ibeto Ogechi and RATTAWU Chairman, Comrade Agada Augustine read.

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Ibiwunmi Akinnola: Changing the Narrative of Food Retail in Nigeria The Executive Director of Nolla Fresh and Frozen Ltd — a retail food company in Nigeria — Ibiwunmi Akinnola is an educationist with over two decades of experience who is inspired to change food perception in Nigeria through unique products such as Eat Well as Fresh Bone, writesVanessa Obioha

Y

ou are known mainly in the education sector. What’s the story behind your interest in food retail?

I actually started with food. In 1993, we established a restaurant on Isaac John called Sea Garden, and we used to have a proper restaurant where we sold crocodile steaks, ostrich, and frogs. It was purely a seafood restaurant. Every month, Lagbaja came to play in our space. We had a zoo where we had sea manatees, snakes and different things on Isaac John street. Currently, it has been converted to a shopping mall.

I had a fast-food restaurant where I had grilled chicken, shawarma, and burgers.

However, my background is education; I trained to be an educationist. We initially had foreigners running the place when we started but I realised that someone had to be there so I trained in restaurant and hotel management. Five years later, my husband had the farmers’ meat market with branches all over Lagos, where we got the beef from the abattoirs. The main office was in Ogba, and we were supplying beef to places like UAC Foods. We also used to make plantain chips called Plantitoes. It became so popular that all the international airlines were serving it.

We have been in the food business for a while, but I have not focused on it like I am on Nolla Fresh and Frozen. When we had the farmers’ meat market and the Plantitoes chips, I was doing the marketing strategy, breaking into the supermarket before I switched. Now, being a mother of four: two boys and two girls, I wanted to be in the space of education, so I moved to take care of my children, to be there with them during that period. I was training to be a professional educationist then.

My children are adults and I am now a grandmother. So I have the time to focus on my food business.

Being away from the food space for a while now, what are some of the nuances you noted upon your return?

Technology. A lot of information that we had: to travel, to get people to help us, technology made it much easier, and there is a lot of improvement in techniques for preservation. There is so much out there that has changed, and it has made the food business an interesting and dynamic environment to play in.

With so many retail outlets offering similar services, what makes Nolla stand out?

Nolla Fresh and Frozen Limited is a retail food company with the vision to change the narrative of food retail in Nigeria. We are starting with two brands under Nolla Fresh and Frozen: Eat Well and Fresh Bone.

We have four brands in total but we are kicking off these.

Eat Well is where healthy meets delicious. It is an outlet with raw beef, poultry, pork, lamb, and all kinds of meats and seafood. We also have fruits and vegetables, and derivatives of those products. Fresh Bone is our barbecue and grill where we grill our chicken, pork ribs, etc., and then have sides like yam steaks and moi-moi.

It is not a sit-down; it is a quick-service restaurant.

We have the knowledge; we have the innovation. We educate and train our staff on our various products. Everybody knows the benefit of what each item is

different walks of life that have given us a lot of information. One of the things you do is look at your strengths, weaknesses, and how you want to attain [your goals] and cover those weaknesses, and then you target what you are going to do.

Another challenge was getting experienced staff. We found out that some people working in this industry were not as experienced as we wanted them to be because we wanted to impart knowledge to our customers. We trained our staff for two months before finally opening for business.

We did the same with our products. We are here not to be like everybody else, but we want everybody to eat well. And that’s where Eat Well comes in, you have to know what you are putting in your body. That knowledge is one of the most important things for everyone to understand.

In the next five years, we envision Nolla being the premier, preferred food service in Nigeria, offering healthy, convenient food to Nigerians.

Akinnola

meant to be. We are not only about selling; we are about educating our clients on what is good and healthy for them.

That is what differentiates us. We are not a supermarket. You won’t find cereals, sweets, and biscuits. We concentrate on beef, poultry, and seafood, pepper blends, stocks, broths. We are thinking about how to make you eat healthily and also how to be efficient and effective in running your home.

We also have things that nobody (other supermarkets) sells. We call it lean meat, the English way, but it is our bushmeat: antelope, grass cutter, crocodile steak, rabbit, pigeons, quails. So we have particular things that you can buy here that you would not necessarily find anywhere.

Before we set this up, we did a lot of market research, we trained, and it took us almost two years before we opened.

We wanted to be sure of the quality that we were giving our customer.

Another thing that makes us stand out is our superfoods. Those are packed in powdered form, and they are very high in nutrients, which gives us that uniqueness.

What is the quality assurance standard?

We are very conscious of hygiene. We invited Lagos State officials and they carried out a health and environmental check, including carrying out a blood test for our staff so that nobody contaminates or has any contagion that will spread through food.

We have had consultants train our

butchers to have adequate knowledge about our products. Also, the way we source our beef, for example, we are doing a backward integration. Nolla Fresh and Frozen is part of Nolla Holdings, and we have Nolla AgriFoods. We have about 250 to 300 hectares of land in Ondo State used for animal husbandry and cultivate our fruits and vegetables. So our products are fresh and of high quality. We want it to be as organic as possible. For two years, we did a lot of tasting and testing and creating what we wanted, viewing and comparing.

We have a 20 feet cold room where we store and keep everything fresh. We have stores and a central kitchen. Through technology, everyone is working in a system. Without a proper system operation, you can’t even operate what you see.

Does Nolla have a signature product?

I love food, and I love playing with spices, so we created our special spice for chicken.

A lot of our food in Fresh Bone, especially our chicken wings, are my creations. We have some special and mixed spices that cannot be found anywhere. My general manager and I are the only ones privy to the recipe.

Before launching, what were some of your fears and challenges?

What would people like? This was probably the most important question we needed to answer. We did a lot of surveys. We invited a lot of friends and researched their beef preferences. I have a file of surveys of different people from

Can you talk about the role of female entrepreneurs as drivers of the economy?

I have always been an advocate for women: working in WIMBIZ, I am still the immediate past president of the International Women’s Society, and I still have my NGO. One of the reasons I do this non-profit is to encourage these women: women in business, women in advocacy, women in any phase of their lives. Another thing about women is that we are created to give birth. So we give all the time, and that’s why a woman, when she starts her business, always succeeds because she is always giving; she puts in everything. One of the things that are happening – which I am very excited about right now – is that women are being given tools to encourage them to be the very best in any area they choose to be. We have women supporting each other to make sure that they excel.

Organisations like WIMBIZ have mentors and mentees. Now with COVID-19, there are free Zoom meetings for women to learn about how to manage their business, how to be financially independent, and how to make their business a success. That is one of the things I find that is encouraging with women entrepreneurs now. Women are making sure that they get all the education that they can. They are connecting with people that have excelled in that field for mentorship. Women are working as a team currently, and they are using that as a tool to make success in any sector that they get involved in.

How do you find balance in your family and business?

I love being a Nigerian. I love our culture. I love our tradition. You know we will always get support. Women that succeed have family members that live with them that help them at home. We have that support system that you can’t find anywhere in the advanced nations.

There is a family structure that supports you so that you can balance that. And I think that a lot of organisations are now looking at how to help women. I know a few big companies that have peer groups within their organisation where they can keep their children while they are working. Since COVID-19, a lot of things have changed; a lot of organisations now are also working from home. But before that, one of the keys that I know has helped women a great deal is our culture and that family support.

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

ͱͰ

METRO

…Your city life in print

Ùà ËÕÓØÎÏ ËÜÞØÏÜÝ ãÏÌËÎÏ˪Ý ÙØÞÙÖ ËÜ×Ý ÓØ ãÙ ˾ ËÜÑÏÞÝ ÏØÎ ÞÙ ÐËÜ×ÏÜÝ ÚÙÝÞ̋ÒËÜàÏÝÞ ÖÙÝÝÏÝ ÒÓÏ×ÏÖÓÏ äÏÙÌÓ The Oyo State government and a post harvest processing company, Rontol Farms, have gone into partnership to end post harvest losses to farmers in the state.

Governor Seyi Makinde and the founder of the company, Mr. Adeleye Oyebade, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), made the disclosure at the commissioning of Rontol Processing Plant at Ilora Farm Settlement in the state recently.

Makinde, who commissioned the plant, said: “The commissioning of this Rontol factory is proof of matching words with action by our administration. He got a land from Oyo State government. This is just the beginning.”

The governor also promised to ensure that the 11-kilometre road that leads to the plant from Ilora town is tarred under the initiative, Rural Access and Marketing Project (RAMP) very soon.

His words: “The road you requested that we should tar, there is a programme that we call Rural Access and Marketing Project (RAMP), this 11-kilometre road is in it and it will start very soon.

“I am sure there are other roads within this farm estate that we will do again because the RAMP for the remaining part of this year, we should construct over 200 kilometres of rural roads. You also asked for transformer, consider it done.

“One of the core issues that farmers in Oyo State, especially in Oyo zone, who are well known for cassava production, brought to our attention when we interviewed them, was that they did not have processing capabilities.

“In agribusiness, our understanding is that there is more money in processed goods than there is the produce itself. So, if our farmers are able to get processing facilities, they will have more values for each naira invested in crop production.

“Based on that data, we knew that we had to provide government-led and private sector supported intervention. So, when the opportunity came to work with Rontol Farm, it was a welcome development.

“This is a win, not just for Rontol Farm, it is also a win for cassava farmers because gradually this place is being converted into

Governor Seyi Makinde (2nd from left) assisted by the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Engr Rauf Olaniyan (left): DIG Leye Oyebade rtd (right); and the Director General, OYSADA, Dr Debo Akande at the commissioning of Rontol Farms, Ilora, Oyo State

an agro industrial hub.

“Through the Oyo State Agric Development Agency (OYSADA), we are positioning Oyo State as the agric business industrial hub, not only for Nigeria, but for West Africa. We have what it takes and we are demonstrating to the investment community that we have the readiness and political will to make their lives better in Oyo State. “We have put a lot of government support in place to foister a great partnersbip. One of it is that you can come to the farm and have a rest of mind. This is one of the reasons that we launched Amotekun Corps.”

In his address, Oyebade said the plant had an input capacity of 20 tonnes of cassava tubers for processing daily, and it would serve as a major processing centre for the smallholder farmers around the location.

“The idea of Rontol Foods was conceived

way back as a passion. With my experience as a public officer with the Nigeria Police Force, I had been privileged to interrogate, arrest and prosecute a lot of people in the line of duty.

“Although, the law has to take its course, I always had an inner bitterness, a show of guilt consumed me from the inside when I heard justifications provided by some of these youths for getting entangled in the crimes they were accused of.

“I am often forced to do a comparison of our days to the present day vis-a-vis what the future holds, if something drastic is not done to salvage the situation. Then, I asked myself what else can I do to make a difference in the coming generation.”

The commissioning was also attended by dignitaries, including Oyo State Deputy Governor, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan; the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly - Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyi; the

SSG, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun; HIM Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu 1, the Oluwo of Iwoland; and HRM Oba Stephen Olufemi Oyeniyi Oparinde II, Akibio of Ilora.

Others include Chief Segun Ganiyu, the Seriki of Isara Remoland; the Chairman Afijio LGA, Hon Sunday Akindele Ojo; Commissioner for Agriculture in Oyo State, Muyiwa Ojekunle; Director General, OYSADA, Dr. Debo Akande; Chief Niyi Adegbenro, Osi of Owu Kingdom/Baaloro of Egbaland; a member of Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Seyi Adisa, representing Afijio State Constituency; and the CEO, Niji Group, Mr Kola Adeniji.

Also present were the Oyo State Commissioner of apolice represented by the Area Commander, Ogbomoso, ACP Yemi Oyeniyi; Hon Leke Oyatokun, the immediate past Hon representing Afijio State Constituency; Engr Abiodun Ishola, and Chief Mrs Toyin Adeleye.

ÏÖÏÌÜËÞÏÝ ÙßÜ ÏËÜ ØØÓàÏÜÝËÜã Millions of students in secondary schools across Nigeria do not have access to leadership education.

For the past four years, the non-profit Fashioned and Made for Excellence Foundation, led by founder Raphael Stephen, has been working hard to improve those numbers.

So far, they’ve been able to provide access to quality leadership education to over 13 thousand students.

It is amazing how a vision that started as a random idea in the heart of a passionate corp member, has evolved into a source of massive transformation to the next generation of leaders.

The leading non-profit organisation based in Ibadan, Nigeria teaches leadership,

transferable skills, and basic digital skills to students in secondary schools.

They have an enviable team of competent volunteers who come to classrooms, facilitate and teach about the importance of leadership and good values.

“We’ve gone from reaching 21 students here in Ibadan, Nigeria when we started and we’ve reached over 13,000 by the end of the first quarter this year,” Daniel Akinyemi, Programs Manager.

Raphael Stephen, Executive Director, Fashioned and Made for Excellence Foundation, reaffirmed during a press briefing to mark the organisation’s 4th anniversary that “its programs would continuously be accessible to students in public secondary schools at

no cost.”

He pledged during a press briefing to inform the public about the program lineup for the 2021 year.

While expressing confidence that the leading non-profit organisation would achieve its objective of reaching 1,000,000 youths by 2030.

He called on key players in the private and public sectors to partner with FAME. To improve the delivery of practical education, and particularly leadership education, to address Nigeria’s leadership crisis.

In a similar development, the Fashioned and Made for Excellence Foundation have a lineup of programs to effectively develop our students, in 2021.

Some of these programs include Fame Global Leadership Program which would impact 5,000 Students selected from 100 public secondary schools in Ibadan and Oyo State.

The Fame Lead Day program for Public Secondary School Prefects will impact 1,500 prefects in 50 public schools in Ibadan.

FAME Board Chair, Dr Sina Adegunle in his remarks, appreciated all partners and donors of the organisation for their relentless support to the organisation, he also charged the beneficiaries to continuously live out the values instilled in them, look for opportunities to pay it forward and continuously influence their peers positively.

FAME believes that through

deliberate investments in students in secondary schools, we can contribute to the end of our leadership crisis in our lifetime.

We are grateful to all our selfless Humans of Fame, for their unwavering commitment. Our exceptional Board Members, donors, partners and the Oyo State Ministry of Education for working with us to educate and grow more value-driven and effective leaders for Nigeria.

FAME has built a record of accomplishment over the past four years by delivering highquality leadership programs to secondary school students across Nigeria and recently hit a major milestone of 13,000 students reach at the end of the first quarter of 2021.

Fashioned and Made for

Excellence Foundation is a leading non-profit leadership education organisation operating in Ibadan, Nigeria.

FAME is dedicated to providing access to quality leadership education for students in secondary schools.

FAME started operations in Nigeria in the 2nd quarter of 2017, and since then has reached over 12,000 students in over seventy schools in Ibadan, through over 1,000 volunteers.

FAME offers FREE leadership education programs tailored to add value to young people between the ages of 13 – 19 in Nigeria.

FAME is seeking to reach 1,000,000 young people in Nigeria by the end of year 2030.

For more information visit: https://thefameinitiatve.org.

33

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

POLSCOPE Beyond the Euphoria of Nnamdi Kanu’s Arrest

N

Canticles….

What Does El Rufai Want to Achieve?

El Rufai

Nnamdi Kanu

ot a few were shockingly impressed with the sudden news of the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, the self-acclaimed leader of the controversial Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatists group.

The happiness of most people derive from the suspicion that the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu will mean the end of all the security issues troubling the South Eastern part of the country.

The suspicion, if not belief, is that Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB, plus Eastern Security Network (ESN), are the brains behind the violent and frequent attacks at government /public facilities in the south east, including correctional centres and several police stations. The attacks, have claimed several lives of policemen and even innocent civilians.

Nobody can be happy with such mindless and needless killings.

Apart from the people who have been foolishly killed at their duty posts, many IPOB members have also died in the foolish agitation and quest for an independent nation.

It is surprising that even from far away London, (some say Malaysia, others say Israel), Nnamdi Kanu is able to deeply brainwash his followers to the point that they willfully lay down their lives for the course of a fruitless Biafra Republic. The IPOB members speak with so much fanaticism and assurance that their dream Biafra Republic is just a breath away.

In their opinion, anyone who does not share their vision and belief in the Biafran course is not only abnormal, but also unfit to live.

It is amazing that a struggle which could not see the light of the day, 54 years ago, even with more sophisticated and organized arsenal and personnel, is being marketed at a time that all the odds are against such a divisive project. Indeed, how many Igbo men are truly determined to have a separate nation? Are we not better and stronger together?

His arrest, last Sunday, outside the country (location not quite certain, although sources have said Kenya or Ethiopia), was a security scoop, so to say. There was no hint whatsoever that the federal government was moving against him. The re-arrest has shown that the government (security agencies) can work if it/they want to.

The collaboration with Interpol made all the difference.

In a way, it offers a flashback to the Umaru Dikko abduction attempt in July 1984, by the same administration of (then Gen) Muhammadu Buhari, as a military Head of State, from the United Kingdom. That attempt failed.

This one succeeded.

Although the scenarios are quite different, many have challenged the government to apply similar efficiency and devotion to crushing the brains behind both the banditry and terrorism menace ravaging the Conscious of the international attention the treatment of the Kanu case will attract, the Department of State Services (DSS) last Tuesday promptly re-arraigned Kanu on the 11-count charge which he was facing before he was granted bail in 2017. In March 2019, the bail was revoked following the failure of Nnamdi Kanu to appear in court. He had long fled the country to foreign lands from where he sustained the incitement of his followers, using the social media platform, against the Nigerian state.

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

His Radio Biafra, which was founded in 2009, had also been a channel he used in brainwashing his followers with huge propaganda.

He denigrated the country and its leaders calling them despicable names.

Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and two others who had stood surety for his bail in 2017, are said to have now lost their N3 million bail bond.

In a few weeks from now, Nnamdi Kanu will face his trial proper. I am sure he never envisaged he’d yet have his day in the Nigerian court again. That he’s been vehemently against the Nigerian state and determined to undo it is beyond question. He spoke like a burnished warlord, but he got picked like a sleeping snail.

Without any fuss, he found himself in Nigeria bound in handcuffs and blindfolded too. He looked like a weather-beaten chicken: humbled and speechless. His day has surely come, when he’d have to answer to all he had said and done against his fatherland.

He has explained that he fled the country to avoid being killed by the Nigerian military, when the latter raided his father’s house in an Abia community.

But beyond the ululation of his arrest, rests the prisms on which the Biafran agitation is predicated. Essentially, the quest for a break up is because of the feeling of the Igbos not being fairly and equitably treated in the larger Nigerian federation. While this may be true, breaking up the country cannot be the solution to this feeling.

I have continued to cite the instance of why only the South-east geo-political zone has five states while all others have six states, with the North west even having seven. Or how do we explain, for instance, that the old Kano State split into two—Kano and Jigawa, now account for 82 Local Government Areas, whereas the entire Southern states have a total of 95 LGAs. The clamour for restructuring is to address such imbalances.

Yes, not through agitation for a breakup.

Not much can be achieved through violence.

Stakeholders can always sit down at round tables and discuss and sort these issues out, hoping it will all be governed by sincere desire for peace and justice. Nnamdi Kanu and his ilks must be reminded that their offence is not so much about what (is) said but how (it is) said.

There a few things here and there that seem to under rate the Igbo nation, as if they are second class citizens, or even less. The things and feelings that led late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu into the Nigerian civil war are still around. They cannot be swept under the carpet. They have to be addressed. Justice and equity are pre-requisites for peaceful and harmonious co-existence. Nigeria belongs to all. And equally too. No section of the country is more Nigerian than the other.

Yes, Nnamdi Kanu and his infantile IPOB movement may be quelled and crushed, perhaps deservedly, but the under pinning reason for the uprising should not be ignored.

Anything that has stoke the fire of disquiet and restiveness in the country deserves to be reviewed. To browbeat them into acquiescence, using the instruments of state force is to postpone the evil day. After all, on this Biafran project, we have had Late Odumegwu Ojukwu,; we have had Ralph Uwazurike.

Today, it is Nnamdi Kanu. Tomorrow it will be Mr X if the issues remain unaddressed.

W

ith barely two years to go, I wonder why that micro governor want to inflict so much pain on his people.

Micro governor? Who is so called?

Need you ask? Who else is inflicting so much pain on his people like Governor Nasir el-Rufai?

Oh noooo, You misunderstand him. He means well. He is concerned about reforming the Kaduna state’s civil service in a way that it will be compact and efficient, instead of being bogus, wieldy and lousy.

You can use all the beautiful adjectives that you can find. What is crucial is that the people who voted for him are not happy with him. They are bitter as he has made life and living practically miserable to the people of the state.

Again, you got it wrong. He is not against the entire state. He believes the workforce in Kaduna is bloated and should be trimmed.

He has argued that he cannot be using a larger chunk of the state’s resources to service the interest of less than 20 per cent of the people.

He argues that it does not make sense or portray fairness for the huge resources of the state to be devoted expended on the narrow interest of just a few.

Look, you don’t understand. Kaduna State is essentially a civil servant state.

By the time you decapitate the civil service workforce, you are practically crumbling the economy of the state. So, if the purchasing power of the people is taken away by unfriendly government policy, wont life become short, nasty and brutish?

The government is opening other windows of opportunities unto the people. The government is not foolish you know. Have you forgotten that the governor is a First Class graduate? He brims with intelligence.

What kind of intelligence is that? What intelligence inflicts pain on people? Does intelligence mean wickedness? Was this not what he also did as FCT Minister: pulling down people’s buildings? Is wickedness in his DNA? How does the increment of school fees by 500%, from N24,000 to a minimum of N150,000 per student reflect intelligence?

Does that geometric rise in fee structure show that the governor has a heart for the people? How are they going to pay? Is it not the same parents whom he is sacking from work that have to pay this huge fee? What kind of government is that? How will the sacked parents raise that kind of money?

The ASUU of the Kaduna State University (KASU) has warned that 75 per cent of the students may drop out of school if the state government insists on the high fee.Yet the government is not bulging? Any one still wondering why the spate of kidnapping and banditry is high in Kaduna? Is that a kind government? A student was shot dead, among those protesting the fee hike, but El-Rufai seems to have been stuck in making them see “Hell Rufai”! What kind of democracy does not listen to the cry of

the people, the same people from whom you derived your power?

Gov El-Rufai knows that the process of change is always painful and difficult. But he knows also that the little pain they bear today will produce great fruits tomorrow. So, he is determined to…. (raises the hand) Enough of those oppressive capitalist lingos! The future belongs to only those who are alive. Of what use is a reform that ends up killing all the beneficiaries before it takes off? Look, who will use those roads and bridges El-Rufai is building is the people die of hunger and hardship today?

Tell him to look inwards. He should not blindly drive a reform that will cause more harm than good.

Has he considered what Akwa-Ibom State is doing by setting up companies and several going concerns? Does he know that hard as things are, Akwa-Ibom State, instead of firing its work force, is hiring even more people to work in the various outfits it is setting up? And you say El Rufai has a First Class? Let this First Class product think outside the box of regimented template. Kaduna State, with its political and economic niche should not be suffering its people. I cannot forget that quaint scripture that says when the righteous are in power, the people, rejoice. But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

Are you implying that Gov Nasir El Rufai is a wicked governor?

You said so!

You are a very biased critic. Are you not aware that the Kaduna government has also offered bursaries and loans to deserving students of various categories so that their education can continue?

How else can a government be thoughtful?

There is bursary. There is loan, all aimed at assisting indigent students.

Look, education is not free or cheap anywhere in the world. Kaduna State is not and cannot be different. Anything that is prized, must cost something substantial. It is a basic law of Economics!

Rubbish Loan! Go and look at the conditions for those loans. Everything smells of hardness and wickedness. What really is El-Rufai looking for? What does he want to achieve by all these hard stance? In May, the entire NLC gathered in his state to protest. It was the plane crash of the Nigerian Airforce that vacated that siege.

Yet, he remains obstinate and cocky. Is it because he is serving out his second term in office and would not have to stand before the people again to renew his mandate?

Does he not realise that someday, he will become like an ordinary citizen? For what shall he be remembered? Would he rather be remembered as that government who brought tears to the eyes of the people or that governor who made life easier and sweeter? History is always a fair judge!

I can assure you that history will be kind to him. A history governed by critical thinking and not be emotions, that is!

34

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Sigma Pensions Commences Non-interest Fund VI Service Nume Ekeghe ËØÎ James Emejo ÓØ ÌßÔË Sigma Pensions has become the first Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) to launch the Non-interest Retirement Savings Account (RSA) Fund VI, in a bid to provide retirement savings that aligns moral beliefs and values skewed towards ethical investing.

This fund whose nod was given by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) last month, would see Sigma Pensions position itself as a trailblazer of the non-interest RSA fund also known as Fund VI. Speaking at the launch yesterday, the Chairman, Board of Directors, Sigma Pensions Limited, Mr. Mark Collier, noted that the fund would drive greater financial inclusion among an underserved segments of the Nigerian population as well as

deepen financial inclusion and pension enrolment.

Collier said: “Sigma Pensions has launched RSA Fund VI for our esteemed customers and the general market alike for RSA account holders who are desirous of having their pensions managed along the principles of non-interest.

“Having a vibrant non-interest pension offering will help deepen the breadth and sophistication of the domestic pension and non-pension fund management industry.

“A key tenet of robust financial markets is the existence of many players on both demand and supply having diverse opinions, desires and needs which allow for a more efficient price setting mechanism.”

He added: “Furthermore, it will help drive greater financial inclusion and pension enrollment.

Nigeria’s financial exclusion rate

is estimated at 37 per cent with large exclusion observed in the northern regions.

“Among other reasons, the reluctance towards the formal financial sector amongst certain Nigerians likely reflects unease at the absence of a recognition of their ethical principles in the design of banking and finance products.

“With the option of retirement savings products suited to noninterest preferences, it is easy to see a ready outlet for raising financial inclusion.”

He further added that his firm has set up a back end operations with highly capable investment team with a well-crafted investment strategy to ensure seamless transition for new and existing RSA account holders to migrate to Sigma Fund VI. He added: “We believe strongly in Nigeria and find strength in its ethnic and religious diversity.

L-R: Chief Investment Officer, Sigma Pensions, Mr. Pabina Yinkere; Executive Director, Tech, Mr. Ibrahim Balarabe; Head Aviation Division NAHCO, Mr. Goni Sanda; Founder/Past Chairman, Sigma Pensions Alhaji Umaru Modibo, and Head, Business Department Division, Sigma Pensions, Mr. Nuhu Modibo, during the launch of Sigma Pensions Noninterest RSA Fund VI in Abuja... yesterday

MARKET INDICATORS

Yusuf Bows Out, LCCI Appoints Almona DG The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has announced the appointment of Dr. Chinyere Almona as its Director General (DG) effective July 1, 2021.

This followed the retirement of Dr. Muda Yusuf as DG on the expiration of his tenure of office, having served the Chamber for a total of 24 years with the last 13 years being in the capacity of DG. LCCI President, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje, in a statement yesterday said: “Dr. Muda Yusuf, an astute Economist of repute, joined the services of the Chamber over two decades ago and rose to become the Director General through hard work and unrivalled dedication to duty.

“He is a respected public

commentator on macroeconomic issues, regulatory environment, economic reforms, policy and institutional reforms, trade policy issues and investment climate matters.” He has led numerous policy reform and engagement sessions on the business environment, investment climate issues and the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Mabogunje also added that, “Indeed, Dr. Muda Yusuf will surely be missed by staff, members of the Chamber, our partners, collaborators, the diplomatic community, and stakeholders in the media space for his sound economic and analytical prowess, which has contributed immensely to the effectiveness of public policy advocacy and the development

of the Nigerian economy.

“We believe that, though he has retired from the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he is definitely not tired of contributing his quota to the prosperity of Nigeria, as the economic powerhouse of the African continent.

“We shall continue to benefit from his expertise as he moves to the next stage of his endeavours.”

According to Mabogunje, the appointment of Almona was an added value to the well-established profile of the Chamber.

She holds a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from Business School Netherlands and brings with her, about thirty years of diversified experience through her various work experience roles.

Ecobank Named ‘SME Bank oftheYear’ The Ecobank Group has been adjudged as the ‘African Banker’s 2021 African SME Bank of the Year.’

A statement explained that Ecobank beat a host of other banks in the African Banker Awards 2021 to take home the SME Award in a 2020 tumultuous year characterised by the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to ravage many African economies, with small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) taking the greatest hit.

Among other criteria, the African SME Bank of the Year award 2021 recognises the bank which has significantly contributed to the development of the

SME sector, thus helping them to build the economic backbone of the continent.

Part of the entry criteria required that the winning bank has significantly catalysed funding into the private sector in Africa and promoted enterprise development by facilitating credit and access to finance for SMEs. “Since the onset of Covid-19, the Ecobank Group has considerably ramped up investments in programmes targeting SMEs by expanding SME-focused lines of credit, providing technical assistance to SME development institutions and building SMEs’ capacity via linkage programmes

in partnership with its strategic partners,” the statement added.

Ecobank Group Executive, Commercial Banking, Josephine Ankomah, was also quoted to have said: “2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. It required resilience and innovation. We needed to rethink our business and provide innovative ways to assist our SME customers to help them to survive the difficulties brought about by the pandemic.

“We are truly honoured to receive this recognition. Our immense gratitude goes to our staff, customers and partners who have made this possible.”

Tastee Fried Chicken Rewards Customers Hamid Ayodeji Tastee Fried Chicken has announced winners in its ‘Get Artee’ competition.

Dorcas Oyetunji from Princeton College, Surulere emerged as first winner. She won a PlayStation 4.

Also, Teniola Anthony from Child of Promise School, Ajah, took the second position, winning a HP Laptop, while Israel Aissi from Nathan Nursery and Primary school, Yaba emerged third position, winning a bicycle.

The competition was aimed at enhancing the creativity of the younger generation whilst

positioning them to emerge as economic problem solution innovators.

The firm stated that as it is going through a transformation process it understands the essential role youths play towards contributing to the development and sustainability of the organisation.

It also pointed out that Nigeria is blessed with talented and creative youths whose talents needed to be harnessed for positive contribution towards societal growth.

Announcing the winners of the competition recently in Lagos, the

Business Transformation Director, Tastee Fried Chicken, Adewale Shote, said the organisation was excited to have children join it on the journey towards transformation.

“It is exciting because we are building the next generation of youths who would emerge as leaders and innovators of economic solutions in our society.

“It is good to start with them at their early stages of life in order to ensure they experience how businesses are being operated as they support us to innovate ideas, concepts, and contents amongst other things we are trying to achieve,” he added.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͱͮ ͰͮͰͯ

he price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $73.60 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $73.34 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

35

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

FMN Grows Profit by 126% to N26bn, Recommends 165 kobo Dividend Goddy Egene The Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FMN) has announced its audited financial results for the year ended March 31, 2021, showing improved performance indicators.

The results showed that the group achieved impressive topline growth for the year, aided by gains from its agro-allied turnaround strategy.

Specifically, FMN posted a revenue of N771.6 billion for

the year, showing an increase of 34.5 per cent compared with the N573.77 billion recorded the previous year. Net finance cost fell from N17.5 billion to N15 billion, resulting from better cost and financial management strategy. Profit before tax rose by 112 per cent to N37.19 billion from N17.50 billion, while profit after tax (PAT) grew faster by 126 per cent to print at N25.72 billion compared with N11.38 billion the preceding year.

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

Based on the performance, the board has proposed a dividend of 165 kobo per share up from 140 kobo per share last year.

Commenting on the results, the Group Managing Director, Mr. Omoboyede Olusanya said: “FMN emerges from the prevailing COVID-19 environment as a stronger, more resilient, flexible, and confident business as a result of the collective strategic actions made over our 60-year history. I want to thank all our

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

employees for their patience and hard work as we consistently adapted to the year’s challenges and invested significantly in our purpose of feeding the nation every day.”

“FMN is now harvesting the fruits of these efforts and remains committed to braving a continuously uncertain environment with cautious optimism, innovation, portfolio advancement and other strategies outlined in our recent

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

sustainability report.”

In the year under review FMN successfully issued N30 billion in corporate notes with tenors of 5 and 7 years at 5.50 per cent and 6.25 per cent, respectively, to strategically replace costly short-term facilities.

Championing backward integration programmes also enabled the company to expand value delivery across all value chains, including strategic partnerships with

O F

smallholder farmers, which drove an average revenue gain of 34 per cent across all business sectors.

Also, the company said its food business also recorded exponential organic growth, driven by constant product innovation and transformation in new markets, as well as operational efficiency through route-to-market investments in digitisation and rapid expansion in the business to consumer (B2C) sectors.

0 1 / 0 7 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021

36

NEWSXTRA

NEITI Hails Passage of PIB, Says over $200bn Lost to Unclear Framework Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), yesterday hailed the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), but stressed that over $200 billion was lost to a clear framework for the sector.

In a statement in Abuja last night,

Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji described the decision of the Senate and the House of Representatives to consider the bill as priority resulting in its eventual passage as bold, courageous and progressive.

NEITI stated that it had boldly alerted the nation through a special policy brief, “The urgency of a new petroleum sector law” that the stagna-

tion of investment opportunities in the petroleum industry was as a result of the absence of a new law for the sector.

“This has led to huge revenue losses to the tune of over $200billion.

In that publication, NEITI argued that the “revenue losses were as a result of investments withheld or diverted by investors to other (more predictable) jurisdictions,” Orji stated.

In addition, the executive secretary noted that NEITI reports in the sector had also disclosed that over $10.4 billion and N378.7 billion were lost through under-remittances, inefficiencies, theft or absence of a clear governance framework for the oil and gas industry.

“The NEITI executive secretary is optimistic that with the new governance law for the industry,

these huge revenue losses to the nation as a result of process lapses and outright stealing will be strictly checked if not eliminated.

“The implementation of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) which Nigeria is a key signatory, have over the years been frustrated by the absence of a dynamic law that suits modern business modules and trends in the

ever evolving oil and gas industry,” NEITI stressed Orji expressed the hope that the PIB when assented to by the president will provide a dynamic governance framework required to reposition the industry to fully embrace competition, openness, accountability, professionalism and better profit returns on investments to both companies and government

House Urges FG to Suspend Sale of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to suspend the sale of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) power plants until lingering issues on the matter are resolved, especially as regards the ownership of NDPHC. The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Kayode Musibau at the plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker said NDPHC was incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act as a private limited liability company with shareholding fully subscribed to by the federal, state and local governments with a mandate to manage the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).

Musibau recalled that in 2005, the National Council of State and the National Assembly approved an initial funding of $25 billion for NIPP from the Excess Crude Oil Account (ECOA) which statutorily belongs to the federal, state and local governments.

The lawmaker added that NDPHC is the legal vehicle

vested to manage the NIPP for its shareholders -the federal, state and local governments.

Musibau said in 2013, the federal government announced the proposed privatisation of some NIPP power plants which are owned by the NDPHC, with a plan to reinvest the proceeds in developing renewable power generation projects, but added that myriad of challenges that bedevilled the power sector mitigated against the effort.

The lawmaker noted that in April 2021, the board of directors of NDPHC agreed to resolve all issues mitigating against the sale of the assets and considered a special budgetary intervention of $1million for improved offtake of the sale of NDPHC’s stranded power.

He said the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) recently announced the proposed sale of five NIPP assets in Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, and Kogi States with the aim of using the proceeds to fund the federal government budget deficit.

The lawmaker pointed out that assets under consideration do not belong exclusively belong to the federal government but the three tiers of government.

Kogi Monarch Named Maiden Chairman of Royal Dynasty Forum The Obaro Kabba and the Chairman of the Okun Area Traditional Council in Kogi State, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi has been appointed the maiden Chairman of the Obalufon Royal Dynasty Forum Worldwide.

The appointment was announced in Kabba, Kogi State at the weekend, by a high powered delegation of the Obalufon Royal Dynasty Forum, Ile-Ife, led by the His Royal Majesty, the Alayemore of Ido-Osun, Oba Adedapo Aderemi.

The Head of the Media Team of the Obaro-in-Council, High Chief Joseph Ojo Oshagbemi, in a statement, said the Obaro’s appointment was in recognition of his dynamism and the ancestry of Kabba and Okun people from Ile-Ife and from the Obalufon Royal household.

There are over 50 traditional rulers across Yorubaland who are descendants of Obalufon.

They include the Obaro of Kabba and some other kingdoms in the

Owoniyi

Okun area of Kogi State, the Onilawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, the Alayemore of Efon-Alaaye, Alaye of Aaye-Ekiti, Arajaka of Igbara-Oke and IgbaraOdo as well as the Obaoye Orin-Ekiti and the Obaoye Ayedun-Ekiti.

Others include the Alara of IlaraEkiti, Oloke of Oke Imesi-Ekiti and Imesi-Ile, Elerinmo of Erinmoland, Akesin of Ora Igbmina, Alara of Ara in Kwara State, Elerin of Erinle, Elerin of Erin Osun, Alayemore of Iddo Osun, Onido of Iddo Faboro, Akarigbo of Remoland, Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Olu of ikeja and many others.

The Obalufon reign was an epochal phase in the royal history of Ile- Ife with the mercurial and creative rulership of Ooni Obalufon Ogbogbodinrin and Ooni Obalufon Alaiyemore who together brought about the glorious Obalufon Royal Dynasty that in turn postmarkedI the imperious art ,craft ,bronze sculpture and beads which still have stunning effect on the appreciative international world today.

It was also their reign that witnessed waves of migrations from Ile-Ife in about the 12th to the 14th century, to other lands like Efon-Alaye , Ido-Osun ,Epe , Okunland etc.

The Obaro of Kabba led a cross-section of top ranking Okun traditional rulers to Ile-Ife last December to honour a royal invitation as the Chairman of the Obalufon festival.

ENHANCING REVENUE GENERATION… Chairman, Winners Golden Chance Limited, Mr. Idowu Obasa (left); and Director General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, during a sensitisation visit to major stakeholders in lottery business in Lagos…yesterday

Panic over Alleged Collapse of APC National Secretariat Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Few days after the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was named after President Muhammadu Buhari, there was pandemonium yesterday over rumours that the building was quaking, and was about to

collapse.

It was unclear what could have been responsible for the rumoured collapse of the secretariat of the ruling party situated at no 40 Blantyre Street, Wuse 11, Abuja.

However, the rumours started at about 5:10p.m. yesterday when a chieftain of the party was seen

shouting on top of his voice from the fourth floor, calling on all staff to quickly vacate the building due to the shaking of the building.

The press centre at the secretariat was immediately deserted as journalists, staff, as well as security men and other workers scampered for safety.

As at the time of filing this report, staff and others working at the party secretariat did not return there to continue their work for the day.

A staff of the party said: “Rumour had it that some part of the building was shaking and everyone had to take cover, thereby forcing everyone outside the secretariat.”

Malabu: Adoke Seeks Probe of Two Italian Prosecutors for Misconduct Davidson Iriekpen Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), yesterday petitioned the Italian Minister of Justice, urging him to probe what he described as acts of forgery and professional misconduct against two prosecutors, Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro in the OPL 245 trial.

In the complaint filed by Femi Oboro of Gromyko Amedu Solicitors, on behalf of the former minister, Adoke called for a thorough investigation

into the activities of the lawyers for unlawful acts of intimidation, threat to life as well as forgery of documents intended to pervert of the course of Justice.

Adoke stated that sometime in May 2016, he met the Italian and Dutch investigators at The Hague, Netherlands, in respect of OPL 245 Settlement Agreement of 2011.

He noted that De Pasquale was engaged in an unlawful deceptive conduct, to wit: commit him to be interviewed without a prior knowledge that he was a suspect, and that his

statement was intended for his criminal prosecution by the Italian prosecutor.

Aside the alleged deception, the ex-attorney general, noted that the statement “It is all about your life,” made by De Pasquale, during the so-called interview was unlawfully intended to put undue pressure on him for fear of harm to his life or person and to compromise his position on the allegations of money laundering connected with the OPL 245 settlement agreement.

Besides, the former minister stressed

that during the criminal trial before the Court of Milan, the public prosecutor unlawfully engaged in acts of forgery of documents or evidence in aid of the prosecution’s case with several allegations of fact made against him which were unsubstantiated at the trial.

He stated that a phony telephone interview recording and the email of 21/06/2011 were forged with the unlawful intent to interfere with the course of justice or subverting the wheel of justice at the ongoing criminal trial at the Court of Milan in connection with the case.

FG Rates Katsina Second Highest Out-of-school Children State Francis Sardauna in Katsina The federal government last Monday announced that Katsina State is the second highest in the ranking of out-of-school children in Nigeria, describing the situation as a worrisome development that needs an urgent intervention.

The Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, stated this in his address delivered at the formal launching of Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme in Katsina, the state capital.

According to the minister, the Nigerian educational system is characterised by high level of illiteracy, infrastructural decay, inadequate number of unqualified teachers and inadequate instructional facilities hence the launching of BESDA programme.

He said for the challenges to be tackled, the country must strengthen the quality of education by confronting head-on all the factors that denied “our children access to education, the quality of education we delivered and the outcomes of that education.

“It is in the light of this that we

launched BESDA in Katsina. It is a programme that would result in better life for all of our children. Its cardinal objectives are to increase the equitable access, improve literacy and strengthen accountability for results at the basic education level.

“The 17 states that are the focus of this programme are drawn from seven in the Northwest, six in the Northeast and one from each of the other zones. Katsina State is the second highest in the ranking of out-of-school children in Nigeria, and this worries us, but we have heard that a lot of

efforts have already gone into this, and there is massive improvement in the last six years.”

The minister, however, added that the BESDA programme has enrolled about one million children “therefore, we can authoritatively state that the number of out-of-school has reduced.”

In his remarks, the state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, said a total of 361,525 out-of-school children representing 36 per cent of the set target has so far enrolled in schools across the state under the BESDA programme.

the party’s chairman.

But Majigiri, at the press conference yesterday, said PDP under his watch has appealed the high court judgement, and that he remained the substantive chairman of the party until the Appeal and Supreme Courts prove otherwise.

He said: “He has mistaken PDP for APC because it is APC that doesn’t have leadership in Katsina State. They were given six months to serve as caretaker committee, and the six months expired on June 25. So, I think he is trying to say ‘we don’t have APC leadership in Katsina State’.

APC, PDP Trade Words over Leadership in Katsina Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Katsina State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have engaged in a war of words over the rightful leadership of the main

opposition party in the state.

While PDP said it has successfully conducted both ward, local government and state congresses across the 34 local government areas and 361 wards of the state in line with the party’ constitution, the APC insisted that the party has no leadership

structure in the state.

The state PDP Chairman Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, while responding to allegation by the Funtua Zonal Vice Caretaker Chairman of APC, Mr. Bala Abu Musawa, that PDP has no leadership in Katsina State, at a press conference, described the

allegation as comical tales.

Musawa had in recent interview with journalists in Katsina claimed that PDP has no leadership in the state following the judgement by the state High Court that dissolved the PDP state congress, and urged Majigiri to stop parading himself as

37

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021

NEWSXTRA

AstraZeneca: FG, Others Fault EU’s Rejection of Indian Product Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The African Union (AU), the federal government and COVAX, a coalition consisting of the World Health Organisation, Gavi and Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, have expressed surprise about the European Union’s (EU) decision not to accept AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in India.

The Director of the African

Centre for Disease Control, Dr John Nkengasong, and the AU Special Envoy on COVID-19, Mr Strive Masliywa, who stated this during a virtual press briefing with some journalists, urged the EU to review the decision.

COVAX, consisting of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund, also yesterday lamented that the EU’s move was already undermining

confidence in life-saving vaccines that were safe and effective.

On its part, the federal government described the EU’s decision as political.

EU had said that only those with the EU Digital COVID-19 certificate, which enabled people who had received two doses of a vaccine approved by its medicine regulator, the European Medicines

Agency, would be able to travel freely within the bloc.

But the pass only recognises AstraZeneca doses (branded Vaxzevria) made by EMA-approved manufacturers in Europe, United States, South Korea and China , not those manufactured by the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India branded Covishield.

COVAX, a coalition whose aim is to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries, donated to African countries, AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured in India Nkengasong argued that the EU decision was shocking. “It came as a big surprise. The AstraZeneca vaccine

that came from India was funded by COVAX, supplied by COVAX and COVAX was funded mainly by the Europeans until recently when the Americans joined,; so that came as a big surprise to us that the vaccine which was being supported by the Europeans and supported by WHO and COVAX will not be recognised by the green digital certificate in Europe.

Niger Didn’t Sack Civil Servants in the Guise of Rationalisation, Says NLC Dipo Laleye in Minna The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Niger State Council, has described as false a statement credited to the Chairman of Niger State Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Shehu Yusuf Galadima, claiming that 754 civil servants have been sacked by the state government.

In a statement issued yesterday by the state NLC, the union disclosed that Galadima’s claim has generated misgiving in civil service and the public space, hence this clarification.

“The press statement under review classified the 754 sacked civil servants as thus; 380 forcefully retired for age

falsification or alteration of date of first appointment, 328 dismissed for possession and presentation of fake academic certificates, and 46 summarily dismissed for violation of extant civil service rules.

“For emphasis, Civil Service Commission is statutorily empowered to oversee the employment, promotion, discipline and retirement of Civil Servants, and that is not in contention. It is in exercise of such mandate that the commission has so far retired 5,258 civil servants, either by virtue of date of birth or date of first appointment since assumption of current leadership,” NLC explained.

House Invites IG over Tinted Glass Permits Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives has mandated its committee on police affairs to invite the Inspector General of Police (IG) Usman Alkali Baba to clarify issues relating to his directives to stop issuance of tinted permits to vehicle owners.

The Inspector General of Police is expected to clarify the policy with specific regard to factory-fitted tinted glasses.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored

by Hon. Henry Nwawuba at the plenary, yesterday.

Moving the motion, Nwawuba recalled that on June 7, 2021 the Inspector

General of Police issued a directive to the Commissioners of Police of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and their supervising Assistant Inspector Generals (AIG) during a meeting with Senior Police Officers to suspend the issuance of tinted glass permit and Spy Number Plates pending the release of a new protocol that would regulate the issuance of tinted permits for vehicle owners and operators in the country.

He said the House is aware that the overzealousness of some police officers has led them to harass and embarrass citizens with dully authorised tinted glass permits, which are currently in use.

Refugees: Borno Gov Meets Nigerien President in Diffa Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, yesterday had a closed-door meeting with President Bazoum Muhammadu of Niger Republic over the repatriation of Nigerians who fled into the neighbouring country at the height of Boko Haram terrorism.

A statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the governor, Mallam Isa Gusau, said his boss took the trip to Niger on the invitation of President Muhammadu.

Gusau said the Niger president yesterday hosted Zulum alongside Governor of Diffa region, Isa Lameen; Senator Abubakar Kyari, and Speaker

of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, in a closed-door meeting in Diffa town.

He disclosed that the meeting focused on the repatriation of Nigerian refugees from Borno State, who fled communities in different parts of the state since 2014 over attacks by Boko Haram terrorists.

Gusau said the meeting held soon after Governors Zulum amd Lameen received President Bazoum at Tandja Momadou Airport in Diffa, a province which is located within close proximity to some communities in northern Borno State as large communities in northern part of the troubled state share land borders with Niger Republic.

EMPOWERING FARMERS… Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed (middle), flagging off the 2021 fertilizer distribution in Soro town of Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state…yesterday SEGUN AWOFADEJI

Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar Presents Letters of Credence The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the State of Qatar, Yakubu Abdullahi, has successfully presented his Letters of Credence to Emir of the State of Qatar, His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, at the Diwan Amiri (Emir’ Palace), in the capital, Doha.

According to a statement issued by the Nigerian Embassy in Doha, Ahmed expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for finding him worthy of appointment as his Principal Envoy to the State

of Qatar.

During the colourful presentation ceremony that involved the inspection of the Guard of Honour, Ahmed conveyed fraternal greetings and well wishes of personal good health, as well as prosperity of the people and Government of the friendly Qatar, to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani from Buhari.

On his part, the Emir of Qatar congratulated the Nigerian Ambassador and reiterated the confidence that Ahmed will take the warm and cordial relations which Qatar and Nigeria enjoys to greater heights.

The Emir also wished the envoy the very best in the discharge of his responsibilities.

In his remarks, the Nigerian Principal Envoy informed the Emir that Buhari was doing well and that the federal government was making tremendous progress in key priority areas that have the potentials to positively transform the socio-economic landscape of the country.

Ahmed thanked the Monarch for accepting him as Ambassador to Qatar, and while acknowledging the role of broker of peaceful settlement of international disputes Qatar plays,

he expressed admiration for the wise leadership qualities of His Highness in bringing about development to Qatar.

On bilateral relations, the Nigerian Ambassador made an observation of the slow pace of economic activities between the two countries, explaining that one of his major mandates was to spur such activities for the benefit of the two nations. He therefore sought for the support of His Highness in the eradication of all obstacles hindering the flow of investment from Qatar in the areas of agriculture, oil and gas, infrastructure and mining.

Five Women Make Delta Exco as Okowa Swears in 18 Commissioners Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has assured the state of better female representation in his administration, as five women were among the 18 new commissioners and members of the State Executive Council sworn in by the governor yesterday.

Okowa said the resolve for more female visibility (and participation) in politics and governance was a deliberate move at enhancing women participation in decision-making process in government.

In apparent response to criticism about the poor representation of women in his government, especially in his

second term, the governor had ensured that 17 out of the 25 local government councils in the state had women as vice-chairmen, who were subsequently sworn in on March 17, 2021, after the March 6, 2021 local election.

However, he urged the new and returning commissioners to commit themselves to their responsibilities with a greater sense of urgency in the remaining period of his tenure, adding that his administration is proud of its achievements in the last six years.

Okowa said: “I am especially proud that we have five women in the cabinet-the first in the history of the state. This demonstrates our commitment to enhancing women

participation in the decision-making process of governance.

“We intend to keep working and delivering the dividends of democracy to our people until the end of our tenure. It is our desire to complete all the projects we have started, and by the grace of God, we shall do our best to make that a reality.

“You must be innovative and strategic in your thinking; encourage and welcome new ideas, and be ready to take bold action.

“This administration has barely two years to go, but it is also sufficient time to touch the lives of many more people through innovative policies and programmes targeted at their

needs and aspirations.

“Be a role model both in your public and personal lives. I urge each of you to be an embodiment of integrity, humility, excellence, loyalty and accountability.

“Role models exemplify honesty and demonstrate high ethical conduct.

There is nothing more confusing and uninspiring than a leader whose personal life is at variance with his public posturing.

“This is the reason why there is so much disconnect between the political leadership and the followership. I trust that you will commit to leading by example as you begin your tenures today.”

FG Inaugurates 46 Independent Monitors in Ebonyi

Marafa Rejects Matawalle as APC Leader in Zamfara

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Eromosele Abiodun

The federal government yesterday began the distribution of engagement letters and monitoring devices to 46 independent monitors in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, reiterated the commitment of the government in ensuring that the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP) are adequately monitored for effective service delivery.

The minister was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Raphael Obi. She urged the independent monitors to diligently report on the various social investment programmes targeted at lifting vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty in line with President Muhammadu Buhari aspirations.

She said the devices are equipped with an application that will be used to report on monitoring activities of the trained independent monitors and are locally made in Nigeria by an indigenous company.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Marafa has rejected the naming of the state governor, Mr. Bello Matawalle as the leader of the party in the state.

He also described the crisis in the APC in the state as self-inflicted, stressing that the naming of Matawalle as the leader of the party in the state by the leadership of the APC is not in the party’s constitution.

He said his group will also challenge the legality of Governor

Buni’s chairmanship of the APC. Speaking last night on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY, the APC chieftain said “the people of Zamfara are aggrieved and justifiably so and now coming to rob salt on injury amounts to asking for too much.

We nuture this party from inception to date, we have internal crisis in the APC for almost two years that cost us all our positions in the last election.”

“Now somebody comes and said he wants to be a member of our party. Fine, even at that we accepted it and said let’s sit down

and talk. We asked for not too much from the party - just allow us to consult with our people and allow us to go on with our own; you said no. We said, ‘go and do your ceremony and come back and let’s talk, we want our people on one side and the governor on the other side, then the leadership of the party at the middle. Let us hear what the governor wants by coming to APC. “They promised us that is what they are going to do following the intervention of Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai. We agreed, only for the party chairman to go to Gusau to announce the governor

as our leader,” he explained.

He said there are fifth columnists in the state who wanted to destroy the party, alleging that they will go any length to see the party destroyed.

He said his group did not attend the defection ceremony in Gusau because they felt having nurtured the party, the ordinary party members in the state were not carried along as promised by the leadership of the party. He stated that the party’s caretaker committee does not have the powers under the APC constitution to make such pronouncements.

51

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021

NEWSXTRA

Bauchi Procures, Distributes over 100 Trucks of Fertilizer to Farmers Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Bauchi State Government has flagged off the distribution of over 100 trucks of fertilizer to farmers across the state.

The state Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, while flagging off the 2021 fertilizer distribution in Soro town of Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state yesterday, said the 50kg NPK 20-10-10 and Urea fertilizer were procured at the cost of N120million.

The governor said the measure was taken in order to ease the hardship of farmers, adding that a bag of 50kg NPK 20-10-10 fertilizer which was procured from dealers at N9,500 would be sold at N9000.

According to him, “My admin-

istration will continue to promote agricultural production in order to ensure food availability in the state, which will in turn ensure food security, because with the availability of food, hunger and poverty will be subdued.

“In order to make assorted fertilizer readily available for the real farmers across the state, the government has procured 100 trailers at the cost of over N120 million which will be sold directly to the farmers by the fertilizer company.”

Mohammed, who said some of the fertilizers were purchased from dealers in the state, noted that his government is working very hard to make impact on the lives of the citizens.

“We are ensuring that after the

investments on infrastructure and services, we set aside 10 percent of our budget for the development of agriculture. We have really strived to establish a revolving fund for the purchase of fertilizer, but that has not worked and that is why we have entered into ISPO so that our fertilizer blending company will be self-sustaining, and we will be able to get money and do what is required,” he said.

While pointing out that the inability of farmers to access fertilizer and other farming inputs is capable of having negative effect on food security, the governor said his administration owed it a duty to provide the inputs to the farmers at affordable prices despite numerous competing demands

DSS Arrests Teachers, Desk Officers, Food Vendors for Diverting School Feeding Items Laleye Dipo in Minna Many teachers and desk officers in charge of the federal government Home Grown School Feeding programme have been arrested by operatives of the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) for allegedly sabotaging the programme.

Ten food vendors were also arrested for allegedly conniving with the teachers and the desk officers to shortchange the process.

It was learnt that majority of those nabbed were from the Central Primary school in Minna, Niger State, while arrests were also made from schools in Katcha in Katcha Local Government Area, and in Gwada in the Shiroro LGA of the state.

Apart from allegedly diverting raw food meant for pupils in the schools, it was learnt that those arrested in Gwada allegedly took away 30 crates of eggs meant for the breakfast of some of the pupils, which they allegedly sold to local food sellers in the town.

As a result of the under-the-table

CHANGE OF NAME I formally known and address as EFFIONG EFFIONG EKOP, now wish to be known and address as EKOP EFFIONG EFFIONG. All former documents remain valid. The general public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as CHIOMA STEPHANIE INNOCENT-NZE, now wish to be known and addressed as CHIOMA STEPHANIE ASOMBA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OLUWAKEMI OLADUNNI BABALOLA now wish to be known and addressed as OLUWAKEMI OLADUNNI ADEJUMO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note I formerly known and addressed as MISS ADEWUMI TOLULOPE GBOTEMI now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ADEKAHUNSI TOLULOPE GBOTEMI VICTORIA. All former documents remains valid, The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OLUWAYEMISI OLABISI AMOSHE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLUWAYEMISI OLABISI DARAMOLA. , all former documents remains valid, The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ESAN ADESOLA MARY now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OYEBADE ADESOLA MARY. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

dealing, it was gathered that four pupils were being made to share just one egg during their meals.

The state Focal Person of the School Feeding Programme, Mrs. Amina Guar, when contacted, confirmed the story, saying security operatives have been informed about the development.

She said the organisation was able to trace the crates of eggs diverted by those concerned to tea sellers in Gwada town, adding that: “We were able to retrieve the eggs and return them to the school concerned.

“It is true that some of our teachers at the Central Primary School are currently with the DSS, in fact some of them fainted on getting there.

“We have zero tolerance for corruption of any sort; feeding fat at the expense of innocent children is

unacceptable to any rational thinking person,” Guar said, adding that she was rushing to the DSS office to know the situation of things.

When contacted, the state Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Principal Assistant Secretary, Labaran Garba, said the union was not aware of the development but “we will investigate it.”

Meanwhile, Guar has disclosed that the state government has received over N27 billion for various federal government Social Intervention Programmes (SIP) from 2016 till date out of which N11.4 billion was for the Conditional Cash Transfer; N3.8 billion for the Home Grown School Feeding scheme and N12,2billion for the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme.

Railway Operations to Force Down Price of Rice, Says TITAN Farms CEO Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The Chief Executive Officer of TITAN Farms Limited, Aare Gbenga Eyiolawi, has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for inaugurating the Lagos-Ibadan railway transport service, saying it will reduce the cost of logistics in processing rice and force down the price of the commodity in the country.

He gave the assurance yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo State, while delivering a keynote address titled: ‘Food Security: The Challenges of Rice Farming and Milling in Nigeria’, at a media interactive tagged: ‘Time Out with Broadcasters’, organised by the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN), Oyo State chapter, led by Pastor Seun Awodele.

The event chaired by the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Raufu Olaniyan, was witnessed by other stakeholders in the industry, which include the President of Market Men and Women Association of Oyo State, Alhaji Sunmaila Jimoh, who doubles as the president of Rice Sellers Association of Oyo State; Alhaja Saratu Konibaje, the Iyaloja of Oyo State, the Iyaloja-Genaral of Ibadanland, Alhaja Sariat Ojikutu

Olorunero, and the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Bodija Market, Sulaiman Ileomo.

The TITAN Farms boss said with the railway terminus located in Moniya, Ibadan, just five minutes’ drive away from the factory in Ibadan, there would be lots of drop in expenses on logistics, security and insurance, stating that the price of rice will definitely drop very soon.

While explaining how insecurity is affecting farming business, he said the insecurity challenges in the country at present cut across all sectors, and not limited to farming alone, noting that the more reason most investors resort to protecting their businesses through insurance covers.

According to him, “We spends so much on transporting our materials from the northern part of the country to the state by the way of securing wares through insurance due to the insecurity in the country, and that is why we are commending the federal government in the area of transportation with the restoration of the rail system. There will be drop in the price of the commodity because we would not be paying more; what we need to do is to get our raw materials down here through the train.”

Lagos Assembly Plans Laws to Establish Two Universities Segun James The Lagos House of Assembly yesterday debated two bills proposing the establishment of two tertiary institutions - a University of Education and a University of Science and Technology - in the state.

The bills, which scaled second reading on the floor of the House presided over by the Speaker, Hon.

Mudashiru Obasa, were committed to the House Committee on Education (Tertiary) to report back in two weeks.

Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) argued that the bill for a law to provide for the establishment of the University of Education, Lagos (UNEDLAG) was important as he suggested that it should also have provision for pre-degree programmes.

WORLD OF ISLAM Edited by: MJO Mustapha

Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Spiritual Hajj in the Time of Pandemic By: Sayyed Mohammed Muhsin/IslamiCity

Hajj is off-limits to the majority of Muslims this year (again), the latest form of wide-ranging setback due to the pandemic.

It affects around two million Muslims in particular, and all Muslims in general.

It upsets all Muslims in general because “the believers are like one body in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever” ৡDতƯত DO %XNKƗUƯ ,Q addition, during the hajj season, PLOOLRQ SLOJULPV GR SUD\ not only for them but for all their brothers and sisters across the globe. The acceptance of that supplication is highly expected mainly due to the two reasons: (1) it is the prayer of pilgrims and (2) the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬says, “The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence will certainly be answered. Every time he makes a supplication for good for his brother, the angel appointed for this particular task says: µƗPƯQ PD\ LW EH IRU \RX WRR¶ ´ ৡDতƯত 0XVOLP

Since physically many can’t undertake a journey to the holiest city this year, it compels us to think of a spiritual trip to Makkah only to try RXU EHVW WR UHDS WKH EHQH¿WV of hajj, as part of seeing opportunities in tribulations DQG DWWHPSWLQJ SRVVLEO\ ¿QHVW replacements. )RU WKDW OHW¶V GR D µKDMM¶ WKURXJK WKH LPSOLFDtions of the hajj, navigating its PDTƗৢLG KLJKHU REMHFWLYHV RI 6KDUƯ‫ޏ‬DK LQ HQMRLQLQJ WKH KDMM

and spiritually circling around WKH .D‫ޏ‬EDK Every human is composed of heart and brain, faith and emotion, obedience and adoration, and love and empathy.

Each of them needs due and individual care. Relation with Allah is built neither RQ GH¿QLWH FRGH RI ODZ QRU on fear of punishment but LW LV VROLGL¿HG ZLWK GHHS love, affection, hope, and mindfulness $Enj DO ণDVDQ DO 1DGZƯ ZD $GKGKLQ IƯ DO 1ƗV EL DO ণDMM 7KH Quran says, “Those who believe are stauncher in their ORYH IRU $OODK´ DO %DTDUDK

$ERXW ,EUDKLP $OODK says, “Truly, Abraham was forbearing, tender-hearted, and ever turning to his Lord” (Hud:

7KH 3URSKHW ‫ )ﷺ‬says, “Whoever has three traits ZLWKLQ KLPVHOI ZLOO ¿QG WKH VZHHWQHVV RI IDLWK তDOƗZDW DO ƯPƗQ one who loves Allah and His Messenger more than anything else, one who loves a servant only for the sake of Allah, and one who hates to turn back to unbelief after Allah has saved him, just as he hates to be thrown into the ¿UH´ ৡDতƯত DO %XNKƗUƯ

Out of this love, devotees yearn to accomplish whatever pleases their Lord and to

elevate themselves from one station to the higher. Seeking the myriad blessings showered in the holiest places particularly during the hajj season, they set out to become the drops in the ocean of the dedicated pilgrims.

The supreme wish of every believer, the ineffable transcendent quest, is to PHHW WKH /RUG OLTƗ¶ $OODK

with Him they passionately communicate on daily basis and for Him, they step back from several lusts. Part of this thirst is quenched via the daily prayers, fasting, charities, recitations, etc., whereas the hajj embodies the epitome of the spiritual serenity in this regard DO 'DKODZƯ ণXMMDW $OOƗEL DO %ƗOLJKDK

Dhu al-Hijjah is spring of love, yearning, and salvation in which pilgrims become as they were born anew and a petal from their life falls down whereas a new petal of pure life sprouts with ultimate spiritual bliss. In this season, ‫ޏ‬LVKT EHWZHHQ .KƗOLT DQG NKDOT (the Creator and creatures) WUDQVFHQGV DQG তXEE EHWZHHQ them permeates, which is a sheer feeling that fails any words to describe. ‘The guests RI PRVW 0HUFLIXO¶ ঌX\njI DO 5DতPƗQ LV D KLJKO\ UHYHUHG title conferred on every pilgrim.

That is a moment where the Creator comes down to host His creatures and the feast is of His immense mercy. %HLQJ ZLWK WKLV VLQFHUH emotion, pilgrims loudly SURQRXQFH µODEED\N¶ E\ WKHQ their names are stamped in the guest-list, and they enter a new abode and melt in longing for Allah. Labbayk is their slogan, which asserts the “oneness of Allah” in praise, blessings, and authority. Apart from the emotions embedded therein, it can slightly be translated as “I respond to Your call O Allah, I respond to Your call, and I am obedient to Your orders, You have no partner, I respond to Your call. All the praises and blessings are for You, All the sovereignty is for You, And You have no partners with you.”

Retaining this love in heart DQG VORJDQ LQ OLSV KƗMƯ HQWHUV 0DVMLG DO ণDUDP EXW VWLOO Rabb al-bayt (the Lord of WKH .D‫ޏ‬EDK UHPDLQV XQVHHQ at that point he/she portrays the YLJRU RI EHOLHI LQ WKH µ8QVHHQ¶ (al-ghayb), which is a crucial part of faith in Islam. Allah introduces the believers, “who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them” DO %DTDUDK 7KHUHIRUH KDMM LV DQ H[HPSOL¿FDWLRQ of absolute submission, thorough observance of divine injunctions, striving towards soulful excellence, answering to the heavenly call $Enj ণƗPLG DO *KD]ƗOƯ ,ত\Ɨ¶ ‫ޏ‬8OnjP DO 'ƯQ

$OODK HPSKDVL]HG RQ acquiring two provisions as the sustenance for the journey of hajj, they are taqwah (pi-

HW\ IHDU RI *RG DQG dhikr (remembrance of Allah). These two provisions are highlighted in the Quranic verses related to hajj. For example, Allah says about taqwah, “Take necessary provisions for the journey, surely the best provision is taqwah. And be people of taqwah, O people RI UHDVRQ DO %DTDUDK

“Whoever honors the symbols of Allah, it is certainly out of the taqwah of the heart” DO +DMM

About the importance of dhikr in hajj, the Quran says, “When you return from ‫ޏ‬$UDIDK GR GKLNU RI $OODK near the sacred place and do dhikr of Him for having JXLGHG \RX´ DO %DTDUDK

“And when ye have completed your devotions, then remember Allah as you remember your fathers or with a more lively UHPHPEUDQFH´ DO %DTDUDK

Here, pilgrims need to do self-introspection about the awareness regarding the uninterrupted surveillance of Allah on their faith and action. Likewise, they may increase the time they are spending for the remembrance of Allah with their tongue and heart.

Hajj is the remembrance of $OODK DI¿UPDWLRQ RI WDZতƯG reinforcement of the faith, seeking the Lord, seeing His symbols, adhering to His injunctions, staying away from His prohibitions, getting SURIRXQGO\ SXUL¿HG FRPLQJ closer to Him, obtaining the salvation, preparing to receive the reward which is nothing but the paradise. For many, it is a junction in the road of life, to move from bad to good or from good to better. Hajj is more about the internal journey than external.

A model of spiritual hajj is described below with seven steps in order.

1. Enrich ourselves with remembrance and mindfulness of Allah – taqwah and dhikr.

2. Sincere supplication for selves and all brothers and sisters – fraternity of believers. $I¿UPDWLRQ RI WDZতƯG ± Message of Labbayk. $EVROXWH VXEPLVVLRQ and belief in the Unseen – LPSRUWDQFH RI ƯPƗQ EL DO JKD\E &KHULVK WKH VZHHWQHVV of faith by loving Allah and His Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬more than DQ\WKLQJ ± তDOƗZDW DO ƯPƗQ <HDUQLQJ WR PHHW WKH /RUG ± /LTƗ¶ $OODK :LQQLQJ IRUJLYHQHVV and paradise – rewards of তDMM PDEUnjU As many of us are far from Makkah, though it is undoubtedly incomplete, we VWLOO FDQ KDYH D µVSLULWXDO KDMM¶ by implanting the features of ideal hajj in our life and attempting to get its maximum UHVXOWV DQG UHZDUGV DV ¿QDOO\ whatever occurs in this world is to be the land for cultivating the hereafter. Allah knows the EHVW :D $OOƗKX $‫ޏ‬ODP

39

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

IN ER NA I O N A L F R I E N D L

Home-based Eagles Land in America for Clash with Mexico Olawale Ajimotokan Nigeria’s Home-based Super Eagles have arrived in Los Angeles, United States of America for Saturday’s international friendly with Mexico taking place at the imposing Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, simply known as LA Coliseum.

NFF’s FIFAMatch Agent, Jairo Pachon of Eurodata Sport conęrmed yesterday that the match will kick oě at ŞpmLA time on Saturday (4amin Nigeria on Sunday).

Organizers expect a full house at the 77,500- capacity LA Coliseum at Saturday’s match, which would make it the mostaĴended game globally since the restrictions that followed the coronavirus pandemic which broke out last year.

According to NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, as a result of injury to goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa,

Home-based Super Eagles players and officials on arrival in Los Angeles, USA... Yesterday the federation had to fast-track National Exempt papers for Tottenham Hotspur of England U23 goalkeeper, Joshua Oluwayemi to join the 22-man squad.

...Aigbogun to Handle Eagles as isa Hassles Sto Eguavoen from USA ri Femi Solaja Following the inability of the Head of Technical Department of the Nigeria Football Federation Austin Eguavoen to secure a valid United States of America visa yesterday, former Flying Eagles coach, Paul Aigbogun, has been saddled with leading the Home-based Eagles in the friendly with Mexico on Saturday.

A top oĜcial of the NFF conęrmed to THISDA that Eguavoen’s request for the travel document “is still under administrative review at the Embassy.”

“We are making all eěorts to ensure everything go smoothly as planned including the visa issue which is still under administrative review as at this morning (Thursday) and all things been equal, it is expected that Eguavoen will join the rest

of the squad once the visa maĴer is sorted out for him to continue with the project,” the top oĜcial explained last night.

The choice of Aigbogun as replacement for Eguavoen, the source further revealed “was because he holds a British passport which will not hinder his entry into America.”

Aigbogun is expected to be assisted by goalkeeper trainer, Alloy Agu. In a related development, ToĴenham’s U-23 goalkeeper, Joshua Olayemi who was a last minute invitee is expected in the team’s camp in Los Angeles today.

Olayemi replaced injured Captain of the team, Ikechukwu Ezenwa.

He’s to provide back up for Stanley Nwabali since another invited goalkeeper, John Noble also picked injury during training session in Abuja.

Ronaldo o s nstagram Rich List for First ime

Cristiano Ronaldo has topped Instagram's rich list as the celebrity thought to be able to charge more than anyone else for a sponsored post.

The Juventus forward can charge advertisers $1.6m (£1.2m) per post on his account, according to social media marketing ęrm Hopper HQ. Former Real Madrid star Ronaldo knocked wrestlerturned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson oě the top spot.

It is the ęrst time Ronaldo has topped the list, which started in 2017.

The ęve-time Ballon d'Or winner boasts 30Ş million Instagram followers.

Since last year the estimated cost for an Instagram post by

Ronaldo, who made headlines in June when he removed two boĴes of Coca-Cola at a press conferencebefore Portugal's Euro 2020 opener against Hungary, has increased by 54%.

Johnson, who stars in the box oĜce juggernaut Fast and Furious ęlm franchise, has 250 million followers and can command just over $1.52m (£1m) per post, while pop star Ariana Grande ($1.51m) places third on the list.

Lionel Messi, who this week became a free agent after his Barcelona contract expired, is the only other sportsperson on the list's top 10.

The Argentine, who has 224 million followers, can charge up to $1.1m (£79Ş,011) per post, placing him seventh.

Oluwayemi is expected in the team hotel in Los Angeles today to beef up the goalkeeping department that has only Enyimba FC’s John Noble and

Lobi Stars’ Stanley Nwabali.

Saturday’s Clash will be the sixth confrontation between the senior teams of both countries, four of which have ended in

draws. The only win in the series has gone to Mexico at the US Gold Cup encounter in Dallas ( State of Texas) 2-1 on 24th June 1995.

Close-fought confrontations include a 1-1 draw at the FIFA Intercontinental Tournament for the King Fahd Cup (now FIFA Confederations Cup) in Saudi Arabia on 13th January 1995 (Mexico prevailed 5-4 on penalties in the quarter ęnal match), and 0-0 draws in friendly matches in Houston and Atlanta the previous decade. A friendly game in Mexico also ended 2-2.

Nigeria’s delegation to the friendly included a number of oĜcials like the NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi and President of the NFF and FIFA Council Member, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, who honoured an invite by the Government of the State of Maryland in Baltimore on Wednesday, will join up with the contingent in Los Angeles today.

EAGLES IN AMERICA Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Lobi Stars); John Noble (Enyimba FC) Defenders: Olisa Ndah (Akwa United); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors); Tope Olusesi (Rangers International); Enyinnaya Kazie (Rivers United); Imoh Obot (Enyimba FC); Tebo Franklin Degaulle (Nasarawa United); Lawal Oriyomi Murtala (Kwara United) 0LGÀHOGHUV Anthony Shimaga (Rangers International); Seth Mayi (Akwa United); Uche Onwuasonaya (Plateau United); Ibrahim Olawoyin (Rangers International); Anayo Iwuala (Enyimba FC) Forwards: Stephen Jude (Kwara United); Charles Ashimene (Akwa United); Chinonso Ezekwe (Rangers International); Auwalu Ali Malam (Kano Pillars); Neurot Emmanuel (Plateau United); Abdulmutalif Sanusi (Katsina United); Mohammed ulkięlu (Plateau United); Sunday Adetunji (Rivers United)

EURO 2020...EURO 2020...EURO 2020...

History Favours S ain as Swiss See Re eat of ȁCou Ȃ

Swiĵerland will try to follow up their shock elimination of world champions France at Euro 2020 against Spain tonight after reaching the quarteręnals of a major tournament for the ęrst time in 67 years.

Vladimir Petkovic's side recovered from two goals down to force extra time against muchfancied France and prevailed on penalties as 201Ş World Cup hero Kylian Mbappe missed the decisive spot-kick.

Now the Swiss hope to spring another surprise against a Spain team that has scored 10 times in two games after a slow start to the group stage.

Alvaro Morata's redemptive strike helped secure a 5-3 extratime win over Croatia, but Spain will need to cut out the errors if they are to contend for a record fourth European Championship.

The Juventus forward and his family had been subjected to abuse by fans in Seville after he missed a series of chances in the group stage.

History is on Spain's side against Swiĵerland, having lost just once in 22 meetings, a 1-0 defeat in South Africa that sparked their run to the 2010 World Cup title.

Sergio Busquets, the Spain captain, is the lone survivor from that team, while the Barcelona midęelder and Jordi Alba are the only two players in the squad left from their Euro 2012 triumph.

The win over Croatia was Spain's ęrst in a knockout ęxture since they beat Italy 4-0 to claim the second of back-to-back European crowns. ȈThe quarteręnal depends on us not our rival. It wouldn't maĴer if it were France, the Swiss, Ukraine - we are here to win so we have to face and beat the best," said goalkeeper Unai Simon.

The Athletic Bilbao 'keeper suěered an embarrassing lapse of concentration, allowing a Pedri back-pass to roll oě his foot for an own goal, but recovered his composure to make a crucial

EURO 2020

Quarter Finals Switzerland v S ain ś m Belgium

v Italy Ş m

save in extra time.

"It was a miscontrol. I've seen it six or seven times now and I've got a bit worked up about it," said Simon, who made his Spain debut last November.

"The sun's not bothering me and it doesn't bounce awkwardly... I think I tried to get the ball out of my feet by controlling it instead of stopping it."

"It's an accident and something that can be ęxed," he added.

Swiĵerland celebrated what striker Haris Seferovic called "the most beautiful of nights" as they dumped out France to win their ęrst European Championship knockout tie.

The last time the Swiss reached a major quarteręnal they lost 7-5 to Austria as hosts of the 1954 World Cup, the highest scoring game in the tournament's history.

Fast-forward more than half a century and a ęrst semięnal is within reach for Swiĵerland, whose Sarajevo-born coach is symbolic of the squad's multicultural composition.

"At the end of the (France)

game, I couldn't speak at all. I was ęnished, I lost my voice," said Petkovic, the former charity worker who was appointed in 2014.

However he will have to do without captain Granit Xhaka, whose booking against France means the combative Arsenal midęelder is suspended for the next game.

"I've always said that this team deserves a lot more than what you read," Xhaka said after Swiĵerland won their ęrst knockout game since the 1930s.

"There has been so much talk about this team. There's even been talk that we're arrogant.

But I can guarantee you now that we wrote history."

Belgium Fret over Hazard, De Bruyne for taly Ȃęnal Clash onight

Belgium are anxiously waiting on the ętness of stars Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard for their Euro 2020 quarteręnal showdown against Italy tonight.

Thorgan Hazard ęred Belgium into the last eight with the goal that knocked out holders Portugal, but the ętness of his brother Eden and De Bruyne is Belgium's main concern before facing the Azzurri in Munich.

De Bruyne came oě early in the second half against Portugal with an ankle knock, while Belgian captain Hazard injured a hamstring late in the game.

Neither trained Wednesday with Belgium's medical staě working around the clock to get them ęt to face Italy.

Coach Roberto Martinez admits neither player will probably be 100 per cent in Munich, "but we will use every day to get them as ęt as possible".

Manchester City midęelder De Bruyne is central to Belgium's hopes of reaching the semięnals, where Spain or Swiĵerland would await next Tuesday.

Martinez is assessing his

Kevin de Bruyne (left) and Eden Hazard are doubtful for Belgium against Italy tonight alternative options in aĴacking midęeld.

Atletico Madrid's annick Carrasco could replace Hazard, while Napoli forward Dries Mertens may step in for De Bruyne.

Martinez expects Italy to "attack from the very ęrst second, they will be very structured", underlining the need for De Bruyne's presence to guide Belgium's counter-aĴacks.

Chelsea midęelder Jorginho,

who faced De Bruyne's City in last month's Champions League ęnal, has warned his Italy teammates.

"De Bruyne is a player who makes the diěerence. We have to stop him because he always ęnds space. He can be really dangerous," said Jorginho.

With four wins and three clean sheets so far at Euro 2020, the Belgians are living up to their billing as the world's top-ranked team.

Friday, July 2, 2021

Gov Sule to PDP “We have been a very strong party and we are doing the best we can to continue to be stronger and the only way we can be stronger is to get more and more people and the right people to get are the leaders of the opposition.”

—Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, justifying the defections of PDP governors to the APC

BOLATINUBU GUEST COLUMNIST

Tunji: Profile in Diligence and Loyalty

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ournalist, lawyer, politician and administrator, Tunji Bello has an enviable resume replete with accolades and excellent deeds. That we celebrate his 60th birthday is more than appropriate for he stands among the most illustrious sons of Lagos State. He has proven to be the most accomplished and durable civil servant of his generation.

He has been an indispensable factor in the socio-economic progress the state has made since the 1999 return to democratic governance.

But the best thing about Tunji is that he is so much more than what is written on paper. The auspicious titles and honours simply cannot capture the extraordinary depth and inherent goodness of the man. Tunji is of strong character, integrity, honesty and intellect. I have had the unique pleasure to watch him grow and evolve over the years, always striving to do better and be better, although he was already more than good enough. ,Q GLI¿FXOW WLPHV WKH FKDUDFWHU RI D SHUVRQ is most revealed. I have seen Tunji in action in such moments. He remained steadfast and intact. A man of principle, Tunji never backed DZD\ IURP WKH ¿JKW ZRUWK ¿JKWLQJ $ PDQ of integrity to the core, he never took the easy way when that was not the right way.

A man of excellence, he never did a partial job or made excuses. He got the work done better than I thought possible. As governor, I knew after giving Tunji an assignment, that I no longer had to be concerned about it.

His excellence and work ethic allowed me to pile assignment after assignment on him, knowing that he would do more that come WKURXJK +H ZRXOG ÀRXULVK DQG KLV ZRUN would stand as an example to others. What motivates Tunji is that he has the soul force of a humanitarian. Despite all he is and has done, he is among the most good-natured and kind spirited of us all. Without hesitation, Tunji is quick to extend a helping hand, providing guidance and instruction to the young workers around him on the one hand, while going beyond the call of duty to help the aged and weak among us on the other.

Most of Tunji’s adult life has been devoted largely to the public good, whether as an intrepid journalist and media executive or as an important player in bringing democratic and progressive good governance to Lagos 6WDWH 7XQML %HOOR SHUVRQL¿HV WKH FRQWLQXLW\ we have sought in governance in Lagos State.

He is one of the few who have served in the administration of every governor from

These are his solid family background, which attested to the fact that he is a product of a home of culture and morality; his professional calling and work ethics, which moulded him into an enlightened public servant, DQG WKH ¿QH SHUVRQDO DQG IDPLO\ OLIH KH has created with the invaluable help of a perfect companion, his wife, Prof. Ibiyemi Tunji-Bello.

A writer of great repute, his analyses were incisive and uncannily prescient. His writings revealed his enduring belief in the power of ideas, reason, tolerance, wisdom and right. Armed with such tools, Tunji rapidly climbed the profession ladder in journalism, becoming Politics Editor at a tender age of 27. Not long thereafter, he was promoted to the Editor of the Sunday title and later Editor of the daily title of the famous Concord Newspapers Group. And much later, he was appointed Chairman of the Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspaper.

Bello Despite the pressures of being a journalist and media executive, Tunji was able to me to present Governor Babajide Sanwo- turn his immense talents to the pursuit of Olu. This is not only a testament to his a legal education, becoming a lawyer in the devotion to the state and its development. process. His involvement in politics was It also shows his versatility and his mastery born on the university campus. He entered as an administrator. He is a repository of university at a time of idealistic yearnings knowledge, yet he is not stuck in the ways of and expectations. We all yearned for a more ROG +LV LV D ÀH[LEOH DGDSWLYH PLQG DOZD\V democratic and just Nigeria through the end searching for innovative ways to improve to military rule. However, not all of us had governance.

WKH FRXUDJH WR ¿JKW IRU LW 7XQML GLG +H ZDV I have known Tunji for over three decades. I actively involved as the Vice President of have never seen him waver in his commitment the University of Ibadan Students Union, to the progressive ideal or his loyalty to the playing a vocal role in the popular agitation people and our best ideals. All I can do is to for democracy in the 80s. Since then, he state one superlative after another to describe has not stopped. my friend and brother. His character is that Tunji Bello played an important role in the of a rare breed, someone the Yoruba would struggle for democracy and good governance. call Omoluabi, a man of moral valour who One day the tales of this story will be fully any leader can depend on or rely upon for told and Tunji will hold a prominent place honest advice on crucial matters. in it. Bello was part of the kitchen cabinet Three factors, in my opinion, have shaped of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola’s Hope Bello’s excellent personality and worldview. 1993 presidential campaign. When Abiola’s

In difficult times, the character of a person is most revealed.

I have seen Tunji in action in such moments. He remained steadfast and intact. A man of principle, Tunji never backed away from the fight worth fighting. A man of integrity to the core, he never took the easy way when that was not the right way. A man of excellence, he never did a partial job or made excuses. He got the work done better than I thought possible. As governor, I knew after giving Tunji an assignment, that I no longer had to be concerned about it

victory was annulled by the military, Bello ZDV RQH RI WKH ¿UVW WR WDNH WR WKH WUHQFKHV WR ODXQFK WKH ¿JKWLQJ WKDW ZRXOG XOWLPDWHO\ result in the return to democracy six long, often hard years later.

Here, I must thank Mr. Dele Alake, an eminent journalist and a remarkable Commissioner for Information in my cabinet as Lagos governor. Alake urged that I bring 7XQML RQ ERDUG , GLG ,W ZDV RQH RI P\ ¿QHVW decisions. Tunji’s contributions were immense and covered a wide spectrum of issues. I can attest to his interventions particularly in some highly technical areas where he brilliantly deployed his expertise. His capacity to achieve strategic objectives with speed yet precision is remarkable.

From the onset, Tunji was constructive and frank, adding so much to the spirited debates that became a hallmark of our cabinet and its success. As a member of our team in Lagos State, Tunji performed excellently whether as Head of Signage and Advertising Agency (LASSA), Secretary to the State Government or Commissioner for Environment. He truly is the most accomplished and versatile public servant of this era.

Tunji contributed immensely to the 24-year Development Plan designed by our administration to accelerate growth, thereby changing the destiny of state and its people. Also of great importance was Bello’s contribution to urban renewal in his capacity as Commissioner for Environment.

Because of the unparalleled job he has done, Tunji still presides over this highly technical, sensitive ministry. He has set a standard that will be hard for his successors to approach, let alone match or surpass.

At a more personal level, Tunji has been blessed with the good and supportive family he deserves. He is a proud husband of a renowned scholar, Prof. Ibiyemi Tunji-Bello, and the father of upstanding children. My prayer for Tunji is that Almighty Allah continue to OD\ +LV EHQH¿FHQW KDQG RI EOHVVLQJ RQ KLP and his family, grant him many more years of health and vigour that he may continue to serve his state, and nation. With all that Tunji has already done, may his greatest feats still lie before him.

May history remember him as among the best of us.

Happy Birthday my friend and brother.

Happy Birthday Tunji Bello. zBeing excerpts from a new book, ‘In Pursuit of the Public Purpose - Essays in Honour of Tunji Bello at 60’.