WEDNESDAY 3RD JULY 2019

Baru: NNPC Has Settled over $2bn Cash Call Arrears Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has so far settled over $2 billion cash call arrears out of the $5 billion Nigeria owes joint venture (JV) partners since 2015, its

Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said yesterday in Abuja.

According to him, the oil corporation gave priority to settling the arrears to encourage players in the industry, particularly the traditional joint venture (JV)

partners.

Baru, while officially declaring open the 2019 Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG) under the theme: ‘’Promoting Investment and Collaboration in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry,’’ said

efforts were geared towards sustaining investment in the oil industry and renewing investors' confidence.

He added that the corporation has created a platform in the oil and gas sector to explore a vast range of investment opportunities,

which span the value chain.

He listed the opportunities to include merger and acquisition, pseudo equity type transactions, provision of drilling rigs and related services, heavy equipment leasing, seismic acquisition and processing, reservoir

engineering and field development studies as well as core engineering services.

Baru stated that through the years, the NOG had braced several odds to emerge as an important conference and Continued on page 9

Capital Importation into Nigeria Hits $8.48bn in Q1... Page 9 Wednesday 03 July, 2019 Vol 24. No 8850. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

INEC Demands Immediate Trial of Electoral Offenders... Page 8

Soyinka: Ruga Settlements May Set Nigeria on Fire Rivers rejects policy Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt and George Okoh in Makurdi Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has added his voice to the growing opposition to the federal government’s proposal to establish Ruga settlements for herdsmen,

saying the scheme will set Nigeria on fire.

This is coming as the Rivers State Government has signified its intention not to participate in the project, conceived to find a lasting solution to the perennial problem of farmersContinued on page 8

My Election Reflects Nigerians' Wishes, Says Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday defended his victory in the last general election, saying the election results reflected the wishes of Nigerians.

He pledged not to disappoint the people for voting overwhelmingly for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and for returning him

for another four-year term in office.

He spoke while playing host to members of the Buhari Support Group Centre, led by its Director-General, Alhaji Umaru Dembo, at the State House.

The president, who also hosted another group of his support groups, the Buhari Continued on page 9

Stand Firm, Atiku Tells Saraki over EFCC's Summons.. . Page 8

>T` Z3)`

OILY BUSINESS...

L-R: Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas, Mr. Ed Ubong; Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Mr. Bayo Ojulari; British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing; and Vice President, Shell Nigeria and Gabon, Mr. Peter Costello, during the 2019 edition of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Annual Conference and Exhibition in Abuja…yesterday

>3x

x TR )3TT3=|T x` TT [3x `nRr

n­¤½ 븭 [Ĝěě ת ¸­õ [Ġěě

ĠĊ

n3*C n>3 )`[|r

`[ TT 03[`ZF[ xF`[r

ɹ |×ÐÀÖÀõ­ª

n­¤½ 븭 ŚĠĠĠŚlF[Į

x­ëÖï ת ¤ÝתÀõÀÝ×ï ééÐċĦ

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

2

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 • T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 • T H I S D AY

3

4

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 • T H I S D AY

DFFHVV PRUH IXQGV IRU \RXU SDVVLRQ

,QWURGXFLQJ 7KH &UHDWLYH 6HFWRU /RDQ (QMR\ ORDQV DW ZLWK D Æ«H[LEOH SD\EDFN SODQ $YDLODEOH WR LQGLYLGXDOV DQG EXVLQHVVHV LQ (QWHUWDLQPHQW )DVKLRQ DQG 7HFKQRORJ\ ,QGXVWULHV 7KLV VFKHPH LV D &%1 LQLWLDWLYH 3D\EDFN SHULRG LV EHWZHHQ \HDUV 7HUPV DQG &RQGLWLRQV $SSO\

)DFHERRN FRP DFFHVVEDQNSOF _ 7ZLWWHU FRP P\DFFHVVEDQN <RXWXEH FRP DFFHVVEDQNSOF _ /LQNHG,Q DFFHVVEDQNSOF ,QVWDJUDP P\DFFHVVEDQN

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

5

6

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

7

8

WEDNESDAY, ͻ˜ ͺ͸͹΁ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT

INEC Demands Immediate Trial of Electoral Offenders Calls for case files, electoral offences tribunal Chuks Okocha in Abuja Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday called for the immediate prosecution of electoral offenders, including members of the security agencies.

He made the call in Abuja during a meeting of Interest Agency Consultative Committee on Electoral Matters.

At the meeting, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, said during the last elections, 58 high-profile arrests were made, while 39 had been charged to court.

The INEC chairman told the meeting that "proven misconduct must be dealt with according to the law,”

and that “this is one of the surest ways to address impunity and instill sanity in the electoral process."

He also commended the security agencies that responded to allegations of electoral misconduct against their personnel, stating that "some security agencies also responded by investigating the allegations of misconduct against their own personnel.

We shall once again share experience at this meeting and take bold steps to ensure that we all keep to our rules of engagement."

He commended the police for arresting many suspected electoral offenders during the general election and asked that the police should avail the commission of the case files so that it could initiate their immediate prosecution.

Police: 58 high-profile arrests made, 39 charged to court

The INEC chairman also reiterated the call for the establishment of an election offences tribunal to check rising cases of election offences.

Yakubu said: "I wish to renew the call for the establishment of the Electoral Offences Tribunal. We shall work with the National Assembly to ensure the passage of a private member bill sponsored in the Senate by the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and in the House of Representatives by Hon. Francis Charles Uduyok.

"Their effort was reinforced by an Executive Bill submitted to the National Assembly arising from the report of the Ken Nnamani Committee on Electoral Reform. The truth is

that democracy and credible elections will be deepened where electoral offenders are swiftly prosecuted.

"For instance, in the recent general election in South Africa held in May 2019, some electoral offenders were arrested and swiftly charged to court even before the election was concluded."

On the forthcoming November 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States, Yakubu said: "Given the history of political violence, resulting in the governorship elections declared inconclusive in the two states in 2015, the commission is concerned about the safety of our personnel, properties and the sanctity of the electoral process.

"The politicians in Bayelsa and Kogi States must shed off

the toga of political violence associated with elections in the two states. I am glad to note the peace efforts in Bayelsa State through a broad-based stakeholders’ summit on violence-free elections.

"I am also glad that some concerned leaders in Kogi State are considering a similar initiative. I want to assure all well-meaning leaders of Bayelsa and Kogi States that the commission will work with them to ensure peaceful and credible polls. I also wish to assure all voters in the two states that INEC will protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that the will of the people prevails.

We will also work with the security agencies to ensure professionalism and neutrality in strict compliance with their

rules of engagement."

In his contribution at the meeting, the Inspector General of Police, represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, said during the last elections, 58 high profile arrests were made.

Of the figure, 25 arrests were made during the presidential and National Assembly elections, 17 during gubernatorial election and 14 other arrests were also made.

"Out of the 58 arrests, 39 have been conclusively investigated and concluded and charged to courts, while 19 are pending," he added.

He commended other security agencies, particularly the military, for the cooperation given to the police and INEC during the last election.

Stand Firm, Atiku Tells Saraki over EFCC's Summons Says EFCC can’t operate outside the law

Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Chuks Okocha in Abuja The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has advised immediate past President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to stay strong and remain firm following moves by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arraign him on allegations of corruption.

Atiku in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, accused the federal government of plotting the downfall of Saraki.

Describing Saraki as one of the most investigated Nigerians, he asked him to take solace in the fact that the nation’s constitution is there at all times in the interest of all.

Atiku said: “I urge Dr. Bukola Saraki to stand firm and take solace in the fact

that Nigerians still hold the constitution higher than any other authority.

“Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the immediate past Senate president, is one of the most investigated politicians in Nigeria. ‘’He has been investigated and prosecuted all the way to the Supreme Court and has prevailed against his accusers. It was expected that should have been the end of the matter.’’

Atiku said that the revival of previously investigated cases, and the fact that Saraki was politically opposed to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari seems to give strong grounds for objective bystanders to conclude that his current travails have gone beyond prosecution and are now tending towards persecution.

“I stand against corruption in government, which was why my office personally

facilitated the take-off of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with a loan, after that most important anti-corruption institution was founded by then President Olusegun Obasanjo,” he said, adding: “However, there is a huge difference between prosecution and persecution.

I am all for prosecuting the corrupt, but I believe it is wrong to use the instruments of state to persecute political

opponents.”

Atiku said the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are made for all and stated: “We fought for democracy so that the powers of the state would not be used to support tyranny and oppression.’’

He called on Nigerians especially those tasked with upholding the constitution and the laws of the land, to note that silence in the face of oppression is akin to acquiescence.

63 Days After, Buhari's District Head Regains Freedom IGP: How we rescued president's in-law

Francis Sardauna in Katsina and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

A team of security operatives yesterday rescued President Muhammadu Buhari’s Daura home town district head and in-law, Alhaji Musa Uba, from his abductors after spending 63 days in captivity.

The 70-year-old retired customs officer, who was abducted at his residence in Daura on May 1, 2019, was rescued by the security operatives in Kano State.

Uba, who is married to Hajiya Biliki, Buhari’s niece, is also the father of Fatima, who is married to the president’s Aide De Camp (ADC), Col. Mohammed Abubakar.

Uba's younger brother, Mr. Umar Ata, who confirmed the development to THISDAY in Daura, said the victim was rescued about 7.28a.m.

in Kano by the security operatives after a gun battle with his abductors.

He said: "A team of security operatives rescued my elder brother this morning (Tuesday) in a house along Madobi Road in Samagu Quarters close to Sani Abacha Youth Centre, Kano.

"I spoke with him and he said he was in good condition but you know as an elderly person of about 70 years, who has been in kidnappers' den for 63 days, he has to undergo medical check-up.

"So, he has been moved to Abuja for that purpose.

We are grateful to Nigeria’s security agencies because they have done what we cannot pay them except Almighty Allah."

The spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, Mr. Gambo Isah, a Superintendent of Police,

also confirmed the rescuing of Uba. He said: “The Magajin Garin Daura has been rescued. Congratulations to the entire people of Daura and Katsina State. Details follow."

Daura, the hometown of the president was agog yesterday when reports filtered into the old city about the rescue of the 70-year-old retired customs officer.

Hundreds of youths and women, who besieged major streets of the town, singing solidarity songs such as "Sai Magaji," said they would intensify prayers for sustainable peace in the state and the country at large.

One of the women, Mrs. Zuwera Maigoro, in an interview with THISDAY, said: "We are extremely happy to hear the news of the release of Magajin Garin. Our joy

is unquantifiable; we are grateful to Allah and we will continue to pray fervently for the kidnappers to release all the people in their custody."

IGP: How We Rescued President's In-law Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Adamu Mohammed, yesterday gave a detailed account of how Uba was rescued from his kidnappers.

A statement in Abuja said the Intelligence Response Team of the IGP's office led by Mr. Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, rescued Uba. He said the investigation led the team to Kaduna, Kogi, Bauchi and Niger States.

"Today (yesterday), the IGP Intelligence Response team successfully rescued Alhaji Musa Umar Daura,

Magajin Garin Daura, Katsina State, who was kidnapped on May I, 2019 in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State.

“In line with the directives of IGP Adamu Mohammed, IRT operatives led by DCP Abba Kyari conducted six weeks unrelenting follow-up together with OC SIB Kaduna State and OC SIB Niger State.

"High level intelligence-led operations were conducted in Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger, Katsina, Katsina and Kogi States, which resulted in the arrest of 11 of the terrorists and kidnappers, including the overall gang leader and the rescuing of the victim in Panshekara Area of Kano City.

“One of the terrorists/ kidnappers was killed during the rescue operation assisted by CP Kano State, DC Operations Kano State, ACP Operation Kano state, OC SARS Kano State, PMF

SOYINKA: RUGA SETTLEMENTS MAY SET NIGERIA ON FIRE herders clashes.

Governor of Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom, has also stated that he will not be distracted by the “false comment” made by a presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, on the federal government’s plan to establish the settlement in the state.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday at the launch of United Nations’ Solutions 17 SDG Programme, Soyinka berated the federal government for the idea, which he said could cause Nigeria to explode.

He said: “Ruga is going to be an explosion if not handled with care. But why do we not

take our policies from good models? This is not the way people and countries deal with issues of cattle.

“I travel everywhere. It has to be handled in a way that is logical, comprehensible to the environment. When a cattle walks up to the window of my house in Abeokuta, a

house which is located in a residential area, then there’s a problem.

“When cattle go to Ijebu Ode and eat up their plant seedlings and so on and you expect people to be quiet?”

According to him, the handling of the herdsmen issue

by President Muhammadu

Buhari could have cost him his re-election.

He said: “President Buhari deserved to have lost the last election for the lackadaisical attitude he took to the issue of cattle rearing in the country.

Continued on page 9

and other police units who assisted IRT in subduing and overpowering the kidnappers which enabled the successful rescue of the victim.

“Several AK47 rifles and ammunition were recovered and several of the kidnappers were arrested ," the statement added.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN CORNERSTONE 0.02 0.22 NPFMFB 0.09 1.14 CHIPLC 0.02 0.28 ACADEMY 0.02 0.29 CHAMS PLC 0.02 0.31 TOP LOSERS NGN REDSTAR 0.55 4.95 TRANSCORP 0.11 1.02 ETI 1.00 10.00 GTBANK 2.30 30.60 UNILEVER 2.30 30.70 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,390.00 Volume: 104.438 million shares Value: N1.138 billion Deals: 3,067 As at yesterday 1/7/19 See details on Page 31

% 10 8.5 7.6 7.4 6.9 % 10 9.7 9.0 6.9 6.9

9

WEDNESDAY, ͻ˜ ͺ͸͹΁ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Capital Importation into Nigeria Hits $8.48bn in Q1 James Emejo in Abuja The total value of capital importation into the country stood at $8.48 billion in the first quarter of the year (Q1 2019), according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The figure represented an increase of 216.03 per cent compared to the $2.14 imported in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2018 and 34.61 per cent increase compared to the first quarter of 2018.

According to the Nigerian Capital Importation- Q1 2019 report, which was posted on the NBS website yesterday, the largest amount of capital importation by type was received through portfolio investment, which accounted

for 84.21 per cent ($7.14 billion) of total capital importation.

This was followed by other investment, which accounted for 12.91 per cent or $1. 09 billion of the total capital, as well as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which accounted for 2.86 per cent, amounting to $243.36 million of total capital imported in Q1.

When categorised by sector, the banking sector attracted $2.85 billion of the total capital imports in Q1.

Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc emerged at the top of capital investment into the country in Q1 with $3.60 billion.

This accounted for 42.50 per cent of the total capital inflow.

According to the report,

the United Kingdom emerged as the top source of capital investment in the country with $4.53 billion, which accounted for 53.40 per cent of the total capital inflow in Q1.

Also, by destination of investment, Lagos State emerged as the top destination of capital investment with $4.77 billion, which accounted for 56.25 per cent of the total capital inflow into the country.

According to the statistical agency, capital importation had dropped to $2.14 billion in Q4,2018 compared to $2.85 billion in the preceding quarter.

However, the total value of capital importation in 2018 was valued at $16.81 billion, representing a growth of

37.49 per cent (year -on-year) when compared to the $12.22 billion recorded in 2017.

However, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), recently put the value of total foreign capital flows into the country at $14.2 billion between January and May 2019.

According to the apex bank, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) accounted for $2.87 billion, representing 20.18 per cent of the total amount.

CBN Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, had in a statement, stated that the increased capital Inflow for the period was contrary to a Reuters report which had indicated that the country's FDIs slumped last year.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

stimulating collaboration among the various players within Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry (exactly the theme of this Conference).’’

According to Baru, Nigeria holds about 2.2 per cent of global oil reserves while the nation’s crude oil reserves have grown steadily from about 22 billion barrels in 1999 to 37.5 billion barrels in 2018.

Besides, Nigeria is also home to the second largest crude oil reserves in Africa after Libya.

He said: “Our crude oil production currently hovers around 2.2 -2.3 million bpd.

This was bolstered by the coming on stream of the Egina Field in December 2018 and which has currently ramped up to 200,000bpd.

"We have the ninth largest gas reserves in the world with a proven gas reserves of 201trillion cubic feet (Tcf) and an upside potential of about 600Tcf. In terms of gas

production and utilisation, Nigeria averages about 8.4 bscfd.

"While only 18 per cent of the production is consumed in the domestic market (Power, Industries and WAGP), 43 per cent is exported as LNG, 32 per cent is re-injected for enhanced oil recovery and other operational uses like fuel gas while seven per cent of total gas production is currently being flared.

"These resources or reserve numbers on their own mean nothing except we drive investment in a sustainable and collaborative manner.

This has been the thrust and focal point of our drive over the past three years at NNPC and we appreciate the goodwill and support we have enjoyed from all.

"Standardisation, consolidation, improved engagement with government and investment in human capacity development- this is the engine room for

innovation. We can create local solutions that have global applicability.

"The industry must collaborate to create solutions by channelling investment into research that would give room for use of locally sourced products and encourage import substitution."

Baru also said this year’s NOG offered another opportunity for industry players and stakeholders to collaborate to find workable solutions to issues that confront challenges in the oil sector.

"For Nigeria therefore, oil and gas remain essential building blocks for our economic growth, particularly as a developing country. There is, therefore, no gain saying the fact from the upstream, midstream and downstream sub-sectors, the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry is replete with massive investment opportunities," he added.

was reacting to the governor’s opposition to the initiative.

Ortom had said Benue would not allow the establishment of any herders’ settlement in the state.

But in his reaction, Ortom, who spoke through Mr. Terver Akase, his Chief Press Secretary, described the claim of Shehu as shocking.

He said the federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture notified the state of its plan to establish Ruga settlement in Otukpo, Tarka and Ukum local government areas (LGAs) of the state.

He also said signposts were erected in various parts of the state by contractors sent in by the federal government.

He stated: “We watched

in disbelief the comments Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made last night during the 10 p.m. news of Channels Television.

“He stated that Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom should not have spoken against the imposition of Ruga settlements in his state because, according to the presidential spokesman, the governor was not included in the Ruga plan. The statement was as contradictory as it was false, misleading and lacking honour.

“The federal government, through its Ministry of Agriculture wrote to the Benue State Government informing it about the decision to establish Ruga settlements in the three senatorial zones of the state. Our

Ministry of Agriculture, which received the correspondence, responded that Benue has no land for the Ruga settlements.

It added that the state only has land for ranches as stipulated by the state’s Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017.

“The Benue State Government subsequently made public its rejection of the Ruga model of animal husbandry and reminded those pushing for the illegal settlement patterns about provisions of the country’s Constitution and the Land Use Act. “We were therefore shocked to hear Mallam Shehu claim that Governor Ortom was not included in the Ruga project and therefore had no right to comment on it.”

the goal of good governance for the country.

“This group is composed of people who have identified with me since I threw my political hat into the ring in 2002. And they have stood with me through thick and thin, abiding with me in the electoral and legal processes of 2003, 2007, 2011, till God gave us victory in 2015 and

also 2019.

“Many more people joined us along the line, and the centre expands by the day.

I salute your faithfulness, your persistency and your ruggedness. It never ceases to amaze me that you have kept faith, even when I have not given you much or even anything, in return,’’ he added.

The president said the

group’s interest in the growth and development of the country through good and honest governance and not personal gains or interests, would be remembered by posterity.

Earlier, Dembo had assured Buhari of the continuous support of members of his group for the actualisation of his mandate for Nigerians.

BARU: NNPC HAS SETTLED OVER $2BN CASH CALL ARREARS exhibition in the calendar of the Nigerian oil and gas industry by providing an invaluable platform for the cross ventilation and fertilisation of innovative ideas across the value chain of business.

He stated: "To encourage the existing players in the industry particularly the traditional JV partners, NNPC undertook to settle all outstanding cash call arrears amounting to $5 billion in 2015. Till date, we have defrayed over $2 billion. All these efforts are geared towards sustaining investment and renewing investor confidence," he stated.

He also said the corporation had in the last three years been active in the capital market, accessing financing for different projects, which have sustained the industry’s momentum.

"They have also been used as levers to promote

collaboration over the past years, through systematic process which incrementally opened new areas to indigenous players.

"For some, it has provided the opportunity to collaborate with international or established industry players.

"It is indeed a great honour for me to be invited to deliver a keynote address and for this and many more reasons, I must thank the organisers, the CWC Group, for their steadfastness through the period and in doing this it is natural to pay tribute to the departed Dr. Rilwanu Lukman and Dr. Alirio Parra, founders of the CWC Group for their leadership and clairvoyance.

"On a personal note, this year’s edition comes with mixed feelings, albeit for some special reasons.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this outing marks my last NOG engagement as the group managing director

of the NNPC. ‘’Like many of you know, I will be retiring officially from the corporation on 7th July, 2019, exactly five days from now, by then I would have attained the statutory 60-year retirement age.

"I am therefore superexcited today for the great opportunity afforded me by this year’s edition of the NOG for two reasons. The first reason is that it falls perfectly on my twilight days at the NNPC, which interestingly means I have that lifetime chance to say goodbye to many of you whom I have known and interacted with for close to three decades of my career at the corporation.

"Even more important is the second reason, which is to be privileged to share with you some of NNPC’s modest efforts – not only these past three eventful years, but throughout the course of my career - at promoting investment by

SOYINKA: RUGA SETTLEMENTS MAY SET NIGERIA ON FIRE “People have been killed in hundreds just because of the failure of leadership at a critical time. And the cattle herders have been given a sense of impunity. They kill without any compunction; they drive away the farmers who have been contributing to the food solutions in the country; the cattle eat their crops and then you come up with Ruga.

“I think that there is going to be trouble in this country if this Ruga thing is not handled imaginatively and with humanity as priority.

Any country where cattle take priority over human life is definitely at an elementary stage.”

Also yesterday, the Rivers State Government said it would not participate in the Ruga

settlements for herdsmen.

In a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim, the state government stated that the state had no land for the implementation of such a policy.

It said in his second term, Governor Nyesom Wike had prioritised commercial agriculture; hence all available arable land in the state would be needed to drive commercial agriculture across the state to create employment for the youths.

The statement added that the state government has not given any approval for the sighting of Ruga settlements anywhere in Rivers State. It said Wike would continue to defend the interest of Rivers people, who

have overwhelmingly rejected cattle colonies, Ruga settlements and any such policy.

“Rivers indigenes are hereby advised to join the state government to protect all arable lands by reporting any form of encroachment under whatever guise,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Ortom has stated that he will not be distracted by the “false comment” made

by Shehu on the federal government’s plan to establish Ruga settlement in the state.

While speaking on a Channels Television programme, the presidential spokesman said Ortom should not have made any comment on the scheme since Benue State was not included in the project.

The presidential spokesman

MY ELECTION REFLECTS NIGERIANS' WISHES, SAYS BUHARI Media Organisation (BMO), harped on the necessity to assemble a formidable team to lead his new administration.

A statement by a presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted Buhari as pledging his administration's commitment to serve honestly and genuinely, with a focus on unleashing the human and natural potentials of the country for growth.

“The 2019 elections are behind us. Nigerians have spoken, and they have spoken loudly in our favour. It is now time to serve them, and serve well. We will not fail.

“We will serve honestly, genuinely, and with our heart and might. Our country has oscillated for too long at the level of promises and potentials. It is now time

to explore and exploit the potentials for the good of all Nigerians, particularly the ordinary people. It shall be accomplished,’’ the president said.

The statement added that the president commended members of the Buhari Support Group Centre for their steadfastness, assuring them of inclusiveness in pursuing

10

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

PDP Committee Proposes Reconciliation with N’Assembly Caucus Party asks Oshiomhole to face APC crisis

Chuks Okocha in Abuja The fact-finding committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over how its lawmakers voted in the elections of presiding officers of the National Assembly may recommend to the party to embrace reconciliation instead of taking any punitive steps against opposition lawmakers.

Findings by THISDAY showed that members of the committee were of the view that it would not be in the interest of the party to punish the lawmakers for allegedly violating its directive on who to vote for in the June 11 election of Senate president and House of Representatives speakers.

The PDP, in the wee hours of the election day, had risen from a meeting and directed its lawmakers to vote Senator Ali Ndume as Senate president and Hon. Umaru Bago as House speaker.

However, in the election, Senator Ahmad Lawan, the official candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), had scored 79 votes to defeat Ndume with 28 votes.

In the race for the speakership, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, also sponsored by the APC, garnered 283 votes to trounce Bago who polled 76 votes.

The party yesterday, also cautioned National Chairman of the All Progressives Party (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, who on Monday criticised the party for attempting to probe how the opposition voted in the June 11 election of the presiding officers for the National Assembly saying the step was against the tenets of democracy.

The opposition party told Oshiomhole to face the crisis in his home state of Edo and APC, where members are fighting over sharing of positions, instead of his fixation on the PDP. THISDAY learnt that the committee set up by the PDP on the election of the presiding officers might have abandoned its terms of reference and opt

for reconciliation of the party and its elected members of the National Assembly.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP had set up the committee to probe the roles played by some of its members at the election of the presiding officers of the National Assembly, which made it possible for Lawan to emerge Senate president and Gbajabiamila to be elected House of Representatives speaker.

The PDP committee is headed by a former President of the Senate, Senator Adolphus Wabara while a former National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, is the secretary.

Other members of the committee include: Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Stella Omu, Mr. Austin Opara, Senator Abdul Ningi, and Mrs. Margaret Icheen.

One of the terms of reference of the committee is to find out why some of the PDP lawmakers failed to abide by the decision of the party during the National Assembly leadership election.

But some members of the committee told THISDAY off the record that they would move against the terms of reference of the party and pursue reconciliation, stating that the party cannot afford to toy with the goodwill it is enjoying from Nigerians at this time.

“Almost all members of the committee are at one time or the other members of the National Assembly and we know how the parliament operates,” one of the members told THISDAY, without giving details.

Another member said the committee would adopt reconciliatory approach instead of fact-finding.

“We may use the opportunity of this fact-finding to seek reconciliation and healing of cracked relationship between the party and its members at the National Assembly. Some of us know what happened. We will not go there as headmaster talking to pupils.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja condoled with the government and people of Benue State on the tanker explosion, which claimed some lives in Ahumbe village, along Makurdi – Aliade road on Monday.

The president, according to a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, said he was saddened by the unfortunate loss of lives, which could

warned against any action of the party’s leadership that could be counter-productive.

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the committee should not be seen as punitive.

“We just want to know what happened to guide us in the future.

“We want to know what informed their decision, bearing in mind what the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai said that he did not know that PDP was that cheap. We are aware of the scheming of some fifth columnists who are out on mischief.

“Refer to the last paragraph of the terms of reference of the

committee and you will see that as the name implies, it is just a mere fact-finding to know what actually happened. We want to know whether the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has a hand in it. And how to guide the party in the events of things like this,” he said.

Meanwhile, following the criticism of the probe by Oshiomhole, the PDP yesterday asked him to face the crisis in his party, his pending corruption allegations and imminent sacking for alleged misconduct instead of seeking a face-saving measure by embarking on shadow-boxing against the PDP. The main opposition party in a statement by Ologbondiyan

said Oshiomhole, who is battling his ouster calls by APC leaders over allegations of corruption and malfeasance in his handling of their party, was in no position to cast aspersions on the PDP on its internal activities and relationship with its elected public officials.

He said: “Instead of trying to launder his image by unnecessarily attacking the PDP, we advise Oshiomhole to redeem his name by submitting himself to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to answer huge allegations of corruption as Edo State governor as well as alleged misconduct as APC Chairman.

CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM…

L-R: United States Consul General, John Bray; his wife, Mourra; United States Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathleen Fitzgibbon; and Acting Director, American & Carribean Affairs Division, Obioma Nzewuji, cutting the cake to mark the United States of America’s 2019 Independence Day celebration in Lagos…yesterday ABIODUN AJALA

UK Home Office Advice on Trafficked Nigerian Women Sparks Criticism

The UK Home Office is facing criticism over its policy on women trafficked from Nigeria to Europe, according to CNN report.

A section of the policy document updated in June by the UK immigration agency said that while victims face the risk clearly have been avoided. of being trafficked again to pay Adesina also said Buhari off debts owed their traffickers, commended the efforts of those who become “wealthy Nigerians who offered from prostitution” were being immediate assistance to those celebrated on their return. injured in the incident and Citing the European Asylum took them for further care. Support Office (EASO) as one “The President calls on of its sources, UK’s immigration Nigerians to be careful agency said “trafficked women in handling incendiary who return from Europe, wealthy materials, especially from prostitution, enjoy high petroleum products in order social-economic status and to avoid needless casualties. in general are not subject to “He prayed for the repose negative social attitudes on of the souls of the departed return. They are often held in and wished those receiving high regard because they have treatment speedy recovery,” improved income prospects.” he added.

But in a swift reaction,

Buhari Commiserates with Victims of Benue Tanker Explosion Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

“No. We will have a heartto-heart discussion and come out with resolutions that will unite PDP because we know the issues ahead. We will go to them as former parliamentarians for the overall interest of PDP as a party,” he said.

THISDAY also gathered that a member of the House of Representatives and immediate past Speaker of Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Hon. Luke Onofiok, told a meeting of the PDP National Working Committee that the party should pursue a healing process instead of embarking on any punitive exercise with the committee.

A source privy to the NWC meeting told THISDAY that the former Akwa Ibom speaker

the Head of Research for Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Godwin Morka, said it was “disappointing” that the UK Home Office would suggest that victims were profiting from their exploitation.

“The victims have been exploited and tricked in the first place. They are not the traffickers, who make money from enslaving them. There is nothing glamorous about it and by the time we rescue them they are so traumatised,” Morka told CNN. On her part, Labour MP, Kate Osamor, said the remarks depicted human trafficking as a job and did not reflect the plight of victims.

She called on the UK Home Office to issue an apology and quickly amend the policy, which serves as a reference document

on trafficking in Nigeria.

“Home Office need to apologise as soon as possible and rewrite policy,” she tweeted, adding that, “It shows the home office doesn’t trust people who go through these experiences.

You’d expect authorities to take them in, listen and unpack their experience and not treat trafficking like it’s a job.”

Immigration lawyer, Charlotte Proudman called the policy a “deplorable guidance.”

CNN reported that thousands of girls are illegally trafficked from Nigeria to destinations in Europe and Africa every year.

Many of them, mostly women and girls, are forced into labour and sexually exploited to finance their stay abroad.

In April, the UK government and NAPTIP began a campaign to encourage Nigerians to find jobs at home instead of risking their lives to travel to

foreign countries in search of opportunities.

Director of Programmes for the Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON), Morenike Omaiboje, a local organisation rehabilitating trafficked women, said there were many forms of human trafficking in the country.

Although most victims become impoverished on their return to the country having being sold into slavery abroad, some have made money off recruiting girls into prostitution rings in Europe.

“Majority of the victims that we meet at the borders and airport are wretched, especially those who were enslaved are wretched. But some are the Madams, who were trafficked many years back, but got recycled, and they are now rich because they are enslaving others,” Omaiboje told CNN.

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

11

NEWS

Lawan Decries Poverty, Insecurity in Nigeria as Senate Gets Principal Officers Orders security beef-up at airports Sets up 13-man legislative agenda committee Deji ElumoyeinAbuja President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, yesterday decried the level of poverty among Nigerians as well as insecurity of lives and property.

This is just as the national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) submitted names of principal officers of the Senate to Lawal who annouced the names at plenary.

Lawan, in a welcome address titled “Now, the Work Begins,” told his colleagues upon resumption after a 19-day recess that “it should worry us in this chamber that majority of our people still grapple with extreme poverty”.

He maintained that the way “to tackle the growing inequality

should be part of our legislative agenda; the security challenge posed by insurgents, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal cartels from North to South, East to West will require our collective efforts”.

“We also need to consolidate on the oil sector reforms started by the last Senate even as we help the executive to reinvigorate the war against corruption with necessary legislations”.

Lawan further informed that the issue of over 10 million children being out of school is of utmost concern to him and must be taken very seriously by all Senators.

As a former lecturer and past Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, Lawan said he subscribed to the view that “all children, no matter where they live

Leah Sharibu: CAN Tackles Nigerian Embassy in US over Comments John Shiklam in Kaduna The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and Abuja has condemned statements by the Nigerian embassy in Washington D.C, United State of America, accusing Mrs. Rebecca Sharibu, mother of Leah Sharibu and three others of making “false” claims against the federal government.

The embassy, according reports, had on June 30, 2019, protested against a recent event in the US capital by Heritage Foundation, where some victims of terrorism and farmers/herders conflict in northern Nigeria allegedly made “false” claims against the federal government.

The Heritage Foundation had on June 11, 2019, invited Sharibu, Alheri Bawa Magaji and Napoleon Adamu, victims of violence and insecurity to Washington to share their experiences.

The Nigerian embassy, in a protest letter issued by the Senior Counsellor/Head of Chancery to the Ambassador to the U.S., Mohammed Suleiman, claimed that the four victims, including Sharibu, whose daughter, Leah, is still being held captive by the Boko Haram terrorists, gave “false and uncorroborated allegations about their experiences” at the event.

However, worried by the embassy’s statement, the Vice Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Joseph Hayab, described it as “insensitive, inhuman and irresponsible”.

Hayab further urged the federal government to sanction the embassy staff that made the statement and prevail on him to apologise to Sharibu and others for saying their painful experiences were false.

He said for the past one year, Leah’s mother had been in ceaseless pain and trauma, crying for help for the release of her daughter, stressing that such utterances can only come from people without human feelings.

While calling on the federal government to do everything

possible to ensure the release of Leah, the cleric added that Nigerians know that the terrorists released other girls that were abducted with Leah, but refused to release her because she refused to convert to Islam.

“How could any humane and sensible person described such experience as false? This is a woman that has been crying out for help for the release of her daughter. What we expect from that embassy staff is to console her, to calm her down and assure her that government is doing everything to get her daughter,” Hayab said.

According to him, “This statement coming from the Nigerian embassy in the U.S is insensitive, inhuman and irresponsible and we call on the federal government to sanction the embassy staff and make him apologise to Rebecca Sharibu and others for saying their painful experiences are false.”

He said the federal government or the ministry of foreign affairs must take action against whoever issued that statement, adding that “these are the kinds of people that are creating disaffection in Nigeria and making people think bad of our country.”

He noted that such statement seemed to confirm insinuations in some quarters that “there is a lie going on in this government.

This woman has been crying out for help in the past one year and all you should say is to assure that something is being done to ensure the release of her daughter.

“But to say that she lied is an insult. The federal government must compel that embassy staff to apologise because I don’t think the federal government asked him to make that statement.

“If the federal government asked him to do that, then they should apologise because it is an assault on people who are facing persecution in a country that is facing security challenges.Leah’s mother has a right to cry out and express her fears the way she wants.”

or what their circumstances are, have the right to quality education.”

“Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, over 10 million of the country’s children aged five to 14 years are out of school. This is a challenge for us in the next four years,” he added.

“I am well aware that the problems of our country are quite enormous but they are not insurmountable. “If we all work together as members of the same government, with different roles, we will achieve our goals to better the lot of the Nigerian people”.

Lawan promised to work closely with President Muhammadu Buhari in the country’s interest without compromising the integrity of the National Assembly as an independent arm of government with oversight powers.

“As lawmakers, one of the powerful tools we have for our work is the power of oversight, which is meant to enhance transparency and accountability,” he said.

Lawan also announced the names of the eight principal officers of the upper legislative chamber.

The principal officers as well as the two presiding officers are expected to form the Body of Principal Officers also known as Selection Committee whose responsibility it is to assign sto committees based on interest shown by individual senators.

The announcement followed separate letters sent to the Senate president by the ruling APC and the main opposition PDP. In a letter written by APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, the party named the Director General of Lawan Campaign Group, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North) as Senate Majority Leader; with Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo North) as Deputy Senate Majority Leader.

Also, a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu ( Abia North) was announced as Chief Whip, while the spokesperson of the Eighth Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), is the Deputy Chief Whip.

On its part, the PDP in a letter written by its National Chairman, Uche Secondus, picked Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) as Senate Minority Leader, and Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South) as Deputy Minority Leader, while Phillip Aduda (Federal Capital Territory) is Minority Whip; and Sahabi Yau (Zamfara North) the Deputy Minority Whip.

In their separate post nomination speeches, Yahaya and Abaribe promised to discharge their duties to the Ninth Senate, effectively.

Meanwhile, following the alleged recent security breaches at the nation’s airports, the Senate yesterday directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to beef up security around all the airports in the country to

check menace of drug trafficking.

It also urged the agency to always acknowledge only accredited personnel to be allowed in restricted areas of the airports.

These resolutions followed a motion, titled “the need to strengthen security at the Nigerian airports,” moved by Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central), and co-sponsored by seven others during plenary.

Leading debate on the motion, Oloriegbe recalled how a Nigerian, Zainab Aliyu, was mistakenly arrested by the Saudi Drug Enforcement Agency over allegation of drug trafficking, and informed that “there are several other incidents of arrests of innocent Nigerian citizens by the Saudi government and other countries on similar allegations of drug trafficking”.

He explained how the Zamfaraborn Alaramma Ibrahim, was arrested at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, and detained for two years in Saudi detention camp over a similar allegation.

According to him, both victims were believed to have been framed up by some scrupulous officials at the airports.

He, however, expressed joy that Aliyu and two other Nigerians were saved from execution by the Saudi government due to the prompt intervention of the Nigerian government after investigations

proved they had no knowledge of the drugs in their luggage.

Contributing, a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Adamu Aliero, (Kebbi Central), informed that over N4 billion was approved in the 2019 budget of the FAAN to install surveillance cameras and other security equipment at the airports.

After a voice vote called by President of the Senate, it was resolved that “FAAN should ensure installation and usage of effective CCTV cameras and other security systems in all Nigerian airports.”

In another development, Lawan has constituted a 13-member ad-hoc committee to fashion out a Legislative Agenda for the Ninth Senate.

The committee, which has a former Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero as Chairman, has two weeks to submit its report.

Other members of the committee include: Barau Jibrin ( Kano North); Abdulfattah Buhari (Oyo North); Olubunmi Adetumbi (Ekiti North); Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu East); Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central ); Istifanus Gyang (Plateau North); and Sadiq Suleiman Umar (Kwara North).

Others are Aishatu Dahiru (Adamawa Central); Dauda Jika (Bauchi Central); Gershom Bassey (Cross River South); Degi Biobaraku (Bayelsa East) and Ifeanyi Uba (Anambra South).

SUCCOUR TO MOTORISTS…

L-R: Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mojisiola Alli-Macaulay; Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Executive Director, CCECC, Mr. Bill Bian; and Chairman, Oriade LCDA, Hon. Ramotalai AkinolaHassan; during the flag-off of the continuation of the construction of Lagos-Badagry expressway in Lagos…yesterday

Taraba Assembly Adopts Death Penalty for Kidnappers The Taraba State House of Assembly yesterday amended the state Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Act 2010, to introduce death penalty and life imprisonment for offenders.

Majority Leader and member representing Karim Lamido 1 constituency, Hon. Charles Maijankai, moved the motion for the amendment of the Act, which was seconded by Alhaji Bashir Mohammed, the Minority Leader

of the House during plenary.

The Speaker, Hon. Abel Diah said that the bill, upon its assent

by Governor Darius Ishaku would become Kidnapping and Abduction Prohibition Amendment Act, 2019.

Diah who represents Mbamnga constituency, said that the bill would ensure protection of residents of the state against kidnapping.

The speaker said that the new

bill has amended section three, four, seven and eight of the 2010 Act. He stated that the bill stipulate that any person who kidnap or abduct a person or by other any means of instilling or tricking another person with intent to demand ransom or compel another person to do anything against his wish shall be sentenced to death.

He explained that the person

shall also forfeit all property and proceeds traceable to him or her to the State Government.

The speaker also said that any person who attempt to kidnap shall be sentenced to life imprisonment while any person who willfully permit his building or premises to be used for the act shall be sentenced to life imprisonment without an option of fine.

12

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Ninth N’Assembly ‘ll Consider State, Community Policing, Says Doguwa Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja The candidate endorsed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position of the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, has said the ninth National Assembly would consider the creation of state police.

He indicated that the House under the leadership of Hon. Femi

Gbajabiamila would aid reforms in the health, education and security sectors among other priorities.

Doguwa, who is representing Tudunwada/Doguwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, spoke with journalists after a Thank-You visit to the APC National Working Committee (NWC) where he was unveiled as the majority leader-designate.

62 Political Parties Threaten to Boycott Niger LG Polls Laleye Dipo in Minna Sixty two political parties have threatened to boycott the Niger State local government elections planned for the end of this month by the state Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC).

The parties, acting under the umbrella of the Intra Party Advisory Council (IPAC), asked for the shifting of the date for the election.

IPAC state Chairman, Alhaji Mamman Garba, told journalists in Minna yesterday that the call for the shift in the date was “to give enough notice and time to all political parties for effective preparations for the overall success of the

exercise.”

According to him, the council also called for the complete removal of administrative charges imposed by NSIEC, which is N100, 000 for chairmanship form and N20, 000 for councillorship.

Garba said IPAC wants the three years tax clearance imposed to be tempered with mercy to ensure fair play and wider participation.

He appealed to the people of the state to remain calm and peaceful, stressing that the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria will continue to work for the good development of the electoral process.

“On account of what to do differently, I want to assure you and Nigerians that there is little or nothing that we will not do differently in the ninth of House of Representatives. It will be different all through.

“We would be engaged very robustly without necessarily undermining the independence of a legislature which of course is paramount. We will be very friendly, of course, and we will sustain that institutional understanding between the legislature and the executive arm of government.

“We had a very embarrassing situation and circumstances last

they should expect good health, they should expect quality education, they should also expect a robust engagement in terms of providing reviewed security strategy in order to exhibit and establish the fundamental role of government which is protection of lives and security of properties of our own people.

“The House of Representatives and by extension the National Assembly, of course will certainly concentrate on reviewing some of our security apparatus, some of our security legislations.

“We wouldn’t mind to even to begin to contemplate by

considering the issues of State and community policing because there is a serious challenge in that sector and with the promise of the administration of this Speaker House of Representatives and even by extension, the commitment of an experienced Senate President in the person of Senator Ahmed Lawan, we will look at this aspect of our existence to see to rebuild of the challenges we have insecurity.

“Community and state policing is one very critical sector over our economy that we have to look at and address so that we can provide absolute security for our people.”

EFCC Quizzes 20 Senior Kwara Officials over Alleged Corruption Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin zone, has said that about 20 senior officials of the Kwara State Government have been investigated for alleged corrupt practices in the state public service.

The commission stated that already, over 15 properties of the affected officials in the choice areas within Ilorin metropolis, ranging from hotels, filling stations, residential accommodations and microfinance banks have been uncovered and investigated in

Celebrating 18 years of flying from Lagos The 18th Anniversary Sale fare to London starting from $310* is now on To book go to www.virginatlantic.com, call (01) 4483000 or contact your local IATA travel agent

*Terms and Conditions apply

time but I want to believe, what we now have in the Ninth House of Representatives will be on different level unprecedentedly in terms of our engagement with the government especially in trying to support the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver on the promises of his campaigns and the policies and programmes of the APC.” Doguwa expressed confidence in the leadership of Gbajabiamila, whom he said was long overdue as speaker, to engage all principal officers and other colleagues in the house to deliver.

“I want to tell Nigerians that

the state.

Speaking yesterday at a press conference in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the Ilorin Zonal Head of the EFFC, Mr. Isyaku Sharu, said that “the affected senior officials ranged from assistant directors, deputy directors, accountants, treasurers, among others, whose monthly salaries are not more than N90, 000.

He also said that the N10 billion that was to be stolen by the immediate past administration was intercepted and saved for the current administration.

According to him, “you

will agree with me that official corruption is the greatest killer as officials who ordinarily are supposed to guard and protect state resources have turned out to misappropriate it.

“To this end, the commission beamed its search light on the Kwara State officials and on a credible tip off, the commission is currently investigating over fifteen properties in choice areas within Ilorin metropolis, ranging from hotels, filling stations, residential accommodation, microfinance institutions, among others.

“It will shock you to hear that the alleged owners are civil servants whose earning per month is not more than N90,000 (ninety thousand naira per month). Some have confessed to the commission and the matter is in court.

“It has always been a tradition in the country that whenever any government is exiting, it will indulge in mass pilferage as the last minute golden opportunity, hence our resolve to mount surveillance on all Kwara State Government accounts between May 24 and 29, 2019.

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

13

14

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; 2019

COMMENT

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

RUGA: ONE EVIL BEGETS ANOTHER (1) President Buhari should concentrate on good governance, writes Sonnie Ekwowusi

L

ast week I was about entering my car when suddenly a neigbour of ours hurriedly walked up to me. From his worried look I could guess something serious was wrong. What was amiss? The state of the nation: the kidnapping, raping and murderous activities of the Fulani herdsmen militia across the country, President Muhammadu Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fulanization policy and his latest â&#x20AC;&#x153;decreeâ&#x20AC;? that owners of land in Nigeria should surrender some to Fulani herdsmen to serve as their cattle colonies, now known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ruga Settlementâ&#x20AC;?.

So you can see why I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have ignored this troubled neigbour. No sooner had I shut the door of my car and leaned by the side of the car than he joined me. Thereafter he unburdened his heart. I listened with rapt attention. He hails from Ogun State.

Although he habitually resides in Lagos he travels to his village in Ogun State from time to time for farming. He and his elder brother own an acre of farm land. So during the farming season they go to the farm to supervise the hired village farmers cultivating crops, vegetables, tomatoes and so forth on the farm. Of course, they also take advantage of going to the farm to cool off with some chilled bottles of beer in the somewhat two-bedroom ramshackle farm house. A couple of months ago, he said, he and his elder brother went to their farm as they usually do. But to their greatest chagrin the farm was no longer the same. The farm had been grazed beyond recognition. Most of the cultivated crops had been pulled off their roots. Fuming with anger, they quickly summoned their farmers and interrogated them on the pillaging of their farm. In response, the farmers told them that some armed Fulani herdsmen had invaded their farm and other farms in the village. To buttress their assertion, they showed my neigbour and his brother the visible footprints of the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle on the farmland. Initially the unarmed village farmers resisted the invasion but the AK-47-wielding Fulani herdsmen soon overpowered them, killed some of them, left others badly injured and confiscated their village farms. The greatest fear of my neigbour is that there would be scarcity of food in Nigeria next year owing to the dislodgement or displacement of most farmers from their farms by the brutal Fulani herdsmen.

To cut the long conversation short, I consoled my neigbbour and drove off. Time was running against me. I needed to head off immediately to meet up with an appointment. But throughout that day the mystery word â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rugaâ&#x20AC;? (which some say means Fulani Settlement) kept dominating my thought. Since his re-election President Buhari is not in a hurry to form a new cabinet necessary for good governance. He is not in a hurry either to improve the worsening living conditions of the Nigerian people. He is also not in a hurry to decree that Fulani herdsmen murderers should be arrested and brought to justice. But he is a hurry to decree that other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land should be taken away from them and given to the Fulani herdsmen for their private cattle business. In fact the first concrete project of the Buhari government since its inauguration on June 12 is the Ruga Settlement or the Cattle Settlement Project. At the last Presidential election many voters from the SouthWest including my neigbour queued up under the sun to vote for President Buhari. Now, guess what Mr. President is using to â&#x20AC;&#x153;rewardâ&#x20AC;? them for voting for him? Cattle Colony for Fulani

WHEN WILL WE LEARN IN NIGERIA? ARE THE PEOPLE UNDER A KIND OF SPELL THAT NOW PREVENTS THEM FROM DIFFERENTIATING SENSE FROM NONSENSE?

herdsmen. In other words, as far as Mr. President is concerned, the people of the SouthWest do not matter: what matters are the Fulani herdsmen and Ruga Settlement. This, in my view, is a great betrayal of trust. It is also a desecration of the sacred office of the Presidency. The Presidency is the focus of power and responsibility in presidential democracy. Therefore it is essential that the Presidency should not metamorphose into an instrument for fanning the embers of parochialism, provincialism, ethnicity, clannishness and religiousity. At the Eagleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square in Abuja during his inauguration on May 29, 2015, Mr. President told a lie: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I belong to everybody, and, I belong to nobodyâ&#x20AC;?.

This assertion has proved to be untrue. Action, they say, speaks louder than voice. Mr. Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions in the last five years especially his recent approval of the Fulani Ruga Settlement without any legal backing and without consulting the stakeholders show that he belongs to the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle not to everybody.

The questions I keep asking are: When will we learn in Nigeria? Are the people under a kind of spell that now prevents them from differentiating sense from nonsense? I am asking these questions because the same poor Nigerians who grumble ad ifinitum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp platforms and in public fora that there are too many evils in Nigeria are the same ones who are complicit in the evils thriving in Nigeria. For example, prior to the 2015 presidential election campaigns, Nigerians were warned that Buhari would not make a good president. At that time, newspaper advertorials with titles such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buhari is a Soldier: Once a Soldier always a Soldierâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buhari is not qualified to rule Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buhari cannot be trustedâ&#x20AC;? were constantly inserted in our daily newspapers. In response to the clamour for Buhari at that time, Prof Wole Soyinka warned: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is astonishing to find that the same former slaves, now free of their chains, should clamour to be ruled by one who not only turned their nation into a slave plantation, but forbade them any discussion of their condition.â&#x20AC;?

Obasanjo also advised that we should make a clean break from our ruinous past. As strongly-worded as these warnings were, they were unheeded. Buhari still emerged as president.

It is on record that President Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reign from 2015 to 2019 was marred by unmitigated Fulani herdsmen killings, human rights abuses and religious killings. Since his re-election President Buhari is least bothered about governance. He is keen on foisting the Ruga Settlement on unwilling Nigerian people.

Suddenly the hitherto obscure group known as Miyetti Allah has assumed the position of the ruling political party. To begin with, Miyetti Allah is above the law of the land. It prefers open grazing to ranching. It has issued a warning that no state in Nigeria has a right to enact anti-grazing law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We lost 300 cows, no one should expect peace in Plateau...â&#x20AC;?, said the group after the Plateau massacre. Till date the group has remained above the law whereas members of IPOB are consistently arrested and jailed. It is being reported that the Buhari government had offered Miyetti Allah the sum of N100 billion either to curtail their murderous activities or to build their cattle colonies in Nigeria. Government has denied it but Miyetti Allah has said it is true. The same Buhari government wanted to establish a Miyetti Allah radio Station.

CELEBRATING BEATRICE EKWUEME

Chukwudi Enekwechi pays tribute to the wife of former vice president, Beatrice, at age 85

T

he world usually celebrates iconic personalities who have directly or indirectly contributed to the growth of a nation, and development of a people.

Such individuals are known for their rare virtues, humanity, and sense of commonality, kindness and tenacious inclination to the betterment of a society in which they find themselves. It therefore deserves that when such individuals attain significant milestones in age they are accorded recognition, and applauded.

This will serve as an adrenaline and tonic for other people to cherish the virtues which elevated such personages.

It is in the light of this that Nigerians will on July 7th 2019 celebrate the wife of former Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vice- President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Dame Beatrice Ekwueme who turned 85 years today, 3rd July, 2019.

As the wife of the former vice president, Beatrice Ekwueme played a supportive role at ensuring that her husband utilised the opportunity to give his best to the country, hence the duo continued to receive accolades from all parts of the country until recently when the former number two citizen passed on.

During the second republic she played the role of an acting first lady and performed important state functions, mainly because President Shehu Shagariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wives were unavailable as a result of religious or cultural inhibitions.

Also as the wife of the former vice president she played host to important international visitors including the wife of former American President, Mrs Barbara Bush, Mrs Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Mrs Winnie Mandela of South Africa.

Between 1981 and 1982, Dame Beatrice Ekwueme led a delegation of Nigerian women and children to the International Year of the Child and the World Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assembly in Sophia, Bulgaria. She also serves as the patron of the National Council of Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Societies and Vice President of Nigeria Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guild.

Dame Beatrice Ekwueme is famous for her principled stand on issues affecting the common man and according to the testament of her late husband, she remained true to him and exhibited rare virtues in the service of God and humanity.

These attributes have endeared her to the hearts of many Nigerians, especially those who have in one way or the other benefited from her benevolence, philanthropy, sense of justice and commitment to the growth and development of the country.

As a mother she has been a source of inspiration to her children, grandchildren and the entire Ekwueme family, as they emulate her dedication to noble causes and sterling leadership qualities which are rare to find in our world today.

Through dint of hard work she accomplished a lot academically having earned a first degree in finance from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and

a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland in 1978.

As the family, friends, well-wishers and Nigerians from all walks of life celebrate this rare gem, it is important that upcoming families realise the need to follow the footsteps of such personages as they serve as examples for the fidelity necessary for stability of marriages, good upbringing for children and which ultimately lead to a peaceful, prosperous and rancour-free society.

From the accounts of late vice president, Dr. Ekwueme, during her 80th birthday celebrations, they both started their courtship about 70 years ago as young school lads and with every passing year the relationship blossomed as they kept faith to each other, got married and embarked on life struggles together, weathering the storms and this culminated in many accomplishments both within and outside Nigeria. With reference to the description of his wife, the late vice president said she was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;a woman who has remained trueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and who â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;exhibited all the virtues of the feminine gender; a woman, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, all rolled into one.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dr. Alex Ekwueme had also revealed that he met his heartthrob Beatrice in Port Harcourt in 1946 when she was 13 years old and since then his admiration for her never waned, mainly due to her diligence to work, commitment to the work of God and service to humanity.

In a homily to mark her 80 years birthday the Anglican Archbishop of Enugu Diocese Archbishop

Emmanuel Chukwuma described her â&#x20AC;&#x153;as an epitome of homeliness, chastity, as well as a virtuous woman who knows what it takes to be a loyal and faithful wife.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Such commendable accolades dominated the speeches that were given by several dignitaries who graced the occasion five years ago.

Perhaps it is pertinent to remark that Dame Beatrice Ekwueme is truly blessed as her native name, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Chigoziliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; connotes, considering that she had shared the glory as the wife of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former vice president, first indigenous architect and president of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, among several important positions her late husband occupied in his lifetime. She is also an accomplished teacher having started at the prestigious Elelenwa Girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School Port Harcourt and during the second republic she was referred to as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;politicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; while the husband and former vice president was seen as the, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;technocratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; perhaps on account of his inclination to professionalism and sticking to the job at hand. While Dr. Alex Ekwueme was preoccupied with daunting matters of state, Dame Beatrice was able to serve as a rallying point by ensuring that she filled the gaps where any existed especially in their social and family lives.

Therefore as Dame Beatrice Ekwueme clocks 85 years of age, Nigerians applaud her exemplary life as a woman of virtue, wife of inestimable value, iconic teacher, politician of note and a family and nation builder of repute.

Many happy returns!

Enekwechi wrote from Abuja

15

T H I S D AY WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019

EDITORIAL Lifting 100 Million From Poverty There is not much on ground to justify this vaulted optimism

T

he goal of migrating majority of Nigerians from poverty in the shortest possible time is noble and achievable. But the recent optimistic declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that “we can lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years”, has elicited several pertinent questions, some of which are: Has anybody interrogated the strategies and statistics from the referenced countries before coming up with the idea? Has there been a research into the policies undertaken by those countries with a view to understanding how they align with our current efforts?

Against the background that Nigeria last year surpassed India as the country with the most number of citizens living in extreme poverty despite the fact that India has more than four times the population of our country, the authorities will have to do more to alleviate the suffering of our people. Living in extreme poverty, going by the parameters set by the World Bank, means living on less than $1.90 (N680) per day, an GOVERNMENT AT ALL amount that cannot LEVELS MUST FOCUS guarantee for any ON THE PEOPLE, THEIR individual even SAFETY AND WELFARE, the barest minimal needs for survival.

AND THE OPTIMAL Some of the ALLOCATION OF SCARCE factors responsible RESOURCES for this state of affair include a growing population amid declining financial resources, high incidence of unemployment, predominant production of primary goods over finished products, aging public infrastructure and opaque systems of governance.

The high rate of out-of-school children and poor output in the education sector also contribute negatively to deepening this inequality as the nation churns out a crop of uncompetitive youth in a world driven by technology.

The challenge is even bigger. Many of the rural communities in the country today are not connected to the national grid and as such, do not have

Letters to the Editor

electricity. Some do not have access to potable water and many lack critical infrastructure for storage and transportation of raw materials from their places of production to the markets. In several parts of the country where farming is the main occupation, the incessant clashes with herdsmen have made the profession a serious hazard. Meanwhile, the current regime of subsidies that do not impact on the poor is unsustainable.

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

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

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.

SELF-DETERMINATION FOR SOUTHEAST

S

elf-determination is a universal principle no doubt, but its application is defined within the context of the law, norms and precepts of the state. It has become orthodox to frame this concept narrowly; the fact is, self-determination beyond the remit of the prevailing laws of a country is subversion.

The UN declaration on this subject, which reads: “By virtue of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, all peoples have the right to freely to determine, without external interference, their political, economic, social and cultural development, and every state has the duty to respect this right in accordance with the provisions of the Charter;” was “principally” in response to peoples or states under colonialism. However, I admit that its application is more embracing now, following the declaration of principles of international law concerning friendly relations and cooperation among states in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations on 24 October, 1970.

The point is, the UN declaration on self-determination of peoples was originally in the context of decolonisation, and even in an expanded purview, this principle is subject to the laws of the state. In November 2014, a self-determination referendum was held in Catalonia after the endorsement of the parliament, but this bid failed after the Spanish Constitutional Court voided the exercise. A political crisis ensued afterwards, which led to a serious breach of the peace. As a matter of fact, Europe, “the bastion of human rights” was not favourably disposed to the separatist agenda out of fear of the impact on

t is good to make promises but the federal government and the authorities in the 36 states of the federation must wake up to the reality of not only the growing gap between the rich and poor of our society but also the seeming hopelessness for a vast majority of our people in a nation blessed with enormous natural and human resources, but which has consistently been held down by poor governance at virtually all levels. There is also a role for citizens. We must begin to demand equity, fairness and accountability lest this deepening cycle of poverty continues. Government at all levels must focus on the people, their safety and welfare, the optimal allocation of scarce resources and the effective implementation of policies for service delivery.

Until we begin to do all these, Nigerians will find it increasingly difficult to maximise their potential in the bid to enjoy better lives.

If we take a close look at the figures for countries cited by President Buhari as models, where real measurable poverty reduction has taken place as a result of conscious government policy and action, can we say we have anything on ground to justify the optimism that we can replicate what they did? There is nothing currently being done by this government that indicates a serious commitment to poverty reduction. While the aspiration to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by the next decade is good to have, we must also realise that problems do not disappear simply because some presidential speech writer wants to capture headlines.

the continent.

It is in this consciousness that I interrogate the declaration of a referendum on self-determination for the southeast by Ohanaeze youth. This is what the group, which I believe is narrowly going off the deep end, said: “On the 8th of August, 2019, a referendum shall be held in Abia State, Anambra State, Ebonyi State, Enugu State and Imo State of Nigeria on: Whether the government of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states should negotiate with each other with a view to forming a federation of State to be known as South Eastern Region of Eastern Nigeria.”

“Whether the said region should negotiate with the government of Nigeria and the remaining 31 states or any group of states that have also agreed to federate … to achieve autonomy/self-determination for the said region within a federation of Nigeria Constituent Units.”

I think this agenda, if necessary, would have been best achieved through the national assembly. Does the constitution allow for a referendum? Can a socio-cultural group declare a referendum in an entire region? Is it not overreaching pushing an agenda that is clearly in conflict with the constitution?

I believe, it stokes tension unilaterally declaring a referendum on a subject that affects every Nigerian and the state.

I would advise this group to proceed with caution in order not to set off a chain of reactions that will cause the cauldron to boil over. Whatever the goal or agenda is; no matter how noble, it is best that it is achieved within the bounds of the constitution.

Fredrick Nwabufo, fredricknwabufo@yahoo.com

AFRICA AND RESPECT FOR ELDERS

A

s a Yoruba man, I derive joy and completeness in respecting the elders.

Respect for elders stands Yoruba nationals out.

Elders are demigods.

Similar elements of this culture cut across many African countries.

Unfortunately, this is telling on the young ones. It has hurt us in the past and has been the major source of our underdevelopment today. Respect for elders has been used to erode our rights and capabilities as young ones. That is why the tomorrow they said belongs to us has not come. They use this respect for elders to silent us. They use it to put themselves in positions where we can function better. When a 30 years old youth wants to contribute, they tag him/her too young to know irrespective of his/ her mental capabilities. Some still refer to those who are beyond 40 as kids. The issue of this so-called respect for elders of a thing is grossly confused with giving the young ones voice in the affairs of their country. That is why the Child Rights Act is left largely ineffective.

I will never advocate that we should

not respect our elders. But we must not continue to use this to limit and restrict the young ones from being active. Many of today’s elders are victims of being silent by this unchecked respect for elders’ rhetoric. This is telling on our state today as a people and as a country as those who ought to have spoken, contributed and led us when necessary were silent ignorantly.

Lately, their (the elders) submission is that the youths are not ready to lead. They are not equipped enough. That they are not employable. But they will never add that they are the ones killing and reducing the abilities of the young ones by not allowing them to speak and act when the elders are trampling on their rights and their sense of judgement all in the name of respect for elders.

Dear young ones, please accord due respect to our elders. But there must be a limit to this. Correct the elders when they are wrong. Educate them where they need to be schooled. Distinguish between rights and practices. Do not leave things you can do better for them to handle.

Qudus Adewale Lawal, Bariga, Lagos State

16

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

17

18

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

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

NEWSMAKER

In Abia, Moles Wreck APC’s Electoral Hope

Emmanuel Ugwu writes that some leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State played a sell-out role to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, though the party’s governorship campaign was upbeat and the APC was on course for a major upset in Abia

Oshiomhole

L

oyal members of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are still ruing what they consider their party’s missed opportunity to take over the Gvernment House in Umuahia in the 2019 national elections. The party had high hopes of breaking the stranglehold of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the state. This hope was hinged on the expectation that the party, which posted a dismal performance in 2015, had perfected its strategy this time around to win the Abia governorship poll, for the first time. But this hope was sorely dashed. Members of Abia APC later discovered to their chagrin that right within the hierarchy of the party leadership were moles whose agenda was at variance with the aspiration of the party.

This numbing reality was laid bare at a post election review and appraisal meeting of the 17 local government party chairmen during which the individual contribution of the party chieftains were analyzed and marks awarded. The party’s LG chairmen, who are the grassroots leaders of the party, in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting noted with sadness the “massive treachery and sabotage that occurred within the ranks of the leaders in the faction led

by Hon Donatus Nwankpa.” However it was a different ball game in the other faction, which demonstrated enough commitment to win Abia for the APC. The chairmen singled out Chief Ikechi Emenike for commendation, saying that he gave his all for the growth of the party.

The APC grassroots leaders noted that Emenike gave “unequalled support to APC Abia state chapter both in terms of his financial, logistics, mobilization and strong support towards the success of APC in Abia state during the said 2019 general election.”

According to them, Emenike’s support to the party was “consistent and very determined in approach despite obstacles placed by some individuals in the wheel of progress of Abia APC.” The chairman of APC LG chairmen, Hon Ejike Olekanma (Umunneochi) signed the communiqué along with Vice-chairman, Hon Uzoma Nwamuo (Ugwunagbo), Secretary, Henry Amaefula (Isiala Ngwa North), and Publicity Secretary, Hon Okey Ugochukwu (Isuikwuato). Olekanma told THISDAY that the party’s

Ikpeazu

LG chairmen during their deliberation dispassionately appraised the performance of Abia APC and were really troubled by the revelations that “those who should have staked everything to ensure the success of the party turned round to betray the party and sold its votes to the ruling party.”

Given the very poor outing of the APC in Abia during the 2015 poll in which a largely unpopular candidate, Anyim Nyerere, was allowed to fly the party flag in the governorship poll, the party leaders were faced with a task of rebuilding the party in readiness for the 2019 general election. It was Chief Emenike that took the challenge early by taking the party to the grassroots.

He embarked on mobilization and sensitization tour of the 17 local governments several times and succeeded in no small measure to popularize the APC. His job was made easier with the existence of the grassroots structures he built and sustained over the years.

The concentric layers of structures was evident in all the wards through the local governments and the state level. They include Emenike Daughters, Emenike Teenagers, and Emenike Youths as well as stakeholders made up of professionals and retired civil servants and opinion moulders in the communities. APC was in the swing and its profile rising.

Unfortunately, instead of building on the momentum created by Chief Emenike, the national leadership of the APC was misled into working with his detractors hence they ignored this golden opportunity of working with the formidable grassroots mobiliser to maximize the party’s rising profile in Abia. As the APC LG party chairmen pointed out in their communiqué the 84,040 votes that President Muhammadu Buhari got in the presidential poll in Abia was made possible by “the relentless efforts of Chief Ikechi Emenike and his uncompromised group of supporters notwithstanding the pressures against his gubernatorial candidature.

Following the manifest division, Abia APC was saddled with parallel state leaderships and parallel governorship candidates. Chief Emenike had emerged from the legally recognized leadership of Dr Emmanuel Ndukwe while Chief Uchechukwu Ogah was picked to fly the flag of the party by the faction led by Hon Donatus Nwankpa. The presence

Emenike

of a former governor, former deputy governor, former Speaker and some federal and state legislators had apparently swayed the national secretariat of the APC to back the faction in disregard to a court order that validated the state executive committee headed by Dr Emmanuel Ndukwe. Unknown to the APC national leaders in Abuja, the stone they rejected was the real corner stone of the party in Abia and by the time the chips were down it was too late to cry. The mistake of disregarding a court order was made by the leadership of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun when Nwankpa was inaugurated as party Abia APC chairman despite the fact that a court of law had already sacked him. By the time Adams Oshiomhole came on board as the national chairman it was expected that he would correct the mistake of his predecessor in handling the leadership crisis in Abia APC. Rather he sustained the impunity he inherited and continued to do business with Nwankpa when the court order specifically barred the party’s national leadership from having anything to do with him.

Nwankpa did not disappoint his critics who had all the while viewed his activities with suspicion. By the time the party needed cohesion and unity of purpose in galvanizing members to canvass for votes across the state, the party chieftains from Ngwa axis abandoned the interest of their party, APC and elected to play sectional politics. They unabashedly abandoned the APC governorship flag bearer and supported the incumbent governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, their kinsman, who was seeking a second tenure.

The activities of the APC chieftains from Ngwa made it obvious that the so called ‘Ngwa agenda’ (renewal of Ikpeazu’s mandate) cut across party lines. Former lawmaker and APC chieftain, Paul Ikonne even went on air to announce that APC had adopted Governor Ikpeazu after a meeting of stakeholders from the Ngwa part of Abia. The governorship candidate of APC in 2015, Chief Anyim Nyerere went along with them, while other APC chieftains from Ngwa acquiesced. The party chairman, Nwankpa, who was expected to call his kinsmen to order and even counter the radio announcement about Ikpeazu’s endorsement, refused to act to save his party. Instead he preferred like the proverbial monkey to ‘see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil’.

The moles were having a field day in Abia APC in an election the party was expected to give the ruling PDP a run for its money.

In Abia North, the big shots in APC, namely Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, a former governor and Hon Nkiru Onyejeocha, a member of House of Representatives appeared to have been contented with winning their own elections. Kalu was desperately seeking to topple Senator Mao Ohuabunwa from Abia North senatorial seat while Onyejeocha was equally desperate to actualize her dream of a fourth term berth in the National Assembly. It was this ambition that drove the lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/ Umunneochi federal constituency to abandon PDP, which was not in the mood to give her a ticket for the fourth consecutive time. She therefore went over to APC where she was welcomed with the much desired fourth term ticket. After the National Assembly poll in which Kalu and Onyejeocha posted favourable results, the duo appeared to have lost interest in the governorship poll and cared less whether or not APC performed well. The party’s governorship flag bearer was left to his own fate. However unlike the APC chieftains of Ngwa extraction who, openly canvassed for the ruling party’s governorship candidate, the Abia North prominent APC leaders only remained passive in the governorship poll. They did not exert the same political force they applied to get things done for the APC in the National Assembly election.

With the 2019 general election over, the Abia APC chieftains are now looking up to Abuja to reward them with appointments, especially ministerial.

But the 17 Abia APC LG chairmen have urged Mr. President to ignore the moles that wrecked the party, leaving the members to continue bemoaning the party’s electoral misfortune. According to them, there must be a price to pay for sabotaging the party and it’s certainly not federal cabinet position. Not even the scramble for ministerial slots could obliterate the seething anger within the ranks of the Abia APC as the party chieftains wittingly failed the party in the 2019 poll. A ministerial reward for such party members is inconceivable and a disservice to the fully committed members that worked hard for the party and Mr. President, the LG party chairmen insist.

19

T H I S D AY ˾WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019

ANALYSIS

Gearing up for a Promising Beginning Udora Orizu writes that the recent summit in Abuja for Nigerian youths convened by a political partyNigeria for Democracy- provided a platform to inspire the next generation of leaders that will take the reins of governance in the country

Archibong

T

he 2019 national elections may have come and gone, but the public excitement generated by it lingers in the memory of both active and vicarious participants. These two categories of partakers know that the elections threw up a number of critical issues deserving of in-depth prognosis while waiting for another four years, to avoid a repeat of same mistakes.

For the myriad of flaws that characterised the exercise, it is difficult to deny that the 2019 national elections continues to be a source of mounting concern in many quarters.

Corrupt occurrences; ranging from brazen manifestation of vote-buying with the electoral victory going to the highest bidder, under-age voting and over-militarisation among others were recorded. Despite the pretentiousness posturing of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), these incidences could be verified everywhere.

It is incumbent on INEC and indeed all Nigerians - both young and old to learn from the irregularities in the 2019 elections which was the most long drawn exercise of its kind in recent history, because of the new development of declaring elections inconclusive - a term completely strange to past exercise in the first, second and third republic.

At a recent conclave of Nigerian youths across the six geopolitical zones of the country suggests, this demography, which has been widely popularized as the biggest segment of Nigeria’s population may have identified more flaws apart from the obvious ones to every participant in the last elections. Armed with these information, they became inspired to plan ahead for the next cycle of elections in 2023, by convening the maiden edition of a national sum-

Yakubu

mit in Abuja with the theme; ‘Next Leaders Focus Rebuild Nigeria’.

The theme of the summit was also included the sub-themes like; ‘2019 Elections Look Back’ and ‘Next Steps and Grassroots Mobilisation’, where attendees were able to dissect critical issues that made or marred the just concluded exercise and offered solutions. The summit, which had youths between 25 and 40 years of age in attendance, was convened by an Akwa Ibom-born legal luminary and National Chairman of Nigeria for Democracy (NFD), Dr. Asukwo Mendie Archibong.

Participants were drawn from all sectors - Security, Technology, Health, Education, Communication, Sports, Judiciary and even Politics spoke in the same vein. They all claimed to be at the summit to chart a new cause for Nigeria’s development, different from the present precarious structure, that cannot contain insecurity, let alone eliminate it. They added that that undiminishing level poverty in the country has been a matter of great concern to them.

The convener harped on the importance of making the right choices for leadership positions at the different levels of governance. He said, “This summit is not about me. This is about the next set of leaders that should emerge from the country. What you’re looking at is, who is going to be a leader in the local government area?

Who is going to be a leader at the State House of Assembly and the National Assembly?

If we can define this, we will be able to identify them and encourage them to enter into the political space.

Once they get into the political space, they occupy the positions of power and engender change.

“Even if you are the president today, you can’t do anything, except you have people that are actually

ready to work with you, at the federal level, and at the state level and at the local governmental level. So if we are able to bring people today into power at the state level, this country will change. Automatically, it will change. This process is to identify those leaders.”

The participants also resolved to ensure that restructuring of the country is pursued to a logical conclusion through a young vibrant leader that will emerge after present crops of leaders. They clearly specified that restructuring should be jurisdictional, it should be financial, in terms of generating finance. It should also be in terms of law enforcement.

According to Archibong, “Nigeria is a unique country. We have to look at the uniqueness in identifying what we need. A governor does not control any security apparatus in the state.

So he can’t even order the police to go and fight crime. A governor does not have the power to make sure that power generated in terms of electricity generated within the state, it gets transmitted within the state and gets distributed within the state and gets utilized within the state.

“The governor doesn’t have the power to generate money in the state and naturally keep that money within the state. The governor does not have control of the resources that abound in the state. The governor does not have power to a great extent, on the educational sector in the country, and within the state except the creation of state universities, which he must still go to the federal government to ask for assistance.

“The governor does not have the power to develop health scheme within the state that caters for the citizens of the state. So wherein lies the power that we talk about. The governor having the power only lies

to a certain extent, in the location of security budget, and in dispensing certain amounts of money that accrues to the state based on the resources that have been taken by the federal government. It should be the reverse, the state should pay some money to the federal government, a little bit of it, and then return the money, the bulk of the money to itself.

“When you look at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) most of the taxes that are generated within this state is taken to a different part, therefore, you hear complaints. ‘This tax is generated here, it is expended in a different state. We have to move away from that.

“Restructuring should also be in terms of law enforcement. We have the police force at the state level.

We have a police force at the federal level. There should be a demarcation between what the federal police can do and the functions of the state police.”

The speakers at the summit included, Former Senatorial candidate on the platform of Young Progressives Party (YPP), Mrs Nnena LancasterOkoro, who decried a situation where voters request money before they exercise their franchise. She noted that though, she couldn’t account for the exact amount she spent on the bid, but enjoined all youths to throw away the poverty mentality and refuse to succumb to pressure from political elites who are ready to enslave them.

Award winning journalist with Voice of Nigeria (VON), Bitrus Shemang, Daniel Kozah; Former gubernatorial candidate on the platform of Nigeria for Democracy (NFD), Mrs Yemusa Lizzy; former Presidential aspirant and Dr. Favour Ayodele from Oyo State were all in attendance as speakers.

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

20

FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 08152252325

The Injustice against Madonna Seven They raised their voices on Whatsapp, Facebook and on the Internet. Then Madonna University allegedly got them locked up on initial charges of multiple kidnapping, which they later upturned to Cyber Crime and malicious writing. Solomon Elusoji writes

Chijioke Nnamani, while observing the National Youth Service Scheme

Chijioke Nnamani in prison clothes

O

n June 11, seven men were arraigned at the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State.

The courthouse was besieged by a teeming crowd of student union leaders and journalists.

Some of the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents and relatives, too, were present. But the judge was not. According to a brother of one of the arraigned men, the judge called in sick. The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suit was adjourned to July 2, and they were returned to Awka Prisons.

The next day, June 12, as the country celebrated its longest spell of democracy, news websites across the Nigerian blogosphere were reporting that the seven shackled men have been victims of a twisted, demented justice system. The sources for the report were the young menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents and a Vice President of the Nigeria Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Mr. Chidi Ilozube. They had spoken to reporters at the court premises the day before.

According to a police charge sheet obtained

by THISDAY, the young men are: Opara Harmelson, Owhonda Badaziri, Abuno Jonathan, Chijioke Nnamani, Amaechi Benedict, Blackson Nwokeoma, and Tony Ezeimo.

Six of the men have affiliations with Madonna University. Five of them are ex-students, and Tony Ezeimo is a former lecturer at the University. But Opara Harmelson is just a friend of Ezeimoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

(Harmelson was the only one charged with advance fee fraud).

Between November 2018 and February 2019, they were all picked up by the police after a Madonna University petition alleging that they were cultists involved in the multiple kidnapping of the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Chuks Ezedum. But, in court, they were charged with crimes relating to Cyber Crime and malicious writing. THISDAY could not independently verify the contents of the petition sent to the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

One of the young menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents claims the man behind the arrest is Madonna Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edeh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fr. Ede arrested my son since February . . . and he has insisted that he will not release him, saying he will not release them until they die in prison,â&#x20AC;?

Mr Onyejekwe said on June 11.

The reason for the arrests, the parents and NANS believe and as corroborated by the police charge sheet, has nothing to do with kidnapping but the young menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocal activism against the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;inhumanâ&#x20AC;?, internal activities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good lecturers are scarce. Madonna University administration should be nice to

Chijioke Nnamani studied Mass Communication at Madonna University our lecturers, or a good number of them will resign,â&#x20AC;? Chijioke Nnamani wrote on Facebook on January 11. On February 4, he was picked up.

On Tuesday, June 18, seven days after the court bombardment and initial media reporting, Madonna University held a press briefing in Abuja. In attendance was the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ezedum, a member of the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s alumni association, Mr Chima Achu, and University spokesman, Mr Martin Anagboso.

The purpose of the briefing, apparently, was to dispel rumours that parents and guardians were planning to withdraw their wards from the institution. They also tried to distance the university from the seven menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, noting that it was the Inspector General of Police that had charged them to court. But, at least, they confirmed that the young men had been charged for malicious and false publication against Madonna, not cultism or kidnapping.

How Justice was Deferred Since his brother was arrested in February, Sopuru Nnamaniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook timeline has burst

into life. His posts - all about getting justice for Chijioke Nnamani - have become more frequent.

His display picture is a banner detailing the injustice being meted out on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Madonna Sevenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. When he spoke to this reporter, his voice grated with exasperation, and hope. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My brother was arrested on February 4, 2019,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Chijioke, a graduate of Madonna, was observing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Patani Local Government, Delta State, when men from the Nigerian Police Force came for him. At first, according to Sopuru, the arrest was resisted by NYSC, which said they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t arrest a serving corps member. Then the policemen produced a petition noting that Chijioke was a cultist involved in kidnapping and armed robbery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the evening of February 4, a corper (NYSC member) called us that Chijioke had been arrested. They sent us the number of the squad that came to arrest him. When we called them, they said he is accused of kidnapping, armed robbery and cultism by

Madonna University.â&#x20AC;?

Sopuru found it hard to believe. His brother had been a sterling Madonna student with many individual awards to show for it. He studied Mass Communication and finished with a second class upper honours. So how did he become a kidnapper? But that was a question to be answered later. The pertinent thing, at that point, was to know where he had been taken, which turned out to be a police station in Onitsha. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On getting there, we discovered that there were six others,â&#x20AC;? Sopuru said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was the seventh.â&#x20AC;?

Ten days after Chijioke was arrested, the seven were charged to court. This reporter obtained an amended version of the charge sheet, dated March 19, 2019. On it, there are eleven counts, of which Chijiokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name appeared in three.

None of the allegations were remotely related to kidnapping or armed robbery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were surprised that the charge was cyber-crime,â&#x20AC;?

Sopuru said.

On February 19, four of the seven were granted bail. Two days later, the remaining

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

21

FEATURES three also secured their temporary release. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were asked to bring a civil servant of Level 15 and Letter of Identification from a Permanent Secretary and affidavit of means, including a surety in the sum of one million naira,â&#x20AC;? Sopuru said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the 28th, we brought the surety. But the surety could not get a letter from the Permanent Secretary but her Director in the office. He works at Ministry of Health in Enugu. We submitted and finished our bail terms.â&#x20AC;?

The judge then asked the prosecution counsel, Augustine Obo, and a court bailiff to verify the identity and address of the surety brought before it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bailiff went for the verification and wrote a report,â&#x20AC;? Sopuru said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only thing remaining was for the prosecution counsel to go for the verification. They refused and said we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring a letter from the permanent secretary.â&#x20AC;?

On March 19, the court met again and defendant lawyers complained to the judge that the prosecuting counsel had refused to go for verification. The prosecution counsel told the judge that they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring a letter from the permanent secretary. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But the judge now made it clear that what he needs is a letter of introduction to show that the person is working in that office. Some of the other defendants brought sureties from universities. You cannot tell someone in the university to get a letter from the permanent secretary, since universities donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a permanent secretary. So he ordered the counsel to go do the verification. When we came out of court that day, he agreed that he will go.â&#x20AC;?

Suddenly, the prosecution counsel changed his mind. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because that day, a SAN came to court saying that he came from Abuja with a fiat to take over the matter, meaning that the school had hired its own private lawyer. The judge told him the fiat is incomplete, that he should put a seal on it. And that at the next court date, he can take over. So the prosecution counsel, who is a police lawyer, refused and said we should go to the SAN, who hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t taken over, to go and do the verification. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I heard on May 28 that the prosecuting lawyer has written on all the files that the bail is incomplete. Like on our own, he said he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see our suretyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house or office. But when the court bailiff went, he saw the house and spoke with the director of our surety.â&#x20AC;?

This reporter tried to contact Mr Augustine Obo, who is attached to the legal department of Awkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s State Crime Investigation and Intelligence Department. Mr Obo picked on the first ring.

When this reporter identified himself and the purpose of the call, Mr Obo said he was in court and asked to be called again in the next two hours. Then, till this story went to press, he stopped answering his phone.

On May 8, the judge didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t show up in court. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some people said he was sick, some said he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just sitting, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really know the reason,â&#x20AC;? Sopuru said. And, of course, on June 11, the judge didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t show up again. The Madonna Seven are still behind bars.

Chijiokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crime The story of their arrests started with a Facebook account, Itz Madonna. It is not clear whether the original version was a page, a group or an individual account. But a new one, created on January 7, 2017, has since surfaced. This reporter couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find the original Itz Madonna or any of its posts on Facebook. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the bone of contention,â&#x20AC;? Sopuru said. The account â&#x20AC;&#x153;has been posting things that are happening in the school. At first they thought it was their PRO, Kaka. They locked him up and told him to swearâ&#x20AC;? on a holy bible, that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know who was operating the account.â&#x20AC;?

Jonathan Kakaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s account of being detained by representatives of Madonna University has been posted online. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a vivid, mind-numbing account of jungle justice. Kaka said he was detained for five days, while all his personal effects were seized. THISDAY couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reach Kaka before this story went to press, but in 2015, Madonna University officials were involved in the battering of its own students suspected of cultism. The students needed surgeries and they are still in court, seeking restitution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When they released him (Kaka),â&#x20AC;? Sopuru said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ezeimo, who happened to be an assistant lecturer in the Philosophy Department (he has since left the university) then posted it on an alumni Whatsapp group. All the people arrested were in this group, apart from one. They were

Madonna University describes itself as the ďŹ rst private university in Nigeria

Madonna University's Founder, Emmanuel Edeh is a Catholic priest commenting on what happened to Kaka. Not all the people in the group were arrested, but the seven are scapegoats.â&#x20AC;?

On the police charge sheet, two messages were cited against Chijioke as evidence. On December 15, 2018, he had written: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ikenga (Ezeimo) on a second tot, lose guard and allow them track u to my village . . . Forget about what my village people will do to them . . .

The remaining story will be on net.â&#x20AC;?

The second message was: â&#x20AC;&#x153;better tell that tyrant you call Yobo (Madonnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chief Security Officer) that if anything happens to kaka, I personally will import mad people from Obiagu and Abakpa in Enugu so he can compete with them . . . Nonsense.â&#x20AC;?

These messages were on Whatsapp, Sopuru said. But they were enough to put his brother behind bars, for months.

Varsity Reacts Following the controversy generated by the entire incident, rumours became rife that students were withdrawing from the varsity.

Forced to address this, the VC said their no incident of panic withdrawal of students.

Describing the reports as false and mischievous, at a recent press conference in Abuja on a certain Tuesday said it was a figment of the imagination of the peddlers of such â&#x20AC;&#x153;rumours.â&#x20AC;?

According to him, no parent nor guardian had requested the withdrawal of any student, adding that the school community was safe, friendly and accommodating to all members. He

claimed the reported panic withdrawal might have been invented by families and associates of those facing criminal charges brought against them by the Inspector General of Police, exonerating the school from the ongoing trial.

Taking a swipe on the South-east Zone, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) over the ultimatum given the university, Ezedum said the group should have known the private school had nothing in common with it.

He reminded the association that Madonna University students were not members of NANS, adding that it was the government of Nigeria that was prosecuting the former students for an alleged crime and not the institution.

Former World President of the university's alumni association, Chima Achu corroborated the Vice Chancellor's claims, stressing that there was harmony between students, teachers and management.

Achu, a member of the Alumni Association's Board of Trustees, said the allegations against those standing trail were malicious and false publications, which are crimes under the country's laws.

Achu warned that Madonna University would not hesitate to challenge anyone or group that tries to tarnish its reputation, noting the institution's "track record of moral and academic excellence."

To the university's spokesman Martin Anagboso, those being prosecuted should on their matter and prove their innocence in court rather than whip up sentiments through

the media.

Madonna: a Brief History Madonna University was founded on May 10, 1999 by Catholic priest, Emmanuel Edeh, who is a serial founder of educational institutions. In 2004, under the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main campus was moved from Okija in Anambra state to Elele in Rivers state.

Although the university has a tenuous online presence, there is an official website. There, Madonna markets itself as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the first private universityâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;first Catholic university in Nigeria.â&#x20AC;? The school says its enjoys both â&#x20AC;&#x153;stately and ecclesiastical approvalâ&#x20AC;? and wants to â&#x20AC;&#x153;revive in her community the age-long tradition of Catholic education and the exacting demand of our contemporary society for sound education en-rooted in salubrious life-promoting morality.â&#x20AC;?

Until 2015, camera phones were banned in the school.

Like several private universities in the country, the school has a history of running into problems with the NUC over insufficient facilities and personnel.

The universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main charge against the Madonna Seven is that they have consciously worked to taint its reputation through malicious writing on the internet. But when this reporter asked Sopuru if he believes his brother, a Madonna alumnus, had been blasphemous, his response was unequivocal. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What they posted on social media was true.â&#x20AC;?

22

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

23

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S

A S

MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

A T J U N E

REPO 4.68% 4.0%

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

2 8 ,

INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

2 0 1 9

S & P INDEX 4.0% 8.88 % 10.13%

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

S & P INDEX 397.78% 0.57% 0.72

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

EXCHANGE RATE 2.90% 11.43%

N306.90/1US DOLLAR* ĚŠ

Quick Takes NB Explains for Support for AFCON

PROMOTING FOOD INDUSTRY

> L-R: Commercial Consulate to the Embassy of Republic of Turkey, Onur Akgul; Deputy Secretary General, MĂ&#x153;SÄ°AD Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association, Turkey, Mehmet Akif Altan; CEO, Turkria International Limited, Ridwan Bello, and member, MĂ&#x153;SÄ°AD, Yasin Yetismis,at the West AfricaFood&BeverageexhibitionheldinLagos...recently ETOPUKUTT

Nigeria Records $10.22bn Forex Inflow in May Obinna Chima The aggregate foreign exchange inflow into the Nigerian economy amounted to US$10.22 billion, showing an increase of 3.2 per cent above the level at the end of the preceding month, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed.

According to the central bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic report for May, the increase was as a result of a 4.3 per cent and 2.6 per cent rise in inflows through the Bank and Autonomous sources, respectively. On the other hand, aggregate foreign exchange outflow from the economy, at US$3.97 billion, fell by 18.5 per cent and 22.9 per cent below the

ECONOMY levels in the preceding month and the corresponding period of 2018, respectively. This was attributed, mainly, to the 15.8 per cent and 37.8 per cent decline in outflows through the Bank and autonomous sources, respectively.

But inflow through autonomous sources, rose by 2.6 per cent to US$6.21 billion in May 2019, compared with the level at the end of April 2019. Outflow from autonomous sources, on month-on- month basis, fell by 37.8 per cent to US$0.37 billion, reflecting the decline in both visible and invisible imports.

Accordingly, foreign exchange

flows through the economy, resulted in a net inflow of US$6.26 billion in the review period, Similarly, aggregate sectoral utilisation of foreign exchange fell by 29.7 per cent to US$2.83 billion in May 2019, compared with the level in the preceding month. The invisible sector accounted for the bulk (63.7 per cent) of total foreign exchange disbursed in the review month, followed by components of the visible sub-sector listed in descending order as follows: Industrial sector, 15.7 per cent; manufactured products, 7.5 per cent; food products, 5.9 per cent; minerals and oil, 5.2 per cent; transport, 1.6 per cent; and agricultural products, 0.4 per

cent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Total assets and liabilities of the banks amounted to N38,641.8 billion at end-April 2019, showing a 0.5 per cent increase, compared with the level at the end of the preceding month. Funds were sourced, mainly, from mobilisation of time, savings and foreign currency deposits, drawdown on reserves and reduction in claims on central bank. The funds were used mainly, to acquire foreign assets, reduce claims on federal government and to pay off demand deposits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Banksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; credit to the domestic economy rose by 0.6 per cent to N20,973.8 billion at end-April 2019, compared with the level Continued on page 24

Be Wary of Weak Insurance Firms, NCRIB Tells Brokers Ebere Nwoji The Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has cautioned its members to be wary of financial health of insurance underwriting firms where they place their clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; businesses to ensure the protection of the image of brokers and that of insurance industry in general.

NCRIB, is the umbrella body of insurance brokers in Nigeria.

NCRIB President, Shola Tinubu, said this while addressing brokers at the June edition of the

INSURANCE bi-monthly â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the council held in Lagos recently.

He said some insurance firms are currently facing financial challenges Noting that this informed the decision by the industry regulator ,National Insurance Commission(NAICOM) to institute the ongoing recapitalisation exercise in the industry,Tinubu, stressed that there are feelers about some brokers still placing businesses with companies that

are financially challenged .

Warning that such underwriting firms may have difficulty in paying claims when losses occur, Tinubu cautioned brokers to be watchful, adding that as critical stakeholders, brokers should be watchful as the implementation of the directives on recapitalisation unfolds.

He noted that insurance brokers cannot shy away from the fact that the directive on recapitalisation will adversely affect the entire industry, stressing that as a proactive council, the body is critically examining the

implications and possible solution to the effect the implementation would have on members. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is no more news that the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has jerked up the minimum paid-up capital of Insurance Companies in Nigeria.

The new capital base required that Companies that want to remain in Life Business should raise their minimum paid up share capital from N2 billion to N8 billion; General Insurance Companies from N3 billion Continued on page 24

AstheongoingAfricaCupofNations(AFCON),continues,promoters of Star, from the stable of Nigerian Breweries have explained that the reason for throwing its weight behind the competition was to makeNigeriansenjoythebestofAfricanfootballunderaveryrelaxed atmosphere especially as the tournament is about to set a record as the most attended event by African players plying their trade in Europe. According to them, Star Lager beer is thrilling fans with unforgettable moments during matches and has provided Nigerian fans memorable experiences with 17 Star Fan Parks in eight cities across the country where fans can in carnival like environment enjoy the 52 matches of the competition, which runs from June 21st to July 12th, 2019.

Apart from the thrillers expected from the competing teams on the ďŹ elds, Star Lager is also thrilling fans to best of entertainment at the Star Fan Park, which is activated on all match days.

At a media parley in Lagos recently, the Portfolio Manager, National Premium, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Sarah Agha, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigerians are very passionate about football and ready to stand behind the Super Eagles as they hope to conquer Africa again and with Star Lager as a foremost brand when it comes to entertainment, consumers and numerous fans are in for wonderful moments of football. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the seasons across the globe in recess, the Africa Cup of Nations provides an exciting atmosphere for fans to behold most of the African stars that thrill global audiences in the various leagues in Africa and Europeâ&#x20AC;? she continued.

StarLagerbeerisanoďŹ&#x192;cialsponsoroftheNigeriaFootballFederation (NFF), as well as the oďŹ&#x192;cial beer of the Super Eagles.

InternationalBreweriesUnveilsFoundation

The 2019 edition of Kickstart, a youth entrepreneurship programme that empowers young people with the ďŹ nancial muscle and training to implement diďŹ&#x20AC;erent entrepreneurial ventures, was ďŹ&#x201A;agged oďŹ&#x20AC; recently by International Breweries Plc, a member of ABInBev while alsounveilingitsnewfoundation,InternationalBreweriesFoundation.

Kickstartwasintroducedby International Breweries Plc in 2016, to empower young entrepreneurs with the wherewithal to kick-start their business ventures with the understanding that the growth of Nigeria increasingly depends on the ability of its enterprising youth population to unlock their entrepreneurial potential. The initiative, which was previously only available to youths in the South East and South West, is now open to all youths across Nigeria.The expansion of coverage followed the newly established International Breweries Foundation which has consolidated the management of all corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives of the company.

The 2019 edition was expected to focus mainly on entrepreneurs in the critical areas of agriculture, recycling, manufacturing, healthcare, education, ICT, water stewardship, climate action and crafts among others.

The initiative underscores the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goal 5 and 8 in particular which focus on decent work and economic growth.

IvoryCoastGDPSeenUnchangedat7.5%

Ivory Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy is expected to grow by 7.5 per cent this year, in line with 7.4 per cent last year, and medium-term growth will remain strong, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

The budget deďŹ cit is projected to converge to the regional norm of 3 percent in 2019, the IMF said in a review announcing the immediate disbursement of $133.9 million under a lending programme agreed in 2016. Rainfall last week in most of Ivory Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cocoa regions was mainly below average and farmers on Monday said weather conditions this month would be crucial in determining the quality of the October-to-March main crop.The April-to-September mid-crop was tailing oďŹ&#x20AC; in Ivory Coast, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top cocoa producer, as pods were scarce on trees, farmers said.They said their focus was now on the weather for the October-to-March main crop. Plantations will need suďŹ&#x192;cient moisture and sun to produce the abundant ďŹ&#x201A;owers and cherelles needed for a strong start in October.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You will all recall that in December 2018, I presented our 2019 budget proposal with the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Budget of Continuity.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Our goal was to use this budget to move the economy further on the path of inclusive, diversified and sustainable growthâ&#x20AC;?

President Muhammadu Buhari

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

NIGERIA RECORDS $10.22BN FOREX INFLOW IN MAY at the end of the preceding month. The development was attributed to the rise in claims on the federal government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Total specified liquid assets of banks stood at N13,634.3 billion at end-April 2019, representing 60.3 per cent of their total current liabilities. At that level, the liquidity ratio was 0.1 percentage point below the level at the end of the preceding month but was 30.3 percentage points above the the stipulated minimum liquidity ratio of 30.0 per cent,â&#x20AC;? it added.

The report revealed that at N2.159 trillion, currency-incirculation, on month-on- month basis, rose by 0.3 per cent at endApril 2019. This was in contrast to the respective decline of 3.9 per cent and four per cent at the end of the preceding month and the end of the corresponding period of 2018. The development relative to the preceding month reflected the increase in demand deposit component.

Deposits of the federal government, banks and the private sector with the CBN, on month-on-month basis, rose, relative to the level at the end of the preceding month, it stated.

Overall, aggregate deposit at the CBN increase by 12.8 per cent to N15.746 trillion at the end of April 2019.

BE WARY OF WEAK INSURANCE FIRMS, NCRIB TELLS BROKERS to N10 billion, Composite Insurance Companies from N5 billion to N18 billion, while Re-Insurance Companies will require a Paid Up share capital base of N20 billion from N10 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, on a personal note, I would like to enjoin my professional colleagues to be wary of where they place their business for the protection of image of brokers and that of the Council. News have been going rounds that some brokers still indulge in placing businesses with companies that are challenged and that may have difficulty in paying claims when losses occur. This should be watched! as critical stakeholders we would be watching as the implementation of the directives unfold before us,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Insurance Industry Recapitalisation Inevitable, Says Efekoha Ebere Nwoji The Chairman of the Insurance Industry Consultative Council (IICC), Eddie Efekoha, has said the ongoing recapitalisation in the industry is inevitable.

Efekoha, who stated this at the media retreat organised by the IICC for insurance and Pension journalists in Ijebu ode, Ogun state, said beyond Nigeria, recapitalisation exercise was a common wind blowing in the financial services sector in other climes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reasons NIACOM gave for the recapitalisation exercise are the same reasons CBN is giving which are the issues of exchange rate and capacity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If these are the main reasons for the recapitalisation exercise, the truth of the matter is that the exchange rate that applied in 2005/2007 is not the same in 2018/19. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Secondly, if the exchange rate has changed, our ability to retain businesses have weaken. Should we enhance it? Yes! I think we should enhance it.â&#x20AC;?

Illustrating his point further on the exercise, Efekoha, said,, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you pour water into a glass half way, some would described it half empty, others would describe it as half full. If you say half empty, then you are not seeing the positive side of the water, but if you say half full, then you are positive. I think it is time for us to see this recapitalisation exercise from the positive side of view. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have never seen a policy that only has the good side and no bad side and no timing can be right because it

is only Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time that can be the best. I think that the more we are positive about this recapitalisation exercise, the more chances we would have in overcoming some of the challenges that comes with it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was a meeting at the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) Secretariat to deliberate on the matter and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think operators are looking at the matter from the side of half empty, but they are viewing the matter from the side of half full and whatever we can take out from this, for the good of this market, we will do.â&#x20AC;?

He, however, urged stake-

holders to see the exercise as half full.

He commended the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for initiating the insurance industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recapitalisation, pledging operators support for the exercise which he believes will help grow the sector.

Also speaking, the President, Institute of Loss Adjuster of Nigeria (ILAN), Femi Hassan said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We at ILAN want this recapitalisation to take place. We are eagerly waiting for it to take place, because it will enable the operators to put some structures in place that will help to grow the industry.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know the operators want this recapitalisation to take place, but the investors who have put their money into the insurance companies are the ones kicking against it, but nevertheless, I am optimistic that in the long run, every party will see reason.â&#x20AC;?

Executive Secretary, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Fatai Adegbenro, noted that the industry needs sufficient capital to meet present realities, especially settlement of claims and hiring professionals.

Continuing, Efekoha said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The wind of recapitalisation is blowing. When we came back from South Africa, we

heard that of Ghana and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and I think the insurance regulator should be recommended for setting the pace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can assure you that the operators will not go against our regulator because the consequences of that is too grievous. However, there is a limit at which operators can control other stakeholders like the shareholders and investors. We cannot stop them from speaking their minds, but whatever they have said do not represent the operatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;/managersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; decision,â&#x20AC;? he said.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

L-R: Head, Internal Audit, FBNHoldings, Bode Oguntoke; Chief Financial Officer, Wale Ariyibi; Head, Human Resources, Oyinade Kuku, Managing Director, Great Place to Work Nigeria, Mr. Michael Tosin-Oni; Technical Assistant to the Group Managing Director, FBNHoldings, Douglas Elisha, and Financial and RegulatoryReportingManager,DapoAfikode,when FBNHoldingswonfour awardsduring theGreatplacetoWorkAwards2019heldinLagosâ&#x20AC;Śrecently

Wigwe Urges FG to Speedily Address Cost of Doing Business James Emejo in Abuja The Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe on Monday tasked the federal government to urgently intervene and address the high cost of doing business in the country.

Speaking at the opening of the national insurance conference in Abuja, he noted that the hostile business atmosphere had denied

the country of the benefits it ought to reap from the activities of companies in operation.

He said:â&#x20AC;?Nigeria must deal with the high cost of doing business. Our poor infrastructure, business registration hurdles, multiple taxation, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and others make it difficult to conduct business in Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigeria currently ranks 146 amongst 190 economies

in the 2019 World Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ease of doing business ranking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This makes startups difficult and it creates challenges for established businesses to run profitable establishments.â&#x20AC;?

He added that the acceleration of innovation and the effects of disruption are delivering a resounding swipe to virtually all value chains, yielding long-term gains in efficiency and productivity.

According to him:â&#x20AC;?Government will need to adopt new technologies and accumulate capabilities in terms of surveillance systems and the ability to control digital infrastructure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government will need to embrace a world of disruptive change, subjecting its structures to higher levels of transparency and efficiency in policy formulation, implementation and oversight.â&#x20AC;?

Wigwe said at Access Bank, the management recognises the importance of innovation adding that this had led to the introduction of a new business philosophy. He said this had gone beyond traditional boundaries to offer bespoke financial and lifestyle services to over 29 million customers across 12 countries through innovations in digital banking, artificial intelligence and analytics.

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x17D;ĂŁ Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?

Comms/e-Business Editor

Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x201C; Senior Correspondent

Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC; (Maritime) Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2122; (Finance) Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x201C; (Insurance) Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ě&#x2122;(Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2019;Ă? (Money Market) Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă? (ICT)

PenCom Urges State Governments to Key into Pension Scheme Amby Uneze in Owerri The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has urged state governments to key into the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Contributory Pension Scheme ( CPS ), saying the benefits to derive from the scheme are enormous.

This was disclosed in Owerri when its Head of Corporate Communication, Mr. Peter Aghahowa, spoke to newsmen during the

commencement of a 5-day verification exercise for year 2020 retirees on Monday.

The Owerri zone comprised the states in Imo, Abia and Ebonyi Aghahowa, lauded the federal government for remaining steadfast in its commitment to better the living conditions for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retirees, adding that the scheme had improved remarkable under the present regime. He called on state governments to tow the

same path by setting up state pension bureau. He further disclosed that the status of Imo State in pension scheme was yet to be actualised as the previous governments did not establish administrative structures to drive the implementation of CPS in the state.

He further described the CPS as a means to a better end, adding that only states who key into the scheme and issue a bond

could access the over N9 trillion accumulated under the CPS. Aghahowa, listed some of the CPS-compliant states to include Edo, Lagos and Kaduna, stating that some states were yet to be fully compliant while others were yet to begin the process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The CPS enables workers to retire better and we must commend the Federal Government for remaining steadfast in the pursuit of

better living conditions for our retirees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is however regrettable that some states are yet to establish the necessary legislative framework that would enable them to key in to the system. We urge them to establish the administrative structure that would drive the implementation of CPS in the states so that they would be able to access the available funds and enable workers retire better,â&#x20AC;? he stated.

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

25

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nigeria Has Massive Agricultural Potentialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hamid Ayodeji Nigeria is blessed with huge agricultural potential but requires increased investment from both government and the private sectors to unlock opportunities in the sector, the Chief Executive Officer, Garri Empire, Seun Adu, has said.

The Garri Empire boss said this during an interview with THISDAY. While commenting on the activities of his firm, he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have made it our core objective to see to it that our products are hygienically refined and packaged before they are put out for consumption; thereby increasing the quality of food in the country.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Garri Empire has been able to reduce hunger in the country by making our products affordable and available to people of all classes of the economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have gone as far as to various homes to distribute our farm products, such as Ijebu garri, kulikuli and Groundnut to those who are less privileged and might not be able to purchase our products.â&#x20AC;?

Meanwhile, Adu has stressed the need to support the agriculture sector with sensitiation programmes and other capacity building initiatives.

She said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is need to have programmes whereby they interpret extension materials to farmers. In addition, they need to help with farm extension

services so as to avoid the rich soil from going barren due to excess harvesting of the farm products. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also, farmers need to be encouraged, to seek membership in farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; organisations, so as to help expand their networks and drive production and sales of their farm products.â&#x20AC;?

When asked how convenient it has been transporting the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s processed and packaged cassava from the farm to markets, the Chief Executive Officer explained that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most times it has been very convenient, although when it rains it takes days to get to the market due to the bad roads we have to pass through when heading to the markets.â&#x20AC;?

Agriculture Solution to Hunger, Poverty, Employment, Says Agrecourse Hamid Ayodeji Agriculture is key in ensuring food security, ending hunger, reducing poverty rate and in job creation, the Chief Executive Officer, Agrecourse, Ayoola Oluga, has said. The Chief Executive Officer said this during an interview with THISDAY, adding that by investing in agriculture, private companies can generate a large amount of revenue whilst also impacting the lives of small scale farmers.

According to him the private sector and the government need to let farmers see agriculture not just as a family tradition, but as

a sustainable business venture.

Farmers need to be trained on how to adopt latest technologies and best practice in order to improve their yield and their operations, he added. Oluga said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just like the Anchor Borrowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the government can provide loans to farmers in the form of input for production and the government should then follow up with the farmers to pay back those loans so that the same funds can be given to other farmers as loans. Also, insurance should also be put in place to hedge against losses of farm lands and farm products.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition to all these, in order to enhance logistics, the government needs to construct goods and secure roads that connect the farms to the markets so as to avoid damages or losses of the farm products. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The government has been supportive but it needs to improve on that. Some private sector players have also stepped in to play their own roles in different areas of the Agric value chain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe the private sector will be the biggest solution provider in this sector but the government needs to make policies that will engender these solutions.â&#x20AC;?

GoogleTrains 300 on Digital Marketing in Katsina Francis Sardauna in Katsina Google has trained 300 National Youths Service Corp (NYSC) members on digital marketing and data management in Katsina State. The training which was organised under its Digital Skills Africa (DSA) initiative, would expose the NYSC members to business opportunities in digital networking and promote social economic activities in the country. The facilitator of the training, Maryan Nkwocho,

described the training as an opportunity for the corp members to sharpen their skills on social networking, marketing and how to advertise their products via internet.

She reiterated that the online giant was expected to train 10 million African youths in order to promote entrepreneurial skills that would add value to their lives, adding that the era of manual marketing was gone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a computer age

as everything in this century has been digitalised. The digital skills training is powered by google in partnership with Mind the Gap to empower African youth on how to use web to browse in marketing products, brands and other online advert. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The training will also enable the participant to learn how to protect an account, how to improve on the use of internet, how to manage data, web design and other online marketing activitiesâ&#x20AC;?.

Falowo Becomes NBCC President The Group Managing Director, Greenwich Trust Limited, Mr. Kayode Falowo has been installed as the 16th President of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC).

Speaking after his installation at a ceremony held recently, Falowo, who was Deputy President of the Chamber, set the tone for the agenda of the organisation over the next two years. He noted that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is our desire to position the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce as the premier bilateral Chamber in Nigeria.â&#x20AC;?

According to him, part of his new agenda for the chamber is the completion/commissioning of the NBCC Plaza and dedication of a facility to host the

British Trade Center within the Plaza premises; enhancing trade relationships between Nigeria and the United Kingdom; establishment and launching of a Nigerian Trade Center in the UK; revamping and broadening the activities of the chamber to attract market-leading Nigerian and British companies; and to provide a closer interaction and an access to Nigerians who desire to do business with UK companies. In addition, under his leadership, Falowo aims to actively promote a high-level participation in the Outward and Inward Trade mission activities, which he said was to further position NBCC as the leader in the Chamber movement. Falowo,

further noted that with the current slow state of affairs in the global economy, Nigeria inclusive, the Chambers was under no illusion about the tough agenda it had set, but he was optimistic that with determination and zeal members had shown in the past, the set goals would be met.

Falowo added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;As you all know, a good plan is as good as the ability to implement it. Therefore, I appeal to all members to join in the effort of repositioning NBCC as the reference institution for bilateral trade.â&#x20AC;?

The Chamber was established in 1997 and currently has about 350 members in different sectors of the Nigerian economy.

ELEVATING TO THE NEXT LEVEL Marie-Therese Phido

Illusion and Delusion of Success What is success in business and in life? I remember once telling somebody many years ago, that success for me would be for me to be able to buy a business class ticket without thinking twice about it. I can now buy a business class ticket and I am still chasing that elusive thing called success. There are many myths about success, what you need to do to achieve it and how you will know you are successful. I am sure this topic resonates with many of us. Indicated below are myths according to Deep Patel and I about achieving success and how we can replace them and create more sustainable successes in our business and life: Follow your passion and you will be successful People will tell you if you do what you love, you will naturally advance and become successful. This sounds great, and seems to make a lot of sense. And for some people, it may be true. Doing what you love can increase your motivation and make you more determined to see your goals through.

But there are other important factors to keep in mind. If you love doing something, but there is no market for your skills or product, you have a significant hurdle to success. Chances are, if you take stock of your strengths and weaknesses, and consider all possibilities, you will discover that there is more than one path to success. You may find there is something else you like nearly as much, and one with a better market and a higher chance of success.

Keep in mind that there is no perfect job. No matter how much you love doing something, there will be elements of your work that you may dislike or even dread. Instead of focusing solely on doing what you love, make sure that you love what you do. Work should be something you enjoy and gain a sense of fulfillment from.

Remember that there may be more than one career option out there for you and that most people go through a variety of careers over a lifetime. Be open to pursuing new paths.

In addition, you can continue to follow your passion, but only as a hobby. You achieve the spiritual satisfaction of doing what you love, and make money from the next best thing which puts food on the table.

You have to be a perfectionist workaholic to achieve your goals I have had bosses who enjoy saying they work round the clock because being a workaholic is considered an admirable trait among entrepreneurs and business professionals. And being a workaholic usually goes hand in hand with being a perfectionist. If you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t willing to work long hours and ensure every detail is absolutely perfect, then you must not want it badly enough. This myth says that you must be willing to sacrifice everything to become wealthy and successful.

This is a big fallacy. Many rich and successful people do not work round the clock and are not workaholics nor perfectionists. If you follow this rule, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll set the bar so high that it will become nearly impossible to succeed. It will all end up backfiring, because the more we hound ourselves to work harder, the more difficult it is to focus. Our productivity drops, we become frazzled and stressed and it becomes difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. You must take time for yourself. Giving yourself a break and letting your mind wander is important in promoting creativity and ingenuity. Allowing yourself to decompress will actually get you further faster.

You must stay focused on the future and working toward your goals This myth says that successful people are always focused on the future and working to anticipate problems their companies will surely face. We must all be constantly making to-do lists and working toward our future goals.

However, if you are so focused on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next, you may be forgetting to live in the present.

Constantly looking ahead without taking stock of what you have will make it difficult to connect to the people around you, and you may find yourself locked into an unhappy mindset.

Research shows that people who stay focused on the present are happier. They have an easier time engaging with others and appreciating all the little moments that bring us joy and contentment.

If you keep marching forward with blinders on, always looking for the next accomplishment to tick off, you will live in a state of constant dissatisfaction. Try practicing mindfulness, in which you focus on the present moment and take time to be grateful for your current life.

An expensive education will jumpstart your success Another fallacy is that getting an expensive education will make you successful and more renowned the school, the better your chances for success. I have friends who have been to Harvard, MIT, Oxford who are at par with me.

We have all attained the same level of success.

We need to understand that education can come in many forms and be gained in a variety of ways. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no longer just one way to do it; an unconventional education can be just as valuable as one gained through an Ivy League school. The key is to absorb knowledge and gain life experiences that will teach you how to apply your wisdom. The most expensive education only gives you the tools to help you learn and grow. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to you to come up with a plan and execute it.

Focus on what you do best.

If you want to be successful, this myth says, you should immerse yourself in one area of expertise. You should play to your strengths and work to develop your knowledge in that area exclusively. Well, that may work for some.

However, the downside to being hyper-focused on one area of business is that you may be closing yourself off from another field that might be more rewarding. Think of all the serial entrepreneurs who have successfully launched a variety of businesses based on their far-flung interests.

Instead of focusing only on the things you are good at, work to develop a range of skills â&#x20AC;&#x201C; be versatile. Having other aptitudes and interests will increase your creativity and keep your mind active and nimble. Make time to pursue new areas -- youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll feel excited about new possibilities, and this will keep you from getting into a rut.

Money equals success and happiness Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to fall into the trap of believing that success, happiness and wealth are linked. We often measure our success by how many zeros are behind our annual salary. Believing that money will bring us happiness is perhaps the saddest and most devastating myth of all.

If the most important measure of your lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievement is based solely on money, you are setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment. You are saddling yourself with a materialistic mindset that will impede your ability to enjoy life and see the beauty in the world around you. Money should never be the ultimate goal. Money is a means of providing comfort and security for yourself and those you care about. Focus on making good choices when it comes to how you spend and save, but always remember that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people who will add the most value to your life. If you are providing value to others and being of service, the money part will follow.

Marie-Therese Phido is Sales & Market Strategist and Business Coach Email: mphido@elevato.com.ng tweeter handle @osat2012 TeL: 08090158156 (text only)

26

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Hope Rises for Lafarge Africa Shareholders Lafarge Africa Plc is embarking on aggressive business and capital restructuring exercise that will enable it deliver value to shareholders in the medium term, writes Goddy Egene

Lafarge Cement Plc, which is an old cement manufacturing company in Nigeria has not lived up to expectations in recent times due to its poor financial performance. The company has been posting losses in its operations. In 2017 for instance, Lafarge Africa Plc, which was formerly known as Lafarge WAPCO Plc, recorded a loss of N35 billion, mostly due to foreign currency and domestic loans.

And in a bid to reduce the reliance on debt borrowing, the company embarked on equity fund raising in 2018 and early this year. The company also embarked on other financial engineering exercise, which in addition to tax credits reduced the loss in 2018. Also, the decision of the company to divest from its South Africa subsidiary is expected to finally take it out of the woods in the short to medium term.

Financial performance In its audited results 2018, Lafarge Africa Plc recorded a revenue of N308 billion as against N299 billion in 2017. Finance cost rose to N45.973 billion, from N43.217 billion, while loss before tax stood at N19.508 billion. But a tax credit of N10.707 billion reduced the loss after tax to N8.802 billion.

Also, Lafarge Africa Plc has posted a profit after tax (PAT) of N3.14 billion for the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2019, showing a recovery from a loss of N2 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2018.

However, the N3.14 billion Q1 profit resulted from a tax credit enjoyed by Lafarge Africa Plc. An analysis of the result showed that the cement manufacturing firm recorded a revenue of N78.512 billion revenue in Q1 of 2019, compared with N80.643 billion in the corresponding period of 2018. Cost of sale was reduced from N62.642 billion to N60.328 billion, bringing gross profit to N18.184 billion, up from N18 billion in 2018. Sales and marketing expenses also fell from N1.505 billion to N1.454 billion, while administrative expenses was reduced from N10.259 billion to N8.351 billion. Finance cost increased marginally from N9.510 billion to N9.576 billion. Consequently, profit before tax stood at N122 million as against a loss of N2 billion. However, a tax credit of N3.021 billion boosted the profit after tax in Q1 of 2019 to N3.14 billion.

Concern by Auditors The auditors of the company, KPMG Professional Services, recently expressed concerns about the high level of liabilities of Lafarge Africa Plc. According to the auditors, the group incurred a loss after tax for the year ended 31 December 2018 of N8.8 billion (2017:

N34.6 billion), noting that as of that date, the Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by N119.3 billion (2017: N189.6 billion) while the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by N114.2billion (2017: N174.1 billion). However, the auditors said the decision of the company to the company is to sell 100 per cent of the issued share capital in Lafarge South Africa Holdings Limited to Caricement B.V, a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim for $316.3 million will boost its balance sheet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The disposal was negotiated and the sales price was agreed at USD 316.3 million (N115.2 billion). The proceeds from the sale will be used to settle the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shareholder loan which represents the only existing foreign currency loan in the books of the company. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The full repayment of the shareholder loan will result in a significant reduction in debt, interest charges and foreign exchange exposures which will in turn enhance the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profitability, financial position and cash flows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Additionally, the deconsolidation of LSAH which has been loss making and in a net current liabilities position will further enhance the Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial performance and position,â&#x20AC;? the auditors said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Based on the foregoing, the directors believe that the Group and company will continue to be able to meet their obligations as they become due in the normal course of business.

Accordingly, these financial statements have been prepared on the basis of accounting policies applicable to a going concern,â&#x20AC;? they added.

CEO explains performance But commenting on the Q1 performance, the Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge Africa Plc, Michel Puchercos, said the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s momentum is very positive and would be sustained in 2019. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Strategy 2022 , â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Building for Growthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Nigeria is delivering the expected results with strong increase in operating earnings before interest taxation depreciation and amortisation(EBITDA) and profit. Our momentum is very positive and is expected to be sustained in 2019. South Africa continued the turnaround plan with significant improvement in Q1 2019 compared to prior year.Our strategic decision to divest South Africa with a sale to another affiliate of the LafargeHolcim Group, will strengthen our balance sheet,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Puchercos, explained that the Rights Issue (early this year) together with the divestment of its South African operations will deleverage Lafarge Africa by N246 billion, enabling to fully repay United States dollars Shareholder

Loan and short-term naira overdraft. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will support Lafarge Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambition to accelerate the execution of its Strategy 2022 and to fully focus on the development of the Nigerian market,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The CEO explained that the sale of its South African operations would enhance the value of shareholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; investments in Lafarge Africa.

According to him, the full repayment of the shareholder loan will protect and preserve Lafarge Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s net income and cash flows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The improvement in cash-flow and net income, resulting from the reduction in debt service outflows, will enable Lafarge Africa to consider additional investments in cement production capacity and to improve its market share in Nigeria,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Analystâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assessment According to analysts at FSDH Research, Lafarge Africa Plc is embarking on aggressive business and capital restructuring that should deliver great value to its shareholders in the short-to-medium term.

FSDH said the company is selling its lossmaking South African subsidiary to its parent company, LafargeHolcim Group. It plans to use the proceeds of this divestment to pay down its foreign loans and its accumulated interest. It also concluded a Rights Issue in March 2019 to reduce its loan and subsequently the interest expenses. â&#x20AC;&#x153; FSDH Research believes these initiatives will change the focus of the business going forward and enable the company to deliver a strong financial performance for its shareholders,â&#x20AC;? they said.

The analysts said their analysis of Lafarge Africa Plc in Q1 2019 showed that the financial performance of the Nigerian operations, as a standalone business, was substantially different and better than the performance of the whole company when combined with that of the South African business operations.

According to FSDH, the Nigerian operations recorded Earnings Before Interest Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) of N20.31 billion while the combined (Nigerian and South African) business recorded N18.69 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The operating profit for the Nigerian operations stood at N11.49 billion while that of the combined business stood at N8.43 billiion. The Proft Before Tax (PBT) and PAT of the Nigerian operations stood at N4.56 billion and N6.30 billion respectively, that of the combined entity stood at N123 million and N3.15 billion respectively. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The company recorded tax credit income during the period, therefore the PAT was higher than the PBT. Our analysis shows that

the company is better off with the Nigerian operations as a standalone business entity going forward. The company expects to receive $317million from the proposed sale of its South African subsidiary, this will be used to completely pay off the shareholder loan of $293million and the accumulated interest as at 31 July 2019,â&#x20AC;? they said.

The analysts said Lafarge expects the annual interest expenses for the Nigerian business to drop substantially by about N10 billion, while cashflow and profitability should grow significantly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This reorganisation should help the company aggressively pursue measures to expand local operations and deliver better growth than historical growth levels. This should, in turn, increase dividend payments to its shareholders. Lafarge Africa faces stiff competition in Nigeria from a strong competitor, Dangote Cement Plc, which is a market leader in the industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, Lafarge has years of experience in the business of cement manufacturing and can tap from the technical expertise of its parent company, LafargeHolcim, who is the world leader in cement manufacturing and marketing,â&#x20AC;? they said.

Explaining further, FSDH Research said the profit margin of Dangote Cement is higher than that of Lafarge, noting that Dangote derives this advantage through the use of modern technology, economies of scale, and plant advantage with respect to availability of raw materials. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore as a price-setter, Dangote may be able to reduce price which will lower the profitability of Lafarge in the Nigerian market.

This is the major risk that Lafarge faces in Nigeria. However, Lafarge competes well in some regional markets in the country. The poor transport network in the country gives players certain advantages in regions where production plants are located,â&#x20AC;? they added.

FSDH Research notes that as the Nigerian economy continues to grow the demand for cement will grow and players in the industry will get a better share of this growth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our forecast and valuation are based on the assumptions that the company will excecute the business and capital restructuring successfully in 2019. Therefore, turnover and interest expenses will drop in 2019 compared with 2018 while profits will increase. We employed relative valuation method using Enterprise Value (EV) to EBITDAmultiple.

Applying the EV/EBITDAmultiple of 8.58x on EBITDAfor the forecast period, we arrived at N29.33 per share as the fair value. Our target price for one year investment period is N20.53,â&#x20AC;? FSDH Research said.

27

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Five-year Plan: In Pursuit of Double-digit Economic Growth The federal government must embrace structural reforms to leapfrog economic growth, writes Obinna Chima Every nation desire rapid economic growth.

Faster growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expands the overall size of an economy and strengthens fiscal conditions. It also translates to an increase in the standard of living of the populace as an increase in productivity would typically rub off on the workforce in the country.

That is why policy makers are always in pursuit of higher GDP growth rates.

For Nigeria whose GDP used to grow at an average of seven percent prior to the President Muhammadu Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration, has continued to totter with growth hovering around two per cent should be discomforting to the federal government The nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP slowed to 2.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 (Q1, 2019), according to data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The World Bank Group recently predicted real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 2.1 per cent for Nigeria for 2019, slightly lower than the 2.2 per cent it had predicted for the country same year in a report early this year.

Also, one of leading rating agencies in the country, Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Investors Services predicted GDP growth of 2.3 per cent for Nigeria in 2019.

These shows that if the country continues at its current growth rate, which is below its population growth rate of about three per cent per annum, it will be extremely difficult to achieve its fight against the excruciating level of poverty in the country.

Therefore, in order to support the fiscal authorities in addressing this anomaly, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, last week unfolded the Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy direction for the next five-year under his watch, targeting double-digit growth, single-digit inflation, $12 billion non-oil exports by 2023 and raising financial inclusion to 95 percent level.

Some Other 5-year Targets Emefiele also pledged to retain managed-float exchange rate and announce a bank recapitalisation exercise that would see banks jacking up their capital base above the N25 billion minimum level that one of his predecessors, Prof. Charles Soludo, introduced in 2004.

He also pledged to retain managed-float exchange rate and announce a bank recapitalisation that will see banks jacking up their capital base above the N25 billion minimum level that one of his predecessors, Prof. Charles Soludo, introduced in 2004.

Emefiele, who gave more details of his fiveyear policy direction, listed CBN priorities over the period to include preservation of domestic macroeconomic and financial stability; fostering the development of a robust payments system infrastructure that will increase access to finance for all Nigerians thereby raising the financial inclusion rate in the country and working with the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to improve access to credit for not only small holder farmers and MSMEs but also consumer credit and mortgage facilities for bank customers.

He said henceforth, the CBN intervention support programme would also be extended to the youth population who possess entrepreneurship skills in the creative industry.

He said within the intervening period, the CBN would further encourage banks to direct more focus in supporting the education sector.

According to him, he will strive to grow the external reserves and support efforts at diversifying the economy through the CBN intervention programmes in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are confident that when implemented, these measures will help to insulate our economy from potential shocks in the global economy. In my second term in office, part of my pledge, is to work to the best of my abilities in fulfilling these objectives.â&#x20AC;?

He also disclosed that the apex bank would leverage monetary policy tools in supporting a low inflation environment, while seeking to maintain stability in exchange rate- with a key emphasis on supporting improved GDP growth and greater private sector investment.

He added that decisions by the Monetary Policy Committee on inflation and interest rates would also be dependent on insights generated from data on key economic variables.

Emefiele added that the CBN would seek to broaden financial inclusion by ensuring that at least 95 per cent of all eligible adults have access to financial services by 2024.

In addition, the apex bank would strive to sustain a positive interest rate regime, â&#x20AC;&#x153;to the delight of our important stakeholders.â&#x20AC;?

The CBN governor said monetary policy measures would be geared towards containing inflationary pressures and supporting improved productivity in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

Emefiele also said the CBN would continue to operate a managed-float exchange rate regime

The implication of this burgeoning deďŹ cit is that in 2019, Nigeria will have to borrow to meet its obligatory spendings - interest payments, transfers and payroll projected at about N5.4 trillion with a revenue of about N4 trillion. This implies a cash crunch for capital expenditure.

Thus, with this ďŹ scal backdrop, macro reforms that will improve the revenue position of the government and pare back the deďŹ cit by cutting spending are nonnegotiable

in order to reduce the impact which continuous volatility in the exchange rate could have on the economy.

He added that the country remained committed to a free trade regime that is mutually beneficial and particularly aimed at supporting domestic industries and creating jobs on a mass scale for Nigerians while the dynamics of global trade continues to evolve in advanced economies.

He said the CBN would support measures to increase and diversify Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exports base and help in shoring up reserves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We intend to aggressively implement our N500 billion facility aimed at supporting the growth of our non-oil exports, which will help to improve non-oil export earnings,â&#x20AC;? he stated.

He said though the goals were onerous and tasking, the CBN would remain committed to fulfilling its mandated objectives of price and exchange rate stability.

He noted that the measures while supporting improved inflows into the country, would also help to stabilise exchange rate and build external reserves.

According to him, emphasis will also be placed on improving speed and efficiency of payment channels, while working to ensure that digital channels are safe and secure as this will help to build confidence in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s payment system.

Emefiele said to improve utilisation rate, the CBN would continue to ensure that payment channels are interoperable, to enable individuals with digital devices to transact across different banks or payment modes.

He said the CBN would further work with NIBSS, banks and Fintechs in developing a regulatory sandbox to â&#x20AC;&#x153;enable us to test financial innovations by Fintechs and banks in a controlled environment, in order to assess its impact on the growth and safety of our financial system.â&#x20AC;?

The CBN governor said he would boost productivity growth through the provision of improved seedlings, as well as access to finance for rural farmers in the agricultural sector, across 10 different commodities namely rice, maize, cassava, cocoa, tomato, cotton, oil-palm, poultry, fish and

livestock/dairy.

Growth Constraints Pan-African rating agency, Augusto & Co, in a report had noted that policy makers in Nigeria are faced with â&#x20AC;&#x153;hard choices with no easy way out.â&#x20AC;?

The firm stated this in a report titled: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Buhari Version II (2019â&#x20AC;&#x201D;2023): Economic Perspectives.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The report noted that Nigeria is currently in â&#x20AC;&#x153;a dire fiscal strait and the numbers are quite grim,â&#x20AC;? adding that despite the positive spin about Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s benign debt to GDP currently around 20 per cent, interest payments as a percentage of revenue are over 60 per cent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Other fiscal indicators also put Nigeria at the bottom of the rung even among sub-Sahara African peers. Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five-year average of capital expenditure as a percentage of nominal GDP is a meagre 2.1 per cent which pales in comparison to Angola (seven per cent) and Kenya (7.6 per cent). â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, with a projected budget deficit of N3.8 trillion in 2019, capital expenditure as a percentage of nominal GDP could decline further to 1.1 per cent this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The implication of this burgeoning deficit is that in 2019, Nigeria will have to borrow to meet its obligatory spendings - interest payments, transfers and payroll - projected at about N5.4 trillion with a revenue of about N4 trillion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This implies a cash crunch for capital expenditure. Thus, with this fiscal backdrop, macro reforms that will improve the revenue position of the government and pare back the deficit by cutting spending are nonnegotiable,â&#x20AC;? the report predicted.

According to Agusto & Co, Buhari in his second term would have to work to raise revenue while also restructuring government spending. This, they noted would require politically unpopular â&#x20AC;&#x153;but inevitable choices.â&#x20AC;?

For instance, the report pointed out that Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current fuel subsidy regime indicates CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

28

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

FIVE-YEAR PLAN: IN PURSUIT OF DOUBLE-DIGIT ECONOMIC GROWTH the country may have readopted opaque practises of the past that not only create a huge fiscal hole but a morass as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With subsidy payments probably in the range of N1.2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; N1.3 trillion annually, the country is obviously haemorrhaging especially amidst the steep opportunity costs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buhari will not only have to stop this fiscal haemorrhage but also muster the political will to deregulate the downstream petroleum industry once and for all times,â&#x20AC;? it added.

It recalled that Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory of 2015 was largely greeted with euphoria by a business community expectant of badly needed macro reforms. However, long-term watchers of the president were quite dismissive of his inclinations towards macro-reforms, it stated.

It noted that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;middle of the ground analysts buoyed by some of the bold pro-market reforms in the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP), had hoped for some form of Damascene moment for the president that would get him to expend some of his political capital on tough and politically unpopular macro reforms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 68 per cent rise in the pump price of petrol to N145 in May 2016 from N86.50 and the feeble response from the oft anti-reformist labour unions had given a bit of hope to these middle of the ground analysts that Buhari did intend to expend some of his political capital to pursue unpopular reforms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rhetoric on exchange rate policies which may have driven the central bank into adopting a demand management stance on the currency, cleared doubts about the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statist economic ideologies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without a doubt, the effects of the currency crisis did send Nigeria into its first recession in 25 years,â&#x20AC;? the report added.

It noted that the calls for adjustment of exchange rates, electricity tariffs and petrol prices, to reflect market fundamentals, were largely ignored by the president.

This, it noted left the country with a burgeoning fiscal deficit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The second argument to demonstrate the statist stance of this administration would be the abortion of its own reform programmes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For instance, the planned concession of the major international airports in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Abuja by this administration and the cold trail of the process buttress this argument.â&#x20AC;?

Continuing, the report stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reform-lite approach of the Buhari administration in the first term implies that it has an extensive to-do list in the second and final term. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the big issues that will make or mar Buhariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic records will be the management of subsidies and other cost unreflective tariffs being stifled by price controls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These reforms will require the removal of subsidies on the pump price of petrol, allow market forces to determine the domestic price of natural gas, allow electricity tariffs that enable operators earn margins on their costs and also ensure exchange rates reflect fundamentals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These reforms could help stimulate investments across board and unlock economic growth. The Buhari administration will also need to adopt a private sector growth approach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Overall, we believe that Nigeria cannot sidestep reforms without severe consequences that could last an entire generation. History beckons on Buhari to prove the naysayers wrong.â&#x20AC;?

Assessing CBNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5-year Target To the Managing Director, Cowry Assets Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, the 5-year policy targets that were outlined by Emefiele are the overall economic targets of the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you look at each of those things he mentioned - reducing the level of inflation to single digit, increasing the GDP growth rate to double digit, financial inclusion of ninety five percent by 2024 - those should be the basic policies of the federal government in terms of economic development because one of the key challenges is that the economy is growing at a very slow rate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is macroeconomic instability because we have high interest rate, high inflation rate and the capacity to carry out some of these pronouncements would be highly dependent on the policies of the fiscal authorities. Right now, we do not have a Minister of Finance nor a clear vision of what the government economic policy is. With the best of intention the efforts of the CBN to achieve these goals would largely depend on the fiscal authorities,â&#x20AC;? he explained.

He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us say for instance they said they were going to encourage mortgage lending and consumer lending; to do that, a lot of things have to be put in place. The per capital earnings of average Nigerians is very low so they cannot afford to properly service a mortgage loan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So for CBN to encourage mortgage loans it has to work with the fiscal authorities at the state and federal level to bring down the cost of properties. In that case, you are talking of the government subsidising prices of land and properties so they are cheaper and an average employee can afford to service a mortgage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition the CBN can introduce a finance initiative to mortgage banks so that they can

The problem we have in Nigeria is that we keep problems until they become so big that we have to ďŹ x it. I have advocated that we should use inďŹ&#x201A;ation to change the minimum wage every year. We can be doing this if we have vision in small step because most of the great things that are done are done with a plan and gradually. We have serious problems in this economy. The problems are that of growth, unemployment and productivity

lend at sub-optimal rates or below market rates.

We already have an institution like Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Company, although unfortunately, we are not seeing its effectiveness presently because it seems like there is a shift in government policy.â&#x20AC;?

Growth Drivers To a former Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun, forex supply is one of the factors that causes distortions to the economy.

According to him, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;task is for us to get foreign exchange from anywhere, be it diaspora and everybody bringing back their foreign exchange, because the challenge is always on the supply side. Basically we have to deal with the issue of liquidity in terms of foreign exchange.â&#x20AC;?

Also, Deji Alli, Managing Director of ARM Investment Managers, noted the impact of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s huge infrastructure deficit on economic growth. He also advised the CBN to collaborate with other regulatory agencies to develop policies that can attract long-term equity financing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t attract long-term equity financing, then it is going to be difficult for us to attract foreign investments in any manner,â&#x20AC;? he said.

According to him, the right regulatory framework should be developed for pension fund administrators to commit some portion of the over N9 trillion pension funds to infrastructure development. This, according to him would go a long way in stimulating economic growth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Policies have to be in place to create attractive opportunities for the country to move ahead,â&#x20AC;?

Alli added.

On his part, the Vice Chairman, Alpha African Advisory and former Chief Executive Officer of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, stressed the need for the federal government to implement policies that would enable the country achieve double-digit growth rate.

He reiterate the call for an end to the removal of certain subsidies in the country as well as pay greater attention to security and infrastructure.

On fuel subsidy, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the economy is losing

N1.2 trillion per year. Who gets the fuel subsidy?

The rich people with six cars are those benefitting from fuel subsidy. The average rich person in Ikoyi is getting approximately 100 times a year fuel subsidy than person in Shomolu in Lagos.â&#x20AC;?

Chike-Obi added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;everybody deserves to have electricity but you charge electricity based on those who needed it the most in the market price.

Most people that uses generator pay N160/Kwh and pays comfortable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you tell these power company that they can sale power at N160/kwh, they will make sure much money that more power will be generated.â&#x20AC;?

He also expressed concern about Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rising debt service ratio, which according to him could be about 70 per cent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem we have in Nigeria is that we keep problems until they become so big that we have to fix it. I have advocated that we should use inflation to change the minimum wage every year. We can be doing this if we have vision in small step because most of the great things that are done are done with a plan and gradually.

We have serious problems in this economy. The problems are that of growth, unemployment and productivity,â&#x20AC;? the former AMCON boss insisted.

The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, on his part, described consumer credit as a vital tool for fighting corruption and also an economic growth enabler.

To this end, Dangote urged the CBN and commercial banks in the country to work towards developing consumer credit products so as to encourage low income earners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to work very hard on consumer lending. It is even going to help the government in fighting corruption especially for the low income earners. If somebody has a paid job and there is consume credit, you can take such credit to buy household equipment and pay for four years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must also do mortgage. It will also help in terms of fighting corruption,â&#x20AC;? he explained.

He, however, said the biggest challenge in the country was implementation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How do you have economic growth without power? Without power there canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be growth.

Egypt electricity increased by 10 gigawatts, which is equivalent to 10,000 megawatts, in 18 months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But in Nigeria we have been struggling for 18 years without adding 1,000 megawatts and we have spent about three times the amount Egypt spent. Why? So, I think we all need to be concerned about that. I keep saying that when you look at the contributions to the GDP, the government is only about 17 per cent and 80 per cent is private sector,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Owing to this, he advised private sector operators to remain committed to contributing to the growth of the economy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is only the private sector that can partner with government to create this. It is not difficult but we must drive the process. No foreigner can invest unless we the locals invest in our country.â&#x20AC;?

He pointed out that smuggling was causing a lot of harm to businesses in the country, citing Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s porous border as a challenge.

Dangote said there was need to focus on import-substitution.

The Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia, stated that to engender growth, there was need to get all the fundamentals in the economy right. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No matter the economic theory we propound, if the fundamentals are not right, it definitely cannot work. If we have the fundamentals right, the common man does not want to know whether interest rate is high or low,â&#x20AC;? Ovia declared.

The founder of ANAP, Mr. Atedo Peterside, noted that monetary policy has its limits. He advised the CBN to ensure that the issue of multiple exchange rate is addressed. He also said there was need to implement policies that would ensure that inflation gradually drops to about five per cent.

Therefore, for Nigeria to achieve double-digit growth in the next five years, the federal government in collaboration with the central bank must ensure that the economy is diversified away from crude oil as its major source of revenue, to agriculture, innovation, manufacturing, services and other activities in the non-oil sector. This, is what is needed to drive productivity, which would naturally translate to an increase in disposal income and higher investments which impacts GDP growth positively. Clearly, it must do away with the fuel subsidy that has remained a drain on the nation. In addition, policy makers must support investment in education because of its multiplier effects on economic growth in the medium term.

29

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Chike-Obi: Eliminating Subsidies Will Free Funds for Development The Vice Chairman, Alpha African Advisory and former Chief Executive Officer of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, who was the guest speaker at a recent forum organised by the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Lagos, urged the federal government to implement policies that would enable the country achieve sustainable growth and address its revenue challenges.

Nume Ekeghe presents the excerpts: What do you think the federal government can do to raise the kind of revenue the country needs to develop?

I can comfortably say that the ability of Nigeria to borrow more money is limited. The reason being that when you borrow money it is not just the size of the debt that matters, but how you service the debt. Having enough revenue to pay back the debt is more valuable than the debt itself. For instance an individual that is wealthy enough to payback a billion, like Dangote can service a debt. The reason why this is the case and why we should not be using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to dept ratio that some people are saying is not so high is because everything that is related to our GDP is low. Our tax revenue to GDP is one of the lowest in the world and also revenue to GDP. So now, the way to achieve a sustainable economical development is to strategically start servicing those debts and now I can say we have exceeded those numbers as it has grown from about 35 per cent, percent to about 70 per cent presently. A past Minister of Finance said she was saving the country money by borrowing in dollars and that she has been able to save us some amount of revenue. But I wonder if the people that are lending to us at eight per cent that some people believe is cheap instead of 16 percent, are they also not gaining because if they lend it to us in naira at 16 per cent that would be better for the development of our own economy compared to what we are experiencing presently. The reason for them lending the money at eight per cent instead of 16 per cent is that they know Chike-Obi that by the time the money matures, if it was at 16 per cent, the dollar would not be worth it to buy foreign goods and with that you as much as N350. This means that we are not will still need to give them naira. So, the CBN saving money; instead since 1970 the naira has cannot use it to buy anything because they depreciated by approximately 50 per cent to the do not have it. The external reserves is not dollar every five years. So how are we saving something the government can use to build money when the dollar keeps rising? Using roads or industries because they have spent it guarantees as the method for acquiring debts already. So in every reserve you see in CBNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s should be applied instead of straight debts. books there is a corresponding naira liability That is, if you want to build a road and you on the books. meet the federal government and they borrow What type of relationship do you advise you the money based on an agreement that you provide 20 per cent of the capital, while should exist between the monetary and they provide 80 per cent, and if the project ďŹ scal authorities to achieve the desired fails you lose your 20 percent and they pay economic growth?

In the previous and present administration off the 80 per cent with your guarantee. That way you can get funding from everybody in the monetary and fiscal administration did not the world. The federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guarantee work in sync. The fiscal people always want to to GDP presently is 10 per cent; I suggest we spend more money whilst the monetary people move it to 60 per cent. In the US it is about 84 usually want to rein in spending because they per cent. If we boost it to 60 per cent within want to keep inflation down and the exchange the next five years we would generate N30 rate stable, so there is a clash. So I recommend trillion in funds. It requires federal govern- that the CBN Governor should be a cabinet ment guarantee agencies, it requires having level position. Also the CBN Governor and the guidelines for every guarantee that is issued, it Minister of Finance should meet formally, at also requires having someone to monitor that least once every two weeks, to make sure they the guarantees are on the right things so as to are in alignment and every month, the CBN generate profit and grow the economy. It has Governor, Minister of Budget and Planning to be monitored and properly structured. That and the revenue mobilisation agencies should is how we can generate the type of funds we meet with the Vice President every month to need for the sustainable development of our make sure everybody is in sync; and then that economy, removing the subsidy guarantees group should meet with the President once in while creating an environment that is profitable three months to make sure everyone is on the for every form of investors are the ways we same page. Also the president should present a score card twice a year to National Assembly. can generate enough funds.

So, if the Minister of Finance says the interest But we have seen the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s external rates are too high and is affecting her fiscal reserves grow steadily, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think policy she and the CBN governor can work together to have an understanding instead that will help to support the economy?

External reserves are not savings, they have of hostility. The CBN is independent, but if been spent. The only way you can spend that I were the president I would set targets like reserve is by giving the government naira double-digit growth and request for strategic they owe and they give the CBN dollars. So, methods we can put in place to achieve it and it is not savings that Nigeria can spend in the if he or she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t meet up with the target future, because the money has been spent. I know it is best to let such person go and The only value to Nigeria is that we can use find someone more capable to replace such

an individual.

Earlier, you said the federal government cannot pay the minimum wage that had been approved, so does that also apply to the local and state government and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think the various forms of subsidy are to support the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s welfarism programme?

On the minimum wage, the amount of federal government employees compared to the rate of employees in the entire country is less than five percent. Federal government cannot pay it yet, the state government cannot pay it and there are more state workers than federal government workers. So, I am talking about the fact that most people that have to pay it cannot and also the process it would take for them to pay it would be till the end of the year. Concerning welfare, one of the hardest things for people that have children is not being able to give a child what they want because you cannot afford it. You cannot give what you do not have because you cannot afford it. So, I am not happy about the removal of subsidy. I wish it was possible to give every citizen $10,000 a month, but that is not possible and even is it necessary? Is it better to have running water in a village than to have fuel subsidy? Sustainable economical growth and development is the kind of welfare we need. Concerning fuel subsidy I maintain that anyone making less than N5 million a year should get fuel subsidy.

How can the country enhance its tax revenue?

Our tax revenue to GDP is very low, while our tax rate is very high, we are one of the highest in the world at 30 per cent. If you live in Lagos state, the state government comes for you for all manner of taxes you do not know about. I think we are over taxed and over taxing an economy that is struggling is always a recipe for disaster. The way to

give tax benefits in Nigeria should be, for example, if someone wants to import heavy equipment that we feel is important to Nigeria, we should not give them foreign exchange at N305 to a dollar, instead we tell them to go and buy their foreign exchange at N360 to a dollar, then when they have brought their equipment in and filed their tax return we can give them the money back. In America there is no way you can get any money from their government except through your tax return.

That is why I said with the subsidy you file your tax return and we give you your subsidy back. We must make more people pay their tax, a lot of people do not. One of the things that annoys me is the issue of allowances. Allowances are not taxed and so effective tax rate for a lot of people in Nigeria is very low. They tell you your tax is 30 per cent but by the time we have medical untaxed, furniture untaxed it ends up being eight per cent. In America there is no such thing as furniture allowance, it is only in Nigeria we have that. Therefore we should give people higher salaries and tax them. For example, a bank MD who is earning about N60 million a year as salary, but has two or three cars and his drivers are paid based on allowance, that N60 million will end up being N200 million. Thus, what I think we should do is pay the N200 million as salary and then tax it instead of paying him N60 million and then the allowances go on taxed. This is why I think we must start taxing allowances. When they say ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are making N1 million, but have a whole lot of allowances like the police guarding them, drivers and the likes; by the time they are taxed for the policemen and other allowances I do not think they would be able to have so much of that at that luxury. If they are paid N100 million a year and taxed at 30 per cent, our tax revenue would grow. That is why I also want the head of revenue collection to be a ministerial position.

Many countries adjust income rates by inflation, so if someone is making N20,000 a month, if you adjust it yearly by 10 per cent nobody would notice it. Businesses are being over taxed whilst individuals escape without paying taxes.

30

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Group Advocates Disruptive Strategy for Social Impact, Behavioural Change Raheem Akingbolu A Lagos-based integrated communications agency Yellow Brick Road (YBR), has advocated the use of disruptive social impact communication strategy to effect positive behavioural change in Nigerian societies.

The duo of Olumide Olowole (Kaliko) and Nnenna Onyewuchi, in their capacity as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director of Strategy respectively, at a high level capacity symposium in Abuja, averred that disruptive and creative communications strategies could be a powerful way to change society.

Addressing stakeholders from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and members of the media at the sideline of the event with theme: A Marketing Approach to Behaviour Change â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Disrupting Social Impact Communications, they averred, that the agency has successfully deployed a non conventional approach to address gender inequality and other social challenges using disruptive social impact to drive real social change.

The agency also shared insights gleaned through experience working with UNICEF, Voices4Change, Girl Effect, MTN Foundation, Oando Foundation, British Council and Dangote Foundation.

According to Olowola, YBRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy for developing communication

campaigns is based on a digital first approach, using the disruption method which seeks to challenge conventional concepts of advertising. He stressed that the practice is split into a commercial arm to service its private sector clients and a social marketing division to service Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

The agency, he added embarked on the disruptive marketing practice to drive behavioural change in the way most people do things so that there can be better society, explaining for instance that sexual slavery, gender inequality, lack of access to education are limitations of growth that the world is contending with. According to him, if these societal challenges are not properly addressed especially through unconventional disruptive strategy, it will one day blow up on the faces of Nigerians.

Olowola said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;These are all issues that if not taken care of now will blow up in our faces at some point and what this will lead to is economic disenfranchisement, as well as economic flight because people might be forced to leave the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What YBR is therefore trying to do in its little way in synergy with other stakeholders is to deploy marketing campaign that can help address and redress these behavioural attitudes.â&#x20AC;?

Allianz Nigeria Launches Auto Insurance Campaign Ebere Nwoji Allianz Nigeria Insurance Plc has launched free auto diagnosis insurance marketing campaign programme tagged â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Allianz Auto CARdiology.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The company, also said its target in Nigeria was to emerge as the largest retail insurance firm and one of the largest financial services provider in Nigeria.

Allianz Nigeria which has its parent body in Germany, said it wants to achieve the target within the next five years.

The Executive Director of the global insurer, Mr Owolabi Salami, at a press briefing said in extending its investment tentacles to Nigerian insurance market, Allianz aims to redefine the future of Nigerian insurance market by deemphasising corporate business and focusing on retail insurance, which he stressed was where the future of the insurance industry lies.

He said it was part of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy of promoting and engaging in activities that would deepen insurance penetration in Nigeria.

He said Allianz Nigeria insurance, has registered a micro insurance firm and has submitted its application to the National Insurance Commission

(NAICOM) .

He said to boost its operations in the micro insurance market, Allianz had acquired stake in Bima, a company that pioneered platform for micro insurance in Ghana, Senegal among other African countries.

He said being part of Allianz, the management would leverage on Bima to deliver micro insurance to Nigerians.

He said part of the micro insurance sales strategy was the CARdiology motor insurance.

According to Salami, the CARdiology auto diagnosis is a brand marketing programme targeted at luring motorists in the country to buy motor insurance.

He spoke on the working of the programme saying CARdiology is a brand awareness and marketing campaign to acquire motor insurance policy.He said by offering the services to the subscribers into the promotional campaign, Allianz Nigeria would invite applications from the public and would select about 2000 applicants.

These, according to him would be directed to choose from 20 available garages chosen

by Allianz where they would send their vehicles for diagnosis and detection .

5,000 Farmers to Benefit from New Partnership on Maize Production Bennett Oghifo The OCP Africa has launched an agricultural intervention programme, known as Agribooster Campus Offer, in partnership with Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

OCP Africa is a subsidiary of OCP Group, a Moroccan company and the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest producer and exporter of phosphate and phosphate-based fertilizers. The multinational company drives a bilateral partnership between Nigeria and Morocco on the supply of phosphate to blending plants in several states across the country.

The Agribooster Campus Offer programme, launched recently, was targeted at 5,000 maize farmers within the university and its immediate

environs, according to a statement by OCP Africa, recently.

As part of the launching of this programme, the Faculty of Agriculture, ABU, Zaria nominated 15 of its postgraduate students to be trained and equipped by OCP Africa on agriculture extension skills in order to reach the target 5,000 farmers, teaching them best practices in the application of various farm inputs to maximize their yield in maize cultivation.

The Country Manager of OCP Africa, Mr. Caleb Usoh, said that the initiative would provide the farmers with fertilisers, seeds, and agro-chemicals; funding through its project partner, ABU Microfinance Bank Limited as well as training for the postgraduate extension workers who would in turn,

train the farmers.

Usoh said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very positive that this program will significantly expand the yields of these farmers, based on the quality of the seeds and fertilizers we have brought in.

The students who are going to become agri-promoters in the different villages where these 5,000 framers are operating will create awareness for them in the proper use of farm inputs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With this intervention by OCP Africa and its partners, the farmers will be able to get the right types of fertilizers and other critical inputs in sufficient quantities, and at the right time.â&#x20AC;?

The Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, ABU Zaria, Professor Olufunmilola Alabi said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are happy that OCP Africa has chosen our school to begin

the roll out of its Agribooster Campus Offer in Nigerian universities. The selected postgraduate students are being trained to become extension workers who will work with the farmers within our immediate environs. We expect that this intervention would increase the maize yield drastically for the farmers concerned, and it will translate into more money for them.â&#x20AC;?

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Kaduna State, and representative of the state governor at the event, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kasim, expressed optimism that Agribooster Campus Offer would be a good complement towards the transformation of agriculture in the entire Kaduna state.

CLIMATE FINANCE AWARENESS

L-R: Head, Regional Loan Monitoring, South-east & South-south, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Saheed Oyedepo; Social & Environmental Management System Officer, Mr. Shehu Audu; Chief Executive Officer, A4&TPower Solutions, Mr. Ayo Ademilua; Director, Heri Homes & Properties, Ms. UchechukwuAjukwu;ClimateFinanceAdvisory,InternationalFinanceCorporation(IFC),Mr.OrobosoIgbuandRegionalSalesManager,South-east,Asteven Limited,CynthiaEjifoma,duringtheClimateFinanceAwarenessWorkshopandExhibitiononSolarEnergySolutionsorganisedbyFCMBinpartnershipwith IFC,heldinPortHarcourt,RiversState...recently

Nem Insurance Announces Dividend Pay-out Nem Insurance Plc has announced a dividend pay of 13 kobo for every 50 kobo share to its shareholders. The company announced this at its 49th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos recently.

Addressing the shareholders at the meeting, Nem Insurance Chairman, Fidelis Ayebae, said during the year under review,the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gross Premium recorded was N15.04 billion, an increase of 12.2 percent over the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turnover of N13.4 billion as well as increase of 9.1 percent â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is, while N10.7 billion was earned in 2018, N9.8 billion was earned in 2017â&#x20AC;?, he explained According to him, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment income increased by 34.2 per cent, adding that while the income for 2018 was N952.8 million, that of 2017 was N709.9 million.

In terms and of claims payment, the Nem Insurance Chairman said the company incurred gross claims of N6.01 billion, showing 20 per cent increase over that of the

preceding period that was N5.01 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Gross Claims ratio for 2018 stood at 40 per cent whereas that of 2017 was 37.4 percent an increase of 2.6 per cent â&#x20AC;&#x153;Net Claims paid for the year was N2.6 billion, while that of the previous year was N1.8 billion; resulting into an increase of 43.2 percent ,The Net Claims ratio was 23.9 percent for the year under review and 18.2 percent for 2017; an increase of 5.7 percentâ&#x20AC;?, he explained .

According to Ayebae, the positions of the Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Financial Assets decreased by 39.1 percent while total assets and totaitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quity improved by 27.7 per cent and 27.6 per cent respectively. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The parent company also had the same percentage decrease in Financial Assets as that of the Group i.e. 39.1 percent ,the Total Assets and Total Equity increased by the same percentage i.e. 27.4per cent.â&#x20AC;?

Law Union & Rock Grows Net Benefit, Claims by 117%, Profit Falls Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc, said it grew its net benefit and claims by 117 per cent, to N1.6 billion at the end of its 2018 financial year, compared with N0.737 billion in the corresponding period of 2017. Based on the phenomenal increase in net benefits and claims, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profit before tax fell by 55.4 per cent to N0.490 billion from N1.099 billion recorded in 2017.

The Chairman of the company, Remi Babalola, disclosed this during the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50th annual general meeting held in Lagos recently.

Babalola, while presenting the annual report of the company to the shareholders, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are pleased to be one of the top claim paying Insurance companies as our claim paid per premium earned is one of the highest in the industry.â&#x20AC;? He said in furtherance of its commitment to continually enrich the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shareholders, the board recommended cash dividend of two kobo per share for the 2018 financial year.

The chairman said that the

companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gross premium written rose slightly by 6.79 per cent from N4.252 billion achieved in 2017, to N4.541 billion.

Its underwriting profit however dropped significantly by 46.05 per cent to N0.638 billion, from N1.182 billion posted in the preceding year, he added.

He however, assured that the company had remained unrelenting in sustaining high corporate and ethical governance standards in its business. He said the board had been at the forefront of ensuring total compliance with every directive from the National Insurance Commission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management went through a significant overhaul with the appointment of Mr Ademayowa Adeduro as the new Managing Director/chief executive officer,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Speaking on the outlook of the company, Adeduro said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;While we anticipate an improved operating economy, our strategic initiatives for the year 2019 includes to begin sales in AutoReg-Courtville franchise that bundles our auto insurance with vehicles licence renewal.

31

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Samsung Launches QLEDTV in Nigeria Emma Okonji Samsung Electronics has launched its latest 2019 TV line that is now available at selected stores in Nigeria.

Powered by Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary Quantum processor, the 2019 QLED TV line-up features more screen size options, stunning picture quality enhancements, dazzling colours from every angle, exciting new design elements and intuitive smart TV upgrades.

As part of this special launch, those who purchase a 2019 QLED TV between July and August 2019 would receive a Samsung UHD or FHD TV for free, the company said during the launch.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos recently, the Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Central Africa, Dudu Mokholo, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our 2019 QLED line is designed for users who want the best combination of picture quality, smart TV capabilities and design. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lineup represents our largest screen size offering ever. It brings together innovative feature enhancements and exciting content and service partnerships to deliver a truly ground-breaking viewing experience and unprecedented value.â&#x20AC;?

The 2019 Q80 feature â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ultra Viewing Angleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; technology, which restructures the TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s panels, allows the backlight to pass through the panel and provides lights to the screen.

Engineered to reduce glare and enhance colour, Ultra Viewing Angle provides a vibrant picture regardless of where the viewer is sitting.

In addition, Q80, and Q900 models offer Direct Full Array technology that uses a panel featuring concentrated zones of precision-controlled LEDs. These LEDs adjust automatically to display deeper blacks and purer

whites, delivering stunning images with pristine contrast, Mokholo said.

Speaking on some of its features, Mokholo said it comes with Intelligent Quantum Processor such as the Q900 Series 8K TVs incorporate Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary Quantum Processor 8K, which up-scales lower resolution content.

Depending on the content, it can allow for playback close to crystal clear 8K resolution. This year â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s models also utilise the Quantum Processor 8K that optimises audio and video to the specific content on the screen. It can create an even more detailed sound experience by tailoring the audio settings to the specific layout of the room. Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new QLED 4K models also feature their own proprietary Quantum Processor 4K, which can use AI upscaling to deliver improved brightness, picture quality and sound optimised for each scene, Mokholo said.

He explained that the Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2019 QLED range would take the user experience to the next level by offering iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Support on 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will be made available via firmware update. In an industry first, a new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app will debut on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries.

AirPlay 2 support will be available soon on Samsung Smart TVs in 190 countries worldwide,â&#x20AC;?Mokholo added.

He further explained that the 2019 Samsung Smart TVs would offer even more ways for users to discover and watch content, as they feature improved AI algorithm that leverage userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subscription services, favourite content, and TV viewing habits to offer customised recommendations about what to watch.

Silverbird, Others Sign MoU on SSBEC Sunday Ehigiator Silverbird Entertainment in partnership with BusinessDay Newspaper and Eventstracer; a digital events platform recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the Silverbird Small Business Events Circuit (SSBEC) in Lagos. The circuit is said to represent what the organisers termed a â&#x20AC;&#x153;unique approach to solving the growth and stability challenges faced by small business in Nigeria.â&#x20AC;?

In a media briefing, the Vice President of Silverbird Group, Guy Murray-Bruce, explained that in addition to finance, creating awareness for products and services remains a challenge for small businesses.

According to him,â&#x20AC;&#x153;Silverbird is leveraging its media and real estate

assets to create a platform that will provide small businesses with access to providers of what we have termed CHITTA; Capital, Health, Insurance, Technology, Training and Awareness.

This CHITTA framework is vital to the sustained growth of small businesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Silverbird Small Business Events Circuit is a series of nine sector specific small business events and seminars organised by Silverbird Entertainment to promote the stability and growth of SMEs. Each of the events will be held over three days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The circuit will begin with Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ever flower event, the tagged â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lagos Flower Conventionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, planned to hold over the weekend of 9th to 11th August, 2019, and conclude in March 2020 with the Silverbird SME Award

Night. All events will hold at the Atrium of the Silverbird Galleria in Victoria Island, Lagos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the event listing, three events will potentially shape the excitement of the circuit, the gifts and wraps event sheduled for late December 2019 and the double header â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cake Delightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Valentine Flower Festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; both sheduled for the week of Valentine in February 2020. We expect that over its eight months duration, the Circuit will welcome more than 150,000 visitors to see the 200 exhibitors across its nine industry events.â&#x20AC;?

Commenting on the participation of BusinessDay in the Small Business Circuit initiative, General Manager, Adeola Ajewole, highlighted the commitment of the newspaper to the growth

of small businesses in Nigeria. She underscored the need to provide subsidised platforms through which small businesses can create awareness and promotion for their products and avoid the huge cost outlays that they presently require to achieve this. Adeola explained that she expects small business to channel the savings from the media subsidy being provided by Silverbird, Business Day and Eventstracer into their other needs such as working capital.

Also speaking, a Director at Eventstracer, Adewumi Obakoya, said the digital platform would handle all registrations for the Circuit and also serve as a news, data, content development and information platform for activities around the Circuit, its exhibitors and visitors.

FARETHEE WELL

L-R: Former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelemah; First President, American Business Council/ Chairman, Africa Capital Alliance, Dick Kramer, and Former Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson, at a send forth dinner in honor of Kramer, organised by the AmericanBusinessCouncilheldinLagos...recently ETOPUKUTT

Flour Mills Targets N1.2trn Revenue in Five Years

Lagos Airport Immigration Boss Redeployed to Kano

Raheem Akingbolu

Chinedu Eze

The management of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc has assured trade partners of plan to double the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; production capacity in the next five years. The company also outlined an ambitious business plan for the next five years.

Group Managing Director of the company, Paul Gbededo, told stakeholders, including distributors at the 2019 Distributorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Award that the 59-year-old company was targeting to double its business within this period from N600 billion revenue to over N1.2 trillion in 2024.

He stated that the strategy of the business expansion of the company which has over the years diversified into fast moving consumer goods was not only organic growth, but acquisitions and partnerships.

The Managing Director, who disclosed that the company now controls about 42 per cent of the flour business in Nigeria, stated that the business expansion was to ensure that the vision of feeding the nation and Africa is realized. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Value and job creation is our focus and that will be in the downstream. It is not just good to acquire assets in the upstream but we need to focus on the downstream and create more value,â&#x20AC;? he stated.

To ensure continuous business growth, the manufacturing company rewarded its business partners for their contributions to the FMN business growth. The event which was attended by over 500 guests, culminated in the handing over of 17 trucks to the top performing dealers. Top five dealers were celebrated with the special award of 30-ton trucks and trailers which

further expands their business model with primary distribution capability.

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference theme, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breakthrough partnering for growth,â&#x20AC;? looked back at the rich and unique heritage the company shares with its partners and reinforced the continued commitment towards mutual profitability and growth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our success story as the leading consumer business in Nigeria, will not be complete without our esteemed dealers and partners who form an integral part of how we are achieving our purpose of feeding the nation every day.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; As we continue to look towards the future, our aim is essentially to promote stronger ties with our partners, because we know that the sustainability and future growth of our business depend on itâ&#x20AC;?

Gbededo said.

Stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation industry have commended the former Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Mr. Dikko Yashe, who has been redeployed by the service to head the Kano State Command.

Players in the industry said since Yashe was posted to the command about a year ago, he had entrenched discipline, transparency and hard work among the immigration officers at the airport and urged the personnel to follow his footprint.

The South West Terminal Manager, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Victoria Shin-Aba, in her comment, described Yashe as

a very proactive and effective officer who within a year and ensured total change and sanity in the facilitation by Immigration Service at the command.

According to her, Yashe collaborated with FAAN in the Ease-Of-Doing-Business policy of the federal fovernment and improved the rating of immigration at the airport within a year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to say we are going to miss you for the very good work you have done since you came onboard. Within the period, you brought lots of facilitations to immigration and operators at this command. Through your efforts, immigration officers at the Lagos airport, were re-orientated and today, you can say they are performing very well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I appreciate working with you in private and public capacities.

You have been a very effective

person in all you do. I can only hope that the person coming after you will follow your footstep and improve on whatever thing you have put in place. May God continue to guide your movement.â&#x20AC;?

Also, the Director, Department of State Security (DSS), Airport Command, Mr. Oludare Gabriel, said Yashe believed in collaboration with all other security agencies at the airport.

He charged other officers of the command to emulate Yashe in the discharge of their duties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I enjoyed working with you.

I hope to meet you in the future.

One of the things we emulate Yashe in is that we should always look beyond uniform in whatever we do. Also, we should at every point in tine have it at the back of our minds that there is life after this place,â&#x20AC;? he said.

32

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

EDUCATION AddingValue, Impacting Male Students in UI The Irawo University Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, a hall of residence for male students and lecturers of the University of Ibadan, established in 1973 by the Educational Cooperation Society, recently marked 50 years of adding value and impacting the residents. Sunday Ehigiator reports

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I

rawo means evergreen, ever supportive, by giving you the value and what is it takes for you to go through lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thick and thin, and remain sane,â&#x20AC;? said the Head of Veterinary and Public Health, University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Idowu Cadmus as he described the impact of Irawo University Centre to THISDAY. Irawo University Centre is a private hall of residence for male students and lecturers of UI, established in 1973 by the Educational Cooperation Society (ECS), a non-profit trust.

At the time it was established, it started out in a rented apartment of a building along Bodija Road in Ibadan. In 1982, it moved to another rented premises, but this time a complex of three buildings. However, the dream of a permanent location finally came through in 1990, as Irawo now sits on a four acres plot of land, just 10 minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; walk from the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main entrance.

It is the first of its kind hall of resident to be officially associated with the the university and holds the record of helping to build morals of several students of the institution who had resided there at one point or another.

Cadmus said he first joined Irawo in 1987 as a fresh undergraduate and that he has now become a professor in the university, adding that he is still a part of the hall of residence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still get values from it daily. It gives you support, teaches you morals and gives you hope in the sense that when you see the environment, you need no one to persuade or compel you to be responsible and as you are going through life, you must pass on something well meaningful to the coming generation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So that is the hope and the hope of the future because the younger occupants are the hope of the future and we need to pass on something good and worthwhile to them.â&#x20AC;?

The centre recently held its 50th anniversary lecture titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Role of Public Private Partnership in Improving the Quality of Education in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, graced by alumni of the resident and other invited guests, including the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, who chaired the occasion.

In his remarks, the Managing Director, ECS, Dr. Chudi Ihenacho said he owes most of his upbringing and character formation to the hall of residence.

According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have known and associated with Irawo University Centre for about 40 years of its 50 years of existence and as an alumnus who participated in the educational and moral formative activities at the centre, I can truly confirm to you that I owe most of my human and character upbringing to the centre. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the centre and I would not be off the mark if I say that for an institution which is meant to serve such common good as human capital development for ages on end, half a century is comparatively a commencement period.â&#x20AC;?

The Vice-Chancellor, Augustine University, Epe, Lagos, Professor Stephen Afolami, who was the guest speaker at the programme, said Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education system has been on since the colonial days because education started from the private sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The missionaries came and began to train people so that they could read the bible and become literate. It was much later that the colonial government began to support education. Eventually, it got to the point when I was in primary school, government of the western region had partially taken some responsibilities off the schools by funding them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Due to the fact that they wanted it free,

L-R: The Managing Director, Education Cooperation Society, Dr. Chudi Ihenacho; Irawo alumnus, Professor Anetar, Alake of Egba Land, Oba Adedotun Gbededo, his wife, Dr. Tokunbo; guest speaker and Vice-Chancellor, Augustine University, Lagos, Professor Steve Afolami; Chief Executive OďŹ&#x192;cer, Bella Memorial Hospital, Dr. Femi Bella and Director, Irawo University Centre, Mr. Nwachukwu Egbunike at the 50th anniversary of Irawo University Centre and launch of its books, held in Ibadan, Oyo State... recently they had to support those who own the schools to have quality teachers. So they paid teachers, supported the maintainance of the building and purchased books while the private sector provided structures and owned their schools, but government knew that it was better to key into that than outright takeover. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eventually, government started having its own schools, but at the time of independence, you could count them on your fingers, and you would exhaust all 10 fingers

My ďŹ rst two sons were residents of this hostel when they were at the University of Ibadan and they have both grown to become great men today due to the kind of training they were given in this centre, and the rapport they have with their trainers and the grooming they were given here. It is very evident in their attitude to life and disposition to challenges

after counting. But there were hundreds of primary and secondary schools owned by the Christian and Muslim missionaries.

The clever thing government was doing was to provide grants to support the education of the populace. But it was when the oil boom happened, and the revenue generation became so much that government thought they can take over all the schools, change the tone, decide what the curriculum should look like, and galvanise the nation in such a manner that you are feeding the people with the same stuff. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However as it has turned out, it was a very big mistake because within a very short time, government found that it could not support it all on its own and the new song became â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;government alone cannot not do itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Who asked them to take over in the first instance? So with that, they hurt the people, they hurt the system, and I think it is one of the worst decisions the government has ever made.â&#x20AC;?

Afolami argued that government has not been able to provide space for its university students at all the levels, adding that this is one of the reasons they invite the private sector to support and help in bringing up the younger generation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Private universities are very expensive to run, it is like entering into a debt burden because you can never make money so soon from a university enterprise. In fact, it cannot be described as a profit making venture, but a sacrificial venture.â&#x20AC;?

He stressed the need for government to ensure that private universities are not excluded from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) grant because they pay tax and students can also have access to scholarships just like their counterparts in government-owned institutions.

The programme also featured the launch of two books titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Irawo, an Anthology of Poemsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;An Investment in Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, both credited to the resident. Speaking about the books, the Director, Irawo University Centre, Nwachukwu Egbunike said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 2016, we made a call for submission of poems for the Irawo Poetry Anthlogy, the themes for the call for submissions were poems reflecting justice, unity, strength,

perseverance, progress, love and diversity.

We received a total of 107 submissions from 54 Nigerian poets. The poems went through blind review process by three renowned Nigerian writers; Tade Ipadeloa, Mary Nwagwu and Kola Tubosun, and here we have it today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The second book, titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;An Investment in Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a visual curation of the memories of thousands of people who have passed through Irawo University Centre for the past 50 years. It is a testimony to the founding vision of some Nigerians who sow a seed knowing that they will not enjoy its shade. This book is an act of gratitude to all those who have supported this idea through these 50 years.â&#x20AC;?

In his remarks, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo expressed delight about the 50th anniversary celebration, saying that the centre was set up and dedicated towards the development of the minds of young people who have today become professors and great men in different fields. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am also a beneficiary of this residence, so I have come to rejoice with the Educational Cooperation Society. My first two sons were residents of this hostel when they were at the University of Ibadan and they have both grown to become great men today due to the kind of training they were given in this centre, and the rapport they have with their trainers and the grooming they were given here. It is very much evident in their attitude to life and disposition to challenges, hence I am grateful.â&#x20AC;?

The royal father said there is need for more money to be devoted to the educational upbringing of Nigerian children. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we are doing now is just palliative. We have not faced the problem at all. Many classroom blocks are without roofs in primary schools.

I cannot go to my former primary school now without shedding tears. Even though our schools at that time were missionary schools, the missionaries were dedicated to education. They were very devoted and had a passion to ensure that we were devoted.

Now, nobody seems to care, so we have to go back to the drawing board and let those who can run schools be the ones to run the schools.â&#x20AC;?

33

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

EDUCATION

Corona College Seeks Reform of Teacher Education Uchechukwu Nnaike With the advancement in technology, which has led to the evolution of the education sector and other sectors of the economy, the Corona College of Education, Ilupeju, Lagos, has called for the restructuring of teacher education so as to produce quality teachers that will prepare students for the future.

Speaking in Lagos recently, at the first graduation ceremony of the college with the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Reinventing Teacher Education for a Constantly Changing Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the Chief Executive Officer, Corona Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Trust Council, Mrs. Adeyoyin Adesina, stressed the need for the reappraisal of teaching methods considering the new jobs, new role and skills that are required for existing jobs, even jobs that are yet to be determined for the future.

According to her, â&#x20AC;&#x153;when we talk about reinventing education, we are looking at how we teach, methodology, materials and resources that we use in teaching and the readiness of the students bearing in mind that the students we are teaching today are very different from those that we taught a few years ago.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Education then was teacher-centred, but now education is pupil-led so we need to rethink how we deliver it. We need to prepare teachers, knowing again the problem we have, our workforce are resistant to change and innovation.â&#x20AC;?

Asked what the college does differently, she said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know our pedigree as an educational institution and we know how often we have called ourselves to task to look at our curriculum and how we teach. We know the level of exposure we have opened up our students to, and in doing that, it will impact teacher training and teacher quality.

In her remarks, the Deputy Chairman Governing Council, Dr. Alero Roberts, called for more attention to, and funding of education, especially teacher education, as teachers are the bedrock of any nation.

She said the college was established to address the dire need for professional teachers in the country, adding that about two decades ago, the teaching profession more or less became a dumping ground of people waiting to get jobs in other sectors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is not the quality of teacher children should have.

Children need teachers who are committed to ensuring

Segmentico Disburses N10m to Low-fee Private Schools, Sets New Targets Segmentico Limited, an innovative financial company, has broken new ground in its quest to increase access to funding for low-fee private schools at a time when the number of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out-of-school children is growing but governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to intervene is waning.

Low-fee private schools are filling the gap and providing formal education to children and wards of low income earning Nigerians, in a country where over 70 million people live below the poverty threshold of $1.90 a day (N685.43).

Since most of the low-fee schools are run by private individuals, most banks will not lend to this sector. There are between 18,000-25,000 private schools in Lagos alone, all of which have created assets- land and buildings. As they expand, these schools need money to put up additional classrooms or a laboratory or some other facilities. Most of them borrow from private money lenders, paying up to 60 per cent interest a year.

This slows down improvement and expansion at these schools.

Segmentico has developed replicable sector-specific systems and processes, which allow for efficient and effective operations.

The company currently serves more than 40 schools in Lagos, and additional capital will allow it to extend its successful model to more than 5,000 schools throughout the country over the next five years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have disbursed over N10 million worth of loans and the repayment rate has been impressive 100 percent.â&#x20AC;? Wale Odeja, founder, Segmentico Limited said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we have limited funds to provide loans to all applicants

and the maximum loan amount is too small for some applicants.â&#x20AC;?

The company has embarked on a journey of transforming into a leading, customer-centric, diversified lending company; it plans to continue building on its leadership position in the education finance space with an objective of positively transforming the education lending space in Nigeria. The core loan offering enables lowfee private schools to improve the quality of education and increase the capacity to educate more children from low-income households.

The company has mapped out plans to expand across the country through strategic partnerships. It will continue to emphasise on building capabilities in risk and control, analytics, underwriting, information technology, people and brand to ensure that Segmentico delivers growth which is sustainable with robust asset quality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partnership with Segmentico has enabled us to reach out to more children with all the opportunities that a good education can provide,â&#x20AC;? Abioye Funmilola, the Head, Rosemanuel Educational Services said.

Segmenticoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model is working because people have little faith in public schools and are willing to pay more for quality education, while schools with no access to bank credit are proving to be bankable as borrowers.

The company was founded in March 2019 and is determined to focus on continuous innovation in products and services to remain relevant to changing customer needs, leveraging technology to deliver better customer experience.

their optimal development; who are able to make them life-long learners; who are able to instill in them

those principles of integrity, courtesy and good behavior that carries them through into adulthood.â&#x20AC;?

The about 124 graduands, who completed the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) and Nigeria Certificate

in Education (NCE) programmes, were also inducted by the Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

L-R: The Registrar, Corona College of Education, Mrs. Joan Omole; the Chairman, Corona Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Trust Council, Justice Ibukunola Adebiyi; Provost, Corona College of Education, Dr. Martin Obinyan; Vice-Chairman, Corona College of Education Council, Dr. Alero Roberts; and the Chief Executive OďŹ&#x192;cer, Corona Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Trust Council, Mrs. Adeyoyin Adesina, at the convocation ceremony of the college in Lagos... recently

No Going Back on Dec 31 for UnqualiďŹ ed Teachers, Says TRCN Registrar Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The Registrar, Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Segun Ajiboye has reiterated that the council will not back down on the December 31, 2019 deadline to flush out unqualified teachers from classrooms in the country.

Ajiboye, who said this in Ibadan, also disclosed that the National Council of Education

(NCE) set the deadline for all teachers in Nigerian classrooms to get registered, qualified and licensed by the TRCN. The Federal Ministry of Education had on June 7, 2019, sent a circular to all secondary school principals regarding the December 31 deadline for unqualified teachers to leave the classrooms.

Ajiboye stressed that the country needs quality teachers

to deliver quality education and not those he termed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cheatersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, stating that the ultimate goal is to remove quackery from the teaching profession in order to ensure that only those with required competency give Nigerian children quality education.

He therefore urged those yet to be registered to take the opportunity of the qualifying tests and get registered by the council before the deadline.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You need quality teachers to deliver quality education.

TRCNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mandate is to determine those who are teachers in terms of their qualifications and registration with the agency.

Globally, teacher professionalism has become very imperative through appropriate regulatory standards as prescribed by the teaching regulatory authority in the country. There is still time to be registered.â&#x20AC;?

Technical Education: Tech-U Signs MoU with Festo Didactic Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan As part of efforts to internationalise its programmes and deliver on its mandate of technical and entrepreneurial education, the First Technical University (Tech-U), Ibadan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Festo Didactic, a world-leading provider of equipment and solutions for technical education.

With the MoU, Tech-U has entered a strategic alliance that would see it leverage on the 55 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience of Festo

Didactic.

Through the partnership, the university and Festo Didactic, a world leader in industrial automation technology, producing industrial equipment in the pneumatics and electronics field, would collaborate to enrich the Mechatronics Programme at Tech-U. Speaking after the signing ceremony, the West African Director of Festo Didactic, Mr. Peter Sengpiel said he was impressed with the strides already made by the institution and is therefore excited

about the partnership. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From what we have seen so far, we believe the First Technical University constitutes a perfect partner.

Its commitment to technical education aptly fits into the Didactic vision of helping students to develop technical ability, develop craftsmanship among students and generate ideas that can help the society. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As Festo, our 55 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience will match the mission and vision of the university through knowledge transfer to the university and we are really grateful for this

kind of opportunity,â&#x20AC;? Sengpiel said.

He added that aside working to prepare students to acquire industry know-how through virtual academy, online learning, web-based training, Festo would work to source more industry experts to join the Tech-U faculty while also facilitating exchange programmes for the institution.

The partnership would also mainstream Tech-U at the Worldskills Conference, the biggest global craftsmanship event.

GSS Old Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association Holds World Convention The Alumni Association of Government Secondary School, Afikpo, Ebonyi State is set to host the 2019 World Convention with the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Back to the Futureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

The annual conventions held in different parts of the world and periodic home-coming to the alma mater are geared towards supporting efforts at recreating the rich history of conducive learning environment and facilities, as well as the high standards in academic pursuit; as well as motivate the current generation of staff and students to return to the hallmarks of quality public education in Nigeria.

According to the interim

National President and Chairman of 2019 Convention Planning Committee (CPC), David Nwachukwu, the committee is thrilled with the level of support and cooperation from old boys both in Nigeria and in the diaspora, towards ensuring the successful hosting of the four-day event, which will hold from July 11 to 14.

He said the convention reflects the spirit of going back to where it all began, to interact with the future generation of prominent scholars, professionals and eminent citizens who are expected to impact the society positively in the years ahead.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The programme of activities for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convention will feature the dedication and renaming of the newly renovated new house to Tagbo House, in memory of our late Principal, Reverend Father Nicholas Tagbo; inauguration of completed infrastructural projects, especially the Virtual Learning Initiative (VLI), the Assembly Hall and other projects undertaken by the current administration in the state, such as the erection of a gigantic school gate and perimeter fencing of the school compound, resurfacing of internal roads, donation of 150KVA generating set and

solar-powered street lights, as well as convention lectures by carefully selected high impact speakers.â&#x20AC;?

In his remarks, a member of the Media and Publicity sub-committee of the CPC, Franklyn Ginger-Eke said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;we are proud to be hosting yet another of our annual gatherings, usually attended by old boys from different generations and from across Nigeria and overseas, the teaching staff, government officials in charge of secondary education, community leaders, the academia, and senior decision makers from Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public and private sectors.

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

34

Rewarding a Life of Service to Humanity at 80 On June 30, 2019, members of the Ansar-Ud-Deen High School Old Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association (AHOSA) hosted dignitaries from all walks of life in Lagos to celebrate the 80th birthday of their committed and dedicated former teacher, Alhaja Wusamot Adegoke. They also launched her biography titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Life of Serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Sunday Ehigiator reports Often times, the rewards of teachers are said to be awaiting them in heaven after they must have completed their impacting sojourn on earth. But for Alhaja Wusamot Adegoke, it was a different case, as her old students of over 50 years, under the umbrella of Ansar-Ud-Deen High School Old Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association (AHOSA) recently came from all over the world to celebrate her 80th birthday and launched her biography titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Life of Serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Suites, Yaba, Lagos.

Noted for being a seasoned teacher, leader, a religious woman with unquestionable character, and a disciplinarian, the event which was well attended by old students of the celebrant between 1967 to 1991, had several dignitaries in attendance, including the business mogul, Alhaji Sakariyau Babalola, as the special guest of honour and former Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Foluke Abdulrazaq, who doubled as the chairperson of the occasion.

Others were former Head of Service, Lagos State, Alhaji Rafiu Tinubu, legal luminary, Chief Ajibola Aribisala, SAN and Mr. Segun Aborisade, former Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Alhaja Latifat Okunnu, among others.

In his welcome address, The President, AHOSA, Mr. Rafiu Williams described the celebrant as inspiring, unique and a paragon of virtue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be honest, words spoken here today in Mama Adegokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honour may not adequately capture the essence of this unassuming, yet inspiring Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gift to humanity. This in itself is hardly surprising, given the different ways in which she touched our young lives, inspiring us all to go into the world and conquer it. Yet, in all these, the disciplinarian in her was never far behind. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is hardly any alumnus seated here today who has not been put straight at some point by her sharp rebuke or a good dose of the cane if and when the need arose. And if as a pupil, you did something exemplary, you become reference point in her admonition to other students.

He added: Behind all these was her abiding determination to make better citizens of us all.

And for this abiding love in us, your students, the self-belief and discipline you inculcated in us, the encouragement to always aspire, we, the alumni of this great school, hereby say a big thank you to this great mentor of a mother. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mama Adegoke is a unique person. A paragon of virtue whose lifework has been to set the moral compass for guiding other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children to rise above mediocrity and live a virtuous life for its own sake because that is the right thing to do. Those of us she acted loco parents for came out the better as a result of this. The

L-R: The special guest of honour, Alhaji Sakariyau Babalola; chief launcher, Chief Ajibola Aribisala, SAN; celebrant, Alhaja Wusamot Adegoke; and Chairperson of the occasion, Mrs. Foluke Abdulrazaq at the 80th birthday and launch of Adegokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biography written by Old Students of Ansar-Ud-Deen High School, held in Lagos... recently debt of gratitude we owe her is not easy to repay. We must repay because of the indelible character imprint she left in us which facilitated our taking the paths that will enable us script our future success stories. What better way for the repayment than to document her story, her history, and her good work, as her enduring legacy for future generations to know about this one in a million mother and borrow a leaf from it too.â&#x20AC;?

Speaking on the biography of the celebrant, Williams said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am reminded that the idea of a biography of Adegoke first came about in a conversation between her and two old students present here today, at the eight day Firdaus prayer for our old geography teacher, Mr. Badmos in 2017. And this was inspired by our National Anthemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The rest as they say is now history because altruistic labour of our mama is indeed not in vain as she reaps the fruits of that labour in her lifetime. A big thank you to the genius of Alhaja Faozat Ogunniyi and Wale Oshodi who both provoked the preservation of Adegokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy as the book we are gathered here to launch today.â&#x20AC;?

In his remarks, the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who was represented

by Hon. Ajala Rasaq, described the celebrant as an exemplary figure and a force to reckon in the mental development of several industry movers in the country today. He thanked her for her contribution in shaping the mindset and mental capacity of students who had the privilege of being taught by her. He also congratulated her on the occasion of her 80th birthday and launch of her biography.

Also, the Chairperson of the occasion, Mrs. Foluke Abdulrasaq described the celebrant as a very loving, caring and generous woman, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;she is someone that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t selfish with her knowledge and passed same on through several generations and we are all glad to have passed

through her teachings. She is enriched with wisdom like no other and I am glad that we get to celebrate her while she is still alive and strong at 80, even before she gets the heavenly reward.â&#x20AC;?

One of her old students, and founder Ebiti Foundation, Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti, described the celebrant as a role model to several people and a factor in purpose discovery for students, as he prayed for more grace and health for the octogenarian.

Speaking with THISDAY, Alhaji Sakariyau Babalola described Adegoke as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a wonderful woman. You can hear what everyone has been saying about her. They say teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reward is in heaven, but she is getting her own here now before she goes to collect the heavenly reward when it is time. You can see, the attendance alone is a big testimony of how she really impacted the lives of these young men and women here present.â&#x20AC;?

A former colleague of the celebrant, Otunba Owolabi Sanni said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got to know the celebrant about 50 years ago, precisely 1969. We were both teaching at Ansar-Ud-Deen High School. She is a very pleasant, charming and easy going woman. A very deep religious person of the Islamic faith and she is a born teacher.

The students that were posted to our school in those days were usually not very brilliant ones, but with a bit of hard work from people like Adegoke, we were able to give them a vision and mission which we psychologically made them to buy. And today, we have some of them as Senior Advocates of Nigeria, fellows of chartered accountants, among others. I had to come from Ijebu-Ode for this occasion because out of about 21 of us in the teaching staff then, only about five of us are remaining.

So we have cause to thank God. I pray that she would have more years of grace, grow healthy and be blessed with more fruitful years.â&#x20AC;?

Speaking with THISDAY on what stood her out among

every other teachers in her dispensation, the celebrant, who couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t conceal her joy, thanked all her students who put all efforts together to celebrate her and attended the occasion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel very happy. I feel fulfilled. My time in that school as a teacher was beyond just teaching them. I grew up with them. I was privileged to see the world through their eyes, and they also saw the world through mine. I was like a mother to them. When it was time to parent them, I did, and when it was time to discipline them, I disciplined them very well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And that is where I want to pick my message to new breed teachers. They must show more dedication and passion to this career they have chosen. And they must remember that at all times, these children they teach represent a trust that someone, be it parents, guardians or government has placed in them, hence they should ensure they deliver and not disappoint or betray such trust. If I should come back again to this world, I would one to be a teacher again, because I have no regrets being one.â&#x20AC;?

Alhaja Adegoke was born into the noble family of Dr. Hamid Saka Tinubu; first Muslim Doctor in West Africa and Madam Wulimot Tinubu in 1939. At her early age, she attended Baptist Academy on Broad Street, Lagos between 1945 and 1952; Methodist Girls High School, Yaba between 1953 and 1956. From there she proceeded to the Great Britain to further her studies, where she attended Durhan High School and Darlington Teachers College, University of Durham, United Kingdom, from where she obtained her GCE Advanced Level and UK Teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Certificate. She later came back to Nigeria to study at the University of Lagos between 1967 and 1972 where she bagged her BSc in Education. She began her teaching in Britain and moved back to Nigeria where she blossomed in her career. She became principal of Ansar-UdDeen High School in 1981 until her voluntary retirement in 1991.

KEHINDE OMORU www.kayomoru.com

SCARRED FOR LIFE Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x; Ă?Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ë Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;ËŞĂ&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x153; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă? ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x; Ă?Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17D;Ë&#x203A;

Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2122;ĂĄĂ&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x152;Ă? ËŠĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;ËŞ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; ËŠĂ&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;ËŞË&#x203A; Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2013;ĂŁË&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁË&#x203A; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ë&#x17E; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x2022;Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? ĂĄĂ? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ë&#x17E; ĂĄĂ? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A;

Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; ĂĄĂ? Ě&#x2122;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ě&#x161; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D; ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă? Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013; ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ě&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă?âĂ&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17D;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ë&#x203A; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E;ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x;Ă&#x161; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x161; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;ĂŁË&#x203A; Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;äĂ?Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă? ËŠĂ&#x152;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă?ËŞ Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă?Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;ĂĄ Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ě&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ě&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ě&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;ĂŁË&#x203A; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;ĂĄĂ&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;äĂ?Ă&#x2DC;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁË&#x203A; Ă&#x2019;Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ă? Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă?Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ë? Ëž Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ëž Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ëž Ă&#x;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;ĂŁĚ&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x161; ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ëž Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;âĂ&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;ĂŁË&#x153; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;ĂŁË&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ëž Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?âĂ&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ëž Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ęś Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x161;ĂŁ Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă?Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ë

Mrs Kehinde Omoru writes from the UK

Day Waterman College Organises 8thValedictory Service Ugo Aliogo Day Waterman College (DWC), Abeokuta, Ogun State has organised the eighth valedictory service of the school.

Speaking at the event recently, the Principal of the college, Mr. Stewart Cowden said the day was special to celebrate members of the class of 2019, who he said have raised bar with their academic performance.

He commended the head boy, head girl and the various prefects for the outstanding leadership quality they displayed in the discharge of their duties in the college.

Cowden lauded the class of 2019 for the commitment shown to achieve the best in everything they embarked on at the college, including setting a standard to achieve the best IGCS result ever by the school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leadership has shone brightly in the lives of these young people.

In the area of commitment, as group you have shown commitment to achieve the best in everything you have been involved. You have been committed in everything you been involved in. I clearly remember that the mantra you raised was to achieve the best IGCS result the school has ever achieved. I am hopeful that this will happen in August.

The other factor is desire; he added that individually and as a group, â&#x20AC;&#x153;you have sought to achieve the best academic standard possibly. You have set

the bar high you and already making impression on this school. I wish you the best in your future endeavours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that the values instilled in each departing student today will help prepare you for the challenges and demands of the future. I have no doubt that you will be excellent ambassador for DWC. Beware of the pitfalls of social media and maintain the DWC culture of greeting people, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going into different culture and societies, so maintain that.

I am proud and please keep in touch,â&#x20AC;? the principal said.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Board of Governors, Mr. Tofarati Agusto said the cumulative experiences that the students have gained in the five years they spent in the college may be more significant than their academic attainment.

He added that the experiences gained would not only help to develop them into well-rounded individuals, but also result in building lasting and enduring relationships. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indeed, that relationship may matter more than your academic attainment in your journey through life. How you spend your time and apply yourself on a consistent basis will determine who you become.

Focus on spending your time productively and you will have a full chance of being successful. To this end, there are certain habits you need to cultivate to make the most of your lives.â&#x20AC;?

35

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Kolade Canvasses Youth Empowerment for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Growth Funmi Ogundare Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Christopher Kolade has stressed the need for the youths to be given the capacity to learn effectively; this he said is a proviso to bringing up successful leaders and ensuring a better society.

Kolade, who said this at the silver jubilee lecture of Olashore International School, Osun State with the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Leadership and Social Change: Developing 21st Century Leaders for Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, in Lagos, bemoaned a situation where the country keeps doing the same time year after year and expecting a change.

He said â&#x20AC;&#x153;unless we apply the things that we learn, we may not be able to change our society the way it ought to be. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of our problems in this country is leadership. We lack the capacity to learn effectively and we keep doing the same thing year after year with an expectation that things would change. Our role is to see what we can do to solve the existing problem through a capacity to learn.â&#x20AC;?

Kolade, who was chairman at the occasion, described the founder of the school, Oba Olashore as a man who practiced noble values and maintained a high level of discipline during his life time, adding that one of the driving forces of the school is to make Nigeria a better place.

In his keynote address, the founder, African Leadership Academy, Mr. Fred Swaniker said he believes that every society needs good leaders and that

the difference they will make will go a long way.

He regretted that Africa does not have strong institution as a result of bad leadership, adding that Rwanda has gone ahead of other African countries despite its genocide issue and was able to surmount its challenges in 25 years because of good leadership. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In this continent, we must not lose hope despite all the challenges that we see. We need a sense of urgency in Nigeria which has taken over from India that has the highest number of people in extreme poverty in the world.

He said a nation could create conditions for young people to grow as leaders and drive change rather than wait for institutions to do so. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The role of an institution like Olashore to develop good leadership cannot be overestimated, it is a necessity. Our perspective is that leadership is not something you can teach, but can be learnt.

We need to instill in the youths the confidence and sense of service that will make them to serve others rather than enriching themselves,â&#x20AC;? Swaniker stressed.

He highlightred some traits that make a good leader to include having passion to solve problems; having an imagination and inspiring people; being guided by values, as well as having courage and resilience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Transforming Africa cannot be achieved overnight, it starts by transforming the youths. We cannot continue to do things in the conventional way, but through innovation. Leaders need to be put in challenging

Experts Advocate Positive Attitude towards Special Needs Children Uchechukwu Nnaike Experts have called for a more positive approach to people with special needs by focussing on, and helping them to discover their strengths and improvev on them.

At a one-day Special Education Case Conference, organised by a non-governmental organisation, the Inclusive Education and Individualized Education Plan Centre (IEIEPC), in collaboration with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)Liberation Parish, several special education specialists enlightened teachers, parents and care givers on how to bring out the best in children/ persons with special needs.

In a paper, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Supporting Special Needs Children/Persons to Discover their Strengthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Prof.

Olufemi Fakolade of the Department of Special Education, University of Ibadan (UI) stated that in spite of their condition, people with special needs have unique qualities. For instance, he said people with autism are high performers on figural IQ test; those with dyslexia demonstrate superior artistic abilities; people with learning disability show higher than average entrepreneurial ability, among others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once we recognise the strength of students with special needs, we can start to create positive environments within which they can thrive.â&#x20AC;?

Fakolade highlighted the practical components of supporting the discovered strength of some special needs persons to include strength awareness, positive role models, universal design for learning, strengthbased learning strategies, enhanced human resources, affirmative career aspirations and environmental modification. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By changing from a deficit orientation to a diversity perspective, and by creating positive support system within which students with learning differences can learn according to their strengths rather than their weaknesses, we can thus help these students become who God truly wants them to be,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Also, a senior lecturer at UI, Kelechi Lazarus, PhD, whose paper centred on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Supporting Special Needs Children/Persons with Learning Disabilitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, urged teachers to have a sense of optimism that all pupils can succeed; show confidence that they can deal with childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual needs; provide a broad and balanced range of curriculum opportunities for all children; provide an extra pair of eyes and ears; explain task requirements; and support written work.

Other resource persons were Dr. John Oyundoyin, Oluwawumi Oladipupo and Ijeoma Ugwu.

circumstance so that they can be relevant.â&#x20AC;?

The guest lecturer and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Oye IbidapoObe, who spoke on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Role of Education in Philanthropy

and Community Developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, affirmed that the country has the responsibility to change the narrative through reorientation of the youths.

This move he said will bring about a class of leaders

that have imbibed the spirit of philanthropyâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Community development is very important.

We need to create confidence in the minds of young people, give our time and share knowledge with them so that they can

support philanthropic gesture.â&#x20AC;?

He described the 25th anniversary as a call to total restoration of values, while stressing the need to teach young people to be innovative by using humanities to transform the society.

L-R: The Chairman, Board of Governors, Olashore International School, Prince Abimbola Olashore; Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN); Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Christopher Kolade; keynote speaker, Fred Swaniker; and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, during the 25th anniversary lecture of the school, in Lagos... recently

Yobe Committed to Restoring Past Glory of Teaching, Says Gov The Yobe State Governor, MaiMala Buni has pledged his administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to restoring the past glory of teaching profession in the state.

Buni made the pledge in Damaturu while declaring open a two-day Yobe State Education Summit with the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Expanding Enrollment, Enhancing Retention, Quality and Performanceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to assure you that my administration is committed to reinventing teaching as a profession in Yobe, and in the coming weeks and

months, we intend to roll out different incentives to equip our teachers to do better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will entail, but not limited to providing more opportunities for those who need re-training to re-train, as well as organising workshops and seminars on global best practices in teaching.â&#x20AC;?

Buni noted that the overall school enrollment for children between the ages of six and 10 in the state is significantly lower than it should be, saying that his administration would partner with traditional rulers and community leaders to change

the situation.

He expressed concern over the dismal performance of students in the state, regretting that the situation had resulted in the inability of the state to fill its quota in various higher institutions and important areas of specialisation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are still a long way from getting the adequate number of indigenous professionals that our state needs to provide much-needed social services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Given these challenges and the urgent need to address them, I declared an emergency in our

primary and secondary education during my inauguration speech on May 29, which is an admission that things are not where they are supposed to be.â&#x20AC;?

He urged the invited resource persons and stakeholders to brainstorm with a view to proffering lasting solutions to the challenges of the education sector in the state.

Meanwhile, some Damaturu residents have lauded the idea of the summit, saying that it indicated the seriousness of the government to address the problems of education.

University of Botswana Reserves 8,000 Slots for Nigerian Students, Seeks Partnership Kuni Tyessi in Abuja In its quest for research collaboration, cultural, as well as staff and students exchange, the University of Botswana has reserved 8,000 spaces for Nigerian students into various courses.

In its 20,000 capacity institution which boasts of eight faculties, Nigerian students who will not be treated as foreign nationals in terms of tuition, are expected to pay $3,500, an equivalent of N1, 260,000 after presentation of their minimum

five credits Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Levels which must include English Language.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof.

David Norris, who disclosed this at the Botswana High Commission in Abuja, said the partnership has become necessary due to Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diversity and in its promotion of Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as cultural and creative arts, among others.

Norris, who stated that students and staff profile is core in university profiling, emphasised that in the history

of the institution, there has never been academic strike, which exceeded more than a week, so he promised that students could complete their studies at the stipulated period of time slated for each course. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are seeking research collaboration. It is very important. We are in Africa and we have common challenges which can be effectively solved with us partnering in research.

We also want to enrich each other through student and staff exchange, where we can have professors come from Nigeria

to Botswana and where they can spend some time mentoring our people and vice-versa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The other thing which is also very important is cultural exchange. It is important that we share our experiences and get to know each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture.

We have been talking about STEM. We are saying that it cannot only be STEM as creative arts is also very important and critical for my university.

Nigeria is known for excellence when it comes to creative arts and this will definitely enrich us in Botswana.â&#x20AC;?

School Head Calls for Annual Cultural Day in Nigeria The Proprietor of Pacific School, Akowonjo, Lagos, Mr. Remigious Omosowon, has called on the government to set aside a day for the promotion of the various aspects of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture and diversity.

Speaking at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cultural Day celebration of the school recently, he said the country would be better off, as such an event would unite the various tribes.

While stressing the importance of a national cultural day, he cited Japan as an instance, saying: Japan, which we often refer to as a country for workaholics saw the important role cultural diversity plays and has declared November

3 of every year as a National Holiday for the purpose of promoting culture, the arts and academic endeavour. Festivities typically include art exhibition, parades and award ceremonies for distinguished artists.â&#x20AC;?

According to him, the celebration of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich cultural heritage has become a yearly event in the school, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;our culture is what defines who we are as a nation. The rate at which we are abandoning our mother tongue for the English Language may spell doom for the most important aspect of our culture- our language.â&#x20AC;?

Omosowon explained that the essence of the celebration is to create the awareness in the

students that â&#x20AC;&#x153;we are different types of people, but civilisation has taught us to live together as one. This is the unity in diversity that we talk about.â&#x20AC;?

The Principal of the school, Mr. Andrew Mekwunye, who stated that the culture of a people determines the rate of development of the people, regretted that African culture does not lend itself to modification and improvement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This static nature of African culture is the reason for the inability to improve in our technology. The bad influence of white man on our culture greatly distorted the rate of development of African communities.â&#x20AC;?

He argued that African countries are bedevelled with poverty, disease, hunger, war, unemployment, political instablity, corruption, among others as a result of their low manufacturing and productive capacity arising from their technological underdevelopment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;African culture needs to address the issue of her technological advancement without thinking of transfer of technology from Europe or America otherwise the development of African countries will remain illusive,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The event featured cultural dance from various tribes, dressing, music, as well as different delicacies.

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

36

CITYSTRINGS

Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x161; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ë? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă? äĂ?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?äĂ?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;ĚśĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ë&#x153; Í&#x2018;Í&#x2122;Í&#x2019;Í&#x2013;Í&#x201C;Í&#x201C;Í&#x2013;Í&#x201C;Í&#x201D;Í&#x201C;Í&#x2013;

Tackling Banditry, Kidnapping, Cattle Rustling in Katsina As the spate of banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling bedeviling the North-west region is giving most Nigerians a cause for concern, Francis Sardauna examines the role played by Governor Aminu Bello Masari in stemming the threat in Katsina State

A

part from the Boko Haram menace that has turned the North-east to a theatre of war with their audacious attacks on some communities in the region, villages in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and Sokoto States have recently become targets of bandits, kidnappers and marauders.

It is more disturbing that the killings, abduction and other heinous crimes orchestrated by the bandits have become so bad that no part of the country is free from the grip of the hoodlums, whose devilish acts appear to be threatening to bring down the nation.

In Katsina State, the situation is not different as many lives, properties and houses are destroyed by the men of the underworld in nine frontline local government areas of the state.

However, the pragmatic approach made by Governor Aminu Bello Masari in stemming the scenario in the state since his assumption of office in 2015 deserve commendation from all and sundry.

Dialogue/Amnesty Committee The governor on November 10, 2019 inaugurated a State Dialogue/Amnesty Committee under the leadership of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Mustapha Inuwa to checkmate the activities of the hoodlums and ensure that there is sustainable peace in the state.

One of the terms of reference given to the committee by the governor was to open up for wider consultations and negotiations with the warring parties to surrender their firearms for the betterment of the state and the country at large.

To make the committee effective, the governor on December 9, 2016 released the huge sum of N5,000,000. He also released another N5,000,000 on January 17, 2017 to the committee members as their working impress.

Amnesty for Repentant Herdsmen The committee had January 15, 2017 organised a grand occasion in Kankara Local Government Area of the state, where 300 repentant herdsmen and other criminals formally surrendered their weapons to the state government.

Satisfied with the action of the repentant herdsmen, Masari then declared amnesty for all of them and paid the sum of N30, 000,000 as compensation to those who surrendered their guns to government, including some vigilante groups.

After thorough screening and confirmation by security agencies in the state, a sum of N250,000 was paid for each AK47 and pump Action Gun while N50,000 was paid for lesser firearms. These tremendous achievements of the committee prompted the intervention of the Presidential Committee on Small Weapons (PRESCOM) on different security areas in the state.

Immediate Solutions to Resurgence After the governor successfully tackled the menace of herdsmen/farmers clashes between 2016 and 2017, the issue of banditry and kidnapping surfaces in early 2018 but the carnage could not deter him as he quickly swung into action by further adopting modalities to end the menace.

Masari, therefore, purchased 10 Toyota Hilux operational vehicles at the tune of N181 million and distributed to 10 local government areas bedevilled by banditry to boost security operations.

The 10 local governments that benefited from the gesture are Danmusa, Dutsin-Ma, Kankara, Faskari, Jibia, Bakori, Dandume, Safana, Batsari and Funtua.

The operational vehicles, according to the governor are meant for surveillance and quick response to emergencies across the dreaded councils bordering the Rugu forest, one of the deadly forests camping criminals.

Masari added: "Apart from the logistics, we are giving monthly allowances to army, police NSCDC, vigilante groups, running to almost N100 million every month. We also bought over

Masari 50 operational motorcycles for security personnel to chase crimes.

"The bandits do launch attacks on villages through motorcycles, because most of the roads are not motorable and one can only access them by motorcycle that was why we bought the motorcycles for security operatives to enhance their patrol. The security personnel are willing to respond to all the distress call but sometimes they get difficulties in reaching the villages because the roads are not motorable.â&#x20AC;?

Another bold step taken by the governor to rid the state out of the heinous crimes, is the signing into law an amended Penal Code law prescribing death sentence for kidnapping and cattle rustling in the state.

With the law in place, rapists would also sentence to life imprisonment in addition to fine and compensation to the victims. While signing the law, he affirmed that the law was amended particularly in areas to do with kidnapping, cattle rustling, rape and other related offences.

According to him, "the decision to make these offences serious with the above punishment cannot be over emphasised. We revisit the penal and procedural laws to deal with any suspect that may be found wanting. It is hoped and prayed that they will serve as deterrence to those that may be convicted. And those that have the intention of committing them.â&#x20AC;?

The Katsina State chief security officer, in his magnanimity to bring normalcy and sustainable peace in the state, has since ordered for the procurement of Tracking Systems that will enable the military to track bandits and kidnappers wherever they are.

He buttressed "We have also placed an order for Tracking Systems which will help us in tracking bandits and kidnappers. What we can do is to give the security personnel logistical support but their hardwares have to come from them. So, these are some of the supports we are giving apart from the vehicles and other logistical assistance.

"Security personnel can't be everywhere. If you take from Jibia down to Sabuwa, there are more than 500 villages. So, it is not possible to have a formation in every village but within a distance that we can communicate and they can respond immediately, and from the reports I am getting from police, SSS and other sources from our political machineries, things are getting better".

He debunked insinuations making the round that there will be food crisis in the state as a result of the security challenges, adding that: "90 per cent of farmlands in the state are under cultivation and the security personnel are providing

security along the forest areas".

The establishment of the 17 Bridget of the Nigeria Army and the recent deployment of over 300 personnel by the Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, to the state would also go a long way in complementing Governor Masari's quest for a crime-free Katsina State.

Also, the provision of additional military Bases in Danmusa, Kankara and Dandume Local Government Areas is a serious boost to the security architecture of Katsina state, thereby rekindling residents' hope for improve security.

With these security structures on ground, one can apparently affirm that the issue of banditry, kidnappings and cattle rustling bedeviling the state will soon be a thing of the past.

Pledge Meanwhile, Governor Masari has assured the people of the state that despites "pockets of violence" facing the state, his administration is ready to implement the 8-point Pledge unveiled during his second term inaugural speech.

He explained: "In spite of outstanding challenges, we remain poised to forge ahead with our determination to take Katsina State to the next level. We are resolved to continue to explore all avenues, engage with all critical stakeholders, and work with the private sector to ensure the consolidation of the gains of the past four years.â&#x20AC;?

Empowerment Galore The governor, however, in his doggedness to make the teeming unemployed youths and women to be self-reliant, said he would train 15,000 of them on different skills acquisition and establish 1,500 sustainable Cooperate Societies and resuscitate 500 dormant ones.

According to Masari, "we are giving 60 per cent of the empowerment to women, because we believed that when the women are economically sound, they will help the family and allow their children to go to school especially the girl child.â&#x20AC;?

The administration has created the office of the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on People Living with Disabilities (PLWD) in a bid to assuage their plight and spent over N300 million in empowering them with different skills and vocational training to avert street bagging in the state.

Similarly, no fewer than 3,000 persons living with disabilities would be empower by the administration with relevant skills. While 500,000 youths would also be sponsor to access the N-power programme to make them self-dependent.

"We have planned this time to revamp our Rehabilitation Board. We are going to bring

it back so that we can empower the board to start rehabilitating disabled persons through skill acquisitions and vocational training on things they can do despite their disabilities", the governor added.

He further disclosed that: "the 5,000 youths we employed under the S-power programme becomes our reservoir for employment of teachers. Even the 800 we have taken off from the 5,000, we are going to employ another 800 to complete the 5,000.

"Therefore, anytime employment opportunities available either with the State Teachers Service Board or Primary Education Board, we will take from these 5,000 and replace the vacancies. It will be a continuous exercise till the end of my administration".

Under the S-power programme, the state government under the leadership of Governor Masari had also employed 2,500 teachers that are teaching in secondary schools across the state.

Determined to eradicate the challenge of manpower bedevilling the health sector in the state, the administration is poised to employ 1,000 doctors, 500 nurses, midwives and other medical personnel, and install functional operating theatres for surgeries in general hospitals and Maternal and Child Care Health Centres across the state.

Accordingly, the restoration government would establish another college of Nursing and Midwifery in the state in order to centralise the processes of procurement, storage, distribution and regulation of drugs equipment for enhanced operational accountability and monitoring of the end-users.

Considering education as the panacea for nation building, the governor would construct and equip 100 additional primary and 50 secondary schools in underserved and needed communities across the state to cater for the growing number of eligible school going children that are roaming the streets.

He also vowed to recruit and train 1,000 teachers for both primary and secondary schools, particularly for science subjects and procure 350,000 sets of pupils desks as well as instructional materials for primary schools across the 34 local government areas of the state.

On the girl-child education, the administration is determined to establish girls boarding schools with befitting state of the art facilities to complement the already established ones in Kankia, Katsina, Dutsinma and Kafur local governments.

Another area which forms part of the Masari's 8-point pledge, is the issue of greater collaboration between the public and private sectors, "Fundamental challenges including unemployment and low IGR could be substantially reduced with greater participation of the private sector into our economyâ&#x20AC;?.

Therefore, the government is ready to strategies and scale-up the level of partnership with the private sector especially in agriculture, manufacturing, and industries to ensure a bequeathing and prosperous Katsina state.

The Kastina Dream Masari added: "My dream I must admit at this juncture is to see a Katsina State that is secured from all manner of security threats; a Katsina State that is financially buoyant; and a Katsina State with a happy and prosperous populace.

"With my team, we hope to bequeath a Katsina State where the wellbeing of our people would â&#x20AC;&#x153;not be measured by the presence of the rich, but by the absence of the poor amongst us".

He stated that his dream to revamp the state was not an impossible one "But its realisation would depend solely on how sincere and dedicated we work in the next four years and beyond".

"We will ensure that we appoint persons of proven integrity that will add great value to our agenda for security and development. This is the only way to ensure the consolidation of our restoration gains and to guarantee quick results as we move to the next level".

37

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍąË&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

CRIME&SECURITY

Curbing Capital Flight through In-country Initiative To curb capital flight, the Nigerian Air Force recently carried out in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance on its C-130H aircraft, which was afterwards deployed to convey weapons and logistics to the North-east and North-west, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports

T

o send reinforcements, comprising weapons and logistics to soldiers in the war front, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Monday deployed the C-130H NAF 917 Aircraft to the North-east and North-west.

But before itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s redeployment, the aircraft was grounded until the one and half years indepth in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM), the first of its kind in two decades, carried out on it.

It is pertinent to state that the redeployment took place few days after receiving three L39ZA aircraft that were reactivated in-country to enhance the number of serviceable fighter jets in its inventory.

The local reactivation of NAF 917, which was carried out by Messrs SABENA TECHNICS of France in conjunction with NAF engineers and technicians, involved extensive disassembly of the aircraft parts as well as inspection, repair and overhaul of components, amongst others.

According to the Director of Public Relations, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the involvement of NAF personnel in the reactivation was to further expose them to every stage of the in-depth maintenance process, with a view to building the NAF's inherent maintenance capabilities.

At its inauguration at the Aircraft Maintenance Depot (ACMD), Lagos, which also witnessed the flag-off of the PDM of another C-130H aircraft, NAF 913, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar said the refitting and indepth maintenance of the aircraft was carried out in-country by NAF engineers in collaboration with their technical partners, Messrs SABENA TECHNICS. He said the PDM of the aircraft marked the beginning of a new dawn in the strategic plan to develop a robust capacity for in-country maintenance and sustenance of NAF platforms and equipment.

Abubakar said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The significance of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acceptance ceremony can best be appreciated by acknowledging the critical role of airlift in ensuring that logistics requirements of our troops involved in various internal security operations are met within the shortest possible time. The C-130H fleet, in particular, has been one of the key fulcrums in providing sustainment to our troops involved in ongoing internal security operations through airlift and movement of troops, equipment, armament and other materiel.

The C-130H has also been critical to NAFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to emergencies or in fulfilling Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibilities to international peace keeping operations and ensuring stability, not just in the West African sub-region but also across the continent.â&#x20AC;?

On deployment he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This aircraft will be deployed immediately to the North-east and North-western parts of the country. Without this C-130, you cannot have a successful operation.

How do you carry bombs, rockets? Which aircraft will carry it? It is the C-130 that carries it. Apart from that how do you discharge food materials? Because of the shortage as a result of conflict, distribution of food items are done by the C-130. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In country maintenance is very important because it is all about building capacity. This is the first time in the history of the Nigerian Air Force that we are conducting a very successful PDM within Nigeria. It sends a good message that though we have technical partners, we also have technicians that are Nigerians that have participated to ensure the PDM is conducted locally. It has saved us foreign exchange. If we were to carry this aircraft outside Nigeria, we have to pay for cargo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For it to be moved, it has to be dismantled and then, we will have limited number of personnel that will be sent abroad for that.

But now that it was done in Nigeria, everybody in that unit had the opportunity to really be part of the process and in that wise, we are so excited. Now, we just flagged the PDM of the second one which is 912. The Pakistani Air Force is here working with us because they fly the same aircraft and have capacity we believe we can tap from.â&#x20AC;?

He further cited examples of operations in which the C-130H played critical roles

L-R: Air OďŹ&#x192;cer Commanding, Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Abdul-Ganiyu Olabisi, and the Chief of Air StaďŹ&#x20AC;, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar at the Aircraft Maintenance Depot (ACMD), Lagos

The C-130H Aircraft after its one and half years indepth in-country Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM), the ďŹ rst of its kind in two decades to include ECOMOG operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone, airlift of troops to Congo, Mali, Sudan as well as the recent success of the ECOWAS Military Intervention Group (ECOMIG) operation in the Gambia through airlift of troops and materiel to and from the theatre of operation and a host of other peace keeping operations.

While appreciating the President, Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the priority attention given to NAFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to maintain its platforms and equipment as well as the support to acquire new ones, the CAS emphasised that the incountry maintenance was to ensure the transfer of technical know-how and experience from the technical partners to NAF engineers and technicians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is in line with our plan to build in-house capacity to ensure that we domicile the skills and expertise required to carry out maintenance activities in order to better support and sustain NAF air operations especially in the face of competing needs for national resources. This is also the main thrust of all our other aircraft maintenance, reactivation and Life Extension Programmes as well as PDM efforts being carried out in collaboration with other technical partners on the Alpha Jet, L-39ZA, Mi-35P, EC-135 helicopter and C-130H (NAF 913),

currently docked for PDM in this hangar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These efforts are also in tandem with our Research and Development (R&D) drive which has started yielding results in many areas such as local fabrication of tools and spares, some of which were utilised in the conduct of the recently conducted PDMâ&#x20AC;?, he added.

Earlier, the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Abdul-Ganiyu Olabisi, in his welcome address, said the ceremony was a long time aspiration of the NAF to domesticate in-depth maintenance of the C-130H fleet which was the strategic objective for the establishment of this depot.

He said: "Although an attempt was made between 1998 and year 2000 to conduct periodic depot maintenance on 2 X C 130H aircraft, NAF910 and NAF912, sadly the programme ended in a fiasco and the two aircraft have remained grounded from that time till datespanning a period of almost two decades.

"Undaunted by this nasty experience, the current NAF administration under the leadership of Air Marshal Abubakar has intensified effort since 2015 to conduct in-depth maintenance of NAF platforms including the C-130H fleet in Nigeria.

"To achieve this objective, the administration accorded top priority to human capacity development for self-reliance and exploration of

strategic partnership with other organisations.

"It was against this background that contract was awarded to Messrs SABENA Technics of France in November 2017 to conduct PDM of NAF 917 in Nigeria in conjuction with NAF engineers and technicians.â&#x20AC;?

The CAS was later conducted on a tour and briefed on details of project management process for the PDM of NAF 913 by the Pakistan Air Force Technical Assistance Group. While in Lagos, the CAS also commissioned some welfare projects which included a newly constructed Crew Room at the 47 Engineering Wing of 631 ACMD as well as a newly constructed Canteen for personnel at the 651 Base Services Group, Ikeja, where he commended the Commanders for taking the initiative and adding value to improve the welfare of their personnel.

He also inspected some vehicles and maintenance equipment which were reactivated through innovative R&D efforts at 631 ACMD. Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the Commandant Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Air Vice Marshal Abubarkar-Sadick Liman, as well as the General Officer Commanding, 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Sanni Yusuf and Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji, along with many other senior serving and retired senior officers.

38

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; 2019

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Financial Inclusion: CBN Sets Fresh Target for MFBs Nume Ekeghe As part of efforts to achieve its financial inclusion target, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has set a goal of 64 new customers per branch every month for microfinance banks (MFBs) in the country.

In a letter to all MFBs that was signed by the CBN Director, Other Financial Institutions Department, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, posted on the central bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, each branch of MFBs in the country was expected to mobilise 774 new accounts annually.

It stated that in a bid to mobilise stakeholders on the

Revised National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS 2.0) and accelerate progress towards the achievement of the target, the CBN had held a stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; forum for all financial service providers in the six geo-political zones in the first and second quarters of 20l9 which was attended by representatives of MFBs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The objective of the Forum was to expose stakeholders to the detailed provisions of the Revised Strategy (NFIS 2.0) and their expected roles/responsibilities in the financial inclusion agenda. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the major resolution reached athletic the event was the setting of target for each branch of a microfinance bank

to acquire 64 new customers per month. This translates to 774 new bank accounts (measured by new BVN registration) per branch per year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Given the urgency of this task, it is important to cascade the target to your branches for their information Ind implementation.â&#x20AC;?

The new accounts must be for individuals who did not previously have a bank account.

The letter added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;All MFBs are hereby requested to implement the above resolution and disseminate same to all their branches (where applicable) to ensure concerted efforts towards achieving the overarching target of 80 per cent financial inclusion by the year 2020.â&#x20AC;?

Oil and Gas Experts Harp on Deregulation, Subsidy Removal The need for the federal government to take steps towards deregulation the oil and gas industry as well as end the controversial fuel subsidy resonated yesterday at the Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Abuja.

They also commended the National Assembly for passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and advised the federal government to reconsider its passage.

Managing Director of Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu, declared that Nigeria spent $5 billion on fuel subsidy last year.

The sum, he said represented funds that could have been used to finance other critical infrastructure needed by vast majority of the populace.

Therefore, he advocated that all stakeholders must support the deregulation of the oil and

gas sector to engender growth.

Speaking at the conference, Tinubu said stakeholders in the petroleum industry should rise up and discourage the practice.

According to him, other critical sectors of the economy, such as education and health among others, were in need of funding, adding that such amount expended on subsidy should have been directed to other critical sectors or towards infrastructure development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The government has chosen to effectively subsidise the price as a social palliative. Not that I support it, but we spent $5 billion last year on subsidy, which was even more than what we spent on education and housing combined. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At a population growth rate of three per cent, the question is what is the best - to invest in infrastructure or consumption?

There is a bug debate that has to be made around this and as stakeholders we absolutely need to champion that debate with the federal government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The politicians want this to continue at all cost, but there is long-term damage we are doing to our country and industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to ensure that this subsidies are altered and the downstream sector needs to be commercialised, the refineries need to function and the pipelines need to function.

There is no logic in is transporting our products by the road which is extremely expensive.â&#x20AC;?

Tinubu said there was need to discontinue the current consumption-based government spending. He hailed the recent appointment of Mr. Mele Kyari as the new Group Managing Director of the NNPC, describing him as an incredible and astute technocrat.

Business Man, Nine Others Win in DiamondXtra Promo Onyekachi John, a business man and nine others emerged winners recently, at the May monthly draw of the DiamondXtra season 11 reward scheme powered by Access Bank Plc. Speaking shortly after receiving the N1 million prize cheque, John was quoted to have newsmen that he had been a customer of Access Bank for years, adding that he never knew he would emerge winner someday.

According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel so happy and so excited and did not even believe I would become a winner in the first place. All I had to do was to top my DiamondXtra Savings account which I started with N5000 before I constantly topped

it with bigger amounts which as a result made me N1 million richer today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to say a big thank you to Access Bank as they are stronger and bigger now, I will also encourage other Nigerians to partake in this initiative because whatever they say they will do, they end up making their customers happy.â&#x20AC;?

According to the Head, Consumer Liability Products, Access Bank, Osita Ede, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The DiamondXtra reward scheme is open to new and existing customers and all you need to do is visit the nearest Access bank branch, open a DiamondXtra account and fund it with N5,000. The more multiples of N5,000 you save, the higher your chance of winning.

The draws scheduled to hold across the six geopolitical zones this season reaffirms Access Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to financially empower more Nigerians,â&#x20AC;? concluded Osita. Also speaking, Product Manager, DiamondXtra, Access Bank, Chukwuma Agu, noted that the inspiration behind this initiative is to encourage customers and Nigerians to save and also get rewarded for saving.

He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the 11th year of the DiamondXtra reward scheme and we have rewarded over 4,950 customers with N5.5 billion. DiamondXtra is bigger and better now which is why this edition is tagged â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bigger and Betterâ&#x20AC;? so we hope to have bigger wins and better the lives of our customers.â&#x20AC;?

UBA to Reward Customers in Promo Another set of 20 loyal customers will join the number of millionaires to win N1,500,000 each, in the third edition of the quarterly draw of the ongoing United Bank for Africa (UBA) â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wise Saversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; promo.

The raffle draw which is set for July 31st in Lagos, would see new millionaires emerge in a draw in the presence of representatives from the Consumer Protection Council, National Lottery Regulatory

Commission and the Lagos State Lottery Board. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is yet another great opportunity for new and existing customers to take the chance and get closer to their dreams.

This will also add to the growing number of millionaires who have benefitted from the ongoing Wise Savers Promo as a whopping N60 Million is still very much up for grabs,â&#x20AC;? said the Group Head Marketing, United Bank for Africa, Dupe Olusola.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;To qualify for the draws, new and existing customers of the bank are expected to save at least N10,000 each month for three consecutive months before each draw date. Alternatively, they can make a one-time deposit of at least N30,000 to be saved for 90 days. The promo will run all through 2019 and a total of 80 people will have ultimately become millionaires at the end of the year.â&#x20AC;?

L-R: Director, OCS Services, Mr. Suresh Chellaram; Director, C&I Leasing, Chief Sule Ugbonna; Chairman, Chief Henry Okolo; Vice Chairman, Mr. Emeka Notu; Chief Executive Officer, OCS Services, Mr. Dinesh Rehgni, and Managing Director, C&I Leasing Plc. Mr. Andrew Otike â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Odibi , during the signing of joint venture between OCS services and C&I Leasing held in Lagosâ&#x20AC;Ś yesterday

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

NOVEMBER 2018 Money Supply (M3)

31,794,803.44

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

6,333,064.28

Money Supply (M2)

25,461,739.17

-- Quasi Money

14,773,076.98

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,688,662.18

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,711,763.59

---- Demand Deposits

8,976,898.59

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

18,990,400.78

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,804,402.66

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,062,986.22

---- Credit to Government (Net)

2,980,229.66

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

7,093,619.43

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

-4,144,571.43

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

23,082,756.56

--Other Assets Net

13,258,583.57

Reserve Money (Base Money

6,811,192.37

--Currency in Circulation

2,100,129.91

--Banks Reserves

4,366,259.05

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ě&#x2039;

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ě&#x2039; ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ë&#x153; ÍŻ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $65.71 a barrel on Monday, compared with $65.60 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

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

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

39

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍąË&#x153; 2019

MARKET NEWS

Non-filing of Accounts: NSE Suspends Trading in Shares of 11 Firms Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has suspended trading in the shares of 11 companies for failing to file their accounts as required by the listing rules of the exchange.

In a notification to dealing members yesterday, the NSE explained that the affected companies were suspended pursuant to Rule 3.1, Rules for filing of accounts and treatment of default filing, which provides

that â&#x20AC;&#x153;If an issuer fails to file the relevant accounts by the expiration of the cure period, the exchange will: send to the issuer a â&#x20AC;&#x153;second filing deficiency notificationâ&#x20AC;? within two business days after the end of the cure period; Suspend trading in the Issuerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s securities; and (c) notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the market within 24 hours of the suspension.â&#x20AC;?

Based on the above, the NSE suspended trading in the

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

shares of 11 companies. They are: FTN Cocoa Processors Plc, Goldlink Insurance Plc, Guinea Insurance Plc; Conoil Plc; Lasaco Assurance Plc; Niger Insurance Plc; R.T.Briscoe (Nigeria) Plc; Resort Savings & Loans Plc; Royal Exchange Plc; Standard Alliance Insurance Plc and Universal Insurance Plc According the exchange, the suspension of the companies will only be lifted upon the submission of the relevant accounts and provided the

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

exchange is satisfied that the accounts comply with all its applicable rules.

Meanwhile, the equities market extended its losing streak with the NSE All-Share Index declining 0.7 per cent to close at 29,395.14, while market capitalisation shed N93.8 billion to close at N13 trillion.

The negative performance can be attributed to sell-offs in Nestle Nigeria Plc, Dangote Cement Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. But activity

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

level rose as volume and value traded surged 86.8 per cent and 153.7 per cent to N200.7 million shares units and N2.9 billion respectively. GTBank Plc(24.4 million shares), UBA (23.3 million shares) and Lafarge Africa Plc (22.7 million shares) were the top traded stocks by volume while GTBank Plc (N742.1 million), Zenith Bank Plc (N436.9 million0 and Nestle Nigeria Plc(N359.0 million) led by value.

The NSE Consumer Goods Index led the losers with 2.1

O F

per cent trailed by the NSE Oil & Gas Index that shed 1.0 per cent, while the NSE Insurance Index shed 0.3 per cent.

In all, 23 stocks depreciated compared with 13 that appreciated. Chams Plc and UACN Property Development Company Plc led the price losers with 9.6 per cent apiece.

On the positive side, Cement Company of Northern Nigeria Plc led the price gainers with 8.1 per cent, while Academy Press Plc shed 6.9 per cent.

0 2 / 0 7 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

40

˾ WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019

41

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

NAHCO’s New Investments to Boost Growth, Profitability Goddy Egene Group Managing Director, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO aviance) Plc, Mrs Olatokunbo Fagbemi, yesterday said the company would grow its profit significantly in 2019 and beyond so as to deliver improved returns to shareholders.

Fagbemi stated this when the

management of the company presented the underlying facts behind the operations of the NAHCO to capital market stakeholders at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

According to her, new investments in ground support equipment, strategic investments in infrastructure and human capital development and improving

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

operational efficiency at the airports would drive considerable growths this year and the years ahead.

She outlined that the company would achieve a turnover of N13.27 billion in 2019 as against N9.88 billion in 2018 while profit before tax is expected to rise from N503 million in 2018 to N2.13 billion in 2019. Profit after tax is projected to rise to N1.81 billion.

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 01Jul-2019, unless otherwise stated

Fagbemi disclosed that over the next five years, the company expects its revenue to rise steadily from N9.8 billion in 2018 to N13.269 in 2019. From 2020 to 2023, the company’s revenue projections stood at N16.916 billion, N21.567 billion, N27.495 billion and N35.054 billion, respectively.

“We can assure you that we will achieve our targets in 2019.

We believe we can achieve our forecasts. We had thought deeply about the figures and put everything in place to ensure we achieve the forecasts. We stand by the forecasts that we have and we believe we will achieve them,” Fagbemi said.

She pointed out that the company has already invested about N2 billion on new

equipment and plans to increase such investment to more than N3 billion by the end of this business year.

She noted that new investments in equipment will particularly help to reduced operations cost, which were largely due to infrastructure failure at the airport and aging equipment that leads to increased maintenance cost.

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

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 146.33 148.62 -6.89% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 8.11% Nigeria International Debt Fund 270.25 270.25 -1.09% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.88 0.89 4.60% ACAP Income Funds 0.75 0.75 32.26% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.20% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.33 2.35 4.70% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 15.18 15.64 -8.49% ARM Discovery Fund 340.63 350.90 -4.49% ARM Ethical Fund 28.66 29.52 1.48% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.17% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.66% Paramount Equity Fund 12.02 12.13 1.81% Women's Investment Fund 106.41 107.15 2.79% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.01% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 98.91 99.37 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 98.87 99.18 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,210.81 1,211.58 8.35% FBN Heritage Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 117.68 118.16 6.51% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 117.62 118.10 6.72% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 133.69 135.55 -10.87% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.28% Legacy Debt Fund 3.44 3.44 6.13% Legacy Equity Fund 1.11 1.13 -8.75% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.05 1.05 2.41% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,033.94 3,062.71 1.63% Coral Income Fund 2,930.16 2,930.16 6.95% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.44% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 108.84 109.43 0.89% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 13.05%

INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) N/A N/A N/A LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.29 1.31 4.83% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.62 11.69 4.33% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.05% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 124.96 125.68 3.56% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.04 1.04 7.22% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,365.20 2,377.46 2.18% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 205.16 205.16 7.90% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.89 0.90 -5.79% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 258.26 258.36 6.53% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 153.84 155.52 -5.71% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1277.00% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,918.10 8,004.50 -6.78% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.12 1.12 3.03% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.20 1.21 0.58% United Capital Bond Fund 1.72 1.72 7.97% United Capital Equity Fund 0.72 0.73 1.04% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.25% United Capital Eurobond Fund 111.48 111.48 3.93% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.14 3.76% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 10.50 10.67 0.11% Zenith Ethical Fund Zenith Income Fund Zenith Money Market Fund

11.24 22.16 1.00

11.39 22.16 1.00

-5.79% 14.82% 12.43%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 121.98 52.56

-44.85% 3.61% 1.58%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.66 98.02 81.19

9.76 100.07 82.64

-8.41% -16.45% -8.46%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.54 6.08 13.02 10.76 144.55

3.58 6.16 13.12 10.96 146.55

-11.52% -20.16% -11.04% -12.84% 9.70%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

111.37

17.40%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

42

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

43

44

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 • T H I S D AY

1,*(5,$ ,17(51(7 *29(51$1&( )2580 1,*)

7

KH 1LJHULD ,QWHUQHW *RYHUQDQFH )RUXP 0XOWL VWDNHKROGHUV $GYLVRU\ *URXS 1,*) 0$*

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

7KH RYHUDUFKLQJ WKHPH IRU WKH (GLWLRQ LV

(QDEOLQJ 'LJLWDO &RPPRQZHDOWK IRU 'HYHORSPHQW

7KLV HGLWLRQ ZRXOG EH WDNLQJ LQWR FRQVLGHUDWLRQ WKH WKHPDWLF VHVVLRQV RI WKH *OREDO ,*) ZLWK WKH DLP RI KDUPRQL]LQJ WKH LQSXWV RI 1LJHULDQ VWDNHKROGHUV LQWR WKH XSFRPLQJ 5HJLRQDO *OREDO ,*) 7KH 2EMHFWLYHV RI 1,*) DUH ŏ 7R HQVXUH GLJLWDO LQFOXVLRQ IRU ORFDO ,QWHUQHW LQLWLDWLYH WKURXJK HGXFDWLRQ ŏ 7R SURIIHU VROXWLRQV WR HQDEOH WKH GLYHUVLÀFDWLRQ RI WKH HFRQRP\ WKURXJK LQQRYDWLRQ DQG SURWHFWLRQ RI ORFDO FRQWHQW ŏ 7R SURIIHU VROXWLRQV LQ HQDEOLQJ SHRSOH FHQWHUHG 'DWD 3URWHFWLRQ DQG 3ULYDF\ 5HJXODWLRQV ŏ 7R GLVFXVV ZD\V WKH ,QWHUQHW FDQ EH XVHG WR DGGUHVV WKH GHYHORSPHQWDO FULVLV LQ DFKLHYLQJ WKH 6XVWDLQDEOH 'HYHORSPHQW *RDOV 6'*V

ŏ 7R KLJKOLJKW SROLFLHV WKDW ZRXOG DGGUHVV PXOWLSOH VWDWH DFWRUV UHJXODWLRQ LQ 1LJHULD 7KH 1,*) ZLOO EH SUHFHGHG E\ WKH ÀUVW 1LJHULDQ 6FKRRO RI ,QWHUQHW *RYHUQDQFH 16,* LQ FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK WKH 1LJHULDQ &KDSWHU RI WKH ,QWHUQHW 6RFLHW\ ,62& QJ ZZZ VLJ QJ KROGLQJ RQ WKH WK ² WK -XO\ DQG 1LJHULD <RXWK ,QWHUQHW *RYHUQDQFH )RUXP ZLWK WKH WKHPH ´2XU ,QWHUQHW 6KDSLQJ WKH GLJLWDO IXWXUHµ VFKHGXOHG IRU WKH WK RI -XO\ 'HWDLOV RI WKH HYHQW FDQ EH IRXQG DW ZZZ \LJI RUJ QJ 7KH 1,*) ZLOO DGGUHVV QDWLRQDO LVVXHV DQG SURYLGH VWDNHKROGHUV WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR VKDUH GLVFXVV DQG FROODERUDWH RQ FULWLFDO QDWLRQDO LVVXHV DQG SURYLGH GLVFRXUVH RQ WKH GLJLWDO FRPPRQZHDOWK IRU GHYHORSPHQW LQ WKH FRXQWU\ )RU IXUWKHU HQTXLU\ YLVLW ZZZ QLJI RUJ QJ RU FDOO

6LJQHG +HQU\ 1NHPDGX 'LUHFWRU 3XEOLF $IIDLUV

.+$/((6,

DUSD

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

45

46

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

16 Soldiers Killed in Suspected Militant Attack in Western Niger Suspected militants have killed sixteen soldiers in an attack on a military camp

in western Niger, an official said Tuesday.

Assalak Alhamdou,

the Mayor of Inates town, blamed jihadists from bordering Mali for Monday’s deaths, which

come as Niger prepares to host an African Union summit this weekend.

Terrorist groups are,

especially, active in Niger’s west, not far from the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.

Some of the terrorist groups are loyal to al-Qaeda while others are tied to the Islamic State.

Dead Body of Stowaway Falls from Kenya Airways Plane A dead body of a stowaway on Tuesday fell from a Kenya Airways plane that was en route off from Nairobi to London’s Heathrow.

The dead man landed in a garden in Clapham, South London, 27 kilometres from the airport, scaring the owner of the house, who immediately called the police.

The Police later found a bag containing food and clothing in the rear left

landing gear in the plane.

Scotland Yard, the police spokesman said that the man was believed to be a stowaway and had fallen from the landing gear of an inbound Kenya Airways flight to Heathrow Airport.

He added that the identity of the man is yet to be determined.

Kenya Airways said the aircraft had been inspected and no damage was reported

UN to Remove Jesus’ Birthplace from Danger List of Heritage Sites The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on Tuesday announced it would remove the site officially recognised as the birthplace of Jesus from its ‘List of World Heritage in Danger’.

The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, which made the announcement at its 43rd meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, based its decision on “extensive restorative work on Bethlehem’s Nativity Church, in Palestine”.

The synoptic gospels of the New Testament of the Bible state that Christ was born in

a manger in Bethlehem, in the reign of King Herod, to Mary and Joseph.

“The nativity is the basis for the Christian festival of Christmas,” the organisation said in a statement on its website.

According to the statement, the committee acknowledged the high quality of work carried out on the church in recent years, including the restoration of its roof, exterior facades, mosaics and doors.

It also welcomed the shelving of a project to dig a tunnel under Manger Square and the adoption of a management plan to conserve the site.

Turkey Orders Arrest of 122 Military Personnel over Suspected Gulen Links Turkey has ordered the arrest of 122 military personnel over suspected links to the network blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed military coup.

This was made known by prosecutors and reported by the state-run Anadolu news agency on Tuesday.

Ankara has accused U.S. based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of masterminding the attempted putsch in July 2016.

He has denied any involvement.

Police have launched one operation in Istanbul, prosecutors there said.

Authorities have also launched separate operations in the western coastal province of Izmir and the central province of Konya, Anadolu added.

Almost three years after the failed coup, more than 77,000 people have been jailed pending trial and about 150,000 civil servants, military personnel and others have been sacked or suspended from their jobs.

Rights groups and Turkey’s Western allies have criticised the scope of the crackdown, saying President Tayyip Erdogan has used the abortive coup as a pretext to quash dissent.

The government said the security measures were necessary due to the gravity of the threat Turkey faces and has vowed to eradicate Gulen’s network in the country.

Police based in Izmir were looking for 42 suspects there and in 17 other provinces, Anadolu said.

Authorities believed members of Gulen’s network had used payphones to contact the suspects, it added.

Authorities in Konya were looking for another 40 suspects, including soldiers on active duty, there and in 25 other provinces, the news agency reported.

Istanbul’s prosecutor’s office said another 40 suspects, including high ranking military personnel, were being sought in the city and 14 other provinces.

DIPLOMATS...

L-R: Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Dr. Marc Lucassen; Deputy Consulate General, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos, Mrs. Alexandra Herr; Consul General, Consulate General of Switzerland, Lagos, Yves Nicolet; and Commercial Counsellor, Austrian Embassy in Nigeria, Hannes Scheiner, at a press conference on Austrian-Germany-Swiss Business Outlook 2019 in Lagos...recently

Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen Nominated to Lead EU European Union leaders have put forward their nominations for the bloc’s top jobs, with a woman for the first time proposed for European Commission chief.

The surprise choice of German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen to replace Jean-Claude Juncker came after the main frontrunners were rejected.

IMF head, Christine Lagarde has been nominated for the head of the European Central Bank (ECB).

The announcement follows days of difficult negotiations.

In all, EU leaders were tasked with nominating five people for the top jobs.

Belgian liberal Prime Minister Charles Michel is nominated to replace European Council President Donald Tusk while Spain’s Josep Borrell is proposed as foreign policy chief.

The ECB role is currently filled by Mario Draghi, who was widely credited with saving the euro during the eurozone debt crisis.

Lagarde said she was “very honoured” to have been nominated, tweeting that she had “decided to temporarily relinquish my responsibilities as IMF Managing Director during the nomination period”.

Their nominations must be approved by the European

parliament.

“We have agreed the whole package before the first session of the European Parliament,” said Tusk.

He praised the “perfect gender balance” and said Germany had abstained on Ms von der Leyen’s nomination over coalition issues. However, he pointed out that Mrs Merkel herself had backed her.

End of Twitter post by @ eucopresident The German leader told reporters that her abstention had come according to a deal reached in the ruling coalition in Berlin.

“We agreed this in the

coalition: that if there is no unanimity, then one abstains.

But one can say this has been approved today without any opposition,” she said.

If Ms von der Leyen is confirmed in the role it would be the first time in more than 60 years that a German has been given the post.

Born in Brussels, Ms von der Leyen’s family moved to Germany when she was 13. She studied economics at London’s LSE and medicine in Hanover before going into politics.

She has been a member of Mrs Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) since 2005.

Kenyatta Warns Tanzanian against Xenophobic Remarks by Politician Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday wrote to his Tanzanian counterpart John Magufuli, expressing his disappointment over recent xenophobic remarks by the country’s politician.

Tanzania’s Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa received the message on behalf of President Magufuli, who is on a short vacation in his native village of Chato in the country’s northwest region of Geita.

Charles Njagua Kanyi, a Kenyan member of parliament, made xenophobic utterances against foreigners, including Tanzanians, operating businesses in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

He was arrested after saying he would beat up foreign traders if they did not leave the country.

He captured in a video saying that Tanzanian and

Ugandan traders were taking Kenyan business and “enough is enough”.

Speaking shortly after he had received the message, Majaliwa said Tanzanians were pleased by various measures taken by the Kenyan government following the Kenyan politician’s racist remarks.

Majaliwa said in a statement issued by his office in the business capital Dar es Salaam that Tanzanians and Kenyans have been friends since time immemorial and when conflicts arose between them the two governments resolved them amicably.

The premier appealed to leaders and peoples from the East African Community (EAC) partner states of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan

to avoid making statements that were likely to ignite misunderstandings amongst them.

“Trade and business in the EAC partner states will be undertaken smoothly if there was peace and tranquility in the region,’’ Majaliwa said in the statement.

Following the xenophobic remarks, Tanzanian authorities summoned Kenyan ambassador to Tanzania Kazungu to explain the MP’s remarks in which he threatened to attack foreign traders operating in the capital Nairobi.

In a clip that went viral on social media, Njagua was seen talking about traders from Tanzania, Uganda, Pakistan and China, accusing them of dominating markets in Nairobi and harassing local traders.

After the comments went viral, Speaker of Tanzanian Parliament, Job Ndugai, ordered his government to issue a statement on the safety of Tanzanians living and working in Kenya.

The politician was arrested

by Kenyan police and he was taken in custody for questioning.

The East African Business Council (EABC) based in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha condemned the xenophobic comments made by the Kenyan politician.

Peter Mathuki, the EABC Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement that the xenophobic comments were unfortunate and unwarranted as they negated the spirit and gains of the East African Community (EAC) regional integration.

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

47

NEWSEXTRA

Lagos Resumes Reconstruction of Lagos-Badagry Expressway Bennett Oghifo The Lagos State Government, yesterday, performed a brief ceremony to signal the resumption of construction work on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which was abandoned in the last four years.

The 60-kilometre expressway begins from Eric Moore Road and ends at Okokomaiko and is being reconstructed from four lanes to 10 lanes by Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC).

Following yesterday’s ceremony, construction work will now begin at the third section- Agboju to Trade Fair Complex- and it is expected to last for one year. The sections 1 and 2 of the expressway- from Eric Moore to Agboju have been completed.

Lagos state Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who flagged off the reconstruction work, described it as massive, adding that “this is to say that we will again begin work on this road, and by the grace of God, the road from Agboju to the Lagos

International Trade Fair will be completed in one year, from four to 10 lanes.”

Hamzat appealed to Lagos residents to cooperate with the contractor to ensure smooth delivery of the section of the expressway, explaining that the road project started in March 2009, and 10 years into the project, Eric-Moore to Mile-2 and Mile-2 to Agboju section has been completed, while Agboju to Trade Fair is being flagged off for completion.

The deputy governor said the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration

Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Others Sign New Charter The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, and the non-member countries of the organization, led by Russia, yesterday in Vienna, Austria, signed a draft `Charter of Cooperation’ in a bid to further strengthen their partnership.

The charter now replaces the ‘Declaration of Cooperation’, which was reached in Dec. 2016 between the two groups.

Speaking at the end of the

6th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna, the Venezuelan Minister of Petroleum, Mr. Salvador Fernandez, reaffirmed the continued commitment of the member countries to a stable market as stipulated in the cooperation. “(Member) countries are committed to promoting the interest of producing nations,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez said that the meeting focused on recent oil market developments

and immediate prospects as well as collaborative efforts by members.

Russia’s Energy Minister and Co-chair of the meeting, Mr. Alexandra Novak, described the charter as not only “historic, but a basis for solidifying cooperation.

“It is not only a historic document which solidifies our cooperation, but also a solid foundation for future analysis of the market and basis for decision-making to stabilise the market.’’

Outrage as Senator Slaps Nursing Mother at Adult Toys Shop A serving lawmaker, Senator Elisha Abbo, has attracted criticisms from a large section of Nigerians after being caught on video slapping a nursing mother repeatedly at a sex toy shop in Abuja.

Abbo, who defeated the respected Senator Binta Garba, to emerge as the winner of the Adamawa North senatorial district, was seen assaulting the woman in a video posted by Premium Times The assault, which reportedly occurred on May 11, 2019, was done in the presence of an armed policeman who rather than assist the victim, arrested her.

Abbo, who is the youngest senator in the country, had entered the shop around 6p.m. on May 11,

a Saturday. The senator walked in with three young women to purchase adult toys.

But shortly after they began shopping for the toys, one of the three girls brought in by Abbo started throwing up. She vomited multiple times, prompting the shop owner to remark that the woman should have vomited outside and not inside her shop, especially since she was not a child.

Abbo, who was said to be agitated by the sudden illness of one of his girls, was said to have accused the shop owner of poisoning the store’s air conditioner.

The shop owner’s argument that if the air conditioner had been

contaminated others in the shop would have also taken ill was said to have angered Abbo, and the two began exchanging words over the matter.

The senator was said to have called a policeman who he then ordered to arrest the shop owner.

The shop owner quickly called her father to inform him that Abbo had called the police over the matter and that she was about to be taken away.

The shop owner’s friend who had been standing nearby tried to intervene by pleading with the second man to take things easy but was slapped repeatedly by the lawmaker.

Meanwhile, the video has sparked outrage on social media.

DPR Mulls Incentivising Deep Offshore Exploration to Grow Crude Oil Reserves Peter Uzoho The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has stated that it is working to incentivise deep play exploration to enhance the growth of the country’s crude oil reserves.

The regulatory agency also added that it is currently working towards reducing the barriers to entry, regulatory transaction cost, and enhance collaborative endeavour as necessary ingredients for creating conducive business environment for the nation’s oil and gas industry.

The acting Director of the DPR, Mr. Ahmed Shakur, stated this yesterday in Abuja at the ongoing 2019 Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, with the theme: “Driving Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry towards Sustained Economic

Development and Growth.”

Shakur said the agency had commenced processes of optimising robustness of the regulatory framework for development and growth of the midstream as an enabler of incremental Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution from the oil and gas industry.

He noted that the Nigerian Government, in alignment with its transparency, initiated the Executive Order 001- Ease of Doing Business and the “7 Big Wins” policy by President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the industry thrives for the overall national economic growth.

According to him, “this reiterated the importance of reducing approval cycle, entry barriers and regulatory transaction costs as necessary ingredients for creating conducive

business environment”.

Shakur said: “It is in realisation of these critical deliverables, that a holistic automation process, through information technology and infrastructure deployment to enhance global competitiveness of the Nigerian oil and gas industry were put in place.

“To this end, we are focussing on petrochemicals, refining and infrastructure to support gas for power and manufacturing. We are also working to incentivise deep play exploration to enhance our reserves growth. We will continue to automate our processes and drive efficiency gains.

“This annual event plays a critical role in highlighting and promoting Africa’s huge oil and gas resource potential to the world”.

was aware of the importance of the project and promised to ease the inconvenience being faced by citizens on the road, pointing out that on June 2, just three days after the inauguration of Sanwo-Olu’s administration, both himself and the governor were at the project site where they assured Lagos residents that work would resume on the project. “That is why we are here today to fulfil that promise,” he added.

According to him, palliative work would be done from Trade Fair to Okokomaiko to

make the road motorable for people, adding that the state government was working with the federal government to make the road accessible to Seme border.

He said, “As of today, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, which is in charge of road maintenance, has awarded the rehabilitation of the four lanes from Igbo-Elerin to Agbara. This is because on that axis, you have pipelines and various infrastructure that need to be preserved, but at least, it will be motorable for

residents and there will be no bottlenecks.

“In the course of this project, there will be diversions, and we are appealing to citizens to be patient and cooperate with the contractors so that people will not get injured, because machines will be moved in here. We need to cooperate to make the work easier for quick delivery and for the benefit of residents. Help government to monitor the reconstruction project and the pace of work, send SMS to us so we can take action.”

Lawan Mourns NGE Deputy President Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has commiserated with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) over the death of its Deputy President, Umar Sa’idu Tudun-Wada.

Tudun-Wada died on Sunday in a ghastly motor accident along Kano-Abuja

expressway.

Lawan, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mohammed Isa, said the sudden death of Tudun-Wada has robbed the journalism profession of one of its finest.

He described the deceased as “core professional”, an attribute,

Lawan noted, “propelled him to the enviable position of Deputy President of Nigerian Guild of Editors.

“The late Tudun-Wada was known for his humility, patriotism, professionalism, and inspiration to practicing and upcoming journalists”.

Felicia Aduke Elemide for Burial The funeral ceremonies for the late Mrs Felicia Aduke Omoniyi Elemide (Nee Sanyaolu), aged 84, will commence on Thursday, July 4, 2019 with a service of songs at the Amazing Grace Event Centre, Kuforiji Olubi, Adigbe, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The funeral service holds at the St. Peters Cathedral, Ake, Abeokuta, while interment follows at the Anglican Cemetry, Kobape, Abeokuta.

The late Elemide, a retired Chief Nursing personnel and Matron at the University College Hospital

(UCH), Ibadan, is survived by her husband, Chief Tunde Elemide, Children and grandchildren, including Mr. Bode Elemide, Mrs Ayodele Adenekan, Mrs Seun Akinosi, Dr. Gboyega Elemide , and Mrs Omobola Atinuke Ogunbiyi, among others.

48

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

UK, Norway Pledge Support for Nigeria’s Oil, Gas Sector The United Kingdom and the Norwegian governments yesterday pledged to support efforts that would drive growth and development in the Nigerian oil and gas sector The two countries reiterated their commitment yesterday at the ongoing Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, in Abuja.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria,

Catriona Laing, said Nigeria was the country’s second largest partner in Africa, adding that 95 per cent of UK’s import was from Nigeria.

“We have a very strong bilateral and we have strong ambition with what we are doing with Nigeria, “she said He said that Britain had over 50 years of experience in exploration and would be ready to help Nigerian in tackling some of its

problems in the sector.

She said that for Nigeria to continue to witness positive result and growth in the sector, government must ensure transparency, sanctity of contracts, ensure a dependable judiciary, among others.

She noted that UK will in 2020 host the African investment Forum in London and urged the federal government and all stakeholders in the sector to participate.

“The investment forum is an opportunity for anyone to showcase investments for financing because we already have an amount set aside for such support.

“If you don’t access it, it will be there,” she said.

Also, Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jens-Petter Kjemprud, said President Muhammadu Buhari needed the oil sector to tackle numerous

challenges in the country.

He said that the oil sector was used to develop the Norway and by extension enhance growth and development.

“If the oil and gas sector is well developed and managed well, it will be useful in solving many of the problems in Nigeria.

“President Buhari needs to support the sector because it is very relevant for the

development of the country,” he said.

He added that Norway managed its oil and gas sector with high transparency, true democracy and and enforcement of the rule of Law. He stated that Nigeria should emulate adding that government must redirect its focus to renewable energy where the world is currently focusing

Maritime Workers Begin Nationwide Shutdown of Ports Eromosele Abiodun All operations at the seaport terminals across the country will be shut down today as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) begins an indefinite industrial action to compel the payment of wages allegedly owed dockworkers and stevedoring companies by the international oil companies (IOCs).

This followed the expiration by 6p.m. yesterday of the two-week ultimatum to the IOCs in that respect.

Restating the union’s position in Lagos yesterday, MWUN President General, Adewale Adeyanju, told journalists that the IOCs have so far refused to engage the union on the issue, thereby leaving it with no other option than to begin the strike by 6a.m. today.

Adeyanju said the issue of unpaid wages has lingered for over a year, but “enough is enough! The IOCs need to respect the laws of the land.

These people are denying us our rights by failing to pay our wages.”

He commended the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, for her efforts to rally the IOCs operating offshore and onshore Nigeria’s territorial waters, adding however that

some workers have died from situations directly and indirectly connected to the unpaid wages.

In an earlier letter forewarning of the industrial action titled: ‘Non-payment of Stevedoring Wages due to Dockworkers by International Oil Companies (IOCs)’, MWUN had vowed that it would no longer watch members die prematurely due to the attitude of the IOCs. “We want to use this medium to intimate you and the federal government of the non-payment of Stevedoring wages to dockworkers by the IOCs operating in Nigeria,” the letter circulated to the media read in part.

The letter added: “We are aware that on June 1, 2018, the NPA appointed Stevedoring contractors to provide Stevedoring services at various off-shore, jetties and on-shore locations to the IOCs and other operators.

“It will be necessary to inform you that NPA had held several meetings with these operators to grant access to the government-appointed Stevedoring contractors, process their invoices and effect payment, but unfortunately, the operators have refused to comply with the NPA directive after one year that the contractors were appointed.”

PDP Candidate Withdraws Petition against Sokoto Speaker Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The governorship, state and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Sokoto State has struck out petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Kwargaba, against the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Aminu Manya-Achida.

Kwargaba contested for state assembly seat for Wurno state constituency in 2019 election.

The dismissal of the petition followed an application by the petitioner who decided to withdraw his petition challenging the election of Manya-Achida.

Manya-Achida was declared winner of the election, and Kwargaba approached the tribunal to challenge his return on alleged election irregularities.

The tribunal Chairman, Justice Yusuf Ubale, granted the application based on the petitioner’s application, and

awarded N30, 000 as cost being requested by respondent counsel, Mr. Bashir Jodi.

Earlier, counsel to Kwargaba, Mr. Yusuf Abubakar, told the tribunal that he applied for withdrawal on the petitioner’s consent in line with constitutional and electoral law provisions.

Manya-Achida’s counsel, Jodi, said he was not opposing the withdrawal application, however, demanded N200, 000 as cost on the ground of efforts made on the process.

Counsel to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekelechi Ogbunna, also did not oppose the withdrawal of the petition.

In his ruling, Justice Ubale said the petition with the number EPT/SKT/HA/016/019 has been delisted from the tribunal.

Manya-achida, who was said to have had the backing of PDP lawmakers, emerged the state assembly Speaker.

OILY AFFAIR…

L-R: Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Ndu Ughamadu; incoming NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Mr. Mele Kyari; Managing Director, Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL), Mr. Tunde Akinpelu; and Group Managing Director, Aiteo Eastern E&P Company Limited, Mr. Victor Okoronkwo, during Kyari’s visit to Aiteo’s exhibition stand at the 2019 Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) in Abuja …yesterday

Politicians Want Fuel Subsidy to Continue, Oando CEO Alleges The Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, has said politicians want the subsidy on crude oil products to continue at all cost.

Speaking yesterday at the ongoing oil and gas conference in Abuja, Tinubu called for the deregulation of the downstream sector, adding that the federal government needed to stop subsidy.

According to the Oando boss, $5 billion that could have been used to finance much-needed infrastructure was spent on fuel subsidy in 2018.

According to him, other critical sectors of the economy, like education and health, among others, were in need of funding, adding that such amount expended on subsidy should have been directed to other critical sectors or towards infrastructure development.

“The government has chosen to effectively subsidise the price as a social palliative.

Not that I support it, but we spent $5 billion last year on subsidy, which was even more than what we spent on education and housing

combined.

“At a population growth rate of three per cent the question is what is the best – to invest in infrastructure or consumption? There is a big debate that has to be made around this and as stakeholders, we absolutely need to champion that debate with the federal government,” he said.

“The politicians want this to continue at all cost, but there is long-term damage we are doing to our country and industry.

“We need to ensure that these subsidies are altered and the downstream sector needs to be commercialised, the refineries need to function and the pipelines need to function “There is no logic in is transporting our products by road which is extremely expensive.”

Tinubu, according to TheCable, said stakeholders in the petroleum industry should rise up to support the deregulation of the oil and gas sector to engender growth.

Nigeria Can be Fixed with Right Leadership, Says Obi Emmanuel Otaru A former Governor of Anambra State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has said that the current deteriorating situation of the country can be fixed, if the right leadership is in place.

Obi gave this assurance at the 10th annual national conference of the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nigeria (AES), with theme: “Nigeria: An Investment Haven last Thursday in Lagos.

According to Obi, “We have no other country but this. We can fix it, what is wrong is leadership.

The capacity and leadership is too low. We don’t need every body to change the nation, change the leadership, just one or two persons can do it. Stop the abuse of the country”.

In his own remark, the President, AES Nigeria Governing Council, Dr. Ausbeth Ajagu, said, “so many people believe that Nigeria is cursed, I don’t want to believe it. We are blessed. We have the best climate, best oil, resources, and large population, but where did we get it wrong?” Adding, “we should tighten our belt to get it right’.

“Look at Ghana, they were behind us before, now they have constant electricity. They don’t use generators. We should ban the importation of generators into the country and improve our electricity.

Necessity is the mother of invention; we should not be using generators again. It is mind boggling that we are rated among the poorest in the world”, he said further.

Ajagu equally said that

to attract investments into the country, the issue of security and electricity need to be addressed. To solve the country’s problems, he said, “Stop blaming government, we need to collectively go back to God and pray for Nigeria.

Pray for Nigeria last Saturday of every month by 5 PM. If we get it right spiritually we will get it right socially and economically’.

Also at the conference, the keynote Speaker, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, was represented by his Special Adviser on Development and Investment, Mr. Boye Oyewunmi. He said, “Without the right leadership we will continue to import what God has endowed us with. Our natural resources is a distraction to our human resources if we

fail to imrove it”.

According to him, Nigeria is like an open goal post, but we just refuse to score the goals. Government’s policies and legislations are constantly undermined by insecurity, news of banditry, kidnapping is affecting investment, both local and international. Even in animal kingdom security is prime. Before, we have groundnut pyramid in the North, now it is pyramid of human bodies.

He said that the richness of the country is being erased by the negative perception of insecurity.

Oyewunmi said, “with creativity we can still attract investment.

We are actually not a poor nation. With 100 problems, there are 1,000 opportunities”.

Also at the occasion, Governor Akeredolu was admitted into the membership of AES.

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

49

NEWSEXTRA

We Want Our Oil Wells Back, Ayade Cries out Bassey Inyang in Calabar

In apparent frustration with the federal government alleged neglect of the state, Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has asked for the return of its 76 oil wells ceded to Akwa Ibom State in 2012 following the ruling of the Supreme Court.

Cataloguing what he described as unconscionable injustices meted out to the state by the federal government, Ayade listed the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon; the ceding of the state 76 oil wells and the nonreimbursement of what the state has spent on federal roads as some instances of unfair treatment to the state.

The governor made his feelings known during a courtesy call on him by the commander of the joint military taskforce, Operation Delta Safe (ODS), Rear Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade.

He said the ceding of the oilrich peninsula was illegal, and therefore, the loss of oil wells was an act of gross injustice.

“Even the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement that emphasised clearly that Cross River State must continue to enjoy stabilisation support in perpetuity for the loss of oil wells has since been stopped. We are tired, and so we want our oil wells back,” he declared.

The governor also deplored the refusal by the federal government to admit members of a militant group, the Bakassi Strike Force, into its amnesty programme after the state government facilitated their surrender of arms to the military.

According to Ayade, “It was even at the instance of your own (military) request that we came to the ultimate conclusion that we needed to grant amnesty. Sadly, shortly after the disarmament and demobilisation exercise, the burden therefore rests wholly on the shoulder of Cross River State. Now as you are moving into the rehabilitation and reintegration phase, here we are being called upon again to provide the financial support for it to be achieved.

“Let me send you a message to the National Security Adviser (NSA) and indeed President Muhammadu Buhari to tell him that the people of Cross River State are watching with keen interest how other people who were granted amnesty in other states are responsibilities of the federal government and how our own people have been allowed to gradually regress to where they to left to embrace peace.

“Not even one person from the entire list has been taken by the federal government for any

Buhari Appoints Aliyu as Director General of NACA Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr. Gambo Gumel Aliyu as the Director-General, National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA).

The appointment is for an initial term of four years in line with the provision of Section 8, Sub-Section (4) of National Agency for the Control of Aids (Establishment) Act, 2007.

A statement confirming the appointment was issued yesterday by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (OSGF), Olusegun Adekunle, on behalf of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

The appointment is with effect from June 26, 2019.

The appointment is the third

to be approved by President Buhari since his inauguration in February for a second term in office.

It followed the renewal of the appointment of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, for a second and final term of four years as well as that of Mohammed Nasir Sambo as the new Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), following the termination of appointment of Prof. Usman Yusuf, who had been on administrative leave.

Aliyu is a Public Health Physician with background in HIV Epidemiology and Disease Prevention.

Until his appointment, he was the Country Director of University of Maryland programmes in Nigeria.

Gbajabiamila Sets up Ad hoc Committee to Review Standing Orders The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has inaugurated a 10-man ad hoc committee to review the Standing Orders of the House.

Gbajabiamila who made the announcement yesterday at the plenary in Abuja, said that the committee would be headed

by Hon. Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo).

The speaker, however, did not announce the principal officers of the House as expected by some members.

Explaining the delay in the announcement, a member of the Ad hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon.

Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun) explained that there was need for further consultations.

Salam said that there was need to consult members and to ensure that the selection process of the principal officers was in tandem with the rules of the House.

Reacting to the announcement of principal officers of the Senate, the legislator said that unlike the Senate which consists of 109 members, the house was made up of 360 members.

He, however, said that the principal officers would be announced before the end of the week.

form of amnesty programme nor has a dime been paid to any of them. What has Cross River State done wrong in this country? Please send this message to the president that we want to know what we have done wrong, particularly now that you have noticed that some camps are coming back to life again after the disarmament and demobilisation.”

Continuing, he said: “Just an amnesty, Cross Riverians cannot benefit from it. Have oil wells

become everything? If it is oil well, we have also issued a report showing oil deposits in the state both on and offshore. How can a state that has a very extensive maritime boundary be told that it is not a littoral state? How can you grant amnesty to other states and give them international opportunities and exposures, bring them back, engage them and pay them monthly yet you exclude Cross River people? What have we really done wrong?

“You took our oil wells and land; we are not even in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and ordinary amnesty you cannot provide for Cross River people? We have been on our knees begging that we have found oil in our area, can you give us discretional licence to partner a third party to explore and pay loyalties to the government?

Until now, we have not gotten any response.”

The governor also expressed

unhappiness that the state is yet to be reimbursed for interventions on federal roads even when other states have been reimbursed.

While pleading with President Buhari to assist the state to survive and realise its deep vision projects, including the Bakassi Deep Seaport and the 274kilometre superhighway, he pleaded that if the state has in any way offended the federal government, the state should be forgiven.

FAMILIARISATION VISIT…

L-R: Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State; Imo State Liaison Officer, Lagos, Mr. Tony Abili; and Acting Director of Administration and Finance, Mrs. Ogechi Ihekweazu, during the governor’s visit to the Imo Liaison Office in Lagos… recently ETOP UKUTT

Alaibe Condoles with IG, Dickson, over Attack on Police Station Esther Oluku A former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and pioneer Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Timi Alaibe, while condoling with the Inspector General of Police (IG) and the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, has condemned the deadly attack on Agudama Ekpetiama Police Station near Yenogoa, Bayelsa State on Monday July 1, 2019.

The attack which left the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Ola Rosanla, dead also claimed the lives of three other

police officers while others were seriously injured.

In a statement made available to THISDAY, Alaibe said no amount of provocation or frustration by any individual or group of persons could justify the bloody act which he said has shattered the peace of the state which the governor had tried to build and sustain over the years.

“This is a sad commentary on our state and Nigeria as a whole.

To launch an attack against a law enforcement agency is bad enough but to kill four serving officers at their duty post is unimaginable.

“This attack and death speak to the level of insecurity in the

country and at the same time, the reduction of human life to a state of nothingness. No Nigerian and indeed no human being deserve to be slaughtered in this manner.

To the families of the departed, accept my deep condolences.

“More appalling is the unconfirmed report that among those killed was a pregnant policewoman. It was also reported that various rifles, ammunitions and police uniforms were carted away by the assailants in the attack which took place in the early hours of Monday.

“The perpetrators of this crime must not go unpunished.

They have brought bloodshed

to our doorsteps. If they can attack a police station and kill policemen on duty, then all of us are vulnerable. Every citizen and resident of the State must cooperate with the security agencies in the investigation of this incident to ensure that those involved are brought to justice.

“My unreserved sympathy goes to the families of the deceased, the Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Bayelsa State, the Commissioner of Police and the entire men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force who labour day and night to ensure that we sleep in safety.

Vessel Hijack: Navy Intensifies Efforts to Nab Nigerian Collaborators Chiemelie Ezeobi Following the hijacking of a vessel, MT APECUS, with five Indian nationals and two Nigerians on board, the Nigerian Navy (NN) authorities yesterday alleged that the vessel was on an illegal and unauthorised mission to Nigeria’s territorial waters to steal crude.

Consequently, the navy said it has commenced manhunt for the Nigerian collaborators who aided the illegal entrance of the vessel and its crew to the country’s waterways to carry out the illicit oil deal under false pretence.

While claiming that the said vessel had been involved in series of criminal activities on Nigeria’s waterway since 2014, the naval authorities noted that the vessel had operated all those

years without a valid permit or documentation.

Reacting to the report in a statement made available to THISDAY, the navy assured that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that the Nigerian collaborators behind this dastardly act are brought to face justice to serve as deterrent to others.

“The Nigerian Navy has been inundated with reports relating to the suspected hijack of a Palau flagged Tanker, MT APECUS, off the coast of Bonny, Nigeria’s territorial waters”.

“The alleged hijack of the vessel with IMO No. 7333810 and Call Sign No. T8WU, occurred on April 19, 2019 resulting in the alleged abduction of seven crew members comprising five Indian nationals and two Nigerians”.

“The report indicated that

the five Indians were released by their abductors. It will be recalled that in a press release, NIMASA alluded to the vessel involvement in criminality within Nigerian waters”.

“This was based on the fact that the vessel had been conducting trading activities in Nigerian waters since 2014 without valid permits or documentation”.

“NIMASA also observed that the vessel has changed name and the flag under which the vessel operated at least 15 times since 1993 and made four MMSI changes which all point to her suspected involvement in illegal activities”.

“Contrary to the claims by the owners of the vessel, the NPA Bonny Harbour Master confirmed that NPA was unaware of any request for MT APECUS to come

into harbour.

“Furthermore, it was difficult to ascertain the past movement of the vessel as her AIS was often switched off for weeks, contrary to standard practice”.

“These developments are considered deliberate acts to avoid detection. Investigations by the Nigerian Navy led to the arrest and interrogation of one Mr Osimili Adah the agent of the vessel who confessed to have been involved in the plans to use MT APECUS to lift crude oil illegally from Nigeria”.

“Adah had since been handed over to the NPF for further investigation and prosecution.

These facts and other information available point to the fact that the alleged attack on the vessel was as a result of a business disagreement between parties engaged in crude oil theft”.

50

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Firms Appeal Forfeiture of N9.2bn, $8.4m by Patience Jonathan Four firms linked to former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, have appealed the Monday’s final forfeiture order of N9.2 billion and $8.4 million belonging to her.

The amount totals N12.4 billion.

The firms are: Magel Resort Limited, joined

by Finchley Top Homes Limited, AM PM Global Network, and Pagmat Oil and Gas Limited are challenging the decision by the Federal High Court.

The companies were among those affected after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured an interim forfeiture order to freeze their bank accounts, in 2016.

The appellants said they are challenging the entire judgment and are seeking the appellate court to set it aside and return the forfeited funds to the accounts of the appellants.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, had Monday ordered that the funds, domiciled in Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, Ecobank, Stanbic IBTC, Skye Bank (now Polaris Bank), and First Bank be returned to the federal government.

During the suit, Mrs Jonathan had claimed ownership of the funds insisting they were proceeds of goodwill donations from Nigerians, which ”she enjoyed as the wife of a deputy governor, governor,

and president, as well as proceeds of funds raised when she launched her NGO, Women 4 Change and Development Initiative, in 2010”.

Mrs Jonathan’s husband, Goodluck, served as deputy governor and governor of their native Bayelsa State before becoming president between 2010 and 2015.

Joined as respondents in the appeal are the EFCC, Mrs. Jonathan, Globus

Integrated Services, and Esther Oba as the first, second, third, and fourth respondents, respectively.

In their six grounds of appeal, the appellants, through their lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, argued that the lower court occasioned a miscarriage of justice when it assumed jurisdiction to hear the motion for the final forfeiture of the funds and relying on the

“speculative depositions” of the EFCC against the clear evidence of the acquisition of income and proofs by the appellants.

They argued that the federal high court judge granted the final forfeiture order ”without deciding as to whether the appellant had shown sufficient cause which would have warranted it to discharge its earlier interim forfeiture order

before proceeding with the suit.”

The appellants further argued that the lower court erred by granting the final forfeiture order while its jurisdiction was still being challenged.

They also disagreed with the court’s decision to “shift the onus propandi to the appellant to prove not only the sources of their funds but their innocence.”

EFCC Re-arraigns Fayose for Alleged Money Laundering Davidson Iriekpen The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, for alleged money laundering.

His trial will start afresh before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The court granted Fayose’s application for permission to travel to South Africa for medical treatment.

The re-arraignment followed the re-assignment of the case to Justice Aneke after the EFCC said it no longer had confidence in Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, who was previously adjudicating on it.

The case was re-assigned after 13 witnesses testified for the prosecution.

Fayose was arraigned last October 22 on an 11-count charge of receiving and keeping N1.2 billion and $5 million allegedly stolen from the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

He was charged with his company, Spotless Limited.

He pleaded not guilty to the same charge and was allowed to remain on the bail granted him

by Justice Olatoregun.

The prosecution opened its case last November 19, but the Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati, transferred the case following EFCC’s petition against Justice Olatoregun.

A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, testified for the prosecution, stating that he collected N2.2 billion from ONSA for Fayose.

Tuesday, prosecuting counsel Adebisi Adeniyi, who stood in for Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), did not oppose an application by defence counsel Ola Olanipekun (SAN) that Fayose be allowed to remain on bail.

Olanipekun also moved a motion seeking leave for Fayose to travel to South Africa for medical examination during the court’s long vacation scheduled to begin on Friday.

The prosecution also did not oppose the application.

Justice Aneke ruled: “I hereby grant the first defendant’s application for

the temporary release of his international passport to enable him undertake a medical trip abroad.

“The first defendant shall return the international passport to the court on or before September 16.”

EFCC alleged that Fayose and an aide Abiodun Agbele took possession of N1.219 billion from ONSA to fund his governorship campaign, knowing fund is proceed of “stealing”.

The commission said he received $5 million from ONSA without going through a financial institution, contrary to the Money Laundering Act. The prosecution said he placed N300 million “proceed of stealing” in his fixed deposit account.

It was also alleged that he deposited N317million in the account of Spotless Investment Limited, a company he and his family own.

EFCC said Fayose lodged N305,760,000 in his account when he ought to know the money formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act.

It added that the former governor procured De-Privateer Limited and Agbele to retain N719,490,000.00 in their accounts.

EFCC said he acquired a property on Plot 1504, Yedsema Street, Maitama, Abuja from Rabi Kundili with illicit N270million.

Fayose allegedly used N1,151,711,573 to acquire chalets 3 and 4, 6 and 9 on Plot 100 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos in the name of JJ Technical Service.

EFCC said he used N200million to acquire a property on 44, Osun Crescent, Maitama, Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji.

It was further alleged that he used N270million to illegally acquire a property on Plot 1504 Yedseram Street, Maitama, Abuja in the name of Spotless Investment.

Fayose allegedly procured Still Earth Limited to retain N132.5million in its account for his benefit, EFCC said.

Fayose pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Justice Aneke adjourned until September 16 to 19 and October 21 to 25 for trial.

DINNER MEETING...

L-R: Chief Marketing Officer, Heritage Bank Plc, Mr Fela Ibidapo; Executive Producer, The Next Titan Nigeria, Mr. Mide Akinlaja; Senior Special Assistant to President on Trade and Investments, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; GMD, Sifax Group, Mr Adekunle Oyinloye; and the immediate past Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr. Kyari Bukar, at the dinner for the commencement of the Season 6 of The Next Titan Nigeria in Lagos...yesterday SUNDAY ADIGUN

Supreme Court Grants Abridgement of Time in Wike’s Alleged Certificate Forgery Suit The Supreme Court yesterday granted the prayer of Mr. Elvis Chinda for abridgement of time in the suit seeking an order disqualifying Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State from contesting the 2019 governorship election in the state.

A five-man panel of Supreme Court Justices led by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad granted the abridgement as

filed by Chinda’s lawyer, William Nwobodo, to reply to a response by counsel to Wike, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that on March 8, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja dismissed a pre-election suit brought by Chinda, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member in Rivers.

Chinda alleged that the birth certificate Wike attached to the

Form CF001 he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission on November 2, 2018, for clearance to participate in the 2019 general election, was forged.

The trial court dismissed the case for being filed out of time.

Dissatisfied, Chinda approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja presided over

by Justice Stephen Adah where Wike had in a preliminary objection urged the court to

strike out the case for want of jurisdiction.

Wike also prayed the court not to grant Chinda leave to amend his brief, having wrongly titled the brief: “’In the Federal High court’, instead of writing, `In the Court of Appeal’.

However, Wike approached the Supreme Court, in his motion saying the Appeal court erred in granting the leave sought by Chinda.

Grace Schools Receive British Council International School Award Grace Schools, Gbagada in Lagos have been awarded the British International School Award from September 2018 to August 2021.The award is based on the successful completion of an impact evaluation on the school’s international work to the British Council. The award comes for new accreditation for another three years by the council to Grace Schools.

In a letter to Grace Schools, the International School Award team commended Grace Schools for its diligence in coordinating an impressive range of work, which clearly distinguished the school. The ISA team said the work brought credit not only

to the school but also the larger community. The ISA team lauded Grace Schools for attaining the great achievement and urged the schools to continue in its excellent international activities.

In the statement, the team commended Grace Schools further for its commitment, creativity and innovation that made its International activities exemplary.

With its outstanding success in the International work, The scheme kite mark, which is a key part of the Award, which is symbol of the British ISA would feature on all the school Literature, website and other branded collaterals of the school..

The Director, Grace Schools,

Mrs Tokunbo Edun said Grace Schools are poised to sustain the pedigree of excellence and innovation in all its ramifications.

She added that Grace Schools are synonymous with excellence, stressing that the British Council ISA further validates the focus of the school in remaining focused on creativity and qualitative learning experience for the students.

Edun asserted further that Grace Schools have strong edge in superior service delivery and the schools have never waivered form developing holistic learning approach for the students.

According to her, the schools also have a robust manpower development strategy which

translates to excellence for the school According to her The primary school arm was established in 1968 while the secondary arm commenced in 1994.We have been around for some time and this underscores our commitment to provide qualitative learning for all our students. Our strong focus is to develop students who will compete favorably across the globe. We boast of an enabling and conducive environment, with world-class facilities for intellectual, academics, spiritual, moral and physical development of a child.

We are poised to producing godly students who are the future leaders of our dear country, Nigeria.’

51

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Aiteo to Invest $5bn to Increase Oil Production to 250,000bpd Nigerian energy giant, Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company, yesterday, announced plans to inject over $5 billion investments in its operations to boost its crude oil production to 250,000 barrels per day.

Speaking at the ongoing Nigerian Oil and Gas (NOG) Conference and Exhibition in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Victor Okoronkwo, said the development would also spur increase of the country’s gas supply to 300 million standard cubic feet per day (scf/d).

He stated that massive investment was needed to grow the petroleum industry, adding that his company was at the fore of supporting the sector’s development.

“Aiteo was one of the biggest single investment decision maker when we have invested over $2 billion in acquiring the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 asset.

“At the moment, we do have our development plan which has been submitted to our joint venture partners (JV), and because the government is exiting the cash call

situation, we are negotiating an alternative finance package to be able to fund about $5 billion of investment. The investment would move production to 250,000 barrels per day.

“However, this will increase our gas supply to about 300 million standard cubic feet (SCF), of gas per day, which will be enough to power more than 1.2 gigawatts of electricity in Nigeria. On finances, it is going to be a cocktail of financing options, depending on how we land with the alternative financing mechanism we are working with our joint venture partners - NNPC.” Also speaking on challenges confronting the industry’s success story, he beckoned on the federal government to step up its efforts in stemming the menace of crude theft and vandalism rocking the industry.

“Aiteo operates a very key strategic piece of oil and gas infrastructure which is the Nembe Creek Trunk line, which is over 100 kilometres and increasingly,

there have been a lot of incursions on that pipeline leading to outages of production, sometimes shut down.

“These pipelines, not only do they deliver Aiteo crude

to the terminal, they carry crude to Shell. If we look at the shutdown impact in financial terms as a result of this oil breakages and theft, it is close to $2 billion in the past four years. That

is what we have lost not just as a company but as a nation.

“To this end, the royalties that ought to acrue to the country is gone because of the activities of these

vandals. That is why we are calling on the government to collaborate with us and find a lasting solution to this menace bedeviling the industry,” he explained.

Okowa Swears in Five Senior AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE… L-R: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, SBI Media Limited, Mr. Rotimi Bankole; Marketing Manager, Tecno Mobile Nigeria, Aides Mr. Jeff Tang; and General Manager, Transsion Nigeria, Mr. Chidi Okonkwo, during the Phone of the Year award presentation for Tecno Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday administered oath of office on five Special Advisers, expressing the hope that their knowledge, wisdom and experience would enhance the value chain of his administration as it strives to deliver on its electoral promise of a ‘Stronger Delta’ in the next four years.

In his remarks shortly after the oath-taking ceremony, Okowa observed that “Special Advisers play important roles in our modern democratic setting.

They are carefully selected for their specific policy expertise and ability to skillfully navigate the layers of bureaucracy and partisan viewpoints to deliver on the administration goals and objectives. Modern statecraft places a demand on them to lessen the burden of the demanding and complex workload of the chief executive.”

Those sworn in as Special Advisers at the ceremony yesterday in Asaba were Prof Sylvester Monye (Senior Policy Adviser); Dr. Kingsley Emu (Chief Economic Adviser); Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo (Housing and Human Development); Hon Emmanuel Okoro (Rural and Community Development) and Hon Efe Ofoburuku (Legislative Matters).

Okowa said: “It is true that our first tenure ended on a high note, and even now, we still continue to receive plaudits for our phenomenal achievements in job creation, human capital development and infrastructural renewal, but we cannot afford to rest on our oars because the next four years promise to be as challenging as it would be fulfilling.

“We must think outside

the box in order to proffer creative solutions to unexpected developments as we march forward. We are resolved in our quest for a diversified, inclusive and self-reliant economy that would withstand any external shocks. ‘’As Special Advisers, being experts in your respective fields, I expect nothing but sound, practical advice that meets global best practices because this administration expects from you bold ideas and initiatives that would engender prosperity, peace and progress.”

Okowa noted that the expectations were high as his administration worked towards building a ‘Stronger Delta’, and solicited the commitment and cooperation of all Deltans, especially political appointees and other stakeholders.

The governor further said: “This administration is always ready and willing to work with Deltans at home and in Diaspora from all walks of life. We welcome advice and suggestions that will help us better the lot of our people and make our beloved state the pride of all, and I also expect all and sundry to continue to pray for the continued success of this administration because when we succeed, the citizens are all the better for it.”

Responding on behalf of the newly sworn-in aides, Prof Monye thanked the Okowa for the confidence reposed in them to discharge their advisory functions in various capacities towards the success of his administration.

He assured the governor of their readiness to contribute their best in achieving the primary goal of a ‘Stronger Delta State’.

Spark 3 at the 2019 Africa Information Technology & Telecoms Awards (AITTA) in Accra, Ghana…recently

Insincere Political Leadership, Cause of Insecurity in Niger Delta, Says Abe Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt The immediate past Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, has blamed the insincerity of the political leadership for insecurity being experienced in the Niger Delta region.

Abe stated this yesterday in Port Harcourt at the 2019 Niger Delta CEOs Summit, with the theme: “Economic Revitalisation for Sustainable Development”.

He said: “The scenario I will like to point out, about the issue of insecurity in the Niger Delta, is to say that insecurity in this region started out of the insincerity

of the political leadership.

“It is sustained in large part by political leaders who are determined to control the rest of us by all means, fair and foul, and so, they sponsor and protect violent youths to intimidate the rest of us and control the political space.”

Abe expressed shock over a statement credited to the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambraifa, whch he said sought to disparage the Niger Delta CEO’s Summit for political reasons, describing the statement as unfortunate, unfounded and uncalled for.

He added: “I was shocked and stunned beyond words,

that the managing director issued that statement because he was not politically comfortable with some of the persons invited here, and I asked myself; how can we develop the Niger Delta with this kind of thinking?

“How can we? I mean if you didn’t want to attend, you could quietly stay away. I was planning to quietly stay away. You could send somebody to represent you.

If they asked you for sponsorship or for support and you didn’t want to give the support, it is your prerogative.

“You have been giving money to people in all sorts of empowerment schemes that empower nobody. When I heard that, I said, I will come.

We must all condemn the kind of behavior that will place politics above development.

“It does not help the Niger Delta. We should have the courage to say what is right and insist that the right things is done.”

He, however, urged the CEOs to join and make politics in the region right in order to prevent politicians from using government to mess up their business.

Abe added: “You cannot sit here as CEOs and pretend that what happens in politics will not affect your business, because at the end of the day, if you don’t get the politics right, every other thing will be wrong; because they will simply use the government to mess up your business.

Omokri: Jonathan Approved N100bn Loan for Cattle Ranches A former aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Reno Omokri, has tackled Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, for saying Jonathan budgeted N10 billion for Ruga settlement.

In a statement issued yesterday, Omokri said the former president approved N100 billion loan for states who wished to build cattle ranches for “modern processing” of beef.

Omokri said the Ruga initiative did not originate from Jonathan’s administration, accusing Buhari’s government of getting used to blame its woes on the previous government.

“Our attention has been drawn

to comments by the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Solomon Lalong, in which he claims that the RUGA settlements currently being implemented nationwide for herdsmen by the Buhari regime are a Jonathan administration initiative and that former President Goodluck Jonathan should be blamed for the crisis occasioned by herdsmen which have risen to a head in recent times,” Omokri said in a statement.

“Nigerians are used to the Buhari administration and its privies blaming all their challenges on the Jonathan administration and this latest act of dereliction of duty is therefore not surprising.

“Obviously, the Buhari regime is unaware that they have become a laughing stock in the international community, as evidenced by the total absence of any worthy representation at their recent events because the world knows that you are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the so-called RUGA herdsmen settlements being planned nationwide is not an initiative of the Jonathan administration. We did not conceive or budget for it and we know and want nothing to do with it.

“What the Jonathan administration initiated was a

100 billion agricultural loan to be disbursed by the Central Bank of Nigeria for states in Northern Nigeria, who wished to build cattle ranches for modern processing of beef which would then be transported nationwide as beef, rather than cattle rearing.

“RUGA, on the other hand, is not a loan, but a government intervention with public funds in a purely private business, with the attendant acquisition of public land to be used for such private business in perpetuity.

“I will appeal to Governor Simon Lalong to face god RUGA and leave Dr. Goodluck Jonathan out of it.”

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

52

NEWSEXTRA

No Difference Between RUGA, Livestock Plan, Says Presidential Spokesman The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, has contradicted

Ruga settlements are not being Taraba, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, who roam the entire country Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s programme.

Shehu yesterday insisted that supervised by the Office of the Vice Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, and Edo. and overrun farmlands cause claim that his office was not in charge of the RUGA settlement there is no difference between President. Ruga is different from the These states are at different stages disaffection and fight and the Ruga settlements and the National National Livestock Transformation in the process, but have indicated government wants to stop this.

“So, we want to settle them Livestock Transformation Plan Plan approved by state governors readiness to implement the plan. being supervised by Osinbajo’s under the auspices of the National Truth is: this federal government in one place, provide the entire will not impose on any state infrastructure they need. As a Economic Council. office. matter of fact, markets will come “On the National Livestock government regarding its land.

Osinbajo had while refuting a But speaking on The News to this Ruga settlement or ranches. statement by the Miyetti Allah Transformation Plan, 13 states Cattle Breeders Association of are already in the process of at 10 on Channels Television on There will be establishment of meat Nigeria (MACABAN), said the implementation of a plan to Monday, Shehu, however, said processors, the utilisation of bythat he was “misled” by the Ruga programme was different transform the livestock production Ruga and the National Livestock products including sanitary wares Director General of the NBC, from the National Livestock system in Nigeria along market- Transformation Plan were only that will be developed from hoofs and horns. There will be a lot of who was his subordinate, into oriented value chain while ensuring different in name.

Transformation Plan When asked if the two were business and money from this. It approving the payment of the In a statement, the Vice-President an atmosphere of peace and justice.

N2.5 billion to a private company.

“The states are Adamawa, different, he said, “It is just a is not confined to Fulani. It is a had said, “Contrary to claims “According to the ICPC, ‘the reported in sections of the media, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, matter of semantics. These herders business open to all Nigerians.” former minister’s involvement had come under questioning following discovery by the ICPC, during investigations, that a government White Paper that governs the execution of DSO programme was allegedly flouted by the head of the NBC”, the party said.

“Our party therefore insists that since the ICPC holds that the former minister’s involvement had come under questioning, he should be made to explain himself in the dock, not as a witness but as a defendant in the matter.

“This is a former minister who was in a haste to publish names of innocent Nigerians as looters just because they are members of the PDP, while a humongous fraud simmered under his nose.

“Furthermore, the PDP states that the dismissal of the NHIS boss has also vindicated its position that billions of naira belonging to the Scheme and meant for the health needs of Nigerians was being frittered.

“The party therefore states that Prof. Yusuf must be Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni (second right): his deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana (third right) and other officials listening as Permanent prosecuted in order to track Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Goni Ali Gujba (first right), during the governor’s visit to the Yobe Flour and Feed Mills in Potiskum with a and recover the over N25 view to resuscitating the company and putting it back to production...yesterday billion allegedly siphoned from the account of the Scheme in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to service APC interests.” the necessary nomination natural resources. Kogi State should take salary, it means Chuks Okocha in Abuja and expression of interest is historic state; the first capital all should take their salaries state in Nigeria. We have trees as well because governor is The race to the governorship forms. not the only one that has Fielding questions that are medicinal”. election in Kogi State has On how he would generate mouth to eat. journalists after commenced with Joseph from “In Kogi State, we have a Ameh being the first collecting his forms, the revenue to boost the fortunes aspirant of the state, he said, “we peculiar case where salaries governorship aspirant to pay governorship the non-refundable N21 million said that he would make have coal in Kogi State. We are not paid; people are being nomination and expression of the payment of salaries a can generate power to supply oppressed; a lot have lost their international oil companies (IOCs) interest forms. priority if elected governor to various parts of Nigeria. lives; nothing is happening in the agro and health care, and have increased the participation Ameh who arrived the of the state on November 16 We have iron ore”.

“Salary is not what a education departments. Kogi of Nigerians in the oil and gas Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) this year. industry. The gap in technical headquarters in Abuja yesterday, He also dismissed the All governor should be praised State is known for negativities. and financial resources that have was received by the National Progressives Congress (APC) for paying. It is compulsory. A Now, we are champions of fallen out of recent developments Organising Secretary of the part, in the state, saying, “there man works for you; he must negative things. After elections is being closed by Eunisell’s unique Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) who is no structure in Kogi State be paid. If a man should not with me as the governor, we will production solutions. collected the N21 million bank to make people happy. Yet be paid, he should not work not be champions of negative “The Qua Ibo field is a clear draft and issued Ameh with Kogi State is endowed with for you. If governor himself things,” he explained. example of what we have done.

Apart from building a production facility in record time with the skills of highly experienced Nigerian professionals, Eunisell’s fast track solution helped to get these fields into early cash flow.

“Similarly, Eunisell’s fast track Segun Awofadeji in stay there for nine months, Chindo Abdu, claimed that nine months. production facilities, helped to Bauchi According to him, after and that nine months will they were appointed by achieve first oil in record time former governor to serve reading the governor’s expire in September. at Oil Mining Lease (OML) 56 Caretaker committee chairmen for a period of nine months statement “This month has ended, on the in Delta State, and the OML 46 of the 20 local government each which would lapse in disengagement of political and there is no salary and Atala field in Bayelsa,” he added. areas of Bauchi State have September this year. office holders, they wrote entitlements which we Eunisell, with more than 20 dragged the state Governor, He said the governor has a letter to him through deserve. Based on this, we years’ experience, was recently Bala Mohammed, to court immediately, after taking over, the secretary to the approached Bauchi State high certified as an ISO 9001:2015 for allegedly disengaging issued a statement directing state government (SSG), court to demand our rights,” company, prompting a delighted them before the expiration all political appointees to enlightening him that ‘by he said.

Ikenga to declare that “we are of their tenures.

Chindo said they are vacate their offices without law’, their tenure would immensely proud of our ISO taking into lapse in September, but he therefore asking the court to Speaking with journalists allegedly certification; it underlines our yesterday on behalf of cognizance the law that still allegedly withheld their order their reinstatement and longstanding ability to deliver others, the former caretaker appointed them which he salaries and allowances. payment of salary arrears and critical Quality Management Chairman of Bauchi Local alleged stipulated that “Based on the appointment outstanding allowances allegedly Systems (QMS) and Processes Government Area, Alhaji they were to serve for letters we have, we are to withheld by the governor. to our customers.”

Fraud Allegation: PDP Demands Prosecution of Lai Mohammed, UsmanYusuf Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate prosecution of former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over his alleged role in the reported National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)’s N2.5 billion fraud.

The party also demanded the prosecution of the sacked Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof.

Usman Yusuf, over alleged misappropriation of N919 million as exposed by a ministerial panel.

In a statement issued yesterday by the spokesman for the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the duo “must not be left off the hook” because of their affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency.

The PDP insisted that Mohammed should be prosecuted alongside the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Alhaji Modibbo Kawu.

Kawu is presently facing trial over an alleged N2.5 billion Digital Switchover deal, which was investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the ICPC had already indicated, in a press statement, that Alhaji Lai Mohammed admitted in a statement to it,

HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING...

Kogi Guber: Ameh Joins Race, Pays N21m for Forms

Eunisell Reiterates Commitment to Reduce Marginal Field Operators’ Challenges Esther Oluku One of Nigeria’s leading oil and gas production solutions companies, Eunisell, has reiterated its commitment to assist marginal oil field owners overcome complex technical and financial challenges.

Speaking at the ongoing Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG 2019) in Abuja, Eunisell’s Group Managing Director, Chika Ikenga, said this will help the federal government achieve the objectives of its local content programme.

“We are proud to be a Silver Sponsor at NOG 19 in Abuja.

Achieving the objectives of the local content programme, is a vital factor in sustaining Nigeria’s economic development and oil industry growth. Eunisell brings in its own assets and resources to help achieve early cash flow and accelerate the marginal oil fields’ development. Our track record speaks for itself. We are there to help build viable, Nigerian oil and gas businesses,” Ikenga explained.

“The marginal field development programme and the recent divestments of fields by the

20 LG Chairmen Drag Bauchi Gov to Court over ‘Illegal’ Disengagement

WEDNESDAY JULY 3, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

53

Ë&#x153; ͸͝Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S D AY

54

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Nigeria to Play Cameroon in Titanic Round of 16 Clash Demola Ojo in Alexandria Defending champions Cameroonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 0-0 draw with the Squirrels of Benin Republic coupled with Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Black Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau yesterday, means that the Indomitable Lions will play Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Super Eagles in the second round of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The mouth-watering clash to take place in Alexandria Saturday July 6, was confirmed after Cameroon finished second in Group F behind Ghana who finished top of the group.

Nigeria ended up in second place behind Madagascar in Group B which means they gave up the opportunity to play one of the best third placed teams.

Nigeria and Cameroon are age long rivals in on the continent, with the

Indomitable Lions usually coming out tops, especially when the stakes are high.

Cameroon won three of the five AFCON titles after beating Nigeria in the final match.

In 1984, the Lions triumphed 3-1, in 1988 it was 1-0 and in 2000, which was hosted in Nigeria, the Indomitable Lions broke Nigerian hearts after prevailing on penalties.

On the last occasion these African giants crossed paths, the Eagles trounced the freshly-crowned African champions 5-1 on aggregate over the course of a few days, with a 4-0 at home victory in Uyo followed by a 1-1 draw in the Lionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; den in Yaounde.

Despite being two of the biggest teams on the continent, both teams have had inconsistent campaigns so far.

Nigeria started with two 1-0 victories over Burundi and Guinea before succumbing to a shock 2-0 defeat to debutants

Madagascar.

Cameroon on the other hand started brightly with an impressive 2-0 victory against

Guinea Bissau, before following up with two 0-0 draws against Ghana and Benin.

By coming second in their

respective groups, Nigeria and Cameroon will have to take the tough route if they are to add to their combined haul of eight

AFCON titles, with hosts and seven-time champions Egypt a probable opponent of this tie in the quarter-finals.

Cameroonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indomitable Lions who played goalless with Benin Republic yesterday are Super Eagles opponents in the Round of 16 of the ongoing AFCON 2019 in Cairo on Saturday

Ighalo Assures Nigerians against Indomitable Lions Femi SolajainAlexandria

FEMIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AFCON 2019 FLAKES So Long Emmanuel Amuneke and Taifa Stars

Former Nigerian great, Emmanuel Amuneke came, saw but was conquered along with his young Taifa Stars of Tanzania. With so much expectation to push in as one of the third best losers but failed to measure up after losing all the three matches of the group stage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot to take home after the matches here because most of the players are overwhelmed by the stage here and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new beginning for a team that has not participated in the tournament since 1980,â&#x20AC;? he said in a telephone interview with THISDAY yesterday.

Egyptians Night Life High But Dull at Stadium

The night life in Cairo is a very exciting one most especially for young lovers. At most parks in Cairo, even up till 2am both young and old still enjoy the best of social life in spite of the political tension in the region.

But one would expect a special treatment during the AFCON tournament when foreigners are in town, alas the soccer event is just a restriction within the stadium.

After football, everyone go home. Nothing to show the day after that there is life at the magnificent Cairo International Stadium!

Madagascar Defeat Now behind Eagles

Blame game over the 2-0 loss to Madagascar is now over in Eagles camp. They now see the defeat as a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;collective fallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; but have now resolve to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;overcome.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; This is the new message from the Super Eagles camp as they have put the ghost of Madagascar behind and ready for the big teams as the sojourn at the tournament hit the next turn this weekend. Leon Balogun who gave away the ball that led to Madagascar first goal has regained his confidence. He was sighted cracking jokes at the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s camp yesterday.

Sadio Mane Ready to Struggle Till Final Day

The Senegalese icon, Sadio Mane was on the scorers sheet in the last match group match for the Teranga Lions. Although he missed a penalty that could have given him a hat trick, the dark skinned Liverpool front man opted to console himself with the victory.

He believes that the knockout stage is the time for the players to get into full flight till the cup is won at the Cairo International Stadium. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see if the Liverpool forward can add the continental success to the UEFA Champions League trophy he won early last month in Madrid, Spain with the Reds.

As many Nigerians are yet to come to term with the reality of the two nil defeat of Super Eagles by minnows, Madagascar last Sunday, team striker, Odion Ighalo, has assured the teeming populace that the team will rise to the occasion when it plays its next match this weekend against Cameroon.

Ighalo, who opened the scoring chart for Nigeria at this tournament admitted yesterday that Super Eagles somehow underrated Madagascar and were taught some footballing lesson which they have to take to the crucial knockout phase.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is football for you. We underrated our opponents after getting good results in the first two matches and have now learnt our lessons in a bitter way. If per chance we are to meet them again, we will give them a bitter dose of what we have gone through in the last few days after the match. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But the good thing is that we only stumble and not fall flat. We still have the chance to restore out pride this weekend regardless of playing the cup holders, Cameroon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wake up call for us although everyone wants to win but it was not just our day last Sunday and we lost woefully. We are quite aware that Cameroon

is a good side but Nigeria too is no pushover either. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want Nigerians to stand with us as we continue this journey and it was good that we lost at a time we are still much in contention and not out of reckoning,â&#x20AC;? the forward further observed, On why the team is yet to register more goals despite the array of strikers in the squad, Ighalo said it was not the responsibility of only few individuals to score for the team but it is a teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collective effort to excel at all time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, I scored the first goal and Kenny Omeruo scored the other. It is not to say the rest are not at the party. We are here as

a collective unit hence what is important is that we win for Nigeria and nothing else. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a bit rusty myself after a long lay off due to injury and absence from the national team. I just came back and my sharpness is returning gradually especially as we look to get the job done from the knock out stage on Saturday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to emulate the wining class of 2013 Eagles who got back their rhythm from the clash against CĂ´te dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ivoire. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We strongly believe that a win in our next match against Cameroon will set the tone for Nigeria to hit the top again,â&#x20AC;? he concluded.

Super Eagles Skip Training for Last 16 Game Ahead of a possible clash against eternal rival and fellow Anglophone brothers, Ghana, the Super Eagles took time off from their regular evening training to visit the Suez Centre to watch the final Group F match between Black Stars and Guinea Bissau. However, it turned out a miscalculation as they have now been paired with cup holders Cameroon in the Round of 16.

The team normally train twice a day but yesterday, they had the option of either to allow the players go on leisure walk at the beach

side or stay indoor.

But camp sources told THISDAY that most of the players opted to go for the Ghana match in Suez so that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to wait for the technical department for match strategy but wants to be seen to be on top of what is expected of them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are determined to get a good result against anybody this weekend and to show this seriousness was the reason behind the need to watch the match,â&#x20AC;? a top official in the camp disclosed last night.

Alexandria that has housed Super Eagles since the beginning of the tournament last week is about 370 kilometres to Suez and by road will last something like fours hours.

Meanwhile, Eagles team medics may have ruled out teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s captain, John Mikel Obi from the crucial match on Saturday.

Mikel, according to Eaglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye, sustained a hamstring injury during the match against Madagascar and may not be available for the next match.

A visit to the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Helman Palestine Hotels The newly signed Trabzonpor FC of Turkey star was noticed to be walking with a limp at the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Helman Palestine Hotels yesterday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was injured in the last group match against Madagascar which led to his being substituted.

The initial test revealed its not something very serious but at closer examination, it was discovered that he will need to rest and it would be miraculous if he would be available for the next match,â&#x20AC;? the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Media Officer explained.

Wimbledon: Federer Survives Scare against Debutant Eight-time champion Roger Federer survived a first-set scare to see off South African debutant Lloyd Harris and reach the Wimbledon second round.

Federer, 37, moved through the gears to win 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.

The Swiss, aiming for a recordextending ninth menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title, will face Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jay Clarke next.

Third seed Rafael Nadal faced fewer problems against Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita, winning 6-3 6-1 6-3 to set up a meeting with Nick Kyrgios.

Harris, 22, had never even won a match on grass going into his meeting with arguably the greatest player of all time.

But the world number 86 rocked Federer with blistering serves consistently around 130mph and backed that up with some heaving

groundstrokes in a first set which left Centre Court murmuring in disbelief.

After breaking Federerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s serve for a 4-2 lead, Harris confidently sealed the opener in 29 minutes as he threatened to create one of the most seismic shocks ever seen at Wimbledon.

55

Ë&#x153; ͸͝Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAYSPORTS Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Cup: USA Edge England to Reach Final

Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Black Stars stepped up their games to beat Guinea Bissau 2-0 and top Group F of the ongoing AFCON 2019 in Egypt ... last night

Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Black Stars Knock out Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bissau to Top Group F

Ghana reached the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations and knocked out Guinea-Bissau with a 2-0 win in Suez.

Jordan Ayew raced on to a through ball seconds after half-time to put them ahead, and Thomas Partey slotted home Abdul Babaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross

to seal the victory.

That second goal ensured Ghana finished top of Group F, with Cameroon drawing 0-0 with Benin in Ismailia.

Guinea Bissau, who could have gone through with a victory, hit the woodwork three times.

Piqueti had a 25-yard shot tipped onto the bar by keeper Richard Ofori, Joseph Mendes hit the outside of the post from the edge of the box and Mamadu Candeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corner struck the crossbar.

Swansea striker Ayew also hit the post twice, once in each half.

As a result of winning the group on goal difference,

four-time champions Ghana, who had drawn their opening two games, will face the team who finish second in Group E - Mali, Tunisia, Angola or Mauritania - in Ismailia on Monday.

Meanwhile, Ghana and Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu has been ruled out of the rest of the Africa Cup of Nations with a hamstring injury.

Atsu was forced off just 15 minutes into the Black Starsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goalless draw with Group F rivals Cameroon on Saturday.

The 27-year-old has returned to England for further treatment with the Tyneside club.

2019 Okpekpe Winner Breaks Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10km Race Record 2019 Okpekpe International IAAF Silver Label 10km Road Race winner, Sheila Chelangat of Kenya has set a new African 10km all-comers record at the 10km de Port-Gentil, an IAAF Bronze Label race, in Gabon on Sunday.

Chelangat who ran 33.14 to win her first ever Okpekpe title in May won her second 10km title on African soil in 2019 at the event in Gabon, crossing the line in 30:55 to clip 41 seconds from the continental

all-comers mark set by Ruth Chepngetich at this race in 2017.

It was also the third road victory for Chelangat this year, who set her previous career best of 31:01 at Valenciennes, France, in March.

Zack Amodu, director of organisation for the Okpekpe international 10km road race says Chelangatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feat is a confirmation of the quality of elite athletes paraded at the seventh edition of the first and only IAAF silver

label road race in Nigeria nay West Africa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a confirmation of how big the Okpekpe race is and the quality of our elite field for the seventh edition held on May 25,2019 at the hilly and rusty town of Okpekpe in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State,â&#x20AC;? said Amodu who recalled that Ethiopiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leul Gebrselasie who set a new, world class personal best time of 2:04:02 in the full marathon after emerging winner of the

menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race at the 2017 Okpekpe international 10km road race.

Amodu assure aficionados of long distance races that organisers of the Okpekpe Race will continue to get the best legs available all over the world to compete in the first road race in Nigeria to not only have its race course measured by an IAAF/AIMS accredited measurer but also to get an IAAF label status in 2015.

Yoila Wins President Buhari Golf Tournament Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Dakop Yoila has won the President Buhari Golf Tournament played at IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja at the weekend. The tournament was sponsored by Daily Trust Newspaper.

Yoila, who is a pharmacist with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) shot 147 nett over 36 holes to emerge the overall winner.

The 23-handicapper, afterward admitted that he got his inspiration on the first day of the tournament, when he played in a group of three ladies, comprising the IBB Club former lady captain,

Dr Joyce Barber and the incumbent lady captain Nanfe Audu. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did not play well on Sunday as I did on Saturday.

But playing with the ladies on the first day really helped my game. I was inspired by the swing of the present lady captain,â&#x20AC;? Yoila declared.

The grand finale of the tournament, which featured qualifiers in other parts of the country also produced winners in different categories.

Ten-handicap player, H. Zakaria won the men division one best net prize following a combined net of 148 over 36 holes that took him past of S. Wakili by two strokes.

Jonathan Ebhota

defeated Gidado Aliyu on countback after they tied on 148 to win the Men Division two. Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack from Port Harcourt Club was a shot off the pace to finish as first runner up.

The ladies gross division one net prizes were grabbed

by Racheal Danjuma and Amina Wilfred both from IBB Club, while Juliana Igbinadolor of UBTH Golf Club beat Joy Ikwue by eight strokes to claim the ladies division two prize.

Sunday Odegha from Minna Golf Club posted 74 to win the professional event, beating Dominic Andrew by one shot.

Austin Akpodiete placed third with a 76.

The CEO/ Editor-in-

Chief of Daily Trust, Mannir Dan- Ali expressed delight with the turn-out of golfers that graced the tournament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am quite impressed.

You cannot believe the quality of the people that came for the tournament and the representation of the President by the Governor of Plateau State Simon Bako Lalong and the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Mohammed Sanusi,â&#x20AC;?

Dan- Ali said.

The DG National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC) Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, graced the closing ceremony with the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performing troupe, which entertained the guests.

Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreams of reaching their first Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Cup final were dashed last night as Steph Houghtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s late penalty was saved in a dramatic semi-final 1-2 loss to holders the United States.

The England skipper â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 84th-minute spot-kick was held by Alyssa Naeher, shortly before Houghtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fellow centre-back Millie Bright was sent off for a second bookable offence, as the Lionesses exited at the last-four stage for a third major tournament in a row.

Winger Christen Press and striker Alex Morgan scored with headers either side of Ellen Whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instinctive equaliser as the USA took a deserved 2-1 lead in a frenetic first half.

A spirited Lionesses side improved after the break and White thought she had equalised with a low strike from Jill Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flicked through

ball, only to be found to be marginally offside on a video assistant referee (VAR) review.

White was then clipped in the area and Phil Nevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side were awarded a penalty after another VAR review.

But Houghton could not convert from the spot and the wait for a senior England side to reach a first global final since 1966 goes on.

The USA, who were backed by the majority of the 53,512 crowd in a gripped Stade de Lyon, are through to their third consecutive Wo rl d Cup final and will now bid for a record fourth title when they face either Sweden or European champions the Netherlands on S u n d a y.

Those two sides meet o n We d n e s d a y and the losers will take on the Lionesses in Nice in Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third-place play-off.

Kwara Utd Appoints New Head Coach, Retains 27 Players Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The management of Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin on Tuesday approved the appointment of former deputy chief coach of the club, Mr. Suleiman Ashifat as the new substantive head coach of the club.

Mr. Asifat was a deputy to former chief coach of the club Abubakar Bala in the just concluded Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Media Officer, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Bibire, made this known in a statement issued in Ilorin, a copy of which was made available to sportswriters.

The statement added that the appointment was with immediate effect.

He said the club also retained 27 players and declared 13 surplus to requirement in preparatory to the 2019/2020 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.

Bibire said all administrative staff of the team are to continue with their day to day service to the club.

The statement advised the retained players to be of good conduct and embraced professionalism that the team was known for, pending the announcement of when the club will resume for next season.

Organisers Announce New Date for GOtv Boxing Night 19 Flykite Productions, organisers of GOtv Boxing Night, have announced 21 July as the new date for the 19th edition of the event, which was initially scheduled to hold on 14 July.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday, the organisers said the event has been moved by one week to allow boxers additional preparation time, as some of those billed to fight at the event also have sub-regional title bouts for which they need to train well, as GOtv Boxing Night 19 is a tune-up platform for those soon-to-come fights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the boxers have been contacted for title bouts in the West African sub-region on soon-to-be announced dates and they need an extra week to adequately prepare and recover in addition to the preparation time in between GOtv Boxing Night 19 and their next fights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;GOtv Boxing Night has put Nigerian boxers in demand on the continent and it is our responsibility to ensure that boxers are in tip-top shape for local and international bouts, which is why we have moved the event by one week,â&#x20AC;? said the statement.

GOtv Boxing Night 19 will

hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium and feature nine bouts, including two all-female encounters.

The biggest of the fights will see e international welterweight challenge duel between Rilwan â&#x20AC;&#x153;Babyfaceâ&#x20AC;?

Babatunde of Nigeria and Eden Biki of Ghana. The lightweight category will see African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight champion, Oto â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joeboyâ&#x20AC;?

Joseph, take on Tope â&#x20AC;&#x153;Berinjaâ&#x20AC;?

Agboola, while Hammed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ese Hammedâ&#x20AC;? Ganiyu will face West African Boxing Union (WABU) lightweight champion, Rilwan â&#x20AC;&#x153;Real Oneâ&#x20AC;? Oladosu.

The featherweight division will attract plenty of attention with the fight between national champion, Taiwo â&#x20AC;&#x153;Esepoâ&#x20AC;?

Agbaje, and former ABU champion, Waidi â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skoroâ&#x20AC;?

Usman.

In another duel, the cracking Tope â&#x20AC;&#x153;TP Rockâ&#x20AC;? Musa will be up against Kazeem â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lightâ&#x20AC;?

Oliwo. Others on the bill are Akeem â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sugar Boyâ&#x20AC;? Olaiwola vs Waheed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Showmaxâ&#x20AC;?

Shogbamu; Adeyemi â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spiritâ&#x20AC;? Adekanla vs Isaac â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Starâ&#x20AC;? Chukwudi, Adedeji Abiodun vs Cynthia Ogunsemilore and Rodiat Yusuf vs Rodiat Ibrahim in the female category.

Wednesday July 3, 2019

TR

UT H

& RE A SO

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

NLC to State Governments “The only thing is that we expect negotiations to be concluded fast because allowing it to drag unnecessarily for too long will bring another problem of accumulated arrears.” – General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Dr. Peter Oso Ezon, urging state governments to expedite action on the payment of the New Minimum Wage.

KAYODEKOMOLAFE THE HORIZON

kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com

0805 500 1974

Of Policy and Prejudice “We will not escape from thinking about ourselves and our society in identity terms…

Identity can be used to divide, but it can also be used to integrate – Francis Fukuyama in his 2018 book, Identity: Contemporary Identity Politics and the Struggle for Recognition

I

t is a measure of the degeneration in the public sphere that what should ordinarily be a robust policy debate has been turned into peddling of prejudice and confusion.

Instead of a national conversation aimed at solving a real socio-economic problem, what is on display is sheer ethnic profiling and demonisation of an ethnic group. In the process a political crisis is brewing and this may further compound the social problems of insecurity and economic issues of development.

The first blame should go to the federal government for poor policy articulation and dangerous political insensitivity. Three years ago, the problem was the inexcusable tardiness of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in offering a policy response to the problem.

Now that a policy is being put together at last, the package suffers from severe disarticulation.

Come to think of it, amidst the heat generated by the policy in the last one week, two different responses have emanated from Aso Rock. One statement admits that indeed the establishment of Ruga Settlements is part of the policy. It puts the matter, inter-alia, like this:” The Federal Government is planning this in order to curb open grazing of animals that continue to pose security threats to farmers and herders. ” The overall benefit to the nation includes a drastic reduction in conflicts between herders and farmers. ” A boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments.”

If you ignore the unwarranted tirades against some state governments in this statement, it is significantly different from another one that disowns a letter “supposedly from the office of the Vice President” in respect of the Ruga settlements. According to the second statement, what is afoot really at the policy level is a “National Livestock Transformation Plan…” which “should not be confused” with the establishment of Ruga settlements. Meanwhile the idea of Ruga settlements has offended the socio-political sensibilities of not a few persons.

This seeming confusion issuing from the presidency should teach a lesson: political sociology and economic history should not be ignored in formulating and articulating a policy of this nature.

The other day, the use of the phrase, “cattle colonies,” in explaining what the government was planning drew the ire of the public. Today, the substance of the policy is submerged in headlines denouncing the “Fulani settlements” on other people’s lands.

Maybe the trouble could have been avoided if the plan had been simply communicated as ranching which interested states may voluntarily embrace as part of their agricultural policies.

After all, it is a simple economic logic that to produce enough beef for local consumption and even export, ranches need not be established in all local government areas of Nigeria. Countries that export animal protein to Nigeria do not

Buhari have livestock production in every inch of their territories. With an efficient transport system, the beef produced in a Bauchi ranch could be consumed fresh in Lagos.

Agriculture is on the concurrent list. A national agricultural policy in a federation could only be successfully implemented in a political atmosphere in which the federal government enjoys the cooperation of the state governments. The livestock transformation plan is no exception to this golden rule of federalism. The situation is even made worse by the natural factor of ecological pressures on the Sahel region which make access to arable land and water more competitive for farmers.

Those who argue that governments have no business with ranching being a private business are missing the point. The role of the federal government and the interested state governments in ranching would not be different from the roles that governments have played in encouraging cassava or rice production.

What is more, the matter of ranching has been tabled before the National Economic Council.

As lawyers would say, it is settled in law that even the federal government would need the permission of the governor to use land in any state. The governors in whom the lands in the respective states are vested are the majority in this important council. It was reported long time ago that about 12 states indicated interest in the establishment of ranches.

The Chairman of the Governor’s Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said recently that subscription to the ranching plan is voluntary as it should be in a federation. A few days ago, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state said Buhari is not imposing Ruga settlements on his or any other state. Although Bauchi State governor Senator Bala Mohammed is of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), his state is embracing the programmes contained in the policy. And who says that if Fayemi is interested in encouraging ranching as part of animal production programmes in Ekiti state, the ranch must be an exclusive Fulani settlement? There is no law or national policy that it should be so.

In this controversy that is generating more heat than light, the point is not made enough that ranching as a solution (and not a problem) has been successfully practised in other countries and that international organisations such as the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are prepared to give technical support in implementing the policy in Nigeria. Some foreign companies are gearing up for investment in the programmes.

In any case, the establishment of a ranch anywhere in Nigeria today would not be an unprecedented act. An old postage 5 Kobo stamp printed sometime in the 1970s has been circulating in the social media to remind persons on all sides of the debate that ranching has been part of the nation’s economic history. On the stamp is the picture of a herder and his cattle in a ranch. In a recent intervention to the debate, the public was reminded recently by the people’s lawyer Femi Falana that the government of the old western region established ranches in the Akoko area of the present Ondo State while the governments in east and northern regions had ranches in Obudu (Cross River) and Mokwa (Niger) respectively.

In 2014, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly approved the release of N100 billion to create mini ranches as part of the solution to the farmers-herdsmen clashes.

Yet, the nitty gritty of the present policy is lost in the bogey of Fulanisation (whatever that means!) and the bugbears of Islamisation.

The poor handling of the clashes between farmers and roaming Fulani herdsmen in various parts country by the government has not helped matters.

The memories of the violence of recent years linger as ranching involving Fulani herdsmen is discussed. The reaction especially in the middle belt states to ranching to stop the roaming of Fulani herdsmen should be understood in this context.

However, prejudice is not helpful in discussing the workability of the policy.

Besides, there is the fact that some Fulani elements have been associated with kidnapping and murders in southern parts of the country.

The Nigerian state has failed to put an end to the perpetration of these crimes just as it has neither stopped Boko Haram in the north east nor banditry in the northwest. Criminals should be legally dealt with on the basis of their crimes without religious or ethnic labels. No kidnapper shares the ransom extorted from victims with all the members of his ethnic group whether he is Yoruba of Fulani. The ethnic and religious identity is irrelevant for the purpose of justice.

So, a better policy articulation could possibly have engendered a debate towards problem solving.

Yes, you can make a rigorous critique of the federal government agricultural policy of ranching as the solution to the problems arising from the open grazing practised by nomadic herders. But this should be done without criminalising the Fulani ethnic group for the offences of some herdsmen roaming the bush with their cattle or even the kidnapping and murders committed by Fulani elements who have nothing to do with herding.

In absence of an informed debate, hate speech and scare-mongering have taken over the public sphere without minding the terrible consequences.

Instead of debating the socio-economic logic of a policy, religious and ethnic agitation is on the rise. It is a destructive path to take at the moment.

It is, therefore, time the voices of reason became strident.

For instance, Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi commendably rose to the occasion the other day by exposing a fake video of a machete-wielding mob purportedly driving some Fulani herdsmen and their cattle out of his state. He gave the correct context of what actually happened. That is leadership in a crisis situation. Imagine if there was a reciprocal action by some Fulani people in the north!

By the way, it is worth remarking that the productive debate vacuum is partly created by the fact that the some crucial voices are strangely silent. For instance, the positions of the political parties are not heard in the controversy.

The plethora of presidential candidates who wanted to lead Nigeria in the last election ought to enrich the debates. After all, they campaigned on a national platform. They should be offering their perspectives on how such a controversial policy could be implemented with a focus on the national purpose. The political parties should be reminded that their jobs were not done with the conclusion of the elections regardless of the results. It is also part of their purpose to continue promoting the logic embodied in their canvassed manifestoes and programmes towards national development.

The tone and tenor of this controversy should worry Buhari especially in the light of the security problems in virtually every part of Nigeria. It may not be asking for too much to suggest to the president to make a direct clarificatory statement to the nation on this matter because of the danger it poses to national integration. The president lost the opportunities to address the question of national unity pointedly on May 29 and June 12.

This is another moment when silence may not be golden.

The controversy has poignantly put on the fore again the distortion of identity politics by the elite. There is a lot obfuscation of the issues at play. When some elements in the southwest, for instance, glibly proclaim Fulani herdsmen as personae non gratae on their lands, they should remember that the same constitution that vests the land on the state governor also guarantees freedom of movement and right of residence and work of Nigerians in any part of the country. The point to be squarely made is that the residents must live and pursue their businesses according the laws of the land. There cannot be a Fulani exception to this rule. Similarly, southerners who have made places in the north home where they pursue their legitimate businesses are protected by the same constitution.

Unfortunately, the government unwittingly set a terrible precedent when some misguided northern youths issued an provocative ultimatum that easterners should quit the north. Those who made such a dangerous statement ought to have been arrested and prosecuted.

The government is grossly mismanaging identity politics; this is exacerbated by the opposing segment of the elite who are yielding leadership to ethnic and religious champions. In the process, the perception of policies is manipulated as some members of the elite toy with the fault lines.

This trend is a sure recipe for anarchy. And there is class dimension to it. In the event of a war, the poor will surely bear the brunt. As Comrade Adams Oshiomhole used to warn as a labour leader, when the poor cross the border of a war-torn country they become refugees while the powerful and rich personalities crossing the same border become political asylum seekers.

The mismanagement of identity politics may not only frustrate a policy; the prejudice in the air could threaten national stability. As a result liberal democracy would be endangered.

As the liberal scholar, Professor Francis Fukuyama, quoted above put it in another context, the Nigerian elite should think more about how to play identity politics for national integration and not otherwise.

For that to happen the public sphere should be rid of hate speech and other toxic expressions of prejudice.

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com