THURSDAY 15TH JULY 2021

Zenith Reaffirms Leadership with Best Commercial Bank Award Dike Onwuamaeze

Zenith Bank Plc has been named the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria in the World Finance Banking Awards 2021.

The award, which was announced in July 2021 edition of the World Finance Magazine,

was based on individual banks' ability to adapt to a continually evolving technological environment while maintaining top-class customer relations and bolstering their financial footing amidst the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting on the award,

the Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, was quoted in a statement yesterday, to have said: "This recognition reflects our resilience and ability to adapt to a very challenging macroeconomic environment

exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as our commitment to creating value for our teeming customers through our best-in-class service and innovative products and solutions."

He thanked the bank's customers for making

Zenith Bank their preferred financial institution, which has culminated in the award.

World Finance is a leading international magazine providing comprehensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business and

the global economy. The editorial combines awardwinning reportage, covering a broad range of topics from banking and insurance to wealth management and infrastructure investment, Continued on page 43

Oil Production Dips by 56.5m Barrels in Six Months...Page 6 Thursday 15 July, 2021 Vol 26. No 9593. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

THISDAY/ARISE Group Appoints Komolafe as Ombudsman, Public Protector Yemi Ajayi The boards and managements of THISDAY Newspapers and ARISE Media Group have

appointed the Deputy Managing Director, THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Kayode Komolafe, as the Internal Ombudsman for the two media organisations.

A statement by the Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers Limited, Mr. Eniola Bello, said the appointment was in line with the decision of the

Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO).

“As Ombudsman, his office would look into, and address, complaints from readers, viewers,

advertisers and the general public concerning the unfair treatment of news and reports published or aired by the media group,” it said, adding: “He would also

ensure that all journalists in the Media Group observe the Code of Conduct approved by the umbrella media organisations.”

Continued on page 43

APC, PDP Senators Rally to Pass e-Transmission of Election Results Senate begins clause-by-clause consideration of Electoral Act Amendment Bill today Lawan admits pressure, gets 900 text messages

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Udora Orizu in Abuja The controversial clause on the electronic transmission of election results as contained in the 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021, may sail through without much furore as the National Assembly considers today the draft legislation, THISDAY gathered yesterday.

The committees of both the Senate and the House of Representatives in charge of the bill yesterday submitted their reports during the plenary of each chamber, setting the stage for the passage of the bill.

THISDAY had on Monday exclusively reported of plots

by All Progressives Congress (APC) senators to delegitimise

future elections and undermine the nation’s democracy with their insistence on prohibiting electronic transmission of results.

Their moves had raised mounting concerns over what social critics called attempts by federal legislators to rig the 2023 general election ahead of time through the manipulation of the amendment bill.

But to counter their moves, opposition senators, especially from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had mobilised to ensure not only the return of the controversial clause to the bill but that there would be no subterfuge in deciding on electronic transmission of election results when the bill is up for debate in the Senate.

However, THISDAY learnt Continued on page 42

Nigeria, Others Mobilise for Early PROMOTING ZERO OIL PLAN… Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (left) and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr. Warning System against Terrorism... President, Olusegun Awolowo, during Dangote's visit to Awolowo to discuss the council’s zero oil plan at the NEPC Headquarters, Abuja…yesterday Page 5

2

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

3

4

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

5

THURSDAY, ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS Nigeria, Others Mobilise for Early Warning System against Terrorism

Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike

Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

Security threats becoming more violent, says Osinbajo Deji Elumoye in Abuja Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the national early warning and response mechanism.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, said in a statement yesterday in Abuja that the MoU consolidated discussions by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 45th Ordinary Session in Accra, Ghana, in July 2014, which endorsed the establishment of a national early warning and response mechanism in member states.

According to the statement, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo signed for Nigeria while President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Brou, signed on behalf of the regional body on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Osinbajo said the threats

confronting Nigeria and the rest of West Africa were becoming more violent, asymmetric, cross-border by nature and spreading faster than before.

He said the threats had necessitated the need for effective sub-regional collaboration on early warning systems.

“I don’t think there is a better time for this process than now, which will lead to full implementation of the early warning and response system.

“We are at a time nationally, and sub-regionally, where the security threats that confront us are becoming more violent, they are asymmetric, spread faster than before, and they are cross border in their nature.

“There is no question at all that this is a moment when we really should be looking at how to collaborate in realtime and in increasingly more imaginative ways in sharing information, and also in sharing competence in order to confront our security challenges,’’ Osinbajo added.

He commended ECOWAS for its foresight in the design of the regional warning system.

According to him, the expansion of the ECOWAS early warning and response network to include terrorism indicators is important.

He said: “I think this has helped a great deal in not only focusing on terrorism, which is today possibly the most lethal threat that we face, but also in giving us an opportunity as a sub-region.

“This is to bring the very best possible ideas and to be

able to check these threats as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

“The administration will ensure that the early warning and response system is implemented and we look forward to working with you ECOWAS in ensuring that it is fully implemented.”

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, said the signing of the MoU was a consolidation of discussions held at different levels by ECOWAS leaders to

find ways of containing threats to security in the sub-region.

Brou also said the signing of the MoU reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to promoting peace and security in West Africa.

He said the regional early warning mechanism was set up by the ECOWAS 1999 protocol for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security.

He added that it was also to support the region in anticipating, mitigating and responding to challenges of human security.

“In order to support member

states in strengthening their capacity in preventing human security challenges, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in 2014 signed a supplementary Act. “Adopting the policy framework on the establishment of national early warnings, and rapid response mechanism,” he said.

Brou commended the vice president’s leadership and support and appealed to Nigeria to sign an Executive Order to give legal backing to the planned National Centre for Early Warning and Response System.

Saraki Tackles Buhari, Says Eighth Senate Organised Security Summit Chuks Okocha in Abuja Former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday faulted the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari that the Eighth Senate did not assist his administration to battle insecurity by organising a summit to generate ideas on what to do.

Saraki’s media aide, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said in a statement yesterday that the immediate past president of the Senate, noted with dismay the claim contained in the seventh paragraph of a statement on Tuesday, by Buhari’s media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, that “he (Buhari) tried very hard to get the Eighth (National) Assembly to do the same (organise a security summit) for the sake of the country and I didn’t succeed much. But time has proved me right.”

The president was said to have made the claim while receiving the report of the National Security Summit held on May 26, 2021, by the House of Representatives from the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Saraki said: "On a matter as sensitive and important in the scale of constitutional responsibilities of the legislature like security, it will be irresponsible of us not to state the true situation concerning the claim by the presidency. We need to inform the general public that the 8th Senate, without any prompting from the presidency, organised a well-attended two-day security summit on February 8 and 12,

2018."

He added that the summit, held in Abuja, was organised by the ad hoc committee of the Senate on the Review of the Security Infrastructure, headed by the incumbent President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who was then Senate leader.

He said the summit was declared open by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) with the leadership of the armed forces and other security agencies in attendance.

He stated that after the report of the summit was adopted by the Senate in the chamber, the 20-point recommendation was forwarded to the president for consideration and necessary action.

Saraki said he was constrained to make the clarification for posterity sake because he had noticed the recent trend in which some sources deliberately push out false narratives aimed at shifting blame and passing the buck arising from the security and other challenges confronting the country on the 8th National Assembly.

He added: "We urge discerning members of the public to always take their time to properly check the veracity of the claims contained in such narratives.

"We believe that facts are sacred and opinions are free.

Therefore, we urge those in charge of representing the views of the president to the public to always check their facts very diligently and ensure that such reports are based on truth and nothing but the truth."

PLANT A TREE… L-R: General Manager, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, Mrs. Adetoun Popoola; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, during the state’s 2021 Tree Planting Day in Lagos…yesterday

UNILAG Directs Students to Vacate Hostels over COVID-19 Wave Funmi Ogundare The Senate of the University of Lagos yesterday directed all students to vacate halls of residence immediately over the outbreak of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the institution.

It said it would resume virtual lectures from July 26 as a result of the development.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof.

Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, had summoned an emergency meeting of the Senate to deliberate on ensuring that the case does not escalate on campus.

The Director of Students Affairs, Prof. Ademola Adeleke, said in a statement that to check the spread of COVID-19 on campus, the university Senate directed that all students to vacate halls of residence latest by noon today.

He said: "No access will

be granted to any student after 12.00 noon on July 15.

The hostels will be locked indefinitely, therefore, students are advised to move all their personal effects at once. Lectures for the rest of the semester will be delivered virtually with effect from 26th July 2021."

The university had recently been affected by the potential third wave, with an increase in the number of patients treated at the University of Lagos Medical Centre with flu-like symptoms, which are similar to COVID-19.

Contact-tracing had also enabled the institution to identify those exposed, who were directed to isolate.

Adeleke said the management had continued to enforce the COVID-19 protocols in all the teaching and learning spaces as well as the student halls of residence.

Adeleke, however, expressed concern that some students have

tested positive.

"The situation is, indeed, worrisome especially with the reluctance of the majority of students to comply with the COVID-19 prevention protocols," he said.

The university had confirmed that the institution was being affected by a potential third wave of the pandemic in a ‘COVID-19 pandemic update’ published on its website on Tuesday.

The statement said: “The University of Lagos Medical Centre wishes to inform all members of the University of Lagos community about what appears to be the start of a potential third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos State.”

UNILAG stated that the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, had in a statement on July 11, stated that since the beginning of July there

had been a steep increase in the number of daily confirmed cases, with the test positivity rate going from 1.1 per cent at the end of June, to its current rate of 6.6 per cent as of July 8, 2021.

“This is with a concurrent increase in the occupancy rate at Lagos State isolation centres,” he added.

“The University of Lagos community has also been affected by this potential third wave, with an increase in the number of patients presented to the University of Lagos Medical Centre with flu-like symptoms which are similar to COVID-19.

“The medical centre hereby assures all members of the university community that all necessary actions in line with the federal and Lagos State government guidelines have been taken regarding this potential threat in our community,” it stated.

6

THURSDAY, ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

FG Approves N309.9bn Road Contract for Dangote as Tax Credit Formalises police special services Okays N8.6bn for health ministry for procurement Deji Elumoye in Abuja The federal government yesterday gave the go-ahead for the award of a contract to Dangote Group for the construction of five roads totalling 274.9 kilometres at the estimated cost of N309,917,717,251.35 to be advanced by the company as a tax credit.

This is just as the government also formalised the Police Special Service in the interest of

transparency and accountability while approving N8.6 billion to the Ministry of Health for the procurement of HIV/AIDS kits.

Briefing reporters at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over

by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), said the road contract would be executed on concrete and will be the larger of such project in the country.

“The second memorandum presented by the Ministry of Works and Housing was for the construction or the reconstruction, as the case may be, of five road projects in favour of Messrs. Dangote Industries Limited, totaling 274.9 kilometres of federal roads, under the Federal Government Roads Infrastructure Tax Credit policy.

Those five roads, totalling 274.9 kilometres, will cost N309,917,717,251.35 to be advanced by the Dangote

Industries as a tax credit, he stated.

Fashola said: “The roads, specifically, are Bama to Banki in Borno State for N51.016 billion with 49.153 kilometres; Dikwa to Gamboru-Ngala, 49.577 kilometres in Borno State for N55.504 billion; the Nnamdi Azikiwe Road, popularly known as a Western Bypass in Kaduna, 21.477 kilometres, from Command Junction to Kawu, in the sum of N37.560 billion and the deep seaport access

CONDOLENCES TO THE BANKER… L-R: Son of the deceased, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; and Mr. Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede, at the Night of Tribute in honour of late Mrs. Emily Aig-Imoukhuede in Lagos...yesterday

OPEC,UAEMovetoResolveOilQuotaStalemate

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja with agency report

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has moved to sort out its impasse with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with a compromise deal being hammered out that could allow the Gulf nation to pump more oil next year, Bloomberg reported yesterday.

The talks, involving the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are still ongoing and any deal would need the support of other OPEC+ nations, according to delegates familiar with the discussions.

While one delegate said the deal was effectively done, another said discussions were continuing, but the UAE’s energy ministry issued a statement acknowledging the talks, but said no agreement had yet been reached with the OPEC group.

The negotiations are nonetheless the first sign that Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are moving to cool off tensions after an unusually public fight

earlier this month, when the UAE blocked an OPEC+ deal to boost production, sending oil prices above $75 a barrel.

The UAE is demanding the right to produce more oil next year in return to support extending the current OPEC+ agreement from April 2022 until December 2022.

The current talks centred on agreeing to a higher output target for the UAE as Abu Dhabi initially asked to set its target at 3.8 million barrels a day next year, although current talks are for a target of around 3.6 million barrels a day.

Oil fluctuated on the news, with Brent crude down 0.3 per cent yesterday to rally at $76.25.

Last week, OPEC and its allies were forced to abandon a tentative deal to boost oil production because of lastminute objections from the UAE. If the compromise is ratified at a new meeting, it could potentially open the way to higher output, although some members have already locked in most of their supply volumes for August.

The UAE will set a new baseline of 3.65 million barrels a day for its production cuts, the delegate said, which would be an increase from about 3.17 million currently – a level the country has argued is unfairly low.

The emirates will now support a proposal from Saudi Arabia to extend the duration of the OPEC+ cuts agreement to December 2022, one delegate said.

If there’s a preliminary understanding to grant the UAE a new production baseline of 3.65 million b/d from May 2022, which would be an increase of about 480,000 b/d from its current baseline of 3.168 million b/d, which will remain in place through April.

It is less than the close to 700,000 b/d rise that the UAE had been seeking, but would also be a concession from Saudi Arabia, which had wanted to hold the line on output targets through the end of 2022.

Baselines, which were set using October 2018 production volumes are used by the OPEC+

alliance to set output quotas, so a higher baseline for the UAE would result in a more generous allocation.

Delegates from other OPEC+ members said they had yet to be briefed about the deal, which would need to be unanimously approved by the 23 countries in the coalition.

The rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE has threatened to scupper a largely agreed accord for the OPEC+ group to lift output by 400,000 b/d monthly and extend their supply management pact beyond its April expiry through the end of 2022. The UAE has been the lone dissenting country.

A new deal may be too late to take effect for August, with many members’ national oil companies already informing their contractual customers of the volumes of crude they would be receiving for the month.

The OPEC+ alliance is currently withholding about 5.8 million b/d of crude production, which it intends to unwind as demand recovers from the pandemic.

road sections 1 and 3 in Lagos State, through Epe to Shagamu Expressway, 54.24 kilometres, that links Lagos and Ogun states, in the sum of N85.838 billion; the Obele/Ilaro/Papalanto to Shagamu Road, 100 kilometres in Ogun State, in the sum of N79.996 billion.

“Council considered and approved this memorandum, to facilitate the construction of 274 kilometres of concrete roads.

So, this will be the largest single award of concrete roads ever undertaken by the government of Nigeria in one award.“ According to him, the award of the contract to Dangote Group was consistent with funding options, adding that the award is consistent with the government's multiple funding options, which includes engagement with the private sector.

The minister added that the tax credit initiative was in existence in the last administration before the Buhari government was inaugurated, but it was not utilised.

"So, this administration has revised it, expanded it, and has used it to construct roads like the Apapa Wharf Road, the Oworonsoki to Apapa, through Oshodi Road, by the same Dangote Group.

The Obajana-Kabba Road, still the Dangote Group. The Bodo-Bonny bridges and road, which Council approved last week, through the NLNG. “There was also interest by many other companies that are being reviewed. So, it’s not unique to Dangote. So, he’s the one who has applied and we've been in this process. So, this is the next batch of roads that they are taking up. They invest their money and then instead of when their taxes come due for payment, they net it off.

That's the circumstance. This is not concessioning, this is tax credit policy, don't let’s mix them together.

“The policy says that anybody who wants to invest his personal resources, and it includes individuals, in any infrastructure that the public will have access to, can do so under certain conditions, which includes applying to the Ministry of Works. The ministry evaluates and there’s a tax credit committee chaired by the Minister of Finance because they keep an eye on how much tax giveaway in one year so that it doesn't affect the government's revenue performance, once we take on the investment. So, it’s the committee that then approves and says go ahead, this is good, this is how much tax we’ll allow per year and if the company is satisfied, then we go to BPP and then come to FEC.” The other approval obtained by the ministry was to revise the total cost of the contract for the construction of Michael Imoudu/Ganmo/Afon Junction Road in Ilorin, Kwara State.

According to Fashola, FEC considered and approved the request to revise the cost of the construction of part of the road

by N204,411,926.13. The original contract sum was revised from

N1.691 billion to N1.896 billion and the completion period is now 12 months.

On his part, the presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, spoke on the memo presentations made by some ministers and also approved by FEC, including the formalisation of the Police Special Service in the interest of transparency and accountability.

According to him, the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Maigari Dingyadi, had an important scheme which FEC approved.

He said: "It is the deployment of what they call Special Police Services. And this is about a new system that will formalise what has existed with us all the time. You know police provide escort and guard for big corporations, banks, and so on. Now, in the interest of transparency and accountability, the government is formalising this relationship. And there will be an introduction of tariffs and billing schemes. This will be using PPP (Public-Private Partnership arrangement).

“The police projected the use of consultant that will help them to manage this. Part of the revenue will go to the federal government. Part of it will go to the police. Part of it will go into police allowances. And part will go to consultants as their own fees.

"This is something that has been going on for many years. And it has happened virtually in all countries of the world. In our own case, it has remained largely, people will say, undocumented or non-formalised. Government is concerned about leakages in revenue and incomes which should be blocked.”

He added that FEC also approved contracts worth N754,048,161.25 for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for capital projects for the supply of communications at the command and control centre.

"This is to enable EFCC to comply with modern-day investigative techniques, improve its operational efficiency and support the administration of criminal justice system in the country. So, these are basically defensive and offensive cybersecurity systems."

Also speaking, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the council approved procurement contracts for his ministry worth about N8.6 billion.

He stated that the ministry presented three memos, which were all approved with one of them for the procurement of test kits for HIV/AIDS. “As you all know, Nigeria has succeeded in driving down the HIV prevalence from 3% to 1.3%.

The nationality indicator and the impact survey that was done recently, now we want to push it further down by being able to do more testing, particularly of mothers who may be carrying HIV and they don't know it, and they can pass it on to their unborn children.

“That's sort of called the Continued on page 43

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

7

8

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

9

10

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

11

12

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

13

14

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

COMMENT

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

INTELS AND NPA’S BATTLE OF WITS

Salisu Ahmed highlights areas of dispute between INTELS and Nigerian Ports Authority

N

igeria is watching the drama unfolding between Integrated Logistics Services (INTELS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the federal government.

Over the past couple of years, NPA has taken a firmer and more independent stance with INTELS. Among other things, NPA started to question the appropriateness of some actions of INTELS such as its refusal to pay into the government of Nigeria’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the many years delays, or even outright refusals, to pay fees to the government worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Further, NPA questioned whether the government was always getting adequate value from its relations with INTELS. A case in point being the Phase 4B construction contract in Onne Port, Rivers State, that NPA had previously awarded to INTELS and which now looks like a hugely expensive white elephant project for which NPA is picking up the bill.

As expected, INTELS has not been happy with NPA’s more critical and robust approach towards the company, prompting INTELS to try to persuade the federal government that it is the innocent and hapless victim of NPA. Indeed, INTELS is trying to have the federal government intervene in ongoing court cases.

In a letter written by INTELS lawyer, Mike N. Epelle to the Attorney-General, requested the Attorney General to “intervene” in the disputes between NPA and INTELS and “prevail” on NPA to relent and give up in all its disputes with INTELS. How will the Attorney-General respond to such a highly unusual request from INTELS who is asking for special treatment and arbitrary intervention in ongoing court cases that INTELS itself had initiated but of which it did not like the outcomes?

The following cases were brought up in INTELS letter and it will be interesting to see if the government

INTELS HAS NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH NPA’S MORE CRITICAL AND ROBUST APPROACH TOWARDS THE COMPANY, PROMPTING INTELS TO TRY TO PERSUADE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT IT IS THE INNOCENT AND HAPLESS VICTIM OF NPA

decides to go against what appears NPA’s very reasonable positions?

NPA Pilotage contract: INTELS contract expired in August 2020 and NPA decided to initiate a tender to get the highest possible value from a new contract, in line with public procurement practices. INTELS decided to sue NPA and block anyone else from getting the contract through INTELS’ lawyers extensive use of “injunctions”. Will the government now overrule NPA’s proper use of public procurement rules and hand the contract to INTELS without a tender?

Two, Berths 9-11 and 90 hectares of land, Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne: INTELS is also protesting NPA’s decision to introduce new operators in the INTELS stronghold of Onne Port. NPA had withdrawn INTELS’ rights to use berths 9-11 and 90 hectares of land since INTELS had not used the berths since 2013 and had not developed any parts of the 90 hectares of yard and were years behind on lease payments. So NPA made the sensible decision to lease the berths out to an operator (in this case ICTSI, a global port operator with more than 30 terminals across the world) who actually wanted to use them. ICTSI has since then invested USD 40 million, generated 300 jobs and thousands of tons of cargo. Will the federal government now overrule NPA and kick out a new investor who has invested millions of dollars and who, contrary to INTELS, actually pays its lease fees on time?

Three, EFCC review of INTELS dues to NPA: INTELS is protesting “unwarranted” EFCC “debt collection” from NPA. Again, it seems difficult to imagine that the Attorney General would object to the work of EFCC which just recently, on June 2021, resulted in INTELS paying more than USD 100 million in outstanding remittances to NPA. Ahmed wrote from Port Harcourt

‘MADE IN TAIWAN’ POLICE FORCE? There is need to address fundamental problems in the police force, argues Olusegun Adeniyi Continued from backpage

I

n the aftermath of that crisis, Babangida instituted a panel of inquiry headed by the late Justice Mustapha Akanbi which sat in Lagos. Ordinarily, it was the Lagos State Police Commissioner who was supposed to testify but somehow, he sent his PRO. In a brutal disquisition of how the police had been left to rot by the military, Ogugbuaja said many things. These were his most memorable words: “The Army is the unregistered political party of Nigeria…quietly behind closed doors, they can decide to increase their salaries while policemen have become glorified ordinary men. Since the military had come into politics in Nigeria, it will not be in its interest to have an effective and efficient police force because an efficient and effective police force is capable of foiling a military coup…. On a weekday, you see Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, Colonels, Brigadiers drinking pepper soup and beer at mid-day…no wonder they have time to plan coups. We used to say idle civilians, now we have idle soldiers.” Ogugbuaja then threw the bombshell from which I picked the title of this column: “If you want a good policeman, you will have to pay for it. If you want a cheap one, Made-inTaiwan, you will get it.”

The next day, the media went to town with screaming headlines about “Peppersoup Generals”. That marked the beginning of the end of a brilliant career for Ogugbuaja who never recovered from the punitive deployments that followed. For the Twitter generation that may not understand what the phrase ‘Made-in-Taiwan’ meant, let me also explain. At the early period of their industrialisation, manufactured products from this highly developed Chinese territory were cheap in price but low on quality, though that soon changed with time. So, the term ‘Made-in-Taiwan’ was a derogatory Nigerian slang in the eighties and nineties to depict a lack of standard in goods or services. To extrapolate from that, we can

infer that what we had then, and perhaps even now, is a police force that is not fit for purpose. So it is little wonder that our country has been overwhelmed by sundry criminal cartels. In the first half of this year, between January and June, no fewer than 2,943 people were kidnapped, according to Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) with 5,800 killings recorded during the same period.

But the greater challenge is the number of policemen who are being mowed down by criminals on a daily basis.

Let’s be clear. Crime fighting is a risky enterprise all over the world. Fatalities among police personnel are not unusual, even in developed societies. Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director, Christopher Wray told the House Oversight Committee that a total of 37 officers had been murdered in the first five months of 2021 in the United States, compared with 46 during all of 2020. “And that’s not counting all those officers who’ve died in the line of duty facing the countless other inherent dangers of the job, like from a car accident in pursuit after a subject or drowning during an attempted rescue. Or even the scores of officers who’ve died from Covid-19. Because, of course, law enforcement kept coming to work every day despite the pandemic,” Wray said.

However, what is different in our case is that while police officers die in the line of duty elsewhere, criminals now target police officers for extermination in Nigeria without fear. In answering the question, ‘Why does the Mafia have a rule against killing cops?’, Vivek Tulja, a satellite communication expert, gave some interesting examples as to why criminals generally avoid killing policemen, unless cornered. He concluded “if you happen to kill a cop, you are best off using the last bullet in your magazine on yourself.” Not in our country, I must say.

But who do we blame?

In successive United Nations assignments, the Nigerian police contingent has repeatedly stood out for distinction. But back home, things are different, raising pertinent

questions. At a public policy dialogue on ‘Policing and Human Rights in Nigeria’ last year, the National Human Rights Commission (NHCR) Executive Secretary, Mr Tony Chukwu said “It is well known that whenever our police officers go outside this country for international operations, they excel” before asking, “So, what is the missing gap?” He answered his own question: “The missing gap is just that the climate of operation; the condition under which they operate over there predisposes them to excellence, but the condition under which they operate here creates the challenge they have.”

Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu conceded on Monday in Lagos that “Our policing system has failed woefully” and that “It is no surprise that with the capsizing of the national police, the nation’s security has also collapsed.” But his prescription begs the issue. “In an instance where we have decentralized police, we will have a federal police system and 774 police systems in all the 774 local governments in the 36 states and in Abuja. The implication, therefore, is that if the federal police fail, we have additional layers in 36 states; but right now, they are absent,” said Ekweremadu.

“Now that federal policing has collapsed because they do not have the resources, the funding, and the manpower, there is nothing to hold on to.”

While in principle, I subscribe to the idea of state police, what ails us requires more rigour. When we create a multiplicity of police forces whose personnel are neither well trained nor properly remunerated, they are likely to embody the worst vices of society.

As Ogugbuaja warned 35 years ago, the choice of the kind of police force we want is ours. Sadly, we went for the ‘Made-inTaiwan’ option. Ordinarily, that was not bad in itself; after all, the Republic of China (as the Chinese territory is called) improved on its technology to create what later became the ‘Taiwan Miracle’ and joined Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong to make the elite ‘Four Asian Tigers’. But like we have

done to other critical institutions in Nigeria, we allowed the police to degenerate as an institution, abandoned its personnel to their fate and now we are in serious danger.

The current security challenge facing the nation was the thrust of the interventions at the 2nd Shinkafi Intelligence and Security Summit (SISS) held on Tuesday in Abuja with the theme, ‘Socio-economic implications of kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria’. Held in honour of the late Marafan Sokoto who had an illustrious career in the police and security services, some of the conclusions included the need to close the inequality gap, improve intelligence gathering, motivate law enforcement officers through both welfare and equipment and retool the entire security architecture. In the case of the police, there is indeed an urgent need for a complete reorientation. While most of our communities are unpoliced or under-policed, with criminals now seizing traditional rulers right inside their palaces, it is shameful that almost half the population of their personnel are carrying handbags for the wives of rich musicians and comedians, federal and state legislators, private businessmen, government contractors, and renowned motor park touts.

My position on restructuring is very clear and has been well made on this page. But it is not a silver bullet for the challenges of Nigeria. We need to look at the police in a more holistic manner to address fundamental problems. Creating layers of police authorities at a period we are spending 97 percent of earnings on debt servicing and relying on more borrowings to stay afloat could become a huge security burden. If you put guns in the hands of people with no resources to pay them, chances are that they will “use what they have to get what they want”, to adapt a popular street lingo.

And when that happens in a nation replete with mutual ethno-religious suspicions, we may be carrying the luck--which the president admits is what has kept us together--too far!

15

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

EDITORIAL THE ELECTORAL ACT AMENDMENT BILL Electronic transmission of results will enhance the integrity of our elections

P

resident of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said last week that the National Assembly is working towards passing the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill in the next two weeks. He urged those who may be uncomfortable with certain clauses in the bill to take their complaints to their representatives, for consideration before passage. We urge civil society groups and other stakeholders to liaise with the National Assembly to ensure the removal of already-identified clauses that can impugn the integrity of the electoral process and undermine our democracy.

Indeed, there are widespread reports on social and traditional media that the Senator Kabiru Gaya-led report may have been doctored, particularly in the proposed amendment to Section 50 (2) of the Electoral Act which now reads: “Voting at an election under the bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the commission, which may include electronic voting, provided that the Commission shall not transmit results of elections by electronic means.”

NIGERIA CANNOT AFFORD Some members of TO LAG IN DEPLOYING TECHNOLOGY IN ELECTIONS, the technical committee that helped in ESPECIALLY WHEN MANY producing the report OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE have disowned the LOST CONFIDENCE IN insertion. That has THE EXTANT ELECTORAL triggered swift protests VOTING METHOD BECAUSE across board. The OF ITS SUSCEPTIBILITY TO Southern Governors’ MANIPULATION Forum rejected the removal of electronic transmission of results from the bill.

Since the weakest link in Nigerian elections has always been the collation of results, many stakeholders have for years urged the National Assembly to accelerate a reform to the Electoral Act to legalise electronic transmission of results. What the INEC results viewing portal deployed for the Edo State gubernatorial election last year demonstrated how public access to polling unit results increases

Letters to the Editor

the integrity of the electoral process and encourages acceptability of outcomes. Ordinarily, we should build on that. But some members of the National Assembly think differently.

From 1999 to date, many attempts have been made to sanitise the electoral process. Elections in Nigerian have for long been marred by fraud and violence. Ballot stuffing, manipulation of manually written results, snatching of ballot boxes and compromise of election officials to falsify results and indeed outright killings, are the norm.

The immediate past INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, put it succinctly when said the electoral process in Nigeria is laced with an incredible level of electoral malpractices with “acute deficiency in electoral integrity.”

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

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

THE CHIDINMA/ATAGA SAGA: IN DEFENCE OF THE POLICE

M

o change the narrative, conscious efforts are being made to ensure that violence and cheating in elections are minimised. The precedent of the electoral system of various advanced democracies shows clearly that credible elections are made possible by the adoption of the best technologies. Indeed, the last general election in 2019 ought to have been conducted with a brand-new electoral law but for President Buhari who declined assent in December 2018 on the basis that it was too close to the election, a reason many put down to, at best, contrived. Now that the president will not be on the ballot ever again, it is his responsibility to leave a legacy of transparent elections. Besides, there are certain disturbing provisions in the draft which prescribe limits to how much candidates can spend on their elections. The figures being proposed will further alienate the masses of ordinary Nigerians from participation in politics that now looks like a cult of the wealthy.

Overall, we believe the time has come for Nigeria to join the rest of the world in adopting the process of e-transmission of election results. With the deployment of technology, genuine votes of the electorate will not only be counted under a transparent process, they would also begin to count. Nigeria cannot afford to lag in deploying technology in elections, especially when many of our citizens have lost confidence in the extant electoral voting method because of its susceptibility to manipulation.

ultiple layers of revelations have continued to trail the circumstances that revolved around the murder of Michael Usifo Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Super TV. The prime suspect in the murder case, Chidinma Ojukwu, had initially made confessional statement admitting to have stabbed Ataga to death in self-defence. In a turn of events, she backtracked the earlier revelation and claimed ignorance of the mystery surrounded Ataga’s demise.

Unlike Chindinma’s contradictory revelations, the police have unequivocally maintained her culpability in their preliminary investigation. The police report established her contact with Mr Ataga in a service apartment around Lekki Phrase 1, Lagos State, shortly before his demise. The use of fake name, address and information

by Chindinma to book this short let apartment where Ataga was murdered, among other material evidence was unravelled.

The discreet investigation by the police force deserves unreserved commendation. The parade of Chidinma which has been the basis of vilification against the police has attracted more attention than the scientific and forensic measures adopted in unravelling the suspect’s identity and whereabouts. The public condemnation seems like a coordinated attack to demoralize the police effort in combating social vices though many people may have been dragged into the plot innocently.

No eyebrows were raised against the police when the Akwa Ibom State Police Command paraded Uduak Frank Akpan, a prime suspect

in the rape and murder of Miss Iniobong Umoren, who was lured by the suspect in the guise of offering her job. There has never been a notable and wide-ranging public condemnation against “CrimeWatch,” a weekly programme aired on Television Continental (TVC) where suspected kidnappers, armed robbers, rapists are interviewed prior to arraignment. In many states of the federation, numerous suspects of lesser crimes are regularly paraded without public outcry.

The instances cited above are not justification for police parade.

Media trial is illegal and unconstitutional. The court expressly abhored this practice in Ndukwem Chiziri Nice v AG, Federation & Anor (2007). Also in Dyot Bayi & 14 Ors. v Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004-2009). The aforementioned police parade are illustrations to people’s double standard and selective clamour for application of the rule of law.

Many people seem to have created a scenario that Chidinma was the first ever victim of police parade. Media trial was a generally acceptable norm prior to Chidinma’s saga. The public need to exercise caution assuming without conceding that the case is a wake-up call for adherence to the rule of law as against the aforementioned notion. The patriotic, disciplined and committed personnel among the police must not be demoralized. They operate under harsh conditions due to lack of incentives. While the police are yet to experience a breath of fresh air from the authority, the people should desist from compounding their plight.

Binzak Azeez, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife

LET’S BATTLE COVID SENSIBLY

T

he COVID pandemic and the search for solutions has been the dominant item in the news for most of the 2020 and 2021 but not all of the approaches are sensible.

The best and most used approaches are the several types of Vaccines that are now available based scientific research, isolating when you have COVID or may have been in contact with someone who had it and recording your visits so that COVID tracing officials can see where you and others have been if there is a breakout.

As with any problem there can be stupid and dangerous solutions as well as people promoting false solutions and conspiracies.

Perhaps the stupidest idea was the one suggested by Ex-president Trump of using Bleach either by injections or consuming it.

A number of people have been harmed and some have died from this. He wasn’t being “sarcastic”, he was being stupid. An Australian ex-celebrity was fined for promoting a machine that could use lights to stop the virus.

There have also been some well-intentioned although probably silly approaches as well. The initial idea of no cheering at the Japan Olympics has been bypassed by having no crowds at all.

The Seoul government has banned gyms from having music at over 120 beats a minute or treadmills going above 6km/hr so that people won’t sweat. A far better answer may have been to actually close the gyms for a while.

Working together on sensible, scientific approaches do the right thing by the whole community.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

16

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

17

18

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021

POLITICS

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

‘My Goal is to Consolidate on Fayemi’s Achievements, Advance to the Next Level’ Vanessa Obioha discusses the governorship aspiration of Kayode Olubunmi Ojo, an engineer, who is hopeful for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress to realise his dream of governing Ekiti State

D

o you share the opinion that a people get the leadership they deserve? How have ordinary Nigerians contributed to the situation we find ourselves?

We have a very big role to play. If you check the future of this country via purposeful and serious governance so that we can move away from mediocrity to a people of purpose. The press also has to encourage a lot of people that are out there; people who are successful in doing some businesses to come back to public life to help us develop infrastructure and to us from being a country with the potential to a developed country. That’s exactly what we need. We have been a country with potential for decades upon decades, and not being able to take that flight, and the whole world is leaving us behind, even some African countries are leaving us behind. Time is passing by from where we are supposed to be and the generations that are coming behind us will not forgive us if we don’t start doing things differently. We have done the same thing the same way for several decades. Nothing has changed and we keep doing it. The press has a serious role to play to shape the opinion and the narrative for everyone to understand that government and governance is not about yourself. It’s about service delivery to the people. It’s about committed development of the people and it’s not about you collecting and taking money or feeling you are above every other person. You are a servant. This is what we will bring to governance. It will be a change that will eventually spread to the entire country, to bring that office to the level of the people.

Service to the people. You are not to be served. I don’t want to be a governor and people see me and begin to scream. We should all be normal people, just as we see mayor’s and governors, even Prime Ministers in developed countries.

All of you are the same. They enter train, public transport, they go to supermarkets like any other citizen. They don’t make a fuss about it.

We should be able to do that here for us to be able to develop this country. As an individual, I’m just tired of this lack of seriousness. So God willing, we will get there.

As a member of APC in Ekiti, how will you assess the last four years of Governor Fayemi? Are coming for continuity or a radical departure from the past?

It will include both ways as you described.

It’s going to definitely be a continuation of APC and at the same time, a radical government which is a government that is going to do extraordinary things. We are going to do a lot of things in a very high level manner. To be honest with you Dr. Fayemi has actually done quite well. He has laid some serious foundation for Ekiti with some good projects like the airport that we’re building right now as a catalyst to development. There’s nothing we want to do in that place, if investors cannot get to their plane and fly to the state capital, who are you going to talk to? So that is a key project. A lot of people don’t understand that but I do because I’m a development person.

And I really applaud him for that. Then we have the knowledge zone: the knowledge economy development, that is crucial. I know that because of lack of funds, they’ve not been able to really push, but they have the template which is great, because we’re the Fountain of Knowledge. So any area that we have needs for, we should take advantage of that. There’s no reason why...I saw recently that the President approved the university of aerospace about a couple of days ago. As much as I appreciate it, I was quite disappointed...

We’re not too serious. We relied on oil for all these years and it’s getting extinct in our face, yet we don’t have a solution to our economy.

We wasted all our money, carried everything to Europe and America, we didn’t invest it here. We are not supposed to be borrowing money to build railways. These should have

look at it from 1999 to 2018 which was the last election we had, everybody contested from all zones. So you can check that fact. And based on that, I don’t think there’s going to be any difference in 2022. What we want or what we have to project for right now is actually who is the best person that can help us improve the viability of our state by bringing in investment, helping our schools, education; bringing in all the programmes that will benefit the people, putting pipe-borne water in people’s homes homes, all over the state. To tap into the God given resources that we have. So to me, that is more important than where you come from. I’m not saying that the southern people don’t have great people, we have great people in the south.

But the way Ekiti is structured, everybody’s going to go to the polls and the people will choose who they want, no matter where the person is coming from. The person might be Mrs Oloro, Dr. Fayemi’s elder sister. If she is the best, so be it. I believe Ekiti electorates are extremely sophisticated and they’re going to choose who they want irrespective of where they come from.

Ojo been done years ago. We’re not supposed to be borrowing to do the trans-Sahara pipeline, take gas to Europe, we should have built it years back so that we’ll be competing with the Russian leader. We would have laid that gas pipeline to Europe. Europe needs gas. That’s the only thing we could put our hands on in Europe. If you lay that gas pipeline up to Europe, you will make 20 times the money oil is giving us. I have never seen such a blind set of human beings. And we have been flaring before I was born.

Definitely, we will continue the development of all his policies but we will now take it to another level, improve on it and make sure that we build a 21st century economy. Our intention is to deal with Ekiti as if it’s a country which means, we must, as a matter of emergency, not even urgency, define, develop our economy whereby we don’t have to wait on Abuja’s money, which is no longer enough. In fact, the last time I even had a discussion with Dr. Fayemi, I asked him how he’s been able to pay salaries, because I don’t understand how he’s been able to pay salaries considering the meagre amount of money that is coming to the states from the Federation Account. The money is just not enough. From records. I hear that we have about 62,000 civil servants, including teachers in Ekiti. If you multiply that by an average of N30,000 per person which is definitely more, that’s really about N1.8 billion. And I understand that our allocation sometimes is not up to N3 billion and then you have to fund projects and other statutory deductions. So, we have to do things differently by finding our own money, investing and building so

that we can get the money back from levies, taxes, fees that people will pay.

What kind of resources have you actually identified in Ekiti that need to be explored to generate these resources you are talking about?

Our biggest resource is people. Because our people are extremely dynamic people. Even though, over the years, because of the condition of the country and lack of development, it has made people to be poor, with little or no purchasing power. Purchasing power is very low which of course means you can’t buy much but I believe that if we invest in the people, it’s the people that build the state, not the other way around. We invest in people by bringing in industries, by expanding our tourism capacity, by tapping into agriculture extensively, we will be able to help people, improve their income and then based on that, it will rub off on the state. And so many other areas of development that we’re going to invest in. We are going to bring in a lot of investments.

There is this campaign in Ekiti State now, talking about zoning, that the next governor should come from the South. Will you say zoning exists in Ekiti politics? If it exists, to what extent?

Well, Ekiti is a very homogeneous state. In fact, in Nigeria today, we are probably the most homogeneous state whereby we speak almost the same language, from Ikere to Otun, almost the same dialect. So we’re kind of homogeneous as a state. And as a result of that we don’t normally zone. Historically, if you

What I see in their eyes is the urge to have a better environment around them and to have a governor they believe they made. That’s what I see with the interaction I have with the people. Our people are very simple, generous and accommodating, they can be a bit strong headed. I also have it. My children do too. I enjoy being among the people.

I just always wish I could do more for them but I know with my own personal capacity, there’s a limit to what I can do

But the argument is that since the creation of the state, Central and North have been producing the governors more than the South, that for fairness and equity, it should be conceded to that Senatorial District?

If we want to talk about fairness and equity, it is a contest between able bodied men. And it has always been like that from day one. So for fairness, equity, let everybody go to the field, work, ask for people to vote and be voted for.

That should be what will be fair based on our precedent. If in the past only one zone produced all the gubernatorial candidates again, and then we want to do it another way, we can say no but it has never happened like that.

So you can’t even say that is on the basis of unfairness. If you look at in 2018, in PDP, the incumbent government at that time, fielded Professor Kolapo from the South. And Dr Fayemi was from the North but we defeated them. Professor Eleka only won in two local governments and then won by 74,000 votes and the south has six local governments. Dr Fayemi won in four local governments and Prof. Eleka won in two local governments.

Ekiti people are very sophisticated. Even at that time, there was still clamour for zoning.

If they believed in you, they would have voted for you. What the people believe in is who can effect positive change in their life. How will their life be improved? So that’s what they are going to do in 2022.

You were in the race before, you didn’t make it. What are the lessons you have learnt between 2018 and now?

Well, the lesson I learned is that you need to be more engaged with all the stakeholders in politics. And then you need to, of course, understand, study the terrain better, relate more with the people. In 2018 that was my first time. I have never contested in an election before. I believe that people out there want to listen to new ideas, want to listen to new opportunities and everything. So basically, I’m saying that’s what I have learnt in this system and by the Grace of God, I believe things will be different this time around.

So you are confident that the primary will be free and fair?

Well, I can only tell you that Nigeria has a factor in everything. There’s nothing you do in this life that Nigeria’s case is not slightly different. It’s peculiar. Free and fair in Nigeria is in line with the peculiarity of our system so I believe in line with Nigeria’s peculiarity, it will be fruitful.

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

19

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021

POLITICS

‘Those Against Implementation ‘The Parliament is Doing of White Paper on Recovery Are the Needful to Help Curb Sponsors of Insecurity in Imo’ Insecurity’ Declan Emelumba is the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Imo State. He is among the lucky eight commissioners that were retained by Governor Hope Uzodimma when he dissolved the cabinet two months ago. In this interview with Amby Uneze, he talks about the recent security challenges in the state and efforts to return normalcy Before the invitation of the military and other security agencies to Orlu, who were the people that carried out the killings and other atrocities you mentioned earlier in Orlu?

When a crime occurs, it is the duty of the police to investigate and find out those who are responsible for the criminal activities in Orlu.

There are a number of suspicions here and there, so it is the duty of the police to tell us those who were responsible for the crisis in the area.

Emelumba

I

mo State has been in the news for bad reasons due to insecurity that engulfed the state for some time now. This is what nobody bargained for. Can you give us an overview of the happenings in the state?

We all are aware that what has been happening in the past months in the state is very unpalatable.

We have been having security skirmishes here and there and quite a lot of security breaches have occurred. You are aware of the attempt to attack the State Command of the Police which led to the killing of the perpetrators, the burning of houses and the series of attempts also to stop the construction of Orji Police Station. Quite a lot of things have not been palatable and the government has been consistently appealing to people to eschew violence and embrace peace for the state to move forward. But by the special grace of God, as you can see that normalcy is returning; it is not complete but very substantially with the concerted effort of the government, it had to double security personnel into the state to make sure that complete peace returns and life and property secured. There is relative peace now, business is returning, life has come back to the state. What we have now is a bit of kidnapping and snatching of cars, though it is coming down now because they are being addressed by relevant security authorities.

People are of the view that what escalated the insecurity in the state was as a result of the invitation of the military by the governor to Orlu, which he personally accepted when he went to see Mr. President at the AsoVilla?

That is absolutely not true. In the first place, the correlation doesn’t make sense because it was not like Orlu was sleeping doing their normal businesses and things were moving on very well, and somebody invited the military. You don’t count two before you place one, or you erect a building before talking about its foundation.

There was a breakdown of law and order in Orlu.

Miscreants had a field day, maiming, raping and killing and the people beckoned on government to come to their rescue. It was like hell was let loose. So what the governor did was to beef up security and that included the presence of the military. It wasn’t like the military were invited to a peaceful town and trouble started. No! Orlu was boiling and people were crying and calling on the government to intervene because there were a lot of killings, banditry, etc. The response of the government was to beef up security, not just the military, police and other security agencies had to show greater presence in the troubled area. So when people singled out the military as if they came in the atmosphere of peace and tranquility that is not fair. Orlu was actually in a state of anarchy and the invitation of the military and other security agencies helped to calm down the situation there.

So what could have been responsible for the breakdown of law and order?

All I know is that crime suddenly increased in Orlu. There were speculations, and theories and some people said they were chasing herdsmen in Orlu. What was consistent was that, there was increased criminality and banditry and if nothing was done, Orlu would have turned into a state of anarchy. Government had to come in to address the issue. I think that is more important than what was the motive. The important thing is that the government came in to ensure sanity, law and order of the place.

There were divergent views on whether the criminality in the state was politically master-minded, even the government has on several occasions stated that the insecurity in the state was politically-motivated, do you believe that?

Yes. If you look at the recent development where associates of the governor, including my humble self, had been targets of attacks, of course, you don’t need anybody again to tell you that they are politically motivated. But beyond that there were also some coincidences that made the government believe that the crises were politically motivated. Ab initio some people swore to make this government ungovernable and those people were politicians because they were strugglng for the seat of government. They vowed that if they did not win at the Supreme Court that they would make the state very ungovernable. They demonstrated this by the series of protests they organized in the streets of Owerri to drive home their demands. As time went on we also realized that the moment the government released the White Paper on judicial commission of enquiry that looked into the land use and related matters, first of all we saw somebody who wanted to forcefully reclaim some of those property that the white paper said the government should recover. That person also struggled to retain a university that doesn’t belong to him because it was built with public funds and those efforts were foiled. If you look at the calendar, you will observe that insecurity escalated at the point of the release of that white paper.

There are two scenarios of those who promote insecurity: they would want to paint a picture that would depict that Governor Hope Uzodimma’s government is failing. Of course, that is an exercise in futility. The other one is that if the state is boiling and volatile; that you can begin to drive the scenario of declaring a state of emergency, and somebody benefits from all that, if it happens. But it is not happening because normalcy has returned to the state. So those who are afraid that if this government continues to remain stable and move on that it would definitely recover those things they looted from Imo people which the white paper had made it clear to be recovered. When you look at all these you don’t need anybody to tell you that the insecurity in the state was politically motivated.

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

Udora Orizu holds a discussion with the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson on salient issues, including the ongoing secessionist agitations and worsening insecurity

A

lot has been said on the issue of insecurity, but the country’s security situation is getting worse, what exactly is your committee doing to proffer lasting solutions?

We are doing a lot, recently we met with the parents of the students abducted in Kaduna.

We’ve had behind the scene meetings as well, a lot is going on. Security issues are best discussed behind closed doors. We also know that the insurgents, bandits or kidnappers listen to TV attentively as well, they tend to pick up information from what we say, they also watch debates of parliament. You can be rest assured that under my leadership we are doing the needful, we are working well with the security agencies and the service Chiefs, they are very cooperative and passionate as well.

We are doing our possible best.

Recently, one of your colleagues said party affiliations sometimes prevents lawmakers from criticizing the government in power. An instance was seen when Senator Remi Tinubu verbally attacked his APC colleague, Smart Adeyemi for saying the current security challenges is threatening Nigeria’s existence. What do you have to say about this?

I don’t think so, I have seen a lot of cases where we criticize the government of the day. I always say, the people outside of government are greater in number than the people in government. We criticize, because we serve the interest of the citizens, I do not feel that if the government is not doing right that we should keep quiet. A number of times, the House of Representatives that I know spoke up in support of the Nigerian people.

What are your thoughts on the calls for secession?

I’m not in support of it because I have seen the carnage that war does, I have gory pictures, I wasn’t born during the time of the civil war, but i have seen gory pictures of what happened in Rwanda when the Hutus and Tutsis were at each other’s throat. I have listened to generals who described what happened in Sierra Leone and Liberia, so I don’t wish that for any Nigerian. What I wish for Nigeria is that we can all sit down and speak the truth to one another. There’s a new generation coming up, we don’t see tribes, I have got fantastic friends from Fulani, Igbo, Ijaw and so on. So we don’t look at people from their ethnicity, our diversity should be our strength. I’m sure a lot of countries look down on us and say these people they don’t know the power they have, they are very diverse people, they have Igbo people who are traders, who are inventors, who can manufacture, they have people from the north who are expert agric farmers, who can do animal husbandry, they have people from South-west who are super administrators.

We have so much potentials that we are busy looking at mundane things instead of using our strengths to our advantage.

Singapore has the kind of issue we have, they are heterogeneous people, different parts. Muslims, Christians, Malay and they all come together. Singapore has moved from 3rd world country to first world.

What do you think about the calls for impeachment of President Buhari, do you think he deserves to be impeached?

We live in very challenging times, Every part of the world is facing one issue or the other, if it’s not COVID-19, it’s war and so on. I think the leadership must also buckle up, to whom much is given, much

Benson is expected. We can do a lot better. Election is around the corner, so rather than make Nigerians worry about impeachment and the uproar it will cause, I think we should just focus on how to finish strong.

There are railway lines that are ongoing, there’s second Niger bridge, Lagos Ibadan expressway and so on that are ongoing. I think that we should ensure that we focus more on those infrastructures development and make sure they are completed. I will also like to beam my searchlight on states and local governments. Local governments are the ones closest to the people also need to be empowered one way or the other. In other times, local governments build fire stations, universities, hospitals, I have not seen that happen in our time, and these guys are the closest to the grassroots. If a local government is functioning in sambisa etc, those youths who come out of school and they don’t have a job, if the local government is functioning well, I think the carnage we are experiencing will reduce. At times we blame everything on the Executive, what has the last mile achieved? how have they performed? let’s scrutinize that as well. I’m not holding brief for the executive, they can also do a lot better, but let’s scrutinize down below as well.

What are the chances of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winning Anambra election in November?

Anambra has been an APGA state, anyways it could go either way, it could go to APGA, APC or PDP. But we are still the party in majority, I pray that Anambra people choose best person to lead the state.

Let them go there, let internal democracy thrive, let the people elect the person of their choice. Any party that wins so be it.

Can you briefly talk about your Bill on National Census which was recently passed for second reading?

Yes, the Bill is seeking to alter the provisions of the 1999 Constitution to specify a time frame for the conduct of the National Population Census. It’s quite unfortunate that Nigeria does not have a good history of census, especially since after independence.

You will recall that the last population census conducted was in 2006, and the exercise was enmeshed in a lot of controversies, which was not good for a country that aims at developing.

So this Bill when passed, would set a time frame and help the country to conduct population censuses for the purpose of effective planning and development of the country. Another advantage includes adequate budgeting for the exercise and provision of personnel since the time frame is fixed.

20

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

FEATURES

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

Passion for the Less Privileged Struck by his mother's uncommon exhibition of compassion for others, especially the less privileged, Wisdom Okowa, without counting the cost, has taken up the gauntlet in caring for the underserved, Omon-Julius Onabu reports

L

ike one bitten by the bug of his late mother's benevolence, Widsom Okowa is passionate about caring for less privileged and helpless in the society without counting the cost.

The energetic and youthful Wisdom Okowa explained while philathropy has stolen his heart away. "I believe when you get to certain stage in life - even though I am still young - you take certain decisions. I have friends who would say, Arrrh....You should be in politics. But I tell them, everybody cannot be in politics. My brother (Dr Ifeanyi Okowa) is a big-time politician. My father too was a politician, though he is late now. Even my sister is into politics. I'd simply say that my brother is playing enough politics for the whole family. So, that's good enough!

"As for me, I have an agreement with my God, that my interest right now in life is to impact people's lives, especially the less privileged. And, I have a foundation that I am running. It is called Okowa Victory Foundation. My foundation used to be called Wise Okowa Victory Foundation. The Okowa stands for my father, Victory was my mom's name - she too is late - and, of course Wise, which is me. I decided to change the name of the foundation to Okowa Victory Foundation after the passing of my father." At a very early stage in his life, he had been silently and inperceptably 'indoctrinated' by his own mother in a manner comparable to professional mentoring. His being the last of her children, Wisdom because inseparable from his mother, a nurse and midwife by profession.

Before her transition to the great beyond, when little Wisdom was barely nine, he was struck by his mother's uncommon exhibition of compassion for others, especially the less privileged. So, when asked by THISDAY where he got the inspiration to devote so much of his energy and resources to regularly put smiles on the faces of a truly helpless segment of society - the lame and the blind - the founder of Victory Okowa Foundation remembered his mother who had established the first private maternity home and clinic in the quite town of Abowo in the present Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.

"As a key, you find my mom's name there, Victory, in the registration, because my mom inspired me.

I am the lastborn of the family, and my mom.died when I was I was about nine years old old; when I was hardly 10.

"My mom was a lovely person. People would come (to her maternity/clinic) give birth. (That I know because I was very close to my mom as the lastborn.) They do not have money to pay and she would say, 'Ok, go home.' And, I'd just watch her. Then, we had a whole lot of people living with us who were not even related to us.

"So, my mom.was a very kind person. And, I watched her. Now I'm grown, I thought about it and said, God, this woman was really nice.

Looking at the world today, where people don't help peope. And, this woman was doing this back in the days with the little you blessed her with. It was a motivation for me.

He explained the foundation started pretty small from his hometown of Owa, in his own local government area of Ika North-East, then added Agbor in Ika South to its catchment area. Later, Ogwashi-Uku, headquarters of Aniocha South, and later Issele-Uku in Aniocha North were added.

Thus, the list of beneficiaries have grown steadily from less than ten persons initially to over 400 beneficiaries today. With plans to enter Asaba in Oshimili South in no distant future, the list of beneficiaries are bound to increase with the steady expansion of the foundation's area of coverage in Delta North. Revealing to THISDAY exactly what the foundation is engaged in Wisdom Okowa said, "What we do basically is, every month-end, the ones (recipients) in these areas gather in the palace every first Saturday of the month. The ones in Aniocha South, for instance, gather at the palace in Ogwashi-Uku; those in Aniocha gather at the palace in Issele-Uku and we give them what we call feeding allowance. Each of them earns N10,000 (ten thousand naira) every month.

"We had to merge, in my area, Ika North-East and Ika South, because Owa and Agbor is the same.

There is a building that my dad had to donate for this purpose, and that's where they gather.

"When we started, we were giving them N20,000 (thewnty thousand naira) each. Then it grew from

Some of the beneficiaries of the Victory Okowa Foundation at different centres to receive their monthly feeding allowance, recently

Wisdom Okowa, the brain behind The Victory Okowa Foundation

God, by His grace.

"Some month-end we don't have money to pay and I will go to my bank. I have taken temporary overdraft severally, just to pay these people. Sometimes, I do not even have money in my pocket, and I will go get a loan to pay. I make sure about that, because I can understand when you don't have food on your table.

"There was a time we had a delay in payment and these people had assembled; and the coordinator had to go tell them, 'please come back next Saturday'. Some of them were in tears. They had nothing to eat. Some of them were in tears and I told God, and I said, if you are actually behind me in this then I shouldn't borrow money to do your work. And, to God be the glory, we don't have to borrow anymore to do this work that we are doing. So, it's God we're doing it for; I am only a messenger.

"When we do what we do, those that we are affecting their lives pray for us. Moreover, they pray for the state and they pray for the Governor. And, I am happy, being part of the governor's family and that I am able to do something to make them pray for my brother. It is not that I'm doing it on behalf of my the family. A lot of these people do not even know me; they just know that money comes at the end of every month, but they don't know where it's coming from.

"Sometimes, I go there like every quarter, I'd go with the coordinator. I used to sit in there car and just watch them; they don't know me. These days I don't sit in the car and watch them. I come down; I help the coordinator sharing the money in an envelope and all that. And, they probably just see me as another coordinator or worker. They don't know where this is coming from; and, I like it that way. It gives me great joy, because everytime I go there and see these people, I get inspired. To God be the glory!"

Explaining why he is not involved in party politics in Nigeria despite being surrounded by big-time politicians in his immediate family, including Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, he said such decision to stay away from partisan or party politics is not necessarily because he considers politics a repulsive pastime or profession or, as some would say, because politics is a 'dirty game'.

For Okowa, despite coming from a background in which politics appears to be a second life, everyone cannot be in politics; there are yet nobler endeavours one could undertake. Indeed, he has long been captivated by a life devoted to selfless service of others especially the less privileged who are too handicapped to repay any gesture of kindness beyond expression of verbal appreciation. Thus, aside his primary private business ventures, philanthropy has been the preoccupation of the comely young man. Nevertheless, he explained that he does not dislike nor despise politics because is a form of service to the people hence he had played politics in the entertainment sphere in the past. Having risen to the position of President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), a prestigious office that had seen the likes of Tony Okoroji, the late Christy Essien-Igbokwe, Charly Boy (Charles Oputa) and T-Mac, it is clear that Wisdom Okowa has not really shied away from politics all of the time.

Therefore, he thinks politics and the entertainment industry in Nigeria are not strange bedfellows.

Politics is a commonplace phenomenon, he reckons. "Even as a kid, I got to know my father as a politician - may his soul rest in peace. Back then, he was in the UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria), the Awolowo party. I believe too that my brother took after him. Even my older sister is a politician!

It might just be in the blood.

"I like politics but I guess, with my business commitment, I have never thought of paying

much attention to politics. The only time I'd say I have played active politics was during my days at PMAN; because you have to actually campaign and go through an election to come into office.

"So, I was able to play it successfully then.

I guess politics is politics; it doesn't matter the level it's played. However, I've never given serious thought to being part of the political terrain in Nigeria today."

In retrospect, considering the hey days of PMAN, Okowa expressed reservations, nay, dissatisfaction with trends in the entertainment industry especially in the country. He simply thought that talents are today in short supply to effectively service the growing industry.

"In today's world unfortunately - well I'll say fortunately for them - because you have to earn money to survive in Nigeria. Nigeria is not a country that is so developed that you really don't have to do much. Even when you are doing something, you can't depend on only one thing to really make any headway. So, you see a lot of people diversifying into different things. Thus, it's all about money pursuit!

"As for musicians, back in the days, people used to do music for the fun of it, for the love of it. Then, it wasn't all about money. If you have a talent, there's this joy in you; you just want people to hear or share in what you have rather than hide your talent. Today's world is all about money for every young person, and I don't blame them.

"So, people who are going into music they want to get into the studio, and a lot of times they don't even do thorough work anymore. Music right now is highly computerised. The talents exhibited out there, I am not fully satisfied with it because you don't get the real talents anymore. Anybody can become a musician in today's world. It doesn't matter if they can sing or not.

They have it all figured out in the studio. If a sound engineer and your producer know what they are doing, they can make someone with the worst voice sound so good.

"Well, the good thing is Nigeria today has actually made an impact in the world, because around the world they accept music. Back in the days, you could identify reggae music with Jamaicans, and then hip-hop you'd say ok, the Americans."

Looking back also, he doesn't think that the seeming international mark made by exponents of Afrobeat and Juju music went far enough.

"Yes, but they didn't really make the impact our boys are making now. I lived in the US for a long time; I used to go into blockbuster music shops to search for music. And, the only African artistes that I had seen, that I ran into their albums back in the days inn the US, would be Lucky Dube, Alfa Blonde. And, narrowing down to Nigeria, you find Fela and Sunny Ade. However, you find out that their music was just out there in the store, being purchased by Nigerians mostly, maybe 90 per cent".

He lamented that Nigerian music did not really gain wide acceptance at the global stage, for instance among most Americans and other foreigners as only a handful of them would go into the music stores "and manage to buy the music" because they either have a Nigerian friend or someone would have told them about it. "So, that isn't the kind of publicity or impact you want to make. But with the Internet being part of us today, Nigerian musicians are known over, even when they don't have the money to push their music further. Anybody in China, in Japan, in South Korea or even Brazil, can just get into the internet, have access to Nigerian music. And, if you go out to the clubs.

about five persons to over 20 persons, but we're giving them N20,000 still as monthly feeding allowance. We got to a stage, we felt the need to reduce the money to N10,000, because we were having more and more population. And, I was just one man powering it!"

He explained that though there were no immediate plans to introduce some form of training or skill acqusition into its activities, the nature of the handicap of the beneficiaries has made the foundation to concentrate on people who are helpless in the true sense of the term, people who could barely do anything for themselves.

"When you get over there, you will see all sorts of people with disability", Okiwa said. "But we pay people who are completely blind and those who cannot walk at all. People who have no legs!

When you have one leg and you are still able to walk with the aid of a stick, we don't pay you. But we are getting to a point where we have to pay something to other categories of persons. I told them recently to start paying N5,000 to certain people who don't qualify for N10,000. For you to get N10,000 every month, it has to be someone who can't walk or who can't see.

"Yes, I know blind people can still do something.

In an organised system, blind people work to earn decent living, but our system in Nigeria you are often rejected. You know, overseas in USA, a blind man can travel from here (Asaba) to Lagos all by himself. And, he arrives Ojota and he is going to FESTAC; and he will able to get there himself in a public transport. Because they have got the structures in place; but in Nigeria we don't have provision for such.

"Maybe in future we'll get to a position where we will be able to train some of them, to be able to do something for themselves. You really need to go out there and see some of these people, then you'll know that they are helpless."

Yet, Wisdom Okowa does not see his passion for being so compassionate as a divine calling of sorts, considering the fact that many people today are quite impatient with others that they see as helpless individuals.

"For me, I wouldn't agree that it is a calling; it is a decision that I made. A friend of mine once told me that he has a calling to impact people's live by preaching to them, talking to people to inspire them; that it was his calling. He said 'you, my friend, your calling is to give'. And, I said no, you're absolutely wrong. Giving is not a calling, giving us a decision that you made, between you and your God. You could decide not to give, so it's not a calling.

"So, I have been doing this long before my brother became governor; some of my family members don't even know what I do for people. I mean, we are spending over N50 million on a yearly basis, assisting the poor. I said to someone that we spend over N50 million on a yearly basis and he said, 'how can! You are exaggerating'.

"Presently, we have up to 400 people on our payroll. Multiply 10,000 by 400; that's four million naira a month. Multiply N4million by 12, that's already close to N50millon. We're not talking about those we are paying school fees for, or about the people we're paying hospital fees for. What about the logistics and all of that? So, we're spending over N50 million on yearly basis. Then he said, Wow! God will bless you. And, I said, God has blessed me."

Considering the relatively huge financial demand of his philanthropic engagement with his foundation, he said he had sometimes had to resort to what many would not contemplate, or would simply regard as crazy. "You know, the funny part is, when I started this foundation and getting more and more people to register for benefits, at the end of the month I was so committed to it, thank

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

21

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

FEATURES

Sustaining Niger Delta Peace: The Dikio's Formula Tolu Oyeniyi

T

he Commander, Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Aminu Hassan, recently admired the strategies deployed by the Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd) in the discharge of his duties. Without mincing words, he observed that Dikio's administrative style has to a large extent promoted and sustained the peace in the Niger Delta.

Hassan's boss and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, made a similar observation when he received Dikio and his entourage in his Abuja office. General Irabor specifically said the amnesty's boss has lightened the burdens of security operatives in the region with his unique style and uncommon approach.

Just like General Irabor, the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, poured encomiums on Dikio for adopting a bottom-top approach in the management of one of the most critical programmes in the region.

Okaba said it was the first time, an occupant of the exalted office integrated all the stakeholders in the Niger Delta into the management of the amnesty office.

Breaking Dikio's style down, the JTF's helmsman, who spoke when he received the amnesty boss in his office, identified prompt payment of ex-agitators' monthly stipends and constant engagements with them and other stakeholders as Dikio's major vehicles sustaining the peace in the region.

Addressing Dikio, he said: "Your area of assignment is of interest to us because whatever is happening there has a ripple effect on us.

If there is peace in the work you are doing, we can feel the peace and we can also touch it and know there is peace. But if there is no peace we are the first line of defence for that.

"But we can see there is peace. We appreciate your good work. Some of us have been following all you have been doing in that area. Since you took over there have been two key strategies you adopted that I believe are the way to go.

"One is that you are always around the exagitators and that is a very good strategy. You are always with them. You hear from them and you talk with them. We are all human beings and all us need that sense of belonging and when we have it, it reduces tension and pressure.

"Second is the regular payment of stipends. It is another key area and I am encouraging you to always continue along that line. These two areas of continuous engagement and regular payment of stipends are very important and they are really solving a lot of problems".

Like Hassan rightly observed, immediately he resumed office, Dikio launched a programme codenamed, Back to the Region Tour. Through the programme, the amnesty boss regularly visits the Niger Delta region, holds meetings and deliberations with all the stakeholders to gauge their pulses, determine their expectations and back them up with realistic actions to assuage their yearnings. The back to the region tour has successfully fulfilled its objectives of bringing the amnesty programme back to the owners in the Niger Delta.

The amnesty boss has spent much of his time in the Niger Delta leaving the comfort of his office in Abuja to personally visit different stakeholders despite their locations in the region.

He has made it a deliberate policy to pay ex-agitators their stipends on the 25th of every month. In fact, in some months the beneficiaries' bank account numbers are credited with their stipends before 25th. For example, the ex-agitators were surprised when they got their stipends on June 21st.

Security operatives are happy that such development has reduced the tension in the region. They recalled how ex-agitators formed the habit of blocking major roads to protest arrears of unpaid stipends by some past occupants of the amnesty office. But there has been a paradigm shift from such peace-threatening scenarios since Dikio took over the management of the office.

In his recent tour, Dikio was in Bayelsa State.

He led delegates of PAP to tour the facilities in the Bayelsa State Medical University (BSMU) in Yenagoa. He rubbed minds with the management of the school on possible areas of training for the ex-agitators. He also had interactions with amnesty scholarship beneficiaries studying in the school.

Dikio with the JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Aminu Hassan

Dikio said: “We are here today as part of our partnership and strategic linkages with institutions of learning across the country and beyond, to meet with the vice-chancellor and his team at the Bayelsa Medical University to assess the institution’s capacity and capabilities to train some of our beneficiaries as medical professionals.

"Indeed, we are determined to train some of our beneficiaries in this sector who are capable of being employed in careers in the diverse field of medical science to bridge the manpower gap in the region.”

Prior to the Bayelsa working visit, the amnesty boss was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to meet with the members of PAP's Strategic Communication Committee (SCC), his brainchild that has brought him accolades from various quarters.

Even Hassan, the JTF commander, described the SCC as PAP's first line of defence saying the committee should be encouraged to actualize its terms of reference.

SCC, whose members are all ex-agitaors, was formed by Dikio with the mandate to be a middleman between the amnesty office and members of the public including ex-agitators in information dissemination.

The committee is expected to correct misinformation about the programme and change people's negative perception about the Niger Delta through positive narratives. Since he set up the committee, the amnesty boss has kept in touch with its activities with constant engagements.

Therefore, when he assembled them recently in Port Harcourt, Dikio charged members of PAP's Strategic Communications Committee to change negative public perception about the amnesty programme.

Dikio urged the committee consisting of exagitators to ensure effective dissemination of information about the scheme to attract expected development to the region, saying that the absence of a proper channel of commumication in the past led to misinformation.

He said: "It’s important for members of this committee to clearly understand that in PAP we take the dissemination of information very seriously. We are very deliberate about information that we put out in the public space and this is why we have a structured system in place on how information coming out of PAP get to the public.

"You must know that all information going out to the public from PAP are authorized by me through my SA on Media. However, your roles are clearly spelt out in the documents given to you".

The Chairman of the SCC, Mr. Nature Dumale, and the Spokesman, Mr. Ellington Tam, expressed their excitement over the appointment describing it as a call to duty.

They said one of the major tasks was to make sure that peace was maintained in the Niger Delta region and the communities were effectively carried along in their activities.

Highpoint of the meeting was the presentation of official letters to members of the committee, signaling their appointments and documents clearly spelling out roles and their terms of reference.

In Yenagoa, Dikio had a busy week. His first meeting with members of the first phase amnesty programme lasted for hours as he paid attention to all their challenges allowing persons willing to speak to make their contributions.

Leaders of the first phase in attendance were the Speaker of Bayelsa House State of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere; Paul Eris, popularly called Ogunboss; a member of Bayelsa House of Assembly, Felix Bonny-Ayah; Pastor Reuben and Joshua Macaiver among others.

After exhausting all the issues on the table, the leaders praised Dikio's style. They confessed that they lost hope on the programme until Dikio came on board as its Interim Administrator. The ex-agitators said they never had such robust engagement with PAP in the past.

Macaiver expressed faith in Dikio’s administration describing the Strategic Communication Committee set up by PAP to address the problems of misinformation as the step in the right direction.

He said: "Before the current amnesty boss came on board, certain things went so wrong that when they talked about the amnesty programme, some of us would say that the programme had failed.

"But now that the current amnesty boss sees us as part of the programme. We are very hopeful and have faith that something good will come out of this administration".

After the first phase, the amnesty boss dedicated another day for a robust engagement with the leaders of the first and second phases of the programme. The tireless Dikio spent hours listening to the ex-agitators and taking notes of their key areas of concern. They were all elated at the calm mien, gentility and patience of the amnesty boss. They recalled how difficult it was to have access to some previous occupants of the position.

But the amnesty boss was honest with them.

He harped on the need for them to think beyond the N65,000 monthly stipend. Dikio regretted that the ex-agitators had allowed the stipends to become their stronghold restricting them from harnessing their entrepreneurial potential.

Describing the stipend as inadequate, he challenged the ex-agitators to wear their thinking caps and key into PAP's vision of making them successful entrepreneurs to enable them exit the stipend regime.

He said it was only reasonable to end the Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) aspect of the programme to begin a post DDR phase of the scheme.

Dikio said for the region to move forward the scheme must be changed from 'amnesty' to the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme (NDSP) insisting that with the current status "there are things we can't do and there are countries we can't enter".

He said: "We must establish the Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme. We must change that name, terminate the DDR and open another thing.

I have operated DDR in Cameroon and Angola.

As far as this name 'amnesty' remains there things that we cant do and there are countries we can't enter. We can't make progress sitting in one place. My job is to make you think beyond the N65,000 mentality".

He said the PAP was offering a platform to the ex-agitators through the cooperative model to enable them develop and own functional businesses adding that all the beneficiaries of the scheme must organise themselves under cooperatives.

"You must think of how you can graduate from stipends after 11 years. I am offering you a platform. You have to form yourselves into cooperatives. You are better than this stronghold

of N65,000".

Dikio also asked the ex-agitors and other youths in the Niger Delta to stop blocking major roads for protests and issuing ultimatum to oil companies to leave the region.

He said such public display of violent behaviour was part of the reasons while most persons outside the region claimed the Niger Delta was not safe.

"This kind of behaviour is making people to say here is not safe. I was to organise a workshop and I chose Port Harcourt, Owerri and Warri.

But they turned it and I said I would not hold the conference in Abuja. If you are not choosing any of the venue then keep your conference.

They later chose Port Harcourt.

"We must all begin to think of how to bring companies back to the Niger Delta. If they are not here, your PhD is in vain. We have told you that after yoir scholarship you must work first for Niger Delta for two years. It is up to you and I to make the Niger Delta a better place.

"We will graduate the programme to Niger Delta Stabilisation Programme. Do you want to stay in a house where the landlord wakes up every time and asks you to leave? Then why are you quick in giving oil companies a quit notice?

"Why will you go and block roads. What about the people passing through the road? If you want to prosper do you open your shop or close it? You must open it".

To demonstrate his seriousness, Dikio organized a workshop on entrepreneurship for the ex-agitators, who paid rapt attention to the facilitator as he taught them various ways of making money in line with the comparative advantage of the Niger Delta.

The amnesty boss visited the INC in its headquarters in Yenagoa shortly after attending stakeholders' mega sensitisation campaign on drug abuse prevention, which also had in attendance the Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri.

The meeting with the INC was instructive.

The President of INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, made an important observation about Dikio.

He said Dikio's style of constantly traveling to the region to engage the stakeholders instead of sitting tight in Abuja to be visited by people from the region like his predecessors was a great strategy.

He insisted that Dikio's approach of constantly engaging the ex-agitators, interacting with affected communities and providing solutions had made a success of the amnesty programme.

Okaba said: "Your style and disposition has shown a shift in paradigm. One thing I have noticed is that while others will make people travel over to Abuja to see the amnesty boss, you have decided to travel down to reach out to people.

"The beauty of that is that you don't depend on intermediaries. You get firsthand exposure and information. You reach out to the ex-agitators, the affected communities and you interface with them.

It is one of the reasons why your programme is very successful with little skirmishes. Issues are resolved almost immediately".

Dikio also seized the opportunity to tell the Ijaw elders some home truth. He said it was time the region embraced the principles of strategic communication and shun restivesness, that took them away from the decision-making process.

Dikio said: "I don't belong to the party of no. Anybody can say no. After no so what? Put yourself in the room first. One of my friends say we have this attitude of saying we went to the meeting and we scattered the meeting. You works away when others are taking decisions.

"They will be happy to have you leave so that they can take the decision without your opposition. So, when others are in the boardroom, you are on the streets. When they are inside the room and they have the authority, they will use the instrument of the state and deal with you.

"So in our masters degree programme, we want to put a lot of weight in giving people the ability to be in the boardroom where the decisions are made. You have to be in the boardroom where the decisions are made.

"So, we are encouraging our boys to understand strategic communication. It entails a lot of soft skills, the power to negotiate, the power to lobby and the power to network and build bridges.

We are in a federation and within this federation we must be able to identify the people we can do business with. No permanent friend but permanent interests". t 0ZFOJZJ XSJUFT GSPN %FMUB 4UBUF

22

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

23

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

ͷ ˜ Ͱ ͮ Ͱ ͯ MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

REPO ͯͷ˛͵ͳ ϱ Ͱͮ˛ͳͮ ϱ

CALL 1-MONTH

ͯͷ ϱ Ͱͮ˛ͳͮ ϱ

S & P INDEX INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY

S&P ͳͱͷ˛Ͱʹ ϱ ͮ˛ͮͱ ϱ

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

EXCHANGE RATE ͯ˛ͯͶϱ ̋ͯͷ˛ͳͳ ϱ

Ͳͯ​ͯ˛͵ͳ˹ͯ ̩ ̩

Quick Takes Huawei Enters New Agreement

ßËáÏÓ ÒËÝ ËØØÙßØÍÏÎ ÓÞ ÒËÝ ÜÏËÍÒÏÎ Ë ÖÓÍÏØÝÏ ËÑÜÏÏ×ÏØÞ áÓÞÒ Ë ÝßÚÚÖÓÏÜ ÙÐ ÙÖÕÝáËÑÏØ ÜÙßÚ˜ ÎÏÝÍÜÓÌÓØÑ ÓÞ ËÝ Ë ÞÜÏ×ÏØÎÙßÝ ×ÙàÏ˛ ÒÏ ËÑÜÏÏ×ÏØÞ ÓØÍÖßÎÏÝ Ë ÖÓÍÏØÝÏ ßØÎÏÜ ßËáÏÓ˪Ý Ͳ ÝÞËØÎËÜÎ ÏÝÝÏØÞÓËÖ ÚËÞÏØÞÝ ̙ Ý̚˜ áÒÓÍÒ ÍÙàÏÜÝ ÙÖÕÝáËÑÏØ àÏÒÓÍÖÏÝ ÏÛßÓÚÚÏÎ áÓÞÒ áÓÜÏÖÏÝÝ ÍÙØØÏÍÞÓàÓÞã˛ ÒÏ ËÑÜÏÏ×ÏØÞ ×ËÜÕÝ ßËáÏÓ˪Ý ÖËÜÑÏÝÞ ÖÓÍÏØÝÓØÑ ÎÏËÖ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ËßÞÙ×ÙÞÓàÏ ÓØÎßÝÞÜã˛ ÒÓÏÐ ÏÑËÖ ÐÐÓÍÏÜ ÙÐ ßËáÏÓ˜ ÙØÑ ÓßÚÓØј ÝËÓν ˫ Ý ËØ ÓØØÙàËÞÓàÏ ÍÙ×ÚËØ㘠áÏ ÙáØ Ë ÖÏËÎÓØÑ ÚËÞÏØÞ ÚÙÜÞÐÙÖÓÙ ÐÙÜ áÓÜÏÖÏÝÝ ÞÏÍÒØÙÖÙÑÓÏݘ áÒÓÍÒ ÍÜÏËÞÏÝ ÑÜÏËÞ àËÖßÏ ÐÙÜ ÞÒÏ ËßÞÙ×ÙÞÓàÏ ÓØÎßÝÞÜã˛ ˫ Ï ËÜÏ ÚÖÏËÝÏÎ ÞÒËÞ ÕÏã ÚÖËãÏÜÝ ÐÜÙ× ÞÒÏ ËßÞÙ×ÙÞÓàÏ ÓØÎßÝÞÜã ÜÏÍÙÑØÓäÏ ÞÒËÞ àËÖßÏ˛ Ï ÌÏÖÓÏàÏ ÞÒÓÝ ÖÓÍÏØÝÏ áÓÖÖ ÌÏØÏÐÓÞ áÙÜÖÎáÓÎÏ ÍÙØÝß×ÏÜÝ áÓÞÒ ÙßÜ ËÎàËØÍÏÎ ÞÏÍÒØÙÖÙÑã˛ˬ ßËáÏÓ ÏâÚÏÍÞÝ ×ÙÜÏ ÞÒËØ ͱͮ ×ÓÖÖÓÙØ àÏÒÓÍÖÏÝ ÞÙ ÌÏ ÖÓÍÏØÝÏÎ ßØÎÏÜ ÓÞÝ ÚËÞÏØÞÝ ÌËÝÏÎ ÙØ ÏâÓÝÞÓØÑ ÖÓÍÏØÝÏ ËÑÜÏÏ×ÏØÞݲ àÏÜ ÞÒÏ ÚËÝÞ Ͱͮ ãÏËÜݘ ßËáÏÓ ÒËÝ ÏØÞÏÜÏÎ ÓØÞÙ ×ÙÜÏ ÞÒËØ ͯͮ​ͮ ÚËÞÏØÞ ÖÓÍÏØÝÏ ËÑÜÏÏ×ÏØÞÝ áÓÞÒ ×ËÔÙÜ ÑÖÙÌËÖ ÍÙ×ÚËØÓÏÝ ËÍÜÙÝÝ ßÜÙÚϘ ÞÒÏ ØÓÞÏÎ ÞËÞÏݘ ËÚËؘ ËØÎ ÙßÞÒ ÙÜÏ˲ ßËáÏÓ ÝËÓÎ ÓÞ áÙßÖÎ ÍÙØÞÓØßÏ ÞÙ ÌÜÓØÑ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ ÍÙØØÏÍÞÓàÓÞã ÞÙ ×ÙÜÏ àÏÒÓÍÖÏÝ ÑÖÙÌËÖÖã ÞÙ ÏÝÞËÌÖÓÝÒ Ë ÐßÖÖã ÍÙØØÏÍÞÏΘ ÓØÞÏÖÖÓÑÏØÞ áÙÜÖβ

Spectranet Repositions as Wi-Fi Network

BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY INITIATIVE

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantanmi (Right), with the the Executive Chairman, Phase3 Telecom, Mr. Stanley Jegede, during the inauguration and free deployment of Phase3 fibre broadband to International Centre for Islamic Culture and Education, in Abuja...recently

Report: Blockchain Technology Will Contribute $29bn to GDP by 2030 Stories by Emma Okonji A new report released by Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) has predicted that blockchain technology could address barriers to financial inclusion in Nigeria and substantially add $29 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.

The report, titled ‘Potential of Blockchain for Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,’ outlined the potential of blockchain to drive financial inclusion and illustrates potential use cases of blockchain technology in Nigeria.

Driving financial inclusion in Nigeria has been highlighted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a key objective.

However, EFInA’s 2020 Access

ECONOMY to Financial Services in Nigeria Survey highlighted that financial inclusion in Nigeria stands at 64 per cent, falling short of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy of achieving 80 per cent financial inclusion by 2020.

The study stated that blockchain-enabled solutions could support progress towards the Nigeria’s financial inclusion targets and address some of the key challenges around financial inclusion such as lack of formal ID, high transaction charges, and lack of transparency.

According to the report, blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionise the Nigerian economy, and increase Nigeria’s GDP by $29 billion by 2030, mainly by instilling

trust in business, government transactions, and processes.

It identified four key use cases of blockchain technology in Nigeria – Enabling Identity Management, Payments, Access to Finance, and Land Titling and Registration – outside of cryptocurrency, which is a major application of blockchain technology and a recurring topic of discussion amongst regulators and government entities around the world today.

Circulars recently released by CBN and SEC on cryptocurrency speak to the fact that blockchain technology is on Nigerian policy makers’ radar.

Cryptocurrencies fall into different categories – speculative coins, stable coins, and central bank digital currencies, which have varying opportunities and degrees of risk, the report said,

adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria has recently announced plans to launch a Central Bank Digital Currency, which has the potential to support governmental intervention schemes for those in underserved areas and enable efficiency in cross-border remittances.

Giving further details, Programme Specialist, Digital Financial Services at EFInA, Mr. Henry Chukwu, said: “To ensure that the potential of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is realised in Nigeria, a collaborative effort among multiple stakeholder groups is essential, which should include: Regulators, Financial Service Providers, Development Institutions, and Donors /Financial Sector Continued on page 24

‘Internet Exchange Points Critical to Access, Connectivity’ A recent research report from the Internet Society, a non-profit organisation promoting the development and use of the internet has revealed that internet exchange points are critical to improving internet access and lowering connectivity costs across Africa.

The report titled: “Moving Towards an Interconnected Africa: the 80/20 Initiative,” which examined the Internet ecosystem in Africa, outlined the state of internet interconnection in Africa and the critical role Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) play in improving access and lowering costs.

The report called for urgent need to increase internet access across the continent, especially

ICT in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Citing the statistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, which revealed that fewer than one in five households in Africa, have internet access, the report said a reliable and affordable internet access would fuel economic growth in Africa.

An IXP is technical infrastructure where multiple networks, including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), enterprise networks, research and education networks, e-Government services, and

content delivery networks (CDNs), come together to connect and exchange internet traffic.

IXPs enable the local exchange of Internet traffic instead of using expensive international transit routes.

This not only makes Internet access much more affordable but also improves the quality of access by providing more direct network connections. Access speeds for content can be up to 10 times faster with an IXP because traffic is routed locally via international transit routes.

According to the Internet Society report, the number of African IXPs has increased by 58 per cent over the past eight years, from 19 in 2012 to

46 in 2020. The report added that more than half of the countries in Africa have an IXP, six countries have more than one.

“The most developed internet ecosystem is in South Africa followed by Kenya and Nigeria.

These countries have the most interconnected networks and have succeeded in exchanging 70-80 per cent of their traffic locally.

“IXPs provide significant savings by localising Internet traffic. The report shows that a network can save up to US240,0000 per year by connecting to a local IXP. ‘The presence of content de-

ÚÏÍÞÜËØÏÞ˜ ËØ ÓØÞÏÜØÏÞ ÝÏÜàÓÍÏ ÚÜÙàÓÎÏܘ ÒËÝ ßØàÏÓÖÏÎ Ë ØÏá ×ßÖÞÓ×ÏÎÓË ËÎàÏÜÞÓÝÓØÑ ÍË×ÚËÓÑØ ÞÙ ÜÏÚÙÝÓÞÓÙØ ÓÞÝÏÖÐ ËÝ ÒÏ Ó̋ Ó ÏÞáÙÜÕ˛

Þ ÏâÚÖËÓØÏÎ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒÏ ÓÐÓ ÏÞáÙÜÕ áÙßÖÎ ÝÒÙáÍËÝÏ ÞÒÏ ÍÙØÐÓÎÏØÍÏ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÌÜËØÎ ÓØ ÞÏÜ×Ý ÙÐ ÓÞÝ ËÌÓÖÓÞã ÞÙ ÝÏÜàÓÍÏ ÍßÜÜÏØÞ ËØÎ ÏàÙÖàÓØÑ ØÏÏÎÝ ÙÐ àËÜÓÙßÝ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜ ÝÏÑ×ÏØÞÝ ÓØÍÖßÎÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ÐËÝÞ̋ÏàÙÖàÓØÑ ÏØÏÜËÞÓÙØ ˛ ÒÏ ÌÜËØÎ ÚÜÙàÓÎÏÝ Ó̋ Ó ÝÙÖßÞÓÙØÝ ÐÙÜ ÓâÏÎ ËÝ áÏÖÖ ËÝ Ø̋ÞÒÏ̋×ÙàÏ ßÝËÑÏ˛

Þ ÙÐÐÏÜÝ ÚÜÙÎßÍÞÝ ÐÙÜ ×ÙÎÏÜËÞÏ ßÝÏÜÝ ÞÙ ÒÏËàã ßÝÏÜÝ ÚÜÏÐÏÜÜÓØÑ ßØÖÓ×ÓÞÏÎ ÚÜÙÎßÍÞÝ ËØÎ ÞÒÙÝÏ ÜÏÛßÓÜÓØÑ ÒÓÑÒ ÎÙáØÖÙËÎ ËØÎ ßÚÖÙËÎ ÝÚÏÏÎݲ ˫ ÒÓÖÏ Ͳ áÓÖÖ ÚÜÏÎÙ×ÓØËØÞÖã ÝÏÜàÓÍÏ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜÝ ØÏÏÎÓØÑ Ó̋ Ó áÒÓÖÏ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ×ÙàϘ ̙ Ù×Ï ÓÌÏÜ̚ ËØÎ ÓÌÏÜ Ø ÓÜ ÝÏÜàÓÍÏÝ áÓÖÖÒÏÖÚ ÐßÖÐÓÖÖ ÞÒÏ ØÏÏÎÝ ÙÐ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜ ÝÏÑ×ÏØÞÝ ËÞ ÞÒÏÓÜ ÒÙ×ÏÝ ÙÜ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝ ÏÝÞËÌÖÓÝÒ×ÏØÞÝ áÓÞÒ ÒÓÑÒ àÙÖß×Ï ÎËÞË ÍÙØÝß×ÚÞÓÙØ ËØÎ ÒÓÑÒ ÎÙáØÖÙËÎ ËØÎ ßÚÖÙËÎ ÝÚÏÏÎ áÓÞÒ ÖÙáÏÜ ÖËÞÏØÍÓÏݘˬ ÓÞ ËÎÎÏβ ÚÏËÕÓØÑ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ÌÜËØÎ˪Ý ÜÏÚÙÝÓÞÓÙØÓØј ÞÒÏ âÏÍßÞÓàÏ ÓÜÏÍÞÙÜ ËÞ ÜÏËÞÓàÏâÙØϘ ÞÒÏ ÎàÏÜÞÓÝÓØÑ ÑÏØÍã ÞÙ ÚÏÍÞÜËØÏÞ˜ ÒÙÖË ÎÏÑÌÙÜÙãϘ ØÙÞÏÎ ÞÒËÞ ÚÏÍÞÜËØÏÞ ÜÏ×ËÓØÏÎ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜ ÍÏØÞÜÓ͘ ÓØØÙàËÞÓàÏ ËØÎ ØÓ×ÌÖÏ ÌÜËØβ ÒÏ ÌÜËØÎ ÝÙ ÐËÜ ÜËØ áÓÞÒ Ë ÐËÝÞÏܘ ËÐÐÙÜÎËÌÖÏ ËØÎ ÜÏÖÓËÌÖÏ ÞÒÏ×Ï˛ Ø ÕÏÏÚÓØÑ áÓÞÒ ÞÒÏ ÍÒËØÑÓØÑ ÞÓ×Ïݘ ÞÒÏ ÌÜËØÎ ØÏÏÎÝ ÞÙ ÜÏÓØàÏØÞ ÓÞÝÏÖÐ ËØÎ ÝÞÏÚ ÓØÞÙ ÞÒÏ ØÏâÞ ÚÒËÝÏ ÙÐ ÏàÙÖßÞÓÙØ ÜÏÐÖÏÍÞÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ËÝÚÓÜËÞÓÙØÝ ÙÐ ÏØÏÜËÞÓÙØ ˛ Þ ËÖÝÙ ØÏÏÎÝ ÞÙ ÍÙØÝÙÖÓÎËÞÏ ÓÞÝ ÙÐÐÏÜÓØÑÝ ËÍÜÙÝÝ àËÜÓÙßÝ ÒÓÑÒ̋ÝÚÏÏÎÞÏÍÒØÙÖÙÑÓÏÝ ßØÎÏÜ ÙØÏ ÞËÑ ÖÓØÏ˛ ÍÍÙÜÎÓØÑ ÞÙ ÒÓט ËÖÖ ÞÒÏÝÏ ßØÓÛßÏ ÙÐÐÏÜÓØÑÝ ÝÞËØÎ ÚÏÍÞÜËØÏÞ ÙßÞ ËÝ ÞÒÏ ÓÐÓ ÏÞáÙÜÕ˛ ÚÏËÕÓØÑ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ØÏá ÚÙÝÓÞÓÙØÓØј ÒÓÏÐ âÏÍßÞÓàÏ ÐÐÓÍÏÜ ÚÏÍÞÜËØÏÞ˜ ÔËã áËÝÞÒÓ˜ ÝËÓÎ áÏ ÒËàÏ ÖÙÙÕÏÎ ÍÜÓÞÓÍËÖÖã ËÞ ÞÒÏ ×ËÜÕÏÞ ËØÎ ÓÞ ÓÝ ÙÌàÓÙßÝ ÞÒËÞ áÏ ËÜÏ ÞÒÏ ÖÏËÎÏÜÝ áÒÏØ ÓÞ ÍÙ×ÏÝ ÞÙ ÙßÜ ßØÓÛßÏ ÝÏÜàÓÍÏ ÙÐÐÏÜÓØÑÝ ËÍÜÙÝÝ Ͳ ˜ ÓâÏÎ ÓØÏ ̙ ÓÌÏÜ Ø ÓÜ ËØÎ Ù×Ï ÓÌÏÜ̚ ÐÙÜ Ù×ÏÝ ËØÎ ÝÞËÞÏݘ ËØÎ ØÞÏÜÚÜÓÝÏ ßÝÓØÏÝÝ ÐÙÜ ˪Ý ËØÎ ÙÜÚÙÜËÞÓÙØݲ

Samsung Galaxy S21 Gets Award

Ë×ÝßØÑ ËÖËâã Ͱͯ ÖÞÜË ͳ ÒËÝ áÙØ ÞÒÏ ÏÝÞ ×ËÜÞÚÒÙØÏ ÍËÞÏÑÙÜã ËÞ ÞÒÏ ÖÙÌËÖ ÙÌÓÖÏ áËÜÎÝ ̙ áËÜÎÝ̚ ÎßÜÓØÑ ÙÌÓÖÏ ÙÜÖÎ ÙØÑÜÏÝÝ ̙ ̚ ͰͮͰͯ˛ ÒÏ ËØØßËÖ áËÜÎÝ ÜÏÍÙÑØÓÝÏ ÞÒÏ ÒËÜÎáËÜϘ ÝÙÐÞáËÜÏ ËØÎ ÝÏÜàÓÍÏÝ ÞÒËÞ ÎÜÓàÏ ÓØØÙàËÞÓÙØ ËÍÜÙÝÝ ÞÒÏ ×ÙÌÓÖÏ ÓØÎßÝÞÜã áÙÜÖÎáÓÎÏ˛ Þ ÞÒÏ ËáËÜÎÝ ÍÏÜÏ×ÙØ㘠ÞÒÏ Ë×ÝßØÑ ËÖËâã Ͱͯ ÖÞÜË ͳ áËÝ ØË×ÏΘ ˩ ÏÝÞ ×ËÜÞÚÒÙØÏ˪ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÚËÝÞ ãÏËܲ ÒÏ Ý×ËÜÞÚÒÙØϘ áÒÓÍÒ ÐÏËÞßÜÏÝ Ë ÚÜÙÐÏÝÝÓÙØËÖ ÑÜËÎÏ ÍË×ÏÜË ÝãÝÞÏ× ËØÎ ÌÜÓÑÒÞ ØÞÏÖÖÓÑÏØÞ ÓÝÚÖËã ÓÝ ÞÒÏ ÑÙ̋ÞÙ ÍÒÙÓÍÏ ÐÙÜ ßÝÏÜÝ áÒÙ áËØÞ ÞÙ ÞËÕÏ ÑÙÜÑÏÙßݘ ÎÏÞËÓÖÏÎ ÚÒÙÞÙݲ Þ ÓÝ ËÖÝÙ ÞÒÏ ÐÓÜÝÞ ÎÏàÓÍÏ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÏÜÓÏÝ ÞÙ ÝßÚÚÙÜÞ ÞÒÏ Ïؘ ÐÙÜ ËÎàËØÍÏÎ ÚÜÙÎßÍÞÓàÓÞã ÐÜÙ× ÚÙáÏÜ ßÝÏÜݲ ÓÞÒ ËÖÖ ÞÒÏÝÏ ÐÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÚËÍÕÏÎ ÓØÞÙ Ë ÝÖÏÏÕ ÍÙØÞÙßÜ̋ÍßÞ ÎÏÝÓÑؘ ÞÒÏ Ë×ÝßØÑ ËÖËâã Ͱͯ ÖÞÜË ͳ ÜÏÚÜÏÝÏØÞÝ ÞÒÏ àÏÜã ÌÏÝÞ ÙÐ Ë×ÝßØÑ ÏØÑÓØÏÏÜÓØÑ˛ ÒÏ ÍËÞÏÑÙÜã ÔßÎÑÏÝ ÝËÓΘ ˫ ÒÏ ÌÏÝÞ ØÎÜÙÓÎ Ý×ËÜÞÚÒÙØÏ Ë×ÝßØÑ ÒËÝ ÏàÏÜ ×ËÎÏ áÓÞÒ Ë ÑÜÏËÞ ÜËØÑÏ ÙÐ ÐÏËÞßÜÏݘ ÝÞßØØÓØÑ ÎÓÝÚÖË㘠ÌÏÝÞ̋ÓØ̋ÍÖËÝÝ ÍË×ÏÜËÝ ËØÎ ×ÙÜÏ˛ ÒÓÝ ÚÒÙØÏ ÎÏÖÓàÏÜÝ ËÍÜÙÝÝ ÞÒÏ ÌÙËÜÎ ËØÎ ÓÝ Ë áÙÜÞÒã áÓØØÏÜ ÙÐ ÏÝÞ ×ËÜÞÚÒÙØÏÝ ÓØ ͰͮͰͯ˛ˬ ÖÝÙ ÝÒÙÜÞÖÓÝÞÏÎ ÓØ ÞÒÓÝ ÍËÞÏÑÙÜã áËÝ ÞÒÏ Ë×ÝßØÑ ËÖËâã Ͱͮ ˜ áÒÓÍÒ ÌÜÙßÑÒÞ ÐËØ̋ÐËàÙßÜÓÞÏ ÐÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÐÖËÑÝÒÓÚ ËÖËâã Ͱͮ ÞÙ ÏàÏØ ×ÙÜÏ ßÝÏÜݘ ÓØÍÖßÎÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ÓØÍÜÏÎÓÌÖÏ ̋ÚÙáÏÜÏÎ ÍË×ÏÜË ËØÎ ÌÏËßÞÓÐßÖ ØÐÓØÓÞã̋ ͯͰͮ ä ÎÓÝÚÖËã˛ ËØËÑÓØÑ ÓÜÏÍÞÙÜ ËÞ Ë×ÝßØÑ ÐÜÓ͢ ËØØã

˜ ÝËÓν ˫ Ï ËÜÏ ÒÙØÙßÜÏÎ ÞÙ ÒËàÏ ÌÏÏØ ÜÏÍÙÑØÓÝÏÎ ÓØ ÝßÍÒ Ë ÍÙ×ÚÏÞÓÞÓàÏ ÍËÞÏÑÙÜã ËÞ ÞÒÓÝ ãÏËÜ˪Ý ËáËÜÎݲˬ

“Phase3 will help ICICE to achieve its operational goals and optimize its formal training through seamless connectivity solutions. It will also support it with infrastructure layered technology solutions, including cloud and cyber security solutions that will enhance the centre’s virtual lectures and video conferencing” Executive Chairman, Phase3 Telecom,

Mr. Stanley Jegede Continued on page 24

24

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD REPORT: BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY WILL CONTRIBUTE $29BN TO GDP BY 2030 Development organisations.

“These stakeholder groups must find ways to communicate and collaborate to spur innovation-friendly policies and ensure we take a risk-balanced approach in implementing emerging technology in Nigeria.”

Other countries have leveraged public-private partnerships and adopted blockchain technology to drive inclusion and efficiency in their financial systems. For instance, the South African Reserve Bank, in collaboration with ConsenSys, a FinTech company and the national banking community, leveraged blockchain to reduce transaction processing time by 75 per cent, while increasing trust, confidentiality, and scalability in their financial system, Chukwu said .

He advised that the Nigerian financial ecosystem must take learnings from other climes and find ways to apply them locally to improve how people transact with one another and enable inclusion for Nigeria’s most vulnerable groups.

‘INTERNET EXCHANGE POINTS CRITICAL TO ACCESS, CONNECTIVITY’ livery networks has increased significantly and the amount of locally available content and demand for content hosting has increased,” the report stated.

The new report expanded on a 2020 analysis of IXP growth in Kenya and Nigeria and provides an overview of the evolution of internet interconnection on the continent by examining a country in each of the six sub-regions: Angola (Southern Africa), Burkina Faso (Western Africa), Democratic Republic of Congo (Central Africa), Egypt (Northern Africa), Mauritius (Indian Ocean), and Rwanda (Eastern Africa).

Analysing the report, Africa Regional Vice President for the Internet Society, Dawit Bekele, said: “Thanks to the continued work with partners over the years, we have many more sustainable IXPs that exchange a considerable amount of Internet traffic in Africa. But there’s still work to do to ensure that more Internet traffic is exchanged on the continent.”

Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

NEWS

‘Youth Empowerment Will Enhance Digital Transformation’ Emma Okonji The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology in Delta State, Mr. Ben Okonta, has restated efforts of the state government in building digital capacities among youths.

According to him, the population of youths in Delta State is an advantage to drive digital transformation across the state, if they are well equipped with the right digital skills.

Okonta gave the assurance recently, while giving details of the ongoing ICT Youth Empowerment Programme, organised by the state Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Delta State Innovation Hub, which seeks to train 630 youths in ICT skills from across all local government areas of the state.

Satisfied with the level of commitment of the youths in the ongoing four months empowerment programme, which is currently in its second month, and free of charge for all participants, Okonta said at the end of the training, the beneficiaries would be provided with tool kits that would enable them begin a trade in their various fields of training.

He, however, explained that the state government has already opened discussions with some companies and organisations in the state, to absorb some of them as soon

as they complete the training.

“The essence of the training is to equip the youths with digital skills that will drive digital transformation, address youth restiveness, and create employment and wealth in the state.

The training is in phases and the first phase is ongoing for all categories of startups and the unemployed youths in the state,” Okonta said.

He further said the state

government has displayed its high level of commitment for ICT development in the state, hence the huge investment in the state ICT Youth Empowerment Programme that is free of charge.

The Director of ICT in Delta State, Mr. Rocky Ighoyota, described the training as massive, designed to bridge digital divide among youths in the state.

The training comes with

different courses for the startup academy and for those who are trained to become selfemployed.

For the startup academy, the courses include: Basic and Advanced Frontend/ Backend, Web Development, Mobile Development, UI/UX Design Essentials, Advanced Networking, among others.

Fur the self-employed, the courses include: Home Security Design and Installation Program

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

L-R: President, Rotary Club of Ikeja, District 9110, Gbenga Badejo; Guest speaker/Honorary Member, Mrs. Dorothy Udeme Ufot; Past President, Olusegun Osunkeye, and Group Managing Director, SO&U, Udeme Ufot, at the presentation of honorary Rotary membership to Dorothy for her accomplishment as African Arbitrator for the year 2020 at the Induction of the 54th President of Rotary Club of Ikeja, District 9110, held in Lagos…recently

UYOCCIMA Inaugurates Groups to Drive SMEs Okon Bassey in Uyo Women and youth groups have been inaugurated by the Uyo Chamber of Commerce, Industres, Mines and Agriculture (UYOCCIMA) to drive entrepreneurship and propel the growth of SMEs in the state.

Speaking at the occasion, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, one time president of the National Association of Chambers of Com-

merce, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), emphasised the need for self- discipline, integrity and etiquettes as the guiding principles for success in business.

She said though women are more into SMEs, “we need to bring them together for us to do things right.’’

Speaking in the same vain the president of UYOCCIMA, Nseyen Ebong, said bringing together women and groups together was meant to unleash

their economic potentials noting that the population of the two groups far outweighs that of men.

“Since we started the idea of women and youths groups, I have been pleasantly surprised by their commitment and their enthusiasm,’’ saying trade groups have been created within the association to fast track entrepreneurship and economic development.

UYOCCIMA, he said would

grant entry free loans to those seeking funds to expand their businesses,’’ and urged the would-be beneficiaries to pay back such credit facilities to ensure that a revolving loan scheme would be achievable for others to benefit.

Ebong, a maritime expert and former rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron lauded the women groups for their enterprising spirit as displayed by the various

Peter Uzoho In the wake of the growing anxiety among oil and gas companies to embrace energy transition, Oando Energy Resources, has advised Nigerian independents to be systematic in their approach.

Speaking at a panel session at the just ended 2021 Nigeria

Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG) in Abuja, the Chief Operating Officer, Oando Energy Resources, Mr. Alex Irune, said though, energy transition was real, but that Nigerian companies needed to focus more on extracting the oil on the ground and use the proceeds to fund the transition.

Irune, said there was need

to take advantage of the oil deposits today to shore up the finance that may be inaccessible in the next 30 years when oil may have lost its attraction for investments.

He noted that investments in renewables has meagre margins compared to the traditional oil and gas business and therefore, should be done with strategic

planning.

He said: “Now, for us locally, I think that will be the first stage of our movement into renewables, simply because the margins don’t work.

“Renewables anywhere is from zero to three per cent. The work will do today (oil extraction) anywhere, is from 14 to 28 per cent to 40 per cent, depending

Microsoft Pledges Cost-effective Technology for Africa

Asst. Editor, Money Market

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Microsoft has said it will digitalise the entire Middle-east and Africa, by offering costeffective technology solution for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) that will make their transition seamless.

Microsoft gave the assurance during a recent webinar, where it announced its cloud-based

Emma Okonji

Nume Ekeghe

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

products exhibited during the ceremony.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Anthonia Ekpa, who represented the Minister, urged women to work towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals particularly in ending poverty and expressed delight that giving education to women and youths will help in reducing inequality and ensure rapid economic development.

Oando: How Nigerian Oil Firms Should Approach Energy Transition

Comms/e-Business Editor

Goddy Egene

with CCTV, Access Control and Alarm Solutions. Other courses are Home and Small Office Networking, Advanced Solar and Inverter Installation and Repairs, among others.

The training facilitators who are CISCO certified, expressed satisfaction with the level of performance of the participants, especially the girls, whom they said, have shown strong zeal to learn new things and trends in emerging technologies.

business management solution, Dynamics 365 Business Central, which would be launched in Nigeria, Kenya Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Lebanon, beginning from this month.

Highlighting the benefits of the solution, the Regional Business Applications Director for Microsoft Middle East and Africa (MEA) Emerging

Markets, Maher Al-Khaiyat, said: “Dynamics 365 Business Central helps small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) connect their financials, sales, service, and operations to streamline business processes and improve customer interactions. Multiple, disconnected systems are now easily combined under one secure, centralised application.”

According to him, using Dynamics 365 Business Central, would help boost efficiency through automated tasks and workflows, all from within familiar office tools like Outlook, Word, and Excel.

“The solution gives businesses an end-to-end view of their operations, with built-in intelligence when and where they need it,” Al-Khaiyat said.

on what part of the world, if you have a tight programme and very little incursions.

“So, from a business standpoint, renewable is the future, Gas is definitely the transition for us.

But in the meantime, we need to accelerate extraction, and how do you do that? Just get as much capital as you can immediately to pull that oil out of the ground.”

The application is easy to tailor and extend to meet unique business or industryspecific needs. By putting flexibility at the core of the business, Dynamics 365 Business Central enables businesses to start quickly, grow at their own pace, and adapt in real time, making it the ideal solution for SMBs, Al-Khaiyat further said.

25

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

ICT Parks as Boost for Digital Economy The initiative by the Nigerian Communications Commission to establish information, communication, technology parks in all six geopolitical zones, will further boost the digital economy drive of the federal government, writes Emma Okonji

I

n order to complement the efforts of the federal government in creating a digital economy for Nigeria, through its digital transformation initiative, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has commenced the establishment of information and communications technology (ICT) parks in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country and it is in the process of completing the first phase of the project in four of the six geopolitical zones.

The four zones include: Abeokuta for the South-west; Enugu for South-east, Maiduguri for North-east and Kano for the North-west.

According to NCC, when completed, it would boost digital skills acquisition among youths, promote innovations, provide jobs for the teaming Nigerian youth and ultimately support the overall digital transformation agenda of the federal government.

Chairman of the Board of NCC, Prof. Adeola Akande, who disclosed this, said the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), which is controlled by the NCC, is presently undertaking many projects to boost telecoms service, in collaboration with telecommunication companies.

“All these programmes are designed to meet the objectives of President Muhammadu Buhari, who re-designated the Ministry of Communications as Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. A digital economy is impossible without the widespread availability of telecommunications services and training facilities, which the ICT Parks seeks to address,’’ Akande said.

The ICT Park is an initiative of the Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, to provide innovation labs and digital fabrication laboratories (Fablabs) for use by ICT innovators and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into products and prototypes.

The Tier-4 Digital Industrial Complex (DIC) will provide a commercial hub for ICT capacity building and digital skills, create employment and entrepreneurial activities and facilitate smart city deployment across the Digital Industrial Complex. The ICT Park, when completed, will also provide capacity building to ICT startups and entrepreneurial activities across the country.

The parks are designed to provide fast broadband internet service and constant power supply. It comprises an area or location with concentration

ICT park

of all ICT facilities, which enables a concerted leap into the digital age by creating a dynamic environment in which local talent is incubated, cultivated, and shared.

ICT park is best tested and trusted institutional mechanism to address the needs of technologyintensive, knowledge-based Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The ICT Parks involve the construction and equipping of fully-functional modern training facilities, designed to drive digital skills for digital transformation.

Speaking on the ICT Parks project recently, Danbatta stated that the project was conceived and designed to support the federal government’s ICT-related policies and programmes by facilitating the availability and accessibility of ICT services across the country, promote their usage across all sectors and ultimately address youth unemployment in the country.

Designed to propel socio-economic transformation in the country, Danbatta said the ICT Parks would help build capacity for the teeming population of Nigerian youths in the areas of skill acquisition and innovation by complementing existing initiatives geared towards accelerating

socio-economic transformation of Nigeria.

“The whole idea of putting the skill acquisition and innovation at the forefront of this very important initiative is to produce youths that can be self-reliant, generate employment for themselves and for other Nigerians,” he said.

Danbatta explained that based on its national structural spread, no part of the country would be left out as beneficiaries of the initiative. “The NCC ICT Parks Project is another move by the current leadership of the Commission to boost youth digital skills acquisition, promote innovations, provide jobs for the teeming Nigerian youth and ultimately support the overall digital economy agenda of the federal government,” he said.

He added that the parks would support software development, incubation and hardware development. “We also hope to see innovative technologies that will leverage the broadband network, which the Commission is deepening in order to socially and economically transform our communities and societies,” Danbatta said.

He therefore urged the potential and would-be beneficiaries of the project, especially the youths, to be ready to leverage the initiative as it promises to empower them socially and economically.

“I would like to send out a very important message to our youths, especially those who are currently occupied with various innovative applications, those who have acquired the skills but are looking for where to put the skills into fruitful engagements, by incubating them, commercialising them, or giving publicity to these excellent initiatives, to be ready to leverage the facilities,” Danbatta said.

The NCC has been commended on the parks.

The latest commendation came from the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, when he recently visited the Kano site of the ongoing construction of an ICT Park by the Commission for the North-west zone.

The governor acknowledged the efforts and commitment of the Danbatta-led NCC in ensuring increased digital access for fast-tracking digital innovation across Nigeria and the North-west in particular, saying the initiative will trigger socio-economic transformation of the area in no distant future.

According to Ganduje, “Realising that a major project that resonates with the global vision for the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) is being vigorously driven by NCC leadership, shows the kind of socio-economic transformation we should expect through ICT across Nigeria in the next few years.

“For the ICT Park being built in Kano to serve the North-west zone, the government and citizens of Kano State are grateful to Danbatta and the NCC team for bringing development to the state and the zone at large.”

He also applauded the quality of the construction work being undertaken by the NCC on the ICT Park and expressed appreciation for the foresight of the NCC for accommodating an expansion plan at the project site.

Shedding more light on the ICT Park project, Danbatta, who recently visited one of the parks being built in Maiduguri, in the North-east geopolitical zone, said the NCC decided to embark on the important project in order to decentralise ICT Parks in all the six geo-political zones of the country.

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

Toriola: Plans Underway to Diversify Shareholding in MTN Nigeria The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, in a recent interview with ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper, spoke about the telecom company’s plans to diversify its shareholding in Nigeria and its recent rating by Global Credit Rating, among other issues. Nosa Alekhuogie presents the excerpts:

G

lobal Credit Ratings (GCR) recently upgraded the national scale long-term issuer rating of MTN Nigeria to AAA and affirmed the national scale short-term rating of A1+, with a stable outlook. What is the impact of this upgrade on MTN, in terms of debt ambitions and raising capital for the company?

We are excited about the credit rating and believe it is a reflection of our position as a business.

First, it is a strong cash generation opportunity, secondly, a good and strong competitive position, a reflection of good governance, minimal risk in our business and a strong management team.

This gives us the ability to further raise capital at a lower rate as a result of a lower risk premium.

Given MTN’s position as the largest network service provider, with regards to service coverage in rural areas, what are the possible expansion plans for both rural and urban communities?

Our Group CEO, Ralph Mupita and Group CFO, Tsholo Molefe, recently had a meeting with key stakeholders in Abuja, which included President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President, Yemi Osinbanjo, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, and the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele. We communicated significant plans to make additional investment of up to $1.7 billion over the next three years in our network

Toriola

infrastructure, while our focus will remain on improved customer service and network service quality. There are significant opportunities in Nigeria in the rural areas and it is a critical part of the federal government’s agenda to bring more people into the connectivity space. Hence, we will be accelerating our rural coverage expansion with specific solutions designed to provide cost-effective services to rural populations in a manner they can afford to use telephone services.

Information has it that MTN has possible secondary share offer on the stock exchange.

Can you confirm this?

It has always been a part of our plan to diversify the extent of shareholding in MTN Nigeria through a sell down by MTN group to approximately 65 per cent from 82 per cent where we are now.

Our focus in this secondary offer is on the retail market and we would like, with the support of Nigerians, to be the most actively owned company on the stock exchange by Nigerians, and our target is for two million shareholders.

A secondary offer is on the horizon in the short to medium term, preferably in the short term.

We are exploring the right timing subject to the prevailing environmental condition particularly in this period of the COVID pandemic which hopefully will come to an end as we accelerate vaccinations. Furthermore, MTN has provided vaccines through the African Union to Nigerians and all African countries. Going forward, for the sell down we want to be as inclusive as possible for retail shareholders in the Nigerian market.

There was a notification sent out to MTN customers on service upgrades which was misconstrued as MTN saying that the rising insecurity in the nation will somehow affect certain service areas. How did MTN manage it?

As you said, some of the international press houses really misconstrued the statement as we didn’t speak to any rising insecurity. Being a customer-centric organisation, we engage our enterprise customers (small and medium) busi-

nesses in specific locations with routine updates if we envisage an impending outage although there has been no difference in recent times to the overall performance of our network. Once again, it was misconstrued as we were referring to a few locations which are short term issues.

We will continue to operate our network at the usual quality as we strive for a better customer experience.

The banks and telecoms operators are at the forefront of Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive. To what extent have they bridged the county’ financial inclusion gap?

Government’s policy on financial inclusion initiative, is being driven by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and we respect the apex bank’s authority to make decisions around this. The Central Bank has the prerogative to assess how telecom operators, particularly as the largest telecoms operator in the country, can support the national agenda of financial inclusion. We feel we have the resources to contribute towards the CBN’s objective and would like to participate through a Payment Service Bank (PSB) among other options, according to the CBN’s directives.

PSB remains front and centre to our strategy, but we have to work according to the policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

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

26

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Takyiwaa-Mensah: Why Entrenching Community Relations through Nigeria, Ghana Must Sustainable Development Promote Investments Executive Secretary, Ghana Nigeria Business Council, Ms. Nadia Takyiwaa-Mensah, in this interview speaks about her organisation’s forthcoming programme. Obinna Chima provides the excerpts: Nigeria business, trade and investments.

Takyiwaa-Mensah

W

hat has been the contributions of the Council towards improving trade relationship between Nigeria and

Ghana?

Over the past seven years the Ghana Nigeria Business Council in partnership with the Nigeria Ghana Business Council in Lagos, has embarked on a series of mid-high level events providing key information on business procedures and opportunities within each country. As of this year, at the Ghana Nigeria Business we have upped our efforts in providing content, data and relevant information which will encourage more Nigerians to do business in Ghana. We will also be embarking on a trade mission with 10-15 SME’s from Ghana to Nigeria, to highlight opportunities and drive investment.

How would you describe the work your Council does and who are those that make up your membership?

The work we do as a non-partisan and not-for-profit organisation is to encourage, promote, inform and support businesses/ investors who are interested in entering into Ghana or Nigeria respectively. We see ourselves as a one-stop shop ensuring nobody falls through the cracks, gets mislead or is provided with the wrong information whilst embarking on their business/investment venture. We want to provide ease in setting up business or investing, for both Ghanaian’s and Nigerian’s and see business/trade between the two nations grow at an exponential rate, just because we were able to remove some hurdles and myths.

What has been the priorities of the Council since 2021?

Our priorities this year has been in delivering more relevant content via webinars and physical events whilst also concentrating on building our membership database. We presently have a network of over 3,000 people from Ghana, Nigeria, US and UK who are eager to know more about opportunities which are available and want to place their business in front of either Ghana/ Nigeria’s business/ consumer markets.

We also want to ensure we promote a positive message that Ghana and Nigeria are still in business, and celebrate our long-standing relationship with each other which exceeds half a century. Finally, we are working on being more visible and lead conversations on Ghana and

Can you tell us about your forthcoming programme with your strategic partner, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre?

Yes, we are excited that we are hosting our first physical event with our strategic partners the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). The event is titled ‘Breakfast Series: Real Opportunities in Ghana’. There is actually an emphasis on real as we look at highlighting 2-3 low hanging business/investment opportunities available in Ghana.

Our guests will hear presentations and case studies from representatives of GIPC, Ghana Export Promotion Authority and Ghana Free Zones Board. We know there is a plethora of opportunities available, yet we understand people really want to know, what is viable, easier to access, protocols etc. The event is going to be jam packed with information and real nuggets for people to take away with more confidence than ever on what Ghana has to offer. For anybody who is looking at Ghana as their next market to invest, this event is a must-attend.

We appreciate that everybody will not be able to attend in person, therefore we have a paid online access option available. The event is taking place on Tuesday 20th July 2021 at Alisa Hotel, Ridge, Accra.

Who are the expected guests and what would be the expected impact on both Nigeria and Ghana in terms of trade?

We are predominately expecting Nigerian business persons and investors who are presently in Ghana to be our core audience. We expect from this it will open up dialogue about ventures people want to embark on in Ghana.

We expect the event to also reconcile previous misunderstandings of what it means to be a Nigerian doing business in Ghana and encourage more trade. We have businesses that have been longstanding in Ghana, especially from the Banking, Insurance and Real Estate sector - we want to continue to encourage this level of business to take place in Ghana.

What can other organisations and African countries learn from this partnership?

Ghana and Nigerian have always been known as big brother little sister, we ultimately have a fundamental respect for one another and our cultures are very similar. From football to jollof wars to Afrobeats our two nations are undeniably intertwined. With this, we are able to leverage from our long standing relationship and do more. At present Ghana is one of Nigeria’s top importers when it comes to finished chocolate products - we contribute, approximately 72 per cent of Nigeria’s chocolate imports. Other organisations and African countries can learn to establish strong ties and complement each other in trade and business. They can learn to open up trade channels between neighbouring countries in order to reduce foreign imports and thrive together. We still have a long way to go and by some standards we should have been further along our journey by now, however, with efforts from all levels we are optimistic that the future is bright, not only for Ghana and Nigeria but through trade via ECOWAS and AfCFTA.

Oluchi Chibuzor Nigeria is a heterogeneous society with peculiarities across the shores of the country. In the business landscape, especially in manufacturing, there is high demand and expectations from communities where major or partial operations take place. Some members of these communities see investments as tenants on their soil not minding the number of indigenes taken on board as employees.

This obligation has birthed a sense of right such that assets and facilities of businesses have become susceptible to attacks at the slightest provocation. Most often than not, issues of land occupancy arise especially when the fathers who leased or sold out the property are all deceased and nowhere to intervene or intermediate between the business and the family.

This has become a regular scene witnessed by companies that engage in agro-allied operations where land is major asset for their operations. Cases of young family members becoming disgruntled realising the proceeds from the investments made by organizations in their communities have led to unreasonable demands for supposed entitlements. It is worthy to note that in most of these communities, a good proportion of the young population rarely seek job opportunities with the organizations that have invested in their communities. They prefer to be given frequent cash benefits or proceeds from the investments.

Education in these rural communities is taken with laxity, living the existing educational infrastructure to idle away. Cases exist where some community schools have teachers and no pupils or students to be thought. In some instances where a few are attending the schools, the insouciant attitude of the students to the time they resume is something to worry about as they are seen strolling magnificently at hours lectures should have commenced. Of course, students are expected to be modest, but in most of the community schools, there is little or zero decency in their dress sense.

Many businesses have invested in rural and urban communities such that it has become important to protect their investments by championing initiatives that will benefit the communities. Every business desires to settle in a community where there is harmony and mutual relationship. This is key to the growth and wellbeing of the business and its personnel.

For businesses to thrive, there is a need to create such an environment of haven that becomes a home.

Bearing this in mind, most organizations have discovered the science of giving back to communities of operations by way of providing basic amenities and infrastructure. Local and multinational organisations have thoughtfully crafted Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policies while some have gone further to establish foundations in the form of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) to drive sustainable business initiatives and relationships. This has become a panacea to enhancing business sustainability across operational environments.

Nosak Group, a Nigerian business organisation over the years has been remarkable in giving back to communities of operations. As the slogan implies, ‘touching lives every day, the Group through the Nosak Foundation has taken it on board to deliver life-impacting projects to her

host communities.

Most recently, while COVID-19 disrupted the business landscape, the Foundation embarked on the reconstruction of Ogunbor Primary School located at Ukhiri, a community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, off Benin/Abraka Express and Eghosa Anglican Grammar School, Benin City.

This was necessitated as part of activities to fulfill one of the cardinals of the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy, which is ‘Education’. The project was implemented for the host community of Saturn Farms Limited, the agro-allied company of the Group. Before the reconstruction exercise, the state of the primary school was not conducive enough for learning to thrive. The decayed state of the of the physical structure resulted to domestic livestock making it a natural habitat in the community.

Today, with the intervention of the Nosak Foundation, the Ogunbor Primary School wears a new look. The facelift has seen the school remodeled with installed amenities and facilities which include a rebuilt 3-classroom block, renovation of a 5-classroom block, upgrade of toilets, furnished classrooms, installation of fans, and electrical fittings, interlocking pavements, flower beds, and lighting of the premises.

Also, the school is enclosed with perimeter fencing, secured with a metal gate and a new signpost that bids welcome on arrival to the premises. The place of extra-curricular activities was not left out in the reconstruction, hence the playground and a football field for pupils to have some exciting and entertaining moments out of the classrooms.

Eghosa Anglican Grammar School, located in Benin City also experienced a facelift with the renovation of a 5-classroom, block furnished with desks and electrical fittings. The extension of the renovation exercise was a way of giving back to the school where Dr. Toni Ogunbor, Executive Chairman of Nosak Group is an alumnus of the class of 1967.

Currently ongoing is the construction of the entire stretch of Nosak Road at Amuwo Odofin Industrial Area of Lagos, which plays host to Nosak Distilleries Limited, the ethanol manufacturing company of the Group. The road is one of the major routes linking Oba Akinyemi Road and Babangida Road in the industrial area. As an organization that prides itself to deliver quality products, this is further seen on the road construction with the quality of materials mobilized to the site.

In a recent visit to the site by the Executive Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area (L.G.A.), Engr. Dr. Valentine Buraimoh expressed his delight, stressing on the quality of materials and the standard of the work being done by the Nosak Group.

The construction of Nosak Road became a child of necessity to enable the free flow of vehicular movement especially Heavy-Duty trucks in the industrial area and to complement the Government’s effort in creating an enabling environment for businesses. It is no doubt that on completion of the road, business activities will experience a boost within the premises as it will pave way for new entrants of small-scale business and increase activities of already existing businesses in the industrial area.

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

27

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Providing Succour for Amputees Ugo Aliogo writes about the commitment of a Non-Governmental Organisation to assist children who have been amputated either as a result of congenital issues or trauma

O

molewa Odukoya sat on the large sofa with her daughter Ajoke Odukoya fiddling at her black cordless phone, and drawing the daughter’s attention to the video she was watching. She looked tired and stressed after spending hours in the hellish Lagos traffic. Her aim of leaving the house was to get a new prosthesis for Ajoke, who was not comfortable with the one she was using.

Her point of call was IREDE Foundation (TIF), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) focused on assisting people with artificial limbs.

In an interview with THISDAY, Odukoya said her daughter’s health condition was as a result of an ailment she has been suffering from birth. She said when it was noticed that she had the health condition, she felt really sad, but she was advised to take her to the hospital.

“So we took her to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi to see if there is any amendment or treatment that can be carried out regarding her condition. I thought it was a complication that occurred during delivery.

“But when we got to Igbobi, we were told that it was a health complication that we have to manage. After her delivery, we visited Igbobi for seven months for treatment to ensure that the leg grew back. We carried out several surgeries on the leg to see if it will grow; the first was when she was seven months old, the second surgery was when she one-year and three months, and the last one was when she was seven years old, but the bone did not grow since then.”

As a Christian, Odukoya found consolation in the fact that God has a purpose for everything. Her regular visits to Igbobi Hospital strengthened her faith in God because of the series of worst cases she saw there. The experience also taught the importance of thanksgiving to God despite the predicament of her daughter.

“God has so much love for her because people show her care and love. We don’t lack what to provide for her, it is just for her to go to School and study. God has made it easy for us to take care of her because of the support we receive,” she added.

She revealed that Ajoke’s ambition is to be a medical doctor and she is hopeful God will support her in accomplishing the dream. Ajoke is the toast of everyone in the neighbourhood, her jovial personality is something that has not only endeared people to her, but continues to provide a ray of hope and happiness to those suffering one pain or the other.

“Ajoke is a very likeable who has endeared everyone to herself; she is not only admired by her siblings, but neighbours and friends in the neighbourhood,” she posited.

She encouraged parents whose children have similar conditions to accept things that the way they have found it because it is not the end of life, “and they should stay focused on God support their child and know that God has not abandoned them.”

The Goal of the Foundation The IREDE Foundation (TIF), in coalition with the Children Developmental Centre (CDC) and Festus Fajemilo Foundation (FFF) are promoting inclusive and quality education for children with disabilities in Lagos State.

Studies have shown that poor allocation and implementation of government budgets is one of the major challenges hindering full implementation of Inclusive Education (IE) policy in Lagos state.

The trend has persisted due to the inability of organisations and persons with disabilities (OPDs) to conduct and participate in budget advocacies in the education sector.

The UIE Project which is supported by the Disability Rights Fund (DRF) aims to close this gap.

The project has in the past months engaged with stakeholders from different clusters of organisations of persons with disabilities, the Lagos State Office Of Disability Affairs

so slow that we are not seeing the impact, as a result of that people with disabilities are not getting jobs, there are no inclusive educations, and their rights are being infringed upon.

“Soon, we will be talking about elections and I know that a lot of work is going on in the background. The focus for government is the implementation. We have to get to the point that the people that have not done the right things are brought to justice.

“So we need to review the building codes to ensure that provisions are made for the persons with special needs. We need the collaborations of the private sector, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Government to drive implementation and enforcement.”

Sanwo-Olu

(LASODA), Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB) and Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB).

In her remarks, the Executive Director, IREDE Foundation, Mrs. Crystal Chigbu, hinted that the foundation is focused at supporting children who have been amputated either as a result of congenital issues or trauma.

She also posited that on a daily basis, the foundation initiate actions to ensure that these children and their families can live limitless and independent life.

“The actions they initiate include providing artificial limbs for children that cannot afford it, advocacy and sensitisation on the causes of amputation and how it can be reduced to the barest minimum, educating the public who don’t know anything about disabilities to ensure that they become maximised to reduce stigmatisation from leadership, and mentoring programmes for young persons with these disabilities to support them and make them job ready for the market, so we are embarking on a lot of activities to ensure that these children can independent lives,” she noted.

Chigbu remarked that over the last eight to nine years, (2012-2020) the foundation has provided over 186 limbs to 103 children because some of the IREDE champions are double amputees, so we give them two limbs because of the type of amputation they have.

She added that in 2021, the goal is to do 70 new limbs and the 186 limbs are for children across Nigeria.

Fighting Stigmatisation Chigbu explained that stigmatisation is one of the biggest issues confronting persons living with disabilities, and the foundation is doing a lot of awareness in that area.

She posited that beyond awareness, they are pushing for the implementation of the laws that has been passed to support persons with disabilities.

Chigbu revealed that the foundation is working on advocacy programme on inclusive education because of their focus on children.

She remarked that it is important that children that have one disability or the other are mainstreamed into regular education, “in that regards, we are working with the office of the LASODA and LASUBEB, and the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning.”

According to her, “We are currently on an inclusive education programme, it is a programme that we are not doing alone at the foundation, we are doing with two other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

that work with children with disabilities, Festus Fajemilo Foundation and Children Development Centre, it is a founded project by the Disability rights funds to be able to fight for the rights of children with disabilities and work in conjunction with government to advocate for inclusive education in Lagos state.

“We are more focused on driving partnerships and advocacy with respects to children with disabilities. Our focus in the area of advocacy is to ensure that in Lagos state children with disabilities are a partaker of the Lagos State Special Peoples Law which was passed into law in 2011.

“LASODA is an agency of the Lagos state government. It is an agency that takes care of persons living with disabilities. They have a strategic plan that they are working on and they hope to implement in order to be able to support persons living with disabilities.

“In line with that plan, there is funding set aside to execute their plan. However, the funding might not be enough to take care of persons with disabilities, and I believe that they are also doing a lot of partnerships with other agencies. Presently, they are working with the Ministry of Health to ensure that the health scheme are made available to Lagos and it also translates to persons living with disabilities.”

Support for Persons with Disabilities Chigbu espoused that Lagos state presently has a law for persons living with disability which is known the Lagos State Special People Law which was enacted in 2011; “there is also the Federal government law for Persons Living with Disabilities.”

The IREDE Foundation ED expressed confidence that with the passage of these laws, it is the first step to any government wishing to support a course for persons with disabilities.

She maintained that the implementation of the disability law in Lagos state is still a major problem.

Continuing she said, “One of the things that should happen is that you have accessible buildings, transportation systems should provide for the disabled, however, this is not happening as it should be and nobody is clamouring for it to ensure that public facilities are accessible. So for us, it is ensuring that this implementation takes into effect immediately.

“One of the things, I’m doing currently is the implementation of the laws that they have put in place. There is traction, but it is

Need for Inclusive Schools On her part, the Chairperson, Education Committee, Joint Organisation of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Mrs. Rita Boyo, said the Lagos state government has worked extensively to assist persons with disabilities in the areas of inclusive schooling.

She noted that there are a lot of inclusive secondary schools at junior and secondary levels respectively, “we also have inclusive primary schools in the state.”

Boyo maintained that despite state government support over the years, they are still soliciting for more support because daily they come up with different disability issues.

She remarked that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lagos state government in collaboration with some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) was able to include persons with disabilities in the social media learning and create understanding.

She hinted that the state government has also trained about 42 teachers (special teachers and non-special teachers) to support persons who had hearing impairment difficulties.

The JONAPWD chairperson stated that during the time of employment, the state government have a percentage of persons with disabilities they employed especially the recruitment of teachers.

“The state government gave us 10 per cent employment quota. In terms of housing some of us enjoyed the state housing scheme. Presently, some of us are leaving in the state quarters.

“In terms of transportation, there is free transport for persons with disabilities.

Again, we have the disability office; the state government is the first state to have such office. The office is known is the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, (LASODA).

I will encourage other States to have the disability office because it is the avenue where the state government can meet and discuss with us on any initiative they are interested in,” she noted.

Boyo further explained that the LASODA office is the office that helps to bring together persons with disabilities, noting that they work in collaboration with JONAPWD. She added that JONAPWD is the umbrella body (both at national and state levels respectively) that represents persons with disabilities, and it has eight clusters; the blind, the deaf, the physically challenged, the spinal cord injury, the albino and the dwarf.

She appealed to the state government to build more inclusive schools with boarding system for persons with disabilities, pointing out that their teachers need to be encouraged, “because it is not easy to teach persons with disability.”

Continuing, she added: “Governments should provide them with more incentives.

I teach in Boyson Academy, on the Island.

Government should provide inclusive accommodation for the staff and students of persons with disabilities because some of these students they come from far distance.

“We also want constant training for our teachers and we employ others to emulate Lagos State too because it is in Lagos State that we have more of these inclusive schools.

Today is a special day where NGOs come to support us and show solidarity. We don’t people to pity us, instead, we want them to show us empathy. It is like an open day for us.”

28

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Stakeholders Harp on Mentorship for Youths Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Technical Adviser to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara state on Investments, Mr. Kabir Shagaya has advised leaders in both private and public sectors to give necessary mentorship support to youths in order for the young ones to support economic growth.

Shagaya stated this in Ilorin on the sidelines of his inaugural Voices of Leadership (VOT) workshop to mark his 34th birthday.

He said the initiative was birthed to provide a platform for influential young leaders to weigh in on worsening youth crisis, unemployment, lack of direction.

Shagaya believed that, “it is the right place for youths to be inspired by visionary young leaders participating in discourse that broadens their possibilities, the vision to live a life of impact.”

He assured that the summit will hold next year, promising to continue interfacing with the students for the good of the nation.

Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency, Engr Ahmed Salihijo noted that managing relationship is vital to effective leadership, charging young people to be united and accessible in power.

The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Debo Ogun-

doyin, said Shagaya inspired him to replicate the summit in Oyo State.

He said such an initiative putting students and top leaders under the same roof for mentorship is commendable.

Meanwhile, the programme also featured a debate session between tertiary institutions in Kwara State, with the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin emerging winner with a cash prize of N500,000.

The University of Ilorin emerged as the first runner up and went away with the sum of N250,000, while the Kwara State University came third and was rewarded with N150,000, and College of Education (COED), Ilorin went away with N100,000.

Four States to Participate in Tech Digital Awards Akwa Ibom, Kano, Lagos and Kogi States have emerged frontrunners in the battle for the prestigious Titans of Tech Digital Government of the Year Award. The award ceremony is scheduled for next week in Lagos.

Managing Consultant, TechTV, organisers of Titans of Tech Hall of Fame Awards, Mr. Don Pedro Aganbi, revealed that the states have been notified of their nomination.

Aganbi explained that the Titans of Tech Awards was designed to celebrate Hi-Tech

revolutionaries, icons, organisations and institutions that are behind the technological wind of change that has engulfed Nigeria. State governments, he argued, are among the biggest investors and users of ICT solutions and deserve recognition for the efforts to improve government business, boost transparency and increase citizens access to government services.

In addition to the state governments, other keenly contested award categories include Most Outstanding IoT

Provider of the Year, Telecom Infrastructure Company of the Year, Most Innovative Fiber Optics Provider of the Year, Outstanding Business Communication Platform Provider of the Year Award, Enterprise Solutions Provider of the Year, Most Innovative Cloud Storage Provider of the Year, Outstanding Digital Identity Management Company of the Year, Most Innovative Internet Service Provider of the Year, and Outstanding eCommerce Company of the Year among others .

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

29

30

IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ, ͰͮͰͯ

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: Recipient of Doctorate Degree in Exercise Physiology, University of Lagos, Dr Adewale Adebero; Dr. Oluwaseun Nariwoh; Professor Adeyemi Awopetu; and Dr. Abiodun Adelowo, during the conferment of Doctorate Degree on Adebero at the convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos…recently

L-R: Lagos State Commissioner For Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello; Deputy Governor of Lagos, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Executive Secretary, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO), Mrs. Funke Adepoju, during 2021 Lagos International Water Conference (LIWAC 2021) in Lagos...recently

L-R: Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh; Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi; Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko and Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Emmanuel Jime at the Lekki Deep Sea Port during an inspection visit by the minister...recently

President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mrs. Comfort Eyitayo (left) and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit by ICAN team to the governor at Lagos House, Ikeja…recently

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Edet Akpan; Minister of State for Science and Technology, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; and Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Clara Escandell, during the visit of the ambassador to the Minister’s Office in Abuja...recently

L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari; Decampees, Governors of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade and Zamfara State, Alhaji Bello Mohammed Matawalle, when the president received them at the State House, Abuja… recently PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

L-R: Groom’s parents, Mr. Babatunde MacAlabi; his wife, Olubukola; couple, Kolawole Mac-Alabi; his wife, Ekinadese; and bride’s father, Chief Ede Osayande, during the solemnization of holy matrimony between the couple at the Church of the Assumption Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos... recently PHOTO: ABAYOMI AKINYELE

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

31

32

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

33

34

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 15, 2021

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

ÜÙßÚ ÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ ÒÓÏ×ÏÖÓÏ äÏÙÌÓ ×ËÓÖ chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

Recognising Healthcare Technology Advancement in Africa Vanessa Obioha reports that MaryAkangbe, a renowned Specialist Practitioner in Minimally Invasive Surgery and trained RoboticAssistant recently convened theAfrica HealthcareAwards and Summit in Lagos where healthcare professionals acrossAfrica deliberated on the technology advances made in the sector and canvassed for more multisectoral collaboration

R

ecently, Mary Akangbe, the President and Founder of Zenith Global Health convened the Africa Healthcare Awards and Summit (AHAS). The two-day event which took place at Oriental Hotel, Lagos and online pooled top healthcare professionals from African countries including South Africa, Mali, Zambia and Senegal.

For its debut edition, the event tackled ‘Advances in Diabetes and Cancer Care’ with keynote addresses given by Stanley Okolo, Director General, West Africa Health Organisation (WHO) and West Africa Healthcare Federation, Clare Omatseye, on the two days respectively. Both professionals emphasised the importance of multisectoral collaboration within the health space.

Also speaking virtually at the event was the First Lady of Kebbi State, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu who highlighted finance, infrastructure, and resources as major cancer care roadblocks.

“Cancer is fast becoming the cause of premature death. More needs to be done to bridge the gap in cancer care across countries, economies and professions,” she noted.

Equally, the CEO of Lagoon Hospitals, Dr Jimi Coker gave insight into cancer care in Nigeria. Using statistical data, he revealed that there are 124,815 new cancer cases and over 78,000 deaths. Providing insight into the accessibility of healthcare was Dr Mohamed El Sahili, CEO Medland Healthcare Zambia, who stated that cultural bias plays a role in mitigating this access to healthcare for patients.

Drug security was a talking point in the summit where one of the speakers Dr Lolu Oju noted that 70 per cent of manufactured drugs are outside Nigeria, with only one per cent of human vaccines manufactured.

This shows that the continent is lagging in vaccine production, particularly at a time developing countries are grappling with accessibility to COVID-19 vaccines.

Akangbe is no stranger to healthcare technology. She is a Specialist Practitioner in Minimally Invasive Surgery and a trained Robotic Assistant with an interest in AI, genomics and health technology. As the president of Zenith Global Health and Zenith Global Healthcare Professional Awards — a platform for healthcare professionals by healthcare professionals — she’s been actively involved in transforming healthcare in Africa for over a decade.

AHAS, she said, is an offshoot of the Zenith Global Health Awards which has been held in the UK for the past five years.

“We’ve had input from healthcare professionals across Africa. In 2020, we set out to have the African version of the Zenith Global Health Awards because we know the impact of advances made in healthcare across

Akangbe

Africa cannot be underestimated. We have come a long way from where we are and the healthcare professionals, organisations and stakeholders deserve the recognition on the global platform.”

She noted that there’s been a significant advancement in healthcare technology in Africa over the years.

“We have come a long way. New things are emerging every day. There are things in place for patients to take control of their health, for treatment, prevention and the adoption rate is high. However, we need to target more of the population from the affluent to the grassroots. We need to take technology to market women and others who deserve to have these kinds of devices

or methods to help them in their well-being journey.”

She added that Africa needs to be ready for a healthcare technology revolution.

“There’s going to be a lot of interest from outside Africa because they know that Africa is a thriving market which is one of the reasons we had AHAS. It was for us to talk about what is happening in other parts of the world and how we can benchmark.

But most importantly to build sustainability.

We are ensuring that partnerships formed at the summit will be impactful, replicable and sustainable.”

However, with health myths and beliefs still a factor in the acceptance of health technology in Africa, Akangbe believes that healthcare

professionals are now aware that they have to actively involve health consumers to make any progress.

“People at the grassroots, patients, caregivers are being involved both in the health education, treatment and what is on offer to make healthcare both affordable and effective.

There’s a real demonstration of what works and what doesn’t work. When people know the difference between what will work for them or not and are stakeholders in their own treatment, that it’s not prescriptive, we make more progress.”

She also emphasised the need for all sectors to work together and improve the healthcare system and for governments to involve the healthcare stakeholders in their policymaking.

Catholic Church Expresses Desire to Partner Lagos Govt to Improve Healthcare Delivery Ugo Aliogo The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese, Dr. Adewale Martins, has expressed the desire of the archdiocese to partner Lagos State government to improve healthcare delivery in the state.

Martins, who disclosed this in Lagos during the 10th anniversary celebration and commissioning

of ultra-modern intensive care unit and orthopedic theatre with C-ARM, stated that the Catholic Church has always collaborated with government.

He also stated that it is the basic duty of government to provide healthcare for the people, but government cannot do it alone, therefore there is need for private sector and faith based organisations to assist, “so it

is to that effect that we are collaborating with government to provide healthcare for people.”

The archbishop expressed confidence that the collaboration with government would be further strengthened especially with the provision of equipment and giving of waivers to the church in procuring the equipment that she needs.

According to him, “One

of the things we have asked the government to do is the provision of an ambulance to ensure that the services we offer here will synchronise well with similar healthcare institutions in the country.

“Concerning the issue of our plans for the future, the hospital was started with the view of providing a state-of-the-art treatment for cancer such that people will not travel abroad to

get treatment for cancer. “ We are in discussions with medical personnel in India who specialise in this area of medicine so that we can learn from them, and collaborate with them to provide the services, so that people will not spend too much for treatment overseas in order to get treated.

“We are hopeful that we can get collaboration with regards to exchange

of professionals in these areas of treatment of cancer patients.

“The Augustine University which is an institution of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos is working towards having a college of medicine.

“When we have the college of medicine, we are hopeful that this hospital will be ready to provide the teaching hospital that the college of medicine needs.”

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 15, 2021

35

NEWS

Lions Club to Upgrade Optical Section of Central Hospital, Warri Sylvester Idowu ÓØ ËÜÜÓ The District 404A1 Nigeria of the International Association of Lions Club are set to upgrade the optical section of the Central Hospital, Warri to meet the demands of patients.

The District Governor, Mrs Fortune Wagbatsoma, who disclosed this at a press briefing last Wednesday at Ugborikoko Community near Warri, said the gesture was part of the District’s humanitarian programmes lined up for the year.

Presenting the roadmap of the newly inuagurated executive, Wagbatsoma said the district would renovate the children’s wards in government hospitals across the zones in the district.

“Infact, there is no eye clinic in Central Hospital, Warri, they are currently making use of part of the emergency unit. They have called on us couple of times.

“We have been donating eye equipment and eye screening materials to them.

We have decided to take it further by upgrading what

they have.

“Aside upgrading the eye hospital at the Central Hospital, Warri, we have plans to renovate at least three children’s wards in government hospitals across the three zones in the District 404A1.

“We are soliciting for help from the international body to achieve these plans,” she said.

Wagbatsoma said LIONS club with the acronym: Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation Safety has the objective of serving the poor, needy and the underprivileged in the society.

She said that the humanitarian body has over 200 countries and 1.5 million members across the world, adding that District 404A1 has 2,700 members.

“We care for the blind, childhood cancers, environment, feed the hunger, built boreholes, toilets, diabetes through advocacy and awareness among others.

“District 404A1 has 112 clubs that covers five states and we coverv over 200 communities in 2020.

“We emerged July 1, 2021, we are ready to build on the legacies of our leaders in a new dimension.

“We are going to empower women and engage youth in Delta, feed at least 1000 people in one community in Edo alongside our regular planting of trees, keeping the environment cleans among others,” she said.

The District Governor solicit financial support from corporate organisations, government parastatal agencies to achieve the club’s objectives.

She identified funding, inadequate orientation and conflict as some of the factors militating against their operations.

The district leader applauded the robust relationship existing between the club and the government, adding that they always stand in the gap for the government.

She said LIONS club offers people the platform to serve. develop themselves and networking and solicited for more membership.

L-R: Ln Onodjakeh Aruoture Loveth, Zone 10 B; Ln Gbenga Odumosu, District Cabinet Secretary; Ln (Mrs) Fortune Wagbatsoma, District Governor, District 404A1, Nigeria; Ln Barry Eboma, Region 10 Chairperson and Ln Boma Orubima during a press briefing by the new District Governor on programmes of the club in Warri

Lifebank Launches 700 Cubic Metres Oxygen Plant in Nasarawa Igbawase Ukumba ÓØ ËÐÓË Lifebank Nigeria has launched a 700 cubic metres per day oxygen production plant at Orozo in Nasarawa named “AirCo by Lifebank” to bridge the oxygen gap being experienced nationwide.

The AirCo by Lifebank oxygen plant in Nasarawa State is Lifebank Nigeria first oxygen plant in partnership with Oxygen Hub, a subsaharan company.

Speaking to journalists shortly after launching the oxygen plant, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Lifebank Nigeria, Temie Giwa-Tubosun, said the idea to establish the plant in Nasarawa State was due to high demand of oxygen

in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

She explained further that the choice of Nasarawa State for the plant was to make the commodity available to demands from states in the North Central part of Nigeria as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Acccording to her, “Lifebank Nigeria is putting modalities in place to expand the availability of its products to all parts of Nigeria in order to curtail the shortfall of the commodity across the Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Oxygen Hub, the subsaharan company, Efferson Hailemichael, corraborated

that the AirCo by Lifebank oxygen plant in Nasarawa State was launched to address the shortage of oxygen in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the AirCo

by Lifebank oxygen plant in Nasarawa State has a production capacity of 100 million cylinders per day and it was the first plant in Nigeria.

Hailemichael concluded that the Lifebank’s oxygen plant in Nasarawa State was the second of Oxygen Hub plants in Africa, with the first plant already launched in Nairobi, Kenya, while the third plants was being expected in Ethiopia in the coming few weeks.

FERTILITY

Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

Fibroid And Fertility (Part 2)

L

ast week, we explained fibroid growths, causes, symptoms and risk factors.

This week, we will be concluding with the effects of fibroids on fertility, diagnosis, management and treatment options available.

CAN FIBROIDS DECREASE FERTILITY? Fertility is the natural capability to produce offspring. Most people will have strong desire to conceive a child at some points during their lifetime.

Approximately 5%-10% of infertile women have fibroids. Their size and locations determines whether fibroids affect fertility. Examples include fibroids that are inside the uterine cavity (submucosal) or very large (>5cm in diameter) within the wall of uterus (intramural). Fibroids may affect female fertility. Women with fibroids and partners should be thoroughly evaluated to find other problems with fertility before fibroid is treated. A Fertility Specialist/Gynaecologist can help to access if fibroids might be hampering conceptions or not.

How Fibroids Causes Infertility There are several ways which uterine fibroids can reduce fertility in women. r 'JCSPJET UIBU DIBOHF UIF TIBQF PG UIF cervix can affect the number of sperm to be able to enter the uterus. r $IBOHFT JO UIF TIBQF PG UIF VUFSVT can decrease the number of places an embryo can successfully implant or reduce uterine space needed for embryo development. r 'JCSPJET UIBU CMPDL UIF GBMMPQJBO UVCFT DBO make the journey of a fertilized egg to implantation difficult or impossible. r #MPPE áPX UP UIF VUFSJOF DBWJUZ DBO CF affected. This can decrease the ability of embryo to stick (implant) to the uterine wall or to develop. r 5IFZ DBO JNQBDU PO UIF TJ[F PG UIF lining of the uterine cavity or decrease the blood supply to a growing embryo thereby resulting in miscarriage.

If you have fibroid and are trying to get pregnant, it is important to discuss it with your Fertility Specialist/Gynaecologists whether the fibroids are in places that might prevent conception, or are in places that could cause complications in pregnancy. If so, removing fibroids to improve the chance for conception and pregnancy may be recommended.

FIBROID IN THE UTERINE CAVITY Fibroids in the cavity of the uterus, also known as submucosal fibroids, can be a cause of infertility.

In a normal pregnancy after fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube, embryo develops and move to implant in the endometrium (inner womb lining), the presence of a fibroid occupying the space for implantation possess a threat to normal implantation and development of embryos in which case the fibroid may have to be surgically removed.

What Happens To Fibroids During Pregnancy?

Fibroids are found in 2% to 12% of pregnant women, but not all fibroids get larger to cause problems in a pregnancy. If fibroids grow, it usually does so in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

What Can Happen With Fibroids During Pregnancy?

The biggest concern in pregnancy is whether the fibroids will increase the chance of preterm birth or miscarriage. In some cases, fibroids can outgrow their blood supply and cause severe pain.

Hospitalization might be required in some cases.

Also fibroids can change the baby position in the uterus (womb). This can increase the risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery and caesarean section.

If a woman conceives after having a fibroid removed, she should discuss this with the obstetrician who will deliver the baby.

HOW CAN FIBROIDS BE DIAGNOSED? r 1IZTJDBM &YBNJOBUJPO -BSHF TJ[FE fibroids may be diagnosed by your doctor through abdominal and pelvic palpation. Fibroids may be felt as smooth or irregular, nodular mass resembling the feel of a pregnancy. r 6MUSBTPVOE 4DBO JT B OPO JOWBTJWF BOE IJHIMZ tolerable procedure which is capable of revealing the location, the number and size of the fibroids. r )ZTUFSPTPOPHSBN )4/ B MFTT JOWBTJWF procedure which allows visualization into the uterine cavity. This may be helpful in making diagnoses for fibroid inside the endometrium.

Your doctor may recommend further test based on the outcome of the basic investigations.

MANAGEMENT OF FIBROIDS Several factors will be considered in deciding treatment options for patient with fibroids and they include; r 8IFUIFS UIF àCSPJET BSF TMPX PS GBTU or growing. r 5IF TJ[F BOE MPDBUJPO PG UIF àCSPJET r 8IFUIFS UIF XPNBO JT DPOTJEFSJOH GFSUJMJUZ in the future or not.

Treatment Options May Be: r .FEJDBM NBOBHFNFOU VTJOH ESVHT BOE JOKFDUBCMF r 4VSHJDBM NBOBHFNFOU XIJDI JODMVEFT PQFO myomectomy or the endoscopic approach which does not require outright opening up (laparoscopy and hysteroscopy). For women with symptomatic fibroids which do not desire future fertility, options such as Hysterectomy (removal of the womb) may be an option.

Adjuvant Therapy For Fibroid Management Dietary changes can help as well. r "WPJE FYDFTTJWF SFE NFBUT BOE IJHI DBMPSJF foods. r "WPJE PS MJNJU BMDPIPM r 0QU GPS GPPET IJHI JO áBWPOPJET HSFFO vegetables, green tea, cold water fish such as tuna or salmon, and take high fibre diet.Get enough vitamin D. r .BOBHJOH ZPVS TUSFTT MFWFM BOE MPTJOH weight, if you are overweight has also been found helpful in management of symptoms of fibroids.

Some women have fibroids and do not have any challenges getting pregnant. Therefore understanding that there are different causes of infertility, and only some women may be affected as a result of fibroids helps a person or couple know when it is time to seek help. Uterine fibroids are common and can affect fertility in different ways from fertilization, embryo implantation, pregnancy outcome, growth and positioning of the baby. Your fertility specialist/ Gynaecologist will examine you carefully to determine what treatment option best suites you.

36

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 15, 2021

FEATURES

Alpha Mead Boosts Access to Quality Healthcare with Modular Healthcare Facility Leveraging technology to tackle some of the myriads of challenges facing the healthcare sector, Alpha Mead’s prefabricated Modular Healthcare Facility is set to make a difference, Yinka Olatunbosun reports

T

he distribution of healthcare facilities across Nigeria is non-uniform. It had been widely reported that there is a discrepancy in the availability and access to medical facilities in the public as well as privateowned health institutions. Many researchers also claimed that the distribution of health facilities favoured urban neighborhoods over rural communities.

From acute shortage of medical workers to insufficient medical facilities; the possibility of an early attainment of the universal health coverage is daunting. For many, achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 which is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages could be just a pipe dream.

A Price Waterhouse Coopers (2016) report states that Nigerians spend $1 billion annually on medical tourism. This is nearly 20 per cent of the total government expenditure on public health sector for the year including salaries of all public sector doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.

In addition, perennial brain drain rocks the sector. According to data on the U.K. General Medical Council website, there are at least 8,178 medical doctors of Nigerian origin working in the U.K. The exodus has worsened healthcare in a country that has one doctor for every 5,000 people, says the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

Despite the government’s efforts to further accelerate universal health coverage, fast-tracking SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and 9 (Industry, innovation, and infrastructure) still seems far-fetched.

At the heart of the issues stalling the attainment of these SDGs is the challenge of access. USAID’s report in 2020 held that Nigeria shoulders 10 per cent of the global disease burden, attributing this to the lack of access to quality healthcare particularly in the rural areas. The intervention of Alpha Mead in improving access to health care facility has been gratifying. Alpha Mead, a facility management and real-estate firm recently introduced the Modular Healthcare Facility (MHF) recently to the public. It is a fully-equipped healthcare facility that can be built and operational within 30 days.

A prefabricated, customizable, and transportable portacabin, it is installed with medical equipment and healthcare technology applications.

Easy assemblage is one of the high points for this facility. Within 30 days, parts of the MHF could be hauled on a truck, transported to a selected site, coupled and operations could commence within

Healthcare Facility, a solution available for use in the country. It will go a long way in supporting our journey towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he said.

Professor Osinbajo added that the MHF has “appropriately captured SDG Goal 9, which aims at building resilient infrastructure, promote industrialisation, and foster innovations across sectors including health, innovation, infrastructure, and new skills in technology development.”

The VP further noted that the MHF would drive SDG 3 and one of its targets of achieving universal health coverage in low and mediumincome countries. He urged other private sector players to emulate Alpha Mead, reiterating that the MHF would complement the government’s efforts at transforming medical care.

The Modular Healthcare Facility

a few days. MHF is set to change the narrative for the healthcare sector. It erases the time lost to design, construction, equipment installation and commissioning of regular brick and mortar healthcare facilities. The MHF is a plug and play medical facility system, leveraging technology to optimise manpower. To address the issue of inadequate medical practitioners, particularly in the rural areas or crisis zones, the MHF uses technology to connect patients with medical doctors anywhere through its telemedicine facilities.

From the MHF, a patient can be diagnosed and the report can be digitally transmitted to a doctor or specialist. Also, the patient can consult with the specialist via the teleconsultation facility, and with the e-pharmacy system; the patient can pick up his prescribed medication at the closest registered pharmacy.

To avoid the complications that power outage usually causes to the health-care delivery system, the MHF has been designed to run on solar power and efficient water consumption alongside a biodigester system which can convert waste to energy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that “only a quarter of Nigeria’s healthcare facilities have more than 25% of the minimum equipment package.’’ It’s no wonder why Nigeria records 42.8% prevalence of medical errors.

MHF Variants MHF’s capacity can cater to all levels of these healthcare category, be it primary, secondary or tertiary. It is designed with different variants to give investors and stakeholders a range of options

to choose from, depending on their needs and preferences.

All MHF variants come with telemedicine facilities, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).

MHF 1, for example, is designed for Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs). It houses a fully equipped laboratory, echocardiography and ultrasound scan facilities. The MHF 2 is for advanced PHCs and Secondary Healthcare Institutions. This contains a fully equipped laboratory, echocardiography, ultrasound scan and X-ray operations, while the MHF 3 is designed for Teaching Hospitals or other tertiary healthcare institutions. It will cater to the needs of specialist physicians requiring advanced diagnostic services with its fully-equipped clinical laboratory, echocardiography, ultrasound scan, x-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) facilities.

Given the positives the MHF will bring to Nigeria’s health sector, particularly boosting access to quality healthcare, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo endorsed it during the launch of the MHF at the General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos, on Wednesday, June 23. He acknowledged that it would help attain SDGs 3 and 9.

Osinbajo, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, commended Alpha Mead for the initiative.

“I applaud Alpha Mead Healthcare Management Services Limited for harnessing its scientific and technological expertise to make this Modular

MHF can be used in Camps and Emergency Response Centres. For instance, IDP camps, military base, construction as well as emergency response centres can be good locations for the facility. Its modular nature makes it moveable to other locations as soon as the camp closes or the operation winds down. It can also be used by government and NGOs to compliment and accelerate the penetration of Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs. Rather than lose time to construction and commission of PHCs, the MHF can serve as a plug and play option. It can be operational in 30days. The MHF can serve as the diagnostic and laboratory facility of General, Teaching, or Private Hospitals that lack the necessary equipment.

The Chairman, Alpha Mead Group, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu (CON), affirmed the firm’s commitment to providing quality healthcare in Nigeria at the MHF launch in Lagos.

“A product that accelerates access, addresses manpower shortages, leverages technology and can be rolled out on a massive scale is what our health sector needs. We are happy to be leading this innovation. The MHF is more than a healthcare facility. It is also an entrepreneurial package capable of serving both social and economic purposes by creating jobs and business opportunities for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, professional health workers, and support staff.”

His views were also mirrored by the Managing Director of Alpha Mead Group, Engr. Femi Akintunde. “Our focus is to inject our internationally certified processes and systems into the health sector to improve the administration of healthcare in Nigeria.”

CFM, SAFI Renewable Ltd Donate N122M Medical Equipment to AKSG Okon Bassey ÓØ ãÙ A European Fund investor, Climate Fund Managers (CFM) in partnership with Safi Renewable Energy (SRE) Ltd have donated medical equipment worth 250,000 US dollars (about N122 million) to the Akwa Ibom State government to boost its COVID-19 care and provision of quality health care services to the people of the state.

The Climate Fund Managers is an International fund manager dedicated to securing a sustainable future through impact investing and working in collaboration with its Nigeria local strategic partner, Safi Renewable Energy Ltd, as a facilitator of cost-effective, renewable power solutions for commercial and industrial sectors across Nigeria.

Items donated include Critical Care Equipment lik, Anaesthetic Machine, Ventilator, Defibrillator, Spine Board, Patient Monitor, Suction Unit, Crash Cart, Oxygen Therapy units with Oximeters, Infusion and Syringe pumps.

Also included were Diagnostic

Equipment like Hematocrit Centrifuge for determining Blood Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and a Point of Care (POC), Arterial Blood Gas Analyzer (ABG) for determining amounts of blood gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide and Digital Mobile X-ray for determining chest infection and fractures on the go, among others The equipment presented at the Methodist General Hospital/Isolation Centre, Ituk Mbang in Uran LGA and Multi-Specialty Hospital, Uyo was received by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Emmanuel Ekuwen on behalf of the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel.

The 24 different procured items of various quantities were EU Area Certified (CE endorsed) equipment supplied from Major Equipment Manufacturers including GE Healthcare, Siemens and Zoll Medical etc which are vital to Critical Care and to COVID Clinical Management and Support . Presenting the equipment to the state government, the Chief Executive Officer of

Safi Renewable Energy who also stood in for Climate Fund Managers, Mr Yinka Ogundare said Akwa Ibom State was the first state in Nigeria to receive such donation.

He explained the firms through DPA construction will help in the installation and maintenance of the equipment for the next twelve months until the workers in the hospitals are comfortable with the functions and maintenance of the equipment.

Mr Ogundare lauded Akwa Ibom State for being a model in health care delivery as shown in the management of COVID-19, and promised continuous support for more feats in the sector.

“COVID- 19 affected everyone terribly worldwide and we decide to target certain places where we could make this sort donation of medical equipment to, and Akwa Ibom state topped the list of the select places. It is the first place in Nigeria that we are doing this. “I want to assure you that the mobile

x-ray machine is on its way. Is just the manufacturing delaying because they were affected by the COVID-19 as well; it will be here in July and this equipment you are seeing here will be installed,” he said.

Taking delivery of the medical equipment, the Secretary to the State Government reiterated the resolve of the state governor to provide quality healthcare delivery to the people of the state noting that the state was on top of the situation during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Ekuwem thanked the donors for partnering the state government in the area of healthcare development, and assured that the equipment donated would be utilised for the benefit of the society.

About a year ago, he said the state governor commissioned a-300 bed space isolation centre, saying the completion of that isolation center was done in time hence beating the Chinese record during the COVID-19 to establish a 300 bed space.

“The equipment that we used during COVID-19 was already imported by the governor long before COVID-19, that doesn’t mean that he was expecting COVID-19, but because it is in his character to ensure that he cannot create wealth without health. We have about 10 -12 remodel general hospitals in the state.

“In the month of May when we were doing democracy day, a philanthropic organisation donated five billion naira to help Akwa Ibom state established Akwa Ibom State University Teaching Hospital and the groundbreaking was done during the democracy day.”

Soon, he said all the remodelled hospitals and primary health care agencies in the state would be networked into a comprehensive tele medicine network so that an expert in one hospital can put a disposal of the need of patient so as to provide preliminary consultation and will also link it to famous hospitals in Dubai, South Africa, India,

Unite State and Canada. The State Commissioner for Health, Prof Augustine Umoh, said the equipment selection was done in consultation with the State Ministry of Health and so the state has received what they really need. According to him, the state now has easily deployable specialised equipment for the care of patients with life threatening illnesses that are critical or contagious as these patients will have access to advanced medical resources and equipment. in ICU/ Isolation Unit in the state. In a goodwill message the Chairman of the State Hospital Management Board, Dr David Udoumo assured that the equipment would be put to good use and also expressed the hope they will be installed quickly.

Also speaking, the Director of Administration, Ibom Specialty Hospital, Dr Thompson Ikpe thanked the state government and donors of the equipment saying it will go a long way to ensuring the hospital continues to do its best to the public.

37

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 15, 2021

NEWS

Imo Youths Pledge to Partner UNICEF, NOA, to End FGM Practice in Communities Amby Uneze ÓØ áÏÜÜÓ Imo youths have pledged readiness to work with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the state.

The youths made the pledge at Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State during a recent two-day workshop tagged : “Male Engagement Alliance to End FGM Coalition in communities of the state”.

Drawn from the 37 communities of Isu and Njaba LGAs, the youths thanked UNICEF and NOA for bringing the campaign to end FGM to rural communities.

Speaking on behalf of the youths, Mr. Geoffrey Nnogwarim, youth leader of Amaiyiaku community in Njaba LGA frowned at the negative physical and psychological effects of FGM. He added that it was time to end the practice and liberate the girl child from unnecessary suffering.

“Today we have come to sign the membership list and pledge form of the ‘Male Engagement Alliance to End FGM Coalition’.

“The pledge is a demonstration of our readiness to synergise with UNICEF, NOA and other support bodies for an end to FGM in our communities and our state at large”, he said.

Speaking, the UNICEF facilitator for FGM in Imo, Mr Vitus Ekeocha said the youths will develop a four-month plan of action for jointly advocating and promoting the elimina-

tion of FGM in their various communities.

He added that upon return to their communities, the youths will will serve as FGM advocates and inform traditional rulers and religious leaders of the practice, as well as carry out anti-FGM campaigns at town union meetings.

Also speaking, UNICEF programme officer for FGM, Mr Chigozie Ojiaku urged the youths to focus on the advantages of the elimination of the practice to the larger society.

According to him, ending the practice will raise the next generation in a framework of gender equality and lead to positive changes in behaviour thereby opening the way for women empowerment.

Also, Mrs. Stella Ukaegbu, the UNICEF focal person for FGM in the Imo State Ministry of health called on the youths to liaise with their contemporaries in the various communities for a more effective dissemination of the information.

She commended them for agreeing to make the pledge and urged them to “ jettison unfounded claims by naysayers that FGM is an aspect of culture that has come to stay.

“Culture is made by man for man and man should not subjected to unnecessary suffering for the sake of culture.

“Just like the killing of twins was later abolished, so we are going to end all aspects of culture that have serious debilitating effects on the physical, mental and psychological well-being of our people”, she said.

Again Smile360 Wins Dental Service Provider 2021 Chiamaka Ozulumba World class dental service provider, Smile360 Dental Specialists, has again emerged winner of the Dental Service Provider of the year after clinching the award five consecutive times.

The firm received the award at the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA) ceremony, which was held on Friday, June 26, this year at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos.

In her reaction, the CEO and Medical Director of Smile360, Dr. Amy Shumbusho, lauded the NHEA, organisers of the awards, for recognising the importance of dentistry in the health sector.

She expressed further, “We thank our patients for trusting us and for impacting their lives. The award goes to everyone who works very hard in dentistry to make a difference.”

Having won this title from 2015 to 2019 and 2021, Shumbusho added that Smile360 Dental Specialist boasts of branches in Lagos and Abuja.

The CEO added, “We have a newly launched service, where

patients can get their crowns within one appointment which would ordinarily take about four weeks to produce.”

For Shumbusho, Smile360 stood out from the competition because it has the latest technology in dentistry that enables people seeking treatments abroad to get it locally.

“Any dental treatment you can do in Dubai, Turkey or London can now be done here in Nigeria. Every member of the team at Smile360 is

extremely passionate and totally committed to creating wonderful smiles for all their patients,” said the CEO. For the dental provider, its other qualities include having internationally trained doctors, and excellent customer service based on customers’ reviews.

Hence, it looks forward to winning the NHEA Dental Service Provider Awards next year.

The award, powered

by NHEA an initiative of

Global Health Project and Resources in partnership with Anadach group, is designed to celebrate and recognise the best individuals and organisations that have contributed in a remarkable manner to the improvement of the healthcare sector.

It is also to appreciate the rapid growth of the healthcare sector, and the capacity of individuals to influence and set new performance standards in Nigeria and beyond.

L-R: Social Media Consultant, Ms Isioma Nwani; Product Manager, Ms Chika Chalokwu; CRM Lead, Ms Maria Akwaje; Dental Nurse; Feyisike Adeosun; Senior Dentist and Clinic Head, Dr Latre Bakoshi; and the Dental Nurse, Daniel Adekoya receiving the award at the NHEA event in Lagos

Ex-banker Needs N2m for Kidney Transplant Sunday Ehigiator A 42-year-old former banker and father of four, John Onyeka Onwurah, is currently down with kidney failure and is in dire need of N2 million to complete the N10 million charged for his medical bills.

Onwurah fell sick in 2017, and was diagnosed to be suffering from failure kidney.

He immediately commenced treatment to remedy the situation but unfortunately, in December 2020, was told that it has progressed to its end stage and needs to do

an urgent kidney transplant in order to live a good and healthy life once again.

The estimated cost for the kidney transplant in Nigeria is about N10 million, but he has been able to raise N8 million, and would need an additional N2 million to make up the

cost of the surgery.

Onwurah is currently receiving treatment at the Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, Abuja, and can be reached on 08188187700.

His account details are: John Onyeka Onwurah, Fidelity Bank, 6239060359.

As Nigeria Braces to Fight COVID-19 Variants Tajudeen Kareem Nigeria’s managers of coronavirus are scratching their heads - praying, hoping and working hard - not only to keep infection rates low, but more importantly to ensure that the spreading variants of COVID-19 does not sneak into the country.

Last week, the Presidential Steering Committee, PSC, on COVID-19, rolled out revised guidelines and preventive measures to guard against the third wave of the pandemic spreading across many countries. The measures centre around entry and exit from the country as well as vaccination.

Nigeria had restricted entry from Brazil, India and Turkey. South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Namibia, and Uganda have been added to the watchlist. The Chairman PSC on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha has vowed that Nigeria would guard against the third wave.

“The four significant variants of concern are Alpha (UK), Beta (SA), Gamma (Brazil) and Delta (India). The Delta variant that has wreaked havoc is not yet found in Nigeria, hence the need to tighten our borders and be more vigilant,” said Mustapha who urged Nigerians not to lower their guards “because we continue to see spikes in some African countries and emergence of variants where the third wave as occurred.”

The new measures come against the backdrop of the successful utilisation of 3.9 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines that Nigeria received in March and April, representing 96 per cent of the 4,024,000 vaccines received so far.

Indeed, the World Health Organisation Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo has praised Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination strategy.

He said, at a press conference in Abuja, that other African countries were already looking up to Nigeria to learn how to roll out their vaccinations.

“Even though Africa is lagging behind, Nigeria is among the countries that is distributing the most

COVID-19 vaccines. We know that in terms of volume, we are still a long way to go because we have planned to vaccinate more than 100 million of our population, but its already a good learning base on how we can effectively rollout the COVID-19 vaccination,” said Dr. Mulombo.

Besides scaling up vaccination, the Federal Government, through the PSC on COVID-19, is not resting on its achievements because as one official said, “there is no black magic against coronavirus.” Specifically, the PSC has constantly reviewed the national strategy in risk communication to discourage vaccine hesitancy and dissemination of fake news.

Other key steps taken by the Committee include enforcement of the approved Presidential sanction against all in-bound international travelers who failed to undergo the day-7 post arrival test. It has published the names of defaulters to deter other law brakers.

The PSC deliberately worked to develop new Health Protection Regulations to support existing COVID-19 protocols and to strengthen compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions across the country. It also directed private laboratories to put in place measures to validate results and ensure that all passengers are registered on the travel portal before samples are processed to stop the activity of those who issue fake COVID-19 test results to travellers.

The use of Rapid Diagnostic Test-Kits (RDTs) was rolled out in five tertiary health institution and all NYSC CAMPS across the country to ensure massive testing and prevent mass infection.

The Commmittee also ensured that the private sector Coalition -CACOVID- supported the National Response with 100 oxygen cylinders per day between January and March, 2021, for distribution to critical care centres in Abuja even as the Federal Government approved the rehabilitation of five oxygen plants across various tertiary health institutions in Abuja. The President also approved that at least

one oxygen plant should be established in each state of the federation immediately.

Working with the Africa CDC and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on the sequencing of the COVID strains circulating in Nigeria., the PSC has pursued the isolation of different strains of the virus, while also meeting constantly with the Nigerian Governors Forum and key religious and traditional leaders regularly to deepen community engagement and enforcement of protocols.

Nigeria hopes to receive in July/August 2021 additional 3.9m doses of the AstraZeneca AZD1222 vaccine.

The Federal Government will procure 29.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine through the African Union Commission and the AfreximBank arrangement

by September 2021. In addition, Abuja hopes to get more vaccines through the magnanimity of President Joe Biden of the United States. Nigeria will also tap into additional vaccines for developing countries worth $775 million for the next two years by the GAVI Vaccine Alliance.

Passengers flying into Nigeria must take a COVID-19 PCR test three days before boarding.

Trials of longer duration are invalid, and such a passenger cannot board a Nigeria-bound flight.

“Rapid antigen or antibody test is not acceptable; only PCR test can be used for this purpose. Test validity commences from the time of sample collection,” the revised guideline states.

“For passengers with multiple connections before arrival in Nigeria, the PCR test must be valid within 72 hours of boarding from the first point of departure. Passengers must bring along an electronic or hard copy of their COVID-19 PCR test for presentation at the departure airport and upon arrival in Nigeria,” the PSC also warned.

Passengers must register on the Nigeria online travel portal (Nigeria International Travel Portal – https://nitp.ncdc.gov.ng), where they will fill in their health information. Information required

includes contact details. They will then upload their test COVID-19 PCR test with the exemption of children less than ten years old. Government has promised to prosecute persons who falsify their information.

Passengers would self-isolate for seven days in Nigeria. They would choose a laboratory or sample collection centre based on where they will self-isolate and a bank to pay for the test.

Diplomats and children are exempted from paying.

The Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib disclosed that reactions to the vaccines in Nigeria have been within the normal range, with 125 severe AEFI cases and 13 663 mild to moderate cases reported. “These are reactions from normal vaccination and people who experienced any of these have recovered fully and are doing well.

More pleasing to mention is that with over three million people vaccinated, Nigeria has not recorded any death case linked with Adverse Event Following Immunization,’ said Shuaib who encouraged citizens to download the MEDSAFETY App and report vaccine side-effects for prompt response.

Shuaib stated, “We have information that some people fear potential side effects and are hesitant to take the vaccine. In some instances, even those who have taken their first jab are afraid of taking the second jab because of side effects. Let me again assure everyone that all vaccinations generate reactions. COVID-19 vaccine is therefore not an exception. We need to understand that the vaccine is safe and effective, and that the reaction would not last, as it only indicates in the individuals that the vaccine is working.

So please, think of the long-term benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19, than the brief reaction you may experience after taking the vaccine.” t,BSFFN XSPUF JO GSPN "CVKB

38

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

CPS: Stakeholders Seek Taskforce to Drive Compliance in States Ebere Nwoji The National Assembly has been advised to set up a taskforce that will engage with state governments with a view to ensuring compliance with the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in all states.

The lawmakers also in a recent retreat with pension fund operators resolved to review upwards the lump sum amount paid to workers at retirement.

These formed part of resolutions taken at the recent third annual retreat organised by the Pension Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp) for National Assembly (NASS), that held in Lagos. In a communique issued at the end of the retreat, it was agreed that a taskforce should be set up by National Assembly to engage the state governments and come up with innovative ways to drive compliance.

They also resolved that a satisfaction survey should be commissioned by PenOp, but handled by a third party to gauge the level of satisfaction with the scheme.

The pension stakeholders also resolved that pension operators should take the issue of documentation seriously in order to ensure that pensioners are not made to go through unnecessary stress in order to access their benefits.

It was also agreed that considering the role legislation plays in driving national development, the National Assembly and PenOp should continue to collaborate in order to create legislations that will facilitate acceleration of pension assets growth and improved access to contributors.

At this year’s retreat which had the theme: ‘17 Years of Pension Reform: Challenges, Gains and Opportunities,” participants

reviewed the performance of the sector 17 years after the pension reform in Nigeria, noting that though there have been a remarkable growth and achievements in the industry with pension assets growing to N12.4 trillion, more work needed to be done.

They listed some of the challenges to include low coverage and compliance, inadequacy of benefits and poor awareness, among others.

Speaking at the retreat, PenOp President,Mr Wale Odutola, who is also the Managing Director ARM Pension Managers, said though the pension industry has raised the bar for professionals locally as investment, risk and compliance professionals within the industry can favourably compare to their counterparts anywhere in the world, there are many areas where the sector files much behind its counterparts in other countries.

Sterling Bank Pledges Support for Lagos Tourism Masterplan Sterling Bank Plc has pledged support for the 20-year Lagos State Tourism Masterplan and Policy crafted to transform the state into one of the top five tourism destinations on the African continent.

In a goodwill message at the public presentation of the tourism masterplan and policy, the bank’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Abubakar Suleiman, said, “We will support the government to unleash the tourism potential of Lagos State and reposition it into one of the most preferred destinations in Africa for local and international leisure travellers.”

According to the bank chief, the presentation of the 20-year masterplan and policy to industry stakeholders is a concrete and coordinated action for re-booting the tourism economy in Lagos on a robust and sustainable basis.

Abubakar, who was represented at the event by the Regional Business Executive, Institutional Banking, Lagos, Mojibola Oladunni, was quoted in a statement to have said, “We are confident that the masterplan and policy will ensure a more sustainable and resilient tourism

sector that would improve the citizenry’s quality of life, accelerates job creation and poverty alleviation.”

He noted that COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions threw the global tourism industry a curveball in 2020, stopping about one billion people from embarking on international trips.

This, he said, provides a massive opportunity for Lagos to work with private sector partners to stimulate the sector to create experiences that would excite and make homegrown international leisure travellers’ visit local destinations.

He said although Lagos has been a beacon for managing tourism in a structured, coordinated, and sustainable manner, the unveiling of a masterplan and policy will further harness the power of innovation, entrepreneurship, and communication to develop the sector.

Presenting the masterplan, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Deputy, Obafemi Hamzat said, “We have taken decisive steps to explore the abundant possibilities in this very critical sector by

allowing practitioners and key stakeholders to be directly involved in every one of our policies.”

He said the policy is also an attempt to unlock opportunities for tourism in the state as they had yet to be fully harnessed, adding that the event is evidence of the state government’s commitment to inclusiveness and stakeholders’ partnership since the tourism sector thrives on Public-Private Partnership and collaboration.

The governor said the policy document will direct efforts in the tourism sector in six strategic areas: Culture and Heritage; Film, Art, and Entertainment; Business and Meetings, Incentives; Conferences and Entertainment; Beach and Leisure; Nature and Adventure; and Medical and Wellness.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, represented by the Director-General Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mr. Folorunsho Coker, said it is time for all government tiers in the country to collaborate on issues relating to tourism.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

Tangerine Officially Launches in Nigeria

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR)

A financial services and technology platform, Tangerine has officially launched its operations in Nigeria.

The company unveiled its financial services at a media briefing held recently.

Speaking to journalists, Head Life Insurance, Tangerine Nigeria, Livingstone Magorimbo; Head Pensions, Tangerine Nigeria, Dapo Akisanya, and Head Commercial, Tangerine Nigeria, Ibitunde Balogun, spoke about the company and shared the businesses agenda and future growth plans.

In September 2019, Tangerine was established following the acquisition of 100 per cent equity stake in Metropolitan Life Insurance Nigeria by Verod Capital Management, a private equity firm investing in growth companies across Anglophone West Africa.

This was followed by a stream of strategic mergers & acquisitions, notably: The acquisition of ARM Life through Metropolitan

Life to establish Tangerine Life Insurance Limited; Verod’s acquisition of Law Union and Rock, one of the leading general insurance companies in the space, which has since been rebranded as Tangerine General Insurance Limited; the acquisition of Assured MFB, a microfinance bank,

by Tangerine Life to establish Tangerine Money; and in the pensions space, the acquisition of Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) - AXA Mansard Pension and a minority stake in a significant PFA by Verod.

AXA Mansard has since been rebranded Tangerine Pensions and the process to merge the two PFAs has commenced. The merger will produce a formidable competitor with wide geographic coverage.

Today, the company is made up of Tangerine Life, Tangerine General, Tangerine Pensions and Tangerine Money.

“They are positioned to be Africa’s preferred one-stop financial solutions provider, leveraging a

tech-driven, flexible, high-access platform to drive business across all the financial services segments in Africa to deepen financial inclusion, facilitate wealth creation and protection,” the officials of the company said.

Speaking on the progress they have made since 2019, Akisanya said, “In under two years, we have been able to successfully acquire and rebrand several businesses, firmly establishing Tangerine.

“We have also made significant strides in repositioning our businesses in readiness for growth by assembling a strong, agile and experienced team that aligns with our strategic thinking.

“In the area of recapitalisation, the Nigerian insurance industry is currently going through a suspended recapitalisation process, which has sought to increase the minimum statutory capital levels for life insurance and general insurance businesses from N2 billion to N8 billion and N3 billion to N10 billion, respectively.”

Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͯͱ ͰͮͰͯ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $75.13 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $74.33 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

39

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers Hail BOI’s Role, Makes Pitan Fellow Goddy Egene The President and Chairman of Governing Council, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) Mr. Olatunde Amolegbe, has hailed the role the Bank of Industry(BOI) is playing the in the growth and development of micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, saying the capital market community is expecting the listing some of the companies on various

securities exchanges.

Amolegbe stated this while speaking at an investiture ceremony to confer Honourary Fellowship of CIS on the Managing Director of BOI, Mr. Olukayode Pitan in Lagos.

“We in the Nigerian capital market community are particularly excited by the work that Mr. Pitan and BOI are doing to incubate MSMSEs that not only serve as major sources of employment generation in the

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

country but provide a clear path toward industrialisation of the Nigerian economy. Suffice to say that BOI also provides a pipeline to the potential listing of these entities on the various securities markets,” he said. The CIS boss explained that their expectation is that through the efforts of Mr.Pitan and his team, more of the likes of Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria Plc that was incubated by the bank would get listed on the various bourses

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

on which we stockbrokers trade.

“You undoubtedly have what it takes to be instrumental to the anticipated listing of more companies, including Dangote Refinery in the near future,” Amolegbe said. In his acceptance speech, Pitan, who commended the Institute’s Governing Board for the honour, noted that he had led BOI to successfully raised about $ 3 billion from the international market over the last three years, including $750 million

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

syndicated medium- term loan for the bank in 2018, working with Africa Export Import Bank (AFREXIMBank), One Billion Euro syndicated loan with 24 financial institutions and investors in March, 2020, at the onset of Covid-19 lockdown and conclusion of a $1 Billion syndicated loan, working with 64 financial institutions and investors in the international market. The BOI is enjoining tremendous support from the Ministry of Finance

O F

and Central Bank of Nigeria.

We have a lot more to achieve for over 40 million micro industries in Nigeria. We have recognized the urgent need for specialized investment banking and we shall encourage the beneficiaries of our Bank loan to seek quotation on the securities exchanges. We shall offer concessionary rates to support and also seek patience capital from government to enhance the growth of our Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, “ Pitan said.

1 4 / 0 7 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

40

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S DAY

MARKET NEWS 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

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 13Jul-2021, unless otherwise stated.

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 155.23 156.77 -4.05% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.81% Nigeria International Debt Fund 317.23 317.23 -21.37% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 111.40 111.40 -0.62% 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 N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.95% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.24 3.41 -4.51% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 3.32% Anchoria Equity Fund 133.88 135.41 0.65% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.09 1.09 -17.79% 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 N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Eurobond Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 105.14 105.14 3.37% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.98 1.98 -15.52% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.07 2.11 -14.56% mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.78% Paramount Equity Fund 16.41 16.72 2.63% Women's Investment Fund 135.92 137.49 2.13% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) N/A N/A CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 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 100.00 100.00 5.04% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 3.62% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,147.22 1,160.41 -0.52% 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 1,387.33 1,387.33 11.21% FBN Balanced Fund 189.90 191.21 1.18% FBN Halal Fund 111.12 111.12 8.22% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.20% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

126.07 156.28

126.07 3.52% 158.44 3.37% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price 3,670.61 3,358.16 100.00

Offer Price 3,721.74 3,358.16 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn -1.99% 2.50% 5.57%

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.26% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.88 2.94 0.74% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 151.32 151.59 -2.69% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.27 1.31 0.82% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.09 1.09 0.36% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.41 1.43 3.47% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,134.12 1,134.12 4.51% 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 11.40 11.45 8.87% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 8.29% 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 1.64 1.66 7.28% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.52 11.57 -5.03% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.72% PACAM Equity Fund 1.63 1.64 2.72% PACAM EuroBond Fund 112.15 113.83 2.02% 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 132.74 135.02 8.56% 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 1.00 1.00 10.09% 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 3,251.39 3,283.16 1.19% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 231.24 231.24 2.84% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.20 1.22 2.54% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 304.07 304.07 3.19% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 220.32 223.62 0.96% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.64% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,275.37 10,420.05 -2.09% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.26 1.26 2.93% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 114.75 114.75 3.30% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 102.22 102.22 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.29 1.31 0.88% United Capital Bond Fund 1.89 1.89 3.51% United Capital Equity Fund 0.86 0.88 8.11% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.47% United Capital Eurobond Fund 118.89 118.89 3.89% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.07 3.77% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.06 1.06 5.62% 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 12.88 13.00 8.56% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.15 14.28 15.84% Zenith Income Fund 24.17 24.17 0.82% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.59%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.34 51.61

10.09% 2.31%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.24 125.39 99.00 17.98 17.92

13.34 128.41 101.10 18.08 18.02

0.16% 4.24% -0.25%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.92 5.95 17.34 1.00 19.13 150.84

3.96 6.03 17.44 1.00 19.33 152.84

3.92% 4.48% 6.86% 4.83% -6.75% -31.12%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.52

13.11%

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.

THURSDAY JULY 15, 2021 • T H I S D AY

41

42

THURSDAY, ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Supreme Court Halts Ceding of 17 Oil Wells to Imo Alex Enumah in Abuja The Supreme Court yesterday restrained the federal government and its agencies from ceding 17 disputed oil wells located at Akri and Mbede communities to Imo State.

The decision was pursuant to a request by Rivers State, which is also laying claims to the ownership of the two communities where the oil wells are located.

The Rivers State Government had sued the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Attorney-General of Imo State,

praying for a declaration that the boundary between Rivers and Imo states, as delineated on the Nigeria administrative map 10, 11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing similar delineations are inaccurate, incorrect and do not represent the legitimate and lawful boundaries between Rivers and Imo states.

However, pending the hearing of the substantive suit, Rivers, in an application, had prayed the court for an order of injunction restraining the federal government from surrendering the oil wells to Imo State, a request which

was accordingly granted.

Delivering ruling in the ex-parte application argued by Mr. Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) in the apex court chambers, the court restrained the AGF and the AG of Imo State from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed 17 oil wells till the ownership disputes surrounding them are resolved.

The apex court also barred the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and the Fiscal Commission, (RMAFC), and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation from approving, implementing, or

giving effect in any manner to a letter from the RMAFC office, with reference number RMC/O&G/47/1/264 of July 1, 2021, which cancelled the equal sharing of proceeds from the 17 oil wells by Rivers and Imo states.

The apex court subsequently fixed September 21, 2021, for hearing of the substantive matter.

The plaintiff in the main suit is seeking a declaration that as far as Nigeria's administrative map 10,11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing similar delineations relate to the boundaries

between Rivers and Imo states, the maps are unlawful and void, cannot be relied on to determine the extent of the territorial governmental jurisdiction of Rivers State and to determine the revenue accruing to Rivers State from the Federation Account, including the application of the principle of derivation and other revenue allocation principles as contained in 1999 Constitution.

It called on the Supreme Court to declare that the correct instrument maps and documents to be relied on determining the boundary

BUILDING HOME FRONT… L-R: Wife of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat; governor’s wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; and the Chief Imam of Lagos State, Sheikh Sulaimon Olanrewaju Abou-Nola, at a one-day seminar for Muslim sisters on successful home and nation-building in Lagos…yesterday

between Rivers and Imo States, are those used by the plaintiff in delineating the boundary line between the two states.

The plaintiff also sought a declaration that all the oil wells within Akri and Mbede communities are wrongly attributed to Imo State and that they are all oil wells within the territory of Rivers State and form part of Rivers State and that it is only Rivers State is entitled to receive the full allocation of the distributable revenue from the oil wells on the basis of the 13 per cent derivation as contained under section 162 of the 1999 Constitution.

Rivers State, therefore, sought an order of mandatory injunction directing the AGF to calculate, to its satisfaction, and refund to it all revenue that have been wrongly attributed to or paid to Imo State on account of the limit or extent of their territories, including earnings due to it from revenue derived from Akri and Mbede oil wells.

The plaintiff also sought an order of injunction directing the AGF to withdraw from circulation the administrative map 10,11 and 12th editions and to refrain from relying on any of the maps to determine the boundary between Rivers and Imo states.

Rivers State also applied for another order of mandatory injunction directing the AGF to produce an administrative map bearing the correct boundary between the two states.

A sum of N500,000,000 was also sought as the cost of prosecuting the case.

Oil Production Dips by 56.5m Barrels in Six Months

APC, PDP SENATORS RALLY TO PASS E-TRANSMISSION OF ELECTION RESULTS

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

that with the mounting clamour by the public for electronic transmission of election results, the opposition to it has begun to fizzle out as the federal lawmakers were said to have ended their weeks of partisan bickering to endorse the electronic transmission of results.

Ahead of the consideration of the bill today, THISDAY gathered that caucuses of the Senate met yesterday to agree on what their position should be.

The report on the bill was submitted at yesterday's plenary by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Kabiru Gaya.

Shortly after the upper chamber rose from plenary, a meeting of the South-south caucus was held at Senate Committee Room 001 where senators across party divide agreed that the clause for the electronic transmission of election results as stipulated in the report should be sustained.

THISDAY learnt that the caucus resolved to push for the retention of Clause 52(1-3), which makes provision for electronic transmission of election results as contained in the report submitted to the Senate.

The South-east, North-central

Nigeria's crude oil production dipped by a cumulative 56.559 million barrels in the first six months of 2021 compared with the quantity pumped during the same period last year, documents from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), detailing activities in the oil sector have revealed.

The latest data released by the industry regulator, which was obtained by THISDAY yesterday, showed that while the total quantity of crude oil, including condensates drilled between January and June was 307.794 million barrels, during the same period last year, 364.354 million barrels were produced.

The shortage of 56.559 million barrels may not be unconnected with the dynamics of the international market and the quota allocated to the country by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which it did not fully comply with until around the first quarter of 2021.

The international oil cartel had activated its Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) agreement in April last year after the historic decline in oil prices induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The country was producing roughly two million barrels per day before the near collapse of the oil market.

But despite the curbs, Nigeria

and a few members pumped above their OPEC quota for months, before bringing down its crude oil production in the first quarter of the year to fully comply with its cap, which may have partly accounted for the lower production figures in the first half of 2021.

Earlier this year, while explaining why Nigeria couldn’t fully comply initially, Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, had said Nigeria needed time to meet its obligations and face some bottlenecks. He added that the obligations had been fully met.

“There is a distinction between what you can do immediately and what you can do over a period of time. Sometimes, we do have technical constraints that make it impossible to meet that quota.

“You may have seen through OPEC conversations that in some months we actually under-produced. Put on balance, Nigeria has completely complied with our obligations to OPEC,” he said.

In addition, the DPR document showed that 34 terminals/ streams produced the entire oil and condensates for the federal government and its joint partners for both years, although Aje, one of the oil facilities, only produced crude oil, with zero condensates for the year.

For the two years, there was

no oil drilled from Atala, which hitherto belonged to Bayelsa, which was recently revoked by the federal government for non-performance and the Anambra basin.

Other terminals which contributed to Nigeria's oil production for the period were Bonny, Brass, Qua Iboe, Forcados, Escravos, Odudu, Tulja-Okwuibome, Okoro, Asaramatoru, Otakpipo and Antan.

Other terminals where oil was extracted included Okono, Yoho, Okwori, Ebok, Bonga, ERHA, Usan, Egina, Oyo, Abo, Pennington, Ukpokiti, Ugo Ocha, Sea Eagle, Anyala Madu, Agbami, Akpo and Ajapa. Ima did not produce any condensate in 2021.

Still on 2021 data, total production recorded in January was approximately 53 million barrels, it was 49.3 million barrels in February, while in March, cumulative production was 54.2 million barrels.

Similarly, in April, Nigeria drilled 50.611 barrels of oil, in May it was 51.438 million barrels, while in June, Nigeria recorded the lowest quantity of production of oil and condensates of 49.18 million barrels.

A further breakdown indicated that the daily average of liquids produced, including condensates for January was 1.711 million barrels per day, it rose to 1.760 million barrels per day in February, the country

produced an average of 1.748 million barrels per day in March as well as 1.687 million barrels per day in April.

While the OPEC quota does not include condensates as actual oil production ranged between 1,400 barrels per day to 1.554 bpd in May average combined production was 1.659 barrels before reducing to 1.639 barrels per day in June this year.

NNPC documents had earlier revealed that Nigeria lost at least 52 million barrels of crude oil between May and December 2020 to the compulsory supply cuts imposed by OPEC. On Monday, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, during a briefing in Abuja to mark the country’s 50th anniversary as a member of OPEC, had said that rationing production was the right thing to do at the moment.

The minister explained that apportioning quotas has not hurt the country’s production, noting that if not because of the cartel’s intervention, the price of crude oil, which fell into the negative territory around April last year would still be low.

Sylva stated that the 1.554 million barrels per day, which was allocated to Nigeria for June, excluded condensates, stressing that as of today Nigeria has fully complied without exceeding the total allocated to the country since the OPEC member countries agreed to cut production.

and North-east caucuses were said to be meeting at different venues to also take a position on the amendment bill.

Feelers from their meetings, however, showed that senators from the areas were not planning to upset the applecart on the endorsement of electronic transmission of results, despite the initial opposition of some of them.

Clause 52 of the bill, which was submitted to Senate and sighted by THISDAY, states: "52(1) Voting at an election under this bill shall be by open secret ballot. "(2) Voting at an election under this bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the commission, which may include electronic voting.

(3) The commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable."

At the submission of the report to the Senate yesterday by Gaya, President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, accused Nigerians of embarking on ‘calculated blackmail’ against the leadership of the National Assembly over the bill.

He said he received in one day 900 text messages accusing him of manipulating the report of the committee.

Continued on page 43

43

THURSDAY, ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE FOURTY-THREE

Sanwo-Olu,AbiodunCelebrateMedia Moguls, Osoba, Obaigbena Segun James

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday joined eminent Nigerians to celebrate the Chairman of THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, on the occasion of his 62nd birthday yesterday.

Sanwo-Olu and his Ogun State counterpart, Prince Dapo Abiodun, also congratulated another media mogul and a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, on his 82nd birthday celebration, which comes up today.

Sanwo-Olu described Obaigbena, a former President of Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), as a great manager of human and material resources, considering how he built THISDAY Newspapers and ARISE NEWS Channel from the startup to enviable positions in the media industry.

Sanwo-Olu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, congratulated the Duke of Owa Kingdom on his remarkable roles and contributions to the growth and development of the media industry in Nigeria.

He said Obaigbena's efforts in social and political spheres, as well as the economy in Nigeria, had positioned him as one of the most respected journalists, publishers and entrepreneurs in the country with a network of friends and associates that cut

across different parts of Africa and the world.

The governor also commended Obaigbena for his visionary and adventurous leadership style and positioning of two major media organisations - THISDAY Newspapers and ARISE NEWS, to provide a strong platform for informing, educating and entertaining Nigerians about various events in the country and the world at large.

He also felicitated with family, friends and associates of Obaigbena, as well as the media industry, especially THISDAY Newspapers and ARISE NEWS on the 62nd birthday of the media mogul.

Sanwo-Olu, in a separate statement by Akosile, also described Osoba as a democrat and a good ambassador of the

It stated that complainants who may be dissatisfied with the decisions of the Media Group's Internal Ombudsman could always appeal to a committee of the NPO on such issues.

Komolafe, who is also a member of the Editorial Board of the newspaper and writes a weekly column, The Horizon, will in his new role work with editorial staff and other professionals to investigate and respond to complaints from the public on media content as well as enhance the credibility of news from the two organisations.

Komolafe made his mark in journalism as a labour reporter and has in his career spanning over three decades held various editorial positions at The Guardian, The News and Concord.

He is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and a former secretary of the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union

"Aremo Osoba's selling point is not only in politics but journalism, his chosen profession. He made remarkable contributions to the media industry as a respected journalist and media manager. He used the power of the press to influence positive changes in the country’s social and political landscape as a reporter, editor and managing director in different media organisations," he said.

Abiodun Celebrates Osoba at 82 Abiodun extolled the virtues of a former governor of the state and frontline leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Olusegun Osoba,

describing him as a model in exemplary leadership and service to fatherland.

Abiodun, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kunle Somorin, also felicitated with Osoba on the occasion of his 82nd birthday anniversary.

According to him, Osoba is an iconic personality who has etched his name in journalism, politics and governance and would continue to be a reference point for current and successor generations in the country.

The governor saluted Osoba's patriotic exploits and commitment to a united, prosperous and peaceful Nigeria.

He said: "I once expressed my great reverence and profound appreciation for your uncommon pedigree as

a thoroughbred reporter, editor, administrator, astute politician and statesman. I still hold such a notion about you and will forever do.

"In the political firmament of our dear state, and even nationally, Aremo Olusegun Osoba is a towering figure.

Although a celebrated journalist, who served as governor from 1992 to 1993 and from 1999 to 2003, our leader has also been instrumental in the emergence of successor governors and many outstanding leaders in the state, including my humble self.

"Therefore, on behalf of the good people of Ogun State, my family, political associates, party stalwarts and faithful, I wish you many happy returns in good health, sound mind and immense joy."

APC, PDP SENATORS RALLY TO PASS E-TRANSMISSION OF ELECTION RESULTS He, however, advised Nigerians to lobby their senators on whatever input they have on the bill, which is to be considered and possibly passed today.

Lawan accused those he called mischief-makers bent on blackmailing the leadership of the National Assembly of sponsoring the allegation that the leadership of the National Assembly manipulated the contents of the bill.

He said: "On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, there are various accusations,

THISDAY/ARISE GROUP APPOINTS KOMOLAFE AS OMBUDSMAN, PUBLIC PROTECTOR

Komolafe

ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

He commended Osoba for his commitment to public service, describing the renowned journalist and politician as an epitome of honesty, dedication and service, who used his elevated positions for improvement of the people in his spheres of influence.

"Chief Olusegun Osoba is a true democrat and member of the progressive camp, who has been playing active roles in party politics and governance in Nigeria. He was one of the performing governors who delivered dividends of democracy to the populace during the days of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the South-West.

of Journalists (NUJ) and a member of its National Executive Council.

He was also on the governing council of the National Human Rights Commission.

His appointment is coming amid moves by the federal government to clamp down on the media through the amendment of the National Broadcasting Act and Nigerian Press Council Act that aimed to introduce a tough operational regime for media entrepreneurs and journalists.

insinuations that the leadership of the Senate, some time, the leadership of the National Assembly had tampered with the report of the committee on INEC of both chambers.

"Some of those accusing the leadership of the National Assembly and misinforming innocent people are simply mischievous and rabblerousers."

Lawan urged Nigerians to lobby lawmakers on any aspect of the bill they feel strongly about, insisting that the National Assembly would do only what is right when it eventually considers the bill.

He said: "If anybody feels very strongly about anything, lobby distinguished senators to canvass your position, rather than blackmail our leadership."

He stated that the attempts by some people to blackmail the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives resulted in the publication of his phone number and that of the House Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, on various online platforms.

This, he added, resulted in the invasion of his privacy with him receiving over 900 messages accusing him of manipulating the contents

of the amendment bill.

"My telephone line and that of the honourable speaker were published. In one day, I received over 900 messages saying we have manipulated this, we didn’t. We will do what is right, we have our procedures and lobbying is part of democracy,” he said.

He added that the National Assembly can only consider aspects of the amendment bill contained in the committee’s report.

"This is the first time this report is laid here. This is the decision of the Committee on INEC and, therefore, whatever will be discussed or considered about the Electoral Act Amendment Bill will be on the basis of what has been presented to the Senate here," Lawan said.

The House of Representatives also received the report on the electoral bill.

The report was laid by the Chairman of the Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Aisha Dukku (APC Gombe).

Presenting the report, she said: "That the House do receive the report of the Committee on Electoral Matters on a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Electoral Act No. 6,

2010 and Enact the Electoral Act 2021, to regulate the conduct of federal, state and area councils in the Federal Capital Territory elections; and for Related Matters."

The House is expected to consider the clauses of the bill today for possible passage, before lawmakers vacate for their summer holiday.

Gbajabiamila had promised during the consideration of the report on the Petroleum Industry Bill, the penultimate week that the lawmakers would pass the electoral bill into law before proceeding on their annual vacation.

PDP Urges N’Assembly to Vote in National Interest Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday called on senators and members of the House of Representatives to shun partisanship and vote in the national interest on Section 50 (2) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, to legalise electronic transmission of results.

The party said it had learnt

FG APPROVES N309.9BN ROAD CONTRACT FOR DANGOTE AS TAX CREDIT prevention of mother to child transmission and also without routine tests that will be done on people who may have absolutely no symptom at all but are carrying HIV virus. So, these test kits we are procuring and we're also including those test kits that can also detect syphilis.

Syphilis, as you all know, is

another sexually transmitted disease. So, this memo was presented today and passed

by Council," he added.

Minister of Power, Mamman Sale, on his part, said his ministry presented three memos which were all approved.

He said: “One is for the construction of 45 km Offafa-

Umuahia Transmission Line in Abia State, in the sum of $170,465 plus N814.1m. The second one is the construction of 150 33 132 33 1by 60 substation at Obajana with line base extension at Lokoja in the sum of N259.9m.

“The last one is the construction, design, and

supply of 2 by 50 MVA 132 33 substations at Ikom with 2 by 132 line base transmission at Calabar, Cross River State.

It also includes the design and construction of 220 km Calabar-Ikom 132 Cable Double Circuit Transmission Line. The amount is $39.9m plus N9.5 billion.”

ZENITH REAFFIRMS LEADERSHIP WITH BEST COMMERCIAL BANK AWARD with contributions from some of the world’s most well-respected economists and theorists as well as consultants in government think-tanks and the World Economic Forum.

This award comes in the wake of other awards and recognitions received by the bank in recent times for its track record of excellent performance and commitment to global best practices.

Zenith Bank was voted as Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker's Bank of the

Year Awards 2020; Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World's Best Banks Awards 2020 and 2021, and Best Corporate Governance 'Financial Services' Africa 2020 and 2021 by the Ethical Boardroom.

Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, and Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the "2021 Top 1000 World

Banks" Ranking by The Banker Magazine.

The bank was also recognised as Bank of the Decade (People's Choice) at the THISDAY Awards 2020, Retail Bank of the year at the 2020 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards, and Best Company in Promotion of Good Health and Well-Being as well as Best Company in Promotion of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility (SERAS)

Awards 2020.

Zenith Bank has continued to distinguish itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service offering, unique customer experience and sound financial indices.

The bank has remained a clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions.

of plots by certain interests to reject the electronic transfer of results by both chambers of the National Assembly today.

The PDP, in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said every Nigerian, particularly the federal lawmakers, should work on improving the electoral process in order to engender free, fair, transparent and credible elections.

According to it, there is no part of Nigeria or any local government headquarters that communication network does not exist and function, to warrant the exclusion of electronic transmission of election results from the law.

It said: "It is imperative to add that with the technology proposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), even where the network is slow, it does not stop the transmission process from arriving at the collation centre."

The PDP urged the lawmakers not to allow themselves to be swayed by anyone or any interest bent on conducting the election in the manipulative manner as desired by undemocratic elements.

The party called on all Nigerians to remain at alert and be ready to use every legitimate means to resist the plot to strangulate the electoral process.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN NCR 0.24 2.74 WEMABANK 0.07 0.81 FTNCOCOA 0.03 0.39 NPFMFB 0.11 1,71 LASACO 0.10 1.60 TOP LOSERS NGN IKEJHOTEL 0.14 1.40 CUSTODIAN 0.40 6.10 JAPAULGOLD 0.03 0.50 MBENEIFTS 0.02 0.40 FBNHOLDINGS 0.30 7.20 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,540.00 Volume: 197.28 million shares Value: N1.92 billion Deals: 3,567 As at yesterday 14/7/2021 See details on Page 39

% 9.6 9.4 8.3 6.8 6.6 % 9.0 6.1 5.6 4.7 4.0

44

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

NEWSXTRA

Lagos Police Arrest Additional Suspects Involved in Murder of SuperTV Boss Nab 1,320 suspects, recover 110 arms Chiemelie Ezeobi The Lagos State Police Command yesterday announced the arrest of additional suspects in connection to the murder of SuperTV boss,

Mr. Usifo Ataga.

The state police command has also disclosed that it has established a case of conspiracy in Ataga’s death involving the prime suspect, 21-year-old Chidinma Ojukwu and

Govs Approve Common Template for Implementation of Executive Order 10 Chuks Okocha in Abuja The 36 states governors yesterday approved a template for the implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order 10 and financial autonomy for the state legislatures and judiciaries.

At the end of its meeting yesterday, the governors in a communique signed by the chairman of the forum and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said that they have approved a common template for the implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASUN) on the implementation of financial

autonomy for the state legislature and judiciary.

The governors said that the template was developed following a meeting of the State Attorneys General and Commissioners of Finance which held on June 25, 2021 at the directive of the Forum.

Also, the communique said that the governors expressed concern on the certain clauses of the amended Nigerian Postal Service Bill, 2021 and Stamp Duties Collection approved by the Senate The amendment of the bill seeks to remove the powers to administer and collect stamp duties from the relevant tax authorities (Federal Inland Revenue Service or State Internal Revenue Service, depending on the nature of the transaction) to the Nigeria Postal Service.

some other persons.

It also said it arrested 1,320 suspects and recovered 110 arms between May 1 and July 13.

The state Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, disclosed these during a press briefing and parade of over a thousand suspects at the command

headquarters in Ikeja.

Although he didn’t give details on the number of suspects arrested and their connection to the murder, Odumosu said the case was progressing, adding that the police would never compromise on it.

Odumosu said: “We have

established a case of conspiracy in the murder and we have arrested more suspects.”

Given the public interest the case has garnered, the CP admonished the public that the prime suspect has her rights guaranteed by the constitution, dismissing insinuations that the police were attempting

to give her a soft landing.

Odumosu also disclosed that the police in Lagos State arrested 1,320 suspects and recovered 110 arms between May 1 and July 13.

The CP said that 125 pieces of ammunition of various calibres and eight stolen vehicles were also recovered.

WE APPRECIATE YOU…

PDP Tackles Keyamo, Insists on Matawalle’s Sack

L-R: Official of Rotary Club, Mr. Mike Effiong; Senior Technical Assistant on Media to the President, Mr. Louis Odion; official of Rotary Club, Mr. Ehi Braimah, during the presentation of a certificate of appreciation to Odion as the Guest Speaker at Rotary Seminar organised by District 9110 at the Rotary Centre, Ikeja GRA, Lagos…recently

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Two Soldiers Killed as Troops Clash with Gunmen in Enugu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said that it stood by its position that the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, should be accorded the statutory office of the state governor given the decision of Governor Bello Matawalle to vacate his office by decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party insisted that it would not be deterred by series of threats and attacks coming from the APC, including what it described as the unintelligent, hogwash and unsolicited legal opinion expressed by the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Mr. Festus Keyamo, which lacked sound legal reasoning and queried his credentials as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

The PDP in a statement by

the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan said that Keyamo faulted the PDP’s reliance on the Supreme Court’s direct interpretation of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in its judgment on Faleke v. INEC, and ended up exposing a poor knowledge of the application of the law, by stating that the judgment cannot apply in a case of defection of a governor from the party on which platform he was elected to another, particularly, a party that did not even participate in the election.

“We refer Keyamo to the definite pronouncement of the Supreme Court in that case, to the effect that it is the political party that stands for election, that votes scored in election belong to the political party and that the candidate nominated to contest at an election by his party acts only as the ‘agent’ of his party.

Arinze Gideon in Enugu Two soldiers of the Nigerian Army have been killed by unknown gunmen in Enugu State.

The latest attack came barely one week after assailants shot dead the Director General, Scientific Equipment Development Institute (SEDI), Enugu, Prof. Samuel Ndubuisi at the Centenary City Junction axis of the Enugu-Port

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Graduate Inspectors, as well as the rank and file of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have pleaded with the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Usman Alkali Baba to re-recommend their names to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for upgrade to ASP, adding that they believe that his emergence at the new IG was a blessing to them.

In a press statement issued by the group and signed by Sgt. Abdulmajeed Lukeman, the Police officers lamented that, “Since December 2015, we, the graduate Inspectors Rank and

Files passed through screening and examination and we were shortlisted for upgrading to ASP based on educational qualifications via signal CB:7510/DTD/FHQ/ ABJ/VOL 7/11 151800/06/2015.

“The examination and the screening were done by the Police authority in conjunction with Police Service Commission in various States and Zonal Commands. After the screening, 50 successful candidates were shortlisted from each state of the federation, including FCT, according to our states of origin and Local Government Areas, which made up to about 1,850.

repel Eastern Security Network (ESN) gun attack.

Nwachukwu said the group attacked the troops’ location at Iggah/Asaba checkpoint.

The statement said that two soldiers paid the supreme price during the firefight that ensued.

“Sadly, during the fire-fight that ensued, two soldiers paid the supreme price. Troops are currently on the trail of the

criminals,” the statement said.

While noting that the troops are currently on the trail of the criminals, Nwachukwu urged the public to provide useful information on the fleeing gunmen to the force.

“We assure the general public of our commitment to provide adequate security in the general area in collaboration with other security agencies.

House Investigates Alleged Lopsided Recruitment by Nigerian Navy Udora Orizu in Abuja

Police Officers Appeal to IG to Revisit 2015 Outstanding Promotion Cases

Harcourt Expressway.

The Army has since mounted a road block along the expressway to forestall future attacks on citizens in the state.

A statement by the Army Public Relations Officer, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said that the soldiers were killed on Tuesday at Adani community of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state as they tried to

The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday mandated its committee on Navy to investigate the alleged violation of Federal Character Principle by the Nigerian Navy in the 2021/2022 supplementary recruitment process of 44 candidates and recommend appropriate measures to avoid similar

constitutional violations in all future government recruitment.

The House also directed the Nigerian Navy to suspend forthwith the forthcoming pre-screening exercise for the shortlisted candidates with a view to strengthening the Federal Character law as well as to ensure better and more vigorous enforcement and implementation.

It further demanded the details

of all recruitment from 2014 to date showing the geographical spread.

The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public Importance, sponsored by Hon. Ben Rollands Igbakpa (PDP Delta).

Moving the motion, Igbakpa noted that the Nigerian Navy shortlisted 44 candidates for the recruitment exercise and have scheduled a pre-screening exercise

for the candidates before their full induction into the Nigeria Naval Service.

He said he was informed that all the successful candidates that are to report for training in 2 Batches at the Navy Basic Training School Onne, Port Harcourt, Rivers State are all from a particular part of the country which negates the Federal Character principle of all-inclusiveness, equity and fair play.

Bauchi Businessman Killed in Botched Kidnap Attempt Bandits have shot dead a 40-yearold businessman, Mr. Tasiu Tilde, after he resisted the attempt to kidnap him in Tilden Fulani area of Bauchi State.

The deceased, popularly called Mai Kemis, was in his pharmacy when gunmen attacked him on Tuesday evening.

The Police Public Relations

Officer, Bauchi State Police Command, Ahmed Wakil, confirmed the incident yesterday.

Wakil, a Superintendent of Police, said that the incident happened in the evening of Tuesday when the gunmen, whose mission was to kidnap, stormed the village shooting indiscriminately to scare people away.

“Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen stormed Tilden Fulani in Toro LGA on Tuesday. Their main mission was to kidnap their target, one Tasiu Abdulkareem Tilde, who was operating his business in the area.

According to him, they tried to take their victim away but he resisted and in the process, they

shot him in the chest several times as the gunmen escaped from the scene of the incident “A good Samaritan put a distress call through to our patrol team in the area, they immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident, but before they got there, the suspected kidnappers had fled, leaving their victim in pool of his blood.

45

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

NEWSXTRA

Gunmen Abduct Traditional Ruler, Two Pharmacists, Pastor in Kogi Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja A traditional ruler in Kogi State, the Adogu of Eganyi, Alhaji Mohammed Adembe, was on Tuesday evening kidnapped by gunmen on the Okene- Adogo road.

Also, two pharmacists were kidnapped at different locations in Okene and Kabba, respectively, while a pastor and his wife were abducted in Koton Karfe in Kogi Local Government Area of the state.

The abduction of the royal father, which was one out of many in recent

Lagos Shuts down 30 Water Factories over Substandard Practices Segun James The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) has shut down 30 water factories over substandard practices, including poor production environment and failure to comply with regulatory provisions.

This was disclosed yesterday in a statement titled, ‘LASWARCO seals 30 water factories over substandard practices.’

According to the statement, the operation took place on Tuesday.

Executive Secretary of LASWARCO, Funke Adepoju, said that the closure was carried out to protect Lagosians from consumption of unhygienic water.

time, occurred barely three days after the kidnap of the pharmacist.

The abducted pharmacist, AbdulAzeez Obajimoh, is the managing director of AZECO Pharmaceutical Company at Ozuwaya in Okene and another one in Kabba.

THISDAY investigation revealed that the abduction of Obajimoh resulted in gunshots that killed

one Habeeb Anda and injured two others before the kidnappers escaped.

A source, who spoke to journalists on phone, said the royal father was alone in his car in Okene town around 4p.m. on his way to Eganyi community, when he was abducted.

He, however, stated that the kidnappers yesterday called the

family of the monarch and demanded a ransom of N30 million for his freedom.

In the same vein, the owner of Lifted Pharmacy in Kabba, Mr. Ganiyu Moses Osimata, was said to be riding in his car back home when the kidnappers accosted abducted him.

Sources hinted that when he got

to the gate of his house waiting for the gate to be opened, one of abductors entered his car with gun and directed him to turn back and move to where the kidnappers had parked their own car.

It was learnt that Osimata was pushed out of his vehicle and dragged into the abductors’ waiting car.

“In as much as we have the mandate to ensure that operators remain in business, we also cannot fold our arms and allow infractions to fester without being addressed. The primary regulatory mandate of the Commission is to ensure that operators in the water abstraction, production, and distribution industry comply with best manufacturing procedures to safeguard the health of the people,” the statement quoted Adepoju as saying.

“The enforcement team of LASWARCO visited some water production factories in the State with on-site testing kits and the result confirmed that most of them are operating far below safety parameters”.

Lalong Signs Bills on Judiciary, ROYAL VISIT… Presidential Adviser on Aviation/Managing Director of Afri Air International Limited, Captain Shehu Usman Legislative Autonomy, Others Former Iyal (left), and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, during the visit of Emir of Kano to Afri Air International at the Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Governor of Plateau State, Hon. Simon Lalong, yesterday signed four bills into law, including those that will pave way for the implementation of legislative and judiciary autonomy, respectively.

The four bills signed into law by the governor were the State Legislative Funds Management Law, Plateau State Judiciary Funds Management Law, Plateau State Property and Land Use Charge Law and the Plateau Geographic Services Law. A statement signed by the Governor’s Director of Press

and Public Affairs, Macham Makut, confirmed the signing of the four new bills in Jos, the state capital, yesterday.

“Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 signed four bills passed by the Plateau State House of Assembly into law at the New Government House, Little Rayfield Jos. “While signing the bills into law, Governor Lalong said the new Funds Management Law for the Judiciary and Legislature will guide the implementation of the recently granted autonomy for the two arms of Government particularly in terms of financial management.

House Passes Anti-sexual Harassment Bill Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday passed for second reading a bill seeking to prohibit and punish sexual harassment of students by educators in tertiary institutions.

The bill titled: ‘Bill for an Act to make Comprehensive Provisions for the Prohibition and Punishment of Sexual

Harassment of Students by Educators in Tertiary Educational Institution; and for Related Matters,’ was sent by the Senate for House concurrence.

Presenting the bill on behalf of the Senate, the House leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa, said the proposed legislation seeks to promote ethical standards in tertiary institutions and protect students from sexual harassment by educators.

Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos…yesterday

KOLAWOLE ALLI

Three Feared Killed as Cultists Resume Supremacy Battle in Anambra David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Three persons have been allegedly killed in Awka, the Anambra State capital, as suspected cult groups resumed supremacy battle in the state.

A source said the victims were killed in Ifite, Awka South Local

Government Area, yesterday.

The suspected cult members, who carried out the operation in a tricycle, were said to have shot repeatedly into the air at the popular Aroma junction unchallenged for about 20 minutes before they moved to Ifite and carried out their mission.

The source said: “They headed

to their destination where they killed three of their victims.

“During the shooting at Aroma, residents scampered for safety, and after instilling fear in people, they now went for the mission.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said the command

PDP to Commence e-Registration of New Members August 1 Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will commence the electronic registration of new members by August 1, 2021.

Also, the Chairman of the eregistration exercise, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has stated that the e-registration exercise will make the PDP reach the desired dreams of the founding fathers by

making the party the people’s party with more Nigerians as members.

Obaseki stated this when he inaugurated a thirty seven-member state coordinators on strategy of the exercise.

The chairman charged the members not to look for what the party has done for them, but “to look towards how they will use their indigenous and individual efforts to lift the fortunes of the party.”

Obaseki has urged Nigerians to turn out massively and register with the party during its nationwide online electronic registration of members which will commence in a fortnight time.

Obaseki, who inaugurated the 37 coordinating councils for the exercise yesterday, made it clear that the party’s membership is the basis of its existence.

“We expect that we shall roll out the e-registration exercise from

COT Global Church to Hold 2021 Business Summit

Tinubu Hails Ogara at 60

The Chapel of Transfiguration Church, Ebute Ikorodu in Lagos State will hold its annual 2021 business summit on July 18, 2021, by 3p.m.

According to the organisers, this year’s summit, which is titled: ‘Rethink, Challenge and Innovate’, will have both Professor Pat Utomi from Lagos Business School and the Managing Director/CEO of

The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has lauded the contributions of former National Legal Adviser of the party, Hon. Babatunde Ogala, to democracy, good governance, social justice and rule of law on his attainment of 60 today.

Tinubu extolled the virtues of Ogala in a special statement

Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, as guest speakers respectively.

The Senior Pastor and General Overseer of the church, Pastor Femi Ogunsanya, in a statement said this year’s business summit seeks to acquaint members of the Christian fold with the ‘new normal’ ways of soaring in business in the face pandemic and difficult time.

was in the hunt of the assailants.

He said investigations were on going, adding that no arrest had been made over the matter by the police command.

Cult killings has been occuring in the state since January this year, and over 50 youths have been killed in the state capital in the last six months.

by his Media Office signed by Tunde Rahman.

The APC leader said Ogala has done excellently well in the various spheres of life he has traversed thus far.

He said in the statement: “A pro-democracy activist, democrat and prominent politician, Ogala has made tremendous contributions to good governance, social

justice and rule of law.

“As a friend, comrade and partner in the progressive struggle, I can say without hesitation that Ogala has done well in the various spheres of life he has traversed these past years.

“As a media man, he distinguished himself. As a member of the House of Representatives,

August 1, 2021. This exercise is going to be different, it is going to follow what our founding fathers wanted this party to be; it is going to follow the constitution of our party,: he noted.

According to him, “Membership of a party is the basis on which the party exists, and membership is obtained only or principally at the ward level. So this exercise is going to be conducted at the various ward levels in your state.”

he performed with distinction.

While he held sway as APC Legal Adviser, his professional knowledge and experience shone brilliantly as he helped the party in resolving many legal issues.

“His elevation to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria was therefore no surprise to anyone who has followed his legal career

46

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2021

NEWSXTRA

GTBank Named Olusanya as MD, Agbaje Remains GCEO of Parent Company Goddy Egene The Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has appointed Mrs. Miriam Olusanya, as its new managing

director (MD).

In a notification to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited yesterday, the tier one lender, which also announced the successful comple-

Senate Asks NPA, BPE, 57 Others to Refund N300bn Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday approved the 2015 report of its committee on Public Accounts which indicted 59 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government that have been asked to refund over N300 billion to Federation Account.

It also faulted the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over its non-remittance of N3.8 trillion realised from crude oil sales in 2025 alone while mandating the anti-graft agencies - Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to go after government officials responsible for diverting funds during the year under review.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday launched an online App, Eagle Eye, designed to enable easy reporting of financial crimes by members of the public.

Speaking at the event in Abuja, the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, warned against false information that could mislead the agency in its investigations.

He said the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on purveyors of misleading information.

He said informants wishing to provide verifiable tips and leads to aid its investigation are free to come under the whistle blower policy of the federal government.

“It is wrong to mislead the commission. Anybody that has malicious intent in the process of giving information to us will be dealt with according to the law”, he said.

Bawa described the App, the first by any law enforcement agency in Nigeria, as a product of ingenuity by a staff of the commission.

He described it as an application that was conceived, designed and developed by the EFCC.

ASUP Slams FG over Alleged Appointment of Five Unqualified Rectors Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) yesterday criticised the federal government over the alleged appointment of five unqualified rectors in the newly established six federal polytechnics in the country.

The National President of ASUP, Mr. Anderson Ezeibe, stated this at the 100th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association held at the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State.

He noted that the appointment of the five unqualified rectors in the newly established polytechnics was against the Polytechnic Act of 2019.

According to him, to be qualified for rectorship position, such person must be a Chief Lecturer with at least a minimum of five years in any of the polytechnics.

He said: “Recently, the federal government announced the existence of six new federal polytechnics, one in Cross River, Oyo, Plateau, Benue and Borno States.

Drama as Another PDP House Member Defects to APC Udora Orizu in Abuja A slight drama played out yesterday during plenary at the House of Representatives following the announcement by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, that Hon. Kabiru Ahmadu from Zamfara State has decided to defect from the the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

(Non-Executive Director), Mrs. Helen Bouygues (Independent Non-Executive Director), and Mr. Adebanji Adeniyi (Executive Director).

The banking subsidiary, GTBank’s Board has Mr. Ibrahim Hassan as chairman, while Olusanya is the MD and Mr. Jide Okuntola (Deputy Managing

Director). Other directors are: Mr. Olabode Agusto (Non-Executive Director), Ms. Imponi Akpofure (Independent Non-Executive Director), Mrs. Victoria Adefala (Independent Non-Executive Director), Mr. Jide Okuntola (Deputy Managing Director) and Mr. Haruna Musa (Executive Director).

According to the company, the board was reconstituted following the retirement of about four Directors.

Agbaje had on Monday said the group was excited about the opportunities the new structure had opened up, which would be turned into better value for all stakeholders.

The voluminous report had been submitted two weeks ago for the upper chamber’s consideration and approval by the Committee Chairman, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, but the Senate at plenary had asked the panel to summarise the report before consideration.

The Senate panel, for over a year, had been investigating expenditures of federal government agencies from 2015 – 2018 based on audit report by the Auditor-General for the Federation.

Presenting the report yesterday, the committee Chairman, Senator Urhoghide, disclosed that 114 MDAs were queried in the 2015 audit report, out of which 59 had their queries sustained after probe.

In the course of the investigation, Urhoghide said his panel observed across board, the incessant violation of extant rules by the MDAs.

EFCC Launches Online App for Easy Reporting of Financial Crimes Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

tion of its restructuring into a holding company structure, said Mr. Segun Agbaje would remain as the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCo), while Mr. Sola Oyinlola would be the chairman.

Other members of GTCO board are: Mrs. Cathy Echeozo

The lawmaker in his letter of defection hinged his decision to leave the party on crisis within the PDP in Zamfara State, amidst protest by the minority leadership of the House.

Reacting to the defection, the House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, said there was no crisis in Zamfara State PDP, vowing that the party will challenge the legality of the defection in court.

UNVEILING NEW BOOK… L-R: Ace musical artiste, Onyeka Owenu; Special Adviser to Governor of Ondo State on Entrepreneurship, Summy Smart Francis; the Author, Apostle Folorunso Alakija; and Resident Pastor, KICC, Maryland, Lagos, Reverend Femi Faseru, during the presentation of Alakija’s new book titled ‘Blossoming with the hands that gives the Rose,” in Lagos …recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

Burna Boy, Davido, Femi Kuti, Others to Feature as Global Citizen Holds Concert Dike Onwuamaeze International advocacy organisation, Global Citizen, has announced Global Citizen Live—a 24-hour Live broadcast with events and performances filmed across six continents to unite the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty. With performances and live events in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America, Global Citizen Live will air on ABC, ABC News Live, BBC, FX,

iHeartRadio, Hulu, YouTube, Twitter, and more on Saturday, September 25, 2021.

Global Citizen Live is part of an ongoing effort to defend the planet and defeat poverty, powered by citizens around the world who are taking action together with governments, corporations and philanthropists to make change.

Campaign calls on businesses and philanthropists to contribute resources needed to protect and restore at least one billion trees by

2022 to curb climate change; and provide meals for the more than 40 million people on the brink of starvation.

The 24-hour live broadcast event will feature artists, activists, and world leaders taking the stage at iconic locations across the globe, including: live events in Central Park in New York City, and the Champ de Mars in Paris; live-crosses from London, and Los Angeles; and performances and hosted segments from Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul

and Sydney. Additional locations and location-specific details will be announced in August.

Artists and entertainers participating in the global broadcast special include: Angelique Kidjo, Burna Boy, Davido, Femi Kuti, Tiwa Savage appearing alongside Adam Lambert, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Demi Lovato, DJ Snake, Doja Cat, Duran Duran, Ed Sheeran, H.E.R., Lizzo, Lorde, Ricky Martin, The Weeknd, Usher, and more to be announced.

Katsina, Daura Emirates Suspend Sallah Festivities over Insecurity Worried by the security challenges in their emirates, the Katsina and Daura Emirates councils in Katsina State have suspended public activities for the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir.

Activities affected are public display by horse riders (Durbar) at the palace of the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumin Usman; and that

of the Emir of Daura, Faruk Umar.

The two emirate councils, however, implored residents in the two councils to use the Sallah period in offering prayers for peace in the state and in the country.

In May, the Emir of Daura had also suspended activities marking the end of the Ramadan fast in the

emirate council, also for security reasons.

The royal father rather directed district heads to join the people in their domains to pray for peace in Nigeria.

The spokesman for the Katsina Emirate Council, Iro Bindawa, confirmed the development yesterday.

The decision of the Daura Emirate council on the suspension of public activities during the Sallah was contained in a letter addressed to the Emirate council members and the Emir’s advisers.

The letter was dated July 13, 2021 and signed by Danejin Daura, Abdulmumini Salihu, on behalf of the secretary of the council.

Membership Registration: APC Asks Committees to Return to Kwara, Ogun, Others Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed that the registration committees in Kwara, Ogun, Rivers Imo, Adamawa and Cross River States should return to their states of assignments and register all party

members who have not registered.

The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, in a statement issued yesterday said issues of bias, exclusion and segregation would not be tolerated, under any guise.

He said: “Upon the evaluation of the Report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Membership Registration and Revalidation Appeal Committee, the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) hereby directs that the state Registration Committees in Kwara,

Ogun, Rivers Imo, Adamawa and Cross River States should return to their states of assignments and register all those who, for varied reasons, may have been excluded from the registration exercise as well as others who have just taken steps to join the fold of the progressives.

47

THURSDAY, ͹ͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

Udezue Tips Nigerian Basketball Teams for Medals in Tokyo

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Former American National Basketball Association (NBA) agent, Ugo Udezue has tipped Nigeria’s men and women’s basketball teams for podium finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games starting next weekend in Japan.

Udezue whose AFA sportswear company kitted the entire Team Nigeria delegation to the Games in the Far East country said yesterday in Lagos that both D’Tigers and D’Tigress have the quality to win medals in Tokyo if there is a level-playing field.

“This is the first time we

will be having a world-calibre coach in charge of our teams,” observed the former basketball star of Coach Mike Brown who also doubles as associate coach of Golden State Warriors in the NBA. The AFA sportswear Chief Executive is further excited by the presence of young and very

skillful players in the Nigerian team.

“If you look at the teams, the oldest player is about 30… they are fresh young and very athletic. We have never really had these set of players in our fold. So I expect these qualities to place them in position to medal. So, I will be surprised if they don’t win medals in Tokyo,” he further observed of D’Tigers who defeated Team USA and Argentina in their warm up games at the weekend.

Although the team suffered heavy defeat against Australia in the early hours of yesterday, Udezue insists that other factors beyond what happens on the courts may work against the team.

“I think there will be many forces working against them (D’Tigers and D’Tigress) from the international community because Nigeria is seen as a nursery for these big nations.

“Many of these international programmes are not designed to see Africa on top of the game.

Seriously, Africa is beneficial to many people when the continent is down and they will not like to lose their hold on the continent,”observed Udezue who left his post as NBA Agent working with BDA Sports in the United States to first start an African basketball League before venturing into sports apparel business.

“I was an athlete and my experience taught me that most developed countries see Africa

as a farm for talents and it will only remain a farm as long as it is down. If Africa rises, the Europeans will lose. Where will they get their talents?”queries the former basketball agent turned entrepreneur.

He restated his position with how most Africans are helping several European and American nations remain on top of global sports.

“Look at the big countries with many championship laurels, most of their athletes are from Africa. The French football team is primarily African and they will want to remain on top by keeping Africa down,” concludes the pan Africanist who opted to name his sportswear company AFA: meaning, Africa for Africa.

...Access, Zenith, GTB Boost D’Tigers, D’Tigress with N100m

Gianluigi Donnarumma...joins PSG from Milan

Italy Goalkeeper, Donnarumma, Joins PSG on Free Transfer Paris St-Germain have completed the signing of Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on a free transfer.

The 22-year-old joins PSG after being named the player of the tournament as Italy won Euro 2020 on Sunday.

He saved two penalties as the Azzurri beat England in a shootout.

Donnarumma, who has signed a five-year deal at PSG,

TRANSFER announced earlier this week he was leaving AC Milan after his contract expired.

"I am very happy to be part of this great club," he said.

"I feel ready to take on this new challenge, and continue to grow here.

"With Paris, I want to win as much as possible and give joy to the supporters."

Donnarumma has 33 caps for Italy and has been their first-choice keeper under head coach Roberto Mancini.

He made 251 appearances for Milan in all competitions after earning his debut at the age of 16.

He played in all but one of the club's Serie A games in 2020-21, helping them finish second and securing a return to the Champions League after a seven-year absence.

Nigeria’s senior men and women’s basketball teams heading to the Olympic Games yesterday received cash boosts from three commercial banks to the tune of $200,000 (about N100million) to support their preparations and outings in Tokyo, Japan.

D’Tigers and D’Tigress are to get $100,000 each from the support from Zenith, Access and Guarantee Trust (GT) banks.

The three banks made the donation to the teams’ preparations in response to the appeal by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare for corporate organizatios to adopt the national teams.

Speaking yesterday on the gesture from the finance houses, the Sports Ministry expressed its appreciation to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who was central to the process leading to the adoption of the

high riding basketball teams.

It noted that the CBN governor had earlier supported the revitalization of the Principals’ Cup this year.

The Ministry further thanked the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Mr. Ebenezer N. Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, Managing Director/

After D’Tigers fairytale run against USA and Argentina, the Nigerian senior men’s team lost 69-108 against Australia in the early hours of Wednesday

Messi Takes 50% Pay Cut to From ‘Home’ to ‘Rome,’ Fans Enjoyed Stay at Barcelona Till 2026 Unforgettable Moments with Heineken Lionel Messi has agreed to stay at Barcelona on a deal until 2026 that includes reducing his wages to half of his previous salary.

The announcement is dependent on player departures that will allow Barca to fund the Argentina captain's wages.

Messi, 34, was a free agent after his contract - that reportedly paid him £123m a season- expired on 30 June.

He is on holiday after winning the Copa Americaand the finer details of the contract are yet to be finalised.

Re-signing Messi was the principal summer target of new chairman Joan Laporta.

Barca are also looking at a swap deal involving forward Antoine Griezmann and Atletico Madrid midfielder

Saul Niguez, with the idea of reducing the wage bill.

Fringe players such as Junior Firpo, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carles Alena have already been sold to free up budget but other big-name departures will also need to take place.

Messi had been linked with moves to Paris St-Germain and Manchester City, where he would be reunited with his former boss at Barcelona Pep Guardiola, as well as America's Major League Soccer, which he has previously considered experiencing.

Messi is Barcelona's record scorer with 672 goals and has won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, seven Copa del Reys as well as claiming the Ballon d'Or on a record six occasions.

Although most fans’ theme of ‘It’s coming Home’ later turned ‘It’s gone to Rome’, there was fun aplenty at the exclusive Heineken fan park in Lagos.

If there was one place most football fans across the globe wanted to be on Sunday, July 11, 2021, it was the magnificent Wembley Stadium to witness the UEFA EURO 2020 Final between Italy and England.

And even if as many as 60,000 fans made their ways into the stadium, it was a far cry from the millions who wanted to share in the historic moment.

However, Heineken in its usual tradition of creating engaging and exciting experiences for football fans and its loyal consumers, provided

E U R O 2 0 2 0 FA L LO U T an electrifying atmosphere befitting of a spectacle like the Euro final’.

Nigerian consumers and football fans were thrilled to have an unforgettable viewing experience at the exclusive Heineken Fan Park in Lagos during the dramatic final match.

While the build-up to the final match was characterized by uncertainties as to who would carry the day between the Azzurris and the Three Lions, fans were very sure an unforgettable viewing experience awaited them from Heineken and they were not in any way disappointed.

Heineken created even more

CEO of GT Bank, Mr. Segun Agbaje and their financial institutions for adopting the national basketball teams.

It stressed that there was still room for other corporate organizations to adopt Olympic-bound athletes and teams, the Ministry expressed confidence that the financial support has further brightened Nigeria’s chances at clinching gold in basketball.

engaging experiences for its fans with the global “Enjoy the rivalry” campaign, which aimed to encourage fans to watch alongside their rivals.

It was refreshing seeing fans in support of England sharing drinks, exchanging banters and even dancing with those in support of the Italians as advocated by Heineken with its “Enjoy the rivalry” campaign.

England set the tone for what turned to be a long but eventful night when they shot into the lead barely two minutes into the final game through Luke Shaw.

An improved and more coordinated play by the

Azzurris in the second half saw them get back into the game with the equaliser from Leonardo Bonucci in the 67th minute.

With both teams holding till the 90th minute and all through the extra time, the lottery of penalty kicks was required to determine the champion only for the second time in the history of the Euro Championship.

Unfortunately, the Three Lions failed to roar when it mattered most as three of their players, Marcus Rashford, Jando Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed their kicks thereby handing the trophy to Roberto Mancini’s side.

As fans enjoyed the match with plenty to eat and drink, they were treated to sonorous songs and ‘mad’ mixes by the two DJs on the wheels of steel, DJ Kaywise and DJ Six7sevens.

Thursday July 15, 2021

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Middle Belt Forum to Senate

“We need a Senate that will not just be a rubber-stamp; and this Senate, by doing this, has proven that they are not a rubber-stamp Senate; the senators have proven that they are ready to listen to Nigerians, and not the executive” —reaction to the Senate rejection of the controversial nomination of presidential aide, Mrs Lauretta Onochie, as national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

‘Made in Taiwan’ Police Force?

I

doubt there is any Nigerian on WhatsApp who has not watched the 86-second video clip of four policemen rummaging through a burnt station and the emotion-laden speech of one of the officers. With his name tag and service number visible, the leader of the group said, “Good morning fellow Nigerians. See what happened to us in Gujba. In Gujba there was an attack on 17 June 2021. They killed my colleagues.

They killed four. See us [that] survived today – look at how they burnt our things, look at what they burnt.” When shown an item found in the debris by one of his colleagues, he asked that it be packed for him before he continued his speech.

“Since we came for this operation in Yobe State, since December to June [today] making it seven months, no feeding, no allowance, nothing. Because of the N65,000 I am collecting in the Nigerian Police as a sergeant—N65,000, as a sergeant—I am dying in Yobe, here. Look at how they burnt our things—look at how many people have died,” and he broke down, sobbing. “Nigerians, look into our problem—we are dying, no helper. What are we serving this country for? Why? Nothing—hungry servicemen! God is there… Thank you.”

If there is any take-away from the video, it is the helplessness of the men and officers constitutionally charged with maintaining public order and safety as well as preventing, detecting, and investigating criminal activities in the country. Perhaps nothing depicts this situation better than the picture of a police station in one of the Southeast states where a notice was hung by the entrance: “This station closes by 7pm due to the current security situation in the country.”

While the inability of the police to perform satisfactorily is often blamed on acute manpower shortage, the challenge goes beyond numbers.

Unmotivated and ill-equipped, most of their personnel have become easy game for a more sophisticated world of crime. With hundreds of policemen and officers killed not in the line of duty but execution style, questions must be asked about why those who are supposed to protect the rest of us can no longer protect themselves from criminal gangs. That then accounts for why Nigeria is ranked the third most insecure nation, just two steps above Somalia at fifth by the Global Terror Index. Rather than deal with this systemic problem, we simply draft in soldiers to perform police functions of internal security in practically all the states of the federation.

What we are witnessing is the consequence of decades of neglect pertaining to recruitment, welfare, training, and equipping of the police. Last Sunday, a report in PUNCH newspaper revealed that key tracking equipment deployed by the police to go after kidnappers, bandits and terrorists has remained inactive since the beginning of the year.

Yet we expect them to perform miracles. But before I go further, it is important I explain the title of this column, taken from the warning given 35 years ago by Alozie Ogugbuaja, which went unheeded. Ogugbuaja, by the way, was head of public relations at the Lagos State Police Command in 1990’s. Young, handsome, and brilliant, Ogugbuaja remains the Gold Standard in police public relations. But an otherwise glorious career was terminated by a train of events over which he had little control.

It all started on 23rd May 1986 when a detachment of mobile policemen was invited to the campus of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, following a peaceful ‘Ango Must Go’ demonstration against their Vice Chancellor, Prof Ango Abdullahi (now chairman of Northern

T

Baba, Inspector General of Police

Elders). Under circumstances that remain unclear, the trigger-happy policemen killed four female students and injured several others. When the media reports that followed claimed there was a massacre at the campus, the embattled VC said “only four students” were killed. That triggered a nationwide student riot that went violent on some campuses, including at the then University of Ife (later Obafemi Awolowo University) where this reporter was a ‘Jambite’ (first year undergraduate).

For taking the demonstration to the prison in town and setting the captives free, our campus was subsequently closed for five months and 11 days

by General Ibrahim Babangida. On resumption, each student was required to submit a letter from their parents, promising good behaviour!

NOTE: Piece concluded on page 14

Mrs Folorunsho Alakija at 70

T

he Executive Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija is 70 today and I wish her a very happy birthday.

Ordinarily, when we plan the Annual Teens conference of our church, we begin with the speakers before identifying the theme. But in 2018, we chose the theme, “If you can dream it, you can make it happen’, before we began thinking about possible speakers. Around the period, I read an interview by Mrs Alakija on the battles she fought to secure her oil license and I felt she was the kind of person we would love to have speak to the teenagers that year.

Determined to try, I Googled and found an office contact that eventually led me to her PA with whom I began to exchange mails. At the end, Mrs Alakija accepted the request, came from Lagos with a retinue of aides (which must have cost a fortune) and the teenagers were really blessed by her presence.

Meanwhile, the only personal contact I have ever had with her was the brief handshake we exchanged on the day of the conference. No other contact before or after that day! It takes somebody passionate about making a difference in the lives of others to do what she did for people she had no relationship with, and I cannot forget that.

At the conference, Mrs Alakija defined dream not only as a cherished aspiration but also an imagination of that which one would wish to happen. She then identified three categories of dreamers. The

Mrs Folorunsho Alakija

first are the ‘wishful dreamers’ otherwise called day dreamers--people who indulge themselves in mere fantasy. We have a huge population of those people in Nigeria today. That conclusion I must state is mine, not hers! The second category she identified belongs to ‘night dreamers’ who sleep and remember that something that does not necessarily bear any semblance to the reality of their existence happened in their subconscious. Mrs Alakija then focused on the last category, comprising those she labelled ‘action dreamers’. These are people who stretch their horizon beyond every conceivable limitation. They are most often considered unrealistic, eccentric, or erratic but they know where they are going, and nothing would

Army and Lesson from Police Council

stop them from reaching their goals. The fact that we have a few of such people in Nigeria today is why we are where we are. That conclusion, I must also add, is mine!

Citing her 12-year legal battle with the federal government over OPL 216, Mrs Alakija said a certain level of tenacity is needed for those who dream big.

“Dreams motivate, inspire and improve us. Dreams are important because without them, life would be meaningless,” she told the teenagers in Abuja on 17th August 2018.

From Mrs Alakija’s life story, it is obvious that she is an ‘action dreamer’. As she celebrates her Jubilee year and joins the elite class of septuagenarians, I wish her happy birthday, long life, and good health.

May she continue to dream big.

Meanwhile, registration for the 2021 edition of the annual teens career conference with the theme, ‘A Brave New World: Who Dares, Wins!’ continues both for physical and online attendance. The speakers are Chairman, Talent City Inc, Mr Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer, MAX.NG, Mr Chinedu Azodoh and Group Managing Director (Nigeria), NewGlobe Education, Mrs Omowale David-Ashiru. Like previous editions, it will bring together teenagers from Abuja and its environs to listen to expert advice on career choices in today’s dynamic and challenging world. For details on the conference, interested teenagers should visit www. rccgteapteens.org.

he major highlight of last week’s decisions by the Police Service Commission (PSC) was not the recommendation on the promotion of certain officers as prominently reported in the media but rather the decision to seek justice for some aggrieved officers. It is a lesson that will serve the military authority that has consistently ignored court judgements on how it subverted own rules to unjustly terminate the career of 38 military officers.

Aside lifting the suspension placed on one police officer, the PSC also approved the reinstatement of 21 others and directed the promotion of some of these police officers to the next rank before the payment of their salary arrears and other entitlements.

Meanwhile, in the army, 38 officers comprising nine Major Generals, 10 Brigadier Generals, seven Colonels, 11 Lieutenant Colonels and a Major were compulsorily retired in 2016 in a controversial exercise that divided the country and led to sectional charge against the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai.

The premature retirement was premised on services rules which prescribe such on “discipline grounds i.e. serious offences”.

But the procedures for establishing what constitutes a serious offence within the armed forces begin with reporting, arraigning the officer(s) concerned, and upon conviction (if found guilty), sending the report to the Army Council. In the case of the 38 officers, none of these procedures was followed before their retirement was announced in a most cynical manner that tarnished their reputation and the army they served. Some of these officers were never queried or confronted with any allegations of misconduct while one of them was abroad, on a national assignment, when he learnt about his retirement from the media.

With the confirmation of Major General Farouk Yahaya as Chief of Army Staff by the Senate, I hope he will seek justice for the 38 officers in the manner the Police have done. I am not canvassing that those who have been out of uniform for almost five years (even though not of their making) should be brought back to the army. But they deserve honourable discharge at appropriate ranks with all their entitlements fully paid. Until justice is availed the 38 officers, the abuse of power and process that led to their premature retirement will continue to be a serious indictment on the Nigerian army.

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