www.thisdaylive.com Tuesday 23 August, 2022 Vol 27. No 9996. Price: N250
2022 NBA ANNUAL CONFERENCE...
Allege three persons committed Nigerians to $33m monthly payment for Azura power deal of electricity being generated by Power Generation Companies (GenCos), particularly the Azura power company. The committee chaired by Hon. James Faleke (APC, Lagos) also picked holes in the $33 million being paid monthly to Azura, lamenting that two or three persons might have sat down to commit Nigeria to such agreement without commensurate value for money. The federal government had signed series of agreements with Azura — namely the power pur chase agreement (PPA) on April 22, 2013, the put/call option agreement (PCOA) on October 22, 2014 and the PCOA “direct agreement” on December 18, 2014, with a clause that the federal government would “take or pay” for power generated as declared by Azura, “whether or not it is taken by the government-owned transmission company.”
The House of Representatives Committee on Finance yesterday frowned at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) officials over their inability to explain the megawatts
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At NBA Conference, Atiku, Obi, ShettimaDecry State of Nigeria, Proffer Solutions
Shekarau: Kwankwaso Betrayed My Confidence and three Accordingothers.tothe police commissioner, "When we asked who gave
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APC VP candidate: We'll create Lagos experience all over the country
PDP presidential candidate pledges to unveil draft constitutional amendments on day one LP presidential candidate says 2023 election not about tribe, religion, but competence
The Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Umar Sanda, has confirmed there were threats to the life of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara. Sanda disclosed that the command had arrested some persons in connection with the assassination plot, including a retired armourer, and one of the suspects had confessed to the crime. The police commissioner said he had expanded investigation into the murder plot. Dogara had in a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, sought the intervention of the police headquarters in the investigation into threats to his life. Speaking with journalists on Sunday, Sanda said a suspect confessed to procuring guns from the police armourers to kill Dogara
Page 5 Project (NIPP) had at the investigative hearing last week, with the Managing Director of NBET, Nnaemeka Eweluka, TCN, and Federal Inland Revenue Service, Lawmakers Knock TCN over Inability to Explain Power Generation, Summon MD Udora Orizu in Abuja
in NNPP ... PageContinued26on page 10
Police: Assassination Plot against Ex-speaker, Dogara,True Say a suspect has confessed to plan Disclose further investigation on-going Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
& REASON
TRUTH
L-R: President-elect, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau; Vice Presidential Candidate, All Progressives Congress, Senator Kashim Shettima; President, NBA, Olumide Akpata; Chairman, Technical Committee on Conference Planning, Tobenna Erojikwe; Guest Speaker, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Presidential Candidate, PDP, Atiku Abubakar; Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki; Presidential Candidate, Social Democratic Party, Mr. Adewole Adebayo, and Presidential Candidate, Labour Party, Peter Obi, during the opening ceremony of 2022 NBA Annual Conference in Lagos... yesterday
The Committee currently investigating the proposed sale of the Nigerian Integrated Power Talks with Airlines over Trapped Funds...
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NEWSGroup News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580
and other inmates are respected in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act and the "NigerianConstitution.lawyersshould apply the provisions of the Anti- torture Act 2017, to end the torture of suspects and other people in Nigeria. Let the police and other law enforcement officers be made to know that the penalty for subjecting suspects to torture is 25 years imprisonment and that officers who torture suspects to death are liable to be tried for murder.“Inaddition to the prosecution of torturers the victims of torture are entitled to sue for monetary compensation. State AttorneysGeneral should ensure that the prosecution of criminal offences in all courts is conducted by legal practitioners in line with the provision of Section 106 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws applicable in the States. “Other states should emulate Delta and Kano States which have cancelled the prosecution of criminal cases by police officers who are not legal practitioners.”
Emirates Airlines last week announced that it would stop all scheduled operations to Nigeria from September 1, 2022, if no ac tion was taken by government to address airline’s revenues which it had been unable to repatriate, that have risen to about $95 million. There are also indications that other foreign airlines might review their operations to Nigeria over their inability to repatriate their earnings from the country.
“The law has also made provi sion for legal representation of suspects in police stations, bail for suspects and humane treatment of detained suspects.
On delayed commencement of flight operations at the new Lagos terminal, the minister said there was need to first test-run the facility and be extremely certain that the equipment was working optimally before the terminal would be put to use."Iwas here 40 years ago when the first terminal was commis sioned. There is a time between the commissioning of an airport and when the airport becomes operational. You know aviation is unforgiven of any mistake. So we need to test-run and be extremely certain that every equipment is working optimally," Mohammed said.
L-R: The Onilekki of Lekki Town, His Royal Majesty, Oba Olumuyiwa Ogunbekun; Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ọjájá II); Global Peace Ambassador and founder, Art of Living Foundation, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; and former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, at the Culture Festival 2022 organised by Art of Living Nigeria at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos…. on Sunday Buhari, AGF, Others Dragged to Court over Alleged Unlawful Interference in NDDC
The minister said the Chinese loan used to facilitate the building of the new terminal would be paid back, adding that the major chal lenge in Nigeria was that its tax to GDP ratio was so low because most Nigerians don't pay tax. He, however, appealed to Nigerians to help government by paying their taxes, so that there would be reduction in the deficit the country was experiencing.
The new International Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was not built to replace Terminal 1, but to Begins Talks with Airlines over Trapped Funds
FG
complement it. With this, passengers would be able to check in at one terminal and board at the other. Mohammed also said this was the first terminal added to the original terminal since it was built some 40 years ago. "The Terminal 2 Project started in 2013 and was completed by the present administration in 2022, under a bilateral agreement with the People's Republic of China. The terminal, which has state-of-the art facilities and fittings, has the capacity to process 14 million passengers per annum. "There is a whole new ex perience in terms of aesthetics, comfort, free trolley services, hotel and premium lounges, friendly customer services and free wifi. Over 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities have been created in the news terminal," he added. Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), Rabiu Yadudu said FAAN would rather take its time than start flight operations at the new airport on wrong footing, adding that this does not mean nothing was being done. He said from the September 1, 2022, five more airlines had been scheduled to start operations in the new international terminal. Yadudu said a lot of integration has to be done and more than eight airlines have shown interest in starting operations at the new terminal, but five would start from September 1. "There is a connecting area with the old terminal where passengers will move from one terminal to the other. We need the aircraft to be able to park at one side. “The second part is that FAAN is working with the federal gov ernment to ensure the clearing of obstruction so that there will be accessibility for the planes to park in that area. Also speaking after the tour, the Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu refuted reports that the authority has increased landing and parking fees. "I am not aware and I have not authorised any charge increase. The truth of the matter is that the last time NCAA increased its charges was 10 years ago. If we were charg ing N5, 000 10 years ago and we are still charging same amount, it means we are not recovering our"Wecosts.are providing services and subsidising it. We understand the difficulties facing the industry now, but going forward, we have to sit down and review it because NCAA does not get any money from federal government. All our revenues are internally generated and we need the revenues to pro vide the appropriate services for the safety, security and efficient service delivery to the public. NCAA can also not increase any charge without having a stakeholders’ consultation," Nuhu explained.
"The NBA should direct members of the Human Rights Committee at its branches to accompany Chief Magistrates during the monthly visits to all police stations in the country.
The suit filed by an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Felix Ekengba, claiming that the respondents lacked the legal powers to interfere in the day-to-day operations of the NDDC as it's been done by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Umana. In the suit filed on August 19, the plaintiff accused the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs of unlawfully assuming the helms of affairs at the Commission, in contravention of the Plaintifflaw.in the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CS/1458/2022 therefore prayed the court for an order restraining the respondents from further interferingin the activities of the Commission. Specifically, the plaintiff wants thecourt to bar Umana from further acting as NDDC's MD or interfering with the agency's operations since he has no power under any law to do Otherso. reliefs, sought by the plaintiff in the suit filed on behalf of himself, include a declaration that by virtue of Section 4 of the1999 Constitution and Section 2 of the NDDC's Act, 2000, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry not being part of the persons mentioned in Section 2 of the NDDC's Act cannot interfere or usurp the powers of the board and management of the commis sion without an amendment to the NDDC's Act by the National Assembly.Ekengba also applied for adeclaration that the interference and intervention of the 3rd to 5th respondents, was contrary and in breach of Section 4 of the Constitu tion and Section 2 of the NDDC's Act and that any purported acts done by them are unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and shouldbe set aside. He further sought another order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd to 5th respondents from interfering, usurping, controlling or issuing directives to the manage ment and staff of the NDDC. In a 16- paragraph affidavit he deposed to in support of the suit, Ekengba who claimed to be an environmental rights activist and a legal practitioner as well as an indigene of the Niger Delta region, asserted that he was being affected by the alleged unlawful interference of the Minister in the operationsof the commission.
President Muhammadu Buhari, and four others have been dragged before a Federal High Court, Abuja, over their alleged unlawful interfer ence in the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).Thesuit brought by an aggrieved indigene of the Niger Delta region from Imo State, has President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), and Minister of Justice, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as 1st to 5th respondents respectively.
“Such visits will end the incessant arrest and detention of suspects and other people as the Magistrates are empowered to grant bail to suspects, order their release or direct that they be arraigned in appropriate courts.”
Wale Igbintade Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana has called on the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to end incessant arrest and detention of suspects and other people in the country. Falana also urged the NBA to invite the presidential candidates of the registered political parties to the 2022 annual conference and make them to commit themselves to end illegal arrest and detention of Falanacitizens.in a statement issued at the ongoing NBA Conference holding in Lagos, urged the NBA to direct members of the Human Rights Committee, in its branches to accompany Chief Magistrates during the monthly visits to all police stations in the country. He said Nigerian lawyers should apply the provisions of the Antitorture Act 2017, to end torture of suspects and other people in Nigeria.According to him, the police and other law enforcement officers should be made to know that the penalty for subjecting suspects to torture was 25 years imprisonment and that officers who torture suspects to death are liable to be tried for murder.
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The statement read: "While welcoming Nigerian lawyers to Lagos for the 2022 Annual Conference of the NBA, we are compelled to advise them to adopt urgent measures to end illegal arrest and detention of innocent citizens by the police and other law enforcement agencies.
CULTURE FESTIVAL 2022...
“In particular, we urge the 125 branches of the NBA to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which has abolished arrest and detention of citizens for civil wrong and breach of contract.
Falana urged the NBA leadership to pressurise the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to designate judges to also conduct monthly visits to the detention facilities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the ICPC, NDLEA, Customs, armed forces, State Security Service in line with the provisions of section 34 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and section 70 of the Police Establishment Act.
Illegal Detention: Falana Asks NBA to Challenge Presidential Candidates
"The President and National Officers of the NBA are official visitors to all the correctional centres in the country by virtue of section 21 of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019. The NBA leaders should visit the correctional centres regularly and ensure that the rights of convicts
Chinedu Eze
Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said relevant authorities are working towards addressing issues concerning revenue of foreign airlines that have been trapped in Nigeria, put at over $600 million. Speaking during a facility tour at the new international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, yesterday, the minister said: "On the trapped funds, I can tell you that the relevant authorities are working hard on that issue."
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, yesterday poured cold water on calls for the legalisation of artisanal illegal refineries in the Niger Delta. Kyari, who spoke on the staterun Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) described the so-called illegal refining facilities as mere cooking pots, insisting that growing demand for their official recognition were unfounded and unscientific. For years, there have been persistent calls on the government to recognise small artisanal refin ers in the Niger Delta to boost In-country fuel supply, rather than criminalising them. But Kyari stated that the legalisa tion will not work, noting instead that modular refineries should be encouraged instead of illegal bunkering and refining.
The GCEO stressed that direct stealing of the crude oil was being carried out in the region, admitting that Nigeria was losing about 700,000 barrels per day production to theft and shutdowns. However, he added that what is actually directly stolen may not exceed 200,000 bpd, with the rest losses traceable to breakdowns and shutdowns.“Sometimes, we have no choice than to shut down these facilities and it leads to production losses,” he added.
The federal government has commenced free vaccination of children below one year of age in the country with RotaVirus vaccines.Global health report showed that Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of diarrhoea disease in the world and is responsible for over 40 per cent of the infection in Speakingchildren. at the official national flag-off of Rotavirus vaccine intro duction into routine immunisation at Area 2 Primary Health Care Clinic Garki, Abuja, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said approximately 50,000 deaths occur in children under five years in Nigeria annually as a result of Rotavirus infection. He described Rotavirus as the most frequent cause of severe diarrhoea, accounting for about 215,000 of the global 525,000 under-5 mortality attributed to diarrheal diseases each year. He said Nigeria has the second highest number of deaths from rotavirus, accounting for 14 per cent of all childhood rotavirus deathsShuaibworldwide.said:"Introduction of Rotavirus vaccine is a big investment due to its substantial economic impact and number of lives that the country is going to save from the“Itintroduction.isprojected that while reducing the associated morbidity and mortality from the rotavirus infections, the rotavirus vaccine introduction has the potential to avert over 110,000 deaths over a 10-year period."
He urged parents and caregivers to take their eligible children to the nearest Primary Health Care Center for the vaccine and other routine vaccines that are in the system until their children are fully vaccinated. He maintained that Rotavirus vaccine was free, safe and effective at preventing diarrhoea disease caused by the Rotavirus.
6 TUESDAY, THISDAY NEWS
A former national chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, has said the 2023 general election would be a revolt against the misrule and bad governance of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC)-led federal government.Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting of the PDP in Ilorin on Sunday night, Baraje lamented the current state of insecurity, poor handling of the economy and hardships caused by the ruling APC government in both the state and the country at large. He said the PDP represented the hope of the masses and was in the position to rescue Kwara from retrogression and Nigeria from sinking further in 2023. He appealed to leaders of the party in the state to come together and work for the success of the party across all levels in the forthcoming general election. In his remark, the party’s senato rial candidate for Kwara Central in 2023, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, called on the leaders and members of the party to put their differences behind and unite in the interest of the party and the people.
“ Not every member of those communities are involved. In fact , it’s a very small minority of them and from our engagement with the communities, we know they are not happy with what is happening to the “Weenvironment.arejoiningthem to get rid of the criminals, other wise it’s difficult to explain why there are hundreds of illegal refineries along the pipelines,” he said. According to him, marine activi ties have subsided in the last few days, with some confidence that the results are coming in. Kyari described oil theft in the Niger Delta as massive, stating that all the pipelines have been negatively impacted, although the country is not “helpless” in its attempt to halt the menace. He reiterated that technology was being deployed in tackling the problem but assured that the challenge was not insurmountable.
“That’s why there are licences given out for modular refineries and they can produce up to 1,000 barrels to 20,000 barrels per day. Refining is a science of its own. The cooking pots you are seeing are not refineries in any sense. “There’s simply no way you can convert these cooking pots to legal refineries. It’s not possible. But modular refineries can be constructed and the NNPCL has a framework for supporting those who want to do modular refineries,” the GCEO stated. Kyari stated that it is possible to make modular refineries work, which the NNPCL will support, stating that it is important for the political leadership to back such moves.According to him, the illegal refineries have been degraded in the Niger Delta, explaining that for the host communities the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) sets aside some funds for them which he said will make sure the areas are carried along. The NNPCL boss stated that several arrests had been made by the security agencies , especially for people stealing Nigeria’s oil, pointing out that the names were being kept secret for security reasons.Kyariexplained that the criminals or thieves were many , opining that whoever is involved will be arrested without exception.
On the nature of the immunisa tion exercise, Shuaib said the vaccine would be given orally and would Former NBA Secretary General, Mr. Lawan Rabana; Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar and former President, Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, at the ongoing 2022 NBA Conference holding at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos ...yesterday
Kyari: There’s No Way Illegal Refineries Can Be Converted to Regular Facilities Says about 700,000bpd currently lost to Shut-ins and oil theft
The launch coincided with the flag off of the African Vaccination Week which is a week-long affair that improves access to basic Primary Health Care Services, routine immunisation, COVID-19 vaccination, deworming, Vitamin A supplementation, medical outreach services to our teaming rural populations.Inhisstatement at the event, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo said the introduction of the Rotavirus vaccine provides the opportunity to reduce the number of children dying every day from diarrhoea disease.Hesaid the public health impact of rotavirus vaccine introduction had been demonstrated in several countries with as much as 50 per cent deaths from diarrhoea diseases averted in Mulombosome.advised that the introduction of the vaccine should be part of a comprehensive strategy to control diarrhoea diseases with the scaling up of both preventive and treatment packages. According to him, Nigeria stands to have enormous gains from the economic impact of the introduction of free Rotavirus vaccine. The commemoration of the Afri can Vaccination Week with its team ‘Long Life for All" was intended to provide a platform to increase awareness on the importance and values of immunisation and its life saving potential. A Pediatrician and professor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. Becky Tagbo who recounted the health risk being faced by Nigerian children before the introduction the vaccine, said the prevalence of Rotavirus were as high as 70 perIncent.her remark, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ramatu Tijani said there has been a remarkable improvement in health statistics in the city, following its earlier poor rating on basic hygiene indices.
Baraje: 2023 Will Be Revolt against APC’s Misrule
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
be administered concurrently with the existing Routine Immunisation (RI) vaccines at six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks respectively. He added only children of one year and below could administered theAccordingvaccine. to the NPHCDA boss, the vaccine would be integrated with other diarrhoea preventive strategies, such as, "exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of Vitaminlife, A supplementation, handwashing, sanitation, and other key household practices, case management including the use of zinc- ORS to prevent dehydration, continued feeding, and treatment services for diarrhea and other childhood diseases."
Say initiative will avert over 110,000 child deaths in 10 years
The Kwara Central PDP chair man, Alhaji Ishiaq Owolabi, who hosted the stakeholders, urged for peace and unity, while soliciting support for the party’s candidates in next year’s elections. At the meeting, the party lead ers deliberated on relevant issues including unity of the PDP, state of governance in Kwara as well as preparation of the party for the 2023 general elections.
2022 NBA CONFERENCE... L-R:
FG Launches Free RotaVirus Vaccine against Killer Diarrhoea
TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 • THISDAY 7
Delta State Governor and VicePresidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has said Nigeria needed men and women of goodwill, who would see the various parts of the country as one in order to unite theOkowa,nation. who made the call yesterday, when he received on courtesy visit, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, and His Majesty, Dr. Benjamin Ikenchukwu, Keagborekuzi I, the Dein of Agbor Kingdom at Government House, Asaba, said the nation was in dire need of leaders, who would see the strength in the nation's diversity rather than using it to divide the country.Hesaid the visit of the Kano monarch to Delta was the kind of relationship that would help unite and bring peace to the nation and therefore called on Nigerians to see themselves as brothers irrespective of the diversity.
"So, this could be a major problem for the universities. However, in the state, we have four Universities now and they are all fully in session. We need to give priority to education, which will help to develop the minds of our people and when that is done, it becomes easier for them to have a clear understanding of what they have to do for a greater future," he stated. Earlier, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, said his visit to the state was to cement the agelong relationship between Kano and Delta State. "It is a pleasure for me to be in Delta. This is a special visit and we pray God will continue to guide and bless you as Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This visit is to develop the special relationship that exists between Kano and Delta States. Rest as sured of our support and prayers of success in your political career.
He said, "We are not particu larly surprised that the Lagos State government chose the LIRS as a pilot scheme for its ‘Speak Up’ programme because of the reforms the Subair-led management of the revenue agency had carried out internally to boost its operations and enhance the capacity of its workforce.“Undoubtedly, this initiativeshows that the activities of civil society organisations like ours are beginning to bear fruit and Nigeriais the ultimate winner.
"Let us believe in ourselves and be honest with each other and if we take that into consideration, we all know that the differences between us are less than what we share together. The talks of disunity in our nation today is something we can sit down and talk about because we have done it before and we succeeded.
The group said: "The Health Sector Reform Programme is being hurriedly packaged by Vesta Healthcare, backed by a few individuals who are utilising their close relationship with the Office of the Vice President to promote a selfish agenda for the Health Sector and undermine the efforts of Government to improve the health sector by attraction of much needed Foreign Direct Investments through Public Private Partnerships. "Unknown to the vice president, the reform proponent, Vesta Health care and Partners, are using their close relationship with the Office of the Vice President and Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to perpetrate a selfish agenda, thereby undermining all other healthcare programmes and projects, to the detriment of established institutions of government, who are genuinely mandated and saddled with the onerous responsibility of driving the healthcare mandate of the
Says
According to him, "I welcome you on behalf of the government and people of Delta State and I want to thank God that you truly found time to visit us. We are truly very excited that you found time to be in Delta to pay a condolence visit to our brother, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and also visit the Olu of Warri on his first coronation anniversary."Thisis actually the kind of relationship we look forward to in our nation, Nigeria. A relationship that builds bridges across this nation and makes us realise that we are one people in this nation. "We are very thankful for this visit because there is a need to build this bond of unity in this nation and we must truly thank you for the roles you have played in our nation Nigeria because, I know that you are a very very influential royal father in this nation." He, therefore, called for the harnessing of the experience and wisdom of traditional rulers in the country by creating statutory roles for them in view of their contributions to the growth and development of society. His words: "I am one of those who believe that our royal fathers need to be assigned even greater roles in the governance of this nation because they have a very important role to play in terms of keeping our people closely knit together.
federal government of Nigeria as contained in the existing cur rent National Health Act which is adequate and only requires full implementation."Thehastyeffort aimed at draft ing a new Health Sector Reform Programme is ill-conceived and aimed at benefitting the proponent, Vesta Healthcare, whose objective is to on the long run, be awarded the Contract for implementation of the Reform Programme.
"The call for Memoranda is an effort by whosoever is behind same, aimed at undermining the National Health Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. Who is glob ally acclaimed for Due orocess, transparency, accountability and goodThegovernance."groupfurther stated that as laudable as the terms of reference may seem, they viewed the call for memoranda for the development and implementation of a new Health Sector Reform Programme for the country as coming too late at the tail end of the current administration. "For an important reform of a sector that is on the concurrent legislative list requiring the input and endorsement of the three tiers of government; local governments and state governments legislative arms of government, as well as the National Assembly, will be counter-productive, and unwise for the following reasons."
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admitted, would not find space in the Universities because the old students need to move up for the new ones to come in.
"Before the birth of the Whistleblower Initiative, we were aware of the efforts of the LIRS management to promote accountability within the system and the importance Subair particularly attached to the welfareof his “Ourstaff.findings show that the LIRS maintained the payment of performance allowances to the staff, and doesn't joke with the prompt release of other pay including wardrobe allowances, particularly to the staff at both the legal and relationships units all geared towards enhancement of performance.
"As a traditional institution, we believe that the government cannot be blamed for everything because everyone has a role to play and I believe that with the right leadership, things will get better," the Emir of Kano said.
Group Kicks against Lack of Transparency in FG's Health Reform Drive
Okowa: Nigeria Needs Bridge-builders to Unite Nation time too to conclude exercise before
A civil society organisation, the Vanguard for Transparency and Accountability has described the recently launched Whistle-Blower Initiative of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) as an exem plary boost to the anti-corruption crusade.Italso lauded the Ayodele Subair-led LIRS management for sustaining its pace-setting records in tax management reforms in Nigeria.The President of the anticorruption crusade group, Paulycap Nnabuogor, noted in a statement that the initiative which subjects the operations of LIRS to public scrutiny would promote openness, accountability and ultimately enhance citizens' participation in governance, boosting their trust in the activities of a sensitive agency of government. Nnabuogor said the anticorruption group was convinced that the initiative was targeted at strengthening and re-invigorating frontiers in the fight against fraud and corruption and puts both the management and the staff of the agency on their toes to deliver their statutory roles in compliance with the global best practices.
8 TUESDAY, THISDAY NEWS ROYAL CALL ON THE GOVERNOR... L-R: His Eminence, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; Delta State Governor and Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the Dein of Agbor Kingdom, HRM Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi I, shortly after a courtesy call on the governor in Government House, Asaba... yesterday Group Tasks LIRS on Whistle-blower Initiative, Hails Subair-led Management on Staff Welfare
"So, working closely with our royal fathers will definitely help us in solving the problems of insecurity that we are faced with in our nation today. We look forward to a Nigeria in which we continue to see our nation as ours. Unfortunately, there are many voices that tend to divide us and we hope that in the next few years, we are able to change thisOkowanarrative."said he believed in the unity of the nation, and that, "Nigeria is stronger together and I do believe that when we learn to love ourselves and work together in the best interest of each and everyone of us, then it would be better for us. "When we begin to realise this, l am sure that we will build a much better country. It is our hope that our royal fathers will take up the challenge to begin to build the voices of hope. Because it is not good when the voices of anger tend to dominate the nation. There are many challenges right now but those of us in government cannot solve these problems alone.
The Delta Governor further ex pressed concern over the continued ASUU strike, saying it portended grave danger for the educational development of the country. "We are now beginning to hear that JAMB and the Universities are likely to face issues because of the over six months ASUU strike. If it extends into the seventh month, the implication is that those that would ordinarily have been
"So, it is our hope that we work together with our royal fathers to provide the solutions to these problems. I believe that these problems can be addressed. It may take time but Nigerians must all agree that we must collectively work together. "As we look forward to that, we believe that collective governance and the need to devolve power to the sub-national government like the state and also find prominent roles for the traditional institutions to play in the course of governance, proper management of resources; would all help to rebuild the cracks we have in Nigeria today."
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja An interest group, Concerned Patriotic Citizens of Nigeria has alleged a plot by some persons to hijack the laudable health sector reform initiative headed by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. In the petition titled: "Call for Memoranda on Health Sector Reform Programme," the group said their attention was drawn to a recent publication in some of our national dailies by an unidentified person calling for memoranda to be submitted to the Health Reform Committee.However, the group in a peti tion made available to THISDAY described the move as a hasty effort aimed at drafting a new Health Sector Reform Programme that was ill-conceived and aimed at benefitting the proponent, Vesta Healthcare, whose objective they argued was to in the long run, be awarded the contract for implementing of the reform programme.Itsaidthe call for Memoranda was an effort to, "attract patron age from innocent unsuspecting governments at the three tiers of government, and from the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and is couched in a language that suggests sinister motives, as the committee is solely invited to peruse the diagnostic report of the reform proponent." It added that in the light of the current fiscal challenges being faced by the federal government, deploy ing scarce resources for executing the activities of the Committee will further deplete the already depleted National Treasury.
"And if we are to find solutions to the challenges we have at the moment, we definitely need to have a working pact with royal fathers in this nation because, beyond being the custodians of traditions of our people, God has placed it on them to be able to pull the people together.
TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 • THISDAY 9
President Muhammadu Buhari has hailed Nigerian student, Noel Ifeanyi Alumona, who won the 2022 AFS Award for Young Global Citizens and became the first African to win the prize since its inception in 1914.
The former Borno governor added: "As Chinua Achebe said, the problem of Nigeria is purely and essentially that of leadership. Once we get the leadership function right, everything right, everything will fall into place. "In these days when others are lamented that Nigerians do not get value for the huge sum of money they are paying. At the resumed investigative hearing, the lawmakers while expressing concerns about the erratic power supply in the country, lampooned the three Directors from TCN, warning that their seats were in danger for failing to represent Nigerians.Falekewho accused the TCN officials of not being ready to tell Nigerians the truth, said the officials were trying to twist issues relating to power generation by Azura power companyAccording to him, the TCN ought to know the number of electricity megawatt consumed per day. Faleke said, "I am not confused. Transmission Company of Nigeria, first your MD took permission, ac cording to you, to see the minister rather than coming to explain to Nigerians and to clarify issues. Market operator, if I understood your earlier statement that they have not been producing up to the 450 that was signed and they have justification for not producing up to that, in that case, will you say as a Nigerian that they have violated the agreement they signed? “What you are telling Nigerians generally is that from the position you hold and being paid by tax payers, you are not representing Nigerians and that your seat is already in danger. "That is what you are telling Nigerians because you cannot even take an informed decision when it is necessary to take decisions on behalf of Nigerians. That is exactly what you have just exhibited.
Sanda stressed, "We have reached where we are in this matter due to our doggedness and resilience, if not, we would not have even known. So, it's not the way he said it and we are hoping that the citizens will give us time to complete our investigation after which we will definitely make it known to the public, Insha Allahu. “Even before now, we have informed the Force Headquarters about the matter and this issue that I am telling you about, if not because of the situation on ground, I am not supposed to tell the press until after we have completed our investigations.“Theletterindicated that we have not done anything seeing that his life has been exposed to danger, that's not how it is."
The president in a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, noted the responsiveness, kindness and sacrificial spirit of the Nigerian student, who is studying Special Education in Vanderbilt University, United States, and has already established foundations to cater for the needs of physically challenged, vulnerable and less privileged.Heextolled Alumona for his outstanding character and dedication to helping others, particularly for attracting global spotlight to Nigeria, in recognition of his vigorous campaign to end violence against women and girls through proper orientation of boys on responsible behaviour. Buhari affirmed that the student, who is an Obama Foundation Fellow, United States Institute of Peace Fellow, and United Nations Youth Assembly Delegate, was on the right side of history, channelling his energy to encouraging and supporting others, and creating a framework forThecharity.president prayed that the Almighty God will continue to lead, guide and grant Alumona wisdom to serve his country and humanity.
"In continuation of our investiga tions of the first person, he said it was someone in Tafawa Balewa, who approached him that he is looking for rifle to buy and that is what prompted him to carry that gun. When he gave us the name of the person, we went and arrested"Whenhim.we arrested him, he confessed to us that it is true that he is looking for rifle to buy, because something terrible happened to him, that his house alongside those of others were burned during the last December 2021 incident that occurred following the Baba Peter Gonto memorial anniversary. "He mentioned names of some people, including that of the former Speaker, in connection to the incident, saying, that is the reason why he is looking for rifle to kill him (Dogara), and so, we launched an investigation to that regard. One thing with human being is, if he is guilty, he would not want to admit until you use wisdom, so we have intensified our investigation.”
Sanda also spoke on the issue of missing weapons from the police armoury. He stated, "And on the missing rifle in our armoury, I directed that our armoury be audited and in the course of auditing, we discovered that apart from the two rifles we intercepted, some were not in the armoury and so we have expanded our"Nowinvestigation.thatIam talking to you, our armoury officer, who retired two years ago, was arrested day before yesterday because we have been looking for him and now he is in our custody. "We were still investigating and we saw that he has written to the IGP and is alleging that we didn't call to inform him. I can tell you, if not because of what that man said, he would not discover any statement from another person that his life is at stake."
The presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi as well as the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kassim Shettima, yesterday graced the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference (NBA-AGC) in Lagos, where they respectively decried the state of the country and spoke passionately about their plans to reset the country and address most of its socio-economic challenges. Atiku revealed that he has empanelled a committee to draft an amendment to Nigeria’s constitution that would largely address issues of structural deformities in the country. According to the former vice president, the level of disunity in Nigeria was unprecedented, lamenting the country has become more disunited today than it has ever been since 1999. On his part, Obi declared that Nigerian is presently in a mess and more disunited, pointing out that the 2023 election would not be based on tribal or religious sentiments, but on character and competence. The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria needs urgent transition from a highly insecure country to one that is secure and free from corruption.Alsospeaking, Shettima, who represented the presidential can didate of APC, Mr. Bola Tinubu, said their ticket remains the best because of their skills, capacity and past achievements in office. He urged his audience to align with the vision of the APC candidates, promising that that they would replicate the success recorded in Lagos State all over the Speakingcountry.further, Atiku expressed concern that Nigeria has never found its self in such a dire and critical situation, saying the country currently has all the negative indices as never “Todaybefore.weare more disunited as a nation. We have never experienced this level of poverty, this type of insecurity and unemployment,” Atiku declared while speaking on the theme: "Bold transitions in the 21st century as far as our country is concerned."ThePDPPresidential candidate told the conference that the draft amendments expected to address the structural defects in the country’s governance would be tabled before the National Assembly from day one for consideration and enactment intoAccordinglaw. to Atiku, “we have recognised all these negative developments in our history, what is important is how do we tackle these"Thischallenges.iswherehistory and experi ence beckons on us to make sure that we don't get it wrong at this point in time otherwise if we get it wrong, I don't know when we will ever get it right. "I have been involved in the struggle to return this country to democracy since the military days. In fact, I can even say I was even lucky to be alive because so many of my contemporaries have been killed in this struggle but by the grace of God I survived till this point in time. "In my brief introduction, I stated that there are five key areas that any leadership. Forget about the party, any leadership must confront these five issues and I enumerated them. The unity of our country is very fundamental and how we achieve the unity of our country is by making sure that we give every part of this country a sense of "Somebodybelonging. asked me how do you give every part of this country a sense of belonging, I referred them to the situation we found Nigeria in 1998 and 1999. As a party, PDP won overwhelmingly. We could go on and form our government just based on our maturity, but we decided that every political party must be part of our administration. "After we formed national unity, there was calm in the country, the issue of economy and security came in because we had a consensus, we had no problem dealing with the subsequent challenges. I believe we have had an experience, and it is that experience that I said must be brought Continuing,back.”Atiku said: "It is only when you have this sense of belonging that you will be able to deal with the issue of security before you now talk of the economy and the devolution of more powers. "I am a product of devolution of power and I know what the regional governments achieved with those powers. So, that is why I advocated for restructuring, for development of powers to the states and also the local government more resources, more of powers to the state and local"Mygovernment.fivepoints programme were based on experience, they are based on something I have seen and participated in; I am not a trial by error leader." In his presentation, part, Obi said Nigeria needs urgent transition from highly insecure country to one that is secured, from a disunited country to a united country, from corruption to a successful country and from a lawless country to a country of law and order. He stated that it was important for Nigerians, “to look at where we are today, to understand the gravity of the journey we are going to take if we are going to transit.” He added: "Nigeria has been qualified to be a failed state, we have the two or three biggest characteristics of a failed state. One is when you are no longer in charge of your territory. Today, we are among the top terrorised countries in the world. We are among the top kidnapping countries in the world, banditry have taken over part of the country and Nigerians are being killed." He said the country's challenges have gotten so bad that the 2023 election would not be about religion or tribe, but about who has the character and competence to deliver the country from its current mess. "Nigeria is in a mess. We got here simply because of the accumula tive effect of bad leadership. The coming election is not about tribe or religion but about character and competence,” Obi added. Also, Shettima said the APC has the best pair to lead the country out of its present challenges. He said: “He (Tinubu) is a city boy, I am the golden boy. In Jim Ovia's words, competence is what people are assessed by. We have mentored men who have excelled in all aspects of human endeavours. "I urged lawyers to be resolute, firm, to make bold, informed decisions not emotional decisions. Align with the vision of the APC candidates, we'll create a Lagos experience all over the country. Make informed judgment, and vote for competence, and capacity. Asiwaju is the man to beat. "When Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu became governor of Lagos State in 1999, there was only one ambulance in the service of the Lagos state government, now Lagos is earning N51 billion every month as its internally generated revenue. "Lagos is the third largest economy in Africa and the world is in transition. What is important is for a Nigerian leader of the next dispensation must be a leader who has a mastery of financial manage ment capabilities and someone who understands Nigerian psychology and someone who appreciates and understands the complexity of the Nigerian"Asiwajunation.Bola Ahmed Tinubu has established an excellent track record for performance. He has mentored men and women who are excelling in different fields of human endeavors and the world is changing and the trajectory of global growth facing Africa and Nigeria will make or mar that transition.”
Continued on page 12 TEN 10 TUESDAY, THISDAY AT NBA CONFERENCE, ATIKU, OBI, SHETTIMA DECRY STATE OF NIGERIA, PROFFER SOLUTIONS POLICE: ASSASSINATION PLOT AGAINST EX-SPEAKER, DOGARA, TRUE LAWMAKERS KNOCK TCN OVER INABILITY TO EXPLAIN POWER GENERATION, SUMMON MD Deji Elumoye in Abuja
“There are other vital questions that this committee will want to ask. When the MD is seated, we will ask. Whatever position we have found ourselves, we are just opportune amongst 200 million people." Corroborating Faleke's state ment, another member of the Committee, Hon. Taiwo Oluga said, "If it is your document and we are arguing on it, whether it is megawatts or it is in kilowatts, an agreement has been signed on behalf of Nigerians in megawatts. Now you are presenting documents to the House in kilowatts/hour. So, Mr. Chairman, I will want to say that maybe these documents, they should re-present while we expect the chief executive to come and explain to Nigerians why $33m will be paid (to Azura) every month, yet we are not getting results."
“Why you are here before us was because you evacuate the power produced by Generating Companies, not only Azura. NBET was here on Friday and they will still be here tomorrow or so. So, it is not closed. “We are only asking you from your own function as an evacuator of power, what power you have been evacuating from a 450megawwats generation company. We have not gone into other power generation companies. We have just picked one – not one. "And do you know why we are concerned? We are concerned that Nigerians are willing to set up industries but there is no power, yet we are paying huge sums of money. This is just the issue, nothing more; not witch hunting. It is not about TCN; it is about Nigeria. So, all the questions that I have for TCN, I have to reserve them until your MD is here.
The award was presented to the Nigerian student during the International Youth Day organised by the United Nations Global Communications Department, the AFS Intercultural Programs and The Youth Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Sanda added that apart from what the suspect said, he was looking for rifle to kill the former Speaker, no other suspect has corroborated his confession, saying, "we wouldn't want to tell the world that this is that and that and at the end of the day, investigation reveals a different thing. "And so, because of that, this thing is not right and the police is doing its job. We will complete our investigations and we are on it. By the grace of God, we will tell the world the outcome of the investigation once we are through with it; there is nothing to hide in it."
Responding to questions on Dogara’s petition to the IGP, the police commissioner said, "Yes, he is right, he has the right to petition the IGP, we are not saying it is wrong. But for him to say that the police did not do the needful or cautioned him that his life is in danger, we are yet to confirm the claim because it came from only one person and we have not found confirmation or corroboration that the threat from the other person is true. "So, we have handed over the investigation to experts in handling armoury and murder investigators to do the proper thing. They are the ones to tell us that the threat to kill the former Speaker as confessed by the other suspect is true. "They are the ones to tell us that so and so persons are involved and that's when we will tell the world what transpired, even the former speaker himself, we have not reached to the point where we will seek information from him as to whether he has been facing threat to his life before the incident and then we will continue with our investigation up to its completion."
Buhari Hails Nigerian Student, Alumona, forBeing First African to Win AFS Award in US Wale Igbintade
Another lawmaker, Hon. John Dyegh suggested that they submit the documents presented TCN to a consultant for a proper analysis. The TCN Directors, Mr. Victor Adewumi, Executive Director, Transmission Service Provider, Engr Edmond Eje, Director Market Operations, and Mr Ogwu Benedict, in charge of Agreement, had in their presentations said Azura was supposed to generate 450 Megawatt and most of the time its generate lower. In his ruling, Faleke summoned the Managing Director of TCN, Sule Abdulaziz, to appear before it unfailingly August 23. him the guns and he confessed he wanted to sell it, we now asked him, is it our own rifles that you want to sell and he said, yes. We arrested him and started investigating him. In the course of our investigation, he implicated one person, whom they live in the same house with.
Sanda added, "The former speaker talked about himself, one Barrister Bala Gambar, CAN Chairman Tafawa Balewa LGA, but on the confession of the other suspect, we have not gotten additional information from another person to confirm what is on ground. "For those whose houses were burnt, we know them and he is among the ones we have arrested and if he said what he said, we must investigate. We have to ask him: why would you want to kill someone, because your house was burnt?"And if we found him guilty, we will take him to court for prosecution and we will tell the world what has happened, but we will not just come out without completing our investigations to start telling the world about it. We wouldn't have said anything if not because we saw that he has made public his letter. Notwithstanding, we will continue with our investigation until we’ll get to root of the matter, Insha Allah." finding it difficult to have heroes forShementorship.said,“We are starved of heroes. Our young people do not find people to look up to anymore. Nigeria is disarray. Things are hard and getting harder by the day. “We can’t be safe when there is no rule of law. Nigerians are starved of heroes to look up to. Late Dora Akunyili and Gani Gawehimmi were heroes that Nigerians looked up to before now. Unfortunately, that era has gone. I believe that NBA is in a position to give the nation, heroes that we can look up to the lead theThenation.”speaker said it was important for everyone to speak out against injustice and tyranny even if they would be called troublemakers. She said, “a bold transition must embrace audacity and innovation. They have called me troublesome. Although, it is never enjoyable to be called troublesome. I never set out to provoke for its sake. But I refuse to silence myself for the fear of what I might inadvertently provoke. It has always been important to me to say what I believe, to call out injustice.“Federal and state security drag ging journalists to prison is tyranny. A journalist ill-treating his domestic staff is tyranny. The rape of young boys and girls is also tyranny. It is tyranny when state governments talking of Artificial Intelligence when others are talking of nanotechnology, biotechnology, we need a leader with the skills set, understanding of the global economy to shepherd us in this age. If you get one, you are getting one for free. He's the city boy, I am the golden boy. "In the history of Zenith Bank, no one, I dare say, apart from the legendary Ada Umeji, grew faster in the history of Zenith than my humble self. "I have mentored men who are excelling in different fields of human endeavour. As I said earlier, the world is watching us and the ultimate major measure of a man, as Martin Luther King said, is not where he stands. "I urge my friends here to be rational, firm and have the boldness and courage to make informed deci sions, not emotional decisions. Here we are on the threshold of making history. In the United Kingdom, a young man of Indian descent is about to become the Prime Minister," ShettimaMeanwhile,stated. in her keynote address, award-winning novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, said Nigeria was in disarray, noting that Nigerians do not have enough leaders to look up to in the current situation. According to her, Nigeria is presently in need of heroes who have the capacity to take bold decisions to save the country. She stated that young citizens were
TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 • THISDAY 11
“The physical harassment of lawyers and some judges is tyranny. The use of the law by some people to oppress the poor people is tyranny.”
AT NBA CONFERENCE, ATIKU, OBI, SHETTIMA DECRY STATE OF NIGERIA, PROFFER SOLUTIONSEnugu leads other states with N1,003.68 per litre
2023: Ndigbo
Governor urges unity, political stability in Lagos
“My experience made me think there’s something dead in us, in our society; a death of self-awareness and ability for self-criticism.
The Ndigbo, who commended efforts of the ruling All Progres sives Congress (APC) in the state, said they had continued to convince their people that anything outside of the APC would amount to a waste of vote. This is as Sanwo-Olu, has urged residents of the state to continu ously ensure that Lagos remained politically stable for continuous peace, which the state currently enjoys as the most peaceful state in LeadersNigeria. of Igbo in the state made the pledge when the governor met with leaders of the Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by its President, Chief Solomon Ogbonna, and Ohanaeze Political Forum led by its Chair man, Chief Chris Ekwilo, at the Lagos House, Marina. Ogbonna commended SanwoOlu for his support for the Ndigbo in Lagos State and assured the governor that Igbo would support his second term because he has fulfilled all the campaign promises he made in 2019 to the Igbo in Lagos State. He said: “I want to commend Governor Sanwo-Olu for his sup port for Igbo people in Lagos State. He has fulfilled all the campaign promises he made in 2019 to Igbo in Lagos. So, we must support him and APC. If we have a governor of APC in Lagos and the same party at the federal level, it will be in the interest of the Igbo people. “Our PVCs will give us the voting strength in APC. We will support Sanwo-Olu's second term in Lagos, because Sanwo-Olu is extraordinary. In 2023 elections, we will support Sanwo-Olu for second term and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for president.”
The Ndigbo in Lagos, Sunday night, declared support for the re-election of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the presidential bid of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying their decision was predicated on the fact that the governor has fulfilled all his campaign promises to them.
“We are doing everything possible to convince our people in Lagos that anything outside APC is a waste of votes. And because of the critical elections, we are facing, we have collapsed all the political groups of Ndigbo in Lagos APC into Ohanaeze Political Forum. We are going to join forces with the Ohanaeze chairman to reach out to our people in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu's second term is a done deal,” he Ekwilo,said.therefore, appreciated Sanwo-Olu’s support for Igbo people in Lagos State through the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, especially, the assistance he rendered to them during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a lot of relief materials to cushion the effect of the pandemic on the Speaking,people.Sanwo-Olu said the 2023 general election for Lagos residents, especially, the Igbo people should be about who has their best interest of the nation at heart, a person, who over the years has created opportunities without consideration for tribal interests and who has given a genuine platform for people to thrive, live and work well.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja With the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) fully halting the production and importation of Household Kerosene (HHK) mostly consumed by the country’s poor, the price of the product has skyrocketed by 80.7 per cent in the last seven months. A THISDAY analysis of the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) between January and July this year, showed that where it is available, the price of a litre of kerosene has increased from N437 in January to N790 in July. However, compared to June, the data indicated that the average retail price per litre of kerosene paid by consumers in July 2022, increased by 3.68 per cent comparedto N761.69 recorded a month earlier. Nigeria, like most parts of the world has been dealing with soaring energy prices, including diesel, jet-A1 fuel, gas, among others, except petrol which is still tightly regulated in the country. The development has now impacted most of the highly vulner able homes in the country, especially those in rural communities, who depend on kerosene as a major source of fuel for cooking. In the last couple of years, the NNPCL has completely stopped the importation of kerosene and has not able to produce any drop within the country since all its refineries are currently non-functional. In February 2022, the average retail price per litre of kerosene, according to the figures, stood at N450.66 per litre, from N437.11 in January 2022, showing an increase of 3.10 percent on month-on-month, but has now hit about 80.7 per cent since that time. But on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price per litre of the product rose by 98.76 per cent from N397.34 in July 2021. On state profile analysis, the highest average price per litre in July 2022 was recorded in Enugu with N1,003.68, followed by Ekiti with N989.58 and OsunwithOnN949.12.theother hand, the lowest price was recorded in Bayelsa with N643.06, followed by Benue withN654.76 and Rivers with N655.24. In addition, analysis by zoneshowed that the South-west recorded the highest average retail price per litre of kerosene with N900.90, followed by the South-eastwith N892.40 and North-central with N761.92, while the South-south recorded the lowest with N727.07. It further showed that the retail price per gallon of kerosene paid by consumers in July 2022 was N2,886.41, indicating an increase of 7.98 per cent from N2,673.04 in June 2022. “On a year-on-year basis, this increased by 121.60 per cent from N1,302.56 in July 2021,”it stated. Declare Support for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu’s Elections
Seven Months
“We all have a responsibility to continue to ensure that Lagos continues to remain politically stable for all of us so that we can continue to enjoy the peace that we are all experiencing. All the things we are doing are natural for us to do, because God has created us to make life better for our fellow human beings.
Segun James The South West Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has vowed to deliver the party’s presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023 general election. The caucus, which converged in Lagos, yesterday, rose from a stakeholders’ meeting with a resolve to mobilise and ensure that the presidential ambition of Tinubu was realised. Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting held at the party’s Secretariat on Acme, Ogba, Lagos, National Vice Chairman of the party, South-West, Isaac Kekemeke, said, “We will not just deliver but to deliver very impressively. Of course that gives us the responsibility to work very hard, so we have a long strategy session between the national executives’ officers and state chairmen of the party on the way forward. “We have revolved to deliver to the party to the South West a new campaign and mobilisation strat egy, a new talking point, new ways of addressing and communicating and interfacing with our women and our youths, to explain to them the need for every residence, in the southwest every citizen of the southwest every registered voter of the South-West, to do the needful by ensuring our votes are overwhelming delivered to our father and our leader in our South“ThatWest.inthe person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have committed and dedicated ourselves to the campaigns we intend to mobilise, our leaders, our youth, our students, our women and everyone in the southwest to vote APC in due cost we intend that the meeting greeting and the details will be madeEarlier,public.”National Secretary of the party, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, noted that the election was very near and they were expected to be proactive. He said, “We are working ahead of time to be proactive and to sensitise our people on the need to vote for our candidate. Luckily, for us, for the first time in recent years, we have a candidate coming from Lagos State. We have landmarks which we can point at. We are just meeting as a party to strategise and plan ahead of ourTheelections.”APCscribe, who noted that the party would showcase the achievements and capacity of Tinubu in the last over 20 years, said the party would do its best to sell its candidate and correct some of the wrong and erroneous narrativesOmisore,outside.who said Tinubu had done a lot to move Lagos State forward in all front and deserve to be elected, added, "We have to vote Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, vote APC in all elections. He is the only choice we have and that is the best we can have at this point in time. There is no alternative to it. How do you compare them?" APC South-west Stakeholders Vow to Deliver Tinubu for President
Speaking further, she said, “As long as we refuse to untangle the knot of injustice, peace cannot thrive. If we don’t talk about it, we fail to hold leaders accountable and we turn what should be transparent systems into ugly opaque cults.
“There’s need for resurrection. We cannot avoid self-criticism but criticise the government. We cannot hide our own institutional failure while demanding transparency from the government.” She also advocated for an uncorrupted judicial system and called on the NBA to leverage technology in judicial process and the administration of justice in the country. She said, “Nigerians are disil lusioned because they know of the decline of professionalism in some sections of the legal profession. As the NBA continues to fight the abuse of power, it must also look inwards not to be corrupted. “One way is to simplify legal procedure. We deny justice when we delay justice. Technology should also be used. It is time for the full use of technology in the administration of justice.”
NEWS 12 TUESDAY, THISDAY
Say anything outside APC is waste of votes
2023:
Kerosene Becoming Unaffordable for Nigeria’s Poor as Price Soars by 80.7% in
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu presented with a souvenir by President, Ohaneze Ndigbo Lagos, High Chief Solomon Ogbonna while other members look on, during a meeting with the Governor, at the Lagos House, Marina, on Sunday do not pay pensioners until they slump and die as broken people.
“There is no part of this state that one form of development is not happening. We will continue to push development in every nook and cranny of the state. This is the most peaceful state in the country. We spent so much on security to keep all of us saved on a daily basis. So, if people now come and want to divide us, we shouldn’t let that happen.
SOUVENIR FOR MR GOVERNOR...
On his part, Ekwilo, who described Sanwo-Olu as the ‘best among equals’ said Igbo people would work for the victory of Asiwaju Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu in next year's elections, noting that anything outside APC is wasted votes.
TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 • THISDAY 13
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POLITICS Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com (08033025611 SMS ONLY ) 14 THISDAY TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022
Will O to Ge Campaign Define Kwara’s Political Landscape in 2023?
Lawan Gbajabiamila
O to Ge, a Yoruba sentence, meaning enough is enough, is a political slogan of the ruling APC in Kwara state today. When the wildfire of the O to Ge movement in Kwara state spread across the 193 wards in 2019 general election and sacked the Saraki dynasty from 40 years governance and domination of the state, little did the people of the state know that the movement will collapse in no distant time in view of the present situation among the stakeholders of the movement ahead of next poll in the state.
On July 27, 2022, some members of the National Assembly across party lines, before embarking on their two months annual vacation had vowed to commence an impeach ment process against President Muhammadu Buhari over his failure to curb the worsening insecurity in the country. At the plenary that day, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Phillip Aduda, had moved a point of order seeking to discuss insecurity on the floor of the Senate but the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan, ruled him out of order. Aduda, then led his colleagues to the Senate Press Centre where he told journalists that President Buhari would be shown the way out if he failed to tackle insecurity within next sixTheweeks.issue of insecurity has been the crux of everyday discussion during plenary in both chambers of the National Assembly. The law makers had on several occasions in the past expressed fears over the worsening insecurity in the Thecountry.President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, shortly after the National Assembly vacated for the holidays, summoned the security chiefs to a marathon meeting where he described the security situation as frightening. In recent times, many Nigerians have ex pressed major concern over the deteriorating security and economic situation. Few weeks back, terrorists freed 69 Boko Haram commanders in Kuje correctional centre; attacked troops on the Bwari-Kubwa Road, Abuja, killing a captain, a lieutenant and six soldiers, and injured many oth ers, attacked a checkpoint at Zuma Rock. The reoccurring attacks led the government to immediately shut down schools in the FCT.
The amalgamation of these forces then gave a serious fight with the ruling Saraki dynasty of the Peoples Democratic Party which at the end of the day led to the sweeping of all the elective positions of both state and national assemblies by the ruling APC and crowned it with the emergence of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the 12th elected governor of the state. The desire of the movement to wrestle power from the dynasty in the state started over a long time ago and the 2019 general election saw an avenue to realize the objective as the people of the state came out to launch political war against the Saraki dynasty and its PDP and worked as a united front towards their long time objective to take over the control of the governance of the State of Harmony from Saraki dynasty.During the review of the perfor mance of the party in that election at a meeting by the stakeholders of the party, the political jargon returned and it was adopted as the campaign slogan of all the party’s candidates in the state. The gubernatorial candidate of the party, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had, in his wisdom, approved O to Ge as his own campaign slogan and others followed. Consequently, across the nooks and crannies of the state, O to Ge is in the mouths, and minds of everyone. But surprisingly, the movement cannot withstand test of time as they crashed like pack of sands into ocean within the shortest time of the administration. The cracks that started since the inauguration of the administration cannot hold themselves together again as at the time of filing this report. This unity of purpose however crashed as the division was so serious that the center cannot hold and the crisis ensued and this continued in the APC in the state during the period under review. The leadership of the party led by the governor allegedly failed to manage the success of the electoral victory and the development after a short time leading to the factionalisation in the party to the extent that, the party then has two party secretariats in the state. One faction was led by a former Chairman of the party, Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa with its state secretariat located along Flower Gardens, GRA, Ilorin with the minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as the leader and tagged it then as APC Loyal of the faction while the other state secretariat was sited at Commis sioner’s Lodge Area, GRA, Ilorin with Alhaji Abdullahi Samari as its state chairman while the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRazaq remained its leader in the state and was then tagged it as AA group in the party. Abdulrazaq Saraki
The break-away of the major stakeholders of O to Ge movement into various political groups in Kwara state ahead of 2023 general election has continued to give the leadership of the All Pro gressive Congress (APC) serious concern in the state. This development, according to political pundits, may hinder the success of the party and the re-election of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the next election.
Discordant Tunes Trail Lawmakers Move to Impeach Buhari Buhari
According to Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), nine steps are required to impeach the President. They include, “The first step made it mandatory for the National Assembly (both chambers) to send a notice of any allegation in writing alleging gross misconduct on the part of the President, to him. The notice must be signed by not less than one-third of the members of the National Assembly (both the Senate and House of Representatives) and it would be presented to the Senate President. The Senate President, in the second step, must within seven days, serve the President and each member of the National Assembly with a copy of the notice of allegation.
“The President of the country in the third step, has a right of reply (he/she does not have to reply however), and any such statement in reply to the allegation must be served on each member of the National Assembly. Step four requires that within 14 days of the presentation of the notice to the Senate President, each chamber of the National Assembly shall resolve by motion without any debate whether or not the allega tion shall be investigated. Such motion needs to be passed by at least two-thirds majority of all members of each chamber of the National Assembly.“Inthefifth step, if the motion fails to reach the two-thirds majority, the process immedi ately stops, and no further action would be taken. However, if the two-thirds majority is obtained and the motion is passed, then the Senate President will within seven days of the passing of the motion, request the Chief Justice of Nigeria to appoint a panel of seven persons who in his opinion are of unquestionable integrity to investigate the allegations.”
The latest move is however not the first time the lawmakers tried to impeach President Buhari. In 2018, Senators in the 8th Assembly were divided along political lines following a motion for the President’s impeachment. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Mathew Uroghide, moved the motion for the impeachment of Buhari over his approval and withdrawal of $496 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without the lawmakers’ consent. Buhari, had in a letter to the Senators explained that he gave an anticipatory approval to purchase of Super Tocano aircraft from the U.S government because of time constraint and a hope that the lawmakers will raise no objection. But, Uroghide had stood to condemn the act of the President. Seconding the motion, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, (Enugu-PDP) played down the justification that the President gave that he is only asking that the money should be considered as supplementary budget as the process of approv ing the main budget is still ongoing. He opined that President Buhari should be punished for the ‘impeachable offence’ he committed. But some APC senators accused the opposition Senators of conspiring to impeach Buhari. Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Ibn Na’ Allah, pleaded with the lawmakers to exercise caution in making the next move. He proposed that the issue be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters to advise on the best approach.
Udora Orizu writes that the move by some Senators and House of Representatives members to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari over worsening insecurity in the country may not be feasible as they appear to have diverse views on the issue.
Hammed Shittu writes that the collapse of O to Ge (enough is enough) movement into various political platforms in Kwara State ahead of 2023 election may affect the re-election bid of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq
Previous Moves by Lawmakers to Impeach Buhari
The Dangers of Tinubu’s Wealth Without Enterprise
TUESDAY, THISDAY 15 THE ALTERNATIVE with Reno Omokri
One of the most foolish things you can do is run after people God removed from your life. If you call and they don’t take or respond to your calls, stop running after them. Not only are you reducing your value to them, you are also refusing to see God’s Hand in it! For your peace of mind, learn to obey this rule: If you call your friend and they do not take, wait a day for them to call you back. If they don’t return your call in 24 hours, text them. If they don’t respond to your text within 24 hours, and they have not been abducted, kidnapped, or incapacitated in a hospital, you may be their friend, but they are not your friend. Nobody on Earth is that busy!
Tinubu
Reno’s Nuggets
#RenosNuggets #FreeLeahSharibu
I n this edition of #TheAlternative, I am going to x-ray a statement made by the minister of state for labour and productivity (more accurately unproductivity), Festus Keyamo, who also doubles, or majors as the spokesman for the Bola Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council.Inarecent interview to a budding media outlet, Mr. Keyamo said: “Asiwaju Tinubu is a wealth creator. He’s an expert in wealth creation and what the country badly needs now is about wealth creation. He is someone who turned around the fortunes of Lagos and the revenue of Lagos. Some people said the debt of Lagos also went up. Yes of course, debt going up is an indication that you are now credit worthy. With that heavy debt, no creditor is Well,complaining.”letusinterrogate his claims on their merit. Is Tinubu truly a wealth creator? I have proved beyond all reasonable doubt that Bola Tinubu was associated with drug money and uptill now there is no explanation from him. That is a fact. It is backed up by documentary evidence. What we know may just be the tip of the iceberg. Drug cartels are very secretive and destructive organisations. And their secrets are only known to them and intelligence agencies around the world. And that is why Bola Tinubu is a security risk. His cartel members and foreign and domestic intelligence agencies will have compromising information on him. And that means that he would be vulnerable to Thesethem. organisations may have photos, documents, recordings, and other damaging information on Mr. Tinubu, which they can use to bend him to their designs. It is just too risky to have that type of character at the helm of our affairs. A compromised President would be a puppet, a patsy, and a putty in the hands of blackmailers. No nation on Earth can afford such a number one citizen. Even the United States, perhaps the most stable democracy on Earth, could not take that risk after the Watergate incident, because President Richard Nixon had become vulnerable.Oneofthe Watergate burglars demanded blackmail money of one million dollars from Nixon, as now declassified transcripts of White House meetings reveal. At the meeting, which occurred on March 21, 1973, at the White House, Nixon had said: “On the money, if you need the money you could get that. You could get a million dollars. You could get it in cash. I know where it could be gotten. It is not easy, but it could be done. But the question is who the hell would handle it? Any ideas on that?" 12 hours after that meeting, E. Howard Hunt Jr. one of the Watergate conspirators, received $75,000 in cash. And it was that payment that made Nixon’s position untenable, because it was evidence of an attempt to obstruct justice by Nixon himself. And that was a major reason why Nixon had to go. Because he had become vulnerable. If he could be blackmailed by a bunch of burglars, imagine what could be done by foreign intelligence agencies. And what Tinubu is/was involved in is more sordid than Watergate. And a similar scenario is playing out in Serbia, where President Aleksandar Vu i is embroiled in a major scandal, of which he is accused of taking decisions contrary to Serbia’s national interests because a foreign power is aware of a crime he committed and is using that to blackmail him. And then again, it has now been exposed by declassified US cables that former Colombian President, Álvaro Uribe, had ties to drug cartels and they were able to blackmail him to take certain actions. Nigeria does not need that right now. We have too many pressing challenges that present a clear and present threat to our national well-being. We do not need to add to them the almost insurmountable issue of having a fatally flawed President who is tied to a White Heroin drug ring. Such an individual could be manipulated into taking out unfavourable loans that make Nigeria independent in name only, or to appoint other similarly fatally flawed persons into sensitive national positions. Already, around the world, when you as a Nigerian citizen bring out your green passport, you are stigmatised and given the ‘look’. You know what I mean. In long immigration lines, you are taken aside and treated as a suspect. Now, close your eyes and imagine how much worse this will get if we elect a KNOWN DRUG LORD as our President! Nigerians ought to research what happened to the Colombian passport when it was believed that their then President had ties to drug cartels.Anarmy of sheep led by a lion is treated with respect. An army of lions led by a goat is treated with disdain and scorn. That is what will happen to Nigeria if we elect a KNOWN DRUG LORD as our President. Our green passport would be red-flagged at foreign airports! Whether you want to japa, or just travel for holidays, you, as a Nigerian citizen, will pay a price you can’t afford to pay if Bola Tinubu ever emerges as our President. That Bola Tinubu is stinking rich is obvious. But what is not obvious is how he became so wealthy. What businesses does he have? He does not have a school. He does not own a hotel that he declared as his property. He denies ownership of Aphabeta, and the Lekki Concession Company. The Nation and TVC are barely breaking even. He is not featured on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s list of high profile importers. So where is his money coming from? Tinubu cannot say emilokan and then go on to behave as if ko kan wa. How did he make his money? What are his businesses? The boast he made about making millions from Mobil has been exposed as a lie, because Mobil Oil Corporation (now known as ExxonMobil) told the IRS in court documents filed by the FBI in 1992 that Tinubu’s monthly salary was just $2400. And he resigned from Mobil in 1992, after his drug forfeiture plea bargain with the US Department of Justice, to contest election as the Senator representing Lagos West.We know how much Tinubu gets as a pension from the Lagos State Government. It cannot justify the lifestyle he is living. Records from the Corporate Affairs Commission do not show him to be a significant business owner. So, where did the money from the bullion vans emanate from? Right there, we have another obvious red flag. Being rich without a known source of income is one of the hallmarks of drug cartels. And we know for a fact that Bola Tinubu was a member of a white heroin drug cartel as of 1992. And if he cannot prove the source of his wealth, then there is every reason to believe he never left that cartel! We already have unknown gunmen. We do not need unknown wealthy men. If you run a search at the Corporate Affairs Commission, you will have almost 40 businesses linked to Waziri Atiku Abubakar. You will find Peter Obi. But you won’t find Tinubu’s businesses. Where are his billions from? Bola Tinubu is the number one exponent of wealth without enterprise. Nobody can say where his money comes from. We just know that he is rich. If you ask any promoter of Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition to name his source of wealth, they get offended instead of being proud! If Evans the kidnapper, or Wadume, his co kidnapper, had never been caught, they could have been a political godfather, like Tinubu. Don’t forget that Wadume worked for the All Progressives Congress. And like them, Tinubu was caught in America, for drugTheoffences!Economic and Financial Crimes Commission goes around Southern Nigeria arresting young men living flashy lifestyles without known sources of income. Meanwhile, they are silent as Tinubu, without a known source of income, aspires to be their Commander-in-Chief! No be juju be that? If you keenly observe some of Tinubu’s interviews, you would notice clearly that the man was not just part of a white heroin cartel, he may have and still be consuming theCastproduct.yourmind to Tuesday September 11, 2018, Tinubu boasted that “I am richer than Osun state”. On that day, he looked stoned and high as a kite. But the real question is this: what business does he have that generates the revenue that makes him richer thanThatOsun?isthe million-dollar question that Festus Keyamo ought to answer. But I fear that it may be easier to resolve the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ strike faster than it is to answer such a question. In fact, this election season is really funny. Peter Obi, one the biggest importers of foreign goods for resale in Nigeria is promising to move Nigeria from consumption to production. While Tinubu, who can’t solve the mystery of his own real identity, is promising to solve Nigeria’s problems! And Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who built a school in Niger Republic with Nigerian government money (Kano state funds) at a time, while ASUU was on strike, is promising to resolve the current ASUU strike. My people, no be juju be that?
presidential assent, CASSON’s president, Professor Elizabeth Omotunde Egbochuku stated that the new law will empower CASSON
1THISDAY TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 Tuesday August 23, 2022 Vol 27. No 9994 www.thisdaylive.com opinion@thisdaylive.com
The bottom line is that based on the nation’s history of violence which has escalated in recent times, Nigerians are constantly stressed, with many exhibiting symptoms similar to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Of course, some have it worse than others but no one can escape the negative impact of living in Nigeria
T U S N See page 18
Forty-nine sitting, ninety-nine standing Them go pack themselves in like sardine Them dey faint, them dey wake like cock Them go reach house, water no dey Them go reach bed, power no dey Them go reach road, go-slow go come The bottom line is that based on the nation’s history of violence which has escalated in recent times, Nigerians are constantly stressed, with many exhibiting symptoms similar to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Of course, some have it worse than others but no one can escape the negative impact of living in helpNigeria.with stress and ubiquitous stressors? As I noted in this column two weeks ago, humour in its many varieties is a popular refuge for Nigerians. Everything is ultimately a joke in this country which is not always a good thing because the normalization of horror saps the passion and energy needed to deal with them. For decades, the churches, mosques and other religious platforms have been the most popular options for Nigerian wrestling with psychological distress. They remain hugely important. Despite the growing criticism people, the role of faith-based structures which provide identity, community and support for millions of Nigerians who have nowhere else to turn is vital. Many are far from perfect but given the current harsh realities on mental health and the absence of government in critical spaces, the situation would be much
ENOUGHODINKALUOF THE ELITE’S CONSPIRACY SONNY IROCHE urges Nigerians to be more discerning in their choices in 2023 EDITORIAL THE ECONOMY AND THE NGF PROPOSAL See page 17 See page 17
Nwabuikwu is a member of THISDAY Board CHIDI ANSELM
AKPATA AND THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP Olumide Akpata’s tenure is one of the most consequential in the leadership of the NBA, writes
“a highly trained individual who is able to with their clients to resolve personal, social, or psychological issues. They are trained to counsel clients in trauma and abuse, addictions, family, and relationship issues, problems and many more”.
Editorial
“They raped me! I was raped! They raped me!”The woman in the hijab screamed. Over and over. Each scream louder than the last, her head spinning maniacally, she was almost incoherent with grief. A few moments before, this obviously well-educated, middle-class woman had been talking animatedly about her experiences in a kidnapper’s camp after she was abducted. And then, somewhere in and disgorged its contents. And she let out awful secret of her violation. Her interviewer, a woman of about the same age – late fortyish – broke down as well. This scene, from a video clip on social media captures a fragment of the searing experience of victims caught in the awful web of the nation’s ongoing multi-dimensional and worsened under the Buhari administration. The headlines capture the numbers and some broad details – the villages and towns and local governments and states where Nigerians are attacked, brutalized, abducted and subjected to all kinds of unspeakable treatment. The names of victims, not always comprehensive, are also included in the reports. But the human toll on individual victims, their families and society at large are generally glossed over. As terrible as the experience of the lady in the video was, she is fortunate compared to thousands of other victims who remain in captivity, going through the same awful experience – or worse. Eight years after the kidnap of secondary school girls in Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram that sparked global outrage and inspired copycat abductions by other groups, such incidents and the inevitable horrors have become normalized, no longer deserving of automatic front page treatment. remain in the hands of kidnappers of various stripes but a recent report by SBM Intelligence, gives an idea of the scale of what may be described as the kidnapping sub-sector of of the report, “The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnapping Industry”, which covered the oneyear period between July 2021 and June 2022, at least 500 incidents of kidnapping occurred within that time frame, 3,420 persons were abducted in various parts of the country while 564 persons died in the course of the incidents or as a consequence of them. The kidnappers and their sponsors and associates also reaped in violence and fear. Some N6.531 billion ($9.9 million) was demanded in ransom but N653.7 million ($1.2 million) was paid as ransom for the release of captives. But the report included caveats which ”We have taken care not to include the later ransom payments for the Abuja-Kaduna train incident as most of those victims were released
16
Living in Nigeria is a trying experience, writes PAUL NWABUIKWU
The recent signing of the Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON) into law by President Buhari is one of the few bright spots in the dark sky of Nigeria’s mental health situation. The long-awaited bill should strengthen the current inadequate, largely informal architecture led by faith-based organizations, a few NGOs like the Mirabel Centre in Lagos and community platforms.
Practitioners Council of Nigeria which will regulate the counselling profession in the country, determine the standards and skills for persons seeking to qualify as counsellors and conduct relevant exams for this purpose.
A NATION MARINATING IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISES in July 2022… It was reported on 25 July, 2022 that eight Nigerian hostages parted with 100 million each, while a Pakistani hostage paid 200Whatmillion”.wasnot captured – perhaps could not be captured - was the anguish of victims like the distraught lady in the hijab, and the pain of family members, friends, neighbours and others who share the vicarious horror. The emotional scars, the constant reliving of the experience, the disruption and shredding of individual and family lives and careers are not easily amenable to statistical treatment and a graph.Lifein Nigeria, even before the current climate of casual, brutal violence, has been an ordeal for many for many years. The worsening economic environment which has left millions of citizens jobless or marooned in poorly remunerated employment, unsure of the next meal and wrestling with ever-increasing bills is a source of constant anxiety. On the social plane, navigating the intrusions of western values and lifestyle continues to be a challenge for many in relationships and marriage. The outbreaks of sectarian violence over the years, such as the Maitatsine violent disturbances in Kano in the 1980s and other horrendous reenactments in Kaduna, Jos and other parts of the north left a harvest of destruction, death and traumatized victims. Other forms of violence like the regular communal upheavals in Ebonyi, Benue and Cross River States have also left their dark imprints on communities andPoliticspsyches.has contributed its fair share. The not only by its iconic status as the “freest and fairest elections” in Nigeria’s history but the and state-sponsored violence that led to mass migrations from Lagos and other cities by Robberies and rapes have been common throughout the country’s history. It’s an old story. In the 1970s Fela captured the impact of poor infrastructure on the Lagos poor in Every day my people dey inside bus
For Africa to join the league of countries where elections are bereft of violence in the 21st century, this must become true and ingrained in our political culture. What should be of utmost importance is not to keep harping on the issues that divide us, but rather to emphasize those things which unite us, which ought to make Nigeria one of the greatest countries in the entire African continent. Essentially, at the nucleus of the organ that would ensure a harmonious coexistence of all the ethnic nationalities in the country, is JUSTICE. Without which, there shall be no enduring peace and democracy in the country.Furthermore, the issues that unite us as a people include but are not limited to the fact that Nigerians are resourceful, resilient, energetic, industrious, hardworking. We have huge youth population, rich in minerals and human resources and possess all those other attributes that ought to make any normal country great.
ENOUGH
CONSPIRACYELITE’S
Nearly 10 years ago, in September 2012, the then president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Okey Wali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was at the beginning of his tenure. With the energy of a fresh presidency, he desired to make a mission of changing the way the association did business. To begin that, he constituted a small committee to examine the operations of NBA. I chaired it. The committee took three months to conduct its work. Over that period, it consulted with a cross-section of leadership, the secretariat. The report, when it came out in January 2013, was unsparing in its diagnosis and ambitious in its vision. It said that the NBA was “severely undercapacitated, with an unclear mission, an insecure future, and hugely unrealized clear value proposition to its members. The an existential threat to the NBA….” n those days, the association was topheavy. It elected its leadership through a relatively small number of delegates, comprising the most senior and well-heeled lawyers in the country. Most of its members had good reason to feel excluded because the process by which leadership emerged number of mostly impoverished members. The association was also in a habit, as the 2013 report said, of contracting “potentially problematic relationships with politically exposed persons (PEPs) who sometimes have partisan interests in compromising an independent Bar.” Its credibility was predictably diminished and, for most members as well as the public, the NBA had become part of the Nigerian problem not part of the solution. Okey Wali’s successor, Augustine Alegeh, another SAN, who emerged against the grain of conventional calculus in 2014, did the unpopular thing among senior lawyers of re-inventing the cone of leadership legitimacy at the Nigerian Bar. Instead of entrusting this unique responsibility to a small coterie of selfserving senior lawyers, called delegates, he reformed the constitution of the Bar to return leadership selection to a system of one-lawyer-one-vote.
To make this work, the Alegeh reforms moved the NBA to a new world of digital voting. These reforms made possible the emergence of Olumide Akpata in 2020 as the president of the NBA, six years after the end of Alegeh’s tenure. There were, however, teething problems to be overcome in the interregnum between Alegeh and Akpata. Many senior lawyers felt estranged from a system that counted their votes as worth exactly the same as that of their employees. The association also did not have the data infrastructure for leadership digitally were marred quite they voted for the successor to Alegeh in 2016, only 6,932 members turned up out of a population of just under 100,000 on roll but that was still 5204 people more than the 1,728 who were allowed to participate in electing Alegeh two years earlier. In 2018, the number grew to 12,421. The uptake had evidently increased but nothing on the scale of what was required to grow the association in the direction it needed.
So, rather than politicians degenerating to personal attacks, name calling and irrelevances, those who aspire to lead Nigeria, and invariably the African continent come 2023, should focus their campaigns on the critical issues that are paramount to the average Nigerians and potential foreign investors, who have now found other safer investment havens on the continent.Themajor challenges which pose an existential threat to our country include and are not limited to ineptitude at the governance level, lack of love and patriotism for Nigeria, which have manifested themselves in insecurity, electricity power supply, health, education, food security, cost of living, depreciation of the Naira, due mainly to failed monetary and challenges, which are all traceable leadership and class, at the expense of the working class citizens. It is therefore important to state unequivocally that those who wish to replace the outgoing Buhari and the APC administration should come up with a clear implementable and realistic roadmap, pointing the way out of this sad situation that we have snookered ourselves into. The candidates must also be ready to show Nigerians their credentials from past experiences, consistent capacity and character. Why should we further entrust our common patrimony in the hands as they failed woefully in delivering the dividends of democracy? Nigerians must be more discerning about the choice that they would make in Nigerians2023. should interrogate their leaders this time, beyond the mere prism of ethnicity and/or religion. Nigerians have lost many years in the wilderness, because mediocrity reigned supreme. Therefore we cannot Nigeria. Iroche is a Senior Academic Fellow at the African Studies Centre of the University of Oxford, England and religious groups in the country against certain politicians, especially presidential campaigning in other areas of the country, portend serious danger which could be the tendencies of intolerance based on ethnic and divergent political views in the country.This further negates the constitutional rights of freedom of movement, freedom to campaign and the attempts at wooing the electorate on their party programmes. These are some of the tenets of democracy which are being threatened by ethnic jingoistic tendencies by those who are persuasions in such an ethnically and religiously pluralistic and diverse country likeTheNigeria.presidential candidates of the major political parties in the country should therefore take the responsibility of enlightening their supporters and to curb theirTheyexcesses.should also let their followers realize that in order to win the presidential election, their candidates too need other regions in the country, as no one region or ethnic group can single-handedly elect a Nigerian president.
It is also incumbent on the candidates and the parties to emphasize that the quest for to service, which should be played without any form of rancor violence, or bitterness.
The NBA’s experiment in digital elections was also blighted by scandal. The 2016 leadership election ended in court over claims of serious “electoral infractions.” In 2018, membership data was deliberately compromised, leading to manifest rigging pending criminal prosecution. When Olumide threw his hat into the contest for the presidency of the Bar in the 2020 cycle of leadership election, he set about harnessing the promise of the Alegeh reforms but he faced considerable odds. To begin with, every president of the Bar since 1998 had been a SAN, and Olumide, who had built his reputation in commercial practice rather than in courtroom litigation, was not one. Second, he was up against two formidable SANs society, was the youngest in both biological and professional age among the cohort of a strong pool of candidates. Third, he was from the mid-west Bar in a year in which the presidency was due to come from the Western region. Each of these could easily have frightened aspirants of lesser fortitude but it was clear that Olumide had deliberately for his leadership tilt and had gone about it methodically. Prior to running for the NBA presidency, he had served as a pioneer in the Council of the NBA’s Section on year stint as the Chair of the NBA’s best know Practice Section. Before that, he had also served as the General Secretary of the old students of the oldest public High School in the country, the Kings College Old Boys Association (KCOBA), during which he professionalized that association and put its operations on a sound footing. In running for the presidency of the Bar, Olumide managed to turn all his headwinds into tailwinds, revealing a huge appetite at the Bar for generational inclusion and for an independent NBA. His campaign showed creativity, adaptability, and extraordinary savvy in digital constituency building and when the votes were counted in August 2020, he had bested all comers taking some 54% out of 18,256 votes cast. Olumide could easily have entered the be inaugurated in a pandemic. He inherited an association reeling from a credibility challenges. A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu
3THISDAY TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 17
AKPATA AND THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP Olumide Akpata’s tenure is one of the most consequential in the leadership of the NBA, writes CHIDI ANSELM ODINKALU Why should we further entrust our common patrimony in the hands of those who had made unfulfilled promises at different times in the past as they failed woefully in delivering the dividends of democracy? OF THE SONNY IROCHE urges Nigerians to be more discerning in their choices in 2023
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
ECONOMY
the Editor LETTERS EDITORIAL
Letters to
In apparent admission of the worsening situation in the country, governors of the 36 states under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum recently made suggestions to the federal government. They recommend the retirement of federal civil servants from age 50 and above as remedy to reposition the nation’s battered economy. They also admonish the federal government to implement the updated Stephen Oronsaye Report which recommended mergers and shutdown of agencies and parastatals of government with overlapping and duplicated functions as a way of reducing the cost of governance. We agree with those who argue that the size of the civil service across all tiers of government should be weighed against productivity. But major stakeholders including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) are aghast, describing the proposal as repugnant and insensitive. Government at all levels has lost the moral argument with its inability to While the rationalisation of the workforce as recommended by the Oronsaye panel makes a lot of sense, a unilateral and premature termination of appointments of experienced workers will do further damage to the economy. Besides, where will the cashenergy of the youth as well as the experience and skill of the old. NLC president, Ayuba Wabba said the implementation of this proposal “will lead to the sacking of almost a quarter of the public sector workforce, the decapitation of that workforce through the retrenchment of its most and misery among citizens”. Former Trade Union Congress (TUC) president, Peter Esele also condemned the suggestion, accusing the governors of contributing to the economic challenges in the country. He also urged states.Wesubscribe to the view that the governors should others. Out of the 36 states, only few are solvent enough to meet their obligations without resorting to borrowing and other extra-budgetary revenue sources. With the drastic decline in their average monthly revenue from for internal revenue is mostly lethargic. Many states are civil servants’ salaries, some for upward of six months. Almost half of the 36 states have not been able to implement the N30,000 minimum wage years after it had been signed into law. The rate of particularlyunemployment,amongthe youths is sky high, contributing largely to the upsurge in crimes of desperation. Despite these economic constraints, there is hardly in many of these states, but they have also become institutionalised. Governors do whatever they like, with some appointing as many as 1000 personal aides. Only last week, the Cross River Governor Ben in some of the states live ostentatiously, still being ferried around in private jets and helicopters mostly to attend unnecessary social events, including marriage ceremonies and birthdays. Yet good governance is that which is focused on the people, their safety and welfare, the optimal allocation of scarce resources and delivery.Inthe long run, the issue of bankruptcy for many states poses the same challenge as the survival of the government at the centre.
T H I S D AY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE T H I S D AY 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 SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE 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
Since Nigeria stumbled on the black gold in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956, its journey as an oil-producing country has brought with it the clarity that it would either sink or swim in its oil. The journey to becoming a mono-product economy has been a slow every other sector of its economy fold as oil has become the centre of all its attention. But with this focus has come a steep cost. As oil has taken over the conversation, other sectors have shrunk, bringing other vices to the Nigeriafore.boasts about 37 billion barrel of crude oil, over 206.53 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, and the capacity to produce about 2.4 million barrels of oil daily and eight billion cubic feet
According to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Coun tries (OPEC) Nigeria`s crude oil production averaged 1.238m barrels per day (bpd) in June 2022. Nigeria is the largest oil and gas producer in Africa. Oil is very much at the at the heart of the economy. However, years of oil exploration have only brought more problems than solutions to the country, and more questions than answers. It is not just that oil has fueled rampaging corruption, with the many criminal syndicates enough to keep their greed grinding.
On the night of Wednesday August 17 2022, the Nigerian IDUN by Equatorial Guinea forces over allleged crude oil theft in TheNigeria.tanker was allegedly arrested by the Central African tivities were uncovered by the operatives of the Nigerian Navy. The supertanker said to have a capacity for three million barrels of oil, about three times the one million barrels per day (bpd) currently being produced by Nigeria, had 16 Indians, eight Sri Lankans, and one crew member each from the Philippines and Poland.While the Nigerian Navy must be commended for the heroic waters and keeping same free of criminals and their criminal activities, the arrest of the vessel strips bare the monster Nigeria must confront if it is to enjoy the full fruits of what is arguably nature`s premium gifts. Every day, Nigerians are brought to a juddering realisation of just how impossible the large-scale and organised oil theft is foisting on Nigerians. Every day, it is said that Nigeria loses about $40m to oil theft. It has also been whispered for long that dirty oil business are not unknown to the federal government. They must be brought to book for what is a monumental heist. Again, it is heartwarming that the Nigerian Navy has moved to prosecute some of its personnel who have been found to have collaborated with the crude oil thieves in the country. Crude oil theft in Nigeria remains a heinous crime, one which is committed against Nigerians as a whole, but especially against the people of the oil producing areas who continue to pay It is a crime Nigeria must check. All those who participate or Kene Obiezu, Twitter:
4 THISDAY TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022
@kenobiezu A SUPERTANKER OF SUPER OIL THIEVES 18
Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 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 (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer. Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
The issue of bankruptcy for many states poses the same challenge as the survival of the government at the centre The states should first put their house in order
THE AND THE NGF PROPOSAL
IMAGES Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com 19THISDAY DAY
L-R: Nigerian Entrepreneur and Open Data Analyst, Seun Onigbinde; Nollywood actor, Ibrahim Suleiman; Nollywood actress, Linda Ejiefor Suleiman; lawyer and Founder of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo; and Chairman, THISDAY Editorial Board, Segun Adeniyi, during the annual Teens Career Conference of RCCG at The Everlasting Arms Parish (TEAP) yesterday in Abuja…recently
L-R: Director, Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mr. Nureni Ibrahim; External Communications and Partnership Lead, Reckitt, Sub-Saharan Africa, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh; Marketing Director, Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzim Rezwan; General Manager, Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Akbar Ali Shah; Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Hussein Adamu; and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, at the Clean Naija Initiative MoU Renewal Signing Ceremony between the ministry and Reckitt in Abuja…recently
of Management Consultants of Nigeria (IMCON), Mr. Femi Amusa; Principal Partner, Tony Odiadi and Co, Mr. Tony Odiadi; Trustee, Development Support Institute (DSI), Mrs. Bimpe Olusoji; Executive Director, DSI, Mrs. Yemi Samuel-Odiadi; Board Member, DSI, Otunba Diji Vera-Cruz; Principal Officer, Youth Development, Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Abimbola Ojikutu, representing the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Olugbemiga Ayoola; and community leader, Alhaji Ayuba Kasali, during the 2022 Acquisition Skills Programme in Lagos...recently
PHOTO: AYO AJAYI L-R: Public Relations Specialist, 9mobile, Joshua Oluranti; Lead Consultant, Addefort Limited and Conference Convener, Olabamiji Adeleye; PR Lead, 9mobile, Chineze Amanfo; and Chairman, Lagos State Chapter, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, Comfort Obot Nwankwo, during the ninth Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference on Leadership and Poverty Eradication in Lagos...recently L-R: Marketing Manager, Hero Lager, Dubem Orji; Brewery Operations Director, International Breweries Plc (IBPLC), Tony Agah; Hero Lager Brand Ambassador, Nkem Owoh; Marketing Director, IBPLC, Tolulope Adedeji; and Procurement and Sustainability Director, IBPLC, Fayanmira Akintunde, at the 10th year anniversary of Hero Lager in Onitsha, Anambra State…recently
PHOTO: ABAYOMI AKINYELE
L-R: General Manager, Marketing and Business Development, NeGSt Technologies Limited, Dada Ajai-Ikhile; Regional Sales Manager, Smile Nigeria, Chizoba Umeokeoma; Chief Marketing Officer, Smile Nigeria, Abdul Hafeez; and Chief Executive Officer, Soteria Eye Clinic, Harriet Mac-Asore, at the seventh edition of the African Brands Leadership Merit Awards, where Smile Nigeria received awards at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos…recentlyL-R:Registrar,Institute
L-R: Former Spokesman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX), Mr. Sola Oni; family member, Adedamola Oni; grandson, Master Nathan Olumoroti; celebrant, Dr. Olufemi Oni; celebrant’s mother, Mrs. Olufunke Oni; and family member, Mrs. Olutoyin Olumoroti, during the convocation of Dr. Olufemi Oni, at Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom...recently
DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS Coral Balanced Fund 4,031.44 4,084.95 5.43% Coral Income Fund 3,604.22 3,604.22 6.19% Coral Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.08% FSDH Dollar Fund 1.11 1.11 4.01% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.04% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.90 2.95 1.36% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 6.00% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 142.25 142.25 3.81% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.25 1.29 3.05% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.06 1.06 0.66% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.59 1.62 12.05% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,163.75 1,163.75 6.01% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 12.17 12.24 11.63% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 9.65% NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED enquiries@norrenberger.com Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 101.92 101.92 9.61% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 8.17% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund N/AN/AN/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/AN/AN/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A PACAM Equity Fund N/AN/AN/A PACAM EuroBond Fund N/AN/AN/A SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 130.04 132.63 4.74% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.05 1.05 9.25% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,563.72 3,599.74 5.24% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 241.06 241.06 2.33% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.41 1.43 12.70% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 324.74 324.75 3.71% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 258.31 262.69 10.86% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.07% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,649.92 11,813.95 6.80% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.33 1.33 3.25% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 119.43 119.43 2.16% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 111.53 111.53 4.85% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Equity Fund 0.95 0.98 7.50% United Capital Balanced Fund 1.33 1.35 2.19% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.15 9.62% United Capital Sukuk Fund 1.07 1.07 4.55% United Capital Fixed Income Fund 1.91 1.91 4.01% United Capital Eurobond Fund 122.75 122.75 3.60% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.98% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Balanced Strategy Fund N/AN/AN/A Zenith ESG Impact Fund N/AN/AN/A Zenith Income Fund N/AN/AN/A Zenith Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD funds@vetiva.com Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Bid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund 3.82 3.92 -4.64% Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund5.97 6.07 2.14% Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund17.88 18.08 1.10% Vetiva Money Market Fund1.00 1.00 7.72% Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund18.38 18.58 -7.98% Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund147.62 149.62 -6.39% REITS Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn SFS REIT 117.96 4.16% Union Homes REIT51.82 1.90% EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Bid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund 14.31 14.41 2.29% SIAML Pension ETF 40 133.11 136.37 4.68% Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund101.99 104.16 2.21% MERGROWTH ETF16.40 16.50 -3.83% MERVALUE ETF17.10 17.20 18.76% INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund 107.59 0.00% info@anchoriaam.com MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/AN/AN/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/AN/AN/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/AN/AN/A Afrinvest Dollar Fund N/AN/AN/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A AIICO Balanced Fund N/AN/AN/A ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund NameBid PriceOffer PriceYield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 6.30% Anchoria Equity Fund 138.79 140.36 -0.33% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.18 1.18 3.19% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 21.18 21.82 4.42% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 506.93 522.21 12.36% ARM Ethical Fund 42.41 43.68 8.85% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.08 1.08 -0.05% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.06 1.06 4.11% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.78% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com; Tel 08069294653 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 92.4692.46-4.45% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Naira 1,089.41 1,089.41 8.94% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/AN/AN/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/AN/AN/A Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) N/AN/AN/A CAPITALTRUST INVESTMENTS AND ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED halalfif@capitaltrustnigeria.com Web: www.capitaltrustnigeria.com; Tel: 08061458806 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Capitaltrust Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,014.80 1,014.80 4.91% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund NameBid PriceOffer PriceYield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.011.015.33% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.56% Paramount Equity Fund 19.3319.6810.92% Women's Investment Fund 148.20 148.99 3.71% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.92% Cordros Milestone Fund 131.32 132.25 5.54% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 110.85 110.85 5.08% CORONATION ASSETS MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com, Tel: 012366215 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/AN/AN/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/AN/AN/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 9.07% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 9.40% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,110.81 1,128.98 -0.09% EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.com Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-asset-management-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A Emerging Africa Bond Fund N/AN/AN/A Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund N/AN/AN/A Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund N/AN/AN/A FBNQUEST ASSETS MANAGEMENT LIMITED invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Bond Fund 1491.771491.7711.39% FBN Balanced Fund 193.02 194.27 10.14% FBN Halal Fund 122.62 122.62 10.69% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.38% FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) 125.35 125.35 5.94% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 156.67 158.76 3.82% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/AN/AN/A Legacy Debt Fund N/AN/AN/A Legacy Equity Fund N/AN/AN/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/AN/AN/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund NameBid PriceOffer Price Yield / T-Rtn
MARKET NEWS 20 THISDAY • TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022
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.
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 19Aug-2022, 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.
LAWYER TRUTH & REASONA WEEKLY PULLOUTTUESDAY,AUGUST 23, 2022 NBA PRESIDENT, MR OLUMIDE AKPATA ‘NBA Under Our Watch, Wasn’tAny Government’s Appendage’
IN THIS EDITION II TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE: EDITOR, JUDE IGBANOI: DEPUTY EDITOR, PETER TAIWO, STEVE AYA: REPORTERSLAWYER Whether Governor is a Public Officer Under the Laws of Bendel StatePageIV LAWYER TRUTH & REASON A WEEKLY PULLOUT TUESDAY,AUGUST 23, 2022 NBA PRESIDENT, MR OLUMIDE AKPATA ‘NBAUnderOurWatch,Wasn’tAnyGovernment’sAppendage’ QUOTABLES ‘Let’s not reference this administration, in terms of corruption. Buhari is not fighting any corruption at all.’ - Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN ‘Government passing the buck to Parents to beg ASUU, is disgraceful.’Tundun Abiola, Lawyer, Anchor, The Morning Show, Arise TV COLUMNIST Tribute to Extraordinaryan Lawyer: Olatunji Ayanlaja, SANPageV
In Ojo v Anibire 2004 20 N.W.L.R. Part 882 Page 571 at 583 per Kalgo JSC, the Supreme Court held that "Miscarriage of justice simply means a failure of justice. What will constitute a miscarriage of justice varies from case to case, depending on the facts and circumstances.... It is enough, if what has happened is not justice according to the law". It is obvious that the plight of the Nigerian worker is certainly unjustifiable, vis-à-vis the aforementioned provisions of the Constitution, and the realities of life. In Gbadamosi v Dairo 2007 3 N.W.L.R. Part 1021 Page 282 at 306 per Niki Tobi JSC, the Apex Court held inter alia that: "Miscarriage of justice is done to the party alleging it. The burden of proof, is on the party alleging that the justice has been miscarried".
Conclusion Going forward, I would therefore advise the NUEE leadership, to consider its position carefully and explore better dispute resolution options.
There are already videos from last Wednesday’s shut down in circulation, showing members of NUEE switching off the grid. The NUEE should remember that by virtue of Sections 74 & 76 of the TPA, the Attorney-General of the Federation can institute criminal proceedings at the Federal High Court against its erring members. Those found guilty of offences bordering on acts of terrorism, face up to 20 years imprisonment upon conviction - see Sections 12 & 13 of the TPA. One of the conclusions of the Marxian Theory is that, eventually, there will be a revolution by the angry Proletariat, that is, the workers against the Bourgeoisie - in this case, it is against Government with these incessant strikes/protests. Sadly, the resultant effect of this Proletariat revolution in Nigeria, does not necessarily have the desired effect on Government, but rather, is an attack and infliction of heavy hardship on the people. As a matter of urgency, one can only demand that Government take workers’ grievances seriously, address them and try to make life easier for the masses, failing which it is unlikely that there will be any peace or progress in the country, particularly as a result of the destabilisation caused by the incessant strikes.
See the case of Sakati v Bako 2015 14 N.W.L.R. Part 1480 Page 531 at 561-562. Even though the issue of proof of insufficient wages is a civil one, workers have gone beyond discharging the burden of proof in civil cases, that is, on the balance of probabilities based upon the preponderance of evidence (see the case of T. Lawal Owosho & Ors v M.A. Dada 1984 7 S.C. Page 149 at 167-168 per Aniagolu JSC) to that of criminal cases, proving their case, not just beyond reasonable doubt, but beyond a shadow of doubt (proof beyond reasonable doubt, suffices in criminal cases)!
Proof Beyond a Shadow of Doubt Proof is simply “the means or process of establishing the truth of what is asserted by one side, and denied by the other side of the dispute”.
As the country seems to be gradually grinding to a halt with strikes and threats of same, I won’t bother to go into the Trade Union Act (TUA) or Trade Disputes Act (TDA), as to whether these strikes or threats of same are in accordance with the lawwhether there are cogent reasons behind the strikes, whether there have been attempts at negotiation/dispute resolution, and whether proper notices have been given to Government before embarking on same - see Sections 31(6)e) of the TUA; undoubtedly there are cogent reasons for the dissatisfaction of Nigerian workers. In any event, the right to strike as embodied in the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1966, ILO and other charters, is considered to be a fundamental right by many countries. Strikes Can be an Act of Terrorism By virtue of Section 2(4) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 (TPA), the ASUU Strike does not qualify as an act of terrorism, because its outcomes do not result into acts/effects of terrorism. The threat of the Electricity workers to proceed on strike, however, is another matter entirely. I submit that the provision of electricity is an essential service (see Paragraph 2(a) First Schedule to Section 48 of the TDA); and Section 41(1) of the TDA prohibits essential services workers inter alia from not performing their work without giving 15 days notice (not outright prohibition) - this is probably the provision that the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) wants to satisfy to avoid the sanctions therein for non-adherence, by postponing their strike for two weeks. For instance, in Ontario, Canada, the Labour Relations Act has been abrogated or modified in the case of certain essential workers in the public sector, like the Police. In Reference Re Public Service Employee Relations Act (Alberta), Chief Justice Dickson stated that the definition of essential services should not be overbroadened, and limited it to: “where interruption of service would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the whole or part of the population or involved persons essential to the maintenance and administration of the rule of law…..”. CJ Dickson however, asserted that the abrogation of the right to strike for essential workers may amount to a limitation on their freedom of association, collective bargaining etc; he therefore concluded that “….legislative prohibition of freedom to strike must be accompanied by a mechanism for dispute resolution by a third party”, for example, arbitration; that is, the right to strike must be replaced by an effective dispute resolution mechanism, in order to protect the workers. The sample that Nigerians were given last Wednesday by NUEE, who caused a nationwide blackout for about 14 hours with their strike (which has been postponed for another two weeks), not only threw the country into chaos, but caused a considerable amount of monetary losses to businesses across the country, losses which the NUEE cannot compensate Nigerians for.Aside from such a strike amounting to the sabotage of an already battered economy, it must be examined vis-à-vis the TPA. Section 2(1) of the TPA prohibits all acts of terrorism and financing of same. Section 2(3)(a)-(g) of the TPA defines the different types of terror ism, and the shutting down of the national grid to cause a nationwide blackout, fits the definitions of what constitutes terrorism in Section 2(3)(a),(b),(c),(d) & (e) of the TPA like a glove - because the NUEE Strike not only caused harm and damage to the country, it also affected businesses across the country; it definitely intimidated Nigerians, destabilised the country, and was an attempt to influence the Government by coercion.
Definitely, majority of Nigerian workers have suffered a miscarriage of justice - their salaries and conditions of service are poor and inhumane - See Sections 17(3) & 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) (the Constitution). This has always been the main cause of the incessant strikes that we have experienced in Nigeria. ‘Strike’ according to Black’s Law Dictionary, is “an organised cessation or slowdown of work by employees to compel the employer to meet the employee’s demands” Nigerian judicial officers are grossly underpaid, even though they have one of the busiest dockets in the world; the so-called minimum wage for Nigerian workers, N30,000 per month, is not a living wage in present-day Nigeria. Last week, in his contribution to our Cover, "ASUU Strike: Any End in Sight?", Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, immediate past Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, stated that Nigerian University Lecturers are one of the poorest paid in the world. Looking at ASUU’s extensive list of complaints, they definitely have a reason to be disgruntled. We know that Doctors and Nurses are paid a pittance, as a result of which many of them have 'checked out' to Saudi Arabia, UK, Canada and other greener pastures. This regime of gross underpayment of the Nigerian worker affects practically every worker in the public sector, except politicians (National Assembly members, Special Assistants & Advisers etc).
See the case of Akalezi v The State 1993 2 N.W.L.R. Part 273 Page 1 at 13 per Ogwuegu JSC. Apart from the grievances that have been publicly enumerated in the pleadings of workers that proves their allegations of bad conditions of service beyond a shadow of doubt (over and above the highest burden of proof demanded by law), there are so many things that we can take judicial notice of, which also corroborate the fact that to workers' wages cannot be considered to be living wages - the high and still rising costs of foodstuffs, transport and everything else. Successive governments (present company definitely included), have proven many times over that workers are not their priority, and that they don’t care so much about them. Therefore, it is easy to understand the frustration of workers’ unions, and their constraint to take drastic measures like going on prolonged strikes to drive home their points. But, have they really succeeded in driving home any point? For one, if Government cared, ASUU would not be on strike for six months and counting; and that is why Norrison Quakers, SAN, in his own submission last week, suggested that there should be a law that public office holders must have their children enrolled in public institutions in Nigeria.. He obviously believes that if they, or many of them at least (and not just the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige whose children attend local public universities) have a stake in local education, that is, their children are being educated locally, they will be more interested in keep ing the standards of education high, and of course, be concerned about the grievances of ASUU. I was shocked when I heard an interviewee, a Lecturer I think, once state that kerosene stoves were used in their university’s laboratory instead of Bunsen burners! How low educational standards seem to have dropped.
Electricity Workers: When Strike Is Terrorism
The
Nigerian Strikes Only Hurt the People However, the truth is that, strikes only succeed in doing one thing - punishing Nigerians. I have heard some refer to ASUU’s prolonged strike, as blackmailing Government. I beg to disagree, because I don’t think the Govern ment has really felt much pressure as a result of the strike. If anything, Government has taken the ASUU Strike/Education “easy like Sunday morning”! If ASUU goes on strike for three years, the children of top govern ment officials will still go to school - either outside Nigeria or to private universities. Government couldn’t really care less, that it is not fulfilling its Section 18 constitutional obligation to provide education up to tertiary level for Nigerians. Therefore, ASUU and other unions like NLC, NUPENG etc, need to take cognisance of this fact, and feel more empathy for the Nigerian people, mostly the less privileged, as they are the ones that their actions really hurt the most.
IIITHISDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THE ADVOCATE
Advocate ONIKEPOonikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive.comonikepob@yahoo.comBRAITHWAITE
Miscarriage of Justice
“If anything, Government has taken the ASUU Strike/Education “easy like Sunday morning”! If ASUU goes on strike for three years, the children of top government officials will still go to school - either outside Nigeria or to private universities…..Sadly, the resultant effect of this Proletariat revolution in Nigeria, does not necessarily have the desired effect on Government, but rather, is an attack and infliction of heavy hardship on the people”
In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 8th day of April, 2022 Before Their Lordships Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun John Inyang Okoro Amina Adamu Augie Abdu Aboki Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa Justices, Supreme Court SC.131/2009
Whether Governor is a Public Officer Under the Laws of Bendel State
“THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, WHICH IS THE GRUNDNORM AND THE FOUNTAIN FOR WHICH EVERY LAW DERIVES ITS LEGITIMACY, HAD CLEARLY AND UNAMBIGUOUSLY DEFINED THE GOVERNOR OF A STATE AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF A STATE AS PUBLIC OFFICERS.” (Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, JSC)
Facts
IV TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY LAW REPORT
Arguments In his submission before the court, counsel for the Appellant conceded that the suit was instituted on 3rd April, 2001, a period of about six months from the date the cause of action arose. However, counsel argued that the 1st Respondent who removed the Appellant from office and on whose instruction the Appellant was prematurely retired is neither an employee of the Public Service of the Federation nor that of Edo State, and cannot be described as a Public Officer in any form whatsoever. He argued that the 1st Respondent, therefore, cannot seek protection under the Public Officers Protection Law for the dismissal of the Appellant from service. In support of this contention, he referred to the definition of “Public Officer” in Section 18(1) of the Interpretation Act. He argued further that the appointment and removal of the Appellant, falls within the powers of the Edo State Civil Service Commission and not the 1st RespondingRespondent.tothesubmission above, counsel for the Respondents argued that the Public Officers Protection Law under consideration is a State law, and therefore, the relevant interpretation law is the Interpretation Law of Bendel State, applicable to Edo State. He submitted that by the definition of a Public Officer in Section 3 of the Interpretation Law, Cap 16, Vol. III, Laws of Bendel State 1976 applicable to Edo State, the Respondents are Public Officers within the meaning of the Public Officers Protection Law. He argued that 1st Respondent’s removal of the Appellant falls within his powers, and that the alleged injury complained of by the Appellant was done by the 1st Respondent in the execution of his public duty as the Chief Executive of Edo State. He contended that in the absence of any malice or bad faith, the 1st Respondent, acting in performance of his public duty as in the instant case, is entitled to the protection provided under the Public Officers Protection Law. He submitted that the suit having been filed by the Appellant six months after the cause of action accrued, same was therefore caught by Section 2 of the Public Officers Protection Law. He referred to IBRAHIM v JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION, KADUNA STATE (1998) 64 LRCN 1. Responding to the submissions of the Appellant’s counsel as regards the State Civil Service Commission, counsel for the Respondents posited that the powers of the Commission to appoint, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over public servants as set out in Part II of the Third Schedule to the Constitution, is without prejudice to the powers vested in the Executive Governor. He submitted that by virtue of Section 208(2) of the Constitution, the Governor has the power to appoint and remove, amongst others, the Permanent Secretary or other Chief Executive in any Ministry or Department of the State Government, howsoever designated. He argued that the Auditor-General, Local Government which was the position held by the Appellant before his retirement, is the Chief Executive in the Department of Audit, Local Government in the State, and that by virtue of Section 208(5), he holds such office at the pleasure of the Governor. Court’s Judgement and Rationale In its determination of the issue, the Apex Court referred to Paragraph 19 of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, which defines a Public Officer to mean a person holding any of the offices specified in Part II of the Schedule. The court then referred to Paragraphs 4 and 6 of Part II of the Schedule, which listed the Governors as Public Officers. By the provisions referenced, the Supreme Court held that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is the grundnorm and the fountain for which every law derives its legitimacy, has clearly and unambiguously defined the Governor of a State and the Attorney-General of a State as Public Officers. The court held further that the Interpreta tion Act which the Appellant relied on, being an Act for the interpretation of Acts of the National Assembly, cannot be used to interpret the Public Officers Protection Law which is a Law made by the Bendel State (now Edo State) House of Assembly. Further to this, the court made reference to the Interpretation Law, Cap 16, Vol. III, Laws of Bendel State 1976 applicable to Edo State which defines a Public Officer as “every officer invested with or performing duties of a public nature, whether under the immediate control of the Governor of a State or not”. Guided by the foregoing, the Apex Court held that the 1st Respondent is no doubt a public officer and the 1st Respondent, through the Secretary to the State Government, was performing a public duty when he dismissed the Appellant from the civil service of Edo State. Furthermore, by Section 208(1) (2) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) the Governor of a State is vested with the power to appoint and remove the Secretary to the Government of the State; the Head of Civil Service, the Permanent Secretary or other Chief Executives in any Ministry or Department of the Government. It is also provided by virtue of the said section that, any such appointment into the office of the Secretary to the Government of the State or the Permanent Secretary or other Chief Executives in any Ministry or Department of the Government shall be at the pleasure of the Governor. The court held that by these provisions, the Auditor-General is the Chief Executive in the Department of Audit, Local Government in the State. As the Appellant in the instant case and the holder of that office, he holds it at the pleasure of the Governor who has the power to appoint into the office and remove from the office. Their Lordships held further that it is evident the letters disengaging the Appellant from service were issued by the 1st Respondent in the performance of his public duty, and since the Appellant has neither alleged nor shown that the 1st Respondent acted in bad faith or in abuse of his office, or outside the scope of his authority, the 1st Respondent is entitled to the protection offered by the Public Officers Protection Law. The court relied on SANI v THE PRESIDENT FRN & ANOR. (2020) LPELR – 50990 (SC) at 6-7 F-A and 8-9 A-A, in support of its position. The letters disengaging the Appellant from service were issued on 28th and 29th September, 2000 respectively, and the suit was filed by the Appellant on 3rd April, 2001, almost six months thereafter. It therefore goes without saying that, the Appellant’s action was statute barred having been brought outside the three months next after the cause of action accrued, as provided under Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Protection Law of Bendel State, applicable to Edo State. Appeal Dismissed. Representation K.O. Obamogie Esq. with Solomon Ienlaye Esq. for the Appellant. Prof F.O. Osadolor, (Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Edo State) with F.O. Usiobaifo Esq., (Senior State Counsel, Edo State) for the Respondents. Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)(An affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)
Between MR PHILIP IKHANOBA AROYAME APPELLANT And 1. THE GOVERNOR OF EDO STATE 2. ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF EDO STATE RESPONDENTS
“…..the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is the grundnorm and the fountain for which every law derives its legitimacy, has clearly and unambiguously defined the Governor of a State and the AttorneyGeneral of a State as Public Officers” Honourable Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, JSC
The Appellant was employed as an Executive Officer in the Public Service Commission in the defunct Bendel State, on 1st November 1971. He rose to the position of Auditor General (Local Government), Edo State with effect from 25th May, 1998. By a letter dated 28th September, 2000 and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, conveyed to the Appellant, the 1st Respondent pursuant to the powers vested in him under Section 208 of the 1999 Constitution, removed the Appellant from office as Auditor-General with effect from 1st October, 2000. By a subsequent letter dated 29th September, 2000, the Appellant was retired from the Civil Service with effect from 30th September, 2000. As at the said date, the Appellant was 53 years old. Aggrieved, the Appellant filed an Originating Summons at the High Court of Edo State on 3rd April, 2001, six months after the letters were issued, seeking inter alia a declaration that he is entitled to continue in service until he attains the age of 60, and that the unilateral act of the 1st Respondent abridging the Appellant’s service years is a violation of Section 4(1) of the Pensions Act, and therefore, ultra vires, unconstitutional, null and void. He also sought an order setting aside his disengagement and reinstating him as the Auditor-General, Local Government, Edo State until he attains the compulsory retirement age of 60 years. In response, the Respondents filed a Counter-affidavit in opposition to the Originating Summons. The Respondents raised a point of law that the suit was statute barred, having been filed outside the three months from the date the cause of action accrued, as prescribed by the Public Officers Protection Law, Laws of Bendel State, 1976 applicable in Edo State. The point of law was argued together with the substantive summons. In its judgement, the trial court held that the suit was indeed statute-barred, and same was struck out. Dissatisfied, the Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal, which court affirmed the decision of the trial court. Still dissatisfied, the Appellant filed a further appeal to the Supreme Court. Issue for Determination The following issue as formulated by the Respondents, was adopted by the Supreme Court in its determination of the appealWhether the 1st Respondent is a Public Officer within the contemplation of the Public Officers Protection Law, Cap 137, Laws of Bendel State, now applicable to Edo State, and whether the Appellant’s cause of action is statute barred by its provisions.
VTUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY
ADIEU! Mr Olatunji Ayanlaja, SAN – Rest in Peace my dear boss. Richard Ayodele Akintunde, SAN, C.Arb, FBR
“As a legal practitioner who has practised in all the levels of courts in Nigeria, I know that poor pay for judicial officers is seriously affecting the quality of judgements and rulings those officers are delivering, and the discharge of other functions associated with their offices.” - Sebastine Hon, SAN
L-R: Kadaria Ahmed, Chairman, This Day & Arise TV, Prince Nduka Obaigbena (Publisher), Editor, This Day, Lawyer, Onikepo Braithwaite in Owa-Iyibu, Delta State on Saturday, at the funeral of Princess Margaret Onyemakonor Obaigbena, beloved Mother of Publisher
TRIBUTE
Tribute to an Extraordinary Lawyer: Olatunji Ayanlaja, SAN
Olatunji Ayanlaja, SAN It came to me as a rude shock when I heard of the passing of my former boss, Mr Olatunji Ayanlaja, SAN on the 26th of July, 2022. Until his death, he was a Founding Partner of the firm of Ayanlaja Adesanya & Co. I write this tribute to an extraordinary Lawyer. I joined the firm of Ayanlaja, Adesanya and Co. in January 1987, as the first full-time Lawyer employed by the firm. In Chambers was Deji Balogun, now Hon. Justice Deji Balogun, who was serving as a Youth Corper. The job was heaven-sent, and my long wait had paid off, because my monthly salary of N750 was a lot higher than the N400.00 to N500.00 my colleagues who had got jobs earlier were earning. A Seasoned and Knowledgeable Practitioner Mr Ayanlaja was a very seasoned and knowledgeable practitioner. There was so much to learn from him; his dapper dressing, his work culture, charisma, carriage, class, research methods, analytical skills, attention to detail, oratory skills, tenacity, confidence and hard work. His Work Ethic We usually held the firm's meetings on Friday, and we had to read the Nigeria Weekly Law Reports (NWLR) for each week before the meeting, because Mr Ayanlaja and Mr Adesanya would drill us on recent decisions in the report. We all imbibed punctuality as a virtue, as Mr Ayanlaja was always in the office at 7.30 am every day without fail, except he was not around, and you had no excuse for coming late. Mr Seyi Akinwunmi (now the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Football Federation) and Honourable Justice Sola Williams (Nee Ilori), later joined the firm. I remember that on one occasion, we were preparing papers for an appeal, and I left the office at 10:30pm. The following morning, I was back in the office at 7 am. On arrival, Mr Ayanlaja greeted me and said in Yoruba: "Ayo, you left very early yesterday", I smiled. This was the work ethic of Ayanlaja Adesanya & Co, and this has stuck with me till this very day. ‘Treating a File’ for Mr Ayanlaja There was no shortcut, you had to do deep research and leave no stone unturned. Mr Ayanlaja would typically give you a big file, and he would simply write the words "Please, Treat". To know what to "treat" you had to read the file back-to-back to trace the history of the case, the nature of the dispute, the current situation, and the next line of action. After identifying the next line of action, you needed to prepare a worthy process for Mr Ayanlaja's consideration. There was usually a lot of back and forth with Mr Ayanlaja, because he would simply write on your draft "Not Satisfactory". You did not know exactly what was " not satisfactory", you just had to figure it out until he approved the process. His style helped us to have a clear understanding of procedure, the legal requirements for the type of application you were making, pleadings, what you must prove to succeed, and defences. Bullen & Leake was a regular reference, as your pleadings had to conform to the standard of the authors. His approach gave us confidence and boldness in court, that we had satisfied all the legal requirements to the minutest detail. I still follow these precepts to date. Mr Olatunji Ayanlaja, who took Silk in 1995, was a colossus in the legal profession in Nigeria. An extraordinary Lawyer. A go-to Lawyer, who you could go to sleep if you had him in your corner. He was a dogged, fearless fighter. He was involved in many landmark and novel cases, which are frequently cited by Lawyers and Judges. Some of them include: Saraki v Kotoye (1992) 9 NWLR, Pt. 264 Pg. 156; Inakoju v Adeleke (2007) 4 NWLR, Pt. 1025; Stanbic IBTC Bank v Long Term Global Capital Ltd & Ors. (2017) 18 NWLR Pt. 1598 Pg. 431, Re: Ladoja (2006) LPELR-7655 and Ijebu-Ode Local Government Council v Segun & Ors. (2011) LPELR-4290. Mr. Ayanlaja lived a very impactful life. He positively propelled all that crossed his path, to pursue excellence in the legal profession and distinction in all spheres of life.
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SERIOUS MATTERS OLAWALE FAPOHUNDA, SAN 08033142501 SMS ONLY A Tragedy of Limited or No Police Reforms
VI TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY
Chastity Must Begin with the Police
Summing Up In broad terms, it is not too late to commence the implementation of existing recommendations of the various interministerial- committees on Police reform. It will be a matter of much regret, if, at the end of the Buhari administration, progress with Police reforms is limited.
President Buhari should set the Nigeria Police, on an irreversible course towards the establishment of a Police which is efficient, honest and professional to the core.Meanwhile, will someone do me a favour and call the attention of the Inspector General of Police, to the ‘about to fall apart’ buildings that accommodate Police Officers and Recruits within the Police College, Ikeja.
Why Nigerian Police Officers Take Bribes
Is Police reform too late for President Buhari? Police reform cannot solely start and stop with the Police leadership. I am also disappointed with the inability of the Buhari administration and those before him, to make rapid progress with Police reform. To be fair, if successive administrations had set and implemented a realistic, achievable agenda for Police reform, the force would not be where it is today. So as it was in 1999, at the onset of democracy, it is in 2022, more than two decades later. Public perception of corruption, impunity, absence of accountability, incompetence, and failure to control the law and order situation, plague the Police Force. With less than a year to end of the Buhari administration, I don’t agree with the view of many Police reformists, that it is too late to make any appreciable difference. There is time. What is needed, is the political will to, at the very least, begin the implementation of a series of interventions aimed at transforming the Nigeria Police into a true public servant capable of elevating the sense of security of Nigerians. The building blocks for such transformation, have already been laid. Firstly, the enactment of the Police Act in 2020 is an important intervention. The 2020 Act replaced the out-dated Police Act. The new Act seeks to achieve public service delivery, respect for human rights, transparency, pro-poor policing and enhancement of community policing, amongSecondly,others.Mr President’s approval of the upward review of Police salaries and allowances, is also an important intervention. Both interventions recognise that the key resource available to the Police to fulfil its mandate, is the human resources at its disposal. This law page has been consistent in several of its editorials, calling for a holistic review of the conditions of service of Police officers to undercut the incentive for corrupt behaviour.
An Agenda for Reform Aside from salaries and allowances, other reform interventions should include, improvement of Police medical facilities, improved housing, Police schools to be refurbished and upgraded to enable them cater for the children of Police Officers, Police insurance and pension benefits to be improved, and made easily accessible to next of kin. I must confess that I have not found one Police Officer, who will readily admit to receiving this improved salary. It is either the approved increase is in the pipeline, or our Police Officers have been sworn to secrecy, never to disclose this increase. Furthermore, it is also not too late to set and enforce an agenda on modalities for the recruitment of persons into the Police Force. Salient questions need to be asked. Who are the persons that the Police Force recruits? Answering these basic questions, involves determining whether the Police Service Commission has procedures to do adequate background checks on recruits, psychological tests that accurately measure their suitability for police work. These are the areas of weakness of our present recruitment process. The daily discovery of Police Officers with dangerous criminal tendencies that undermine confidence in law enforcement, is no coincidence. It would appear that, the Nigeria Police has unwittingly let too many unsavoury characters enter their ranks. It is also not too late to radically review the training curriculum of Police Officers, including at the entrance level. Training can theoretically mitigate some of the errors in recruitment, and provide some important safeguards against corruption. It should give officers basic lessons in integrity, such as respect for citizens’ rights, a sense of civic duty and self-control. It should also instill a desire in officers to protect their integrity, not because they fear apprehension, but because they know corruption is wrong. Poor training methods only serve to exacerbate the blunders in recruitment that preceded them.
The recent episode of a Police Officer on duty caught on video justifying bribery, is a case in point. I was amused at the several comments made on a Whatsapp platform on Police reform, that I moderate. Many were more sympathetic to the situation of the hapless Police Officer. Not a few of us saw him as a guinea pig, for a flawed attempt by the Police to show intolerance for corrupt behaviour within its ranks. In the words of one of the contributors, “the public show of dismissing the said Police Officer would be laughable, were it not a serious matter. The Inspector General of Police himself knows that all his men on our roads are either taking bribes, or are accessory after the fact of bribe-taking. Yet, the hierarchy of the Police remain steadfast in their self-deceit. Rather than address the issues raised by the errant Police Officer, the Police decided to kill the messenger. The message lives on”. Strong words. I agree that beyond the soap opera of undressing a corrupt Police Officer on television, the IGP must acknowledge and develop a realistic approach towards endemic corruption in our Police. Irrespective of citizens’ tolerance for Police bribe- taking, there is an urgent need for firm steps to eliminate corruption in the Force. Chastity must begin with the Police. The process of cleansing has to start at the top echelons, which should not only be honest, but should ensure honesty at the lower levels. In a supposedly disciplined organisation like the Police, the basic responsibility of curbing corruption vests with the senior officers. A culture that attaches no stigma to corruption, is an ingredient for inefficiency and corruption.
Driving through Ikeja Airport Road last week, I could not but notice the dilapidated buildings that serves as the official accommodation of our Police officers. Simply disgraceful, were the words that immediately came to my mind. How does anyone living in these ramshackle buildings, be expected to serve Nigeria with the sense of professionalism that is required for effective policing? Are these not the same buildings that were subject of much national discourse during the Jonathan administration? Whatever happened to all the assurances of immediate attention etc? These buildings vividly describe all that is wrong with our Police Force. It is evidence of the continuous failure of government and the governed, to pay attention to the gradual decline of the working conditions of our Police Officers. Rather than focus on practical measures to achieve Police reform, successive governments have been engaged in a theoretical analysis of Police reform. Neither the theories nor the analysis have resulted in any significant improvement in the situation of Police officers, or the policing of our communities.Thepromise of the Buhari administration, of a radical overhaul of the Nigeria Police has not been met either. So far, we have seen a tragic combination of limited reforms or no reforms, in making the Police relevant to the security needs of Nigerians. And so, we all wallow in the misery of our insecurity. Terrorist attacks on our major cities and villages, including rampaging herdsmen, kidnappers, violent armed robberies, have all become our every day reality.
Citizens-Police United in Bribe Acceptance Today, our citizens are victims of a sad combination of rampaging criminal elements in our communities, and a Police Force whose officers are largely ill motivated and ill-equipped. Many who see ordinary citizens, whether in distress or not, as ATMs. Bribery and corruption in all its ramifications, has become the culture of our Police. Perhaps, more worrisome is the effect of this state of affairs on our collective psyche. We express surprise when a Police Officer actually does his job, and when a Police Officer is caught taking bribes, we show indifference. What is there to be different about?Onissues of bribery, there is a dichotomy on the rationale of police and citizens. We demand an honest, impartial and professional Police; yet, not many of us are prepared to insist on these values in our dealings with the Police. We stoically accept giving bribes as an everyday inconvenience, rather than fuming against it. Some of our eggheads gleefully, even if annoyingly, put forth arguments such as Police is a mirror of the image of our society; insinuating that we deserve the bribe taking Police officers that appear to be in the majority in our Police Force. For the Police, it has been a case of ‘speak only when you see evil’. They constantly deny that the culture of bribe taking within the Force, is not endemic, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
“I agree that beyond the soap opera of undressing a corrupt Police Officer on television, the IGP must acknowledge and develop a realistic approach towards endemic corruption in our Police….. Chastity must begin with the Police”
Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman
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L-R: MD/CEO, STL Trustees Ltd, Mrs Funmi Ekundayo; Director, Greenstem Investment Group, Mr Adeniyi Akinlusi; Mr Hakeem Ogunniran and MD, First Ally Asset Management Co, Mayowa Ogunwemimo L-R: Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Mr Hakeem Ogunniran; Mr Damian Dodo, SAN; Director Strategy & Corporate Planning, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr Felix Olayinka Adeoye and Mr Uyi Omonuwa, SAN L-R: Wife of the Author, Associate Professor of Law, University of Lagos, Dr Iyabo Ogunniran, their daughter, Oluwatomisin and Mr Hakeem Ogunniran
VIITUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY IMAGES
Recently, Book Readings were held at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Lagos & Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, to introduce the Book, “The Law & Practice of Real Estate Investment Trusts” authored by Mr Hakeem Ogunniran, immediate past MD, UACN Property Development Co.; CEO/Founder, Eximia Realty. Here are some of the personalities who were in attendance… CEO, Landmark Realty Co, Mr Paul Onwuanibe (left) and Mr Hakeem Ogunniran L-R: Director, Centre for Housing, University of Lagos, Professor Timothy Nubi; CEO, Lexicon Capital Ltd, Mrs Ify Umunakwe-Okeke; Mr Hakeem Ogunniran and MD, Family Homes Funds Ltd, Mr Femi Adewole NBA President, Olumide Akpata
L-R: Mr Bayo Olugbemi; Ms Toke Benson; Chairman of the Occasion, Prince Yemi Adefulu and His Royal Majesty, the Oniru of Iru Land, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal Founder, Thistle Praxis Consulting Ltd, Ini Abimbola (left) and COO, SAS Textiles Ltd, Mrs Toyin Adedeji
In less than 72 hours, before the conclusion of what will hopefully be a ‘Conference Extraordinaire’, the Olumide Akpata-led administration of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will handover to the incoming Y.C. Maikyau, SAN’s team of new national officers of the NBA.
‘NBA Under Our Watch, Wasn’t Any Government’s Appendage’
Over the past 24 months, Olumide Akpata took bold steps to ensure that the Association reclaims its pride of place, particularly as the watchdog of the society. How well did he fulfil the campaign promises which he made to NBA Members in 2020? As the Annual General Conference of the Association kicked off in Lagos on Sunday, Olumide Akpata took time out to speak with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi on the highlights of his tenure, some of the achievements of his administration and many other issues which are of interest to Nigerian Lawyers. We congratulate Mr Akpata on a successful tenure, and going forward, we wish him all the best COVER NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata “So, from the point of view of the public, the feedback that I have is that there is a sense in which it may be said that ‘the NBA is back' ”
Y our valedictory Annual General Conference is on, holding in Lagos. What have you done to make your outgoing Conference memorable? Time really flies, and I am grateful to God for the grace and strength that He has given me and my team to steer the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the right path over the last two years. Regarding our valedictory Annual General Conference, what we did was to first assemble a great team as members of the Technical Committee on Conference Planning (TCCP) under the leadership of Mr. Tobenna Erojikwe, and impress on them the need to plan a world class and befitting Conference that would mark the end of our administration and usher in the next. They have done very well so far, and I commend them. As soon as the TCCP was inaugurated, one remarkable thing that they did was to come up the idea of ‘Bold Transitions’ as the theme for the Conference. The idea behind the Conference theme is that we are witnessing major transformations around us, and technology has disrupted various aspects of our lives; thus, resulting in significant changes in our way of doing things. The law and its practitioners must continually evolve to meet the demands of an ever-changing clientele, otherwise the law and Lawyers will remain static, while the rest of the society moves on. In Nigeria, there are also many instances of transitions. From the NBA where we are scheduled to hand over at the end of the Conference; to the rest of Nigeria where general elections are scheduled to take place in February 2023; and at the level of our national economy, there are also deep-seated conversations around Energy Transitions and the impact that might have on our oil-dependent economy and by extension, the legal profession. To deal with this theme, the TCCP has designed about 30 technical sessions where industry experts will lead discussions on the rapidly changing world. The Keynote Speaker for the Conference is Chimamanda Ngozi-Adiche, a worthy Nigerian daughter who has continued to break bounds locally and especially internationally. We have also extended invitations to the Presidential candidates of four of the major political parties in Nigeria for a session titled, “Democratic Transitions in the 21st Century Nigeria: 2023 and Beyond” where they will have an opportunity to discuss how they plan to transition Nigeria to a better place should they get elected. To bring it closer home to our members, we have set aside an entire day of the Conference to discuss only issues that relate to the Nigerian Lawyer and the legal profession. That way, our Conference is not just addressing societal issues, but also dealing with issues affecting our profession as a whole and Lawyers as individual members of the Association. Looking back on your tenure, what would you say were the notable high lights of your tenure as NBA President, and your major accomplishments? Do you have any regrets? What did you want to do, that you couldn’t do? Whilst we have made historic strides in various aspects of the NBA’s role to its members and the general public, I think that what stands out for me is the extent to which we have put the Association back to its place, where it was the conscience of the Nigerian State. We see this in the way in which the Association is now being taken more seriously and its views on issues that affect all of us as citizens, forming a critical component of public opinion. We achieved this by taking a firm stance, and making our position known on critical matters - whether it was in the efforts that we made in the quest for judicial autonomy during the industrial action by Judiciary workers; the public interest lawsuits that we filed challenging government actions in deserving cases; our role in the ensuring respect of human rights during the #EndSARS crisis; defending the Judiciary at different times, etc. So, from the point of view of the public, the feedback that I have is that there is a sense in which it may be said that ‘the NBA is back’. These things may count for little to some persons, but in a country like ours where respect for the Rule of Law and due process is not particularly an article of faith, we cannot overemphasise them. And looking back, I am happy to say that the NBA under our watch, was not an appendage of any government. While our duty to the public is important, delivering on that responsibility did not stop us from meeting our obligations to our members themselves. Through our various programme and interventions, we made membership of the Association a value-driven dynamic, where members could see the NBA taking steps towards improving their circumstances and providing avenues for scaling their work as professionals in whatever area of practice. For example, under the now revitalised Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBA-ICLE), thousands of our members have been trained on various new and emerging areas of practice at no cost, in order to improve and enhance their earning capacities. To be sure, this initiative has been criticised in some quarters, but the sheer amount of our members who apply to take the benefit of it, cast the minor voices of opposition as anything but constructive. In terms of direct impact on the welfare of our members, our Access to Finance Scheme, where eligible Lawyers can access
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“You only need to engage the average Nigerian on the street, to understand where we are currently as a nation. Our currency is on a free fall, and no longer worth the paper on which it is printed; insecurity has encircled the land such that, even the seat of power is no longer safe; and the anticorruption campaign lacks any rigour and vigour” Wasn’t Any Government’s Appendage’
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Olumide Akpata COVER concessionary loans that are backstopped by the NBA, in order to meet their capital expenditure and working capital needs. I am proud that we were able to pull this off, in spite of the less-than-friendly financial ecosystem on the back of which the initiative was negotiated. In the same way, we set up a Health Insurance Scheme for Lawyers. This did not exist when we assumed office. Under this scheme which involves a partnership with the National Health Insurance Scheme, our members who subscribe to the scheme will be entitled to primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare cover at NHIS-approved hospitals for a hugely discounted annual premium of N15,000. Our members have been using this service, it is working well, and it has reduced the number of “go-fund me” and similar fund-raising drives that we used to see amongst Lawyers. I admit that there may be administrative lapses and teething problems here and there with process, but there is good progress. For instance, a couple of weeks ago, I woke up to a text message from one of the beneficiaries telling me that her surgery for myomectomy was scheduled for that morning at the National Hospital, Abuja, and that she was writing to express her gratitude because she was not required to make any payment for the procedure. That was heart-warming. The second limb of our health programme, is the critical ailment insurance that we launched in 2021 as part of our arrangements with Leadway Assurance. This is related to, but different from, the N2 million life insurance cover that we also have for our members with Leadway Assurance. Under this arrangement, our members who are diagnosed with “critical illness” will, subject to meeting agreed conditions, be entitled, at no extra cost to them other than payment of practising fees and branch dues, to receive N1 million towards the treatment of such critical illness. We also set up an NBA Medical Fund, from which funds will be applied from time to time, to support the medical needs of our members who cannot benefit from the NBA-NHIS scheme, or whose ailments do not qualify as “critical ailment” under our policy with Leadway Assurance. For our courts, we have started a process that will help check the frequent adjournments and delays that you witness in our courts, and which results in slow administration of justice and its resultant effect the economy. We started a partnership with the House of Representatives, under which the NBA will provide specialist support on critical and systemically important laws coming out of the National Assembly. This helps ensure that those laws are well thought out, and meet best standards. I can certainly go on and on to reel out the divergent heads of interventions we have made in the last two years to improve the utility-quotient of the NBA to its members and the society, but suffice to leave it here for the purposes of this interview. Do we have any regrets? I am not too sure. All the decisions we had to take in the course of the last two years, howsoever unpopular, were taken from the standpoint of the larger interest of the NBA and its members. As a leader, when you take decisions from that point of view, one finds out that there is nothing worth regretting. So, for us, our approach to the office was from this point of view; and if anything, it made some of the decisions we had to take, easy, conscious that posterity would vindicate us in the end. Perhaps, the only regret is to say that no matter what or how much one achieves, there will always be room to do more and make more improvements. So, maybe if we had more time, we would have completed some of the activities and programmes that we started. However, I should say that when I made myself available to run for the office of the NBA President, I knew that I was constitutionally restricted to a single term of two years. I also knew that some of the transformational programmes that we needed to instate required more than two years to accomplish. However, this did not perturb me because as two famous sayings go, “Rome was not built in a day” and “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.” For some of our programmes, we began and actualised them during the life of this administration and institutionalised the initiatives such that, it would be difficult for succes sive administrations to abandon them. For other programmes, especially those that require a longer gestation period, and extensive engagement of the government and other third-party stakeholders, what we did was to begin the detailed background or foundational work and then even took some of the initial implementation steps in the time that we had. For instance, we have been working on how to address issues around the slow justice system, congestion of our courts, incessant adjournments, etc. Issues like these, require working with the Heads of the various courts across the country and the Judges themselves. We have also almost completed work on the scale of charges and remuneration in the legal profession, but now need the relevant administrative and legislative instruments to finalise the process. As you would imagine, coordinating external parties and getting their buy-in on your programmes that require widespread engagements, lobbying and persuasion can be tough but we have made some commendable efforts in that respect, and it now behoves the Y. C. Maikyau, SAN administration to which we shall presently pass the baton, to take things further.Theother thing that I would have loved to see to completion, is the reforms that we started at the NBA Secretariat to streamline our processes for improved efficiency, and the complete digitisation of the NBA, including our database and a unified easy means of identifying our members. We made a lot of commitments and investments on each of this, and have taken some concrete steps but have not fully actualised them. With more time, we would have completed this, but I am hopeful that my successor will continue to pursue these worthy initiatives.Onething I have promised Nigerian Lawyers is that I will prepare, and I am currently preparing a comprehensive hand over note that details all programmes we undertook, especially the ones that we are yet to conclude or even implement. The hand over note details the initiatives and programmes that I would have loved to accomplish, and a roadmap for actualising them. I think that with a conscientious implementation of such plans by incoming administrations, we can get the Bar to where we want it to be. You put the NBA back on the right track, in terms of the role of a Bar Association in society. NBA has regained its voice. What main legacy are you leaving behind? What advice do you have for the incoming administration, on how to keep up the momentum and improve upon what you have started? I think that there is a sense in which the thrust of this question had been addressed, in my response to your earlier question on what we consider the highlight of our administration. Having said that, one legacy that we will be leaving behind is that under our Administration, we demonstrated to our members and Nigerians at large, the possibilities inherent in an active NBA. We also demonstrated that the NBA can achieve its potentials, without compromising her responsibility to her primary constituency: members of the Association. If I am in a position to advise the incoming administration, I would say that it should remain loyal and committed to the promises it made to our members who gave it the popular mandate to lead the Association further, from where we will be leaving it in few days. Being NBA President would have given you a better insight on certain measures that can be implemented to improve the administration of justice sector, especially the Judiciary, starting from the process of recruitment of judicial officers to get the brightest and the best, to their remuneration, stemming the tide of judicial corruption and rascality (like issuing conflicting court orders) etc. Kindly, share your thoughts on this, and the recent NICN judgement in the case of Hon v NASS on increasing the salaries of judicial officers. Certainly. Our commitment to improving the system of justice administration, was never hidden from the first day we took office. Thus, when we came on board, one of the first things we did was to set up, with the approval of the National Executive Council, the Judiciary Committee of the NBA under the leadership of my friend and brother, Babatunde Ajibade, SAN. The Committee has been working relentlessly with my office, for possible solutions to these issues. To properly dimension the issues and develop practical ideas and implementable solutions to the problem of court congestion and other matters affecting the Judiciary gener ally, in January 2022, we organised a Justice Sector Reform Summit where some of the issues militating against optimal performance of the Judiciary were properly dissected, and proposals made for dealing with them. Armed with this and other findings, the NBA Judiciary Committee recently undertook a pilot court monitoring scheme or exercise in selected courts across the country, to test run some of the ideas that have been developed with experts on dealing with the slow pace in our courts. The scheme is leveraging on technology, and a dedicated App that has been developed for that purpose. These things are currently going on, but, like I mentioned earlier, where an initiative requires the buy-in and active involvement of other stakeholders, you may experience some delays and setbacks on account of administrative, budgetary, and other constraints. However, I have the assurances of the Judiciary Committee that, on account of their work, we will soon begin to see changes in our courts through their court monitoring activities and other high-level engagements. So, we have worked hard on this, and could not have overlooked the court system from where over 70% of our members earn their living. On the second arm of your question, I should say that it is a shame in the first instance, that we have to rely on a judgement of court to revise the earnings and emoluments of our judicial officers. Nothing can be more illustrative of the plight of the judicial officer in this country. So, I welcome the decision. It will however, be interesting to see how
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X TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY COVER ‘NBA Under Our Watch, Wasn’t Any Government’s Appendage’ Olumide Akpata cont'd from page IX the orders of the court could be carried into effect, against the backdrop of the fact that legislative intervention is also instructive in the increment of salary of judicial officers given its budgetary implications. What are your expectations of Acting CJN Olukayode Ariwoola upon his confirmation as the substantive CJN? Let me take this opportunity to once again congratulate His Lordship on his well-deserved appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Indeed, the circumstances that necessitated his appointment speaks volumes of the issues in the Judiciary, and particularly, in the Supreme Court where he sits everyday amongst his Brother-Justices. I therefore, would expect him to use that scenario as a springboard to instate reforms that will improve the quality of the Nigerian Judiciary during his occupancy of theOneoffice.reform that I expect from His Lordship, is the liberalisation of the resource-pool of the appellate Benches. Here, I speak of the need to elevate deserving senior and erudite members of the Bar from the academia and private practices, to the appellate courts. Unfortunately, this is one area where our advocacy has failed over the years. After the list of the most recent Justices of the Supreme Court was released, I had written to the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Dr Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad GCON (rtd.) to complain about the non-consideration of the very senior, experienced, and respected Lawyers that the NBA put forward for consideration to the Supreme Court bench. Sadly, My Lord, Justice Tanko, resigned just after my letter was delivered to him. I hope that the incoming administration will continue on this advocacy, in the interest of a more diversified Judiciary. For one, as a means of prison decongestion we understand that Magistrates/judicial officers so assigned, are empowered by law to visit Police stations every month to check on detainees (awaiting trial), and even grant bail on the spot to those who are entitled; that Lawyers are also supposed to be assigned to every Police station in the country as well. What role has the NBA played as far as this is concerned, especially as a way to create jobs/opportunities for Lawyers? Thank you for this question; this is because it has implications in expanding the practice space for our Lawyers, as well as creating opportunities for work. Yes, the Police Act nominates that a Lawyer should have a desk at every single Police formation in the country, in order to check against excesses of Police officers and to checkmate abuse of the human rights of suspects in detention, amongst others. Ordinarily, this laudable legislative intervention would have been a source of income for many of our members, who would have been employed in this capacity. However, and most unfortunately, the situation in reality is a far cry from the legislative intent, and it was one of the issues that I discussed with the Inspector-General of Police during my most recent visit to him. This, of course, is as a result of the poor funding of the Nigeria Police. If the institution was well funded, it would have had the resources of the added wage bill for the Lawyers who would be employed in this capacity. But, sadly, the reverse is the case, and so with all the best intentions, that lofty idea could remain a mirage. This again, is one area where the NBA and its members have been victims of the mal-administration of the Nigerian State, resulting in very weak institutions.But,allhope is however not lost, and I would think that the incoming administration has its work cut out in that regard. Lawyers have never seemed to take the role of the Legal Practitioner’s Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) as seriously as they should. What was your experience in this regard as NBA President? Why did some of the members of the LPDC, including the Chairman resign? Has the LPDC been reconstituted? I think it is quite sweeping to suggest that Lawyers have never taken the role of the Legal Practitioner’s Disciplinary Committee seriously. On the contrary they have, and the LPDC, through its Directions has punished Lawyers who have been found to infract our rules of professional conduct. Having said that, it is also true that the LPDC has been punching below its weight. As President of the NBA in the last two years, I witnessed this at close quarters. Some of the issues that I found were external interference in some cases, poor case management and/or adjudication of petitions referred to the Committee, sometimes resulting in the overturning of Directions of the Committee through elementary adjudicatory errors and omissions. There was also an issue with lack of institutional capacity, and funding. This situation is certainly not unconnected to the resignation of two members of the Committee, including its then Chairman - Emmanuel Ukala, SAN. The optics of course, is ugly, and reflects badly on us as an Association.
The recently concluded election into national offices of the NBA, is being contended. A candidate for the office of President has challenged the outcome of the election. Although you have disbanded the ECNBA and set up another Committee, what happens if the appeal is not settled before swearing-in of the new President, which is just a few days away? First, it is within the right of an aggrieved candidate to challenge any electoral process in court, if they feel that the process was tainted by any irregularity. Having said that, permit me to say that even our worst critic will not argue, with any sense of rationality, that the 2022 NBA election was not credible and generally satisfactory. You may recall that in the wake of the criticisms that trailed the 2020 NBA election, I pledged to, and indeed, constituted a Committee comprising distinguished practitioners of the highest standards, to audit the 2020 elections and recommend reforms for our electoral systems and processes. The Committee was led by Mr Ayodele Akintunde, SAN. When they concluded their assignment and presented their report to NBA-NEC, it was overwhelm ingly accepted, and I passed the report to the NBA Constitution Review Committee. If you look at the NBA Constitution 2015 (as amended in 2021) there are far-reaching and transformational changes made to the Constitution, in terms of our electioneering. All these contributed to the hitch-free election we experienced in July 2022. But, again, aggrieved candidates have a right to challenge the process as a constitutional guarantee before a free, fair and transparent tribunal. As per the last limb of your question, the pendency of any petition before the Committee, would not frustrate the handover ceremony at our Annual General Meeting. This is because, the result of the election as by the ECNBA enjoys the presumption of regularity, and until set aside by the Appeals Committee or any Court of law, will remain binding. In any case, I have received a report from the Elections Appeals Committee that no one petition was filed at the end of the period allowed for filing petitions; so, that perhaps, demonstrates that any perceived grievances have been assuaged. The Access to Loan facility initiative you instituted is one that many Lawyers lauded and hope will endure. But, the details and procedure on how to access funds from the Banks are still unclear. Kindly, enlighten Lawyers on how to access the facility. On Access to Finance for Lawyers which I already spoke about, one of the things we tried to ensure is a seamless application process that doesn’t turn out to discourage members from assessing the facility. So, we had written to our members explaining the process of assessing the facility complete with infographics before now. The process begins with an interested member obtaining a letter of good standing from his/her local Branch attesting that he or she is a ‘financial member’ of the Branch with paid-up branch dues, and Bar Practising Fees, as well as attesting to the member’s character. Upon obtaining the letter, the member will be required to apply for a Letter of Loan Eligibility via a designated email at the NBA Secretariat. The application will be supported by the Letter of Good Standing issued by the Branch. Upon issuance of the Letter of Eligibility, the NBA would provide the loan documents as provided by the participating financial institutions. The member will then complete these forms, and submit to the Bank for processing. The Bank will confirm the genuineness and eligibility of the member with the NBA, before the request is processed. Of course, the member will be required to provide the relevant know-your-customer (KYC) documents required by the Bank for processing. Upon provision of the relevant KYC documents, the Bank will review the documents to determine the credit history and also establish the amount the member can borrow. After this, each qualified member will sign an offer letter and other relevant documentation with respect to the loan documents as determined by the Bank. Upon fulfilment of the foregoing, the loan will be disbursed. What is your opinion on ransom payments for abductees? Is the new law criminalising ransom payments necessary or unrealistic? The so-called policy is indicative of a government that has run out of ideas, but does not accept it. It is quite preposterous that a government that has failed woefully in its primary mandate of securing the lives and properties of its citizens, is prepared to criminalise the citizens’ deft effort to save their loved ones from being killed by terrorists and criminals who have even threatened to kidnap the Commander-in-chief himself, and even made an attack on his convoy in his home State. It is totally ludicrous. No government conscious of its image and sensitive to its failures would recommend such a legislation, let alone passing it as a law. And, in any case, isn’t the same government deploying back-end channels to secure the release of abductees after payment of humongous ransoms? This demonstrates the sheer absurdity of the legislation. How would you rate this administration on its rule of law and human rights record, and it’s three main campaign promises, fighting insecurity and corruption, and revamping Nigeria’s economy? The score card bears itself out: a less than complimentary performance across board. You only need to engage the average Nigerian on the street, to understand where we are currently as a nation. Our currency is on a free fall, and no longer worth the paper on which it is printed; insecurity has encircled the land such that, even the seat of power is no longer safe; and the anti-corruption campaign lacks any rigour and vigour. So, it appears that we have retrogressed in the past seven years such that any government that takes over from this Administration, will have a really tough task. I am happy that these issues will take focal point at this NBA Conference, where the invited candidates will get the opportunity to engage on their reform agenda. It is one engagement that is worth looking out for. What are your parting words to Nigerian Lawyers whom you served for the past 24 months? I am grateful for the mandate that you gave me two years ago, and it has been a true privilege serving you in the last two years as NBA President. When I was seeking your mandate, I had envisioned an NBA that would be value adding to its members and the society, and it is my hope that what we achieved in these last 24 months, will be the foundational stone of an NBA that is constantly alive to its responsibilities to its members and Nigerians at large. Both individually and as a team, we have made mistakes and learnt from them; we had a few disagreements and agreed on most issues; and we also took hard and painful decisions that may not have been acceptable to all, but overall, I am satisfied that everything that we did was in the best interest of the Bar, and the legal profession in Nigeria. Thank you Mr Akpata.
“I am grateful for the mandate that you gave me two years ago, and it has been a true privilege serving you in the last two years as NBA President….overall, I am satisfied that everything that we did was in the best interest of the Bar, and the legal profession in Nigeria”
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Elumelu (middle) celebrating Heirs Holdings' 12th anniversary Elumelu (middle) flank by staff of Heirs Holdings
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Africa.“Nothing gives me greater happiness, greater excitement, and a greater sense of fulfilment than seeing the faces of these young men and women, from our continent, that have been enabled and empowered. “So on behalf of aspiring young African entrepreneurs and on behalf of my family, I say thank you to all of you, for making the past 12 years significantly impactful. We must not relent in our vision to improve lives and transform the African continent through living our philosophy of Africapitalism and our commitment to long-term investment and sustainable businesses. “As always, let us commit again to our values of excellence, enterprise, and execution,” Elumelu said.
With so much accomplished within a short period, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, says the investment company will continue to work harder to achieve its lofty dreams, writes Charles Ajunwa
Heirs Holdings at 12 To mark its 12th anniversary, Heirs Holdings which is tucked in the serene area of Ikoyi in Lagos, recently rolled out red carpets to celebrate its existence. Though the celebration was low key, Elumelu used the auspicious occasion to praise the ingenuity of the staff who, according to him, continue to contribute to the growth and expansion of the company. He attributed the feat accomplished to the painstaking job carried out by the staff of Heirs Holdings in one decade plus. With his trademark disengaging smiles all over his face, Elumelu while addressing the staff of the company said “the easiest thing to do is to dream dreams”, adding quickly “the more difficult thing is to actualise the dream.”
In the beginning Since it came into fruition on August 1, 2010, Heirs Holdings - an investment company has demonstrated resilience navigating the tough business terrain in Nigeria and beyond. Driving this is one of Africa’s leading investors and philanthropists, Mr. Tony Elumelu. Elumelu’s business acumen and sagacity paved the way for the investment company to venture into financial services, power, oil and gas, real estate, hospitality, healthcare and agribusiness.
“I want to commend all subsidiary and investee companies associated with Heirs Holdings, for making HH's vision a reality, without them, we would not have been able to accomplish what we have achieved. “And as I look forward in our journey and lead us into the future, I am more encouraged, to be even more audacious and bolder than we ever were, because of you, our HH People. “In the beginning, we had shared visions, for business and for Africa. In business we have done well, but more important is the impact we are making every day in Nigeria, and Africa, as well as our growing influence across the globe.
Celebrating Heirs Holdings at 12
“Our 12th anniversary is a moment for us all to look back and to look forward. To celebrate, to take stock, to learn and redouble. And yes, a time to thank and to acknowledge that we would not have accomplished our dreams without our wonderful HH People. “Let me thank God, my family, you, the HH People and all our supporters. Almost everything we wanted to accomplish in our first 10 years, we have accomplished. “Anyone can dream – execution, insti tutionalisation, patience, persistence, these are the hallmarks of our achievement, our success separates us from many. We appreciate luck, but we create opportunity, and opportunity that leads to results, milestones, value – tangible and intangible. “As we are now well into our second decade, let me highlight and celebrate our HH People; both past and present, those that have helped us at Heirs Holdings to execute our vision, despite the often challenging operating environment we find ourselves in.
The family-owned investment holding company which is committed to improv ing lives and transforming Africa through long-term investments has metamorphosed into different entities in the last 12 years. Today, companies under Heirs Hold ings include: Africa Prudential Plc (AP Plc), United Bank for Africa (UBA), Heirs Insurance (HIL), Heirs Insurance Brokers (HIB), United Capital Plc and Heirs Life Assurance (HLA). Others are Transcorp Power Limited, Heirs Oil and Gas, Transcorp Energy Limited, Afriland Properties Plc, Transcorp Hotels Plc, Avon HMO and Avon Medical. One of the things that makes Heirs Holdings attractive to investors is the way visitors’ privacy is treated as provided by the legal advisors.
FEATURES Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 07010510430 XVTHISDAY DAY
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Lover of entrepreneurship In 2015, he committed $100 million of his own money to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 African entrepreneurs over a 10 year period. The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepre neurship Programme has been described as the “largest African philanthropic initiative committed to empowering African entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship on the continent.”“Theprivate sector must be the core driver of Africa's economic transformation, but this sector cannot attain its full potential if entrepreneurs are left behind,” Elumelu said in a press statement announcing entries into the 2019 cohort of the programme. Also, Elumelu is the driver of the Africapitalism philosophy, which holds that the private sector, supported by good government reforms and support, has the capacity to transform Africa. Elumelu was named one of the most influential philanthropists in the world by a UK-based digital platform some years ago.
And as I look forward in our journey and lead us into the future, I am more encouraged, to be even more and bolder than ever
Though 12 years may be too short to attain its dreams, Elumelu acknowledged that so much had been accomplished within the period while admitting that there is so much more to do in the years ahead.
“What we do at the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which all of you support, directly and indirectly, is transforming lives and giving hope. When I listen to our young African men and women tell how their lives have improved as a result of the work of the Foundation, I feel even prouder of HH People and how we are collectively transforming Our digital hub for African entrepreneurs, TEFConnect, demonstrates the possibilities that can be unlocked on our continent when we leverage technology in business, invest ment and social good. Our platform is a demonstration of what can be achieved when the digital revolution is democratised – personal empowerment, business growth, equitable bilateral relationships and a more gender balanced and inclusive society.”
Elumelu’s Passion for Africa When he spoke at French President Em manuel Macron’s flagship initiative, Tech for Good summit, held at the Elysee Palace in Paris some years ago, Elumelu called for increased investment and focus on Africa as a reflection of his own legacy. He said, “At the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we have led in committing to Tech for All.
The company’s 12th anniversary, accord ing to Elumelu, is time to make an honest appraisal of Heirs Holdings’ strengths and weaknesses. To this end, he said the company will be able to make positive projections into the future.
Bennett Oghifo Registrar, Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Arc. Umar Murnai has called on the National Assembly to expedite action to deliver a law that will give a legal backing to the National Building Code in theMurnaicountry.said the absence of an enabling legislation for the document has largely contributed to its ineffectiveness in the area of regulating procedures and processes in the nation’s real estate industry. The architects’ chief spoke recently in Abuja during a weeklong programme organised by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, where engineers within and outside the country gathered to discuss “Domestication and Development of Codes, Standards and Regulations as Panacea for Engineering Infrastructural Failure in Nigeria.”
According to UNODC’s recently launched World Wildlife Crime Report 2020, in 2019 alone, at least 51 tons of pangolin scales seized globally originated from Nigerian ports compared to only two tons in 2015. “Indeed, more than half of all seizures of pangolin scales worldwide could be traced back to Nigeria in 2019.” A statement issued by UNODC said, “Moreover, from around 2011, great volumes of rosewood, locally known as “kosso”, were exported from Nigeria to Asia. In October 2018, the CITES Standing Committee recommended that parties suspend commercial trade in kosso from Nigeria until the country carries out a non-detriment findings assessment for trade in the“Dataspecies.further suggest an increasing role of Nigeria in the illicit ivory trade. Despite a global decline in trafficking in ivory since 2011, Nigeria has been identified in a growing number of incidents as part of the illegal trade chain, with 5,629 kg of ivory being seized in 2009-2011, compared to 11,769 kg in the period 2012-2014, to 12,211 kg in the period 2015-2017.”
Dr Onoja has been with the Foundation since 2015 as the Director of Technical Pro grammes where he oversaw the implementation of projects and other activities across the country with an operation income more than half a billion naira from donors globally. Also, he has acted as the DG for a brief period in 2018. He has worked closely with Dr Aminu-Kano in the last 4 years which will ensure a smooth progress of implementation of plans, especially the newly developed Strategic Action Plan (SAP). Onoja holds a PhD in Con servation Biology from the A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute of the University of Jos, Plateau State where he researched the extent and impact of human activities on birds and large mammals in Yankari Game Reserve Bauchi, Nigeria. From 2009 to 2015 He served as a Research Associate with the on project completion, preconstruction groundwork, and land title documentation. Project Completion – The aesthetic appeal of the property will be improved by selecting the best roof, wall, and floor finishes, which will also raise the investor’s rental income. Additionally, the asset’s usable life is extended. When fixing broken items frequently, using subpar products or finishing materials may seem costeffective in the near term. On the other hand, the long-term cost of this strategy will be higher. Pre-Construction Ground work – Before construction can begin, a number of measures must be taken to guarantee the structure’s structural integrity and spare buyers the hassle of frequent building maintenance. Along with topographic surveying, soil examination is one of these actions. This test is essential since soil types vary by region, and the outcome will define the optimal construction approach and the types of structures that will perform best with the soil. Prior to any work, it is vital that both tests and surveys are undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the construction industry. As an investor or buyer, you must investigate and appraise the property prior to making a financial commitment.
He added that by implication it applies, in terms of control of all matters concerning the design and specifications, cost effectiveness, construction, alteration, addition to, moving, demolition, location, repair and use of any building or structure, for existing or proposed building work
Speaking on “National Building Code: “Challenges and Solutions for Modern Infrastructure”, Murnai said, currently, the code was yet to be backed by any legislation hence most professionals were yet to accept it as a document to guide let alone the public who are always apprehensive of new ideas. He said that the code provides that all state governments and A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute and was involved in design and implementation of conservation-based research. He equally supervised the implementation and completion of the Global Environment Facil ity - Small Grant Programme (GEF/SGP) to promote rural participation in environmental protection through empower ment.In 2013, Dr Onoja was awarded the Chief S.L. Edu Research Grant out of numerous, keenly contested applications received and thus, began his association with NCF. He was invited to the University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland as a Visiting Scholar in 2013 and 2015.
Partners FG, Germany to stop wildlife crime Concerned Nigeria is Primary Hub for Illicit Wildlife Products
Bennett Oghifo
The Nigerian Government, UNODC said “must be commended for its political will towards tackling wildlife crime.
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Enforcement Authority responsible for the protection of endangered species of wildlife, has made efforts in resolving some of the regulatory and policy challenges confronting NCF clinic about wildlife conservation for school children… recently
The second edition of Plumbers conference powered by Bathrooms Direct in conjunction with Bagno Technik is set to hold in Lagos and Abuja on the 31st of August, 2022. Bathrooms Direct and Bagno Technik are both subsidiaries of the Black Pelican Group. Bathrooms Direct is the busi ness unit of BPL distributing low-priced but high-quality sanitary wares, kitchen, tiles and doors targeted at meeting the demands of middle- and low-income earners. Bagno Technik is the installa tion and maintenance arm of the business with its multinational team of trained engineers and installers.This year’s conference themed “The use of Technology in simplifying plumbing solu tions” enlightens and empowers plumbers in Nigeria with skill sets needed to succeed in the plumbing industry. Plumbers will gain new and updated knowledge in plumbing and discover new business op portunities by becoming part of the Plumberscommunity.alsostand a chance to win tools needed in their profession during the conference through activities that will be organised.Speaking about the upcoming conference, Princess Kay-Olufade; the Divisional Head of Bathrooms Direct, said “the purpose of this conference is to take the plumbing industry to the next level. We work with a lot of plumbers in installing sanitary wares for our clients, this is our way of providing opportunities for them and training them to be the best in their craft. The previous edition was a success and we look forward to achieving a higher success rate in this year’s edition.” wildlife crime in the country, such as adopting the Nigerian Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act of 2004 and its 2016 amendment which meet the requirements to successfully implement CITES in the country. The Government is also currently reviewing its National Ivory Action Plan (NIAP) in line with CITES recommendations.
The Government also recently requested support from the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the national preventive and criminal justice response to wildlife and forest crime, as well as a corruption risk assessment for these sectors that will be conducted by UNODC.”
Onoja Resumes as New DG of NCF
Real estate ownership involves more than just making a financial commitment, particularly when the property in question is intended to be occupied by residents. A sense of accom plishment and elevated social standing are both benefits of property ownership. A variety of considerations need to be given prior to either the construction or purchase in real estate. The lifestyle that would be supported by the possible purchase and its location are the two aspects of these considerations that are most essential. A significant factor to take into account is the location’s proximity to Central Business Districts, important facilities like hospitals and shopping malls, and upcoming construction projects.Ikoyiand Victoria Island are in high demand as real estate options in Lagos State. Loca tions such as Banana Island, Twinlakes Estate, and Lakowe are guaranteed to provide investors with high returns on investment in the years to come. Other areas that fit geography and lifestyle include theseRealareas.estate’s durability and potential as an inflation hedge are two of its biggest draws. Investors should focus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) should domesticate the document, but wondered how many of the states have the full document in operation. According to him, the building code was aimed to establish minimum requirements to safeguard public health, safety and general welfare in the process of predesign, design, construction and post-construction stages of the life cycle of buildings and structures.
3 Major Real Estate Investment Factors
THISDAY TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022XVI UNODC
“Buildingaccordingly.codeand regulations exist to safeguard the public health and general welfare from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment. “It is to establish minimum requirements to safeguard public health, safety and general welfare in the processes of predesign, design, construction and postconstruction stages of the life cycle of building and structures. The building regulatory system is to minimise the risk commonly associated with buildings such as fire, structural integrity, means of escape in an emergency and so forth” the ARCON boss said.
ARCON Tasks National Assembly on Legal Backing for Building Code
Onoja Foundation effective August 21,A2022.statement signed by the Chairman, National Execu tive Council, NCF, Chief Ede Dafinone said, “Following the announced imminent departure of Dr Muhtari Aminu-Kano, Dr. Onoja takes over the helm of affairs of the Foundation to continue the great work of fostering the vision of a Nigeria where people prosper while living in harmony with nature.”
Founder & Group Chief Executive Officer, Investment One Financial Services Limited, Nicholas Nyamali in a meeting with Boris Johnson earlier in the year 2022 during a high-level meeting with delegation from the UK... recently
(Source: Fine & Country West Africa)
In the spirit of restructuring and scaling up more years of excellence and impact, the Nigerian Conservation Founda tion (NCF) has appointed Dr Joseph Daniel Onoja as the new Director General of the
Bathrooms Direct, Bagno Technik to Hold 2nd Plumbers Conference in Lagos, Abuja
There is growing concern that Nigeria, in recent years, has become a primary transit hub for several illicit wildlife and forest products.
PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated that Nigeria is notorious in particular for the global illegal trade in pangolin, sourced primarily from Central Africa, “in spite of efforts by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the enforcement authority responsible for the protection of endangered species of wildlife in Nigeria.”
“We also have our signature programme called the Nigeria unlock programme mainly to help unlock Nigeria’s capacity and potentials to grow food that will feed Nigeria and also address food security issues.” He also said that the firm is working with tomato farmers to reach 250 tomato farmers between now and 2025 while also connecting them to markets that would pay them premium price for their products.“Weare also providing them with cold support storage services within their farming clusters to reduce post-harvest losses and also linking them to financing. We have earmarked some money to create a unique financing model to provide finance to small holder farmers in the country,” he stressed. He, however, stated that Heifer International’s investment on the continent to achieve food security Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
$1.21bn
Gilbert Ekugbe
The Country Director, Nigeria, Heifer International, Mr. Rufus Idris, has stated that agriculture technology has a vital role in addressing Nigeria’s huge annual spend on food importation estimated to be $22 billion.
He stated that the firm’s main focus is to help small holder farmers and lead them to sustainable income while addressing the food security issues in Nigeria.” Idris added: “Today we are here to launch the AYUTE Nigeria challenge mainly to encourage young people at the start-up stage that needs financing, mentorship to be able to come up with innovations that can help small holder farmers increase their productivity.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) recorded a project funding underperformance of $1.216 billion between January and June this year, THISDAY analysis of recent data from the national oil firm has revealed. While the monthly forecast for cost recovery and funding of government priority projects was $536 million, the total projected spending for the purpose for the whole of 2022 was pegged at $3.21 billion. However, the NNPCL data showed that in the first six months of this year, the company defaulted in its projection for the period by $1.216 billion. It indicated that for the period, whereas over $500 million was budgeted for each month as the sum to be spent, $333.4 million was expended in January, but it fell drastically to $18.1 million in February.Thefunding for priority projects rose again in March, hitting $294.3 million and $150.5 million in April. The funding was $113.3 million in May and $249.8 million in June. The default is coming amid increasing cash crunch and the inability of the organisation to meet its monthly financial obligation to the federation, comprising the federal, state and local governments which operate a joint account. THISDAY recalls that in 2021, the company posted a deficit of over $2.6 billion for cost recovery and priority projects, although it budgeted about $5.8 billion for the purpose. While through cost recovery, a party is able to recoup its capital and operating costs out of a specified percentage of production, the NNPC also has major oil and gas projects meant to boost the country’s production.Someofthe projects, which have been on for years include domestic gas development initiatives, frontier exploration, renewable energy and the Nigeria/Morocco pipeline. They also include the Gbaramatu IPP/Excravos power plant, upgrade and rehabilitation of Delta IV, upgrade of Oben metering, Sapele metering station, Ajaokuta metering station as well as construction of Egbin 500mmscfd gas facility. In addition, the NNPCL had previously listed the construction of the West Niger Delta project, Asa north Ohaji project, Excravos/Lagos pipeline expansion, OB3 supply lines as well as the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) project as some of its priority projects. Also listed was the Brass LNG, although funding has since dried up for the project. In all, a shortfall of $94.7 million was recorded in January, $398.7 million in February, $213 million in March and $214.3 million in April. In addition, in May, the NNPCL defaulted to the tune of $171.4 million while in June, it was $124 million. Also, the NNPCL has slashed its cash call arrears since 2016 from the initial $4.689 billion to $873.3 million as of July. The huge sums owed five international oil companies has now slumped after the company fully paid off Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited and Chevron Nigeria Limited. The two IOCs were initially owed $833.7 million and $1.097 billion respectively. While both oil firms have now been fully cleared, however, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Total and Agip are still being indebted to the tune of $595.1 million, $65.1 million and $213.1 million respectively. But all the IOCs have now been paid $3.816 billion cumulatively since 2016, the dataTheshowed.national oil company had signed the cash call repayment agreements with the five IOCs to defray the cash-call arrears within a period of five years after many
Amid Cash Crunch, NNPCL Records Deficit in Priority Projects’ in Six Months
NAME COMMODITYOF SIZESTATEPRICE SORGHUM 100KG100KG100KG100KG100KG50KG50KG JIGAWAKADUNALAGOSBENUEENUGUDELTAABIA N23,000N17,000N9,000N8,500N8,500N23,000N23,000 NAME COMMODITYOF SIZESTATEPRICE RICE 100KG50KG50KG50KG50KG50KG50KG50KG RIVERSKWARASOKOTOPLATEAUABUJA(JOS)LAGOSOYOEDO N23,000– N25,000 N23,500- N25,000 N23,000– N26,500 N11,500– N13,000 N22,000- N25,000 N24,000– N27,000 N23,000– N26,500 N17,000– N20,000 NAME COMMODITYOF SIZESTATEPRICE COCOA 1 TON 1 TON 1 TON 1 TON 1 TON CROSSONDOEDOAKURESOUTH,ONDOOSUNRIVER —––N740,000N760,000N720,000N740,000N730,000N755,000N730,000–N750,000N700,000–N720,000 RATES AS AT AUGUST 22,2022 MONEY MARKETREPOS & P INDEX S & P INDEXEXCHANGE RATE OPR 11.25% CALL 10.25% INDEX LEVEL 613.31% 1/4 TO DATE -0.85%N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR* OVERNIGHT 11.50% 1-MONTH 9.56% 1-DAY 0.16% YEAR TO DATE 7.64%*AS AT LAST FRIDAY 3-MONTH 10.52% MONTH-TO-DATE 0.44%
Idris stated this on the sidelines of the official launch of AYUTE Africa Challenge (AAC) in Lagos. He attributed Nigeria’s importation of food to country’s inability to meet its food needs. According to him, “So many times importing food might be cheaper than buying from here. What I think agritech can do is increase tremendously the yield per hectare the farmers would get, and that automatically affects the pricing to make us compete with other countries that produce more. “With agritech, we can achieve a significant milestone in food production. Agritech makes the farmers activities more efficient and more productive. It makes more yields available and it helps them to compete in terms of pricing with the rest of the world and I think it will also help reduce reliance on importation and boost investment in agriculture locally. Hopefully, we can have even if not more of the $22 billion that we currently spend on importing food into the country.”
BUSINESS WORLD Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com08056356325
Funding
Agritech Vital to Reducing Nigeria’s $22bn Annual Spend on Food Imports 21 Continued on page 23 FOOD COMMODITIES PRICE TODAY THISDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022
“The cost of a bag of rice is almost hitting N30000, but by time we rollout, we would be bringing down the price gradually. It is not going to be a drastic cut down, but a gradual cut down in the cost per bag,” he said. Also speaking, the Special Adviser on Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Adebayo Sodade, said that the state is continually providing employment in the agricultural sector working with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) to create over 5000 jobs.He also stated that the Imota Rice Mill would be completed before the end of the year and would create more than 4000 jobs directly and indirectly.
NCDMB, Naval Shipyard Explore Collaboration in Ship Building, Repairs BPE: Takeover of Four Discos Completed Lagos State Targets 40% Self-Sufficiency in Food Production by 2025 Busari
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Busari noted that there was the urgent need for gas infrastructure development in Nigeria to monetise its gas resources through gasto-power locally, and gas export to African countries and Europe.
The Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr Kamoru Busari, has charged the officials in the gas department and key stakeholders in the gas sector to proffer solutions to the identified challenges in the Busarisector.stated that when the challenge is surmounted, it will facilitate the country’s desire to be a regional gas supply hub with concurrent presence in the domestic, regional and export market.
The senior government official spoke in Abuja at a one day stakeholders’ engagement on the optimisation of gas infrastructure with the theme: “the Optimisation of Gas Infrastructure Blueprint” organised by the gas department of the ministry. his opening address,
Gilbert Ekugbe The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Rotimi Fashola, has declared that the state government is planning to achieve 40 per cent self-sufficiency in food production by 2025. Fashola stated that the move is apt considering the incessant security challenges faced by farmers up north, pointing out the need to reduce its dependence on other states to meet its food demands. He stated this on the sidelines of the Year 2023 Budget Consultative Forum for the Lagos division.Inhis words: “The roadmap for the year for agriculture principally is that by 2025, 40 per cent of our consumption should be coming from the state. In other words, we have a reduction in our dependency on the northern part or other parts of the country, as food security in Lagos state is of paramount importance to us.” He, however, stated that the state government has covered over 70 per cent of its budgetary activity and expressed confidence that before the end of the year, it would achieve close to 95 per cent of itsAccordingtarget. to him, the state is at its latter phase of most of what it had proposed to achieve, particularly the Imota Rice Mill, which he said would roll out rice before the end of the year.
“The development of gas infrastructure also aligns with the thrust of the national gas policy, which is, to move Nigeria from an oil-based economy to oil and gas-based industrial economy,” he said. He emphasised that in view of the national energy transition policy of Nigeria to have zero carbon emission by 2060 and the declaration of year 2021-2030 as the “Decade of Gas”, infrastructure optimisation remained critical. The ministry, he said, has made history by holding this stakeholders meeting on gas infrastructure optimisation and assured them of continuous engagement in theEarlierfuture.in her welcome address, the Director, Department of Gas, Nkem Agholor recalled that the journey to reposition Nigeria as a regional gas supply hub with concurrent presence in the domestic, regional and export market started in 2006.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Mohammad Abubakar stated this at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Katsina State, where he conducted the distribution of equipment such as one tonne of certified seeds of groundnut, maize; 1,200 litres of different organic growth enhancers, 2000 litres of cypermethrine, 4800 litres of relisate , glyphosate; 1,600 litres of landacylothrine, 150 pasta machines, 7 units of corn harvester, 8 units of hammer mill with cyclone, 700 units of knapsack sprayer, 120 units of water pump among others to small holders in the state.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Senior officials of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) led by the Director Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Patrick Obah have met with the management of the Naval Shipyard Limited (NSL), in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to seek areas of collaboration. The Naval Shipyard was established by Messrs Witt and Bush in 1963 and the Nigerian Navy took over ownership in 1990, and renamed and commercialised the facility in April 2013. Major facilities at the yard include mechanical and fabrication workshops, a carpentry workshop, an operational 50-ton slipway, decommissioned 200-tons slipway and a newly constructed 272m jetty. The facility also has the capability for the design and construction of tugboats, ferries, barges, and houseboats, ship repair/ maintenance, fabrication and installation of gun mounts and ballistic shields, design and construction of boat cradles and construction of GRP boats. However, areas of potential collaboration between NCDMB and NSL, which were discussed at the meeting included facility upgrade, manpower and skills development and access to market.Other senior personnel of the Board at the meeting included the General Manager, Research, Statistics and Development, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu and the Manager Research and Statistics, Mr. SilasTheAjimijaye.Naval Shipyard Limited was represented by Rear Admiral S.J Oyegade, Commodore B.H Sabo, Captain I.C Ketebu, among others.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Katsina State Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Sule Salisu, said that the present administration has initiated and implemented various interventions in the agricultural sector, which no other administration has ever done and has transformed the Nigerian agriculture to a business venture.Inhis goodwill message, the Chairman, Katsina State Chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Yau Umar Gojogojo, commended the minister for his commitment and support for smallholder farmers across the state. Urges Ministry Officials to Holder Farmers with
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has said that it has equipped small holders farmers with free agricultural inputs and quality seeds in its bid to boost food production, eradicate poverty and create employment opportunities for the nation’s teeming youths.
22 BUSINESSWORLD NEWS
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, has said the takeover of four electricity Distribution Companies (Discos), namely; Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan and Port Harcourt has been concluded successfully.Okoh,who disclosed this in a presentation made at a virtual meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), added that the challenge in the takeover of the Benin Disco was being addressed.TheNCP is chaired by the Vice President who was represented at the meeting by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, who is the Vice Chair of Council. In his report to the council, the BPE DG also made a presentation on the concession of the Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant, inviting the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) to note steps taken by the bureau to fast track the process. Okoh, according to a statement, then presented for approval a proposal to amend the procedures manual of the BPE, especially in the areas of legal framework; reform activities; pre-transaction activities; project advisory and delivery team. Other areas included the receipt of technical and financial transaction strategies, and opening and evaluation of technical proposals, among others.
Agricultural Inputs, Seeds, Vows to Address Food Insecurity
In
Gilbert Ekugbe
Solve Nigeria’s Gas Supply Challenge FG Equips Small
Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Deputy Business Editor Chinedu Eze Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) KayodeTokede(CapitalMarkets) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Reporters Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy) Ugo Aliogo (Development) FOOD COMMODITIES PRICE TODAY NAME COMMODITYOF SIZESTATEPRICE ONIONS 100KG100KG100KG100KG100KG100KG100KG100KG BENUEIBADANDELTAENUGUKANOGOMBELAGOSABIA N25,000N27,000N21,000N15,000N10,000N12,000N25,000N29,000 NAME COMMODITYOF SIZESTATEPRICE PALM OIL 25CL25CL25CL25CL25CL25CL LAGOSIBADANEDOPHIMOABUJA NNN20,000-N25000N18,000-N22,00019,000–N21,000N19,500–25,00021,000–N24,500N19500-N25000 NAME COMMODITYOF S IZE LOCATION PRICE MAIZE 100KG100KG100KG100KG50KG JIGAWADELTALAGOSENUGUABIA NNNNN900015000135002400014000 NAME COMMODITYOF SIZE STATE PRICE TOMATOES 25KG40KG40KG40KG40KG BENUEABIADELTAKADUNALAGOS N15,000N18,000N17000N5,000N9,500 TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY
Abubakar, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Tree and Crops Division, Mr. Bernard Ukattah, revealed that 35 per cent of the inputs were targeted at women farmers and processors in line with the targets set in the national gender plan and policies aimed at ensuring increased opportunities forInwomen.hisremarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Hon. Muntari Dandutse, said that the federal government’s effort is directed toward ensuring that farm inputs reached the majority of the farming communities across the Dandutsestate.said that this would go a long way in making the agro commodities available and affordable as well as ensure that the goal of bumper production and self-sustenance is realised.
Remember we have the meter stations that carry out testing and certification of various categories of electricity meters in the country to ensure they are of high quality of specifications to be able to measure the amount of power consumed, so that the utility company and the consumer are not short-changed. Other materials like the transformers, the cables, the conductors, the concrete poles are also being inspected by our officers. The fifth one is the area of safety. We carry out investigation of electrical accidents across the country to find out the causes, make recommendations to forestall these occurrences and we also carry out safety performance of these companies on a monthly basis. So you can see these five areas are all being carried out by NEMSA and to do that we have a number of inspectorate field offices across the country. Currently, we have 19 inspectorate field offices across the country. We have six national meter test stations. Four are already fully working, while two are under construction. We have engineering and chemical lab that’s also in charge of testing the transformer oil and other lubricants that are used in the power sector. Do you have the required manpower to carry out this mandate out? The number of staff is a challenge. Currently we have about 300 staff and these are deployed across the country. We need more. We need to have offices in all the states of the Federation and the FCT. This what we’re pursuing. So, in terms of not just personnel but funding, do you have enough? I think one of the challenges of new agencies in the country has always been inadequate funding. We thank God what we’ are getting is helping us to push ahead and to expand gradually. But it’s not really where we want to be because, you know that this issue of funding has affected the entire agencies of government and the country. But we are not staying there, we are looking outside the box to see how we can get additional funding, especially from the development partners, and other areas. We are lucky, I can remember we got some test equipment from one of our development partners. We were one of the development partners, and we’ve got a lot of training from GIZ and so on and so forth. But these are areas we look to see how we can augment the government funding in order to achieve our mandate. We are not there yet, but we are moving on gradually. By God’s grace, we’ll get to where we want to be. Every quarter, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) rolls out all kinds of industry statistics as to the number of Nigerians who have been injured or have died from some of these electricity-related accidents in the sector. I would like to know what you are doing to tackle this menace. The regulator has been giving us statistics or numbers. And these statistic are basically based on the request received from utility companies. One of our mandates is to carry out the investigation of these incidences. So from these statistics, we can also do our own investigations. So we get reports from them. We get reports from the media, from social media, we get reports from individuals and we carry out investigation of these incidents and the reasons for these investigations is to find out the causes and then decide on the kind of recommendation to forestall further occurrences. From the investigations we have carried out so far which are many, we were able to find out some of the causes and we were able to issue out enforcement directives across the country. One of such directives is that all primary 33Kva power lines in the country must have a minimum size of conductor of 150 millimetres square of ACSR, which is Aluminium Conductors Steel Reinforcement. So the conductor has steel component as part of it and that steel component is to increase the strength of that conductor. So that we will prevent snapping of conductors across the country because through the snapping of conductors, a lot of incidents have happened. I can remember the case of students then at the University of Lagos, who were passing and suddenly a conductor snapped and dropped on two sisters and one lost her life and the other sustained injuries. Imagine this kind of loss to the nation, and you also remember the viewing centre in Calabar because of structures under the power lines. So we have issued out enforcement directives on structures built under the right of way of power lines. We have even gone a step further to direct all the Distribution Companies (Discos) to disconnect all those structures under power lines from their own power supply as a first step towards the demolition. We’re also in contact with the state governments to see how these structures can be removed. We’ve been in contact with the FCT Development and Control Office. So we’ve been having that interaction for a long time. It’s just unfortunate that because of politics, you know, to carry out this demolition also, is always very hard from the side of the politicians. But this is what we’re pursuing and we expect that the media will also help us on this by sensitising citizens to let them understand the consequences of building these structures or staying under power lines. Because these lines can snap anytime without any notice. The radiation that comes out from the power lines, I mean the higher voltage lines are also dangerous to the people that stay very close to such facilities.
BUSINESSWORLD INTERVIEW
Tahir: My Dream is to See Nigeria Have Safe, Reliable Power Supply
23 AMID CASH CRUNCH, NNPCL RECORDS $1.21BN DEFICIT IN PRIORITY PROJECTS’ FUNDING IN SIX MONTHS years. However, the repayment period has now exceeded six years. Cash Call obligations arise when non-operating JV partners like the NNPCL are called upon to provide funding for operations usually based on each partner’s equity in the project.
Although the international price of crude oil has been mostly above $100, spurred by the Covid-19 recovery by most economies and the Russia-Ukraine war, the NNPCL has not benefitted fully from the rise, since it cannot meet its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota. The government blames massive oil theft, sabotage and lack of investment in the upstream sector as some of the challenges faced in ramping up production, which almost hit a deficit of 800,000 bpd in InJuly.addition, the little realised from the sale of Nigeria’s crude oil is used in the importation of petrol, which is highly subsidised. This year alone, it is expected to gulp at least N4 trillion. The Minister of Finance, Dr Zainab Ahmed, recently pegged the daily spending on petrol subsidy at N18 billion.
AGRITECH VITAL TO REDUCING NIGERIA’S $22BN ANNUAL SPEND ON FOOD IMPORTS has hit $1 billion in 48 years, stressing that the investment was meant to drive different agricultural projects across Africa. He further revealed that the firm has invested over $4.5 million under its tractor for Africa initiative to empower small holder farmers, adding that this year alone, Heifer would be committing another $6.5 million to develop the agricultural valueIdrischain.noted that the firm has been able to supply 40 tractors to small holder farmers to drive mechanised farming. “Our idea is that by 2030, we should have been able to supply about 10,000 tractors across countries where we currently work under our tractor for Africa initiative,” he said. He, however, stated that the AAC is a platform to source for technology businesses and innovators that would come up solutions aimed at addressing challenges faced by small holder farmers.Alsospeaking, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Lagos State, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said that the lack of youth participation in agriculture is due to the nation’s inability to celebrate youths and individuals that have done well in the agricultural sector. She lamented that the nation has taken the availability of food for granted, saying the more the country experience tribal and ethnic conflicts Nigeria will continue to have issues around its food systems and“Onlydistribution.thenwe will begin to understand that to grow our own food is pertinent and that is where technology actually comes into place,” she said. She identified poor access to funding, low technical skills, and the perceived unprofitability around agriculture as among the factors responsible for lack of youth participation in agriculture. She said the image of agriculture has to change through the deployment of technology in order to attract youths into the agricultural sector.
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Given the enormity of the mandate you have, what have you achieved so far in tangible terms? I think the good thing is that the previous administration has laid the foundation for the agency and the agency being a new one, is still work in progress and it is expanding gradually. The work is expanding too because it now has to do with covering the entire mandates of the agency. And if you look at the mandate of the agency, basically it is the enforcement of technical standards and regulations, technical inspection, testing as well as certification of all categories of installations across the value chain of generation, transmission, distribution, and even at the utilisation level. This is to ensure efficient production and delivery of safe, reliable electricity to Nigerians. Our activities are divided into five areas. The first area has to do with the electrical installation, that is the new electrical installation that are coming into grid connections. We ensure that we carry out inspection, testing or certification of those installations before they are allowed to be connected or to be put to use. The second area is the issue of existing networks. We carry out monitoring and evaluation of the existing networks to ensure continuous fitness of the network to be able to deliver the services they are constructed to deliver. The third area has to do with the personnel that are involved in the installation works across the country. We certify these persons to ensure that they are competent and skilled to carry out these electrical installation works in the country. The fourth area has to do with the electrical equipment and materials that are used for this electrical installation works in the country. We also carry out testing and certification of these electrical materials and equipment to ensure that they are of quality and to specifications before they’re allowed to be used for the electrical installations in the country.
In this interview with Emmanuel Addeh, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, Mr Aliyu Tahir, said his dream is to leave behind a power sector that produces reliable supply of electricity to Nigerians nationwide Tahir
At the time, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources had negotiated a discount with the IOCs, comprising SPDC, Total, Mobil, Chevron and Agip from about $5.1 billion down to $4.68 billion and had since then continued to reduce the debt payments in installments.
The cash call arrangements, under which NNPCL pays for its 55 per cent to 60 per cent share of investment in the upstream joint ventures, had been in place for over 40 years before it was restructured.
THISDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2022
Do you have the mandate or are you empowered to sanction defaulters or those who breach these standards. If you have that mandate, how many have you sanctioned in this period? We’ve had some sanctions. But most of the sanctions we have had is outright disconnection of such facilities from the power supply and this has helped tremendously in making sure that all the defects observed and all the recommendations we made for the correction of such networks are carried out immediately. And we’ve had cases where one or two persons were taken to court and we were lucky to have convictions immediately. I remember a case in Kaduna, where we discovered an installation that was badly done and connected to the national grid. When we discovered such, we decided that the culprits should be taken to court and there was a conviction on that. I want to assure you that it will continue and even the electricity bill under consideration at the national assembly, is coming up with more sanctions, and this will surely help us in making sure that the regulations and all the requirements of the regulations have been complied with across the country. In terms of interagency collaborations, what has been the level of cooperation among other sister government organisations? One of my strategies coming on board was to improve our collaboration with all agencies. Before I came on board, there was an established collaboration with Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). This has also led to the signing of an MOU between us and SON, which is the overall nationwide standards body. These standards are now used to develop the technical regulation by the NERC. So, we have been working together, we have standing committees. So there are committees that are in charge of developing these standards and we are part of them. We also have a standing committee that has to do with substandard materials. So when we go out for our inspections, and these substandard materials and equipment are discovered, they are now escalated to the SON to ensure that these are removed from theItcountry.isunfortunate that we are not at the entry points in the country where these are checked. But our collaboration with sister agencies is really helping us to get rid of these substandard material equipment in the country. We’re not yet at that level where you can say you have success 100 per cent success, but we’re moving on and better. We are collaborating with the National Fire Service, Consumer Protection Council and when the issues are discovered, they normally send them to us for technical investigations and we have visited the development control offices in the FCT to be able to discuss our areas of collaboration.
If I find out for instance that an electricity pole in front of my house is substandard or the cable I bought from the market is not up to the quality written on it, how do I go about it as a citizen? The first thing is that when you have an electrical installation to carry out, ensure that you employ the services of a certified electrical installation personnel by NEMSA. This certification has been going on for a long time, we have the directory of certified electrical installation personnel on our website so you can verify. Also, on your meters, there are features that you can see on your meters and you will know that the meter has passed through our certification process. Those features are the NEMSA certified seals attached to the meter. You will see the seal of the utility company. You’ll see the seal of NEMSA to show that the meter has been certified okay by us. And then you’ll see the test label of NEMSA indicating that this meter has been tested on this date and will expire on this date so that it will be brought back for recertification. So if you don’t see these two features, it shows that your meter is not certified by NEMSA, so the safety of that meter cannot be guaranteed. So from that point, you can raise the alarm because we have all the addresses of our offices and the contact details, everything is on our website. We are also working on our eyewitness reports so that you can easily interact even with your handset at home. You can download that and then be able to report. It has not been completed yet but we are seriously working on that. So you can report to the utility and report to NEMSA. Are you saying that even the Kazeem next door who is an electrician should also have a certification from NEMSA to be able to fix basic installations? Yes, because it is not allowed by law for anyone to go and carry out electrical installations without the certification by NEMSA. And the reason for certifying personnel is because of traceability. Because if you have an electrical installation in your house without certification, it’s like the same thing living with a wired time bomb and the unfortunate thing is that you don’t know the time it will explode. But the time bomb that you are seeing the clock tick, you can run, but this one you can’t, so it’s more dangerous. So if you allow your electrical installation to be carried out by somebody that’s not competent, the tendency that he will do a bad job is high and it’s risky.
PPC Limited has announced the appointment of Mr. Ayodeji Grillo as the new Managing Director effective Monday, 22nd August 2022. PPC in a statement said, “Grillo served as the Executive Director for the last eight (8) years, and his tenure has seen growth in the various business verticals, especially in the Medical Healthcare division, where he led the Public-Private Partnership with Lagos state, currently the largest in Nigeria, as well as other expansions in the business. The decision was unanimously taken by the Board based on his track record.”
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE
Between January 2021 and June 2022, SheVentures disbursed over N400 million to about 250 women-owned SMEs through the free interest loans offering. Over 15,000 others also benefitted from free training, mentoring and other empowerment programmes organised as part of the broad objectives of First City Monument Bank to empower women entrepreneurs. There are over 41 million SMEs in the country, and women constitute 40 per cent of this number.
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).
BUSINESS/ MONEYGUIDE Lasaco Assura nce Records N1 3.3bn Premium Income for 2021 MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) JUNE 2022 Money Supply (M3) 48,865,823.53 -- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors 167,956.2 Money Supply (M2) 48,797,867.32 -- Quasi Money 28,405,330.1 -- Narrow Money (M1) 20,392,537.22 ---- Currency Outside Banks 2,722,785.91 ---- Demand Deposits 17,669,751.32 Net Foreign Assets (NFA) 6,242,394.29 Net Domestic Assets(NDA) 42,623,429.24 -- Net Domestic Credit (NDC) 57,267,178.05 ---- Credit to Government (Net) 17,996,690.06 ---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA 0.00 ---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA) 0.00 ---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS) 39,270,488 --Other Assets Net 5,566,430 Reserve Money (Base Money 11,320,304 --Currency in Circulation 3,259,269.15 --Banks Reserves 11,320,303.72 --Special Intervention Reserves 384,377.56 Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) MonthJune 2022 Inter-Bank Call Rate 11.10 Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) 13.00 Treasury Bill Rate 2.45 Savings Deposit Rate 1.38 1 Month Deposit Rate 3.48 3 Months Deposit Rate 4.55 6 Months Deposit Rate 4.97 12 Months Deposit Rate 5.30 Prime Lending rate 12.29 Maximum Lending Rate 27.61 24 THISDAY Ebere Nwoji Lasaco Assurance Plc has announced that it recorded a gross premium income of N13.3 billion in the financial year ended December 31, 2021, representing a 21 per cent increase over the N10.93 billion generated in 2020. Chairman of the company, Mrs Teju Philips who disclosed this at the company’s 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos, also assured customers and shareholders of more improved performances in the year 2022. Phillips said the Lasaco delivered a considerable performance in the year under review when compared to 2020. She said: “the company achieved a gross premium income of N13.3 billion in 2021 representing a 21 per cent increase over the N10.93 billion generated in 2020. In the same vein, our net underwriting income grew by 15 per cent from N8.05 billion to N9.26 billion.” The chairman added that the company’s profit before tax declined from N696 million to N281million, signifying a 59 per cent drop while profit after tax declined by 62 per cent from N679 million to N261million. She said that the total assets of the organisation grew from N20.53 billion to N23.96 billion, a 17 per cent increase while the shareholders fund increased sharply by 45 per cent from N7.80 billion in 2020 to N11.31 billion in Phillips2021.said that Nigeria’s economic recovery was projected to continue, though at a slower pace as the low impact began in 2020 fades. She, said Lasaco would uphold and surpass its current performances through the implementation of best practice policies, digital upscaling, process strengthening and customer experience rejuvenation. “The journey continues to improve our identity and visibility through various modern initiatives and the building of our employee capacity to better position them to do “Ourmore.investment diversification strategy is yielding tremendous results and we plan to diversify further in order to gain maximum return,” she said. Phillips said that there was a change in the Board as the former Managing Director, Mr Segun Balogun, retired from the company after clicking the retirement age of 60 years on May 29, 2021. She said that Mr Razzaq Abiodun, was appointed in acting capacity on April 20,2021 and the appointment was confirmed by National Insurance Commission on Aug. 27, 2021 as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
FBN Insurance Brokers Focuses on Technology for Enhanced Customer Experience
“While at Family Action (formerly FWA), one of the oldest and established UK charities, as the Finance & Administration Director, Ayo was responsible for transforming the charity’s finances and drove the improved performance of the charity, enabling it broaden its activities and extend its impact within its operating communities.“Priortothese, he worked in various senior Accounting and Human Resources roles. Mr. Grillo has a Degree in Business Administration from the University of Ilorin, a PG (Dip.) in Operations Research from the London Metropolitan University, and an MBA with emphasis on Strategy, Finance and Change Management from the University of Greenwich.
L-R: Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc, Mr Razak Abiodun; Chairman of the company, Mrs. Teju Phillips; Company Secretary, Gertrude Olutekunbi and a Director, Sanni Ndanusa at the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Company held in Lagos...recently
PPC Appoints Grillo Managing Director
The outgoing Managing Director, Engr. Biodun Disu stated, “Ayo has made innovative, strategic and key contributions in ensuring PPC’s viability and success. Mr. Grillo has held various senior Finance positions within Cadbury Nigeria where he was responsible for driving performance and capacity expansion to secure a profitable portfolio of products. Prior to joining Cadbury, he was based in the UK where he held a number of executive roles. As the pioneer Finance & Contracts Director of London East Connexions Partnership, he set up and developed the Finance & Contracts functions.
SheVentures Offers N5m Interest-free Loans to Women Entrepreneurs
SheVentures, the unique proposition in support of the Nigerian woman in business, powered by First City Monument Bank (FCMB), has resumed the disbursement of 90-day zero-interest loans of up to N5m across the country to women-owned Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The 90-day zero-interest loan initiative is reopening for the third consecutive year to bridge the funding gaps faced by women-owned enterprises. It also ensures access to capacitybuildingSpeakingprogrammes.ontheinitiative, Mrs Yemisi Edun, Managing Director, FCMB, said: “Our SheVentures zero-interest loan is helping women entrepreneurs pursue profitable and sustainable growth through upfront capital for new products, services and expansion. In addition, it has uplifted and safeguarded women-owned businesses from the brutal impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, among otherThechallenges.”Headof Women in Business at FCMB, Ms Yetunde Moito, said qualified women entrepreneurs could access between N500,000.00 and N5,000,000.
Ebere Nwoji FBN Insurance Brokers Limited, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc is leveraging technology and strategic partnerships for value creation and enhanced customer experience.Thebrokerage firm in a statement said it had remained driven by its vision to be the leading provider of insurance brokerage and advisory services in Nigeria. Consequently, it said has completely automated its key processes in order to guarantee a seamless experienc for her customers.“Wecontinue to explore and firm up business partnerships within and outside the country in order to increase the size and quality of our insurance and risk management offerings to both our existing and potential clients, ”the Company’s Managing Director/CEO, Olumide Ibidapo,Ibidaposaid.who spoke during an interview with selected journalists in Lagos said FBN Insurance Brokers has made giant strides in the last one year in the areas of customer experience, strategic partnerships as well as digital transformation.“Wearecurrently engaging underwriters with a view to coming up with appropriate bundles of product that give our customers the much-needed cover(s) with a high degree of flexibility especially in terms of coverage.“Onthe international front, we have strengthened our partnership with major entities like Howden One, TRM and BUPA International. These partnerships have positioned us to provide bespoke insurance solutions to our clients’ emerging risks, “Ibidapo said. He added, “At FBN Insurance Brokers, we have created a digital roadmap that would see us realize our goal of completely automating our business processes while leveraging on the best technology available.”
PRICES FOR SECURITIES TRADED AS OF 22 /8/2022 MAIN BOARDDEALS MARKETPRICE QUANTITYTRADED VALUE TRADED(N)MAIN BOARDDEALS MARKETPRICE QUANTITYTRADED VALUE TRADED(N) Achebe: IB 2021 Performance Reinforce Commitment to
He continued, “We started 2022 on a positive note and this is because of the growing consumer demand for our brands; robust revenue management; and volumes growth ahead of the industry.TheOutgoing Finance Director, International Breweries, Bruno Zambrano, said, “IBPLC experienced a transformation in the last two years. Our main focus was to grow the business to return to profitability. After aggressive marketing and incisive research focused on identifying our consumers’ wants and where they consume the products, today, we can comfortably say we’ve gained market share to become the No 2 in the Nigerian beer market.”“Itisour dream to rise to the zenith of the market and from the continuous growth being achieved, we are optimistic that we are on our way to achieving that,” he added.
Kayode Tokede The Chairman of International Breweries Plc, HRH Nnaemeka Achebe has said that the company’s 2021 impressive performance and the recent recognition by Fortune Magazine as the most admired Beer company in the World reinforced its consistent growth and returns forSpeakingshareholders.toshareholders at the company’s just concluded 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, he stated that, “AB InBev was recently recognized by Fortune Magazine as the Most Admired Beer Company in the World. This recognition and our 2021 performance reinforce our commitment in-country to leverage our world-class processes thereby delivering consistent growth and eventual returns for all shareholders.” He said, “Notwithstanding the challenges experienced, our production volumes continue to increase for the full year. We are very proud of our strong recovery and are delivering historical total volume growth ahead of the industry, with a total revenue of N182.3billion, that is, 33.3per cent higher than the prior year.”
Growth
THISDAY 25
Speaking on the significant revenue and profit growth of the company to shareholders, the Managing Director, IB, Hugo Rocha, expressed optimism that the company is strategically positioned to provide better service to its teeming consumers across the country and generate profitable revenue for its investors. According to Rocha, “The continued support of consumers who prefer quality products from our stables is reflected in the outstanding financial performance of the company. We remain committed to creating value and sustaining the confidence of our stakeholders which include our shareholders and our beloved consumers.” Deliver Consistent
"To underscore his commitment to address the structural deformities in our system, the former vice president also disclosed that he had empaneled a committee of judiciary experts to draft a presi dential position paper which will guide his administration, if elected, from day one, on the terms and conditions of transfer of power and resources to the other layers of government aimed at making the federal government leaner and more effective in its core functions. "We implore media organisations to be wary of unfounded stories in the course of carrying out their constitutionally guaranteed responsibility of informing, educat ing and entertaining the people.", the former vice president media office stated. James Sowole in Abeokuta
Shekarau, however, did not say whether he was leaving NNPP or not. But he assured that the next line of action would be com municated within a few weeks. He appealed to his supporters to exercise patience and await his final decision on whether to remain in the NNPP or quit for another party.
The declaration, was sequel to a report, that one Dr. Fabian Ihekweme, had been appointed into Imo Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council allegedly by Professor Pat Utomi at the Banquet hall of Immaculate Royal Hotel, Port Harcourt Road, Owerri. However, in a statement by LP National Organising Secretary, Chief Clement Ojukwu and made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the party declared that it was only the National Working Committee (NWC) that could make appointment in respect of campaign council. Ojukwu said, "It's not undis puted that Labour Party has not made such appointment or inaugurated any presidential campaign council both at the national or otherwise. "All appointments in respect of campaign council are the exclusive function of Labour party National Working Committee as led by National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure and announcement made by the National Publicity Secretary as directed by the National Chairman "For emphasis and clarity: Article 14 sub section 1(a) of the Labour Party constitution states as "Thefollows;National Chairman shall give leadership to the party and shall preside over all meetings of the National Executive Council and the National Working Committee of the "Andparty.inArticle 14 sub -sec tion 9(d), it is the duties of the National Organising Secretary to organise campaigns and related issues"Thisthereof.constitutional provision quoted above vested the power of all appointments and leadership only to the person and the office of the National Chairman through the National Working committee or National Executive Council (NEC) "LP now uses this opportunity to sound the final note of warning to all support groups and individu als that the LP is guided by the constitution in all its activities and as such all members of the party as well as interested members of the public presently in LP should desist from all sort of hasty dealings, and from hence take serious caution. "People must obey the constitu tion of the Labour Party and be guided by the party directives with respect to the 2023 general elections."
Abubakar’s avowed commitment to education as a game changer for socio-economic development and national security. He remains concerned about the prolonged strike by university teachers and restates his position that under his watch the ASUU-FG imbroglio will be better managed in the interest of both the students and academic staff.
The Labour Party (LP) yesterday declared that no person, has been appointed into the Presidential Campaign Council in Imo State.
Obi
Former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday, said the presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and his group betrayed the trust reposed in them, when he aligned with NNPP a couple of months ago. Shekarau spoke during a meeting with Shura Advisory Council, drawn from the 44 local government areas of the state, held at Kano Foundation Hall. He explained, “All the agree ments we had with him were betrayed by Kwankwaso and his boys and they did not accom modate one single person from my“Wecamp.reached an agreement to accommodate my supporters into various elective positions in the party, but until now, the committee set up could not accommodate one single person, apart from the senatorial slot given to me. “I will never be a party to injustice. My integrity is utmost and not any political position that will make me compromise it and that of my people. Nobody will use position or money against my“Iintegrity.amaman of honour and Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Atiku: I Will Not Handover Federal Universities to States
The statement said is: "What the PDP presidential candidate referred to was his plans for a phased devolution of power to the federating units. "The report in some sections of the media is therefore a misleading and false account of what trans pired when the PDP Presidential candidate fielded questions as a panelist at the opening ceremony of the NBA conference."
in NNPP 2023: LP Disowns Purported Appointment into
Cubana Set to Unveil New Housing Project in Abuja
NEWS 26 TUESDAY, THISDAY TEENS CAREER CONFERENCE... L-R: A Nigerian Entrepreneur and Open Data Analyst, Seun Onigbinde; Nollywood Actor, Ibrahim Suleiman; Nollywood Actress, Linda Ejiefor Suleiman; a lawyer and founder of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo and Chairman, THISDAY Editorial Board, Segun Adeniyi, during the Annual Teens Career Conference of RCCG, The Everlasting Arms Parish (TEAP) in Abuja... recently
The Chairman of Cubana Group, Mr. Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, has re vealed partnership with Zoe New Dawn Nigeria Limited for the development of a mixed housing project in Abuja. The partnership was designed to provide about 10,000 units of residential assets for low and middle income earners, civil servants and others who are desirous of quality accommodation for residential purposes.
integrity but his governorship candidate (Abba Kabir Yusuf), who was given the responsibility to look at areas to accommodate my people into various elective positions never for one single day did so or even called for meeting talk less of accepting my supporters to contest. “Nobody will use money to change my conscience. I was a governor for eight years in Kano and people believed in my integrity. I am still living in a rented house in Abuja and never allocated a single plot of land to myself, when I served as governor in Kano and I challenged anyone, who knows my plot of land to expose it.”
Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
"The report is false, untrue, unfounded and not a true reflection of what Atiku Abubakar said while responding to a question on devolu tion of powers, a key component of his policy framework."
PHOTO: AYO AJAYI
Shekarau: Kwankwaso Betrayed My Confidence Presidential Campaign Council
A former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said he would not handover federal universities to states, explaining that education remains on the concurrent list.
In a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, explained that what Atiku said at the plenary of the 62nd annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association as it relates to education and how to address the crisis in the sector was misinterpreted and quoted out of Accordingcontext.to the statement from Atiku media office, "For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku did not say that he will handover federal universities to state governments if he is elected president come February next year.
In a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, ahead of official ground breaking ceremony of the Hill City Community housing project scheduled for September 1, Obi Cubana stated that the partnership between Casa Cubana, owned by the Cubana Group, and Zoe New Dawn Nigeria Limited would offer prospective subscribers global standard residential assets that would guarantee a live, work and play benefits in a well-developed, highly urbanised district of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. “Affordable housing is a major concern for most residents of Abuja and the new Smart City, Hill City Community housing project is carefully planned and designed to address the challenges of access to quality housing at affordable flexible ownership terms. “It will also be built by young Nigerians who will be engaged through direct means. Obi Cubana says it is another way for him to contribute to humanity through creating employment while bridg ing the prevailing housing gap,” the statement added. Speaking on the inspiration for the housing project, Obi Cubana further stated that he was determined to create jobs for youths while solving the challenge of affordable housing for majority of Nigerians who are seriously negatively affected by housing shortages across the country.Hefurther hinted that similar projects were being planned for Enugu, Lagos and Akwa, AnambraAccordingstate.tohim, the Hill City Community housing project in Abuja, was carefully located in a secured environment with proximity to the Abuja Airport and other major destinations within the Federal Capital city. In the development of the project, architects, engineers and other consultants would be recruited through an open engagement process where everyone who is innovative, creative, competent and passionate would be engaged in the new smart city development. He said the project has full approvals with complete tarred access“Theroad.partnership will afford low income earners quality housing options and will offer subscribers the advantage of building by themselves, if they choose to, while complete and standardised infrastructure such as central sew age system, water system, inner roads, parking, security and other facilities will be provided by the facility owners.
The media office of the PDP presidential candidate stressed that, "in answering the question posed to him, Atiku Abubakar merely recalled his engagement with a university professor where he argued that the United States of America shared similarities with the first set of universities in Nigeria which belonged to the regional governments and noted that with proper planning and phased devolution of power, federal universities that have now become unwieldy could be made to work better under the component federating units. “He also maintained that educa tion would remain in the concurrent list under his administration when elected".According to the Atiku media office, "The report was clearly a misleading one designed to cast aspersion on the person of the former Vice President and to create an impression that he will shirk his responsibilities if he is elected president in the next presidential poll due in February 2023. "We wish to restate Atiku
We’re committed to safe schools, says Irabor Stakeholders brainstorm on strategies, financing options
Oil Theft: Rivers Govt Insists on Arresting, Prosecuting Federal Lawmaker the outcome of the reconciliatory committee to settle the face-off between Atiku Abubakar and Wike to submit its report. As the conscience of the party, Jibrin said the party would speak with one voice on the rift so that the PDP would have something to campaign with in the south He listed the organs of the party to include the national caucus, BoT, National Executive committee (NEC), where the issues would be thoroughly discussed and resolved before they would be tabled at the convention.
Chuks Okocha in Abuja Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Walid Jibrin, has described as unfair for the party to produce both its presidential candidate and national chairman from the same place. Jibrin, who seemed to sup port the cause of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, however, offered to step down as BoT chairman, thus sacrificing the remaining six months of his tenure. Speaking with THISDAY in an interview, yesterday, Jibrin said, "provided if that will bring the much-needed peace into the party.” He said the party was awaiting Says PDP waiting for outcome of Atiku, Wike Reconciliation
"Yes. Air strikes were carried out on some specific targets in the Tunbuns and Sambisa with varying degrees of successes recorded," he said.
“Anybody who allows his business premises to be used for illegal oil bunkering, that premises will be shut down. Whoever, allows his hotel to harbour criminals bent of destabilising the state, we will deal with you according to the law,” he said. He urged Igwe to submit himself to security agencies for interroga tion, but and warned him to desist from misleading the unsuspecting public with spurious claims that he was being politically victimised. Woke, further took a swipe at Igwe for making derogatory remarks about Governor Nyesom Wike, adding that, but for the governor’s benevolence, the federal lawmaker would have gone into political extinction. “I listen to Chinyere Igwe yesterday talking about ingratitude. A man who had been retired politically. This is the man who spent only one term in the House of Representatives and came back home. The immediate past
Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor, Chief Emeka Woke, who spoke at the Grassroots Develop ment Initiative (GDI), Permanent Voters Card (PVC) sensitisation and mobilisation rally at Mogho in Gokana, reaffirmed that the state government would arrest and
Jibrin stated that the composi tions in the party like presidential candidate, national chairman, BoT Chairman were from a section of the country and insisted, "it is not Apartfair".from describing the pres ent compositions as unfair, the BoT chairman said as the conscience of the party, "We will address it once the report is submitted. It will be unfair for the party to have both its president and the national chairman, BoT chairman from the northern region of the country, an indication that, Iyorcha may go only after the election and Atiku
BUILDING A SAFER DIGITAL ECONOMY IN NIGERIA...
“The targets were subsequently acquired and engulfed in flames. The aftermath of the airstrike revealed that pandemonium broke out as the remnant of surviving terrorists took cover under nearby trees, which were later struck by the aircraft,” the source said. Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, when contacted, confirmed the developments.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt The Rivers State government, has said no amount of blackmail would stop it from prosecuting the lawmaker representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency II, Hon. Chinyere Igwe, whose filling station, had been sealed up for alleged illegal oil bunkering.
governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, chased him out of Port Harcourt and he ran to Abuja. He even contested on the platform of ACN then, and lost woefully. “When we had mobilised GDI and had strengthened the party (Peoples Democratic Party), we brought him back and those of them whom he said he is speak ing for now. None of them were foundation members of GDI. And His Excellency, the governor gave him platform, first as a Commis sioner and then to the National Assembly, even though he didn’t win the primary. And today, he is talking about ingratitude,” he said.
Ndubuisi Francis and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Military fighter jets, yesterday, struck the enclaves of the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) in Sambisa Forest, killing scores of Theterrorists.airinterdiction had targeted the ISWAP leader, Fiya Ba Yuram, who took over the leadership of the ISWAP insurgent group, following the killing of Boko Haram Leader, Abubakar Shekau, last year. The bombing raid followed a credible and actionable intelligence obtained by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai, which revealed that terrorists were gathering for an undisclosed mission. This is as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, yesterday, expressed the resolve of the Nigerian military to ensure safe and secure learning environment across the country, even as stakeholders converged to fashion out appropriate strategies and financing options for safe schools. But on the air interdiction, military sources claimed air strikes were immediately authorised and carried out on the location after intelligence was established. “An assessment of the location after the strikes revealed it to be successful though it remained unconfirmed if Fiya Ba Yuram was among the terrorists neutralised in the strikes,” the source said. Similar air strikes were also undertaken in the Tunbuns near Lake Chad after suspected terrorists’ activities were observed in the area believed to be a training camp for ISWAP fighters.
R-L: Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; one of the authors, Zeenat Sambo; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Chairman, Image Marchants Promotion, Dr. Sule Ya'U Sule and the other author, Fom Gyem, during the presentation of the book titled: ‘Building a Safer Digital Economy in Nigeria,’ at the Minister's Office in Abuja... yesterday
NEWS TUESDAY, THISDAY 27
Military Air Strikes Target ISWAPLeader, Kill Scores of Insurgents
"Drawing from the commitment openly demonstrated by Mr. President, the Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning took major proactive steps to chat a new course towards ensuring consistent financing to support education continuity in times of conflict and also support survivors of attacks on education."
“The federal government is committed to ensuring a safer teaching and learning environment. In the same vein, the Ministry has committed to creating adequate budgetary allocation for Financing Safe Schools activities,” he said. Head of the Safe Schools Unit at the ministry, Hajiya Halima Iliya Ville, urged states, local governments and communities across the country to take ownership of the Safe Schools initiative, for it to achieve the desired outcomes.
President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Chief Yomi Otubela, in his goodwill message, noted that safeguarding schools in the country had become more critical than ever.
Ville said: "You will all recall that the Safe Schools Declaration, SSD, Ratification was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 31st December 2019, signaling to the global community Nigeria's commitment to if implementation in "AndNigeria.aswe are all aware, the last count 114 UN member states, have endorsed this declaration, thereby expressing political commitment to ensure the safety of civilians and general protection of education from attacks, this is encapsulated in the Safe Schools Declaration.
prosecute owner of any filling station selling petroleum products supplied by artisanal refiners. Woke insisted that the state government has constitutional obligation to decisively deal with anyone involved in acts inimical to the Nigerian economy.
Jibrin Supports Wike, Opposes Presidential Candidate, National Chairman from Same Place
eventuallyAlthoughwins.”hewas not forth coming on the party’s acceding to some of the demands by the Wike camp, like the immediate resignation of Ayu, to pave way for justice, fairness and equity, he insisted that the various organs of the party would meet and resolve the issue next week. Jibrin exuded confidence that PDP would win the 2023 presi dential election, assuring that the rift, which he regarded as mere quarrels, would be resolved by next week, when all the party organs must have met to consider the issues and come out with verdict that would make the party stronger. “To tell the truth, it will not be fair for the president of Nigeria to be from the north, the chairman of the party from the north, and the BoT chairman from the north. By next week, we will get the report. “And when we find out that somebody is wrong in what has happened, we will come up openly to tell the party that it is wrong. Whatever we can do, we will do it in the interest of the party to make the party remain as PDP," he explained.
Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Shehu Yamusa III, also called for the installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in all schools, as well as taking other necessary steps to make Nigerians schools safe for the pupils and staff. “Our students must have a safe environment to learn. This is the type of environment that we want and we must work to ensure it. Safety is a prime concern. If students and teachers are in danger, then, education is in danger. “To have safe schools, I suggest that CCTV be provided in our schools. There should be multisectoral approach – parents, PTAs, traditional rulers and the communities – should be involved, especially, in the area of intelligence gathering," he said.
Fiya Ba Yuram, a notorious terrorist, is the current Leader of ISWAP at Sambisa forest. He took over the leadership of the ISWAP, following the killing of Boko Haram Leader, Abubakar Shekau, last Meanwhile,year.speaking in Abuja at a national stakeholders' engagement forum on financing safe schools with the theme: "Financing Schools in Nigeria: Issues and and Strategic Options", Irabor who was represented by the Director of Education, Defence Headquarters, Rear Admiral Chibuike Azike, observed that the activities of terrorists had resulted in the closure of schools in some parts of the Describingcountry.thedevelopment as unacceptable, he expressed the commitment of the military to reverse the trend and provide an environment that would not only be safe but secure for learning nationwide.TheCDSsaid: “Nigeria has been facing major security challenges, including attacks on schools, leading to closure of schools in the affected states. The armed forces are committed to securing Nigerian schools – both students andThestaff.”event, which was organised by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, attracted players in the armed forces, traditional rulers, education sector, conventional and non-conventional security operators, relevant commissioners on economic planning and budgeting as well as finance from all the states of the federation, among others. In his keynote address, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, at the ministry, Alh. Shehu Aliyu, stated that the federal would adequately fund the Safe Schools initiative.“Weare all aware of the blight of insecurity that has befallen our nation, of interest to us as stakeholders is the incessant attacks on our schools across the country that, has disrupted the education sector. One of the resultant effects is the declaration of Nigeria as having the highest out-of-school children.
“There is no information as to why they kidnapped him, since we are not able to get in contact with the kidnappers,” he said. Meanwhile, the state police command has confirmed the incident.ThePolice Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the incident, said thorough investigation has begun to ensure the monarch’s release.
Protest Rocks Ekiti Varsity, JOHESU Seals Off Hospital over Unpaid Benefits
For over four hours, spanning 8.00am and 12 noon, no worker, including members of the management and doctors, were given free entry and exit throughout the time the warning protest lasted. The protesting medical staff in their hundreds chanted antigovernment songs to deride the government’s action over the debilitating plights of workers in the health Addressinginstitution.theworkers, the JOHESU Chairman, EKSUTH chapter, Omotola Farotimi, predicated their action on non-payment of salary arrears, cooperative deductions, nonimplementation of minimum wage and unpaid leave bonuses. Farotimi regretted that cooperative deductions had not been paid by the management in the last 24 months, thereby increasing the tally to an aggregate of N1.6 billion without hope that the amount would be defrayed in record time.
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
FG
THISDAY checks revealed that the fire started from the first office which is used by the library to store their old books and newspapers Sunday midnight. Our Correspondent also gathered that the fire was extinguished by men of the state Fire Service but resurfaced at the roof of the correspondents’ chapel office at 1:20PM which is very close to the library store. Eyewitness account revealed that some chapel members were informed and they rushed to the scene where they were able to put it out with the collective efforts from good samaritans before fire men came for the second time to quench the remnants of the flames.Meanwhile, the state government through the secretary to the state government Abubakar Njodi has commiserated with the journalists over the incident. He instructed the state commissioner of information to liase with the leadership of the union to see how government could help.
Legal Practitioner: Re-introduced Water Bill Anti-people
The Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Works Mr. Jide Ode Marthins, has said that before the end of the year 2023 quite a number of roads projects will be completed and inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari. The director maintained that the country is at the period of road project completion and inauguration of infrastructures initiated and implemented by the present administration. Marthins made the disclosure yesterday in Kano while delivering his speech at the opening ceremony of the 28th Meeting of the National Council on Works Holding in Kano from 22nd to 26th August. According to him, the meeting is an annual event which the stakeholders use to come together and deliberate on a number of issues that relates to infrastructural development with a view to proffering sustainable solutions.Marthin said that the Council Meeting is heralded by a 2 Day Technical Meeting of Directors, Permanent Secretaries among others. to Complete Major Road Projects before End of 2023
The lawyer and also an environmental rights activist, who made the assertion in Benin City, Edo State yesterday , while enlightening journalists on what the Bill entails, said Water Resources Bill is an indirect way of introducing Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) and Cattle Colony. According to him, when passed into law, the Act will automatically incorporate the Land Use Act of 1978, making every land owned by communities and state governments to be ceded to the federal government. He said part of the bill ‘Indicate that the Delta of River Niger, and everything therein belongs to the federal government.Hesaid:“This is an indirect way of re-introducing RUGA and the cattle colony. When RUGA was introduced, it died; when cattle colony thing came it also died. This is the last thing to do. “Section 158 reads: Any natural or man-made water, flowing or standing on the surface of the land, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, lagoons, wetland, swamps, creeks, deltas, etc belong to the federal government. So, with this, everything is gone.”
BIDDING PA SANUSI FAREWELL…
Segun Awofadeji in Gombe A night inferno yesterday razed the Gombe state correspondents’ chapel office housing the correspondents of national newspapers and other media representatives in the state. The fire also burnt a store belonging to the Gombe State Library Board where old books and newspapers were kept.
“We have no information about him. The entire community is worried, the chiefs, elders, youths and women, everybody is worried because there is no information about him up till now,” he said. The source called on the security agencies, including the Nigeria Navy Ship, Pathfinder (NNS Pathfinder) and the Rivers State Government to intervene and facilitate his release.
The Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the High court of justice, Osogbo yesterday granted the motion exparte brought before it by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC), for a substituted service on the state governor-elect, Senator AdemolaGovernorAdeleke.Oyetola had challenged the outcome of the
Former Managing Director, Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Mr. Mobolaji Sanusi (left), and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, at Sanusi’s father’s final burial ceremony in Abeokuta, Ogun State…recently
Amaechi’s Ally Reveals Reason for Dumping APC Gideon Arinze in Enugu An All Progressives Congress (APC) interest group in the South-east region, the Tinubu/ Shettima Southeast Youth Movement, has vowed to ensure that the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, wins the election in 2023. The Convener of the group, Emeka Anike, who made this known yesterday at the inauguration of its South-east executives in Enugu State, said the movement would deploy resources and everything possible to ensure that Tinubu wins the election, “as he remains the candidate with the best chance of winning.”
July 16 governorship election in which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declared Adeleke as the winner. However, at the sitting of the tribunal yesterday presided over by Justices Tertsea Aorga Kume, Chairman and Benedict Amangbo Ogbuli, Oyetola and the APC, through their counsel, Mr. Yomi Aliyu, pointed out that Adeleke has been evading efforts by bailiff to serve him with the petition. According to Aliyu, Adeleke refused to collect the document from bailiff when the court official got to his house to serve him The bailiff was kept at the gate to wait for instruction to drop the message but the security guard later ordered the bailiff to leave as there was no instruction to collect the document and he has to leave the scene for his safety”, heMeanwhile,added. Aliyu in an application on behalf of the petitioners, sought an order for the plaintiffs access to the election materials, including electronic scanning of ballot papers and Voters registers used during the election among others. While ruling on the applications, tribunal Chairman, Justice Tertsea Aorga Kume granted the application for substituted service, allowing the bailiff to paste copy of the document on the tribunal notice board for the 2nd respondent’s attention.
“We are appealing and calling on the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, the police, Army and the NNS Pathfinder and other security agencies to help and secure his release.
A legal practitioner and President, Ijaw Community Law Centre, Dotimi Tawari, has urged the National Assembly to throw the controversial Water Resources Bill recently re-introduced into the dust-bin, arguing that if they let go, it will deny Nigerians of their identities and ‘kill’ them. He said rather than concentrating on true federalism, the Bill is anti-federal but unitary, adding that if passed into law, it will take Nigerians back to the old days of unitary system of government where everything is concentrated at the centre (Federal Government)
Osun Tribunal Grants Oyetola’s Prayer for Substituted Service on Adeleke Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
APC Support Group Drums Support for Tinubu/Shettima Ticket
According to him, because of the ulterior motive behind the bill, it was sneaked into the National Assembly through the back door and was not made public until some members including the Speaker of the House of Representatives insisted that it should be made public. He added: “They are amending the Nigerian constitution without us knowing. This is because by extension, the Land Use Act of 1978 is incorporated into this Bill.”
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Anike noted that the Southeast has suffered great injustices in the Nigerian state because of its failure to play the best politics since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999.
Victor OgunjeinAdoEkiti Medical workers of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti yesterday locked up the health institution while protesting over alleged unpaid emoluments by the management. The staff, under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), had massed at the main gate of the tertiary health facility located at Adebayo area and sealed off the hospital.
Gunmen Abduct Rivers Monarch
Blessing Ibunge inPortHarcourt and Hammed Shittu inIlorin Chairman of Abissa Council of Chiefs in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, High Chief Matthew Opoto, has been reportedly kidnapped by gunmen on the high sea. This is just as gunmen have reportedly killed the owner of hotel, Mr. Kayode Akinyemi at Alomilaya area of Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara state THISDAYcapital.gathered that Chief Opoto was abducted on his way to his community in the Abissa waterway by a group of gunmen driving in speed boat, on Friday. It was learned that the gunmen trailed the boat carrying Opoto along with some of his council of chiefs, after identifying the victim, they singled and forced him into one of their (gunmen) boats and drove off.
Fire Razes Gombe Correspondents’ Chapel Office, State Library Store
Anike said Tinubu has the leadership qualities needed to transform Nigeria, looking at how he transformed Lagos State, adding that if given the opportunity, the APC candidate will do the same with Nigeria. According to him, “Most importantly, Ndigbo will stand a better chance in the Nigerian political equation when Tinubu emerges through our effort. We can stand in a better stead to negotiate and to be properly represented in the scheme of things in Nigeria.”
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Princewill Dike, said he dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because all his outcry that the Rivers APC was heading for destruction was ignored by the leaders. Dike, a close associate of the immediate past Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, who was a Special Assistant on Student Affairs during Amaechi’s term as a governor, said all his advice on how to rescue the party fell on deaf ears. He said the decision to pitch his tent with the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, was because he had performed excellently in the state especially in the areas of infrastructural development. He said: “A political party is a vehicle for political power. When I observed that Rivers APC is heading for the precipice, I began lamenting. Alas, they tagged me a prophet of doom, as did Jeremiah by the Israelite. “I didn’t stop at lamenting. But also proffered solutions on how to stir the ship away from the cliff but it was also ignored by the party. My advice was not heeded. So, why should I continue to be in a party that is apparently set for destruction and have my political destiny wasted?”Hecommended Wike’s infrastructural development in the state, said “Mr. Superb Projects, has performed creditably well, such that, even the blind can see his infrastructural renaissance and the deaf can hear about his good work. The flyovers are not only easing traffic, they have added value to the aesthetics of the metropolis.“So,weneed to join hands with the dynamic Governor to bring a successor that can continue from where he stopped the good work.”
A community source, who gave his name as Minaibiye, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the monarch was few minutes to his destination when the gunmen struck.He said: “The Chairman of Abissa Council of Chiefs, High Chief Mathew Opoto was travelling with some of his chiefs and about five minutes to arrive the community, gunmen came in a speed boat, identified him and took him away.
TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY28 NEWS
“When this government came in 2018, the aggregate of the outstanding deductions was a sum of N500 million. But now, it has swelled to as much as N1.6 billion.“Another issue that has been agitating our minds is the issue of Minimum Wage. It has been implemented for workers at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti. Even in Ekiti State, all health workers are being paid, except our members.
KillhotelierinKwara
The environmental rights activist noted that if Nigerians allow the Bill to see the light of the day “it will be more powerful than your state government; it is like creating another country entirely inside a country.”
Enugu Congratulates Indigene for Winning AFS Young Global Citizens Award
ArresttwosuspectsinEnugu
Enugu State Government yesterday congratulated Mr. Noel Ifeanyi Alumona, an indigene of the state, who won the 2022 AFS Award for Young Global Citizens. In a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Steve Oruruo, the state government expressed immense delight at “the uncommon emergence of a young Nigerian of Enugu extraction.” Oruruo stated that “the state government takes special cognizance of the huge inspiration and unprecedented impetus this phenomenal feat will invariably engender in the psyche of our teeming youths”, adding that “of greater and more enduring significance, is the fact that this is the first time an African is winning this prestigious award since inception in 1914”. The state government commended “the unflinching sense of dexterity, unwavering commitment, unyielding vigour, sustained candour and unflappable diligence with which our illustrious son has pursued the emancipation of the global community; a seemingly intolerant world and elimination of all prejudice against persons in special education, women and the girl child.”
The South-South Youths Initiative (SSYI) has condemned the directive of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike to seal off some business outlets in the state. The group alleged that the action was a political witch-hunt targeted at some Rivers sons who may have some rift with theSpeakinggovernor.with journalists in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the National President of SSYI, Imeabe Saviour Oscar, said the governor was allegedly killing the state in the name of politics. Oscar stressed that by sealing off the businesses, many Rivers people would be rendered jobless. He recalled that the state office of Nigeria Labour Congress has remained sealed months after the governor allegedly ordered the closure.Thegroup called for an end to the attack on businesses, alleging that it could tamper with the peace experienced in the state.
“We understand that all those he is using the sledge hammer of the number one seat of the state today against were once used to fight the former governor of the state, Chibuike Rotimi Amacchi, some years ago. “We understand that every transition stage has its own challenges, but we never expected that a governor who claims to have the interest of Rivers State at heart would be causing threats in same “Wikestate.hasconsistently proven that businesses in the state are not safe under his administration. The beauty of democracy is multiple and diverse interests and opinions; where these do not exist, means the opposite, dictatorship.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 THISDAY 29 NEWSXTRA
SundayOkobi Maker of global hygiene brands in Nigeria, Reckitt Nigeria, has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on the ‘Clean Naija Initiative’ to achieve a cleaner and healthier Nigeria. The Clean Naija Initiative signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Hussein Adamu, alongside other top officials of the Ministry as well as the leadership team of Reckitt Nigeria. Speaking at the ceremony, the General Manager, Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Akbar Ali Shah, stated that: “Reports place Nigeria among the top nations that bear a significant portion of the global disease burden and high under-five mortality rates, and recent reports have estimated that 46 million Nigerians still defecate in the open. “Many of these diseases such as diarrhea can be preventable by practicing proper hand washing habits and wide-scale hygiene education. We are elated to renew the partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on the Clean Naija Initiative, and this is a confirmation of the initiative’s success in the last three years.” Ministry of Water ResourcesPartner to Promote Hygiene
Ijeoma Okonji The Executive Director, Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi Foundation, Mrs. Bolaji Fati, has called for effective collaboration between government and organised private sector and reorientation of parents to invest in education as part of efforts to tackle the issue of Out-of -School children in Nigeria. According to him, this has become a serious concern especially for the girl-child.
The Police command in Adamawa has arrested 31 suspects for various offences across the 21 local government areas of the state. Similarly, operatives of the Police Command in Enugu State have arrested two suspects for alleged armed robbery and cultism and recovered arms from them. The Commissioner of Police in Adamawa, Sikiru Akande, who disclosed the arrest of the 31 suspects at a news conference in Yola yesterday, noted that domestic violence, drug abuse and culpable homicide were some of the issues making the command restless. He added that the suspects would be charged to court after completion of investigations. Akande disclosed that the command also arrested drug peddlers and seized narcotic substances, adding that the suspects would soon be handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The commissioner said the command had secured conviction of considerable number of arrested criminals, adding that the Police would not relent in the fight against crimes in the state According to him, the state is enjoying relative peace sequel to effective intelligence gathering, surveillance and routine patrol by the command.
Group Slams Wike over Sealing of Businesses in Rivers, Alleges Witch-hunting
“South-South Youths Initiative condemns in its entirety the political witch-hunt of some Rivers sons by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike. “This act is not in the interest and development of the state. We hereby call for an end to every attempt by the Governor to destroy the fragile peace that the state is enjoying at the moment.
Fati disclosed this yesterday, at a media briefing in Lagos to announce the forthcoming MAMF August event organised in collaboration with St. Nicholas Hospital with theme: ‘The Nigerian Healthcare System: The Past, Present and the Future, which is aimed at celebrating the legacies of Chief Dr. Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi. She further advised stakeholders to proffer strategic solutions on how to convince parents to educate their children, “because we are talking about psychological issues in terms of rethinking our mindset on the importance and the need for our children to be in school.”
‘Collaboration, Reorientation Vital in Tackling Out-of-School Children Challenge’
Reckitt,
Police Parade 31 Suspected Criminals in Adamawa
“Choosing MJA is no doubt a good move by Kwara United. Playing on a good turf is quite important when you are in the continent. Kwara would have been used to the same kind of turf they would be playing when they play in the North African axis. What we have at MJA is a state-of-the-art turf just like the one in Aba at the Enyimba Stadium,” Egbe said. Egbe said his outfit would be ready to adequately prepare the turf before the home games of Kwara United, even as he commended Lagos State government for upgrading the arena. The MJA was used during the maiden edition of Aisha Buhari Women’s football tournament with all the participating countries giving Monimichelle thumbs up over the Interestingly,pitch.the second Nigerian team in the CAF Confederation Cup, Remo Stars are also going to play on a turf constructed by Monimichelle at their Ikenne stadium home ground. Remo are making their debut in the continent after a fine run in the NPFL.
Man Utd Outclassed Liverpoolfor First Win under Ten Hag
TUESDAYSPORTS Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com08111813083SMSONLY
Jadon Sancho showed superb control and composure to deservedly put United in front after 16 minutes before Marcus Rashford raced clear to beat Alisson from substitute Anthony Martial's pass eight minutes after the interval. Mo Salah set up a tense finish when he scrambled in a header with nine minutes left but United survived to give Ten Hag just the sort of triumph he needs to make his mark at Old Trafford. Manchester United were at their lowest ebb after a 4-0 humiliation at Brentford followed an opening day home defeat by Brighton. New £60m signing Casemiro was paraded in front of the Stretford End before kick-off and how he must have relished the magnificent atmosphere inside Old Trafford as United turned the misery of their abject first two league performances on its head.
Marcus Rashford (right) celebrating his winning goal with teammates as Manchester United defeated Liverpool 2-1 last night to move away from the bottom to 14th spot on the Premier League log
Nigerian internationals Cyriel Dessers and David Okereke were in action yesterday as Jose Mourinho’s Roma picked all three Serie A points in their 1-0 win at home in Rome. The defeat was the second for newly promoted Cremonese in their opening two games in the Italian topflight. It was really heartbreaking for the Nigerian duo who had hoped to grab at least a point on the road. Okereke was substituted by Frank Tsadjout after 78 minutes while Dessers played all 90 minutes. The former Genk striker went close on three occasions in giving Cremonese the lead but was unlucky to miss the target.
Akinwunmi said Western Nigeria Football Forum want to set examples that other regions could copy for even development of the game across the country. “We believe that Western Nige ria Football Union is big enough to take care of its development and also set a template for others to “Weemulate.hope to move from U-15 football to other levels of youth development.“TheForum will also find ways to help our young footballers, who are out of job for no fault
Manchester United produced an outstanding display to defeat Liverpool 2-1 last night and give manager Erik ten Hag his first Premier League victory at a thunderous Old Trafford. Ten Hag took the bold decision to drop captain Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo and was rewarded with a performance that lifted the mood of crisis around Manchester United and leave Liverpool still searching for a first win of the season.
Dare, Adebutu, Odegbami, six others honoured at WNFF’s Maiden Ogunjobi Awards
“One of the biggest problems with the NFF under the current leadership is dictatorship and lack of respect for others,” began the source. “For a matter as weighty as composition of both the electoral committee and election appeals committee not to be done in accordance with its own laws is evidence of how the affairs of the NFF had been conducted in recent years,” he noted The chairman who would not want his name in print, continued.
He attempted an acrobatic effort in the 36th minute but saw his chance miss the far corner. In the 47th minute Dessers hit a first-time strike which unfortunately hit the cross bar. And on the hour mark, he attempted another overhead kick which was not far off. And in the 65th minute Roma broke the deadlock as former Manchester United defender, Chris Smalling headed in at the back post from a corner. The win took Roma to third on six points after two league games played while Cremonese are 18th in the league table.
Western Nigeria Football Forum toBuild Offices for Member States Appointment of NFF Electoral and Appeals Committees Leadership Creating Disquiet Amongst Stakeholders
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Cyriel Dessers (left) attempting an acrobatic kick during the Roma versus Cremonese Italian Serie A Clash in Rome...yesterday. Roma won 1-0 of theirs. We will also help our retired footballers in dire situations after serving their country meritoriously.”Akinwunmi, who is also the first vice president of the NFF, described recipients of the maiden Taiwo Ogunjobi U-15 Champion ship awards as patriots, who have done so much for the development of Nigerian football. Among the awardees are Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, who recently led Nigeria to its best ever performance at the Commonwealth Games; Chief Kessington Adebutu, who apart from sponsoring numerous youth football development initiatives, singlehandedly bankrolling the resuscitation of the National Stadium, Lagos; Promoter of Remo Stars Football Club, Kunle Soname, whose company, Bet9ja, sponsors several football competitions, including the Nigeria Profes sional Football League (NPFL); and Gbenga Elegbeleye, a former director general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), who has also served on the board of the NFF, headed Ondo State Football Association, as well as the state’s table tennis association. Other awardees are proprietor of the defunct Omidiran Babes, Ayo Omidiran, a member of FIFA Women Football Committee, who also chairs the NFF Women Foot ball Committee; a former Ondo State Deputy Governor, Cornelius Omolade Oluwateru, who was also once Nigeria’s ambassador to Uganda, as well as chairman of Housing Corporation FC of Akure; Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, who apart from being the president-general of the Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club, also played a prominent role in the establishment and development of the Nigerian football league.
“The story flying around is that some of these electoral committee and election appeals committee members have personal ties with those that selected them which is most unfortunate. We must be concerned as to whether they will be given the latitude to workTheindependently.”sourcealsodescribed as worrisome not finding any football stakeholder from the South-eastern football region worthy enough to be appointed as Chairman or Vice Chairman in any of the two committees.“Youcan see the handwriting on the wall and the direction they want the election to go because how do you explain that nobody from the South East is good enough to be Chairman or Vice Chairman in either of the election appeals committee or the electoral committee.”According to the communique issued at the end of the AGA in Lagos, Aikhunegire Anthony Malik was named as the Chairman of the NFF Electoral Committee while Barrister Gandi Umar is to chair the Election Appeals Committee. Others to serve in the NFF Electoral Committee 2022 include; Justice Abdulkadir Zakariyya (Vice Chairman); Babatunde Ogala –SAN (Member); Daha Umar Daura – Danburam (Member); Gambo Mamman (Member). Alternate Members: Barrister Ifeanyi Dike and Barr. Ransom AriyoThe NFF Election Appeals Committee 2022 have Barrister Ayo Akindele – SAN (Vice Chairman); Rev. Obioma Onyeaghala (Member) while both Barrister Chive Kaave and Barrister Idi Halidu Ali will serve as alternate members.
CAFCC: Kwara United’s Choice of MJA Excites EgbeDessers, Okereke Crash with Cremonese as Roma Claim Maximum Points
As part of its programmes aimed at developing football in the region, the Western Nigeria Football Forum plans to build soccer houses for its seven member states. The Western Nigeria Football Forum comprises the six Southwestern states of Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and Lagos states.Speaking during the maiden Western Nigeria Football Union Taiwo Ogunjobi U-15 Champion ship’s Award Night held at Osogbo, the association’s Chairman, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi, said the zone plans to build well-rounded footballers, who apart from honing their skills to actualize their potentials, will also acquire qualitativeAkinwunmieducation.saidthe Taiwo Ogunjobi U-15 Championship was instituted to honour the late former secretary general of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who spent a better part of his life in the service of the nation. He added: “Apart from hon ouring Taiwo Ogunjobi, we will also help the host Osun Football Association complete its football house.“We have raised some money from among ourselves, but we are also looking for help to complete the Osun State Football house. “We hope that next year, we will take the project to another state, which will benefit from the programme until all the states have their own football houses.”
The Nigeria Football Association Annual General Assembly (AGA) that was supposed to be characterized by violence from a section of its stakeholders ended peacefully last week but the constitution of the Electoral Committee and Election Appeals Committees is creating a different kind of disquiet in the country’s footballAlthoughfamily.both committees appointed by outgoing president of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick, were ratified by the congress, some of the stakeholders have raised concerns that those appointed should have been allowed to select Chairman and Vice Chairman of the committees respectively.
The Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Group, Ebi Egbe, has hailed the decision of Kwara United FC to prosecute their home games at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena (Onikan Stadium) in Lagos. Egbe whose outfit constructed the stadium turf said the Afonja Warriors have made a choice that would make them fly in the continent just as Enyimba have been doing over the years.
ITALIAN SERIE A PREMIER LEAGUE 30 TUESDAY, THISDAY
A state chairman of one of the South-eastern states who was at the AGA in Lagos stressed at the weekend that imposing Chairman and Vice Chairman on those appointed into the two committees was like a script was already on the table to be followed.
Femi Solaja with agency report Foremost Canadian Rapper, Drake, was also on the receiving end on the night that Nigerian-born UFC 278 fighter Kamaru Usman lost his belt. The rapper lost a bet of £368,000 as Leon Edward defeated the Nigerian Nightmare in their welterweight title bout in Salt Lake City USA early hours of Drake,Sunday.who has had a number of high profile gambles on mixed martial arts, staked £368,000 across a number of UFC bouts on Saturday night. The hip-hop artist staked £169,000 on the Nigerian Usman to defeat Edwards having also placed a bet of around £194,000 on Jose Aldo to defeat Merab Dvalishvili.Usmanwent into the fight as the fancied chance with the bookmakers with few giving Edwards much of a hope of winning the belt off the previously invincible UFC titan.
"I'm ending one beautiful journey in Madrid while starting another in Manchester as determined as ever to win football matches, win trophies and make our fans proud by bringing success to this great club.
TUESDAY, THISDAY 31
Casemiro Introduced to United Fans at Old Trafford
Super Eagles forward, Sadiq Umar, opened his goals account as he scored his first Laliga goal in his career as Almeria drew 1-1 at Elche yesterday. The gangling lad displayed his aerial prowess when he rose highest to head into the net in 23rd minute of the encounter off a corner kick taken by Lucas Robertone. It was the much needed goal to reward their dominance in the opening stage of the game. The goal deficit spurned Elche into action with the strong intent to equalise, which eventually happened on the half hour mark courtesy of a goal from Alex Collado with an assist from Roger Marti. Umar was full of trouble for Elche defenders all through his presence on the pitch before he was substituted in the 81st minute for Dyego Sousa. It ended 1- 1 at full with Almeria their first point of the season after losing the match day one fixture against Real Madrid. The Super Eagles striker was very lethal with goals for Almeria last season as he helped the team secure promotion to La Liga from Segunda.
Leading EdTech App, ULesson, has partnered The Middlestump to run the 2022 Greenshoots Summer Cricket Camp at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in TheLagos.camp was run in conjunction with the Nigeria Cricket Federation between August 15th and 19th, 2022. Tayo Sowole, Vice President, Sales for the outfit, said that ULesson beyond leading innovation in the technology adoption in the education industry, sees the cricket camp as an opportunity to further engage the youth in learning. “We are very involved in anything that will drive the youth toward learning, indoor and outdoor and this cricket camp offers the platform to help them develop further, the culture of learning something new.” Over 100 kids from ages of three to 13 years participated in the weeklong events tagged “Cricket is Fun”.
The children were taught on the rudiments of the game, Batting, Bowling, Fielding, Scoring and Umpiring, Field Dimension, Career Opportunities in Cricket among others. Malik Eleshinla, Jeremiah Ogbu and Peter Isari were also spotted as exceptional talents at the event, they are 9, 10 and 11 years Olumiderespectively.Akintokun of The Middlestump said that the event is a show of support for the Nigeria Cricket Federation and the sports at large.
Casemiro...at his introduction to Manchester United’s fans at Old Trafford last night
Casemiro was introduced as a Manchester United player shortly before the club defeated rivals Liverpool 2-1 on Monday after joining from RealUnitedMadrid.will pay up to £70million for the Brazil midfielder, who has signed a four-year deal at Old Trafford.Casemiro says he is joining "the biggest team in the world" after bidding an emotional farewell to Real. The 30-year-old becomes one of the top earners at Old Trafford but he says the move is not motivated by"Ifmoney.itwas about money I would have left four or five years ago," he said, after spending nine years at the"ThoseBernabeu.people who think that are wrong, they don't know me at all.
"Everybody knows the history of Manchester United, the significance of the club around the world and what it means to its supporters. To represent United is an honour and I am ready to give everything to help the team achieve our ambitions." After joining from Sao Paulo in 2013, Casemiro helped Real win the Champions League five times, plus La Liga three times and the Cope del Rey once. He started last season's Champions League final, as Real beat Liverpoolto become European champions for the 14th time, and he made his 336th appearance for the Spanish giants as a substitute in last week's opening-day win at Almeria.
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"I have worked with many great managers in my career and, having met with Erik and heard his ideas, I can't wait to work closely with him, his staff and my new team-mates in the coming years.
Sadiq Umar (left)...opens La Liga goals account with Almeria in a lot of ways complimenting the effort of the Nigeria Cricket Federation at reaching more people with the game.”
Sadiq Umar Opens His La Liga Goal Account for Almeria
ULesson Partners Cricket at Middlestump’s Summer Camp
Leke Oyede, National Women’s Team Head Coach who is volunteering at the event said he is highly impressed with the turnout of participants at the“Ievent.think independent promoters of the event like The Middlestump should be commended in the number of contributions they are putting into developmental cricket. This “Cricket has been very helpful in shaping some of us and we owe it a duty to create the same level of opportunity for more people and again, support the Nigeria Cricket Federation, in their growth agenda.” The Nigeria Cricket federation has a goal to reach 250, 000 new entrants into the game annually.
Rapper, Drake, Loses £368,000 Bet in Kamaru’s Defeat
Drake has long been accused of representing something of a curse to those sports people and teams that he backs. However, it appeared as though he had recently shaken off that label when he won £3million on a double bet when Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann won on the same night a number of weeks ago in London. At least for the time being his luck appears to have run out with the rapper losing hundreds of thousands of pounds on the UFC 278Drake'sevent. bet was comprised of two parts in relation to Usman with the first being a straight £126,000 wager that he would defeat the Brit and the second being a slightly more adventurous call at the cost of £41,000 that the win would come in the fourth round.Ina related development, Conor McGregor has mocked the Nigerian rival Kamaru after his shock defeat. Writing on social media after the bout, McGregor mocked Kamaru for his defeat and said that the Nigerian-American fighter had 'leaned into his own death'. “Not even a relatively high kick. Fully leaned into his own death. One leaned his way to victory. Another leaned his way to death. Crazy sport, I love!” he wrote Kamaru was on the receiving end of a brutal kick from Edwards, who avenged his 2015 defeat to the fighter.
"The club has always treated me very well. It's my decision, my path. Following his announcement as a United player, he added: "The op portunity to start a new challenge at Manchester United and in the Premier League is extremely exciting.
MISSILE TRUTH & REASONTuesday, August 23, 2022Price: N250 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 “Sadly, the PDP and the NNPP, with their insistence on Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso as their presidential candidates respectively and their desire to prolong and perpetuate Northern rule, offer a very dangerous narrative and volatile cocktail that may ultimately end up leading us down the road to Kigali”---FormerMinisterandSocialCritic,FemiFani-Kayode, harpingontheimperativeofpowershifttotheSouthin2023. Fani-Kayode to PDP, NNPP
“Everything is interconnected” “I don’t think so” “Wait. Wait. Wait. I have not talked about the strike by university workers and all the unions. “They have been treated unfairly. Government has a responsibility to be kind to the intellectual community. They are not asking for too much. Greedy, lazy National Assembly members collect so much money and other benefits, the intellectuals who help to build Nigeria’s skills flow and intellectual base are treated shabbily, paid peanuts and asked to go to hell. What is worse, government is adopting a divide and rule strategy, playing non-academic staff against academics. I like the fact that the university Monkey Pox and Other Problems
“The lecturers just want money. Everybody wants money to hedge inflation. Government should just give them enough money to meet their level of greed, and you’d see there would be peace. No be Nigeria we dey?” “No. This is not about money. That is in fact why ASUU has refused to cave in.”
ASUU President, Prof. Victor Osodeke
Hmmm. Give me bush meat pepper soup! Send your people now and get me bushmeat. You can’t have money in this family and somebody cannot chop pepper soup on top of your head. My sister no born orrrrder pickin. My friend, bring bush meat pepper soup.” “Brother, please, no bush meat in this house. We don’t eat pepper soup here. Let them bring you cold water and beer first. As for bush meat, no no, no. There is Monkey Pox in town. Many countries that have been non-endemic are now endemic, all the way to South America and Continental Europe. Here in Nigeria, where monkey pox is endemic, there have been over 473 cases in 27 states, 172 have been confirmed, six deaths have been reported, and that is the highest rate in this country in 6 years. Bros, you cannot eat bush meat. I can offer you any other thing.”
teachers are saying they will not move an inch. They have the right to protest.” “Oh, God. The kind of books you people read. Are you aware that government is already thinking of banning the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)? They will ban them now and nothing will happen. They already have an alternative – the CONUA. The Federal Government will not only ban ASUU, they will not pay them for work not done. Many of those your so-called intellectuals will beg by the time they can’t pay their children’s school fees and their wives and in-laws begin to mock them. I even hear some lecturers are beginning to sell this and that. One female lecturer now sells puff-puff. Another lecturer in the North is doing Mai Shayi work. I know one in my neighbourhood who follows his wife to the shop every day. He calls himself a Doctor of I don’t what. Business Administration or Accounting? The man is now a big-time shop assistant attending to customers in his wife’s pepper soup joint! When Nigeria happens to you, you will learn your lesson the hard way…Look, I am saying all of this because I don’t want you to be like them…”
“What kind of monkey talk is that? Is every bush meat monkey?” “The experts are talking about animal to human transmission that has now become human to human transmission.”“Thatiswhite man’s talk. That one no dey here. Bush meat. Make dem boil am well well, put maggi, pepper, and all dem dem things make man chop fill belle. Once you burn am, pepper am well, all the virus wey dey the bodi go settle for stomach, na toilet everything dey go so oh.” “Bros, let’s be serious. I think all of us should be serious. This was how Nigerians made light of Ebola virus. This is how we continue to joke with COVID-19, and yet many have died. And now everyone is treating monkey pox as a joke. Nobody is even listening.” “My sister’s son, nobody will listen. You dey hear me? Nobody trusts these our leaders. This is how they will always come up with one problem or the other to adjust budget and provide allocation for their pockets. Do you know how many people became billionaires because of COVID? That one has gone down now, so na monkey pox be next? The next thing you will hear is that the budget
“I am lost” “You are not lost. Let me tell you. Inflation is now 19.64 % in Nigeria. Food inflation is 20.02%. Many families can no longer eat bread, or buy tomatoes, or prepare a decent pot of soup. The last time I ate bush meat pepper soup was more than a year ago. I specifically asked for it but instead of you telling me that the country hard, ground no level, pocket empty, and I will understand, you started giving lectures on monkey pox. You think I am stupid? I know even rich people are feeling the monkey pox in this economy. The rich are crying. They can’t get foreign exchange to run their businesses. Airline operators are weeping. Foreign airlines are saying Nigeria is no longer an enabling business environment. Airline Operators
of Nigeria (the local investors) are saying they will shut down. Have you not noticed that even young men do not want to marry anymore? The only girls who still get husbands in Nigeria today are the ones from rich homes. Rich men’s daughters have become insurance covers. If you are from a poor home, you are on your own. Nigeria’s social dynamics is changing.” “It is basic social dynamics, sir. Human beings will adjust to new realities” “You are talking textbook. My sister, your mother, is far more practical. I think the problem in this country is not just too much learning by people like you who study abroad at your parents’ expense and then you come back and start pushing ideas and theories that belong to a different society. The big problem is that we have an army of illiterates who grab political power, and have nothing to offer other than the fact that that they are in power. The only luck we have is that the Nigerian people have not yet taken to the streets out of frustration as people have done in Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Ghana and other parts of the world.” “Well, that is the point. The world is passing through a difficult season. All this shall come to pass. My daily work requires me to have a balanced view of issues. I am an intelligence analyst, on a daily basis, guiding senior personnel and institutions.” “Then tell them, we are not seeing enough intelligence in how this place called Nigeria is managed. Your own Uncle cannot eat bush meat pepper soup? He cannot travel by air anymore? Even to go by train or road is wahala? Bachelors have stopped looking for wives? Go to marriage registries across the country, the crowd has reduced. Did we offend God?” “That is not a problem. We are too many in any case. Nigeria has a population problem. We can’t keep condemning everything.” “People have a right to marry.” “Then they should marry reasonably. Bros, you see that my neighbour. You once met him.. He has just one wife and two children. His gateman has four wives and 12 children. How much is his salary? I often walk across to settle quarrels between my neighbour and his wife. But his gateman with his army of dependents living in another man’s compound, you will never hear their voice. They seem to be happy. The owner of the building is in distress. He even threatened to abandon his wife and children. I had to advise him not to do so. Otherwise, his gate man will take over the entire“Youhouse.”want to hear me? Your neighbour is a stupid man. I pray you don’t end up like him. Me and you go talk dat one later. People like you go and marry these women and turn them into competitors as if you are running an Olympic race and you still want to be a man. When the women begin to show you, instead of you addressing the matter, you would decide to relocate abroad. You become woman wrapper. Idiot-husband. Ode somebody. Efulefu man. But your gatemen, drivers and cooks are the real men. They collect your money, steal from you, borrow from you, live in your compound and they live better. But you – big man! - you can’t control one woman.” “But you must admit that has nothing to do with your monkey pox theory, bros”.
ASUU, Inflation,
“You can say what you like, but what I am saying is that the real problem in this country is that everybody is looking for money and struggling for survival. Nigeria today is a struggle for the survival of the fittest. This is what has happened to us. In the last eight years, values have collapsed. Life is so hard. People just want to survive. Why do you think the legislature is just so compliant? Once you give people their own share of the cake, they will be quiet. The only problem is that there isn’t enough to go round.”
“Looks like in this country, nobody is ready to listen. Maybe I should just return to the UK or the “YouStates.”wantto Japa? No. No. No. That’s cowardice. Who do you think will look after my sister if you too run away? All your siblings are already abroad. You are the only one here. Don’t mind me, we are just having a discussion. To tell you the truth, this is still the best country in the world oh, with all our wahala. You know you and I are intelligent analysts. Please don’t tell my sister we even had this discussion, I beg. Wey my bush meat pepper soup? “No, bros, I only have your usual beer in the fridge.”“Bring am, bring am. Wetin I bin dey talk sef.” has to be reviewed to accommodate monkey pox. They say it has reached 27 states. Have you seen anyone with monkey pox? Very soon, it will reach 36 states and the FCT and you will not see any evidence. The real monkey pox, they will not address, na fake dem go dey pursue” “This is not fake bros. It is real. We are talking science.”“Iagree. You know I am not dumb. I know there is monkey pox, but is it as serious a problem? Yes, I think it is. Should it be addressed? Yes, my mind tells me so. The big problem is that the monkey pox in Nigeria is being misdiagnosed. They are looking for warts and lesions on people’s skins and talking about consumption of bush meat, and animal to human, human to human transmission. If you want to hear me, they should look at the Nigerian economy. That is where we need treatment, and the need to save the people.” “I don’t get it” “What don’t you get? Can’t you see, feel, sense, experience, touch the contagious, transmissible monkey pox in the Nigerian economy?” “Monkey pox is a medical term. The economy is different.”“Youthink I am dumb? And I am saying to you that I understand everything perfectly. The Nigerian economy is a monkey pox economy. Go and think about it deeply. You may not die really, because monkey pox doesn’t have a high fatality rate, but you can spread it through contact, exchange of body fluids. Look at how we are spreading poverty and agony in Nigeria from one sector to another.”
TUESDAY WITH REUBEN ABATI abati1990@gmail.com “Ko ko Ko. Pon Pon, Pon. . Helloo“Whooh”be dat?” “Na me oh?” “Who be na me? You don’t know your own name? I say who dey there? ” “Na me, “FEDECO?FEDECO”WhichFEDECO? Where you from come?”“Open door my friend…Or I break down this door now. You drink, you no know my voice again?. Lagos don turn your head? I say na FEDECO dey for door, you dey ask question?” “Oh, bros., no vex. You know say the kin Nigeria we dey so, person suppose take caution. Anybody can just come to your door and call a known name, you open door, dem go kidnap you.” “Don’t talk like that. Nobody can kidnap you. Have you forgotten that you are the great grandson of the greatest witch of your mother’s kingdom and the chosen spirit on your father’s side who fought the British to a standstill in the battle of… Don’t worry. I forget the battle now but I remember the“Bros,story…”you are welcome. In this neighbourhood, people don’t talk about spirts, witchcraft and old kingdoms. I am glad to see you, Uncle..?” “So you now know your Uncle FEDECO? You boys think some of us old folks don’t know what is going on. But we do. You met me in this Lagos. I am the Chairman of the Village Association in this town. You don’t come to my house. I decided today to come and visit you. That is how an elder behaves. Where is your wife? Where are your children? You people think you know the world, but you don’t know the world. I, your Uncle… I have decided to visit you today just to check on you. Give me something first to welcome me.” “What do you want Uncle? I am sure I can make it “Whatavailable.”doIwant?
“What is wrong is wrong. The universities teachers have a case…Even if the Non-Academic staff return to the campuses this week, without the teachers, there will be no students. Even asking students to sue their lecturers makes no sense. Government cannot simply choose to be callous towards a strategic segment of the Nigerian population. When you shut down the country’s education system at the highest level, you shut down the future of the entire country. That is the issue. Many bright academics are leaving the education sector. Terrible brain-drain. Since 2017, ASUU has been on strike for a total of 578 days. In 2020, for 270 days, In 2022, that is, this year, 189 days as of today.”
“Look, bobo, in this country, everything is about money. Those Union of Electricity Workers who shut down the power grid and feeders on August 17, what do you think they are looking for?... Money!” “A lot more than that, a close analysis showed.” “Forget analysis! Everybody is talking about crude oil theft, economic sabotage bla bla. What do you think those behind crude oil theft are looking for?..“Specifically,Money!”that is economic sabotage, organized crime and terrorism against the Nigerian state.”
