FRIDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2019

FIRS Reports States’ Revenue Collection Jumps to N1.6tn from N800bn Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Revenue generation by the 36 states of the federation has risen from N800.02 billion in 2016 to N1.6 trillion in 2018, representing a 46.11 per cent rise, according to data released yesterday by

the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS).

FIRS Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, who also chairs the Joint Tax Board (JTB), attributed the boost in states’ revenue collection to the attendant impact of the economic policies of the

federal government.

Fowler spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the North-central regional flag-off of the New Tax Identification Number (TIN) Registration System and National Consolidated Taxpayer Database, which was

attended by representatives of governors of the six states that make up the geopolitical zone.

He said the development was also due to the expansion of the national tax base from 10 million to 20 million; and which is expected to rise to

45 million by December.

According to him, besides the states, the FIRS also witnessed a rise in the collection of federal revenue, which jumped from N3. 30 trillion in 2016 to N5. 32 trillion in 2018, the highest ever recorded and representing

an increase of 53.81 per cent.

Fowler stated that non-oil revenue also climbed to N2.

85trillion, an equivalent of 54 per cent of total revenue generation.

He said the New TIN Continued on page 8

Bankers Back CBN's Initiative to Boost Lending to Economy... Page 8 Friday 4 October, 2019 Vol 24. No 8943. Price: N250

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Stakeholders Urge Buhari to Implement Police Trust Fund Act Call for composition of board members Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Stakeholders have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the Police Trust Fund Act, which provides a legal framework for the

management and control of a special intervention fund for the training of personnel, procurement of operational equipment and provision of infrastructure as well as maintenance of police stations

nationwide.

THISDAY investigation showed that six months after the National Assembly passed the Police Trust Fund Bill into law and the subsequent presidential assent in July, the

fund is yet to take off, due to the non-appointment of the board members.

Having assented to the bill, the president is expected to inaugurate the board of the fund which has not taken

place.

The Police Trust Fund Act stipulates that the board shall have an executive secretary, who shall be the chief accounting officer and oversee the administration of the

fund, and an implementation committee consisting of a minister as chairman and such other members not exceeding six in number with proven Continued on page 5

Businesses Upbeat as Nigeria, South Africa Mend Relations, Sign 32 Deals Open your economy for Nigerians, Buhari tells Ramaphosa Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos Members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) of the Nigerian economy have welcomed the strengthening of the economic and diplomatic ties between Nigeria and South Africa that led to the signing of 32 bilateral agreements between both countries.

South African President, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa and President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on a state visit to the rainbow nation, yesterday signed 32 trade and cooperation agreements, weeks after a wave of violence against immigrants, particularly Nigerians, in Johannesburg and Pretoria strained relations between Africa’s top two economies.

In September, mobs armed Continued on page 5

NO MORE WAR...

L-R: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama; President Muhammadu Buhari; South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa; and his Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pando, during a meeting of South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission in Pretoria… yesterday

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Gunmen Abduct Six Schoolgirls, Two Teachers from Kaduna School

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Six schoolgirls and two of their teachers have been abducted by gunmen at the Engraver’s College in Kakau Daji, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The bandits were said to have invaded the school around midnight by breaking the school fence.

Kakau Daji is a village located along the dreaded Kaduna-Abuja road, where kidnapping and banditry are rampant.

Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command,

Yakubu Sabo, who confirmed the incident, said the gunmen invaded the school through the fence.

Sabo said in a statement that a combined team of riot police and anti-kidnapping squads had commenced a manhunt for the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the victims and apprehending the culprits.

He said: “The command received an information through DPO (Divisional Police Officer) Toll Gate, in the early hours of today (Thursday) 03/10/2019 at about 0310hrs that some armed men gained entry

into the Engravers College, a boarding secondary school in a remote area near Kakau Daji village in Chikun L.G.A and took away two staff of the college and six female students to unknown destination.”

The statement said on receipt of the information, the command immediately mobilised combined teams of anti-kidnapping, SARS, and conventional police to the area for possible rescue of the victims and arresting the perpetrators of the unfortunate incident.

Sabo said the IG’s Intelligent Respond team

(IRT) had been contacted for technical support.

He called on all the private school proprietors within the state to liaise with their nearest police formation and promptly report incidents or suspicious persons around schools to forestall future occurrence of ugly incident.

The statement assured the public that the Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ali Aji Janga, was doing everything possible to secure the release of all the victims unhurt.

It called on members of the public not to relent in giving the Police prompt

and useful information at all times.

Meanwhile the Kaduna State Government has condemned the invasion of the school, saying Governor Nasir el-Rufai has dispatched a government delegation to sympathise with the school community and assure them that security agencies are working to rescue the abducted persons.

In a statement in Kaduna, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said: “The Kaduna State Government condemns this as a despicable action, a

most unfortunate intrusion of crime into the life of young students and the staff teaching them.”

The abduction in Kaduna came almost six years after a similar incident in Chibok, Borno State, in which Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped 276 female students from the Government Secondary School in the town.

The whereabouts of over 100 of them remain unknown as some were freed after the federal government entered into negotiations with the terror group while others escaped from the insurgents.

up more opportunities for investors in Nigeria.

“We call on the Government of South Africa to also take steps to ease the doing of business in the country, and open up its market space for Nigerian businessmen and women.

“In this context, we are gratified that a Nigeria-South Africa Business Forum has been organised in the frame work of this state visit."

Shehu said Buhari assured South Africa that Nigeria would continue to value its relationship with the country, which he described as the second largest economy in Africa.

According to him, Buhari noted that 32 agreements and MoUs had been signed

between both countries.

The president also said Nigeria placed values on its relationship with South Africa.

He advocated the need to implement some of the agreements that have taken effects and also ratify the seven outstanding agreements that are yet to come into force.

“We in Nigeria value the warm fraternal relations binding our two countries and cherish our special relationship. We consider South Africa an ally and a strategic partner.

“We need to implement those that have come into force, as well as to expedite

well-equipped police force, you bequeath automatically a secured public space, a better placed environment, a more secured atmosphere and these are all the things we are expecting the coming into being of the trust fund to help us in achieving.”

Mba said the interest of the police was fully captured in the Act. He explained: “By the provision of the Act also, the Inspector General of the Police is a member of the board. He will be on the board as ex-officio member and we also have in that board a retired Inspector General of Police, a representative of Ministry of Police Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance.

“There are also representatives of civil society organisations, organised private sector and a secretary who will serve as accounting officer. The membership is designed in such a way that it represents different interests.”

On the funding expectations of the police, he said the fund would see to the “provision of equipment for the police, training programmes and education materials for the police training colleges.”

Mba said the expected equipment would cover ICT, infrastructure, vehicles, arms and ammunition, modern crime fighting gadgets notably IT-driven ones.

He said the fund was expected to address renovations in police training schools, provision of decent accommodation for police officers, among others.

“I want to believe very strongly that this fund will help in re-writing the operational and welfare history of the Nigerian Police Force. It is an intervention fund designed to address those critical areas where the police have suffered neglect in the past,” he said.

BUSINESSES UPBEAT AS NIGERIA, S’AFRICA MEND RELATIONS, SIGN 32 DEALS with makeshift weapons attacked businesses and homes owned by foreigners, leading to at least 10 deaths, dozens of injuries and up to 400 arrests.

In response, the federal government repatriated some 600 Nigerians living in South Africa.

Buhari and Ramaphosa said they regretted the violence and subsequent retaliation in Nigeria against South African businesses, pledging instead to deepen trade ties.

“As the government of South Africa, we have expressed our deep regret at the attacks directed at foreign nationals and our condemnation of all forms of intolerance and acts of violence,” Ramaphosa told

journalists.

He said the two countries had sealed 32 bilateral agreements and Memoranda of Understanding covering trade and industry, science and technology, defence, agriculture and energy.

Reuters reported that Nigeria accounts for 64 per cent of South Africa’s total trade with the West African Region and is one of its largest trading partners on the continent.

Buhari said beyond the economic partnership the anti-foreigner violence had to be addressed quickly.

“We decided to take concrete measures to prevent the recurrence of such unacceptable incidents in the future,” he said.

Open up Your Economy for Nigerians, Buhari Tells Ramaphosa Meanwhile, Buhari has tasked the South African government to open up its economy to accommodate Nigerian businesses with guaranteed safety.

The president also emphasised the need for both countries to reciprocate moves to promote trade and investments between both countries.

The president, who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the ninth Bi-National Commission at the Union Building seat of power in Pretoria, South Africa, told

his host that South African companies in Nigeria enjoy unfettered access to the market with protection and enabling laws.

He, therefore, urged the South African government to design policies that favour investments from Nigeria in its country.

A statement by presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said the president co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the Bi-National Commission at the level of heads of state.

He quoted the president as saying, "We are pleased to inform you that our government has made doing business in Nigeria easier through the Ease of Doing Business Initiative to open

Continued on page 8

STAKEHOLDERS URGE BUHARI TO IMPLEMENT POLICE TRUST FUND ACT integrity appointed by the board of trustees.

The Board of Trustees shall consist of a retired Inspector-General of Police, the Inspector-General of Police or his representative as ex-officio member, representatives of ministries of Police Affairs, Justice and Finance, civil society group and the organised private sector.

The PTF would be funded from a levy of 0.005 per cent of the net profit of companies operating in Nigeria, 0.5 per cent of the total revenue from the Federation Account, any take-off grant and special intervention fund as may be provided by the federal, state and local governments and such money as may be appropriated to meet the objective of the Act by the National Assembly.

Other funding sources include aids, grants and assistance from international, bilateral and multilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations and the private sector in addition to grants, donations and investments made by the fund.

Speaking on the delay in the take-off of the PTF, a former Commissioner for Police in Lagos State, Mr. Abubakar Tsav, told THISDAY that the federal government should implement the fund at once in order to ensure the full functionality of the police.

He said: “Honestly, I would not know why the

delay. But since the Act has been signed into law, they should implement it at once. It should take off immediately while Buhari is in power so that he will direct them appropriately.

“But if they allow it to stay for a very long time it will not serve the purpose for which it was set up. And it depends on the type of people he appoints. If he appoints the right people, it will take shape but if they do not, then that is when there will be challenges.”

A former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Parry Osayande, attributed the challenges facing the police to the proliferation of other similar organisations thus requiring extra measures to fund the police.

“They don’t know what they are doing. When they are talking about police, there is no reason why there should be proliferation of security agencies. Of all the former British colonies, only Nigerian Police have over four police organisations,” he said in an interview with THISDAY, adding: “Why should they do that? Instead of strengthening one, they created EFCC, Road Safety etc. They don’t know what they are doing.”

Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, Mr. Okechukwu Nwangwuma,

said the implementation had become imperative in view of the security challenges facing the country.

He said: “It is worrisome that despite the urgency of the situation that warranted the idea of a Police Trust Fund and after several months of signing it into law, the president is yet to appoint members of the board.

“Under the law, the president is mandated to nominate members of the board. I think it is time that the president in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the police, the IG of police, the chairman of the Police Service Commission should nominate credible persons and the process of nomination should be devoid of politics because if this trust fund is politicised like the one before it then the purpose will be defeated.”

Nwangwuma said the urgency of the matter demanded that the fund should become operational and all the sources of funding, including federal government, state government, donor groups, should begin to make contributions so that alternative sources of funding could be provided for the police.

“Any further delay would suggest that government is not serious about tackling insecurity and equipping the police to be in a position to efficiently handle their

mandate under the law,” he said.

Police spokesman and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed that the fund is yet to go into full operation because the requisite appointments have not been made.

He told THISDAY: “For now, the Police Trust Fund has come into being statutorily but it is yet to go into full operation because the requisite appointments have not been made.

Incidentally, it is not within the powers of the IG or the powers of the Nigerian Police Force to make these appointments so we are hoping that the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces will make these appointments very soon.

“As soon as these appointments are made, the board members of the trust fund are constituted, the implementation committees would be in place and the trust fund is properly set up administratively then it will begin to operate but it is outside our control to make these appointments.”

On the likely impact of the fund on the police, he said: “From the word go, this trust fund is actually designed to advance the interest of the police and by extension the security and safety interest of the nation. When you have an effective and efficient police force, a motivated and

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Bankers Back CBN’s Initiative to Boost Lending to Economy Say N499bn deducted by apex bank not fines James Emejo in Abuja The Bankers' Committee yesterday expressed support for the current efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to improve credit flow to key sectors of the economy, particularly through the latest initiative on the loan to deposit ratio (LDR).

The committee has also clarified that the N499,175,535,097 deducted by the apex bank from the accounts of 12 banks for their failure to meet the September 30 deadline to maintain 60 per cent LDR, is neither fines nor levies, adding that the monies would be refunded once the banks met the LDR requirements.

The bankers agreed that the apex bank's directive was in the overall interest of the economy as it would further encourage lending by commercial banks as well as boost aggregate demand.

Addressing journalists shortly after the regular meetings of the committee in Abuja, the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, alongside other chief executive of banks, said the banking industry was in agreement with the CBN particularly on the LDR, which will boost growth of credit in the system.

This is as the CBN

Director, Banking Supervision Department, Mr. Ahmad Abdullahi, also said the industry was satisfied with the increase of credit flow to key sectors of the economy as a result of the LDR policy as well as improvements in remittances into the economy.

Other bank MDs present, including Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr. Demola Sogunle; Executive Director, Risk, Standard Chartered Bank, Mrs. Mobola Faloye; and Managing Director, Citibank Nigeria, Mr. Akinsowon Dawodu, all described the LDR as a milestone and game-changer in efforts to increase lending to the economy.

The committee has also clarified that the N499,175,535,097 deducted by the apex bank from the accounts of 12 banks for their failure to meet the September 30 deadline to maintain 60 per cent LDR, were neither fines nor levies as reported.

Onyeagwu said the deductions would be refunded once the banks met the LDR requirements.

He said: "The CBN never stated that the debits were fines. If you go back to the circular, what it said was that at the cut-off point at the event that you do not meet the threshold, funds will be debited from you

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and added to your CRR. So, what you have there is not a fine rather it is a levy but it's just a shortfall based on the parameters that the CBN has set.

"However, even if at the cut-off point of September 26 adopted by CBN, you were short in terms of what you were supposed to do, CBN is not a closed session,

it continues. CBN would look at your figures subsequently and where you achieve a loan growth, you have a refund, if you also have a drop in your deposit compared to that cut-off, you will now have debit.

"So, it's going to be a continued dynamic process where the whole essence is to see that we don't just

have a one-off growth but a continued process of creating an enabling credit in the system."

Shortly after the expiration of the September deadline for banks to maintain an LDR of 60 per cent, the CBN had said a total value of banking sector credit increased significantly

by N829.40 billion or 5.33 per cent, from N15.568 trillion as at the end of May 2019, to N16.397 trillion as at September 26, 2019, since it announced the new LDR rule in July.

Asked why the banks have had to wait this long and eventually compelled by the CBN to lend this much to the real economy, the Zenith bank boss said the kind of incentives presented today had never existed to woo the banking industry.

"The incentives in the market now had not been there. There are a lot more incentives for us to create loan and one of them is the initiative to include the fact that using the capability of the BVN. "A delinquent or defaulting borrower can be traced within the system and where he has funds in other banks and he's keeping a loan delinquent in another bank, it can be recouped because the biggest challenge we have in creating loan is character.

"We can understand

when you have business challenges but if you have character and you have business challenges, what do you do? You sit with your bank and go through the recovery process but once the character is lacking, you see that once you see any spike or upheaval, the borrower takes a flight. But with what we have now, it can't happen and that is an incentive."

However, Sogunle further conveyed the determination of bankers to also meet the new 65 per cent LDR requirement by December, adding that the directive by the CBN remained a milestone and positive for the economy, stressing that the industry was ready to comply.

He said as a result of the latest intervention by the CBN, customers could now borrow more from banks at cheaper interest rate than it was few years ago.

Dawodu, on his part, also attested to the significant improvement in the credit risk environment, adding that this will further protect banks' balance sheets as well as encourage more lending to the real sector.

The committee also praised the apex banks' cashless policy, saying that it remains in the overall interest of Nigerians.

Ahmed, said the signing of the bilateral agreements showed that Nigeria and South Africa were on the right steps in strengthening their relationship.

“You know that Nigeria, South Africa are the strongest economies in Africa and should cultivate strong binding ties that will extend beyond economic relationships to social and cultural relationships, provided that these relationships are based on fair, equitable and mutual considerations.

“So, I think it is good to engage with South Africa in this manner because there is more to be gained by both countries. I would also emphasise that the Nigerian government must carry the countries private sector along in the consultations that led to the signing of these agreements. The private

sector must be clearly in the picture.”

On his part, the President of Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Foluso Phillips, said the renewed diplomatic engagements between Nigeria and South Africa had the potential to encourage more investments from South Africa to Nigeria.

Phillips said there was a business forum between the executives of Nigerians and South African companies that discussed extensively on attracting investments from South Africa into Nigeria’s power, agriculture, oil and gas sectors.

According to him, Nigeria would benefit from the technical competence of South Africans when they start impacting Nigeria in areas they have superior technical abilities and transfer of skills.

the efficiency and output of the entire tax administration process and enhance convenience to the taxpayers as well as the tax administrators while guaranteeing that each taxpayer’s details are readily available to them at all times and anywhere.

"A significant feature of the new system is that it possesses the capability to integrate with all relevant agencies by leveraging on already captured data.

With its ability to deploy analytics to discover underlying correlating trends and patterns, better visibility of the taxpayer is assured inherently leading to increased Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for all tiers of government.

"Thus, the new system reduces the burden of taxpayer information management while at the same time significantly reducing the cost of collection," he stated.

BUSINESSES UPBEAT AS NIGERIA, S’AFRICA MEND RELATIONS, SIGN 32 DEALS necessary action to ratify the seven outstanding agreements that have not yet been brought into force.

“I welcome the robust Defence Cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa, and call for more support and solidarity with us in our fight against terrorism and violent extremism. We also welcome the increased collaboration against arms and drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking,’’ the president was also quoted as saying.

He also condemned attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals living in South Africa, the looting of their shops and businesses and burning of their assets.

Buhari canvassed the need to strengthen and implement all necessary measures that could forestall a repeat of the attacks.

According to the president,

such hostilities threaten the bilateral relations between the two countries.

“We call for the strengthening and implementation of all the necessary measures to prevent the re-occurrence of such action which threatens to undermine, not only our strong bilateral relations but also, what we stand for in the context of our vision for a strong and prosperous Africa we want,’’ he added.

Besides, Buhari also condemned the reprisals in Nigeria, saying that “I am happy to report that we took strong and decisive measures to stop the attacks and prevent any recurrence.’’

Organised Private Sector Upbeat over Trade Deals Reacting to the signing of

the 32 agreements between Nigeria and South Africa, members of the OPS welcomed the strengthening of the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, described the agreements as a development that would enhance Nigeria’s economic relations with South Africa.

Ruwase said it would be a great thing if the agreements would lead to an inflow of foreign direct investment from South Africa to Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.

He said: “It will be good if the South African’s can set up industries in Nigeria.

It will create employment opportunities in our country and will also be far better than taking raw materials

away from Nigeria of coming in with portfolio investments, which are hot monies that come in and go out.

"We hope that it will lead to domestic value addition and the South Africans can take advantage of our Free Trade Zones and access to our large market if they choose to manufacture in Nigeria.

"This is what we have been clamouring for all the time. That is how countries develop. There are a lot of American firms that manufacture their products in China.

“So, it is a good development Nigeria and South Africa, which are the largest economies to come closer diplomatically as leaders in African continent.”

Similarly, President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Mansur

FIRS REPORTS STATES’ REVENUE COLLECTION JUMP TO N1.6TN FROM N800BN Registration System is underpinned by a common desire by stakeholders to drive the financial regeneration of the country.

This desire, he added, will be strengthened by the new system, which will lay the foundation for government at all levels to have access to the funding required to drive socio-economic growth and development, exclusive of aids, grants and borrowing.

He added that the

choice of Kwara State for the North-central regional flag-off of the new tax policy was strategic.

The state, he said, has, over the last four years, been a leading light in ensuring sustainable internally generated revenue profile for itself and the region.

He said: "Having achieved a 221 per cent increase in its collection from N7.1 billion in 2015 at the time of attaining its autonomous status to N23 billion in

2018, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) has become a benchmark for revenue authorities not just within the North-central Region, but nationwide as well.

"It is worthy of note that KWIRS is the only state revenue agency in the country to have been ISO certified, with ISO 9001 for Quality Management System and ISO/IEC 22301 for Business Continuity Management System.”

He added that other states in the region are not left behind, noting that Niger State and Nasarawa State are among the top 15 states with an annual growth rate in excess of 20 per cent.

Fowler also spoke on why the FIRS is passionate about the new tax registration system and the need for all stakeholders to embrace it and cooperate to make it successful.

"The new TIN registration system would improve

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

Misuse of Firearms: Police Review Force Order 237 To get stun guns IG warns against political violence in Kogi, Bayelsa elections

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja In a bid to contain the misuse of firearms by policemen, the Police High Command yesterday launched a revised Force Order 237 that regulates the police rules of engagement.

In the revised document, the Nigerian Police would adopt the use of taser and stun guns in place of conventional live bullets for low-risk operations.

This is coming as the police have arrested 1,151 crime suspects across the country within the last three months Speaking at a meeting with senior police officers in Abuja, the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, said the review was informed by the need to maintain the standards of democratic policing hinged

on the protection of fundamental human rights.

“It is in furtherance to this that I initiated actions towards the acquisition and deployment of electro-muscular disruption technology-based weaponry, which is commonly known as taser or stun guns for low-risk police operations.

“This is with the intention of addressing public concerns on misuse of firearms by the Police with its attendant consequences on lives and effect on the attainment of our community policing vision”, he said.

He commended the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Swiss Government, the National Human Rights Commission

Supreme Court Strikes out HDP’s Suit against Buhari Alex Enumah in Abuja The Supreme Court yesterday struck out the appeal of the presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Chief Ambrose Owuru against the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The appeal was struck out on the grounds that Owuru and his party engaged in gross abuse of court processes by filing two notices of appeal, contrary to the provisions of the law.

Owuru and HDP had approached the Supreme Court to set aside the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which dismissed their petition against Buhari’s election.

But the apex court in its ruling struck out the appeal for being unmeritorious and an abuse of court process.

The court in striking out the suit further held that failure of the appellants to appeal the August 22 ruling of the tribunal, which had struck out their petition for being incompetent was fatal to their appeal.

In the unanimous decision read by Justice Mary PeterOdili, the five-member panel of Justices of the Supreme Court upheld the objection raised by the respondents in the suit and subsequently dismissed the appeal.

Owuru and HDP in a notice of appeal filed on August 28 by their counsel, Chukwunonyerem Njoku, sought the court to void the presidential election of February 23 on the grounds that it was unlawfully conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) due to the alleged illegal postponement from February 16 to 23.

In the place of the election of February 23, the appellants prayed the apex court to uphold a referendum election said to have been conducted on February 16 and in which Owuru reportedly won with over 50 million voice votes by Nigerians.

The appeal predicated on 12 grounds, also prayed the Supreme Court to order the swearing-in ceremony of Ambrose Owuru as the duly elected president of Nigeria based on the February 16 referendum.

When the matter was called, President Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), informed the court of a notice of preliminary objection he filed against the appeal.

Olanipekun urged the court to strike out the appeal on the grounds of jurisdiction, adding that there was no proper appeal in the real sense of it before the court.

According to him, the court cannot countenance two notices of appeal on the same judgment.

He also submitted that the appellants did not file any objection to their notice of preliminary objection.

Counsel to the INEC, Yunus Usman (SAN), on his part said though the second respondent did not file an objection to the appeal, it however said he raised objection to the appeal in his respondent’s brief of argument filed on September 13.

In his own notice of preliminary objection filed on September 16, counsel to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) insisted that the appellants attempted to build their appeal on nothing since the decision of the tribunal that they have no competent petition known to law was not challenged.

Fagbemi submitted that the petition relied upon by the appellants had been declared non-existent by the decision of Justice Mohammed Garba, adding that until the decision of the tribunal on the competency of the petition is set aside, the two appellants have no business coming to the apex court.

However, counsel to the appellants, Isaac Udoka, made spirited efforts to convince the apex court on why the two notices of appeal were filed in respect of one matter.

(NHRC), and AIG Austin Iwar (rtd.) among others who collaborated with the Nigeria Police to review the force order.

The IG said the special training programmes were being organised for special units of the police in order to equip them with the right orientation for policing in the 21st century.

“In addition, special trainings are being organised for the special units of the Police, including the police mobile force, special forces, counter-terrorism unit, anti-robbery detachments, anti-kidnapping squads and the criminal investigation operatives.

“This is with the intention of equipping them with the right orientation for policing in the 21st century and to align their operations within the expectations of the law and the citizens”, he said.

He said the review was informed by the need “to situate

our vision in this regard to the standards of democratic policing, which is hinged on the protection of fundamental human rights, it is considered expedient that Force Order 237, which defines our Rules of Engagement (RoE) be reviewed, standardised and simplified”.

On crime prevention, the Inspector-General said 1,151 crime suspects were arrested across the country, while noting that available statistics showed that criminal activities were at a low ebb.

He said the confidence deficit between the Police and the citizenry had narrowed significantly.

“In furtherance to these, the trust gap between the citizens and the police have been significantly narrowed and the bond to fight and reclaim our communities from the criminals who are our common

enemies has been strengthened.

In addition, the commitment and capacity of the Nigeria Police to re-dominate the public space and deny criminals the liberty to manifest their heinous crimes has been appreciably boosted.

“In consequence, between August 2019 to date, a total of 1,151 high-profile suspects have been arrested nationwide.

This includes 470 armed robbery suspects, 216 kidnap suspects, 335 suspected cultists, and 130 murder suspects”, he said.

On the gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States, Adamu Mohammed warned politicians who may want to adopt undemocratic means to realise their ambition to be prepared to face the consequences of their actions.

He assured that the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were working to ensure a

peaceful election.

“The upcoming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states will again put our professionalism and doggedness to test. Let me seize this opportunity to assure all citizens and stakeholders, including the international community of our determination to work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in creating conducive and enabling environment that will guarantee the peaceful conduct of the elections.

“While assuring law abiding citizens and stakeholders of their safety during the elections, let me warn all political actors who may want to adopt undemocratic and illegal means to achieve their aspirations to bury such thoughts now or be prepared to face the consequences, as they will be identified, isolated and made to face the wrath of the law”, he warned.

EXPANDING TAX BASE...

Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Tunde Fowler (right), presenting a book on President Muhammadu Buhari: ‘BEING BUHARI, Taxpayers Are Kings’, at the North-Central launching of the new Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) to the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Kayode Alabi, in llorin...yesterday

Telcos Kick against Fresh Plans to Impose 9% Tax on Telecoms, Cable Tv MainOne lands submarine cable in Cote d’Ivoire Emma Okonji Telecommunications Companies (Telcos), under the aegis of Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), yesterday, raised the alarm over fresh plans by the Senate to impose nine per cent Communications Service Tax (CST) on telecoms operators and cable television service providers, which was previously suspended by the eighth National Assembly, following the outcry by telecoms operators and their subscribers.

The fresh plan is coming three days after Ghana increased its telecoms tax to nine per cent, up from six per cent.

Also nine years after MainOne, a Nigerian company, launched the berthing of its multi-million dollar submarine cable from Europe to Lagos to boost

broadband connectivity in Nigeria, the broadband company, yesterday, announced that it had finally landed its submarine cable in Grand Bassam, Cote d’Iviore, which is the final leg of the ongoing expansion to reach Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire.

Ghanaian Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, had in July this year announced that the country’s telecoms tax would be increased from six per cent to nine per cent with effect from October 1, and the service providers were informed of the increase through text messages.

The service providers however said the increase would be applied to every recharge.

Reacting to the fresh plan by the ninth National Assembly to re-introduce telecoms service tax, the President of ATCON, Mr. Olusola Teniola, said telcos

would reject it again because of the foreseen hardship it would create on telecoms subscribers.

In a statement released yesterday by ATCON, Teniola said: “It has been brought to our attention the re-emergence of nine per cent Communications Service Tax (CST) that was previously suspended by the 8th National Assembly during the intervention of ATCON NEC to the Senate President on November 8, 2016 whereby it was acknowledged by the distinguished senators that the growth of ICT is critical to the creation of jobs and reduction in youth unemployment. The Senate President agreed and assured ATCON and members at large that the tax would be set aside. In attendance at the meeting were the Senate President of the eighth National Assembly, Bukola Saraki, the

then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Gilbert Nnaji and Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan respectively.”

According to Teniola, ATCON had then recommended to government that the tax base of the country should be widened to include more tax payers.

It was noted that only 13 million out 70 million were contributing to the tax revenue of the federal government. Since 2016, Nigeria has undergone a recession and experienced low GDP growth rate coupled with government recurrent expenditure that now exceeds oil revenue.

“Therefore we understand that measures to shore up government income in the way of taxes should be explored”, Teniola said.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Buhari, Govs, Danjuma,Tinubu, Others Celebrate Akinrinade at 80 Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Prominent Nigerians yesterday converged at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan, to celebrate with a NADECO chieftain and retired lieutenant general, Alani Akinrinade, who clocked 80 years.

The dignitaries amidst glowing tributes, recounted the uncommon bravery of the former Chief of Defence Staff and elder statesman in the task of keeping Nigerian nation as one indivisible entity..

Present at the event include Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti State); Gboyega Oyetola ( Osun); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) represented by his deputy, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan; and a former Defence Minister, General.

Theophilus Danjuma; Prof.

Isaac Adewole and Prof.

Bolaji Akinyemi.

Also at the event were a war veteran, General Alabi Isama (rtd.); the Nobel Laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka; Chief Segun Osoba; Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Chief Bisi Akande; and General Raji Rasaki (rtd), Others were Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo; Orangun of Oke-Ila and several other traditional rulers.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in his tribute printed with the programme, said as

a junior officer to Akinrinade, he admired him; his exploits during the civil war and his post-war contributions to the “retooling of the Nigerian Army, and eventually, his emergence as Chief of Army Staff.”

He also hailed his contributions to the growth of democracy through the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, who was represented by Chief Finni, described him as a man living a Spartan life marked by simplicity, happiness and self-contentment.

He said Akinrinade deployed his all to accomplish any task given to him or the goals he set for himself, saying, he served and continues to serve his country with all that he has: his intellect, energy, power, doggedness and commitment.”

Tinubu recalled that since their paths crossed 30 years ago “in the field of struggle for the termination of military rule in Nigeria and political emancipation of Nigerians, the retired general has remained the same.

Akinrinade has remained “a true democrat, an unrelenting fighter for rule of law and social justice and a statesman extraordinary,” adding that “he is very political though not a politician”, he said.

Tinubu emphasised that Akinrinade deserved all the accolades he gets today, pointing out that he was one of those who fought for the democracy that now thrives in Nigeria.

According to him, “for democracy, he suffered untold deprivation. He was hounded endlessly by agents of the military dictator. After the junta failed in the bid to

track him down, his home was burnt, his business crippled.”

Governors Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) also paid glowing tributes to the celebrator.

While underscoring the enormous role the octogenarian played during the struggle, Fayemi said, though, people always credit the success of Radio Kudirat to him, it was the enormous contributions of

Akinrinade that did the magic.

Fayemi said, “I’m always credited for being the founder of Radio Kudirat. But, let me say openly here that that he paid for the first set of the transmitter and some equipment”.

Akinyemi in his own remarks, said, “Gen Akinrinade gave us his office in London to use for NADECO. To actualise our

mandate, Akinrinade paid for most of our travels.

“The retired general went beyond giving his resources, he put his life on the line. He knew he was provoking the Abacha regime. They put him in surveillance. His house was bombed in Ikeja. His son who was sleeping in the house managed to escape. Alani later joined us in London when we demonstrated.”

80 HEARTY CHEERS...

L-R: Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.); former Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao Akala; Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola; celebrant, General Alani Akinrinde (rtd.); his wife, Omowale; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; former Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga; and APC chieftain, Chief. Bisi Akande, at the 80th Birthday celebration of Akinrinade held at International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan...yesterday FELIX ADEMOLA

Ngige: Bowing to Labour’s Military Releases 25 Children with Link to Boko Haram Demand on Minimum Wage will Cause Retrenchments Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, yesterday stated that the federal government would have to lay off workers to be able to meet a wage bill of N580 billion needed to meet labour’s demand on the new wage.

Ngige told labour leaders in Abuja that the sum was what would be needed by government to pay the consequential adjustments as demanded by labour.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the minister’s announcement is the latest in the increasing drama over payment of the new wage.

Ngige was speaking when the leadership of the United Labour Congress (ULC), paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Ngige said that federal government was avoiding a situation where it would have to lay off workers, noting that throwing workers into unemployment would add to their burden.

The minister pleaded with labour to accept the consequential adjustment from levels 7 to 17, adding that government had only three months left to implement the new wage.

He stated that government would not promise labour what it could not pay, noting that no worker deserved to be owed salary.

Ngige disclosed that the Federal Government had so far

paid arrears of N500 billion to workers, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

He restated that implementation of the new wage had since commenced for workers on grade level 1 to 6, adding that the development had helped those on the lower cadre in the civil service to move up.

Ngige also advised labour unions to establish an inspectorate division that can work in collaboration with the Inspectorate Department of the ministry to ensure the faithful implementation of the new Minimum Wage and to guard against unfair labour practices, especially in the private sector.

In a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Charles Akpan, the minister said government was adopting a new strategy to enforce compliance to the new minimum wage law.

“Our new strategy is to encourage trade unions to create an inspectorate arm that will work hand in hand with our Inspectorate Department in all the states.

They are to work together; go into factories, companies and industries and look at their books to know what salaries workers are earning. With that, we will be sure Nigerians are not underpaid and with that also, we shall ensure that the new Minimum Wage and its consequential adjustment are being implemented faithfully,” the minister charged.

A total of 25 children, 23 boys and two girls were released by the military to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and officials of Borno State Government.

The children, who were said to have had link with Boko Haram terrorists, had been under the military administrative custody.

They were, however, released yesterday after they have been cleared of suspected ties with armed militia.

The latest military action brought the number of children so far released this year to 44.

The children’s age ranges from 8 to 15, and were mostly abducted by Boko Haram insurgents during attacks

on their communities and were forced to work for their abductors in different supportive roles, said the military.

Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, while handing over the children, noted that some of them escaped from their abductors and found their way to troop’s locations.

According to him, “Children associated with insurgency are commonly subjected to abuse and most of them witnessed killing and sexual violence.

Regardless of how they are recruited and the roles they played, their part often bears serious implications to their physical and emotional wellbeing.

“Therefore, their rehabilitation and reintegration

into civilian life is an essential part of our effort in partnership with other stakeholders to help them rebuild their lives.

“The children seated here today have been adequately profiled and their roles with Boko Haram ascertained as supportive and non-violent.

Some of them are children whose parents were arrested for terrorist offences and there is no justification to keep them in detention alongside their parents.”

The UNICEF Nigeria Acting Representative, Pernille Ironside, said: “These are children taken away from their families and communities, deprived of their childhood, education, health-care, and of the chance to grow up in a safe and enabling environment.

UNICEF will continue working to ensure that all conflict affected children are reunited with their families; have hope of fulfilling their dreams and their human rights.”

She said the children who are now handed over to the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development would be kept at a UNICEF supported Transit Centre, whilst efforts to reunite them with their families and reintegrate them back to their communities are underway.

Ironside said: “They will access medical and psychosocial support, education, vocational training and informal apprenticeships, and opportunities to improve their livelihoods.

Gunmen Kidnap 84-year-old Monarch in Bayelsa Unidentified gunmen yesterday abducted the 84-year-old traditional ruler of Tarakiri Clan in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, His Royal Majesty, King Agbabou Week.

The monarch, who is the father of the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Doodei Week, was whisked away from his country home at Ayama-Ijaw in the council.

The Ebenanaowei of Tarakiri Clan was reportedly kidnapped about 11.20p.m. on Wednesday by seven masked men, who carried weapons including AK47 rifles.

The assailants were said to have ransacked the palace

of the king carting away television sets, jewelry and other valuables.

They were said to have mishandled the victim as they dragged him on the ground to the waterside, where they fled with him on speedboats.

Speaking on the development, the paramount ruler of Ayama-Ijaw community, Chief Amen Sariki, confirmed the incident, saying the gunmen stayed in the community for about an hour looking for his house.

He said: “About 11.20p.m. on Wednesday, the wife and children of our clan head ran to my house crying. It was clear that they had been beaten up. They broke the news to

me that the King had been kidnapped.

“They told me that the gunmen held them hostage, while they searched the house.

After searching, they carried a television set, collected jewelry and other valuable items. They then dragged the King who was wearing only pants on the ground up to the waterside.

“At that point, I started receiving report that the gunmen were still in the community. So, I tried to reach the Joint Military Task Force and the Nigerian Police but didn’t get any response.

After about an hour, I was told the gunmen had left the community.

“When we got to the

waterside, I learnt that the kidnappers held a 20-year-old girl they saw on their way at gun point and asked her to tell them where my house is.

According to her, she lied that she is not from the community and wouldn’t know my house.

“To mount pressure on her to talk, they stripped and sexually harassed her for several minutes but she refused to tell them where my house was. When they got tired, they untied a speedboat belonging to the commissioner and fled the community.”

When contacted, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident and promised to give details later.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͳ˜ 2019

COMMENT

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

BUILDING AFRICAN NATIONS WITH 10,000 LANGUAGES Okello Oculi argues that knowledge of several languages broadens the roots of thought and behaviour

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anguages have interesting histories. Many are dying out before they put their histories on written record. Several histories can be noted. The Langi of Uganda tell of training age-grade as administrators, military conquerors and intelligence operatives.

Attractive girls served as spies or ‘’explorers’’. They went into a targeted area and got married into ruling families.

They travelled back home to report their data to military strategists and administrators. Following military invasion and conquest, the intruders adopted the Language of their new hosts. The Kingdoms of Bunyoro-Kitara, Toro, Ankole, Buganda and Karagwe share such rulers who called themselves “Babito’’.

Arab penetration of societies up the Nile from Egypt also followed the pattern of young women marrying into families of community leaders and teaching Arabic language and Islam to their children. Men followed them as in-laws looking for lost daughters; and settled down as religious leaders and traders. Children born into houses of power inherited and shared political power. Arabic language also shared in that growing political influence.

Lingala (in the Democratic Republic of Congo), Kiswahili (in Eastern Africa), and various forms of Pidgin (in Central African Republic, Nigeria, Liberia and Gambia), became products of ‘’melting pots’’ as peoples with different languages borrowed from each other to invent a dynamic tool for dialogue, commerce and marriages in shared urban spaces.

The transplantation of caste prejudices from India inhibited the rooting of Hindi, Gujarat and Persian languages from the sub-continent into Eastern and Southern Africa. Colonial governments preferred to have Indian immigrants segregated from host African populations, and, unlike the United States, did not force them to adopt local languages.

British colonial officials chose to insulate the class-based English languages from the majority of African peoples.

Attendance of schools and upward mobility into narrowing tunnels of higher education allowed limited access to the language; a legacy of linguistic segregation reflected in political leaders addressing crowds in English, French or Portuguese. . One positive side of colonial policy was allowing Christian Missionaries to translate religious texts into local languages.

In South Africa, a policy of seeking to shut ‘’Bantu’’ (or African) populations from the outside world and from other ethnic nationalities resulted in the promotion of 11 languages as official means of communication. On 25th September 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa, paradoxically, made a public address to celebrate the language of the SAN people as a national resourse. The language, he enthused, was probably

the oldest in the world. He was alluding to anthropological research which has shown that the earliest human peoples lived in Southern Africa.

His speech called for building a new South African nation by writing books in each of the languages in the country; and citizens learning other languages. This would teach tolerance of each other and end violence against those who speak different languages.

A collaborative initiative between South Africa and Nigeria is offered by the commitment of both governments to use organised transfers of funds to support small and medium scale as a means of taking prosperity to larger communities.

The use of digital tools on the backs of local languages would democratise economic productivity for raising incomes. Moreover, the explosion of inventions by rural women in the Democratic Republic of Congo; by youths in urban areas in Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa would be fuelled by official promotion of local languages.

In Nigeria universities funded by state governments should follow India’s example of conducting lectures and research in their local languages. German nationalism was credited with replacing Latin with German vernacular – the language of the Catholic Church Roman empire. Germany’s leadership in scientific studies, industrial inventions and in the humanities resulted from this language nationalism.

NIGERIA’S LOCAL PUBLISHERS NEED SPECIAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO MEET THE RICH CHALLENGE OF TRANSLATING ACROSS HER OVER 500 LANGUAGES

Nigeria’s local publishers need special government funding to meet the rich challenge of translating across her over 500 languages.

This volume of languages should have the same economic value for the publishing industry as Kano’s groundnut pyramids once had for British oil mills and animal feed factories.

Local publishers should be vigorous lobbyists for governments at local, state and federal levels to build the nation by promoting mass literacy, mass reading habits and writing books in local languages. And push the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to support school teachers writing in local languages.

There is a growing intellectual violence against children by parents blocking their learning mother-tongue languages. The embassies of Britain, Canada and the United States have vigorously promoted parents enrolling in secondary schools and undergraduate programmes.

This is a replay of colonial boarding schools punishing students for speaking vernaculars while at school.

These languages were not used in teaching subjects from Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry to Hygiene. Families did not combat this cultural fratricide. In Nigeria, the post-colonial middle class is promoting it. Research, however, shows that knowledge of several languages broadens the philosophical roots of thought and behaviour.

Let children bloom with 10,000 languages.

WHY SMOKING WATERPIPE TOBACCO IS HARMFUL Shisa is as dangerous as cigarette, writes Adaku Efuribe

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t would be germane to begin this reflection with a basic definition of what wastepipe or shisha is about.

The British Heart foundation (BHF) stated that shisha smoking is a way of smoking tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar, through a bowl and hose or tube.

Shisha smoking—also called hookah, narghile, waterpipe, or hubble bubble smoking—is increasingly becoming a publichealth issue in many towns and cities of Nigeria. Shisha also poses the same risks as cigarette smoking. I have decided to write this article to create some form of awareness about it. Few days ago, I watched a YouTube interview which featured a popular Nigerian artist. Throughout the interview, the artist was smoking shisha—which was quite shocking to me.

Following the recent issues emanating with codeine and tramadol abuse among Nigerian youth, the Federal Ministry of Health has to be proactive in educating the general public on the harmful effects of social substances that are dangerous to health. There are mixed messages regarding shisha smoking from uninformed and misinformed people that do not understand its contents.

Recently, I read a comment on social media made by a young Nigerian lady advising people that there is nothing wrong with shisha and that it could be used as nutritional supplements. The lady went on to say shisha contains vitamins and miner-

als, and those who smoke it get vitamins and minerals from it. Her comment had hundreds of likes from people who are as uninformed as her.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheet on waterpipe tobacco smoking states that waterpipe smoke is toxic. Laboratory analyses of waterpipe smoke reveal measurable levels of carcinogens (including tobacco-specific nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAH], volatile aldehydes like formaldehyde, and benzene), and toxicants such as nitric oxide and heavy metals. Additionally, the burning charcoal generates high levels of carbon monoxide.

Systematic reviews of existing research point to significant associations between waterpipe smoking and lung cancer, periodontal disease and low-birth weight. More recent data suggests probable associations with oral, oesophageal, gastric and urinary bladder cancer, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic rhinitis, male infertility, gastro-oesophageal reflux and impaired mental health.

Shisha smoking is becoming popular among artists and some celebrities in the country. This is a worrisome trend. Such people could easily influence their fans and followers into smoking it as well. I do not see anything classy in engaging in risky behaviours that could endanger one’s health and probably shorten life span.

As a clinician, I believe basic information as regards self-care and healthy living would

help in this disturbing health/social situation. A lot of people believe that smoking shisha is safer than smoking cigarettes, but this is not true. Facts show that it is even more risky and harmful to health than cigarettes.

Below are key facts about shisha from a publication by the British Heart Foundation (BHF): What is in a shisha pipe? Shisha pipes use tobacco sweetened with fruit or molasses sugar, which makes the smoke more aromatic than cigarette smoke. Popular flavourings include apple, plum, coconut, mango, mint, strawberry and cola. Wood, coal or charcoal is burned in the shisha pipe to heat the tobacco and create the smoke because the fruit syrup or sugar makes the tobacco damp.

When a person is smoking shisha, the person and anyone close to him or her breaths in the smoke replete with toxins including carbon monoxide and heavy metals, which reduces the body’s ability to circulate oxygen in the blood.

How harmful is shisha smoking? Traditionally, shisha tobacco contains cigarette.

Tobacco, like cigarette, contains nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead. As a result, shisha smokers are at risk of the same kind of diseases as cigarette smokers, such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease and problems during pregnancy.

It is difficult to say exactly how much smoke or toxic substances one is exposed

to in a typical shisha session. People smoke shisha for much longer periods of time than they smoke cigarette. In one puff of shisha, one inhales the same amount of smoke as one gets from smoking cigarette.

The average shisha-smoking session lasts an hour and research has shown that in this time one could inhale the same amount of smoke as from more than hundred cigarettes.

Some people think that shisha smoking is not addictive because the water used in the pipe could absorb nicotine. In reality, because only some of the nicotine is absorbed by the water, shisha smokers are still exposed to enough nicotine to cause an addiction.

Is herbal shisha safer? No it is not. Shisha, herbal or otherwise, usually contains tobacco.

Fruit or herbal flavours do not mean the product is healthy. Even if one uses tobaccofree shisha, they are still at risk from the carbon monoxide and other toxins in the coal or charcoal used to burn it.

Second-hand smoke is also a worry. If someone is smoking with other people or in a public place and the shisha includes cigarette tobacco, it is likely other people would breathe in the second-hand smoke too.

Now that the basic medical facts and information about shisha are in the public space, it is expected that one makes an informed decision whether to use it or not.

Healthy living is the greatest gift.

Efuribe is a clinical pharmacist and a UN SDGs advocate

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T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

EDITORIAL THE RESURGENCE OFYELLOW FEVER All Nigerians should be vaccinated against the disease

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ictims of the yellow fever disease are on the rise. As of 30th August, a total of 84 suspected cases, including 26 deaths had been reported across nine local government areas in Ebonyi State. This was followed by the alarm of another resurgence of the disease by the executive chairman of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed. Nigeria has been experiencing sporadic outbreaks of yellow fever since September 2017 when the first case was confirmed in a seven-year-old child in Ifelodun Local Government of Kwara State. But the latest report across the nation, which indicates a high number of fatalities, is more disturbing.

The renewed spike is a wake-up call on the federal government to be more proactive in dealing with the disease. Following the fatalities recorded during the 2017 outbreak which were in dozens, more than three million people were TO CONTROL THE vaccinated in an SPREAD, THERE IS initial emergency AN URGENT NEED TO campaign, with the aim of quickly conCOMMENCE A MASSIVE taining it. However, REINTRODUCTION the virus continues OF THE VACCINATION to spread in parts of PROGRAMMES, the country where ESPECIALLY AT CHILD people remain largely BIRTH unprotected. That is why all the relevant stakeholders must join hands with the government this time around.

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease of typically short duration, although it cannot be spread from one person to another. In most cases, symptoms include yellowness of the eyes, sudden fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains particularly in the back, and headache. In about 15 per cent of victims, within a day of improving, the fever relapses, abdominal pain occurs, and liver damage begins causing yellow skin. If this occurs, the risk of bleeding and kidney problem also increases. But

Letters to the Editor

fortunately, the disease is a vaccine-preventable one. It is also curable with vaccines known as 17D. Since yellow fever is a completely vaccine-preventable disease and a single shot provides immunity for a lifetime, it is important that all Nigerians should be vaccinated. An added advantage is that the vaccine is freely available in all primary health care centres in Nigeria.

Available information indicates that there is a global stockpile of vaccine meant for yellow fever outbreaks.

Since we live in the tropics, and cannot completely eliminate mosquitoes, prevention remains the most potent weapon against the disease. It is therefore trite that the common aphorism that prevention is better than cure should be embraced by all.

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

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

he interruption of regular mass vaccination campaigns in Nigeria has contributed mainly to the current resurgence of yellow fever. On the continent, the resurgence started in equatorial Africa, followed by Cameroon where no fewer than 173 fatalities mostly children under the age of 10 were recorded in 1990. The disease then moved to West Africa and since 1995 this has been the region most affected. To control the spread, there is an urgent need to commence a massive reintroduction of the vaccination programmes, especially at child birth. This should be done through enlightenment campaigns throughout the local governments of the federation.

By accident of geography, Nigeria is one of the diseases’ high risk countries in Africa, and is transmitted from an infected person to another through female mosquito bite. The federal government should show readiness in ensuring local production of vaccines, as well as commit to establishing a reference laboratory in the country soonest to reduce the challenges with sample transportation and laboratory turnaround time in the current outbreak across the country. These steps, we believe, will ultimately reduce the response time and consequently the morbidity and mortality rates in the present situation. The current outbreak is another sad commentary on the nation’s tepid health sector, and it must be stopped from becoming another epidemic.

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THE XENOPHOBIA CONUNDRUM IN SOUTH AFRICA

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he term xenophobia simply means dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries. Wikipedia define xenophobia as “the fear or hatred of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. Xenophobia can involve perceptions of an ingroup towards an outgroup and can manifest itself in suspicion of the activities of others, and a desire to eliminate their presence to secure a presumed purity and may relate to a fear of losing national, ethnic or racial identity.’’

Discrimination and violence in South Africa is as old as the hills. Following majority rule in 1994, the incidence of xenophobia increased. In the words of Human Rights Watch in 1998, immigrants from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique living in the Alexandra township were “physically assaulted over a period of several weeks in January 1995, as armed gangs identified suspected undocumented migrants and marched them to the police station in an attempt to ‘clean’ the township of foreigners.

Similarly in September 1998, a Mozambican national and two Senegalese citizens were thrown out of a train. The attack was carried out by a group returning from a rally that blamed foreigners for unemployment, crime and the spread of AIDS. In July and August 2006, a total of 47 Somali traders were killed.

The immigrants believed the murders were motivated by xenophobia, although police rebuffed the claim of a concerted campaign to drive Somali traders out of townships in the Western Cape. In 1993 and 1997, a large number of Conglolese people settled in South Africa illegally; not long after, there were xenophobic attitudes towards these refuges and more sadly, they were denied primary healthcare which

they were entitled to. How sad!

In 2015 there was a general xenophobic attack against foreigners that culminated in repatriating of their citizens. The same year, according to www.cfr.org/blog/zulu-king-and-south-africas-wave-xenophobia, the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini lamented that foreigners are purportedly taking jobs from black South Africans and causing high unemployment rates. Shortly after, the influential monarch was accused of sparking the attacks and his defenders claimed the remarks made in the Zulu language, have been misconstrued and only referred to the deportation of illegal immigrants.

But today the same experience is playing out, Xenophobia attacks is erupting like the column of ants vilely cold. Today, foreigners could not utterly rely on police for protection. Today, it is violence, extortion, looting, burning of cars and shops. Today cruel citizens sucks the tears of non-citizens as flies suck the blood of a wounded buck. Today migrants are assaulted, locked and homes set on fire.

Can there be plausible reason for xenophobia attacks in South Africa? Can there be reasonable justification for looting and destroying businesses owned by foreigners?

Nelson Mandela must be worried in his grave that our morals have been corrupted, Kwame Nkrumah must be alarmed in his grave to hear that Africans are attacking Africans, Julius Nyeyere would be shocked by the huge hatred of foreigners in South Africa. Alpha Konara would be startled to hear that some Africans are no longer proud of their shinning black fellows. Desmond Tutu would be troubled that our code of conducts and sense of pride are abysmally low. Gone were the days when we are fiercely proud of where we

came from and say it with all pride.

There is no smoke without fire, the personality in South Africa who openly endorsed xenophobia got it all wrong and others who subtly supported it are wallowing in the euphoria of ignorance. The developed countries like America cannot detach her foreign policies from the progress made; they have consistently implemented them to make progress.

It is kudos to the Air Peace airline who took it upon itself to evacuate Nigerians from South Africa. It is high regards to those who came to the aid of the migrants who are helpless and needed help and it is kudos to Lagos State government which reportedly gave $55 to each returnee and with a pledge that they would be transferred to the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, where they can be equipped with different skills.

But why did Xenophobia persist for sometime now? Because successive South Africa authorities have not shown sufficient will or capacity to find a lasting solution to the imbroglio, though the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the attacks, emphasizing the fact that “there can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries.’’ He has also sent a special envoy to apologize over the recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners. While all these efforts are commendable, it is more apt to put a system in place where recurrence in the future will almost be zero. For instance, it makes sense if strict limitations on the numbers of immigrant permitted are specified and are made public for all to know.

Olusanya Anjorin, Lagos

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019 • T H I S D AY

Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority Clan Place, Plot 1386A, Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja Tel: 09-4610400 Web: www.nsia.com.ng Email: info@nsia.com.ng

INVITATION FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR AN INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL ADVISER A. INTRODUCTION The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (“NSIA” or the “Authority”), seeks to invite qualified firms and consortia with relevant experience in road construction and project management within the infrastructure sector to submit Expressions of Interest (“EOI”) in providing technical support for critical road projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, (“PIDF”).

The PIDF was established by His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) to accelerate the execution of certain critical, strategic infrastructure projects essential to rapid growth and modernization of Nigeria’s economy namely: i) the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway Project; ii) the Abuja – Kano Road Project; iii) the Second Niger Bridge Project; iv) the Mambilla Hydroelectric Project; and v) the East – West Road Project.

The objective of this procurement is to engage a reputable and suitably qualified Independent Technical Advisor to undertake Phase II due diligence of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway and Abuja – Kano Road projects (the “Projects”).

B. THE SCOPE OF WORK x Review of detailed designs including CAT 3 design checks for the Projects. x Perform Progress Assessments including but not limited to site visits, assessment of Interim Certificates and monthly reports on project completion and construction milestones achieved in percentage terms. x Lead with contractual negotiations for the conversion of the existing Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Contracts for the Projects into EPC/Turnkey Contracts (i.e. FIDIC Silver Book). x Provide full time in-country technical support on the projects. x

Toll plaza design

The scope of work may include any other items related to the above as may be reasonably required. The Consultant will be required to submit a weekly projects status update to the Client and hold at least one in-person meeting in a month.

C. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Interested firms and consortia should submit bound EOI documents along with the following: EXPRESSION OF INTEREST REQUIREMENTS 1. Company Profile (across the consortium) which includes names and qualifications (copies of all relevant academic and professional qualifications of such personnel must be attached) and experience of key personnel to be assigned to engagement. Please note, that the personnel quota should comply with the Presidential Executive Order No.5 2018 on Planning and Execution of Projects, Promotion of Nigerian content in Contract and Science, Engineering and Technology.

2. Audited Financial Statement for the last three years.

3. Evidence of legal Status of the Company (business and years in business) shall not be less than 10 years relevant general working experience.

4. Evidence of current Pension Clearance certificate from PENCOM. 5. Evidence of current Industrial Training Fund (ITF) compliance certificate.

6. Evidence of current Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) compliance certificate.

7. Evidence of registration with Professional bodies (COREN, TOPREC, etc...)

8. Evidence of Financial Capability.

9. Verifiable documentary evidence of the provision of technical advisory services on a minimum of three (3) road infrastructure projects executed in the last 10 years including letters of award, completion certificates and contract agreements.

10. For Joint Venture or Consortium Partnership submissions, a Memorandum of Understanding between the partners should be provided.

11. Affidavit disclosing: R that across the firms/companies in the consortium, there is no Director who has been convicted in any Country for any criminal offence relating to fraud or financial impropriety or criminal misrepresentation or falsification of facts relating to any matter.

R that none of the firms/companies in the consortium is in receivership, subject of any form of insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding or the subject of any form of winding up petition or proceedings.

12. All documents for submission must be transmitted with a Covering/Forwarding letter under the lead Company/Firm’s Letter Head Paper bearing amongst others, the Registration Number (RC) as issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission, the contact address, telephone number (preferably mobile) and email address of relevant contact persons. It must also bear the names and nationalities of the Directors of the Company/Firm at the bottom of the page.

13. All conditions as listed above from requirements 7 – 12 must be met in every jurisdiction of operation by firms under the consortium.

14. No entity expressing interest in this invitation for technical advisory services must belong to more than one consortium.

D. SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST Interested bidders are to submit two (2) bound copies their EOI documents, paginated and arranged with dividers as indicated above. The EOI documents should be submitted in sealed envelopes and addressed to “Procurement Officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority” and clearly marked “Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Provision of Technical Advisory Services for the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund” and delivered to the office of the NSIA located on the 4th floor, Clan Place, Plot 1386A, Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja no later than up to 17:00 hours (local time) on 14th, October 2019 (“Submission Due Date”).

E. OPENING OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST DOCUMENTS All EOI documents received before the deadline for submission will be opened on 16th, October 2019. Please ensure that you sign the bid submission register in the bid submission office as the Authority will not be held liable for misplaced or wrongly submitted bids.

Please note that this is an invitation for Expression of Interest only. Upon receipt of your submission, we will issue a formal Request for Proposal to qualified candidates only.

Signed Management Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019

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POLITICS

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

Important Lessons from UK Supreme Court Kayode Ajulo writes that the Nigerian Judiciary is still a pawn in the hands of the executive with respect to the issue of financial autonomy

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t will be recalled that on the 28th of August 2019, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked the Queen to hold her customary speech in mid-October, a move many believed was calculated to suspend parliament for a month and tactically limit lawmakers’ time to block a no-deal Brexit.

This singular request by the PM amplified the drama and intrigues surrounding the UK’s decision to withdraw its membership of the European Union. The Queen acting pursuant to the request by the PM ordered as follows: “It is this day ordered by Her Majesty in Council that the Prorogued on a day no earlier than Monday the 9th day of September and no later than Thursday the 12th day of September 2019 to Monday the 14th day of October 2019.”

The purported prorogation of Parliament led to a public outcry in the UK, the Speaker of the House of Commons said it represented “a constitutional outrage”. He further opined that in the light of the challenging period the UK is passing through, it is important that the elected parliament has its say, after all, the UK operates a parliamentary democracy.

In order to resolve this constitutional turmoil, the matter was brought before the Court.

On the 6th of September, 2019, a claim brought by legal campaigner Gina Miller that the Prime Minister acted unlawfully in giving advice to the Queen to suspend Parliament at a time of momentous political disturbance was dismissed by the High Court of England.

However, on the 11th of September 2019, a Scottish Court ruled that “Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks was unlawful.

The case thus headed to the Supreme Court and on the 24th of September, the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision held that the prorogation was justiciable, and it was in the power of the court to rule on it. It further held that the prorogation was unlawful, as it had the effect of preventing parliament from carrying out

its constitutional functions.

The Court also found that the Prime Minister’s advice to the Queen was unlawful, void and of no effect. See R V. The Prime Minister (2019) EWHC 2381(QB), See also Cherry and ORS V. Advocate General for Scotland (2019) CSIH 49.

This case without equivocation is one that crisscrossed the three arms of government in the UK, that is, the Cabinet, the Parliament and the Judiciary, it is on the strength of the foregoing, that this article has become necessary in order to underscore the significance of separated powers in the UK and more importantly to localize the lessons within the Nigerian constitutional and political contexts viz-a-viz this unanimous decision of the UK Supreme Court.

One of the imperatives of constitutional democracy is the doctrine of separation of powers which can be described as a form of power sharing arrangement among the three arms of government, that is, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. For proper context, it is important to state that the United Kingdom is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, it means that citizens elect a legislative body called a parliament to represent their interests and carry out their wishes and aspirations.

However, as a constitutional monarchy, the Monarch, that is, the Queen serves as Ceremonial Head of State but has limited powers which of course is shared with the Parliament.

The situation is slightly different in Nigeria where sovereignty resides in the people, not in a Monarch and the government through the Nigerian Constitution derives all its powers and authority. SEE SECTION 14(2), PARA A OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION AS ALTERED. These governmental powers are delineated under SECTIONS 4, 5 AND 6 OF THE CFRN and they are thus called the legislative, executive and the judicial powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

However, for the purpose of this article and as may be inferred from the background, the independence or otherwise of the Nigerian judiciary viz-a-viz the landmark UK Supreme Court judgment will be dissected.

INDEPENDENCE OR OTHERWISE OF THE NIGERIAN JUDICIARY The Judiciary has often been referred to as the last hope of the common man, a leveler for all classes of people, the custodian of the law and the dispenser of justice in a country. By extension, Nigeria’s judiciary is often regarded as the bastion of hope and justice, a place of refuge for the common man as well as place of respite for the rich and affluent.

The different courts are vested with specific jurisdictions to decide cases under the Constitution and the enabling Statutes. As a result, the hierarchy of court which lays down the doctrine of judicial precedent is well grounded in the nation’s legal system.

Flowing from the above, judicial independence in Nigeria has been a subject of intense debates among legal scholars, politicians, commentators and even lawyers. There has been quite a number of unsuccessful attempts by legal writers to demystify the term judicial independence in relation to the prevailing political or constitutional realities.

Does the Nigerian Constitution for instance support a total separation of judicial NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Mounting Concern Over UN Special Rapporteur Report Imikan Attach amplifies the report of the UN that the Nigerian judiciary is bedeviled by weak rule of law

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gnes Callamard is the UN Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions.

Her recently released report on Nigeria is the result of a fact- finding trip to the country, and her disclosures have elicited a great deal of media attention globally, as is sampled above. However, it appears the report has not attracted quite as much attention and debate locally. There has been no official response since the release of the document on September 2. Notwithstanding. This report is as timely as it is relevant. Callamard says that in a 2006 report, the then Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial killings pointed to “the remarkable inadequacies of almost all levels of the Nigerian criminal justice system, and the repeated practice of adjournments handed out with reckless abandon.” Instructively , Callamard points out that, “fifteen years later, similar patterns and allegations of similar practices were repeatedly brought to my attention. “ Additionally, Callamard speaks of the collective punishment of civilians, and emphasises the truth of the matter: that Nigerian insecurity requires urgent attention, and that Nigeria must stop extrajudicial killings- like the Saudi Gazette and the VOA have also echoed.

The UN report is indepth. There are excerpts of overview for examination , and hopefully , for proper official implementation. I must add that at least 36 people were killed upper week, and at least 9 people were

kidnapped in Nigeria in the same period. A week ago 6 people were kidnapped in Abuja, that everyone thought was the safest. And in the most recently released Terrorism Index , Nigeria ranked third highest globally, higher even than Syria and Somalia in impact of terrorism.

The Overview The overall situation that I encountered in Nigeria gives rise to extreme concern. By many measures, the federal authorities and the international partners are presiding over an injustice- pressure cooker. Some of the specific contexts I examined are simmering.

The warning signs are flashing bright red: increased numbers of attacks and killings over the last five years with a few notable exceptions ; increased criminality and spreading insecurity ; widespread failure by the federal authorities to investigate and hold perpetrators to account , even for mass killings, a lack of public trust in judicial systems and state institutions more generally; high levels of resentment and grievances within and between communities , toxic ethno- religious narratives and ‘extremist ‘ ideologies – characterised by dehumanization of the “others “ and denial of the legitimacy of the other’s claims ; a generalised breakdown of the rule of law with particularly acute consequences for the most vulnerable and impoverished populations of Nigeria .

Over the course of its tumultuous history, Nigeria has confronted many challenges

and much conflict, including military rule and mass killings. It has also experienced economic boom and considerable economic growth particularly in the 1990s, thanks to its oil resources. Perhaps it is this history that leads (some) commentators, analysts and even some officials themselves to downplay or ignore the warning signs or to assume that no matter the gravity these would be overcome. However , the absence today of accountability functionality is on such a scale that pretending this is anything short of a crisis is a major mistake. It is a tragedy for the people of Nigeria. Unchecked, its ripple effect will spread throughout the sub region if not the continent , given the country’s central economic, political and cultural leadership role.

Weak rule of law and its brewing crisis are intertwined with, result from and come on top of: a nationwide population explosion and increased rates of extreme poverty which characterises the reality for roughly half of the Nigerian population. This is exacerbated by the spreading environmental degradation and desertification evident throughout West Africa. It is also fed by the increasing proliferation of small and military-grade weapons made readily available by increasing instability and originating, according to some reports from as far north as the Libyan conflicts.

These nation- wide and broader regional pressures applied against Nigeria’s diverse eco- political – economic systems are producing localised systems and country- wide

patterns of violence, many of which are seemingly spinning out of control. They are claiming the lives of thousands, and include for instance, arbitrary killings in the context of: the military conflict in the North of the country against Boko Haram and splinter groups-the conflict in the Middle Belt along with some parts in the North- West and South between Fulani herdsmen and farming communities belonging to various ethnic groups -cultism in the oil- producing South States and other well- organised criminal gangs-local militias engaged in mining and cattle rustling in the North-West, particularly Zamfara-the repression of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) -the mass expulsion of slum- dwellers in Lagos and elsewhere and more generally greed motivated policies and interventions resulting in killings.

Country wide patterns include police and military excessive use of lethal force in violation of applicable international standards, the lack of effective investigations, the absence of meaningful prosecution, the militarisation of policing- all of which are compounded by the lack of transparency and effective communication strategy over the vast majority of security issues, fuelling further distrust and breakdown of confidence in the security agencies.

-Attah can be reached on Twitter @ mikky_princess

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PERSPECTIVE

Lawan’s 9th Senate Reinvents Economy Through Budget Reforms Mon-Charles Egbo restates the determination of the 9th Senate to promote good governance through efficient budgeting

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he stunted growth and development plaguing Nigeria today is a direct consequence of weak and ineffective budgeting. This is because good governance and efficient service delivery begin and end with budgeting. Budget is a reflection of the economic policy thrust of governments. Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, at least, the country is yet to witness a budget whose percentage of implementation or performance is tangibly above average. Budgeting in Nigeria has been reduced to merely an annual ritual, having no meaningful bearing on the economy. The budget template is same, year to year, except for few insignificant content modifications to seemingly update it. Items are randomly duplicated such that fiscal leakage with its attendant economic implications is propagated. Allocations are determined by informal considerations rather than national interest.

Similarly, the larger chunk of the annual budget goes to recurrent expenditure due to over bloated civil service and huge cost of maintaining numerous public officials, including agencies with over-lapping functions, and then coupled with absence of strategic plan for sustainable national development,. Even the relatively little allocation for capital projects is expended largely on vehicles, office equipment and furniture. This obviously accounts for the prevailing magnitude of infrastructural deficit and retarded development in the country.

Nigeria is rather contented being a consumer economy. There are reports of alterations on the budget at the level of consideration. The list is inexhaustible.

But instructively and central to all these infractions is lack of diligent supervision of the ministries, departments and agencies. There is no functional mechanism to specifically check the laxity of the bureaucracy and the propensity for extravagance of the political class relative to budgeting.

And with this trend, Nigeria will certainly remain on the path of retrogression where citizens’ expectations for improved standard of living equally remain elusive.

On the contrary, Nigeria can still become a stable and virile economy where every index of good governance obtains. This is attainable only if it recognizes the urgent need for comprehensive and critical review of its budgeting, with a view to inculcating a

sense of discipline in all the processes beginning from preparation through defence to implementation. No doubt, execution is key because irrespective of the objectives of a budget, it determines the overall impact on the economy and governance.

Constitutionally, this duty of strengthening budgets for sustainable national development is vested in the legislature. It is the main thrust of its oversight roles. Because this essential task has been serially relegated, it now requires a parliament with the right leadership capacity and political will, predicated on clear-cut and people-oriented agenda, to deliver.

However in all fairness, the 8th National Assembly paid attention to this gap. Both chambers instituted a mandatory week-long joint public hearing sessions on the budgets which availed the Nigerian masses opportunities to make inputs according to critical sectors of interest, before eventual passage. Indeed that was unprecedented and commendable despite the scope.

But the 9th Senate as a corporate strategy,

is poised to raise the bar geometrically.

With utmost dedication it has embraced the challenge of reinventing the economy through the policy of budgeting exclusively for development. And in this regard, early signs favour possibilities for excellence.

Principally, the chamber is defined by commitment to shared vision as well as sagacious and astute leadership. The legislators were highly perceptive in choosing a presiding officer that truly embodies their collective ideals and aspirations.

Buoyed by combination of legislative experience spanning twenty years, including being a strategic member of the 8th Senate, vast intellectual endowments and above all, broad motivation for a regenerated Nigeria, Senator Ahmad Lawan in articulating the 9th Senate Legislative Agenda exuded visionary leadership marked by profound empathy.

He had lamented that “the economy has been growing at two or three percent. Our economy needs to be better than that.” Further in his acceptance speech, he announced that,

“in the laws we enact, in the oversight and representations we undertake, the wellbeing of the Nigerian people will always be our priority.”

Variously also, he had expressed conviction that to fulfil these legislative obligations fundamentally towards revamping the economy, the legislature must deploy strictness and pragmatism so as to evolve formidable budgetary practices for sustainable national development. He was roundly emphatic that “the budget 2020 is going to be part of what we want to do differently from the previous sessions of the Senate.”

The priority he accords this goal is such compelling that aside his speech at inauguration, his very first public comment as Senate President was on budgeting. Barely three days after assuming office had he openly admitted that, “this is a crucial thing that worries everyone. Every Nigerian wants to see the National Assembly pass the budget in good time and it’s something both of us in the National Assembly have bought into – that we’ll pass the budget within three months by the grace of God.” Meanwhile, he had envisioned a senate that, “will pursue an aggressive planning and budget process reform agenda”. And towards this dimension he instantly mobilized to “reposition the senate to carry out its constitutional duties of legislation, oversight and representation in an open and transparent manner; strengthen the internal operations and processes of the committees of the senate towards efficient service delivery;……propose and implement a national planning and annual budget process that fosters collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government.”

Equally striking in this enthusiasm for a robust budgeting system is his determination to revert to January-December fiscal calendar.

Senator Lawan has been consistent about the intention of the National Assembly “to process and pass the budget and send it to Mr. President to sign in December before Christmas”. He is confident that with that, “our budget will go back to that regular cycle, that desirable cycle of January to December and that will enhance the budget performance of this country.”

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

Imo Governorship Election Tribunal Judgment and the People’s Will Austin Uganwa writes that the authentication by the election petition tribunal of the victory of Governor Emeka Ihedioha is an endorsement of the people’s will

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mo State Governor, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha last Saturday in Abuja High Court, Jabi recorded a second victory appropriate to consolidate his regime. In an unanimous decision, Justice Mallami Umar-Dogondagi –led Imo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal affirmed him as the validly elected governor of the state in so doing upholding his declaration on March 9 this year by the independent National Electoral Commission as the winner of the gubernatorial election in the state The authentication of Ihedioha’s victory by the three-member tribunal which many Imolites believe is an endorsement of the people’s will was sequential. It flowed from the panel’s months of painstaking examination and reexamination of the motions, petitions and applications brought to it by Ihedioha’s three major rivals in the election: Uche Nwosu of Action Alliance, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume of All Progressives Grand Alliance and Senator Hope Uzodinma of All Progressives Congress.

The three litigants approached the tribunal on diverse reasons. Senator Hope Uzodinma , the APC candidate who came a distant fourth in the election curiously requested the tribunal to declare him winner of the election claiming to have won the majority of the legitimate

votes and secured the mandatory one quarter of the votes cast in at least two thirds of the 27 Local Governments Areas in the state. Senator Ararume’s fundamental grouse was that the election was flawed on account of alleged malpractices, irregularities and corrupted tendencies. Unlike Uzodinma that opted to be declared winner, Araruma and Nwosu’s solicitation was for the cancellation of the election and a fresh one to be conducted.

The three-man panel dismissed the three petitions. The panel which earlier sat in Owerri, the Imo State capital for about three months before moving to the Abuja High Court in Jabi for the judgment held that the three petitions challenging the declaration of Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) as the winner of the governorship election, lacked merit. While delivering the judgment, the tribunal chairman, Justice Mallami Umar-Dogondagi affirmed that the petitioners did not establish their complaints against Governor Ihedioha submitting that the petitioners failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them by the law.

The judgment is historic in many respects. First, it shows the extent to which the judiciary can demonstrate courage, in so doing, bringing justice to bear. As a result, the landmark decision

of validating Ihedioha’s election has rekindled people’s confidence in the judicial system which many had hitherto viewed and assessed with apprehension.

Fundamentally, the judgment inherently and judiciously reinforced the will of the people which they demonstrated March 9 when they altruistically entrusted their mandate in Ihedioha.

This is instructive in the heightened manner Imo people were overjoyed over the judgment. For instance, at the High Court in Jabi, Abuja where the judgment was delivered a large number of Imo people who travelled all the way from the state besieged the court to enlist their solidarity for Ihedioha. They jubilated and chorused victory songs at the end of the tribunal session when they learnt the outcome. Back home, Owerri, the state capital went agog on that eventful Saturday night. Hordes of euphoric youths and women thronged to the streets to express their excitement while many others ended up in popular drinking joints in the city to celebrate. Understandably, the opposite naturally would have been the case if the will of the people and justice were perceived to have been subverted in the judgment. The state would have been worse for it.

Although Ihedioha has been able to record uncommon accomplishments

within the short period of his regime as seen in the flagging off of the rehabilitation and construction of 14 urban roads projects and 381 rural roads at a total cost of N38b among several other signature milestones, the tribunal decision will certainly have a far-reaching impact on accelerating the governor’s performance even further and higher. Maria Mbakwe, a popular women leader drove this point home more succinctly when she led Imo women on victory march. According to her, the victory has the inclination to reducing distractions from the opponents thereby enabling the governor to fasttrack the pace of development in the state.

This perhaps explained the olive branch Ihedioha extended to his rivals after the judgment, encouraging them to join him in the onerous task of rebuilding the state. “I call on all Imolites across party and opinion divides, especially my opponents in the last election to join hands with us as we make Imo great again. For me, there is no victor and no vanquished”, he submitted.

Accordingly, the earlier Nwosu, Araruma, Uzodinma and others on the opposing divide buy into this peaceful, patriotic and welcoming call for Imo renaissance the better for the state.

-Uganwa writes from Owerri

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T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 4, 2019

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO 8.23 % 9.29 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

5.50 % 7% 8.50 %

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

S E P T E M B E R S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

411.53 % 0.05 % 0.36 %

2 7 , 2 0 1 9

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE 2.81 % YEAR TO DATE 15.28 %

EXCHANGE RATE N306.95/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes Airbus Seeks Reduction in Trade Tensions

Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus has called for review of the decision of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regarding the level of countermeasuresitauthorisedtheUnitedStatestoimposeonproductsfrom the European Union (EU).The aircraft manufacturer noted that if the UnitedStatesTradeRepresentative(USTR)choosestoimposetariffs on the importation of aircraft and/or aircraft components, this would createinsecurityanddisruptionnotonlytotheaerospaceindustry,but alsotothebroaderglobaleconomy.Yetitisstillavoidable.

Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury stated: “Airbus will continue working withitsUSpartners,customersandsuppliers,toaddressallpotential consequencesofsuchtariffsthatwouldbeabarrieragainstfreetrade and would have a negative impact on not only the US airlines but also USjobs,suppliers,andairtravellers.

“Airbus is therefore hopeful that the US and the EU will agree to find a negotiated solution before creating serious damage to the aviation industryaswellastotraderelationsandtheglobaleconomy.”

Airbussaidinthecomingmonths,theWTOwoulddeterminetheamount oftariffcountermeasurestheEUcanimposeonUSproducts–including importedBoeingaircraft–intheparallelcountercaseregardingillegal subsidies to Boeing.TheWTO has already found that the US failed to addressillegalsubsidiescausingharmtoAirbus,notingthatthiswould providetheEUwithgroundstoclaimcountermeasuresonUSproducts atalevelthatcouldexceedUSsanctions.

“If applied, these tariffs on both sides will severely impact US and EU industries,puttinghighcostsontheacquisitionofnewaircraftforboth USandEUairlines.”

O’Leary Knocks UK Regulator

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

R-L: Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun; Managing Director of Sujimoto Construction Company, Mr. Sijibomi Ogundele, and a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, during Sujimoto fifth anniversary ceremony held in Lagos...recently

FAAN Fortifies Security at MMIA Airport Chinedu Eze Airline operators and other users of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, have confirmed that there has been improved security at the terminal and airside of the airport.

THISDAY learnt that CloseCircuit Television (CCTV) has been deployed at the various areas at the international terminal and also at the sterile areas of the airport after the runway incursion of the Nigerien who gained access to the domestic runway of the airport few months ago.

FAAN said it also wanted to put to an end the illicit

AVIATION activities of baggage handlers and other airport workers who allegedly plant prohibited drugs in passengers’ luggage, hence the comprehensive CCTV at the nooks and crannies of the airport, which THISDAY learnt was being extended to all the international airports in the country.

The Chief Operating Officer of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc., Herbert Odika, who also confirmed the improvement said it was one of the major reasons why there have not been baggage losses at the airport in recent times.

“One of the major reasons that there is no baggage pilferage anymore is because FAAN has got one thing right and that is the CCTV system within the airport.

“A passenger once came claiming that his bags were pilfered and all that and we went to watch the bags movement on camera and saw the passenger actually taking things out of his bag and putting them in another bag and claimed that his bag was pilfered.

“The airline called him to come and wanted to replay the camera but he did not show up because he knew he would be caught. So with improved

CCTV; that has helped,” Odika said.

He said people woo staff of NAHCO who work at the baggage handling section of the airport, but the workers always rebuff such temptations because of their training, the fact that every part of the airport terminal is being watched and the disciplinary action such a staff would have to face.

He said that it was erroneous to believe that every baggage pilfering emanates from the Nigerian airport, noting that pilfering was a universal Continued on page 22

NSC Moves to Bring NPA, NIMASA under Economic Regulation Eromosele Abiodun The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) is currently moving strongly to ensure that government agencies under the Ministry of Transportation are put under economic regulation so that they do not introduce charges without first seeking negotiation with the council.

THISDAY learnt that the NSC was worried that this has been the trend with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and has taken up the matter with the Ministry of Transport and the concerned agencies.

The federal government had in 2014 approved the appoint-

MARITIME ment of NSC as the economic regulator for the nation’s seaports. As economic regulator for the ports, the council regulates the commercial activities of all operators in the ports industry, including terminal operators, shipping companies, importers, exporters and freight forwarders among others.

Since NSC was set up to fight the cause of importers and exporters, many operators believed that it is an interested party and may not be unbiased in its approach. The Council also owns and concessioned the development of six Inland Container Container Depots (ICDs) in various parts of the

country.

Speaking on the issue, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Mr Hassan Bello stated that having succeeded in getting the shipping companies to reduce charges, it will now focus attention on the government agencies to come to the council for negotiation of their new charges before they are introduced.

Bello explained that it was important for the NPA and other agencies to come to the negotiation table before introducing new charges because any charge from NPA could wipe out the gains of the agreement it is planning to sign soon with the shipping companies to reduce charges

by 35 per cent.

The council estimates that 35 per cent reduction in charges by shipping companies will lead to savings of about N480 billion annually with the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Bello said it was better to discuss charges before they were introduced because of the consequences on the shippers and the economy.

According to him, “We want NPA to come and negotiate with the Council if it wants to introduce new charges because a charge from NPA could wipe out all gains we have made.”

Bello referred to the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OG-

RyanairbossMichaelO’LearyhasslammedBritain’saviationregulator onTuesday,sayingitssoftlicensingrulescontributedtothechaosaround ThomasCook’sbankruptcy.O’Leary,whoselow-faremodelhassqueezed less competitive rivals, said the tour operator model was “dead” and ThomasCook’scollapselastweekwasnosurprise.

HesaidsomeresponsibilitylaywiththeCivilAviationAuthority(CAA) forgrantingThomasCookalicensetooperatewithoutdemandingmore proofthattheywouldsurvive.

“How you can license Thomas Cook in April as fit to fly for another 12 months and then it goes bust in September. (It) is something the CAA needstoaddress,”O’LearysaidataReutersNewsmakereventinLondon.

“TheCAAshouldbemuchmoreaggressiveinrequiringtheshareholders ofthosecompaniestoputupmuchmorecashtogetthroughtheyear, ratherthanallowingthemtocontinuallyfail.”

TheCAAcouldnotimmediatelybereachedforcomment.

ThomasCook’sUKairlineimmediatelyfoldedwhenthecompanywent intoadministration,althoughitsGermanCondorairlineisstillflyingand hasbeenofferedabridgingloanbytheGermangovernment.Thomas Cook’sScandinavianairlineisalsostillflying.

O’Leary speculated that Germany’s Lufthansa might ultimately buy Condor, whose CEO onTuesday said that there would eventually be a newowneroftheairline,accordingtoDieZeit.

HealsosaidthatRyanairisnotinterestedinCondor.

However, he said he was talking to leasing companies about taking on Thomas Cook’s Airbus planes for Ryanair group’s Lauda airline, and could take on some of the travel group’s pilots if they could be trained bynextsummer.

Airbus Introduces More Robots

Airbus has inaugurated a new automated fuselage assembly line for theA320familyofaircraftatitsHamburgfactoryinGermany.Thenew facility uses 20 robots to assemble fuselage sections for the A321LR jet. It features automated positioning using laser measurement and anassociateddigitaldataacquisitionsystem.

“This new fuselage structure assembly line is an essential enabler for the A320 family ramp-up,” Airbus COO, Michael Schoellhorn said.

“Increasing the level of automation and robotics enables faster, more efficientmanufacturingwhilekeepingourprimefocusonquality.”

The new system’s initial assembly section uses eight robots to drill andcounter-sink1,100to2,400holesperlongitudinaljoint.Thesecond productionstepinvolves12robotsoperatingonsevenaxes,tocombine centralandaftfuselagesectionswiththetailtoformonecomponent.

SchoellhornsaidAirbuswastakingthenecessarysteps“toensureour productionsystemcanmatchtheexcellenceofourproductsandthat weareabletosatisfyourcustomers’needsforoursingle-aisleaircraft.

Wenowneedtodeliverinlinewithourcommitmentsmadetocustomers whileensuringoverallcompetitiveness.”

“In terms of equipment worldwide, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) is rated among the top 10 in the world.

In just two and half years, AIB has released 58 per cent of the total number of accident reports released since 12 years the bureau was established” Commissioner/CEO, AIB,

Akin Olateru Continued on page 22

22

T H I S D AY Ëž OCTOBER 4, 2019

BUSINESSWORLD FAAN FORTIFIES SECURITY AT MMIA AIRPORT habit that could happen at any airport in the world. “One misconception we had was that every single pilferage, theft or loss has originated from Nigeria; far from it. They steal bags in big countries like the UK and others. Remember that it is human beings that do these things; they go in the aircraft hold and pilfer bags and things get missing in many other countries. “But Nigeria has seriously improved. There are glasses before the carousels that enable you see the movement of the bags. Outbound and even transit bags are very difficult to steal because of the speed of the bags on the belts and too many people watch the movement of the bags. “On the in-bound baggage, people in the past try to do one thing or another on them but this has drastically reduced in Nigeria now. The level of complaints we have for pilferage now has drastically reduced. “In addition to the security provided by FAAN, airlines have secondary security apparatus like Checkports, Pathfinders and others that monitor what the ground handling companies do when offloading bags,� he added.

NSC MOVES TO BRING NPA, NIMASA UNDER ECONOMIC REGULATION FZA), which had introduced a charge and had to come for negotiation with the council when it was reminded to do so. “So, if we can have such cooperation from an organisation outside the Ministry of Transport, why can’t we have with people inside,� he said.

Bello pointed out the issue of environmental fees being charged by both NPA and NIMASA, adding that this was a clear duplication of charges that would impact negatively on shippers. “NIMASA is charging environmental fees, so also NPA is doing the same, and we can’t have that. That is duplication. This will raise the charges more on shippers.

We want charges to be tied to services, �he disclosed.

Bello said the NSC was getting a lot of support from the Ministry of Transportation to ensure that what was wrong could be corrected.

NEWS

Customs Agents Urge FG to Prepare Nigeria for AfCFTA Stories by Eromosele Abiodun The National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents in the country, Iju Tony Nwabunike, has called on the federal government to expedite action in preparing the country for African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

Nwabunike, made this call while speaking at a conference on ‘Maximising the Benefits of AfCFTA’ held in Lagos.

He decried the poor production and export capacity of the country, adding that Nigeria was not fully ready for the recently signed AfCFTA. The ANLCA boss said there was urgent need to address issues of corruption and insecurity, which according to him could inhibit the flow and growth of business activities within the country and in the continent.

Nwabunike, said aside from oil, the country has not shown enough capacity and comparative advantage to produce things for export to other African countries.

He said other African countries were moving at a faster pace in building their local economies by encouraging greater production, expanding chances for their local manufacturers and promoting entrepreneurship. “The agreement will benefit countries that are producing

more than countries whose factories are either struggling to survive and have little or nothing to export. For now, apart from oil, what do we have to give other African countries? There is urgent need to get our agricultural and manufacturing sectors running better than they are doing now. “I have been to Niger, Ghana, Cameroun and many other African countries in

recent times and I can tell you that we are behind them in terms of preparation for a robust participation in intra African trade, “Nwabunike said.

In a paper presentation, the Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Abubakar Tsanni, said his council would move to collapse barriers stopping Nigerian customs brokers

and freight forwarders from practicing in other countries.

Tsanni, also called for greater attitudinal change and deployment of good vehicles on roads to support logistics and supplies for freight forwarders in the country as a way to conform with trading community expectations.

In his paper titled, “Corporate Attitudinal Adjustment,� he said there were identified

areas freight forwarders and customs brokers involved in freight forwarding should adjust to. “Looking for funds to clear consignments after they arrive our ports increases risks of port congestion and cost of demurrage. We must, as a matter of professional intervention, advice importers to be prepared for cost of clearing shortly after initiating process of importation�

COURTESY VISIT

L-R: Chief Security OďŹƒcer, ORide, Obetan Uket; Senior Director, Partnership, Lei Hao; Country Manager, OPay, Iniabasi Akpan; Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, and Senior Director, Partnership, Lanfang Liao, during a courtesy visit by oRide team to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos state‌recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

Amaechi: With SufďŹ cient Maritime Security, Nigerian Economy Will Blossom The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has declared that the new maritime security infrastructure being built by the federal government and the Deep Sea Project would be a major economic trigger for the country.

Amaechi stated this while speaking during the World Maritime Day celebrations, with the theme, “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community,� held in Lagos.

He said the Deep Sea Project, which aims to secure the country’s territorial waters up to the Gulf of Guinea, would inspire greater investors’ confidence in the Nigerian maritime sector and boost the sector’s contribution to the national economy.

“With this security infrastructure, the revenues of the agencies in the maritime sector will increase and the revenue to the country will also increase. Currently, maritime sector is returning less than N100 billion; they should be doing more than that. They should be returning above N300 billion. But in terms of the economy, the maritime industry is contributing quite a lot,� the minister said.

He also spoke on the government’s plan to link the railway system to the seaports, as a way of integrating the maritime sector into the rail master structure as planned to make movements of goods to and from the ports more effective to boost the economy.

“All seaports in Nigeria must be connected by rail; that is a policy of government.

We have put in place a 25-year modernisation programme for the rail system. With the master plan, we have taken rail from where the past government stopped into the seaports. “For instance, the current Lagos-Kano rail line began from Ebute Metta. But when we came, we started another line from Ebute Metta to Apapa seaport. With this, when you bring in your goods, you turn them to the rail that takes them to the hinterland. The one from Lagos to Calabar will link the Calabar, Port Harcourt, and Onne seaports, and so

on,�he said.

Also speaking at the occasion, Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, called for more scholarship and mentorship schemes to boost female participation in the shipping sector.

Saraki noted that the achievements of women in the maritime sector had shown that if given the opportunity, the Nigerian woman will excel.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who made a presentation on the measures by the federal government to tackle maritime security

in the country, expressed the hope that the female gender will play a major role in the execution of the anchor security scheme, the Deep Blue Project. “We have various components in the coordinated maritime security solution and the female gender is already part of the project. Aside land, air, and marine-based assets being acquired, we have an intelligence gathering component where the women are already playing a major role. We recognise gender equality as one of the key platforms on which we can build a sustainable solution to security challenges in Nigerian maritime sector,�

Peterside said.

Obaseki Earmarks N2bn for Single-digit Lending to MSMEs Group Business Editor

James Emejo in Abuja

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (ICT)

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has said his administration has provided the sum of N2 billion as credit facility at single digit interest rate to micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the state.

He said the move became necessary in order to drive the state’s economy through the contributions of small businesses.

Speaking at the Edo State Special Day at the on-going

2019 Abuja International Trade Fair (2019AITF) organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), the governor also said his administration had achieved 75 per cent job creation out of the 200,000 jobs that it had promised to create for its citizens.

Represented at the trade fair by the State Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, Obaseki said the administration was creating an enabling environment which is driven by the private sector to identify as well as

build on talents among the youths.

He said: “It has been one of our cardinal pillars to develop our youths and we have arranged to give our young ones skills and these skills are not just for the artisans but also for graduates because you know they said some of our youths are not employable even when they have the certificates. “So, we have created a skills acquisition programme both for artisans and graduate and we have created an artisan hub, what we call

the industrial hub where you can come and establish your small businesses and there’s 24 hours power for you to optimise the benefits of creating something.�

He said: “For us in Edo State, you must earn a living and the only way we can earn a living is when you are skilled. Skilled labour is what we emphasise in Edo and we are not only emphasising it, we are creating it.�

Also, speaking at the exhibition, Edo State Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Mr. Felix

Akhabue, told THISDAY that government was further making inroad into agriculture as well as teaching the youths new skills to make them successful in the sector.

He said:�We also have an agency called Edojobs, training our young ones on skills and we are also taking our people back to the farm because in the past, agriculture used to be that sector of the economy which used to engage majority but for a very long time, we have left that sector when we discovered crude oil.�

23

T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 4, 2019

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Lawmakers Seek Improvement in Aviation Sector Chinedu Eze The Chairman of House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, has pledged to collaborate with the Senate, industry agencies to bequeath to Nigerians an industry that is safe, reliable and viable.

Nnaji, made this known during his post inaugural address, saying the Committee would take immediate action to review the lopsided policies that encourage the exploitation of Nigerian travellers by foreign airlines.

He said the Committee has the mandate to oversight the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its six agencies, which include, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NIMET), the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) He explained that the aforementioned agencies operate dual budgets that include the statutory federal budget, which is embedded in the Ministry’s Annual Budget Proposal and the Internally Generated Revenue

(IGR) budget, which are all supposed to be submitted to the committee annually for appropriation.

Nnaji said beyond this, the Ministry was expected to forward to the Committee, an Aviation Development Master Plan (ADMP) yearly, which would form the policy framework for the development of Nigerian Aviation sector as a major hub for the continent of Africa, the creation of an enabling environment that would support local airlines to fly Nigeria’s flag globally; ensuring that the foreign airlines’ domination in the Nigerian aviation market was curtailed.

He said the House would embark on the possibility of reviewing the multiple entry designations granted to some international airlines to protect the local industry and ensure the safe and quality service delivery by all agencies and organisations that operate in the industry.

“We will equally work with the regulatory authorities; the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Ministry of Aviation to ensure that proper financial audit of intending local airlines are done before issuance

of licences to stem early exits of indigenous operators which have become regular occurrences in the industry.

“Our aviation industry has great potential, which have over the years been unduly exploited by foreign airlines. My understanding is that several foreign carriers operate multiple flights out of Nigeria daily (morning and night), charging very exorbitant fares without any indigenous operator reciprocating same.

“These no doubt promotes capital flights, unemployment and negatively impact on the economic growth of the nation, which should not be tolerated. Findings have also shown that some Nigerian travellers now have to go through the neighbouring West African countries to connect flights to Europe and America because fares are cheaper over there,” Nnaji noted.

He said the National Assembly would move for the review of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) Nigeria signed with various countries to address the increasing dominance of the aviation industry by foreign airlines so that “our indigenous carriers can be protected from early collapse as has been observed.”

Delta Contributes to Eliminate Extreme Poverty by 2030 Delat Air Line has announced that it is making contribution to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030 in collaboration in partnership with Global Citizen.

The airline said the multimillion-dollar contribution would help power the movement to bridge the funding gap in the 59 poorest countries to reach the 2030 United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

“Delta’s partnership with Global Citizen illustrates the airline’s commitment to connecting the world while making it better through environmental stewardship, diversity and inclusion, and community development,” the airline said.

It noted that the Delta Air

Lines Foundation has made a generous multi-million-dollar commitment to international advocacy organization Global Citizen’s Global Goal Live, a year-long campaign to mobilise resources to end extreme poverty, address climate change and reduce inequality by 2030 as outlined by the 2015 United Nations Global Goals.

“Our commitment to the Global Citizen movement is born out of our determination to make the world better and more connected,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to be part of this remarkable effort to end extreme poverty and improve the world around us.”

Bastian will co-chair

Global Citizen’s private sector CEO Coalition, which also includes CEOs Chuck Robbins of Cisco, Hans Vestberg of Verizon, Alex Gorsky of Johnson and Johnson and Chief Marketing Officer Marc Prichard of P&G. In addition to The Delta Air Lines Foundation’s contribution, Delta announced its partnership on Wednesday at a press conference in New York City with representation from the worlds of entertainment, private sector, policy and philanthropy to mobilise the next generation of concerned global citizens and demand the attention of and secure commitments from world leaders, policymakers, NGOs and socially conscious corporations.

UPS Gets FAA Approval for Drone Airline US shipper United Parcel Service has received the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to operate a drone airline for commercial package delivery.

According to airwise.com, UPS unit Flight Forward said it has received the first full Part 135 Standard from the Federal Aviation Administration, and will now expand its drone delivery service to support hospital campuses around the US.

“This is history in the making, and we aren’t done yet,” UPS chief executive David Abney said.

“Our technology is opening doors for UPS and solving problems in unique ways for our customers.

We will soon announce other steps to build out our infrastructure, expand services for healthcare customers and put drones to new uses in the future,” he said.

The FAA certification

allows the company to fly an unlimited number of drones with an unlimited number of remote operators on flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

Flight Forward made its first drone flight under the certification at the WakeMed hospital campus in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The company said the flight was operated under a government exemption allowing for BVLOS operation.

Airline Reacts as Passengers Decry BA’s Services

Kwara Hajj

BA Aircraft

Chinedu Eze

Over the years Nigerian travellers have shown pride in travelling with UK mega carrier, British Airways. In fact, it is a sign of high social status to travel with the airline.

Nigeria and British Airways seemed to be yoked together. While high placed Nigerian passengers prefer the airline; the British carrier also see Nigeria as its strategic partner and has been airlifting Nigerian travellers for about eight decades.

But recently many Nigerian travellers have started complaining about the airline, which has a reputation for its high safety record.

But in reaction, BA said the allegations were not true.

According to some passengers, in comparison to other countries, the airline’s service to its Nigerian passengers is poor and the aircraft that operate its services to Nigerian destinations are old.

Putting strength to this allegation, one of the frequent travellers on the airline, Clem Nwanna, who said he hitherto enjoyed the services of the British carrier. He, however, alleged that there are poor services on BA when flying Nigerian routes, which are not obtained on other routes.

This was part of Nwanna’s documented experience: “Summer things and Naija experience (Memoir while in flight BA to LOS en route London Heathrow). BA 74 Flight out of Nigeria on 04/08: Wifi worked on air till London; 05/08: continued flights to Houston (BA 195) and other flights interchange to American Airline, Wifi worked throughout to Houston. 09 - 12/08: internal flights (American Airlines) have wifi all through and better services and 14/08: international flights US to Canada (American Airlines 1804 and 2942) Wifi worked.

Other experience included: “27/08: BA Canada to London - Wifi never worked. And I do not know why.

28/08: BA075 from LHR to LOS: plane is just too old -fashioned, no USB port etc. compared to slightly sophisticated fleet (BA 092) used for the Canada to London route. Just one hour into the trip: Nigeria Customs Form is being distributed.

“We did not see them in other countries upon entry. Lunch in BA 075: no salad no vegetables but the kind of joll-of rice and stewed chicken, with other side ‘mede-mede’...not bad. The entertainment (TV system) took more than one hour to reset...I have not experienced this in any international flight.

“Definitely there will be an apology or earlier notification. I think it was just a norm for them on this route!! The BA075 is an old fashioned plane. Even the in-flight map is not

too different from Virgin Atlantic we flew to Botswana in 2006. The map just shows overview of destination in view and some nearby countries / cities.

“The features could not show 3D. But the in-flight map in the BA092 (I flew Canada to London) had digitalized on-site 3D map, rotating and showing all angles, nautical miles, nearby cities (and relative distances, as the plane trudges on),” Nwanna alleged.

However, British Airways Commercial Manager for West Africa, Kola Olayinka, disagreed with some of the traveller ’s observations, stating that BA prides itself in serving its customers and would stop at nothing in achieving this at all time.

Olayinka said BA offers WIFI on selected flights only as its aircrafts are being enabled for WIFI progressively.

He stated that for the traveller to say BA did not have WIFI, it may well be that the particular aircraft in question did not have WIFI installed.

“I have personally been on a couple of flights out of Lagos with WIFI!” he added.

Countering the old impression

by Nigerian travellers that BA and other international carriers use particular aircraft on the Nigerian route, Olayinka said, “We do not fly specific aircraft to Lagos. The same aircraft that comes to Lagos goes on to fly to New York or to Houston as the case may be. We currently fly a remodelled super High J 747 with configuration of 14F, 86J, 30W, 145M. “(Lagos) This is a fairly newly modelled aircraft with modern and most updated inflight entertainment with over 40 Channels and over 100 movies to watch.”

On allegation of food, Olayinka said the airline offers variety of meal selections on board including some very popular Nigerian cuisine like Jollof rice, plantain amongst others.

He, however, admitted that individual choices might sometimes be limited or unavailable as it is difficult to satisfy about 300 passengers on board with specific and detailed requests.

“Custom forms are provided to airlines by the Nigerian authorities and it is to regulate inflow of FOREX from abroad, anyone flying in to Nigeria with over 10,000 dollars is required to fill these forms, there is no way the gentleman could have seen these forms on Houston flights as it is only a Nigerian government requirement for arrivals into Nigeria,” he stated, while responding to the traveller ’s complaint on custom forms.

British Airways is a high-end legacy carrier that operates to Lagos and Abuja from its hub at Heathrow Airport, London.

24

T H I S D AY Ëž Í˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

59 Years of Missed Opportunities in Aviation Industry Chinedu Eze writes that as Nigeria turns 59, even though the aviation industry has recorded some progress, experts posit that the sector is not where it ought to be

B

efore Independence, Nigeria along with some West African countries had one national carrier, the West Africa Airways Corporation (WAAC), which started in 1946 and went under in 1958, when the Nigeria Airways Limited was established.

The deregulation of the airline sub-sector by the federal government in 1988 gave vent to privately owned commercial airlines, which competed with Nigeria Airways till 2004 when the later was liquidated.

While there is a high record of airport infrastructure, especially in the 1970s and 1980s, many industry experts argue that Nigeria has continued to witness retrogression in the area of airport facilities.

At the same time, many industry observers have commended government for strengthening the regulatory agency, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which has ensured that in the past six years Nigeria has not witnessed any accident involving commercial airliner.

This they said was worth commending, recalling the tragic air crashes of the past.

Aviation Development and Regulation But many Nigerians concerned about the aviation sector believe that a huge opportunity had been missed, from the failure of the country to be a hub in West Africa because of its advantageous location, the high passenger traffic, which is the highest in the sub-region and the skilled manpower available or could be deployed at short notice.

They also regretted that despite the nation’s huge opportunities, the country is not able to have major aircraft maintenance hangar, a major airline that could dominate at least West Africa and an industry that ought to contribute significantly to the Growth Domestic Product (GDP).

With the fact that Nigeria is oil and gas producer, many industry observers said they had expected that Nigerian airports could sell aviation fuel at a relatively cheaper price to attract international carriers, flying through the country or around the country to come into the major airports to tanker fuel. That could generate more revenue for the airports and also for the marketers as well as enhance Nigeria to become a hub.

THISDAY spoke to the President and CEO of Top Brass Aviation Limited, Captain Roland Iyayi, who x-rayed the aviation industry and dwelt on the current travails of the sector.

In fact, Iyayi who was a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said that there was really nothing very good to say about the current aviation industry in Nigeria. He said the major retrogressive factor in the industry is its political leadership, which according to him, is not bordered about how to move the industry forward. “The political leadership in the sector is surrounded by incompetent people. The leadership has the opportunity more than anybody else that had occupied that position in recent times, the opportunity to write his name in gold by transforming the sector, but this was squandered. “Now, there is political aspiration in the next dispensation and there is no time for him to bring the needed change within the short time left for him to preside over the industry. It might sound harsh, but nothing significant has been achieved under the current leadership so far,� Iyayi said.

He noted that most of the time, it was the airlines that were being accused of not doing well, but the people who make the policies and implement the policies merely delude themselves because they have the power to make the change that would transform the sector. “Basically the situation is disappointing because where we should be is not where

about. We have not even talked about fees, charges and taxes,� Iyayi said.

Sirika

we are. The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika ought to take advantage of the low hanging fruits around him to make a mark in the industry,� Iyayi said.

On the decaying airport infrastructure, the former Managing Director of NAMA said the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu, was collaborating with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on how to improve airport facilities and passenger facilitation, noting that this was happening for the first time. He expressed hope that with the right leadership in FAAN, the airports in the country would witness a revamp. “AON is discussing all issues concerning infrastructure and facilitation with FAAN. In the morning we have 12 flights out of Lagos. At the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), there is only one screening machine, which ought to facilitate about 1000 passengers for two hours. “This causes delay. About 30 minutes delay will initially build up and this will snowball into hours of delay and will have ripple effect.

Basically the situation is disappointing because where we should be is not where we are.

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika ought to take advantage of the low hanging fruits around him to make a mark in the industry

Passengers will obviously blame the airlines for the delay but they won’t know that the root cause of the delay is the delay in passenger facilitation by airport facilities,� Iyayi said.

Iyayi, however, frowned on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and accused the agency of over regulating the airlines, noting that the two key point agenda of NCAA is to regulate and to create conducive atmosphere for the growth of the industry, but unfortunately the agency concentrates on regulation and has allegedly regulated some airlines out of existence. “The people at NCAA see themselves as lords. NCAA should regulate and initiate growth of the industry but the only thing they do is regulation and that is why there is no much progress going on in the sector. “Their emphasis in the last 10 years is regulation. The industry is over regulated and NCAA has regulated some airlines out of existence,� he said.

He noted that sometimes, the NCAA would insist on directives that tend to contradict the instruction of the manufacturer of the aircraft, citing examples with Top Brass Bombardier aircraft that was acquired when it was about four years and the manufacturer recommended c-check maintenance after 60 months, considering the fact that the aircraft was not being used for daily flight operations.

But the NCAA despite the directive the aircraft manufacturer, insisted that c-check must be conducted on the aircraft after 18 months, but later conceded that the maintenance should take place after 30 months.

Iyayi, also cited another example with Air Peace Embraer 145 aircraft. According to him, the airline acquired six of them and the manufacturer of the aircraft said that there was no need for c-check on the aircraft but NCAA insisted that the aircraft should be taken out of the country and C-check conducted on them. This led to an impasse that made the aircraft park for almost a year while the airline was losing money. “How does the airline amortise the investment? Operating window in the country is less that what is obtained in advanced countries.

Ours is six hours a day as against 12 hours you obtain elsewhere. This has already cut down profitability by 50 per cent and operating lifespan of the aircraft by 75 per cent. “So NCAA gradually regulates the airline out of existence. This is what we are complaining

DeďŹ cient Facilities The Chief Operating Officer of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi said that in the 1970s and 1980s, there was spur growth of the aviation industry, noting that during these epochs there was massive infrastructural development of airports and other ancillary facilities but over the years these infrastructure has suffered deficiency because of lack of or poor maintenance.

He noted that Nigeria has made progress in the industry but regretted that currently Nigeria does not have a national carrier and no major airline that could compete effectively at the regional level; Nigeria has so far missed becoming a hub. “We liberalised the industry to create more jobs; we established more airlines but we are yet to have strong airlines with maintenance facilities. So we need to look inwards and take aviation where it ought to be. We have made progress but we are not where we are supposed to be. “We don’t have national carrier; most of our airlines are struggling. The infrastructure development and maintenance is deficient.

The regulator needs to pay more attention to ensure that the airlines survive. Government should find out why the airlines are not doing well. However, I am confident that the new government will put aviation in the front burner,� Sanusi said.

Strong Airlines Airline operators said for Nigeria to grow strong, indigenous airlines, government must create opportunities for them to maximise the huge passenger market, which presently is exploited by international carriers. The stakeholders argue that every country protects its own indigenous airlines, provides them incentives and also protect their interests.

But on the contrary, Nigerian government gave foreign airlines unlimited opportunity to airlift Nigerian passengers without any kind of partnership with local carriers and government does not have any policy that would encourage foreign airlines to invest in the country, help train Nigerian personnel or even give Nigerians job opportunities in their international operations.

As the country turns 59, the stakeholders urged the Nigerian government to review its policies in the industry to put the sector in a growth trajectory.

Policies Looking at the future, recently the President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agency (NANTA), Bankole Bernard, told THISDAY that the first four years of the Buhari administration was spent on planning and advised that government should implement the resolutions reached after the Minister held strategic meeting with industry stakeholders.

Bernard said the implementation would be the headway to moving the industry forward. “We don’t have policies that support the growth of domestic airlines. There is no policy that supports code-share partnership between foreign airlines that operate into the country and our domestic airlines. But in other countries in Africa and elsewhere, such policies exist and gives domestic airlines the opportunity to benefit from the operations of international flights to those countries,�

Bernard said.

Industry observers also noted that government should have planned, programmed policies to respond to the growing aviation market in Africa with the introduction of Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) and also marshal out ways to protect indigenous airlines; instead of leaving their fortunes to be determined by the vagaries of the market.

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T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 4, 2019

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Airport Concession: Whither the Way Forward?

Adeolu Olatunji

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arring any last minute twist, the federal government may have concluded plans to toe the path of airport concession in the country.

This certainly is not unconnected with the many positives that are derivable from the system - a situation, which hitherto was unpopular among policy makers in the sector and as such, had suffered untold neglect and or outright rejection particularly from those who ought to know better.

No doubt, it is gratifying to hear from industry watchers, stakeholders – people who now reel out the undisputable advantages of allowing private initiatives to take centre stage in the nation’s aviation industry; and why governments at all levels must support this laudable initiative and ultimately see to its logical formulation and eventual take-off.

But it remains to be seen how government intends to go about it; which model it intends to follow or adopt without losing focus on the essence of such intervention. Worthy of note, also, is the threat posed by unions in the industry – people who have maintained unbridled hatred for the system, a thing other nations of the world have utilised to their own advantage.

To this end, the first ever Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to have been put in place in the country, that is, concession of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA2, has endured untold assault and sabotage. No doubt, there have been deliberate moves geared to bring the facility to its knee.

These, analysts have attributed to inconsistency in policy formulations and execution; allowance of anticoncession posture among government officials among others. In practical terms, how would the nation’s economy move forward in an atmosphere where genuine and sensitive business policy of this nature are not allowed to thrive? Can there be any meaningful development where supposed

Buhari

government officials discreetly put up structures to corrode whatever effort government is taking to make the nation’s economy work?

Why would such a virile business option be subjected to the whims and caprices of saboteurs – the very set of people who would never see anything good in a system once it does not align with their hard, archaic stance which usually are never in the interest of the general public.

Many of the experts who were worried by the state of all the government-managed airports across the country, said the only guaranty for continued survival of the weatherbeaten airports dotting the landscape of the country is concession.

Although some of them have raised some pertinent questions about the proposed idea, it was obvious that private investors are the best managers of any government enterprise that is established for profit-making,

APM Terminals, LAWMA Clear Refuse at Apapa Eromosele Abiodun

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PM Terminals Apapa, in partnership with the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) has embarked on a clean-up exercise to clear the heaps of refuse dumps littering the Apapa-Wharf Road and its environs.

The staff of APM Terminals Apapa; Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Mrs. Fumilayo Olotu; Controller, Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Muhammed Abba- Kura; and the Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Mr. Adele Owolabi; all participated in the event.

Speaking shortly after the exercise was flagged off on Wharf Road, the Managing Director of APM Terminals Apapa, Mr. Martin Jacob, said the initiative was part of the company’s 2019 annual ‘Go Green’ campaign aimed at creating awareness on environmental degradation and encouraging sustainable

waste disposal practices.

Martin, while expressing the company’s commitment to a cleaner port environment, charged port users to put an end to the indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the port access road.

“We can complain about what is happening but nothing will change if people don’t change their attitude.

So we need to forget the past and focus on what to do to make a difference and achieve a sustainable clean port environment. We, as a corporate organization, will help as much as we can to make sure that happens,” Jacob said.

The Apapa Port Manager, Mrs. Fumilayo Olotu, who described the heaps of refuse in Apapa as an eyesore, said all hands must be on deck to restore the lost glory of the port city.

She said: “Apapa used to be a place of pride in those days, so activities around the port community should not make us lose the heritage we had in the past. We have discussed the need to partner with the local government to

maintain the cleanness of our environment. We must engage the truckers and in their own language so that they have a buy-in and key into the project so that the heaps of refuse do not return.”

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Adele Owolabi, applauded APM Terminals for coming up with the initiative to clear the refuse dumps, which have littered the ports environs for months.

He said the heaps of refuse on the port access roads had remained a major challenge for the local government, even as he appealed to other corporate organizations to take a cue from APM Terminals.

He said: “We appreciate the gesture by APM Terminals and we encourage everyone around to do same thing. It is a right step in the right direction giving back to the community by evacuating the refuse. It should be sustainable and in sustaining it, there should be sensitization and advocacy campaign to these truck drivers and motor boys against throwing wastes on the road.

as exemplified by the managers of MMA2.

The thinking in some quarters, however, are that – why it is safe and totally a welcome development to concession the nation’s airports, what is the Federal Government doing on some pending issues regarding the concession of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, MMA2 to Bi-Courtney Limited? For how long would the government continue to pretend and not ever ready to face

fact and address issues frontally?

The unfortunate situation of MMA2 concession, according experts, is a burden on its own and it is enough to scare away potential investors. This is part of the reasons analysts have always clamoured for workable policy framework to drive the system – the type that can stand the test of time; the very type that would remain valid through successive administrations.

And never the type where sensitive business policies are determined, allowed to be managed and controlled by vested interests - especially from the very people who over the years are the architects of the not-too-impressive performance of the sector, in terms of contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

A serious nation with genuine desire to make meaningful impact in one of its critical sectors cannot afford to be doing the same thing year in, year out and expect different result.

The fact still remains that government has no business running businesses.

All that is required is for government through its agencies to provide the much needed environment and support vis-a-vis supervision for businesses to thrive. They are to ensure policy thrusts of government are clearly defined, planned and well executed; and that there is water-tight policy framework which must be adhered to religiously.

Without these indices in place, the nation may be in for another round of turbulence in the nation’s volatile aviation industry.

-Olatunji, aviation analyst, wrote in from Lagos.

NAHCO Expands Agricultural Export Business

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he Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) is set to support the federal government in its determination to diversify the economy by providing infrastructure to boost food export businesses.

The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, NAHCO, Mrs. Tokunbo Fagbemi, explained that the company’s agric export business has a huge potential, saying it is one of the pet projects of the new management.

She said, “We are providing facilities that will encourage cold storage management. In a few months we are creating cold storage hub for both existing and potential clients, including our new clients that want to trans-ship their goods through Nigeria with a bit of packaging.

“Our findings from the airlines revealed that a lot of agricultural products exported are destroyed by the time they get to their destinations, which is largely caused by inadequate storage facilities.

“We just got an approval to develop a facility in our packaging warehouse, which will tackle that challenge because it will help exporters to package their products at a particular temperature rate to reduce the incidence of rejection in the international markets.

“We also want to provide a CEIV Pharma, which is a project that is designed by IATA, to support the movement of

pharmaceutical products via air. What that means is that at every point of the movement of the goods, whether vaccines or drugs, the temperature is maintained.”

According to her, the company was also expanding its processing area.

“Most of our processes are governed by treaties signed by security regulations. So what we do is go back, look at all these processes and run our warehouse the best way we can,” she added.

Fagbemi, agreed with the federal government that agriculture must be seen as a business and haven for investment and integrating food production, storage, food processing and industrial manufacturing to establish the linkage necessary in the agricultural commodity value chain.

According to her, the value chain must consider the role of players from food production to consumption and design to empower the small holder producers to ensure that processors have good quality products for consumption.

“Our new equipment and technology would enable us to improve on its offerings to its clients, as NAHCO had recently invested about N1.9 billion in equipment.

“The overhaul would help to replace ageing equipment which had increased maintenance cost due to high utilisation of fuel,” she added.

The Chief Operating Of-

ficer of the Company, Mr. Herbert Odika, pointed out that NAHCO’s strict adherence to global standards stands the company out in all its operations.

He said, “We have a duty as the leading ground handler in the West Africa sub – region to set standards. We won’t shy away from playing this leadership role in all our operations including the way we process our exports.”

Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, recently urged all stakeholders to be involved in the agriculture sector as it is one of the cardinal points of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan of the Federal Government with an emphasis on developing and export-led economy.

He had said, “Agriculture sector was to exceed the one trillion dollars and create access to capital by investors to accessing value chain. Our agenda is to guarantee the vibrancy of the sector.

“Agriculture must be seen as a business and haven for investment and integrating food production, storage, food processing, and industrial manufacturing to establish the linkage necessary in the agricultural commodity value chain.”

Osinbajo, added that the value chain must consider the role of players from food production to consumption and design to empower the small holder producers to ensure that processors have good quality products for consumption.

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T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 4, 2019

BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME

59 Years after, Maritime Sector Still Struggling Eromosele Abiodun writes that despite the gains of ports concession, the Nigerian maritime industry has been held back by corruption, policy inconsistencies and decaying infrastructure

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ith its 853 nautical miles of coastline located on the coastline corridor of Gulf of Guinea and the Bright of Benin, 200 nautical miles of Exclusive Economic Zone, 30,000 kilometres of waterways, comprising over 50 rivers, eight out of the 36 states having littoral status coupled with vast and fast growing population estimated at more than 200 million, Nigeria has no reason not to be a force to be reckoned with in the global maritime community.

But like many sectors of the economy, the maritime sector is also bedevilled by many challenges that look impossible to resolve.

However, a few government agencies in the sector in the last few years have made efforts to make things right. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), for instance, has taken several steps to make Nigeria a hub in West Africa. But years of neglect and corruption has made it looked like nothing is been done.

The founding fathers of Nigeria knew that the state of the ports is a critical factor for efficient maritime operations, hence the establishment of the NPA by Ports Acts (Cap 155 LFN 1954). This created the structural framework for the management and regulation of port operations. The authority executed its first wharf extension project between 1956 and 1961 in Lagos and Port Harcourt ports. Further expansion of Lagos Ports were done between 1970 and 1975 and, in 1977, the Tin-Can Island Port Complex was commissioned to ease the pressure of heavy imports (mostly government cargoes) on Apapa Port. In 1979, the new Warri and new Calabar ports were commissioned.

Port construction and expansion continued between 1981 and 1985 while the new Sapele port was constructed in 1982. In 1996, Federal Ocean Terminal Onne Phase 1 was constructed. Financing was done through agreement with the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.

Reliable statistics in the mid-1980s showed that the public ports operated at 47 per cent of their capacity at the best and cargo throughput dropped to 28.7 per cent of previous years.

To increase efficiency, enhance capacity and introduce healthy competition in government enterprise. Government, in 1988, promulgated the Privatisation and Commercialisation Decree. In 1993, the implementation of the commercialisation programme of the NPA was partially carried out and it became Nigerian Ports Plc. This was reversed in 1996 as a result of inherent weakness of the policy and government, through the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), upgraded the state of NPA from full commercialisation to partial privatisation called concession, to make room for private sector involvement in port operations.

Following the calamitous multi-year port congestion that gripped the nation’s ports and arrested Nigeria’s development for much of the oil boom years of the 70s, the federal government made efforts to reform the system. The efforts never yielded any reasonable fruits as corruption and inefficiency reigned, denying government the needed revenue from the sector.

As a result of the painful experiences of congestion in the 70’s, the federal government made again made efforts to reform the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in the 1980s.

Consequently, the NPA management was restructured into four zones: Western, Central, Eastern and Headquarters, The government also created Nigerian Ports Plc. However, the policy failed abysmally due to rear-guard action from the diehard culture of centralisation. Government interference was rife and patronage and self-enrichment by some government officials overseeing sizeable part of the maritime sector went to a new level. Foreign exchange earnings from Nigerian Ports Plc disappeared into

private pockets and port infrastructure were allowed to rot.

In a bid to arrest the situation, the federal government, in 2001, came up with the idea of concessioning the ports to qualified private operators.

Dutch firm Royal Haskoning BV was commissioned to study Nigerian ports preparatory to the reform.

The resulting report, called Haskoning Study, was submitted to the federal government and was accepted as a cogent x-ray of the Nigerian seaport system. The report criticized the over-centralisation of administration that saw NPA function as both regulator and operator; the overlap of authority in the system and the duplication of efforts. It recommended a “Landlord” port administration model where government’s role would be restricted to policy formulation while private operators undertake the day to day running of terminal operations, stevedoring, warehousing; and investments in port equipment and infrastructure, among other activities. The report called for NPA to be unbundled into three zones and for concessions by open bidding.

After examining the report, the NCP, endorsed the “landlord” model, and under a new transport policy NPA was given the role technical regulator to manage the ports for which there were no bids. The National Transport Commission (NTC) was to become commercial regulator while National Ports Commission would become overall coordinating agency for the ports sector. Five landlord port authorities were slated for Lagos; the Niger Delta; Port Harcourt; Calabar and the inland ports. A total of 25 concessions were identified in 11 ports and there were bids from 110 companies to manage eight ports: Bonny, Calabar, Koko, Port Harcourt, Sapele, Apapa, Tin Can & RORO. With bids submitted by March 2005, concession commenced in 2006 with 20 concessions concluded. In March 2006 the concessionaires commenced operations.

The flagship concession, Apapa Container Terminal was signed in March 2006 with APM Terminals, which had taken over P&O Nedlloyd earlier in the year. The Danish shipping firm, A.P. Moller (APM Terminals’ parent company beat 25 other bidders to the 25-year concession.

Prior to the concessioning of ports to private operators in 2006, doing business in the nation’s ports was a hellish experience laced with a myriad of problems. Some of which were; turnaround time for ships

which took too long making businesses to brace themselves for weeks if not months of endless waiting before their cargo could be loaded or discharged.

Fading Dream However, what is happening today in the industry betrays the plans of the founders of Nigeria whose lofty aims of using the maritime industry as a launching pad for economic prosperity when they established institutional structures to drive the dream.

Nigeria once had a national carrier called Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) which was then the pride of the nation.

At the time, indigenous shipping thrived with plethora of indigenous shipping companies dotting our maritime landscape.

Nigeria’s seafarers, unarguably among the best in the world, were the toast of the international shipping community, our cargoes, which we had and still have in abundance, were being freighted by Nigerian owned ships.

The NNSL, which boasted of about 20 vessels, for which Chief Olusegun Obasanjo prides himself as his legacy and which he is still lamenting their loss till today, had packed up. It was liquidated in 1995 with all these vessels gone.

Today, more than 80 per cent of our indigenous shipping companies have equally gone under, swept away by the harsh tide of the inclement economic climate.

While regulators were busy playing politics with the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Funds (CVFF), an interventionist programme meant to empower the struggling indigenous ship owners, foreigners took over the coastal trade, ostensibly reserved for the locals through the instrumentality of the moribund Cabotage law.

Recently, government’s attempt to revive the National carrier from its ruins expectedly fell like a pack of cards when the leading investors, Pacific International Lines, (PIL), pulled out of the inglorious deal.

This has further compounded the agony of the country that has cargo but no vessel to convey them.

Sadly, the implication of this fundamental system failure was that the country would be at the mercy of foreigners who now dictate the terms of trade.

Ending Foreign Dominance Executive Secretary and CEO of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello believe effort must be made to reverse the trend.

“What we have now is a sector dominated by foreign ships and they dictate to us. We have no choice than to listen to them, yet we own the cargoes. To correct this anomaly, we should have the ships. No matter how wide or long our coastline is, no matter how long our inland water is, and how our ports are, if we do not have the ships, then we cannot pretend to be a maritime nation, ” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s claim to having a maritime industry, despite its huge potentials and great natural attributes, is pretentious.

“No serious maritime nation that has cargo will allow foreigners to dominate and determine their carriage and freight.

That is what Nigeria does, relinquishing its cargo to foreign vessels because it has none. Though painful, this is the reality of the situation of the industry, 58 years after independence,”he added.

Heaven for piracy Another issue of the decadence in the industry is the one of piracy and insecurity, a problem that seem to defy solutions. Over the years, Nigeria has been designated as one of the most dangerous maritime zones whose waters are clustered with dare-devil pirates, kidnappers and other sea robbers.

International reactions to the rot in the Nigerian maritime sector have been varied and poignant.

The issue of lack of secured waters, despite government efforts to reverse the trend, has in different times, earned the country an unenviable sobriquet of ‘war zone’ with the attendant surcharges and high insurance premium.

At another times, foreign vessels divert cargo to the neighbouring countries or restrict their voyage to the Lagos ports, which they consider reasonably safer than their counterparts at the eastern and south- south axis.

The culmination of this structural deformity in the sector was the loss of the membership of category C of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) during its elections in 2017.

That loss was a sad reflection of the level of trust and confidence of the international maritime community in the nation’s maritime sector.

These problems have unfortunately reduced Nigeria to a struggling giant among other competing African countries for a load centre, a status which should have naturally been conferred on the nation as a natural choice for maritime hub centre within the Central and West African sub-region.

THIS WEEKEND Nigeria @ 59: WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE

ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT

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

Projecting a Better Future through Humour

28

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

COVER NIGERIA @ 59: PROJECTING A BETTER FUTURE THROUGH HUMOUR

Nigeria as a sovereign nation has evolved over the years since it got her independence on October 1, 1960. As the nation commemorated its 59th anniversary few days ago, it was one of mixed emotions- hope for the future, juxtaposed with a state of helplessness. To address these feelings, Three Thieves, a comedy by Trino Studios’ movie, showing in the cinemas this independence weekend, provides a kind of paradox to Nigeria’s present situation and has a timely message for Nigerians. In this interview with MARY NNAH, one of the scriptwriters, Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy, a Development Executive at Trino Motion Picture along with Frank Donga, Shawn Faqua and Koye KekereEkun, the three major characters in the movie, talk about the significance of the movie and the message it portends

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irected by Udoka Oyeka, Three Thieves is the story of three young men who are unfulfilled with their present occupation and end up getting involved in theft and other forms criminality, while also taking to kidnapping.

As the plot unfolds with a comedic twist to it all, it baffles everyone how they become champions but not without turning over anew leaf.

Inscribed by Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy, Abba Makama and Africa Ukoh, Three Thieves, showing in the cinemas from October 4, is a comedy and kind of paradox to the Nigeria’s present situation. This is probably why the filmmakers have chosen to show it around this year’s Independence celebration, sending a strong message that despite the desperation that abounds, Nigerians should not harp basically on the gloomy side of life, but should look at the sunny side of life with hope for a better future.

Your movie, Three Thieves, is showing in the cinemas on October 4 at a period Nigeria is celebrating its 59th independence. What’s the connection?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: Even though the script was written and filmed over a year ago, I’ve found that some messages are better accepted when couched in humour, and Three Thieves has messages for different Nigerians at home and in diaspora.

What would you do if you could commit a crime and no one gets hurt by it? While that’s part of the premise of the movie, it also inadvertently points a finger at the persistent corruption in the country, and the harmful effects of a seemingly harmless crime.

Nigeria just clocked 59 years of independence and yet she is still very much in disarray. Why choose this period to give Nigerians humour when indeed they need serious solutions to the persistent problems in the country?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: Would a movie about despair, incompetence and sadness be more appropriate? I don’t think many cinemagoers want to pay money to see everyday news in the cinema.

What is the exact message you have for Nigerians with a humorous movie like Three Thieves?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: Essentially, that harmless as it might seem, crime has its consequences. And also for us to not lose sight of what we have as we aim for something else, like we see with Fuwe and her father.

What exactly did you have in mind when you set out to write the script?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy:

Three Thieves main actors, Koye Kekere-Ekun, Shawn Faqua and Frank Donga

The initial idea was to create a scenario where a simple theft turns into something out of hand, and with much brainstorming, other themes came into play without losing sight of the story.

What informed the choice of your character bearing in mind the message you set out to portray in with the movie?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: Each character has something that is desired that we can all relate to. Their desires shaped their character and personalities. Africa Ukoh and Abba Makama, my co-writers, had a big hand in presenting these characters as vessels for what they represent: the educated hard worker seeking respect and recognition, the menial worker seeking simplicity, the street-smart hustler who wants to score, and the neglected child seeking attention from her father. The characters and their desires intertwine in the movie much the same way it happens in reality, if not to the same comedic conclusion.

Are you satisfied with the outcome of the movies?

Studios needed a screenwriter, I put in my CV, sent in some of my work, and here we are years later.

How many movies have you written/ produced so far?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: So far, six of my short films have been produced, and Three Thievesis my first feature film to be produced. A few other feature films are currently in production right now, with at least two more slated for production in 2020. I’ve written quite a few, and I’m still writing more.

Which has been your most challenging?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: Every script goes through multiple drafts to be sure it’s the best we can get it.

But “Samuel’s Cross”, hands down. The script is still in development, and when it’s in cinemas, you’ll see why.

As a scriptwriter/ producer, what are your future plans for the movie industry?

Tell us a bit about your career in the movie industry. How did it start?

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: My vision is to change the narrative regarding Nigeria. I want to tell quality Nigerian and African stories that will stand the test of time and challenge people to do more, be more, and know more about where we’re coming from as a country, and where we need to go. I want to contribute to the Nigerian image in a way that makes people proud to be Nigerian.

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: My writing brought me here. It started with poems and short stories, and then I studied Media in the university and screenwriting and filmmaking followed quite naturally. When I heard Trino

********************************** *********************************** The three major actors in the movie Three Thieves who spoke simultaneously with THISDAY are fast becoming Nollywood’s delight.

Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy: The quality of work that went into the production is worth its own respect. Each department brought their A-game, and the actors nailed the characters better than I imagined. I believe the audience will love it as much as I do.

Kunle Idowu, popularly known as Frank Donga is an award-winning actor, comedian and digital content creator.

Donga currently runs Maxani Films- a Production outfit that makes corporate videos and documentaries, films and brands around the world and he continues to build a loyal audience with his many viral comedy skits and funny web/TV ads across social media. He is Rukevwe in Three Thieves.

On the other hand, Shawn Faqua is a Nigerian who represents a distinctive cocktail of talent, professionalism, character and versatility. He is an exceptional artiste, who has repeatedly demonstrated remarkable skills in screen and stage acting, directing, modelling, choreography and singing. He started his acting career when he joined Nollywood in 2010 and has since progressed steadily.

Faqua is always excited to take on roles that are dramatic, cheesy, comical, and intense as they are challenging and inspiring. Many of the productions he has featured in address salient issues that border on love, politics, culture, human rights, conflict, rape, betrayal, patriotism, selfless service and sacrifice. He takes his craftsmanship very seriously, holistically and pays attention to details.

He played Oreva in Three Thieves.

While Koye Kekere-Ekun or K10 as he is popularly known, started off as an associate at one of the top firms in the country, Banwo & Ighodalo. He then ventured out to follow new passions as an actor, content creator and event host.

K10 is recognised for his roles in RedTV’s online crime comedy series, Inspector K, in which he plays the lead role, as well as appearances in movies like the Royal Hibiscus Hotel (2017). He is a regular on the hosting scene and is also well-known for his comedic skits on social media. He acted Tega in the movie, Three Thieves.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

NIGERIA @ 59: PROJECTING A BETTER FUTURE THROUGH HUMOUR Ebony Life movie, ‘The Royal Hibiscus Hotel’.

What were your childhood dreams?

Donga: Being a problem solver; whether it was in science, arts or in my community. I always enjoy finding solutions to problems.

Faqua: To be a pilot and fly across the globe.

Kekere-Ekun: I had one childhood dream - to play professional football.

How did your journey into the movie industry start? Was it planned?

Donga: My journey into the movie industry started with me as a content creator. I was already making videos for clients. I used to watch foreign movies and say to myself that I could do something in the entertainment industry.

I read a lot about what I’m doing now before I went professional.

Faqua: It was unplanned. Fate happened and I was wise enough not to fight it for too long. Nothing prepares you for this journey but life itself.

Shawn Faqua, Koye Kekere-Ekun and Frank Donga

The trio also expressed their views on Three Thieves, Nigeria’s 59th independence and more:

Kekere-Ekun: I would say the synergy between the ‘three thieves’. It was honestly just a lot of fun feeding off the energy of Frank Donga and Shawn Faqua. Also, because they have more experience than I do, they were always gracious enough to give me pointers and guide me when the need arose.

What was it like acting in a humorous movie like Three Thieves?

Donga: It was fun. The story is simple, the plots are interesting and the entire team was quite professional

Would you say you have adequately portrayed the message intended by the movie with the part you planned?

Faqua: Fun, intense and then some.

Kekere-Ekun: I’m a comedy lover, so acting in this movie was a blast. It was fun from beginning to end. The script itself was crazy, and the actors just brought everything to life so well.

What does the movie portend for Nigerians and the nation at large especially as it is coming at a period Nigeria is marking its 59th independence?

Donga: The movie is a sober reflection on the economic state of the country and the stark reality of unemployment and underemployment for many youths. As we celebrate another year post independence, we have carefully woven humor into telling the reality while encouraging the youth not to give in to evil means of acquiring wealth.

Faqua:. It’s just a reminder for Nigerians to do better; and to the government to realise that at 59 we cannot keep living in a society where almost everyone have lost their morals in the process of striving to survive, all the more painful considering how tremendously blessed this nation is.

Kekere-Ekun: I think the movie shows the Nigerian hustling spirit in parts but also, there are moral undertones about not letting that hustling spirit lead to crime... and for parents, not favoring a male child over a female child.

What is your view about Nigeria at 59?

Donga: We have a lot of growing up to do. We still struggle with things (in 2019 ) which we shouldn’t. The true change and growth we desire will only come from the followers-hip because as long as there’s political, religious and tribal bias in choosing a competent crop of leaders,

Donga: Oh yes! Very much so. Everyone on this project from the director, Udoka Oyeka to the cast and crew did a good job.

One of the Three Thieves scriptwriters, Egbemawei Dimiyei Sammy

where not going to make any progress.

Faqua: Hopeful. Dwelling on the past is depressing to say the least, but I’m hopeful for what the future holds.

Kekere-Ekun: Nigeria at 59 is still a work in progress. It is under construction. A lot of us would like for the construction to be happening faster than it is, but great things take time I guess. We will get it right at some point, and we all have a part to play in that, no matter how little.

We also need our elected representatives to internalize and live by our national pledge if we are going to see the growth we want. We are still not where we need to be in terms of accountability and checks & balances, but again, we will get it right. We have to.

You have acted in other movies before now, what makes the difference with your role in Three Thieves?

Donga: Three thieves establish a relatable and believable predicament of three struggling youths. The story is told in a way that is easily understood, funny, witty and has loads of moral lessons.

Faqua: Well, anyone who is familiar with the #ShawnFaquaBrand knows that there’s always something fresh, exciting and inspiring to look forward to with each project that I’m involved in.

Faqua: Well, I’d leave that to the audience to decide.

Kekere-Ekun: I think this is a question for the audience to answer.

Can you tell us a bit of your backgrounds as Nollywood actors?

Donga: My journey into Nollywood started behind the camera. After my master’s degree in genetics, I was trained by a team of international experts in journalism. I later worked with different media outfits in and outside the country in differential capacities as a writer, director, videographer, editor, sound expert, animator etc. My debut into acting was due to serendipity. I continued making comedy skits because I simply wanted to make the kind of comedy I’d like to watch.

Faqua: I started my acting career when I joined Nollywood in 2010 and have since progressed steadily. I have featured in a number of films – ‘Ojukokoro’, ‘Lagos Cougars’, ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Put a ring on it’, ‘Code of Silence’, ‘Render to Caeser’, ‘A New You’, ‘After the Proposal’ just to mention a few and also TV series – ‘Retreat’, ‘Oasis’, ‘Head over Heels’, amongst others Kekere-Ekun: For now, my background is quite short. In fact, I am still building my background. I have starred in two seasons so far as the lead character of the web series ‘Inspector K’ on Red TV (shot and produced by Suss Productions).

I have also had cameos in Ndani TV’s web series ‘Skinny Girl In Transit’ and the

Kekere-Ekun:It was unplanned in the beginning. I used to do comedy skits on social media, which led to me playing the lead role in the web series ‘Inspector K’.

Since then, it has been more deliberate.

I have had to learn and keep learning about the craft from books, YouTube, short classes/courses, etc.

If you weren’t an actor, what would you have been? And if you are not acting what else would you do?

Donga: I’d be a molecular geneticist and lecture.

Faqua: I would have been an engineer, I practised for a bit already and I still got my credentials ready to roll.

Kekere-Ekun: If I wasn’t an actor, I would have liked to have been a professional footballer. I am a lawyer as well, so maybe I would have continued practicing law in some capacity. What else do I do apart from acting? I create content (comedy skits on Instagram and Twitter, via my @officiallyk10 account on both platforms), and I host events.

How would you describe the movie industry in Nigeria, especially with the nation clocking 59?

Donga: We are growing fast. We need to put better structures to our craft, get better skills and collaborate more to achieve the next level of greatness we desire. Individual efforts won’t take us further than this. The government should just ensure they secure a better economy for people. We have some good policies already. Enforcing them to prevent intellectual property theft or piracy will help more.

Faqua: There’s a breaking forth brewing and it’s going to extend to every nook and cranny of this world; this beyond anything we have ever seen, things that only a few have dreamt of.

Brace yourselves. Nollywood is taking over.

Kekere-Ekun: The movie industry in Nigeria is ripe! So many people before us have laid the foundation for what it is today. We are making authentically Nigerian movies of international standard with international appeal. Watch this space!

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MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

The Evergreen Voices of Nigerian Music VANESSA OBIOHA profiles some of the outstanding musicians who have lived from the preindependence era to now

Victor Olaiya

King-Sunny-Ade

Before the likes of 2Baba and Wizkid earned international fame, the rising stars of the pre-independence and independence eras made waves with their indigenous music. Arguably, these periods were the most thriving in the music scene in Nigeria. They gave birth to some of the finest musicians in the country today who discovered their musical identity like the late IK Dairo who is renowned for incorporating the electric guitar to juju music. He was also paraded as the biggest African star in the 60s that fetched international fame.

The thriving genres in these periods were highlife music, now peculiar to the Igbo-speaking people; juju which had been in existence since the 1920s gained wider popularity as well as its other form, apala. Each of these sounds are rooted in indigenous cultures. For instance, juju which originated from palm-wine music was a music style that combined Yoruba folk music with musical idioms from countries such as Brazil and Cuba.

It was music made for merriment. Fuji would later burst into the music scene in the late 60s with the rival bandleaders Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Ayinla Kollington.

Music of these eras despite their

indigenous sounds infused with western styles celebrated life. Lyrics were not lewd, rather laced with realities such as ‘Joromi’ and ‘Mami Water’ by music inventor Victor Uwaifo.

“The stars of these eras didn’t really perform songs of freedom. They may mention it in their songs but it was never their main focus,” said Bimbo Esho, daughter of renowned music collector, Femi Esho of Evergreen Musical Company Limited. The office is a museum of some sort where lovers and fans of music from that era can visit for a nostalgia trip.

The shining stars of those eras include Victor Olaiya and Chris Ajilo who were among the musicians that performed at the Independence Day celebration in 1960; Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade. Bobby Benson and his highlife band also had a huge following, while Rex Lawson spread his message of peace during the Biafran war in the East. Haruna Ishola promoted the Apala music style.

More sounds will emerge in the music scene later such as the legendary Afrobeat credited to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, afro-juju music style formed by Sir Shina Peters and the list goes on.

Of these music stars, only a few are still alive to witness the 59th Independence

Iconic movie, The Enemy I Know Set to Hit Cinemas October 11 Chiamaka Ozulumba

Block burster movie produced by veteran Nollywood sensation, Rita Daniels, is prepared to set cinemas across the country on fire from October 11, 2019.

According to the mother of Nollywood fast-rising actress, Regina Daniels, the movie thriller is the first of its kind, produced to give Nigerian movie lovers a value for money. Reeling out the synopsis, she noted that“it is about billionaire Anthony Adewale who died under suspicious circumstance. Every member of his family scramble for his wealth after his death. Who is the enemy within? Let’s find out at the cinemas.

“The movie would be hitting the

cinemas on October 11, 2019. It has a very strong societal message. It is about the happenings in our every day life.“ We have so far invested over N150million in the movie product and with what we have invested, we know it is worth it.

Starring is Star Princess, Regina Daniels, Glo advert sensation, Sola Sobowale, nollywood veteran, Jide Kosoko, Ken Eric’s, Tana Adelena, Broda s Shaggy, hip hip star, Naira Marley, Nino, Woli Arole, Rita Daniels and others.

The movie was shot in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

“The core lesson in the thriller is that your worst enemy can be very close to you.That person you feel is less important might be your saviour, always be focus”, Daniel said.

Victor Uwaifo

Ebenezer Obey in his heydays

anniversary of Nigeria.

Omode o Mela/Ja Funmi’ among others.

They include: Victor Olaiya: He is known as the evil genius of highlife music. Olaiya burst into the music scene in the 1950s and 1960s.

He is the only Nigerian musician to ever earn a platinum record. A trumpeter, Olaiya is still renowned for hits such as ‘Africa’ and ‘Baby Jowo’. The latter was remixed in 2013 by 2Baba who also featured him. Prior to his retirement in 2017, Olaiya held gigs at his Stadium Hotel in Surulere.

King Sunny Ade: At the grand finale of Ariya Repete 2019, King Sunny Ade showed his stagecraft when he took on a challenge with Nollywood actor, Odunlade Adekola. He wowed the audience with his energetic dance moves. At 73, Ade is still one of the artistes of that era in high demand. A multi-instrumentalist, he started his musical career as a member of Moses Olaiya’s highlife band, Federal Rhythm Dandies before setting out on his own in 1967. He gained international repute in the 70s and 80s, touring America and Europe. He is today known as the king of Juju music. His popular hits include ‘Private Line/365 Is My Number’,

Victor Uwaifo: Victor Uwaifo wears many creative hats. He is a sculptor, a music instrument inventor, musician, and writer. The 1960s star is renowned for his unique ear for beautiful sounds of music. A former member of Victor Olaiya’s band, Uwaifo developed his own sounds such as Akwete rhythm sound and Shadow beat. He has also served as the commissioner for Arts and Culture in Edo State during former governor Lucky Igbinedion administration. His popular hits include ‘Guitar Boy’, ‘Joromi’ and ‘Mami Water’.

Ebenezer Obey: In his heydays, he went by the moniker Chief Commander, and together with his band was known as International Brothers.

A conservative Christian, Obey honed his musical career at the feet of the late Fatai Rolling Dollar. A juju musician, he also experimented with talking drums and guitars. Though a setback in his eyesight truncated his musical career, he is still one of the revered musicians in the history of music in Nigeria.

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‘Fela My Friend’ Offers Intimate View of the Afrobeat Legend Stories by Vanessa Obioha

Fela Anikulapo Kuti needs no introduction. He is a musical icon whose first name resonates well with activists, music and art lovers around the world.

So far, the history of Fela has been rendered in different forms (films and books) by itinerant storytellers.The existing vast body of works centering on his lifetime however did not deter Brazilian filmmaker, Joel Zito Araújo from embarking on a quest to elaborate certain aspects that are not often portrayed in mainstream media in his documentary film‘My Friend Fela’.

The film opened for the first time in Nigeria at this year’s Light Camera Africa Film Festival, a three-day film festival that highlights Africans and African stories in independent films.

It was strategically placed as the closing documentary piece of the festival’s run.

For director Araújo, the film aims to counter the mainstream portrayal of the Afrobeat legend as an eccentric African pop idol of the ghetto, he wanted to unveil the human behind the thin veil that separates him from the rest of the world when all the cameras are turned off. As expected of a typical Fela documentary, this one opens with one of his tracks, ‘Why Black Man Dey Suffer’where he addresses the socioeconomic woes of the Nigerian people.

The soundtrack is accompanied with flush, bold lyrics over bright yellow background.The track’s up-tempo texture hits the audience with a sharp sombre taste that reminds them how far they have come along as an independent nation.

Albeit kicking off with a focus on Fela, the film turns its pages to explain

A scene from Zee World ‘Married Again’

the work of activism spearheaded by other prominent black people. It explores campaign for racial equality by the Black Panther Party, Malcolm X, Nina Simone, Kwame Nkrumah, Maya Angelou etc. This showcase effectively profiles Fela in a light that reflects his work of activism through his music, eventually.

‘My friend Fela’ evokes a visceral feeling being that it not only reintroduces Fela to the audience, but also helps them see through the eyes of those most close to him by harnessing their versions of events.

It is a plot knitted through their individual experiences with Fela.

Enter Carlos Moore, a writer whose written works focus on issues on racism and pan-Africanism. He met with Fela in 1974, and quickly, the pair found a common ground in the oppressive government in their individual countries. Moore also published an authorized biography of Fela, ‘Fela: This Bitch of a Life’.

Knowing how close they were, Araújo worked with Moore to glean

narratives.

Another thing the film reveals is his evolution in music. It is easy to assume that Fela started out as an activist; the film counters this putative fact. His initial musical style was one that shied away from activism. It was until he met Iszadore Sandra, another musician, that his music took form as what we have come to know today.

“He said he sang about his suits” Iszadore smirked, recounting her first meeting with him.Apparently, she said Fela was disappointed in the black man, that he wasn’t proud of his people.

Their friendship blossomed at a time when the Black Panther Party was in its nascent years, and the fight for racial equality between blacks and whites was a hot debate inUSpolitics.Iszadorelaterinfluenced Fela,and this influence imparted activism into his music. Also, the film demonstrated how many aspects to Fela started changing. Known for taking a cocktail of Coca-Cola, Fanta,Sprite and pineapple juice,Fela embraces a new lifestyle of smoking to the shock of most of his friends.

Despite being polygamous,Iszadore reveals that she fell in love with him andlefttobewithhiminNigeria.New to polygamy,she admitted she hoped that she would be treated in a manner she wanted that entails private conjugal meetings, but that was farfetched in Kalakuta. She left after staying for 10 years.

The documentary also brings into account the international success Fela enjoyed with his ‘Zombie’ album in 1976; the first Kalakuta attack by ‘unknown’ soldier that culminated in his mother, Funmilayo Kuti being thrown out from a window; and the second Kalakuta attacks in 1981.

Show-Stopping Performances at NickFest 2019 From Patoranking to Fireboy, the 2019 edition of NickFest was a memorable event for children and parents who thronged the venue Balmoral Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, last weekend.

Headlined by Patoranking, Teni the entertainer, Fireboy and Rema had the performing acts take their slots on the Nickelodeon stage to thrill the excited crowd. It was indeed a night of glitz, glamour, great music and slime.

Their exhilarating performances set the venue in a delightful mood which

had kids, parents and other music lovers present engage in a sing-along.

The venue was transformed into a beautifully lit wonderland with a relaxing ambience created by the Nickelodeon traditional bright orange colour. The excitement continued as children in attendance witnessed the arrival of their favourite Nickelodeon characters live at the festival; SpongeBob Squarepants, Adventure Bay’s intrepid pups, Skye, Rubble Marshall and Chase from Paw Patrol, and everyone’s favourite

genies, Shimmer and Shine and the for the first time ever performing in Nigeria, The Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

NickFest host of the day, Mannie Essien and Amarachi Uyanne, popularly known as Amarachi Dance kept the mood alive with their spirited delivery. Speaking at the venue of the event, Alex Okosi, ExecutiveVice President and Managing Director VIMN Africa, owners of Nickelodeon, expressed gratitude for the high attendance recorded this year.

BB NAIJA UPDATE WITH VANESSA

The Last Housemates Standing Ȋ Ȃ ȱ ȱ Despite Tacha’s prediction that she will be among the five housemates in the Big Brother Naija season 4 finale, an unexpected disqualification last Friday however ruined her chances of claiming the coveted title of winner of the reality TV show..

Her departure was the climax of the ‘Pepper Dem’ season which had featured interesting housemates.

Majority of fans of the TV show were frenzied by her departure, hailing the omnipresent Biggie for taking the right action on social media.

Tacha embodied the spiciness that the show projected in this season with her cantankerous character. She was swift to anger and full of verbal missiles to shoot at anyone who crossed her path. She was the first housemate to get into a fight in the house with fellow housemate Thelma over food. Other housemates who have had heated altercation with the disqualified housemate include Seyi, Joe, Mike and Mercy. Tacha also contributed to some of the trending words and phrases in this season. Words such as Tacharistics/Tacharacteristics, formed when host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu asked her to list the qualities of a winner of the show. Her response, a repetition of her name gave birth to that portmanteau.

There is also ‘clout chaser’, ‘na dem’, among others.

Interestingly, her departure fetched her fame. She is the most talked about housemate of this season.

With her eviction, Mike, Mercy, Frodd, Omashola and Seyi are now the last housemates who have survived all the twists and turns of this season. Apart from Diane who left the house on Monday, Elo, Ike and Cindy were evicted during the weekend. One of them will emerge the winner of the show on Sunday, taking home the grand prize worth N60 million.

Mercy purchased her immunity with her Bet9ja coins, Frodd emerged in the finals by winning the Ultimate Veto Power, and Seyi sailed through by winning the Head of House title last week. Omashola on the other hand was saved twice by Frodd. First, he was not nomination list last week and during an unlucky draw on Monday night, his name was not picked. Having survived eviction, Mike automatically earned a place in the finale.

The campaign for the housemates have begun fervently on social media. Fans of the housemates are relentless in canvassing for votes, putting up memes and witty messages to lure others into voting for their favourite.

Mike and Mercy have always had a huge fanbase.

However, fans of other housemates have picked up pace, showing that they are great contenders as well.

Mercy fans wants her to wear the crown as the first female to win the Big Brother Naija show. Mike’s acolytes are rooting for him because of his admirable maturity as the only married man in the house who wasn’t immoral. Omashola, the Warri street crooner is loved by his votaries for first, his entertaining street slang, followed by his outspokenness, and of course, his looks.

Seyi on the other hand has his surname working for him as well as his creative talents which he has generously displayed on the show. The fresh and odd guy Frodd has his devotees cheering for him for his manipulative and intelligent moves.

Being the last week of the show, Biggie treated the housemates to some fun. They had a carnival night with some of the housemates of previous seasons, partied with Adekunle Gold and Lipton which saw Mike winning N1 million and an all-expense paid trip to the beautiful island of Mauritius.

As voting ends today, Sunday will reveal the lucky housemate to be crowned the winner of the Big Brother Naija season 4.

After Battleground, Odugbemi Brings Brethren Prolific filmmaker Femi Odugbemi latest production ‘Brethren’ will be premiering on Africa Magic on Monday, October 7. The new TV series is coming months after the end of‘Battleground’, a riveting family drama that held viewers spellbound with its twists and turns.

Like ‘Battleground’, ‘Brethren’ is filled with intrigues and plots that will keep viewers glued to the screen.

Already, the teasers have kicked off a frenzy of some sort among fans of the filmmaker. The trailer reveals a

search for a kidnapped child by the authorities which perhaps led to a bloody battle with a cult group.

Produced by his company Zuri24 Media,‘Brethren’is a unique mix of family drama, fast-paced action and crime thriller set against a vibrant inner city landscape where the quirks and personality of Lagos resides.

Known for his tradition of having a mixed cast, the TV series boasts new faces as well as familiar faces in Nollywood.

“The cast is a mix of exciting new

faces and strong dynamic performers who are the top contemporary performers in our industry,” said the filmmaker.

“That’s always been our way.

Giving opportunity to young and emerging actors is critical to keeping our storytelling fresh and value-driven for our audiences.

I believe in our young talents. In front and behind the camera. So my platforms are naturally places of opportunity for me to empower them,” he added.

Housemates partying with Adekunle Gold

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EU-British Council Launches ACT Programme For CSOs In Nigeria Stories by Chiamaka Ozulumba To ensure an accountable and democratic government, the European Union (EU) British Council has stressed the need to invest in, and engage with Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s), saying their contributions to sustainable development in any country cannot be over emphasised.

To this end, the council recently launched the €13.5 million funded Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation (ACT) programme in Abuja, a programme to be implemented in the North-east, North-west, South-east, South-west and North-central following increasing rate of conflicts.

While describing the essence of the project, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Ketil Karisen, said the programme aims at supporting and strengthening institutional mechanisms, structures, and processes in Nigeria.

According to him, “there was the need to improve the internal, external and pragmamatic competence of CSO’s, networks and coalitions in the country.

“ACT will seek to facilitate improved CSO regulatory frameworks through the provision of support that promotes self-regulatory mechanisms amongs CSO’s while exploring ways to support the evolution of a functional and effective national regulatory framework that will be acceptable to all stakeholders.

“The programme’s aim is to strengthen donor coordination on CSO engagement in Nigeria with a view to ensuring that there are strategic linkages and opportunities for knowledge

British Council ACT Team including the Programme Manager, Mr. Damilare Babalola (1st L); Media Manager, Mrs. Lauratu Abdulsalam (2nd L), and Bob Arno

sharing amongst key donors and international development partners supporting CSO strenghning in Nigeria.”

However, the Director, International Cooperation at the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning Mrs. Elizabeth Egharevba, assured of government’s support to the strengthening of CSO’s, and successful implementation of ACT in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Sub-Saharan Africa Portfolio Lead and Programme Director for ACT, Mr. Bob Arnot, said that the programme seeks to also address and support gender related issues.

Arnot informed that, ” the ACT is funded by the European Union (EU) under 11th European development fund EDF and implemented by the British council.

“A total of €13.5m which is equivalent to an estimate of six billion eighty-nine million eighty-seven thousand nine hundred twenty-five was given by the EU towards the support

of the project and assures of a successful implementation.”

Also in a statement by the ACT Programme Manager, Mr. Damilare Babalola, it is designed by the EU in response to the identified need to invest in and engage with CSOs in Nigeria by supporting the “strengthening of civil society institutional mechanisms, structures and processes to improve the internal, external and programmatic competence of selected CSOs, Networks and Coalitions”.

Babalola said that the ACT programme implementation strategy was developed during its inception phase betweenAugust 2018 and December 2018, commencing implementation in June 2019 through to April 2023.

This programme, he said, seeks to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in Nigeria through enhancing the capabilities of CSOs and their role as independent development actors and drivers of change.

ACT, according to him, will adopt a “rights-based approach” by placing emphasis on building the capabilities of rights-holders to engage with duty bearers by ensuring good governance and sustainable development outcomes in Nigeria.

“Today, on 24 September 2019, the European Union is officially presenting the ACT programme through this public launch, which provides a platform the funders and implementing partners to interface with the media and the public; while also outlining the value the ACT programme will bring to the civil society and justice sector.

“ACT will adopt the approach of Problem Driven, Iterative, Adaptive (PDIA) and learning, as its overarching strategy for implementation. This way, lessons learnt throughout implementation will be integral to programme adaptation and improved practice”.

NECA Holds Network of Entrepreneurial Women Summit in Lagos Nigeria Employers Consultative Association( NECA) has held its sixth annual summit on Network of Entrepreneurial Women(NEW).

The summit was organised to empower women-owned businesses for a tremendous leap and to scale higher than whatever level they have been.

The summit themed, “Power up No Limitation,” held in Lagos with well over 35 registered members were to promote and nurture entrepreneurship among women in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Mrs

Adefunke Kuyoro, the Committee Chairperson of 2019 NECA’s Network Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) said the summit was targeted towards empowering women owned businesses to make tremendous leaps and scale higher than whatever level they have been in the past.

She stated that NNEW was established 14 years ago under the aegis of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Associations to promote and nurture entrepreneurship among women and focus on the thriving of

women- owned businesses and advocacy. Kuyoro further stated that over the years, the group have registered and developed the businesses of over 100 members in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Abeokuta and Ilorin Chapters.

She said: “We have financially empowered over 300 businesses through NNEW Cooperative Multipurpose society and NNEW women Microfinance bank Limited being the first women- owned Microfinance bank in Africa “ The chairperson further

stated that their achievement span across business training, networking forums, capacity building, business linkage and many more. “NNEW annual summit have successfully for five years, every year for the past five years, we have engaged women in two-days intensive conferences with positive feedback and testimony.

“Our summit has always been so successful because they are thoughtfully packaged with the interest of attendees as priority throughout the planning process

ONGA Excites Abuja Residents in Grandeur at Foodies Hangout ONGA, from the stables of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, thrilled its social media advocates, fun seekers and upcoming chefs to exciting moments with enlightenment on food recipes at the fourth edition of the ONGA Foodies Hangout in Abuja.

The event which was well attended at City Park in Abuja took place on Saturday, September 28, 2019. This came after the Lagos Jollof Showdown, with subsequent Jollof Challenge in Ghana, where the winner of the Lagos competition who represented the country emerged as the first runner--up.

At the event, the Brand Manager for ONGA, Ms

From Left: Social Media Manager, Promasidor Group, Paulin Tchoulak; with Brand Manager, Seasoning, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Sophiat Bello;Winner of ONGA Jollof Spaghetti Competition, Idowu Owoyemi; Social Media Strategist, Michael Nwughala; and Sales Coordinator, Adeniyi Adegboyega, both of Promasidor Nigeria Limited; during the ONGA Foodies Hangout held in Abuja

Sophiat Bello said as the Seasoning of Naija, a brand with national

outlook, ONGA is poised towards promoting food culture that is

based on excellence and prepared with the finest locally sourced ingredients which gives great taste and aroma.

She said the initiative which debuted in Lagos in 2018, was also aimed at bringing consumersbof the brand together to be enlightened on recipes of local and popular delicacies, and how to use the range of ONGA products in preparing them.

“It is also a time to entertain ONGA consumers, educate and let them have pleasurable moments on what the brand offers,” Bello affirmed.

The audience were treated to various games, music and delicacies served with the ONGA brand.

Over 65,000Youths Benefit from Africare’s ‘Power Forward’ No fewer than 65,000 youths including Secondary School Students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja have benefitted from Power Forward, a youth development initiative on life skills, health literacy and education through basketball.

The Officer in Charge, Africare Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Adah made this known on Friday at the finals of the sixth edition of Power Forward Finals at the MKO Abiola Stadium Abuja, an Initiative of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Africare and supported by ExxonMobil.

Adah explained that the Power Forward project since it’s inception in 2013 have greatly impacted on the lives of the students and community members through basketball and community programmes.

According to him, the project have reached over 65,000 youths in schools and vulnerable communities with life skills information such as leadership, respect and responsibility, malaria prevention strategies and treatment, environment sanitation awareness, hygiene education as well as menstrual hygiene management awareness campaign.

He informed that over 500 girls have also been trained in menstrual hygiene while 373 campaigns on public health have been carried out in communities.

The officer in charge further said that the sixth the 6th annual celebration will feature malaria jeopardy where ten schools will contest and the winner wins N200,000 to carry out malaria activity in any chosen community.

This according to him will encourage the students to be involved and interested in their community and be part of its development and spread the news on malaria prevention.

“This project has done a lot to improve the lives of the students and have imparted in other students in their schools.

I urge other partners to emulate ExxonMobil in supporting the project to reach other schools in Abuja and the country entirely”, he urged.

The General Manager, Public and Government Affairs ExxonMobil Nigeria, Nigel Cookey-Gam while also commending the project for its impact noted that the bedrock of any nation is the youths. He stressed the need to harness and nurture them for a successful society.

The general manager also expressed hope that the skills being acquired by the youths under the Power Forward iniative will bring about sustainable development in their

Real Estate Mogul, Okonkwo, Launches Empowerment Programme for Budding Entrepreneurs The Founder and CEO of NedComOaks, one of Nigeria’s leading real estate companies, Dr Kennedy Okonkwo, is set to launch a Startup Accelerator that will offer grants, infrastructural support and operational expertise to young Nigerians taking a shot at entrepreneurship for the first time.

The new initiative, known as the Kennedy Okonkwo Programme for Entrepreneurs (KOPE) , will officially kickstart on Monday, October 14, 2019, with an initial entrepreneurship package for people looking to transform their tech ideas into business ventures.

Nigeria is the world’s entrepreneurship capital, with more people starting and running businesses in the country than anywhere else across the globe.

Passionate about entrepreneurship and deeply concerned by the challenges faced by young people in business, Okonkwo is looking to fill the gaps preventing budding entrepreneurs from blossoming in their ventures.

A serial entrepreneur with vast business outlays in property development and retail investment, KOPE is the latest of Okonkwo’s efforts to help Nigeria’s youth grind out success from the country’s tough economic environment.

The initial stage of the KOPE will see 10 shortlisted tech start-ups bid for grants of up to N1million, which comes together with a free fully-furnished office space equipped with high speed internet, and constant power supply.

The successful Tech Start-ups also get free access to HR, legal and administrative services, as well as one on one mentorship with Okonkwo.

To stand a chance to win the KOPE grants, tech start-ups and budding entrepreneurs in the tech space should visit the website www.kopeceh.comto register.

However, Okonkwo revealed that huge deficits in financing, infrastructure and operational knowhow mean that more Nigerian entrepreneurs struggle than success, and young people starting a business for the first time often fail.

According to him, “at a time when many Nigerians are struggling to cope with hard economic times, I strongly believe that we, business leaders across every sector, owe it as a call of duty to help others, especially start-ups, thrive.”

Speaking on the upcoming launch, the real estate guru said “With KOPE, we are looking to build not just an accelerator for people starting out in business, but a long-term anchor to aid indigenous ventures grow sustainably.

“That’s why we are going to not only offer financial grants to KOPE beneficiaries, but also provide them with free office spaces as well as HR, Legal and Administrative support, at no cost.”

Further, Okonkwo stated that the goal is to nurture startups from their infancy, to become unicorns, adding that the programme provides beneficiaries with financial, infrastructural and institutional support to start and grow their businesses into successful ventures.Agbalizu

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

A Song for National Unity YINKA OLATUNBOSUN argues that national consciousness is still alive in Nigerian music citing Mr. Bigger Ibekwe’s new release for Nigeria at 59 titled,“One Nigeria’’as a case in point Some may argue that consciousness music died with the artists of the 80s and 90s in Nigeria.

The likes of Orits Wiliki, Majek Fashek, Ras Kimono, The Mandators, Sonny Okosun, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his son Femi Kuti who were some of the unforgettable forebearers of the consciousness music in Nigeria have no music topping the charts at the moment. There was a surge in this music for change during the military era. Although some of the issues raised by these artists still linger, feel-good music keeps dominating the airwaves.

But that doesn’t mean that consciousness is dead in today’s contemporary music.

Tubaba, Sound Sultan, Nneka, Six-Foot-Plus, African China, Idris Abdulkareem, Brymo, Kahli Abdu represent the post-military rule musicians whose music bore the that legacy of consciousness.

To keep that spirit alive, Mr. Bigger Ibekwe, one of the fast-rising artists from Anambra state recently released his song, “One Nigeria’’ as a commemorative track in marking Nigeria’s 59th Independence Day

Mr Bigger Ibekwe

celebrations. At a listening party held in Lagos, the multi-lingual musician who speaks Japanese, Chinese and Tagalog narrated a personal encounter that moved him to write the song.

“This music is actually prompted by a poster that I saw at the Teslim Balogun Stadium. It is by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. The poster states that ‘let us move forward.

If we must move forward,

it is better together.’ When I saw it, it made me think.

I was actually driving when I saw it. We are now 59 years. If the nation was a human, it would have been married with children. But look at us.

Since amalgamation in 1914, there is no unity.

People are disenchanted in the east and other parts of the country. If we come together as a nation, what we will profit from being together is much,’’ he said.

Bigger who had spent part of his life outside Nigerian shores claimed that Nigeria is a wellrecognised African country. However, he identified some key threats to national unity namely tribalism, nepotism and disunity.

“I have 100 per cent faith in this country. The leadership needs to know that we need to fight a war against injustice. We are fighting war against corruption fine but it shouldn’t be limited there. We need to let people know that we belong to Nigeria. I can let you know that all these nepotism and tribalism are as deadly as corruption,’’ he stated.

In the single, “One Nigeria”, there is a catchy hook about moving Nigeria forward. Though Bigger started off his music journey with gospel music, his current preoccupation is to preach the gospel of unity. Born and raised by a mother who is music composer, he only ventured into music professionally in 2015 as a non-profit pursuit. A master interpreter, Bigger remarked that music is that powerful universal language that can rally people across age, gender, tribal and religious barriers to build a united nation.

Relishing Street Theatre in Lagos Rebecca Ejiofoma An indigenous platform, Carnivals and Cultural Pride recently organised a massive street theatre at Apongbon Lagos Island where scores of residents and guests gathered to enjoy the traditional feast.

The forecourt of the iconic Elephant House was transformed into a theatre-in-the-round of sorts as a potpourri of performances from various cultural groups across Nigeria dazzled the audience. From the East to the West, it was a cross-over evening entertainment that will not be forgotten in a hurry. The street theatre experience was to serve as a precursor to the Cultural Pride Festival which is scheduled to take place in April 2020.

The little damsels from the east, clad in predominantly white attire brought some energetic twist to the funfair. They made mind-blowing steps to Flavour’s Ada Ada albeit fragile.

Other performing troupes at the show were Dugombas Cultural Troupe which brought Sango to the space; Otuobi Star Boys from Enugu, Arewa Cultural Troupe led by Samson Al-Hassan otherwise known as Gas Cooker, a lead dancer; The Eastern Dancers, and Children from Waslat School, Olowogbowo.

The ambiance was saturated by the cheering and chattering audience who couldn’t hold

Adesina and his work titled “Gladiators”

back the urge to flow with the sound of the talking drum that cued in ‘Sango’. His appearance gave way to deafening screams from the excited crowd as the invigorating sound of the bata drums ushered in three dancers.

A display of magical powers stood Sango out of the performers as he staggered across the performance space in selfadulation. One of his exciting tricks at the show was to pick up an empty green bottle which he chewed and swallowed with a bottle of alcohol. That produced a jaw-dropping effect.

Carnivals and Cultural Pride is founded by Idris Coker, a former Captain of the Olowogbowo/ Fanti Carnival. He spoke

about his interest in this cultural phenomenon.

“I’m from Lagos Island and former Captain of Olowogbowo Fanti Carnival. This festival is purposely structured to promote indigenous heritage, traditions, attires and local dialects,’’ he said. He added that the carnival was created to engage the youths and revive the cultural interest of the people.

“We believe that the best way to unite Nigeria is to promote our culture. This programme today is to herald the main event on April 18, 2020 at Onikan Arena. For the main event, we shall be uniting all the cultural activities in all 36 states

in Nigeria. It is to enhance unity and love,’’ he said.

Also in the audience were the representatives of the Oko Faaji and Isale Ekoworo Carnivals as well as the officials of the National Film and Video Censors Board.

The project which is done in collaboration with the Lagos State Council for Art and Culture with support from Dr. Charles Williams and Charles Cole of Olowogbowo Methodist Cathedral Church is created to celebrate and promote indigenous culture. There will be more editions of the Street Theatre to be held at the palaces of the Ojora and Elegushi and other venues before the main event in 2020.

Participants on the Janggu drum

Janggu Drums Rocked Ajegunle Yinka Olatunbosun Janggu drums, with roots in South Korea, have become a toast of young drummers in Lagos with an on-going series of training facilitated by seasoned theatre artist, Isioma Williams. In collaboration with the South Korean Cultural Centre, the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Secretariat was the destination of invited guests and parents of some of the participating students who were honoured with the Janggu Drum Training Graduation Ceremony on September 30, 2019.

Certainly, drums have a unique way of commanding attention. The food vendors and hawkers milling around the premises took to the windows to watch the rhythmic sounds of the drums which had been taught and learnt at Orile Iganmu, Barija and now Ajegunle.

Williams explained why and how Janggu drums are taught in his introductory remarks at the well-coordinated ceremony.

“I am willing to play all the traditional drums from all over the world. This is not just to promote another culture but to understand some of the values attached to some of these traditional drums,’’ he said.

What stood these drummers out was the use of drum score by the participants. The young drummers were trained to sight read the drum beats and perform simultaneously. To heighten the auditory pleasure, some Nigerian traditional drums were infused with Janggu during the performance to make the audience feel the bi-cultural relationship.

“Drums are therapeutic and you benefit both ways either as the one drumming or the one listening to it,’’ Williams observed.

The children performance featured six boys namely Taiye Oyeleke, Daniel Adesuyi, Goodluck Atela, Emmanuel Sobemi, Jamiu Adio and Mohammed Ganiu.

FriendsofLateWallyJay LaunchHisDreamBook Yinka Olatunbosun The friends and family of the legendary humourist, Olawale Obadeyi popularly known as Wally Jay threw a befitting book launch party at Freedom Park, Lagos in a fun-filled atmosphere that suited the persona of the late author. The book titled, “Tongues of the Forecourt’’ is a collection of Yoruba proverbs and aphorisms which had been carefully translated into English by Obadeyi.

Obadeyi studied Dramatic Arts at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife before obtaining a second degree in English Studies with emphasis on literature. He had a stint in print and broadcast journalism and later veered into Marketing Communications as well as Public Relations.

Obadeyi is a published poet, short-story writer and columnist whose award-winning short story, Sandstorm in the Rain was published in “Little Drops’’, 1998 collection of short stories which was facilitated by the Obaeyi liberty short stories series.

He died in June 2018 just before the iconic book on rich Yoruba proverbs was published. A community of loving and loyal friends saw to it that the dream of this rare book that is a necessary contribution to cultural values was realized. The event was anchored by the duo of Hafiz Ayetoro and Tunji Sotimirin both of whom shared theatre background and broadcast experience with Obadeyi. The book was reviewed by Dr. Tunji Azeez. =A short documentary of the life and times of Obadeyi, produced by Yinka Akanbi was screened at the event that was a platform for friends of Wally Jay to recount the good times with the author and lessons learnt from him. Joseph Uchea, who later read some excerpts from the book alongside Norbert Young, described Wally Jay as one who always corrected his friend’s grammatical blunders, encouraged others to excel academically and was absolutely detribalized.

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FERTILITY

with DR. KEMI AILOJE Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

IMMUNOLOGICAL CAUSES OF INFERTILITY PART 2

I

Infertility as we know and has been defined severally,is the inability of a couple to achieve clinical pregnancy after having constant, timely, unprotected sex for one year or more. It could be primary or secondary, it’s primary when the couple has not conceived before and secondary when the couple have conceived before but are no longer able to. Its affects men and women equally and the main symptom is the inability to get pregnant. Some of the causes of infertility include, age, lifestyle, environmental and occupational factors, excessive exercise, eating disorder, overweight or obesity, poor diet, genetic factors, some medications and therapies, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), endometriosis, ovulation disorder, sexually transmitted infections ( STI), low sperm count, poor motility of sperm, abnormal sperm morphology, hormonal imbalance, abnormalities in the immune system (immunological factors).

own cell as foreign object and thus causes early pregnancy loss and miscarriage.

Autoimmunity can also affect the foetus by passive transfer of an antibody that has pathogen effect which can cause foetal heart block and heart failure thereby causing death Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) occur in women and once its occurs in women with reproductive failure and no other clinical problem , then it can be called primary APS and if there is the presence of other autoimmune disease, then it is called secondary APS . It affects the placenta cells directly and thereby causes loss of pregnancy both at early and late stages.

High level of Natural Killer Cells (NK Cells) is another abnormality in the immune system that causes infertility. NK cells play a very vital role in the success and failure of pregnancy. They are the major immune cell-type found in the uterus. Normally, their number increases through menstrual cycle to the time of implantation of the embryo to the peak, at the time of implantation, the number increases to 70 and then at 20 weeks starts decreasing and absolutely absent at the end of pregnancy but when the increase happens and then no decrease as the pregnancy grows, then it can cause miscarriage. They also have receptors that can bind directly with placental cells and thus produce some potentially dangerous proteins called type 1 cytokines that automatically causes miscarriage.

ABNORMALITIES IN THE IMMUNE SYSTEMTHAT CAN CAUSE INFERTILITY (IMMUNOLOGICAL INFERTILITY) The immune system is responsible for fighting foreign bodies in the body through the production of antibodies and so when the system can no longer differentiate a “good” foreign body from a “bad” one then there is a problem. Immune infertility is a reproductive disorder that affects men and women and thus causes their immune system to wage war on sperm. Women who have been diagnosed of immune infertility usually produce Antisperm Antibodies (ASA) in their reproductive systems. These antibodies act by neutralizing sperm by clumping them together and creating holes in their membranes and thus affect their physical morphology. They also coat over receptors that are involved in sperm-egg binding and fertilization process.

Sperm antibodies may also occur in either male or female partner and can be detected in the blood and/or sexual secretion through

agglutination or immobilization using immunobeads. The test can also be done by examination of the ejaculate in the post coital test; this would help to get some clues on the interactions that exist between spermatozoa and female genital secretions.

Sperm antibodies can cause infertility by disrupting sperm motility or the binding of the egg. They are also present in female sexual secretion which may trap spermatozoa and stop them from moving through the

genital tract. It is also very possible to have the presence of cytotoxic antibodies that actually kill the spermatozoa.

Autoimmunity also has an effect on fertility of an individual as the failure of the testis or the ovary can result from autoimmune processes. The effect of autoimmunity on fertility is that it causes failure of the testis or the ovary and this can be detected in the blood sample of affected people. It also causes a case in which the body “sees” its

Treatment of Immunological Infertility Immunological infertility can be treated and cured, depending on the cause, period, and goal of care, through options like drug prescription, immunosuppression, Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic insemination (ICSI). Your doctor will discuss the best treatment option for you in the management of infertility caused by immunological factors.

XTRA

How I Met the Rail Sector -Amaechi Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed that he met a narrow gauge of a dismal operational capacity speed of about thirty to fourty kilometers per hour with a serious shortage of rolling stocks and dilapidated railway tracks .

He stressed that the entire system was bedevilled by wired maintenance gap at the time he assumed office in 2015.

Amaechi stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Lagos, Friday.

According to the Minister, the last Administration of President Goodluck Jonathan awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of the narrow gauge railway but none of the contracts were fully executed as claimed.

Explaining further, he said, jobs were carried out in some sections of the awarded portions without completion , others were poorly executed or outrightly abandoned despite the huge amount of cash expended on the projects by the past government .

On the Abuja-Kaduna rail modernization project, the Minister opined that although, the Jonathan’s Administration had commenced construction work of the project with about seventy percent completion , the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari took over the project and completed it.

He said to get commercial operations to commence on the Abuja-Kaduna rail route, government therefore responded to the yearnings of Nigerians by procuring some locomotives and passengers’ coaches

Amaechi

to achieve President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s mandate of a safe and effective transport system for Nigerians.

“The government of former President Goodluck Jonathan had awarded some contracts to rehabilitate the narrow gauge.

They claimed that the contracts were implemented but they were not visible because by the time we took over, narrow gauge was about eighty kilometers per hour but the actual capacity of those

tracks were seventy kilometers per hour “.

“The Administtation of Good- Luck Jonathan had commenced construction work on the Abuja-Kaduna railway and if measured it will be between eighty percent completion. So, what we did was to add twenty percent construction work to complete the entire project. And to commence commercial activities on the track, we had to order for rolling stocks”.

On the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge

Railway Project and Lagos-Calabar , Amaechi said, “We started the implementation of the Lagos-Kano railway and commenced the construction of EbuteMetta to Ibadan railway by changing the entire policy. Those who designed the rail tracks designed it only for passenger purposes because none of these initial designs terminate at the seaports”. “ So, it was President Muhammadu Buhari that directed that all rail line must be connected to the seaport. We had to take the Lagos-Calabar rail to go through the seaports in Warri, Calabar and the one in Port Harcourt and Onne. And then the Lagos-Kano rail had to end up at the Apapa Seaport”, he said.

Amaechi further disclosed that plans are under way to also construct a new seaport in the Bonny Island of Rivers State.

Amaechi however lamented the politicization of Railway projects by politicians in the Country, saying that the basic purpose of Railway project in any Country is for economic purposes.

Hear him, “Nigerians believe that we should be able to finish the rail projects today, but you see, the money is just not there, and they are politicising the railway.

Railway is not built for political purposes, they are built purely for economic reasons and it doesn’t have the capacity to pay back whoever that invest in it. That is why government is the only institution that constructs rail. It is capital intensive and the turn over is not as rapid as what any businessman would want it to be”, he stressed.

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COLLAGE EVENTS

Sen Okonkwo to be Honoured at 2019 Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award

L-R: Consultant, Psychiatrist, Dr. Taiwo Oduguwa; Executive Director, John Maxwell Team, Mrs Bisi Soji-Oyawoye; Dental Surgeon, Dr. ldowu Osibodu; Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun; MD, Fola Alade Associates, Mrs Yinka Williams and Director, Lemon & Feathers, Mrs Julie Okoigun during a discussion on Dementias at the conference on Ageing in the Developing World 2019 organised by Lemon & Feathers Group in Lagos...recently Okonkwo

L-R: District Governor, 404B-2 Nigeria, International Association of Lions Clubs, LionWesley Kafidiya; Lion Folashade Ashafa; Chairman of the Occasion, Mr. Akinyemi Oladeji; and Senator Gbenga Ashafa, at the Installation of Lion Folashade Ashafa as the 14th President of IkejaViva L’ Amour Lions Club 2019/2020 in Lagos...recently SUNDAYADIGUN

Senator Annie Clement Okonkwo is among the notable names that will be honoured at the December 1, 2019, Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award.

The Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award is committed in celebrating and honoring individuals, entrepreneurs and companies that have carved a niche for themselves in the country.

Sen Okonkwo’s nomination as one of the recipients of the award didn’t come as a surprise. His contribution and significant contributions to the economic growth through his companies Pentagon Oil&Gas, Topwide Ventures a real estate company and others, are well appreciated as he is making the economy more attractive to international and local investors.

However, Okonkwo has built a conglomerate employing over 7,000 people that includes firms such as Reliance Telecomm, Clemco Industries, Modern Communications (satellite TV Network), MacClemm Marketing Communications, Sunflower Nigeria and Pentagon Oil. The Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network-Nigeria (GEN) and Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), have rolled out series of activities to celebrate the immense contributions of Nigeria entrepreneurs and corporate organizations driving the economic growth and development of the economy.

Some of those who have received this prestigious award includes: Aiteo Group, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Chief Cosmos Maduka, MTN Communications Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Dana Air, Ecobank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Ltd, NPF Pensions Ltd, Nedcomoaks, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Fidelity Bank Plc, Pirotti Projects Ltd, Keystone Bank, Genesis Energy Group, Gesi Asamaowei, Dr Kennedy Okonkwo amongst many others.

Honeybols Foundation Sets to Empower 500 Widows As part of efforts to help the needy, Honeybols Foundation is set to empower 500 Widows and send 10 students to the university on scholarship at its fourth giving hands arena edition holding at Agege Local Government Area on October 13.

Speaking with journalists recently, the convener, Honeybols Foundation, Mrs. Akinfolajimi Adebimpe expressed optimism that this year’s edition will be auspicious to many widows in Lagos.

“This up coming edition, we added another feature to it by giving out 10 scholarships to students and the criteria to be a beneficiary to the scholarship is a child who has no father, in a way we are trying to help the widows too. “The reason why I chose widows out of the needy is because in Africa, once a woman looses her husband, she always being rejected and neglected even by her immediate family, so the little that God has blessed me with so far, I decided to give back to the community.”

The special guest of honour is the First Lady Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and many other dignitaries are also expected.

L-R: Deacon Sunday Kofoworola, Mrs Olusola Aponinuola, Mr Fiyinfoluwa Aponinuola, wife, Oluwatoyin Aponinuola, Mrs Kofoworola and Pastor Basil Aponinuola at wedding ceremony of Oluwatoyin and Fiyinfoluwa in Lagos.. recently

MD/CEO, Pillar Oil Ltd, Spencer Onosode(left) and GMD, Arco Group Plc, Alfred Okoigun, during a discussion on Dementias at the conference on Ageing in the Developing World 2019 organised by Lemon & Feathers Group in Lagos...recently

AY, Mr. Ibu, Others to Thrill Lagosians at Ebohbomb Lagos Mainland will again come alive with laughter, dance, comedy and music take centre stage at this year’s edition of Ebohbomb Live slated for October 6.

The event is packaged as an avenue to celebrate Nigerians and get all lovers comedy and music to experience a memorable night out.

According to the organisers, Nollywood actor and ace comedian AY, will join Ebohbomb, Klint D Drunk, I Go Save, Kenny blag, Acapella, Funny Bone, Ajebo, ATM, Hilarious Chinedu, Melody 4 Comedy, Ekene Smith and rave musician Janetiza among others will thrill fun seekers at the event schedule to hold at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Amuwo Odofin Festac, Lagos.

In a statement signed by Maconi Wine Managing Director, Mr. Uchenna Ukaegbu said the organisers hope to use the event in conjunction with partners to reward brand loyalty, adding that the event would also serve as a platform to showcase upcoming comedians and musicians and harness their talents for stardom.

“Ebohbomb has promised to use the opportunity to encourage Nigerian youth and motivate them to discover their talent and become useful for the society at large”, he said.

This edition of Ebohbomb Live is supported by Jammflag Global Resources Limited, Maconi Wine, and Hazie Bitters.

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s s r a

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Timber Boy Who Became SAN In a country like Nigeria, it’s hard to see anybody go through what Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa went through to live good life and come out with his head high, Davidson Iriekpen writes

H

uman rights lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa was among the 38 senior lawyers the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, swore in as Senior Advocates of Nigeria penultimate week. For this hardworking and determined legal practitioner, his new attainment did not just come overnight. It came as a result of a strong determination to succeed in ones chosen profession.

When he daily reflects on his sojourn on earth, he cannot but give glory to God for what he has attained today.

Born in a rural community of Ilaje, Ondo State cut away from all developments, his mother died during his childhood years after enduring child labour for three days without any hospital around. He suffered persecution at home and was pushed to a boarding school far away from home.

Without supervision or mentoring, he was denied basic supplies and financial support. This led to his dropping out of secondary school. He later joined a cart-pushing (omolanke) company, loading local gin for sale and becoming a cart pusher for over a year, until sympathisers pleaded with his father to relocate him back home to complete secondary education.

Still for fear of persecution at home, he was sent to Lagos after secondary education to join his uncle in timber business, and was in timber business for about five years, traversing the forests of Ondo, Edo and Delta States, navigating through Ifon, Sobe, Owan, Iguobasuwa, Nikrogha, Koko, Sapele, all in search of logs, but still pursuing self-development via personal coaching.

Adegboruwa later gained admission to Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe and became part of the students’ union. He was expelled from the university along with 61 other students for leading students’ protest. The late Chief Gani Fawehinmi took up the case in court and all the students were re-instated.

Even when he was reinstated, there was still no peace for him. He was persecuted by a lecturer for his membership of the students union and was compelled to repeat a class while classmates proceeded to the next level. He was later re-instated after a successful remarking of his scripts by external examiners, who all confirmed that he truly passed the course but his lecturer failed him. He was re-instated to join his colleagues preparing for their final year exam, which he took and passed.

His challenges were yet over despite his reinstatement as he was again denied admission into the Law School following a petition from the Faculty of Law of the OAU on account of membership of students’ union. Gani again intervened and he was admitted and eventually called to the Bar. Just when he thought he had overcome the university authorities, it was the turn of the government. In 1997,

Adegboruwa

the government of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, ordered his arrest and kept him in custody for nine months. He was only released after his death. His troubles were not over yet as a mysterious fire razed his first law office without any single item of value salvaged.

With his frequent appearance on television, radio and pages of the newspapers to comment on burning national issues, he equally tasted the wrath of the present administration. In order to silence him, he arrested and charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but was subsequently discharged by the court.

Adegboruwa attended St. Luke’s Primary School, Ode-Etikan; Ilaje Grammar School, Atijere; Community Grammar School, Zion-Pepe; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Nigerian Law School, Lagos. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1995, whereupon he joined Gani Fawehinmi Chambers, from 1995 to 2000, when he set up Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa and Company.

Knowing that he could not have attained success in life, Adegboruwa turned to God. Today, after pastur-

ing many parishes of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), he is currently the pastor in charge of Zone 8 of the church’s Lagos Province 20.

For his pastoral calling, he attended the Leadership Institute for Bible Studies, Ikoyi, Lagos; The Redeemed Christian Bible College, Lagos; The Redeemed School of Disciples, Lagos; The Redeemed School of Missions, Lagos and Ede. Adegboruwa has a life history full of activities. He was students’ leader in the university; Public Liaison Officer, Law Students’ Society of Obafemi Awolowo University; Public Relations Officer and later President, Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union between 1992-1993. He was a member of Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), 19921994; member, Legal Committee of United Action for Democracy; Acting Publicity Secretary, United Action for Democracy; (2002); Founder and President, GSM Subscribers Association of Nigeria; former Deputy Editor, Human Rights Law Reports of Africa; former Senior Assistant Editor,

Nigerian Weekly Law Reports; founder, Law and Justice Forum; public affairs commentator and analyst, social critic and pro-democracy activist; For his doggedness, he has severally been honoured, some of which include: OAU Junior Chambers Award for Human Rights and Child Development, 1998; Senior Advocate of the Masses, National Association of Nigerian Students; 2015 Human Rights Defender, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Lagos State Chapter, 2016; Defender of Truth and Justice, Anglican Church, Ode-Etikan, 2017; Senior Advocate of the Masses, by the National Association of Nigerian Students; Award for Excellence by Law Students Association of Nigeria, Elizade University and many others.

Adegboruwa, who is cited in Nigeria’s Who is Who, page 41, dislikes any form of human oppression. He has fought many legal battles either to alleviate the suffering of the masses or to defend their rights. He has appeared to prosecute and defend cases in all courts in Nigeria, from Customary Courts to Magistrate’s Courts, Tribunals, High Courts, Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court. He is actively involved in public interest litigation for the protection and defence of the rights of the common man.

The new silk defended the murder charge against Professor J.G Chinwa of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and the case to re-instate him back into the university against unlawful dismissal. He was part of the lawyers who defended Ken Saro Wiwa, Ledum Mitee and other Ogoni activists at the Ogoni Civil Disturbances Tribunal constituted by the military government to try them in Port Harcourt. He also handled the case to secure bail for the Ogoni 19 on behalf of Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

He successfully defended criminal charges against OPC President, Gani Adams, by the state. He prosecuted the landmark Supreme Court case of Fawehinmi v. Abacha on the status and enforcement of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, up to the Supreme Court. He is currently handling various cases on land disputes, chieftaincy, contracts, maritime, constitutional law, tort, matrimonial causes, company disputes, libel, election petitions, landlord and tenant in various court across the country.

He pioneered the legal struggles against the collection of toll fees on roads and bridges, leading to the landmark judgment of the Federal High Court againt the Lagos State Government in March 2014, which annulled the toll collection. In 2016, he filed a suit at the High Court of Lagos State to stop the planned privatisation of the Probate Registry.

In March 2016, he secured judgment from the Federal High Court, Lagos, which annulled the restriction of human and vehicular movements on the last Saturdays of every month on account of environmental sanitation. In February 2017, he filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos to compel the president to accept the recommendation of the Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

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Jideonwo,Williams Become Pioneer Recipients of theYouWIN! Connect Award of Excellence Stories by Mary Nnah Co-founders of RED|For Africa, Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams became the pioneer recipients of the YouWIN! Connect Award of Excellence last week at its Enterprise Education Book and Awards event held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

YouWIN! Connect is a multimedia programme of the Federal Government, implemented by its Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, to fund young entrepreneurs to become business owners by using training materials and tools to improve their skillset.

The founders were celebrated for their outstanding work in improving Micro, Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) segment, for transforming the country and the lives of young Nigerians through the establishment and operation of a successful business.

Speaking after the event, the Chief Executive Officer of RED, Adebola Williams said the award was recognition of the company’s efforts in consistently working across countries, organisations, brands and communities to support young Nigerians in order to contribute to national development. “The most rewarding factor in entrepreneurship is investing

Williams

in a product or project that can be sustained, and can be developed through passion and supported by the efforts and beliefs of people and communities that exist even beyond the entrepreneur. Over the years, we have delivered on our vision to inspire young Africans to take action, among many other things, but

none could have been achieved without those who have been part of our story,� said Williams.

Established in 2010, RED is a Nigerian media firm, with youthfocused brands and expressions that are involved in building, operating and maintaining projects that impact over 200

million youth every year.

These include successful youth-focused brands across media, project management, consultancy and communication such as YNaija, Red Media Africa, Generation Y!, The Future Project, The Zed Company and StateCraft Inc.

OraimoUnveils2FaceasBrandAmbassador,Launches310HoursBatteryLifeNecklace Oraimo, a leading premium smart accessories company in Nigeria, has unveiled legendary musical giant, Innocent Idibia popularly known as 2Face as its first and official brand ambassador, amidst pomp and glitz.

The unveiling, which took place in Lagos last weekend sought to raise the company’s brand imagery and drive uptake of its products through the creation of a thematic campaign tagged “Be the King�.

The company whose key products range include power bank, headset, necklace, fit bands, USB cords, phone chargers, car chargers and others, also used the opportunity to

launch a new necklace- King of Gbedu into the market.

The king of Gbedu, which was presented to the new brand ambassador, has over 310 hours battery life with 2face’s signature on it.

Speaking on the company’s need to announce the 2face/ oraimo relationship, the, West Africa Zone 1 Manager, Ilesanmi Oladunni said, “We have always wanted to do something different, something that can change people’s lives so that they can explore the wonderful world,� adding that “to change the world, we decided to start with smart accessories, enabling our customers to keep exploring�.

On how the campaign theme aligns with the company’s customer aspiration, Oladunni said, “The theme speaks directly to the consumer who is thriving for self-fulfilment. Consumer aspiration for self-actualisation and growth requires the right tools and support for it to be attained.

While expressing delight over the signing of 2face as the brand ambassador, the General Manager of Transsion Holdings, Chidi Okonkwo said, “Today marks a significant milestone for two iconic brands that share similar traits of reliance, consistency, and quality.

We believe as a brand that

personal progress in our world demands that every human continues to be a better version of themselves- learning, improving, taking calculated risks, and exploring. These traits are very much ingrained in the DNA of the two brands for which we have gathered here�.

Speaking after his presentation as the company’s brand ambassador, 2face thanked oraimo for picking him to represent the brand. “I feel very honoured to be picked as the brand ambassador of the premium brand. I will do everything possible to promote its range of products�.

Simba Inaugurates FlagshipTVS Showroom in Abuja The Simba Group, have opened a state-of-the-art showroom and first of its kind in Nigeria, for their range of TVS motorcycles and tricycles at Garki, Abuja.

The Simba TVS Center has been designed to the highest international standards, and offers customers a one-stop-shop solution for vehicles, accessories, spare parts and service.

The showroom was inaugurated by the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura; Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Dr Nasir Ladan Mohammed Argungu and Dr Mohammed Bello Umar Tambuwal, Permanent SecretaryFederal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as chief guests. In attendance also, was the especially invited guest, the High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Abhay Thakur.

Other notable guests included a selection of Simba’s major dealers and fleet owners, as well as motorcycle and tricycle union leaders, in addition to senior management representatives of Simba.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of Simba Group, Chief Vinay Grover said, “Simba

Three Crowns Reinforces Commitment To Mothers’ Healthy Hearts “What can we do without mums?� the trending campaign of Nigeria’s #1 healthy dairy choice, Three Crowns milk, highlights the ingenuity of mothers in resolving knotty issues in the family, especially as it concerns children.

The mum as a care giver is highly enriched and nourished by Three Crowns milk during family breakfast and this helps her save the day. “What can we do without mums?� campaign has been trending since breaking in June with hundreds of tweets and millions of retweets, likes and comments on social media. For instance, reflecting on how realistic the commercial is, @Bashorun Gaa says his answer to the question has always been, “Ask mummy�.

For David Ludogoli @DLUDOGOLI, tact must be deployed in responding to our youngsters’ inquisitive minds in a bid to protect their innocence and save them from obscene words and pictures. Mum deploys tact in her response, saves the day, restores dad’s confidence and protects each child’s innocence.

Madam Kofo @Madamkofo observes, “Children ask the toughest questions. It’s their nature and no parent should be crossed with them. They are innocent and that’s surely an integral part of their development. That’s why we mothers have to be in the right mind frame and physically fit to have happy families; a focus the brand executed in the August meeting�.

In August Nigerian women, particularly of Igbo descent by birth or marriage gather to celebrate, meet loved ones and most importantly, discuss issues affecting their local communities and general wellbeing. This has become a popular and memorable event in South-east Nigeria.

To help South-east women identify more with their heritage and values, Three Crowns milk, the number one low cholesterol milk brand from the stable of FrieslandCampina WAMCO has raised the bar in celebrating cultural awareness with Generation Z ladies and mothers to be.

This underscores Three Crowns’ unflinching commitment to driving societal development through continuous engagement and support for women in Nigeria. Specifically, Three Crowns milk has been adding colour, excitement, thrills and frills to the Women August Meeting since 2018 and has provided a fertile platform for the iconic brand to connect not only with women but also penetrate the rural market.

The Three Crowns August Meeting train landed at different locations in the Southeast states of Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo. The brand was at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Issekke; St. Jude Catholic Church, Azia and St. Martins Catholic Church, Odoata, Ihiala, all in Anambra State.

Meanwhile, in Ebonyi, it was at St. Mary Catholic Church, Abakaliki; as well as celebrated with Afikpo Women Welfare Association, Edda and Ebonyi Women Welfare Association, Ugbodo.

In Imo State, Three Crowns was with the women at Onicha Amari Women Foundation Ekeoha, Mbaise; Ogbenneisi Women Development Union, Ahiazu, Mbaise; Umuchukwu Ubichukwu Women, Ngor Okpala; and Umuorii Women Association, Uratta, Owerri North.

Leading the Three Crowns team to the locations was the Regional Medical Detailing Manager East Central, Mr. Richard Ayeni who used the occasion to educate the women on the health benefits of Three Crowns Milk for women and whole families.

According to him, Three Crowns milk with its catch phrase of “Happy Mums, Happy Families� takes care of the health of mothers so they can take better care of their families.�

He said, “Three Crowns milk is low in cholesterol, contains essential vitamins and minerals to enrich the body of mothers with the right nutrients to live a healthy and beautiful life.�

Speaking the minds of all the women and expressing her delight with Three Crowns milk at the August Meetings, the President, Umuchukwu Ubichukwu Women Association, Mrs. Christiana Oshionya, stated that the meetings have reinforced her love for Three Crowns milk so much that it is the milk of choice for her family. “Three Crowns special recognition of women and unequalled efforts at promoting mothers’ health would forever be commended,�

Oshionya said.

The 2018 August Meeting was held at Christ the King (Anglican) Church, Nnaku Quarters, Nnokwa in Idenmili South Local Government Area of Anambra State. There, the Vice President, Mrs. Beatrice Anyika, thanked Three Crowns for its unprecedented support and presence, assuring the brand that all the women would become Three Crowns brand ambassadors.

Endorsed by the Nigerian Heart Foundation as the heart friendly milk, Three Crowns milk is the only Nigerian dairy brand championing healthy eating habits and fitness, while celebrating every mum as the family anchor.

L-R: The High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Abhay Thakur; MD of Simba Group, Mr Vinay Grover; Minister of state for Labour and Employment, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura and Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Dr Nasir Ladan Mohammed Argungu during the unveiling of Simba TVS Center at Garki, Abuja

has always been committed to social and economic development, and our motorcycles and tricycles strike at the heart of this philosophy – driving millions of Nigerians to work, to school, to pray and to get on with their daily lives; and in turn, driving the economy. “Besides all those employed by us directly, our products generate employment for millions of people in the country – right from the drivers of our motorcycles and tricycles, to the dealers, microfinance partners and fleet owners that make them available, and finally to the tens of thousands of mechanics who provide after-sales-service for

them.�

The showroom featured the latest motorcycles and tricycles from TVS, including the recently launched TVS King Duramax – a tricycle enhanced with a higher power, and more efficient, Duralife engine which leads to longer vehicle life and stronger performance.

Also on display, is the TVS XL 100, dubbed the ‘Oga for Load’ due to its suitability for rural, and in particular farming, applications. However, showcased around the showroom are a range of special edition vehicles which tell the story of Simba’s journey and contribution to empowerment

– from the specially branded tricycle that features as part of Simba’s Queen Riders program for women’s empowerment, and the specially branded national-jersey motorcycle, symbolising TVS’s close association with the National Football Federation.

Grover added, “All automotive customers need the highest standards of buying experience which many passenger car companies have achieved in Nigeria already.

But there has been absence of these experience centers in the Keke and Okada universe, and this showroom strives to close the gap.�

L-R: Mrs Ngozi Mike-Daniel, Mrs Emily Nwauwa, Brand Manager, Three Crowns Milk, Akeem Audu; Mrs Phillips Emmanuel and Mrs Osita Nwachukwu, during the Three Crowns August Meeting at Overcomer Christian Mission Worldwide, Owerri Imo State, recently

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

38

METRO

…Your city life in print

Ikeja Electric’s CSR Initiative in Olambe Community ÙÓØÑ ÌÏãÙØÎ ÝßÚÚÖãÓØÑ ÖÓÑÒÞ ÞÙ ÍÙ××ßØÓÞÓÏݘ ÕÏÔË ÖÏÍÞÜÓÍ ÞÒÜÙßÑÒ ÓÞÝ ÏÜÝÙØËÖ ÙÜÚÙÜËÞÏ ÙÍÓËÖ ÏÝÚÙØÝÓÌÓÖÓÞã ÚÜÙÑÜËט áÒÓÍÒ ÓÝ Ë ÍÒËØØÏÖ ÞÙ ÌßÓÖÎ ×ßÞßËÖ ÜÏÖËÞÓÙØÝÒÓÚ ÌÏÞáÏÏØ ÞÒÏ ÍÙ×ÚËØã ËØÎ ÓÞÝ ÒÙÝÞ˜ ÜÏÍÏØÞÖã ÑËàÏ ÌËÍÕ ÞÙ ÖË×ÌÏ ÍÙ××ßØÓÞã ÓØ ÕßÞÏ

F

or the Olambe community, a boundary town in Akute, it was joy galore when the Personal Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR) train of Ikeja Electric (IE) singled them out. Armed with educational materials and school uniforms, the staff of IE also gave safety talks to the school children about electricity and electrical appliances.

For the school, the gesture was well appreciated given that the first week of September is usually a trying period for most parents in Nigeria due to the pressure of paying their children’s school fees and providing other requirements for the start of a new school session.

Thus this heather was aimed as reducing the financial burden on parents during the resumption period.IE’s PCSR are woven on three pillars- Education, Empowerment and Health. For health, the company carries out World Malaria Day program and free health fair; for empowerment, they carry out youth empowerment while for Education, they carry out back to school program.

Harping on this year’s PCSR, the Business Manager Abule Egba, Mr Oloyede Adelakun, said IE usually identifies some of the gaps in the society particularly in schools, which informed the Back to School Campaign, adding that they have made it a yearly program.

He noted that Ikeja Electric has six business units which comprises Ikeja, Abule Egba, Akowonjo, Ikorodu, Ikorodu, Shomolu and Oshodi.

Abule Egba on the other hand has six undertakings under it which comprises Olambe, Iju, Akute, Fagba, Adiyan and Ijaye, with population of over 150 customers.

Adelakun said the Abule Egba unit set out to help the children in the area by providing school bags, water bottles and other basic things and in addition school uniforms were also provided to some of the students who were not wearing their school uniform.

He further stated that they have continued to maintain a mutual relationship with the customers and communities under his unit over the years. “In the past six-eight months, we have made ourselves accessible to the people of the community and ensured every complaint from them are sorted out within 24hours. “ In the last three months, they have also increased availability in terms of supply of electricity. Thus, connection has also increased by 30per cent”.

The ripple effect of this symbiotic relation is that they both parties live peaceably with each other. On the issue of prepaid meter he said: “In terms of prepaid meters, we organise meetings with the community strategic leaders and also carry out customer engagement in all locations by organising customer fairs on Saturdays. In the customer fairs, we interact with the community, listen to their complains and solve it immediately.

“We have successful carried out the fairs in the following communities; Fagba, Ijaye, Iju and Adiyan. Also, IE is working on increasing the power supply but first, we are closing the metering gap to avoid loss of power as the metering density states that the higher the increase in supply, there is a tendency for losses.

“In return, Ikeja Electric expects the community to reciprocate by paying bills promptly, ensure IE equipment in the neighborhood are protected against theft and vandalism.”

Also speaking, the PCSR, Brand and Events Supervisor, Mrs Adebimpe Akintola, said that in Ikeja Electric, in a way to give back to the community came up with PCSR (Personal Corporate Social Responsibility) program.

Breaking it down further she said: “PCSR is a channel to connect with the community, build mutual organisational relationship between IE and the community, take care of their welfare not just giving and disconnecting light. It is also a way for the community to know that once they pay their bills promptly, IE can give back to them.

The pupils of Community Primary School, Olambe with Ikeja Electric staff

Representatives of Olambe CDC Community, some staff of IE and some pupils of Community Primary School, Olambe

L-R: The CDC Chairman, Comrade Omolade Ganiyu; PCSR, Brand and Events Supervisor Adebimpe Akintola; Head Teacher, Mr Fatai Mustapha; IE Abule Egba Business Manager, Oloyede Adelakun and some of the pupils of Community Primary School, Olambe

“We just had a youth empowerment program was just concluded and some youths were sponsored.

The back to school program is done every new academic session and focus is public schools. The pupils are sensitised by giving them a talk on safety while the back to school packs are handed over to them afterwards.

“This year, Ikeja Electric out of its six business units decided to carry out the back to school campaign at Ikorodu and Abule Egba concurrently. In search of public school at Abule Egba where they have high population of students in need of back to school packs, Community Primary School, Olambe, Akute was picked.”

The basic safety talk given at Community Primary School Olambe on what the students need to know about electricity and electrical appliances was given by Mr Moses Oyeniran, the Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Specialist Abule Egba Business Unit, Mr Oloyede Adelakun.

The Olambe CDC Chairman, Comrade Omolade Ganiyu who was present with his team during the back to school campaign at Community Primary School, Olambe on behalf of the Olambe community applauded Ikeja Electric for their social responsibilities to the Olambe community and pleaded it continues. He also mentioned that the Olambe Community will continue to partner Ikeja Electric. Mr Fatai Mustapha, the head teacher Community Primary School Olambe with population of about 400 learners, 11 government staff teachers, seven empowered teachers and one PTA teacher, expressed his gratitude towards Ikeja Electric for giving back to school packs to about 250 students present and school uniform to 14 students that do not have uniform.

He mentioned that he has encountered Ikeja Electric giving out back to school pack two years ago at a school at Adiya

where he was the headteacher.

For the beneficiaries, it was one huge favour. Oloruntola Balikis, a 12-year-old pupil in basic six stated that she is excited about the back to school packs given to her and other students. She also mentioned that she appreciated the safety talk and would tell her parent to move the cooking gas from the kitchen to the balcony.

Moyosore Olanrewaju, a 10-year-old pupil in basic four also expressed her gratitude to Ikeja Electric for the back to school packs. Praying that God should continue to bless the people of Ikeja Electric, she also stated that she would tell her friends at home that they are no longer called NEPA but Ikeja Electric.

Adesua Daniel, an eleven-year-old pupil in basic six, who expressed his gratitude for the kind gesture, promised to put into practice what he learnt during the safety talk like not playing under the electric power line. playing under the electric power line.

39

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

CRIME&SECURITY

NAF Gets First Ever Female Warrant Officer Stories by Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has approved the promotion of Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Grace Tabawa Garba to the exalted rank of Air Warrant Officer (AWO).

With the promotion, MWO Garba becomes the first female Senior NonCommissioned Officer (SNCO) to be promoted to the highest rank in the Non-Commissioned Officers’ cadre in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

According to NAF Director of Public Rela-

tions and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the SNCO, who has put in not less than 33 years of outstanding meritorious service to the Nation, was found worthy to be promoted to the rank of AWO for her exemplary leadership qualities, hard work as well as her contributions to the service over the years.

He said: “The promotion demonstrates the commitment of the current NAF leadership in paying adequate attention to the empowerment of female personnel to realise their full potentials.

Garba

“It would be recalled that one of the NAF’s female officers was sent to the United States of

America for training to become the first female fighter pilot in the history of the NAF.

“Similarly, for the first time in NAF history, another female pilot is on the verge of completing training to become the first female helicopter pilot in the service.

“It is expected that the promotion of MWO Garba to AWO would serve as a motivation and spur other airwomen in the Service to strive for excellence and aspire for such rare elevation.”

Born on 14 February 1966 in Garkida, Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, MWO Grace Garba joined the NAF in 1986 as a member of Basic Military Training Course (BMTC) 10.

She holds a Certificate in Nursing from School of Nursing, Maiduguri, Certificate in Midwifery from Amhadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria Kaduna State, Certificate in Public Health Nursing from School of Health Technology, Kaduna and Advanced Diploma in Public Administration at the Federal University of Technology, Yola.

She is currently the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of the NAF School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine (NAFSMSAM), Kaduna.

She will be decorated with the new rank on October 15, 2019.

Clearline HMO Denies N60M NHIS Fraud Allegation by Former Staff A Health Management Organisation (HMO), Clearline HMO has debunked the allegation of fraud levelled against the management by a former staff who was paraded by the police.

The Lagos State Police Command had arrested a female dismissed staff and her lover for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N60 Million, through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The couple, Ogunseye

Tunde and Funmilayo Oyelaja, had after the fraudulent act escaped to Ghana to avoid being arrested.

Oyelaja, who was working with Clearline HMO Limited, based in Lagos, had allegedly diverted the funds meant for health insurance of Nigerians to her personal account.

When she was paraded by the Lagos State Commissioner of police, CP Zubairu Muazu, she accused some staff of conniving with her to steal

from the government, alleging that the HMO trained their workers to cheat the system “I have worked with Clearline International Limited since 2014 to early 2019.

What we do there is that we act as the middle-man between NHIS and the hospitals.

Our company cheats the system as we falsify records.

“When NHIS gives us money to pay hospitals, we do not spend all that

was given to us and we do not refund the excess to NHIS purse, the company pockets the money,” she alleged.

At a briefing in its office, the company denied the allegations, claiming that the suspect was drowning and decided to drag the company’s image in the mud.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Clearline international limited, Dr. Tunde Ladele, said: “We discovered the fraud and reported to the police.

We went ahead to declare her wanted and placed a N2million bounty on her head, which worked very well.

“The moment she was seen, we were called on the phone numbers provided and we contacted the police who arrested her and her lover.

“It is laughable that she is accusing the company of connivance. If we have hands or we support crime, why should we arrest her?

“To tell you that we are

serious, we have handed over the three staff she indicated to the police.

“We don’t cheat the system, we don’t cheat the government and it is even impossible to cheat.

Individuals would try, but we must find out as we did in Funmilayo’s case.

We are willing to cooperate with the police to get to the root of the matter.

“But we don’t cheat the system or the government and that is why we have vowed to deal with any staff found culpable or indicated in this matter.”

NOPRIN Launches Book on Administration of Criminal Justice Sunday Ehigiator

As part of efforts aimed at promoting law enforcement, accountability, and responsible policing with respect for human rights, the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN), recently launched a book titled, ‘Police Compliance With The Administration of Criminal justice Act’.

With support from Trust Africa, it is the first time the foundation would be publishing a book with respect to accountable policing and to rule of law.

In his address, the National Coordinator, NOPRIN, Ikule Emmanuel said the book is coming at a time of so many security challenges facing the nation and testing the ability of the Nigeria police to respond.

According to him, “NOPRIN since 2008 has been in the vanguard of several police reform efforts in Nigeria, ranging from legislative advocacy to a CSO panel on police reforms, public tribunals, and sensitisation, etc. all aimed at ensuring that our police are accountable, transparent and respect human rights and the rule of law.

“This book presentation is coming at a time of so

National Cordinator NOPRIN, Ikule Emmanuel; NOPRIN Member, Josephine Effah-Chukwuma; Chairperson NOPRIN Coordinating Committee, Saviour Akpan, and Premium Times Reporter, Adedira

many security challenges facing the nation and testing the ability of the Nigeria police to respond.

“From the Boko Haram insurgency that has been with us for 10 years now, to kidnapping which has grown to become a big criminal industry, to sexual offenses especially as they affect children, and more recently, the serial killings of young ladies in Port Harcourt. “it is also coming at a time when there seems to be an increase in police

abuse of power and engagement in extrajudicial killings as recorded in our case management register (CMR) under the project.

“Between April, 2018 and May 2019, NOPRIN recorded no less than 70 cases of reported abuses by the police.

“With the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), at the federal level, and incremental adoption by 15 states, it is time for us all to be awake to our duty of ensuring

that the provisions of the ACJA are implemented to the latter, especially as it concerns the police.

“The starting point for this being good welfare packages, it is our hope that with the Police Trust Fund (PTF) signed in June 2019, the police force would get the appropriate funds needed to properly train its officers, equip its stations and officers.

“It is time to dust up and implement the recommendations of the various police reform

committees that were setup at different times by different governments, including the recommendations of civil society panel that NOPRIN organised.

“It is our hope that this book, with the well researched and insightful papers contained therein, which were presented at the various convening’s that held in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu, would not only contribute to knowledge, but would also be a catalyst for change.”

Also speaking, the Chairman, NOPRIN Coordinating Committee, Saviour Akpan, said “Almost 10 years after the amendments to the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos state, the creative push for reform in Lagos state and the lofty goals and the outcomes envisaged by the legislation are yet to be achieved.

“One key factor responsible for the low-level implementation is lack of effective monitoring by the committee setup under the law to monitor implementation.

“Civil society can fill this gap by complimenting the work of the implementation committee, by monitoring police compliance through documenting and tracking cases of police corruption and human rights violations and publicising them to highlight specific areas of deviation from law in every case.

“This is what NOPRIN is set out to do in this project by engaging with the ACJL monitoring committee and police oversight agencies to understand their challenges and to discuss and agree on collaborative efforts that would enhance effective implementation of the law.”

38

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ Ͳ˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

POLSCOPE

I

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

Third Term? That’s Satanic!

t had come like a flying thought which had nowhere to perch.

But it kept hovering and pushing itself on our faces, using the vehicle of the social media. A certain group, suddenly woke up and conceived the idea of “Third Term” for President Muhammadu Buhari. It was as strange as finding a virgin in a maternity ward. Not many credited it with any chance of possibility.

But the group pushing the idea was unrelenting, believing or hoping that with enough noise around and about it, it could gain some attraction that could be “examined” for possible adoption.

Those who did not dismiss it outright were guided by the experience of a recent past, when in the guise of amending the constitution, the Ibrahim Mantu committee in the Senate had néstled in the third term agenda for the Obasanjo presidency.

That was at a time the presidency had seemingly broken and split apiece, with Obasanjo and his then Vice, Atiku Abubakar holding a piece each.

Unknown to many Nigerians, the whole idea of constitutional amendment was a mere camouflage to “smuggle” in the third term agenda into the polity.

Expectedly, that singular item on the amendment bill took the shine off the exercise.

Thanks to the courage and perceptive clarity of the then Senate President, Ken Nnamani, the Bill was summarily thrown out along with the entire amendment plan.

That was the end of the Obasanjo’s Third term agenda, even as he (Obasanjo) kept denying that he was the power behind the well-laid out script.

The Buhari-Osinbajo Support Group, which had made plenty of noise before the 2019 elections had suddenly woken up with the scheme of a third term agenda.

It was difficult to understand the reason for this weird thought, aside unbridled sycophancy.

Here was a president that is struggling, so-to-say, to complete his second term, a man who is over 76 years, who had been graciously saved from dire health conditions, to now be pushed into wangling the Nigerian constitution to get a third term in office. Simply put, the idea was not only satanic, it was indeed, a growth from depraved minds.

Apart from the constitutional crisis and possible social disquiet it could trigger, President Buhari, has thus far not exactly impressed Nigerians with a fantastic governance model, to warrant being rewarded for another term. Indeed it was a weird idea.

N

igerians are Hurray, Nigeria is inching fast to the Diamond age.

And it will be the age of unstoppable shining.

The e My friend, don’t deceive yourself.

If Nigeria could not shine at 40 nor glow at 50, there is no guaranty that it will even blink bright at 60.

You are not seeing the brighter side of this country.You are choosing to see the bottle as half empty instead of half full.

It is the same thing my brother. It is mere semantic scam, which people use in consoling their spirits.

I am a realist. I am old enough to tell if the moon will shine at night or not. From every indication, I can tell you that in Nigeria too, the beautiful ones are not yet born.

We had thought President Buhari has most, if not all, of the answers plaguing us as a people. It is clear now that he does not even understand the questions let alone having the answers.

Buhari

But the ill apostles of the scheme, had already designed aso-ebi (campaign uniform) and were already staging public processions to drive home their crisis-bound agenda.

It became even more worrisome knowing that like the Obasanjo scheme, there was loss of confidence in the presidency between the two first citizens of the country, just as it is seeming between Mr President and his Vice, even though the presidency claims there is no cause for alarm between both leaders. But those who are wont to analyse every act of government are quick to point out that the creation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development, with a substantive minister, is aimed at containing the influence and powers of the Vice President, because the agencies and parastatal corralled into the new ministry were

hitherto under the purview of the Vice President. Everything seems to have had a good aping of the Obasanjo scenario in 2006/2007.

So, it was with great relief that, unlike the Obasanjo scheme, the Buhari-led presidency has categorically disowned the plot and declared that the Presidency was not interested in third term agenda.

But that signal from the pressure group is ominous as it gives a hint of the affront that the rest of the administration’s years could have with the laws of the land and basic governmental propriety.

So, the campaigners would now shamefully unpack their campaign materials and gongs and go home, to scheme for another plot.

It is not difficult spotting the enemies of Nigeria, even among the led.

Amuwo-Odofin Council Bracing Up the Challenges

I

t is no longer news that the public infrastructure in Nigeria are almost all collapsed. The tell-tale signs are all there for everyone to see. And for too long, we have been shouting ourselves hoax over the legendary negligence by government at all levels. But in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, in Lagos State, there appears to be some level of responsiveness on the part of the council leadership to address some of the many challenges facing the people. The Local Government leadership is rising to the occasion of fixing the decrepit roads in parts of the council. Its headquarters, Festac Town has been a beneficiary of the new consciousness. In the last two months or so, there are visible efforts aimed at reducing the agony the people go through commuting from one part of the town to the other. In recent times, the 2nd avenue stretch, !st avenue. 23 road, 71 road and now 4th Avenue have been fixed or being fixed by the Council.

This is aside the relative peace that

Canticles….

Nigeria Still Wobbling at 59

has become prevalent in the town.

The menace of violence, attacks, and robbery have reasonably reduced. And the people are heaving a sigh of relief.

Yet, it must be stated that much as reparative efforts are being made, there are quite a number of roads within the Festac town, like 6th Avenue and parts of 21 Road that are a near nightmare.

What baffles me is why almost all governments choose to fix roads (if they ever do) during the rainy season.

Why are these repair works not done in the dry season when the works are bound to pan well and align appropriately? Some uncharitable persons argue that it is all aimed at ensuring that the road repair budgets are huge enough for “the settlement of stakeholders”.

Of course, not many people bother about whatever the cost quoted for such repair jobs. Most Nigerians are just keen about driving through smooth roads, without caring the cost of the said smoothness.

However, one looming menace

the council in collaboration with the larger state government , has to contend with is the issue of motorcyclists, popularly called Okada riders. They have practically taken over every space and alley in the town. Too often, they cause mayhem as they are both rough and violent. With many of them being those who fled from the hostility in the northern part of the country, it is not for them the decent traffic rules or even a good skill in riding the motor cycles. So, accidents are bound to happen. And this is often. And they are often too ready to mob their victim , whether they be right or wrong, as many of them strap daggers and other dangerous weapons on their body as they sweat it out running from one end of the town to the other.

Surely, this is a challenge. But that is why the Council leaders are elected: to tackle the problems that so commonly beset the people, especially the ones within the purview of the local councils.

Stop heaping all the blames on Buhari. Buhari this…, Buhari that…, Haba! Nigeria is 59, Buhari has only done five years plus.

What about the other 53 years plus? You make it sound like Nigeria’s problem began and ended with Buhari. You do not even acknowledge that he has tried to stem the tide of downward slide, and the corroding rot eating away the soul of the country. You do not realize the degree of damage done by previous governments and the regal battle Buhari has been fighting within the contaminated system and polity to redeem the country and reset it on the path of progress and development. You seem to …. (cuts in) I don’t seem to do anything. I don’t care how much grammar you speak. You cannot claim that Buhari has done only five years plus.

You forget this is his second missionary journey? How much development has he effected then and now? Look, what Nigerians want is not a bland defence of political leaders, but a self-evident improved HDI What is HDI? Human Development Index.

And this is not complex economics or governmental jargon. It simply means better life for the people. How do you measure it? How are people feeling? How are they feeding? How are they relaxing? What access to good life do they have? These are the issues.

Is it not a shame that 59 years after, rather than grow we are shrinking and deteriorating? Was this how the country was 30 years ago? Are we moving forward or backward?

59 Years after, we are still battling with the basics of life. We still do not have good roads, no water, no electricity… do you know that most people could not even listen to the President’s Independence Day Broadcast on Tuesday because they had no light? Our hospitals are no longer mere consulting clinics, but now extension of the mortuaries… what are we talking about? Have you experienced the modern day graduates from our universities, how cracked they are, how uncooked they sound? At 59, just tell me what we have gotten right as a country. Tell me. Don’t mope at me. Tell me.

You fail to realize that we have made some progress. Have you

Buhari

forgotten how people used to queue at telephone centres to make phone calls? Today, even the roadside pepper seller has Android telephone. 30 years ago, was there anything like internet banking where we can do huge transactions now from our bedrooms? Was there POS 30 years ago? What do you say about the speed of communication today?

Did you have it 20 years ago?

Look, we have made giant strides and we are headed to the promised land. (mimicking) we are headed cho chi pyomised yand. Promised land indeed! You are citing and boasting of imported technologies. You speak as if Nigeria is the owner of the internet broadbands that have changed our communication world. You speak as if we have developed any technology that supports our huge population.

Is it not a shame that countries like Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore, India etc., which are our contemporaries have made tremendous strides and progress whilst we are tottering and wobbling along like dump romp fed ronyon, as Shakespeare will put it?

Leave those countries even. Look at Dubai in the UAE. How old is Dubai?

See where they are there and compare with us. That’s a state that literally has just seven gallons of oil.

The truth, as I said is that the messiahs are not yet here, my brother. I don’t see anything changing soon.

Just imagine how many economic development programmes they had churned out, all to no avail. Do you remember Second Tier, MAMSER, DFFRI, NEEDS, Year 2010, Year 2020, Yes-P, ERGP, N-Power, tradersmoni, etc etc.? Where has all that taken us?

Can’t you see that the elite have been exploiting the naivety and docility of the masses over the years?

The younger generation do not offer much hope either. Is that not why religious asphyxiation is so strong in this country? Can you imagine the army regiment of of a country now soliciting prayers from religious leaders to overcome some outlaws?And you say we are headed to the promised land?

I must remind you that Rome was not built in a day. I will tell you what Koomson, the lead character in Ayi Kwei Armah’s book, The Beautiful Ones Are not Yet Born told his traducers.

He said: “Let those who are blessed with power And the soaring swiftness of the eagle, And have flown before.

Let them go.

I will travel slowly And I too will arrive” Once more, I recommend moral re-armament. Because except we change our ways, our greed level and our nepotistic habits, we shall remain a wobbling machine. it now, more than ever before.

41

T H I S D AY Ëž Í˛Ëœ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Improving the Card Payment Space In this report Ugo Aliogo writes about tefforts of First Bank of Nigeria to improve the card space with the newly launched Visa Debit Multi-Currency card

C

ard payment is still a new phenomenon despite increased adoption by financial technology companies (FinTechs) and banking institutions.

Cash payment has remained the most trusted channel but due to the disruptions constantly experienced, the level of customer confidence and trust can be argued to have dropped.

Stakeholders in the card payment space have argued that despite the increased number of online payment gateways in Nigeria, market regulators have not made impressive efforts to mitigate the challenges caused by technology disruptions. However, fintechs and the banking institutions are putting in place measures to address the disruption in the card payment process to ensure that merchants enjoy efficient online payment experience.

One of the industry players driving seamless banking in the online payment space is First Bank of Nigeria. The bank is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that customers enjoy pleasant experience in its online banking.

Recently, the bank introduced the FirstBank Visa Debit Multi-Currency card which is the first of its kind to be offered by any financial institution in Nigeria.

The debit card ensures that customers within and outside the country can enjoy the luxury of having their local and foreign denominated accounts linked to a single debit card. It is an enhancement to the existing visa debit dual currency card and can be linked to a customers’ Naira, USD, Euro and GBP accounts. It is an international card with chip and Personal Identification Number (PIN) technology which can be used to make payment anywhere in the world and across all channels such as ATMs, POS and Web. Speaking on the card launch, the Group Executive, e-Business and Retail Product, Mr. Chuma Ezirim, said the bank takes pride in pioneering the Visa Multi Currency Card in the country, adding that the bank remains committed to providing products and services that are designed to ensure the banking convenience of its customers regardless of their locations. “This card is designed to make traveling fun for our customers and ensure they have a seamless transaction experience during their vacation, tourism and other business-related trips around the globe,� he stated.

The bank recently set an impressive track record as the first financial

Adeduntan

institution in the country to achieve issuing a whopping 10 million cards to customers across the country. The bank is now among two other African banks to achieve the milestone.

The ground-breaking feat was similar to about two years ago when the bank in December, 2015 and May 2016, was the first financial institution in the country to achieve sustained alternative channels transaction volumes of 100 million transactions in December 2015 and May 2016.

According to the Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, the feat was a testament to the bank’s drive in delivering its brand promise and putting customers first and continuously improving business in order to serve them better.

He added that one of the ways by which the bank was able to sustain the winning edge is the use of the instant

issuance/Instant activation technology, which it pioneered about 10 years ago.

According to him, “Delivering to this feat at this time, is a testament to the bank’s drive in delivering its brand promise putting customers first and continuously improving our business to serve them better. “We have also consistently maintained the highest active card ratio in the industry. This feat also implies that our customers are becoming more technology savvy and we would continue to encourage this attitude with our commitment to world class service delivery. Therefore, we must work to ensure optimal performance and availability of all our channels such as ATM, FirstMobile and others to guard against customer dissatisfaction.�

The bank has also recently bagged a hat trick of awards, which are clear signs that the giant strides taken by the pan-African leading bank-brand

Glo Supports Ofala Festival

A

rrangements have been concluded for the 2019 Ofala of the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, Agbogidi.

The Ofala is the highpoint of the Onitsha ceremonial cycle.

It is primarily a celebration by the monarch and his subjects to mark the monarch’s annual emergence from seclusion, during which period he has successfully negotiated the fortunes of the kingdom. The Ofala also marks the homecoming of Onitsha indigenes.

According to a statement, Globacom, has been the official sponsors of the Ofala since

2011.

The statement pointed out that Globacom’s partnership with the organisers of the festival over the years has helped enormously in projecting the Ofala. “The actual Ofala which is a display of royal dances, tributes, parades and music running over two days, will take place on October 11 and 12. The scope of the festival has been widened, with various events now part of the celebrations,� it added.

The joint statement issued by the Ofala Steering Committee and Globacom, revealed that the 2019 edition of the festival would not only display the

rich cultural heritage of Onicha Ado NIdu, but would also be 10 days of unstoppable fun and entertainment for both visitors and residents.

The statement added that, beginning from 2019, the planning and organisation of the Ofala would be undertaken in such a way as to enhance the impact of the festival with a view to ensuring that it attracts considerable national, West African, and international attention.

The statement also stated that both Onicha Ado NIdu and Globacom looked forward to a continued partnership such that Globacom as sponsor, “would in its usual manner

make contributions towards the growth and development of the festival.� “The 2019 Ofala events will kick off on Saturday, October 5 with the maiden edition of the Onitsha City Marathon, organised by the Onitsha Business School. “The 21-kilometre road race has been approved by both the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). “Many renowned international marathoners particularly from countries with road racing records like Kenya, Ethiopia, Ugandan and Diaspora Nigerian elite athletes have entered for the event,� it added.

towards fostering its banking technologies are well aligned to the fast paced technological advancement in modern day banking.

In examining the issue of card payment space and the disruption, THISDAY spoke to the Chief Executive Officer, Patricia Technology Ventures, Fejiro Agbodje, who expressed confidence that the country was making progress in the payment space. “Technologically, Nigeria is still yet to adopt technology 100 percent in e-Commerce. But we can do better. I think the major disruption with the payment space is network failure. You transfer funds at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) but it fails. The primary reason for this failure is technology. “If you look at the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), you will see 13 to seven per cent failure rate in online transactions and in a day we have over millions of transaction in the country. So 13 percent means that 13,000 transactions failed and this is due to infrastructural challenge because in Nigeria we don’t have a unified payment system. “Unlike in Ghana where the payment is almost instant and in the United States with systems such as Paypal which is always instant. If you are making a financial transaction, each bank has its internal network which it operates and uses either NIBSS or Interwitsch. “The internal networks are the payment gateways that move money from one bank to another bank. Therefore sometimes the failure in financial transaction can come from the bank which could be failure in its down time or the bank is upgrading its servers and technology as a result, they cannot transfer signals to NIBSS or interswitch. While sometimes NIBSS servers might be down which implies that there is no transaction. “If you notice, almost every holiday in Nigeria, we have problems with financial transfers. These are all the problems that we cannot really solve until we have a unified system, where transaction can be handled properly.

It is really long shoot because NIBSS is run by the federal government in partnership with all the banks, therefore getting NIPES to aggregate for everybody efficiently is going to be hassle. “The improvement that has been spotted in the system includes the use of the electronic cards, scan to pay, pay code which allows you to make any payment without an ATM card that is innovative and if given more lights can be more adopted. So those are innovations and payment convenience for the customers. But unfortunately, Nigerians are not too receptive to new technologies, because in Nigeria, we don’t trust what we don’t know. So we rather stick to the old methods, instead of trying something new. “The banks have a role to play in this technology disruptions especially in the area of innovation. But the question is if the banks are really meeting the users where they (users) ought to be met? It is one thing to bring a product that seems cool and good, but the banks should understand that the world is evolving. “People want things that will drive convenience, instant, interesting and fast in the payment space. The online payment system has to be designed in such a way that it has to drive increased interests. We need to meet the users where they want to be met and what they want, we need to understand the market and how to penetrate it.�

42

T H I S D AY Ëž Í˛Ëœ 2019

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

BUA Group: NPA Decommissioning of Port Harcourt Terminal Threatens $400m Project Goddy Egene The recent decommissioning of BUA Ports and Terminal, Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) is threatening the take-off of $400 million project and negating the federal government’s policy of ease of doing business and efforts to attract investments to the country.

The General Manager, BUA Ports & Terminals Limited, Mr. Mohammed Lile Ibrahim, stated this, insisting that the action by the government agency was not only undermining concessioning agreements and internationally acceptable judicial/dispute resolution procedures, but also contradicts federal government’s claims of creating conducive environment for businesses to thrive.Ibrahim said while BUA had been fulfilling its part of the lease obligations, NPA had failed to do same. “While NPA’s action has affected some jobs and activities of our customers who use the jetty, what Nigerians should know and must not allow to happen is the loss of more jobs and the stoppage of $400 million sugar and pasta factories project. “That project, which has already provided employment for over 1,000 works is meant to commissioned at the end of this month. But the shutdown of the port terminal is threatening the take-off of the project. “As I talk to you now, dock workers have not been earning income since the port was shut, government is losing revenue as the charges we

ought to pay for cargos handled through the port have stopped and our customers who use the jetty to bring products are also affected and their businesses are suffering,� he said.

The GM lamented that the wheat meant for the commencement of the pasta factory was already in the sea and the truck to bring the material to the factory are already at the jetty but there is no place for the ships to berth and discharge the cargo due to NPA’s action.

Ibrahim, therefore called on the federal government to prevail on NPA to rethink its action and stop the losses being suffered by stakeholders using the port terminal. BUA Group had accused the NPA of failing to meet with its obligations regarding the lease agreement and of disregarding the Federal High Court, Lagos Division injunction restraining NPA from terminating or giving effect to the Notice of Termination pending the referral of the issues in dispute to arbitration as provided under the lease Agreement.

Also, BUA group questioned why the NPA will jettison the pending arbitral processes of the Court of Arbitration of International Chamber of Commerce in Paris and take laws into its hands by de taking physical possession of the Terminal. “Under the agreement between the parties, NPA has an obligation, among others, to dredge the port and repair the quay apron of the Terminal which responsibility it has failed to perform till date. The Lease Agreement provides for mutual rights and obligations and makes

provision for dispute resolution mechanism which explicitly states that dispute shall be resolved by arbitration. “The question is why did NPA refuse to give approval to carry out necessary remedial repair works as requested in BUA’s letter of 16th May, 2019 and as confirmed by NPA letter of 17th June, 2019, as the substance of our letter? “The simple answer is that NPA management is determined at all cost to terminate the Lease Agreement notwithstanding the terms of the agreement which provides that parties should continue with their respective obligations under the Agreement pending the resolution of the disputes, the order of injunction and the pendency of the arbitration proceedings between the parties,� the company said. “To our surprise and utter bewilderment and in clear breach of the contractual provisions, NPA by a letter dated 11th November, 2016 terminated the Lease Agreement.

BUA Ports and Terminals as a law abiding corporate citizen approached the Federal High Court, Lagos Division in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/633/17 between BUA Ports and Terminal Ltd v.

NPA contesting the purported termination of the Lease and obtained an order of injunction restraining NPA from terminating or giving effect to the Notice of Termination pending the referral of the issues in dispute to arbitration as provided under the Agreement.

The Order granting injunction is dated 18th January, 2018.

L-R: Group Head, Emerging Corporates, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Akeem Mustafa; Divisional Head, Transaction Banking, Mrs. Rolayo Akhigbe; members of Team Agrobarn and winners of the First Prize of the Agritech Incubation Programme Challenge; Divisional Head, Corporate Services, FCMB, Felicia Obozuwa; another member of Team Agrobarn, and Divisional Head, Agribusiness, FCMB, Mr. Kudzai Gumunyu, during the competition organised by Wennovation and sponsored by FCMB in Lagos‌recently

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS Money Supply (M3)

31,794,803.44

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

6,333,064.28

Money Supply (M2)

25,461,739.17

-- Quasi Money

14,773,076.98

-- Narrow Money (M1)

10,688,662.18

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,711,763.59

---- Demand Deposits

8,976,898.59

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

Exporters Accessing Our Intervention Funds, NEXIM Insists Contrary to some media reports, Nigerian exporters have not shunned government intervention and are accessing funds under the N50 billion Export Development Fund (EDF), being managed by the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) NEXIM made the clarification in a statement yesterday.

According to the Bank, over the last nine months, more than

N60 billion had been approved in support of commodity exports such as cocoa, sesame seed, cashew nuts, hibiscus, ginger shea products as well as hides and skin, among others, in the different geological zones of the country. “Exporters are drawing down gradually in line with the seasonality of agricultural produce. Indeed, the volume of applications under EDF has increased of recent, with applications worth over N77 billion currently

under processing by the Bank,� the bank explained.

The EDF was approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria last year to boost intervention in the non-oil export sector under favourable terms and conditions.

The purpose was to promote economic diversification and sustainable growth in line with the Economic Recovery & Growth Plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Infracredit Appoints New Independent Non-executive Director

(MILLION NAIRA)

NOVEMBER 2018

18,990,400.78

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

12,804,402.66

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,062,986.22

---- Credit to Government (Net)

2,980,229.66

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

7,093,619.43

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

-4,144,571.43

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

23,082,756.56

--Other Assets Net

13,258,583.57

Reserve Money (Base Money

6,811,192.37

--Currency in Circulation

2,100,129.91

--Banks Reserves

4,366,259.05

Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR)

InfraCredit, an infrastructure credit guarantee institution has announced the appointment of Solomon Adegbie-Quaynor as an independent non-executive director of the company.

Adegbie-Quaynor has been named to the Board’s Credit and New Business and Risk and Capital Committees.

According to a statement, he has over 20 years development finance and investment banking experience at the largest global IFI (International Finance Corporation) and top international investment banks (Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns).

He is an emerging markets specialist who is sector agnostic, with significant infrastructure and financial services experience.

The statement further revealed that he operates as a strategic thinker with drive, innovation and results orientation, “and is now translating this into various Senior Advisor roles including: Investment Banking

with Rothschild, development finance with IFU of Denmark, infrastructure PE investing with ARM Harith Infrastructure Fund, property development of diplomatic housing across Africa with Verdant Ventures of the US, and independent IC member for an SME-focused PE Fund (Synergy Capital).�

Adegbie-Quaynor received his BSc in Applied Physics from Atlanta University Center (US), an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and an MBA with concentration in finance (US) and strategy from JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University (US).

Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman, InfraCredit, Mr. Uche Orji said: “I would like to warmly welcome Mr. Adegbie-Quaynor to the Board. “Solomon has an exceptional

wealth of experience in infrastructure and development finance that will benefit the Company and drive meaningful value for all shareholders as we continue our journey to grow whilst strengthening our commitment to good corporate governance.�

Also, InfraCredit’s Chief Executive Officer, Chinua Azubike, said, “Mr. Adegbie-Quaynor joins InfraCredit at an exciting time and we look forward to benefiting from his insight and expertise as we work to deliver our strategic goal towards transformative growth.�

On his part, Adegbie-Quaynor said: “I am honoured to join InfraCredit’s Board and collaborate with other Board members and executive management team to contribute to the company’s mission and drive future growth. I look forward to bringing my expertise and experience to InfraCredit as a new Board.�

Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ ÍŻ Ͱ͎ͯ͡

The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $58.72 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $59.65 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Oriente (Ecuador), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

43

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͳ˜ 2019

MARKET NEWS

Union Bank Secures $200m to Fund SMEs and Women Initiatives Goddy Egene Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has secured $200 million in funding via a partnership with sub-Saharan Africa financial services group, Atlas Mara Limited, in agreement with Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the United States government’s development finance institution.

In notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday, Union Bank said under the

terms of the agreement, the bank will receive a 10- term credit facility of up to $200 million from OPIC for investments in digitisation, on-lending to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and funding for women-led businesses, as part of OPIC’s 2X Women’s initiative which aims to catalyse $1 billion for investment in women across developing nations.

According to the bank, the agreement is consistent with

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

its long-standing commitment to enabling enterprise and empowering women-owned businesses. Speaking on the funding milestone, Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, said: “We welcome this partnership with OPIC as we are well-positioned in Nigeria to further advance lending to key segments of the population, especially SMEs. The 10-year tenor of the OPIC facility provides flexibility to maximize impact across key

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

sectors of the Nigerian economy as we continue to advance proven initiatives including those focused on women’s banking and financial inclusion.”

Also speaking, Acting President and CEO of OPIC, David Bohigian, said: “OPIC is delighted to partner with Atlas Mara and the team at Union Bank to drive inclusive lending in Nigeria. This funding benefits SMEs and women and will help serve the needs of underbanked and unbanked individuals and

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

businesses while fostering entrepreneurship and economic development across Nigeria.”

Earlier this year, Union Bank launched Alpher a dynamic proposition aimed at uplifting women across all segments of the Nigerian society through capacity building opportunities, networking platforms, scholarships and tailored financial services for women.

In the same vein, last year, Union Bank introduced an

O F

innovative business acceleration programme,‘Start up Connect’, which enables Nigerian businesses creating technology-based solutions to be more competitive in the rapidly expanding African technology market.

Union Bank has been consistent in providing innovative services where SMEs can access up to $20,000 per quarter for importation without opening Letters of Credit or Bills for Collection under the Form Q scheme.

2 6 / 0 9 / 2 0 1 9 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

44

˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

Friday, October 4, 2019 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index Loses 88bps

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

Yesterday, the Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index declined 0.9% to close at 1,183.99 following losses in ZENITH (-0.8%), DANGCEM (-0.1%) and NESTLE (-10.0%). These stocks

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

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ĞĂƌŝƐŚ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ WĞƌƐŝƐƚƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƋƵŝƟĞƐ DĂƌŬĞƚ͘​͘​͘ ^/

Down 84bps

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

-19.3%

18.4%

18.6%

5.7%

4.7x

0.7x

7.1%

18.8%

-21.6%

-21.7%

34.8%

5.2%

4.1x

1.3x

10.1%

24.7%

2 Zenith Bank PLC

18.25

-0.8%

12.3%

-20.8%

-20.8%

24.8%

3.4%

3.0x

0.7x

15.4%

33.3% 15.4%

151.00

-0.1%

9.0%

-20.4%

-18.8%

51.6%

23.4%

6.5x

3.1x

10.6%

-10.0%

8.6%

-15.5%

-14.9%

105.8%

29.7%

20.8x

21.7x

4.7%

4.8%

50.35

2.8%

4.4%

-41.1%

-35.7%

8.5%

3.8%

27.8x

2.4x

4.8%

3.6% 25.4%

9 International Brew eries PLC

5.40

-1.8%

4.5%

-32.1%

-32.5%

9.4%

1.0%

3.9x

0.4x

4.8%

16.40

5.8%

4.7%

-15.5%

-15.5%

5.8%

5.4%

6.5x

0.6x

2.5%

15.3%

6.05

0.0%

4.3%

-21.4%

-22.4%

15.5%

1.7%

2.6x

0.4x

14.0%

38.9%

12.60

0.0%

1.8%

-58.7%

-60.0%

-23.2%

-2.3%

555.00

0.0%

3.8%

-13.3%

-13.3%

13.7%

8.7%

4.0x

0.5x

3.6%

25.2%

11 Access Bank PLC

7.30

-1.4%

4.5%

7.4%

12.3%

22.8%

2.2%

1.9x

0.4x

6.8%

53.9%

12 Ecobank Transnational Inc

7.85

8.3%

2.0%

-43.9%

-45.1%

15.9%

1.1%

2.2x

0.4x

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

38.00

0.0%

2.6%

-20.8%

-20.8%

28.0%

4.4%

6.0x

1.5x

5.3%

16.7%

14.9x

1.8x

6.0%

10 SEPLAT Petroleum Development C

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17.8%

1,255.50

8 United Bank for Africa PLC

weakened as volume and value traded waned 14.0% and

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

0.0%

7 Cement Co Northern Nigeria PLC

ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ĨĞůů ƚŽ Eϭϯ͘ϮƚŶ͘ ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐůLJ͕ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ůĞǀĞů

P/BV

-0.88%

6 FBN Holdings Plc

ened to -ϭϯ͘ϴй ǁŚŝůĞ Eϭϭϭ͘ϲďŶ ǁĂƐ ůŽƐƚ ŝŶ ǀĂůƵĞ ĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ

P/E

27.00

5 Nigerian Brew eries PLC

ϴϰďƉƐ ůŽǁĞƌ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ Ăƚ Ϯϳ͕Ϭϴϱ͘ϲϵ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ zd ůŽƐƐ ǁŽƌƐͲ

ROA

1,183.99

4 Nestle Nigeria PLC

and ZENITH (-0.8%) dragged the All Share Index (ASI)

ROE

1 Guaranty Trust Bank PLC

3 Dangote Cement PLC

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ ƐĞůůŽīƐ in NESTLE (-10.0%), UNILEVER (-7.7%)

Price Price Previous Current Change Change Price Weightin YTD Index to Change g Date

3.8x

-7.2%

45.1%

14 Unilever Nigeria PLC

24.65

-7.7%

2.0%

-33.4%

-33.4%

12.2%

7.5%

traded stocks by volume were GUARANTY ;ϰϰ͘ϲŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕

15 Lafarge Africa PLC

16.00

0.0%

2.7%

28.5%

33.3%

2.1%

0.7%

FBNH (17.4m units) and FIDELITY ;ϭϭ͘Ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŽƉ

16 Guinness Nigeria PLC

32.90

-3.2%

0.8%

-54.3%

-54.3%

6.2%

3.5%

13.1x

0.8x

4.6%

17 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

54.95

0.0%

1.2%

-27.9%

-27.9%

18.2%

13.5%

10.3x

1.9x

5.8%

9.7%

18 Total Nigeria PLC

123.20

0.0%

1.0%

-39.3%

-39.3%

9.2%

1.8%

16.4x

1.6x

13.9%

6.1%

19 11 PLC

140.00

0.7%

1.2%

-24.5%

-24.5%

24.8%

10.9%

6.3x

1.4x

5.9%

16.0%

15.00

2.7%

1.0%

-35.1%

-32.4%

3.1%

1.1%

13.2x

0.4x

8.1%

3.70

-1.6%

1.1%

-26.0%

-22.9%

14.3%

2.5%

1.7x

0.2x

traded stocks by value were GUARANTY ;Eϭ͘ϮďŶͿ͕ N' D ;EϯϬϬ͘ϱŵͿ ĂŶĚ NESTLE ;EϮϬϱ͘ϭŵͿ͘

20 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 21 Oando PLC

1.1x

6.7% -0.1% 7.6%

7.6% 59.5%

22 Fidelity Bank PLC

1.70

2.4%

1.1%

-16.3%

-16.3%

12.4%

1.4%

2.0x

0.2x

6.5%

50.3%

23 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

1.01

0.0%

0.9%

-23.5%

-21.7%

14.2%

3.2%

4.3x

0.6x

3.0%

23.2%

24 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

10.55

-2.3%

0.8%

-30.8%

-28.7%

20.7%

11.4%

6.2x

1.3x

10.4%

16.2%

26 FCMB Group Plc

1.58

-1.3%

0.7%

-16.4%

-12.2%

9.2%

1.2%

1.9x

0.2x

8.9%

53.3%

ĂƐ ϯ ŽĨ ϲ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĚ͘ dŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ

27 UAC of Nigeria PLC

6.75

-3.6%

0.5%

-30.8%

-29.3%

-6.9%

-3.3%

0.3x

9.5%

-27.4%

1.80

-1.1%

0.6%

-5.3%

-5.3%

8.1%

0.8%

5.9x

0.5x

ŝŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĂƐ ƐĞůůŽīƐ ŝŶ NESTLE (-4.9%) and

29 Presco PLC

40.35

0.0%

0.3%

-37.0%

-37.0%

7.3%

4.6%

12.0x

1.5x

5.0%

8.3%

30 NASCON Allied Industries PLC

13.70

0.0%

0.3%

-23.9%

-23.9%

35.9%

12.1%

9.9x

3.4x

7.3%

10.1%

31 Forte Oil PLC

DŝdžĞĚ ^ĞĐƚŽƌ WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ

25 Diamond Bank PLC

Performance across sectors under our coverage was mixed

28 Sterling Bank PLC

UNILEVER (-ϳ͘ϳͿ ĚƌĂŐŐĞĚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĚĞdž ůŽǁĞƌ ďLJ ϱ͘ϰй͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌͲ ly, the Insurance and Oil & Gas indices lost 0.4% and 0.1% ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ůŽƐƐĞƐ ŝŶ CONTINSURE (-3.1%) and

OANDO

16.40

0.0%

0.2%

-40.3%

-41.4%

48.9%

7.4%

2.5x

1.3x

32 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC

7.00

0.0%

0.5%

25.0%

25.0%

7.0%

1.1%

11.3x

0.9x

33 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC

18.55

0.0%

0.3%

-7.7%

-16.1%

21.8%

2.5%

3.4x

0.7x

122.1x

0.7x

2.4%

0.8%

117.5%

38.3%

9.0x

10.9x

11.2%

11.1%

34 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 35 Chemical and Allied Products P

(-ϭ͘ϲйͿ͘ ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů

Goods index rose 0.8% following buying interest in CCNN ;нϱ͘ϴйͿ while gains in ETI (+8.3%) and FIDELITY ;нϮ͘ϰйͿ buoyed the Banking index ;нϬ͘ϮйͿ͘ &ŝŶĂůůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ &Z-ICT

;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ƚŽ Ϭ͘ϳdž ĨƌŽŵ Ϭ͘ϱdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚͲ ĞĚ ƚǁŽ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶƐ ĂŐŽ ĂƐ ϭϮ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ 18 stocks that declined. The best performing stocks were NIGERINS (+10.0%), NEIMETH (+9.1%) and CAVER-

0.0%

0.2%

-42.1%

-43.1%

0.0%

0.2%

-26.7%

-26.7%

8.9% 10.8%

0.59

0.0%

0.2%

-6.3%

-6.3%

7.8%

0.7%

5.7x

0.4x

5.1%

17.6%

53.80

-10.0%

0.2%

-21.2%

-21.2%

16.8%

11.3%

5.4x

0.8x

2.4%

18.6%

38 Dangote Flour Mills Plc

22.35

0.0%

0.6%

226.3%

238.6%

-30.8%

-9.1%

39 Transcorp Hotels Plc

5.40

0.0%

0.1%

-11.5%

-11.5%

5.1%

2.6%

14.3x

0.7x

40 AXA Mansard Insurance PLC

1.66

0.0%

0.1%

-9.3%

-9.3%

9.4%

2.6%

8.4x

0.8x

T o p 10 G a i n e r s

3.9x

-9.4% 3.0%

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

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

N IGER IN S

0.22

10.0%

N EIM ET H

0.48

9.1%

C A VER T ON

2.60

ET I

7.85

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

GUA R A N T Y

44.6

0.0%

FB NH

17.4

-1.8%

8.3%

F ID ELIT YB K

11.2

2.4%

8.3%

T R A N SC OR P

9.8

0.0% -1.4%

LA WUN ION

0.42

7.7%

A C C ESS

9.4

CCNN

16.40

5.8%

ST ER LN B A N K

9.3

-1.1%

A IIC O

0.68

3.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

7.9

-0.8%

NB

50.35

2.8%

UB A

6.3

0.0%

F LOUR M ILL

15.00

2.7%

C ON T IN SUR E

5.1

-3.1%

F ID ELIT YB K

1.70

2.4%

UC A P

3.6

-4.3%

T o p 10 L o s e r s

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

and COURTVILLE (-9.1%) were the worst performers. We T ic k er

sequent sessions as investors maintain a risk-Žī ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ towards ĞƋƵŝƟĞƐ͘

N EST LE B ET A GLA S

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

P ric e C hg %

1255.50

-10.0%

GUA R A N T Y

1237.8

0.0%

53.80

-10.0%

D A N GC EM

300.5

-0.1%

C OUR T VILLE

0.20

-9.1%

N EST LE

205.1

-10.0%

24.65

-7.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

145.2

-0.8%

UC A P

2.00

-4.3%

NB

141.9

2.8%

CHA M S

0.24

-4.0%

FB NH

93.7

-1.8%

UN ILEVER

UA C N GUIN N ESS

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

6.75

-3.6%

A C C ESS

69.2

-1.4%

32.90

-3.2%

M OB IL

46.5

0.7%

C ON T IN SUR E

2.20

-3.1%

UB A

38.0

0.0%

D A N GSUGA R

10.55

-2.3%

WA P C O

27.6

0.0%

Asset Management

Investment Research

Ayodeji Ebo | aebo@afrinvest.com

Ola Belgore | obelgore@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Oluwarotimi Ashimi | oashimi@afrinvest.com

Adedayo Bakare | abakare@afrinvest.com

Brokerage

7.0% 11.9%

TON (+8.3%) while NESTLE (-10.0%), BETAGLASS (-10.0%)

ďĞůŝĞǀĞ ƚŚĞ ďĞĂƌŝƐŚ ŵŽŵĞŶƚƵŵ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĞĚ ŝŶ ƐƵďͲ

29.5%

37 Beta Glass PLC

T ic k er

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ

7.00 25.55

39.3%

36 Wema Bank PLC

ĐůŽƐĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

16.9%

45

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Osinbajo: Vibrant Commodities Exchange Will Improve Forex Earnings Goddy Egene The Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo yesterday stressed the need for the development of a vibrant commodities trading ecosystem that will facilitate the diversification of the economy and improve government

revenue and foreign exchange earnings.

Osinbajo stated this at a Roundtable on Nigerian Commodities Trading Ecosystem organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Lagos.

Represented by the Special Adviser to the President

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

on Economic Matters, Dr. Yemi Dipeolu, Osinbajo said the commodities trading ecosystem was of paramount interest because Nigeria has an abundance of natural resources and accordingly a comparative advantage in agriculture, solid minerals and oil and gas, hence emphasis in the immediate term

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 02Oct-2019, unless otherwise stated.

is the agricultural sector.

According to him, the federal government attaches great importance to an active and vibrant capital market which would contribute to national growth and development.

He said in order to achieve this objective, the capital market had to operate at an optimum level

which is why the implementation of the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan remained a key priority.

“Agriculture accordingly occupies a pride of place in federal government policy as stated on numerous occasions by the President and as articulated in the Economic Recovery and

Growth Plan. The importance of agriculture was underscored during the last recession as its growth then of about three to four percent prevented a steeper decline. Agriculture is also important for food security and as a means of generating a quick production response,” he said.

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

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

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

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 141.69 143.70 -9.91% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 12.94% Nigeria International Debt Fund 273.18 273.18 1.38% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.88 0.88 4.24% ACAP Income Funds 0.77 0.77 35.38% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.48% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.37 2.41 6.96% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 14.54 14.98 -12.37% ARM Discovery Fund 333.79 343.86 -6.41% ARM Ethical Fund 28.19 29.04 -0.17% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.39% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 93.34 94.00 -7.75% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.20% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 0.13 0.12 13.27% Paramount Equity Fund 12.15 12.26 2.91% Women's Investment Fund 108.12 108.84 4.43% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.05% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 95.54 96.24 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 96.40 97.27 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 12.18% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 12.07% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,114.59 1,121.36 12.15% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,248.45 1,249.23 11.53% FBN BALANCED FUND 140.72 141.65 -1.44% FBN Money Market Fund 0.00 0.00 12.44% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 119.67 119.99 8.25% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 120.22 120.53 9.00% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 122.86 124.45 -18.09% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.76% Legacy Debt Fund 3.55 3.55 9.40% Legacy Equity Fund 1.05 1.07 -13.54% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.07 1.07 3.88% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,018.89 3,050.44 1.18% Coral Income Fund 3,015.20 3,015.20 10.03% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 12.47% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.34% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 111.04 112.11 3.72% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.01%

INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.61% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.18 2.20 0.91% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.81% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 128.11 127.87 2.38% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.17 1.19 6.00% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,123.96 1,123.96 10.12% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 9.93 10.01 -7.19% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.00% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.29 1.31 4.74% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.02 12.06 7.49% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.16% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 123.06 123.12 1.72% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.03 1.03 10.45% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 10.03 10.19 -3.79% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.22 11.40 -4.96% Zenith Income Fund 22.35 22.35 10.58% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.88%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 117.09 53.10

-44.85% 5.40% 2.63%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

8.42 87.77 70.89

8.52 89.67 72.25

-15.42% -25.16% -20.02%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.26 5.56 11.95 10.74 148.93

3.30 5.64 12.05 10.94 150.93

-18.29% -26.84% -18.21% -12.99% 12.73%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.34

17.40%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

46

FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

Knife-wielding Man Who Attacked Police Officers Shot Dead in Paris A 45-year-old IT assistant at the police headquarters in central Paris went on a knife rampage inside the building on Thursday, killing three police officers and an administrative worker.

He was thereafter shot dead by an officer, French officials said.

French broadcaster, BFM TV, said the attacker had converted to Islam 18 months ago.

Officials did not say anything about the motive for the attack and they said they were still trying to discover if there was a terrorism link.

The area around the police headquarters, which is close to

Notre-Dame Cathedral, was sealed off and a metro station was shut for security reasons as the attack unfolded.

The dead were three men and a woman, according to Paris Prosecutor, Remy Heitz.

Another person was wounded and is undergoing surgery.

Heitz said police were searching the attacker’s home, and that anti-terrorist investigators were evaluating what had happened, for any terrorist links.

The attacker’s wife had been brought into police custody but not charged, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

Speaking outside the police headquarters, French Interior Minister, Christophe Castaner, said the attacker was known to his colleagues and had worked for some time in the IT department.

“He had never presented any behavioural issues, he had never presented the slightest cause for alarm before going on his deadly rampage today,’’ Castaner said.

A police official and member of the collective “Police up in Anger”, which lobbies for better conditions for officers, was quoted by franceinfo radio as saying the assailant had experienced issues with his supervisor.

“I know there were tensions between him and his direct supervisor,’’ Christophe Crepin told franceinfo.

“I do not think this is a

terrorist act.’’

Jean-Marc Bailleul, a police union leader, described the incident as criminal rather than an act of terror.

“It was a moment of madness,’’ Bailleul told BFM TV. In the past four years, the French capital has been rocked by violent attacks, resulting in mass casualties.

Coordinated bombings

and shootings by militants in November 2015, at the Bataclan theatre and other locations around Paris, killed 130 people in the deadliest attacks in France since World War Two. In a three-day killing spree in January 2015, gunmen killed reporters and illustrators at satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, police officers and shoppers at a Jewish supermarket.

EU Pledges to Work with UK on Brexit Corbyn, Blackford day Johnson’s new deal is unacceptable The European Commission has said it is prepared to “constructively engage” with Britain’s new proposal to tweak the withdrawal agreement with the European Union (EU), as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pitched his plans to lawmakers in the House of Commons.

This is as Johnson’s call on politicians in the House of Commons to back the new proposals he had submitted to Brussels to pave the way for Britain to leave the European Union (EU) on October 31 has been described as unacceptable and undeliverable.

Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud said on Thursday in Brussels that it was up to Britain to do the further work needed “and not the other way round”, though Johnson has implied that the next move was up to the EU. According to the spokeswoman it is London that is leaving the EU. “We are not going to be the ones left holding the bag, the ball or any other kind of object,” Bertaud said.

London put forward its hotly anticipated proposal for an alternative to the backstop – the clause in the current withdrawal agreement designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland – on Wednesday, which Brussels says it is now scrutinising.

Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Johnson said “we have shown great flexibility in the interests of reaching an accommodation with our European friends.”

The outgoing president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, is to speak on the phone to Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar later on Thursday.

Menawhile, Johnson’s call on politicians in the House of Commons to back the new proposals he has submitted to Brussels to pave the way for Britain to leave the EU on October 31 has been described as unacceptable and undeliverable.

Johnson’s call came under attack from the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, as well as the Westminster leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Ian Blackford following a message he delivered to the Houseon Thursday.

With the message: “This is our chance to get a deal, the people of this country have had enough of dither and delay,” Johnson admitted that Britain had made compromises in the quest to end an impasse that had lasted more than three years.

Blackford told the Commons that Johnson’s proposals were unacceptable, unworkable, and undeliverable.

He added: “It is a plan designed to fail and the prime minister knows that.”

Under the deal, the EU-demanded backstop arrangement to avoid the need for a frontier between the Irish Republic and British-controlled Northern Ireland would be dropped.

Instead a regulatory trade arrangement would keep Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic in a single trade zone, while all of the UK, including Northern Ireland, would come out of the EU Customs Union.

Corbyn described Johnson’s proposals as a rehash of the three-times rejected Brexit deal put forward by his predecessor Theresa May. He added that the deal could be even worse in parts than the one May had proposed, saying that in three years the Conservative government has not found an answer to the Northern Ireland issue.

Corbyn called for an extension to Britain’s membership of the EU, and then allow the population to decide whether to accept sensible proposals or to stay in the bloc.

Johnson told MPs: “This government’s objective has always been to leave with a deal. And these constructive and reasonable proposals show our seriousness of purpose.”

PARTNERS IN PROGRESS…

L-R: Deputy Inspector General of Police, Usman Tilli; Police Deligation of CRC, Pietro Tilli; Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; and Protection Delegation of CRC, Maryam Kashefi, during launch of the Reviewed Force Order 237 in Abuja...yesterday

ECOWAS: We Have Challenges Fighting Terrorism Financing The Inter-Governmental Action against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) on Thursday said that its efforts at fighting money laundering and terrorism financing in member-states were fraught with challenges.

GIABA is a specialised institution of ECOWAS and the Financial ActionTask ForceStyled Regional Body (FSRB), with the mandate to protect the economies of member-states from the laundering of the proceeds of crime.

GIABA’s Director General, Justice Kimelabalou Aba, who made the disclosure at the Annual GIABA World News Conference in Dakar, Senegal, said that the organisation was facing a technical staff deficit.

Aba said that the ECOWAS institution was currently, among others, experiencing the problem of inadequate interpreters and translators in the effective discharge of its responsibilities.

“There is inadequate technical staff at our secretariat, as well

as insufficient interpreters and translators.

“GIABA has also observed that there is lack of understanding among experts in mutual evaluation, inadequate supervision and reporting in West Africa.

“There is also some inadequacy in the required tools for monitoring the movement of funds in the region,’’ he said.

Aba, who said that GIABA urgently needed the recruitment of more technical staff, interpreters

and translators, added that it also needed an appropriate mechanism for implementing recommendations.

He said that despite its challenges, GIABA had in 2018 recorded successes in the areas of mutual evaluation and risk assessment in some member- states.

The director-general said that it was important for the media to be alive to its responsibilities of investigating and reporting on issues of money laundering and terrorism financing.

Trump Urges Ukraine, China to Investigate Bidens, as Inquiry Continues U.S. President Donald Trump openly called on both Ukraine and China to investigate the family of his rival, Joe Biden, even as he is facing an impeachment inquiry over his private push to have Kiev look into the former vice president.

The president made the public remarks to reporters outside the White House just as Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, was in Washington to testify in a closed-door session to lawmakers, making him the first diplomat to be deposed in the inquiry.

Trump’s July 25 call with newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is at the heart of the impeachment investigations by Democrats in the House of Representatives.

A reconstructed transcript

of the call, released last week by the White House, showed the Republican president asking for a “favour” of Ukraine in investigating Biden, a frontrunner in the Democratic Party’s primary for next year’s presidential election.

“I would think that if they were honest about it, they’d start a major investigation into the Bidens,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Thursday.

“I would say, President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens,” the president said.

“Likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens,” he said.

Trump also made comments about the trade talks with China

due to resume next week. While he did not explicitly link the issues, the remarks are likely to fuel concerns about his behaviour in office.

“The President cannot use the power of his office to pressure foreign leaders to investigate his political opponents. His rant this morning reinforces the urgency of our work,” said Adam Schiff, the Democratic head of the House Intelligence Committee, which is leading investigations.

Volker resigned at the end of last week. The former special envoy appears to have had contact with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who was running back-door diplomacy on Ukraine.

Trump, in the phone call, asked Ukraine to potentially

investigate Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings in that country. He asked officials there to be in contact with Giuliani, among others.

The lawyer’s involvement was also noted with concern in a whistleblower report.

Democratic lawmakers are further looking at whether the White House withheld military aid in order to pressure the country.

There is still no word on whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will comply with a subpoena against him from the three committees, which has a deadline of Friday. Similarly, the White House is due to face a subpoena on Friday if it does not hand over documents to lawmakers.

47

FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

WORLD OF ISLAM

INTERNATIONAL

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

US Reopens Somalia Embassy When Faith Hurts: Do after Nearly 30 Years Good Deeds - Good Life? -2

The US has reopened its embassy in Somalia nearly 30 years after it closed it, after civil war broke out in the country.

Long-time leader Siad Barre was removed from office in 1991 by clan militias, who then fought each other for power.

The Horn of Africa nation has since then been riven by clan conflict and violence perpetrated by Islamist militias.

A statement from the US embassy on Wednesday said that reopening of the embassy follows last year’s establishment of a permanent diplomatic presence in the capital, Mogadishu.

It added that: Quote Message: [It] is another step forward in

the resumption of regular US -Somalia relations, symbolising the strengthening of US-Somalia relations and advancement of stability, development, and peace for Somalia, and the region.”

[It] is another step forward in the resumption of regular US -Somalia relations, symbolising the strengthening of US-Somalia relations and advancement of stability, development, and peace for Somalia, and the region.”

The US ambassador to Somalia Donald Yamamoto said that the opening of the embassy was “significant and historic” and was “another step forward in regularising US diplomatic engagement in Mogadishu since recognising

the federal government of Somalia in 2013.”

The US is Somalia’s biggest donor, giving $730m (£590m) worth of aid last year, news agency Reuters reports quoting an official at the US State Department.

The US has also been a key ally in the fight against Islamist militants al-Shabab who want to overthrow the UN-recognised government.

On Monday, al-Shabab militants attacked a military base where US soldiers train Somali commandos.

Military officials said the jihadists were repulsed without breaching the perimeter fence.

No casualties were reported among the Somali military.

Zambia MPs Push for Free Sanitary Pads in Schools The Zambian parliament has unanimously adopted a motion for the free distribution of sanitary pads in schools.

Though the motion is not law, it means government must provide funds for the distribution of sanitary pads in the next budget.

The move comes after lawmaker Sebastian Kopulande observed on

Wednesday that most menstrual products are expensive and pupils in rural areas cannot afford to buy them.

He urged the ministry of finance to consider removing customs duty and value added tax on menstrual products.

He questioned why poor female students are not entitled to free sanitary pads when condoms are distributed free of charge.

He said in his constituency alone, an estimated 70% of girls cannot afford to buy

German Leaders CHANGE OF NAME known and addressed Celebrate 29 asI, formerly OLADIPO FUNMILOLA now wish to be known and Years of Unity KEMI, addressed as BELLO FUNMILOGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier were in the northern city of Kiel on Thursday for commemorations marking the country’s reunification 29 years ago.

They were joined by the president of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Schaeuble, and the prime minister of SchleswigHolstein, Daniel Guenther, in signing the city’s Golden Book.

They are then set to attend an ecumenical service, followed by an official ceremony in which Merkel and Guenther will give speeches.

The national celebrations for German Unity Day are traditionally hosted by the state that holds the Bundesrat presidency, which is currently SchleswigHolstein.

The fall of the Berlin Wall gave impetus to a process that eventually led to the reunification of the former states of East and West Germany on Oct. 3, 1990.

LA KEMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as FORMER KALU OBASI CHINECHEREM , now wish to be known and addressed as OGBA OBASI CHINECHEREM. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as IDRIS OLAMIDE ABDULHAKEEM, now wish to be known and addressed as IDRIS ABDULHAKEEM. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as DEBORAH ENIFOME OGHENEKOME, now wish to be known and addressed as DEBORAH ENIFOME AMROMAYA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MISS OGBONNA ANGELA CHIGOZIRIM, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS LCHA ANGELA CHIGOZIRIM. All former documents remain valid. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Saudi Arabian Embassy, Banks and the general public should please take I, formerly known and addressed as ADEOLA ADEKUNLE, now wish to be known and addressed as ADELEKE MARTINS. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

sanitary pads during their periods, which stopped them going to school at this time for fear of embarrassment.

Mr Kopulande lamented the fact that in the last three national budgets, funds had been allocated for distributing 14,000 sanitary towels in rural areas, but the government had not yet released the money.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed

as OLISAEMEKA EMMANUEL AND CHUKWUEMEKA EMMANUEL, now wish to be known and addressed as IFEANYICHUKWU EMMANUEL STONE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as OSHODI OMOWONUOLA RISIKAT, now wish to be known and addressed as OSHODINWAMIDI OMOWONUOLA. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ODUNUKAN OPEYEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OPEYEMI ALIMI. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONOJA EBELE ROSEMARY, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ABDULLAHI EBELE ROSEMARY. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as BELLO UMORU STEPHEN, now wish to be known and addressed as UMARU BELLO. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MUTARU OLUWANISOLA MURUTALA, now wish to be known and addressed as MUTAIRU MURITALA OLUWANISHOLA. My DoB was mistakenly typed as 12/06/1971 instead of 12/06/1972. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS KATE IMAOBONG BASSEY, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS KATE IMAOBONG FRANCIS. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

Zeba Khan/IslamiCity/Muslimmatters (continued from last week) Loving Allah and trusting the Wisdom and Purpose in everything He throws your way - even if it hurts. It is a time to learn.

Making a Bargain with Allah If we can understand that faith is not a contract for which we trade prayers for services, then maybe we can cope better when fate cannot be bargained with. Maybe it won’t have to hurt so bad – on spiritual level – when Allah withholds what we ask for, even when we asked for the “right” things in the right way and at all the right times.

Life is not simple. Faith is not simple. The will of Allah is not simple, no matter how much we want it to be, and when oversimplify it, we create a Muslim version of Prosperity Gospel without meaning to.

If you’ve never heard of it, prosperity gospel is a religious belief among some Christians that health and wealth and success are the will of God, and therefore faith, good deeds and charity increase one’s wellbeing. Have faith, and God will reward you in this life and the next. That’s nice. But it’s too simple. Because the belief that Good Deeds = The Good Life doesn’t explain how Ibraheem(as)’s father tried to have him burnt alive.

Yusuf(as)’s brothers left him for dead in the bottom of a well. He grew up a slave and spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Aasiya(as) – the wife of the Pharoah – one of the four best women in the history of womankind – died from her husband’s torture.

Good people are not guaranteed good lives.

Islam is what we need, not a system of practices that we use to fulfill our needs.

When we limit our understanding of faith to a simplistic, almost contractual relationship with Allah, then we can’t even explain the things that Allah Tested His own prophets with.

Nor can we understand, or even begin to cope with - what He Tests the rest of us with either. We have to be real in our talk about faith, because otherwise we set each other up for unrealistic expectations and lack of preparation for when we face hardship. Faith is not protection from hardship. Faith is part of hardship. And hardship is part of faith.

Allah(swt) asks us in the opening of Surah ‘Ankabut, Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test? We certainly tested those before them.

And in this way Allah will clearly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are liars.(Q29v2-3) Allah says in Surah Baqarah, ayah 155: “And most certainly shall We try you by means of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of the fruits of your labor.

But give glad tidings to those who are patient in adversity.

Allah Tests Everyone Differently

Allah tests each of us differently, but in every single case – every single time – a test is an invitation to success. Hardship is the process through which we prove ourselves. Experiencing it– and then drawing closer to Allah through it –is how faith is tested as well as strengthened.

If we can change how we perceive hardship, then we can also change how we perceive each other. On our cultural subconscious, we still see worldly failure as being equivalent to spiritual failure. So when we see people who are homeless, we assume fault. When we see people facing depression or divorce, we assume fault. We even look at refugees and victims and special needs children and we look for fault. Because if it’s that bad then it’s has to be someone’s fault, right?

Fault is how we place blame. Blame is how we know whose mistake it is. But the will of Allah is never a mistake, it’s a test. Instead of faulting each other for what Allah tests us with, we could respect each other for the struggles we all endure. We could see each other with more compassion for our challenges, and less aversion when Allah tests us with dealing each other.

So when you’ve done things the right way, but the right things aren’t happening. Or you’ve been charitable to others, and they’re being evil towards you. Or you’ve earned only halal, but haram - it’s been taken away from you, remember this- your faith is being tested.

Allah tests those that He loves. When He raises the difficulty level, Allah is extending a direct

invitation for you to climb higher.

So How Do We Succeed When Faced With Failure?

The first thing to do is redefine failure. There is only one true failure in this life, and that is dying on the wrong side of Siraat ul Mustaqeem, because if close your eyes and wake up in Jahannam, no success in this life can compensate for that.

I find that helpful to remember, when I fail to stay fit because I can’t exercise without hurting myself, when I fail to fast in Ramadan because it’s dangerous for me to do so- when I fail to discover a cure for my family’s personal assortment of medical issues through rigorous internet “research,” none of that is my failure either. And I can feel a lot of different ways about these situations, but I do not feel guilty - because it’s not my fault. And I do not feel bitter, because my test is my honor. Even when I do feel scared.

Being scared is not a failure either. Neither is being unemployed. Being unmarried is not a failure. Being childless is not a failure. Being divorced is not a failure. Nothing unpleasant or miserable or unexpected is a failure. It’s all just a test, and seeing it as a test means you have the state of mind to look for the correct answers.

Not even sin is failure, because as long as you are alive, your sin stands as an invitation to forgiveness. The bigger the sin, the greater the blessings of repenting from it. Everything that goes bad is the opening of the door for good. A major sin can be the first step on a journey that starts with repentance and moves you closer to Allah every day thereafter. Sin only becomes failure when it takes you farther away from Allah, rather than closer to him.

Jahannam is the Only Failure

Addiction is not a failure. Depression is not a failure. Poverty is not a failure. Jahannam is the only failure. Everything else is a gap in expectations.

You assumed you would have something, but it’s not written for you. You assumed you’d ask Allah for something and He’d give it to you, but what is that assumption based on again?

That good deeds are the guarantee to the good life, and that prayer equals problem solved?

Allah has all the knowledge, Allah has the wisdom, Allah is the best of Planners – how are you assuming that your wishes supersede His will? Even when you put your wishes in the form of a prayer?

They don’t. It is absolutely true that Allah may choose to rewrite Qadr itself based on your prayers – but that’s still His choice. Allah has always, and will always be in control of this world. And that means your world too. If you still think you’re in control, you will find it really, really hard to cope the first time you realize you’re not.

When we understand that we don’t get to control what happens and what doesn’t, we can then release ourselves from the misplaced guilt of things going wrong. Lots of special needs parents struggle with guilt. I meet them often – and every single parent has asked the question - directly or indirectly - What did I do for my child to deserve this?

Can you hear the presumption in there? That the parents were good, so why did something bad happen? They were expecting for good deeds to equal the good life.

There’s a second presumption in there too, that their life choices were a determining factor of what happened to their child. That is a presumption of control. And as long as you try to hold on to that presumption of control, there is the constant feeling of failure when it just doesn’t work the way you think it will.

I am not proposing that we lose hope in Allah and despair of His Mercy. I am in no way insinuating that Allah doesn’t hear every prayer, hasn’t counted every tear, and isn’t intimately aware of your pain and your challenges. Allah hears your prayers, and in His wisdom, sometimes he grants us exactly what we want. In His Wisdom, sometimes he grants us exactly what we need.

Even if we don’t see it.

Even if it scares us.

Even if it hurts us – because Allah has promised that He will never, ever break us.

To Be Continued

48

FRIDAY OCTOBER 4, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Buhari Presents 2020 Budget Estimates Tuesday Senate Jerks up expenditure by N729bn House approves N10.73tn, $57 oil benchmark for 2020 budget Deji Elumoye and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The annual budget cycle of the federal government may return to the old cycle of January to December from next year as President Muhammadu Buhari will next Tuesday present the 2020 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly.

This is coming just as the Senate yesterday jerked up the total estimated expenditure of the federal government in 2020 from N10.002 trillion to N10.729 trillion.

On its part, the House of Representatives has approved the 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), increasing next year’s budget

by N729 billion, from N 10.

002 trillion to N10.729.4 trillion The upper chamber at plenary also accused the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of under disclosure of e-collection duties while resolving to to properly investigate the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) with a view to ascertaining the actual cost associated with the joint venture agreements.

Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, told his colleagues that with the approval of the MTEF/ FSP document the coast is now clear for President Buhari to lay

the 2020 budget proposal before a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

Lawan spoke after passage of the 2020 - 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework ( MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper ( FSP) draft, forwarded to both chambers of the National Assembly by President Buhari last week Wednesday.

The draft was subsequently referred to the National Assembly joint committee on Finance which concluded its assignment on Wednesday and presented its report at plenary yesterday.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, also echoed the planned 2020 budget presentation next week Tuesday by President Buhari while speaking with journalists after plenary.

“With the passage of MTEF/ FSP documents by both chambers of the National Assembly , the needful has indeed been done for presentation of the 2020 budget by the President next week, which the President of the Senate specifically stated that it will be on Tuesday , October 8, 2019”, he said .

Meanwhile, the Senate has received a formal written request

Bauchi’s Assets Recovery Committee Indicts ExGov Abubakar

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Bauchi State Funds and Assets Recovery Committee set up by Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has expressed indicted the immediate past governor, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar, over alleged looting of the state’s assets and properties.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, the committee Chairman, Senator Isa Hamma Misau, accused the former governor of selling to himself seven luxury and utility vehicles belonging to Bauchi State Government in violation of provisions of state Budget Monitoring, Price Intelligence and Public Procurement Law. The vehicles, according to the chairman, included Land Cruiser Armoured Jeep auctioned at the cost of N7,800,000.00; Land Cruiser V8 sold at the cost of N2,800,000.00; two Toyota Hilux Vehicles sold at the cost of N1,050,000.00 each; and three Range Rover (Jeep) auctioned at the cost of N2,114,700.00., N2,947,875.00 and N2,114,700.00 respectively.

Misau added that the committee discovered 30 exotic vehicles allocated to his political appointees and public office holders that had left office but were never returned, pointing out that “the committee has already recovered 15 of such vehicles and, is on the trail of the remaining 15 with a view to recovering and returning them to government pool. In the same vein, the committee has taken steps to recover the vehicles that the former governor arbitrarily sold to himself.”

Shedding more light on the committee’s work, he said it was also discovered that former

governor initiated a transaction and sold to himself a house with the Certificate of Occupancy No. BA/40245 located adjacent to Wikki Hotel, belonging to Bauchi State Government, at a highly subsidised rate.

This, according to him, was also in gross violation of the Bauchi State Budget Monitoring, Price Intelligence and Public Procurement Law. The committee chairman also said between October 2016 and May 2018 alone, nearly N1.4 billion was allegedly stolen.

“Furthermore, there were deductions in the name of civil servants in Bauchi State for National Housing Fund supposed to be paid to the Federal Mortgage Bank but diverted to private pockets, amounting to nearly N350 million. Under these direct withdrawals and theft, we have a total of about N2.5 billion. The culprits have been identified and efforts have reached advanced stage to retrieve the amount, and carry out appropriate prosecution,” he said.

On the award of contracts, Misau said the committee also uncovered alleged multibillion naira fraudulent and questionable contracts, some of them fully paid for, but were either abandoned or completely not executed.

The chairman said the committee discovered a highly suspicious contract on Paris Club recovery awarded to a consultant, Mauritz Walton.

“What makes this contract even more suspicious was the claim by the consultant to have received N5 billion being part payment from Bauchi State Government, waiting for a balance of N3 billion.

from President Buhari to present the 2020 Appropriation bill before a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The request letter, which was dated Wednesday, October 2, 2019 and addressed to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, reads: “May I crave the kind indulgence of the Distinguished Senate to grant me the slot of 1400 hours on Tuesday, 8th October, 2019, to formally present the 2020 Appropriation Bill to the Joint session of the National Assembly.

“Please accept, Mr. Senate President, the assurances of

my highest regards, as I look forward to addressing the Joint Session”.

However, one of the earlier proposals made by the President which was the entire aggregate expenditure for the 2020 budget was jerked up from N10.002 trillion to N10.729 trillion.

The increase as explained by the joint committee on Finance of both chambers, arose from $57 per barrel approved as oil price bench mark as against $55 proposed by the executive in the MTEF/ FSP documents.

The joint committee explained further in its report adopted at both chambers, that part of the

N10.729 trillion now proposed as aggregate expenditure profile of the 2020 budget , is N548billion added to the N942.6 bn expected revenues from Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) .

According to the report , the revenue target of NCS of N942.6 billion for 2020 budget is now increased to N1.5 trillion due to improved performance of NCS within the last nine months.

The report as recommended and adopted by both chambers, also stated that saving on income accruing from the increase of the oil price benchmark amounting to N172 billion which represents the federal

government portion of the $2 added to the benchmark, be used to pay salaries and emolument of the proposed 30,000 new employees into the military, police and some para- military agencies.

The committee also recommended and got adopted, N1.5trillion as the amount for new borrowing as against N1.70 trillion proposed by the executive in the MTEF/ FSP documents.

The N200 billion reduction, according to it, is sourced from the increase of revenue target of the Nigeria Custom Service.

PROMOTING HEALTHCARE …

L-R: Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; representative of wife of the President and SSA on Administration to the President, Dr. Ajo Sani; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; and wife of the governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu during the inauguration of the 149-bed Maternal and Child Centre in Alimosho General Hospital, Igando…yesterday

Establish Specialised Agency to Harness AfCFTA Opportunities, Afreximbank Tells Nigeria Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah, has urged Nigeria to set up a specialised agency to enable it take advantage of the opportunities inherent in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Delivering a keynote address at a dinner and gala night organised to mark Nigeria’s 59th Independence Day celebration, Oramah said such an agency should be the arrow-head for achieving

Nigeria’s strategic objectives for its membership of the AfCFTA. According to him, Nigeria’s goal should be set out in a carefully developed strategy and entrusted to an accountable set of people to implement.

Oramah, in a statement, described the AfCFTA as a platform for Africa’s collective self-reliance, adding that Nigeria had a great opportunity to benefit immensely from it if certain actions were taken at the federal, state and corporate levels in a coordinated

manner.

He noted that while the prospects of the AfCFTA in terms of development were not in question, the road ahead was likely to be rough and turbulent, saying Nigeria should consider triggering an adjustment process for operators in sectors likely to be negatively impacted and putting in place arrangements to support those that could become competitive by simple re-tooling and transforming from import substitution to export orientation.

He also urged the government to make credible

trade information available to Nigerian businesses interested in international trade, especially intra-African trade, arguing that while the AfCFTA creates the legal basis for a potential pan-African market in goods and services, the creation of that market was the job of economic agents whose operations were usually driven by information.

“Unless businesses and traders know where the markets for their goods are or where they can source inputs, they cannot participate fully in the market the AfCFTA is hoping to create,” he stated.

Police Declare Chimamanda Adichie’s Kinsmen Wanted over Land Dispute David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Anambra State Police Command has declared the kinsmen of renowned author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, wanted over a protracted tussle over ownership of a parcel of land in the area.

Ukpo and Abba communities in Anambra State have been engaged in a protracted tussle over a disputed parcel of land.

Billionaire oil magnate, Arthur Eze, is alleged to be backing his community, Ukpo against the neighbouring Abba community.

Adichie, who hails from Abba had accused Eze of working to diminish, intimidate and humiliate his people to appropriate their land.

Adichie in a lengthy article published in some newspapers, had accused Eze of using his wealth to influence the police, who she also said have been intimidating and harassing her kinsmen, including arresting and detaining aged people.

Anambra State Police Command, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, SP Haruna Mohammed, said a warrant of arrest has been

obtained to arrest some Abba indigenes.

“We wish to inform the general public that warrants of arrest was obtained by the police in respect of the following suspects over alleged cases of conspiracy and conduct likely to cause breach of peace at Ukpo in Dunukofia LGA of Anambra State,” he said.

The command listed the names of those to be arrested as: “Pius Nweke, Isaac Nwafor, Engr. Bennett Anekwe, all males of Abba Community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.”

The statement added: “The command enjoins the public with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the aforementioned suspects to contact the nearest police station/formations or call the police emergency number 07039194332 for prompt action, please.”

Mohammed had previously also denied that the command was being influenced by Eze to arrest Abba indigenes, but insisted that the command was rather working to avert breakdown of law and order in the state.

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Oshiomhole: PDP’s Dubai Meeting Meant to Destabilise Buhari’s Govt Backs prolonged closure of borders

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that the recent meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) was meant to create disharmony in the governance of Nigeria.

Oshiomhole has also stated that the Nigerian borders with neighbouring countries should remain closed until

they comply with ECOWAS protocols.

The APC chairman made the allegation against the PDP yesterday while addressing journalists after a reconciliatory meeting with aggrieved Bayesla State’s governorship aspirants held at the party secretariat in Abuja.

He said: “Let me also say that, watching the news and reading the papers over the period, we see that the meeting that PDP held in Dubai, part of the decision

Ex-Perm Sec Bags Five-year Jail Term for N14m SURE-P Fraud Akinwale Akintunde Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court yesterday convicted and sentenced a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh, to a five-year imprisonment over his involvement in a N14.1 million Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) fraud.

The judge also ordered the convict to remit the sum of N14 million to the federal government’s coffers.

Illoh was convicted of two out of three-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion of property to the tune of N14.1 million preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The convict, who was arraigned on October 16, 2017 by EFCC, was said to have awarded fictitious contracts to himself via his company, Clement and Bob Associate, and friends. EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, had during the trial told the court that Illoh, while serving in active capacity, stole the sum of N14.1 million from the Nigerian Maritime

Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and hereby committed an offense contrary to Section 279(1)(b) and 285 (6) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No,11, 2011.

Delivering judgement yesterday, Justice Taiwo said the prosecutor has proved its case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.

“The defendant is hereby convicted on count one and two of the charges of stealing and conversion of public funds. It is quite unfortunate that a senior officer had found himself in this predicament. A public officer has no right to steal from any public funds. And his action is highly frowned upon by the law.

“I, therefore, sentence the defendant to five years imprisonment with no option of fine. The defendant is also ordered to refund the sum of N3.5 million withdrawn by him to the federal government.

“Also, the sum of N10.5 million recovered by the EFCC should be forfeited to the federal government and deposited to the ‘Consolidated Revenue fund account of the federation’ as stipulated in Section 31 of the EFCC Act.”

Ortom Queries Aide for Renaming Ahmadu Bello Way after Him Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue has queried the General Manager of the state’s Urban Development Board for renaming some streets in the state capital.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Terver Akase in Makurdi, the state capital.

Ortom directed the board to immediately stop the renaming and dismantle name plates mounted on the affected streets.

The governor particularly directed it to reverse the renaming of Ahmadu Bello Way, which was renamed after him.

He further directed the general manager to explain within 24 hours why the agency embarked on the renaming of streets without approval.

The street renaming had been met with negative reaction as it did not go down well with the people.

The streets renamed includeAhmadu Bello Way to Samuel Ortom Road, Gboko Ring Road to Tony Ijohor Road, Gyado Hospital Road to James Ortese Ayatse Road.

Others are Mkar Road to Iyorchia Ayu Road, St. John Road leading to Tor Tiv Palace to Makir Dzakpe Way, among others.

they took at those meetings was to come back home and begin to throw bag of lies and untruth with a view to creating distraction and even creating disharmony within the governance of Nigeria.”

He said he was surprised that the PDP dragged the judiciary into the murky waters of politics.

Oshiomhole said that he was shocked that the PDP and its agent, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), claimed during a press conference that the new judges that are about to be appointed were to favour the ruling party at the supreme court.

He noted, “Now the question is, should the supreme court be denied the appointment of all the judges they need; should we say because election matters are in tribunal, Supreme court judges should not be appointed?”

The national chairman

stressed that the main opposition party was already in its old traditional way, seeking to infiltrate, to dictate and blackmail the judiciary The national chairman also completely disassociated himself and members of his party from from 2023 presidential election posters.

He added, “I stand here as National Chairman of APC not only to deny those posters as they affect me, but to deny those posters as they affect any leader of our party because it is not yet time. Even people who may have ambition are aware that this is not the time.”

Oshiomhole said that at this point in time all hands must be on deck to support President Muhammadu Buhari and all APC state governors in their respective states to work together unanimously to deliver deliverables for the good of the people in the states and at the federal level.

Oshiomhole stressed that this is not the time to talk

politics, adding that politics cannot be an all-round season, insisting that the season for politics is over.

He added that all the APC members are committed to backing the president to deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

In another development, Oshiomhole has said that Nigerian borders with neighbouring countries should remain closed until they comply with ECOWAS protocols.

He stated this when he paid a solidarity visit to the office of the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), retired Col. Hameed Ali yesterday in Abuja.

He explained that his party is strongly in support of the border closure and all other reforms being carried out by the service.

He added that such action should be sustained for the economic growth of the country.

He said the APC under his leadership is impressed and has resolved to identify with the NCS on the feat recorded so far.

“The state must have control over the economy and Nigeria is absolutely right in taking the decision having been victims of expired rice brought in through the porous borders.

“It is a shame that after spending much to reposition agriculture, we still allow people to import expired rice into our country.

“We are lucky to have a president who told us to consume what we produce in the country in order to grow our economy.

“People are complaining that the prices of food commodities have gone up. Our farmers should make money from their sweat.

“Over the years, farmers got a good harvest, sometimes with right prices but smugglers often crash the prices,” he said.

THANK-YOU VISIT…

L-R: Chairman, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Hon. Fred Ezinwa; member, Enugu State House of Assembly representing Ezeagu Constituency, Hon. Chima Obieze; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Ortuanya; Chief of Staff (CoS) to the governor, Dr. Festus Uzor; and Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Highness, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, during a thank-you visit to the governor by the people of Ezeagu LGA at the Government House, Enugu…yesterday

Sokoto APC Rejects Tribunal Judgment on Guber Election Petition Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto All Progressive Congress (APC) in Sokoto State has rejected the judgment of governorship election petition tribunal which affirmed the election of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

APC, in a statement yesterday by its Sokoto State Chairman, Hon. Isa Sadiq Achida, said

the tribunal erred in declaring Tambuwal as a winner of the March 9 governorship election.

He appealed to APC supporters to be calmed and law-abiding as the party’s team of lawyers is studying the judgement, assuring that necessary action would be taken.

“We, APC members in Sokoto State, have rejected the judgment.

We believe that the judgment has turned justice on its head,” he said.

Achida thanked all APC supporters for their unflinching support and loyalty, saying they should remain committed to their interest in reclaiming the stolen mandate.

It has been recalled that Sokoto State Governorship

Election Petitions Tribunal had Wednesday affirmed the election of Tambuwal of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tambuwal was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a margin of 342 votes against his estranged deputy, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto.

Okowa Commends Warri South LG over Oil Palm Plantation

Sylvester Idowu inWarri

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has commended the plan by the Warri South Local Government Area of the state to set aside 1,000 hectares of land for oil palm plantation as part of efforts to boost the economy of the oil-rich council.

Aside the oil palm plantation, he also commended the local government plan to establish tech-

hub as part of its empowerment projects for the teeming youths in the state and Warri in particular.

Okowa made the commendations at the opening of second Warri Economic Summit tagged: ‘Warri Rocks’ last Wednesday evening by the Warri Economic Summit Group (WESG) in conjunction with Warri South Local Government Area.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, David Edevwie, the

governor said: “The plan by the Warri South LGA to establish 1,000 hectares of oil palm plantation is heart-warming news to me. The tech-hub project is also commendable, making the future of our people very bright.”

He said the reigning peace in the state and Warri in particular has been attracting the interest of investors to the state, and lauded the council boss, Dr.

Michael Tidi, for ensuring peace in his area, reminding him that it is the responsibility of the government to provide the conducive environment for business to grow.

Tidi had told the gathering that his council was midwifing a process that would lead to the birth of 1,000 hectares oil palm plantation on one of the rural communities in the next 18 months.

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House to Probe Road Constructions Since 2007 Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja The House of Representatives has resolved to probe all the

roads constructed by the Federal Government across the country between 2007 and present time.

The House adopted a motion

Ogun Gov Sets Priority for 2020 Budget as Assembly Reinstates 57 LG Chairmen Idowu Sowunmi Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, yesterday said his administration would prioritise capital projects that would be implemented under the state’s 2020 budget, saying the priotised capital projects would have positive impact on the lives of the people. He added that the state was poised to achieve a zero-based estimate in its budget preparation.

Meanwhile, barely a week to the end of their tenure, suspended 57 local government and local community development areas (LCDAs) chairmen in Ogun State were yesterday reinstated by the state House of Assembly.

Speaking through his Consultant on Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan, in Abeokuta yesterday at a workshop organised for Stakeholders in the Information, Culture, Religion and Public Order Sectors of the state at Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta, the governor stated that the state government has begun the implementation of Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in line with international best practices.

Abiodun tasked ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the state on strategic policies and expenditure framework for the responsibility of even allocation of state’s resources.

He said his administration was committed to adopting a world class public financial management system, with the aim of developing a consistent framework that would improve the allocation of resources to

strategic priorities within the major sectors in the state through the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) - a three-year fiscal plan.

Abiodun added that there was need to deviate from the practice of the past, where budgeting processes by MDAs ends at developing sectoral strategies for resource allocation, without linking such strategies to government policies, planning and budgeting.

Reinstating the local government chairmen at their yesterday’s plenary in Abeokuta, Ogun State lawmakers passed a resolution, shortly after an Assemblyman, Hon. Akeem Balogun, presented his committee’s report and moved the motion for its adoption, which was seconded by Hon. Bolanle Ajayi and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote.

After the Assembly’s various investigations, the House in its report said all the local governments were shortchanged in allocation from the Federation Account under the immediate past administration led by Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

“Following the receipt of various petitions on allegations of financial misappropriation and non-performance levelled against the Chairmen of the 57 Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas in the State, the 8th Legislature via House Resolution 018/2019 on Friday, 31st May, 2019 suspended all political office holders in all the Local Government Councils and Local Community Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State.

No Room for Excuses in Governance, Says Wike Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that there is no room for excuses in governance and that his driving philosophy is promoting the good of Rivers State in every action he takes as governor.

Addressing journalists yesterday after inspecting ongoing construction of Mother and Child Hospital in Port Harcourt yesterday, Wike said he would continue to fulfill all his promises to the people of the state.

He said: “What is important is that when we make a promise, we fulfil that promise. We have no room for excuses. We will continue to promote the good of our people.

“For me, everything is Rivers.

Whatever will improve the lives of Rivers people, we will do it.”

Wike said contractors have started the process of preliminary works for the three flyover bridges at Garrison, Artillery and Rumuokoro in Port Harcourt.

He said the construction giant has started soil tests, while the due process formalities would be completed today.

“They are doing soil test. By

tomorrow, they would conclude the due process formalities.

“We will flag off the construction of the three flyover bridges by the second week of October,” he said.

Commenting on the Mother and Child Hospital, Wike said it would be completed by the end of November.

“We believe that by the end of November, the Mother and Child Hospital will be ready. I am happy with the pace and quality of work by the new contractor.

“We were not impressed with the last contractor. We had to terminate the contract. We are impressed with what we are seeing now. This contractor is doing well with the supervision of relevant officials of relevant Government agencies,” he said.

He said the Mother and Child Hospital would provide specialist services to the people of Niger Delta, being the first in the region. He noted that the Hospital would also serve as part of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

He informed the people that the Rivers State Government has paid fully for the equipment of the Hospital.

of urgent public importance titled “Motion on the Daily Death of Nigerians as result of Bad Roads in Nigeria,” was moved by Hon. Dachung Musa Bagus yesterday.

The House therefore mandated its Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), chaired by Hon Richard Olufemi Bamisile to investigate all roads constructed by the federal government since 2007 till date and report back

to the House within few weeks for further legislative action.

FERMA was also directed to ensure that construction and rehabilitation of collapsed roads are included among priority list of project in the 2020 budget.

Discussing the motion, Bagus stated that: “The challenges caused by poor state of roads in the country make it difficult for road users and commuters to travel on road without recording avoidable loss of

life and enormous damage to vehicles.

“Most federal highways were constructed in the 1970’s and since then no major quality construction or rehabilitation has been carried out on these important links.”

He noted that the less privileged would continue to wallop in abject poverty if urgent measures were not taken to rehabilitate roads in order to improve the economic

and commercial activities in the country.

According to him, “only yesterday a bridge collapsed in Ekiti State and people died in the process. People die on the roads on daily basis because all the roads are in a sorry state.

“We as law makers, we must urgently address the issue because if we don’t do something now, we will not be able to attain the next level of greatness of our dream.”

SECURITY ON THEIR MINDS…

L-R: General Officer Commanding, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Brig. Gen. LA Adegboye; Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; his deputy, Ude Oko Chukwu; and Commander, 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Ohafia, Brigadier General SB Kumapayi, during a courtesy call on the governor at the Government House Umuahia... recently

FG Moves against Saboteurs of Social Investment Programmes James Emejo in Abuja The Senior Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Mrs. Mariam Uwais, yesterday inaugurated third party monitors for the National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP). The monitors were drawn from the civil society organisations to bring sanity and transparency to the scheme.

They are expected to monitor disbursements funds and give their assessment of the level of implementation of the project across the country.

The introduction of third party agents came against recent reports of alleged under

dealings by some unscrupulous people who shortchanged the poor the scheme was meant to serve.

Uwais said the agency had been working with security agencies to prosecute anyone implicated in underhand dealings, which would serve as a deterrent.

Essentially, Uwais said: “We want to get the report and we want to be able to respond swiftly so that those that are actually committing these malpractices don’t feel they have impunity that they will do it and get away with it. We need to have examples out there of what happens to those who steal from poor

people.”

She said the monitors should see their tasks as a collective effort to ensure that the poor and the vulnerable are not shortchanged.

She said: “We have seen and heard a number of issues that have arisen and we have been trying to ensure that a lot of these malpractices are curbed.

“A lot of our poor people are happy that they are being given this money and they are even afraid to talk because they believe they will be taken off the programme. It is very important that we let them know that nobody can remove them.

She noted the agency was

also collaborating with the Department of State Security (DSS) and ICPC to uncover sharp practices.

Uwais said: “That because these people are poor and vulnerable, there are some attempts at trying to extort or bully them and it comes from random quarters, sometimes the youths in the community, sometimes community leaders and sometimes traditional rulers that levy them.

“So, what we are trying to do is to get as much feedback so that we can address them timely. This country is so large and it’s really important that we don’t allow people to steal from the poor people.

Igbo Leader Seeks Release of Innocent Kinsmen in Lagos Prisons The newly elected President General of Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos State, Sunday Udeh, has pledged to seek the release of innocently incarcerated Igbo people who are languishing in several prisons in Lagos State.

Udeh decried the worrisome population of Igbos languishing in various prison facilities in Lagos for crimes they knew nothing about when he spoke to journalist immediately he took his oath of office.

He promised to collaborate with relevant bodies, powerful

individuals and agencies to ensure the prompt release of Igbos languishing in Lagos prisons for various acclaimed offences without proper trial.

Ude pledged to leave no stone unturned in the course of his duties as wonton neglect of Ndigbo has reached a point when it would be checkmated.

He called on all citizens of Igbo origin to intensify prayers for the nation, while urging them to remain law abiding in all they do and allow God to use the right leaders to alleviate their sufferings.

Udeh assured that he would also focus on improving the welfare of the Igbos in Lagos, including providing free health care services for all at monthly meeting of Igbo body.

“My heart is filled with humility for the kind of love lavished on me today by my people and I assured them that they’ll never regret it. I equally had been with them from inception and I know what they need most and unity that is lacking is what I will fight for”.

Ude (popularly called Child

of God), was sworn-in by the legal adviser of the body, Mr. Vitalis Chukwueke, after he pulled a total of 112 votes to defeat Chief Patrick Mba, who scored 54 votes and Chief Sunday Eze, who garnered a total of 28 votes.

Over 200 delegates from 20 Local Government Areas in the state participated in the election.

The Secretary of the body, Mr. Chuks Odimegwu, said that the new executive would attend to the urgent needs of Igbos residential in Lagos State.

Senator Akinfenwa Dies at 88 A former factional National Chairman of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, has passed on. He died yesterday at the age of 88.

Akinfenwa was elected Senator, representing Osun East Senatorial district of Osun State from 1999 to 2003 on the platform of AD. He served in various capacities at the Upper

Chamber. He was a member of Senate Committees on Services, Solid Minerals, Banking and Currency, and Education.

When AD became factionalised in 2003, Akinfenwa and Chief

Bisi Akande laid claims to the party’s national chairmanship position.

The late Akinfenwa was also a chieftain of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere.

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2023: Adebanjo Makes Case for South-east Presidency Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The leader of Afenifere Sociopolitical group, Cheif Ayo Adebanjo, has said that for the sake of unity of the country presidency should go to the South-east in 2023.

The elder statesman disclosed this yesterday while featuring on The Morning Show on ARISE TV, a sister company

of THISDAY. Adebanjo was also of the opinion that President Muhammadu Buhari was not concerned about the unity of the country because of his failure to address the issue of restructuring in his independence day address to the nation.

He said he had no reason to hate Buhari, adding that he is only interested in a leader that

would keep the country as one united nation.

Adebanjo lamented that the 1999 constitution foisted on the country by the military made Buhari the most powerful president in the world, stressing that the constitution made

the 36 states governors to be subordinate to the president.

Asked if he sees the possibility of presidency returning to the South-west in 2023? Adebanjo said, “you talk about unity, that is where you will know where

the sincerity lies. If you are keen about unity, will there be a unit of the country that you will deprive presidency?

What does that mean for unity?

“We are talking about people who want Nigeria to stay together. How can anybody

who loves this country talk of the presidency coming to the South-west in 2023. That’s why I tell you all these people are not serious, including Buhari.

Why should you exclude the South-east? Is South-east not part of Nigeria?

Customs Seals Six Car Marts in Kebbi The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has clamped down on car dealers and sealed six car stands in Kebbi State.

The state Financial Secretary of Motor Dealers Association of Nigeria, and Managing Director, Ajala Motors, Alhaji Faruk Ajala, made this known while fielding questions from journalists yesterday in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

“On October 1 Customs officials descended on our car stands, sealed off our business premises without issuing any notice of an operation to confiscate vehicles without valid Customs duties,” he said.

Ajala said the raid by Customs officials caused commotion and panic among members because of the way they were shooting at the tyres of the vehicles during the raid.

“On hearing that Customs men were sealing car stands, my boys were afraid.

“When the Customs came to my business premises they shot at the tyres of my two vehicles claiming that my boys wanted to drive them away.

“Although what my boys did was wrong by trying to run away from the Customs with the vehicles, the Customs were also wrong to shoot at the vehicles.

“The vehicles they shot at

have valid original customs duties,” he said.

He called for an understanding between the NCS and their association, adding that they were partners who contribute to the economic development of the country through revenue generation.

“Our members are ready to amicably resolve the issue of duty payment as long the government reduces the amount paid on duties.”

Ajala appealed to the government to intervene in the matter so that their business premises would be reopened.

“I have over 40 youths in my company who receive salaries. Imagine what will happen if this place continues to remain shut,” he said.

When contacted, the NCS Zonal PRO in Kaduna, Ado Abdulkarim, said the operation was in line with “Operation Border Drill” embarked upon by the service and other security agencies.

“The car stands raid was done all over the country to ensure that cars are properly registered and duties paid into government coffers,” he said.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the car stands sealed are in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

Anchor Insurance Moves to Build Employees’ Skills The need for aggressive marketing of insurance products to the generality of Nigerians will be the thrust of discussions at a two-day practical workshop being organised for sales/ marketers of Anchor Insurance Company Ltd. Organised by Solcar Communication Ltd between October 4 and 5, 2019, the event, which is for middle and senior sales and marketing staff is aimed at enhancing the skills of the marketers of its insurance products.

In a statement, the Chief Executive Officer of Solcar Communications Ltd, Mr. Solomon Ibharuneafe, the training consultant to Anchor said the insurance industry in Nigeria presents a battle field for deploying lethal sales and marketing arsenal to outdo rivals.

With the huge market potential that the country provides, he argued that success in the market place and industry dominance will depend on creative ideas and strategies that will put the company (Anchor) ahead of the competition.

Acccording to him, the mindset of a winner coupled with that killer instinct for sniffing opportunies where others fail is

required to survive in this highly turbulent business environment, adding that the scenario presents an opportunity to equip staff with requisite skills and attitude to contain those challenges and win the competitive battle for improved market share.

In his message to the participants, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Insurance, Mr. Austin Ebose stated that the training became imperative to put the staff of the company on top in line with the company’s vision of being the most innovative and preferred general business insurance provider in Nigeria.

According to him, Anchor has constantly been showing strength and innovation in product and customer service delivery, yearly bottomline performance and timely claims administration, urging the participants to double their efforts with the gains from the workshop.

Anchor Insurance was registered and licensed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in October, 1989 as General Business (non-life) insurance outfit and started business in November of the same year.

SHOW OF APPRECIATION …

L-R: Edo State Commissioner for Environment, Mrs. Omua Oni-Okpaju; state Deputy Governor, Hon. Philip Shaibu; and Executive Director, Institutional Banking, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr.Emmanuel Emefienim, during the handover of reflective uniform for street sweepers donated by the bank to the state… yesterday

Court Order: Land Owner Demolishes 13 Houses in Enugu Gideon Arinze in Enugu A total of 13 buildings, mostly duplexes, were yesterday partially demolished when an Enugu-based architect, Jonathan Emejulu, arrived at Airport Road Layout, Phase IV and V with earth moving machines.

Emejulu told journalists that he was executing Enugu State High Court judgment which went in his favour over the ownership of the Layout.

The demotion was earlier halted last Wednesday when the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdurrahman,

invited the contending parties and their legal counsel to the state police command to interpret the court order to him.

The OC Legal had after studying the court documents, determined that Emujulu had a genuine court order.

Consequently, the CP gave him the go ahead to commence the demolition with detachments of mobile and regular policemen.

Emejulu, who arrived at the layout with a truck load of mobile and regular policemen and a bulldozer around 11a.m. yesterday, commenced the demolition without hindrance.

He said he would take over and demolish all the structures in the section of the land where the Enugu EN-power Free Trade Zone is sited, claiming that the sprawling land also belonged to him.

Emejulu insisted that he bought the layout containing more than 300 plots of land from Umuenwene Iji Nike community in Enugu East Local Government Area of state in 2008, and that the property was gazetted by the state government before some people started laying claim and trespassing into the land.

He alleged that some

individuals in the state, including the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Edward Ubosi; member representing Enugu East/ Isi-Uzo federal constituency, Cornelius Nnaji, and the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Vitus Okechi, were trying to use government power to wrest the layout from him.

Emejulu claimed that they had entered the land and demolished more than 25 buildings he had built at the cost of N400 million two years ago.

Sustainability Week: Dangote Unveils Waste-to-wealth Initiatives As part of activities marking the 2019 Global Sustainability Week, employees of the panAfrican conglomerate, the Dangote Group, yesterday flagged off a Waste-to-Wealth initiative to create a sustainable environment, generate revenues from environmental waste, and also give back to the company’s host communities.

The company marked the Sustainability Week with the theme: ‘Our Community, Our Passion’ with various activities held in its Lagos

head office and across the plants and business units.

These activities focused on investment programmes directed towards turning waste to wealth, and reviving reading culture in young children in host communities.

In Lagos, over 200 ‘Sustainability Champions’ and employee volunteers across the business units assisted five international facilitators to train the children on turning the most insignificant materials and waste in the environment

into tangible assets of economic value to the country.

Dangote employees took the initiative to St. George Primary School and Aunty Ayo International School in Ikoyi, Lagos, where the facilitators with additional help from the volunteers, trained the children on how to manage their wastes and create sustainable products that are marketable from their everyday generated wastes.

Speaking on the initiative, the Group Chief on

Sustainability and Governance, Dangote Industries Limited, Dr. Ndidi Nnoli, said the company’s sustainability approach is driven by a desire to contribute and impact positively towards the development of host communities and the society at large.

According to her, the 2019 Sustainability Week is directed towards safeguarding the environment by educating the host communities on how to turn waste to wealth to achieve sustainable development.

Transsafe Honours Titilayo, Egbeyemi In recognition of their hard work and being security savvy in Lagos State, a group, the Transsafe 360 Global Initiatives, has honoured the head of Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce), Chief Superintendent of Police, Yinka Egbeyemi, with

an outstanding performance award in public service.

Also honoured at an event which was held in Lagos last Sunday at the group Annual General Meeting, was the head of Motopol Lagos State, Chief Superintendent of Police, Oriyomi Titilayo,

as Transsafe described them as a goal-getters and diligent individuals in security service to their fatherland.

Egbeyemi was lauded for his active roles in ensuring the agenda for a greater Lagos of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration

within the purview of Lagos State Taskforce.

In her remark at the event, Titilayo said people always show her appreciation for hard work, promising Nigerians that she will never deviate from her resilience to get it right, hard work and good name.

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Culpable Individuals Should be Prosecuted for Building Collapse, Says Fashola Idowu Sowunmi in Lagos and Chineme Okafor in Abuja Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday called for the prosecution of builders found culpable in building collapse incidents in any part of the country, describing such action as the only way to send a strong message to builders to comply with the national building standards.

Fashola, who spoke in his

office in Abuja while hosting members of the National Building Code Advisory Committee who paid him a courtesy visit, said where an investigation has been concluded in any event of building collapse and someone was found not to have complied to any of the building standards, such a person should be prosecuted as an example to others.

Expressing regrets that there has been little or no prosecution of any person

Free Sowore Protest Holds in New York on Saturday Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Nigerian activists and other protesters will hold a rally in New York City on Saturday, to demand the release of the Presidential Candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, by the Department of State Services (DSS).

THISDAY learnt yesterday that the protest was billed for the 54th Street and the 2nd Avenue. The rally will begin at 10 a.m.

Some of the activists behind the proposed New York rally are Dimeji Ayanwale, Toun Willias, Bukola Oreofe and Jimmy Fasheun.

A source confided in THISDAY that protest organisers intend to use the rally to attract international sympathy for Sowore, who was arrested early in August in Lagos, after he called for a revolution to upstage the government of President Muhammadu Buhari because the February election was not credible.

after an investigation has been concluded over a collapsed building, the minister said: “I think that we have come to a point where after each unfortunate collapse we go back to the investigations, let us find one person who has acted wrongly. Somebody must have acted wrongly, either in the design stage, whether it is in the material stage, or whether it is in the compliance stage.

Somebody did something that he or she should not have done.

Find that person and let us take him up for prosecution.”

Pointing out that such an example was what every society needed, the minister said people needed to know that there would be consequences for non-compliance to the law, adding that because people have died in any event of building collapse, the culprit could become answerable for manslaughter or for criminal negligence or answerable for so many other things.

“It is important for people to know that those laws are there to affect how people behave and that when people don’t

comply with those laws there would be consequences,” he said, adding that once somebody was made to answer questions before the public,“irrespective of the outcome, others will sit up.

People will know that it is no longer the way it was and that you do it at your own peril.”

Advising professional builders to resist the temptation to shield their members during investigations, Fashola recalled an incident in Lagos when he was governor, pointing out that while investigation was getting close to the culprit of

a building collapse, there was “conspiratorial silence” in the industry which enabled the culprit to escape prosecution.

“In places where investigations have been concluded, there will be findings. For instance, if there were substandard materials used, who supplied; or wrong design, who designed it? That is the person to hold.

Or that designs were okay and materials were appropriate but they removed some, so who removed, who supplied? We can track all these things down.

We have that ability,” he said.

Cleric Urges Nigerians to Imbibe Spirit of Tolerance Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi A Minister of God and Prophet of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (CSMC), Jos District, Senior Apostle/Prophet Isaac Shorunke, has called on all Nigerians, irrespective of their socio-cultural, ethno-religious and political party differences to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice, tolerance and forgiveness in order to move the nation forward.

Shorunke, who made the call on Tuesday during the opening of the “72 Hours With God, With Great Manifestation” for the Council of Prophets, Jos

District, holding in Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, No1, Bauchi, said “the challenges facing Nigeria, though many can be overcome through fervent prayers.”

The cleric, who is the chairman of the Organising Committee for the programme, said this was the time for Nigerians to close ranks and shun strife and other forms of bickering and prejudice so as to move the country forward in fulfilment of God’s plan and purpose for the nation.

According to him, “The Bible teaches us that righteousness exalts a nation. So, we must also be ready to imbibe the

spirit of love and forgive one another to heal the wounds of the nation.”

In his opening remarks, the Chairman, Jos District, Special Apostle Joshua Oyewale, congratulated the Council of Prophets in the district for organising the programme in Bauchi, saying “it wouldn’t have come at a better time than now when all hands should be on deck to pray for the nation’s socio-economic, religious, political and value rebirth.”

While admonishing Christians to always emulate Jesus Christ and imbibe the virtues of love and forgiveness,

the cleric particularly enjoined the Prophets to unite and love one another for the progress and development of the church.

Oyewale also tasked Christians to use the occasion to pray for peace for the nation, stressing that “prayer remains one of the major solution to the nation’s security challenges and those other such problems including corruption.”

Also speaking, the District Supervisory Prophet, Special Apostle Gabriel Ajibade, urged the church in particular and Nigerians generally to live in peace and love one another in obedience to God’s command.

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FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Nigeria Targets, Abraham, Tomori Called up by England Dele Alli & Jesse Lingard left out of Euro 2020 qualifiers Duro Ikhazuagbe Nigeria’s quest to persuade both Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori to switch to Nigeria after both players had played age grade tournaments for England and Canada appears to have ended as the duo were listed in the Three Lions’ squad to face Czech Republic and Bulgaria in the Euro 2020 qualifiers.

England Manager, Gareth Southgate, however left out Nigeria-born Dele Alli and Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard in the squad for the away trips to the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

Abraham, 22, had said he had “not made a decision yet” on his international future as he is also eligible to play for Nigeria, having only played for England in two friendlies and not a competitive game.

Tomori’s invitation is the first for him to the English senior national team.

If Abraham plays against either the Czechs or Bulgaria, he will not be able to switch allegiance, while the same also applies to Tomori who played for Canada at Under-20 level.

“It’s not ethically right to give someone a cap just so they can’t play for someone else,” Southgate observed in apparent reaction to criticism that England was bent on denying Nigeria the use of the two players.

“He (Abraham) and Fikayo Tomori are both in on merit and have been part of our junior system right the way through, so we see them as English players and they have a huge desire to play for England at senior level.”

Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker has again been omitted.

England is to play the Czechs on 11 October and Bulgaria on 14 October. Everton midfielder Fabian Delph has been recalled, but Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain misses out.

Injured Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is also not included.

“There have been some difficult decisions to make,” said Southgate.

“It’s an exciting squad, with players very much in form.

“There’s still an emphasis on the development of younger players but surrounded by good experience.”

Addressing his decision to leave out Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alli and Lingard, Southgate said: “Alex has only had a couple of games. It’s a bit like Dele - their

seasons haven’t really got going.

“I think Jesse has had a difficult time too. As an attacking midfielder, you are going to be judged on your goals and assists.

The competition is a lot higher than it was 18 months ago. Jesse is another player who can get himself back in the squad.

“All of those players will recognise why I’ve made these decisions.”

Abraham has netted eight goals in 10 games in all competitions for Chelsea so far this season and is joint second in the Premier League’s top-scorers’ chart.

“It was a fairly easy decision (to pick him) as he’s the leading English goal-scorer in the league,” said Southgate.

Abraham played for England

in friendly draws with Germany and Brazil in 2017, and was part of the England Under-21 squad at the European Championship this summer.

“We put him into the squad very young, when we were changing the complexion of what we were doing,” added Southgate.

“That was a bit early for him but because of the opportunity given to him by Frank Lampard at Chelsea, we’ve brought him back in.

“This is now a great chance for Tammy.”

England squad: Goalkeepers: Tom Heaton (Aston Villa), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley) Defenders: Trent Alexander-

Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid) Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Maddison (Leicester), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Harry Winks (Tottenham) Forwards: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Callum Wilson (Bournemouth)

…Kanu Unfazed Duo Dumped Nigeria Former Super Eagles Captain, Nwankwo Kanu is unfazed that Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori snubbed Nigeria to accept Three Lions call up.

The former Arsenal star insisted that Nigeria have array of stars to count on if the duo dumps refused to accept call up by their father land.

“Our problem is that whenever someone starts doing well, we start chasing them which is not bad because other countries do that,” Kanu told Goal.com yesterday.

“I feel we don’t need to

force people to play for the country, because Nigeria is bigger than any player.

“We have quality players everywhere so we can’t continue to beg one player to play for us. Nigeria cannot beg, players have to beg Nigeria.

“The best way to always go about this is talking to them to play for their fatherland.

“It’s not good for us top beg them and if they don’t accept our call, we move on.

That’s football and I think we have enough and we can win matches without them.”

Former Nigeria International, Isaac Promise, Dies at 31 Former Genclerbirligi and Trabzonspor striker Isaac Promise has passed away at the age of 31.

Austin Bold FC Chairman, Bobby Epstein, announced the passing of the played who died on Wednesday “The greatest loss a team can suffer is not on the scoreboard, it’s the death of a fellow teammate,” wrote Epstein.

“It’s with shock and grief that we acknowledge the sudden death of Promise Isaac.

“On behalf of the BOLD organisation; we wish his wife, children and family strength and peace as they struggle to cope with his death.”

Promise was an unused substitute as USL Championship side secured a 2-1 away victory at Portland Timbers on Tuesday.

He captained Nigeria to the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Cup held in Finland, as well as the 2005 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in the Netherland where the Flying Eagles were runners-up to Argentina.

At the 2008 Olympics, he

played a key role in Nigeria’s silver finish in Beijing – scoring in the 2-1 triumph over USA in the preliminary round.

Promise made his senior national team debut in 2009 before fading off the international radar after three games and one goal.

Before his demise, he had several stints across Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States of America.

Tammy Abraham (right) has been listed in England’s squad for the Euro 2020 games with Czech Republic and Bulgaria. If he is capped ends Nigeria’s quest for him to switch to Super Eagles

Z E N I T H / D E LTA P R I N C I PA L S ’ C U P

Ukah Harps on Discipline as Prelims Take Centre Stage Delta State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Chief Patrick Ukah, has charged schools taking part in the ongoing Principals’ Cup Football competition to be disciplined and well-behaved.

Ukah stated that it was important to teach the youths morals even as they are trying to develop their career in football.

He commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State for his foresight of reviving the tournament courtesy of a partnership with Zenith Bank Plc. Ukah said: “The Governor loves catch-them-young programmes and this is just one of them. We are happy that Zenith Bank also supported us to make this

a reality, “This is a good initiative and I am happy for the young ones because they have something to look forward to every year.

It is interesting to see the “The competition is meant to boost their talents but along the line we expect them to be of good conduct. It is all round education and sports because these are the leaders

of tomorrow.” The kick-off of the competition took place on Monday at the St Patrick’s College while the preliminaries have started across the 25 Local Government Areas of the State.

About 850 private and public schools are taking part in the youth football developmental tournament in the state.

Lagos Open Tennis Serves off Oct. 7

Late Isaac Promise

The 2019 edition of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) approved Lagos Open tournament is to serve off on Monday, October 7 through October 13 with the first leg holding at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan.

The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Chief Pius Akinyelure told a media conference held in Lagos yesterday that all is now set for the tournament, which has been holding since year 2000 to celebrate the sitting Executive

Governor of Lagos State. This year will be the first in the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu Chief Akinyelure, who spoke through the Tournament Director, Prince Wale Oladunjoye said that the ITF has redefined the nomenclature of its Futures Tournament to reflect the prize money.

“Lagos Open is in the highest category and is now known as an M25 +H and W25 Tournaments for the men and women categories respectively.

So this year, we have two M25 and W25 Tournaments for both Men and Women, the first from 7-13 October, while the second holds from 14-20 October, 2019.

The total prize money therefore remains $100,000. All qualified players in the Main Draws will get a share of this prize money,” said Akinyelure.

He appreciated all the partners and sponsors of the competition especially Heineken, who are starting their partnership with the tournament from this edition.

Akinyelure applauded the support the tournament has been receiving from the Lagos State Government and most especially the incumbent, Governor Sanwo-olu.

The Senior Brand Manager, Heineken, Mr. Mfom Bassey said the brand known for its quality and general acceptability would pull its strength and weight behind the Lagos Open as it has done to other sports competitions such as UEFA Champions League, F1 and others.

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Aubameyang Fires Back at Dortmund Boss, Calls Him a Clown Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has taken to Twitter to hit back at claims that the Gabon striker only left Borussia Dortmund for money.

The claim was made by Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke in an interview for a German newspaper.

Man City, Real Madrid Await UEFA Hammer UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against six clubs including Manchester City and Real Madrid after incidents at Champions League games this week.

Manchester City and Dinamo Zagreb have both been charged after their fans threw objects while the Croatian side were also pulled up for damaging seats at the Etihad Stadium during City’s 2-0 win on Tuesday, European soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.

Real Madrid were charged for a late kickoff in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Club Brugge while the Belgian side were cited after midfielder Ruud Vormer, who was sent off

after picking up a second booking, used abusive language towards a match official.

Olympiakos were charged after their fans unfurled a banner that Uefa deemed to be racist in their 3-1 loss at Red Star Belgrade. They were also charged with delaying kickoff.

Red Star were charged with improper conduct after five players, including two substitutes, picked up bookings.

UEFA said its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body would meet today to hear the charges against Red Star and Olympiakos, and on October 17 to look into the other two matches.

The 30-year-old moved to Arsenal from the German club for a fee of £56m in January 2018.

“Better for you I never talk about why I really left Dortmund Mr Watzke. You are such a clown,” Aubameyang tweeted. “I remember that time you said we never gonna sell Ousmane (Dembele), then you saw more than £100m, you were the first to take that money. “Don’t talk about money please. Leave me alone

please,” he added.

Watzke had been talking about the future of England player Jadon Sancho, who is in his third season at Dortmund, when he made this pointed reference about his club’s former player.

He told Suddeutsche Zeitung: “Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who plays great at Arsenal, will probably be warm-hearted when he looks at his bank account, but on Wednesdays he will

be saddened when he has to watch the Champions League on television.”

In his reply, Aubameyang referred to the departure of France forward Ousmane Dembele in the summer of 2017, who was sold from the German club to Barcelona for £135.5m.

Since Aubameyang moved to the Emirates he has not played in the Champions League, despite ending the 2018/19 Premier League season as joint

leading scorer with 22 goals alongside Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

The Gunners have failed to qualify for the Champions League for the past three consecutive seasons.

Dortmund currently top Group F in the competition following a 2-0 win at Slavia Prague on Wednesday.

Arsenal hosted Belgian side Standard Liege in the Europa League yesterday.

Tokyo 2020: Ivorians Hold Super Falcons to Barren Draw Hosts, Les Femelles Elephantes of Cote d’Ivoire yesterday battled African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria to a 0-0 draw in their Tokyo 2020 women’s football tournament African second round, first leg qualifying match in Abidjan.

The encounter at the Parc des Sports de Treichville saw both teams creating several opportunities but failing to put the ball in the net, with Nigeria captain Asisat Oshoala spurning two excellent chances to win the game for the Falcons.

Super Falcons’ youthful

goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was again in superb form, thwarting the Ivorians and ensuring a respectable result for Nigeria ahead of the return leg at the Agege Stadium in Lagos on Monday.

Nigeria’s midfielder Amarachi Okoronkwo was given the marching order in added time of the second half of the match.

The Falcons’ delegation will return to Nigeria on Friday and the team will immediately begin preparation for the return leg encounter.

Nigeria Amputee Team Calls for Buhari’s Intervention The Nigeria amputee football team, Special Eagles, currently in Angola for the Africa Amputee Football Cup of Nations, have called for urgent fatherly intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari towards alleviating their poor condition at the tournament.

The Special Eagles landed in Benguela, venue of the competition, on Wednesday night to return to the competition after nine years of absence due to lack of funds.

With only solidarity support from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which was not sufficient to foot their bill, the 15-man team of 10 players, two coaches, one back room staff and two officials travelled on the strength of flight tickets provided on credit by their travel agent.

Speaking on arrival in Angola, President of the federation, Alhaji Suleiman Isah, said while they are still expecting the Federal Ministry of Sports to approve some support for them, it has become necessary

to appeal for the intervention of the President Buhari on the plight of the national amputee football team.

“It is tough for us but we needed to make this trip to keep hope alive for the amputees who have decided to counter their physical disability by engaging respectably in sports.

“They have been absent from the Africa Nations Cup for nine years because there was no funding support. It will devastate the boys badly if they missed this edition again,” observed the Isah.

“Unfortunately, the only support we got was from the NFF and it is not enough to cover the cost of flight tickets even as we dropped some players. We bought tickets on credit just as we also procured jerseys, tracksuits, boots and other equipment on credit. The worst part now is that we don’t even have a dime to give to the players as allowances both at the competition and on return,” the amputee federation president stressed.

Aubameyang (left) in Dortmund colours before moving to Arsenal in 2018

Madrid Hosts Presentation of New LaLiga Santander Ambassador The transfer market is closed for Spanish clubs, but LaLiga continues to strengthen its squad of Ambassadors around the globe with the arrival of four of its most distinguished representatives.

Jose Maria Gutierrez ‘Guti’, the ex Real Madrid midfielder; Fernando Hierro, formerly of Real Madrid and Real Valladolid; Denilson, the former Real Betis winger; and Anair Lomba ‘Lombi’, the former RCD Espanyol de Barcelona Ladies and Valencia Feminas CF player are the four new additions who have thrown their clout behind the LaLiga Santander Ambassadors project, now into its sixth season.

Madrid provided the backdrop to welcome the four new additions who joined the twenty-odd LaLiga Santander Ambassadors already representing LaLiga around the world: Fernando Sanz, Gaizka Mendieta, Fernando Morientes, Carles Puyol, Ismael Urzaiz, David Albelda, Fernando Redondo, César Sánchez, Frédéric Kanouté, Milinko Pantic, Diego Forlán, Marcos Senna, Luis García, Carlos Valderrama, Julio Baptista, Samuel Eto’o, Xabi Prieto and Robert Pirès.

The Ambassadors all enjoyed the event dressed by Emidio Tucci, the El Corte Ingles fashion brand which will suit them throughout the 2019/2020

season.

In the case of female Ambassadors Ainztane Encinas, Anaïr Lomba and Vero Boquete – the latter of which could not attend the event – their official outfit will be Woman Fiesta and Casual Lloyd’s.

Other Ambassadors who could not attend the event and who will wear Emidio Tucci throughout the season include Christian Karembeu, Patrick Kluivert and Steve McManaman.

Javier Tebas, the president of LaLiga; Oscar Mayo, LaLiga’s director of marketing and international development; and Fernando Sanz, LaLiga’s director of institutional relations and the Ambassadors and Legends

project, gave a warm welcome to the new members of LaLiga Santander Ambassadors and to the sponsors representing the brand and transmitting the values of the competition across the globe.

Guti, Hierro, Denilson and Lombi, along with the rest of the Ambassadors, will work shoulder to shoulder with LaLiga to further its internationalisation, promote and uphold its values in every corner of the globe, share their experiences as LaLiga players, and contribute their knowledge and experience in other strategic markets for the organisation, as well as adding incalculable value to the LaLiga brand.

Sports4all Rolls Out 4-Tier National Football Championship Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja An indigenous company, Sports4all Global Synergy, seeking to promote and develop all major sports in Nigeria, notably at the grassroots, has developed a 4-Tier National Football Championship (4TNFC).

The programme will run through four levels starting from the wards to the local government areas to the states, culminating at the national level.

According to the Managing Director of the company, E.U. Chukwu, the tournament will hold next year.

He made this disclosure

yesterday during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr Sunday Dare.

The 4-TNFC has five different events (Shields) cutting across all age and field categories.

They include the Teens League for 10-15 age limit, Foundation League Champion, 16-18; Pro-Champion League, 19-24; Market Games, 25-49 and Senior Games for the elderly aged 50 and above.

The teams at the local government level, the teams will vie for the Chairman’s Cup. At the state level, the teams will play to win the Governor’s Cup, while lastly at the federal

level, the President’s Cup will be in contention.

Chukwu said the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Committee and the Nigeria Football Coaches Association had endorsed the tournament in principle because it was grassroots oriented.

He also stressed that all the literary works and the various shields for each events had been copyrighted at the Nigeria Copyrights Commission and trademarked respectively.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Sports, Mr Olusade Olusola, who received the delegation of Sports 4 All Global Synergy, lauded its grassroots

sport development initiative seeking to use sports to identify more talents for the country.

Olusade described this as a significant effort that will impact sports growth at all levels.

“One of the veritable means of employing youth is sports. It alleviates poverty and enriches our young ones. At the last National Sports Festival, over 100 millionaires were created per states that participated.

For instance, Delta State government paid N1 million to each gold medal winner, while in Kano State, in addition to the cash gift of N500,000, a plot of land was also given to the athletes.”

Friday October 4, 2019

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MISSILE

Labour to FG “The offer by the government is not acceptable to Nigerian workers. We view the position of the government as a show of insensitivity to the plight of workers and an attempt to collect with the left hand what government had offered with the right hand” – Labour issing an ultimatum to the federal government to accept it’s demand on the consequential salary adjustment arising from the new minimum wage or face industrial action.

EMEKA ONWUKA

GUEST COLUMNIST

Taxation in the Era of Global Information Exchange

I

t is common knowledge that Nigeria’s tax to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio is one of the lowest in the world.

At under 6%, it is far below the subSaharan African average of 20%. Nigeria is reputed to be among the countries in the world with the lowest tax compliance rate as recently corroborated by the American billionaire and philanthropist, Bill Gates, who said without the credibility of the Government, Nigerians will not pay tax. Taxation, being a social contract, is expected to be fulfilled by both parties involved, i.e. citizens pay tax while the Government is seen as using such funds for public good. With the relatively low Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from taxation across the States of the Federation, it is therefore not surprising that the Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on the oil sector to fund its expenditure. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the oil sector accounts for over 95 percent of export earnings and about 40 percent of government revenues.

As a result of the low income generated by the government across all levels, the Federal Government and some State Governments have resorted to borrowing to fund health, education and other infrastructural projects. The rising debt profile of Nigeria has been generating concern both locally and internationally. The World Bank recently issued a statement urging the Federal Government of Nigeria to reduce its borrowing and tap private investments as an alternative source of revenue that will yield desired economic growth. Bill Gate in a recent interview also confirmed that one of the challenges that Nigeria has is that the amount the government raises domestically is small compared to other countries. In all of these, the resonating message is that government at all levels should increase tax compliance level in order to generate more income to fund infrastructural projects and effectively run the economy.

In an attempt to enhance general tax compliance level in the country, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has established a framework for linking Bank Verification Number (BVN) of taxpayers to their respective Tax Identification Number (TIN). This is also being replicated at the level of State Tax Authorities as well. With the recent introduction of Common Reporting Standard (“CRS” or “the Standard”) in Nigeria, it is very evident that tax authorities across the country will begin to have access to information of taxpayer’s offshore bank accounts and other assets or securities.

Given this development, High Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) in the country (Nigerians and non-Nigerians) could be subjected to tougher scrutiny by various tax authorities.

In particular, HNIs with assets, securities and other forms of investments in countries that are signatories to the CRS will significantly be affected by this development. This is largely due to the fact that individuals are taxable in Nigeria based on their place of residence and worldwide income. CRS can potentially be a game changer in the Nigerian tax space going forward, which then calls for wealthy individuals to re-evaluate their investment holding structures in Nigeria and beyond.

In addition, CRS will play a major role in checking the activities of multinational

FIRS Chairman, Babatunde Fowler companies especially as it relates to base erosion, profit shifting and transfer pricing.

This piece examines the increased global era of global information exchange and how this development can impact on the taxation of personal income of HNIs and other taxpayers.

Currently, the tax authorities in their aggressive drive for tax collection have devised several schemes to drive tax compliance and enhance tax revenue collection. Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) popularly referred to as Project ITAS, increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) rate, online Withholding Tax (WHT) collection, Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate and E - filing platform of the FIRS, are all pointers to integration of technology into the system of tax administration for efficiency and to drive tax compliance.

The most recent effort of the Nigerian Government to improve its tax revenue collection is the adoption of the CRS. The

Tax administration in Nigeria is about to hit a new high with the era of CRS. It is expected that the tax authorities, now armed with significantly more financial information on taxpayers in the country, will become more aggressive in pursuing tax defaulters

CRS was developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2014. CRS is an information standard for the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) regarding bank accounts between tax authorities of signatory countries. It serves as an agreement to share information on resident taxpayer’s assets and incomes automatically, in accordance with the standard. Its purpose is to enhance tax administration, collection and discourage tax evasion.

OECD allows the participating countries to determine what accounts are reportable. The term “reportable account” means a jurisdiction’s reportable account or another jurisdiction’s reporting account, depending on the context, provided it has been identified as such pursuant to due diligence procedures, consistent with the annex in place in either Jurisdiction. This means that either jurisdiction may negotiate and determine its own reportable accounts in its agreement.

The adoption of the CRS in Nigeria means that the tax authorities would have access to bank accounts of taxpayers, including details of income earned and transactions carried out by taxpayers outside Nigeria through their bank details. This era of increased exchange of information means that more information is available for the taxman to work with.

Furthermore, the Nigerian Government published its own CRS Regulations in 2019 to, amongst other things, stipulate reporting requirements for financial institutions in the country, and also set a framework for sharing financial data and information among financial institutions across CRS signatory countries.

Potentially, there will be no restrictions on the information to be exchanged with the tax administrators, banks and other stakeholders across the world. This development is coming when the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) and Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme (VOARS) that were introduced by the Federal Government in 2017 and 2018 respectively are still very fresh in the minds of taxpayers, coupled with the freezing of both corporate and individual bank accounts that followed.

As earlier explained, residents in Nigeria are taxable on their global income, with tax reporting requirements covering assets owned and income made both locally and offshore.

This implies that a taxpayer is expected to declare all sources of income in his tax returns in Nigeria and account for tax on such accordingly in the country. With the advent of CRS, incomes kept in foreign accounts, which are excluded by taxpayers from tax reporting in Nigeria, will now be within the purview of tax authorities in the country.

Every year, each participating country will automatically exchange with the other country vital information about the taxpayers or tax defaulters as the case may be.

Most importantly, the points discussed above should be of particular concern to wealthy individuals and families, including expatriate employees who are resident in Nigeria. More so, since the provision introduced under section 10(3) of the Personal Income Tax as Amended (2011) would mean that income deemed to be derived from Nigeria is taxable in Nigeria, irrespective of where the income is received and the number of days an individual spend

in Nigeria.

There had been recent cases of the tax authorities placing a lien on the bank accounts of taxpayers who were alleged to have defaulted in the payment of their taxes, to which a lot of individuals have raised questions as to the rights of the tax authorities in that regard.

In fact, the FIRS has taken a bold step to request that the alleged liability is automatically transferred by the tax defaulter’s bank account to the Federation Account. To this end, the implication of the CRS Regulation is that the tax authorities are now privy to more financial information pertaining to Nigerian residents at home and abroad, such that individuals who fail to declare the true tax position may be assessed to more tax and consequently penalized for default.

There is now an increasing need for taxpayers to pay more attention to how their personal and business affairs are organized both within and outside Nigeria. With the passage of the CRS Regulation, taxpayers should evaluate various investment holding vehicles that can be deployed to minimize their tax footprints globally. Effective bifurcation of personal and corporate accounts is now of paramount importance. Transactions involving taxpayers’ corporate entities should be recorded separately and inflows and outflows of funds should be restricted to the company’s bank account.

Source documents issued in respect of such transactions should be properly archived. The documents for purchases and other expenses can be used to create accounting ledgers and journal entries. Essential documents that should be kept include incorporation documents, general ledgers, fixed asset schedule, payroll information, financial statements, company’s policies, etc.

Taxpayers are also encouraged to seek advice from experienced tax professionals on how to manage their businesses going forward such that tax footprints created from business dealings are minimal. Wealthy individuals and families, including expatriates living in Nigeria are also encouraged to carry out tax health checks on their records with a view to ascertaining their tax exposures from all their income sources. The taxation of employment income is solely not dependent on the notion of 183 days period of residency in Nigeria, but on the jurisdiction where the income is generated and other parameters.

In conclusion, the effectiveness of the CRS regulation will be largely dependent on the level of enforcement the tax authorities place on it. Taxpayers may recognize this as business as usual given the outcome of other strategies the government has deployed to generate more taxes from global financial assets. Notwithstanding, it is advisable for taxpayers to be proactive and ensure that their affairs, businesses and transactions are structured in a manner that minimizes tax exposure while at the same time, remain fully tax compliant. Tax administration in Nigeria is about to hit a new high with the era of CRS. It is expected that the tax authorities, now armed with significantly more financial information on taxpayers in the country, will become more aggressive in pursuing tax defaulters. t&NFLB 0OXVLB JT B #BOLFS BOE 5BY "EWJTFS

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