WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER 2021 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Revolutionary New Treatment Signals Hope for Sickle Cell Sufferers England approves first drug in 20 years Obinna Chima A major breakthrough has been made in healthcare, giving hope to millions of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) sufferers across the globe, especially in Nigeria which currently ranks highest in rate of SCD

in the world, as the first treatment for the disease in over 20 years has been approved in England by the National Health Service (NHS). The drug, Crizanlizumab, made by Novartis, is injected into a vein and can be taken on its own or alongside standard treatment and

regular blood transfusions. And in a trial, patients taking the crizanlizumab had a sickle-cell crisis 1.6 times a year on average, compared with nearly three times a year normally. The NHS which disclosed this in a statement posted on its

website yesterday, described the development as revolutionary. People with SCD endure severe pain during the ‘sickle cell crisis’ that can occur multiple times per year, often requiring hospital admission so they can be given morphine to control the pain and

prevent organ failure which can be fatal. Announcing the new treatment, NHS’ chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said the drug deal would help as many as 5,000 people over the next three years to have a much better quality of life.

Nigeria has an estimated 25 per cent of its adult population being carriers of defective S-gene. SCD is a genetic (hereditary) disorder that occurs when an individual has inherited two mutant (abnormal) Continued on page 10

Buhari Raises 2022 Budget Proposal to N16.45trn... Page 5 Wednesday 6 October, 2021 Vol 26. No 9679. Price: N250

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Pressure Mounts on US to Designate IPOB Terrorist Org Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja There is mounting pressure on the United States government to designate secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a terrorist organisation. An article in Washington Times is calling on US authorities to

designate IPOB a terror group following acts of violence and mindless killings linked to it. The article, noted that, IPOB had curiously sued the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin in a U.S. federal court. Dr. Chike Akunyili, widower of

former NAFDAC DG and Minister of Information, the late Dr. Dora Akunyili and eight others were killed in Onitsha, Anambra State, last week, including several other assassinations and killing of security agents linked to the group. Others killed in the same grue-

some manner included a former Head of Scientific Equipment Development Institute, Enugu, Professor SN Ndubisi; a federal high court Judge, Justice Stanley Nnaji; a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak; a traditional ruler, Chief Alexander Eduzueuno; Anglican priest, Rev. Emeka

Merenu; and a young lawyer, Darlington Prime, among many others. There were, however, arguments that there might be other groups exploiting the situation in the South-eastern part of the country to perpetrate criminal activities.

The piece written by the Executive Director of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Baltimore, Ivan Sascha Sheehan, expressed displeasure that, "the violent secessionist group in question – the Continued on page 42

Anambra Poll: Yakubu Sounds the Alarm, Says Security Never Been This Urgent Worries over safety of staff, voters, security personnel Alleges situation in state and environs has deteriorated badly Declares electoral facilities, materials may be targets of attacks Wants 26,000 more staff deployed, 6,000 locations protected NSA blames security breaches on separatist agitators IG orders immediate replacement of police commissioner Chuks Okocha in Abuja Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday, painted a rather disturbing situation report on the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, saying never before in nation’s

history was the importance of governorship election security as urgent as it is today in Anambra. The INEC boss, who raised concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the State, also expressed worry over the safety of his staff, voters and Continued on page 10

BOOSTING NIGERIA-SOUTH SUDAN RELATIONS... President Muhammadu Buhari (left) and South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, before departing Addis Ababa, Ethiopia...yesterday

Oil Price Continues Bullish Run, Now $83.4 as OPEC Delays Nigeria's Request for New Baseline... Page 5

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580

NEWS

NSIA BOARD VISITS OSINBAJO... L-R: Board member, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Babatunde Sobamowo; Executive Director, Mrs. Stella Ojekwe-Onyejeli; Chairman, Mallam Farouk Mohammed Gumel; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Managing Director and Chief Executive Oﬃcer, NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji, during the board's visit to the Vice President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja...yesterday

Buhari Raises 2022 Budget Proposal to N16.45trn Sends revised 2022-2024 MTEF-FSP to N'Assembly for amendment Presents appropriation bill tomorrow INEC to get additional N100bn for 2023 general elections Deji Elumoye, Udora Orizu and Juliet Akoje in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday sought the approval of the National Assembly to increase the 2022 appropriation bill from N13.98 trillion to N16.45 trillion in a revised 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF-FSP) amendment forwarded to the legislative arm. This is just as indications emerged in the two chambers of the Assembly that the 2022 Appropriation Bill will be presented by the President Buhari to a joint session of the federal lawmakers on Thursday as exclusively reported by THISDAY yesterday. The president's fresh request was contained in a three-page letter seeking an amendment to the 2022-2024 MTEF/FSP, which was recently approved by both chambers. The federal lawmakers had last week, passed the MTEF-FSP retaining all the projections submitted to it by the President in July. Both Senate and the House of Representatives referred the request letters to both chambers committee on finance to expedite action on the Amendment to meet up with Thursday possible presentation of budget by the President. President Buhari in the letter said the revision was necessitated by the need to reflect the new fiscal terms in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, as well as other critical expenditures in the 2022 Budget. According to him, the underlying drivers of the 2022 fiscal projections, such as oil price benchmark, oil production volume, exchange rate, GDP growth, and inflation rate reflect emergent realities and the macroeconomic outlook remained unchanged as in the previously approved 2022-2024 MTEF-FSP. Arising from this, and other critical expenditure that should be accommodated in the 2022 appropriation bill, the President explained that changes in the projections in the framework included a N341.87 billion decrease in gross revenue projection from N8.870 trillion to N8.528 trillion. He also said the federal government’s aggregate expenditure (including GOEs and Project-tied Loans) was projected to increase by N2.47 trillion, from N13.98 trillion

to N16.45 trillion. President Buhari further explained that there was aN100 billion additional provision for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prepare for 2023 general elections in the country. The letter, which was read at Tuesday plenary in the two chambers by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who presided at Senate plenary and House Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, read in part, "It is with pleasure that: forward the Revised 2022-2024 Medium Term Fiscal ‘Framework (MTEF) for the kind consideration and approval of the House of Representatives. The fiscal effects of PIA implementation are assumed to kick in by mid-year 2022. “The revised 2022-24 Fiscal Framework is the premised on hybrid of January-June (based on current fiscal regime) and July-December (based on PIA fiscal regime), while 2023 and 2024 are now fully based on the PIA. "The provision of N54 billion to NASENI which represents one per cent FGN Share of Federation Account. Additional provision of N510 billion in the Service Wide Votes to cater for National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (N300

billion), police Operations Fund (N50 billion), Hazard Allowance for Health workers (N50 billion), Public Service Wage Adjustments (additional N80 billion), and MDAs’ Electricity Bills Debt (additional N37 billion). “Additional Capital provision of N1.70 trillion, attributed to projected increases in Capital Supplementation by N179.1 billion, GOEs Capital by N222.1 billion; TETFUND Expenditure by N290.7 billion; Multilateral/Bilateral Project-tied Loans by N517.5 billon, and MDAs' Capital Expenditure by N390.5 billon (including N178.1 billion provision for population and housing census to be carried out in 2022. "The Aggregate Deficit (inclusive of GOEs and Project-tied Loans) is projected to increase by N692.0 billion or to 3.42 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 3.05 per cent of GDP. I herewith forward the Revised 2022-2024 MTEF. As the 2022 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions of the approved Revised 2022-2024 MTEF. I seek the cooperation of the National Assembly for expeditious legislative action on the submission." At the Senate, the Deputy Senate President, after reading the President’s letter referred same to

the Committee on Finance. The Committee which is Chaired by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola was mandated to report back tomorrow, Wednesday, October 6, 2021. “You will have to report back to us latest tomorrow (Wednesday), to enable us use it as a predicate for the budget presentation on Thursday”, Omo-Agege said. Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, immediately after the Deputy President of the Senate , Ovie Omo - Agege finished reading the request, informed the Senate that 2022 budget presentation would be made by President Buhari to joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday this week. "In view of the planned 2022 budget presentation to joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari this Thursday, I move for suspension of our relevant rules for expeditious consideration of the revised 2022 - 2024 MTEF/ FSP documents. "In doing this, I move that lead debate on the request should be skipped and that it should be transmitted to our committee on Finance for the required scrutiny for just 24 hours , which makes the committee's report to be submitted on Wednesday in plenary to pave way for the Thursday budget

presentation by the President. I so move," he added. Accordingly, in line with parliamentary practices and procedures, the leader's motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, and adopted by the Senate when put to voice votes. At the House, Gbajabiamila after reading the letter thereafter referred it to the Finance Committee chaired by Hon. James Faleke. He said the Committee should get to work on the amendment, adding that there was the possibility that Buhari would present the appropriation bill on Thursday. His words: "Finance Committee should get down to work on the amendment, there's a possibility that Buhari will present the budget on Thursday." Shortly after the letter was read in the House, a member, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, raised a point of order saying the MTEF was a money bill, saying every money bill passes all stages including the first reading and second reading, at which point it must be subjected to debate before being sent to the committee. Corroborating Ossai's statement, the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu citing relevant House rules told Gbajabiamila to allow the lawmakers debate the amendment

at the plenary, Wednesday. Elumelu said, "Yes you had ruled on the point of order raised by Ossai on issue of the need to debate the general principles of the bill whether brought in for amendment or a fresh bill. If you go to paragraph four of the same point of order, it says during debates for money bills, member should be given five minutes each to make submissions. “You just read a letter as to the effect that there has been changes to the earlier approved MTEF which has led to his bringing a letter asking to of course make some adjustments. “Confining such adjustments to the House Committee on Finance for them to deliberate and bring back in two days and announcing possibility of president presenting the proposed 2022 estimates on Thursday, if you look at the time frame it would seem we are hasty to look at those items that make it different from what we had approved." Ruling them out of order, Gbajabiamila said, "Both you and Hon Ossai had referred to Order 12 Rule 19 and you referred to paragraph 4. The said Order 12 Rule 19 is talking about the budget. The MTEF is not the budget. We are not discussing about the appropriation bill today. You are ruled out of order."

Oil Price Continues Bullish Run, Now $83.4 as OPEC Delays Nigeria's Request for New Baseline Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Oil prices continued to climb yesterday, hitting their highest levels in years and extending gains. Apparently, the rally was triggered after the world's major oil producers represented by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced they were going to maintain current supply levels. As of yesterday, Brent crude, Nigeria’s oil benchmark, hit $83.4 a barrel, which was more than a three-year high, continuing its multiple-week bullish run, while the United States’ West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil crossed $79, about seven-year record. On Monday, OPEC had stated that it would maintain an agreement to increase oil production gradually, ignoring

calls from the United States and India to boost output as the world economy gradually recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. This year alone, oil prices have surged more than 50 per cent, adding to inflationary pressures that crude-consuming nations were concerned may derail recovery from the pandemic. The continuing soaring oil prices comes on the back of movement of consumers in Europe to the commodity as an alternative to gas whose prices are becoming prohibitive in several countries. The development also coincided with information that OPEC has not approved Nigeria’s request for a higher baseline as the cartel’s allocation to Nigeria remained at 1.649 million barrels per day for November, with a baseline

or reference production of 1.829 million barrels. Nigeria recently wrote to OPEC requesting for an increase in its baseline because at the time it was determined, the country’s production was at its lowest, having been badly impacted by the crises in the Niger Delta at the time. Compared with other selected OPEC+ nations, Angola has a production quota of 1.377 million barrels per day, Iraq has 4.193 million barrels per day, Kuwait was allocated 2.53 bpd in November, Saudia Arabia was apportioned 9.91 million bpd, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has 2.85 million bpd, while Russia has 9.913 million bpd. In November, OPEC expects its members to produce 24.04 million bpd while non-OPEC

members would pump 15.64 million bpd, taking OPEC and its allies' total daily production to 39.694 million bpd. But Nigeria had for some months been unable to meet the quota it was assigned due to dilapidating infrastructure, following years of underinvestment, made worse by the impact of the pandemic. This year, growth in demand has outpaced supply, helping prices to hit multi-year highs, but the situation could be reversed as OPEC+ ramps up production. Rising oil prices also puts Nigeria in an awkward situation as it has had to pay higher subsidies on petrol, with industry leaders also expressing fears that as prices continue to soar, consumers may seek other alternatives. Yesterday’s market conditions

also meant that crude oil benchmark WTI was hitting the highest level in seven years after OPEC+ decided to continue making only small monthly additions to oil supply as rallying gas prices are boosting oil demand with gas-to-oil switch. In addition, oil was caught again in the broader energy price rally, which saw record-high gas prices in Europe, yet again, and coal prices in Europe and Asia surging to multi-year highs, with oil consumption increasing by around 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) since the natural gas crunch began, The OPEC+ Joint Technical Committee (JTC) said late last month that it expected a 1.1 million bpd supply deficit this year, which could turn into a 1.4 million bpd surplus next year.

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NEWS

Nigeria, 15 African Countries Back IMF Chief, Call for Fair Investigation Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria along with 15 other African nations have lauded the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, calling for a fair investigation into her activities while at the World Bank. Georgieva was recently accused of improperly pressuring subordinates while at the Bank to adjust a ranking in China's favour in the “Doing Business” 2018 report to boost the Asian country’s business climate rating. The IMF leader had rejected the allegations and the report once used by investors and often touted by governments as a gauge of competitiveness, has been discontinued. But a statement by a group of African finance ministers, including Nigeria, Egypt, and Ethiopia, published on the website of the Senegal’s Finance Ministry, noted that the IMF chief remains a true partner to the nations on the continent. Other signatories to the statement included Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Togo. However, describing the allegation as “serious”, the African countries said it must not be allowed to undermine the good work being done at the multilateral institution. “The allegations made by a law firm in a probe last month are serious and should be investigated. However, we also believe this should be done in a manner that doesn’t undermine the integrity of the IMF and most of all, must allow for a fair and just process,” they stated. Under Georgieva's leadership, the IMF, the ministers noted, allocated about $30 billion in reserve assets known as special drawing rights to African economies, and urged wealthy states to direct some of their allocation to countries lacking the means to cope with the Covid-19 crisis. Describing her as having demonstrated integrity, energy and progressive advice, the ministers noted that Georgieva has also supported African governments in exploring ways to extend their debt maturity including relief for the poorest nations. While countries like Hungary stepped up support, the top IMF official, a report by Bloomberg stated, got a cold shoulder in Washington in the wake of the scandal, with the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen declining to return Georgieva's calls. “The IMF's leadership has been

an important element in the response to the COVID-19 crisis. We can confidently say that she has brought a human touch to development and to the organisations she leads,” the African ministers wrote. As finance and economy ministers of Africa, the signatories noted that multilateralism was more than just an abstract foreign policy issue, but about achieving prosperity for millions of their citizens. “Our countries have been and are currently facing formidable economic, social, and political pressures - many of which are the result of external shocks. That is why, while adopting national mitigation measures, we also rely on multilateral institutions to propose collective life and livelihoods economic relief. “Today, multilateralism is in question at a time when it is most needed. While the advanced economies were able to rapidly put in place monetary and fiscal buffers to respond to the Covid-19 crisis, commanding over 26 percent of their GDP to fight an impending recession, African countries have been able to mobilise less than 1 percent of GDP to respond to the crisis. “The pandemic has been a test of the multilateral system, its speed of reaction and its understanding of diverse country challenges. Never before in modern times has the world been faced with such a collective shock to its economies and health. “The IMF has been a steady partner, disbursing unprecedented resources including debt forgiveness for the poorest countries using the Rapid Credit Facility. During 2020, the IMF rapidly activated all facilities in support and provided over $30 billion to African economies,” they added. According to the 16 African nations, leadership has been an important element in the response to the crisis, with the MD having demonstrated steady qualities during this time of crisis. “Many of us have known, interacted, and collaborated with Georgieva for many years. In our frequent meetings, we found her to be a true partner. In our dealings, she has demonstrated integrity, energy and progressive advice,” the African finance ministers stressed. In addition, they noted that she played a critical role in the unprecedented general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) equivalent to $650 billion providing liquidity and reserve buffers to many countries in need. Furthermore, the 16 countries emphasised that Georgieva has

fought to advance multilateralism and has been a vocal advocate for developing nations thereby contributing to the continent’s collective successes. They added: “She is working with us to explore ways of extending debt maturity and dealing with the climate crisis. Benchmarking policy actions across countries has undoubtedly been an instrument

of progress in the development community. “While some of us may disagree with our individual rankings on the Doing Business index, we agree that the tool has allowed many of us to advance on our reform agenda and has helped us improve the business environment in particular for our national and regional private sector. “Indeed, improvements in the

Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Interim Chair, Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Mr. Femi Falana has explained why he feels the federal government should not back herders against Southern Governors over their passage of the anti-open grazing law in the region. Falana in a statement made available to journalists maintained that the federal government should not take sides with herders, saying doing so would not only be violating the constitution but amounts to political suicide. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said this while reacting to a statement by the Attorney General of Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami, who said the action of the southern governors who had prohibited open grazing in the region violated the rights of Nigerians. "The decision of the federal

government to take sides in the dispute between the herders and the southern governors is a constitutional aberration and political suicide. "Specifically, it is a gross violation of Section 17 of the Constitution which provides that the Nigerian people are entitled to equal rights and opportunities before the law and section 42 thereof which has prohibited the federal government from conferring advantage on any group of citizens", he said. Speaking further, the senior lawyer, stated that the federal government ought to know that the resources of the entire Nigerian people cannot be dissipated on defending herders or any other group against state governments. According to him, the federal government should not take sides with herders in the needless legal battle over grazing routes which had been rejected by the Northern Governors Forum and Southern Governors Forum.

report are serious and should be investigated. However, we also believe this should be done in a manner that does not undermine the integrity of the IMF and most of all, must allow for a fair and just process. African nations - indeed all countries - need inclusive and focused multilateral institutions to effectively and rapidly address current challenges”

CHEVRON VISITS SANWO-OLU... Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria and Mid-Africa, Mr. Rick Kennedy (left), being presented a souvenir by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during Kennedy's visit to Lagos House, Marina, Lagos ...yesterday

Senate Confirms EFCC Board Nominee Whose Resume Indicated He Started School Before Birth Passes tertiary hospital development fund bill

Deji Elumoye and Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The Senate yesterday confirmed Yahaya Muhammad (Yobe) and four other nominees as board members and Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This was despite complaint that Muhammad’s resume indicated that he started school before he

was born. Others confirmed by the Red Chamber included George Abang Ekungu (Cross River) as Secretary of the EFCC while Luqman Muhammed (Edo); Anumba Adaeze (Enugu); Alhaji Kola Raheem Adesina (Kwara) and Alhaji Yahaya Muhammad (Yobe) as board members of the EFCC. In his contribution, Senator Hassan Hadejia, observed that there

Falana: Why FG Must Not Back Herders against Southern Govs Alex Enumah in Abuja

doing business and the associated policy reforms have helped us and our private sector respond better to this crisis. The index of course like many indices is not without shortcomings and we appreciate that every year the bank and countries have worked to improve the methodology. “The allegations surrounding the World Bank's 2018 Doing Business

"Indeed, the alliance between the herders and the federal government over open grazing is completely at variance with the National Livestock Transformation Plan of the federal government which has adopted ranching. "At this juncture, the federal government is advised to stop confusing herders. A few months ago, President Muhammadu Buhari was given the impression that a gazette exists for open grazing in all the states of the federation. "Hence, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice was ordered by the President to produce the Gazette. Since the Gazette never existed the Attorney-General has not been able to produce it," the statement read in part. "Shortly thereafter, the federal government claimed that hundreds of grazing reserves had been located in 25 states. But having realised that the land in every state is vested in governors the federal government has decided to throw its weight behind moves by

herders to sue southern governors over the constitutional validity of anti-open grazing laws," it added. Falana, however, advised that the federal government instead of inciting herders against the implementation of anti-grazing laws in some states should promote amicable resolution of the dispute. Falana accordingly charged the federal government to ensure the establishment of ranches in the several states that have made land available for the project, because it may run into several contradictions if it goes ahead to defend the herders in the planned litigation. He argued that having released the sum of N6.2 billion to Katsina for the establishment of ranching the federal government will not be permitted to turn round to insist on open grazing in other states, adding that the court will not allow the federal government to approbate and reprobate at same time.

was an overlap in the sequence of Muhammad's educational experience because he was born on September 29th, 1969, and he started his Central Primary school in 1968. Senator Hadejia who raised an objection added: “Let me bring to the notice of the House certain discrepancies in the report that are contradictory especially with regards to one of the nominee, Alhaji Yahaya Muhammad on page 8. "Where the nominee according to record started his primary school before he was born. There is also an overlap in the sequence of his educational experience because here, he was born on 29th September, 1969 and he started his Central Primary school in 1968. "Then he was in Borno Teachers College from 1975 and 1988 while simultaneous he was in the College of Administration Studies from 1980 to 1981. If these are typographical errors, Mr. President, maybe we should have them corrected for the sake of our record," he said. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who presided ignored the issue raised by Hadejia and confirmed Muhammad along with other four EFCC Board nominees. Speaking while presenting the report of the committee on AntiCorruption and Financial Crimes, its Chairman, Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari, in his presentation, said the nominees while appearing before the panel for screening, gave in-depth responses to questions posed by members on how they

would contribute to achieving the Commission’s mandate. He added that the Committee after scrutinising their credentials was satisfied that the nominees had the requisite experience, integrity, professional competence and industry to discharge the functions for which they were nominated. Senator Kwari further said there was no adverse security report or petitions against any of them. Also yesterday, the Red Chamber passed the Tertiary Hospital Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2021. The passage of the bill followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary). Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe, said the bill seeks to establish the Tertiary Hospitals Development Fund for the rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of Tertiary Healthcare in Nigeria. He also explained that the piece of legislation also seeks to establish for the Fund, the Governing Board consisting of a Chairman and other representatives as members. According to him, the Fund would provide and maintain infrastructure essential for tertiary healthcare service delivery, health research, staff training and development. "The bill proposes how the funds will be sourced thereby eliminating the burden of financing placed on the federal government”, Oloriegbe said.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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NEWS

READY FOR WORK... L-R: Commissioner, Upstream Regulatory Commission, Hassan Gambo; Chief Executive Oﬃcer, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; Commissioner, Ms. Rose Ndong and Chairman of the commission, Alh. Isa PHOTO: Julius Atoi. Modibbo, after being screened by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) in Abuja... yesterday

Ologbotsere Now a 'Nickname' as Olu of Warri Abolishes Title Sylvester Idowu in Warri The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, yesterday, abolished the traditional title of Ologbotsere in Warri Kingdom. He said the erstwhile holder of the title should no longer be addressed as such across the Kingdom and other parts of the world. With this pronouncement, Ayiri Emami is no longer Ologbotsere of the kingdom. The monarch made the pronouncement before descendants of the Ologbotsere family at a meeting in his palace.

The monarch, at a meeting with Ologbotsere descendants said, "We have taken time to ponder and have arrived at our final decision", and called on Chief Brown Mene, to read out his position. Mene, on his part, harped on the high regards the monarch has for the Ologbotsere descendants and stressed that many of them were titled chiefs of the kingdom. He reiterated that the abolition of Ologbotsere title had not in any way denied the family members of chieftaincy titles in the kingdom, saying, “The monarch called you, because of the respect he has for

the Ologbotsere descendants. “It is the king that gives chieftaincy titles. It is also the king that withdraws titles. This is the tradition. There are several of Ologbotsere children that are chiefs. The Ologbotsere family is very dear to to the monarch. “There is no Ologbotsere title again. The head of the Ologbotsere title can answer the nickname. It is the pronouncement of the king and Itsekiri nation. There will be peace, blessings in the land. “There is no Ologbotsere again. Nobody should parade in that title. You remember the king dissolved

the Council of Chiefs and has been re-admitting and revalidating titles and has also reconstituted the council of Chiefs. Nobody should relate with anyone in the title as Ologbotsere,” he said. The Ologbotsere descendants at the meeting were, the Head of the family, Pa Jofotan Oporakun; Secretary General of the family, William L. A. Anukun; Mr. Fred Omaghomi, Besidane Esimaje, Omaghomi, Hon O. J. Nana, and Mr Samuel B.O Okorodudu. Some of the Chiefs also present were the most senior, the Iyatsere and Chairman Warri Council of

WTD: NUT Seeks Implementation of Minimum Wage, Threatens Strike FG approves N75,000 for undergraduates Kuni Tyessi in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has lamented the inability of some state governments to implement the National Minimum Wage Act for teachers since it was signed into law in 2018. NUT National President, Dr. Nasir Idris stated this in Abuja, yesterday, during the 2021 teachers’ day celebration and presidential teachers and school excellence award. The World Teachers’ Day (WTD) is held annually on October 5, to celebrate all teachers around the globe and to also commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recom-

UNESCO urges nations to prioritise teachers’ welfare

mendation concerning the Status of Teachers. Speaking on the 2021 theme: "Teachers at the heart of education recovery," the union said following the outbreak of the COVID-19, teachers needed to be adequately equipped, empowered and supported to be effective in carrying out the task of education recovery, and to meet the learning needs of all learners including the underprivileged, disadvantaged and other vulnerable children, especially the girl child. Idris warned that members across states would be asked to withdraw their services if the issues are not addressed urgently. "The NUT observes with dismay that some state governments are

EFCC Chair Keeps Mum over Arrest of Kano’s First Lady Mrs Ganduje granted bail Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, declined queries from journalists with regards to the arrest of Mrs. Hafsat Ganduje, wife of the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje. Confronted over the issue by newsmen at an event organised by EFCC, Tuesday, Bawa said he was focused on the event of the day. EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Ewujaren, also declined comment. THISDAY, however, gathered that Mrs. Ganduje regained her freedom after she was grilled for over five hours by the anti-graft agency over an alleged involve-

ment in a land scandal. The governor's wife had allegedly ignored EFCC’s invitation following the petition filed against her by her first son, Abdulzeez Ganduje. It was gathered that the governor’s wife, who was drilled over alleged illegal hijack of landed property worth billions of naira, was later granted an administrative bail. Meanwhile, Governor Ganduje accompanied his wife to the EFCC headquarters, and his wife returned to Kano Tuesday morning. The son, Abdulzeez, had dragged his mother to the EFCC over a property, which he claimed the mother used her access to power to enrich herself.

yet to implement the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act for teachers since it was signed into law in 2018. “We herewith call on the erring state governments to implement the National Minimum Wage without further delay. May we remind them that every worker is worthy of his/ her wage, especially now that our take home pay can hardly take us home,” he added. Meanwhile, the union has also decried the incessant attacks on schools which had taken a

dangerous trend from the north, the east and west. "This trend has adversely impacted on teaching and learning in our various communities across the country. We therefore call on the federal, state as well as private individuals to join hands and restore peace, order and peaceful coexistence to ensure the safety of our schools and the school communities for the good of our country," he said. Continued on page 44

Chiefs, Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe; Chief Gabriel Awala, Chief BrownMene, Chief Patrick Iralaju, Chief Maleghemi A., Chief Eugene Ikomi and Chief Solomon Arenyeka. Ayiri Emami had been suspended by Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, as regent before the emergence of Ogiame Atuwatse III, Olu of Warri, over several reasons, which included alleged abuse of the title. He assured the people then that the matter would be revisited by a substantive Olu of Warri after his coronation. But reacting to his being deposed as Ologbotsere of Warri kingdom, Emami, who spoke to Journalists on phone last night said the Itsekiri monarch has no power to take such action, since he was already challenging the process that produced him as Olu in court. “He has no power to do so. I don’t recognise him as Olu of Warri. I’m already in court with him. I’ll take further action to tell the court to stop him from parading himself as Olu. I’m already challenging the processes that produced him but now I am consulting my lawyers to file a new motion stopping him from parading himself as our king,” Ayiri stated. On the meeting between the monarch and the Ologbotsere family, the billionaire businessman and politician, said, “He (Olu of Warri) invited the Ologbotsere

family for meeting and my people honoured him where he made the pronouncement. “He did not hear from his guests – Ologbotsere family. The family have (sic) agreed to meet on Thursday to review and take a position on this latest development. The meeting will hold in Warri”, he said. Ayiri, however, appealed to his supporters and the Itsekiri Nation worldwide to remain calm on the latest development. Shortly after the meeting, Ogiame Atuwatse III hosted leaders and members of the Warri chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, (NUJ) and urged them to continue to adhere to the ethics of the profession by avoiding temptations to report fake news. He commended the journalists and assured them that the palace would sustain the healthy relationship with the NUJ. He later offered royal blessings to the journalists and their various media houses. Chairman of the body, Mr. Victor Okpomo, congratulated the monarch on his ascension to the throne and urged him to partner the body, adding too that the union would always report the activities of the palace accurately, and that the monarch would be decorated as a Life Patron of the body in her coming NUJ week in Warri, Delta State.

CSOs Urge Senate to Reconsider Stance on Electronic Transfer of Election Results Deji Elumoye and Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have called on the Senate not to turn itself into a tyranny of the majority and has advised the Red chamber to reconsider its position on Electoral Amendment Act in order to guarantee the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (NEC). The groups also cautioned the Senate not to create a situation that would trigger constitutional crisis in the country, noting that right of the people to elect their leaders should not be tempered with in any disguise. This was the position of six CSOs in a three-page letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan on Monday. The groups expressed confidence that constitutionality and national interest would guide the National Assembly to urgently harmonise the bill in a fashion that would

excite the people and strengthen democracy in the country. The CSOs which included: Center For Liberty, Raising New Voices Initiative, Ready To Lead Africa Project Vote Initiative, The Nigerian Alliance, The Art and Civics Center, CDNDC and Free Nigeria Coalition, stated that Nigerians were eager to have the Electoral Bill harmonised, transmitted and signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, even before the Anambra governorship election on November 6. The groups described the controversial clause which subjects the authority of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCO) and the National Assembly before it could decide on the use of technology in the transmission of election results as inconsistent with Section 63 (5) of the Electoral Act, which it said is in clear violations of Sections 78 and 160 and third schedule, part 1, F, S.15 of 1999 Constitution

(FRN-aa). The CSOs recalled how President Buhari had openly expressed his readiness to sign the bill, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the other hand, has shown the commitment to implement the law. The letter read in part: "If you may recall, the President had during a meeting with INEC June 2021, assured the nation that, “we will make available to them (INEC) everything they need to operate efficiently, so that no one will say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term.” We ‘urge you to take cognizance of this as a commitment to do what INEC truly desires. "It is therefore important for the National Assembly to be on the same page with Mr. President, who had equally vowed that: “There will be no excuse for failure. We will meet all of INEC's demands.” And, since INEC and the overriding legal opinions have confirmed the Senate version of Section 52 (2) of

the Electoral Bill passed is in clear violation of the 1999 Constitution (FRN-aa), we ask, sir, why is that the Senate, at this crucial junction, not avoiding clauses and provisions that could trigger an executive veto or create, a constitutional crisis? Are we not able to avoid this constitutional pitfall and allow INEC the discretion as guaranteed by the constitution? "It is a general consensus of Nigerians that the power to determine the procedure for transmission of results must be solely vested in INEC without interference. In essence, the need to adopt the House of Representative Version of Clause 52, which gives INEC the power to determine the procedure for voting and transmission of election results, represents an irreducible demand of the Commission and President Buhari has committed to this. "Nigerians are optimistic that legal wisdom will prevail and the Senate will step down its own version of Clause 52(2) of the bill, the groups submitted.”

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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TEN

Don't Allow Nuisance Litigation Derail PIA's Implementation, FG Tells Judges Admits oil fast becoming irrelevant Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Given the need to quickly reap the benefits of fossil fuels before their final extinction, the federal government yesterday told judges to beware of the antics of industry players whose nuisance litigations might hamper the smooth implementation of the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Speaking at a national oil and gas workshop for justices and judges in Abuja, with the theme: ‘‘Petroleum Industry Act: New Legal and Fiscal Regime in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry,” the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, said given the interest the law

has generated, the judiciary might soon have to deal with disputants whose opinions differ on how the law should be operationalised. He noted that it was therefore necessary that members of the judiciary acquainted themselves with the philosophy and thrust of the law, with emphasis on those areas that are likely to be the most contentious. The minister stressed that apart from the current COVID-19 pandemic which caused the strongest recession experienced globally since 1929, the industry faces other critical challenges, including many countries' intent to comply with climate change policies with a target of being carbon neutral by

2050 or 2060. According to him, this means that the usefulness of fossil fuels would diminish significantly, and even where they are still utilised, must be offset with some form of carbon capture technology. In addition, he stated that global financing of fossil fuel projects has also been affected, with many donor nations and other major players within the financial ecosystem indicating their intention to stop funding projects fitting the description by 2025. He argued that this would inevitably impact on the ability of industry players to access needed funds with which to bring assets into production and by extension, reduce government

JOHESU Seeks Resolution of Dispute Over Salary Structure Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has said it expects the federal government to resolve once and for all, the tortuous issue of adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) involving its members. The union regretted that the salary adjustment had lingered since January 2, 2014 (almost 8 years) now. In a communique issued at the end of the expanded hybrid National Executive Council meeting of JOHESU, held on October, 4, 2021, in Abuja, the union stated that it wants to give the federal government a conducive environment to present an update on developments with regards to the major demands, especially in the area of adjustment of CONHESS. The communiqué signed by the acting National Chairman of JOHESU, Mr. Matthew Ajorutu said the leadership of union had reasoned that, "it was necessary to give the federal government a conducive environment to present an update on developments with regards to the major demands of JOHESU especially in the area of adjustment of CONHESS as it was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) while also showing evidence based data of the circularisation of the redress of all highlighted service delivery challenges peculiar to members of JOHESU." However, the union lauded the federal government for the marginal paradigm shift in resolving some of its demands particularly as it relates the on-going payment of outstanding COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance. The JOHESU communiqué

further stated: "In a bid to avoid an endless circus show, the leadership of JOHESU needs to make it unambiguously clear that the meeting with the federal government on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 will be the ultimate litmus test to evaluate the seriousness of the federal government to resolve once and for all, the tortuous subject matter of adjustment of CONHESS which has lingered since January 2,

2014 (almost 8 years) now and also determine the depth of industrial harmony in the Health Sector. "Finally, NEC-in-Session unanimously adopts a resolution to put on hold the notice of strike action due to expire mid-night today, 4th October, 2021 and wait for the outcome of the meeting with Federal Government on 6th October, 2021 before issuing a fresh notice of fifteen days."

revenue ordinarily derivable from the extractive industry. Sylva listed other challenges as the volatility of global crude prices, the cut in Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota and proliferation of countries finding of hydrocarbons, noting that these have affected the demand for crude oil as well as the revenue and profits accruable therefrom. “The above scenario provides the context within which your lordships will preside over cases that are brought for adjudication in your respective courts. Our current realities necessitate that cases be treated with dispatch and urgency as the luxury of time is no longer available. “In this regard, your lordships will have a crucial role in ensuring that counsel do not defeat the intent, spirit and letter of the law by resorting to practices whose nuisance value far outstrips the usefulness of any such interventions when they are subjected to the overarching test of the national interest,” he noted. Sylva emphasised that the new law overhauls the legal and regulatory framework of the Nigerian petroleum industry and clarifies the rules of engagement for the monetisation of its valuable hydrocarbon resources to establish good governance, competitiveness, global best practices and the ease of doing business within the petroleum

sector. Furthermore, he explained that the PIA was designed to guarantee early revenue for government, clarify roles and simplify administration of the sector, infuse transparency and predictability in regulation as well as ensure equity and fairness for all industry players. He pointed out that before the PIB was passed into law, several engagements were held with key domestic and international industry stakeholders, including industry players and operators, with a view to generating some level of consensus as to what the final provisions of the law would be. While every care was taken to accommodate different shades of opinions in the law, the minister stated that there were people who still felt that everything they wanted in the law was not reflected and so may feel the need to litigate unnecessarily to challenge certain aspects of the law. “Again, your lordships are respectfully enjoined to be aware of such antics and to patriotically disavow them if and when they ever arise. “The above notwithstanding, we do not posit that the law is perfect in its current form and so it lends itself to the possibility of amendments just like any other piece of legislation,” he added. Sylva stressed that the judges' interpretation, pronouncements and decisions on matters that come

ANAMBRA POLL: YAKUBU SOUNDS ALARM, SAYS SECURITY NEVER BEEN THIS URGENT security personnel during the November 6 governorship election in the state. Claiming that the situation in the state had deteriorated from what it was the last time a meeting of stakeholders was held on the Anambra election, Yakubu has requested for some 26,000 more staff to be deployed as well as asking for protection in no fewer than 6,000 locations in the state. Yakubu spoke at a meeting with security agencies on election matters in Abuja, where the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungunu, blamed security breaches and the increasing violence on those he described as separatist agitators, further declared that electoral facilities and materials could become targets of attacks during the election. Meanwhile, the InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the removal of the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Anambra State, Tony Olofu and immediately posted Echeng Eworo Echeng as his replacement. Olofu

been redeployed to the Force Headquarters, Abuja. However, speaking on the dire situation in Anambra, Yakubu lamented that never before in Nigeria’s history had the importance of election security in a governorship election been this urgent. He said, "The Commission is aware that this is by no means an easy task. We appreciate the enormous challenges that the security agencies are presently facing in Anambra State, which entail not only securing the electoral process, but also enforcing law and order generally. This is particularly worrisome because the security agencies have also become prime targets of these mindless attacks. "It is in the light of these recent and seemingly escalating threats to the election that the Commission has convened this emergency meeting. We will continue to work with the security agencies and in consultation with respected opinion leaders in Anambra State and the National Peace Committee to ensure that these

hit-and-run attacks do not derail the electoral process. "The Commission is particularly concerned about the safety of voters and Election Day staff, including security officials, who have also become the targets of these attacks. The thousands of young Nigerians that we intend to deploy for the election, most of them National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and university students, need to be reassured of their personal safety. “At the same time, deployment for the election will involve the movement of huge consignments of sensitive and non-sensitive materials to the 21 local government areas of the state, 326 wards or registration areas and 5,720 polling units. "That means over 6,000 locations to be protected. If we add that to about 26,000 officials that will be deployed for the election, we begin to appreciate the magnitude of the challenge of securing the Anambra governorship election, which is only thirty-two (32) days from today." He told the security meeting

that from the reports INEC had received, the goal of many of the attackers was that the governorship election must not hold. According to him, "This is worrisome for the Commission. We are deeply concerned that specific electoral facilities and materials could once more become targets of attack. Recall that in May this year, our state office at Awka was attacked and all the non-sensitive materials assembled for the election at the time were destroyed. “In addition, our store, collation centre and the main office building were either totally or substantially damaged. The Commission also lost several vehicles to be used for the election." He said though the commission had almost fully recovered from the attacks, as the destroyed buildings had either been completely repaired or were nearing completion, whilst they had fully replaced the materials destroyed. He explained that the rapid recovery has only been possible,

REVOLUTIONARY NEW TREATMENT SIGNALS HOPE FOR SICKLE CELL SUFFERERS haemoglobin (Hb) genes from both parents, at least one of which is HbS and the resulting symptoms and signs are due to abnormality in the shape of red blood cells. The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire recently disclosed that available record showed that SCD affects nearly 100 million people in the world and was also responsible for over 50 per cent of deaths in those with the most severe form of the disease (Hb SS). He had said sickle cell was the most prevalent genetic disease in Africa, adding that in many countries in the country, including Nigeria, 10 to 40 per cent of the population carry the sickle-cell gene resulting in estimated SCD prevalence of at least two per cent. He had estimated that 150,000 affected children are born every year in Nigeria. “Nigeria currently has the highest burden of Sickle Cell Disease in the whole World ahead of Democratic Republic of Congo and India, with an estimated 25 per cent of her adult population being carriers of defective S-gene. “WHO in 2015 estimated that two per cent of new-borns in Nigeria are affected by sickle cell

before them would be at the heart of the jurisprudence of the practice of the PIA area of the law. He urged critical stakeholders to be patient as the implementation of the new law begins, noting that their views on implementation would be considered as part of the overall endeavour to operationalise the law in a manner that best guarantees the realisation of its objectives. “Participants are assured that their voices will be heard and every effort will be made to integrate the best of ideas and interventions into the implementation process. “We appeal for understanding in instances where particular viewpoints are not accepted for implementation because it is impossible to accommodate every opinion as these may sometimes be conflicting and contradictory to the design philosophy,” he said. Chief Justice of the Federation, Dr. Tanko Muhammad, who led the judiciary to the occasion, expressed the hope that the forum would expose judges and build their capacities to administer the relevant laws, adding that the PIA was to lay the framework for efficient governance in the oil and gas industry. He added that the judiciary was not oblivious that certain parts of the law would naturally induce conflicts which would require judicial official to have a proper grasp of the provisions of the new law during their interventions.

anaemia, giving a total of about 150,000 affected children born every year. About 50 per cent–80 per cent of the estimated 150,000 infants born yearly with SCD in Nigeria die before the age of five years and those that manage to survive suffer end-organs damage which shortens their lifespan including stroke,” Ehanire had said. Continuing, Pritchard said patients with sickle cell suffer from monthly episodes, making it difficult for people to continue in their jobs or other everyday activities. “The hereditary condition is much more prevalent among people from African or AfricanCaribbean origin. The drug will also reduce the number of times a sickle cell patient needs to go to A&E by two fifths,” the NHS boss explained. Last year, NHS England set up ten new dedicated centres to treat sickle cell disease across the country and patients would be able to access the new treatment through their consultant at one of these clinics. The NHS agreed a deal to make Crizanlizumab available for patients earlier than would

have otherwise been possible at a price that is fair for taxpayers. It was the latest in a line of deals secured by the NHS, including a new cholesterol-busting jab and lung cancer drug last month as well as the world’s most expensive drug which treats spinal muscular atrophy in infants, earlier in the year. Pritchard added: “This is a historic moment for people with sickle cell disease who will be given their first new treatment in over two decades. “This revolutionary treatment will help to save lives, allow patients to have a better quality of life and reduce trips to A&E by almost half. “The NHS has agreed a deal for this drug, so we are able to provide the latest and best possible treatments for patients at a price that is affordable for taxpayers.” This announcement paves the way for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to publish final guidance on Crizanlizumab which would take into consideration the data that would be collected as part of the agreement. People aged 16 and over who

suffer from multiple sickle cell crises, or vaso-occlusive crises as they are scientifically known, per year would be eligible for the treatment. Toks Odesanmi, a sickle cell patient at Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, was quoted to have said: “Sickle Cell Disease has defined me, defined my body and made a big dent to my dreams. “No matter how hard I fight it continues to defeat me. A new treatment brings hope and might make dreaming possible again”. The Chair of the Sickle Cell Society, Kye Gbangbola MBA, said: “A new treatment brings new hope for people living with Sickle Cell Disorder, the world’s most common genetic blood condition. “SCD is a ‘medical emergency’; it causes excruciating pain, this new treatment will reduce the number of agonising pain episodes we have to endure. The hope is improved quality of life for many living with the condition and their families”. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “It is fantastic news that this ground-breaking new treatment for sickle cell disease will soon be available in England

where it will make a difference to thousands of people’s lives. “The UK has proven itself to be a world leader in rolling out innovative, life-saving treatments to ensure every NHS patient gets access to the medicines they deserve. “This is a historic day for those living with this condition and I want to extend my thanks to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS England and Novartis for their work to provide this vital treatment to the patients who need it.” Novartis Oncology President, Susanne Schaffert, said: “Today’s decision is reflective of the new approach to partnerships with healthcare systems that Novartis is taking around the world, to drive equity of access for people living with potentially debilitating conditions such as sickle cell. “We are pleased that this close partnership with NICE, NHS England and the sickle cell community will enable access to Crizanlizumab for those in need of an alternative treatment to help manage their condition and demonstrates the commitment of UK life sciences to ensure access to innovation.”

because the Anambra election was an off-season poll, adding: "We have sourced some of these materials such as the 326 electric generators and vehicles destroyed in the attack from neighbouring states. However, should we again lose vital materials and facilities, the ongoing preparations will be adversely affected." He, however, assured the people of Anambra State that the Commission was determined to proceed with the election as scheduled. To underscore this determination, he said, "The Commission is implementing two more activities on the Timetable for the election in the next few days. The register of voters will be presented to political parties in Awka on Thursday 7th October 2021. On the same day, the Commission will publish the final list of candidates for the election." He declared that the commission was confident that at the end of this meeting, it would firm up on specific measures necessary to further guarantee the safety of all persons involved in the election from the voters to election officials, observers, media organisations and the security of election materials. He informed the security meeting that INEC had received briefings and reviewed preparations for the election, saying, "You may also recall that a major concern raised by members was the security situation in the state in particular and the adjoining states in general and how this might affect preparations and possibly, the conduct of the election.” Unfortunately, he said the situation has deteriorated markedly since the last meeting as many innocent lives had been lost and property destroyed. The NSA, Monguno, represented by Sanusi Galadima, said security threat posed by violent activities of separatist groups in the South-East region were bent on scuttling the election in the state in furtherance of their separatist agenda. This, he claimed, constituted a clear and present danger to the nation’s democratic process and consolidation. Continued on page 41

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T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

COMMENT

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

LIVING IN PERILOUS TIMES Sonnie Ekwowusi writes that Nigeria is no more at ease

he madman says that there is nothing wrong with him except that whenever he wants to say one thing another thing comes out of his mouth. We must resist the temptation of mirroring our country with the madman’s mirror and concluding that nothing is wrong with Nigeria. Of course something serious is wrong. Those who think that Nigeria is still on the road to Somalia are mistaken. Nigeria had already reached Somalia. In the last six years Nigerians have been witnessing a steady and progressive deterioration of those cherished values which form the superstructures for the building of our national ethos. The old image of Nigeria as a citadel of peacefulness, fraternity, cultural and moral renaissance seems blurred. Amid the country’s abundant human and natural resources, there is poverty, fear, suspicion, disorderliness, hatred and chaos. On social media, on the pulpit, lecture rooms, market places, stadia and other fora, Nigerians soberly ask the following question: What does the future hold for us and our children? This is a painful reality. But we must come to terms with it. The most significant achievement of the Buhari government in the last six years is to drag Nigeria into the membership of failed states. This is not surprising. A country reapeth what it soweth. In the last six years President Buhari has been sowing Fulanism, divisionism, nepotism and tyranny. This is why we are harvesting chaos, anarchy and failure today. Imagine the most populous and most richly endowed African country joining countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Myanmar as a full-fledged failed state. Amid the complete collapse of state machinery for protection of lives and property, anarchy has been let loose upon Nigeria. The Hobbesian bellum omnium contra omnes (war of all against all) characterized by barbaric abductions, assassinations, arsons, bloodletting, communal bloody feud, kidnaps, banditry, gun running and so forth now reign supreme in different parts of Nigeria including, for the first time, the hitherto peaceful Anambra State. Amid the reign of mayhem in different parts of Nigeria, aggrieved ordinary citizens masquerading as “unknown gunmen” are now laying siege to different corners of the town and assassinating their perceived enemies or offenders. We now live in a country bereft of the rule of law. No law. No Justice. No peace either in men’s hearts because peace grows in the crannies of justice. Uncertainty, confusion, fear and apprehension rule the lives of many. We now live in a free-for-all country where nobody seems to be in charge of anything or anybody. We go to bed and wake up itching to hear the sad news of another abduction or assassination. If the abductors are not on prowl trying to abduct their victims, some hired assassins are lurking in the corner to capture their next victims and assassinate them. One analyst believes that the assassination of Dr. Chike Akunyili may not be unconnected with family feud over property. If this is true it means that families, friends, relatives, townsfolk and other citizens are now resorting to violence, self-help and use of force in settling personal disputes and disagreements. And as you and I know very well, recourse to self-help in settling personal disputes is a recipe for anarchy. I read somewhere that given the heightened insecurity of lives and property in Anambra State at the moment some Anambrarians are

THE OLD IMAGE OF NIGERIA AS A CITADEL OF PEACEFULNESS, FRATERNITY, CULTURAL AND MORAL RENAISSANCE SEEMS BLURRED. AMID THE COUNTRY’S ABUNDANT HUMAN AND NATURAL RESOURCES, THERE IS POVERTY, FEAR, SUSPICION, DISORDERLINESS, HATRED, AND CHAOS

now fleeing Anambra State and seeking refuge in Lagos. I hope this is untrue otherwise we are really in trouble in Nigeria. Oh! Lord, we raise up our shackled hands and beseech thee to take revenge on our behalf. Lord hearken to the assistance of your children drowning in the rivers of human blood, flowing down the streets and alleyways of our cities, towns and villages. Sit no longer blind, Oh! Lord. Let not our cries sink in silence at midnight. This is our land and the land of our ancestors. Protect us in it. Dislodge their plots and concoctions. They lay siege to the country expressways to kill us, we who are innocent, we who have committed no crime. Yet they want us to love Nigeria; they want us to dream of no other country except Nigeria. They want us to sing Nigeria’s National Anthem and recite her Pledge in order to feel proud that we are Nigerians. Yet they make Nigeria unlivable for us. In the last six years the Buhari government has been sowing the wind and today it is reaping whirlwinds. In the last seven years the government has been vilifying and persecuting the oppressed. Yet this is our country. And they want us to love our country. But how can we love a country that derives joy in spilling the blood of her innocent citizens? It is no longer news that Nigeria’s finest human capital, especially the medical doctors, nurses and other medical personnel are fleeing the shores of Nigeria day by day. Foreigners make mockery of us. They laugh at us and say that ours is a country of terrorists ruled by terrorists for terrorists. How do they say it again? When one finger touches oil it soils the rest. The political sins and misdeeds of a handful of our never-do-well political leaders are being visited on ordinary citizens. Poverty, hunger, and terminal illness continue to afflict many Nigerians. These days many Nigerians are finding it difficult to eke out a living or eat two meals a day. Many parents can no longer pay the school fees of their children and wards. Many patients in many Nigerian hospitals are just waiting to die either from their illness or out of neglect owing to their inability to pay their accumulated medical bills. Of course the prices of foodstuff and the prices of practically everything in Nigeria keep soaring. The most tragic, in my view, is that the Buhari government is unwilling to disclose the identities of Nigerians incriminated in financing Boko Haram and terrorism in Nigeria despite the assistance given to the government by the United Arab Emirates and other countries to that effect. Reacting to public criticism on the refusal of the government to name the terror sponsors, the Federal Attorney-General said that revealing their identities will jeopardize investigation. This is an indirect way of informing the public that the names of the sponsors, for obvious reasons, will never be revealed by the government. I have just finished reading the essay entitled: Cornflakes For Jihad: The Boko Haram Origin Story by David Hundeyin. It is a must read. In this classical essay, David unearths the historical roots facilitating the financing of terrorism in Nigeria dating back to pre-independence era. No man, no woman of good conscience can be at ease after reading the aforesaid essay. Equally no street, no broadway, no village path can remain silent amid the stillness of death lying everywhere in different parts of Nigeria. With torn and bleeding hearts we may be smiling but we may not know peace until Nigeria goes the way she had been fated to go.

GAINS OF EFFORTS AGAINST INSURGENCY

The synergy among security forces and the new strategies adopted are promising, writes Barnabas Joshua

he tide has definitely turned in the protracted war of attrition against Boko Haram insurgents and their bandit offshoots. The insurgents have been dropping their weapons and surrendering in droves under awesome firepower. The bandits abandon the forests as they face a new normal of non-kinetic assaults that AK47s cannot counter. These turn-around events are results of strategic transformations in operational strategies of our defense and security forces. The balance of terror has dramatically and effectively tilted against the terrorist-insurgents as the battle has been brought to their dens and hideouts in a retaliatory recourse to “unconventional tactics” by the gallant defense and security forces. Riding motor-bike convoys under the cover of thick forests to launch heartless attacks on sleeping villagers, rustling their livestock and barns and then kidnapping them for ransom was the bandits’ unconventional streak. Thus, endless “asymmetric” wars with calculated consequences were unleashed against the civil populace. In a most appropriate response, the nation’s defense and security forces embarked on a profound recalibration of strategy driven by a meticulous process of consolidation of operational specializations across the various arms. There was a felt need for a decisive turn in the trend of the long-drawn war, which necessitated a change of top military commanders, upgrade of the lethal capacity of the arsenals and significant increase in logistics and boots on the ground. These transformations were further fine-tuned to impact the differing demands of the Boko Haram territorial insurgency in the North East and its spill-over of armed militia occupying forests mainly in the North West with devastating outcomes. It should be recalled that the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru approved the renaming of the counterinsurgency op-

eration in the North East from Operation Lafiya Dole to Operation Hadin Kai (because),“It is the belief of the COAS that the complete defeat of insurgency is a process that requires the participation of the entire nation using all elements of national power.” The outstanding success of a strengthened solidarity among defense and security forces is gaining credible testimony. President Buhari acknowledged that the military and other security agencies including civilian stakeholders were adhering to the true spirit of Operation Hadin Kai, highlighting the successes in checking the insurgents’ activities in the “Timbuktu Triangle”, Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad Region. “By pooling together the collective resources and comparative advantages of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, the enemy will now feel the ferocity of our firepower and the weight of our resolve,” he declared. This is the context for on-going re-strategizing initiatives by the combined defense and security forces convincingly turning the tide against insurgents and bandits in the North East and North West. The rapid reversals in the trend of battle have also been widely acclaimed and welcome with relief by the victimized communities in the conflict zones as much anticipated actualization of expressed determination to take the battle to the insurgents. Indeed, their patriotic perseverance and cooperation had effectively integrated them into the highly rated civilian joint task force arrangement earlier deployed and still in action in the North East fronts. The change in narratives on the war against Boko Haram insurgents from daring attacks to droves of surrenders by insurgents is therefore a marvelous manifestation of the successful operational synergy and attainment of optimum espirit de corps particularly among the defense and security forces. The awesome boost in ballistic onslaughts and relentless countering of insurgents maneuvers

have combined with enhanced flow of actionable intelligence and civilian solidarity to confuse and devastate the “invincible”. Adamu Rugurugu, a dreaded Boko Haram Commander from Gwoza axis who surrendered recently, reportedly referred to the infiltration of their fragmented factions with targeted triggers of psychological lament, confessing, “the reason for the surrender of our fighters was the results of extensive counter-insurgency messaging.” These joint operations have shifted public concern from the war to the challenge of safe containment of the growing number of surrendering insurgents, which is a positive indication of tangible advance not witnessed in many years. Another area where the impact of intelligencedriven intervention is significantly changing the narratives on the security situation is in the North West axis where kidnapping and violent banditry has taken a huge toll on lives and property as well as the rural economy of Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna States. Evidence of a re-thinking of strategies and the adoption of intelligence-driven interventions capable of crippling the sustenance and mobility of the bandits have renewed higher expectations of a faster conquest of banditry. In Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna State, new security containment regulations have taken effect. They include the immediate closure of roads, which are key access routes to the bandit-infested forests, prohibition of lorries/trucks conveying firewood from forests and the suspension of the sales of all animals at markets. Others are the ban on transportation of cattle in trucks, restrictions on riding motorcycles and operations of tricycles, ban on sales of second hand motorcycles and sale of petrol in jerry cans at filling stations. A federal government backed suspension of all telecommunication services in affected areas is the high point of the new measures. The non-kinetic

strategies have the probable imprints of the normally covert Department of State Services (DSS) considering how the measures are intelligent assaults on the facilitations and dependencies of the bandits as well as zonal deployments of regulations corresponding to their wide areas of operation. These prescriptions strategically complement kinetic military operations in which DSS has been a partner agency by focusing on effective deterrence and logistic obstacles such as the denial of tele-communications, access to markets, restrictions on fuelling and motorcycle operations. Incidentally, last June, Kaduna was the host of the first-ever security meeting of the State Directors of Security in the North West zone of DSS, an innovative initiative of DGSS Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi, to facilitate regular convergence of state directors for exchange insights on emerging challenges in their zones, strategize containment solutions and facilitate inter-agency cooperation. In September it was the turn of the state directors of the DSS in the North-East who met in Gombe. Both Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Governor Inuwa Yahaya spoke on the vital role of the DSS, as the lead agency for domestic intelligence and counter-intelligence, in providing reliable information needed by the police, armed forces and other security agencies for the total defeat of insurgents and urged them all to cooperate rather than compete. The zonal meetings of the state directors of the DSS are examples of foresighted out-of-the-box strategies of the DG SSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, that take the insurgents by surprise with gamechanging inputs for the accelerated termination of the deadly scourge of insurgency and related violent criminality afflicting the North East and North West as major manifestations of insecurity in Nigeria. As the saying goes, you cannot continue doing the same thing and expect a different outcome; good thinking leads to good outcome! Joshua wrote from Laﬁa

T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

EDITORIAL

JUDICIAL PANELS ON POLICE BRUTALITY The outcome should produce a police force that is friendly, humane and functional

n the wake of the nationwide ‘EndSARS’ protests by young Nigerians last October, the federal government directed each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to establish judicial panels of inquiry into allegations of brutality and extrajudicial killings against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units. Twenty eight of those states, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is coordinating the panels, have completed their assignments. But only eight of them have turned in their reports. Seven states (Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara) did not establish any panels either because they have no such problem or their authorities do not care. It is unfortunate that neither the federal government nor the states took the issue seriously thus confirming the cynicism of the youths that the idea was simply to stall. The panels were initially mandated to end hearing petitions in April, but the date was extended till July and later to October. Meanwhile, Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kwara, Nasarawa, WHAT TRANSPIRED LAST Ondo, and Rivers OCTOBER SHOULD BE States have submitted their reports. Lagos A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY TO State, the epicentre of DEPART FROM BUSINESS the crisis, has submitAS USUAL AND BEGIN TO ted an interim report with a promise that ADDRESS THE VARIOUS the final one would ISSUES THAT WERE SO be turned in later this CLEARLY ARTICULATED BY month. But the worries THE PROTESTS for some other panels are coming from the reluctance of some states to fund the proceedings. Despite the National Executive Council directive that the reports be submitted for final deliberations on modalities for implementation, many states are not in a hurry to do so. In some of the states, members were funding proceedings from their pockets. Cross River and Taraba panels are among those reportedly not well funded. In some others, the panels have stopped sitting

Letters to the Editor

even though the job is yet to be completed.

T H I S DAY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S 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 SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: ﬁrst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

verall, the panels received about 2,500 petitions across the country. Expectedly, the petitions ranged from gross violations of human rights including indiscriminate arrests, illegal detentions, extortion, sexual and genderbased violence to torture and extra-judicial killings. Adeoye Akintunde, a firefighter, was typical of the scale of atrocities by SARS operatives. On 14th June 2020, he was arrested while having a lunch in a canteen at Ayetoro, Ogun State. “I was tortured with iron rods and hammer to the extent that I fainted. Thereafter, they invited a nurse to inject me,” he said. He spent 12 days in detention and granted bail with the sum of N120,000. But Abayomi Adebayo’s mother was not that lucky. She was felled by bullets from the sporadic shootings of SARS operatives in Lagos who claimed to be searching for an internet fraudster. As the panels are winding down, the issues of remedies, redress and compensations for the injustice and humiliation suffered by the victims are on the table. Indeed, states like Ekiti and few others have started paying compensations for some categories of victims. Lagos State initially budgeted N200 million for the exercise, an amount that would likely be insignificant going by the large-scale breaches of fundamental human rights and abuses so far uncovered by the panel. But many states have rightly stopped disbursing compensations for victims because the federal government is vicariously liable as it sits atop the atrocities: police who are the culprits are its employees. Beyond the issue of compensation, what transpired last October should be a wake-up call for those in authority to depart from business as usual and begin to address the various issues that were so clearly articulated by the protests. On the specific matter of police reform on which the original protest was premised, the federal government gave certain undertakings. It is hoped that implementing the reports from the states and the much-awaited federal government reform will produce a more citizen-friendly police that are fit for a democratic society.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to speciﬁc publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

NIGERIA AND THE GRAZING GAMBIT

s Nigeria suffocates under the stranglehold of insecurity, the friction between crops and cattle have come to a head as have the tension between farmers and herdsmen. As with many countries of the world, land is the issue, land is the battleground. Upon Nigeria`s return to democracy, the 1999 Constitution came into force. The constitution, Nigeria`s supreme law, apart from attempting to lay down the groundwork upon which the country`s tortured democracy will be built, guaranteed in Chapter IV that the rights of Nigerians will be protected within the framework of the rule of law, and the excesses of the highhanded and power-drunk politicians who check themselves into office by any means possible, checked. Whether the constitution has done a fair enough job is something left for ordinary Nigerians, especially those who teeter on the breadlines to decide. As the fragile situation of the country has continued to deteriorate, a conspicuous flash point has been the competition between herdsmen and farmers over land which has wider implications for constitutional rights, economic interests and the unity of the country. A multi-ethnic country yet to fully put its struggles for cohesion behind was always going to be up against it. With farmlands that must be cultivated to feed starving children tangling with cattle that must be properly herded to keep similar economic interests going, the country is seemingly about to be trampled like grass as when two elephants fight. Across the country, fractious questions about grazing rights have riven the country, opening up old wounds in the process. Now, threats have been issued and legislations have proceeded from some states banning open grazing. Herdsmen have been advised to procure land and settle their cows.

On its own part, the federal government is mulling over securing grazing ranches all over the country but the conversation has been caught up in the storm of suspicion that beclouds every public conversation in Nigeria. But what is at stake? What is at stake is land, that most hotly contested of all properties. For non-Fulani Nigerians who count too few cattle farmers amongst them, an ulterior motive trails the hooves of cattle. For many of them, cattle farming is only a disguise. Behind it is a full-fledged attempt to dominate others in the country, to become a domineering force over the entire country. On their own part, the predominantly Fulani cattle farmers have argued that they have a right to move themselves and their cattle across the length of the country in search of greener pastures. Even after the hostilities of the Nigerian Civil War, crops and cattle used to live together all over the country. This was on until criminals infiltrated the ranks of cattle farmers and began to lay waste to communities, even after their cattle had been hosted and properly fed. Nigeria`s north has borne the brunt of the activities of these criminals most forcefully. Countless communities in Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Kogi States have known the wrath of those who hide their instruments of death in the hides of cattle. In the southeast, many communities have also been scarred by these messengers of death. Conversations about grazing and grazing rights are poised to continue as long as suspicion fogs every conversation between the different regions of the country. The country will do well to iron out the differences in views and reach a widely acceptable solution because as it seems, the storm is not about to abate soon. Restructuring may be the only way out of the mess. Kene Obiezu, Abuja

NOTHING TO SEE HERE

here is a saying that “Art is in the eye of the beholder” but not in Dubai it appears. An exhibition will display a 17ft high 3D copy of Michelangelo’s “David” or at least most of it. It is puzzling as to how this could be suggested as Dubai is a Muslim country and public nudity is forbidden, a fact that everyone would know even if they do not agree.” The suggestions of fig leaves or pants being added to the stature are silly and offensive to those that appreciate the statue’s beauty. Having private parts hidden from view will simply diminish the appreciation of one of the world’s greatest art works. Maybe da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi would have been a much better centerpiece and it is already in the UAE waiting for a public unveiling.” Like many I have seen the original in Florence and appreciated the artist’s work and maybe people can make a choice to travel, eventually, and see the original pieces rather than a computer ‘print out’ copy of it. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

MIDWEEKPOLITICS

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

As Southern Presidency Gains Traction With the zoning of the national chairmanship of the People’s Democratic Party to the South, Emameh Gabriel looks at the implication of the latest twist on the agitations for a Southern President in 2023

Ugwuanyi

ast week, the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) zoned the position of the National Chairman of the party to the north. The move came as a surprise to many, considering the initial thinking of most Nigerians, perhaps due to the body language of the main opposition political party. The position of the party, to some extent, has calmed frayed nerves in some parts of the country where the agitation for rotation has been on the front burner of national discuss in the last few months. To some, it suggests that there is a moral and political concensus among the political elites ahead of 2023- a period that many fear could lead to the break-up of the country. For whatever it is worth at the moment, many believe that it was the right step at the right time, given the current height of tension in the South. Chairman of the party’s Zoning Committee and Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, had after the meeting of the committee in Enugu said other positions within the National Working Committee (NWC) will be swapped between the north and the south. Going by the tradition of the party, if the national chairman is picked from the north, its presidential candidate will come from the south. He however hinted the committee was not sked to decide the zoning of the presidential ticket. Ugwuanyi said, “The mandate of the committee does not include zoning of offices of the president, vice president, and other executive and legislative offices of the federal republic of Nigeria. “The decision of the committee to zone the offices of the party does not in any way affect the same executive and legislative offices in Nigeria. The zoning of offices on PDP has traditionally been between the North and the South of Nigeria. Inside sources at the meeting had revealed to journalists that governors at the meeting held at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s residence in Abuja voted 9-3 in favour of the chairmanship seat to be zoned to the north. Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa and Darius Ishaku of Taraba reportedly voted for the chairmanship to be zoned to the south at the meeting presided over by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State. The decision came three months after governors of the 17 southern states met in Lagos on July 5 to demand among other things for the South to produce the president of the country come 2023. While both the Ugwuanyi led zoning committee of the PDP did not give a specified reason why it decided to zone the party’s national chairman position to the north, some analysts have pointed to the efficacy of the clamour by elements and groups in the polity for the presidency to go South after eight years in the north under President Muhammadu Buhari. Few days ago, the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu said that the Southern governors would not support any political party that fielded a northerner as a

Ganduje

Akeredolu presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections. He declared that the Presidency cannot return to the North after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari. Governor Akeredolu said: “the Southern governors from three major political parties of All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were unanimous in their resolution on the zoning of the presidency and would follow it to the letter. The Ondo State governor added that “for now, zoning is it and those of us from the South are determined that the next president comes from the South.” His position has been buttressed by another politician, the National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party, Dan Nwanyanwu who went as far as stating that power should return to the South if Nigeria is to continue existing. In a recent interview with journalists in Abuja, Nwanyanwu disclosed that it was the rightful thing to do if the country will continue to be one. He revealed that by 2023 the north would have completed 8 years in power and that anything contrary would be a slight on the other region. “As far as I am concerned, we have seen that we have something that is still binding Nigerians together though not written. President Obasanjo used his tenure handed over to Yar’Adua; unfortunately, Yar’Adua died while in office, his vice president took over which is Jonathan; Jonathan finished, he was not re-elected, it came to the North, Buhari will be doing eight years by 2023.” The decision of the southern governors was greeted with controversy as individuals and groups especially from the north have opposed the decision on variety of grounds. With many saying it is unconstitutional and that zoning has not solved the problems of Nigeria. However, a number of northern politicians and bigwigs have also canvassed for the zoning of the presidency to the South for fairness and equity. They include Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor Babagana Zulum and at one point even Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna state.

Speaking on the matter, Governor Ganduje said “The southern part of the country should produce the president but there should be a consensus of the members. “Zoning system, even though it is not in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a strategy for winning elections.” Speaking further, Ganduje said that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the 2023 presidential election, adding that the ruling party has done well for Nigerians. There’s a gentleman’s agreement in Nigeria’s political circles and within the nation’s two dominant political parties, that the presidency should rotate between north and south every eight years. The voices for southern presidency in the APC has been growing over time echoed by Minister of work, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi among others. Given the nature of the alliances and alignments in the formative merger of APC it is expected that the party’s presidential ticket would go south, probably to the national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu or his handpicked candidate as was the case with Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo in 2015. Though forces in the PDP were of the opinion that since the APC was planning to field its presidential candidate from the south, the PDP should take advantage of the situation to present a popular northern candidate like Atiku Abubakar, however even in the PDP, there are dissenting voices in favor of southern candidacy. One of those in the PDP, in favour of southern presidential candidate from the PDP, is Doyin Okupe, former presidential spokesperson, according to him, the PDP fielding a northern candidate in 2023 would bring defeat. Okupe argued that the zoning arrangement in the PDP ended with the 2019 presidential election but that some people within the party are insisting on presenting a northern candidate for the 2023 poll. He said major politicians were defecting from the party because of the issue of a northern presidential candidate. He expressed fears that the party could collapse before 2023

The decision came three months after governors of the 17 southern states met in Lagos on July 5 to demand among other things for the South to produce the president of the country come 2023. While both the Ugwuanyi led zoning committee of the PDP did not give a speciﬁed reason why it decided to zone the party’s national chairman position to the north, some analysts have pointed to the eﬃcacy of the clamour by elements and groups in the polity for the presidency to go South

Lalong if the gale of defections continues. In their defections from the PDP to the APC recently, governors of the PDP that left the party had said they left because of unwillingness of the party to zone the presidency to the South, as in the case of Governor Umahi. Resistance in the North Northern governors coming out of a meeting in Kaduna recently said the South’s insistence on producing the next president of Nigeria, contradicts the provisions of the constitution. In a communique signed by the Governor of Plateau State and Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong, the governors said the position of their colleagues in the south is “condemnable”. Lalong said in the communique: “The Forum observed that some Northern State Governors had earlier expressed views for a power-shift to three geopolitical zones in the South with a view to promoting unity and peace in the nation. Notwithstanding their comments, the Forum unanimously condemns the statement by the Southern Governors Forum that the Presidency must go to the South,” the communique reads. Similarly, commenting on the position of the southern governors, Kaduna State governor Nasir El-rufai, who even though on some occasions has backed the shifting of presidency to the South and at other times to the north, said the recent push by the southern governors is foolish, and goes against the tenets of the constitution and democracy. In a chat with journalists after the meeting of the northern governors, El-Rufai said no one should assume that they can sit in Lagos or Port Harcourt and decide what the north should do or who the north should vote for. He added that if the south wants power so badly, it should be prepared to sit with the north, dialogue and negotiate, then agree on who should be voted for, instead of issuing declarative resolutions. In the South, there is a deep suspicion, that political gladiators from the North have been strategising to ensure that power remains in the north after the tenure of the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari ends in 2023. This realisation explains why southern governors specifically demanded for power shift to the South, which they listed as part of their resolutions at their recent meeting in Lagos, a development, which now has the strong support of National Assembly members from the zone. In the APC despite clamour for the zoning of the presidency to the South, there are still forces and tendencies scheming to retain the ticket in the north and in the PDP, there are still favourable arguments for northern presidential candidate, with some saying in the sixteen years of the PDP in power, the north has governed for only two years under the late Umar Yar’adua, with bigwigs like Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal and few others who have their eyes on the plum job. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

POLITICS

Fronting Osinbajo for Presidency

GOVERNANCE IN PHOTOS

Igbawase Ukumba writes that Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State thinks Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is good-to-go for the Presidency if he chooses to contest

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (right) and the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Anambra State, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo at a meeting of the PDP National Campaign Council for Anambra governorship election

Osinbajo

Sule

unlucky to be built around one man. And for us, the progressive governors are seeing at how do we sustain the party beyond the one man. Sule asserted that APC governors will support Osinbajo, stressing that he is a sellable candidate. “Our concern is how we will sustain the party beyond President Buhari. So, if you come up with the idea, you know you will not only get my attention but the attention of every progressive governor in the country,” the Nasarawa governor assured the Progressives Consolidation Group. Apart from the Nasarawa State governor, the group also paid courtesy calls on the Speaker of the Nasarawa state House of Assembly, Hon. Ibrahim Balarebe and the Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Traditional Rulers, Justice Sidi Bage (rtd). At the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Complex, the Chairman of the Progressive Consolidation Group told the Speaker of the House and his members that the PCG was at the State Assembly on voluntary mission in the interest of the party and the country at large. This was even as Kurfi commended the leadership qualities of the Nasarawa Assembly Speaker and the cordial working relationship between the three arms of government in the state, hitherto calling for its sustenance. “It is our hope that by now party men of good will should begin something early in the search and selection. That is why we are here on a voluntary mission in the interest of APC and Nigeria at large. We are on a mission for Osinbajo for President come 2023 for a smooth transition,” Kurfi maintained. For the Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, when the time to choose who will be the country’s next president comes, the position that will be taken by Governor Sule will be the position and direction of the state Assembly. He emphasized that Nasarawa State was one of the few states in the country that have absolute stability in APC, adding that that scenario will remain and the state will continue to remain one united family now and beyond 2023. Speaker Abdullahi assured the Progressives Consolidation Group: “This is your House, because out of the 24 honourable members that forms this House, APC has 20 members. So I said it is your House because it is APC’s House. Beside, we work as one united family. Here in Nasarawa State, we have our leader, our father, who is the governor. The governor is our leader and we shall be looking unto him to give us direction” “Whatever Governor Sule agreed with you is our position. The position of Governor Sule is the position of Nassarawa State House of Assembly. Yes, the Vice President, all Nigerians know that he is a very loyal person to Mr President. He is also very hardworking. We are looking at him and the President as twin brothers. The Vice President, our expectations is for him to continue to be loyal and hardworking,” the Speaker expressed the state lawmakers expectations. The Speaker promised to continue to synergize with Governor Abdullahi Sule for good working relationship to ensure that the people of the state get the best of governance.

hen Dr Aliyu Kurfi, Chairman of the Progressives Consolidation Group (PCG) led his powerful group on an advocacy visit to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State soliciting for support to enable Vice President Yemi Osinbajo succeed his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, by 2023, he said the PCG came on its own without the consent of the Vice President. Yet he said the group was convinced to start making the advocacy for Osinbajo to succeed Buhari because of his (Osinbajo) impressive vision for the country. Hence he told Governor Sule during the advocacy visit: “We are here sir on a very serious business, the serious business of political succession. We are on our own mission, but engineered by the vision of one of our elder statesmen, Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. We have gone through the various record of activities, life histories and of course the trends of events in politics and we have agreed as an association to work towards the promotion of his candidature.” “We made this decision because we believe with all honesty that we have a professional gentleman if given the opportunity will not only continue the good work of Mr President, but with gentlemen like you to support, make Nigeria a better place for all of us,” he said.” Kurfi added that the Vice President if given the mandate to rule Nigeria, will among other things ensure that the rule of law is entrenched across the country due to his background in the law profession. “His foresight in so many areas will be useful for Nigeria. He is a man who is a detribalised person and a man who is detached from the shallow thinking of many of us who are tribal bigots. We believe we have a gentleman whose thinking is simply that of Nigeria and Nigeria alone. We believe he is a gentleman whose political competence knows no bounds. So we have every reason to sell him for the benefit of Nigeria. That is why we are here,” Kurfi maintained. Nevertheless, Governor Sule did not hesitate to vouch for the Vice President as a sellable product for the 2023 presidency as he assured the Progressive Consolidation Group that “Osinbajo is a sellable presidential product if he chooses to contest the presidential elections in 2023.” Sule thanked the group for the visit and for intimating him of their advocacy for the presidential candidature of Osinbajo and their desire for him to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 and consolidate on the achievements of the present administration. He then assured them that they had nothing to worry about if the Vice President chooses to contest the 2023 Presidential elections because he was a sellable candidate for the party whose antecedent as an astute politician speaks volumes. The governor continued: “You are speaking about continuation which is what we believe here in Nasarawa State. You have been speaking about consolidation, and we know the challenges of consolidation and continuation of our party. This is a political party that is lucky or

L-R: Members, National Union of Lagos State Students, (NULASS),Miss Daniella Greg-Obi; Miss Kendra Bilatus; Mr. Josiah Emmanuel; Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab; Miss Abalihi Udoka Peace; President, NULASS, Mr Shasanya Akinola; and Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Tertiary Education and Students Relations, Mr Tayo Sanya-Olu, during the thank you visit by the evacuated Lagos State Resident/Students in UNIJOS by the Lagos State Government at the Secretariat, Alausa recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

From left, former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande; Governor Gboyega Oyetola; his wife, Kafayat and former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, during the Banquet and Award presentation to former State Governor’s and prominent personalities in the state in commemoration of 30 years anniversary of the creation of Osun State, at WOCDIF Event Centre, Osogbo

L-R: The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, HRM Oba Rufus Aladesanmi III; Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Celebrant/ Chairman Ekiti State Creation Committee, Chief Deji Fasuan; Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; and State CommissIoner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr (Mrs) Olabimbe Aderiye; during the inauguration of Deji Fasuan Model College, in commemoration of Chief Fasuan’s 90th birthday and 25th anniversary of the creation of Ekiti State, in Ado-Ekiti

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

FEATURES

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

Honouring Commitment to Fight Sexual, Gender Based Violence Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that to honour those committed to championing the fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team held its annual commendation/awards night

Dr. Omolaso Omosehin, UNFPA; Mrs. Ijeoma Anyaowu- ( Mandated Reporter); Dr. Oludolapo Shotunde- MOH, Ita Elewa Primary Health Centre; Mrs. Sumbo Ojukotola, Head, Agege Family Social Welfare, Her Excellency, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, Wife of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Her Excellency, Dr. Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo Olu, First Lady of Lagos State , Mr. Lateef Akiborode, Founder CWRF, Mrs. Bola Tinubu, Founder Cece Yara, Mrs. Itoro Eze- Anaba, Founder, Mirabel Center, SP Shonubi Maryam

o celebrate the modest achievements in the fight against Domestic and Sexual Violence, inspire and encourage all stakeholders to increase their efforts in bringing succour to victims and ultimately eradicate this menace in our society, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) recently held its Annual Commendation/ Awards Night. At the award, which coincided with the Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month, individuals and organisations were honoured for their commitment in the fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and they received Letters of Commendation from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as well as commendation plaques. The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was ably represented by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, whilst the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi . The Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Raji was also present at the event. The Honourable Chief Judge of Lagos State, Mr. Kazeem Alogba was ably represented by The Hon. Justice Adenike Coker of the Lagos State Judiciary. Other eminent personalities included the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo Olu; Wife of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat; and Hon. Mojisola Mac-Aulay, Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Lagos State House of Assembly. Members of the Executive Counci also present at the dinner were Hon. Mrs. Bolaji Dada, Commissioner for Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation; Hon. Segun Dawodu, Commissioner for Youth and Social Development; Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, Commissioner, Ministry of Education;

L-R: Mrs.. Sumbo Ojukutola, Head Agege Family Social Welfare; Her Excellency, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, Wife of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos State; and Mr. Lateef Akinborode, Founder, Community Women's Rights Foundation

and Princess Aderemi Adebowale, the Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement. The Commissioner of Police, CP

Hakeem Odumosu led a delegation of police officers of the Lagos State Police Command while Heads of Agencies like General Manager, LASODA, Mr.

To all victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, I say we believe you and we stand with you. As always, we will support you to speak your truth, receive the support you need and ensure that the justice system remains fully accessible to you

Oluwadamilare Jamiu Ogundairo; General Manager, LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba; and Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance , Mrs. Abiola. Seriki -Ayeni were also present at the event. The academia was not left out as the Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa and the Dean, Faculty of Sociology, Prof Olufunmilayo Bammeke were also present. The Traditional rulers present at the event included His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali {Emugoriade I}, Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, Igbogbo; Oba Dr. Sulaiman Adesina Raji Ashade I, Oni Iba of Iba Kingdom, Iba and others. Compered by Mr. Gbenga Adeyinka, other personalities were members of the Body of Permanent Secretaries, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, MS. Titilayo Shitta Bey, Directors in the Lagos State Public Service, donor and development partners, non-governmental organisations, officers of the police force, community leaders, the media and many more influential members of the society. Award Winners Among those honoured included Alakuko Family Support Unit, who bagged the Most Responsive Police Division; Most Responsive Social Welfare Office was given to Agege Social Welfare Office; Most Responsive Health facility went to Ita -Elewa Primary Health Centre; Most Responsive Non-Governmental Organisation (Domestic Violence) was given to Community Women’s Rights Foundation; and Most Responsive Non-Governmental Organisation (Sexual Violence) was won by Cece Yara. Also, the Most Supportive Donor Agency was awarded to UNFPA; Mandated Reporter of the Year went to Mrs. Ijeoma Anyaowu; Recognition was given to Mirabel Centre while Special Recognition was also given

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

FEATURES

Mr. Hakeem Muri Okunola, Head of Service; Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, Wife of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Dr. Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo Olu, First Lady of Lagos State; Hon. Justice Serifat Solebo; Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, Hon. Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice

First Lady with Hon. Justice Serifat Solebo, Honourable Justice of the High Court, Member DSVRT

to Her Excellency (Dr) Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo Olu, (Office of the First Lady). Signiﬁcant Gains against Domestic, Sexual Violence Stressing that significant gains have been recorded in the fight against domestic and sexual violence, Governor Sanwo-Olu in his speech said the driving force behind his passion to serve is the "belief that every individual, irrespective of his or her social status, can be treated with equity and is given an opportunity to succeed. This is the basic fundamental behind every successful state. "The central theme of this administration is not just a political rhetoric, “Greater Lagos” is essentially the compass that drives every decision, policy, intervention that this administration is involved with and our THEMES agenda is the vehicle through which we will land this vision. "My administration is working not only to curb domestic and sexual violence, but also to ultimately eliminate it. In the past two years, we have made significant gains in our war against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Institutions have been strengthened to respond appropriately, policies have been formulated and introduced in ensuring we provide holistic care and support to survivors, and we are also gradually ending the culture of impunity as evidenced in the convictions secured by the Ministry of Justice. In simple terms, we are indeed walking the talk. "The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team has also leveraged on technology through the introduction of the Gender Based Violence Virtual and Referral System which provides uninterrupted access to GBV services. This enables survivors have access to trained GBV service providers 24/7 through the established toll-free help line (0 8000 333 333). "In the few months since its launch, the virtual system has provided legal, psycho-social, referral, as well as emergency services to 841 adults and 105 children; a total of 946 cases. This initiative is supported by the Joint European Union Funded Spotlight Initiative, with technical support from UNFPA. "In view of the public health implications as a result of the aftermath of Sexual Violence, the state government, under the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme has recently launched an Intervention Fund which now ensures survivors of sexual violence are able to access immediate medical attention at all Primary health Centers, General Hospitals and designated private hospitals at no cost. "We have also intensified our advocacy efforts in ensuring residents of Lagos State become better informed of support services available. This includes the creative use of social media to increase knowledge and awareness on these critical issues and to emphasise the Zero Tolerance stance of the current administration to sexual and gender-based violence and also community engagements which have taken place across the metropolis.

Executive Secretary of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi

"Furthermore, we are empowering survivors to break the cycle of abuse with programs to help them become financially independent. This has helped tackle the major issue of dependency, which is the biggest factor that stops most female victims from speaking out, and we are promoting tools for better enforcement of protective orders, while helping survivors gain access to free legal representation. "The time has come when we must as a matter of urgency, institutionalise our various initiatives and this was why I recently assented to the Law establishing the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency. With this move, we expect to drive a pioneering, sustainable and systematic approach in consolidating the State’s effort towards tackling the issues of Domestic & Sexual violence and remain ahead of the curve. "Despite these milestones, we recognise that there is even more work to be done. If we truly desire a Lagos where all individual’s rights are protected and all boys, girls, women and men are free from violence, abuse, oppression and discrimination, we

cannot afford to leave this important work to chance. "To all victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, I say we believe you and we stand with you. As always, we will support you to speak your truth, receive the support you need and ensure that the justice system remains fully accessible to you. "Tonight is a demonstration of how effective collaboration can add value to the society, it reinforces the need for collaboration, partnership and community commitment. And that is why this evening, I am particularly pleased to honour and celebrate key stakeholders who have distinguished themselves by supporting the Government’s fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence. We hope this inspires all responder agencies to intensify efforts and continue to add value from their sphere of influence." Institutionalising Reforms For the state's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, who doubles as Chairman DSVRT, it was only fitting that

The time has come when we must as a matter of urgency, institutionalise our various initiatives and this was why I recently assented to the Law establishing the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency. With this move, we expect to drive a pioneering, sustainable and systematic approach in consolidating the State’s effort towards tackling the issues of Domestic & Sexual violence and remain ahead of the curve

the award was held as the last activity in the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month. In his speech, he said since Governor Sanwo-Olu assumed office, he has reiterated the state government’s zero tolerance to all forms of SGBV, adding that "we have also deemed it expedient to institutionalise our various reforms which has now been crystallised by the enactment of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and the Sex Offender Register. "The Law amongst other things establishes a Domestic and Sexual Violence Trust Fund. The fund once operational, would be deployed for the investigation and prosecution of reports of domestic and sexual violence matters; provision of medical, legal and counselling assistance for victims of domestic and sexual violence crimes; and provision of seed grants for business, relocation or medical assistance where necessary. "It is my earnest desire that through this intervention, survivors will become aware that help is near, witnesses will be encouraged to speak out and save a life and perpetrators will be deterred. " On the nominees, he said they have "remained determined to contribute their quota to this noble cause, supporting with their expertise, time and resources, rising gallantly to the occasion every time the need arises. Beyond the nominees, we celebrate every individual or organisation dedicated to this worthy cause and we urge you to continuously remain encouraged as your efforts are in no way in vain. We are indeed honoured to be affiliated with all those who understand that the fight is not over until we win. "Finally, this evening, we celebrate the real heroes who despite the societal pressures, untold hardships, denials and pains were bold enough to speak out and say “Enough is Enough”, we celebrate all survivors of all forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence this evening and reassure our commitment to reducing the perpetration of these crimes to the barest minimum." About DSVRT Headed by Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi as the Executive Secretary of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), the DSVRT is a collection of professional service providers and officials that respond as a group and in a timely fashion to the various needs of domestic and sexual violence survivors by providing legal, medical, emergency assistance, counselling and psychological and psycho social support. It is to encourage and create unprecedented level of collaboration among professionals working to end SGBV. Totally committed to ensuring total eradication of SGBV in the state, their mission is to provide sensitive services to victims of domestic and sexual violence while promoting healthy relationships and enhanced coordinated community response to domestic and sexual violence in Lagos State and indeed in Nigeria.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com

08056356325

O C T O B E R

S & P INDEX

5 , 2 0 2 1

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OBB

14.00%

CALL

INDEX LEVEL

565.29%

1/4 TO DATE

6.06%

N412.08/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

14.50%

1-MONTH

1-DAY

–0.11%

YEAR TO DATE

– 15.66%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.41%

Amid Low-yield Environment, 10 Banks Spend N433bn on Servicing Customers’ Accounts, Borrowings

Darasimi Adebisi Amid low-yield environment, Ecobank Transactional Incorporated (ETI), Access Bank Plc, eight others banks spent N432.96billion on serving customers’ accounts and borrowings in first half (H1) of 2021. This represents a decline of 10.5per cent from N483.73billion recorded in prior half year of 2020. A breakdown of the banks results revealed that they incurred N286.5billion as interest expenses on deposits’ from customers in H1 2021 as against N359.86billion

in H1 2020. Also, the interest the banks paid on borrowings closed H1 2021 at N146.5billion from N123.87billion in H1 2020. The other banks are Guaranty Trust Holding Limited Plc (GTCO), United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), FBN Holdings Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, and FCMB Group Plc. In the same vein, total expenses incurred by these 10 banks also dropped 10.7 per cent to N542.76billion in H1 2021 from

N607.6billion recorded in H1 2020. The low-yield environment reflected on these banks expenses on Deposits from customers as nearly all recorded decline aside ETI that gained 2.5 per cent to N57.71billion in H1 2021 from N56.32billion in H1 2020. The apex bank at the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Meeting of September 22, 2020 voted to reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 100 basis points from 12.5 to 11.5 per cent. Analyst at PAC Holdings, Mr. Wole Adeyeye explained to

THISDAY that cost of funding in H1 2021 dropped, leading to banks recording decline on interest expenses from deposits from customers. According to him: “When the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reviewed MPR from 12.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent, cost of funds actually dropped, leading to interest expenses on deposits from customers recorded by these banks in the period under review.” Access Bank Plc, for instance reported 11.05per cent decline in its interest expenses on Deposits

from customers’ to N56.77billion in H1 2021 from N63.83billion in H1 2020, while GTCO also recorded 24.4 per cent decline in interest expenses on Deposits from customers to N16.8billion in H1 2021 from N22.24billion recorded in H1 2020. Further analysis of the banks results revealed that UBA recorded 20.5 per cent drop in interest expenses on deposits from customers to N42.4billion in H1 2021, while FBN Holdings interest expenses on deposits from customers dropped to N30.8billion, a 41.5 per cent

drop from N52.72billion recorded in H1 2020. Zenith Bank recorded 38.5 per cent interest expenses on deposits from customers to N26.16billion in H1 2021 from N42.5billion recorded in H1 2020. In addition, Fidelity Bank’s interest expenses on deposits from customers moved from N26.27billion in H1 2020 to N24.35 billion in H1 2021 while Stanbic IBTC Holdings recorded about 49 per cent decline in interest expenses on deposits from Continued on page 24

NAICOM Seeks African Governments Support, Says Regional Insurance Market in Dare Need of Collaboration Ebere Nwoji The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has called on African governments to strongly support the insurance sector pointing out that the regional insurance market was in dare need of collaboration. NAICOM, is leveraging the opportunity of the regional body being headed by a veteran Nigerian insurer Mr Tope Smart to make the call. The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas who made the call at the end of the AIO conference charged the new president of AIO to cap it by vigorously

persuading the governments across the continent to play their roles in providing the necessary support and create an enabling environment for insurance activities to flourish. The NAICOM boss said the AIO should also persuade the governments on continued lifting of border barriers making movement of resources almost impossible, promote healthy competitions amongst member states and promoting knowledge sharing across the continent among other objectives that will make insurance business thrive within the African markets. Thomas who said the com-

mission has been able to get more support from the Nigerian government stated that this was the very first time that any Nigerian President or Head of State will personally attend any program of the insurance sector in Nigeria. He expressed excitement that not only was President Buhari paying attention to the sector, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Finance, Dr. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed and other State Governors were also doing the same, as evidenced by their presence at the conference. “The founding fathers of the AIO had a very thoughtful foresight by

making sure we have this forum that has over these years had achieved tremendous success in harmonising the African insurance markets and bringing together experts of different insurance faculties annually to discuss burning issues affecting the continent and the rest of the world. I believe the outcome of all our deliberations in the last few days will go a long way in helping us thrive higher in achieving our goals and objectives, ”he said. While congratulating Smart, he said: “I want to say to the incoming President that the journey ahead may not be all smooth especially

due to aftermath effect of the COVID19 pandemic and the shapes of our economies across Africa presently. There is huge task ahead of you and your team, but working with you over the years gives me high confidence that you are equal to the task and I can vouch for your hard work, resilience, foresight and determination. “I am sure we are all going to be proud of your tenure in the AIO. We will give the organisation necessary support it requires as we have always done and in return, we expect that Nigeria as a member is going to reap

all benefits of its membership in the organisation in line with the new strategic objectives of the AIO. It is worthy to say that the African insurance market is in dare need of serious collaboration and synergy now than in other time in the past as we rightly agreed here that we must look inward if truly we want to make an impact. Time has passed that we rely on foreign or international support from the west and other super powers as the world at large is overwhelmed by so many issues.” Thomas further stated that Continued on page 24

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 5 , 2 0 2 1 FGN BONDS DESCRIPTION 12.175 FGNSB 10-OCT-2021 11.244 FGNSB 16-OCT-2021 10.296 FGNSB 13-NOV-2021 13.390 FGNSB 14-NOV-2021 9.091 FGNSB 11-DEC-2021

Price

Yield

BILLS Change (%)

MATURITY

OTC FX F U T U R E S

Discount Yield Change (%)

100.13

2.85

-0.91

NTB 14-Oct-21

2.88

2.88 -0.89

100.25

2.92

-0.89

NTB 28-Oct-21

3.04

3.04 -0.85

100.74

3.25

-0.81

NTB 11-Nov-21

3.20

3.21 -0.81

101.09

3.26

-0.81

NTB 25-Nov-21

3.36

101.00

3.59

-0.72

NTB 13-Jan-22

3.92

CONTRACT TENOR (MONTH) 1

Contract

Current Rate ($/₦)

NGUS OCT 27 2021 420.93

NGUS NOV 24 2021 422.38

NGUS DEC 29 2021 423.83

3.37 -0.77

NGUS JAN 26 2022 425.28

3.96 -0.62

NGUS FEB 23 2022 426.73

C Ps MATURITY

Discount Yield

Change (%)

CMBL CP XV 11OCT-21 UBNP CP VIII 18OCT-21 CMBL CP XII 31OCT-21 CMBL CP XVII 15-NOV-21 FSDH CP III 16NOV-21

6.26

6.27

-0.91

7.91

7.93

-0.89

4.14

4.16

-0.85

5.15

5.18

-0.80

6.52

6.57

-0.80

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

CELEBRATING OSUN AT 30…

L–R: Non-Executive Director, International Breweries Plc, Olutoyin Odulate; The Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola; The Chairman, Board of Directors, International Breweries Plc, HRM Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe; Finance Director, International Breweries Plc, Bruno Zambrano; and Legal and Corporate Aﬀairs Director, International Breweries Plc, Temitope Oguntokun; during a courtesy visit to the governor in celebration of Osun at 30 by the IBPLC team

Stakeholders Harp on National Maritime Policy to Ensure Support for Nigeria’s Socio-economic Progress Oluchi Chibuzor Stakeholders’ in the Nigerian maritime sector have advocated for a national maritime policy to ensure the sector’s support for the socio-economic progress of the country in view of unstable global oil price. The stakeholders’, who stated this at the ongoing Nigeria International Maritime Summit 2021, said such policy would help Nigeria to harness its maritime potential. According to them, this policy would create and establish thematic areas for which the maritime sector will thrive on and set the country on the path to become a maritime hub in Africa, while providing a legitimate freedom to achieve both

long term and short-term goals for the sector. Speaking at the summit, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh, reiterated the need for the nation to sustain the current level of security in the country’s coastal waters hinting that the federal government has granted physical incentives for the sector. He said considering the latest report from International Maritime Bureau (IMB) for second quarter of 2021, the level of piracy in Nigeria has reduced considerably noting that security was paramount to tap the potential accrued from the sector to the overall well being of the nation.

“We have 9 months of good report, the way forward is to sustain these records. In doing this, we need effective collaboration with other stakeholders especially the Nigeria Navy. We have to interface with the Ministry of Defense and we are trying to achieve this; we cannot do it without the minister of transportation. In dealing with issues of security, you have to look at what are the other issues that come into play. No maritime sector can grow without incentives.” NIMASA, he revealed, is working on two broad base incentives for the maritime sector stressing that, “no nation can develop today without the maritime sector, where 90 percent of world goods are transported by sea.” On what the agency needs to

do to bring all serving ministers onboard to foster synergy towards maritime national policy, he revealed that he was supposed to be part of postponed minister retreat, where he will interface with them on the issue. “On the 10th of this month all the Ministers will be in Asokoro to meet with other CEO like me to make sure to present whatever advice we make to get their backing in other to move the sector forward, ” he said He said the nation needed to tap from the industry that is globally worth $14 trillion annually, $38billion daily and $1.5million per hour, wondering why the National Transportation Policy has not been approved. Commenting, the chairperson of

the NIMS 2021, Mfon Usoro, said the summit focuses the attention of policy makers, regulators and the industry operators on a critical segment that some consider the substratum for economic growth, the centerpiece for commerce, security and indeed livelihood. “It is so unfortunate that no African nation has emerged as a maritime superpower; they are not on the list of the top 20 shipping nations. We are not even aspiring to be among these shipping nations. We need to address the domestic and external impediments, we need the transportation policy, ” she said. On her part, the Chairman, House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration,

Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu, said the maritime sector was pivotal to the development of any nation. She noted that while Nigeria is blessed with a young demography of human capital and a coastline of almost 900 kilometres, rich in biodiversity, it is still struggling to be a maritime nation. Chuba-Ikpeazu also said that the Nigerian maritime sector, with its untapped potential, is capable of driving sustainable economic growth if the right actions are taken and implemented. She, however, acknowledged that the National Assembly was already paying attention to strengthen the maritime sector by redeeming the legislations on Cabotage matter and shipping among others.

Royal Navy Patrol Ship Heads to W’Africa to Support Maritime Security UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has announced that the Royal Navy patrol ship, HMS Trent, is setting sail to the waters of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) for security patrols and a mission to support UK allies in West Africa. In a statement signed by its Press & Public Affairs Officer, Ndidiamaka Eze It stated that the River-class patrol ship will visit Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia and Cape Verde, and will take part in French-led multinational training exercises that will bring together international partners in the region, known as Exercise Grand African Nemo. “HMS Trent, which is the first

Royal Navy vessel to operate in the region for three years, will conduct maritime security patrols as well as support partner navies by helping them to develop key maritime skills and develop plans for future operations in the region. This deployment is a clear signal of the UK’s commitment to being more persistently engaged in the region, through which more than £6 billion of UK trade passes every year, “the statement reads. Commenting, UK’s Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said: “This deployment shows the Integrated Review in action. It demonstrates how a truly Global Britain is stepping up on the world

stage to tackle shared international security challenges. “Working hand-in-hand with our allies we are utilising our forward deployed Armed Forces to tackle threats at the source, making the world a safer place for all.” HMS Trent, he added, carries on board a contingent of Royal Marines from 42 Commando, “which will train partner forces across the region in skills like boarding and searching of suspicious vessels, as well as evidence handling and medical skills. “As well delivering training to partner nations, 42 Commando are experts in boarding operations helping fight against illegal activity like piracy, drugs-smuggling and

terrorism. “HMS Trent will attend the Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (FoGG) G7++ conference in Dakar, which the UK is co-chairing with hosts Senegal. Britain established the group in 2013 as part of the then G8 to coordinate regional maritime security efforts.” On his part, HMS Trent’s Commanding Officer, Commander Thomas Knott, said: “Continuing a year of forward deployed operations in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, this deployment marks an important return to the region for the Royal Navy demonstrating our commitment to improving Maritime Security

in the area. “We are extremely proud and excited to commence this deployment to what is an exciting new region for HMS Trent. We are looking forward to working with regional partners and also engaging with local communities in an effort to strengthen security.” UK’s Acting High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones said: “Nigeria is an important and valued defence partner for the UK in West Africa. Our two countries face many shared threats and we are keen to work with Nigeria to defeat these and to help improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, including in areas such

as counter-piracy.’ According to the statement, “HMS Trent is one of five Royal Navy patrol ships, which are currently operating around the world in areas of critical importance to the UK – from the Indo-Pacific, South Atlantic to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. This is part of the Royal Navy’s Forward Presence programme that seeks to put patrol ships in positions around the globe ready to respond to global events. HMS Trent finished preparations for her patrol to West Africa this week in the waters close to Gibraltar, refreshing skills following a period of maintenance and a rotation of crew.

AMID LOW-YIELD ENVIRONMENT, 10 BANKS SPEND N433BN ON SERVICING CUSTOMERS’ ACCOUNTS, BORROWINGS

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Aviation Editor Chinedu Eze Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy) Ugo Aliogo (Development)

customers to N5.86 in H1 2021 from N11.48billion in H1 2020. Union Bank of Nigeria for the period recorded 16.09 per cent drop in interest expenses to N12.46billion in H1 2021 from

N14.8billion recorded in H1 2020 as FCMB Group Plc. Recorded N13.08billion interest expenses on deposits from customers in H1 2021 from N16.24billion recorded in H1 2020.

Commenting also, analyst, Rotimi Fakayejo explained to THISDAY the slow growth in deposits from customers in the period was responsible for the outcome.

He explained that: “The banking sector in H1 2021 witnessed weak deposits from customers despite the CBN directive on 65 per cent Loan-to-deposit ratio policy. “In essence, there was no ag-

gressive deposit in the banking sector as banks were taking caution. The little deposit banks have can’t be exhausted in lending which definitely crashed rates and reduce interest expenses.”

NAICOM SEEKS AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS SUPPORT, SAYS REGIONAL INSURANCE MARKET IN DARE NEED OF COLLABORATION developing the insurance markets across Africa was no longer a choice but a necessity. “Not only in Nigeria that there is huge growth potential in insurance but is over Africa that we can unite and develop insurance business there is a lot our governments will get economically. The signing of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) has provided an avenue to foster unity and integration within the Africa region. It provides an avenue for achievement of a common market for goods and services; guaranteeing free movement of human resources, investment and technology. “But let me charge the new

leadership of the AIO to cap it by vigorously persuade the governments across the continent to play their roles in providing the necessary support, creating an enabling environment for insurance activities to flourish, continued lifting of border barriers making movement of resources almost impossible, promote healthy competitions amongst member states and promoting knowledge sharing across the continent among other objectives that will make insurance business thrive within the African markets, “he said. He also charged the new leadership that by the year 2022 the AIO would celebrate its Golden Jubilee (50 years) being established in 1972

which means he can also write his achievements in gold for coming on board at this critical time. “We expect to see great stride and landmark achievements when your tenure is over and the baton will change hands. I pledge the support of the Nigerian insurance industry to your success as President of the AIO”, he added. The Commissioner for Insurance, Pension and Provident Funds Insurance and Pensions Commission, Zimbabwe, Grace Muradzikwa while presenting a paper on, “Regulation, Innovation and the Future of Insurance” at the Conference sought collaboration with other regulators across the continent.

Highlighting in-country and across jurisdictions, she maintained that the lowering of barriers has highlighted the interconnectedness of markets and the need for Regulators to collaborate and eliminate regulatory arbitrage. In Zimbabwe, she said, they now have the Smart Regulators Forum where regulators meet to discuss cross cutting issues. Speaking on data protection and privacy, she said: “Regulators are concerned about how insurers are managing potential customer risks related to data sharing with third parties, therefore, developing data protection frameworks and collaborating with data protection agencies.

“On new sources of growth, one of the things I was taught when I joined the Insurance industry many years ago was that there is a strong positive correlation between insurance growth and economic growth though the causality relationship can be bi-directional. It is a chick and egg relationship. There is a lot of empirical evidence on the nexus between economic development and the development of the insurance industry. In my view, it is for this reason that insurers must not only take an interest in the economic growth drivers but be agents of economic growth. This is the only way that insurance will contribute towards the rebuilding of the continent.”

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

BANKING

The Dwindling Fiscal Capacity of States In this piece, James Emejo and Sonia Mayomi, write that state governments would have to think out of the box and urgently implement policies that would encourage both local and foreign investors to establish and create employment opportunities in their respective jurisdictions in order to boost non-oil revenue and help the sub-nationals exit their current fiscal dilemma

igeria is one of the countries that are synonymous with the term ‘oil curse’ because of the political and economic dysfunction occasioned largely by poor management or investment of oil revenues by the governments to better the living standards of the people. The narrative is that the discovery of major oil reserves in 1956 ought to have resulted in long-term economic growth and prosperity, but rather it has impoverished the masses due to political interests, corruption and remarkable ineptitude by most of the political leadership. Revenue from crude oil in the 1970s and 1980s became the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy that provided the key for the functional industrial and manufacturing sectors, which helped to boost local production and exports, thereby keeping the Naira almost at par with other world currencies. The country’s agricultural sector was particularly an area to reckon with given the magnitude of cash crop export activities that took place during the golden era. And almost every region of state of the federation were actively involved in the nation’s economic development - each having some level of competitive advantage in one or two export commodities. But the rest is history today.The advent of oil and free money gave birth to laziness and leaders who lacked the capacity to sustain the nation’s economic greatness through systematic and structured plan to diversify the economy alongside oil potential. Rather, oil was embraced as the cash cow of the moment and agriculture and other non-oil sectors of the economy were relegated to the background.

FISCAL DILEMMA

Today, but for a few, all states of the federation are in fiscal dilemma because of their over-reliance on crude oil proceeds. But for the monthly oil proceeds being regularly distributed, no state is adjudged as being capable to survive on non-oil revenues, except Lagos. For decades the promise to develop the regional economies had often been mere talk without action, as governors pay lip service to economic empowerment and job creation. There had been instances where state chief executives with their entourage embarked on investment tours abroad with the promise to woo foreign investors to change the narratives in their various states but nothing tangible is recorded in that direction at the end of the day. It is even on record that some state governors had boasted of attracting large supermarkets in their domain - as part of the gains from their tours abroad. Yet unemployment and poverty remain the order of the day in many states. Also, as a result of leadership ineptitude, apart from the civil service in every state, it is almost impossible to find multinational investments capable of generating the much-needed jobs to boost states’ economies.

FEDERATION ACCOUNT

The abysmal state of the sub-national economies was reflected recently in the 2021 edition of the State of

States report by BudgIT, themed:“Fiscal Options for Building Back Better”. The report alluded to the fact that currently only three states out of the 36 States of the federation can meet their operating expenses obligations with a combination of their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and Value Added Tax (VAT) without recourse to the federation account, a comparative viability study has shown. These states included Lagos, Rivers, and Anambrawith Ebonyi and Cross River also ranked behind them. However, Jigawa, Delta, Benue, Taraba and Bayelsa occupied the bottom of the ladder respectively as they were unable to boost their IGR within the review period. The report however, stated that cumulatively, all 36 states witnessed a 3.43per cent decline in IGR from N1.26 trillion in 2019 to N1.21 trillion 2020. It said while 18 states recorded a decline in their year-on-year IGR 18 others indicated their ability to weather the fiscal storm induced by the COVID-19 pandemic -growing their revenue in some cases by as much as 87.02 per cent. It added that Lagos, despite being the epicentre of the pandemic, posted a 5.08 per cent growth in IGR, proving the resilience of its fiscal strategy. It said Ebonyi and Kebbi became new entrants to the top five category in the overall ranking - with the former emerging in second position up from sixth in 2020, while the latter assumed the fifth rising from 11th in the preceding year. According to the study, the subnational debt outlook indicated that states total debt burden increased by N472.63 billion or 8.78 per cent from N5.39 trillion in 2019 to N5.86 trillion in 2020. It said the increase in total debt incurred by the states was largely driven by exchange rate volatility which saw the value of the naira jump from N305.9/$1 in 2019 to N380/$1 as at December 31st 2020. It said Lagos, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River and Bauchi were significantly hit due to negative exposure to exchange rate volatility. However, 11 states including Jigawa, Sokoto, Kogi, Ebonyi, Katsina, Yobe, Bayelsa, Ondo, Kebbi, Kwara and Nasarawa still had a comparatively low debt burden, adding that their debt profiles are so low they can theoretically pay it off in a single year, using their 2020 total revenue. The report, nonetheless, said,”We note that a low debt burden in itself is not necessarily a good or a bad thing; however, these states are highlighted because they still have comparatively more leeway to borrow”. “Thus, they need additional technical support to be more strategic in their future borrowing to ensure value for money,” the report added. On the other hand, Cross River, Plateau, Imo, Adamawa and Bauchi were adjudged to be least attractive states going by their high debt burden when compared with their 2020 total revenue. The BudgIT report said these states would need to “urgently develop Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models for financing expenditures in critical

sectors, as their attractiveness to potential lenders is significantly reduced”. The report also said Ebonyi, Rivers, Anambra and Cross River and Kaduna prioritised investment in infrastructure by spending more on capital expenditure than operating expenses while Benue, Kogi, and Taraba, among others lagged behind.

IMPROVING IGR

The report said these states need to do more to rapidly consolidate on any ongoing strategies to improve their IGR and viability as federating entities. This is particularly necessary considering the comparative size of their operating expenses and the global push to transition away from fossil fuels such as crude oil which is a key source of federally distributed revenue, the study pointer out. In addition, the report noted that Rivers again topped the overall 2021 Fiscal Performance Ranking despite COVID-19 induced fiscal shocks to its IGR, indicating that the fiscal fundamentals of state, compared to other state are managed prudently. The BudgIT report however, added that all Nigerian states still needed to work hard to build economic prosperity and create more jobs in their states to ensure that there is more money in circulation as well as economic activities that could be taxed to improve their IGR. BudgIT Chief Executive, Mr. Gabriel Okeowo, said this year’s evaluation centered on states’ fiscal performance ranking as opposed to the sustainability index it had published in the past five years. He said,”The reason for that is that we see that some states were carried away with the word sustainability and just went around saying they are sustainable. “Our research is a contributory part of the whole and so it is not enough for states to say they are on the top of the table and doing well and needed no further improvement.Every state in Nigeria still needs to look inwards, even the top five states, or number one state. We are still saying that if the backbone support they have today - the allocations coming from the federal government goes down, it affects the states.” “Yes, we know there are some states that are doing well and that are able to run themselves based on the internally generated revenue but beyond the IGR that is mostly driven by taxes paid, can we begin to see states go into production and go into avenues that also create jobs for people?” He said some state might just be lucky to have been ranked top “not that there’s any serious systemic process that lead the states to whatever rank they occupy right now.” He said the subnational governments should be systemic in their approach to build systems, structures that outlive their tenure. Speaking at the occasion, Chief Executive, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola, said the viability of states

would depend on how well they are able to expand the fiscal resource space. He said project prioritisation and sequencing through long to medium term planning was critical as an expenditure management strategy. He said, “This helps to curtail the incidence of abandoned projects due to lack of funds and changes in government priorities. “It is unthinkable that today, we still have states whose yearly budgets are not driven by well-developed planning frameworks such as medium term sector strategies and a medium term budget framework. Among other things he said, improving fiscal discipline remained key if states must build back better. “I am sure rethinking our budget practices at the subnational level is long overdue and now is the best time to act,” he said.

HUGE DEBT BURDEN

According to the BudgIT study, cumulatively, the 36 states total debt burden increased by N472.63 billion (or 8.78 per cent) from N5.39 trillion in 2019 to N5.86 trillion in 2020. “This increase in total subnational debt was driven largely by exchange rate volatility which saw the value of the naira jump from N305.9/$1 in 2019 to N380/$1 as at December 31st 2020. “States with the highest foreign debt were significantly hit due to negative exposure to exchange rate volatility. “These states include: Lagos, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River and Bauchi (See the datasheet on 2020 Foreign Debt by state). “Furthermore, five states accounted for more than half (that is 63.63 per cent or N300.7 billion) of the net year-on-year subnational debt increase of N472.63 billion for all the states between 2019 and 2020: the states are Lagos, Kaduna, Anambra, Benue and Zamfara.”

WAY FORWARD

The study noted that for States to make headway in the current scenario, they must tackle corruption and address revenue leakages. The report stated that “without a doubt, COVID-19 ravaged the revenues of many Nigerian state governments and the need to explore options for ‘building back better’ cannot be overstressed. “A critical first step for states would be to rapidly block financial leakages that could further drain the little available revenue or future revenue. From the Annual Performance Assessment (APA) results of states under the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability And Sustainability (SFTAS) program, released in Q2 2021, only seven states in Nigeria had functioning Treasury Single Accounts (TSA), an otherwise critical fiscal strategy that gives states more control over their revenues and could help states reduce leakages. “The results were better for states that had introduced reforms to block leakages, due to the existence of “ghost workers” and other forms of payroll fraud. About 24 states and 27 states respectively, had introduced “Biometric use in payroll management” and “Bank verification number use in payroll management”.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Building Resilience against Urban Flooding

The VAT Question and Few Answers

cross Nigeria the annual wet season sees our news reports and social media feeds ‘flooded’ with images of commuters wading through rain and sewerage to get home, cars washed off roads and businesses and livelihoods floating on busy streets. Then, the cleanup begins, the news forgets, people rebuild and, before long, the process repeats. But it shouldn’t be this way and if we don’t act now the situation will only get worse. Take Lagos where annual flooding has risen in severity as climate change progresses. In 2018 alone, flooding caused $4 billion worth of damage, costing around 4.1% of Lagos State’s GDP. The city struggles to manage and recover from these floods, which not only cause disruption to business and social activity but also threaten to eventually make the city unlivable. Lagos is not alone. More than 70 urban areas face significant flood risks, with 171 million people in sub-Saharan Africa exposed to the dangers of flooding. But, while people will routinely think about taking out insurance for their cars and to cover their health needs, too often they don’t insure against risks like floods. In 2019, SwissRe estimated that 91% ($1 billion) of losses from climate risks in Africa were uninsured. We need to better manage risk to make our cities more resilient to climate change and the devastation it can cause. In Lagos, institutions such as the Lagos Resilience Office, the Financial Centre for Sustainability Lagos and the Lagos Business School could provide tangible solutions as well as practical advice. Alongside this, agencies such as UKAid funded FSD Africa and other global experts can facilitate support and investment for this process. But where do we start? Using Lagos as an example, we combined data, interviews, and models to see how flood risk in the city could be better managed and identified five key takeaways for improvement. Number one, while flooding happens regularly, most public agencies and private businesses can’t quantify the risk. This includes insurance companies who often struggle to determine their own clients’ exposure. Or think of it this way; how do you know how high to build the bridge, when you don’t know how high the river flows when it floods? When we know this, we can build investment cases for resilient infrastructure and bespoke insurance products. Which links closely to our second finding:

the lack of usable consistent data. Too often data is missing or fragmented. When we lack data, we lose the ability to accurately model risks and impacts. And when we do have data, there is a need for more collaboration between stakeholders to ensure it is used. Third, trust is critical. Throughout the world, consumers can be skeptical of insurance companies and the same is true here. Innovative insurers are looking to address this through deliberately seeking out opportunities to offer clients real value. This also means that insurance companies should move beyond just policy sales, and instead become advisers who can better help clients understand and manage the exposure of their business or property. Fourth, from flood sensors to satellitebased early warning systems, technology can have a profound impact on how we identify and respond to immediate threats. Partnerships are needed to develop and realise these opportunities, and this requires strong leadership from the local business community and public administration. The insurance industry, and indeed the broader financial sector in Nigeria, have a crucial role in developing local innovation and collaboration, and in leveraging the readiness of African and global reinsurers and experts to provide finance and support. Finally, the best data and innovations can only go so far. Leadership is critical. Insurers have a big role to play, and can step up by adjusting their corporate strategies. Many institutions, including FSD Africa, are ready to partner with innovators to develop new solutions. It’s vital this work is prioritised – to safeguard development gains made in recent years, boost sustainability and protect livelihoods. Lagos is just one example, but many of the findings offer insights for cities across the continent. With flooding likely to get worse, it is critical to act now to help our cities and communities withstand the flood. t 5IPNBT 8JFDIFST "TTJTUBOU %JSFDUPS 3JTL 3FTJMJFODF '4% "GSJDB UIPNBT!GTEBGSJDB PSH XXX GTEBGSJDB PSH o '4% "GSJDB JT B TQFDJBMJTU EFWFMPQNFOU BHFODZ XPSLJOH UP CVJME BOE TUSFOHUIFO mOBODJBM NBSLFUT BDSPTT TVC 4BIBSBO "GSJDB *U JT GVOEFE CZ 6,"JE t .JB 5IPN 5FDIOJDBM %JSFDUPS $FOGSJ NJBUIPN!DFOGSJ PSH XXX DFOGSJ PSH $FOGSJ JT BO JOEFQFOEFOU "GSJDBO FDPOPNJD JNQBDU BHFODZ 8F XPSL UP CPPTU FDPOPNJD HSPXUI BOE JODSFBTF TVTUBJOBCMF EFWFMPQNFOU JO FNFSHJOH NBSLFUT

he buzz of VAT and its administration has captured the headlines of most blogs and newspapers in Nigeria. At the centre of the conversation is the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, pushing forward a VAT law that seeks to collect Value Added Tax from Rivers businesses as against paying to the federal government. Backing him is the judgment of a Federal High Court that declared the collection of VAT by the Federal Government illegal, and empowered Rivers State to do so. Another state is joining in: Lagos. And if newspaper headlines are anything to go by, more States who see a pie to be eaten from VAT gains would join too. But this judgment is seen as odd to many: after over two decades of VAT administration saddled in the hands of the Federal Government, it suddenly has become illegal? On what basis has the Federal Government then carried out this now illegal act? Can the VAT Act, a Federal Legislation passed by the National Assembly now become impotent and subservient to State law on the same matter? Does this Act become inapplicable because VAT is not expressly mentioned in the constitution? That should not be so. The powers of the National Assembly to make laws on tax matters are not limited to just those in the Exclusive and Residual lists. Another question that has been asked by legal commentators is this: How come this judgment now, when some years ago, the Supreme Court gave its blessing to the VAT Act as being above and superior to similar legislation that Lagos State was proposing then. It quashed that Lagos law then. Similarly, a Federal High Court in Kogi State said that the FIRS was the sole collector of VAT taxes and not the State. Two courts of coordinate jurisdiction have given different pronouncements on the same matter. Sadly, taxpayers would be the victims of the confusion. The hope they have now is the order of the Court of Appeal stating that the parties to the case must not give any effect to the weird judgment of the Federal High Court that sat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and that the status quo ante bellum be maintained. Questions were rife when the judgment first surfaced. For one, businessmen in Rivers were already confused as to whether they were to pay their VAT to Rivers state or the Federal Government, even when their headquarters are situated in other states. When they shared these concerns with the Governor during a stakeholder conference he held with them, he had no answers for them. Then there is also the question of the technical input and output mechanism that defines why VAT as a goods and service tax across the globe has remained a matter left for the national and not the sub-national units. The outcome of the FIRS application for stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal if granted would only hold effect till the final determination of the matter. That final determination is eagerly awaited, to ease the needless tension this political and economic confusion has brought to taxpayers. If it ever happens, the domino effect of states collecting VAT as against the Federal Government, which equitably shares it amongst the three tiers of government, would be felt strongly. Some states would be at the bad end of the stick and would end up running back to

the Federal Government. The financial status of any state that thinks collecting VAT by itself would make it richer may not change as much as it thinks. For instance, the argument that some have made saying that Lagos generates the most VAT is inchoate. What those who make this postulation do not tell you is that Lagos fetches the most VAT because it enjoys the “Headquarters Effect,” such that a business that transacts all across the country pays no VAT in those places it transacts in, but pays it where its Headquarters is situated: Lagos. If these businesses were to pay VAT across the country, in the places they make their money, the myth of the Lagos jumbo VAT would be crushed. Nigeria is primarily a federation: it is a union, and unions join together, bringing the strengths of each unit to bolster a common front. A powerful country with strong sub-national units is the goal. Not extremities of competing states against each other. Yes, while many states are not as economically strong as others, the strength of a Federation is not limited to just each unit working to attain maximum economic capacity but extends to providing strength to weak states equitably so that they can grow and meet up. So when farm produce harvested in the farms of Jigawa or Benue, are processed in the industries of Ogun and Oyo State, with VAT being charged to the final product from Ogun and Oyo, we see states bringing their strengths together for the good of the nation, while not belaboring taxpayers at each point of economic activity. If States, where food crops were to be harvested, decide to tax them at source, coupled with VAT paid on the final items, the cost of food items would skyrocket. Ultimately, were the VAT collection to be positioned in the states and the Federal Government too, the winner would be the Federal Government, which already rakes in a big chunk of the collected sum from VAT paid in the Federal Capital Territory and that collected from imported goods. That does no good to the Federation. States lose at the end. The Federal Government, through the FIRS already has a strong and capable collection framework. It is better placed than States to do this. Its contested 4% collection charge is little compared to the work that its machinery uses to ensure an effective, smooth, and accurate collection of these funds—such that none of it ends up in the hands of unruly thugs or corrupt officers. Nigeria, as a whole, has more to benefit from VAT administration operated from the Centre. Citizens do not want annoying double-taxation on goods that would be suffered when states begin to pass individual and irregular VAT laws for themselves. Already, the proposed VAT percentage by Rivers State differs from that Lagos is proposing. Moreover, the current structure works for the equitable distribution of resources: states bringing more to the table still get so much; economically weaker states get just enough too. For instance, Rivers State which brought in about 43 Billion Naira into the VAT pool in 2020, took back 40 Billion Naira as its allocation. Political leaders, as they enter into the debate of what works best should think win-win for the country. A dog-eat-dog approach on the VAT question would not augur well for the citizens in the long run. When a federation is at war with itself, nobody wins. t .PIBNNBE 5 "CJPEVO B IJTUPSJBO XSJUFT GSPN "CVKB

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

INSURANCE

Nigeria at 61: Insurance Industry Migrating from Public Alienation As Nigeria clocks 61, its insurance industry is gradually migrating from a position of public alienation to increasing acceptability, popular ascendance, and total reinvigoration through injection of foreign capital and expertise. Ebere Nwoji reports!

he Nigerian insurance industry, after 61 years of political independence, is one of the few sectors of the economy currently enjoying a major turnaround in terms of public patronage, recognition and commendation by the government and other stakeholders. Indeed, the sector has in the past few years become the new found love of both the federal and state governments. This is despite the upheavals in the economy, which has shoved various sectors into dire straits, with little signs of early recovery. Currently, the insurance industry and its operators are beginning to reap the fruit of their labour underlined by the unrelenting effort at sensitising the public and creating awareness on the relevance of insurance. On the part of government, the industry has witnessed a shift from the initial lackadaisical attitude to a preferred and revered sector worthy of patronage. The sector’s journey towards government recognition dates back to the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan, which had Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy. As the government was searching for alternatives to oil and gas for revenue generation and alternative means of earning foreign exchange, it courted the insurance industry operators by appealing to them that the administration looked upon the sector as emerging sector that would serve the purpose diversifying the economy. But the industry found much favour in the sight of the present administration after its surprising role in supporting government during the COVID 19 period when all arms of the industry pulled resources together to offer N11 billion life insurance protection to front line health workers. The contract was fully paid for by the insurers. Also, the insurers’ role in timely payment of claims to victims of damages caused by the hoodlums, who hijacked the EndSARS protest October last year, further endeared the industry to the government. In appreciation for their support, President Muhammadu Buhari attended the African Insurance Organisation (AIO) conference hosted by the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) last month, and personally declared the conference open, while the Vice President, Professor Yomi Osibanjo, also graced the closing ceremony. This, according to the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas. was the first time a sitting Nigerian president was attending insurance event. Before the conference, unlike in the past years, the federal government in the past two to three years had adopted a new culture of fully paying for the group life insurance of its workforce just as the Lagos

State Government recently said it was partnering with over 150 insurance brokers who serve as intermediaries and 20 insurance underwriters for the purpose of providing end-to-end risk management services to its workforce. Similarly, other state governments have recorded high level of improvement in buying group life insurance cover for their workforce. At the individual and corporate level, the insurance industry is gaining much more acceptance by the people.

RISING FROM OBLIVION

Industry observers told THISDAY that the various systems being set up by insurance firms are doing reasonably well as more and more people are patronising their products. Findings by THISDAY show that both fresh graduates and those who lost their banking jobs now find solace in insurance marketing as many of them registered with the various agencies of insurance firms and are happy with their jobs. According to them the level of patronage they get make the job look like the best job whatsoever. Recently, a female agent working with FBNInsurance, Mrs. Sandra Nwakamma, told THISDAY that the level of acceptance of insurance especially savings related products that matures between five to three years among market women was overwhelming. She mentioned markets in Lagos such as Oyingbo crayfish market, Balogun, oke Afa markets as centers of attraction in terms of insurance patronage. She said traders in these markets patronised insurance impressively after the lockdown. Asked why she thinks that was so, she said she could not explain but somehow attributed it to hardship experienced by people during the COVID lockdown, which perhaps made them to realise that there is need to set aside part of their business profit for the rainy day. The former Commissioner for Insurance and Managing Director of FBS Reinsurance Ltd, Mr. Fola Daniel, told THISDAY that positive things are happening in the insurance industry. According to him, the entry of foreign entrepreneurs and investors into the Nigerian insurance industry in recent times is probably the best that can happen at this time of Nigerian insurance sector development. “Apart from capital inflow, a new culture of insurance business is being brought to bear on our local industry, affording the insuring public the benefit of insurance practice as obtainable in advanced economies. “Other benefits include, new product develop-

ment, specialist manpower and deployment of information technology to drive the business process. The ensuing competition between the new entrants and incumbent industry players confer on consumers better services. The minimal contribution of the insurance industry to the nation’s GDP is a passing phase. With the reinvigoration of the industry through injection of foreign capital and expertise, financial inclusive products, environmentally sensitive and pocket friendly insurance covers, we are on the right track to increasing the insurance density in our clime,” he said. Daniel said the biggest raw material for insurance growth was the middle class of the society. “Our middle class is growing and so is their insurance needs. The government focus on infrastructural development, housing, small scale business empowerment, are veritable impetus to the growth of the insurance industry. It is envisaged that the growth will assume a geometrical progression”, he said. The current Commissioner for Insurance, Sunday Thomas, speaking on recent positive developments in the industry, said NAICOM was working towards bring insurance services to all nooks and crannies of the country. According to him, the commission has put in place 2021-2023 Strategic Plan with five goals designed to entrench effective and efficient service delivery, ensure safe, sound and stable insurance sector, adequately protect policyholders, and public interest, improve trust and confidence in the insurance sector and encourage innovation and promote insurance market development. “We also know that with the engagement we have had with the Nigerian content, there is going to be an increase in the oil and gas business. As I speak now, we have a committee working on the guidelines to enforce the law in the Nigerian content. All the leakages we have had hitherto will be blocked,” Thomas assured. On the need to expand the sector, the NAICOM boss said, two Takaful insurance companies have been licensed in addition to the existing two, adding that the Commission is conscious of the fact that insurance sector is knowledge based which informed the on-going development of more actuarial analysts capacity in the industry as the first step of having more qualified actuaries in the country. “We know that the drivers of the economy are those at the lower levels of the pyramid and so we are taking financial inclusion very seriously. It is now a national policy. For the insurance sector we are far behind, but we are doing a lot of catching

up. To this effect, four micro-insurance companies have been licensed and an additional two are on the verge of being licensed,” Thomas said.

TRILLION NAIRA MARKET

He said the target of the sector operators and regulator is to achieve the projected trillion Naira market as projected by the regulator since 2009. The industry’s premium hovers around N530 billion. Analysts said before now, the insurance sector had maintained the position of poor cousin of bank and the least among all arms of the finances services sector in terms of its contributions to the GDP of the economy. According to them, it had also remained a sector most neglected and jettisoned by the populace as Nigerians hardly want to put their money in the sector either in form of investment or policy purchase making the industry and its operators look like outcast. Indeed, though the industry is much older than Nigeria as an independent state, having been in operation for over a century, its stage of development, compared with its sister sector, the banking industry, is far from satisfactory. This situation had persisted over the years until in recent times when the success mentioned above were achieved. But despite the successes recorded so far, the insurance industry is apparently still battling with a lot of issues that have retrogressed attainment of its potentials. Notable and most current among the challenges is the ongoing effort by the regulator to address the low operating capital syndrome, which has been impoverishing the industry as most of the big ticket businesses that are supposed to shoot up the annual premium income and profit of the industry go to foreign insurers due to lack of financial capacity of indigenous insurers. Several efforts by the regulator to scale up the industry’s capital base have met serious opposition from different quarters. Another challenge is implementation of some aspects of Insurance Act 2003, around which revolves the growth of the industry, but which has been dormant over the years. The industry in January 2013 successfully enforced the ‘no premium no cover” law which non-implementation over the years plunged operators into huge debt that nearly destroyed the industry. The result was the industry’s inability to pay claims when risks occur and the inability to handle capitalintensive accounts which were often taken abroad. At present, the industry operates on cash basis and is well positioned to pay claims and handle big accounts. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

EDUCATION Now That LASU Has a New VC After a year-long process that culminated in the dissolution of its governing council and two selection committees, a professor of Physiology, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, finally emerged the ninth vice-chancellor of Lagos State University penultimate week, Gboyega Akinsanmi writes

he race for the Office of LASU Vice Chancellor finally came to an end the penultimate week with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu appointing Prof. Ibiyemi OlatunjiBello. Sanwo-Olu, also the visitor of the 38-year institution, approved the appointment of Olatunji-Bello as the ninth VC of LASU based on the recommendation of the Sir David Sunmoni Governing Council. Of the nine candidates that contested the race, only four were recommended as LASU vice-chancellor. Apart from Olatunji-Bello, the council recommended a professor at the Nambia University, Prof. Dideolu Awofoju; a former deputy vice-chancellor, LASU, Prof. Senapon Bakre and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Adeleke University, Prof. Ibikunle Tijani. With Olatunji-Bello’s emergence, LASU, Nigeria’s best state university before it ran into crisis in 2020, can now return to the path of peace and progress after a crisis that marred the selection process of its ninth VC. The crisis erupted under the immediate past VC, Prof. Olarewaju Fagbohun (SAN), and the Chairman of its Governing Council, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo. At the tail end of Fagbohun’s administration, a Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee was constituted to steer the institution’s selection process of the ninth helmsman. But the first selection committee report stoked protest across all the strata of the university, especially among its academic and non-academic staff. As a result, both concerned stakeholders inundated the visitor of the university with diverse allegations bordering on comprise, manipulation, and imposition. In a statement by its Secretary and Assistant Secretary, Dr. Tony Dansu and Dr. Adeolu Oyekan, LASU Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) alleged that the committee’s report was premeditated to favour Fagbohun’s anointed candidate. Besides, the process was riddled with irregularities, which violated the guidelines for the selection process published in select national dailies and the enabling law that established the university, said the union. On these grounds, the union requested the governor to save the university from plunging deeper into crisis. After a thorough evaluation and investigation of all allegations, the visitor cancelled the first selection process mainly to avoid the crisis of confidence that might arise if the process eventually produced the ninth VC. He also directed the joint selection committee to initiate a fresh process that would last only for 45. Just a fortnight after the second process kicked off, crisis erupted again. This time, some academics under the aegis of Concerned Senior Academics of LASU petitioned the visitor of the university, pointing diverse infractions that the selection committee. In a two-page letter by Prof. Oladimeji Kolawole, Prof. Olalekan Jaiyeoba, and Prof. Adeleke Yusuff, the academics chronicled how Fagbohun and Ninalowo allegedly hijacked the second selection process. They also explained how the second process was laced with compromise, errors and manipulation that would have grave effects on the institution if allowed. The senior academics concluded that the Council under Ninalowo could no longer coordinate the selection process fairly within the crucible of openness and transparency. They first explained how the council flouted a declaration of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) on the appointment of the VC. The declaration noted that no certificate “is at par with PhD.” By implication, they argued, recommending any candidate with a Postgraduate Medical Fellowship for the office of the VC is a violation of the declaration of the NUC since the fellowship is not equivalent to

Prof. Olatunji-Bello

a PhD. The senior academics also explained how Ninalowo resorted to victimising perceived critics among senior academics. They cited the case of Prof. A.O.K. Noah, who was dismissed at the governing council meeting on May 20, a day before the governing council under Ninalowo was dissolved. However, some council members resisted the resolution of the council and insisted on the reversal of Noah’s dismissal. They also accused Fagbohun and Ninalowo of financial recklessness, which plunged LASU into indebtedness to the tune of over N600 million. They equally frowned at Fagbohun’s decision to pay himself N29 million terminal benefits before he left office. This value did not include a sum of N28 million, which the institution owed Ikeja Electric. As a result, the institution could not pay full salaries for eight months in 2020. With these allegations, Sanwo-Olu set a Special Visitation Panel led by a professor of International Relations and a former vice-chancellor of Obafemi

Awolowo University, Bamitale Omole. The panel submitted its report on May 10 with far-reaching recommendations, including the dissolution of the Ninalowo governing council, suspension of Lagos Registrar, and commencement of an entirely new selection process. Determined to end the standoff, Sanwo-Olu fully implemented the visitation panel’s report, starting with the constitution of a new governing council under the chairmanship of Sunmoni. Unlike its immediate predecessor, the new council discharged its mandate with little rancour. Eventually, the process culminated in the emergence of four candidates recommended to the visitor for the office of LASU VC. From the list of four successful candidates submitted by the Sunmoni-led governing council, Sanwo-Olu picked Olatunji-Bello as the ninth VC of the university. Olatunji-Bello is a gamechanger in the history of the university. First, she is the second female VC of the institution. Second, her appointment

Olatunji-Bello contested the race on the strength of a sixpoint agenda, which indeed endeared her to the hearts of critical stakeholders. First, she promised to ensure that academic and professional programmes are and remain accredited by the relevant bodies. Also, she planned to make the university research, innovation, and development hub for Lagos State and national development

brought to the fore respect for affirmative action and gender inclusion, which further improved Sanwo-Olu’s public perception. Now that a year-long standoff has finally ended, how does the new VC intend to place LASU on the map of the globe as a true citadel for the pursuit of the advancement of learning and academic excellence? What are her plans to improve the rating of LASU as one of Africa’s firstten universities? How can she run the university seamlessly or without internal crises that ensue during the selection of a new VC? Before her emergence, Olatunji-Bello contested the race on the strength of a six-point agenda, which indeed endeared her to the hearts of critical stakeholders. First, she promised to ensure that academic and professional programmes are and remain accredited by the relevant bodies. Also, she planned to make the university research, innovation, and development hub for Lagos State and national development. Olatunji-Bello equally envisions providing strategic infrastructure for the seamless performance of administrative and academic duties. Likewise, she pledged to improved internal revenue generation, which she argued, was key to achieving the financial sustenance of the university without losing focus on academic prowess. Besides, Olatunji-Bello planned to promote the welfare of staff and students in the university, a thorny issue that has always been a subject of dispute between the unions and LASU’s management. Lastly, she promised to promote participation in sports and recreational activities, which have been at the hearts of all students for decades. Now that Olatunji-Bello has assumed office, the time has come to walk her talk. The time has come to set LASU on the path to academic excellence in line with the vision of its founding visitor and the state’s first civilian governor, late Alhaji Lateef Jakande. The time has also come for the new VC to begin aggressive implementation of her six strategic goals. A review of her résumé shows that Olatunji-Bello, LASU’s first professor of Physiology, was tried and tested in different capacities. At the time of crisis between July 2010 and October 2011, for instance, she steered the university’s affairs in an acting capacity, midwifing a process that led to the emergence of Prof. John Obafunwa as the seventh VC and led the university out of a festering crisis that lasted months. Olatunji-Bello, also twice served as the first female deputy vice-chancellor between 2008 and 2013, apart from being the first substantive head of the Department of Physiology, LASU College of Medicine, between October 2007 and December 2008. Just between her latest appointment, she was the LASU Directorate of Advancement (LASUDA) director established in 2016 to enhance the university’s self-sustenance and support its academic, research, and service goals. During her stint in the ivory tower, Olatunji-Bello has published 53 works to her credit. This figure does not include papers she presented at both local and international conferences. She also served the Physiological Society of Nigeria, International Union of Physiological Sciences and Association of African Physiological Societies in different capacities. She is a member of the National Institute, a minister in the temple of God, and an ordained pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Currently, she is the area pastor in charge of the Testimony Chapel, under Lagos Province 1. Given this background, Olatunji-Bello is not just bringing her robust academic and administrative competence to steer LASU to the next level. She is also taking charge with her rich spiritual background, uncommon attributes needed to bring LASU from obscurity to the limelight at a time like this.

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

EDUCATION

Corona Secondary School Graduands School Resumption: Verve, Get $2.5m International Scholarships Skit.ng, Offer Cardholders In grand style, Corona Secondary School, Agbara graduated the class of 2021. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on learning, the students graduated as the set with the highest number of international scholarships across the world, valued at $2.5 million. Sunday Ehigiator reports

L-R: The Principal, Corona Secondary School, Agbara, Mrs. Chinedum Oluwadamilola; parents of the valedictorian, Mr. Napoleon and Mrs. Ijeoma Esemudje; Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele; and Chief Executive Oﬃcer, Corona Schools Trust Council (CSTC), Mrs. Adeyoyin Adesina, at the class of 2021 graduation and valedictory ceremony... recently

all them heroes, formidable, fearless, resilient, impressive, scholarly, versatile, determined, sporty, disciplined, focused, multitalented, gifted, resourceful, humanitarians, diligent, academically fortified and qualified. They are much more. Although not alien to the school, the outstanding performance of the 51 students of the 2021 set, at a time students are said to be at their lowest globally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic still ravaging, resounds the quality of the Corona School brand and the excellence it represents. The students meritoriously won over 22 scholarships from various international universities, valued at $2.5 million, and also performed excellently in different national and professional examinations. Their discipline, achievements and knack for knowledge weren’t only rewarded at the graduation and valedictory ceremony, with the theme, ‘Discipline: the Path to Achievements’, but was a point of encouragement to other students still in school, as they continue to strive for academic excellence. In her welcome address, the school’s principal, Mrs. Chinedum Oluwadamilola, lauded the determination of the class to remain focused on the goal, despite the transitioning of classes to virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We thought they were going to be depressed and sad when we transitioned to digital learning due to COVID-19, but they always had a happy face. Some schools couldn’t make this transition very easily, unlike what we were able to do in all Corona schools,” she stated. “We transitioned seamlessly to the online and hybrid mode of teaching because, as a school, we are tech-savvy, sufficiently equipped, and experienced to continue to provide world-class education.” She further described Corona Secondary School Agbara as the first e-learning school in Africa since 2006. “So we are sufficiently equipped. So these children with enviable maturity took on the task of learning remotely, and today they have proved that they are certainly digital natives. “They were committed to their studies, worked immensely hard and didn’t let the challenges be a

reason to flop. So I am extremely proud of you all. Your diligence paid off. “This class has a group known as community changers. This remarkable group took on and completed seven community service initiatives around Agbara and in far away Takwa-Bay and they got global recognition from the things they did. “They raised funds to purchase and donate educational materials, they upgraded a library, they painted a school, they donated printers, they did food distribution to malnourished children, erected road signs in and around school, and were really formidable. “This is also the class that has the highest amount of international scholarships that we have got so far. As of the last count this very impressive Class of 2021, had got over $2.5 million worth of scholarships from various schools around the world. And one of the schools had instituted an endowment and a price for some students.” While charging the graduating students as they embark on new pursuits, Mrs. Oluwadamilola asked them never to forget all the lessons they had learnt from the school and, most important, “remember that you are never going to be able to score a goal until you take a shot. And also, don’t wait for your sheep to come in; go out to meet it. Congratulations.” In a brief remark, CSS Board Chairman, Niyi Yusuf, said the graduation and valedictory ceremony is always a moment to recognise the students’ hard work over the last six years and an opportunity to recognise deserving staff. “This is a set that between them, they have received over $2.5 million worth of scholarship awards. It is also a set that has won many international and national awards which cuts across academics, and also sports. “They won a global mathematics championship just two years ago and have recorded many firsts, both in academic and sports. This speaks to an allround development of students. “They have shown resilience because this is a set that has survived COVID-19 and a very difficult period. And like we joke, instead of three terms in their final year, they’ve done four terms. My advice to them is that they should always remember that sometimes things don’t

happen as we wish, but they should keep strong because tough times don’t last, only tough people do.” In her goodwill message, the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, congratulated the class of 2021 for their milestone achievements and wished them the very best in their future endeavours. “These young boys and girls have been well equipped to face the future. They have been well brought up to be confident, of good character, and composure. “There is a very good legacy of very successful alumni of this school and this has been achieved by the fantastic faculty here who have done good work and laid a good foundation to be able to face future challenges. “So I want to implore this brilliant set of 2021 who have been awarded numerous scholarships that they too must go out there and fly the flag of Corona so that we can always hear very good reports and feedback from them.” She charged them to continue being disciplined and always let the discipline they have gotten from home and school be their guide through their future endeavours. In his keynote address, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Ogun State, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, spoke to the graduating students about the importance of discipline over talents, in their path to other future achievements. He said discipline would take them where their talents can’t. He also stressed the importance of self-discipline. “Success doesn’t come from good work or enormous talent but through self-discipline. Selfdiscipline entails you having a good plan for yourself and sticking to it irrespective of the distractions or obstacles that come your way. “When you don’t have a plan, other people would use you to achieve their own plans or goals. Always let your eyes be on the goal and work towards it vigorously.” He urged them to ensure that they continue to empower themselves in knowledge and never be defeated by failure on the first try. “Search for knowledge in whatever field you choose and don’t be discouraged by failure, because failure is also part of life. When you fall, take

the sand from the spot and see what you can build with it to go forward. Also, fear God and don’t cut corners. Work and earn your good name. Be of good character. Avoid procrastination, distractions, laziness, and temptations.” He charged them to learn to prioritise, organise their time, and gain absolute control of their minds and thoughts. The event’s high point was the presentation of the valedictory awards to the best graduating students among the class of 2021. The Head Boy of the set, Jay Esemudje, was named the valedictorian, followed by Tamaramiebi Akika, the salutatorian, and Zara Okoli, who was named the third overall overall overall best student of the set. Speaking on behalf of Jay Esemudje, who was unavoidably absent, his Father, Mr. Napoleon Esemudje, revealed that Jay, who is his only child, has always been a trailblazer. “We are very proud of him. We have been proud of him for a very long time. He is a gifted child. He has been astonishing as a person and has always been a trailblazer. He got scholarships from six different universities in the USA and he has already resumed at Duke University. “Aside from being proud of Jay, we also want to thank the school management for grounding him and making him who he is today. At 17 years old, this has been an outstanding achievement for him and all thanks to the school. Aside from academics, he is a singer, he loves acting, reading, and a simple gentle guy.” He further described Jay as exceptional in person and academics even as he assured that there was more to come from Jay, who is currently resumed at Duke University, studying to become a bioengineer. Speaking to THISDAY on behalf of the 51 graduating members of the class, the Deputy Head Boy, Adesiji Olumide, thanked all the teachers and staff of the school for their impact and support. He said the class would ensure to keep to the values and discipline imbibed in them as they sojourn through the next phase of their lives. He likewise appreciated the school for helping him improve on his confidence in himself, among others.

Discount, Free Delivery

Dike Onwuamaeze

Verve, Africa’s leading payment technology, has announced a partnership with Skit Store, Nigeria’s foremost one-stop shop for school supplies, to offer a 10 per cent discount on all school necessity purchases. The discount will last till October 15, 2021. Verve said the offer covered new and existing cardholders that shop physically in Skit store or online on skit.ng. Verve cardholders that shop on skit. ng will also get free delivery of their purchases worth N20,000 and above, adding that the offer also covered office and lifestyle supplies. Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Interswitch Group, Ms. Cherry Eromosele, said the partnership was specifically targeted at the time when parents and students are preparing to return to school, with the view to easing the

hassles that come with shopping for back-to-school supplies. Eromosele said: “At this time when children are returning to school after the holidays, Verve has taken it upon itself to provide relief and ease the burden for parents, in order to expedite the process of procuring back-to-school supplies for their children and wards.” Vincent Ogbunude, Divisional Head of Verve, said the partnership with Skit Store reiterated Verve’s goal of remaining a customer-centric brand. He said Verve remains committed to ensuring that its customers get seamless access to quality services. Ogbunude said: “Our customers remain at the forefront of what we do. Our partnership with Skit Store is one of the ways we prove to them this fact, among the many ways we display our unwavering dedication to providing them an easy life.”

FG Tackling Out-of-School Children Crisis, Says Minister John Shiklam ÓØ ËÎßØË

The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, says the Federal Government has made remarkable achievements in addressing the challenges of out-of-school children. According to him, the $611 million disbursed to 17 states in 2016 to tackle the phenomenon made impacts. Speaking to journalists during the graduation ceremony of Hauwa’u Memorial School, Kaduna, Nwajiuba said there were about 13,000,600 out-ofschool children in the country when President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015. He said in 2016, the president obtained a facility of about $611 million, which was disbursed to states that are most affected by the phenomenon. “When I joined the cabinet in 2019, I have gone round these states to see what work they have done with it. The governors had done very well with

the resources that they were given, trying to pull back some of the children out of school,” he explained. “So we’ve made remarkable progress along those lines, but a lot of works still remains undone.” According to him, the number of out-of-school children is contracting a little bit because there is also population growth. He said the government had provided everything required to tackle the problem, stressing that cultural and religious beliefs remain obstacles. “There are almost 135,000 primary schools in Nigeria. So it is not a lack of a place to go to. The out-of-school children phenomena actually exacerbated insecurity. There were issues that have been at the base of out-of-school children. “Those issues are cultural, religious, traditional and in some cases access. The federal government has tried to address them and continues to address them.”

1,842 Bag Distinction at Sokoto Poly Onuminya Innocent ÓØ ÙÕÙÞÙ

The Rector, Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, Prof Ibrahim Aminu, has announced that 1,842 graduating students of the institution made distinction, equivalent of first class during the 2013/2014 and 2018/2019 academic sessions. Aminu said this while briefing journalists ahead of the second convocation of the institution in Sokoto. He added that 4,054 students made upper credit, 9,766 lower credit, and 2,764 obtained pass. He maintained that the institution had become a pacesetter for other institutions in attaining technology-driven education in Nigeria. Aminu further disclosed that the National Board for Technical

Education (NBTE) had approved the resource visitation to commence additional courses in the institution. He said the courses are Accountancy, Banking and finance, Architecture and Chemical Engineering Technology. In his remarks, the visitor to the institution, Aminu Tambuwal, lauded the achievements of the polytechnic. He reiterated the commitment of his administration in prioritising education because of its important “When we came in, I declared a state of emergency in the education sector because of what we met,” he stated He promised that his administration would continue to support the institution to achieve its goals.

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

EDUCATION

‘Internet Access, Digital Devices Critical to Work-ready Learning Uchechukwu Nnaike

Access to the internet and digital devices have been identified as key factors in enhancing learning for youths as they prepare for the future of work. This was the submission at the September edition of Edtech Monday, a Mastercard Foundation initiative, organised in partnership with Co-creation Hub. Edtech Monday is a platform to facilitate critical conversations on the use of technology for teaching and learning by bringing stakeholders, including policymakers, Edtech entrepreneurs, teachers and parents. This month’s virtual session featured seasoned professionals on the topic ‘Edtech for the Future of Work’. Speakers included the Senior Programme Manager, Paradigm Initiative, Adeboye Adegoke; Head, Youth Engagement and Learning, Jobberman Nigeria, Precious Ajoonu; and Managing Director, Edo Jobs Institute, Ukinebo

Dare, while Joyce Daniels, the social engineering practitioner anchored the session. In his remarks, Adegoke explained that the COVID-19 crisis offered the world, including those in the education technology sector the opportunity to understand how best to use technology to address challenges associated with learning. He said the crisis necessitated the need to adopt new ways of promoting learning among students. He therefore appealed to government at the state and federal levels to institutionalize those lessons either as a state or national policy by making internet access available to every youth. “The story has told itself and it is now left to us to remember the lessons. For example, practically all schools were shut down during that period. Schools attended by uppermiddle-class or elite continued to teach their children using virtual platforms. But then, what about the children of the poor who cannot afford a laptop or internet?”

On her part, Ajoonu while using Jobberman Nigeria as a case study, noted that technology amidst the COVID-19 pandemic contributed a lot not only in accelerating learning, but increasing digital access for more people. “Take the case of Jobberman for example, we needed to work from home, which in many ways, accelerated learning. For us, we had to be very agile and involved with the online medium. One of the things we did was to come up with the blended learning methodology where we were able to adapt to different virtual platforms to bridge equity in learning. So, basically, it is about innovating to reach the underserved communities,” Ajoonu said. She added that numerous possibilities exist using Edtech noting that efforts should be channelled towards creating access, removing the barriers and making knowledge available everywhere. “We live in a globalized world with a global talent

pool. Youths need to get a degree and also acquire soft skills. Youths need skills that can make them compliant across cultures if they desire to be globally competitive. There are different ways of upskilling, they must think about opportunities beyond the borders of Nigeria and they must think about being globally competitive,” she stated. Also speaking, Dare said the case of Edo State brings to mind the role of technology in revamping the basic education system. She said the success of technology in education for the future of work would depend largely on the capacity available, adding that adequate attention must be given to capacity development to enhance use of digital platforms. While urging the government to invest heavily in the local production of devices to reduce cost, to reach all classes of people, she stressed the need for Edtech entrepreneurs to seek the opinion of end-users before developing any solution.

L-R: Chairman, Media Team, Anniversary Planning Comittee of Ilupeju Grammar School Old Students Association (IGSOSA 2000 set) Mr. Femi Emiloju; Chairperson, Anniversary Planning Committee, Mrs. Oyefunke Lawrence; and the President, Mr. Aliu Ajala, at the 20th anniversry of the set and reuninon, in Lagos... recently PHOTO: DAN UKANA

UNICEF, Media Collaborate to Reduce out-ofSchool Children in Nasarawa Igbawase Ukumba in Laﬁa The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Kaduna Field Office has expressed readiness to collaborate with media practitioners to reduce out-ofschool children and Community Learning Approach in Nasarawa State. Consequently, UNICEF recently organised a one-day dialogue with the media practitioners operating in Nasarawa State on its Back to School and Safe School Campaigns in the state.

The Chief of UNICEF Kaduna Office, Mr Zachary Adam, in his goodwill message during the one-day media dialogue in Lafia, expressed the readiness of UNICEF to collaborate with the media on its Back to School and Safe School Campaigns in Nasarawa. He added that UNICEF was currently partnering with governments of four states of Kaduna, Niger, Kwara and Nasarawa on the Back to School and Safe School Campaign towards ensuring zero out of school-related cases.

“I assure you of partnership with UNICEF so that we can achieve results and take advantage of very few initiatives that are ongoing to improve our education in a way that the system absorbs 100 per cent of children, irrespective of their cultural background and social position, whether they are from rich or poor families,” said Adam. “If we achieve the objective of bringing our daughters and boys to school, we can be fully assured that this school target development that we are aiming at achieving for Nasarawa and

Nigeria will become a reality.” Speaking also during the media dialogue, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr Mohammed Bala, said the state government with UNICEF would partner the media to achieve the objectives of the campaign. He explained that the campaign was in line with the priority of the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration to improve school enrolment of children, especially in rural communities.

School Attributes Successes to Obi’s Interventions The Manager of St. Patrick’s College, Awka, Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Celestine Anaekwe, has narrated how the former Governor of the state and former Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, through his educational investment in the institution, encouraged more academic exploits and global success.

In a chat with journalists, Anaekwe narrated how Obi, desirous of more qualitative education and better future for children, paid a surprise visit to the school in January, 2020 and donated laptop computers, printers and generator set worth millions of naira. He said with Obi’s kind investment, “the door to another level of glory was unlocked

“The laptop computers and other ICT facilities donated by Obi gave our students the platform for greatness. The amenities enabled them to prepare and participate in this year’s National online Inter Switch SPAK Science Competition, one of the biggest national competitions in Nigeria. “In the first round of the preliminaries, two of our

students, Chukwuemeka Douglas Kosiso and Nwafor Ebube Marycynthia, defeated other students, qualified and were named among the top 500 science students in Nigeria. While in the second round of the said online competition, two of them again won, qualified and were once again among the top 80 science students in Nigeria.”

Teacher’s DIARY KEHINDE OMORU

www.kayomoru.com

USE SOCIAL STORIES PLEASE!

e are in an emergency, with regards to the state of positive and socially appropriate behaviours currently prevalent in our country today. There is presently a dire need for teachers/schools as well as parents, to hone in on the teaching of morals and civically acceptable standards, values, behaviours - whatever you choose to call it. On Saturday I went into a reputable pharmacy situated on Admiralty Way Lekki to buy some paracetamol tablets. The attendant whom I noted was eloquent on approach, pointed out the shelf where the different brands of paracetamol were. These were to his left hand side and situated within his cubicle. The different paracetamols were however out of customers’ full view and reach. This attendant picked out three different sizes of paracetamol packets for me to choose from. I chose the biggest of the three, noted that it contained about 32 tabs and confirmed it was within its expiry date. “These are tablets aren’t they”, I asked this attendant and he affirmed that they were. I handed over crisp new naira notes to him in exchange for the paracetamol and hurried towards the door. The door man swung open the door for me and I descended the three or so steps of the building and made for the car. Instinctively as I was getting into the car, I asked the driver not to start the engine yet to back out as I wanted to double check that my paracetamol purchase was tablets and not capsules (because for purely oral-sensory reasons I do not like capsules). Unfortunately they were capsules and I immediately regretted having just taken the attendant’s word for it. Regrettably all I had done was to fixate on the label ‘paracetamol’ and not noted the form of it. So I hurried back into the pharmacy, apologised and regretfully explained that I needed to return the box in exchange for the solid tablet form of their paracetamol. This was when the Naija style drama started and typical ‘Nigerianess’ began. This attendant immediately crisply informed me that they didn’t accept returns. I replied that I had left moments before with this purchase, had not left the premises (if this was the issue), and I was pretty sure no other customer had come in after me. So I just stood there for this to sink in to the attendant and noted that he now wore a stance of obstinacy. After about a solid 10 minute wait where he made no move and I didn’t budge, he reached into the shelf and presented me with two packets of 30 tablets of paracetamol tabs. He went in to inform me that both were equivalent to the total price of the one I was returning. I countered that I didn’t need 60 tabs of paracetamol, would only take a packet and would need him to please give me my change. He informed me that this would not be possible; and so I replied that it would need to be possible. Consequently another 10 or so minutes of quiet passive confrontational body language communication ensued between him and me. In the end, he wordlessly mellowed and bent under his desk to rummage in a shelf or so. He gathered filthy N800 notes and handed them over to me. I relaxed my shoulders and cynically asked him why he wasn’t returning crisp naira notes in change to me. This attendant defiantly grumbled that I should be grateful as he had conceded to give me one box of paracetamol after all and change at that. So I took a deep breath, decided to drop the matter, thanked him, collected my paracetamol plus change and left. What an enigmatically complicated country Nigeria has evolved to become, I mused. In my Corona and St. Saviours teacher-days, reasonable confidentialities observes, this would have become a story for ‘circle time’ or a drama skit for my class’s assembly. The morals and lessons in the experience would have become a task for my students to explore and sieve out. No I had not carefully read the label to take in the medication form, which ironically was only a neighbouring word. This in itself immediately became a learning curve for me. Yes I had been apologetic and regretful when I went back into the shop to request a return. But, why should returns in my circumstance have been an issue? Why should this attendant have attempted to make me buy 2x30 tablets of paracetamol; in order to optimise sales? What would have been the very end of this fiasco if he hadn’t backed out? Social stories are currently no longer a tool to only teach social skills to people in the autistic spectrum. Mainstream education now generally employ social narratives too. It’s founder - Carol Grey as well as ongoing exponents explain social stories to be useful for: describing a context (such as my pharmacy incident); teaching skills, measuring and celebrating achievements; and for introducing and exploring concepts (almost any concept). Social Stories amongst its many benefits engender and promotes empathy; active listening and respect for one another. A smart teacher of English (or any language at that) can teach literacy skills with social stories. If you can, please do a quick search of what social stories are and see if it’s a tool you can use at work. -Omoru is a freelance writer, education, health and social care advocate

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

CITYSTRINGS

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

Navy Infuses Technology into Music Department to Improve Service Delivery Precious Ugwuzor To enhance capacity of personnel for effectiveness, the Nigerian Navy has pledged to improve on the infusion of technology into the music arm of the service. The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo, made this disclosure at the recently held 2021 Navy Band Conference themed ‘Improving the capacity building of the Nigerian Navy Band through technology for global recognition'. Represented by the Administration Officer, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Commodore Promise Zebulon, the CNS the three-day conference would give participants opportunity to discuss, share musical experiences as well as proffer ways to optimally explore technology and skills of the Nigerian Navy Steel Pan production. He said: “Music brings calm where there is anxiety and tension. It would be recalled that during the 2019 Nigerian Navy Band Conference, one of resolutions was for the Band to enhance its Steel Pan Technology towards global recognition. “I will like to emphasise that quality production of Steel Pan from the School is a fundamental requirement for global relevance and recognition. Without capacity building, it will be difficult to improve in our endeavours. "The whole essence is to infuse technology, enhance our efficiency. Technology makes it easy to move around equipment and instruments, it becomes mobile and sustainable." Gambo noted that expanding quality local steel pan production would not only generate revenue for the school but for the military and also create job opportunities for youths in the country. In his welcome address, NN Director of Music, Commander Olalekan Abiodun, said the Nigerian Navy Band had grown to be a reputable department to reckon with due to the maintenance of the foundation laid years ago Going down memory lane he said: “The department which started with one musical section that is the military band, has grown to add three more namely; the Dance, Steel and the Bagpipers band. "The Bagpipers band was introduced into the Nigerian Navy Band in March 2021 and participated in the just concluded Chief of the Naval Staff Annual Conference held in Kano State. "It is very important to state that an efficient and productive Steel Band has been established in the Nigerian Navy School of Music, Ota and

Group photograph of oﬃcers and men, as well as invited guests after the conference steel pans are presently being fabricated locally here at the school. "The conference was designed to provide a dedicated platform for harnessing informed opinions on improving the capacity building of the Nigerian Navy Band with particular attention to steel pan technology as a medium to achieve global recognition. "The conference's outcome is expected to reflect suggestions and recommendations on measures to further improve the steel pan technology, personnel skill and general production of the instrument." Delivering the keynote lecture at the conference, Professor Isaac Yekini-Ajenifuja, an associate professor at the Department of Music, Lagos State University (LASU), challenged the Nigeria Navy Music School (NNMS), Ota, to create a global unbeatable identity for itself with its knowledge of steel pan production. Recalling how the navy in February 2015 sent six personnel comprising two officers and four ratings to Trinidad and Tobago, for one year course on steel pan tuning and manufacturing, he said with the knowledge gained, the personnel returned to the country and manufactured sets of steel pan instruments for Nigerian Navy

schools such as Nigerian Navy Secondary School (NNSS) Abeokuta, NNSS Imeri, Ondo State, NNSS Akpabio, Calabar NNSS Ogbomosho, Oyo State, headquarters, Naval Training Command, Apapa and NNMS Ota. He said the team also refurbished the steel band at the NNSS Ojo, adding that these productions were a test run in the journey to becoming a giant in steel pan production in Nigeria. The professor however noted the need for conducive environment, funding and personnel in order for that dream to be actualised, appealing that the project be given adequate consideration in order for the band to join the league of entrepreneurs. Acknowledging how technology has changed the world and the huge future prospects it held, the professor said failure of the Nigerian Navy Band to join the trend in the area of steel pain could stagnate the school or plunge it into extinction. He said: "lf technology is the only viable tool for individual, organisations and countries to be relevant and be successful, then, the military is not an exemption. Research has shown that virtually every aspect of the military system has been

overhauled to conform to the new trend. "I am very sure the Nigerian Navy is not opposed to the new Idea that will elevate its practice to conform to the international best practices. “The training sponsored by the Nigerian Navy authority was equally the strength of their progress in the early years of the Nigerian Navy band, the quality of training received by the personnel helped them to conquer the music world. "They became the pride of the Defense Headquarters due to their performances in local, national and international events. “Today, adequate training has also been given to officers and bandsmen in steel pan performance and production which need to be explored to give the band more recognition and unparalleled identity. “Although, they have engaged in a series of performances, it is not enough to create the desired goal. The aspect of production they have acquired could go comatose if not used. "This is an area the Nigerian Navy Band can scientifically launch into the world of technology and create an unbeatable identity for itself. This will, on the other hand, turn the band into an entrepreneur and also give it access to make money."

Is Nigeria’s Tobacco Control Fund in Limbo? James Imasogie In the 2014 document, Sustainable Funding Models for Tobacco Control: A Discussion Paper, by The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, sustainable funding is identified as crucial to curtailing the projected harms caused by tobacco use. The Union proposed various funding options for countries implementing tobacco control policies with particular emphasis on Taxes from tobacco; Taxes on other ‘healthdamaging goods such as alcohol; Treasury appropriation; Value added tax (VAT); Health/ sickness or universal health cover insurance levy; Philanthropic donations; and Funds collected through penalties for violations of legislation, among others. The body was categorical that any approach to create sustainable funding for tobacco control must complement and enhance government initiatives and strategies; and must also bring together government, nongovernment, and community sectors, among others, to work collaboratively in the fight against tobacco. Experience in the last two decades of uptick in global tobacco control efforts has shown that in the absence of funding mechanisms tobacco control efforts will falter and unintentionally open the doors for the tobacco industry to open channels of

interacting with agencies of government and public officials. Ultimately, the goal of the industry is to frustrate any form of regulation of the tobacco business. Lessons from the publication is relevant for Nigeria as it grapples with tobacco interference in subtle and in some cases, brazen forms. Though Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act 2015 has a provision setting up the Tobacco Control Fund, the operationalization of the fund has not yet happened, and the public health community is growing apprehensive. Section 8 (2) of the NTC Act 2015 and Sections 23 and 26 of the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019 provide those annual budgetary allocations, gifts. donations, testamentary dispositions, subventions, license fees, and proceeds of sale of forfeited items shall go into the Fund. Unfortunately, six years after the NTC Act came into force, most of the relevant agencies of government are still handicapped in ensuring that the Fund is operational. One thing remains certain: The tobacco industry in Nigeria is not unmindful of the lacuna in funding to government agencies to carry out their statutory monitoring, surveillance, and enforcement activities. Because of this, the industry

continues to forge working relationships with various ministries and departments to ultimately compromise and complicate the work of the enforcement agencies. For instance, a leading tobacco company in Nigeria practically calls the shots in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and has signed MOUs with virtually all the state governments in the implementation of their FADAMA projects. Such projects are scattered across Abia, Benue, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, and Osun States. In Lagos State, the same tobacco company has been training fish farmers and various cooperatives on so-called Capacity Building engagements. The yearly Lagos Farm Fair is also bankrolled by the same tobacco company. To wean the agencies of government off the allure of tobacco industry funds, they must independently have access to the needed resources to be able to carry out timely and proactive interventions required for the successful implementation of tobacco control policies in the country. A Tobacco Control Fund regime will not only prevent tobacco industry financial interventions, but it will also make funds readily available for the relevant government agencies to carry

out all public health sensitization activities, cessation program, alternative cropping, and other important activities. It will eliminate the reliance of government on donor and foreign funding and aid the setting up of structures across the country to help people who want to quit and monitor compliance. As Nigerians continue the long wait for the fund to be operationalized, the Nigerian government must also identify other ways of raising funds to prosecute the tobacco war. The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) recently recommended that funding can come from heavily taxing tobacco products and earmarking the taxes to fund tobacco control and health coverage for all Nigerians. This recommendation is in sync with the WHO strategy of reducing consumption of tobacco products and at the same time providing funding for government policies aimed at prosecuting the tobacco war. From the foregoing, Nigeria as a nation is not short of options to address the dearth of funding currently delaying effective tobacco control in the country. Until this effective funding mechanism is put in place to match the war chest of the tobacco industry, ongoing tobacco control efforts may not yield the desired results and Nigerians will be the worse for it. -James Imasogie wrote from Makurdi

T H I S D AY ˾ WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021

CRIME&SECURITY

NNS BEECROFT Operatives Arrest Five Europe-bound Stowaways at Lagos Anchorage

The stowaways Stories by Chiemelie Ezeobi

peratives of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT have arrested five stowaways caught onboard MT JANE vessel at the Lagos anchorage. The arrest was effected by NNS BEECROFT patrol team during routine harbour patrol and they caught the suspects, who

Handing over the stowaway's documentation to the NIS had gained access onboard the vessel through her rudder compartment. NNS BEECROFT Commander, Commodore Bashir Mohammed, in a signed statement stated that findings during the interrogation revealed that the stowaways came from different parts of the country to Lagos State with the intention of travelling to Europe. He said during interrogation, the

suspects confessed that they had the intention of leaving the country for Europe in search of greener pastures before they were apprehended by the Nigerian Navy. Mohammed disclosed that the suspects have been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for further investigation and prosecution.

While commending NNS BEECROFT patrol team for their due diligence, he adviced Nigerians to always follow due process for migration to avoid endangering their lives. He further conveyed the Chief of Naval Staff’s commitment towards supporting the Nigerian Immigration Service and other Maritime stakeholders in curbing crimes within the maritime domain.

... As NNS WEY Apprehends Suspected Trafﬁc Robbers The operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) WEY recently arrested two traffic robbers who were terrorising motorists around Alakija area of Lagos. Commodore Micheal Ayabina, NNS WEY Commander, who paraded the suspects, said the duo were operating along that axis alongside one other suspect who is currently at large. The operatives, who were on patrol on that axis were said to have apprehended the suspects and their operational motorcycle seized alongside their robbery weapon-a jagged knife. According to Ayabina, "the suspects were armed with knives and a gun riding on a motorcycle however, the one behind the gun is at large. "Efforts are ongoing to apprehend him because we have visited his house based on information and we are hot on his trail." While stating that the two suspects and exhibits would be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution, he said the navy would sustain patrol in that area. According to him, NNS WEY conducts both night and day vehicular and static patrols as part of measures put in place to ensure the area is secure. He said: "This means we have armed men at Alakija and Kirikri controlling traffic and also ensuring that they apprehend criminals around those dark spots particularly Alakija as these criminals have

The suspects, recovered knife and operational motorcycle found a way of hiding around these areas. "However, our men constantly

patrol the area and are ready to apprehend the criminals. I warn intending criminals to desist from

all forms of criminalities because the Nigerian Navy will continue to arrest criminals in our locality."

Unpaid N186m Winnings: Lawyer Demands Lottery Commission’s Report Rebecca Ejifoma A lawyer, Victor Emerson, has requested the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to issue its findings on a petition alleging the unpaid sports bet winnings of over N186 million. According to Emerson, the commission is refusing to carry out its obligations as a regulatory compliance body set up to protect the interest of all lottery players and winners by ensuring they are paid what is due to them. Emerson’s clients - Cephas Esemeka, Goodluck Solomon and Uloeze Odum claimed to have won N1.86m after placing bets with BetBonanza.

In a letter on September 13 this year, the lawyer said a meeting brokered on May 27 this year by the Commission between his clients and BetBonanza failed to resolve the issue. He bemoaned that despite informing the NLRC of the state of affairs in a letter on June 10 this year, the Commission failed to act. Emerson also alleged that BetBonanza was not interested in settling the matter amicably, hence, urged the NLRC to step in and act on his clients’ previous petitions. He emphasised: “For the records, our Petition has been pending before the Commission since February and

it is regrettable to see that it has not been resolved after seven months by the Commission. “Our clients have become restive and are very distressed by this state of affairs and have instructed us to request that the Commission brings our Petition to its logical conclusion by issuing its Report and recommendations." He, therefore, "Humbly request that the Commission does the needful and issue its report on our Petition so we can move on in respect of our claim against BetBonanza." In the petitions, Emerson’s clients went to the betting agent in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to cash out their reward

but were informed that BetBonanza withdrew the funds already credited to the agent for their payment. BetBonanza further informed the petitioners that the payments were withdrawn because the games were allegedly fixed despite the fact that they placed bets on the same games with another company and redeemed their winning. Through its lawyers, Babajimi Ayorinde and Oladimeji Sarumi, the betting sport in a March 8 response to the petitioners’ demand letter, said they were not entitled to the winnings. They alleged that the winners breached BetBonanza terms and conditions amongst other infractions.

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

DMO: Nigeria Spent $1.302bn on Debt Servicing in 6 months Nume Ekeghe Latest data made available by the Debt Management Office (DMO) has revealed that Nigeria spent $1.302 billion on debt servicing between January and June this year dropping by $704.44 million in the second quarter of the year. Between January and March this year, the country had paid out $1.003 billion in debt service but the figure dropped to $298.96 million between April and June this year. The debt servicing payment for the second quarter of the year is much lower than $1.003 billion, which the country had paid in the first three months of the year. According to data by the debt office, payments on commercial debts accounted for 53 per cent

while multilateral and bilateral obligations accounted for 35 and 13 per cent respectively. The country had paid out a total of $157.012 million on Eurobond debts while $38.22 million had been paid on bilateral loans and another $103.73 million had been paid on multilateral obligations. Of the multilateral payments, the county had remitted $75.57 million to the International Development Association (IDA), which is an arm of the World Bank. Another $16.83 million was also paid to Asian Development Bank (ADB), while on the bilateral side, $24.75 million was paid out to service the country’s obligations with French Development Agency (AFD). Also, the country paid

out $12.99 million to German state-owned investment and development bank, KfW Group. For the commercial loans, a total of $148.57 million had been paid out to investors with $57.187 million paid on the 7.625% Eurobond 2047, $48.750million paid on the 6.5% Eurobond 2027 and $42.637 million paid on the 7.625 Eurobond 2025 papers. In the first quarter of the year, Eurobonds had accounted for 76 per cent of the external debt servicing payment with $763.036 million while multilateral payments culminated to 13 per cent of the total figure at $134.044 million. Debt service payments to bilateral organisations in the first three months of the year totalled $106.329 million accounting for 11 per cent of the total payment.

L- R: MD/CEO, Aero Contractors, Abdullahi Mahmood; former Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren; Representative of DG, NCAA, Bahago Elisha, and CEO of House of Five A’s, Abdullahi Ahmed, taking delivery of two A320 aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja…recently

MARKET INDICATORS

DPI Raises $900m to Invest in Innovation-led Companies Development Partners International (DPI), a premier investment firm focused on Africa, has announced that African Development Partners III Fund (ADP III), has exceeded its $800 million target, and is set to hold a final close at $900 million, with an additional $250million of dedicated co-investment capital. This brings a total of $1.15 billion for investments on the continent. The fundraising establishes ADP III as one of the largest funds dedicated to investing global capital in Africa. In a statement, DPI said ADP III will invest in established and growing companies in industries that benefit from Africa’s fastgrowing middle class and the increasing digital transformation of the continent. “All investments have the highest standards of impact and environmental, social and

governance (“ESG”) work. In doing this work DPI is using its proprietary DPI Management System (“DPIMS”) toolkit to deliver impact in line with 10 of the UN Sustainable Development goals, as well as driving the highest standards of ESG, “it stated. Co-founder and Chief Executive of DPI, Runa Alam, commented: “Africa remains an exciting investment destination with positive demographics, rising adoption of technology, and rising consumer and business spending. Against this backdrop, DPI has continued to generate top quartile returns by leveraging our team’s deep-rooted local expertise across the African continent. “As we look towards the future with our ADP III fund, we will focus on innovationdriven companies leading the digital transformation of the economies in which they operate.

In addition, our deep integration of impact and ESG initiatives in the investment life cycle has been widely recognised and ensures we are known as a trusted partner. “ADP III secured capital from a broad range of leading pension and sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, endowment and foundations, insurance companies, fund-of-funds, asset managers, and impact investors. The global investor base represents 20 countries across North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa. In addition to strong support from existing investors, DPI welcomed over 25 new LPs into its investor base. This is testament to DPI’s track record and ability to create institutional-grade investment opportunities in Africa, while continuing to deliver sustained environmental and economic impact.”

Stanbic IBTC Pensions Reiterates Commitment to Empowering Women Nume Ekeghe Stanbic IBTC Pensions has restated that it would continue to support career women on tools to balance career growth, family and wellness through its virtual Ladies at The Table Empowerment Series (LATTES). The Executive Director, Business Development, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Nike Bajomo in her opening remarks at the LATTES webinar recently said: “ The pandemic particularly impacted women as many of us had to balance our natural roles as nurturers with showing up every day to our jobs with our A-game intact, while dealing with all the challenges that came with the new normal. At Stanbic IBTC, women’s empowerment is a priority. We consistently create avenues to help women grow and flourish. We believe that opportunities exist for every woman to thrive and blossom.” Also speaking at the event, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Interswitch Mrs Tolulope Agiri and Chief Executive Officer,

Carib Health Limited Dr Sherese Ijewere, spoke on how women can attain career success. Agiri stated that many factors, including family and societal issues, complicate the lives of women. According to her, women are judged by different rules when compared to men even when they are equally competent for certain roles. She emphasised the need for women to have a strong support system in order to get ahead in their careers. “What makes the lives of women complex is not just their lives but what is happening in the society. One of the major things that have been talked about is a support system, “the HR professional said. She added that the support system is critical, be it people or technology. “It is important to bring the men in your life into the conversation. The choice of a life partner in an important factor to consider for single women in order to excel in their careers.” Agiri also advised women who are creating value in their places of work to make demands that

will make their work easier. “We need to start negotiating for ourselves. Find out how your employers can make your work easier. Women who aspire to be leaders should be more ambitious than before; act like managers in any position you find yourself. Work in synergy with your employers to make things work,” she said. Ijewere, who spoke on the topic: “The Genius of the extraordinary Chromosome,” urged women to be intentional and attentive to what they eat and pay attention to the effect different kinds of food have on their bodies. Advising women to live a healthy lifestyle, Ijewere said: “Good nutrition is self-care because our relationship with food has the ability to impact every aspect of you, yourself and who you are to others, it important to listen to the body. “Whether you are caring for your skin, aging or you are treating a disease, you have to be intentional. No matter what age you are, seek the help of a health nutritionist,” she added.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

0.00

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

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Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ Ͱͷ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $78.37 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $77.73 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zaﬁro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

Gains in GTCO, Zenith Bank, Others Lift Stock Market by N247bn Darasimi Adebisi The stock market of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) yesterday ended trading activities for the second day of the week on a positive note achieving a gain of N247billion in market capitalisation. The stock market positive performance was as a result of bargain hunters increased buying interest in the Banking and Oil & Gas Sectors.

Also, foreign investors interest in Airtel Africa following its share buy-back plan buoyed the impressive performance. Consequently, he NGX All Share Index (ASI) increased by 473.61 basis points, representing a growth of 1.18 per cent to close at 40,716.66 basis points. Similarly, the market capitalisation gained N247 billion to close at N21.217 trillion. Across sectors, the Banking (+2.5per cent) and Oil & Gas

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

(+0.8per cent) indices posted gains, while the Insurance (-2.6per cent) and Consumer Goods (-0.4per cent) indices declined. The Industrial Goods index was flat. The upturn was impacted by gains recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Airtel Africa, Julius Berger, FBN Holdings (FBNH), Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO). Furthermore, the market

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

breadth closed positive, recording 32 gainers as against 18 losers. FBNH recorded the highest price gain of 9.76 per cent, to close at N9.00, per share. Pharma Deko followed with a gain 9.69 per cent to close at N2.83, while Courteville Business Solutions appreciated by 7.89 per cent to close at 41 kobo, per share. Learn Africa went up by 7.64 per cent, to close at N1.55, while Jaiz Bank appreciated by 7.02 per cent to close at 61 kobo,

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

per share. On the other hand, University Press led the losers’ chart by 9.63 per cent, to close at N1.22, per share. Regency Alliance Insurance followed with a decline of 8.89 per cent, to close at 41 kobo, while International Breweries declined by 6.25 per cent to close at N4.50, per share. PZ Cussons Nigeria shed 5.22 per cent to close at N5.45, while Consolidated Hallmark Insurance depreciated by 4.84 per cent to close at 59 kobo,

O F

per share. The total volume traded rose 114.0 per cent to 432.992 million shares, worth N3.125 billion, and traded in 4,377 deals. Transactions in the shares of Universal Insurance topped the activity chart with 105.108 million shares valued at N21.232 million. FBNH followed with 46.307 million shares worth N411.158 million, while Access Bank traded 30.696 million shares valued at N286.677 million.

0 5 / 1 0 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

WEDNESDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021• T H I S DAY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 04Oct-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 157.58 158.95 -2.65% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 7.59% Nigeria International Debt Fund 318.13 318.13 -15.98% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 107.14 108.19 -3.32% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.13% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.35 3.51 -1.40% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 20.02 20.62 10.40% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 438.45 451.67 9.51% ARM Ethical Fund 39.12 40.30 16.05% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.10 -0.84% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.98 0.99 -6.27% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.38% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 106.59 106.59 4.80% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,039.77 1,039.77 3.98% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.96% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) N/A N/A N/A CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.02 1.02 3.56% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.69% Paramount Equity Fund 16.87 17.18 5.48% Women's Investment Fund 139.44 141.06 4.78% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.05% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 121.82 122.62 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 107.85 107.85 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 7.74% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 5.47% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,162.11 1,180.67 0.95% 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 Bond Fund 1,424.88 1,424.88 11.61% FBN Balanced Fund 193.92 195.23 3.32% FBN Halal Fund 113.22 113.22 9.28% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.49% FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

127.14 162.16

127.14 3.99% 164.34 7.27% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.98 1.63 1.19

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 6.31% 3.98 2.85% 1.66 6.87% 1.19 4.82% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price N/A N/A N/A

Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.61% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.86 2.93 0.33% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 153.60 153.88 -1.22% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.31 1.36 4.34% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.10 1.10 4.09% 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 1.45 1.47 6.25% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,157.41 1,157.41 6.53% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.69 11.73 11.58% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 9.99% 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 N/A N/A N/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM EuroBond Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 131.70 134.03 9.62% 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 1.06 1.06 10.10% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,454.46 3,492.08 7.57% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 233.51 233.51 3.85% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.25 1.27 6.78% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 308.51 308.51 4.70% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 232.73 236.04 6.60% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.46% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,585.78 10,733.93 0.86% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.28 1.28 4.13% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 115.88 115.88 4.32% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 104.25 104.25 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.32 1.34 2.84% United Capital Bond Fund 1.92 1.92 5.08% United Capital Equity Fund 0.89 0.91 11.85% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.28% United Capital Eurobond Fund 120.68 120.68 5.42% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.09 5.03% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.06 1.06 6.44% 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 13.03 13.10 9.63% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.45 14.61 18.42% Zenith Income Fund 24.42 24.42 1.81% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.71%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 53.61

10.62% 6.12%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.63

13.73

3.11%

125.04 99.90 17.62 18.59

128.15 102.08 17.72 18.69

3.99% 0.69%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund

SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Grifﬁn 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.83 5.63 17.96 1.00 20.79 158.01

3.87 5.71 18.06 1.00 20.99 160.01

1.50% -0.97% 10.53% 7.53% 1.30% -28.16%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

Taliban Killed Dozen Ethnic Hazara Afghans: Amnesty International The international rights advocacy group Amnesty International has accused Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban of unlawfully killing 13 members of the ethnic Hazara minority community on August 30, two weeks after the Islamist group seized control of the war-ravaged country. Eleven surrendering troops from the ousted Afghan government and two civilians, including a 17-year-old girl, were among the victims, the watchdog said in a new report released Tuesday. The extrajudicial executions happened in Kahor village of the Khidir district in central Daykundi province, the report said, citing eyewitness testimony. Amnesty has verified photographs and video evidence taken in the aftermath of the killings, demanding these cruel acts of revenge must immediately be ceased by the Taliban. “These cold-blooded executions are further proof that the Taliban are committing the same horrific abuses they were notorious for during their previous rule of Afghanistan,” Amnesty International’s Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said in the report. VOA has contacted the Taliban for their reaction in response to Amnesty’s findings but could not get a response immediately. Hazaras, Shi’ite Muslims, account for nine per cent of Afghanistan’s 36 million population, making them a target in a Sunni-majority country.

Malawi Business Mogul Jailed Nine Years for Bribery

The Malawi High Court has sentenced a top business tycoon to nine years in prison after he was found guilty of trying to bribe judges in an election case, reports BBC. Thomson Mpinganjira wanted to get the judges on the side of then-president Peter Mutharika in a case whereby the opposition had challenged a fraudulent election won by Mr Mutharika. Mpinganjira - one of the richest people in Malawi - was recorded on tape offering financial inducements to one of the judges to influence the outcome. In 2020 the court eventually ruled there

had been widespread irregularities and ordered a new election, leading to a new presidency under Lazarus Chakwera. Mpinganjira was eventually convicted on September 10. In passing the sentence on Tuesday, Judge Dorothy DeGabriele said Mpinganjira had not committed “a mere offence involving dishonesty, but an offence committed brazenly and with impunity” at a critical time in the country’s history.

Catholic Clergy Sexually Abused 200,000 Children: Report

According to an independent commission, the French Catholic clergy sexually abused more than 200,000 children over the past 70 years. The panel’s report, released Tuesday, said the Catholic Church covered up a “massive phenomenon” with decades of a “veil of silence.” “Until the early 2000s, the Catholic Church showed a profound and even cruel indifference towards the victims,” the report said. The commission’s report, released after a two-and-a-half-year investigation, said Catholic clergy in France sexually abused about 216,000 minors since 1950, reports the VOA. Jean-Marc Sauve, head of the commission that compiled the report, said at a Paris news conference that most victims were boys between ages 10 and 13. The report said the number of child abuse victims increased to 330,000 when including claims against church lay members such as teachers at Catholic schools. Catholic bishops in France established the commission in 2018 to uncover abuses and restore confidence in the church as congregations declined.

Dozens Killed in South Sudan Communal Clash

At least 36 people were killed in clashes between four communities in South Sudan over the weekend, according to Warrap state officials. Warrap Governor Aleu Ayieny Aleu called

the latest wave of fighting in Tonj East and Tonj North counties “devastating.” He told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus radio program that the clashes were linked to cattle raids and revenge attacks. Thousands have fled the region, and at least 36 others were injured, Aleu said. Many could not be transported to medical care due to flooding and the poor condition of roads. “The bigger problem is how we can transport the wounded civilians to hospital,” Aleu said. “Here, I appealed to humanitarian partners to quickly step in, since the situation is normalising, to transport these victims to hospital.” Due to the flooding, which destroyed several roads, government forces were unable to reach areas of the fighting. Tonj East County Commissioner John Deng Kook told South Sudan in Focus that armed young men from two communities in the area continue to engage in deadly clashes, but he declined to name the individuals involved. “The fighting was linked to a cattle theft, that some youth from Rek community stole cows from Luanyjang and when the youth perused the [area], then fighting erupted there on Saturday and on Sunday,” Tonj East County Commissioner John Deng Kook told VOA. “The other communities came for revenge.” The clashes displaced thousands of local residents, said Father Ajaknei Aguer, who works with a Roman Catholic church mission in Romic, Tonj East county.

Anti-vaccine Villagers Attack Nurses, Hold Them Hostage

Officials say that anti-vaccine residents in a village in rural Guatemala have attacked nurses trying to administer COVID-19 jabs, holding them hostage for seven hours. About 500 people blocked a road and vandalised the team’s cars in Maguilá, in the northern Alta Verapaz province. The 11 workers were released after police negotiated with the villagers, who destroyed about 50 vaccine doses. Authorities say online disinformation is feeding resistance to the vaccines.

The health ministry said that the nurses were “verbally and physically attacked” by the residents, who let the air out of the workers’ tires and destroyed the cool boxes storing the doses. “We were very scared because we had never been through something like this. We were just doing our duty,” a nurse was quoted by the statement as saying. “We tried to explain a number of times that vaccination is voluntary and that we did not want to force anyone, yet they didn’t let us [work].” Local media report that residents rejected the vaccine because a villager who received a dose had developed side effects, which were interpreted as being health problems linked to the jab.

2,700-year-old Toilet Found in Jerusalem

Israeli archaeologists have found a rare ancient toilet in Jerusalem dating back more than 2,700 years when private bathrooms were a luxury in the holy city, authorities said Tuesday. The Israeli Antiquities Authority said the smooth, carved limestone toilet was found in a rectangular cabin that was part of a sprawling mansion overlooking what is now the Old City, AP reports. It was designed for comfortable sitting, with a deep septic tank dug underneath. “A private toilet cubicle was very rare in antiquity, and only a few were found to date,” said Yaakov Billig, the director of the excavation. “Only the rich could afford toilets,” he said, adding that a famed rabbi once suggested that to be wealthy is “to have a toilet next to his table.” Animal bones and pottery found in the septic tank could shed light on the lifestyle and diet of people living at that time and ancient diseases, the antiquities authority said. The archaeologists found stone capitals and columns from the era and said there was evidence of a nearby garden with orchards and aquatic plants — more evidence that those living there were quite wealthy.

WEDNESDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

TEACHERS WANT THEIR REWARD HERE... L-R: President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Mohammed Nasiru; Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN Dr. Moris Mbaeri and Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Elias Bogoro, during the 2021 World Teachers’ Day in Abuja ... yesterday

Sanwo-Olu Signs Administration of Criminal Justice Amendment Law Seeks private sector partnership for smart city project Segun James Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on September 30th, 2021, assented to the Administration of Criminal Justice (Amendment) Law (ACJL) of Lagos State, 2021. The signing of the ACJL was disclosed in a statement yesterday, that was signed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo. The ACJL was first passed in Lagos State in 2007, and amended in 2011 (more than 10 years ago) to ensure the fundamental rights of suspects and persons that come in contact with the justice system, as enshrined in the constitution are protected. “In a bid to further strengthen the justice system, promote the rights of victims and suspects as well as address the issue of delay in the administration of criminal justice in Lagos State, key innovative provisions have been introduced as amendments to the law. “The provisions include conducting criminal proceedings

through audio and video conferencing platform, powers of Chief Magistrate to visit police stations, prohibition of media parade of suspects, compensation to victims of crime, protective measures for victims and witnesses as well as the establishment of a Crime Data Register and the Criminal Justice Sector Reform Committee to monitor the implementation of this law,” it added. According to the statement, the development further reinforced the commitment of Sanwo-Olu to the promotion of law and order, protection of rights of citizens, decongestion of the correctional facilities and ensure a crime-free society in Lagos State. It noted that the Ministry of Justice through collaborative effort with stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice would ensure the provisions of the law are enforced. Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu yesterday expressed the desire of the state government to collaborate with the private sector on his planned smart city project.

The governor also stated his administration’s commitment to greatly invest in technology, which according to him was critical to the development of the state and nation at large. Sanwo-Olu stated this at the 2021 stakeholders’ conference of Lagos State Infrastructure, Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), with the theme: 'Lagos State Metro and Smart City Initiative: The Future of Technological Infrastructure". He said technology was crucial to the Lagos Smart City Project and therefore called on key stakeholders and the private sector to collaborate as partners with the state government to create a Lagos that works for all. He said his government was committed to providing ease of doing business for investors to make life better for citizens as well as adequate security of lives and property in the State. The governor hinted that the state would not hesitate to take a cue from Singapore and other countries that use modern technology for

massive infrastructure development, while also collaborating with the private sector. "If Lagos is to sustain its Centre of Excellence status in the country, vital infrastructural development is critical to achieving human capital development. The economic impact that infrastructure improvement has on nation building cannot be over-emphasised," he said. Sanwo-Olu during the conference also confirmed the acting General Manager of LASIMRA, Mrs. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, as substantive General Manager of the agency. In his keynote address, Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, noted that in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda, the state would leverage technology to provide infrastructure to boost the state economy, improve security, enhance efficient service delivery in all sectors and traffic management in a bid to achieve a Smart City and to make Lagos a 21st Century economy.

COVID-19: Nigeria, UK to Review Vaccination Certification Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government yesterday said it was working with the United Kingdom (UK) to conduct a COVID-19 vaccination certification programme. The move came just as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said Nigeria was still on queue to have its vaccination certification programme reviewed by the UK. The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who spoke during the weekly briefing on COVID-19 vaccination status, explained that the review of Nigeria's case the review was being carried out by the UK government in phases, adding that Nigeria was not amongst red listed countries. According to him, the mandatory 14 days quarantine in a supervised UK facility upon arrival of Nigerians, was same as the requirement Nigeria has in place for all travellers coming into the country from other countries including UK, to be isolated for seven days before mingling with others.

He said: "The Presidential Steering Committee is in the process of reviewing these requirements. We have been in touch with the UK Government. Just like they stated clearly in their communication, the current listing of Countries with approved vaccination certification has just started in the UK. "They are reviewing the country’s programs in phases. If you go through the list of 50 closely, no African country made the list. The UK Government is yet to comprehensively review Nigeria’s vaccination certification program. From my communication with the UK Government officials, the vaccines administered in Nigeria are approved by the UK government. "They are also involved with the vaccination program in Nigeria through the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and they are optimistic that by the time Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination program certification is assessed, it will be approved. "There are many countries in the world, so we, like many other countries are in the queue for this

assessment. Once it gets to our turn, we are more likely than not to get approved in the coming weeks. Like the UK government have clearly stated, the process of assessment would occur in phases." The NPHCDA boss who disclosed that the intensified campaigns by the agency for uptake of second dose of COVID-19 vaccine through various channels have yielded appreciable results, said as of October 4th, 2021, Nigeria had vaccinated 4,963,985 eligible persons across the country with first dose of COVID-19 vaccines. "This figure represents 4.4 per cent of the targeted 111,776,503 eligible population. About 2,166,186 people have received their second doses of the vaccines. This means that approximately 1.9 per cent of eligible populated is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It is imperative to reiterate the fact that only those who have taken their second dose are fully protected against the deadly COVID-19,” he explained. While noting that an additional 501,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines were on Monday received from the COVAX facility

as donation from the Government of France, he added that receipt of 3,577,860 doses of Pfizer vaccines within the next two weeks had been confirmed, even as more doses of COVID-19 vaccines were expected through the COVAX facility in the coming months. "We anticipate that the vaccines will be quite large in amount, and therefore will require more efficient and faster ways of utilising them including expanding access to the vaccines. We have therefore started implementing the decentralisation of vaccine utilisation by involving the private sector in the vaccine administration. "Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are available at Government health facilities only. As we decentralise, private health facilities who meet the set criteria will be allocated COVID-19 vaccines, after due training of their immunisation service providers. “Vaccinations in private health facility will continue with the help of Government health officials. Subsequently, clients will be able to access COVID-19 vaccines at both government and private health care facilities in the country."

He said technology was relevant and significant to enhance economic growth and development of a state and the nation, noting that Lagos State has successfully adopted technology in implementing the six-pillar T.H.E.M.E.S agenda. In her remarks, Coker-Odusote, said with the support of the SanwoOlu-led government, LASIMRA was keen on making Lagos the fortress of digital enterprise, an urban hub for innovation and commerce as well as a fertile market for imperial investment. She added: "In line with Mr. Governor's T.H.E.M.E.S. Policy Agenda, repositioning Lagos State as a smart city is an integral

aspect of this administration; with a well-designed roadmap, the administration has been working hard to improve the efficiency of services and eliminate redundancies in major sectors to promote an enabling environment for business, as well as residents. "The administration's plan to fully transform the state Metro/ Smart City Project and make her economy 21st century compliant is fully on course." The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyooye during plenary, said the state government was committed to the Smart City Project to reduce crime, increase investment among other things.

BUHARI RAISES 2022 BUDGET PROPOSAL TO N16.45TRN "I wish to state that ONSA is working assiduously with relevant security and intelligence agencies towards arresting the foregoing ugly trend and other associated security challenges in the South East zone and beyond. "This determination of the presidency is already being translated into action by the recent joint Military operation code-named ‘Golden Dawn’ in the South East as well as other security operations across the country. "This is in addition to the increasing collaboration between the federal and South East Governors towards addressing the underlying socio-economic drivers of insecurity in the region," the NSA said. He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property of all law abiding citizens before, during and after the elections, while calling on all peace-loving Nigerians of the South East extraction to join hands with constituted authority to promote peace and development across the region and beyond. On the change of guard in Anambra, Baba, after redeploying the police chief, also ordered the deployment of a detachment of NPF Special Forces to Anambra to bolster and complement the ongoing peace-building efforts of the Nigeria Police Operation

Restore Peace in the state. The IG, who was particularly concerned about the renewed incidents of attacks on innocent individuals and symbol of state authority, ordered the new commissioner to mobilise both kinetic and non-kinetic law enforcement and crime-fighting approaches to reverse the negative trend, reclaim public spaces from hoodlums and restore public peace in the state. Echeng, who until his recent posting, was the Commissioner of Police in-charge of Bayelsa State, had his first degree in History from the University of Maiduguri. An experienced peace-builder, he received extensive training on global peace support operations at Mission Training Cell, Kielce, Poland, amongst other tactical and leadership courses. He has also served as a Police Component Commander, Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe and Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of Zonal CID, Zone-13, Ukpo, Anambra State, amongst other key positions. Baba charged the new Police Chief to work with other stakeholders and patriotic forces in Anambra to restore law and order, leveraging his professional experience, even as he called on Ndi-Anambra to support and cooperate with him in his task to protect the lives and property of all.

WEDNESDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

OIL AND GAS WORKSHOP FOR JUDGES... L-R: Administrator of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Salisu Abdullahi; President, Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem; Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Dr. Bello Gusau, at the 2021 National Oil and Gas Workshop for Justices and Judges, at the PTDF Headquarters in Abuja... yesterday

South-east Leaders Resolve to End Criminal Sit-at-Home Order Agree to work with law enforcement agencies to end insecurity

Gideon Arinze in Enugu Leaders of the South East rose from an expanded security meeting yesterday and resolved to do everything within the law to ensure that there was no further sit-at-home order by non-state actors in the zone. The leaders also agreed to work with security agencies to end the rising insecurity in their part of the country, which has led to several killings and destruction of property. A communique issued at the end of the meeting attended by governors of the zone, traditional rulers, national assembly leaders and the clergy and read by the chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, stated that the decision to put an end to the sit-at-home order

was in view of the information that even the Indigenous People of Biafra had cancelled the order a long time ago. The Igbo leaders noted that the sit-at-home order, which was mostly issued by people in the diaspora, who do not feel the pains, had affected the economy of the zone, as residents could no longer move freely. The meeting agreed that the South East Ebubeagu security outfit be launched in all the states in the zone and laws supporting same passed before the end of 2021. The meeting also received the committee report on various matters affecting the zone, especially, the issue of security and marginalisation of the South East people, and resolved to study the reports for immediate implementation, and engagement with the federal government for

amicable settlement of all issues agitating the minds of the people, the youths especially. The meeting resolved to support election in Anambra State and directed security agencies to ensure a peaceful election in the state come November 6, 2021.

The meeting also mandated all clergy men, the Christians Association of Nigeria, Bishops, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and traditional rulers to continue to dialogue with youths to find lasting solutions to the myriad of challenges in the zone.

concern U.S. officials. But Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB’s leader, is clearly unconcerned. That he feels no need to even disguise his support of terrorism is worrisome. “Though IPOB’s principal aim is to restore a breakaway state of Biafra in the Southeastern parts of Nigeria, Mr. Kanu’s rhetoric, has become increasingly strident. 'I don’t want peaceful actualisation (of Biafra),' Mr. Kanu has said through his Radio Biafra channel, used to project threats, instructions, and propaganda into Nigeria from the safety of London. 'If they don’t (give us Biafra), they will die.' "Neither does Mr. Kanu make idle threats. The December revelation of IPOB’s 50,000 strong-armed paramilitary wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), complete with a Swastika-style flag, marked the end to all pretences of being a peaceful movement. What had been largely unspoken was publicly declared. Since then, violent IPOB attacks on both security personnel and civilians have surged by a terrifying 59%; deaths by 344%", it said. The report noted that more than 20 attacks were carried out in the first three months of this year alone, including the retribution-style bombing of a local state governor’s home, where four were killed, and an attack on a prison that freed some 2,000 dangerous criminals. Even neighboring states were forced to impose curfews to protect their citizens from marauders. "There is also a nasty racial element to the IPOB attacks. In addition to attacks on the state, much of their violence is directed towards the Fulani

House of Assembly from the South East, the Catholic bishops of Nsukka and Enugu and the Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Emmanuel Chukwuma, among other traditional rulers.

HouseUrgesNSA,SecurityAgenciestoContainBloodSpillinAnambra Situation in state is critical, says Gbajabiamila Udora Orizu in Abuja Members of the House of Representatives at their Tuesday plenary urged the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and other security agencies to deploy all necessary machinery to Anambra State towards containing the increasing

spate of killings in the state. The House also mandated its committees on National Security, Intelligence and Police Affairs to ensure that normalcy was restored in the state and report within three weeks for further legislative action. The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent

PRESSURE MOUNTS ON US TO DESIGNATE IPOB TERRORIST ORG Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) – is yet to be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) by the US Department of State. "This is despite repeated pleas to do so by longstanding U.S. ally, Nigeria, where IPOB is based and carries out its murderous activities. It is difficult to explain how U.S. interests are served by inaction and complacency on IPOB. The listing costs nothing. But the designation would have significant implications for the group’s continuance." The publication noted that as soon as the designation was applied, no organisation that utilises U.S. currency would be able to legally conduct transactions with the organisation. "By cutting off IPOB’s funding, the U.S. would weaken the 50,000 strong paramilitary outfit and provide Nigeria’s security forces room to train their sights squarely on ISIS-affiliated Boko Haram in the Northeast of the country. Counterterrorism operations against Boko Haram have long been assisted by U.S. agencies working in close coordination with the West African government," it said. It contended that though IPOB might appear to be Abuja’s problem alone, the militants had served as a distraction and bled precious resources, noting that over the past eighteen months, Boko Haram had regrettably been able to regroup and rejuvenate. "The same is true of AlQaeda-affiliated groups across the volatile Sahel region. That the African continent is rapidly becoming a staging ground for global terror operations should

Present at the meeting were the governors of Enugu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Ebonyi, Dave Umahi; Imo, Hope Uzodinma; and deputy governors of Anambra and Abia States, Nkem Okeke and Ude Chukwu, respectively. Others were members of the

people, a nomadic tribe of herders that roam across West Africa. Through Biafra Radio, IPOB regularly calls on its supporters to not only kill the Fulani, but to kill “any landlord that gives accommodation or rents his house or her house to a Fulani person. "In one recent attack on a Fulani community, six young children were butchered with machetes – one, a baby, was burned alive. Their bodies were discarded in mass graves," it said. Criminal herdsmen have also been accused of embarking on a campaign of kidnapping, killing and rape of women across Nigeria. Fulani militant group operating in Nigeria and parts of the Central African Republic was described in the Global Terrorism Index as the fourth deadliest known terrorist group operating in Nigeria and parts of the Central African Republic. The GTI stated that in 2013, the Fulani killed around 80 people in total – but by 2014 the group had killed 1,229. The Washington Times report cited an example of all the governors of Southeast Nigeria bowing to a 14-day ultimatum to ban open grazing in their districts – a move targeting the livelihoods of the Fulani – rather than face the wrath of the ESN. "Similarly, it enforces a sitat-home day every Monday, intended to economically cripple the region, through acts like the torching of passenger buses. "The U.S. has correctly prescribed terror labels to other secessionist groups that employ these tactics – the ETA in Spain, the Tamil Tigers in Sri

Lanka, and the PKK in Turkey. Now, the people IPOB claims to represent, the Igbo, are even seeking to distance themselves from the group", it said. The publication raises posers as to the reason the group was yet to be labelled a terror group. "One reason may be the group’s million-dollar contracts with prominent American lobbying firms paid to whitewash the group’s reputation and lobby on Capitol Hill. It is impossible to believe that IPOB and Kanu’s deep pockets are not being lined by external organisations. "A terror designation would put a stop to this influence peddling. It would also mean the group could not use the US or its Western allies, like London-based Radio Biafra, to further their cause," it said. The report wondered why "an African terrorist organisation is suing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in U.S. federal court,” saying, “It beggars belief". The Washington Times report said, "The group’s outsized influence – a function of its radio station, paid hands, and US lawyers – would be severely curtailed. Law enforcement in the US, the U.K., and elsewhere would be obligated to act by shutting down these activities. "That a small terrorist organisation can bully senior U.S. officials in American courts and leverage the influence of foreign agents to challenge an ally’s security would be laughable were it not so alarming. Washington must not ignore Nigeria’s terrorists any longer."

public importance, sponsored by Hon. Chris Emeka Azugbogu (APC, Anambra). Moving the motion, Azugbogu expressed grave concerns over the security breaches that were taking place in Anambra State. The lawmaker, while noting that Anambra used to be a very peaceful state, said the state hadbeen turned into a center of attacks by unknown gunmen. According to him, the killings were orchestrated by mischiefmakers who were bent on causing tension and panic in the state ahead of the upcoming November 6 election in Anambra State. Making reference to a recent attack on his convoy, which led to the death of one of his drivers, the lawmaker said no single day passed without a reported case of robbery, abduction and outright killings in the state, adding that the perpetrators had no human conscience in them. He said, "On Tuesday 28th September, Dr Chike Akunyili, the husband of the late DG of NAFDAC, Prof Dora Akunyili and 8 others were slaughtered at Nkpor, Onitsha Anambra State. The next day, police station in Orumba north was attacked and people were killed. Further aware that on 30th September, my vehicle was attacked along Nnewi Nnobi road,leading to ultimate death of one of my drivers. “The offices of Department of state security were also burnt down on 3rd October, people were also killed, houses burnt. The House observes that there’s need to work with the security agencies with a view of containing these Acts towards making the state safe for law-abiding citizens to go about their lawful businesses." Azugbogu warned that unless drastic measure was taken to halt and combat those elements terrorising the state, the events in Anambra would turn into a major crisis in the entire South East and the nation. Contributing, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the

House was aware of the attack on Azugbogu's vehicle recently and that the situation in Anambra has become very critical. Also, Hon. Obinna Chidoka, representing Idemili North, South federal constituency of Anambra, said most of the killings were done in his Constituency, and appealed to his colleagues to intervene and put an end to the bloodshed. His words: "Azubogu’s driver was killed in my constituency, Dr Akunyili was also killed in my constituency, just about 15 minutes drive from my house. And other policemen killed as well were in my constituency. I think that it’s become very worrisome. Now we can hardly go back home and it’s a sad reminder. “It has come very close home that a sitting member of the House of Representatives vehicle will be attacked. I plead with this House to intervene. While the North East and North West are battling insurgency, the South East shouldn’t. Anambra used to be very peaceful state." Again, reacting, Gbajabiamila sought to know the cause of the killings. Chidoka, who responded, blamed it on what he described as criminal elements, who have infiltrated the IPOB group. "We have a group agitating for a state of Biafra and with that also have strong criminal elements, who have also joined this group. The agitation initially was nonviolent, but you have another group, who’s very criminal in nature and very difficult to contain. It’s a mixture of agitators and strong criminal elements and that’s why I say the police should stand up;they shouldn’t run. The idea of enlisting in the police is that one day you will die in the battle. They should go back there and fight." Adopting the motion, the lawmakers observed a minute silence for the late driver and other people, who were killed during the deadly attacks.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

UK’s Royal Navy to Support Maritime Security in Gulf of Guinea Chiemelie Ezeobi Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Trent is setting sail to the waters of the Gulf of Guinea as she heads for security patrols and a mission to support allies in West Africa. HMS Trent carries on board a contingent of Royal Marines from 42 Commando, which will train partner forces across the region in skills like boarding and searching of suspicious vessels, as well as evidence handling and medical skills. As well delivering training to partner nations, the 42 Commando are experts in boarding operations helping fight against illegal activity like piracy, drugs-smuggling and terrorism. According to Press & Public Affairs Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Ndidiamaka Eze, the river-class patrol ship will visit Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia and Cape Verde, and will take part in French-led multinational training exercises that will bring together international partners in the region, known as Exercise Grand African Nemo.

In a statement made available to THISDAY, she said: “HMS Trent, which is the first Royal Navy vessel to operate in the region for three years, will conduct

Nigeria Police yesterday paraded kidnappers, who disguise as transporters in motor parks and later kidnap their passengers. It also paraded transnational car thieves specialised in stealing vehicles and moving it across the border to Niger Republic and Chad, refurbishing the vehicles and reselling them to Nigeria, using a specialised anti-tracking equipment to frustrate police investigations. Parading the suspects in Abuja, Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, a Commissioner of Police, said the police had established prima facie cases against the 34 suspects including 34 males and two females. He said the law enforcement agency recovered 11 grenades, two AK 47 rifles, one pump action

than £6 billion of UK trade passes every year.” On the operation, UK’s Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said: “This deployment shows

the Integrated Review in action. It demonstrates how a truly Global Britain is stepping up on the world stage to tackle shared international security challenges.

L-R: Deputy Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State, Mr. Johnson Enobakhare; Executive Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB), Dr. Joan Oviawe; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Edo State Chairman, NUT, Mr. Pius Okhueleigbe, and Prof. Mrs. Eunice Oti Omoregie of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, at the 2021 World Teacher’s Day celebration in Benin City…yesterday

rifle, three revolver pistols, 389 live ammunition and two units of anti-tracking devices. Mba said the suspects pretend to be transporters, deceive travellers and drive them into a kidnap trap where passengers were kidnapped for ransom. One of the suspects, Bashir Sule, 25, he said, operated in concert with multiple kidnap gangs stationed on highways between Kano, Kaduna and Katsina. “He goes to the motor park, pretends to be a transporter, loads passengers and takes off from the park. “Once he gets to a comfortable zone, kidnappers will swoop on the vehicle and kidnap the passengers”, he saidOn the transnational car theft, he said the suspects steal cars, sell them in Niger Republic and Chad and later repackage them and resell to Nigeria.

Diri Grants Amnesty to Nine Correctional Centre Inmates

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has granted amnesty to nine inmates at the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Okaka in Yenagoa. Diri made the pronouncement yesterday when he visited the centre. Addressing the freed inmates, the governor advised them to change their ways and become responsible members of society. He expressed displeasure over the number of inmates in custody, saying that the only way the centre could be decongested was through reduction in crime in the state. He said it was his constitutional duty to grant amnesty to inmates based on the powers conferred on him in line with Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and based on recommendations from the Advisory Council on the

the region. “This deployment is a clear signal of the UK’s commitment to being more persistently engaged in the region, through which more

CELEBRATING THE TEACHERS…

Police Parade 32 Suspects Using Motor Parks to Launch Kidnap of Passengers Kingsley Nwezeh inAbuja

maritime security patrols as well as support partner navies by helping them to develop key maritime skills and develop plans for future operations in

Prerogative of Mercy. He said: “Whereas you have all made written applications seeking for this discretionary exercise by the government of Bayelsa State, I have also in consultation with the Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy and in accordance with the laws of Bayelsa State and in exercise of my constitutional powers as the Governor of Bayelsa State, hereby grant you mercy. “I do not believe we should have this centre congested with our brothers and sisters. In other words, the propensity for crime and criminality must be reduced. That is the only way we can decongest the Okaka Correctional Centre. If we grant amnesty and there is still the propensity to continue in crime, no amount of jail delivery can decongest this prison.

Police Arraign Cleric over Alleged $94,000 Fraud Wale Igbintade Men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos State, yesterday arraigned a 64-yearold Apostle Olawale Ibikunle Talabi before a Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged $94,000 fraud. The cleric, who has allegedly

been on the run since 2017, was arraigned alongside his company, Palilar International Limited, on a two count-charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretense the sum of $94, 000. He was arraigned before Justice Abimbola O. Awogboro. The police prosecutor,

Chukwu Agwu, told the court that sometime in 2013, the defendant fraudulently obtained the sum of $94, 000 from a company, Lead Ore and Copper (Tianji) International Limited, by false pretence of supplying the firm some metric tons of lead ore, which he failed to supply as promised.

The prosecutor further told the court that the offences committed by the defendant are contrary to and punishable under Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006. The defendant denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Senate Considers Bill for Treatment of Gunshot Victims The Senate has considered a bill seeking to amend the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshots Act, 2017. The bill, among others, seeks to establish the Medical Emergency Assistance Fund to cover the treatment of victims of gunshot, knife wounds, and other life-threatening

emergencies. The bill was sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central). Leading debate on the principles of the bill, Tinubu said that the intent behind the Compulsory Treatment and Care for the Victims of Gunshots Act, 2017, was to enforce treatment

for victims of Gunshots injury. She noted that prior to its enactment, victims of gunshot injuries were being refused treatment by hospitals, as a result of a misinterpretation of Section 4 of the Robbery and firearms (Special Provision) Act 1990. The lawmaker, however,

explained that the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of gunshot Act, 2017, provides that every Hospital, public or private shall receive for treatment, with or without police clearance, with or without monetary deposit, persons with gunshot wounds, and criminalizes contravention.

Suspected Cultists Kill Three in Anambra in the South-east code named – Local Government Area. the “unknown gunmen”.

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

There is tension in Awka, Anambra State capital, as unidentified gunmen suspected to be cultists have killed three persons. This is coming with the current launch of a military operation

‘Operation Golden Dawn’. THISDAY gathered that two persons were gunned down opposite First Market, Ifite, while one person was killed behind Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Amaku, both in Awka South

An eye witness, who spoke with our Correspondent, said both incidents happened between 4:15 - 4:30pm yesterday. According to the source, “These boys have started again. It is because the policemen are nowhere to be seen as a result of

As a result, panic had enveloped residents of Awka, who had not witnessed such killings in recent time When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ikenga Tochukwu, said he had not been briefed on the issue.

Obaseki Unveils 1,000 Newly Trained Teachers The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday unveiled 1000 newly trained Edo Supporting Teachers To Achieve Results (EdoSTAR) teaching fellows, to strengthen the teaching corps in the state. The governor also assured all stakeholders that his administration will continue to prioritise the welfare of teachers

in the state, describing them as indispensable in the task of nation-building. Obaseki spoke while addressing teachers at the 2021 World Teacher’s Day celebration in Benin City. He said: “As a state, the most important thing on our agenda is education. It is about our people. The first thing any

good government will do for its people is to give them a good quality education. “At the core of our educational system is the teacher. We proved it with the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme. If the teachers do not accept it, we won’t have the type of transformation now visible in our educational sector.”

Obaseki noted, “We need you to keep helping us drive this process. That is why I am here to demand more from you; I have no doubt that you will respond. “Today, we are not talking about teachers’ promotion again. Now, we are working on those who didn’t get a promotion even before we came into office.”

FG, LGs Partner to Reduce Poverty, Unemployment The Minister of Special Duties and Inter- Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, has said that the federal government will continue to partner local governments in the areas of poverty reduction, and unemployment. The minister disclosed this in Abuja at the first edition of Association of Local Governments

in Nigeria, ALGON made- in Nigeria Exhibition/ Trade fair. Akume said for the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to succeed in moving 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years, there is need to partner with stakeholders who are involved in grassroots governance in order to address the need for fast tracking

and stimulating the rural areas. The minister said that government has put policies and programmes in place that will help improve the lot of Micro, small, and medium enterprises( MSMEs) in the 774 local government areas. “It is our belief as a ministry that by building synergy and strengthening the ongoing efforts of Small and Medium

Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and Raw Materials Research and Development Council(RMRDC) through their Lease Operate and Own Scheme (LOPOS) and one Local Government, one Product ( ONLOP) programmes to rapidly industrialise our communities, we can deliver over 4million jobs annually.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Terrorism: Ghana Places Nigerian Lawmakers on Watch List Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Government of Ghana has placed members of the Nigerian National Assembly on watch list following the allegation made by President Muhammadu Buhari during his Independence Day address that one of the lawmakers was sponsoring secessionist agitation in the country. Buhari had said in his speech that “the recent arrests of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho, and the ongoing investigations being conducted have revealed certain high-profile financiers behind the individuals. We are vigorously pursuing these financiers, including one identified as a serving member of the National Assembly.” A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ben Igbapka, at the plenary yesterday moved a motion under Order 6 Rule 2 and Section 17 (A) of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges Act 2017, saying his privilege has been breached by the president’s address. The lawmaker said a few days ago, he was in Ghana to attend a wedding ceremony, but to his surprise, he was detained for four hours based on the allegation made by Buhari. He said he was informed

by the Ghanaian authorities that they want to make sure that Nigerian lawmakers who had already tagged as sponsor of terrorism do not come into the country to cause problem. Igbapka noted that by identifying and not naming the member of the National Assembly, who is allegedly

Ondo State government, through the State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS), has commenced sanctions on defaulters of its Land Use Charge. About 79 residential buildings and six commercial buildings were served ‘due to seal’ across Akure the Ondo State capital yesterday. ODIRS has therefore, given property owners who were served due to seal 15-day ultimatum to pay their charge. The ODIRS Assistant Director, Property Tax, Bamidele Falade, stated this while embarking on enforcement process across Akure, the Ondo State capital. Falade said: “We’ve been in the media on several occasions and we’ve taken

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Niger State wing, yesterday accused the state government of going into “deceitful agreements” with the union which led to the calling off of the recent strike embarked upon by its members to press home their demand for improved conditions of service. The union also lamented that the government was aware it would not honour its part of the agreements, but hoodwinked the union leaders into going into the bargain. The Principal Assistant Secretary of the union, Labaran Garba, who made the accusation while moving the votes of thanks at the end of activities to mark

of our fellow colleague, Hon. Expensive. On Saturday, I had to honor an invitation in Ghana for a wedding. Mr. Speaker, it will amaze you what I faced in the hands of Ghanaian officials. “They detained me for about four hours with the notion that they are trying to confirm something. I stayed at the airport

for four hours and missed the wedding I went for. At the end of the day, one of them walked up to me saying sorry sir, there’s an announcement in Nigeria that a member of the parliament is sponsoring terrorism, and we are put on red alert to ensure that no member of parliament comes here to hide or cause trouble.

STATE OF THE ECONOMY…

the opportunity to educate people on the need to pay their Land Use Charge. People have been served Bill and some have been given default notice. “We are now in the last quarter of the year, so we are embarking on enforcement process. Nine months is already gone. They have enough time to have made payment. For those who have failed to comply with the provision of the law, we are now conducting exercise to enforce them to make payment and this exercise may eventually lead to sealing of some properties that have consistently defaulted the land use charge.” Falade charged residents of the state to pay relevant charges to avoid sealing of property.

Niger Teachers Accuse Govt of Deceitful Agreements Laleye Dipo in Minna

a terrorist organisation, even when we have our reservations, because the laws of the land and courts have spoken. Mr. Speaker, that means that 469 members of this National Assembly are crime suspects. “On that fateful day, I went to Akure, Ondo State to be part of the burial ceremony

L-R: Vice President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Gbenga Ismail; Director General, Dr. Chinyere Almona; President, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje; Deputy President, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, and Vice President, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, during the Quarterly Press Conference on the state of the economy organised by the LCCI in Lagos… yesterday ETOP UKUTT

Ondo Begins Sanction of Land Use Defaulters Fidelis David in Akure

sponsoring secessionist groups in the country, has made all the 469 lawmakers suspects. The lawmaker said: “As reported by the media across the world, President Buhari in his Independence Day speech told the world that one of us is sponsoring terrorism. IPOB, by what it is to the face of the law today, is

this year’s World Teachers Day celebration in Minna, also accused the government and it’s officials of being “heartless and insensitive” to the plights of its workers, especially the teachers. Garba said: “We are gradually being pushed to the wall; we will revolt soon, and very soon, we shall clear all hurdles to reach where we want to be.” Not sparing some of its members, who have become politicians and political appointees, who represented their principals at the ceremony, Garba described them as “heartless leaders,” who have refused to rescue teachers from poverty, adding that they have taken delight in globetrotting at the expense of teachers and workers in the state.

WTD: NUT SEEKS IMPLEMENTATION OF MINIMUM WAGE, THREATENS STRIKE On the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries, Idris called on the National Assembly in the on-going 4th Alteration Act on the 1999 Constitution, to provide for the funding of Basic Education through First Line Charge. “It will also be of immense benefit, if the extent of contribution of the various tiers of government in the funding of Basic Education is clearly defined in the Constitution accordingly,” he said. The union further called on the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure that the teachers of Unity Schools are allowed to organise themselves and participate in NUT activities as their trade union of choice. Meanwhile, the federal government has approved the sum of N75,000 as a stipend per semester for students undergoing degree programmes in Education in public universities in Nigeria. Similarly, Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) students would get N50,000 as a stipend per semester as part of the deliberate effort of the government to attract the best brains into the teaching profession as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari last year. Minister of Education, Malam Adamu who revealed this in a speech read by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Sonny Echono said his ministry would collaborate with the states’ government to ensure automatic employment for the students on graduation. “Undergraduate students of B.Ed / B.A. Ed/ BSc. Ed in Public institutions are to receive stipends of N75,000 per semester while NCE students will get N50,000.00 as stipends per semester. “Federal government should find the modality through which respective states’

governments could provide automatic employment for NCE graduates at Basic Education level.” Also speaking, president Muhammadu Buhari assured teachers that the implementation of most of the targets in the repositioning of teachers will be achieved by January 2022. The president who was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba said teachers’ welfare remains paramount in the scheme of things and negotiations are ongoing to ensure that their salary is prioritised. He implored NUT and Nigerians to reflect on the past and reciprocate the landmark gesture by explicitly committing to the provision of excellent service delivery. In his address, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, represented by Echono charged teachers to continue to support government to shape the future of the education sector and the country at large. “I also commend you all for your resilience and collaboration to ensure the stabilisation of the school calendar, be assured that accelerated implementation of the aforementioned resolutions is on course. Wishing you all a happy 2021 World Teachers Day Celebration,” he added. Also, in a joint message from the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay; Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr. Guy Ryder; Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Henrietta H. Fore and General Secretary of Education International, Mr. David Edwards, they called on countries to invest and prioritise teachers in global education recovery efforts so that every learner has access to a qualified and supported teacher.

They said teachers were at the heart of global education recovery efforts and were key in accelerating progress towards inclusive, equitable and quality education for every learner, in every circumstance. “Today we celebrate the exceptional dedication and courage of all teachers, as well as their capacity to adapt and innovate under very challenging and uncertain conditions. “Now is the time to recognise the exceptional role teachers play and to empower them with the training, professional development, support and working conditions they need to deploy their talent. This is a time of challenge but also an opportunity for rapid transformation to address the unfulfilled needs which have been multiplied by the pandemic,” they added. The agencies stated that Sub-Saharan Africa alone required 15 million more teachers to reach the education goals by 2030. Surmounting these challenges required bold commitment, investment and innovation on a scale like never before, they stated. “A successful education recovery calls for investment in more teachers and in training and professional development opportunities, so that educators may enrich their practice and gain the skills to integrate and use educational technologies effectively to support learning and adapt to a diversity of learners’ needs,” they added. In a related development, the Niger State chapter of the NUT yesterday accused the state government of entering into, “deceitful agreements” with it. This, it stated led to the call off of the recent strike embarked upon by its members to press home their demand for improved conditions of service. The union also alleged that

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the government was aware that it would not honour its part of the agreements, but hoodwinked the union leaders into going into the bargain. The Principal Assistant Secretary of the NUT Niger, Labaran Garba, who stated this while moving the votes of thanks at the end of activities marking this year’s WTD in Minna, also accused the government and its officials of being, “heartless and insensitive,” to the plights of its workers especially teachers. “We are gradually being pushed to the wall, we will revolt soon, very soon we shall clear all hurdles to reach where we want to be, we will revolt soon,” Garba said. Not sparing some of its members that have become politicians and political appointees who represented their principals at the ceremony, Garba described them as, “heartless leaders,” who have refused to rescue teachers from poverty adding that they have taken delight in globe-trotting at the expense of teachers and workers in the state. The Union boss described as inhuman the present situation in the state where local government staff were being paid their salaries in percentages saying despite the cry of no money some government officials still have money to travel around the world. Earlier the State Chairman of the NUT, Mr. Akayago Adamu Mohammed appealed to the state government to declare October 5, every year as a public holiday for primary and post primary schools in the state and, “release circulars to this effect to schools in good time” which he said will go a long way, “to buttress the love interest and concern this administration has for teachers and educational system in the state.”

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

2023: PDP Youths Move against Govs, Seek Reversal of Zoning Formula Chuks Okocha Effects of last week’s zoning of the leadership offices within the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have yet to abate as a coalition of PDPyouth groups, Tuesday, moved against what it called the overbearing attitude of governors elected on the platform of the party. The groups, which also said they were not happy with the manner the governors had taken over the party, relegating other organs to the background, advised the leaders of the PDP to stop taking decisions with the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has allegedly failed the Nigerian people. Addressing a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, head of the coalition, Obianuju Ogoko, expressed displeasure at the turn of events in the PDP in recent times. “In the wake of the thundering displeasure over the recent overbearing influence of PDP governors by party members, we, the PDP youths and ambassadors of good governance, have taken up the responsibility of speaking to the issues that currently bedevil our party, as it would appear that the expected

voices of our elders, who should provide a firm direction in times of conflict have grown weary. “PDP is renowned as a party of the masses and as such, the new trend where our esteemed governors are seen to take over the affairs of party organs, party administration and all-party

decision-making processes, is rooted in autocracy and does not portray an example of the PDP of our dreams and of youthful Nigerians. “We wish to inform our governors that whilst they have refused to heed all reason and overtures for peace and

reconciliation as expected of an indivisible family, we are left with no option than to send this public message, stating categorically that the recent stranglehold on our dear party by governors which is currently in opposition will only spell doom and lead to mass exodus

of members, who have come to erroneously believe, that PDP has been bequeathed and hijacked by a few governors, who do not have regard for political participation of ordinary party members.” A party in opposition should spread love and kindness not

totalitarianism,” she said. Speaking further, she posited, “We are aware that our party is built on the premise that a nobody and a young person without connections and godfather, can rise through the PDP party structure to prominence.

CSR IN ACTION…

L-R: A trainee, Miss Raimot Dosunmu; Deputy General Manager, Social Performance, Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese, Mr. Ademola Ojolowo; Area Manager, Industrial Training Fund(ITF), Abeokuta, Mrs. Funmi Coker, and another trainee, Master Sodeeq Ogundele, at the three-month community skill acquisition empowerment programme on tailoring and fashion designing for youths organised by Dangote Cement in collaboration with ITF in Ibese, Ogun State…recently

Zulum, Seven Lake Chad Lagos School, Teachers Win Presidential Award Ekiti, Ogun gift cash, cars to teachers Govs Meet in Cameroon Bolade Junior Grammar School, Mr Odenike Rasheed clinched gifted a semi-detached bungalow Adefisayo attributed the success Oshodi, Lagos, has emerged best the fourth position in the best to the best overall teacher for of the school and the teachers over Regional Security Public Junior Secondary School teacher in Public Senior Secondary year 2020 in the state. to the significant transformation

Michael Olugbode inMaiduguri

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, and seven other governors within the Lake Chad Basin, on Monday, met in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to discuss regional security cooperation and the path to improve stability. The region as a result of the recession of Lake Chad and subsequent impoverishment, has been fraught with Boko Haram for over a decade. The governors were from areas surrounding the Lake Chad in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad. A statement by Zulum’s spokesman, Mallam Isa Gusau, on Tuesday said his principal joinedseven other governors within the Lake Chad Basin, on Monday in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to discuss regional security cooperation and path to improve stability. He revealed that the meeting had six governors in attendance, which included Zulum from Borno, Issa Lamine of Diffa in Niger Republic; Midjiyawa Bakari of

Far North of Cameroon; Abate Edii Jean from North Region of Cameroon; Mahamat Fadoul Mackaye from Lac Province of Chad and Amina Kodjyana AgnesHadjer Lami also from Chad, while Governors of Adamawa and Yobe States in North East Nigeria, were represented. He said the meeting which was organised by the Lake Chad Basin Commission, with technical support from the African Union, United Nations Development Programme and Crisis Management Initiative, was hosted by the Cameroonian government in collaboration with the Lake Chad Governors’ Forum. According to him, the meeting, which was declared open by the Cameroonian Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute, accompanied by the Mayor of Yaoundé, Mr Luc Messi Atangana, discussed security issues with focus on terror attacks and humanitarian impacts in the region; and also reviewed implementation of strategies for regional stabilisation, which were adopted in 2019, during a similar meeting in Niamey, Niger Republic.

Customs Approve New Promotions The Board of the Nigeria Customs Service has approved the appointment of four Deputy Comptroller Generals and 12 Assistant Comptroller Generals as well as the promotion of 2,707 senior officers to various ranks with effect from 1st January, 2020.A statement signed by, Deputy national Public Relations Officer, DC Timi Bomadi, listed the appointments to include: DCG Abdullahi Babani; DCG Mohammed Boyi; DCG Elton Edorhe; DCG Katherine Ekekezie; ACG Hamza Gumi; ACG Mohammed AbbaKura; ACG Saidu Galadima; ACG Gimba Umar; ACG Obi Ekwealor; ACG Bede Anyanwu;ACG Mohammed Uba Garba; ACG Kayode

Olusemire; ACG Lena Oyama; ACG Florence Inuk; ACGLami Wushishi and ACG Usman Dakingari. Some of the newly promoted Comptrollers are the Customs National PRO Joseph Attah, Babajide Adeniyi, Anthony Udenze, Suleiman Chiroma among others. According to the statement, 204 of the 2,707 senior officers promoted are support staff. “The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) congratulated the newly appointed and promoted Officers. He further charged them to justify the confidence reposed in them,” the statement said.

in the Federation at the 2021 President’s Teachers and Schools Excellence Award (PTSEA). According to a statement by Director, Public Affairs Officer of the Lagos State Ministry of Education, the event was held yesterday at the Eagle Square in Abuja. It noted that Mrs Obiwumi Salmot emerged second runner up as the Best Teacher, while

School category. This is just as Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, donated two brand new cars to best teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the state. Also, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, rewarded best teachers in the state with cash prizes ranging from N1 million to N2million.The governor equally

The awards were given to the teachers and the school for their exemplary performance in the education sector, while the school got a bus in addition to the award. According to the statement, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, is delighted with the news and victory of the awards.

and huge investment of Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanw-Olu’s administration in the last two years. “The Lagos State has recorded outstanding performances and won laurels in various competitions and award ceremonies at National and International levels in recent times.

Giadom, Mustapha Plot Return as NWC Members Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Some former National Working Committee (NWC) members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have started strategising and perfecting plans to return as national officers of the party ahead of its national convention. On this list are a former Deputy National Secretary of the party, Chief Victor Giadom and aformer National Vice

Chairman, Mr. Salihu Mustapha, who served during the Adams Oshiomhole-led executive. Giadom and Mustapha played a prominent role in masterminding the sack of Oshiomhole during the protracted leadership crisis of the party. Investigation revealed that the party was ready to compensate both men for helping to oust Oshiomhole from office.

A party source told THISDAY that while Mustapha was eyeing the position of Deputy National Chairman, north of the party, Giadom was planning to return as the National Secretary of the party. The source added that the National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party, Senator James Akpanudoedehe was also

interested in becoming the next governor of Akwa Ibom State, rather than coming back as the national Secretary of the party. “If he (Akpanudoedehe) wants to be governor, why does he need to contest for the National Secretary? Giadom wants to contest for Secretary while Mustapha wants to contest for the Deputy National Chairman North,” the source added.

2023: No Automatic Ticket for Contestants, Says Ebonyi PDP Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki Ebonyi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed that the party would follow all due process and democratic tenets in the selection of its candidates for the 2023 general elections in the state. The State Caretaker Chairman of the Party, Elder Fred Udeogu,

who stated this during the local government congress of the party in Abakaliki, noted that there would not be an automatic ticket for anyone. He added that the party is still open for new members, assuring that the party would accommodate everyone’s interest and political aspirations. “God has been on our side

since we came on board. There is no sincere politician that will say, I am closing doors for people coming in, no. As far as the business of politics is concerned, you are always at the point of expansion and the elasticity is always there. You continue to expand for people to be coming in”. “We will follow all due process

and democratic tenets in the selection of our candidates unless the people unanimously choose any candidate. So, what you heard may not be true because we cannot stop people from coming into our party but we still going ahead because there are people who are founding members of our party and those are people that have refused to leave.

Transportation Ministry Hailed over Intervention in CRFFN Election Sunday Okobi The former Governing Council Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN), Hakeem Olaranwaju, has hailed the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr.

Magdalene Ajani, for her prompt intervention in the modalities earmarked for the election of new members of the council. In a statement issued in Lagos on behalf of those he described as “well-meaning practicing freight forwarders” in the subsector of the maritime industry, Olanrewaju

said: “I want to use this medium to express our profound gratitude for your prompt intervention aimed at not just saving the freight forwarding profession from potential anarchy but salvaging it from professional ridicule which self-centered and greedy leaders were deliberately poised to inflict

on it.” Describing Ajani’s intervention as “motherly”, Olanrewaju noted that the permanent secretary decision was informed by the fact that she listened carefully to the reasons that prompted the official postponement of the election.

WEDNESDAY, ; ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

WEDNESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor: Duro Ikhazuagbe Email: duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Super Eagles players at their ﬁrst training session in Lagos since regrouping on Monday for the 2022 World Cup qualifying match-day 3 ﬁxture against the Central African Republic (CAR) on Thursday

22 Eagles in First Training in Lagos as CAR’s Wild Beasts Arrive

Duro Ikhazuagbe

The stage is now set for the Super Eagles to feast on the Central African Republic’s Wild Beasts who invaded Lagos yesterday for the three points at stake in the 2022 World Cup

2 0 2 2 W O R L D C U P Q UA L I F I E R S

qualifying Match-day 3 clash at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Thursday at 5pm. As at yesterday evening, only Sparta Rotterdam’s Maduka

Okoye was being expected in the Super Eagles’ Eko Hotels & Suites camp as all the 22 Invited players turned up for the evening training session at

School of Commerce, Comprehensive High School Clash in Opening Game Defending champions of the Delta State Principals’ Cup sponsored by Zenith Bank, the School of Commerce, Warri, will on Thursday file out against Comprehensive High School, Ogwashi-Ukwu in the opening match of the 2021 edition of the competition. The Zenith Bank/Delta Principals’ Cup, which enters its fifth edition, is a grassroots football competition organised for secondary schools in the state. According to the organisers, Hideaplus Limited, all arrangements have been concluded to make the opening match slated for the St. Patrick’s College, Asaba, a highly interesting

Z E N I T H / D E LTA P R I N C I PA L S ’ C U P kickoff. CEO of Hideaplus, Tony Pemu, stressed that the students are eager to get started especially because the event did not take place last year because of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. “We expect a very great opening match and interesting competition since the participants are very anxious to get started and showcase their talents. The entries have been amazing and all the members of the Local Organising Committee have been working hard to make this edition a classic,” Pemu said.

Delta Commissioner for Secondary School Education, Mrs Rose Ezewu, who is also the chairperson of the LOC, said the Principals Cup was important because it’s one of the events close to the heart of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. “The Governor loves developmental programmes for the youths and this is one of them. We are ready,” she noted. Ezewu showered praises on the sponsors, Zenith Bank for the partnership which is aimed at bringing out future champions from the state.

U-20 World Cup: Falconets Look Beyond CAR Girls Seven-goal winners from the first leg on away ground, Nigeria’s U-20 girls, Falconets feel no pressure as they host their counterparts from the Central African Republic in a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (Costa Rica 2022) at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena this evening. The Falconets flew into Lagos

on Monday from Abuja ahead of the return leg, and on arrival had a little rest before heading straight to business as Coach Christopher Danjuma and his assistants drilled the girls in a two-hour intense training session at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium, Surulere. Despite Nigeria’s comprehensive 7-0 win in Duoala,

Danjuma insists his girls will not be complacent when they face the central African side this evening. Forward Mercy Idoko, with a brace, and Esther Onyenezide, Joy Jerry, Deborah Abiodun, Taiwo Lawal and Yena Adoo accounted for the trouncing of the Central African Republic girls at the Stade Japome de Douala.

the Surulere stadium. The first few minutes was open to the media before going into a closed training under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Gernot Rohr and his lieutenants. Skipper Ahmed Musa, deputy skipper William Troost-Ekong and goalkeepers Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi were at the training, alongside defenders Kevin Akpoguma, Jamilu Collins, Chidozie Awaziem, Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey, Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu and Kenneth Omeruo. There were also midfielders Chidera Ejuke, Innocent Bonke,

Frank Onyeka and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, as well as forwards Paul Onuachu, Samuel Kalu, Taiwo Awoniyi, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho and Moses Simon. Interestingly, the Beasts flew into Lagos with a 35man contingent from Douala, Cameroon yesterday evening with the hope of upstaging the three-time African champions who are topping the Group C pairing on maximum six points from two games. CAR have just one point so far, trailing the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde on inferior number of goals scored.

The return encounter against the Wild Beasts is already scheduled for the Stade Japoma de Douala on Sunday afternoon, with Rohr and his wards countenance a possible six points that will make them unassailable in Group C, ahead of the last two games away to Liberia and home to Cape Verde in November.

TODAY Sudan v Guinea Morocco v G’Bissau

Awoniyi Makes Bundesliga Team of the Week Wave making Union Berlin forward, Taiwo Awoniyi, was yesterday listed in Bundesliga’s Team of the Week. The Under-17 World Cup winner with the Golden Eaglets scored twice as Union Berlin came back from a goal down to beat Mainz 05 2-1 on Sunday. Since switching from Liverpool to Union Berlin on a permanent basis in summer, Awoniyi scored three goals from his first three games of the season. He came into the Super Eagles as a late replacement for injured Terem Moffi. He is Nigeria’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying double-header against the Wild Beasts (Les Fauves) of Central African Republic. Awoniyi was paired with Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Breel Embolo and Leverkusen ‘s Patrik Schik. It was interesting to note that in the weekend Awoniyi made the team, Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski who failed to score in his team’s 2-1 loss to Frankfurt had no space to fit into the Bundesliga team of Taiwo Awoniyi...makes German Bundesliga Team of the Week week seven.

WEDNESDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

SPORTS

Mbappe Admits Calling Neymar a ‘Bum’ Kylian y Mbappe pp says y he spoke to Paris St-Germain team-mate Neymar y about a derogatory g y remark he made about the Brazilian at a game g last month. y The 22-year-old was heard saying y g "this bum, he never passes to me"after he was substituted against Montpellier. "Yes, yes, I said that. Now, these are things that happen all the time in football," said France striker Mbappe. "Immediately afterwards, seeing how big it had become, I talked to him about it." PSG won the Ligue 1 game against Montpellier 2-0 before going on to beat Manchester City 2-0 in a Champions League group game. Speaking in an interview with L'Equipe,Mbappe added: "We've exchanged a lot of words like that in the past and we'll continue to do so, because we want to win, but there shouldn't be any hard feelings.

"There is no resentment p the at all because I respect p y and the man, and I player admire what he is." pp had told RMC Mbappe p Sportthis week that he "asked to leave" PSG amid interest from Real Madrid in the summer and, speaking to L'Equipe, added that since then no talks over renewing his contract beyond next summer had taken place. "I've been in football long enough now to know that yesterday's truth is not necessarily today's, nor tomorrow's," he said. "If I was told that [Lionel] Messi was going to play at PSG, I wouldn't have believed it, so you never know what's going to happen." Mbappe added: "Right now, my future is not my priority. I've already wasted a lot of energy this summer, and it was tiring."

NYG: Gafaar Charges Coaches on Athletes' Discipline

Kylian Mbappe (right) has admitted referring to his Brazilian teammate Neymar as a ‘bum’

AJ Finished if He Fails to Win Usyk Rematch, Says Fury British heavyweight boxer, Tyson Fury, has called on Anthony Joshua to quit boxing if he loses his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua recently lost his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles to Ukrainian Usyk. Joshua activated the rematch clause in the Fight contract with Usyk immediately after the comprehensive defeat. But Fury believes Joshua should resign from boxing if he is beaten by the Ukrainian for a second time. “I think if he doesn’t beat Usyk in his rematch, I think he’s finished, retire, done,” Fury told Boxing Social. “He needs to win that fight, no matter how he does it.” When asked if he was frustrated to see Joshua get beaten by Usuk, Fury replied: “Not really frustrating, to be honest.”

to improve on the total number of gold medals to be won. " We have to improve on the total number of gold medals that the state won at the last National Youth Games". " It is not good enough for us to continue to maintain a distant second following Delta State that won over 100 gold medals we only able to win 22 gold medals". "This time around, we must try as much as possible to win up to 70 gold medals or more", he concluded. The Closed Camping activities for Team Lagos athletes to participate at the 6th National Youth Games in Ilorin will end on October 10, when the contingent will leave for Ilorin, to compete in 33 Sports with their counterparts from the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory. Team Lagos placed 2nd at the 5th edition of the Games held in Ilorin in 2019.

HiFL 2021: Super Four Finals Set for Yaba Tech Sports Complex

Anthony Joshua...few minutes after he lost his world heavyweight belts to Ukrainian Oleksandr Osyk penultimate weekend

“33” Export Lager and Amstel Malta Ultra Drum Support for Eagles As the Super Eagles get set to resume their qualification quest for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar this week in Lagos, “33” Export/Amstel Ultra have charged the team to remain focused on their mission for a seventh World Cup appearance. Three-time African champions, Super Eagles, will be up against the Central African Republic (CAR) at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Thursday

The Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Oluwatoyin Gafaar has charged the coaches of the 33 sports who resumed in closed camp ahead of the 2021 National Youths Games coming up in Ilorin, Kwara State from October, 10-20, to strive to instill discipline amongst the athletes and in themselves in the camp. He made this disclosure on Sunday when the coaches and 260 Team Lagos athletes that will represent the state checked in at the venue of the Closed Camp in Bariga, Lagos State. " As coaches, you have to be disciplined and try as much as possible to instill discipline among your athletes". " Any act of indiscipline from any coach at this camp would not be condoned ", the Director General warned. He urged the coaches to put in extra efforts to enable Team Lagos

7th October, 2021. “33” Export Lager is the official beer of the team while Amstel Malta Ultra doubles as the Malt Drink of the national teams. Having propelled the Eagles to double victories in earlier matches against the Lone Star of Liberia and Blue Sharks of Cape Verde, 33 Export/Amstel Ultra yesterday charged Gernot Rohr’s men to make it a hat-trick of wins against ‘The Wild Beasts’

as the CAR national team are fondly referred to. The Brand Manager, “33” Export Lager beer, Rexanthony Anieke, in a message to the team yesterday urged the players to remain strong as they have been in the on-going qualifying matches and not lower their guards nor give room to any form of lapses. “Yes we (Nigeria) are getting nearer to the final qualifying tournament and having been able

to unite millions of passionate football fans with consumers’ favourite brand of beer, “33” Export Lager, the players will no doubt rise to the occasion and give Nigerians the deserved result,” he stated. While the Super Eagles will be gunning for maximum points, 33 Export/Amstel Ultra will also be offering maximum reward with N1m up for grabs for whoever is voted as Man-of-the-Match.

Desert Warriors from the University of Maiduguri and AAUA Luminaries from the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba, Ondo State will size up themselves to decide the winner of the 2021 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex on Saturday, October 9. The Super Four games which is the grand finale of HiFL, an annual collegiate football league will also have the FUTMinna Transformers from the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State and the UNN Lions from the University of Nigeria Nsukka battle for the third placed prize. This year’s final presents a contrasting fortune for the two finalists regarding their goal-scoring prowess. UNIMAID Desert Warriors heads into the finals as the highest-scoring team from the Round of 16 with 11 goals while AAUA Luminaries, qualified for the finals having scored only three goals from the knockout stages. The Akungba boys made history as the first state-owned university to qualify for the Super Four and to play in the final of HiFL since 2018. The four teams in the 2021 Super Four have scored 24 goals among

them from the Round of 16 with Suleiman Saleh of the UNIMAID Desert Warriors as the highest scorer with four goals. In his reaction, Beiersdorf’s Managing Director, Nigeria, Godwin Harrison said “Nivea Men is happy to witness these fantastic displays from our youths riding on the platform of the Higher Institution Football League. “The dedication and determination of these players to succeed in their games align with our goal of connecting with Nigerian youths and providing them with platforms to express themselves while they also study. “As we look forward to the Super Four games, we congratulate the teams that will play in the finals”. Chief Strategy Officer, PACE Sports, and Entertainment Marketing Limited, Goodness Onyejiaku also mentioned that “our sponsors including StanbicIBTC, Nivea Men, Bold and Minimie have demonstrated corporate responsibility by their association with the HiFL brand to connect and provide opportunities for Nigerian youths to develop their talents even while they study. It can only get better as we all look forward to an interesting final”.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

UT H

& RE A SO

Price: N250

MISSILE Reno Omokri to Buhari

“In 2015, when Nigeria’s unemployment rate was below 20% according to the NBS, Buhari said it was unacceptable. Today, Nigeria’s last reported unemployment rate is 33.3%. So, what is the basis of Buhari’s claims? Has any area of life in Nigeria improved under Buhari? Security is worse according to the Global Terrorism Index” ---Former Presidential Aide/Social Critic, Reno Omokri, scoring Buhari’s performance low and faulting his UNGA speech in New York recently.

KAYODEKOMOLAFE THE HORIZON

kayode.komolafe@thisdaylive.com

0805 500 1974

Why the Anambra Election must Hold

hat is really happening to the southeast of Nigeria? The honest answer to that crucial question of our time should be that there isn’t a coherent official explanation yet of the incipient anarchy enveloping the zone. It is necessary to have a comprehensive account of the forces at play in the troubled zone as part of the broad strategy of tackling insecurity bedevilling the whole country. After all, the horrific killings in the state have been largely blamed on “unknown gunmen.” Now, that is not accountability about the lost lives. In his National Day broadcast last Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari spoke of a yet-to-be named “federal legislator” allegedly sponsoring violence in the region among others. The President announced that security agents were on the trail of the promoters of violence in the southeast and other parts of the country. Not only must the alleged sponsors of violence be named, they must also be prosecuted, according to the law. For months now, there have been unsettling reports of killings and destruction of public and private properties in the zone. There seems to be a reign of impunity in the southeast (as in other parts of the country) because the news of killings is not usually followed by the news of prosecution of those who committed murder. The House of Representatives called yesterday on the National Security Adviser (NSA) Major-General Babagana Monguno and the security agencies to activate state apparatuses accordingly to overwhelm those unleashing violence in Anambra state in particular. Now, the call of the federal legislators on the NSA is properly addressed. The crisis in Anambra may seem localised; it is actually a Nigerian problem in terms of the full implications as would be demonstrated later in this reflection. In the view of the lawmakers, stemming the tide of violence in the region is an obvious precondition for the success of the November 6 election. The worries expressed by the legislators were triggered by the wave of killings and attacks on state institutions in the state. Politicians, security agents and private individuals have been killed. Police stations, INEC offices and prisons have been attacked. Private properties have also been destroyed. In fact, the killings of the last few days were said to have taken place in Idemili area of the state alone. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also made its own unsettling observations about the next month election. The chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, lamented yesterday the deterioration in the atmosphere for an election in Anambra like this: “Many innocent lives have been lost and property destroyed. From the reports we have received, the stated goal of many of the attackers is that the governorship election scheduled for November 6, 2021 must not hold. “This is worrisome for the commission. We are deeply concerned that specific electoral facilities and materials could once more become targets of attacks…” Yakubu spoke about the safety of electoral staff including the ad hoc ones, who are mainly members of the National Youth service Corps (NYSC) and students of tertiary institutions. He is also concerned about the security of the innocent voters who would be exercising their rights to vote. The insistence of INEC to go ahead with the November 6 governorship election in Anambra

Anambra State Governor Wilie Obiano State should be supported by all stakeholders. Here, different institutions have separate roles to play. First, the job of INEC is squarely to deliver a credible election. The commission has been preparing to achieve this goal for months despite the destabilisation of its efforts by those attacking the offices of the commission and destroying its materials in the state. Secondly, it is the duty of the police and other security agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the election. The security forces should muster the necessary capacity to stop the festering violence. There cannot be a credible election in the state amidst bloodletting. Increased violence would only diminish the legitimacy of the election. The commendable resolve of INEC to conduct the election would turn out to be an illusion if the security agencies don’t perform their own duty in the circumstance. After all, INEC under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega was determined to go ahead with the general elections in early in 2015 until the then National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, “advised” otherwise because of the Boko Haram war in the northeast. Some military operations were subsequently conducted for some weeks (including the activities of mercenaries) in order to create a sufficiently conducive atmosphere for the elections in the zone. The government enjoyed the understanding of the public and politicians alike at the time because it was the realistic thing to do in the situation. The Anambra case in 2021 is a bit different, you may say. And that would be right. In this case, INEC is dealing with the governorship election of one state. So there is, of course, the obvious advantage of the concentration of attention and resources by the security (and possibly defence) forces on the state. The southeast situation today is also not identical with the Boko Haram war that raged in the northeast in 2015. It is indeed unfortunate that INEC is compelled to prepare for the election in Anambra as if it the exercise would be taking place in a war-zone. Thirdly, the determination of the political forces in Anambra to have a successful election

in the state is also an important factor. It is worth remarking that that the major political parties participating in the election have shared the optimistic outlook presented by INEC on the feasibility and quality of the election. After all, regardless of their partisan divides, all the politicians are targets of those who have proclaimed their opposition to the conduct of the election. So the resistance to the anarchistic proposition of the anti-election forces should be a basis of unity of all politicians. There should be a consensus on making civility a central part of politics in the state. It should be remembered that in 2019, Anambra was one of the states in which INEC was forced to postpone legislative elections in some constituencies. The third point is worth stressing because, with a measure of justification, some politicians in the state have distinguished between the separatist agitation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the acts of the criminal elements responsible for the recent killings. However, it doesn’t appear that the government that has proscribed IPOB would readily share this perspective in solving the problem fundamentally. This divergence in the political perspectives to the problem is at the root of the problem. That’s why the hurdles to scale in the buildup towards the November 6 election should be understood within the general climate of insecurity in the whole of southeast. To start with, the administration of President Buhari should have a rethink on the ban on IPOB. The organisation should be should be legitimised. The truth is that a segment of the political elite in the southeast shares its separatist aspiration. Some politicians have openly justified IPOB activities as a response to the “marginalisation” of the Igbo in the politics of Nigeria. The political scars of the 1967-1970 civil war are still prominent for any sensitive politician to see in the southeast. The separatist agitation feeds on the substratum provided by these scars of the mind. Beyond partisan politics, the point has been consistently made that the Igbo elite feels excluded in the polity, whereas the poltical elite from their region should constitute a power bloc. This much was implicit in the position of Ohaneze Ndigbo presented by its president, Professor George Obiozor, when President Muhammadu Buhari visited Imo state the other day. Obiozor made the point clear: more than any other thing what the Igbo need is “the sense of belonging” in the Nigerian union. As a corollary, IPOB in turn should conduct its agitation peacefully both in rhetorical and physical terms. Those found to have committed crimes while flying IPOB flags should be isolated and prosecuted. The government has unwittingly mystified the group by being draconian in its

“The insistence of INEC to go ahead with the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State should be supported by all stakeholders”

response to the activities of the separatists. After all, no plebiscite has been conducted to prove that a majority of the people of the southeast support separation from Nigeria. If such a vote is fairly taken today, the separatists would be demonstrably in a minority. The same principle applies to other zones of Nigeria ridden with varied discontents. When crime is clearly separated from legitimate agitation for self-determination, it would be easy for the governments at all levels to find a political answer to the legitimate question of self-determination. Yesterday’s resolution of the southeast governors to stop the weekly sit-at-home protest ordered by IPOB may turn out to be a turning point in the battle for the minds of the people of the southeast. It may become a test of supremacy in moral terms. For some time now, IPBOB has enforced its paralysing sit-at- home order in the southeast in pursuit of its cause. The fact is that the organisation has been forcefully controlling the streets of the zone. Some members of the public comply with the IPOB order to stay home out of the fear of being attacked on the street. However, the matter goes beyond a mere turf battle between the state governments on the one hand and the non-state actors on the other hand. The governance problem of the southeast is deeper than it appears on the surface. The employment of violence to stop the Anambra election has brought to the fore the responsibility of the state and local governments for security as part of governance. By the way, in those states in which the local governments have been emasculated, the third tier of government would not be expected to perform this governance function. The local governments do not function in some states because the governors deprive them of funds. While the pressures should be sustained on the federal government to tackle insecurity in the southeast, it would be wrong to ignore completely the proportionate duties of state governors to be responsible for security in their respective states. Come to think of it, like their counterparts in other states, the southeast state governors allocate to themselves security votes from their state treasuries. The security votes should be spent on combating insecurity. So it is not enough to plead marginalisation and helplessness in the circumstance. Beyond the politics of exclusion in making federal appointments, poverty has created a ready army for those bent on employing violence among the alienated and disoriented youths. The governors should not only counter the order of IPOB, they should also govern their states competently so as to fulfil the constitutional responsibility of ensuring the “security and welfare” of their people. While the federal government should build federal roads and bridges in the southeast; the state governments should also construct the state roads. They should invest the limited resources at their disposal in the development of the human capital for the future of the zone. Investments in education and health should be increased. It is, therefore, crucial for the immediate future that the Anambra governorship election should hold as scheduled. This could be the wise option if the issues are viewed within the broad context of the challenge of security and governance in the southeast, nay Nigeria. Failure to hold the election would compound the political problems in the land.

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