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NNPC: Nigeria to Take Final Investment Decision on $25bn Gas Pipeline Next Year Kyari says oil output to increase by 500,000bpd after ongoing repairs National oil firm may bid for power assets Defers payment to local fuel suppliers to 90 days Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), along

with its partners could take a Final Investment Decision (FID) on the

$25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline in 2023, the national oil

company has said.

The 5,600-kilometer (3,840-mile)

Continued on page 51

Gbajabiamila: ASUU Strike to Be Over in Matter of Days... Page 50 Tuesday 11 October, 2022 Vol 27. No 10045. Price: N250

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Anambra, Kogi Residents, Farmers Count Losses to Massive Floods... Page 6

Buhari Seeks Constitutional Change for Women in Politics Urges them to take Tinubu/Shettima campaigns to all wards, LGs Tinubu tells voters not to return PDP to power First lady explains pact on women inclusion with party leadership Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari,

yesterday, instructed the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,

and Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, to come up with possible constitutional and legal

changes that would help to create a level playing field for women in politics and government.

The president spoke at State House, Abuja, while inaugurating the APC Women Presidential

Campaign Committee (APCWPCC).

Continued on page 51

Atiku: Vote for PDP is Vote to End Hunger, Insecurity, Unemployment Ayu presents flags to candidates, urges aggrieved members to sheathe swords Okowa reassures on ex-VP’s experience, capacity to rescue Nigeria PDP grounds Minna with one-million-man march Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Okon Bassey in Uyo and Laleye Dipo in Minna Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, kicked off his campaign yesterday in Uyo, with a declaration that a vote for PDP at the 2023 election signified determination to end Nigeria’s intractable problems of insecurity and underdevelopment.

Atiku promised to unify and restructure the country, as well as protect all Nigerians. He said his administration would create state police to tackle insecurity in every nook and cranny of the country, vowing that he would never disappoint the Nigerian people.

The highpoint of the campaign flag-off attended by thousands of party supporters in the Akwa Ibom State capital was the presentation of PDP flags to candidates contesting various offices by National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu. Ayu Continued on page 51

ATIKU FLAGS OFF CAMPAIGNS ...

R-L: Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Udom Emmanuel; Presidential Candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar; National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and Vice-Presidential Candidate and Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, at the flag-off of the party’s campaigns at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo...yesterday

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ANAM COMMUNITY IN ANAMBRA SWALLOWED BY FLOODS...

Aerial picture of submerged houses in Anam community in Anambra East Local Government Area

Anambra, Kogi Residents, Farmers Count Losses to Massive Floods Eight Anambra LGAs under water Group calls for enquiry into death of 81 persons in boat mishap Military, NEMA begin aerial operation to rescue trapped flood victims NIWA, HYPPDEC, Kogi govt provide relief materials to victims David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja As flood continued to wreak havoc on residents, motorists and passengers in Anambra State as well as the Lokoja - Abuja highway in Kogi State, farmers, residents and business operators in the state have continue to count losses due to the natural disaster.

The unfortunate incidents have wreaked havoc on several communities living on the bank of River Niger and River Benue.

Specifically, in Anambra, a substantial part of eight local government areas in the state are currently under water.

The local governments are; Ogbaru, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Anambra East, Anambra West, Awka North, Ayamelum and Oyi Local Government Areas.

The floods have cost indigenes of the area their crops, homes, livelihood and even lives.

In Ayamelum, Anambra East and Anambra West, houses have been submerged totally, while residents have fled, taking refuge in school facilities in the upland ares of their various communities.

In Ogbaru, last Friday, two boat mishap happened on the same day claiming lives.

While one of the boats, a big sized boat was carrying 85 passengers when it capsized, a smaller one said to be a flying boats which capsized

as a result of engine failure had five passengers in it.

Sources said all five passengers in the flying boat lost their lives, while only nine people out of 85 were rescued from the bigger boat, leaving as many as 76 dead.

Last Sunday, sources within the community confirmed that 16 dead bodies have been recovered, while 60 were still under the waters. In all, 81 persons lost their lives in one day in the area.

A rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has called for enquiries into the circumstances leading to the death of the victims.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the group, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, he said the incident was beyond issuance of press releases by government to condemn the incident.

"The tragic mass deaths are beyond a mere statement of expression of sadness or shock and extension of condolences to the bereaved families by the Prof.

Charles Chukwuma Soludo led government of Anambra State.

“Losing 81 defenseless and law abiding citizens of Anambra origin and residency in a day in such preventable or avoidable boat mishap is enough to fly flag at half mast or declare a state of mourning and public holiday if the authorities of the government of Anambra State are truly sensitive to the safety of

the citizenry and conscious of the sanctity of human lives.

"The mass deaths also ought to invoke the setting up of the Government ‘Expert Enquiry’ to ascertain what truly happened, how it happened, why it happened, where it happened, when it happened and who died and who survived.

"It is not enough for the present government of Anambra State to issue sympathy message’ or ‘offer bread and butter and blankets and mats’ to flood victims and go home and rest.

"The 81 deaths recorded in the two boat mishaps would have been prevented if the failed portions of the Atani-Ogwuikpele and the Ozubulu-Atani Roads had been timely rehabilitated and proper water channels provided and drainages, gutters and other waterways unblocked.

"It was the inability of the government to ensure the above that made it possible for River Niger to bust into the left side of the residential areas of the Ogbaru interior and urban-thereby blocking and cutting off vehicular movements along the Atani-Ogwuikpele Road, forcing most of the passengers to use boats as the only alternative means to their destinations."

The group called for the rehabilitation of the roads linking the areas, saying doing so could avert such occurrences in the future as the people can use roads, instead of

water, especially during this period of flood, when water travels are dangerous.

Meanwhile, The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Disaster Response Unit (DRU) of the Military have commenced Aerial view operation to rescue persons displaced or trapped by the rising floods in Anambra.

The Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, South-East, Mr. Thickman Tanimu, told journalists in Awka on Monday, that it would aid the airlifting of trapped persons in the affected communities.

He said, "Search and Rescue (SAR Operations) has commenced. The Military DRU has engaged and have started ‘Air Recce’ or Aerial view to collect imagery intelligence of the affected communities.

“This will help to ascertain displaced and trapped persons who need to be evacuated to pave the way for air lifting," he added.

Tanimu said the Presidency and the Director-General NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed-Habib, while commiserating with the state government and flood victims including the bereaved, approved the relief materials.

He said the relief materials would be presented directly to flood victims today, adding, "the delay in arrival of the relief materials is due to the flood disaster that cut off Abuja–Lokoja road and also the security situation due to the Monday sit-at-home in

the south-east.

“The relief material will hopefully arrive on Tuesday and be ready for delivery directly to victims. These items are meant to complement the efforts of Anambra State government in providing immediate succour to victims and aid their speedy rehabilitation."

For the time being, philanthropists, politicians and other good spirited individuals have been providing help to victims, who live in several camps within their communities.

A House of Representatives candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency, Dr. Amaechi Nwachukwu, who recently visited a IDP camp in Igbakwu community in Ayamelum lamented the sorry state of the victims.

Nwachukwu, a medical doctor who donated household and food items to the displaced people, also set up an emergency health centre in the camp to check the health of the victims and also provide them free drugs.

He called on other well-meaning people of the state to offer help to the victims.

Also, in Kogi State, residents of Kabawa, Adankolo, Gaduma and Ganja have been sub-merged and cut off from the rest of the state capital.

Investigation revealed that many houses may be affected as the high tide water is constantly increasing every minute.

While many civil servants that were caught unaware could not find their way to their various offices and those who are brave enough went through a canoe to the other side.

It was a lamentation galore for parents who were taking their wards for resumption and were forced to go back home as it was risky allowing children to go their schools at this moment.

Also, the popular Ganaja road leading to Ajaokuta, Kogi East and Eastern part have been sub-merged as many trucks were sub-merged in the water, while having to park by the roadside.

The market women in the state capital expressed frustrations as they could not get to market with various goods.

In some areas, street urchins were seen helping people crosses another side of the road and were also extorting money ranging from N500 -N1000 what they do.

A retired civil servant identified as Akpata, disclosed that he went to his brother's house behind Omega Hotel and discovered that it had been completely submerged, pointing out that it was the help of fishermen with canoe that assisted him in evacuating the property and other valuables out of the water.

The building belonging to an American-based businessman with some tenants who were seen Continued on page 52

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

INAUGURATION OF TINUBU/SHETTIMA WOMEN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TEAM...

L-R: First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Aisha Buhari; wife of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and wife of the party's Vice Presidential Candidate, Hajia Nana Kashim Shettima, during the inauguration of Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Campaign Team at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja… yesterday

Oil Theft: Tompolo's Firm, Navy Set Seized Oil Bunkering Vessel Ablaze Niger Delta host communities tackle NNPC GCEO Sylvester Idowu in Warri Operatives of the Nigerian Navy and Tantita Security Services, a firm operated by Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo) last night set ablaze an illegal oil bunkering vessel arrested with stolen crude oil aboard in Escravos area of Delta State.

The vessel was arrested last Thursday, with seven crew members close to Escravos in Warri South West Local government area of the state.

At the point of arrest, about 600 to 650 cubic metres of illegally lifted

crude oil in five compartments was said to be on board the vessel with registration number L85 B9.50.

The Nigerian Navy and Tantita Security Services personnel set the ill-fated vessel on fire at about 3 o'clock in the presence of journalists.

The Marine Intelligence Consultant for Tantita Security Services, Captain Warredi Enisuoh disclosed that the arrest was based on intelligence gathering disclosing that his security men, "monitored the space via satellite."

He said records showed that the arrested Dutch vessel, sold to a Nigerian, had been variously,

"used for moving crude oil illegally for years," disclosing that she was scheduled to take the stolen crude to Tema in Ghana.

Enisuoh expressed delight that, "the operation of Tantita Security Services in collaboration with Operation Delta Safe, which is a government and private sector initiative, has yielded positive result leading to the arrest."

Announcing the arrest of the vessel on Sunday, before her destruction yesterday, the Operational Head of Tantita Security Services Limited, Chief Ebipade Kari who led the operation confirmed that

the interception was made after they received a tip-off.

“We got a tip off that a ship was loading at the Escravos axis. The Tantita security personnel went to the place and got the ship arrested.

“While I insisted that the crew must be taken to Oporoza in Gbaramatu Kingdom, where Tantita operational office is located. Their boss was begging me through the captain of the ship to offer me a bribe of N25m which he promised to deliver in dollars, so that I can let the ship go. But I turned down the offer,” he added.

Meanwhile, oil and gas host

Osinbajo: Nigeria Has Innate Qualities to Become Digital Economy Global Leader Insists nation must develop policies, regulations that promote innovation, commerce Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has declared that Nigeria as a country has the requisite talents, creativity and acumen to become world leader in digital economy.

In an address yesterday in Abuja, as a special guest and keynote speaker at this year’s Nigeria Digital Economy Summit (NDES) with the theme, “Web 3.0, Blockchain & DeFi: Impact on Africa’s Digital Economy," the vice president noted that with the right approach and policy, as well as the country’s human capital and potential, Nigeria could actually become world leaders in digital technology in all its various ramifications.

Delving into the different levels of progress recorded since the advent of the use of the Web on a large and global scale since Web 1 in 1989, Osinbajo highlighted the future of technology, digital economy and what it means globally but especially for Nigeria.

He said: “A whole new world is unfolding before our very eyes, unlike Web 1 and 2 where we were relatively disadvantaged. In 1989 we didn’t have mobile phones so

we could not take advantage of the reach and depth that mobile telecoms gave digital innovation and financial inclusion. We are now better positioned to be significant players in Web 3.

"We have already shown that we have the talent, creativity and acumen to build and grow major tech companies. At the last count, we have six unicorns and many more on the way. But we must spend time on the development of digital skills.”

While canvassing for more synergy between government (public) and the private sector in driving the digital economy revolution in the country, the vice president stressed that both sectors must find ways to ensure policy is way ahead for development.

He said: "We must think through and develop appropriate policies and regulations that promote, rather than inhibit, innovation and commerce. We can be world leaders in the Web 3 revolution. The only limit is our vision."

Highlighting the Web 3 revolution, Osinbajo added that, “We are in the early days of Web 3.0.

Its defining components, as we can already see, are blockchain technology, smart contracts, DEFIs

(Decentralised Financing), tokens, both fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs); and the whole range of token economics; unlike Web 2.0 where data is mostly centrally stored.

“Web3.0 data will be interconnected in a decentralised way and will also be machine-readable.

"Decentralised protocols as you know is at the heart of blockchain, cryptocurrency technology and the whole range of DeFis. So, these

systems will be effectively integrated and interoperable and automated through smart contracts.

“That data will be machine readable is very significant, which is why Web3 is sometimes described as the Semantic web. This means that users and machines using AI and Machine Learning will be able to creatively interact with data.

Continued online

communities in the Niger Delta have called on the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Melee Kyari, to stop oil theft as well as to name and prosecute those behind the menace or resign.

The communities lamented that increasing oil theft had again thrown the nation into a pitiable condition, reflecting high corruption index.

The Chairman, Board of Trustees of Community Development Communities of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas, Joseph Ambakederimo, in a statement yesterday said the exposition of the four-kilometre-long oil pipe theft was enough for Kyari to have resigned his position.

He regretted that the revelation coming out from the oil and gas sector, the mainstay of the nation's economy, had once again brought to the fore a country blighted with unimaginable level of corruption that is not abating.

"The revelation by the GCEO of NNPCL, Mele Kyari is enough for him to have resigned from his position or be sacked by the board.

This has to be so because NNPCL is now a company that governed by the Companies and Allied Matters Act which must be managed by competent and people with proven character and managerial skills for profitability.

"The GCEO of NNPCL has been carrying on without any modicum

of remorse. While responding to NASS committee and revelation of this illegal pipelines a couple of days ago shows a man that comes across as irresponsible on the discharge of his responsibility and leadership of a main revenue earning agency for the country," he said.

Ambadekerimo noted that, though the revelation was not strange to the people of the region, it however behooves on those that made the discovery to reveal the perpetrators rather than presenting themselves as patriots just to hoodwink Nigerians again.

"We need more and compelling disclosures from these persons that have overnight discovered these illegal pipeline because mobilising resources, equipment and materials to execute this project is not achieved in one day and people in the environs and officials of the IOCs and security services that are scattered all over the rivers and creeks want to now absolve themselves," he added.

Ambakaderimo lamented that the promise of the attainment of three million barrels of crude oil per day by the NNPCL had become a mirage, adding that what Nigeria presently produces is less than one million barrels per day, which is far less than what it produced when GEMD assumed office.

“The Direct Sale-Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme initiated by him (Kyari) has become a cesspit of corruption.

African Oil Refiners Bank on Eight Refinery Projects to Increase Aviation Fuel Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) has said that about eight ongoing refinery projects on the continent will significantly increase the production of jet-A1 fuel by 95 per cent when they are completed.

Executive Secretary, ARDA, Nigeria’s Anibor Kragha, said the continent’s growing population would continue to increase demand for aviation fuels, adding that local refineries must be encouraged to mitigate the current challenges.

The Nigerian aviation industry

has recently been challenged by the growing price and scarcity of jet-A1, since the entire product consumed in the country is imported.

The aviation sector was initially recovering after being grounded due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, this has been met with a global energy crisis, leaving jet fuel prices in Nigeria and other African countries at historic highs.

Kragha, who spoke at an ARDA Storage/Distribution & Jet Fuel Forum in Dakar, Senegal, which was monitored virtually, explained that improving local refining capacity within Africa would not only

reduce supply chain shocks but enable the continent to enforce harmonised standards.

The organisation’s head noted that Africa’s import dependent aviation fuel market and the drastic reduction in capacity utilisation across refineries on the continent were responsible for the Jet-A1 crisis facing the continent.

While further expressing the need to embrace renewables in the sector, Kragha maintained that the gross inadequacy of refineries across the continent posed serious bottlenecks to the implementation of cleaner fuel specifications.

In his comments, the Executive Director at CITAC Africa, James McCullagh said three North African countries – Algeria, Egypt and Libya accounted for almost all export of Jet-A1 production in Africa.

He noted that while African jet-A1 demand grew by 3.2million metric tonnes (49 per cent) between 2006 and 2019, it slumped by 4.7million tonnes (48 per cent) in 2020 owing to the pandemic.

He argued that the 2019 demand levels may not be reached until 2024-2025, as steady growth is expected to be driven by regional routes and population growth.

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ARISE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE...

L-R: Arise Women Director of Palliatives, Mrs. Lolade Wakama; 2022 Arise Women Chairperson, Mrs. Iyabo Ladipo; Arise Founder and Convener, Arise Women's Conference, Dr. Siju Iluyomade; Arise PHOTO; ETOP UKUTT Women Music Director, Mrs. Doyin Arueyingho; and Director of Special Duties, Yinka Almona, at the Arise 2022 Press Briefing held in Lagos… recently.

IMF Urges Nigeria to Address Institutional Corruption Warns of looming food crisis due to flooding in some states Nume Ekeghe in Washington DC The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised Nigeria to further empower the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF) in order to curb institutional corruption in government parastatal and agencies.

The fund also called on Nigeria to provide farmers with necessary infrastructure and technology suitable for detecting and averting challenges that result from climate change.

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY, on the sidelines of the ‘Analytical Corner: Fragile States and Corruption Towards an Enhanced International Financial Institutions Engagement,’ Legal Department Officer, IMF, Sebastiaan Pompe, who spoke at the ongoing annual IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington DC, however, praised the present administration and its stance towards ridding Nigeria of corruption.

He said: “The IMF has programs with Nigeria and you will often find that as of 2018, some of the elements of those programs included governance measures or measures that for example relate to the judiciary or to the anti-corruption framework, or transparency measures in the fiscal domain.

“Transparency is a form of combating corruption. I have

visited Nigeria, myself, and Nigeria, obviously is a country that has had major challenges.

“At the same time, Nigeria is remarkable in the resilience of some of its institutions. Nigeria has phenomenal civil society institutions.

“I also found on my first visit to Nigeria that institutions such as for example, the Auditor General of Nigeria, while it has challenges, it also has an important contribution to budget transparency and accountability. “To give one example, while by law required, the Auditor General of Nigeria actually audits all public agencies, which many other countries do not do.

“So, further enhancing the Auditor General would be a major, step forward towards more accountable public finances and strengthening the anti-corruption regime for sure.”

He added: “Nigeria is a strong state. Nigeria institutions have depths, they have experience, the question is how do you mobilise, develop it and strengthen it further.”

In his paper earlier, he highlighted the fragile states globally, saying Nigeria does not technically qualify as a fragile state. He, however, stressed that corruption was an institutional challenge that could make Nigeria slide into a fragile state.

He said: “Nigeria is not a fragile state. But there is a broader idea of fragility which is not so narrowly

technical, but which is the condition of countries. And that is why Nigeria sometimes was qualified as a fragile state technically, but then it emerged out of fragility, but it continues to face institutional challenges or challenges on corruption for example, that make it still sit within that broader group of fragility.”

Speaking in a separate event titled, ‘Climate Change and Food Insecurity in Sub-saharan Africa,’ an analyst at the African Department IMF, Mai Farid stated that Africa

The Nigerian Air Force yesterday confirmed that military air strikes killed terror kingpin, Ali Dogo, a.k.a Yellow, and 30 of his fighters.

It said the air interdiction was conducted by the air component of Operation Whirl Punch.

It was gathered that Yellow and his fighters had fled Niger State to one Alhaji Gwarzo's house at Yadi in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State for safety following sustained bombardment of his location in Niger State.

"Unfortunately for Yellow and his fighters, while they were having a meeting, NAF aircraft struck Alhaji Gwarzo's house leaving everybody in the building dead including Yellow," a military source said.

Similar strikes were also carried out same day targeted at terrorists in a location in the North-west of Mando in Kaduna.

"Following credible intelligence of terrorists’ leaders and their foot soldiers converging under tree covers at the location for a meeting, the location was struck with several terrorists killed," the source further said.

He stated that the air and land components of Operation Whirl Punch were living up to their mandate of continuously making decisive efforts to rid the joint operations area of terrorism.

"This has been evident through the various successes recorded in the decimation and neutralisation of terrorists and other criminal elements in recent times," he said.

disasters and lack of resilience.”

On policies and assistance needed for farmers, she noted that technology should be provided to help monitor and forecast upcoming changes that would affect yields as well as enhance on the necessary infrastructure needed by farmers.

She added: “So we do recognise that these are incredibly difficult contexts to address. However, as we mentioned, our work actually does point towards establishing a telecommunications system that gives farmers the ability to be aware

of an upcoming change forecast that would kind of predict a flood or, or a drought, all those things will help them prepare and be some kind of an ex ante preparedness approach.

“Rebuilding infrastructure is something that countries need to take into account since climate change is not going anywhere and as we mentioned is inevitable.

And therefore making sure that infrastructure is climate resilient, that you are able to actually withstand that next shock and flood barriers.”

WFP Extends Emergency Assistance to Prevent Acute Malnutrition in North-east IFC unveils platform to tackle global food crisis

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The World Food Programme (WFP), an agency of the United Nations (UN) has distributed emergency nutrition assistance to prevent acute malnutrition among 104,835 crisis-affected children aged 6-59 months and 82,202 pregnant and lactating women and girls in Nigeria's north-east region.

WFP also provided specialised nutritious food to treat moderate acute malnutrition among 39,024

Air Strikes Vanquish Terror Kingpin, 30 Insurgents

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

was the most food-insecure region not prepared for the outcomes of climate change.

She said: “Africa is a region most vulnerable to climate change yet the least prepared. Over the past decade, food insecurity in Africa has been rising faster than in the rest of the world.

“Over the past decade, you can see a persistent deterioration in sub-Saharan Africa's food Security Index. This is partly due to pressures from rapid population growth, recurring and intensifying natural

Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the air strikes.

"The Air Component will continue to sustain offensive operations against these criminal elements in collaboration with the Land Component and other security agencies to rid the Joint Operations Area and indeed the entire Northwest of terrorism and other acts of criminality.

"In keeping of the directive of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, to NAF operational commanders that terrorists and their likes are denied hiding places.

All the air component commanders are on their toes to ensure they keep and meet up with the directive", he said.

children aged 6-59 months, the agency said, adding that the move was in response to alarming findings of increased malnutrition in the region.

In its Nigeria Country Brief for August/ September 2022, the WFP said it provided unconditional assistance to 1,511,008 people in August, 34 per cent more than in July.

This is coming as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank launched a Global Food Security Platform, a funding facility to boost the private sector’s capacity to respond to the global food crisis.

According to the WFP report, the people served included 10,649 new arrivals in Bama, Banki, Dikwa, and Pulka towns of Borno State who received prepositioned emergency food rations, projecting that by September, "WFP expects to reach over 1.7 million people in need."

"In August, in cooperation with non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners, local vendors, and financial service providers, WFP distributed 12,101 mt of food commodities to 926,723 people and completed electronic voucher redemption of $10.8 million for 823,531 people.

"Responding to alarming findings of increased malnutrition in

northeast Nigeria, WFP distributed emergency nutrition assistance to prevent acute malnutrition among 104,835 crisis-affected children aged 6-59 months and 82,202 pregnant and lactating women and girls.

"WFP also provided specialised nutritious food to treat moderate acute malnutrition among 39,024 children aged 6-59 months," the report stated.

It further stated that malnutrition prevention interventions are integrated with unconditional and conditional WFP food assistance provided to the most vulnerable households.

The WFP disclosed that it also provided food-insecure households with resilience-building support for improved livelihoods. Working through cooperating partners, WFP assisted 13,185 vulnerable households in strengthening the resilience of individuals and communities to future shocks.

"Recipients of food assistance for asset creation in Borno and Yobe States redeemed USD 101,847 using mobile money and electronic vouchers," the UN agency disclosed.

Meanwhile, the Financing Platform launched by the IFC would add to the World Bank’s $30 billion pledge to address the food crisis.

In order to organise group action to address concerns with global food security, the IFC is also

boosting up interactions with other partners, including development finance organisations, foundations, banks, as well as a variety of private firms.

Rising levels of hunger and malnutrition have been worsened by climate change and increasingly extreme weather events that are destroying harvests and lowering yields. The conflict in Ukraine and an unequal worldwide recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated to this trend.

A significant portion of the funding of Financing Platform Launched by IFC, which would be offered through the new Global Food Security Platform, would assist the delivery of food stocks to nations with food instability and sustainable production of those stocks.

Additionally, long-term initiatives to strengthen the global food system’s resilience and reduce its ecological and climatic impact will be the main focus of Financing Platform This Financing Platform entails making investments to increase crop production that is more efficient, to increase access to fertilisers, to make fertiliser production and use more environmentally friendly, to decrease crop loss and food waste, to boost supply chain effectiveness, and to alleviate infrastructure bottlenecks.

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POLITICS

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com (08033025611 SMS ONLY)

Peter Obi’s Pact with Nigerians

Omameh Gabriel writes that the presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has made public his manifesto as he gears up for his electioneering campaign

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he presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who is vying against experienced politicians like All Progressives Congress’ Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and New Nigeria Peoples Party’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, last week released his manifesto by offering a new brand of transformative and purposeful leadership.

He said the overall goal of his government will be to cut cost of governance; make it more responsive, transformative, effective, less transactional, and therefore efficient.

Obi who has constantly hinted on a new style of governance of social contract with the people, titled the manifesto: Prospect of a Transformative Governance in Nigeria, which he said his leadership will be anchored on.

The policy document seems to have derived its ingredients from the Labour Party’s stance to shift from old ways of governance to a system that allows the people to be more involved in running the system and leaders more responsive and accountable to the people through effective engagements.

In the document, Obi emphasised on the country’s need for serious leadership that is imbued with competence, capacity, credibility and commitment to strike a strategic balance that allows the promotion and protection of “national interest, while meeting our ECOWAS obligations”.

He said: “We will rebuild Nigeria’s military power, promote economic growth, and enhance its technological prowess with a view to improving Nigeria’s diplomatic influence in sub-regional, regional and global affairs.

“Restoring leadership will require that we reassert proactively, Nigeria’s leadership role in African affairs through constructive engagement, peacekeeping duties, and using existing sub-regional and regional forums as well as

Obi

bilateral platforms for dialogue on current and emerging challenges. We will continue to enhance our sphere of influence via peacekeeping, and trade and investment initiatives.

On resource control, Obi said his government will ensure that in moving Nigeria forward, no state or community will be left behind.

“Pursuant to its statutory responsibility to protect, our Government will promote equity in power and resource sharing. The federating units will enjoy discernible autonomy. Resources will also be shared equitably. A higher derivation paid to oil or solid minerals producing states will not be tantamount to other states not receiving federal allocations that should keep them viable.

We must transcend the rhetoric that bedevils a robust debate on some of these national questions.

“We will respect the principles of

federal character, affirmative action and gender balance; but no longer at the expense of merit”.

On security, the presidential flagbearer promised reform that will tweak the security architecture, entail reform of the security sector and governance. He said this will be made easier by integrating the activities of the National Intelligence and Security Agencies by establishing a central reporting intelligence loop under the authority of the Minister of National & Homeland Security According to him: “We will Restructure, Reequip and Reorient the Nigerian Police: This will include three level policing- Federal, state and community.

“We will build a Compact, Robust and Ready Mobile Police Force with Rapid Response Deployment capabilities; and Legislate the Establishment of State Police based on Community policing. We will raise the population to police officer ratio to a higher level.

“A properly manned, equipped and technologically driven security system with particular emphasis on re-focusing the military on external threats and border protection and police on internal security threats and law enforcement; swift prosecution of criminals, bandits and terrorists; enhanced coordination among security agencies; and upholding the rule of law.

“Integrate the activities of the National Intelligence and Security Agencies by establishing a Central Reporting Intelligence loop under the authority the Minister of National & Homeland Security.

“Establish a National Command and Control Coordination Center for the efficient management of actionable intelligence, resource allocation and force deployment. Membership should consist of representatives of all security agencies on a need to know basis.

“The oil theft is not petty pilfering. It is organized crime by a syndicate that involves a certain degree of sophisticated intelligence and

logistical arrangement. We must admit that oil theft is happening because there is domestic and external collusion. The government and the people have the collective responsibility to protect national assets. On my watch those responsibilities will be accorded high priority.

“Foreign and National Security policy initiatives, might in the long term entail rebuilding, repositioning and sustaining ECOMOG, as the arrowhead of a West African Security partnership. This is to counter terrorist threats and international subversion of the sovereignty of the West African region of which Nigeria must re-establish her place as a regional power.

On direct foreign investment and the pressure on naira, employment and corruption, he said alternative measure like Diaspora Remittances will be key to explore ways of cushioning the forex demands by mainstreaming those components of Diaspora remittances that remain opaque and informal.

“We are challenged by high youth unemployment, which stands at 33.3%; 54% for the youth; and 20 million out-of-school-children. We must give this country back to the Nigerian youths.

Half of our 200 million people are below the age of 30.

“Harnessing our national youth strength and demographic dividends intelligently, must start with curbing the high youth unemployment and creating funding access to enable our youths become entrepreneurs and drivers of our Small and Medium Scale enterprises (SMEs).

“We will have zero tolerance for corruption; block leakages and cut the cost of governance.

Our total commitment to transparency and accountability in government business is the only credible way to achieve limited to zero corruption.

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

Soludo Implements Disruptive Change in Anambra Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, promised disruptive change upon assumption of office, part of which is a new tax regime recently introduced, reports David-Chyddy Eleke.

I

n September, 2022, commercial activities were disrupted for two days, after commercial tricycle and mini bus operators staged a two- day protest over what they called the imposition of harsh taxes on them.

For two days, commercial activities were almost crippled, especially for those who depended on public transport to move to their places of business.

The Soludo-led government had announced the new taxes for commercial motorists, including tricycles and mini busses, which have almost become the major form of intracity transport.

While tricycle operators would pay N15,000 monthly, mini bus operators are to pay N18,000.

The operators had protested that despite the amount, there were still being extorted by touts in various parks, who Soludo had earlier proscribed.

The matter seemed to have however been settled by the explanation of the state government to the operators that no Kobo was expected from them to touts as all monies will be paid electronically to the state government.

The state deputy governor, Dr Onyekachi Ibezim, who spoke to the striking operators said the new tax regime was fair, compared to the over N1,000 paid daily to touts who accounted to no one.

He urged them to remain law abiding, and the matter seemed settled as activities have been going on.

Just as the uproar generated by the new taxes on tricycle and mini bus operators was dying down, the state government has released yet another bombshell on a new tax regime for refuse disposable.

The Managing Director of Anambra State

Soludo

Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA), Mike Ozoemena, while featuring on a radio program, “Anambra Tax Matters” made the disclosure.

The new tax regime for disposing of refuse, which became effective on 1st October 2022 was a long list of amounts for varying kinds of residential, commercial buildings, companies and many others.

Ozoemena used the opportunity availed by the program to give reasons for the new rate by the government and said with the new rate, government will have enough money to clear every street in Anambra of refuse.

Some of the rates which were calculated annually included: “For residential buildings in the rural, the rate for a duplex is N12,000,

semi-urban N18, 000 and N24, 000 for the urban. Detached bungalows in rural areas; N6,000, N9000 is for the semi-urban and N12, 000 for the urban. Flat (2-3 bedrooms) will pay N3, 600 for rural, N5, 400 for semi-urban and N7, 200 for urban. 1-bedroom in the rural is N2,400, semi-urban N3,600 and N4, 800 for urban. 1-room in rural areas will pay N1, 200, N1,800 for semi-urban and N2,400 for urban.”

Other rates include: “Central Bank in Rural LGAs, the rate is N600,000, semi-urban is N900,000 while urban is N1, 200,000. Commercial banks; N240,000 for rural, N360,000 for semi-urban, N480,000 for the urban.

Micro-Finance Banks will pay N60, 000 for rural, N90, 000 for semi-urban, N120, 000 for the urban, while Bureau de change will pay annual fee of N60,000 for rural, N90, 000 for semi-urban, N120,000 for urban. Insurance companies and others will pay N60,000 for rural, N90,000 for semi-urban, N120, 000 for urban.”

For hotels, he said: “Going forward, hotels with 200 rooms and above will pay N480,000 for rural, N720, 000 for semi-urban, N960, 000 for urban. Hotels with 100-199 rooms will pay N300,000 for rural, N450, 000 for semi-urban and N600, 000 for urban. Those with 50-99 rooms will pay N240, 000 for rural, N360, 000 for semi-urban and N480, 000 for urban. Hotels with 40-49 rooms will pay N180, 000 for rural, N270, 000 for semi-urban and N360, 000 for urban, yearly, while hotels with 30-39 rooms will pay N160, 000 for rural, N240, 000 for semi-urban and N320, 000 for urban LGAs. Others with 20-29 rooms will pay N144,000 for rural, N216 for semi-urban and N288 for urban. Those with 10-19 rooms will pay N120, 000 for rural, N180, 000 for semi-urban and N240,000 for urban. Hotels

with 1-9 rooms will pay N60, 000 for rural, N90, 000 for semi-urban and N120,000 for urban while Video rental stores will pay N3, 600 for rural, N5, 400 for semi-urban and N7, 200 for urban.”

The managing director continued with a long list of what other categories of buildings, companies and establishments will pay.

He explained that more waste collection trucks will be procured and the trucks fueled for the work, noting that waste bins will also be purchased and placed at strategic locations across the state for effective waste collection and management.

According to him: “The new rate is a little increase on the amount households were paying the State government, as the new rate is classified according to local governments which could be Rural, Semi-Urban and Urban.”

The categorization of the local governments were done as follows; Awka South, Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Aguata, Nnewi North, Idemili North and Ogbaru were grouped as urban local government areas, Whe semi-urban local governments are; Njikoka, Idemili-South, Ihiala, Awka iNorth, Oyi, Orumba North, Orumba South, Anaocha, Nnewi South, Dunukofia, and Anambra East, while Rural local governments are; Ayamelum, Anambra West and Ekwusigo.

This move has, however, not gone down well with most residents of the state. While some said the prices are too high, others insisted that government was only good at enumerating houses for collection of levies, but their refuse collection trucks will never visit such areas.

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

TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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16 T H I S D AY TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2022 TR

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& RE A S O

Tuesday October 10, 2022 Vol 27. No 10045

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opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

BATTLE FOR BAUCHI’S GOVERNMENT HOUSE ZAINAB SULEIMAN OKINO urges the Bauchi State APC to put its house in order

See page 17

NUPRC AND OML 46 REVOCATION OLABODE SOWUNMI argues that NUPRC acted within its powers

See page 17

EDITORIAL

TAMPERING WITH THE CBN ACT

See page 18

1

The list is a mixed bag of those truly deserving of the awards while some others are questionable, contends PAUL NWABUIKWU

NATIONAL AWARDS: THE GREAT, THE CONNECTED AND THE INVENTED At some point today, before or after you read this piece, hundreds of big men and women – and a sprinkling of ordinary people - will gather at an event in Abuja to be rewarded for their services to the nation – real, imagined or invented.

The occasion is, of course, the National Awards 2022 at the State House where President Muhammadu Buhari will confer the country’s preeminent honours on 437 persons, including seven foreigners.

The publication of the list of awardees has attracted some criticism by some civil society groups who say that it contains too many politicians and political aides at the expense of many deserving Nigerians who are making D GLͿHUHQFH LQ PDQ\ FULWLFDO VSDFHV outside the headlines.

There is some substance to the criticism. The list is full of persons who are just popular for being popular or who have demonstrated a talent for hanging around the corridors of power for long periods. To be fair, Buhari is not WKH ÀUVW SUHVLGHQW WR VKRZ D SUHIHUHQFH for the usual suspects in selecting the awardees. His predecessors didn’t do much better. Besides, this is not just %XKDUL·V ÀQDO EXW LI PHPRU\ VHUYHV PH ULJKW LW LV DOVR WKH ÀUVW 1DWLRQDO Awards event under his watch. So the temptation to do last minute favours to some “patriots” whose contributions to national progress are only known to a few privileged residents of the Villa is quite understandable.

Besides, there’s the bureaucracytinged history of the awards. The tradition, for what it’s worth, is that the nation’s top politicians, judges, civil servants and other pillars of the rickety establishment should be included among the recipients. But of course, presidents have some room for maneuver. For instance, Buhari, like Obasanjo, is not famous for generosity towards his enemies. So it is not surprising that former Senate President Bukola Saraki, will not be among those whose citations will be read to loud applause today.

But let’s not be cynical. There are also highly deserving persons among the recipients whose inclusion has attracted widespread approval and quite a IHZ FKHHUV GXH WR WKHLU VLJQLÀFDQW personal accomplishments, well known contributions – or both.

Among them are two remarkable ZRPHQ 7KH ÀUVW LV 'U 1JR]L 2NRQMR Iweala, two-time Minister of Finance; WKH ÀUVW IHPDOH 0LQLVWHU RI )RUHLJQ

$ͿDLUV IRUPHU 0DQDJLQJ 'LUHFWRU of the World Bank; former Chair of Gavi, the Global Vaccine Alliance and FXUUHQWO\ WKH ÀUVW ZRPDQ DQG $IULFDQ WR EH HOHFWHG 'LUHFWRU *HQHUDO RI WKH :RUOG 7UDGH 2UJDQL]DWLRQ :72 Okonjo-Iweala was the head of the Obasanjo Economic Team which achieved a historic debt deal, implemented comprehensive and impactful economic reforms, ended the decades-long brain drain and left the economy in such good shape that Nigeria got through the 2008 global recession better than many western countries. Those reforms and the additional ones she led under Jonathan remain the sturdy foundation of any VHULRXV HͿRUWV WR JURZ DQG VWUHQJWKHQ the country’s economy. At the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala has continued her winning run. Barely a year after she resumed duties, her team broke the over two decades-long deadlock and ÀQDOO\ DFKLHYHG D KLJKO\ FULWLFDO JOREDO DJUHHPHQW RQ ÀVKHULHV ² LQ DGGLWLRQ WR other accomplishments.

Also awarded a GCON is a member of that high achieving Economic Team: Hajiya Amina Mohammed, former Environment Minister and twice elected 'HSXW\ 6HFUHWDU\ *HQHUDO RI WKH 8QLWHG Nations, the highest-ranking Nigerian in the history of the global body. She is VWURQJ SLOODU RI WKH 81 V\VWHP ZKR KDV earned the respect of stakeholders – and goodwill for Nigeria.

This year’s National Awards is DQRWKHU RSSRUWXQLW\ WR UHÁHFW RQ WKH precarious health of patriotism in the land. Outside the privileged circles of people in government, relatives of people in government, government contractors, friends of government and those who speak for government, patriotism and its associated virtues are QRW HDV\ WR ÀQG ,W LV QR H[DJJHUDWLRQ WR say that patriotism has become a dirty, hated word in Nigeria. George Orwell once said that the distance between the ordinary Englishman and elitist poets had become so wide that the word poetry “would disperse a crowd TXLFNHU WKDQ D ÀUHKRVHµ ,Q 1LJHULD today, the public attitude to patriotism is arguably worse. Anyone making a case for patriotism – love of your country and the desire to defend it, according to the Oxford dictionary – is liable to be mocked for unmitigated foolishness.

And yet, despite the nation’s many failures which is inspiring many Nigerians to seek refuge in foreign lands and ethnic nationalism, patriotism continues to beat in some exceptional

hearts.

Victor Moses is one. The son of a pastor, his parents lost their lives during one of the many religious riots in Kaduna. They must have died especially gruesome deaths, given the VDYDJHU\ WKDW GHÀQHV VXFK LQFLGHQWV Heartbroken and disoriented, he found KLPVHOI LQ WKH 8. RQ DV\OXP VRPH NLQG relatives having paid his way. He ended up with a foster family in South London.

His soccer talent was discovered and he bloomed, making quick progress at the national level.

After playing for England at the under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, Victor did something that will never make sense to millions of Nigerians; he chose the Super Eagles over English national team. He made his debut in 2012 and for six years, Moses, known for his passionate, hard tackling style, was one of the most important members of the team.

The story of the courageous humanity of Imam Abdullahi Abubakar who VDYHG ÁHHLQJ &KULVWLDQV IURP certain death during an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on a village in Plateau State in June 2018 is also well known. He hid the women in his house and the men in the local mosque and despite the threat of injury or worse, he refused to give them up. At a ceremony RUJDQLVHG E\ WKH 86 HPEDVV\ LQ KLV honour, Imam Abubakar explained his motivation in simple, profound words: “God created human beings and made WKHP LQWR GLͿHUHQW WULEHV GLͿHUHQW FRORXUV GLͿHUHQW VKDSHV DQG SXW XV together in the same place so that we can co-exist with one another”.

There are many other such stories around the country, incredible tales of ordinary Nigerians who risked so much and in some cases, like Joseph Blankson, a young father of two in Rivers State who drowned on his 13th attempt after UHVFXLQJ SHUVRQV VDFULÀFHG WKHLU lives for other Nigerians.

What inspired these persons to give so much and risk so much with no expectation of reward? Beyond physical courage, I suspect that their conception RI 1LJHULD VLPSO\ ÁLHV KLJK DERYH WKH many things wrong with the country, yet reaches down to honour the profound accident of geography, commerce and politics left behind by Frederick Lugard and other Nigerians with whom they share the messy inheritance.

Nwabuikwu is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board

T H I S D AY

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2022

ZAINAB SULEIMAN OKINO urges the Bauchi State APC to put its house in order

OLABODE SOWUNMI argues that NUPRC acted within its powers

BATTLE FOR BAUCHI’S GOVERNMENT HOUSE

NUPRC AND OML 46 REVOCATION

As the race for the 2023 general elections formally began last week, the need to scrutinise candidates jostling for various positions has become more important for political parties and gladiators.

At this stage of the electoral process, the least you would expect from a candidate or party is to be found on the wrong side of the law, the Electoral Act and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines that is.

But in Bauchi State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be walking a tight rope and undermining itself wittingly or inadvertently, going by the allegation of faulty documentation of its candidate, Air Marshal Sadique

Abubakar Baba (rtd).

Again, the last person you would expect to run afoul of the law is a top notch, well-decorated retired general of the Nigerian Airforce, whose glorious career was crowned with the highest honour in his profession as the Air Marshal; having also served as the Chief RI $LU 6WDͿ IURP -XO\ WR -DQXDU\ 26, 2021 before veering into the murky waters of politics. He got elected as the candidate of the ruling party for next year’s election in May this year.

7KHUHIRUH ZKHQ LQIRUPDWLRQ ÀOWHUHG in that the Air Marshal’s documents ÀOHG WR ,1(& LQ ZKDW LV FDOOHG IRUP EC-9 were either not adequate, the issue got tongues wagging. Form EC-9 is an ,1(& GRFXPHQW WR EH ÀOOHG E\ WKRVH ZLVKLQJ WR VWDQG IRU DQ\ HOHFWLYH R΀FH it contains personal particulars such as age, nationality, sex, address, educational TXDOLÀFDWLRQ HWF As simple as providing this basic credential is, it could be a banana peel IRU DQ\RQH DVSLULQJ IRU R΀FH LI ZURQJO\ done. The opposition, the media and CSOs are always out searching for loopholes in their claims to sanitise the electoral process.

That is why in this era of deep politics, any serious candidate desirous of winning clean would have to come to equity with clean hands. While I hope this will not be the case with the DPLDEOH H[ &KLHI RI $LU VWDͿ LW GRHV QRW look like he has done due diligence with regard to his earned academic laurels, otherwise what does it take to collect and VXEPLW FLWL]HQVKLS IRUP ELUWK FHUWLÀFDWH (or declaration of age), primary and VHFRQGDU\ VFKRRO FHUWLÀFDWHV LI KH FRXOG VXEPLW ÀUVW DQG VHFRQG GHJUHH

FHUWLÀFDWHV" Coming under further scrutiny, the retired Air Marshal was accused of not providing information about his citizenship. In a petition to INEC by a civil society organization, the group said: “As part of our scrutiny of FDQGLGDWHV DVSLULQJ IRU SROLWLFDO R΀FH for the February 2023 election, we are currently going through submissions made by candidates to your commission as required by the law. In the course of this, we have found with concerns the submission made by the candidate of the APC for the governorship of Bauchi State, AM Ababakar Sadique Baba (rtd.)

ZKHUH KH ÀOHG LQFRPSOHWH LQIRUPDWLRQ and withheld important credentials that should be part and parcel of his form EC9.

“A cursory look at the form shows the candidate claimed that he was born in Azare. He also claimed to have attended St Paul’s Primary School and ÀQLVKHG LQ DQG JUDGXDWHG IURP GSS Bauchi in 1978. Curiously, however, the candidate did not annex documents to prove all these claims that are vital to his overall credentials”. The petitioner further stated that “persons aspiring for positions must prove that they are citizens of Nigeria beyond reasonable doubt which Mr Sadique Baba failed to do. Surprisingly, however, the very document that should prove to us the citizenship of the candidate in question was not supplied.

“Anybody reviewing the documents is also left doubtful about the primary and secondary schools the candidate claimed to have attended as there is no HYLGHQWLDO GRFXPHQW WR FRQÀUP WKDW :H YLHZ WKLV DV D ÁDJUDQW GLVUHJDUG RI WKH electoral Act and the INEC guidelines as all candidates are clearly directed to attach all credentials, they claim to possess to the EC-9 form.”

In addition to the publication of names and addresses, Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act requires “INEC to publish particulars of a nominated candidate in the constituency where he/she intends to contest the election….”. One element of the requirement is the “publication of personal particulars of candidates which should be ‘within seven days of receipt of candidates’ list’. This had since elapsed, thus validating the petition to INEC. The question now is, if he had these ‘documents’, why did he not make it public?

While it was easy for the Bauchi APC to waive the enquiry by the press aside, the larger implication is that Baba’s candidacy can be challenged on grounds of the Electoral Act and can be a subject of litigation in a competent court or tribunal if not now, possibly in future, if he secures a victory in the March governorship election. $OO WKLV PD\ VHHP IDU RͿ EXW D VPDUW legal team could upturn a legitimate victory on the basis of technical ground, which might not augur well for the gentleman and the APC. Okino chairs the Editorial Board of Blueprint

The Bayelsa Oil Company Limited (BOCL) was awarded the Atala Marginal Oil Field (OML 46) in 2003, with Hardy and CEPL subsequently farming-in in 2005 and 2012, respectively. In the 17 years before its revocation, BOCL IDLOHG WR GHYHORS WKH ÀHOG LQ OLQH ZLWK the terms of the letter of award. The controversy surrounding the revocation of the license has continued to generate controversy.

That was not the vision that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had when in 2003, his administration announced D ELG IRU VHYHUDO RLO ÀHOGV IRU VDOH WR interested indigenous owners, one of which was the OML 46, discovered by Shell in 1982.

The plan of the Obasanjo government to open the oil and gas sector was to allow indigenous participation in the exploration of the country’s natural

wasted no time getting to work. For what BOCL wasted 17 years trying to achieve, Halkin is on schedule to meet the production deadline.

Seeing the seriousness of Halkin and realising that the OML 46 is lost, BOCL and its JV partners have been petitioning the NUPRC, the Senate and the Presidency to get NUPRC to revoke the OML 46 awarded Halkin and give it to BOCL. However, the law is clear on the matter. Seventeen years after BOCL, CEPL, and Hardy failed to develop the Atala Marginal Field and bring it to full production capacity, NUPRC followed due process in revoking the license and awarding it to Halkin.

The revocation was done in line with Paragraph 25(1)(a)(ii) of the 1st Schedule to the Petroleum Act. As I said in an interview on the

resources, to help the improvement of local content development in the sector. )URP ZKHQ WKH 0DUJLQDO ÀHOG ZDV won in 2003 until when it was revoked LQ $SULO WKH ÀHOG KDG QRW EHHQ LQ production for up to 100 days. Atala-1 was shut-in in June 2018 and remained shut-in for about 650 days before the revocation.

Atala was plagued by constant disagreements between BOCL, Century Exploration and Production Limited (CEPL) and Hardy Oil Nigeria Limited (HONL) to the point that they were unable to get anything done. At a time, one of the partners, CEPL, had to write the federal government to take over the OML 46 license.

In a letter dated April 12, 2016, the Department of Petroleum Resources (now Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission), approved “the extension of Atala Marginal Field Concession” for BOCL. The license was due to expire on April 30, 2018.

When the OML 46 license was lawfully revoked by the federal government in 2020, notwithstanding having already wasted 17 years being unproductive, Bayelsa was again asked to reapply.

New bidding was done sometime in 2020, but the state government failed to apply.

In line with Nigeria’s petroleum laws, Halkin Exploration and Production Limited was duly awarded the OML 46 to operate and develop. Halkin was awarded the license on the condition that a signature bonus of millions of dollars was paid to the federal government.

Also, there was the condition that +DONLQ PXVW GHYHORS WKH ÀHOG DQG EULQJ it to full production. The company

matter, the essence of the Petroleum Industry Act is about law and order.

The industry regulator, NUPRC, must be allowed to do its work. All over the world, it is clear that if given a license and you don’t make good use of it, and there are extant laws that say it can be revoked, then it will be revoked if the need arises.

In the case of the OML 46, there were repeated warnings by the DPR 1835& WKDW WKH ÀHOG EH EURXJKW into production and all JV squabbles resolved because it stood the risk of being revoked. This warning fell on deaf JV ears, and the rest is history.

As the regulator for the upstream sector, the NUPRC must be allowed to do its job. If Nigeria wants the oil and gas industry to develop, we must all be willing to follow law and order. There is a way things work.

All democracies work with proper systems.

The question is, has NUPRC acted within its powers? The answer is yes. NUPRC has done what the law empowers it to do; it has followed due process. If Bayelsa State does not like the outcome, there are provisions in the Petroleum Act that allow DͿHFWHG SDUWLHV WR WDNH WKH PDWWHU to court and not the presidency or the National Assembly. I would also advise the BOCL to endeavour WR EULQJ WKHLU SUROLÀF RLO EORFN 23/ 240 into full production before this is also revoked and re-awarded.

Sowunmi is an oil and gas expert

18 4

T H I S D AY

TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2022

EDITORIAL

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

TAMPERING WITH THE CBN ACT The independence of the central bank is essential for economic growth and stability

I

n a re-enactment of what happened a decade ago when the National Assembly targeted the then Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Senate recently passed for second reading a bill which seeks to amend the CBN Act of 2007. The bill which is being sponsored by Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar (Kwara North) “is to enable the appointment of a person other than the Governor (of CBN) as the chairman of the Board,” according to a statement

by Mohammed Isa, Special Assistant (Media) to the Senate President. While the potential damage to the economy is obvious, the energy and enthusiasm with which the idea is being pursued by the sponsors is both unnerving and myopic.

This bill, like the failed one of 2012, seeks to “divest the (CBN) board of the powers of GHWHUPLQLQJ DQG À[LQJ salaries and allowances of its members and considering and approving the annual budget of the Bank which lie solely with the National Assembly”.

And the motive for this bill is similar to the last one: “Lending their support to the bill, Senators Yahaya $EGXOODKL 3'3 .HEEL %HWW\ $ÀDSL DQG 2UML .DOX said the bill was necessary considering the alleged involvement of CBN Governor in partisan politics during the recently concluded primary elections of political parties,” according to the senate statement.

Whatever may have been the misgivings against the alleged involvement of the current CBN Governor, *RGZLQ (PHÀHOH LQ SDUWLVDQ SROLWLFV ODZV VKRXOG never be targeted at individuals who would not be LQ R΀FH IRUHYHU 7KH 0DDVWULFKW 7UHDW\ RI ZKLFK enshrines the independent status of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the EU national central banks has in many countries become the preferred means of providing an institutional framework for monetary policy. The current president of ECB, Christine Lagarde is the chairman of the board of the bank owned by the 27- member central banks

of the EU. The United States Federal Reserve (Fed), the equivalent of our own CBN is independent and currently headed by Jerome Powell, who also chairs a seven-member board. )RUPHU 0DQDJLQJ 'LUHFWRU &(2 RI WKH 1LJHULD Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Ganiyu 2JXQOH\H ZKR KDG DOVR SUHYLRXVO\ KHOG WKH SRVLWLRQ of CBN Director of Banking Supervision, contends that the Senate should not use their power to make or amend laws to weaken critical institutions. “The OHJLVODWXUH LV HQMRLQHG WR GHSOR\ LWV HQRUPRXV RYHUVLJKW powers to ensure that the CBN is accountable in the H[HUFLVH RI LWV DXWRQRP\ ,QGHSHQGHQFH ZLWKRXW accountability is a recipe for disaster. Where there is misconduct or dereliction RI GXW\ LW LV WKH R΀FLDOV involved that should be sanctioned.

The bank should not be the villain,” VDLG 2JXQOH\H The CBN is the heart of the economy and tampering with its DXWRQRP\ FRXOG KDPSHU WKH HͿHFWLYHQHVV RI PRQHWDU\ policy and the management of the macro-economic framework. Such move is also not investor friendly as few would have faith in a central bank controlled by the bureaucracy and inertia. Besides, those who are insisting on weakening the administration of the CBN are not assisted by history. The country VDQN LQWR WKH YHU\ VZDPS RI ÀQDQFLDO VFDQGDOV DQG mismanagement during the Sani Abacha era because the CBN was brought under political control and lost its independence. :KHQ WKLV VDPH LGHD ZDV ÀUVW PRRWHG LQ WZR IRUPHU &%1 *RYHUQRUV MRLQHG WKH WKHQ LQFXPEHQW to warn against the idea. The late Mallam Adamu Ciroma and Mr. Joseph Sanusi insisted that the move to whittle down the independence of the bank and weaken its leadership was unwarranted. Across the world, there is a growing recognition that the independence of central banks is necessary for economic growth and stability. We urge the Senate to perish the idea of amending the 2007 CBN Act.

The CBN is the heart of the economy and tampering with its autonomy could hamper the effectiveness of monetary policy and the management of the macro-economic framework T H I S D AY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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

Letters to the Editor Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

LETTERS THE GRACE IN THE SYNAGOGUE $ WDOH LQ WKH FRXUVH RI D ÀHOG WULS WR /DJRV LQ $XJXVW FRPSHOOHG PH WR YLVLW WKH 6\QDJRJXH &KXUFK RI $OO 1DWLRQV 6&2$1 IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH :KLOVW LQWHUYLHZLQJ KHDOWK R΀FLDOV RQ WKH SRVW &29,' %UHDVWIHHGLQJ VLWXDWLRQ LQ (JEHGD ,GLPX $OLPRVKR local council, which was my task, a visitor to the centre narrated how two sisters, the younger one residing in the United States of America and the elder, in Nigeria, simultaneously faced strange ailments, and suddenly couldn’t walk.

The story attracted my attention. The US-based, a health worker had tried all medications for months, visited many hosSLWDOV EXW WR QR DYDLO DQG GHFLGHG WR UHWXUQ KRPH WR H[SORUH other solutions. It was at that point she opened up to the sister on her predicament. The duo got a big shock on knowing WKH\ ZHUH VXͿHULQJ IURP WKH VDPH DLOPHQW DQG XVLQJ FUXWFKHV to walk. The situation ushered in depression. Hence, relatives UHFRPPHQGHG 6&2$1 2Q WKHLU YLVLW RQ D 6XQGD\ VHUYLFH DV WKH\ FRXOGQ·W ZDON HYHQ FRXOGQ·W H[LW WKH FDU WKH ¶ZRPDQ LQ WKH 6\QDJRJXH· 3DVWRU (Mrs) Evelyn Joshua in her routine stepped out to pray for those in critical situations, always lined up outside the hall, and right there, placed a hand on the two sisters while in car and ordered

the ailments to free them immediately. As commanded, the two sisters began to walk gradually. Same records on most of the SHRSOH ZLWK GLͿHUHQW DLOPHQWV DQG FRPSOH[ SUREOHPV LQFOXGLQJ mental disorders. From testimonies, those not fully healed instantly, always return to testify of wholeness later. The curiosity compelled me to squeeze out time to interrogate the claims in the Sunday service, and behold, I was dumbfounded. The tales replicated themselves during my encounter as many were veriÀDEO\ UHOHDVHG IURP DOO PDQQHU RI D΁LFWLRQV The number of visitors from foreign countries alone including the United States, European countries, Asia, other African FRXQWULHV ZKR WURRS LQ ZHHNO\ MXVW IRU UHOLJLRXV ZRUVKLS DW 6&2$1 DOVR ED΁HG PH , SURFHHGHG IXUWKHU WR ZDWFK ¶(PPDQXHO 79· RZQHG E\ WKH FKXUFK DQG WKH PDQQHU IRUHLJQ JRYHUQments had adorned the founder, Prophet TB Joshua who passed away on 5 June, 2021 at the age of 58. It was amazing, unlike our government. But I wouldn’t blame the government as such as I too acted in a similar manner on account of awful stories created against TB Joshua’s ministry. )URP UHFRUGV 6&2$1 RYHUZKHOPLQJO\ DWWUDFWHG XQFRXQWDEOH IRUHLJQHUV ZLWK KLJK SURÀOHV EXVLQHVVPHQ LQWHUQD-

tional athletes into the country during the lifetime of the founder. And presently under the leadership of the new shepherd, 0UV -RVKXD WKH FKXUFK LV ZD[LQJ VWURQJ VXVWDLQLQJ WKH PRmentum. And interestingly, the new leader relates awesomely with the evangelists that worked faithfully, submissively with the late founder. Beyond spirituality, the ministry’s passion in social responsibility particularly helping people, communities in need both in Nigeria and outside the country is amazing.

There is a strong, boundless woman in the Synagogue. The evangelists too are also providing great consolations. If TB Joshua had operated with mystic powers as people rumored, certainly, the magic powers would have died with him.

1RZ WKH GLVDSSRLQWPHQW LV WKH URDG OHDGLQJ WR 6&2$1 IURP $SDSD 2VKRGL ([SUHVVZD\ FRQVLGHULQJ WKH YROXPH RI IRUHLJQers visiting the area weekly. The road doesn’t speak well of Lagos State and the country. No part of the state hosts visitors, dignitaries including foreigners, ambassadors weekly more than ,NRWXQ $QG PRVW RI WKHVH IRUHLJQHUV DUH ÀUVW WLPH YLVLWRUV WR 1LJHULD 8QGHQLDEO\ 6&2$1 KDV EHFRPH D WRXULVW DWWUDFWLRQ Carl Umegboro, umegborocarl@gmail.com

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

19

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

1 0 , 2 0 2 2

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

11.25%

CALL

10.25%

INDEX LEVEL

613.31%

1/4 TO DATE

-0.85%

N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

11.50%

1-MONTH

9.56%

1-DAY

0.16%

YEAR TO DATE

7.64%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10.52%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.44%

At 937,000bpd, 50% Drilling, Nigeria’s Oil Production Sinks to 30-year Low

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja There appears to be no respite for the significantly oil-dependent Nigerian economy as crude production slumped to a new low of 937,766 barrels per day in September.

It would be the first time since at least 1990 that Nigeria would be producing that low quantity of the commodity from which the country generates majority of its foreign exchange revenue.

Latest data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)

detailing production for last month , showed that the fresh drilling figure was lower than the one for August which was 972,394 barrels per day.

The information is coming days after THISDAY reported that Nigeria lost as much as $800 million in earnings that could have accrued to the federation to facilities’ shut-ins and equipment failures in August.

Nigeria is dealing with unprecedented oil theft under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, hobbling the country’s ability to meet its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota

in the last one year.

At the last Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), a Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) presentation indicated that as much as 8.14 million barrels of crude oil were lost during the month of August.

The further decrease below the 1 million bpd mark in production in September, despite months of assurances of planned improvement by the Nigerian authorities, is more than 10 per cent compared to the July 2022 production of 1.083 million barrels per day.

THISDAY’s checks showed a steady deterioration in the country’s production figures. It indicated that in June the country’s production was 1.158 million bpd; it was 1.024 million bpd in May; 1.219 million bpd in April, 1.237 million bpd in March; 1.257 million bpd in February and 1.398 million bpd in January.

The quota allocated to Nigeria by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to the country for the month of August was 1.826 million barrels per day while in September it increased to 1.830 million per day, meaning

that Nigeria under-produced to the tune of about almost 900,000 bpd last month.

This implies that Nigeria was only able to produce roughly half of its entire production quota despite a recent rash of measures to curtail the oil theft menace, which so far appears to have defied all solutions.

A few of the measures include the renewed deployment of security personnel in the Niger Delta and the real-time monitoring of activities around the pipelines by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

In addition, the national oil firm has introduced the whistle-blower strategy as well as the handing over of a N4 billion monthly surveillance contract to ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.

The federal government has variously blamed massive oil theft, vandalism of major assets, dilapidated infrastructure as well as declining upstream investment for its inability to drill more of the commodity.

Continued on page 21

ELAN: Equipment Leasing Contributes N14.3trn to Nigeria’s GDP Dike Onwuamaeze The Equipment Leasing Association of Nigeria (ELAN) has disclosed that leasing sector has contributed more than N14.3 trillion to the Nigeria’s gross domestic product in the past 10 years.

The ELAN made this disclosure recently during its 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) that saw

the election of Mrs. Ngozi Elizabeth Ehigiamusoe as the new Chairman of the association, who pledged to ensure that leasing would continue to improve its contributions to the country’s economic development.

The ELAN said: “Today, the impact of leasing is pronounced in all sectors of the economy, enhancing capital formation, generating

employment and creating wealth.

“The contribution of leasing in the past 10 years is in excess of N14.3trillion and is becoming more relevant in our prevailing economic situation, especially to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). Indeed leasing can play a major role in the actualisation of the various economic plans of

FOOD

COMMODITIES

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

NAME OF COMMODITY

RICE

100KG

ABUJA

N23,000–N25,000

SORGHUM

50KG

OYO

N22,000-N25,000

50KG

PLATEAU (JOS)

N23,500-N25,000

50KG

KWARA N24,000–N27,000

50KG

LAGOS

50KG

RIVERS N23,000–N26,500

50KG 50KG

the Government, to stimulate growth.

“Over the years, ELAN has been promoting economic and developmental growth through leasing, working with government and development partners, to provide the much-needed integral support for national economic growth.”

It added that equipment leasing globally is a creative

SIZE

PRICE

STATE

100KG JIGAWA

NAME OF COMMODITY

N9,000

C O C OA

BENUE

N8,500

100KG

KADUNA

N8,500

50KG

ENUGU

N23,000

50KG

LAGOS

N17,000

SOKOTO N11,500–N13,000

100KG

DELTA

N23,000

N17,000–N20,000

100KG

ABIA

N23,000

EDO

Its membership is made up of banks, finance houses, independent leasing companies, insurance companies, equipment vendors as well as professional firms and individuals.

Other members of the newly elected board of ELAN are the Managing Director and CEO of Frontline Trust Continued on page 21

T O D AY

PRICE

100KG

N23,000–N26,500

financing alternative that facilitates access to capital equipment to enhance the planning, improvement and development of any economy by building and supporting productive ventures.

The ELAN, which has been supporting economic development since its inception, was established in 1983, primarily to promote the business of leasing in Nigeria.

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

1 TON

ONDO

N740,000 – N760,000

1 TON

OSUN

N730,000 – N750,000

1 TON

EDO

N720,000 – N740,000

1 TON

CROSS RIVER

N700,000 – N720,000

1 TON

AKURE SOUTH, ONDO

N730,000 — N755,000

20

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS FOOD

NAME OF COMMODITY

PALM OIL

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

25CL LAGOS N20,000-N25000 25CL

PH

NAME OF COMMODITY

TOMATOES

N19,500 – 25,000

COMMODITIES SIZE

STATE

40KG BENUE

PRICE

N15,000

40KG

KADUNA

N5,000

40KG

ABIA

N18,000

25CL IBADAN N18,000-N22,000 25CL

IMO

N21,000–N24,500

25CL

EDO

N19,000–N21,000

25CL ABUJA

N19500- N25000

25KG LAGOS

N9,500

40KG DELTA

N17000

PRICE

T O D AY

NAME OF COMMODITY

SIZE

STATE

PRICE

ONIONS

100KG

IBADAN

N25,000

100KG

KANO

N10,000

100KG

BENUE

N27,000

100KG GOMBE

N12,000

100KG DELTA

N21,000

100KG LAGOS

N25,000

100KG ENUGU

N15,000

100KG

N29,000

ABIA

NAME OF COMMODITY

MAIZE

LOCATION

PRICE

100KG JIGAWA

N9000

100KG ENUGU

N24000

100KG DELTA

N15000

100KG ABIA

N14000

50KG LAGOS

N13500

SIZE

African Start-ups Defy Global Economic Slowdown, Double Funding in H1 2022 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Start-ups in Africa have recorded an exponential growth this year despite a slowdown globally and continuing to attract an increase in funding, Bloomberg has reported.

The funding for African start-ups doubled in the first half of 2022, with the continent defying all odds during the unfriendly economic period to record an increase in its funding, the report said.

Venture capital deals on the continent reached $3.5 billion in the first six months through June, more than double the amount recorded in the same period last year 2021.

The funds were raised by 300 companies, with 27 per cent of the companies led by female founders, or having at least one female founder. This compares to 25 per cent in the previous year, according to the African Venture Capital Association.

While Nigeria and other West African countries accounted for the largest share of deals by volume, East Africa recorded the strongest growth in its share of deal volume when compared to the previous year.

The increase in investment of start-ups in Africa is largely driven by the firms raising larger amounts to expand on the continent through organic means as well as acquisitions.

Kenyan-based e-commerce firm Wasoko, a start-up transforming communities across Africa by revolutionizing access to essential goods and services, raised $125 million to expand Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, and also Kenyan solar fintech M-Kopa raised $75 million to expand its operations in Ghana and Nigeria.

They raised $3.1 billion in the first half of 2022, more than what they had raised in H1’2021 and

H1’2020 combined, which amounted to $1.7 billion, setting a record in start-up investment.

Funding raised in H1 2022 saw a double increase to what was realised in H1 of 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 which were $1.2 billion, $531 million, $454 million, and $169 million respectively.

It wasn’t a surprise that Fintech start-ups in the region had continued to attract the majority of investment inflows, accounting for 89 per cent

of deals in the financial sector.

Analysts and experts have disclosed that if the current trend continues, fundraising will hit $7 billion this year, 35 per cent more than the $5.2 billion raised in 2021.

A total of $4.7 billion start-up deals were done on the continent in the period driven by a significant amount of fresh capital raised by fund managers in 2021, increasing interest in Africa’s venture ecosystem and overall larger ticket sizes.

FG Inaugurates New REA Board Chairman after Yar’Adua’s Resignation Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government has inaugurated Danlami Kurfi as the new chairman of the governing board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), replacing former Chairman of the board, Abdulazeez Yar’Adua who resigned to contest the Katsina Central Senatorial District election in 2023.

The inauguration was done by the Honourable Minister of State, Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, OFR, at the conference hall in his office in Abuja.

Jedy-Agba while urging the board members and management to work in synergy to deliver on their mandate, warned against the creation of ‘camps’ of any kind within the board or agency.

“I want to congratulate the new chairman for his appointment. He has been around public service for some time now; as a two-term former House of Representatives member, I’m optimistic that he’s the right fit for the job,” he stated.

He urged all board members to give the new chairman same cooperation they gave the former

chairman.

“I know you’re all very knowledgeable in the field of your assignments. We want

synergy among board members, between board and management.

We don’t want camps or factions in the board.

“We don’t want to hear that the board is fighting management or management is ill-treating the board. At all times, you must

be conscious of the fact that the essence of your appointment is to help government deliver on the mandate of the agency

by providing rural dwellers access to reliable, efficient and sustainable electricity, “he advised.

Energy Transition: Gas Monetisation, Ending Flares to Top Seplat’s Operations Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Seplat Energy Plc, has said that its energy transition priorities remain to end flaring, monetise gas, displace diesel and biomass with cleaner fuel and target smaller scale gas-to-power customers.

A statement from the company

noted that Roger Brown, Seplat Energy Chief Executive Officer said this while addressing global energy players at the Africa Energy Week (AOW) in Cape Town, South Africa.

“As a leader in this space, our priorities a s far as energy transition is concerned, is to end

flaring, monetise gas, displace diesel and biomass with cleaner fuel, extend along power value chain and target smaller scale gas-to-power customers, whilst exploring new opportunities.,” Brown said.

Brown delivered a keynote at the conference titled: “Energy

Security in a Consistently Shifting Energy Landscape.”

Seplat Energy, he noted, currently produces 300MMscfd, which is enough to power 1GW per day, adding that the company’s ANOH and Sapele gas projects have the capacity to fuel another 2GW by 2024.

“But we need to displace 20GW diesel generation with utility-scale gas-to-power / renewables. We will develop bottled gas products to displace biomass with cooking gas; and extend along value chain into power generation with gas and hybrid model,” Brown added.

US Accuses Russia of Exploiting Africa Resources to Fund Ukraine War Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The United States has accused Russian mercenaries of exploiting natural resources in the Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan and other parts of Africa to help fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine, a charge Russia rejected as “anti-Russian rage.”

The country’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda ThomasGreenfield, said the Wagner Group of mercenaries were exploiting natural resources and “these ill-gotten gains are used to fund Moscow’s war machine in Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine.”

“Make no mistake: people

across Africa are paying a heavy price for the Wagner Group’s exploitative practices and human rights violations,” Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting on the financing of armed groups through illicit trafficking of natural resources in Africa.

Wagner, staffed by veterans of the

Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali and other countries.

It was founded in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and started supporting pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, a Reuters report said.

But the Russian UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said he regretted that Thomas-Greenfield raised the issue of “Russian support to African partners.”

“This exposes their real plans and aims - what they really need from African countries,” said Nebenzia, without elaborating.

AEDC Ends Customer Service Week, Introduces USSD Vending Option Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

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

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has concluded its annual customer service week, with the introduction of an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) vending code.

The special week is celebrated each year by businesses around the world within the first full business week of October. The commemoration of the customer

service week is aimed at recognising the significance of good service along with those dedicated to providing it daily.

During the week-long event, the AEDC said it was entrenching a premium service culture and customer experience, and seized the opportunity to launch its staff verification platform.

In his customer service celebration message, the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, Adeoye

Fadeyibi said that the verification platform was coming as a result of several cases of impersonation which has exposed the company and customers to undue harm and mischief.

“However, with this laudable initiative, customers can verify the authenticity of staff before granting access to their premises,’’ he explained.

He further added that this year’s celebration was a remarkable one,

going by the series of activities AEDC had lined up for its esteemed customers.

The activities included visits to some community leaders by the management of the company, major customer consultative forum, donation of welfare materials at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, Kaura District, Abuja as well as appreciation awards to customers and staff to mention a few.

Commenting on the Customer

Service Week, the Chief Marketing Officer, Donald Etim noted that AEDC was resolute in ensuring more customer-centric initiatives are put in place in order to continually meet the desires and aspirations of her customers.

He added that the company recognises the power and role customers contribute to the existence of its business which covers Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi.

NEITI: Mismanagement of Extractive Resources ConstitutesViolation of Human Rights Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has said that the mismanagement of extractive revenues and other infractions in the country’s extractive sector is a violation of human rights.

Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji stated this in Abuja when he led a delegation of the NEITI board, management and a

coalition of civil society advocates in Nigeria’s extractive sector on a courtesy call to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Orji explained that the lack of transparency and accountability in the management of extractive revenues could lead to many social vices which results in the violation of the rights of the citizens.

“NEITI considers mismanagement of oil, gas and minerals resources as

a violation of human rights.

“This is manifested in terms of environmental pollution, climate injustice, violation of host communities’ rights, denial of participation in the natural resources management, inequity in benefits sharing, revenue and social infrastructure and in extreme cases, intimidation, and harassment of civil society advocates,” he said.

He called for a Memorandum

of Understanding (MoU) and the establishment of a technical committee between NEITI and the NHRC to work out modalities for the partnership.

Orji pointed out that under the Global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standard 2019, it is the duty of the government to protect the rights of its citizens, media and civil society actors that are engaging in the campaign and

advocacy for transparency and accountability in the management of our oil, gas, and mining resources. ““This commitment is part of the requirements of the 2019 EITI Standard and Civil Society Protocol which must be followed by all member countries. These rights include freedom of expression; assembly; association and access to public decisions and information in the extractive industries,” he noted.

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

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INDUSTRY

A Dark Day for Nigeria’s Quest for Industrialisation The federal government and members of the organized private sector have described the Kogi State Government’s incursion into Dangote Cement Plc as a big setback for the country’s quest for industrialization, writes Dike Onwuamaeze

L

ast week, the Kogi State Government invaded the Dangote Cement Plc’s factory in Obajana with the help of armed enforcers to seal the company over an alleged non-payment of taxes and revenues due to the state government.

But days before the invasion, the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, gave an indication that something untoward is in the offing. Bello said in a recorded video that “all efforts to sit down with the proprietor of Dangote conglomerate ... ... to realise the impending danger that the operation of Dangote in Kogi State is posing to himself, his investment, the people of Kogi State and Nigeria generally, fell on deaf ears.”

Bello claimed that the state government had received several petitions from the general public about the Dangote Cement for over five to six years now while all efforts made by the state government to sit down with the proprietor of Dangote conglomerate failed.

He said: “We set up committee to look into this matter and the report came ... And here we come to set up another technical committee to review that same particular report.

“This report was ready since September and I have gone through it. I have received a lot of accusations that I have interest; that every government that have come to this state have interest or have something to do in terms of shady deal with Dangote, especially as it concerns Obajana cement factory.

“So, ladies and gentlemen, I came into this office with my integrity and I will leave here with my integrity. As God will have it we have to now call on the committees to make their representations now because of misrepresentation of facts out there. Hence this particular report.

I am here to defend and protect the lives and livelihood” of the people of Kogi State.

However the danger the governor warned about bared its face on Wednesday, October 5, and by the time the exercise to seal the company was over, scores of trucks belonging to Dangote Cement Plc were burnt and reduced to ashes while tens of its staff that sustained injuries, some from bullet fired on them, were lying in hospitals.

On Friday, October 7, the Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Mr. Michel Puchercos, said in press statement titled “Illegal Shutdown of Dangote Cement, Obajana Plant,” said that in the process of forcefully evicting the workers to enforce the shutdown, “the vigilantes shots at 27 of our workers and also destroyed some of the company’s property at the plant.”

The statement said: “The management of Dangote Cement Plc wishes to inform members of the public, especially its customers and other stakeholders of the recent invasion of its Obajana Cement Plant, Kogi State by armed vigilantes on the orders of the state government.

“The vigilantes, led by some officials of the state government were apparently acting on a resolution of the Kogi State House of Assembly on controversial tax claims; claims that the state governor had also contradicted when he said the shutdown was due to an alleged invalid acquisition of the company by Dangote Industries Limited.”

Puchercos added that steps have been taken to get the hoodlums apprehended by the law enforcement agencies, and we will ensure that full legal action is taken against them.

“We therefore appeal to all our staff and our esteemed customers to remain calm while we explore all possible legal steps to address the situation. The welfare of our staff remains our key focus as we work hard to minimise further impact on our people and operations,” he said.

Puchercos also cleared the air about the ownership of the Dangote Cement. He said: “While we reiterate that Obajana Cement plant is 100 per

cent owned by Dangote Cement PLC, we remain resolute in transforming Africa, while creating sustainable value for our people, communities, investors and customers.”

The incursion of the Kogi State Government into the operations of the Dangote Cement Plc has attracted public condemnation from both federal government and members of the organised private sector. They heaped aspersions on the economic imbroglio created by the actions of the KGSG. The federal government stated that the imbroglio have rubbished its programme on improving the ease of doing business and attracting foreign direct investments into the country.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, told THISDAY that “you are aware that we do not like situation like this because it makes a mockery of the ease of doing business programme of the federal government.

“The view of the ministry is basically that if there is a dispute between the state government and any industry within a state that we have court of law to deal with these issues. We believe that it is very wrong for the state governments to take laws into their own hands to address such situations. The courts are there.

“I understand that there is an original agreement between the state government and Dangote Industries that called for arbitration in the event of a dispute. I believe that all these legal steps should have been taken rather than a state government taking the laws into its own hands. It does not portray Nigeria in good light for sub-nationals to be creating problems for people who have invested money in Nigeria.”

Adebayo added: “You are aware Mr. President just returned from America where he went to address the United Nations general assembly. And on the sideline of that visit to America there was a business summit that was held where Mr. President reached out to foreign investors and was inviting them to come and invest in Nigeria. These foreign investors follow the news on events that are happening in Nigeria and if they see that in Nigeria that a sub-national is treating on of our own biggest investors

within Nigeria the way that they have done to Dangote industry in Obajana it does not portend well for us as a country.

“Nobody will be interested to coming to invest in Nigeria in such situation. It is incumbent on us as Nigerians, and as government within Nigeria, especially the sub-nationals to do things in accordance with the law as opposed to just resorting to self-help in troubled times.”

In the same manner, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), has also condemned the Kogi State’s intransigent attitude. The President of the MAN, Mr. Mansur Ahmed, said that MAN viewed the news of the shutdown of the cement factory as worrisome development and with tremendous concern, adding that it is alarming that a government could take measures to shut down a plant that has been providing jobs and sustaining economic activities on a very large scale over an alleged non-payment of taxes.

Ahmed said: “You can’t use strong arm tactics to shut them down or impose very severe restrictions on their operations simply to force them. This is illegal. And I believe that what has happened will not happen in any normally manage economic environment.”

Similarly, the Director General of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Adewale Oyerinde, said that Kogi State demonstrated a bad sign to investors against the natural expectation that every state government would make its state attractive to local and foreign investors.

Oyerinde said: “The action of the Kogi state government will only send the wrong signal to investors.

“If there are issues arising from ownership of the cement plant, the most responsible thing that should have been done is to explore conciliatory or legal options rather than the gangster option that was used. That action alone portends danger to our quest for foreign direct investment as a rational investor will be concerned about the security and legal system of any clime.”

The NECA, therefore, “condemn absolutely the steps taken by the state government and hope that reason and sound judgment will prevail. We also urge that the perpetrators

of the dastardly act should be prosecuted.

Speaking in the same vein, the LCCI described the attack on the Dangote Cement plant as shocking, disappointing and a reflection of poor handling of investment protection issues in Nigeria.

The Director General of LCCI, Dr. Chinyere Almona, said that the matter could have been handled in a more decent way than resorting to violence.

Almona pointed out that the invasion of the Dangote Cement’s factory by youths that led to the shooting of factory workers is unfortunate, ill-construed, and avoidable.

She said: “We advocate a win-win situation for businesses and the government. We will, therefore, call on all parties to exercise caution and be protective of jobs, assets of production, and government revenues from corporate organisations like Dangote Cement’s factory.

“And where there are infractions, handling such should be in accordance with best practices and the rule of law that protect investors’ rights and human lives.”

The LCCI recommended a meeting of all government agencies connected with the acquisition of the cement plant to resolve any differences thereof.

It said: “We see a role for the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Nigeria Investment Protection Commission (NIPC), and the Kogi State Government in resolving this issue.”

For now, the National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. John C. Udeagbala, has sued for a truce. Udeagbala said that “shutting off the factory does not necessarily help the controversial issue of compliance on taxes remittable to the KGSG. Rather, a continual operation of the plant would more likely facilitate a faster resolution of the dispute.

“We thus suggest that the company be reopened as quickly as possible to enable it continue its operation and fulfill its necessary responsibilities, not just on tax but also keep the hundreds of thousands of Nigerians in its direct and indirect employment dutifully engaged and, furthermore, sustain its crucial services, not just to the people & government of Kogi State but Nigeria in general.”

ELAN: EQUIPMENT LEASING CONTRIBUTES N14.3TRN TO NIGERIA’S GDP Limited, Mr. Tunde Netufo, who emerged the vice chairman of ELAN; the General Manager, Corporate Banking

Group, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Adegboyega Adegun; the Managing Director/CEO of Coscharis Mobility Limited,

Mr. Christian Chigbundu.

Others are the Managing Director/CEO of C&I Leasing Plc, Mr. Ugoji Lenin Ugoji; the

Managing Director/CEO of Keves Global Leasing Limited, Mr. Ikenna Okafor; the Managing Director/CEO of

Nikky Taurus Nigeria Limited, Adenike Ibirogba; the Managing Director/CEO of Lecon Financial Services Limited,

Mr. Taiye Emagha, and the Managing Director/CEO of Aquila Leasing Limited, Mr. Nnamdi Nwankwo.

members are threatened in the production of oil,” Festus Osifo, head of the group lamented.

The NNPC has been unable to contribute a kobo to the federation account since this year, thereby crippling most dollar-related transactions in the Nigerian economy.

The scarcity of the greenback has also impacted negatively on the value of the naira, with the

local currency falling to as low as N730 in the parallel market in the last few months.

But in the last two weeks, the NNPC in collaboration with government security personnel as well as local outfits have uncovered tens of spots where Nigeria’s oil is tapped illegally and transported to the high sea in the Niger Delta.

AT 937,000BPD, 50% DRILLING, NIGERIA’S OIL PRODUCTION SINKS TO 30-YEAR LOW The Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, had recently called for the setting up of a special court to try persons found to have been complicit in the vandalism of Nigeria’s oil infrastructure.

The GCEO sought the High Court’s support towards the creation of a special court/tribunal to ensure speedy trial of crude oil thieves and

pipeline vandals, the national oil firm stated.

Kyari, who described the actions as a serious threat to Nigeria’s oil production, revenue generation and by extension energy security, observed that a special court to execute such cases will deter would-be criminals and assure investors of value for their investments.

A few weeks ago, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) threatened that oil workers will withdraw their services should the government fail to take decisive action against oil thieves. “ This is affecting literally every single operator in the Niger Delta.

They are not producing and they have shut in operations because

anytime they pump in 10,000 barrels, through the pipelines, at best, you are going to get about 1,000 barrels from the other end. “ Over 95 per cent of this crude oil pumped into the pipeline are vandalised. So because of that, majority of them have shut down production and because of that, the welfare of our members is threatened. The jobs of our

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The Peoples Democratic Party v Mai Mala Buni: Implications for the Polity

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tic a r c o m e D s e l p The Peo uni: B a l a M i a M v Party y t i l o P e h t r o f s n Implicatio A OYETOLA ADEGBOYEG

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QUOTABLES

‘…..Government alone cannot provide the resources required, for funding tertiary education. In most countries, the cost of education is jointly shared between the Government and the people, especially at a tertiary level.’ - President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR ‘It is the sense of the House of Representatives that, those engaged in crude oil theft are agents of economic sabotage determined to bring our country to its knees. Therefore, our position is that their actions constitute treason against our country…..’ - Rt. Honourable Olufemi Gbajabiamila, Lawyer, Speaker of the House of Representatives, 9th National Assembly, Federal Republic of Nigeria

LAWYER

Icon of Law, Prof Okwonkwo, SAN, Passes On Page V

NBA, Jobbman Sign Working Pact for Young Lawyers Page V

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE: EDITOR, JUDE IGBANOI: DEPUTY EDITOR, PETER TAIWO, STEVE AYA: REPORTERS

III THE ADVOCATE

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

Yahaya Bello, Jungle Justice and Other Matters

I

want to discuss three important issues which caught my attention last week - National Honours; Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State’s unlawful attack on Dangote Cement, Obajana, Kogi State - possibly one of the largest cement factories in the world, which must be roundly condemned; the health of candidates running for political office and issues arising therefrom.

Dr Ameyo Adadevoh OON I cannot but register my displeasure, after asking for several years for Dr Ameyo Adadevoh to be honoured posthumously, that all that Government thought someone who paid the ultimate price, sacrificing her own life in order to save the lives of Nigerians during the deadly Ebola virus, is Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)! Dr Adadevoh definitely deserves much more than that. President Jonathan's administration should have immediately recognised her selfless service to Nigeria in 2014, by preventing Sawyer from leaving First Consultants Medical Centre to go for a conference in Calabar, which would have meant Sawyer spreading the deadly virus to everyone who crossed his path (and a terrible multiplier effect), despite the pressure from the then Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria on Dr Adadevoh to discharge him from the hospital. President Jonathan preferred to honour his Cook and household staff, instead of Dr Adadevoh. All the same, we thank President Buhari, since half loaf is better than none!

We congratulate our Columnist, Chief Mike Ozekhome OFR, SAN (Talking Constitutional Democracy) on the conferment of the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on him, as well as his 65th birthday.

Jungle Justice & A Show of Shame: Yahaya Bello’s Unlawful Attack on Dangote Cement, Obajana I read in This Day newspaper at the weekend that the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, launched an attack on the Dangote Facility in Obajana, Kogi State.

He even went to the extent of using hunters/his private vigilante militia to break into the factory; they allegedly shot and injured some Dangote staff in the process. This invasion was based on some bizarre allegations about the ownership of Factory, and a demand for equity therein by the Kogi State Government. A week or so before this incident, with the help of the Kogi House of Assembly (KHA), Yahaya Bello had sought to shut down the Dangote Coal Mines, without a valid order from a court of competent jurisdiction. See Sections 4, 5 & 6 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution) on separation of powers - KHA is empowered to make laws, not interpret and execute them.

The Speaker of KHAclaims that the transfer of Obajana Cement to Dangote Cement, is null and void. Is it not the same KHA that unlawfully impeached the former Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, without following the process provided for in Section 188 of the Constitution, removing him from office when he was not found guilty of any gross misconduct by the Committee set up to investigate him? It is obvious that no one can place any value on KHA’s decisions, as they have no regard for the rule of law and seem to exist simply to do Governor Bello’s bidding. The Kogi State High Court declared Achuba’s removal as unconstitutional, and described KHA’s impeachment of Achuba as “legislative rascality devoid of reasoning”; the trial Judge referred to the lawmakers as lawbreakers!

One can therefore, not lend to much credence to them or their statements.

Yahaya Bello’s actions are unlawful, unintelligent and unseemly, worse still coming from a Governor. Or is this just a ruse to distract us from the fact that he is alleged to be one of the non-performing Governors?

The last time I checked, breaking and entering, forcible entry, burglary, assault (causing grievous bodily harm), assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery etc, are all criminal offences. So what, if presently, Yahaya Bello enjoys immunity from prosecution by virtue of Section 308 of the Constitution? It doesn’t change the fact that he is equally as liable as those whom he sent to physically attack Dangote Cement, not just for the criminal offences emanating therefrom, but in general and special damages, occasioned not just by the losses incurred by the Dangote Factory while it has been forcibly shut, but for the artificial scarcity of cement created by the shutdown; the machines in the factory that must never be switched, if they are damaged; and the existing contracts for the delivery of cement, which may have been breached due to the coercive shutdown, amongst other things.

Do we not have a legal system, or a proper way to ventilate grievances in Nigeria anymore? Litigation, Arbitration, Mediation, Negotiation, Discussion? Must Yahaya Bello abuse his office as a Governor, by using unlawful force? This kind of behaviour must be discouraged; the optics are unpleasant for our country.

Yahaya Bello, by this singular action, has done a great disservice to Nigeria, as his behaviour, will do nothing but discourage those who are interested in investing in this country, whether local or foreign investors. President Muhammadu Buhari recently returned from UNGA in New York, where he declared Nigeria open for investments during the various side sessions hosted

by Nigeria to attract FDI. How will any foreigner be

146(1) & (2) of the Constitution which provides for the Vice President’s take over in the case of the office of the President becoming vacant, and if there’s no Vice President, the Senate President assuming office for a period not exceeding three months during which there shall be an election for office of the President, to complete the unexpired term of the last holder of the office. Also see Section 191 of the Constitution for Governors.

I therefore, do not see too much reason for us to bother ourselves about this issue of the health of the candidates, since if they die or are incapacitated while in office, there is a seamless way for them to be replaced. President Jonathan assumed office, when President Yar’Adua unfortunately passed on. Between November 2006 and February 2007, Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dame Virgy Etiaba became the first female Governor in Nigerian history when her principal, Peter Obi, was impeached.

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive. com onikepob@yahoo.com

The

Advocate “Do we not have a legal system, or a proper way to ventilate grievances in Nigeria anymore? Litigation, Arbitration, Mediation, Negotiation, Discussion?….

Yahaya Bello by this singular action, has done a great disservice to Nigeria, as his behaviour will do nothing but discourage those who are interested in investing in this country, whether local or foreign investors” encouraged to come and sink new investments into Nigeria, if Yahaya Bello is able to mete out this kind of jungle justice on one of the largest investors in Nigeria? He should be called to order, and made to explore lawful means to ventilate his grievances, which we do not know if they are more imagined than real.

Yahaya Bello’s unfortunate action creates the impression that private investments in Nigeria are unsafe, and that Government can do whatever it likes with them, including harassing owners or trying to take over their businesses. It is a warning to other major investors, that anyone who has governmental powers can seek to strangulate their businesses anytime, even on a baseless whim!

Dangote Group is possibly the highest employer of labour in Nigeria outside Government, and millions of people, directly and indirectly, depend on Dangote Group for their source of livelihood.

If there are issues, Yahaya Bello should have approached the management of the company as is done in civilised countries, for discussions or headed to court or arbitration.

Jungle justice, especially from the Governor of a State, is absolutely unbecoming, reflects badly on the country, and gives the impression that Nigeria is an autocratic, Banana Republic, where the rule of law is non-existent. Undoubtedly, Yahaya Bello’s actions are condemnable, and certainly, anti-FDI. Health of Presidential Candidates An important factor that must be taken into consideration, is whether candidates for elective offices have regard for the rule of law, or are generally violent and lawless. If the latter is the case, they are not fit for office.

Recently, a video of the APC Presidential candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu riding an exercise bicycle made the rounds on social media. As usual, many comments about his health, for and against, accompanied the video. To be clear, Section 131 of the Constitution which sets out the qualifications for Presidency makes no mention of the physical health of a Presidential candidate, while Section 137 which provides for disqualifications thereto only refers to the mental health of a Presidential

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello

candidate - Section 137 (1)(c) provides: "under the law in any part in Nigeria, he is adjudged to be a lunatic or otherwise declared to be of unsound mind;". Even if an individual is mentally unstable and clearly appears to be so, like President Donald Trump who showed obvious signs of being serially untruthful, unreliable, narcissistic, unstable and irrational, unless he is adjudged (obviously by an accredited mental health institution, I would imagine) to be of unsound mind, he/ she will still be eligible to vie for the office of Nigerian President (or other elective positions).

The Constitution additionally, does not make any provision about the physical wellness of candidates as a pre-condition to run for office.

Therefore, candidates are not under any obligation or compulsion, legal or otherwise, to prove their physical fitness. If the public is concerned about the physical health of candidates vis-à-vis their capacity to fulfil their roles, then they must lobby through their representatives for a constitutional amendment in this regard.

We have a saying in Yoruba - "a le sò pe o ma ya, ko lò pè, a dè lo sò pe o ma pè, ko lò ya" which can be translated to mean "we can say it will be quick and it will take a long time, or we can say it will take a long time and it will be quick". To buttress this point, I will use President Umaru Yar’Adua (of blessed memory) as an example. He was fairly young - at least compared to President Obasanjo and President Buhari (second time around), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Senator Bola Tinubu; he assumed office when he was 55 years old; but, unfortunately he died at the age of 58, without even completing his first term. My point? The essence of the Yoruba saying is that, those who we may think will live long, even because of the natural order of things like a young age, may not; while those who we may think are old or sick and may not have long to live, may outlive the younger ones, with all their mental faculties intact.

Luckily, there is a clear succession process set out in the Constitution, so that in the case of the untimely death or incapacity of a sitting President, there will be no vacuum. See Section

Matters Arising What we have never really paid attention to and should be concerned about with regard to candidates however, is the Vice Presidential and Deputy Gubernatorial candidates, because of the likelihood of them assuming office, whether temporarily, in the case of their principal going on vacation, or permanently to finish the tenure of their principals, in the case of death, permanent incapacity, or removal.

Section 146(1) of the Constitution provides for the removal of the President or Vice President inter alia, in the event of either of them being permanently unable to discharge the functions of their office. It can be argued that though good physical health was not recognised as an issue for candidature by the drafters of the Constitution, let alone made a precondition for running for elective office; it is however, contemplated when a candidate assumes office as President (or Governor and Deputies), if we agree that the words “permanent incapacity” used in Section 146(1) & 191(1) of the Constitution covers the field to include physical infirmities. See also Sections 144 & 189 of the Constitution.

As a result of these provisions, we must thoroughly examine those who are selected as Vice Presidential candidates (and Deputy Gubernatorial candidates too), not just because both candidates are on a joint single ticket, with the non-qualification of a deputy being able to truncate the whole ticket - see the case of PDP & Ors v Devi-Eremienyo, Lyon, INEC & Ors SC.1/2020 judgement delivered on 13/2/2020; but also because of the likelihood that a Deputy may be called upon to step in. In fact, by virtue of Section 145 of the Constitution, if the President is going on vacation for up to 21 days, he is mandated (‘shall’), to transmit a written declaration to the Heads of the two Houses of the Legislature for the Vice President to perform his functions as Acting President (Section 190 of the Constitution, in the case of Governors). See Ugwu v Ararume 2007 12 N.W.L.R. Part 1048 Page 367 at 441-442 per Niki Tobi JSC on the word ‘shall’ being a command.

It is therefore bizarre, that the searchlight is never shone on any of Vice Presidential or Deputy Gubernatorial candidates. In the case of the States, most people do not even know the names of the Deputy Governors, aside from that of Lagos State and maybe their home States, let alone their antecedents or achievements, if any. In so many of the television interview shows that I have watched lately, the Deputies tend to be ignored. This is wrong, since there is always a fair chance that they could occupy the substantive position. If the Deputies have held elective office before, how well did they perform? If they have not, what were they doing previously, and how well did they fare therein? Presently, the Vice Presidential candidates of the ruling and main opposition party, APC and PDP for the 2023 election, are two term Governors. How did they perform in their States? Are there any troubling allegations against them, like corruption, propensity for violence or highhandedness? For example, what is the response of Senator Shettima to the allegation that an escaped suspected felon and terrorist, one Kabiru Sokoto, was said to have been found taking refuge in his abode? Nigerians deserve to hear his explanation, so that the matter can be put to rest once and for all. While we must give Senator Shettima and indeed, any other candidate who may have one cloud or the other hanging over his/her head the benefit of the doubt, unless there’s solid proof to the contrary, some of the concerns that I have heard raised about several candidates are difficult to dismiss as nonsense or irrelevant.

Conclusion We have more or less been told by campaign spokespersons of some of the candidates, that we should not ask questions about their personalities or any allegations which have been levelled against them, since they say they are unproven - that some of the questions have even become stale and tiresome (though they have largely remained unanswered), but rather focus on their plans to turn Nigeria around (capacity). It could be that, any concerns about the Deputies also fall into the same category - a ‘No Go’ Area! My dear readers, what do you think?

IV LAW REPORT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

Interpretation of Judgement Vide Originating Summons by Courts of Co-ordinate Jurisdiction Facts By an Originating Summons, the Appellant commenced the action leading to this appeal against the Respondents at the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking inter alia, an order of court directing the banks (7th and 8th Respondents) to pay to it, the money in account numbers: 0231533758 and 0720380244 respectively, in the name of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, to defray the judgement sum against the 6th Respondent herein or part thereof, as ordered in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/2129/14 between RIOK NIG. LTD. & 3 ORS. v THE INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF NIGERIA (ALGON) as a first line charge from the money to the 1st to 3rd Respondent set aside from the London/Paris Club refund, for the payment or derivation for oil producing States and Local Governments and commitments on behalf of the Local Governments. It sought in the alternative, an order for the money due to the Appellant in the judgement in the referenced suit, be transferred to the Ministry of Justice to pay the Appellant after confirmation that the project for which the judgement was obtained has been commenced by the Appellant.

In the affidavit in support of the Originating Summons, it was averred that ALGON (6th Respondent herein), had obtained a judgement of the Federal High Court in FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13 – LINAS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED & 235 ORS. v THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND & 3 ORS., wherein it was adjudged entitled to the sum of US $3,188,079,505.96. Further to the foregoing judgement, the 6th Respondent awarded to the Appellant, a contract for the drilling of boreholes in the 774 Local Governments of the Federation, on the agreement that the contract would be funded from the judgement debt obtained in FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13.

The Appellant commenced the execution of the contract, but owing to the disagreement between the Appellant and the Hon. Minister of Finance (5th Respondent), the Appellant instituted a suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, which court ordered that the Appellant be paid the total sum of US $797,019,876.49, representing 25% of the judgement sum in FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13, with a directive that the Appellant must first be paid, the sum of US $318,807,950,596 from the said fund.

Upon failure of the 3rd to 5th Respondent who had custody of the judgement sum in FHC/ABJ/ CS/130/13 to honour the directive of court above, the Appellant instituted the suit leading to the present appeal. The court in the suit held that the Appellant was entitled to priority of payment, and the order bound both parties and non-parties to the suit. The court found for the Appellant, and granted the alternative relief prayed for by the Appellant. The 1st and 2nd Respondent, as well as the 4th Respondent, appealed the decision of court. The appellate court allowed the appeal of the 1st and 2nd Respondent. The appellate court held that by the reliefs sought by the Appellant, its action is for interpretation of the judgements in Suit Nos. FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13 and FHC/HC/ CV/2129/2014. The Court of Appeal held that the whole exercise is an aberration in judicial process and a complete nullity, as the trial court lacked the jurisdiction and competence to adjudicate on the questions in the Originating Summons, as well as the reliefs sought. Dissatisfied with the decision, the Appellant has now appealed to the Supreme Court.

Issues for Determination The following issues were determined by the court: 1. Whether the Court of Appeal was not in error, when it held that the trial court (the Federal High Court) lacked the requisite jurisdiction to hear and determine the Appellant’s suit as constituted.

2. Whether from the questions for determination and reliefs sought in the Amended Originating Summons, the court below was not in grave error in its decision in reversing the judgement of the trial court, by holding that the Appellant’s case was for the interpretation of the extant judgements.

Arguments Arguing issues one and two together, counsel for the Appellant submitted that the lower court failed to scrupulously examine the questions for determination, the reliefs and affidavit evidence before abdicating its duty to determine the rights of the parties on its merits. He argued that although the court held that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit, the lower court turned around to determine issue two in the appeal, thereby unguardedly conceding that there was in the case over which the courts below can exercise jurisdiction and that

to Suit Nos. FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13 and FCT/HC/ CV/2129/2014. The Apex Court observed that the contentions above cannot be resolved without interpreting the said judgements, especially as the Respondents herein do not agree with the Appellant on the meaning and implication of the judgements. Under the guise of enforcing the said judgements, the Appellant sought to give the judgements a meaning that will ascribe to it the rights which the judgements did not contemplate, and create obligations against the Respondents that the judgements did not create.

Their Lordships held, agreeing with the decision of the Court of Appeal, that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to interpret its judgement in FHC/ ABJ/CS/130/13 and the judgement of the High court of the FCT, a court of coordinate status, in FCT/HC/CV/2129/2014. They relied on the decision in RACE AUTO SUPPLY COMPANY LTD & ORS. v ALHAJA FAOSAT AKIB (2006) 13 NWLR (Pt. 997) 333, where it was held that: “… a judgement of a court of law cannot be subjected to interpretation by a court of co-ordinate jurisdiction like a Deed, Will or an Instrument containing right and obligation of parties under Order 46 Rule 1 of the Lagos High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules”.

The Supreme Court held that a High Court has no jurisdiction to entertain and hear a suit for the determination of the meaning or implication of a judgement of the same or another High Court or court of coordinate status or concurrent jurisdiction, to secure the enforcement of the judgement one way or the other. If it admits such a case, it would inexorably review the said judgement, an exercise it has no jurisdiction to engage in.

Except actions seeking to nullify a judgement for lack of jurisdiction or fraud, a court has no jurisdiction to review its judgement or that of a court of coordinate status – SPDC (NIG.) v EDAMKUE & ORS. (2009) LPELR- 3048(SC).

Given the foregoing, the court held that the appeal failed and dismissed same accordingly.

Honourable Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 3rd day of June, 2022 Before Their Lordships Chima Centus Nweze Amina Adamu Augie Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju Ibrahim Mohammed Musa Saulawa Emmanuel Akomaye Agim Justices, Supreme Court SC.337/2018 Riok Nigeria Limited

Between

Appellant

And 1. Incorporated Trustees of Nigerian Governors’ Forum 2. The Director-General, Nigeria Governors’ Forum 3. The Federal Government of Nigeria 4. The Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice 5. The Hon. Minister of Finance 6. Incorporated Trustees of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (Also known as Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Representing all the Local Government Council and Area Councils of Nigeria) 7. Guarantee Trust Bank Plc (GTB) 8. Access Bank Plc Respondents (Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, JSC)

the trial court rightly assumed jurisdiction over it. Counsel contended, relying on Section 251(1)(q) and (r) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) that the totality of the action leading to the appeal was an invitation for the trial court to interpret the provisions of Sections 6(6)(b) and 287(3) of the Constitution, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, contrary to the position of the lower court that the action was for interpretation of judgements. The Appellant sought protection of its indisputable right acquired under the judgement, and challenged the actions of the Respondents which constituted a threat/breach of its acquired rights and abdication of the Respondents’ constitutional duties. Counsel argued further that the issue of interpretation of judgement was considered by the trial court, and same was not made a live issue at the Court of Appeal by the parties. Thus, the consideration of the issue by the lower court who raised same suo motu without inviting parties to address the court thereon,

“… a judgement of a court of law cannot be subjected to interpretation by a court of co-ordinate jurisdiction like a Deed, Will or an Instrument…..”

was out of context.

Court’s Judgement and Rationale Deciding the issues together, the Supreme Court disagreed with the position of the Appellant that there was no basis for the conclusion of the Court of Appeal that the questions raised for determination and the reliefs in the suit, invite an interpretation and enforcement of the judgements in Suit Nos. FHC/ABJ/ CS/130/13 and FCT/HC/CV/2129/2014.

The Apex Court held that the judgement of the Court of Appeal shows a consideration of the judgements referenced, the questions for determination, the reliefs claimed in the Originating Summons and paragraphs of the affidavit in support of the Originating Summons. Reproducing the questions and reliefs before the trial court, the Supreme Court held that the question posed by the Appellant, was whether the payment of the judgement sum to the several Plaintiffs in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13 as ordered in the judgement therein, without giving priority of first payment to the Appellant, is not a disobedience of the order in the judgement in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/2129/2014. Another question which arose from the questions and reliefs before the court, is whether the said judgement can be understood as affecting the rights and interests of the 1st, 2nd, 7th and 8th Respondents who were not parties

Dissenting Opinion of Hon. Chima Centus Nweze, JSC His Lordship opined that the Federal High Court is often called upon to interpret rules and statutes.

By the specific provisions in Sections 251(1)(q) and (r) of the 1999 Constitution.

The crux of the Appellant’s action at the trial Federal High Court is the interpretation and application of the provisions of the Constitution, with respect to ensuring that its claim to the 6th Respondent’s share of the London/Paris club refund, which was released to the 1st and 2nd Respondent, is given priority consideration.

Gleaning through the reliefs of the Appellant, none relates to interpretation of judgement as the decided by the Court of Appeal. The questions and reliefs of the Appellant, possess the essentials necessary to institute an action founded on an executive or administrative action or decision by the Federal Government or any of its agencies.

This is within the ambit of Section 251(1)(q) and (r) of the 1999 Constitution. The Appellant did not seek to review the judgements in Suit Nos. FHC/ ABJ/CS/130/2013 and FCT/HC/CV/2129/2014.

Originating Summons is one of the ways of commencing action in courts. An action commenced in this manner presupposes that the facts are not in dispute, and what is being asked for is interpretation of a document or law. The mere indication that an Originating Summons was brought pursuant to a named enactment, does not ipso facto raise questions on the cited enactment for the court to interpret. The Court of Appeal held that the Appellant was not a party to Suit No. FHC/AB/CS/130/13 and so, could not have acquired any legal interest under the judgement emanating therefrom. This issue formed part of the question raised by the Appellant for determination, in the Originating Summons. His Lordship opined that the determination of the question in this regard, would not require an interpretation of the judgement.

Appeal Dismissed by a Majority Decision of 4:1 Representation Chief Olusola Oke, SAN with J.M. Mathew, Esq. and Tolulope Oke, Esq. for the Appellant.

Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN with Boniface Bassey, Esq.; Akinleye Olupitan, Esq. and Kenneth Iweka, Esq. for the 1st and 2nd Respondent.

Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN with O.O. Omiyere, Esq. for the 3rd and 4th Respondent.

Dele Oye, Esq. with James Udor Ebe, Esq. and Nkem Ezebunor, Esq. for the 6th Respondent.

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)(An affiliate of Babalakin & Co.)

V NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

L-R: Mrs Carol Obi; Sir Chukwuka Ikwuazom, SAN; Mr Bode Olanipekun SAN; Ikechukwu Uwanna; David Mbelu; Innih Ikhide; Mayowa Owolabi and Ayodele Kadiri

L-R: Mr Chizor Uba-Osigwe; Dr Akinola Akintayo; Mrs Rita Adeyanju; Mr Wale Olawoyin, SAN; Mr Stanley Ubani; Mr Sesan Sobowale; Mr Fernandez Marcus-Obiene and Mr Innocent Ekpen

Prof Cyprian Okonkwo, SAN

Icon of Law, Prof Okwonkwo, SAN, Passes On One of Nigeria’s leading Law Teachers, Emeritus Professor Cyprian Okechukwu Okonkwo, SAN passed

on last Saturday, October 8, 2022. He was indeed, a great sage and a doyen of legal education in Nigeria.

Professor Joy Ezeilo, one of his former students, had this to say about Professor Okonkwo: “Okonkwo was an extraordinary teacher

and mentor. He was very cerebral and brilliant; he could deconstruct any complex legal problem, and effectively impart it

to his students. We count ourselves lucky, to have been tutored by him. We will surely miss him. He impacted this world, and

it has pleased God to call him home at this time. May his soul find perfect peace in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen”.

Stories by Steve Aya

many bottlenecks surrounding Garnishee implementation in Nigeria.

Speaking at the discussion, Mr Sesan Sobowale said that Banks are spending so much money on cases that most times has nothing to do with them. He maintained that because of the provisions in Section 83, implementation has become a huge task. He fzqurther pointed out that the fact that the Act is old and has been overtaken by time and is in there need of review, can not be over stated.

In his contribution, Mr Kemasuode Wando, SAN, said that Banks whose client accounts have been flagged red as a result of a Garnishee judgement, owe it to the customer to inform them the moment the court and the Judgment Creditor start their inquiry.

Leading a discussion session titled ‘Enforcement of Judgment’, Mr Fernandez Marcus-Obiene talked about the need to improve the entire Garnishee process, stressing that if the system and process

is fast, then it will be easy for everybody.

Some of the decisions that were agreed upon, is to lobby the National Assembly and the National Judicial Commission for a review of the Sheriffs & Civil Process Act which is more than 50 years old. They resolved that there is a need for proper Practice Directions, that will help in solving the Garnishee issue.

The roundtable discussion which was a hybrid event, was attended by Judges, senior Lawyers and their clients.

NBA, Jobbman Sign Working How to Overcome Bottlenecks in Garnishee Implementation Pact for Young Lawyers The Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association has signed a working agreement with the Nigerian job provider, Jobbman, with the aim of helping young Lawyers find jobs.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday at the Osborne Foreshore office of Wole Olanipekun & Co. by the representatives of Jobbman and NBA. Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of NBA Lagos Branch, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna, said that right from the onset of his administration they decided to take the issue of unemployment among young Lawyers seriously. “We decided to set up a Committee which we call NewWig Induction and Placement Committee under the chairmanship of Mr Bode Olanipekun, SAN, to help find job placements and make them employable; today's event is a direct result of their work. We hope Jobbman will help solve the problem”, Mr Uwanna added.

Also speaking, both Mr Bode Olanipekun, SAN and Mr Chukwuka Ikwuazom, who is also a former Chairman of NBA Lagos and a Consultant to the project, both expressed their joy on the signing the agreement, and hoped that with Jobbman on board, young Lawyers of the Branch will become more valuable in the job market.

In his response Mr David Mbelu, Head of Partnership at Jobbman expressed their joy to have NBA on board.

He explained that the job module the young Lawyers will be exposed to, is what some big organisations like First Bank are currently using for both new and old staff. He urged young Lawyers to take this opportunity seriously, as this is a life changing experience that they are being presented with.

The Chairman of NBA Lagos Committee on Continuous Legal Education, Mr Mayowa Owolabi, expressed his joy on the course outline of Jobbman, and urged all young Lawyers in the Branch to, as much as possible, key into the project.

Speaking on behalf of young Lawyers, Ayodele Ashiata Kadiri, who is the Chairman, Young Lawyers Forum, NBA Lagos, thanked the Mr Uwanna, Mr Bode Olanipekun, SAN, Mr Ikwuazom, SAN, and Jobbman for the demonstration of love towards young Lawyers which was openly displayed with the signing of the agreement, and promised the support, co-operation and participation of all young Lawyers.

The event was witnessed by Mrs Carol Obi,NBA Lagos Treasurer, Mr Innih Ikhide, Head, Youth Engagement and Learning, Jobbman, amongst others.

Discussants at a roundtable conference organised to tackle the problems facing the implementation of Garnishee judgements, have all agreed that Section 83 of the Sheriffs & Civil Process Act needs to be reviewed.

The roundtable discussion which was organised by the Justice in Commerce Network and the Association of Banks’ Legal Advisers and Company Secretaries, was aimed at seeking solutions to the

Small Claims Court Handled 850 Cases in One Year, Lagos CJ The Small Claims’ Courts in Lagos State handled 850 cases in its first year of existence, according to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba.

Justice Alogba disclosed this on Wednesday, at a twoday training organised for State Magistrates and court officials of the Small Claims Court in Nigeria.

“A total of 850 claims were instituted across the 15 Small Claims courts in Lagos State, between May 2018 and March 2019.

“530 judgements were delivered within the period, in which 340 judgements were delivered within 60 days, 147 within 100 days, 42 judgements within 200 days and one judgement delivered after 200 days .“In other words, over 60% of the cases filed were concluded, and judgement delivered within the 60-day time frame prescribed by the Practice Directions.”

The training session was tagged “Peer-to-Peer Learning Session on Training for Magistrates and Court Officials of the Small Claims Court”. It was organised by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, (PEBEC) in conjunction with the Lagos State

Judiciary, and it is aimed at creating an avenue for States who have not had Small Claims courts, to learn on how to establish and operate it.

Justice Alogba also commended the Small Claims courts for fast-tracking justice delivery in commercial disputes, and further disclosed that more Small Claims courts would be created soon.

“I have been reliably informed of the need for the creation of a Small Claims court, because of the very low dockets in some of the Magisterial districts.”

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the President on

Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, commended the Chief Judge for making available representatives of the Lagos State Small Claims Court to share learning and experiences with their counterparts from other States.

Oduwole said that PEBEC was established by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2016, to oversee Nigeria’s business climate reform agenda. According to her, over 160 reforms, which include the Judiciary’s establishment of Small Claims courts in seven States so far, had been implemented by PEBEC over the last six years. She said the rationale

behind the courts arose from the need to urgently address the speed of adjudication, particularly financial claims, and to reduce cases from the dockets of the High Courts over a simple commercial dispute.

Small Claims courts in Lagos State were established in April, 2018 with 15 courts spread across seven Magisterial Districts of Lagos Island, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Yaba, Epe, Badgry and Apapa.

“Due to the volume of cases filed in this Division of the Magistrate Courts, the courts were increased to 18 in July 2020 and presently, there are 19 Small Claims courts in Lagos State.

PHOTO NEWS

Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba (front row 4th from left) flanked

by Hon. Justice Hakeem Olatunde Oshodi and Hon. Justice Taibat Olutoyin Oyekan-Abdullahi and other Lagos State High Court Judges, at the Jumat Service which held at the Lagos Central Mosque on September 23, 2022, to commemorate the beginning of the 2022/2023 Legal Year

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

Right to Strike s stated in the International Labour Review, Vol. 137 (1998) No. 4, the principles of the Committee on Freedom of Association and of the Committee of Experts concerning the right to strike have been set forth. This right has been affirmed in the 1957 “Resolution Concerning the Abolition of Anti-Trade Union Legislation in the States Members of the International Labour Organisation” and the 1970 “Resolution concerning Trade Union Rights and Their Relation to Civil Liberties”, as well as in numerous Resolutions of the ILO’s regional conferences and industrial committees, and by other international bodies The right to strike constitutes a fundamental right of workers and of their organisations, in so far as it is utilised as a means of defending their economic interests. The right to strike is a legitimate means of defending their economic and social interests.

The right to strike is one of the essential means, through which workers and their organisations may promote and defend their economic and social interests.

Thus, a strike action was embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on 14th February, 2022, and the Federal Government (FGN) has been unable to resolve the issues amicably. The Minister, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, acting further to the powers conferred on him by Section 17 of the Trade Disputes Act, Cap T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), forwarded to the National Industrial Court for its determination, a Referral Instrument in respect of the Trade Dispute between FGN and ASUU.

A

Litigation This was followed by Federal Government of Nigeria & Minister of Education v Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Suit No: NICN/ABJ/270/2022 (FGN v ASUU), wherein FGN had sought several reliefs and requested for an accelerated hearing/determination of the case.

Subsequently, FGN filed a Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction, brought pursuant to Section 69(a)&(b) and Section 254C(1)(C) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended); Section 7(1)(b) of the National Industrial Court Act, 2006; Order 17 Rule (1), (13) and Order 22 Rule 1(1) of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2017. Subsequent to the above, the Applicants filed a Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction, brought pursuant to Section 69(a) and (b) and Section 254C(1)(C) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended); Section 7(1)(b) of the National Industrial Court Act, 2006; Order 17 Rule (1), (13) and Order 22 Rule 1(1) of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2017. By the said application, the Applicants sought an Interlocutory Injunction restraining the Respondent and their agents, privies and agents from continuing with the indefinite strike action pending the determination of the suit/referral to the court.

On Wednesday, 21st September, 2022, Honourable Justice P.I. Hamman, of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), holden at Abuja, in FGN v ASUU, issued an Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining ASUU and their agents or privies from taking further steps in doing any act or otherwise continuing with the indefinite strike or any strike action pending the hearing and determination of the referral to the court. The NICN held that Section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act prohibits a worker from taking part in a strike in connection to a trade dispute, where the dispute has subsequently been referred to the NICN under Section 14(1) or 17 of the Act. The NICN construed the word “shall” used in the referenced provision, to mean that: “Section 18(1)(e) of the Trade Disputes Act connotes a mandatory obligation or duty on the part of employers and employees not to declare or partake in any strike when a dispute has been referred to the court, and where such lock-out or strike is ongoing at the time of the Referral, it shall cease or abate pending the determination of the suit.”.

Interpretation of the Relevant Constitutional Provisions & Judicial Decisions The NICN was originally established in 1976 pursuant to the Trade Disputes Decree No. 7, which later became the Trade Disputes Act (TDA) (Chapter 423) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) of 1990.

Currently, Section 254C of the 1999 Constitution vests jurisdiction on the NICN. However, the NICN has exercised its jurisdiction to apply international labour standards and best practices, as well as the

Prof Emmanuel Osodeke

Olumide Obayemi

FGN v ASUU: In the Context of International Labour Standards, Best Practices, Relevant Treaties, Protocols and Conventions This article by Olumide Obayemi uses Section 254C(2) of the 1999 Constitution to critique the decision in FGN v ASUU Suit No: NICN/ ABJ/270/2022, especially in the context of International Labour Standards, Best Practices, Relevant Treaties, Protocols and Conventions relevant treaties, protocols and conventions when deciding on labour, employment and trade disputes. Prior to the 2010 Third Alteration Act, Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution requires that treaties between Nigeria and other countries must be ratified and re-enacted by the National Assembly to have force of law, that is, to be ‘domesticated’ in Nigeria. Currently, Section 254C(2) of the 1999 Constitution legally empowers the NICN to exercise jurisdiction on matters relating to the application of any international conventions, treaties or protocols relating to labour and employment that have been ratified by Nigeria, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Constitution.

The effect of Section 254C(2) of the 1999 Constitution is that in matters relating to labour and employment, the domestication requirement is expunged and no longer applies. All that is required for any such treaty, convention or protocol to have legal effect in Nigeria, is for Nigeria to have ratified it. Therefore, the NICN has relied on Section 254C(2) jurisdiction to apply the provisions of treaties, conventions and protocols relating to labour and employment, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO) jurisprudence that has developed from such instruments. Nigerian Lawyers like Uzoma Azikiwe and Festus Onyia have argued that the NICN has jurisdiction in matters relating to unfair labour practices or international best practices in labour, employment and industrial relations or international labour standards.

In Maduka v Microsoft Nigeria, 19 December 2013, Case No. NICN/

“Based on Section 254C(2) of the 1999 Constitution, NICN’s September 21, 2022 decision in the FGN v ASUU case, is erroneous in substantive law”

LA/492/2012, the NICN applied the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, that have been ratified in Nigeria, in deciding that the applicant’s rights against discrimination had been violated.

Further, in Duru v Skye Bank and Aloysius v Diamond Bank (2015) 59 N.L.L.R (Pt. 207) 680, the NICN also relied on the ILO’s Termination of Employment Convention of 1982 to decide that employment must not be terminated unless there is a valid reason connected to the employee’s capacity or conduct, or based on the operational requirements of the undertaking, establishment or service.

The need to base termination of employment on a valid reason is the global position on employment relationship, and therefore, the current international labour standard and best practice. While the Convention has not been ratified by Nigeria, the NICN relied on its Section 254C(2) jurisdiction in relation to international best practices in labour, employment and industrial relation matters and application or interpretation of international labour standards pursuant to Section 254C(1) (f)&(h) of the 1999 Constitution as the basis to apply the Convention. The NICN rejected the harsh common law position that allows an employer to terminate employment for good, bad or even for no reasons at all.

Also, in Aero Contractors Co. of Nigeria v National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, 4 February, 2014, Case No. NICN/LA/120/2013, the NICN arrived at its decision by noting that Nigeria has ratified the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention 1948 and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Conventions 1949 and that it had the jurisdiction to apply those Conventions, including the jurisprudence that the ILO has developed around them.

Thus, the NICN relied on the publications of the ILO’s Committee of Experts. The NICN arrived at the decision, despite the fact that essential services as defined in

Section 48 of the TDA includes services for maintenance of aerodromes or in connection therewith.

Non-Application of International Best Practices by NICN Let us see how international best practices should have applied in FGN v ASUU. The September 21, 2022 Order failed to note that a general prohibition of strikes can only be justified in the event of an acute national emergency and for a limited period of time, as was held in ILO Case No 2426 (Burundi) - Complaint date: 16-MAY-05 and ILO Case No 3001 (Bolivia (Plurinational State of)) - Complaint date: 22-NOV-12. Justice Hamman did not state any acute national emergency, and did not provide for a limited period of time for his Order prohibiting ASUU strike..

Also, international best practices require that responsibility for suspending a strike on the grounds of national security or public health should not lie with the Government, but with an independent body which has the confidence of all parties concerned. ILO Case No 1865 (Republic of Korea) - Complaint date: 14-DEC95 Justice Hamman should have composed an independent body with the confidence of ASUU and FGN. The right to strike can be restricted or even prohibited in the public service or in essential services only where a strike (i) could cause serious hardship to the national community and (ii) provided that the limitations are accompanied by certain compensatory guarantees. ILO Case No 2838 (Greece) - Complaint date: 10-FEB11. However, Justice Hamman’s order and the limitations on ASUU’s striking rights are not accompanied by certain compensatory guarantees.

Conclusion Based on Section 254C(2) of the 1999 Constitution, NICN’s September 21, 2022 decision in the FGN v ASUU case, is erroneous in substantive law.

Olumide K. Obayemi Ph.D, Senior Lecturer, Commercial & Industrial Law Department, University of Lagos

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

Emerging Trends in International Arbitration: Post-Pandemic Consequences This article by Tolu Aderemi discusses the emerging trends and opportunities in International Arbitration, including the increase in third-party funding in arbitral proceedings, and the various types of disputes that are on the rise after the Covid-19 pandemic Introduction nternational commercial arbitration has taken on a new lease of life, since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Stable access to raw materials and reliable transportation, have become lingering challenges. The ensuing supply chain volatility has caused a myriad of unforeseen operational and financial difficulties, leading to an increase in complex international commercial disputes due to contractual non-performance; often described as an “Act of God”. Three of the hardest hit sectors are Energy, Maritime and Life Sciences. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) recorded a 240% increase in the value of disputes (cases) registered between January and October 2021 to US$184 million, compared with US$54.1 million the previous year.

Though the situation might seem grim, there are some admittedly positive consequences – for arbitration parties and practitioners – that attend such a spike in international commercial disputes. 90% of respondents in a 2021 White and Case International Arbitration Survey, still favour arbitration for resolving commercial disputes, due to innate features of neutrality, flexibility, confidentiality, and multi-jurisdictional enforceability – in line with the tenets of the New York Convention. This paper will discuss those emerging trends and opportunities in their post-pandemic context.

I

Trends and Opportunities Third Party Funding Third-Party Funding (TPF) was originally conceptualised to support corporate entities in accessing justice in the courts, where costs may have otherwise been prohibitive. Costs are an important feature of arbitral proceedings. These include arbitrator's fees, fees for expert witnesses, cost of venue, and other miscellaneous costs. Prohibitive arbitration costs, have worked to deny parties access to justice. This where TPF comes in.

TPF has attained popularity in international arbitration in recent years. It allows an aggrieved party with limited means, to seek investment from third parties. These third parties provide funding to prosecute an arbitration party’s claim, and in exchange, take all or a part of the award granted. Noiana Marigo puts it this way “What is key is that today, with third-party funding, companies struggling with the prolonged effects of the pandemic can still bring arbitration claims without impacting their liquidity”. However, some argue that TPF erodes a core feature of arbitration, as a private and secret method of resolving dispute. Claimants are often required to disclose the record of proceedings to the investor.

With the boom in international commercial arbitration, TPF seems here to stay, and ought to be considered as a viable funding mechanism in appropriate cases. In Tenke Fungurume Mining S.A. v Katanga Contracting Services, the English Court expressed judicial acceptance of TPF, albeit limiting the extent of information that may be divulged. The Court also rejected the proposition that the arbitral tribunal had exceeded its powers,

by awarding the Claimant the costs that it had incurred in obtaining funding.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) In the energy and construction sectors, many companies are striving for net zero and plan, over the coming years, to implement ambitious global energy transition programs.

Shareholders’ growing environmental, social and governance (ESG) expectations of their companies, and the implementation of broader climate change goals, are expected to lead to an increase in ESG-related disputes being referred to arbitration. ESG clauses are novel, complex, and largely untested; factors that are likely to spur disputes about how they should be interpreted and applied. By design these disputes will mostly be determined by arbitration.

Investor-State Claims Investor-State claims have risen in recent times. These are claims brought by investors against a sovereign state, for breach of international investment protection agreements. In the wake of the pandemic there was a need to innovate and develop critical drugs and vaccines. Under normal circumstances, these drugs would be protected as the developer’s intellectual property (IP).

However, the magnitude of the pandemic’s impact on global public health institutions, led to mass private and public sector advocacy

“TPF has attained popularity in international arbitration in recent years. It allows an aggrieved party with limited means, to seek investment from third parties. These third parties provide funding to prosecute an arbitration party’s claim, and in exchange, take all or a part of the award granted”

to expand access to lifesaving vaccine IP in the public interest.

The PharmTech 2021 report notes that since October 2020, developing countries like India and South Africa have spearheaded a proposal for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to adopt a formal waiver of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of IP Rights (TRIPS Agreement) for Covid19-related vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

If a waiver of the TRIPS Agreement is adopted, governments could potentially legitimately deny IP protection to certain Covid-19 products, resulting in their mass production without any compensation to the original developer. This would have massive consequences for the expected return on investment of life sciences companies developing these products.

Government emergency measures adopted during the pandemic are also likely to lead to an increase in the number of Covid-19-related investor-State disputes.

Proceedings have already been commenced in the air travel sector, including those against Chile’s alleged failure to provide relief to an airport’s concession; Moldova’s claimed use of Covid-19 as justification for terminating a concession; and Cabo Verde’s nationalisation of an airline. Legal proceedings have also been threatened in relation to energy reforms prompted by Covid-19 and pension fund withdrawal measures.

Merger and Acquisition Disputes Earnout disputes are frequently resolved through international arbitration, and such disputes are anticipated to increase due to increased market volatility since the pandemic. Earn-out arrangements bridge the gap between diverging valuations of the target company by the buyer and the seller at the time of closing. In addition to the upfront purchase price, the seller of a business receives further pay-outs if and when the target company achieves certain agreed performance targets by closing time.

2021 recorded a high number of merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions. However, many of those transactions have been stalled in one way or another during the pandemic.

In some cases, the target companies have

sought specific performance of the M&A agreement.

Consequently, there is an increased use of earn-out clauses. However, earn-out arrangements frequently result in disputes over valuation issues and the often-ambiguous causes of underperformance.

Pre-closing covenants constitute another high risk area. These covenants seek to protect the buyer against damage to the business of the target company between signing and closing, by requiring the target to operate ‘in the ordinary course of business’. Many measures taken by governments to fight COVID-19 outbreaks led to temporary closure of operations, impacting regulatory compliance and lowering profitability of the target company. Buyers could seek to avoid completion of transactions by relying on these pre-closing covenants, especially given the reduced appetite for investment caused by the pandemic.

Renewable Energy Disputes Renewable energy is still in its relatively nascent stages. Institutional approaches are therefore, required to develop and implement stable policy frameworks for a just and inclusive energy transition process. These approaches will span across deployment, integration and other structural changes. At each of these stages’ disputes are bound to arise, and arbitration is expected to play a key role in resolving them.

Conclusion If there was ever any doubt, it can no longer be the case: arbitration boasts a greenfield of opportunity for all stakeholders. Sectoral expertise is now in demand, to facilitate expert adjudication of arbitration disputes likely to arise in the contexts highlighted above, to name but only a few. Arbitration institutions must urgently consider developing international collaboration with skilled, sector-focused entities for mutual knowledge exchange programmes.

One area to watch, will be the confidentiality principles for resolving disputes in this new world order. There will always remain a need to balance commercial expediency in facilitating knowledge-exchange, with the rights and protections of the parties.

Tolu Aderemi CIArb (UK), Partner, Perchstone & Graeys LP; Chairman, Arbitration Committee of the International Law Association (ILA)

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

COVER

Osun State Governor and APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola

The Peoples Democratic Party v Mai Mala Buni: Implications for the Polity The recent judgement of the Federal High Court in PDP v Mai Mala Buni, in which the candidature of Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and his Deputy for the 2023 Gubernatorial election was nullified, on the ground that Governor Buni was ineligible to sponsor them as acting Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), being a sitting Governor who is prohibited from holding these two positions concurrently. It seems that sometime in 2021, Festus Keyamo, SAN, had privately warned the Party, APC, about what could be the dangers of allowing the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni remain as the Acting Chairman of the Party. The judgement has raised quite a number of concerns, especially the far-reaching implications for other Parties, and consequently, the larger Nigerian polity.

What lessons are there for other political parties? Is there any respite for the beleaguered ruling APC? Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN dissects the landmark precedent- setting judgement, and teases out the issues and the implications for the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party and the nation Introduction n the 30th of September, 2022, the Federal High Court sitting at Abuja in the case of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) v Buni, voided the candidature of His Excellency, Governor Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and his Deputy, both of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in respect of the Osun State Governorship election which held on the 16th of July, 2022.

In order to put the judgement in proper perspective, it is important to point out from the onset that the suit pre-dated the recent Governorship election held in Osun State and is therefore, a preelection matter as far as the election in question is concerned. It is also important to point out that, the suit predated the

O

election petition that arose from the actual conduct of the Osun State Governorship election itself. That election petition arising from the actual conduct of the Governorship election in Osun State on 16th July, 2022, is still pending before the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

We shall refrain from commenting on the impact this judgement is likely to have on the ongoing Election Petition, because it will be inappropriate to do so since the Petition is still pending before the Tribunal. Suffice it to say for now that, like two intersecting circles, it is inevitable that the extant judgement under review is bound at some point, to intersect with the Election Petition, and produce some legal consequences which we would

“Political parties in the current dispensation (especially the PDP and APC), behave as if they are above the law….. How else can one describe the attitude of APC who paid deaf ears to both subtle and loud warnings sounded by the Supreme Court in Jegede v INEC, about the undesirability of keeping Governor Buni as its National Chairman”

rather not delve into currently because of the reasons adduced hereinbefore.

validly sponsored by the APC because of the above stated anomalies.

The Facts of the Case In PDP v Buni, the PDP contended that the process leading to the sponsorship of Governor Oyetola and his Deputy by the APC was unconstitutional, and therefore, fundamentally defective, in that INEC FORM EC9B together with the letter by which APC, their Political Party, forwarded their names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were null void and of no effect. The PDP predicated its case on the ground that His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni, a serving Governor of Yobe State, cannot sign FORM EC9B and the sponsorship letter of Governor Oyetola and his Deputy, as the Acting Chairman of the APC. In other words, it was the contention of the PDP that Governor Mai Mala Buni who is a serving Governor of Yobe State, cannot simultaneously operate in the capacity of a Chief Executive of APC, having regard to the Provisions of Sections 1 (1), 177 (c) and 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was further contended that Governor Oyetola and his Deputy were not lawful candidates, and were not

The Decision Of the Court Basically, the Court declared null and void the process leading to the Sponsorship of Governor Oyetola and his Deputy as fundamentally defective, and as a result, INEC FORM EC9B containing their names together with the letter of sponsorship which APC purportedly sponsored or communicated its sponsorship of their candidature to INEC were null and void.

The Court further declared that Governor Mai Mala Buni who is a serving Governor of Yobe State cannot simultaneously operate in the capacity of Chief Executive of APC. Having declared the process leading to the purported sponsorship of Governor Oyetola and his Deputy as being incurably defective, the Court came to the inevitable conclusion Governor Oyetola and his Deputy were not lawful candidates at the election slated for the 16th of July, 2022.

APC’s Narrow Escape in Jegede v INEC In the earlier case of Jegede v INEC (2021) LPELR-55481(SC), APC had a narrow escape when the Supreme Court in a split decision of (four Justices in favour to three justices against) dismissed the Election Petition filed by Eyitayo Jegede,

IX COVER The Peoples Democratic Party v Mai Mala Buni: Implications for the Polity TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

SAN, the PDP candidate, on two technical grounds. Firstly the Supreme Court held that the issue of Governor Mai Mala Buni acting as National Chairman of the APC cannot be raised in an Election Petition. Consequently, the Election Petition Tribunal lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain it. Secondly the Supreme further held that, since Governor Buni was not joined as a party to the Petition, the issue whether he violated the Nigerian Constitution by acting as the Chairman of APC while being the sitting governor of Yobe State cannot be decided in his absence. The Supreme Court rationalised the issue in the following words: So, the contention that Governor Mai Mala Buni as Governor of Yobe State has violated Section 183 of the Constitution by holding the office of acting National Chairman of the 2nd Respondent is a very serious one with grave consequences for him, and no doubt, for the 2nd respondent as well. The judicial determination of that issue here would involve the enforcement of the Constitution against him, and would certainly affect him personally as I have shown above. It would be unfair to him to try that issue in his absence, without joining him as a party to the petition. The fair trial of such issue in his absence without joining him as a party, is impossible.

There is no need to stress the point that he is a necessary party to the case, because the issue upon which the Appellants have predicated their case, namely, the invalidity of Mai Mala Buni's signature in Exhibit P21 and the invalidity of the said exhibit itself cannot be fairly, effectually and conclusively determined without joining him as a party to the case.

JEGEDE v INEC: An Unheeded Warning Signal from the Supreme Court To any discerning legal mind, Jegede v INEC was a very subtle alarm sounded by the Supreme Court, because it was clear from the Court’s judgement that the issue of whether a sitting Governor can simultaneously perform the role of a Chief Executive of a political party was not decided by the Court on the merit. Instead, the Court skirted around its boundaries and rested its judgement on two technical pillars. If the alarm sounded by the majority decision was subtle, the one sounded by the minority decision was so loud that even the deaf could hear it. The minority tackled the issue head on. Salauwa JSC put it bluntly, when he stated as follows: “What's more, by the combined effect of the provisions of Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (Supra) and Article 17(iv) of the 2nd Respondent (Exhibit P. 22), it is rather uncontroversial that the law was all out to fight the hydra-headed monster known as corruption, by banning serving Governors from messing up themselves by holding other executive offices or engaging in paid employment”.

As if that was not enough the learned Justice of the Supreme further stated as follows: “Equally, recall Nero Claudius Caesar (properly pronounced Kaiser

Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni

36-68AD) isacclaimed to be one of Rome’s most infamous emperors.

He ruled from 54 AD until his death by suicide 14 years later. He is notorious for his debaucheries, political murders, persecution of Christians and a passion for music, thereby probably leading to the apocryphal rumour that "Nero fiddled while Rome burned during the great fire of 64 AD".

Hence, in my considered opinion, the Governor's attitudinal disposition in running the affairs of the 2nd Respondent in Abuja at the expense of his primary duties of governing Yobe State (notoriously known to be a foremost epicentre of the ravaging Boko Haram insurgency, banditry et al), could aptly be likened to the legendary: [A]pocryphal rumour that Nero fiddled while Rome burned to ashes during the great fire of 64 AD. I rest my case. I say no more. A word is enough for the wise!!!”

Reaction of APC to Jegede’s Supreme Court Judgement and Consequences The question which arises at this juncture is: did the APC heed the alarm and the warnings sounded by the Supreme Court in Jegede’s case?

From the subsequent events that culminated in the recent judgement in the case of PDP v Buni, we cannot but answer this question in the negative.

An excursion to the history of political parties in Nigeria from the pre-independence era to postindependence and up to the current dispensation, will reveal that political parties in Nigeria behave like the Bourbon kings whose attitude was described by Talleyrand as having “learned nothing and forgotten nothing”. Political parties in the current dispensation (especially the

“The APC not only kept the sitting Governor as its National Chairman, but also permitted him to preside over Governorship party primaries in Osun State. Unless the APC succeeds in upturning the judgement on appeal, the implication would be that the APC had no Governorship candidate at the last Governorship election that took place in Osun State”

Chief Ferdinand Orbih, SAN

PDP and APC), behave as if they are above the law.

Impunity reigns supreme in them, and their officials behave as if they are demigods. How else can one describe the attitude of APC who paid deaf ears to both subtle and loud warnings sounded by the Supreme Court in Jegede v INEC, about the undesirability of keeping Governor Buni as its National Chairman.

The APC not only kept the sitting Governor as its National Chairman, but also permitted him to preside over Governorship party primaries in Osun State. Unless the APC succeeds in upturning the judgement on appeal, the implication would be that the APC had no Governorship candidate at the last Governorship election that took place in Osun State.

We shall say no more on this for now.

Judicial Activism and Legislative Intervention in the Affairs of Political Parties The courts of this country have since the Supreme Court decision in ONUOHA v OKAFOR, and so many other decisions decided upon its principles, always been wary of getting to make decisions for political parties. In fact, the courts have remained restrained in deciding matters that are within the exclusive domain of political parties, such as choice of candidates to contest political offices.

In the face of persistent abuse of this legal principle by political parties with the resultant oppression of its members, judicial activism coupled with legislative interventions have since watered down the principle of nonintervention of courts in the internal affairs of political parties to a considerable extent. The first significant intervention came in 2010 when the Legislature famously injected a Section into the Electoral Act to the effect that, a political party desirous of changing or substituting its candidate at an election must give a cogent and verifiable reason for doing so. But for the innovation brought about by that intervention, the PDP would have got away with the substitution of Omehia with Amaechi as its candidate for the 2010 Gubernatorial election in Rivers State, and there would never had been an Amaechi governorship.

Despite the aforesaid provisions in the 2010 Electoral Act, political parties persisted in arbitrarily changing and substituting candidates at election.

This has led to a new provision in the Electoral Act that a political will

not be permitted to substitute or change its candidate, unless the person originally nominated dies or withdraws in writing from the race. This new provision is now hanging like the proverbial sword of Damocles over the heads of some prominent Senators, who the APC tried to use to substitute those who emerged the party’s candidates for next year’s Senatorial elections. This was after those Senators had contested, and lost the Presidential Primaries of the APC. The Way Out for Political Parties Political parties must take to heart the admonitions of Gumel,JCA that: “Where the appropriate jurisdictions of the courts have been invoked, the courts will not shy away from deciding that political parties must avoid arbitrariness, impunity and illegality, and must obey their Constitutions. See UZODINMA v IZUNASO (No.2) (2011) 17 NWLR (Pt.1275) 30. This exhortation of the Supreme Court in UZODINMA v IZUNASO (supra) remains eternally relevant, because there is a golden thread in the fabric that represents the Constitution of a political party in a democracy anchored on the well understood principles of rule of law.

This fabric wraps around it to give it shape, life, warmth, succour and security etc., and even in the worst of darkness, this thread shines like a million stars".

Political parties must imbibe the principles of internal democracy in the way and manner they run their political parties, and adhere strictly with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, their party’s Constitution, the Electoral Act, INEC Guidelines and indeed, their own Guidelines.

Conclusion History never repeats itself; but, as the saying goes, those who refuse to learn lessons taught by history are condemned to repeat it. The APC, PDP and indeed, virtually all Nigerian political parties are classic examples of this cliché.

The courts declared for good reasons, that the APC had no candidates for the 2019 Governorship election in Zamfara State. Similarly, the courts also declared (also for good reasons) that the APC had no candidates for all the seats in the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate as well as the Governorship election in Rivers State at the 2019 general election.

The courts must continue to tell Politicians who manage the country’s political parties, in a very loud and clear voice (as was done in PDP v BUNU) that they are not above the law, and that there are consequences for bad behaviour.

Chief Ferdinand Oshioke Orbih, SAN, FCArb, KSG

X

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

TALKING CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY DR. MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN

0809 889 8888 SMS ONLY

A Country Undermines the Judiciary at its Peril (Part 2)

that, under the Constitution, the NJC - and not the State Government - possessed such powers to remove him. The attempt by the then Governor of Kwara State (Dr Bukola Saraki) and the State House of Assembly to remove the State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeeb. This was condemned in very strong words by the Supreme Court, which declared her removal unconstitutional and also affirmed the decisions of the trial Court and the Court of Appeal. The court re-asserted that, by virtue of the Constitution, State Governors and State Houses of Assembly cannot exercise disciplinary control touching the removal of State Chief Judges or other State Judicial officers, except the NJC.

Introduction The Judiciary, as the saying goes, is the last hope of the common man and woman. This claim is predicated upon its pre-eminent role, in protecting the rights of every individual or organisation against violation by the strong in the society. The role lies at the heart of every judicial institution in the world, hence, constitutes the justification for its existence.

The Nigerian Judiciary, whether at the Federal or State level, has ever since it came into existence, struggled very hard to assert its independence so as to perform this duty.

For the realisation of an ideal Judiciary, the Judiciary should not be burdened by some extraneous factors that nibble at its independence, or assault its integrity.

Factors that Lead to Disobedience to Court Orders Some of the factors that contribute to disobedience to court orders as found out by SPIDEL in its August 2022 Annual Conference, include, but not limited to, abuse of discretionary powers by various courts; lack of judicial integrity and lack of judicial independence. Disregard for the rule of law by the Executive; weak machinery for enforcement of court orders; and also the giving of unenforceable orders were also found to enhance disobedience to court orders. There is no doubt that the welfare of Judges must be paramount in justice delivery, as this helps in combatting corruption in the Judiciary.

Although the enforcement of court orders is essentially an administrative function of the Sheriff section of our courts, the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act 2004, presents a formidable obstacle to the enforcement of court orders and judgements. The reason is the requirement of the consent of the Attorneys-General of the Federation and States, prior to enforcement of judgements. This confusion and dilemma are further exacerbated by the spate of conflicting decisions of trial and appellate courts, on the interpretation of Section 84 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act (S & CPA).

Litigants therefore, are confronted with bare judgements that they cannot enforce.

All their labour goes in vain.

The critical issue that also arises from Section 84 of the S & CPA, is whether the Central Bank of Nigeria is a “public officer” in the interpretation of the said Section 84. Can an inanimate institution become a human being that occupies an office as a public servant?

Not only are judgement enforcement units of our various courts confronted with serial cases of fraud, abuse of office and corruption, the introduction of the Single Treasury Account (STA) has virtually crippled enforcement of court orders. Judgement creditors, are not able to effectively and promptly attach properties or monies belonging to judgement debtors through garnishee proceedings.

Added to this quagmire, is the very slow pace with which appellate courts decide cases bordering on execution of judgements brought before them. Similarly, the courts have themselves not been quite firm in using the weapon of contempt proceedings to enforce their judgements.

The requirement for an application to the Commissioner of Police prior to enforcement of a judgement, creates a fresh avenue for extortion. Many Police officers and court workers are known to tip off judgement debtors to hide their monies and properties, or rush to court with interlocutory applications to frustrate execution.

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola

Some Instances of Attacks on the Judiciary When the office of Chief Justice Muhammadu Uwais was burgled in 2005, few could have imagined what lay in store for his brother Justices of the Apex Court and the Court of Appeal some years later, in October 2016. On that infamous day, the homes of no less than seven Justices of both courts, including the Federal High Court, were savagely attacked and raided by armed hooded agents of the State (the SSS and the EFCC), on the ostensible ground of looking for evidence of official corruption and economic crimes.

In 2019, less than three years later, this brazen and unprecedented assault was re-enacted when the then Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen (Rtd), was first suspended by President Buhari on the strength of a phoney ex-parte order made by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, after which he was charged before the same Tribunal for what was widely perceived to be spurious, premeditated and trumped-up charges. He was subsequently forced into premature retirement from his exalted position as CJN, and promptly replaced by the government’s preference.

The Hon. Justice Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court was similarly indicted and charged to court by the EFCC for corruption, and was only reprieved by the Court of Appeal on the ground that, as a serving judicial officer, he enjoyed immunity from all infractions, except crimes allegedly committed by him outside the scope of his official duties and functions. The court held that he (and other judicial officers) could only be prosecuted for official corruption by law enforcement agencies, if they had first been stripped of “the toga of judicial immunity” by the body constitutionally charged with exercising disciplinary control over them – the National Judicial Council.

See HON. JUSTICE H. A. NGANJIWA

“The aphorism, “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”, is seldom more apposite than in the subservient relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary in Nigeria - with the latter being the Piper, of course”

v FRN (2017) LPELR-43391 (CA).

Another infamous and even more egregious attack on the Judiciary was reportedly perpetrated by thugs led by a former Governor-elect of Ekiti State, in September 2014. The presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Adeyeye Ogunyemi, was reportedly physically assaulted and brutalised in the attack. This followed a similar attack a week earlier, on another Judge in the State, Hon. Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, by persons reportedly led by thugs loyal to the same Governor-elect.

That judicial officer was reportedly so traumatised, that he was forced to flee the State for dear life.

Armageddon appeared to have been finally unleashed when on Friday, 29th October, 2021, the official residence of the now honourably retired Supreme Court Justice, Justice Mary Ukaego Odili, JSC (Rtd), was brutally attacked by some armed faceless men believed to be security agents in a gestapo-like manner. It was believed their mission was to either kill or maim the amiable Justice, under the thin guise of executing a search warrant at an obviously wrong address, even when the situs of the supposed search was clearly stated on the Magistrate Court-endorsed search warrant. There was nothing similar between No 9, Imo Crescent which was endorsed on the search warrant, and No 7, Imo River Street, Maitama (Justice Odili's residence). It was clear that this was a mission foiled by many Nigerians (including my humble self) who rushed to the scene, and frontally confronted the hoodlums.

Non-Violent Interference With the Judiciary Instances of less direct targeting of the Judiciary, outstrip the few direct attacks narrated above. While less physically and psychologically traumatising, they are, nonetheless, not the least acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed, in many ways, they are often worse, because being invidious, they are usually hidden from public view, unlike the others which were conducted in the full glare of cameras. They include the following: The removal, in 2004, of the Oyo State Chief Judge, Hon Justice Isaiah Olakanmi, by the State’s Executive, in spite of a letter from the National Judicial Council (NJC) advising the Government against it, and insisting

Disobedience to Court Orders Instances of disobedience to court orders by the Executive aside those earlier highlighted, are legion. The following are some of them: The refusal by the Federal Government, in 2004, to comply with the order of the Supreme Court to release statutory financial allocations due to Local Government Councils in Lagos State, which President Olusegun Obasanjo had withheld on the ground that the State Government allegedly unconstitutionally created additional local councils and intended to fund these new councils from funds solely meant for the pre-existing councils.

The then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also disobeyed a court order to reinstate the Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chris Ngige, whom the court had ruled in May, 2005, was illegally removed from office.

Other institutions (such as the Independent National Electoral Commission), have also serially disobeyed court orders. INEC has historically flouted judicial orders to withdraw certificates of return by which it endorsed the election of particular candidates; preferring to look the other way.

In August 2005, the then Chief of Naval Staff (who was appointed by the President and served at his pleasure), was adjudged to be in contempt of court for failing to obey orders to release an impounded shipping vessel.

Interference by the Executive through Non-Funding of the Judiciary The aphorism, “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”, is seldom more apposite than in the subservient relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary in Nigeria - with the latter being the Piper, of course. This historically skewed relationship has resulted in High Court Chief Judges, as well as the Chief Justices of Nigeria, the Presidents of the Court of Appeal and those of the National Industrial Court having to go cap-in-hand, literally crawling before State Governors and the President, for funding for everything. This ranges from recurrent expenditure (salaries, allowances, and running costs) to capital projects. This situation is hardly ideal, as its implications are all-too grave for everyone to see. This ugly situation persists despite numerous court orders (and even a Presidential Executive Order), which conferred financial autonomy on at least, the Federal Judiciary. (To be concluded next week).

Serious and Trivial “Both Lion and Shark are professional hunters, BUT: A Lion cannot hunt in the ocean, and a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle. That a Lion cannot hunt in the ocean doesn’t make him useless, and that a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle doesn’t make him useless. Both have their own territory, where they can do well.

If a rose smells better than tomatoes, it doesn’t mean the rose can make a better stew. Don’t try to compare yourself to others. You also have your own strength, look for it and build on it.”

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law, and that means we have to have an independent Judiciary, Judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing”.

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NEWS

ABIODUN MEETS TRANSPORT UNIONS...

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun (centre) after his interactive session with leaders of transport unions in the state held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta on Sunday

Gbajabiamila: ASUU Strike to Be Over in Matter of Days There's light at end of the tunnel, says union president

Udora Orizu in Abuja The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday expressed optimism that the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff union of Universities (ASUU) would be called off in a matter of days.

Gbajabiamila made this known after a meeting with the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke and other top officials of ASUU. Gbajabiamila said President Muhammadu Buhari would make a declaration on the, "No Work No Pay," issue, which had been a significant area of contention in the prolonged industrial dispute today.

He said besides this, the other issues had been taken care of with the federal government and ASUU shifting grounds on their positions.

The Speaker said, "This is a recap to seal the deal on what has been a long fought, long hard road for everybody both for ASUU, the students and the government. As you would recall, some weeks ago the House got involved in this crisis and we had long, tough, intense meetings with ASUU. “We had meetings with those on the government side and we are happy to report that as the result of the consultation and intervention of the House, very significant progress has been made and we are more

or less at the end of the road. Save for dotting some "I"s and crossing some "T"s.

"We agreed with ASUU and the government on certain things which we took to Mr. President. I have visited the president twice. First time we made our recommendations with the government shifting some and ASUU shifting some.

“We spoke with Mr. President.

There was one sticking issue which was the issue of no work no pay.

And the president did ask that he would suggest the recommendations and would have one more meeting which we did on Friday after the budget presentation.

"That meeting was even better

than the first one we had with him, and Mr. President had agreed to settle things. I am not going to talk about that now, and that he would disclose whatever it is Tuesday, on that one remaining issue.

“But beyond that the other several issues have been taken care of. We were able to make sure that what ASUU was asking for in terms of revitalisation, salary, that there has been significant improvement.

Revitalisation has been provided for in the budget. We made sure of that The salary structure has been looked at and there has been improvement as well, and we made sure of that.

“As you heard Mr. President say during his budget presentation. He

Dangote Group Absolves Self from Kogi Assembly Incident Urges customers, stakeholders to disregard ‘irresponsible, insane statement’ from state govt Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja The Dangote Group has absolved self from the fire incident that gutted the House of Assembly yesterday morning The company explained in a statement signed by its Head of Corporate Affairs, Tony Chiejina, copy of which was made available to journalists in Lokoja.

The statement read: "Our attention has been drawn to a circulating

press statement issued by the Kogi State Government, wherein the Dangote Group was accused of allegedly sponsoring arsonists to set the Kogi State House of Assembly on fire in the early hours of Monday, October 10, 2022.

"The statement titled, ‘Obajana: Desperation sets in as imported hoodlums burn down Kogi Assembly’, which was signed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communica-

APC, Ex-lawmaker Tackle Wike on Ban of Political Rallies in Public Schools

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Leyii Kewanee has stated that the recent Executive Order 21 signed

by Governor Nyesom Wike which restricts unapproved political rallies in the state was aimed at monopolising political power.

This was as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State has stated that despite the ban, it would soon embark on campaign in all the 23 local government areas of the state in accordance with the law.

Kewanee who is currently the governorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) said the restrictions may deprive political parties the opportunity to present good candidates to the electorates.

The former lawmaker spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, during

the unveiling of Mrs. Brassba Jack as the deputy governorship candidate of the party.

He said the upcoming 2023 general elections in the State was a very important occasion that provides opportunity to elect leaders with the capacity to provide solutions to identified challenges.

Kewanee stressed that the opportunity appears threatened by recent restrictions and regulations issued by the state government regarding political gathering on private and public facilities.

"We cannot be discouraged on this rescue mission. Nevertheless, let us place it on record that the issue of Executive Order 21 by the outgoing Nyesom Wike Administration and similar hardline postures in the past is inimical to the growth of business and employment opportunities in our dear state.

tions, Kingsley Fanwo pointedly accused our company of burning the Complex “in an attempt to possibly destroy evidence relating to the ownership tussle between the Kogi State Government and the Dangote Group over the Obajana Cement Company.

“As a socially responsible corporate entity, we totally refute this allegation and condemn this unprofessional and irresponsible attempt to smear our image before local and international investors and thus erode our brand value.

"Dangote Group would never stoop so low as to sponsor thugs to destroy any property, belonging to either government or any individual.

This runs contrary to our business

ethos and everything we stand for as a leading manufacturer with teeming customers and consumers across Nigeria and Africa.”

It added: "Our lawyers have been mandated to react appropriately to the damaging allegation from the Kogi State Government within the full extent of the law.

“We urge our stakeholders and the public to disregard such irresponsible and insane statements as we ask all our stakeholders, namely shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees, and the entire community of Obajana and Kogi State at large to remain calm while we follow the legitimate and lawful process to resolve this matter with the State Government."

appealed to ASUU to go back to class and that N470 billion total has been included in the budget.

"The issue of UTAS which was another important issue both ASUU and the office of the Accountant General and government have agreed that they will work together and the peculiarities of UTAS that is required for the payment platform IPPIS, they would sit down together and the chairman Committee on Tertiary Education would also be part of that tripartite sit down arrangement to include all those things that are required by ASUU in the IPPIS platform.”

The Speaker added: "I believe we have covered ground, covered most of the thorny issues and it is basically, what we have agreed with ASUU is basically to put everything on paper and sign off and I believe if we had met yesterday and the papers had been drawn up, ASUU, I am sure would have called of the strike today.

“But we only just met behind closed doors now and so we have to draw up the agreement as I have stated to you, and hopefully in the next couple of days, of course ASUU has to get back to its bases as well, once that is agreed, I am very hopeful and very excited about the possibility or probability the strike would be called off in a manner of days.”

On his part, Osodeke said there was, "light at the end of the tunnel" over the lingering strike.

He lauded the House for its intervention in the matter saying, if it had done so since the beginning, the strike would only have lasted days.

He said he had taken note of the areas covered, but a decision would be taken after consulting

with members of the union.

He advised that strikes should not be allowed to linger in the future, neither should it go beyond two days.

He said, "We have met briefly in the Speaker's office and looked at all the issues. He has briefed us.

We have taken note of what they have covered.

“As you know, in my union, we operate bottom-up. We don't take decisions on their behalf without having their consent. We have agreed that between now and tomorrow, we are going to get some documents signed that we can take to our members. We will do that as quickly as possible in the interest of all of us, Nigerians and the students, so that this thing can be resolved as quickly as possible.

"From what we have seen today, for the first time since this our action started, we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel, because this is the first time we are having such a thing. We hope this time around there will not be any attempt by anybody or group to create something that will also make us run into anything again. We do hope that this will be the final in the interest of our children.

"Our struggle – thank God the National Assembly are joining us – is for the educational system in Nigeria.

We want to have a university in Nigeria where we should be earning money from students all over the world and paying in hard currency as we are paying (overseas) so that our system will grow. That is why we are in this struggle. We want to have a university where the remuneration is enough to attract lecturers from all over the world, just as our people are going outside.

CIBN Appoints Morakinyo Registrar/Chief Executive The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria has appointed Akin Morakinyo as the Registrar/Chief Executive of the institute.

The appointment, which takes effect from November 1, 2022, was according to the Head, Corporate Communications, Mrs. Folake Akintayo announced at the meeting of the institute’s Governing Council held recently.

An experienced business leader and an Honorary Senior Member of the Institute, Mr. Morakinyo is to succeed Dr. Seye Awojobi, who is retiring following the completion of his tenure.

The Registrar-designate joined the services of the institute in 2012, as an Assistant Director, and through a dint of hard work and exemplary leadership, he rose through the ranks to become the Director/Group Head of Membership Services in 2019.

In this capacity, he contributed to the development and execution of the institute’s current strategic focus and in conjuction with the leadership, has upheld the sanctity and prestige of the institute’s membership.

Asides his experience at the institute, Morakinyo was an

Assistant General Manager at the United Bank for Africa, where he served as the Head of the Academy. Before venturing into banking, Morakinyo had risen to managerial roles within the telecommunications industry, where he also was in charge of staff Training and Development, Quality Assurance Management, Business Process Management, Special Projects, MIS/IS Support and Operations Development.

While congratulating him, the President/Chairman of Council, Dr. Ken Opara described the appointment as a call to service

and expressed confidence that Morakinyo would continue to discharge his duties with absolute dedication.

He was confident that the new Registrar/ Chief Executive would uphold ethics and professionalism which is the hallmark of the banking industry in performing his role.

In the same vein, he congratulated Awojobi for meritoriously serving the institute and his contribution to its further development.

Opara wished the best in his future endeavour.

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FIFTY-ONE ATIKU: VOTE FOR PDP IS VOTE TO END HUNGER, INSECURITY, UNEMPLOYMENT extended a hand of friendship to aggrieved members of the party and urged them to come back on board for the collective task of rescuing Nigeria.

The PDP vice presidential candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, acknowledged the country’s current challenges, but vouched for Atiku’s ability to fix them.

Director General of the PDP presidential campaign, Aminu Tambuwal, decried the MuslimMuslim presidential preference of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as an assault on Nigeria’s federal character principle. The Sokoto State governor accused the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, of sowing seeds of discord in the country.

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, in his own remarks, expressed confidence in PDP’s capacity for victory at the poll, saying the party would deploy technology to win the presidential election next year.

In Minna, a million-man march organised by PDP grounded activities in the Niger State capital, as party faithful engaged in a show of electoral strength. It was an apparent response to the nation-wide marches by supporters of the Labour Party

presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Atiku said when PDP handed over government to APC in 2015, it handed over the fastest growing economy, where the value of the naira to the dollar was N187. He lamented that today the exchange rate had gone to nearly N800 to the dollar.

Atiku said the affairs of Nigeria could no longer be left in the hands of the APC. He bemoaned the present situation in the country, where children no longer went to school without fear of being kidnapped by bandits.

He regretted the continued closure of public universities due to what he termed the mismanagement of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The former vice president pleaded with Nigerians to vote for PDP, saying a vote for the party would bring an end to poverty, hunger, unemployment, and other ills associated with the APC administration.

According to the PDP presidential standard-bearer, "When PDP came to power in 1999, we met Nigeria in a state of poverty, insecurity and lack of education. We lifted Nigeria from the bottom to the top. We became the biggest economy in Africa. We had peace, we had progress. Then, Nigerians said they wanted change

and they voted for change in 2015.

"What we have seen is poverty, insecurity, lack of jobs and disunity.

Our children are no longer going to school. Today, as we inaugurate the flag-off of the campaign to rescue Nigeria, to rescue Nigeria from hunger, to rescue Nigeria from poverty and bring back the unity we are lacking in this country.

"I want to appeal to all Nigerians to vote for PDP. If you vote for PDP, it will be a vote for prosperity, it will be a vote for unity, it will be a vote for your safety. So, there will be no more hunger and there will be security."

Okowa said, "I am aware and all of us know that there is a challenge in Nigeria, there is a great problem in the land and we are looking for a rescuer and PDP is coming back to rescue.

"When you want to rescue a people, particularly, in the military, because we are in a war, everything has gotten so bad; you do not go to war with a lieutenant leading, some other parties are presenting lieutenants but PDP is presenting a general.

"In the political field and governance of Nigeria, when you are talking about experience, then Atiku Abubakar is a general. We cannot allow lieutenants to lead because

BUHARI SEEKS CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS Buhari advised the women wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to resist the temptation of concentrating their campaigns solely in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He said they should take the Tinubu/ Shettima presidential campaign to every nook and cranny of the country, covering all the 774 local government areas as well as over 8,000 wards nationwide.

The president, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, stressed the need to spread the sensitisation of voters and canvass for votes for the APC candidates.

Commenting on calls for inclusion of more women in elective and appointive positions, earlier made by his wife, Aisha, the president said, "As we prepare for the 2023 general election, my administration has continued to listen to the strong voices of our women for gender justice, social inclusion, and adequate participation in the affairs of their country and in accordance with global, regional, and national conventions, agreements, protocols, and policies to which Nigeria is a signatory.

"It is in this regard that I hereby direct the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in conjunction with Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, to work closely with the Office of the First Lady in ensuring that important legislations that can be brought before the National Assembly in furtherance of entrenching constitutional change and legal change and creating a level playing field for our women were carried out assiduously."

According to Buhari, "As this launch is being hosted in Abuja, we must remember that the real war lies in far flung places away from Abuja. The task ahead lies in over 8,000 wards and 774 local governments across the country, where party faithful will have to make a case before fellow citizens on our party’s candidate, articulating the vision and the programme for the country.

"The campaign, therefore, should resist the temptation for it to be turned into an Abuja-centric activity, but establish the connection between the voting public and our presidential candidate, and for other candidates for offices throughout Nigeria, that should be the ultimate objective.

"Throughout my political journey and my tenure as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, women have remained the most loyal and supportive group in my mission for a better Nigeria despite the challenges. They should extend this same support to our presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima."

He acknowledged the contributions of the women population to

his victories at both the 2015 and 2019 presidential polls, charging them to repeat same in 2023 by ensuring the emergence of the APC candidate, Tinubu, and his running mate, Shettima, as president and vice president, respectively.

Buhari noted that women accounted for 47 per cent of votes in the 2019 elections, saying women participation would also be significant in the 2023 polls.

Earlier in her speech, the First Lady, who was also the chairman of the APCWPCC, explained that her committee had to extract assurances of more women inclusion in the next administration by signing a pact with the party's leadership ahead of the polls.

She stated, "Permit me to voice out our concerns for the progressive decline in the involvement and participation of women in elective and appointive positions at all the three tiers of government.

Our clamours and cries over the years have remained unattended to, especially, at the levels of legislative arm of government.

“For this reason, our movement has no option than to ask the party leadership to sign a pact with Nigerian women. We have no option than to sign a pact with Nigerian women that will spell out the good policies of the party towards women for documentation and follow up purposes."

Aisha Buhari assured the party that the women would begin their assignments with one thing in mind: "deliver the presidency of APC in 2023. This is attainable, because it has been done twice in 2015 and 2019."

Speaking at the event, amid shouts of "Jagaban" and "City boy" by women, Tinubu assured that if elected in 2023, Nigeria under his presidency would experience prosperity, security and break away from the shackles of poverty that had characterised the country.

While expressing his appreciation to the First Lady for kick-starting his campaign, Tinubu chastised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for misruling the country for 16 years before APC took over in 2015.

According to him, “For Aisha Buhari to get us together, to kickstart the campaign of prosperity for our country, lets give solace to those who lost their lives and those in the hospitals, that God will heal all of them. Let me say thank you to our men in uniform for the peace we have had so far, for the great news of the release of the Kaduna disaster.

“To the women gathered here today, help is here, hope is here, assurance is here, promise is here, prosperity is here, security is here, banditry has ended, hopelessness is not part of our dictionary; we are confident people, unity is here; diversity is here; prosperity is here.

Those are what we have come to promote. We, as Nigerians, are not going to give up.

“In the last eight years, it’s been a party that inherited a troublesome nation under the weight of uncertainty. It’s easy to forget the situation that we found in there.

“Our opponents spent 16 years, they have forgotten that highway is an economy, that electricity is mandatory for industrialisation.

They don't even understand the power of transmission lines and that there is a need for maintenance of it. They couldn't even make down payment on rail track. They are political party of termites. If they say they want a change of government, just tell them, we like to be polite, but shut up your mouth.

“They are in the village of lunacy.

If they think, a nation is not just built on abusive language. 16 years, of rudeness, of digging the hole of indebtedness of PDP. Never again shall they come back. Who are they? They are looters.

“Who are they? They are squanderers. Who are they? They are prisoners and looters. Go out there and tell them, a new hope is here. Tell them, you are following the man, who knows the way; tell them you are following the builder; tell them.”

In his remarks, Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, and Governor of Plateau State, Hon. Simon Lalong, charged the Women to dwell on issues and avoid character assassination, hate speech and propaganda.

"Leave that to the opposition and stay with the achievements of our party in women empowerment and also tell them that under the Presidency of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigerian women and their children will have an even better deal," Lalong stated.

Lalong lamented that women were left behind. He noted that women were a great source of strength and capacity all over the world, particularly, in Nigeria where they had demonstrated the ability to provide solutions and achieve success in all fields of endeavour.

He emphasised that the idea of women campaign, a unique expression of the APC, was not to create a parallel body for the campaigns.

He added that the group was a complementary strategy that the presidential campaign council has devised to ensure that women are fully involved throughout the campaigns.

In her remarks, the senator for Lagos Central Senatorial District and wife of the APC presidential candidate, Oluremi Tinubu, said a Tinubu-Shettima presidency would be the "best option" for Nigerian women.

Minister of Women Affairs, Tallen, called on Tinubu to allocate 40 per cent of appointments to women if he clinched the Presidency in 2023.

Former Plateau State Deputy Governor said with women occupy 40 per cent of appointive positions, the country would be set for godly leadership.

they will lead us to doom.

“We believe that PDP is the only party that is prepared to rescue this nation. After you have rescued the nation, you will also need experience to be able to restore and rebuild.

"We want a nation that is in unity, we want a nation, where people can trust each other. This is what Atiku Abubakar offers to us as a people and as Nigerians.

He is one man that is connected across this nation. One man that people are comfortable with in the six geopolitical zones of this nation.

He understands Nigeria and we know that he has the capacity and experience to unify us as a people.

“He is one man, who is willing to take the bull by the horn and not to pay lip service. He is one man, who has the capacity to tame the insecurity in this country and I believe that with his experience as Vice President, he will stir the government of this country on the right path again.

"The presidential candidate of PDP, has recognised that when we have stronger states and stronger local government that is more functional with more capacity, then, we can develop together. That is very key and he has promised to do that. He is the only one that promised that he is going to ensure that we have state police. So, I want you to come out and vote because that is the way out of this present government."

Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, urged Nigerians to spot the difference between the records of PDP and APC. Emmanuel said in 2015, when PDP handed over to APC, it handed a booming economy and a unified country, but lamented that the reverse was the case now.

According to Emmanuel, "The economy has collapsed, there is insecurity everywhere, there is hunger, there is unemployment and schools are closed."

He said PDP was Kicking off “hope for Nigerians”, adding that

the campaign would be anchored on what the major opposition party would do for Nigerians if elected in 2023.

Ayu appealed to aggrieved members of the party to forget their grievances and come on board for the sake of rescuing Nigeria.

The PDP national chairman stated, "The PDP train has started moving and we have left the station, but we are moving slowly so that those who are yet on board will join us on the train. It is important for us as leaders. Nigeria is not interested in our personal quarrels, Nigeria is waiting for us to come and rescue them from what is worrying them.

"The PDP knows what is worrying Nigerians, Nigerians are hungry, Nigerians are suffering from all sorts of sicknesses, Nigerians cannot move from one point to another without worries, Nigerians cannot sleep because of insecurity, Nigerians are getting more and more divided, Nigerians are complaining and are hoping that what we did for them in the last 16 years, we will come back and do it for them again.

"Let us all join hands together, because we have the solution.

Already, we have penned down the covenant with Nigerians, we will restore the economy to its glory. Nigerians will be happy; all young people will get jobs, the economy will grow, there will be more industries.

“Every PDP governor has performed well, therefore, when we get to power from state Houses of Assembly to the governors, the National Assembly we need all of them to support our president, who is coming to power next year to redeem Nigerians, therefore, we don't have much to say today but want to thank you all for trooping in large numbers to have faith in us and PDP will not disappoint you.”

Ayu later handed over the PDP flag to Atiku.

Tambuwal appealed to Nigerians

to vote PDP, as there was no need for any candidate, who would do on the job training. He described Atiku and Okowa as tested and experienced politicians and administrators.

Tambuwal appealed to Nigerians to vote PDP, as the APC presidential ticket was against the federal character. He accused Tinubu and Shettima of sowing seeds of discords in the country.

The Sokoto State governor said, "Today is a very historic day in the history of this country of ours as we present the most competent of all of us that are running for the presidency of this country as at today, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The ticket of Atiku/Okowa has recognised the plurality and capacity of Nigeria and has respected our character as a nation and our party is presenting forth this two great Nigerians that have the capacity, the character, and the competence to move the country forward.

"Our party is on a mission to rescue Nigeria and to restore its values and I believe the other party, their candidature is not only against the federal character but against the constitution of Nigeria, because it doesn't reflect the federal character of Nigeria. From day one, they are planning to plant a seed of discord in this country and we must not allow that to happen.

"We have a balanced ticket; we have a ticket that can rescue Nigeria through its current situation and I appeal to all of you men and women of goodwill to join this train of Atiku/Okowa to rescue, reset and restore Nigeria."

Those present at the event also included former senate presidents, David Mark, Bukola Saraki, and Anyim Pius Anyim. In attendance also were several former governors and former ministers.

Governors at the event included Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, and Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State.

But Wike and his allies, including Continued on page 53

NNPC: NIGERIA TO TAKE FINAL INVESTMENT DECISION ON $25BN GAS PIPELINE NEXT YEAR pipeline is meant to supply the fuel to Europe, with the NNPC and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines of Morocco, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the deal last month.

It traverses 13 African countries and is aimed at monetising Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources, diversify the country’s gas export routes and eliminate gas flaring across Nigeria.

The pipeline will originate from Brass Island (Nigeria) and terminate in the North of Morocco, where it will be connected to the existing Maghreb European Pipeline that originates from Algeria (via Morocco), all the way to Spain, according to the sponsors.

In an interview with Bloomberg in Abuja, Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, assured that the project was on course and remains one of the most critical for the company. “We will take a final investment decision next year,” Kyari said.

The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is also a signatory to the MoU. The project will cost $20-25 billion to build and will be constructed in phases, according to Kyari, who anticipates the first segment would take three years to finish and the others five years.

Nigeria’s gas exports are currently limited to shipments from Nigeria LNG Ltd., a joint venture between NNPC and international energy companies including Shell Plc and Eni SpA. Nigeria possesses Africa’s largest proven gas reserves at over 200 trillion cubic feet, most of which is untapped, flared or re-injected into oil wells.

While the government says it wants to monetise much more of the resource, for domestic use and export, to replace crude as the country’s key commodity, Kyari stated that quadrupling gas production in the next four years was “very realisable.”

The NNPC has also revived a longstanding proposal for a separate transcontinental gas pipeline that

would travel about 4,400 kilometres through the Sahara Desert to Algeria for onward transport to Europe.

“We have seen the opportunity to bring back every gas pipeline project that you can think of,” Kyari said, noting that “It is a matter of who needs it and who’s ready to pay for it.”

The NNPC GCEO also said that the country can add an additional 500,000 barrels a day before the end of November by reopening the Shell-operated Trans-Niger Pipeline and Forcados terminal and introducing new evacuation routes.

The NNPC hired new private security contractors in August to protect the pipelines, some of which are connected to militant leaders that once waged a war against the oil companies before accepting a government amnesty in 2009.

Recently transformed into a fully commercial venture, the NNPC is eyeing expansion in multiple areas. Kyari said he is “creating the largest upstream company in the country and potentially in Africa.”

He noted that the company was also looking to grow its presence in the power sector, both by building new gas-fuelled power plants and buying facilities put up for sale

by Nigeria’s privatisation agency.

The company will be “IPO ready” next year, according to Kyari, who added however that it will be up to the government to decide whether and when to list shares.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s dwindling crude output has forced the state-owned energy company to defer payments to some local petrol suppliers by at least three months, a separate report said.

Nigeria imports all its products, swapping most for crude with international traders including Vitol Group and TotalEnergies SE as well as domestic groups such as Sahara Group Ltd. and Oando Plc. As the nation’s oil production slumped, NNPC has asked local importers to permit payment delays of at least 90 days, according to Kyari.

The new deals created late last year involve “a longer credit period,” Kyari added.

Nigeria spent N2.7 trillion ($6.2 billion) on petrol subsidies from January to July to keep the pump price among the lowest in the world, according to NNPC data.

The NNPC’s GCEO expressed confidence that a rebound in Nigeria’s crude production will allow the company to cover its deferred payment obligations.

He noted that he expects the country to add 500,000 barrels a day to its output by the end of November, mainly by restarting activities on the Shell Plc-operated Forcados export terminal and Trans-Niger pipeline.

If that happens, “we will meet all the deliveries and still have surplus crude production for cash,” Kyari said, pointing out that “They know we can pay. Otherwise they wouldn’t supply.”

The new contracts operate alongside the original “direct sale, direct purchase” deals, under which NNPC is expected to provide crude before traders deliver the fuel.

Those local firms accepting deferred payments receive an additional premium per ton of gasoline, according to people familiar with the arrangements.

While the original deals still account for the biggest source of Nigeria’s gasoline, the new contracts represented almost a third of the deliveries in the first seven months of the year. Since December, ad hoc purchases by the state-owned firm have accounted for 13 per cent of total volumes.

NNPC imports about 1.3 million tons of gasoline per month, against which it commits about 320,000 barrels a day of crude to the swaps, according to company data.

However, Nigeria’s fuel imports were more than 50 per cent higher in both March and April.

The government has blamed the steady decline in crude production since early 2020 on massive levels of theft on the pipelines that crisscross the Niger Delta. That has shut down wells and deterred investment, it says.

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NEWS

STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT WITH ACCOUNTING STUDENTS...

L-R: President, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Mr. Alan Johnson; ICAN President, Mallam Tijjani Musa Isa; and Director for Foundation and Interdisciplinary Studies, Baze University Abuja, Prof. Emeka Ene, during a Stakeholders Engagement with Accounting Students by IFAC President ahead of the 52nd Annual Accountant’s Conference of ICAN held in Abuja…. yesterday

Muslim-Muslim: Dogara, Lawal, Others Are Impostors, Says APC Insists they’re no longer ruling party’s members Declares former speaker has lost his mind Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), has described a group led by a

former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and

other 'so-called' Christian leaders as impostors.

Dogara and Lawal had repeatedly expressed their disapproval of the decision by the All Progressives

WHO: 116 Million People in Africa LivingwithMentalHealthConditions Says COVID-19 increased depression, anxiety by 25% Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Michael Olugbode in Abuja The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that more than 116 million people were living with mental health conditions before the COVID-19 pandemic.

It stated the world may have witnessed an estimated 25 per cent global rise in depression and anxiety after nearly three years, due to social isolation, fear of disease and death, and strained socio-economic circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a message by WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, on the World Mental Health Day, marked yesterday, she said the day provided an opportunity to draw attention to Africa’s large and growing burden of mental health conditions, with children and adolescents worst impacted.

"This year’s theme, “Make Mental Health and Wellbeing for All a Global Priority,” serves as a reminder that, after nearly three years, the social isolation, fear of disease and death, and strained socio-economic circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to an estimated 25 per cent global rise in depression and anxiety.

"Across the African region, more than 116 million people were already estimated to be living with mental health conditions pre-pandemic. Suicide rates remain particularly concerning as are the exponential rates of alcohol use and abuse among adolescents as young as 13 years of age.

"We need to urgently strengthen regulatory systems to close the gaps that allow such young people to easily access alcohol, contributing to heavy episodic drinking rates as high as 80 per cent among teens

from 15 to 19.

"The situation poses a serious threat to their education, while setting the stage for a lifetime of alcohol abuse, and the associated risks of non-communicable and other related diseases," she said.

According to Moeti, inadequate financing for mental health has continued to be the biggest limitation, negatively impacting efforts to expand Africa’s mental health workforce.

Moeti said in order to address the challenges posed by mental health,

it was crucial that member states follow through on the implementation of commitments they made at the Regional Committee in August 2022, when they endorsed the Framework to Implement the Comprehensive Global Action Plan 2013 to 2023 in the WHO African Region.

She explained that the key document highlighted the severe shortage of mental health services on the continent, and makes recommendations for key actions by member states.

Congress (APC) to field MuslimMuslim ticket.

The presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu picked a former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate, and both Muslims.

However, Dogara, Lawal and other Christian leaders within the ruling party had since held series of meetings and also declared total war on the APC and its candidates.

At the weekend, in Abuja, the group took the decision to work against their party, while also proposing to adopt a consensus presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, believed to be the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

But reacting to the resolutions of the group in a statement issued yesterday, the Director, Media & Publicity, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said, Dogara became so bitter after he lost the opportunity to be on the presidential ticket of the ruling party, and that it was based on this that he had been spewing hate speeches and whipping up sentiments.

Onanuga noted that careful reading of the people, who attended the "unholy meeting" he called showed that they were all PDP members, masquerading as APC members.

"Former Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara has apparently lost his mind since he could not realise his self-imposed ambition to be on the presidential ticket of All Progressives Congress.

"On account of this, he has certainly become a reprobate and demagogue, delivering hate speeches and whipping up emotions, with the aim of setting our country ablaze," he said.

Onanuga pointed out that the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council was therefore not surprised by media reports about a meeting of some so-called Northern Christian leaders, who claimed to be members of APC that was championed by Dogara and his ilk.

Describing their claims as totally fraudulent, Onanuga added: "Yakubu Dogara, the peripatetic

and politically unstable politician, who organised the meeting left our party officially and unceremoniously weeks ago. And those who attended the meeting were representing themselves, their selfish agenda, not Northern Christians.

"Before then, the former speaker had spearheaded a campaign of vitriol and hate against our party, using religion as camouflage, after he lost the vice-presidential candidacy to a better qualified Senator Kashim Shettima.

"Among the politicians at the unholy consultative meeting were Mukhar Shagari, Boni Haruna, Abdulfattah Ahmed; Damishi Sango; Senator Idris Ahmed Umar; and two former deputy governors of Kogi State, Yomi Awoniyi and Simon Achuba. They are all PDP members working for the presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar."

Onanuga stressed that the PCC was not surprised by the resolutions adopted, but was only surprised that the media failed to read through their smokescreen.

level has surpassed that of 2012 with 0.38 meters.

According to the statement, the flood this year has overtaken some major roads in Ajaokuta, Lokoja and Koton Karfe Local Government Areas of Kogi State which made it impassable for travellers from or through Lokoja to Abuja, thereby creating serious hardship for Nigerians.

"It is in this regard, NIWA in conjunction with the Boat Owners Association has been providing succor to these victims in compliance with the safety guidelines of wearing life jackets, avoiding overloading, over-speeding and night sailing.

“It has been a harrowing experience for the people of various communities submerged by the flooding which caused incalculable damages to the lives and property in the affected 10 local government areas of Kogi State.”

The National Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had predicted that floods would inadvertently affect 22 states as a result of an increase in the volume of water because of high-intensity rain in the country.

The agency had earlier urged the

states, local government areas and the residents in the flood plains to take precautions to mitigate against the devastating effects of flooding the various areas.

THISDAY had gathered that the current flood disaster in the country was occasioned by the release of water from Lego Dam in Cameron and others from Nigeria.

A staff of NIWA who spoke to THISDAY disclosed that there had been an increase in the volume of water this year.

Meanwhile, the federal government through the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission HYPPADEC has distributed relief materials to 113 communities affected by the flood disaster.

On its part, the Kogi State government has continued to take measures to mitigate its impact and has called on President Muhammadu Buhari as well-spirited Nigerians to come to victims of the flood disaster.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Victor Adewale Omofaye has commenced the distribution of relief materials including food items to the victims of the flood disaster in the affected local government.

ANAMBRA, KOGI RESIDENTS, FARMERS COUNT LOSSES TO MASSIVE FLOOD struggling to evacuate their property.

More worrisome was the overflow of Niger along Abuja Lokoja highway which was completely submerged by the flood and has cut-off off the road as travellers have been stranded between Lokoja and Koto Karf aa s result of grid luck.

Also, reports from Ibaji Idah Igamela/Odolu, Omala, Ajaokuta, Kogi and Bassa were also depressing as it was gathered that many communities in the areas had been sub-merged and particularly, the farmers were already groaning as their farmlands and the farm produce have been completely destroyed by the rampaging floods in their communities.

The rice farmers also lamented their losses due to devastating floods.

The Chairman of Rice Farmer Association in Ibaji Local government area of Kogi State, Jonathan Ogwuche stated the members have lost billions of naira to this year’s flood.

In a related development, six persons were reported to have died as boats capsized in Lokoja, the State capital. THISDAY gathered that the incident occurred at Kabawa and Ganja respectively recently.

In the same vein, rice farmers who

were beneficiaries from the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) under the FGN/IFAD assisted project in Kogi have also been lamenting the colossal losses they have recorded due to the flooding. These beneficiaries were vulnerable farmers under the IFAD-VCDP Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF), aimed at cushioning the effects of f COVID-19 pandemic on rural farmers.

The farmers who are mainly from Ibaji, Lokoja and Ajaokuta Local Government Areas, told the Kogi VCDP Media team last Thursday, in Lokoja, that all their rice farmlands had been submerged by flooding.

Narrating the ordeal, the Ibaji Local Government Liaison Officer, Mr. Achogu Fredrick, said about a total of 216 rural farmers in Ibaji who benefitted from the IFADVCDP RPSF, had all lost their rice farmlands to flood.

According to him, each of the 216 farmers were having one hectare of rice farm, totaling 216 hectares in Ibaji, disclosing that all have been sub-merged.

“The RPSF grant which was a palliative to support us as vulnerable rural farmers to cushion the effect

of the COVID-19 have been lost again. ''A total of 216 farmers who benefitted from the RPSF grant have lost everything to the flood.

Indeed, it is a double tragedy for us,” he added.

He stated that IFAD/ VCDP funded the RPSF to pull farmers out of poverty that was heightened by Covid-19, noting that unfortunately the flood would once more push people back into hunger and starvation.

However, the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. George Moghalu has directed the Area Manager of its Lokoja office to quickly release NIWA’s boats to provide services for stranded travellers in Lokoja and Koton Karfe areas of Kogi State.

This, he said, was to ease the suffering of the travellers caused by the flood.

In a statement signed by the Corporate Affair Manager, NIWA, Jibrin Dadau, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja, the NIWA gauge readers in Lokoja, confirmed that the 2012 flood level was 12.84 meters whereas that of this year was already reading 13.22 meters, hence, the 2022 flood

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NIGERIA INNOVATION SUMMIT...

L-R: Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Reuben Muoka; Director, Digital Economy, Engr. Austin Nwaulune, and Director, Digital Economy Dev., NITDA, Engr. Salisu Kaka, during the Nigeria Innovation Summit in Lagos...yesterday

Akeredolu: True Federalism’ll Thrive Under Tinubu’s Presidency Says Afenifere doesn’t speak for Yoruba He’s healthy, fit to rule Nigeria, Nnamani declares Group knocks governor, re-echoes stance on Obi's endorsement Fidelis David in Akure and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has identified true federalism as one of the strong pillars that could be used to build a prosperous nation like Nigeria, saying it would be the fulcrum upon which the Bola Tinubu presidency would be established.

Akeredolu, who said true federalism would help to properly address the fundamentals of nationhood, however, declared that a Pan-Yoruba Socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, doesn’t speak for the Yoruba people.

This is as a former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, has affirmed that Tinubu was medically fit to rule Nigeria.

However, in a statement yester-

day by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, Akeredolu while speaking on the topic, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Business of Nation Building", during a Twitter space session on Sunday, assured Nigerians that Tinubu would bring a new vista into governance and ensure that true federalism thrived if voted into power.

He said, “If voted into government, Nigerians will see that we

have someone in place, who had gone through democratic tutelage.

He has been Governor. He led a party. Asiwaju has deep knowledge about the problems of this nation.

He has been part of the struggle to ensure that democracy is enthroned and that a true federal system runs in the country.

“Tinubu’s contributions in the NADECO struggle cannot be denied. As you know, when the

Nigeria's Shinkafi-Bagudu Set to Emerge UICC President Today Flaunts intimidating resume Martins Ifijeh Kebbi State First Lady and Chief Executive Officer of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, looks good to emerge president of the Union of International Cancer Control (UICC), as 1200 member-organisations go to election today to choose from three global health leaders, including a Swedish top brass and a Chinese oncologist.

UICC is the global body championing cancer advocacy with over 1200 member-organisations in 174 countries.

Aligning with the United Nations and the World Health Organisation's goal, its aim is to unite and support the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, to promote greater equity, and to ensure that cancer control continues to be a priority in the world health and development agenda.

Stakeholders, however, believe that Shinkafi-Bagudu’s well-off resume in healthcare and outstanding record in cancer advocacy were enough to win her the election holding today in Geneva, Switzerland.

Although many people believe it is not going to a walkover for Shinkafi-Bagudu with the Secretary General of the Swedish Cancer Society, Ulrika Arehed Kagstrom and the President of China's Anti-Cancer Association, Daiming Fan – two healthcare top brasses – in the race, she is believed to have paid her dues and fit for the office.

Shinkafi-Bagudu, who is also a serving board member with the UICC since 2018, has remained one of Africa's most authoritative cancer policy experts for close to two decades.

Today's election, which would be done virtually by the over 1200 member-organisations would see 23 outstanding global cancer advocacy leaders slug it out for different positions, including Board of Directorship, and then the presidency, which has generated interests among countries of the nominees.

In Shinkafi-Bagudu's four year stint at the Board of UICC, she had expanded the organisation's network in Nigeria and other African countries, has pushed for equality in cancer between high income countries and low income countries as is the case with African nations, and had lobbied Nigeria's national and state assemblies for better policies and funding to support cancer care.

As a serving UICC board member, working closely with the present President and other board members, she played a role in UICC flagship activities such as the Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM), Metastatic Breast Cancers and the Cervical Cancer elimination programme.

She was of the opinion that, Cervical Cancer Elimination in the Commonwealth presented an enviable opportunity for UICC to be a driver in the elimination agenda.

During a question and answer session with UICC in the build-up to today’s election, Shinkafi-Bagudu told the organisation that one of her reasons for vying for the top job was to use her experience, proven track record and with the support of member-organisations, drive a

change that would eliminate global cancer inequities as well as dwarf the growing cancer incidents world over.

She further promised to focus on accessibility, affordability, and availability of the tools needed to fight the diseases if elected president of the union.

1993 presidential election was held, MKO Abiola was deemed to have won that election. But the military junta canceled the election and set up an interim government.

“Asiwaju Tinubu and few others felt they weren’t going to take it.

They formed the NADECO and fought the military. They stood on June 12. Then the whole country conceded that the next president must be from the Southwest.

“That is why in 1999, only former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae, ran for the election.

You cannot deny Asiwaju his role.

He ran away from the county and set up the Radio-Kudirat. Those were the struggles we had before the forth republic came up," Akeredolu stressed.

On the endorsement of Peter Obi by Afenifere, the governor declared that the group doesn’t speak for the Yoruba people, noting that Afenifere was divided in respect of the endorsement and emphasised that the group’s views do not represent the stance of the Yoruba people.

“Prostitution in politics is very common. When you have people,

who stick to their guns and stay in their parties, you must respect them. It is not common. We have seen a situation,where governors left their parties and go to other parties.

For me, it is integrity. Asiwaju has shown integrity. Asiwaju's form of politics has taught us that political prostitution is unnecessary."

On his part, Nnamani, a chieftain of PDP representing Enugu East in the Senate, foremost medical doctor and surgeon, reiterated in a statement yesterday that, Tinubu had no health challenge as erroneously being speculated and that his health could not in any way affect the discharge of his responsibilities.

“I join millions of our people in welcoming Tinubu home. It is to God's Glory that he returned in superb health. I continue to strongly condemn those who wallow in ignorance in celebration of real and fantom infirmities. Rather, I lend my voice in celebrating his giant strides in governance, reforms and local administration in all its spheres. I salute his political deftness and sagacity.

Continues online

ATIKU: VOTE FOR PDP IS VOTE TO END HUNGER, INSECURITY, UNEMPLOYMENT Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, were absent at the event.

Obaseki: PDP’ll Deploy Technology to Win 2023 Presidential Poll

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki said PDP would win the 2023 elections using technology. He said the waters had been tested in Edo and Osun states, where the party leveraged technology to ensure victory in the governorship elections.

Obaseki, who convened the PDP South-south zonal meeting at the Ibom Hall in Uyo, said the meeting was held to discuss issues affecting the party ahead of the launch of the PDP presidential campaign for the February 23, 2023 election in the South-south.

The governor stated, “This will be a very different election, as we have seen in the past. This zone will make the difference.

“Our election in Edo redefined the face of election in this republic.

This will be a technical election, as we used technology to win our election in Edo State. We repeated the same in Osun State and now can tell how elections are being run with the new Electoral Act. In this zone, we have the skills and knowledge in supporting one another in running and winning elections. Election is not won on election day but a battle for election at the polling unit level.

Former Edo State governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, who spoke on behalf of former PDP governors, urged the party stakeholders at the meeting to work hard to ensure the victory of PDP at the 2023 presidential election.

Former governor of Cross River State and Deputy Director-General, campaign operations, PDP presidential election campaign council, Liyel Imoke said, "The PDP is in Akwa-Ibom State and the Southsouth zone to make a statement as we kick off the campaign from this zone."

Niger PDP Grounds Minna With One Million-Man March

PDP, yesterday, sent jitters down the spine of the ruling APC in Niger State, as its one million-man march grounded Minna, the state capital.

The crowd of party supporters, in a show of strength, trooped out in their numbers, disrupting vehicular and human movements for several hours.

Those that could not march from the Minna city gate to the city centre, a distance of about five kilometres, were seen in open-air vehicles and motorcycles, chanting party slogans, singing and dancing.

Some of them displayed posters showing the pictures of the Atiku/ Okowa presidential ticket and the Kantigi /Gwamna governorship team The group also included married and nursing mothers.

The march was organised by 52 groups within the party loyal to the governorship aspirations of the PDP candidate for the 2023 governorship election, Isah Liman Kantigi.

Prominent among those that

took part in the rally were the state chairman of PDP, Alhaji Tanko Beji, leaders of the party in the three senatorial zones, and youths from all over the state.

Addressing the crowd, the deputy governorship candidate, Samuel Gomna, who spoke on behalf of Kantigi, told the youths that the PDP administration in the state come 2023, would continue the free education policy at both primary and secondary school levels it introduced before it was stopped by the present APC administration.

He assured that the payment of NECO and WAEC registration fees for both indigenes and nonindigenous students, which the present administration could not sustain, would be restored if voted into power.

Beji, while thanking the youths for the peaceful walk devoid of any violence, urged them to make sure they obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) before the general election, adding, "The solidarity walk is very important but your vote is very key to the success of the party.”

TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2022 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS MENTORSHIP…

L-R: Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mr. Lekan Fatodu; Nollywood Actor and Producer (The Mentor), Mr. Kunle Afolayan, and Head, Trade and Sister-Cities, Lagos State Office of SDGs and Investment, Mrs. Yemisi Akingbade, at the 2022 Lagos SDGs Week’s Surprise Mentorship Round held in Lagos… recently ETOPUKUTT

Police Disperse Traders Protesting Non-enforcement of Court Judgment against Kaduna John Shiklam in Kaduna Traders demanding the enforcement of a court judgment against the Kaduna state government were dispersed yesterday by police operatives

deployed to stop the peaceful protest.

The traders had obtained a court judgment against the state government for demolishing their shops at the Kasuwan Barchi Market in the Tudun Wada

ValueJet Commences Operations ValueJet Airline, a commercial airline has commenced commercial operation flights in Lagos.

According to the management, the airline started flight operations yesterday by opening its booking portal with a flight to Abuja, Port Harcourt, Asaba and Jos daily with plans to increase routes and frequency when its fourth and fifth aircraft arrive.

The airline made this known during its launch party in Lagos, with the management emphasising that it will be a

hybrid carrier offering both low-cost and legacy options for everyone to fly.

Speaking the Chairman of Value Jet and Founder of Bet9ja, Mr. Kunle Soname, remarked that the airline was no stranger to the industry and would base its services on the need for the right pricing.

He also used the opportunity to thank the passengers for being part of history with the inaugural flight CRJ 900 90-seaters recording above 97 per cent patronage.

area of the Kaduna metropolis, sometimes in 2017.

The state government had demolished the shops and awarded a contract to a private developer for the construction of a modern market. It was gathered that traders had sought for an injunction to restrain the state government from demolishing the market. However, while

the motion was still pending, the government went ahead to demolish the market and commenced construction.

The aggrieved traders later approached a State High Court to seek for redress over the action of the state government. On September 27, 2022, the court presided over by Justice Edward Andoo, delivered judgment

nullifying the action of the state government.

The judge said by the provisions of section 7 of the 1999 Constitution and other provisions, the state government has no powers to take over the responsibilities of Local Governments in managing and exercising authority over markets.

The court granted all the prayers by the traders and oredered the state government to adequately compensate and reinstate the traders back to their shops in the market.

Yesterday, the traders took to the streets, asking Governor Nasir El-rufai to obey the court order by paying them compensation over their demolished shops.

Rights Groups Bicker over Arrest, Detention of Teenager by Police Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia The arrest and detention of a 17- year-old boy in the commercial city of Aba by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Abia State Police Command has pitted two groups against each other over the action of the police.

A human rights group, Centre for Human Rights

Advocacy and Wholesome Society(CEHRAWS) faulted the arrest of Ihechi George Emeka over a missing handset belonging to a police officer, adding that the suspect has been “dehumanised and tortured” to admit guilt.

CEHRAWS in a petition to the Inspector General(IG) of Police, had alleged that a police officer had threatened “to waste” the teenage suspect “and nothing

will happen” unless N130,000 was paid by the family of the suspect for his bail.

However, another group, Abia Transparency Movement (ATM) in its reaction countered the allegation against the RRS by the rights group, describing it as “a false alarm just to subvert justice.”

In a statement signed by its president, Emeka Chukwuma and Secretary, Uche Stephen,

ATM said that it had carried outt its own investigation of the teenager’s arrest and found out that the police acted within their rules of engagement.

“Our investigation revealed that the matter in question is before the court of competent jurisdiction where it is being trialed. The police cannot take any suspect on bail in a matter that is before the court of law,” ATM said.

Following swift intervention of the Public Complaints Commission(PCC) in their plights, the Ekiti State Government, has paid compensations to 46 landlords, whose property were demolished for the construction of Bus Terminal in Ado Ekiti .

The landlords had on May 26, 2022, protested at the PCC office

the Commissioner representing Ekiti in the federal government agency, Mr. Kayode Bamisile.

Over 100 property were destroyed in that axis of Ado Ekiti metropolis during the administration of Governor Ayodele Fayose, with no compensation paid to the victims.

Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, the PCC Commissioner, Mr. Bamisile,

compensations sequel to the intervention of the agency in the first tranch of the payment.

Bamisile stated that the presentation of the cheques was done on October 6, 2022, by the state government officials, and was witnessed by the officers of the commission.Bamisile said: “Immediately we received the protesters in our office, we headed

we made the inquiries and got assurances from the government that the pending money will be paid.

“Through the rapid intervention of our commission, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi responded to the complaints of the aggrieved community, by paying the first installment of the compensation owed to 46 documented, screened and accredited beneficiaries.

Okowa, Sanwo-Olu, Others for Public Complaints Commission Gets Compensations for 46 Ekiti Landlords GCUOBA Fund Raising Dinner Demolition: in Ado Ekiti, and were received by said 46 landlords had received for the State Bureau of Lands, where Victor OgunjeinAdoEkiti

Ugo Aliogo and Oluchi Chibuzor

The vice-presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party and the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will be the guests at 2022 fund raising dinner of the Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association( GCUOBA).

Speaking at a briefing in Lagos recently to announce the modalities of the fund raising dinner, the President General Worldwide, GCUOBA, Charles Majoroh, said the event will enable the association to bring more funds needed to further deepen

education and developmental projects within the school.

He revealed that as part of activities to mark the day notable Nigerians like the governor of Lagos and Delta will chair the event, adding that awards will be given to various deserving old boys.

He noted that the national body of the association holds the annual dinner events in rotation from branch to branch across the country, adding that their 2022 Annual Dinner is to be hosted by the Lagos branch in conjunction with the National Executive Council (NEC) GCUOBA.

Abbey Mortgage Bank Celebrates 30 Years of Excellent Customer Experience Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc is celebrating 30 years of providing solutions in mortgages, housing, finance, and investments to customers in Nigeria and beyond.

According to the company, it has continued to stand strong and achieve substantial growth following the support and patronage of its highly esteemed and loyal customers.

“The bank takes pride in delivering premium and quality experiences to customers which is driven by its core values of being

customer-focused,” it said.

Commenting, the General Manager and Group Head of Information Technology & Operations, Lolita Ejiofor, said:“At Abbey we immerse ourselves in the values of customer centrism, so we have flourished and thrived on the loyalty and support of our customers. Customer service week is a celebration and appreciation of those who already believe in our revolutionary brand and those whose journey will lead them to start Building Dreams with us!”

APC Chieftain Tackles Deputy Spokesman over Ngige’s Position on Tinubu Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A foundation member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Okelo Madukaife, has lambasted the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, for attacking the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige.

Ajaka, an indigene of Kogi State, had in a press statement last weekend, told Ngige and other federal appointees, to publicly campaign for the APC presidential candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, or tender their resignation.

The deputy spokesman was reacting to comments made last Friday on Channels Television “Politics Today” programme

by Ngige who declined to say on air, his choice of presidential candidate between Tinubu and Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP).

However, Madukaife, who is the Publicity Secretary of APC in Anambra State, scolded Ajaka for wrongfully interpreting what he called “Socratic” submissions of Ngige in the interview, hence his tirade against their respected

party leader.

According to him, Ajaka who until recently served as Personal Assistant (PA) to former Chairman of National Caretaker/Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and was part of a cabal at the National Secretariat that disrupted peace in nearly all the state chapters of the ruling party.

Illegally Elected Officials ‘ll Be Dissolved after November 27, Osun PDP Warns APC

Yinka KolawoleinOsogbo

The Osun State Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has reiterated its call for the outgoing administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola to drop the idea of going ahead with the scheduled local government election in the state because illegally

elected officials would not last beyond November 27.

A statement that was issued yesterday in Osogbo and signed by the State PDP Chairman, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, said that the planned exercise by the APC was a waste of scarce resources and a continuation of the party’s ploy to throw the state into confusion.

Adekunle called on Osun people to stay away from the sham that has no benefit for the state.

He said: “In furtherance of our earlier warnings, anyone who emerged from the illegal election will be dissolved after November 27,” Adekunle noted, adding that “the reason for this is simply because our party will

never condone any act of illegality, which is the clear reflection of the planned exercise.”

He claimed that the PDP is not averse to having elected officials at the local government, but insisted that “the position of our party remains that laws should be a guiding principle, and not the shenanigan we have seen so far.”

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TUESDAYSPORTS

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

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Rivers Utd Plot to Shock Wydad in Casablanca to Reach Group Stage Onoja boasts of taking the game out of the hands of the Moroccans

After claiming their first famous win in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Rivers United's Joseph Onoja believes the Nigerian side can turn in another supreme effort against title-holders Wydad Casablanca this weekend to reach the CAF Champions League group stage for the first time in the club’s history.

Onoja starred as the Pride of Rivers, who have been promised a financial windfall if they knock

CA F C H A M P I O N S L E AG U E out their illustrious opponent, came from behind to defeat the Moroccans 2-1 in the first leg of their second preliminary round tie in the Garden City of Port Harcourt on Sunday.

Bouly Sambou gave three-time African champions Wydad a first-half lead that lasted only two

minutes before Malachi Ohawume equalised, while Paul Acquah scored the 53rd-minute winner for the hosts.

"We bounced back from a debatable goal to win at home and we know what awaits us from their fans and the antics in Morocco," midfielder Onoja, 23,

told BBC Sport Africa yesterday.

"One thing I am sure of is that Wydad fans won't come on the pitch to play. It's us against the players and as defending champions, they will be under pressure.

"The most important thing for us is to walk away from the Mohammed V Stadium with a group-stage ticket."

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, the sole sponsor of Rivers United, rewarded each player with $20,000 for winning the Nigerian league for the first time in their history last June.

Wike has since doubled the incentive, with players expected to pocket $40,000 each should they eliminate Wydad and become the first Nigerian club into the group stage since Lobi Stars in 2018-19 season.

"This is our job, career and profession. But for the governor to promise us such an amount of money, I think it's just an extra motivation," said Onoja.

"The main motivation for us is our careers because beating Wydad and making a name for ourselves by reaching the group stage will

TODAY AC Milan D’Zagreb Celtic Shakhtar Copenhagen Dortmund M’Haifa PSG

v Chelsea v Salzburg v RB Leipzig v R’Madrid v Man City v Sevilla v Juventus v Benfica

definitely lift our profile.

"Whether they like it or not, we're going with our own tactics. We know what we can do to get the game out of their hands, and to be the best we have to beat the best in Wydad."

Osimhen Returns to Napoli Training for Ajax Clash Femi Solaja with agency report

Victor Osimhen...back to training after one month on the sideline

Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen, returned to full training yesterday with Napoli FC ahead of the UEFA Champions League match against Dutch champions, Ajax tomorrow at the Diego Maradona Stadium in Naples.

Osimhen whose partner recently delivered a baby girl, was forced to the sideline since he got injured in match day-one clash with Liverpool over a month ago.

Now, Napoli medics have certify him fit for the clash with Ajax tomorrow. A win will take the Italian side into the knock out stage with two games to spare.

According to Italian blog, tuttoNapoli.net, the Nigerian striker completed the whole session with the group and was impressive all though the training that had some

Flamingos Begin Campaign against Germany The seventh edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals begin in India today, with Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos saddled with one of the hardest nuts to crack in Germany as their first opponents.

Both countries take to the Pandit Jawaharlal Stadium in Goa as from 8pm India time (4pm Nigeria time) in what is the second match of Group B, at the same time as hosts India take on USA at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in what is the official opening match of the competition.

Earlier, as from 12.30pm Nigeria time, Nigeria’s Group B opponents Chile and New Zealand will clash in Goa, while Group A teams Morocco and Brazil also battle it out in Bhubaneswar.

The biennial competition for the world’s teenage girl-child, launched in New Zealand in 2008, did not take place in the year 2020 as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.

At the last edition held in Uruguay in 2018, Germany scooped most of the individual honours, with Clàudia Pina emerging player of the tournament and Catalina Coll the best goalkeeper. Pina also shared the top scorer’s award with Ghana’s Mukarama Abdulai, with seven goals each.

Head Coach Bankole Olowookere assured football stadholder on Monday that his girls know what they are up against at the Pandit Jawaharlal Stadium

U17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP on Tuesday. “We are excited to be starting the tournament by playing against one of the strongest women teams in the universe. It is a good challenge because if you’re going to win trophies, you must beat the best teams.

“Our focus is on getting the three points at stake, which will boost our confidence for the remaining games of the group phase and going forward in the competition.”

Nigeria must avoid the quicksand that sucked them in way back in their last appearance in 2016, when they lost 0-1 to Brazil, drew with England and then got trashed by eventual champions North Korea to crash out at group stage.

“Playing a strong team at the beginning should not present any apprehension. It is an opportunity to start with your best team and best tactics, and be vigilant to utilize

the opportunities and possibilities that present themselves within the 90 minutes,” Olowookere added.

After a 10-day training camp in the Turkish city of Kocaeli, and a barnstorming African qualifying campaign that saw them winning five of six matches against Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Ethiopia, Olowokeere believes his Flamingos are ready for the big duels.

The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is the other venue that will host matches during the competition.

C H A M P I O N S L E AG U E other injured players also back to the fold.

“Osimhen showed great flashes of his old self with visibility in both physical and mental ability. That made team’s Manager Luciano Spalletti to be very happy with the development.,” observed tuttoNapoli.net.

The media however noted that the power-play forward is most likely to start the match from the bench as the coach will still opt for the set-up that has made the Naples side stay on the winning streak both in Europe and domestic Serie A. “After the 4-1 win away to Cremonese on Sunday, the Napoli first-team squad returned to training at the SSC Konami Training Centre on Monday to begin preparations

for the Champions League clash with Ajax on Wednesday,” Napoli's statement read.

“Activation work in the gym was the first task of the day. The squad was then split in two, with those who started on Sunday at the Stadio Zini undergoing recovery work. The other members of the squad did strength work and possession-based drills and played in a small-sided match.

“Victor Osimhen was in full training, while Amir Rahmani underwent physio ahead of medical tests on Tuesday (today),” the club’s statement emphasised.

Napoli are currently topping the Serie A table after 10 matches and are also leading the pack in UEFA Champions League ahead of Liverpool and Ajax.

Dennis Opens Forest’s Goals Account in Draw with AstonVilla Nigerian international, Emmanuel Dennis, last night opened his goals account for Nottingham Forest to justify his first start in the Premier League this season.

Dennis header in the 15th minute got home team Forest off to a great start against Aston Villa.

It was his third goal in as many matches against Villa after he scored home and away against

the same team for Watford last season.

Taiwo Awoniyi was an unused sub.

The 1-1 home draw has lifted Forest from the bottom of the Premier League above Leicester City.

The draw stopped a run of five straight losses.

They now have five points from nine matches.

FIDE Master, Adegboyega, Perpetual, Emerge Winners of National Chess Championships Femi Solaja

It was a change of guard in the male session after a brilliant show of chess understanding, an awe-inspiring performance, and an exclusive finale, separated the 2022 Nigeria National Chess Championships from every other tournament in the country.

It was a grueling nine-round tournament in the Open (Invitational) section of the Championship, and Fide Master Adebayo Adegboyega stood tall above all the other invited players (without a single loss) to become the 2022 National Chess Champion.

However, in the female section of the championship, Woman Fide Master Ogbiyoyo Perpetual was only able to secure her back-toback championship victory after a stiff opposition from Woman Fide Master Suleiman Azumi Ayishat, who finished on the same point (7/9) with the champ.

A playoff was needed to break the tie between the two Amazons, and they had to be separated by an Armageddon chess battle.

At the end, needing a win, the defending champion pulled the victory out of the hat, defeating her teammate.

The Masters section was won

outrightly by International Master Adu Oladapo, who ended the section with a bullish 6/7 points, having two draws and five wins in seven games played.

Meanwhile, the Open (Under 2000) title was claimed by Oladipupo Mafoitan, on tiebreaks over Ambesh (an Indian based in Nigeria), after both players ended the tournament with 6/7 points.

In this U2000 section, 12-year-old Tersee Ferdinand played quality games and held the lead of the section until his final round loss to Oladipupo Mafoitan. This loss moved him from the top position to third in the field.

Emmanuel Dennis (right) and his Nottingham Forest teammate, Morgan Gibbs-White celebrating the Nigerian’s opening goal in the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa...last night

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

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MISSILE

Afenifere to FG

“The attempts to pass this bill (Waterways Resources Bill) have been consistently rejected since 2020 during the 8th National Assembly, it ought to dawn on the Federal Government that Nigerians are not ready to accept the bill in its present form.

Rather than acting as though it can force its plan down the throat of the people, what the government ought to do is to listen to the people…” --Afenifere National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, berating the government, for its insistence on the Waterways bill.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

The Floods This Time I

was a witness to the menace of flooding, and the consequences, in Nigeria that occurred in 2012, when between the months of July and October that year, 30 out of Nigeria’s 36 states were submerged by flood. By mid-October, 2.1 million persons had been displaced from their homes, over 400 persons died; many homes were destroyed.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) calculated the cost of the losses at about N2.6 trillion, and described the floods as the worst in 40 years. It was not the first time Nigeria would experience floods. After all, before 2012, there had been the famous overflowing of the Ogunpa River in Ibadan, South West of Nigeria, in 1960, 1963, 1978 and notably 1980 - when the Ogunpa Floods left the city of Ibadan completely devastated, and Nigeria with a national disaster. What happened in 2012 was worse than the “Omiyale” phenomenon in Ibadan, as that was known locally.

The standard narrative about the Ogunpa floods was heavy rainfall and the dumping of waste along the Ogunpa River channels. The 2012 narrative was different. This was not simply about the dumping of refuse or the seasonal flash floods, but a national calamity with additional dimensions. The Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had to provide a relief fund of N17.6 billion to various states to mitigate the effect.

NEMA offered relief support. Camps were set up across the country to accommodate the affected persons and families. State governments liaised with the Federal Government and the Red Cross to help displaced persons. Food was released from the country’s National Strategic Grains Reserve to prevent hunger and famine as the country’s agriculture supply chain had been disrupted. Farms in Nigeria’s food basket states were completely destroyed. The most affected states were Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Kogi and the low-lying plains of Rivers Niger and Benue and the tributaries of both rivers.

We visited the camps: 10 years later, the experience remains dark, and haunting- nobody was spared, the old, the young and infants. The worst spectacle of all was the camp set up in Delta state where we saw people on make-shift hospital beds, with the then Governor of the state, Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan, vowing that as a Governor, he had a duty to save lives! One of the explanations we were given at the time was that climate change was a problem, release of water from Nigerian dams, and release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon was also a major cause. It is astonishing, and a reflection of how we never take anything serious, and how Nigerian leaders do not pay attention to critical matters, that in 2022, we are back to the same situation as we had in 2012. Some commentators have even said that the flooding this year is actually the worst ever.

More than 29 states are reportedly affected, including communities along the banks of Rivers Niger and Benue and the Delta region. In Kogi state, parts of the state capital are submerged. Governor Yahaya Bello visiting the communities has been shown riding a canoe. In Anambra State – West and East and Awka North Local Government Areas - over 600, 000 persons have been displaced.

In Jigawa, deaths have been recorded in more than six LGAs. In Nasarawa, a 4, 400 hectares of rice farmland cultivated by Olam Agric Farms, worth about US 20 million dollars has been submerged and laid to waste. After 2012, Olam Farms built 52 kilometres of dykes around its farms. Everything has been wiped away. Olam Agric supplies about 25% of rice in Nigeria. Ade Adefeko, the company’s Vice President, External Relations and Stakeholder Management says the damage is so devastating it could lead to food inflation, and that by December 2022, a 50kg bag of rice, a staple food among

President Buhari Nigerians could cost as much as N100, 000 per bag. In 2014, a bag of rice was less than N20,000.

As of September 2022, a bag of rice was N54, 000!

Five days ago, in Lagos State, the Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello, advised persons living in low-lying parts of the state and neighbouring Ogun State like Ketu, Alapere, Owode Onirin, Kara, Agiliti, Odo Ogun, Agboyi, Isheri, Akute and Warewa, to relocate to upland areas because of the threat of floods. Concerned citizens have tried to explain why Nigeria now faces such a perennial problem of flooding.

One reason is that we are in the era of climate change. The global environment has been up-ended by carbon emissions and global warming. The International Panel on Climate Change, a creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), advises its 195-member countries about the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, and how the impact can be mitigated. But despite the efforts of the IPCC, and civil society stakeholders like 19-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, and American actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, most leaders of the world pay lip service to climate change and its effects. Meeting the target of 1.5 degrees centigrade threshold or below, as recommended by scientists, and as agreed by world leaders under the Paris Climate Agreement requires concerted action on the parts of governments, financial institutions, corporations, the private sector and others, and it is something that we hear about on a regular basis at Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings on climate change. The effect of climate change is measured in terms of how our world is becoming unrecognizable: sea levels are rising, the arctic is getting warmer, temperatures are rising, rainfall levels have changed, nature is changing and becoming more acidic. When global leaders meet at COPs, they make promises and commitments: the last was in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021, the next one – COP 27 is scheduled for November 6-18 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. The leaders of the world would make the same promises, but action in terms of follow-up is poor and even worse- climate change as is the case

with everything else has become an opportunity for politics and competition.

Nigeria is not left out. For more than a decade, Nigerian leaders have always included a paragraph or two on climate change in their statements at the United Nations General Assembly. Most recently at the 75th session of UNGA in New York, President Muhammadu Buhari spoke about the existential threat posed by climate change, Nigeria’s Climate Change Strategy, and climate justice, and the need for financing to mitigate the effects of the climate change. Like his boss, Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has also consistently proposed a debt-for-climateswap deal to achieve an equitable and just energy transition for Nigeria and Africa. In September 2022, the Nigerian Government inaugurated a National Council on Climate Change in pursuit of the implementation of the Climate Change Act of 2021. But the situation in Nigeria is similar to that of many other countries of the world. What we can hold on to is the reality of the dilemma.

This year alone, the evidence of climate change has manifested in the form of floods in Aragua State in North Central Venezuela, in Indonesia, in Trinidad and Tobago, India, Australia, Pakistan and Florida, United States and closer home, in Chad.

The second reason that has been offered with regard to flooding in Nigeria is to blame the release of water from the Lagdo Dam on the Benue River in Northern Cameroon. Built between 1977 and 1982, the Lagdo dam was meant for irrigation and the supply of electricity. Nigeria and Cameroon have a bilateral agreement over the dam and its management which is principally that Nigeria will construct a similar dam or embankment on its own side. That embankment located in Dasin Village in Adamawa state has been under construction for close to 20 years. Cameroon fulfilled their own part of the bargain. We failed on our part.

International purists can argue that Cameroon cannot keep causing us havoc each time water is released from the Lagdo Dam, but we are not even in any position to reciprocate. The bilateral agreement requires Cameroon to inform Nigeria at least a month earlier before it releases water from the Lagdo Dam. Our neighbours have routinely complied in this regard. As recently as September 13, 2022, Nigeria’s Hydrological Services Agency announced that Cameroon was going to release water from Lagdo dam and that many states along the Rivers Niger and Benue basins would be affected. Information was duly provided but we were in a helpless situation because nobody has deemed it necessary to do anything positive to prevent our foreseeable and forewarned agony.

Is it possible to enter into new arrangements with Cameroon? I should think so.

But who will make the effort when we cannot even manage the dams in Nigeria including the ones developed by domestic River Basin Authorities.

Each time, for example, water is released from the Oyan Dam under the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority, parts of Ogun and Lagos State are submerged. When water is released from the Jebba dam, the whole of that axis from Ilorin to Mokwa is flooded. Before blaming outsiders, we must focus on our own inability as a country to manage the environment or nature. The conflict between man and nature is a major existential challenge and it is indeed at the centre of man’s efforts to assert himself or herself as the most wondrous of all Creations and master of the Cosmos. The trajectory of epistemology has shown man’s limitations and a constant reminder that he is indeed, only a part of the Universe and not its master, but in other parts of the world, man’s perpetual search for meaning and dominance is the historification of the world. Here in Africa, and many underdeveloped parts, we do not try enough. We blame God for everything. We resign to fate.

Every year, government agencies tell us that there

will be bad weather, heavy rainfall, and floods, but nobody does anything. The rainy season comes, floods everywhere, people die and we just move on. In Jos, Plateau State at certain moments of the year, the weather could be so cold as if it is winter, but the people never prepare. Nigerian newspapers used to report deaths in Plateau State during the rainy season, just because some of the people will refuse to wear warm clothing! The other year, when there was heavy rainfall in Lagos, people were swimming and hunting for fish on the streets of Victoria Island. Many were more excited about catching fish than the fact that the Atlantic had overflown its banks, and the whole of Lagos Island could be submerged. We treat everything as a joke around here including the lives of citizens. There are cities around the world that are below the sea level – Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Singapore, Santo Domingo… They are better managed. When floods occur here, what you are likely to hear is that it is time to propitiate the river goddess. Other countries are talking about artificial intelligence, efficient robots and cutting-edge technology, we are still at the level of spirits and goddesses. This primitivity and superstition is the biggest challenge we face. It is in fact worse than climate change.

The third point to be made is that our major problem in Nigeria is negligence. We don’t care enough about the environment. We believe the best way to live is to beat, game and cheat the system, and ignore all possible rules for harmonious living. We thrive in the midst of chaos. We revel in disaster. This is why regulations don’t work here. Part of our environmental problem is that we build on drainage channels. We dump refuse indiscriminately. We threaten nature with our actions and choices. Government officials collect bribe and look the other way. Basic rules that work elsewhere about building plans and management of the environment do not work here. When nature fights back, we blame everything on witchcraft. The floods before now and this time are a reflection of the way we are.

But should government continue this way or look the other way, and allow the people to suffer and die? No. It is particularly disturbing that official responses have been cavalier. In Anambra and Kogi states, we have seen the state Governors – Soludo and Bello identifying with the people. Most of the other state Governors can’t be bothered. In one state, a Governor and his Deputy who could not be found as floods ravaged communities in the state were booed this week when they tried to attend a festival, behaving as if nothing happened.

I am referring to Mohammed Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State and his Deputy, Umar Namadi.

Other state Governors in affected states are too busy with pre-2023 political rallies to even talk about the floods. They obviously consider their political ambitions more important than the people’s agony. This is strange. Political leaders must learn to show empathy. They must demonstrate that the people matter.

The starting point is to provide support for all the farmers who have lost their farmlands and crops, and the families and communities that have also lost so much, as was done in 2012. Where it is possible to provide grants, this must be done.

Counselling too. And why are the emergency management agencies at both the Federal and State levels so silent? To stave off the looming effect of food inflation, the Federal Government should release grains from the National Strategic Grains Reserves in the existing 33 silos, even if the entire reserve is at the depleted level of about 60,000 metric tonnes due to COVID-19 interventions and mismanagement. Above all, we have to engage the Cameroonians in terms of temporary measures that can be agreed upon on the Lagdo dam issue. At home, we need to revive the River Basin Authorities, and address whatever problems they now pose, contrary to their original design.

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