TUESDAY 13TH OCTOMBER 2020

Okonjo-Iweala Gets More Presidential Push for WTO DG Former finance minister briefs president on bid Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja assured Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, that the country would

deploy its entire energy to ensure that she becomes the Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

This was contained in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to

the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

Okonjo-Iweala is one of two candidates contesting for the top position of the multilateral institution.

Buhari, who received the

former Managing Director (Operations) of the World Bank at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said she deserved more support to get the top job because of her profile and diligence in serving the

country, and the world.

“I assure you that we will do all that we can to ensure that you emerge as the Director-General of WTO, not only because you are a Nigerian, but because you are

a hardworking Nigerian. You deserve this,’’ he said.

Buhari assured OkonjoIweala that he will make more phone calls, and send Continued on page 9

CBN, Refugees Commission Collaborate to Restore Livelihoods in Borno... Page 8 Tuesday 13 October, 2020 Vol 25. No 93118. Price: N250

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Culpable Operatives Won’t Escape Justice, Says Buhari as Anti-SARS Protests Spread Many feared killed as march turns bloody in Lagos Sanwo-Olu sues for calm Chiemelie Ezeobi, Segun James in Lagos, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Sylvester Idowu in Warri As the protest of highhandedness of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) deepened yesterday despite the disbandment of the police tactical outfit, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts would be brought to justice.

The president said the disbandment of the organisation was only a first step to a wholesome reformation of the Police Force.

As the president spoke in Abuja, many protesters were feared killed in Lagos with the authorities confirming the death of a policeman and a civilian in Surulere area of Lagos as the #EndSARS protest turned bloody even as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who yesterday threw his weight behind the protest against SARS, narrated how his 25-year-old daughter almost lost her life in the hands of SARS operatives.

Continued on page 9

#ENDSARS: POLICE VS PROTESTERS… Young protesters defy police water cannon during an #EndSARS protest in Abuja…yesterday

Abdulsalami-led National Peace Committee Hails Ondo Election...Page 9

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NEWS

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

Bandits Kill Imam, 12 Others in Katsina, Niger Communities

Francis Sardauna in Katsina and Laleye Dipo in Minna No fewer than 13 persons, including children, have been massacred by bandits in fresh onslaughts on Shau and Ruwangodiya villages of Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, as well as Tasan -Kere and Tungan-Makeri communities in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

The separate attacks on the two villages in Katsina State, according to residents, were perpetrated on Sunday about 6 p.m. when most of the victims were returning from their farms.

One of the residents, Mr. Aminu Hamisu, who confirmed the incident to THISDAY yesterday, said the bandits killed the Imam of Shau village and his assistant.

He said the bandits in a commando-style operation arrived the villages and started shooting sporadically, killing people at sight and razed property and rustled unspecified number of cows belonging to residents.

Hamisu explained that several villagers sustained varying degree of injuries from gunshots with scores of them, mostly women and children, still

unaccounted for in the affected communities.

He said: "The bandits arrived at Shau village on no fewer than 60 motorcycles with each carrying three armed men about 6 p.m on Sunday and started shooting indiscriminately. They killed eight people, including the Imam of Shau and his assistant.

"The bandits also set ablaze the vehicle of the village head and his entire house and many other houses in the village.

“After their successful operation in Shau village, they mobilised and moved to Ruwangodiya village where they killed two people there."

He lamented that they reported the arrival of the hoodlums to security agencies but that they did not come to their aid till after the bandits killed their people.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident said the bandits killed eight persons in Shau village and razed several houses and vehicle of the village head during the attack.

Isah, a superintendent of police, said combined security operatives were drafted to the area but the hoodlums escaped to the nearby forest due to the

cumbersome nature of the place.

He said: "The bandits attacked Shau village and killed eight people and destroyed many houses, including the vehicle of the village head. Efforts are ongoing to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book."

Meanwhile, three people have been confirmed killed with several others injured in attacks on two communities in the Rafi LGA of Niger State.

The incidents occurred between Saturday and Sunday

night.

THISDAY learnt that the two communities attacked are Tasan -Kere and Tungan-Makeri.

The bandits according to reports, first attacked Tasan -Kere on Saturday night during which they rustled about 200 cows.

It was learnt that when the cows were being rustled the local vigilante mobilised to recover the cows from the bandits leading to the bandits abandoning the cows and taking to their heels.

In the face-off between the bandits and the vigilante, some of the local security operatives were killed.

THISDAY gathered that angered by their inability to escape with the cows, the same set of bandits reportedly mobilised and launched a ferocious attack on neighbouring Tungan- Makeri community on Sunday night during which two villagers were killed and several others injured.

It was alleged that while the attack was ongoing, the village

head of Tungan-Makeri alerted the security operatives but they (security) claimed they did not have fuel in their vehicles.

THISDAY was told that the angry villagers, yesterday morning deposited the corpses of the slain villagers in front of the office of one of the security agencies in the town.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for Niger State Police Command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun, told THISDAY: "I am in a meeting, I will get back to you."

Edo Assembly Removes Speaker Okiye Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Edo State House of Assembly yesterday removed the Speaker, Mr. Francis Okiye.

The state assembly is made up of seven members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who decamped alongside with the governor from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to PDP, and three APC legislators.

Okiye represents Esan NorthEast state constituency in the state assembly.

Okiye was replaced by the lawmaker representing Esan West state Constituency, Mr. Marcus Onobun.

The removal of Okiye followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Henry Okhuarobo representing Ikpoba Okha state constituency.

Okhuarobo’s motion was seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo 1 constituency in the assembly, Prince Yekini Idaiye.

The member representing Igueben State constituency, Mr. Ephraim Aluebhosele had earlier moved a motion to nominate the new speaker after Okhuarobo raised the issue of a petition against Okiye and was seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo II constituency, Mr. Emmanuel Agbaje.

The Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Mr. Roland Asoro presided over the plenary shortly after the removal process.

Members of the assembly unanimously adopted the removal motion through a voice vote.

Trouble was said to have started shortly after the assembly resumed its plenary when Okiye asked the Clerk, Mr. Yahaya Omogbai to read the order of proceedings for the day to the

hearing of members in order to begin the business of the day.

Okhuarobo was said to have quickly drawn the attention of former Okiye to a petition against him and reeled out the removal motion.

The lawmakers accused Okiye of financial impropriety.

They also suspended Okiye for three months and set up a committee headed

by Okhuarobo to probe him and submit the report to the assembly.

The new speaker, Onobun upon his election, thanked the members for his emergence.

Onobun has also dissolved all the standing committees and relieved all the appointees of the house of their various appointments.

Onobun also constituted a three-man committee to look into financial records of the house under the leadership of the former speaker.

Speaking to journalists at the Government House in Benin City, Okhuarobo said “the members have compelling reasons to do what they did and that the house needed to wait till now because of political reasons and now the process is over. Irrespective of APC or PDP, we are united in the quest to move the state forward.”

THISDAY gathered that efforts by the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu; Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Osarodion Ogie and immediate past Speaker and Political Adviser to the Governor on Politics, Mr. Kabiru Adjoto to wade into the matter failed as the lawmakers had made up their minds to sack him.

Also, efforts to reach the Okiye yesterday for comment on his removal proved abortive.

NGOZI FOR WTO...

L-R: Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Chief Adeniyi Adebayo; former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and President Muhammadu Buhari during a visit by the former minister to the president in Abuja....yesterday godwin omoigui

Despite Senate’s Intervention, ASUU Adamant on IPPIS, Strike Lawmakers ask union, FG to shift ground

Deji Elumoye in Abuja Despite the intervention of the leadership of the Senate, the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) yesterday insisted that its members will not enrol in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The union also said it has come up with a home-grown alternative payment platform for university lecturers called University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

This is just as the Senate has called on both the federal government and the union to shift ground on the issue of payment of lecturers salaries via IPPIS as well as other outstanding issues.

President of ASUU, Prof.

Biodun Ogunyemi, who made the stand of the union known to journalists at the end of a three-hour meeting with President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, declared that the union leadership had a fruitful deliberation with Lawan "during which we insisted on our members not being part of IPPIS".

He stated that the union has come up with an alternative

platform to IPPIS called UTAS, which had since been explained to the Senate leadership.

“We told the Senate leadership in the course of our meeting today about UTAS, which is home-grown while IPPIS is foreign; we are talking about local content. We have shown that we are inventors; we are creators of software and we are also capable of doing what our colleagues are doing in other parts of the world; so, Nigerian scholars are not inferior; why should we be patronising foreigners for what we can do in Nigeria?" he queried.

According to him, "and we believe there will be a platform for us to present UTAS to other stakeholders".

He ruled out the possibility of ASUU calling off its eightmonth-old strike action while negotiating with the government asking rhetorically: "What are we taking back to the classroom?".

Earlier in his submission before the Senate President, ASUU President accused the federal government of reneging on agreements with the union since 2013 including frustrating the plan by ASUU to introduce

an alternative payment system for university lecturers.

He said: "During our last meeting we lodged a complaint about the forceful introduction of the IPPIS in the universities, which we challenged and have been challenging since 2013 because there is nowhere in the world where it is used in the university system and we promised Nigerians that we are developing an alternative.

"Sometimes in 2015 when we were engaging government, and we were going to reach an agreement with the government but suddenly the government did not turn up.

We said we will bring three members and government will bring three members and we will work together. But for five years we did not hear from the government until they came back five years later to say it is IPPIS or no salary.

"Based on promises that we will take up the challenge today, I am happy to inform you that we have it” In his remarks, the Senate President said the meeting was a follow-up to the one held in October 2019 to see

how the Senate and indeed the National Assembly could intervene to resolve the issues that were yet outstanding.

Lawan said: "We really don't need this kind of situation where our Universities are shut. Our children are the victims of this.

"Therefore, the government and ASUU ought to find a common ground for our institutions, particularly our Universities to open and of course, offer the kind of services that are expected of our Universities.

"We cannot afford, as a country, to continue to have this kind of crisis. So I receive you on behalf of my colleagues at the Senate and indeed the National Assembly. The idea is to find out how we can resolve this issue."

The Senate President said even though there were yet many outstanding issues, the parties should imbibe the spirit of give and take in resolving the dispute.

"Government cannot expect to have it all its way and I believe that ASUU shouldn't expect it to be that everything it asked for must be given,” Lawan explained.

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

NOTICE TO THE BONDHOLDERS OF FIDELITY BANK PLC (RC NO. 103022) (the “Issuer”)

NGN30,000,000,000.00 16.48% Fixed Rate Subordinated Unsecured Bonds due 2022 (the “Bonds”)

EARLY REDEMPTION AT THE OPTION OF THE ISSUER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the Bondholders that, pursuant to Condition 7.2(c) Schedule 1 of the Terms and Conditions of the Bonds (the “Conditions”), the Issuer will redeem up to N30,000,000,000 of the Principal Amount Outstanding on the Bonds on 13th November, 2020 (the “Redemption Date”) at their principal amount together with accrued Coupon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

The Issuer hereby confirms the following: 1)

The Early Redemption will not result in the Issuer’s capital adequacy ratio falling below the regulatory minimum prescribed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (“CBN”);

2)

The Issuer has procured the consent of the CBN to the Early Redemption; and

3)

In accordance with its obligations in relation to its $400,000,000 (Four Hundred Million US Dollar) 10.5 percent Eurobonds due 2022, the Issuer has taken appropriate steps for the procurement of the necessary consent of the holders of the Eurobonds to the Early Redemption.

Following the Early Redemption, the listing of the Bonds on the Nigeria Stock Exchange and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange will be cancelled.

On the Early Redemption Date, First Registrars and Investor Services Limited as the Registrar, shall pay to each Bondholder, the amount payable to him in respect of the Redemption together with all interest accrued thereon and such payment shall be made to the Bondholder’s designated bank account or by a certified cheque mailed to the registered address of the Noteholder if Noteholder does not provide a designated bank account.

Words and expressions used in this Notice shall, unless defined herein or the context otherwise requires, have the same meaning as in the Conditions.

For further information, please contact any of the Joint Trustees below: FBNQuest Trustees Limited 16-18 Keffi Street S.W. Ikoyi, Lagos Tel: +234 805 400 0299 Email: Corporatetrust@fbnquest.com

UBA Trustees Limited Afriland Towers, 3rd & 4th Floor 97/105 Broad Street, Lagos Tel: +234 01 280 7596 (0)7000468378 Email: trusteesswbonds@untedcapitalplcgroup.com

Stanbic IBTC Trustees Limited The Wealth House Plot 1678 Olakunle Bakare Close Victoria Island, Lagos Tel: +234 01 270 6800 Email: SITLAgency@stanbicibtc.com

Dated this 9th Day of October, 2020

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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CBN, Refugees Commission Collaborate to Restore Livelihoods in Borno Say Boko Haram inflicts $9 billion-damage in northeast

Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja Worried by the magnitude of human, economic and physical destructions caused by a terrorist group, Boko Haram, in the North-east, especially in Borno State, the National Commission for Refugees and Migrants and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have initiated a project towards the restoration of livelihoods of all displaced persons and institutions in the affected areas.

The intervention according to CBN and the commission, is based on the ‘’Post Insurgency Recovery and Peace Building Assessment Report on the North-east,’’ which was jointly validated by the World Bank, the European Union and the Borno State Government, suggesting that Boko Haram has inflicted damages to the tune of $9 billion in the North-east. Of this amount, the destructions in Borno State alone were put at $6 billion.

At the launch of the initiative tagged “Project Reliance” yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Refugees, Senator Basheer Mohammed, said the programme is geared towards making every displaced person in Nigeria self-reliant.

According to the commission’s presentation, this includes everyone who has lost their home, their livelihood and those who have sought refuge in the country.

In line with the design of the project, which is being sponsored by CBN, every selected beneficiary will have the opportunity to choose from more than 50 vocational skills,

trading, farming and other businesses. ‘’The applicant will also receive training, a starter pack and startup capital to become economically self-sufficient under Project Reliance. That is why we are here today for the verification of over 350, 000 IDPs in Borno State for the launch of this noble empowerment project,’’ Mohammed said.

Praising CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who he said has ‘’tremendously’’ done well in reducing poverty through development finance in Nigeria, the commissioner stated that Nigeria has more displaced persons in Borno State than in any part of the country.

He said: “Precisely, there are over 1.5 million IDPs in Borno State alone, and another 400,000 plus citizens of the state who have fled to neighbouring countries due to insurgency. ‘’As a commission, through our various interventions and needs assessments, we recognise the pains and challenges each of you have endured immensely.

Some of you have been in IDP camps for over a decade.”

He said that a total of 956,453 private houses representing 30 per cent of the total number of houses in Borno State were destroyed across almost all the 27 local government areas while a total of 665 municipal buildings comprising ministries, local government administrative buildings, prisons and police stations were destroyed in Borno.

The commission added: “While 5,335 classrooms and other school buildings were destroyed in 512 primary schools, 38 secondary schools and two tertiary institutions were destroyed in the state. Also 201

Emefiele: All States to Benefit from CACOVID Food Support James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday gave assurances that the relief materials mobilised under the apex bank-led private sector Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID) will be distributed in all the states of the country.

Speaking during the official flag-off of the CACOVID food relief programme for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he said, "We will make sure this relief goes round and is felt in every part of the country."

He said there had been a lot of initiatives by the financial sector since the emergence of COVID-19 in the country, adding that the food relief programme was yet another key aspect of its interventions to moderate the impact of the pandemic on particularly vulnerable Nigerians.

Emefiele added that the banks had been working closely with both the federal and state governments to bring about the much-needed relief to contain the pandemic across the country.

Represented by the Executive Director, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Abdullahi Ibrahim, the CBN governor pointed out that

"as responsible institutions, we have a very important role to play in bringing about the much-needed relief to our people.

"We have a programme for each part of the country and I can assure you that it is fairly representative of each environment."

Emefiele said the initiative had been spearheaded by the CBN working with the federal government to "bring about the much-needed help to especially the most vulnerable in the society."

The food items included 30,541 bags of rice; 30,541 cartons of pasta; 61,082 cartons of noodles; 30,541 sachets of sugar; 30,541 sachets of salt and 30,541 bags of Semovita.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, while receiving the food items on behalf of the FCT administration, expressed profound appreciation to the entire leadership and members of CACOVID for the laudable humanitarian intervention.

She said the initiative in all its dimensions is worthy of commendation, "because it is contributing significantly to reducing the spread of the disease and its multifaceted consequences especially on the vulnerable among us."

health centres, mostly primary healthcare clinics, dispensaries and General Hospitals were all destroyed. ‘’The insurgents also destroyed 726 power substations and distribution lines and destroyed 1,630 water reticulation systems.

Across 16 local government areas of the state, the insurgents bombed parks, gardens, orchards, game reserves, Green wall projects and poisoned ponds, rivers, lakes and also stole over 500,000 cattle.’’

He explained that all these were in addition to setting ablaze markets, large scale farms and hundreds of trucks that evacuated farm produce for international export to neighbouring countries, saying that today, hundreds of renowned successful farmers and transporters have become extremely poor and dependent on food aid.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his unwavering commitment to

the plight of displaced persons in Nigeria, adding that the commission is drawing the inspiration from his love and concern for them. ‘’Our focus on ensuring a strong lasting solution to the issue of accessible livelihoods was borne out of Mr. President’s desire that the government alleviates the long-suffering faced by vulnerable people in Nigeria. ‘’It is not only symbolic but befitting that we are starting

this Project in Borno State, I am extremely proud of the Governor for his passion and commitment to the will of the people. Especially in going above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done’’, he added.

The event was attended by the Borno State Governor, Prof.

Babagana Zulum; the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi; and the CBN Governor, represented by Mr. Anthony Ifechukwu.

SUCCOUR FOR REFUGEES...

Special Adviser to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor on Development Finance, Mr Anthony Ifechikwu; Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Senator Basheer Mohammed; and Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, at the verification for the launch of Project Reliance at the Muna IDP camp, Maiduguri…yesterday

NNPC No Longer Afraid of Scrutiny, Says Kyari Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, yesterday said the corporation is no longer afraid of public scrutiny.

Kyari also lamented that the country’s laws were yet to align with current realities in the international oil market, stressing that the expected passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will generally transform the industry.

Speaking during the Third Annual Value Chain Magazine’s Lecture and Awards in Abuja, the NNPC boss maintained that the oil and gas industry was desperately in need of reforms, which the corporation is embarking upon, to make it more beneficial to its shareholders, the Nigerian people.

At the event with the theme: “The Role of the Media in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry Reform and Investment,’’ Kyari reiterated that the national oil company was no longer scared of being scrutinised by the public, explaining that there’s currently a new environment for transparency and accountability

in the NNPC. To that end, the NNPC GMD said the 2019 audited report of the corporation will soon be released to the public as a follow-up to the 2018 statement recently released, the first in 43 years.

According to him, the media should henceforth go beyond informing and educating the audience to asking probing questions in the way the industry is governed.

He said: “This is done when the media asks probing questions in the way people are governed and ultimately by joining forces with critical stakeholders and decision-makers in the society toward making life better for the common man.

“I have said it times without number that the NNPC is never afraid of any scrutiny. We will continue to play our strategic role as a key enabler of Nigeria’s economy.

“Our commitment toward entrenching Transparency, Accountability and best-inclass Performance Excellence (TAPE) in all our operations is still unshakeable. Since coming on board, we have been very open in our dealings with all

our partners and stakeholders.

“From the unprecedented publication of our Audited Financial Statement and monthly financial and operational reports, to crude term contracts and several other bids and contracting processes. We are not relenting until this great corporation attains global excellence.”

Kyari posited that anything that happens in the oil and gas industry has a very direct impact on the country and implications for the economy, adding that it is the reason conversation around oil and gas is critical.

“We will continue to play our role as key enablers of the Nigerian economy and our commitment to promoting transparency and accountability will remain unshakeable.

“The petroleum industry, which has been with us for a long time, has been transformed with several modalities globally, but we as a nation has not fully adjusted to the realities in the industry,” he said.

He said the laws in Nigeria have not responded to the changes that have happened in the industry over time, adding that getting the PIB that is before the National Assembly

passed will be a major step for the nation.

This, he explained, would make the sector more competitive and attract more investors.

“The process of this bill has been ongoing since 1999, and I am very sure it will be brought to a close soon. Through positive deliberations by stakeholders, the law will be passed,” he assured.

Kyari noted that the corporation will continue to partner with the media to ensure Nigerians are properly informed on the new proposed law, saying that every Nigerian deserves to know what the legislation means for the country and for the industry.

“It is therefore duty-bound on the media to continue to scrutinise the provisions of the bill to provide validation and even additional value,” the GMD said, stressing: “I am optimistic that through positive engagement and collaboration between the executive, the legislature and other stakeholders, the PIB will smoothly scale through the remaining legislative hurdles.”

He said with such legislation in place, the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is certain and assured.

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Abdulsalami-led National Peace Committee Hails Ondo Election APC, PDP bicker over Akeredolu’s victory Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC) and Nigeria's former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has described the conduct of the last governorship election in Ondo State as worthy of emulation.

In a statement issued yesterday, Abdulsalami congratulated the people of Ondo State for the way and manner they conducted themselves throughout the period of the governorship election, leading up to the announcement of the election results.

He said: "Through the expression of your exemplary sacrifice, decorum, and courage, you played your part in deepening the culture of peaceful elections in Nigeria.

"You have once again shown Nigerians that your votes count irrespective of the earlier fears, uncertainty, tensions and anxiety that preceded the election. Nigerians appreciate your conduct and display of

patriotism, which is worthy of emulation."

Abdulsalami also commended the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and his team for working tirelessly day and night, to consolidate on the gains of the Edo State governorship election.

He said that there is no doubt that the commission has been able to replicate the Edo State election’s success story.

Abdulsalami further expressed the appreciation of the National Peace Committee to the Nigerian Police, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee for Election and Security, other security agencies, development partners, and civil society groups for their tireless efforts which led to the success of the governorship election in Ondo State.

He also commended traditional rulers who collaboratively deployed their moral authority in the appeal for peace and tranquillity in the state.

While praising candidates

at the election for signing the Peace Accord, he urged all participants in the election to remain calm with the outcome of the election with respect to the letter and spirit of the Peace Accord that was signed in the state.

APC, PDP Bicker over Akeredolu’s Victory Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday traded words over the demand by the ruling party for the PDP to congratulate Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on his victory in last Saturday’s governorship election.

The Chairman of the National Caretaker/ Convention Committee of the APC and Yobe State Governor, Malam Mai Mala Buni, yesterday asked the PDP to congratulate the party following its triumph in last Saturday's governorship election in Ondo State.

But in a swift reaction, the PDP argued that the

emergence of Buni in the national leadership of his party is a subject of litigation, insisting that Buni’s nomination of any candidate for the election was seen, even among APC members, as a nullity until the court says otherwise.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, Buni commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, local and international observers, for being professional and ethical in the discharge of their responsibilities during the election.

He stated: "It is said, one good turn deserves another, and just like we congratulated PDP in the Edo election, we look forward to seeing PDP and the other political parties extend similar gesture to us in the spirit of good sportsmanship.

By so doing, we will make elections in Nigeria healthier and attractive, rather than making elections a do or die affair."

Reacting to Buni’s call, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, told journalists

in Abuja yesterday that the opposition party won’t congratulate Akeredolu because the emergence of Buni is still a subject of litigation.

PDP said it was ridiculous for Buni to be begging it to congratulate Akeredolu for his re-election when the party is also aware that an unnamed official of the NNPC made money available for the APC to buy the votes in the Ondo State governorship election.

According to the spokesperson of the PDP: "It is indeed ludicrous and completely absurd that Governor Buni is begging for endorsement of the election in spite of his awareness that the internal mechanism that produced his party’s candidate, as presided over by him, was faulty.

"Nigerians already know that the emergence of Governor Mai Buni in the national leadership of his party is a subject of litigation and as such his nomination of any candidate for the election is seen, even among his party

members, as a nullity until the court says otherwise.

"It will, therefore, be pathetic for Governor Mai Buni to attempt to use the PDP to build something on the nothingness of his position in his party. The PDP is too structured as a party to be used by anybody, under any guise, in that regard."

"Governor Buni is not aware that information available in the public space and to the PDP showed that a very toplevel management official of the NNPC, through a Northwest governor elected on the platform of the APC, diverted huge amounts of money, in dollar, from our nation oil resources to fund vote-buying in the Ondo election.

"While our party will, in due course, make its official position on the outcome of the Ondo election known, the PDP urges President Muhammadu Buhari to take steps that will accelerate the amendment of the Electoral Act, which was stalled following his failure to sign the amended Act of the National Assembly in 2019."

p ro f e s s i o n a l / p e r s o n a l qualities, international contacts and impeccable records as Nigeria’s former Finance minister/Foreign Affairs minister and as former managing director of the World Bank, stand her high above the other contestant.

She is a renowned global finance expert, an economist and international development professional with over 30 years of experience, having worked in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

She is presently the Chair of the Board of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Since its creation in 2000, GAVI has immunised over 760 million children across the globe. She

also sits on the boards of Standard Chartered Plc and Twitter Inc. She was recently appointed African Union Special Envoy to mobilise international financial support in the fight against COVID-19, as well as Envoy for the World Health Organisation’s access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, recently appointed OkonjoIweala to serve as a member of her newly-established External Advisory Group.

In addition, Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s Finance minister, from 2003-2006 and 2011-2015 and briefly as Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs minister in 2006, the

first woman to hold both positions.

As Finance minister, Okonjo-Iweala steered Nigeria through the varying degree of reforms, particularly on macroeconomic, trade, financial and real sector issues.

As Managing Director (Operations) of the World Bank, her several portfolios included oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia.

Okonjo-Iweala spearheaded several World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during the 2008-2009 food crises and later in the trying period of the global financial crisis.

OKONJO-IWEALA GETS MORE PRESIDENTIAL PUSH FOR WTO DG letters to some world leaders for more support.

“I did the same for Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina for President of the African Development Bank. Both of you served the country under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). You are both highly qualified. We will continue to support you. I will immediately make those calls,’’ the president told the former minister.

In her remarks, OkonjoIweala, a renowned development economist, thanked the Buhari and his ministers, particularly the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment for supporting her staunchly.

“I feel very proud of

Nigeria. I am getting so much support from you, Mr. President, Chief of Staff, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investments. The ministers have been working around the clock to ensure that I succeed,’’ she said.

The former Minister of Finance also appreciated ECOWAS leaders for their endorsement, mentioning, in particular, the outstanding contributions of President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic and immediate past Chairman of ECOWAS as well as President Alhassan Quattara of Cote d’Ivoire.

She asked the president to “make one final push within the week to beat

the Koreans and bring this to Nigeria by sending a few letters and placing telephone calls to some world leaders, and also thank others for their support.’’

“Mr. President put a smile on my face,’’ she said, “I am very proud of the country.’’

Okonjo-Iweala, 66, served as her country’s first female finance and foreign minister, and has a 25-year career behind her as a development economist at the World Bank, eventually becoming its number two.

She is also on Twitter’s board of directors and is a special envoy for the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 fight.

According to analysts, Okonjo-Iweala’s high

CULPABLE OPERATIVES WON’T ESCAPE JUSTICE, SAYS BUHARI AS ANTI-SARS PROTESTS SPREAD In Delta State, the police arraigned 14 persons before an Ughelli Magistrate Court in Ughelli North Local Government Area, in connection with last Thursday's #EndSARS protest in the town.

Buhari spoke yesterday at the State House, Abuja during the launch of the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES), aimed at creating 774,000 jobs across the local government areas (LGAs) in the country.

The event was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan; Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State; and Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.

The president said he had directed an immediate investigation of the circumstances surrounding the killing of Isiaka Jimoh, one of the #EndSARS protesters, who was shot dead in Ogbomoso, Oyo State on Saturday.

The Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, had on Sunday, ordered the immediate dissolution of SARS unit following escalating protests across the country.

While regretting the unfortunate incident in Ogbomoso, the president promised that all those responsible for the misconduct or wrongful acts would be brought to justice.

He, however, reminded Nigerians that the majority of the members of the Police Force are carrying out their duties diligently, warning that the few bad eggs in the force should not be allowed to tarnish the reputation of the entire force.

He said: “I will like to use this opportunity to say a word on the recent genuine concerns and agitations by Nigerians about the excessive use of force and in some cases extra-judicial killings and wrongful conduct of the men of the Nigerian Police Force.

“The disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police reforms in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remain the protection of lives and the livelihood of our people.

“We will also ensure that all those responsible for misconduct or wrongful acts are brought to justice.

“We deeply regret the loss of life of the young man in Oyo State during the recent demonstrations.

I have directed that the circumstances of his death should be thoroughly investigated.”

Speaking on the empowerment programme, the president restated his administration’s commitment to youth development and poverty alleviation.

He pledged that the federal government’s policies of social protection and people empowerment would continue on track, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.

The president, who described P-YES as a cornerstone of his administration’s social and economic development strategies, said it was part of the overall policy of ensuring that 100 million Nigerians were lifted out of poverty in ten years.

“The P-YES is also part of the plan that we adopted in 2016 in which we empowered One hundred youths from each of the 774 Local Government Areas with the necessary tools to acquire skills and establish small

businesses,” he explained, adding: “Given the success of that initiative, we are now committed to creating 774,000 jobs across all the LGAs, through the P-YES programme.”

Many Feared Killed as Protest Turns Bloody in Lagos Meanwhile, the #End SARS protest turned bloody yesterday in Lagos as many protesters were feared killed in Surulere area of the state.

The authorities, however, confirmed the death of a policeman and a civilian in circumstances. While the police confirmed the loss of one of their operatives to the protest, the Lagos State government in a statement last night said the deaths were caused by hoodlums' attack on a police facility.

According to the statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, “A group of hoodlums stormed the Anti-Kidnapping Unit at Hogan Bassey Street, Surulere, to free two suspects standing trial for alleged kidnapping.

“They shot three officers.

One of them, Inspector

Erinfolami Ayodeji, unfortunately, died. The others are Inspectors Ekein Joshua and Peter Agabi.

“The hoodlums, while escaping, fired into the air.

A bystander was hit. He also died - sadly.”

The police in another statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said three of its officers were shot by the protesters, explaining that while one had died, the other two were critically wounded and were receiving treatment in the hospital.

Thousands of #EndSARS protesters had also converged on the grounds of the everbusy Lekki Tollgate and grounded it to a halt.

Chanting protest songs, they declared that they had declared a compulsory holiday for all Lagos residents, hence the blockade on roads.

The traffic snarl that ensued from the blockade spread to both sides of the Lekki Tollgate, spilling over to different parts of Lagos.

Not only were cars stuck in the gridlock, commuters and pedestrians alike were stranded, a move that forced some of them to join the

protest.

While most motorists made their way to the alternative route, the huge flow of traffic soon became an albatross.

Continued on page 35

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

#End SARS: Youths Sustain Protests in Abuja, Jos, Onitsha Storm US, EU, UK embassies PDP urges Buhari to restructure, overhaul police Chuks Okocha and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Despite the disbandment of the dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, protesters yesterday continued in Abuja, Onitsha in Anambra State and Jos in Plateau State to demand comprehensive reforms of policing in the country.

This is coming as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to go beyond scrapping the SARS to restructure and overhaul the Nigeria Police.

The street demonstrators, mainly youths and civil rights activists, stormed the Force Headquarters, the Embassies of the United States and United Kingdom and the European Union Press Centre in Maitama to press home their demands.

One of the key demands made by the activists to the US and UK embassies was a call for a visa ban on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu and members of his family for Enwonwu’s role in the human rights violation against protesters in Oyo State, which resulted in the death of scores of protesters in Ogbomoso, in the northern part of the city.

Yesterday’s protest was largely successful in spite of large presence of heavily-armed police personnel that was stationed around the Eagle Square and the Force Headquarters along the Shehu Shagari Road to deter the protesters.

Different activists groups also staged protests at Wuse Market and Central Business District later

in the day.

The protesters were demanding the immediate release of all arrested protesters, reforms by the federal government into policing, including increment of police salary so that policemen will be adequately compensated for protecting lives and property of citizens.

Other demands were justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families in addition to the setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct within 10 days.

The protesters also want the police authority to set up an independent body to evaluate and retrain all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed in line with new Police Act. Meanwhile, the PDP also berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for attempting to trivialise the excesses of the disbanded SARS. The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that the party supported the dissolution of the SARS of the police.

The party, however charged Buhari to also take immediate steps to “completely overhaul and restructure the entire police architecture to engender professionalism, adherence to rule of law and respect for the fundamental rights of Nigerians. “ The statement read in part, “Our party also demands that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, should go beyond dissolution and

Nigeria’s COVID-19 Cases Rise By 164 to 60,430 Ejiofor Alike Nigeria yesterday recorded 164 cases of COVID-19, bringing the total confirmed cases to 60,430, while 51, 943 cases were discharged.

The country has also recorded a total of 1,115 deaths.

Announcing this

yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said Lagos recorded 64 cases; FCT, 26; Enugu, 20; Kaduna, 11; Oyo, 11; Plateau, eight; Ondo, seven; Anambra, four; Nasarawa, three; Osun, three; Ebonyi, three; Imo, two; Benue, one; Katsina, one and Ogun, one.

Nine Persons Feared Dead in Osun Tanker Explosion No fewer than nine people were feared dead in a road accident that occurred at Igbelajewa village, along the Ilesha-Akure expressway, yesterday when a truck carrying diesel lost control, spilled its content on the read before catching fire.

About seven vehicles, including an 18-passenger commercial bus were reportedly burnt.

When contacted, spokesperson for Osun Command of Nigeria Police Force, Yemisi Opalola, said the accident occurred around 11a.m, adding however that

men of the Federal Fire Service had extinguished the fire.

Also, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service in the state, Adija Basiri, said nine lives were lost to the inferno.

She said, “Our men responded to a distress call this morning after a collision between two trucks at Ilesa/ Akure Express road in Erin Ijesha, Osun State resulting in a fire outbreak.

“Nine casualties were recorded with one receiving treatment in the hospital. The fire affected nine vehicles and two trucks.”

reassignment of SARS officers by commencing the profiling, arrest and prosecution of the members of the disbanded outfit and other errant police operatives involved in the

reported series of extra-judicial killings, unlawful arrests and detention, extortion, harassment and dehumanization of innocent Nigerians, particularly in the last five years.

“Without mincing words, the PDP insists that no indicted officer should be reassigned and allowed to go unpunished after such heinous crime against the Nigerian people.

“Those who killed, maimed, dehumanised and foisted a reign of terror on innocent Nigerians must be made to answer for their devilish actions.”

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY...

L-R: Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Sam Onuigbo; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; representative of Abia State Governor, Mr. Use Okoh; Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora; and the initiator of the project, Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma, during the inauguration of a 50-bed ultra-modern medical centre in Umuahia, Abia State…yesterday

Gunmen Kill Former Varsity Director in Bauchi Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Barely 24 hours after two persons were killed in Gundum Hausawa, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis, gunmen have also killed a former Director of Works at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Mr. Hassan Sabo Jama’are.

The Bauchi State Police Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP

Ahmed Wakili who confirmed the incident, said that the late Hassan Sabo Jama’are was attacked and murdered by his assailants at about 10 p.m on Sunday as he was about to enter his house at Tudun Salmanu.

According to him, “the assailants trailed the ATBU Director of works and when he got to his house and was about to open the gate, the

gunmen attacked him by shooting him at close range, seized his Honda Accord car keys and drove away with it” The PPRO added that, “he managed to crawl into the house and his family raised the alarm, which attracted neighbours to the scene. He was rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead on arrival. Though no arrest has been made, Police personnel have been drafted to the area

while the attackers are being trailed by the Police” .

A resident of the area had earlier told THISDAY that the assailants actually trailed him from Bauchi metropolis until they got to his house before attacking him.

He said that the funeral prayers were held yesterday at Ibn Abas Juma’at Mosque, BRC Quarters, Tudun-Tudun Salmanu, Bauchi.

Pay-As-You-Go Not Feasible in DSTV, MultiChoice CEO Tells House Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) billing model advocated by Nigerians is not technically and commercially feasible, the Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, owners of DSTV, Mr. John Ugbe, has stated.

Ugbe, who spoke when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee investigating the non-implementation of PAYG subscription model by satellite television operators, said the company does not have the technology to offer pay as you go at the moment.

He explained that Pay-PerView (PPV) is often confused with PAYG, adding that the PAYG model used in the telecommunications sector is not the right fit for pay television.

According to him, PAYG in telecommunications, is a metered service that ensures consumers are billed only for the service they consume and not for a fixed period.

He argued that PayAs-You-Go is possible in telecommunication sector because it relies on a two-way communication system, which enables operators to determine when a consumer is connected, the service consumed and duration of connection.

He maintained satellite broadcasters, unlike telecommunications firms, cannot offer pay television services because satellite broadcasting is a one-way system and does not enable broadcasters to determine when a subscriber is connected and/ or watching or what channel is being viewed.

He said: “It is only in instances where there is a twoway communication between the device at the subscriber’s home and the head end of the pay-tv service provider, which will enable the provider to determine when a subscriber is connected or not, that a billing system could be designed to take into cognisance the subscriber’s behaviour”.

He said the Pay- As-You-

Go can only be feasible if there is a total and global remodelling of the satellite broadcasting technical and billing architecture, adding the result will be that consumers will have to much higher tariffs to access the service.

“The economies of scale model employed by broadcasters mean that subscribers pay less.

“We are yet to see a pay TV business anywhere in the world that does PAYG in the sense intended here. We do not believe the model is technically or commercially feasible,” Ugbe declared.

He maintained that Pay-PerView, is however different from PAYG and more expensive, as it entails a broadcaster transmitting a single event at the same time to its subscribers who have paid to watch the event.

“A subscriber who wants to watch an event on PPV is required to pay an additional fee besides his subscription.

“A typical example would be the Mayweather and Pacquiao,

and Wilder and Fury II boxing bouts which were retailed on PPV in the United States for $100 and $79.99 respectively.

“The Mayweather/Pacquiao bout, which was shown on DStv premium bouquet, would cost N38,000, which would far exceed the cost of any of the DStv bouquets.

“The bouquet or bundling model is an effective and efficient means of providing a large but still manageable variety of choice to satisfy consumer demand for entertainment, at the lowest possible cost to consumers,” he said.

Ugbe also addressed the widespread belief that MultiChoice adjusted tariffs on 1 June, noting that what it did was to implement the new rate of the Value Added Tax (VAT), as required by law, adding the company takes into account many factors like inflation, increasing costs of input costs and technical upgrades, impact on subscribers as well as exchange rate fluctuations to arrive at tariffs.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Nigeria May Witness Second Wave of COVID-19, Says PTF To seek Buhari’s approval on resumption of work by civil servants Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has charged Nigerians to anticipate a possible second wave of the outbreak of the virus.

The task force has also stated that it would seek the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the resumption of middle and junior cadre civil servants in the federal civil service below the Grade Level 12.

The Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, disclosed this yesterday during a briefing in Abuja.

According to him, no nation is guaranteed immunity against resurgence of the virus.

He advised Nigerians to be mindful of its possibility, pointing out the only cover is strict adherence to guidelines

and protocols.

“The PTF is glad that the economy is opening up the more, but warns that as we continue to study developments in Europe and other parts of the world, no nation can be said to be immune to a possible second wave if the guidelines and protocols are not adhered to strictly. Nigerians need to anticipate this and prepare. Our hope and prayers are that it shall never happen.

“For our proper information and guidance, the picture from around the world can be summarised as follows. Over the last few days, global cases crossed the 37 million mark. In the UK, cases have been on the increase, and the 5th highest number of daily cases was recorded on Sunday 11th (12,872). ‘’Similarly, Brazil’s case load has also continued to increase

with the registration of a daily case load of over 65,000 on the 11th of October,” he said.

He announced the next steps in national response efforts would be made public during the week after findings of recommendations must have been presented to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Meanwhile, the PTF said it would clear with and seek the approval of Buhari for the resumption of middle and junior cadre civil servants in the federal civil service below the Grade

Level 12.

The National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr. Sani Aliyu, made this disclosure yesterday when the task force addressed the press.

Currently only civil servants from level 12 and above and workers on essential duty have resumed under the ease of lockdown issued by the federal government as precaution against the spread of COVID-19.

Aliyu said that PTF is in discussion with the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation

on the workers’ resumption and will take a decision on the issue over the next few days.

He also said that in the coming weeks passengers without PCR codes generated via portal will not be allowed to board flights.

He said that decision will be communicated to airlines, thus effectively ending congestion at the airports.

Aliyu further stressed that 80 of the first 2,403 passengers, representing 3.3 per cent of the passengers, that were tested in

Lagos seven days after arriving the country tested positive.

He said the affected persons had negative covid result on arrival adding 25 out of the first 2,700 passengers or 1.1 per cent that were tested in Abuja were positive.

The cumulative number of 105 passengers, out of 5,000 that arrived the country since the Lagos and Abuja airports commenced international flights in September, and were retested turned positive for coronavirus.

Ogbomoso Monarch Narrates How Hoodlums Attacked Palace The Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Ajagungbade III, has denied reports that protesters were killed when they attacked his palace on Sunday.

Ajagundade in a statement issued yesterday by the Principal Secretary to Soun of Ogbomosoland, Mr. Toyin Ajamu, said the palace was attacked by “hoodlums” who damaged properties.

He also complained that a chief was injured during the attack.

The statement, dated October 12, was titled ‘Unprovoked attack on Ogbomoso Palace: No death recorded’.

Part of the statement read, “The attack was perpetrated by hoodlums and miscreants, disguised as protesters against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), leading to the wanton destruction of properties and vehicles at the palace. A chief among other palace officials, also sustained injuries.

“Contrary to fake news being disseminated on social media, we state categorically that despite

the needless provocations and ill-treatment meted out to the Royal household during the violent attack on the Palace, the Paramount ruler and his household did not retaliate.

“Kabiyesi, who was with his chiefs and subjects, including Minister of Youth and Sports Development (an indigene of Ogbomoso), when the hoodlums invaded the palace, advised the palace staff to refrain from attacking the hoodlums.

“Hence, none of the miscreants and thugs was attacked by the palace household but rather a chief, who was pelted with stones by the hoodlums sustained serious injuries.

“The dead bodies being circulated on social media were brought into the palace by the hoodlums to cause confusion and justify the attack on the palace.”

The monarch, subsequently, implored appropriate authorities to investigate the incident in a bid to bring the perpetrators of the attack to book and avert a recurrence.

N’Delta States Should Manage Crude Oil, Gas, Says CoRN The Coalition of Riverine Deltans (CoRN), has demanded that states in Niger Delta should also control their oil and gas deposits just as Zamfara State in the north controls gold found in the state.

CoRN in a statement by the spokesman, Meshach Bebenimibo, said governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, made it clear, recently, gold deposits in the state belong to the state and it would be supplying N5 billion gold to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

It stated: ‘The Coalition of Riverine Deltans, frowns at the Federal Government of Nigeria for

enslaving the core Niger Deltans and Niger Delta at large. Our oil is a national cake, while the gold in Zamfara belongs to the Northern people.

“Do they think we are fools in Niger Delta, if Zamfara State owns the gold , which is a natural resource or mineral resource in their land and government is requesting them to bring N5billion gold, then, the federal government should also allow Niger Delta to supply it crude oil, whatever quantity they want since we own the oil.”

SERVICE TO HUMANITY...

L-R: President of Rotary Club of Ikeja, Mr. Alex Abah; Chairman, Club’s Service Project, Mrs. Perpetua Mbanefo; District Governor, Rotary District 9110, Mr. Bola Oyebade; and Commander, 9 Brigade, Army Cantonment, Ikeja, Brig. Gen. Musa Etsu - Ndagi, during the inauguration of the complete refurbishment/upgrade of a water borehole at the Army Cantonment Ikeja donated by Rotary Club of Ikeja GRA...yesterday

SARS: Training of New Police Unit Begins Next Week, Says IG The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, has revealed that the training of a new police unit that will take over from the disbanded Special Anti -Robbery Squad (SARS) will commence next week.

Adamu spoke yesterday when popular musician, David Adeleke aka Davido, visited him in office over the ongoing #ENDSARS protests.

He said with SARS being disbanded, there was need to get a new structure to carry out

the duties the defunct police unit was carrying out, which is fighting violent crimes.

He said the new outfit would be intelligence -driven, properly trained and only act on special occasions that require their attention.

He said the unit would be made up of fresh personnel with a fresh orientation and not officers from the scrapped unit.

He said opportunities would be created for members of the public to participate in and make inputs to the formation of the new unit.

Adamu said this was the first time they have decisively taken to dissolve SARS and called for calm as they continue to resolve all the issues.

He said Davido‘s visit to talk about the issue was the best way to deal with the current problem. .

He said in the formation of the new unit corrections would be taken from the experience of SARS. “We just disbanded yesterday so protesters should calm down and give us time to fix the problem.

The general public will be part of the process of getting a new outfit.

“I’m talking to you so I will keep talking to many others and get civil societies involved and get their input towards the new unit,” he said.

The IG promised to investigate all cases of brutality and bring perpetrators to book.

He said the issue of compensation to the families of those affected by SARS’ would be addressed when investigations are concluded.

THISDAY Editorial Board Chair Donates Books to Unilorin, Others The Chairman of the Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, has donated copies of his new book, ‘NAKED ABUSE: Sex for Grades in African Universities’, to some universities in the country including the University of Ilorin.

While Unilorin got 150 copies; Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, got 300; BAZE University, Abuja,150; University of Lagos,150; Lagos State University (LASU), 100; Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, 100; University of Jos, 100; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 150; University of Maiduguri,100; Federal University of Technology, Minna, 100; University of

Calabar,150; Edo State University, Iyhamuo, 100; University of Abuja, 100; and the University of Ibadan, 150.

Handing over the books to the Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, Mr. Kunle Akogun, in Lagos at the weekend, Adeniyi said that the book was informed by his determination to contribute his “voice and platform to the campaign to end all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence”.

Adeniyi, who was represented by the Creative Director /Digital Publisher of ‘NAKED ABUSE’ on Amazon.com, Mr. Sunny Hughes, disclosed that “the

research for the book started in 2018, following the conviction of Prof. Richard Akindele at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. That was almost a year before the BBC Documentary on the same issue was aired in September 2019”.

According to Adeniyi, “in writing the book, my main objectives include: raising the profile of discourse on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions on the continent, deepening awareness of the drivers, risks and consequences of the culture of gender- based violence on our campuses, and influencing the development and implementation of policies

and systems to tackle the challenge “.

The author said, “Exposing the culture of sex-for-marks, I believe, would not only help highlight the malaise, it could also kick-start efforts towards curbing predatory behaviour on our campuses. Only then can we truly begin to make education spaces safe for women and girls in Africa.”

Receiving the books, Akogun expressed the gratitude of the University of Ilorin to the author and multiple award-winning journalist, saying that the book would be a valuable addition to the collection of the University Library.

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COMMENT

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

DEEP SIGHS AFTER SARS There are deep sighs everywhere in Nigeria, writes Matthew Ayibakuro

S

ince the #ENDSARS protests began, I have had a tab open on my computer to put down my reflections on the movement. Like many young people in Nigeria, I have had several regrettable experiences with SARS and the Nigeria Police Force generally. The memory of each experience only brought me deep sighs. I tried writing about the time officers of SARS stopped me on the road a couple of days after burying my mother last year. They claimed a paper issued to me by the Nigeria Police Force was fake and demanded N50,000 to let me go.

I could not call the Command of the Force that issued the paper because they had put up the roadblock at the one point on the East West Road where there was no cellular network. Being in a state of mourning, I could not muster the strength to fight, so I begged and explained.

It was all to no avail though. The intermittent tears in my eyes meant nothing either. After over two hours, I got some bars on my phone and made a call to a senior – and reasonable senior police officer – before I was allowed to continue my trip. Deep sighs.

I tried to write about the time they stopped me on the road and asked for the receipt for my laptop. This was not SARS officers though. There were just another group of ineffective mobile police officers. They wanted a hard copy of the receipt. They would not let me look for a soft copy on the laptop. They claimed I was a criminal and said my ID Card stating that I was a lecturer was fake.

The beard on my face excluding me from the academic class, apparently, and my explanations nugatory. This time I had the strength to fight, so I did. We shouted and argued for over an hour. It was to no avail though, and after exhausting my legal vocabulary, I had to make another call.

In Nigeria, you have to always have disposable cash or a number to call, or in some cases, both. Those are the only valuable currencies to engage with the Nigeria Police Force; not your human rights or your complaints or the crime you have to report. Deep sighs. As the memories haunted me and I read about the experiences of others and the protests on the streets, all I had were deep sighs.

This morning, as I sit at my table to put down these words after reading the news about the dissolution of SARS by the Inspector-General of Police, I can feel my sighs getting even deeper. I feel no elation whatsoever.

No sigh of relief either, just a bitter sense of accomplishment. Yes, the main demand of the protests has been accomplished and for that the youths of Nigeria, and

ON THE SURFACE, THIS PROTEST MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABOUT ENDING SARS, BUT THE DEGREE OF FRUSTRATION SEEN ON THE STREETS OF NIGERIAN CITIES OVER THE LAST WEEK OR SO TELLS A DEEPER STORY. IT IS A STORY OF PERENNIAL POLICE BRUTALITY; OF INSENSITIVE GOVERNANCE; OF CORRUPT AND INEFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

all those around the world who demonstrated solidarity, should be proud, but now what?

It feels as if, by disbanding the outfit, the InspectorGeneral has forcefully put out a fire before it had reached its crescendo and consumed the many inequities that bedevil the Nigerian youth. On the surface, this protest might have been about ending SARS, but the degree of frustration seen on the streets of Nigerian cities over the last week or so tells a deeper story. It is a story of perennial police brutality; of insensitive governance; of corrupt and ineffective leadership; of poor infrastructure; of unemployment and a lack of opportunity; of a broken educational system; of endless deep sighs.

Even as the youths return to the depressing realities of their Nigerian-hood, those in public universities would be reminded of the grim fact that they have no idea when they would return to school as a result of yet another strike by university lecturers demanding for better funding for the broken tertiary education system in the country. There are deep sighs everywhere you look in Nigeria.

That is why many young people across the country would be waking up to the “is that it?” feeling after the disbandment of SARS. Is this really it? Do we now all just take this crumb of victory and go home or is this an opportunity to demand for responsible governance in Nigeria?

As for the dissolution of SARS, I am certain we have not heard the last of it. The public statement released by the Inspector-General’s office leaves many questions unanswered: Will the guilty officers of SARS be prosecuted and held accountable for their actions? How far back would the enquiry into the actions of the guilty officers go and would there be a formal enquiry at all?

Would the disbanded members of SARS and all other officers of the Nigeria Police Force be made to undergo compulsory training on respect for human rights? Are Nigerians finally going to see its police force reformed?

How strategic and inclusive would the reform process be?

Knowing Nigeria, it would be foolhardy to expect optimistic answers to these questions. Our only optimism is that the youths of Nigeria took a stand through peaceful protests and won, albeit a pyrrhic victory, considering the lives lost to SARS operatives and during the protests. It is a victory that leaves a deep sigh, for the disbandment of SARS and the many battles ahead. r%S .BUUIFX UFBDIFT BU UIF /JHFS %FMUB 6OJWFSTJUZ #BZFMTB 4UBUF

DOMA’S WRONG NARRATIVE ON KEANA KINGDOM Joseph Adi Keana argues that the Uban Doma’s perspective is flawed

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he uproar over the paper presented by the Uban Doma/ Hakimin Keana North, Musa Elayo Abdullahi on 2 October 2020 in Keana, Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has compelled me, as a custodian of the history of my people to write this rejoinder.

Abdullahi’s paper which was presented on the 4th anniversary of 34th Osana of Keana, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abdullahi Amegwa Agbo III drew the ire of many Alago speakers.

Highpoint of the occasion was the official commissioning of the Palace Juma’at Masjid by a very distinguished guest, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III. It was no doubt a colourful event but the presentation by my own brother, Abdullahi robbed the moment of its grandeur. The glory of that gathering was vitiated by the Uban Doma’s apparently jaundiced perspective on the story of the very place he hails from.

His paper entitled, “Growth and Development of Islam in Keana Kingdom” was cockeyed, biased and far removed from verifiable facts on the ground. The foremost flaw in the Uban Doma’s narrative is the flagrant disregard for the activities of Christian missionaries in Keana. He painted a picture of only Islam making incursion in Keana, totally leaving out the very vital and functional footprints of the Christian missionaries whose relics stand side by side those of their Islamic counterparts. In his list of Osanas of Keana, he left out the fact that Keana has produced an Osana who was a staunch Christian.

The 33rd Osana of Keana, His Royal Majesty, Osana Emmanuel Onyatikpo Elayo (OON, KSM, JP), a devout Catholic, was a descendant of the founder of Keana and the first Osana of Keana, the legendary Akanya Adi.

I am surprised that Osana Emmanuel Elayo who was in the forefront of the agitation for enforcement of the fundamental rights of the Alago since colonial time would be so easily forgotten. This is a man that laboured and paid dearly for protecting the Keana traditional political leadership. And his concern was not just for Keana but for all the Alago people and their neighbours. He was persecuted by colonial authorities in 1950 when he was arrested and detained.

As far as I know, we are all descendants of what we commonly call “pagan”. The epic Akanya Adi was neither a Christian nor a Muslim yet he occupies a very distinguished position in the history of our people. There is therefore no need for twisting facts.

The kind of writing the Uban Doma did has potential for acrimony and animosity. Is it not better we avoid things like this and toe the path of truth?

The Uban Doma weeded an entire 13-year (2003-2016) history of the Keana kingdom. Curiously, this was the period of the reign of the 33rd Osana who was a Christian.

I cannot place my finger on what made the writer do what he did. One might say he lacked the knowledge.

However, a writer who embarks on the mission of chronicling events must have studied the tools of historical writing.

Had he consulted stakeholders of the Keana kingdom, he would not have made these errors.

Osana Emmaneul Elayo who traversed the entire Nigerian public service space; at a time sitting in the topmost chambers of the lawmaking arm of government, left the throne only four years ago. What manner of amnesia would make a writer forget a vital subject of history that left not quite long?

Well, I would like to help Uban Doma because it is not too late for him

to put right his error-riddled work. I recommend a recent book entitled “A Million Miles Away: A Bibliography of Emmanuel Onyatikpo Elayo – The 33rd Osana of Keana” to him. It is a very objective treatise not only on the person of 33rd Osana but the checkered history of our people. It was put together by scholars who are no indigenes of Keana.

Lest we forget, the same Osana Emmanuel Elayo left numerous children, both as Muslims and Christians in all walks of life. Some are titleholders in Keana, so I just cannot see how this name escaped the Uban Doma.

Though a Christian, Osana Emmaneul Elayo did not discriminate against his subjects for their diverse religious leanings. He preached love in diversity, tolerance and togetherness. He believed that the palace belongs to all – so-called pagans, Christians and Muslims. And truly that is the philosophy of the people of Keana. Anybody who becomes Osana can live in that palace.

Osana Emmanuel Elayo was in the forefront, fighting for the emancipation, unity and progress of the Alago and that placed him as the leading star of his people. He was the first Alago to be councillor in the days of the old Lafia Native Authority.

Indeed, the modern history of Keana is synonymous with the developmental strides of the 33rd Osana of Keana. The major road leading to Keana which was built in the days of Solomon Lar administration in the old Plateau State is a product of his struggles for the good of Keana.

In fact, the Uban Doma in his mind knows well that he is a beneficiary of the good works and generosity of Osana Emmanuel Elayo just as I am. No Osana in the modern day Keana is comparable to Osana Emmanuel Elayo whose political and leadership height was quite high.

As a founding member and BoT member

of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he was among the great men who fought to restore democracy in Nigeria.

Yet, all this meant nothing to my brother because his mission was to impress a given people. He set out to warm the heart of a particular audience but a writer is better appreciated when he writes for the general public.

Yes, I believe the Uban Doma is not unaware of the great strides of Osana Emmanuel Elayo. I plead with him to discontinue with this task of impinging biases on narratives that witnesses abound.

I therefore, urge dispassionate professionals (especially of Alago) like historians, anthropologists, sociologists to begin to voraciously produce and circulate works on the people of Alago nation so records will not continue to be distorted.

I would like to express my profound gratitude to the executive governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III for their commitment to peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

Since becoming governor, he has brought peace– there are no more incidents of ethnic strife in Nasarawa State. This is a gesture all peace-loving people should emulate and desist from stoking the ambers of anguish and discord.

The Sultan of Sokoto came from far away Sokoto with a very strong message which if imbibed will help us a lot. He was reported to have chastised agents of religious sectarianism, noting that God knows why we are of diverse religious groups. He said God would have made all human beings to belong to one religion if He so wished, therefore there is no point stereotyping and segregating people on the basis of faith. r,FBOB B QPMJUJDBM TDJFOUJTU XSPUF GSPN 6OHXBO 3JNJ ,BEVOB

15

T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍŻÍąËœ 2020

EDITORIAL

OSINBAJO AND MERIT-BASED SYSTEM The application of quota system is overdue for review

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onscious of the downside of the quota system which holds certain groups to different standards, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has consistently harped on the need to embrace merit if we want to make progress as a nation. At a conference in 2017, he stated clearly that the country must do away with sentiments in appointments. At another workshop earlier in the year, he called for the adoption of a merit-based system in the appointment of judges. Last week at the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) webinar series, he once again upped the ante, arguing that for Nigeria to attain economic growth and development, the dominant principle in appointing people into public offices should be merit rather than federal character.

Talk of course is cheap. The real issue is to put in practice all the preachments by the number two man in the current administration.

A PRACTICE THAT The quota system STIFLES INITIATIVES is a federal govTHROUGH SYSTEMIC ernment policy DISCRIMINATIONS CANNOT formulated essentially with the ENDURE IN THE AGE OF best of intentions KNOWLEDGE - to bridge the gap between the educationally developed states and the educationally disadvantaged states. It encourages balancing and even distribution of opportunities in admissions to schools, appointments to offices, and resource allocation. At inception in the mid-sixties, it worked relatively well with the regions and the states bringing forth their best, as particularly noticed in admissions into federal government colleges.

Talented people from disadvantaged backgrounds were given opportunities to compete and thrive.

However, for sometimes now, the system has not only been abused, it has increasingly become a tool of controversy, divisions and tensions across all strata of the Nigerian society. One area where this has become a source of friction is admissions into Unity Schools and federal government-owned

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universities. On grounds of ethnicity and catchment areas, standards are lowered abysmally to admit members of the so-called disadvantaged groups, a practice many have characterised as unjust and unsustainable. It is worse under the current administration where merit is being trumped by nepotism.

The quotas for jobs, in the face of increasing scarcity, are by far creating more controversies and divisions in the polity than university admissions, ironically under an administration in which Osinbajo is a prominent player. The federal government and its agencies have flagrantly abused the provisions of the constitution as nepotism, ethnicity and geography have long become the major routes to appointments and career advancement. In a country as diverse as ours, all major appointments in the area of security, for instance, are skewed and lopsided as they are done more in favour of ethnicity, religion, family and other primordial considerations. Many appointments are done obviously without considerations for integrity and performance, a policy which has poisoned the minds of many and indeed, the democratic system. Nowhere is this a serious issue than the Department of State Service (DSS) where its latest recruitment is abysmally skewed in favour of a section of the country.

Osinbajo has said consistently that the values that needed to be instilled among the citizens include integrity, dignity, national responsibility and unity, and patriotism, adding that our public institutions must be equipped to provide opportunities, regardless of tribe, religion or gender. “A value system rewards talent and enterprise, and it is talent and enterprise that will drive sustainable growth�, said Osinbajo. “We get arguments around whether the appointment of persons into public institutions should be based on federal character.

The dominant principle should be merit.�

Indeed, the application of the quota system in Nigeria is overdue for review. Or as the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi delicately put it, it is ripe for a “sunset clause.� For sure, a practice that stifles initiatives through systemic discriminations cannot endure in the age of knowledge.

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

AKWA IBOM AND THE 2019 ELECTION

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he major political parties are currently led by bigwigs who have ruled Akwa-Ibom for over 18 years. As of the time Mike Igini, INEC commissioner, was deployed to the state, the bigwigs were in one camp. To be factual, both parties allegedly did everything to be in his good books but failed after using all their contacts at home and abroad. But while the current leaders of a major party in the state accepted this fact and went back to the people to seek their votes and support, the leaders of the opposition appeared to have resolved to get him out of the state ahead of the 2019 elections. That is the background to all the false stories against the REC called the “son of man,� with the use of social and mainstream media by some desperate politicians and their supporters. One of such assaults was the recent call for his prosecution simply because the commission was about to arraign some university lecturers who probably altered election results in their favour.

In a normal electoral environment, a political party will appeal to voters by acting as the purveyor of the policy options designed to make the society a better place. But disconnected from this reality is the Akwa-Ibom opposition, which allegedly relied on the protection

by INEC and the security agencies to provide it with immunity and impunity to ‘win’ elections irrespective of what the voters in AkwaIbom desired. Unfortunately for these desperadoes, the state is blessed with a straight-forward REC who publicly declared when he arrived in the state that only the duly elected candidates by voters through election would be declared winners and not by any other means such as pre-writing of election results before election day. Desperate members of the opposition went ahead to address press conferences calling for the REC’s removal as well as sponsoring demonstrations to the INEC office in Uyo, the state capital.

The opposition has not learnt to do things right by following laid-down procedures to win elections, for instance, but would rather want to rely on INEC staff and security personnel during elections. Its

dictum in the state is: ‘what money cannot do, more money will do it’.

Unfortunately, what it did not factor into its entire plan is the character strength of the REC who on arrival in the state, was quoted as saying: “I am not in Akwa lbom State to count money, but ballot papers.� The REC’s insistence on this approach exposed the opposition’s weak base.

It did not brook even one opposing or independent voice. Rather, it found every means possible to seize ballot papers and result sheets and thereafter allocated all, yes all, the votes in the local government to itself. The opposition would go on to do same in as many local governments polling units as it desired using the protection and impunity of the police, army, civil defence and other security agencies.

All the attention and lies about INEC working against the opposition parties in Akwa-Ibom all point to one thing – the desire to manipulate the outcome of elections. Accounts from NYSC Ad-hoc staff and university lecturers who worked in areas dominated by these desperate politicians are filled with tales of woe about how they were held at gunpoint, beaten or held hostage and forced to write results that had no bearing with what happened in any polling booth. The account of some corps members who worked in opposition strongholds was that as early as 1a.m before election commenced, desperate politicians held men and materials hostage until constant calls to the area by the state REC forced them to release the corps members and INEC staff. Still, a top politician allegedly directed that all the results to be written to suit his whims, forcing the electoral officer and collating officers to either do his bidding to avoid harm.

Officials were allegedly beaten up by thugs while the police looked on helplessly because they knew that the regional and state police heads were ordered to obey whatever he instructed. It is therefore imperative that any story coming out of Akwa-Ibom State on election matters must be seen from this backdrop. r&EFN #BTTFZ 6ZP "LXB *CPN 4UBUF

WATERING DOWN SCIENCE SOUNDS FISHY

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‌ because they want to take care of certain little tiny fish that aren’t doing very well without water‌� President Trump (Oct 9) Science is hurting when comments like this are made. Fish are found in water, they like water, they need water and fish, big, small and even very tiny die when they are removed from water, generally very quickly.

Trump is wasting the oxygen he is using and if he talks to a scientist, he may find out that oxygen is quite popular with Californians too and everyone else as well. In fact, if he talks to a number of scientists, he may find out quite a few things like “Don’t be afraid of COVID� are wrong. Do be afraid of COVID, it’s killed more people (over 200,000), than guns so far this year (almost 33,000).

Pray for a vaccine for COVID and pray for the Science that will develop it. r%FOOJT 'JU[HFSBME .FMCPVSOF "VTUSBMJB

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

RMAFC Recovers N474m Unremitted Taxes into Federation Account James Emejo in Abuja

The Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation

and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr. Elias Mbam, yesterday disclosed that the sum of N474 million had

Stop Campaign of Calumny against Amaechi, Rivers APC Tells Wike, Sekibo The All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Okrika, Ogu/ Bolo and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas of Rivers State have called on the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, and a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Abiye Sekibo, to stop their campaign of calumny against the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.

In a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Port Harcourt, which was signed by the South-south Zonal Secretary, David Okumgba, a copy of which was made available to journalists yesterday, they stated that Amaechi, as a former governor of the state, impacted more positively on the people than Wike and Sekibo combined.

They noted as leaders of the Wakirike Nation, they could attest to the fact that Amaechi, as a serving minister, was also positively impacting their people and communities in the state.

The group added that nobody should portray Wakirike indigenes as ingrates, noting that they were solidly behind the minister, “As critical stakeholders and custodians of our traditional and democratic ethos, it is therefore incumbent on us to condemn in its totality, the mischievous and self-serving statements as they were not only untrue but unintelligently contrived to procure an evil alliance with the Emperor of Rivers State, aimed

at unleashing another reign of terror on the Wakirike Nation for the selfish control of its political territory thereby returning it to another era of ignominy,” they said.

The group stated that the allegation that Amaechi lacked respect for the traditional institution was incorrect, adding that it was rather Wike, who had failed woefully in that regard.

“The forum recalls that during the administration of Amaechi as governor of the state, traditional rulers/institutions were highly respected and accorded their pride of place. It was in demonstration of this respect for exalted stools, that Amaechi ensured peace was restored in Okirika.

“In furtherance of his respect for traditional institutions and love for Wakirike kingdom, Amaechi, personally attended the coronation ceremony of the Amanyanabo of Ogoloma in 2014 and equally built and named a 44,000 capacity stadium after a respected Wakirike son, the prestigious Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka in Igwuruta-Ali Rivers State.

“Therefore, we frown at the shallow comparison of Amaechi to his successor, Wike, in this regard.

Rivers people were dumbfounded a fortnight ago watching on national television Wike, infamous for his ‘Usman Dan Fodio treatment’, on Rivers traditional rulers, in a saintly obeisance before the

Labour Commences Indefinite Strike in Kwara over Minimum Wage Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The organised labour in Kwara State yesterday declared an indefinite strike to press home their agitation for the state government to sign and implement the N30,000 minimum wage for workers in the state.

A negotiation meeting between the government and representatives of the organised labour held last Thursday had ended in deadlock with the two parties not agreeing on the consequential adjustment table which the labour and government team had presented back and forth since the pre-COVID-19 period.

Rising from an emergency state executive council (SEC) meeting held at the labour house in Ilorin yesterday, the organised labour, comprising Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC-TUS) held at the Labour House, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike.

The emergency SEC meeting was jointly addressed by the state Chairmen of the NLC, TUC and JNC-TUS, Aliyu Issa Ore, Ezekiel

A. Adegoke and Saliu O. Suleiman respectively.

The organised labour had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state government to sign and implement the N30,000 minimum wage which expired Monday (yesterday).

Following the expiration of the ultimatum, the organised labour yesterday resolved to embark on an indefinite strike beginning from Midnight of October 13.

In the meantime, a pan-northern Nigeria group, Gamji Members Association of Kwara State (GAMA), has cautioned the organised labour in Kwara State against embarking on the strike.

The group, whose members embrace the ideals of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, said: “While it understands the plights of workers in the state, especially the rising cost of living, the fact that the government of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak has demonstrated good faith and commitment to the welfare of workers in the state is not lost on all patriotic Kwarans.

been recovered and paid into the federation account from Guinness Nigeria PLC as unremitted excise duty.

He said the development was part of the progress recorded by the commission’s verification excise on selected manufacturing companies, which had failed to pay excise duty to the government.

In a statement issued by the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nwachukwu Christian, Mbam further stressed

the need to give adequate attention to excise duty payment by manufacturing industries in order to increase revenue inflow to the federal government.

He further called for the strengthening of collaboration between Nigerian Custom Excise and RMAFC. While commending the in-house Committee on Customs Revenue Monitoring, Mbam maintained that excise duty is one of the major revenues collected by

the N i g e r i a n C u s t o m Service (NCS) into the federation account which is c u r re n t l y re c o rd i n g l o w re v e n u e generation because of non-compliance by some manufacturing companies.

In his remarks, the Comptroller General of NCS, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), commended the commission’s effort in the exercise of its oversight functions leading to the recovery of such unremitted revenue accruable to the

government.

He further solicited for RMAFC’s continued inter-agency collaboration in recovering federal governments unremitted revenue, urging the commission to continue its effort in blocking revenue leakages.

The RMAFC had recently announced that it was partnering security agencies to embark on the verification exercise to recover outstanding revenues into the federation account.

CELEBRATING ONDO VICTORY...

L-R: Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Extra-ordinary/Convention Committee, Senator John James Udoedehe; Chairman, APC Caretaker/Exra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee and Yobe State Governor, Mr. Mai Mala Buni; and a member of the committee, Senator Ken Nnamani, during the press conference on the victory of the party in Ondo State governorship election at the party’s secretariat in Abuja... yesterday ENOCK REUBEN

Ekiti Amotekun Operatives Nab Suspected Kidnapper Clad in Military Uniform Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The operatives of the Ekiti State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun Corps have apprehended a suspected kidnapper in Ifaki-Ekiti , Ido/ Osi Local Government Area of the state.

The Amotekun Corps Commander, Brig. Gen. Joe Komolafe (rtd), told journalists in Ado-Ekiti yesterday that the suspect, who dressed in a military uniform, was arrested during the routine patrol of the security outfit.

Komolafe explained that the 23-year-old boy, while

coming out from the bush on the Ifaki road, was accosted by men of Amotekun, “where he confessed not to be a soldier, but a kidnapper.

“We arrested him in Ifaki when we were on routine patrol. He was dressed in military uniform, and was coming out from the bush. The first name the suspect gave us was Adebayo Damola and later said he was Emmanuel Tunde.

You can see the inconsistency in his statement? He was never a military man but a suspected kidnapper.

“Upon interrogation, the vulcaniser residing in Oye Ekiti

claimed to be from Kogi State.

When asked about his mission in Ifaki, he said he was coming from Ado where he attended a Man ‘O War interview. Our further investigation shows that he resides in Ifaki, and when he took us to his room, we found military items there. He also claimed that a military officer in Lagos State gave him the military uniform.”

The Amotekun boss, who revealed that the state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, would be launching the new security outfit on October 19, said they are ready to combat the waves of killings, kidnappings

and other heinous crimes in the state.

He solicited for the support of the residents for the success of the security network by cooperating and providing useful information towards ending crimes in the state, saying the Amotekun Corps belongs to the people.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Sunday Abutu, confirmed the arrest, saying the suspect is being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the state headquarters for interrogation.

Armed Robbers Attack ZLP National Headquarters Chuks Okocha in Abuja The national headquarters of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) was last weekend invaded by suspected robbers, who allegedly carted away laptops, televisions and some sensitive materials.

The suspected robbery, which is believed to have taken place late last Friday night, also saw the willful breaking into all the security doors and file furniture, spilling all the contents and

damaging party souvenirs among others.

Though the Nigerian police have visited the scene of the robbery and commenced investigation, however, no arrest has been made.

It was not clear the motive behind the intrusion, but the National Secretary of the ZLP, Yahaya Makama, told journalists that the incident could be more than a mere robbery.

According to him, “When the office closed last Friday, we went to monitor the Ondo State governorship election, as we have a candidate who we were hopeful of making serious impact. But on Saturday morning, we noticed that one of our security doors was broken down, through which they had the access into all our offices.

“The party’s sensitive materials were carted away after all the security doors were

forced open. Though laptops and files were removed, an Ipad lying on one of the tables was not taken. This is why I said it may not just be a mere robbery, but we believe that the Nigerian police will unearth the reason behind the invasion.”

The ZLP, whose candidate in the Ondo State governorship election, Ayoola Agboola, came third in the election, is among the leading political parties in Nigeria.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

17

NEWS

Prince Sues El-Rufai, Emir Bamalli, Kingmakers over Selection of Zaria Emir John Shiklam in Kaduna The topmost contender in the race for Emirship of Zazzau, Alhaji Bashir Aminu, has dragged Kaduna Governor, Nasir ElRufai, the newly appointed Emir, Ahmed Bamalli, and the Zazzau kingmakers to court over the appointment of Bamalli as Emir.

Prince Aminu, who holds the title of Iyan Zazzau yesterday filed a suit before the Kaduna State High Court, seeking the court to remove the newly appointed Emir Bamalli and declare him (Aminu) the 19th Emir of Zazzau.

He said: “Having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast by the kingmakers and thus selected by the said kingmakers, he has thus acquired a vested

right to the stool of the Emir of Zazzau from the date of his selection henceforth”.

The kingmakers had shortlisted three candidates with Bashir Aminu, Iyan Zazzau scoring the highest marks of 89 while Munir Jafaru, Yariman Zazzau, and Aminu Shehu Idris, Turakin Karamin Zazzau scored 87 and 53 marks respectively.

But El-Rufai jettisoned the initial recommendation of the kingmakers and ordered a fresh process where 13 princes were screened by the kingmakers.

The governor’s move was greeted with allegations that he was attempting to favour Bamalli, his alleged preferred candidate for the throne.

After the kingmakers

repeated their recommendation of the initial three princes, ElRufai appointed Prince Ahmed Nuhu-Bamalli as the new Emir.

A copy of the suit made available to journalists in Kaduna seeks: “An order setting aside the purported appointment of the 10th defendant (Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli) as the Emir of Zazzau; a declaration that the plaintiff is still the Emir of Zazzau and is entitled to all rights and privileges pertaining thereto.

“An injunction restraining the 1st,2nd,3rd, and 4th defendants from acting in the installation of the 10th defendant to the throne of the Emir of Zazzau or presenting to the 10th defendant with the staff of office until the final determination of this suit;

Lagos Govt Directs Primary, Secondary Schools to Resume The Lagos State Government has approved the resumption of all classes in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, announced this in a statement yesterday.

She said the remaining classes in both public and private schools in the state can resume from October 19, 2020.

She enjoined school owners

and managers of all private schools to ensure that they are cleared by the Office of Education Quality Assurance before physical resumption.

Part of the statement read, “The physical resumption which is for 2020/2021 academic session will now include pupils in pre-primary i.e, daycare, kindergarten and nursery schools.

“All public and private schools are strongly advised to put safety

first by adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols and hygiene guidelines as instructed by the State Government through the Ministry of Education.

“The Office of Education Quality Assurance will continue to monitor and evaluate schools preparedness.

The necessary resumption protocols must be adhered to and cleared “satisfactory” by the OEQA.”

18

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020

POLITICS

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

Will the New Police Law End Police Brutality?

Udora Orizu writes that following calls across the country for the scrapping of Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force, federal lawmakers have resolved to draft a new legislation as part of efforts to reform the police

Buhari

F

ollowing the alarming spate of recent brutality and extra judicial killings across the country, by operatives of the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), members of the House of Representatives on October 7 resolved to work with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to draft new legislation within 30 days to establish a system of independent accountability for the Nigeria Police Force.

Recently, the media has been awash with reports of attacks and flagrant violation of the rights of the citizens by FSARS operatives. Nigerians have shared stories and video evidence of how members of the unit engaged in murder, extortion, rape, unlawful arrests, high-handedness, unlawful detention, extortion and so on, which has again led to citizens all over the country protesting, calling on the federal government for the dissolution of the unit. The protests also had celebrities come out in their numbers to show support for the #EndSARS campaign.

In the midst of the uproar, federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives are proposing a new legislation to hold erring officers of the police accountable for their actions, however there are doubts if the law will help in any way to end police brutality and stop extra judicial killings, as previous efforts by the government aimed at reforming SARS have failed.

The lawmakers at the plenary on October 7 resolved to work with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), and civil society organisations (CSOs) to draft the legislation within 30 days.

The Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, stated this when he read a short speech on the misconduct and abuse of authority by officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) across the country and the need for additional police reforms.

Gbajabiamila said unfortunately many of those who have betrayed the trust of the country in this manner are never answerable for their actions.

He said, ‘’Every day, throughout our country, interactions between the police and our citizens result in acts of horrific brutality, extortion, and retribution against the Nigerian people. Too many of the people we have assigned to protect our citizens have shown themselves unworthy of that calling. Their actions betray our trust and wreak unquantifiable damage on the already frayed fabric of our society. ‘’Unfortunately, many of those who have betrayed our trust in this manner are never answerable for their actions. At the heart of this fundamental failure lies the unavoidable truth that we do not have an independent framework for ensuring that members of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) are appropriately held to account when they fail to adhere to the policies and laws that govern their operations. ‘’We have long expected the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to police itself. It is now abundantly clear that this was the wrong call. For the benefit of a functioning system of policing in Nigeria, it is now necessary that parliament steps in to

Gbajabiamila

introduce an independent, fair and practical approach to ensure that those to whom we grant the authority to act in the name of the State, are held to the highest standards of professional conduct. ‘’Over the next thirty days, the House of Representatives will work with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), with civil society and with Nigerians of good conscience to draft new legislation that establishes a system of independent accountability that holds erring members of the Police Force to account for their conduct in the performance of their duties and imposes civil and criminal liability for violations of the Police Code; and also compels the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to take responsibility for the failures of training and discipline that leads to such violations. ‘’The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Section 215(5) states that “The question whether any and if so what, directions have been given (to the Police) under this section shall not be inquired into in any court”. This provision presents a singularly obstinate obstacle to any system of effective judicial review of policing in Nigeria. Therefore, any reforms of the operations of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) must include a constitutional amendment to expunge this painfully undemocratic clause from our country’s constitution. ‘’This House of Representatives will act to ensure that those agents of the State to whom we have assigned the duty to protect and serve, are deserving of the faith and respect of the Nigerian people. I ask for the support of all Nigerians as we begin this endeavour. Let us work together to achieve the vision of a nation where the citizens trust the police to always act in the public’s best interest by respecting the rights of citizens and following the due

IGP Adamu

process of law.

God bless you all, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Also, the House directed the IG, Mohammed Adamu, to take decisive action to stop the brutality and human rights violation by the SARS and report the said actions to the House within three weeks.

The directive of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion on the need to stop SARS brutality, moved by the Leader of the House, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa. Moving the motion, Doguwa noted with great concern the persistent outcry by Nigerians over the brutality and human rights violation by SARS. He said despite repeated announcements since 14th August 2018 by Police authorities to reform SARS, the problem of human rights abuses and impunity still persist within the Police Force.

The Leader described as disturbing the alarming rate of unauthorised raids, extortion, stealing, frame-ups, indiscriminate search of mobile phones, and other smart devices and arbitrary confiscation and fraudulent conversion of private property of citizens to personal use.

Contributing to the debate, Hon. Akin Alabi expressed shame that in 2020 there is still the need to deliberate on human rights violations by the Police who are paid by Nigerians to protect them. He called on the Inspector General of police to rise to the occasion and put a stop to the menace before angry citizens rise against the law enforcement institution.

Another lawmaker, Hon. Victor Mela opined that not all officers are bad, but the effect of the bad ones has succeeded in painting the whole force in bad lights. Mela called for strict penalties against erring officers and compensation for victims of the officers.

The Force is not oblivious of the ever present need to combat armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country which was before now the core mandate of the erstwhile Squad.

He assured that a new policing arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps the dissolution of SARS would cause has been evolved and shall be announced in due course. But, the protesters aren’t buying it, owing to similar promises of reforming the unit in the past which failed. The disbelief was also fuelled by the fact that barely hours after the Inspector General of Police, dissolved SARS, police brutality continued as policemen assaulted protesters and journalists covering the protest

On his part, the Deputy minority leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu lamented the loss of promising lives to the menace carried out by SARS operatives. He wondered why the police will repay the efforts of the government to empower them by killing citizens in the extra judicial manner in which they do. He also reiterated that the erring officers should be held responsible for all such criminal acts.

Hon. Shaba Ibrahim adopted the submissions of early contributors and stressed the fact that absolute power corrupts absolutely and this seems to be what is making the police behave in the manner in which they do. He called for the expunging of the provisions that enable the Police Act in this manner from the Nigerian constitution.

In his contribution, the minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu stated that the constitution does not give the police the right to take life in the extrajudicial manner in which some of them do, so the law is the best way to hold erring officers accountable. He also expressed sadness that the Police seem to be repaying Nigerians that have canvassed for better livelihood of the Police by terrorizing the same Nigerian public.

He called for a thorough investigation into the cases of human rights violations and that the committee should ensure that the officers face the full extent of the law. Elumelu assured Nigerians that the House of Representatives is fully committed to the protection of human rights of everyone living within Nigeria.

Hon. Nnolim Nnaji on his part called for a reorganization and reorientation of the security agencies of Nigeria to make them human friendly as is obtainable worldwide. Also contributing, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha called for proper guidelines for the mode of operation for the SARS operatives and that they should be made to strictly adhere to those guidelines.

Hon. Nicholas Ossai proposed a suggestion that the committees saddled with oversight the police should ensure they keep the police on the track of protecting and serving Nigerians and not be terrorists. While Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas expressed sadness and regret at how the SARS operatives have allowed themselves to acquire such a notorious image. He called for a reformation of the manner of operation of the operatives to be more professional and civil.

However, the #EndSARS campaign is not the first, as over the years Nigerians have repeatedly cried out to the government to scrap the unit. After a nationwide outcry in 2018, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo ordered the total overhaul of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force.

Then in June 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the setting up of a three-man committee to produce a white paper on the recommendations of the Presidential Panel on Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Reform.

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

19

T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020

POLITICS

EndSARS as Pathway to Restructure Nigeria Vanessa Obioha predicts that the success of the EndSARS campaign may bolster the stringent calls by different ethnic groups agitating for separate entities or, at least, to restructure the country

T

he escalating number of protests that happened in many parts of the country the past week, condemning the long-standing brutality meted out by the Federal Special AntiRobbery Squad (FSARS) of the Nigerian Police Force on citizens and placing Nigeria in global focus in the past week finally came to a headway on Sunday.

The Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu made a live broadcast to announce the dissolution of the special police unit.

“The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force otherwise known as SARS is hereby dissolved in all the 36 State Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory.”

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the force DCP Frank Mba was released to further confirm that the special unit force which sparked criticisms and outcry in the country and even across the pond, has been officially disbanded.

Since last week when the protest began, scores of encounters by victims dominated social media with accompanying pictures and videos as evidence of the widespread harassment and torture by the special unit.

The continual outcry attracted celebrities in the music and film industry, to speak against the indiscriminate actions carried out by the special force unit against the masses.

Although there have been claims that a few celebrities leveraged on the protests to gain widespread recognition. However, what is more, intriguing is the confidence — and in some cases pressure — on these celebrities to lead the revolution that Nigerian youths have been clamouring for in a long while.

Agitations against FSARS is not a new thing in the country. It began in 2017 when a group of Nigerian human rights defenders and activists launched the #EndSARS campaign, in protest of the violations of human rights by the unit. By August 2018, the federal government ordered the unit to be reformed and high ranking officers appointed to supervise the actions of the squad. The only visible reform to the agitation was adding the federal label to the unit.

However, this is the first time the movement’s resolute stance is yielding results, even if there are a few who felt absorbing the same officers accused of extra-judicial killings into the system is still ineffective.

The renewed protest against the police unit was spurred by the shooting of a young individual reportedly in front of a hotel in Ughelli, Delta State.

Sparking outrage, young Nigerians took to social media to condemn the act and share their ordeal. They also dragged influential music artistes to fight their cause like the musician Naira Marley who initially planned a protest but called it off after he met with the police. His decision to back out of the protest did not bode well with some of his fans popularly known as Marlians.

Notwithstanding, other artistes like Falz led the protests and it was only a matter of time before the number of artistes involved increased, including Burna Boy who earlier had stayed silent on the issue.

Apart from these artistes, Nollywood stars and even children of prominent Nigerians like the daughters of the President and Vice President, Zahra Buhari-Indimi and Kiki Osinbajo respectively, threw their weight behind the movement.

SARS was established in 1992 to identify and combat the alarming rate of armed robbery incidents in the country at the time. It gained notoriety in the 2010s when operatives abused their power to extort, torture and discriminate the poor masses.

A report by Amnesty International last June estimated the number of abuse cases

by SARS operatives between 2017 and 2019 to be 82.

“Findings from our research indicate that few cases are investigated and hardly any officers are brought to justice on account of torture and other ill-treatment. In a few instances where cases became public knowledge, the police authorities usually promised

investigations. However, no investigation or prosecution of perpetrators took place in any of the cases documented in this report, “ noted the global movement.

A major criticism of SARS is its attack on youths. Often, young Nigerians were harassed by operatives for their appearance.

In their quest to arrest cyber fraudsters known in local parlance as ‘Yahoo Boys’, the special police unit profiled youths who wear dreadlocks, carry laptop bags and dress flamboyantly as suspects of cyber fraud. The constant harassment of innocent people was frowned upon by many youths who felt their freedom of expression were greatly tampered with. Thus, the memes of people changing their outlooks to avoid the ire of SARS are ubiquitous.

Before the termination of the unit on Sunday, youths marched the streets to protest their rights and amplify their voices on social media. Their voices reverberated on that medium and spread across the world such that leaders couldn’t look the other way.

From London to New York to Canada, campaigns were organised and prominent international celebrities like John Boyega, Trey Songs went their voices to the cause.

Although President Muhammadu Buhari pleaded with the people to be calm and give the police time to address the situation, activists and protesters wouldn’t be swayed. They maintained their stance, using social media to resonate their #EndSARS campaign. Therefore, it was no surprise that the protesters didn’t heave a sigh after the disbandment of the SARS by the IGP. Artistes like Davido tweeted “we want an

executive order, a legislative action and a judicial panel of enquiry set up to prosecute those rogues. Nothing more, nothing less!”

His sentiments were echoed by other artistes like Teni the Entertainer, and even clergyman Apostle Johnson Suleman who in his Tweet said that the disbandment of the unit by IGP is not enough and an executive order is needed to that effect.

Author and political commentator Reno Omokri in his observation urged Nigerians not to be carried away by the IG’s announcement as it is not the first time such statements have been made. He attached a screenshot of a BBC report that showed a similar statement made by Adamu on January 21, 2019.

In London, where music superstar Wizkid led a protest and broke the news of the disbandment, the protesters received the news with excitement and chanted “Buhari must go!”. While the protests were peaceful in some places, violence was experienced in other places.

In Ogbomoso, Osun state, hoodlums hijacked the protests to attack the Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare alongside the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi.

The two men were stoned on Sunday during a meeting at the monarch’s palace.

“Hoodlums, thugs and (sic) miscreants disrupted stakeholders meeting in Soun’s palace now-invading, stoning and breaking doors, glasses. Soun, myself and council chiefs were scurried into safety by the police and DSS. Ogbomoso youth are law-abiding. But hoodlums have taken over,” the Minister tweeted.

Monday morning saw more protests in

In more ways than one, the protest against SARS is a testing ground for young Nigerians to call out their leaders who have short-changed them. The country recently marked her diamond jubilee and not all commentaries were glowing. Many felt the country has had more failures than success stories.

Nevertheless, optimism was expressed over the future of the country. The campaign is coming at a time when different ethnic groups are agitating for separate entities. For long, calls to restructure the country were made but the youths feel that the leaders are paying them mere lip-service

parts of the country, including Lagos where protesters caused traffic gridlock on the Lekki Expressway. The protesters insist that the President should address the nation and corrupt offices should be investigated and brought to the book.

At the inauguration of the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme, Buhari disclosed that the dissolution of the FSARS was the beginning of his regime’s elaborate plan towards extensive police reforms. The president also said he had ordered a probe into the killing of a young man in Oyo State during the recent protests.

“We will also ensure that all those responsible for the misconduct or wrongful acts are brought to justice,” he said, adding that the few bad eggs in the police force should not be allowed to tarnish the image and reputation of the force.

Police brutality is not peculiar to Nigeria.

In America, this year has witnessed a surge in protest against the police force, particularly following the unjust killings of George Floyd in May and Breonna Taylor in March. All over the cities of America, protesters stormed the streets demanding for the defunding of the police force. Likewise in Nigeria, the call for an executive order to cement the dissolution of the squad is growing louder.

But SARS is just one aspect of a multifaceted problem. The police in Nigeria is notorious for blatant extortion of the masses. It is a common sight to see the men in black in daylight demanding bribes from commercial motorists along major roads unabashed. They have developed a thick skin such that when citizens mutter abuses or express disgust at their putrefaction, they hardly feel an itch. Their souls have become as dark as the colour of their uniforms. Not even the new blue shirt could make their souls as white as snow.

In more ways than one, the protest against SARS is a testing ground for young Nigerians to call out their leaders who have short-changed them. The country recently marked her diamond jubilee and not all commentaries were glowing. Many felt the country has had more failures than success stories. Nevertheless, optimism was expressed over the future of the country.

The campaign is coming at a time when different ethnic groups are agitating for separate entities. For long, calls to restructure the country were made but the youths feel that the leaders are paying them mere lip-service.

If the #EndSARS campaign delivers the desired change in the police force, then the road to restructuring the country will not be a long walk.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ˜ 2020

FEATURES

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

One Gas Explosion Too Many Last week Thursday, a gas explosion rocked the Baruwa area of Ipaja Lagos and claimed five lives. While eight others sustained varying degree of injuries, the explosion gutted 89 shops, 47 buildings and 10 vehicles. However, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that new revelations showing the accident was totally avoidable, has again brought to the front burner the danger of citing gas plants in residential areas

The scene of explosion

A

n early morning gas explosion on Thursday, October 8, rocked the Baruwa area of Ipaja, Lagos, leaving five persons dead and eight others with varying degree of injuries.

Preliminary assessment of the explosion put the damages at 89 shops, 47 buildings (including a church, school and event centre), 23 electric poles, two transformers, gas tankers, one tricycle and one motorcycle.

According to eyewitness account, the explosion occurred at about 6.20am at Candos Road, Baruwa Inside when an a LPG tanker, which was in the process of discharging at the Best Roof Plant Station, exploded.

THISDAY gathered that the source of the explosion could be traced to the station generator, which they left on while the tanker was discharging products into the storage tank. When the explosion happened, it threw those nearby and the discharging LPG tanker across the road, thus exacerbating the fire.

Confirming the incident, the Southwest Zonal Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye said emergency services were quickly deployed to contain the inferno. He said five dead bodies have been recovered so far and three injured person including a woman and two children has been evacuated and taken to the intensive care hospital due to the degree of burns.

He said the destruction was on a large scale because the Best Roof Gas Plant Station was located in densely populated community. After putting out the initial fire, he said the stored gas in the station started discharging the gas but there was no explosion again.

THISDAY gathered that the gas plant has about 30 metric tons of gas in the underground tank and while it was offloading, the staff were also in the process of dispensing to domestic

on our businesses and economy”.

Charred remains of the gas plant

consumer. As at 9.04am, Farinloye said the fire was put out completely and the secondary gas leakage from the underground tanker has been put under control as well and damping done.

However, he said a preliminary assessment has revealed that 44 buildings were affected, as well as one school, one event centre, 89 shops, one church, one tricycle, gas tankers, 23 electric poles, two transformers and one motorcycle.

According to the zonal coordinator, the gas valve has been opened to release the gas to avert another explosion while fire fighters are blanketing the whole area.

Speaking also, the DG/CEO Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Damilola OkeOsanyintolu, encouraged Lagosians to report unsavoury and dangerous practices within their neighbourhoods to the relevant agencies.

“Such agencies as the Lagos Safety

Commission, and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, so that the government can engage in more prevention and precautionary measures including issuing contravention notices and sealing up premises to prevent these types of disasters,” he added.

One of the residents whose wife's three shops were razed to the ground, former News Editor of TODAY'S CHOICE Magazine, Mr. Jide Oshokoya said: "Everything in those shops were burnt to ashes. We could not go near the burning shops to rescue even a pin."

He however took consolation in the promise made by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Hamzat Obafemi, to see to how to compensate people who lost property in the fire. "The deputy governor was here to assess the situation. He has promised to look into our case. We are hoping something is done to ameliorate the pain this destruction has wreaked

An Avoidable Explosion Days after the explosion, the residents have come out to say the disaster could have been totally avoided. A petition made available to THISDAY showed the community had written to the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in 2018 to complain about the presence of the gas plant in a densely populated suburb.

Signed by Femi Agbaje (Esq.), the community had written on February 5, 2018 titled “Humble please to save our lives and properties of dangerous effects of gas station erected/operation

by Best Roof Gas Station at No 618 Cardoso Road, Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos.

In response to their petition, one B.A.A Ajayi, ADTPS (TSD) from the ministry, dated March 15, 2018, acknowledged their letter and indicated the willingness of the ministry to evacuate the gas plant, but at a cost.

He wrote: “You are to swear an affidavit to bear the cost of removal if approval is granted. The sum of N689,500 is payable to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

N68,900 is payable to the Lagos State Government.”

With the cost of removing the structure placed on the community, they soon gave up hope, and status quo was maintained until their fears were realised when the explosion finally occurred.

The legal advocate who wrote the petition for the community told THISDAY, " I wrote that petition on behalf of my clients (the Inside Baruwa residents) to the Ministry of Physical Planning in Alausa. They acknowledged our letter and replied stating that we will need to bear the entire cost of removing the Best Roof Gas Depot which was put at over N700,000. " The residents said they don't have such money and that the person who built the gas depot in purely residential

21

T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 13, 2020

FEATURES

Some of the damaged buildings

area should remove it. But barely two years after we raised that alarm, see what has happened to property and businesses of people in that neighborhood. Some souls were equally lost in that early morning inferno.”

With the explosion, residents of the area have called on Lagos State to revoke all approval given to gas and petroleum stations in residential areas in the state. Residents of Peace Estate, New London Estate, Unique, Makinde and Unity Estates have promised to lead protests to Alausa seat of government of nothing is done immediately.

"People living in this neighborhood voiced their fears when gas and petroleum stations started springing up around here. See what has happened now. We are going to resist a similar depot the same owner is erecting along Candos Road," warned Ayomide Johnson, a resident on Unity Street.

Already, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in their preliminary reports from DPR investigations revealed that the facility was operating without licence and was carrying out illegal operations, which resulted in the unfortunate incident.

Timeline of Gas Explosions As shocking as it may seem, from November 2019 to October 2020, not less that six gas explosions were recorded in Lagos, each with its widespread consequences.

On November 28, 2019, two children (male and female), were killed while 23 others were injured in the Ajegunle area of Lagos. The incident occurred at Adule Street, Off Ojo Road, in Ajegunle area near Apapa.

The DG LASEMA who confirmed the development said at the scene of the incident, they discovered that a gas cylinder store had exploded as a result of leakage. He said further investigations revealed that the fire ignited as a result of a phone call by an unidentified resident.

On Sunday, March 15, 2020, nothing gave the residents of Abule-Ado in Amuwo Odofin Local Government area of Lagos State an inkling that their world as they knew it was about to crumble like a pack of badly stacked cards. Some were on their way to church, some were already in church and others at home when the loud explosion occurred at about 9am.

The explosion tore down houses, destroyed cars and even killed 23 people including a family of four, a newly married couple and a pregnant woman. The explosion which was heard as far as Agege, Yaba, Ejigbo and even Okota, was first thought to be bomb blast, gas explosion and then pipeline explosion before reports surfaced that it was gas that escaped into the air that caused the explosion.

On July 29, 2020, three persons were

killed in a gas explosion at Ajao Estate area of Lagos. The explosion left several persons injured and properties destroyed.

According to NEMA Zonal Coordinator South-west, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the explosion occurred at a panel beater’s shop while he was was trying top up his Oxycytelene flame popularly known as ‘Cabard’ cylinder.

On August 3, 20202, another gas explosion claimed two lives at the Orile-Iganmu area of Lagos. One of the deceased persons, Ajibola Olaoye, who was an artisan, was said to have died while working with his welding machine on a heavy duty equipment.

According to investigation and eyewitness account, the explosion was as a result of a leak in the supply of gas from the cylinder which the artisan was using leading to the explosion.

On September 24, 2020, another explosion occurred at Iju Ishaga. The explosion was caused by a 30 tonne LPG gas tanker that left 30 people severely injured, 15 vehicles razed and 23 buildings in gutted.

According to DG/CEO LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, it was discovered that a compromised seal device by the truck driver led to gradual leakages which then ignited when the tyres burst.

Barely weeks later, last week Thursday, the Baruwa explosion occurred and claims lived and properties.

Disaster in Residential Areas As have been proven with the incessant explosions in residential areas, installing gas plants within a residential environment is a disaster in the making.

The reason is not far fetched; most of the gas plants do not operate a valid licence and are often not equipped to handle such enormity of fire disasters.

Most of these plants lack basic and standard minimum requirements like fire extinguishers and detectors, water sprinkler, temperature gauge, pressure and volume, among others.

With the absence of the above mentioned basic and essential safety requirements, the consequences are enormous. Although operating without a valid licence attracts a fine while those that are illegal are handed over to the security agencies, these gas plants still thrive in residential areas.

Rules without Sustained Enforcement As with each time an explosion occurs, regulatory agencies sprout out rules that are enforced for a period of time and then relaxed. Countless times, these regulatory agencies have carried out enforcement but they are never sustained.

Apart from moves by the DPR, the civil defence and even the police to enforce these regulations, another move was made by cooking gas stakeholders

to end incessant gas plant explosions as was reported by THISDAY in January 2018.

Stakeholders in the Liquefied Petroleum Gas sector (LPG) sector, under the aegis of the Nigerian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA) had unveiled measures to end the incessant gas plant explosions in the country.

Rising from its emergency meeting in Lagos, the Safety and Technical Committee of NLPGA had issued a communiqué highlighting the need to address the three overarching industry objectives – safe handling and best practises in LPG; loss of containment (prevention of gas leaks); and successful disaster management.

Recent Efforts Worried by the incessant gas explosions, the Nigeria Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA) in August 2020, again stressed on need for safety.

According to the association, it was imperative to clarify that Oxyacetylene gas is not the same as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) because the latter which is commonly known as cooking gas, is a group of flammable hydrocarbon gases that are liquefied through pressurisation and mostly used as fuel. “ It is a reliable and affordable source of clean fuel with its attendant advantages to health, environment as well as the economy. A major contributing factor to low adoption and/or acceptance of LPG as a better and cheaper source of clean fuel is the safety concerns and several cases of fire incidences associated with use and handling of flammable gases, including LPG. “No doubt, considerable and deliberate steps as to training and awareness about LPG (and other flammable gases) is integral to having a viable, sustainable LPG businesses operation, a safe environment and reduction if not eradicated system for cases of fire incidents”, they added.

Also, stakeholders have advocated that continuously, gas plants and LPG retailers be introduced to the new and standard minimum requirements acceptable in the industry. The new model by government prohibits decanting (transferring from one gas cylinder to another). Also, trans-filling is also not allowed (whereby one drops their empty cylinder and pick another one with gas).

New Operational Guidelines Soon after the explosion in Baruwa, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) released guidelines for the establishment and operations of the downstream gas facilities.

The new operational guidelines include- providing guidelines for the establishment and operations of LPG refilling plants and retail outlets, guidelines for establishment of auto

gas re-fuelling stations and guidelines for the establishment of gas storage and utilisation.

The Director of DPR, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, in a statement by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Paul Osu, stated that the guidelines stipulates the minimum requirements, procedures and conditions to be fulfilled before the grant of approvals or licences for the construction, installation, modification, takeover, relocation and operations of downstream gas facilities in Nigeria.

He said the guidelines were developed to enhance gas penetration and utilisation, enhance operational safety as well as ease of doing business in the oil and gas sector, adding that companies intending to establish these facilities must satisfy all necessary requirements stipulated by DPR and obtain the underlisted applicable approvals – site suitability approval; Approval to Construct (ATC)/Approval to Install, and Licence to Operate.

He said necessary amenities and equipment such as functional automated/manual leak tester, functional fire alarm system, and mounted gas detectors, adequate fire water storage and sprinklers, perimeter fence with fire wall amongst others must be provided in the facilities.

Standard Procedures As stipulated by the DPR, there are standard procedures that must be taken before one sets up a gas plant and they include getting land of a minimum size of 100 by 100 feet, getting DPR regulatory approvals before even setting up the gas plant equipments.

In all three steps, the DPR approval is supposed to be sacrosanct. Thus, one must get approval for site suitability, to construct and also licence to operate.

The first step, which is site suitability approval is key because in this level is where the proximity to residential areas, schools, pipelines, public spaces, high tension wires are measured. Also, soil contamination is measured to ensure underground water will not in any way be contaminated in any way by waste products from the gas plants.

In the approval to construct, it is expected that site suitability has been approved. This is more of a design stage that involves the pipe architecture.

Lastly is the licence to operate and again DPR has a say in this even after the other two processes have been fulfilled.

Sadly, despite all these processes clearly stated on the website of the DPR and other relevant agencies, most gas plant owners do not bother to fulfill all the standard requirements, which often results to the large scale magnitude of disasters. Thus, the onus lies on government established agencies and stakeholders in the sector to sustain enforcement as the lapses pose greater risk to lives of citizens.

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Omoluabi Mortgage Bank Changes Name to Living Trust Mortgage Bank Goddy Egene

yesterday informed the Nigerian name to Living Trust Mortgage name followed Central Bank of Corporate Affairs Commission Stock Exchange (NSE) and other Bank Plc. In a notification, the Nigeria (CBN)’s approval and (CAC).

Shareholders of the company Omoluabi Mortgage Bank Plc stakeholders of the change in company said the change in the receipt of certification by the A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an ETF are bought by investors.

Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Bid Price: The price at which Investors Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that return an investor would have earned on An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. his investment. Money Market Funds report of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, Yield while others report Year- to-date Total bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, GUIDE TO DATA: Return. etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 09- NAV: Is value per share of the real estate shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Oct-2020, unless otherwise stated. assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

had in July 2020, approved the change of name to the new one at the annual general meeting (AGM).

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.98 0.99 8.56% ACAP Income Funds 0.85 0.85 10.99% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.02% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.23 3.34 32.15% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 1.32% Anchoria Equity Fund 112.33 112.73 9.26% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.37 1.37 16.79% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 15.91 16.39 3.86% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 364.77 375.77 5.60% ARM Ethical Fund 31.73 32.69 9.11% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.16 1.17 16.22% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.11 10.37% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.46% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.23 2.23 20.73% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.01 2.05 26.34% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.92% Paramount Equity Fund 13.16 13.41 5.19% Women's Investment Fund 120.03 121.23 8.77% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) N/A N/A CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.09% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.05 1.07 13.43% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.65 1.65 24.48% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 3.66% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.43% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,194.51 1,208.79 7.71% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund 0.00 0.00 -100.00% FBN Halal Fund 108.95 108.97 8.95% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.22% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 120.43 120.90 4.20% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 120.45 120.92 3.71% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 126.41 128.37 -2.86% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,350.68 3,391.94 10.23% Coral Income Fund 3,207.77 3,207.77 4.29% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 4.16% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.88% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 122.83 123.37 14.28%

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.44% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.47 2.52 12.99% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.29% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 152.22 153.02 6.21% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.38 1.41 13.03% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.87 11.84 5.03% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 2..80% PACAM Equity Fund 1.20 1.21 PACAM EuroBond Fund 108.54 111.18 SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 121.66 123.82 -0.28% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.02 1.02 6.62% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 13.56% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 5.53% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 10.56% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 6.38% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 13.99% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.00% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 5.94% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.21 1.21 4.30% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 109.86 109.86 5.42% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.24 1.31 #REF! United Capital Bond Fund 1.86 1.86 #REF! United Capital Equity Fund 0.72 0.74 #REF! United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.24% United Capital Eurobond Fund 115.16 115.16 5.38% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.02 1.03 -2.45% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 11.10 11.23 7.98% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.30 12.41 5.82% Zenith Income Fund 24.51 24.51 7.91% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.46%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

117.93

5.15%

53.40

2.59%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.71 97.70 74.61

9.81 99.80 75.98

15.99% 3.42% -0.69%

Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.52 4.60 13.36 1.00 12.22 200.58

3.56 4.68 13.46 1.00 12.42 202.58

3.08% -21.94% 9.84% 3.02% 17.43% 5.96%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.03

15.02%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

LAWYER

A

WEEKLY PULLOUT

13.10.2020

DR. OLISA AGBAKOBA, SAN

What Nigeria Needs: Devolution of Powers, Not Restructuring

2/DASHBOARD

13.10.2020

What Amounts to Material Contradictions in Cases of Armed Robbery PAGE 4

Lawbreed Academy holds 2nd Edition of its Conversation Series PAGE 5

QUOTABLES ‘The governing principle should be merit.

Federal Character is essentially, affirmative.

What it seeks to do, is to create a balance; but, if we were to create a balance, that balance should still be based on merit.’ - Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Professor of Law, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria ‘I got a call from the IG, that I must leave Edo State.....Why should I leave Edo State? I was the Chairman of the Campaign Council......The Governor of Imo was there. The Governor of Kano was there, he didn’t tell them to leave.’

- Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, CON, Lawyer, Life Bencher, Governor of Rivers State, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Chris Akiri Passes On PAGE 5

A Critical Review of Suit No. NICN/ ABJ/349/2018: Sambo Abdullahi v NBET & 3 Ors PAGE 6

Effect of an Administration Order on Receivership Under CAMA 2020 PAGE 12

/3

13.10.2020

Buhari and an Administration’s Hypocrisy ‘Òmò gba, je kin simi’ Recall that I had said from the onset, that I did not think anything significant would result from the Senate’s constitutional amendment exercise; the body language of the Federal Government seems to confirm this assertion.

First, the Federal Government’s position on the people’s cries for the urgent restructuring of our nation, to avoid the disintegration of Nigeria as we know it - a consequence which not just agitators for restructuring, but many, believe may be the likely consequence if the cries continue to be ignored. I must say that I found Government’s reaction to the crescendo of these cries for restructuring quite bizarre and somewhat outrageous - that President Buhari's administration "would not be intimidated into making any hasty decisions" about restructuring!

As usual, our Federal Government, which is suffering from a chronic case of amnesia and paranoia, put the agitations of the people down to its enemies attempting to plant seeds of discord and disunity in the country! Really? Correct me if I’m wrong - in 2015, was restructuring Nigeria not high on the list of campaign promises of President Buhari and the APC, only coming on the heels of fighting insecurity and corruption, and revamping the economy? Can five years into an eight year administration, be regarded as hasty?! I think not. By 2021 (in a couple of months), this administration will be going into its twilight zone, and yet, it has done absolutely nothing about this particular campaign promise.

With the reaction of the Federal Government via Presidential Spokesmen, Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina, another question that automatically and immediately comes to mind is: is this Government in touch with reality/ feeling the pulse of the people - the security and welfare of whom is its primary purpose?

(Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)(the Constitution))? I do not think so. And, this is one of the reasons why many are sceptical (myself included), and of the opinion that the Senate calling for submissions from all and sundry on constitutional amendments, is with tongue in cheek, that is, insincere, or as we say in Yoruba, òmò gba, je kin simi” (child take, let me rest/enjoy some peace). This simply means that a parent gives a troublesome child a palliative to distract him or her, so that the parent can have some peace and quiet, no matter how temporary. I tar with the same brush, the APC’s Restructuring Committee, resolutions of which have not been debated upon by any groups or the public, nor have they been implemented.

I'm sure that by now, most of us, except Government of course, are all aware of the famous definition of Democracy by American President, Abraham Lincoln - "Government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth". Sadly, it seems to have perished from Nigeria! Because, if Government was familiar with this definition, it would probably not have responded to the agitations and dissatisfaction of Nigerians, with statements that evince the fact that, at best, we are living in a semi-authoritarian dispensation (according to Learned Senior Advocate, Dr Olisa Agbakoba in his interview today), a dispensation which as far as I'm concerned, can only be described as ‘Government of the Government by Politicians for Politicians and a selected few'.

To use the Covid-19 pandemic as one of the excuses for not giving attention to the cries for restructuring, is not only grasping at straws, but lame. In a country of over 200 million people, approximately 60,000 people have so far been diagnosed with the dreaded virus, a couple of isolation centres have even apparently been shut, yet all of a sudden, conveniently, Covid-19 in Nigeria has become such a catastrophic national emergency, that Government cannot multi-task and do anything else, but tackle it!

For the avoidance of doubt, Chapter 2 of the Constitution, that is, the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy has assigned the Government of Nigeria multiple tasks including political, economic, social, educational, foreign policy and environmental objectives; and any administration that is unable to undertake all these tasks simultaneously, is not meeting its constitutional obligations.

Section 13 of the Constitution mandatorily makes it “the duty and responsibility of all organs of government, and of all authorities and persons exercising legislative, executive or judicial powers, to observe and apply the provisions” of Chapter 2 of the Constitution.

Therefore, national integration (Section 15(2) of the Constitution), harnessing the resources of the nation and controlling the economy for the maximum welfare and happiness of the citizens (Section 16(2)(a) & (b)), equality of rights, obligations and opportunities (Section 17(2)(a)), are just as important having adequate medical and health facilities for all persons (Section 17(3)(d) of the Constitution). In simple terms, according to the Constitution, fighting Covid-19 (health) and tackling the issue of restructuring (national integration and equality), can be undertaken together.

The 2021 Budget The scepticism that many are feeling about constitutional reform, is deepened further by the presentation of the 2021 budget last week.

The budget is a confirmation that it is business as usual in Nigeria, and that Government is mostly concerned about the comfort of its top officials and cronies, and not the welfare of Nigerians in general. The budget shows that, just as there will not be any meaningful economic reform in 2021, the same fate will probably befall the cries for restructuring.

Aside from the fact that our budget is still quite low (only about N13 trillion), the fact that recurrent expenditure is about one and a half times more than capital expenditure, provides prima facie evidence of a Government that pays lip service to its people and the world - that it is undertaking sweeping economic reforms for the benefit of the citizenry, while in reality it is not doing nearly enough. If Government was actually reforming our economy positively, recurrent expenditure will still not be over 55%, while capital expenditure is less than 30% of the budget. Or would you call economic reform borrowing money recklessly to finance the lavish lifestyle of government and huge cost of governance, while doing one or two things which are visible like the railway, so that the man on the street who knows no

better thinks there’s change and traction in the right direction? Another palliative/‘òmò gba, je kin simi’ move!

Government’s removal of the fuel subsidy, which has had a hard effect on Nigerians, without removing the subsidy on foreign exchange, again shows that Government is more concerned about a privileged few - those that get the Dollar at the ‘official’ rate and sell it to us at the market rate. I believe that the official rate of the US Dollar to the Naira is about N379 to $1 or so, while the actual market rate is about N475 to $1. Who are the privileged few making profit from the foreign exchange margins, margins which should only be available to serious manufacturers who will assist in industrialising our country and creating employment?

The Water Resources Bill The reconsideration of the Water Resources Bill which was jettisoned when it was first introduced to the Saraki led National Assembly in 2018, has elicited another outcry from the people - those in the affected States do not care for it. The Bill which seems to put certain waters and large chunks of land on the river banks in the 20 affected States under the ambit of the Federal Government, seems to be yet another indication that Government is not interested in any serious restructuring or devolution of powers. Au contraire! It is seeking to concentrate more powers in the Centre. Section 1 of the Land Use Act 1978 (LUA) which vests State land in their State Governors to be held in trust for the use and benefit of the people, is more in consonance with the concept of devolution of powers to the States and Local Governments, as it gives the States control over their land and waters, even though subsequently, the Constitution puts water from such sources on the Exclusive Legislative List (Item 64) as may be declared by the National Assembly to be sources affecting more than one State.

Section 2(a) & (b) of the LUA gives Governors control over all lands in the urban areas, and the Local Governments, control over all other lands in their jurisdictions. It seems that this proposed Bill, if passed into law, will achieve the opposite, that is, it will once again diminish the powers of the States, while increasing that of the Federal Government, contrary to what those calling for restructuring, desire.

Conclusion The sum and substance of my submissions is that, whether it is the economy or the Water Resources Bill or the state of our polity, the Government may say it is interested in the peaceful unity of our nation, but it’s actions say otherwise. This administration on its own, continues to sow more seeds of discord, disaffection and division on a daily basis instead - and it does so rather crudely and with impunity, I might add. It then, employs high-handed oppressive tactics to drown the voices of dissent in the country, possibly hoping that they will simply just go away. Not likely! The APC may have promised Nigerians that it would restructure Nigeria, but, more and more, it is looking like it was just the usual empty campaign promise which this administration had absolutely no intention of fulfilling - simply a tool to curry the support of some zones of the country who are clamouring for restructuring, to secure their votes in the election - nothing more.

Dear Editor

Day Lawyer of September 29, and I found it very insightful and compelling.

Although I’m a practicing Lawyer, I’m not very conversant with constitutional law issues. Your article has definitely helped my understanding, and it has also awakened in me the desire to quietly start an ‘awareness campaign’ of sorts among colleagues, regarding the need for Lawyers to speak up and lend our voices to the constitutional reform being proposed by the Senate.

I think as a leading voice on the subject, you should champion such a ‘campaign’. Approaching our new NBA President, Olumide Akpata, could be a useful first step, in my view. But, whether or not you agree, I just think you have a powerful message here, and it needs to be heard by a larger community of influencers and it needs to be acted upon.

Most respectfully, L.O. Dear Editor, Salam Alaikum.

Your proposals are very realistic, though there are some radical amendments therein. The Sharia one, has an ice cream lolly’s chance of Re: Towards an Equitable Constitution surviving in an oven! Nonetheless, an excellent edition. Loved the Azinge interview.

I read your editorial titled “Towards an A.A.R. Equitable Constitution” published in This Dear Editor,

President Muhammadu Buhari

“...... WHETHER IT IS THE ECONOMY OR THE WATER RESOURCES BILL OR THE STATE OF OUR POLITY, THE GOVERNMENT MAY SAY IT IS INTERESTED IN THE PEACEFUL UNITY OF OUR NATION, BUT IT’S ACTIONS SAY OTHERWISE. THIS ADMINISTRATION ON ITS OWN, CONTINUES TO SOW MORE SEEDS OF DISCORD, DISAFFECTION AND DIVISION ON A DAILY BASIS INSTEAD - AND IT DOES SO RATHER CRUDELY AND WITH IMPUNITY, I MIGHT ADD”

4/LAW REPORT

What Amounts to Material Contradictions in Cases of Armed Robbery Facts The Appellant, in company of two others, at about 8:30pm on 8th February, 2010, robbed PW1 and PW 2, a husband and wife, at their residence in Idanre Gurage, Idanre Road, Akure. The three men who were armed with guns, forced open the gate of the compound. While two of them went into the house, the third man went back outside the gate. The sum of N134,000.00, a handset and MTN rechargeable cards were stolen by one of the armed robbers who went into the room with PW 2 (the wife), while the other one beat up PW 1 (the husband) and members of the family, before locking them up in a room. After the robbery and when the armed robbers were leaving the house, one of the children escaped and alerted the neighbours about the incident. Two of the armed robbers escaped, but the Appellant was arrested in the neighbourhood and handed over to the Police.

The Appellant was consequently, arraigned before the High Court of Ondo State, Akure, on a two count Charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery. He pleaded not guilty to the counts, and trial commenced. The couple and two Police officers gave evidence for the State, while the Appellant testified in his own defence. Exhibits, including the confessional statements of the Appellant were tendered and admitted in evidence, after a trial-within-trial. In its judgement, the trial court found that the Prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and therefore, convicted the Appellant as charged. He was sentenced to death in accordance with Section 1(3) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act. Aggrieved with the judgement, the Appellant filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal, which court affirmed the decision of the trial court. Still not satisfied, he further appealed to the Supreme Court.

Honourable Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 24th day of April, 2020 Before Their Lordships

Olabode Rhodes-Vivour Musa Dattijo Muhammad Chima Centus Nweze Amina Adamu Augie Paul Adamu Galinje SC.677/2015

Issue for Determination The sole issue considered by the Supreme Court was: Whether the Prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, to justify the conviction of the Appellant for the offences charged.

Arguments Counsel for the Appellant started his submission by observing that there were major contradictions in the extra-judicial statements and oral testimonies of PW 1 and PW 2. Counsel argued that, it would be doing great injustice to accept any version of the facts of the incident. Counsel argued that the lower court ought to have applied the inconsistency rule to the testimony of the witnesses, and hold that their testimony is unreliable.

He argued further that from the evidence before the court, there was doubt about the identity of the Appellant as one who robbed PW1 and PW2. With respect to the confessional statements, counsel submitted that there was no evidence outside the confession to establish them as true. He urged the court to resolve the contradictions and inconsistencies, in favour of the Appellant.

Debunking the submissions above, counsel for the Respondent referred to the facts of the case and the evidence of PW 1 and PW 2, whereby they gave graphic and detailed narrations about the robbery. Responding to the submission about convicting the Appellant based on his uncorroborated confession, it was argued contrariwise that the conviction was not based solely on the confession of the Appellant, but also on the evidence of eye witnesses. Regarding the issue of identification parade, counsel submitted that same was unnecessary, as the Appellant was arrested immediately after the incident and promptly recognised by PW 1 and PW 2. He posited that there was no contradiction in the evidence, to cast doubt in the mind of the Judge. Finally, counsel urged the court to dismiss the appeal.

Court’s Judgement and Rationale Deciding the sole issue, the Supreme Court held that, for an offence of conspiracy, it is not necessary for the conspirators to know each other. Once the court can infer an agreement between parties or knowledge of the existence and intention of the conspiracy, a strong presumption of conspiracy is established. The court went further to hold that an accused person cannot be convicted of conspiracy to commit an offence on the strength of the accused person’s own confession, unless there is an independent evidence that at least one other person had conspired with him. The court went on to hold that though a confessional statement which is shown to be voluntarily made, positive, direct

Between OLUMIDE OPEKE THE STATE

And

APPELLANT RESPONDENT

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, JSC)

“CONTRADICTIONS ON MATERIAL FACTS IN A CASE OF ARMED ROBBERY SUCH AS THIS, MAY ARISE WHEN THERE ARE CONTRASTING VIEWS ON ISSUES SUCH AS – (A) HOW MANY ROBBERS CAME INTO THE HOUSE; (B) HOW WAS THE ROBBERY CARRIED OUT; (C) WHAT WAS STOLEN AND WERE THE STOLEN GOODS RECOVERED; (D) HOW WAS THE ROBBER APPREHENDED; (E) WAS THERE LIGHT AND ABOUT WHAT TIME DID THE ROBBERY OCCUR; (F) WERE THE ROBBERS MASKED, AND HOW WERE THEY DRESSED”

and unequivocal, is enough to ground a conviction, it is however, desirable that some evidence outside the confession is available . The confession should be consistent with other ascertained facts. In this case, the confession of the Appellant was free, voluntary and in itself fully consistent and probable. The inculpating statements were corroborated by several facts, including the recovered stolen handset and bullet. It is also clear from the evidence led, that there was armed robbery on 8th February, 2010 at the residence of PW 1 and PW 2. The Appellant was one of the armed robbers who took part in the robbery, and all these facts were established beyond reasonable doubt by the Respondent.

Regarding the issue of contradictions and inconsistencies in the evidence of the Prosecution, the court restated the trite principle of law that where there are conflicting evidence which in effect creates a serious doubt in a criminal trial, the accused person should be given benefit of the doubt and acquitted. Evidence are said to be conflicting when one affirms the opposite of what the other evidence stated, and not where there is a minor discrepancy between them – EKE v STATE (2011) 1-2 SC (Pt. II) 219.

In R v GOLDER (1960) 1 WLR 1169, Lord Parker, Chief Justice of England held that: “ When a witness is shown to have made previous statements inconsistent with the evidence given by that witness at the trial, the jury should not merely be directed that the evidence given be regarded as unreliable, they should also be directed that the previous statements, whether sworn or unsworn do not constitute evidence upon which they can act.”

The rule above is applicable in Nigeria with slight modification, in that if the case is before a trial Judge, the witness should be given the opportunity while under oath to explain the inconsistency, and it is only when he is unable to explain the inconsistency that the rule is applied – WILLIAMS v STATE (1975) 9-11 SC 139.

Their Lordships went further to postulate a guide for determining inconsistency or material contradictions in a case of armed robbery thus: “There must not be contradiction on material facts. Contradictions on material facts in a case of armed robbery such as this, may arise when there are contrasting views on issues such as – (a) how many robbers came into the house; (b) how was the robbery carried out; (c) what was stolen and were the stolen goods recovered; (d) how was the robber apprehended; (e) was there light and about what time did the robbery occur; (f) were the robbers masked, and how were they dressed. Where there are contradictions on any of the above, the witness ought to have been called to explain, and where no satisfactory explanation is made, the entire evidence and testimony of the witness should no longer be relied on by the court.”

Minor discrepancies other than those mentioned above, are allowed in law. In this case, PW 1 made an extra-judicial statement a day after the armed robbery at his house. He detailed the facts of the robbery, and when he gave evidence in court about two years after, his testimony was without major departure from his statement. PW 2 also made an extra-judicial statement like PW 1, a day after the armed robbery and gave oral testimony in court about two years after. Comparing the statement with the evidence given in court, there is no contradiction safe for minor discrepancies which are allowed in law, as they did not touch on the salient issues. It follows that, the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Regarding the issue of identification parade, the court found that there must be real doubt as to who the witness claims he saw committing the offence before an identification parade is conducted, and this is done during investigation of the case by the Investigating Police Officer. In this instance, such parade was absolutely unnecessary, since PW 1 and PW 2 were reliable eye witnesses who saw the Appellant clearly, gave flawless evidence as to what he was wearing, and the fact that he was arrested immediately after the robbery.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation R.A. Aladesanmi with G.A. Okewole for the Appellant.

A. Oladeji for the Respondent.

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)

13.10.2020

NEWS/5

Nigeria at 60: Judges Deserve Better Welfare Former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Lagos State, Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, at a media parley with some Judicial Editors last week, drew the attention of the Government and stakeholders to the plight of Nigerian judicial RIĂ€FHUV ZKLOH FRPPHQWing of Nigeria at 60.

He said “the Nigerian Judiciary has grown in leaps and bounds in the last 60 years. From the great jurists who served in the Supreme Court and lower Courts in years past, till present. These noblemen and legal giants helped create the necessary platform for social engineering, which has greatly assisted in giving ordinary Nigerians greater access to justice. “Only recently, the Supreme Court made a landmark pronouncement that quelled the controversial issue of virtual hearings and access to justice that had arisen, in the course of the recent global public health crisis. “One must also concede that, over the years, there has been massive infrastructural improvements with building of new courts, creation of new judicial divisions

and appointment of more MXGLFLDO RIĂ€FHUV DQG VWDII However, I must be frank that there has not been a commensurate improvement in the welfare of the Judiciary, both for serving DQG UHWLUHG RIĂ€FHUV ,I \RX take a comparative survey RI WKH SHUTXLVLWHV RI RIĂ€FH for the judicial sector, compared to the executive and legislative arms, you ZLOO Ă€QG WKDW WKHUH LV D huge gap. This gap has led to low motivation, and sadly but inevitably, cases of corruption in that sector. The quality of life of several of these MXGLFLDO RIĂ€FHUV HVSHFLDOO\ retired ones, many of whom are corruption free, continues to diminish daily. To make matters worse, the Judiciary has slowly become a public whipping boy, that is, largely overworked and RYHU YLOLĂ€HG VXSSRUWHG by sometimes decrepit and outdated tools. “At 60, Nigeria has, and continues to produce Ă€QH MXULVWV DQG MXGLFLDO workers, but there must be a massive overhaul of its remuneration across board. There must also be a more transparent selection process devoid of bias and prejudice, so

Adeniji Kazeem, SAN

that we can have the Ă€QHVW XSULJKW PLQGV WR dispense justice without fear or favour. “There must be more infrastructural development, in order to provide for better administration of justice. For instance, the number of court

Chris Akiri Passes On Chairman Editorial Board of National Daily Newspapers, Chris Akiri, passed on in Lagos on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 after a brief illness.

Chris Akiri who was a contributor to This Day Lawyer, showed high degree of innovation, articulation, and dynamism in dissecting issues within and outside Nigeria in his editorial responsibilities.

He was a Lawyer, Teacher, Journalist, Politician, Deacon and renowned Public Affairs Analyst. He was a frequent guest on several television stations in Nigeria, ARISE TV, Channels, and AIT, among others. While managing KLV ODZ ÀUP KH VHUYHG on the Editorial Board of reputable media organisations in Nigeria, which include The Guardian, then, National Daily.

Authorities in government, colleagues in the legal profession and friends in the media will surely miss the exit of Akiri, particularly, his service to humanity.

He was Managing Partner of Chris W.A $NLUL &R D ÀUP RI legal practitioners. He

rooms and inevitably judiFLDO RIĂ€FHUV PDQQLQJ ERWK FRXUWV RI Ă€UVW LQVWDQFH and appellate courts must be considerably increased, especially in places like Lagos and other major cities to enhance quality of justice and timing of delivery. This will largely reduce the period in between adjournments and workload of the Honourable Justices. As you know, justice delayed is justice denied. “In summary, I would

say that notwithstanding the challenges, the Judiciary has made remarkable progress in many ways over the last 60 years, and has lived up to its reputation as a just and fearless last defender of the common man. However, we must be truthful that it’s sterling reputation at independence in 1960 has been considerably whittled down by so many factors, including bouts of military dictatorship such that an unwholesome halo has

unjustly begun to hover over both the good and bad eggs in its midst. “Nonetheless, I remain a perennial optimist and believe the best is yet to come for the Nigerian judiciary, and with the right policies and improved attention to the welfare of both serving and retired judicial ofĂ€FHUV LW¡V SULGH RI SODFH as contemplated 60 years ago can be restored for WKH EHQHĂ€W RI 1LJHULD DQG Nigerians.â€?

Lawbreed Academy holds 2nd Edition of its Conversation Series

Chris Akiri

played a dominant role as a member of the Think-Tank representing Delta State at the 2005 National Political Reforms Conference, in Abuja.

He was, for almost ten years, a member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian newspaper; a Board member of the National Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute (NIFFRI), New Bussa; Chairman of the Editorial Board of National Daily;

Lawbreed Academy held its 2nd edition of its Conversation Series, titled “Money Matters and the Lawyer’s Well Beingâ€? on October 3rd October, 2020. The Speakers for the Virtual Webinar were Mrs. Toyin Sanni, a Lawyer and Investment Banker, Mr. Ajibola Olomola, Partner & Head, Deal Advisory M & A Tax and Financial Services, and Dr Maymunat Yusuf Kadiri, a Nigerian Psychotherapist Chairman, Capstone and Advocate for mental 0LFURĂ€QDQFH %DQN /WG health, who spoke on and Legal Adviser, Edi- Wellness/Well being.

Mr Layi Babatunde, SAN, torial Board of the Sun CEO of Lawbreed Limited, newspapers. He is the emphasised the need for author of books, including the Nigerian Bar Associa“ Topics in African and tion to take a second look European History�, “ The at Rule 7 of the Rules of British Imperial Factor Professional Conduct, and African Nationalist Development in South which places limits on Africa: 1871-1931�, “ The the various other business Way It Is� ( Vols. 1 & 2), ventures that Lawyers can a regular television com- venture into, because the mentator and a columnist Pandemic (Covid-19) threw up a lot of challenges in in several newspapers.

Layi Babatunde, SAN

KHDOWK DQG ÀQDQFHV DQG some Lawyers were not spared of the negative impacts.

The Conversation series FDPH LQ KDQG\ WR ÀOO WKH ÀQDQFLDO DQG KHDOWK NQRZO-

edge that Lawyers need to create and manage their wealth, and lead a more balanced life. Participants included distinguished Senior Advocates and Learned Colleagues.

6/

13.10.2020

A Critical Review of Suit No. NICN/ABJ/349/2018: Sambo Abdullahi v NBET & 3 Ors This Case Review by Solomon Okedara is a critique of the decision handed down by the National Industrial Court in Sambo Abdullahi v NBET & 3 Ors; asserting that the decision is disturbing, as among other things, it endorses the insubordination of employees and renders the employer helpless. He concludes by saying that, the judgement is not a good decision for our labour law jurisprudence Examining the Limit of an Employee’s Right to Earn Salaries Background

I

n recent time, the National Industrial Court (“NIC”) which is the Court set up to hear labour-related disputes in Nigeria, has been in the news for delivering epoch-making judgements involving employees who feel aggrieved by the alleged wrongful act(s) of their employers. But, just like every other trial Court, the decisions of the NIC are subject to the right of either party to the said decision, to appeal same. However, what makes the NIC unique is that by Section 243(4) of the Third Alteration to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), appeals from the NIC shall terminate at the Court of Appeal as the final Appellate Court, for decisions emanating from the Court.

In recent times, rightly or wrongly, there has been a ground swell of opinion at the Bar that too many Judges of the NIC see their role as that of protecting the “weak and vulnerable” employee from the “strong and oppressive” employer. Too often, Lawyers complain that irrespective of the merits and demerits of a case, it appears to be a policy of many Judges at the NIC to willy-nilly give judgement in favour of the employee. One cannot help concluding that these complaints are a product of poor sportsmanship on the part of Lawyers, like the bad student who blames his failure on the Teacher. Lawyers are similarly, notorious for blaming their loss of a case on everything and everyone but themselves. The Judges are, more often than not, the chief victims.

A recent judgement of the NIC that has caught the attention of this writer, is that involving the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET), a key player in the electricity industry and one of its employees in Suit No. NICN/ ABJ/349/2018 – Sambo Abdullahi v Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc & 3 Ors wherein judgement was delivered on 11th March, 2020. The facts of the case, as can be gleaned from the judgement of the Court may be summarised as follows: Facts The Claimant, one Mr. Sambo Abdullahi, is an employee of NBET and was until 13th June, 2017, the Head of Internal Audit at NBET. Sometime in June 2017, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (“OAGF”) posted treasury accountants from its pool to head the finance and audit departments of NBET. These postings necessitated certain internal redeployments, to accommodate the treasury accountants. Consequently, the Claimant was redeployed to the Learning and Development Department.

The Claimant wilfully refused to report for work at his new post, on the grounds that he was being victimised.

Furthermore, the Claimant unilaterally seized the two audit stamps issued to NBET by the OAGF (One for his use and the other allocated to another staff of NBET), and the keys to the audit security safe maintained by NBET. All directives issued to him by the OAGF to return the audit stamps and keys to the security safe, yielded no result.

Consequently, NBET suspended payment of the Claimant’s salary on the grounds of his rendering himself redundant, by failing to move to his new department and the seizure of audit stamps and keys to security safe. The Claimant commenced this suit essentially seeking an order of court, directing NBET and its MD to pay the Claimant’s salaries and emoluments from 27th December, 2017 when it was stopped/suspended.

Judgement After trial, the court delivered judgement in favour of the Claimant on the grounds that 1) NBET by the admission of its witness has been taking instructions from the Ministry of Power, and is thus, subject to the Ministry’s directives to pay the Claimants salaries; 2) NBET ought to have set up a Disciplinary Hearing Committee (“DHC”) before suspending the Claimant’s salary; and 3) Annual leave is statutory and an employer cannot deny an employee of it.

Analysis The finding that NBET is subject to the directives of the Ministry, is strange for several reasons. The Ministry was a party to the suit, duly served with all processes and never made this assertion. NBET is a limited liability company, jointly owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated and the Bureau of Public Enterprises. The manner of administration of limited liability companies, are statutorily prescribed by

President, National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice Benedict Kanyip

the Company and Allied Matters Act. A company is run at two levels – (i) Management and (ii) Board. Whilst the Management is responsible for the day-to-day running of the company, the Board which is the highest decision-making organ of a company, is responsible for providing policy direction and approving certain decisions of the management team. NBET is therefore, not liable to any subjective notion of a supervising Minister that has no documentary or statutory basis.

The relationship between NBET and the Claimant is purely contractual, and the Minister is not privy to that contract. It is elementary law that a company has a separate and distinct identity from its shareholders, this is without prejudice to the fact that, the Minister was neither a shareholder nor a director of NBET at the material time. The only business

“THIS DECISION IS QUITE DISTURBING IN MANY RESPECTS. IT ABSURDLY, SUGGESTS THAT AN EMPLOYEE CAN WILFULLY BE ABSENT FROM WORK, WITHOUT A VALID EXCUSE OR PERMISSION, AND THE EMPLOYER WOULD STILL BE LIABLE TO PAY HIS SALARY. IT APPEARS TO ENDORSE GROSS INSUBORDINATION.......THIS IS A RECIPE FOR INDUSTRIAL CHAOS”

the court had was to construe the contract that governed the relationship of the parties, and limit his pronouncement on this subject to applicable laws. In any case, there was undisputed documentary evidence on record, that the Board had been dissolved by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. A Circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (“OSGF”) dated 16th July, 2015 (which was admitted in evidence), expressly directed that all matters requiring the attention of the Board, should be directed to the President.

It is noteworthy that NBET challenged the admissibility of the letter containing the alleged ministerial directive, on the ground that it was neither pleaded, frontloaded nor certified as a true copy, being a public document. In spite of the that, the Claimant did not make contrary arguments in support of the admissibility of this document, which in legal parlance meant that the Claimant conceded to NBET’s argument on the issue, the court admitted the document and relied heavily on it, without even ruling on its admissibility.

The finding that NBET ought to have set up a Disciplinary Hearing Committee (“DHC”) before suspending the Claimant’s salary, is clearly at variance with the terms of the employment contract as set out in Section 6.4.8 of the Employment Manual which the Court appears to have misinterpreted. It provides that any employee that absents himself without authorisation “shall be subject to the provision of the disciplinary process and the employee shall not be remunerated for such period of absence.” The provision of Section 6.4.8 is conjunctive, and it does not make suspension of salary contingent on the disciplinary hearing. The simple and clear interpretation of the above is that, notwithstanding the disciplinary process such employee may face, he shall not be remunerated for the period of his absence. One of the exhibits tendered during trial by NBET was the attendance log, which reveals that the Claimant continually absented himself from work. There was also evidence that on the few occasions he went to work, he did not report to his redeployed duty post. This was in addition to evidence from his supervisor, that he never carried out assignments given to him. Wages are the reward for working, hence where an employee has not worked, what justifiable reason will entitle him to a wage?

The Court also strangely decided that annual leave is a statutory right which an employer cannot deny an employee under the Labour Act, and on which basis the Court held that the non-approval of the Claimant’s annual leave, was unlawful. This was in spite of evidence that the Claimant insolently applied for annual leave as “Head of Internal Audit”, fully aware that he had been redeployed from that department.

The Court in this judgement, erroneously relied on the Labour Act in reaching this conclusion. The decision is inconsistent with Section 91 of the Labour Act, which expressly excludes an employee performing professional functions from the operation of the Act. The Claimant in this case was employed as a professional auditor, and from the judgement, he was employed to carry out administrative and professional functions. So, the pertinent question is, how did the Court find the Act applicable to him?

Disturbing Decision This decision is quite disturbing in many respects. It absurdly, suggests that an employee can wilfully be absent from work, without a valid excuse or permission, and the employer would still be liable to pay his salary. It appears to endorse gross insubordination. It suggests that employee can arbitrarily disregard lawful instructions, and assignments of his employer. The employee can also dictate what work he will or will not do, and that the employer is helpless to do anything about this. The decision appears to make an employer the prisoner of its recalcitrant and insolent employee. This is a recipe for industrial chaos.

It is worse in this instance, where a Court has directed that an employee should be paid with taxpayer’s funds, for work that he has manifestly not done. It is also an explicit endorsement of indiscipline and unruly acts by employees, and a dangerous precedent that gives assurance of judicial protection for clear and gross acts of indiscipline. It is important for our industrial courts to understand that they were set up to protect both the employee and the employer, in accordance with the law. This judgement is certainly not a good development, for our labour law jurisprudence.

Solomon Okedara, Legal Practitioner, Lagos

A

13.10.2020

/7

The Proposed Water Bill: Dispossessing Okon to Give to Abdullahi (Part 1) Introduction

is order, rhyme and rhythm.

Ordinarily, one would have been tempted to laugh away this ludicrous proposed provision, as impossible and unrealistic.

But, the General Buhari-led administration has developed such an uncanny ability to do the impossible, the absurd, and the bizarre. It rams the most dreadful of policies, down the throats of hapless and terrified Nigerians.

The above provisions of Section 98 are not only infuriating, but bizarre and freaking. It lends credence to the widely held belief that this government is hell bent on making life miserable and unbearable, for the ordinary Nigerian people.

To fully appreciate the senility and absurdity of the said Section 98, it is important to state that this government and successive governments have failed woefully in the simple task of providing clean potable water for Nigerian citizens, contrary to the provisions of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

For instance, according to aid agencies, 60 million Nigerians, or 33 percent of the population, do not have access to clean water.

O

n July 23, 2020, thed Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata, reintroduced the controversial and highly contentious Water Resources Bill to the House of Representatives.

It is important to note that, this is not the first time the bill is being brought before the NASS, as the Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency had done so in 2017. The Bill seeks to transfer the control of water resources from the States to the Federal Government.

The Senate on May 24, 2018, considered the executive bill for second reading, during which, expectedly, Senators were divided along the now infamous Nigeria’s regional fault lines.

While northern Senators readily supported the proposal and its objectives (why not?), their southern counterparts opposed it (why not?). The controversy the bill generated, frustrated its passage by both the Senate and House of Representatives.

After all, Nigeria is all about sharing the national cake. Not how it is baked!

The proposed law is titled, “A Bill for An Act to Establish a Regulatory Framework for the Water Resources Sector in Nigeria, Provide for the Equitable and Sustainable Redevelopment, Management, Use and Conservation of Nigeria’s Surface Water and Groundwater Resources and for Related Matters.”

In summary, if and when passed (God forbid!), the Bill will concentrate in the hands of the Federal Government, the control of water resources around Rivers Niger and Benue, as well as other water ways which cut across 20 States in the Nigeria. Simply put, the Bill seeks to empower the Federal Government to control all sources of water in Nigeria. The Federal Government can simply permit any person or group of persons from any part of the country, to go and acquire any water resource without the consent of the local communities that own them. Incredible.

To this end, if this Bill is ever allowed, herdsmen, bandits, strangers, and other elements who may not be desirable by the communities, can with “federal” mandate, take over all lands adjoining communities, springs, streams, rivers, lakes, lagoons and coastal precincts which have served as means of livelihood for such local communities since the dawn of time.

The States affected by this satanic Bill are Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Taraba, Nasarawa, Niger, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Plateau and Kebbi states. That is over half of Nigeria being held down by the jugular, willy-nilly!!!

The proposed reintroduction of the Bill has been met with stiff resistance by well-meaning Nigerians like my humble self, Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka; interest groups, such as Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum; the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle Belt Forum.

Similarly, The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, has warned the NASS against licensing “dictatorship” because of the danger the Bill portends to national unity.

In the same breath, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, categorically accused the Federal Government of colluding with its controlled NASS, to allow herdsmen grab lands across Nigeria under the thin guise of the water resources bill.

Given the swirling dust surrounding the bill, it is important to know why the Bill is opposed with so much vehemence.

Obnoxious Provisions of the Water Bill Section 2(1) of the Bill, stipulates: "All surface water and ground water wherever it occurs, is a resource common to all people."

Oh, really?

Do we then take it that Eastern palm oil, all Zamfara gold, granite, rocks, bauxite, Edo rubber and timber, Jos coal, cotton, Northern hides and skin, Western cocoa, Benue yam, Argungu fish, etc, across Nigeria are also “resources common to all people” in Nigeria, and jointly owned by all? Can we stop this huge joke please? Simply put, the Bill seeks to empower the Federal Government to control all sources of water in Nigeria.

Earlier in 2018, during the Senate’s clause by clause consideration of the Bill, the then Minority Leader and former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, who is currently the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, had vehemently kicked against the provisions seeking to empower the Federal Government to take over control of all waterways and their banks in Nigeria.

The provisions vest on the Federal Government, large pieces of land adjoining the river banks across the country, which have been the exclusive preserve of State governments. It is the same Bill that has now been surreptitiously and nichodemously reintroduced, albeit, with a different title. If it sails through, it will alter the critical provisions of the Land Use Act, which vests all ownership of lands in the States in State Governments to own in trust for the people, except lands in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where the Federal Government holds sway.

This is nothing but another evil push for the roundly defeated

Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu

RUGA SETTLEMENT policy, that was framed previously to enable herdsmen grab lands belonging to communities and indigenous peoples, and then set up grazing reserves or cattle colonies. With palpable desertification, horrific terrorism and mindless violence currently ravaging parts of the North, this Bill is seen by most Nigerians as a sinister ploy by the Federal Government to deprive communities and indigenous peoples of their natural ancestral patrimony, for the benefit of non-owners without the voluntary consent of the said original owners. If this Bill is passed, herdsmen under the guise of the so called “Federal Water Resource Law’’, become legally permitted to simply take over all lands adjoining the springs, streams, rivers, lakes, lagoons and coastal precincts which have served as means of livelihood for the local communities since the time of their great grand grandparents. Yes, from time immemorial (Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo alias 4.30 (Chika Okpala) would say, “from time imoriver”!).

By this Bill, the Federal Government arbitrarily appropriates the constitutional powers of State Governors to hold land resources in trust for the people of their States, as provided for in Section 1 of the Land Use Act. It will be a ready recipe for disaster. The conflicts and bloodshed that this provocative law will likely trigger will be endless, and their ponderous ricocheting effects are better avoided.

Control of power, land and water resources have always been the major causes of wars in history. Nigeria will certainly not be an exception. There is no doubt that the purveyors of these draconian and obsolete laws are enemies of our country, its cohesion and national stability. They must be stopped dead in their sinister tracks.

In the same vein, Section 98 of the Bill states: “the use of water shall be subject to licensing provisions.”

This simply means that anyone that desires to embark on any water project, or even drinking it, must first obtain a licence from a designated government agency.

The implication of this is that anyone who wants to build a house on his land, to which he has a valid title (accompanied with a valid Certificate of Occupancy and other relevant title documents) will still not be permitted to generate water from his land without a valid licence from a designated Government Agency. This is madness at its peak! Even in madness, there

“THE CONFLICTS AND BLOODSHED THAT THIS PROVOCATIVE LAW WILL LIKELY TRIGGER WILL BE ENDLESS, AND THEIR PONDEROUS RICOCHETING EFFECTS ARE BETTER AVOIDED”

More Readons why Section 98 is so dangerous What this means is that there is water supply deficit in Nigeria, and virtually all Nigerians have been forced to take up the responsibility of not just providing water for themselves, but also for their communities. Every household is a government unto itself, with its boreholes (water); generators (light); security (mai guard); shelter (tenants); hospitals (self-medication) and schools (children’s lesson classes)! With the knowledge of the above, the Government has now gone ahead to introduce a legislation which seeks to limit the ability of Nigerians, to even provide water for themselves!

The said Section 98 further implies that the designated Government Agency, can arbitrarily decide not to grant a licence to a person who wishes to embark on a water project for himself. This also means that the Agency can decide to grant the licence to another stranger, who has no interest in the land at all. In a country already clearly polarised along primordial ethnic, religious, linguistic, and class lines, this is certainly a dangerous rampaging bull in a China shop.

Thus, except aborted in its infancy, the proposed bill may play up the following ugly scenario: If Emeka, Osaro, Timi or Umukoro builds a house on his land, he must first secure the licence of the designated government agency before he can sink a borehole for his own use in his own house and land.

It also means that, the designated Government Agency may decide to deny him such licence to provide his own water on his own land. It further means that the Agency can grant that same licence to generate water from the land belonging to Timi, Emeka, Osaro or Umukoro to Usman, Bako, Abubakar or Abdullahi, who has no stake or interest whatsoever in the said land. Haba! Is that how to run a Constitutional democracy?

Given the above dire implications, one does not need the gift of Nostradamus or clairvoyance to fully appreciate the dangerous nepotistic spirit behind these provisions in the Bill.

Further, Section 104 of the Bill provides that the Bill will empower the Government to: “direct a person who has a supply of water in excess of his needs for domestic purposes, to reduce the amount he is permitted to abstract under the terms of any licence or general authorisation.”

The above provision is most vague and nebulous, for want of better words. It fails to state in clear terms how, having supply of water in excess of one’s needs, can be measured.

How will the authorities determine correctly, that a person has supply of water in excess of his needs? What barometer or yardstick will the Government employ?

Furthermore, the above provision is laden with obvious mischief. This is because in failing to state the metric for measuring “supply of water in excess” of one’s needs, it leaves the door wide ajar for government authorities to arbitrarily reduce the amount of water that a person is permitted to abstract from the earth, even if such quantity is what he actually needs.

Section 104 (7) of the Bill also subjects anyone who contravenes the law to prison terms, ranging from two to five years. Did you hear me correctly?

The corollary implications of this, are dire. It paradoxically means that, if flowing from Government’s irresponsibility and failure to provide clean potable water for the populace, a citizen decides to sink his own borehole to provide water for himself, his family, or his community without a licence, such a person would be liable to prison terms, ranging from two to five years! This is most preposterous, exploitative, asinine, unconscionable, primitive, and wholly condemnable. (To be continued next week).

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “If the law is a bad law, there is always the contingent right to take action that you would not otherwise take”. (James Callaghan)

8/COVER

13.10.2020

What Nigeria Needs: Devolution For one who had been in the trenches fighting autocratic military dictatorships, it could be disheartening to note that after over two decades, Nigeria has not made much progress in the march towards a free, just, democratic and equitable society. Former NBA President, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN played host to the THISDAY LAWYER team at his Ikoyi Office last week, where he fielded a wide range of questions from Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi.

He spoke unabashedly about his Chairmanship of the NBA Board of Trustees, and why they did not overturn the last election of the Association, despite the wide criticisms that trailed the exercise. He also spoke about the nation’s quest for true democracy and federalism, economic challenges, and why he is optimistic that things will soon change for the better

T

he Board of Trustees of the NBA recently upheld the 2020 NBA elections. What informed this decision, knowing that almost half of the registered voters were disenfranchised and some of the provisions of the NBA Constitution were clearly breached by the ECNBA, like releasing the voters register a couple of hours before the voting portal was opened, instead of at least 28 days before the election? What was your personal stand on this issue?

How do you think the decision of the BOT which seems to go against the rule of law, will impact on how people see the NBA which is supposed to be the upholder and promoter of the rule of law?

First of all, you will appreciate that I cannot go into the details of who did what and how, because that is confidential to the Board of Trustees of the NBA, other than to say that we clearly recognise that the elections were not as perfect as it should have been,; we were disappointed about the outcomes. But, we were satisfied that there was no untoward motive which was part of what Dele Adesina, SAN alleged. We felt that rather than untoward motive, the NBA had become so huge that, there was clearly demonstrable ethnical challenges. For instance, when I got elected, it was only 800 votes. This time, it’s 30,000.

When the elections opened at midnight, five minutes into the process the entire IT platform collapsed. I think that gave rise to considerable challenges and difficulties. So, part of what we recommended is that, the time has come for the NBA to begin to think through whether it has internal capacity. It was a capacity problem.

As Lawyers, we are not election management people. Do we really have the capacity to run a sophisticated election process that is generated by signals, emails and other things? I don’t think so.

Whilst a number of Lawyers were unable to vote, I could see from the report of the guys who were brought in to take over from the local guys, were from an American election monitoring outfit. And, these guys are credible; I don’t think they are the type that anyone can bribe. I saw that they had done things for UNESCO, International Organisations. So, it’s beyond question that anybody would have reached them to say, ‘rig the election in my favour’. That is why we ruled out foul play; but, we established that there were considerable irregularities.

On the whole, we felt that overturning the election would not serve any interests, unless we could establish the sort of foul play that Mr Adesina had alleged, which we couldn’t establish. So, I decided that we would go in a particular way. But, here are six people on the Board. Som I have received criticisms. Some said ‘you are the Chairman of the NBA Board of Trustees!’ Well, I am only one person. So, whatever our personal views might have been, we were sitting as an institutional body. The mandate was to deliver an opinion, not as Olisa Agbakoba, but as the Board of Trustees.

That is what we did.

Learned Silk, you talk about irregularities.

But, is it a mere irregularity? For instance, the voters register - the NBA Constitution makes it mandatory that it must be published at least 28 days before the election. That was not done. Is that an irregularity? Then, also the fact that half of the registered voters, 14,000 out of the 29,000 that registered did not vote. Its almost 50%.

Is that an irregularity or fundamental? A

Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN lot of Lawyers felt that there was enough grounds to either allow the 14,000 that did not vote to vote, while preserving the votes of the 15,000 that already did. Then couple up the results.

Again, the evidence before us, because at the end of the day the evidence would be based on proof of the allegation by the Petitioner. It was difficult to determine exactly what was the

“......WE FELT THAT OVERTURNING THE ELECTION WOULD NOT SERVE ANY INTERESTS, UNLESS WE COULD ESTABLISH THE SORT OF FOUL PLAY THAT MR ADESINA HAD ALLEGED, WHICH WE COULDN’T ESTABLISH”

number. But, even if there were two, it doesn’t excuse their not voting. But, as I said, why did this 8,000 or 14,000 not vote? Was it because there was some sort of conspiracy, or was it due to technical challenges? We clearly established that it was due to technical challenges.

Of course, we also had problems of Lawyers’ names sent to the wrong branches. The point you also make about when the voters’ register should come. There were two versions. One said that the verifiable voters register would come out by July. There was evidence that the ECNBA did in fact do so. But, Dele Adesina’s evidence showed that it didn’t come out as required.

So, there was a difficulty as to who to believe.

For all of these reasons, and in particular, when we were able to agree among ourselves that there was no fraud, it changed the perspective.

If voters were excluded as a result of conspiracy, there would been a lot of concern. But, if voters were excluded because some Lawyers in Ihiala Branch couldn’t access the platform as a result of technical challenges, that is a challenge. But, it was very clear to us from the report of this Body Voters (I hope I’m getting that name right), and I say again that Body Voters are absolutely internationally credible organisation that has a long history. I don’t even know how they were found, but they came in at the right time.

They couldn’t have conspired with anybody.

Therefore, the principle in Obasanjo v INEC established by Oguntade when the Electoral Act of 2002 was defective; and Oguntade found that it was indeed, defective, but they denied the declaration to cancel the results, because of the chaos it would have caused. So, we invoked that doctrine, that clearly there were challenges; but, on the whole, to nullify that

entire election would have created chaos, so we allowed it to stand, and recommended very strongly that all these challenges that came out in the elections, because this is the third time, 2016, 2018 and now, that this is occurring; and it must be dealt with. Otherwise, tha confidence that the NBA can have credible elections, will be affected.

Kindly, comment on NBA NEC’s disinvitation of Governor El Rufai to the 2020 AGC and the fallout therefrom, that is, the decision of some Lawyers to establish the New Nigerian NBA Personally, I felt it was wrong. You have invited somebody to come, then disinvite him - I didn’t think it was courteous. I then called George Etomi to say, ‘I am not sure that Governor El Rufai should be disinvited’.

If the issue is the challenges in Southern Kaduna, then I was also in touch with the President of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union - just simply invite him and let him have his say.

But, to disinvite someone you have invited, I didn’t think it was a smart thing. As you can see, in the end I am proved right.

Because rightly or wrongly, it gave rise to the secessionist tendencies we now see. That is what caused the problem. But, if he had been allowed to come, and say his own part, that I think is the right he is entitled to.

Whether you like what he says and not, anyone could have countered him, whether virtually or otherwise.

So, it thought it was a wrong decision . If you muzzle opinion, that strikes at the very heart of free speech. I would have liked to

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of Powers, Not Restructuring hear what he had to say.

How about the New Nigerian NBA, how do you think that will fare or whether it can stand? And following the Attorney-General’s deletion of some of the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct, people are saying that these deletions sort of show that the AGF is aligned with some of these secessionists and that it paves the way for breaking the monopoly that the NBA has enjoyed so far. That if you don’t want to use your stamp and seal, or if you don’t want to, fine. That you don’t even have to be a member of any NBA branch. So, people are saying the New NBA can stand.

There is no right answer to the question. There is also no one proper answer to what the AGF did or did not do right or wrong. So, I would rather approach it from asking ‘is the legal profession and its structures and institutions, not outdated?’ I think it is. And that’s why when I was NBA President, I started a campaign for a new legislative framework for legal services, not the profession, but legal services. This is because a lot of people now, don’t need to be Lawyers to deliver legal services, but the legal profession, LPA, makes it the exclusive preserve of Lawyers. So, I was very much interested in the Sir David Clementi Report.

Clementi was charged with reviewing legal services, prescribing new ways in the United Kingdom. When I read it, I felt this is the new way we should be pursuing in our profession.

I submitted a Bill. Part of the challenge is that, the tenure of the NBA President is too short to make lasting and meaningful changes. So, I submitted the Legal Services Bill. If that Bill had gone through, it would have shattered the process and framework of the NBA. First of all, legal education, discipline, all the parameters of the NBA and practice, I found, to my chagrin as NBA President, were controlled by the government. The NBA President is nowhere near as important, as people think. It’s a glorified big name. You can’t as leader of your profession prescribe educational standards, like ICAN does for Accountants. The government controls it through the Council of Legal Education, through the Body of Benchers. The Body of Benchers has gone way out of its remit; in the UK, that is not what they do. Here, the Body of Benchers is concerned with discipline - it’s not their job.

The AGF is concerned with discipline, it is not his job. The NBA is concerned with discipline, and it is not their job.

And, this new structure of the Body of Benchers, is as a result of the problem of Gani Fawehinmi and his challenges, when he wrote his book and called himself ‘that famous Lawyer.’ He was indicted for infamous conduct. At that time, it was only the AGF that could lay charges, but the problem was that, the AGF investigated, prosecuted and determined. So, Gani went to court and a strong Supreme Court then said “no, no, this is not possible” and recommended that no Lawyer could have fair hearing if this structure was maintained. And, that is what led to the Body of Benchers being the Judiciary, if you like, and the NBA being the investigators.

That is not what happens abroad. Because, even the NBA itself has sometimes been accused of hiding people. The Clementi Report recommended that for a new legal service, it must be accountable. So, the first thing they did was to appoint an independent regulator, outside of the control of the Attorney-General. This is called the Legal Services Board. They do everything regulating their own NBA, and because their own NBA is also a strong organisation, they recognise them as an approved regulator.

So, the NBA here will be an approved regulator, and will have the status and title of a self-regulating organisation, which ICAN has achieved. So, we don’t wait for the Supreme Court to disbar an offending Silk. And there are so many offending Siljs as you well know, who qualify to be disbarred. But, they know how to find their way round, and the system is clogged, so the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee never sits.

How can the CJN be Chairman of the Committee, when his full time job is to be CJN? So, we need new structures.

The ICAN guys appoint their SANs, they are called Fellows, because they know the best. The ICAN guys prescribe their own educational qualities. We don’t need the Council of Legal Education, to do that for us. We don’t need the Law School. So, that is what the new process says, and because the Legal Services Board gives the Bar the authority to discipline, we

“I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONFIDENCE THAT RESTRUCTURING WILL EVER WORK. NOT BECAUSE IT’S A BAD IDEA, BUT BECAUSE IN THIS NATION OF NIGERIA CONSISTING OF ABOUT 400 SUB-NATIONAL ENTITIES, THEY HAVE GOT TO AGREE"

Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN can take immediate action. But, if we have a President who can’t discipline a Lawyer, then what is he President of? He’s the President of nothing! What is NEC? NEC is just a glorified talk-shop. The NBA is statutorily, powerless to do anything about legal education, legal discipline! That is why you have a mess. That is why the AGF can do what he did.

But, that is why I sent a text to Olumide Akpata to push that Bill. It is not to clash with the AGF and say ‘you can’t do this or that’. That clash would go on forever. The structures of the legal profession in Nigeria, is completely decayed. We need something new. Why would ICAN get it right, and we cannot? Why would 10,000 Lawyers cram into Abuja to lift their wigs! Its crazy! We all cram into Abuja for one day? Because, there is governmental control. And we are still wearing those completely outdated wigs and gowns, whereas the Supreme Court in England where we borrowed it from, don’t wear it anymore. Even when they open their assizes, they don’t wear it.

So, I think that is the challenge for Olumide Akpata - to completely overhaul the way the NBA works and the way the legal profession works.

What is your opinion of the Senate’s proposed sweeping constitutional amendments?

Do you think anything will come out if it?

What are the major areas which you believe require amendment? Or should there be a new Constitution entirely? Kindly, share your thoughts on Restructuring, and explain your concept of Cooperative Federalism.

I think the first mistake that people make, is this. I have tried to explain this, without success.

They confuse two notions. The Constitution is as good as a political process. So, every nation first has a conversation about its marital arrangement. If you are going to get married, you must first discuss how you are going to get married, to say ‘look we want this or that - it’s a voluntary union of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others’.

We have never had that conversation. That is a problem.

The Constitution is merely an agreement.

But, unfortunately the argument goes the other way round. ‘Constitution, Constitution, Constitution!’ it will never work, which is why the argument is so intense on both sides of the divide. I have absolutely no confidence that restructuring will ever work. Not because it’s a bad idea, but because in this nation of Nigeria consisting of about 400 sub-national entities, they have got to agree. You can’t have Afenifere, Ohanaze and PANDEF sitting Lagos issuing

press statements, when it doesn’t go down.

There has to be that conversation. So, whenever the National Assembly starts this process of what they call constitutional amendment, I ask myself ‘do they know what they are saying?’ you don’t amend a constitution without first determining whether there is a marriage. If you read any book on federalism, federalism is best adapted when you have a large population of people who are heterogeneous, and have such spread that there are homogeneous entities in the divisions. So, you’ll see the Ibos in the South East, Yorubas in the South West and all that. Those for me, are the building blocks.

But, they have not had a conversation about what they want to be. Do they want to be federalist? Do they want to be confederal? In all of this confusion, I wrote a book on this with George Anderson who is the President of Forum of Federations, where he breaks the myth of the so-called True Federalism. There is nothing like true federalism. Federalism is what you want to make it. If you want to have a strong centre, its up to you.

We haven’t had a discussion about what type of federalism we really want. There can be no restructure without the consent of the two major building blocks - the North and the South. For reasons that are unclear, the North doesn’t want restructure. Period!

If they don’t want restructure, then I would invoke Abiola’s great quote ‘you can’t clap with one hand’. Who are you restructuring with? Yourself? So, you cant make shout all you want in the South, its not going to work.

You need the North to be on board. Therefored, you need to use diplomatic language. And that Corporate Federalism, is diplomatic language.

When I listen to the Northerners and Southerners, what I seem to hear is that there is too much power in the centre. So, what I did years ago (but no one listens), I designed an Act called ‘Constitution Operation Devolution of Powers Act.’ Look at the 98 items of power, I actually have it in my office; 68 items are federal and 30 are concurrent. For the 68, it means that the States cannot have a bite. The 30 that are concurrent, means that the States have a bite to the extent that the federal does not cover the field. Therefore, the States have no power. So, you tell the federal, particularly now that money is tight ‘why do you want to issue drivers license? Why do you want to be in primary health care and primary education?

Why do you want to be in commerce? Why do you want to be in arbitration?’ If we are sensible, these are things you allow the States to do. All we need to do, is to just to open the Constitution to the page where it says

‘Concurrent and Exclusive’ and say, ‘Federal Representative, where do you want this to be? States, where do you want this to be?’ I can pass a Constitution with devolution of powers, in exactly one day. But, when you have a cacophony of unreasonable voices shouting restructure, secession, conservatism and so on, we’ll be here.

That is why I don’t believe in that word, restructure. I believe in devolution of powers.

There must be cooperation, that is what cooperative federalism means. Unless we understand this, 10 or 15 years down the line, we’ll be at this restructure thing.

How do we go about it? What kind of conversation should we be having towards this cooperative federalism, even if we are going create do our own homegrown type of federalism? Because, there is the argument that there is a basic concept of federalism, which you can adapt to suit your own circumstances in your own country. It doesn’t have to be copy and paste of what they are doing in America.

How will it work?

How it will work is that, to the extent that you are part of Nigeria, you need to ‘cooperate’.

For instance, let us say we decide on regional federalism, then the five Igbo States would need to corporate. Because no State can stand on its own.

Look at what happened in the USA on Covid-19; you can see how bellicose this silly man called Trump has been. He gives ventilators to Republican States and denies people like Cuomo. That’s is not federalism!

You must cooperate.

The reason why I am lured to the Asian model sometimes is because, as America is fighting and Boris Johnson is fighting, the Chinese are moving forward and building the massive Silk Road that will soon enter Mombasa. And America owes China $1 trillion in their own currency.

Do you see China in any of this nonsense?

They are not there! They are just focused on economic development. They use force, I agree.

But, they are getting development going. For us who subscribe to democracy, our leaders must understand that unless they cooperate, we can’t release energy to satisfy 200 million Nigerians. That spirit must be there. But, this bellicosity I see in Politicians, won’t resolve the problem.

The recent speech by Pastor Adeboye, welcome as it is, had a major retort in the shape of Garba Shehu, calling him all kinds of names. That’s not what we want; it won’t get us anywhere. cont'd on page 10

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What Nigeria Needs: Devolution of Powers, Not Restructuring cont'd from page 9

Both sides - it didn’t move the argument by one iota. It didn’t help the guy of the streets.

So, the way to do it, is for both sides to cool down and realise that they need to have a discussion.

If restructure is causing the problem, can’t it be presented in a different way? I would think that if restructure means, make the central government weaker, must be it called restructure if the guys in the North don’t want it? Isn’t it what comes out in the end that we look for?

What I am saying is conduct that exercise of looking at the 98 items of power, and see which one serves our best interest. Nobody will say defence or monetary policy should be a State issue. It is clear that it is federal. Or the Central Bank of Nigeria. But, why should we have a Federal Ministry of Agriculture? Or prisons. Why should have federal run prisons, when they have less than 10 prisoners and spend about N15b? I once went to the Prisons Headquarters in Abuja. I saw more epaulets than prisoners! Do you know what epaulets are?

Commanders, Generals. I saw more Generals and cars with flags. It means they are spending more money on these Generals and their cars, than food for prisoners. But, if prisons were a State issue, it will speed up the justice sector process. The Governors will ask ‘why am I spending so much on prisoners? Why are they in jail for so long?’ But, the Federal Government has no interest. Its like a ‘Kalo Kalo’ machine, throwing out money to epauleted Generals who sit in Abuja driving fancy cars. But, they have no interest.

The Federal Government has no interest in prisons. Some of these Northern States, they have less than 100 prisoners oooo! Why should it be that the High Court of Lagos State convicts Mr. Adeyemi, and they will send him the prison in Sokoto? For what?! For a State offence. Why are we throwing prisoners around Nigeria, it doesn’t matter where they come from? Why? That’s part of the problem So, clearly, prisons is a matter for the States.

That is what we need to review. And, if both sides of the argument accept this cooperate federalism and come around the table, I am sure that Garba Shehu would see the point that, prisons shouldn’t be on the exclusive list.

And, I am sure Adeboye would see the point that defence, foreign ministry, foreign policy should be the job of the Federal Government.

Then everything would end.

But, if every year, from the first to the 9th Assembly we keep having constitutional reforms without success; we have had three major constitutional conferences, one of which I took part. I didn’t want to take part; my daughter asked me ‘why are you taking part in this constitutional conference?

You want to go and collect money?’ Which is why myself and Pastor Bakare said we are not going to take money. That N12m, we don’t want. Because tomorrow, they will say we went to chop money. But, nobody can accuse me. I took part, but I didn’t collect any money. But, if I had known that President Jonathan wasn’t going to enact it, I wouldn’t have gone there. So, there was a major opportunity lost by Obasanjo and Jonathan to have passed it. There’s another opportunity. But, it would take a bit more tact. The more Afenifere and Ohaneze are making noise, it won’t work.

The more you are belligerent, the more the North would be too.

But, who would be the players? This conversation by different groups, who would be there?

Is it like we had in 2014 were some people were just handpicked to go for National Conference?

Because people doubt government’s sincerity about having a conference, like in 2014 when the government nominated whoever they wanted.

Gani Fawehinmi for instance, suggested people should elect representatives from each of the 774 Local Governments, while another Lawyer, Nwobu suggested that 70% should be come from each ethnic nationalities to represent their people, while the rest should be picked from NASS, religious bodies and civil society groups, the NBA and so on.

Your question belies the ignorance in constitutional conferences. When all the conferences leading to independence were taking place, there were so many distinguished Lawyers, but they were never invited. My grandfather, the second Igbo man to read law wasn’t invited, because he wasn’t representing anybody. He is not an ethnic representative.

Its so simple. In discussions surrounding the constitution of a country, it is the ethnic sub-nationalities that represent the people, not a Lawyer, not NBA, not NUJ. That was why I

non-Nigerians to infiltrate, given the fact that we have extremely weak borders; given the fact that we have crisis in the Arabian countries have collapsed and they have come to Libya, down to Mali and here. They have mingled, and they find that this is a place where they can’t be expelled. They are comfortable and they have blended with hitherto peaceful cattle rearers that carry sticks, and now terrorise everybody.

Why is government not doing anything? It comes back again to, if we truly want Nigeria to go forward, talking about the problem every day is unhelpful; it is practical solutions. So, its up to these our ethnic nationalities to really form a formidable voice. How many of them have ever been to the North, and sat down make their case? I challenge them. Why are they talking to me? I am sold! How many of them have traversed the North to say, ‘No, its not about secession. Its not about breaking up.

Its not about anything, other than empowering the federating units?’ They sit in the South and make noise. I see them on television all the time, and I have never really seen any Northerner who really sits with them and takes part in the conversation. Its only Middle Belters. The tactics needs to change.

Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN had doubts about whether I should be going to Jonathan’s conference. In fact, we already the semblance a good sub-national structure, like Enahoro used to say. The guys talking now, should be the ones to come forward. And I am sure there are more. Like Afenifere, Ohaneze, PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum, provided that they are not press conference people, that they are really carrying their people along.

For me, the process is already in place, but the language is wrong. Process is in place in the sense that they are saying what they should say, except they are like Napoleon and Hitler who continued an ill-fated war, which is why they were beaten in the Russian cold.

Don’t these ethnic sub-national groups understand that they have been aggressive without progress? And that its time to do like Mandela, and change. Mandela was in prison when he realised that, war would not bring liberation, and he switched and he got the same result.

If Mandela with all his stature, coul sacrifice his principle that war was the only way to go after the Rivonia Trials. But, after a considerable length of time in prison, he saw that this wouldn’t work. And he reached out to the point where his fellows - Mbeki, Sisulu and co, doubted him when they came to visit him in his new prison palace - they wondered if he had betrayed them. He convinced them

that this was they way to go, and soon after South Africa got independence. That is my best example.

If one goes down one path and it doesn’t work, switch to another path, so long as the strategy is the same and goal is the same. Restructuring is not working. Can they consider switching to devolution of powers and cooperative federalism to see f it will work? I guarantee it will work.

What I have just said here is simple. There is no State Governor in Nigeria, who doesn’t want to be a real chief security officer of his State - so that’s one thing common to them all.

In fact Kayode Fayemi said it recently; that all 36 Governors are helpless. That they feel tired.

My Governor, Obiano feels tired of seeing the River Niger that he has no control over. Whereas, if he had control over River Niger, billionaires from Onitsha to the Nnewi trade axis can silt out and dredge River Niger. If that happens, all the choked traffic in Apapa will disappear, because all the barges will alight at Onitsha.

But, he has no control.

What is your opinion of the RUGA and Water Bill? Is there a connection? What do you think of it?

Its part of the suspicion that I am describing.

Don’t forget that, the Water Bill is as old as the last 30 years. So, there is really nothing new in it.

But, what does it seek to do?

It seeks to harness the water resources of Nigeria that cross between two States, not locally. So, you must make sure that we have enough irrigable waters. You put the dams where they are supposed to be. You create huge baskets of fertile land that water can irrigate. Essentially p, it is harnessing water resources for the common good of Nigeria.

Nobody believes it, and for good reason. This point you make, is at the heart of the confusion and suspicion. We are all suspicious of each other. Once there is suspicion, even something that is harmless becomes a problem.

“ THE TYPE OF WATER THAT WOULD BENEFIT HERDSMEN, ARE SLOW WATERS THAT YOU CAN DRINK FROM. YOU CAN’T GO TO RIVER NIGER AND DRINK WATER, OR RIVER BENUE”

People think Government wanted to use RUGA to take land from people, that failed, they now want to use the Water Bill. That it is a roundabout way to take land from the people for herdsmen.

We are describing very fast waters. The type of water that would benefit herdsmen, are slow waters that you can drink from. You can’t go to River Niger and drink water, or River Benue.

That is not correct.

But, that is not the point. It’s the underlying suspicion that is the problem. Because, perception is 90% of the answer. There is no logic that the Federal Government can use to explain to people who feel that the herdsmen is the reason behind it, that it is not.

Its not enough to say that Nigeria is 60, and we have national parades and all that. That is not going to solve the problem. It is leaders resolving to change the way we do things, so that this RUGA thing will not be a problem. RUGA thing is bad because it has now enabled a lot of

You have in the past few years postulated and pushed your vision for development law. Kindly, shed light on this, especially your idea of freeing and utilising what you once called, ‘dead capital’?

Development law is a higher theoretical and difficult concept to understand. I don’t think we are up to five in Nigeria that understand it.

At the heart of development law, is economic policy law. So you understand how legal analysis and development, can create a good life. That is what people are looking for. But, when you don’t have a need for something, you don’t have to look for it. But, when you have a need, then you look for it.

This is the right time for development law is likely to flourish, so we are putting a major webinar on the 22nd and 23rd of October, having been appointed consulting law firm to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance. To be opened by Vice President Osinbajo. To be attended by senior Advisers to the Presidency.

The notion is simple, as your oil receipts dwindle, diversification of the economy is relevant. What are the tools for new revenues, jobs can be created, the economy can grow, wastage can be removed, cost of governance can be reduced? It is law that drives it. We are looking at eight themes. Take trade policy for instance, we say, no country in the world will ever grow, unless the legal framework creates barriers around what is called a trade remedies legislation. Otherwise, the Chinese will keep exporting, and if people import things on the cheap, nobody will go to the farms and you’ll keep importing. You need tools of law, to generate production.

So, there is a trade remedy currently being proposed. We also say, if people are so unemployed and your revenues are challenged, President Buhari will announce on Thursday an N8 billion fiscal deficit. So, the government is technically challenged for revenue. How can the government be technically challenged, if trade facilitation contributes the second largest component trade to the GDP after agriculture?

Trade facilitation simply means, how trade moves. And, there two important vehicles to move trade around - aircraft and ships. Nigeria owns not a single aircraft. A country that wants to aspire to be in the first ten? You are joking. Nigeria doesn’t own a single ship, when ARANCO, the equivalent of NNPC has about 2,000 vessels, VLCCs floating around. ARANCO, not a drop of crude leaves the Saudi Arabian treasury from the first value chain, which is what we all foolishly look at. The IOCs are looking at number 2 to 34. So, they look at law, shipping, banking and insurance. These are four trillion Naira assets that we don’t even touch.

So, what you do is that you use law to apply to economic policy, to say local content must be vigorously implemented. So, any law that implements local policy, should be welcome because you want to trap money in the system.

But, if your doors are wide open - that is why I support the border closure. Col Ali is trumpeting that Customs is making N12 billion extra every day. The problem is that,p those who closed the border, have no understanding of trade law.

For those of us who understand trade law, we use the term ‘border enforcement’. Even if you are in the EU Zone, and you are coming from France to enter the United Kingdom, they must cont'd on page 11

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What Nigeria Needs: Devolution of Powers, Not Restructuring cont'd from page 10

make sure at the border that you are indeed, a French person. You must make sure at the border, that you show your passport.

Some these guys who come here and say ‘under ECOWAS Protocols we are entitled to free access’, we say ‘no, you can’t be entitled, if you are running cargo from Singapore, terminating in Cotonou’. That is the final destination.

If you want to bring its into Nigeria, its not allowed, under the ECOWAS Protocol. You have to understand the ECOWAS Trade Protocol.

Unfortunately, Nigeria is not giving good answers because our trade policy and trade laws are hardly understood, except by a those of us who speak and understand economic trade policy language. So, all that development law is, is with economic policy at its heart, to see how law can enrich economic growth.

A very good example, is the simple enactment of the Finance Act 2020. That was such a brilliant move by the person who did it. It immediately put N4 trillion on the table! That is what it is all about.

Then, if you look at the digital economy, all the multinationals in the digital space are trading actively here without paying tax. So, you have Google, Twitter, Facebook carrying out their activities here, and they don’t pay a single Dollar! Not a single one of them pays a dime, and we are still looking for money.

My point about development law which I am happy is beginning to catch on slowly, because we are now needed; if you apply it across the board properly, whether in the digital space or arbitration, because arbitration is an aspect of trade.

It was fashionable for us to ship off all of our arbitration, with great and dire consequences. So, if we block all the leakages, using law, then there is a likelihood that the money will stay here.

I am very happy, seeing politicians beginning to ask me about Crowd Funding. These were the Abuja politicians before. They didn’t see how that their big farmland can bring revenue. But, now they are saying ‘I have this big farmland, what kind of framework can you advice?’ Its crowd funding. Its development law. But, it took a long time, because its not an oil well that brings money. I don’t blame anybody who would rather pursue an oil well than development law, because its not a profitable venture.

Two things have happened that I am so happy about, Covid-19. It has been a massive wakeup call. We were like mad people. I once went to a party where the host was proud to announce to a person that wanted water that, ‘nobody serves water at my party. You must drink the champagne!’ Now, it is not happening because money is drying. When money dries, brains kick in. The government is now obviously very interested. Because, it seems it can’t balance its books.

But, I don’t think so. Maybe for logical people, the brains kick in. Well, I am not so sure about what is happening in Nigeria.

I give you an example. Recently there was hue and cry about some loan agreements that we have with China. I had looked at it, and thought that Nigeria has a lot of resources that have not been harnessed, the Chinese are even mining our gold. We are flaring gas. What we are flaring is what makes Trinidad and Tobago number 2 or 4 as an world gas exporter. So, I asked myself, why can we not, as opposed to going to take cash from China, say for instance we want our environment to be clean and therefore, harness this low hanging fruit, gas. Let us go into some kind of partnership, and we start to harness our gas and be sharing the profit, and once our debts are repaid, take it over? Why can’t we kill two birds with one stone instead? Oil seems to be going out of fashion. Meanwhile you are wasting time and money trying to prospect oil in Lake Chad. You want to have that oil in Lake Chad, because maybe Niger-Delta has it.

Why are we wasting scarce and unavailable resources. Like at the start of Covid-19, oil was worthless. Why are we wasting scarce resources prospecting for more, when you have available low hanging fruits of gas being flared, make money from it and get environment being clean? I don’t think brains have kicked in.

No. You misapprehend the nature of what Professor Rizkid Joseph calls, prebendal system.

These are rent seeking countries. All of these have happened because of oil, and its stupendous income. So, the general view was, in Nigeria, unlike other places, with so much money we got mad. Whereas with a lot of money you invest. Even General Gowon said back then, that he didn’t know what to do with money.

It’s a long standing problem, since 1974. At a time he went and paid all the outstanding

“ THE ONLY THINKER I HAVE SEEN IN GOVERNMENT FOR A LONG TIME, IS OKONJOIWEALA. SHE UNDERSTOOD DEVELOPMENT LAW. SHE LAID THE FOUNDATION, FOR ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE DOING”

Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN salaries of the Caribbean countries, when he could have used it to build things.

So, it’s a process. I don’t know whether you understand what has happened. The only thinker I have seen in government for a long time, is Okonjo-Iweala. She understood development law. She laid the foundation, for all these things we are doing. There was no DMO! Borrowing was anyhow. She came in and wiped out the debts, and established an organisation to manage the debts. She introduced the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, meaning you can’t borrow more than 3% of your GDP. This obviously has challenged the financial resource base, which needs to go up to about 7%, otherwise we can’t get out of this malaria thing.

Malaria means that I have to give you the full dose, not half, otherwise you’ll be sick forever. We can’t get to where we want to go with a N10 trillion budget. Nigeria needs a budget of not less than N80 trillion every year. It will only take sense for that to kick in.

There are three things that indicate the sense is coming, even though it has gone down very badly with people. Fuel subsidy removal is the most brilliant thing that has ever happened.

In economic language that is what is called, a technical correction. The second thing is electricity. Although, I think that could be adjusted. The consumption of electricity for guys who ride Rolls Royces, should be at premium!

Anyone living in Ikoyi should pay premium. If it takes N20,000 a day to run your electricity, provided they can give it to you, you should pay. Then you subsidise at the lower end. That is the only problem I find with electricity. But, fuel subsidy, should go!

Then there is garri subsidy, and that is not too difficult to do. If government could remove fuel subsidy, no matter how difficult it proved, did heavens fall?

No. Then electricity, although labour has come to some king of understanding with government.

Then the third one which we overlook, is commercialisation of NNPC. I don’t think you guys know what that means.

I don’t think it will ever happen.

It will happen! It will happen, because the government now finds that it cannot sustain it.

Do you know that King Ngwenyama Mswati 11 of Swaziland sent a message here, that he is broke. That his sugar factory was not producing.

Obasanjo invested 10% of NNPC’s money in the company. And I am sure nobody knows about it till today.

That is why I am happy with the NNPC GMD. He is the first to publish the audited reports, in 40 years. I don’t care what the motive is. The NNPC was stupendous cesspit of corruption. Just to cleanse it out will save Nigeria 40% of revenue. That is a very smart move. That indicates to me that right from the Obasanjo administration to now, when they regarded NNPC as their cash cow, that takes some courage. Business is coming. This thing you are seeing will escalate.

What I see as a policy and why Nigeria

is not signing this Acfta thing, is that now we are not strong enough. Why should we be signing trade agreements when Britain leaving the EU? When Trump is breaking all the trade barriers?

Anything that will make Nigeria a dependent nation, I don’t support. If I am going to invest in a poultry and I know it will give me money to feed me and my family, I will do it. But, not when I am investing in a poultry and you are going to Abuja to get government contract. So, I now look like a fool. But, if we are realising that government contracts are over, now, you have to go and till your land. I hope that this oil will never come back.

Aba guys, about 20 years ago I advised the Aba Business Council and I was very surprised that one of them was actually making underwear for Marks and Spencer. 20 years ago! I don’t know what has happened to him now.

There are skills. But, those skills will just not shine when nobody is protecting you. These government contracts, is what killed initiative.

Do you know that there are over 500 oil rigs in Nigerian waters, and they don’t want to pay? I know because I am in one of the cases.

In those days, an oil rig used to be a derrick that was fixed. The new oil rigs are called FPSOs, Float, Produce, Store and Offload, they move. Once you move, you are a cabottaged vessel, and you must pay 3%. They went to court and we won, but they have appealed.

I am advising the AGF to step into the case so that we can resolve it quickly, and we can get at least N2 trillion from the vessels. If you take the N2 trillion and add to our budget, it will reduce the deficit by N5 trillion. There are brilliant ideas, in this country.

You once filed an action against the government on judicial funding and independence, in which you largely succeeded. Since that judgement, how far has the government complied, in terms of implementation?

They have not complied. Rather they have appealed. That is why I am looking at what Executive Order 10 means. The NJC that I sat in refused to go to court, and when they refused, I said ‘you have to’. Aloma Mukhtar was the CJN. When they refused to go to court, I went and I won. These are the people who are now suing. The very people who would have gone to court at the time I was suing, are now the ones going to court. So, I wish they lose! Because they are not sincere people.

Almost six and a half years into the Buhari Administration, how in your opinion have they fared in terms of security?

On security, I think that the problem is that we need to modernise our security apparatus. You might not know. I have considerable intelligence experience. Part of my Masters in the 80s, had to do with Intelligence Studies.

There are several components of an intelligence architecture. One is humins, Human Intelligence.

Another is Comins, Communications Intelligence and then there is Photins, photographic Intelligence, Signins, Signals Intelligence.

When I was at the Institute of International

Affairs, I was a Senior Research Fellow on Intelligence. We went to Jaji to write up an architectural framework for Nigeria’s intelligence, and it has not changed. That was what formed part of what we now have as the SSS. It use to be Department E of the Nigeria Police Force.

My point here is that, if you have an outdated intelligence architecture there is nothing you can do.

For instance, I just don’t know why the DSS should be involved in private contractual arrangements when they are supposed to be focusing on intelligence. We have to have the relevant modernised capacity. If you don’t have it, you can’t deal with insurgency. That is what is critical. Today we have a Police force that even Mike Okiro called ‘extremely well badly trained and illiterate’. They have no equipment.

So, to modernise security apparatus will sufficiently advance the cause of containing Boko Haram. Boko Haram. Boko Haram is a ragtag army. I can understand why a ragtag army can’t be destroyed. We need to modernise our intelligence apparatus.

In 1986, during fiery military dictatorship, you mobilised and pioneered human rights activism in this country, along with a few other young courageous people. You were even brutalised and detained. Today, would you say those ideals you fought and risked your life for, have been achieved?

If they have been achieved you wouldn’t be here today, and be talking to me. They haven’t been achieved. On the oscillation of the democracy, there are four critical steps.

Authoritarian, semi democratic, illiberal, and then liberal. So, we probably have moved only one step in the last 20 years. We clearly have moved from authoritarian to, if I am being optimistic and nice.....

Be brutally honest I might say semi-authoritarian. We are certainly not illiberal. Illiberal is when you begin to see aspects of a liberal system. But, if we are still saying, like NyesomWike said ‘ an election is only free and fair, if the Police and INEC wants’. That is horrendous statement! It threw me apart.

But isn’t it true?

That is what I am saying! I am saying that what we have is that, we no longer have men in khaki. But those khaki boys, are wearing agbada. We have not moved. If you want to be charitable you can say they are semi-democratic or semi-authoritarian. It oscillates. It moves between the two. But, we have a long way to go!

How can SARS be brutalising people and there is no response, except a lame one from Inspector General of Police? And this is the fourth time in four years that the same statement is made. ‘oh I disband you’. The next thing they are back.

So, that tells you that we are in a society that can’t be anywhere near where we wish. All these things that we fought for, are still very much present. It is still work in progress.

Thank you, Learned Silk

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Effect of an Administration Order on Receivership Under CAMA 2020 This article by Emmanuel Bassey examines what he refers to as the innovative provisions under the new Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, which he believes will disrupt the way that companies operate in Nigeria, and also create an enabling environment for the survival and sustenance of businesses

I

t is no longer news that the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (“2020 CAMA”) was recently signed into law, to repeal and replace the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 Cap. C20, LFN 2004 (“1990 CAMA”). Some Innovative Provisions of 2020 CAMA: One of the innovative provisions of the 2020 CAMA, is the business rescue scheme of administration. The scheme allows for the appointment of an administrator to run an ailing company, with the primary aim of rescuing the business and ensuring its survival. This scheme is quite similar to the scheme of appointment of a receiver by the creditors of a company, with the fundamental difference being that receivers are appointed with the primary aim of realising the assets of the company for the purpose of satisfying the debt owed to their appointors.

Administrator v Receiver Section 449 of the 2020 CAMA states that an administrator would be appointed over a company, where the company is or is likely to become unable to pay its debts, and administration order is likely to achieve the purpose of administration. The purpose of administration is stated in Section 444(2) of the 2020 CAMA, which provides that the rescue of the company is the primary objective of the administrator in the performance of his functions, except where he is of the opinion that it is not reasonably practicable, or a better result can be achieved for the company’s creditors by pursuing some other course. On the other hand, Section 556(1)(2) of the 2020 CAMA provides that the primary function of a receiver is to take possession of and realise the relevant security, for the benefit of those on whose behalf he was appointed. He does not have a primary duty to rescue the ailing company, unlike an administrator. Therein lies the difference, between administration and receivership.

Although, the provisions on receivership under the 2020 CAMA have been left substantially as they were under the 1990 CAMA, insolvency practitioners in Nigeria are keen to learn what would be the interplay between administration and receivership, and the effect of one on the other. These issues will be examined anon.

If there was any apprehension in the minds of existing receivers upon the coming into force of the 2020 CAMA, as to how an administration order might affect a company in receivership, Section 454(c) of the 2020 CAMA was made to allay those fears. It states that an administrator shall not be appointed under the Act, if prior to the commencement of the Act, a receiver was already in office. This is a very significant provision, as it gives assurance to receivers who were appointed whether by the holders of a fixed charge or holders of a floating charge, that their appointment would not be prejudiced in any way by the coming into force of the provisions of the 2020 CAMA on administration.

Also, Section 476(1) of the 2020 CAMA provides protection for receivers appointed by holders of a fixed charge, after the 2020 CAMA had come into force. It says that where there is a receiver of a company based on appointment by a holder of a fixed charge, the Court shall dismiss an administration application in respect of the company unless, among other conditions, the appointor of the receiver consents.

Section 478(2) of the 2020 CAMA further provides that where a company is in administration, any receiver of part of the company’s property appointed by a secured creditor shall vacate office, if the administrator requires him to do so.

This section appears to give an administrator the discretion to allow a receiver appointed by secured creditors over a part of the properties of the company, to continue to act while the company is in administration. See London Flight Centre (Stansted) Ltd (Acting by its Administrator) v Osprey Aviation Ltd (2002) BPIR 1115 where at the date of the administration order, receivers had already been

appointed of aircraft G-LOVB at the instance of a secured creditor. The receivers had been appointed on 29th March, 2000. In the administration order, the administrator acknowledged that on the making of the order, he would consent to the secured creditor continuing to enforce its security over the aircraft belonging to the Petitioner.

2020 CAMA and England’s Insolvency Act 1986 Section 480 provides a moratorium, against any legal process being commenced against a company in administration. Section 480(2)(a) of 2020 CAMA states that where a company is in administration, no step shall be taken to enforce security over the company’s property except with the consent of the administrator, or the permission of the Court, while Section 480(4) CAMA provides that no legal process, including legal proceedings, execution, distress and diligence shall be instituted or continued against the company or property of a company that is in administration except with the consent of the administrator, or the permission of the court. In SS Agri Power Limited v (1) Mr. Dorins and (2) Privilege [2017] EWHC 3563 (Ch), the Court was called upon to interpret Paragraph 43(2) of Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act, 1986 of England which

“...... EVEN WHERE A COMPANY IS IN ADMINISTRATION, THE 2020 CAMA PROVIDES DIFFERENT REGIMES OF PROTECTION TO A RECEIVER APPOINTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE COMING INTO FORCE OF THE ACT, OR THE MAKING OF AN ADMINISTRATION ORDER”

is in pari materia with Section 480(2)(a) of 2020 CAMA. The court stated that where a receiver had been appointed prior to the application for an administration order, the receiver would not need the permission of the court to carry out his functions. The court held that the relevant step to enforce security was the appointment of a receiver, which took place before the application for administration order. The court went further to interpret Paragraph 43(6) of Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act, 1986 of England, which is in pari materia with Section 480(4) of 2020 CAMA, which provides that no legal process, including legal proceedings, execution, distress and diligence shall be instituted or continued against the company or property of the company, except with the consent of the administrator or permission of the court.

The court stated that the appointment of the receiver in that case, which preceded the application for administration order, was not caught by Paragraph 43(6) of Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act, 1986 of England (which is in pari materia with Section 480(4) of CAMA) as a matter of timing. The court held that, the subsequent steps taken by the receiver are not the continuation of a “legal process” within the meaning of paragraph 43(6). The appointment of the receiver, the court stated, gave rise to an agency relationship between the company and the receiver, and that the acts which the receiver subsequently performed, were acts carried out pursuant to that agency relationship, rather than pursuant to any legal process.

The court cited with approval the decision of Norris J in Re: Frankice (Golders Green) Limited [2010] Bus LR 1608 in which Norris J considered the meaning of legal process under paragraph 43(6) and held as follows: "I think the word 'process' suggests something with a defined beginning and an ascertainable final outcome and which, in the interim, is governed by a recognisable procedure.

I think the word 'legal' indicates that that process must in some sense invoke the compulsive power of the law, and it suggests that the procedure must be quasi-legal in nature". The court therefore, concluded that although the conduct of the receivership must of course be conducted according to law, it is not governed by a recognisable procedure.

Rather, it will take a course dictated by the particular commercial decisions taken by the receiver, in order to realise the charged assets.

Furthermore, in Bristol Airport Plc v Powdrill and Others [1990] 1 Ch, 744 the UK Court of Appeal stated that, it is not the creation of the security without the consent of the Administrator or the leave of the court which is prohibited by the provision, but the

taking of steps to enforce that security. The court therefore, held that “You are not taking steps to enforce a security unless by relying on the security you are preventing the administrator doing something to [the security] in which he has an interest which he would otherwise be entitled to do”. On the condition for the grant of permission by the court, the court in Re Atlantic Computer Systems Plc [1992] Ch 505 at page 542 stated that the moratorium is intended to assist the company, under the management of the administrator, to achieve the purpose for which the administration order was made. Thus, if granting leave to a secured creditor is unlikely to impede the achievement of that purpose, leave should normally be given, while in other cases, the court has to carry out a balancing exercise, balancing the legitimate interests of all the creditors of the company.

Note should however be taken of Section 481(5) of the 2020 CAMA, which provides that if there is a receiver of the company appointed by the holder of a floating charge, the provisions of Section 480 of the 2020 CAMA, which provides a moratorium against other legal process being commenced against a company in administration, shall not apply until the appointor of the receiver consents to the making of an administration order. What this means is that, even while an administration application is pending, a receiver appointed by the holders of a floating charge, whether before or during the pendency of an administration application, can still continue to perform their functions unhindered, as per Section 481(6)(d) of the 2020 CAMA, until an administration order takes effect, after which Section 478(1) will apply.

Section 478(1)(2) of the 2020 CAMA provides that when an administration order takes effect in respect of a company, a receiver of the company appointed by a holder of a floating charge or by the court shall vacate office. But, before then, a holder of a floating charge can still appoint an administrator (see Section 481(6)(c)(d) of the 2020 CAMA), and such an administrator whether appointed before or during the pendency of an administration application, can continue to perform the functions of their office unhindered, until an administration order takes effect.

From the foregoing provisions, it is obvious that, even where a company is in administration, the 2020 CAMA provides different regimes of protection to a receiver appointed before and after the coming into force of the Act, or the making of an administration order. It now behoves insolvency practitioners to take advantage of these provisions, to ensure the realisation of their security.

Emmanuel Abasiubong Bassey, LL.M, Mike Igbokwe SAN & Co., Lagos

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Call To Glory It is with heavy hearts that the Governor, Management and staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, announce the demise of Professor Matthew Olufemi Kayode on Monday August 10, 2020.

Professor Matthew Olufemi Kayode was a member of the Non-Executive director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 22nd November, 1999 to 21st November, 2002.

Celebration of life- Service of Songs/ Night of tributes and launch of Femi & Dupe Kayode Foundation.

Date: Tuesday, October 13th, 2020: Time : 4.00pm, Venue: International Conference Centre, Micheal Omolayole Hall, University of Ibadan.

University Commendation Service Date: Wednesday, October 14th, 2020 Time: 8.00AM Venue: Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan Church Commendation Service Date: Thursday, October 15th, 2020 Time: 8.00AM Venue: Bodija-Ashi Baptist Church, Ashi, Ibadan (Corpse Departs Immediately after for Egbe, Kogi State) Christian Wake -Keep Date: Thursday, October 15th, 2020 Time: 7.00AM Venue: Prof Kayode's Residence, Amokele Street, Egbe, Kogi State Interment/Burial Service Date: Friday, October 16th, 2020 Time: 10.00AM st Venue: 1 ECWA Church, Egbe, Kogi State.

Thanksgiving Service Date: Friday, October 16th, 2020 Time: 10.00AM Venue: 1St ECWA Church, Egbe, Kogi State He is Survived by Mrs Olufunlola Afolabi Oladiran and Mrs Olutomilola Miriki (Daughters), Dr Adefemi Oladiran and Mr Dakore Olusegun Miriki (Sons), Siblings and Grandchildren.

Please note that COVID-19 protocols shall be dully observed at all events and virtual participation is encouraged.

Management

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ˜ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

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REPO 4.88 4

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

4 5 7

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Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

O C T O B E R

S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

641.80% 2% 2.41%

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

9 ,

2 0 2 0

2.41% 33.39%

EXCHANGE RATE N379/1US DOLLAR* ̩

Quick Takes Council Chairman Establishes Radio Station

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP

R-L: Minister of States for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo; Regional Executive, Abuja & North, Heritage Bank, George Oko-Oboh, and DG, NDE, Dr Ladan Mohammed, during the issuance of federal government’s letter of engagement to Heritage Bank and 5 other banks to open 774, 000 SPW beneficiaries’ accounts, held in Abuja…recently

NEITI: Oil Producing States Received N9.53tn in 18 Years Stories by Chineme Okafor in Abuja A new report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has revealed that crude oil-bearing states located in the south-south region of Nigeria earned N9.53 trillion as their share of revenue from oil revenue between 2000 and 2018.

Notwithstanding, four of the states are said to be among top indebted states in the country.

The states according to NEITI’s recent ‘Occasional Paper’ which examined the perception of communities on the 13 per cent oil derivation income to them included Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Rivers.

ENERGY Cross River has ceased to be an oil-bearing state but was amongst the states in the region which earned N9.53 trillion over the 18-year period.

According to the NEITI research, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states received N1.60 trillion, N1.20 trillion, N1.38 trillion and N1.54 trillion, respectively from 2001 to 2018 and are classified as the top four subnational oil producers and revenue earners in Nigeria.

Despite earning so much, the NEITI report noted that four of the states are also among the highest indebted states in the country.

It explained that: “As at September 2019, Debt Management

Office (DMO) puts Akwa Ibom’s debt profile at N237.4 billion, Bayelsa at N127.2 billion, Delta at N230.57 billion and Rivers at N266.9 billion,” adding that figures showed that the 13 per cent oil derivation fund allocated to Niger Delta states from 20002018, and the debt profile of all subnational governments and the Federal Capital Territory reveal the antinomy of the affluence and the affliction of oil wealth in the region.

The report stated that community folks in the states were unsatisfied with the application of oil revenue by their governments, adding that, “it is obvious that aside Ondo, Abia and Edo (in that order), the debt profile of all the oil producing states in the

Niger Delta hovers in 12 digits.”

“Ondo State’s debt overhang as of September 2019 stood at N56.4 billion, despite earning N272.88 billion as 13 per cent oil derivation revenue from 2001-2018. Within the same period, Imo State earned a total of N623.1 billion – with N83.29 billion as 13 per cent derivation fund; however, the state owes N148.9 billion; while Edo State earned N114.3 billion during the 18 years, but presented a debt profile of N83.1 as at September 2019,” it further said.

The NEITI stated that this reality, added to the deepening social and environmental consequences of extraction, “has turned the Continued on page 24

FG: One Million Vehicles to Run on Gas by 2021 The federal government has expressed its plan to have up to one million vehicles - mostly passenger and haulage vehicles that run on Nigerian roads to start using gas instead of petrol or diesel by the end of 2021, in its new push to enthrone gas as a preferred fuel for the domestic economy.

To accomplish this, it explained that it is optimistic that the N250 billion financial facility recently earmarked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to fund the Autogas programme amongst other gas initiatives in its National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) would help fast-track vehicle conversion and deployment of required infrastructure for the initiative.

Speaking on the progress of the plan, the Justice Derefaka who is the Technical Adviser (TA) on Gas Business and Policy

ENERGY Implementation to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, said Nigeria’s switch to gas as a transport fuel has gained a steady momentum.

Derefaka who doubles as the Program Manager (PM) in charge of the Autogas sub-committee in the NGEP, explained at a TEDx meeting that so far the government working with key stakeholders such as gas processing companies and transport unions, have identified 9,000 service stations across the country to co-locate Autogas dispensing facilities. Forty six of these, he noted are owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and will host the dispensing facility by the fourth quarter of 2020.

Furthermore, Derefaka stated

that about one thousand conversion kits for trucks and smaller vehicles would be deployed nationwide by third parties in the programme while 50 conversion centers are currently been upgraded for mass conversion and trainings.

According to him, there are also auto assemblers supported in the country to produce fitfor-purpose dual fuel vehicles, with over 30,000 vehicles already running on dual fuels in Nigeria.

While the government equally targets to create two million new jobs per annum from the programme, Derefaka explained that by the second quarter of 2021, 600 NNPC-leased and affiliate co-location stations would have been brought into the scheme.

By then, he said that, “about 1 million conversion kits for trucks and smaller vehicles will deployed, 1 million vehicles

expected to run on Autogas.”

He stated that the government recognised that infrastructure deficit such as inadequate public recharging and re-fuelling locations, consumers’ lack of awareness of the benefits using gas as transport fuel as well as inadequate capacities for conversion and financing acquisition of conversion kits could derail the programme and as such continued to find solutions to them including the N250 billion CBN facility.

Speaking on the expected benefits of the switch, Derefaka noted that a price comparison analysis done by the NGEP put Autogas at N75 litre while petrol is at N161 per litre.

He also said that: “It allow drivers and fleet managers to reduce PMS use, minimise emisContinued on page 24

Langtang North Local Government Chairman, Ubandoma Laven, has lamented that the council is cut off from the happenings in the state due to its remote location from the state capital.

Speaking to journalists recently in Jos, the state capital, Laven said the dire situation informed his establishment of a radio station, Star FM, in Langtang to give his people a sense of belonging, and to ensure that they don’t depend on hearsay.

The council chairman further stressed that information was vital, adding that for such an old local government in the state, it has been unfortunate that the council is cut off from first-hand information.

“It seems like a dungeon situation. But I thank God; I havebeen able to build a Radio station, Star FM, Langtang which commences operation any moment from now,” he stated.

He revealed the council’s intention to employ experience hands in running of radio stations.

Lavenfurtherexplainedthatthoughit’sacommunity-basedstation,the runningwouldbehandledbyconsultantsthatunderstandtherudiments of radio stations in order to derive maximum professional services.

According to him: “With the station, the people including the youths and children will be more educated. Local advert on the station will help generate some revenue too. Locals will be employed to do one or two jobs in the station. Enlightenment on issues such as COVID-19 will be better. It will generally change the orientation of the people.

IPMAN Seeks Protection of National Assets

The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chinedu Okoronkwo has called on stakeholders and youths in Niger Delta to listen to voice of wisdom and ensure the protection of National Assets in the region. Okoronkwo spokewhentheSeniorSpecialAdvisertoIPMANonProduct,Pipelines Monitoring and Special Assignment, Ibrahim Haliru visited the Delta waterwaysincompanyofateamofsecurityledbytheSectorAOperating Officer, Delta State, Joshua Abata.

The IPMAN President commended the Nigerian security outfits for their cooperation and civil- military collaboration which has yielded expectedpositiveresults.Heurgedtheyouthstobeawareofthegrave danger associated with illegal oil bunkering and Pipelines vandalism.

Okoronkwo advised the youths in the region, especially those in Delta State to form clusters as their services would be needed when the proposed modular refineries eventually come to life.

Also, Emmanuel Boru, Head of Surveillance, Waterways, IPMAN, stressed that it was the mandate of President Muhammad Buhari to stopthespateofillegaloiltheftsandPipelinesvandalism.Heexpressed appreciationandacknowledgedtheleadershipqualitiesoftheNational President of IPMAN Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo with the believe that with him at the helms of affairs, IPMAN will achieve his goals.

IFAD Gets Positive Credit Rating

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has received its first public credit rating.This sets the stage for increased investments in food security, employment, and rural economic growth, and is an important step towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IFAD, disclosed that it is the first fund in the United Nations system to receive a public credit rating.The AA+ (stable) rating was announced

by Fitch Ratings, which also assigned IFAD a short-term rating of F1+.

“The strong rating comes at a critical time when the impacts of COVID-19 threaten to push millions more rural people into hunger and poverty.This rating will allow IFAD to strengthen and diversify its resource base, and build global resilience to future shocks,” President of IFAD, Gilbert Houngbo said.

Astheonlyglobaldevelopmentorganisationexclusivelydedicatedto transformingagriculture,ruraleconomiesandfoodsystemsbymaking them more inclusive, productive, resilient and sustainable, IFAD plays a central role in the fight against extreme poverty and food insecurity.

Thiscreditratingaddsmomentumtointernationaleffortstocatalyze additional financing to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and ensure no one is left behind.

“Given the record dividend yield available in the Nigerian market and given the strong fundamentals of a number of companies that are listed on the Exchange, it makes sense that as investors try to rebalance their portfolio, they would look at equities” CEO, NSE Mr. Oscar Onyema

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BUSINESSWORLD NEITI: OIL PRODUCING STATES RECEIVED N9.53TN IN 18 YEARS Niger Delta into an epicentre of unmatched contradictions.� “On the one hand the region is home to highest subnational revenue earners from the Federation Accounts, while on the other hand it shows very limited impacts in terms of the real value realised from the huge revenue allocation and disbursement to its component states. “Worse still is that despite being the epicentre of several development policy initiatives tailored to respond to the ecological needs and the negative consequences of oil extraction, the development outcomes from those initiatives have met only minimal expectations,� it added.

The report listed the various government-led developmental interventions initiated for the Niger Delta with minimal impacts to include the Niger Delta Development Board, the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, the Presidential Committee on 1.5 per cent Derivation Fund, the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Ministry of Niger Delta. “The interventions in the Niger Delta are yet to reverse or significantly improve the conditions of poverty and underdevelopment of citizens of the region�.

FG: ONE MILLION VEHICLES TO RUN ON GAS BY 2021 sions, decrease of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Better fuel price stability and reduced fuel costs in the long run, displace gasoline and diesel use, which reduces reliance on PMS.� “Shifting from PMS to Autogas gas provides increased flexibility for an oil-dependent transportation system. [It is] highly economical to run. Saves running cost by up to 40-50 per cent than that of petrol. “The total cost of the conversion can be recovered easily from the savings accrued by use of Autogas in lieu of petrol. There is no spilling when filling the tank and no possibility of theft or pilfering. Complete adulteration free fuel as compared to petrol or diesel. Reduce dependence on foreign exports and create a more stable energy market less susceptible to supply price volatility.�

NEWS

NNPC, IDSL Chart Path to Achieving $10 Production Cost by 2021 Stories by Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiary, the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) said they are continuing the search towards attaining a $10 per barrel production cost with the deployment of several cost-cutting measures.

The Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, NNPC, Mr Adokiye Tombomieye and the Managing Director of IDSL, Mr Ayebateke Bariwei, both spoke during a webinar, the third in the series organised by the NNPC subsidiary, tagged: “Leveraging Digital Technology to Improve Asset Management Efficiency.� They agreed that the efficient use of technology was one inevitable way to achieve the target by next year.

The COO noted that in the last decade, lack of effective technology solutions and uncertainties surrounding the fiscal and rising operational costs had continued to impact on hydrocarbon exploitation, but said that the current downturn in the global market will fast-track its adoption. “In order to become more efficient, the call for digital revolution in both the digital and commercial area has become very evident. We need to look at our unit operating cost in terms of producing oil among all other producers across the world.

“There have been significant efforts to reduce unit cost over the years and we have had as high as $41 per barrel as far as 2014 and it went to $28 in 2019.

Today, the industry average cost is about 21 per cent above the global average in 2019 from available data,� Tombomieye noted.

He said that the recent fall in the international crude oil prices calls for a drastic approach in appraising cost of doing business,

adding that the NNPC has now taken the bull by the horn to remain afloat in business.

He added that the unit cost target remains $10, stressing that with the use of technology, resource sharing promotion and reconsidering asset security architecture and renegotiation of contracts, the NNPC will hit and exceed the target.

To achieve this, he said that the corporation must be transparent

and accountable, which he said it’s already doing.

Tombomieye, maintained that the downturn has afforded NNPC the opportunity to re-strategise, and centre its operations around data and remote monitoring technologies. “This real-time solution will eliminate bottlenecks in accessing quality data and creation of a centralised storage of data to enhance decision making and

entrench transparency. To do this, there must be process transparency and efficiency, high performance system as well as attention to usable assets,� he stated In his contribution, the IDSL MD reiterated that the mission of the company was to do any job given it transparently and make sure it exceeds expectations, including in acquiring, processing and interpreting data and its application.

AWARD WELL DESERVED

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REA Seeks FG, NASS Support to Power 80m Nigerian Homes The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr Salihijo Ahmad, has said the agency would need $2.482 billion to provide access to electricity for majority of the 80 million Nigerians who are currently without electricity in the next 10 years.

Speaking during a workshop organised in Abuja for members of the Senate, tagged: ‘Electrification Programmes: Legislation, Implementation and Sustainability’, Ahmad who listed the achievements of the agency, said that with better funding and collaboration, the REA can do a lot more.

The programme, according to Ahmad, was to intimate the

lawmakers about activities of the agency and collaborate in terms of legislation, implementation and sustainability of the rural electrification programmes.

Ahmad added that from the estimation of the REA, 72.7 million people would have access to electricity through 23,457 power grid projects, 7,882 mini-grids, and 14,117 SHS units with the work its currently doing.

He listed some of the agency’s achievements as the energising of 13,000 shops across economic clusters in four states under Energising Economies Initiative (EEI); 12 communities with 19,000 Solar Home Systems (SHS) through REF and Under the Energising Education

Programme (EEP), he noted that 37 federal universities and seven university teaching hospitals had been achieved and the training 180 interns from nine universities with the construction of 1,052 projects. “There is a need for better funding of the agency, as well as the strengthening of financing and business models,� he stressed.

In their separate remarks, the Senate President, Mr. Ahmed Lawan and the Minister of State, Power, Mr Goddy Jedy-Agba, noted that off-grid solution remains the best way to reach the unserved in Nigeria’s rural areas.

Lawan, who was represented by the senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, noted that laws

play a critical role in the path towards achieving nationwide access to electricity, stressing that power remains one of the enabling components of national development. “Though we have recorded successes, I must confess that we are still quite far from our desired destination with millions of Nigerians having no access to reliable electricity,� Lawan stated.

Lawan added that the federal government as well as the members of the ninth national assembly had exemplified the willingness as well as the capacity to deliver on the objectives of nation-building as it concerns the supply of power to all Nigerians. “While we optimise the on-grid

option as the primary option for electricity access in Nigeria, the federal government of Nigeria is also aware of the need for decentralised deployment of electricity infrastructure to serve our constituents across the country using off-grid solutions,� he stated.

In his remarks, Jedy-Agba, posited that President Muhammadu Buhari was strategically targeting more policies and interventions in the power sector, especially with the recent announcement of the president to deploy 5 million solar-based connections across Nigeria through the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP).

OPEC: Global Crude Oil Demand to Peak in 25 Years Group Business Editor

ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă‹ Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Ă—Ă—Ă‹ Ă•Ă™Ă˜Ă”Ă“ Senior Correspondent

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

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Finance) ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? åÙÔÓ (Insurance) Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ăœ (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters

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

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has projected that despite the growing need for renewables as a source of energy, crude oil and its associated products will remain the largest contributor to the energy mix in the next 25 years. In its annual World Oil Outlook (WOO) 2020, released by the cartel’s Secretary General, Nigeria’s Sanusi Barkindo, the international group of oil producers, said it believed oil would remain the largest contributor to the energy mix through to 2045, accounting for more than 27 per cent, followed by gas (roughly 25 per cent), and coal (nearly 20 per cent).

The organisation stated that a major economic constraint for

oil-producing countries in Africa remains their high sovereign debt obligations and cost of debt servicing coupled with geo-political issues, which it said would have serious negative impact if allowed to worsen in the continent.

The report agreed with the authorities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry that natural gas will be the fastest growing fossil fuel, stressing that there will be a huge leap due to growth in urbanisation, industrial demand and the phasing out of coal in the power generation mix.

OPEC described the impact of the covid-19 pandemic faced by the industry, especially earlier in the year as “an existential threat�, saying that climate policies will continue to shape the future of

energy. It projected that worldwide oil demand was expected to increase by about 10 million barrels per day (b/d) over the long term, rising to 109 million b/d in 2040, and peaking at 109.1 million b/d around 2045.

The latest figures indicated a downward revision of over 1 million b/d when compared to the 2040 levels projected in the group’s 2019 outlook, which stood at 99.7 million b/d in 2019 published last November. “From an energy point of view, the lockdown-induced economic recession has resulted in the sharpest downturn in energy and oil demand in living memory,�

OPEC said in the report yesterday.

According to the organisation, the contribution from solar,

wind and geothermal energy was expected to grow by 6.6 per cent per year on average through to 2045, faster than any other energy source.

The report further indicated that world crude demand will make a strong post-Covid-19 recovery in 2021-2023 but will peak somewhere around 2040 and 2045. OPEC added that it expects global oil demand to rise to 103.7million b/d by 2025, up by 4 million b/d from 2019, with “relatively high� annual increments of 2.1million b/d and 1.5mn b/d in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

The cartel said its position was based on the restored economic growth, especially in the major developing countries, as well

as demand catching up in the sectors hit most by the pandemic, including aviation, road transport and industry.

The forecast would suit OPEC members, including Nigeria, which will be required to fill the gap and increase their oil market share as non-OPEC supply declines in the long term.

Non-Opec crude supply growth in 2019-25 will still slightly exceed global demand growth over the period, although by much less than anticipated last year.

According to OPEC, future spending in upstream oil will need to average $380 billion/ yr in 2020-2045 in order to meet demand, with spending dropping by 32 per cent this year from 2019, to around $225 billion.

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AS NNPC Joins Global EITI Orji Ogbonnaya Orji The international development community was excited by the recent decision of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to join the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) as a supporting company.

The decision followed a request by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and its international partner (the EITI) arising from series of engagements with the company for reforms under the Mele Kyari leadership as Group Managing Director.

Kyari, a known technocrat, industry professional and good governance advocate was indeed attending the EITI global conference in Paris, France in June last year when President Muhammadu Buhari surprisingly offered him the job. And so to the EITI community, he was an ally, champion of its principles and standards. Industry watchers therefore received the news as progressive, bold, remarkable development and a window of opportunity to improving governance in the industry.

By the decision, the NNPC became the first within the sub Saharan Africa to join a group of over 65 other reputable leading extractives companies. Already, many state-owned enterprises (SOEs), commodity traders, financial institutions and industry partners around the world are within the EITI supporting group. And unknown to many, becoming an EITI supporting company can help state-owned companies make progress on the journey to transparency. A recent example is Qatar Petroleum, which became an EITI supporting company since October 2019.

And this has brought fundamental positive changes in their business modules, boosted the company’s investment profile, and corporate reputation in the global oil, gas and mining industry. But the new status has put varied responsibilities on the shoulders of NNPC in several ways.

One of the demands would be for the NNPC to comply fully to EITI’s supporting company requirements. These are public disclosure, transparency, accountability and corporate responsibility in its operations. Notably, since that decision was made, the global image that the NNPC instantly attracted to itself and the country within the oil and gas industry around the world is more than phenomenal.

For instance, within the EITI community of 54 member countries spread across underdeveloped, developing and developed nations, the NNPC is now seen to be wearing a new cap of an institution ready and willing to reform and conform to global best practices.

For instance, reacting to the development, the EITI global chair and the former Prime Minister of New Zealand Rt. Hon. Helen Clark remarked “NNPC plays a vital role in Nigeria’s economy. Joining the EITI as a supporting company is a welcome step in the NNPC’s journey towards achieving greater transparency to ensure that Nigeria’s citizens benefit from their natural resource wealth.�

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and former member of the EITI International Board, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed also hailed the decision “increased transparency of Nigeria’s national oil company revenues will contribute to improvements in the country’s domestic resource mobilisation efforts� Ahmed who was the immediate past NEITI Executive Secretary and EITI National Coordinator in Nigeria added, “The NNPC decision is a landmark development in the implementation of EITI in Nigeria�.

The NEITI Executive Secretary, Waziri Adio remarked: “NNPC joining the EITI as a supporting company is a major inflection point in the quest for transparency – for the company, for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, and for the country as a whole. “This is so given how critical NNPC is to the sector and to the country. NEITI welcomes this bold commitment. We will continue to work and walk with NNPC to translate its espoused commitments to transparency and accountability into concrete and sustained actions and results.�

The Group managing Director of NNPC and the man at the center of the decision, Mele Kyari had said, “becoming an EITI

Mele Kyari supporting company aligns with NNPC’s corporate vision and principles of transparency, accountability and performance excellence.� “Our partnership with NEITI and EITI strengthens our commitment towards commodity trading transparency, contract transparency and systematic disclosure of revenues and payments. We are on a journey towards greater transparency and look forward to deepening our collaboration with the EITI and NEITI to further this work,� he added.

Nigerians are aware that prior to Nigeria’s membership of the extractive industries transparency initiative (EITI), the oil and gas industry in Nigeria was opaque with information and data from the sector shrouded in ingrained secrecy. During this era, Nigerians were in no position to ascertain easily either the quantity of crude produced, sold, exported, revenues earned or quantity of crude reserved for domestic consumption. The attendant consequences were visible in frustration on the part of the citizens, the media and the civil society through poor access to information, data and crucial facts required to hold the companies and the government accountable.

The situation equally narrowed civic space for constructive debate and engagement required to promote demand for reforms.

When Nigeria joined the global extractive industries transparency initiative in 2003, began implementation in 2004 and became the first country in the world to support the initiative with a specific law in 2007, the public expectations were quite high that enthroning transparency and accountability in the sector would be achieved immediately.

Nigerians also expected that under the EITI regime, transparency in the sector will

The NNPC needs to urgently initiate remarkable transformation programmes to meet the new global standards.

This will require redeďŹ ning its strategies and corporate values in the areas of operational efďŹ ciency, integrity, responsibility to Nigerian laws and her citizens

automatically translate to accountability. And that both would instantly result to visible impacts in improved infrastructure, creation of jobs, and poverty reduction.

Looking back, sixteen years after, (2004 -2020), the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) strongly believes that the cup is more than half full than half empty in spite of challenges. Although a lot has been achieved but a lot more needs to be done. One major break-through is in the area of timely availability of current reliable information and data in the public domain.

The gamut of information include but not limited to company payments and government receipts, crude production, data on lifting, export and on local consumption. NEITI reports also disclose information on crude theft, loses and the cost to the economy. NEITI reports have so far disclosed huge revenue earnings.

For instance, between 1999 to 2018, NEITI reports show that Nigeria earned $666.22 billion as revenues from oil and gas alone and about $1.18billion from solid minerals between 2007 and 2018.

NEITI reports go further to breakdown the revenue earnings in aggregated and disaggregated formats. It also breaks down the data in info-graphics that speak directly to physical and governance processes and the wider implications to poverty issues in the country.

NEITI has also made information easily available on contracting and governance arrangements, commodity trading, beneficial ownership, revenue remittances, process, physical and fiscal issues that govern the sector. As a result of NEITI interventions, Nigerians and investors now easily access information on commodity trading, beneficial ownership and other merging issues. NEITI’s renewed focus on emerging issues is in line with EITI 2019 revised standards.

NEITI reports have also helped to recover revenues to the tune of over $2.3 billion and disclosed potential recoverable revenues of over $20 billion.

Another major striking feature of NEITII reports over the years is on identification and public disclosure of key remedial issues. A plan to support relevant covered entities to fix the problems has also being developed and currently a major tool for civil society engagements with relevant companies and relevant government institutions.

Sixteen years of EITI in Nigeria has shown that improved citizen’s access to reliable information and data is key in promoting and shaping public debate. It also galvanizes public demands for reforms of the sector in Nigeria. This is no doubt one major real impact of EITI in Nigeria. And this has become an

on-going dialogue for which NEITI continues to invest time, energy and resources.

NEITI’s engagements with the state oil company, the (NNPC) on remediation were in the past characterised by mutual suspicion. It has been quite a huge challenge securing the buy-in of the NNPC into the NEITI process as a key partner in the EITI process. And the bulk of issues for remedy lie on the door-steps of the NNPC. However, under the new leadership of the Corporation, a new engagement approach based on regular but effective –round-table-communication has emerged.

Under new approach, NEITI and the NNPC recently established a joint committee on remediation. The committee examined all issues outlined for remedy in NEITI Reports and advised on a plan to implement them within the short, medium and long term.

This development helped to restore institutional trust, opened fresh opportunities for sustained dialogue, inter-agency partnership and stakeholders’ collaboration. The report of the joint committee is on its final stage of approval for implementation. NEITI’s hope is that the impact of the joint initiative on the ongoing reform in the industry will be quite huge.

It is also on the strength of the new approach that NEITI requested, the NNPC to publish its audited accounts. Notably, in June this year, the NNPC released its audited financial statement for the first time in 43 years. For us in NEITI, it was` a major milestone in efforts to enthrone transparency and accountability in operations of the Corporation.

As an EITI member and supporting company, the NNPC is required to widen its doors for public scrutiny. This involves commitment to timely and regular publication of its annual audited accounts, contract transparency, beneficial ownership disclosures, open, fair and competitive process in commodity trading, care for the environment as well as full commitment to corporate governance.

The NNPC needs to urgently initiate remarkable transformation programmes to meet the new global standards. This will require redefining its strategies and corporate values in the areas of operational efficiency, integrity, responsibility to Nigerian laws and her citizens. It would also involve comprehensive review of its corporate institutional ethical behaviour. In this process, the NNPC can be assured that NEITI and the global EITI are ready, willing and available to provide vital guides. t%S 0SKJ B OBUVSBM SFTPVSDF HPWFSOBODF FYQFSU BOE /&*5* T %JSFDUPS $PNNVOJDBUJPOT XSPUF GSPN "CVKB

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Implications of Nigeria’s CAMA Law on Extractive Sector Ownership Disclosure Obiageli Onuorah

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n 2013, Nigeria began its journey towards revealing the real owners of its assets in the extractive industries. By 2016, at the anti-corruption summit which took place in London, President Muhammadu Buhari made a pledge alongside other world leaders to work together towards revealing real owners of companies doing business across jurisdictions in the world.

A communique issued at the end of that summit highlighted the key role that beneďŹ cial ownership (BO) disclosure will play in the ďŹ ght against corruption and illicit ďŹ nancial ows especially in resource rich and developing countries like Nigeria. “We will enhance transparency over who ultimately owns and controls them, to expose wrongdoing and to disrupt illicit financial flows.

As recent events have shown, we need to take firm collective action on increasing beneficial ownership transparency,� an excerpt of the communique read.

Further, the communique spelt out how partnerships between local and international jurisdictions will enhance and facilitate the use of BO to track incidences of corruption among collaborating countries. It specifically said: “We will support developing countries to collect beneficial ownership information and use it in public contracting and other sectors work.�

In its earliest policy brief published in May 2016, NEITI highlighted the dangers of secrecy in the ownership of extractive sector assets in Nigeria. In it, the NEITI called on the government to implement and institutionalise ownership transparency as a “systematic and more sustainable way of fighting corruption�

On the fringes, work went on towards getting a register containing real owners of companies in Nigeria’s extractive industry in place by January 1, 2020, the deadline given by the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (EITI) for all implementing countries to comply with the requirement. By December 2019, NEITI’s beneficial ownership register was in place. The register is publicly accessible on a portal linked to the NEITI website on bo.neiti.gov.ng.

The ultimate game changer, however, is the new Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 (CAMA 2020) signed into law by the President in August 2020. CAMA 2020 specifically required individuals and companies in sections 119-123 (Pages 70-73 of the new Act) under the caption: ‘Disclosure of persons with significant control’ to declare their ownership interests and structure.

With an established publicly accessible register of extractive companies and the recently signed

CAMA Law 2020, Nigeria has once again blazed the trail of few countries with legal framework for beneficial ownership disclosure not only in its extractive sector, but for every company doing business in the country.

The EITI in its 2019 Standards required implementing countries to, “document the government’s policy and multi-stakeholder group’s discussion on disclosure of beneficial ownership.�

The global body further recommended that implementing countries should, “maintain a publicly available register of the beneficial owners of the corporate entity(ies) that apply for or hold a participating interest in an exploration or production oil, gas or mining license or contract.�

Beneficial Owners of extractive assets according to the NEITI are the natural person(s) who directly or indirectly ultimately owns or controls at least five per cent of a corporate entity.

By the CAMA Law 2020 and the NEITI register of beneficial owners of companies, Nigeria has met the above requirements demanded of it by the EITI, a milestone for the country and NEITI. As NEITI and indeed Nigeria celebrate the opportunities provided by the provisions of CAMA 2020, implementing sections 119-123 of the Act and the Requirement 2.5 (e) of the 2019 EITI Standard, need ingenuity.

Section 2.5 (e) of the EITI Standard states that:

“The multi-stakeholder group (MSGs) should assess any existing mechanisms for assuring the reliability of beneficial ownership information and agree an approach for corporate entities to assure the accuracy of the beneficial ownership information.�

Though CAMA 2020 does not set any specific penalty(ies) for a breach of the provisions of Sections 119-123 of the law, it gives bite to the EITI requirement 2.5 which recommended that MSGs should require companies to attest to the beneficial ownership declaration form through a, “sign-off by a member of the senior management team or senior legal counsel, or submit supporting documentation.�

Although recent cases like the OPL 245 (Malabu oil) are signals that where the intention is anything but noble, entities will hide or misrepresent facts and politically exposed persons and government officials may use proxies as fronts, the NEITI Act 2007 in sections 16 Subsection 3, 4 and 5 have envisaged some of these challenges and provided sanctions for misrepresentation of facts.

This ranged from the fine of N30 million, to the revocation of the operational license of the company, including jail terms and fines for directors or other persons involved in the management of the company. NEITI should invoke this section of the NEITI Act when the need arises, leaning on the legal backing of Sections

2 (e) and (1) of the NEITI Act and Sections 119-123 of the CAMA Law. Furthermore, other sunshine laws in Nigeria could aid ownership transparency. They include the Nigerian Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act 1990 which requires senior government officials including politically exposed persons to disclose their assets and interests in companies; the Public Procurement Act and the Money Laundering Prevention Act which mandate banks and designated non-financial institutions to identify and verify identity of BO of accounts of legal entities carrying out financial transactions.

The Bank Verification Number (BVN) requirement by the federal government has also put faces to corporate and private accounts through the use of bio-metric data.

For now, Nigeria joins the league of countries with a specific law on beneficial ownership disclosure.

With the support of the monitoring and whistle blowing role of the media, professional bodies and the civil society, beneficial ownership disclosure will deepen and strengthen transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive sector, a key mandate of NEITI. t 0OVPSBI JT UIF "TTJTUBOU %JSFDUPS $PNNVOJDBUJPOT BOE "EWPDBDZ BU UIF /&*5* 4IF DBO CF SFBDIFE WJB POVPSBIP!HNBJM DPN

Abiru’s Bold Imprints on Nigeria Financial Services Sector Mobolaji Olaleye Mr. Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru popularly called Tokunbo Abiru’s calm disposition, gentle mien and unassuming nature can easily give him away as an under-dog. But up his sleeves are winning aces that have earned him laurels and medals.

From a career which started as a management trainee to becoming a boardroom strategist and reaching the career pinnacle as the Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank Limited, he has proved to be someone that cannot be ignored.

Among his peers and those afar, he is a highly celebrated economist, chartered accountant, consummate banker, financial analyst, risk manager, turnaround strategist and transformation leader.

He is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Lagos East Senatorial byeelection holding on October 31.

Abiru is a corporate giant whose meritorious service and contributions to the financial sector and national economic growth, across the private and public sectors in and outside Nigeria, are legendary.

Desirous of another platform and opportunity to serve the people, he has once again raised the stake by putting himself forward to represent the good people of Lagos East Senatorial District at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.

Abiru has assured the people of his constituency that he would leverage his wealth of experience to ensure qualitative representation, facilitate infrastructure and human capital development, social welfare and good governance among others.

Abiru He added that, “a deep desire to contribute towards improving national economic performance including in particular national revenue generation, industrialisation, infrastructure development, financial deepening and inclusion, national broadband coverage, employment generation and poverty reduction�, would also be a cardinal agenda that he would advance, if elected to the Senate.

With about three decade experience, Abiru parades a rich vast array of dynamic experience having climbed through the ladder by dint of hard work, dedication, focus and brilliance. He has served in many strategic senior management and directorate positions in many foremost financial

institutions. He also served as the Lagos State Commissioner for Finance.

Until his recent retirement from the banking system, Abiru was a star in the financial services galaxy not only in Nigeria but in some African countries including Sierra Leone.

Owing to his resourcefulness and forthrightness, Abiru was appointed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Skye Bank Plc in July 2016 with a mandate to execute one of the most challenging corporate turnarounds in the history of Nigeria’s financial services industry.

He successfully accomplished the task with the transition of the defunct Skye Bank Plc into Polaris Bank Limited in September 2018, leading to his re-appointment as the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the new bank.

A transformational leader, who is passionate about efficient deployment of resources and service delivery, Abiru has etched his name in gold for saving the country which could have triggered a new wave of distress in the banking sector.

Through the interventionist mission of Abiru as MD/CEO and Mr. Muhammed Kabir Ahmad, a seasoned technocrat as Chairman, Board of Directors respectively of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, and efficient transitioning of the defunct entity to new Polaris Bank, hundreds of jobs that could have been wiped across the 370 branches of the defunct bank were saved. No single employee was laid off, no branch was closed down and no depositor lost money.

At the point of departing, Abiru left Polaris

Bank with his head high. He had built the bank into a strong financial institution delivering very strong and positive outcomes. For instance, Polaris Bank 2019 financials reflected Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N29.6 billion, very good return ratios and a modest operating expense ratio in the first full year of operations.

All income lines net interest, fees and commission, and investment/other income also performed creditably especially in the context of the bank’s birth and transition. The bank’s balance sheet for its inaugural year was N1.143 trillion, reflecting strong liquidity and improving capitalisation.

Among others, Abiru has also served on the boards of several notable companies including Airtel Mobile Networks Limited, FBN Capital Limited (now FBN Merchant Bank Limited), FBN Bank Sierra Leone Limited and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Plc. He is also well decorated with academic and professional honours. These include a B.Sc. (Hons) Economics from Lagos State University (LASU), alumnus of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School respectively, Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB).

His deep knowledge of financial and economic matters as well as corporate governance is a valuable asset that would impact the quality of legislation at the National Assembly. t0MBMFZF B CBOLFS XSPUF JO GSPN (CBHBEB -BHPT

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FMBN: Institutional Tool for Affordable Housing Delivery Terungwa Isaac

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elivery of affordable housing is a major problem in Nigeria. With a projected population of 263 million by 2030, the current slow pace of housing stock development, low levels of mortgage penetration and inadequate access to affordable housing finance indeed calls for an “emergency response.�

According to the 2019 Center for Affordable Housing Finance (CAHF) in Africa report, housing affordability in Nigeria for most of the populace is almost impossible without a deliberate, concerted, and sustainable involvement of government.

The report further highlighted three key facts: One, that even if private investors are willing to partner with the government, the investment climate specifically for housing and housing finance needs to improve significantly.

Two, that robust public funding is required for housing programs to fulfill and target the needs of low-income households. The third fact is that the combination of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Family Homes Fund (FHF) provides a major route for affordable housing for most low- and middle-income earners.

These conclusions remain valid and relevant today. Recent positive government housing policy developments and the visible excitement they have stirred in the Nigerian housing sector lend much credence to their viability.

At the core is the Mass Housing Strategy envisioned by the National Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP) and recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The scheme projects to create 1.8 million jobs starting with the construction of 300,000 homes in the next 12 months.

The strategy is hinged on a two-track approach. The first is to ease bottlenecks in the delivery of social housing while the second track is the delivery of affordable homes through direct government interventions in house construction.

What is notable is the lead roles that the FMBN and the Family Homes Fund are structured to play in the execution of these bold initiatives. While Family Homes Fund is the lead in the track one of the programs – which is delivery of social housing to low-income earners- the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria is also given a key role in track two which seeks to deliver 10,840 units of the low, medium, and high-income units across the six geopolitical zones.

Additionally, the Federal Mortgage Bank is also to provide construction financing, for up to 2,667 housing units per year with arrangements for off-take being organised through a Cooperative Housing Development Loan Scheme and a National Affordable Workers’ Housing Scheme. The approved NESP document also states that an Executive Order to implement the National Public Buildings Maintenance Policy will be issued to facilitate the survey and maintenance work on public buildings.

The top-level recognition of the importance of the FMBN in the execution of the federal government led historic housing program is noteworthy. It serves as a testimonial for the remarkable turnaround that the FMBN has witnessed in the past three years under the leadership of Ahmed Musa Dangiwa and the increasing confidence in the government in the ability of the management team to deliver on set expectations.

Long perceived as a byword for sub-optimal performance, the country’s apex mortgage institution is building an impressive track record of high performance. This positive shift is helping to redefine the government-owned entity as a more effective, innovative, and reform-friendly tool for affordable housing delivery to Nigerian workers within the low- and medium-income bracket At the heart of it, all is leadership. The current management of the bank under the direction of Dangiwa has championed and sustained implementation of a reform roadmap that is delivering remarkable results.

Let us look at the corporate performance results which the bank made public recently – with a focus on the period from April 2017, when the management team came on board

Dangiwa to June 2020.

First, the bank revealed that it disbursed loans totaling over an N100billion. This implies that on average, they were able to successfully process and disburse loans worth N33bn per year. This is a major improvement in the speed of delivery. To better appreciate the significance of this performance index, it is important to recall that between 1992 and 2016 – a 24-year period – FMBN averaged a paltry N6 billion per year posting a meager N153billion in total loan disbursements. To stretch the comparison further, the performance of the current management in three-years trumps that of 14-years performance pre – 2017 corporate statistics.

Second is the rapid increase in the bank’s financing of affordable housing stock development projects across the country.

Out of the total figure of 28,175 housing units that the bank has funded since 1992, about 7,740 units – representing over 27 per cent of the total - fall within the past three years. This indicates that the current FMBN management team delivered an average of 2,580 housing units per year versus the meager 851 yearly average figures for the period 1992

Additionally, a greater number of Nigerian workers are beneďŹ tting from the FMBN affordable suite of housing loans, at a scale that is unprecedented in its history. According to the performance report, the bank provisioned a total of 51,608 housing loans – this comprises 4,095 mortgage loans and 47,513 home renovation loans within the period

to 2016 (i.e. a total of 20,435 housing units within the period).

Additionally, a greater number of Nigerian workers are benefitting from the FMBN affordable suite of housing loans, at a scale that is unprecedented in its history. According to the performance report, the bank provisioned a total of 51,608 housing loans – this comprises 4,095 mortgage loans and 47,513 home renovation loans within the period.

These astonishing improvement recorded by the Dangiwa-led team within these three years are significant in the history of housing development in Nigeria at two fundamental levels. One, they provide solid proof that the often-criticised National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, despite its sub-optimal impact in the first two decades of its establishment, is indeed, a good and viable scheme for catalyzing affordable home delivery. Two, they show that the scheme possesses great potential to act as impact as an institutional enabler of affordable housing delivery and above all, under the right type of leadership.

The strides signal what is possible. As the main fulcrum of FMBN’s activities, the NHF supports the bank’s suite of affordable housing loans that target a critical segment of the population i.e. workers who fall within the low- and medium-income brackets. Provisioned at terms and conditions that are unrivaled in the market, FMBN’s products currently stack at the top as the average Nigerian worker’s best route to affordable housing.

First, consider the FMBN NHF Mortgage Loan for one. FMBN leverages funds pooled from the NHF scheme to grant wholesale loans at four per cent interest rate per annum to its accredited Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) for on-lending at six per cent to NHF contributors over a maximum tenor of 30 years. The loan is secured by the mortgaged property.

A contributor to the National Housing Fund (NHF) can access up to N15 million through the licensed PMB of his choice as a mortgage loan to build or purchase a home after six months of continuous contributions to the scheme. Loans of up to N5 million attract zero equity contribution, while those from N5 million to N15million attracts only a 10 per cent interest rate per annum.

Second is the FMBN Individual Home

Construction Loan, which is designed to help contributors to the NHF scheme to access affordable, long-term housing construction finance to build their own homes. Key features of the loan comprise a maximum loan amount of N15 million that can be accessed and paid back over 15 years at single-digit interest rate per annum of seven per cent.

The third product is the home renovation loan that provides up to N1 million to contributors to renovate or carry out improvements on their existing homes and pay back over five years at a single-digit interest rate of seven per cent.

The innovative product specifically targets contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) who already own their homes and are not seeking mortgage loans to build or purchase new ones. Because of the ease of accessing it, beneficiaries living in rural areas and own land have been reported to deploy the funds to building complete homes using local building materials.

Yet another innovative affordable housing product is the rent to own scheme. Introduced by the Dangiwa-led management team, the rent to own scheme boasts convenient features that further reduce the financial burden on homeownership on Nigerian workers. The FMBN Rent-to-Own housing scheme provides an easy and convenient payment plan towards home ownership for Nigerian workers.

Specifically, the scheme makes it possible for Nigerian workers to move into FMBN homes – located nation-wide - as tenants, pay for and own the properties through monthly or yearly rent payments spread over periods of up to 30-years.

The scheme is available at a single-digit interest rate of nine per cent per annum on the price of the property. Properties with a maximum value of N15 million are eligible under the program. Other features include immediate access to a home for beneficiaries, early/advanced payment allowable, and elimination of equity down payment requirements and savings of costs related to a mortgage transaction From the NHF Mortgage loan to the rent-to-own scheme, the recurring decimal is affordability: single-digit interest rates, longer terms for payment, zero or minimal equity requirement amongst others. By sustaining the momentum of ongoing reforms of the NHF scheme, boosting its financial resilience and ensuring that a greater number Nigerians that can access these loans, the Dangiwa-led management of the FMBN is providing practical proof of how the NHF scheme can directly impact Nigerian workers.

Yet that is but one level. Another is powering FMBN’s financing windows for real estate construction through products such as the FMBN Estate Development Loan (EDL) with maximum loan amounts of up to N500 million.

FMBN uses funds pooled from the NHF to provide affordable loans to reputable private developers, state housing corporations and housing cooperatives at single-digit interest rates of 10 per cent per annum to help bridge the housing deficit through mass production of decent, quality and affordable houses for ownership by NHF contributors.

As a result, houses built through the EDL window are built based on designs that are approved by FMBN, do not exceed N15 million in price, and are sold only to NHF contributors.

The bank finances infrastructure facilities up to 70 per cent for private developers only while housing corporations and Government own development projects are to provide 100 per cent infrastructure. Another product is the Cooperative Development Loan (CDL) to encourage members of cooperatives to access funds to build homes for their members.

The key role that the government has given the FMBN in the delivery of its historic housing program is commendable. The turnaround reforms initiated by the Dangiwa-led management team and the results that are already visible as evidenced by latest corporate performance indicators show that the bank has the right team, is tackling systemic institutional challenges and is ready and primed to deliver expected results. t5FSVOHXB *TBBD JT B QVCMJD BOBMZTU CBTFE JO "CVKB

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COVID-19: CSR and Healthcare Reforms in Nigeria Chukwuemeka Uwanaka

T

he socio-economic lockdown that took place in Nigeria due to the outbreak of COVID-19 has further highlighted to the public and private sectors, the importance of a good healthcare system. With average life expectancy of 53.95 years, which is below the Sub-Saharan average of 56 years, the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks Nigeria 187 out of 190 in the quality of healthcare system, translating to one of the fifth worst healthcare systems in the world.

Average spending and out-of-pocket payment is $6 per person and 72 per cent respectively, compared to $3,235 per person and 10 percent respectively in the United Kingdom. For example, there are only 100 psychiatrists in Nigeria i.e. 1 to 1.7mil as against 1 to 8400 in Canada. This is as one in five will need a psychiatrist at some point in their lifetime. Medical tourism, which costs Nigeria over $1 billion annually, is another outcome of the poor state of healthcare in the country.

The first confirmed case in the country on February 27, 2020 and subsequent cases, exposed a lot more, the vulnerabilities of the country’s healthcare system. The economic effects of the virus were responsible for the significant intervention of the private sector in Nigeria’s healthcare system, with the provision of isolation centres by THISDAY Newspaper at THISDAY Dome and GT Bank alongside financial donations and medical support such as N5 billion by UBA Foundation, N1.35 billion by BUA, and N1.5 billion by Dangote Foundation, among others. Some went a step further to begin the provision of permanent health structures, such as the 200-bed Infectious Disease medical centre at Imo State University Teaching Hospital by Seplat Petroleum.

A lot of these private sector contributions, which by some estimates surpass the provisions of government, can be characterized as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). These actions are their philanthropic responsibilities, given that are under no legal obligation to do so. However, the realization of what poor response to the virus will mean to the economy where they do business, was also a motivating factor for their responses.

A lot of these contributions were through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-led private sector Coalition against Covid-19 (CACOVID).

As countries shut their borders and restricted support to other countries, the realisation that countries should attain self-sufficiency in critical sectors such as healthcare became more pronounced. Indeed, Nigerians marveled at the speed with which private sector driven intervention in healthcare infrastructure were quickly developed. Working together, it demonstrated the quick goals that can be attained when the private sector works closer with government.

As no crisis should be wasted, the question therefore arises - what new approaches can be explored by government in partnering the private sector towards improving Nigeria’s healthcare system in a sustainable manner?

The challenges of healthcare in Nigeria are many, though a few stand out. They include insufficient financing, management and human resource shortfalls, insufficient drugs, lack of sufficient personnel, poor treatment of patients and infrastructure and poor hygiene.

With insufficient financing and human resource shortfalls being the most prominent challenges in the healthcare sector, sections of the private sector that have excelled in financing and human resource management could

Buhari possibly provide a good fit. The private sector being referred to here are the major financial institutions in Nigeria such as United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, GTBank and Access Bank, who also stand out as some of the largest contributors to government’s effort in managing COVID-19. The financial sector is one of the few sectors that have remained resilient despite GDP decline, as the sector’s contribution to GDP in Q2-2020 increased by 28.4 percent. It should also be mentioned here that some of these banks have in recent years, been publishing Annual Social Responsibility Reports in line with Nigerian Sustainability Business Principles (NSBPs) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards.

Financing stands out as the main problem, as the national budgetary allocation for health in recent years has consistently been below the 15 percent recommended in the African Union’s ‘Abuja Declaration’ of 2001. In federal budget estimates for 2020, allocations to basic healthcare delivery and capital expenditure declined, when compared to the budget of 2019. This is as Nigeria records annual population growth of 3 percent, and therefore requires a growing health budget, not a reducing budget. N46 billion was allocated for capital expenditure, compared to N47 billion in 2019, representing a 2.13 percent reduction.

Similarly, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) decreased by 13.12 percent from N51.22 billion in 2019 to N44.50 billion in 2020. With these, Nigerian prosperous financial institutions may just be best positioned to contribute in resolving some of these financial problems, as will be explained in later in this essay.

The foundation of every good healthcare system is Primary Health Care (PHC). Nigeria has 30,000 PHC facilities across the 774 local governments of the country. A lot of these PHCs are in a state of disrepair with only 20 percent of them in working condition, thereby restricting access to healthcare for the populace, and putting undue pressures on the secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions.

With 75 per cent out-of-pocket spending rate and 4 percent health insurance coverage, the National Health Act (NHA) of 2014 which led to the establishment of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) that aims to remove financial barriers to accessing primary

healthcare, particularly for the poor and the vulnerable, alongside Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR), has not yielded the desired results, six years after.

The outcome of these poor choices and management approaches also reflects in vital human resource migration, with less than 20,000 out of the 33,000 registered doctors in Nigeria practicing, while a staggering 40 percent have migrated, due to lack of required investments. Another 4,000 doctors might leave Nigeria between August and December of 2020 according to the Vice-President of Resident Doctors, even as Nigeria struggles to manage not only COVID-19, but also existing healthcare challenges. The recent Nigeria Health Workforce Country Profile shows an increase in the number of doctors seeking migration from 656 in 2014 to 1551 in 2018.

What then can both the government and private sector do, practically?

As these big banks have demonstrated capacity in managing many branch networks and agents across the 36 states, FCT, 774 LGAs and foreign countries, such expertise should be deployed in the management of PHCs. A lot of their CSR activities can be streamlined into PHCs, which will also serve as contact points for state and community health insurance scheme contributions. In return, the PHCs can serve as part of the branch networks for the banks, a win-win situation. These banks therefore will have the responsibility of providing clean and maintained environments that they are known for, with a real estate agreement that will ensure equitable ownership. While it provides a cost effective means for bank expansion and financial inclusion as part of the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS 2012), it will also lead to a drastic reversal of the eyesore that are many PHCs in Nigeria. Communities where traction on community health insurance subscription has been hindered by trust issues will feel more comfortable with depositing their health insurance contributions at PHC located banks.

This will therefore reduce out-of-pocket payments and contribute to increased financing for the healthcare system. The increased presence of banks at rural areas that will come with this proposition also allows for a more structured approach in enrolling the informal sector of Nigeria, estimated at 65 percent, into

the health insurance pool. The informal sector is mostly found in agricultural production, mining, quarrying, small-scale building and construction.

The management expertise of the big banks can also be deployed to stemming the outbound migration of healthcare workers that are most needed. That these banks have proved adept at not only making significant financial returns, but also retaining well trained staff, is a pointer to their ability to provide management support that can reverse the trend of migration among health workers.

While some will question the relevance of the management knowledge and experience in the financial sector being applicable to the health sector, it is important to note that managers and Ministers of Health in many developed countries with high average life expectancy, do not have medical background, but management backgrounds. Jeremy Hunt, the longest serving Health Minister in British political history as well as Andrew Lansley, his predecessor and Matt Hancock his successor, who do not have any medical background, come to mind. The United Kingdom (UK) remains one of the main medical tourism destinations, as well as destination for migrating Nigerian medical professionals, especially under the recently introduced ‘Health and Care Visa’ policy that makes it cheaper, quicker and easier for healthcare professionals to migrate to the UK. Indeed, it was during the tenure of Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, an economist, as Nigeria’s Minister of Health that very significant improvements were made in health insurance coverage through the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), about 40 years after conception.

To be clear, the PHCs are not being converted to full blown bank branches. The economic activities in rural locations where many of these health centres are located do not make a business case for full branches.

However, sufficient banking presence for cash and other financial transactions will compel the banks to make the necessary investments in the environment of the health centres, even as they have to maintain their brand image. The banks will deploy their expertise in rural and agent banking, in not only improving health insurance coverage, but also supporting primary healthcare. PHCs can become payment locations for health insurance subscriptions and agent banking, as most of the big banks have insurance arms which can also play the role of Health Management Organisations (HMOs).

What is also envisaged is that with a solvent health financing sector in place, financial institutions can be encouraged to invest in the education and training of medical professionals and health economists, who are required for Nigeria’s growing population. They will as well support vaccine production and manufacturing of medical equipment.

Quite a significant portion of Nigeria’s health professionals in the diaspora are desirous of contributing to Nigeria, as exemplified by the number of medical missions they conduct. The involvement of these financial institutions can provide them with more confidence and structure to optimize their interventions.

Uwanaka, a policy analyst, writes through chukweks@yahoo.com NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Huggies Gets New Distributor for Nigeria Dike Onwuamaeze The Multipro Consumer Products Limited (MCPL) has been nominated as the exclusive national distributor of Kimberly-Clark Nigeria (KCN) brands such as Huggies and Kotex in Nigeria, as part of the KCN ongoing growth plans in Nigeria that would pave the way for their products to reach more consumers in the

country.

The KCN in 2019 commenced the building of a manufacturing facility in Ikorodu, Lagos State, which would begin operations during the first half of 2021 as part of its accelerated growth plans in the country and increased investments in the manufacturing sector and job creation.

The Vice President of Middle East and Africa at Kimberly-

Clark, Ehab Abou-Oaf, said: “We are committed to our investment and expansion plans in Nigeria and we’re very excited about where we are heading. We have been hard at work for some time now to strengthen our presence in the Nigerian market and be part of the country’s dynamic and fast growing economy. “A big part of our ambitions is to establish faster, better and closer routes to our consumers

and we firmly believe that MCPL, with their far-ranging presence and decades of experience, are the right partners to help us achieve that nationwide.�

This partnership with MCPL, according to Abou-Oaf, represented one of the core pillars of Kimberly-Clark’s long-term strategy of contributing towards the growth of the Nigerian economy through increased local manufacturing and distribution

of products to consumers across the country. “Our partnership with MCPL will not only allow us to benefit from a stronger distribution network across the country,� says Abou-Oaf, adding that “it is a culmination of our ongoing plans to accelerate our investments behind our brands and to build our capabilities so we can serve consumers better.�

Kimberly-Clark said is com-

mitted to delivering essential products to its consumers in Nigeria. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet and build stronger communities.

The MCPL is reputed to be the largest and strongest distribution company in Nigeria, which started its operations with a single product (Indomie) in 1996 and made Indomie a household brand in Nigeria.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͱ˜ 2020

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IMAGES

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: Deputy Director, Women Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Adamu Samaila; Representative of the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Oladipo Funke; and the Publisher, Phenomenal People Magazine, Evelyn Oyilo, during a media training on reporting violence against women and girls in Abuja...recently

L-R: Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi and National Security Adviser to the President, Maj-Gen Babagana Mongonu during the e-FEC Meeting held at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja... recently PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

L-R: CEO, RED For Africa, Adebola Williams; Managing Director, Sterling Bank, Abubakar Sulieman; Managing Director, MedPlus Pharmacy, Mrs. Joke Bakare; Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk; Co-founder, Project Ark, Mrs. Alero Ayida-Otobo, and CEO 9mobile, Alan Sinfield, during a meeting with the Minister and stakeholders in the private sector in Lagos..recently PHOTO: DAN UKANA

L-R: National Industrial Relations Officer, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Kelechi Ogwulo; Branch Secretary, Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Agency ( NNRA), Comrade Olatunde Malik-Agbalaya; PENGASSAN Chairman, Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) Branch, Comrade Ifreke Udeme; and the Branch Chairman, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, Comrade Ojede Ayodele addressing newsmen, during a protest on IPPIS infractions and shortfall in salary in Abuja...recently

Wife of Kogi State Governor, Mrs Rashida Bello; distributing relief materials to flood victims at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Koton Karfe, Kogi State...recently

Some electorates waiting patiently after voting to make sure their votes count during Ondo 2020 Governorship Election in Akure...recently

L-R: Special Adviser to the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Mufutau Ogo; Head of Marketing of NAN, Mrs Margret Iroha; NAN Managing Director, Mr Buki Ponle; Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC), Abdullahi Mohammed and Editor-in-Chief of NAN, Mr Idonije Obakhedo, during the NAN Managing Director’s visit to the NSCDC Headquarters in Abuja...recently

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Lekki Gardens Upgrades, Beautify Estates to Delight Clients Bennett Oghifo Lekki Gardens, Nigeria’s premier pan-African property investment company is upgrading and beautifying some of its estates in a bid to continually satisfy its clients.

The company took its customer service and satisfaction a step further by going back to some of their estates in Lagos and Port Harcourt, renovating them at no cost to residents.

This laudable and highly uncommon act provides high economic value to its customers, as it increases durability and thus the value of their homes, while saving cost for them.

Lekki Gardens, which is renowned for hands-on approach to putting the needs of its customers first, said in a statement it would continue innovative practices, customercentric culture.

The company added that it would continue to build

wealth for its investors with a transformational approach to the Nigerian real estate market.

The Chief Engagement Officer of Lekki Gardens, Akinwande Romeo said, “At Lekki Gardens, a renewed drive for excellence and quality has birthed an unending quest for precision and impeccable delivery. This sets her apart from others in the industry, delivering your home is not the end of the journey for us in this case, we revisited a couple of our projects which have been completed for about five years now and we gave them an upgrade and facelift.”

They quoted a home owner, Mr. Yomi Adelabu as saying, “My friends couldn’t stop congratulating and commending me for an upgraded and more beautiful space at our last Friday Games Night. I appreciate the Lekki Gardens Management for this highly generous act and their unend-

ing thoughtfulness and care to all its residents. Buying a home with Lekki Gardens is by far the best decision I have ever made.”

Since the upgrade, residents in those estates now enjoy the ultimate luxury living experience with the best in class construction technology, pristine finishing options, lavish and luscious living and dining areas, as well as state of the art residential amenities.

Giving reason for the upgrade and beautification of their estates, the company’s Technical Special Adviser, Mr. Damilola Suara, said, “For us at Lekki Gardens, our customers are at the center of all we do and this commitment fuels our resolve to continually serve and deliver excellence to them. We will not relent, as our primary goal here at Lekki Gardens is to build trans-generational wealth for our clients so we continue to help them improve

Lekki Gardens 1

on value of their property.

“From our inception in 2012, we have been unwaveringly

committed to delivering value to our customers and this is evident in all we do at Lekki

Gardens, we do not deliver and leave, we are with you every step of the way.”

Fashola Commends Lagos’ Residents for Patience During Road Rehabilitation Fadekemi Ajakaiye Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has commended Lagos’ residents for their cooperation and tolerance so far as the ministry undertakes the maintenance and rehabilitation of the state’s roads and bridges.

He stated this during his tour of the Third Mainland, Eko, and Marine Beach bridges in Lagos, recently.

“I want to thank the people

and the Lagos State Government for their understanding and forbearance during the bridge maintenance and rehabilitation program, which is one of many being undertaking nationwide,” he said.

“We have over 50 bridges receiving national maintenance, repair, and refurbishment across the country in conformity with the National Infrastructure Maintenance Programme and the National Infrastructure Renewal, Expansion, and Development

Programme, which has been the focus of the Mohammed Buhari administration,” he said.

“On this Third Mainland Bridge, we have seen the joint and bearing replacement at different stages, the freshly drilled, replacement, jet spraying for effective binding, and lastly the pouring of concrete to protect the work done. We regrettably have to close down the bridge between Adeniji Adele and Adekunle for 48 hours, that is, Friday midnight

till Sunday midnight in order to allow for curing of the concrete,” he said.

He stated that the bridge will be opened to users by Monday, and the diversions will return, as work has not finished. “We are going to finish this program in January next year,” he said.

“We are going to have some more closures, until we get to the end of the project.

Ideally, we are supposed to close every time we get to each joint, but we have minimised

the inconvenience. This is the first closure which is coming after 3 joints. We will be back again when it is time to close, but we will try and work with what we think is the most optimal time, that is, Friday to Sunday,” he stated.

Fashola stated that part of the National Asset Maintenance Programme approved by the Federal Executive Council, is not just to restore national infrastructure but also to provide employment opportunities for the people.

The closing of the Alaka-end of the bridge was to prevent accident as a side of the bridge was already collapsing. The current maintenance work undertaken to fix the expansion joint at the bridge has already reached 83 percent completion stage, he said.

He enjoined all that after the project is completed, that the assets should be protected and traders be prevented from selling under these bridges as their activities cause damage to them.

NIOB Embarks on Building Materials Research, Development Fadekemi Ajakaiye Research and utilisation of research results into local building materials remain the key to resetting the building industry and preventing it from shocks and vulnerabilities.

This is one of the key points of the just concluded 50th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Building, with the theme, ‘ Building Materials: Research, Creativity and Development’.

The two-day conference, which was a mixture of virtual and physical modes, attracted participants from various parts of the world.

The participants included top government functionaries, private sector organisations, professional associations in the built environment, academics and researchers.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who is also an engineer, chaired the occasion. The Director General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Professor Samson Duna attended virtually. The Presidents of the professional bodies in the built environment were present.

The President of the NIOB, Bldr. Kunle Awobodu said the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weaknesses and challenges in the building construction value chain, especially with respect to the materials that were being imported.

He said, “The lockdown thus affected the continuation and completion of projects when material inputs were not readily available. The NIOB thus decided to turn the challenge to opportunity for looking inward with respect to sourcing of materials which would align with the local content policy thrusts of the government.”

The NIOB, he said has a crop of builders who are researchers in building materials and whose research works and outputs can make a difference in building project implementation in Nigeria.

“Some of the research works focused on using rice husks, corn cob ash as partial replacement for cement, the use of nut oil in cement mortar, turning of used tyres into bituminous products for construction of flexible pavements or roads, the use of plastics in the production of building materials especially

eco-crete blocks.”

He said the conference presented the best opportunity for actors in the building materials ecosystem to meet and ultimately actualise research reports, and restated the efforts of the NIOB to conduct building condition survey

on some pre-independence buildings in Nigeria.

He stated that such survey was done on Da Rochas house, which was built in 1874 in the Lagos Island. Of equal importance was the Shitta-Bey Mosque built in 1892. The first two- storey church build-

ing in Nigeria was built in 1845 at Badagry. He inferred that these buildings which were subjected to scientific tests were products of good materials and workmanships.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, who spoke in his personal capacity as a

Nigerian, underscored the importance of building development as a reflection of the level of development of society. He enjoined frankness and truthfulness among stakeholders in the building delivery process to address its challenges.

Regulatory Bodies to Engage FG on Local Content Law Bennett Oghifo The Forum of Regulatory Bodies of Built Environment in Nigeria (FORBBEN) has resolved to engage the federal government on the nation’s local contact law.

FORBBEN, an umbrella body of heads of built environment regulatory agencies in Nigeria, said it is committed to uplifting professionalism in the industry.

The Forum consists Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON); Estate Surveyors And Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON); Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC); and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN); Council of Registered Builders Of Nigeria (CORBON); Council Of Registered Builders Of Nigeria (CORBON) and Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON) met recently in Abuja during which they discussed sundry issues confronting the real sector.

Arc. (Sir) Dipo Ajayi, President of the forum, who condemned lack of local content in projects across the country, urged members of the group to work towards eliminating their differences scale up professionalism within the sector.

Ajayi also noted that no nation thrives mainly on importation of either the materials or the services, saying, it was high time they ensured the law on local content was implemented to the letter.

Umar Murnai, ARCON Registrar urged the sector’s regulatory bodies to always come together, make collective pronouncements by constantly advising governments at all levels in Nigeria, enforce the content and spirit of the Local Content Act and appraise the younger colleagues on the need to always respect other professions.

He said there was need for all the nation’s built environment regulatory bodies to be on budget line.

Murtala M. Aliyu, President, QSRBN, advised that the forum should consider enforcement as a key issue and courtesy visit should be paid to the Minister of State, the Minister and Chief Justice of the Federation and Inspector General of Police.

Aliyu, who lamented how all layers of government import all kinds of projects with all sort of conditions, charged his colleagues to step their game on regulations of the profession and the sector to prevent total collapse.

Prof. Kabir Bala, Chairman, CORBON, charged FORBBEN to take charge of the activities of the built environment and professionally respect one another.

Ahmad Yabagi, who represented COREN President, urged the group to be in control of the local content statute and other laid down rules and regulations.

Isyaku Kura, President TOPREC, noted that all professions in the country are presently bastardised.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT

Banuso: Government Should Create Policies to Govern Use of Technologies The Country Manager for Microsoft Nigeria, Akin Banuso says in this interview that government’s role should be to create policies and strategies that govern the generation, acquisition, adaptation, diffusion, and use of technologies and technological knowledge in the country. He also discusses other developmental issues

W

hat has been the effect of COVID-19 on businesses and how has Microsoft been coping in terms of business sustainability?

COVID-19 is impacting everyone around the world and every aspect of our daily lives: our social interactions, our family life, our communities. At Microsoft, we’re working to do our part by ensuring the safety of our employees, striving to protect the health and well-being of the communities in which we operate, and providing technology, tips and resources to our customers to help them do their best work while remote.

COVID-19 has brought about a new normal for businesses and governance.

What are the best strategies for organisations and government to survive post-COVID-19 era?

Making use of the tools and resources available is key to helping address the challenges faced by businesses and governments alike. If the right technology is used effectively, they can do more than just survive, they can thrive.

Both organisations and governments must take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution to create a digital Nigeria. The creation of a digital Nigeria will help the country achieve social and economic growth and development. The recommendations laid out in the Microsoft position paper – Enabling a Digital Nigeria – are steps that will enable the country to meet economic development goals by increasing financial inclusion, as well as the number of citizens that can meaningfully participate in the economy.

What should be the role of government in driving technology development in both the public and private sectors?

Government’s role should be to create policies and strategies that govern the generation, acquisition, adaptation, diffusion, and use of technologies and technological knowledge in the country.

Setting and implementing the right policy helps to remove red tape while at the same time ensuring that technology is safely and sustainably used, thus driving investment.

As a software company, how will you encourage software development at this critical period where organisations are struggling for survival and what value can software bring to the table at this time?

Digital technologies have always been touted as a critical element for the public and private sector in the same way, but the current environment has really shone a spotlight on how vital they are. We have seen how critical technology has been in

ensuring your ability to adapt to the current challenges and how it has been leveraged to rise above them. Think of Microsoft as the producer of the building blocks of software development. By partnering with government and business, we are able to support their use of these building blocks to create the software and tools to meet their specific needs. We can look at the many ways digital can improve on governance alone. For example, imagine you are able to report potholes, electrical faults or other similar issues to your local government as it happens from your phone, response time to these issues would quicken.

Nigerian government is keen at digitizing the public and private sector in line with global digital transformation.

How will Microsoft assist government in achieving digital Nigeria?

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more, and since establishing a presence in Nigeria in 2000 this has been the ultimate goal. Technology solutions and human capacity building are two keyways we have been working to do this, but this alone is not enough. To ensure that the benefits of technology reach those who need it most it is important for government to take deliberate action and develop clear strategies that will allow them to use technology to support socio-economic development in the country. This is why Microsoft has created this positioning paper, to outline the concrete steps that government needs to take to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation forward.

Within the position paper we’ve outlined a number of steps government should take, such as adopting technologies with long term benefits and ensuring that these technologies are delivered inclusively and deployed responsibly, to aid social and economic development in Nigeria. We are working with government to execute these recommendations to ensure that Nigeria is able to create a sustainable and inclusive digital ecosystem that all are able to benefit from.

Survival of SMEs is essential for national development.

How will Microsoft leverage technology to drive small businesses in Nigeria?

Technology is a key driver of business growth for SMEs. In fact, emerging technologies such as AI and cloud computing are able to help SMEs level the playing field with larger organisations and remain competitive across all levels of business.

Promoting digital services across Nigerian SMEs is a key pillar under the Nigerian government’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, one we aim to support.

Banuso Having realised the need for economic diversification, government is exploring new avenues outside of oil and gas to keep the economy running. How do you see software technology as the game changer for economic diversification?

Nigeria must pursue every opportunity for economic growth. Technology presents several opportunities for growth in Nigeria without being tied down to finite resources. Creating a digital Nigeria will help the country achieve its social and economic development goals by ensuring financial inclusion and increasing the number of citizens who can meaningfully participate and hold a stake in the economy. The country will be able to claim its share in the $11.5 trillion global digital economy while also supporting the betterment of sectors such as healthcare, service delivery, and education.

The digital economy is a viable source of economic diversification because it provides a skilled and talented workforce that is able to serve a global community through freelancing, micro-work, business processing outsourcing, and other opportunities. The digital economy will create an ecosystem whereby people will not only be able to participate in the country’s economy but at a global level as well. As technology is already a significant part of all most aspects of life and will increasingly become a part of our work, schooling and more, the skills developed within the digital economy will open up many new doors and opportunities.

What is your view about digital transformation, and what are some of the solutions from Microsoft that can quicken digital transformation in Nigeria?

I believe that digital transformation is not only about bringing people, data and processes together into one space, but also effectively harnessing the transformative power of disruptive technologies to empower people to become, and do, more.

It is about using the advanced resources available in the world to help address social challenges,

such as ensuring access to education for all, creating a better healthcare system that all citizens have access to, creating new job opportunities for the significant youth population, and all in all creating a world where everyone can pursue a future of health and happiness.

Digital transformation can not only diversify the country’s economy, but also increase its national competitiveness, productivity, and innovation.

Nigeria’s digital potential doesn’t lie within technology itself but can be found within its abundant human capital. We need to take steps to leverage that resource to act as a catalyst for Nigeria’s transformation by ensuring that everyone is able to take part of the digital economy we are looking to create. This inclusivity can only be facilitated through the erection of the right infrastructure along with knowledge and skills development. Additionally, the right strategic mindset alongside the right technology can drive digital transformation forward.

To enable digital transformation you need to look at how you can create a culture that can derive value from technology and requires government to prioritise the growth of the digital economy across all levels of governance. Microsoft offers a number of solutions to help with enterprise and public sector transformation including, but not limited to; Azure for all AI, machine learning, and IoT needs, 365 Dynamics which helps build intelligence into decision-making, and PowerBI, a powerful analytics tool which can be used to provide insights on connected data.

Microsoft has been promoting cloud adoption among organisations. How will cloud computing help in achieving e-governance?

Public cloud adoption provides government with critical savings on IT infrastructure, operational and maintenance costs, and even lower energy costs. This frees up budget funds for investment in other pressing areas for socio-economic development.

Additionally, the economiesof-scale efficiencies that public

cloud provisioning allows for other technology infrastructure deployments. Information and communication are two key aspects of governance. The cloud allows government to protect the data and information of its citizens, innovate on services and improve service delivery, increase their agility and productivity.

For Nigeria, cloud computing migration will catalyse the digital transformation of public institutions leading to more efficient e-governance models that will maximise citizen welfare. Cloud allows organisations to “rent” the time they need only for the time they need it and therefore can enable the horsepower of technologies such as AI with significantly less costs than it would normally require while having access to the same level of capabilities.

What is the level of public cloud adoption in the country, and how has Microsoft been able to assuage business owners of the perceived fear about cyberattacks on organisations’ data?

Cloud adoption in Nigeria has been sub-optimal. Bridging these services closer to public sector is imperative for modernising governance and maximising the benefits of e-governance.

Microsoft is working with government to help develop the right policy frameworks and legislation that ensures that technologies are not misused and remain trusted. Microsoft has extensive expertise in protecting data and championing privacy and our trusted cloud is built on the foundations of security, privacy, and compliance. Driving cloud adoption in the country requires increased focus on digitalising the public sector which can be achieved through increased partnership between government and the private sector. Additionally, the Nigerian government has already started to develop and release policies related to the use of cloud which will help to assuage concerns surrounding safety and security and help to drive up cloud adoption.

What is Microsoft’s position on data generation, storage and protection, in line with NITDA’s Data Protection Regulation?

The generation, storage and protection of data should be regulated so as to ensure the right to privacy for each and every citizen. Microsoft has robust security and compliance programs which allow our customers to assess Microsoft services against their own legal and regulatory requirements, including the NITDA’s Data Protection Regulation. Our team of compliance experts also works with Microsoft engineering and operations teams across all cloud services, as well as external regulatory bodies, to help customers meet their compliance needs. With its extensive expertise in comply-

ing with complex regulations, Microsoft is uniquely positioned to help you meet your compliance obligations.

What is your view about digital inclusion in Nigeria?

To what extent has it helped the economy to grow?

An inclusive digital economy ensures that the most vulnerable of society, those in poverty, those with disabilities and those with inadequate skills are able to create better lives for themselves and their families. Ensuring inclusion is critical for the development of any economy. But, besides the moral and social obligations to inclusion there is also the simple math of the matter. If more people are able to meaningfully participate in the economy, more people are able to make money and therefore more are able to spend money, contributing to the economy and fostering its growth.

Microsoft has been operating in Nigeria for quite some years. To what extent has Microsoft supported local software development in the country?

As highlighted in the whitepaper, we have launched several initiatives and introduced programs that support with skilling, employment, funding to support novel projects that create and deploy AI tools to improve the way we monitor, model, understand, and ultimately manage Earth’s natural resources for a more sustainable future and most importantly transforming businesses in Nigeria to accelerate their digital transformation journey. Those include: r #SJEHJOH HBQT JO JOGSBTUSVDture, connectivity and capability *Africa Development Centers – Nigeria and Kenya sites r &OBCMJOH %JHJUBM USBOTGPSNBtion *SME acceleration *Digitizing the legal system *Winsiders4good fellowship r#VJMEJOH DPBMJTUJPOT GPS responsible innovation *Ditigal economy series in (partnership witrh the Lagos Business School) *Government AI summit r$MPTJOH UIF 4LJMMT (BQ BOE enhancing empployability *Coding for Employment (In Partnership with the African Development Bank) *DigiGirlz *Accelerate Labs *Basic Digital Education Initiative *Imagine Cup *AppFactory *Tek Experts *Nigerian Women Techsters r$SFBUJOH 4VTUBJOFE TPDJBM impact *Device Donation *Employee Volunteering Program *AI for Earth Grant *Cloud & Software Donations to Nonprofit *Cash & Technology Grants *Grants: Cash, Technology and Airband

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T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍąËœ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

DPR Upbeat about Oil Reserve, FDI Inflow Peter Uzoho The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has restated its belief in a brighter future for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The agency also expressed optimism about the realisation of the anticipated 40 billion barrels oil reserves and increased Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to the country.

Speaking recently at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Abuja Section 199 Independence Day Virtual Lecture, the Director of DPR, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, said that Nigeria’s target of 40

billion barrels oil condensate reserve by 2025 was realistic and achievable.

He hinged the agency’s optimism on the policies and programmes being churned out and implemented by the federal government, including the ongoing bid rounds for marginal oil fields, construction of gas pipelines across the country as well as refineries and petrochemicals development.

Auwalu, said Nigeria was also planning to increase its gas reserve to 210 trillion cubic feet (TCF) by 2025 and 220TCF by 2030, adding that

the country’s vast human and natural resources put it in a vantage position as Africa’s largest economy. “Nigeria is positioned to optimally develop its oil and gas resources for the benefit of stakeholders who are the ordinary Nigerians. “Reforms in the oil and gas sector are geared toward realising government’s aspirations. “Government’s target to increase our oil condensates and gas reserves by 2025 is realistic and achievable with the programmes and policies being put in place,� he said.

UN Water Mandate Launched in Nigeria The United Nations CEO Water Mandate in Nigeria has been launched by the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), as part of pre-summit events leading up to the 26th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES).

The initiative was to galvanise the private sector to actively commit to improving water resources management for sustainable use for businesses and individual consumption.

According to a statement, the CEO Water Mandate was officially launched by the Chairman, NESG, Mr. Asue Ighodalo.

Speaking at the event, he

said it marked a significant milestone for the NESG, saying it underscored the group’s mission to be an enabling platform for mobilising the private sector to tackle challenging economic and social issues which confront our nation. “This mandate is a UN Global Compact initiative that mobilises business leaders on water, sanitation, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Endorsers of the CEO Water Mandate commit to continuous progress against six core elements of stewardship and in so doing understand and manage their own water risks.

Presently, 175 companies, globally,

have endorsed the mandate,� he added. In his keynote address, the Federal Minister for Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Hussein Adamu, said there had been a decline in investments to water supply infrastructure by the state governments, “therefore, there is a need for private sector participation.�

On the need for private sector participation, working with the government agencies, the CEO, NESG, Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola, affirmed that Nigeria would need to invest at least 1.7 per cent of its GDP, annually, to prevent the country from becoming water stressed.

WinnersEmerge in Wema Bank’sRoyalKiddies’Award Wema Bank has disclosed that it has rewarded 20 of its Royal Kiddies account holders through an announcement made during the virtual selection held recently.

According to the bank, a total of 20 winners emerged with six winners from the Lagos region, five from south-west region and three each from the south-east, south-south and northern Nigeria.

Speaking during the selection which happened virtually, the Divisional Head, Retail Banking, Wema Bank, Dotun Ifebogun, commended the efforts put in by customers of the bank’s Royal Kiddies Account.

According to Ifebogun, “The

Royal Kiddies annual award demonstrates the banks unwavering support for its customers especially at a time when most families are facing the financial hardship posed by the global outbreak of COVID-19. “We also know its ‘back to school’ season and we believe this will contribute to the educational needs of the winners as they go back to school.�

He further stated that because of the cash prize, many parents now look forward to the annual award with the expectation of having their wards among the lucky winners.

He went on to say the annual

Royal Kiddies Award is here to stay and urged parents who are yet to open the account for their children between the ages 0-12 years to do so.

Similarly, Head Brands & Marketing Communication, Wema Bank, Funmilayo Falola said: “The bank prides itself in constantly devising means of rewarding customers across all segments and the annual Royal kiddies Award goes a long way to show this. As a bank we believe children are the future leaders of any nation and the need to invest in their education cannot be overemphasised.�

Redstar Express Reports N10.5bn Turnover Oluchi Chibuzor Redstar Express Plc has posted a turnover of N10.5 billion for the year ended March 31, 2020.

This, according to the firm represents a five percent increase over the preceding year figure of N10.067 billion that was recorded in 2019, prompting the board of directors to recommend the payment of 35 kobo per share as dividend.

The announcement was dis-

closed at the 27th Annual General Meeting(AGM) of the company held recently in Lagos, as the Chairman, Board of Directors, Redstar Express, Mr. Suleiman Barau, expressing delight about the performance. “I am particularly delighted because the lockdown necessitated by the COVID-19 didn’t affect the financial year and its reports so much. We thank all stakeholders for their usual support and pray this will continue now and

always. “I am glad to inform you that the last financial year was successful as the company reported impressive figures across all our performance indicators,� he said.

The financial statement for the year ended March 31, 2020, also showed that Cost of sale stood at N7.864 billion compared with N7.290 billion in 2019. Administrative expenses increased from N2.131 billion to N2.164 billion.

Banire Urges FG to Create Postgraduate Employability Programmes Ugo Aliogo The Convener, United Action for Change (UAC), Dr. Muiz Banire has advised the federal government to create postgraduate employability programmes in tertiary institutions in order to improve employability skill sets.

Banire disclosed this in Lagos recently, at the Annual Youth

Leadership Programme of UAC with the theme: ‘The Future of Nigeria Youth in a New Normal World.’ He urged tertiary institutions in the country to place more emphasis on practicability than theoretical approach in their teaching methods, saying, “we rely heavily on paper qualification and unfortunately, our tertiary

institutions are equally challenged there.�

According to him, “Government needs to create postgraduates employability to build the capacity of the youths in various areas of white and blue collar jobs. To a large extent, we are too theoretical in our approach to issues in this country. People need to be more practical oriented.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JULY 2020 Money Supply (M3)

36,822,751.47

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

3,476,121.25

Money Supply (M2)

33,346,630.22

-- Quasi Money

120,764,479.02

-- Narrow Money (M1)

12,582,151.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,002,026.89

---- Demand Deposits

10,580,124.31

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,637,137.23

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

29,185,614.24

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

39,711,115.95

---- Credit to Government (Net)

19,521,851.08

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-130,189,264.87

--Other Assets Net

3,472,017.70

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,421,827.07

--Currency in Circulation

2,395,917.03

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

11,025,910.04 317,234.17

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Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ ͡ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $41.61 a barrel on Friday, compared with $41.06 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

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T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍąËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

NSE All-Share Index Falls Further as Profit Taking Extends Goddy Egene The equities market opened the week on negative note as profit taking entered its fourth day. Consequently, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index (ASI) fell 0.31 per cent to close at 28,337.49, while market capitalisation shed N40.7 billion to close at N14.8 trillion.

The market had witnessed a rally that lifted the NSE ASI to a five-year high last Tuesday,

before profit taking set in last Wednesday. Despite the profit taking, the market ended last week with a gain of N777.9 billion.

Analysts at Cordros Research had said they expected the market might continue to benefit as domestic investors seek alpha-yielding opportunities in the face of increasingly negative real returns in the fixed income market.

They, however, advised

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

investors to trade only in fundamentally justified stocks as the weak macro environment remains a significant headwind for listed companies. But trading resumed on negative note as highly capitalised counters such as MTN Nigeria Plc, BUA Cement Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc recorded price depreciation yesterday.

In all, 16 stocks depreciated while stocks appreciated. The

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

price losers were led by International Breweries Plc with a decline of 9.1 per cent, trailed by AXA Mansard Insurance Plc with 5.6 per cent. Flour Mills shed 4.5 per cent, just as Regency Insurance Plc and Portland Paints and Products Plc and Honeywell Flour Mills Plc went down by 3.5 per cent and AIICO Insurance Plc shed 3.5 per cent apiece.

NAHCO Plc lost 2.3 per cent, while African Prudential Plc and Jaiz Bank Plc went down

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

by 2.2 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively among others.

On the positive side, Eterna Plc led the price gainers with 9.9 per cent, trailed by Union Diagnostic and Clinical Services Plc with 8.3 per cent. Transcorp Plc appreciated by 4.8 per cent.

A subsidiary of Transcorp Plc, Transcorp Hotels Plc, last week opened its rights issue of 2.659 billion ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N3.76 per share to raise about N10 billion from

O F

existing shareholders.

The leading hospitality group had explained that rights issue would empower it to look to the future with confidence despite the current harsh operating environment.

According to the Managing Director/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Mrs. Dupe Olusola, their track record of excellent service delivery has positioned them as the first choice for international and local guests alike.

1 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

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QUANTITY TRADED

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

Trump’s Nominee Testifies in Tense Supreme Court Hearing US Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, has said she is “honoured and humbled” to be President Trump’s pick for a place in the top court during a tense Senate confirmation hearing.

The 48-year-old conservative jurist vowed to judge legal cases impartially.

But her selection so close to the November 3 presidential election has sparked a fierce political battle.

The panel’s Republican chairman has predicted a “contentious week” of questioning ahead.

Judge Barrett’s approval would cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the nine-member court, altering the ideological balance of the court for potentially decades to come.

Mr Trump picked Judge Barrett to replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month aged 87.

“I have been nominated

to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat, but no one will ever take her place,” Mrs Barrett told senators in her opening statement on Monday. “I will be forever grateful for the path she marked and the life she led.”

However, conservative views and decisions from the bench she has delivered as a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals - of which much can be seen as opposing to the views of the late Justice Ginsburg - will be heavily scrutinised by Democrats who oppose her confirmation.

The Republicans - who currently hold a slim majority in the US Senate, the body that confirms Supreme Court judges are trying to complete the process before Mr Trump takes on Democratic rival Joe Biden in the election.

The court’s nine justices serve lifetime appointments, and their rulings can shape public policy on everything from gun and voting rights

to abortion and campaign finance.

Supreme Court confirmation hearings are always high political drama.

With a presidential election just three weeks away and the coronavirus pandemic still upending American life, however, the current environment in the US Senate Judiciary Committee is particularly volatile.

During opening remarks,

Democrats demonstrated that they want Amy Coney Barrett’s hearings to be about the Republican rush to seat a new justice before the elections and the possibility that she could be a deciding vote to strike down the increasingly popular healthcare reforms passed under Democratic President Barack Obama.

To drive this point home, aides placed photos of

Americans who have benefited from “Obamacare” on easels around the room as the Democratic senators began speaking.

Democrats are avoiding the divisive topic of abortion, which motivates political adversaries as much as it rallies allies, for what they feel is more favourable political ground.

Republicans, for their part, want these confirmation

hearings to be business as usual. They know it will be a partisan brawl, but they’ve already won two Supreme Court confirmation fights during Donald Trump’s presidency.

The circumstances may be unusual, but if they stick together - and focus on Judge Barrett’s professional and personal qualifications - they feel confident they can prevail.

UK PM Not in Support of National Lockdown

Says it will harm the economy

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, yesterday said he was taking a “balanced approach” to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that he was not in favour of another national lockdown “right now” because it would harm the economy Johnson told the Commons there would be a new three-level alert system for England - medium, high and very high Liverpool will be on the highest level of alert, the PM said, adding that he does not want a new national lockdown More people are in hospital with Covid than before

lockdown in March, says NHS Medical Director, Stephen Powis Top UK scientific advisers have said NHS Nightingale hospitals are on stand-by in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate Most A-level and GCSE exams in England will be delayed by three weeks in 2021 In China, Qingdao’s population of nine million will be tested for Covid-19 over five days after 12 cases There are more than 37 million confirmed cases globally with more than 1.07 million deaths

Liberia Asks for US Help to Probe Mysterious Deaths Liberia’s President, George Weah, has asked the US to help with investigations into the mysterious deaths of three senior officials in finance-related posts, the state-linked Liberia News Agency (LINA) has reported.

The deaths had sparked rumours of an assassination campaign, AFP news agency reported.

LINA quoted Weah as urging people not to speculate, and to await the outcome of investigations.

Weah had instructed Justice Minister Frank Musa Dean to coordinate his efforts with partners of the government, including the US, LINA reported.

It named one of the officials who had died as the head of the Internal Audit Agency, Emmanuel Nyeswua.

The other two worked for the Liberia Revenue Authority, but LINA did not name them.

AFP news agency reported that four - not three officials had died in just over a week.

They were: Mr Nyeswa, who was found dead in his apartment in the capital, Monrovia, on Saturday; An official at the Liberia Revenue Authority who died in a car crash in Monrovia on 4 October ; Two more officials at the tax-collection agency who were found dead in a car in the city the next day AFP quoted Mr Weah as saying that the US embassy in Monrovia had been asked to help, including in finding a pathologist to examine the corpses to determine what caused the deaths.

INVESTORS IN CALABAR...

L-R: Director, Port Projects, Port of Antwerp, Mr. Philippe Droesbeke; Director, Port of Antwerp International Belgium, Mr. Stefan Cassimon; and Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade, during a site tour of the Bakassi Deep Seaport location with the Belgian team, on Calabar high sea…yesterday

Opposition Seeks ECOWAS, Buhari’s Intervention in Côte d’Ivoire Crisis The presidential candidate of the L’Alternative-CI and leader of the opposition parties in Cote D’Ivoire, Mr Seth Koko, has said the opposition parties would make the West African country ungovernable if the incumbent President Alassane Ouattara contested the October 31 presidential election.

He said Ouattara, who was elected for the second term in 2015, was not eligible to seek a third term, insisting that his ambition was a violation of the constitution.

Addressing journalists in

Abuja on Friday, Koko called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to prevail on Ouattara to step down to avoid plunging the country into a civil war.

The presidential candidate called for the dissolution of the Independent Electoral Commission which he said was subservient to the ruling party, Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace, and the postponement of the election.

Koko strongly canvassed for the intervention of regional

and international bodies to avert violence and bloodshed in his country, noting that the opposition parties and the civil society would not allow the president to rule beyond October 31 when his tenure would lapse.

He stated, “The opposition parties are appealing to international bodies to stop Ouattara from seeking a third term which is a violation of the constitution.

“His tenure ends on October 31 and we will not allow him to extend his tenure behind that date; we will not make it easy

for him, we would encourage civil disobedience and would not recognize him as president.

“We are going to make the country ungovernable for him if he insists on contesting because he ceases to be the president from October 31. We will defend the constitution of Cote D’Ivoire.

“If we allow him to violate the constitution; even, if he stays for 100 years, he would continue to stay in office. This is the time for all those who have an investment in Cote D’Ivoire like Nigeria and others to stop Ouattara.”

Debt Burden of Least Developed Countries Climb to a Record $744bn in 2019, Says IMF The total external debt for the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) countries climbed 9.5 per cent to a record $744 billion in 2019 from the previous year highlighting an urgent need for creditors and borrowers alike to collaborate to stave off the growing risk of sovereign-debt crises triggered

by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the latest edition of the International Debt Statistics (IDS) report released by the International Monetary Fund, IMF on Monday, the pace of debt accumulation for these countries was nearly twice the rate of other low- and

middle-income countries in 2019.

IMF stated that before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising public debt levels were already a cause for concern, particularly in many of the world’s poorest countries as discussed in its four Waves

of Debt report published in December 2019.

Responding to a call from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the G20 endorsed DSSI in April 2020 to help up to 73 of the poorest countries manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Africa COVID-19 Cases Hit 1.5m, Says WHO The World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for Africa located in Brazzaville, Congo, has said there are over 1.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent.

The UN health agency gave the update on its regional official Twitter account @WHOAFRO

on Monday.

WHO stated on its dashboard that there were over 1.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent- with more than 1.3 million recoveries and 38,000 deaths cumulatively.

South Africa, Ethiopia, and Kenya were countries with

the highest number of newly reported cases.

According to the dashboard, South Africa reported 1, 575 new cases as of October 12 with 692,471 cumulative cases.

Ethiopia has 866 new reported cases with 84,295

cumulative cases while Kenya has 388 new reported cases with 41,546 cumulative cases.

Meanwhile, the UN health agency said Nigeria had new 163 cases of COVID-19, bringing the country’s confirmed cases to 60,266.

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Malami Tasks Legal Aid Council on Equal Access to Justice Alex Enumah in Abuja The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister

of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, has charged the Legal Aid Council to ensure equal access to justice for all irrespective of

FG, Govs to Fix Gas Supply, Utilisation Challenges in South-east Chineme OkaforinAbuja The federal government and governors of the five south eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo will work together to fix existing challenges, which make it difficult for the region’s industries and homes to transit to gas as a preferred source of fuel, the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria Limited (GACN) has said.

GACN said in a statement that it will hold a gas utilisation workshop for the south eastern region this week in Owerri, capital of Imo State.

The statement explained that about 500 industrial outfits have signed up to participate in the workshop which will seek to facilitate optimal use of natural gas to drive industrial and economic growth of the region.

It noted that Senator Hope Uzodinma who is the governor of Imo State will be joined by the four other governors of, Anambra, Mr. Willie Obiano; Ebonyi, Mr. David Umahi; Enugu, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Abia, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to host the workshop.

According to it, in line with the federal government’s push to make gas a preferred source of fuel in Nigeria, the governors will work with the GACN to

accentuate the potentials of gas for the development of their region and Nigeria’s economy.

Similarly, it stated that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva will attend the workshop to emphasis on its economic benefits to the region.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the GACN noted has equally showed its support for the workshop, and will have its Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari lead oil and gas industry stakeholders in the country to participate in it.

The chairman of GACN, Mansur Sambo who also doubles as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) also noted in the statement that the forum will enable industry players to proffer practical end-to-end energy solutions to industries in the region as well as unlock additional investments for gas development and gas pipelines.

The Managing Director of GACN, Mr. Olalekan Ogunleye said in the statement that, “the GACN is very pleased with this opportunity to collaborate with the south east business communities and stakeholders to further boost economic development in Nigeria.

means, as well as ensure that the constitutional rights of citizens are respected, protected and defended.

Malami gave the charge yesterday, in Kano, while declaring open a two-day Legal Aid Governing Board Retreat with the theme: ‘The Role of the Governing Board in the Corporate Governance: Providing Strategic Direction towards Achieving the Mandate of the Legal Aid Council’.

In a statement issued yesterday by his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, the minister advised board members of the

council to keep themselves abreast with the extant laws, adding that the policies of the council must retain the force of facilitating its core objectives, which includes the provision of pro-bono legal services to indigent, economically deficient and less-privileged Nigerians.

He said the services of Legal Aid Council are geared towards reducing, to the barest minimum, incidents of human rights abuses perpetrated against nation’s citizens.

“The board’s policies must assist the council to remain the leading and pro-active provider

of free, qualitative and timely legal aid services in Nigeria, ensuring social justice and the emancipation of the oppressed, reprieve to the weak and vulnerable, thereby giving voice to the voiceless,” he said.

According to Malami such steps would enable the board to bear allegiance to the motto of the Council “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” while maintaining the council’s Mission mantra: “To ensure free, effective and efficient legal aid services to indigents in Nigeria.”

The minister assured the council of the commitment

of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Justice in supporting activities of the council aimed at providing strategic direction in achieving its mandates.

Malami said his office in conjunction with the Management of the Legal Aid Council have duly concluded all the requisite legal arrangements for the launch of the “Access to Justice Fund”, duly provided for under the Legal Aid Act, 2011, aimed at raising funds for the assistance of legal aid works in Nigeria.

ALUTA CONTINUA...

L-R: Immediate past President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) , Prof. Nasir Fagge; ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi; and Vice President ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, during a meeting between ASUU and the leadership of the Senate on the ongoing strike of the union in Abuja... yesterday

CULPABLE OPERATIVES WON’T ESCAPE JUSTICE, SAYS BUHARI AS ANTI-SARS PROTESTS SPREAD According to the protesters, their demands, tagged “5 for 5” were simple; immediate release of all protesters; justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families; setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct (within 10days); in line with the new Police Act, psychological evaluation and re-training (to be confirmed by an independent body) of all disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed; and increase of police salary so that they are adequately compensated for protecting lives and property of citizens.

Rejecting the announcement by the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu, who said the police unit had been dissolved, the protesters said it must be backed by a Presidential Executive Order before they would stop the protest.

According to the protesters, the police only changed the nomenclature as they did in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 with words like reformed, restructured, reorganised, reformed, and disbanded respectively.

In the Oyingbo area of Lagos, the protesters formed in front of Tantalizers fast food while in Ojo, the protest began in Lagos State University (LASU).

In Surulere, the protesters converged in large numbers, and also at the University of Lagos

(UNILAG) gate from where they kicked off the protest.

Other areas with protests include Ebute Metta, Oshodi, Epe/Ita-Opo, Mushin, Ketu, Ikosi, Magodo, Shangisha and also Ogba, Maryland, Ikeja, Chevron, Airport Road, Ajah bus stop, Alausa (Secretariat), Ago Palace Way, Festac, Agege, and Ajegunle.

While the police allowed the protesters to exercise their fundamental right in most areas, some policemen brutalised and arrested protesters in Surulere.

The peaceful protests, according to eyewitnesses, soon turned violent after a protester was shot dead while others were shot with rubber pellets.

The angry protesters were said to have carried out a reprisal on Area C Command, where they reportedly killed three policemen to avenge the death of their fallen colleague and the injured.

The Lagos State Police Command, which earlier in the day confirmed the shooting of the three policemen but was silent on the alleged killing of four protesters by the police, however, updated the narrative last night, confirming one death apiece of the police and civil populace.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu, had earlier in the day left the weekly meeting of the State Executive Council to address the protesters.

The governor told the

demonstrators that their protest was legitimate, but pleaded with them not to block the roads while passing on their grievances to the authorities.

Sanwo-Olu said he identified with the #EndSARS campaigners, noting that their agitations touched the essence of democratic freedom.

He said citizens must never be denied the rights to protest but urged the protesters not to employ wrong methods to drive home their message.

He said: “Your voice has been heard clearly and a clear pronouncement has been made on the activities of SARS. The operation has been dissolved by the police leadership and just a moment ago, Mr. President addressed the nation on the issues you have raised.

“The president has said all SARS officers that are involved in the killing of innocent people and engaging in human rights abuses will be brought to justice.

“My stance on this #EndSARS is unmistakable and I have told you that we identify with this protest because you have legitimate concerns. I am saying it again here that this protest is in good faith. But, we must not be unruly when going out on a protest like this.

We want you to be peaceful and decorous in expressing yourselves.”

Ooni Narrates How SARS Almost Killed Daughter In a related development, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, yesterday threw his weight behind the protest against SARS, narrating how his 25-year-old daughter almost lost her life in the hands of the SARS operatives.

Ogunwusi, who said on Twitter that he was happy that the youths of Nigeria were finally standing up for their rights, disclosed that his 25-year-old daughter once had a nasty experience with SARS operatives that almost cost her life.

Tweeting through his handle, @OoniAdimulaIfe, he said: “I understand your plight; my 25- year- old daughter had a nasty experience with SARS, almost losing her life. On her way to the airport, she was stopped and terribly ransacked and surrounded by fully armed plainclothes policemen in a bus, detained for close to 30 minutes of thorough questioning.

“Imagine a young female for that matter; all her belongings completely searched all because she was with a laptop on an official assignment from her office in Lagos. I can only imagine the countless ones that have lost their lives from such ordeals, may their souls rest in peace.

“I assure you that this is the beginning of greater things to come in Nigeria. I implore you

to demand more, but plead with you to do so in a peaceful manner, as anything outside of that will cause unnecessary havoc for all.”

The monarch, who said he was aware that some protesters had been unjustly arrested by the police, urged the police to understand that the protests would also improve the welfare of men and women of the Force.

He said: “I have been informed of many innocent souls that were arrested and currently being detained, be rest assured that I am pursuing the matter and they will be set free.

“To the men and women of the Nigerian police force, be assured that this movement is also for you, we know you are humans also and your reality is as a result of your environment.

“This movement demands better on your behalf and is aimed at pushing the government to do better for you and elevate your standard of living. Do not persecute your advocates. God bless Nigerian youths and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

In Ughelli, the police yesterday arraigned 14 persons before an Ughelli Magistrate Court in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, in connection with last Thursday’s #EndSARS protest in the town.

Last Thursday’s #EndSARS protest which turned violent led to the alleged killing of a Police

Corporal, Mr. Stanley Etaga, and an unidentified protester.

Also, a Police Sergeant, Mr. Patrick Okuone, attached to the Eagle Net Squad of the state command sustained a critical injury, just as a police patrol vehicle was damaged the following day.

In suit number MU/193C/2020, six of the accused persons were arraigned yesterday on a one-count charge of breach of peace by constituting themselves into a nuisance.

The six accused persons were Precious Mudiaga, Onome Ovie, Ovie Brume, Umukoro Joshua, Duku Evans and Oroghodo Friday.

The other eight were arraigned on a five-count charge bothering on felony and murder in suit number MU/194C/2020.

The accused persons included Iboyi Emmanuel, Umukoro Rukevwe, German Oghenekevwe, Moses Eduwekon, Oke John, Ogbonna David, Prosper John and Akpovwigho Eloho.

The court, which adjourned the case to October 29 for mentioning, granted the first six defendants bail in the sum of N50, 000 each with one surety in like sum.

The court ordered the other eight to be remanded at the Federal Custodial Centre in Sapele where they would be quarantined for 14 days before being transferred to Warri Correctional Centre pending advice by the Department of Public Prosecution.

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APC Gets 14-day Ultimatum to Release Timetable for National Convention You lack power to issue ultimatum, party tells aggrieved members Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja A group, Concerned Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have given the Caretaker Committee of the party a 14-day ultimatum to come up with time table for the national convention slated for December as directed by the National Executive Council

(NEC) of the party.

But in a swift reaction, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, said the group lacked the power to issue ultimatum to the committee.

The committee led by the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, came into being

Tinubu, Gombe Gov Congratulate Akeredolu on His Re-election SegunAwofadejiinGombe The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, and the Gombe State Governor,Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, have congratulated his Ondo State governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on his victory in the October 10 governorship election in the state.

In his congratulatory message, Tinubu said Akeredolu’s victory in a peaceful, free, and fair process is a testament to Akeredolu’s sterling firstterm performance and an affirmation of the confidence reposed in him by the people of Ondo.

Tinubu noted that in his first term, Akeredolu erected important structures, embarked upon road infrastructure and focused on projects like the Ore Industrial Hub in a bid to createempowermentandemployment for the people.

“It is now incumbent on him to repay the people’s faith by building on the achievements of his first term and bringing further tangible improvement to the lives of the people of his state.

“I also congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, our party’s governors and all the members

of the APC in Ondo State and beyond. I wish, also, to congratulate Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Chairman of our party’s National Campaign Council for the Ondo election, for his excellent work in support of his brother-governor’s campaign.”

Tinubu added that Akeredolu’s re-election has demonstrated what a united and cooperative APC can do when working together to advance our party’s progressive agenda.

“The reconciliation we spearheaded ensured we had a unitedAPC, which worked towards achieving victory in the election. I would be remiss if I fail to thank Baba Ali Olanusi and other members of the now defunct Unity Forum for their commitment to the party and for so firmly believing in what we stand for. I also commend all the governorship aspirants who came to endorse GovernorAkeredolu for a second term including Chief Olusola Oke, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, Dr. Segun Abraham, Chief Ifeoluwa Oyedele, Chief Olubukola Adetula, Jimi Odimayo, Ambassador Olusola Iji, Mr. Olaide Owolabi Adelami, Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose and Mr. Nat Adojutelegan. I elected to mention them by name for they deserve our accolades and even more.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO to Launch Centre for Dairy Devt Vanessa Obioha To help drive productivity and sustainability in the dairy industry, Dutch dairy company, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, has entered into a partnership venture with key stakeholders to launch Nigeria’s first expertise centre for dairy development, the Centre for Nigerian Dutch Dairy Development (CNDDD).

Positioning the industry on a pedestal to compete with dairy companies around the world, the initiative will be based on best practices that have helped the Dutch dairy industry stand out as one of the best in the world for decades.

According to Managing Director of the company, Ben Langat, the new Centre will foster cooperation among dairy stakeholders.

“The Centre for Nigerian Dutch Dairy Development will engage and promote cooperation among the government, private sector, academics, students and dairy farmers. It will undertake activities that will improve the dairy chain in Nigeria, focusing on both the upstream and downstream

sides of the chain,” he said in a statement.

The CNDDD will be the expert research and training institute for dairy development in Nigeria focusing on breeding, farming and feeding management, as well as quality control and productivity (yield per cow).

Putting things in perspective, Langat also explained that the Nigeria dairy sector presently faces major challenges, adding: “However, FrieslandCampina WAMCO in partnership with the federal government is determined to transform the sector from its current subsistence phase to a commercial quality-focused model.”

Relying on data projecting Nigeria’s population growth, FrieslandCampina WAMCO is hopeful that the establishment of a strong agriculture sector is one of the pillars that will bring economic and social stability in Nigeria.

This requires a fundamental long term development of all areas needed to create an effective and efficient dairy sector, it stated.

following the sack of Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party at an emergency NEC meeting held at the Presidential Villa on June 25, 2020.

The committee was inaugurated to carry out two critical challenges, which included reconciling aggrieved members and to conduct a National Convention

by December 2020.

But the spokesperson of the group, Mr. Dauda Abdullahi, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, said the concerned members of the party have watched with amazement for several months over the inability

of the APC Caretaker Committee to provide direction for the party and set up timetable for December elective convention.

The group said: “We are aware that the composition of the committee is illegal and alien to our party’s constitution, and we are aware that some members are in court already as regards that anomaly, but due to our respect for the president, we allowed the process as a child of necessity and supported it, but the present action and body language of the committee necessitated our press conference today (yesterday).”

The group said it was aware that the committee was planning

registration of members which was not part of the resolution of the last NEC. It, therefore, called on the committee to let legally elected and constituted NWC to come in and conduct the new membership registration for the party.

The group also wondered why the Caretaker Committee was planning to extend its tenure, adding: “To what end? Governor Buni is elected to govern the people of Yobe State not to jettison his constitutional responsibility to be arranging a sit-tight regime in the party. A word is enough for the wise!

“Why were the caretaker members and all the governors

not present at the Edo State rallies if they had not compromised the election? We observed that Governor Kayode Fayemi said he did not attend the rallies because as the chairman of governors’ forum, there exists a silent rule not to campaign against another governor of another party. This shows Fayemi is more loyal to PDP than APC who gave him the platform to be a governor in the first instance.

“We are giving the Caretaker Committee a 14-day ultimatum to roll out plan of action/ timetable for the party’s December elective convention or face mass demonstration of party members nationwide.”

DEEPENING COOPERATION...

French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jerome Pasquier (left), and Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, during the envoy’s courtesy visit to the governor at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan...yesterday

NHRC Seeks Prosecution of Culpable SARS Operatives Michael Olugbode inMaiduguri The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has commended the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) following mass protests

by Nigerians.

The commission insisted that every member of SARS and the Nigeria Police Force involved in the dastardly act of violation of fundamental human rights of Nigerians should be brought to

book.

The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, in a statement issued yesterday, said the action was courageous and a display of mark of a listening government.

According to the statement, “In line with its mandate of promoting, protecting and enforcing human rights in Nigeria, the NHRC has been monitoring reports from individual victims and the media with respect to human rights violation of innocent members of the public by operatives of the

SARS, as well as other police units across the country.

“The commission is equally aware of the public outcry to scrap SARS so as to put an end to these violations which has now been met by the federal government as a mark of its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights of Nigerians.”

The statement added that: “The right to protest is a constitutionally protected right as long as it is carried out responsibly and without resulting in the violation of the rights of any member of the

public, including law enforcement personnel.

“You will recall that earlier, the federal government responded to public outcry against human rights violations by SARS in constituting a special presidential investigation panel with a broadbased membership, including the civil society, to investigate these allegations and make appropriate recommendations to sanction any SARS operatives found to have violated human rights of members of the public and to also suggest measures to reform SARS.

Experts Call for Stronger Economic Regulation of Airlines Chinedu Eze Experts in the aviation industry have called on the National Assembly to amend the 2006 Civil Aviation Act to empower the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to carry out effective economic regulation of domestic airlines in order to save them from going under after 10 years of operation.

They made the call in response to the plan by the National Assembly to commence a review of Civil Aviation Act 2006 next week.

The experts noted that while NCAA has performed well to improve safety in the industry

since the Act was passed into law, however, the existing Act has not really empowered the agency to enforce the economic regulations of the industry especially on the airlines and other organisations in the sector.

They also enjoined the National Assembly to ensure the retention of the 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge/Cargo Sales Charge (TSC/CSC), which were the main sources of NCAA revenues before other agencies were included in the sharing formula.

Industry analyst and former senior official of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Ifeanyi Ogochukwu, said strengthening of economic

regulation of NCAA was key to the survival of airlines and growth of the sector.

Ogochukwu, a licenced Air Traffic Safety Electronics Specialist, said the regulatory agency should be empowered more to effectively carry out oversight functions of the entire industry, including charter operators.

“The economic regulation is key for NCAA to continue to discharge its duties in the sector.

NCAA must have the authority to enforce and implement compliance of economic regulation of the industry. It is obvious that most of the airlines don’t have a bigger plan, as some people who have money just go into

the business and start running an airline without structure or business plan, and of course, it is bound to fail.

“Also, NCAA should have more power to regulate charter services in the Act. A lot of people in government are using charter services to do some shady business in the industry. NCAA should have the regulatory authority to effectively regulate the charter services,” Ogochukwu said.

Speaking in the same vein, the Director, Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), Prof. Anthony Kila, said NCAAas a critical agency in the sector should be empowered to discharge its duties without interference.

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W’Bank Earmarks $160bn to Assist Poor Countries Dike Onwuamaeze The World Bank has stated that it would deploy up to $160 billion in financial support over 15 months to enable more than 100 countries to protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses and bolster economic recovery.

This initiative, according to the bank, would include $50 billion of new IDA resources through

grants and highly concessional loans.

The bank made this statement in press release it issued yesterday in Washington DC. The statement also disclosed that the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) of eligible countries grew by 9.5 per cent in 2019 to hit a record of $744 billion from the previous year.

It called on creditors and

borrowers alike to collaborate in order to stave off the growing risk of sovereign-debt crises triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic disease.

This disclosure was contained in the International Debt Statistics (IDS) report of the World Bank, which stated that more detailed and more disaggregated data on sovereign debt will help implement debt relief efforts in

least developed countries, The bank said that the latest edition of the IDS report provided more detailed and more disaggregated data on external debt than ever before in its nearly 70-year history by “including breakdowns of what each borrowing country owes to official and private creditors in each creditor country, and the expected month-by-month

debt-service payments owed to them through 2021.”

The global lender stated that the acknowledgement of the rising public debt levels as a matter of concern even before the outset of COVID-19, prompted it and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to make a call that was welcomed by the G20, which endorsed the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) in April 2020 to help up to

73 of the poorest countries manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Bank said that the debt stock of DSSI-eligible countries to official bilateral creditors, composed by mostly G-20 countries, reached $178 billion in 2019 and accounted for 17 percent of long-term net debt flows to low- and middle income countries.

Kano to Engage 48,000 Adhoc Staff for LG Election Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) has fixed January 16, 2021, for its local government elections in the state.

The commission also stated that it would also employ 48,000 ad-hoc staff, including Electoral Officers (EO), who will be trained and dispatched to the local government areas to carry out the electoral functions effectively.

Announcing the date for the election, the Chairman of the commission, Professor Garba Ibrahim Sheka, made the disclosure at a press briefing held at the commission conference hall yesterday, saying the date was fixed based on the expiration of the local government chairmen tenure across the 44 local government councils, who were elected on February 10, 2018.

Professor Sheka said KANSEIC was going to be strict in the process of the election “so that there could be justice to every participating political party.”

He added that the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, recently appointed additional electoral commissioners in order to assist in ensuring free

and fair election in the state.

Although the commission is mindful of the dwindling economic fortunes of the state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said a lot of corrections would be made in order to reduce cost.

“In fact even the allowances of the electoral staff recruited will be reduced to the barest minimum in order to lessen the burden of financial commitment on the state government,” Sheka said.

The KANSEIC chairman said he has just finished meeting with all the stakeholders, including leaders of political parties, yesterday, and intimated them of the 96-day notice for the proposed election so that they could conveniently plan on how to put their houses in order before the election period.

“We are going to conduct a free and fair election where no lizard will be hurt let alone human beings at the end of the exercise,” he added.

Sheka said all the sensitive and non-sensitive materials would be printed locally in order to avoid the problems encountered in the past, where the commission received the materials lately from South Africa just a day to the election.

WALK FOR LIVE...

L-R: Committee member, Arise Women, Doyin Arueyingho; Founder, Arise, Siju Iluyomade; Director, Charge Affair, Arise, Iyabo Ladipo; and 2020 Chairperson, Arise, Lolade Wakama, at a press conference of 2020 Arise Walk for Life in Lagos... yesterday ETOP UKUTT

Kano’s Tertiary Institutions to Reopen October 26 Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano Kano State Government has announced that the state tertiary institutions will be reopened on October 26.

The government announcement came less than 24 hours after all

the public and private schools’ resumed for the third term.

The state Commissioner for High Education, Dr. Mariya Bunkure announced this yesterday in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Mr. Sanusi Abdullahi

Naisa.

According to the statement, the state government has already provided all safety kits against the spread of the coronavirus, including hands sanitizers, facemasks among others.

The statement also

commended the efforts of the heads of tertiary institutions to actualise the government’s desire.

The state government had on April, 2020 closed all the schools in the state as a result of coronavirus pandemic.

Abuja challenging the powers of the IG to recruit 10,000 constables for the force, arguing that it is the commission that is constitutionally saddled with such responsibility.

While the trial court held that the recruitment of the constables is the responsibility of the Police Management Team led by the IG, Mohammed Adamu, the Court of Appeal in Abuja in a recent judgment held that the responsibility was that of the police, and consequently nullified the recruitment of the 10,000 constables by the IG. Not satisfied, the IG, however, approached the Supreme Court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal and hold that it is not the commission but the Police Management Team that has

the powers to recruit constables for the police.

However, speaking with journalists over the development, CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said: “Without prejudice to the ongoing legal interpretation that is before the apex court, we strongly observe that the current legal tussle will bring a lot of disadvantage to the country.”

While noting that this is not the time for fighting over who should recruit, Rafsanjani urged the warring parties to shield their swords and work hand-in-hand to tackle the myriad of security challenges bedevilling the country.

“There is already a tower of insecurity in the country which this recruitment ab initio was set out to

curtail. Nigerians are regularly kidnapped and maimed by criminal elements in the country with little response from the police.

“The IG, as well as the PSC, should kindly consider the plight of Nigerians and make a U-turn on the legal tussle,” he said.

Rafsanjani further said: “An urgent reconciliatory structure should be put together by the presidency and National Assembly to resolve the lingering but dangerous trend that might be a bad template for future reference or an enemy from within.

“We urge the federal government to weigh in to have an amicable impasse between the PSC and the Police Management Team in ensuring that the recruitment of 10,000 constables is not dislodged.”

‘Disbandment of SARS Will Enhance CSO Urges Buhari to Intervene in 10,000 Constables Collaboration with Police’ Recruitment Battle Emma Okonji The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) has said the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) by the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, will not only put an end to the notoriety of SARS unit but also an opportunity to work with the Nigeria Police Force on the much-needed reform to re-orientate the police force.

It stated that the disbandment would also incentivise and discipline the Force in its function as the protector of the people while carrying out its duties with wisdom and dignity.

In a statement issued by ISPON and signed by its Admin Secretary, Mr. Paul Uzoechina, the Institute said the police force should not be an institution despised by young people or looked upon with trepidation, but with honour and respect.

According to the statement, “ISPON will work with the government and the Nigeria Police to better understand their challenges in effective policing in the digital age, which is the hope for a 21st century technology-driven

economy.

The ISPON, the industry professional body for indigenous software developers and practitioners in Nigeria, has been concerned by the actions of SARS operatives, especially as the people targeted make up the largest segment of its membership in the workforce of its member companies, as well as the largest segment of the consumer base.

“The devices that are used to profile the youth as fraudsters are devices that form the basic work tools of our industry. We find it baffling and unconscionable that the young coders and creative minds we should be celebrating and encouraging are the ones that are being hounded and brutalised.

“All over the world, it is recognised that development in the 21st century is disproportionately influenced by the power of information and communication technology (ICT). The world’s greatest and most powerful countries are today, not only industrialised, but more importantly, are leaders in the development, use and commercialisation of technology.

Alex Enumah in Abuja A civil society organisation, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), yesterday appealed to the presidency and the National Assembly to, in the interest of peace and security of Nigerians, intervene in the current Inspector-General of Police (IG) and Police Service Commission (PSC) face-off over the recruitment of 10,000 constables for the Nigeria Police Force.

CISLAC said the intervention is necessary because the police are currently lacking adequate number of personnel to tackle the increasing security challenges in the country.

The PSC had dragged the IG before the Federal High Court in

PDP Mourns Zamfara State Chairman, Ibrahim Mallaha Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday expressed grief over the death of the Chairman of its Zamfara State chapter, Alhaji Ibrahim Mallaha, describing the sad development as a huge loss not only to the PDP but also to Nigeria in general.

The PDP described Mallaha as a patriotic Nigerian, an excellent grassroots mobiliser and outstanding democrat, who dedicated his life to the service of the country and the advancement of humanity, for which he will be remembered by generations yet unborn.

In a statement

issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said Mallaha was a loyal party man, who made huge sacrifices for the unity, stability, development of Zamfara State, as well as the success of the party not only in Zamfara State but also at the national level.

The party said it deeply commiserated with the state Governor, Bello Matawalle, the Mallaha family, the state government and people of the state as well as the PDP fold in the state for the irreparable loss, and prayed that the Almighty Allah should grant eternal rest to the faithful departed.

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TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

I N T E R N A T I O N A L F R I E N D LY

Rohr Demands Victory as Nigeria, Tunisia Set for Battle of Eagles )UHVK &RYLG WHVWV IRU 6XSHU (DJOHV SOD\HUV DQG R΀FLDOV Duro Ikhazuagbe After Super Eagles 0-1 defeat last Friday by African champions Algeria, Coach Gernot Rohr has told his players they need to step up their game to get a win against Tunisia this evening in the international friendly at the Jacques Lemans Arena in the Austrian city of St. Veit an der Glan.

That lone goal loss to Algeria caused a buzz in football circle

in Nigeria’, with most pundits and fans arguing that the bunch of new players tried out by the Franco-German coach failed to live up to the standard the senior national team has created.

Now, Rohr has sounded it loud and clear that to make Nigerians happy this evening, Super Eagles must come out smoking to emerge the better team in the clash of Eagles.

The Tunisian are known by the sobriquet Carthage Eagles.

The Super Eagles tactician

admitted that the absence of a number of first-team honchos somewhat weakened the texture of his band, but has challenged the squad to up the ante and show vibrancy especially in the fore against the 2004 African champions.

“We definitely must put up a greater effort against the Tunisians. It is an opportunity for some of the players to rise up to the occasion, stake a claim. They are ready to go and I believe we would see a much better game on Tuesday,” Rohr pledged.

Nigeria capped four new players against the African champions, with midfield dependables Wilfred Ndidi, Joseph Ayodele-Aribo and Oghenekaro Etebo, as well as forward Victor Osimhen unavailable.

In their absence, Rohr had to start first-cap Frank Onyeka along Alex Iwobi and defender Oluwasemilogo Ajayi in midfield, and Paul Onuachu as the lone striker.

In a match that also saw wing back Zaidu Sanusi, centre-back Kevin Akpoguna

and midfielder Samson Tijani also earn their first senior caps, the Eagles huffed and puffed and strove hard to find cohesion and some sort of solidity, but failed to match the mentality and organization of the Fennecs.

Tonight, the three-time African champions come across the same team they defeated to clinch bronze medal at last year’s AFCON finals in Egypt, and have no illusions they must be at their best against a motivated Carthage Eagles

who thumped Sudan 3-0 in Tunis on Friday.

All 26 Super Eagles in camp were involved in Monday evening’s training session, and are available for selection.

Goalkeepers Dele Alampasu and Matthew Yakubu, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Chidozie Awaziem, Olaoluwa Aina and Jamilu Collins and forwards Cyril Dessers and Chidera Ejuke were not part of the run-out with Algeria and could be considered for action this night.

New Super Eagles Defender, Akpoguma, to Start against Tunisia Hoffenheim defender, Kevin Akpoguma, looks set to start for the Super Eagles against Tunisia this evening after he made a brief debut against Tunisia at the weekend.

Akpoguma was only last week cleared by FIFA to play for Nigeria after he had played for Germany at various age-grade levels including the U20s.

Coach Gernot Rohr has described Akpoguma, whose father hails from Benin City, as “very important new player” after he had tracked him for the past two years.

The 25-year-old is a typical German centre-back – strong and physically imposing defender who takes no prisoners.

He has played every minute of his team’s first three Bundesliga matches this season after he made 18 league appearances this past campaign.

On his debut Friday night against Algeria, the commanding central defender was played at rightback in place of Tyronne Ebuehi after 67 minutes of action.

Captain William Troost Ekong was far from his best against the African champions and will be

the one to lose his starting place should coach Gernot Rohr stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation.

Akpoguma could also play as one of three central defenders should Rohr opt for a 3-5-2 formation.

Meanwhile, reports out of Tunisia have suggested that at least two players will miss today’s friendly against the Super Eagles because of positive Coronavirus tests, while visa problems accounted for another player.

Vancouver Whitecaps defender Jasser Khmiri will not be in Austria after he did not get an entry visa.

Ferjani Sassi and Seiffeddine Khaoui will also not be available.

Super Eagles have been tasked to get an outright win against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia tonight

Onazi Aiming to Get His Career Back on Track in Denmark evin Akpoguma has been tipped to be in the starting line up for Nigeria tonight

Kalu, Kida Fashion Way Forward for Nigerian Basketball Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzoh Kalu has identified with the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) following its recent achievements which have reinforced Nigeria as one of the emerging powerhouses in the world.

While hosting the President of the NBBF, Musa Kida in Abuja recently, Sen. Kalu said that the recent achievements of the federation cannot be overlooked which is an indication that Nigeria can rule the world.

The former Governor of Abia State who masterminded Enyimba FC of Aba to a back-to-back CAF Champions League triumph said, “I must commend you, members of your board and all stakeholders for what you have achieved so far since you came on board in 2017.

“It has been an exciting journey with many Nigerians really proud of what you have done in such a short time.

“Recently, the basketball culture is growing in Nigeria thanks to the

successes being recorded by our national teams as well as grassroots programmes being organized by your federation,” observed the former Pillar of Sports in Nigeria.

In his response, NBBF President, Kida who recently retired as the Deputy Managing Director of Total Nigeria thanked Senator Kalu for his kind and inspiring words.

“Words like these inspire us to double our efforts to achieve more despite all the challenges associated with sports in Nigeria.

With better funding, support from individuals, government and corporate organizations, we can definitely do more.”

Kida reaffirmed his commitment to bring more laurels to Nigeria.

“We have so many plans and lofty programs at the grassroots level where talents can be discovered and the next generation of stars can be discovered. Sports is a multi-billion naira sector in Nigeria which can be well harnessed to create jobs for millions.

Danish Superliga club SønderjyskE has offered Nigeria international midfielder Ogenyi Onazi a new way forward after a four year spell in Turkey blighted by injury.

Injuries have seen Onazi’s career look like it has been thrown into reverse - moving from Lazio in Italy’s Serie A to Turkish sides Trabzonspor and then Denizlispor and now onto Denmark..

Despite the issues the 27-yearold remains philosophical about

things and believes the Danish club are the ideal platform to revive his career.

“Injuries are inevitable because it’s something that happens a lot in football, but it’s not been fair to me,” Onazi, who has just signed a one year deal, told BBC Sport Africa.

“At the most important time in my career is when it happens to me and I have no proper explanation for this.”

Onazi was tipped as next big thing when he first shot

to limelight at Italian side Lazio before breaking into his country’s senior side by winning the African Cup of Nations in 2013 and playing at the 2014 World Cup. But his brilliant run in Brazil was ended by a late tackle from Blaise Matuidi during France’s win over the Super Eagles in the round of 16.

It started a litany of injuries in his career and came to the fore when he ruptured his achilles at Turkish side Trabzonspor in

December 2016.

What followed were four fraught years as he attempted to find a way back from the Achilles injury that became the bane of his existence.

His career has never been the same and revealed the nightmare including muscle and calf problems has made him “more hungry and determined to do well”.

“Coming from where it all started I believe I’ve seen the worst that life has to offer on and off the pitch,” he said.

LA Lakers Pay Tribute to Kobe Bryant after NBA Title Victory The Los Angeles Lakers paid glowing tribute to Kobe Bryant after winning their first NBA title in a decade Sunday night.

Five-time NBA champion Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in January alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.

He spent his entire career with the Lakers and led them to their last NBA title in 2010.

“Kobe, I know he’s looking down on us super proud,” said Lakers forward Anthony Davis.

“We miss him, and this is definitely for him.”

The Lakers beat the Miami Heat 106-93 to seal a 4-2 series victory and tie with the Boston Celtics for the most NBA championships on 17.

Davis added: “He had a lot

of confidence in our team. He had a lot of confidence in our organisation to go out there and win it this year.”

On several occasions during the play-offs, the Lakers competed in ‘Black Mamba’ jerseys - a strip themed on 18-time NBAAll-Star Bryant’s self-styled nickname.

Before their defeat in game five of the finals, the Lakers had won all four play-off matches they had contested when wearing the strip, which was co-designed by Bryant and released in 2017.

“I think Kobe and Gianna have guided this team the entire year,” said Lakers General Manager, Rob Pelinka.

“Kobe’s voice is always in my head, always, every day, every minute. For us to be able to win this championship doesn’t

take away the sting of the loss, but what it does is it helps us add to their legacy.

“Kobe and Gianna’s legacy will last forever. It will impact lives around the world in positive ways,

and this Lakers championship in 2020 is partly to build on that legacy and honour them.

The moment couldn’t be any more special to do that for them.

Nigerian born Greek LA Lakers player, Giannis Antetoukounmpo (draped with Nigeria and Greece flags on the right) celebrating the NBA victory on Sunday night

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TUESDAYSPORTS U E FA N AT I O N S L E A G U E

Timo Werner Fit, Trio Doubtful as Germany Takes on Switzerland Germany striker Timo Werner is fully fit for their UEFA Nations League game against Switzerland tonight but there are still doubts about Julian Draxler, Lukas Klostermann and Marcel Halstenberg, coach Joachim Loew said

Germany’s Timo Werner is back to full fitness for the big game on Wednesday

on Monday.

Germany will need all the attacking power they can get after narrowly beating Ukraine 2-1 on Saturday for their first win in the last four internationals. They drew the previous three games after leading in all of them.

“Timo Werner is back to full strength and there are no weaknesses,” Loew said of the Chelsea forward, who had only managed a brief appearance against Ukraine after missing their 3-3 draw against Turkey last week with flu. “He is available.

“But we have small question marks. Draxler has Achilles problems, Halstenberg is dealing with adductors and Klostermann has knee problems.”

The Germans, in second place in the group on five points, two behind leaders Spain, have struggled in

recent weeks and have just one win in their three group matches so far.

They had also led three times against Turkey to settle for a 3-3 draw in their friendly match.

Victory against the Swiss, in last place on one point, would take some of the pressure off Loew, who has been sharply

criticised for his team’s recent performances and especially the defensive operation.

Among those vocal critics is 1990 world champion Lothar Matthaeus who has claimed Loew’s tactical errors, including a three-man backline instead of four, have been to blame for their poor performances.

“There are different opinions in football,” Loew said. “The experts have to express their opinions and that is completely fine and certainly not lacking respect.

“What is important is that we criticise ourselves internally and we do that.”

The coach, who has been in charge for 14 years, said

he expected his team to be more aggressive against the Swiss.

“I expect concentration, more precision, courage and the right attacking accents,” Loew said. “It will be a completely different game than against Ukraine. The Swiss can defend extremely well.”

LA Lakers Coach, Vogel, Tags LeBron James the Best Ever NBA Player LeBron James became the first player to win NBA Finals MVP honours with three different teams on Sunday and for LA Lakers coach Frank Vogel the Ohio native has cemented his status as the best player ‘the basketball universe has ever seen’.

James’ fourth NBA championship, which came after he led the Lakers to a 106-93 win over the Miami Heat in Game Six, also saw him take home his fourth Finals MVP award.

He trails only Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan, who won six to go with his six NBA championships.

The 35-year-old James, who also won the award during two championship runs with Miami and one with Cleveland, averaged 29.8 points per game on 59 per cent shooting in the Finals while leading a defensive effort that handcuffed the Heat offense in Game Six.

While many still consider Jordan as the sport’s best player of all time, Vogel put James above him.

‘He’s the greatest player the basketball universe has ever seen,’ Vogel told reporters.

‘And if you think you know, you don’t know, okay, until you’re around him every day, you’re coaching him, you’re seeing his mind, you’re seeing his adjustments, seeing the way he leads the group.’

Lakers team mate Kyle Kuzma said James was a driving force on the court and off it.

‘He’s one of the greatest leaders in sports, not just the NBA,’ said Kuzma.

‘He’s always rallying the troops, talking in group chats and making sure everybody’s fine. Holds everybody to a high standard. Makes everybody accountable.

Everything you want in a leader.’

EndSARS: Oshoala’s Twitter Rant on Protests Divide Nigerians Femi Solaja Super Falcons’ Captain and FC Barcelona Femeni forward, Asisat Oshoala, may have found herself on the wrong side of some Nigerians over the ongoing protests calling for the sacking of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police.

Oshoala joined several past and present sports personalities to tweet her solidarity with the present struggle to put an end to constant harassment and killings by the security agency.

But the four-time African Footballer of the Year recipient, however “scored an own goal” when she described the country as a jungle in her tweet.

Last Saturday at 9:05 pm, the Super Falcons captain who is one of the most active female footballers on social media tweeted on her verified handle: “#Nigeria is a JUNGLE!!! #EndSARS, EndPoliceBrutality.”

Unfortunately, her tweet became a subject of discussion with many Nigerians sharply divided.

Some of those who felt

outraged by her choice of words in describing Nigeria as a jungle, called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to strip her of the captain’s armband and at the same time make a public apology.

However, some other users of the medium, came to her defence, insisting that if Nigeria is not a jungle men of the SARS will not resort to inhuman tactics in dealing with most youths in the country.

In the early hours of yesterday, precisely at 00:30, the Nigerian star, probably due to pressure from her admirers retraced her step with a fresh tweet, explaining her earlier post.

“I love Nigeria, Nigeria has given me everything even if it wasn’t in the easiest way, that is why I will also give my all in my own little way…make it easier for the next generation. Na all of us gather love this country but not happy #SARSMUSTEND #EndPoliceBrutalityInNigeria,” she tweeted to soften frayed nerves on the social media.

LeBrone James (left) holding his fourth MVP trophy after LA Lakers won the 2020 NBA finals on Sunday night

Pulev Confirms Fight with Joshua Fixed for December 12 Kubrat Pulev will fight champion Anthony Joshua in a world heavyweight title bout in London on 12 December, the Bulgarian claimed yesterday.

Sagamu-born British boxing champion Joshua was originally scheduled to fight Pulev, 39, on 20 June but it was postponed because of coronavirus.

“It’s official: Pulev vs.

Joshua on 12 December in London,” Pulev posted on his official website on Monday.

“There is no way back, no postponement, no rescheduling! Let the better one win!” he added on Facebook.

Joshua, 30, beat Andy Ruiz to regain the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles in Saudi Arabia in December.

Pulev, the IBF’s mandatory challenger, said both fighters

have signed their contracts for the fight.

Pulev has been waiting for a chance to face Joshua

for almost three years after a shoulder injury forced him out of their planned world title bout in October 2017.

It is not clear if the fight will be behind closed doors because of Covid-19 restrictions.

THE CHAMPION AND THE CHALLENGER...

Anthony Joshua (left) have a December 12 date to Keep with Kubrat Pulev

West Ham Against Radical Plans to Reform Premier League West Ham have announced that they are against radical plans

by Liverpool and Manchester United to reform the English football pyramid, according to a club source.

The Project Big Picture proposals have been put together

by Liverpool owner John Henry and United co-chairman Joel Glazer.

Everton, Southampton and West Ham would be granted special status in the plans, along with the so-called ‘big six’.

However, a Hammers insider has told BBC Sport they are “very much against” it.

It is understood the club were unaware of the proposals, even though they were named in them - and were shocked when they emerged into the public

domain on Sunday.

The source said they were of the view Liverpool and United were the instigators but that they had been told talks have been going on since January and what has emerged is the 17th version of the proposal.

The plans also include special status for Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday the plans would “undermine the trust in football’s governance”.

“In terms of support for clubs we have been given assurances by the Premier League and English Football League that they have no intention to let any EFL club go bust due to

Covid-19 and we know they have the means to prevent that from happening within existing mechanisms.

“We strongly urge the Premier League and EFL to continue to work constructively to come up with a package of support for the whole football family.”

The Hammers feel the obvious negatives - the loss of two home games - will hit their finances, while at the same time creating space for more European games and lucrative pre-season friendlies, which would disproportionately benefit the ‘big six’.

The plans include reducing the Premier League to 18 clubs and scrapping the EFL Cup. In return, the EFL would get 25% of all future TV deals, which

would be negotiated jointly, plus the £250m bail-out many clubs have been demanding since May. This is the fourth season in a row where the ‘big six’ have all qualified for European football.

In the past 10 seasons, one of them has missed out on only four occasions.

Over the past decade, West Ham have had two European campaigns, both of which ended during the qualifying rounds. Southampton and Everton have also qualified for Europe twice in the same period.

“The big six are using Covid-19 for a power grab,” said the West Ham source. “If this goes through, over time they will just use more and more for themselves.”

Tuesday October 13, 2020

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MISSILE PDP to APC “SARS was created in 1992, far before the coming to power of the PDP, it turned monstrous within five years of the command of APC administration, under which our nation has witnessed horrific cases of arbitrary and extra-judicial killings, illegal arrests, arbitrary detention” – The Peoples Democratic Party holding the All Progressives Congress responsible for SARS’ arbitrariness.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI #EndSARS: Almost A Revolution T abati1990@gmail.com

he increase in the pump price of fuel, in 2020, a fall-out of the deregulation of the downstream sector, did not compel the youths of Nigeria to troop out onto the streets. The additional hike in electricity tariffs was not enough to ignite their anger either. The government of the day explained to the people that the additional burden of higher prices was part of the sacrifice they had to make as citizens. The impact of COVID-19 was hobbling the country: loss of revenue, inflation, a weak national currency, foreign exchange crisis.

The people showed understanding. The strongest point about the average Nigerian is that he or she is resilient, long-suffering, yet ever ready to give up a little comfort for the country’s sake. Nigerian leaders do not show as much readiness or patriotism in the same manner.

Nonetheless, Nigerians continue to endure, but the lesson of the #EndSARS crisis that has now engulfed the country is that it is not good to take the people’s patience for granted.

Last week, it took an encounter between a young man and the notorious Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) in Ughelli, Delta State, for the people to cry out and show their outrage over unending cases of police brutality.

A young man by name Ochuko, was first said to have been killed by the men of the FSARS. It was later established that he did not die. He was brutalized. His vehicle was seized by the police. He ended up in hospital. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN who was born in Ughelli intervened and tried to explain. He said the victim was alive and that in fact, the outfit involved in the encounter was not SARS, but Operation Delta Safe. These were policemen all the same. The youths of Ughelli therefore turned their anger on the police. Whether it was Operation Delta Safe or SARS did not matter, the truth is that the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad established in 1992 has over the years become synonymous with impunity and brutality.

CSP Simeon Danladi Midenda (assisted by DSP Taiwo Lakanu) who helped to set up the unit as a default strategy at the time, is on record as having said that the unit, one of 14 in the Nigeria Police Crime and Intelligence Division, has “deviated from the original concept.” The exact nature of that deviation is that over the years, Nigerians concluded that FSARS had transformed from being a crime-fighting unit of the Nigeria Police into a criminal unit, granted automatic immunity by official status and the guns that they wield.

Rather than fight armed robbery, SARS officials spent more time terrorizing Nigerians. The many stories that have been written about this unit of the Nigeria Police convey a picture of how Nigeria itself has deteriorated and how institutions of state can be easily used to condone and promote impunity. In 1971, Nigerian policemen killed Kunle Adepeju, a promising Nigerian student at the University of Ibadan, who was not even involved in a protest about the inefficiency and incompetence of a University catering manager.

In April 1978, the police killed Nigerian students for daring to query the then Olusegun Obasanjo military regime. The government had increased the cost of meal on campuses by 50k per day. The students revolted. The Nigeria Police, this same one, joined by soldiers who were called out to quell the protests, littered every campus from Zaria to Lagos with corpses. In 1981, they killed Dele Udoh, a 24-year old, award winning athlete. He was gunned down for having the temerity to argue with a policeman. With the emergence of a unit of the Nigeria Police Force called

IG, Adamu Nigerian Mobile Police (MOPOL) Nigerians were finally confronted with the spectre of police brutality in full force. It was a para-military police unit. It would eventually distinguish itself internationally and bring laurels to Nigeria in UN, AU, ECOWAS international peace-keeping operations. But locally, the MOPOL, as it was called, was known for its human rights abuses.

Under Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Adewusi (1981- 1983), the MOPOL became so notorious, so evil, that it was called the “Kill and Go Police”.

After dismissing the civilian Shehu Shagari administration in 1983, the military rulers that came after had to whittle down the influence of the MOPOL. It had become a threat not just to society but also the military. MOPOL may have been bad but SARS is worse. Nigeria’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad inherited the “Kill and Go” label and turned it into a shameless brand. Nobody is spared. You only need to drive a good car, wear dreadlocks, look like you had just returned from an overseas trip, speak with a foreign accent, or look like the son or daughter or wife of a rich man, or make the mistake of being seen with an expensive phone or tablet, and you automatically become a target. Walking too confidently on the streets of Nigeria is now regarded as a crime by SARS policemen and yet, the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the freedom of movement. SARS officials pry into people’s bags, enter their houses and look into soup pots and refrigerators, and ask for a share of family assets or else, they will “kill and go” and as they often say, “nothing will happen.” And indeed, often, and always, nothing happens, and if anything happens at all, such policemen are protected by the police and subsequently rewarded with promotion and better postings. They are not answerable to anybody in the state to which they are deployed.

They operate as a Federal Force! This is exactly the problem. A Police system that is supposed to protect the safety of lives and property but which operates like an enemy of the people, and the state lacks the will to do what is right, is a threat to everyone.

It has been argued that we should never have expected, and should not expect much from the Modern Nigeria Police. It was established by the colonial authorities as a force of domination, division, suppression, and control, and so the argument goes, we should expect the Modern Nigeria Police Force to remain true to its antecedents. The weakness of that argument is that it props up colonial determinism. It has been 60 years after independence. We

can’t keep blaming the past. My take, in fact is that the colonial police master is much better than the post-colonial police masters we now have. Present day internal colonialists are far less human than the British colonialists. There are many Nigerians who will readily argue that colonialism had its good sides, highlighted ironically by the wickedness of a generation that inherited independence and subverted it.

Too many panels and committees have been set up to reform the Nigeria Police: why has that not worked? For more than 40 years, civil society groups in Nigeria and the International Community have been drawing attention to human rights abuses by the Nigeria Police: why has nobody listened? Every Inspector General of Police since the 1990s has talked about Police Reform, Police decentralization, Police restructuring, but that has also not worked.

The current #EndSARS protest is a response to years of inaction and the deafness of the Nigerian state. The argument is not about a colonial heritage. It is about the failure of leadership.

This is worsened by the fact that the protesters do not trust the Nigerian government anymore.

There is nothing new about police brutality and the violation of human rights by the Nigerian State, but the people have seen that it may never end. For the past four years, there have been similar protests and demands. This is not the first time Government will restructure the notorious SARS or direct that checkpoints should be disbanded. In 2017, 2018, 2019, the police hierarchy gave the same directives. The police simply went about their duties and punished the people even more. It is tragic to have a Police system that the people do not trust.

After the aforementioned Ughelli incident, the Inspector General of Police - Mohammed Adamu announced that SARS officials had been ordered off the streets, checkpoints banned and that every SARS official must wear a uniform.

The public laughed. They dismissed the directive as “an audio directive.” AUDIO used in that context in Nigeria’s street talk means mere sound, nothing of substance, it can be heard but there is nothing to it because it is deceptive and dishonest.

The people have been proven right. When a people begin to call those who are supposed to protect them liars and hypocrites, something has gone crazy in that society, and a bomb is ticking. Indeed, within 24 hours after the IGP’s mollifying directives, SARS officials were seen again on the streets, acting like emperors as usual. The people then resolved that “Enough is Enough”. In Ughelli, Lagos, Osogbo, Abuja, and elsewhere, they confronted the SARS officials.

The Police fought back. Nigeria now looks like a scene out of William Shakespeare’s Coriolanus.

“Na on top that matter we dey since oh” as the people say.

The people standing up to the Nigeria Police are to be exact, the youths of Nigeria. The #EndSARS campaign is an expression of youth power. What we have seen is a whole generation speaking up.

Their protest goes beyond police brutality. It is an outflow of pent up anger about how Nigeria has been mismanaged over the years. It is a protest about the failure of the state, the reign of impunity and the abuse of uniform, not just by the police, but Customs, Immigration, Civil Defence, Road Safety officials, and anyone who wears an official uniform and thinks he or she has been empowered to humiliate and oppress less privileged Nigerians. But the Phoenix has risen. Before now, many young Nigerians kept calling on the older generation of activists to speak up for them about contemporary issues. The majority actually thought the duty of liberating Nigeria should be carried out by the same set of old actors. This time, new heroes and heroines

have shown up from the most unlikely quarters.

Their protest goes beyond police brutality. It demonstrates the power of technology and the nature of a modern revolution and its potency.

The Arab Spring was triggered off in December 2010, by an act of self-immolation by a Tunisian youth in protest over police corruption and brutality. In Nigeria, a Revolutionary Spring has been afoot for days. Well, almost.

Nigerian youths took over not just the streets of Nigeria, they possessed the international social media space. They ignited the fire of patriotism at home and in Diaspora. There have been protests by Nigerians across the world- in Paris, London, Johannesburg, Monrovia, Dublin and elsewhere. On Twitter, a dedicated team called out international celebrities and governments to help defend the rights of Nigerians to live in peace in their country. Within 24 hours, the #EndSARS campaign became the Number one trending topic on social media worldwide.

Governments and embassies joined the protest, calling on the Nigerian government to address the grievances of its angry citizens. I saw Drake, Cardi B, John Boyega, Trey Songz, Chance the Rapper, Estelle, global cultural figures asking questions about Nigeria. It was in the government’s interest to respond. The IGP has now announced a complete disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, but two days later, nobody trusted him. Nigerian youths shouted “AU-DI-O”. They have remained on the streets.

They have asked that the President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari must address the nation.

He has now done so. It was in his interest to do so. Every step that has been taken by the Nigerian government in the last three days is not because the government listens, but a response to a desperate situation. #EndSARS was beginning to graduate to an #EndNigeria campaign. Even the Vice President and one of his daughters joined the campaign. One of the President’s daughters, Zahra Buhari also tweeted on the side of the people. The children of both billionaires and the poor are united.

One of them, DJ Cuppy, has said she had to defy other people’s counsel but as a young Nigerian she felt obliged to speak up.

The #EndSARS campaign has produced new heroes. We have seen an expression of youth anger and patriotism that we never expected was possible. Omoyele Sowore, the activist who ignited the fire that now burns, must be pleased. The other hero is Aisha Yesufu, the foster daughter of the North, who has emerged as a symbol of the protest. There is Rinu, the young lady who acted as spokesperson at the Lagos State House of Assembly. And Segun Awosanya, the #EndSARS architect and spirit.

Deji Adeyanju. Dipo Awojide. Reno Omokri.

There are others: those who lived, those who died, the living ancestors, and members of Corporate Nigeria who stood up to be counted.

The Nollywood and Creative Industry team gave verve to the protest: Falz the Bad Guy, Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Paul Okoye, Rema, Don Jazzy, Mike Edwards, Genevieve Nnaji, Toke Makinwa, too many to mention… and the BBNaija queen – Tacha showing that far beyond beauty and brains, conscience matters…

Notably, there is no single hero. The youths of Nigeria led themselves. They blocked politicians from hijacking the protest, and therein lies the strength of this unfolding Nigerian story. We have not yet seen the end of it. It is a much bigger story: the story of how a strategic police unit that used to be known as the “Scorpions” ended up as a group of “Monkeys”, looking for “Bananas”, so badly they became involved in land matters, snatched ATM cards, and became “AsSARSins.”

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