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Yakubu Nudges Lawmakers to Speedily Amend Electoral Act, Warns Time Critical Wants quick presidential assent Without regulations, guidelines, we cannot finalise on manuals for training of officials INEC releases notice for Anambra governorship election Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

has appealed for the fast tracking of the processes leading to the passage and signing into law of the Electoral Act amendment Bill.

This is just as the Commission, yesterday, released the notice of the governorship election in Anambra State slated for

November 6.

With only 484 days to the 2023 general elections, INEC said time was of essence if it would be able to put necessary

guidelines in place for the elections in line with the provisions of the amended Electoral Act (2021).

In his remarks at the

meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives Conference Committee on the Continued on page 8

#EndSARS: Lagos Judicial Panel Report Will be Made Public, Sanwo-Olu Assures...page 5 Friday 22 October, 2021 Vol 26. No 9692. Price: N250

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NRC Halts Abuja-Kaduna Train Service over Explosion Says no casualty recorded

Kasim Sumaina, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna Following an explosion that affected one of its trains on the

Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has temporarily suspended services along the route.

The NRC in a statement

signed by its management also apologised to passengers over the abrupt suspension of operations.

It however stated that the situation had been brought

under control.

The statement read in part: "The Board and management of the NRC hereby inform the general public, particularly our valued passengers on the

Abuja-Kaduna, train service that there was explosion on the rail track that affected the fuel tank of the locomotive on Abuja to Kaduna last train (AK10) of 20th October 2021.

"However, the situation has been brought under control by a relieved locomotive that rescued the train to Rigasa Continued on page 8

Buhari: Under No Circumstances Will Anambra Election Be Disrupted Directs military, other security agencies to use overwhelming force if necessary to protect peaceful poll Says non-state actors won’t be allowed to disrupt electoral process Nigerian forces kill al-Barnawi’s successor two months after death of ISWAP leader Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday vowed that he would never allow anything or anyone to disrupt the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State. He made the declaration during a National Security Council (NSC) meeting in Abuja with the service chiefs, where the election and rising cases of violence became the focus of attention.

Continued on page 8

FIRS Proposes Road Infrastructure Funding Scheme for Nigeria... page 5

'STANDING STRONG ON DUE PROCESS' PRESENTED...

L-R: Wife of the former Senate President, Mrs. Jane Nnamani; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, during the public presentation of his book titled: 'Standing Strong on Due Process' in Abuja...yesterday

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

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AS CATALYST FOR JOB CREATION...

L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Federal Housing Authority, Senator Gbenga Ashafa; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Femi Hamza; Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Housing, Mr. Babangida Hussaini, after the opening session of the 10th meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, held at Ikeja, Lagos... yesterday

FIRS Proposes Road Infrastructure Funding Scheme for Nigeria Oluchi Chibuzor The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said it is proposing the introduction of Road Infrastructure Tax in Nigeria, to make the informal sector contribute to building a modern society.

The Executive Chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Mamman Nami, disclosed this yesterday, while receiving a delegation of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, led by its National President, Chris Isiguzo, in his office, in Abuja.

Nami said the proposed Road Infrastructure Tax to be administered by the federal agency, would provide government with adequate funding for road construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance, as well as providing the needed security for roads in the country.

According to the FIRS boss, "one quick and very important intervention required of you is in the area of the Road Infrastructure Funding Scheme that the country needs in order to fix our roads and bring the informal sector to the tax net."

He noted that, "in many jurisdictions, road users pay for the use of road infrastructure as such it shouldn’t be seen as an additional burden on our citizens because it has the potential of making life better for all of us."

Speaking further, Nami stated that Nigeria's economy presently relies heavily on non-oil revenues to discharge its statutory responsibility of paying salaries and providing social amenities to the citizenry.

According to him, without payment of tax, governments at all levels would not be able to fulfil their mandate to the electorates.

He stressed that tax money also helps to ensure that the roads are safe and always in good conditions.

He disclosed that the recent rise in the price of crude oil ordinarily should have impacted positively on the Petroleum Profit Tax payable by oil producing companies. However, it has shown otherwise due to some reasons, he said.

On the challenges facing the service for delivering on its mandate, he said "Crude oil production has been limited by OPEC quota. Nigeria's OPEC quota as at July 2021 was about 1.5mbpd as against its crude oil

production budget of 1.8mbpd.

"This is a shortfall of 300,000 barrels per day. Our average daily crude oil production is around 1.250mbpd as against the allocated 1.5mbpd OPEC quota which has resulted in a shortfall of almost 250,000 barrels per day mainly caused by crude oil theft and force majeure declared by some of the IOCs. The total shortfall to the federal government budgeted production is about 550,000 barrel per day.

"Huge losses brought forward and unrecouped capital allowances reported by most of the companies due to production shut in and the fall in oil price in 2020, as a result of the covid-19 pandemic which reduced their revenue."

He said with challenges in the oil and gas sector, reforms have been carried out by the agency that are visible on the economy. These he listed included the deployment of technology in tax administration to improve domestic revenue mobilisation in view of dwindling oil prices in order to avoid falling into debt crisis.

Nami added that the service created 10 Value Added Tax (VAT) Regional Coordination Offices across the country to drive collection of VAT. "We have commenced usage of VAT Form 002A for enrolment and tracking of branch offices of major VAT payers. This will certainly improve VAT our collection and capacity. We achieved 114.66 percent of our VAT collection target in the first half of the year.

"It will interest you to know that the Service collected a total of N 4.2 trillion between January to September, 2021. This feat was achieved as a result of the efficiency and effectiveness of the TaxProMax Solution and intelligence/data we gathered, mined and analyzed in the period under review.

"The Service successfully facilitated both the mock and external audits for the ISO 27001:2013 certification of the Exchange of Information (EOI) centre, to meet international information security management standards," he said.

While congratulating Isiguzo for his recent reelection as the National President of NUJ, which was a reflection of his uncommon achievements at the NUJ, he urged NUJ Members Earlier, Isiguzo, said the visit of

the union was part of his resolve to engage critical institutions as a key stakeholder in charting a way forward for the country's collective good.

The NUJ president described FIRS as a vital institution in the country, which, "requires all the support it needs especially at a time when the country is

security-challenged, adversely affected by Covid-19 and faced with FOREX crisis as well as political intrigues from different parts of the nation."

He said the NUJ has noted closely the FIRS' "strident efforts to shore up the country’s revenue by deploying technology and the requisite personnel in this

regard. Of interest to the Union is your digital technology solution, TaxPro-Max. "The numbers show that it has assisted in boosting efficiency in tax administration and collection rates across the country.

"However, with your recent admission that only about 44 million out of a possible 100

million plus that pay tax makes it urgent for a robust integrated media campaign to get more Nigerians into the tax net. This the NUJ is willing to spearhead."

Isiguzo assured the FIRS boss and his management team that the NUJ would commend the agency where it has done noble.

#EndSARS: Lagos Judicial Panel Report Will be Made Public, Sanwo-Olu Assures Lekki estates' association builds office block for police Segun James and Dike Onwuamaze Twenty four hours after the anniversary marking the #ENDSARS protest, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the final report of the Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution in the state was being awaited, assuring that his government would disclose the report fully to members of the public.

This is just as the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) yesterday announced that it was building a block of office space to be donated to the Ajiwe Police Station in the axis, as part of its contribution to effective policing around the Lekki corridor.

Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on the difficult task of rebuilding the state, one year after Lagos was hit by a wave of arsonist attacks resulting from protests, said the state government would not attempt to cover up the recommendations of the panel, whether it is in its favour or not.

The Governor said the panel report would be helpful in strengthening true reconciliation and preventing re-occurrence of violence in the State.

Lagos recorded a huge loss in assets and resources, following the violence that trailed the protest, as public transportation infrastructure, court buildings, police stations, private properties and iconic assets were razed by arsonists on October 21, 2020.

Sanwo-Olu said the panel was set up to look into allegations of human rights abuses against the police and also determine the cause of coordinated attacks on Lagos, noting that the panel’s

final report would be fully implemented.

The panel concluded its sittings last Monday, 12 months after it was constituted.

Sanwo-Olu said: “The panel concluded its sittings about three days ago and has asked for time to put the reports together behind closed doors. We do not know the content of the report, but we want to say publicly that, upon the handover of the report, we will be making it public.

"We will not cover up anything.

This is not who we are and that is not what our government stands for. We will make full disclosure of whatever recommendations that the panel will come up with.

I assure citizens of Lagos that we will not leave anything to chance.”

The governor also spoke on the arrest of some youths that participated in a drive-through #EndSARS memorial protest at the Lekki Tollgate on Wednesday, disclosing that he had ordered an unconditional release of those detained by the police, except one person who was caught with dangerous weapons at the scene.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), we saw a protest in Lagos and everybody that was arrested in connection with the protest have all been released, except an individual that was caught with dangerous weapons and who confessed to the police that he joined the protest to cause mayhem,” the governor said.

He commended the police for being alive to its responsibility by identifying and isolate troublemakers from among law-abiding people who conduct themselves in line with the laws.

Sanwo-Olu, again, extended a hand of fellowship to the

youth to be stakeholders in the development of the state, while reiterating his commitment to reconciliation. He urged them to join the rebuilding effort in order to restore the operating capacity of institutions affected in the violence.

Speaking on the rebuilding effort, the governor said the destruction had slowed down operational activities of the affected public institutions, but stressed that the State Government would not shy away from its responsibility to rebuild the facilities and restore their operating capacity.

He said: “It is exactly a year ago today when Lagos was hit by violence in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests. Lagos witnessed massive destruction of infrastructure, iconic buildings, transport infrastructure, police station and others.

“Today being a year after the event, there is no better time to say how difficult it has been for us as a State and how committed it has been for us. As tough as it is, the Government will certainly not shy away from its responsibility. We see the incident as a challenge and we will fix it with everything that we have.”

Lekki Estates' Association Builds Office for Police Station Meanwhile, as part of its contribution to effective policing around the Lekki corridor, LERSA said it is building a block of office space to be donated to the Ajiwe Police Station in the axis.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the

association after its members visited the site on Tuesday.

Signed by its President, Olorogun James Emadoye, the group stated that the office space, which is 95 per cent completed, would be commissioned and handed over to Nigeria Police Force. The association explained that it took the step to build the office space to provide accommodation for the police station, which was destroyed during last year’s #ENDSARS protests.

“The Exco of LERSA approved and released the sum of N8.5 million for the project which it raised from the members through donation of cash and materials.

"As of today, we would like to thank God that this project is 95 per cent completed, just waiting for the painting and the completion of the toilet and bathroom, for the building to be fully delivered to the InspectorGeneral of Police through the Lagos State Police Commissioner.

"You will also recall that LERSA has between the 20th of October 2020 and today, donated two vehicles to the Nigerian Police to assist them in the discharge of their duties,” the association stated.

LERSA also stated that it had intervened in various ways to bring relief to security operatives since protests, notably through donation of canopies as temporary accommodation to enable Ajiwe Police Station commence work after the destruction.

The association said it also donated a power generating set, chairs and other relief materials to lessen the impact of the protests on the police station.

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NBA ANNUAL GENERAL CONFERENCE...

L-R: Member, 2021 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Annual General Conference Technical Committee on Conference Planning Sub-committee, Kola Olawuni; Co-Chair of the committee, Akin Ajibola; Chairman, Media and Publicity, Nta Ekpiken; President, NBA, Olumide Akpata; and National Publicity Secretary, NBA, Dr. Rapulu Nduka at a press conference to announce the 2021 SUNDAY ADIGUN NBA Annual General Conference in Lagos...yesterday

Ojukwu, Akaraiwe, Obegolu, 69 Others Emerge New SANs Alex Enumah in Abuja The current boss of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mr Tony Ojukwu; former Vice President of the Nigerian

Bar Association (NBA), Mr Ikeazor Akaraiwe as well as former NBA Secretary General, Emeka Obegolu, yesterday joined 69 other candidates who emerged successful at the 2021 award

of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Ojukwu who was shortlisted last year but did not make the list was successful this year.

The 72 candidates emerged

successful out of a total of 130 shortlisted for the award last month by the Legal Practitioners'Privileges Committee (LPPC).

The committee had shortlisted 95 candidates from

the category of Advocates and 35 from the academics.

However, after the screening and interview only 62 emerged successful from Advocates category and 10 from the academics.

Kyari: Why Nigeria Must Balance Financial, Energy Security Peter Uzoho The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari has said Nigeria will not be cowed to jettison oil and gas, the nation's chief revenue earner, in the rush to achieve cleaner and sustainable energy.

According to the NNPC boss, Nigeria must strike a balance between achieving financial security, a critical driver of the nation's survival as well as energy security and sustainability.

The GMD said this yesterday in Lagos, during his keynote address at the 2021 Energy Sustainability Conference (ESC) organised by the Energy Institute Nigeria, with the theme, "Accelerating Sustainable Energy Solutions through Policy Implementation: Prospects and Limitations."

Represented at the event by the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), an arm of the NNPC, Mr. Bala Wunti, Kyari noted that such a balance was necessary considering the fact that Nigeria depends largely on income from oil and gas.

While pointing out that oil and gas make up about 65 to 70 per cent of the country's revenue and almost 85 to 90 per cent of the foreign exchange (forex) coming to Nigeria, Kyari said it would be unwise for the country to abandon its main source of revenue just to achieve cleaner or sustainable energy.

He said, "We also know that oil and gas underpin our revenue, underpin our forex.

Are we ready to exit 65 to 70 per cent of our revenue coming from oil and gas? Almost 85 to 90 per cent of our forex

comes from oil and gas.

"Is Nigeria ready, because they want to have sustainable energy, cleaner energy, abandon this resource that we have and move to other ones?

"I think the solution is not to abandon them but to quickly monetise them and use the money to invest in other sectors, including cleaner and sustainable energy, so that we can have a credible replacement without compromising our financial security.

"So the balance between financial security and energy security is a very critical national issue. I don't think there is any country in the world that will push you to the level where you create instability because you don't have the critical revenue," he explained.

He said with Nigeria's 200 million population and the need to cater to their well

being, it was important that policy makers try to put all factors including the peculiarities of countries into consideration while formulating the energy transition policy.

Kyari said while the developed and industrialised countries, who are the largest carbon emitting countries were calling for an end to fossil fuel, they were yet to tell the world how the world energy demand that is projected to balloon in the future would be met.

He stated that the policy of sustainability of energy must be decentralised, because what would work for other climes may not work for Africa.

The world's population, according to the recent report by the World Bank, stands at about 7.7 billion people while global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at $85 trillion.

Kyari pointed out that

global energy consumption was in the neighbourhood of 3.1kwh, saying with the growing economic activities in the world, it was clear that energy demand was going to grow, a situation he said, called for a reflection on where the energy would be coming from.

According to the GMD, the world currently consumes 27terabites of electricity and would double by 2050 to about 54.

"Now, the question is, where is this energy going to come from? This energy is going to come from a variety of sources, and the debate and the cordial invitation for all of us is that we would try to do what we call clean energy, sustainable energy, which are all wonderful.

"We all want clean energy.

Now, while trying to keep our eyes on making sure that we have sustainable energy, we also have to keep our eyes on making sure that we ensure

our country's energy security.

"Definition of energy security is around what we call the four As. That energy must be available to all and sundry, that energy must be accessed by everybody accessibility is key; that energy must be affordable, if it is not affordable, then it's no longer available to me; and that energy finally, must be in an acceptable format and fashion," he said.

According to him, looking at all the four quadrants that constitute what energy security was, and the need to make it cleaner, presents a challenge for policy makers.

He, however, stated that the corporation was not averse to transition as it was already diversifying its portfolio, adding, "We need to bring everything to use -solar, wind, oil, gas, whatever we can, to make sure we achieve reasonable development through energy prosperity.

The successful candidates would however be conferred with the rank on December 8, at the Supreme Court by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad.

The list of the successful candidates which was signed by the Acting Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court/ Secretary of the LPPC, Mrs Hajo Bello, noted that the decision to elevate the 72 candidates to the prestigious rank of SAN was taking at the LPPC's 149 Plenary Session held on October 21, 2021.

She said the rank of SAN was being, "awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics."

The LPPC had set up a sub-commitee to review the 2018 guidelines for the award of the rank Effective from the 2023 application year.

Others that made the list from the academics included; Prof Bankole Sodipo, Prof Christian Wigwe, Prof Ajagbe Oyewo, and Dr Josephine Agbonika.

Those in the Advocates category are; George Anuga, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Simon Lough, Ayo Olorunfemi, Ehigie WestIdahosa and Reuben Atabo amongst others.

Soludo Mocks Uba, Says He’s Afraid of Meeting Anambra People David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has mocked his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Senator Andy Uba, over his inability to flag off his governorship election campaign.

Soludo, in a press release by the director of media of his campaign organisation, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, said the delay in the flag-off of Uba’s campaign was because he was afraid of meeting the people of Anambra State to answer questions about his past actions.

Uba had twice rescheduled the flag-off of his campaign,

citing the insecurity in the state, and on another occasion, suspended it in honour of the killing of Dr. Chike Akunyili, husband of the late former information minister, Prof Dora Akunyili.

But the Soludo Campaign organisation had dismissed Uba’s claim for suspending the campaign, saying it had nothing to do with the state of security. It said Uba rather suspended the campaign because he was frustrated that President Muhammadu Buhari had refused to attend the rally, and there were no indications that the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo would attend either.

Mocking Uba yesterday,

Soludo, in the release stated: “The APC purported candidate has been running away from the good people of Anambra State for weeks, because he is afraid of his own shadow in the state. Uba is very afraid of Anambra people, the very people he wants to rule by all means.

“In fact, his fear of Ndi Anambra borders on phobia because of what he has done to the state since his days in the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, when the state witnessed abduction of the sitting governor and his socalled resignation from office.

“The forced movement of the governor to the Okija shrine in the dead of the night to

swear an oath of critical and perpetual allegiance to a tiny clique of so-called godfathers, the mayhem of November, 2003, are part of the reason he doesn’t want to meet the people.”

Soludo, therefore, said by claiming that the security situation was not good, Uba and his group were passing a vote of no confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces and to whom all security and intelligence services in the country were answerable.

“Uba’s inability to hold rallies springs from his growing unpopularity and outright rejection not only by

the people of Anambra State but also by top members of his own party, including President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Labour and Employment Minister, Chris Ngige, who is the APC founder in the state and National Inland Waterways Authority, Chief executive George Moghalu.

“After all, Professor Soludo, who was attacked on March 31 in his hometown of Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area is holding huge rallies all over the state, touring two local government areas daily, together with the fearless Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano.”

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PAGE EIGHT N R C H A LT S A B U J A - K A D U N A T R A I N S E RV I C E OV E R E X P LO S I O N Station, Kaduna State. The affected locomotive has been sent to the workshop for assessment and repairs.

"We are also pleased to inform the public that there were no reported casualties or injuries to either the passengers or Train Crew.

"The NRC management apologises for the inconveniences experienced last night and for the non-operations of the train services currently being experienced as we work towards restoration of normal services."

The Managing Director of the NRC, Engineer Fidet Okhiria, while speaking to newsmen earlier yesterday, had said: "Unidentified persons detonate explosives on Abuja-Kaduna rail track, disrupt services, and this damaged the tracks.

"Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure that the train services along the Kaduna-Abuja route are fully restored,” he added.

But, THISDAY had gathered that the Abuja-Kaduna train had developed fault about 40 kilometres into Kaduna after taking off from Idu terminal station, 6pm on Wednesday, and left passengers stranded for about 6hours.

It was learnt that the train reportedly developed fault around 8pm following a loud sound from the engine that caused the train to stop abruptly.

However, narrating his account of the incident, Senator Shehu Sani who said was on board the Abuja-bound train, said passengers miraculously escaped death.

Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone between 2015 to 2019, wrote on his social media pages

(Facebook and Twitter), that the train ran over rails damaged by explosives and nearly skidded off track.

“This early morning, I was on board when our train ran over another explosive damaged railings.

“The train nearly skid off its track, then we miraculously escaped. All Kaduna -Abuja train operations need to be suspended for today until this issue is addressed," he said.

Sani also said a similar incident occurred on Wednesday night.

He said, “Last night, bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train. They planted an explosive that damaged the rail track and shattered the windshield of the

train engine. They also opened fire, targeting the Driver and the tank. It happened between Dutse and Rijana stations.

“The driver struggled to move towards Kaduna Rigasa station.”

When contacted, the spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, Mohammad Jalige, said he was not in a position to comment on the incident as the train service is under the Railway Police Command.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Railway Command, Mr. Oyeyemi Adediran, also did not respond to several telephone calls when contacted.

However, another passengers

on board, Garba Muhammad who is the Regional Editor of News Express said: "We heard a loud sound from the locomotive engine, then the train gradually came to abrupt halt.” He said there was pandemonium in the train after security men attached to VIP coaches shouted for all to take cover, adding that the lights and the air conditioning systems went off, leaving passengers in heat and darkness."

Muhammad further said after the passengers were stranded in the bush for hours with palpable fears of being attacked by the bandits, another engine came around 12:15am and pushed the immobilised train to Rigasa, Kaduna.

The NRC had on Monday hinted that it would reduce the number of trips on the Abuja-Kaduna route from 19th to 21st October 2021 to carry out schedule maintenance.

Okhiria had explained that the reduction in the number of trips was to carry out scheduled maintenance.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) revealed that the train was attacked by criminal elements.

The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Sen. John Akpanudoedehe while speaking yesterday, during the inauguration of the APC State Congresses Appeal

YAKUBU NUDGES LAWMAKERS TO SPEEDILY AMEND ELECTORAL ACT, WARNS TIME CRITICAL Electoral Act amendment bill 2021 held in Abuja yesterday, in collaboration with Policy, Legislative and Advocacy Centre (PLAC), the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said without the timely passage of the bill, the Commission cannot make the regulations and guidelines to give effect to the provisions of the law.

Yakubu said: "The Commission looks forward to the conclusion of the process without which we cannot make the regulations and guidelines to give effect to the provisions of the law.

"Without the regulations and guidelines, we cannot finalise on the manuals for the training of officials that will conduct elections. There are extensive provisions in the current bill that requires clear guidance by the Commission" Yakubu also said early

enactment of the Electoral law would enable the Commission to test-run procedures and pilot innovations ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The bill which is now at the last stage before the passage by the National Assembly and submission to the executive for assent, provides amongst others, the use of electronic device for transmission of election results.

Yakubu said in addition to the Anambra State governorship election holding on November 6, 2021, the Commission has already scheduled three major elections to be conducted next year.

"First is the Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) holding on 12th February 2022, followed by the Ekiti Governorship election on 18th June 2022 and the Osun Governorship election a month later on 16th July 2022.

"The Commission also has

five pending bye-elections made up of three Federal Constituencies and two State Constituencies to contend with.

"I want to assure you that in a proactive manner, the Commission has been studying aspects of the amendment Bill and identifying areas that require the formulation of regulations and guidelines as well as the review of prescribed forms for implementation.

"This will enable the Commission to test-run procedures and pilot innovations ahead of the 2023 General Election. The speedy passage of the Bill will be in the best interest of our electoral process," he said.

While highlighting the fundamental role of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the election, Yakubu said the Act was one of the most important laws in any democracy.

He stated that one of the

unique aspects of the current amendment of the Electoral Act was that it started well ahead of the forthcoming general elections, unlike previous exercises which came too close to elections.

The INEC boss solicited further cooperation from the National Assembly to make broad provisions of the law that would empower the Commission to continue to innovate without necessarily restricting it to a specific technology such as the Smart Card Reader which could in due course become obsolete, inapplicable or irrelevant as was the case the recent introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by the Commission.

"Election is a process anchored on a legal framework.

First is the constitution, followed by the Electoral Act. In all jurisdictions, the Electoral Act provides more

B U H A R I : U N D E R N O C I R C U M STA N C E S W I L L A N A M B R A E L E CT I O N B E D I S R U P T E D He gave marching orders to the security agencies to apply overwhelming force, if necessary, to protect the November 6 governorship election and ensure it was not interrupted by non-state actors who have been heating up the polity.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), disclosed the president's directive to journalists at the end of the security meeting.

Monguno said besides the fact that the people of Anambra State deserved to elect a governor of their choice, the federal government would not sit by and let non-state actors set a wrong precedent in the country's electoral experience.

The NSA stated, “The president has directed that under no circumstances will anything be allowed to stop the elections from taking place successfully. The people have a right to vote, they have a right to select their leader, and no group or individual will be allowed to stimulate anarchy and chaos, leading to murderous activities.

“The president has made it very clear that the armed forces, security agencies, and law enforcement agencies must make sure that the elections take place. If it means overwhelming the entire environment with the presence of security agencies.

“There are so many implications for elections to be sabotaged by non-state actors. In the first place, we are in a democracy. Secondly, it is important to note that if these non-state actors should succeed in destroying the potential for orderly elections,

Committees at the Party’s National Secretariat described the action as despicable.

He stated: "Nigerians by now have realised that the APC led-government of President Muhammadu Buhari means well for Nigerians and is doing everything possible to deliver infrastructure to Nigerians amidst difficult economic times, globally.

"We must stay united so we can defeat the agents of destruction who have vowed to set Nigeria backwards. Just this morning, an Abuja-Kaduna passenger train was attacked by criminals, depriving Nigerians the services it provides. This is so despicable, but together we shall overcome them."

then it is natural that other parts of the country will also want to copy this situation.”

Monguno said the council observed recent trends of violent activities and was desirous of seeing a hitch-free election in the state.

He said, “The problem here is that in as much as the government wants to conduct peaceful elections, there are non-state actors who have been heating up the polity, who have made all kinds of attempts to stymie orderly elections for next month.”

Monguno maintained that the president did not want to contemplate a situation in which he would be boxed into a corner.

“The mere thought that a group of non-state actors want to portray his government as not being able to be firm is totally out of the question,” he said.

“The tail cannot wag the dog, it is totally unacceptable and, again, we in the security and intelligence community have been trying as much as possible to talk with the leadership in the South-east, to make them aware of the fact that President Buhari is not averse to the aspirations of the people of the South-east,” the NSA added.

He stressed, “So long as whatever they desire to achieve, they do it through the normal prescribed manner, either legislative, legal, or whatever. For as long as it is within the confines of legitimacy, President Buhari does not have a problem with that. But any action that is outlandish, any action that typifies roguery, the usurpation of the authority of the state

is not going to be tolerated.

“Again, we're also mindful of the fact that Nigerians, being what they are, also need to understand that if these non-state actors should go out on a limb and extend the frontiers of violence, and begin to kill people, there is a possibility that reprisal attacks can take place in other parts of the country, which is what we do not want to happen.

“So, we're working with the community leaders, with the governors and everybody to ensure that they bring their people, restrain them on the leash.”

He also said the NSC reviewed the security situation across the country, noting that the various security formations – the armed forces, intelligence sector and the police – have been recording successes from one end of the country to another.

According to him, in a short space of time, the armed forces have recorded victory over terrorist groups in the Northeast, as they have eliminated, in quick succession, leaders of the notorious Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The NSA said about two months after the Nigerian Army eliminated Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the dreaded leader of ISWAP, troops, just two days ago, killed his successor, Mallam Bako, in combat.

Monguno said inter-agency cooperation among the various forces and agencies had yielded appreciable successes in communities and the economy.

He noted the unprecedented feat in security within the country's maritime environment and the recent

elimination of a notorious gangster in Benue State, one Aondofa Kefas (Azonto).

According to him, “Other aspects basically have to do with the current state of security in the country and the sub-region. Of course, the armed forces and security agencies have done so much in the last couple of months.

“Let me say clearly, in the last six months, they have been able to record a lot of successes.

“Now the issue here is that it is not very easy for the wider society to appreciate the successes being recorded by the armed forces, because there will definitely be incidents of misadventure.

This is asymmetric conflict; it is not like the normal conventional war in which territories are won, you grapple with the enemy, you defeat him, and you move on. Here we have the enemy embedded in society, coming from all parts.

“Like I once said, someone had remarked after the Brighton bombing of 1984, that the difference between the terrorist or the criminal and the state is that it only takes one act for the terrorist to succeed and gain a lot of publicity, but for the armed forces, for the government and its agencies, you have to succeed on every occasion, otherwise, after 12 successes, if you fail, or you have a problem on the 13th occasion, nobody wants to know.

“So, this is the situation with which we are faced.

But, nevertheless, I will just highlight that the Chief of Defense Staff, service chiefs, and intelligence heads briefed

Council and I can tell you that for the land forces, they have recorded a lot of successes in the last two months.

“We have had a steady increase in the number of returnees, both combatants and non-combatants, from the theatre of operation; both from the Islamic State of West Africa Province and the Boko Haram enclaves.

“Now what has happened is we are now having to contend with 15,852 returnees. This in its own case is accompanied by problems; humanitarian problems, problems of logistics, problems of profiling each and every one because we are not just interested in profiling the ex-combatants, we are also interested in profiling those people who are assumed to be non-combatants, who may have reached out and assisted the terrorists in one way or the other.”

Commenting on frequent attacks and stealing of the country's arms and ammunition by bandits and terrorists, the NSA said moves were being made to end the menace.

He explained, “Efforts right now are underway. As you already know, yesterday, the president had an important visitor, the president of Turkey.

“Just like he has had discussions with the President of Turkey, he has had discussions with other leaders on how we can share intelligence and acquire technical capabilities to deal with these emerging threats.

So, it is basically a matter of looking at where we can get equipment and assets to deal with these threats.”

detailed provisions to govern the conduct of elections and the electoral process.

"The importance of starting early is that it allows for a thorough debate by citizens on aspects of the Bill long after the conventional public hearing as witnessed recently. Clearly, the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021 is one of the most extensively debated Bills in Nigeria.

"Understandably, the issue of technology in elections has dominated recent public discussions in Nigeria. The Commission appreciates the decision of the National Assembly to empower INEC to determine and deploy appropriate technology in future elections.

"For us at INEC, this is one of the progressive decisions by our National Assembly. As you finalise on the Electoral Amendment Bill, I urge you to continue to endow the Commission with power to determine what technology to deploy in our elections at the appropriate time."

INEC Releases Notice for Anambra Governorship Election Meanwhile, INEC yesterday, released the notice of the governorship election in Anambra State slated for November 6.

With this development, however, INEC said all the governorship candidates have been scheduled to sign a peace accord on November 4.

A statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye stated that, "So far, the Commission has successfully implemented 12 out of 14 activities in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities.

"The Commission has today published the Notice of Poll at its state and all the local government offices in Anambra State. By Section 46 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the Commission shall, not later than 14 days before the day of the election, cause to be published, a notice specifying the date and hours fixed for the poll; the persons entitled to vote; and the location of the polling units.

"In the same vein, today is the last day for the submission of names of polling agents by political parties. By Section 45 of the Electoral Act, each political party may by notice in writing, addressed to the Electoral Officer of the local government, appoint a polling agent for each polling unit and collation centre.

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COMMENT

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

THE ILLUSIVE OPEN PRESIDENCY AGITATION IN PDP Possibility of the North producing PDP’s national chairman and presidential candidate is illusory, writes Bolaji Adebiyi

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ice President Atiku Abubakar said nothing new when he told the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party at its National Executive Committee meeting a couple of weeks ago that the problem of Nigeria is not where the president comes from. Neither is his submission that there is nothing like a regional president but a Nigerian president novel. The trouble, however, is the self-serving nature of these propositions coming from a man who has been a beneficiary of several policies of reversed discrimination.

Atiku’s position needs to be situated within its proper context though, and many perceptive political observers do not fail to understand where he is coming from. He wants to be the president of Nigeria on the platform of the PDP, the same podium he stood in 2019 when he contested the general election and lost to President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress. That was his fifth attempt. The current struggle would be his sixth on the party’s platform. And he would appear to be giving it his all.

But the former vice president has a major hurdle to cross: the zoning and rotation policy of the party. As discussed elsewhere, the PDP’s constitution mandates its leaders to ensure equitable distribution of elective political offices in such a way that no section of the country dominates the other. This policy, as it has been equally argued, takes root from the federal character principle enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as altered. The party since its inception in 1998, therefore, has applied this policy religiously by balancing the allotment of dominant elective positions in the party between the North and the South. Under the rotation leg of the policy, it also ensures that the positions are alternated at each electoral circle.

Consequently, hefty elective positions like president, vice president, president of the Senate, speaker of the House of Representatives and national chairman of the party are distributed along the North and South geo-political divide. Once this is done lesser positions are allotted across the sub-regions, namely North-west, North-east, North-central, Southwest, South-east and South-south. The two main positions, however, are president and national chairman. And the tradition has been once one is allotted to one zone, the other would go to the other zone.

This explains why President Olusegun Obasanjo, from the South and elected in 1999, had Chief Barnabas Gemade, from the North, as his national chairman. In fact, so significant was the need for geo-political balance that Obasanjo opposed the attempt by a Yoruba from the North, Chief Sunday Awoniyi, to hold the position. After Obasanjo’s two terms of eight years in 2007, the policy of rotation kicked in. Alternating the two positions, the party chose its presidential candidate, Umaru Yar’Adua, who won the election, from the North. His chairman, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, came from the South. Upon the president’s death, his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, who succeeded him, inherited Ogbulafor.

Although the circumstances of the change of guard briefly disrupted the balancing arrangement, the party leadership seized the nearest opportunity available to it to rebalance the equation. Shortly after Jonathan took office, Ogbulafor’s position, for reasons that need not detain us here, was no longer tenable. He was replaced by Okwesilieze Nwodo, the founding national secretary of the party. He too soon ran into trouble as Jonathan prepared for the 2011 presidential bid. He was removed at the presidential nomination convention ground. The party could have selected another person from the South, as stipulated in its constitution, to serve out his term. But it did not. Rather, it appointed his deputy, Mohammed Bello, as acting national chairman.

WHAT THE NORTHERN PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS AND THEIR PROMOTERS ARE SAYING IN EFFECT IS THAT BOTH THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN AND THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE PDP CAN COME FROM THE NORTH. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT A MASSIVE IMPLOSION IN THE PARTY

Bello led Jonathan’s campaign in 2011, winning the presidential battle for the PDP. With the president coming from the South, there was no debate about where the national chairman would come from.

So, Bamanga Tukur, a former governor of Old Gongola State took the party’s mantle of leadership.

Without a doubt, Atiku’s cliché-like comment at the Abuja NEC meeting came with a clear knowledge of this historical background and its implication for his presidential ambition in relation to a decision the party was about to make. Before that meeting were two reports: The Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Committee on Zoning of Party Offices, and the much earlier one, the Bala Mohammed Committee on Zoning of the Presidency. Ugwuanyi had recommended that the national chairman position be zoned to the North noting, for effect, that its job did not include zoning of general elective offices. Someone has since pointed out that the note was nothing but political mischief because the Mohammed committee had dealt with that matter, recommending that the presidential slot be thrown open.

Atiku’s comment was, therefore, a pre-emptive strike meant to persuade the meeting to retain the chairmanship in the South in order to brighten the chances of his presidential bid. But the strike would seem to have backfired badly as not only was the party’s top post pushed to the North, he has also attracted to himself a lot of criticisms from even his erstwhile supporters who complained that he had “fallen their hands.”

For them, he could have marshalled a more robust argument for the retention of the chairmanship in the South, after all, a strict interpretation of the party’s constitution with relation to zoning and rotation could suggest that the two committees’ recommendations offend its spirit and letter. Specifically, the Ugwuanyi committee report, zoning the chairmanship to the North cannot be implemented without violating the constitutional provision on the right of first refusal of the South to a second term. As for the Mohammed committee report throwing open the presidency, it is a clear violation of the constitutional provision which mandates the party to zone its offices to ensure equity.

Meanwhile, by the policy of rotation, the presidency, it could be argued, should be retained in the North because the last PDP president came from the South.

Interestingly, other northern presidential hopefuls have joined the open presidency agitation albeit by proxy. Abubakar Baraje, an accomplished acolyte of Bukola Saraki, first argued for the chairmanship to be shifted away from the North-central sub-zone in order not to jeopardise the ambition of his mentor. When that failed with the emergence of Iyorchia Ayu, a former president of the Senate, he embraced the open presidency option. There is a written agreement, he said, that the geo-political location of the national chairman will not affect the zone’s desire to bid for the presidency. He probably forgot that he left the APC two years ago, and that he is back in the PDP where there are established constitutional conventions. Incidentally, he was not only a former national secretary but has also held the position of acting national chairman of the party. So, no one can accuse him of ignorance of the working of the system. What the northern presidential hopefuls and their promoters are saying in effect is that both the national chairman and the presidential candidate of the PDP can come from the North. This cannot happen without a massive implosion in the party.

But time will tell.

Adebiyi, managing editor of THISDAY newspapers, writes from bolaji.adebiyi@thisdaylive.com

THE 2019 ELECTIONS AND THE DESECRATION OF OKUNLAND Tunde Olusunle canvasses the return of innocence to a violated land

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or those who know a thing or two about the history and evolution of the Okun homeland, never has the area been as weaponized and as violent as the experience of the 2019 general elections.

The Okun country, by the way, is the Okun-Yoruba speaking stretch of Kogi State. To refresh our minds about this part of the sprawling and luminous landscape called Nigeria, Okunland is the southernmost extremes of the Yoruba country, on the nation’s geophysical map. It is abutted to the north west by the Igbomina-speaking part of Kwara State; to the west by Ekiti and to its south west by Ondo State. Okunland traverses six of the 21 local government areas in Kogi State, namely: Yagba West, Yagba East, Mopamuro, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu and Lokoja. In what is a definite geophysical aberration, Okunland is delineated within the North Central zone of Nigeria.

Because the area is wholly subsumed geoculturally and ethno-linguistically in the expansive Yoruba sub-country, its sophistry as one of the most educated sub-nationalities in Nigeria, is most often understated. Yet, unarguably, Okunland whose people provided the bureaucratic, even technocratic backbone of the erstwhile omnibus Northern Nigeria administration, is one of the most literate ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyis, Silas Bamidele Daniyans, Ade Johns, Moody Olorunmonus, Emmanuel Otitojus, Michael Asajus, Raphael Ibitomis, and so on, who served meritoriously in various capacities in the evolutionary course of Nigeria are all well documented.

The professorial and doctorate degree indices of

Okunland per square kilometre, run neck to neck with that of its Ekiti kith, to its geographical west.

My good friend, Yemi Akinwumi, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), discussed with me a few years back, the need for us to document the human resource profile of Okunland, so as to perspectivise the contributions of scholars and professionals from that critical core of Nigeria, to nation building. Statistics available to us as at that time, put the number of professors of Okun extraction, at over 200. Former Health Minister, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, many years ago aggregated about two dozen professors from Isanlu, his birthplace at that time, one of the several communities in Okunland.

While not pre-empting the proposed publication highlighted above, “charity might as well begin from home,” the media (scholars and practitioners), which is the forte of this writer, where Okunland has contributed some of the very best professionals, to the vocation, in the course of state building and service to nation. Household names like Olatunji Dare, Ayo Olukotun, Peter Olowo, Jimmy Atte, Dapo Olorunyomi, Eniola Bello, Tunde Ipinmisho, Ishaq Ajibola, Segun Ayobolu, Simon Kolawole, Vicky Olumudi, Moji Makanjuola and Lara Owoeye-Wise, are distinguished Okun sons and daughters in the media. Gbemiga Ogunleye, Tunde Asaju, Babajide Otitoju, Kola Ologbondiyan, Austin Elewodalu, Sanya Oni, Ola Ampitan, Vincent Akanmode, Toyin Ibitoye, Ronke Bello, Dayo Asaju, Dayo Thomas, Adeleke Adeseri, Ayokanmi Osinlu, Duro Meseko, Richard Elesho, Ralph Omololu-Agbana, among others, are also media bright lights from Okunland.

The Okun-Yoruba country is also the home of

seasoned intellectuals like Adeoye Adeniyi, Ade Mobain Obayemi, Felix Anjorin, Pius Adesanmi, Idowu Ajibero, Bade Onimode, Olu Obafemi, Albert Anjorin, Ifeyori Ihimodu, Etannibi Alemika, Emily Alemika, Adewumi Osanaiye, Sam Ale, Bamidele Solomon, Tunde Adelaiye, Rotimi Ajayi, Gbenga Ibileye, Mike Ikupolati, Kolade Obamiro, Dave Omokore, Bamidele Olobaniyi, Sam Metiboba, Segun Akanbi, and Ezekiel Olumodeji, among others.

There are also Taiwo Fagbemi, Taiwo Daramola, Salman Idris, Timothy Asobele, Stephen Owa, Moses Ayodele, Francis Bayo Lewu, Joseph Owonubi, Samuel Olowo, Olu Olufeagba, Albert Kole Olayemi, Olujide Jackson, Blessing Oladele, Sunday Orebiyi, Paul Bolorunduro, Kutu Raphael and Joash Amupitan, among several others.

Respected Okun scholars also include Oluwatoyin Abimbola Babalola, Funlola Alabi, Abubakar Musa, Job Oluwatimilehin Atte, Bola Titus Omonona, Taiwo Daramola, Felix Ibitoye, Segun Ogungbemi, Joseph Abiodun Balogun, Veronica Ayelabola, Samuel Olowo, Juwon Ore, Stephen Bolu, David Irefin, Abdulmalik Abdulwahab, Kola Olorunleke, Gabriel Tunde Arosanyin, Kayode Joash Simonyan, Adeleke Fayomi, Lloyd Baiyekuhi and Ayodele Jimoh.

Adeoye Adeniyi (University of Ilorin); Dapo Asaju (Crowther University); Rotimi Ajayi (Landmark University), Felix Anjorin (Bingham University), have all been Vice Chancellors at various times in various universities. This is not forgetting Akinwumi who is the incumbent Vice Chancellor of FUL. Nigeria’s legal profession has been graced by luminaries like Niyi Oshe, Bayo Ojo, Joash Ampitan, John Baiyeshea, Duro Adeyele and

Malomo Awomolo, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), from Okunland. To make assurance doubly sure, these very senior “silks” are topmost quality senior members of the bar, and not quota allottees.

Prominent diplomats from the same part of Nigeria, through the years include Olayinka Simonyan, JJ Lewu, Edward Aina, John Kayode Sinkaiye, Babatunde Paul Fadumiyo, Rafiu Sola Enikanolaiye, all substantive ambassadors. Businessmen, bankers and captains of industry have included Kola Jamodu, Ola Oyelola, Abiodun Alphonsus Ehindero, Dele Dada, Stephen Olorunfemi, Babs Omotowa, John Obaro, Tunde Ayeni, Jide Omokore, Austeen Olorunishola, Funso Owoyemi, Segun Ogbonnewo, and many more.

Nigeria’s military has been served over time by officers from Okunland, who distinguished themselves and made the rank of Brigadier General and above, across all three arms of the military. These include: David Medaiyese Jemibewon, Olu Omotehinwa, Rufus Kupolati, Adeyinka Adeniyi, Femi John Femi, Sam Teidi, Joseph Ajayi, Joseph Owonubi, Julius Oshanupin, Theodore Ilemore, Kunle Awarun, Bunmi Ajibade, Paul Okuntimo, Olu Irefin, Foluso Daniels, Matthew Teidi, Emmanuel Abejirin, Funso Owonubi, Jones Babalola, Femi Adeoye, Lonsdale Deji Adeoye, John Obasa, and many more. Richard Babagbale, Bode Foluso Ayeni, Alice Mshelia, Olutoyin Johnson, Samuel Ayo, Tahir Umar, Adeleke Segun and Abiodun Adebayo are also Okun men and women, who have meritoriously donned the gears of Nigeria’s military services.

Dr Olusunle is a Member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors

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EDITORIAL OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS Public officers must do what is right

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he project by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) to fight ‘dirty money’ in Nigerian politics is laudable. The ever-increasing and soaring problem of ill-gotten wealth in Nigerian politics, according to CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, “suggests a high level of impunity among politically exposed individuals who seek to gain power and accrue wealth through illegal means with zero accountability.” But this addresses only one side of the problem in a nation where, as a former governor once lamented on national television, the demands of money and other personal gratifications from the people are huge. As he explained, government functionaries are often pressured to divert funds meant for development to satisfy the needs of individuals or groups within their various communities.

One distinctive feature of democracy is the right of the people to expect and demand good governance from elected officials. It is also the duty of the latter to perform creditably. That, in a SUCCESSIVE nutshell is the essence GOVERNMENTS of public trust. In Nigeria, however, this HAVE FAILED TO noble relationship FRONTALLY ADDRESS has for long been CRITICAL ISSUES LIKE misapplied such that PROVISION OF SOCIAL public expectations of INFRASTRUCTURE AND office holders in the SECURITY country seem to be at conflict with national aspirations. It is then little surprise that many of the overpaid politicians and public officials have continued to fleece the very people they are supposed to protect and yet walk the streets free. Family members, friends, communities and tribesmen most often insist that the only way for a public officer to show their worth is to address personal needs. This is taken to a ridiculous extent during elections when they demand instant gratifications in exchange for votes.

However, we are persuaded by trends in the country

Letters to the Editor

to believe that the persistent pressure on public office holders is largely a product of leadership failure. Successive governments have failed to frontally address critical issues like provision of social infrastructure and security.

So, in the absence of any real empowerment in such critical areas as health facilities, education, shelter and others, desperation compels the people to directly source money from persons they see as the faces of government.

This option is not only beggarly but also undermines the essence of representative administration – the very soul of democratic practice.

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

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

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

MAKE WITCH PERSECUTION HISTORY IN KENYA

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he Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) urges Kenyan authorities to take comprehensive measures to end witch persecution in the country. AfAW is making this appeal following the brutal murder of alleged witches in the country. Graphic images of scenes where local mobs attacked and butchered suspected witches in Kenya’s Kisii region have been circulating on social media. There has been an international outrage over the occurrence of this instance of witch bloodletting in Kenya in this 21st century. So shocking and heart-wrenching was a particular scene where, an elderly woman, suspected of witchcraft was desperately pleading innocent. She stretched her hands toward a young man who charged with a machete, begging for her life. But this woman was eventually hacked to death by this person said to be the grandson. Local media sources said that three other persons including two elderly women and a man were among those lynched by the mob. A media source has noted that the case of a 17-year-old student, who was unable to speak, is linked to this horrific murder.

This student was subjected to a ritual, and in the process, confessed that these four elderly persons bewitched him.

Angry mobs went and dragged the suspected witches out of their homes, killed them, and burnt their bodies.

These savage attacks and killings took place in a public square, where people gathered, watched, photographed, and videoed with cell phones. The lynching happened in a region that has community leaders, police stations, and other local state authorities. Unfortunately, no state

here is therefore an urgent need for a proper re-orientation if we must reverse this detestable drift. Public officers must come to terms early with the doctrine of true service. In most cases, people are reduced to beggars by twin effects of illiteracy and poverty, so prospective office holders should be determined to discharge their responsibilities effectively rather than succumb to any shady practices, including the so-called public blackmail.

All said, no excuse should be made for corruption and ineptitude. This nation will fare better if persons in places of authority insist on doing the right things, and not compromise responsible and responsive governance. Then, on their part, the people should not unwittingly provide public officers with reasons for underperformance. Poor implementation of projects and programmes is bad enough. And linking it directly to what is now being painted as the parasitic behaviour of the public makes the situation even worse.

From whatever perspective it is viewed government patronage and begging are also caused by greed and selfishness without due consideration of the reality that such individuals stand to gain from the overall development of the country. Embracing accountability and political maturity is, therefore, urgently required by public officials to wake them up to the much-needed task of ensuring that the socio-economic development of the country is the only guarantee for improved living standards of the people and, indeed, the only cure for poverty.

agency intervened. No police officer tried to stop the lynch mob. No community leader tried to save the lives of the victims. There was no public resistance of this revulsive and atrocious act. Kisii is one of the regions that are notorious for witch persecution in Kenya. So this incident did not come as a surprise to the government and the people.

AfAW calls on the Kenyan government to carry out a thorough investigation of these savage killings. Government should penalize all who through their actions or inactions, aided and abetted the perpetration of this crime.

There have been reports that some of the suspects have been arrested. While this is a welcome development, the government should go beyond prosecuting suspected killers. It should ensure a diligent trial and punishment of all implicated at various levels in this horrific incident. In addition to penalizing the perpetrators, the government should sanction local police commanders, village and council heads, leaders of the affected communities, and municipal authorities. This witch hunting incident is an indictment on the collective conscience of Kenyans. Kenya should launch a national public education and awareness campaign to reorient the minds of the public and reason the people out of these harmful superstitions and irrational beliefs.

This instance of witch bloodletting is a stark demonstration of moral failure. Kenya should take legal and administrative measures to ensure that savage attacks and violence linked to witchcraft beliefs never happen again.

Leo Igwe, nskepticleo@yahoo.com

EXTORTION AT IYEKOGBA POLICE STATION

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s you walk into the Iyekogba police station in Benin City the officer taking a preliminary statement from you would sort of urge you to ‘appreciate’ the female police officers sitting just by. Depending on your disposition, you may or may not be disposed to ‘appreciate’ the lovely police ladies.

Then he refers you to your IPO, the investigating police officer. Your IPO tells you that the police are going to open a file for your case, just that the police have no money to buy the file.

If you are very simple, you would probably imagine that the file costs something like N100.00, but no, the file is N3,000.00, and depending on your state or ability to haggle, you may just settle for something less but not less than N2,000 for that file.

In the event that there would be any other kind of documentation, you would be expected to do the needful.

So, let’s just say you’re the petitioner or complainant, and you refuse to pay up. And let’s just say again that the accused pays, and pays generously; those nice police officers would likely turn your own sweet little watertight case against you in favour of the chap who pays and pays well at every turn. They do it in the manner of the tiny pieces of advice they give the accused, and you, to mislead and rope you in if you are not careful. They are masters of subtle coercion and intimidation.

As this happens on a consistent keel, you just find out the system is already compromised, and in favour of injustice and the fraudulent.

We make an appeal: Mr Edo State Police Commissioner or IG sir, please give your men very basic work tools, paper, biro, fuel for generator so they don’t keep cutting corners and leaving us with sour tastes in our mouth about our good friends the Police.

Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, Benin City

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POLITICS

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

Comeuppance for Amosun and Friends Kunle Somorin writes that with recent conclusion of the state congress of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, it may be the end of the road to the political career of the former governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun

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n Saturday, October 16, the All Progressives Congress (APC) state congresses were held across the country. The exercise, which culminated in the election of state executive committees of the party, was largely peaceful and orderly.

In Ogun State, party loyalists converged on the MKO Abiola Stadium, approved venue of the state’s APC congress as early as 7:00 am to participate in the crucial internal democratic process.

At the end of the congress, 1,730 delegates from the 236 wards cutting across the 20 local governments, in a consensus arrangement via voice affirmation, unanimously elected Chief Yemi Sanusi as chairman under the supervision of a seven–member organising committee led by Hon. Wale Ohu. Sanusi and other members of the Ogun State APC exco were sworn-in to direct the affairs of the party in the state for the next four years.

However, while members of the party were savouring the success of the congress at the venue, a strange phrase started to filter in from the Ake Palace arcade. Party loyalists were hearing about a “parallel congress” being held in the most mischievous way by a bunch of delusional party misfits led by, of course, a black sheep of the APC who genuine party members are grossly disillusioned with.

The scenario at Ake Palace ground, the official seat of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, was horrifying, chaotic and violent.

Congregants resorted to a free-for-all, caution was thrown into the wind and gun shots became a tool for political engineering. Insiders said while majority of them preferred to be at the MKO Abiola Stadium where the state congress of the APC approved by the National Extraordinary Convention/ Caretaker Committee of the party was being held, the other fraction insisted on the fake congress that they could get ratified by their henchmen in Abuja or at least a situation that could help them to negotiate for a 40-60 per cent with the mainstream.

Following the pandemonium, the primordial base of the Egba people was desecrated by miscreants. According to the State Commissioner of Police Lanre Bankole, on that day, “While men of SWAT team were patrolling round the town to monitor party congress going on, an unregistered Hilux vehicle was sighted with some people whose looks were suspicious inside it. The occupants of the vehicle, on sighting policemen, were trying to conceal something in the vehicle.

“The vehicle was subsequently stopped, and properly searched. One English Berretta pistol with breach no PT 92 AFS with five live ammunition and one locally fabricated revolver were recovered in the vehicle.

Arrested were Ibrahim Amoje, Yusuf Azeez, Olaide Sodiq, Adewale Ogundele, Femi Oke and Balogun Olawale.

Already the suspects have volunteered useful information and their sponsors. They would soon have their days in court, but one thing is empirically clear, APC did not designate Ake Palace as a venue of its congress in Ogun. Who authorised Ake and why was the evil plot not checkmated before dissidents unsheathed their swords and guns?

Working against the directive of both President Muhammad Buhari and the party leadership, under the caretaker chairmanship of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, was also worrisome. And if APC will walk its talk, there should be no scared cows.

What is equally not in doubt is that many powerful elements in the party do not like to play by the rules. They are sacred cows. Their access to power intoxicates them so much that they believe a walk on the corridors of power exonerates them from reprimand.

It would be recalled that Ibikunle Amosun, a former Governor of the state, was suspended in 2019 by the party for working for the Allied People’s Movement (APM)

candidate, Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade against the APC candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who eventually won, in the 2019 governorship election.

The APC National Working Committee had noted “how the suspended mem-

bers have continued to campaign openly for other parties and candidates that are unknown to our great party, even while they have constituted themselves to opposition to APC candidates in their respective states.”

Olawepo-Hashim Cautions Against Further Devaluation of the Naira Oluwasegun Abifarin presents the views of Gbenga OlawepoHashim, a former presidential candidate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress against the suggestion by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that the Naira be further devalued

A

former Presidential candidate and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has cautioned against the recent call by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Oshinbajo that the value of Naira be further adjusted to align with “market realities.”

The businessman- turned politician argued in three and a half decades of the continuous devaluation of the Naira, the economy has neither been diversified significantly nor has Nigeria become an investor’s haven. He maintained that such a measure at this point in time can “only worsen things.”

He added that “if anything at all, the country has almost lost her manufacturing sector and is fast becoming a dumping ground for products that are not necessarily of better standards than goods produced in Nigeria.”

Olawepo-Hashim also reasoned that “even the market fundamentalists at the International Monetary Fund, (IMF) are very cautious to push for further devaluation of the naira as well as other traditional policy cocktails of Brethenwoods financial institutions capable of worsening cost of living for Nigerians most of who are already desperately poor.”

According to him, since the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme in 1986 and the accompanying currency devaluation, we have since seen the naira moved from 1 US Dollar to 1 Naira; to 1 US Dollar to 9 Naira; up to now 1 US Dollar to 412 Naira at the official window.

“This ugly situation was what we predicted 35 years ago as a matter of fact, yours truly and other patriotic forces organised the anti-SAP uprising in 1989 to discontinue the continuous devaluation of the currency,” he said, adding that “Economics is the science of Alternatives and there are a dozen options to stabilize the value of national currency rather than the usual shallow recourse to devaluation with the attendant inflation, negative effect on living condition of the pauperized masses of Nigerians.”

According to him, the government needs to manage the fiscal side of the economy properly and leave the CBN alone to do its lawful duty on monetary policy management.

He maintained that “until we get to a point where we are ready to seriously consider available options opened on management of the National Economy, the CBN should be supported on its efforts to manage the naira.”

“Our learned Silk and Professor of Law over reached himself by speaking publicly on the value of the currency which is the exclusive turf of the Central Bank, “Though the VP’s office later tried to clarify what he said, the attempt is not too helpful; the real issue is that a senior official of state should not offer opinions on the movement of the currency as such opinions are capable of opening the currency to speculative attacks” he added.

-Oluwasegun Abifarin is the Publisher/ CEO, Newsroom Nigeria

Sensing the enragement and irritation of loyal party members at the MKO Abiola Stadium at the conclusion of the congress, Governor Dapo Abiodun took to the stage and rallied the party’s supporters, assuring them that the sham at the Ake Palace was not only a “show of shame”, but bound to be consigned to the trash can of history.

“I’m the Chief Security Officer of the State.

I will not allow a breach of the peace of the state. I will deal with that person decisively.

I will bring upon them, the full extent of law.

I’m the only governor of the state today. For those still living in illusion of grandeur and being deluded, I hope the message is heard loud and clear,” Abiodun warned.

Since his disgraceful anti-party attempt at subverting the will of the people by imposing his puppet on the good people of Ogun State failed at the last general election, the former governor of the state who orchestrated the “naming ceremony”, has been a sore loser.

Nine months after his suspension was announced, Amosun was allowed to come back to the fold in December 2019 to underscore the party’s magnanimity with the hope that he had learnt his lesson.

However, he has shown no remorse whatsoever and would not embrace the inclusiveness offered by Gov. Abiodun.

He only returned to intimidate the caretaker committee of the party that won him his senatorial seat and attempted to unseat them for his loyalists that failed to win the gubernatorial seat for the APM endorsed by him. Needless to say, he lost all the fights in the courts of public opinion and even at the conventional court, up to the Supreme Court level. Desperate and for relevance, he has been doing everything possible to make the state ungovernable for the incumbent governor.

Apparently, with the events of October 16, a leopard can never change its spots!

Expectedly, the national headquarters of the APC has responded firmly to what happened in Ogun and other states during the congresses. Speaking through Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary, APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, the party frowned at the “futile activities very strange to the party” called parallel congresses.

“Only exercises conducted by duly inaugurated State Congress Committees are recognised by the Party. APC leadership will not hesitate to take adequate and lawful measures against any person or interest sabotaging the collective Party’s interest and efforts to achieve peace and unity in our great party,” the statement sternly warned.

As another round of disciplinary action becomes imminent, a slap on the wrist after his favourite pilgrimage to the seat of power can only embolden the senator to experiment with another installment of reckless shenanigans. The APC should rein those painting the party in bad light and fomenting disunity and trouble in before they drag the party down.

As fair-weather men, these birds will fly if the branch they are currently perching on falls!

But then, the former governor’s next move is very predictable; he will run to Abuja. One thing should be paramount for progress to be made by real progressives: We can be tolerant but laws are meant to be obeyed and serve as deterrent to aberrant behaviour!

The questions people are waiting for answers to are legion but not limited to: what our stand is on parallel congresses and the associated chaos in many states? Why do people indulge in unbridled expansionism as being insinuated in Oyo State with Amosun indicted? Will APC walk its talk? Why is APC prevaricating and playing double standard on matters bothering on party discipline?

Is the party interested in enthroning the supremacy of the party or operating like we live in a predatory age?

-Kunle Somorin is the Chief Press Secretary of the Ogun State Governor

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021

21

PERSPECTIVE

Colin Powell’s Death, Statesmen and Petty Trump

APC Congress: Why Matawalle Must Cooperate With Yari, Marafa

Musa Dangusau explains why Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State should enter into a mutually working relationship with former governor Chido Nwangwu pays glowing tribute to the of the state, Abdulaziz Yari and Senator Kabiru Marafa

memory of late American Statesman Gen. Colin Powell who passed on recently

I

t seemed unbelievable but it’s true! As the statesmen and women of decent carriage all around the world paid deserving tributes to the deceased and highly respected Gen. Colin Powell, gross ill-mannerism interjected.

It interjected when the most divisive politico, graceless dude and outrageously petty man to have served as President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, wrote this moonshine on Tuesday October 19, 2021: “Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media. Hope that happens to me someday. He was a classic RINO, if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!”

From former President George W. Bush “[Powell] was a great public servant.” From former President Bill Clinton “He lived the promise of America, and spent a lifetime working to help our country, especially our young people, live up to its own ideals and noblest aspirations at home and around the world.”

Rest in peace; rest in power, Gen. Powell!

Lebanese-Nigerian Billionaire Chagoury’s Illegal Campaign Contributions to U.S. Congressman On Tuesday, October 19, 2021, the United States Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury , charged U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry, of Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, “with concealing information and making false statements to federal authorities who were investigating illegal contributions made by a foreign national to the congressman’s 2016 re-election campaign.”

It noted that Fortenberry, 60 years old and a Republican of Lincoln, Nebraska, was named in an indictment that charges him with one count of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators. Fortenberry has served in Congress since 2005.

The indictment alleges that Fortenberry repeatedly lied to and misled authorities during a federal investigation into illegal contributions to Fortenberry’s re-election campaign made by a foreign billionaire in early 2016.

The “foreign billionaire” is the LebaneseNigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury. He is 76 years old and spends most of his time, recently, in Paris, France.

With his siblings, generally known as the Chagoury Brothers, they own substantial real estate in the rapidly developed new

area of Lagos (Nigeria) known as Eko Atlantic. They have substantial investments in construction, financial services, telecommunications and technologies.

The U.S DOJ underscores the legal fact that Mr. Chagoury is “a foreign national prohibited by federal law from contributing to any U.S. elections. Also, he is reported to have “arranged for $30,000 of his money to be contributed through other individuals (conduits) to Fortenberry’s campaign during a fundraiser held in Los Angeles, according to the indictment. It is illegal for foreign nationals to make contributions to a federal campaign. It also is illegal for the true source of campaign contributions to be disguised by funneling the money through thirdparty conduits. And it is illegal for a federal candidate to knowingly receive foreign or conduit contributions.”

The FBI/IRS/DOJ made the case that despite learning of the illegal campaign contributions, Fortenberry did not file an amended report with the Federal Elections Commission. According to the DOJ, “the three felony charges in the indictment each carry a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Through his attorney, Fortenberry appeared for an arraignment on Wednesday, October 20 in United States District Court in Los Angeles, California. He plead not guilty. U.S District Court Judge Rozella Oliver released Fortenberry on $50,000 bond.

Mr. Chagoury who has expanded his network of influence across three continents entered into “a deferred prosecution agreement” with the United States Attorney’s Office in 2019 where the FBI/DOJ took his admitting providing approximately $180,000 that was used to make illegal contributions to four different political candidates in U.S. elections. Chagoury agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine and cooperate with federal authorities.

-Dr. Chido Nwangwu serves as Founder & Publisher of USAfrica magazine and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet

The indictment alleges that Fortenberry repeatedly lied to and misled authorities during a federal investigation into illegal contributions to Fortenberry’s re-election campaign made by a foreign billionaire in early 2016.

The “foreign billionaire” is the Lebanese-Nigerian businessman Gilbert Chagoury. He is 76 years old and spends most of his time, recently, in Paris, France.

With his siblings, generally known as the Chagoury Brothers, they own substantial real estate in the rapidly developed new area of Lagos (Nigeria) known as Eko Atlantic

G

overnor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State is lucky to have the congresses of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in his state put forward to a yet to be determined date as that would avail him the opportunity to learn a lesson or two from the crises that followed the congresses in other states.

Reports from the recent congresses of the APC across the nation from the ward to state levels have shown that no less than 14 states are in deep crises with as many parading parallel excos.

A look at what caused the crises in those states would however reveal that the major factor is the lack of unity among party leaders, infighting and inability to acknowledge and give party leaders their due.

In Imo State for instance, while it was former governor, Rochas Okorocha that built the structure of the party from the scratch, the current governor, Hope Uzodinma would not give him as much as a little space to benefit from his toil.

It is the same between Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola and the current governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola where the two are locked in a battle of supremacy.

The lesson Matawalle can draw from these scenarios is that it is needless trying to cut off persons whose efforts have led to building the structures of the party from having a say in the affairs in its affairs.

It is public knowledge that Matawalle has been a member of the opposition People Democratic party (PDP) in his state and only became a member of the APC about four months ago.

This follows that despite the popularity of the APC in Zamfara and its well organized structures, that Matawalle did not contribute anything to its growth and current strength.

Rather, he as a member of the opposition party, even sought to undermine the APC by contesting against the party and sponsoring other candidates to do same.

His defection to the APC in June this year is therefore more out of desperation to benefit from what he has seen to be a more organised and accepted platform than the PDP he was.

And to a large extent, the APC has been magnanimous to the Governor by welcoming him to the party and making its structure available to him to have relevance as a political leader.

The Governor therefore owes the APC lots of gratitude by making sure his coming into the party brings with it much blessing and not curses.

One way the Governor can do this is by avoiding confrontation with other leaders of the party in the state and by being a team player.

The Governor is aware that some people laid the foundation and contributed to making the APC what it is in Zamfara State before he joined the party.

There is no way the history of the APC in Zamfara would be told that credit will not be given to such committed and relentless leaders like former governor, Abdulaziz Yari and Senator Kabiru Marafa.

It was Yari for instance, who after inheriting the structure of the ANPP as governor and serving the party in

various capacities including being the state secretary that led the party into APC at the state level from whence he returned the state to the party in all elections and made sure it won the 2019 elections before the victory was upturned by the courts.

Marafa on the other hand has been the hand behind the scene as a grassroots mobiliser who coordinates the affairs of the party and gave it his whole support in all elections.

His contributions to building the party transcends even the state with his ardent support with brilliant ideas and other contributions to the APC in both the Senate and at the national level.

The efforts of these leaders therefore cannot be discountenanced in further consolidating the strength of the party in Zamfara and making it more fortified for future elections.

When the congresses in Zamfara are to be conducted, the governor owes it a duty to factor the interest of these leaders who built the party, as anything outside that would come not just as an act of ingratitude but against the interests of the party in the state.

The current situation where the Governor is said to be insisting on taking 70 percent of party positions when his contributions to the growth of the party is only minimal must therefore be jettisoned for a more reasonable compromise that gives unto Caesar what is Caesar ’s and honour to whom it is due.

Without doubt, the APC in Zamfara needs the likes of Yari and Marafa to continue its wining streak.

Already, so much concessions have been made in order to accommodate the governor for defecting to the APC that he needs not ask for more The other party leaders have been magnanimous in allowing for the dissolution of the exco and the appointment of a three-member caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party in the state and the extension of the membership registration and revalidation exercise in the state following Matawalle’s defection.

Matawalle should therefore see reasons to avoid the kind of crises rocking other states by accepting the 50-50 proposal on sharing party positions with the other leaders and not insist on having 70% control of the party.

The watch word for the growth of the APC in Zamfara remains respect and cooperation with other party leaders.

-Gusau contributed this piece from Gusau, Zamfara State.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 •T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

A S

A T

REPO

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

08056356325

O C T O B E R

S & P INDEX

2 1 , 2 0 2 1

S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OBB

9.00%

CALL

4%

INDEX LEVEL

564.02%

1/4 TO DATE

5.82%

N413.03/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

10.75%

1-MONTH

6%

1-DAY

–0.17%

YEAR TO DATE

– 15.85%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.19%

COST OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE IN AFRICA

To Save Airlines’ Huge Expenses on Foreign Trips, FG Stops NCAA from Overseas Inspection of Aircraft Chinedu Eze The federal government has stopped the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) from sending its officials overseas to inspect aircraft ferried out of the country for maintenance.

The order also applies to inspection of aircraft before its acquisition by Nigerian airlines.

Top official of NCAA who confirmed this to THISDAY, explained that the decision was in line with the federal government’s policy of banning civil servants from

travelling overseas in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and also to save airlines from huge expenses of paying for the trip overseas.

It was learnt that any airline that has its aircraft on maintenance overseas pays NCAA about N3 million for inspection, flight and accommodation.

The fee is for NCAA officials who are assigned to go and audit aircraft, which maintenance has been completed in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility.

It was also learnt that when an

airline is brining newly acquired aircraft, NCAA inspectors are sent overseas to inspect the aircraft before they are certified and allow it to be ferried into the country.

A senior official of NCAA who spoke to THISDAY, said: “Based on government’s directive, we stopped inspectors from travelling overseas to inspect aircraft because of government policy. We did that to also save money for Nigerian airlines and reduce cost of operation. We are going to keep to that decision till further notice. We have informed

airlines that are acquiring aircraft, the standard the aircraft must meet before it is brought into the country.”

Commending NCAA for the new policy, the former Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Capt Ado Sanusi told THISDAY that the decision would save a lot of money for the airlines and also noted that paying for such trips overseas leads to conflict of interest and creates an opportunity for the regulatory authority to compromise its standard because an inspector who knew that an airline spent so much money

on him to travel overseas may be tempted to withhold facts that could undermine the airline’s operation.

He however noted that that NCAA has been very firm so far, adding that bringing the aircraft into the country for inspection is very good because it not only saves money for the airlines but gives NCAA inspectors the opportunity to settle down and do their work.

Sanusi said that if Nigeria has MRO, it would save airlines huge resources and cited example of the MRO facility owned by Aero

Contractors, which maintains Boeing 737 Classics and disclosed that for every aircraft maintained in that facility, the airline that owns it, saves between $200, 000 to $300, 000 because that is an extra cost ferrying the aircraft overseas.

He also said with the difficulty in sourcing foreign exchange, it becomes a more challenging situation for the airline.

“If you maintain Boeing 737 at the Aero facility, for a period of 18 Continued on page 24

Nigeria Records Lowest Level of Piracy Since 1994 as NIMASA Rallies Support for Nigeria’s IMO Category C Reinstatement Eromosele Abiodun A report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed that piracy and armed robbery in Nigerian waters has continued to decline.

The IMB in its third quarter 2021 report stated that piracy and criminality declined by 77 per cent in the first nine months of the year, compared to the same period last year. This is last time Nigeria recorded such achievement was 1994.

This is as the Director General of

Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has called on the international maritime community to support Nigeria’s bid for reinstatement into Category C. AJamoh made the appeal ahead of the December International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council Election.

Meanwhile, according to the IMB, Nigeria reported four incidents in the first nine months of 2021, in comparison to 17 in 2020 and 41 in 2018. This represents 77 per cent decrease in incidents between 2021

and 2020, and 95 per cent reduction from 2018.

IMB also reported 39 per cent reduction in piracy and armed robbery incidents in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

The latest figures came on the back of the launch of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also called the Deep Blue Project, on June 10

by President Muhammadu Buhari.

IMB said, “The Gulf of Guinea region recorded 28 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first nine

months of 2021, in comparison to 46 for the same period in 2020.

Crew kidnappings in the region have dropped with only one crew member kidnapped in Q3 2021, compared to 31 crew members taken in five separate incidents during Q3 2020. All Q3 incidents in 2021 were also against vessels at port anchorages whilst the average successful kidnapping location in Q3 2020 was approximately 100NM from land.”

IMB added, “The overall reduction of piracy and armed

robbery incidents in the region is a testament to enhanced maritime security and response coordination measures adopted by regional and national authorities.”

“We welcome the decrease of piracy and armed robbery attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and the efforts taken by maritime authorities in the region. However, there needs to be sustained efforts to ensure the continued safety of seafarers as they transport essential goods throughout the region. Coastal States must redouble their coordination

and security measures to ensure that piracy and armed robbery incidents continue to decline,” said IMB Director, Michael Howlett.

Commenting, Jamoh said the Agency had put in place measures to sustain the current momentum of security in the country’s waters.

“We are delighted by this latest news from the IMB and the trend of progressive reduction in piracy and related incidents in our waters, but we cannot afford to be complacent Continued on page 24

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

Price

Yield

BILLS Change (%)

MATURITY

OTC FX F U T U R E S

Discount Yield

Change (%)

100.08

2.85

0.00

NTB 14-Oct-21

2.88

2.88

0.00

100.20

2.92

0.00

NTB 28-Oct-21

3.04

3.04

0.00

100.70

3.25

0.00

NTB 11-Nov-21

3.20

3.21

0.00

101.04

3.26

0.00

NTB 25-Nov-21

3.36

3.37

0.00

NTB 13-Jan-22

3.92

3.96

100.97

3.59

CONTRACT TENOR (MONTH) 1

Contract

Current Rate ($/₦)

NGUS OCT 27 2021 420.93

2

NGUS NOV 24 2021 422.38

3

NGUS DEC 29 2021 423.83

0.00

4

NGUS JAN 26 2022 425.28

0.00

5

NGUS FEB 23 2022 426.73

C Ps MATURITY

Discount Yield

Change (%)

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

6.27

6.27

0.00

7.91

7.93

0.00

4.14

4.16

0.00

5.15

5.18

0.00

6.52

6.57

0.00

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

AUDACITY SKYLINE DEBUTS…

L-R: Chief Account Officer, Landwey GROUP, Olamide Opadiran; Deputy Managing Director, Landwey Group, Victoria Ubak; Group Managing Director, Landwey Group, Olawale Ayilara; Principal Partner, MZ Architect for the Project, Marwan Zgheib; Director, Development, Sales &Marketing, Eko Atlantic, Pierre Edde; Managing Director, Landwey Group, PHOTO: KOLAWOLE ALLI Shola Bello; and Head of Customer Experience, Seun Osigbesan, during the launching of The Audacity Skyline at Eko Atlantic City,Lagos… recently

Shipowners Groan Over Govt’s Abandonment, Says Approval for N139bn CVFF Disbursement not Withdrawn Eromosele Abiodun Ship-owners in the country have lamented abandonment of the shipping industry by the federal government before and during and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chairman, Board of Trustees of Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Issac Jolapamo stated this in a chat with newsmen in Lagos.

He also announced the return of the association as one formidable body with the intention to engage the government on its shipping policies.

Jolapamo said the sector being capital intensive hasn’t enjoyed any government’s intervention or incentives.

NISA also disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has not withdrawn approval for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund (CVFF), as widely speculated.

CVFF was set-up alongside the Nigerian Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act of 2003, to empower indigenous ship owners to take control of the nation’s coastal and

inland shipping business, otherwise known as Cabotage trade.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had recently accused indigenous shipowners of going behind to gang up against him after he fought for two years to secure approval for the disbursement of the fund.

This, he said, led to the withdrawal of the approval for disbursement by the president.

However, Jolapamo said every other sectors of the economy have enjoyed government incentives in the past and even after the Covid-19

pandemic but none has come to the shipping sector.

According to him, “No intervention or assistance for players in the industry from government. Only in Nigeria we see that maritime is not important, that is a sector that can fund Nigeria budget deficit yearly if properly harnessed.

“Funds were made available to other sectors of the economy especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic but, none was made available to us. So many offshore vessels belonging to foreigners are working unabated with few Nigerians

working onboard the vessels also, those working are low level officers so, Nigeria is losing out in capacity building as well.”

Also speaking on the disbursement of CVFF, a member of NISA’s steering Committee, Capt. Taiwo Akinpelumi, said Shipowners will sought national assembly’s interpretation of the act establishing the fund to know whether its belonged to Shipowners or government.

He also affirmed that preliminary investigation by the group had shown that President Muhammadu Buhari

is yet to withdraw his approval for CVFF disbursement Akimpelumi, who said the association has risen from the crisis that rocked the it for so many years said they are ready to fight and take possession of what belongs to them in the sector.

His words, “We have consulted widely and we realised that nothing like suspension of the fund but, we know there is an internal politics of moving the fund from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to the Primary Lending Institute.

TAT: PwC Says 50% Deposit Rule Will Hinder Justice in Tax Administration Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), has maintained that the 50 per cent deposit provision in the new Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT) in the country could hinder affected companies from getting justice.

Speaking on Arise Television, THISDAY’s broadcast arm, Partner/ Director, Tax Reporting and Strategy at PwC, Mr Kenneth Erikume, called for a review of the new procedure, advising that on the alternative, it could be challenged by those impacted by the rule.

In June 2021, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, approved the TAT procedure, which replaced the 2010 TAT rules, which she said had some shortcomings and had become obsolete.

On the positive side, the new rules recognise service of

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

documents by email or such other electronic means as the tribunal may permit and also allow for virtual or remote hearing of applications and delivery of rulings by the tribunal.

Furthermore, it introduced a six-month timeframe from the date of commencement of trial for the tribunal to conclude and provide a decision on an appeal.

However, order 3 rule 6 of the the procedure indicated that: “For an appeal against the tax authority, the aggrieved person will pay 50

per cent of the disputed amount into designated account by the tribunal before hearing as security for prosecuting the appeal”.

But PwC argued that that the portion of the law is inconsistent with similar provisions in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007 which gives the TAT discretion to order payment as security where a taxpayer failed to file returns, stressing it could constitute a cog in the wheel of justice.

The consultancy firm noted

that Nigerians already have trust issues with the tax system in the country, stressing that the new rule will further make matters worse.

“First is the trust issue, because when I pay my taxes, I must have confidence that government will use it judiciously in the provision of services for citizens. There’s a second one, which is in the heart of the new TAT rules, which is the confidence within the tax administration system itself.

“That is when the tax payer

is confident that when they pay taxes, and comply, they won’t be harassed, ”he stated.

Erikume added that while the objective of the TAT may be commendable, the big problem with the new procedure is that it instituted a requirement that companies have to pay a 50 per cent deposit of the disputed tax before the tribunal hears any matter.

“Obviously, that is creating a bar against fair hearing or the right of taxpayers to be able to be able to present their case for

proper assessment by the tribunal,” PwC noted.

He mentioned the case of Acadia mining against the Tanzania tax authorities in a whopping $190 billion dispute, stressing that if it was under the current TAT rules in Nigeria, the company would need to deposit over $95 billion for its case to be heard.

He added that that would compare to about five Dangote refineries, which would create an impossible scenario for people and companies to get justice.

NIGERIA RECORDS LOWEST LEVEL OF PIRACY SINCE 1994 AS NIMASA RALLIES SUPPORT FOR NIGERIA’S IMO CATEGORY C REINSTATEMENT about our commitment to the security of our maritime domain. We will continue to strive for more effective measures to keep Nigerian waters safe and secure, ”Jamoh said.

Speaking at the third Seminar of the Atlantic Center in Lisbon Portugal, Jamoh sought support of Nigeria’s friends to vote for the country into the council of IMO in the election that comes up in few weeks time.

He said: “We ask for your vote and count on your continued confidence in the efforts of Nigeria to work in partnership with other nation states in the Gulf of Guinea to continue keeping our corridor of the Atlantic Ocean a safe passage for seafarers, their vessels and the vital supplies they transport for our

common sustenance.”

The DG who also requested removal of Nigeria by the global shipping community from designation as a war risk zone which causes increased insurance premium, also explained recent efforts by the Federal Government to make the country’s waters safer for crew members, vessels and cargoes.

He added that deployment of security vessels on waters adjoining the Atlantic Ocean should be in line with international laws without undermining the national sovereignty of countries within West and Central Africa.

Jamoh said “In 2018, Nigeria initiated a project known as Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure

(Deep Blue Project), as a robust tool to combat piracy, armed robbery, and other maritime crimes within Nigeria’s territorial waters and by extension the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

“To further bolster Nigeria’s effort in fighting crimes at sea, the government signed into law the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act, (SPOMO) 2019. This piece of legislation gave effect in Nigeria to the provisions of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 on piracy and the International Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Navigation (SUA), 1998 and its protocol. Since the law came into effect, convictions of at least 20 pirates have been secured under

the Act with offenders currently serving various jail terms.

“At the regional level, following the United Nations Security Council resolutions of 2011 and 2012 Calling on the countries in the ECOWAS, ECCAS, and the GoG to work together on a strategy to fight piracy, armed robbery, and other illegal activities at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria joined other heads of States and governments to sign the Yaoundé Declaration on the 25th of June 2013 to collaborate in the fight against piracy and other crimes in their Atlantic oceans. This decoration known as the ‘Yaoundé declaration’ led to the establishment of the Inter-regional Coordination Centre (ICC Yaoundé) “Further to this, Nigeria together

with the ICC Yaoundé is engaged with the major international shipping industry and commodities groups (INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, ICS, OCIMF, BIMCO) to develop a framework known as the Gulf of Guinea, Maritime Collaboration Forum on Shared Awareness and Deconfliction i.e. GoG-MCF/ SHADE. “The framework is a multilateral initiative involving industry stakeholders and member countries in West and Central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea on Information sharing and incident reporting, Cooperation at Sea, and Air Deconfliction. The G7++ FOGG is another multinational collaboration with regional countries on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea.”

TO SAVE AIRLINES’ HUGE EXPENSES ON FOREIGN TRIPS, FG STOPS NCAA FROM OVERSEAS INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT months (which is the period C-check that is carried out on schedule aircraft in Nigeria), an airline saves about $200, 000 to $300, 000. That is the benefit of having an MRO in your country. Also when you take the aircraft there for engine change for example, it will take you three days, not including the day you will travel to the facility. Then we have to consider the difficulty in getting foreign exchange. So there are many benefits in having MRO locally,” Sanusi said.

But the NCAA official told THISDAY that the federal government might lift the ban, as it has allowed overseas training to resume.

The official said the agency would check if overseas inspection of aircraft would resume soon.

However THISDAY gathered that while NCAA officials who embark on such inspection would want it to continue, the Director General might have to review it because of the criticisms that trail

the policy.

THISDAY learnt from airline operators that because of the cost they would rather want to bring the aircraft to Nigeria before they are inspected, which is what many other countries do.

The source said that when NCAA introduced the policy it was just to give incentive to inspectors who earn allowances from such trips, but that such incentive has become like a right, which they cannot do without.

“We know that there is a kind of arm twist that goes on without words. Of course, the airline that took you to inspect its aircraft overseas must do you well, but it could lead to compromise because when you are treated so well you may not like to indict the airline. Besides, there is no other thing done overseas that cannot be done here in Nigeria.

The financial situation is getting worse for everyone, we need to also help the airlines, ”the NCAA

source told THISDAY. Most of the Nigerian airlines conduct their major checks, including C and D checks overseas.

So as many aircraft as there are in an airline fleet, whenever checks are conducted on them overseas, NCAA inspectors would travel to the MRO facility to inspect them, but the current management in NCAA may not allow that tradition to continue because it drains airlines resources, THISDAY further gathered.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

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BUSINESSWORLD

AIR WATCH

L - R: Airport Manager, Abuja, Abdulmalik Musa; Head Commercial, Charles Johnson; Managing Director / CEO, Capt. Abdullahi Mahmood; Director of flight operator, Capt. Gerald Nmoka; Chief Financial Officer, Chuni Tanko; and Head Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO), James Ominyi at Aero inaugural flight to Maiduguri, Borno State

Aero Launches Lagos-AbujaMaiduguri Flight Operations Chinedu Eze There was jubilation in Maiduguri on Monday when Nigeria’s oldest airline, Aero contractors, launched Lagos-Abuja-Maiduguri flight operations as it promises to offer safe and reliable services to travellers from the region.

The flight was welcomed with water cannon salute as the airline deployed one of its aircraft to connect passengers between Lagos and Maiduguri via Abuja, Speaking at a short ceremony to mark the inaugural flight in Maiduguri airport, managing director of the airline, Captain Abdullahi Mahmood, said the airline has taken the right decision by launching flight

and has come to stay on the route having been in operations in Nigeria for more than 60 years.

He said Borno state is now home to traffic as there over 50 Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the state apart from the turnaround being witnessed through developmental programmes initiated by the governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum.

While pledging to surpass the expectations of the people by offering quality service, Mahmood said: “We are here today to make history after sixty-two years of operations, this is the first time Aero will be operating flight to Maiduguri. And Maiduguri is a home and State of peace.

“Aero Contractors, as you know, is an airline that stands for safety, passenger comfort and it’s called the reliable way to fly. We have come to Maiduguri and we are going to prove that this is an airline that has come to stay and also help to complement what the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum is doing. ”He cannot achieve all these without Aero not playing its own part, we have to be part of this development. What I can assure the people of Borno State today is that an airline has come with timely departure; safety and passenger comfort are going to be guaranteed.

I can guarantee you we are going to surpass your expectations”, he said.

BusyBee Group to Honour Industry Heroes, Icons BusyBee Group has announced its plan to honour unsung industry heroes and icons at its 5th edition of the annual BusyBee Event Business Managing Director BusyBee Group, Mrs. Bisi Sotunde, while announcing this at a recent press conference at the company’s headquarters in Lagos, said the BusyBee Excellence Awards (BBA) is aimed at celebrating outstanding people in the industry; the unsung heroes and the icons also.

She explained that the award categories are in two parts; the ‘Well Watered Garden Tribe (WWGT) Network,’ categories and the industry categories.

According to her, under the WWGT categories “we have the Most Resourceful, Most Influential and Most Supportive Members of the Yeardrawn from this community of event professionals managed by the BusyBee Group.”

Then under the industry categories are the Industry Leader of the Year, Young Event Professional of the Year and Excellence Recognitions Awards as well as the honorary award for industry icon.

“So the panel of judges and I decided to use these criteria to select the nominees, 12 in all, four in each category. This particular industry award is to celebrate excellence so we did it in zones, to celebrate these unsung heroes and every nominee gets a certificate of award to say well done and this will make others to sit up, encouraged and say though I’m doing something in my corner I am seen.

“BBA is not just for the best event professional but for those who have been doing something in their corners and contributing to the tribe and the industry as a whole. For instance, someone was

nominated in Ekiti who has been there for 26 years.

“Then the awards also extend to the known professionals in the industry; the icons. People like Yewande Zacheus who recently handed over the management of her company to a younger one opening our eyes that there is a career path in this industry and that you may not hand over to your children but others.”

Continuing, Sotunde said the group would also honour a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kabir Tukura, who she said is also an unsung hero.

She stressed that the excellence awards was basically to search out the unsung heroes who have been doing things in their constituencies, “so you may be wondering why we went as far as Zuru to fish out a Reps member for this excellence awards.”

Onyema Wins Exceptional Philanthropist Award The Chairman/CEO, Air Peace, Barrister Allen Onyema, has clinched the Exceptional Philanthropist of the Year Award at the Sun Awards 2020, which took place at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos recently.

The prestigious award, according to the Sun Newspaper, is in recognition of Onyema’s exceptional philanthropy, peacemaking efforts, diplomacy and reconciliation.

In his award acceptance speech, Onyema thanked Nigerians and dedicated the award to God who enables his

philanthropy and other social impact initiatives.

“I want to thank Nigerians and I dedicate this award to God Almighty who gave me the heart, courage and strength to do the things that myself and my wife do. It is not just me alone.

If I don’t have that support of a woman who sees herself in others. A woman who believes service to humanity is the most important”, Onyema said.

The Air Peace boss, who used the opportunity to preach peace and unity, noted that there were issues in Nigeria but with love and respect, they could be

addressed. In his words: “The present predicament in Nigeria cannot be solved by force but by reconciliatory moves, just as it was done in the Niger Delta. I do not mind if amnesty is given to Sunday Igboho, Nnamdi Kanu, and the other people, the bandits.

This will usher another era in this country”.

He urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country, adding that the recent Air Peace sponsorship of the National Teams in a 300-million-naira deal, was to restore national hope in Nigerian football which has proved to be a unifying medium.

Nigerian Airlines Build Capacity With Aircraft Leasing Chinedu Eze

O

n Monday Nigeria’s oldest carrier, Aero Contractors operated its inaugural flight to Maiduguri, capital of Borno state amid fanfare and excitement.

Aero was able to add Maiduguri to its route because it has started growing its aircraft fleet. About a month ago, the airline known for its safety record in its 62 years of operation, received two Airbus A320 aircraft on wet lease. It was one of the new equipment that took Maiduguri bound passengers to Abuja, where the airline connected the travellers to Maiduguri, using its own aircraft, a Boeing 737-500.

What was remarkable is that the aircraft with capacity of about 160 passengers recorded high load factor, which stressed the need for more aircraft in Nigeria’s domestic market.

Now that the Christmas season is approaching, there is going to be high demand for flights, especially now insecurity has eroded road transport to many parts of the country.

The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Mahmoud Abdullahi explained to THISDAY during the inaugural flight that aircraft leasing is good for Nigerian carriers because they do not have capacity and that explained why there have been issues of flight delays, flight cancellation and high cost of flights.

“Nigerian airlines don’t have capacity, there are passengers, if you go to the airport as of today, you could see passengers begging for tickets. So all you are looking for is for capacity, just get the right aircraft, put it on the right route and passengers will fly. We could see the passengers’ number growing and the high season is coming, we don’t want Nigerians to go through what they have been going through in previous years most especially in November and December. You could see passengers sleeping at the airport, so in Aero we are trying as much as possible to do things

“The operator who leases out the aircraft is termed the lessor.

The lessor does not share profit with the lessee. After paying for the wet lease of the aircraft as agreed, whatever profit accrues from the operations belongs to the lessee, that is the airline that hired aircraft with crew, maintenance and insurance.”

differently. Once you buy Aero ticket you are sure of travelling and that is one thing that we are determined to do; to make sure that Nigerians are happy.

“Nigerians deserve it, there is no doubt about it. So, like I said, the challenge that the airlines are having is the capacity and any opportunity that you see in getting good aircraft, you have to jump into the opportunity and grab it. So we are doing things differently, we don’t have money to buy planes but if you have people who want to bring in the planes for us to cooperate and work together, that is all we need. So that is why we are trying to make something different, we want to change the narrative.

“So now we see people that have the capacity, they want to bring in the aircraft, they want to come into collaboration, we discuss with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and said this is what we want to do, Nigerian civil aviation looked at the regulation and said go ahead and that is what we are doing. All we want is for Nigerians to move from point A to B and be safe and when they want it at the right time and be safe. And that is what Aero stands for,” Mahmoud said.

The Managing Director of Flight Logistics Solutions, Amos Akpan explained aircraft wet leasing as when an airline hires aircraft from another operator with crew, maintenance, insurance (ACMI), noting that this implies the airline payments for the hire is for the agreed hourly utilization of the aircraft, the crew, the maintenance, and the insurance.

“The utilisation has a minimum agreed hours per month. Whether you use up to that agreed hours or not, you pay that minimum agreed hours. You may use above the minimum agreed hours, above which both parties may agree to pay less than the initially set minimum agreed hours.

“The operator who leases out the aircraft is termed the lessor. The lessor does not share profit with the lessee. After paying for the wet lease of the aircraft as agreed, whatever profit accrues from the operations belongs to the lessee, that is the airline that hired aircraft with crew, maintenance and insurance.

“Other issues in wet lease include: line maintenance which implies the lessee takes responsibility to give light maintenance in the line of operations in the stations.

Utilization is usually calculated in block hours not in flight hours. Block hours mean from engine start/chokes off to engine off/chokes on and flight hours means from take off to landing. It depends on the negotiation capacities of the parties involved,” Akpan explained.

Recently Arik Air, Aero Contractors have engaged in wet leasing of aircraft, which THISDAY learnt from industry insiders is easier than dry lease for Nigerian airlines “because lessors will not be willing to give you aircraft on dry lease, which said means “you hire just the aircraft and you provide the crew, the maintenance, and the insurance.

He said that whether dry or wet leased, every aircraft is operated in compliance with the air operations specifications certified and approved by NCAA. In order to increase capacity for the Christmas season, there are indications that more Nigerian airlines would lease more aircraft.

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TRANSPORTATION

Of NRC Revenue Generation and Chinese Loans The recent published Rail Transportation Data for Q2, 2021 by the NBS, shows a significant rise in revenue generation by the Nigeria Railway Corporation amidst Chinese loan burden, writes Kasim Sumaina

T

he burden of debts by the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari remain a source of worry to the average citizen of the country as the current debt stood at N33.107 trillion ($87.239 billion) as at March 31, 2021.

Despite public outcry, the present administration continues its brazen disregard and penchant appetite for more foreign loans request despite concerns in some quarters, which has pitched the government and the main opposition party in a tangle. This is even as the President, Muhammadu Buhari has made request to the legislative arm’s approval of fresh N2.5 trillion to fund projects captured the 2018-2021 borrowing projections.

While some are of the view that no country is free of debts and what the government does with the loan obtained matters, others are of the concern that the future of the country’s next generation is what is being mortgaged even as they are equally of the view that monies so far borrowed has not been accounted for. But, despite the loans brouhaha, the recent feat achieved by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) as shown by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) despite country’s economy downturn should be commended.

The Rail Transportation Data for the second quarter of 2021 published by NBS, showed that the corporation under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, generated N1.18 billion in Q2, 2021- NBS. According to the data, record shows that Rail transportation generated N1.18 billion in the second quarter of 2021as against N926.72 million it generated in the first quarter, indicating a N261.62 million increase.

The NBS said revenue generated from passengers in the second quarter was N1.08 billion as against N892.46 million in the first quarter: revenue generated from carriage of goods and cargo was N71.55 million as against N26.19 million in the first quarter, miscellaneous income in the second quarter was N32.94 million as against N8.06 million in the first quarter.

In its breakdown of passenger traffic, the report stated that 565,385 passengers travelled by the rail in the second quarter as against 108,238 passengers in the corresponding period in 2020. In the first quarter of 2021, 424,460 passengers used the rail. “A total of 42,782 tons of goods and cargo travelled via the rail system in the second quarter of 2021as against 8,691 recorded in the corresponding period in 2020,’’ it added.

Recall that the $500 million loan facilities was obtained from the Chinese government for the modernisation and construction of the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge track and so far, the present administration has completed and delivered the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor, revamped and delivered the Itakpe-Warri corridor has been inaugurated, Lagos-Ibadan has also started commercial services.

OFFSETTING CHINESE LOANS

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi recently requested for periodic updates on revenue generated and number of passengers that uses rail services across all corridors in order to meet up with the repayment of the loans obtained from the Chinese.

The minister had equally in a recent interview disclosed that the federal government had so far repaid over $150 million out of the $500 million facility secured by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for the Abuja-Kaduna railway. Meaning an additional $350 is required to offset the loan obtained from the Chinese.

Against this background, Amaechi recently instructed the management of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to open an escrow account for revenue accrued from the rail services to offshoot the loans obtained. He had also hinted that the sum of N420.46 million was so far saved in the account.

The Minister had in April disclosed that the Corporation paid N420.46 million into the escrow account from revenue generated from the Abuja-Kaduna train services over the period of the ERGP (Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-2020.

He noted that with the introduction of the online ticketing system on the Abuja-Kaduna train service, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) had been able to raise its earnings by about N50 million after deducting its operational cost.

The earnings were raised from N70 million to N350 million between May-June. The recent feat of N1.18bn in Q2 recorded after cost deductions is a significant rise says NRC Managing Director, Mr. Fidet Okhiria.

The Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, in an interview with THISDAY, said that the feat achieved was as a result of the discipline and dedication or sacrifices of the Corporation staff, adding: “and we encourage them to keep the system afloat.”

According to Okhiria, “I can proudly say we have saved up to a N1 billion in that account they gave us to pay into. They said we should drop something for cost operation. If you pay everything how do you run the service.”

STANDARD GAUGE TRACKS Speaking further on the recent development in the sector, Okhiria maintained that rail is at the lime light because of what the present administration’s is doing by construction of standard gauge tracks, stating: “they are trying to see that it is functional and interactive. They are modernising the rail system by construction of rail way that can attract travellers and tourists.”

“We want to get the best rail and this cannot be constructed in one day it can take or last up to 50 years to get rails in all parts of the country.

It is quite important that we have rails because it

shows that we are economically development and industrialised. The rail helps to move products from companies and produced goods to the market. You can do it by truck but at a cost.

Rail will also give a lot of employment and products would be cheaper because you are moving them in bulk and products would be available and the scarcity would be eliminated and prices would be affordable. When you have little purchasing power the product would be low. We hope to continue for a longer period all we need is maintenance, “he said.

The NRC boss said, “We have four trains a day, two from Itapke- Warri and two from Warri- Itakpe. We are developing it, we have investors’ who wants to invest in rail system, we are ready to give concession and Cassava Producers have approached us, we are equally talking to Dangote. That rail is 36 years old but the present govt came in and dusted it so that it can function. We have also asked government to put in more coaches for passenger trains so that it can run every 30 mins.

“Lagos- Ibadan was on trial runs and now we are doing commercial runs and many people are patronising us. We are doing 4 trains but as of today we are trying to do weekend and two trains every other day because the number of people using the train service increases by the day.

People have asked why don’t we advertise but I told them that good product should advertise it self. We are also trying to get what we call parcel vans, where you can deliver your goods to other cities and the recipient with good communication and identity can receive the package. That’s how we do it in the good old days. These will be attached to the passenger trains.

“Abuja- Kaduna, we have increased from 8 to 10. Before, the passengers used to struggle for tickets but that has reduced because of E – ticketing, also those who were reluctant to use the service because they might come to the station and not get tickets are patronising us now because it is easy to get your tickets online.”

Concerning the frequent complain about pricing being on the high sides, he said, “You see as MD, I did not come out one day to say we have increased the price of train fare, people just speculate and say prices were increased because of COVID-19. We did a bit of analysis and we said for Nigerians to enjoy the services and for we to maintain the system with government support we still get, we need to do appropriate pricing. That’s what we did. As a responsible government, we cannot increase the price when people are struggling or suffering.

“The prices are there so that we can meet up.

So that we don’t run then after two years or months then we stop, that will not be proper. As management we have to sustain the quality and pay incentives or pay staff to protect passengers.

Also the cost of spare parts, we don’t make

them locally, we pay for them in dollars in order to maintain our service. It’s not a uniform price. We will have the one that will be at N 7,500, for express services once it comes.”

RAIL CONCESSIONS On train concessions, he reiterated that government will not concession rail service rather people should invest in coaches.

“People are coming and we are looking at their documents. In rail it is not a direct money-spinner.

I don’t deceive people but it can create a condition for the economy to grow and every other things to go well, for instance the impact we have on the road and its maintenance of every six months would be reduced and that would be saved, number of accident would reduce, you can travel conveniently. We are thinking of bringing in special coaches, those benefits are not quantifiable in Naira and Kobo.

“There would be an MOU for such operations so that it will be done when it is convenient or comfortable for govt and Nigerians. We are also trying to improve on our signalling and telecommunications, so that we can operate 2 or more trains in a session.

Improved signalling where the driver of train A can see or communicate with driver of train B and when there’s danger they can communicate easily and the people in the control room can stop a train from moving on the track when on session. Also we can have more coaches on the moving session.

Though we don’t have the block sessions.”

Okhiria while speaking on the numerous ground breaking across the country said, “Work has commenced but it is not that work you can see now. People don’t realise that the first ground breaking that is Lagos- Kano was done in ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime. We should be sympathetic and encourage the government to do more so that they can deliver. Ground breaking is a ceremony, the work we are doing now is front engineering if you go to Kano you will see that a lot of work being done by the construction company. It is going on simultaneously along Port Harcourt, Lagos, Kano stations. What you can see in Lagos, Ibadan and Kano are structural section where they are building massively.

“This week the environmental impact assessment was going on in Port Harcourt. The construction company are providing accomodations. Don’t forget it’s 18 months we signed, Kano- Abuja should be delivered in eighteen months from now. By the time they start in eighteen months you should be able to ride from Abuja to Kano.The contract to extend Itakpe to Lokoja has been awarded unfortunately two months after the contract signing covid-19 came. It was supposed to be a PPP and covid-19 affected their economy so they sought more time to to rejig their terms of contract, if not we should be getting close to Abuja. It was a Chinese company.The government and NRC are trying to see what they can do.

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

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

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INTERVIEW

As Controversies Rock FG’s Concession Plan Chinedu Eze writes that since the federal government declared that it would concession terminal facilities in four major airports in the country, the plan has been fraught with controversies and fierce resistance from labour

O

n November 22, 2006, the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, reported that it has successfully concluded an advisory mandate that mobilizes private management expertise and capital for improved operation of Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

The IFC advised the Nigerian government on the selection of a concessionaire to operate and manage the airport for the next 25 years.

According to the IFC, “The winning bidder, confirmed today by the Nigerian government, was the Abuja Gateway Consortium (AGC), which changed its name from ‘The Naira*Net Consortium.’ AGC is a special purpose vehicle that was established between domestic and international companies with the Airports Authority of India as the contracted airport operator.

In concluding the transaction, IFC benefited from the donor support of DevCo, a multidonor program affiliated with the Private Infrastructure Development Group and supported by the U.K.’s Department for International Development, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Agency, and the Austrian Development Agency.

“The winning bidder will pay an initial concession fee of $10 million and variable annual concession fees of 18.1 percent of gross revenues as part of its contract to operate and manage the airport. The net present value of total concession fees paid to the Nigerian government is estimated to be $101 million over the concession term.”

What is noteworthy about the report above is that the federal government under the Late Musa Yar’adua administration nullified the concession. THISDAY reported then why the concession was nullified.

“The Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Felix Hyat yesterday (17 April, 2008) told the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), probing the sale of Federal Government houses and other related matters, that President Umar Musa Yar’adua cancelled the concession agreement on the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport to Abuja Gateway Consortium due to lack of action plan by the consortium.

“Hyat said the cancellation of the concession was based on his submission to the President. The concession was packaged under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

Not a few were aghast that the concession was nullified despite the fact that it was supervised by IFC. But industry analysts however posited that the federal government must have taken its decision based on what the former Minister of State said above but expressed the worry that the Nigerian government has a penchant for rebuffing agreements.

DOUBTS

The Abuja airport example and other similar concessions and agreements that were nullified by government at different times were the reason why many investors are said to be sceptical about investing in Nigeria, especially in the area of infrastructure.

Nigerian airline operators support concession because they believe that the concessionaire would upgrade facilities and modernise the airport, which would enhance their operations, but they always emphasised on the transparency of the concession process.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika had variously assured that the concession programme would be transparent and workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would not lose their jobs. The government also said it would concession only the terminal facilities in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, but some industry stakeholders insist that those viable airport terminals should not be concessioned because they provide the revenues that serve as mainstay of FAAN’s operations.

Secretary General of Aviation Round Table (ART) and the former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (Rtd.) said that it is not only the facilities at the four major airports that should be concessioned but all the federal government airports.

He also said that each major airport should be concessioned with three other airports.

“First, don’t concession only the four airports but all the federal airports; secondly, each of the four international airports must go for concession with at least three others of the remaining. Thirdly, concession must be done for the non-aeronautical services and facilities such as the terminals (passengers/cargo) with associated aprons and associated car parks. We must however ensure the real or actual values or worth of each terminal based on the airports traffic figures and services rates,” Ojikutu said.

BABALAKIN’S EXPERIENCE

In a press conference last week, the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), Dr Wale Babalakin narrated his experience about airport facility concession and how his company developed the domestic terminal of the Lagos airport, known as MMA2 and reiterated that government does not keep to agreements.

Babalakin said he chose to go for the concession when Public, Private Partnership (PPP) was decided on and his company built the terminal and started operation in 2007, noting that since 14 years ago the terminal has remained the best in Nigeria.

“Then came a proposal for PPP, nobody has done one before, so it was plunging into the unknown. The guarantors did not have an idea, the group we represented had never done it before, the concessionaire was just taking a leap of faith. I just want to let you know that one of the most important things in infrastructure development is the rigour, the intellectual work in producing design. Nobody gave us the chance of completing this project (MMA2), nobody. I remember once or twice the Minister threatened

to cancel it, but when he was summoned, the only reason he gave was that it is not possible for anybody to finish it, that even a bank would sweat to finish it. And we said by the grace of God we would finish the project.

“We took our model from South Africa. South Africa finished the domestic terminal around 2003/2004. Since then that domestic terminal has been enhanced to an international terminal with a domestic wing, and it is still developing.

Nigeria is not moving forward. Whatever you see here (MMA2) is less than 30 per cent of what we planned. But unfortunately the bane of Nigerian development is that the regulator (FAAN) sometimes is the handicap to development. We finished this airport on the understanding that it will be the only domestic terminal in Lagos,” Babalakin said.

He expressed sadness that as part of the agreement was supposed to have the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), now known as Terminal 1 of the domestic facilities of Lagos airport. To his dismay, FAAN took the terminal and developed it and has been managing it since then.

“The worst thing that can happen to an entrepreneur is for your competitor to have government money and you have to generate every kobo. It is up to let the world know that it is totally unacceptable for a regulator to be competing in the same sphere; it is totally unacceptable. If you are a regulator, regulate.

But you can’t be competing when you have regulatory powers to hinder your competitor and you are still competing. As you all know, the case of the GAT, we had won the arbitration, we have won in the high court, and six court of appeal decisions were dismissed, and we have won in the supreme court; yet it has not been handed over to us. On a small note, you are being unkind to Bi-Courtney, but on a larger note, you are de-marketing Nigeria.

“Anybody who wants to invest in Nigeria, the first thing they are going to ask is to find out is what happened to the other concessionaires.

And if you are an international body and you find out that the resolution process produced a result that was ignored, you will not bring your money to that country. The investors you will find will be those who are cavalier, those who don’t have a very serious setup,” Babalakin who is a practicing lawyer said.

KEEPING TO AGREEMENTS

Babalakin said that the failure to keep to agreements would continue to be a sore point in Public, Private Partnership with the federal government.

He explained that this is because there would always be a disagreement on every deal signed and also recalled that under the agreement that approved BASL to develop MMA2, it was agreed that regional flight operations should emanate

from his terminal.

“We have been granted permission to start regional flights from this terminal. We have signed an agreement with government, till date there is no implementation of the agreement. All the airlines want to start regional flight from here. We have prepared everything, I believe about a third of this place (the terminal) has not even been used yet and it has never been opened, all preparatory for regional flight had been done.

Why are we unfair to the airlines? Why should an airline bring a passenger from Abuja to Lagos, and then because it wants to go to Ghana, it has to taxi to international terminal. The fuel cost for taxiing from here to international runway is enormous. We do this either because we don’t care or we don’t know. But gentlemen, we need to make the authorities know that it is only fair for us to commence regional flight from here,” Babalakin said.

But THISDAY checks revealed that domestic and regional flight operations cannot take place in the same terminal; unless there are clear-cut separation, whereby domestic passengers and passengers on regional destinations would not have a point of contact. Industry security experts said it is against the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations. However, Babalakin said that the terminal facility effectively separates the two types of travellers.

FEARS

But many industry stakeholders support the plan to concession the airports but doubt government’s sincerity.

The Chief Operating Officer of Tropical Arctic Logistics (TAL), Femi Adeniji said he is against airport concession because he is doubtful that government would do the right thing.

He noted that without the unions support for the concession they would eventually abort the concession agreements after commitments have been made.

“I am totally against the airport concession because the government interference would not allow this to work. They would not honor any agreement if executed and because concession works somewhere else does not mean it would work in Nigeria. A country where work ethics is very low, no dedication to work, customer service is seen as doing you a favor. The bottom line is the inexperience of any local organization on concession and the government sentiments of not allowing outsider to do the right thing would not help either.

“The unions would carry over the issues with FAAN and inefficient attitude to the new operator.

Concession would not work in present Nigeria. Lots of cleaning needs to be complied with prior: repairs of airport equipment such as boarding bridge, passengers lobby, toilets, luggage conveyor belts, lights around the airport terminals, airconditioning system, water leaks from the roof, roads around airport, parking lots operation, touts issues, security, luggage carts replacement etc. Aviation needs the right Minister that would turn things around, airports should give you a good impression of the country,” he said.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 07010510430

Chinedu Ikedieze: Building Legacy Projects, Touching Lives t"DUPS t&OUSFQSFOFVS t1IJMBOUISPQJTU

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ, ͰͮͰͯ

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COVER

Chinedu Ikedieze: Building Legacy Projects, Touching Lives Due to his small stature from birth he was faced with many challenges but today, he has become someone whom the world reckons with. With over 150 films to his credit garnered across two decades, Chinedu Ikedieze, alias Aki, has been soothing lives with undiluted comedy, building in the process, a huge reputation within and outside the continent. In 2010, he was honoured with the Member of Federal Republic and in 2017, the African Movie Academy also conferred on him a Lifetime Achievement Award. But beyond his acting prowess lies a prolific mind, an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Recently, he was in the news for several reasons- the sequel to the 2002 “Aki n Paw-Paw”, one of Nollywood’s highest-grossing comedy films; and signing a strategic partnership with one of West Africa’s leading strategic communications firms, C & F Porter Novelli. While reminiscing on his past in this interview with MARY NNAH, he touched on the present and hopes for the future Should we call you Chinedu or Aki?

C

all me whatever pleases you. Some call me Chinedu, others Aki, and yet others Efe as I currently star as Efetobore in the very popular family sitcom “The Johnsons”.

Tell us a bit about growing up and your educational background.

I was born in Abia State. Due to my size, my mother was mocked and advised to throw me away. She refused. Instead, she was determined to nurture me.

My primary and secondary education was in Aba in Abia State. I had a Higher National Diploma in Theatre Art and a degree in Mass Communications from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu (IMT). I actually wanted to study Law, but you know JAMB with cut-off issues so I was encouraged to do another course while rewriting it for Law. Along the line, I fell in love with acting and the rest, as they say, is history.

If you were not an actor, what other career would you have been in?

Besides acting or if I was not acting, I will be serving humanity, probably working with an NGO or with the United Nations. I resonate more with having a positive impact in people’s lives. Fortunately, I discovered very early that the two are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, acting is also philanthropic in a way as we help people cope with life through the three Es of education, enlightenment and entertainment. Also, acting provides a strong platform to touch lives through public visibility and connect. In any capacity, there will always be an opportunity to have a footprint on people’s lives. As that saying goes “where there is a will, there is always a way.”

What are the motivating factors that have fuelled you thus far?

I mentioned my mum’s story earlier. That’s a story that will be told in the fullness of time.

Let’s be frank: life in Nigeria is challenging and the only surviving anchor is the Almighty God and great people that He has planted in my life to encourage and support me through the storms of life. There are definitely ups and downs, you win some, and you lose some. But you have to be positive all through.

It was in the news that you have a strategic partnership with C&F Porter Novelli, what is the relationship about?

The news is very true! The partnership is a bid to further birth my passion to reality, taking steps beyond acting to create an avenue to touch lives and connect with my teeming fans all over Africa.

No, this is not Brand Ambassadorship and such. It is far deeper than that. With C&F, I am building my legacy projects and building my brand. The company’s approaches are very innovative and different. My team and I are excited at the opportunities they have created for me, and the impact it holds for many, many others, across Africa. There will be more details in the coming days.

You mentioned “touching lives”; how do you intend to do that?

Touching Lives is so dear to my heart; and I have been doing my little bit in various ways with my “widow’s mite”. Among others, C&F is taking that philanthropy to a more sustainable level.

Critically, looking at this, my team and I know that we must look for ways to address basic but sometimes fatal issues affecting vulnerable people. Because, the grace some people enjoy, others might not be privileged to get it. So, under my legacy projects, the issues of empowering those that are challenged in the society will

Ikedieze be addressed.

One proverb says “Don’t give people fish to eat, rather teach them how to fish”. But, there are lots more. So, all of you should stay tuned. All my social media platforms will provide updates from time to time.

Pardon my next question: is there a time that someone with similar physical stature asked for mentorship or any kind of help?

This is an interesting question! Anyways you are pardoned (laughter). To answer your question directly, yes. Numerous people have been and are still reaching out to me via different means – physically, through calls, dm’s, mails etc.

Most times, these categories of people you refer to have very touching stories. Some are even contemplating suicide before or when they reach out. Life is very challenging. Our economic situation makes it even more so.

Every day, they go through the stigma and frustrations of the current harsh economic situation. I have been supporting them

in my little capacity. Mental health and confidence are vital. If someone’s self-esteem is affected, every other aspect of life cannot be meaningful.

I am putting it out now, if you are reading this interview, never give up on life, get over people treating you badly and get back on track, keep moving again and look on the bright side of life. Some people are having it worse than you. Just don’t give up!

Like I mentioned earlier, I will be putting resources together with my valuable esteemed fans in a well-structured manner to reach out to these people and other vulnerable ones. The sole aim is to teach them how to create wealth and not be in a situation of self- pity, we grow together and “we rise by lifting others.”

What major productions are you currently in?

As you know, I am always in the midst of productions. There is a remake of “Aki n Paw-Paw”, it is almost ready. There is also a major web series we are working on. Of

In fact, acting is also philanthropic in a way as we help people cope with life through the three Es of education, enlightenment and entertainment. Also, acting provides a strong platform to touch lives through public visibility and connection

course, the legacy projects we are collaborating with C&F on need funds to execute, and the large part of the money will come from the productions’ proceeds and fans’ support. So, I urge my ever-supporting fans to watch and support the productions, so we can support others too.

Looking at the industry and society, what is the way forward?

You will recall that in the 2014 rebasing of our economy, the services sector, including Nollywood, contributed a sizable chunk that helped us overtake South Africa to become Africa’s biggest economy. It is a natural progression to then focus on expanding the industry with its huge potential. If I were President Buhari, I would set up a Ministry for Nollywood. Believe me. Don’t get me wrong, there is progress but we are still a long way off.

In the absence of that government action, some brands are taking the bull by the horn.

Businesses need to move out of their comfort zones and connect with the Nollywood brand.

The possibilities are endless not only within the country but even beyond the continent. We need to look inward, corporately and individually, to see how we can help each other by creating jobs, working towards self-sufficiency and self-reliance.

This is at the core of our partnership with C&F Porter Novelli. I can only say: watch out!

What would you want to be remembered for?

The characters played on the screen, the comic relief personality that reduced tension and brought laughter to people’s lives. More importantly, one that looked beyond himself and helped many up in life - that’s how I will love to be remembered.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ, ͰͮͰͯ

Paradigm Initiative Releases Short Film, ‘Focus’ Stories by Mary Nnah Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African social enterprise working to advance digital rights and inclusion in Africa, on October 20th released its latest short film titled “Focus” to the public on the YouTube platform where it can be accessed for free.

The release was preceded by a premiere on Thursday, October 14, which was attended by a rich and influential cast of prominent social and digital rights activists, journalists, policy makers, members of the diplomatic corps, social media influencers, and others.

Focus directed by acclaimed filmmaker, Tolulope Ajayi, and produced by Up In The Sky, a creative and production agency based in Lagos creatively explores and dramatises PIN’s 2020 annual digital rights and inclusion report dubbed Londa, which depicts the status of digital rights and inclusion in 20 African countries.

It follows PIN’s first and widely-regarded short film, Training Day, and marks a continuation of the organisation’s innovative trend to harness the power of storytelling in raising awareness on its research findings and spurring citizen-led actions on the protection of digital rights and government ac-

countability.

The newly-released short film Focus, especially accentuates the importance of citizen vigilance in confronting and halting the disturbing wave of restrictive policies enacted across several countries in Africa to constrict social spaces online, muffle speech, and subvert online mobilisation and democratic movements.

Its release on October 20, 2021, a date when last year the Nigerian government violently quelled the nationwide ‘ENDSARS’ protest against police brutality that received global attention with an attack on protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, has refocused attention on the state of online freedoms in Nigeria and the power of citizens to mobilize freely.

PIN Chief Operating Officer, Nnenna Paul-Ugochukwu said Focus is an exploratory way used by PIN to best impact the society through storytelling while spotlighting key issues plaguing the digital rights inclusion ecosystems, adding, “With this short film, we hope to inspire change and bring about radical thinking and adjustment”.

Twitter, the service that played a central role in how young Nigerians were able to mobilise and coordinate actions for the protest, remains inaccessible in Nigeria following a suspension enforced

by the government since June 2021.

Internet blockades and arbitrary bans, a continent-wide problem in Africa, formed part of the central theme of the short film as PIN presented options to citizens facing such repression on how to maintain access using tailored tools it

developed to boycott the blockades.

FOCUS also alerts citizens to means to identify and take collective actions against the subtle but increasingly desperate and broad-ranging plots by the government to slip through policies and other restrictive measures aimed at

limiting online freedoms and censoring speech.

With the support of The Kingdom of Netherlands, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and the United States Department of State, Focus continues Paradigm Initiative’s efforts to mainstream topical issues

using the medium of storytelling as a vehicle of social transformation.

The short film is available for free viewing on PIN’s YouTube channel @ParadigmHQ, in English and French versions to cater to audiences from the anglophone and francophone parts of Africa.

L-R: Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), Gbenga Sesan; female lead character in the short film, Focus, Genoveva Umeh and Chief Executive Officer, Up In the Sky, Oje Ojeaga, during the premiere of Focus Lagos

Design Week Lagos 2021 Holds Across the City of Lagos from October 21st This year’s edition of the Design Week Lagos (DWL), will take place in various venues across the city of Lagos from October 21 to 31, 2021 with the theme, “Design Revolution”.

Due to the limitations occasioned by the global pandemic, this year’s event will be tight and targeted, with more robust

digital components.

DWL is the leading design week on the African continent, conceived to present and celebrate the best in contemporary African design across categories while bringing international field leaders and visitors to experience the most exciting work from the region.

Founded by African Design Advocate, Titi Ogufere, DWL was first established in 2019 as a citywide celebration held in Lagos, Nigeria over 10 days, promoting creativity, innovation across disciplines, including architecture, industrial design, interior design, furniture design, graphics design, and

technology.

DWL is a growing annual celebration and convening, with core programs including a central exhibition showcasing new work from across the continent, an awards program, and a series of talks and lectures.

In addition to presenting new product design, DWL’s

program highlights and explores new pathways in manufacturing methods, illuminating ingenuity and information sharing so that a growing community of contemporary designers can better tap into a rich history of craftsmanship and unique material knowledge across the

continent.

The festival is committed to building a culture of innovation in Lagos and promoting the city as an international hub for design. DWL was created

by Titi Ogufere and Essential Media Group and is supported by the state government of Lagos.

Luli Concert’s Fifth Edition to Real Estate Firm to Tackle Traffic Deadlock on Lekki –Epe Expressway Connect Millions Globally

Luli Concert Team The fifth edition of the annual Luli Concert, an interdenominational gospel music act by various artistes and choirs in Nigeria, will be leveraging the power of worship and praise, to connect millions of Christians across the globe during an event scheduled to take place in Lagos on Saturday, October 23.

Organised by El-Berachah Worship Ministry, the concert this year is approached in a different dimension due to the restrictions that the government has put in place for safety as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore in view of the global pandemic and government’s health and safety regulations, this year’s concert will host a limited live audience and a broadcast to a global audience via streaming.

Speaking during a press

briefing in Lagos to announce the forthcoming event, the convener of El-Berachah Worship Ministry, Mr. Gbenga DanielAdebayo explained that this year, organisers would not be having the usual gathering where all worshiper come together at one huge venue.

He said this time around, it is going to be a limited audience in a moderate hall while all other worshipers across the world will have same experience through the virtual broadcast.

Daniel-Adebayo said further that beyond the annual concert, the ministry is also involved in community outreach and promotes healthcare through medical outreaches with its covenant partners.

The worship concert which debuted in 2016 has the theme,

“Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth”, for this year’s edition - a theme anchored on the scriptures Revelations 19:6.

Daniel-Adebayo stressed further that Luli Concert seeks to create a medium to promote God’s word, worship and intercede via praises for the nation.

“Despite the health, security and economic challenges plaguing not just Nigeria, but the entire globe, we need to emphasise that indeed the Lord God still reigns in the affairs of men”, he noted further.

Gospel ministers billed to perform at the concert include Sola Allyson, Yinka Alaseyori, Ajidara, Imoleayo Akin Adebayo, Kent Edunjobi, and Michael Harjovy amongst others.

Soon, people living in Sangotedo, Ajah Lagos and its environs will be afforded the privilege to easily access any part of Lagos State without the hurdles of going through the conventional vehicular movement and traffic deadlock that often occur on the Lekki- Epe Expressway.

This is subsequent to the partnership established between the Lagos State government and Thesaurus Garden Limited, a multinational Real-Estate firm, to run waterway transportation in the Sangotedo area of Lagos State.

Speaking during the launch of some projects at Thesaurus Drive, Sangotedo, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, the Managing Director of Thesaurus Gardens Limited, Mr Bolaji Olasode, said, “By our survey of the traffic deadlock along Lekki–Epe expressway, we notice that the traffic builds up from Sangotedo.

“So, we are partnering Lagos State Waterways Transportation Authority where they have given us approval for the construction of a jetty, which is in progress. So from this place people can access any part of Lagos State without going through the conventional vehicular movement.

“Right here in Sangotedo, we are opening up a water transportation system where we

have boats to transport people from Sangotedo to Victoria Island, Ikoyi and other parts of Lagos State via water. This will cut down on road traffic and makes those areas more accessible for people.

“Today we are unveiling the 500 metre road that was constructed by us and our partner, New Age Limited. That same road gives you access to the 1.5 kilometre road that we have built that takes you down to the Caribbean Lake City.

“So, we are unveiling Thesaurus Drives , which is off Lekki –Epe expressway and links you to Sun View and back to Caribbean Lake City. We are partnering with a sea food company, New Age Limited, on this project.”

Other projects commissioned alongside the road were the New Age Seafood Market and Thesaurus Gardens Aquatic and Marine Conservation Centre, a beautifully crafted lake from the Omu Creek to preserve varieties of aquatic animals that live in the water body, which surrounds Thesaurus Gardens Drive, from the Thesaurus canal to Omu creek.

Olasode who emphasised that the Lagos State Government has given his firm the approval as a boat rider and for operational of the jetty, added, “not only that, we also feel that in line with green evolution and

the United Nations advocacy for natural preservation, we are also using a stretch of our Thesaurus Gardens carnal for Aquatic and Marine Conservation Centre where we can preserve different kinds of animals that come from the Omu Creek to our waterways.

“There is also a land that is going to be the permanent site for the water transportation and we would at least initiate a Marine school where people can come and learn how to swim, power boats and also have all kinds of water sporting activities”, he noted.

Olasode explained that one of company’s core objectives is to make sure it provides affordable housing estate that would be world standard and also taking into cognisance the natural ambience, which is entirely different from most of the housing estate seen around in view of the waterway transportation and other complementary services that come with it.

The project he said has been supported by New Age Limited, adding, “Basically, one of our major sponsors has been the New Age Sea Food Market, they have been tremendous in providing counterpart funding for the road project and also we share the same philosophy while other sources of funding has been self-funding.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ, ͰͮͰͯ

E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

It’s the Season of Reality TV Shows Stories by Vanessa Obioha One of the key takeaways from the pandemic last year was that viewers love reality TV. The genre which often combines real-life situations played by real people with the dramatic effects of fiction offers not only escapism but an opportunity to address cultural and socio-political issues.

Reality TV is the most popular genre in the TV world, globally.

Franchises have been made out of it and people’s thirst for it since its launch in the 90s has not waned.

The reason for that is not far-fetched.

Reality TV shows, apart from their entertainment value, give us a different lens from which to view life by allowing us into the private lives of participants. We share in their joys and pains. Little wonder that stars have been born out of reality TV shows as fans invest emotionally, mentally and even financially to watch their favourite star on TV win, in cases of competitions.

Therefore, a dearth of reality TV shows could spell ennui for viewers.

This was evident last year when the world shut down and the entertainment industry was adversely affected. Most production houses and

BBNaija Mercy Eke has a reality TV show on DStv

studios packed up their bags or dug into archives to maintain relevance.

For MultiChoice Nigeria, the leading video entertainment company, while

the pandemic taxed their ingenuity, they pushed beyond the limits to keep audiences entertained through a series of programmes such as producing

the fifth season of the popular reality TV show Big Brother Naija.

The trend continues this year when again, the show shattered records by garnering over one billion votes for the sixth season.

Recently, ‘Mercy, What Next’, which is a follow up to the Mercy and Ike show that launched last year, made its way to the DStv channel, AM Showcase, every Sunday. This show sees Mercy Eke, Big Brother Nigeria (BBNaija) Season 4 winner, search for love, adapting to fame and the constant pursuit of her dreams.

DStv viewers will also discover what changed between Mercy and Ike and how she has consolidated on her success as the first female winner of BBNaija.

Another reality show, ‘Gulder Ultimate Search’ (GUS) made a return to the small screen after a five-year hiatus. This season features 18 contestants overcoming different obstacles to emerge as the ultimate winner of the season.

Partnering Nigerian Breweries Plc, MultiChoice Nigeria brings all the action to the viewers on the DStv and GOtv channels every weekend with a repeat during the week.

In addition to the other reality shows, ‘The Rush’ was birthed on

another DStv channel, Pop Central.

Like the Fear Factor, The Rush brings elements of adventure to the screen.

It’s an adrenaline-pumping and physically intense reality show.

16 contestants were selected after an audition process to compete in groups for eight weeks and engage in 39 meticulously designed intensive physical and mental tasks. The show will have dedicated task segments, contestants’ in-residence segment, diary room segment, host driver, and voice over to drive the story. Contestants will vote to eliminate each other weekly, while the viewers will vote to keep their favourites in. Contestants will also be able to earn immunity through various tasks during the weekdays.

The love and thirst for local reality TV shows is a testament to the power of African stories. The continent offers a different cultural worldview that not only highlights the diversity of its people but also the beauty and creativity of talents.

MultiChoice Nigeria takes pride in providing these stories as well as making stars out of ordinary people.

As Africa’s most loved storyteller, the company reiterated that it is dedicated to bringing shows that will continue to entertain and educate viewers.

The Residence Afrika to Celebrate Africa’s Diverse Culture For over two years, Africa Network Entertainment Limited (ANEL) pursued its dream to have a Pan-African reality TV show fervently. The group traversed different cities in the continent such as Kigali, Johannesburg, to find the right partners to share its vision with.

Now, plans are underway to make that dream a reality

by March 2022.

‘The Residence Afrika’, is the new reality show that will be birthing on different platforms globally next year. The format is a mixture of adventure, business and culture.

According to the Project Manager, Chuks Anyaduba, ‘The Residence Afrika’ strives to bring the diverse culture of Africa under one umbrella.

This, he said, will help curb the ethnic and political divides rocking many countries on the

L-R: Vice-Chairman and Director, The Residence Afrika, Jim Iyke; Chairman of Africa Network Entertainment Limited (ANEL) and Executive Producer of The Residence Afrika, Mr Kelechi Freeman Ukadike; Project Director, ANEL and The Residence Afrika, Melvin Oduah; Project Manager, The Residence Afrika, Mr Chuks Anyaduba; and businessman, Mr Fidelis Ofili on the red carpet at the launch party of the Reality TV Show in Lagos, Nigeria

continent.

“We want to create entertainment that is afro-centric and position us as the gateway to Africa,” he said.

Twelve African countries will be featured in the debut

season. The countries will have two representatives, a male and a female. Anyaduba said that the show wants to be very inclusive, thus, at the end of the season, two winners will emerge.

The contestants will live in two mansions in undisclosed locations and will participate in a couple of tasks that will determine their fate in the show.

ANEL’s Chairman and Executive Producer of The

Residence Afrika; Mr Kelechi Ukadike, hinted that a grand prize of $500,000 will be won at the end of the show.

“There is a possibility for the contestants to win more than $500,000 because they will all have the opportunity to showcase their knowledge, talents and business skills throughout the show especially during brand tasks”.

“We want to see winners emerge as businessmen,” added Anyaduba.

Veteran Nollywood actor and movie producer Jim Iyke who also serves as the ANEL’s Vice Chairman and director of the show announced at the launch party that the debut season tagged ‘The Quest’ will be aired in Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom.

To achieve this, the group disclosed that plans are underway to drive engagement and publicity via digital platforms globally. Organisers are also working on ensuring viewers can vote for their favourite contestants by purchasing credits via digital solutions like Paypal, Flutterwave and Bitcoin. Also, an app is being developed for the show. The Residence Afrika app which will be available on Google Play Store and the App Store will allow viewers to have direct conversations with the contestants and choose their star contestant of the week, every week of the show.

While audition dates are yet to be announced, the group assured that the reality TV show is open to Africans irrespective of status, gender and background.

Ghana Jollof Premieres on Showmax Simi Channels Kalakuta Spirit in ‘Woman’ The much-anticipated comedy-drama series from comedian Bright Okpocha popularly known as Basketmouth will premiere on Showmax today, October 20.

The series follows the lives of four men who chase greener pastures in Ghana.

In the first episode, we meet the characters at the University of Lagos where they are pursuing their academic careers but the inspiration behind their dreams vary widely.

For instance, the Ghanaian student Kweku played by James Gardiner came to the institution because of a lady.

For Romanus (Akah Nnani), his love for the institution is limited to the lofty reputation the university has enjoyed over the years, while Jasper (Funny Bone) is determined to leave the university with First Class because according to him, he came from an intelligent family. Nnamdi aka Namo

Iyke Bede

L-R: Basketmouth, Nnani, Gardiner and Arukwe

is a typical hustling young man who shows off with his fake designer clothes and accessories.

Two years after graduation, they are still jobless.

Ghana, it seems will have a better opportunity for them —particularly for Jasper and

Romanus — than the bustling city of Lagos. The series also stars Basketmouth, Buchi, Jocelyn Dumas, Mawuli Gavor.

Jacinta Ocansey among others.

The show is the latest original from the Showmax and new episodes will be aired weekly on the platform.

Before the release of the visual to Simi’s latest single ‘Woman’ on Friday, October 15, the soul singer — born Simisola Bolatito — championed the #NobodyLikeWoman challenge that highlights the nuanced inequalities and prejudices faced by the female gender in society.

The social media challenge had actor Adesua Etomi, Tonto Dikeh, and Temi Otedola; dancer Kaffy; and reality television star Mercy Eke partake in it. In bold text graphically inscribed on their skin or background, they relayed the stigma they had or are still experiencing.

Lyrically, ‘Woman’ covers most of these sensitive topics succinctly. The lyrics which touch on marriage, motherhood, independence, and submission, conveys clearly what Simi set out to achieve

Simi

— empowering women and educating society on the importance of building women to rise above objectification.

Adopting the will and tenacity that marks legendary Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti’s musical career, Simi interpolates instrumentation, and emphatic lyricism of the classic yet charismatic pieces, ‘Shuffering and Shmiling’ and ‘Water No Get Enemy’.

Although the impact of the

lyrics is felt through the use of nostalgia and activism, it is the visuals that help animate the words. Thriving on Kalakutaesque fashion, she launches in a fierce manner that’s unlike anything she’s done in the past. Adorned with fineries that have roots in different African cultures, Simi is seen in full commando mood, charging on with an army of tribal dancers who exhibit an almost perfect choreography.

Famed for her love songs or those that tend to tilt toward relationships, Simi seemingly is breaking new grounds using her songs as a mouthpiece for society’s underdogs. A mother herself, the concept of ‘Woman’ and the accompanying campaign was well thought through to not only showcase her strengths and passion as an artist but will now serve towards building a repertoire needed to establish her legacy through activism.

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ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Bature Brewery Hosts Felabration, Shows Off with New Beer

Native Media Partners NRC for a Train-set Movie

The newly-bornVictoria Island cluster of Felabration concert hosted by the indigenous micro brewer, Bature Brewery was a seven-day rollercoaster of Afrobeat music, face painting heightened by the smooth-taste of the limited edition pink beer christened‘Shakara.’Yinka Olatunbosun reports

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n Lagos, Felabration returned this year with zest. After the virtual 2020 edition, all eyes were on the 2021 edition which bred new clusters of the music concert in Lagos. One of them was hosted by Bature Brewery in Victoria Island. The wooden interior of the bar offered a measured physical distance, thus allowing concert buffs to party safely. Overlooking the bar is the brewery which has transparent doors that reveal the all-silverware unit where the indigenous craft beer from Bature is made.

Asides the traditional venue and cultural hub, Freedom Park, Bature Brewery was just the right place on Victoria Island to savour the live performance ofAfrobeat without the interference of the disturbing sound of vuvuzelas. Furnished with good lighting and sound equipment, the venue drew new audience for Felabration while celebrating the legendary musician and pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

To evoke the spirit of Fela and his music, Bature Brewery launched a limited edition craft beer, ‘Shakara’ with a pink colour on the night that had as lead headliner, Dede Mabiaku. The famed Fela protege has always been an advocate of ‘Buy Africa, think Africa, Be original.’ These are underlying brand attributes for Bature brand which seeks to promote African beer culture.

Elizabeth Ashiru, the Food and Beverage Manager for Bature Brewery spoke on how the brewery had been supporting Afrobeat music prior to Felabration 2021.

“At Bature Brewery, we like to think of ourselves as a community for creative minds.

Fela is an embodiment of these things. Since we opened, we have done a few art events and artists have come to showcase their art.

Every last Friday of the month is dedicated to Afrobeat where we bring Afrobeat bands. So, we felt like Felabration is the next level and we want people to experience Felabration in our spot,’’ she said.

Bature Brewery was first launched in 2018 in Abuja but officially opened its Lagos brewery in March 2021. With ingredients locally sourced and made, the brewery had raised the bar in

Rogers Ofime

Yinka Olatunbosun

Head Brewer, Bature Brewery, Bayo Ijasan at Felabration 2021

beer craftsmanship as it taps from Taraba coffee and dried roselle plant flowers (zobo) to make this show-stopping brew called Shakara.

“We had a brew previously that is known as Shakara Zobo Ale. But we wanted to make beer for Felabration in limited edition. Next year, we are going to do something else. Once it is sold out, you have to wait till next year to get another Felabration –inspired beer,’’ she revealed.

With headliners such as Bita Kola, Eko Electro, Wura Samba, Bature’s Felabration was the toast of the expatriate community, amongst others on the island who also relished the pinky beer with the lip-tickling foam head.

The Head Brewer, Bature Brewery Bayo Ijasan

explained the rationale behind the craftsmanship of the Shakara beer.

“We don’t plan to release it fully right now so it would be limited edition for Felabration but subsequently, maybe after the festive period, we might brew it gain. We like to create an iconic beer. Fela was someone that stood out in his lifetime. To brew this beer, we added zobo to give it that pinkish colour. It is a beer that stands out and we made it very drinkable, not so bitter nor is it too alcoholic. We want it to appeal to every beer lover. We call it ‘shakara’ because it ignites curiosity, and it is named after Fela’s song ‘Shakara’ which means show off. It is a show-off on our part that we can do a pinkish beer,’’ he said.

Ameh Egwuh Reimagines Afterlife in New Solo Show Yinka Olatunbosun For the young painter, Ameh Egwuh, contemplating the afterlife forms a preoccupation for his latest body of works at Rele Art Gallery, Lagos titled ‘Fantasies of The Other Side.’ The current global social reality occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic has made the subject matters of life-death and the afterlife inevitable on the canvas. But instead of casting a gloomy perspective on these, Egwuh reimagines the afterlife as a place of bliss and merry in this show which kicked off on October 17.

The show had a warm reception in Los Angeles, California earlier this year when it was first launched. The Lagos show is created as a continuation of the visual dialogue on mortality and transcendence. Evolving from the place of personal grief, the works emerged from the artist’s curiosity about what happens when people die. Having lost his father, he understood what it means for the living to be connected or disconnected from the dead.

“I think what connects you to someone you’ve lost is the love you have for them. Even if the person is a member of your family, if there’s no love, there’s virtually no connection between you and that person. So, when the person finally leaves the world, it doesn’t feel like a part of you have left. The apple in this work symbolises love,’’ he said pointing at the apples used as installation. The apple motif

One of the works at the exhibition

in the collection amplifies the theme of love.

The graduate of Delta State University started his career as a full-time studio artist in 2017.

On the heels of a creative boot camp at Rele Art Gallery, he started developing his works fueled by fantasies. In 2020, Egwuh’s work was shown at FNB Art Joburg and South South Veza. His debut solo titled Life After Life opened at Rele Gallery in Los Angeles earlier this year in April.

In the piece titled ‘Still with You,’ Egwuh superimposes the world of the living on the imagery of the dead.

“This is a picture of my dad, my elder brother and my dad is late. It is a blend of the world of the living and the dead. It is a metaphysical space not a real place. I believe we can reach out to him and he hears us,’’ he said.

While many may consider the theme of death as dark, Egwuh seeks to eliminate that stereotypic interpretation of death with his use of acrylic.

“The whole idea of this exhibition is to

eliminate the idea that the afterlife is dark.

I don’t want to have a dark experience in the afterlife. I want the afterlife to be happy. That is why every single painting you see here is bright.

When you walk into this space, you don’t feel like you have come to see paintings that are about death. The idea of the show is to eliminate that fear,’’ he argued. Religion has also played a huge part in his belief system. Though a self-professed Christian, he rejects the concept of judgement after death. Interestingly too, he rejects the belief in hellfire- taught as a place of torment after life in popular doctrines. The series, ‘Fantasies on the Other Side’ imagines new worlds rooted in varied beliefs of the afterlife across several cultures. The artist explores reincarnation, ancestral veneration and nothingness by juxtaposing memory with continuity, the living and the dead.

Other pieces at the show include ‘Communion of Ancestors,’ ‘Absolute Peace and Quietness,’ as well as ‘Infinite Rest I & II.’ The show runs till November 27.

A 1:20minutes movie titled ‘Conversations in Transit’ is set to change the status quo for film setting in Nigeria. Produced

by Native Media in collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the romantic drama is set on an 8am train from Lagos to Ibadan. The production company behind this one-of-a-kind flick had produced popular movies such as ‘Oloibiri,’ ‘Voiceless’ as well as television series such as ‘The Johnsons,’ ‘Hotel Majestic’ and ‘The Mystic River.’

Directed by Robert Peters, the movie highlights themes such as love, betrayal, abuse and forgiveness. The producer, Rogers Ofime expressed his delight at this movie project starring Richard Mofe-Damijo, Rahama Sadau and Uzee Usman in the lead roles.

“Conversations in Transit is a love storya story I fell in love with from the first hello with the script,’’ he said. “This is one beautiful story and I will like to tell it so bad and tell it to the right people.’’

‘Conversations in Transit’ is based on a short story from Ummi Aisha Baba-Ahmed developed into a screenplay by Writers Ink Concepts- that is the duo of Temitope Akinbode and Diche Enunwa. The pair had been writing together since 2015 and had co-written screenplays for movies including ‘Namaste Wahala,’ ‘Thin Line,’ ‘Cold Feet’ and ‘When Love Happens.’

“Conversations in Transit was initially a short story. The producer sent the story and we made a feature film out of it. We got involved in the lives of three couples and the challenges within which they live. The entire drama starts and ends on the train. It happened within a few hours. We took the train to Ibadan and actually experienced the ride and when we returned, we were ready to write,’’ Enunwa explained.

The duo was nominated for the AMVCA in the best screenplay in comedy category in 2015. Akinbode revealed how their partnership in writing began. “We are friends. We attend the same church and we have worked together in church. We wrote scripts for stage plays in church. When we wrote the first script, ‘When Love Happens,’ which was our first film that went on the big screen, it was just natural to continue working together,’’ she said.

In his remarks, Engr. Fidet Edentalen, Managing-Director, NRC, represented by Mr. Niyi Ali, Director of Operations, expressed his excitement at the project which shows the development in the Nigerian Railway sector in good light.

“NRC is open to any project that demonstrates the development of the sector.

A lot of trending music videos are done on our railway facilities. The NRC has always supported the arts in Nigeria and will continue to do so,’’ he said.

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CSOs, Others Kick against Water Privatisation in Lagos Sunday Ehigiator Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) alongside Labour Activists on the platform of the ‘Our Water Our Right’ movement, have called on the Lagos State government to reject all forms of corporate control of water and privatisation of water services, including any form of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the sector.

The groups made this call recently through a petition to the Lagos State Government through the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Tunji

Bello, after a protest march to mark the commencement of the Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation which is billed for 11 to 15 October 2021.

The groups include the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), and the Joint Action Front (JAF), among others.

The protest march which culminated in the delivery of the petition started at the Marwa Gardens with activists chanting solidar-

Schneider Electric in Universum’s Top-25 World’s Most Attractive Employers Leading digital transformation, energy management and automation company, Schneider Electric, has been recognised by Universum as one among the top 50 global employers.

The company, for the first time, ranks as 24th most attractive employer for engineering students - a testament to Schneider Electric’s culture in cultivating positive work and life balance for employees.

Universum, a global employer branding company, conducts the world’s largest research study on talent career expectations. Each year, the company carries out its annual survey of engineering students from the world’s 10 largest economies.

This year’s results which was announced in partnership with Business Insider and other prominent media, globally, is a strong indication of Schneider Electric’s commitment towards attracting and supporting young talents for the future.

Reacting to the assessment, Senior Vice President, Talent and Diversity for Schneider Electric, Tina Mylon, while expressing delight at the result, noted that the company is passionate about granting students early career boost and providing them an opportunity to work with the organisation.

“We’re proud to be included in the Top-25 for the World’s

Most Attractive Employers by Universum. It’s meaningful to see how the 200,000+ engineering students view Schneider Electric, especially when it comes to work and life balance. “ We love giving students and early career talent opportunities to get involved with our organisation and we’re delighted to be recognised as an employer of choice,” she stated.

In another development, Schneider Electric, which was recently named the World’s Most Sustainable Corporation in 2021 by Corporate Knights, in collaboration with software partner,AVEVAhas announced the launch of Schneider Go Green 2022, its annual student competition to find the latest bold ideas in digital and sustainable innovation.

With Schneider Electric committing to providing 2 x the number of opportunities for interns, apprentices and fresh graduate hires by 2025 as part of its Schneider Sustainability Impact Q2 2021 Report, Go Green provides students with the chance to present their ideas to top industry leaders and receive mentorship from experts and professionals, along with considerations for job opportunities with Schneider Electric and other firms, along with the chance of winning prize worth up to 10,000 Euros.

ity songs and displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Water is not Deal”, “World Bank Stop Pushing Water Privatisation or PPP on Africa”, “World Bank, Take your hands off our water”, etc.

In a speech at the premises of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi said the decision to deliver the petition to the state government was informed by the body language of the government which seems to favour privatisation at a time when there was a growing Afro-wide resistance to privatization.

In the petition to titled, ‘Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation

- Uphold Human Right to Water’, the group said that it was worried that the Lagos State Government was yet to present its blueprint on how to develop the water sector that will guarantee universal access to the people of Lagos and that comments from some government officials indicate that there was a fixation with the idea of water privatization and the Public Private Partnership (PPP).

They noted that experiences from cities where water has been privatised showed rates hike, job losses, low water quality, shut offs and ultimately government thrown into perpetual debts.

“Most of these cities have embraced remunicipalisation, another word for taking back water from privatis-

ers and putting it where it should be, under public and democratic control. Buenos Aires, Berlin, Ghana, Gabon, Jakarta, Paris, Tanzania, and lately Cameroon are some examples to note.”

The group therefore demanded that the Lagos State Government must reject all forms of water privatisation and fulfil its obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil the human right to water for all people by prioritizing robust public investment, ensuring meaningful public participation in water governance, and enshrining the human right to water in law.

The likewise asked the state government to respect and protect the livelihood of workers by ensuring safe working conditions,

protection from retribution for raising complaints, and investment in salaries and pensions reflective of the public service the workers undertake every day.

They also want the state government to resist pressure from international financial institutions, private water corporations, and other financial actors to commercialise the water sector and, instead, ensure universal access to safe water regardless of the ability to pay.

“To prevent a revolving door or conflict of interest, the state government must prohibit public officials from holding positions in the private water industry for 10 years preceding and after their tenure in the public sector.”

Civil Society Organisations and Activists during a protest at the Lagos State Ministry of Environment

Obi Restates Commitment to Better Health Sector FCTA Urges Girls to Act as Bridge of Reconciliation as He Invests in Health Institution Similarly, he stressed the of strong, dependable, strongOlawale Ajimotokan in Abuja In line with his constant support for the critical areas of national development, Mr Peter Obi, the former Vice Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, he has again invested N2 million to St Joseph’s Hospital and St Joseph’s School of Midwifery, Adazi-Nnukwu, for the upgrade of their health services.

Obi made the cheque presentation to the Proprietor of the Hospital and Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor, at the hospital premises over the weekend, while reiterating the critical contribution of the health sector to the development of any nation.

Addressing the student

nurses who gathered to receive him, Obi reminded them that their job was a call to greater service to humanity. He encouraged them to remain open to their educational and moral formation, so as to achieve a brighter future for themselves and build a better society for all.

“Nursing is a very noble profession, and so are other health workers.

Our nation, and indeed, the world needs you. There is projection that the world will need more 10 million nurses to fill in the gaps in the global health sector by 2030.

“The Nursing Council of Nigeria reports that there are 250,000 registered nurses in Nigeria, a country of 200 mil-

lion people. You can now see the severe shortage of nurses already being witnessed in Nigeria and do your best to make positive impacts, while we continue support you”, Obi said.

Appreciating Obi for his magnanimity, Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor commended him for his consistent crusade for a better society. He prayed God to continue to bless Obi and give him a bigger platform to touch more lives positively.

Present at the event were Director of Health Services, Awka Diocese, Rev Fr Felix Efobi; Administrator of St Joseph’s Hospital, Rev Fr Jerome Okafor; staff and students of St Joseph’s Hospital and St Joseph’s School of Midwifery.

The FCT Administration has urged girl child to strive to heal and build bridges of reconciliation, mutual understanding, equity, fairness and justice that is fast eroding.

The acting Secretary FCTA, Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Dr Kevin Ike, gave the advice during the 2021 International Day of the girl-child celebration, organised by the Helpline Foundation For The Needy in Abuja.

He enjoined the girls parliamentarians to aspire to become the change they want to see by speaking with one voice against social injustice, sexual and Gender Based Violence as well as the abuse of the girl child.

Ike was represented by Malam Muktair Mohammed, the Head, Revenue Unit of SDS.

need for the girl child to explored and find positive use of the social media and internet to get their voice heard and always make their point.

He urged girls to use the social media and internet to champion the cause of of the girl child unto her liberation, protection and achievement of their full potential.

“Use it in addressing domestic violence whenever you see one and so make your neighborhood saner than you met it. There is a place in the history of mankind for you to make great marks before leaving planet earth; do not therefore, take it lightly,” Ike said. Earlier, the Founder and President, Helpline Foundation For The Needy, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, advocated for the foundation of a generation

willed and innovative women, be laid from now in the hearts of young girls.

She said the Helpline Foundation recognises this and has taken it upon itself to bring them out in a forum like this periodically for them to meet with accomplished women from all fields to inspire them. “ We should be mindful of the fact that we all have a role to play in the physical and mental development of our girls if they must grow up to be strong women. “ If we want them to be able to stand up and speak up for themselves in the face of bullies, sexual opportunists, teacher-female student oppression and other environmental challenges as the girl child is prone to face,” Ahmadu said.

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Mustapha: Ilorin Gets New Turaki Rahem Adedoyin

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lorin, the capital of Kwara State and the seat of the Emirate is agog today as one of its illustrious sons, Mallam Saliu Mustapha , is turbaned the new Turaki of Ilorin.

Royalty, ( led by His Royal Majesty, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu Gbari, CFR), the political clan (led by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR), Kwara State Stakeholders( led by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq), Captains of Industry, and the ordinary folks, will converge first, at the Emir’s palace for the turbanning and later at the Kwara State Banquet Hall, Ilorin for the reception.

Turaki Saliu Mustapha (TSM) is a close ally of President Buhari; he is the former Deputy National Chairman of Buhari’s defunct political party , the Congress For Prigressives Change (CPC). He is a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

TSM is stepping into a famous and celebrated traditional shoe. Turaki is a very special senior title in Ilorin Emirate and indeed, in Northern Nigeria. It is bestowed on a respectable individual whose outstanding contributions to the development of the Emirate is unquestionable.

Turakin is like a Minister of Business or Finance in the Emirate. He represents the Emir in whatever the royal father wants the title holder to represent him.

The stature of some individuals who had occupied the Turaki seat underscores the significance of that title. Turakin Adamawa, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (GCON) and late Dr. Olusola Saraki, a political collosus and Stateman, best exemplify the weight of the Turaki title.

Their remarkable philanthropy, political sagacity and common touch (community development) stood out Oloye and Atiku as Turakin.

Oloye’s son, former Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki (CON) took over as Turakin Ilorin when his father became Wazirin Ilorin.

The younger Saraki was elevated to Wazirin after oloye’s death.

SM is taking over from ABS as Turaki.

The appointment of SM as Turakin Ilorin apparently took many by surprise. He does not have the visibility of a Saraki or an Atiku.

But apparently, the Emir made his choice based on Mustapha’s legendary philanthropy and impactful contributions to the development of Ilorin Emirate.

But despite his taciturn nature , TSM is a remarkable personality. His personae can be defined by his character, his philanthropy and his politics.

I got an insight into his personae during a recent sit-down with him.

Mustapha is a practising muslim who had an early christian education.

He was born and brought up in Kaduna.

He calls himself a “special specie” for being a Northern Muslim who went to christian missionary schools for his primary and secondary education.

He attended catholic school, first at St. Ann, in Kaduna and then the famous St. Bartholome also in Kaduna where former head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) GCFR, had his primariy education.

For his secondary education, it was also first at a catholic school, St. John, Jos where he took christian religious knowledge (CRK) as a compulsory subject, got an insight into the teaching of the bible and participated in Mass.

“It was fun back then”, he recalls with nostalgia.

Mustapha returned to Kaduna to complete his secondary education and then attended the famous Kaduna Polytechnic for his tertiary education where he studied Mineral resources and engineering.

TSM is a successful business man. He started business very early in life with vehicle importation. He is now a big-time importer and exporter.

His unobstructive nature is a model for his business: no noise, no celebrity exposure.

The same model he applies in business, he has tried to apply in politics. But as a rising political star, his visibility has become national and adequately recognized.

Mustapha In politics, TSM does it big. He enjoys his status as a progressive politician, seared by late Gani Fawehinmi and progressive heavyweights like Chief Olu Falae, late Senator Waziri Mamud, a presidential adviser to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo( GCFR) whom he served under.

Mustapha was variously publicity secretary of Dr. Ezekiel Ezeogu’s Progressive Libration Movement (PLM); was a member of Fawehinmi’s Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and funded the legal luminary’s legal’s exploits that brought about the liberalization of the registration of political parties by the national electoral commission.

Mustapha was in the All People’s Party (APP) which was rebranded into the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and made wave with it’s fielding of Buhari as presidential candidate in 2003.

But Mustapha is best known for his roles in Buhari’s defunct CPC. He was,

at very young age, the Deputy National Chairman of CPC who was instrumental to the formation of the APC in 2014. He led the CPC to the legacy party. CPC’s National Chairman, late Prince Tony Momoh was on medical trip abroad and Mustapha as his deputy, signed on behalf of CPC, the merger document that was deposited with INEC for APC’s registration.

TSM is in the limelight for his ambition to become APC’s National Chairman.

He is not a political heavyweight in the Nigerian sense, having not occupied elective executive or legislative offices as his competitors (Former Governors, Former and current Senators) have done.

But good for him, he doesn’t carry the baggage of some of these heavyweights.

He is the youngest aspirant and exhumes vibrancy.

If elected as APC National Chairman, TSM says he will promote party’s internal democracy, instil party discipline and

bridge the gap between the older generation and the restive youth generation.

Aspirant Mustapha is not relying solely on his close relationship with PMB to clinch the APC top position;, he is campaigning vigorously, reaching out to the leaders and stakeholders that are garmane to realizing his aspiration.

TSM was the cynosure of eyes at last Saturday’s APC State Congress in Ilorin. Seated with Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Turaki got a loud ovation when introduced to the delegates.

Obviously, TSM hopes to get political mileage from his turbaning as Turaki today and he has a message for his peers, the youth: “You can’t give what you don’t have. Get involved. The youth can’t sit on the fence. With my participation in politics and my aspiration, I should be able to connive them that it is the right thing to do, to get involved in politics. it is an inspiration for me.”

Congratulations, Turaki. t"EFEPZJO JT B KPVSOBMJTU BOE "1$ $IJFGUBJO

Triple Anniversary as Stakeholders Celebrate Edmark, ED2E and D’Podium in Lagos Raheem Akingbolu Edmark Group of Companies continues to make its mark in Nigeria with its mission of helping people succeed in health, wealth and total well-being.

The company recently celebrated another milestone as its MLM business reaches its 12th Anniversary held jointly with ED2E Nigeria’s 3rd Anniversary and D’Podium International Event Centre’s 3rd Anniversary.

Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Bien Wa-

panio said, “Our Nigerian Edmarkers are quick-adopters and supportive advocates of Edmark’s initiatives.

“Whether it’s MLM event or its sister companies’ project, our distributors and clients are consistently driven and we are glad to be celebrating our 12th year here

in Nigeria.”

In the midst of the growing health concerns related to COVID19, the COO pointed out that Edmark remains driven in helping the Nigerians to assuage this pandemic condition with its health products and by providing opportunities to everyone.

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POLSCOPE #End SARS Protests: One Year After, What Has Changed?

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Canticles….

From Goronyo to Owerri, the Killings Continue

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think the federal government has literally drawn the line on the ground for these so-called bandits and if they dare cross the line, they will meet their waterloo.

Which line has been drawn? When and where was it drawn and by who?

Are you not aware that the federal government has sworn that the killing of over 43 persons at the Goronyo market in Sokoto State is the very last? You didn’t hear the stern warning of the Federal Government against the bandits who just stormed the market and shot sporadically, unprovoked, and killed the said 43 poor persons right on the market ground?

Mr President was so deeply angry that he has sworn now that such dastardly act will not be tolerated again and that it is the very last outing of the bandits.

Usman Akali Baba---the Inspector General of Police

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True to their promise, the youths, last Wednesday, trooped out in their numbers, especially in Lagos and Abuja to mark the one year anniversary of the #EndSARS protest, despite the strong police warning to the contrary. The Lagos Police Commissioner, Akeem Odumosu had modified his earlier warning that the protest must not take place at all. By Tuesday night, he has shifted a little—to say car procession will be allowed but that there will be no stopping at any point to address either the crowd or make any speech.

Across board, the Police were yet talking tough, almost seeming to say they learnt nothing (in terms of relating with the people) from the wild protests of last year.

Do the police not know that the right to protest is inalienable? What many thought would happen is to see a friendlier police force that has obviously learnt a thing or two from the #EndSARS protests, which was essentially a protest against the brutality of the Police force.

The concern of many Nigerians is to assess whether or not the Police have changed from their evil ways after that national opprobrium against them last year.

Perhaps the harassment may have stopped on the streets. But there is yet a standing suspicion between the Police and the youths.

Too often, the police still believe any young man or lady driving in a luxury or modern car is simply a “Yahoo-Yahoo Boy” or “Yahoo-Yahoo girl”.

Yes, mindless and arbitrary arrest of young men, simply because they wear dread-lock hairs may have stopped, the Police are yet to believe that there are legitimate and genuine hardworking young men and women in Nigeria.

The Police are still in the business of extorting money from Nigerians on the highways. Some could be so desperate and even escort offenders to an ATM machine to make withdrawals for them.

I cannot readily say anything has changed, save the harassment on the streets. Even when they hang bold posters on the walls of police stations that Bail is Free, they still collect huge amounts for bail, no matter how trivial or heavy the offence is. The heavier the offence, the heavier the cost of Bail. As the French would say, Rien Change!

Sadly, what Nigerians have gained in reduced police harassment is now being lost to the charged viciousness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)--- a co-efficient of the police force-- which seems to be ridiculously chasing after every big spender in town. The joke was made recently of a man threatening to report his neighbor to the EFCC for daring to buy four tins of Sardine at a go, as it is deemed over spending and that the person is likely to be a money launderer The way and manner of arrest of some of the protesters, last Wednesday clearly suggests that not much was learnt from the protests of last year in which 56 police officers were attacked and killed, with 132 police stations destroyed and burnt across the nation. Some of such police stations have not been rebuilt.

A protester was granting interview to a TV House and he was arrested. What is the offence

in granting an interview, when you did not even bother to check or hear what is being said? Some journalists were molested and harassed. Others were arrested and later released.

The Police, at almost all times, betray poor orientation and a strong proclivity to abuse their powers.

The Police have a duty to protect protesters and ensure they remain peaceful. But quite often, the police, in the name of hoodlums’ tendency to hijack public protests, deny Nigerians the right to protest.

It is the failure to do this that resulted in the heavy traffic gridlock that Lagosians experienced last Wednesday, especially around the Lekki tollgate, the epicenter of the protest last year.

Yes, it is true that hoodlums and miscreants often crash into protesters and sometimes either turn it into orgy of violence or turn it to opportunity to loot. Yet, the police have an abiding duty to ensure that such hoodlums are kept at bay from peaceful protesters by ensuring that genuine protesters are given the cover they require from the police.

It is instructive that many of the judicial panels set up across the country to review cases of police brutality and even wanton killings have wound up their sittings. The Lagos panel recently wound up its sitting. It is not certain yet what their recommendations are. However, lots of damages and compensations have been awarded and recommended. What is not sure is whether concerned persons have complied with the verdict and order of the Judicial panels.

Nothing will assuage the nerves of those whose loved ones were killed unjustly. What has happened to those killer policemen? Are they still in the Force? Would they be sanctioned and prosecuted?

Nigerians want to know. Unless and until such firm actions are taken against those who abused the privileges of being a police officer, it would appear that nothing has been learnt from the #EndSARS saga.

Indeed, many of the tales narrated by the victims of police brutality and wanton killings are as vexatious as they are tear-evoking. The memories are still fresh and bitter. Those who lost their loved ones are bound to feel eternally bad and nurse a hatred for the police force.

Surely, the police have not weaned itself of the excesses that give it a bad name and image.

In all, the federal government should concern itself with the issues that triggered the wild protests, many of which are still plaguing the Nigerian Youths. Perhaps the biggest of them all is the lack of employment opportunities. Nothing is as frustrating as having obtained requisite education and literally just sit down “wasting” at home. Both the young man or lady and his or her parents cannot be happy. Despicable as it may be, I dare say that it is the absence of legitimate employment opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths that is fueling the so-called Yahoo-Yahoo tendencies.

Nigerian youths are not lazy. They are energetic, creative and determined to work and earn decent living. Government should not only provide jobs, they should also create the enabling environment that can meaningfully engage the youths, the fabled hope and leaders of tomorrow.

Really? So, Mr President is really that angry? So, what if another killing happens?

What will he do? Will he join the soldiers to comb the Sokoto forests, the dwelling place of the bandits? Hey, how many times has the presidency given such empty threats and nothing happened? Or are you saying that this is the first time the presidency has issued such empty threats and the killings continued and nobody said anything?

And, come on, was it not after such harsh threat that the killing of Imo monarchs took place last Tuesday? Or was the threat and warning only for the bandits in the north west?

What was the offence of the Imo State monarchs who gathered to meet and discuss the issues besetting them, including security concerns, as to warrant gunmen storming the venue of the meeting and again, shooting sporadically into the midst of the monarch and killing two or three of them? Between last Tuesday when the dastardly act took place and today, what action has been taken to rein in the gunmen?

The Security agents are working on the cases. They will surely live no stone unturned in an attempt to arrest those behind the mindless and ungodly killing of innocent traders and monarchs. Just wait. Very soon, you will hear that those goons have been arrested and they will face the wrath of the law.

I can assure you that the security agents will not see any stone at all, let alone leave it unturned.

That is not fair. Our security agents are good at uncovering crimes and their perpetrators. Trust me, you’d soon hear they all have been nabbed, both those mindless killers in Goronyo market and the disgruntled killers in Owerri. They all will soon have their day with the laws of the land.

Well, the worry is that we have heard all such promises countless times in the past, without corresponding actions and experiences.

Don’t forget there is a new sheriff in town.

Which Sheriff, which town?

Don’t you know there is a new Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor with a new set of service chiefs, all working round the clock to crush the security menace in the country? Haven’t you seen the effect of their works?

Is it people who have been appointed far more than a year ago that you are calling new sheriffs? Come on, sit down and calculate the number of persons that have been killed by bandits, Boko Haram, kidnappers and other violent criminals since these your new sheriffs came to town and you will see that not much has changed.

That’s very unkind. You should acknowledge that so much has been done.

Yes, so much remains undone, but indeed, the security situation has greatly improved. Just early this week, over

Gen Lucky Irabor

50 bandits were killed by the military troops in Kaduna, with the aid of the Nigerian Airforce. Or did you not hear that the dreaded Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader was killed last May? That over eight thousand Boko Haram members have repented and surrendered to the federal troops? Do you think it is a joke? Don’t you know it is because the terrorists are seeing that the fire on them this time is not like before, hence they are surrendering? Imagine the Boko Haram fighting force losing 8,000 men, is that not the end of that battalion? If you are honest and observant, you will acknowledge that the activities of the Boko Haram members have drastically reduced in recent times. And that is the work of the new sheriff in town, whether you admit it or not.

Boko Haram, depopulated, then Bandits lionized, and all leading to more and more deaths. Whether the death is caused by Boko Haram, or by bandits or even by the ubiquitous “unknown gunmen”, all die na die! Too much blood is yet flowing on the streets. We are terrified as a people. That is the point we are making.

You can be sure that the team that is fast neutralizing the Boko Haram squad will also and surely banish the bandits from our land and also rein in all violent criminals of any type and hue. Trust me.

All that is required is some patience and more importantly the co-operation of all. Valid information should be given to the security agencies and in no time, all such criminals will, ALL, I repeat, ALL, be smoked out of their holes, no matter how deep.

With the TUCANO fighter jets, the end of the criminals is near, provided America should withdraw those silly conditions for the use of the TUCANO fighter jets.

So, if the new sheriffs are going to depend on the ‘bloody civilians’ to get information on where the criminals in town are hiding, what then is the role of the Intelligence Agencies, like the DSS, DMI, and all such secret police formations? Where have they been? Where were they before the bandits planned the Goronyo attacks? Where were they before the unknown gunmen planned the Owerri attack on monarchs? Where were they before all the atrocities in town have been happening?

And pray, why is America giving conditions on how and when to use the TUCANO fighter jets? Didn’t we fully pay for the jets?

If yes, what then is their business on how we use it to fight our enemies? How can they sell a goat and refuse to release the rope by which the goat was tied? Or would it not be a shame that even after spending so much to buy the TUCANO fighter jets, that we are still being ravaged by low-brained criminals?

All hands must be on deck. And let us believe that all shall be well with Nigeria.

41

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FOREIGN DESK

COMPILED BY BAYO AKINLOYE

Barbados Elects First-ever President Barbados has elected its first-ever president as it prepares to become a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth as head of state.

Dame Sandra Mason, 72, is set to be sworn in on 30 November, which will mark the country’s 55th anniversary of independence from Britain.

The first woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals, Dame Sandra, has been governor-general since 2018.

The government announced the plan to move to a republic status last year.

It said “the time [had] come” for Barbados to “fully leave our colonial past behind”.

The change had already been recommended by a constitutional review in 1998.

The historic election came after a joint session of the House of Assembly and the Senate on Wednesday. Prime Minister Mia Mottley described the vote as a “seminal moment” for the nation.

With a population of about 285,000, Barbados is one of the more populous and prosperous Caribbean islands. Once heavily dependent on sugar exports, its economy has diversified into tourism and finance.

late Wednesday when an improvised explosive device hit them, the military’s media wing said in a statement.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but suspicions immediately fell on the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban.

Bajaur and surrounding Pakistani border districts served as strongholds of the banned militant group until recent years.

TTP, also designated as a global terrorist organisation by the United States and the United Nations, has claimed responsibility for killing thousands of Pakistanis in bombings and other attacks since the group’s emergence in 2007.

The Pakistan military has carried out sustained operations against TTP bases, killing thousands of fighters and forcing others to take refuge on the Afghan side of the border. The operations led to a decline of more than 80% in terrorist attacks across Pakistan in the past few years.

Hindus flee Indian Kashmir as Militants Slaughter Civilians

A suspected drone attack hit an outpost in southern Syria on Wednesday that is used by US forces.

Captain Bill Urban, a US Central Command spokesman, called the attack “deliberate and coordinated.”

“Based on initial reports, the attack utilised both unmanned aerial systems and indirect fire,” he said.

US officials said there were no American injuries or deaths.

The attack happened at the Al-Tanf base located in Syria near the border with Iraq and Jordan.

This month, a series of militant killings of civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir has prompted members of the region’s small Hindu minority to leave the area for fear of further attacks on their community, some residents have told VOA. “Those who say none of us left [Kashmir] after October 8 are lying,” said Abhay Koul, 24, referring to the date on which he said some families started to depart his gated community of local Hindus, known as Pandits, in the Sheikhpura neighbourhood of Budgam district.

Eleven civilians have been fatally shot by militants since October 2, according to local authorities. The total includes two Pandits, four non-Kashmiri Hindu migrant workers, one minority Sikh, one Muslim migrant worker and three local Muslims.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an Islamist militant organisation believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-eTaiba, claimed responsibility for most attacks.

The Associated Press reported that TRF claimed in a social media post that it was targeting people working for Indian authorities. Koul said most of the apartments inside the Pandit compound were empty following the targeted killings.

Bomb Blast Kills 5 Pakistan Soldiers

The Pakistani military said that a bomb explosion in northwest Pakistan along the Afghanistan border had killed five security personnel.

The three paramilitary soldiers and two police officers were conducting a “cordon and search operation” in Bajaur district

Drone Attack Hits US Troops Base in Syria

UN: Boko Haram Weakened, but Remains a Threat

A top UN official for central Africa recently visited the Lake Chad Basin to assess living conditions in the area.

Years of attacks by Boko Haram have left much of the infrastructure there in ruins.

Francois Lounceny Fall, the UN Secretary General’s special representative in central Africa, says attacks by the jihadist group have diminished over the past five months.

Fall says the UN is mobilising the international community to support the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional military alliance, as it fights against the extremist group for lasting peace to return. He says he is visiting Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger to assess ways to start rebuilding and focus on reducing poverty.

Those four countries contribute troops to the MNJTF, along with Benin.

Fall said the UN Development Program

is raising funds to build roads linking Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad to facilitate the movement of people and goods. He said the UNDP is also helping villagers to plant trees.

The UN reports that a majority of the estimated 40 million people in the Lake Chad Basin live in poor conditions, partly due to Boko Haram’s attacks.

UN Condemns South Sudan Security Crackdown

A United Nations rights commission in South Sudan says the government is harassing activists, journalists, and families, limiting their activities, and targeting their work and finances.

In a statement of “concern” issued this week, the United Nations Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan said the pattern of harassment is impeding the already slow pace of achieving peace among feuding factions and stifling public opinion crucial to achieving democracy.

“Civic space in South Sudan is eroding at the accelerating pace, undermining efforts to achieve a sustainable peace,” said Yasmin Sooka, the commission chairwoman. The government slammed the statement, with a spokesman saying the commission was spreading untruths, The commission blames government security officers for a continuing crackdown that has forced some prominent activists to flee the country.

South Korea Launches First Domestic Rocket

South Korea’s space agency launched its first domestically built rocket into space Thursday but failed to put its 1.5-ton dummy payload into orbit.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) provided video of the 47-meter rocket, known as the Nuri, or world, blasting off and climbing into the sky from the Naro Space Center, the country’s lone spaceport on a small island off its southern coast.

South Korean Science Minister Lim Hye-sook told the Associated Press that the rocket‘s first and second stages separated properly. The third stage ejected the payload – a block of stainless steel and aluminium – 700 kilometres above Earth.

But she said launch data suggested that the third stage’s engine burned out after 475 seconds, about 50 seconds shorter than planned, failing to give the payload enough speed to stabilise in orbit.

South Korean President Moon Jaein, who was at the launch site, still described the test as an “excellent accomplishment” that takes the country a step further in its pursuit of a satellite

launch programme. He said the space agency plans to conduct as many as five more test launches, with the next set for early 2022.

Space launches have long been a sensitive issue on the Korean peninsula, where North and South Korea are technically still at war.

Australian Police Offer A$1m Reward for Missing Girl

Australian authorities are offering a A$1m ($750,000; £540,000) reward for information on the whereabouts of a four-year-old girl they fear may have been abducted from a remote campsite, says BBC. Cleo Smith was last seen sleeping in her family’s tent at the Quobba Blowholes coastal camp in Western Australia early Saturday morning.

Her mother said she discovered the tent open later that morning and the girl missing, along with her sleeping bag.

Teams are searching by air and sea.

“Someone in our community knows what happened to Cleo,” Western Australia Police commissioner Col Blanch told a news conference on Thursday.

“Someone has the knowledge that can help - and now there are a million reasons why you need to come forward,” he said.

US Surgeons Test Pig Kidney Transplant in Human

US surgeons say they have successfully given a pig’s kidney to a person in a transplant breakthrough they hope could ultimately solve donor organ shortages, the BBC reports.

The recipient was brain-dead, meaning they were already on artificial life support with no prospect of recovering.

The kidney came from a pig that had been genetically modified to stop the organ from being recognised by the body as “foreign” and being rejected.

The work is not yet peer-reviewed or published, but there are plans for this.

Experts say it is the most advanced experiment in the field so far.

Similar tests have been done in nonhuman primates, but not people, until now.

Using pigs for transplants is not a new idea, though. Pig heart valves are already widely used in humans.

And their organs are a good match for people when it comes to size.

During the two-hour operation at the New York University Langone Health medical centre, the surgeons connected the donor pig kidney to the blood vessels of the brain-dead recipient to see if it would function normally once plumbed in or be rejected.

42

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

43

44

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ OCTOBER 22, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Senators Disagree With BoI over Loans’ Beneficiaries, Decry Meagre Allocation to SMEs Deju Elumoye ËØÎ Juliet Akoje ÓØ ÌßÔË Members of Senate Committee on Industry, has disagreed with the Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Olukayode Pitan, over the disbursement of the bank’s loans to beneficiaries across the country.

The BoI boss had appeared before the Committee on Industry for interactive session on 2021 budget during which he claimed the bankdidn’t know the loan beneficiaries, but the destination of the loan.

According to him, the loans are secured through bank guarantees provided by commercial banks on behalf of the beneficiaries, which then forward the money to the beneficiaries.

Pitan’s submission, however,

infuriated the trio of Senators Adamu Bulkachuwa, Christopher Ekpenyong and Danjuma La’ah, who claimed they were in dark about the activities of Bank of Industry in their respective senatorial districts.

According to Danjuma, “I don’t know what is going on with Bank of Industry activities in my Senatorial district.”

Ekpenyong too lamented that most of his senatorial district members were unable to access loans from Bank of Industry, adding that Union Bank and United Bank of Africa (UBA) did not give bank gurantee to his people.

On his part, Senator Bulkachuwa said, “The MD/CEO, you made comments while trying to answer my questions on the distributions of loans to

beneficiaries. You actually said you were not in the position to know, exactly where these loans are going to, with regards to the geopolitical areas of the country.

“Does it mean that the Bank of Industry in knowing where the loans are going to and the actual beneficiaries are located in the country? We are interested in knowing where those loans go to.

“You, the giver of the loan should be more interested in the loan and where each kobo you give out is going and which part of the country is benefiting.

You should be able to know. You should not leave it for the commercial banks to handle alone.

Our interest is to know how the bank of industry is performing its duty in terms of ensuring that industries are spread across the country.”

MARKET INDICATORS

Hike in Cost of Sales Plunges UPDC Loss to N1.04bn Darasimi Adebisi UPDC Plc continued to sink in losses following its hike in cost of sales and credit loss expenses that eroded profits in its unaudited result and accounts for nine months ended September 30, 2021.

The company’s unaudited result and accounts on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) Tuesday showed a loss before tax of N1.04billion for nine months ended September, 30, 2021 from N3.2 billion loss before tax reported in nine months of 2020.

The institutional property company reported loss of N1.18billion in nine months of 2021 from N3.38billion loss reported in nine months of 2020.

Despite reporting increase in

revenue, the company’s significant increase in cost of sales and N342.7million credit loss expenses dragged its performance in the period to losses and it might affect return on investment and appreciation in stock price.

As revenue rose by 34.2per cent to N614.74million in nine months of 2021 from N458.26million reported in nine months unaudited result and accounts, Cost of sales rose significantly by 111.3 per cent to N529.4million in nine months of 2021 from N250.5million reported in nine months of 2020.

The company’s management in October reaffirmed its commitment to putting smiles on the faces of its shareholders by giving them value for their investment.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of UPDC, Mrs Folakemi Fadahunsi, had said the firm intends to start paying dividends to shareholders, though after improving the cash flow.

She explained that: “UPDC’s half-year performance reflects the anticipated impact of the company’s internal restructuring on performance.

“We were able to record a significant reduction in its finance cost for the first half of the year and the full effect of our management’s refinancing initiatives is expected to be fully reflected in the full-year result following the success of our bond repayment in April 2021.

“We will try to improve cash flow and ultimately start paying dividends to shareholders.”

Tunisian-based Start-up Wins ATU ICT Competition A Tunisia-based organisation, Startup Tunisia, has won the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Innovation Challenge 2021.

Startup Tunisia, which offers grants and provides technical guidance to startup innovators, has, in two years, supported 550 startups as well as startup support organisations through providing a supportive policy environment, investments and capacity building.

According to a statement, the firm claimed the $10,000 top prize and was conferred the, ‘2021 ATU Best Ecosystem Practice Enabling Youth ICT Innovation in Africa.’

The competition, launched by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in partnership with Huawei, also saw Tanzania’s Coding Clubs, Mentorship and Incubation initiative by Apps and Girls, and the ICT Innovation Programme of Zambia’s ICT Authority emerging the second and third in the competition respectively, taking home $5,000 and $2,500.

The former has empowered over 34,686 girls with problem-solving and coding skills, improved their academic performance in ICT and other

STEM-related subjects and led to 69 businesses being set-up.

The latter has successfully commercialised 30+ Start-ups, created 100+ jobs and worked with 15+ local partners.

The event further recogniSed seven additional best practices by ecosystem stakeholders across Africa.

Announcing the winners in the virtual awards ceremony, ATU Secretary General Mr. John Omo affirmed the Union’s commitment to inspiring the creation of an ecosystem in Africa that supports the development of homegrown solutions to local challenges.

Emerging Africa Graduates Executive Mentees Emerging Africa Capacity Building (EACB), the human capital development arm of the Emerging Africa Group ( EAG), a frontline African investment banking franchise, has graduated its first set of C-Suite mentees whilst also inducting the next set.

EACB provides value-adding learning and development services in areas guaranteed to support personal and professional growth, and advancement of businesses through provision of human resource (HR) services that enables business leaders focus on core objectives. According to the company, it hosted a combined graduation and induction

ceremony of one of its flagship programme, the Executive Mentorship Programme, a three-month hybrid programme, birthed following an assessment of the critical gap that exists in the professional journey of most individuals. The programme is intended to chart a path for accelerated career and business progress of executives, business heads and entrepreneurs.

Coordinated by Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, EACB, Mrs. Abimbola Shopeju, the programme had in attendance, distinguished dignitaries such as Chairman, Emerging Africa Group, Mrs. Nike Onikepo

Akande , mentors and special guests including:Company Secretary, Julius Berger Group, Mrs. Cecilia Madueke; Executive Director, Investment Bank, NOVA Merchant Bank, Mrs. Funke Okoya; Co-founder and CEO, Purple Group Mr. Olaide Agboola; directors of Emerging Africa Group; GM/Head, Corporate Finance, North South Power Company Limited, Mr. Kolapo Joseph; CEO, Mainstream Cargo Limited, Mr. Oluseyi Adewale. Graduands and inductees from Canada, the United Kingdom and other states outside Lagos, participated virtually.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

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

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

45

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Investors’ Interests in BUA Cement, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Africa Drive Stock Market by N237bn Darasimi Adebisi The Nigerian equities market yesterday closed transactions on a bullish note extending the positive sentiment to two consecutive trading sessions, as market capitalisation grew

by N237 billion.

The market positive performance was driven by price appreciation in large and medium capitalised stocks which are; Airtel Africa, BUA Cement,

Nigerian Breweries, MTN Nigeria Communications (MTNN) and Nigerian Exchange Group.

In summary, the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) AllShare Index (ASI) expanded by 454.40 basis points, representing a rise of 1.10 per cent, to close at 41,704.11 basis points. Similarly, the overall market capitalisation value surged by N238 billion to close at N21.764 trillion.

Performance across sectors was broadly positive as all sectors

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R

DEALS

under our coverage - Industrial Goods (+2.2 per cent), Insurance (+1.6 per cent), Consumer Goods (+1.5 per cent) and Banking (+0.2 per cent) – save for the Oil & Gas (-0.4 per cent) index recorded gains. Resultantly, the market breadth closed positive, recording 23 gainers as against 18 losers.

Cutix recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent to close at N5.50, per share.

Nigerian Exchange Group followed with a gain 9.79 per

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

cent to close at N23.55, while Consolidated Hallmark Insurance appreciated by 9.09per cent to close at 60 kobo, per share.

Nigerian Breweries went up by 7.41 per cent to close at N51.45, while BUA Cement appreciated by 6.12 per cent to close at N72.00, per share. On the other hand, The Initiates Plc (TIP) led the losers’ chart by 8.51 per cent to close at 43 kobo, per share. Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals followed with a decline of 4.86

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

per cent to close at N1.76, while Universal Insurance lost 4.76 per cent to close at 20 kobo, per share.

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) shed 3.61 per cent to close at N3.47, while Unity Bank and Royal Exchange depreciated by 3.51 per cent each to close at 55 kobo each, per share.

The total volume of trades declined by 56.7 per cent to 216.195 million units, valued at N3.381 billion, and exchanged in 4,272 deals. Transactions in the shares

O F

of FBNH topped the activity chart with 51.915 million shares valued at N628.328 million. Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) followed with 20.02 million shares worth N143.691 million, while Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) traded 14.646 million shares valued at N14.974 million. Access Bank traded 13.034 million shares valued at N124.228 million, while Fidelity Bank transacted 12.481 million shares worth N34.160 million.

2 1 / 1 0 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

46

FRIDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

Friday, October 22, 2021 Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index fell Roseby97bps 14bps The dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďLJ ϭϰďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ dŚŝƐĚĂLJ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞdž ƌŽƐĞ ϵϳďƉƐ ƚŽ ϭ͕ϳϲϮ͘ϱϱ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

at 1,674.89 points due points to buying due interest to sell-pressure in AIRTELAF on ZENITH (+1.3%), (-0.6%), BUWAPCO (-1.3%), ACEMENT (+6.1%), andand UBA MTNN (-0.7%). ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͘ ThesedŚĞƐĞ stocksƐƚŽĐŬƐ cumulaĐƵͲ

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

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ASI The up Bulls 11bps Sustain as DANGCEM Dominance...

Gains ASI3.3% up 1.1%

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂLJ͕ buying Yesterday, ƉƌŝĐĞ interest ƵƉƟĐŬ in BUACEMENT ŝŶ (+6.1%), ,KEz&>KhZ MTNN (+9.8%), ĂŶĚ ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ E' D AIRTELAF;нϯ͘ϯйͿ͕ (+1.3%) ĂŶĚ sustained & E, bullish (+0.7%) perforbolstered ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ŽŶ the local bourse as the ŵĂŶĐĞ ƐƉƵƌƌŝŶŐ Ă ϭ͘ϭй ĂƉƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůů-Share index AllShare ƚŽ ϰϭ͕ϳϬϰ͘ϭϭ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ >ŝŬĞǁŝƐĞ͕ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ŐĂŝŶĞĚ index rose by

Ticker

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,762.55

0.97%

770.00

1.3%

28.6%

72.00

6.1%

10.5%

-6.9%

29.00

-2.0%

8.4%

-10.4%

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 BUA Cement Plc 3 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC 5 Dangote Cement PLC 6 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC

11bps േϮϯϳ͘ϭďŶ ƚŽ േϮϭ͘ϴƚŶ ǁŚŝůĞ zd ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚ ƚŽ ϯ͘ϲй͘ to 39,550.36 points. ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ ŝŵͲ

8 Lafarge Africa PLC 9 Access Bank PLC

proved dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ to -1.8%ǁĂŶĞĚ whileĂƐ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƌŽƐĞ ĨĞůů ďLJ

10 United Bank for Africa PLC 11 FBN Holdings Plc

േϮϯ͘ϰďŶ ƚŽ ϱϲ͘ϳй ĂŶĚ േϮϬ͘ϲƚŶ͘ ϯϯ͘ϰй dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ǁĂƐ ŵŝdžĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ƚŽ Ϯϭϲ͘Ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ േϯ͘ϰďŶ͘ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ďLJ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ Ϯϭ͘ϲй ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ƚŽ ϭϭϬ͘ϴŵ ďLJ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ǁĞƌĞ FBNH value ƚƌĂĚĞĚ (51.9m ƌŽƐĞ units), ďLJ ETI ϴϴ͘ϱй ;ϮϬ͘Ϭŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ ĂŶĚ TRANSCORP ƚŽ േϯ͘ϭďŶ͘ The most traded(14.6m stocks units) by volume whilewere AIRTELAF dZ E^ KZW ;േϳϮϮ͘ϮďŶͿ͕ ;ϭϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ FBNH ;േϲϮϴ͘ϯŵͿ͕ & E, (11.1m ĂŶĚ MTNN ƵŶŝƚƐͿ͕ ;േϰϱϴ͘ϰŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘ ĂŶĚ K E K ;ϳ͘ϯŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ E ^d> ;േϮ͘ϮďŶͿ͕ E' D ;േϭϰϱ͘ϬŵͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;േϭϯϰ͘ϴŵͿ ůĞĚ ďLJ ǀĂůƵĞ͘ Bullish Sector Performance WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ Bearish Sector Performance sectors within our coverage was bullish as 5sectors indices under gained our whilecoverage, 1 index lost.

The Industrial Across performance was Goods ůĞĚ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ͕ Ϯ͘Ϯй ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ďƵLJŝŶŐ bearish ŝŶĚĞdž as 4 indices lost, 1ƵƉ index gained ǁŚŝůĞ ƚŚĞ &Z-/ d ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ ŝŶ h D Ed ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͘ dƌĂŝůŝŶŐ͕ ƚŚĞ Insurance ŝŶĚĞdž ƌĞŵĂŝŶĞĚ ŇĂƚ͘ dŽƉƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ůĂŐŐĂƌĚƐ ĂƌĞ ƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵŵͲ and Consumer indicesindices, advanced 1.6% 4.6% and 1.5% er 'ŽŽĚƐ ĂŶĚGoods Insurance down and ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŝŶ E D ;нϱ͘ϬйͿ͕ ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĮƚ-ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ŝŶ E ^d> ( ,/W> ;нϳ͘ϰйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 9.1%), ;нϵ͘ϭйͿ͕ hE/> s ZE/' Z/ E (-3.5%), Z t Z/ ^ >/E< ^^hZ (-6.4%), E'^h' Z ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ AFR-ICT and ĂŶŬŝŶŐ and D E^ Z ;нϮ͘ϯйͿ͘ (-Ϯ͘ϮйͿ͘ ^ŝŵŝůĂƌůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ Kŝů Θ 'ĂƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶŬͲ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ƌŽƐĞ ĂŶĚ Ϭ͘Ϯй ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ŽŶ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ing indices fellϭ͘Ϯй by Ϭ͘Ϯй ĂŶĚ ϮďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůLJ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůůƉƌŝĐĞ ƵƉƟĐŬ ŝŶ (-0.8%), DdEE E/d, ;нϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ /Zd > & ;нϭ͘ϯйͿ͕ d/ ŽīƐ ŝŶ K E K (-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ 'd K ;-Ϭ͘ϮйͿ͘ ;нϮ͘ϭйͿ͕ ĂŶĚ h E ;нϭ͘ϬйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŇŝƉ ƐŝĚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ Oil & Gas ŽŶǀĞƌƐĞůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞdž ǁĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶĞ ŐĂŝŶͲ index lone loser, down 0.4% to extended seller, was up the1.8% driven by dueprice appreciaŽī ŝŶ K E K ;-1.8%). ƟŽŶ in E' D (+3.3%).

Ϯϯ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ϭϴ ĚĞĐůŝŶŝŶŐ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ͘ stocks CUTIX ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘ϯdž ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ ĂƐ Ϯϰ (+10.0%), while NGXGROUP (+9.8%), and MRS CHIPLC (+9.1%) led advanced 15 stocks declined. (+9.9%), MAYgainers while NEIMETH (-4.9%), UNIVINSURE and BAKER (+9.8%), and HONYFLOUR (+9.8%) (-4.8%), led gainers NAHCOABCTRANS (-3.6%) led(-8.3%), the laggards.

In today͛s seswhile LASACO (-6.7%),trading and LIVEƐŝŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ Ă ƉƵůůďĂĐŬ ŽĐĐĂƐŝŽŶĞĚ ďLJ ƉƌŽĮƚ-taking STOCK (-4.8%) led losers. Yesterday, we expect the market ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͘ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ŵŝdžĞĚ͕ ĂƐ earnings season gradually ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ winds up.

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

ROE

ROA

P/E

P/BV

5.6x

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

20.1%

76.3%

15.0%

3.5%

-9.6%

-9.6%

12.3%

4.4%

0.8x

5.2%

ot Applicable

2.1%

14.4%

-6.9%

19.1%

11.2%

34.6x

6.5x

-10.4%

24.8%

3.9%

4.4x

1.1x

10.3%

22.6% 29.7%

2.9%

24.95

0.0%

6.8%

0.6%

0.6%

21.8%

2.9%

3.4x

0.7x

12.0%

0.0%

6.9%

14.3%

14.3%

44.7%

17.5%

14.1x

6.1x

6.0%

7.1%

174.00

1.2%

5.0%

2.4%

2.4%

143.0%

12.4%

14.0x

17.7x

6.0%

7.1%

1,405.00

0.0%

3.7%

-6.6%

-6.6%

143.5%

17.1%

28.5x

48.8x

4.3%

3.5%

24.90

0.0%

4.0%

18.3%

18.3%

9.9%

7.1%

11.2x

1.1x

4.0%

8.9%

9.50

0.0%

3.2%

12.4%

12.4%

18.3%

1.5%

2.5x

0.4x

8.9%

39.2%

2.3x

0.4x

6.6%

43.6%

10.6%

1.0%

5.6x

0.6x

3.7%

17.7%

14 International Brew eries PLC 15 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC 16 SEPLAT Energy PLC 17 11 PLC 18 Okomu Oil Palm PLC

8.35

0.0%

2.6%

-3.5%

-3.5%

12.10

-0.8%

4.2%

69.2%

69.2%

51.45

7.4%

1.9%

-8.1%

-8.1%

5.6%

2.2%

43.1x

2.4x

1.8%

2.3%

39.50

0.0%

2.1%

4.6%

4.6%

17.4%

2.1%

8.5x

1.3x

10.3%

11.7%

-11.4%

-4.5%

4.85

0.0%

1.3%

-18.5%

-18.5%

29.30

0.0%

1.2%

12.7%

12.7%

720.00

0.0%

1.8%

79.0%

0.0%

19 Fidelity Bank PLC 20 Ecobank Transnational Inc 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC 22 FCMB Group Plc 23 Sterling Bank PLC 24 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria 26 Presco PLC 27 Unilever Nigeria PLC 28 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 29 United Capital PLC 30 Guinness Nigeria PLC 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance 32 AIICO Insurance PLC 33 TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeri 34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Wema Bank PLC 36 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 37 Oando PLC 38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 39 Beta Glass PLC 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

79.0%

0.9x

-13.2%

0.7x

5.6%

3.1%

1.7%

19.0x

0.6x

5.7%

5.3%

-100.0%

125.40

0.0%

1.1%

37.8%

37.8%

37.4%

23.6%

9.3x

3.2x

5.6%

10.8%

2.72

-1.1%

0.8%

7.9%

7.9%

12.7%

1.2%

2.4x

0.3x

8.0%

42.3%

7.30

2.1%

0.8%

21.7%

21.7%

1.5%

0.1%

24.2x

0.3x

18.00

2.3%

0.6%

2.3%

2.3%

25.6%

12.1%

6.9x

1.6x

8.3%

14.4%

4.1%

3.15

0.0%

0.5%

-5.4%

-5.4%

1.52

-0.7%

0.3%

-25.5%

-25.5%

8.9%

0.8%

3.8x

0.3x

3.3%

15.50

0.0%

0.4%

6.9%

6.9%

20.7%

5.9%

15.5x

3.1x

2.6%

6.5%

1.02

0.0%

0.4%

13.3%

13.3%

-1.3%

-0.3%

0.6x

1.0%

-2.1%

89.00

0.0%

0.4%

25.4%

25.4%

2.2x

2.2%

13.20

0.0%

0.2%

-5.0%

-5.0%

-4.2%

-2.7%

1.2x

5.40

0.0%

0.2%

1.9%

1.9%

4.8% 26.1%

-3.6% 4.6%

9.20

-3.2%

0.4%

95.3%

95.3%

2.1x

7.6%

29.20

0.5%

0.3%

53.7%

53.7%

1.7%

0.8%

50.6x

0.9x

1.6%

2.0%

7.85

0.0%

0.3%

34.2%

34.2%

24.7%

7.5%

3.9x

0.9x

7.0%

25.9%

21.6%

3.3%

4.0x

0.4x

0.93

1.1%

0.2%

-17.7%

-17.7%

193.00

0.0%

0.2%

48.5%

48.5%

25.50

0.0%

0.2%

44.7%

44.7%

18.3%

2.4%

5.1x

0.75

1.4%

0.1%

8.7%

8.7%

11.7%

0.7%

1.0%

0.0%

-100.0%

7.5%

-1.8%

0.2%

32.7%

4.91

32.7%

25.3%

6.1x

2.1%

16.3%

0.8x

1.6%

19.5%

4.3x

0.5x

5.3%

23.5%

0.9%

5.6x

0.6x

5.0%

14.5%

2.6%

2.1x

0.3x

5.4x

0.7x

62.50

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

-38.7%

-9.5%

52.95

0.0%

0.1%

-4.4%

-4.4%

12.8%

8.7%

5.97

0.0%

0.0%

65.8%

65.8%

17.9% 47.3%

2.1x

-21.2% 2.0%

18.4%

1.0x T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e

T o p 10 G a i n e r s T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

C UT IX

5.50

10.0%

FB NH

51.9

-0.8%

23.55

9.8%

ET I

20.0

2.1%

0.60

9.1%

T R A N SC OR P

14.6

0.0%

NB

51.45

7.4%

A C C ESS

13.0

0.0%

B UA C EM EN T

72.00

6.1%

F ID ELIT YB K

12.5

-1.1%

R ED ST A R EX

3.35

5.7%

UB A

11.3

0.0%

N EM

2.10

5.0%

N GXGR OUP

8.2

9.8%

P R EST IGE

0.45

4.7%

UA C N

6.5

0.5%

CHA M S

0.23

4.5%

Z EN IT H B A N K

6.2

0.0%

4.3%

UC A P

5.9

-3.2%

C H IP LC

Investor ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďLJ ďLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ ƚŽ ϭ͘ϯdž ĨƌŽŵ ϭ͘Ϯdž ĂƐ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ͕ ƐĞƩůŝŶŐ Ăƚ 1.6x

Price Change Index to Date

280.00

12 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

N GXGR OUP

Investor ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ

Price Previous Current Change Price YTD Weighting Change

Current Price

F T N C OC OA

0.48

T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s P ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

N EIM ET H

1.76

-4.9%

A IR T ELA F R I

722.2

1.3%

UN IVIN SUR E

0.20

-4.8%

FB NH

628.3

-0.8%

NA HCO

3.47

-3.6%

M TNN

458.4

1.2%

UN IT YB N K

0.55

-3.5%

N GXGR OUP

192.8

9.8%

R OYA LEX

0.55

-3.5%

Z EN IT H B A N K

153.7

0.0%

M B EN EF IT

0.28

-3.4%

N EST LE

145.5

0.0%

T ic k er

P ric e C hg %

NP FM CRFB K

1.75

-3.3%

ET I

143.7

2.1%

UC A P

9.20

-3.2%

A C C ESS

124.2

0.0%

H ON YF LOUR

3.70

-2.6%

GT C O

94.2

-2.0%

J A P A ULGOLD

0.45

-2.2%

UB A

94.1

0.0%

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com

Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

Damilare Asimiyu| dasimiyu@afrinvest.com

47

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021• T H I S DAY

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 20Oct-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 163.36 164.80 0.92% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 7.86% Nigeria International Debt Fund 317.24 317.24 -15.98% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 106.37 107.40 2.97% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.16% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.30 3.36 -4.27% 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 8.65% Anchoria Equity Fund 140.04 140.04 5.29% info@anchoriaam.com Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.13 1.13 -14.71% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 20.52 21.14 13.14% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 447.53 461.02 11.78% ARM Ethical Fund 39.47 40.66 17.08% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 -0.96% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.98 0.99 -5.92% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.20% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 106.85 106.85 5.05% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,044.67 1,044.67 4.47% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.07 2.07 -4.84% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.22 2.27 3.43% mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.03 1.03 4.00% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.21% Paramount Equity Fund 17.32 17.64 8.30% Women's Investment Fund 141.39 143.05 6.25% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.63% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 124.10 124.94 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 109.29 109.29 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 8.59% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.23 1.24 2.37% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.42 1.42 -10.44% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 7.34% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 8.07% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,167.37 1,186.80 1.42% assetmanagement@emergingafricafroup.

EMERGING AFRICA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web:www.emergingafricagroup.com/emerging-africa-assetmanagement-limited/, Tel: 08039492594 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Emerging Africa Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.92% Emerging Africa Bond Fund 1.03 1.03 2.39% Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund 1.12 Emerging Africa Eurobond Fund 103.88 FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price FBN Bond Fund 1,432.24 FBN Balanced Fund 196.73 FBN Halal Fund 113.67 FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 FBN Dollar Fund (Retail) FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund

127.32 172.98

1.12 11.77% 103.88 3.84% invest@fbnquest.com Offer Price 1,432.24 198.09 113.67 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn 11.46% 4.82% 9.28% 9.09%

127.32 4.03% 175.44 14.42% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.98 1.70

Offer Price 1.00 3.98 1.74

Yield / T-Rtn 6.57% 2.92% 11.69%

1.19

1.19

5.01%

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 Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.55% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.89 2.95 1.09% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 154.18 154.46 -0.85% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.27 1.32 1.22% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.06 1.06 4.52% 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 12.02 12.12 15.00% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 10.35% enquiries@norrenberger.com NORRENBERGER INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.norrenberger.com, Tel: +234 (0) 908 781 2026 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Norrenberger Islamic Fund (NIF) 100.36 100.36 7.02% Norrenberger Money Market Fund (NMMF) 100.00 100.00 7.42% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM EuroBond Fund N/A N/A N/A SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 135.23 139.58 10.38% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.06 1.06 10.11% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,406.44 3,442.38 6.06% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 233.96 233.96 4.05% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.28 1.30 9.32% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 309.30 309.30 4.97% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 235.25 238.83 7.81% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.45% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 11,028.01 11,186.80 5.10% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.28 1.28 4.35% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 116.08 116.08 4.50% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 104.64 104.64 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.34 1.36 4.87% United Capital Bond Fund 1.93 1.93 5.39% United Capital Equity Fund 0.92 0.95 15.58% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.86% United Capital Eurobond Fund 121.00 121.00 5.69% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.09 1.10 6.54% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.07 1.07 6.60% 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 Balanced Strategy Fund 13.16 13.28 10.92% Zenith ESG Impact Fund 14.73 14.89 20.71% Zenith Income Fund 24.56 24.56 2.37% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.94%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 53.78

10.62% 6.44%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.73 131.26 101.95 17.92 21.69

13.83 134.53 104.18 18.02 21.79

3.84% 9.16% 2.76%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.94 5.46 17.59 1.00 21.10 157.01

4.04 5.56 17.79 1.00 21.30 159.01

5.03% -3.79% 8.63% 6.22% 2.82% -15.39%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

48

FRIDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Anambra: S’Court Judgment, Foretaste of Victory, Says Ozigbo Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 6 governorship

election in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, has described the Supreme Court judgment affirming his nomination as a foretaste

of the outcome of the polls and a win for Ndi Anambra.

Ozigbo, who spoke with newsmen at the PDP National Secretariat yesterday, said

UNODC, EU, NIALS Launch User Guide to Tackle Terrorism Michael Olugbode in Abuja The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) have launched a user's guide in their bid to counter terrorism in Nigeria.

A statement yesterday by UNODC explained that the three organisations worked on a user's guide to the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (TPA) as amended by the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013 (TPAA) for use by law enforcement, security and judicial officials in their work to counter terrorism in Nigeria.

The statement further explained that the materials assembled by UN and Nigerian experts for the initiative were designed to serve as a quick and practical reference work for investigators, prosecutors, public defenders and judges working in this complex field.

“The guide sets out clearly the elements of each offence and the evidential standards that must be met to successfully secure a conviction under the provisions of the Act," it stated.

It also explained in detail all of the ancillary powers set out in the Act. It read that: “Within the context of the EU-NigeriaUNODC-CTED Partnership Project to Assist Nigeria to Strengthen Rule of Law-based Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism and Violent Extremism, UNODC has been actively supporting the work of the Complex Case Group of the Federal Ministry of Justice to help prosecutors prepare cases against suspected members of Boko Haram currently held in custody that can be presented before the Federal High Court. "It has also been working with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) to ensure that these defendants have opportunity to mount a proper defence, and with the judges of the Federal High Court who will adjudicate these cases. Promoting further legal education is an important aspect of this support."

Speaking on the innovation, Head of Cooperation in the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Cécile Tassin-Pelzer, commented that: “The criminal justice system in Nigeria has made great strides in the past few years in bringing suspected members of terrorist organisations to justice, but there is always room for improvement in this most challenging of arenas.

"It is our earnest hope that the user’s guide will

greatly assist criminal justice professionals as they prepare their cases for court, and thus help to advance the swift and effective administration of justice for victims of terrorism.”

On his part, Director General, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Prof. Muhammed Ladan said: “The risks and threats posed by terrorist activities require the adoption of proactive, integrated, multi-sectoral and multidimensional approaches to effectively combat it. It is, therefore, imperative for prosecutors, investigators and the Courts to understand and familiarise themselves with the provisions of the TPA, as

amended.”

The Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mr. Oliver Stolpe, reacting to the latest development, welcomed the launch of the User’s Guide, noting that: “UNODC has been partnering with the European Union for almost ten years now to support the Nigerian’s government’s efforts to hold terrorists to account for their crimes, and the publication of this user’s guide is just one more in a series of initiatives to support that goal. We hope that the Guide we are launching today will help in the administration of swift and effective justice in this most critical of public arenas.”

the apex court was right in describing the parallel primary election organised by a faction of the party as a 'naming ceremony'.

According to him "We receive the judgment of the Supreme Court, with all five members of the panel affirming unanimously that indeed there was only one primary, there was only one monitored by INEC and there was only one and only authentic candidate of PDP in this election.

“And indeed, that what was done in the order arena was nothing more than a naming ceremony. Indeed, they chose a church, so appropriately put and they conducted a naming ceremony.

"I think this is a win for the Anambra people, because it's important that people emerge through a free and fair process and so that when anybody becomes a candidate, he becomes the choice of the people, and not the choice of some interlopers," he said.

The governorship hopeful

said he was not bothered by the recent exodus of PDP members into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that several factors other than good governance propel people from exiting political parties.

"What has been going on here is, we see high profile people in House of Reps, House of Assembly, who for one reason or another, either because they have some EFCC cases, or is it because of their quest for money, or the person is pursuing some parochial agenda, they go to a party that are so unpopular, and unelectable in Anambra State.

That's what the APC is," he said.

He said more people, especially, at the grassroots were trooping into the PDP, adding that in Orumba north, over 700 YPP, APC, APGA members defected to PDP just as the entire state leadership of APGA crossed over to PDP before the governor of Delta State insisted that the situation has been replicated in every

local government.

Ozigbo expressed worry over the deplorable security situation in the state and blamed the governor for abdicating his responsibilities.

His words: "Insecurity is troubling, because we keep having cases where lives are lost, and indeed nothing in life is worth the life of one person how much more when more people are found dead. So, I'm certainly worried, I am pained in my heart what Anambra has become and I believe, obviously, it is because of the election.

"We have a governor in Anambra State and he shouldn't be abdicating his responsibility, he should be the governor that he was elected to become. And also the agencies should step up and see how they can call people to book, those people, who are responsible must be brought to book. If you don't discipline, if you get away with murder, more murder will happen. So,it's important that they do the needful".

MEDIA IN TIMES OF CRISES… L-R: Publisher, Blueprint Newspapers, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta and Chairman of the occasion, Mr Ray Ekpu, during the 17th All Nigeria Editors Conference 2021 with the theme: 'Media in Times of Crises: KINGSLEY ADEBOYE Resolving Conflicts, Achieving Consensus' in Abuja...yesterday

Buhari Commends SGF over Successful Ministerial Retreat Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha over the success of the just concluded MidTerm Ministerial Performance Review Retreat, which took place at the State House Conference Centre from October, 11 to 12, 2021.

In a letter he personally signed, Buhari, who presided over the two-day retreat, attributed the success of the exercise to the hard work and commitment of

the SGF in the handling of state matters.

The President also commended the entire staff of the Cabinet Affairs Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, saying the success of the retreat was something to be proud of and thanked Mustapha and his team for making it happen.

The retreat, which was organised for Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and top Government functionaries to review the level of implementation of the Ministerial Mandates along the Nine Priority Areas,

identified key impediments to implementation and re-strategised on how to accelerate delivery of results.

The SGF, while briefing the staff in a post-retreat meeting, thanked the Permanent Secretary and staff of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), who worked tirelessly with both local and international partners to make the event a success.

He reiterated the directive of the President to immediately convene quarterly coordination meetings for each priority area based on

the collaborative result framework, adding that the objective was to ascertain the status of implementation across the nine priority areas, identify bottlenecks and proffer immediate solutions.

The SGF pledged that he would do his best to continually support the staff of the Cabinet Affairs Office and the Delivery Unit for effective service delivery.

He said, “Let me reassure you of our commitment to addressing the challenges being faced at the Cabinet Affairs Office. To this effect, I have directed that the monthly overhead allocation

of the CAO be increased.

We will also explore every opportunity we have to provide improved welfare for our staff.”

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Mr. James Sule, expressed appreciation to the president for the commendation and also thanked the SGF for the leadership and support he has provided, which enabled the office to succeed.

He pledged the loyalty of his staff to the SGF and promised to carry out all directives of thepresident with regard to the retreat.

49

FRIDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

FRSC INAUGURATES MONITORING CONTROL CENTRE ...

L-R: Corps Education Officer, FRSC, Mr, Bisi Kazeem; Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Adesola Olusade; Corps Marshal, FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, and representative of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Maurice Nnamdi, during the inauguration of FRSC operations monitoring control centre in Abuja...yesterday

Kanu’s Counsel Says Detention Violates International Law, to Petition UN

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Nume Ekeghe in Lagos

Counsel to Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indeginous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mr Bruce Fien, said yesterday that the continued detention of the IPOB leader remained illegal, because it violated international law.

Fien, however, said he had gathered additional information from yesterday's proceedings to be added to his petition already before the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Speaking with Arise News,

Kanu's expatriate counsel, who said the 11th hour change of the charges preferred against him, without allowing him to respond, was unconstitutional, also took a swipe at the decision to bar journalists from the proceedings, saying it was a violation of their constitutional rights.

Condemning Kanu’s abduction from Kenya without trial, he said, "There are irregularities here. I am coming from the United States, there's no way that government could change the charge at the

11th hour without having an opportunity to respond to the new allegations.

"Before I arrived in Abuja, I traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, where there is a working group on arbitrary detention as part of the UN Human Rights Council, and based upon what transpired today, I have additional information that I will present to them, seeking an adjudication that the detention of Nnamdi Kanu is illegal under international law."

He further stated that, "The Nigerian Constitution also

Marwa: NDLEA Wants Life Jail for Drug Law Violations Proposes cancellation of fine option in amendment to Act Says N100bn worth of illicit drugs mopped up in ten months Deji Elumoye in Abuja Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has disclosed that the agency was recommending the maximum punishment of life imprisonment for drug law offenders in the proposed amendment to the NDLEA Act currently before the National Assembly.

Marwa, who disclosed this yesterday during the weekly ministerial briefing, coordinated by the Presidential Media Team, at the State House, Abuja, explained that the proposed Amendment Act would eliminate the fine option for offenders.

According to the former Lagos and Borno States Military Administrator, in the proposed Amendment Act, the minimum sentence for drug law offences would be 15 years, while the maximum would be between 25 years and life in prison.

His words: "The jail sentences we're looking at is a minimum of 15, maximum 25 and life.

Those are all in the NDLEA

Act that is under revision at National Assembly."

He also said he had discovered a criminal racket, which had been making it possible for already jailed drug barons to go free without serving their sentences.

On whether politicians would be affected by the said penalties, Marwa said, “Definitely. At least we've mentioned one in Lagos, because he was caught with drugs at this point, but I will not mention names of people that we’re investigating, obviously. The politicians, yes, they are involved like every other part of the society.

“We're working with the prisons. There was a time and there was information that some of the barons, who had been jailed, somewhere between the courtroom and the jail, they are released, they don't serve the sentence.

“But with the interaction that I had in the correctional services, right from them and some of the visitations, it was made clear that this happened, but in the past – in the distant past. Now, the correctional service is upstanding and

they are doing their level best.

“We had an arrest some few months ago in one of the prisons, supported by the head of that particular prison, about involvement of some of the people there in passing drugs into the prisons. So, I must commend the correctional services that they are upstanding as far as this is concerned,” Marwa, however, estimated the worth of drugs and cash recovered in the last 10 months from barons at over N100billion, confirming that the amount has been remitted into the federation account.

He stated that between January 25, 2021 till date, more than 2.7million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs have been seized.

The NDLEA boss further disclosed that one out of seven Nigerians use illicit drugs, while one in four are female and 14.4million Nigerians are currently under the influence of illicit drugs.

He estimated the number of drug related offences filed in court at over 5000, involving 9,355 arrested traffickers, including six drug barons.

has free speech provisions in section 39. I think what happened today is a violation of section 39.”

On the decision to bar journalists from covering the proceedings, he said it was a breach of their constitutional rights.

"The media has a right to observe. Moreover, under international law and in the United States, there is a constitutional right for journalists to attend, because it creates a kind of pressure putting a searchlight against

corruption or intimidation and things of that sort, not only just the press out there every ordinary citizen has the right as long as there's room to sit in a courtroom," he said.

Reiterating his condemnation of Kanu's abduction from Kenya by security agents without trial, he said the situation was against international law.

"That makes the detention illegal, in part, aside from other violations, but surely under any kind of due process, it’s totally illegal to kidnap someone take them without any hearing.

"They said that they had acted in collusion with the Interpol, what they haven't said is that there was any hearing that enabled Nnamdi Kanu to dispute and you have to bring it before a judge before you are kidnapped not afterwards. The law is very clear on that score.

"He was not given any hearing before they took him there, indeed four of the seven counts that are now lodged against him. They weren't even launched until after he had departed Kenya and was in Nigeria," he said.

Nnamani: Obasanjo’s Third Term Could Have Taken Nigeria on Dangerous Path Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja A former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, has said the 'Third Term Agenda' of former President Olusegun Obasanjo could have taken the country to a dangerous path save for the vigilance and courage of some legislators at the time.

Nnamani disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during the public presentation of his book, "Standing Strong on Due Process'.

He said for democracy, political stability, and economic development to flourish in Africa, the continent must strive to maintain due process, because it’s in the heart of the rule of law and democracy.

He noted that in 2007, this principle prevented a possible truncation of democracy, because the parliament stood strong on due process, saying the bid to extend Obasanjo's presidency beyond the constitutional limit failed.

"Eternal vigilance is the price of democracy and liberty. Our vigilance for democracy requires that we learn from our history, a history of success and failure.

This is why I wrote this book: to remind us of the dangerous path we could have taken but for the vigilance and courage of some legislators and to

challenge us to never abandon the responsibility of protecting due process for our democracy to survive.

"Our democracy was tested in 2006, it passed. It was tested again in 2015 and passed. This has culminated in the Buhari presidency. The crucial 2015 test would not have been if we failed the 2006 test. The 2006 test was a test of whether leaders will rise above fear and the politics of the strongman to strengthen democracy by upholding due process. It was a test of solidity of our legislatures," he said.

Nnamani, however, stressed that the story of what happened with the Third Term saga had been told by many people, but that what he aimed to offer in his book was the reflection of someone, who was at the driver’s seat during the journey.

According to him, “as expected, there have been some serious omissions and plenty of whitewashes about the role of some individuals in the saga.

My focus is to narrate the facts in a manner that will help my compatriots appreciate the role that individuals, who face a crisis and remain committed to core values can play in taking society to a higher level.”

The former lawmaker said the experience of the Third

Term saga illustrated how a combination of good institutions and good leadership could save a people during political turbulence.

He said, "It is often said that the heart of constitutional democracy is representation.

Where the legislature is strong and truly representative, the people are protected against authoritarian impulses that often characterise public leadership.

Where the legislature is weak and captured by special interests, the bulwark against autocracy is easily dismantled."

On his part, Chairman of the occasion and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, said Nigeria has unfortunate habit of not preserving history.

"It is a classic history of a country and we have the unfortunate habit of not valueing and preserving our history. The result is that the lies and the distortions that hit the headlines survive.

"So, I will want all of you if you forget everything this morning, you mustn't forget the fact that the records of what really happened has been documented and everybody should try and possess it, read it and look out for witnesses.

So, Ken, I am glad you are still standing strong. We are behind you."

50

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

51

NEWS

After Four Months in Captivity, Bandits Release 27 Kebbi School Students Ismail Adebayo in Birnin Kebbi Bandits have released 27 students and three staff members out of the 90 in their captivity.

The students were abducted at the Federal Government College, Yauri, Kebbi State in June this year.

They were brought to the government house in Birnin Kebbi yesterday in company with combined security operatives of the DSS, Mobile Police, Army and Civil Defence in three buses around 3.00pm.

The students were also accompanied by medical personnel and other support personnel of the state government and were received

by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and top government officials at the government house in Birnin Kebbi.

While receiving the students, Governor Bagudu said President Muhammadu Buhari upon their abduction had issued directives to all security operatives to ensure the students were rescued from the bandits.

He said the Army, DSS, Police, Civil Defence and Vigilante

group were instrumental to the release of the students. “I also commended the efforts of Senator Adamu Aliero,

Minister of Justice, Chika Malami and a host of others’, he said.

A statement by the media

aide to the governor said the students were brought to the state capital following their release by their abductors.

The statement added that efforts are still on to secure the remaining students that are still with the bandits.

It said the students would undergo medical screening and other support while being reunited with their families.

PREPARING FOR AFCFTA…

L-R: Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Olusegun Awolowo; High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Benson A. Bana; Secretary, Secretariat of the National Action Committee on AfCFTA, Mr. Francis Anatogu during the foreign language training organised for NEPC staff in Abuja…yesterday

North Central Govs ICPC Chair Tells Aviation Workers to Shun Corruption Task FG on Upward Revenue Review Fidelis David in Akure

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja The six governors in the North Central have advocated a total review of the current revenue allocation, urging the federal government to consider relinquishing portions of her share to the states and local government.

This decision came from stakeholders from the North Central zone at the zonal public hearing on the review of the current revenue formula organised by Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission held at the Government House, Lokoja yesterday.

Various speakers had appealed to the federal government to review the the allocation formula in the interest of justice fair play and good governance.

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, in his remark

explained that this was the time to make room for the extra burden, which states bear in catering to over-bloated workforces,particularly, at thirdtier level, which could not be retrenched without creating worse security, economic or political problem.

Bello, who was represented by his deputy, Edward Onoja, lamented that the federal government had entered into all sorts of agreement with organised labour, including on minimum wage as well as enhance professional careers, which invariably mean more money out of already depleted gains thereof.

In the various papers presented at the public hearing, the Kogi State government suggested that the revenue allocation should be reviewed as follow: federal government 40%, state 39% and 26% for the local governments.

Lalong Presents N106 bn 2022 Budget to Plateau Assembly Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong yesterday presented a proposed 2022 budget of N106.807 billion to the state House of Assembly.

While presenting the budget tagged “A Budget of Economic Recovery and Consolidation of Inclusive Growth” to the House, the governor said the 2022 proposed Appropriation Bill is tailored towards the completion of on-going projects and activation of new that will impact the lives of the people.

He said the proposed 2022 budget estimate consists of N76.263 billion only as recurrent expenditure representing 71.4 per cent of the total budget, while N30.544 billion only is

earmarked as capital estimate, representing 28.6 per cent of the total budget.

This, according to him, indicates a decrease of N40.731 billion from the 2021 total approved budget.

He said: “In addition to continuing work on completing on-going infrastructural projects across the three Senatorial Districts of the State, we intend to break ground on new ones. Among them is the construction of the BritishAmerican Junction Flyover and dualization to Lamingo Junction Roundabout. Similarly we shall carry out the design of Master Plan for some selected urban areas in Plateau State namely: (Heipang, Mangu and Shendam)”.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, yesterday charged workers in the aviation industry to improve their operational processes and shun all acts of corruption in order to ensure better service delivery in the aviation sector.

Owasanoye gave the charge at a two-day sensitisation workshop organised for aviation workers in conjunction with Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Anti-corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), at the Akure International Airport (AIA), Akure.

The chairman of ICPC, who was represented by Mr. Tope Egunjobi, said that the ICPC, in collaboration with ACTU,

embarked on the sensitisation of workers in the aviation sector on the ills of corruption in order to cleanse it of corrupt practices.

He said: “The ICPC expects international best practices and standard from FAAN, being the gateway to the nation’s economy and an institution that project Nigeria’s image to the world.

“Therefore, you should not rest on your oars in ensuring

that you do your best in meeting the yearning and demands of travelers and the ever critical patrons of your services.”

In her welcome remark, the General Manager of the AIA, Ms. Rita Joke Olatunde, said: “The sensitisation is about integrity, it’s about performing your duty without gratification and as time goes on, we hope to continually remind our workers on the call.”

Embrace Family Spirit, Unity, Okeke Urges Anambra Guber Candidates The Metropolitan Archbishop of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Most Rev Valerian Okeke, has charged politicians to imbibe the spirit of brotherliness in their electioneering.

Archbishop Okeke was speaking during the celebration of his 68th birthday and celebration of 40 years of priesthood with

inmates at the Nigerian Prisons Onitsha.

In a holy message he titled, ‘Turning your Challenges into Blessings and Opportunities,’ Okeke sought an end to killings and bloodshed in Anambra.

He called for an end to hatred and divisive tendencies, while he asked politicians to work for the good of the society,

especially during challenging times like now.

The Archbishop also urged the prison inmates to develop themselves for future productivity, just as he encouraged indigenes to remember the historic peace for which Anambra, as a pace setter, was known.

He begged God to bless the

inmates, Anambra State and Nigeria at large.

Archbishop Okeke expressed deep passion for a new Anambra transformed into a progressive family of peoples, characterised by love, peace and harmony.

The state has been enmeshed in violence and general insecurity in the countdown to the November 6 election race.

Chinese Envoy Advises Political Parties to Learn from Communist Party of China

Michael Olugbode inAbuja

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, has asked political parties in the country to learn from the Communist Party of China (CPC) by making the well-being of Nigerians their priority.

Speaking at the public presentation of a book titled, “A

Century of the Communist Party of China: Why Africa Should Engage Its Experience,” and written by the Director, Centre for China Studies, Mr. Charles Onunaiju, Jianchun said: “As you may know, this year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of CPC. The CPC had only 58 members; 100 years later, the membership has grown up to more than 95 million nowadays.

“The CPC has developed into the largest ruling party in the world, and brought tremendous changes to China.”

He said the key to the brilliant achievements of CPC lied in the lofty ideals and missions born by it, which could be summarised as everything the CPC does is for the well-being of the Chinese people, for the rejuvenation of the Chinese

nation as well as for the peace and development of mankind.

The ambassador said that the CPC was chosen by history and the people. Over the past 100 years, the CPC has united and led the Chinese people through tenacious struggle to achieve great success in the new-democratic revolution, reform, opening up, and socialist modernisation.

Political Elites Have Destroyed the Future of Nigerian Youths, Says Na’Abba Michael Olugbode inAbuja The former Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, has said the Nigerian political leaders have destroyed the future of the Nigerian youth as they have refused to allow the political, and socio-economic system to grow.

Na’Abba gave this verdict at The Fixing Nigerian National Youth conference 4.0 held by the Earnest and Ibrahim Foundation with the theme: ‘2023- Engagement strategies

for a better Nigeria’.

According to him, the system is wasting the youth which are the future, courtesy of some political leaders for personal gains.

He said: “Soon after the democratic system started, few people, mainly heads of the executive arm of the states and federal government, colluded and ceased the political system.

“The Nigeria of our dreams entails that which its youth live in security, peace and harmony. Where every citizen is gainfully employed,

where every citizen enjoys robust health, where everyone is treated justifiably and equitably.”

He alleged that the political leaders “obliterated internal democracy within the political parties, thereby taking away from the people what rightfully belongs to the people.

“Since then it is this set of people that decides who becomes what in this country.Almost no one is allowed to play any important role in the polity unless this people so desire.”

This singular action by these power-hungry people have had disastrous consequences to the polity, amongst them, the denial of the youth to have a voice and space in the polity,” he said.

The former speaker noted that nothing today is more important than to find a way to ensure the relevance of the youth, not just to be politically relevant but to continue to be so, respecting their dignity, as a situation where the youth see themselves as second or third citizens is not acceptable.

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

NANS to Petition UN, UK, US, Seeks Visa Cancellation for Human Rights Violators Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to petition the United Nations Human Rights Council and the governments of United Kingdom and United States of America to cancel visa of violators of human rights in Nigeria.

The students’ body said the step was necessitated by increasing human rights violations in the country as related to army and police brutalities in spite of the 2020 #EndSARS protests initiated by the youths to disband the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Police Force.

The Nigerian youths and the civil society groups had last Wednesday marked the one-year of #ENDSARS protests, which led to the disbandment of SARS allegedly notorious for human rights abuses in some major cities in Nigeria.

In a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, yesterday, the NANS’ President, Sunday Asefon, called for the immediate prosecution of the security men indicted by various panels set up by state governments to investigate cases

of human rights abuses in Nigeria.

Asefon bemoaned that in spite of the 2020 protests that lingered for days, young Nigerians are on a daily basis facing excruciating

pains in the hands of security operatives.

He notified the federal and state governments to initiate diligent prosecution of those

whose actions had led to the death, deprivation and maiming of innocent Nigerians in due course.

Asefon said: “The NANS

shall by this notice also petitions the United Nations Human Rights Council, the governments of the United States and United Kingdom, to

immediately initiate a process of visa cancelation of these identified perpetrators of crime against Nigerian young people.

EXECUTIVE MENTORSHIP…

L-R: General Manager/Head, Corporate Finance, North South Power Company Limited, Mr. Kolapo Joseph; Co-founder and CEO, Purple Group, Mr. Olaide Agboola; Company Secretary, Julius Berger Group, Mrs. Cecilia Madueke; Chairman, Emerging Africa Group, Mrs. Nike Akande; Group Chief Executive Officer, Emerging Africa Group, Mrs. Toyin Sanni and CEO, Mainstream Cargo Limited, Mr. Oluseyi Adewale during the Emerging Africa Capacity Building Executive Mentorship programme in Lagos…recently

Secession Agitations: Cleric Urges EFCC Arraigns Ex-NSIF Chair, Olejeme, over N1bn Fraud N1,384,010,000 and $48,485,127.00. the Jurisdiction of the High Court of N236,350,000.00 paid by one Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja A statement by EFCC said of the Federal Capital Territory, Musa Adamu, a BDC Operator on Buhari to EmbraceOctober, Dialogue noted that the agitators The Economic and Financial Crimes the offence contravened the Abuja, while being entrusted with the 21st of April, 2013; the sum of

Omolabake Fasogbon

The Presiding Bishop of The Radiant Church, Bishop Emma Omon, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to embrace dialogue in addressing ongoing agitations by some people to divide the country.

He advised the president to empathise with the agitators and pay close attention to their needs rather than suppressing their voices.

Omon, who was speaking in Lagos on the sidelines of a media briefing to announce the church’s Kingdom celebration convention scheduled for 30th and 31st of

were pushed to react because they feel neglected and marginalised.

He pointed out that the president must listen to their voice and resolve the issues amicably.

He said: “Nigeria is made up of member states, hence, people cannot be forced to stay in a nation. The only way forward is to listen to their grievances and sit with them on the same table to analyse the way out. An attempt to silence agitating voices or apply force in them would only aggravate issues. It is thus advised that you listen and act while you ensured that they are carried along.”

Enugu Fire Chief Charges Stakeholders to Sustain Safety Initiatives

The Enugu State Fire Service has reiterated its commitment to the efforts and sacrifices of the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in ensuring safety of lives and property of residents of the state.

Speaking during the flag-off of the fire safety campaign in Udenu Local Government Area, the Enugu State Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Okwudiri Ohaa, thanked Ugwuanyi for the numerous interventions

his administration has made in transforming the state fire sector and ensuring that the fire fighting agency discharges its sensitive duties diligently and effectively.

Ohaa disclosed that besides the various achievements, the administration has also paid for two water tankers to be stationed at two of the five newly constructed ultramodern fire service stations across the three senatorial districts of the state.

AFCFTA Secretary General, Others for EY Tax Summit The Secretary General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), Mr. Wamkele Mene, will be leading other notable speakers and panelists to this year’s EY Africa Tax Summit, holding from October 25 to 28, 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The four-day virtual event with the theme ‘Beyond COVID-19: Resetting the Africa Tax and Trade Agenda’ promises to be very interactive and engaging and will

unpack among others, key topics on the tax issues and what it means for business in Africa.

Speaking about the summit, EY Africa Tax Leader, Larry Eyinla, said that this year’s event will be discussing key topics including but not limited to trade, recovery and supply chain in the reset; trust, the global tax framework and voluntary compliance and new horizons for tax function, looking at sustainability, digitization and technology.

Commission (EFCC), yesterday, arraigned a former Board Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, before Justice Maryam Hassan Aliyu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, Abuja on a nine count charge, bordering on criminal conspiracy, abuse of once, diversion of public funds and money laundering.

She was alleged to have abused her position to obtain over

provisions of Sections 8, 9 (1) (b) (1), punishable under the Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offence Act 2000 and Sections 17, (1) (2), 39 of EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section.

Count three of the charge read: “That you Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Olejeme being the former Board Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) sometimes between 2012 and 2015 in Abuja within

dominion over money belonging to the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) dishonestly received the sum of N350,000,000.00 paid into Able Jes Nigeria Limited GT Bank Account No. 323277283110, a company you have interest and used your position to confer unfair advantage upon the said company by receiving various payments from BDCs; the sum of N20,670,000.00 by one Hassan Kano, a BDC Operator on the 26th April, 2013; the sum

N20,670,000.00 paid by Mansur Abubakar, a BDC Operator on the 30th April, 2013; the sum of N16,160,000.00 paid by one Dauda Bullama on the 30th April, 2013; and the sum of N36,570,000.00 paid by one Sauki, BDC Operator on the 8th of May, 2013 thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 and punishable under the same Section of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offence Act, 2000.”

Group Calls for Full Participation in Anambra Election Goddy Egene The League of Anambra Professionals (TLAP) has called on all registered voters in the state to come out and vote the candidate of their choice on November 6, urging the federal and state governments to ensure their security and maintain overall peace before, during and after the election.

The call was contained in

statement issued by the President of TLAP, Mr. Chijioke Okoli, SAN. The group said that an election boycott should not start with Anambra State gubernatorial election.

TLAP commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its avowed readiness to deploy for the election electronic transmission of votes which has proven to facilitate the much needed electoral integrity.

“We made the point in our widely reported denunciation of the Anambra State Senators who went AWOL during the Senate Electoral Act amendment proceedings, and which point is reiterated here, that the present anomie and devastating frustration in the South-East zone (including Anambra State) is largely occasioned by a political leadership irresponsibly beholden to their personal interests and the whims

of outside persons and groups,” the group said.

TLAP reiterated its long standing and unwavering advocacy for the conduct of free and fair election with large voter participation to birth a truly representative and accountable governorship in the state.

It condemned the destruction of INEC offices and political party assets including their billboards and cars.

Alleged Forgery: IG Writes Italian Groups, Accuses HEDA Chairman of Jumping Bail Chiemelie Ezeobi The Nigeria Police have described as frivolous, claims by activist, Chairman, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Olarenwaju Suraju, that the investigation report which accused him of cyberstalking, injurious falsehood and criminal defamation of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed

Adoke (SAN) was “fake.”

This clarification was contained in the police’ reply to a petition from two Italian groups, Re:Common and The Corner House dated October 14, 2021.

The groups on September 9, 2021, jointly petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Alkali Usman following reports of the Monitoring Unit’s indictment of Suraju in respect of alleged leaked email and

voicenote purportedly linking Adoke to one Aliyu Abubakar who was standing trial in Italy over alleged corruption in the OPL245 transaction between Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, Shell and Eni. In their letter, they raised concerns over alleged factual errors contained in the investigation report, alleging that the said report seemed fake and came out at a time investigations were still on.

They also faulted claims by the police unit that Suraju jumped bail, did not present himself when he was needed to clarify certain issues and also resorted to “frivolous” petitions and filing suit in court.

Confirming that the letter originated from the unit, its head, ACP Ibrahim Musa, stated that the Certified True Copy (CTC) was issued to Adoke based on a written request to the IG which was approved.

NACCIMA, China to Partner on Establishment of Industrial Parks The National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers Of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Mr. John Udeagbala led a highlevel delegation to the Chinese Consulate General in Lagos yesterday, where the idea of an industrial park was mooted.

Udeagbala commended the Chinese Consulate for ensuring

that the mutual relationship between Nigeria and China has been maintained and sustained over the years.

He proposed solid partnership with Chinese business community on industrial parks, with collaboration from the corresponding state governments.

He also assured them that business to business collaborations

in economic sectors such as Telecommunications, Energy, Infrastructure, and the Agricultural sectors are of keen interest to the Nigerian private sector.

Udeagbala restated that his administration’s leadership is committed to strengthening the collaboration between the private sector and diplomatic missions for the benefit of members, for

possible inclusive economic growth and benefit to all.

In response to the NACCIMA delegation, the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Chu Maoming, emphasized the important role that NACCIMA plays in being the intermediary between Nigerian businesses and the Chinese business community.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 22, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS XTRA

WORLD OF ISLAM

Kwara 2023: YPP Counsels Youths against Recycling The Message of Prophet Old, Sick Politicians

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Ahead of the 2023 elections, the leadership of Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Kwara State has urged Nigerian youths in the country, especially in the state, to stop recycling old, weak, and sick politicians in order to ensure good governance and socio-economic growth of the people.

The party said the old politicians cannot ensure modern ideas and information technology that would navigate the country into political and economic stability.

Speaking in Ilorin with journalists during a roadshow to mark the one-year

remembrance of #EndSARS protest in Nigeria and to educate residents on the proper use of voters’ cards, the state Chairman of the YPP, Mr. Charles Olufemi, stated that: “Our old politicians have failed the people of the country, and it is now time for the youths in the country to retire them to their various homes in the next elections.

“Let us work together in YPP to usher in credible leaders with new ideas, innovation, energy, and intellectual capacity.

“Also, leaders that would galvanise the productive skills of the youths to generate solutions are those that will be elected as part of the move to take Nigeria forward.”

He added: “We are the generation that will inherit this country. But, we have to save it first. It is clear that the challenges facing Nigeria and Nigerians presently cannot be solved by our lamentations on social media nor can they be addressed by street protests.

“We must, therefore, move from the street to the ballot to achieve the YPP ballot revolution.”

While calling on the youths in the country to remain peaceful and continue to work for the peace and unity of Nigeria, Olufemi noted that: “Let us be patriotic enough to obtain our Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC), and be ready to vote.”

UK Supports 1.25m Persons to Make N37bn income in Nine Years Michael Olugbode in Abuja The United Kingdom has supported over 1.25 million women and men in Northern Nigeria to generate over N37 billion in incomes over the past nine years.

The programme under the UKaid has sponsored Propcom Mai-karfi to help smallholder farmers in Nigeria’s rural communities in the north.

This was disclosed in Abuja yesterday during the hosting of

the closing event of the project

by Propcom Mai-karfi.

The ceremony had in attendance key stakeholders in the agriculture sector, including the Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones, representatives of the UK Government and other donor agencies, commissioners of agriculture in implementing states, development sector partners, private sector stakeholders and civil society

organisations.

Programme staff explained how the UK Government’s investment in agriculture has expanded market access and catalysed private sector investments to create economic opportunities for smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria.

The event provided a platform for Propcom Maikarfi to tell its story of impact and to advance discussions on sustaining successes recorded over the years.

Gombe to Construct 11 Mega Almajiri Schools Segun Awofadeji inGombe Gombe State Government is set to construct one ultra-modern Tsangaya (Almajiri) Integrated

Quranic Education Centre in all the eleven local government areas of the state.

When completed the one storey building would bear classrooms,

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known as MISS EFEOSA JESSYE OSAWARU now wish to be known and addressed as MRS EFE-OSA JESSYE OSAWARU OYELADE . All former documents bearing both names remain valid.

General public take note.

I formally known and address as MISS AFAKPE ELOVIANO LUCY now wish to be known and address as MRS ABOLARIN ELOVIANO LUCY. All formal document remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as BMISS SOBOWALE ADEOLA ESTHER, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AYOOLA ADEOLA ESTHER. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formally known and address as SUSAN ELEOJO IDENYI now wish to be known and address as SUSAN ELEOJO HASSAN. All formal document remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as MISS MFONOBONG MARY IMO INYANG, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS MFONOBONG OMENUTA EMIL-INYANG. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

I formally known and address as ADEWOYE KEHINDE OLANIKE now wish to be known and address as BAKARE KEHINDE OLANIKE. All formal document remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as IBEMERE, MONICA NKIRUKA, now wish to be known and addressed as IBEMERE, NKIRUKA PEACE . All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as KUBILE UGOCHI FRANCISCA, now wish to be known and addressed as CHUKWU UGOCHUKWU FRANCISCA. All former documents remain valid.

The general public should take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that IBILI DORIS is my FRUUHFW DQG RI¿FLDO QDPH DQG not EBELE DORIS. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to NOTIFY the General Public that I, known as DAFENONE AKPOMUDIARE, is the same person as DAFENONE EMEKE AKPOMUDIARE. This is my true and correct Names on my National Identity Card. All formal documents remain valid.General public, CBN, NIMC, NPC and INEC should please take note.

hostels, offices and skills acquisition centres for the convenience of the pupils and their teachers.

The Gombe State Governor, Mr. Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, stated this at the commencement of a stakeholders meeting convened by the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) for Islamic Scholars and Community Leaders in the state yesterday.

The governor, who laid the foundation for the construction of the centre for Gombe Local Government Area at Goni Sani Tsangaya, before joining the stakeholders meeting, said the establishment of non-formal learning centres through BESDA in Tsangaya schools is aimed at introducing modern education into the Tsangaya curriculum so that children in such Schools can benefit from both educational systems.

He called on proprietors of Tsangaya schools to embrace government policies and programmes aimed at developing the skills and capacity of the Almajiris so that they can contribute meaningfully towards societal development.

The governor said the objective of the stakeholders meeting was to equip and improve the capacity of Islamic teachers to meet the teaching needs of the 21st century.

By: Syed Abul Ala Maududi/IslamCity (continued from last week)

Next to God, Obedience is due to the Messenger of God (pbuh)

Widest Conception of the Oneness of God

No one should feel cynical as regards the query: How could the Holy Prophet (pbuh) be deemed to have obeyed and followed his own practice when it was really his personal precept or action? The truth of the matter is that just as the source of the Qur’an was God, so the source of all exhortations, prohibitions and regulations propagated by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was also God. This is denoted by the term “ Sunnah of the Prophet.”

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself followed the Sunnah in the same manner as it is obligatory for all the believers to follow it. This point was made abundantly clear on occasions when, in certain matters, the illustrious Companions (pbut) used to ask: “Allah’s messenger, are you conveying the Will of God or is this your personal view? “ The Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to observe: “ No, this is not the Will of God; it is my opinion.”

On such occasions, the illustrious Companions (pbut) differed with the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and put forth their own way of thinking and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) allowed their suggestions to supersede his own opinion. Similarly, this point also became obvious on occasions when the Holy Prophet (pbuh) took counsel with his illustrious Companions (pbut). This consultation in itself was proof positive that Allah had revealed no mandate regarding the matter under consideration, for had the Divine Will been known in the matter, it could not have become subject for discussion.

Such occasions, which have been elaborately recorded in the collections of Traditions, often arouse in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).

The illustrious Companions (pbut) themselves have reported: “ Never did we see a person who was engaged in counsel more often than the Holy Prophet (pbuh).” If you reflect on this point, you will realize that holding counsel in matters which God had not revealed His Will was also the Sunnah (Traditions) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). When the Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself did not deem it proper to impose his personal opinion on the people as an inexorable law, what authority is there for another ruler to enforce his will upon the people? Thus did the Holy Prophet (pbuh) teach his Ummah to conduct their affairs by consultation and instructed the people to render unqualified obedience to the Will of God in those matters in which the Lord had not manifested His Will, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) exhorted the people to exercise their right of freedom of speech without fear.

The foremost of these principles is the belief in the Oneness of God, not just in the sense that God exists, nor merely that there is only One God, but in the sense that the Creator, Master, and All-Wise Sovereign of this universe is Allah alone. There is no comparable authority in the whole universe which is sovereign and has the right to command or forbid; or has the power to make certain things lawful and others unlawful by decree. These powers are vested in no one, save Allah. It is the sole prerogative of the Creator and master to allow certain things in this world at Will and to prohibit certain things at Will. Islam preaches that the belief in Allah signifies the acknowledgement of all these Powers of God. The belief in Allah is tantamount to the affirmation that we owe allegiance to no one except Him and that no power on earth has the right to enact a law that is inimical to His Commandments. The belief in Allah implies that man’s head is made to bow to God alone and is consequently rendered incapable of bending down before anyone else. The belief in God carries the meaning that only Allah has the power to make or unmake our destiny; that He has absolute power in regard to life or death. He can take away our life whenever He pleases and He can keep us alive as long as it pleases Him. When he chooses to end our life, no power on earth can save us from death; when He chooses to give us life, no power on earth can put us to death. This, then, is the Islamic concept of God. According to this concept, the whole universe which stretches from the earth to the heavens operates under orders from Allah. It, therefore, behooves man, who subsists in this universe, to devote his life to carrying out the Will of God. Should man obtain a license to do what he likes or own obedience to some other power, his pattern of life would run counter to the entire system of the universe. This may be expressed in other words better to grasp the point. That the whole universe functions under orders from God is an established fact which is unalterable by any power. Hence, if we carry out the behest of some authority other than Allah or follow an independent course of our own choice, our life would move in the direction opposite to the one the entire universe is taking. In this way, we shall be in a state of constant collision with the system of the universe.

Let us view this from another angle as well.

The Islamic concept of God Affirms that the only valid way of life for man is to abide by the Will of Allah, for man is the creature and Allah is his Creator. As a creature, it is wrong on the part of the man to be independent of his Creator. It is also betrayal for him to offer worship to any other than the Creator. Either of these acts is opposed to reality. Whoever defies reality comes to grief. The reality stands inviolate.

The Call to Worship the Lord The Holy Prophet (pbuh) calls for an end to this defiance. He (pbuh) teaches that the rules and patterns of our life should conform to the system which governs the whole universe. A person should neither assume the right of legislation nor acknowledge the prerogative of any other person to enact laws for God’s creatures living on God’s earth. The only valid law is the law given by the Lord of the Universe. All other laws are false and void.

The Call For Rendering Obedience To the Holy Prophet (pbuh) We now come to the second point of the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) message. He (pbuh) categorically declared: “I am the Messenger of Allah. Allah has sent His mandate for mankind through me.

I, too, am subject to this mandate. I can make no alterations in it. I have been appointed to obey the mandate, not to introduce innovations into it. The Qur’an embodies the Law which Allah has revealed to me and my practice is the law which I promulgate by the order and sanction of Allah. I am the first to render obedience to the Law of God, and having done so, I call upon all men to relinquish their allegiance to every other law and abide by the Law of God alone.”

True Charter of Freedom This is the “ Charter of Freedom” which only the true religion has conferred upon mankind. The creature of Allah should be the slave of Allah alone and owe service to none else, nay, not even as a servant of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).

This charter freed man from offering worship to all others, save One God; and it terminated the divinity of man over man once and for all.

Simultaneously, the greatest blessing conferred by this mandate upon mankind is the Supremacy of the Law, the Law which no monarch, dictator, democratic parliament or assembly of believers in Islam is empowered to tamper with for the purpose of altering it. This law bestows on man permanent values of Good and Evil, and no one has the power to transmute these values with a view to changing Good into Evil or vice versa.

The third message which the Holy Prophet (pbuh) preached to the servants of God was: “ You are all answerable to God. You have been given unchartered freedom to act as you deem fit and to forage whatever pasture you like without being answerable to anyone. Rather you shall be held accountable before your Creator for each act, each word, in fact, for the whole course of your life wherein you have been given limited autonomy. You will be raised after death and presented in the court of your Lord for reckoning.”

When human conscience is permeated with such a stupendous moral force, it will be as if every human being were being guarded by a sentinel who challenges every evil thought that enters one’s mind and hinders all action that may arise from an evil thought. Irrespective of the existence or non-existence of a vigilant police force and a retributive government in the external world, a censor will always preside over the human soul, and fear of seizure will deter a person from transgressing the Will of God even in privacy, in darkness or in a deserted wasteland.

(Extracts from Syed Abul Ala’ Maududi’s address at Punjab University Student Union.

October 22, 1975).

To Be Continued

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FRIDAYSPORTS

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

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Osimhen Dreams Playing for a Big Premier League Club On scorer’s sheet as Napoli defeat Legia Warsaw 3-0 in Europa fixture Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has said he hopes to at some point in his career play for a big English Premier League club, where he will be playing regularly.

Osimhen has been on super form as Napoli stay top of the Italian Serie A with a 100% record after eight rounds of matches.

Just last night, the Super Eagles forward contributed one of the three goals scored by Napoli to claim all three points in the Europa League fixture with Legia Warsaw in Naples.

Napoli won 3-0 to move to second on the same four points as Leicester City in Group C. “Of course, one day I’d like to play for a big club in England… my priority is to play a lot of games,” the Super Eagles striker told UK’s

The Independent.

“Signing for a big club and being on the bench is not exciting for me.”

The striker recounted how he spoke with Arsene Wenger to join Arsenal six years ago.

“I spoke with Arsene Wenger after the tournament (2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile) ended and he wanted me to come to Arsenal,” he said.

“I had a lot of options. Barcelona; Inter Milan; Atletico Madrid; Juventus and the rest.

“Arsenal were a good option, but it wasn’t the best at the time.

I wanted to start playing as soon as I turned 18.

“I wanted to go to a place where I had time to invest in my game and improve physically. Wolfsburg showed me that possibility.”

Victor Osimhen...again on target for Napoli last night

Oshoala Pledges Better Super Falcons’ Outing in Accra FIFA Ranking: S’Eagles ‘Survive,’in Africa’s Top Five WOMEN AFCON QUALIFIERS Captain Asisat Oshoala has promised that the Super Falcons will put up a better show when they confront their Ghanaian counterparts at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, in the second leg of their 12th Women AFCON qualifying fixture.

A brace from Sweden –based Uchenna Kanu gave Nigeria a 2-0 lead from the first leg played at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Wednesday, but the Super Falcons realize it is not over yet against one of the fiercest rivals of Nigeria in African football.

Wednesday’s game happened on the 70th year anniversary of the football rivalry between both West African giants.

“We know that the Black Queens are strong and determined when playing at home. Now, we have to up our game and play like we did not win this first leg. We have to go all out and attack better than we did here.

Qualification for the AWCON is non-negotiable,” Oshoala said as the squad met with President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick and the General Secretary, Dr Mohammed

Sanusi after Wednesday’s encounter.

A record number of 44 entries for the preliminaries means that after the fixture with Ghana, the nine-time champions still have another round to prosecute before being eligible to feature in the finals in Morocco, which will also determine Africa’s representatives at the 32-team FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

That next round could well be against Lady Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, who mauled their counterparts from Niger Republic 9-0 in their own first leg encounter on Wednesday. The final round of qualifiers comes up in February next year.

The Confederation of African Football has appointed Ivorian officials to superintend Sunday’s clash in Accra between Nigeria and Ghana. Zomadre Sonia Kore will be the referee, with her compatriots Denise Akoua (assistant referee 1) and Ndeko Edwige Appia (assistant referee 2) also in action. Beatrice Gouchoedou from Benin Republic will be fourth official and Latré-Kayi Lawson-Hogban from Togo will serve as match commissioner.

Former S’Eagles Media Officer, Alaiya, Begins Final Home Journey Friends and family members will tomorrow hold a service of songs for former Super Eagles’ Media Officer, Ben Omokagbor Alaiya, who died recently after a brief illness.

According to President, Guild of Sports Editors, Tony Ubani, the service of songs will hold at Beautiful Gate Parish, Praise Hill Estate, Arepo, from 3.00 p.m.

Ubani, who disclosed that the Alaiya family has started preparations for the final rites for

the late Editor-in-Chief of SportsDay Newspapers, enjoined friends and associates of the late journalist to turn up for the event.

Alaiya, who was Super Eagles’ media officer from November 2011 to February 2015, died on October 5 in his hometown, Ososo, Edo State, after a brief illness.

According to Alaiya’s family, the body of the late sports journalist would be laid to rest on October 30 in Ososo, Edo State.

Femi Solaja with agency reports

Nigeria’s Super Eagles yesterday retained their fifth spot in the African standing of the FIFA ranking for the month of October released yesterday.

Although Gernot Rohr’s wards dropped from 34th to 36th in the global ranking, they remained in the Top 5 of African football going into the final second phase of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers means that Super Eagles are likely to avoid some of the big names in the draw.

Expectedly, Super Eagles defeat at home in Lagos by the Central African Republic in a Group C fixture of the AFCON qualifier must have played a large role in the drop. Another poor run that may take out the team from the Top 5 is likely to spell doom for the three-time African champions.

Top nations like Senegal, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia maintain their standing ahead of Nigeria in the latest ranking.

They are the teams Nigerian ball fans dread and always pray to

Super Eagles ...remain fifth Africa’s best team in latest FIFA ranking

2 0 2 2 W O R L D C U P D R AW avoid as much as possible in the knock out phase.

As things are, there is no way Eagles can be drawn against any of them except Nigeria flounder and are beaten by either or both Cape Verde and Liberia in the

remaining two games.

The Pharaohs of Egypt in the 44th spot however stand the chance to upstage Nigeria coming into the Top 5 if the unimaginable happens like the Wild Beast did at Teslim Balogun

NFF Re-instates Salisu Yusuf as S’Eagles’ Assistant Coach The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has approved the reinstatement of Coach Salisu Yusuf to his position as Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles and Head Coach of the Super Eagles B team, with effect from 1st November 2021.

General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed yesterday that the

re-instatement of the former Kano Pillars, Enyimba FC and Rangers International FC gaffer by the NFF Board was on the recommendation of the NFF Technical Department.

Highly respected for his match-reading ability, calm demeanor and proficiency in talent discovery and development, Yusuf, in his playing days featured for

Rancher Bees of Kaduna and ElKanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, among others.

Yusuf’s return to the three-time African champions coincides with the closing stages of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying second round phase and the commencement of preparations for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Cameroon early next year.

Stadium a fortnight ago.

For now, Eagles can only be paired with any of these team; Egypt, Ghana/South Africa, CIV/ Cameroon, Mali and Tanzania/ Benin.

It is only if we drop to 6th and below that we can then begin to resort to prayers against such teams as Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria.

On the global level, Belgium still maintained their top spot followed by Brazil and France who won the UEFA Nations League. The Italians moved to fourth spot.

The next FIFA ranking is scheduled to be published on the 25th of November.

AFRICA’S TOP 5 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Senegal Tunisia Morocco Algeria Nigeria

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SPORTS

Juventus’ revival will be tested at San Siro on Sunday when they take on Inter Milan in a Serie A fixture

Juventus Face Stern Test of Revival at Inter Milan Juventus have started to turn their fortunes around in the Italian Serie A this season, but any resurgence from Massimiliano Allegri's side will be severely tested by champions Inter Milan on Sunday.

Allegri's return to Juventus for a second spell as coach got off to a disastrous start as his side failed to win any of their opening four league games for the first time in 60 years.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini believes Cristiano Ronaldo's departure for Manchester United late in the transfer

SERIE A window was partly behind their slow start to the campaign.

"He (Ronaldo) left on August 28th, surely it would have been better for us if he left earlier to get ready for the season," Chiellini told DAZN. "It's something we paid for.

"It creates a shock for you and we paid for it in terms of points in the first games.

Had he gone away on August 1st we would have had time to organise ourselves and we would have arrived more

ready for the season."

With Ronaldo out of the picture, the goals have dried up, but that has not affected recent results, with Juve winning each of their last four matches in all competitions by a 1-0 scoreline.

Since their disappointing draw with AC Milan in September, Juve have won their last four league games to move up to seventh in the standings, three points behind Sunday's opponents Inter in third, who lost their unbeaten start to the league season at Lazio last weekend.

Simone Inzaghi's side

recovered from that 3-1 loss in Rome by earning their first Champions League win of the season against Sheriff Tiraspol, giving themselves a chance of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in a decade.

The other blockbuster clash on Sunday sees the only team in Europe's top-five leagues with a 100% win record Napoli - travel to the capital to face Jose Mourinho's AS Roma.

Mourinho has already broken several records since returning to Italy for a second spell as coach - becoming the fastest manager to reach 50

Nigeria Leads S’Leone in Bilateral Cricket Series in Lagos Nigeria’s senior men cricket team, Yellow-Green, extended their lead to 2-1 after three matches at the on-going Bilateral T20 Series between them and their Sierra Leonean counterparts at the University of Lagos yesterday.

The home team grossed 124 runs in the first inning of the third

game and ran out the visiting team at 53 and all out.

In the post-match interview, Captain of Nigeria’s YellowGreen, Josha Ayannaike, said the team won the match through their bowling prowess and still had more to do in the batting department.

“We didn’t do too well with our batting but our bowling went a lot better and I must commend my teammates for their effort.

We need to get our batters to stay longer on the crease and I believe we will improve as the game continues” he noted.

Slyvester Okpe, won the

HiFL Unveils 2021 Elite 11 Players The Elite 11 Players for the 2021 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) have emerged.

At HiFL Elite Awards held in Lagos, the league organisers unveiled the players with twotime former African Footballer of the Year winner, Kanu Nwankwo in attendance.

Top on the list of the players is Suleiman Ali Saleh of the UNIMAID Desert Warriors. Saleh is both the HiFL Elite Player of the Year and the Highest Goal Scorer for the season.

Saleh is supported in the attack by Oche Francis also of the Desert Warriors with Omotayo Adekinmoye of AAUA Luminaries whose goal in the group stage won for him the HiFL Elite Goal of the Year.

Isaac Phillip of the Luminaries who won the HiFL Elite Goalkeeper of the Year is listed in goal while Emeka Alex and Anichebe Elvis both of the UNN Lions, Oche David of the Desert Warriors, Oluwabukunmi Akinwale of the Luminaries and Ndah Noble of FUTMinna Transformers completed the defence line.

The mid-field has Abdul-Khalil Nurudeen of the Luminaries and Usman Abubakar Sani of Desert Warriors in a 3-4-3 formation.

HiFL Elite Coach of the Year winner, Dauda ‘Ziko’ Daniel, was selected as the coach of the Elite 11 In other categories, the University of Ilorin won the HiFL Elite Host of the Year,

Lagos State University got the Dr Nick Igbokwe Fair Play Trophy while Mr Remi Ogunpitan won the HiFL Platinum Award for his contributions as the pioneer chairman of HiFL. In his address, the Chairman of the HiFL Board, Dr Onyekachi Onubogu thanked the sponsors and partners which include the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), Nivea Men, StanbicIBTC, Bold and Minimie and the participating schools for their commitment and sportsmanship throughout the 2021 season.

He stated that with the right partnerships, Nigerian youths stand a better chance of engaging in more fruitful endeavours beyond crime.

Man-of-the-Match for the second match; an award he also won earlier in the second game when Nigeria had her first win.

The six-match T-20 Bilateral Series between Nigeria and Sierra Leone is supported by Access Bank Plc, Ardova Plc, Custodian Insurance Plc, Notore, Glee Hotels and Spa and PETS Foundation.

President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, while declaring the series open on Tuesday at the newly reconstructed Unilag Cricket Oval, said that the country was undertaking this as part of Nigeria’s shape up match for the forthcoming International Cricket Council’s T-20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Rwanda later in November.

He said: “We have an allinclusive development plan from the grassroots to elite athletes and we will work with everything within our means to make that happen.”

The fourth game of the series is scheduled for tomorrow Saturday, October 23rd, while the fifth game is planned for Sunday 24th.

The series would be rounded off with the sixth and last match on Tuesday 26th, 2021.

Serie A wins, while also achieving the longest unbeaten home run in the division - and would relish bringing an end to Napoli's fine start.

AC Milan travel to Bologna on Saturday looking to put

a miserable return to the Champions League to the backs of their minds, having lost all three of their group games in Europe this season following defeat in Porto on Tuesday.

Awoniyi’s Goal Not Enough as Union Berlin Fall at Feyenoord EUROPA CONFERENCE Super Eagles Taiwo Awoniyi the Europa Conference League scored once as Union Berlin on Thursday evening. were beaten 3-1 by Feyenoord Vitesse left-sided midfielder in their Europa Confefence League Maximilian Wittek crisply confixture at the Stadion Feijenoord, verted a volley from the edge Rotterdam. of the area, dealing a blow to The gangling Nigerian inter- the visitors' hopes of progressing national Berlin’s consolatory goal comfortably from Group G. in the 35th minute of the tie in With key players including the Dutch city.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-min Awoniyi was substituted in the rested, Spurs fielded a different 66th minute by Kevin Behrens. starting XI to the one who beat The former Under-17 World Newcastle in the Premier League Cup winner with the Golden on Sunday and they lacked Eaglets has now scored two rhythm in a poor performance. goals in three appearances in the competition this season.

The Super Eagles forward has now recorded 10 goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances across all competitions for Union Berlin since linking up with the club on a permanent deal from Liverpool.

Union Berlin will host Feyenoord in the reverse fixture on November 4.

Elsewhere, Tottenham paid the price for leaving their star players at home as Dutch side Vitesse Taiwo Awoniyi...his lone goals was not enough as Arnhem earned a deserved 1-0 win in Union Berlin fell 1-3 at Feyenoord... yesterday

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ADF to Hope Uzodinma “The Imo State Governor does not believe in the Igbo self-determination struggle.

Rather, he works hard to undermine the struggle and to castigate genuine Igbo elements involved. The … Special Fund request for victims of the civil war is fake and lacking in depth. It cannot solve the problems of Nigeria nor improve the Igbo condition ” – Alaigbo Devt Foundation, ADF’s spokesman, Abia Onyike, castigating the governor for his civil war compensation request for Ndigbo.

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26 years

MAGNUSONYIBE GUEST COLUMNIST

A Citizens Guide On How to Become President of Nigeria

T

o become the president of Nigeria, you have to be a citizen of the country by birth . You don’t have to have Royal blood. Being a blue blood could have been a precondition if our country was a monarchy.

But Nigeria operates a democratic system of government . And the nation is governed by rule of law in a democratic setting that is guided by the underlying principle of general elections driven by one man, one vote , and majority carries the vote as the grand norm.

The criteria for becoming the president of Nigeria is well laid out in the 1999 constitution as amended in 2018.

The conditions are that you must be : a citizen of Nigeria by birth; have attained the age of 35 years; be a member of a political party and sponsored by that political party; have been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent. There are other granular and technical details such as winning 2/3 majority of votes spread across all the geographical zones in the country to be declared a winner in a presidential election in Nigeria .

Since independence from British rule in 1960, our country has been democratically led by a prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1960-66) and five presidents- Shehu Shagari, (1979 -1983) Olusegun Obasanjo, (1999-2007) and Umaru Yar’adua, (2007-2010) as well as Goodluck Jonathan, (2010-15) plus the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari,(2015-till date).

Apart from the first republic when the leaders were more or less aristocrats especially in the northern region where feudalism was the prevalent system of governance , subsequent leaders have been ordinary folks like you-the reader and l, who strove to become president of Nigeria through dogged determination or were thrown up by political circumstances.

After the civil war (1967-70) , and the military interregnum, Nigeria returned to multiparty democracy in 1979 with Shehu Shagari , a retired school teacher from Sokoto, former member of federal House of Representatives and one time cabinet minister in charge of economic development in 1971 ( he replaced Obafemi Awolowo in the cabinet) under the watch of Army General , Yakubu Gowon, as military head of state.

This suggests that even a school teacher can be the president of Nigeria if he/she works diligently to attain the lofty height . The next democratically elected president of Nigeria is ex military head of state , Army General , Olusegun Obasanjo.

He had ruled Nigeria as a junta from 1976-79 after another military head of state , General Muritala Mohamed was assassinated in a bloody coup detat.

Obasanjo later returned as a democratically elected president in 1999.

It is note worthy that Obasanjo who was succeeded by Umar Yar’adua in 2007 was (as men and women in uniform along with their civilian counterparts joke amongst themselves , a ‘bloody’ soldier with a humble beginning.

Umaru Yar’adua that was Nigeria’s number one citizen from 2007 to 2010 before he passed away while still in his first term in office, was also simply a teacher. Aided by the virtue of his family pedigree, Yar’adua became the governor of katsina state and

Buhari after a successful two term tenure, he got elected president of Nigeria in 2007.

The Vice President of Nigeria under Yar ’adua , Goodluck Jonathan, another academic/researcher became the president of Nigeria (2010-2015).

Thereafter, Mohammadu Buhari , also an ex military head of state , took over the reigns of power as president of Nigeria and he will be holding sway until May, 2023.

What is remarkable in the brief presidential chronicle above is that our compatriots who became president were mainly teachers and members of the armed forces who were particularly ordinary folks before they became number one citizens of our great country at various points in time.

So it is essential to point out that , without exception, every Nigerian , irrespective of tribe or creed can become the president of our country .

In the case of Umaru Yar’adua, he became president largely by virtue of his family pedigree as his elder brother Shehu Yar’adua had been no 2 citizen under Obasanjo’s military regime, even as his father Umaru Yar’adua snr, had been a cabinet minister in charge of Lagos affairs during Nigeria’s first republic(1960-66) As for Goodluck Jonathan , providence played a significant role in his emergence as president of Nigeria.

It is a position that he legally assumed following the introduction of the famous ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ by the National Assembly, NASS. The new law cured the leadership lacuna created by the unexpected demise of a seating president without the transmission of presidential power to the Vice President which at that time was not automatic.

The point being made here is that , of the five personalities that have been president of Nigeria since independence, three were school teachers and two have been soldiers.

What that amazing statistics suggest is that it is not rocket science for anybody to be the president of Nigeria as long as he/ she meets the minimum criteria set out in the 1999 constitution earlier highlighted.

However, to become the president of Nigeria one has to be popular. In other words , the person has to have national name recognition. That is simply because , (believe it or not) running for the presidency

of Nigeria is a popularity contest of a sort.

For instance , Yar’adua was aided by family pedigree as both his father and elder brother had occupied public offices nationally .

Similarly, it was easier for both Obasanjo and Buhari to become presidents because they had at some point in time been thrust into national consciousness as military heads of state. The very popular, Moshood Kashimawo Okikiola Abiola nearly became president of Nigeria because of his popularity that is anchored on his philanthropy, active involvement in the sponsorship of sporting activities, including owning a football club- Abiola Babes and a national newspaper,The Concord.

In my personal assessment, being all that the iconic M.K.O Abiola was, is one genuine and practical pathway to becoming the president of Nigeria.

As a testament to the popularity and political savviness of Abiola, he defeated his opponent, Dawakin Tofa in Kano -a conservative traditional Hausa/Fulani political stronghold.

That is perhaps why the 1993 presidential elections, which was annulled before the result could be announced, is adjudged as the most authentic election in Nigeria till date.

A further validation of the fact that the competition for political office is a sort of popularity contest can be found in the emergence of president Donald Trump a billionaire, real estate mogul and television game show host as president in the United States of America , USA (2017-21) Before Trump, there was Ronald Reagan (1981-9) an ex American movie star who served as the 40th president of the USA. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian born American body builder who later became an action movie star also emerged the governor of California-the biggest and richest state in the USA(2003-11). He could have vied for the presidency, but for the fact that he was not born in the USA (but in Austria) which is a prerequisite for becoming the president of that country.

A former wrestler and movie star, Jesse Ventura also won the governorship of the state of Minnesota, USA (1999-2003) on the basis of popularism.

In Ukraine , a comedian who played president on television , Volodymyr Zelensky became the president of his country in 2019 based on his popularity.

Back in Africa , George Oppong Weah, ex football star is currently the president of the west African country, Liberia.

A role he has played since 2017.

Were it not for the viciousness of the current president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni who reportedly applied repressive and anti democracy measures to intimidate his main rival in the last presidential race, a popular musician, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu – better known by his stage name Bobi Wine , was on track to becoming the president of Uganda in January, 2021.

All these developments buttress the fact that popularity plays a significant role in winning the presidency anywhere in the world.

Another curious discovery about becoming the president of Nigeria would be that the southerners who have so far become presidents- Obasanjo and Jonathan got there, somehow by default: Obasanjo became head of state in 1976 because Murtala

Mohamed got assassinated and he stepped into his boss’s shoes, just as Jonathan was president only because president Yar’adua , his boss, suddenly passed away in office too. So he got elevated to the status via the instrumentality of the ‘Doctrine of Necessity’.

Would a southern presidential candidate without the backing of northern politicians be able to win the presidency of Nigeria ?

This rhetorical question speaks to the claim made by Hakeem Baba-Ahmed , the spokesman of Northern Elders Forum, NEF , in a media interview to the effect that the northern region holds the ace in determining who becomes the president of Nigeria: “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before, whether we are President or Vice President, we will lead Nigeria. We have the majority of the votes and the democracy says vote whom you want.” Although he has practically walked back that confrontational stance which was countered by southern nationalists who interpreted the caustic comment as suggesting that the north is claiming the entitlement to perpetually rule Nigeria, it is an absurd position of which most leading lights in the north have already distanced themselves and acknowledged as being at best, whimsical.

If it is impossible for a southerner, lgbo or Yoruba to become president of Nigeria without a push by northerners , who is the north propping up for the role of president of Nigeria in 2023?

That is a billion dollar question which would be responded to on October 31, when the main opposition political party , the PDP holds her national convention and in December when the ruling party , APC would equally hold their convention.

Although presidential power play is largely about popularity, it also significantly utilizes conspiracies and alliances as the oxygen and blood for positioning popular candidates for victory in presidential polls .

The aforementioned political life giving elements are infused into the political system by gadflies, kingmakers or godfathers who provide the political structures nationwide and the financial muscle for their candidates (which can go as high as one hundred billion naira) to become president of Nigeria.

While the role of godfathers in Nigerian political space can be said to be visceral , it appears to have become entrenched as most Nigerian politicians seem to have acquiesced with it.

In the final analysis, it should be borne in mind that this piece is part of my soon to be released book “How To Become President Of Nigeria: A Citizen’s Guide” and it is only a practical guide.

Further technical guidance on how to become president of Nigeria can be gleaned from the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended in 2018 and the electoral act 2010 amended in 2021 and awaiting presidential assent.

ONYIBE, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst, author, development strategist, alumnus of Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts university, Massachusetts, USA and a former commissioner in Delta state government, sent this piece from Lagos. r5IF DPOWFSTBUJPO DPOUJOVFT PO XXX NBHOVN OH

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