TUESDAY 8TH DECEMBER 2020

Six Banks Boost Economy with N1.3tn Credits in 2020 Goddy Egene Efforts to grow the nation’s economy has received a boost from the banking sector as six leading banks injected additional N1.337 trillion through loans and advances to their customers

across all sectors of the economy between January and September 2020.

The loans were disbursed

by Access Bank Plc, FBN Holdings Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Zenith Bank

Plc for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

THISDAY checks showed that the six banks credits to customers as of September 2020 stood at N13.958 trillion, up by 10.59 per cent from December 2019, indicating that an additional N1.337 trillion

was given out within the nine months period.

A breakdown of the loans showed that Zenith Bank Plc recorded the highest of N405 billion, increasing its loans and advances from N2.306 trillion to N2.711 trillion. It was followed by UBA with

N281 billion as the pan-African bank increased its loans from N2.169 trillion to N2.450 trillion while FBN Holdings Plc lent N262 billion to close the nine months with N2.869 trillion up from N2.607 trillion.

Access Bank Plc advanced N175 billion to its customers

to increase its loans to N3.087 trillion as at September 2020, compared with N2.912 trillion as at the end of 2019. Fidelity Bank Plc raised its loans by N146 billion to N1.272 trillion from N1.126 trillion, while Continued on page 8

FG Bows to Labour, Reduces Petrol Price by N5... Page 6 Tuesday 8 December, 2020 Vol 25. No 9374. Price: N250

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Amidst Concerns over Insecurity, President Addresses N’Assembly Thursday House rejects call for removal

Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja

As concerns continue to mount over the rising wave

of insecurity, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday address a joint session of the National Assembly on his efforts to address the security challenges

PDP: It’s constitutional

across the country.

The president’s Personal Assistant on Social Media, Ms. Lauretta Onochie, disclosed this in a message she posted yesterday on her Twitter

handle, @Laurestar.

The message read: “President @MBuhari will address a joint session of the National Assembly (@ nassnigeria) on Thursday,

December 10, 2020.”

The House of Representatives had last week Tuesday invited the president to appear on the floor of the parliament and explain the

rising spate of insecurity in the country.

The decision was based on a motion of urgent national Continued on page 8

With Threats from Buhari, Police, #EndSARS Protesters Beat Retreat Afenifere, PANDEF, others caution FG over intimidation of demonstrators Soldiers, police take over strategic positions in Lagos, Ogun, others

Chiemelie Ezeobi in Lagos, Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja, John Shiklam in Kaduna, Bassey Inyang in Calabar and Sylvester Idowu in Warri The plans by youths to hold another round of protests fell through yesterday as they beat a hasty retreat as security agents, including military and police personnel, in preemptive moves, took over strategic locations in some states.

President Muhammadu Buhari had threatened to deal with any act of hooliganism under the guise of lawful and peaceful protests by the youth, who had been warned by the police that any form of demonstration would be crushed.

Organisers of the protests,

who had raised awareness on the social media, had planned to mass on the streets from yesterday to demand, among others, the release of all protesters detained during the first action, removing restrictions on all accounts frozen by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a result of the earlier protest and conduct of a referendum.

In the first stanza of the protests in October, which later snowballed into an orgy of looting, arson, killings and vandalism of public and private assets, including police stations, the youth had demanded an end to police brutality typified by the operations of the Special Continued on page 8

APC, PDP Bicker over Outcome of By-elections... Page 5

ROYAL VISIT TO JAGABAN...

L-R: Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero (left), and National Leader, All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu, during the monarch’s visit to the APC chieftain in Lagos...yesterday

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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NEWS

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

APC, PDP Bicker over Outcome of By-elections

Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday expressed divergent views on their performances in Saturday's by-elections in the 15 federal and state legislative seats across 11 states to fill vacancies created by the death of former occupants.

The by-elections involved nine state Houses of Assembly and six senatorial seats, with the APC winning three senatorial seats in Imo, Plateau and Lagos as well as seven House of Assembly seats in Lagos, Kogi, Borno, Katsina and Bauchi States.

On the other hand, PDP retained the three senatorial seats up for grabs in Bayelsa and Cross River as well as winning the House of Assembly seat in contention in Enugu State.

The results of the House of Assembly by-election in Zamfara State were declared inconclusive and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed tomorrow to conclude the by-election.

However, while the APC has

described its performance as an indication of the acceptance of the ruling party and President Muhammadu Buhari by Nigerians, the PDP cautioned the president against making what it called "false claim" of sweeping the polls.

The APC described the victories recorded by the party as an indication of the acceptance of the ruling party and Buhari by Nigerians.

The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in a statement yesterday, said the Buhariled APC administration was further buoyed by this national support to improve the lives of Nigerians, genuinely address national challenges and to better the country.

It stated: "From Imo, Bauchi, Lagos, Plateau and other states where Saturday's concurrent legislative by-elections were conducted across the country, the massive electoral victories recorded by the APC are a solid display and pointer that the APC remains the only political party with a true national appeal and acceptance by Nigerians, across geo-political zones and sundry groupings.

"As a governing party, the APC does not take the

massive national support for granted. This is indeed a true demonstration that President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC government he leads remains massively popular with Nigerians, despite the warped narrative some opposition partisans try to sell."

According to it, the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee is working to reposition the party by accommodating all interests and ensuring peace, unity, fairness, equity, justice, inclusion and internal democracy in the party.

It added that the efforts are yielding fruits as the APC has been returned to winning ways and re-emerging as a united, progressive and focused political unit.

The party, however, expressed sadness and regrets over the casualties resulting from the boat mishap involving some policemen on election duty in Bayelsa State as well as some election irregularities in some states during the

by-elections.

APC noted that although the by-elections were largely peaceful and hitch-free, it called for continued support for INEC and other bodies in ensuring the credibility and efficiency of the electoral processes.

However, while reacting to claims by the presidency on Sunday, that the APC reaffirmed yesterday, that the ruling party swept the polls, the PDP described it as another desperate measure to divert public attention from the Buhari administration's failures.

The PDP also mocked Buhari for assuming the role of an emergency spokesman of the APC in a bid to launder the image of the party.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said Buhari has by this confirmed that he has become a lame duck president, having abdicated his presidential responsibilities of securing the nation and managing the economy to issuing

press statements for APC and struggling for media space, as spokesperson and image launderer of the party.

It said: "Perhaps Mr. President’s handlers ought to have informed him that out of the six senatorial by-elections, the PDP freely swept three in free, fair and credible contests, while the APC only muscled the other three in polls that were marred by manifest irregularities and rigging.

"Moreover, the PDP is in a clear lead in Zamfara where the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Ibrahim Magatawa, openly betrayed the plot between INEC and APC to allocate votes for the APC and rig the Bakura State Constituency by-election.

"Such resort to rigging by the APC only confirmed its heightened unpopularity given the failures of its administrations, both at federal and state levels, including wrecking our economy and pampering terrorists, bandits and kidnappers who are

ravaging our communities and murdering our compatriots in the most vicious manner.

"It is indeed appalling that at a time Nigerians expect Mr. President to frontally tackle the escalated insecurity under his incompetent watch, particularly in dealing with the recent massacre in Borno State, he is more interested in praise-singing of a party that has been rejected by Nigerians."

The main opposition party said such dereliction of duty is a direct spat on the victims of the killings in the country and an insult on Nigerians.

Meanwhile, Mr. Moses Cleopas, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District by-election, has been declared the winner

by INEC. The INEC's Returning Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Akpan, announced that Cleopas polled 110,019 votes to defeat his closest rival for the crucial senatorial seat, Mr. Abel Efemowei of the APC, who scored 18,947 votes.

Zulum: Despite Recent Killings, We’re Better Off under Buhari Michael Olugbode Borno State Governor, Prof.

Babagana Zulum, has said no one should be blinded by the recent killing of 43 rice farmers to pass judgment on the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to checkmate Boko Haram insurgency.

He said records of the security situation in the troubled state have shown that they are better off security-wise under the Buhari administration than during the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

He said records taken from 2011 from the 27 local government areas of the state indicate clearly that Buhari has still performed better in the handling of Borno’s security challenges.

The governor made this declaration on Sunday, while addressing northern elders from the Arewa Consultative Forum in Maiduguri.

The ACF led by the Chairman of the forum’s board of trustee, Ambassador Shehu Malami, and the forum’s Executive Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had visited to pay condolences on the government and people of Borno State over the killing of over 40 rice farmers in Zabarmari, a farming community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.

Zulum said: “From statewide statistics on affairs in the 27 local government areas since 2011, the fact is that despite the recent happenings in Borno State, the security situation in Borno State and indeed that of the entire North-east sub-region is still far better under Buhari, and this is based on records. “For instance, unlike the years before Buhari when a

number of local government were no-go-areas, we now have citizens led by our traditional rulers, safely back to Bama, Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Dikwa, Ngala, Monguno, Kukawa, Damboa, Konduga, Mafa, all of which no one could visit not to talk of living there. “Our emirs were all in exile.

Today, Bama is coming back to life and so is Askira-Uba, Damboa, Gwoza and others.

Live is even returning to normal in Baga. This was impossible before Buhari.�

He said it was not possible to move few kilometres out of Maiduguri, explaining that the insurgents were so bold to attack and take over military facilities like the army barracks at Monguno, Bama, Giwa and the Multinational Joint Task Force Headquarters at Baga. “There were daily attacks by bomb blasts in many parts of Maiduguri, the most populated part of the state but all of these have stopped under Buhari.

These are the records and no one can dispute these records,�

Zulum said.

He, however, said it was human nature to be more concerned about current realities than comparing the past and present. “The insurgents by their nature always want to attract publicity which is very strategic for terror propaganda, so they resorted to attacking our communities and running away and of course this worries us,� he said.

The governor said the people will remain optimistic and keep doing their part in shared efforts to find sustainable peace in the state.

Zulum thanked the elders and all groups who paid similar visits to Borno in a show of solidarity and support to citizens with humanitarian needs.

HONOUR FOR THE BANKER...

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka; Member of Board of Trustees, Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre, Chief Marc Wabara, during the conferment of Zik Prize for Professional Leadership on Uzoka in Lagos...recently

Oshiomhole Disowns Suit Seeking Restoration of APC NWC Says won’t accept national chairman position again

Alex Enumah in Abuja The immediate past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, has denied insinuations in some quarters linking him with a recent court action challenging the dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party under his leadership.

Oshiomhole, in a statement yesterday, said the court documents are "clear" as to who is the plaintiff in the suit, adding that his resolve not to challenge his sacking as national chairman of the party has not changed because he is done with politics.

He explained that while 18 out of the 21-member NWC under his leadership worked as a team, three others were "used by forces desperate to take control of the party."

According to him, his decision not to go to court over the NWC's dissolution is personal and not collective.

He said: "The majority of 18 members worked as a team and not as allies or loyalists of anybody.

"When the National Executive Committee (NEC) in its wisdom dissolved the NWC, I immediately announced publicly that I accepted the decision, regardless of its illegality or otherwise, as it affected my position as national chairman.

"I was the only one at the press conference where I made the announcement for personal reasons. The reason, of course, was that some of my colleagues in the dissolved NWC obviously didn’t share my position not to contest the dissolution in court. I can only

accept responsibility for my own decision."

He said to demonstrate his resolve of not going to court, he instructed his lawyers to withdraw the suits challenging his purported suspension from office by proxies of those bent on removing him as chairman.

"It is, therefore, the height of mischief to insinuate, as it is being done in some quarters, that I would publicly accept the decision and later surreptitiously seek to contest it in court,�

Oshiomhole said, declaring: "That chapter of my political life is closed. Even if another NEC decision or a court order reverses the dissolution, with utmost humility, I will decline to return as APC chairman."

He said he was proud of the accomplishments of the NWC under his leadership and expressed gratitude "to the

principled 18 members who worked as a team committed to the cause of the party."

He added that he bears no grudges against anyone for the manner of his removal from office.

He said: "Instead, I am grateful and loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari, who encouraged me to contest the chairmanship of the party.

"I am also very much appreciative of the support of President Buhari who encouraged me to assert the authority of the party without fear or favour.

"Indeed, I would not have lasted as long as I did as national chairman but for the president’s support for me.

"I will continue to support his administration to succeed in serving the common good of the people of Nigeria."

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OPEC Pledges Support for Access to Modern Energy Sources 70% of cartel's production now shipped to Asia, says Barkindo Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) yesterday pledged its support for the 1.1 billion people globally without access to modern energy sources and the 2.8 billion individuals who still cannot afford modern cooking systems worldwide.

Speaking at the fourth high-level meeting of the OPEC-China Energy Dialogue, which held via a video conference, the organisation's SecretaryGeneral, Dr. Sanusi Barkindo, said OPEC would continue to pursue affordable and reliable energy for all.

Barkindo was joined during the event by the Administrator of the National Energy Administration (NEA) of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Jianhua, and the Permanent Representative and Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna, Wang Qun. Barkindo added that the cartel recognises the important role the oil industry will play in ensuring the speedy distribution of the recently found COVID-19 vaccines since many of the medical supplies, surgical masks and respirators as well as other equipment essential in the

fight against the pandemic come from petroleum-based products.

He said: “OPEC is unequivocal in its supports of the Sustainable Development Agenda, particularly SDG 7, which calls for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. “We must never forget that 1.1 billion live in energy poverty and 2.8 billion people have no access to modern cooking systems. These issues were discussed at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly and the First Annual SDG Moment, which was held on September 18, 2020.�

While recalling the crisis that engulfed the international oil market, particularly in April, he said the nadir of the challenge was on April 20, which he described as ‘Black Monday,’ when the WTI May contract went negative, ending the day at close to minus $40 per barrel.

He lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to wreak havoc globally, with more than 67 million people falling sick from the ailment, more than 1.5 million dead, followed by massive economic disruption, unemployment and threats to businesses.

Barkindo explained that the decisions, which were urgently taken by the OPEC members and allies, helped to rescue the market from

collapsing and sought for the continued support of all stakeholders to weather the current storm in the global oil market.

He said: “To help counter the situation, OPEC and our DoC (Declaration of Cooperation) partners agreed at two extraordinary meetings on April 9 and 12 to new voluntary production adjustments, beginning with 9.7 mb/d, in May and June 2020, this was extended to July.

Moreover, the tailored adjustments would also run two years until April 2022. “These are the largest and longest in the history of OPEC and the oil industry.

They were subsequently ‘tweaked’ at the 11th OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting on

6 June, indicative of our flexibility and adaptability.

We also agreed to a compensation mechanism for participating countries for underperformed volumes. “Just last Thursday, December 3, 2020, at the 12th OPEC and Non-OPEC ministerial meeting, participating countries unanimously agreed to a further tweak of the DoC voluntary production adjustments.�

According to him, the OPEC-China Energy Dialogue, now in its 15th year, has intensified across a range of fronts, particularly on the technical level, affirming that the current global crisis requires a global response.

He thanked the Chinese

President, Mr Xi Jinping, and noted that OPEC fully aligns with the Chinese leader ’s thoughts on the required international response to COVID-19.

While acknowledging the important role China will play over the coming decades, he explained that OPEC has already forecast China’s economic growth at 2.0 per cent for 2020 and 6.9 per cent in 2021. “The global economy is expected to more than double from 2019 to 2045.

While China accounted for 19 per cent of global GDP in 2019, this amount is projected to reach a whopping 24 per cent by 2045. “World oil demand is to rise from 99.7 mb/d in 2019 to 109.1 mb/d in

2045. Accordingly, China’s demand for oil is set to rise from 13.1 mb/d in 2019 to 17.1 mb/d in 2045, or by 4 mb/d. “Your great country became the world’s biggest importer of crude oil in 2017, overtaking the US. In 2019, almost 70 per cent of OPEC crude exports went to the Asia Pacific region.

A large portion of these exports goes to China. “The percentage of oil in China’s fuel share in the energy mix is also expected to remain stable between 2019 and 2045, at 19 per cent. This means that although China has been making great leaps and bounds in the field of renewables, the need for oil will remain significant,�

Barkindo stated.

FG Bows to Labour, Reduces Petrol Price by N5 Pump price now N162.44 FIRST FELLOW...

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Federal Government has caved in to demand by the organised labour by slashing the pump price of premium motor spirit

by N5.

By this reduction, the new price of a litre of petrol will now be N162.44.

The government said the new price template will come into effect as from Monday next week.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting with labour leaders that lasted till midnight, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said the meeting was fruitful.

He said: "Our discussion was fruitful and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which is the major importer and marketers of petroleum products and customers have agreed that there will be a slide down, of the pump price of PMS and

that the price cut will get us about N5 per litre and that the price cut will take effect from next Monday, a week today."

Ngige, however, said the price reduction is not meant to suspend deregulation because it did not affect the price of crude oil but on areas where the NNPC as the main importer has agreed that it cut cost like frieght cost and demurrage.

He said that the new price slash was a product of a joint committee of NNPC and labour representatives who looked into ways of cutting costs.

On the aspect of electricity tariff, both sides agreed to wait till next meeting date of January 25 to enable the special committee dealing with complaints to conclude their deliberations.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Ayuba Wabba, collaborated the position of the minister, saying what he said was the agreement reached by both sides.

Provost, Enugu State College of Education (Technical), Enugu, Dr. Osondu Eze; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and Chairman, Governing Council, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, during the presentation of a certiďŹ cate to the governor as the ďŹ rst fellow of the college in Enugu‌yesterday

Floods Kill 68, Wreak Havoc in 35 States, Says NEMA Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) revealed yesterday that no fewer than 68 people were killed across the country due to the devastating impact of flooding in 2020, which also affected 35 states of the federation as well as the nation's capital.

NEMA also disclosed that 320 local government areas were destroyed, explaining that 129,000 people were affected while houses and farmlands were washed away across the country thereby impacting negatively on food security.

The Director-General of NEMA, AVM Muhammadu Muhammed (rtd.), who made the disclosure in Abuja

at the 2020 Flood After Action Review Technical meeting, noted that an after-action review was geared towards improving performance by reflecting on activities or experiences, thereby avoiding past mistakes and replicating success.

Muhammed further stated that the review tool is a means to make the agency a high-reliability organisation, adding that it is one method NEMA had chosen to capture lessons learnt and identify recommended changes for implementation.

He said: "We’re aware of the challenges some SEMAs (State Emergency Management Agencies) are facing such as low capacity and use of ad-hoc staff causing inconsistency in

response coordination with NEMA and other relevant stakeholders.

"Let me reiterate that we are determined to support SEMAs to build their capacities and enhance their response capability. This, to us, is one of the goals we have set for ourselves, which we believe deserves adequate attention."

"NEMA in its 2020 Annual Flood Outlook forecast flooding in some parts of the country where 102 LGAs in 28 states fall within the Highly Probable Flood Risk areas, while 275 LGAs in the 36 States of the Federation including the FCT fall within the Moderately Probable Flood Risk areas. The remaining 397 LGAs fall within the Low Probable Flood Risk

areas.

"These predictions were expected to have an impact on various sectors including agriculture, water resources, health, transport and infrastructure."

He added: "2020 unfortunately has been a year of ‘an incident within an incident’, with the country battling COVID-19 pandemic, managing a flood disaster will be a herculean task."

"We are gathered to learn lessons aimed at improving the national systems, preparedness, mitigation and response effectiveness towards future flood occurrences in Nigeria. I urge you to kindly accord this meeting the attention it deserves to achieve the desired objective in creating a resilient Nigeria."

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PAGE EIGHT AMIDST CONCERNS OVER INSECURITY, PRESIDENT ADDRESSES N’ASSEMBLY THURSDAY importance moved by the Borno State caucus on last weekend’s killing of farmers in the state.

The Senate had also in a separate resolution asked the president to sack his service chiefs.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, had last Wednesday said Buhari agreed to address Nigerians, through the federal lawmakers, on the security challenges confronting the nation.

House Rejects Call for President’s Removal Meanwhile, the House yesterday distanced itself from a call by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, for the removal of President Muhammadu Buhari over the worsening insecurity in the country.

Chinda's advocacy, however, divided PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as both expressed divergent views on the issue.

While the opposition party defended the call, made on Sunday, describing it as constitutional and democratic, the ruling party labelled it as insensitive and callous.

Chinda, in a statement on Sunday, said Buhari had failed in his primary responsibility of protecting lives and property and called

on Nigerians to compel their representatives to remove the president from office.

He also called on the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to declare Buhari incapacitated.

However, the spokesperson of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, in a statement yesterday, described Chinda’s call as illogical and the opinion of a member of the opposition party in the House.

He labelled the call a distraction to members who were eagerly awaiting Buhari’s visit to the House.

He added that if the call had come after the president’s visit for the failure to dialogue well enough in proffering solutions to the insecurity or due to Buhari's inability to implement their suggestions on making Nigeria safer, it would've appeared logical.

The House said: “This opinion of a single member of the opposition party in the house has been misinterpreted by journalists as the voice of the entire House of Representatives when it does not represent the weakest opinion of the minority caucus of the ninth House. Even among the minority caucus, Hon Kingsley Chinda lost the opportunity to speak for the entire minority when he lost the minority leadership election to Hon Ndudi Elumelu the minority leader of the ninth Assembly, a wound that has refused to heal.

“It is the structure of the minority caucus leadership and majority caucus leadership that is recognised by the House as any statement not emanating from these and the spokesperson of the House does not in any way reflect either the minority, majority or general position of the ninth House of Representatives and should be disregarded like his other divisive, distracting, destabilising and destructive positions. “Just last week, the speaker warned the media to desist from ascribing to the House the opinion of a single member, since we have a spokesperson. “The motive behind this press release as well as the timing leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of most progressives, who were instructed by their constituents to request for interaction with the president, a task many thought was not possible seeing that in the history of our modern democracy none of the past presidents obliged the parliamentary request for an interactive session and none of the past leaderships of the assembly was able to use parliamentary backchannel diplomacy, adopted and applied by the current leadership to secure the acceptance of Mr. President to this invitation; an outing that has strengthened our democratic principles. “If this call came post president’s visit for the

safety of all Nigerians.

failure to dialogue well enough in securing solutions or due to his inability to put our positions to use, it would appear logical.

This call is not only illogical, but it also appears as a tool strategically thrown up to disrupt the agenda of the coming visit with all it sets out to achieve in the spirit of nation-building, which remains the mantra of the ninth Assembly and is considered a joint task. “In the view of the ninth Assembly, it would remain a call made wrongfully to distract the members whose minds are set on the visit and the expected achievements.

It is surprising that Hon Kingsley Chinda was among those who insisted on the invitation of the president, probably expecting a gross disregard from the president who surprisingly broke the jinx and kindly obliged our request. “Isn’t it obvious that apparently shocked by the acceptance of Mr. President, he is on a new lonely voyage of personal agenda strange to the legislative agenda of the house and leadership?

Where was his constitutional impeachment voice when his previous presidents of PDP extractions were invited but ignored the House?"

The House assured Nigerians that having invited the president, they should be patient to wait for the outcome of the meeting before been misled.

APC: Chinda's Call, Insensitive, Callous

output.

"It is believed that the sustained credit to the economy coupled with other policies by the CBN would help the economy to recover quickly from the recession."

Analysts at Greenwich Research also said policies to lift Nigeria out of recession and prevent a repeat of the post-2016 recession fragile growth will hinge substantially

on interventions focused on boosting the spending capacity of households. “Already, the government has introduced measures including, but not limited to the N2.3 trillion COVID-19 stimulus programmes to reflate the economy and expansion of the social register from 2.6 million to 3.6 million households, with direct cash transfers as part of plans to lessen the pandemic-induced

hardships. “Likewise, the disbursement of N3.5 trillion from the CBN’s interventions has been a boost for the overall economy. Importantly, investment in infrastructure is critical to providing the much-needed growth impetus, even as social intervention schemes are redesigned within frameworks that guarantee successful deployment,� they said.

that the Nigeria Army was well poised to confront all security challenges, which include cyber threats.

Buratai recalled the state of affairs in the army in early 2015 which was characterised by low morale arising from the consistent setbacks in the counter-insurgency operations in the North-east, which the president charged service chiefs on the assumption of the duty to evolve a professional and highly motivated army capable of conducting the full status of military operations in a decisive manner.

He said this has been largely achieved with the army currently well poised to tackle contemporary and numerous security threats.

wave of #EndSARS protests.

Although the planned protest failed to hold, THISDAY checks revealed the presence of armed security operatives, especially at black spots and known volatile

The APC expressed similar sentiments with the House's and described the call for the impeachment of Buhari as insensitive and callous.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in a statement yesterday, said the party learnt that Chinda did not even have the support of any of the PDP House factions he claims to head.

He added that Chinda is a lone and rejected voice.

He stated: "The APC has no intention of joining (sic) issues with a crass statement credited to Kingsley Chinda, a purported factional "leader" of the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives in which he has resorted to denigrate the office and person of the president by name-calling and insults.

"Chinda's insensitive and callous intention is to play politics with the grief of citizens in the aftermath of the recent, gruesome and condemnable killings of some defenceless farmers in Zabarmari, Borno State

by Boko Haram. The APC will not join Chinda and his PDP backers on this evil and ignoble road."

According to the party, the leadership of the National Assembly, the president and armed forces are on the same page in tackling emerging security situations in the country and ensuring the

PDP: It’s Constitutional However, the PDP has said the call for the removal of Buhari is a direct reflection of the mood and desires of Nigerians, given his alleged failure, particularly in guaranteeing the security of the nation and rescuing the economy.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said: "As a party, the PDP has always called on our federal legislators in the House of Representatives and the Senate, irrespective of political affiliations, to stand on the side of the people by deploying the legislative instruments provided in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to rescue the ship of state.

"The Buhari administration has already accepted failure as reflected in the declaration by one of its officials that the nation is now at the mercy of bandits and terrorists, a development that signals that it has outlived its usefulness.

"President Buhari is elected by the people; his stay in office is also dependent on the people as vested on them by the constitution, through their elected representatives in the National Assembly."

The PDP urged Nigerians to eschew all primordial sentiments and stand for the nation at this critical time.

SIX BANKS BOOST ECONOMY WITH N1.3TN CREDITS IN 2020 GTBank Plc accounted for N68 billion, increasing its loans to N1.569 trillion, compared with N1.501 trillion.

Analysts said apart from the determination of some banks to increase lending, the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to increase banks’ lending-todeposit ratio (LDR) to 60 per cent and later to 65 per cent with a deadline of December 2019 had

contributed to the growth in loans and advances.

The LDR is part of customers’ deposits given out as loans by banks.

Some analysts had said the policy would lead to an uptrend in credit to the private sector.

For instance, analysts at Cowry Asset Management Limited said: “We feel that the sustained increase in credit to the private sector, which was induced

by CBN’s policy of higher loan-to-deposit ratio, its increase from 60 per cent to 65 per cent took effect from January 1, 2020, should stimulate real sector growth. “In addition to the restriction on Open Market Operations (OMO) sales to deposits money banks (DMBs) and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), we expect credit to the private sector to further rise with a resultant growth in production

WITH THREATS FROM BUHARI, POLICE, #ENDSARS PROTESTERS BEAT RETREAT Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protests were, however, later hijacked by hoodlums to perpetrate criminality.

Based on the fallout of the October protests, the police, on Sunday, warned the organisers of yesterday's planned protests to desist from going ahead with the plans as the country was yet to fully recover from the last incident.

The police said the ban on gathering extended to #EndSARS, a decision that drew fire yesterday from prominent pressure groups, including the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Northern Elders' Forum (NEF), which cautioned the federal government and its agents against circumscribing people's constitutional rights.

The president, however, seized the opportunity of declaring open the Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020, in Abuja to warn hoodlums hiding under peaceful protests to unleash mayhem on the country, vowing to crush them.

The theme of the

conference is: "Human Capacity Development in Sustaining Professionalism and Responsiveness of the Nigerian Army in the Discharge of its Constitutional Roles.�

Buhari commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their efforts in restoring law and order in various states when hoodlums hijacked the #EndSARS protests in October.

The president, in a statement by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, expressed government’s commitment to the rights of citizens to engage in peaceful protests in accordance with the laws of the land.

The president lamented that the #EndSARS protests were hijacked by hoodlums, resulting in wanton destruction of lives and property in many parts of the country.

Buhari described 2020 as a very challenging year, citing the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact on almost every aspect of the country's national life.

He said he was pleased with the army for being resolute in the discharge of its

constitutional responsibilities as well as the maintenance of the welfare of soldiers.

He also commended the army for its support to civil authorities in the battle against COVID-19 and conduct of Edo and Ondo polls.

"I am pleased to note that the army remained resolute in the discharge of its constitutional roles and in keeping the health and welfare of our soldiers a priority,� he said.

Buhari commended the army for what he described as its unwavering commitment to the battle against insurgents, armed bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and other violent criminals through ongoing exercises and operations in different parts of the country.

The president urged the army to sustain the efforts until the country achieves the full restoration of peace and security.

Buhari also used the occasion to pay tribute to uniformed men and women whom he said had paid the supreme sacrifice in the defence of the country and commiserated with their

families, comrades and friends.

He pledged his administration's dedication to the well-being of families of fallen heroes whom he said had paid the supreme sacrifice in the fight against insurgency and other forms of crimes across the country.

As part of the event, Buhari launched a housing scheme for next of kin of army personnel killed in active service, saying it will boost the morale of troops.

He told the gathering that he had been briefed on some of the major capabilities procured for the army that will soon be inducted into various theatres of operations.

He urged the army personnel ‘‘to make judicious use of these capabilities, even as we await the arrival of others currently pending shipment to the country.’’ Earlier, the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd), appreciated the president for always approving funds for military operations and assured him that all resources would be judiciously utilised.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, noted

Police, Army Deploy Personnel to Enforce Ban on #EndSARS Protests in Lagos Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command and soldiers from 81 Division Nigerian Army were yesterday deployed in strategic areas of the state to enforce the ban emplaced on the second

Continued on page 9

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9

TUESDAY, ΀˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

NEWS

Buhari Reappoints Kuru as AMCON MD Nominates new MD, ED for NDIC Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday renewed the appointment of Mr. Ahmed Kuru as the Managing Director of Asset Management Corporation of

Nigeria (AMCON).

He also reappointed Mr. Eberechukwu Uneze and Mr. Aminu Ismail as executive directors of the corporation for a final term of five years.

Buhari also appointed Mr. Bello Hassan and Mr. Mustapha Ibrahim as the

Managing Director and Executive Director of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

While Hassan will succeed Mr. Umaru Ibrahim, Ibrahim will succeed Mr. Aghatise Erediuwa whose second terms will end on December

8, 2020, as Managing Director and Executive Director (Operations) respectively.

A statement by a presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, said the president, in separate letters to the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan,

asked the Senate to confirm the nominations.

According to Shehu, while AMCON nominations were made in line with Section 10(1) of the AMCON Act 2010, those of NDIC were made in compliance with Sections 5(4) and 8(3) of the

NDIC Act 2010.

He also said the nominations of Hon. Omolola Abiola-Edewor as Executive Director (Corporate Services) in the NDIC remains valid until her second and final term ends on January 24, 2022.

US Adds Nigeria to Religious Freedom Blacklist Says Boko Haram, ISIS, others entities of concern Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The United States has designated Nigeria, China, Burma, Eritrea, Iran, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of ‘particular interest’ for violating religious freedom.

The US Department of States in a statement by the Secretary of State, Mr. Michael Pompeo, said yesterday that it was also placing the Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Russia on

a special watchlist for governments that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom.�

US explained that religious freedom is an inalienable right, and the bedrock upon which free societies are built and flourish.

It stated: “Today, the United States – a nation founded by those fleeing religious persecution, as the recent Commission on Unalienable Rights report noted – once again took

action to defend those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom. “The United States is designating Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom. “Additionally, we are

designating al-Shabaab, al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016.�

The US noted that it has not renewed the prior Entity of Particular Concern designations for al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS-Khorasan, due to the

total loss of territory formerly controlled by these terrorist organisations.

It added that while these two groups no longer meet the statutory criteria for designation, it would not rest until it has fully eliminated the threat of religious freedom abuses by any violent extremist and terrorist groups.

The US, however, announced that that Sudan and Uzbekistan have been removed from the special watchlist based on

significant, concrete progress undertaken by their respective governments over the past year.

It explained that the courageous reforms of their laws and practices stand as models for other nations to follow. “And yet our work is far from complete. The United States will continue to work tirelessly to end religiously motivated abuses and persecution around the world, and to help ensure that each person, everywhere,� it said.

"This is a president, who brandishes the hammer to kill a fly and a slingshot to confront an elephant.

Fortunately, the critical mass in Nigeria has been bestirred and the international community is sensitive to what has become of Nigeria.

What an informed president would do is to direct the security forces to ensure that the proposed protest does not get hijacked by hoodlums."

PANDEF decried the federal government's approach in handling the renewed attempt by #EndSARS promoters to regroup for another round of protests, noting that resorting to threats will not solve the problem.

National spokesman of PANDEF, Mr. Ken Robinson, in an interview with THISDAY yesterday, said the federal government mismanaged the October #EndSARS protest and is about to make the same mistake with the renewed agitation by the youths.

He, however, advised the federal government to engage the promoters of EndSARS in a dialogue instead of resorting to the threat "which is unnecessary."

He said: "We appeal to the federal government to forget the language of threat. The federal government should go into engagement with the promoters of #EndSARS and discuss with them."

He noted that though, PANDEF is not in support of another round of agitation because of the way the October EndSARS protest was mismanaged, it upholds the right of people to protest as enshrined in the constitution.

"As leaders in the country and looking at the situation of things, we will advice Nigerians to put off the planned protest. Protest now is not necessary," he

stated.

NEF Chairman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, also defended the rights of the people to protest within the confine of the law.

He, however, said Buhari may have reasons for threatening to deal with anyone who embarks on another protest.

He told THISDAY in a telephone interview, that people should be able to protest within the law as guaranteed by the constitution. “We have no reaction (to your question), we were not participants in EndSARS protest. “We have made our principles very clear.

People should be able to protest within the law. A protest is guaranteed in our constitution, within the overall framework of the law. “Government must have reacted according to the wishes of those who protested legally against SARS and the government took a decision to disband SARS and so on. I thought that was the response the government was making, more or less in response to the demands of the protesters... “There were genuine protesters of EndSARS and there were hoodlums who hijacked the protest and were destroying property. “Does protest allow you to destroy property belonging to somebody else?...

"I thought the government must be worried about hoodlums who did a lot of damage and who perhaps will want another opportunity to do more damage. “To my mind, this makes sense to warn that people who were hoodlums and were destructive should not be allowed again,�

Abdullahi said.

WITH THREATS FROM BUHARI, POLICE, #ENDSARS PROTESTERS BEAT RETREAT areas.

The deployment of the military and police personnel was a follow-up to the warning issued on Sunday by the state command Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, who warned that any gathering or procession with an undertone of #EndSARS remained banned.

Odumosu alleged that the second wave of the protest was sponsored by “some unpatriotic individuals and groups.�

On the heels of the warning issued by Odumosu, the Ogun State Police Command also banned protest in the state, warning prospective protesters to desist from such action or face the full wrath of the law.

A statement by the command spokesperson, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said while the command recognises that it is the right of citizens to protest to express their grievances over issues of governance, “there is, however, nothing at present that calls for such a protest in the gateway state, except for those who see troublemaking as a lucrative business.�

The army said the deployment of soldiers were nothing out of the ordinary but in continuation of their normal routine patrols.

The acting Deputy Director, 81 Division Army Public Relations, Major Olaniyi Osoba, denied claims that soldiers were deployed in Lekki Tollgate to abort the proposed protest.

He said: “We have soldiers in that axis on their routine patrol but they are not at Lekki Tollgate. Besides, the soldiers you saw were drawn from Operation MESA.�

He, however, noted that the army would show up if they are called upon like they did during the first wave of

the protest.

The police also debunked allegations that a protest was held at Lekki Tollgate despite the ban.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the viral but fake video of the purported protest was circulated to create tension and destabilise the security network put in place.

He said: “The command wishes to debunk the fake video that has been circulated to create tension and destabilise security network in the state. “The video was one of the viral videos released during the recent violent EndSARS protest before the Lekki Tollgate plaza was set ablaze by the violent protesters on October 21, 2020. “The command, therefore, urges the general public to regard the video as baseless and mischievous."

Police Warn Against #EndSARS Protest in C'River The Cross River State Police Command also warned the public against participating in any fresh #EndSARS protest.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ms. Irene Ugbo (DSP), said yesterday that the warning became necessary because "there were plans by some unscrupulous individuals or groups of persons to embark on another destructive and fierce #ENDSARS protest."

The statement said the police had actionable intelligence that certain individuals or groups had concluded plans to entice innocent citizens, especially youths, into their planned protest.

It warned those who might want to hide under #EndSARS protest to spark

what the police described as another catastrophic impact with intent to cause chaos in the state to refrain from such a venture.

Protesters March on Osogbo, Demand Good Governance The sabre-rattling, however, did not stop protesters from marching on Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to demand good governance.

The protesters, under the auspices of Face of #EndSARS Movement, converged on Ogo-Oluwa area of the state and marched on the state House of Assembly where they demanded an audience with the leadership of the house.

The protesters, led by a man identified as Mr. Emmanuel Adebisi, bore different placards with inscriptions such as: “We are not fighting for any political party; #End Bad Judiciary in Nigeria; #End fake judicial panel of Inquiry in Osun; Unfreeze all the frozen accounts; We are Nigerian youths.�

The protesters called for the release of all detainees arrested during the demonstrations in October and also asked the CBN to unfreeze the accounts of protesters.

Afenifere, PANDEF, NEF Condemn Intimidation of Demonstrators The pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, its Niger Delta counterpart, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) yesterday deplored attempts by the federal government and its agents to curtail people's constitutional rights to protest.

Afenifere’s National

Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, told THISDAY that instead of threatening defenceless youths, the president should face Boko Haram insurgency that is threatening to break the nation.

"They should go and flex muscles against Boko Haram If they have some strength to show. Real generals fight terrorists to a standstill but our general can only soak 'monkey and baboon' in blood," he said.

Also reacting, activist and former Chairman of the Friends of the Earth International, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, described such a statement coming from the president as unfortunate. "[It’s] a very sad development if true. #EndSARS is a peaceful movement and threats of this nature will only galvanise and strengthen the movement. The most reasonable response of government would be to soberly reflect on the demands and respond to them. Those in power cannot play the ostrich and pretend not to know the state of things in the nation," he said.

Chief Akin Osuntokun, a former special adviser on Political Matters to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said he wasn't surprised by the president's threat.

According to him, "You know, there is no misstep President Buhari can take that surprises me. Look at the mess they have made of the Boko Haram insurgency, not to talk of the bloody anarchy in the North-west and the Middle Belt bordering on violent implosion.

"This president is distinguished only in the penchant to reward failure with approval. Which other presidents would still retain so-called military/security services chiefs in the face of overwhelming failure?

10

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8,2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

NBS: Foreign Trade Rises to N8.37tn in Q3 Records N2.38tn deficit James Emejo in Abuja The value of Nigeria’s merchandise trade stood at N8.37 trillion in third quarter of the year (Q3 2020) representing an increase 34.15 per cent compared to N6.24 trillion in the preceeding quarter.

This, however, indicated a decline of 8.85 per cent compared to Q3, 2019 when it recorded N9.19 trillion.

According to the trade statistics for Q3 2020 which was released yesterday by the statistical agency, total trade year to date amounted to N23.20 trillion.

The import component was valued at N5.38 trillion, representing an increase of 33.77 per cent in Q3 against the N4.02 trillion in Q2 and 38.02 per cent or N3.90 trillion in Q3, 2019.

The value of imports in Q3represented the highest level for any quarter since 2017, the NBS added.

The export component accounted for N2.99 trillion of the total trade indicating an increase of 34.85 per cent compared to the N2.22 trilion in Q2 but a decrease of 43.41 per cent compared N5.29 trillion Q3, 2019.

Aside from Q2 2020, the value of exports in Q3 2020 represented the lowest level of any quarter since 2017, according to the statistical agency.

It however stated that, “Due to lower exports and higher imports compared to 2019, the trade balance recorded a deficit of N2.38 trillion during the third quarter. This also represents the widest merchandise trade deficit since 2017.

“When compared to the deficit of N1.80 trillion recorded in Q2, the Q3 deficit rose by 32.45 per cent.”

Also, crude oil exports grew in value by 56 per cent in Q3 compared to Q2, 2020 but decreased in value by 35.3 per cent year-on-year.

The value of solid minerals exports registered an increase of 253 per cent in the review period compared to Q2 but a decrease of 12.2 per cent compared to Q3 2019 while manufactured goods export decreased by 47.7 per cent in Q3 against the level recorded in Q2 and a considerable decline of 86.7 per cent compared with the corresponding quarter in 2019.

In addition, mineral products exports accounted for the largest proportion of exports, amounting

BGL, Associates Pay Tributes to Late Stockbroker, Okumagba Peter Uzoho The management and staff of BGL Group yesterday in Lagos held a special night of tributes in honour of their late Group Managing Director and notable Nigerian investment banker, Mr. Albert Okumagba.

Also, friends and business associates of the late investment banker and stockbroker at the occasion, took turns to pour encomiums on him for leaving eternal legacies behind.

Okumagba passed on on November 19, 2020 at the age of 56.

The Deputy Managing Director of BGL, Mr. Chibundu Edozie, who read Okumagba’s profile, said under the watch of their late boss, the firm midwifed the merger of STB and United Bank for Africa (UBA) in 2005 even ahead of the banking consolidation era.

He described the merger as one of the audacious and unparalleled deals in the Nigerian financial sector which was made possible by Okumagba.

According to Edozie, “This was only made possible by Albert’s chutzpah and his ability to drive his investment banking team into new and uncharted waters.

“His ideal of increased banking activities through the creation of bigger and stronger banks drove him to firmly legend status as a motivator and an audacious dealmaker in the M&A era where BGL emerged as the M&A leader in the banking consolidation exercise.”

The GMD said Okumagba’s motivational skills were quite uncharacteristic of the average Nigerian manager, adding that his avuncular attitude towards

his staff and his incentive schemes brought out the best in his teams.

He said the late stockbroker’s “endearing qualities would include his audacious optimism, his great sense of humour, his well cultivated networking ability, his expansive memory on people’s names and his knack for spelling these names correctly, his motivational skills, and his empathy which reflected in his pursuit of several humanitarian causes.”

One of Okumagba’s friends and Principal Partner of Chuma Anosike & Co, Mr. Chuma Anosike, described the late investment banker as a good man and probably one of the best people he had met.

Narrating the the experiences of their over 40 years friendship, Anosike said he enjoyed every moment he had with Okumagba, saying he loved believing in people and touching lives.

“We met about 40 years ago.

I didn’t think that I would be called up to make this kind of speech here in our mid-50s. He was committed to anything he set out to do. He always believed in the big picture, he believed in people.

“He gave people the opportunity to go higher. He bared no grudges against anybody.

He was a great guy and probably one of the best people I have ever met. He believed in humanity,” Anosike said.

He added that the deceased was not someone who was after primitive acquisition of wealth.

Earlier in his homily, Pastor Wale Olusola, who read from the book of Acts 13: 36, admonished participants on the need to emulate Okumagba in living a good life while on earth irrespective of the duration of one’s life.

to N2.78 trillion 93.1 per cent of total trade.

According to the NBS, this was due to the crude oil component of the section. This was followed by Vehicles aircraft and parts (N103.4 billion or 3.5 per cent) and others.

Analysis of export by region

revealed that Nigeria exported mostly to Europe (N1.23 trillion or 41.3 per cent), followed by Asia N1.11 trillion or 37 per cent), Africa (N442.3billion or 15 per cent), and America (N150.86 billion or 5 per cent).

Within Africa, goods worth

N182.4billion was exported to ECOWAS member states with value of exports at N2.99 trillion showing an increase of 34.85 per cent compared to Q2, but a decrease of 43.41 per cent compared to Q3, 2019.

Year to date, value of total

export amounted to N9.29 trillion, the NBS stated.

India remains Nigeria’s major trade partner accounting for 16.73 per cent of exports followed by Spain with 10.97 per cent and the Netherlands with 7.61 per cent.

REGIONAL MEETING....

L-R: President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo; Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, at the Ime Obi meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu...yesterday.

Assets Declaration: Magu Honours CCB Invitation Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, yesterday honoured the invitation of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in Abuja.

Sources close to the matter also disclosed that Magu was at the CCB office in Abuja on Thursday, December 3, 2020 with his lawyers over the CCB’s invitation on his assets declaration.

But the suspended EFCC boss could not be attended to as the CCB was having its annual lecture with a theme titled: “Fighting Corruption for Socio-Economic Development”.

It was further gathered that Magu later visited the CCB on Friday, December 4, 2020 where he spent couple of hours for the interview on his assets declaration.

The CCB had earlier invited Magu on November 17, 2020 and asked him to come along with: Acknowledgement slips of all his

assets declaration since he joined the public service; Copies of his appointment letter, acceptance, records of service and payslips from January to May, 2020; and all title documents of his landed properties both developed and undeveloped.

But Magu replied in his two letters to the CCB that he would not be able to honour its invitation on the grounds of lack of access to the relevant documents which the CCB is demanding from him.

Speaking through his lawyer, Mr Wahab Shittu, Magu explained that he did not shun the CCB invitation as reported by some sections of the media but only sought a new date over lack of access to relevant documents.

The letter reads in part, “ We wish to state with high sense of responsibility that we have written two letters to the Chairman of the CBB, intimating him about the inability of our client to have access to the relevant documents as required by the CCB. “The letters, which were dated

November 16 and 17, 2020, were addressed to the CCB Chairman”.

Shittu said: “The letters were titled- Re: Investigation of Activities- Letter of Invitation, Breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers.

“Please note that the letters were stamped and acknowledged by the office of the CCB Chairman on the said date of November 17, 2020. We also wish to state the said letters were copied to the Director of Intelligence, Investigation and Monitoring while the letters were also stamped and acknowledged by his office”.

On Magu’s inability to honour the invitation initially, he said: “Explaining the inability of our client to honour the invitation, we stated as follows: “Your letter dated November 2, 2020 with reference No.-CCB/ HQ/II & M/007/2093 addressed to our client has been passed unto us to respond to as follows: “In the referred letter, our client was requested to appear

before your distinguished body on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 11am prompt concerning the above subject matter. We have firm instructions to inform your distinguished body that our client, regrettably will not be able to honour today’s invitation in view of certain circumstances beyond his control.

“Our client’s inability to honour your invitation is as a result of his inability to access his office and the requested documents since his suspension from office. We wish to inform you that the documents which you requested for and other personal documents are still in his personal office where he has been denied access up to date.”

He further requested that the invitation “to our client be extended pending the conclusion of the exercise of the mandate of the presidential Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up against our client and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Governors to Meet Buhari Today over Insecurity Chuks Okocha in Abuja The 36 governors of the federation will today meet with President Muhammadu Buhari over security situation in the country.

A source at the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) informed THISDAY last night that the meeting would take place by 3p.m.

It was gathered that the governors had on Sunday forwarded their request to meet with the president to his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

According to a source, “After the visit of the governors to Borno State to commiserate with their counterpart, Prof.

Zulum, over the killing of rice farmers in the state by the Boko Haram insurgents and the meeting that followed, the governors resolved to meet the president.

“In their last meeting on December 1, the governors variously complained on the worsening security situations in the country.

The governors are saying that they are overwhelmed by the security challenges

in the country.”

The governors had said through a statement issued by the Head of Information and Publicity of NGF, Abdulrazque Bello Barkindo, that they would seek a security order in their meeting with President Buhari.

It is also not clear if the governors would push for the sack of the Service Chiefs, whose tenure of office have since elapsed.

Nigerians from all walks of life have been calling for the sack of the security chiefs

and the appointments of new security chiefs that would inject fresh ideas into the security network in the country.

In a communique issued last week, which was signed by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is also the governor of Ekiti State, the governors resolved to “meet with the president as soon as possible to address security challenges across the country, particularly in the light of the carnage in Borno State.”

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

11

NEWS

Court Upholds $1.7bn Arbitral Award in Favour of NPDC on Brass, Forcados Assets Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice A. Faji of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court yesterday upheld the decision of an arbitration tribunal, which slammed a whopping $1.7 billion judgment in favour of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) NPDCis a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) The arbitration involved the Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and the NPDC. Atlantic Energy had in August 2015, through their lawyers, Tunde Fagbohunlu SAN, dragged the NNPC to Arbitration over alleged breaches of contract.

NPDC in response, filed a counter-claim for funds due to the government on account of crude oil sales from the Oil Mining Leases (OMLS) 26, 30, 34, 42, 60, 61, 62 and 63 (known as ‘Brass

and Forcados assets’) without payment of remittances due.

NPDC also sought the recovery of unpaid net approved cash calls in respect of the OMLs. Delivering judgment, the tribunal on March 5, 2019, upheld the arguments of NPDC’s lead counsel, Prof.

Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, and handed down a landmark Arbitral Award of $1.7 billion in favour of NPDC. The tribunal ordered that Atlantic Energy pay the sum of $1.7 billion to NPDC as the value of the 55 per cent crude oil portion of the federal government taken and sold

by Atlantic but not remitted to NNPC. Dissatisfied, Atlantic Energy (award-debtors) then approached the court for an order setting aside the arbitral award delivered in favour of NPDC on grounds that the Arbitral Tribunal allegedly misconducted itself by wrongfully assuming jurisdiction over NPDC’s counter-claim, and dismissing their preliminary objection to

the said counter-claim.

NPDC, at the same time, sought for an order of court to recognise and enforce the arbitral award.

In upholding the submissions of the NNPC’s lead counsel, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, Justice Faji in his judgment held that NPDC’s counter-claim in the arbitration was distinct in all material respects from the suit referred to by the award debtors.

According to the judge, as rightly argued by Ajogwu, counsel to NPDC, whilst the

claim in suit 701 touched on criminal conversion/ diversion of revenue due to the federation, the counter-claim to the arbitration bordered on breach of the Strategic Alliance Agreement between NPDC and the award-debtors.

Justice Faji, accordingly, dismissed the award-debtors’ application to set aside the arbitral award dated March 5, 2020.

He granted orders recognising the $1.7 billion arbitral award as well as for leave to enforce same as a judgment of the Federal

High Court.

At the delivery of the judgment, Shehu Mustapha of Aluko Oyebode announced appearance for Atlantic Energy and Oluyemi Adebo of Kenna Partners appeared for NPDC. This landmark decision upholds one of the single largest awards ever in a Nigerian arbitration.

Also, it settles the question of the impact of non-payment of signature fees on lifted crude oil as well as the principles of unjust enrichment in crude oil lifting and recovery.

Furthermore, the significance of this Arbitration to Nigeria, which depends mostly on crude oil for revenue generation and economic development is enormous for the Nigerian economy, which is heavily dependent on crude oil revenues.

Analysts believe that the landmark award of $1.7 billion on lost crude oil revenues will strengthen the resolve of the Nigerian government in its drive to recover other lost or stolen crude over the years.

Most Almajiris are Not Nigerians, Says Ganduje Most Quranic education school pupils, popularly referred to as Almajiri, who roam the streets in the northern part of the country, are not Nigerians, Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje said yesterday.

“A lot of them are foreigners from Niger Republic, Chad, and Cameroun,” Ganduje said while declaring open, a three-day retreat organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission in Kano.

The theme of the retreat is “Enhancing Basic Education in Nigeria towards a Robust Institutional Strengthening and Effective Stakeholder Engagement”.

“From the survey, we have conducted, most of the “Almajiri” roaming our streets are from Niger, Chad and the northern part of Cameroun.

“Once you improve the quality of ‘Almajiri’ education system, you are inviting other ‘Almajiri’ from other places to come to your

state. That is another problem.

“The northern governors are putting more pressure toward having a universal legislation that will limit the migration from one state to another,” he said.

He said that the retreat was “very vital and important, especially at this moment that the country is gradually coming out from the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected education in the country”.

According to Ganduje, the retreat is also important because it is coming at a time education has become the first victim of uncontrolled population, especially when it is not matched with appropriate economic development.

Ganduje disclosed that free and compulsory primary and secondary school education, as well as the transformation of the ”Almajiri” education system, were some of his major priorities in the education sector.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AGAINST COVID-19

Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu (left), and wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, when the governor’s wife visited the NCDC to present some of her books on COVID-19 awareness in Abuja...yesterday.

Strike: NANS to Engage FG, ASUU The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday said it would engage the federal government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with a view to prevailing on them to end the nine-month-old strike embarked on by the university lecturers.

The organisation described the strike as “ridiculous” but expressed optimism that its consultation with both parties would yield a positive result.

The new President of NANS, Sunday Asefon, stated these in Abuja during his maiden press

conference which came after his electoral victory.

According to him, NANS under his administration would fight against arbitrary expulsion, suspension, and rustication of students for dissent and peaceful protest.

Asefon said, “Again, I assure Nigerian students of my resolve to do all within my abilities to protect our interests, place the interest and welfare of Nigerian students above all considerations and reposition our association to take its rightful place in the centre of our nation’s polity.

“To this end, I will immediately set out to engage stakeholders within the educational sector to add our strong voice against the overstayed ASUU strike.

We will be consulting with the representatives of the Federal Government and ASUU with the aim of prevailing on them to find a centre point for amicable resolution to ensure we return to school.

“The engagement is going to be now and not later. ASUU strike started before the COVID-19 pandemic. We are convinced that this high-level consultation will

yield a positive result and we will not have to resort to mobilising students to mount any protest to this ridiculous long stay at home.

NANS under our watch, will not be complicit to such unending strike and never again will Nigerian students have to stay home this long.”

NANS also distanced itself from the second phase of the #EndSARS protests. “We are not going to be part of any protest that doesn’t have leadership. We are not part of #RevolutionNow,” Asefon stated.

Ajaokuta Steel Company, NIOMCO Set to Receive Russia Technical Audit Team Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The federal government yesterday disclosed that the managements of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) and the National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited (NIOMCO) have put machinery in place to ensure a conducive environment for the operation of the Technical Audit Team, which is expected from Russia soon.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade, disclosed this in

a statement after a two-day working visit to the two companies on December 2, 2020, to observe the level of preparation.

Speaking during a meeting with management and staff of ASCL and NIOMCO respectively, Akinlade praised them for their passion and commitment towards keeping the companies’ infrastructure in good shape and the environment habitable in spite of the daunting challenges confronting them.

The permanent secretary reiterated the federal

government’s commitment to resuscitating both companies, adding that the Minister, Olamilekan Adegbite, and the Minister of State, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, were working assiduously towards seeing the dream of the two companies commencing full operation.

Stating that “Ajaokuta is the future and the bedrock of Nigeria’s development,” Akinlade noted that its resuscitation “must be done, and can be done.”

However, she noted that

Ajaokuta without NIOMCO is like a “car without tyres,” hence, efforts are being made to resuscitate both companies at the same time to achieve the desired result.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in October 2019 in Sochi, Russia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation on the resuscitation and completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company. One of the strategies in that process is the technical audit of the installed equipment.

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TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Nigerian-made COVID-19 Vaccine Underway, Says FG Plans to save 3.7m infant lives in 10 years Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Nigeria may soon join the league of countries with breakthroughs in the development of candidate vaccines for tackling COVID-19 pandemic disease.

Hope for this medical fit came just as the federal government announced that its efforts at improving Primary Health Care (PHC) system across the country would save the lives of 3.7 million infants in the next 10 years.

Speaking at the Ministerial Health Sector Media Engagement in Abuja on yesterday, the Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako, said the institute is making progress with the research into COVID-19 vaccine and would in the next few months be able to come up with a candidate vaccine.

Salako said the institute was compelled to undertake the research for COVID-19 vaccine due to the public concern about its ravaging impact.

“We had to go back to the sequence of the virus, which we developed and started looking at how we can clone the virus. Now we have passed through those

stages and we are going through bioformatics, trying to clone the virus so that we can come up with a candidate vaccine,” he said.

He, however, explained that producing a candidate vaccine does not automatically lead to the invention of a vaccine, adding that only a few got to clinical stages out of the many candidate vaccines that have so far been developed.

“What I will say is that we will come up with a candidate vaccine that will be subjected to tests but we cannot say for sure if it will pass through other stages,” he said.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaibu, said the federal government hoped to drastically reduce maternal and child deaths through the ongoing efforts to revamp healthcare facilities in the country.

Shuaibu said that apart from seeking to attain the lofty goals of universal health coverage, the improvement in healthcare delivery system would avert 2.05 million under five deaths and an additional 1.03 million neonatal in the next 10 years.

“This represents a significant leap from the projected 69,819

lives saved if things remain the same,” he said.

He further expressed the hope that with an ambitious scale-up of primary healthcare coverage, a total of 110,540 additional women could be saved over the course of 10 years to reflect the improvements in health systems delivery, which is projected at 92 per cent.

Shuaibu noted that improved health indices is compared with a projected 9,561 lives saved if the healthcare delivery had remained the same While launching the revised implementation guidelines for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) at the event, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the sector is currently undergoing

progressive transformation through the implementation of new health sector agenda approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ehanire said that the reinvigorated healthcare financing strategies is one of the innovative policies of Buhari’s administration.

He also said that the target of the health sector’s Next Level Agenda of the Buhari-led administration

is to reduce by 60 per cent health-related gaps in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the implementation of the expanded PHC service, mandatory health insurance and operationalisation of the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System.

According to Ehanire, the health sector is currently funded with resources from two streams.

REVIVING OOUTH...

Two Foreigners Arrested as 191,000 Jostle for 9,460 to Engage Key MDAS on Administration of PPPs Immigration, NSCDC Jobs BPE Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

L-R: Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Chairman, Governing Council of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Dr. Adekunle Hassan; Governor Dapo Abiodun; and a member of the OOUTH Governing Council, Dr. Abisola Sodipo-Clarke, after the inauguration of the council in Abeokuta...yesterday.

Two foreigners were arrested as about 191, 000 candidates yesterday sat for the recruitment examination for the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps conducted nationwide by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

The Ministry of Interior in a tweet yesterday said the two arrested foreigners are Camerounian and Beninese.

It retweeted,”@nigimmigration officers intercept two non-Nigerians who attempted to participate in today’s CbAT for recruitment into the Service.

“They are Camerounian and Beninore citizens. They have been interrogated, profiled, and referred to ACG zone A for further action.”

The Computer-Based Examination was witnessed by the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, Yakmut Alhassan Saleh.

Some of the candidates commended both JAMB and the Board for the hitch-free exercise, as no issue of network problem was recorded during the examination.

Saleh expressed delight over the seamless conduct of the recruitment examination by JAMB. According to him, the examination which took place at the same time in 126 centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was conducted

by JAMB to ensure transparency and avoid rancour and confusion that trailed a similar exercise a few years ago.

He said, “We need to go through a transparent method of a recruitment exercise and it has to start from the word go. This is

just one component of the exercise, after this, we go into physical and medical as well as psychometric exercise. We are into partnership with JAMB to ensure that every candidate is given a fair opportunity to prove that he has the merit and requirement that we need.”

“All over the country, we have almost 190,000 candidates out of which 113,000 are Civil Defence, and for Immigration, we have 78,000 candidates across 126 centres in Nigeria. The examination is broken into three phases; we have the one for graduates, NCE and OND, and the third one for secondary school (leavers). The batches (for the exam) are in three sessions to four sessions based on the number of candidates per centre. We have 9:00am, 11:00am and 1:00pm.”

Speaking on the number of vacancies that were expected to be filled by the applicants, Saleh said 9,460 jobs were up for grabs by successful candidates, adding that the results from the JAMB recruitment exam are released immediately after the exercise.

“The result is immediate but we are going to go into the second phase, immediately we get the results we will shortlist for physical and medical checkups preform December 15 (2020) IPP and capturing will commence, and they will now go for six months training for specialisation. In both organisations, we are recruiting 9,460. 5,000 for civil defence and 4,460 for immigration.

While commending JAMB for the orderliness witnessed in the conduct of the exam, he said the recruitment process has been free with no candidates expecting to pay any money.

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) is to engage with key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government to work out modalities for implementing the recent circular on the administration of public-private partnership (PPP) projects in the country.

The circular, among others, cleared the fog over which of the agencies--- between the BPE and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has the mandate to concession PPP projects in the country.

The Bureau said in a statement, yesterday that it had outlined steps, with timelines, in the next 12 months to two years to showcase

its collective achievements through the implementation of the new circular on the administration of PPP projects in the country.

The Director General, Mr. Alex Okoh, who unveiled the agency’s plan at the end of a recent webinar organised by the BPE on deepening the Nigerian Infrastructure stock through PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP), said the first step involves engagement with key MDAs to work out modalities for implementing the circular.

According to him, in the first quarter of 2021, the Bureau would develop and circulate a template that would enable MDAs to document all the ongoing PPP transactions and their current status, adding that the BPE, working together

with the MDAs, would host two additional webinars in the first quarter of next year.

“One of the webinars will be targeted at local and international financial institutions, including international development financial institutions. These are the partners that are expected to provide funding to investors in the Nigerian PPP market.

“The second webinar will be targeted at local and foreign construction companies, infrastructure management companies and other investors who are global players in the delivery of infrastructure through PPP arrangements,” he said.

In the same vein, he disclosed that in the second quarter of next year, the update or development of Nigeria’s pipeline of PPP projects

would be finalised and launched, thus, signalling the commencement of the procurement phase of individual PPP projects across the country.

Okoh said: “Also, in the second quarter, a webinar will be held for governors and other sub-national leaders to obtain their buy-in given that they are critical stakeholders in the delivery of infrastructure, ” stressing that the last step would lead to the establishment of transaction implementation committees (TICs) where each committee will be established with membership drawn from the BPE and relevant MDAs in the third quarter, with the mandate to deliver specific projects contained in the approved national project pipeline.

Julius Berger Closes One Lane on Lagos-Shagamu Expressway from Tomorrow Bennett Oghifo Lagos-bound traffic on the Lagos-Shagamu Expressway will be diverted to the Shagamu-bound carriageway from tomorrow until February 28, next year, to enable Julius Berger Plc., the contractor working on that stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway carry out its reconstruction work.

A statement yesterday by Julius Berger said, “The work is planned to begin on December 10, 2020 through February 28, 2021 and throughout the period, including the yuletide season, the contractor does not envisage any lockdown.”

Julius Berger said: “The closed section of the road currently under construction, (that is, Punch KM

13+500 to Magboro KM 14+700) will be fully opened to public traffic before the commencement of reconstruction activities from Punch KM 13+500 to Warewa KM 12+000.

The company said, “The diversion of Lagos-bound traffic from The Punch to Warewa into the Sagamu-bound carriageway and narrowing of both Shagamu-bound traffic into two lanes on the Shagamu-bound carriageway, respectively.” Julius Berger added that: “the expanded Shagamu-bound carriageway will be divided using temporary crash barriers to accommodate two lanes each in both directions; while the Lagos bound carriageway will be closed to enable the commencement of the reconstruction and rehabilitation within the stretch

of 1.5km.”

They said: “congestion due to narrowing of the carriageway; congestion due to broken down vehicles, congestion due to heavy inflow of traffic in and out of Berger of Lagos, is expected to be minimised by the yuletide work plan,” adding that it has put measures in place to mitigate any extreme happenings, which could arise.

The yuletide work plan, according to Julius Berger, amongst other elements, include display of advanced warning signs of road narrowing and speed restrictions signs; maintaining flagmen along the entire route; display of flashing lights at night-time; collaborating with relevant agencies of government

to properly sensitise the people; displaying variable information signs in advance; and minimising response time by well-established lines of communication between various government agencies.

The project’s management said Layby would be provided for Warewa and Arepo residents while “parking and waiting on the narrowed section to pick and drop off passengers by commercial and related vehicles will be strictly prohibited; even as shoulder/earth road will be provided for facility owners on the Left Hand Side; that is, the closed section of the road, to access their properties and business premises through The Punch.”

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍśËœ 2020

COMMENT

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

THE SCENT OF SUCCESS

Henry Udutchay writes that Ja’afara Ahmed is making impressive reform at the correctional centres

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he Nigeria Correctional Service, previously known as Nigeria Prison Service, has come a long way since the first prison in the country was established in 1872, on Broad Street, Lagos, with initial inmate capacity of 300. This was essentially to complement the colonial judicial system which had already established courts in the Lagos Colony to handle cases ranging from petty disputes, criminal matters, trade disputes and slave trade.

With the expansion of the colonial sphere of interest and influence into the hinterlands, prisons were further established in places like Degema, Calabar, Onitsha, Benin, Ibadan, Sapele, Jebba, and Lokoja. Over the years prisons have been built in virtually every part of the country. All together, the overall prison capacity in Nigeria is estimated above 50,000 which is far below the population of inmates currently in custody in various prisons across the country.

With over stretched facilities and decaying infrastructure, the Nigeria Correctional Service, had remain a very pathetic story for many years. There appeared to have been a deliberate policy to treat the Service as a mere dumping ground for convicted criminals and those awaiting trial. This can be further attested by deplorable condition of correctional facilities across the country.

Equally disheartening was the pitiable condition of service for the Service personnel. Apart from poor remuneration, their welfare was not encouraging. The poor service condition had left them demoralized and affected their productivity. Many of them out of frustration and desperation for survival had resorted to shady deals with prison inmates. This was the era that was characterized by incessant jail breaks and riots in the prisons by prison inmates who desperately wanted to escape the dehumanizing condition of their environment.

This was the state of the Nigeria Correctional Service prior to the appointment of Alhaji Ja’afara Ahmed as the controller General in 2016. His appointment was therefore seen as a herculean task, to reform service that had been neglected for so many years. It was such an unattractive assignment, except for a diehard patriot who is passionately concerned about the strategic importance of the correctional service to the country’s criminal justice system. But Ja’afaru Ahmed appeared to have been well filled for the onerous task.

Before his elevation to the top position of Nigeria Correctional Service, Ja’afaru Ahmed had served the establishment in various capacities. He joined the service as a superintendent of prisons, after a stint with the then SokotoS tate Ministry of Education.

He rose through the ranks as Chief Superintendent of Prisons; Assistant Controller of Prisons; Deputy Controller of Prisons,’ Controller of Prisons and Assistant Controller General of prisons.

In the course of his very distinguished career he held various strategic positions among which were, Officer in-Charge, Birinin Kebbi Old Prisons; Officer in-Charge, Kano Central Prisons; Controller of Prison (Admin) and Controller of prisons Sokoto State Command. He was also Controller of Prisons, Kebbi State Command, Assistant Controller General of Prisons (Admin) National Headquarters; Zonal Coordinator, Zone A Headquarters, Lagos and Deputy Controller General of Prison (Admin), National Headquarters, Abuja.

He attended several courses at the Prisons staff College

JA’AFARU AHMED HAS MADE REMARKABLE IMPART BOTH IN TERMS OF GENERAL ADMINISTRATION, FIGHTING CORRUPTION, CAPACITY BUILDING, INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE OF STAFF AND INMATES

Kaduna; counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) at Command and Staff College Jaji, First Command Course and Advance Command Course both at the prisons Staff College, Kaduna. He equally visited several counties around the world to understudy prisons administration.

Having gone through the mills and acquired such impeccable career record, Ja’afaru Ahmed embraced his assignment at the Nigeria Correctional Service with a deep understanding of the huge challenge that confronted him; the challenge of reforming the service in line with global standard.

One of his first tasks was to embark on massive renovation of correctional facilities across the country to give them a human face. This is a commendable initiative considering that many of the facilities built in the 60s and 70s have become so decrepit and not fit for human habitation. But through his untiring effort most correctional facilities in the country today are wearing new look. They now operate in a more conducive and relaxed atmosphere.

He also vigorously pursued the issue of improved welfare for the staff and inmates of the Service. The staff welfare was paramount to him because the best way to motivate your workers is to give them good welfare package. He therefore has remained resolutely committed to providing good conducive environment and improved welfare, which in turn has resulted in their commitment to efficient service delivery.

Similarly welfare of inmates in the correctional facilities has been significantly enhanced, which is largely responsible why we no longer have the embarrassing experience of frequent jailbreaks across the country.

Closely related to the issue of welfare, is that of empowerment through skill acquisition. He believes that the new concept of the Correctional Service is tailored towards reforming the inmates through skill acquisition programmes, so that when they eventually return back to the society they will have something to fall back. Therefore his administration has provided opportunity for the inmates to acquire skills which will help sustain them in the life after prison.

There are a lot more of very laudable innovative programmes that have considerably helped to reform the Nigeria Correctional Service under the administration of Ja’afaru Ahmed. He has made remarkable impart both in terms of general administration, fighting corruption, capacity building, infrastructural development and welfare of staff and inmates.

However, these remarkable achievements would not have been possible without the support and cooperation of the Hon. Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, who has vigorously pursued the implementation of the reform agenda of the Buhari administration as it affects correctional service. Also the management team and staff of the Nigeria Correctional Services have been quite instrumental for this success story.

While commending Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed for the good job he has done so far, which has been well acknowledged and appreciated by the presidency, he will still need to do more towards ensuring that Nigeria correctional service becomes one of the best in the world. r$IJFG 6EVUDIBZ IPDIBZ !ZBIPP DPN

INTERROGATING BURATAI’S ‘SPIRITUAL WARFARE’ Deployment of intelligence is key to success in wars, not spiritual warfare, argues Charles Onunaiju

‘A5IF TQJSJUVBM LOPXMFEHF JT BUUBJOFE UISPVHI EJWJOBUJPO UIBU PG OBUVSBM TDJFODF JT PCUBJOFE CZ EFEVDUJWF SFBTPOJOH UIF VOJWFSTBM MBXT BSF FTUBCMJTIFE BOE WFSJĂ FE UISPVHI NBUIFNBUJDBM DBMDVMBUJPOT 5IF LOPXMFEHF PG UIF FOFNZ T EJTQPTJUJPOT JO XBS IPXFWFS JT HBJOFE POMZ UISPVHI TQJFT BOE CZ OP PUIFS NFBOTu – Sun Tzu- “Art of Warâ€?

A

t the recent event to decorate 39 newly promoted Major Generals in the Nigeria Army, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai was reported to have said that �I am glad that we held the spiritual warfare seminar and most of the decorated generals today are graduates of the spiritual warfare seminar.�

Because one has only and I am sure many people have also heard about “spiritual warfare from Christian Pentecostal preachers, for whom I thought it was only a bombast to keep their congregation in awe of their theological learnings, but now with a military general at war involved in “spiritual warfare as obvious war strategy got yours sincerely, scampering and combing through all the works on warfare and military strategy I could lay hands in one’s library. Encountering the inimitable work of the ancient Chinese strategist, Sun Tzu, in his classic text, Art of War in which he identified and thoroughly appraised five fundamental factors that determine the final outcome of war, as consisting in the followings: The political direction, the weather, the terrain, the quality of military leadership, and finally, the discipline of the troops committed to the battle., one found nothing about spiritual warfare.

But in underlining the single most decisive factor that “enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is ‘’foreknowledge.� Continuing, Sun Tzu wrote: “Now, this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained

inductively from experience, nor by deductive calculation. Knowledge of the enemy’s dispositions can only be obtained from other men,� engaged and developed as spies.

In the war against the Boko Haram insurgency that has raged for more than a decade, the evident lacuna in the military prosecution of the war is the deployment of intelligence or what Sun Tzu called “fore-knowledge�. Only credible intelligence can lead to the disruptions of the supply lines of human and material resources that flow to the insurgent group. As far as the supply lines to the insurgent group are open and thriving, no amount of military pressure can sufficiently decapitate them into surrender or negotiation. The supply line is crucial for the life of any insurgent group as much as a key artery to the regular army.

The Nigeria Army regularly announces the number of insurgent fighters that it neutralizes but because the insurgent’s line of supply is wide open and thriving, they are never short of men, as new recruits attracted for variety of reasons of either ideology or money, soon and very quickly fill the vacuum. Therefore, the number of insurgents neutralized or killed can never translate to degrading the insurgency as their supply lines keep recruits flocking to their den. And the tactical withdrawal of the insurgents from its former wider theater including cities cannot be taken for weakness of the insurgents as the minister of information Mr. Lai Mohammed naively insinuated recently. If the terror group decides that it has achieved enough national and global notoriety and now decided to concentrate its forces in its base for the extortion of the local population to fund its more urgent need of maintaining its supply lines, it should be seen for what it is, tactical dexterity of the terror group and not sign of defeat. In war, according to the British military writer, B.H Liddell Hart, “the aim is to weaken the resistance of the enemy before attempting to overcome it and the effect is better attained by drawing the enemy out of its defences.� The implication of weakening

the enemy resistance is not by wishing away its strength but by coming to terms with its potential for resilience. Boko Haram’s resilience has always been completely demonstrated, first by forcing the army into a barricade or what the military authorities called “super camp� and also series of successful ambush in which troops have been neutralized and equipment carted away. It makes absolute no sense to suggest that the terror group is “technically defeated� or degraded,� simply because it stopped throwing bombs in Abuja and other northern cities. By any stretch of assessment, the group is more vicious and kills far more Nigerians now than when it was throwing bombs in key northern cities. The Zambarmari massacre, a brutal exercise in self-confidence slowly perpetuated for full effect by the terror group, merely less than 20 kilometers from the state capital Maiduguri, only demonstrates the aloofness of the army sitting idly nearby and its poor intelligence network across the theater of war that would have alerted it to the proximity of the enemy.

If it is this fatal lacuna that Buratai, the chief of army staff, want to address with his seminars on “spiritual warfare,� then Nigerians should be prepared for the long haul which he himself, was reported to have posted in his verified facebook that insurgency may last for upwards of 20 years. Mao Zedong’s� classic “on protracted warfare�, was in the context of an invading superior foreign army as in the specific instance of Japanese army that invaded China and even have the temerity to set up a puppet regime.

On ‘’protracted warfare,� Mao argued that positional warfare is a doomed strategy, preferring guerilla or mobile war-fare to sap the energy and morale of the regular troops on invading army. In this context, Mao warned that such warfare is protracted.

Boko Haram has not demonstrated any serious territorial ambitions and has a major deficit of unfriendly and uncooperative local population which capitulates to its antics

only through terrorist compulsion. Boko Haram is not Tamil Tigers armed rebel group in Sri Lanka that enjoyed the open support of the minority Tamil ethnic nationality in Northern Sri Lanka and even its Diaspora or the Farubundo Marti Revolutionary (FARC) in Colombia, a sophisticated Marxist rebel movement that enjoys huge rural support and even some left-wing governments in the hemisphere. Boko Haram is an ideological and political orphan, disowned by virtually everyone and most susceptible to summary defeat by credible intelligence operation that cuts off its supply lines.

General Buratai did not explain in detail what he called “spiritual warfare but one hopes, it does not consist in divination and magic. It was such situation where Lumumbaist Guerrillas against the Mobutu dictatorship in the Congo trusted more in magic that forced the legendary Ernesto Guevara, the Argentine-born Cuban internationalist to abort his military odyssey after an eight-month stay with the rebel guerrillas in the thick Congo forest in the 1960s.

To cultivate military spirit which is more of it than “spiritual warfare,â€? the Prussian General Carl Von Clausewitz in his classical treatise “On warâ€? opined that “An army which preserves its usual formations under the heaviest fire, which is never shaken by imaginary fears, and in which in the face of danger disputes the ground inch by inch with the enemy‌and which looks upon all toils as the means to victory,‌ and which is always reminded of its duties and virtues by the short catechism of one idea namely: the honour of its arms: such army is imbued with true ‘’military spirit.â€?

Needless to say that any serious engagement to interrogate the critical elements and components of “military spirit� would not consist of any seminar on “spiritual warfare�. r0OVOBJKV JT SFTFBSDI EJSFDUPS PG "CVKB CBTFE 5IJOL 5BOL

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T H I S D AY Ëž Ëœ ÍśËœ 2020

EDITORIAL

EL-RUFAI AND THE RESTRUCTURING DEBATE The need to restructure the federation has become more pressing

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lthough the All Progressives Congress (APC) committed itself to restructuring the country and promised to support devolution of powers during the 2015 general elections, the party reneged upon ascending to the presidency. However, in the build up to the 2019 general election, the party constituted a committee chaired by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State. Since then, nothing has been heard about the issue until recent weeks when el-Rufai started to speak vociferously about the overdue restructuring of THE CURRENT, AND the country. Some ESSENTIALLY UNITARY of the populist STRUCTURE, IS NOT recommendations WORKING FOR NIGERIA AS in the report of his committee include IT CONTINUES TO STIFLE devolution of powDEVELOPMENT AND ers; state control of GROWTH ON ALL FRONTS mineral resources, including oil and gas, except those offshore; state police; and delisting of local government from the 1999 Constitution as amended, among others.

Instructively, in 2014 when the Goodluck Jonathan administration instituted the National Conference, APC was the only political party in the country that did not attend and since gaining power, its government has insisted that it would not implement the conference recommendations.

Yet, most of the proposals by the el-Rufai committee tally with those made by the conference.

Indeed, majority of the APC senators and House of Representatives members stood stoutly against the devolution of powers amendment bill, killing it during the passage of amendments to the constitution in the eighth National Assembly. The bill sought to devolve some critical powers to the federating units by moving some items from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list.

However, notwithstanding the reservations about the sincerity of the APC on the issue of restructuring, Nigerians should give the party the

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benefit of the doubt, especially now that el-Rufai is leading the debate. We hope that the party would be able to convince President Muhammadu Buhari on the urgent need to restructure and rebalance the country in order to make it a more efficient federation that would work for every Nigerian citizen irrespective of tribe, religion and gender.

As this newspaper has said on several occasions, the current, and essentially unitary structure is not working for Nigeria as it continues to stifle development and growth on all fronts, and generating internecine strife all over the federation. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has at different times repeated the call to decentralise security apparatus and law enforcement from the federal to state down to the community. He has argued, and rightly so too, that partnership in the security sector and inter-agency collaboration must be encouraged to bring about effective policing, adding that the police, as the traditional and age-long security outfit, must be accorded their pride of place.

Besides, the issue of bankruptcy for many states poses the same challenge as the structural viability of Nigeria and the mockery of our federalism.

When the government of Nigeria is mentioned today, the only unit that comes to mind is the central government - a symptom of the malady of over-centralisation. But the chicken is finally coming home to roost with the outright economic bankruptcy of many of these so-called states.

Things have degenerated to an extent that the fiscal law of matching federal allocation proportionally with states internally generated revenue had to be violated in order to maintain what the preponderance of states receive, which is now not even sufficient to pay salaries.

Given the foregoing, we are yet to see a way out of the prevailing governance mess without ultimately embracing a return to fiscal federalism.

That is why we consider the current campaign by Governor el-Rufai very important. As the chairman of the APC committee that recommended restructuring the country, it is now his responsibility to impress it on leaders of his party that for Nigeria, time is running out.

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

MAKING LIFE EASIER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

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few days back, the world commemorated a day for People Living With Disabilities. The commemoration refreshed my personal interaction with some school children on their awareness of physical disabilities. I remember in 2018, I was invited by a school to speak to the nursery children about people with disabilities. I started by asking how they felt disabled people should be helped. The first response was ‘by giving them money’. Then came other responses like, ‘by being kind to them’, ‘by helping them to cross the road,’ etc. The children clearly believed the best way to help persons with disabilities was to have pity on them. This mindset is also ingrained in us as adults. After pity, we often think of doctors, specialist, therapists, special schools and even miracle performers to help make them as normal as possible again. This is known as the Medical Model.

This article is not to totally condemn pity and medical assistance. Money and resources have been spent and will continue to be spent on science and medical research that will enable disabled people to become as normal as possible again. Governments and civil societies

should continue to dedicate funds to treatments, wheelchairs, special schools, crafts centers to help them improve with their situation.

However, we cannot continue to focus on their impairment at the expense of many other abilities and potential they have. In our minds, the impairment they suffer from is the source of their problems and what prevents them from being normal. Therefore, we continue to build and organize the society for normal people thereby disabling them from being fully part of the society and making them depend on us for almost everything.

We can really make life better for persons with disabilities by making the society inclusive such that they will be active in the society and live as independently as possible. This is known as the Social Model. This can only happen if the environment, spaces and surroundings are designed and organized in such a way that they can access them independently.

Below are four basic steps needed for this to happen: One, access as a right should be enforced: Nigeria signed the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as far back as 2007. It has the Right to Accessibility as one of its

principles. The Disability bill was finally passed into law in January 2019. However enforcing it is what will really make us pay attention to Disability Access. Disability organizations may picket a bank here or a shopping mall there, but unless access plans are part and parcel of project approval, persons with disabilities will remain at our mercy.

Two, adopt and include access standards: The National Building Code and State Planning Laws focus on wheelchair access whereas disability access includes hearing-impaired, sight-impaired and even intellectual disabilities. Comprehensive access standards have been developed through years of research and experimentation. Today, many countries and international organizations have access guidelines that we can adopt.

Standards are also important in getting the details right so that we don’t end up building ramps that are too steep, walkways that are too narrow or providing information that is not legible, etc.

Three, involve them: Through involvement of persons with disabilities in the design, construction and organization of accessible spaces and environments, we can gain experiential knowledge about access and not just blindly stick to

standards. Through involvement, we get to see what really works, what doesn’t and if there are better ways to provide solutions.

Four, make access solutions inclusive: this is known as universal design whereby the solutions provided for the disabled can be comfortably used by everyone else rather than having separate solutions. Providing ramped entrances at the side or back of a building is better than nothing. However it makes them feel less stigmatized if they use the same entrance, facilities as everyone else. A good example is the BRT buses that come with low floor boarding which is comfortable for everyone.

With these basic steps, we can make it easier for persons with disabilities to go to school, work, and move around the society for basic needs like shopping, recreation and health. They can live comfortably in houses and safely perform basic chores like cleaning, cooking and bathing. The more we see them every day, as fellow students, colleagues, customers, clients, the less we focus on their impairments and accept them as they are. rLateefah Teniola, AIMS Media Limited

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020

POLITICS

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

No Swings, No Surprises in Nationwide By-elections

Writing a critical appraisal of the outcome of the December 5 by-elections, Seriki Adinoyi observes that the parties that earlier lost the seats to circumstances that created the vacuum were the same that filled the space in the by-elections

Abiru

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Cleopas

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her contest was seen as the Governor’s project, and he gave it all the attention it deserved.

The contest was seen as one between the Governor and Rt. Hon George Edward Daika of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an astute politician who had served as a Speaker of the state House of Assembly and as a member of the House of Representatives. Without the power of the state, Dadu’ut would not have been a match for Daika.

But Lalong and the party practically came out with all their might to subdue Daika, and to ensure Dadu’ut’s emergence. High level lobbying, power of incumbency, and money were deplored to get the victory for the APC. The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Idris Amale, while announcing the results said Dadu’ut polled a total of 83,15104 votes, to beat her closest PDP rival, Daika, who polled 70,838 votes.

Dadu’ut defeated Daika in four local government areas in the senatorial zone, namely Shendam, Wase, Quan’pan and Mikang, while the PDP candidate won in two local government areas of Langtang North and Langtang South.

It was an expected result; no surprises. Even the Governor, described her victory as “not surprising, as the APC is well rooted in the state.” Indeed, Dadu’ut’s victory was largely because APC is in power in the state.

However, her victory excited everyone, especially the Plateau woman as she has made history as the first female senator-elect in the state.

In the Lagos East senatorial by-election contest, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru became the winner. The results, announced by INEC, showed that Abiru polled 89,204 votes to beat PDP’s Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi, who secured 11,257 votes.

Abiru, a banker, defeated Gbadamosi, who is an experienced politician and a serial contestant of governorship position in the state by a wide margin in all the five local government areas in the senatorial district.

But how is Abiru’s victory supposed to be a surprise when APC is absolutely in charge in Lagos? What would have been a wild swing is if Gbadamosi from the opposition party had pulled a strange string.

Chief Press Secretary of the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Akosile had described the APC’s victory with wide margin in the by-elections as a testament to the confidence the people of Lagos State have in the party. The victory may as well be seen as a show of power of incumbency on every side. So considering the trend in Nigeria elections, Abiru’s victory could not be seen as any surprise.

In Cross River, the PDP’s Dr. Stephen Odey was declared the winner of the by-election for Cross River North senatorial district.

The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Ameh Akor, said the PDP candidate polled 129, 207 votes to defeat eight other contestants, among them, his closest rival in the election, Mr. Joseph Agi (SAN) of the APC, who polled 19,165 votes.

Just consider the margin, one would want to wonder if Agi went out to campaign at all.

The truth is that the state is under PDP and Agi was swimming against the tide, and could not do much, no matter how good he is. If Agi were in PDP, he would have defeated Odey, and with a wide margin too. So, Agi probably didn’t lose because he is a bad candidate as such but because he belongs to the ‘wrong party’ in Cross River. That has become the pattern of elections in Nigeria. Again, no surprise.

In Bayelsa, the immediate past state Governor,

Hon. Seriake Dickson clinched the Bayelsa West senatorial district seat.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Ekechukwe Okeke, returned Dickson as the senator-elect, having polled 115,257 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi of the APC who polled 17,541. What a margin! Did Ebebi campaign at all?

If David Lyon were the sitting Governor, would Dickson win with such a wide margin?

If he would have won at all, it would have been with slight margin. Lyon would have given all the necessary support including money and support of the federal might to ensure that Ebebi puts up a formidable contest. But that was not seen.

It was even more ridiculous with Bayelsa Central, the senatorial district of Lyon, the APC Governor-elect that never got sworn-in. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Moses Cleopas of the PDP as winner of the by-election.

INEC Returning Officer, Emmanuel Akpan, of the Federal University Otuoke, announced that Cleopas polled 110,019 votes to defeat Abel Efemowei of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 18,947 votes. If Lyon had been the Governor, would he have watched the APC Efemowei defeated so miserably in his home senatorial district?

In Imo State, the pre-election crisis in APC was not sufficient to rob the party of its victory.

So, Imo North senatorial was won without a specific candidate yet to fill the seat.

Announcing the result, the Returning Officer, Mr. Hakeem Adikum said APC scored 36,811 votes while Mr. Emmanuel Okewulonu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 31,903 votes. He said, “I hereby return the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the by-election held in Imo North on Saturday, December 5.”

According to Adikum, APC won in five out of the six local government areas in the senatorial district while PDP won in one.

The question is if Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha were still on seat as the Governor of the state would APC, with its barrage of pre-election crisis have won that seat? The answer is No. This has become the trend in Nigeria and tends to have reduced the fairness and credibility of elections in the eyes of observers.

It is believed that the party in power does everything, and sometimes unconstitutional things to ensure that elections are skewed in favour of the ruling party in the state. This has become a new normal in local government elections across all the states where the ruling party in the state sweeps all the chairmanship and councillorship positions, and even in state houses of assembly.

lection outcomes are perhaps usually interesting when they are ‘marred’ with swings and surprises as seen in the 2015 elections that saw many oppositions including President Mohammadu Buhari clinching prominent elective posts.

But that is usually seen where election process is allowed to take a fair course without undue interference by the powers that control the territory of the elections.

That was not the case in the last Saturday senatorial by-election contests for six senatorial seats across the country. Political observers would agree that there were no surprises in the results that were declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which followed the usual pattern and trend of the ruling party in the state delivering victory almost on a platter of gold to its candidates.

The six senatorial seats contested were Bayelsa Central, Bayelsa West, Cross River North, Imo North, Lagos East and Plateau South senatorial districts.

Four of the six senatorial by-elections were to fill legislative seats that became vacant following death of their former occupants from Cross River North, Imo North, Lagos East and Plateau South, while the remaining two were to fill seats for Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa West, which became vacant following the emergence of Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, as governor and deputy governor of the state respectively.

It must be quickly observed at this point that the parties that earlier lost the seats to circumstances that created the vacuum were the same that filled the space in the by-elections.

Taking a critical look at the winners, the parties they represent, the party in power in such states, how the candidates emerged winners and the margin of defeat, will reveal that it followed the usual trend of elections in Nigeria.

The candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC) in Plateau State, Professor Nora Dadu’ut, for instance, was believed to have been picked by incumbent Governor Simon Lalong who political observers believe has particular interest in the senatorial seat because he would want to take it over after completion of his tenure as the Governor of the state. He was believed to have carefully selected Dadu’ut, a university lecturer who has little experience in politics.

Though this has been denied many times by interested parties, her emergence in the APC primaries that saw many experienced party contestants stepping down for her, speaks volumes.

Lalong was said to have been weary of fielding experienced party stalwarts for fear that they may sit tight and refuse to relinquish the seat when he will need it.

But Dadu’ut, a simple, amiable, and easy going woman, whose career has been largely in the university may not prove difficult for Lalong. So,

The six senatorial seats contested were Bayelsa Central, Bayelsa West, Cross River North, Imo North, Lagos East and Plateau South senatorial districts.

Four of the six senatorial by-elections were to fill legislative seats that became vacant following death of their former occupants from Cross River North, Imo North, Lagos East and Plateau South, while the remaining two were to fill seats for Bayelsa Central and Bayelsa West, which became vacant following the emergence of Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, as governor and deputy governor of the state respectively. It must be quickly observed at this point that the parties that earlier lost the seats to circumstances that created the vacuum were the same that filled the space in the by-elections

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020

POLITICS

Seeking Legislative Framework for the 35% Affirmative Action Udora Orizu writes that clamour by federal female lawmakers for an Executive Bill on the 35 percent affirmative action formed the crux of discussion at a training and advocacy workshop organized by National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies

Buhari

Onyejeocha

Sulaiman

Tinubu

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recent times as one of the major setbacks for economic development.

He noted that while several efforts have been made to address the low participation and representation of women in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria, these interventions have been hampered by patriarchal practice, stigmatization as well as religious and cultural factors.

The DG while commending the leadership of National Assembly for approving the partnership between NILDS and UN Women on the workshop, said the workshop centres on gender-responsive legislation as a means to addressing some of the myriad challenges that women and girls face in Nigeria.

Part of his address read, ‘’I welcome all participants from the various state houses of assembly, who have had to travel long distances to participate in this exercise. I equally thank legislators from the National Assembly who, despite the busy schedule involving budget defense, have carved out time to participate in this opening ceremony. ‘’This affirms our combined commitment to mainstreaming gender into legislative business and processes, improving women’s involvement in leadership, decision-making and protecting women and girls especially in conflict situations.

As you are all aware, women are integral to the very essence of society. In Nigeria and other societies, women are the thread that hold the family together. They also play a central role in the economy and community management. For instance, women form the bulk of the informal sector, which contributes to 60% of Nigeria’s entire economy. The participation of women in the labour force extends to agriculture, which is the mainstay of Nigeria. ‘’However, the exclusion of women in politics has been identified in recent times as one of the major setbacks for economic development.

In spite of being a strong pillar for grassroots

politics, the participation of women in politics still faces many challenges, making it difficult for them to harness available opportunities for national development. While several efforts have been made to address the low participation and representation of women in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria, these interventions have been hampered by patriarchal practice, stigmatization as well as religious and cultural factors. As it stands today, women constitute only about 11.6% of the National Assembly in a country where they make up about 60% of the population. ‘’In addition, despite this central role played by women, they are also the most vulnerable and worst affected by violent conflict. The dimensions of violence against women and girls during conflict are reflected in their increased vulnerability to loss, violence and harm. Specifically, women and girls experience ‘reduced access to resources, livelihood inputs and basic services; increased family and social responsibilities; restricted mobility; unequal access to protective services and legal mechanisms; as well as inadequate political power at local and national levels. ‘’As recently demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, women and girls are equally disproportionately affected by emergencies.

In Nigeria, the livelihoods of women were severely threatened due to lockdown measures and restriction of economic activities. This, in turn increased their exposure to risks, abuse and exploitation. A rapid assessment of the impact of the lockdown on women across Nigeria, indicated, among other things, that there has been an increase in reported cases of sexual and gender-based violence and related offences across the country. Additionally, there has been a spike in incidences and reports of violence against women within the household.

This precarious situation of women and girls was further compounded by the absence of gendered-policy frameworks in state responses

to COVID-19 at all levels of government. There were no clear measures to address genderbased violence (GBV) and child protection in COVID-19 response and recovery plans and ensure that plans are gender and age responsive and multi-sectoral. ‘’These and others underscore the importance of this capacity building workshop which is targeted at improving participants’ understanding not only of legislative and governance processes but also identifying areas for legislative intervention with regards improving women’s political participation. Gender-responsive lawmaking requires that legislators understand the impact of proposed laws and how they might be better designed to achieve outcomes which meet the needs of women. ‘’At this workshop therefore, legislators will gain knowledge on how to analyse laws and policies through the lens of gender responsiveness. It is important that legislators are able to identify implicit and explicit gender issues; assess whether a law/policy will continue or change existing inequalities between men and women; assess patterns of gender relations; and determine whether and to what degree proposed laws/policies enhance the democratic rights of women.’’

In her goodwill message, UN Women Country Representative, Ms. Comfort Lamptey said the workshop could not be more timely, happening in a period when Nigeria is undergoing a constitutional review process.

Lamptey said the achievement of gender equality and protection of women’s rights is critical if Nigeria is to meet its deepest aspirations in this decade of action as we race to attain the SDG targets.

She said this specific workshop for female lawmakers and female deputy governors in Nigeria as well as strengthening capacities of staff of the NILDS are intended to facilitate on gender responsive practices for both male and female lawmakers at the national and state level.

In their remarks, female lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly bemoaned frustrations from their male counterparts whenever issues affecting women were brought up for consideration during constitution amendment exercises. Senator Oluremi Tinubu said male politicians will continue to frustrate any move to give women a special place in government without the intervention of Mr President.

She appealed to Buhari to send an Executive Bill to that effect and persuade the leadership of the National Assembly to pass it. Also, speaking, the Deputy Chief Whip, of the House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said everything must be done to guarantee the place of women in politics

Mulling for an Executive Bill on 35 percent affirmative action In their remarks, female lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly bemoaned frustrations from their male counterparts whenever issues affecting women were brought up for consideration during constitution amendment exercises.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu said male politicians will continue to frustrate any move to give women a special place in government without the intervention of Mr President.

She appealed to Buhari to send an Executive Bill to that effect and persuade the leadership of the National Assembly to pass it.

Also, speaking, the Deputy Chief Whip, of the House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said everything must be done to guarantee the place of women in politics.

ince the return of democracy to the country in 1999, there has been growing concern over low representation of women in both elective and appointive positions.

Women constitute over half of the population of the world and contribute in vital ways to societal development generally. They assume key roles, which include; mother, caregivers, educators, entrepreneurs, political activists, just to name a few. But despite that, women are still being excluded, marginalised and underrepresented in political realms and other sectors of the society, due to some cultural stereotypes, abuse of religion, traditional practices and patriarchal societal structures.

Michelle Bachelet, Former President of Chile and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, once said, ‘’For me, a better democracy is a democracy where women do not only have the right to vote and to elect but to be elected.’’

The significant impact on governance and nation-building, made by some women in Nigeria can never be overemphasized. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is one of the eminent Nigerian women on the global space. Okonjo-Iweala who served the nation as Finance Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, is currently on the verge of becoming the first female and the first African Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In Nigeria, the extant National Gender Policy (NGP) recommended 35 percent affirmative action and sought for a more inclusive representation of women with at least 35% of both elective political and appointive public service positions respectively.

Recently, female lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representatives stepped up the push for greater representation of women in politics and other sectors of the society.

The lawmakers who expressed their views at a two-day training and advocacy workshop for federal and state female lawmakers on gender responsive legislation, in Abuja, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to forward an Executive Bill to the two chambers of the National Assembly on 35 percent affirmative action.

In July 2017, the Senate voted against a proposal to alter the Constitution to provide for 35 percent affirmative action for women in federal and state cabinets. A total of 49 of the 96 senators present during the electronic voting on the bill to further amend the 1999 Constitution supported the proposal. Despite the slight majority, however, the proposal still failed as it came short of the 73 votes required to approve the affirmative action.

Meanwhile, current statistics reveals that women constitute only 11.2 percent of the membership in both chambers of the 9th National Assembly, with seven females in the Senate and 11 in the House of Representatives.

Delivering his keynote address at the workshop, the Director General of NILDS Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman said the exclusion of women in politics has been identified in

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T H I S D AY Ëž ÍśËœ 2020

FEATURES

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

Boosting Capacity to Tackle Multi-faceted Maritime Security Threats Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that the recent commissioning of 108 officer cadets of the Navy Direct Short Service Course 27 was part of measures to increase manpower intake of the Armed Forces to comprehensively tackle the multi-faceted security threats across the nation

Group photograph taken to mark the commissioning of 108 cadets of the Nigerian Navy Direct Short Service Course 27

Reviewing OďŹƒcer at the Passing Out Parade, the CDS, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin presenting an award to an outstanding oďŹƒcer cadet at the Nigerian Naval College Onne, Port Harcourt Rivers State

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orld over, security threats keep evolving from traditional to conventional warfare. In the maritime domain, the same rings true. In the past, the maritime domain was threatened by piracy, sea robbery, illicit trafficking, narcotics and arms smuggling, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF) and marine pollution.

Now, emerging security threats within the Nigerian maritime domain stem largely from non-military causes such as socio-economic agitations and unemployed youths within the coastal communities, which are manifested through attacks on shipping, sabotage of hydrocarbon infrastructure and maritime resource theft.

For the Nigerian Navy (NN), in addition to assisting sister services in the North-east operations against the Boko Haram insurgents, it has continued to spearhead internal security operations in the Niger Delta Region against militancy, piracy, sea robbery and crude oil theft.

Thus, to boost efforts of the Armed Forces, particularly the navy to tackle the multi-faceted security threats, the Nigerian Navy recently commissioned 108 officer cadets of the Direct Short Service Course 27.

At the Passing Out Parade (POP), Nigerian Naval College Onne, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, special guests include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok- Ete; Chairman Senate Committee on the Navy, Sen George Sekibo; and Commodore CD Okehie.

Review In his address, the reviewing officer, Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, said these crop of young men and women from different backgrounds, were carefully selected among eligible Nigerians for enlistment into the Nigerian Navy.

He said: “It is pertinent to mention that the military service is operating in a growing complex and ambiguous environment that are difficult to contend with. Accordingly, our nation and indeed the entire Gulf of Guinea, has in the last few years been challenged by asymmetric and emerging security threats emanating from insurgency, militancy, economic sabotage and anti-democratic forces. “The COVID-19 Pandemic and civil unrest have further demonstrated the fluidity and mutating nature of human security. Apparently there are no quick fixesto effectively combat the security challenges bedevilling our dear nation. “It is therefore germane to appreciate the untiring support of Mr President, Commander in Chief, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, as he continues to demonstrate the resolve and full support for the Armed Forces through the resourcing of operational requirements and personnel welfare. It is against this backdrop that His Excellency recently approved the increase in the manpower intake of the Armed Forces to comprehensively tackle the multi-faceted security threats across the nation. “I am equally glad to note that in addition to assisting sister services in the North East operations against the Boko Haram insurgents, the Nigerian Navy has continued to spearhead

L-R: Chairman Senate Committee on the Navy, Sen George Sekibo; Chief of the Naval Sta, Vice Admiral Ibok- Ete; Chief of Defence Sta, General Abayomi Olonisakin, and Commodore CD Okehie

internal security operations in the Niger Delta Region against militancy, piracy, sea robbery and crude oil theft. It is therefore of utmost necessity that the Nigerian Armed Forces continuously build institutional capacity through effective, systematic and robust training matched with the requisite capabilities to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria from both external and internal aggression.�

He urged the passing out cadets not to relent on their oars as they begin their career in the service to their fatherland. “These challenges call for dedication, selflessness, professionalism and chivalry as you have discovered during the course of your training.

Let me quickly add that on its part, the federal government is committed to improving the welfare and operational requirements for members of the Armed Forces as they tackle the multifaceted security challenges across the nation,� he added. “The Commander-in-Chief also expects you to be focused on your assigned duties to maintain peace and avoid actions that would bring disrepute to the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Armed Forces in general. I also urge you to justify the huge resources that are committed for your training and your personal sacrifices to make the Nigerian Navy proud. “One way you can do this will be by drawing from the knowledge and competence gained from the training in your future assignments.

I am optimistic that your performance in the field would attest to the hard earned reputation of the Nigerian Naval College Onne as one of the citadel of excellence in military training.�

Highlights Earlier on, the acting Deputy Commandant, Nigerian Naval College Onne Port Harcourt, Commander Buhari Ibrahim Hadi, who delivered the course highlights, said as the center for excellence on ab-initio training of cadets, midshipmen and Under Training Officers, the Nigerian Naval College has remained committed to producing professional officers with the highest standard of military bearing.

He said: “The Direct Short Service Commission Course, which the Cadets have just

completed, is one of the navy’s enlistment schemes designed to enroll career professionals from various fields and instill in them the requisite military bearing and naval knowledge required to function optimally as commissioned officers. “The Direct Short Service Commission Course 27 was inaugurated on March 27, 2020 with 109 cadets from all states of the federation including Federal Capita Territory Abuja. However,13 cadets were withdrawn on medical grounds but were subsequently replaced by other candidates from same states. Sadly, one cadet passed away during the course of the training.“ Training Curriculum, Conduct On the training curriculum, he said it spanned a duration of about nine months, covering three phases namely; Professional, Security and Operations, Leadership and Management Phases. “Instructions during each phase were in forms of classroom instructions, outdoor instructions, presentation and study visits.

The cadets were also subjected to parade training, swimming lessons, boat handling as well as other forms of physical training. “On the conduct of the course, the Direct Short Service Commission Course 27 was conducted in line with Naval Training Command Curricula for Courses Conducted in Nigerian Naval College 2020. The Training was conducted using various instructional techniques. “The first two weeks of reporting, cadets were placed on isolation and medical checks in line with the NCDC guidelines for prevention of COVID-19 spread. Thereafter training commenced with the Induction Weeks during which cadets were subjected to intensive physical training. “This was aimed at developing the physical and mental stamina needed to see them through their training at the college. They also received introductory lectures on Time Management, Interpersonal Relationships, Salutations and Mark of Respect. “On completion of the Induction Weeks, the

Cadets progressed to the Professional Phase of the Course. Instructions covered during the Phase included; Navigation, Seamanship, Communication, Rules of the Road, Chart Work, Medicals, Ship Administration, Logistics and Accounts and Budget, to mention a few.

The next phase was the Leadership and Management Phase. “Instructions covered during the Phase included Ship Administration, Mentorship, Leadership and OOD/OOW Duties. The last phase was the Security and Operations Phase.

During the Phase, resource persons were invited to make presentations on General Introduction to Maritime Operations, Contemporary Operations, Maritime Domain Awareness, International humanitarian law and Cyber Security including the role of the media in military operations. “The training also covered Parade Training, Physical Training, swimming, as well as practical sessions onboard NNS JEBBA. The conduct of the training was not complete without educational visits and tours to Army, Navy and Air Force units and formations in Port Harcourt, as well as other security and maritime-related agencies. Notably, Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Immigration service, Charkins Maritime Academy amongst others. “It is worthy of note that the operational training usually done at the Nigerian Army Amphibious Training School Calabar for DSSC cadets, for the first time was conducted in the Joint Maritime Security Training Center (JMSTC) Ojo Lagos. “This accorded the cadets opportunity to visit various ships and formations within Lagos area. They also witnessed the operational readiness of the military formations visited, as well as improve their understanding of the synergy between maritime-related agencies and the NN.�

Assessment He disclosed that the cadets were assessed on a total of 31 subjects and they met all the requirement both in character and learning for commission into the NN. On the improvement made, he said it is noteworthy to state that the college have made some remarkable improvement on the course which previous courses did not benefit from. “These includes; 2Range Classification Exercises as against 1, also for the first time in the history of any DSSC a Commissioning Board was put up by the college to further improve on the cadets training and also to examine their level of assimilation of what they were thought. “Also, for the first time in the history of this college, three new interactive smart boards were installed in the three classrooms, which to a very large extent improved on the teaching aids and training facilities in the college in line with best global practices. Also, the three training boats procured by the CNS has also made boat handling training more interesting and intensive.�

Summarily, he said three cadets obtained First Class Grades, 75 obtained Second Class Grades and 22 obtained Third Class Grades and no cadet failed the course, just as their commitment to classroom instructions, parade training and scheduled sporting activities was deemed satisfactory.

21

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍśËœ 2020

FEATURES

Boosting Productivity, Employment in Edo Chiamaka Ozulumba writes on the roadmap by Governor Godwin Obaseki in investing in infrastructure to boost productivity and employment, especially with the new incursion of Edo Museum of West African Art that seeks to return the state to the competitive advantage it boasted off many decades ago

Introductory Gallery

Bronze and Brass Gallery

Pavillion of the Courtyard of the shrines

Observation Tower

R

African coast. However, like most great kingdoms in Nigeria, this sense of history was lost.

So, when Obaseki announced the state’s partnership with the Legacy Restoration Trust and the British Museum to launch the Edo Museum of West African Art, the global community took notice. This ambitious plan is being driven by an independent body established specifically for this purpose, called the Legacy Restoration Trust. The Trust comprises representation from the revered Palace of his Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, representation from the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, as well as illustrious sons and daughter of Edo extraction.

ight from the onset, Governor Godwin Obaseki had his eyes fixed on how to make Edo great again and this may be responsible for hitting the ground running.

Shortly, after the swearing-in for his second term in office, he assembled some of the best economists in Nigeria to fashion out the plans. The governor apart from working on the low ‘hanging fruits projects’ that will make live more meaningful for his people is also looking at some of the iconic projects that would be his legacy.

Though, he’s aware of the global pandemic that has slowed down economic activities globally, he’s working on how to leverage this new normal to cut cost in governance structure and plough it back to the critical sectors of the economy.

And with the recession staring all public officials in the face, Obaseki is also working to leverage on his contacts in the business community to attract more projects. And by the time the Edo refinery comes on stream, more jobs and economic activities will be created around the state that prides itself as the ‘Heartbeat’ of nigeria.

It was therefore not surprising on Friday, November 13 when Obaseki announced a structured post-recovery plan that encompassed strengthening the public sector; enhancing local government capacity to deliver services to the people at the grassroots; an equitable re-distribution of the state’s wealth of resources; investments in infrastructure to boost productivity and employment; and a revamped security architecture to drastically improve the security situation in the state.

In making good on this latter promise,

Obaseki

the military commenced a new operation, with curfews extended this past week.

But perhaps the most interesting component of his entire proposal was the announcement of a new partnership that seeks to return Edo state to its competitive advantage many centuries ago, and establish the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA).

It is a fact that the Benin kingdom was one of the most powerful and creative kingdoms in Africa, with its art and craftmanship so globally acknowledged and renowned that European explorers marvelled at the level of sophistication of the art and culture emanating from this kingdom. Very few would argue with the fact that at some point in its history, this great kingdom was regarded as the cradle of art and culture on the

The Archaeological Expedition and Research Works A major milestone already achieved by the group with the support of the British Museum is the commitment of $4million in funding to commence the first archaeological project in Nigeria in almost 50 years. This archaeological project that will be executed in partnership with local communities will involve training and capacity building, research works, educational projects, skills enhancements as well as opportunities for Nigerian researchers to work side-by-side with international experts on this globally important project.

The David Adjaye Effect Globally renowned architect, David Adjaye who is responsible for some of the world’s most exquisite architectural wonders, including the “Blacksonian� in Washington DC, has been engaged by the Trust to design the museum.

Drawing inspiration from the rich

cultural heritage of the ancient kingdom, some of the early renders and concept drawings of the proposed museum are exciting to say the least.

It is also gratifying to note that Nigerian architects would form a core part of the architectural team responsible for the eventual delivery of the museum.

Making Edo Great Again In Obaseki’s world, the art of “Making Edo Great Again� begins with a clear understanding of the past glory of the people Edo and harnessing what was once its unique competitive advantage to create a brighter future. In returning his people to the era where their creative ingenuity cultivated much of the unique art pieces that adorn museums across the globe, then perhaps a new economy from the gifts already abundant in the state would emerge.

Art and culture would once again become the engine room for growth and socio-economic development, creating jobs, supporting a tourist economy and enhancing hospitality in the state.

Should the ambition behind this project match reality in the near future, then Edo may just be the outlier that defies the systemic decline of the economy of states in Nigeria, drawing from its pool of talented guilds to create new artworks and hopeful for the return of its stolen pieces that will be showcased in this new asset, the global museum that will shape a new economy and create wealth for its people for generations yet unborn.

Though, it remains a daunting task, for Obaseki, he is ready to confront the challenges headlong and come up with a workable solution to the myriad of problems besetting the state for his people to eke their living.

22

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020 • T H I S D AY

LAWYER

A

WEEKLY PULLOUT

08.12.2020

MS AYÒ OBE

‘NIGERIA NEEDS THE “LOW PROFILE” APPROACH OF THE 1970S’

2/DASHBOARD

08.12.2020

Non-Enforceability of Inchoate Agreements PAGE 4

Enforcing a Scale of Charges for Legal Services in Nigeria PAGE 5

QUOTABLES ‘I wish to reassure the citizens of Nigeria, of our renewed commitment to serve them and ensure their security and safety. In doing so, we continually solicit the support and encouragement of all citizens, and other segments of the society in the country.’ Mohammed Adamu, Inspector General of Police, Federal Republic of Nigeria 'From the public interest perspective.... It is unacceptable for the Police to have filed that suit, because the law on that point is clearly settled. That suit was ill-advised, both in law and in terms of the public. It has so much of a devastating negative effect on the public.....It looks like stopping the wheels and mechanism of justice.’ - Dr Paul Ananaba, SAN

Deputy Editor, THISDAY LAWYER, Now Fellow, ICMC PAGE 7

Women Judges Advocate Protection of Children and Vulnerable Persons PAGE 7

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08.12.2020

The Law and Service Chiefs’ Removal I express my heartfelt condolences to the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, the people of Borno State, and the families of the 43 Rice Farmers who were wickedly slaughtered

by Boko Haram insurgents in Zabamari. It is so heartbreaking, that people who were simply trying to eke out a living were just murdered in cold blood. Have the lives of fellow human beings become so worthless to some? Sections 17(2)(b) and 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) (the Constitution) say otherwise, and rather confirm the sanctity of human life. Which religion teaches that innocent people should be murdered for no just cause? Certainly, not Islam. May Allah grant the dead Aljannah Firdaus, and give their families the fortitude to bear the loss. Ameen.

Insecurity and the ‘Technical’ Defeat of Boko Haram Once again, the Government, whose primary purpose is to secure the lives of the people, failed the people of Borno State (Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution).

Yet, the Nigerian Army talks about technical (or is it biological or chemical) defeat of Boko Haram!

It is obvious that Boko Haram is still using the North East as a playground, while the Bandits have taken over the North West! North Central has had more than its fair share of herdsmen crisis.

The people in the North, are unanimously crying out for urgent assistance and rescue; that more than the other parts of the country, their locality is highly unsafe, totally insecure, under siege, and as the days go by, getting increasingly difficult to live in and survive. The truth is that, most of Nigeria is experiencing one form of insecurity or the other.

People always wondered how the Army was defeating Boko Haram technically or otherwise, when we were still hearing of regular attacks in the North East. Though the Army may have recorded countless victories against Boko Haram in the past, sadly, it seems that their winning streak may be a thing of the past. Additionally, with the Army's changing narratives over the Lekki Tollgate incident, it may be safe to say that the Army can be rather economical with the truth, and the level of veracity which can be attached to their claims of victory may be limited, or their claims of victory must proven beyond reasonable doubt, to be believed.

Protection of Life and Property Government’s provision of security and protection of our lives and property, is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. See the case of Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti & 3 Ors v AGF, Chief of Army Staff & 7 Ors 1985 2 N.W.L.R. Part 6 Page 211 at 230 where the Supreme Court held that a fundamental right is one "which stands above the ordinary laws of the land, and which are in fact, antecedent to the political society itself".

In R. Benkay (Nig) Ltd v Cadbury (Nig) PIc 2006 6 N.W.L.R. Part 976 Page 338 at 385 per Ogunbiyi JCA (as she then was), a constitutional right was defined thus: “.... is that inherently provided and which cannot by any act or stretch or reasoning be taken away, without a constructive laid down legal due process of the law". Also see the case of Imonikhe v AG Bendel State 1992 23 N.S.C.C. Part II Page 480 at 491 per Nnaemeka-Agu JSC that: “Any act, which infringes or runs contrary to those organic principles or systems (provided in the Constitution), is said to be unconstitutional”.

I submit that Government’s inaction/failure to protect Nigerians, especially those in the North East, is an abdication of duty that runs contrary to the organic principles in the Constitution, and therefore, unconstitutional.

It is therefore, insensitive and more than shameful, for the President's spokesman, Garba Shehu, to have engaged in victim-blaming, claiming that the victims of the Rice Farm Massacre did not obtain clearance before they went to work on their farms, when in actual fact, Government and the Army are the ones who failed to meet their constitutional obligations to them, by leaving them as unprotected sitting ducks for the insurgents to kill. It is high time Government starts to take responsibility for its inadequacies, instead of constantly looking for others to blame - including the dead - for its failures!

Criticisms and Counter-Criticisms While I do agree that Sections 38(1) and 39(1) guarantee the right of everyone, including the opposition PDP, to freedom of thought, conscience and expression, no right thinking person should lend much credence to PDP’s criticisms of Government on the insurgency issue, for several reasons. First, because they are very much part of this Boko Haram problem. Maybe, if in 2009, they had not killed Muhammad Yusuf, the leader of Boko Haram extra-judicially (during late President Umaru Yar‘Adua’s tenure), without giving him a fair trial, all the different terrorist cells may not have sprung up, and things may not have spiralled out of control and deteriorated to such an unpalatable level. Secondly, the Chibok girls were kidnapped during their time; how many of them did the Jonathan administration rescue?

Third, we can all see from APC's antecedents (part of which ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) became after their amalgamation into APC)), that in Nigeria, all the opposition does is to criticise those in power in order to run them down and up their own ratings for future elections, and not for any particularly constructive reasons. Once they get into power, they do exactly the same thing or worse! Having distanced themselves from the problem, PDP is condemning this APC Government about their handling of a crisis which they assisted in escalating.

In 2013, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, under the auspices of ACN condemned the Jonathan administration's proscription of Boko Haram and Ansaru, declaring that it was unconstitutional. He said thus:"..... But, we believe that whatever action government takes - even in an emergency - must pass the constitutional test, especially since relevant sections of the Constitution have not been suspended". Alhaji Mohammed also accused President Jonathan's administration of stifling the press to silence criticism and opposition; and he raised an objection to Section 5(1) of the Proscription Order which prescribed an imprisonment of not less than 20 years "for any person who knowingly, in any manner, directly or indirectly, solicits or renders support for the commission of an act of terrorism or to a terrorist group". Because the definition of support in that Order included the dissemination of terrorist information, he wondered if this was not contrary to Sections 22 and 39(1) of the Constitution, thereby strangulating the media.

Today, as the Minister of Information and a high ranking member of the Buhari administration, a person who denounced proscribing a known Terrorist organisation as being unconstitutional, saw nothing wrong in proscribing IPOB which could not be described as a Terrorist Group at the time of its proscription in 2017; it was no longer unconstitutional, as it was when the Jonathan administration proscribed Boko Haram and Ansaru in 2013! Today, Alhaji Mohammed is the champion of denouncing any criticism against this "perfect administration" as "Hate speech", which some of the framers of this highly unconstitutional law went as far as proposing the death penalty, in certain circumstances. Today, any criticism or protest is labelled as treasonable felony! Today, several actions of this administratio, do not pass the ‘constitutionality test’.

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General, Tukur Yusuf Buratai

Removal of Service Chiefs Section 217 of the Constitution clearly provides for the establishment and functions of the Nigerian Armed Forces (the Army, Navy and Air Force); functions which include defending Nigeria from external aggression and suppressing insurrection. It is quite clear that, in this regard, the Armed Forces have not quite met their constitutional obligations.

However, for those clamouring for the removal of the Service Chiefs for their failure to provide security, especially in the North East, this decision may be entirely up to President Muhammadu Buhari on whether they stay on or go. Naturally, many believe that their failure to secure the North East, are ample grounds to let them go. Section 218(2) of the Constitution confers powers on the President to appoint the Service Chiefs, while Section 11(1)(a) & (b) of the Interpretation Act provides that where an enactment confers a power to appoint a person to an office, whether for a specified period or not, such appointing power is also accompanied with the power to remove or suspend such appointee.

This can literally be interpreted to mean that, by virtue of the Interpretation Act, the President who appointed, can lawfully sack the Service Chiefs.

The Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (Officers) 2012 Revised (HTACOS) in Chapter 9 Paragraph 9.08 which previously provided that the Service Chiefs could hold appointment for a continuous period of two years, and be extended for another term of two years from the date of the expiration of the first term, that is, that the Service Chiefs could only serve for a maximum of four years, was revised in 2017. Paragraph 11.09 of the 2017 HTACOS which replaced the old Paragraph 9.08, gives the President the prerogative to extend the tenure of the Service Chiefs till Armageddon if he so desires, irrespective of their age, length of service or years already served as a Service Chief.

With this convenient 2017 amendment, the body language of the President shows that he wanted/ wants them to stay on.

Does this mean that without the buy-in from President Buhari on the removal of the Service Chiefs, those clamouring for their removal may do so until they shout themselves hoarse, but they cannot be removed?

Being typical of Nigerian law making, the HTACOS - which is not a law but simply conditions of service, and without a doubt, inferior to the Constitution (likewise the Interpretation Act is inferior to the Constitution), is totally unconnected with the Constitution which defines members or officers of the Armed forces and the Police as Public Servants (see Section 318 and Part II Paragraph 8 of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution), and gives the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) the power to discipline a public officer, by prescribing various punishments for erring public officers, including vacation of office (Paragraph 18(2)(a) Code of Conduct for Public Officers Part 1 Fifth Schedule to the Constitution).

While some may argue that only the President can remove the Service Chiefs, others may also argue that just as the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Onnoghen was brought before the CCT as a public servant, not minding the NJC or Section 231 and Paragraph I 21(a)(i) & (b) of Part I Third Schedule to the Constitution, so also can the Service Chiefs be dragged before the Tribunal and removed for misconduct. The difference between the two scenarios is that, while the Presidency desired the removal of Justice Onnoghen, they have hitherto facilitated the Service Chiefs’ prolonged stay in office, by also allowing the HTACOS to be amended in that regard, and so far, resisted the calls for their removal.

The question is, whether this type of nonperformance on the part of the Service Chiefs can be considered to be misconduct. In Egwu v Uniport 1995 8 N.W.L.R. Part 414 Page 419 at 443 per Muntaka-Coomassie JCA: "The phrase misconduct....simply means improper conduct. Black's Law Dictionary 5th Ed. defines misconduct as.....a dereliction from duty.....".

See also Stabilini Visinoni Ltd v Mallinson & Partners Ltd 2014 12 N.W.L.R. Part 1420 Page 134 at 186 per Amina Adamu Augie JCA (as she then was) - "The word misconduct.....is defined in Black's Law Dictionary 9th Ed, as ' a dereliction of duty; unlawful or improper behaviour'". By the foregoing definitions, it seems that non-performance which is more or less the same as dereliction of duty, qualifies as misconduct

“...... WHETHER THE SERVICE CHIEFS ARE REMOVED OR NOT, IT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE EXTREMELY URGENTLY, ABOUT PROTECTING THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS UP NORTH..... IF GOVERNMENT HAS TO EMPLOY THE SERVICES OF INTERNATIONAL MILITARY CONTRACTORS LIKE G4S, GARDAWORLD, CONTROL RISKS, CACI INTERNATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL INTELLIGENCE LTD TO COMPLEMENT THE EFFORTS OF OUR OVERSTRETCHED AND UNDER-EQUIPPED MILITARY, SO BE IT” which can be handled by the CCT. However, it is doubtful that anyone will go down the CCT route, especially as the Tribunal itself is part of the Executive. It seems that President Buhari must buy-in to their removal, if it must happen.

Conclusion Be that as it may, whether the Service Chiefs are removed or not, it is crystal clear that something needs to be done extremely urgently, about protecting the lives and property of our brothers and sisters up North. It is heartbreaking to watch them struggle to survive, under such dangerous and life threatening conditions. If Government has to employ the services of international military contractors like G4S, Gardaworld, Control Risks, CACI International or International Intelligence Ltd to complement the efforts of our overstretched and under-equipped military, so be it. They are some of the best military contractors, in the world. They deal in technological driven intelligence, supply of man power, training etc. This is should not be a matter of how loyal the Service Chiefs are to this administration; but more importantly, about saving the lives of our brothers and sisters up North.

I was shocked to hear on a television programme (and read in the newspaper) last week, that one of the reasons that the Tucano Jets which Nigeria ordered from USA in 2018 and paid almost $500 million for had not been delivered, is because the Nigeria Air Force runway in Kainji where the Jets are to land, does not have the capacity to carry the aircraft! Just imagine! We have a serious security emergency, Government has had two years since the order was placed, to prepare to receive the tools that will assist us to fight the security emergency more effectively - yet they failed to prepare, and Nigeria is now apparently running the risk of forfeiting the Jets. The pertinent question to ask at this juncture is, how serious is Nigeria about fighting this insurgency?

4/LAW REPORT

Non-Enforceability of Inchoate Agreements Facts The Appellant, a tenant in the property of the 1st to 4th Respondent at No. 1, Ikorodu Road, Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos, filed an action against the Respondents, seeking an order of specific performance of an agreement for the sale of the property to it. It was the case of the Appellant that the 1st to 4th Respondent agreed to sell the said property to it, but reneged on the said agreement and sold the property to the 5th Respondent.

The defence of the 1st to 4th Respondent was that the transaction with the Appellant was not completed as the Appellant failed to consummate the transaction, and this warranted their decision to sell the property to the 5th Respondent. The 5th Respondent counter-claimed for a declaration that he is the rightful owner of the said property, by virtue of the sale of the same to him by the 1st to 4th Respondent. At the end of the trial, the trial court declared the 5th Respondent to be the rightful owner of the property, by virtue of the sale of the same to him by the 1st to 4th Respondent, and dismissed the Appellant’s claim. Dissatisfied, the Appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal, which court also dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgement of the trial court. The Appellant further appealed to the Supreme Court.

Issues for Determination The following issues, as extrapolated from the issues formulated by the Appellant and Respondents respectively, were determined by the Apex Court 1. Whether there was valid and subsisting contract of sale of the property in dispute between the Appellant and the 1st to 4th Respondent, to transfer title to the Appellant.

2. Whether the failure of the Court of Appeal to consider the Appellant’s issues 2 and 3, did not amount to denial of fair hearing.

Arguments On the 1st issue, counsel for the Appellant argued that the Court of Appeal was wrong when it held that photocopies of bank draft, could not take the position of consideration sufficient to induce a reasonable party into contract. He urged the Apex Court to hold that the Appellant furnished consideration in form of concrete promise (issuance of a Zenith Bank draft for N18,000,000.00 (Eighteen Million Naira) as requested by the 1st to 4th Respondent as purchase price), and the delivery of the photocopies of the said bank draft to the 1st to 4th Respondent’s solicitor for sighting represents something of value in the eyes of the law. Counsel for the Respondents, on the other hand, argued that there was no valid and enforceable contract between the Appellant and the 1st to 4th Respondents, capable of being enforced by an order of specific performance. He submitted that the Appellant failed to fulfil the requirements of a valid contract, and there was no concluded transaction between it and the 1st to 4th Respondent, entitling the Appellant to the order sought.

On the 2nd issue, counsel for the Appellant argued that the failure of the Court of Appeal to consider the Appellant’s 1st and 2nd issues submitted before it for determination, occasioned a miscarriage of justice on the Appellant and breached its right to fair hearing.

He argued that the judgement of the Court of Appeal would have been different and favourable to the Appellant, had those issues been considered. Conversely, counsel for the Respondents argued that the adoption and consideration of the 5th Respondent’s issues for determination by the Court of Appeal, properly determined the crux of the issues between all the parties.

He contended that there was nothing contained in the Appellant’s said 1st and 2nd issues that was not substantially embedded in the 5th Respondent’s issues adopted and considered by the Court of Appeal, in its determination of the Appellant’s appeal before it.

Counsel submitted that the Appellant failed to show how the alleged non-consideration of the issues formulated by the Appellant, led to a miscarriage of justice and

breach of the Appellant’s right to fair hearing.

Honourable Uwani Musa Abba Aji, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 19th day of June, 2020 Before Their Lordships

Olabode Rhodes-Vivour Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili Olukayode Ariwoola John Inyang Okoro Uwani Musa Abba Aji Justices, Supreme Court SC.453/2015 Between Young Shall Grow Motors

…

Appellant

And 1. Madam Nimota Onalada 2. Mrs. Doyin Olunowo 3. Nosiru Oduwole 4. M.B. Onalaja 5. Prince Emeka Mamah (Substituted by the Order of the Court of Appeal dated 17/3/2011)

Respondents

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Uwani Musa Abba Aji, JSC)

“CONTRACTS ARE ENFORCEABLE WHEN THERE IS CONSIDERATION, AS THIS IS WHAT INDICATES THAT THE PROMISOR INTENDED TO BE BOUND BY THE CONTRACT; THEREFORE, WHERE AN AGREEMENT IS INCHOATE AND HAS NOT GONE BEYOND NEGOTIATIONS, IT CANNOT BE ENFORCED AS A CONCLUDED CONTRACT”

Court’s Judgement and Rationale On the 1st issue, the Supreme Court held that, before there can be a valid contract of sale of land, there must be a definite offer by the offeror, an unqualified acceptance by the offeree, and a consideration. Contracts are enforceable when there is consideration, as this is what indicates that the promisor intended to be bound by the contract; therefore, where an agreement is inchoate and has not gone beyond negotiations, it cannot be enforced as a concluded contract. The court relied on its decision in TSOKWA MOTORS LTD v UBN LTD (1996) 9 NWLR (Pt. 471) 129 at 145. Further, the court held that in a contract of sale of land, where the purchase price is not fully paid, there can be no valid sale notwithstanding that the purchaser is in possession.

Failure to pay the purchase price constitutes a fundamental breach which goes to the root of the case, upon which a court cannot decree specific performance - ACHONU v OKUWOBI (2017) LPELR-42102(SC) (P. 35, Paras E-G).

In the transaction between the Appellant and the 1st to 4th Respondent for sale of the property, there was no unqualified acceptance or consideration furnished by the Appellant. Although the Appellant issued bank drafts towards payment of the purchase price, it withheld the original bank draft and only gave the 1st – 4th Respondents a photocopy. The Appellant also did not show up, on the date scheduled for conclusion of the transaction. It could therefore, not be said that consideration had been furnished and a valid contract had been established, as the Appellant had by its express conduct, shown that it did not want to conclude the transaction and establish a valid contract. Furthermore, the Appellant itself divulged under cross-examination before the trial court, that the 1st to 4th Respondent rejected the consideration of the sum of N18,000,000.00 (Eighteen Million Naira). Both the Appellant and the 1st to 4th Respondent had been at cross roads and had never come to consensus ad idem concerning the sale of the property, and negotiations between the parties had not crystallised into a binding contract. Therefore, there could not have been a breach of contract requiring an order of specific performance, or enforcement of the contract.

On the 2nd issue, the court held that where issues for resolution in an appeal are formulated by parties, an appellate court can adopt, reframe or reformulate its own issues which are, in its opinion, proper for the determination of the appeal. A court is not obligated to adopt the issues set down for determination by an Appellant, as a court is free to adopt the issues as crafted by either of the parties, so long as the issues so identified and/or adopted flow from the grounds of appeal, as the court has to do that which is convenient within the bounds of law in getting at the answer to the question or questions raised, and in so doing, deliver justice - AUWALU v FRN (2017) LPELR – 43824 (SC) (PP. 32-33, Paras F-E) and UNITY BANK v BOUARI (2008) 7 NWLR (Pt. 1086) 383 at 401.

Their Lordships held further that a party who complains about the formulation of issues by a lower court, must furnish evidence demonstrating what injustice has been done to him by such formulation, and in the absence of such evidence, an appellate court cannot reverse the decision of the lower court - NWANA v FCDA & ORS (2004) LPELR – 2102(SC) (PP. 15-16, paras. G-A). In this case, there was no iota of evidence before the court showing that injustice had been done to the Appellant, or that he had been denied his right to fair hearing as a result of the adoption of the 5th Respondent’s Issues for Determination by the court.

Appeal Dismissed.

Representation P. O. Jimoh Lasisi, SAN for the Appellant.

Kunle Ayorinde, Esq. for the 1st to 4th Respondent.

Chief Frank Agbedo, Esq. for the 5th Respondent.

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

08.12.2020

NEWS/5

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Prof Akinseye-George, SAN Denies Fraud Allegations, Demands N115m Legal Fees A company, Nacenn Nigeria Limited, has filed a petition against Prof Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN before the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN)/ Chairman of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) and the Nigerian Bar Association. It is alleging, “professional misconduct, criminal misrepresentation, suppression of material facts and fraud� against the Senior Advocate of Nigeria. This is despite the pendency of a suit instituted by the SAN at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in which he is demanding N115million from the firm.

Nacenn, in the October 8 petition sent separately to the CJN and the NBA, is urging them to investigate its complaints. It wants them to refer the petition to the LPPC and the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) respectively, “for appropriate sanctions as the justice of this petition demands�.

In affidavits on oath deposed to by Nacenn’s director, Chukwugozie Ezulike, the Petitioner accused Prof AkinseyeGeorge of violating the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Prac-

Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN

titioners 2007. Specifically, Nacenn said the SAN contravened Rule 1 and Rule 23 (1), which provides: “A Lawyer shall uphold and observe the rule of law, promote and foster the cause of justice, maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and shall not engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a legal practitioner... “A Lawyer shall not do any act whereby for his benefit or gain, he abuses or takes advantage of the confidence reposed in him by his client�.

Nacenn Nigeria said it engaged Prof. AkinseyeGeorge by a letter dated February 28, 2018, to assist it to recover N2billion

judgement-debts from the Federal Government.

The company said it was agreed that his professional fees would be 10% of whatever he recovered, and that the duration of the engagement shall automatically terminate after March 30, 2018, if Nacenn does not receive the said payment.

The Petitioner said Prof Akinseye-George did not recover any amount within the period of the subsistence of his engagement letter.

The company said it re-engaged the SAN on April 25, 2018, to continue with the recovery on the terms that he is entitled to 10% of any recovery made. Nacenn said this

engagement terminated on May 15, 2018, by the end of which Prof. AkinseyeGeorge made no recovery.

The company said: “Despite the fact that no effort by Prof. AkinseyeGeorge, SAN yielded any benefit for the company in form of any payment, when in June 2018, after the effective termination of his second engagement the Federal Government paid the sums of N100 million and N150million, Nacenn Nigeria still magnanimously paid him the sums of N10million and N15million respectively, representing 10% of the recovered sums as contained in the earlier terms of the engagement letter. “Nacenn Nigeria having

paid off Prof. AkinseyeGeorge for his services and given the fact that his engagement had lapsed, formally wrote him on the 10th day of August, 2019 terminating his services to the company�.

SAN’s case Prof Akinseye-George, in his suit, is demanding N115million from Nacenn Nigeria for services rendered in recovering the debt. The SAN said he was engaged due to his expertise as a professor of law and experience in mediating between the government and the private sector, having also worked as a Special Assistant to three different Attorney-Generals of the Federation. He said the late Chief Ezulike asked him to do all within his powers to recover three judgement-debts worth about N2 billion, and was engaged via a February 28, 2018 letter.

He said he briefed his client about the developments, at the expiration of the time given him.

He said he was asked “to continue to carry out the assignment�, with the assurance that the promised 10% would be paid on the recovery of the debt.

The SAN said he suc-

ceeded in recovering the funds.

Akinseye-George claims “he has suffered great financial inconvenience� due to the refusal to pay the balance of his professional fees, adding that the company is “stopped from denying the efforts and work of the Claimant�.

Akinseye-George Denies Allegations Prof Akinseye-George, SAN, has denied the allegations of fraud or misrepresentation levelled against him by his his client, Nacenn Nigeria Limited. He stated that the N50million he was paid, was deployed to honour the commitments made by the late Chief Ezulike to those who facilitated the recovery of the judgement-debt. “These commitments were known to the General Manager, Mr Ifeanyi Okwuosa and Mr Maduka Anigbogu.

"The N50million was deployed fully for the purpose it was brought, through Mr Ifeanyi Okwuosa. “I never misrepresented any fact or facts to anybody, including Afam Ezulike, in respect of anything done in the course of the recovery of the entire debt�, the SAN said.

6/ IMAGES

08.12.2020

The National Association of Women Judges, Nigeria held its Annual Conference in Abuja last Thursday, Here are some the Judges and other Attendees, who were at the Conference

L-R: Justices Lolo, Binta Nyako, Mrs Ekerete, Mary Peter-Odili, JSC, Rt. Hon. OnoďŹ ok, Prof. Saidu and Mrs Mohammed

Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili of the Supreme Court

L-R: Justices Mainona and D.E. Adokeme

Hon. Justice Akinola

Hon. Justice Binta Nyako

Laura Cilesio from Australia

Mrs. Mariam Uwais Solicitor-General of Kano State, Mrs. A.Y. Yargaya

Hon. Justice Uwani Abba'Aji of the Supreme Court

Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Kate Abiri

08. 12.2020

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Women Judges Advocate Protection of Children and Vulnerable Persons The National Association of Women Judges, Nigeria (NAWJN) conference which held on 3rd December, 2020 had various stakeholders in attendance including the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria represented by Prof. Balkisu Saidu, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria represented

by Mrs. Mary Ekpere-Eta, Hon. Attorney- General of Adamawa State, Hon. Attorney-General of Kaduna State represented

by Sarah Kajere Peters, Hon. Attorney-General of Ebonyi State represented by Ms Faithvin Nwanchor, Chief Judges of Katsina State, Bayelsa State , Plateau State and Federal Capital Territory represented by Hon. Justice O.O. Goodluck, and Hon Judges from the 36 States of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja who joined physically and virtually.

Also in attendance was Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke, Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Maryam Uwais, MFR (Special Advisor to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Social Investment), amongst other dignitaries.

Two papers were presented at the conference by Ms. Laura Cilesio (Assistant Director of ACT intermediary Program) from Australia and Prof. Penny Cooper from England and Wales (Project investigator, Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR) to broaden the knowledge of members and other stakeholders, on international best practices on measures to be adopted in the protection of Child and Vulnerable witnesses.

During the conference, there were some observations made

by NAWJN concerning the provisions of our extant laws in Nigeria, in the light of the innovations in other common wealth jurisdictions and the need to engage relevant stakeholders in providing practice directions and policy direction' to assist in

the protection of children and vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria The first session was a plenary session on the procedure for obtaining evidence from Children and Vulnerable Witnesses in other commonwealth jurisdictions, and the second session was a stakeholders interactive session on the protection of children and vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria anchored by Chief Judge of High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja represented by Hon. Justice O.O Goodluck, and had Chief Judge of Katsina State, Hon. Justice Danladi, Chief Judge of Plateau State, Hon. Justice Yakubu Dakwak, Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Hon. Justice Kate Abiri, as members of the Panel.

The first session had presentations by the Panelist from Australia and England and Wales who spoke on the practice, procedure and laid down machineries in place in Australia, England and Wales and other common law jurisdictions, to enhance the protection of children and vulnerable witnesses in their jurisdictions. The innovations include the use of intermediaries, pre-recording of child’s evidence, specialist district Judges, trained psychologists, social workers, speech pathologists etc, saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the programme.

During the second session, the Panelists relayed their personal experiences during trial of matters involving children and vulnerable witnesses in their respective courts, and steps taken to protect children and vulnerable witnesses.

The Panelists also expressed the courts willingness to protect children and vulnerable witnesses, pursuant to the provisions of the domesticated Child Rights Acts, Administration of Criminal Justice Act in the various States across Nigeria, and the Evidence Act, as well as other extant laws and practice

directions in force in the Federation.

Upon conclusion of an exhaustive deliberation, the following recommendation were proposed: 1. That the Chief Judges of the Federal High Court and the 36 States and Federal Capital Territory issue practice directions for the protection of children and vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria; 2. The there is a need to set up a tripartite committee consisting of relevant stakeholders, to come up with guidelines on how children and vulnerable witnesses will be protected both physically and psychologically; 3. That there is a need to set up a legal frame work by the National Assembly in the ongoing reform of the justice sector, to factor in the protection of child and vulnerable witnesses; 4. That there is a need for the appointment of additional Judges at the High Court and the Federal High Court in Nigeria; 5. That there is a need for budgetary allocations for the provision of physical infrastructure and capacity building for Judges, court officials, and a witness fund to cater for children and vulnerable witnesses in Nigeria; 6. That there is a need to liaise with relevant stakeholders on the sensitisation of parents and care givers in assisting the court in giving evidence, during trial of cases of sexual offences committed by family members and close relatives.

The President, National Association of Women Judges’ Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili thanked the sponsors, organisers and facilitators, for their enormous contributions towards the success of the event.

Deputy Editor, THISDAY LAWYER, Now Fellow, ICMC Elachi Inaugurated as Sixth President, ICMC Alex Enumah in Abuja It was an epoch making event when the THISDAY Lawyer Deputy Editor, Jude Igbanoi, was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) at the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja, last Tuesday, December 1. Also amongst the inductees was the Judicial Editor of The NATION Newspapers and former National Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, John Unachukwu.

Dr Agada Elachi was also inaugurated that day, as the sixth President of the ICMC at the 2020 African Mediation Conference/Annual General Meeting and Induction Ceremony.

An elated Dr Elachi, in his inaugural speech, while promising to "work hard to keep the faith and standards" set by his predecessors, urged members of his executive team to see their election as "a call to improvement". He promised not to disappoint on expectations, adding that his administration would be guided by standards of past leaders, and be opened to advice from members as well. Outgoing President ICMC, Chief Emeka Obegolu, JP and Jude Igbanoi Elachi however, disclosed that the new executive would give priority attention to Practice; Welfare of members; Standard of Processes, Protocol and Procedures, as well as its interventionist role in the nation's politics.

Meanwhile, immediate past President of the ICMC, Chief Emeka Obegolu, challenged the new inductees of the Institute, to "look inwards towards our home-grown Afrocentric ADR institutions, to foster the evolution of our practice of dispute resolution in Nigeria and across Africa".

According to him, this is necessary because, Mediation is an ever-evolving field, making the journey for Mediators a never ending learning process.

"ICMC seeks to mainstream Mediation and Conciliation as the primary means for the effective resolution of disputes in Nigeria, and fulfil our mandate of encouraging organisations and institutions to adopt Mediation and Conciliation as the primary means of resolving disputes.

"We look forward to the value we believe your induction will bring to the Institute", he added.

Chief Paddy Njoku, FICMC, Chief Judge of Edo State, Chief Emeka Obegolu, Mrs. Margaret Nwagbo, FICMC While noting that the Institute has made great strides in the last 21 years when it was formed by just seven members in 1999, he charged the new executive to build on their accomplishments, learn from their mistakes and take steps and make sacrifices to see the completion of projects, as well as continue to improve the capacity of the ICMC Secretariat, which according to him, is the engine room of the Institute.

Obegolu listed some of the landmark achievements of his tenure to include; establishment of several ADR centres in some States of the Federation; construction of the ICMC Mediation House in Abuja (65% complete), establishment of several training centres, as well as the 2020 African Mediation Conference, amongst others.

While over 700 qualified Mediators and Conciliators were inducted as Fellows, Members and Associate Members of the institution, the high point of the ceremony was the conferment of the new rank of Chartered Mediator on a member of the Institute's Board of Trustees and one time President, Dr Patrick Njoku.

ICMC President, Dr. Agada Elachi and outgoing President, Chief Emeka Obegolu, JP

8/COVER

08.12.2020

‘Nigeria Needs the“Low More than ever before, Nigerians are unanimous in their opinion that their basic rights are constantly under threat every passing day. The #EndSARS protest now appears to many, to be a microcosm of the bigger challenges that both the government and the citizenry have to deal with. One of Nigeria’s foremost human rights activists, Ms Ayò Obe went down memory lane with Onikèpò Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi, to recount her involvement in the pro-democracy movement during the military era, which among other things, saw her going underground on a few occasions to avoid arrest by the military, and also emerge as the President of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), the first indigenous organised human rights group. She also spoke about her radio programme, the #BringBackOurGirls Campaign, the #EndSARS Protest, and why she thinks the anti-corruption war of the present administration is not yielding desired results

Y

ou are one of the pioneers of organised human rights movement in Nigeria, when yourself, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Richard Akinola, Abdul Oroh and others started the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO). It was rare at the time, to see a female in the trenches alongside men, risking their lives, fighting the military. What motivated a young, brilliant female professional like you, to take those risks? What would you say was your most frightening experience during those times, and what would you say were your main achievements?

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) was founded by Olisa Agbakoba, Richard Akinola, Abdul Oroh and Clement Nwankwo in 1987, as Nigeria’s first indigenous organised human rights organisation. I didn’t join until 1988 when the CLO was in the news for having secured the release of dozens of people who had been arrested for simple offences such as ‘wandering’ over 12 years earlier, and I recognised Olisa Agbakoba as a Law School classmate.

So, I’m not a pioneer, the word “brilliant” is overused and misused in this country (as here), and since I was 40 when I became the CLO President, I’m not sure the word “young” is applicable either! I was certainly not the first woman in the CLO – the pioneers in that regard were people like, Amma Ogan and May Ellen Ezekiel, while I often met Bella Okagbue by the time I started attending CLO meetings.

I hope that disposes of the introduction to your question!

Abdul Oroh and Chidi Odinkalu persuaded me to stand for election as CLO’s Deputy President in October 1992, but I did not see that as taking “risks”. After all, the country was set to return to civil rule under General Ibrahim Babangida’s transition programme, and I felt that even though it might mean standing for CLO President a few years later, by then, the military would be out of the picture, we’d be under a Constitution, so it should be ‘a piece of cake’. I didn’t foresee that we would be under General Sani Abacha’s military dictatorship by the time I took over as CLO President in 1995 – maybe I would have dodged if I had, but as the Good Book says, you should not turn back having once put your hand to the plough.

As to frightening experiences, I don’t think that one operates with that kind of mindset.

Even when Abacha was arresting activists in 1998 and I was told that I was on the list, I think my attitude was more one of depressed resignation to the inconveniences that would go with arrest. As it happened, I took advice to go underground so that never happened, but I do remember being scolded for attending court the morning of the day when I did so. (Yes, contrary to some people’s fevered imaginings, the position of CLO President was a voluntary – unpaid – one, and I had to earn my living!).

When Babangida cancelled the June 12th 1993 Presidential election, there were a series

Ms Ayò Obe

“THOSE ENTRUSTED WITH PUBLIC POWER, MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY ABUSE IT. AND, WE HAVE ALWAYS CONSIDERED THE USE OF PUBLIC POWER TO DEPRIVE PEOPLE OF THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS A PARTICULAR SPECIE OF ABUSE, AND THUS, OF CORRUPTION”

of demonstrations, including one by Legal Practitioners at the Lagos High Court. The Nigeria Police attacked that demonstration using teargas, and we all had to run away in our wigs and gowns, so I suppose that can be described as frightening, but really I’d say that in such situations, one is driven by adrenalin. For many of our other demonstrations, CLO members and staff were always very protective, and would try to usher me to safety whenever we came under threat.

Despite your pioneering efforts in human rights advocacy, you have remained silent in the past few years.

Are you disillusioned, cowed or have simply given up on Nigeria? Because the trenches are virtually empty today, and yet, there are massive human rights violations across the country.

To be frank, I think that every element of this question is wrong. Indeed, your assertion that I “have remained silent in the past few years” captures a problem that you – the media – exacerbate.

Firstly, as a private citizen I’m not in the habit of issuing press statements or press releases. So, although I’ve given lots of interviews since I stopped being CLO President in 2003, if issuing press releases etc. is what you mean by “remained silent”, then you need to broaden your horizons!

Secondly, from September 2018 to August 2020, I presented a weekly radio programme which focused on Integrity, Democracy, Ethics and Accountability (IDEAS radio) which – though it was under an anti-corruption mandate – inevitably dealt with the issues of the day, because those entrusted with public

power must be held accountable if they abuse it. And we have always considered the use of public power to deprive people of their human rights a particular specie of abuse, and thus, of corruption. You can check the videos, podcasts and transcripts at www.ideasradio.ng.

Thirdly, I have a Twitter account (@naijama).

A brief review of that account would also have shown (fourthly) that I have remained a participant in the #BringBackOurGirls protests since 2014. #BBOG Lagos did not stop holding weekly sit-outs, just because the Nigerian media could not stay the course in demanding accountability for the lives of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls! So, I think that this inability to accept that one may not know or see everything (let alone report it) and to recognise that there is always nuance and there are always shades of grey, exacerbates the climate of alienation and hopelessness. Because, if you start from the position that unless one is issuing ‘Statements’ or holding demonstrations on the streets, one is “silent”, then you close out the possibility that anything else might be happening.

But, apart from that, your question is unfair to those who are protesting today, leading the struggle against human rights abuse, and who have undertaken the (in many ways) more exacting task of holding government to account. Certainly, it does them an injustice to say that “the trenches are virtually empty” today.

Did the recent #ENDSARS Protests by the Youths bring back any memories?

What is your opinion about the whole incident and the fallout therefrom? The

COVER /9

08.12.2020

Profile” Approach of the 1970s’ incident at Lekki Tollgate, the allegations and counter-allegations about shooting, the Army, and the looting and destruction that followed? Do you think the Government’s approach has been the right one?

Of course, there were strong echoes in the protest. Since the return to civil rule and Constitution-based government – and with it, party politics – there have been inevitable divisions as different people who were active in the struggle against military rule, have aligned with different political parties. But, the #EndSARS protest – just like the demand for an end to military dictatorship – cut across political divisions because the victims of police brutality were not identified by ethnicity, religion or political persuasion.

After yet another police atrocity in 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan set up a panel on police reform, and that time, rather than just submit a memorandum, civil society decided to set up its own panel on police reform (which I chaired) and held hearings all across the country. We did hear from police officers about the issues they face, but we also had the testimony of so many working people, labourers and others trying to earn their daily bread or just survive, who had dreadful accounts of their sufferings at the hands of the Nigeria Police Force. I’d say that what made #EndSARS come alive was that, increasingly, police victims were no longer identified by class: in fact when the Ooni of Ife mentioned that members of his family had their own horrible experience, that showed that the routine brutality of police operations had now reached the middle classes – the seat of revolution! Everybody knew someone who had been affected and that’s why #EndSARS or #EndPoliceBrutality (because of the PHCN aspect) resonated with all Nigerians across the board. Including me! I could not be present in person at the protest held by Lawyers on the 13th, but I supported it.

It would be nice to think that the government’s speedy acceptance of the demands of the #EndSARS protests was because it recognised that this was indeed, a wrong that was overdue for attention and correction, but, some reports indicate that it was due to intelligence that in the Covid-era tinderbox that the collapse of the economy had made of many struggling Nigerians, advantage might be taken of the legitimate protest. That may have added some urgency, but I hope it does not mean that the impetus to reform and improve was not coming from the heart.

I’ve spoken elsewhere of my decision that once we returned to civil rule under a Constitution, since we would have the right to elect those who should address general issues of governance, provision and infrastructure etc., I would only involve myself in single issue campaigns where you take up a particular issue and campaign on that, declare victory and go home or move on to the next issue. Examples are the 2010 ‘Enough Is Enough’ campaign (to demand that then Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan be free to exercise presidential powers consequent upon the incapacity of President Umaru Yar’Adua), the fuel price rise protests of January 2012, and the #BringBackOurGirls protests (2014 and continuing) are some examples, though with the last, who knew that we would still be campaigning for our Chibok Girls six and a half years later?

Now #BBOG, properly considered, includes a demand for good governance and security, though once all the Chibok Girls are accounted for, I for one, will fold up my tent and go home. So, when #EndSARS fleshed out its demand to ‘End SARS’ with the five point demand, I totally understood that.

However, it was clear that the demands – though accepted – could not all be implemented with a click of the fingers. So, while the ham-fisted ‘disband SARS/establish SWAT’ response of the Inspector-General of Police gave rise to justified suspicion, there was reason for suspending the protests.

Particularly when in Lagos, by Monday

“GOVERNMENT’S HANDLING OF THE SITUATION? MIXED. NOT BAD UP TO THE COMMENDABLE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FIVE DEMANDS, BUT NOT VERY GREAT AFTER THAT. ITS THREATS AND ALLEGED FINES WHEN MATTERS ARE YET TO BE PRONOUNCED ON, PORTRAY IT AS WANTING TO SUPPRESS FACTS.....”

Ms Ayò Obe 19th October, it was clear that – as some reported – “things are turning ugly”, that is, that events were moving from police officers being harassed to physical attacks on them and on police stations. My own clerk did not get home until almost midnight on that day, but others were relating their horrible experiences being robbed or having to pay ‘tolls’ to area boys before they could pass certain alternative unblocked routes. Yet, people who criticised that situation were more or less shouted down, while others who were comfortably sitting overseas were originating what seemed ridiculous claims such as “Keep going for 30 days and the UN will be forced to intervene”; “Fly the flag and soldiers cannot shoot you”, but which in the light of hindsight, have a slightly more sinister aspect.

As to what happened at Lekki Toll Gate on the 20th October, like others hearing the first reports, I was outraged and heartbroken at the terrible news and was more than willing to condemn the reported slaughter of peaceful protesters: there was no doubt that there had been shooting (it was heard by people in Lekki and Ikoyi), so it seemed inevitable that there would have been deaths.

In fact, I was a signatory to such a statement by the #BringBackOurGirls movement.

But, stories of this victim or that victim kept emerging that would be circulated by reputable people, only to be debunked later. I actually wondered whether these stories were being planted so that when they were shown to be fake, we could all retreat into that dangerously comfortable space where we all get to pick our own ‘facts’. Unfortunately, very few came back to correct such reports or earlier claims.

Our situation in 2020 is that, anyone can say anything to the media – even the investigative media – or in online videos.

But, just as we saw with allegations of vote rigging in the recent US elections, in a judicial proceeding you must come with evidence, the veracity of which can be tested under cross-examination. For sure, the government story has changed a lot of times (I don’t find that in itself surprising where things are confused, and the natural instinct is to want to distance oneself from any culpability), but so have the claims on the side of those who were there protesting. I’ve been troubled by the

absence of bereaved families, when it was said that details of 12 persons killed on that night had been compiled. Yes, one might fear to contradict a government narrative of ‘no massacre’ or ‘no shooting deaths’, but … You kill my child: what is it that you are now going to do to me when I complain and accuse you? I reject the approach of those who criticise demands for evidence as ‘supporting Buhari’, and demand that one should just Believe! I’m a Lawyer, and this is not a matter of faith.

So, for now, as regards that event, I have brought myself back to a position of re-opening my mind and awaiting the outcome of the Lagos SARS Panel proceedings. I know that as soon as it was set up, there were explanations about why people would not want to go there, and even asserting that no justice or truth about 20/10/20 can come out of the Panel; but in my view, if there is serious reporting of what is happening at its sittings (something more than that someone was looking at pictures of watches while the CCTV film was being shown, please), there would be material in the public domain for the public to consider. But, even without that, if the end result were to be a whitewash that discounted apparently credible evidence, well, the International Criminal Court is just one of the venues that would be open to those who can show that local remedies are compromised or unavailable.

Government’s handling of the situation?

Mixed. Not bad up to the commendable acceptance of the Five Demands, but not very great after that. Its threats and alleged fines when matters are yet to be pronounced on, portray it as wanting to suppress facts, and the careless way that government officials and elected representatives describe any criticism or erroneous report as “hate speech”, only underlines that they cannot be trusted with the regulation of any media at all, let alone social media. It’s good that (if they attempted it) they seem to have resiled from trying to block the websites of some organisations that supported the #EndSARS protests (at least, I was able to access the three listed as having been blocked in Nigeria), and the withdrawal of charges against many people indiscriminately arrested after the riots was a good move here in Lagos.

But, what stands out is the government’s apparent inability or refusal to distinguish between the genuine cause for complaint against police brutality that the #EndSARS protests were and remain, and the extra baggage that others who had different and wider agenda tried to tag on to it (everybody flagging political cause tried to get its foot in the door opened by #EndSARS). As a result, government comes across as dismissing the whole #EndSARS movement, or treating the whole as a plot to unseat it. That is deeply counter-productive – for example, the apparently indiscriminate blocking of the bank accounts of those who supported the protests. It needs to be clear about understanding the #EndSARS protests as being against police brutality and make its case about other hidden agenda clearly, instead of just throwing out general smears, accusations of terrorism and such like.

The Ekiti State Attorney-General recently told Nigerians that politicians in the State are against the enforcing the State’s laws on rape and other gender based crimes. This cuts across most States in Nigeria. As a woman and a human rights defender, how can we ameliorate this problem?

The NJC the second time rejected the nomination to fill the office of Chief Judge of Gombe State, side-tracking the most senior Judge, Hon Justice Illiya, a female. What are your views about this, in relation to the role of gender and religion in appointments and elevation in public office in Nigeria? Cross River State also had a problem with the most senior Judge who also happened to be female, saying that because she hails from Akwa Ibom, she is a security risk!

How do we stem this negative tide of gender discrimination, when other African countries like Rwanda have cont'd on page 10

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‘Nigeria Needs the “Low Profile” Approach of the 1970s’ cont'd from page 9

passed legislation making it mandatory for women to fill certain percentage of positions?

Since the passage of Violence Against Persons Act, there hasn’t been much progress in terms of domestication by many States, and even convictions. What could be lacking? How can the law be made to have some bite, to achieve its purpose?

Likewise, several of the Northern States have refused to domesticate the Child Rights Act. What could be responsible for this?

If you don’t mind, I will answer your three questions about Gender Based Violence and discrimination against women together, though I really hate your “as a woman and a human rights defender” characterisation.

I cannot claim to be speaking as a generic woman or indeed, as a generic human rights defender – only as myself. But, putting that rider on to such questions invites readers to filter my responses through those two lenses.

I didn’t see the statement by the Ekiti State Attorney-General, so my hope and expectation is that he was just giving information, and not giving an excuse for not enforcing the law, because politicians who pass a law and then oppose its implementation should be ignored. At least in those Northern States which have refused to enact Child Rights legislation, the legislators are not speaking out of both sides of their mouths (although it’s a question whether they are not presenting a false interpretation of their religion in their short-sighted willingness to stand against the rights of children). But, where a lawmaker makes a law and then doesn’t want it implemented, it’s difficult to take that lawmaker seriously.

We continue to have serious problems with GBV, and how can it be otherwise when not only is there not enough public leadership on the issue, but some public behaviour actively undermines solutions, as with recent reports that the ‘Slapping Senator’ had decamped to the ruling party.

What kind of message does it send, when the President’s party welcomes someone who should be shunned and have his seat declared vacant if the reports are true (by the way, if the reports are not true, they should be loudly and widely refuted). And for what? Surely, only the tiniest political gain for the APC! Unfortunately, the long delay before the confirmation of the President of the Court of Appeal gives the impression that the Buhari administration already has form in the area of gender discrimination. Yes, the President has appointed some outstanding women to positions in government, but if he is not ready to blow his trumpet on such appointments, it leaves a gap that is readily filled by the cases which appear to be discriminating against women. And while the examples of women being denied consideration for high judicial appointments are from the States which should be roundly condemned and rejected, is there a commitment to creating a national ethos on this?

What are your views on Restructuring? Is the 1999 Constitution satisfactory, requires tweaking as the Senate is trying to do, or should it be jettisoned for an entirely new document maintaining the Presidential system we are presently operating or reverting to the Parliamentary or some kind of home grown hybrid?

Honestly, I wonder if I have the energy for this issue. The term ‘restructuring’ means so many different things to different people.

Both presidential and parliamentary systems have their pros and their cons. We know this.

I’m not sure what is meant by ‘tweaking’. The National Assembly has called for submissions. Those who care to do so can submit proposals, and it is the extent of such proposals that will show whether what results was ‘tweaked’ or is an entirely new document. After all, President Jonathan set up a national conference on the matter, but then did absolutely nothing about any of its recommendations. The ruling APC set up a committee on the matter, and again, did absolutely nothing about it. So, if what the Senate is doing is ‘tweaking’ – well, you know what they say about how you eat an elephant: one bite at a time. Of course, it’s a question whether the elephant will stand still long enough, or whether the whole

Ms Ayò Obe carcass won’t be rotten beyond redemption before the meal is even half way eaten, but that’s another matter. For now, those with the capacity have balked at devouring the thing in total. So, tweaking may be all that remains.

Recent cases of terrorist or criminal attacks have brought the issue of State Police to the fore again, and that CSO panel on police reform that I mentioned, recommended a serious national debate on the subject – not least because of the fear that State Governors would want for themselves the same kind of operational control of the police that the President has (and which by the way, the panel recommended should be removed). But, we should not pretend that State Governments have not been inching towards their own form of law enforcement. What with Àmòtekùn in the South West, Hisbah in Kano and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State we should be able to have some idea of where the gaps – if any – exist. It’s not enough to complain of not having the same powers as the police, because there have been persistent calls for intelligence-led policing. So, they need to examine their operations and see where that lack caused security lapses, whether

“However, some of the things that we see from the President’s own party – palatial mansions, incomprehensibly ridiculous mausoleums and an almost wilful refusal by some public officers to even tone it down (let alone go ‘low profile’), are bound to leave the suspicion that not everybody has got the anti-corruption memo”

because the police refused support, or because they didn’t have firepower, or whatever.

Because when the police is actively pursuing journalists from Uyo to Lagos, or singers from Kano to Abuja, it would be strange if they were not providing requested support in other cases.

Lately, there has been a debate about our high cost of governance, and how it must be reduced drastically, so that it’s not just the people but Government/ Public officials as well making sacrifices for the betterment of the nation. What are your thoughts on this?

I don’t know that this is a debate: the only people who seem incapable of recognising the need to make sacrifices for the betterment of the nation, appear to be those actually in government. It’s always been my view that in politics, and indeed, in public life, the appearance is as important as the reality.

My view that we need a bit more of the ‘low profile’ approach of the 1970s, has not changed. So, while it may be hypocritical to shun expensive cars, clothes and watches etc. in public while enjoying ‘better life’ in public, that is what we ought to have been seeing. No ghastly watches, no SUVs (unless locally made) etc. etc. Now, it may be that the locally produced SUV has been refitted with armour plating and so on, but we the public would not feel that we had entered into some How would you rate the Buhari administration vis-a-vis fighting corruption and insecurity, revamping the economy and upholding the rule of law?

It’s hard to say – there’s been a lot of sound and fury on “fighting corruption”, but in the end, it is the right institutions and the right culture that will achieve results.

Unfortunately, once the frontline people with whom we the ordinary public come into contact, be it police, airport workers, customs and immigration, civil servants and judicial workers or whoever it is, are unashamed about demanding graft for merely doing their job, then we continue to have a problem. Mind you, I’m not talking about situations where graft is demanded because you’re a smuggler, or other specie of wrongdoer, or seeking special favour, or access to limited resources, or even asking for anything that requires the public servant involved to exercise their discretion, just your ordinary entitlements. That part is up to both of us – to resist such demands – and to the government to back and uphold us when we do. Limited results there.

Corruption by public officials in awards and contracts? Certainly, more is coming to light, but I don’t follow the details deeply enough to say whether public procurement rules are adequate, or being properly followed.

However, some of the things that we see from the President’s own party – palatial mansions, incomprehensibly ridiculous mausoleums, and an almost wilful refusal by some public officers to even tone it down (let alone go ‘low profile’) are bound to leave the suspicion that not everybody has got the anti-corruption memo. But, I

must make special mention of the decision of the ICPC to back the excellent work being done by groups like TrackaNG who have not only been working to create that culture of expecting accountability among ‘we the people’, but also shining the spotlight on the awards and contracts side.

As I said, I chaired the CSO Panel on Police Reform in 2013. All the elements that we now see in full bloom today, were there then, whether it was impunity, extra-judicial killings, alienation of the population whom it is supposed to be protecting, corruption, police inaction or even suspected collusion with kidnappers, cattle rustling in huge expanses that the police simply did not have the equipment or wherewithal to counter, and so on. Naturally that report was presented to the Jonathan administration, but it was also presented to the transition team established by the incoming Buhari administration in 2015. So, if one is making the removal of insecurity a campaign point (and quite frankly, even if one is not), then one would expect these issues to be addressed with some serious new thinking and allocation of real resources. But, on the whole, while we have certainly had some of our Chibok Girls returned to their families, we still have 112 unaccounted for, and we also had the Dapchi Girls kidnapped with one of them still unaccounted for, it has been mostly a case of same old, same old.

When the Jonathan administration spoke obscurely about ‘enemies’, Boko Haram supporters within his government and so on, our response in #BBOG had been that a serious intelligence service should be able to counter those challenges and not allow them to detract from, or to be an excuse for the failure to provide security for Nigerians. So, even if there was – in addition to the major climate change push factors – an element of politicking in the farmer/herder clashes, the Buhari administration needed to deal with those and while providing solutions that would allow herders to herd and farmers to farm without clashing, ensure that perpetrators of violence were brought to justice.

I can’t say much about ‘revamping the economy’, but I do think that there is a serious intention to reorient our economy away from dependence on oil income, and I also recognise that this Coronavirus year has caused a lot of setbacks. Sometimes one can pronounce on this or that policy too early, but one thing I am certain about is that, without a serious attempt to tackle our exploding population, it’s unlikely that however revamped our economy may be, it will be able to keep pace. The refusal to address this has been a dreadful abdication of responsibility, since our ridiculous reaction to the Babangida administration’s proposals in that regard. Had we started making efforts then, by now – 30 years later – we might be seeing some benefit.

As it is, we are already late.

I started to say that government’s observance of the rule of law has been mostly in the breach, but I realised that that would be me ignoring the fact that, for the most part, the rules and any resulting court judgements are obeyed.

Unfortunately, when there are cases where they are not obeyed, that is the story. And, when those cases occur, they should be swiftly corrected, instead of roundabout attempts to change the rules or start nit-picking about the letter (rather than the spirit) of the law.

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I

A Firm of Lateral Thinkers

n your career, which person has had the greatest influence on you and how? Leadership is influence. Good leaders can spot a creative mind, great leaders harness it; while some leaders drain all the intelligence and capability out of their team. They must be the smartest, most capable person in the room, these leaders often shut down the smarts of others, ultimately stifling the flow of ideas. Consider the HOD who daily holds court and mesmerises his team with his brainpower —forcing them to scurry to keep up with his thinking, rather than think for themselves and contribute their own ideas. Or the Partner who, despite having more than six first-rate Lawyers in his team (hopefully he recruited them all), listens to only one of them at meetings, claiming the others do not have much to offer. These leaders—are “diminishers”— they underutilise people and leave creativity and talent wasting on their tables.

How do we build a firm of lateral thinkers? As a result of the heavy reliance on precedents, Lawyers have been accused of perpetuating the “herd mentality” - the propensity for people's behaviour or beliefs to conform to those of the group to which they belong. Hence when you talk of lateral thinking, innovation and creativity, you sometimes sidestep Lawyers or law firms. In these times of uncertainty and turbulence when the needs and expectations of clients are continually evolving, firms have to let go of age-old dogmas and update their management paradigms to have a better chance at success. Lateral thinking would require mindset shifts – require that firms work differently and constantly reinvent, promote knowledge sharing and collaboration, and more importantly, commit to quick implementation of ideas – quick not hurried.

It is usually easy to identify vertical thinkers. They are guarded in their actions, minimalist in their words, not wanting to upset the apple cart, waiting to be told what to do. No spontaneity, no spunk, no punch, no pattern breaking, no challenging the status quo; they do not go beyond convergent ideas and common information. There are many business environments that nurture vertical thinking. They thrive on stories of yester-years, their eyes glow as they recount how it used to be and how it was done – the good old days. It’s all about maintenance. Vertical thinkers fall back on traditional notions. It is conditioned thinking that encourages a sequential or structured approach, in solving problems and making decisions. This kind of restrictive thinking may fall short in exploring other possibilities, or undoubtedly better ideas.

Another layer of vertical thinkers I have observed, are those that are not trapped in the sequence of the past or the familiar; these have vision, they see, but cannot see beyond their present realities. They have an eye defect called – myopia. They cannot see far or beyond what is right before them – they are conditioned chiefly by the familiar and by their business environment – “what others are doing”. The consequence is that what we elect to see or not see, impacts our reality or outcome. So, while they are obsessed with the competitor’s moves and fixated on the environment, there is no verve to their firm; rather the firm becomes a stockpile of untapped—or, even worse, thwarted—ideas, skills, and interests.

Creating Creatives How does a law firm leader breakdown silo thinking, encourage teams to think creatively, break out of mental constraints in order to solve a problem and provide solutions? Are our staff mentally held down in tight leashes, and our offices’ mental cages? There are leaders who demonstrate they are capable, by nurturing a culture of intelligence in their firms. Under the leadership of these “multipliers”, employees don’t just feel smarter, they become smarter. They are given the freedom to experiment within agreeable boundaries. Picasso said, “others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not”. How do we build a firm of lateral thinkers? The how, why and why not questions should be allowed to bud and not reined in. Like Elon Musk of Tesla Inc. PayPal and SpaceX, put a bet on your team – trust yourself enough to trust them. Make your team an innovation hub, keep “thinking” alive within your team, stimulate, encourage, support, and reward innovative behaviour and thinking of people, permit the different views and experiences they bring to the table, do not dominate the team’s thinking by relentlessly pushing your own ideas.

Otherwise after a while, they will leave you to it, and you will be surrounded by a team of “yes ma’ams.”

According to David Maister one of the bad habits of professional service firms is “systemic under-delegation” –What does this mean? It means that if you calculate the percentage of time the senior Lawyers in your firm spend doing work that a more junior colleague can do, (assuming the firm gets organised and adequately prioritises the recruitment and training of juniors).

And, in carrying out this exercise, you ensure to deduct from the calculation whatever work clients insist must be handled by seniors; the result most of the time reveals that in a typical firm, 40 to 50% and sometimes more of the firm’s productivity capacity is consumed with higher priced persons performing lower level routine tasks – this is the meaning of inefficiency, unproductivity and wastage. Senior people neglect high value tasks that are critical to the future success of their firm, they compromise on – strategic planning, business development,

client service, supervision, coaching and mentoring, personal development, etc. If 50% of the time the firm leaders are “too busy” doing things that with proper training someone at half or two-thirds their salary could do, then some bad compromise is going on within the firm. When this happens, you do not have a firm of lateral thinkers, more importantly, morale will run low over time, skill building poor and profitability threatened.

Essentially getting the most from your team is vital all the time; but when the economy is weak as it is now globally, it is even more critical. Systemic under-delegation is not a game of roulette to subscribe to; rather we should be building a firm of lateral thinkers.

An Innovation-Supportive Climate How do we create an innovation-supportive climate? The answer lies with leadership.

Several years ago, a study was conducted to answer the following questions: What are the differences between leaders who multiply intelligence among their employees and those who diminish it, and what impact do they have on the organisation? Though the study was focused on the IT, health care and biotech industries where organisational intelligence is a competitive advantage— I find the results relevant to law firms. 150 selected leaders in more than 35 of these companies, spanning four continents were selected, and intensive 360-degree analyses of many of these leaders’ behaviours and practices were conducted.

The results showed that lateral thinking is conditioned by an innovation-supportive climate, and that climate is created by leaders described as multipliers. A distinction was made between leaders

“..... WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LEADERS WHO MULTIPLY INTELLIGENCE AMONG THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THOSE WHO DIMINISH IT........?....LATERAL THINKING IS CONDITIONED BY AN INNOVATIONSUPPORTIVE CLIMATE, AND THAT CLIMATE IS CREATED BY LEADERS DESCRIBED AS, MULTIPLIERS.......

TO BRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER, IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT UNLEASHES THEIR BEST THINKING”

that were multipliers, and those described as diminishers. The study found several critical differences in the mind-set, between the two types of leaders. The diminisher’s view of intelligence is based on elitism, scarceness, and inertia: They believe you will not find high levels of intelligence everywhere, in everyone, and they have less faith in people. The multiplier’s view, meanwhile, is much less cut-and-dried. This type of leader believes smarts are ever evolving, and can be cultivated. The critical question for these leaders is not “Is this person smart?”, but rather “In what ways is this person smart?” The job, as the multiplier sees it, is to bring the right people together, in an environment that unleashes their best thinking—and then stay out of the way.

Bear in mind that, multipliers are not goody-two-shoes, overnice leaders. Although working for multipliers may be great, they have a hard edge. They expect outstanding performance, and drive their teams to achieve extraordinary results. It is clear that to have a firm of lateral thinkers, we have to lead differently.

Today, firms are more vulnerable to crisis than they were in the past. It is increasingly clear that failure is a reality, crisis is a reality, change is a reality. Firm leaders must explore in depth, how their organisations can take advantage of these as opportunities for innovation, for learning and for developing a competitive advantage, by leading differently. You can get more from your team, if you lead like a multiplier. So, while you may think you cannot ask for more from your people in these tumultuous times, it turns out you can. But, only if you are willing to shift the responsibility for thinking from yourself to your employees, willing to create the right environment, right motivation.— Specifically, multipliers manage five areas—talent, culture, strategy, decision making, and execution. These are very vital areas. On culture for instance -A firm of lateral thinkers work hard to develop the ecosystem, not just the work, but the environment. Too many fixed routines and cultural factors, can get in the way of lateral thinking. In depth internal collaboration can take years to establish, particularly in law firms with strong cultures and ways of working that, in other respects, may have served them well. It becomes harder to take the risk to innovate, or to put creativity at the heart of the firm. It is easier to maintain the status quo, and coast along with the excuse of serving clients.

The rush to deliver work product to clients, should not undermine the cross-functional collaboration, continuous learning cycles, and clear decision pathways that help enable innovation. Multiplier leaders will find ways to embed innovation into the fibre of the firm’s culture, from the principal to the periphery – legal and support staff – they are inclusive in their approach. These leaders may set financial targets for innovation, using the appropriate incentives and rewards, they will constantly clarify purpose, responsibility and provide direction, build trust and even open themselves up for criticism. When these are ongoing, people become more focused and creative projects spring up.

Conclusion At the end of the day, a firm of lateral thinkers strives for actionable and differentiated insights—the kind that excite clients and bring new solutions or markets into being. As Klaus Kleinfeld, the former Chairman and Chief Executive of Alcoa puts it and I paraphrase - If you understand what clients are struggling with, and you have a unique way of drawing from the viral intelligence of your teams to provide solution - finding a mechanism for how these two things can come together, i.e. client problems + team solutions will give you good returns. A valuable problem solved, a technology that enables a solution, and a business model that generates money, are the endpoints of every successful lateral thinking.

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The American Electoral College v Nigeria’s Presidential Elections (Part 3) Introduction

2007 Election in Nigeria The Nigerian general elections of 2007 were held on 14th April and 21st April 2007. Governorship and State Assembly elections were held on 14th April, while the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held a week later on 21st April. Umaru Yar'Adua won the election for the ruling PDP. He was sworn in on 29th May, 2007.

The ruling PDP won 26 of the 36 States, according to INEC, including Kaduna State and Katsina State, where the results were hotly contested by the local populace. Following the Presidential election, groups monitoring the election gave it a dismal assessment. Chief European Union Observer, Max van den Berg reported that the handling of the polls had "fallen far short" of basic international standards, and that "the process cannot be considered to be credible." A spokesman for the United States Department of State said it was "deeply troubled" by election polls, calling them "flawed", and said it hoped the political parties would resolve any differences over the election through peaceful, constitutional means. President Yar’Adua himself conceded this much, and set up the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee.

W

e have so far seen in our discourse, that in American elections, though candidates are elected directly by popular vote, however, the President and Vice President are not elected directly by citizens. Instead, they are chosen by “electors”, through a process called the Electoral College. This process of using electors, comes from the American Constitution. It was a compromise between a popular vote by citizens, and a vote in Congress. On this note, we shall conclude our three-part discourse on the above topic.

Ballot Access in the US Ballot access refers to the laws which regulate under what conditions access is granted for a candidate or political party, to appear on voters' ballots. Each State has its own ballot access laws. According to Article I, Section 4, of the United States Constitution, the authority to regulate the time, place, and manner of federal elections is up to each State, unless Congress legislates otherwise. Depending on the office and the State, it may be possible for a voter to cast a write-in vote for a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot, but it is extremely rare for such a candidate to win office.

In Nigeria, elections are governed by the Constitution and the Electoral Act Campaign Finance The funding of electoral campaigns, has always been a controversial issue in America. Infringement of free speech (First Amendment) is an argument against restrictions on campaign contributions, while allegations of corruption arising from unlimited contributions and the need for political equality, are the reverse arguments.

Private funds are a major source of finance from individuals and organisations. The first attempt to regulate campaign finance by legislation in the US was in 1867; but major legislation, with the intention to widely enforce on campaign finance, was not introduced until the 1970s.

Money contributed to campaigns can be classified into "hard money" and "soft money". Hard money is money contributed directly to a campaign, by an individual or organisation. Soft money is money from an individual or organisation not contributed to a campaign, but spent in candidate-specific advertising or other efforts that benefit that candidate by groups supporting the candidate, but legally not coordinated by the official campaign.

The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, required candidates to disclose sources of campaign contributions and campaign expenditure. It was amended in 1974, to legally limit campaign contributions. It banned direct contributions to campaigns by corporations and trade unions, and limited individual donations to $1,000 per campaign. It introduced public funding, for Presidential primaries and elections. The Act also placed limits of $5,000 per campaign on PACs (Political Action Committees). The limits on individual contributions and prohibition of direct corporate or labour union campaigns, led to a huge increase in the number of PACs. Today many labour unions and corporations have their own PACs, and over 4,000 in total exist. The 1974 amendment also specified a Federal Election Commission created in 1975, to administer and enforce campaign finance law. Various other provisions were also included, such as a ban on contributions or expenditures by foreign nationals (incorporated from the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) (1966).

The case of Buckley v Valeo (1976) 424 U.S. 1 (1976), had challenged this Act. Most provisions were upheld, but the court found that the mandatory spending limit imposed was unconstitutional, as was the limit placed on campaign spending from the candidate's personal fortune, and the provision that limited independent expenditures by individuals and organisations supporting but not officially linked to a campaign. The effect of the first decision was to allow candidates such as Ross Perot and Steve Forbes, to spend enormous amounts of their personal money in their own presidential campaigns.

The effect of the second decision, was to allow the culture of "soft money" to develop.

Election Information on the Web In most States of the U.S., the Chief Election Officer is the Secretary of State. In some States, local officials like a County Registrar of voters or supervisor of elections manages the conduct of elections, under the supervision of (or in coordination with) the Chief Election Officer of the State. Many of these State and County offices have web sites that provide information to help voters obtain information on their polling places for each election, the various districts to which they belong (e.g., House and Senate districts in the State and Federal legislature, school boards, water districts, municipalities, etc.), as well as dates of elections and deadlines to file to run or register to vote.

Some allow voters to download a sample ballot in advance of the election.

Beyond this, various media outlets provide information they think will interest.

Biden

Trump

In Nigeria, it is INEC. For LGAs elections, it is State Electoral Commissions.

Criticism As detailed in a State-by-State breakdown, the United States has a long-standing tradition of publicly announcing the incomplete, unofficial vote counts on election night (the late evening of Election Day), despite the fact that many of the mail-in and absentee votes have not been counted yet. In some States, in fact, none of them would have yet been counted by that time.

This tradition was based on the assumption that the incomplete, unofficial count on election night is probably going to match the official count, which is officially finished and certified several weeks later. An intrinsic weakness of this assumption, and of the tradition of premature announcements based on it, is that the public is likely to misapprehend that particular candidates have certainly won before any official vote count has been completed, whereas, in fact, all that is truly known is that those candidates have some degree of likelihood of having won; the magnitude of the likelihood varies by State, because the details of election procedures vary by State. This problem affects all non–in-person votes, even those cast weeks before Election Day and not just late-arriving ones. This is why Trump, who prematurely declared himself winner based on early returns has been whining and sulking like a little child, after late mailed in ballots put Biden as clear winner.

Elections in Nigeria Elections in Nigeria are forms of choosing representatives to the Nigerian federal government and the various States. At the federal level, a Head of State (the President of Nigeria) and a legislature (the National Assembly). The President is elected by the people. The National Assembly has two Chambers.

The House of Representatives has 360 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies. The Senate has 109 members, elected for a four-year term. Each of the 36 States are divided into 3 senatorial districts, each of which is represented by one Senator; the Federal Capital Territory is represented by only one Senator. Nigeria has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had controlled the Presidency from 1999 until 2015, when APC’s Muhammadu Buhari won the Presidential election.

“RECENT NIGERIAN ELECTIONS, ARE AKIN TO ALLIED SOLDIERS MAKING PREPARATION TO INVADE THE GERMAN ARMY AT OMAHA BEACH. ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA ARE CHARACTERISED BY MASSIVE DEPLOYMENT OF SOLDIERS AND POLICE.....”

2011 Election in Nigeria National Assembly election was held in Nigeria on 9th April, 2011. The election was originally scheduled to hold on 2nd April, but was later postponed to 4th April. A Presidential election was held in Nigeria on 16th April, 2011, postponed from 9th April, 2011. There was controversy as to whether a Muslim or Christian should be allowed to become President, given the tradition of rotating the top office between the two religions and following the death of Umaru Yar'Adua, who was a Muslim, and Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, assuming the interim Presidency.

Following some election violence that took place in the northern parts of the country, Goodluck Jonathan was declared the winner on 19th April, 2015. The election was reported in the international media as having run smoothly with relatively little violence or voter fraud, in contrast to previous elections, in particular, the widely disputed 2007 election. The United States State Department said the election was "successful", and a "substantial improvement" over 2007; although it added that, vote rigging and fraud still took place.

2015 Election in Nigeria The 2015 general elections was originally scheduled to hold on 14th February, but was later postponed to 28th March (Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives); and 11th April, 2015 (Governorship and State House of Assembly).

General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (PMB) emerged as the winner of the Presidential election, and was sworn in on 29th May, 2015. It was the first time in the history of Nigeria, that an incumbent President lost an election.

Goodluck Ebele Johnathan of the PDP, lost his seat to Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. He conceded defeat, to national and international acclamation.

2019 Election in Nigeria Presidential and National Assembly Elections were scheduled for 16th February, 2019, while State and Local government elections were scheduled for 2nd March, 2019. Elections were suddenly postponed by one week, after INEC cited logistic challenges. The rescheduled dates were, 23rd February and 9th March, 2019.

PMB was re-elected for another four-year term, in a hotly disputed election. The primary contender was former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. The 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly election, with two major political parties, APC and PDP fielding candidates in the elections across various States, except Rivers, where a court order prohibited the APC from fielding candidates as a result of internal crisis with the state chapter of the party.

Conclusion The recent United States election should suggest to a rational mind, how we should tailor and organise our elections in respect of the hostile nature which has always clothed and suffused the Nigerian election. Recent Nigerian elections, are akin to allied soldiers making preparation to invade the German Army at Omaha beach. Elections in Nigeria are characterised by massive deployment of soldiers and Police, because of fears and suspense that surround every election, regarding the deployment of thugs and hoodlums. Violence, ballot box snatching, ballot stuffing and killings, have become an unwanted convention which inundates the electoral process. This now appears reflective of the United States politics. Voting based on meritocracy is, however, perhaps, the greatest lesson Nigeria can learn from the American election system. It is the core ethic of choice. As divided as the country appears to be, it is that sense of democratic choice driven by election, that unites the American nation. The election, thus, becomes a moral space of choice to resolve national problems.

We need to move along this trajectory.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “Regardless of who wins, an election should be a time for optimism and fresh approaches”. (Gary Johnson)

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PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Design Union Renders Canalily Place as a Green Facility Bennett Oghifo A frontline real estate company and distinguished winner of the International Property Award for Africa Region 2020, Design Union Limited, has rendered its signature estate, Canalily Place as a future green facility.

Design Union is known for its luxurious, aesthetically and technically complete residential developments, including the award-winning 17 storey Eden Heights in Victoria Island.

Canalily Place is an exclusive development that benefits greatly from the developer’s exceptional experience and expertise deployed to harness the best of nature’s gifts.

“Incorporated in the building design is a bioclimatic architecture that is environmentally friendly in every ramification. Rather than reliance on artificial cooling, the units are fitted with sizeable windows to take advantage of natural ventilation. A system is also put in place to hygienically recycle waste so as not to constitute a nuisance to the environment,” said officials of

the company.

Canalily is a thoughtful cluster of mid-rise blocks featuring moderately priced apartments, functional well laid out living spaces, very low maintenance and energy cost, a leisure walk to the beach and secure surroundings among other considerations.

The estate is located off the Lekki Epe Expressway by Meadow Hall School, adjacent Lekki Phase 1. This passive cooling development comprises 91 apartments made up of 34 units of studio apartments, 12 units of one-bedroom apartments, 25 units of 2-bedroom apartments, 15 units of 3-bedroom apartments and 5 units of 4-bedroom apartments.

Appliances that will be essentially installed in the apartments are Energy Star which will ensure that the residents incur low energy bills. The emphasis is about GREEN living that significantly parcels out land for exotic gardens and parks, children’s play grounds much to the appreciative imagination of its residents.

The names denoting each

house type are modeled after hotel setting: Hibiscus suites indicates the studio apartments, Gabi Suites indicate the 1 Bedroom apartments, Kemija Suites the 2 Bedroom apartments and Kechie Indicates the 3-bedroom apartments while Herbie Suites are the 4 Bedroom apartments.

The entire ground floor is dedicated to car park and security logistics while the apartments are on floors 1-5. Each block has its own private circulation core area with a dedicated elevator and stairs, creating a sense of exclusivity and privacy reminiscent of luxury apartments.

With each room ensuite, toilet in the Hibiscus and Gabi suites are designed to double as the visitors’ toilet. Spaces have ample room.

The Kemija suites are carefully laid out with a spacious living and dining space with an open kitchen plan that can be walled off if desired. The two bedrooms are ensuite with generous wardrobe space. Each Kemija suite measures 114 square metres.

Each Herbie suite measures 163 square metres. It is an ideal family apartment with ample

space for up to 4 children and a nanny. The apartments have a maid’s room attached to the rear, just outside the back door.

Apartments are conceived with ultramodern interior design, kitchens are fitted with cooking range and extraction system.

Quality fitted Wardrobes in bedrooms are imported high

quality range. Durable flooring, doors and fixtures are specified for longevity. The lighting fixtures are energy saving.

Estate services include 24-hour security system and running potable water all round the clock.

There is a convenience store for residents to procure immediate needs, as well as crèche for

day and after day school for the young ones. Residents are availed a Laundromat with wash –a –man pickup and delivery service. The fitness buffs have a gym and mini-spa to hone their muscles. The state is powered by a 24-hour managed electricity plan with very minimal diesel consumption

Programmes, NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja stated that the idea of getting ambassador was to create awareness on the decline and plights of vultures in Nigeria.

“Vultures play a very important role in our ecosystem. They are known as our environmental sanitizers, who clean up carcasses before they become harbours of micro bacteria that will infect the human population,” he said.

“Vultures have decline by 95%, are critically endangered and are just a step away from being extinct,” he said.

He stated that the major cause of decline in Nigeria was thought to be for traditional medicine and this has led to some preliminary market surveys.

“Other causes of decline are; poisoning in abattoirs for onward sale in the wildlife market; extraction of eggs from nests; habitat degradation from indiscriminate logging thereby reducing nest sites for vultures; and poor perception of vultures as harbinger of ill will leading to direct persecution by locals,” he said.

through outright funding by ourselves or through our Rotary Foundation” noting that “whatever mode we choose, the overall objective is to help the needy, alleviate poverty and help grow our local economies, especially in the immediate communities that we serve”.

Consequently, he commended the Rotary Club of Akowonjo President, Rotarian Olamide

Abegunde, the board of directors members of “this great club for the impactful project being executed today” adding that “there are various ways to create a positive impact every day in the lives of the needy and when properly done, it will leave a lasting impression in the lives of our people and create more joy and meaning in our own lives too.”

Canalily Place

NCF Unveils Vulture Ambassadors Fadekemi Ajakaiye The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has unveiled some ambassadors that would help in its vulture conservation work.

During the ceremony at the Lekki Conservation Centre in Lagos recently, the Director General, NCF, Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano stated that the ambassadors, who are celebrities, have passionately agreed to support the objectives of the Foundation in popularising the services that vultures do for

the Nigerian environment and for Nigerians, free of charge.

He stated that “vultures are sanitation officers who prevent us from getting germs and diseases.

“In Nigeria, vultures are been killed, trapped, hunted and their eggs are been stolen mostly for traditional medicine.

So, to prevent their extinction, these sector must be looked into,” he said.

“Raising awareness about their plights is one angle, another is working with the traditional medicine practitioners

like the healers, babalawos, mallams, etc., to find alternatives to the aspect of vultures in their medicines. We are making progress on this, as some of them have suggested plant products as alternatives,” he said.

He stated that the government, at all tiers, have a big role to play, since it has the instruments to amplify messages through the likes of National Orientation Agency, Ministry of Information and other ways of disseminating information.

“It owns and can also regulate

the media. Most importantly in the aspect of solution has to do with the legislation and policies to be put in place,” he said.

“For instance, one of the threats to vultures in Nigeria is the kind of veterinary drugs that we feed to our animals when they are not feeling well, those drugs are very poisonous to vultures who feed on them when they die. A policy or law that bans the use of those kinds of poisonous drugs for animals will be a major solution we look forward to,” he said.

The Director Technical

Rotary Club of Akowonjo Equips Artisans The Rotary Club of Akowonjo, recently, empowered artisans in its community with various work tools ranging from Sewing Machines, Hair-Dryers and Hair Barbing Machines under its Economic and Community Development Project.

Speaking as the special guest and lecturer at the empower-

ment project presentation event, the Past District Governor (PDG) Rotarian Kola Sodipo, commended the club, noting that economic and community development is one of the seven areas of focus that Rotarians utilise for service delivery to humanity.

According to him, economic

and community development is a way in which Rotarians around the world are involved in projects that support investment in people to create measurable and enduring economic improvement in their lives and communities through building capacity to support economic growth and reduce poverty;

developing opportunities for work and providing scholarships in economic and community development through Poverty Alleviation, Income Generation, Marketing, Leadership Skills, Education and Training.

Rotarian Sodipo, a pharmacist and Rotary District 9110 Governor for year 2018/2019 noted that “for us in Rotary, we provide these services either

FIABCI Forum Focuses on Importance of Regulation in Property Market Bennett Oghifo

L-R: Rotary Club of Akowonjo’s President-Elect, Rotarian Victor Amaraegbu; a recipient, Miss Adegoke Omorinola; the club’s Assistant Governor, Rotarian Kola Ojelabi; and President, Rotarian Olamide Abegunde, presenting a sewing machine to one of the many recipients at the Economic and Community Development Project of the club… recently

Capital flow into the real estate market could be enhanced through improved macroeconomic environment; technology and innovation; regulatory environment; leveraging of the capital market.

It is also important to regulate the professions and professionals for their growth, and for the protection of the public good. However, a poorly designed regulation would be counterproductive.

These were some of the thoughts that emanated from a webinar on ‘Appropriate Regulation Towards Financial Literacy’, organised by FIABCI Nigeria, recently.

Welcoming participants, the President of FIABCI Nigeria, Mr. Adeniji Adiele said the webinar, the fourth since the series began in August, this year, marked the end of the first phase of their goal towards creating more awareness about property scorecard, developed by their collaborating organization, the

Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE).

Adiele said the key elements of the scorecard are to attract investment to Nigeria, listing them as financial transparency, appropriate regulation, access to credit, effective governance, among others.

The panelists at the webinar included Dr. Afolabi Emmanuel Olowookere; Mr. Emeka Eleh; Mr. B. Hensley; Mrs. Sandra Momah; Mr. Stephen Jagun: Mr. Tayo Odunsi; and Dr. Ifeanyi Ayanhara.

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PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT

ESVARBON Chairman Tasks Fresh Estate Surveyors on Integrity Fadekemi Ajakaiye The Chairman of the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON), Sir Nweke Umezuruike has advised the 333 newly registered Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Nigeria to be mindful of their integrity.

Umezuruike stated this at the 43rd induction ceremony, held by the Board, recently. “Make integrity your watchword and you will go far in your professional pursuit. Some of you may be aware that I have held very key offices in the profession.

Registrar 14 years, Assistant National Secretary of NIESV, 2nd and 1st Vice President NIESV, NIESV President (longest serving for almost 3 years), climaxed

by ESVARBON chairmanship.

It was not money or wealth that propelled me; it was the desire to do things properly and honestly – in line with the motto of NIESV – honesty and devotion. You too can reach any height in the profession if you devote yourself to it,” he told

the new inductees.

In his charge to the new Estate Surveyors, the Vice Chairman of ESVARBON, Adamu Danladi Kasimu, who is also the chairman, Investigation Panel, said “ESVARBON is the only regulatory body established by law for the regulation of estate surveying and valuation in all its ramifications in Nigeria.

“In its quest to properly regulate the profession, it has forged partnership with other regulatory bodies within and outside the country notably the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) is a strong partner in the realisation of the objectives of the Board. For emphasis, the Code of Ethics issued by NIESV is equally considered by the Board in its regulatory functions.

“To refresh you, the Board principally sets the minimum standard of education to be attained before being registered

as ESV; regulates the practice of estate surveying and valuation all over the country; and enforces discipline on registered persons through its lawfully established organs – The Investigation Panel and the Tribunal. Be warned that only the Court of Appeal can set aside the rulings of the Tribunal referred to in the law as ‘direction.”

He said the Nigerian economic space has witnessed tremendous changes eliciting lots of challenges for practitioners of the profession both in the private and public sectors. There has never been a time when the dynamics and proper functioning of the real estate market requires the high standard of knowledge, diligence and application of contemporary tools by ESVS albeit to stave off competition from quacks than now.

According to him, “The general rules of conduct issued by the Board expects that you demonstrate to clients, consumers and the public high degree of honesty, integrity and professional standards that the Board

proclaims. Being able to show that you are qualified RSV or that your firm is regulated by the Board should be a basis for market confidence. Registered persons must demonstrate ethical behavior, competence, remain solvent and be ready to share credible information with the

Board on matters of professional significance from time to time – feedback mechanism.

“Bribery, corruption, money laundering, and terrorism financing – a critical but relatively ignored aspect of the practice is the requirement to comply with the national/international laws

relating to bribery, corruption and money laundering. These are serious criminal issues in businesses. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that money laundering accounts for between 2% to 5% of the global GDP, equivalent to $800 billion to $2 trillion US dollars.

L-R: Board member, Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON); ESV. Angela Diepreye Great-Edereka; Vice Chairman, ESV. Kasimu Adamu Danladi; Chairman, board of ESVARBON, ESV Umezuruike Nweke Ogbonnaya; second Vice President, NIESV; Victor Alonge; and Prof. Peters Ogedengbe, during the 43rd induction ceremony of newly Registered Estate Surveyors and Valuers, held in Lagos… recently

Tingo International Shuts Nigerian Plants Relocate to China Bennett Oghifo As the federal government works hard at the ease of doing business in Nigeria, one of the nation’s firms has relocated its production lines to China, citing FOREX gaps and the high cost of running its plants.

The telecommunications and agritech services provider,

Tingo International, which shut down its manufacturing plants in Nigeria in October 2018, has struck a deal to have its Tingobranded devices temporarily produced in China by a Chinese firm, UGC and these devices would be shipped to Nigeria

by January next year.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Tingo International,

Dozy Mmobuosi said most of these devices were hitherto assembled in their two mobile phone manufacturing plants in Nigeria and that before the shutdown, they had sold over 21 million mobile phones to farmers and other players in the Nigerian agricultural value chain within the last decade.

“We needed to be smart about

it, so we shut them down and continued to work with our partners in China,” Mmobuosi said, adding that for them to reopen plants in Nigeria, they would “have to provide a cheaper and more sustainable source of energy while paying attention to foreign exchange.”

He said Tingo International’s partnership with UGC China,

though temporary, would enable them to manufacture and ship up to 9.4 million Tingo-branded phones and devices to Nigeria

by January 2021.

He said the temporary deal with the Chinese firm was made pending their acquisition of a South African-based company, Yekani Manufacturing, adding that the deal “is close to its final

stage and will ensure that the Tingo-branded devices are manufactured in Africa.

“We should be able to finalise the deal in a couple of months,” he said and that assembling Tingo-branded devices in South Africa would open up new market opportunities for the company beyond its current West African markets.

Tosar Gardens Rescues Ubeji Residents from Social Disconnection Sylvester Idowu ‘Tosar Gardens’, which saves residents of Ubeji, in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State from travelling far for their social events “This is one of the best things to have happened in Ubeji,” Laju Ejuwa, a staff of one of the multinational oil companies told this reporter as he savoured his fish barbecue.

According to him, he has

been saved the plight of travelling to neighbouring Warri, the commercial hub of the state, which is about 30 minutes’ drive whenever he wants to unwind, alone or with friends.

Ubeji, a sprawling Itsekiri community, in Warri South Local Government area of Delta State, is fast growing in development with master piece architectural buildings adorning the area.

Top rated oil workers, busi-

ness men and women have relocated to the well-laid out community to enjoy their peaceful and serene environment.

With the increase in population, the residents desire a closer facility that will save them from travelling far for any social events, such as weddings, burial receptions, seminars and conferences.

According to Ejuwa, the desire of the residents has been fulfilled with the establishment

of “Tosar Gardens”.

Tosar Gardens, a spectacular event centre with an edge, Glitz delivers the industry’s finest level of expertise to small, medium and large organisations, specialist groups and discerning individuals, who desire the perfect venue for weddings, social and corporate events.

It comprises of a stunning ultra-modern marquees, equipped with central air conditioning systems, well-

furnished VIP suites/changing rooms, standard performance stage and entertainment technology systems.

Other facilities include glamorous barbecue spot with fish ponds besides it; a well-furnished open bar with snookers for customers; a kitchen that can host between 20 and 30 persons at a go, two open fields for receptions, should clients prefer to use canopies; silent standby

generators, car park attendants and ample car parking space for about 200 vehicles.

Aside these facilities, guests can also savour the cruise of, both commercial and private boats that ply the river at the back of the garden.

The Administrative Manager of Tosar Gardens, Mr. Ikudehinbu Imole, said the event centre came into being a few months ago to serve the needs of the people of the community.

Assessment of Implementation of Original NDC and New Ambition Intent Chukwumerije Okereke Nigeria was among the 190 countries that submitted their Intended Nationally Determined

Contributions (INDCs) to the UNFCCC in the run up to the COP meeting in Paris in 2015.

Nigeria’s INDC has since been subsequently converted into

L-R: President of Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, QS Mohammed Abba Tor, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Dr. Abubakar Sani Bello; and former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida, at the launch of the institute’s new brand identity at their 2020 Annual General Meeting held in Minna, Niger State… recently

the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) following the country’s ratification of the Paris Agreement in May, 2017. With a promise of 20% unconditional emission reduction and 45% conditional emissions by 2030 compared to 2010 based line scenario, Nigeria’s NDC can be considered quite ambitious.

However, in keeping with the provision of the Paris Agreement Nigeria, like most other countries are currently in the process of revising and updating the NDC. The process of revising the NDC in Nigeria is being supported by The NDC Partnership, which is an international initiative with members including countries, international institutions and non- state actors, through a programme called Climate Action Enhancement Package (CEAP).

The stated intention of the

revision process is to enhance the NDCs, including by raising ambition as part of the Paris Agreement’s NDC update process, allowing countries to submit updated NDCs to the UNFCCC by 2020. For the avoidance of doubt, the CAEP which is providing the financial assistance to Nigeria makes it very explicit that resources will be made available only to developing countries that wish to raise the level of ambition in their updated NDCs. So this is definitely not a free international finance that can be collected by countries that wish to only tweak their NDCs in a marginal way.

There are several good reasons while raising ambition is a desirable objective. For one, IPCC calculations have shown that the combined total of the current NDC commitments by

countries is far below what is required to limit global warming to well below 2°C as stated in the Paris Agreement (IPCC 2018).

Also, as the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has some incentives to provide leadership and help to drive a more ambitious global climate regime. In fact, Nigeria is one of the highest Green House Gas emitting countries in Africa with the nations’ first Biennial Update Report (BUR1) to the UNFCCC, which covers emissions for the period 2000-2015, showing that Nigeria emitted in 2014 around 492 MtCO2e. Even though the absolute and the per capita emission may be low compared to developed countries, the above number still suggest the need for more ambitious mitigation effort.

Another important reason for Nigeria to take ambitious climate

change within its shores and encourage other countries to do likewise is because Nigeria is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change the world with massive exposure to heatwaves, sea-level rise, drought among many others. Already in the last few years the country has been witnessing flooding like never before with entire communities in Adamawa, Katsina, Niger, Kano, Bayelsa and many other states being completely submerged and washed away.

-Professor Chukwumerije Okereke is the Director of the Centre of Climate Change and Development at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. He is currently Coordinating Lead Author (CLA) for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6)

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BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

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Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

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Quick Takes Garba Takes Over as NERC Chairman

FELLOWSHIP INDUCTION

R-L: Managing Director/CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Lamin Manjang; former Managing Director/CEO, Keystone Bank, Mr. Hafiz Bakare; Group Managing Director/CEO, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Dr. Ademola Sogunle; and Group Managing Director/CEO, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, taking their oaths as honorary fellows at the 2020 investiture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, held in Lagos... recently

Report: Nigeria’s Power Grid Failed 206 Times in 10 Years Stories by Chineme Okafor in Abuja Nigeria’s national grid failed at least once every month between 2009 and 2019, throwing the country into darkness, a report on the status of the electricity industry has disclosed.

Prepared by Spanish energy consulting firm, AF-Mercados EMI for the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) – the umbrella trade association of 10 electricity distribution companies (Discos) in Nigeria – the report equally noted that none of the Discos’ networks can guarantee stable electricity supply to Nigerians.

It stated that a comprehensive revamp of the Discos’ network would be needed to guarantee quality and efficient service delivery.

ENERGY The report which was obtained

by THISDAY also explained that the report was done under the, ‘Capacity Building and Technical Assistance Program for the Nigerian Power Distribution Sector.’ It was equally supported by the European Union (EU), mostly to proffer solutions to the challenges of the Discos. “Between 2010 and 2019, Nigerian electricity consumers have had to contend with 206 power grid collapse, ten of which occurred in 2019,� the report stated.

On the basis of this, THISDAY’s computation of the figures showed that an average of 20 system collapses was recorded every year within the period, further resulting to at least a

collapse every month.

According to the report the number of collapses were recorded because the country’s transmission grid is “able to transmit only 3.5 to 4.5GW of power efficiently.�

It noted that records obtained from the System Operator (SO) department of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) indicated this.

The report stated that: “While several hundred megawatts of power are regularly lost due to breakdowns. Industry, commerce and private households are suffering from a severe shortfall in electricity generation.�

Frequent interruptions of power supply, it further disclosed, have forced most of the country’s commercial and industrial customers to rely fully or partially on self-generation.

“Poor power supply is the biggest challenge to manufacturers, especially the ones in the small and medium enterprises sector, because they rely almost totally on public power supply. Even if the grid supply is available to a commercial or industrial installation, it is not continuous. “There are frequent interruptions throughout the day resulting into loss of production and even failure of equipment.

Many commercial and industrial customers are thus not willing to take supply from Discos. “Inadequate generation, transmission, and distribution network is resulting into extremely low reliability of power supply especially to commercial and industrial customers.

This situation is resulting into Continued on page 24

Lower Oil Sector Taxes Guaranteed in New PIB, Sylva Assures Operators The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva has said that Nigeria’s long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will include low tax provisions to sustain stable investments in the country’s oil sector.

Sylva equally noted that Nigeria’s plans to step up growth of its oil industry has not been impacted heavily by the coronavirus. He added that key priority projects the country planned to execute in 2020 have not been derailed.

The minister stated this while delivering a remark at the seventh joint International Energy Forum and International Gas Union

ENERGY (IEF-IGU) ministerial gas forum which was held online.

Nigeria has repeatedly failed to pass the PIB, a bill expected to help reform her oil sector when passed into law.

The PIB is considered relevant to the country’s quest to make its oil industry regain its competitiveness, but it has been stalled by interests and politics.

A new version has been submitted again to the National Assembly for legislative consideration.

Sylva, in his remarks however said: “We are not unmindful that

the industry players are of the view that the current level of taxation on onshore and shallow water operations is excessive and therefore the proposed PIB should include a significant lowering of these taxes for new investments and for existing operations. “As a government, we have identified major constraints that have delayed recent projects from reaching financial close or caused projects to be delayed and/or abandoned altogether. The PIB before Nigeria’s legislative arm that we propose will, I believe, provide this new framework.� “To secure the future of the industry in Nigeria, fiscal and other terms must be based on

a more conservative economic outlook. A framework must be created for the Nigerian petroleum industry to grow and invest in additional petroleum production even under difficult economic conditions. “For this reason, we are proposing grand fathering in the new PIB. The proposed PIB framework shall be based on core principles of clarity, dynamism, neutrality, open access and fiscal rules of general application,� he added.

Speaking further on the challenges the coronavirus has brought on the industry, he Continued on page 24

FormerVice Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Mr. Sanusi Garba has oďŹƒcially assumed duty as the chairman of the regulatory agency.

During the event which was witnessed by other commissioners of the agency, Garba sought the cooperation of the entire NERC team in order to succeed in the commission’s job of providing the framework for the power sector to grow.

Garba ďŹ rst came to NERC after his successful screening with six other commissioners on February 7, 2017 and had been deputising for Prof. James Momoh, the erstwhile chairman of NERC. Speaking at the handover ceremony, the new chairman of the commission acknowledged eorts and hard work put in by Momoh and thanked the immediate past chairman for his contributions to the development of the commission and the sector in general.

Momoh pledged his continuous support to the commission and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity to serve the country.

The new NERC chairman, Garba, had also served as the chief executive of Katsina Steel Rolling Co. Ltd and the Director (Power) in the federal ministry of power with the responsibility for the generation, transmission and distribution aspects of the electricity industry.

He also served as executive director (generation) at the Niger Delta Power Holding Co. Ltd (NDPHC) during which he provided technical and commercial leadership for the eďŹƒcient operation of seven NIPP thermal power plants.

He hasalsoservedonmanyfederalgovernmentcommittees,including the Presidential Committee on Power Sector Reform (2007/8) and the presidential task force on power between 2009 and 2010.

IFAD, FAO Support Family Farming

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) have joined forces to foster inclusive and sustainable family farming as the central cornerstone for a vibrant, productive and proďŹ table agriculture across the Near East and North Africa (NENA).

The initiative was announced recently, during the e-launch of the UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF) in the NENA region.The event brought together government ministries, farmers’ organisations, civil society, research institutions and international organisations to deďŹ ne priorities and implement a regional action plan for this decade. “Family farms worldwide have immense potential to become core players and to support developmental strategies aimed at increasing food security, making food systems sustainable and managing natural resources,â€?saidIFAD’sRegionalDirectorfortheNearEast,NorthAfrica, Central Asia and Europe Division, Dina Saleh said. “Family farming is viewed as an optimal model, eectively helping to restore environmental degradation and sustain natural resources.

For generations, farmers have looked after the farms they inherited from their ancestors with great care and with the desire to pass on the responsibility, and we are strongly committed to supporting them.�

NESG Commends Giving.ng, Others

Giving.ng,areputablecrowd-fundingplatformhasbeencommended

by Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) alongside other partners suchasShell,FlourMillsandNestleforsupportingtherecentlyconcluded Nigeria Economic Summit (#NES26).

Theeventwhichheldbetween23rdand24thofNovember,2020had participants from private and public sectors discussing how strategic partnerships can be used as a tool to achieve economic growth.

Speakingattheevent,theChiefExecutiveOďŹƒcerofNESG,Mr.Laoye Jaiyeola, lauded sponsors for their support. He said the NESG looks forward to more engaging and rewarding partnerships with reputable organisations such as Giving.ng, Banwo Ighodalo & Co, Shell, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Nestle Plc, among others.

Explaining the rationale behind the theme, “Building Partnerships for Resilience,� Jaiyeola noted that, “There is a need to come together in partnershiptorevivetheeconomy.Neitherthegovernmentnorprivate sector alone can do it. Civil society alone cannot do it.

“We will continue to deliver superior returns and to do this, we will rely on the active support of the market and all stakeholders“ MD/CEO Designate, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe

24

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍśËœ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD REPORT: NIGERIA’S POWER GRID FAILED 206 TIMES IN 10 YEARS enhanced usage of generators by residents, commercial, and industrial customers. “Current estimates indicate that over 90 per cent of businesses and 30 per cent of homes have diesel-powered generators, meaning that there are currently about 15 million generators in Nigeria,� the report explained.

On the reliability levels of the Discos’ networks, it explained that, “the reliability performance of almost all Discos in Nigeria is much worse than best in class utilities. “The responsibility of this situation is not that of Discos but variety of other reasons.�

It listed factors responsible for such low level of reliability to include inadequate power generation, inadequate and dilapidated transmission and distribution network, poor upkeep of transmission and distribution network and lack of investment.

LOWER OIL SECTOR TAXES GUARANTEED IN NEW PIB, SYLVA ASSURES OPERATORS explained that, “the pandemic has affected the industry, but for us in Nigeria, it has not derailed our pursuit of the key priority projects/targets of the federal government.�

He however noted that, “we need to accept the fact that our new reality will not be a snapback to where we were, but an ongoing recovery process.�

On the plans the country has set up to develop its gas resources and how well they have gone, the minister stated that they are focused on the development of industrial and transport gas markets as well as gas-for-power.

He said: “We believe gas will become the dominant fuel for generating power not only in Nigeria but in Africa as well.

We have commenced the implementation of carefully conceived initiatives to foster productivity and attract investments along the gas value chain.�

This, he explained includes the promotion of natural gas as alternative fuel in Nigeria. “Substituting traditional white products with gas will cushion the effects of deregulation and create enormous job opportunities for Nigerians.

NEWS

Stakeholders Propose Solutions to Power Sector Challenges Peter Uzoho Some stakeholders and experts in the Nigerian power industry recently brainstormed on the challenges facing the sector and proffered some innovative solutions.

Among the solutions made at the 11th PwC annual Power and Utilities Roundtable, with the theme: “Power to the People, Success to All�, which was held virtually, was the need for more innovation in the transmission and distribution chains of the sector.

Speakers at the session proposed the introduction of micro-power distribution to bring in new players and more investment into power distribution.

They observed that the cost of grid supply in the country will always be cheaper than the cost of self-generation, noting that consumers were already paying more for generating power on their own than the power from the transmission grid.

They said bridging the metering gap was critical to building trust in the sector and has the potential for job creation.

The participants also stressed the need to rethink the nation’s power transmission model and to also consider getting the private sector to finance super grid and regional grids.

According to them, the entire value chain of the sector needs to be incentivised to attract the required private sector

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government has taken its rural electrification drive to Niger State, with the inauguration of a 40KWP solar mini-grid project in Goton Sarki community, Paikoro local government of the state.

Speaking during the inauguration of the power project, Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo, explained that it was designed to provide clean, safe and reliable energy to the people of the community.

Salihijo added that the benefitting communities would henceforth witness socio-economic transformation due to the availability of reliable and sustainable energy provided in collaboration with the private sector.

According to the REA boss,

Capital Market Editor

Peter Uzoho

Comms/e-Business Editor

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said it has commenced discussion with its partners for the construction of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 8.

The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, disclosed this at a recent media parley in Abuja.

NLNG operates a liquefaction complex comprising six complete liquefaction trains and associated

Senior Correspondent

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

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Finance) ĂŒĂ?ĂœĂ? åÙÔÓ (Insurance) Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă‹Ă?Ă™Ăœ (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters

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

The former minister added that both the Super Grid and the Electric Regional Grid should be driven by private sector investments, which will help to reduce the system collapse often experienced by the national grid. In his contribution, the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Alex Okoh, noted that it was important to focus on the ongoing measures by the federal government to mitigate some of the shortcomings of

the privatisation reforms.

These, according to him, include the Presidential Power Initiative and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention to address the capital expenditure (CAPEX) challenges in the industry.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Pedro Energy, Utilities and Resources Leader at PwC, Mr. Pedro Omontuemhen, said the event was conceived to provide a platform for stakeholder engagement geared towards moving Nigeria’s power sector forward.

PUBLIC PRESENTATION

L-R: Content Manager, Wakaati TV Ltd, Dorcas Ogbu;Head, New Media, Akintunde Brown; Public Relations Strategist, Henry Awachuo; and Corporate/Brand Strategist, Kingsley Obiegbu, at the media presentation / launch of Wakaati TV Channel in Lagos... recently ETOP UKUTT

the programme would aid more equitable access to electricity across regions, while maximising the economic, social and environmental benefits of rural electrification subsidies. “Through the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) , we have continued to promote expansion of the grid and development of off-grid electrification as mandated by the federal government of Nigeria. “This solar hybrid mini-grid in Goton Sarki is designed to serve this community while also stimulating productive use amongst community members.

I encourage the great people of this community to explore and optimise the usage of this system to help develop this community even better,� he stated.

According to the MD, providing and increasing energy access

to millions of Nigerians through off-grid solutions is critical as the end goal is to ensure the equitable delivery of the social and economic benefits that will improve lives across the nation.

He noted that with the support of the Muhammadu Buhari administration as well as the guidance of the federal ministry of power, the objective was to close the energy gap in Nigeria faster. “We, therefore, have no doubt about the continued impact of the federal government’s power sector roadmap as well as our capacity at REA to leverage on off-grid technologies such as this to transform and catalyse rural socio-economic growth and development in Nigeria,� he emphasised.

In his remarks, the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, who was

represented by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed, reiterated the benefits of clean and safe and constant electricity.

The governor stated that it will increase the income of the people in the community through improved business activities as well as improve productivity of the people while ensuring good education for school children. “I want to assure you that the people of Niger State, will do our best to support this project to ensure greater success and sustainability. Its impact is already changing lives,� he said.

Chairman of Paikoro local government, Mr. Yakubu Yohanna, described the project as a major development as business opportunities in farming, processing, storage and external trades will now become a reality

for the people.

The village head, Babangida Sarki, in his remarks, said with the electricity, women will be able to process and store products, while the community will be safer as everywhere will be illuminated.

Managing Director of the partnering company, Mr. Yusuf Ganda, announced that the power plant has a total capacity of 40kW Solar PV peak power which consists of 200 Mono crystalline solar panels, 60kva hybrid inverter, 60 deep cycle storage batteries and wireless IoT smart metering system, the first of its kind in the country.

According to him, the plant has over 1.6 kilometres radius of distribution network cables, while the solar mini grid project now serves over 1500 people in the community with constant electricity and streetlight.

NNPC, Partners Begin Discussion on NLNG Train 8

ĂŒĂ“Ă˜Ă˜Ă‹ Ă’Ă“Ă—Ă‹

Ă—Ă—Ă‹ Ă•Ă™Ă˜Ă”Ă“

looping 765kVA network, and an ‘Electric Regional Grid’, to support the current national grid.

He explained that the Electric Regional Grid is not a geopolitical grid, but an electric grid, saying, Lagos, for example, could function as a regional grid even as two or three states can be configured to function as regional grids too.

He said the idea was to be able to have semi-autonomy in the process and still be connected to the national grid.

FG Takes Rural Electrification to Niger, Inaugurates 40KWP Solar Power

Group Business Editor

Goddy Egene

investment, even as there was the need for more predictability and transparency on the part of all stakeholders.

In his keynote presentation, a former Minister of Power and Chief Executive Officer of Geometric Power Limited, Prof. Bart Nnaji, said due to the challenges with power transmission, there was need for the introduction of dual grids.

Nnaji, specifically proposed the adoption of both a ‘Super Grid’ which he described as a

facilities with a capacity of 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

It is owned by four shareholders – the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the NNPC which is holding 49 per cent shares; Shell Gas B.V. –25.6 per cent; Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France–15 per cent; and Eni International N.A. N.V. S.à r.l –10.4 per cent. The company’s shareholders signed the Final Investment Decision (FID) for Train 7 in December 2019, to expand the complex to 30 mtpa from the current 22 mtpa, with

the addition of the seventh train with 8mtpa capacity.

Kyari explained that the corporation was making effort to establish gas hubs that would lead to the creation of other LNG projects. He emphasised that the current focus of the government, the corporation and its partners was on gas and making sure that monetising gas was their main objective.

He said: “And because the PIB itself will ultimately come to pass where emphasis on gas, monetising gas, and creating the

right fiscal environment for gas development, will lead to some more LNG projects. “But more quickly, as we have done FID on Train 7, we have already started speaking to our partners to go to train 8. And indeed, Mr. President’s question was that he was surprised that we are still on train 7. “He thought we should be talking about Train 8, and I agree with him absolutely because there was enormous room for us to improve. “But it’s not the number of train

that is significant, it’s the volume of production that is important.

For instance, the Train 7 is adding almost close to what the current trains are doing. “We will do this, we will push because this is the easy one and supply the gas and expand it, and of course, we are going to get more and more benefit�. \Kyari stressed that having more LNG facilities would lead to “more jobs, more employment, more expansion of the economy.

We agree with this and we are also chasing that appropriately.�

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Peters: Non-performing Loans Have Dropped Due to GSI The Acting Managing Director of FirstCentral Credit Bureau and Chairman of Credit Bureaus Association of Nigeria, Mr. Oladimeji Peters, in this interview, speaks about the Global Standing Instruction guidelines introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria and its impact on loan recovery in Nigeria. Peter Uzoho brings the excerpts: In August, the CBN launched the guidelines on the Global Standing Instruction guidelines, an initiative used to make debtors fulďŹ l their loan obligations to creditors and help reduce the volume of loan defaults in the country. How does that affect the Nigerian credit system?

I guess one of the key things we have seen from the professional standpoint is that the willingness to pay and the ability to pay are two different things. I can decide to come to your bank, let’s say microfinance bank, to borrow N5 million from you and at the same time I have another N10 million stashed away somewhere.

But all the same, I have refused to pay you back your N5 million when it is due and I would much rather keep your N5million together with my N10 million and not pay back. So in that scenario, I do have the ability to pay but I don’t have the willingness. And that is usually where the defaults resetting comes in and just so that we can manage that. I’m sure what CBN would also have discovered on their own that also took place in their regulatory and policy changes was that they found out that there were people you could track their BVN to the fact that they have cash in certain banks but at the same time they have non-performing or defaulting loans in other banks. So they (CBN) were able to marry the two together and said okay, why do you have this bad loans, for instance, with AMCON, when you have this much cash in this bank? And therefore, the CBN now came with this policy like a trigger and said okay, if you are defaulting in this bank and you have money in other banks, you should now be able to offset that loan. And going forward, that will also now affect the volume of non-performing loans we are having in the Nigerian market; and also help people understand that going forward, you need a culture of credibility where if you say, for instance, you are going to repay something, you will do it.

You are like an intermediary between lenders and borrowers. How are borrowers reacting to the GSI guidelines?

It’s a mixed kind of reaction. There are those that say it’s a great idea, and those that say it’s a terrible idea. Some say, what happens if you get my BVN wrong? What are the dispute mechanisms if for instance, the bank has overcharged me for some sort of interest charges and you decide to take that money even though there is still contention around the repayment in itself. I recall a particular case, I think it was in 2014, where someone borrowed money in dollars and at the time of repayment in one of the big banks, he decided to pay back in naira.

So the bank said well, we would take the naira from you so that we cover ourselves and so that you don’t say you can’t find the money but at the same time, we will continue to report you as non-performing. Now, don’t forget, this was around the time we had foreign exchange issues a few years ago. Now what happened was that in the argument of the borrower, he said, well, you know how this country is now, I can’t get foreign exchange. The lender said, but you collected the money in dollars, why will you pay in naira? So, it became a contention. But that didn’t stop the bank from collecting the naira. They collected the naira and held on to it, and they continued to report the customer as non-performing. Now, at the time the customer sued us, I remember writing to the bank and saying, has this customer actually paid? And the bank said, well, he has paid but he paid back in naira and he needs to pay back in dollars. And we contacted the borrower and he said, well, I did pay back in naira but there was nothing in the terms or agreement that said I have to pay back in the currency that I used to borrow.

So it becomes again, like you said, the role of an intermediary to now find a way to balance all of this. And in the case of GSI, we can have such cases if it is not clearly outlined. So you want to also be very clear about what customer protection demands, the dispute mechanisms

it’s advocacy, whether its publicity, Webinars, outreaches, roadshows, seminars, every type of thing. CBAN has been instrumental such that each credit bureau sees that even the government acknowledges that, the CBN acknowledges that.

I think it was in 2017 that we got letter from the Presidency on the Ease of Doing Business, saying we are doing a great job. It said that the indicators around the world showed that we are doing well. So that’s part of the things that speak to what we do and the results we are seeing in the market.

Peters and resolutions.

Was there any pushback from customers regarding the part of the GSI guideline that authorises access to a debtor’s joint account, particularly the family’s joint account, to take money from there and repay his loan?

There will definitely be pushbacks. But you know, when it comes down to basic corporate financing, the whole idea of having even a credit report or even the GSI is that people are able to service their loans. Now, I can be a smart customer. For instance, let’s say, I’m married to my executive secretary and I decide to take N5 billion from the bank. I take N5 billion from the bank, I don’t pay the bank back. I put the money in my wife’s joint account. It’s sitting there, and in the joint account there is another N10 billion together with the N5 billion I borrowed from the bank. If we say that we would not consider the joint account and the man dies, he has left her with the N10 billion that is their money and also left her with the N5 billion liability that they cannot take further recourse, to even though the money is sitting in the account. So if you are not careful when it comes to policy formulation you create loopholes in those policies.

You know, an average Nigerian is a very smart person. They can tap into those loopholes and said okay, they can pay him in my account but not in my wife’s joint account. So the man dies and the bank has a liability of N5 billion to deal with and the woman smiles to the bank. Do we now say, oh, you are a widow, madam just go and spend the N5 billion. No, it can’t happen because that’s depositors’ fund out there. A lot of people amounted to that N5 billion that is now sitting in one person’s account.

Let’s look at Nigeria’s credit system. How has it fared, say, in the last ďŹ ve years?

Well, we are now better than what we used to do. And one of the things I tell people at every opportunity I get is, any country that has the goal of development must create supporting institutions. If you don’t create supporting institutions, there is no such thing as development. Now, if you go back to the 90s when we didn’t have microfinance banks, you will see how SMEs, for instance, fared

in Nigeria. A lot of them opened today and died the next day. The only SMEs that really fared well were the ones selling corn by the roadside. When you look at the amount of SMEs development in Nigeria now it’s really amazing. Simply because people have initiative and they are also able to now get the credit to fund that initiative, that’s one. And then, you look at credit bureau system for instance, you see that in the early 90s, a lot of banks died -Savana Bank and the likes, all died by the minute because people were borrowing money and they were not paying back. But now if you look at it, you will see that the banking system is more stable credit-wise. People take money and they have to service it. If you don’t service this bank and you go to another bank, even if it’s an overdraft, nobody wants to give you money. They will say, go back and pay your bill. So those supporting institutions have started to create a concrete system that helps you now have the development that you can build on over the years. So we have really done well for ourselves overtime and the results are very clear. The non-performing loans have dropped massively and it continues to be so.

Looking at the lending rate in Nigeria, are we improving?

We are improving massively. Again you would also see that recently, with the activities of fintechs in Nigeria -digital lender and all of them, it has improved massively. Over the course of the week, I have spoken to at least five fintechs. Some of them coming from China, some of them have businesses in India, Kenya and they want to replicate the same business model in Nigeria. The average Nigerian now can use loans from Sukut lender, Keke money, that are using all kinds of credit from different digital lender. You will now ask yourself, why didn’t we do this in 1993? Why did we have to resort to Isusu savings? So we are becoming more digital in our push for credit and the credit culture is also developing overtime.

And you think the Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria is instrumental to that?

Extremely instrumental. Instrumental by virtue of the things we have done; whether

One of the challenges SMEs face in this country is lack of access to credit. Banks ďŹ nd it difďŹ cult to lend to then. Why is it so?

You are very correct. That’s the question an average SME in Nigeria asks. We have had countless meetings around this. One of the things they tell you is that they don’t have capital, they don’t have access to credit. But the fact is, when you look at the human nature, there is higher chance for you to lend money to someone you know very well than you will do to someone you have little or no knowledge about. Now, the idea with most of these banks is: there is a business decision running on the background -a risk profile running on the background that is saying, ‘do we know this person? Even if we don’t know this person as a person, do we know him financially? A lot of the SMEs don’t have financial footprints.

Some of them have never taken a loan and if you have never taken a loan, the bank is unable to see how you will perform overtime. So, they can’t identify you financially. Some of them have never done any serious transactions before. So, the banks have a model running on the background when they are doing their book building and consideration whether to give this person a loan or not. They are looking at it and saying, ‘but we don’t know this person. So, our risk profile says that this person is high risk because we don’t know how he is going to behave. He may just take this money and take ticket out of Nigeria and never to come back soon.’ And we say this to them every time when we go to SMEs out there. We say to them, can you at least start having a book building or some sort, whether it’s your transaction with the bank. Take N10, 000 loan, perform on it.

Some of them just have bad credit that they don’t even know of. So, they have taken an overdraft, maybe bank charges or something, they just feel less concerned and say it’s just N2 and it was 10 years ago, and that N2 has now come back to hurt them because 10 years after, that N2 is now looking like N1000 plus. And it’s sitting in the book of a bank as liability that must be served. So, at the time they now need fund and they walk into the bank and the bank said no, you can’t take this money. They won’t tell you the reason. The report has simply said non-performing or high risk. So, they go out there and say nobody is giving them money. We come in as a credit bureau and we try to make them understand that these little things that you overlook will start to count when you don’t think it matters. So, those are some of the things that come to play in SMEs being able or not being able to get credit from banks.

Is interest rate not also a factor, because we still have double-digit interest rate?

It’s a consideration but really, if I have viable business that I want to run, as much as I will consider the interest rate, it’s still very negotiable. So, the interest rate in Union Bank is different from others, and you can always work it out with the bank. But the willingness of the banks to actually give the money out as the first stage is usually universal to the banks. So, if they don’t know you, they can’t give their money out. Why would anybody give their money to me, for instance, in comparison to Dangote? Dangote doesn’t even need to walk into the bank to get loan because they know him. So, when they know and they are able to establish your financial footprints as the first stage, which can even play into your interest rate negotiation dynamics.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

26

T H I S D AY Ëž Íś 2020

Enhancing Stakeholders’Engagement Eromosele Abiodun writes that through continuous engagement with key stakeholders, Seplat has continued to ensure that its investments deliver inclusive development not only to the company, but also to critical external stakeholder

O

ne of the banes of the oil and gas industry in time past was poor engagement with host communities.

Therefore, communities and state governments, which hosted oil facilities were often in the dark about key developments in their domains. This led to suspicion and distrust; in the end stability in the industry was never guaranteed.

This state of existence has largely been done away with as more indigenous players in the sector are going the extra mile in engaging their host communities and involve them in critical projects. This change in strategy has engendered greater trust, cooperation and stability in all states in the Niger Delta and beyond. Seplat Petroleum Development Company has been a glaring example of this shift.

When on Friday, 20 November, a team of SEPLAT executives who were on a tour in Edo State visited the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, they also visited host communities and reiterated their commitment to contributing to stable electricity supply in Nigeria through the Gas Plant facility sited at Oben Field in Edo State SEPLAT has deepened its business and investment in energy infrastructure in Oben Field with its construction, years ago, of a massive state of the art ultra-modern gas plant which today supplies gas to energy companies and industries across Nigeria. The Oben gas plant provides gas that facilitates the provision of over thirty-five per cent of electricity in the country. According to Roger Brown, who recently assumed office as Seplat new Chief Executive Officer, it was pertinent to pay courtesy to critical stakeholders who are our hosts in these areas where our significant gas, as well as oil assets, are located.

The SEPLAT team comprising the Chairman, Dr ABC Orjiako; Chief Executive Officer, Roger Brown and other executives began the tour with a courtesy call to the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and later to His Royal Majesty, Felix Mujakperuo, Orhue 1, the Orodje of the Okpe Kingdom and His Royal Highness, Odoligie Frederick Ogiemwonyi, the Enogie of Oben Community.

Speaking during the courtesy visit on the Governor of Edo State, the SEPLAT CEO, congratulated the governor on his victory at the recent elections and for the successful inauguration for another four years in office.

He said SEPLAT would continue to create value for the federal and State governments through the payment of royalty, taxes and levies and assist host communities through robust corporate social investments especially in capacity development, sustainable community infrastructure projects and economic empowerment programmes.

Brown reaffirmed that SEPLAT has continued to drive up its commitment to increasing the country’s energy security and boosting Nigeria’s gas to power initiative through deliberate significant investment in its gas business.

He added that, “To date, Oben remains a major gas hub and that the company has recently drilled additional new gas wells in Oben to increase further our production and our ability to meet growing demands.�

BeneďŹ ts The Chief Executive Officer elaborated the numerous benefits of the Oben Gas Plant to

there could have been operational disruptions, increased costs and reduced value for its shareholders, “he said.

Orjiako added, “The Global Memorandum of Understanding (“GMoU�) Seplat entered into with the local communities that host its operations within OMLs 4, 38 and 41 was the Company’s first community development agreement signed between the Company and its local stakeholders. This set the standard for all of Seplat’s subsequent engagements with local stakeholders as the Company has grown and acquired additional licences. “The GMoU provides a framework within which the Company and its host communities can work together to support wider sustainable community development.

Under the terms of the GMoU, a Community Development Committee, also referred to as the Host Communities Forum, has been established and is comprised of representatives from each host community.� the immediate communities, Edo State and the country.

He also harped on the different activities and programmes of the Company in Edo State.

He enumerated a few to include the provision of medical equipment/items to the State government to support containment of COVID-19 pandemic and also provision of palliatives to communities to cushion the effects of the lockdown arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SEPLAT CEO added: “As a responsible corporate organization, we are committed to contributing to the development of Edo State, economically and otherwise. Since the commencement of operations in the state, the company has undertaken important health, education and numerous community development projects to support sustainable development in the State. He highlighted to the Governor that in addition to the yearly Seplat PEARLs Quiz programme for secondary schools, which has boosted students’ academic performance in the State, the company has just introduced a new programme targeted at the teachers. The new educational programme called SEPLAT Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) will debut in Benin on November 24, 2020. “It aims to systematically support and encourage embedding Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) in schools. The STEP programme will develop the competencies of teachers to improve the quality of their teaching. The select teachers will in six months, undergo a customized programme. A total of hundred Teachers from Edo and Delta will be the first beneficiaries, in the first instance.�

The Edo State Governor, in his remarks, welcomed the SEPLAT team and commended the Company and its partner NPDC for the significant investment made in the State.

He pledged the state government continual support for the company in its quest to drive development in Edo State.

He also assured of the state and communities’ continued collaboration with SEPLAT in

providing the enabling environment for the Company to operate.

The governor expressed his appreciation for the company’s social programmes. He noted that the goals of educational initiatives of SEPLAT align with that of the State, which hinges on improving the standard of education.

Obaseki continued: “We are focused on education, retooling and resetting our educational system. Thank you for your quiz programme. Our children are now learning because we have retooled our educational system in Edo State. “We would like to work with you on the teachers’ employment programme because as a state, we have experimented a lot in terms of teachers’ reforms. I just reviewed the progress we have made in the three-year teachers’ programme that we have just introduced in Edo State.�

The Governor requested to partner with the company in the construction of roads in some parts of the State.

Also, he charged the company to provide electricity to some immediate communities within its operations.

At the courtesy visit on the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Felix Mujakperuo, Orhue 1, the Chairman, Dr ABC Orjiako, thanked the Monarch for the cordial working relationship between the Company and its Communities in Okpe Kingdom.

He also expressed appreciation for the support given to the Company since inception regarding its operations, adding that the Company is committed to the development of Okpe Kingdom. “Seplat’s strong local ties and commitment to the Company’s host communities have been intrinsically important to its success as a leading indigenous oil and gas companies. Since inception, we have prioritised sustainable community development through creating shared value for its local communities which has been critical in not only achieving operational success but also protecting the Company’s social licence to operate. Without such inclusion

Commitment to Capacity Development Also speaking, Brown expressed appreciation to the Orodje for the support given to the company for its operations. He assured that the Company is committed to the infrastructural and capacity development of Communities in the Okpe Kingdom.

His Royal Majesty, Orhue 1, the Orodje of the Okpe Kingdom, who gladly received the SEPLAT team, commended the company for its commitment and support to host communities, stressing that the relationship must remain a win-win situation for the people and SEPLAT. He urged the company to continue its good works while enjoining the Company to provide additional support in healthcare infrastructure, employment of graduates from the area and award of contracts to Okpe vendors.

At the Palace of the Enogie of Oben, Roger Brown, commended Oben Field communities for providing the enabling peaceful environment for the company to operate.

He emphasized the importance of Oben to the company’s business and the nation with the colossal gas infrastructure in Oben community.

The CEO stressed that the company would sustain the cordial working relationship with the Oben Field Communities and continue to execute sustainable community development projects and programmes to the benefits of the communities.

The Enogie and other Oben Field Community leaders while expressing their appreciation of the Seplat visit and activities in their locality requested the company to employ its teeming youth; provide uninterrupted electricity and patronage of indigenous contractors from the communities.

Roger Brown pledged the company’s willingness to sustaining the cordial working relationship between it and the communities whilst reiterating the commitment to contributing to their socio-economic development through SEPLAT’s continued sustainable community development activities and programmes.

PETERS: NON-PERFORMING LOANS HAVE DROPPED DUE TO GSI Does it mean collateral should no longer be much of an issue because the intending borrower is well known to the bank?

No, collateral is not even the case. We emphasise it every time. We say ‘character over collateral’.

Because if you look at it very well, how many people even have collateral in this country? Look at the middle class and the lower class, nobody has a collateral in this country. It’s only the big men buying houses in Maitama and Asokoro, Banana Island, which really have collateral.

So in those type of cases, you can give them billions with the idea that you would recover the house. But if you are really talking about financial inclusion which is the goal of CBN, the Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria, and

other institutions, the whole idea is to be able to extend money to people that don’t even have collateral. We call them NINJA loans -No Income, Job or Asset. They don’t have any of these things but they need to survive.

Just because they don’t have income, job or asset does not mean they should die. They are human. So the consideration for your financial inclusion then is, if in the banking space for instance, you have this wealthy class and the middle class of about N50 million with BVN and everything. And outside the banking space you have another N50 million of your adult population, bringing your adult population to about N100 million out of your total population of N200 million. What then happens is that

you need to be able to extend your reach from that 50 per cent to 100 per cent or 80 per cent.

Because if you don’t, you already have a social crisis in your hand. So the entire goal is to make sure that you increase your financial inclusion and be able to elevate people.

How did credit bureau operators feel the impact of COVID-19?

Well, the impact was felt mostly in April.

That was when most organisations saw the need to stop lending because of the uncertainty.

Nobody knew whether or not they would still be here in the next three months or how that would affect their loan repayment. In other words, if someone who takes a loan today

dies the next day, what then happens to the repayment of that loan? So it was okay for everyone to be really uncertain at that time and so, loan allocation probably dropped by 70 or 80 per cent. It was a V-shape kind of recovery. So, one month it dropped truly high, I think in April. And then the next month it picked up as if nothing has happened and everyone went back to the normal state again. So that was really the case during COVID-19 even though we had some structured ways to offer our clients, it turns out that a lot of them didn’t ask for it. They just went back to proper business model after a month or two and everything came back normal.

27

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Q1 2021: FCMB Projects N44.5bn Earnings, N4.2b Profit Goddy Egene

projected gross earnings of 2021. In a notification to services group said it would and profit after tax (PAT ) N44.476 billion for the first the Nigerian Stock Exchange end the Q1 with a profit before of N3.531 billion. Market FCMB Group Plc has quarter (Q1) ended March (NSE) yesterday, the financial tax (PBT) of N4.213 billion analysts said the projections A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

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

Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Bid Price: The price at which Investors Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that return an investor would have earned on An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. his investment. Money Market Funds report of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, Yield while others report Year- to-date Total bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, GUIDE TO DATA: Return. etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 04- NAV: Is value per share of the real estate shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Dec-2020, unless otherwise stated. assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

are modest considering the headwinds expected in the economy.

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 155.60 157.13 5.04% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 0.76% Nigeria International Debt Fund 443.37 443.37 44.54% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 105.70 105.70 0.47% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 1.04 1.06 15.80% ACAP Income Funds 0.86 0.86 11.37% 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 1.97% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.76 3.89 53.58% 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 0.90% Anchoria Equity Fund 128.20 128.67 20.49% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.45 1.45 21.38% 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 17.92 18.46 17.00% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 398.03 410.03 15.23% ARM Ethical Fund 33.55 34.56 15.37% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.21 1.22 21.72% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.13 1.13 12.84% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.24% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 122.31 123.17 27.30% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.54% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.25 2.25 21.06% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.23 2.27 47.48% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.49% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 126.64 127.42 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 108.44 108.44 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 1.20% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.11 1.12 19.30% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.73 1.73 30.36% 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 1.05% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 1.28% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,211.71 1,229.46 9.34% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,478.51 1,480.21 24.50% FBN Balanced Fund 181.33 182.70 23.50% FBN Halal Fund 111.33 111.36 11.33% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.46% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 120.92 121.28 7.11% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 121.10 121.46 6.73% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 147.27 149.53 13.17% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.04% Legacy Debt Fund 3.86 3.86 5.62% Legacy Equity Fund 1.48 1.51 30.56% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.13 1.13 4.67% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,797.29 3,839.32 24.60% Coral Income Fund 3,246.49 3,246.49 5.76% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 3.32% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.94% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 126.95 127.48 18.05%

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.01% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.84 2.90 29.79% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 155.62 156.53 8.62% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.38 1.40 22.38% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,147.25 1,147.25 10.27% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.60 1.63 29.72% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.10 12.20 7.42% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 2.08% PACAM Equity Fund 1.52 1.54 PACAM EuroBond Fund 107.36 109.69 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 133.73 136.75 9.40% 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 1.01 1.01 8.70% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 24.90% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 6.30% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 24.44% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 7.40% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 29.93% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.46% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 21.75% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.22 1.22 5.26% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 110.77 110.77 6.29% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.36 1.39 14.25% United Capital Bond Fund 1.88 1.88 8.64% United Capital Equity Fund 0.84 0.87 19.99% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.22% United Capital Eurobond Fund 116.55 116.55 6.62% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.08 1.58% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.06 12.20 17.34% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.46 13.57 15.74% Zenith Income Fund 24.90 24.90 9.59% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.81%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

120.00

6.88%

52.10

0.10%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

11.53 115.89 87.81

11.63 115.89 89.45

36.87% 21.38% 16.90%

Union Homes REIT

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

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

N/A

N/A

N/A

Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund

N/A

N/A

N/A

Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund

N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A

Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

N/A

N/A

N/A

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.71

13.11%

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

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.

28

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍśËœ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

‘Success of AfCFTA Depends on Africa’s Ability to Combat Corruption’ Dike Onwuamaeze The President of the African Export and Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Okey Oramah, has anchored the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on the ability of the continent to stem the tide of corruption and illicit financial flows.

Oramah, made this point when he presented the keynote address at the virtual 2020 Africa Business Ethics Conference with the theme: “Tackling Corruption to Reduce Poverty and Unemployment in Africa: A Necessity for Building Resilience to Global Risks,� which was organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in partnership with the Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). Oramah, who was represented by the Director

of Compliance, Afreximbank, Mr. Idris Diop, said: “In the continental free trade areas, Africa is arming itself with tool for future prosperity. However, the success of the AfCFTA is obviously partly dependent on the continent’s ability to combat corruption and illicit capital flow to ensure availability of resources and infrastructure.�

He added that in its 2020 report on economic development in Africa, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTD) explained that stopping illicit capital flight, “will almost cut by an half the annual financing gap of $200 billion that the African continent face as it strives to attain the Sustainability Development Goals. “It is estimated that every year 3.7 per cent of Africa’s GDP leaves the continent as illicit

capital flow. Most of these illicit flows stem from the proceeds of corruption. “Between 2000 and 2015 the total illicit capital flight from Africa amounted to $836 billion compared to Africa’s total external debts stock of $707 billion 2015. “A one point increase in corruption decreases the growth rate of the GDP between 0.75 per cent and 0.9 per cent per year. And per capita income growth rate between 0.39 and 0.41 percent respectively.�

According to the President of the LCCI, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje, who delivered the welcome address, the conference was meant to promote conversations that would provide solutions in addressing corruption as a strategic approach in reducing the high incidence of poverty and unemployment across Africa.

MARKET INDICATORS

Emefiele, Others Support New Payment Settlement Initiative The interim Governing Council of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) held its inaugural meeting in Cairo, recently, a historic step towards the operationalisation of the payment system.

Speaking at the meeting, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Chair of the PGC, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, expressed the commitment of central banks of West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) to support the successful implementation and roll out of PAPSS within the WAMZ to facilitate the implementation of the AfCFTA. Developed by African ExportImport Bank (Afreximbank), under the auspices of the African Continental Free Trade Area

(AfCFTA) Secretariat and the African Union (AU), PAPSS is expected to enable intra-African trade and commerce payments to be made in African currencies in furtherance of the goals of the AfCFTA. According to a statement, the meeting of the Governing Council sets the stage for PAPSS operational launch early next year.

The interim PAPSS Governing Council is comprised of Central Bank Governors of the six countries of the WAMZ where PAPSS will carry out its pilot phase, the AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs, the Secretary General of the AfCFTA and a representative each of African Development Bank and Afreximbank.

The Council is charged with

providing regulatory oversight to ensure the success of the payment system. Also, Afreximbank President, Prof. Benedict Oramah said that the first meeting of the PAPSS Governing Council was the start of the implementation of a system that would minimise the financial cost of cross border trade and improve financial integration as well as Africa’s trade and investment competitiveness. “A system that allows a small trader in Nigeria to freely import goods from Sierra Leone using the naira; without thinking of his ability to buy a third currency, exchange and settlement costs and the length of time it takes for payment to arrive, will certainly be transformational,� Oramah stated.

NAHCO Partners Skyward Aviation The recent partnership between NAHCO Plc and Skyward Aviation is set to significantly improve trade relations between Nigeria and China, as the airline begins its direct cargo flights from Urumqi, China to Lagos.

To cement the partnership, the handling agreement has been signed between the two parties, signaling the beginning of a rewarding relationship.

NAHCO Plc’s Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, Mr. Saheed Lasisi, who spoke at the contract signing ceremony, held at the company’s headquarters said, “We are very proud of the partnership, we are ready and

willing to give Skyward Aviation the best handling possible, our men are ready to ensure that we make you happy, and we will not disappoint you. Nigerians now have a wider choice, and this will surely improve business for Nigerians.�

The contract runs for an initial period of five years, while the flights are currently on ad-hoc basis, operating between four and seven times a week, with possible extension.

NAHCO Plc has, with this signing, further increased its stakes in the nations ground handling business, providing world-class services to most of the top notched airlines operating in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the company recently renewed handling contract to provide handling for Qatar Airways in Lagos, for the next five years and have also won the bid to provide ground handling service to Qatar for its Abuja operations for a period of five years, covering: passenger, ramp and cargo services.

NAHCO Plc is a Nigerian diversified enterprise with interests in aviation cargo, aircraft handling, passenger facilitation, crew transportation and aviation training. The company currently serves several airlines across the major functional airports within Nigeria, and handles the largest chunk of domestic, foreign and cargo airlines.

Uzoka Honoured with Zik Leadership Award The Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Kennedy Uzoka, was recently presented with The Zik Prize for Professional Leadership.

The award was presented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, under the chairmanship of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka at an event in Lagos, and organised by Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC). Uzoka, according to a statement, was announced

winner of the much-coveted award alongside the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer at the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta.

As he applauded the efforts of the organisers, Uzoka said, “The Late Nnamdi Azikiwe is someone to whom I accord great respect; he is an iconic African statesman (Zik of Africa as he is fondly called). I am proud to be receiving an award that was first conferred on the late premier 25 years ago. I dedicate this award to the staff of the UBA

Group in all our 23 countries of operations. They really are the best.�

Uzoka, received the award after a thorough, careful and rigorous selection process. His name was announced by Members of the Advisory Board, PPRAC, Prof. Pat Utomi, and Executive secretary, Emeka Obasi, who stated that Uzoka was selected as a result of his outstanding contributions to the development and growth of the Banking and Financial Services Industry and also for an unblemished record of service as a banker of international repute.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JULY 2020 Money Supply (M3)

36,822,751.47

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

3,476,121.25

Money Supply (M2)

33,346,630.22

-- Quasi Money

120,764,479.02

-- Narrow Money (M1)

12,582,151.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,002,026.89

---- Demand Deposits

10,580,124.31

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,637,137.23

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

29,185,614.24

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

39,711,115.95

---- Credit to Government (Net)

19,521,851.08

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-130,189,264.87

--Other Assets Net

3,472,017.70

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,421,827.07

--Currency in Circulation

2,395,917.03

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

11,025,910.04 317,234.17

Ëž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ě‹

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

Ëž Ă™Ă˜Ă?ĂžĂ‹ĂœĂŁ ÙÖÓĂ?ĂŁ Ă‹ĂžĂ? Ě‹ ͯ͹Ϲ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ Ͳ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $48.35 a barrel on Friday, compared with $47.46 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

29

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍśËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

United Capital Floats Sukuk Fund for Ethical Investors Goddy Egene Ethical investors in the nation’s capital market now have an opportunity invest and enjoy good returns as United Capital Asset Management Limited, a member of United Capital Plc, has launched the United Capital Sukuk Fund.

The company is raising N1 billion as initial target size of the open-ended mutual fund, which implies that investors

can continue to buy into the fund as they desire at any time.

Minimum subscription to the United Capital Sukuk Fund is 10,000 units at N1 per unit with subsequent subscriptions in multiples of 5,000 units at N1 per unit. This implies minimum initial investment of N10,000 and subsequently in additions of N5,000.

The fund will invest in Nigeria’s sovereign Sukuks, sub-national Sukuks issued by

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

state governments, Sukuk issued by companies and a bit of other Shariah-compliant contracts.

Commenting on the fund, the Group Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Plc, Mr. Peter Ashade, said the launch of United Capital Sukuk Fund underpinned the commitment of the investment banking group to creating additional products for its teeming customers. “It is a step in the right direction. We will continue

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

to develop products that will meet the diverse flavours of our clients,� Ashade said.

On his part, Group Executive Director, United Capital Plc, Mr. Sunny Anene, said the group will bring to bear on the fund its wealth of experience as the leading fund manager in Nigeria with assets under management of $400 million.

Regional Director, Northern Region, United Capital, Mahmoud Shuaib, assured subscribers

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

that the Sukuk fund would not be invested in businesses or instruments disallowed by the Shariah.

Citing data showing ethical funds like Sukuk funds outperforming other general funds, Shuaib said investors in the Sukuk fund stand dual broad advantages of maintaining their beliefs and earning competitive returns on their investments.

The Managing Director, United Capital Asset Man-

O F

agement Limited, Mrs. Odiri Oginni said the open-ended nature of the fund provides seamless opportunity for investors with easy entry and exit.

According to her, the fund provides investors with several advantages including protection through the professional management, competitive returns, economy of scale that comes from pooling resources and diversification of portfolio among others.

0 7 / 1 2 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

30

TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

FG Bars Officials from Production, Sale of Fertilizer Registers 5m smallholder farmers under subsidy scheme

James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, yesterday said the ministry officials had been barred from further participation in the production and sake of fertilizer going forward.

The minister said the primary role of the ministry would henceforth be restricted to quality control, pricing and delivery of the commodity.

Speaking at the opening of a consultative meeting with relevant stakeholders on the development of template for the administration of subsidy to the smallholder farmers on sustainable basis, Nanono fertilizer sale and production, “is not our business now” adding that the current target was to ensure that fertiliser reached the small scale farmers.

He said: “I wish to state categorically that our target is for small scale farmers. Secondly, the primary role of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture would now be quality control, price and delivery.

“There is no more ministry participation in the production of selling of fertiliser, that is not our business now.”

He said the intention of the federal government was to make fertilizer private sector driven in

such a way that every farmer in country would readily access the commodity.

This is as the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said the goal of the proposed fertiliser subsidy scheme” is not simply to transfer subsidies to farmers. No, our design principle is to reward behavior such as purchase of fertilizer by data-identified smallholder farmers as opposed to simply wire monies to anyone who claims to be smallholder farmers or subsidising large-scale farmers.”

Nanono, however, said preparatory to the provision of the subsidy support for farmers, about five million farmers had so far been registered with biometrics as well as captured through the farm GIS coordinates.

He pointed out that the ministry had developed the database of the smallholder farmers for easy targeting with the fertilizer subsidy support.

According to him, the primary concern of the federal government is how to get majority of the smallholder farmers out of extreme poverty through targeted support in order to increase their level of productivity, household incomes and by extension guarantee food security for the country.

Nanono stressed that in order to support the teeming smallholder farmers, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved that an implementation template be

developed through consultative engagement with the relevant stakeholders on the best way of administering fertiliser subsidy to the them nationwide on sustainable basis.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr. Aliyu Ahmed, the finance minister said the meeting had been convened at the instance of Buhari to discuss how to effectively implement a restructured Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) for its sustainability.

She noted that the objective of the PFI was to stop the importation of specifically NPK fertilisers and pave the way for its local production, thereby reviving the Nigeria’s local fertiliser blending industry.

Ahmed said while the initiative,

which is a Public-private Partnership - with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) representing the public- had achieved great progress, “it’s time to shift gears for market-oriented sustainability”.

She said the engagement will be guided by four fundamental changes upon which sustainability will be built upon.

According to her:”The role of NAIC-NPK be restricted to the importation of the raw materials, monitoring activities and provision of cost basis for FGN to effectively calculate and pay subsidies as for vulnerable smallholder farmers.

“All fertilizer blending plants participating in the PFI now have to provide bank guarantees to cover requisite raw materials appropriate to their demand-driven production

in order to substantially reduce risk to NSIA. “All blending plants are to handle their transportation logistics, recover their production cost and profits through the sale of their products in the market.

“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (FMFBNP) through engagement with state governments and relevant stakeholders to develop a template for administering fertilizer subsidy management framework to the smallholder farmers.”

Ahmed said the engagement will allow stakeholders to brainstorm together and align on a data driven, commercially sound, and financially prudent

and farmer friendly framework for targeted subsidisation of fertilisers.

She also charged participants to deliberate on how to deliver smart subsidies on need basis linked to the exact land holding of the farmer as verified by farmer-farm data , adding that the subsidy can be delivered as a voucher while the government leverages technology to match farmer requests to their land holdings.

She said:”This means that monies for subsidies can continue to be domiciled in government accounts and periodically settlement operations occur as prequalified beneficiary farmers use their mobile phones to text in their subsidy claims that cannot exceed the fertiliser requirement of geo-tagged farm sizes.”

Family Members, Others Barred from SANs’ Inauguration Alex Enumah in Abuja Family members and other wellwishers of the 72 lawyers to be sworn in as Senior Advocates of Nigeria on December 14, will not be admitted into the venue of the inauguration ceremony, the Supreme Court management says in a statement on Monday.

The statement by the Director,

Press and Information, Supreme Court, Dr Akande Festus, stated that the directive was to ensure strict compliance with COVID-19 regulations.

According to Akande, the inauguration of the new SANs to be presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, would be part of the events marking the official

commencement of the new 2020/2021 legal year of the apex court.

He stated that the CJN would also, at the event, give his report of the state of the judiciary and present the scorecard of the Supreme Court in the outgone legal year.

Akande added that the number of dignitaries and other

stakeholders who would be admitted into the venue would also be limited.

He, however, stated that the court’s foyer would be available for those who would be barred from entering the venue.

He added that interested members of the public would be able to monitor the events live on various media platforms

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Ëœ ΀˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž T H I S D AY

TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Messi, Ronaldo Set to Renew Stellar Rivalry Tonight at Camp Nou Lionel Messi’s rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has enthralled football for the better part of a decade, and the pair will duel for potentially the final time when Barcelona host Juventus in the UEFA Champions League tonight.

The two titans of the modern game, who split ownership of the Ballon d’Or between 2008-2017, were the talismans of Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid until Ronaldo left the Spanish capital for Juventus in 2018.

CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Gov Ikpeazu Tasks Enyimba to Improve on Goal Scoring Boosts the Aba club with two new vehicles Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia Following the draw recorded

by Enyimba FC of Aba in CAF Champions League second leg of the preliminary round against visiting Rahimo FC of Burkina Faso at the weekend, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has called on the People’s Elephant to be more clinical in attack in subsequent matches.

The reversed fixture played last Sunday at the Enyimba Stadium in Aba ended 1 - 1 apiece but the two-time continental champions progressed on 2-1 aggregate having won the first leg 1 - 0 in Ouagadougou penultimate weekend.

But Ikpeazu, who is Enyimba’s Number One fan, felt that the Abia State owned team could have won the match comfortably if the attackers had been more clinical in taking the chances that came their way.

He, therefore, urged both the technical crew and the players to seriously improve on the area of goalscoring in order to progress further in the competition and

possibly rule the African continent for the third time.

Governor Ikpeazu specifically tasked the players to show extra commitment and sense of accuracy by shooting without missing as they face future challenges in the current edition of the CAF Champions League.

To motivate the club which commands passionate support in Abia and beyond, Ikpeazu presented two brand new vehicles to Enyimba FC after the match in appreciation of their qualification for the next round of the CAF elite club competition.

The vehicles are one brand new Coaster bus for the Club and one SUV for the Chairman of the Club, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu.

The governor said that the Coaster bus would assist Enyimba in their local travels while the SUV is the official vehicle of the club Chairman.

In appreciation of the Gov Ikpeazu’s gesture, AnyansiAgwu expressed pleasant surprise and profusely thanked him and promised that the Club would make effective use of the vehicles.

Okereke May Bench Dennis Against Lazio It is a battle of Nigeria wingers at Club Brugge and it appears David Okereke will start ahead of Emmanuel Dennis for the Belgian champions in tonight’s must-win UEFA Champions League tie at Lazio.

Club Brugge have to win at Lazio Tuesday night so as to advance to the Round of 16 of the Champions League and not play in the UEFA Europa League.

At the weekend, Okereke replaced his teammate and compatriot to become the match winner against Sint-Truiden.

David Okereke...May bench Emmanuel Dennis

Team Nigeria’s Second Phase Tokyo Olympics Camp Opens In line with the promise made by Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, to begin early preparation for next year’s Tokyo Olympics, the second phase of camping began on Monday in three centres across the country.

According to the Acting Director of Field and Elites Athletes, Dr. Simeon Ebhojiaye, the athletes will be camped for three weeks in Port- Harcout, Abuja and Yenagoa.

In Port- Harcourt, 14 track and field athletes under the supervision of two coaches are in camp. In Abuja, eight para athletes, 14 para table tennis players and eight weightlifters are in camp while eight wrestlers are camped in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State under the supervision of two coaches.

The first phase of camping was conducted at the High Altitude Training Centre, Federal College of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State with four athletes in attendance.

After the Portuguese forward arrived from Manchester United in 2009, El Clasico became synonymous with his rivalry with Barcelona captain Messi.

Since Ronaldo’s departure, the fixture has lost some of its glamour, leaving the football world eager for the pair to be pitted against each other again.

Those hopes were frustrated earlier in the group phase, with Ronaldo missing Barcelona’s 2-0 win in Turin after testing positive for Covid-19. Messi scored with a penalty. They are poised to meet

again this week.

Both sides have already qualified for the last 16 from Group G but Juventus can overtake Barcelona if they win at Camp Nou by three goals or more, or by any two-goal margin other than 2-0.

Ronaldo and Messi are in the latter phases of their careers, at 35 and 33 respectively, but both retain their elite status.

Messi has six Ballons d’Or to his name and is the current holder, while Ronaldo finished third in the 2019 awards,

boasting five.

He is thriving in Italy, having quickly become key for Juventus, who presented him with a commemorative shirt on Saturday to recognise his 750th career goal, ahead of a 2-1 win over neighbours Torino. “Ronaldo is the top player for mentality,� his former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri told UK’s The Times. “Ronaldo has a different head to everyone. He’s won five Ballons d’Or, five Champions Leagues and one European

Championship for Portugal, and that is so difficult, and it’s always him making the difference. Every year he has a new objective.�

Ronaldo netted 21 goals in his debut season for Allegri to take Juventus to the title, followed by 31 last season under Maurizio Sarri as they lifted the Scudetto for the 36th time.

With eight goals in six appearances this season for Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down. By contrast, Messi is struggling in Spain.

Lionel Messi (left) will be aiming tonight in Camp Nou to repeat his feat in Turin when Cristiano Ronaldo was ineligible because of Covid-19 positive result

Cavani, Martial Out of Winner-Takes-All Clash with Leipzig Manchester United will be without forwards Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial for their crunch Champions League clash at RB Leipzig tonight.

After losing 3-1 at home to Paris Saint-Germain last week, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side head into their final Group H game level on same nine points with the French champions and their German opponents.

United will qualify if they avoid defeat to Leipzig, where the Red Devils will be without attackers Cavani and Martial after they sustained knocks in Saturday’s 3-1 comeback win at West Ham. “David (De Gea) is back in travelling, Luke (Shaw) is travelling,� said Solskjaer, who is without Fred through suspension. “Edinson and Anthony

Man United players, because they have qualities that we’ve looked for and I’m sure that Tuesday night will prove that’s the reason why they’re here, they will show it. “I think the character of the group is getting better and better and we’re looking forward to the game.�

United, who last won the Champions League in 2008, can take heart from their striking away form this season, with the exception of their ill-fated trip to Turkey.

Cavani OUT, they’ve only minor niggles but they won’t be making the trip.�

United team looked certain to ease out of the group phase after an impressive win at Paris Saint-Germain followed by a 5-0 hammering of RB Leipzig at home.

But a shock defeat away to Istanbul Basaksehir threw the

Martial OUT group wide open.

There is a huge pressure on United heading into Tuesday’s match but Solskjaer is confident the players will rise to the occasion. “Knockout games or games like this that mean you can go through or not are big,� he said. “The players are here, they are

TODAY Chelsea v Krasnodar Rennes v Sevilla *Lazio v Club Brugge *Zenit v Dortmund Barca v Juventus Dynamo v Ferencvaros PSG v Basaksehir Leipzig v Man Utd (All matches 9pm except *@6:55pm)

Ikenga Reiterates Eunisell’s Commitment to Boot Award Group Managing Director of Eunisell, Chika Ikenga, has revealed that the company remains committed to the sponsorship of the Eunisell Boot Award for the highest goal scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

Ikenga assured stakeholders that the Eunisell Boot Award is

a long term project for Eunisell. “We are passionate about contributing to the improved standard of the Nigerian League and see the need to create a new consciousness for Nigerian youths to begin their career in the league. “Eunisell believes the league can attain top rating in the continent�, he said.

In addition, Ikenga stated that Eunisell�s desire is to see an increased participation in the league by brands in Nigeria.

According to him: “The Eunisell Boot Award serves to boost more sponsorship and to increase revenue in the league�.

Conceived by Eunisell, West Africa’s largest

independent chemical as well as oil and gas engineering solutions company, in 2018, the Eunisell Boot Award is the first to value each goal scored by the highest goal scorer in Nigeria’s domestic top flight.

Eunisell has placed a premium value of N200,000 per goal scored by the highest scorer.

Tuesday December 8, 2020

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE Afenifere to FG “They should go and flex muscles against Boko Haram if they have some strength to show. Real generals fight terrorists to a standstill but our generals can only soak ‘monkeys and baboons’ in blood” – Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, condemning the federal government for threatening #EndSARS protesters

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Nigeria: From Petrol to Auto-Gas

T

he Nigerian government deregulated the downstream petroleum sector with effect from March 19, 2020.

The key argument was that the fuel subsidy regime which gulps billions of Naira annually, had become unrealistic and unsustainable. One or two months later, with the impact of COVID-19 biting hard, disruptions in the global demand and supply chain turning everything askew and the corresponding effect of these factors on government revenue which had dipped terribly, government pointed to additional justifications for its action. It was further argued that the subsidy regime benefits the rich at the expense of the poor. The effect, as explained is that the pump price of fuel will now be determined by market forces. In other words, since petroleum products are refined from crude oil, the price of the crude for refining will determine eventual cost at the fuel station. Prices thus responding to market forces could and would go up and down.

Government spokespersons further assured the public that the Federal Government through the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPPRA) would under the new arrangement continue to interface with the markets to prevent arbitrary price fixing, and protect the interest of consumers.

This was the second time in eight years that Nigeria would focus on the deregulation of the downstream sector. The same arguments, at different times, under different administrations, and with different reactions and outcomes. In 2012, under the Jonathan administration, the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector was stoutly resisted by the opposition, organized Labour and civil society groups. The administration was compelled to review the pump price of fuel downwards, but the protests marked the beginning of a long-term, gradual erosion of emotional connection with the people, which was capitalized upon and exploited by the then emerging coalition of opposition groups. The Jonathan administration introduced the SURE-P Programme. It also provided palliatives in form of mass transit buses which were publicly handed over to Road Transport Workers. In 2020, the Buhari administration returned to the same objective. There were no widespread protests, perhaps because of the advantage of timing.

The entire nation inexorably slipped into a lockdown due to COVID-19. Even if anyone wanted to protest, it was not the right time to do so. The world was in the grips of debilitating fear. COVID-19 was an entirely new global, public health proposition, the type that no one had seen since the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920. The country’s budget had to be reviewed about twice as the spot price of crude oil to which the nation’s budget is benchmarked, jumped up and down like a yo-yo.

The people were skeptical, but they were more or less helpless. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) filled the gap on behalf of workers, not ordinary Nigerians, as one of its spokespersons boldly asserted. The NLC nonetheless raised the same vexed questions about the need to get Nigeria’s four refineries working, to eliminate the embarrassing cost of fuel importation. We would learn in due course that these same four refineries operate at a loss. Labour also told the Federal Government that it was insensitive to impose a lockdown on the people, increase electricity tariffs and at the same time, submit the pump price of fuel to neo-liberal market forces which tend to promote capital, not the human interest.

The Nigeria Labour Congress was not saying anything new, or original. It was Joe Ajaero, its Deputy President’s public declaration, at the time, that the Congress does not fight for every Tom, Dick and Harry but its own members and their families, that I found instructive as a new introduction to the selfish dynamics of Labour politics in Nigeria.

Sylva It is part of the responsibility of government to listen to the people, to collate and process feedback, and respond to public opinion as a key factor in the governance process. The Buhari administration may have used the COVID-19 situation to play the victim: the country was busy looking for loans, COVID support, to provide much needed support for small and medium scale enterprises, the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged (food palliatives, job schemes in 774 local governments), and set up in the short to medium term, concrete monetary measures (re: the Central Bank of Nigeria’s N100 billion package) and an economic sustainability plan (worth N2.3 trillion) that can sustain the country. But the government also made promises with regard to the impact of deregulation and the requests made by Organized Labour.

“Fuel subsidy is gone forever in Nigeria”, so said Mallam Mele Kyari, the insider, union-leader, turned Group Managing Director of the NPPC. How much subsidy that was? Nobody has ever told us the truth! The Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, would later add that “We are not just deregulating, we are also giving you an alternative to make it easier for the average Nigerian.” What alternative did they both promise? The big issue was the high cost of petrol.

Minister of State Timipre Sylva told Nigerians that Nigeria was working on the provision of an alternative in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), deployed as Auto-Gas. In addition, Nigerians were told that 32, 000 micro distribution centres will be set up for LPG. Refineries will also be rehabilitated, and modular refineries will be provided. The resort to Auto gas is part of the NNPC’s Gas Development Policy. Nigeria, with over 260 trillion cubic feet of gas, is generally regarded as a gas country, more than a crude oil country. Timipre Sylva boasted that the deployment of AutoLNG, AutoCNG and Auto LPG would be cheaper as an alternative to fossil fuel. Nigerians would not pay more than N97 per litre to fuel their vehicles. The NLC which continued to negotiate with government was promised 133 AutoCNG buses in demonstration of government’s sincerity that AutoGas, the new buzzword, holds the key to the future. Both the NNPC GMD, Mele Kyari and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva were convinced that the introduction of AutoLPG, AutoCNG and AutoLNG, would be “a game-changer” for Nigeria and put to rest all fears about deregulation as proposed.

This background is useful to enable us to place what has now happened in context. In the month of November, the Federal Government disclosed that it had signed an agreement to build a rail

line to Maradi in the neighbouring Republic of Niger, to enable Nigeria evacuate petrol from a refinery in that country that has a production capacity of 20, 000 barrels per day. Nigeria has four refineries, with a combined refining capacity of about 445, 000 barrels per day. Why should Nigeria be more interested in a refinery in Niger when it should be seen to be fixing its own?

The additional talk about a rail line to Niger, stopping just at the border, only had the effect of raising more suspicions. Nigeria’s four refineries operate at a loss, maintained as they are at public expense. Without a doubt, resolving the energy crisis in Nigeria remains a perennial headache for successive Nigerian governments.

Nonetheless, the Buhari government may have managed to crawl out of the woods in the past few weeks. But a lot will depend on how it manages the pathways ahead. This is what I mean: In November, the President commissioned a modular refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State, the Waltersmith modular refinery, with a capacity of 5, 000 barrels per day, expandable to 50, 000 bpd. Other modular refineries are reportedly in the pipeline. This is in addition to the much-touted 650,000 bpd, Dangote Refinery, expected to be delivered by 2021. This is in line with the presumption that improved local refining capacity will help reduce the pump price of fuel. It may also assuage the feeling of hurt associated with the thinking that rather than look towards Niger, considered by many a satellite state of Nigeria, it is better for Nigeria to look inwards and develop its own resources.

Perhaps, the more notable effort in this direction is the launch by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 1, of the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) at the Lugbe Dispensing Station in Abuja.

Officially, the year 2020, is designated as “the Year of Gas”, the year when Nigeria declared its intention to move faster to claim its bona fide as a gas country. I believe that it was in this context that Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum and the GMD NNPC, Kyari, offered Auto-gas as an alternative to petrol after deregulation.

On December 1, President Buhari signalled the country’s determination to move along on that lane. The plan is as follows: (1) the Department of Petroleum Resources has instructed about 9, 000 filling stations across the country to start the installation of facilities for gas products as an alternative to petrol; (2) the government is committed to the conversion of one million vehicles from petrol to Auto-gas by the end of 2021; (3) government vehicles are already being converted from petrol to gas; (4) the projection is that the average Nigerian motorist will have access to fuel at a much cheaper rate. Auto-gas will be no more than N97 per litre. Petrol is currently N168 per litre; (5) at the official launch in Lugbe, Abuja, the NLC received five buses converted to run on Auto-gas. The total that was agreed upon at a September meeting was 133 CNG buses. Femi Adesina, Presidential spokesman has written an op-ed to argue that these developments provide an opportunity to think of the situation in the country as half-full, rather than half-empty. He sees a fulfilment of legacy ahead. What do I think?

I think that the Auto-gas plan is a very good policy. Mele Kyari, NNPC GMD and Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum, with their boss, Buhari providing necessary leadership, should be commended for moving the needle in this direction. In the most recent past, poor co-ordination and lack of synergy in the oil and gas sector, frustrated every meaningful effort, as birds of passing fought over territory and influence. There have been experimental attempts in Nigeria to promote a gas policy. Even the idea of auto-gas as alternative fuel is not new (in Edo State, a few years ago, there were experimental efforts), but perhaps in terms of articulation, this

is the loudest effort made so far. The resort to Auto-Gas will provide cheaper fuel. It will curb carbon emission in line with global environmental expectations and Nigeria’s commitment to the Paris Climate Change Agreement (2015) and the insistence of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on a limit of no more than 1.5-degree centigrade greenhouse emission. The move towards alternative automotive fuel also signals concrete policy action on the part of the Nigerian government, a commitment that Nigerian Presidents have expressed at every UN Plenary session in the last decade. Nigeria has 263 trillion cubic feet of gas in proven reserves. The country is among the top ten gas countries in the world but per capita consumption of gas in Nigeria is one of the lowest, even within the West African sub-region. The Nigeria Gas Programme is meant to boost the domestic utilization of gas in the country. Gas is clean, cheap, flexible, affordable and practical. It has a faster combustion rate than petrol. The Federal Government tells us that it will create about two million jobs, save cost of transportation, reduce engine noise, protect our environment, expand the country’s energy mix, and reduce our dependence on foreign exports once there is a stable energy market at home in Nigeria. This is possible, with the right political will.

There are more than 70 countries in the world where Auto-gas is either preferred or is part of the energy mix, with Turkey, South Korea, Poland, Italy and Australia as the most dominant. This is so despite the fact that vehicle manufacturers seem to be more focused on the development of electronic vehicles (EVs). Yesterday, the United Kingdom opened its first major all-electric auto service station as demand increases for environmentally friendly vehicles to reach about 30 million on the road by 2040. Nigeria, beginning with Auto-gas-propelled vehicles is definitely on the right track. It can only be hoped that vehicle manufacturers will devote as much attention to Auto Gas vehicles as they do to EVs. The residual issue for now in Nigeria is the cost of conversion from petrol to gas. Many vehicles manufactured in the last decade can be easily converted from petrol to gas or re-designed to operate in a dual-fuel mode. Nigerians are already grumbling about the cost of petrol. When they were initially told last week, that conversion from petrol to gas will cost as much as N250, 000 per vehicle, that caused a lot of panic. The Technical Adviser who made that announcement has since retracted the statement. What government plans to do, we have been told subsequently, is to convert one million vehicles free of charge between now and 2021 December. Sounds nice, but what will be the criteria for choosing the beneficiaries? The size of the car? The beauty of the owner’s face?

Ethnicity? Religion? Political party affiliation? If the Federal Government of Nigeria plans to convert one million vehicles to Auto-gas in one year, it would have to come up with a sharing formula that is in accord with the country’s Federal Character formula! That is one problem to worry about.

The Federal Government has also promised a financing scheme of N250 billion in the form of stimulus and intervention facility to promote gas penetration. Excellent idea, but how will the money be shared? And by the way, how much exactly is a conversion kit, for the benefit of Nigerians who may not be covered by the government’s one million charity scheme? Electricity DISCOs are complaining that they don’t get gas to power turbines. What is the guarantee that there will be regular gas supply to power the Auto-gas development scheme? Gas supply in Nigeria is a big problem and that is another topic entirely.

My final take: Good policy, poor communication so far, and that requires a little more work. I also think government needs to work harder on the inter-related Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

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