THURSDAY 31TH DECEMBER 2020

NSE Leads Global Stock Market in Performance Heads for best annual return in seven years Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) All-Share Index is closing 2020 as the best performing, recording a

growth of 47.2 per cent a day to end of the year. The return, which is the highest annual growth since 2013, is the most among 93 equity indexes tracked by Bloomberg.

The NSE ASI, which opened the year at 26,842.07 soared to 39,512.31 as at Wednesday, while market capitalisation jumped from N12.969 trillion to N20.66 trillion. The

Nigerian equities market has been riding on low yields in the fixed income market and renewed interest by domestic investors to outperform other global markets.

Significant portion of the growth has been recorded in December with the market appreciating 12.8 per cent as investors’ appetite for riskier assets remained strong due

to persistent low yield on fixed-income instruments.

Besides, bellwether, Dangote Cement Plc, has attracted high Continued on page 8

FG Targets 100 Isolation Centres, 400 PHCs in New Electrification Drive... Page 6 Thursday 31 December, 2020 Vol 25. No 9397. Price: N250

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Restrictions on Crossover Vigils Stay, Lagos, Ogun Insist Oyo bows to pressure, relaxes regulations Redeemed Church, MFM, Winners' Chapel, others adjust programmes Segun James in Lagos, Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and James Sowole in Akure The Lagos State and Ogun State governments have rebuffed pressures from churches to relax restrictions introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections so they could hold crossover vigils today to usher in the New

Year.

The two states, with a high concentration of headquarters of churches in the country, insisted that the 12am-4am curfew introduced by the federal government, as part of measures to combat COVID-19 remains in place. They warned that dire consequences await Continued on page 8

Following Court Order, NAICOM Stops Insurers’ Recapitalisation Reprieve for firms as deadline expires today Goddy Egene and Ebere Nwoji in Lagos and James Emejo in Abuja Insurance companies yesterday got a breather in their efforts to recapitalise their businesses as the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) yesterday announced the suspension of the exercise,

whose deadline expires today.

The commission cited the need to obey the December 21 restrained order by Justice C. J. Aneke of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, for its decision.

The commission had directed insurance firms to Continued on page 8

RITES OF PASSAGE FOR NSOFOR....

L-R: Mr. Cross Nsofor, son of the immediate-past Ambassador of Nigeria to the United States, Justice Sylvanus Nsofor; the widow, Mrs Jean Nsofor; and the Charge D’Affaires, Nigerian Embassy, Washington D.C., Mrs Jane Adams, at a service of songs in honour of the late ambassador, in Washington... Tuesday

Again, Troops, ISWAP in Fierce Gunfight in Borno... Page 5

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

Again, Troops, ISWAP in Fierce Gunfight in Borno 11 local hunters killed by Boko Haram landmines 23 women, children rescued in Katsina

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Troops yesterday ambushed fighters of the Islamic State for African Province (ISWAP) on two Hilux vans mounted with anti-aircraft guns, leading to a gun battle that lasted 30 minutes in Tunkushe, 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The fierce encounter came as 11 local hunters were killed by Boko Haram landmines while troops rescued 23 women and children in Katsina State.

The insurgents, wearing military uniforms, were ambushed by troops in Tunkushe.

A military source said the attackers were suspected to be from the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

“The attempted attack by the terrorists was repelled by the troops of 212 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in a very strategic ambush in a heavy gunfight that lasted for more than 30 minutes.

“While two soldiers were wounded in the encounter, at least three dead bodies of the attackers can be seen here as the troops are still pursuing fleeing members of the group “Items recovered from the insurgents include; one gun truck mounted with anti-aircraft gun, AK-47 rifle, buffen radio and various types of other ammunition. Several traces of blood were also seen along the route where the remaining insurgents escaped in disarray,” the source told PRNigeria.

Besides, 11 local hunters assisting the military in the battle against the insurgents were killed on Tuesday when a landmine, believed to have been planted on the road by Boko Haram, blew up their vehicle.

The local hunters were pursing suspected Boko Haram that had rustled cows from areas in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, also led to 19 others sustaining varying degrees of injury.

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, had on the same day equipped local hunters with eight Toyota Hilux vehicles and accessories in order to make them go after Boko Haram.

Both Senator Kashim Shettima, representing Borno Central in the Senate and Hon. Ahmed Satomi representing Jere Federal Constituency in the House of

Representatives confirmed the incident yesterday to THISDAY. Satomi said: “It was sad that seven local hunters were lost to a landmine with 19 others injured.

“Hunters on patrol, after receiving an alert that Boko Haram had carted away some cattle from some villages, decided to pursue them, but unfortunately they hit a landmine in their pursuit.

“On their way after a village called Kayamla in Konduga after Alau Dam, they hit a landmine and their vehicle got broken and they had to call for reinforcement from a nearby unit.

“The reinforcement came with a vehicle loaded with about 20 local hunters, which moved to support the first vehicle and on their way, they hit another landmine which scattered their vehicles killing seven and injuring 19 others.”

One of the survivors, Abubakar Gambo, had told journalists in Maiduguri that they were 19 onboard their patrol truck when they heard a loud bang.

“We were on patrol along Kayamla route when one of the rear tyres of our Toyota Land Cruiser truck exploded.

“We thought it was a common tyre burst, but we later discovered it was a bomb blast,” he said.

He added while they were trying to change the tyre, they spotted some Boko Haram gunmen creeping towards them, which made them to begin to fire in their direction while calling for a backup.

He said the Boko Haram terrorists fled and left some rustled herds of cows behind.

Gambo said: “Our backup team arrived and began to chase after the insurgents who had already gone far into the bush. As they were making their way back, the vehicle ran over a massive bomb that exploded and killed nine of them instantly, while nine others were injured. I saw their vehicle as it was tossed up into the air.”

The Borno state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sa’ina Buba, while confirming the incident during the funeral of the seven slain hunters in Maiduguri, said: “We were saddened by the death of these gallant hunters who have sacrificed their lives to protect us.

He said the corpses were evacuated on Tuesday and the injured were taken to the hospital.

Similarly, four soldiers were killed on Monday when their

vehicle hit a landmine planted

by Boko Haram fighters in Logomani village near the border with Cameroon, two security sources told AFP. Meanwhile, personnel of Operation Hadarin Daji, yesterday rescued 23 women and children after the troops and helicopter gunships subdued the armed bandits in Wurma village in Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State.

A military update issued by the Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO) said following credible information on armed bandits' activities at Wurma village on December 29, troops, in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, mobilised to the location.

The troops engaged the bandits who had kidnapped some locals and rustled some livestock from Kwayawa village in Safana Local

Government Area.

"With superior firepower and support by Nigerian Air Force helicopter gunship, the armed bandits were forced to abandon the kidnapped victims.

"Consequently, the troops rescued 18 women and five children as well as recovered 75 rustled livestock. During the encounter, troops also arrested one bandits' informant named, Mohammed Saleh, along with

some arms and ammunition," he said The update, signed by the Coordinator of DDMO, Major General John Enenche, said the rescued kidnapped victims were reunited with their families and the recovered livestock handed over to the owners while the arrested bandits' informant were handed over to appropriate prosecuting agency for further action.

REWARD FOR HARD WORK...

L-R: Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Aminchi Baraye; Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, and Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, at the decoration of Mba with his new rank of Commissioner of Police, in Abuja... yesterday

Buhari Asks NASENI to Distribute Refurbished Tractors to Farmers

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday asked the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to distribute tractors being refurbished at the agency's institute in Minna, Niger State to farmers.

Buhari issued the directive while receiving a briefing from the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna.

Buhari said one of the most crucial modern implements required to till the ground and help farmers to reap bountiful

harvests is tractor.

Haruna had told Buhari that some of the tractors are currently being refurbished through partnership arrangement between NASENI and Machine & Equipment Corsotium Africa (MECA) as well as the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture Lending(NIRSAL).

He said the tractors are kept in one of NASENI’s institute in Minna, Niger State.

Buhari, who is the Chairman of the Governing Board of NASENI, said he was satisfied with the activities of the agency, most especially the efforts to

fabricate agricultural tools and reverse engineering of modern machines and equipment aimed at boosting agricultural activities.

Haruna later told journalists that “President Buhari was eager to see that the tractors were deployed to farmers before the next farming season.”

He also said the president was concerned about the state of drudgery and sufferings of farmers without modern farm implements, adding that his administration will do everything within its powers to improve agriculture.

Haruna added that Buhari

directed him to give him feedback on the implementation of his directive on the deployment of the tractors.

The president also directed him to convene a board meeting of NASENI immediately.

He noted that “an agency like NASENI was set up by the founding fathers in 1992 to bridge the technology and infrastructure gaps between a country like Nigeria and most developed countries of the world whose secrets of advanced socio-economic well-being was their continued investment in science, technology and research.”

FG Plans to Boost Domestic Gas Usage by Q1 2021 Kyari explains capping of petrol price despite deregulation Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government has intensified efforts to ensure that Nigeria achieves self-sufficiency in the domestic production and utilisation of its gas resources by the first quarter of 2021.

The government noted that currently, Nigeria’s production capacity is insufficient to satisfy local demand, especially for major industries like the Dangote Cement factory, which requires huge gas supplies to sustain its operations.

Speaking when he visited the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, at the media organisation’s corporate head office in Abuja on Tuesday, the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),

Mallam Mele Kyari, explained that Nigeria’s aggressive development of its gas resources will soon begin to bear fruits.

In an interview with the organisation, released yesterday, the NNPC boss said contrary to issues raised by some stakeholders as to the actual deregulation of the downstream petroleum industry, the oil market had been fully liberalised, meaning that the government has completely withdrawn the payment of subsidies.

On steps being taken to boost the gas market, Kyari stated that some projects that are critical to the delivery of gas hitherto delayed are now being completed.

He said: “We have several projects spanning 10 years. Many of them were hugely delayed

for various reasons, sometimes for financial constraints that government faces over time, and also sometimes probably out of a sheer lack of will to deliver on those projects, and there are a number of them.

“There’s a major trunk, Nigeria’s gas pipeline spanning all the way from the east, specifically from around Port Harcourt, all the way across the country into Abuja, all the way to Kano.

“Then also you have another line that links the east to the west, through what we call the Escravos-Lagos pipeline segment, and then the OB – OB 3 pipeline. The connection of these three means that you can take gas from anywhere in the country, and also deliver to the key consumption point.”

While giving assurances

that by mid-February 2021 that there will be sufficient gas for domestic consumption with the completion of some gas infrastructure, Kyari noted that by then, the country will have enough stock waiting for buyers, rather than the opposite which is currently happening.

He added: “More importantly, there’s what we call the OB-3 gas river crossing. That’s a pipeline that is supposed to cross the river Niger to join the OB-3 network and that also has been hanging for a long time.

“We have also put the process by end of January or latest by middle of February, we would have achieved this. What that will mean is that gas will be waiting for customers and not the other way around.

“Today, customers are waiting

for gas. There are a number of customers we are not able to satisfy today, including the major customer like the Dangote Cement factory in Kogi State, and many other assets that we are not able to deliver full gas to because those infrastructures are not in place.”

According to him, Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is now fully deregulated, adding that as far as institutions of government and markets are concerned, the sector is fully liberalised with little government interference.

He stated that the little interference by the government in the gas market is to prevent ordinary Nigerians from being exploited by oil marketers.

“Deregulation means government does not pay any subsidy on the cost of petroleum, or any other commodity. So

this market is completely deregulated.

“It means that people can go to the market, buy the product, come into our markets, and sell or even buy from NNPC and sell to the market, and then recover the cost and then at a reasonable margin,” Kyari said.

He stated that all the challenges in the sector in terms of deregulation were because the process was still in a transition, noting that there is no provision for subsidy in the 2020 Appropriation Act and in the approved 2021 budget.

According to him, issues surrounding the inability of oil marketing companies to import petroleum products into the country, due to foreign exchange crisis, are being resolved with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

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FG Targets 100 Isolation Centres, 400 PHCs in New Electrification Drive Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government said yesterday that it was set to power over 100 COVID-19 isolation centres and 400 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) nationwide through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

A statement from the REA in Abuja, stated that as part of the COVID-19 intervention scheme, solar hybrid mini-grids were deployed a few months ago in the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital isolation centre, which got 53.1kWp and at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) public health lab, Lagos which received 25kw.

It noted that 20kw plant was established at the 128-bed isolation centre in Ikenne, Ogun State and a 10kw facility built at the 100-bed Iberekodo isolation centre, also in Ogun State.

“These interventions will be scaled up to 100 isolation centres and 400 primary health centres, to be deployed in phases,” the agency stated.

It explained that during the year, some mini-grid grid projects were completed in Eka Awoke, Ebonyi State, with 100kw, 30kw solar hybrid mini-grid in Bambami village, Batagarawa council, Katsina State and 100kw solar hybrid mini-grid at Olooji community, Ijebu-East, Ogun State.

In addition, the REA listed the

100kw solar hybrid mini-grid at Budo-Are community, Oyo State, 40kw solar hybrid mini-grid at Goton-Sarki community, Paikoro LGA, Niger state, 85kwp solar mini-grid at Dekiti community, Akko LGA, Gombe and 100kW solar hybrid mini-grid in Adebayo community, Ovia South LGA, Edo State as having been completed.

“Over 15, 000 community members across these communities are benefiting from these installations. These interventions have also improved the socio-economic status of these communities through productive use of electricity.

“6,805 solar home systems have been deployed across six states (Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Katsina) and more is designed to deliver mini-grids to 12 communities and 19, 000 SHS in total,” the agency said.

On grid extension projects, the REA added that Unguwar Dutse community, Malumfashi, Katsina State got a 33/0.415kv transformer serving about 4,000 residents of the community, while Ajijola-Anabi community, Osun State received a 300kva, 11/0.415kv transformer.

The REA explained that solar mini-grids were completed in Joint Hospital, Ozubulu, Ikwusigo, Anambra State – 7.5kW, powering critical loads at the hospital, 65kW was

National Interest Dictated Non-confirmation of Magu, Others, Says Saraki Chuks Okocha in Abuja Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Saraki, yesterday shed more light on why the Senate under his leadership between 2015 and 2019 did not confirm the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, and other nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Till his suspension from office on July 7, Magu, appointed in November 2015, operated as an acting chairman of the anti-graft body.

His nomination was presented twice was for confirmation and the Senate rejected him on both occasions.

Magu, who was the prominent among Buhari’s rejected nominees, was not confirmed owing to a report by the Department of State Services (DSS), which accused him of corruption in 2017.

But Magu has now been indicted for corruption by a presidential panel that probed him after the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, wrote a memo to the president, accusing the former anti-graft czar of gross malfeasance.

Speaking on why the Senate did not confirm Magu and others, Saraki in a series of tweets on his verified tweeter handle, said: "When we didn’t confirm certain appointees, it was because we did our due diligence."

He also spoke on the summons of the Inspector General of Police and other security chiefs by the Eighth Senate.

He said: "When we invited the Inspector General of Police and the security chiefs, it was because we wanted to find solutions to the issues of insecurity at the time. It was never about a personal agenda.

It was always about Nigeria!"

He explained that all the decisions he took then as the Senate president were guided by national interest.

"As I used to emphasise during our conversations while I was President of the 8th @NGRSenate: the decisions that we took, the positions we adopted, and the interventions that we embarked on, were in the interest of the nation," he added.

Apart from Magu, the Senate under Saraki refused to confirm all the 46 non-career ambassadorial nominees forwarded to it by Buhari.

It, however, approved all the 47 designated as career ambassadors.

The refusal was not unconnected with the protests and complaints by some prominent members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including state governors, against the manner the president was allegedly making political appointments without the input of other stakeholders.

However, one of the rejected nominees, Aliyu Abubakar, was confirmed by the Ninth Senate as a non-executive commissioner on the board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The previous Senate had rejected him on account of low academic qualifications. But Abubakar, from Bauchi State, was renominated by Buhari for the same position.

deployed to the 250-bed cottage hospital at Okpogo community, Okene LGA, Kogi State, while Government Cottage Hospital, Adavi Eba, Adavi LGA, Kogi State, got 5.4kW solar power.

“These systems are sufficiently serving these hospitals by powering critical loads and ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare services to the people of the community.

“Other projects include the 8.2MW Solar hybrid mini-grid in FUAM, serving over 17, 000 students and staff members, a workshop and training centre designed to train the EEP-STEM interns and 470 solar streetlights installed to

ensure security on campus.

“So far, BUK, FUAM and Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (FUNAI) have all energised under the EEP, while a total of 18.5MW has already deployed under the EEP, with 100 STEM interns trained at the workshop and Training Centres, 740 jobs created.

On the phase two of the Energising Education Project (EEP), the agency explained that term sheets had been signed with the University of Abuja, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Federal University Gashua, University of Calabar and its

teaching hospital, University Teaching Hospital Abeokuta and University of Maiduguri as well as its teaching hospital.

“These term sheets kick off deeper engagements with the EEP Phase II beneficiary institutions. Upon completion, all these institutions will be energised with clean, safe and reliable energy,” it stated.

Also in 2020, the REA said Akipelai and Oloibiri in Bayelsa State have now been powered by a 134.64kW solar hybrid mini-grid where 364 households are being served.

It stated that Shimankar, in Plateau State, now has 234kW, serving 1,972 households,

273 commercial users in the community, with over 200 jobs created in the construction phase of the projects.

“All these three communities are being powered under the NEP Performance-Based Grant (PBG). The target is to electrify 1 million households and 90,000 MSMEs through this component.

“Under the solar power naija, the electrification of five million households is on and this will serve about 25 million Nigerians in rural areas and under-served urban communities as well as create about 250,000 jobs in the energy sector,” the agency said.

TIME OUT WITH THE DISABLED...

L-R: Counsellor, The Pacelli School for the Blind & Partially Sighted Children, Rev. Sis. Christiana Ekechukwu; Head-Boy, Oyewole Demilade; Head-Girl, Adeniyi Oyindamola; School Bursar, Rev. Sis. Stella Eyaba, and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during an interactive session with People Living with Disabilities, in Lagos...yesterday

Expert Proffers Ways to Ease NIN Data Capture Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie Following the unprecedented crowd that besieged the offices of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other registration centres nationwide to enrol for their National Identification Numbers (NINs), a technology expert has said that Nigeria needs a standard Internet Protocol (IP) address system to help decongest crowd during NIN enrolment.

Chairman of Mobile Software Solutions and former President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Mr. Chris Uwaje, who spoke yesterday on The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS Channels, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, blamed the federal government for the congested crowd.

He said the government has failed to carry along technology experts in its approach to national issues involving the deployment of technology.

According to him, Nigeria should develop an indigenous biometric IP, and use it to generate temporary registration, where people’s information could be used for registration and within few minutes the registration is done without the issuance of NIN on the spot.

He added that the NIN could be issued after some

weeks when the registration is completed online.

“People can send their basic information to NIMC or any licensed agents, using their smartphones, without physically being present at enrolment centres. With this arrangement, people do not need to wait in any enrolment centre and there will be no stamped,” Uwaje said.

NIMC is the government agency responsible for the registration and issuance of NIN slips and national identity cards, but the challenge with NIMC, which is already affecting the ease of NIN enrolment, according to Uwaje, “is that NIMC does not own the biometric Internet Protocol (IP) that it uses for enrolment. The biometric IPs that NIMC is currently using are foreign based IPs, and this is wrong because NIMC could be sabotaged anytime because it is using foreign-based biometric IPs, more so that biometric IPs are of security concerns with security implications.”

Nigeria has over 15 digital hubs and they could come together to develop biometric IPs for NIN enrolment, but because government is working in silos and has refused to work with indigenous technology experts in the country, government has so much depended on foreign solutions to address local solutions, which of course poses national security risks for the country, Uwaje added.

“We have the smartphones and the feature phones in Nigeria and feature phone, which is also dominant in Nigeria, has its limitations and cannot be used to enrol and access NIN, unlike the smartphones that have several features and can be used for NIN enrolment,” Uwaje said.

Addressing the issue of using technology to stop the spread of COVID-19, Uwaje said government must explore the triangle connection between government, academia and the technology industry to assist the government in combating the COVId-19 pandemic.

“If Nigeria wants to get it right, just like other countries are doing, government needs to engage technocrats and invest in research that will bring solution to the pandemic. Government should begin to fund various researches for COVID-19 cure as well as fund communication and digital awareness to make Nigerians more conscious about the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

“Government should collaborate with the media to shape the attitudinal behaviour of Nigerians, who still do not believe that the virus is still living with us. The media is a good channel to broadcast information on the health risks surrounding COVID-19 and the media should have access to infected persons and be allowed

to broadcast images of affected persons in order to instill fear and discipline in Nigerians who do not still believe in the virus. This is true because images that are broadcast by the media can tell thousands of stories across the country.

Therefore we need more digital sensitisation of the people on the part of government,” Uwaje said.

He expressed concern that while the global community is talking about vaccines to fight the pandemic, Nigeria is yet to make any commitment about COVID-19 vaccines because there had been no research on COVId-19 that is funded by government.

"The future of work, education, lifestyle and learning has changed because of the new normal brought about

by Coronavirus. We therefore need new ways that are driven by technology to adapt to the new normal.

"To achieve this, the technology industry needs soft loans from government to fund researches and local content development. The technology industry needs emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IoTs), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Realities (AR), among others, to drive the process of technology researches that will bring new solutions to address our challenges," Uwaje added.

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PAGE EIGHT NSE LEADS GLOBAL STOCK MARKET IN PERFORMANCE patronage as traders position ahead of the commencement of the cement company’s share buyback programme.

Similarly, BUA Cement Plc has recorded significant growth as investors flocked to the stock after the company announced expansion plans.

MTN Nigeria Plc and Airtel

Africa Plc have received unprecedented demand that has lifted their shares, thereby boosting the overall performance of the market.

Analysts at Cordros Securities have said bull run in the equities market would extend into 2021, saying a mix of elevated

liquidity, low interest rates, attractive dividend yields, and earnings recovery favour an extension of the equity bull market.

According to them, the performance in the fixed income market will be a tale of two halves, as they expect yields to remain in

the low single-digit territory through first half (H1) of 2021 with a moderate uptrend to account for reduced market participation as investors seek yields in other asset classes.

“However, in the latter part of the year, we believe that a combination of weak market participation,

revision of monetary policy to a tightening cycle, widening fiscal deficit, and fragile macroeconomic environment will lead to an increase in yields over 2021.

Similar to the fixed income market, we also expect it to be a tale of two halves for Nigerian equities in 2021, with

the market delivering further upside in the first half of 2021 before retracing slightly in the second half on an expected reversal in fixed income yields. The sources of risks remain plenty, the macro story remains uninspiring, and valuations are elevated,” they said.

that insurance sector remained bullish with its capitalisation standing at N149 billion as at yesterday. This was 38 per cent above the N107.48 billion value when the recapitalisation was announced last year.

Market analysts said some discerning investors are finding insurance stocks attractive considering their low valuations and efforts made by some of the companies to comply with the new capital requirements.

High demand for the stocks, which is an indication of investors’ confidence, has led to the significant price appreciation. Some of the stocks that have recorded year-to-date (YTD) growth are: AIICO Insurance Plc; Cornerstone Insurance Plc; Custodian Investment Plc; Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc and Coronation Insurance Plc. Many of the companies had activated strategies and plans to meet the recapitalisation deadline.

While some had raised additional capital via right issues, others were considering merger and acquisition. However, the recapitalisation plans of some firms were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent destruction of lives and property occasioned by the #ENDSARS protests.

THISDAY had reported that some Chief Executive Officers

(CEOs) of insurance companies recently called on NAICOM to waive the first phase of its segmented recapitalisation from December 31, 2020.

The CEOs were said to have made the call recently during a meeting with Insurance Commissioner, Mr. Sunday Thomas, in Ogun State.

One of the CEOs was quoted as saying: “The waiver will give the insurance and reinsurance companies more time to settle back to business and pursue their full recapitalisation programme in order to meet the commission’s set objectives by December 31, 2021.

“As operators, we were more concerned about the aspect relating to attainment of certain thresholds by December 31, 2020, failing which the commission may restrict the scope of business insurance and reinsurance companies will transact. We observed the huge impact of COVID-19 on the financial services sector and the national economy at large, coupled with the situation that was worsened by losses from the nationwide #EndSARS protests. We are convinced that it will take businesses, especially insurance companies, some time to ascertain the full extent of loss and recover from the shock of the devastating developments,” the CEO added.

Also, the House of Representatives had called for the suspension of the proposed recapitlislation of insurance companies and intermediaries.

This followed a unanimous adoption of a motion by Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

According to Kalu, in addition to the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian economy was just announced to be officially in a recession, noting that this signified that there will be significant slowdown in economic activities and the liquidity position of both the government and businesses are negatively impacted.

“In times as this, the best move by the government and regulators is to push more liquidity into the economy in a bid to stimulate economic activities, encourage spending and prevent job losses as well as support the indigenous businesses in the country. This is pertinent because in addition to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry was also affected by the aftermath of the ENDSARS protests in which several insured properties were affected.

“To this effect, most of these insurance companies have tonnes of liabilities to settle in order to fulfil their obligations so as not to deny the rights of these affected insured persons,” he had said.

midnight to 4am imposed by the federal government. Many of the churches have been adjusting their programmes.

Churches are well-organised and we believe they will comply,” he added.

The Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, also said the commission would be working with the police to enforce all restrictions, especially during the New Year .

According to him, the commission will not wait till the New Year's eve to do its job.

The governor directed that all markets are to open strictly between 8a.m. and 4p.m. while maintaining social distancing and observing all COVID-19 protocols, including the use of face mask, provision of hand sanitisers, and/or hand-washing equipment at every strategic point within their malls, shops and business premises.

The Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, also mandated all worship centres not to exceed 50 per cent of their capacity.

“In order to stem the spread of the second wave of the disease, Governor Abiodun advised that “there should be no gatherings of more than 50 people at any event or ceremonies, such as conferences, congresses, office events, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, cross-over nights, end of year parties, weddings, naming, birthdays, anniversaries, street carnivals, etc until further notice”.

While urging citizens to celebrate in moderation, Abiodun said they should take personal responsibilities for their safety and stay within their residences and not embark on travels within and outside the state to ensure they neither transmit nor contract the virus.

“For religious centres, the League of Imams and the Christian leaders adopted the earlier positions taken in the wake of COVID-19 earlier in the year such as all worship activities must be observed

by not more than 50 per cent of capacity.

“All congregants must wear their face masks appropriately (that is, No facemask, No entry)” “There should be reliable sources of running water.

“Worship centres should be adequately cleaned and disinfected before and after services.

"There should be provision of alcohol-based sanitiser, which must be used before and at intervals of every 20

FOLLOWING COURT ORDER, NAICOM STOPS INSURERS’ RECAPITALISATION recapitalise on or before December 31,2020 and later extended it to September 30, 2021.

But the exercise encountered some legal brickwalls as Justice Aneke ordered the suspension of the exercise.

Justice Aneke had restrained NAICOM from taking any further steps in implementing its deadline date for insurance and reinsurance companies to recapitalise.

The commission told THISDAY that it will abide by the Federal High Court ruling, pending the outcome of litigation brought before the court by some aggrieved operators.

The judge had delivered the ruling in an ex-parte application brought before the court by the Incorporated Trustees of the Pragmatic Shareholders’ Association of Nigeria.

In the motion, marked FHC/L/CS/1797/2020, filed on December 15, 2020, and moved on behalf of the group by their lawyer, I.C. Ifedora, the applicant prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the defendant and its agents from taking further steps in the recapitalisation process in the insurance industry pending the hearing and determination of its motion on notice before the court.

Following the new

development, the commission had remained silent on the judgment, keeping stakeholders in the dark regarding its next line of action and whether the recapitalisation timelines still stand.

It was, however, gathered that despite the opposition, some insurance firms had already complied with the directive to inject fresh capital into their respective companies.

Responding to THISDAY inquiry on the position of the commission as a result of the ruling, NAICOM Head, Corporate Communications and Market Development Department, Mr. Rasaaq Salami, in a text message yesterday, said: "You are aware that the issue is in court and there's an interim order of the court. NAICOM, being a responsible and law-abiding organisation will respect the order of the court."

The commission had in June extended the deadline issued to insurance operators to raise their minimum paidup capital to September 2021 from December 31, 2020.

However, the regulator broke the recapitalisation programme into two-phases - mandating insurance firms to provide 50 per cent of the required capital by December 31, while balancing the remaining 50 per cent by

September 30, 2021.

Under the proposed capital injection, life insurance firms are required to meet a minimum paid-up capital of N8 billion, from the previous N2 billion, while general insurance companies are required to raise their minimum paid-up capital to N10 billion from N3 billion.

NAICOM also raised the regulatory capital for composite insurance from N5 billion to N18 billion, while it increased the minimum capital of reinsurance businesses from N10 billion to N20 billion.

Earlier yesterday, operators had told THISDAY that they were in a quandary over the next step to take following the December 21 order of the court.

They said NAICOM had remained silent over the court ruling, thereby creating uncertainty in the industry.

A top official at the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), who asked not to be named, had told THISDAY that the operators were yet to receive any official directive from NAICOM. “Everybody is looking up to NAICOM on the next line of action,” the source said.

Meanwhile, insurance stocks have remained attractive and resilient despite uncertainties over the direction of the recapitalisation exercise.

THISDAY checks showed

RESTRICTIONS ON CROSSOVER VIGILS STAY, LAGOS, OGUN INSIST individuals and groups that violate the regulations.

The Ondo State government, which on Tuesday had warned churches against holding any crossover service in the state today, also reiterated its warning while assuring the clergy that its decision was not to undermine Christianity, but to safeguard public health.

However, Oyo State has bowed to pressure from the church as the government yesterday relaxed the curfew to allow for the holding of crossover services.

Despite warnings by the federal and state governments on the danger of allowing events that could attract large crowds, as part of measures to tackle the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, some religious leaders have kicked against any attempt to stop the traditional crossover services to usher in the New Year.

Some of them have vowed to go ahead with their programmes notwithstanding the caution from the government.

However, in compliance with the government's directives, some of the major churches in Ogun and Lagos States, such as The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) and Living Faith Church Worldwide, aka Winners’ Chapel, have adjusted their programmes to conform to the directive.

Already, the Christian

Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged churches to comply with all government regulations to combat the spread of COVID-19 while conducting their crossover services.

CAN, against the backdrop of the controversy between churches and the association on the duration of crossover vigil, had on Tuesday directed its members to end their services by 11pm.

CAN President, Rev Samson Ayokunle, in a statement, had said the advice was necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection.

Amid the defiance of some churches to hold the crossover services today, the Lagos State Government yesterday urged residents to comply with all restrictions imposed by the authorities to curb the spread of the pandemic.

It said Lagosians who violated the 12a.m. to 4a.m. curfew imposed by the federal government and other protocols would face the wrath of the law.

The government urged all churches in the state to respect the curfew and avoid physical crossover services and large gatherings today.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said: “If you flout any of these rules, you can be fined. You will be taken to court and the magistrate will decide on the sanction.

“But it is not just about punishing people. People

are being advised to take responsibility. The regulations were rolled out as an advisory and people have been obeying while people who have disobeyed have faced the consequences.”

Omotosho, in a statement, also said the government’s seeming hardline position on not allowing crossover vigils was informed by the rising cases of COVID-19, which is in its second wave and Lagos State still being an epicentre.

"The role of religious organisations in fighting the pandemic is well noted.

"The Christian Association of Nigeria has issued a statement on how churches should conduct their watchnight services.

"The Sanwo-Olu administration has maintained a harmonious relationship with religious organisations and has confidence in the ability of their leaders to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols amid the clamour for crossover services.

“With what we have been seeing, I don’t think churches will flout the protocols. CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) is in agreement with the government. COVID-19 cases are going up and everybody is worried. Some of the giant churches have also announced that they won’t be holding physical crossover services.

“The Lagos State Government has also told them that there is a curfew by

Ogun Bans Crossover Services The Ogun State government has banned crossover services to usher in the New Year in all worship centres across the state.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kunle Somorin, the directives were issued after a meeting between the state government and religious leaders from the League of Imams and the CAN as well as community leaders as part of the measures and guidelines to safeguard public health as the state prepares for a second wave of the pandemic.

He quoted the governor as directing that all bars, nightclubs, pubs and event centres, recreational centres in the state be closed indefinitely.

Continued on page 40

TOP GAINERS ETERNA INTERBREW BUACEM C & I LEASING JAPAULGOLD TOP LOSERS NCR FTNCOCOA GUINNESS

NGN NGN 0.51 5.61 0.59 6.49 6.40 70.40 0.42 4.73 0.05 0.57 NGN 0.20 8.80 0.02 0.91 0.30 19.00 UPDC 0.01 0.79 JBERGER 0.02 17.80 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,505.00 Volume: 372.934 million shares Value: N11.502 billion Deals: 5,186 As at yesterday 30/12/2020 See details on Page 39

% 10 10 10 9.7 9.6 % 2.2 2.1 1.5 1.2 1.1

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱͯ˜ 2020

COMMENT

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

OLANREWAJU AND LASU’S VICE-CHANCELLORSHIP Ibiyemi Bello is qualified to run for the vacant position, argues Ayodeji Olu Peters

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ut for the possibility of some gullible members of the public being misled by his mischievous antics, there would have been no need to respond to a recent statement by General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd) titled ‘No to imposition of LASU VC’. The statement is riddled with so much illogic and brazen falsehood that if he had been more reflective, Olanrewaju would have refrained from appending his signature to such a document. His undisguised aim is to portray one of the aspirants for the vacant position of vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Professor Ibiyemi Bello, as unqualified for the position. Yet, he offers no iota of proof to disprove her academic credentials, administrative and managerial competence or her ethical integrity. Rather, Olanrewaju alleges without supporting facts that there is an attempt to impose Professor Bello as the next VC of LASU “over better qualified indigenes of Lagos State”.

Going by Olanrewaju’s reasoning and flawed logic, Professor Ibiyemi Bello is not qualified for the position because her husband, Mr. Tunji Bello, is a long serving public servant in Lagos State and currently the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources. In what way does this have to do with his wife’s suitability and eligibility for the office of VC of LASU if she meets the stipulated criteria? Is her husband’s political career a valid reason to jeopardize her own career progression in her chosen sphere of endeavour?

By the way, unlike Olanrewaju, who served as Minister of Communications under discredited military administrations and with no worthy legacy or achievements to show for it, Tunji Bello has, in this political dispensation, served under elected administrations and his record of performance in his assigned spheres of responsibility is well known.

Indeed, Tunji Bello was at the forefront of the barricades on the streets of Lagos during the protracted pro-democracy struggles against the oppressive military dictatorships that General Olanrewaju was part and parcel of.

Olanrewaju claims that Tunji Bello is from Kogi State.

Again, what has that got to do with his wife’s legitimate aspiration to become Vice Chancellor of LASU? But the interesting thing is that this claim by the general is patently false. I am aware, for instance, that Tunji Bello was awarded Lagos State Scholarship for his university education. His father was elected into the Lagos City Council twice under the Action Group (AG) in the First Republic. Tunji Bello’s family house is at Ita Akano on Lagos Island, specifically No. 32, Ajishomo Street, off Nnamdi Azikwe, Lagos Island, known as Bello’s compound. It is very close to Lagos Central Mosque. Although she is from Ondo State, Professor Bello’s mother is an indigene of Lagos State from Olowogbowo in Lagos Island. Again, but for Olanrewaju’s petty and reactionary distractions, what do all of these have to do with qualification and suitability for the Vice Chancellorship of LASU? There are clearly stipulated criteria for qualification to apply for the position of VC at LASU and other Nigerian universities. These criteria meet international standards in our globalized world in which universities seek to meet

THERE ARE CLEARLY STIPULATED CRITERIA FOR THE POSITION OF VC AT LASU AND OTHER NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

global criteria of excellence. Any aspirant who did not meet LASU’s criteria in their advertisement for applications to fill the vacant position of VC at the institution would not even be short-listed for participation in the selection process in the first place. Nowhere do the criteria demand that applicants for the position or their spouses must be indigenes of Lagos State. Incidentally, the first female Vice Chancellor of LASU, who served with distinction, the late Professor Jadesola Akande, was not from Lagos State. It is noteworthy that Professor Bello was Deputy Vice Chancellor to Professor Lateef Hussien as VC and later served as Acting VC of LASU. General Olanrewaju claims that this is the third time in 10 years that Professor Bello will be contesting for the position.

Again, is this a crime? Is there any limit to the number of times an eligible aspirant can compete for the position once they meet the requisite advertised criteria? This kind of pedestrian, even illiterate, reasoning is disgraceful. He claims that Professor Fatiu Akesode contested for the Vice Chancellorship of Ogun State University several years ago and was rejected and asked to go back home to Lagos State. Olanrewaju cites no evidence to back this assertion.

If Professor Akesode was unsuccessful in his alleged bid to be appointed VC of the then OSU, the reasons cannot be as crude and simplistic as Olanrewaju put it. In any case, is such clannishness, if true, an example for any university that seeks global excellence and reckoning to follow?

The eminent academics and university administrators from Lagos State cited by Olanrewaju as being qualified for the position must be embarrassed that they are being portrayed as incapable of competing purely on merit. This is most unfair. After all, the eligibility to apply for the VC position is not even limited to academics at LASU. Pretending to be fighting the cause of indigenes even when he cannot point to a single thing he achieved for Lagos State during his years in public office under the military, Olanrewaju writes, “Surely, this is not the vision of Alhaji Lateef Jakande who built the institution more than 35 years ago to give the indigenes a quality education and at once give the indigenous professionals a place in the sun”.

Olanrewaju is grossly mistaken. Alhaji Jakande was not so narrow-minded and restrictive in his vision and reasoning. That is why he created Lagos State University (LASU) and not Lagos State Indigenes University. Lagos indigenes number among distinguished academics that can compete with the beast anywhere in the world. They do not need Olanrewaju’s misbegotten and self-serving advocacy, which only diminishes and detracts from their undoubted competence and distinguished attainments.

LASU is a fast-growing university of continuously increasing global stature that attracts quality teaching and non-teaching staff as well as students from across Nigeria and even beyond. It is too late in the day to confine LASU to a backwater, clannish institution as the Olanrewajus of this world desire. r1FUFST XSPUF GSPN -BHPT

TANK FARMS OF DEADLY FUMES

Bob Majirioghene Etemiku writes that the activities of some tank farms in Niger Delta are endangering lives

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n November 2020, there were several reports that irate youths of Ute Okpu, Ika North east local government area of Delta State, took to the streets to protest the rising deaths of youths in the area.

According to these reports, the youths got angry after four of them died. The protesters reportedly burnt a market, but were unable to get to their monarch’s palace. A team of soldiers and policemen stopped them. The deaths were said to be unexplainable, and the gist around town was that the gods or deities of the community affected were angry at misdemeanor of certain elders, and so had taken the lives of the youth as propitiation. But investigations have revealed that the youths were not killed by the gods. Rather, they had died from yellow fever and allied ailments from deadly fumes arising from the unregulated activities of tank farms in the Niger Delta. Five inhabitants of Arakpa community in Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State tell their experiences living near tank farms.

Mrs Edith, mother of two children – a boy and a girl - is a petty trader. She lives just as few metres away from the tank farms run by an oil company in Arakpa community in Oghareki in Delta State.

She has lived there for three years. When we met her, she was clearing her nostrils now and again. Mrs Edith claims that ‘odour’ from the storage of fuel and gas in the tank farms is what makes her sneeze and her children to wheeze. She said she always feels dizzy and drowsy. According to Mrs Edith, the ‘odour’ from the tank farms occurs daily and is strong. When the fumes blow around, their eyes itch.

She said that doctors who had treated her for sneezing and cough have advised her to leave that vicinity. Before moving into

the vicinity three years ago, she hardly sneezed or wheezed and her children were not always sickly.

Mr. Kenneth Omasugbo, father of a 10-year-old son Raymond, is an indigene of Oghareki community. Mr Kenneth told us that Raymond often cannot sleep because of shortness of breath. He attributes Raymond’s condition to the activities of an oil company. He said that fumes from operations at the tank farm is usually ‘unbearable’. Mr Kenneth said that he had to take his son away from Oghareki to nearby Oghara for safety after a doctor warned him to leave. After taking him away, Raymond no longer has shortness of breath. But taking Raymond away has not solved his own problems. ‘After I return from work in the evening and enter my house, I always notice a strong smell of gas in my living room. That apart, the noise from their machines affects me. This place used to be a residential place but the oil company has turned it into an industrial ground and we are suffering’.

Mr White Natighome, 56, is a farmer and father of six children. Oghara is his ancestral home. Last year 2019, he claimed that he lost his youngest child, a daughter, to a strange illness. She had coughed and coughed endlessly the night she died. According to Mr. White, he had planned to take his daughter Ejiro to the hospital in the morning but she died in the midnight. Mr White told Wadonor that prior to setting up the tank farms in Oghara, an oil firm bought the land it uses for the tank farms from residents on the land. Thereafter, they paid some kind of compensation to members of the community. But after the oil company began to lift crude off from their tank farm, his life was disrupted. His children could no longer play outside, and his wife

too was forbidden from lighting firewood outside for cooking. Anytime she did, the oil firm management sent soldiers to beat him up, and throw away his food. The company conducts regular medical checks for its staff every two weeks. We know too, that because of the fumes from gas and fuel, they give them milk and beverages.

Even though we who live close by suffer from the effects of the fumes from their company, they ignored us. We have written many letters to them but they refuse to act’, Mr Natighome told us. Mr Natighome also said that doctors have advised him to relocate from that vicinity because water for fishing, drinking from the river close by and that from boreholes for drinking and domestic chores is likely already contaminated. But he cannot move. ‘They bought the land from some of my family members, Babasa and Agbamaido, and they relocated.

Why can’t they buy our land so that we can leave this place?’

There is also the case of Chief Lucky Ubieribo who has lived in the UK for about 40 years. He said he bought the land in 1976 and built upon it in 1980 in Oghareki.

This was before the oil company began operations there in 2014. He travels home every year to spend time with his family, and in 2015, he said he began to experience breathing problems. After he went back to London from his last visit, he said he began to feel weak, tired and dizzy. ‘My GP referred me straight to the hospital and I was admitted in London for one month after an initial diagnosis that my lungs were not working properly. The doctors wanted to know where I live in Nigeria whenever I visit and I described it to them that it is close to a tank and gas farm. Even though the doctors were able to prescribe certain drugs that took care of my lung problem, they told me that living in that area where

gas and tank farms were located poses serious health risks in the short and long terms.

What is happening here is going to cause a disaster in future’, Chief Ubieribo said.

Chief Obodoko Emmanuel is a businessman and a landlord in Oghareki. Together with some members of his community, he approached the owners of the oil company to highlight their problems – health issues from inhaling fumes from fuel and gas from the tank farms. According to Chief Obodoko, there were assurances from the oil company that in due course they were going to acquire any piece of land close to their gas and tank farm. He said the company enumerated certain areas close to the farms and valued them based on her capacity to acquire and pay compensation to effected residents. Some collected a compensation while others who felt cheated from the low value placed on their lands rejected the compensation allegedly paid to them.

Residents want to be evacuated from the community and paid medical compensation.

Because that has not happened, they sought to take matters before the law. In a letter dated 10th September 2019, they wrote to the management through their lawyer over ‘constant exposure to dangerous fumes from the tank farms in their community’.

They also wrote to the attorney general and Commissioner of Justice. In the letter to the commissioner of Justice, Delta State, the Oghareki community reminded him of an earlier visit to his office on March 28, 2019 where they sought his help to stop the firm’s operations bearing in mind the implications of siting an industrial gas and fuel plant in a residential area. r&UFNJLV JT FEJUPS JO DIJFG PG #PC .BKJSJ0HIFOF $PNNVOJDBUJPOT BOE QVCMJTIFST PG 8"%0/03 /JHFS %FMUB $VMUVSBM %JHFTU

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱͯ˜ 2020

EDITORIAL

THE CASE FOR THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED There should be equal opportunities for all citizens

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he recent demonstration at the National Assembly by scores of physically challenged persons from the Niger Delta region should be a wake-up call for the authorities. Part of their grievances include being discriminated against in the distribution of opportunities despite the fact that many of them have the requisite qualifications.

The demonstration came at a time many physically challenged air travellers were prevented from boarding their flights on account of the same problem of discrimination.

In March 2009, the Senate passed a law THE PHYSICALLY outlawing discrimiCHALLENGED MUST BE nation against people EMPOWERED TO HELP with disabilities in Nigeria. At the time, THEMSELVES AND many considered the THEIR FAMILIES AND law a major mileCONTRIBUTE THEIR BIT stone on the rights TO THE GROWTH AND of the physically challenged in our DEVELOPMENT OF THE society. But nothing SOCIETY seems to have changed. A recent news report stated clearly that about 98 per cent of public buildings in the country such as schools, hospitals, banks, even shop stalls, where some can make economic transactions, are still inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Yet the physically challenged persons constitute about 19 per cent of the population.

It must be noted that public buildings in our country have over the years become nothing but a reflection of the attitude of the society towards the physically challenged. They are still discriminated against and face social stigma. From transportation which allows movement and interactions, through health, recreations and even educational services which can make them compete effectively, people with one disability or another are most often deprived of their rights. Everywhere and every day, obstacles are thrown on their paths.

In their recent paper on ‘Social inclusion of persons with disabilities in Nigeria: Challenges and opportunities’, Rosa Martinez and Vemuru argued that when

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

MY 2020 TAKE AWAY

TROUBLED SOUL OF NIGERIA’S EDUCATION

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ncessant and avoidable industrial action has crippled the already fragile Nigerian education system. When it is needed to be back on track, who cares to fix it? Last time, I read a comment made by the Education Minister while telling the students and parents the genesis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) crisis. Malam Adamu Adamu said that a past government sat down and entered into an agreement with ASUU to pay over one trillion Naira. He wondered where the money would come from.

After series of failed meetings to end the strike, the lecturers remained adamant while the government sometimes shrugged and moved on. This can be deduced from Adamu’s position on our varsity system which has been left on its kneels and continues to suffer. Why is it that every bureaucratic ideal thing or structural issue results in disagreement between ASUU and its employer – government?

Remember, a payment platform had once been a source of strike –the controversial IPPIS. Just after three days that ASUU suspended its nine months strike which has caused the education sector especially tertiary institutions a great set back, the FG ordered the suspension of academic activities in Nigerian varsities. This happened like a stillbirth baby after nine months, though, caused by the second

the attitudes of a community are negative towards a particular, vulnerable group, they will struggle much more to realise their potential. “Persons with disabilities in Nigeria persistently face stigma, discrimination, and barriers to accessing basic social services and economic opportunities. Today, they face greater barriers brought about by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” they contended. These are challenges that critical stakeholders must begin to address.

Cosmos Okoli, an enterprising man who has proved that there is ability in disability once said: “We have had cases where some principals and headteachers refused disabled candidates admission not on the basis of incompetence but for their disabilities.” To worsen the situation, many are regarded by their families as a source of shame and treated as objects of charity. The few vocational training centres set up by government are ill-equipped and ill-maintained. Many end up in the streets as beggars while others turn to drugs and other socially unacceptable behaviour to generate income.

We are averse to the demeaning and disdainful manner that the physically challenged are treated. Besides the law that compels the government to accommodate them in any major enterprise, Nigeria is a signatory to many international conventions that support equal opportunities for all their citizens. The United Nations defines equalisation of opportunities as “the process through which the general system of society, such as the physical and cultural environment, housing and transportation, social and health services, educational and work opportunities, cultural and social life, including sports and recreational facilities are made accessible to all.” This should be the goal.

The government as a matter of policy must create a conducive atmosphere for social, economic and political integration of the physically challenged in our society.

Even if old public institutional buildings cannot be modernised to accommodate them, new ones should be built in such a way that they provide access to the physically challenged. Attempts must also be made to open up educational and employment opportunities so that they can compete and embrace life with more confidence. The physically challenged in our midst must be empowered to help themselves and their families and contribute their bit to the growth and development of the society.

wave of Coronavirus.

Nigerian education sector has been in quandary for the past two decades especially when it comes to qualitative and sound education system. I once read in a report by same Malam Adamu Adamu who said that: “Some graduates can’t write or read in English.”

This is worrisome. Then, who cares about this –ASUU or FG? It is not time for blame game, please.

Yes, it is worrisome!

What does the ASUU–FG rift means in rating of Nigerian varsity? Universities have been shut for almost a year now, the students’ interests in learning have been truncated. All these are happening in a certificate- oriented country.

Shutting down varsity may not be the best option, we are old enough to live with Covid-19 and its guidelines. As a student, my school has been making everyone to follow the Covid-19 protocols. I believe others will do the same. As the unknown said “Strive for progress, not perfection.” The development of any country tilts towards the progress and the future of its youths who are now being neglected. rUsman Abdullahi Koli, Mass Communication Department, Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi

r$ontinued from backpage

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have followed the heartbreaking story of the JSS1 student who was brutally molested at the Deeper Life High School in Akwa Ibom State. If such abuse and criminality can happen in a faith-based school where parents pay exorbitant fees, one can only imagine what happens in our public schools where anything goes. Based on the response of authorities concerned, it is easy to see that there is more interest in managing the optics than the welfare of the traumatised boy.

As I have argued in the past, the tragedy of Nigeria is not only in the failure of government but rather in the collapse of values and ethical mores in the society.

For things to change, we must all resolve to be better people. Kind.

Considerate. Selfless. That duty of care for others demonstrated by the Awas in the seventies is the spirit we need to rebuild our country.

In his opening remark at the Global Solutions Summit 2020 in June this year, founder and president, Dennis J. Snower, a Berlinbased Professor of Macroeconomics and Sustainability, argued that 2020 has brought us face to face with the most basic questions of life.

COVID-19, according to Snower, has revealed “how terrible it really is to waste our lives, embroiled in endless battles for wealth and status and power. How terrible it really is not to recognize the value in the people around us – not just our family and friends, not just colleagues and fellow citizens, but also complete strangers.”

As individuals and as a nation, it will be a shame if we enter 2021 with the mindset of the past. The pandemic, in the words of Snower, “has impelled many of us to use our greatest strengths to serve our greatest purposes, suddenly giving our lives new, inspiring meaning.”

I wish my readers a healthy and most prosperous 2021! r0MVTFHVO "EFOJZJ "CVKB

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POLITICS

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

‘Some Persons at the Federal Level Are Pushing the Militants to Create Tension in the Niger Delta’ All Progressives Congress chieftain and certified member of International Security Association Switzerland, Jackson Lekan Ojo bares his mind to Yinka Kolawole on the likely security implications of the recent appointment of a Sole Administrator at the Niger Delta Development Commission

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s a security expert of note who is familiar with politics in NDDC, what is your feelings about the interim management put in place by President Muhammad Buhari recently Nigerians are already clamouring for substantive management for the NDDC but recently President Mohammadu Buhari has appointed another interim management headed by Mr. Effiong Okon Akwa as an Interim Administrator, who until his recent appointment was an Acting Executive Director Finance and Administration of the Commission. Well Akwa’s appointment was as a result of corruption allegations leveled against the former interim management committee put in place last February, led by Prof. Kemebradio Kumo Daniel Pondei.

You know that Pondei emerged as NDDC’s helmsman shortly after the Acting Managing Director, Mrs. Jol Nunieh was sacked in a controversial manner.

However before now names were forwarded to the National Assembly for substantive management, but government later appointed interim management again, well I want to believe that if the substantive management is put in place now the forensic audit that is ongoing will be jeopardized.

As people are protesting for the substantive management in the area, the Niger Delta people are also clamouring for the same but people should realize that Akwa that was appointed had relationship with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. I want to believe that this is a political game which is already playing out because of the replacement is from Akpabio’s area.

Does the Minister have power to appoint NDDC Management?

As a-Security expert I want to say categorically that the minister has no power to appoint anybody on NDDC management committee but the president of the country President Muhammadu Buhari has that power to do so. Also if the Sole Administrator was appointed from Bayelsa there may not be any noise form any quarter.

What is your reaction on the incessant kidnapping, increased terror attacks?

Security should be the business of everybody, what people don’t know is that security matter should be handled carefully, when you provide security on the radio, newspaper or television, it is no security at all. I think there must be security summit where traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians opinion leaders would meet and proffer solutions to it. Also recruitment of more men into the army. It is also permissible by law to invite retired military officers to assist in tackling the problem because of their experience, but it will be on contract basis. Equally, I want to believe that allowances and salaries of military personnel should be paid promptly to serve as motivation to them.

On sexual abuse, there is no value system anywhere again. Nobody is following culture and tradition again and the situation in which women dress half naked on the street is too bad. Men and women are iron and magnet when iron meets with magnet it will grip themselves. That is the situation for now.

Recently the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers said they would not allow NDDC to defend the budget for 2021, whereas in the year 2020 that is ending soon, NDDC had no budget.

This should not be allowed to continue.

If the people listened to them and there is no budget for year 2021 that will be

Some powerful figures are behind the demand by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers that Akpabio should not be allowed to defend the NDDC 2021 budget until substantive board of the agency is inaugurated. They are clearly trying to frustrate the Minister but at the end, the Niger Delta as a whole will suffer for it.

What they should have been doing is calling for increment in the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC, not pushing for the budget to be put on hold. The question to ask here is what are the senators of the nine states of the Niger Delta doing in the Senate?

They are not representing their people.

What are their House of Reps counterparts doing? Can’t these people speak with one voice with high volume and support the minister so that the budget can be made to run in the interest of all? I advise the father figures that are pushing these boys to stop.

Ojo 24 months of no budget in Niger Delta and at the end of the day if there is no budget in Niger Delta and if the people of that place start agitating; we will have a problem on our hands. Two days of the Avengers coming out in the Niger Delta, Nigeria will feel it more than two months of what we saw in Lagos recently during the EndSARS protests.

I have been a voice for the country by the special grace of God, I am a chieftain of APC but most of the times when I talk some people ask me if I am still a member of the party. What is wrong is wrong. I am not being sponsored by anybody and I can tell you that no one is bankrolling me.

Do you have an idea of who could be behind these issues? Why would people push for their own budget defense to be put on hold?

In security as in journalism, there are some information you have, if you divulge it, there will be problems. Yes, I know that the defunct Niger Delta Avengers has some very educated members who are highly exposed. There are some persons at the federal level that are behind this, pushing these boys to heat up the tension in the Niger Delta. If Niger Delta has lost 12 months budget and they are still clamouring

for another 12 months just because there is some body somewhere that said it can no longer be business as usual, there is a problem.

NDDC is an intervention agency but this is an agency whereby some persons are taking contracts running into billions and they never know the contract site and they will be paid 100%, whereas some people borrowed money from the bank and have completed their contracts for the past 10 years and they have not been paid and that is because they don’t belong to the right group. The powerful ones will collect contracts, they will collect the 100% because they see themselves as untouchable and they will not do the contract. And Akpabio has come and said no, it cannot be business as usual. Let me replicate what I did in my state for eight years, here since the opportunity has been given to me as a Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. Akpabio is saying if 10 kobo is budgeted for this place, we must spend it judiciously. This is why they are not happy with him. He pushed for the forensic audit of the place and Mr. Akpabio stepped on toes.

We must be careful because if oil production stops in the Niger Delta, the economy of this country will be grounded and when it is grounded, it will affect the entire Africa.

Two days of the Avengers coming out in the Niger Delta, Nigeria will feel it more than two months of what we saw in Lagos recently during the EndSARS protests. I have been a voice for the country by the special grace of God, I am a chieftain of APC but most of the times when I talk some people ask me if I am still a member of the party. What is wrong is wrong. I am not being sponsored by anybody and I can tell you that no one is bankrolling me

What is your party, the APC doing about this?

Let me be bold to tell the world that it does not mean that Adams Oshiomhole offended the entire party but Oshiomhole offended some persons within the party because they saw him protecting in interest of a particular person. That was why he lost out. The removal of Oshiomhole brought about the defeat of the party in Edo State.

Who is in charge of the party today? We have only one leader Mr. President and don’t forget Mr. President is a person but the presidency is an institution. So APC has nothing to do today, what matters most is the people of Niger Delta that are bearing the consequences. They need to come together, all the governors of the Niger Delta regardless of their political affiliations.

If you look at it, there is no governor today in the Niger Delta that belongs to the ruling party. So instead of them to come together to back the issue of Niger Delta, they are not doing that because they think Akpabio will take the glory.

Some of the senators representing the nine states of Niger Delta today, some of them are PDP. So when APC senators from Niger Delta raise an issue, a developmental issue, PDP senators will not support same.

This is wrong. They need some level of political understanding.

Are you not worried that the militants may go backs to the creeks if nothing is done to meet their demands? Can’t your party leadership intervene?

If you are talking about APC or the leaders in the Niger Delta concerning this matter, it will not yield any position result. Today the APC caucus in Niger Delta is not together. They speak from different points of view. But I want to tell you clearly, the Niger Delta Avengers are not illiterates and they are not demonic.

Some of them are Christians while others are Muslims. They need to be talked to and I am sure they will see reason to back out eventually. Before the expiration of the ultimatum, I believe something positive will happen. What we must do is for the leaders of the Niger Delta to rally behind Akpabio and once this happens, the boys will toe the part of peace.

These things are happening because some people just believe that they must enrich themselves while giving out stipends to the boys. This is not going to work. What happened recently in Lagos is a tip of an iceberg and we should not pray that something like that erupts in the Niger Delta. We won’t be able to recover from it for many years.

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T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020

POLITICS DISSENTING VOICE...IN HIS OWN WORDS ‘Nigeria Needs a Ministry of Leadership Affairs’ COVID-19 is Like the

Respected Professor of Leadership, Dr. Princess Halliday who has created an academic curriculum in Leadership for the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Virginia State University, talks about leadership in Nigeria, EndSARS protests and how youths can re-engineer the democratic process in Africa with Nseobong Okon-Ekong

the essence of leadership needs to be re-introduced, re-educated and strategically integrated in Nigeria.

How would you describe ideal leadership?

A g re a t l e a d e r w o u l d g e n u i n e l y c a re f o r t h e p e o p l e , o n e w h o e x hibits authentic leadership and leads with emotional intelligence.

Halliday

W

hat’s your opinion of the EndSARS protests that confronted Nigeria recently?

It is a movement to salvage the young people of Nigeria. That m e a n s i t i s p o i s e d t o re - e n g i n e e r t h e f u t u re o f t h e c o u n t r y. I t i s re vealing and opens a vista to what the leadership in Nigeria should f o c u s o n g o i n g f o r w a rd . A g re a t l e a d e r w o u l d g e n u i n e l y c a re f o r the people and lead with emotional intelligence.

As a leadership expert, where do you think Nigeria’s is getting it right and wrong after 60 years of Independence?

The country is continually d e v e l o p i n g , a n d I a m p ro u d o f our continuous accomplishment.

But at this stage, I believe that a ministry of leadership needs to b e c re a t e d t o g o v e r n l e a d e r s h i p a ff a i r s i n N i g e r i a e ff e c t i v e l y. I n 6 0 y e a r s , n o m i n i s t r y h a s c a re fully evaluated how leadership i s e x h i b i t e d i n N i g e r i a . T h ro u g h t h i s m i n i s t r y, d e s t ru c t i v e l e a d e r s can be professionally overhauled.

I can say that Nigeria has some g re a t l e a d e r s . T h e s e l e a d e r s n e e d constant personal development to help stabilise their emotional intelligence and emotional agili t y. I a m h o n o u re d t o h a v e b e e n b e s t o w e d a n E x t r a o rd i n a r y A b i l ity in Leadership in the United S t a t e s d u e t o m y t e n a c i o u s d e s i re for authentic leadership, diversity, a n d i n c l u s i o n . T h i s i s a t re m e n d o u s h o n o u r. I a m e x c e p t i o n a l l y focused, self-directed, committed, and passionate about leadership.

Wh a t c a n N i g e r i a l e a r n f r o m nations like United States as regards leadership?

Every country has its challenges.

Yo u c a n s e e w h a t i s h a p p e n i n g i n the United States following the p re s i d e n t i a l e l e c t i o n ( m a i n l y ) between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden. One leadership challenge that I think Nigeria has had for such a long time is education. Nigerian leaders need to be authentically educated to re a l l y u n d e r s t a n d t h e e s s e n c e o f leadership. I do not mean education f ro m t h e b a c k d o o r. I t h i n k t h a t

Wh a t b a l a n c e s h o u l d e x i s t b e t we e n l e a d e r s h i p a n d f o l lowership for there to be sociop o l i t i c a l h a r m o ny ?

The notion of the people going f i r s t s h o u l d b e e r a d i c a t e d . Yo u r job as a leader is to focus on your people and listen to their concerns, and not to exhibit authoritarian leadership. Listen to your people and work closely for the benefits of the people. Leaders serve the people.

Wh a t s t e p s s h o u l d yo u n g wo m e n t a k e t o g e t t o p o l i t i c a l peaks?

Absolutely young people, especially women, face systemic c r u c i b l e s t h a t a t t e m p t t o p re v e n t t h e m f ro m g re a t n e s s . T h e s e s y s t e m i c c r u c i b l e s a re o f t e n b u i l t i n a system, so it becomes a norm i n t h a t c u l t u re . I h a v e s e e n s i t u a t i o n s w h e re t h e s e c r u c i b l e s a re like a cycle, you give in and lose y o u r i n t e g r i t y, s e l f - re s p e c t , a n d values, or keep pushing, buildi n g re s i l i e n c e , a n d b re a k i n g a l l t h o s e a b s u rd s t e re o t y p e s . T h e re is nothing as valuable as a woman w h o u n d e r s t a n d s h e r p o w e r. M y leadership work has partly been fueled by my desire to see women l e a d i n g i n s y s t e m s w h e re t h e y a re h u g e l y u n d e r re p re s e n t e d , t o b e s e e n , h e a rd , t a k e n s e r i o u s l y, and most importantly- respected.

This effort is a journey, and it is a p re t t y t o u g h o n e . E v e r y s t e p t h a t you take brings along a network but be the best you can, because e v e n t u a l l y, y o u w i l l b e c o m e a n essential commodity and people will come looking for you. Speak t r u t h t o p o w e r.

People feel women who propose gender equality are incapable of maintaining a romantic relationship?

Having women adequately represented in leadership is not only a sign of a fair and inclusive societyit can also lead to a more cohesive, collaborative academic community.

What has that got to do with a woman incapable of maintaining a romantic relationship? A romantic re l a t i o n s h i p i n v o l v e s t w o p e o p l e who have mutual respect, trust, and l o v e f o r e a c h o t h e r. W h e n a n y o n e finds that, embrace it and fight for it. People have told me that m e n a re i n t i m i d a t e d b y a w o m a n with a Ph.D. My response is always the same- that is the exact kind of m a n t h a t I n e e d t o s t a y f a r f ro m m e . T h e re i s a d i ff e re n c e b e t w e e n respecting a woman and being intimidated by her accomplishments.

I think that a man who is for you will embrace your accomplishments and leverage on them sometimes.

Nigerian Politician

Businessman and Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party 2019 governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Iboro Otu likens the mutating capacity of COVID-19 to the rouguish tendency of Nigerian politicians

P

eople love themselves. People like how they look, who they think they are, how you feel about them and how that makes them feel.

When people express their opinion on anything, it’s not about the thing, it’s about themselves. And so, with dealing with people in trying to get them to see things differently, first, you have to start with their point of view.

I’ve been trying to write a positive end of year message, taking stock of events to summarize and make a new year resolution. It’s very hard to do. This year has been the hardest to summarize. Tectonic events happened on the daily. Any month in 2020 could have been a year on its own. What do I count, what didn’t count? I decided to take events of this December as my 2020 and drew conclusions from them. This December for one, The Financial Times summarized Nigeria was tethering on becoming a failed state.

The Nigerian state however, decided to take out that fury on Bishop Kukah instead - of course Kukah is a cheaper shot with less consequences yet with national impact. One could see the strategy; hit hard and let it become another conversation with religious undertones, spray your shots, whoever gets h(it), gets hit, but with the Christians standing on this side. Which side? End point though, nobody wins as usual. Makes sense. The government is behaving like a mutating virus fighting for survival and legitimacy.

And talking about virus, Corona has again hit the scene, just when we thought the vaccine was out and things would get back to normal, however the science of it is telling us different. It seems adaptation and mutation of the virus is slowly leading to what science terms ‘Vaccine Escape”. This happens when a virus adapts and dodges the full effect of a vaccine and continues to infect people. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it has happened before. And if we are not careful and lucky at the same time, we might as well be starting afresh with this COVID thing.

String H69/V70 is the new COVID. Let me school you a bit. COVID first makes contact with the body using a key called the ‘spike protein’ to unlock the doors to our body cells. This key has just learnt how to become a master key by adaptation; openings any of our cell security doors quicker and faster by altering the most important part of its spike protein key called the ‘receptor binding domain’ - a part of it which makes the first handshake with our body cells. There are now about 17 different mutations of COVID-19.

What this suggests is that this virus is learning fast and adapting for survival, it is fast going from a petty thief to a crook, then a ‘psi-monkey’, then an armed robber and finally mutating to a Nigerian politician. The world has to rally to kill it before it achieves its last feat, we have enough of that already.

The economic carnage left behind by the impact of COVID is as poignant as its health scourge and this is the problem with viruses, they infect and affect everything.

And so when Bishop Kukah put it in mild terms what Sowore put in extremity - that we don’t need an atomic bomb anywhere, we only needed to put the present Nigerian government anywhere for six months then go back to take stock of the damage, he probably was more on the right side than left.

Like a permeating and destructively adamant virus, Nigeria has been infected by it and has succumbed to the most adaptive and pervasive virus of bad governance. This ‘Covid’ variant is clannish, lawless, insipid, heartless, rudderless, anything you could think of that shouldn’t be, it is. It has taken the love of itself above any other and like

Buhari Angel Lucifer, intoxicated by its melodious gift of music, has decided it should be God. And what do gods do? They stamp out all dissent, real or perceived. They tweak and adulterate information to their advantage.

They utilize state powers and reach to overwhelm and overpower. They employ divide and rule, they bribe their way in and out, fuck and un-fuck. They possess back door codes to the mainframe so they can plug in and transfer their viruses via USB, WiFi, Spike Protein, TraderMoni or otherwise. They modify, adapt, mutate, name it. And it all starts with a handshake.

I don’t know how we got here but here we are. We are so far in and so fast we almost can’t remember where we were, where were we? Even the VP can’t answer this question.

We have lost so much as a country we are almost unrecognizable. For the first time I’m taking stock and I’m unashamed to say I’m beginning to think that exiting Nigeria is somehow a good option. The war is slowly becoming un-win-able; from federal to state.

These guys have learnt new tricks, new ways, new science on how to be more evil, more wicked, more controlling, more insidious, more everything but good. They’re have the resources, networks, apparatus, people.

They have us.

The only way out by a long shot, is for us the people, to find ways of working together against these entrenched interests, but then just look at the terrain and you’ll see unity isn’t one of our key strengths. We are a people hurt and with a long memory of unfortunate experiences and events; from past coups to wars fought on sectarian, religious and ethnic divides. When a Yoruba controlled/ dominated group or organization hosts an #EndSARS event for example, you know.

Because 80% of the speakers will most likely be of Yoruba stock, same with Igbo or Hausa groups. Our governments, to a very large degree, is also a representation of our true selves. And so the real war, at the end of the day, isn’t with this government or the next, it is more with us. My fearful summation is; change this government with any other set of Nigerians, you’ll most likely get a similar result. You can argue all you want but our problem isn’t really a political one, it’s a nigerian one; what it is to be Nigerian.

We are a damaged set of people who need serious mental revolution before anything else.

And so, after all my thoughts, I surmised the only thing that needed to change was me. Me and how I react to Nigeria. Again, it’s just my opinion.

For 2021, all I can say is this; better be good, ‘I don see 99, wetin be 100?’

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱͯ˜ 2020

FEATURES

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

Scorecard for a Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 Upon inauguration in March 2020, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 was tasked to primarily control the pandemic by interrupting viral transmission, reduce the risk of the health system being overwhelmed due to increased demand; and minimise mortality among the most vulnerable parts of the population. In achieving these three-pronged objectives, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that the recent extension of its mandate over the upsurge in number of infections is still a call to duty

W

hen the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 was inaugurated, the task before them was broken into three parts- interrupting viral transmission, reducing the risk of the health system being overwhelmed due to increased demand; and minimising mortality among the most vulnerable parts of the population.

With backing from the presidency, legislature, state governors, ministries, representatives of the network of partners, the PTF kicked off its mandate and had over the months tackled the pandemic with relevant health ministries, departments and agencies. The first mandate was for six month but they got an additional three months extension.

At the end of the three months extension in December, the presidency once again extended it to another three months in a bid to tackle the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Giving account of the first nine months in office, in his submission at the PTF end of the year report on COVID-19, the Chairman, Boss Mustapha, who also doubles as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said the taskforce led the execution of interventions geared towards achieving epidemic control of COVID-19 in Nigeria since March 2020, when it was inaugurated.

Objectives Giving a breakdown of the objectives why the taskforce was set up, Mustapha said the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, which is championing Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, has been driven by science and data, adding that it was designed to achieve three primary aims of epidemic control by interrupting viral transmission, reducing the risk of the health system being overwhelmed due to increased demand; and minimising mortality among the most vulnerable parts of the population.

The other objectives he added include “the reinvigoration of our nation’s health system, infrastructure and manpower to enable Nigeria conveniently confront any future outbreak and also build her potentials for medical tourism which has been a source of foreign exchange and brain drain over the years”.

Extended Mandate With the successes recorded in the first six months, the taskforce’s mandate was extended for another three months. According to Mustapha, “the operations of the PTF have been driven through out the initial six months and the extended three months mandate, by a multi-sectoral process which facilitated expansive and indepth consideration of issues as well as speedy decision making.

“The process enjoyed the overwhelming support of the partners from the private sector and the international community. Through these partners, Nigeria was able to put in place critical infrastructure nationwide, procure scarce medical equipment, test kits, and personal protective materials, etc.”

Delivering Palliatives Not solely restricted to the medical and scientific aspect of the countering the pandemic, the PTF was also able to deliver palliatives to Nigerians in the various states. For transparency, two web portals sponsoredby the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the UNDP were opened for the tracking of resources mobilised from all sources. Similarly, a national register of resources mobilised has been created and remains under constant updating, he added.

Achievements Stating that the end of the year report represents the state of the National Response

Boss Mustapha

as at the end of nine months of hard work, he stressed that it remains work in progress because COVID-19 has not abated.

“Countries of the world including Nigeria, have been experiencing a second wave of infections which has proven to be more virulent. This, the report being presented has captured for posterity the strategy adopted, the resources mobilised and committed, achievements recorded, lessons learnt and it represents a useful roadmap for a national response, should emergencies occur in future.”

Giving the presidency, legislature, the Nigeria Governors Forum, the National Economic Council, the security agencies, the private sector coalition, the international community, all frontline workers and indeed all Nigerians, its due, the chairman said the PTF recorded achievements in funding, healthcare, development, infrastructure, human capacity development, communication and social welfare.

Lessons Learnt In the report, Mustapha said while there were challenges, the lessons learnt were also sacrosanct. He cited the lessons to include- the immense benefits derivable from multi-sectoral collaboration to address issues; effective communication with Nigerians ; Under emergency conditions, well rounded consideration should be given to all sectors; our health sector would require major reforms and must be pro-active; and economic sustainability, recovery and preservation of lives and livelihood remain critical at all times.

Others include-structured data collection, analysis and retrieval remain critical for effective governance; the phenomenon of evacuation of citizens from all over the world should become a significant policy issue for government; across board several

public sector rules, practices, systems and some statutes require review/revision to effectively respond to extreme emergency situations; there is need to urgently establish a dedicated fund to address all pandemics and outbreaks; and the significance of building on the synergy established with the private sector, the National Assembly and the sub-national entities.

Recalibrating for 2021 Noting that the year 2020 has been very significant to humanity, the chairman noted that “as we approach 2021, therefore, the PTF is recalibrating to enable it respond in a more effective manner to the new dynamics thrown up by the pandemic as a result of the new wave of infections and the arrival of vaccines.

“Nigeria is now facing a rise in confirmed COVID-19 daily cases nationwide – similar to the second wave of infections occurring in other countries across the world. The new epicentres are Lagos, Kaduna and the FCT accounting for over 70 per cent of all confirmed cases. This is a major challenge that must be addressed.

“Accordingly, the PTF is implementing your authorisation to engage with and provide advisories to States, to take full responsibility for several control measures aimed at addressing the new development across the nation. I wish to report that some state governments have already taken necessary action. “ In 2021, major decisions will be taken on the issue of vaccines. The PTF as part of its mandate, is working in a coordinated manner to ensure that Nigeria is able to access and deploy vaccines in a safe, effective, timely and economically prudent manner.”

Thanking the president, legislature, partners and heroes (the Nigeria workers) for effectively supporting the national response, he stressed that the virus has not abated but is still raging

across the world. “We have to overcome the pandemic fatigue, intensify risk communication, expand surveillance, testing and infection prevention and control,” he added.

Fresh Mandate Given the work ahead, especially with the second wave, President Muhammadu Buhari recently extended the mandate of the PTF on COVID-19 “for a further period till the end of March, 2021, bearing in mind the new surge in the number of cases and the bid for vaccines”.

Buhari, who made this disclosure while receiving the End-of-Year Report of the task force, said “recent reports reaching me indicate that Nigeria is now facing a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide which is similar to the second wave of infections occurring in other countries across the world.

“New epicentres have been identified and the nation cannot afford to lose the gains of the last nine months. I have critically evaluated the situation and remain convinced that urgent measures have to be taken to halt the spread and the attendant fatalities.

“Closely associated with the foregoing is the need to speedily and strategically access and administer the COVID vaccine in a safe, effective and timely manner. This is an important obligation that we owe Nigerians as we go into year 2021 and it must be carried out through an efficient machinery.”

He added that “the nation is clearly in a perilous situation given the virulent nature of this second wave and we must act decisively to protect our people. I therefore urge all sub-national entities, traditional rulers, religious and leaders of thought to collaborate with the PTF by taking up the responsibility for risk communication and community engagement at all levels. Now is the time for collective efforts to be intensified.”

THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020 •T H I S D AY

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INVESTITURE CEREMONY

L-R: Deputy General Manager Union Bank Nigeria Plc, Ali Kadiri; MD/CEO Standard Chartered Bank, Lamin Manjang, and General Manager, BUA Group, Tajudeen Ahmed, during the 2020 Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) investiture of Fellows and Honorary Senior Members, in Lagos… recently

Report: Africa Needs Millions of MSMEs to Create Required Jobs Stories by Emma Okonji A recent report released by Jumia Nigeria has stated that population growth across African countries has been rapid and that the continent also experienced rapid urbanisation with rural dwellers moving to the few megacities and placing enormous pressure on infrastructure in cities.

According to the report, Africa’s population growth created a lot of unemployment, stating that the only solution is for African governments to begin to encourage more micro, small, and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) in the continent that will in turn create millions of jobs to provide meaningful work, sustain livelihoods and provide people with a pathway out of poverty.

TELECOM Analysing the report, which focused on Africa and the negative impact of its large population growth, the Chairwoman, Jumia Nigeria, Juliet Anammah, said due to the impact of COVID-19, GDP in the continent was expected to contract to negative 2.5 per cent in 2020, from 3.4 per cent in 2019, the first recession in 25 years.

According to her, “Jobs in Africa today come from MSMEs. Of the 418 million people employed on the continent, 83 per cent are employed by MSMEs. Africa has 85 - 95 million MSMEs and of these 96 per cent are micro enterprises and half of them are engaged in Trade. “About 87 per cent of African MSMEs

are in 10 countries with 77 per cent of the total African GDP, which includes Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Ethiopia, Algeria, Ghana and Angola.”

Anammah, however, said Africa has an advanced digital infrastructure that the continent could tap into and create jobs for Africans.

“Average Internet penetration in Africa is 39.5 per cent, with 525 million people have access to the internet. In six countries like Kenya, Libya, Seychelles, Morocco, Mauritius and Tunisia, will have mobile internet penetration that is above 65 per cent.

About 80 per cent of Africans have mobile subscriptions.

“Smartphone adoption is 40 per cent and projected to be 67 per cent by 2025. This digital infrastructure is an asset which Africa can leverage to leapfrog

development, create jobs and accelerate economic recovery post-CoVID,” Anammah said.

She explained that facilitating MSME transition from offline into the digital economy would drive economic growth and jobs in Africa She cited a March 2019, study published by Boston Consulting Group, which projected that digital marketplaces operating in Africa like Jumia could create an additional three million jobs in Africa by 2025, which she said was far more than what manufacturing can achieve.

Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the African economy, she also cited the World Bank report which projected an increase in the number of people who fall into extreme poverty in 2020. World Continued on page 24

‘Nigeria Set to Have Credible Identity Management System’ Stakeholders in the telecoms sector have said the ongoing SIM-NIN integration process, if successfully completed, will enable Nigeria to have a credible identity management system.

They, therefore, reiterated their support for the initiative and the need to ensure that it is successful, since governments had in the past tried to achieve a single database for identity management system, but to no avail, a situation that has left Nigeria’s national identity ecosystem in a very porous state.

The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON),

TELECOM Mr. Gbenga Adebayo told THISDAY that the current move by the federal government to integrate Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards, issued by telecoms operators, with the National Identification Number (NIN), issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), would help Nigeria to have a credible identity management system and at the same time, put Nigeria on the map of countries with workable digital identity management system.

The President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers

of Nigeria (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, advised the federal government to give ample opportunity of not less than six months period, to successfully complete the exercise.

According to Adebayo, “The year is ending with a bit of uncertainty, anxiety, and pressure on telecoms subscribers as we are under a mandate to disconnect telecoms subscribers that do not have their National Identification Number (NIN), linked with their Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards.

“So the idea to disconnect almost 161 million SIM cards,

cutting across 4G, 3G, and 2G subscribers, and Machine-toMachine subscribers, could destroy the entire telecoms industry, if not properly handled. So we are working with government, including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to ensure that we achieve the new deadlines of January 19, 2021 for those that have registered and have obtained valid NIN, and February 19, 2021 for those that have Continued on page 24

Airtel Offers Discount on Wi-Fi Devices

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Inlaks Wins System Integrator Award

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ØÖËÕÝ ÒËÝ ÌÏÍÙ×Ï ÞÒÏ ÎÙ×ÓØËØÞ ØÐÙÜ×ËÞÓÙØ ÏÍÒØÙÖÙÑã Ù×ÚËØã ÓØ ÐÜÓÍ˲

“Spectranet 4G LTE in partnership with the subscribers, will continue to deliver the very best in internet services domain, through cutting edge technologies. We will continue to up the bar of internet service delivery and always respond quickly to the changing requirements of customers” Chief Executive Officer of Spectranet,

Mr. Ajay Awasthi

T H I S D AY ˾ DECEMBER 31, 2020

24

BUSINESSWORLD REPORT: AFRICA NEEDS MILLIONS OF MSMES TO CREATE REQUIRED JOBS Bank Group President David Malpass had said: “In order to reverse this serious setback to development progress and poverty reduction, countries will need to prepare for a different economypost-COVID, by allowing capital, labor, skills, and innovation to move into new businesses and sectors” For Africa the digital economy is a critical new business sector to focus on going forward.”

For this to succeed Africa also needs the supporting environment for the digital economy to thrive and these include Policy Framework and the Right Narrative, Anammah said.

For the policy framework, she said the use of fiscal measures to incentivise African trade and MSME trade in particular to shift from largely offline/cash based informal economy to formal and traceable digital platforms, had become necessary, adding that traceability drives better planning, attracts capital and drives growth.

“A good example is rebates or reduced VAT/Sales tax for digital transactions made via mobile money or card payments. Such a shift also expands the taxable base in Africa.”

‘NIGERIA SET TO HAVE CREDIBLE IDENTITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM’ not registered and have not obtained their valid NIN.” Currently, all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have been licensed to carryout enrolment of NIN, in addition to other agents licensed to enrol Nigerians for NIN. “We are supporting government to achieve this and we believe it could be achieved in order to have a credible national identity database, which the government has been struggling to achieve for several years now, Adebayo said.

The Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) had initially expressed concern about the porous nature of Nigeria’s identity system and database, which it had stated was in silos and that urgent steps needed to be taken to synchronise all identity data.

NEWS

Ericsson to Commence Research on 6G Network Next Month Stories by Emma Okonji A new European 6G flagship research project, Hexa-X, will begin on January 1, 2021.

The project will focus on developing the vision for future 6G systems as well as developing key technology enablers to connect human, physical and digital worlds.

Hexa-X, the new European 6G flagship research project, brings together a strong consortium of major ICT, industry and academic stakeholders to lay 6G groundwork and set the direction for future research and standardisation focus areas.

The project, which comprises a consortium of European stakeholders representing the full value-chain of future connectivity solutions including network vendors, communication service providers, verticals, technology providers, and prominent European communications research institutes, represents a significant step toward laying the technical foundation for 6G wireless systems.

In its Outlook for 6G research paper, Ericsson identified four key drivers, which will emerge in what it calls “the 2030 era” and which the project will seek to address: trustworthiness of the systems, sustainability through mobile technology efficiency, accelerated automatisation and digitalization, and

limitless connectivity.

The Hexa-X project, which was commissioned to run until June 2023, would be awarded from the European Commission under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program.

Ericsson, together with Nokia, would lead the project. Ericsson will also be represented across three European countries: Sweden, Turkey and Hungary.

As technical lead, Ericsson’s

contribution is expected to be pivotal in laying the groundwork for future use cases, distributed MIMO, artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), and overall 6G vision and architecture. Ericsson will lead several tasks as well as the work packet on architectural enablers for 6G. Vice President and Head of Ericsson Research, Magnus Frodigh, said: “We are proud to be the technical lead of the

Hexa-X project, together with a strong line up of consortium partners from industry and academia. In 2030, society will have been shaped by 5G for ten years.

“While we continue to evolve 5G, now is also the right time to start collaborative 6G research activities. The Hexa-X project will be an important vehicle for joint exploration across European industry and academia, together shaping

how exponential technology evolution will meet anticipated demands and opportunities for the 6G era. The road to 6G begins today.”

The 6G research will continue to increase with 5G evolution and beyond, spurred by increasing expectations in society, accelerated by advancements in enabling technology, and leading towards new services and eco-systems that will improve lives of the world.

60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

L-R: GCOO/GMD Designate, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc (FMN), Boye Olusanya; GMD, Paul Gbededo, former board member, Atedo Peterside, and board member, Alhaji Y. Olalekan Saliu, at the unveiling ceremony of a book to commemorate FMN’s 60th anniversary and FMN’S GMD’s retirement held in Lagos…recently

Farmers Benefit from Social Lender, OCP Africa As part of efforts to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians in the rural communities, over 100,000 smallholder farmers have got personalised financial services as Social Lender - a fintech company and OCP Africa - one of the largest fertilizer companies in Africa - are working together to assist farmers.

More than 60 per cent of smallholder farmers in Nigeria do not have Bank Verification Number (BVN) and are currently unbanked or under-banked. To alleviate this problem, Social Lender collaborated with OCP Africa to bring financial services to Nigerians especially those in the value chain.

The Country Manager, OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria, Caleb Usoh, said the aim of

the partnership “is to ensure financial inclusion of a larger percentage of smallholder farmers in the country through BVN registrations and financial literacy training.”

According to him, the collaborative effort would alleviate their sufferings and help them to improve their lives.

He added that the collaboration with Social Lender would help to prepare the farmers to gain access to competitive financial services provided by top institutions in Nigeria and beyond, and help improve their livelihood.

Explaining how the partnership was formed with Social Lender, Usoh said the company emerged as one of the winners of the prized grant of the OCP-supported Impulse Start-up Accelerator challenge

fund programme.

“This has boosted the partnership and is reflected in the increased number of beneficiaries who have accessed the services on offer,” he said.

The partnership would allow Social Lender the opportunity to leverage OCP Africa’s existing 51 retail input distribution hubs called the One Stop Shop, which is spread across rural farming communities in Nigeria.

Social Lender would provide several services to the farmers which include a series of financial literacy training, financial inclusion through the creation of BVN accounts, mobile money and credit profiling as well as helping the farmers to obtain small scale loans.

The Chief Executive Officer of Social Lender, Faith

Adesemowo, reiterated the importance of the partnership by inviting other organisations interested in serving the huge market segment to collaborate with Social Lender. She informed that her company was building a low cost distribution infrastructure model needed to serve the unbanked and under banked.

“We are building an innovative solution to serve this market effectively. The Social Reputation score is our main asset. For the offline market, we have started with a pilot in 2018 with CGAP, a division of the World Bank. Working with EFINA, we have scaled to six states including two Northern states. With OCP Africa partnership, we will add 31 locations and cover 14 states,” she said.

Adesemowo said the company remained a fintech that works across all industries.

“We have just chosen to have a strategic focus in agriculture due to the fact that a large number of the financially excluded are a part of this demography. Social Lender may someday become a full agritech but for now, we are fintech working in agriculture”, she said.

The Chief Operating Officer of Social Lender, Mudiaga Ogboru, said partnership with OCP had further unlocked the value in the agricultural value chain, as more farmers have gained access to formal financial service like agro-loans, equipment leasing financing, fertilizer on credit, quality seeds and other agronecessity.

HR Managers Highlight Measures to Surmount Economic Woes Rebecca Ejifoma Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

ÒÓØÏÎß äÏ (Aviation) ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ß×Ï ÕÏÑÒÏ (Money Market) ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) ÏÞÏÜ äÙÒÙ (Energy)

As Nigeria grapples with its second recession in a decade, the Chartered Institute of Human Resources and Strategic Management (CIHRSM) has highlighted the importance of human resources as solution to such economic challenge.

Speaking recently at the CIHRSM annual conference and investiture in Lagos, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of CIHRSM, Mr. Minna Abell, stressed that the nation needs strategic management skills to move her out of its current economic situation.

Dwelling on the theme of the conference, “Managing Recession: Human Resources and Strategic Management Perspective”, Abell said: “The choice of the theme was as a result of the global recession.

“To come out of recession, the country must learn to apply human resources and strategic management skills in most of the things we are doing in every organisation. This will minimise the risk of wastage in time and financial factors.”

He argued that employing people in areas they have no knowledge of, often reduces their productivity, adding that

no one can grow that way.

According to him, “placing somebody with a particular professional skill in the wrong workspace is where Nigeria is lagging behind; no professionalism.”

The registrar, however, suggested that both the public and private sector must adopt cost-cutting measures as part of the ways towards exiting current recession.

“To cut cost, professionals must work in their areas of expertise. This is where human resources managers come in”, Abell noted.

He noted that this simple

step would minimise the risk of wastage of time, manpower and finances, and reduce accidents.

Abell further described human resources and strategic management as a profession that has come to enlighten people on how to manage their professional skills, so that their time and interpersonal relationship with their bosses or subordinates could be managed.

In his keynote presentation, the guest speaker and President/Chairman of Council, CIHRSM, Prof. Ben Oghojafor, stressed the importance of human relations for the development of a nation.

Represented by Dr. Augustine Agugua, of the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Oghojafor, said: “There is the need to stress the importance of the human factor, especially human relations from the point of view of management sciences.

“There is no way a nation can move forward when these human resources are in deficit.”

The institute, at the occasion, inducted 80 fellows, 89 members, 100 associate members, and 180 graduate members, who were charged to go and be ambassadors of the institute and the nation.

T H I S D AY ˾ DECEMBER 31, 2020

25

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Telecoms Sector Beats the Odds Emma Okonji writes that despite the challenges in the outgoing year, the telecommunications sector recorded success and contributed to the economy in several ways

T

he year 2020 came with unprecedented challenges capable of crippling economies, but the Nigerian telecoms sector was able to weather the storm and came out strong with impressive performance and growth.

The greatest challenge faced by the sector in 2020, was about managing a resilient network to ensure unhindered telecoms service during the outbreak of COVID-19, which was first experienced in Nigeria in February 2020.

Narrating the challenges posed on telecoms infrastructure by the outbreak of COVID-19, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, told THISDAY that ALTON had to appeal to government to allow telecoms operators move around to visit telecoms sites to ensure that telecoms services were up and running, because at that time, the Nigerian economy was under lockdown and movements were restricted.

“The lockdown put lot of pressure on telecoms services, including logistics. In some cases, trucks supplying diesel to telecoms sites were not allowed to move because of the restriction of movements,” Adebayo said.

According to him, the spread of COVID-19 brought so much pressure on telecoms facilities, as all virtual meetings and communications depended on telecoms infrastructure, but he explained that in all of those challenges, the telecoms sector did not witness system failure and the sector supported the Nigerian economy and kept the economy running, despite the challenges.

President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, told THISDAY that despite the challenges, which put so much pressure and anxiety on telecoms infrastructure, the sector still performed well.

The challenges Narrating the challenges faced by the telecoms sector in 2020, and how the sector was able to overcome the challenges, Adebayo said the telecoms sector was the only sector that kept the wheel of the economy moving during the COVID-19 outbreak, where the entire economy had to depend on telecoms for communication and the use of internet for virtual meetings when physical gatherings became prohibited.

“At that time, a number of services and people depended on telecoms and the sector was able to live up to situation. Throughout those period of lockdown and heavy dependence on telecoms infrastructure, we never had systems breakdown or network failure, because our networks were upgraded to become resilient to absorb the pressure.

“It is also worthy to commend the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, as well as the regulatory initiatives of the NCC, under the leadership of Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, for their proactive intervention to address the challenges of the sector in 2020, occasioned by the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Staff of telecoms companies should be commended as well because a lot of them put down their lives by coming out where others were at home, just to ensure that the telecoms sites were up and running. We need to commend the investors in the telecoms sector, who still invested in the sector in 2020, despite the threatening challenges.”

Adebayo who also spoke on the challenges of Right of Way (RoW), said: “We also had the issue of high charges on RoW by state governments and federal government agencies.

Although a number of states agreed to reverse RoW changes in their states to the agreed N145/ linear metre, but while they were reducing RoW charges, they were also introducing new charges and increasing some of the existing charges in the telecoms sector, which made a mess of their promise to reduce RoW charges.

“Land rent for telecoms sites among others that were not in existence before, were introduced.

Other existing charges were also increased, such as Environmental Impact Assessment fees, Sanitation charges and quite a number of them, whose charges were very low initially but were suddenly increased. So the issue of multiple taxes affected telecoms growth in

Pantami

Danbatta

Adebayo

2020,” Adebayo said.

He added: “Again, the year is ending with a bit of uncertainty, anxiety, and pressure on telecoms subscribers as we are under a mandate to disconnect telecoms subscribers that do not have their National Identification Number (NIN), linked with their Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards. So the idea to disconnect almost 161 million SIM cards, cutting across 4G, 3G, and 2G subscribers, Machine-to-Machine subscribers, could destroy the entire telecoms industry, if not properly handled.

“So we are working with government, including the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the NCC, to ensure that we achieve the new deadline of January 19, 2021 for those that have registered and have valid NIN, and February 19, 2021 for those that have not registered and have not obtained their valid NIN. “Currently, all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have been licensed to carryout enrolment for NIN, in addition to other agents licensed to enrol Nigerians for NIN. We are supporting government to achieve this and we believe it could be achieved in order to have a credible national identity database, which the government has been struggling to achieve for several years now.”

to 152.9 million as of October 2020.

In the same vein, active mobile voice subscribers increased from 184 million in December 2019 to 208 million by October, 2020. This represents an additional 24 million active mobile lines accessed by Nigerians across mobile networks from December 2019 to October, 2020.

Accordingly, teledensity, which is the total number of telephone lines per hundred people in an area, increased from 96.76 per cent in December, 2019 to 108.94 per cent by October 2020.

The telecoms contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), increased to over 14.30 per cent as of second quarter 2020 according to data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In financial value, the 14.30 per cent translated to N2.272 trillion in Q2, 2020. The sector’s contribution was at 10.60 per cent by December 2019. Also, telecoms investment continued to grow in leaps and bounds in 2020 rising significantly beyond $70 billion.

meetings and communications depended on telecoms network and facilities.

Addressing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that qualifies service quality in the telecoms sector, Danbatta said the KPIs that characterises quality of service were four, but that they had since gone up to seven.

“Daily, we are coming up with more KPIs. It is a dynamic process because of the dynamic nature of the telecoms sector. We are doing this to ensure services are improved upon.

“We have capacity to measure all the KPIs everywhere in the country, even though the quality of service in terms of drop calls varies from one location to another. Obviously, where you have clusters of access gaps, there will be more drop calls because you are moving from one area where there is no access gap to another area where there is access gap.

“So, when we notice an improvement averagely on the KPIs across all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), the quality of experience is always different,” Danbatta said.

KPIs are the standards we use for measuring call success rates, and we will continue to use them to measure quality of service across networks. Any operator, who operates below the set KPIs, gets sanctioned and we have the authority to withdraw their operational licenses if they continue to operate below the standard of our KPIs, Danbatta further said.

5G rollout The issue of 5G rollout came up in 2020, where most Nigerians felt that radioactive emission from 5G network would pose health risks to human, and they were against the rollout of 5G network in the country.

Reacting to their fears, Adebayo said 5G was just a new layer of technology that would ride on top of the previous generation of 4G, 3G and 2G networks. He said 5G would evolve new technology like IoT, Machine learning Augmented Reality (AR) among others, and advised Nigerians not panic about its planned rollout.

Allaying fears of Nigerians over 5G rollout, NCC had in a statement, admonished Nigerians and assured them that NCC would not approval the rollout of 5G network, without first completing its study and findings on the the effect of 5G rollout in the country.

Telecoms regulation Speaking about the impact of telecoms regulation in 2020, Adebayo said it was consistent and was good for the telecoms sector growth.

“A situation where there is inconsistency in telecoms regulation, it will negatively affect telecoms growth and development. Inconsistent regulation brings about a lot of anxiety and uncertainty on the part of subscribers.

“We were able to achieve so mush in 2020 because regulation was consistent. Although we are not in a perfect regulatory environment, but I am rest assured that our regulator, the NCC, has been much more reliable in its intervention and regulatory policy implementation. The telecoms sector is indeed glad to have one of the best regulatory agency in the country,” Adebayo said.

The country also recorded increased connectivity in the outgoing year. From, 126 million in December 2019, internet subscriptions rose

Data usage/hosting Managing Director, Rack Centre, Dr. Tunde Coker, who spoke about the use of data, said data usage was great in 2020, even though most data generated locally were still hosted outside of the country.

“There was steady growth in the use of data locally in 2020, which brought stable growth of internet usage from 126 million in December 2019, to 152.9 million as of October 2020, a growth that is significantly more than internet growth in Russia within that period. Again mobile broadband connectivity grew this year, despite COVID-19 pandemic,” Coker said.

He, however, said a lot of data hosting in the cloud were done outside Nigeria in 2020, but explained that the statistics showed that local data hosting would grow in Nigeria in the coming years.

“Data hosting locally has not grown so much in 2020 because of COVID-19, but those that were able to host their data locally in Nigeria, saw the benefit of hosting data locally in Nigeria, because they had no reason to be worried about the state of their data during the global lockdown occasioned by COVID-19. We hope to make Nigeria a digital infrastructure hub in the region after South Africa and Kenya in the coming years,” Coker said.

Broadband penetration According to Nnamani, broadband penetration in 2020 was deepened.

“We had a target of 30 per cent broadband penetration by December 2018, which we surpassed. Since then, broadband penetration has increased the more and we reached 45.

93 per cent penetration by October 2020, up from 37.80 per cent in 2019.

“Today we have another projection of achieving 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025, which I think we will meet and surpass, going by the infrastructure and statistics on ground,” he said.

Service Quality Nnamani said the outbreak of COVID-19 affected quality of service to some extent in 2020, because there was so much pressure on telecoms infrastructure, where all virtual

Reappointment Another major development in the industry in 2020 was the reappointment of Danbatta for another five-year term as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC. Stakeholders described Danbatta as a committed person that deserved the reappointment.

His reappointment also helped to ensure industry sustainability and policy consistency over the next five years.

Danbatta came into office as EVC of NCC in August 2015 for a five-year period in the first instance. The first term ended in August, 2020 after which the Professor of Telecommunications Engineering was reappointed by the President Muhammadu Buhari.

Danbatta in 2020, allowed the commission to uninterruptedly carry out a number of regulatory activities towards ensuring increased access to telecoms services, ensuring increased consumer education and protection, boosting security of life and property, sanitising the industry while also supporting other initiatives that were aimed at boosting innovation in the telecoms sector and continuously galvanising the country’s overall economic growth.

Consumers’ complaints According to Danbatta, the commission was able to successfully resolve over 98 per cent of the total consumer complaints received by the Commission from telecoms consumers via the NCC Toll-Free Number 622, NCC Consumer Portal, social media platforms and written complaints. Subscriptions by telecoms consumers to the NCC’s Don-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 service reached over 30 million in 2020. It stood around 22 million in 2019.

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

26

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱͯ˜ 2020

Founder Institute US to Begin First Driverless Delivery Supports Start-ups Service in 2021

Stories by Emma Okonji

Founder Institute (FI) Lagos, in partnership with Stanbic IBTC, continues to support the launch of more high-quality startups.

The current FI Lagos alumni portfolio is over 60 companies and currently, about 15 founders have already registered for Cohort IV, which begins February 2021.

The FI’s curriculum is a rigorous 14-weeks programme, which guides founders as they build their solutions, matches them with accomplished mentors who provide practical and real-time guidance, and helps founders grow their network and reach.

According to FI, “Every graduate company of FI Lagos is part of the global Founder Institute, a community that births innovative solutions that have not only been tested and validated but proven to be ground-breaking.

With the available support from mentors who are startup CEOs and top executives, founders are equipped with the needed skills and training for building sustainable businesses.”

Lead Director, FI, Lagos, Ifedy Eze, said: “we are excited to launch a new cohort. We believe that the future of Africa lies at the intersection of entrepreneurship and technology and it is quite fulfilling to be on the driver’s seat on this journey.

We are committed to launching impactful businesses that will leverage the force of technology to tackle some of Africa’s most

intractable challenges.”

Commenting on the lifechanging opportunity FI represents, the Founder, Hair Envy, Osiremiza Oyofo, said: “FI is an opportunity to open your mind far beyond what you thought was possible and is proof that thrusting yourself into difficult situations is the way to go! Your imagination will take you far but FI will take you further.”

The FI operates across over 200 cities and six continents, with over 4,500 graduates building some of the world’s fastest-growing startups.

Stanbic IBTC FI Lagos is also committed to increasing female inclusion and parity within the tech ecosystem with its Female Founder Initiative which supports the participation of more women in the programme.

To demonstrate its earnestness in promoting gender equality within the ecosystem, the Institute has also increased female representation in the faculty of mentors to almost 40 per cent.

Founder Institute’s Regional Director for Africa, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. stated: “As a team, we know that female leadership improves team dynamics and we are committed to supporting more women to participate actively in the tech ecosystem. We hope to assist them to become a part of the global FI movement.”

The Cohort IV is expected to run virtually in order to keep everyone safe during the second wave of COVID-19.”

Emma Okonji with agency report As countries begin to explore the possibility of operating driverless cars, that work with high technology sensors, the United States of America (USA) has announced its intention to begin the first driverless delivery service in early 2021.

This is coming from California, the third largest state in the United States (US), having given the go-ahead for a commercial driverless delivery service for the first time.

Robotics start-up Nuro in California, plans to start its driverless delivery operations as early as next year. It previously tested its R2 vehicles in the

state in April this year, but the permit will let it charge people for its service.

The firm’s vehicles will be limited to 35mph (56km/h), and will be restricted to operating in “fair weather” conditions.

California Department of Motor Vehicles Director, Steve Gordon, who made the disclosure, said: “Issuing the first deployment permit is a significant milestone in the evolution of autonomous vehicles in California. We will continue to keep the safety of the motoring public in mind as this technology develops.”

Nuro was founded by two former Google engineers and has funding from Japanese firm Softbank.

Its vehicles are designed to operate without a driver or passengers in them.

The R2 uses radar, thermal imaging and 360-degree cameras to direct its movement.

And it lacks a steering wheel, pedals or side-view mirrors.

The vehicle has an eggshaped frame that is smaller than most cars in the US. It also has two temperature-controlled compartments for deliveries.

Doors raise up to reveal the items once a code has been entered by the recipient.

During a previous trial in Houston, Texas, in February, the R2 delivered pizza for Domino’s Pizza, groceries from supermarket chain Kroger and goods for Walmart.

Even with the advance

technology put in place for autonomous cars, one transport expert said safety issues would continue to be a concern.

But Prof. David Bailey from the University of Birmingham, argues that it would be very limited to begin with while the technology is thoroughly evaluated.

“So, for example, the vehicles will only be allowed on ‘surface streets’ with their speed limited to 35mph, and the smaller Nuro delivery bots will be limited to just 25mph. It’s essentially a limited trial, but still a significant step towards a driverless future,” Bailey said.

In October, driverless taxis began operating in Phoenix, Arizona, as part of Google’s Waymo service.

5G New Radio Sites Go Live Nokia and stc have collaborated to demonstrate a cutting-edge live network solution enabling 8 carriers using 5G mmWave band with anchoring of FDD LTE Bands on a single Qualcomm chipset device. stc announced the milestone in its 5G commercial network development, demonstrating New Radio with 8 carrier aggregation (CA) using the Nokia advanced mmWave technology.

The company established the 5G Non-standalone (NSA) data call by aggregating 8CC

x100MHz on mmWave spectrum (26Ghz) on live network conditions. mmWave spectrum can provide numerous high-capacity, low-latency 5G applications that will fuel economic growth and societal benefits in the kingdom and around the world.

Moreover, 5G New Radio mmWave will support new and enhanced mobile experiences with fiber-like data speeds. It is a key spectrum for future 5G densification to address the capacity demand in hotspots

and mass event areas.

Haithem Alfaraj, who is in charge of Technology and Operations at stc, said: “Stemming from our vision, we adopt leading next generation technology to reinvent customers’ experience. The achieved results of 5G mmWave testing mark a significant milestone in stc 5G journey and underpins stc determination to constantly evolve to be at the forefront of digital service providers in the region and globally.”

Head of stc Customer Busi-

ness Team at Nokia, Khalid Hussein, said: “This is indeed a remarkable feat in terms of 5G speed and throughput together with stc. Our mmWave technology has enabled the fastest 5G speed in the country and this achievement demonstrates the capacity of our commercially deployed 5G solutions. We are excited to have achieved this to deliver incredible 5G experiences to people and businesses in the country and continue to work with them for the evolution of stc’s 5G network.”

27

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱͯ˜ 2020

Examining Proposed ECOWAS Vehicle Emission Policy Ugo Aliogo in this report examines the implications of the proposed Economic Community of West African States fuel grade and vehicle emission policy on the Nigeria economy

I

n 2018, the Economic Community West African States (ECOWAS) inaugurated a study for the development of a regional framework for the harmonisation of fuel grade and vehicle emissions standards in the ECOWAS Region.

The study was awarded to CITAC Africa limited, a UK-based, independent consultancy company focusing on the downstream African Energy market. CITAC is the primary consultant.

ECOWAS later brought in a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) on environmental studies known as the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), to jointly offer the necessary expertise to undertake the study.

CITAC submitted its initial report early last year, but ICCT intervened and allegedly pressured CITAC to change the study recommendations.

This allegedly became a dispute which CITAC added in the Appendix 7 (pages 199-200) to the study’s final report, which describes the dispute.

In the appendix, CITAC proposed a formation of an expert group to further review the recommendations (which never happened) and the rationale for their final recommendations.

According to the recommendations of the report, there is need for adoption of more stringent diesel and petrol fuel specifications for all imported and domestically fuels commencing January 1, 2021, “for all imported fuels, and January 1, 2024 for all domestically produced fuels.”

The recommendation further stated: “Imposition of a requirement that all imported vehicles meet Euro 4 vehicle emission standards commencing January 1, 2021, as well as a restriction that all imported passenger vehicles be no more than 5 years old with no more than 100,000 kilometers (km) of operation and that all imported heavy duty vehicles be no more than 10 years old with no more than 500,000 km of operation.

“Implementation of Euro 3 vehicle emission standards for all in-use motor vehicles in the ECOWAS region commencing January 1, 2024; and Implementation by the ECOWAS Commission of a range of programs that will ensure proper enforcement of the adopted fuel and vehicle emission requirements (such as, vehicle inspection and maintenance programmes, vehicle registration requirements, fuel testing requirements, and others.

Adoption OF Final Report On February 6, a joint meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in charge of hydrocarbons and those in charge of the environment was held in Burkina Faso to consider adoption of the final report and its recommendations.

At the meeting, the ministers in attendance, oblivious of the conflict in the submitted report by the consultants CITAC and the environmental NGO ICCT, and also the implication of the implementation on the economy and citizens of their respective countries, adopted the final report and issued decisions approving some, but not all, of the recommendations from the final report.

As reflected in the proceedings of the 2020 Burkina Faso meeting summarised in a final report entitled, “Joint Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in Charge of Hydrocarbons and Those in Charge of Environment,” the Ministers opted not to adopt the Euro 3 in-use recommendation and opted to defer the five-10 year age requirement for imported passenger cars and heavy duty vehicles, respectively, for a 10-year transition period.

The Burkina Faso Report contains little or no explanation for either of the decisions. The next step will be issuance by the ECOWAS Commission of a Directive for final approval and implementation to the member states, including Nigeria, within the next few months.

Major Concerns for Nigeria The ECOWAS Ministers’ recommendations from the Burkina Faso meeting if implemented as proposed, will likely have minimal shortterm benefit on air pollution reduction and will result in several unintended negative impacts. The largest sources of mobile source air pollution in Nigeria namely, older, poorly maintained, high polluting diesel engines will not be addressed.

Pollution

It was also learnt that for unknown reasons, the ministers at the Burkina Faso meeting chose not to implement the recommendations from the final report for application of Euro 3 emission standards for all in-use vehicles commencing January 1, 2024.

Another concern was that Nigerian consumers will confront both substantial increases in the cost of automobiles and fuel prices during a time of significant economic uncertainty.

It was learnt that commencing January 1, 2021, it will be illegal for Nigerian businesses and consumers to purchase any imported vehicles older than the 2005 model year.

“Even with delayed implementation, the five-10year vehicle age importation restriction will inevitably have a very substantial upward impact on the cost of motor vehicles for Nigerian’s citizens. Within the next few months, the ECOWAS Commission is expected to issue a Directive for final approval and implementation to the member states, including Nigeria, to take effect from January 1, 2021.

“If approved and implemented as proposed, the regulations will likely have significant negative economic consequences for Nigerian consumers and the economy and will likely have minimal environmental and health benefits for many years to come.

“The final report concludes, ‘the results in net benefits to society are valued at $107bn in the period 2018-2050. Nearly all of these benefits are attributed to cleaner diesel engines enabled by the transition to 50ppm diesel and Euro 4/IV diesel vehicles.’

“A preliminary independent analysis has concluded the $107billion net benefit presented in the Final Report is incorrect and has further determined the recommendations in the Final Report will have a net cost of $78.1 billion, with approximately two thirds of the net cost impacting Nigeria.

“The ECOWAS Ministers were apparently unaware of this major flaw when they approved the Final Report at a February 2020 meeting in Burkina Faso. These errors must be addressed to ensure the success of this important ECOWAS initiative and to prevent a potentially costly multi-billion-dollar failure,” it stated.

Experts’ Opinion Reacting to the issue, an expert, Emeke Obi

said the policy, if implemented as proposed would not be in the best interest of Nigeria.

He stated that Nigeria’s economy is heavily dependent on road transportation and logistics in moving goods and services, adding that other means of transportation such as rail; sea and air are not optimal yet, undeveloped, or too costly.

He noted that fairly used cars provide the most affordable means of transportation for goods and services within the country.

He further explained that placing an import ban on cars from five years old is akin to obliterating Nigeria’s transportation economy, which road transport plays a major role, “this will further lump a great number of Nigeria’s population who are dependent on road transportation in their daily life into poverty.”

Obi expressed confidence that while the stated objective of the policy is to reduce pollution caused by automobile, it is instructive to note that the greatest culprits of environmental pollution in Nigeria are older and poorly maintained diesel cars, as well as industries, and not fuel cars, stating that the policy does not even address its stated goal of reducing air pollution, and is not very useful to the country at this point.

According to him, “I believe that the key issue from what I read in the media is the issue of environmental pollution and socio-economic benefits to sub-region and Nigeria in particular.

However, ECOWAS and its consultant appear to have either misled the Ministers and Heads of States and Governments of member countries with miscalculations or errors in arriving at the so-called benefits.

“From media reports, I understand that instead of benefits as claimed by the promoters of the regulations, that they are substantial costs running into $79 billion. So, Nigerian government needs to reassess the proposed regulations to avoid a faulty implementation that will hurt the economy and Nigerians the more.

“The implications of the regulation on the economy will be negative. We need to first develop other forms of transportation, reduce poverty and boost purchasing power before thinking about banning fairly used cars.

“Only a minority percentage of the population,

If approved and implemented as proposed, the regulations will likely have significant negative economic consequences for Nigerian consumers and the economy and will likely have minimal environmental and health benefits for many years to come

less than five per cent can afford new cars.

The rest of the population, who constitute the most productive group depend on fairly used cars in transporting their goods and services.

A move to implement the ECOWAS fuel grade and vehicle standard regulation will lead to a halt of productive activities, which the country needs in generating income. This will seriously affect the GDP of the economy, lead to unemployment and increase poverty rate.

“The regulation would have been very welcomed if Nigeria possessed high purchasing power parity, as well as the finances to cover the incremental technology cost and incremental operating cost that goes with manufacturing and importing new vintage automobiles, which could cost the country over $100 billion.

“More so, the continued viability of domestic refineries will be put at risk, with attendant job losses.”

He added: “It is recommended that before finalising the ECOWAS regulations, Nigeria government should independently review the apparent errors in the regulation and address them. There must be accurate assessment of the multi-billion-dollar costs and benefits, especially in light of the current financial stress emanating from COVID-19 and oil market instability.

“In addition, government needs to develop a realistic implementation and funding plan for the costs to avoid a disappointing failure later in achieving the targeted environmental goals.

“I think the problem is not about the government not being concerned, but about the FG not being fully briefed or aware about the key issues in the proposed regulations. I doubt it, could it be possible only the Minister of Petroleum might be the only one aware of the proposed regulations, since the decision was taken by ECOWAS Ministers?

“There are key stakeholders involved in the issue directly and tangentially. I think that national stakeholders should be carried along since the regulation will have impact across various sectors of the economy. If it has not been done, the Federal Executive Council needs to be fully briefed about the inherent constrains in implementing this regulation on the Nigerian economy and Nigerians.

“Government as a matter of urgency has to conduct an independent review to ascertain the accuracy and sufficiency of the basis ECOWAS and its consultant used in arriving at the so-called socio-economic benefits, when it appears that the government will have some huge costs to bear towards implementing the proposed regulations.

“My recommendation will be for FG to request for a suspension of the January 1st 2021 implementation date; constitute a national stakeholder review committee or group to look into the pros and cons of the proposed regulation and independently reassess the costs/benefits analysis of the whole package.”

28

T H I S D AY ˾ DECEMBER 31, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

From Doom to Boom: Trillion-naira Face Mask Market Opens Up for Nigerians When Nigeria, like many other countries, mandated the wearing of face masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19, little did policymakers know they were helping to create a new market for some Nigerians, Bayo Akinloye reports

Photo: technext.ng

F

irst, the bad news On December 31, 2019, China alerted the World Health Organisation of 27 cases of “viral pneumonia” in the central city of Wuhan. Authorities shut down a wet market in Wuhan the next day, after discovering some patients were vendors or dealers.

By January 11, 2020, a 61-year-old man was reported as the first death and preliminary lab tests cited by Chinese state media pointed to a new type of coronavirus. By January 13, a Chinese woman was quarantined in Thailand, the first detection of the virus outside China.

Fast-forward to February 27, Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19 as an Italian tested positive for the virus.

By March 9, a second case of the virus was reported in Ewekoro, Ogun State, a Nigerian who had contact with the Italian.

As of the time of this report, authorities in more than 200 countries and territories have reported about 81.4 million confirmed COVID 19 cases and 1.8 million deaths since the Chines government disclosed its first coronavirus cases to the World Health Organization in December 2019.

In Nigeria, specifically, the government reported 84,811 confirmed cases, 12,190 active cases, and 1,264 deaths. Besides the human toll, many businesses have bitten the dust.

Some are experiencing the last kicks of a dying horse.

Others that have stayed afloat have thrown overboard hundreds of workers to avoid a commercial shipwreck. As a result, the Nigerian unemployment market has swollen.

In 2020, the estimated youth unemployment rate (the percentage of the unemployed in the age group of 15 to 24 years as compared to the total labour force) in Nigeria was at almost 14.2 percent, according to estimates from the International Labour Organization, an agency of the United Nations developing policies to set labour standards.

Generally, in 2020, the unemployment rate in Nigeria was at approximately 7.96 percent. The National Bureau of Statistics reported a high unemployment rate, indicating that in 2018, almost 21 million people in Nigeria were unemployed, which equalled 23 percent of the labour force.

Today, Nigeria’s economy has contracted by 6.1 percent year on year in the second quarter and 27 of its labour force (over 21

Ihekweazu

million Nigerians) are unemployed.

The federal government said it expected Nigeria’s revenue flow to decrease from N5 trillion to N1.1 trillion; a N4.4 trilliondecline from the beginning of 2020. Prices of common goods, like bread and water, increased shortly after a lockdown was enforced on March 30.

A single loaf of bread increased from N350 to N450. Pure, clean household water in Nigeria normally costs about N100, but since the pandemic, the price has doubled.

As the consumption of goods, investments, and net exports decrease, Nigeria’s economy is facing a harmful downturn.

Now, the good news The global disposable face mask market size was estimated at $0.79 billion in 2019

and is expected to reach $166.44 billion in 2020. Furthermore, the global disposable face mask market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 53.0 percent from 2019 to 2027 to reach $ 23.8 billion by 2027. This statistic shows the market value of face masks worldwide in 2018, with forecasted figures for 2019 to 2025. In 2018, the global face masks market was valued at about $32.76 billion and was forecast to reach over $50.9 billion by 2025.

Meanwhile, the global disposable face mask market size exceeded $74.90 billion in Q1 of 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 53.0 percent from 2020 to 2027. Nothing but the coronavirus pandemic is driving the demand for face masks. Based on QY’s latest report, the probable scenario about

By relying on imported face masks from China, Nigeria is inadvertently creating a huge number of jobs in the Chinese economy at the detriment of poor Nigerians

masks year-on-year growth rate for 2020 be 153.1 percent in 2020 and the revenue will be $ 7.24 billion in 2020 from $ 2.86 billion in 2019. The market size of masks will reach $ 3.14 billion in 2026, with a CAGR of -12.99 percent from 2020 to 2026.

A public affairs analyst, Ademola Ekun, wants the Nigerian government to take local production of face masks seriously.

“Nigerians were shocked when the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Nigeria was exploring the option to import one million face masks from China. I find such a plan as preposterous in this era when the government should be creating workable strategies to rescue the Nigerian economy from being asphyxiated,” Ekun explains.

He believes that the COVID-19 offers the country an opportunity to help some salvage what is left of their livelihood which has been ravaged by the pandemic.

“By relying on imported face masks from China, Nigeria is inadvertently creating a huge number of jobs in the Chinese economy at the detriment of poor Nigerians,” he argues.

China is the world’s largest manufacture and exporter of masks with its production prior to 2020 accounting for about 50 percent of the world’s output. Ninety percent of American masks are imported from China, and 70 percent of Japanese masks are dependent on China. At present, China’s production of masks is said to have increased more than 10 times to 120 million per day. According to data, the annual output of masks in China in 2018 and 2019 is 4.5 billion and five billion respectively, and the daily output is estimated to be 15 million.

“Simply put,” continues Ekun, “Nigerian policymakers can use face masks as a serious tool to turn around the Nigerian economy for the better. What does it take to produce face masks? Nothing serious.”

Expatiating on his viewpoint, he notes: “Believe me when I tell you nothing serious. Nigeria has both the human and natural resources to produce face masks fit enough for local consumption and the export market. In Ibadan where I live with my children and grandchildren, I can count at least 300 tailors. One sad thing about these tailors is that there is no business Continued on page 29

T H I S D AY ˾ ͱͯ˜ 2020

29

From Doom to Boom: Trillion-naira Face Mask Market Opens Up for Nigerians

Mustapha

for them because COVID-19 has killed the business of tailoring. Nigerians are more concerned about feeding right now than about wearing clothes.”

But the government can turn things around for these tailors in particular and the economy in general, he asserts. How? According to him, the government can organize the tailors into groups, and make them operate in “school halls where they will be supplied with constant electricity” to enable them to produce face masks.

“I am very sure with such conducive environment, each tailor can make nothing less than N3,000 on a daily basis from producing face masks,” he adds, noting that besides the tailors, other Nigerians will benefit.

“Textile and logistics companies to be engaged in supplying the textiles and transporting the finished products will benefit from this innovation, just as the average Nigerian on the street will gain from this, in the form of affordable, locallyproduced face masks.

“If need be, the government can also derive taxes from these locally-made products.

This simple innovation on the long run may help to grow the nation’s GDP and reduce unemployment rates. If Nigeria replicates such a set-up in every state, the benefits will be too great to imagine,” he points out.

A Teaser: How Much Can Nigeria Make?

If 80 million Nigerians buy a N100-face mask in a month, the Nigerian mask industry will have made N8 billion. It would be N16 billion if they had purchased the mask at the price of N200. In addition, if that specific number of Nigerians bought a N100-face mask each day for five days (Mondays to Fridays) over a four-week period, the industry would have made N160 billion.

On the other hand, if over the four-week period 80 million Nigerians purchased N200-face mask each day for five days (Mondays to Fridays), the figure would be N320 billion.

In Lagos alone, if five million of its 20 million population bought one N100-mask per month for 10 months, revenue made by the mask market would be N5 billion.

Calculating, from August (wearing of masks was made compulsory by the federal government on August 6, 2020) to December, that 80 million people bought the N100-mask, the revenue would be N40 billion. For a N200-mask, the total figure would amount to N80 billion. That is not all.

During those five months, if 80 million Nigerians purchased a N100-face mask each day (Mondays to Fridays) for 20 days every month, individuals and firms dealing in the safety product would have had a revenue of N160 billion. That figure would be N800 billion during that five-month period for a N200-mask.

THISDAY checks suggest that Nigerians are raking in millions of naira from the COVID-19 doom as a new retail market, sales of face masks, experience a boom.

It did not sound as good news when the Lagos State government, on April 25, 2020,

Sanwo-Olu

mandated the use of face masks in public and a couple of months later (August 6), the federal government followed suit. With the compulsory wearing of masks in public, individuals and enterprises may not wish for an end of that government’s directive.

Inventive and enterprising Nigerians, individuals and organisations have seen a way to end their economic doomsday and embrace the boom brought about by the face mask revolution with demand sometimes outstripping supply. From anecdotes, surveys, media reports, and interviews, Nigerians say they are turning their economic misfortunes around by making and selling face masks. Local tailors claim they make each week between N5000 and N7,000 sewing masks. Some have reported being able to pay rents and children’s tuitions from the proceeds. The trick, according to them, is in the volume and discounts given to those who buy from them to resell.

Big players in the face mask business say they get “a lot of” contracts from governments, both at the federal and state level, businesses, and individuals to produce face masks. Sometimes, they produce as much 15,000 packets of masks, each packet containing 100 pieces. They keep a tight lip on how much these are sold.

For instance, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency was reported to have spent at N39.33 million for the supply of face masks (for its ‘Supply & Delivery of Face Mask for LGA Training participants. Delivery at NSCS, Abuja’) at a go without stating the number of face masks bought and the price per mask.

Abia State government is one state in Nigeria supporting local producers of face masks as its Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi-Kalu, says, “We are proud of what they are doing and we encourage them and buy off what most of them produce and distribute to government agencies. At present, we are in talks with a Federal Government agency on how some of these local producers will supply them madein-Aba face masks.”

The state released a N12 million-grant to support tailors to make masks and the money was disbursed to 100 tailors in April. As of August, it was reported that the tailors had produced 200,000 face masks.

The Lagos State government is pushing the same message during the private opening of a large-scale face mask manufacturer,

O-Care face mask factory in the state last July, buying 250 cartons of 250,000 units of its face masks. But O-Care’s Managing Director, Cyprian Orakpo, does not hide his ambition, saying: “We want them to buy on a weekly basis because the state consumes a lot of masks especially now that they are giving it free to public schools and it is being supplied to all the health institutions in Lagos.

Face Mask Business Goes Online From Jumia to Jiji, and Cleaneat, various face masks are on display at different prices.

According to cleaneat.com.ng, the price of a face mask in Nigeria depends on the quality and quantity. On its list, ‘The Price of 3 Ply Surgical Mask in Nigeria,’ a pack of mask costs N3, 000 (50 pieces per pack); one carton of masks is sold for N80, 000 (40 packets per carton); the N95 face mask with a respirator (10 pieces per pack) is sold between N25, 000-N34, 000.

Printivo (an online print provider) offers reusable face masks at varying prices and quantities (five pieces, N2, 500; 10 pieces, N5, 000; 25 pieces, N12, 500; 50 pieces cost N25, 000; 500 pieces cost N175, 000, and 1,000 pieces go N350, 000). For Creativebrands.ng, buying online face masks from “Creative Brands,” in reusable face mask packs of four and 10 packs, allows “you the convenience of rotating masks without risking the need to reuse one before you can sanitize it.”

Its Eva and Elm adult polycotton costs N715; Eva and Elm adult cotton face mask (N865); adult protective 3 Ply face mask (N123); Eva and Elm Sullivan double-layer adults mask (N616); Eva and Elm Sullivan double-layer kids mask (N533); Eva and Elm Sullivan triple-layer adults mask (N699); and Eva and Elm adult cotton face mask set (N1,689).

The e-commerce distribution channel segment in the face mask market is expected to reach $718.5 million by 2026. One report says this can be credited to the increasingly stringent physical distancing measures put in place by governments, restricting gatherings and sometimes individuals from leaving their houses.

Distributors’ segment revenue crossed $2,435 million in 2020. In addition, as an increasing number of organizations and countries stock up on protective face masks, there will be increased demand from distributors. Also, the availability of several brands and wholesale price

If 80 million Nigerians buy a N100-face mask in a month, the Nigerian mask industry will have made N8 billion. It would be N16 billion if they had purchased the mask at the price of N200.

In addition, if that specific number of Nigerians bought a N100-face mask each day for five days (Mondays to Fridays) over a four-week period, the industry would have made N160 billion

accounts for a preference to distributors.

According to Face Mask Market report, most of the key players in the face mask market strategize on promoting their products and services on social media platforms.

Social media marketing is one of the major strategies adopted by various companies and industries to create awareness about their product offerings among target customers on social media channels.

“On the smaller side of the spectrum — but bigger in the aggregate — is Etsy. It sold more than 12 million face masks during April totalling around $133 million in sales.

It has not published any numbers for May yet. Etsy says face masks represented the second largest category of sales for April,” says the report.

Etsy helped sell $346 million worth of homemade masks; four million people came to Etsy for masks alone, buying nothing else, and 112,000 different sellers made money by selling those masks on the platform.

The product marketplace just released its Q2 earnings report, and the company says it helped sell $346 million worth of masks during the pandemic, accounting for 14 percent of all sales across small sellers on the platform.

Gap raked in $130 million in sales from its face masks, which it sells to individuals and in bulk. Its bulk customers include the city of New York, the state of California, and Kaiser Permanente. The company’s strong performance online helped Gap win 3.5 million new customers, up over 165 percent from a year ago.

A few key players in the protective face mask market, according to Statista, are 3M, BSN Medical, Honeywell, Coltene, Cardinal Health, and Dentsply Sirona, which are adopting various combinations of growth strategies to capture larger market share and revenue as they focus on ramping up the production of protective face masks in a bid to combat COVID-19.

Last Word A media entrepreneur and Founder of The Cable (an online newspaper), Simon Kolawole, says he is in awe of the face mask and will not hesitate to name it ‘2020 Person of the Year,’ intoning that the mask, in 2020, has helped to sustain human survival in the face of existential attack.

Kolawole explains: “I would say 2020 was the Year of the Face Mask. It was the most adorned piece of clothing. It was one little piece of clothing that unified the human race. The divides created by race, gender, religion, and ethnicity fizzled out under the mask. We realised that we are all humans, all said and done. Coronavirus was the leveller. It did not discriminate along the artificial lines that we have segregated humanity.”

Buttressing his point, he says, “We are all wearing the face mask, no matter the colour of our cassock, the hue of our hijab and the tint of our tassels. The face mask is the fabric that ties us together as humanity comes under severe attack. If the face mask was to be a human being, it would be the Person of the Year.”

30

THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020 •T H I S D AY

THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020 • T H I S D AY

31

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱͯ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: General Secretary, Lagos Chapter of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Thelma Okoh; Associate Director, CSR, IHS Nigeria, Cima Sholotan; CSR Manager, IHS Nigeria, Asmau Smaila; and Specialist, CSR, IHS Nigeria, Lauretta Eguabor; receiving an award for most Impactful COVID-19 Intervention in 2020 by IHS Nigeria at the Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Responsibility Awards (SERAs) held in Lagos.. recently

Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri (left) presenting the First Class Staff of Office to the Chairman Bachama Traditional Rulers Council, Dr Daniel Ismaila, as the 29th Hama Bachama, during a ceremony in Numan, Adamawa State...recently

L-R: Lagos Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu; Special Adviser on Works & Infrastructure to Governor Sanwo-Olu, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu , during an inspection of the Tin Can Transit Park, Apapaa..recently

From L-R; Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, Deputy Governor, Prof. Placid Njoku, Chief Lawson Okafor and other members of Oru Clan Reception Committe, presenting a Horse as a gift to Governor Uzodimma at Mgbidi Township Stadium, Imo State...recently

L-R:Hon. Ndudi Elumelu; Justice Samuel Oseji and Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, during the Thanksgiving Service/ Grand Reception by Idumuje-Unor Kingdom, in honor of Justice Oseji on his Elevation as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.. recently

Some beneficiaries with gift items received as palliatives for Christmas during “Widows Smile” programme outreach by the Glovis Entrepreneurial and Leadership Development Foundation in Kaduna...recently

Children having funs, during the Christmas holidays, at Amusement Park, Agbowo in Ibadan,,recently

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

33

MARKET NEWS

Neimeth Records N2.8bn Turnover, N212m Profit after Tax Goddy Egene

Pharmaceuticals Plc has recorded 2020, up from N2.371 billion to N1.509 billion. Marketing and while administrative expenses a turnover of N2.839 billion for the previous year.

Gross distribution expenses rose from rose from N375 million to N452 Neimeth International the year ended September 30, profit rose from N1.295 billion N377 million to N505 million, million. As a result, the company 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 22- 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.

ended with profit after tax of N212.476 million as against N220 million in 2019.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Dollar Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 1.05 1.07 17.40% ACAP Income Funds 0.86 0.86 11.53% 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 1.81% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.55 3.69 45.65% 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 0.89% Anchoria Equity Fund 133.02 133.50 23.37% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.35 1.35 15.56% 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 18.51 19.07 20.85% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 406.17 418.41 17.58% ARM Ethical Fund 34.44 35.48 18.43% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.21 1.22 21.79% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.11 10.40% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.03% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 125.97 126.86 31.11% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.39% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.18 2.18 15.88% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.24 2.28 41.70% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.52% Paramount Equity Fund 15.94 16.29 27.59% Women's Investment Fund 132.69 134.14 20.30% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.94% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 129.38 130.18 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 108.84 108.84 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 0.87% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.16 1.17 24.79% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.62 1.62 21.77% 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 0.90% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 0.85% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,210.41 1,225.91 9.13% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund 185.87 187.28 26.60% FBN Halal Fund 110.19 110.22 10.19% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.24% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 121.30 121.71 7.43% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 121.46 121.87 7.03% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 150.65 152.93 15.77% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH Treasury Bills Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.26% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 127.60 128.13 19.07%

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 1.57% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.90 2.96 32.49% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 157.02 157.98 9.61% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.64 1.67 32.55% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.18 12.29 8.12% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 1.82% PACAM Equity Fund 1.58 1.59 PACAM EuroBond Fund 108.28 110.71 SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 131.51 134.36 6.52% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.02 1.02 9.27% 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 25.15% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 6.58% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 28.89% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 7.55% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 33.90% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.33% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 28.08% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.23 1.23 5.64% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 111.06 111.06 6.57% 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 1.37 1.39 14.36% United Capital Bond Fund 1.89 1.89 9.21% United Capital Equity Fund 0.87 0.89 23.27% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.01% United Capital Eurobond Fund 117.05 117.05 7.07% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.08 1.09 3.14% 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 12.28 12.42 19.47% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.57 13.70 16.80% Zenith Income Fund 25.01 25.01 10.09% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.87%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

120.47

7.28%

52.27

0.42%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.52 120.87 94.84

12.62 120.87 96.62

48.08% 26.59% 26.26%

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

Yield / T-Rtn

4.11

4.15

19.72%

Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund

5.72

5.80

-3.21%

Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund

17.04 1.00 18.94

17.14 1.00 19.14

41.27% 1.06% 81.50%

204.84

206.84

9.79%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.71

13.11%

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund

Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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T H I S D AY ˾ ,DECEMER 31, 2020

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

ÜÙßÚ ÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ ÒÓÏ×ÏÖÓÏ äÏÙÌÓ ×ËÓÖ chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

Highlights of the Health Sector in 2020 As the year 2020 gradually comes to an end, Onyebuchi Ezigbo captures some of the key events that shaped this highly eventful and turbulent year, especially in the health sector

T

he year, 2020 will no doubt go down in world history as one of the most remarkable in recent times. It is a year that challenged every of mankind’s ingenuinety and technological prowers. It is a year that the whole world was literally brought to its kneels by a novel virus named COVID-19, which has remained incurable at least for now.

It took everyone by storm, not even the world powers saw it coming nor were they prepared for it. From Wuhan, the commercial city of China, the virus struck the world from one end to the other, spreading fear, agony and lamentation among families of victims. The reality of the virus and its fearsome impact came to Nigeria on February 26 when a young Italian on a business trip to Abeokuta, in Ogun State, landed with the disease in Lagos.

Outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic After days of fears and anxiety, Nigerians finally came to terms with the importation of dreaded COVID-19 virus through an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and Milan, Italy.

The news first broke through the social media and the mainstream media before it was finally confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Health.

The case, which was confirmed on February 27, 2020, was that of the Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria on February 25, 2020. He was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The virus was managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.

From then on, the virus spread like wild fire to many other states of the country. This became a pandemic and the World Health Organisation (WHO) immediately pronounced it so.

The government responded to the outbreak by setting up a multi-sectoral coronavirus preparedness group led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). NCDC immediately activated its national Emergency Operations Centre to work closely with Lagos State Health authorities to respond to the case and implement firm control measures. The disease with little known mode of infection and impact stoked fears and the initial health advisory was that most people who become infected may experience only mild illness and recover easily, but it can be more severe in others, particularly the elderly and persons with other underlying chronic illnesses. More frightening was the fact COVID-19 has no known cure.

Lockdown As the threat of virus continued to rage, the federal government ordered the lockdown of two states, Lagos, and Ogun with the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) in a bid to check the spread. President Muhammadu Buhari later extended the lockdown to other parts of the country, thus shutting down all entry points into the country and restricting physical movement by the people. Airports, churches, markets, schools and business were grounded.

It was a harrowing experience as hunger and frustration set in among the citizens who have exhausted their stock of food stuff and could no longer bear the situation.

Then came the sharing of palliative to the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged persons. A largely unprepared and newly created Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs found it an uphill task supervising the massive humanitarian emergency. The challenge of meeting the food supply needs of the people became so enormous that the federal government was forced implement a programme of gradual easing of the lockdown.

Controversy over Herbal Remedy With the devastating impact of virus came the desperate search for a vaccine or drug regiment

Ehanire

for the treatment of COVID-19. While scientists and medical experts engaged in the highly tasking research for a vaccine, the traditional medicine practioners in Nigeria joined the fray.

Of all the claims made by proponents of herbal medicine remedy, Madagascar’s COVID-19 herbal concoction became most pronounced based on the endorsement it go from government of Madagascar.

In April, Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina officially launched the CVO, an organic herbal concoction, claiming that it can prevent and cure patients. However, the herbal drug failed to get the certification of relevant Nigerian health regulatory agencies.

In a report presented to the Health Ministry on Sunday, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) said safety studies show that COVID-Organics (CVO) do not alter the normal physiology of the animals.

NIPRD’s Director Deneral, Obi Adigweo told reporters that Madagascar officials were hiding CVO analysis. “They are hiding a lot of things and I think it is possible that they know that they don’t have strong science backing up their claim. But our own analysis does not show any proof that it can cure COVID-19,” he was quoted by a local daily, The Punch.

Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against the use of CVO without medical supervision and cautioned against self-medication.

Production of Vaccines for COVID-19 As the reality dawned on every one that this virus has come to stay, about 172 countries and multiple candidate vaccines are engaged in the collaborative effort to produce COVID-19 vaccine and to float a global access facility intended to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines. Nigeria is among these countries under the auspices of COVAS. The global initiative is aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved. COVAX currently has the world’s largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine

portfolio - including nine candidate vaccines, with a further nine under evaluation and conversations underway with other mayor producers.

FG Rolls Out Plans to Acquire COVID-19 Vaccines The year also saw Nigeria rolling out strategies to join the rest the world in competing for the COVID-19 vaccines. The federal government said it has set aside N10 billion in the 2021 Budget for the purpose of procurement and evaluation of the vaccines when they are ready.

The government also said a task team has been constituted to help in mobilising resources and advising government on how best to utilise such resources to effectively deal with the pandemic. Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire made the disclosures while speaking at the media briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 pandemic in Abuja last Monday.

He said Nigeria floated a vaccine company known as, Bio-Vaccine Nigeria Limited, a joint venture between the federal government and a private company to carry out not only research but also to look at the options of producing vaccines in license.

In the same vein, the federal government raised a task team made up of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria and CACOVID to help government in mobilising resources needed for providing the vaccines. Government’s move came on heels of an announcement that the vaccines may be ready for use in a matter of months.

According to Ehanire, “as part of the deal struck under the COVAS facility, every member country including Nigeria is to benefit from guaranteed supply of at least vaccinnes regiment for 20 per cent of her vulnerable population.”

Nigerian-made COVID-19 Candidate Vaccine Underway The Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), one of key research centres in the country, engaged in the search for medical solution to COVID-19 pandemic, has expressed the hope that Nigeria may soon join the league

of countries with breakthroughs in the development of candidate vaccines for tackling the pandemic.

Hope for this medical feat was given by the Director General of NIMR, Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako. Speaking earlier in the year, at the Ministerial Health Sector Media Engagement in Abuja, the Director General of NIMR, Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako said the institute is making progress with the research into COVID-19 Vaccine and will in next few months be able to come up with a candidate vaccine.

He said the institute was compelled to undertake the research for COVID-19 Vaccine due to the public concern about the ravaging threat of the novel virus. “We had to go back the sequence of the virus which we developed and started looking at how we can clone the virus. Now we have passed through that stages and we are going through bioformatics, trying to clone the virus so that we can come up with a candidate Vaccine”.

Prof. Salako however said that producing a candidate Vaccine does not automatically lead to the invention of a vaccine, adding that out of the many candidate vaccines so far developed, only a few got to clinical stage.

Nigeria to Get Certification for COVID-19 Vaccines The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said that it is working hard to obtain International certification to enable Nigeria manufacture vaccines locally.

Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, last Friday expressed confidence that Nigeria would soon start manufacturing vaccines, with the upgrading of existing laboratories across the country. She said this during NAFDAC’s Staff Recognition and Award Ceremony for 2019 and 2020, for serving and retired staff held recently in Abuja.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

T H I S D AY ˾ ,DECEMER 31, 2020

35

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE HEALTH SECTOR IN 2020 NPHCDA To Avert 2.05 million Under Five Deaths 5IF &YFDVUJWF %JSFDUPS PG UIF /BUJPOBM 1SJNBSZ )FBMUIDBSF %FWFMPQNFOU "HFODZ /1)$%"

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1BSU PG UIF PCKFDUJWF XBT UP GBTU USBDL FGGPSUT at reducing the burden of diseases facing Nigerians. Also presented to stakeholders XBT UIF ,OPXMFEHF .BOBHFNFOU (VJEFMJOFT GPS IFBMUI QSPNPUJPO XIJDI JT FYQFDUFE UP TFSWF BT B POF TUPQ LOPXMFEHF hub within the health sector.

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FERTILITY

with DR. KEMI AILOJE Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

LIFESTYLE AND INFERTILITY (Part 2)

L

ast week we talked about a number of factors that can lead to infertility emphasizing effect on females .Today we will discuss how male fertility is affected by their lifestyle choices such as: r 4NPLJOH DBO OFHBUJWFMZ BGGFDU B man’s general health and fitness, causing a reduction in the quality and quantity PG TQFSN QSPEVDFE *U MPXFST UIF MFWFM PG antioxidant in the body which protects the body cells including the sperm cell from CFJOH BUUBDLFE CZ GSFF SBEJDBMT 4NPLJOH JO NBMFT OFHBUJWFMZ BGGFDUT TQFSN QSPEVDUJPO NPUJMJUZ NPWFNFOU BOE NPSQIPMPHZ GPSNT BOE JT BTTPDJBUFE XJUI B SJTL PG DNA damage. r 4USFTT TUSFTT IPSNPOFT DBO JOUFSGFSF with the hormones controlling sperm QSPEVDUJPO 3FTFBSDIFT IBWF TIPXO UIBU men under stress at work or home are NPSF MJLFMZ UP IBWF QPPS TQFSN RVBMJUZ r %JFU VOCBMBODFE EJFU IBT OFHBUJWF effect on health generally. Balanced diet XJUI QMFOUZ PG GSVJUT BOE WFHFUBCMFT JT B good approach to enhancing fertility. One of the most important nutrients for male fertility is zinc needed for normal male hormone function and sperm production.

The male sex gland and sperm contain high concentration of zinc so foods rich in zinc like fish, sardines, eggs, whole grains, brown rice and nuts should be taken. r $BGGFJOF DBGGFJOF IBT B EJVSFUJD FGGFDU BOE UIJT DBO EFQMFUF UIF CPEZ PG WJUBM fertility boosting nutrients such as zinc and calcium

going forward.

WHAT THEN IS LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION? -JGFTUZMF NPEJGJDBUJPO JOWPMWFT BMUFSJOH long term habits, typically of eating or QIZTJDBM BDUJWJUJFT BOE NBJOUBJOJOH UIF OFX CFIBWJPS GPS NPOUIT PS ZFBST 8IZ UIF OFFE GPS MJGFTUZMF NPEJGJDBUJPO Lifestyle modification is usually recommended with the aim of promoting health, QSFWFOUJOH EJTFBTFT EJTBCJMJUJFT BOE sometimes managing health conditions.

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r "MDPIPM FYDFTTJWF BMDPIPM MPXFST UFTUPTUFSPOF MFWFMT BOE TP BGGFDUT CPUI r 3FEVDUJPO JO NFBM QPSUJPOT NFBM UJNFT the quality/ quantity of sperm, and may BOE GSFRVFODZ PG NFBMT BWPJE MBUF OJHIU SFEVDF MJCJEP TFYVBM EFTJSF BT XFMM BT meals. causing impotence in the long run. r &OHBHF JO XFJHIU MPTT JG BQQMJDBCMF r 8FJHIU CFJOH PWFSXFJHIU PS PCFTF NBJOUBJO B #.* #PEZ .BTT *OEFY PG can causes hormonal changes that lower between 18.5-24.5kg/m2. You can find the quality of sperm and make men less PVU GSPN ZPVS IFBMUI DBSF QSPWJEFS JG JOUFSFTUFE JO TFY 0WFSXFJHIU NFO BSF your BMI is adequate.

NPSF MJLFMZ UP IBWF QSPCMFNT HFUUJOH r 4USFTT SFEVDUJPO BOE BEPQUJPO PG BO FSFDUJPO *U IBT BMTP CFFO QSPWFO UIBU FYDFTTJWF GBU JODSFBTFT CPEZ UFNQFSBUVSF healthier stress management techniques around the testis, which can also affect (which may include taking out time to SFMBY QMBZ MBVHI B MPU WBDBUJPO FUD

sperm quality as does tight underwear. r 4MFFQ MBDL PG BEFRVBUF TMFFQ UFOET UP cause tiredness and more likely to cause lower sperm count than in those who slept more. Men who sleep less than 6 hours B OJHIU XPVME IBWF MPXFS TQFSN RVBMJUZ BOE SFMBUJWFMZ TNBMMFS UFTUJDMFT 1PPS TMFFQ has actually been found to interfere with sperm production

r*NQSPWJOH TMFFQ RVBMJUZ BU MFBTU IPVST EBJMZ

r .PEFSBUF &YFSDJTF UP NJOVUFT daily for weight management.

In conclusion, whether we are ready to start up a family now or later, our daily MJGF DIPJDFT XF NBLF IBWF FJUIFS OFHBUJWF PS QPTJUJWF JNQBDU PO PVS GFSUJMJUZ *O PSEFS r 0WFSIFBUJOH TFWFSBM SFTFBSDIFT IBWF UP IBWF UIF GVUVSF XF EFTJSF XF NVTU QSPWFO UIBU QSPMPOHFE FYQPTVSF UP IJHI make certain lifestyle changes.

For those already caught in the web of UFNQFSBUVSF DBO IBWF B OFHBUJWF JNQBDU on sperm production. Thus men who JOGFSUJMJUZ BWBJM ZPVSTFMG PG GSFF JOGPSNBUJPO XPSL JO IPU FOWJSPONFOU PS VTF MBQUPQT / counselling, where to begin, and what to on their lap may be indulging in unhealthy do. It may not be as stressful or difficult as it may seem especially knowing you are SFQSPEVDUJWF IFBMUI QSBDUJDF Are you caught in the web? Lifestyle not alone in this walk towards successful modification is one of the best options parenthood.

36

T H I S D AY ˾ ,DECEMER 31, 2020

FEATURES

NCDC’S Scorecard for 2020 With COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on Nigeria practically throughout 2020, Martins Ifijeh reviews with timelines, the performance of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the agency responsible for the country’s health security through disease preparedness, detection and response household name, with over 2 million followers on its social media accounts. The agency has also established new training programmes such as the online IPC programme for health workers and trained over 40,000 health workers physically using this curriculum.

In 2021, Nigeria needs to build on its progress with the COVID-19 response and extend this to other areas of health security. The NCDC needs to expand its capacity and achievements but requires the funding and political commitment for this.

T

he year 2020 has been unprecedented.

It has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many countries now experiencing a second wave of the outbreak. Nigeria, in addition to the pandemic has recorded other outbreaks, including yellow fever, weekly cases of Lassa fever, monkeypox, cholera, measles and other epidemic prone diseases.

This has indeed been a critical year for health security with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) leading the fight against the pandemic and other disease outbreaks experienced by the country since January.

COVID-19 Preparedness Prior to the confirmation of Nigeria’s first case of COVID-19 on February27, NCDC announced that it was monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak in China and conducted a risk assessment of the threat to the country. The Director General of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu was part of a team invited by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to carry out an exploratory visit to China. On January 22, a public health advisory was published and disseminated while NCDC established a multisectoral Coronavirus Preparedness Group on January 26 to prepare the country for the impending outbreak.

The group identified laboratories to establish capacity for COVID-19 testing, with the agency partnering with states and tertiary hospitals to map out treatment/isolation centres for case management, as well as training health workers across all states on case management, infection prevention control, surveillance, risk communications and other areas.

It also prepositioned medical supplies such as personal protective equipment to all states, while developing preparedness guidelines and plans by adapting global regulations to Nigeria’s context.

This summed the beginning of preparation before the pandemic arrived in the country.

Nigeria’s Public Health Laboratory Services At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria had only four laboratories with the capacity to confirm the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Three of the laboratories in Lagos, Irrua, Edo State and Ede, Osun State were part of the NCDC molecular laboratory network for other diseases; the fourth was the NCDC National Reference Laboratory (NRL).

The public health laboratory service in Nigeria has been a weak point for several years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, NCDC had established a Lassa fever laboratory network with five laboratories, yellow fever/measles/rubella network with seven laboratories, cholera/meningitis laboratory network with 17 laboratories and a network for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance with 12 laboratories. However, most states in Nigeria did not have a public health laboratory.

Between February and October 2020, NCDC supported every state in Nigeria to establish at least one public health laboratory for COVID-19 diagnosis. These laboratories now have the required molecular diagnostic capacity that can be used for other epidemic prone diseases in Nigeria such as Lassa fever.

Additionally, the NCDC NRL was selected by the Africa CDC and WHO to provide genetic sequencing for COVID-19, to other countries in Africa. The NCDC NRL and the African Centre for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) at Redeemers University Ede, are the only two laboratories in Nigeria set up for this purpose.

Dr. Ihekweazu

There is still a lot of work to be done to strengthen Nigeria’s public health laboratory services. However, we have grown from about five public health molecular laboratories in Nigeria, to over 60 public health laboratories. It remains to be seen how the government will scale up the capacity built for COVID-19, for other diseases.

Establishing Emergency Operations Centre in All States The phrase “Public Health Emergency Operations Centres” or EOC for short, have become common in Nigeria. This is where the COVID-19 pandemic response has been coordinated across states and at the national level.

In April 2018, NCDC announced the establishment of Zamfara State Public Health EOC, following the meningitis outbreak in 2019.

This was the first State Public Health EOC in Nigeria. NCDC has now established 28 Public Health EOCs in states and the FCT as at December 2020. About seven of these public health EOCs were established this year, as the country responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seven states in Nigeria already have polio EOCs. Following the eradication of the disease in Nigeria, it is expected that these EOCs continue polio surveillance but also integrate other public health functions. Currently, only two states in Nigeria do not have a polio nor Public Health EOC- Jigawa and Ogun.

The establishment of these EOCs before the COVID-19 pandemic gave many states the upper hand, in terms of outbreak coordination.

Some states such as Edo State had activated their EOC multiple times for Lassa fever and yellow fever prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, some of these Public Health EOCs are still poorly funded with intermittent power supply and shortage of human resources affecting capacity. We rank the establishment of Public Health EOCs as a major milestone, but more work needs to be done in strengthening the activities of these

critical institutions.

Digitalising Surveillance for Epidemic Prone Disease During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Nigeria still had a surveillance system that depended on paper-based reporting and use of Excel sheets.

This was a major challenge as it caused delay in reporting from LGA to states, and from states to the national level. As part of lessons from the Ebola response, NCDC said it has worked with partners in Germany to develop a tool called SORMASthrough which cases of diseases are reported using a tablet from health facilities or LGAs. At the beginning of 2020, only 17 states had SORMAS deployed partially (not covering all LGAs). However, by the end of November 2020, all states in Nigeria and the FCT, plus all LGAs have begun to use SORMAS for disease reporting. This has also enabled rapid analysis of cases, contact tracing and other disease surveillance functions.

Currently, SORMAS is used for epidemic prone diseases which are within the mandate of NCDC e.g. Lassa fever. However, major infectious diseases like HIV and Tuberculosis still use separate systems for surveillance.

If Nigeria wants to strengthen its surveillance system, it must move to an integrated digital system, owned and led on by government institutions such as NCDC which has the mandate for infectious diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched health systems and health workers. Organisations like NCDC have continued to work extremely hard since the beginning of the year with no signs of stopping, as the second wave begins. In addition to the areas mentioned above, NCDC has continued its routine functions.

This year, the Nigerian Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guideline was reviewed after over ten years, taking into consideration changes in the health field such as event-based surveillance. NCDC has scaled up its communications strategies and become a

Response to Yellow Fever In November 2020, as Nigeria was responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, news of “strange illness” in towns in Enugu and Delta States were shared widely. In a swift response, NCDC released a holding statement to inform the public of ongoing laboratory investigation in collaboration with the reporting states. Within five days of receiving reports of the first case, NCDC confirmed that the reported clusters of cases and deaths were caused by yellow fever. This was confirmed at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory in Abuja.

Prior to 2017, Nigeria relied completely on sending samples to the Institute Pasteur Dakar, for yellow fever diagnosis. However, the NCDC National Reference Laboratory which was operationalised in May 2017 now leads the diagnosis of epidemic prone diseases including yellow fever confirmation.

Following the confirmation of the outbreak, NCDC activated a Yellow fever Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to provide a command-and-control response to the affected states. Rapid Response Teams were deployed to affected states and surveillance activities were heightened.

The swiftness in confirming the yellow fever outbreak and activating response activities is indicative of the agency’s improved capacity over the last four years.

Nigeria no longer has to rely on other countries, to confirm its outbreaks.

Response to Lassa Fever In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria continued to record cases of other epidemic prone diseases. In fact, at the beginning of the COVID-19 response in February, NCDC had declared an emergency phase for Lassa fever. The country was responding to two outbreaks simultaneously.

Despite the pressures of concurrent outbreaks, this year’s Lassa fever outbreak had improved outcomes according to the agency. According to its situation report published weekly since the beginning of the year, more Lassa fever cases were detected this year.

This, it said may be attributed to improved surveillance system, laboratory testing and risk communications.

Weekly reports show that there was also less number of health workers affected.

According to a statement issued by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the organisation is working with NCDC and institutions in Benin Republic, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to carry out the largest-ever Lassa fever research programme in West Africa. This has been a longawaited programme as NCDC had announced plans for this project in 2019 at the Lassa fever International Conference.

The data from this study will be used for public health decisions, according to the NCDC DG, but also for the design of future late-stage efficacy trials to evaluate potential Lassa vaccine candidates. Over 4800 participants have so far already enrolled in this study as at December 17, 2020.

It is remarkable that Nigeria is now leading research and development activities for Lassa fever, which has long been neglected despite its emergence over 50 years ago.

Medbury Eases COVID-19 Testing for Individuals, Corporates Ugo Aliogo One of the accredited COVID-19 testing centres, Medbury Medical Services has announced the opening of an ultra-modern drive-through COVID testing centre in Lekki Phase I, Lagos.

A statement by the group said the centre which is known as Medbury COVID-19 Testing

Centre, already serving Nigerians in Lagos through its testing centres in Ikeja; and Lekki Phase I. The statement also stated that the group is offering home and office testing services within Lagos, “Medbury has continued to support government efforts in ensuring the COVID-19 pandemic is contained”.

The statement further explained

that the testing centre is uniquely comfortable, clean, well-organised with well-trained employees and sample collectors; “all optimised to ensure an extremely fast service with minimal waiting time”.

Speaking on the new facility, the Managing Director of Medbury Medicals, Dr. Itunu Akinware, hinted: “the need for a world class, efficient, quick yet

reliable service was crucial to our clients and we had to rise up to this challenge. We had to build a facility that was comparable to those found in other parts of the world.”

She remarked that results of tests are delivered the next day through emails and clients are advised to plan for results within 24 to 48 hours.

“In addition, as an innovative company, Medbury has taken a step ahead and leveraged the use of technology to tackle counterfeiting and fake results through its bespoke verification platform that is currently being used by airlines, foreign embassies and other stakeholders to authenticate results taken

at all Medbury COVID-19 Testing Centre.

“This effort has drastically reduced the incidence of fake COVID -19 test results, as all results by Medbury can be easily confirmed on the Medbury website or through the Medbury Lab App that can be downloaded on Google Playstore in the coming days.”

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ,DECEMER 31, 2020

INTERVIEW

Senator Utazi: A Second Shut Down of Our Economy Over COVID-19 Will Be Disastrous The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases and the Senator representing Enugu North in the National Assembly, Senator Chukwuka Utazi says Nigeria should apply tact in implementing restrictions over the second wave of COVID-19. In this interview with Onyebuchi Ezigbo, the legislator bares his mind on the legislative efforts to tame the pandemic

A

s a very critical stakeholder in the country’s health sector what do you think should be done to deal with the second wave of COVID-19?

First of all, we thank God who has helped us to suppress the onslaught of this COVID-19 that most of the first world countries are still battling with to no avail. But one way or the other God has a way of doing things for people who are disadvantaged rightly or wrongly.

There were scenarios of what was happening in the Western countries and people expected it would be worse off here because of our usual lack of preparedness and our response mechanism.

Our weather contributed immensely and the timely shutdown of the country also contributed immensely too in controlling things. That is just where we are today and the second wave is now giving everybody cause for concern . On this second wave, we have been talking with the leadership of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 that we really have to sit up. Shutting down the economy is a problem like we did in the past, the side effect of the first shutdown are still here with us, we are yet to recover from it and to go ahead with a second shutdown will be bad but we must be creative with the way we go about it. Trying to show that the economy is still working, the picking up after the first wave then we also have to be very careful about the security and life of people; these are the issues. The reason why we are thinking so is because the people in Europe and America that shutdown initially are shutting their country down because of the effect of the pandemic but they haven’t allowed the economy to be shutdown because their flights are still moving in and out even when they are on the red line. So what that means is that they are fighting for survival and that was why we allowed Lagos and Abuja for international flights, we wanted to do that of Kano and Port Harcourt but along the line we saw some reasons and said the take off would be next year and there is this fear that if we open all the international airports we are going to expose ourselves to danger that is why we restricted it to Lagos and Abuja and the two we had approved would be coming next year towards March. When we did this many people wanted the Enugu Airport open. You know our people in the South East travel a lot but I looked at all those issues and I told our people in the South East to take it easy, let’s manage with :Lagos and Abuja for now and it helped because as the Enugu Airport wasn’t opened, people in the South East didn’t have that upsurge in COVID-19 because the airline that used to come to Enugu was not forthcoming so we took advantage of that. Yes we suffered because our airport was closed so we had to update it and upgrade and we will do that. So what we are saying and praying now for is safety all the way and we will not shut the economy and also prepare for our people who are coming into the country especially during the Christmas season where the people in Southern Nigeria this period means so much to them because most of them have brothers and sisters that are outside the country and use that opportunity to visit their people once a year. They look towards travelling towards Christmas to interact and mix up with people. We have also telling our people over there too ‘’if you don’t have any need to come, please don’t come’’ if it is all about sending money and goods please parcel them, do weigh bill to your brothers and sisters and the will come to the airport to pick them. There is that media publicity that if you must come there is that urgent need that you just have to be in your place, all the gifts you have parcel to make sure it reaches your people; get them . Those of us in the South East and South South use this period for development programs for our areas, send those monies to the areas of need so that your people can represent you but don’t come because those people have closed their shops and airport but they are doing business because they know the effect on the airlines worldwide is something that in the next four to five years the airlines

Rebecca Ejifoma

we are telling our people to please make sure that they stay safe, stay out of trouble and avoid all those things that is going to expose you. Up till today so many churches still conduct their services online. If you feel that going to church will expose you please stay at home and do it online. Virtual meetings is now one of the new normals, if our head of state can be in Katsina and attending FEC meeting what else do you want the man to tell you? This is a new normal, it is safer, cheaper and keeps everyone out of trouble and let’s just continue with that.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi

will still feel the effect, so they are managing.

These have opened their communication with the rest of the world but are you taking it? We are advising our people not to take it because that is the only way we can fight this second wave of COVID-19 because most of these things are coming from outside but we are also warning our people over here to be alert because people are feeling that now that we have been able to control it many people go out without their face mask, many people walk around without sanitizer and washing of hands and the areas you find this mainly is the urban areas espeially Lagos and Abuja. If you move to the other Geopolitical zones you don’t see anybody wearing mask, they see it as an elite thing but we are still insisting that prevention is better than cure and it is cheaper.

Are you not worried that with the opening of the inland borders, it could increase the risk of people bringing in this COVID-19 into Nigeria?

The opening of the land borders is surely economic and also for security reasons because most of the West African countries depends on Nigeria for business, this is their own America.

We have the capacity to get all those things down here, they come here to do their own small businesses across the border and go but now that we shutdown they are all crying and then we are depending on the same people to help us in fighting Boko Haram Insurgents and I think it is for strategic reasons we are doing that because all the people that we do business with have being crying that the closure of our land border has been hurting them and I think government just want to open the borders knowing fully well that this period of the year people do business, we want to open it and allow those people a breather for some time and then we will come back to close the border but for the North because if you say closure of border is in Nigeria, it is only effective in Southern Nigeria and those of us who go to the North know that there is nothing you can do about it because in the north there is free trade.

For instance in Kano you see trucks from all parts of West Africa to buy things and it is their way of life. If you go to Niger and Chad, they come on a daily basis to Nigeria to do business and return to their country . If you also go to the

Cameroon border close to Adamawa, you just walk over, do your business and return and there is nothing you can do about it, this people have been there over years but it is only in the South here that we are having this issue and that is just what we are trying to manage to ensure that things work for our people and help stabilize our economy especially in agricultural sector, most of our people are now picking up in rice interventions, poultry, fishery and all that which is what we need to improve the economy unlike when you import all the rice from Thailand, people pick up this rice and our own economy suffers at the end of it. So we are trying to control this thing at the border.

Is there anything being done to ensure that people stick to the protocols especially in the markets?

On issue of protocols in the market, I remember when the lockdown was relaxed during the first wave I told our people during a press conference that we are relaxing the shutdown doesn’t mean that COVID-19 has reduced, we are doing so because of economic reasons and the government doesn’t have all the monies to put in people’s accounts so that they can remain at home. Now that we are opening up responsibility is now in the hands of the citizens to protect themselves and how do they do that? You have to wear your face mask, you have to observe social distancing, you have to ensure you don’t shake hands and embracing people along the way, you have to wash your hands regularly, you have to check your body temperature to know if you are having any symptoms because once you have a symptom and you follow it up it is easier to cure it than when it has become serious . So what I am saying in essence is that because we relaxed the COVID-19 protocols doesn’t mean that COVID-19 has gone, the only thing is that we have transferred our responsibilities to everyone.

It is our duty now to make sure that everyone handles thing properly by themselves. If you lower your guard and protective efforts to stay healthy that is your own business,no one dies for anybody, nobody gets sick for anybody and if you are staying in the isolation centre you would be there alone. No one will be there on your behalf and you won’t have free movement so

What is the legislative input over the effort to get the vaccines in terms of budgeting?

Three days ago the Senate resolved and mandated the senate committee on primary health care in a joint committee meeting of health to spare head the issue of interrogating the government agencies as it concerns this procurement of vaccines for the country and I fixed my meeting and once the resolution of the Senate was done I took immediate action of writing the Minister for Health and all other agencies under it with PTF, the coordinator for COVID-19 and his team, the Director of NCDC, FCDC, Executive Director, CEO of National Primary Care Development Agency, Dr. Fiesa Shuabi. The preparedness for this vaccine is there and we are working hard to make sure that we get things working for our people. First of all is the vaccine there? If it is there is it also safe for use by our people because I am very careful of not trying to solve a problem and end up compounding it because of what has played out in the past about the policies of vaccines and the effort to reduce population by the first world countries and third world countries. So we have looked at all these things and we are considering them.

Another issue is the budget, the issue of vaccine came when we were almost done with the budget and with my discussion with the health agencies since yesterday and today, they are all discussing how we need to find money and we agreed at the Senate and National Assembly, those of us in health are interfacing with our leadership that this is something that is very urgent and we must do something about it. The Executive Director, CEO of National Primary Health care development agency, the NCDC and Director General of NCDC and all of us, we are all making efforts. As I speak to you, the budget for the procurement of the vaccine has already been gotten, we have an idea of what it is going to take but I won’t mention it here because we are still working on it but the effort is onging and we are working hard to achieve this. We have already started discussing with the Senate President on how we can thinker this budget to ensure that we have adequate provision in it for the vaccine even if it means striking out certain other projects and ensure that this money is in the budget for the vaccine. I took this idea to him and he told me ‘No, we don’t need to do that’, as the budget has reached that stage let’s not go there and try to put a spanner in the works but what we should do is articulate our opinion at the estimate of what it will cost us to buy enough vaccines that would go round the country and make sure that the health of our citizens are protected and once we do that the leadership is going to interface with the Executive to do a special supplementary estimate purely for this which everyone is concerned about and that is the direction we are heading to and our people are working round the clock for this to workout. I spoke to the coordinator of COVID-19 and the Executive director of National Primary healthcare development agency are all working including the Director General of NCDC and the Minister for Health in order to come up with an estimate and once we are done immediately with the passage of the budget we will be returning with a supplementary estimate to take care of the vaccine. So we are assuring the country that we are working and there is no loopholes from the National Assembly in terms of making sure we have enough preparation to fund our health emergencies.

38

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱͯ˜ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Bauchi Signs N213.9bn 2021 Budget into Law Segun Awofadeji ÓØ ËßÍÒÓ Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has signed the 2021 budget estimate of N213, 914, 559,427 for the 2021 fiscal year into law.

While signing the appropriation bill into law, at Government House, Bauchi Tuesday night, the Governor thanked members of the State House of Assembly for working round the clock and in synergy with the state executive council to complete work on the budget within 10 days.

Mohammed, said by working for the common goal of serving the people collectively with the State Assembly dominated by the opposition, Bauchi has set the pace for politics.

According to him, “I am always grateful to Allah for giving me the kind of State Assembly members who have recognised that we are guided by the fear of Allah and by one common thing, which is Bauchi project, the people who voted us into power.”

The Governor expressed delight that there were little changes in the budget as submitted to the State Assembly, saying that, “what they did is what I would have even done to expand provision of projects and programs across the local councils and all the villages and towns so that there will be equity and justice.”

Tagged, the, ‘Budget of Consolidation’, the Governor said the 2021 budget is larger than that of last year.

He said the government was looking at the basic outcome of the budget to make sure that every sector is affected positively, adding that the people of Bauchi deserves better treatment, hence government’s decision to introduce Bauchi urban renewal project to upgrade the state capital.

He said education and health sector was also given the required attention because they are the sectors that will improve the state’s human capital.

Bala said the state government was also investing in agriculture, water supply, youth and women empowerment, adding that rural roads were being opened up by making sure that connectivity is created between the rural markets and the urban centers.

Polaris Bank Rewards Customers in MoneyGram Campaign A total of 30 lucky customers of Polaris Bank across different business locations of the bank will be rewarded with shopping vouchers in the Polaris Bank – ‘MoneyGram for You’ Campaign.

The beneficiaries are customers of the Bank who received transfers in Polaris Bank within the six weeks period of the campaign that ended on December 6, 2020.

According to a statement, customers who received at least two MoneyGram transactions from a Polaris Bank branch every week within the six weeks period of the campaign would qualify to win Shoprite Vouchers valued at N5,000 each.

It stated that five of the customers with the highest cumulative value of transactions from those who meet the set criterion would win the vouchers.

“The campaign is aimed at encouraging increased patronage of the services of the wire money transfer franchise and is specifically targeted at customers who receive their transfers in Polaris Bank,” the statement added.

Three of the beneficiaries - Kareem Tomiwa Ademuyiwa from Dopemu branch; Mutiat Kosoko from Ketu Branch; and Gloria John from Iwo Road branch, Ibadan, Oyo state were amongst the early winners who praised

Polaris Bank for providing them the opportunity to win.

According to Ademuyiwa, “Polaris Bank will always be my number one Bank, I thank MoneyGram and Polaris Bank for this rare opportunity.

“I will continue to introduce more customers to the bank.”

On what he would he would use the reward for, he said, “I was able to use those vouchers for shopping baby items as my wife put to bed few days before I won the prize.” Another winner, Kosoko also said she would be taking her kids out for shopping to give them a nice treat during the Christmas season.

KPMG Names Ecobank Nigeria among Customer Experience Leaders KPMG Nigeria has ranked Ecobank Nigeria among the top three banks with good customer experience in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment.

KPMG’s Nigeria banking industry customer experience survey measures the performance of lenders in the country in terms of their relationship with their account holders and other users of financial services.

The 2020 survey covered 15,056 retail customers, 1,856 SMEs and 332 commercial/corporate organisations. Respondents were selected from customers who have interacted with their bank in the last six months.

According to a statement, in the SME category, Sterling Bank, Union Bank and Ecobank were top three.

Specifically, the report stated that respondents were impressed with the interaction between Ecobank and its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, stressing that the bank was able to provide personalised service to its respective customer segments.

“The remote working arrangements resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have further constrained banks from catering to this stated need.

“While many banks struggled with providing dedicated relationship managers to SMEs, other banks quickly adapted by developing “how-to” guides for their relationship managers to navigate client relations during the pandemic. Ecobank, FCMB and Union Bank are rated as the top banks in the delivery of

personalised experiences,” the statement added.

Commenting, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan stated the bank’s unwavering commitment to support and sustain the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all sectors of the economy.

He reiterated that Ecobank had invested in a robust technology-based model which positioned it to cope with current and future challenges including provision of convenient digital banking services to customers in a seamless manner, adding that the bank will continue to harness and explore the various intervention schemes, funding and trade opportunities for small businesses.

News Central to Launch on StarTimes News Central, a station fully devoted to African news will be officially launched on StarTimes, channel 274, on January 1, 2021.

According to a statement, News Central, a 24-hour fully-dedicated news channel, is focused on telling the African story and changing the narrative of the continent.

Head, Business Development & Market Strategy, News Central, Rosemary Egabor, said the news platform represents the dreams, aspirations, spirit, colours, and humanity of the people of the continent.

She added: “We are a television news station fully focused on telling the African story and

changing the narrative of the continent.

“We believe in ‘Africa First,’ our slogan which positions us to drive the need for telling the true African story from our perspective.

“We will do this through exciting and innovative content, news discourse, current affairs programming with in-depth reporting, solutions journalism and hyper-local content that accounts for the different regions of the continent.

“At News Central, we are building what will be Africa’s most respected media brand across television, mobile and our web through the diversity

of our content, the creativity of our people and our investment in technology.”

Furthermore, she said: “Our partnership with StarTimes will give our followers on all social media platforms and prospective viewers unlimited access to our daily programming in major commercial cities in Nigeria and the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.

“We are the brand managers of Africa and driven by our passion, we are set to keep you educated and entertained as we bring to you the untold stories of Africa. At News Central, we are raising the bar of news reporting in Africa.”

Bala Mohammed

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JULY 2020 Money Supply (M3)

36,822,751.47

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

3,476,121.25

Money Supply (M2)

33,346,630.22

-- Quasi Money

120,764,479.02

-- Narrow Money (M1)

12,582,151.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,002,026.89

---- Demand Deposits

10,580,124.31

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,637,137.23

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

29,185,614.24

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

39,711,115.95

---- Credit to Government (Net)

19,521,851.08

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-130,189,264.87

--Other Assets Net

3,472,017.70

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,421,827.07

--Currency in Circulation

2,395,917.03

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

11,025,910.04 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month Inter-Bank Call Rate

March 2018 15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͯ͵ ͰͮͰͮ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $50.78 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $50.12 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

39

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͱͯ˜ 2020

NSE Boss Assures Capital Market Stakeholders of Continued Support Goddy Egene The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, has said the Exchange will continue to provide support to capital market stakeholders.

Onyema stated this while receiving the ‘Best Regulatory Information Management Award’ from the Lagos Public Relations Industry Gala and Awards (LaPRIGA Awards)

in Lagos recently.

According to him, the Exchange was indeed honoured to receive the recognition, saying that following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to affect the world economy, the Exchange demonstrated its resilience by maintaining seamless trading activities and business operations, whilst providing support to capital market stakeholders.

“We continue to engage with

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

various stakeholders including Government, policy makers and capital market operators as part of our advocacy efforts to ensure positive impact on the private sector and more importantly quoted companies,” he declared.

He said the various advocacy engagements yielded significant outcomes including extension of time for Issuers to file Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

December 2019 and extension of time for dealing member firms to submit their audited financial statements for the year ended December 2019 and quarterly reports for Q1:2020.

“We further engaged the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) on the exclusion of the ICAN stamp and seal in audited financial statements. Furthermore, the exchange issued a guidance document on companies’

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

virtual board, committee, and management meetings to the market on 15 April 2020 as part of its ‘Guidance and Leadership Thought’ series,” Onyema added.

He noted that the Exchange has continued to implement on its commitment improve market integrity, reduce market asymmetry and improve the flow of information into the market with the upgrade of several platforms. .

O F

The award was presented

by Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mr. Segun Mcmedal, and, Member, NIPR, Ms. Yeye Agnes Shobajo.

According to Chairman, Selection Panel, LaPRIGA Awards 2020, Muyiwa Akintunde, the award was presented to the NSE in recognition of its excellence in public relations and stakeholder engagement practices.

3 0 / 1 2 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

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40

THURSDAY, ͻ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Sanwo-Olu Lifts 364 Disabled Persons with Mobility Aids Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday donated 50 wheel chairs, 170 walking sticks, 75 white canes and 69 crutches to 364 persons living with disabilities to assist the People living With Disabilities (PWDs) in mobility.

The governor made the donation in Lagos when he, along with his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, had a special moment with them, in the spirit of the Yuletide.

Responding to the issues earlier raised by the PWDs, Sanwo-Olu approved some of their demands and promised to implement others soon.

He reiterated his administration’s readiness to empower the PWDs and give them a sense of belonging in ’Greater Lagos’ project.

He told his guests that their demands came at a better time when the state government was about to access the N500 million

Disability Fund appropriated in the 2021 budget, passed on Monday by the House of Assembly.

According to him, the government will be meeting with each cluster of PWDs on how to maximise the funds for the benefit of their members.

He said: “This Christmas period presents a better time for us to host this special interactive session and felicitate with you. I deliberately asked for the event to be done at the State House, Marina, so that I can share good moments with you in the spirit of the season. We called for this engagement to hear from you all challenges you face.

“After listening to your representatives, we now have better understanding of which intervention we need to make and where we need to improve our relationship with you. We have taken all

the points raised. The N500 million Disability Fund in the 2021 Budget will be accessed next year and we will agree with all clusters on how better to utilise the funds.”

He added that the government will be working to ensure free quality healthcare services for the physically challenged persons in primary and secondary health institutions in the state.

He also gave directive for free COVID-19 test for PWDs in registered clusters.

Sanwo-Olu also approved the creation of the Office of Senior Special Assistant on PWD Affairs, which will be the link between his administration and people living with disabilities.

The governor said in January, he would fill the office, which will be domiciled at the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

The interactive session, jointly

organised by the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Information and Strategy and Office of Disabilities, was attended by people drawn from Association for the Deaf, Association for the Blind, Association for the Dwarf, Albinism Association of Nigeria, Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria (SCIAN), National Association of Physically Challenged, Intellectual Cluster Groups, comprising Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy.

The occasion featured the rendition of songs of praise by the choir of Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children.

Representatives of each cluster spoke their minds on challenges limiting their members to cope with dayto-day activities, top among which are employment and inclusive education. The PWDs offered suggestions on how the

government could make life better for them.

An Assistant Director of Programmes at the Lagos State-owned Traffic Radio, Victor Oteri, who represented cluster of visually impaired persons, hailed Sanwo-Olu for creating time for the PWDs amid challenges facing the state.

He said the governor had devoted time and resources to the weakest people in the society.

Oteri called for an increment in the employment ratio dedicated to PWDs in public and corporate organisations in the state, from two to five per cent.

He also urged the state government to equip the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) to fully enforce the Special People Law of 2011, which mandated all public and private business establishments in Lagos to absorb physically challenged persons.

This, Oteri said, would help to reduce poverty burden on people living with disabilities and create economic opportunities that’ll help them cater for their immediate needs and families.

Mr. Israel Akiode, who represented dwarf cluster and also representing the PWDs in Lagos chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), made a case for the appointment of a Senior Special Sssistant to the governor on PWDs, which would serve as a link between the clusters and the governor.

Akiode also clamoured for the increase in employment slots reserved for the physically challenged in public service, to five per cent.

Chairman of Association for the Blind, Mr. Babatunde Mohammed, praised the state government for creating education access for the cluster.

Following the directive by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that churches should comply with all government regulations to combat the spread of COVID-19 while conducting their crossover services, some churches with large followership have adjusted their programmes.

The churches included The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners’ Chapel and Deeper Christian Life Ministry.

For instance, the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said the church’s crossover service will start by 6p.m.

In a Facebook post on his verified page, he said: “God has been so good to us. He has kept us despite the many hurdles of this year. It is time to crossover gallantly into 2021.

Be a part of the crossover service and be empowered for the year 2021.”

The post was accompanied by a flyer, which has 6p.m as the commencement time, while members were encouraged to link up with the service online.

A memo signed by RCCG Assistant General Overseer (Admin and Personnel), J. F. Odesola, said the church decided on a virtual crossover vigil to ensure that none of its members violates the curfew imposed by the federal government.

It also said the January Holy Ghost service will be held virtually.

“Kindly be informed that in compliance with the federal government and various states government directives, the crossover service shall be virtual and the crossover message from Daddy G.O shall be relayed through all our social media platforms as usual.

“You are to also note that the January Holy Ghost service scheduled to take place on Friday 8th January 2021 shall also be held virtually,” it said.

Also, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), led by Dr Daniel Olukoya, said the church’s crossover service would hold between 9pm and 11pm while it would continue virtually into the New Year.

In a memo dated December 29, 2020, and signed by the church’s Assistant General Overseer in charge of Administration, Pastor Gbesan Adebambo, the church said: “The leadership of this ministry has directed that, in view of the government safety and health regulations, coupled with the imposed curfew between 12am and 4am, the crossover night service on the 31st of December, 2020, would now hold from 9pm to 11pm on Thursday.”

The Winners’ Chapel, pastored by Bishop David Oyedepo, also fixed the church’s crossover service for between 6p.m. and 8p.m.

A member of the church who craved anonymity, said: “My pastor announced it on Sunday and he said it was the instruction from CanaanLand.”

Also, the Covenant Christian Centre, based in Lagos, said its crossover service would hold between 7p.m and 9p.m.

Its Senior Pastor, Poju Oyemade, in a broadcast on Tuesday, said a second service would hold virtually and would be televised between 11pm to 1am.

The Deeper Christian Life Ministry, led by Pastor William Kumuyi, also fixed its crossover service to begin at 10p.m.

“We are having it based on district and location basis. We are not going to have large gatherings like the previous years. We are starting by 10pm,” said an official of the church who said he was not permitted to speak on the matter.

On its part, Daystar Christian Centre, under the leadership of Pastor Sam Adeyemi, announced that its crossover service would hold strictly online between 7p.m. and 9p.m.

RESTRICTIONS ON CROSSOVER VIGILS STAY, LAGOS, OGUN INSIST minutes as well as after service.

"Worship centres should provide adequate toilet facilities with water. It is paramount for Muslims to perform ablution at home and go to mosque with their personal praying mats.

“The use of airconditioners should be discouraged while worship centres should be well ventilated with the use of fans.

“There should not be any handshake/hugs by worshippers,” the governor said.

He added that government will not hesitate to impose severe sanctions, including, but not limited to lockdown, on any worship centre that fails to comply with the guidelines.

“No social gathering should exceed 200 people while two metres social distancing must be observed in such gatherings," he added.

And in compliance with CAN directive, the state chapter of the association has directed all churches to close crossover service by 11 pm.

Ban on Crossover Vigil Not AntiChristian, Says Ondo The Ondo State Interministerial Committee on COVID-19 has said the decision of the government to ban crossover vigil is not about religion or targeted at Christianity.

The committee said the decision was aimed at strengthening public safety and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The Chairman of the committee, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, during an interactive meeting with religious leaders and stakeholders in Akure, the state capital yesterday, stated that the meeting was part of the committee’s strategies to strengthen the fight against COVID-19 and to better educate leaders on the need to play an exemplary role in the fight against the virus.

Fatusi, while commending some religious leaders and

other stakeholders who have supported the government in its efforts at mitigating the spread of the disease, appealed to the church to remain an agent of change.

According to him, there is a need for every stakeholder, including church leaders, to key into the fight against COVID-19. He added that the government will continue to carry out advocacy and sensitisation programmes to re-educate the people about the pandemic and its dangers.

“We are talking about a matter of life and death. People have talked about maintaining protocols in the markets and other places, but focus on churches and mosques is because by their designs, they spread COVID-19 more than open places.

“It is an enclosed place and people are more active therein. The likelihood of higher infection is very prominent. The decision to cancel crossover vigil is not about churches, you will recall that the government cancelled Muslims gathering too, it is about subsisting order for prevention of outbreak of infection and reducing further spread of COVID-19,” he said.

He explained that the government is not biased against any religion but concerned about the safety of its citizens.

He urged the religious leaders to cooperate with the government.

Responding, the Ondo State Chairman of CAN, Rev. Ayo Oladapo, called on the government to permit churches to celebrate the crossover vigil, stressing that churches have been educating the people on preventive measures against the pandemic.

He said CAN as a lawabiding organisation would not work against the directive of the government.

He also requested for a stronger working relationship between the church and the government.

Fatusi, who admonished the leaders to obey the

government’s directive banning the vigil, promised to convey their appeal for lifting the ban to the governor for further directive.

Oyo Relaxes Regulations for Crossover Vigils The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved the conduct of the crossover service by churches in the state.

Makinde, in a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, however, warned worship centres to hold their services in strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

“The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved the suspension of the 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. curfew earlier imposed on states by the federal government, saying that officials of the state’s Task Force on COVID-19 will ensure strict compliance with the guidelines and advisories during the Yuletide and after.

“The governor has, therefore, directed that religious centres be allowed to hold crossover worship services only in strict compliance with COVID-19 protocols,” Adisa said.

Makinde gave the directives in a brief endorsed by the chairman of the Technical Team of the COVID-19 Task Force, Professor Temitope Alonge, which reviewed the earlier pronouncement of the technical team and lifted the curfew.

However, other advisories earlier released by the task force, including the directive of 50 per cent occupancy for worship and event centres, ban of street carnivals and others, remain in effect, the statement added.

FCTA Warns Churches over Crossover Vigils The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has urged churches in the

territory to observe COVID-19 protocols as they prepare for the crossover service or have their worship centres shut down.

The Chairman, Public Enlightenment of FCT COVID-19 Task Force, Ikaro Attah, yesterday urged church leaders to obey the directives of government and security personnel to avert the spread of the virus.

According to him, the combined team of the task force will monitor compliance during the crossover .

Worshippers are enjoined to put on their face masks, have handwash points and keep physical distancing, while churches should not be overcrowded.

Alternatively, worshippers are advised to join the programme through online platforms.

"We have taken orders from the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma, to enforce compliance and we are working closely with the FCT Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman, Rev. Samson Jonah, and the CAN North Central Chairmen, Rev. Israel Akanji.

"In all that we do, we are also working with the Leagues of Imams and Ulamas and we have told all religious bodies, which I believe they have also communicated, that all centres of worship that will be engaging in crossover night services must be COVID-19 protocol compliant," Attah said.

He warned that those that jeopardise the lives of others and contravene the protocols will be arraigned before the mobile court.

The FCT task force similarly appealed to all religious centres not to stay longer than necessary at service but keep to about two hours for safety of the congregation.

Churches Adjust Crossover Programmes

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NEWS

Court Admits More Exhibits against Obaseki Alex Enumah in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday tendered two more documents to prove its allegation of certificate forgery against Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki the a Federal High Court, Abuja.The two documents which include: A University of Ibadan degree certificate, belonging to Dr. Emmanuel Balogun and a report by a forensic document examiner, Assistant Superintendent of

Police (ASP), Mr. Raphael Onwuzuligbo, were admitted in evidence by the court after they were tendered through the lead counsel of the plaintiffs, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN. The first degree certificate in agricultural science tendered was awarded to Balogun in 1979, the same year with that of Obaseki.

Although the second document was admitted with a caveat following objections to their admissibility raised by the first and second defendants

NCDC: 242 Persons Died of Lassa Fever in 2020 Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A total of 242 persons have so far died of Lassa fever in Nigeria this year.

This is 72 higher than the 170-casualty figure recorded in 2019.

The figure is contained in a situation report on the disease released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Lassa fever is a disease spread to humans through food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.

The disease is endemic to the West African country and its name comes from the town of Lassa in northern Nigeria where it was first identified in 1969.

It is endemic in part of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.

Neighbouring countries are also at risk.

From the NCDC’s report, Nigeria has so far recorded 1,175 confirmed cases of the disease in 2020 as against the 817 confirmed cases recorded in 2019.

The cases were recorded in 27 out of the nation’s 36 states and 130 local government areas out of the country’s 774.

In 2019, the cases were recorded in 23 states and 86 local governments.

The case-fatality ratio for 2020 was put at 20.6 per cent while that of 2019 was 20.8 per cent.

The highlights of the report read, “In Week 51, the number of new confirmed cases increased from five in Week 50 to 12 cases. These were reported from two states; Edo and Ondo.”

COVID-19: Self-medication Dangerous as the Disease, FG Warns Nigerians Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government has advised Nigerians against self-medication for COVID-19, saying it could lead to body organs damage.

The Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja.

NAN reports that articles about various home remedies and ways to prevent COVID-19 have been circulating on social and conventional media since the onset of coronavirus pandemic.

Theories such as gargling hot saltwater, drinking lots of water and taking various vitamins and antibiotics, are a few that are believed to cure the disease.

Adebiyi emphasised that, while there might be some “rationale” behind these theories, they could however, pose serious dangers to the body and cause health complications.

“Be careful what you read on social media and send to your friends and loved ones, there are all sorts of inaccurate information out there.

“The best thing we can do is maintain our good health habits, eat healthy diets and do lots of exercises when we can.

“Practice social distancing, maintain top hand hygiene and stay home, unless you need to

go out for essential activities,” she advised.

The Director noted that one of the most dangerous prevention methods circulating on social media was the abuse of hydroxychloroquine, believed to be a cure for COVID-19.

According to Adebiyi, taking certain drugs without medical prescription and supervision can result in body toxicity and consequently lead to sedation, coma, seizures, heart complications and other conditions.

“Do not take any drugs outside of a physician’s recommendation please.

“At this moment, the best we can do to stay alive is to take medications that have been hypothesised as helpful.

“People with underlying conditions can safely take drugs when prescribed, but we need a better understanding of the risks and benefits of taking medication to treat COVID-19.”

She noted that while the fear of catching COVID-19 was making Nigerians doubly cautious about their health and the need to safeguard same by all means, some had even been relying on traditional home remedies and other detox drinks to stay healthy.

The director added that many had also taken to self-medicating on Vitamin C, Vitamin D and other multivitamins, saying “there has been an exponential rise in Nigerians stocking up on immunity-boosting medicines.

in the suit.

The APC and one of its chieftains, Mr. Williams Edobor had dragged Obaseki, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court seeking the disqualification of Obaseki in the September 19 governorship election over alleged forgery and perjury.

The plaintiffs earlier at Tuesday’s proceedings through a subpoenaed witness, Mr. Samuel Omale, INEC’s Legal Officer, tendered form EC9 completed and submitted to INEC in aid of his qualification for the last governorship poll in Edo State.

Meanwhile, Balogun during cross examination yesterday told the court that he has never seen the controversial degree certificate issued to Obaseki by

the authorities of the University of Ibadan.

While admitting further that he had never worked in the admission department of the University of Ibadan, Balogun answered that he would not be in a position to make comment on Obaseki’s certificates.

The APC witness who tendered the original degree certificate issued to him by the University of Ibadan in 1979 to buttress the forgery allegation against Obaseki informed the court that generally, certificates are signed by the Vice Chancellors and Registrars and that they always bear dates.

Responding to a question on the process of photocopying of a document, the witness said when the document to be photocopied is not properly placed in the machine, it is

possible for some parts of the original not to be included in the photocopied.

“If you do not scale it, some parts will be left out and it will not be a true reflection of the original documents,” he said.

After his discharged from the witness box, attempt by the plaintiffs to call in their fourth witness was challenged by the first and second defendants on grounds that they have exhausted the number of days provided by the court for the plaintiffs to call their witnesses, adding that by the court’s adjournment the previous day, the plaintiffs were to close their case and the first defendant called upon to open its case.

The objections were however overruled by Justice Mohammed, who noted that a lot of issues came up that

affected the time given to the plaintiffs, stating that similar consideration would be extended to the defendants.

The first and second defendants similarly, objected to attempts by the plaintiffs to tender the report Onwuzuligbo carried out in respect of the alleged forgery by Obaseki.

However, the matter has been adjourned till today for the cross-examination of Onwuzuligbo by the defendants. As at yesterday, the case has barely 11 days to become stalled, whereby anything done afterwards would become meaningless and of no effect.

The case was filed on July 14 and going by the constitutional provisions of 180 days for pre-election matters, is expected to lapse on January 13, 2020.

MEETING ON ISSUES IN BORNO...

President Muhammadu Buhari (left), and Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, when the governor visited the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja...yesterday

Air France: Transit Visa Compulsory for Nigerians Travelling to UK from January 1 Chinedu Eze Air France- KLM has reintroduced airport transit visa (ATV) for citizens of certain countries, including those from Nigeria, travelling to the UK from January 1, 2021.

An ATV is a document which grants access to a traveller to pass through the international zone of an airport, without entering the country’s territory.

A statement issued by the airline said the ATV has become necessary for these citizens to pass through France or the Netherlands following Brexit.

It also said citizens of the affected countries with British visa, long-stay visa or British residence permit must still have ATV to pass through France or the Netherlands.

The affected countries include Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Ghana.

Others include Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, Syria, Palestinians, Sierra Leone,

Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Sri Lanka.

“As of January 1, 2021, citizens of the following countries who are holders of a British visa, long-stay visa or a residence permit issued by the British authorities will need to be in possession of an airport transit visa (ATV) if they transit through France and or the Netherlands,” the statement read.

However, the airline said citizens of the listed countries holding a visa or residence permit from Canada, Japan, the USA or any other European

country, in addition to a UK visa/residence permit are allowed to travel through France or the Netherlands without an ATV. On December 24, the UK clinched a Brexit trade deal with the European Union (EU).

The new deal will almost certainly mean lower tariffs and costs for exporters than they would have faced if the UK had left the EU without an agreement.

The UK ceased to be a full member of the EU in January, following the Brexit vote on June 23, 2016.

Second Wave: NMA Cautions FG against Reopening of Schools The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, said he was seen as someone against the progress of the education sector when he warned against the reopening of schools earlier in the year.

Ujah, at a webinar organised by the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, yesterday, said the country was not adequately prepared when the schools

were reopened.

“When the government wanted to reopen the schools, I cautioned them and said if the schools must be reopen, there must be necessary preparation to prevent the children from contracting the virus. One parent wrote the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 that I don’t want people to go to school and that I was being wicked.

“Now, we all know better; a

lot of children who sat for the last WASSCE were infected.

Today, some corps members have also been infected. These are some of the things that could have been prevented if sufficient precautions were taken before reopening the schools,” he said.

The NMA President also lamented the disregard for social distancing by Nigerians, saying this had also contributed to the rising

COVID-19 cases.

“Social distancing in my opinion has failed. Recall that during the campaign for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States, everyone was falling over each other.

“If you go to the market places, social distancing protocol is not being observed. In that case, are we prepared? I think we need to do a lot of sensitisation,” Ujah added.

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NEWS XTRA

Kukah: Ortom Asks FG Not to Muzzle Nigerians PFN backs cleric, says he didn’t call for coup

George Okoh in Makurdi and Adibe Emenyonu Benin City Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has urged the federal government not to muzzle patriotic Nigerians who raise genuine concerns over the worsening security situation in the country.

This is as the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) called on those attacking the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah over his comments on the state of the nation to desist from it, saying he should not be used as a sacrificial lamb.

The governor’s response came five days after Bishop Mathew Kukah said President Muhammadu Buhari’s government owes Nigerians an explanation over the killings of innocent people in the country.

In his Christmas message titled, ‘A Nation in Search of Vindication,’ Bishop Kukah said Nigeria appeared to be heading for darkness under the current administration.

In a statement issued yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, the governor described as unfair and repressive the federal government’s reaction to Kukah’s message on insecurity.

Reacting to the government’s accusation that the cleric was stirring hatred against President Buhari and calling for a coup, Ortom asked the federal government to “address the worrisome security situation and other problems confronting the country.”

According to the governor, “Bishop Kukah is a selfless

Nigerian who only seeks to unite the nation and speaks his mind frankly on national issues calling on the government to serve the people.”

“The renowned Bishop is not the first to call on the leadership of the country to strengthen security agencies and be proactive in combating the wave of violence and killings in parts of the country.

“Many other Nigerians have been making the same call on a daily basis. He was not the first to suggest that the President should be the father of all and not of only a section of the country or a particular ethnic group.”

The governor advised that instead of politicising the views of Bishop Kukah and castigating him, the fFederal government should take a second look at the things he raised in the Christmas Day message to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Ortom noted that Nigeria is practicing democracy which guarantees the freedom of speech to all citizens and not a military regime that suppresses the right of the people to voice their opinions on challenges facing their country.

“The Bishop’s statement is a true reflection of the current situation in Nigeria and urges President Muhammadu Buhari not to listen to sycophants who may tell him that everything is well with the country. All is not well,” he added.

On its part, the President of PFN, Rev. Felix Omobude, while speaking on issues relating to the current states of the Nigeria nation called on the federal government not to

FG Moves to Rescue Nigerian on Death Row in Saudi Arabia The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said that the Nigerian government is on the case of Sulaimon Olufemi who has been on death row for 18 years in Saudi Arabia over the killing of a police officer.

The NiDCOM boss made this known during a meeting with Olufemi’s family who are appealing to the Saudi authorities to free their son.

She said NiDCOM is working with the Nigerian mission in

Saudi Arabia, adding that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, has been in touch with Saudi authorities on the case.

Also on the case is Hon. Tolulope Akande Sadipe, the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora.

Olufemi’s freedom is dependent on the daughter of the police officer who was killed when she was two years old. A pardon from the now 20-year-old will see him regain his freedom.

#EndSARS: Ekiti Panel Recommends N1.5m Compensations for Six Petitioners Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the issues of police brutality and other allied matters in the state has recommended aggregate payment of N1.5 million as compensation to six petitioners, who brought their cases before the panel.

The panel at its resumed sitting yesterday, presided over by the Chairman, Justice Cornileus Akintayo, took the decisions as part of its resolutions to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims of police brutality in the state.

In the case of Inspector

Omokhua Benjamin, whose car was vandalised when some hoodlums attacked Ikere Police Station during the #EndSARS protest, the panel recommended N400, 000 as compensation for him.

It also approved a sum of N50, 000 for Omokhua’s personal property that were destroyed at the Afao Police Station official quarters at Ikere Ekiti.

The panel also recommended a compensation of N400, 000 for Inspector Yakubu Aminu for his damaged VW Golf car with registration number: AG828KER, which was burnt by the #EndSARS protesters.

make Kukah a sacrificial lamb.

Omobude who is also the General Overseer, New Covenant Gospel Church, Benin, said Bishop Kukah spoke truth to power and the minds of most Nigerians that many things are going wrong under the present administration.

Omobude said rather than vilifying the bishop, he should be commended for voicing out when others seemed to have kept quiet when in actual fact, things are getting out of control.

“Well, I appreciate Bishop Kukah. I don’t think we have

interacted on one-on-one but if you follow him, you will know that he is down to earth when it has to do with telling the truth.

“Bishop Kukah is an advocate of democracy so he could not have been calling for the military overthrow of the government. The issues that he raised are very glaring.

“Now, it is only in this country that you can’t talk against government and go free. What is the dust for?

I know that the Minister of Information and Culture is paid

for his job but he should be honest enough to face certain truth.

“People call Mr. Trump all kinds of names and never has anybody been sued for insulting him but people have been sued in Nigeria for insulting president.”

According to him, “So, Bishop Kukah spoke the minds of genuine Nigerians. And any attempt by anybody to impose a section of the nation upon the other, is bound to cause chaos.

“Bishop Kukah should be seeing as a patriot and not a sacrificial lamb. He is not a hater of government but he is a lover of truth. I stand wholeheartedly on his views,” Rev. Omobude said. The PFN president, who also spoke on the COVID19 pandemic and its second wave in the country, enjoined all Nigerians to take full responsibility in mitigating its spread by adhering to the NCDC protocols just as he thanked God for His mercy upon the lives of every Nigerian.

100 HEARTY CHEERS...

L-R: Mrs. Stella Wigwe; the Celebrant, Madam Grace Okereke; Senior Pastor, Shygle Wigwe; and President, Business Education Examinations Council (BEEC) International , Mr. Mike Okereke, at the centenary birthday of Madam Okereke in Lagos ....yesterday

Kidnapped Owerri Bishop Not Dead, Says Catholic Church Amby Uneze in Owerri The Archbishop of Owerri Catholic, A. Obinna, has described as false the news making the rounds that the auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese, Moses Chikwe, who was kidnapped on Sunday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, had been killed by his abductors.

There were reports on Tuesday evening that the

corpse of the prelate was allegedly found somewhere at the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state, causing panic in the state.

But the archbishop of the archdiocese in a statement swiftly issued by Rev. Fr. Nnaemeka Njezi, who is the assistant secretary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, stated that there was no truth in the death rumour.

The statement, which

described the news as misleading, asked the Catholic faithful to be prayerful.

It stated that the archdiocese was hopeful that the abducted prelate would be released unhurt.

The statement read, “His grace, Most Rev Anthony Obinna, Archbishop of Owerri, hereby requests all Christ’s faithful and people of goodwill at large to disregard the purported news feed by

one Useni Yusuf at AJ press on the killing of the auxiliary bishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev Moses Chikwe.

“This information is unconfirmed, misleading and does not come from the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri.

“We continue to appeal that (we) all join the archbishop in prayers for the release of Bishop Chikwe and Mr Ndubuisi Robert, his driver.”

EFCC: COVID-19 Lockdown Impacted Our Operations for Five Months Secures 865 convictions, received 10,152 petitions in 2020 Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mohammed Umar Abba, yesterday said the lockdown imposed by government across the country following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted operations of the anti-graft agency for five months.

He said the investigation initiated by government that led to the suspension of the former Acting Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, created anxiety amongst stakeholders.

He also disclosed that the commission secured 865 convictions from a total of 1,305 cases it filed in courts in 2020.

The EFCC boss said that a total of 7,340 cases were under investigation out of the

10,152 petitions received by the commission.

A statement issued by the commission reviewing the operations of the agency in 2020, said the commission’s projections anchored on a strategic vision were greatly slowed down by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The lockdown enforced as part of measures to stem the spread of the deadly virus precipitated a scale down of our operations.

“For more than five months, activities were at the lowest ebb in our 17-year history as an institution”, he said.

He said a reform process that led to leadership change in the commision created anxiety amongst Nigerians.

“Also, a reform process that witnessed a change in the leadership of the commission naturally created anxiety among

critical stakeholders.”

On recoveries, the EFCC boss said the “commission also recorded humongous cash recoveries and seizure of a significant number of assets from persons indicted of corruption, following due legal process”.

Abba, who made the disclosure in his end-of-year message, also thanked the staff of the commission for their dedication, hard work and sacrifices in the discharge of their duties which contributed to the feat recorded in 2020.

He, however, said that the commission, in spite of the overwhelming odds, was still able to achieve significant milestones across the spectrum of its work.

Abba also expressed the desire to make the EFCC more effective through expansion of its activities, strengthening existing collaborations with other

law enforcement agencies, building new linkages with relevant stakeholders and improving on its processes and procedures.

The EFCC boss, who reassured staff of management’s commitment to their welfare at all times in order to ensure greater performance, stated that “as a dynamic and responsive organisation, we will continually engage staff and review policies to motivate all for greater performance. I am confident that we can face the future together.

“My faith is premised on our collective strength to uphold the oath which we took to rid Nigeria of corruption”, he said.

He maintained that “no adversity can shake this faith, as we look to the future with renewed zeal, holding aloft the blazing flame of anticorruption. “

46

THURSDAY DECEMBER 31, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Ugwuanyi, Mohammed, Ayade, Sule Sign 2021 Budgets into Law Bassey Inyang in Calabar, Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade and Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, yesterday signed their states’ 2021 Budgets into law.

While Ugwuanyi signed N169,845,758,500 for Enugu, Mohammed signed N213,914,559,427 for Bauchi, Ayade signed N281.9billion and Sule signed N115.8 billion respectively.

In Enugu, Ugwuanyi thanked members of the state House of Assembly for their partnership with the state government as well as diligent discharge of their legislative responsibilities which saw to the smooth and timely passage of the budget.

The governor who also thanked God for 2020, prayed that the coming year will be better.

Reiterating his resolve to continue to serve Enugu State with the fear of God, Ugwuanyi promised that the 2021 budget

will benefit the people of the state, for them to continue to enjoy democracy dividends.

In Bauchi, while signing the budget at the banquet hall of the Government House, Governor Mohammed thanked members of the state House of Assembly for working round the clock and in synergy with the State Executive Council to complete work on the budget within 10 days.

He said by working for the common goal of serving the people collectively with the state Assembly dominated by the opposition, the state has set the pace in politics and good governance.

Mohammed said the 2021 budget tagged: ‘Budget of Consolidation’, is larger than that of last year, adding that the ratio of recurrent and capital is within the global best practice.

In Cross River State, Ayade while speaking at the signing ceremony which held at the State Executive chambers, Calabar, disclosed that the budget christened, Budget of Blush and Bliss, has made provisions for the establishment of a state polytechnic.

He added that it also has provisions for social welfare schemes like grants and other financial benefits to help cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the people.

The governor disclosed that the size of the budget was smaller when compared with previous

budgets that were in the region of over one trillion naira.

He attributed this to the fact that his administration has decided to reduce the financial commitments of the state in key projects such as the Bakassi Deep Seaport and the 275km superhighway to just five per cent

In Nasarawa, Governor Sule, said the new budget figure consists of N53.8 billion for recurrent expenditure, while N54.8 billion is for capital expenditure.

According to him, “N7 billion has been earmarked for Consolidated Revenue Fund

Charges.”

He said: “The signing into law of the 2021 Budget will afford us once again, the opportunity to begin the constitutional 12-months budget circle implementation commencing from January 1 to December 31, 2021.”

OUR BUDGET IS READY...

Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade (left), and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Eteng Jones Williams, after signing Appeal Court Has the 2021 Budget into law in Calabar...yesterday Restored Sanity to Our Govt’s Reputation Crisis Self-inflicted, Says PR Expert, Okereke Party, Says Rivers APC Emmanuel Olorunda-Otaru

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has described as ‘sanity restored’, the Court of Appeal’s judgement, Tuesday that sacked Igo Aguma as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party in the state.

The party also expressed lack of confidence in the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to conduct free, fair and credible local government elections in the state.

The Caretaker Chairman of the party, Isaac Abott-Ogbobula, stated yesterday, while addressing reporters in Port Harcourt.

Ogbobula said the judgement sends a signal to the lower courts to stop meddling into internal affairs of a political party.

“We commend the Justices of the Court of Appeal for the very erudite judgment delivered yesterday, particularly for restoring sanity and more significantly, sending a clear message to lower courts to desist from unnecessarily meddling in the internal affairs of political parties and stop usurping the constitutionally vested powers and functions of party organs,” he said.

Ogbobula urged all members of the Party to come together, join hands in rebuilding the party and focus on achieving a common goal, adding that the APC in Rivers is now ready to give the state government a fair and formidable opposition, particularly in fighting against bad policies.

“We call on all genuine members of the APC in Rivers State to join hands with us in moving the Party forward. We cannot afford to be distracted anymore by comedians and mercantile politicians conniving with the Rivers State Government towards removing attention from

the huge misgovernance taking place in the state.

“We must start to seriously interrogate the policies, programmes and activities of the State Governor and invariably the application of state resources.

Rivers people must be made to consciously resist a situation where one man runs the show in the state; in charge of supplies, contracts, projects etc., while others wallow in penury and poverty.

“It is unacceptable that more than six years as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike cannot point to 10 young men of Rivers origin who have been economically empowered to compete in the business world.

“It is most unfortunate that rather than the governor priding himself in terms of human capital development, he is instead always boasting of how he will cripple the All Progressives Congress in the state, and you can imagine the humongous funds he pushes in that direction to massage his ego,” Ogbobula said.

The party Chairman further stated that the APC would henceforth participate in every transparent electoral process in the state, and ensure victory in all of its outings.

He, however, expressed doubts over the credibility of RSIEC, now headed by Justice George Omereji (rtd).

“Recall that the very same Justice Omereji who had earlier given the controversial judgement against the APC, installing Aguma as Chairman of the party in Rivers State) has been appointed as the Chairman of RSIEC, a so called “independent umpire” in local government elections. Let me sound it loud and clear that, APC Rivers State Chapter will participate in every credibly organised election and will win convincingly.

Former President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Mr. Mike Okereke, has blamed the reputation crisis plaguing the current government and the country on faulty approach and strategy of defensive public relations.

According to the public relations guru, “We are planning without thinking through. What is the impact of the government policy on the environment? We need to get communication

experts and media to advise the government, as politics is different from professionalism. If the government strategy is not done professionally, no amount of threat to the media will solve the problems-anybody fighting the media will fail.”

Okereke gave the admonition during the centennial birthday celebration and thanksgiving of his mother, Grace Wilson Okereke, who was born on October 20, 1920, in PortHarcourt, last Tuesday in Lagos.

He said: “I was the past

president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and African Public Relations Association. We had advised the government before that whatever we are doing, our reputation as a country matters a lot. The government should re-engineer its reputation management strategy. We cannot have any development, no matter how rich we are, without managing our reputation. With what is happening in the country at the moment is not right; you don’t use force to manage public

relations. You don’t ban or begin to fight media houses to report good things about you.

“This is something that could have been done through public relations. Look at the problems of the country, survey it and map out strategy to know the current thinking about the country and strategise to address it.

“Get experts who will help to reposition the country. The government should now get to know that the world is competitive as well as how to reposition the country.”

Sanwo-Olu Commends Dakuku Peterside’s Contribution to National Devt, Niger Delta at 50 James Emejo in Abuja The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has showered accolades on the immediate past Director General/Chief Executive, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside for a remarkable career and contributions to the growth of the Niger Delta as well as the socio-economic development of the country over the years.

The governor also described

the former NIMASA boss as one of the most outstanding men to emerge from Rivers State.

Sanwo-Olu, while congratulating Peterside on his 50th birthday celebration, further described the latter as a “wonderful friend and brother, a brilliant administrator, astute politician and a competent leadership expert”, who is always prepared to give his best “as long as it is for the greater good”.

The governor also extoled the celebrant’s dedication to the

socio-economic development of the country as well as his passion for service and desire to see others grow.

Sanwo-Olu specifically highlighted Peterside’s commitment to maritime security, as well as pushing for necessary reforms in the oil and gas sector.

He said: “You have unwaveringly shown your commitment to maritime security and I am positive that your footprints will never be erased at the Nigerian Maritime

Administration and Safety Agenc, where in addition to your numerous achievements, you vigorously advocated for the implementation of Nigeria’s Cabotage Act. “You leave a progressively indelible mark everywhere go - your contributions at the House of Representatives will never be forgotten as your time there was characterised by deligenc, commitment to good governance as well as love and empathy for others.”

Lawan, Gbajabiamila, Oyetola Mourn Odekunle Chuks Okocha, Udora Orizu in Abuja and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola have expressed his sadness at the news of the death of Professor Femi Odekunle on Tuesday.

Lawan described Odekunle’s death as a great loss to the academic community and to Nigeria.

The Senate President said

Odekunle, the first Professor of Criminology in Nigeria, was a reputable scholar and an academic giant who imparted knowledge to his numerous students and served his country with his expertise in a discipline in which he was an authority.

Lawan recalled his immense contributions as a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC).

He condoled with the family of the departed professor.

On his part, Gbajabiamila in a statement said with Odekunle’s death, Nigeria has lost one of

her finest scholars who toiled to give his best to the country’s education sector.

Describing the late professor as one intellectual Nigerian whose value to the country could not be quantified, the Speaker said the late professor lived a fulfilled life worthy of emulation by upcoming generation.

Gbajabiamila sent his condolences to the Odekunle family and the government and people of Osun State over the loss.

Also, Governor Oyetola in

a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, Oyetola, said he received news of the demise of the Osunborn professor of Criminology with huge shock, adding that his death was an immense loss to his family and the nation.

He described the deceased as a man of great intellect, insight and impeccable character, just as he also acknowledged his commitment and contributions to the anti-corruption crusade of President Buhari’s administration.

47

˜ ͻ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

NFF Endorses Davidson Owumi as LMC’s CEO-designate Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),

Amaju Pinnick has approved the recommendation of the League Management Company (LMC) for the appointment of Mr Davidson

Leicester Boss Allays Fears over Ndidi’s Absence at Crystal Palace Clash Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, has allayed the fears of club faithful over fitness of Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, who was unused player for the game against Crystal Palace on Monday.

The manager explained that he didn’t want to risk the AFCON 2019 bronze medal winner with Nigeria in the clash.

The 24-year-old midfielder only recently returned from a groin injury which he suffered in September against Burnley.

The Nigeria international has played seven games since his return to action but was rested in the Foxes’ draw against Palace at Selhurst Park.

Rodgers explained the midfielder was left out of the encounter to avoid a relapse of his injury and in order to give more time to recover fully.

“Wilf, you see how important he is for us, and he’s starting to get game-time, but again, we don’t want to risk him,” Rodgers told Leicester Mercurynewspaper.

“We’ve got all the measurement of where he’s at

and what zones he’s in, so we have to be careful with him.”

Ndidi was rock solid for Leicester in the 2019-20 season, featuring in 32 league games to help the club finish fifth and grab a Europa League ticket.

The midfielder has, however, been limited to nine games across all competitions in the current campaign due to his injury problems.

Ndidi has featured in a number of positions for Leicester since teaming up with the side, including the centre-back role where he also shone.

He remains one of the most consistent member of the Foxes squad, having featured in more than 130 games since his arrival at the King Power Stadium.

Ndidi will hope to make a return for Leicester City when they take on Newcastle United in their next Premier League game on January 3.

The King Power Stadium outfit are currently third on the league table behind leaders Liverpool and Manchester United after gathering 29 points from 16 games.

Owumi as the new Chief Executive Officer of the organizing body for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

Owumi, who has had a stellar career both as a player in and outside Nigeria and as a club administrator, is expected to resume office after the upcoming annual general meeting of the LMC. He replaces Hon. Nduka Irabor, a celebrated Nigerian journalist and former Member of the House of Representatives, who was the first Chairman of the LMC before becoming its CEO, and resigned from the position months ago.

“The LMC has started the new season on a positive note, putting their best foot forward with the telecast of the matches on NPFL.

TV and some star games on NTA. The excitement is back and the spirit is right.

It is the right time to bring in a class act like Owumi to help in steering the ship in the sterling direction that it has assumed,” NFF President Pinnick said yesterday.

Owumi is a titan in Nigeria domestic football as player and administrator of note.

He started playing the game from his primary school days, and then played for Government College, Ughelli, NEPA FC and NNPC FC both of Warri, Flash Flamingoes, Bendel United, Sharks FC of Port Harcourt among others, and had stints in Greece, Cyprus, Qatar and Spain in his professional football odyssey.

He also featured briefly for

the Senior National Team.

The debonair Owumi emerged the League’s highest goal scorer in 1993, and three years later became Coach of 1977 Africa Cup Winners’ Cup champions, Rangers International FC of Enugu.

Since then, he has served as Chairman of the club, served as MD/CEO of Warri Wolves, served as Board Member of Nigeria Premier League and as Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League. He is presently General Manager of Rangers International FC of Enugu.

“Owumi’s pedigree is impressive and we believe he will greatly complement the work that the LMC has been doing and help drive the new thinking, new vision and new direction. It was not an easy task to secure his

Davidson Owumi...CEO designate of the LMC

release by the Enugu State Government to take up the LMC CEO’s position, and we quite understand. He is an asset to any establishment,” Pinnick added.

Sports Ministry Targets 11 Sports at Tokyo Olympics There are strong indications that not all the athletes that have qualified to represent the country at next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo will make the event following the decision of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports to reduce the participating events to just 11 sports.

The Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, opined yesterday that the days of jamboree at the Olympics are over as Nigeria would only compete in sports where she has comparative advantage.

According to him, preparing and leveraging on Sports where Nigeria has comparative advantage of excelling at the Olympics will be the focus.

“The Olympic is less than six months away and we have started camping our athletes to get them to full fitness ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

“We had four camps in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Akure and Lagos. From next year we will commence a more robust camping with some athletes going abroad to train with their foreign- based counterparts.

“The first camping exercise was in Pankshin, Plateau State, while the second phase camping ended on the 24th December, 2020. Lagos, Bayelsa, Port Harcourt and Abuja were the locations for the second phase.

“We started the Pre-Olympics camping early to ensure that the athletes that will be representing the country in the Tokyo Olympics put up podium performances”.

Dare added that Team Nigeria will be going to the Olympics with just 11 sports, unlike in the past when all the sports that qualified went and returned empty handed.

“We need to compete with other nations to win and not to complete the numbers. We have decided to focus on 11 sports where we have comparative advantage,” Dare concluded.

Sam Allardyce...wants break for football to curb spread of Covid-19

Sam Allardyce Calls for ‘Break’ from Football After Spike in Covid-19 West Brom boss Sam Allardyce has said football needs a break after the Premier League returned its highest number of positive coronavirus results in a single round of tests this

season.

On Tuesday, the latest round of Premier League testing found 18 people had the virus.

New coronavirus cases at Fulham mean their Premier

FOOTBALL MATTERS ON THEIR MINDS...

L-R: President, Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Chief of Staff, Salisu Shuaib, during the courtesy visit of the NFF board to the governor in Abeokuta...on Tuesday

League match at Tottenham on Wednesday was also postponed.

“I’m very concerned for myself and football in general,” Allardyce said.

Sheffield United have confirmed they had “numerous positive tests” in the latest round of testing.

On Monday, Manchester City’s Premier League match at Everton was postponed four hours before kick-off because of a coronavirus outbreak.

Allardyce said a “circuit break” was the “right thing” to do to cope with the outbreak.

“Everyone’s safety is more important than anything else,” he added after West Brom’s 5-0 home defeat by Leeds on Tuesday.

“When I listen to the news that the variant virus transmits quicker than the original virus, we can only do the right thing, which is have a circuit break.

“I am 66 years old and the last thing I want to do is catch Covid.

“As much as we’re getting tested - we had one positive this week - it seems to be creeping round. No matter how hard we try, no matter how many times we get tested, how we wear our masks, how we sanitise our hands, we’re still catching a lot infections round the country.

“If that helps (circuit breaker), let’s do it and let the season run a little longer when we get through it.”

In the EFL, coronavirus outbreaks at clubs led to seven of Tuesday’s 12 scheduled League One games being postponed.

The league, which until now has carried out targeted testing, will conduct coronavirus tests with all 72 of its clubs in the week commencing 4 January.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE Kukah to Presidency/Critics

“ Whatever I said can please or displease anyone, but that is my own opinion and it doesn’t stop others from saying their own. If you think my motive is wrong, say yours. I have no iota of grudge with President Muhammadu Buhari, but what I strictly and categorically said was that using religion as a tool for playing politics is unacceptable and would not be accepted” – Catholics Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah on his Christmas day homily .

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

My 2020 Take Away L

ast week, I recounted my family’s twin ordeal of an armed robbery attack and COVID-19 infection in my column, ‘Gunman, COVID-19 and My Family’. Unfortunately, the publication came on the day we had to move my son to the National Hospital Isolation Centre where he spent Christmas and subsequent days before his eventual discharge. That was why I couldn’t pick (or return) many of the calls or reply to messages I received that day. I am grateful for them all. Paired in a room with a distressed man placed on oxygen, my son experienced considerable trauma and made life difficult for my wife due to his constant updates on phone. But there was nothing we could do to help him. His recall makes him eligible to co-author, with ‘Twitter diarist’, Mr Gbenro Adegbola, an interesting book that would put the fear of God in the hearts of all Covidiots!

One of the WhatsApp messages in circulation as a seasonal greeting is the prophetic reflection

by Okonkwo, in Chinua Achebe’s novel, ‘Things Fall Apart’, on “the worst year in living memory”. During that tragic year, which Okonkwo reportedly remembered with a cold shiver throughout the rest of his life, “the harvest was sad, like a funeral and many farmers wept as they dug up the miserable and rotting yams. It always surprised him when he thought about it later that he did not sink under the load of despair. He knew he was a fierce fighter, but that year had been enough to break the heart of a lion.” Okonkwo’s parting shot: “Since I survived that year,” he said, “I shall survive anything.”

What Achebe was telling us through one of the most complex fictional characters of the last century is that nothing compels introspection better than adversity. And I expect we all have our varied experiences on a year that we can never forget. It is the same for our country.

On several fronts, 2020 has been a horrible year for Nigeria. Despite being repeatedly declared ‘technically defeated’, Boko Haram and terror affiliates have killed (mostly in ambush) hundreds of soldiers this year. They have also murdered thousands of innocent citizens, especially in Borno State. With Katsina (home state of President Muhammadu Buhari) as the epicenter of growing violence in the North-west, bandits, kidnappers and other sundry criminal cartels have overwhelmed the capacity of the state to widen ungoverned spaces in Nigeria. And since when it rains for our country, it actually pours, the economy is again in recession—its second contraction in five years—amid a global pandemic that has disrupted lives and livelihoods for the majority of our citizens who now live below the poverty line. It was also a year of resistance by young Nigerians who used the EndSARS protest to send a clear message to the licensed thugs in police uniform: Thus far and no more!

As we reflect on the challenges of the outgoing year, it is important to also look at the lessons we have learnt as individuals and as a nation. I want to draw from my own personal experience. From the good to the bad and the ugly as well as the pleasant, 2020 has enriched me in numerous ways.

Even in adversity, I choose to look at the

Professor Jacob Olupona bright side of life. I can write a whole book on my experiences this year but what strikes me the most is a simple conversation I had on 28th October with my mentor, Professor Jacob Olupona, NNOM, FNAL, of Harvard University at his Arlington (MA) residence.

Perhaps this is also because it took a tiny virus to teach us the significance of small things. As one writer most poignantly put it, “the busy culture bubble popped and we were rewarded with the opportunity to create space for ourselves and find a stillness rarely afforded in modern life.”

Whenever in the United States in the past ten years, I have been a guest at the home of the Oluponas. This particular trip was no different, despite the risk to their family of taking in someone whose Coronavirus-status they had no way to vouch for. On my first day, the discussion with Olupona began with the usual Nigerian lamentations before we moved to his memoir (still in the works). He shared with me insights from his days as an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and at a point paused to say, almost solemnly, “The only regret Dupe (his wife) and I have is that despite all our efforts, we haven’t been able to reestablish contact with Mrs Awa. It’s either she is late now or has moved back to her ancestral country, Sierra Leone. Obinrin yen ma toju wa o (that woman really took good care of us)”.

When I interjected by saying “Mummy Awa?”, Olupona looked at me curiously before he replied, “You don’t know the woman I am talking about. She was wife to the late Prof Eme Awa who was briefly the chairman of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) under (General Ibrahim) Babangida. Her husband was an institution at Nsukka then.

A very good man. So is his wife.” Olupona continued to eulogise the Awas and how they made a difference in the lives of several students at Nsukka in the seventies.

I said again, “Mummy Awa?” Until she moved to Lagos a few years ago, ‘Mummy Awa’ as we call her was a worker at The Everlasting Arms Parish (TEAP) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The founding parish Pastor, Chinedu Ezekwesili, who made all members act as one big family, had drawn me close to the simple woman we all loved. Her daughter, Uzo, and my wife struck a friendship and with that her grandson (Kester) also became a friend to my son. Since the descriptions fit, I knew we were talking about the same person. “Which Mummy Awa do you know?” Olupona asked.

I took my mobile phone and dialed a number. Given the time difference with Nigeria, I wasn’t surprised that Mrs Awa didn’t pick my call so I sent her a WhatsApp message.

About two hours later, she called me back. I just handed the phone to an excited Olupona.

When that first conversation ended, Olupona said something I will never forget: “We have been searching for any contact to this woman for the past six years. You don’t know the import of what you have just done. Maybe your trip to America this time was divinely arranged so that we could connect with Mrs Awa. My wife and I can never forget the role the Awa family played in our lives.”

Throughout the two weeks I spent in the United States, Mrs Awa was the subject of conversation in the home of the Oluponas.

They had just too many interesting anecdotes to recall. Mrs Dupe Olupona (also a student at Nsukka at the time) said it was at the home of the Awas that she celebrated her 21st birthday.

Since Prof Olupona graduated from Nsukka in 1975, it means that all the stories he and his wife told about the Awas were things that happened almost 50 years ago. Without any expectations, and despite no prior relationship of any kind (except that Mrs Awa is a Sierra Leonean Yoruba), the Awas took the Oluponas under their wings as they did several others at

Regardless of our ethnicity or religion or whether we are rich or poor, powerful or weak, a tiny virus that does not discriminate in picking victims has taught us that we all belong to the community of humanity. It has also helped to connect us in a manner that speaks to how our strength lies in remembering that life is a gift we must cherish

the time. And today the Oluponas remember those acts of kindness and selflessness. That is impact.

As an aside, Olupona recounted for me the interesting drama leading to his employment by the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) not long after his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) primary assignment. He was considered as an ‘outsider’ by Ife professors on account of being an ‘Nsukka Boy’ (which he gladly owned). Despite his impressive resume and outstanding performance at the interview panel, Olupona was almost denied employment in an institution that gladly welcomed his friend, Andrew Igenoza—who later became a Bishop of the Anglican Church—because he (Igenoza) graduated from Ife. While Olupona (who taught at the University of California for 16 years before arriving at Harvard in 2006) argues that our universities must overcome the culture of inbreeding that runs counter to innovation and creativity, I see something else in his fascinating story. In the Nigeria of today, Olupona would have been gladly accepted at the University of Ife as an “Omowale” (our child has come back home). Meanwhile, at the same UNN that Olupona unceasingly eulogises, it is not even enough to be Igbo to be accepted as Vice Chancellor. You must hail from Nsukka town!

Incidentally, when in 2015 Ife awarded Olupona the honourary doctor of letters, it was hailed on the campus as a homecoming.

When Olupona visited the University of Carlton, Canada, at the invitation of my late friend, Pius Adesanmi to present a lecture to the Yoruba Community in the country, the then Nigerian High Commissioner, late Chief Ojo Madueke, paid tribute to the academic achievements of the Yoruba, adding that the proof was that we were the first to produce Harvard professors.

In response, Olupona reminded Madukewe that Prof Onwuka Dike, the pioneer Nigerian Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, was at Harvard long before Biodun Jeyifo and himself. In 1973, Dike became the first Mellon Professor of African History and later, chairman of the Committee on African Studies at Harvard—a position Olupona occupied between 2006 and 2009.

All said, there is a lesson in the Awa story for both the season and the future to which we aspire as individuals and as a nation. Regardless of our ethnicity or religion or whether we are rich or poor, powerful or weak, a tiny virus that does not discriminate in picking victims has taught us that we all belong to the community of humanity. It has also helped to connect us in a manner that speaks to how our strength lies in remembering that life is a gift we must cherish. The Awas focused on what was important. They were modest lecturers whose primary duty was to model students. And they succeeded brilliantly. They made a difference in the lives of people who five decades later, still remember.

The bane of Nigeria, as we all glibly say, is failure of leadership. But it is beyond Aso Rock. It is at every sphere and in all sectors, including in the strike-obsessed academia. r/05& 1JFDF DPODMVEFE PO QBHF

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