SUNDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2019

INEC: Elections in Nigeria Are Like War Zakari explains why inconclusive polls may be inevitable Bayelsa, Kogi elections’ll be highly monetised, says Soyebi Chuks Okocha in Abuja Independent National Electoral Commission’s national commissioner for Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa

States, May Agbumuche-Mbu, has lamented the degree of violence often associated with elections in Nigeria, saying it is akin only to a war situation.

Agbamuche-Mbu, who

narrated as an example, what happened in Rivers State during the recent 2019 general election at a two-day seminar at the Electoral Institute in Abuja, however,

sued for caution ahead of the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States.

In similar spirit, another INEC national commissioner,

Amina Zakari, explained why inconclusive elections might be inevitable in certain instances, noting that where it was established that genuine voters had been disenfranchised

by any means possible, it behooves the commission to capture the votes of such demographics.

Continued on page 5

Boko Haram: Over 7 Million People Need Assistance in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Says UN… Page 5 Sunday 27 October, 2019 Vol 24. No 8966

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Osinbajo: Fela Deserves National Recognition Adibe Emenyonu in Benin Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo, yesterday, said the late Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, deserved national recognition, suggesting that the National

Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, could be renamed after him.

Osinbajo spoke at a town hall meeting in Benin City, the Edo State capital, when a citizen demanded that the national theatre be named after

the legendary musician.

The vice president, who though said such a decision, was not within his powers, however, agreed that Fela deserved a national honour from government even after

his death, both as a Nigerian and father of modern music in the country.

He said: "Well, I don't see any reason, why not? The only problem, of course, is that it is not in my place to decide

what national monument of such should be named after any individual. But I must say that I agree with you that Fela is as deserving as any to have such a preferred monument named after him".

On the need to have ‘Nigerian music dot com’ as requested by one member of the audience, he said, "truth of the matter is that if you look Continued on page 5

Miyetti Allah Bows to Benue Grazing Law, Apologises to Ortom Says herdsmen ready to live with farmers in peace Governor: Our law is in the best interest of all How Air Peace chairman, Onyeama, brokered rapprochement George Okoh in Makurdi The enactment of Anti-open grazing law in Benue State might have paid off as Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, an advocacy group promoting the welfare of Fulani pastoralists in the country, at the weekend, apologised to Governor Samuel Ortom over the various herdsmen attacks and killings in the state.

Aside apologising for the killings, the group also promised the governor that its people would henceforth live in harmony with farmers in the state, saying it was an assurance they had already undertaken.

Governor Ortom, who seemed relieved by the development, further clarified that the law was put in place

to serve the best interest of everyone by way of ending the senseless killings of innocent people as well as encourage the idea of ranching as the global best practice of animal husbandry.

The development, however, came on the heels of a peace initiative brokered by the Chairman of Air Peace Airline, Chief Allen Onyeama, who reckoned there should be amicable solutions to the incessant killings in the state and beyond.

National Secretary of the Miyetti Allah association, Engineer Saleh Alhassan, who spoke to journalists in Makurdi, the state capital, during the peace meeting at the instance of Onyeama, Continued on page 5

Defend Yourselves against Bandits, CAN Chair Tells Nigerians.. Page 5

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A TIME TO SAY GOODBYE...

L-R: The Honourable Nduka Irabor, Mrs. Ngozi Tataobuzogwu, Chairman, THISDAY Newspapers, Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Former Director of Payments, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prince Emmanuel Obaigbona at his mother's burial, Mrs. Comfort Obaigbona at Owa Oyibu, Delta State…weekend

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OCTOBER 27, 2019 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS

Acting News Editor Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com, 08081986590

Lagos Assembly Officially Summons Ambode Seeks clarification on alleged infractions Tobi Soniyi

The Lagos State House of Assembly has officially invited the state’s immediate past governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to appear on Wednesday before an ad-hoc committee investigating his administration.

During Ambode’s appearance, the assembly said it would make inquiry on five-point infractions includ-

ing alleged unauthorised discounting of promissory note and misappropriation of special expenditure funds, among others.

It invited the former governor through public notice yesterday, asking him to appear before the committee at 1:00 p.m. to say all he knows about some financial transactions that took place under his administration.

The Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obada had

constituted a 16-member ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Hon. Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju-Lekki I) to probe the procurement of 820 high occupancy vehicles, bought by the Ambode administration under its Bus Reform Initiative (BRI).

Apart from the bus procurement probe, the speaker had also mandated the ad-hoc committee to investigate other iconic projects – Imota Rice Mill, Oshodi Transport Exchange and LED-

UK Streetlight project, among others –Ambode executed in the second half of his administration The speaker had equally claimed that the Ambode administration did not seek the approval of the assembly for the procurement of the 820 vehicles and asked the committee to invite the former governor and some members of his cabinet that were involved to state their roles in the purchase.

But the assembly eventually

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE...

L-R : Best Administrator, Junior Secondary School (Public), Mr. Olaniyi Ogun from Adenrele High School, Ifo; Best School Teacher (1st Runner-up) Public category, Mr. Olakekan Adeeko of Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Overall Winner in the Private Category, Mr Abiola Adebiyi of Varsity Children Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; and Best School (1st Runner up) Public Category, Mr Olalekan Dawodu, Principal of Mayflower School, Ikenne when the Governor hosted teachers that won laurels for the State at the President’s Teachers School Excellence Awards... Friday

invited Ambode yesterday in the publicised public notice titled, “Notice of summons: Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (the former Governor of Lagos State), was signed by the Clerk of the House, Mr. A. A. Sanni.

In the notice, the former governor was reminded of the importance of appearing before the committee to shed light on five-point infractions raised by the assembly.

The notice states: “The Lagos State House of Assembly, pursuant to Section 129 (1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) hereby summons His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the former Governor of Lagos State (May, 2015 – May, 2019) to appear before the committee of the House on October 30 at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja by 1.00 p.m.”

If he appears on Wednesday, the former governor will be asked “to clarify the following: unauthorised discounting of promissory note; purchase of 820 buses by your administration without due authorisation; misappropriation of special expenditure funds; improper implementation of the appropriation law; and non-adherence to the financial regulations of the state.”

The notice urged the former governor to provide the com-

mittee with documents to justify that the transactions did not violate constitutional provisions.

It reads: “You are kindly requested to furnish the Committee with fifteen (15) copies each of all relevant document(s) relating to the issues raised through the Office of the Clerk of the House on or before Tuesday, 29th October, 2019.

“It is pertinent to state that your presence at the proposed meeting would give you the opportunity to shed light on issues that are material to the investigation.”

However, contrary to its claim that Ambode procured 820 buses without legislative approval, the House of Assembly appropriated N24 billion for the bus project, the state’s 2018 appropriation law has revealed.

The assembly, however, included a special clause in the 2018 appropriation law, which requested the executive to seek its approval or clearance for every capital expenditure above N200 million, a clause that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria did not capture.

The details of the legislative approval for the bus procurement were contained in the state’s 2018 Appropriation Law, which were jointly signed by Ambode, the state’s immediate past governor and the Clerk of the House of Assembly, Mr. Azeez A. Sanni.

With 60% Revenue-Debt Service Ratio, Nigeria Risks Default Perception Urges FG to stop borrowing or restructure existing debt Gboyega Akinsanmi

An international financial advisor and stockbroker, Mr. Akin Oladeji-Johnbrown has said Nigeria risks default perception with her revenue to debt service ratio currently standing at 60 percent, urging the federal government to improve on information flow on debt utilisation in the country.

Oladeji-Johnbrown, Chief Executive of Futures and Bonds Limited with offices in

Nigeria, USA and Canada, also urged the federal government “to stop further borrowing as a matter of urgency or restructure the use of existing debt for other uses in favour of revenueyielding infrastructure.”

He expressed concern about Nigeria’s debt service in relation to her total revenue in a statement he issued at the weekend, lamenting that the real trouble was that the debts had no visible impact on the country’s infrastructure devel-

Says debt has no visible impact on infrastructure devt

opment.

Based on the information on its website, the Debt Management Office (DMO) put Nigeria’s total debt stock to N25.7trillion ($83.88billion), comprising N17.38trillion ($56.72bn) domestic, and N8.32trillion ($27.162bn) external.

On these grounds, OladejiJohnbrown expressed grave concern about the country’s debt statistics and huge allocation in budgets for debt

financing.

However, he clarified that there “is nothing unusual in debt financing by any nation.

In fact, in theory, a little level of debt is required for enhancing corporate value.

“What is of concern is excessive debt. In Nigeria’s case, the statistics has shown that our debt service to revenue ratio is above 60 percent, which is exceedingly high. Such high ratio increases the country’s default risk perception.

“The ability to withstand revenue shock decreases with increasing debt level. As a mono-product economy, a significant fall in oil price may affect our ability to meet debt obligation and subsequent spiral effects.

“We are increasing our debt and debt mix, but what are we doing with it? Is it to service expenditures or what? There is no visible impact of these borrowings on infrastructure

development. We still have a lot of abandoned projects here and there,” the financial advisor explained.

As a matter of public policy, he challenged the federal government “to attach debt issuance in a transparent way to enable the public know how the debt is being utilised. It appears the current system of debt utilisation is opaque to the generality of the people; hence, government must improve on information flow.”

Lagos Denies Plan to Abandon Ilubirin Foreshore Housing Scheme

Akabueze: Private Financing Strategic in Tackling Infrastructural Deficit

Segun James

Ugo Aliogo

The Lagos State Government has indicated that work is presently ongoing at the construction site of Ilubirin Foreshore Housing Scheme while also expressing an eagerness to complete the first phase of the scheme within the next 24 months.

The Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai dismissed the report at a meeting with First Investment Property Company (FIDC) at the weekend, saying Ilubirin Foreshore housing Scheme would not be abandoned.

At the meeting, the commissioner noted that Ilubirin Scheme “has not been set aside. We are working on the scheme. We have a solid plan to deliver the first phase of the

scheme not later than the third quarter of 2021.”

Akinderu-Fatai explained that as part of the commitment “to ensure that more Lagos residents become homeowners, the state government is determined to complete the first phase of the on-going Ilubirin Foreshore Housing Estate project in Lagos Island Local Government Area.”

He revealed that the project, which is a public-private collaboration endeavour, would be reviewed in its entirety to actualise the vision of an upscale and captivating residential, commercial and leisure environment befitting of its strategic location along the lagoon.

Akinderu-Fatai disclosed that the plan of the present administration to create liveable cities and regenerate existing ones will be fully incorporated in the

review process so as to inject new life into the neighbouring communities.

However, according to him, the process of re-examination will be accelerated because the need to close the housing deficit gap is quite urgent.

Akinderu-Fatai said the present administration “is committed to completing all abandoned housing estates in the state in accordance with global specifications. We are here to set new bars in housing development.

We intend to do that through setting good examples with our own estates.

“We are determined to complete the Ilubirin Foreshore Housing Scheme and other ongoing housing projects so as to make more Lagos residents homeowners irrespective of their ethnicity or political dispensation.”

The Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze, has said that private financing will be strategic in addressing infrastructural deficits in the economy.

Akabueze, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos at the Institute of Directors (IoD) 2019 Fellows’ Night and Investiture, argued that private financing would also play a role in positioning the country for greater economic growth.

According to him, private sector will be able to identify the challenges confronting effective Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Nigeria and discuss with government how to address the challenges.

He also noted that the way to go was to use the limited resources at the disposal of government to make projects bankable.

Akabueze, who was represented at the event by his Technical Adviser, Prof.

Olumide Ayodele, said professional associations such as IoD and other civil society organisations would play a role identifying the loopholes and point out areas where these costs could be reduced in the business of governance.

Akabueze, said: “Today at the public hearing, the Senate President said capital project is over bloated and there is need to look at procurement process, therefore this implies that even at the highest level of governance, there is concern on how to reduce spending.

“But reducing cost of governance will not just happen, it has to be demanded. This is why professional associations and civil society organisations are in the best positions to identify these loopholes and point out areas where these costs can be reduced in governance.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of Governing Council, IoD Nigeria, Chief Chris Okunowo, said traditionally, the IoD Nigeria confers fellowship status annually on deserving members who have meritoriously distinguished themselves in the service of the Institute in varying capacities, “while making notable contributions to the success stories of their respective companies and the Nigerian business community.”

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SUNDAY COMMENT

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

THE FARCICAL DRAMA IN KOGI STATE The impeachment of Kogi State’s deputy governor is dangerous and provocative.

It marks a new low for constitutionalism

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n what reads more like a coup against the constitution and public decency, the tenure of Mr Simon Achuba as the Deputy Governor of Kogi was controversially terminated last week. He was “impeached” by the Kogi State House of Assembly despite being exonerated by the findings of a seven-man investigative committee that probed allegations of gross misconduct and financial impropriety against him. With Governor Yahaya Bello dictating the tune, and Kogi lawmakers behaving like a mob of hired political handlers, the state police command completed the whole farce by practically hounding the deputy governor out of office.

Unfortunately, there is a growing pattern in which the people expected to make laws for the country are increasingly becoming lawbreakers.Although there are constitutional proviThe message sions for impeachment, unwittingly being assembly members most often invoke flimsy sent out by Bello and fellow travellers excuses whenever their governors are tired in Kogi State is of their deputies. Yet, that governors more often than not, and lawmakers at the bottom of these could engage questionable impeachments are personal grievances that in any reckless, unlawful, improper have nothing to do with the welfare of the people of their and questionable The ultimate victims activities as long as states. of this state of affairs are their interests are people of their states who are served denied quality governance, as it is the case with Kogi State today.

The mischief in this illegal impeachment is that all the actors are well aware that it will not stand legal and judicial scrutiny. But they act on the basis that because our judicial process is slow, the best an aggrieved person would eventually get from court is judgment and not justice. In the present case, by the time the legal challenge instituted by Achuba commences, his term would have ended. This cynical approach to law and order should never be permitted in any decent society.

The swearing in of Mr David Edward Onoja by the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Mr Nasir Ajana has further compounded the problem. It is a confirmation that the

Letters to the Editor

three arms of government in Kogi State are under the vice grip of Governor Bello. Here is the Chief Judge of a state that empanelled a committee in line with section 108 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) to investigate the allegations against Achuba by the Kogi State House of Assembly. The committee reported back that there were no verifiable grounds for impeachment against the deputy governor and consequently returned a verdict of not guilty.

The same chief judge, whose panel acquitted Achuba of any misconduct, suddenly flipped to conform to an odious plot by a desperate governor to forcefully remove his deputy.

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S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS OLAWALE OLALEYE, TOBI SONIYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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

wearing in another deputy governor, while the office has not become constitutionally vacant, amounts to a gross misconduct. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mohammed Tanko and the National Judicial Council are therefore called upon to investigate the Kogi State Chief Judge on this sordid matter that has put a question mark on his integrity and a stain on the judiciary in our country. What is particularly strange is that throughout the constitutional coup in Kogi State, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said nothing and did nothing to stop that rape of democracy by a governor flying their party's flag. Whatever may be the political differences between Bello and Achuba, nobody should be allowed to set aside our constitution and corrupt our democratic order for their selfish agenda.

Ordinarily, impeachment is a process with unambiguous laws guiding how it could be prosecuted. To that extent, what happened in Kogi was an affront on the rule of law.

But beyond the legality of the impeachment, there are also other issues, especially given that Kogi is reputed to be one of the violence-prone states in the country. How will the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be able to conduct a hitch-free gubernatorial election within so short a time under the current atmosphere of impunity created by Governor Bello?

In all, the message unwittingly being sent out by Bello and fellow travellers in Kogi State is that governors and lawmakers could engage in any reckless, unlawful, improper and questionable activities as long as their interests are served. It is damaging to our democratic credentials. We are being marked down as a country where anything goes, where obstacles are deliberately placed on the path of perceived opponents, and where a constitutional instrument meant to enhance good governance is being wilfully abused and desecrated.

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 (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

Buhari And His Foreign Trips

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resident Muhammadu Buhari is back in the country after participating in the first Russia-Africa summit in Sochi, Russia, 23 - 24 October 2019. Many of his detractors, especially from the opposition and few public commentators are dissatisfied with Buhari’s rate of oversea trips in his five years in power. They say the president travels too often.

Criticizing the president’s foreign trips has become a tool of the oppositions; notwithstanding if such trips are for diplomacy or to promote Nigeria’s bilateral and multilateral relations. Buhari’s detractors chose to ignore the obvious truth that foreign trips are part of presidential responsibilities globally.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his eight years in

power made over 140 foreign trips to 97 countries, he was criticized.

But Obasanjo said he travelled extensively, canvassing global understanding and mainstreaming not only Nigeria but the whole of Africa into the ‘New World Order’. Former President Goodluck Jonathan was also heavily criticized for his foreign trips. He was even accused of spending N3.3 billion on 20 trips abroad just in 2012.

Developing countries need to build interactions with the developed world and shuttles by their presidents are vital in this regard.

Even in some developed countries, foreign trips are part of the many duties of their nations’ leaders. For example, the US president leads the country’s diplomatic efforts through state visits, meeting foreign leaders as well as attending

intentional summits. President Bill Clinton made 54 international trips to 72 different countries; President George W. Bush made 48 international trips to 73 different countries. President Barack Obama made 52 international trips to 58 different countries while President Donald Trump has so far made 15 international trips to 22 countries.

President Buhari’s international shuttles are not for fun or relaxation, rather to negotiate Nigeria’s bilateral and multilateral relations; promote her foreign policy while also sourcing funds for Nigeria’s critical domestic infrastructure.

Due to current realities in Nigeria, foreign trips have become necessary for tackling regional conflict and insurgency - especially the threats of Boko Haram and the Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP).

On June 3rd and 4th 2015 President Buhari was in Niamey, Niger Republic and N’Djamena, Chad to seek collaboration with the governments of our two neighbors in defeating Boko Haram.

This strengthened the country’s offensive against the insurgents; hence Boko Haram was defeated technically. On 4th and 5th December 2015, President Buhari was in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the China-Africa Summit.

Nigeria gained a lot in terms of development and cheap loans agreement from China, especially in the area of the railway development, which Nigerians are now enjoying.

On January 13th, 2017, President Buhari was in Banjul, Gambia, where Nigeria played the leading role in solving The Gambian constitutional crisis.

On April 30th, 2018, Nigeria got a major boost in its relations with the United States when the president was hosted by President Donald Trump- many major

agreements were signed which are vital for Nigeria’s development in the area of defense, trade, infrastructure and agriculture.

President Buhari’s international trips have helped Nigeria in the area of securing cheap loans, critical infrastructure, agriculture and combating regional and international terrorism including boosting Nigeria’s international image.

On both long and short runs, Nigerians will see the gains of the president’s participation in the Russia-Africa summit. The summit is very important for Nigeria-Russia relations in terms of public infrastructure, improvement in the efficiency of Nigeria’s oil sector, military cooperation, fertilizer production, the Ajaokuta Steel Mill including Russian scholarship to Nigerians and technological and trade exchange.

––Zayyad I. Muhammad, Jimeta, Adamawa State.

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OPINION Between Breast Cancer And Oral Hygiene Abia Nzelu writes that women with poor oral hygiene are more likely to develop breast cancer

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omedy is now a multi-billion naira industry in Nigeria. A new couple could pay a comedian one million naira to perform at their wedding, but argue furiously against paying a surgeon one hundred thousand naira to perform a caesarian section to save two lives. Comedy is also the cheapest possible start-up, because the mouth is the sole physical investment of the trade. Thus a popular comedian rejoices in the name of Basket mouth. Another is called Elenu, meaning ‘mouth owner’ in the Yoruba / Anago language. But although we are not all comedians, we are all elenus – we all have mouths and our mouths are far more important for our overall health than we may realize.

October is dedicated to advocacy and creating awareness on Breast Cancer, the most common cancer in women globally (including Nigeria). Breast cancer also occurs in men, but it is 100 times more common in women. However, because most people are not aware that breast cancer can occur in men, the disease tends to be picked up much later and is often more fatal in men than in women.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), over 18 million people develop cancer yearly with 9.6 million deaths. Unfortunately, 70% of cancer deaths occur in developing countries like Nigeria, due to late detection. Latest WHO data showed that globally, there were over two million new cases of breast cancer and over 600,000 deaths from the disease, in 2018.

Every day, Nigeria records 32 deaths from breast cancer.

As we mark the October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is necessary to look at an aspect of the disease of which most people are unaware – the relationship between breast cancer and oral hygiene.

The better known risk factors for breast cancer include: female gender, increasing age, family history of breast cancer, early onset of menses, late menopause, ethnicity and alcohol/tobacco use.

However, scientific research has recently demonstrated a link between breast cancer and oral health. Women with poor oral hygiene and periodontitis (inflammation of the gum), are up to three times more likely to develop breast cancer. The risk is greater in smokers.

Poor dental hygiene and gum disease has also been linked to increased risk of other cancers (including prostate cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, gallbladder cancer, melanoma and pancreatic cancer) and of several general health conditions (such as pneumonia, stroke, heart disease, problem pregnancy and Diabetes mellitus).

The prevention and early diagnosis of periodontitis are therefore, very important not only for the patients' oral health, but also for their

overall wellbeing.

Periodontitis is a serious bacterial infection of the gum which caused damage to the soft tissue and destroys the bone that supports the teeth.

In the early stages, it often presents as bleeding or swollen or painful gums (gingivitis) and sometimes as halitosis (bad breath). The main causes of periodontal disease are poor oral hygiene and tobacco use.

The bacteria most often associated with periodontitis (Treponema denticola and Porphyromonas gingivalis) enter the bloodstream through the gum. Later, the bacterial infections become associated with co-infection by viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus and Cytomegalovirus. These viruses act together with the bacteria to suppress the body’s immune response, leading to a proliferation of cancer cells in the body.

Fortunately, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of periodontitis which may predispose to cancer. The best way to achieve this is by following the 2-2-2-2-2-2-2 rule of dental hygiene, including: One, brush your teeth two times a day – last thing at night and at least one other time during the day Two, brush your teeth for at least two minutes each time. Three, use two tools for personal oral hygiene – a fluoride-containing toothpaste and medium textured tooth brush.

Four, each time you brush clean between the teeth with dental floss or an interdental brush, which ensures that bacteria is removed from all areas of the mouth.

Five, go for a dental checkup at least two times a year.

Six, during your dental checkup, have your teeth professionally cleaned (scaling and polishing or S & P) Seven, your child should start brushing his own teeth and visiting

Poor dental hygiene and gum disease has also been linked to increased risk of other cancers (including prostate cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, gallbladder cancer, melanoma and pancreatic cancer) and of several general health conditions

the dentist from the age of two.

Observing the following DONTS OF DENTAL CARE would further enhance your oral health: r %PO U VTF B IBSE UPPUICSVTI m VTF B NFEJVN UFYUVSF UPPUIbrush for adults and a soft texture toothbrush for children. r %PO U VTF UPPUIQJDL m VTF EFOUBM GMPTT JOTUFBE r %PO U PQFO CPUUMFT XJUI ZPVS UFFUI r %PO U XBJU VOUJM ZPV IBWF EFOUBM QSPCMFNT CFGPSF ZPV WJTJU ZPVS dentist. Visit your dentist every six month for a dental check-up and S&P. Also, consult your dentist if you have toothache, bad breathe, cracked teeth, holes in your teeth and between gums and teeth, or if you notice any strange thing in your mouth.

In addition to predisposing you to other cancers (such as breast cancer), poor oral hygiene also predisposes to cancers that occur primarily in the mouth and throat, with tobacco, alcohol and Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections being among the leading risk factors of oral cancer. Human Papilloma virus also causes cancer in more than 12 parts of the body, including the cervix (cervical cancer).

Moreover, there are over 120 medical conditions, which can be detected in the early stage by dentists. Therefore, the dentist can be the first line of defense against gum disease and other systemic diseases including cancer.

It is for this reason that mass medical mission, a foremost champion for preventive health care and national cancer control, now has dental aspect of its free outreaches. This involves the use of theMobile Dental Centre (nicknamed the PinkDentist), to facilitate access to preventive dental services for all.

Other life-saving initiatives of mass medical mission include: ¡ Mission PinkCruise (free community-based health outreaches with the PinkCruise) ¡ Mission PinkVISSION (the eye aspect of the free community outreach using Mobile Ophthalmic unit aka PinkVISSION), where “VISSIONâ€? stands for Voluntary Integrated Sight Saving Initiative Of Nigeria). ¡ Free screening at the Lagos centre every Wednesday (Wellness Wednesday) and Friday (Family Friday). ¡Vaccine Fair to promote access to the quadrivalent vaccine which can prevent the various cancers caused by HPV (this Fair holds every last Friday and Saturday of the month at the Lagos centre).

To mark the October International Cancer Awareness Month and World Sight Day, members of the general public are invited to the ongoing free cancer, eye and dental screening taking place every Wednesday and Friday at mass medical mission House, 31 Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, Lagos. ––Dr. Nzelu, info@pinkcruise.org.

Much Talk About Seeds There is need to make use of the piles of research outputs idling away in solving many of the country’s problems, writes Adewale Kupoluyi

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efore now, many people including me never knew the importance of seeds. However, a different perspective was introduced by an expert for better appreciation of seeds and this is worth sharing. Without seeds, there cannot be life. This was the position of the 61st inaugural lecturer of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Prof.

Dupe Akintobi of the Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, College of Plant Science and Crop Production (COLPLANT) of the institution.

The inaugural lecturer, who is a Professor of Seed Science and Technology, stated that for profitable agricultural business and farming enterprise to take firm root in Nigeria, as a way of making agriculture the mainstay of the country’s economy, much effort should be concentrated at acquiring high-quality seeds that are genetically-pure and free from seed-borne diseases while also ensuring best environment. The title of the lecture was “Seed: Source of Life, Prosperity and Pain� and it was graced by eminent internal and external community members.

According to Prof. Akintobi, any agribusiness entrepreneur, who does not adequately factor seed as a critical input in the crop production cycle in determining the upper limit of the entire production output, is not in for serious business. She enumerated the major production constraints to include an inadequate supply of certified seeds, poor government policy, varietal erosion, exploitation by seed dealers, illiteracy, poor seed storage infrastructure and the avalanche of fake seeds in the market. “There is even a new scenario now where people sell fake seeds, but thank God for the National Seeds Council of Nigeria (NASC), which has nipped this in the bud by getting the government to sign the seed bill into law in Nigeria�, she stated. “In 2010/2011, during my sabbatical leave at NASC, one of my novel research breakthroughs in that year was the development of locally-made germination material from unused newspaper sheets that has water-absorbing capacity and a tensile strength of 50% of that of the imported paper towels, which when sterilised and used in sheets of six, instead of the three for the imported

ones, produced seed-germination results comparable, if not better, than the imported ones. This was compared with the various substrate materials, using different seeds to test for seed germination. Thus, a sterilised, unused newspaper sheet, which is cheaper, readily and locally-available has replaced imported paper towels, as a substratum for seed germination. I am glad to announce that by this break-through, NASC now uses it all over Nigeria and some West African countries as well as by PBST staff and students�, she added.

Prof. Akintobi, who disclosed that she was the first female lecturer in COLPLANT, lamented the high cost of innovative technological inputs for crop production, which she said were not affordable to most farmers. For seed to be a source of life and prosperity in Nigeria rather than source of pain, her recommendations in this regard include an urgent need to bridge the gap between seed adoption and replacement, to strengthen the seed sector by ensuring the supply of improved seeds ahead of demand in terms of both quality and quantity; the need for research funding, especially seed equipment, which is lacking in all agricultural institutions in Nigeria; and the imperative for leaders in all tiers of government to endeavour to fund agricultural research in collaboration with other stakeholders, among others.

The Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Felix Salako, who chaired the event, described the inaugural lecturer as an outstanding scholar and renowned researcher that is committed to the girl-child development and advocacy for the rights of the Nigerian child. The Vice-Chancellor, who is a Fellow, Soil Science Society of Nigeria (FSSSN) and from COLPLANT, admonished students of the university to be free to discuss their challenges with their lecturers,.

Before the inaugural lecture, ASSN had called for speedy commercialisation of Genetically Modified (GM) seeds to increase agricultural productivity and promote sustainable development in the country. The association call was made during its fourth annual conference of ASSN, held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), as members charged the govern-

ment to make available GM seeds to the Nigerian farmers for improved productivity in farm yields. At the occasion,Prof.

Akintobi, who is President of ASSN, stated that seed is the gem of every plant life and a major agricultural requirement that determines productivity. She stressed the need for the use of quality seeds in modern agricultural practices, adding that quality seeds would determine the benchmark or upper limit of the effectiveness of other agricultural inputs.

Prof. Akintobi was the pioneer Coordinator of the Diploma and Certificate Programmes (DICEP), under the former Centre for Human Resources Development (CENHURD) now the Institute for Human Resources Development (INHURD) for about five years. She is the first African woman under the Women Leaders in Agriculture and Environment (AWLAE) programme. Prof. Akintobi attended the University of Ibadan, California State University, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), Mississippi State University, University of Illinois, and California Poly University, United States of America. She is also a member of the African Crop Science Society, Agricultural Society of Nigeria, Nigerian Hortscience Association, Nigerian Cassava Growers’ Association, African Women Leaders in Agriculture and Environment, Farm Management Association of Nigeria, and Nigerian Society for Plant Protection, among others.

In the final analysis, what should be a major take-home from the lecture is the way forward for agricultural production in the country. Unfortunately, many research findings continue to gather dust on the shelves without making use of them for national development. There are many researchers, scholars, and academics doing one study or the other with tangible results. What have we done with them over the years? We need to take a stock of the piles of research outputs idling away in solving many of Nigeria’s problems. Our leaders and policymakers should look inward, to make things work for the nation. This time around, let’s begin with the seeds. ––Kupoluyi wrote from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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LETTERS Kogi/Bayelsa: Early Warning Signals of Voter Inducement

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he early warning signals of voter inducement and electoral violence should not be overlooked ahead of the November 16 Governorship elections in Kogi State.

A recent report on the pre-election observation

by YIAGA AFRICA has revealed commencement of voter inducement in both states while subsequent engagement by election stakeholders has conveyed the wrong signals.

The chaotic end to the recent stakeholders meeting organized by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) towards ensuring a free, fair and credible governorship election is not sending the right signals ahead of the November 16 elections.

It is no more news that the dramatic incident was expectedly caused by a misunderstanding between the major political parties that will be vying for the governorship seat next month. Recall that a similar incident happened in Ekiti when supporters of political parties continued to chant and sing to disrupt the entire stakeholders meeting. All efforts by INEC, traditional leaders and even security agents to calm the situation fell on deaf ears.

In what looks like an anticipatory disclaimer, INEC boss Professor Yakubu Mahmood had

T

Yakubu, INEC Chairman also confessed that Bayelsa and Kogi “are not easy states” when it comes to conducting governorship elections. However, he has also warned on the actions and utterances of political actors who were likely to militate against peaceful conduct of the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa.

Unfortunately, the desperation and highhandedness of political parties do not seem to be abating with barely a month to the governorship elections.

Political parties have in recent times continued to accuse each other of plots

for violence which has been the norm in virtually every major election in Nigeria. Thus, in most cases when violence occurs, security agencies hardly find individuals responsible and most importantly, the political parties they are affiliated to. It is possible that lack of effective prosecution of electoral offenders has been the reason behind consistent violation of the electoral process.

Just like electoral violence, political parties are always in the habit of accusing each other of voter inducement before elections and vote buying

on election day. This has remained a recurring issue in our elections, with hardly any prosecution for violating the electoral law regarding vote buying.

This is despite the fact that pre-election previews, reports and post-election reviews on voter inducement and electoral violence were highlighted as a major Achilles heel to Nigeria’s elections.

For instance, YIAGA AFRICA, a perennial election observer group, last year released a report after the spate of vote buying during the Ekiti Governorship elections titled; Duly Elected or Duly Purchased. The report explicitly revealed how political actors jostled and tried to financially outmuscle each other to secure citizens vote both covertly and openly during elections. This trend continued at the Osun Governorship elections a couple of months later and subsequently in the 2019 general elections along with electoral violence in a handful of polling units.

There is no doubt that voter inducement not only undermines the legitimacy of electoral mandate but also creates a sense of entitlement by politicians who have ostensibly bought their way into positions of authority.

This has contributed to the nonchalant attitude of the political class towards governance which has

Tackling The Menace of Substandard Goods

he Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) has been trying to curb the menace of substandard products. The SON is a body given the responsibility of ensuring that products manufactured within the country and products imported meet quality standards. This is to safeguard the health and safety of the citizens of the country. This body works hand- in- hand with National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigerian Customs to evaluate products being brought into the country and those produced within.

These organizations would have by now solved about 55% of this problem if they were properly funded by the government. Nigeria loses about N15 trillion to fake goods annually. Nigeria is ranked among the world’s highest market for fake and substandard goods.

Fake and substandard products span all categories of items from drugs, electri-

cal, electronic household appliances, building materials, tyres and tubes, automobiles, machine spare parts, food and machines to mention a few.

They all find their way into the Nigerian market.

The problem in the economy has crippled a lot of business activities causing producers to reduce the quality of their products. Goods are also springing up everywhere in the country, most without authorization, especially skin care products.

These bodies should stand up to the task of sensitizing the public especially those in the rural communities on which goods to buy and how to confirm their authenticity. They should tighten their checks on imported goods at the ports before they are distributed because it is almost impossible to stop the harm when they are in the market. The steady influx of substandard tyres, spare parts and drugs has caused great harm to the people of Nigeria.

The SON, NAFDAC and Customs need highly trained personnel as activities of

those involved in substandard products are becoming more technical. The establishment and equipping of more laboratories should reduce the workload on existing ones.

This will enable effective and efficient testing of goods.

NAFDAC has intensified efforts, introducing nationwide campaign in schools and plans to expand mobile technology approach, and taking the fight to the grassroots through its Young Pharmacists Group (YPG).

Fake and substandard drugs are a global threat to human lives, leading to treatment failure, organ dysfunction or damage, worsening of chronic disease conditions and the death of many Nigerians.

According to available information on essential medicine and health product information portal of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the proliferation of fake and substandard drugs in Nigeria has affected the credibility of the healthcare system. Further reports by the International Criminal Policing Association (INTERPOL),

revealed that one million people die yearly from fake and counterfeit drug.

Recent studies evaluated the quality of drugs globally, which showed that 9.1 percent of drugs failed the basic quality control tests, with an estimated 16.6 percent drug failure rate in Africa, about one in every six pills.

The Financial Services Advisory Leader and Chief Economist, Project Blue, PWC Nigeria, Andrew Nevin, at the 90th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in Umuahia, the Abia Stata capital, stated that Africa records at least 100,000 deaths, arising from fake drug-related ailments yearly, as counterfeits drugs account for 17 percent of the generic drugs in supply in Nigeria.

NAFDAC has advocated the passage of the bill which seeks life imprisonment, confiscation of assets and compensation of victims on conviction by the National Assembly.

––Ukpong Victoria, vickyukpong98@gmail.com.

always left the citizens in a sorry situation.

Are we still wondering why voter turnout continues to dwindle? These are just the major reasons, as citizens don’t feel secure to come out and vote despite increased voter education for every electoral cycle.

While there is a positive argument that vote buying is soaring simply because the electoral process has improved, making it difficult for manipulation, it remains imperative to tackle voter inducement which in itself is a cause of electoral violence.

The gubernatorial elections will be having a large number of political parties contesting (23 in Kogi and 45 in Bayelsa).

This may increase pressure on INEC and more importantly on polling officials on election day. INEC should, therefore, beef up

its oversight and monitoring mechanisms that will further strengthen and ensure compliance to the electoral laws and guidelines while avoiding unnecessary postponement of polls.

More so, to curb voter inducement or any form of breakdown of law and order, security agencies should be more intentional in addressing early signs of violence (hate speech, physical attacks, communal crises, voter inducements) and other criminal activities in the pre-election environment.

Also, there is a need for security agencies to engage in active engagement and communications with citizens on the principles regulating security deployment and its operations ahead of the election.

––Moshood Isah, Media officer of YIAGA AFRICA.

The Passing on of Joseph Ifedobi

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t was one death that sucked the juice of life out of me. Chief Joseph Ekemezie Ifedobi, famously known as “Okosisi Akpo” and “Ijikara”, should not have belonged in the same life with death. His endearing ebullience and very pleasant boisterousness gave so much meaning to the lives around him. Devastation came with the news that the amiable great man had passed away on August 20, 2019. Born on October 1, 1944, he died at 76 which ought to be an achievement in dire Nigeria.

Ifedobi was buried in the compound of his modest one-storey country home at Uhuala village in Akpo town, Aguata LGA, Anambra State on Friday, October 18. I was a silent observer to the obsequies, not wanting to share my grief with the dignitaries and the throng of masses milling around.

Ifedobi packed many lifetimes into his sojourn on God’s earth.

He had to fend for himself from early in life, working as a truck-pusher, waste-disposer and bus conductor. He in time gravitated to the management of musicians, notably the great philosophical minstrel Celestine Ukwu. He only had the benefit of formal primary school education, but he had an undying love for knowledge such that he remarkably passed his school certificate exams by studying under the security light at Onitsha post office!

It is indeed a wonder that a man with the lowly grooming in formal education turned out to become a walking human encyclopedia. I used to say to boon companions that one did not need Google once one was in the company of Chief Joe Ifedobi whom I referred to as “a strategic source.”

He could recall in great detail even events that happened when he was an infant. He was

an authority on Nigerian history and politics such that he had top political associates from the East, West, South and North of the country as friends and associates. Before the war, he lived up north and became quite fluent in Hausa. He built up a trade in transportation and moved to Ibadan in the tough days of the Western regional crisis where he knew titans such as Chief Remi Fani-Kayode and Lamidi Adedibu up close.

The Biafra war perforce led him back to his eastern homeland, but immediately after the war he ventured northwards to Potiskum as arguably the first Igbo man to live in the North, post-Biafra. A multi-talented survivor, he became a repair technician of a casino firm owned by Britons. When the casino business was banned by the Nigerian government in 1977 he turned his immense skills into the importation trade.

His home in Surulere, Lagos was home for all. Anybody who needed accommodation was offered one free-of-charge. He fed so many and paid the fees of all the needy ones.

He bought and read every newspaper and journal available and knew all journalists by reputation. He could always refer to articles I had written but had forgotten. He would forever cite my breaking the news of Nigeria’s controversial entry into the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1986, and saluted my courage for daring all dangers to do the magazine cover story of the exit of his good friend Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe as the second-incommand to General Ibrahim Babangida.

––Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, Lagos (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸͹΁

NEWSXTRA How Kidnappers Released Federal High Court Judge, Driver Chinedu Eze in Lagos and James Sowole in Akure

A judge of the Federal High Court in Akure, Justice Abdul Dogo and his driver were Friday night released from kidnappers’ den, five days after gunmen abducted them at Ibilo, Edo/Isua Akoko axis, Ondo state.

But in its reaction, the House of Representatives condemned Dogo’s abduction,

saying the incident threatened the core foundation of the nation’s judiciary.

A police source confirmed the release of the judge and his driver yesterday, disclosing that the victims were released at about 11:00 p.m. on Friday, though did not confirm if any ransom was paid to secure his freedom.

The abductors insisted that a ransom of N50 million should be paid before they

would release their captives.

According to the source, the judge and his driver have regained their freedom at about 11:00 p.m. Friday night.

He has been reunited with his family in Abuja. But we did not know whether a ransom was paid or how much was paid. Condemning Dogo’s abduction, the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Onofiok Luke expressed the displeasure of the lower cham-

bers at the incident.

The lawmaker said: “We join our voices as members of the House of Representative Committee on Federal Judiciary together with the growing voices of eminent Nigerians to condemn in totality Dogo’s abduction by unknown gunmen.

“The abduction of Dogo is not only yet another sad occurrence in nation’s history but has the remote tendency to

OPL 245: EFCC to Serve Adoke, Etete by Substituted Means A Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to serve criminal charges on a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN) and others through substituted means.

The charges bordered on alleged abuse of office and money laundering in granting Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 to Shell and ENI. The trial judge, Justice D. Z. Senchi granted the order on Friday, directing the anti-

corruption agency to serve the defendants through newspaper advertisement.

He lifted the arrest warrant earlier issued against the defendants and ruled that it would be reissued after the prosecution has served them by substituted means due to their unavailability.

The commission had on April 17 obtained a warrant of arrest against Adoke, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Dan Etete, and four others over the OPL 245 scandal.

The anti-graft agency said

in a statement that it filed criminal charges against the defendants, but having all fled the country, it has been difficult for the commission to serve them the charges or produce them in court.

The situation forced the EFCC to apply for a warrant of arrest against them, which was granted by the court, empowering the Nigeria Police Force and Interpol arrest them, anywhere they are seen.

The statement said it has been difficult to execute the warrant as the defendants remained in hiding in foreign

locations, leaving the court to contend with endless adjournments in the matter.

With the development, the defendants through their counsel went to court, asking that the warrant be set aside, based on the fact that the EFCC has so far not served them any charges.

Justice Senchi obliged them, saying the application was meritorious. The trial judge stated that the EFCC ought to have served the charges to the defendants before applying for the arrest warrant that was granted to it.

threaten the core foundation of our judiciary system,” he said.

Luke described the abduction as sad, preposterous and totally unacceptable.

He said his committee

would take the abduction to the floor of the House of Representatives, to the Inspector General of Police and the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.

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O ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸͹΁ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Russo-African Summit and Sustainable Development in Africa: The Nigerian Foreign Policy Dimensions

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usso-African Summit, the first of its kind, was held at the Sochi Olympic Park Main Media Centre, a southern coastal city of Russia, from Wednesday, 23rd to Friday, 25th October, 2019.

It was a summit of the Republic of Russia as a sovereign State, on the one hand, and the association of the fifty-four countries in continental Africa, on the other. It is also a summit patterned after the Franco-African, Sino-African, Indo-African, etc, summits, all of which are said to be platforms for sustainable development in Africa.

Without doubt, the Russo-African summit has the potential to be of interest, especially from a competitive perspective. For instance, the development issues scheduled for discussion at the main session were holistic in scope, interesting in terms of relevance, and do raise compelling questions in terms of likely outcome of the partnership. Some of the sub-themes addressed are ‘contribution of nuclear technologies in the development of Africa’; ‘economic sovereignty for Africa: problems and Solutions’; ‘Russia and Africa: Energy for Development and Cooperation’; ‘Humanitarian Cooperation: Development Goals and Corporate Social Responsibility’; and ‘Digital Transformation as a Driver of State Development.’ The issues raised by these themes point to likely seriousness of purpose.

Perhaps more interestingly, there were also topics like the ‘Future of the African Continent: Sovereignty and Traditional Values as Crucial Elements of a Development Strategy’; ‘ASafe Africa’; ‘Technology Sovereignty and Security in a Digital World: Solutions to Tomorrow’s Challenges’; Oil and Gas Projects in Africa: Implementation Prospects’; ‘Creating a New Quality of Life in Africa’; ‘Using Minerals in Africa for the Benefit of its People’; ‘Investing in Africa’; ‘the Role of Media in Russian-African Relations’; and ‘Financing as an Essential Instrument of Economic Growth in Africa.’

The summit organisers clearly underscored the importance of national language diversity by providing public information in Russian, English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese. Apart from Portuguese, the other languages are those of the United Nations. The summit organisers did not provide information in Spanish, even though Equatorial Guinea is Spanish speaking. Probably because there are many Francophone, Anglophone, Arabophone and Lusophone, and only one Spanish speaking, little or no emphasis was given to Spanish, even though it is still one of the working languages of the United Nations like Chinese, Russian, and Arabic.

The essential point here is that Russia’s summit strategy is to cover the whole of Africa.

If we espy the various themes of discussion, impression is given that there will be more to gain from the partnership between Russia and Africa. Interrogatively put, what has been the contribution of nuclear technologies in Africa’s development and what is it that will be gained as a result of the new partnership? What will be the modalities for energy, as well as for humanitarian, cooperation? In which way will such cooperation be different from Africa’s humanitarian and energy cooperation with the Member States of the European Union? With one continental Africa faced with different development strategies from different development systems, how does Africa coordinate, have economic sovereignty and have impact on continental integration?

Whatever the answers may be, it is significant that Russia wants to look at the role of the media in its relations with Africa and how

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to finance development in Africa. It is also noteworthy that Russia wants to address development questions which border much on Nigeria’s interests: oil and gas, use of minerals in Africa for the benefit of the people of Africa, safety of Africa, and sovereignty and traditional values as crucial elements of development strategy in Africa. Explicated differently, how does national sovereignty and how do African traditional values impact on the evolvement of a Russo-African development strategy?

Without jot of gainsaying, the possible use of sovereignty and traditional values as dynamics and pillars of sustainable development of Africa appears to be new when compared with the various strategies already evolved by other partnership schemes. For instance, France, under Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, adopted the strategy of tripartite approach in which the then European Economic Community, the United States and Africa were to constitute a tripod on which the partnership was to be based. Africa was mainly required to provide the raw materials, the United States and the Europeans were to provide the resources, both financial and financial, as well as the technical and managerial expertise, etc.

There are also the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) done by the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries with the European Union. The origin dates back to the signing of the Cotonou Agreements. The strategic aim of the EPAis to bring about sustainable development through ACP-EU trade. It is to promote trade and investments. The cardinal purpose of the various summits with Africa also includes the promotion of trade and attraction of new investments. But when can it be argued that the need for foreign investments is adequate? When is development no longer considered necessary in Africa?

Unending Summits but Increasing Problems: The Issues

In essence, the Russo-African summit is a welcome development. Whether Africa can gain from it remains a moot question, as any gain cannot but largely be a resultant of the extent of Africa’s bargaining power. In this regard, the issues to be addressed are necessarily multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral in scope and character.

At the multilateral level, in which way will this new Russo-African summit be different from the existing ones? Is the Russo-African summit not an additional politico-economic platform for scramble for influence in Africa beyond the old style of re-colonisation? Will there not be re-colonisation attempt through globalisation and particularly, through International Communications Technology?

Have African countries the bargaining power to benefit from the partnership?

Perhaps more seriously, will the new partnership ever lead to transfer of technological know-how? What really has Africa to offer in this partnership beyond the export of raw materials? And more importantly, now that the current globalising world is also witnessing an emerging new Cold War and also another New World Order, how will Africa be able to manage the strategies of the various great powers with which it has partnership programmes?

Will it require the return to the Non-alignment policy and the strengthening of the NonAlignment Movement?

At the plurilateral level, that is, at the level of the five regions of Africa, in which way will the Russo-African summit help regional integration, and particularly the newly signed African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which was done on March 21, 2018 President Buhari in handshake with President Putin at Russia-Africa Summit, Sochi...recently and entered into force on May

30, 2019? One of the main objectives of the AfCFTAis to increase intra-African trade, boost Africa’s trading and bargaining power through common voice and policy space.

At the bilateral Russian-Nigeria level, how Russia perceives Nigeria appears to be at the epicentre of the relationship. We argue here that Nigeria is not likely to be seen to be reliable for various and obvious reasons. Nigeria is believed in Russia to be in the Western sphere of influence, hence the need for caution. Secondly, the handling of the Ajaokuta Iron and Steel project does not suggest to Russia that there is any seriousness of purpose on the part of the Government of Nigeria.

Thirdly, and more so, it was this belief in non-seriousness of purpose of Nigeria that prompted the Russian government to deport the Niger Delta students, who were sent to Russia under the Niger Delta Amnesty project to study, when the Government of Nigeria failed to comply with its own side of the obligations created by the agreement signed by both countries. In other words, Russo-Nigerian bilateral ties are largely predicated on mistrust which is hardly talked about.

Nigeria and the Summit: The Issues

The Russo-African summit cannot but be of strategic interest to Nigeria because of the burden of insecurity inflicted by the Boko Haram insurgency, on the one hand, and the need to have theAjaokuta Iron and Steel project completed once and for all, on the other hand. The importance of the summit to Nigeria can be gleaned from the statement of Nigeria’s ambassador to Russia, His Excellency, Stephen Ogbah.As he put it, ‘we’re sure that, with Russian help, we’ll manage to crush Boko Haram, given its experience combating Islamic State in Syria.’ This expectation largely explains the rationale behind Nigeria’s signing a military, Technical Cooperation deal with the Russian government on the sidelines of the summit.

As such, Boko Haram issue has become a major dynamic of Russo-Nigerian relations, and this is most likely to remain so for a long time to come, especially for as long as the Boko Haram insurgency lasts. The belief that, with Russia, a new anti-Boko Haram magic will be acquired, necessarily implies a failure on the part of Nigeria’s Western partners in the struggle against Boko Haram. How will the West react to this?

At the level of Russian interests in Nigeria, they can be explained from the perspective of their various projects inAfrica. Russia has nuclear research projects in Rwanda, Sudan and Zambia. It is important to recall here that this is the very way North Korea’s nuclear energy project started. North Korea requested Russia to assist in the development of nuclear bomb capability. Russia refused the request but offered to assist in the establishment of a nuclear research centre. This was how a plant would be put in place and that Russian scientists would be engaged in research in North Korea.

For the threeAfrican countries of Rwanda, Sudan and Zambia, their nuclear future can only be a matter of speculation, and for which Nigeria’s foreign policy makers will need to pay monitored attention because of the implications for Nigeria’s national security.

Russia is also interested in exporting its arms toAfrica.And true, this is what manyAfrican leaders want. The Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, was very clear on this.As he explained it in the context of his country’s needs, ‘the number one issue is defence and security. We have been cooperating very well. We have supported building our army by buying good Russian equipment, aircraft, tanks, and so on. We want to buy more.’And true enough again, defence orders from Russia byAfrican countries are put at a cost of not less than US $14 billion. Thus, defence and security business cannot but be a matter of priority in Russia’s relations withAfrica in the foreseeable future.Algeria, Egypt, Sudan andAngola are currently the major importers of Russian arms.

In the area of oil and gas projects. Ghana, Nigeria and Mozambique are the main countries targeted. WhileAngola Botswana and Zimbabwe are for Russia’s diamond project, Zimbabwe plays host to the platinum project and SouthAfrica has the nickel Project. More interestingly too, the Russian security forces are training troops in CentralAfrican Republic, meaning that the areas of cooperation are increasingly being diversified.

From the foregoing, if truth be told, there has not been much of a deal between Russia and Nigeria in recent times, unlike in the 1960s and 1970s, when engagements of Russians were significant in Nigeria. There is nothing to write home about at the level of trade.

In fact, Russia’s total trade withAfrica is still less than half of that of France. It is again ten times less than that of China. With Russia seeking to upgrade and increase its influence inAfrica, and also writing off more than US $20 billion ofAfrican debt, there is no doubt about Russia’s serious intention to return toAfrica to compete with others, especially the United States, European Union and China.

The seriousness of intention can be explained by Russia’s acceptance to have the various development projects initiated

by Russia and Nigeria, either partially completed or abandoned, revived. TheAjaokuta Steel Rolling Mill and the IkotAbasi-based Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria are cases in point. Russia has accepted to help construct a 1,400 kilometres rail track from Lagos to Calabar. Perhaps more interestingly, President Muhamadu Buhari (PMB) asked the Russian leader to assist in bridging the deficit in production of wheat, explaining that ‘Nigeria produces less than one hundred thousand metric tons of wheat locally, while our imports are projected to exceed five million tons in 2020.’

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

19

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸͹΁

BUSINESS Rising Debt Stock and Need for Fiscal Adjustment 08033204315, 08111813084

ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ Kunle Aderinokun ×ËÓÖ˝ ÕßØÖÏ˛ËÎÏÜÓØÙÕßØ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

As the debt portfolio swells, the federal government should adopt measures, aimed at ensuring that debt service does not rob the country of its developmental objectives, writes James Emejo

A

ccording to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the total domestic debt of the federal government increased to N13.4 trillion as at the end of June 2019.

The figure is 10.38 per cent higher than the N12.15 trillion of local borrowing in June last year.

The 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on the other hand, had borrowed N3.96 trillion within the same review period, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO).

The apex bank, however, noted that the FGN Bonds amounted to N9.69 trillion or 72.26 per cent of local borrowing while Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTBs) raked in N2.65 trillion or 19.77 per cent and FRN Treasury Bonds of N125.99 billion or 0.94 per cent was recorded.

Other components of the domestic debt stock included FGN Promissory Notes which accounted for N707.76 billion or 5.28 per cent, FGN Sukuk valued at N200.00 billion or 1.49 per cent, FGN Green Bonds amounting to N25.69 billion or 0.19 per cent as well as FGN Savings Bonds of N10.43 billion or 0.08 per cent.

According to the DMO, the country’s total public debt stock stood at N25.70 trillion with the external component put at $27.16 billion as at June.

The CBN had noted that despite rising debt stock, the cost of debt servicing declined by 15.00 per cent to N800.73 billion in June, compared to N941.99 billion in the corresponding period of 2018 due to declining yields in the fixed income market during the review period.

Nevertheless, there have been growing concerns over the country’s rising debt profile and cost of debt servicing in recent times.

Amidst the current revenue constraints especially, concerns have centered around the ability to honour debt obligations on the one hand, and the implications on the country’s infrastructural development and improved living standards for Nigerians.

According to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, out of the N10.33 trillion budget for next year, a total of N2.45 trillion, is earmarked for debt service, representing 23.74 per cent of target expenditure.

She noted that the provision to retire maturing bond to local contractors had also increased by 169.09 per cent from N110 billion to N296 billion in 2019.

The federal government had severally attested to the fact that it is currently faced with a huge revenue crisis, prompting analysts to wonder why the country had continued to borrow, notwithstanding- leading to insinuations in some quarters that the future of young Nigerians were being mortgage by the increasing debt profile.

But of particular concerns were arguments that borrowing had not translated to meaningful infrastructural development amidst poor transportation system, particularly impassable road networks, power among others- while poverty had been on the rise according to a recent report by the World Bank.

Ahmed had further highlighted the challenges of government to service existing debts when she admitted that low revenue was affecting the federal government’s ability to service debts and fund day-to-day recurrent expenditure.

The minister had specifically insisted that

Zainab Ahmed

although the country does not have a debt problem, underperformance of revenue had continued to cause a significant strain on its ability to service debt.

Notwithstanding, she further justified the federal government’s fresh move to borrow an additional $3 billion loan from the World Bank to finance the power sector.

Already, most of the states of the federation, who are also trapped in the debt servicing conundrum have not had any respite as the situation continues to weigh in on their ability to deliver on developmental aspirations.

A cursory look at their monthly revenue receipts from the federation account in August, showed that a significant chunk of their revenue had been committed to debt servicing particularly the external components.

However, some experts have expressed concerns over a situation whereby government is unable to honour debt service as a result of revenue constraints- and the likelihood of its assets being confiscated to offset its contractual liabilities.

The minister had further dampened expectations for improve oil revenue to fund the 2020 budget when she explained that a lower benchmark oil price of $57 per barrel (against $60 per barrel for 2019) was assumed considering the expected oil glut in 2020, as well as the need to cushion against unexpected price shock.

According to Ahmed, there are strong indications of an oversupplied market in 2020, adding that all three of the major forecasters – including the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), International Energy Association (IEA) and the U.S Energy Information Administration (EIA) generally already predicted non-OPEC production growing by about two million barrels per day (mbpd) in 2019 and by more next year.

According to her the United States shale oil accounts for most of the total supply increase, but new projects in Norway, Brazil and Australia will also contribute to the increase in non-OPEC supply.

DG, DMO, Ms. Patience Oniha

Among other things, she said market sentiments do not support an expansion in demand, adding that growth in demand for OPEC oil and condensates specifically are projected to slow down next year.

Ahmed noted that oil production volume is projected to average 2.18mbpd for 2020, although this is lower than the projected oil production volume of 2.3mbpd for 2019.

“We believe that this is a more realistic projection.

For 2021 and 2022, the projections are 2.22mbpd and 2.36mbpd respectively. Actual daily crude oil production and exports have been below budget projections since 2013, despite installed capacity of up to 2.5mbpd, for a number of reasons.

Although the federal government had recently signaled its intention to explore a variety of options to increase revenue generation including an increase of VAT from five per cent to 7.2 per cent amidst other “tough policy initiatives”, experts have nevertheless expressed worry over the rising debt and ability to service same Speaking in an interview with THISDAY, a former banker and erstwhile Director General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, describe the country’s increasing debt portfolio as worrisome.

According to him, the rising debt profile of the country is worrisome. It is also worrisome that our debt service figure is higher than our Capital budget figure for 2020.

“Whereas the capital budget figure is N2.1 trillion, our Debt service figure is N2.4 trillion.

More than one quarter of our revenue for next year will be used to service our debt.

“All these will be reversed if we increase our revenue. Nigeria and Nigerians should seriously consider the cost of governance. If the revenues are not growing, we should reduce drastically, the cost of governance at all levels.”

Also commenting, a development economist and Chief Executive, Pan Africa Development Corporate Company, Mr. Odilim Enwegbara, said there was an imminent debt crisis as the

current situation appeared to be out of control.

He said: “We are now in a state of economic mess. If the government does not know how deep the mess is, how will the same government know how to dig us out of the deep hole?

“What started with recession in 2016 has now grown to the state of hopelessness, with our debt profile now out of control as both domestic and foreign debts have us trapped.”

He said: “Soon lenders will begin to demand for their money or else they will sell whatever they can lay hands on. It will start like a joke the same way the P&ID contract scam started like a joke.

“But if the P&ID scam against the Nigerian state can hold water, why should the current debt trap our so-called elected government officials are taking us into not be legitimate?”

According to him: “Soon the chain reaction will begin as all the things that keep our economic heart to be beating are beginning to shut down one after another.

“Unfortunately, there is no more time remaining to keep the economic heart beating since all the support organs are now silently dying.”

Enwegbara said: “The questions we should be asking ourselves right now are: how can we go on borrowing without having in place any form of repayment plan? Can you repay when you can’t stop borrowing in order to remain fiscally afloat? How can you repay your bloated debt when you have trapped yourself into borrowing in order to keep your big government growing?

How can you stop borrowing when rather than borrow for investment, you’re enjoying borrowing for keeping your extravagant lifestyle intact? And above all, how can you stop borrowing when it is the oil in someone else’s backyard that is targeted as the collateral should you default?”

There’s however, no gainsaying that in the current revenue predicament, the present administration must ensure that increased borrowing and debt service do not further retard economic prosperity of Nigerians.

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BUSINESS/CONSUMER

Breaking the Spell of Skepticism in Consumer Promotions Organisers of consumer promotions these days have to work probably twice as hard as they did some years back to achieve the same level of success. Needless to say the wall of skepticism in many subscribers’ minds today is so thick that it takes pragmatic approach and transparent execution to wear it down, writes Bamidele Famoofo graduate of Special Education from the University of Ibadan going for national service next month who won a generator said; “I want to say thank you very much to Glo for making me to be one of the winners. I am very grateful. I will take the generator to my husband’s house as I will soon get married”.

Another lucky winner, Adesina Ahmed from Alagbaka, Akure, enthused: “I am so happy because I did not know that it is real. Thank you fantastic Glo! I will use the generator. No darkness anymore!

Obinna Nwoye, a 42-year-old construction worker from Abeokuta was one of the many lucky winners and this is what he said: “ I am very very happy when they called me. Glo has turned my life around”.

Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs Folashade Jaji (second right) congratulating Ndidi Okpuzor, one of the keke winners in the on-going Globacom’s Recharge and Win promo (My Own Don Beta), while other winners Aminat Afeez (right) and Joel Ndifreke (first left) watch with admiration at the first presentation of prizes by Globacom in Ojuelegba, Surulere Lagos...recently

T

here is a wall of apathy built in the minds of Nigerians over the years against government and even corporate organizations on their sincerity to deliver on the promises they make to them. The attitude which developed over time is not unconnected to failure on the part of some players in the public and private sectors of the economy to do exactly what they say.

But Nigeria’s leading telecommunications company, Globacom; said there is an answer for every question and a solution to every problem. This conviction by the master of ground-breaking consumer promotions launched recently by Glo, informed the approach it adopted for its ongoing promo ‘My Own Don Beta’.

According to a reliable source at Glo, the strategy is one that is sure to break down the wall of unbelief in the minds of telecom consumers. “The approach accords pragmatism and transparency a pride of place as a way of assuring members of the public that the company means serious business.”

In fulfillment of its promise, Globacom last Thursday organized what some of its consumers described as a transparent draw right in the middle of the popular Computer Village in Ikeja. Key stakeholders in the popular ICT-focused market were invited to the canopy set up on Oremeji Street in the heart of the market.

It was something akin to a carnival, as a skilful DJ filled the arena with dancehall music. Some of the prizes up for grabs were prominently displayed beside the canopy to show any ‘doubting Thomases’ that the advertised prizes had been procured in readiness for being given out.

After a few speeches by the company representative, Victor Kalu and some of the guests, including computer village market officials, Nollywood actors and comedians, the draw began under the keen observation of the market crowd and invited dignitaries.

To further boost the confidence of the people in the process, Globacom involved random personalities among the invited guests in the computerized draw. The option of a computerized draw was adopted

by Globacom in order to give equal chance to everyone who participated in the promo from the date of launch up to the point of holding the draw.

All the dignitaries had to do was to hit any key on a laptop on the table in front of the crowd for the computer to pick a random telephone number belonging to one of those eligible for the draws. One after another, market executives, Glo brand influencers and Nollywood artistes had their turns hitting the computer to produce winners.

In all, a total of 100 Nigerians emerged the first set of winners at the draw keenly watched by the representatives of Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Ten Glo subscribers won Tricycles (Keke), 40 won generators, 30 won grinding mills, while 20 won industrial sewing machines.

Celebrities at the draw included the Lagos State House of Assembly member, Desmond Elliot, who compered the event, representative of the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Oyinade Nathan-Marsh; Assistant Director, Lagos Zonal Office, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Joy Okuna, and Principal Manager, Lagos Zonal Office, Nigerian

Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Joseph Dimka .

Also in attendance were Nollywood greats, Mrs. Patience Ozokwor (Mama Gee) and Mrs. Sola Sobowale; renowned comic, Mr. Victor Osuagwu and Instagram sensation, Mr. Samuel Perry, popularly called “Broda Shaggi”.

When it was time to contact some of the winners, the issue of skepticism came up again. Some of the winners first took the news of their winning with a pinch of salt.

With the exception of Nike Olayiwola of Iwaya, Lagos who screamed for joy the moment Desmond Elliot called her and gave her the news she had won a grinding mill, the others took some time to be convinced they had actually won some of the prizes.

Michael Stanley from Ikorodu who won a tricycle, for instance, seemed to believe somebody was playing a prank on him.

After a while, especially when he heard the hailing of the crowd gathered under the canopy, he finally got the message that it was not a prank. He was soon heard urgently asking: “When can I come and pick up the prize?” to the wild laughter of the audience.

Emeka Uzo from Iyana Ipaja, another tricycle winner, was harder to convince.

What Desmond Elliot was telling him seemed to be falling on deaf ears, until Nollywood legend, Patience Ozokwor, collected the phone and spoke to him in Igbo. It was only then the message sank into his mind that he was indeed a winner.

Winners Speak Winners received their prizes at the prizepresentation ceremony that held in Lagos last week Wednesday amid funfair and celebration.

Omowunmi Obafemi, from Ilesha, a fresh

Comments by Dignitaries Some very important persons who witnessed the ceremony where winners of the Glo promo collected their awards at Lagos showered encomiums on the brand.

Secretary to Government of Lagos State, Mrs Folashade Jaji said “Congratulations to Globacom for coming up with this initiative. I congratulate all winners. I hope Globacom will organize training for the Keke winners. I urge other telcos to emulate this Glo gesture”.

Ace artist, Prince Jide Kosoko, applauded Glo, noting that as a Telco, its main responsibility has been service delivery, adding that the company is doing more for its valued subscribers with the promo.

David Eze, Vice President, Mega Autoparts and Allied Traders Association said “I am glad to be here. I came to confirm that it is a reality. I did not believe in promo but from what I am seeing, I am so impressed that I have been recharging. I believe that I will win and my life go beta”.

Comrade Sulaiman Kamal, Treasurer, Tricycle Owners Drivers Association of Lagos State in his remark said “Una well done o! My wife is using Glo. I bought Glo and will like to win Keke. This one is for real it is not boju-boju”.

Before the launch of the promo at the Mike Adenuga Towers Head Office of the company in Victoria Island, Lagos on October 3, 2019, Globacom made sure it did not only secure the buy-in of all the relevant regulatory bodies, such as the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), but also actively involved them in the execution.

The promise of the promo was to give life-changing tools of trade to winners to enable them start small businesses of their own, or empower their relatives to start earning a living through new streams of income.

The prizes promised include tricycles, otherwise called ‘keke NAPEP’, industrial sewing machines, grinding mills, and generators. All telecommunications consumers need to do to win is to recharge with a total of N200 in a day either in one recharge or cumulative recharges. Multiple entries are encouraged to increase the chances of the participants. What is more, that N200 is still there for the subscriber to do whatever he or she likes for text, calls or data.

Also at the time of launch, the company promised that subscribers in all parts of the country had a chance to emerge winners, adding that prize-presentation events would be held in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin, Ibadan, Kano, Jos, Enugu and Onitsha.

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Ëš

Are Better Days Here for SMEs ?

The economy will witness a strong and sustainable growth if the Central Bank of Nigeria continues to enforce its directive on 65 percent loan- to- deposit ratio to players in the nation’s banking industry, especially commercial banks, to make affordable loans available to businesses and consumers to drive economic activities, writes Bamidele Famoofo Background ometime in July 2019, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) also known as commercial banks, to make cash available to players in the economy at affordable rates to boost economic activities and as a result drive growth.

The directive issued through a letter titled: “Regulatory Measures to Improve Lending to the Real Sector of the Nigerian Economy�, mandates all commercial banks operating in the country to make credit available to businesses to increase their capacity and be able to create more jobs.

The objective of the CBN was to encourage SMEs, retail, mortgage and consumer lending in the real sector, which it said shall be assigned a weight of 150 per cent in computing the LDR for this purpose.

The CBN through the Director of Banking Supervision, Ahmad Abdullahi, instructed banks to make available as loan to the real sector, at least 60 per cent of the cash which they collect from depositors effective from September 30, 2019. “Failure to meet the above minimum loan to deposit ratio (LDR) by the specified date shall result in a levy of additional Cash Reserve Requirement equal to 50per cent of the lending shortfall of the target LDR. The CBN shall continue to review development in the market with a view to facilitating greater investment in the real sector of the Nigerian economy,� CBN said.

Applauding the CBN for the policy, financial experts who spoke with THISDAY, said the real sector of the economy will have at least N1.5trillion additional cash to borrow from, if all the banks comply with the new policy.

S

Update In a bid to match its words with action, the CBN under the watch of its governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has taken far-reaching measures to let the banks know it was ready to implement the policy.

Hence, after the September 30 deadline set for banks to comply with the directive to give out at least 60 percent of their deposits as loans to SMEs, retail, mortgage and consumers, it descended heavily on the defaulters. Specifically, the banking sector regulator debited 12 banks a total of N499 billion for failing to meet the September 30, 2019 deadline.

Meanwhile, the CBN has since refunded some of the affected financial institutions.

But on the expiration of the September 30 deadline, the central bank raised the minimum LDR to 65 per cent, with a December 31, 2019 deadline, up from the 60 per cent it had prescribed.

The Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, justifying the upward review, explained that CBN has vowed to impose stiffer sanctions on any commercial bank and customers that flout its minimum loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) policy that is focused on increasing lending to the real sector of the economy. He said customers of banks who fail to play by the rules will be blacklisted.

Abuse Okoroafor disclosed that the central bank has discovered that some banks, in order to achieve the 60 per cent LDR target and in a bid to beat the September deadline, gave out money to customers who did not invest in productive business ventures. Rather, the banks gave out the loans for investment in money and capital markets instruments for short-term gains. CBN warned that any bank that is found to be disbursing loans to customers, who subsequently invest such funds in treasury bills and other money market and capital market securities, would be sanctioned and the customer blacklisted.

The CBN spokesman explained: “Any customer found arbitraging will be blacklisted, names published and the banks penalised.

The essence of this is to stop arbitrage practices

CBN Governor, Godwin EmeďŹ ele

by the banks. “In other to meet up the LDR policy, they are avoiding giving loans to the real sector and instead are giving loans to speculators who now go to buy treasury bills,� Okoroafor reiterated. “The whole aim of this policy would be defeated by this kind of practice. So, the CBN will deal with any bank that tries to circumvent this policy.�

The Purpose Okoroafor insisted that the central bank will do everything in its powers to make sure that the purpose of the policy which was to fuel the economy for growth is achieved.

On assumption of office as CBN governor for a second term of five years, Emefiele said his vision for the bank over the next five years was primarily driven by the need to support continued growth and development of the Nigerian economy.

In his five-year policy thrust for a second term in office, he said: “Our vision would be to ensure the Central Bank of Nigeria is more people-focused, as its policies and programmes would be geared towards supporting job creation, reducing the high level of treasury-bill rates, improving access to credit for MSMEs, deepening our intervention programme in the agricultural sector, building a robust payment system infrastructure that will help drive inclusion, in addition to key macroeconomic concerns such as exchange rate stability, financial system stability and maintaining a strong external reserve.�

To achieve the lofty goal of growing the economy by double digits, Okoroafor said banks must lend mandatorily to deserving customers that are willing to engage in businesses that will create jobs and grow gross domestic product (GDP). “What we are saying is that banks must lend. So we prescribed the LDR. Now that they are ready to lend and at reasonably low rates and not buying securities, people should not borrow to buy securities thereby arbitraging.�

He stressed the need for banks to support activities that would drive economic growth in the country. “The economy must see growth induced by higher consumer and manufacturing output. We will crack down on banks and companies that would attempt to game our policies through financial markets arbitrage. “Nigerians have been praying for low rates.

So if borrowing rates from banks are coming down, companies should take the loan to conduct their manufacturing business and not get involved in arbitrage.�

Experts’ Remarks Head of Research at FSDH,AyoAkinwunmi, said the policy would allow for more deposits to be released to customers.

He, however, noted that some of the commercial banks may have to sell some of their short-term yielding investments in the money market to be able to free more cash for lending to the real sector.

Akinwunmi warned that except the challenges of lending were addressed, the policy

of compulsory lending to the economy might aggravate the issue of non-performing loans which most commercial bank had struggled with over time.

But a Lagos-based financial consultant, Dr. Boniface Chizea, said the new approach will enable the CBN to keep fidelity to its development banking mandate. He noted that the policy also aligned with the need of the monetary authorities to positively impact the unacceptable high unemployment rate of over 20 per cent with its nefarious social consequences. “As a well-articulated policy, it embodies carrots and sticks. The loan/deposit ratio at 65 per cent prudentially allows the banks to commit a larger part of their deposit base; which is 65 per cent to lending. Therefore the message to DMBs is to adopt a more aggressive posture in booking credit. It, at once, sends a clear message that reliance on fixed income investments should be de-emphasised going forward,� he said.

Chizea said it was in the best interest of banks to read the handwriting on the wall for them to slow down their investments in short-term yielding financial instruments as they would be restricted on the extent of exposure to fixed income securities. “We give kudos to the Central Bank of Nigeria for putting its mouth where its word is,� he said. But Chizea expressed reservation over compliance on the side of banks. “The challenge will be to ensure that the new guidelines are observed beating the shenanigans the banks are known as being adept at mounting.�

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Can Africa Be the Next Asia?

Kingsley Moghalu

A

KingsleyMoghalu,aformer Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor of Practice in International Business and Public Policy at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and former senior United Nations official, is the CEO of Sogato Strategies, a strategy, risk and public policy consultancy. In this thought-provoking essay Dr. Moghalu, who ran for election as President of Nigeria in the country’s 2019 elections, examines Africa’s development prospects from the perspective of a recent international dialogue on The Asian Aspiration.

The rise of Japan after World War II, China in the past 40 years, and several other EastAsian nations, has clearly made the 21st century an Asian one.

In the span of a generation, the lives of more than one billion Asians have been transformed from one of poverty to that of prosperity. Global power, certainly economic power, is heading from the west to the east. As the world looks with admiration at the rise of Asia, even if with important caveats, the question is whetherAfrica, the last remaining holdout of mass poverty in the world, can or will be the next Asia. This is at once an essential question and a fascinating human story of possibilities.

For three days in late September at the Villa del Collina overlooking the beautiful Lake Como, an hour from Milan in Italy, a number of retired-but-not-tired African presidents and 30 development thinkers and practitioners, diplomats, and emerging political leaders in African countries dissected and reviewed the manuscript of “The Asian Aspiration�, a forthcoming book that seeks to provide answers, or, at least, clues. The dialogue was convened by the Brenthurst Foundation, a Johannesburg-based public policy think tank established by the South African billionaire Jonathan Oppenheimer. It was hosted by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the foundationnamedaftertherenownedpost-World War II German Chancellor. Villa del Collina was Adenauer’s holiday retreat away from Germany, later purchased by the Adenauer Foundation well after the Chancellor’s death.

The “Can Africa Be the Next Asia� dialogue, held under the “Chatham House� rule of no-attribution to individual speakers, was jointly chaired by Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Ethiopian former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, with former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma also participating. Greg Mills, the Executive Director of Brenthurst Foundation, Obasanjo and Desalegn, and Emily van der Marwe of Brenthurst are the co-authors of TheAsianAspiration. President Obasanjo is the chairman of the board of trustees of Brenthurst Foundation, and Prime Minister Desalegn a member of the board.

So this project is part of a continuing collaboration by the three men in seeking and offering pathways for progress by African countries, and builds on two previous books with Mills and Obasanjo among the co-authors: “Making Africa Work�, and “Democracy Works�. There is no better contribution ex-African presidents can make to the continent than constantly being open to new thinking, engaging in policy formulation work, and advising present and rising generations of leaders and public servants based on their experience as the ultimate leaders in their countries. That experience, it must be said, includes the lessons from the mistakes and failures of these former leaders. The matter of leadership mistakes – “looking back� -- was therefore not left out of the Lake Como deliberations.

The Lake Como Dialogue wasn’t dominated by the usual foreign experts, although the group was well-balanced with participants and perspectives from Asia, Europe and North America.

A number of new-generation political leaders from African countries such as Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe also participated. Present company included, most of this group of participants in the Lake Como meeting have in recent years been candidates in presidential elections in their countries. They all are dissatisfied with the habits and systems of the status quo that have kept most African countries poor, economically unproductive, and their societies ethnically polarized and unstable.

Their participation in the Lake Como dialogue was a breath of fresh air different from meetings dominated by government officials that are more

Participants at the “Can Africa Be the Next Asia?� Dialogue in Lake Como, Italy

remarkable for recitations of the party line than serious thinking and free discussion.

The manuscript of The Asian Aspiration has case studies of 10 countries in East Asia: China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Phillippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Since 1960, the GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa has dropped by nearly half while that of East Asian countries has grown in leaps and bounds. Nigeria is a good example of development stasis and retrogression. The country’s average nominal GDP per capita between independence in 1960 and 2018 is $1736 according to the International Monetary Fund. It is ranked 157 out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index of 2017. In 2018 the World Bank ranked Nigeria 152nd out of 157 countries in its Human Capital Index, and is now ranked the “poverty capital� of the world by the World Poverty Clock, with 92 million of its 200million people living in extreme poverty.

All of this is largely due to poor governance and weak, market-unfriendly economic policy and business environments.

Why would African countries aspire to be like Asia? In the first place, should they? No two countries or continents can be exactly alike.Africa should seek to be a much better Africa, not an Asian clone, just as the latter developed on its own terms and with its own unique identity.

But there are many lessons to be learnt from Asia, and African countries can certainly apply “translative adaptation� (taking ideas from elsewhere and adapting them to unique, local environments) as Japan did in relation to the western world. Culturally as well, Asia is much closer to Africa than Europe or the United States.

Broadly speaking, cultures in Africa and Asia are more communal than individualistic, as is the case in the West. Most of the East Asia countries examined in The Asian Aspiration were once colonies of foreign powers, just like African countries except Ethiopia and Liberia.

More important, EastAsia has achieved development largely within a span of 50 years, the same period in whichAfrican countries have ostensibly had political independence but were unable to translate that into economic transformation.

Against this backdrop, there is every reason why Africa should want to be the “next Asia� development miracle: r"TJB BDIJFWFE SBQJE QPWFSUZ SFEVDUJPO BOE transformed millions of lives within a generation. r"TJB IBT BDIJFWFE NBOVGBDUVSJOH MFE FYQPSU growth, while Africa’s industrial productivity has declined. r%FTQJUF DPSSVQUJPO BOE BVUIPSJUBSJBOJTN &BTU Asian countries have successfully demonstrated an effective commitment to the popular welfare of their citizens. East Asia has achieved low unemployment, high levels of skills development, and markedly improved their rankings on the

Human Development Index. r"TJB IBT BUUSBDUFE TUBCMF GPSFJHO EJSFDU JOWFTUment (nearly $6 trillion over the past decade, mostly in China), with Africa attracting just $50-60 billion. r"GSJDB IBT B QPQVMBUJPO QSPCMFN XJUI CJMMJPO people, projected to double by 2050, and with 70 per cent of its youth population unemployed.

With real development, the continent’s youth bulge could explode, with extremely negative social and other consequences.

TheAsianAspiration study found that the five key takeaways fromAsia’s development experience are that, first, it takes time, especially to build skills and institutions, both key foundations of development transformation. This means that there must be a focus on these goals, and that focus must be consistent in order to yield results. But this shouldn’t be an excuse for non-performance in governance. It is wrong to argue, as some African governments do when confronted with their failures, that “Rome was not built in a day� when the right focus, effort and consistency are absent in the first place. Rome may never be built in that scenario.

Second, there will difficult trade-offs and hard choices.African governments often are unable to make the right priority choices and stick to them with discipline. Third, a healthy private sector is essential for real, transformative development.

Governments must create this space. Where government economic policies, with an eye on short-term goals and populists considerations, squeeze the private sector, it will be hard to achieve development goals because the right incentive drivers are absent. Moreover, few African states have capable states with strong technocracies as Asia has, in order for the state to play its role in development effectively. The absence of technocratic states has resulted in rent-seeking private sectors – capitalism without strategy – in which robber baron capitalists manipulate governments for the benefit of their business bottom lines, but inclusive wealth creation across markets, sectors and workers is not happening.

Fourth, competition is crucial, and it must be built on a bedrock of innovation, infrastructure, and integration between infrastructure and markets.

Lastly, not all lessons are worth learning. Asian growth has often happened in the negative contexts of political authoritarianism and environmental degradation. These characteristics should not be examples for African countries to adopt. Rather, they are lessons about what to avoid in Africa’s growth path.

This study of East Asia’s economic miracle suggests other important lessons. African countries must avoid a singular focus on natural resources.

They should not mistake trade for development.

They must avoid high-debt infrastructure growth, and avoid the temptation to pick “winners� in industrial policy. Import substitution is prob-

lematic, and is unlikely to deliver the results expected. Again, Nigeria serves as an example of the failure of the focus on import substitution instead of focusing on endogenous productive competitiveness.

Agriculture played an early, critical role in the EastAsian development story, but only because it was broadly well managed and strategy-driven, with varying degrees of success across the region.

East Asia’s stages of growth were, in ascending order: land reform, agricultural reforms that increased crop yields, universal education, light manufacturing, heavy industry, modern industry (IT and services), and economic and political liberalization.

Three final factors are make or break for Africa’s development aspirations. The first is the basic question: do Africans think? Of course we do.

The question is: how? The African mind is the greatest obstacle to the continent’s development.

Long-term strategic thinking and the discipline of execution, based on a philosophical worldview, must replace the continent’s seemingly innate tendency to short-termism and motions without real movement. The continent needs a new generation of political leaders with a world-view of transformation. Ethiopia’s contemporary leadership and its well-developed leadership selection process, with the country’s self-awareness of its place as one of the world’s oldest civilizations and a resolve to return to global prominence, is an example of this approach.

Ethiopia has a civil service university, which it copied from France and South Korea, and building a strong technocracy and bureaucracy has been key to its early successes in a journey of transformation.

Ethnicity is a threat, and should not be the basis for politics. Unity of purpose in African societies is essential for a successful development drive.

Primordial radicalization should be avoided, and diversity should be managed in a sensitive manner. Unfortunately for Africa, ethnic radicalization is still very much the reality of much of the politics in African countries. This reality must be confronted if there is to be progress.

Finally, leadership is the missing ingredient that Asia had but Africa, with a few notable exceptions, still lacks. Objective and transparent parameters of leadership selection that balance competence, performance track records, with managing ethnic diversity remain key challenges. Leadership search, selection and process should become a conscious approach to having world-class leaders, instead of the current focus on corruption-fueled political maneuvering in Africa’s “democracies� that has proved so self-defeating for the continent. Africa needs the kind of “development-obsessed� leaders that Asia has had. East Asia’s miracle doesn’t tell Africa what to do, but gives helpful clues as to how to do it.

23

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÍżËœ ͺ͸͚Î

Ëš

How Well Will New Minimum Wage Work for Workers and Economy?

The federal government and organised labour have agreed on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers. While there is some excitement that the newly prescribed wage would help to improve basic quality of life of the workers, there is also a legitimate fear that despite an agreement and legalisation of an easily understandable national wage floor which would apply across job types and geographies, that compliance will be weak. Nosa James-Igbinadolor reports

O

n April 18, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Minimum Wage Repeal and Re-Enactment Act, 2019. By that act, the new minimum wage became N30,000 from N18,000. The bill approving N30,000 as the new national minimum wage had been passed by both chambers of NationalAssembly before they went on break for the 2019 general elections.

Since then however, both the Federal Government and the Labour Unions had engaged in a fetish dance of compromise, threats, hard knocks and walk-outs as they sat across the table to hammer out the details and modalities of the new wage.

Ultimately, both sides reached a tentative deal 182 days after the President signed the new minimum wage bill into law, with one of the main labour unions, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, demanding the antedating of the payment of the new wage back to April when it was first signed by the President. In a statement issued by its acting Chairman, Anchaver Simon and Secretary, Alade Lawal, the TUC advised “that since the 2019 National Minimum Wage was signed into Law by Mr President on April 18, 2019, the implementation should start from that date so as not to trigger another avoidable round of agitation by public service employees and their trade unions. “We are also glad that the government has taken note of the need for a general salary review in the public service. We are looking forward to this review and we hope that the Federal Government will keep to its promise which was made during the negotiation of consequential adjustments.�

The federal government has acquiesced to Labour’s demand for a retroactive payment of the new minimum wage. Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, announced last week that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had already asked the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to effect the payments, including arrears owed workers, reflecting the consequential adjustments. He posited that a deadline of December 2019 had been set to effect all payments while the benchmarks would be forwarded to state governments to guide them in their own implementation.

According to the Minister, “FEC also approved for us that the financial implication is worked out and the payment should be completed in or before December 2019. Council further directed that the minister of finance budget and national planning, through the office of the accountant general of the federation should affect all these payments before 31 December 2019. “Council further directed that the National Income and Wages Commission and the Ministry of Labour and Employment should send the consequential adjustment table down to the states and local government as an advisory document for their information and guidance for their national joint public service status in their respective states because the national minimum wage is a national law,�

Ngige said.

The process of determining the minimum wage is complex to say the least as neither the Federal Government nor Labour have been very open about the criteria and principles used in arriving at any standard agreed wage. In addition, the level of compliance too is abysmal as acquiescence is mostly undertaken in the public sector where Labour’s strength is strong and at larger private sector establishments that are subject to best practice corporate governance codes Wendy Cunningham, in her 2007 World Bank report on ‘Minimum Wages and Social Policy’ noted that the minimum wage objective “centred on the idea that each occupation has a fair wage, which may be different from the level determined by the market. Ideally, collective bargaining would correct the imbalance, but if that was not possible, it is the government’s responsibility to set and enforce the wage structure by creating occupation-specific wages so that each worker received his or her relative due wage. The poverty alleviation objective was based on the idea that market wages would not necessarily be at a level that was socially acceptable to society, so the minimum wage would ensure enough income

Ngige

for all citizens to maintain a minimum standard of living, regardless of occupation�.

While there is some excitement that the newly prescribed wage would help to improve basic quality of life of workers, increasing their take home pay, purchasing power, standard of living, disposable income, there is also a legitimate fear that despite an agreement and legalisation of an easily understandable national wage floor which would apply across job types and geographies, that compliance will be weak. It is unlikely that the payment of the new minimum wage of N30,000 would be universally adhered to across the entire institutional economy landscape. Large swaths of the Nigerian private sector has a very rich history of ignoring previous minimum wage laws passed and would most likely flout this new wage as unpayable. Thus, while minimum wage increases are advantageous to workers, small business owners often struggle with the consequences of raising minimum wage.

Payroll is one of the most expensive things any business has to deal with, and a mandatory increase in this case, nearly double, will likely put a major contraction on profit margins.

The informal sector is a major contributor to the Nigerian economy, accounting for a significant portion of employment and national GDP. According to the IMF, the Nigerian informal sector accounted for some 65per cent of Nigeria’s 2017 GDP, about $240 billion. Thus, 65per cent of the workforce is self-employed, with some 25per cent working on a causal basis, engaging the labour market in bursts and spurts. The new law therefore is likely to work for some 40per cent of the total workforce. Even within this, more than half belong to very small enterprises that hire between one and five people.

Making these tiny enterprises comply with new laws is, in any case, a tall order.

Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs populate and dominate the informal economy landscape in Nigeria. Wendy Cunningham further posited that, “informal sector workers earn the lowest wages and are therefore the group most in need of wage protection. However, informal sector workers are by definition outside the government’s sphere of direct influence, so minimum wage policies may skip over exactly the group that they are intended

Wabba

to benefit�.

Prof. Wilson Herbert of the Federal University Otuoke agreed that most SMEs in the country have never been part of the minimum wage landscape.

He asserted that that the failure of most SMEs to pay minimum wage to their workers over the years should be put at the door step of government.

According to him, “what the FG and Labour have coupled together is just about $83 and that is not a living wage at all for any person. We have to structure the system to allow the SMEs do the right thing and structuring the system means the government ensuring that SMEs are able to access electricity and infrastructural support to enable them produce and provide services in a quantum that will ensure their capacity to pay the minimum wage to their workers�. He further added that, “government does not have an inventory of SMEs operating in the country, and so, they do not know how much tax they pay. There is so much weight on businesses in Nigeria and if government is not alleviating the burden of doing business, it is wrong to expect SMEs to pay the minimum wage. There must be incentives to SMEs and it is when these incentives have been provided that is when you can hold them to the payment of any legal wage�.

While the minimum wage is an attractive policy tool for poverty reduction and social justice as well as a simple and visible way for the government to show its commitment to social justice and support those at the bottom of the income distribution where it is easily targeted to the poorest workers, it does affect the labour market as there is a strong possibility of a trade-off especially in the private sector where job losses could likely occur. Minimum wage increases sometimes have unintended consequences. Despite the long history of the minimum wage, very little is known about its effectiveness in meeting its social justice or poverty alleviation roles. A major consequence is increasing an individual’s income tax liability. Economies with progressive income tax systems require individuals to pay more taxes as their income increases. Thus, setting a high minimum wage or using incremental increases can force individuals into higher tax brackets.

Since its creation 124 years ago, the popularity of the minimum wage among policymakers and the

public at large has risen and fallen. Most countries have introduced wage floors, but many have done so only to have their real value be eroded by inflation.

Despite the long history of the minimum wage, very little is known about its effectiveness in meeting its social justice or poverty alleviation roles. Although it may increase consumption by elevating wages above their market level, it may also lead to job loss through layoffs and decreased consumption. Thus, its usefulness for poverty and inequality reduction is uncertain. Similarly, in the social justice context, an exogenously imposed wage structure may be a means of overcoming unfair market allocations of wages, but the market will still drive labour demand, and higher-than-market wages may lead to unemployment. This begs the question of how the minimum wage can be designed to be an effective tool to ensure social justice or poverty alleviation.

Wilson Herbert who is a Professor of Accounting and Financial Management is dismissive of the new minimum wage figure as insignificant, noting that “the poor wages we pay our workers is one of the factors that is responsible for grand corruption in Nigeria. “N30,000 is small and not reflective of the economic realities on ground�, he further argued.

To fund the new minimum wage, the Nigerian government has had to increase value-added tax, VAT on goods from 5per cent to 7.5per cent in other to garner more revenue to cater for salaries across the federation where many states are owing their workers months of salaries and emoluments.

Finance Minister, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed had noted in September that the increase, “is important because the federal government only retains 15per cent of the VAT. 85per cent is actually for the states and local government. The states need additional revenue to be able to meet the obligations of the minimum wage.�

The new minimum wage increases and the planned implementation of the increase in VAT pose ill for Nigerian economy just recovery from a self-induced recession and where growth is anaemic and inflation remains in double-digit, especially as the latest National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, showed that inflation rose by 0.22 per cent to 11.24 per cent, higher than 11.02 per cent recorded in August and 11.08 per cent in July 2019.

24

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸͹΁

ZAINAB AHMED

$3bn W’Bank Loan to Solve Nigeria’s Two Critical Power Problems Following the conclusion of the 2019 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, addresses journalists. The federal government team, which includes the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, his deputies and directors as well as a couple of heads of agencies address fiscal and monetary concerns in the economy. Kunle Aderinokun, Obinna Chima, Ndubuisi Francis, Nume Ekeghe and Nosa Alekhuogie present the excerpts

Ahmed

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸͹΁

25

We Restrict FX on Importation to Encourage Investment in the Economy World Bank Loan

:

e have very productive meetings with the World Bank group, the country team on the power sector in Nigeria. The discussion was centred around the power sector recovery program wherein we received an update on the outstanding issues covering sustainable fiscal support, policy as well as regulatory environment.

We also discussed extensively the need for the sector to be more operationally efficient and also the infrastructure investment that would be required to ensure the power sector is restored to full production in a manner that is sustainable.

We identified the imperative of solving two critical problems. One, which is operational efficiency and two, revamping associated infrastructure in the power sector to ensure that the overall success of the intervention in the power sector are achieved We made two set of requests to the bank. The first is technical assistance from the bank to implementing agencies especially the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on the review of the performance improvement plans of the distribution networks and also two, we asked for technical assistance on business continuity regulation as well as to the Ministry of Finance in the assessment of contingent liabilities in the power sector and options of dealing with them And most importantly, we put a request for financing of the sector at the range of $1.5 billion to $4 billion. At the end of the day, it is like we would be looking at the funding size of $3 billion that will be provided in four tranches of $750 million each.

Our plan is that the team will be able to go to the World Bank for the approval of the first tranche in April 2020.

Power Sector The $3 billion that we are trying to raise from the World Bank is for financing the power sector. This financing will include right now, the gap between what is provided for in the current tariff and the cost of the businesses themselves so there is a tariff shortfall but it would also enhance our ability to pay the previous obligations that have crystalised that we have not yet been able to pay. Some portion of it will be for the transmission network and if we are able to expand the facility to $4 billion, the additional $1 billion is for the distribution network. It will help us to exit the subsidy that is now inherent in the power sector. It is supposed to be to reform the sector, to restore the distribution business side of the sector especially on a stronger footing so that they are freed up enough to go out and raise financing to invest in expanding the distribution network.

Jollof Bond We held a number of bilateral meetings. One of the bilateral meetings was with the United Kingdom minister of state for international development. We also participated in the. UK investment summit to explore further areas of corporation. I am happy to announce the willingness of the UK authorities to support our infrastructure financing through the possible issuance of jollof bonds. Already a working committee is being set up to interface with Nigeria on this possible naira denominated bond. The CBN will be leading in this efforts we will also explore all options in this regard at the next UK investment summit that will be holding in January 2020.

We also had a discussion with the UK on the secretary, the Island of Jersey. We met with the representative of the Island of Jersey, we explored areas of mutual cooperation even the possibility of signing an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation as well as asset repatriation.

Other bilateral meetings we have included meeting with Japan international Corporation (JICA) agency as well as with Dutch Bank on

New IMF Managing Director, Dr Kristalina Georgieva, flanked by Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed(left), and the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, after one of the IMFC meetings at the 2019 annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank

existing areas of corporation on how we can attract additional investment into Nigeria.

The jollof bond, some countries call their own sala bonds. Essentially these are bonds that are issued offshore but denominated in the local currency and the importance of such a bond is that it protects the country, the issuer from exchange rate exposure. We are contemplating such a bond. There has been proposals made to us not just by the UK government but also by Deutsche Bank and today also by the World. Bank. Looking at that as another instrument to raise financing for the national budget. In the past we have issued euro bond which have done well but we are considering this option because it could be cheap and even if it is not, it will be more cost effective because we are protected from exchange rate differential risk.

Border Closure In a manner of speaking, IMF supports the border closure that we’ve done because they understand that the closure wasn’t meant to be vindictive. It was meant to be for us to restore our relationship with our neighbours prior to the commitments that we made.

Let me give you an example, the commit-

ments that we have within these countries is that goods can come through your ports to Nigeria, but when they come, they are supposed to come in sealed containers escorted to Nigeria for the Nigerian Customs to open them for inspection as well as charges. But that is not what is happening; they allowed containers to be opened and they also allowed goods to be smuggled beyond the formal borders through several illegal borders. But now that we have commit to the African Continental Free TradeAgreement (AfCFTA), we have to ensure that rules are obeyed otherwise local industries will be greatly affected.

Businesses have been suffering due to the activities of smugglers but with the more opening up following our commitment to the AfCFTA, this will get worse unless we make sure now that everybody comes back to obey the rules as agreed.

The border closure is not permanent and there are lots of discussions going on at the technical level and at some point, it will be at the level of Presidents and then real commitments will be made and hopefully, everybody will comply to own side of the agreement.

There will be an economic impact on the

side of our neigbours due to the border closure.

This is something that the President (Buhari) has avoided from 2015. There were several engagements to try to get them to improve but things were getting worse. So, it was just a measure that had to be taken.

GODWIN EMEFIELE

Health of Banks The strategic health of the Nigerian banking sector remains very strong. The central bank has as a matter of policy since 2015 tried to avoid being sensational about stress-testing.

Stress-testing has become part of our normal routine, in trying to check the strategic health of all the banks in the industry. So, what you would is that is that from time to time, maybe one bank failed one ratio or the other and we advise that the bank should improve on the ratio – whether it is capital adequacy ratio, liquidity ratio, or other forms of ratios that have been prescribed to the banking industry.

So, the fact that you read that seven banks failed stress test does not mean that those banks are weak, what we are saying is that there areas that they are weak, we try to make sure they address them. If for instance, they

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26

Border Closure was Necessary, but Not Permanent

A cross-section of the IMF Financial Committee

fail capital adequacy ratio, we counsel them about how to resolve it. So, it has nothing to do with the weakness of any bank that would lead to any panic or systemic crisis in the industry.

USSD About five months ago, you are aware that there is a drive for us to deepen financial inclusion in Nigeria. I had made my commitments to Bill Gates Foundation as well Queen Maxima that we would deepen financial inclusion that by 2020, the rate of financial inclusion would have accelerated to about 80 percent. At this time, we are close to about 65 percent which we moved from about 42 percent to 65 percent in about 18 months and we believe that we can achieve this 80 percent if everybody that is the bank and telecoms company corporate with us.

About five months ago, I held a meeting with some telecoms companies and leading banks in Nigeria at the CBN in Lagos and the issue of the cost of USSD came up. I hear it is N1500 per minute and at that time, we came to a conclusion that the use of USSD is a sunk cost, meaning that it is not an additional cost on the infrastructure of the telecoms companies.

But the telecoms companies disagreed with us and said it was an additional investment in infrastructure and that for that reason, they needed to impose it. I appealed to them to please review this downwards and they refused.

I understand that about 3 to 4 weeks ago, rather than reduce it, they went ahead to increase from N1500 to N4500 that is a 300 percent increase. I opposed it and I have told the banks that we would not allow this to happen. The banks are the people who give these businesses to the telecoms companies and I leave the banks and the telecoms companies to engage. And I have told the banks that they have to move their business and move their traffic to a telecoms company that is ready to provide it at the lowest possible and if not at zero cost and there is where we stand and we must achieve it.

FX Restriction He said that CBN restriction of FX on things that can be produced locally, I say that is false. If you feel that we are restricting access to foreign exchange, for the importation of items that can be produced in Nigeria.

If you are a foreign direct investor that is interested in doing business in Nigeria I will

say instead of you facilitating the import of these items into Nigeria, we want you to come and produce it in Nigeria.

Nigeria is a market of over 200 million people, so you do not have a choice than to come, bring your investment plans and equipment, come and produce that item in Nigeria so that Nigerians can consume it, you will make your profit and take your dividend out of the country.

So, I disagree with that position.

Loan to Deposit Ratio It is clear to everybody that access to credit is something that has to be tackled and the central bank and the bankers committee has used various means, moral suasion, begging, cajoling to get the banks to really do more in the area of access to credit but the penultimate monetary policy committee reviewed the average LDR in the industry and came up with the conclusion that the LDR has been at best flat. In most case, the ratios were dropping so at the July meeting where the average industry LDR was found to be 57 per cent, we had to impose a three per cent increase from 57 to 60 per cent. And luckily the banks have done marvelous work trying to embrace this. Most of them have actually worked with us and we saw loans rising from about N15.3 trillion in the banking

industry in July to, as at the last time we held the meeting to about N16.3 trillion which is a remarkable and phenomenal increase and these loans are being channeled not only to agric, to manufacturing to SMEs, to consumer credit. And the fact that we are saying that the banks should place more emphasis on the private sector rather than just buying securities which is zero risk instruments and the rest of them. We are happy that they are complying and it is such that moving it from 60 to 65 is another push towards making sure that we achieve this objective. We have been talking about the GDP rate being about 2 per cent or 1.9 per cent, but we think that doing this makes it easy for the people to raise loans from banks which will help to spur consumer demand, will help to spur manufacturing output, which will itself positively impact on output and GDP. And that is the reason we are calling on everybody, the banks to participate and am sure that all of you here know that the banks are living up to expectation. And all we can do is to thank them for doing what we expect them to do so as to continue to encourage them to do what we expect them to do.

Trade Tension and Border Closure Just as the minister said, it really doesn’t have any relationship, Nigeria is a country

If you are a foreign direct investor that is interested in doing business in Nigeria I will say instead of you facilitating the import of these items into Nigeria, we want you to come and produce it in Nigeria. Nigeria is a market of over 200 million people, so you do not have a choice than to come, bring your investment plans and equipment, come and produce that item in Nigeria so that Nigerians can consume it, you will make your profit and take your dividend out of the country

that has its own policy, and we have a responsibility to put in place policies that will help growth in our country, policies that will help grow our own agricultural and manufacturing sector and to that extent we have heard since 2015, Mr. President saying that there is a need for us to eat what we grow and grow what we eat. Nigeria cannot allow a situation where while the president of Nigeria says we must grow what we eat or produce what we eat that then another country allows this same policy to be undermined because they allowed the smuggling of this same goods that Mr. President said we should produce, they allowed these products to be smuggled through their borders into Nigeria and I repeat since 2015 the president and government of Nigeria has been engaging this countries about the need for them to control the influx of some of these smuggled goods into Nigeria but I can tell you nothing happened. Two weeks to the closure of the border, I was called by rice millers, not less than five rice milers were complaining that each of them had nothing less than 30, 000 metric tonnes of milled rice in their ware houses that they couldn’t sell as a result of smuggling. I was called by some of the poultry farmers that we were also financing through our intervention that they couldn’t sell their eggs and poultry item s. a week after border closure, the rice millers called back to say, government thank you very much, we don’t know what happened, we don’t know if it was you that spoke to the president, with this border closure, we have exhausted all our rice in our warehouses, people are coming There is need and by making sure that Nigeria produced rice is purchased, it also means that we are creating jobs for the mills, for workers in the mills, for rice farmers. By closing the border, where our poultry items are now being purchased, it means we are creating jobs for poultry farmers and those that are into the poultry business. That is the only way we can create jobs for our people and see to the emancipation of our country.

The honourable minister said its temporary but I would not disagree that it is, I would caution and appeal that before it is open, some firm decisions and agreement must be reached where protocols must be obeyed, when we say we want this to stop, other countries must respect what we want because it is also meant for the growth and the good for our country.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 27, 2019 • T H I S D AY

27

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÍżËœ ͺ͸͚Î

28

50'$8 &41%(2 FG͛s Debt Pro le S ll Gro ing Amid Weak Revenues FG͛s Debt Pro le S ll Gro ing Amid Weak Revenues

This week, we analyse Nigeria͛s debt pro le as at H1:2019 from FY:2018 levels based on recently published data by the Debt Management O ce (DMO). The report showed that total public debt rose 5.4% to N25.7tn (US$83.9bn) in H1:2019 from N24.4trn (US$79.4bn) as at FY:2018 following the 6.2% increase in FG͛s borrowings to N20.4tn. The FG͛s domes c debt increased 5.0% to N13.4tn, driven by a 3.8% growth in FGN bonds to N9.7tn and the increase in promissory notes by 113.6% to N707.8bn.

The sharp uptrend in promissory notes is expected to con nue as the Federal Execuve Council (FEC) approved an issuance programme of N3.4tn to se le accumulated arrears. On the other hand, the FG͛s external debt rose 8.6% to N7.0tn, re ec ng increased mul lateral nancing. The FG plans to access more mul lateral borrowings going forward, with a US$3.0bn loan for the power sector currently in the pipeline. The FG has not returned to the Eurobond market since the issuance of US$2.9bn in November 2018. The total debt for sub na onals increased by N123.7bn to N5.3tn (US$17.2bn) between FY:2018 and H1:2019.

We note that this data captured the debt pro le of only 31 states as at une 30, 2019.

FG͛s Debt Strategy Delivers Gains The FG͛s strategy to diversify its debt mix by

increasing the share of foreign debt to 40.0% of total debt in order to reduce debt servicing cost seems to be gradually paying o . The FG͛s total debt service moderated 8.0% Y o Y to N1.0tn as at H1:2019, against the increases observed in prior years. This was driven by lower domes c debt service which declined 15.0% Y o Y to N800.1bn. As expected, external debt service surged 42.5% Y o Y to N186.5bn given the increased holdings of commercial external debt of late. However, the FG͛s debt mix is s ll short of target as external debt as a share of total debt marginally rose to 34.3% in H1:2019 from 33.6% as at FY:2018. To achieve the target mix, we expect sustained external loans to nance the FG͛s budget de cit. This is even now more a rac ve due to lower yields in the Eurobonds market following sustained monetary easing by central banks in advanced economies. The downside risks to the FG͛s debt strategy, which are higher interest rates globally and a sharp currency devalua on locally, are moderate in the short term.

Debt Sustainability Concerns Remain The public debt to GDP ra o was 19.2% while FG͛s debt to GDP ra o was 14.5% as at H1:2019, below the recommended threshold of 55.0% by the IMF/World Bank. While these ra os are reasonable, we have adopted debt servicing to revenue as a be er measure of debt sustainability given FG͛s revenue challenges. In this regard, the FG͛s debt servicing cost was N986.6bn in H1:2019 according to DMO, which is elevated at 48.3% of actual revenue collected during the period but lower

than the 54.1% for FY:2018. However, considering that debt service as at H1:2019 is only 43.8% of budgeted debt service, the ra o could worsen by FY:2019.

With the expected signi cant increase in FG͛s personnel costs, following the agreement between FG and labour unions on salary adjustments, we expected higher budget de cits and in turn increased debt service costs going forward.

Global Equi es Market: Another Round of Easing Imminent Amid Global Gro th Concerns

Trade talks between the US and China con nue today, with hopes of a par al deal following the de escala on of tensions during nego a ons on 11th October 2019. For the US, the kno y issues are the enforcement of intellectual property rights and the export of farm products to China. In return, the US is expected to cancel planned and exis ng tari s on Chinese goods.

Meanwhile, in the Euro one, the European Central Bank (ECB) le its policy rate unchanged at 0.5% on Thursday, with quan tave easing worth â‚Ź20.0bn (US$22.3bn) monthly expected to start on November 1, 2019. In the coming week, the major focus is on the US Fed and other central banksÍ› monetary policy mee ngs, with expecta on of further easing due to weaker economic growth projec ons by the IMF in October 2019.

There was a sustained bullish performance in the developed markets under our coverage this

week. In the US, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ indices gained 1.1% and 1.6% W o W respecvely following the release of corporate results and op mism about the upcoming trade talks.

In Europe, France͛s CAC 40 and Germany͛s XET A DAX indices gained 1.3% and 1.9% W o W respec vely while U ͛s FTSE All Share rose 1.6% W o W. Similarly, apan͛s Nikkei 225 appreciated 1.4% W o W. Meanwhile, Hong ong͛s Hang Seng index lost 0.2% W o W despite the formal withdrawal of the controversial extradi on bill that had led to protests and disrupted economic ac vi es.

In the B ICS market, there was a bullish performance as 3 of 5 indices gained W o W. ussia͛s TS index gained the most, up 4.5% W o W, driven by the prospect for economic partnership with Africa. Bra il͛s Ibovespa and China͛s Shanghai Composite indices also advanced 2.5% and 0.6% W o W respec vely following upcoming trade talks. Conversely, India͛s BSE Sens and South Africa͛s FTSE/ SE All Share indices dipped 0.6% and 1.1% W o W respec vely as weak corporate earnings a ected investors͛ appe te.

The African markets tracked recorded a bullish performance W o W with Nigeria s ASI index being the lone loser, down 0.4% W o W. Ghana͛s GSE Composite index gained the most, up 1.4% W o W while enya͛s NSE 20 index advanced 1.2% W o W. Also, Morocco͛s Casablanca MASI and Mauri us SEMDEX indices rose 0.6% and 0.3% W o W respec vely. Finally, Egypt͛s EGX 30 index closed at.

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29

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͺͿË&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î

Across the Asian and Middle East markets under our coverage, performance was mildly bearish as three indices lost W o W. TurkeyÍ&#x203A;s BIST 100 index led the decliners, down 1.9% W o W despite the cease re agreement with Syria and a rate cut. Similarly, Saudi ArabiaÍ&#x203A;s Tadawul ASI and UAEÍ&#x203A;s ADX General indices declined 3.5% and 1.4% W o W respec vely.

Meanwhile, ThailandÍ&#x203A;s SET and QatarÍ&#x203A;s DSM 220 indices advanced 2.4% and 0.5% W o W respec vely.

Domes c Equi es Market: And the Bears Have ItÍ&#x2122; ASI Sheds 38bps W o W

Following losses in MTNN ( 0.8%), ZENITH ( 2.6%) and GUINNESS ( 18.7%), the NSE ASI declined 0.4% W o W to 26,348.73 points while YTD return worsened to 16.2%. As a result, market capitalisa on fell N48.6bn to N12.8tn. Ac vity level rose as average volume and value increased by 84.7% and 22.3% to 331.3m units and N3.2bn respec vely.

ZENITH (420.2m units), GUARANTY (71.1m units) and TRANSCORP (70.0m units) were the most traded stocks by volume while ZENITH (N7.3bn), GUARANTY (N1.9bn) and NESTLE (N1.2bn) led by value.

The week opened on a bearish note as sell o s in DANGCEM ( 0.7%), ZENITH ( 1.4%) and ACCESS ( 0.7%) dragged the benchmark index 22 bps lower. Similarly, the market lost on all other trading days except on Wednesday when gains in DANGCEM ( 1.6%), UBA ( 2.6%) and FBNH ( 1.9%) moved the benchmark index upward by 12bps.

Performance across sectors was bearish as all indices under our coverage trended southward W o W. The Insurance and Industrial Goods indices declined the most, down 1.5% each due to price deprecia on in NEM ( 13.0%) and CUSTODIAN ( 12.1%) as well as CCNN ( 5.4%) and WAPCO ( 3.0%). The Consumer Goods and Banking indices followed suit, shedding 0.6% and 0.4% W o W respecvely on the back of sell pressures in HONYFLOUR ( 4.0%), DANGFLOUR ( 3.3%), FCMB ( 6.0%) and ZENITH ( 2.6%). In the same vein, the AF ICT index ( 0.4%) and Oil & Gas indices ( 0.3%) declined as ETERNA ( 9.5%), OANDO ( 2.9%) and MTNN ( 0.8%) recorded losses.

Investor sen ment weakened as market breadth (advance/decline ra o) decreased to 0.6x from 0.8x because 17 stocks gained against 30 that lost. CORNERSTONE ( 18.8%), TRANSEXP ( 9.1%) and STERLING ( 7.8%) led the best performing stocks while GUINNESS ( 18.7%), NEM ( 13.0%) and CUSTODIAN ( 12.1%) led losers. We expect the bearish momentum to con nue as investors connue to shun bargain hun ng opportuni es in the absence of much needed structural reforms.

Foreign Exchange Market: Naira Remains Rela vely Stable Across Board

The CBN sustained its interven ons in the FX market this week, o ering a total of US$210.0m at the various segments to maintain stability in the value of the naira. The apex bank sold US$100.0m to the Secondary Market Interven on Sales (SMIS) Wholesale window and US$55.0m each to both the Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) and the etail (Invisibles) segments. Accordingly, the external reserves con nued its

recent decline, down 0.7% (US$281.4m) to US$40.8bn from US$41.0bn last week. The prospect for accre on in reserves remains dim due to weak oil prices and Foreign Por olio Investment (FPI) in ows.

The naira traded at similar levels all through the week. The CBN Spot rate opened the week at N360.90/US$1.00 but closed the week at N360.95/US$1.00, deprecia ng 5kobo W o W from N306.90/US$1.00 last week. The naira remained at at the parallel market, trading at N360.00/US$1.00 throughout the week. At the InvestorsÍ&#x203A; Î&#x2DC; ExportersÍ&#x203A; (I&E) FX Window, the NAFEX rate opened the week at N362.02/ US$1.00 and closed at N362.11/US$1.00 on Friday, apprecia ng 10kobo W o W from N362.21/US$1.00. Ac vity level in the I&E Window waned as total turnover declined 18.0% W o W to US$767.6m.

At the FMDQ Securi es Exchange (SE) FX Futures Contract Market, the total value of open contracts of the Naira se led at US$10.6bn, up US$59.1m (1.1%) from US$10.5bn in the prior week. The OCT 2020 instrument (contract price: N365.50) received the most buying interest in the week with addi onal subscrip on of US$24.6m which took total value to US$54.7m.

On the other hand, the NOV 2019 instrument (contract price: N362.40) was the least subscribed, with an addi onal subscrip on of US$0.8m for a total value of US$1.5bn. In the coming week, we expect rates to trade within similar levels across the various FX segments as the CBN sustains its interven on.

Money Market: Bullish Performance Halted in the Secondary Market

Despite an OMO auc on on Monday, OBB and OVN rates opened at 7.2% and 7.8%, below previous weekÍ&#x203A;s close of 11.4% and 12.4% respec vely. This was sustained as OBB and OVN rates trended lower to 4.1% and 4.8% respecvely on Thursday, following OMO maturi es which increased system liquidity to N788.9bn.

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By the close of the week, OBB and OVN rates se led at 6.0% and 6.9% respec vely as system liquidity rose further to N1.4tn.

The apex bank held an OMO auc on on Monday to keep system liquidity in check given huge maturi es, o ering N100.0bn across three instruments (94 day: N10.0bn; 189 day: N30.0bn; 364 day: N60.0bn) and selling N270.3bn. The short and long term instruments recorded oversubscrip on rates of 2.0x and 4.5x respec vely while the medium term instrument was undersubscribed at 0.3x. Despite the oversubscrip on at the short end, there was no sale while the medium and long term instruments saw sales of N2.7bn and N267.7bn respec vely at stop rates of 11.8% and 13.4%.

The CBN also conducted an OMO auc on of N350.0bn (105day: N30.0bn; 189 day: N70.0bn; 364 day: N250.0bn) on Thursday to contain the extra liquidity from maturing instruments. The short and medium dated instruments were grossly undersubscribed at 0.1x and 0.4x respec vely while the long dated instrument was oversubscribed at 1.4x. The stop rates for the OMO auc on were 11.6%, 11.8% and 13.3% for the short, medium and long dated instruments respec vely. Both the 94 day and 189 day instruments had sales equal to their respec ve subscrip ons at N5.5bn and N30.7bn respec vely while N284.5bn was sold against the N347.7bn subscrip on for the 364 day instrument.

In the secondary market, there was a bearish performance as average yield across tenors rose W o W by 3bps to 12.2%. The 91 day, 182 day and 364 day instruments traded at 11.9%, 11.81% and 13.03% (previous week: 11.50%, 11.53% and 12.60%) respec vely. We expect the CBN to con nue to keep rates in check through regular auc ons especially as a result of maturing OMO instruments worth N358.9bn next week.

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Bond Market: Bullish Momentum Resurfaces on the Back of Elevated System Liquidity

The Debt Management O ce (DMO) held its October bond auc on on Wednesday and reopened the 5 year, 10 year and 30 year instruments. The auc on recorded oversubscrip on across tenors with a subscrip on of N256.0bn compared to the o er of N150.0bn (N50.0bn each for the three instruments), with bid to cover ra os at 1.3x, 2.4x and 1.5x respec vely for the 5 year, 10 year and 30 year instruments. Average marginal rates declined 19bps at the auc on due to high demand as the 5 year, 10 year and 30 year instruments were sold at marginal rates of 14.1%, 14.2% and 14.6% respec vely against previous aucon rates of 14.4%, 14.4% and 14.6%.

In the domes c bonds market, bullish sen ments took center stage as average yield declined 66bps to 14.0% W o W. The market recorded bullish performance on 4 of the 5 trading days; Monday ( 37bps), Tuesday ( 19bps), Thursday ( 3bps) and Friday ( 7bps), although there was a bearish ou ng on Wednesday ( 2bps). Across the term structure, the short dated instruments enjoyed the most buying interest as yields declined 512bps due to the maturing FGN 7.0% 23 OCT 2019 instrument while yields on the medium and long term instruments fell 29bps and 9bps respec vely.

At the SSA Eurobonds market, the narra ve remains unchanged across all instruments, save the ambian 2027 instrument which recorded a 2bps rise in yield. As we have recorded in the previous weeks, the ambian 2024 and 2022 instruments received a strong buying interest with yields shedding 193bps and 181bps respec vely. Similarly, the Ghanaian and Nigerian 2049 instruments trailed with 86bps and 82bps decline in yields respec vely.

For the corporate Eurobonds instruments that we track, the bullish momentum persisted as yields on all instruments declined W o W except the South African Sibanye Gold 2023 instrument which recorded a 33bps increase in yield. The Mauri us Bayport Management 2022 and Nigerian Seplat 2023 instruments enjoyed the most buying interest as yields shed 88bps and 72bps W o W respec vely. In the domes c market, we expect the restric on of local corporates (including non bank nancial ins tu ons) and individuals from par cipa ng in OMO auc ons to shi investorsÍ&#x203A; focus towards bonds. In the Eurobonds market, we expect foreign investors to remain a racted to high yielding assets in emerging and fron er markets as global growth projec ons remain underwhelming.

30

Ë&#x153; Ëž OCTOBER 27, 2019

MARKET NEWS

NSE Moves to Deepen Millennialsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Participation in Capital Market Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has stepped up efforts to increase the participation of millennials in the capital market through the introduction of Hackathon designed to encourage tech enthusiasts to develop innovative fintech solutions for

the market.

Unveiling the winners of its X-Kathon, which is the NSEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Hackathon, the exchange said it received over 100 applications from which the top 10 teams were selected.

According to the NSE, Team Requid emerged the overall winner of the competition and

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sharesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the

went home with the grand prize N5 million while Teams Trove and Investors Masterclass were first and second runners up, winning the sum of N3 million and N2 million respectively.

Commenting, Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The exchange is fully aware of the tectonic shifts in the global

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 24Oct-2019, unless otherwise stated.

business environment occasioned by the 4th Industrial Revolution and how smart, nimble tech start-ups have become global economic catalysts. We are poised to actively engage the massive potential of creative enterprise in our nation and provide a template for corporate venture capitalism that is much needed

in our business environment.

A cursory look at the entries received for the X-Kathon has revealed that our young people are blessed with amazing ideas and entrepreneurial hacks that can positively shape the Nigerian business clime.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Hackathon would be climaxed by the deployment

of the solutions hashed from it over the next couple of months to drive our retail participation agenda. Working closely with our Enterprise Innovation Hub, we will on-board these ventures into our world class incubation and acceleration programs and groom them for local success and global relevanceâ&#x20AC;?, added Onyema.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.88 0.88 4.37% ACAP Income Funds 0.76 0.76 33.38% 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 12.40% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.39 2.43 7.94% 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 14.08 14.50 -15.16% ARM Discovery Fund 327.52 337.39 -8.17% ARM Ethical Fund 28.07 28.91 -0.62% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.98% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.88 1.88 11.36% 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 0.13 0.11 12.63% Paramount Equity Fund 12.01 12.11 1.69% Women's Investment Fund 107.33 108.06 3.67% 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 11.88% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 94.02 94.66 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 94.36 95.20 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 11.42% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.84 0.85 -1.33% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.26 1.26 12.18% 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 11.97% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 11.94% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,121.32 1,129.14 12.84% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,195.17 1,195.92 12.52% FBN BALANCED FUND 138.62 139.50 -2.91% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.30% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 118.06 118.30 8.53% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 118.60 118.84 9.27% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 119.92 121.52 -20.05% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.79% Legacy Debt Fund 3.57 3.57 10.19% Legacy Equity Fund 1.02 1.04 -16.07% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.07 1.07 4.16% 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 2,972.44 3,002.18 -0.40% Coral Income Fund 3,037.88 3,037.88 10.85% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 12.58% 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 10.79% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 111.69 112.04 3.90% 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 10.00 10.00 11.64%

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 12.07% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.14 2.16 -0.79% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.51% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 139.20 139.33 11.39% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ďŹ ncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.16 1.18 5.24% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,101.96 1,101.96 10.70% 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 9.47 9.56 -11.12% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.15% 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 1.29 1.31 4.58% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.12 12.16 8.30% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.16% PACAM Equity Fund 1.00 1.01 PACAM EuroBond Fund 101.40 103.34 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 122.96 123.63 1.89% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 11.24% 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 2,361.81 2,372.76 2.00% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 207.16 207.16 11.32% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.82 0.83 -13.16% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 269.35 269.45 11.01% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 143.70 145.24 -11.94% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.06% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,369.45 7,448.47 -13.24% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.15 1.15 6.03% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 101.12 101.12 0.00% 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 1.15 1.16 -0.90% United Capital Bond Fund 1.69 1.69 15.18% United Capital Equity Fund 0.66 0.68 -7.41% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.75% United Capital Eurobond Fund 110.54 110.54 8.44% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.05 1.05 4.97% 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 9.70 9.84 -14.05% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.19 11.37 -10.53% Zenith Income Fund 22.49 22.49 11.28% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.32%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 117.75 53.38

-44.85% 5.96% 3.17%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

7.99 82.89 67.10

8.09 84.69 68.37

-19.41% -26.55% -21.67%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.13 5.07 11.34 10.37 150.91

3.17 5.15 11.44 10.57 152.91

-21.70% -33.34% -22.24% -15.98% 14.09%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.40

17.40%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website and FMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

27.10.2019

Nimah Yusuf-Ali How I Transformed Brain, Beauty into Successful Business ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

32

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ Ͱ͵˜ Ͱͮͯͷ

COVER I believe taking care of our health and wellness is paramount for lifetime longevity. Failure to look after both of the above will result in undesirable issues in the future. That said, I’m always interested in keeping healthy, fit and well,” she explains, adding, “this interest peaked around 2010 and since then it’s been taken much more seriously

Yusuf-Ali

NimahYusuf-Ali

Nigeria’s Modest Adventurer, Entrepreneur You’ll be forgiven not to give a second look at her. If you did, you would see beyond her modest and often religious attire: a young revolutionary mind with an enchanting spirit. She seeks the inner peace that transcends the outward excitement. If you looked closer, you would see the tranquility, understated beauty of her persona. Adventurous and gregarious, she took a leap off sitting atop a billion-dollar portfolio at The Infrastructure Bank (TIB) and dived into the world of beauty -the beauty industry. Meet Nimah Yusuf-Ali, the CEO of Le Hammam, an exquisite and exclusive Abuja-based beauty centre.

Funke Olaode writes about why she and her centre stand out

H

er physical appearance understates her intellectual prowess.

You’ll be forgiven not to give a second look at her.

If you did, you would see beyond her modest and often religious attire: a young revolutionary mind with an enchanting spirit. She seeks the inner peace that transcends the outward excitement. If you looked closer, you would see the tranquility, understated beauty of her persona. Adventurous and gregarious, she took a leap off sitting atop a billion-dollar portfolio at The Infrastructure Bank (TIB) and dived into the world of beauty -the beauty industry.

Nimah Yusuf-Ali is the founder/ CEO of Le Hammam, an exclusive female beauty, fitness, and wellness centre, located in the heart of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

But beyond her foray in the beauty industry, those who have been following this amiable mother of one’s entrepreneurial trajectory were not surprised by her unrelenting spirit to redefine what has been in existence and make it look like something out of the ordinary.

From Nigeria to the United

Kingdom and faraway France, Nimah attained many academic heights. But her heart and head wanted something more and a visit to a wellness center reawakened the entrepreneurial talent in her. There was no hesitation.

A well-grounded individual, Nimah is an alumna of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State where she studied Accounting. She holds an MIB (Master in International Business) from Grenoble Graduate School of Business (GGSB) in France and an MBA from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom. She is also an associate of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA), a nonexecutive director at Yusuf Ali Foundation and managing director of Nimahcollections - a fashion outlet based in Abuja.

Over the years she has gained a wealth of experience holding key positions with different organizations in five different sectors in Nigeria. She previously held the position of a business analyst at The Infrastructure Bank (TIB); managed a portfolio of billions of Nigeria aimed at the commercial mass transit sector of the transportation industry; served as an accountant to a Nigeria Inter-Faith Action Aid, managing billions of naira of donor funds. Also, prior to setting up Le Hamman, she worked as an independent consultant to various organisations.

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COVER

Why I’m Running Female-Only Beauty Centre

Nimah with father, Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN

Today, she has channelled her interest where her passion lies through the establishment of Le Hammam.

What could possibly make a chartered accountant to become a beauty therapist?

“Firstly, it’s important to state that the beauty industry is a large and vast one that spans from looks to clothing to skincare to hair and beyond,” she says.

“That said, I had a flair and eye for fashion ever since far back as I remember growing up in the town of Ilorin. I remember I used to pay attention to how well I combined my outfits as far back as a primary school there is a picture of me in a sparkly yellow dress and brown turban in my dad’s office that I love to date.

“However, the practicality of getting involved in the industry started in 2013 with a fashion business idea with main focus on fabric sale both wholesale and retail. Then by the second half of 2015, the idea of a spa arm of my business portfolio started to slowly gain momentum.”

‘Le Hammam’ is literally translated to “the bath”. Hammam is a common beauty service offered in Arabic-speaking countries and it has made its way into Nigeria. It’s logical for Nimah, therefore, to choose a name that easily resonates with the client familiar with the service she offers.

If being an entrepreneur has been a hidden talent, the desire to embrace it wholeheartedly emanated two years ago with her desire to establish a beauty centre during one of her travels.

“I believe taking care of our health and wellness is paramount for lifetime longevity. Failure to look after both

of the above will result in undesirable issues in the future. That said, I’m always interested in keeping healthy, fit and well,” she explains, adding, “this interest peaked around 2010 and since then it’s been taken much more seriously. My discovery of the true art of Hammam (bath) on one of my travels and the particular one I visited was coincidentally a one-stop spa dedicated to women only with a range of different beauty services offered all under one roof. It is a place you can come to in your nightwear and leave red carpet ready.”

According to her, that was the first point of inspiration for the spa business and the eventual move into the industry.

Her interest was driven by the realization that there weren’t many female-only spas around Abuja. While interacting and engaging with many women (especially Muslim women who wear the hijab), she realized that one big challenge they struggled with were conventional unisex hair salons where men could be customers or stylists.

“For an even larger group of women,” she argues “the thought of using unisex spas was unfathomable because they just will not feel at ease. Therefore, it was paramount to create a safe sanctuary for women to enjoy, relax and let their hair down.”

It’s Le Hammam to the rescue; a brand that aims to serve women.

“It’s been a journey of over two years to get us here,” she notes looking back on how Hammam started.

“After returning from the trip mentioned earlier, loads of actions were taken but the first and most important

issue which I tackled was working on the business plan to evaluate the viability of the spa business. Once the decision was made to proceed, there were interesting times hunting for a suitable space to house all the services we offer. Then came tradesmen and contractor issues then sourcing funds and so on.”

There is no doubt the beauty industry is a multimillion-naira business. Although it is becoming an all-comers affair. Nimah assures that her Le Hamman would stand the test of time because of its standard and quality service.

“The beauty industry is an everevolving one, so there are always parts of the industry that can be carved out as a niche until others catch up. That said, there are a couple of things I have lined up to do different and I will share with you two. These are customer service and quality service. If you notice both have got the word service in them and are similar because Le Hammam is a model that is heavily based on service provision.”

Reeling out the services in its signature treatments, she said the multimillion-naira beauty haven has what it takes to make its customers feel at home. Le Hammam is all-encompassing.

Nimah adds, “We offer classic treatments that are exclusive to us. Our Queen Sheeba Hammam has all shades of royalty about it. This can be combined with any facial and massage of your choice to fully enjoy the full Le Hammam experience. Facial machine, aesthetic room, swimming pool, café, unisex boutique, massage room, steam room, Sauna room, relaxation room, cosmetic

whitening machine, laser machine, etc.

And given today’s hectic lifestyle where one is always stressed – our specific services and therapies range of services and treatments are essentially tailored to rejuvenate the body.

“We have packages that have been carefully selected which all combine Hammam treatment with a mud wrap, facials, and Swedish massage. All three in a package are put together to experience the ultimate rejuvenation experience.”

As a new entrant into the industry, Hammam offers a range of specialized facial treatments with the state-ofthe-art facial machine, as well as laser treatment machine to deliver treatments such as microdermabrasion, warts removal, anti-aging facial, brightening facial, acne facial, laser hair removal, spot removal, skin tightening, cosmetic teeth whitening and loads more.

Nimah can be described as a chip off the old block -that’s her father, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN). He’s no doubt one of Nigeria’s most successful, brilliant and respected lawyers.

Despite her string of degrees acquired both home and abroad, going into beauty business according to Nimah was welcomed by his father with open arms.

“I truly wish everyone has a supportive father and family as I have been fortunate enough to have with mine,” Nimah admits.

She says further, “My father, Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN, is a father who is one in a million. He champions my siblings and myself ‘s decisions and at points where he has observations or concerns, he seats with us collectively or individually to talk them through so it is a nice democratic system we run. Most importantly, he used to say, ‘it is your life and decision’ so that when any of us look back, we know no one forced us into anything and that includes marriage.

“So he wasn’t shocked especially when I started the fashion portfolio of my business. At the time I was working and after I had explained my plan to him, he was puzzled on how I was going to finance and manage an investment advisory job that demanded 8 am to whatever time of the night closing hours as well as working almost every day of the week as the need arises.

“After explaining in more detail the fashion business model to him, he was supportive onwards. So by the time the beauty business portfolio idea was been formed, he was in full cheerleader mode (he even went space hunting with me several times).”

In a way, Nimah couldn’t deny his father’s attributes rubbing off on her. Ali is hard-working, focused and thorough.

Nimah shares what it was like living with him, saying, “I grew up seeing him work every day of the week, from morning to evening without expecting anyone to pick up his responsibilities.

He has always excelled in his work and everything he set his mind to. He came from a humble background in a then small town of Ifetedo, Osun State in South-west Nigeria to become one of the respected lawyers in the legal profession today and worked his way painstakingly to the highest rank as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

“This process of growth mimics my humble story growing up in the city of Ilorin, working for some years with other organizations before setting off to be self-employed and aiming to make a difference in the different sectors that I’m operating in now as well as those to be operated in the future. So witnessing all of those growing up and to date has helped shaped my business mind, attitude to work and general outlook as an adult.”

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PERSONALITY

Dr. Bertha Ekeh

Amazing Life of Nigerian Academic Who Launched Five Books In One Day Her career was literally cut out for her by parents who were teachers. But Dr. Bertha Ekeh, a consultant neurologist at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, (UUTH), has since stepped out of the shadow of her parents. The astute scholar upped her ante recently when she launched five books in one day. Funke Olaode explores her life and mission

S

he is an amazon who has made the womenfolk proud first as an academic and now as an author of high repute, launching five books on Amazon in one day as she gradually grabs the attention of the world.

Dr. Bertha Ekeh, a consultant neurologist with a strong passion for teaching at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, (UUTH) Uyo, Akwa Ibom State’s trajectory didn’t start today. It was a foundation first nurtured at the Federal Government Girls’ College, Owerri, Imo State where she shone brilliantly graduating with six alphas, got admitted into the university with 323 scores out of 400 in the exams set by the Joint Admissions Board Matriculations.

She was later admitted to study medicine and surgery with special emphasis on neurology. It was not surprising when she was recently celebrated during the launch of her ‘Five Neurological books on Amazon.com that is read all over the world. Her works are distributed through academics, institutions, and libraries all over the world.

She said, “There is no way I could dream of anything this large, It could only be God.” Though grew up under the shadow of parents who were pupil teachers, the Imo native has since surpassed her late parents in both academic and attainment as she set out to conquer the world. Reverencing her late parents who gave her a good footing in life, Ekeh said the height she has attained today is a combination of education, discipline, and upbringing.

“My parents were teachers in the days when teachers were respected, disciplined.

They were not wealthy but were prepared to provide the basic necessities of life which include a good education, disciplined.

Therefore, I consider my background the reason I am who I am today.”

Just like a soothsayer who sees tomorrow, Ekeh’s secondary mates had earlier predicted her career path by calling her “My teacher” because of her intellectual prowess. So she wanted to be a teacher.

Then her teacher in FCCG Owerri saw an intellectual in Ekeh beyond the four wall of the classroom and suggested medicine. Just like the Twist of Fate, the small box aid in the corner of her father’s room became an inspiration into medicine.

“It might surprise you to know that I didn’t want to study medicine. As a child,

my family had a First Aid Box and my mother allowed me to administer the drugs from the box. I actually wanted to be a mathematics teacher, which is my passion.

I was supposedly good according to my classmates. My classmates call me ‘My Teacher’.

“So all I wanted to be in life was to be a Mathematics teacher. But my secondary school teachers in Federal Government Girl’s College (FGGC) Owerri, thought otherwise, they felt I had what it takes to study medicine. That was the days when such courses were reserved for brilliant student.

My teacher said to me, do not go and study a single honour course, go for medicine. It wasn’t just about me, this female teacher encouraged those who were goodin science subjects to into such courses. With that most of us in science class studied medicine, engineering, and pharmacy,” she recalls.

How does she feel becoming a doctor today? With a tone of contentment, she said it is fulfilling. “Well, mine is a noble profession and when I got into it especially being a Christian, I consider it a calling and so I strive to do my best. Being a Doctor has promoted me, but I look at myself more as a teacher.”

Ekeh recently launched five books on neurology published by Amazon.com.

Throwing more light on what it entails, she said everything revolves her field of practice and the fear she once experienced as an undergraduate.

“I am a consultant Neurologist. That is the study of brain diseases and it was discovered to be a very difficult and complex part of Medicine. All over the world, Medical students and Doctors find Neurology challenging, daunting and difficult. I did too as a medical student. As a medical student at the University of Port-Harcourt, on a certain day I expressed fear about neurology and one of my very senior colleagues who is now a Professor of paediatrics, Professor Nwadiuto Akani, looked at me and said, you are afraid of Neurology; I said yes; she said I used to be afraid too. That degree of honesty was unprecedented. So I asked her what she did, she said she took her time to study it.”

Speaking further on how she overcame her fears, the neurologist explained: “I went, sat down and started reading Neurology, by the end of that weekend, I was teaching my mates Neurology. When it comes to teaching, I have a special gift from God. I teach my classmates, siblings, friends, my seniors, and juniors, then my students.

Ekeh

“Surprisingly, it was not my idea to write books. When I was a senior registrar at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), residents in psychiatry also do resident in neurology for three months.

On one occasion, one of my colleagues Dr. Kingsley Mayowa Okunoda, now a consultant psychiatrist at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), came for the three months posting and observed how I was teaching. He encouraged me to write for others to understand.

“I started writing with just one-point agenda to make it easy until another colleague of mine, now a consultant nephrologist Dr. Udeme Ekrikpo who was the first person to catch a glimpse of what I was writing screamed with joy and gave me the needed confidence that boosted my morale.

“I had a setback I when I lost my laptop but Sometime in late 2017, another friend of mine who lives in the US, Dr. Ibiene Osuemeni gave me a link and told me, ‘These people published my books which were more of Christian novels.’ I was able to click and got into the link, but then my works were too large. I said, let me just cut off the first part which was the evaluation of a person with brain disease, but because I want to make it easy, I called it ‘Clinical Neurology Made Easy’.

“When that first one came out, I wondered how to break the remaining work. I needed to simplify it out to write on how to know this is the brain, spinal cord, or just the nerves and the muscles?

Or what we call the cerebellum, the part of the brain in charge of balance. People usually do a lot of confusion and I needed to treat that out. Because of this, I wrote the ‘Fundamental of Neurological Diagnosis’, the first part, I wrote ‘Basic Anatomy of the Brain’. Just a simplified version, the second

part was the localization of seizure.

“I wrote mine in 100 pages because I needed to explain all big words. The third part was how to conduct an investigation, test for brain diseases which are very expensive. That is where CT scan, MRI is needed, etc. The Fundamental Neurological Diagnosis helped me to address the area of the brain involved. The third one, I started it as a Lecture Note in Neurology, I thought I could write a simple concise notebook in neurology, but it kept enlarging, it was my Book Reviewer, a professor of Paediatrics, Prof. Enobong Ikpeme who read and said, I was undermining the work by calling it a lecture note. This is a textbook of neurology.

The Fourth one is called “Mentorship in Medicine” which was inspired two years ago while welcoming new residents at UUTH, as part of the orientation process.”

The fifth book was inspired by her faith as Christian.

“I have heard the word prosperity being bastardized and supposedly making the basics of the Bible. One basic principle of prosperity is that zero cannot be multiplied.

One must bring out something no matter how tiny and watch God multiply it. Quick wealth, Ponzi schemes were also discussed. I can only achieve this feat by the grace of God,” she stated.

Commenting on the state of Nigerian education, the erudite scholar who enjoyed the best of education believes Nigeria education is one of the best. “I have travelled widely and outside people marvel at the level of intelligence of Nigerians. I had all my education in Nigeria, I live and practice in Nigerian. I am a Nigerian lady writing books that people all over the world can read. Amazon looked at it and it was not plagiarized that was why they published it. So I can boldly say with the right attitude we will continue to soar high, she noted.

OCTOBER 27 , 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

High Life

59 with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

Happy Times… Iyaloja General, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, Welcomes Another Baby

Ozolua

As Modupe Ozolua Dumps ‘First Love’ Someone said that if every other vocation has failed you, become a teacher. It is possible that this person lived in an age before politics. What’s more, when the game is politics and the field is Nigeria, anything and anyone goes.

Modupe Ozolua is first and foremost selfdescribed ‘true Edo royal blue blood’. This is not altogether false, considering that she is a direct descendant of Oba Ozolua of Benin, and her mother was a princess from Ososo, Akoko-Edo in Edo state. And so as her roots are old places of power and charms, it isn’t much of a shock that Lady Modupe is as charming as she is powerful. But her power and charm are well-founded.

Although Modupe has been described as an American-Nigerian philanthropist and entrepreneur, one might add that her true worth is in the ‘mortal coil’, the body. In truth, Modupe’s fame hails from her pioneering work in body and beauty enhancement – a practice that is welcomed in most parts of traditional Africa with spitting and cursing.

According to Modupe, before the fame of eyepencils, foundations, and facelifts, she was a dutiful wife pregnant with a son, running a home, taking care of a husband and still running her first business in America. Evidently, she did not always have it easy.While overseeing staff and clients and expanding her business in America, she only had a housekeeper to aid her, and so it was a truly rigorous life. Truly rigorous.

In any case, she was an early pioneer in the body-enhancement business. She founded her first company on this front, a cosmetic surgery company called Body Enhancements Ltd, the first of its kind in West Africa. With this company up and running, it was not difficult for Modupe to smear more grease on the face of traditional belief. She went on to provide trained education about the safety of plastic surgery. And so all those husbands whose wives suddenly looked foreign to them have Modupe to thank.

Now, however, Modupe has stepped off the run-walk, clearly disproving John Keats that a thing of beauty is not a joy forever.

And so politics is her new bae, as she was recently appointed senior special assistant on NGOs to the deputy senate president.

With great power comes great responsibility; with Princess Modupe, we expect a new face of NGO governance.

For many women who have sojourned in the land of childlessness without an exit point in sight, destiny cannot be changed and fate must be accepted. The richer and higher and well-connected they are, the less ready they are to simply accept destiny. Just ask Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. The Iyaloja General of Lagos is getting set for the christening of her second baby, two years after the first appeared in the world, in an equally unconventional manner.

The spiel of mischief-makers aside, Tinubu’s daughter is claimed to be head over heels with excitement.

After all, two babies, however they are delivered, are certainly better than none.

And what of the latest grandfather in town? The lion of Bourdillon has temporarily become a happy cat, prancing up and down in happiness at adding another grandkid to his collection. Even as he continues to play the game of thrones ahead of

2023, the welfare of his children remains dear to his heart. Little wonder he is in jubilant mood and ordered that the naming ceremony be held in the Alausa residence of the Tinubus.

After years of waiting on the Lord for the fruit of the womb, Sade now has fine kids to contend with and keep herself busy. Not that they will stop her from performing her role as the head of the market women in Lagos. The position was bequeathed to her by her late grandmother, Alhaja Abibat Mogaji and she was coronated amidst controversy.

As the wise would have understood by now, whether it is becoming a governor, Iyaloja, appointing people to positions or having children, the Tinubus always have their way in the end.

Only a fool would bet against that glorious — some would say inglorious — statistic continuing for the foreseeable future.

Tinubu-Ojo

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HIGHLIFE

Fairy tales are expectedly rare these days.

The bartering ogres and the rowdy gnomes, charming princes and lock-up princesses, have all given precedence to the motor-engines and cooking ovens and all the niceties of modern life.

Well, have almost given precedence as we can see with Polaris Bank – the once-slumbering princess – and Tokunbo Abiru – her charming prince.

Once upon a time, in a time of economic turmoil and fiscal acrobatics, there was an establishment called Skye Bank. As with others of her kind, the chores of this institution comprised the stowing and management of public and commercial coins. This she did well until she could not. Then, her duo of evil stepmothers – the frigid Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the jeering Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) stepped in and set harsh overseers over her.

Not long after, she lost her head because of a 100 billion capital injection, and that’s how far our metaphor can last. In reality, the regulatory actions imposed on Skye Bank led to the resignation of its chairman and a bulk of its management team. Thus began the ailment

Taofeek Okoya’s Wife, Lola Olakunri, Glides into Golden Club

Okoya

In recent times, the age of an individual is not discernible. Not too long ago, one could take a quick peek at a crowd of waltzing ladies and tell that such and such and such is such and such and such. But that was before beauty creams, botox and the numerous other forms of age-preservative procedures. Age is like old wine, it just cannot be concealed for

Fresh Air As Otunba Gbenga Daniel Gets His Groove Back

Tokunbo Afikuyomi Returns To His “Vomit”

N

ational leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is many things to many people. For some, he is a lion who has overstayed his welcome in the political jungle.

For others, especially his numerous disciples past and present, he is a magnet. He is the north pole today and the south pole tomorrow. Somehow, someway, he is always attracting them back even when they try to break free.

Little wonder they find it herculean to totally sever the ties that bind them to the enigmatic man.

Take the case of Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi. At the height of the tiff between former governor Ambode and the state chapter of the party, Afikuyomi switched loyalty to the then-incumbent, figuring to be one of the beneficiaries of Tinubu’s likely ouster from Lagos politics. As it turned out, being brave and being good in mathematics are two different things entirely.

Tokunbo grossly miscalculated as Ambode was sent packing out of the governor’s lodge.

After the imbroglio, the two-term senator disappeared from public attention for a while. But those in the know claimed all along that he was working assiduously in the shadows to ingratiate himself back in Tinubu’s good graces. It seems Tokunbo has to thank his lucky stars for whatever powers of persuasion he has. Tinubu has taken him back with an implicit warning to go and sin no more.

That is the consensus of those who sighted Afikuyomi at the seventh convocation ceremony of the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, where Tinubu was conferred with an honorary doctorate in Public Administration. As Tinubu was surrounded by some of his able lieutenants, the former commissioner for tourism in Lagos made sure to stand out as if to proclaim to the world that he is back dipping his hands in Tinubu’s cookie jar.

Among the gathering of Tinubu’s people like Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Minister for Interior Affairs, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, Executive Governor of Ogun State, Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu, Executive Governor of Lagos State, Chief Bisi Akande, Adegboyega Oyetola, Executive Governor State of Osun, Tokunbo still tried to hug the spotlight. He wants to be seen where the ovation is loudest.

Afikuyomi

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HIGHLIFE

Next Level with Maryam Mairo Aminu Tambuwal The work of an artist is one of careful proficiency and a ridiculous dosage of inventive flair. There are generally two ingredients for outstanding feats: an already-made subject and an excellent frame. The artist then needs only apply the brush to canvas, capture what even the blind can see, and there’s a Mona Lisa staring at you from a half-hooded canvas. The distinguished Hajia Maryam Mario Aminu Tambuwal and her budding legacy is a fitting frame.

It isn’t out of the ordinary to have a privileged and illustrious individual dedicate their resources to the betterment of their subjects. You might say that that is the whole point of their being privileged, so why distinguish the ordinary? Easy answer there: because compassion is an ancient coin rarely in circulation.

Hajia Maryam Mario Aminu Tambuwal has more than just a notable name. She is a graceful beau with brain, bark, and booty. Which is just another way of saying that the lady is wise beyond years, daring beyond her wisdom, and wealthy enough to hold her own. Recently though, her personal oeuvre is gradually eclipsing her status as the First Lady of Sokoto State.

Since 2016, Hajia Mairo has dedicated her time, resources and energy to match the ideals

of Utopia with the rowdy, dust-ridden plains of the half-Saharan state, Sokoto. In this, the Lady has singled out those whom the society deems unworthy, unprivileged and unprofitable.

Her foundation, the Maryam Mustafa Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (MMAWT) Legacy initiative has equally singled her out as a compassionate Sultana and a darling of her people.

By no means, an assembly of the hopelessly destitute, the targets of MMAWT have grown in scope over the years to include the archetypal girl-child, widows, juvenile delinquents, prison inmates, orphans, the sick, and the least privileged. In fact, since its inception, MMAWT has diagnosed and taken care of over 200 patients of sickle cells across Sokoto State, not including free eye surgeries that have been conducted by surgeons from the Netherlands, United States, and Sri Lanka.

From health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation, and hygiene, you name it, Hajia Mario’s Initiative is almost on equal footing with the greatest contributions of UNICEF, MSF and a few other NGOs, which has probably led to jointpartnerships spanning countries, continents, and sectors of human life.

Onwards and upwards, Hajia Tambuwal is gradually humanizing the stoic countenance of Nigerian governance, and what a sight for sore eyes!

Mairo

Ex-Bauchi Governor Isa Yuguda Goes Broke

W

Yuguda

illiam Shakespeare is neither Nigerian nor a native of Bauchi State, but he had it right when he put the following words into the mouth of Prince Hamlet: we defy augury. There is divine providence in the fall of a sparrow. And so is the lot of former Bauchi Governor, ANPP and PDP turncoat, and now a member of the League of the Bankrupt of Nigeria, Mallam Isa Yuguda. He defied the augury of lasting wealth and affluence and has fallen into debts.

The administration of Mallam Yuguda is not an easy one to pin down. Typical of Nigerian state governments, there were times of profits and advantages, and other times when you would likely sell the Bauchiborn politician to a goat in righteous anger.

But you have to find a magnanimous goat first.

Since the completion of his tenure in 2015, Mallam Yuguda has gone through different shades of life, jumping in and out of media attention. Recently, however, it seems his adventures have grounded to a halt. Which is good. But it was forced. Which

is not good. According to insider reports, Mallam Yuguda has started to lose more than the strength and vigour of youth. Landed properties are starting to go too.

Having narrowly escaped the traps of the unsympathetic Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), his trappings are starting to escape him. All of these are owing to money, and he is owing a great deal.

For example, while he was still in office, he came into possession of a ₦3 billion home in Asokoro – that is a single 3 accompanied by 9 zeros. That prized possession has been swallowed up in debt.

According to sources, the ₦3 billion treasure is now in the custody of a certain Air Commodore Mohammed Umar Gololo. The details of this business between a politician and a naval officer are not very clear yet, samesies with eyes of Mallam Yuguda. Another thing that is not clear is how a debt of ₦400 million grows to devour a home of ₦3 billion.

Accounting does not perform with nautical politics.

And that is how Mallam Yuguda came to be on the roll of selling off his properties in Bauchi and Abuja.

Mammon, thou faithless deity! May Mallam Yuguda find peace, and soon.

Insurance Amazon Morin Desalu Celebrates 60th Birthday Those who were never born will never experience the ethereal joys and imaginations of adolescence and childhood, the stifling but venturesome years when ‘Alice follows the Rabbit into the hole’, or the tentative steps on a new youth. Have all these together on a grill of life, add a few spices of transitory successes and prolonged failure, and you have a thoroughly cooked individual – typical human life. Unless you have a bit extra, a little more, in which case you are simply the boss. 60 years after existential grilling, Morin Babalola Desalu is still a boss.

Seeing Morin, one is reminded that she is undoubtedly her father’s child.

Being the daughter of the late Emeritus Professor Adeboye Babalola might have contributed largely to her current status.

However, it is quite an obvious fact that this apple – although it did not fall too far from the tree – has branched out and offers golden apples of her own for the world to ‘oooh’ and ‘aaaah’. Only observe the Hawk in Academia.

Madame Morin holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Sciences from Sheffield City Polytechnic (now known as Sheffield Hallam University), a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (from the University of Sheffield, England), and is an Aviation Placing Broker with Jardine Insurance Brokers International Limited in London. We’re only warming up.

The ageless Hawk is also a Chartered Insurance Practitioner, an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London and a practicing Insurance Professional.

With these gauntlets, she is the CEO of Riskwatch Insurance and a member of the Board of Trustees of Women in Business, WIMBIZ. She manages Risk Watch Insurance Brokers Limited in Lagos and is the chairperson of Risk Finance Options Limited, a risk management consultancy practice. A Risk-riding Olori from all indications.

In a world of about 7 to 8 billion, there aren’t that many people around whose penchant for the extraordinary accompany their evening years. At 60, Morin Desalu is a hawk whose wings are spread out, whose eyes are overlooking her verdant fields of achievements, old and new, who possesses the grace of old African chieftains. A few hundred metaphors more and we might capture her in song and ink.

In any case, the seasoned golfer celebrates continuing successes with her husband and two daughters. And we celebrate her too. After all, if we cannot eat from our neighbours’ soup-pot, we can

No Loud Noise: Uduaghan Quietly Celebrates 65th Birthday

Uduaghan

A birthday is surely one moment among many in the unending tapestry of life. A signpost of things done and things to come. A pause in the undulating sentence of existence. More often than not, it is celebrated with more fanfare than is strictly necessary. Putting one’s best foot forward has become traditional every time the clock of life strikes one more year. And when it comes to the Nigerian elites, a birthday and a bash are almost always one and the same thing.

This is why high society was taken aback when October 22, the birthday of the former governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, came and went without as much as a splash. The close pal of the godfather of Delta politics, James Ibori turned 65.

Although a few close friends took to the airwaves and social media to congratulate the dude, to whom much was given, much was expected in terms of a birthday shindig.

However, what took place instead was a quiet celebration with close family and friends. Those in the know disclosed that the

former governor just wasn’t feeling like making a splash. Ever since he lost his bid to represent Delta South Senatorial District, Uduaghan has been on a low-key. Recall that despite his preelection boasts of wrestling power from the PDP, he was taught a bitter lesson by former comrade Senator James Manager who handily won reelection to represent the zone.

Uduaghan, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, had dumped the PDP for APC in the run-up to the 2019 elections. At that time, the move shocked many who saw it as a fracturing of the close-knit James Ibori dynasty that has ruled Delta since the inception of the fourth republic in 1999. Keener observers, however, opined that it was a strategic move by the ex-governor.

As it turned out, his tactical manoeuvre was all for naught as PDP swept everything before it in the state polls. Some of those who decamped with him have since retraced their steps, leaving the camp of his loyalists dwindling by the second.

Little wonder Uduaghan wasn’t in the mood to throw a huge party to mark his 65th birthday.

Desalu

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ʹͰ

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Another Exciting Chapter in Billionaire Businessman, Kessington Adebutu’s

Friends Remember Late Funke Adedoyin Just like yesterday, Funke Adedoyin bade eternal bye to family and friends on September 28, 2018, after a protracted battle with cancer in the United States of America.

Exactly a year, family members, friends, government officials, and associates recently gathered to pay tributes to the deceased, in line with the Biblical saying that “the memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot”.

During the memorial service held at the Princess Fifi Ejindu’s residence in Maitama, Abuja, many spoke glowingly about what the late daughter of a successful businessman, Samuel Adedoyin, meant to them in life.

Though it was an informal gathering, friends numbering about 30 prayed for the continued repose of her soul.

Until her death on September 28, Adedoyin represented Ekiti/Isin/ Irepodun’Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara State in the House of Representatives.

In life, she was a dogged fighter, a woman with a pure heart of gold and one who sacrificed her comforts for the uplift and development of her immediate community.

Iweala

If the list of prominent individuals with enviable numbers of traditional titles were to be compiled, the name of Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu will be up there.

Indeed, whoever undertakes to carry out the audacious assignment will be widely condemned if the name of the Iperu-Remo, Ogun State-born Chairman of Premier Lotto is missing from the list.

With over 20 traditional titles in his kitty in the past 47 years, you would wonder what Adebutu is doing right to deserve the honours that keep coming his way every now and then.

Only a few days ago, he was again honoured with the coveted title of Odole by the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at an elaborate ceremony attended by notable individuals in the country.

It will be recalled that the title was last

bestowed on Godwin Olusegun Kolawole Ajayi, a prominent lawyer, who died in 2014. Before the late Ajayi, the great politician, philosopher and Premier of the Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, had been conferred with the title.

But since the passing of GOK Ajayi five years ago, the Odole title pioneered by the great Oranmiyan while he was still a Prince of Ife had been eyed by many successful politicians, businessmen, and professionals in Yoruba land.

It was gathered that a top and powerful politician, who is also one of the chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress had allegedly made clandestine moves and mounted pressure on the Ooni of Ife to be conferred with the title.

The former governor of one of the South-West states had also allegedly swung into action, so to say, when the title of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land eluded in October 2017.

Obviously aware of the far-reaching implications of politicizing the title, Oba Ogunwusi, since his ascension to the throne as the 51st Ooni in the third dynasty of Ife about four years ago, settled for Adebutu.

One of the reasons, it was gathered, is due to the fact that the Odole is a special office which works closely with the Ooni in rallying the descendants of Oduduwa around the globe for unity, peace, and progress of the race.

When the news broke that Adebutu was being considered for the title, no one kicked for the fact that Baba Ijebu, as he is popularly known, had in the past showcased his love for his immediate environment, the Yoruba race and the

nation in general.

Apart from his feats in business, Adebutu also knows how to bring people together.

A source informed that the octogenarian in the past year had brokered peace among many politicians, royal fathers, business moguls as well as highly placed individuals in the country.

Like his predecessors, Adebutu’s exemplary achievements and ability to bring about positive social transformation were a crucial factor in his consideration for the prestigious position.

Among other things, he keeps impacting his society positively through his Kensington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF) and the Medical Laboratory and Maternity Centre established in 2005.

The ceremony, which held at the ancient town of Ife, was attended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, state governors and Alhaji Razak Okoya, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, his wife Kafayat, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Chief Tokunbo Dosunmu-Awolowo, Akarigbo Remo, Oba Babatunde, Chief Bode George, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, Oladipo Diya, Femi Pedro, and Dele Momodu, On the list also were Chief Olusegun Osoba, Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, Kofoworola Adebutu, Deputy Governor, Edo state, white-cap chiefs, Dame Abimbola Fashola, Aare Ona kakanfo of Yoruba land, Gani Adams, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

Traditional rulers across the south-west also gave colour to the occasion, while King Sunny Ade entertained the guests.

Pamela Obi’s Great Feats For some time now, so many young Nigerians, endowed with entrepreneurial skills, have reportedly achieved a lot of great feats from across the country not only by growing the economy but also creating employment opportunities for several others.

In particular, one of the young Nigerians currently positively imparting her world is Pamela Obi, who has gained fame with her souraway brand, Pamela Acardia Perfume Oil. Obi has risen above the prevailing odds to make a name for herself as a businesswoman. Her success secret is her

business foresight and the ability to stay strong in the face of challenges. Indeed, her persistence and commitment have paid off hugely.

Pamela Arcadia designer perfume oil, known for its quality and long-lasting nature is one of the most sought-after brands in the market at the moment.

Very restless, yet focused, she is also the brains behind Yellow plate, an Abuja online restaurant offering mouth-watering meals and great drinks.

This emerging serial entrepreneurial, who is also described as philanthropist and fashionista, is a strong believer in equity and justice.

Obi

DJ Cuppy’s Pristine Vision

Adedoyin

DJ Cuppy

Since beautiful Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, also known as DJ Cuppy, came on the entertainment scene a few years ago, she has never had a dull moment.

Indeed, DJ Cuppy, one of the daughters of the Chairman of Geregu Power Plc, Femi Otedola, is regarded as a delight on the turntables by music aficionados at home and abroad.

Interestingly, in recognition of her wizardry as a Disk Jockey and producer, DJ Cuppy, who graduated in Business and Economics from the Kings’ College, London in 2014, has received several awards in the industry.

But beyond her feats as an entertainer, DJ Cuppy, who obtained a Master’s degree in Music Business from the New York University in 2015, is also described as a chip off the old block, in view of the fact that she is already following in the footsteps of her billionaire father in the area of philanthropy and service to humanity.

To give vent to her commitment to humane deeds, she founded the now popular Cuppy Foundation some years ago.

The beautiful young lady’s love for lending a helping hand to the less

privileged is well documented, a desire that has seen her take to her role as an ambassador for Save the Children UK with gusto. It was in this capacity that she ventured into the city of Maiduguri August this year where even the toughest of men fear to tread. She visited children displaced by the activities of the terrorist group Boko Haram. And not only did she offer them hope in person, she has also decided to become their voice.

In with its pristine vision, the Foundation will be organizing a special dinner tagged Gold Gala in aid of the Save The Children’s Work in Nigeria at the prestigious Congress Hall of TransCorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Sunday, November 10, 2019. According to the organizers, the event, which kicks off with a cocktail reception at 6:00p.m., will feature a dinner and special performance.

The Special Guest of Honour, it was further gathered, will be the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo.

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SOCIETY WATCH

More Twist in Lulu-Briggs’ Family War Funmi Afuape’s It seems the last has not been heard about the messy war currently tearing apart the family of the late Rivers State-born billionaire, Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, founder of Muni Pulo Foundation.

Society Watch gathered that Seinye Lulu-Briggs, widow of the late billionaire businessman, last week, filed a suit to stop the order of the Kaneshie District Magistrates’ Court in Ghana for an inquest into the death of her husband, 11 months after.

Society Watch gathered that the suit followed an application filed by Dumo Lulu-Briggs, second eldest son of the deceased, for an inquest into his father’s death, following the delay of an autopsy report earlier ordered by the court.

The magistrate, E. K Barnes– Botchway, reportedly held that she had cause to believe that the deceased did not die naturally.

But in her suit before the Ghana High Court, Seinye argued that the

magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to order the inquest, saying her late husband’s death happened outside the Accra metropolitan district where the court sits.

According to her, that the magistrate does not believe that her husband died of natural causes exposes her bias in the case.

She said: “All papers pertaining to my husband’s death show that he died of cardiac arrest due to his Parkinson’s disease.

“I believe the Magistrate is unfair and acted illegally, irrationally, and procedurally improperly to have ordered the inquest.”

In the suit, Seinye further claimed that the Magistrate relied on prejudicial ex-parte evidence from Dumo.

Her petition stated: “That the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court stipulates that the coroner does not have the jurisdiction to order an inquest when the cause of death is known.

Gay Mood

Lulu

Abuja Big Girl, Omolara Joseph, Celebrates Birthday in Abu Dhabi

Joseph

It was another eventful moment for Omolara Joseph, a popular Abujabased businesswoman, and owner of Spring Interiors Limited, a leading interior design when she turned 40 recently.

It was clear to all that the celebrated businesswoman had looked forward to celebrating the day in a grand style, as she left no stone unturned towards ensuring a successful birthday shindig.

The high-flying lady, Society Watch gathered, flew to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with her friends to celebrate the milestone on October 19.

It was also gathered that the

birthday celebrations started right inside the aircraft, as she was celebrated by the Emirates Air’s crew with the cutting of the birthday cake.

That was just like a teaser, as the Arabian night held on the second day of their arrival, while the celebrations ended with a cocktail and dinner at Emirate Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

Joseph, a graduate of the University of Lagos, ventured into business a few years ago when she established Spring Interiors, a one-stop furniture showroom that provides bespoke interior design solutions.

FFK Celebrates His 59th Birthday

For Funmi Afuape, a top politician in Ogun State, the occasion of her birthday is always a treasured moment, which she doesn’t spare any expense to celebrate.

Obviously, because of her pedigree, many family members, friends, and political associates always look forward to celebrating with her.

This was the case recently when she marked another eventful year at the upscale Mitros Residence in Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State, with a number of dignitaries in attendance, evidence of her relevance in the state politics.

She is described as a beautiful soul and a dependable friend by many of the guests on the occasion.

Trust the celebrator and her friends, they ensured that the very important guests were warmly welcomed all through the unforgettable night of fun and networking.

Some of the guests in attendance included Mayor Adijat Adeleye Oladepo, a former member of Ogun State House of Assembly, Nike Osoba, Temitope Adesina as well as political and business leaders from all walks of life.

Fani-Kayode celebrating his birthday with his family

Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Minister of Aviation celebrated his 59th birthday with members of his family and a few close friends in his AsoDrive home in Abuja on 16th October, 2019.

FFK is going from strength to strength even as he is getting older. He is surrounded by his beautiful wife Precious, his four dashingly handsome sons and his loved ones and he is clearly fulfilled and very happy. After prayers, led

by Pastor Bayo Oladeji the spokesman of CAN, were conducted at 6am, champagne flowed through the whole day and good food was served. We wish him well.

FFK’s 59th birthday Celebration with family October 16

Afuape

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Sowore – Languishing Alone Me, I am just pitying Sowore. He must really be feeling alone today.

Common N50m and all the people following him on social media and the ones in diaspora who have been shouting his name and carrying him up cannot contribute N1,000 each and pay the money. You see when people will be calling me and be saying Duke, you no yab Buhari again, Duke you no yab Magu, Duke Buratai dey craze yab am.

Me, I will be looking at them and be smiling. Yeye people, this Nigeria is just one kind. Na Ambode when I ask am

EFCC AND THE INTERNET MOGULS Was I pleased at the recent arrest of one internet mogul called Mompha?

I must confess that before this arrest, I hadn’t heard about this one. It is the other one that has a name like that of a puppy that me I know very well. They say he is based in Dubai and will be regaling us with pictures of his life in shameless luxury. You see the issue here is that the internet is beset by millions of impressionable and ‘lazy’ (no be me call them o) youths who really do nothing but troll the internet for effective release from the pressures of seeking a befitting life. Or how do you explain over 50 million people voting for a group of laid back and non-driven youths sequestered in a house boosted by alcohol and encouraged to behave badly? It is on these platforms that these ‘moguls’ flaunt ill-gotten wealth and hedonistic lifestyles that tell our youths that yes you do not have to work hard to ‘make it’. They remain gullible and swallow these lessons wholeheartedly and begin to want to be like their ‘heroes’. If you read the comments on social media after this particular arrest and then juxtapose them with the fact that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow, you will begin to realize that this our generation is not really a wasted one as Soyinka said but that their own will lead this nation into Golgotha.

Mbok, EFCC you owe this generation and indeed future generations to work within the ambit of the law in curbing this malaise by bringing all these hollow titans to book. Maybe their arrest and conviction would serve as a deterrent and a check on the rest. Now Magu listen carefully o, it’s not because I have given you support that you will now start running around like cowboy and be arresting every slay queen you see on the phone o. Let’s be methodical, follow the rule of law and save this country.

IBRAHIM MAGU – LET’S DISCUSS Mbok my brother do not mind the title of this piece o. I really would like to have a discussion with you but the problem is that any call from you or any of your operatives can lead to my untimely death from shock. The last

Magu

one time say, why you no fight to finish and he wisely say, ‘are you sure the people will follow you to finish? Today na, Sowore don shout revolution, he don enter pit and nobody dey answer am now. Please what is N50m even common N50m that people are using to buy I-phone for girlfriend that they cannot put together to allow this man go home and rest? I am sure after this one even he himself will rethink his strategy of trying to save the country of ungrateful people and concentrate on saving his home. This country and

its people no really worth am. So my people going forward, the best way to engage government na dialogue from far. Mbok make I no laugh because this is definitely not a laughing matter. My brother Sowore, please if you comot for this one, kindly do like Reno. That one just run to America and from there be firing bazooka. Kai, the life of a revolutionary, lonely and deserted.

Pele, if it was N50,000 I would have borrowed you, but N50m? That is tough on a salary of the Duke of Shomolu.

Pity!

CHIKE OGEAH – HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LORD Well, me I am not really happy with this my Lord. But it will not stop me from saying a happy birthday to this very mercurial and highly sociable leader of men. I know some of you would be eager to know exactly why I am not happy with him. But like the great man that I am, I have moved on and have not let it dwell on my mind.

But I know if I don’t say it here now even Oga will not believe that I have forgiven him so let me just say it abeg.

So one day, as I was looking for money for my play, Emotan he asked me to meet him up at the Eko Convention Centre. He was giving a talk on something about tourism and aviation.

You know he is the Vice Chairman at Sahcol and doing something for Sifax too. So this was an Africa wide tourism thingy. That is how I carried myself there. Met up with him and he took me to Signature. You know that

is where the very big boys lounge. We took a seat and my lord order lunch for himself. He no even ask me if I go drink water. I look this new chief wondering whether make I send petition to his traditional council to withdraw his chieftaincy. That is how oga Chike deny me the pleasure of chopping at Signature for the very first time in my life. No be me, I revenge. The next Afang Summit, I instruct them to serve am Afang with only one meat. Pay back. Anyways, like I said, I have forgiven and have not forgotten until he takes me to that Signature and buys me food. Come and see the way I was salivating and the waiters there no even pity me ask am what of your friend. No problem sha. We have to maintain world peace.

Happy birthday my lord, may you live long and continue to be a blessing to us your boys. God bless you.

Ogeah

time any EFCC man called me, I almost fainted. The phone rang and I picked and the voice said, ‘is that Joseph Edgar’ and I said yes and he said, ‘this is Dapo

Efcc Ikoyi’. My brother I wet my pants o. Real hot piss came down my pants as I listened to his deep growling voice on the phone. He continued, ‘please

Umara-Zulum

Melaye

Sowore

can you come to our office now’. I said, ‘please brother, don’t vex, hope there is nothing’ and he said,’ please let me see you in an hour’. I stood there transfixed and started crying. That is how they will jail me o. No Afang, no Duchess and no oxygen. Well, I ran away o. I sent text that I was in Uyo and that I will come when I am back.

I no near the place o. Well thankfully, the matter was resolved between the lawyers and your people. Well, this gist is not for you to go and be opening file on my head o, but to assure you of my support for your re-appointment.

You see, I really do not like you not for anything but because of the shoe you used to wear. The shoes no dey fine. There is somebody on Awolowo road I can introduce to you to give you better shoe. Anyways, I have just learned that your appointment would be coming to an end this November and like everything Nigerian, people are fighting for and against your reappointment. In taking a position, I came across the following facts. They say you have recovered 939b in 4years; 1,636 convictions. Cash recovered from 2009 to 2019 1.2 trillion. Kai, if this is true why would a nation in its right senses not give you the highest honour and make you EFCC Chairman for life? But you know this our country is a country on cheap drugs, it is the time that people will start playing petty politics. Let me state it here very categorically that if these figures are true, then Magu should be reappointed immediately. That is the only responsible thing to do. My brother this is what I wanted to discuss with you but like I have said, don’t worry, I have written this article and I have stated my position so don’t worry, don’t call or send for me, I know dey town. I am on sabbatical. Thank you.

PROF. BABAGANA UMARU – COURAGE IN THE FACE OF FIRE They say that the Borno State Governor, Prof. Umaru has held or is it will be holding a strategy session with his Commissioners and Advisers in the Boko Haram stronghold of Damasak in Mobor Local Government of Borno

Obanikoro

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LOUD WHISPERS

Ugwuanyi

State? This, if true will be a very strong positioning, sending a signal to the ‘mad’ people that they can ravage the whole place with bombs but will not break the spirit of the people. The people will continue to show a strong resolve to remain united and determined not to have their ways of life caged by savages who under the guise of religion foist wanton violence and mayhem on them.

This is what I wanted President Buhari to have done in South Africa when those ones decided to use our people as targets for senseless violence. I had expected him to go there and request to be taken to the very epicenter of the violence and on the streets there, stand and make a very powerful speech on the resilience of the Nigerian spirit. Well done sir, very strategic and powerful move. God will protect you and your team.

MELAYE VS ADEYEMI – RUMBLE ON THE CONFLUENCE It was Mohammed Ali that called his epic fight a rumble in the jungle.

This one is a rumble on the confluence between two k-legged warriors. One is loud, brash and boastful. A veteran of jumping from police moving trucks, a sometimes singer and an attempted style icon who sometimes dresses like a 70’s Rock Star. The other, seriously I do not really know much about him except for the fact that he was in the Senate at some point and had lost a re-election – I hope I am correct and since then has made it his life’s ambition to go back irrespective of the platform and whatever the people think. Kogi people are in for a real comedy of errors. One has already called the other his political wife while the other is also going about his campaign with so much hilarity that the issues that should be discussed have been thrown out of the window.

I dare say that the people of kogi west which to me is now the most popular Senatorial District in the country are now standing between the Red sea and Pharaoh’s army. Any choice they make between these two will certainly not really give them the kind of serious representation they require especially in the face of that combustion that calls himself governor. Me, I no pity them sha, people get the kinds of leaders they deserve abi what else can I say if these are the only two that the district can throw up at this time? What is my own, like they asked me on Habib bank Alumni forum the other day when I said something about the Jagaban and lord of Bourdillon, ‘wetin concern you, are you a Lagosian? I laugh at that kind mumu comment but today, I feel like really asking myself what is really my own if kogi west has decided to choose between Humpty Dumpty and Kunkunu. Wetin concern me? I wish them well.

Runsewe

SENATOR MUSILIU OBANIKORO CALLS It was one of those evenings when you want to try yourself. So you quickly take your bath, put on clean pair of pajamas and then dab some sweet-smelling perfume and lay on the bed waiting for Duchess to come into the other room. As the minutes pass and turn into hours and Duchess is watching that zombified Indian movie channel called Zee world that seems to have captured our women, it begins to dawn on you that, be like say no show today o. As you are about to give up, the phone starts to ring. Who could be calling at this time of the night when one was beginning to wonder if he should start the process of getting AMCON to assist in recalling the bride price? So very reluctantly, I pick and the voice on the other line comes up in a deep Yoruba twang, is that Joseph Edgar?

And I am very careful with some of these calls. You know they say, that in Lagos your manhood could disappear just from phone call o. It has happened at Oyingbo. So I carefully feel myself, grabbing and making sure the balls are complete before I say, yes it is me. The person na say, it is Senator Obanikoro.

I jump up from the bed and at that point Duchess walks in ready for me.

I say, please not now, this is a matter of national importance, you must wait madam. This is a sacrifice I have to make for the nation. I stand in the room, half naked, phone in my hands and the other hand in a salute like the Unknown Soldier at Tafawa Balewa Square. He did not understand what I meant by my comment that it was as if I was hit by a molue the first time I met him. He sounded a little bit confused, I laughed o. Baba was taking me seriously. I don write, I don move on. Did not even remember what I wrote and why I wrote it. I smiled and said, that I meant that it was an epoch-defining moment and that it changed my outlook of Nigerian Politics. I could sense that he relaxed and asked about my welfare. I seized the opportunity to ask for another meeting and he agreed for the meeting. Now my dilemma: what will I discuss with him – APC, PDP, Fayose? I just confuse. Be like say, I go just run away abeg.

MRS MONICA UGWUANYI – THAT PREHISTORIC PROJECT Ok it was my friend Wole who posted on the whatsapp group Duke Summit a picture of this wonderful First Lady commissioning something they have called a tippy something. Well let me explain, so they put two scrawny sticks in the ground and put another one across and then tie a white jerrycan filled with water on top of the stick across, so people and children will be tipping the sticks to get water from the jerry can. I could not laugh because this

Ogunlana

Adeyemi

was the most preposterous thing I have seen in a long time. The last time I saw something like this was the dug out well in my Shomolu growing up years where the old Ogoja man would be fetching water and then his wrapper will fall off displaying his huge rough backside and balls making the whole street laugh.

Anyways, I asked Wole to save the picture o, in case madam one react the Osinbajo way and threaten me with law suit. Instead of the man to save the thing and agree to be called as a defence witness, the bobo send the picture to me thereby trying to give me the Sowore – you are alone treatment. Well, as I no dey hear word, I am here now writing about the matter. Well, my sister if I can call you that, if this picture is a real depiction of Your Excellency, please remove that thing. We don’t want. In this modern age na stick and jerrycan of water you can give little children as their First Lady? We no want o. Take it back to your village. We will wait for your time to pass and see if another First lady will deal with us with better respect.

Wole can run, me I will stand, and I will speak my mind. This na First Lady, she no command troops. That thing no be project, na joke. Thank you.

if it is of God it will grow but if not it will wither’. I don forget the passage but na the same thing I be want tell Otunba.

If Bobrisky is of God he will continue to grow and get miniature followers all over the place, but if he is not of God, the bleaching cream will give him craw craw and he will repent. But just as I was about to send Otunba my message, I saw a post of one man beating Bobrisky up on the road. Kai, come and see the way, the man beat him/she up after a minor car accident. Please before the crusaders come at me for ‘endorsing’ physical violence which I abhor, the fun in the video was unmistaken. Come and see Bob run like a man o, he forgot he was a ‘lady’ running barefooted on heavily bleached legs on the road in a bid to escape after seizing the man’s phone and the man chasing him and catching up with him and dealing some blows on him/her. I will send the video to Otunba so that he can at least relax from the stress of organizing such a huge and powerful festival. Well done my lord.

SEGUN RUNSEWE – WHO BEAT BOBRISKY? As I write, I am in Benin with my lord. He is hosting the National festival for Arts and Culture. Come and see Benin o. They have transformed the Oba Akensuwa Hall into a huge festival celebrating the Benin Culture.

My Play Emotan is showing here courtesy of Access Bank, keystone Bank and MTN Foundation and the whole place is looking like a huge celebration of life. Well, let me look for Otunba trouble small as my own way of saying thank you to him and his team for doing such a wonderful job and especially the way he has supported our Play. He has simply been wonderful, calling, encouraging and pushing knowing full well that Emotan will further widen the boundaries of our rich culture. So let me pay him back with small yabis. If you have been following the news, you will see that bros has been having a running battle with the popular Cross dresser Bobrisky. He has even asked us to be careful with the toilets he uses so that we do not carry infection o. kai, this battle has seen Otunba throwing jabs and ducking jabs from the Cross dresser who has immense power on social media. As Otunba is ‘attacking’ Bob and their followers will be responding on social media and at some point I even felt like calling Otunba that he should leave Bob alone taking example from the Bible where they had gone to report the early Christians to the big guns of the day and one wise man said, ‘leave them,

NIGERIAN ARMY – SPIRITUAL WARFARE? These are the times where I really wish I could mind my business o. But no be me, I must talk. Spiritual warfare?

Make I just keep quiet na and be watching shebi we are all in this Nigeria.

The prayer is that God should keep us all alive and give us long life to see how all these will end. Spiritual warfare? Na wa. This reminds me of that news report where a church caught fire and instead of the members to get the Fire Brigade or engage in some constructive action to fight the fire, they were now casting and binding the devil that caused this fire. Let us be casting and binding the insurgency, they will all soon die. Not a problem.

OLOLA OLABODE OGUNLANA – I BOW. What else can we say about this 87-year-old icon, founder of the enigmatic insurance brokerage firm Scib Nigeria and pioneer Managing Director of NICON Insurance but to just bow our heads and leave same in that position until he walks past?

Chief Ogunlana recently had a private presentation of his books, four titles of which I found the last one ‘the quest for the rare leaf’ a powerful read.

In these times of failed leadership, of short-termism and crass materialism, leaders like chief remind us of the dignity of our past, viz. respect for our culture, ethics and way of life . Still pursuing his doctorate at an age when most people would have retired and be waiting for the heavenly call, chief believes that he still has a lot to give and learn. This is why I am taking my time to celebrate him on this page as one of those who still give us a semblance of hope in this country.

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27.10.2019

ON NETFLIX, NOLLYWOOD GLIMMERS IN NEW LIGHT Elvina Ibru and Gbenga Titiloye in The Bling Lagosians

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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ARTS & REVIEW\\MOVIES

ON NETFLIX, NOLLYWOOD GLIMMERS IN NEW LIGHT Riding on the crest of their box office successes, The Bling Lagosians and 93 Days are among a handful of Nollywood films on Netflix. These two movies by the Bolanle Austen-Peters Production are currently trending on the international streaming platform. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

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ith their stunning box office successes duly acknowledged, the two Bolanle Austen-Peters (BAP) Productions films, The Bling Lagosians and 93 Days, have fittingly asserted themselves in the local aficionados’ consciousness. Take the former, which is the more recent of the two, for instance. Its recent theatrical run, stretching from Friday, June 28 to Friday, August 30, concluded on a cheery note. Flaunting a respectable total gross box office earning of N120,323,589.57, it claims the pride of place as the highest grossing Nollywood movie of 2019 so far.

Even before the import of this feat could sink in among the local film audiences, both films have upped the ante with their current listing as “popular and trending on Netflix”. Netflix had, indeed, started streaming The Bling Lagosians on Friday, October 11 and 93 Days on Friday, October 18. For Bolanle Austen-Peters, after whom the production company that made both films was named, this implies that “our movies are rivalling American movies...on an international platform.”

Yet, this would not be the first time the U. S.-based media-services provider and production company would add Nigerian movies to its list. Indeed, ever since its purchase of worldwide rights to Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, a handful of other Nigerian movies have clawed their way into its line of sight. One of them was Kunle Afolayan’s The Figurine (Aromire), which had started streaming on the platform shortly before The Bling Lagosians.

For Nollywood, there has been a quantum leap in the quality of its recent productions. It has indeed moved on from being a playground for the celebration of mediocrity to embarking on ambitious movie projects. Because it takes much more than a good storyline and a big budget to make a successful film in this fast-improving industry, Austen-Peters did her homework very well before venturing into film-making.

In an industry crawling with acerbic critics and reeling with the evident infrastructure deficit, she heeded the advice to peg her production costs to realistic figures. Even so, it has been virtually impossible to recoup her production expenses. Her experience and understanding of the industry is captured in the story of The Bling Lagosians character Nnamdi (played by Alex Ekubo). “Movies and stage [productions] are my tools for social commentary and change, I

A scene from 93 Days hope,” she explained.

The BAP Productions films, both of which are high budget by Nigerian standards, owe their successes to not just to their quality production and strategic marketing, but also to the cast and sponsors’ involvement. This, at least, has been the story of The Bling Lagosians so far. As for 93 Days, it had the added advantage of featuring in five film festivals, which included the Toronto International Film Festival.

On their recent foray into the Netflix platform, Austen-Peters believes that it would not only impact on the local film industry’s visibility, but also attract more investments into the space, thus creating more jobs. Meanwhile, the films have so far been well received in the diaspora, where they enjoy a large viewership. “In fact, it’s the diaspora crowd that constitute the viewers in Netflix so far,” she noted.

The Bling Lagosians, which heralds of AustenPeters’ directorial first step, is a hilarious story of the Holloways, a highly influential Lagos family.

Through them, the viewers get to acquaint themselves with the underbelly of the Lagos high society and guffaw at their comical attempt to keep up appearances. Haunted by the spectre of his collapsing business empire, the protagonist Akin Holloway (Gbenga Titiloye) clings tenaciously to his fake lifestyle, which sharply contrasts with his prevailing

economic realities. He hopes to avoid the banks’ impending foreclosure of St. Ives Towers, which owes billions in unpaid debts. Propping up the his family’s standing in Lagos social circles becomes a do-or-die affair. Ditto the legacy established by his father who bequeathed the mighty firm to him.

Likewise, his wife, Mopelola Holloway (Elvina Ibru), is intent on holding her planned pretentious 51st birthday party. A series of events she lines up in anticipation of the party unleashes far-from-pleasant repercussions for the Holloways. Indeed, the buzz about her planned party sounds the death knell for St. Ives, which the Asset Management Corporation forecloses on. Of course, there are other contributing factors such as the death of Baba Eko, Akin Holloway’s godfather.

As for his first daughter, Demidun TadeSmith (Osas Ighodaro), her marriage to the pilot George (Jimmy Odukoya) is passing through a turbulence that threatens to overwhelm them. Ironically, she teaches a business strategy based on the concept of marriage. But then, her marriage is a poor testimonial for her work. This is especially with her discovery of her husband’s marital infidelity, which she would do anything

to stop.

The family’s only breath of fresh air, his second daughter Tokunbo (Sharon Ooja) offers the only islet of coherence and stability amidst this chaos.

A screenwriter, she is hired by an Asaba filmmaker, Nnamdi (Alex Ekubor), to develop a movie concept for his theatrical debut. A lot depends on her pitch, which she hopes will attract some funds from Nnamdi’s investors.

With a cast list that also includes names like Monalisa Chinda Coker, Bisola Aiyola, Bamike Olawunmi (a. k. a. Bambam in Big Brother Niger 3), Denola Grey, Jide Kosoko, Helen Paul, Toyin Abraham, and Tana Adelana, the film is one of the many that has helped change the narrative of the local film industry.

The other feature film, 93 Days, is based on a true story of how Nigeria successfully contained the Ebola virus. The 2016 drama thriller film was directed and co-produced by Steve Gukas. Its other producers are Dotun Olakunri, Pemon Rami and Bolanle Austen-Peters.

The star-studded film, which is a jointproduction of Native FilmWorks, Michel Angelo Production and Bolanle Austen-Peters Production, features the both local and international first-rate actors. Among them are the American actors Danny Glover and Tim Reid, Bimbo Manuel, Bimbo Akintola, Gideon Okeke, Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey, Sola Oyebade, Charles Okafor and the Scottish actor Alastair Mackenzie.

Basically, it is the story of the health workers at the Lagos-based First Consultant Hospital. It was here that the first Ebola patient, the AmericanLiberian Patrick Sawyer, was being treated before he died. The movie is indeed not only a celebration of the heroism of these selfless medics, but also of a significant period in Nigeria’s recent history. Out of the 20 identified cases of the dreaded disease in Nigeria, eight fatalities were reported. And out of the eight, four were staff members of the hospital.

It is mainly to the credit of these professionals that Nigeria’s “spectacular success story” in containing the virus was announced by the World Health Organisation on October 20, 2014 before an astonished global audience.

Really, 93 Days is devoid of those irksome technical errors that plague most Nollywood films.

The delivery of actors like Danny Glover (as Dr Benjamin Ohiaeri), Bimbo Akintola (as Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh), Keppy Ekpenyong (as Patrick Sawyer)and Alastair Mackenzie (as Dr David Brett-Major) is as convincing as it is riveting.

So, for the local film industry, hope glimmers in the horizon as more high quality productions continue to rub shoulders with Hollywood films at the cinemas nationwide and on Netflix.

EXHIBITION

With Timeless Memories, LABAF Honours Soyinka at 75 Yinka Olatunbosun

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show commemorating the 85th birthday of the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka will open on November 4 at Freedom Park, Lagos during the much-anticipated Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF).

Titled Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects, it is an exhibition that will feature illustrative art, video installation and installation project.

This exhibition project seeks to understand and showcase from the perspective of the icon, 20 most important defining moments that led the young boy who grew up in Abeokuta to become the enigmatic global figure.

“The life of Wole Soyinka has been a

subject of discourse for many years now, from his early childhood in Abeokuta, to his early days at the University College, Ibadan, the formation of the Pyrates Confraternity, his most active early days as a writer, the formation of the F. R. S. C., his days as an activist, the NADECO/Abacha days and also his life as a global citizen of the world,” said the curator, Oludamola Adebowale.

The exhibition is the grand finale of the Wole Soyinka at 85 Celebration that started in July this year, and also part of programme for the 21st edition of LABAF. The narrative around the 20 defining moments would also be captured in a short film, which is billed to be premiered at the exhibition. The short film titled, “Kongi’s Effect- Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects” would feature archival videos such as the appearance of Wole Soyinka during the aftermath of the 1965 Saga, as well as other never seen videos of the Nobel Laureate in his private home in Ijegba, Abeokuta.

This exhibition is expected to create a conscious form of dialogue and discourse on a fresh perspective around Wole Soyinka and most importantly appropriate in expanding the scope of knowledge and interaction around the man simply identified as “W. S.” or known by the moniker “Kongi”.

Born 13 July 1934, Professor Soyinka was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature and was the first African to be honoured in that category. Born in Abeokuta, his literary works have their thematic roots in his early childhood and Yoruba world view. In 1954, he attended Government College in Ibadan and subsequently University College, Ibadan now University of Ibadan. After studying at the University of Leeds in England, he worked with the Royal Court Theatre in London. He went on to write plays that were produced in both UK and Nigeria, in

theatres and on radio.

His active role in Nigeria's political history and its struggle for independence from Great Britain has been well documented. In 1965, he seized the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service studio and broadcast to demand for the cancellation of the Western Nigeria Regional Elections. In 1967, during the Nigerian Civil War, he was arrested by the Federal Government of General Yakubu Gowon and put in solitary confinement for two years. He was released in 1969 and left Nigeria, not to return until after a change of government in 1975.

A father and grandfather, Soyinka is a cultural icon and a wine connoisseur. He was decorated with Order and Merit of the Commander’s Rank by President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti in February 2018.

The exhibition project is proudly supported by ASIRI Magazine, CORA-LABAF, Freedom Park Lagos, and W. S. I. C. E.

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ARTS & REVIEW\\MUSIC

KECHI OKWUCHI: SERENADES OF A SURVIVOR Yinka Olatunbosun

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ne cannot separate Kechi Okwuchi’s story from her music.

After the red carpet poses and selfies at the premises of the Standard Bearers School, Lekki, Lagos recently, she was invited on stage to perform her single from the album, "Don't You Dare". The performance was preceded by a short documentary about her journey into music.

Kechi was only 16. She dreamt of working at the United Nations as a young student of Loyola Jesuit CollegeAbuja, an elite boarding school. She boarded SosolisoAirlines Flight 1145 from the NnamdiAzikiwe InternationalAirport,Abuja on December 10, 2005 alongside 60 other students of the school in excitement for the Christmas holiday in Port Harcourt. The unlit runway and bad weather caused the pilot to miss the approach and disaster struck. The aircraft disintegrated and burst into flames at Port Harcourt InternationalAirport.

Of the 110 persons on board, only two survived.

Kechi was the only student survivor.

“When my body was found, it was discovered that I have third degree burnt and I was taken to Milpark Hospital, SouthAfrica for treatment,” she recalled. “That was where they saved my life. I returned to Nigeria but not long, I relocated to the US for reconstructive surgeries at Shriners Hospital for Children, Texas. With what happened, I learnt that we have very little control over our lives and things that happen to us as human beings. But we have to control how we choose to react to those things. With the support system I have around me, my mother and my father, friends, physiotherapists, I was able to see that I can chose how I want to react to what happened. I can stay depressed or crippled by what happened. Or I can also find a way to draw strengths from the memories of the lost loved ones. I am a product of the hard work of so many people.”

She has been surrounded by people who are honest and genuine, who want to see the better version of her.And that has been one of the core values of Standard Bearers School which is instilled in everyone at the school. Kechi met a friend who finished from the school in US and it was a turning point in her music career.

First, she had undergone over 100 surgeries, including skin grafts and several non-invasive laser treatments that have improved her everyday activities. She celebrated her ability to turn her neck on the social media after one of her surgical procedures. Her routine included physiotherapy and then music became a powerful tool to fast track her recovery.

"I have always loved music. But after the accident, my voice changed. My voice was good before but it was better after the crash. I also remember hearing music while I was in coma. I woke up knowing songs that I didn’t know before I went into coma. That is how deep the tie I have with music is. It was one thing that had always been there that the accident didn’t take away. In those days, all I had was the next day. I didn’t know that one day I would be out on the stage singing.”

Kechi in performance at the event She had woken up in the hospital to the sound of music played by her mother with her head wrapped in bandages. The burnt covered 65% of her body and the doctors said she had a 30% chance of survival.

“Music became my escapism and my distraction from what I was going through,” she explained during a press briefing that preceded her homecoming show. “When I moved toAmerica, music became a part of my therapy. That’s when I realized that I love singing and performing. I love sharing this thing that I love so much with other people. But I was never going to go as far as a television show if my friend had not put me out there. My friend incidentally was from Standard Bearers School. She applied for me without my knowledge and eventually they reached out to me for an audition. It is a privilege to do what I did professionally.”

The video of her audition at theAmerica's Got Talent Season 12 in 2017 has since gone viral. She got a standing ovation and subsequently made it to the finals. The blunt judge, Simon Cowell gave her the "Golden Buzzer" at the finals inAmerica's Got Talent: The Champions 2019 which is indeed a big deal.

The strong-willed singer often got emotional after the encouraging comments from the judges. Her mother's hug was always waiting for her backstage.

"You are here not just because of your story but because of your talent,” Cowell once remarked after her performance. That strengthened Kechi's resolve to pursue music professionally side by side as a

motivational speaker.

"Hearing those words from Simon changed my life. Being onAmerica’s Got Talent is the first time that I will be recognised as a singer. I feel like I owe it to the other students who died to live in an exemplary way. I think that I have found my voice. This is my chance to prove that I am a champion,” Kechi said in that short documentary. Remarkably, in 2015, she graduated from the University of Saint-Thomas, US with a first class degree.

Afterwards, she held the school children and parents at SBS, Lekki in spellbound, as she belted the sonorous song with motivational lyrics “Don't You Dare Give Up on Your Dreams”. With backup from the Nissi band, Kechi rocked the stage with confidence, leaving all stupefied in her bare backAnkara short dress and black strappy suede shoes. For the first time, she met and brought on stage the second survivor of the SosolisoAirline crash and former PA to the famed televangelist, Bimbo Odukoya (who also died in the same crash), BunmiAmusan now BunmiAdams. Bunmi avoided the camera and kept her face away from the prying eyes of the audience.

Kechi, who is far from being camera shy, continued to engage her audience with her cover of YemiAlade's "Africa" surrounded by the spectacle of the kaleidoscopic stage lights.

Earlier on, she had told the journalists how she felt about returning to Nigeria to perform. "It’s a huge honour for me to be back to my country and

to perform. I have been back twice before. I was here to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the SosolisoAirlines crash ten years after the accident. The second time was last year when I came back to speak during one of a company’s educational series. Even though I did perform during the event, this is the first time that I’d actually perform on stage with a live band for an audience that knows me for my story and who were rooting for me during theAmerican television show.

"It is really an honour for me to do this and to represent what Standard Bearers School stands forsetting young women in paths that perhaps had not been walked before. I feel like this one monumental occasion. It is a milestone for the school and for me.”

Later, she took pictures with the world famous, Brainsquad, a team of girls from SBS who won the 2019 Technovation Challenge and represented Africa at the Silicon Valley, California, US. They invented an app that helps less privileged children go to school. The app, Handsout, won the People’s Choice award at this year’s global Technovation competition. Over 19,000 teenage girls featured in the competition. To honour the "Superwomen" and celebrate the World Teachers Day, Kechi walked the red carpet with the champions while a teacher from SBS, Ms. Funke Lemo delivered a beautiful cover of Asa's "Bibanke". Nigeria's leading singer-songwriter, Bez was called on stage with his acoustic guitar to perform "Superstar" and other rich alternative music which was a refreshing switch from the previous sight of the fire-eaters who toyed with fire with such rhythmic appeal that is purelyAfrican.

In a figurative sense, the real fire-eater is the headliner, Kechi. Her final performance of "This is me" was soul-stirring.

"It’s great to have all that recognition inAmerica but it means so much to me to have that kind of response from my home country,” she declared.

“It is a different kind of feeling because I feel like I’m accepted back home by my people. I'm happy to be able to share my music very directly with the biggest support group that I have ever had. Most of the people that follow me on social media and those who care about what is going on in my life are Nigerians. That shows to me that we take care of our own and support our own.All the few times that I have been back, I feel supported. I can see that amazing things are going on here and I am happy to be part of this.”

In its 22 years of existence, SBS had taken on ambitious projects such as the 2010's stage performance of 'The Lion King' amongst others.

The Executive Director, SBS, Mrs Modupe Adeyinka-Oni who played host to Kechi, explained why she is very keen on creativity and talent discovery.

"My background is in creative arts. I studied fine arts in school and a bit of theatre, I came into education after that,” she said. “I have always loved the stage. Since I can’t be on stage, I like to see people with talent get on stage. I always look for unique angles to people. I sometimes write scripts for the children to perform. I was talking to Kechi on the phone and she said she would be coming home in October.” Thus, the school designed the programme to give Kechi a rare opportunity to use music to inspire young children with the theme "Super Women: Kechi Live in Concert".

VISUAL ARTS

LAKIN OGUNBANWO’S CULTURAL AESTHETICS

Yinka Olatunbosun

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ecognisedbytheBritish JournalofPhotographyasone ofthetop25photographers of2015inthetalentdiscovery series,“OnestoWatch”,Lakin Ogunbanwoisafashion-forward photographerandaversatile artistwholaunchedhiscareer withthe2012project,AreWeGoodEnough’, and in2013withthesoloshow,PortraitsbyLakin Ogunbanwo.The2012projectisanon-goingone thatkeepsexpandingthecontemporaryAfrican visualnarrative.Throughthisseries,hedocuments hatswornasculturalsignifiersbythevariousethnic groupsinNigeria.

Inside the Niki Cryan Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos, he seemed to be in a moment of self-appraisal of his works that lined the white walls when his reporterguest walked in a few hours before the opening.

The show is a presentation of Ogunbanwo’s two photographic series titled “E wa Wo Mi” (meaning

Come Look at Me) and “Are We Good Enough?”.

The 32-year old artist studied law at Babcock University and Buckingham University, England before working as a fashion photographer. He has produced some video art and in future, he will experiment with mixed media.

“Commercially, I work as a fashion photographer,” he said. “The art side is very informed by my fashion background. I have worked with lots of fashion brands and I do portraits as well. Aesthetics is very important to my visual storytelling.

“I think when I started to deliberately use the art to express my self was sometime in 2012 when I started shooting the hats for theA ‘ re We Good Enough Series’.We live in a global village and topical issues in America resonates here. I decided to engage with different ideologies happening around the world and see through a Nigerian prism.Through the series, I try to challenge the idea of masculinity and what it means to be a man. I try to explore the idea of masculinity through what we wear. We know that what we wear means a lot of things to us. I want to use these hats as a sort of conversational starters as to who are these

and how do they see themselves when they wear it.’

The hats in the pictures came in different colours and sizes.The manner in which each piece is worn speaks volumes about the character of the wearer. For instance, the one titled, “I was Gonna Cancel’’ seemed to be inspired by the idea of men ghosting women.

Ogunbanwo offered more insight on this series with intriguing titles.

“It is me taking my culture and slapping the contemporary world-view into it,” he continued. Meanwhile, the series, “E Wa Wo Mi’’ takes an almost panoramic look on the culture of marriage ceremonies in Nigeria from the point of view of the brides who have diverse ethnic backgrounds that have been blurred by shared experiences.

“I am doing this as an observer. I am not a woman. I don’t know what it means to be a bride. But I have an idea of what some of these women go through that day and the rest of their lives as mothers and wives. It is just me taking very relatable cultural aesthetics to give contemporary meanings,’he said.

Highly influenced by the older generation of photographers in Nigeria such as J. D. Okhai

A work by the artist Ojeikere, Ogunbanwo loved the organic nature of their photography. Perhaps, this explains how he sources for his own materials to assemble a visually appealing collection in this show that runs till November 3.

“I have a plethora of hats. I bought some, I collected some from friends and I go to Nike Art Gallery to get some. I wear some of them,’he said.

Ogunbanwo’s show is a visual juxtapose of masculinity against a near-baroque styled feminine portraiture that unwittingly conveys a powerful statement on the unblemished African world view on gender.

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IMAGES

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here was great ovation as former Miss Oyindamola Akinterinwa joined Master Obiajulu Azinge in Holy Matrimony at Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 1004 Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently, followed by an elaborated reception.

Some of the personalities at the events are shown in the photographs below.

Photographs by Akinyele Abayomi

The couple, Obiajulu Azinge and Oyindamola (nee Akinterinwa )

Bride parent, Mrs. Remilekun Akinterinwa and her husband, Wale

Groomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, Professor Elaine Azinge and Rev. Fr. Peter Ehinmisan

L-R: Jagun Olu Ekun of Ile-Oluji, Oba Dr. Julius Olufaderin Adetimehin; his Olori Adetokunbo; and representative of Ondo State Gov. Akeredolu, Pastor Femi Agagu

Arc.(Sir) Dipo Ajayi and his wife, Lady Alaba

R-L: Princess. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and her husband, Justice Abiodun Adefulire

L-R: Odunwo of Ile-Oluji, High Chief Nathaniel Adesiyakan and Sasere of Ile-Oluji, High Chief Akinfolarin Adewale

L-R: Mr. Femi Oloketuyi and Mr. Tolu Adegbie

L-R: Engr. Remi Akinterinwa, Balogun Franes Akinterinwa, wife, Adenike and Mr. Ola duti Akinterinwa

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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IMAGES

L-R: Olawunmi Akinyanjuola, Professor Bola Akinterinwa and Mrs Pejuola Nee Akinterinwa

L-R: Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Dr. Ken Ikpe and Hon. Lucky Ayedatiwa

High Chief Esan Ogunleye and High Chief Mrs, Folake Ogunleye

L-R: Mr. Tunde Adeola and Mr. Bankole Oluwajana

L-R: Mrs. Maltida Adesiyakan and Mrs. Jumoke Akinfolarin

L-R: Gladys Martins and Titi Oloye

L-R: Yinka Salard Akinterinwa and Hon. Yemi Owolabi

L-R: Soji Adenihjhi and John Bede Anthonio

L-R: Mrs. Folake Philips, Mrs. Kike Fasola-Ikwe and Mrs Armide Akinkuotu

L-R: Kenny Osoba, Akinwale Ogunleye and Ayo Ogunleye

L-R: Moni Aroloye-Adetula, Funke Elegbede and Titi Adegboroijoye

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R หพ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye Email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

From Kogi, Impunity at Its Finest!

Penultimate Friday’s impeachment of Kogi State’s deputy governor, Simon Achuba, was a clear travesty of justice that could not stand all legal, political and moral tests. Olawale Olaleye writes

T

he political and legal rascality that took place in Kogi State recently, where former deputy governor Simon Achuba was wrongfully and illegally impeached by the state House of Assembly, obviously under the instruction of Governor Yahaya Bello and despite a panel’s report clearing Achuba of misdeeds, was not entirely new to the body polity.

What was new in the incident that happened penultimate Friday was that the same excesses that typified previous administrations considered highhanded by all definitions was allowed by the same administration that promised change in every sphere of the nation’s life.

Curiously, the more things change regardless of who or which party is in power, the more they stay the same. Thus, no matter the explanation or justification advanced in defence of the charade and show of shame in Kogi, it simply means it is the ‘same of same’ – whether it is Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan or Buhari.

Needless to say that Achuba and his principal, Governor Bello, have had issues for sometime and later peaked irreconcilably. What was Achuba’s sin?

He once advised the governor to learn to always carry everyone along, a development that did not go down well with the governor’s kitchen team led by his Chief of staff, Edward Onoja.

And subtly, the plot to edge him out of the equation started to gather momentum, first with Achuba’s security attaché withdrawn even as a sitting number two citizen in the state. Then, when sometime last year the governor was out of the country, he would rather hand over the reins of power to his ‘puppet speaker’ than have his spare lead the state in the period.

Not only that, they accused Achuba of frolicking with some PDP stalwarts in the lead up to the 2019 elections, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki to effectively sell their plan to the APC leadership and the presidency.

By this time, they had also suspended all statutory payments for the running of Achuba’s office. So, it was clear a decision had been made and there was no stopping the plan as it then was.

Without alluding to the roles played by the police and the state assembly in the entire charade, not to talk of the support Bello was believed to have received from both the presidency and the APC leadership, there was no doubting the fact impunity had become the oxygen that sustains the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels in the country.

Thus, when it was established that all the loose political and security ends had been tightened, the legal end was not a big deal – respect for the rule of law was an aberration – the state legislature swung into action, with a panel set up by the Chief Judge of the state as required by the laws of the land.

But to their shock and contrary to expectations, the panel cleared Achuba and discouraged the assembly from further going ahead – a position that is constitutionally established that the impeachment procedure should end or continue based on the panel’s report.

But because everything had been set except for the legal stamp, which was deemed a shoe-in, they probably did not bother to read the panel’s report, which unfortunately did not find Achuba guilty

Achuba...banking on Justice of the allegations. They went ahead regardless and impeached him as planned.

Days after Achuba’s impeachment, the long preferred man and former Chief of Staff, Onoja was sworn in, in what seemed to have also secured the blessings of the state’s judiciary, without which the swearing-in would have been impossible.

Naturally, the development had enraged everyone, including supporters of the APC and its government except of course the presidency and the APC leadership, which perhaps, had considered what happened as mere politics.

It, however, goes without admitting that what happened in Kogi was impunity at its finest. Although it is

also debatable to say it was unfortunate this happened under a government that professed change and a new way of thinking and doing things; that impunity has remained a character trait of the Muhammadu Buhari administration is equally trite and changes nothing, ultimately.

But the good in all of this is that no matter how long it takes, whether or not the president or the APC spoke out against it, this is travesty and it stands no chance in the temple of justice. The other good to this is that at the end of the day, it would have exposed the hypocrisy of the president and his party – a handy development suitable enough for posterity to document.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

F Maina

Setting the Maina Example!

ormer Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, who is currently standing trial for fraud in the region of billions, has refused to leave the news arena for all the wrong reasons.

From disappearing to reappearing and now an attempt to be smuggled out of detention by some operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS), his has become one case with special interest and must be treated as such.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the federal government is culpable in

the mess surrounding Maina’s abuse of privileges, the time has come, however, for government to see his case as one that could not be bungled otherwise the moral, legal and administrative burdens – all of which are attached to it cannot be runaway from.

It is clearly one of the celebrated cases of corruption in the country today, which has become needlessly notorious under Buhari and if government was looking for a scapegoat, his appears to have come handy, albeit having satisfied all investigative convictions that he was truly guilty.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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BRIEFINGNOTES The Fisayo Soyombo Challenge The story of Fisayo Soyombo, an investigative reporter, is a positive challenge to development journalism in the country, writes Olawale Olaleye

P

rofessional, adventurous, daring and of course, atypical of the spirit of the average Nigerian journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, had set a new standard in investigative reporting by exposing some of the sleaze that goes on in high places, making the Nigeria police stations and the prisons a citable example.

From framing himself with a non-existent offence, Ojo Olajumoke as he chose to be called for the period of the investigation, spent two weeks in detention, five days in a Police cell and eight more days as an inmate in Ikoyi Prison, just to track corruption in the nation’s criminal justice system, accounts which captured the moments of his arrest by the Police to the point of release from prison.

With fine expository prose delivered with lucid narratives, Soyombo told of his chilling experience in the first of this three-part series, which started with his feigned offence and culminated in his arrest and detention as well as his arraignment and eventual remand in prison.

Citing incontrovertible evidence, which combines both video and still pictures, he told of how the police perverted the course of justice in their quest to make money off suspects and subjected many to needless hardship, mostly by trampling on the laws that guide their operations.

Armed with bodycam and recording tools, mostly, his experience exposed many of the underhand dealings at the police stations, which involved practically all the officers regardless of their ranks.

His expose included alleged wrongful arrests, denial of bails, conflation of charges to increase bail sum, and alleged bribes for everything from the reception Soyombo...setting new standards in development journalism of visitors to phone charging of suspects.

With images of police cell, audio recording and footage of police as we made the short return trip to the counter. It was a walk of no officers receiving bribes, Soyombo has even made denial difficult for more than 50 metres, but by the way he held me, anyone would have the authorities and his story remains a compelling read for everyone, thought we were walking over a thousand kilometres and there was who seeks genuine reform in critical areas of the nation’s body polity the potential for escape. like the prisons.

“The complainant was already registering the case with a policeBut, first, how about a short trip to the introductory part of his woman by the time we returned, and soon after they were haggling experience at the station and in the hands of the police, who were over the fees. Chigozie Odo, the policewoman, had rejected his offer supposed to be his friends? of N500. After some five minutes of talking, he handed her a N1,000 “It cost only N500 for a policeman to arrest me, and N1,000 for note. Immediately the money touched her hand, Odo turned on me: another to hurl me into a cell. Of course they didn’t know I was a ‘Look at you. Fine boy like you; just look at yourself. Instead make you journalist; I had assumed a pseudonym and grown my hair long go find better work, you dey defraud people. Oya, come here!’ enough — for 10 months — to blend with artificial dreads. My locks “The suspects in the cell had gathered by the iron barricade, were tinted in gold and almost all my facial hair removed. hungering for an entrant, clinging to the bars and chillingly rolling “I cut the profile of the kind of youth the Police indiscriminately their eyes from the policewoman to me and then to the complainant. railroad into their notoriously ramshackle vans for no reason, My heart began to pound: Are they going to pummel me? Would for onward transfer to their cells. One look at me, and the typical they accept it if I offered some cash in exchange for beating? policeman would have mistaken me for a compulsive hemp smoker, “Odo stripped me of my shirt, singlet, belt, wristwatch, shoes and an incorrigible internet-fraudster, or a serial drug abuser. cash. ‘Look at his hair; na you gangan be Ruggedy Baba’, she said as “Therefore, it didn’t take too long after my arrest for me to begin she unlocked the cell and bundled me in. to see the Police in their true elements. My supposed offence was that “As I take my first steps into the cell gate, I immediately attempt someone had sold me a car worth N2.8million in November 2018; to ingratiate myself with my ‘new friends’ by asking what they however, after paying N300,000 cash, I began to avoid him — until I want — food or drink? It endears me to them, and the policewoman was eventually apprehended on Monday July 8. immediately proclaims me the new ‘leader’. It didn’t take quite long “Once I was arrested and whisked into an innocuously passing for the food to arrive; it was around 3pm or thereabouts and they danfo, I imagined I would be immediately taken to the cell of Pedro apparently hadn’t been fed that day yet. As they guzzle their food — Police Station, Shomolu, Lagos. But it wasn’t that straightforward. rice for some, bread for others — I embark on a quick, surreptitious I was first shoved behind the counter; and after half-an-hour, the survey of the cell.

Crime Officer (CO), Inspector Badmus, fetched me into a back office “To the right is a small opening housing a bathroom and a where I was grilled for close to two hours, culminating in a written latrine oozing with thick fecal stench, one I very quickly resolved my statement from me that represented his thoughts more than mine. buttocks would never near. To achieve this, I would eat only once “He asked me questions but only allowed me to write the daily — bread with a bottle of water or soft drink — throughout my answers that suited him; if the answers didn’t, he cut me short stay. Opposite it is the smallest of the inner cells. Lying awkwardly halfway. Afterwards, I was led to the expansive office of the on the floor is a mat too small to contain even one person; but every Divisional Police Officer (DPO), a tall, dark, rotund, middle-aged man night, five or six cross-breathing inmates share it. who pronounced me guilty in a matter of minutes. ‘This is one of the “Being the warmest inner cell, it proved the popular cell of many criminals destroying this city’, he yelled after a long, menacing choice — particularly at nighttime. Further ahead are two bigger cells, glance all over me. ‘Please hold him well!’ dingy and often damp, each measuring roughly 16 by 16 metres, with “Armed with this new order, the CO, who had been relatively fading, defaced blue walls. Holding my head in my hands, I slump civil all along, groped for my trousers then grabbed me by the waist

into one of the cells, enveloping myself with thoughts of the hardship to come.”

For a good grasp of the beauty of Soyombo’s adventure, the report is definitely a must read for everyone, not only because of the collective embarrassment it brings to all and the institutions – the police being the first line of defence – it could also provide serious insight into how some of the long sought reforms in that sector could be fixed.

It was understandable that the first and natural reaction of the prison authority was to threaten arrest of Soyombo, perhaps, to scare him and deter others from going on such adventure. Unfortunately, that was some serious misfire by an authority that was supposed to have immediately gone into serious rethink, meeting and consulting and of course, investigating the content of the report, which it has eventually resorted to.

Importantly, this has exposed the typical lackadaisical attitude of an average government official to work. They lack even the intuitive perception to smell rats – the basic intelligence to identify certain gadgets. They were helplessly and habitually laid back, the same manner they never see dangers coming their way or when attackers invade their stations.

There are certainly many things to learn from the Soyombo work and the lessons of his bravery cut across the board. Whilst the government should look into this first part, whilst the second and third are being awaited, to fix the obviously man-made challenges confronting the police and the prison systems, he has also provided a major challenge for journalism in the country beyond the currently thriving ‘junkalism’ that the social media is proliferating.

With seemingly obvious threat to his life since he has put the jobs of many on the line, this is the time for NIGERIA to stand up for what is right, at least for once, by supporting and protecting the young man, who took a lone initiative to save some of the many corrosive systems from themselves.

Without doubts, Soyombo is the face of the new age journalism.

He has broken barriers, crushed boundaries and set an enviable standard that all must aspire to, even though the Nigerian environment does not naturally support or encourage such adventures.

But the Soyombo challenge has become inevitable for all ‘genuine practitioners’ if journalism in this part of the world must stand to be counted and ‘junkalism’ put its place.

NOTES FOR FILE

What Does EFCC Want With Saraki?

Saraki

Apparently helpless when it comes to media trial of suspects, especially, since that appears to be the only thing that gives life to its operations, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), reportedly succeeded last week in deceiving a Federal High Court in Lagos to grant temporary forfeiture of Senator Bukola Saraki’s property on 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, following an ex-parte application.

Yet, the EFCC knew there was a subsisting order by the Federal High Court, Abuja, in which the same property was a subject of litigation and which the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Justice were parties. On what ground, therefore, did the EFCC rush to Lagos, when the Abuja court had specifically asked the EFCC to steer clear of the

matter pending the determination of the case.

Never known to be thorough in its investigations and always itching to bypass laid down procedures or rules to have its way, the EFCC has shown very clearly again why it largely remains a failure in all of its efforts. Apart from relishing in infantile media trial, where it delights in naming and shaming even the innocent, the EFCC has not created any striking impression since assuming office.

And with this latest development, the EFCC leadership has shown to want something else from the former Senate President – perhaps – its failure would remain eternal if it eventually left office without Saraki profiled as one of the victims of its miscarriage of justice. What a country!

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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SPECIAL/ISSUE

Buhari at a meeting with South-south governors...recently

Tackling the NDDC Conundrum President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that he would order a forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission is sure to open the Pandora’s box, writes Ernest Chinwo

R

ecently, President Muhammadu Buhari, during a meeting with governors of the South-south states, said he would order a forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) since its inception.

The President’s decision was premised on the fact that the commission’s performance in terms of projects did not justify the huge resources that had accrued to it. Buhari’s concern was however felt by many.

The NDDC has over the years gotten budgetary allocations in hundreds of billions. Indeed, in 2014, it proposed a budget of N322.6 billion. Also, in 2018, the National Assembly passed a budget of N346.5 billion for the commission, a budget that was also replicated in 2010.

According to that budget, the NDDC was to spend N19.5 billion on personnel cost, N12.7 billion on overhead, N20.88 billion on capital expenditure while N311.4 billion was for development projects of the commission.

While the commission has argued that many oil and gas companies that are by the Act establishing the NDDC, supposed to remit a percentage of their budget to the commission, had refused to do so, the performance of the interventionist agency has not been encouraging either.

The commission has, unfortunately, created for itself an image of a “settlement” agency – out to dispense political goodwill to agents of the government in power.

It is also sad that the commission has for many years not been able to complete its own corporate headquarters despite pronouncements by its successive leadership that that project was a priority.

All the NDDC has to show for its headquarters in Port Harcourt is mere cosmetic cleaning of the project site as if serious work was ongoing there.

The youth and the docile have also cashed on the image of the commission to besiege the Aba Road, Port Harcourt temporary headquarters on a daily basis to force the management of the commission to give them their “share” of the resources.

When organised youth bodies or ex-agitators of the region are not barricading the entrance to force a meeting with the management, the physically challenged are there to disrupt the flow of traffic on the ever-busy road to press home their demands.

But apart from these organised groups, visitors to the head office are daily harassed by young men, who hang around the gate and accost any visitor for their “own share from the contract” the person had gone to do at the commission.

Indeed, a visitor stands the risk of being robbed or manhandled if his/her pocket or hand is suspected to contain money. And this happens in the full view of the motley of security personnel massed up at the entrance.

Perhaps, it was on this premise that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, accused the commission of failing to deliver on its mandate.

He declared that the NDDC has failed to deliver on its core mandate of the development of the region, because the commission has become a political institution where funds are used for political purposes.

The governor was of the opinion that the federal government deliberately might have refused to constitute the NDDC Governors’ Advisory Committee, knowing that many of the South-south states were under the control of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wike spoke during a courtesy visit by the former acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Nelson Braimbaifa.

He said: “NDDC has become a political institution where money is set aside for politics. Mention one mega project by the NDDC anywhere in Rivers State.

“The only mega project, the Mother and Child Hospital, which was to be a joint project, the NDDC duped the Rivers State Government. For the Mother and Child Hospital, we paid our counterpart fund and NDDC paid nothing. We have taken over the project, yet the NDDC has refused to refund our money. If the NDDC fails to refund our counterpart fund in seven days, we will drag the Commission to court”.

The governor regretted that any prominent politician in the South-south, who wanted to be a governor, was appointed a managing director of NDDC and that such politicians were allowed to siphon development funds, only to resign two weeks to the election.

The governor said NDDC could not make significant impact in Niger Delta Communities, because the states were never involved in the siting and design of projects.

He posited that NDDC could only make progress, if the governments of Niger Delta States were involved in the process of project location and design.

“They have refused to constitute the governors’ board since 2015, because majority of the South-south States are controlled by the PDP. “Nineteen years after establishment, the NDDC is still constructing its headquarters. All the participating states have no mega projects. The NDDC was designed to help the Niger Delta grow, but that is not the situation on ground. Can we justify the funds that have passed through the NDDC?” he queried.

“It is a shame that what our people in the Niger Delta fought for is not what is on ground at the NDDC. You claim to have over 1,000 projects in Rivers State and we are still where we are today,” he stated.

He therefore advised the management of the NDDC to go back to the drawing board to fashion out ways to site mega projects in the states covered by the commission as the current piecemeal projects would not help to develop the region.

Wike might have spoken for Rivers State. But his claims were not different from the experiences of other states.

The NDDC, in Rivers State, just as in other states covered by the commission, had been involved in award of contracts for municipal roads and other roads that lead mostly to places where its directors have property or other interests; projects that ordinar-

ily should fall within the purview of the states or local government councils.

Unfortunately, the same is true for both the management controlled by the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Last Tuesday, a transparency and responsive governance advocacy group, The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), said forfeiture of the Port Harcourt palatial house owned by former NDDC Director of Finance and Administration, Henry Ogiri, to federal government on orders of the court justified Buhari’s order for a deep probe of the commission.

Head, Assets Forfeiture, EFCC Port Harcourt Zone, Oseni Kazeem, took the civil society group and some journalists on a tour of 29, New Haven Street, New GRA, Port Harcourt, where they inspected a 16-room mansion of detached story buildings forfeited by former NDDC Director, Finance and Administration, Ogiri.

Kazeem declared at the New Haven spot that, “This property formerly belonged to Ogiri, former director in NDDC. We investigated, prosecuted him and this is one of the properties he forfeited finally, to federal government. Currently, it is under our close watch so people won’t vandalise it pending final disposal,

by FG.” Ogiri was a member of the PDP, when he served before defecting to the APC when Buhari assumed office as president.

Chairman, HEDA Resource Centre, Suraju Olanrewaju, on Ogiri’s forfeited home, said, “This is giving credence to FG’s directive that the whole NDDC be audited. A director of finance, just one person, can have this palatial building that is only akin to what you will see in the Arabian Peninsula. He built it to his taste at the expense of the Niger Delta.”

Definitely, there are many Ogiris while the region suffers.

The same officers would claim there is no money to carry out development projects in the region. But the paucity of funds never affected their personal projects from ill-acquired funds from the commission.

Curiously, the NDDC has blamed lack of funding for its failure to meet its obligations in the development of the region.

In 2013, it blamed funding challenges for the delay in the completion of over 4,000 on-going projects being executed by the commission in the region. This was part of the key points highlighted, when the commission defended its N322.6 billion 2014 budget before the Senate Committee on the NDDC in Abuja.

Then Managing Director of the interventionist agency, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, told the committee that the funding of the commission had not been completely in line with the provisions of the act establishing the NDDC. This, he said, had posed a serious challenge in achieving the mandate given to the commission.

The same excuse is being recycled even when some of the corporate bodies that refused to fulfill their obligations as stated by the NDDC Act have started complying.

While many analysts welcome Buhari’s forensic probe, there are fears that since the probe could also affect some of his key party men, it could be a stillbirth to protect the integrity, if any, of his footmen. But should the audit be carried out, it promises to open the pandora’s box, even to the shock of the president.

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CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

Nigerian military at the war front

DRAMA IN NATION’S WAR THEATRE

Nigerian Army Asking for Own Air Power The Nigerian Army recently blamed the lack of air power as the reason for the prolonged battle with the Boko Haram insurgents, putting the Nigerian Air Force under the watch of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Siddique Baba Abubakar, on the spot over a war that has dragged on for 11 years. Louis Achi examines the issues

B

ritish war hero and former Prime Minister, Winston Churchill succinctly captured the essence of air power in defending a modern state, when he said, “Not to have an adequate air force in the present state of the world is to compromise the foundations of national freedom and independence.”

Churchill’s insight enjoys historical validation by the fact that air power, a fundamental component of a nation’s armed forces, remains a decisive and critical factor in determining the outcome of any war.

Does this scenario validate the recent pitch by the Nigerian Army that it needs its own ‘air force’ to quickly and finally bring the Boko Haram insurgents to her knees and wrap up the long-drawn military campaign?

Maj. Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, could not have spoken on such weighty matter without top-echelon clearance, specifically from the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

Adeniyi assumed command of the military’s counter-insurgency operation about three months ago.

According to him, the lack of army aviation was responsible for its inability to defeat the insurgents.

He made this revelation while receiving the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Army, led by Senator Ali Ndume, which visited Maiduguri, for a two-day oversight assignment at the front line, a fortnight ago.

Adeniyi said, “The only thing that needs to be given to the army now is Nigeria Army Aviation with its own helicopters. There is a way you solve a problem that will change the game. The army needs combat helicopters to end the Boko Haram war. If we have it, it will not be deployed like air force assets, air force jets, which are for bigger strategic goals.

“These helicopters will sleep with us in the trenches; they will be with us in the frontline. These helicopters and the rifles are dispatched together. I know this has been on the table for years. When this is done, Nigeria can forget about the deadly Islamic sect.”

Continuing, he stated, “Let me say Boko Haram is not a formidable force. They are not strong. They

cannot sustain 15 minutes of intensive firing. I personally exchanged (gunfire) with Boko Haram in Marte, in Delta, in Gubio as deputy theatre commander and as theatre commander. Please go and tell Abuja that the terrorists are not a formidable force that the military cannot defeat.”

Adeyemi spoke more on the army’s request for its own combat helicopters, separate from those of the air force, explaining that unlike the air force jets, the army aviation helicopters would perform more critical roles during attacks but conceded that NAF was doing well.

“The air force is doing a wonderful job, but their reach is too long. It is what we call close air support that is needed,” the military officer explained.

The Nigerian Army is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces and is responsible for land warfare operations.

Buratai is not a frivolous soldier and enjoys the reputation of being a very focused and disciplined professional.

He has brought these qualities to bear on his command, under obviously very challenging conditions. In effect, he must have weighty reasons for seeking army aviation, a footing, which seemingly clashes with the extant structural philosophy of the nation’s armed forces.

But many, rightly or wrongly, are reading more into the army’s recent pitch for creating its own air power to effectively defeat the deadly Boko Haram insurgency.

Does this position signal a further ratcheting up in the undeniable inter-service rivalry, which has measurably impeded seamless security services delivery in the country?

Though both are great professionals, there have been serial speculations that the army and air force bosses have been waging below-the-radar supremacy skirmishes. Beyond alleged juggling for who will snag the presidential badge of honour, there is also insider talk that the duo are also scheming to succeed the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonishakin, but these firmly remain in the realm of speculations.

The traditional structure of much of the world’s armed forces is that usually, the air force forms the aerial offensive/defensive leg of the military triad - army, navy and air force.

The exceptions to this general rule occur in superpower status countries like the US, Russia and a few others, where the land army could have its own close support aerial or even naval units for special assignments. Usually, national air forces deliver both tactical and strategic strike capabilities to military forces it works in synergy with.

In the face of apparent encroachment into its statutory turf, Nigeria’s air force is clearly unwilling to permit grass to grow under its nimble wings and has strongly countered the army’s pitch.

In its reaction to the army’s proposal to Abuja, to create “army aviation”, a senior source in the air force told THISDAY that Maj. Gen. Adeyemi did not comprehend basic air power principles.

“The senior officer does not fully comprehend basic air power principles if he refers to the NAF as a strategic air force rather than a tactical air force. In the first place, no one is against the Nigerian Army having the aviation wing. But the nation cannot afford that, given the economic situation.

“There must be an economy of effort. Does the army have the required wherewithal to deal with the actions on the ground? Are there sufficient armored vehicles as well as support (equipment)? This is the area where the senior army officer should have focused on,” a senior air force officer stated.

The source pointed out, “Sorry to say the senior officer appears to be oblivious of the imperative resources - financial, material and otherwise, required to maintain helicopters to effectively provide the support he so craves for.

“He alluded to the fact that if given army aviation, the army will land its helicopters behind the trenches. This, to say the least, is ludicrous. And, of course, there are no parallels to such as he has neither considered the logistics requirements of providing fuel, oil and other lubricants, ready, in-between sorties and service maintenance requirements, as well as other considerations such as on the ground support services.”

The NAF source went through some air assets the air force had acquired and suggested that the nation cannot afford army aviation.

“It is evident that the senior officer displayed the nu-

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ËŞ Ë?

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Continued from Pg. 76

Buratai

Abubakar

Boko Haram insurgents laying ambush ances of the employment of the airpower.

The nation cannot afford it. Within the past four to five graders the NAF has taken delivery of several aircraft types,â&#x20AC;? he explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Apart from the Alfa jets, F7NI, and L-39ZA aircraft that conduct air interdiction (strike) missions and in some cases provide close air support to troops, the NAF also has an array of helicopters most of which were procured during this administration. These include the Mi35M, Mi35p, A109 Power, Super Puma Mi17, amongst others â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that provide close air support, tactical air logistics in supply as well as medevac/casevac to troops. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The NAF is also expecting additional two attack helicopters and one utility helicopter from Italy, which have been paid for and are on the verge of being delivered, as well as MI3m helicopters.

Moreover, 12 Supper Tucano light attack aircraft, which is considered as one of the best aircraft for containing terrorist and counter-insurgency operations, which has been successfully employed in combat

with amazing results in Afghanistan and some countries in South America.â&#x20AC;?

Insisting that the air force is very capable of discharging its statutory function, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;With all this, the NAF is more than capable in providing air support for ground troops to achieve desired results. In my view, what is required is a tweaking of the tactics on the ground.

The terrorists do that because they have no airpower, hence they do not have undue advantage over our well-trained Nigerian military troops. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a need to look at the tactics, the equipment and more especially, the morale of the troops on the ground.

I think this is where the theater commander should look at rather than put his eye on the NAF. It will at least raise morale.â&#x20AC;?

Significantly, Abubakar has bought unstintingly into Churchillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy of building a competent air force to guard the â&#x20AC;&#x153;foundations of national freedom and independenceâ&#x20AC;?.

With a vision shaped by a deep

understanding of history, Abubakar has fundamentally repositioned the air force, a body previously beset by significant deficits in funding, equipment, logistics and updated combat doctrine in a new-tocountry conflict.

Today, NAF is far better prepared to confront and defeat the foe, on multiple fronts and perhaps, more important, remains firmly apolitical. For example, the obvious gains over the stubborn insurgency and militancy in the North-East, being recorded by the military cannot be fully appreciated without recognizing the inputs of the Nigerian Air Force.

More specifically, after taking over the command and control cockpit of the NAF, Air Marshall Siddique has dramatically altered the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s air force narrative by gradually creating a highly professional and disciplined force via capacity building initiatives for effective, efficient and timely employment of air power in response to Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national security needs.

NAFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focussed acquisition of new

platforms and reactivation of existing ones, under Abubakarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s watch in much of the last four years, has proven to be pivotal in the significant grounds covered by the nation in the battle against terrorism and other shades of criminality.

By boldly tweaking NAFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organizational structure and expansion of its manpower strength, the force has recorded considerable progress in the crucial arenas of boosted professionalism, research, and development, human capacity development and personnel welfare enhancement.

Just recently, the air force winged its first female jet fighter pilot and first female combat helicopter pilot.

Against this background, the new campaign by the army for its own army aviation suggests high-level dissonance or mistrust within the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s armed forces and the emerging stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; consensus is that it must be resolved speedily. This is the territory of the commander-in-chief and chief of defence staff.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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CICERO/REPORT

As Bayelsa, Kogi Governorship Elections Close In...

Emmanuel Addeh and Ibrahim Oyewale give an update on the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi State respectively

W

ith November 16 staring the nation in the face especially given the high stakes, it sure promises to be one interesting election in the two states of Bayelsa and Kogi, certainly with differing peculiarities defining each state.

Although it is going to be a two-horse race in both states, in Bayelsa, for instance, the two leading political parties – All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – have their peculiar challenges with the PDP dealing with the most complex situation.

Kogi isn’t quite distinct, indeed, the ruling APC in the state, with all its federal might and support, has a lot more difficulties to contend with than the opposition PDP – a majority of them self-inflicted.

However, with less than three weeks to the elections believed to be crucial to both parties, the political equations in both states are not entirely fluid anymore as positioning and extrapolations are fast taking shape. This is why this update comes instructive, preparatory to the D-day.

Bayelsa:AChaoticWalktoNovember16

Campaign trails are routinely cancelled without prior notice. In some instances, when they hold, they are queerly chaotic – a pure mess.

There’s rarely any conscious effort at ensuring that things are orderly.

Muddy or ill-prepared campaign grounds, disorderly traffic and general lack of organisation have been the hallmarks of the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa, almost looking like the date is crawling upon the actors like a thief, who probably does not know the weight of the task before him.

Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) look like the process was foisted upon them.

With roughly three weeks to the polls, community and voters’ engagements are still far and apart. The most prominent feature in the entire process has been untamed mudslinging.

APC remains reclusive, even colourless, PDP looks like it’s falling apart. Boredom seems to have set in so early. Citizens appear disinterested or worse still, uninterested in the entire process, one that will determine what happens in the oil-rich, but poverty-stricken state in the next four years. Even the media savvy residents of the state, it appears, do not know what the clear plans and programmes of PDP’s Douye Diri and APC’s David Lyon are. One is vowing to continue the incumbent’s ‘legacies’, the other pledges to blot them out. It’s almost like both major political parties are waiting for voters to figure things out themselves. The political atmosphere remains hazy, looking like how not to run campaigns.

For instance, the opposition APC vaguely promises to provide 24-hours power supply when they take over the governance of the state, without telling the people how they intend to achieve it. The ruling PDP jeers at them, telling them how much of jokers they are by not understanding the burden and intricacies of governance. Then the back and forth continues.

No movement, just motion.

At best, it looks like a circus show. A politician announces that he was defecting from the PDP to the APC, creates a lot of social media buzz. Three days later, he is seen with Governor Seriake Dickson, being patted, like a father to an angry son. He issues a statement that he has returned to the PDP, citing a breakdown in communication.

All hot air, no substance!

APC, through its stooges insist that the PDP candidate, Diri, is a serial lawbreaker, going as far as petitioning the Code of Conduct Bureau that the senator, many years back, as Deputy Chief of Staff and Principal Executive Secretary to Dickson, failed to declare his assets.

One Joseph Ambekederemor and Tony Ile appear to be in the forefront of the groups pushing for Diri’s prosecution for breaking the law.

In return, the PDP describes the APC candidate, Lyon, an Agip contractor, of being responsible for many unexplained crimes using funds from his oil surveillance contracts.

The infighting within both parties continued to fester. For the APC, former Minister, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who was tipped to win the party primaries and Preye Aganaba, a businessman may hold the key to whether Lyon, pronounced Lion by his Ijaw folks, is eventually

Governor Dickson campaigns with Senator Diri declared valid candidate of the party or not.

Both are urging the court to quash the primaries that produced Lyon as the APC standard bearer. Many fear that if the court heeds their plea, APC could be in for another Rivers or Zamfara treatment.

On the other hand, the problems within the PDP too are taking too long to resolve with just about 21 days to the election. Mr. Timi Alaibe, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and frontline governorship aspirant, who has just succeeded in moving his case from a Yenagoa court to Abuja for ‘security reasons’, is praying the judiciary to declare that Diri’s election was not valid.

He maintains that many of the delegates to the primaries, where he emerged second, were not qualified to participate. Alaibe says he believes that the process was rigged against him ab initio by the governor and his ‘restoration’ team. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who perhaps feels wounded by his inability to have any input in who emerged the PDP’s candidate as well as his running mate, Lawrence Ewhrujakpo, continue to stand aloof, refusing to campaign for the party. A peace committee set up by the party at the national level led by former Kwara Governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, seems not to have made much progress as feelers are that both Alaibe and Jonathan remain adamant.

While the bickering continues, the major power brokers in the PDP and APC appear to have moved base to Abuja for uncertain reasons instead of mobilising the seemingly docile electorate for the important poll, throwing jibes at each other from the country’s capital.

False alarm or not, the PDP continues to insist that the APC government at the centre is doing everything to undermine the credibility of the election by unleashing terror on its people and attempting to forcibly take over the state. The party then listed instances where the APC had violently muzzled the loyalists of the PDP and without consequences.

PDP chairman in the state, Moses Cleopas, stated that in other climes, the police would be parading the criminal elements to use it as deterrence to others during the election.

Cleopas was reacting to an allegation by the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, that the PDP in Bayelsa had begun stockpiling arms to unleash mayhem during the November 16 governorship poll.

But Doifie Buokoribo, Bayelsa APC Spokesman maintains that the allegations by PDP are the “ranting of a panic-stricken party rocked by greed and fear of failure owing to its own poor performance.”

But if anything, not a few hold the view that if the election is to be wholly owned by the people, both the PDP and the APC must wake up and rev up their almost lethargic campaigns in the last couple of weeks, review their strategy and run a more colourful and decent campaign.

Kogi:BattlingtheInsidePlagues

As the battle for supremacy and struggle to retain the status quo by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and win the governorship election in Kogi State gathers momentum, the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP is not leaving any stone unturned as it had intensified plot to unseat Governor Yahaya Bello in the November 16 gubernatorial election.

No doubt the political landscape in the Confluence State has been a beehive of activities in the preceding weeks, the ruling APC was more noticeable for deftly moving to ensure that Bello is reelected for second term. The week also witnessed gale of defections as many prominent members of the opposition PDP from various senatorial districts joined the APC and drummed support for the party and its candidate.

For instance, the Kogi West Political submit group has vowed to support Bello to strengthen the chances of the district to take the governorship slot in 2023 The people of Kogi West senatorial district, comprising 7 local governments, while endorsing Bello stressed that their support for him was burnout of their determination to further espouse their political emancipation in the next dispensation and actualise their ambition to govern the state. Interestingly, some of the developments designed to shape the coming election included the brazen and unconstitutional impeachment of former Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, who has been facing certain challenges since 2017.

But this, the political pundits had described as a miscarriage of justice by the Kogi State House Assembly, which in itself had become a veritable tool for various abuse.

Whatever was the rationale behind the sack of the deputy governor, it is the thinking of many that the timing was wrong, pointing out that even if the APC had done the enough home work to curtail all the crises creating disaffection with the rank and file of party members, discretion was of the essence.

Achuba’s impeachment followed the submission of the panel’s report set up by the state chief judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against the former deputy governor.

House Leader, Hassan Bello Abdulahi, representing Ajaokuta State Constituency, who announced the decision of the assembly said Achuba stood impeached after careful consideration of the report of the John Bayasea committee submitted last Friday.

But Achuba has described the impeachment as illegal, unconstitutional, null and and void, which could not stand the test of time and therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to beam searchlight on the level of lawlessness going on in Kogi to prevent the emergence of another insurgency.

The former deputy governor stated that he had already instructed his legal counsel

to commence judicial process to reclaim his mandate and put an end to executive lawlessness in the state. He lamented that he was treated like a common criminal, when police were drafted to prevent entry and exit from his official residence, while electricity to his house was disconnected and his generator disabled.

While the impeachment has been trailed by controversy, leader of the Assembly, Abdulahi, in a statement on behalf of members accused the judicial panel of inquiry of compromise in the assignment given to them.

He said based on the “Rule of Procedure” given to members of the panel, their assignment was a fact-finding one, and were not required to give any resolution.

“The panel submitted report to us and based on their report, we gave our verdict. The rule of procedure says that the Panel is a fact-finding panel; they are not to give judgment and it was in the rule of procedure, which they accepted.

They are not supposed to give any verdict in this circumstance.

“The decision of whether the deputy governor is guilty or not guilty is that of the House. If you look at Section 188(11), it says the House of Assembly is the only authority, which determines what gross misconduct is. It is not for the panel to say proved or not proved.”

However, the PDP, despite its challenges is making frantic efforts to ensure total victory for governorship election. Though the conciliatory efforts in Kogi State has yet to yield expected results.

Only recently one of the aggrieved aspirants had decried the reconciliation committee’s comment, which described the matter as family affairs. The Campaign organisation of Abubarka Ibrahim was also worried by the recent newspaper report that a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Idris, being his father and father-in-law to Musa Wada, candidate of the party, was crucial to the resolution of the PDP crisis.

“Our principal is not a villain as being painted in some quarters. He felt shortchanged in a democratic exercise and he followed party procedure to seek redress. Sadly, the party neither acknowledged nor addressed his complaints.

“Abubakar Ibrahim is a peace-loving and law abiding politician, who hates cheating and believes in the rule of law. His decision to seek justice in the court is well within the ambits of his rights as a citizen of Nigeria. Since 2003, when he joined the PDP, he has been a loyal and dedicated member.” It also observed that the primary and the manner he was treated like an underdog, the judiciary remains the only place he could seek redress over his grievances.

“The future of any political organisation is in God’s hand. The Ibrahim Idris political family is not playing God, but rather believes all groups are important and should be treated equally and fairly. Over the years, the group has displayed unbridled loyalty and dedication to the PDP.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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FROMTHECOURT

How Kogi’s Chief Judge Desecrated Rule of Law The role played by the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, in the impeachment of the former Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, and the swearing-in of Edward Onoja as a replacement, will continue to resonate for a long time as ignoble, Davidson Iriekpen writes

F

ormer Kogi State Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, may have been impeached from office and Edward Onoja was sworn in as a replacement, but the role played by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasiru Ajanah, in the entire saga would always remain a sour point in the whole drama that played out. To date, many observers are wondering why a panel set up by the chief judge to investigate Achuba would clear him of wrongdoing, yet he still went ahead to encourage his removal from office by swearing in another person as a replacement.

Recall that after the state House of Assembly levelled allegations of gross misconduct against the Achuba, Justice Ajanah was mandated to constitute a panel to investigate offences. Promptly, the chief judge set up a panel chaired by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. John Baiyeshea. Other members of the panel were retired Justice S.S. Idalu, U.O. Onoja, E.I. Omuya, both lawyers, Rev. Z.O. Asun, Mohammed Ada Shuaibu, an engineer, and Dr. I. Ndagi Adamu.

While the allegations against Achuba ranged from financial misconduct to scandalizing the government and people of the state, the panel in its report titled: ‘Panel Investigating Allegations of Gross Misconduct against Deputy Governor of Kogi State: Report of Panel, Volume 3’, dismissed one after the other, the six-point allegations on the grounds that none of the charges against him was substantiated by the state House of Assembly.

This left many analysts wondering on what grounds did the assembly find the constitutional backing to remove the governor from office?

For instance, in hearing the petition, the Baiyeshea panel said it was guided by section 188 of the 1999 Constitution in considering the facts, evidence, regulations, laws and all materials placed before it, adding that, “the issue for determination was whether the allegations of misconduct against the deputy governor as contained in the notice of allegations of misconduct have been proved by the complainant”.

One after the other, it analyzed the allegations: On the allegations of financial misconduct and non-compliance with extant financial regulations and fiscal responsibility applicable to the state, the panel held that the allegations were not proved because it could not attach probate value to the documents tendered by the complainant as proof of the allegation. It further held that the allegation of financial impropriety was not established because vouchers to prove that the deputy governor actually collected money were not placed before it, a condition which was fatal to the allegation.

On the second charge, which bordered on deliberate disdain for the decision of the Kogi State Executive Council on the mode of execution of contracts between the state and third parties, the panel held that failure of the complainant to lead any evidence in that direction made the allegation deemed abandoned and is consequently not proved.

On the allegation of absconding from office and abandonment of official duties and functions, the panel also held that the allegation, like previous ones, was not proved.

In dismissing the fourth allegation, which bordered on scandalizing the state government, the panel held that the evidence by the complainant fell short of the required minimum standard of acceptable proof. Similarly, on the allegation that the governor ridiculed the state by making a public claim of his unpaid salaries, the panel held that failure of the complainant to present publication of his letters by his lawyers was fatal to the case.

It stated that the complainant did not place anything before it to show that the claim of the deputy governor was not true.

In conclusion, the panel held: “In line with section 188(8) of the Constitution quoted herein before, we hereby report to the Kogi State House of Assembly that the allegations contained in the notice of allegations admitted in evidence by this panel as exhibit C7 have not been proved.”

Just like in Kogi, when attempts were made to impeach the then Governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura, in 2014 by the House of Assembly, the state’s chief judge set up a seven-man panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him.

At the end of the panel’s sitting, it cleared him of any wrongdoings.

The assembly was also given 24 hours to appear before the panel and substantiate allegations made

Ajanah...Is he for or against the law? against the governor.

The Chairman of the panel, Yusuf Usman, during the proceedings, made reference to section 7 (c) of the panel guideline, which stipulated that where the assembly fails to appear and lead evidence on the allegations, the panel, upon proof of service may dismiss the allegations.

Usman noted that the panel had during its inaugural sitting given the lawmakers a 24-hour window opportunity to appear and substantiate their case against the governor.

“The rule of natural justice and our criminal laws put the onus of proof on the complainant and failure to which the accused is deemed innocent.

“The House has failed to advance evidence on the allegations, therefore the panel agrees with the prayer of the governor’s counsel and has decided to dismiss the charges against the governor,” he stated.

Consequently, Al-Makura was saved and the impeachment process against him was dropped.

This is why observers are wondering why the Kogi chief judge would deliberately indulge in the illegality of swearing in a new deputy governor when the panel he set up did not indict or in any way order the removal of Achuba. They also wondered why the chief judge did not refuse to make himself available for the swearing-in by abiding with Section 188(8) of the 1999 Constitution which states: “Where the panel report to the House of Assembly that the allegation has not been proved, no further proceedings shall be taken in respect of the matter”.

An investigation by THISDAY revealed that when Achuba was impeached, the state government was faced with an uphill task of getting the deputy governordesignate sworn in as required by the Constitution.

Sensing that Justice Ajanah who had equally survived an attempt by Bello to remove him from office, is an adherent to the spirit and letters of the Constitution, there was suspense in the state over who will administer the oath of office on Onoja since it was difficult for the state government to approach him for the task. It was further learnt that they were even working on permutations on how to inaugurate Onoja without the chief judge.

Section 185 (2) of the Constitution provides thus: “the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of office shall be administered by the Chief Judge of the State or Grand

Khadi of the Sharia Court Appeal of the State, if any, or president of the Customary Court of Appeal of the State, if any, or the person for the time being respectively appointed to exercise the functions of any of those offices in any state.”

Added to this, most of the judges were scared of getting sanctioned by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for acts considered to run contrary to the letters and provisions of the Constitution. Sources said some political forces started shopping for either an amenable judge or the President of the Customary Court to swear in the new deputy governor.

But how the chief judge finally succumbed to pressure remains a mystery. Even the chairman of the panel, Baiyeshea, was said to have expressed disappointment given the fact that his panel did not indict Achuba. He added that the action was a violation of constitutional provisions.

“This is the most bizarre thing that I have ever heard in my life. We submitted the report to the Speaker around 1p.m. and I left Lokoja for Abuja. I was at Gwagwalada area when one of the panel’s members who had not left Lokoja called to tell me that he saw it on television that the deputy governor had been impeached.

“As far as the report that we submitted to the House of Assembly is concerned, the committee returned the decision that all the allegations were not proved. What the constitution said by section 188(8) is that, ‘once the panel returns a verdict like that. No further proceedings can be taken on it,” Baiyeshea said.

This is why observers are calling on the NJC to ensure that Justice Ajanah is sanctioned for what they described as his “ignoble role” in the entire saga. Most senior lawyers who spoke with THISDAY on the condition of anonymity said it was a disgrace and desecration of the rule of law.

“I am just wondering how Justice Ajanah would feel if he heard that a suspect he discharged and acquitted in a case was taken to prison on account of the same case.

This is simply how bad the impeachment saga is and it very unfortunate that the same him would allow himself to be used to swear in the new deputy governor when he knows that the former did not do anything wrong,” said one of the lawyers.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

CICERO/REPORT

Kayode Fayemi, One Year After ItisayearsinceGovernorKayodeFayemireturnedtopowerinEkitiStateandtherecordsofhisachievements are indicative of his administration’s readiness to take the state to the next level, writes Shola Oyeyipo

O

ctober 16, 2019 marked exactly one year since Dr. Kayode Fayemi returned to the saddle as Governor of Ekiti State, and as expected, it also comes as a period of critical evaluation of the impacts of the administration within the period under review.

No doubt, as much as there are many, who have rolled out the drums in praise of the Governor Fayemi administration for its numerous achievements, there are one or two others who remained critical of the government and one of such is the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which described the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government as a colossal failure with no visible achievements to showcase to the populace.

In the estimation of the opposition party, the several billions of naira collected as allocations to the state from the federal government by the governor has been grossly mismanaged.

But to put a lie to PDP’s delusion, Fayemi’s predecessor, Peter Ayodele Fayose, on Tuesday, congratulated the governor as he marked one year in office.

Fayose wrote thus on his verified twitter handle: “Your Excellency, Kayode Fayemi, I wish you well as you celebrate your one year anniversary in office, hopefully with ‘visible projects’ that will speak for you tomorrow. Above all, Your Excellency, I am not eligible to contest Ekiti Guber, so let’s have some peace.”

Whatever evaluation anyone has for the government, there is a well-documented achievements of Fayemi-led administration under the broad five-policy pillars tagged, ‘Starting Strong’, which encompass good governance, agriculture and Rural development, social investments, knowledge economy and infrastructure and industrial development The APC leadership in Ekiti State, which delights in the fact that good, accountable, transparent and inclusive governance has been the hallmark of the Fayemi leadership, claimed government has ensured that the people have access to information Fayemi laying the foundation for the Ministry of Justice office complex on government services, participating in the budgetary process and feeling tangible impact of governance in farmers across the 16 LGAs. their local communities.

Further to improve agriculture, four truckloads of fertilisers In commemoration of the first year anniversary of the were sold at subsidised-controlled price, road verges across all government, the APC leadership noted that Governor Fayemi LGAs were cleared, rice farmers were trained at IITA Ibadan and has remained committed to building institutions, human capacity quality rice seeds were provided to them to boost rice production and empowering the civil service for sustainability in delivering in the state and all paperwork to commence construction of the dividends of democracy to every Ekiti resident, irrespective of over 160 rural farm to market roads to open up over 500 rural class, creed or status. communities and farmsteads was signed.

Some of the tangible actions already taken under the governance pillar include among other things, commencement of Fayemi is ever passionate about social investments. He monthly payment of gratuity to retiree with increased allocation committed so much energy to it during his first term in office from N10million to N100million monthly, regular and prompt and is not relenting on that even now. His position has always payment of salaries, payment of severance allowance to past been that a healthy, motivated and socially secure people are the public office holders reopening of the Broadcasting Service of greatest asset of a nation.

Ekiti State (BSES) by the National Broadcasting Corporation after Hence, in Ekiti State, the welfare and well-being of the people the state government intervention and upgrading of the BSES is Governor Fayemi’s focus and this informed the continuous complex. investment in healthcare, employment, soft loans and social safety There has been capacity building for various cadres of civil nets by his administration, in partnership with national and global servants, including Government House drivers, information development initiatives and institutions like the World Bank, and press officers, tax officers and others, passage of various Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), European Union (EU) and others. laws including the Autonomy Bill of Ekiti Board of Internal Some of the ongoing actions under this particular pillar include Revenue Law, 2019 to boost internal revenue generation and free health care services for children from 0-5years, free health enhance optimum collection of all taxes, levies, which are used in care services for aged from 65 and above, free antenatal and providing for infrastructure across the state. postnatal care for pregnant women, free training for traditional The government implemented the Treasury Single Account birth attendants, provision of treated mosquito nets to combat (TSA) via Remita Payment Platforms across the state to for malaria, 10,000 free delivery kits provided in primary healthcare transparent and accountable revenue collection in the state, while centers and automatic employment for 43 graduates of College of three Permanent Secretaries, who were unjustly demoted by the Medicine to boost doctor/patient ratio.

Fayose administration were reinstated.

Others are free health outreach mission to all 16 LGAs as well In the aspects of agriculture and rural development, being as the core rural areas in Ekiti State, free screening for all cataract a state blessed with very fertile vegetation and with farming patients and cataract surgery for over 500 citizens, flag-off of being the main occupation of a majority of its residents, as a basic healthcare provision fund programme, flag-off of National matter of priority, growing the agribusiness, improving the value Immunisation Plus Days (NIPDS), payment of Resident Hospital chain, opening farm-to-market access roads and investment in Bills in all the General and State Specialist Hospitals across the youth participation in the sector, formed the administration’s state, inauguration of state steering committee members on Basic policy thrust aimed at lifting the Ekiti people out of poverty Health Care Provision Fund. into prosperity by empowering farmers and entrepreneurs in There was also training on Maternal and Perinatal Death the agriculture value chain. Some of the steps already taken to Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) for Ekiti State Steering impact the sector are legion.

Committee for Secondary and Tertiary facilities in the state.

For example, as much as 1540 hectares of farmland had been They scored 100 per cent in outbreak response on polio in conceded to agricultural investors; abandoned and ongoing Nigeria; the state’s school of nursing and midwifery scored projects across the 16 local government areas in the state were 100 per cent in national certificate exams; a task force to tackle completed; partnership was established with the African quackery in medical health practices in Ekiti was inaugurated; Development Bank (AfDB) for agriculture and infrastructure primary healthcare was brought under one roof, the Ekiti State development, while trainings were organised for livestock

Health Insurance Scheme; the renovation of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and purchase of 1000kva generator.

There are obviously too numerous achievements in the social investment scheme to mention, but also worthy of note are payment of specialists allowances and all arrears by the Hospital’s Management Board, establishment of the Ekiti State Unemployment Register, social intervention to alleviate poverty, YESSO community development for cash scheme, Owo Arugbo monthly sustenance cash transfers to senior citizens and Ounje Arugbo – monthly food stuff support for indigent seniors in all 16 LGA among many others.

To build a knowledge-driven economy, Governor Fayemi took some concrete steps to return good and qualitative education to Ekiti State by making education compulsory and accessible, improving infrastructure, providing teaching aids and improving teacher welfare and conditions of service. With ongoing plans to make education a major contributor to the state’s economy, Ekiti State is on the path to returning to its spot as Nigeria’s ‘Fountain of Knowledge’.

The free education was provided up to secondary level at all public schools in the state, schools’ tax and levies in both public and primary schools had been cancelled and the government paid N227m for 2019 SSCE and UTME examination fees for all SSCE students in all public schools in the state.

The state made payment of core subjects and rural allowance to teachers in the rural area, N140m was released as running grants to public schools monthly, N200 million was released as car loan to teachers, the Ekiti State Technical Colleges to global standard was upgraded with the support of the World Bank in the three senatorial districts to boost technical education.

There is free education in all Technical Schools, free feeding for all public primary school children from Primary 1 – 3 (Ekiti Kete School Meal), distribution of Instructional materials, Science and ICT equipment of school libraries, ongoing renovation of public schools across Ekiti State and approval has been given for the establishment of more secondary schools in Ado Ekiti with facilitation of three Command Secondary Schools for Ekiti State.

Quite a lot has been done is the aspect of education. The perimeter fencing of 42 public schools were done, the School of Agricultural Sciences in Isan Ekiti State was revived, Ekiti State University graduated 43 medical students after 10 years, EKSUTH College of Medicine got full accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and 8,075 units of furniture, 3,375 units of metal legged students’ lockers and chairs and 4,150 teachers’ tables and chairs were distributed for students.

There was the payment of Bursary and scholarships for Ekiti students in tertiary institutions, commencement of recruitment of graduate and NCE teachers into Ekiti State primary school through SUBEB, release of N28m for special intervention lessons for SS2 and 3 students in 2018/2019 Session, distribution of 554 HP laptops to public secondary schools.

The government also ensured distribution of science textbooks to all public secondary schools, quarterly seminar and workshop for teachers across all 16 LGAs, provision of science equipment worth N109m for public secondary schools and the ongoing construction of an e-library by Texaco at St Augustine Oye Ekiti that will contain 45 computers, e-library server and other multimedia/active devices are parts of the achievements the government is boasting in its first year of office.

The Ekiti State government has been fast-tracking the huge infrastructure needs required as a way to grow industry and commerce. There are deliberate efforts at providing an efficient road network, improving electricity, potable water, access to fast internet and creating the enabling environment for commercial, manufacturing and processing business concerns are some of the policy focus of the Fayemi administration.

Some of the concrete steps already taken towards these include, resumption of the abandoned urban water project by the World Bank, lifting the “non patronage” ban placed on three major commercial banks in the state by the immediate past administration, reconnection of Ikogosi, Erijiyan and Ipole Iloro to the national grid after four years of blackout in the towns and the ongoing $55 million rehabilitation of Ero Dam treatment plant and replacement of main pipelines.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

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CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

Beyond the Customs, Passenger Drama at Abuja Airport From the criticisms that attended a recent incidence at the Abuja International Airport between a passenger, Mrs. Udensi Adaeze Nwagboliwe and operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service, it is high time the National Assembly looked at some of the laws guiding the operations of the border security agency, writes Shola Oyeyipo

W

ith each passing day, it is becoming clearer that critics whose stand is that Nigeria is mortally backward are not just pulling the nation down, evidence abounds that some laws are extremely backward and can no longer make any meaningful impact on the overall development agenda, because some of them are either obnoxious, outdated or both.

Irritatingly, the operators of those laws have cleverly mastered the art of manipulating some aspects of such Nigerian laws to favour their cronies and punish perceived or real enemies.

The experience of one Mrs. Udensi Adaeze Nwagboliwe, a Nigerian banker, returning from London on October 18, 2019 through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja with officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) over what according to her was a pair of trainers and one mini boy bag bought at duty free in Heathrow, will further open up how security operatives could be vindictive if they chose.

Apparently, there is a constitutional provision that stipulates that Nigerians are only entitled to N50, 000 worth of goods, when coming into the country, which was the position espoused by the duo of Ms. Essien and Mr. Tijani Abdulraham, who headed the Customs department at the Abuja Airport on that fateful day.

But how does anyone justify the fact that a Nigerian travelling out of the country is permitted to have up to $10, 000 (about N3.5m), but it becomes a crime for such a person to return with a pair of shoes valued at about $150 even when he returned a few days after?

Rather than sit in the chambers of the National Assembly and deliberate on inconsequential issues such as making a law to enable the federal lawmakers join in the celebration of the October 1 Independent Day, the Nigerian lawmakers and even the executive should reason that such laws do not add up, rather, the issues that could cause national embarrassment and promote Hamid Alli addressing Customs officers...let the change start with them corruption, should be addressed by the Head Girl, “I believe I was treated this way, because of my lawmakers. gender and tribe”, stressing that “I literally wept for my The law might have been there a long time ago and country Nigeria yesterday.” well-intended, when it was made; but it no longer serves its Her conclusion was that “People like Abdulrahman purpose. For frequent travellers, it is obvious that there is and Essien are the very worst of the breed and have no a lacuna that must be addressed. It is though believed that reason to be found working in an airport like Abuja. He if a frequent traveller had developed a good rapport with (Abdulrahman) is an embarrassment to the country. the Customs, irrespective of the value, obvious personal “We must rise up and condemn this outrageous dimeneffects might not have caused the individual the kind of sion by the Nigerian Customs. We must rise up against this confrontation Mrs. Nwagboliwe had with them. tyranny as a people. Today, it is Adaeze. Tomorrow, it could The two tough Customs officers, Essien and Abdulrahbe you”. man insisted that what she had did not qualify as personal But a reliable source had an entirely different slant to effects and took the pains to go online to get the actual the incidence. He hinted that the concerned person was a price and calculated duty on it to be about N175, 000. marked woman and was probably too western to part with The scenario at the airport, which was captured in her hard-earned resources and must therefore be shown Nwagboliwe’s narration, had helped to point out the defect the other side of the same law that could permit some to go in the law the Customs officers were quick to put forward and refuse others, if need be. in their defence.

According to the source, whose claims could not be According to her, “Most shocking to me was that I was confirmed, the woman was a smuggler, who had perfected the only passenger on that flight BA 083 from London that her ways of bypassing the Customs and that immediately was singled out for this treatment”, stressing that, “My they discovered, they had planned to lay ambush for her question now is, what should Nigerians buy when they and she fell right inside, when confronted with a different travel without any harassment back home?” set of officers other those, who would naturally indulge her.

Though the argument of the border security agents was But the Customs also responded in a statement signed that everything above N50, 000 was considered luxury and by the Public Relations Officer, DC, Joseph Attah, the dutiable, Nwagboliwe stated that, “I pointed out to her that border security leadership and argued that the aggrieved someone who had shoes had just been released by the same lady “maliciously introduced gender, tribal and other Customs without any charge and to my shock she said that unnecessary sentiments into what was simply a case of it is because he had put his feet in it already. being told to pay duty as what was in her possession was “I asked her that does it then mean that all I needed to far above the allowable value of N50, 000.00 and certainly do for these trainers not to be seized by Nigerian Customs beyond what normal discretion would allow.” was to simply remove it from the box and wear it and it Attah said following routine search of Nwagboliwe’s ceases to be a luxury good, she said ‘yes’. luggage, a Louis Vuitton bag and shoe was discovered and “I told her that does this not then show her that this knowing the luxury brand (Louis Vuitton), she was asked law gives her considerable latitude to apply common sense to produce the receipt which will be the basis for duty calwhen she sees Nigerians with just a pair of trainers and one culation or not. She could not produce the receipt of what mini boy bag? She refused to answer. I asked her to allow she claimed she bought at the duty-free shop at the point of me put my feet in my trainers and if it’s not my size, apply departure, saying the receipt was with her husband who duty and she refused.” did not travel with her.

Nwagboliwe’s conclusion however remains a source of He said after ascertaining the current worth of her concern. If a Nigerian felt that bad, how would a foreigner items through the internet, which was put at N570,467.40, have reacted if faced with similar circumstances and was her appropriate duty assessment of N165, 692.25k was unable to ‘bail’ him or herself out of it? made and given to her to pay into federal government cofShe said as apolitical as she was and having attended a fers and that because she was unable to pay immediately, federal school in the north, where she was a Senior Prefect/ a detention notice was given to her showing that the items

will remain with the Nigerian Customs Service until she pays and brings evidence of payment before they will be released to her.

But the statement by the Customs raised some questions. First, who determines what it referred to as what ‘discretion would allow?’ This so-called discretion simply puts travellers at the mercy of these officers, who can be overzealous in the discharge of their duty.

There were two other faulty points Attah made in his reaction. While he was expressing displeasure at her decision to vent her anger on the social media, thereby putting the Service in bad light before Nigerians, he also alluded to the fact that the punishment meted out to the woman was discretional. He said she should have taken her complaint to a superior officer on duty as if the decision reached by the officers in charge could be reversed by their bosses.

Again, the NSC spokesperson also acknowledged that Nigerians are complaining about the N50, 000 ceiling placed on luxury goods allowable into the country.

“Instead of paying the assessed duty and pick up her items or request to see any superior officer should she have any reservation on the assessed value, she took to irresponsible use of the social media, drawing all sorts of conjectures, gender (even when the officer, Ms. Essien, who attended to her is a lady), tribe, etc. and even inciting the public against the Service.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we are aware that many Nigerians complain about the allowable amount of N50, 000.00, but until the law is changed, the Nigerian Customs Service will continue to enforce the extant law that says personal effects shall not exceed the value of N50, 000.00.

Anything more than the approved value is considered Merchandise in Baggage and therefore liable for duty payment”, Attah reiterated.

That appears dutiful and good by every standard, but the Customs must not act as though it is oblivious of the nefarious activities of its men at the border posts too. The fact that they allegedly demand gratifications at both local and international airports should not be taken lightly.

The takeaway from this is that the Nigerian lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly should conduct a public hearing on Customs with the hope to identifying obsolete laws and replacing them with laws that would protect Nigeria’s integrity and allow international best practices at the country’s borders.

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FOCUS

Chimamanda Adichie

Druming Support for Woman Empowerment at Felebration Vanessa Obioha writes that at Fela Debates, a segment of the annual Felabration that celebrates the life and times of the Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie didn’t shy away from discussing feminism

F

or a moment, it seemed the occasion was all about the renowned writer Chimamanda Adichie. Fans of her works surrounded her, stealing opportunities for a selfie, a handshake or a slice of her charming smile. There were the mentors and intellectuals who also had a word or two to say about her outstanding success. This was somehow expected. As a celebrated daughter of the soil, her appearance at the event was not going to be without fanfare.

Not until the symposium began did she had a moment to herself.

Any observer at the Fela Debates, a segment of the annual Felabration that celebrates the life and times of the Afrobeat legend Fela AnikulapoKuti would have mistaken that the debate was focused on Adichie.

Far from it. By the time each of the panelists that included Ugandan musician and politician, Bobi Wine, professor of international law, Akin Oyebode, and celebrated Nigerian author, Sefi Atta, who moderated the panel, gave prodigious speeches on the topic of the debate, ‘Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense’, it was clear that the focus was on the legend.

Yet, Adichie somehow stole the spotlight. Unlike other panellists who spoke about the artiste and his contribution to society from their point of view, Adichie chose instead to have an interactive session.

Though Atta was supposed to host the discussion, a late notification made it impossible. Thus, the matriarch of the Ransome-Kuti family, Yemisi, engaged the writer.

Arguably, Adichie is one of the celebrated authors on the African continent, if not globally. From

writing stories that explore her African roots, interviewing former first ladies of America, Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama; fetching honorary awards from prestigious institutions to being a strong advocate of feminism, Adichie assumed almost a largerthan-life status in that gathering.

Yet, she modestly tried to fit into the crowd, a bit too carefully.

When asked about her view on Fela and if it influenced her anyway, she chose rather dwell on the larger family RansomeKuti, particularly Fela’s mother Funmilayo.

“When I was much younger, I remember reading about Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti – the first woman who drove a car in Nigeria,” she told the rapt audience. “I remember thinking at the time ‘why didn’t they let women drive cars, anyway? Why did it have to… but that stayed in my head because I thought she was the first woman to drive a car until of course later, I learnt much more about her activism in her life, and then Fela.”

Her introduction to Fela’s music she revealed was from her older brother Chuks whom she described as a very cool and kind person.

“I think I was in grade 2, and one Saturday morning, we heard very loud music from Chuks’ room downstairs, and it was ‘Zombie o, Zombie!’ I remember those very distinctive lyrics because it was nothing like I was used to.

My parents had sort of genteel records of the people of their time, but my brother suddenly was blasting ‘Fela’ in the house.

And my brother went to affect a sort of cosmopolitan manner, and he then said, ‘ah, Abami Eda,’ because we, of course, did not

Adichie

know how these Yoruba words were pronounced, nobody knew if you were pronouncing it wrong or right. The point was ‘we be like Abami Eda’. Because we looked up to my brother, we all sort of then gravitated towards this ‘unusual’ music and this idea about Abami Eda, I kind of know most of the songs because of my brother, Chuks.”

Her understanding of Fela deepened as she grew older and she identified him as “a kind of unapologetic courage, and a kind of authenticity. Even then as a child, I knew this was rare in Nigeria. And knowing, I think what we might call pedigree, that he chose to live the life that he wanted to live, I find deeply inspirational”.

That would be the last time she would pointedly talk about the artiste. His mother, however, came up later in the discussion, when she narrated how she asked an intern to research on the deceased.

“A month later, it had changed her because she had no idea that any of this organizing had

happened, that there was feminist activism in Nigeria that was very grassroots-based. She had no idea.

And I remember thinking this kind of knowledge can empower this young woman to go and do things in the world.”

Every other discussion was centred on the role women play and the need for a better Nigeria where everything works. She lamented the ways Africa is continuously disregarded by the West because of the growing issues rocking the continent.

“In the global imagination, we don’t really matter. I think that is the reality. For now, it is up to us to make that change because if you look at the foreign policy of hosting nations, by their actions you can tell not only do they not think we matter, they don’t think we will matter. They think China will matter; India will matter, not us. And I think that also affects how we are treated as people who visit or live there.

“The burden is on us to somehow create a certain kind of psychological barrier. And I think it comes from just having self-confidence. Selfconfidence comes from… and I don’t

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FOCUS just mean the kind of empty selfconfidence, it comes from knowing where you are from and who you are. This is why I feel very strongly that in this country we need to know our history. The curriculum that people are being taught is just…,” she noted.

“We are talking about ‘Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense’. It is complete nonsense. We need to remake our curriculum. We should start teaching our children civics, and history, but we need to change the curriculum. Teach them civics in a way that they have a sense of self; they know that their past is not just one dark thing. They know that despite the flaws that we have, every nation has flaws, right?

“But also, every nation has greatness, and to think of our past as one that was worth taking pride in.

We can even teach then pre-colonial history, just teach them that western Nigeria, eastern Nigeria, northern Nigeria in 1850, was actually an interesting, vibrant place where people traded, where they had a very complex political system. We don’t know our history.”

That lack of knowledge she noted is responsible for the flooding in Lagos state and other infamous situations the country has found itself in.

“The way that we think generally in this country is connected to our not being particularly adept at history; we are not long-term thinkers. There is something very short-term about the ways things are arranged in this country. I drink a lot of this bottled water but lately, I feel very guilty because in my estate I saw that the pile of rubbish is loosely this, and then the takeaway pack that you get from KFC or whatever, are those things which clog the drains, which is why this flooding is happening. And it just made me think, ‘What does it take to clean this up?’ It takes nothing, but we are not doing it. If you have been on Awolowo road, which is the center of elitist Lagos, and there is trash on the side of the road and it is shameful. It is almost as though we have forgotten how to be ashamed. My brother, Bobi said something earlier which I find very inspiring. He said Nigerians for him and for many Ugandans and many east-Africans was the blueprint for African confidence, and I love that.

I think all of us have that kind of confidence.

“But that kind of confidence that we have is also a strange thing because we don’t seem to apply it when we should. We are very good in Nigeria at gragra. You know, you are boarding a flight, you can tell a flight going to Lagos. Somebody is telling you, ‘it is not your time to board’, and the person is like, ‘why can I not board?’ On the plane, they are fighting, and then when your government is stealing your money you don’t do anything with that confidence.

“There is a revolutionary spirit in Bobi that thrives in southern and eastern Africa that doesn’t happen with us – a politically revolutionary spirit. We can talk about it happening 70 years ago, not anymore. And I worry that it has a lot to do with the way our education

Adichie and Wole Soyinka

system is. We have educated young people to be complicit in their own oppression. I remember having a conversation when the Shiites were murdered in northern Nigeria, having a conversation with young people and they were trying to justify it. And you will see it happening all the time when young people try to justify things that should not be justified. And you start to say, ‘What is happening to us?’ There is something dead in us, and I am sorry to say, but there is.”

Women empowerment has always been at the core of Adichie’s feminism message and at the symposium, she resounded that message. With the varying definitions of feminism in the world today, she deemed it necessary to clarify her kind of feminism.

“I think my feminism is not so much one that is interested in thinking about how women can influence men. I think I am interested in how women can be the best that they can possibly be. And yes, women do have a role to play but actually, my vision is one in which women have choices and women can choose not to become domestic people. My vision is one in a world in which women can choose to be a mother or not and not have any consequences.

One in which women can choose to be married or not married and also not have somebody questioning you or somehow attributing your marital status to some kind of moral

deficiency because in our society when marriages go bad, it is always the woman’s fault.”

She dismissed the lofty thought of a ‘superwoman’, calling it a dangerous idea for women to fantasize about.

“It is dangerous for women, this idea that we have to be everything and be everywhere,” she warned but pointed out that it was “the awareness of femaleness as a type of deprivation, that the reason for something is not something you did or didn’t do, it’s just that you were born a girl” that confounded her the most. She regaled the audience about childhood memories where she was denied access to see the big masquerade or participate in the kinsmen meeting.

“But again, I had this strong sense of not just injustice but also just ‘no sense’ because I remember thinking, ‘how many Umunna (kinsmen) meetings have been deprived of innovative ideas and ways that progress could have happened’ because they exclude intelligent people because those intelligent people were born women.

We need to think about feminism; Nigerians get very uptight when they hear feminism, they get hostile. We need to think about feminism in terms of justice and progress. Who knows if in 1954 women had equal access politically, and a woman had become prime minister, who knows where Nigeria would have been today, we don’t know.”

There is a revolutionary spirit in Bobi that thrives in southern and eastern Africa that doesn’t happen with us – a politically revolutionary spirit.

We can talk about it happening 70 years ago, not anymore.

And I worry that it has a lot to do with the way our education system is.

We have educated young people to be complicit in their own oppression

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸͹΁

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Leadership of the National Assembly on the 2020 budget

How Public Hearing May Shape the 2020 Budget Last week’s two-days public hearing on the 2020 Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly could go a long way in helping to expedite passage of the budget, report Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale

T

he N10.33 trillion 2020 budget estimate, presented to the National Assembly

by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, October 8, had been subjected to some scrutiny by various committees of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, which took on ministers and heads of agencies on the budget estimates in the last one week for the next fiscal year.

In the mid of the budget defence, the National Assembly joint committee onAppropriation, on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, put together a public hearing for stakeholders to air their views on the federal budget proposal.

Though the public hearing has come and gone, it clearly pointed out the benefits of the return to the January to December Budget cycle. For about 16 years, the nation’s budget had taken the June to May Budget cycle as the norm.

The public hearing, however, afforded Nigerians the opportunity to actually understand the benefits of the return to the globally acclaimed and accepted January to December budget cycle.

Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, while declaring open the hearing, explained the importance of the return to the normal cycle to participants, when he said the budget cycle of June to May had created problems for planning and for the proper implementation of the nation’s macroeconomic framework.

“The macro framework needs to be reasonably predictable, the way it happens in other climes.

It is when the framework is predictable that it can positively influence the micro details in the Budget proposal,” he said.

He commended individuals, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, the media and the general public for their interests in ensuring that these participatory and mutually rewarding processes of public engagement were smooth.

Accordingtohim,“publichearingisaboutthose

wishing to be heard. To decide to be heard takes a lot of courage and conviction. In many cases, it is a product of patriotism and a determination to see that the nation progresses.

“Importantly as well, to be heard is a useful element of democracy, especially when it concerns a vital issue like the Budget. The Budget is critical to economic development and it is even more so for a nation like ours, where our economy needs continuous stimulation.”

The Senate president said a proposal was about fiscal targets, resource allocation, public expenditure policy, productivity and efficiency, explaining that, “we also understand that the process is one of passage, mobilisation and execution”.

He stressed that as representatives of the people, “We continuously hold them in high esteem. We do not show this through rhetorics, but through our actions, either as specified by statutes, or as we deem right.

“The overall essence is not just engagement or consultation, but also for the greater good of the people. We promise, as a result, to continuously remain focused”.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, while speaking, further stressed that the purpose of the public hearing was for the stakeholders to have input.

He said what the National Assembly sought to get was the buy-in from all stakeholders, noting that he believed nobody was a fountain of knowledge, even though the NationalAssembly was given full authority by the constitution to appropriate.

Gbajabiamila noted that the NationalAssembly was seeking an outcome that would reflect the true federal character of Nigeria, where there would be no lopsidedness, and to ensure that everybody had an input at the end of the public hearing.

ApartfromreturningtotheJanuarytoDecember cycle, many Nigerians may also desire to know how the 2019 budget had fared.

Minister of Finance, National Planning and

Budget,ZanabAhmed,wasalsoathandtoexplain the extent the 2019 budget had been implemented, saying as at June, it has achieved a 58 per cent performance.

According to her, as at half-year, federal government’s actual aggregate revenue was N2.04 trillion, which was ‘58 per cent of the prorata target.

Giving further details, she said “Oil Revenue of N900billion(49%performance);CompanyIncome Tax (CIT) of N349. 11 billion (86% performance); Value-Added Tax (VAT) of N81.36 billion (71% performance);andCustomsCollectionsofN184.10 billion (100.47% performance).

“The overall revenue performance was only 58 per cent of the target in the 2019 Budget largely, because some one-off items such as the N710 billion. From Oil Joint VentureAsset restructuring and N320 billion from revision of the Oil Production Sharing Contract legislation/terms are yet to be actualized.

“Fiscal deductions by NNPC for federally funded projects also exceeded target. Debt service and the implementation of non-debt recurrent expenditure notably payment of workers’ salaries and pensions are on track”.

She explained that capital releases could only commence after the signing of the 2019 Budget on 27th May 2019. As at the 30th of September 2019, she added that a total of about N294, 63 billion had been released for capital projects.

Ahmed explained that spending on capital had been prioritised in favour of critical ongoing infrastructure projects like power and roads.

But despite the optimism expressed by the leadership of the federal legislature over the return of the country’s budget cycle from January to December, a civil society organisation, Policy and Civil Advocacy Centre (PLAC) observed that Nigeria‘s current fiscal position continues to be threatened by its widening fiscal deficit as rightlynotedbytheExecutive’s2020-2022Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy paper (FSP).

This, it said, has increasingly forced the federal government to access the debt markets to meet

its obligations and meant that less expenditure was available for capital projects to improve the living standard of its citizens.

Against this background, it said the federal government must explore alternative means to raise higher revenues to meet its obligations and guarantee the social and economic wellbeing of Nigerians.

PLAC, in its brief at the public hearing, stated that the 2020 budget continues to be a variance between actual collections and projections while a “conservative” benchmark of 2.18 million barrels per day has been adopted as an estimate in the 2020 budget.

PLAC argued that actual crude oil production has averaged 1.92 million bpd over the last three years, adding that this was likely to affect the federal government’s anticipated revenue projection in the 2020 fiscal year.

On her part, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Mariam Katagum, described the closure of the country’s border as dress rehearsal, which she said the ministry was in full support of.

She explained that there was a lot of the areas the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) was seeking to address, adding that, “for us, there are certain steps we need to take.

We must use the period of the closure to use the data we are generating to learn lesson but also put in place policies, effective legal framework.”

Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, while contributing, said the country has reached a stage that it has no choice than to enforce the payment of tax on tax defaulters.

He explained that in 2016, the federal government implemented a tax amnesty programme, which saw 5,000 businesses coming through, while they also paid N92 million in 45 days. He stressed that these were businesses or individuals that have income but refused to pay those taxes.

The FIRS boss stressed that government needed to provide infrastructure that was conducive for business,hence,theneedtoembarkontaxamnesty as part of effort to bring people into the tax net.

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After Collecting N13.6m, Gunmen Release Six Kaduna Female Students John Shiklam in Kaduna

After collecting N13.6 million in two tranches, unknown gunmen yesterday released six female students and two staff of Engravers College, Kakau Daji, Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State about 24 days ago.

A staff member of the school made the disclosure yesterday at a session with journalists, saying they were released in the early hours on Saturday following an additional payment of N10 million ransom.

The parents earlier paid a ransom of N3.6 million for the released of the girls. After collecting the money, however, the bandits refused to release their victims and made a fresh demand for a ransom of N10 million.

The staff of the college, who spoke with THISDAY, said N10 million “was paid on Friday night. The money was raised by public spirited individuals. We just collected the children. They are all unhurt. The N10 million was paid on Friday night and the bandits released them.

“The bandits moved them that night to a location along

the Kaduna - Abuja Road. They dropped them around Dutse village on the Kaduna- Abuja road at about 3:00 a.m. They called us to go there and picked them.

“But while we were on our way to the place, we were informed that a patrol team of the police who saw them standing by the road had picked them and took them to the Toll Gate Police Station.

They called us to go to the station and carry them.

“We have just collected the girls from the police, they have gone through a lot of trauma, but they are unhurt.

The parents don’t want any media publicity about this so they don’t want to keep them in one place” he said.

One of the parents said they were happy about the safe return of the girls and their staff, asking the security agencies to go after the bandits now that the girls had been released.

The parent said: “We celebrate the return of the girls. The excuse we were given is that they know where the bandits were, but if they go after them, they may injure the girls. Now that our daughters are out, we

Wike: My Supreme Court Victory Not Unexpected Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at the weekend said he expected the confirmation of his re-election by the Supreme Court, because the defeated governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Mr. Biokpomabo Awara, could not have won an election he did not contest.

The Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld Wike’s victory in the March 9 gubernatorial election.

The Apex Court, in a judgment delivered by a panel of three Justices, upheld Wike’s appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal, which reinstated the petition of the candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Biokpomabo Awara.

The Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal had earlier in October dismissed the petition of AAC candidate, Awara, declaring Wike winner of the poll, which was later challenged by

the AAC candidate at the Court of Appeal.

But speaking shortly after the Supreme Court judgment, Wike said from the very beginning, there was no issue, because the AAC Candidate posed no problem since he was unknown to Rivers people.

He said he only got to know of Awara about two days to the election, because such a person never existed in the political artery of the state.

“I expected the confirmation, because the law is clear. The man who is challenging us never contested any election, so he could not have won. It is so painful, but what do you do?

“It is part of life. If he really ran election with us, one can say there could be a problem. A man that I never knew till a few days to the election, how would it have been that the man won the election? So, I expected that the Court would do the right thing, which they did.”

do not want those who caused those children pains to go unpunished.”

Confirming the release of the students yesterday, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said the students and staff of the Engravers College who were

education, thereby urging the government at various levels, and other stakeholders in the education sector to raise their voice in favour of inclusive education.

He said: “No economy will move forward without qualitative education that is inclusive.

The number of children out of school, especially in the north is embarrassing if we consider where we are coming from.

“At this age and time when other countries of the world are redefining their education, we are not crawling but we have millions of children roaming the street.

“Until the time we work around how to promote inclusive education that will not be mere sloganeering, our lack of education will continue to hunt

served trauma.

“We appeal for considerate reporting of their ordeal and respect for their privacy. As we continue to combat banditry, kidnapping and other crimes, the Kaduna State Government urges all our communities not to give comfort to criminals by dividing victims and inserting

ethno-religious narratives for the activities of ruthless miscreants.

“The state government calls for vigilance in all our communities and continued cooperation with the security agencies in this battle to secure our state and all who live in it,” the commissioner explained.

STANDING FOR WOMEN

L-R: First Lady, Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development,Mrs Pauline Tallen; Convener, Arise Women’s Conference, Dr. Siju Iluyomade; Representative of the First Lady of Nigeria, Dr Mairo Al-makura; First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; and her Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Mrs. Martha Udom-Emmanuel, at the annual Arise Women’s conference held in Lagos ... yesterday ETOP UKUTT

Road Accidents Kill Nine, Injure 12 on Sagamu-Benin Expressway Gboyega Akinsanmi The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) yesterday said nine persons were confirmed dead while 12 others sustained various degrees of injuries in separate accidents around Ijebu Ife axis on the Sagamu – IjebuOde-Benin Expressway.

FRSC’s Sector Commander, Ogun State, Mr. Clement Oladele, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abeokuta.

Oladele explained that the first crash occurred at 5:40a.m, when it was still dark, while the

Nigeria Needs Research-based Education to Succeed Raheem Akingbolu | For Nigeria to remain Africa’s largest economy, she must set her priorities in education, stakeholders in the education sector have said.

Among others, the stakeholders include the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Prof.

Suleiman Elias Bogoro and Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah.

They canvassed this position at an Education Submit organised by The Bridge Club in Lagos yesterday, calling for sustained funding for researchbased education.

At the summit, Bogoro pointed out that no country would be able to move her economy forward without qualitative

abducted “have regained their freedom today, Saturday, 26, October, 2019.

“We are relieved that this criminal violation of the right to liberty is over and that they are all back safely. The victims, most of whom are minors, and their families will now be focusing on recovering from this unde-

us as a nation.”

He also said the time had come for universities to conduct ‘problem solving research’ that would be relevant to the country’s economy, politics and businesses.

“We must make sure that our education is relevant to our economy; in technology, business, politics and other areas of human endeavour.

“It is so bad that Nigeria university teaching has emphasised teaching at the expense of research and even where there is research it is majorly basic at a time and age when what is trending is applied research.

“To make our education relevant to our system, there should be partnership between the academic communities and industries,” he stated.

second crash occurred about 8:20 a.m on the same corridor at Ijebu Ife in Ogun.

The FRSC boss noted that seven people were involved in the first crash comprising six male adults and one female adult.

He said that two persons were injured in the crash, one male adult and one female adult, saying that other two persons, both male adults died in the crash.

The crash involved a grey Toyota picnic car marked KTP 812 RG and a red Daf truck with registration number JEG 551 XA.

“The crash was suspected to have been caused by armed robbery attacks when the driver of the Toyota picnic suddenly reversed on the highway when he sighted the armed robbers. ”In the process of escaping the oncoming truck, which unknowingly rammed into the Toyota Picnic vehicle. The truck in the process fell into a ditch,” he said.

He noted that the two injured victims were rescued and taken to General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, while the dead were deposited at the same hospital

Morgue.

Oladele said that 19 people were involved in the second crash comprising of three male adults and 16 female adults, adding that 10 people were injured while seven died in the crash.

He said one male adult and six female adults “died in the accident.

The crash involved a white Mack tanker marked AGL 667 XX and a Toyota Hiace commuter bus coming from Okitipupa in Ondo state, with registration number KJA 534 XL.

Appeal Court Upholds Dambazzau Son’s Election John Shiklam in Kaduna The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has reaffirmed the victory of Honourable Shamsudeen Bello Dambazau, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives member representing Takai/ Sumaila federal constituency of Kano state in the ninth Assembly.

Justice James Apundaga of the Kaduna division of the Appeal Court in the lead judgement set aside the decision of the National and States House of Assembly election.

He held that the decision of the lower court in the case between kawu Sumaila vs Suraj Kanawa & others was null and void, while declaring that the tribunal was incompetent

when it assumed jurisdiction to entertain the petition as filed by the PDP and its candidate Suraja Kanawa.

The court said since Shamsudeen was not a party in the suit at the tribunal, no order could affect him. Failure to join him, he held, rendered the judgment of the tribunal a nullity.

The court also struck out the petition on the grounds that the tribunal’s decision was null and void given that it had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition.

The Senior Legislative Aide to Shamsudeen Dambazau, Mr. Sadiq Samaila explained after the judgement that his principal has consistently been victorious on separate occasions against his opponents, and again been challenged by

his opponent who had filed a claim of incompetence at the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kano.

According to him, this latest challenge fell flat when the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division allowed Shamsudeen’s appeal and struck out Kanawa’s petition, handing deserved victory to Shamsudeen for the fourth time, and sealing his position as the rightful occupant of the contested seat at the National Assembly.

“The entire affair has been a rout of incontinence from a fairly defeated opponent, I am grateful to Allah who has once again granted us victory today, and in effect has placed His seal of approval on our capable honourable.

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ Ͱ͵, Ͱͮͯͷ

NEWSXTRA George: Why INEC Can’t Deliver Credible Elections Says procedure of elections is heavily flawed Doubts credibility of Bayelsa, Kogi elections Gboyega Akinsanmi A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George has said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as it is presently structured cannot deliver a credible election.

He has therefore called for the commission to be scrapped and replaced with a technology driven institution in order to make the procedure of electing public office holders credible and transparent.

George, who described the present electoral system as flawed, observed that the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States scheduled to hold on November 16 might not really reflect the will of the people.

He expressed grave concerns about the country’s electoral procedures at a session with journalists in Ikoyi on Friday, noting that election results

manually counted and collated could be easily manipulated and would never reflect the will of the electorate.

At the session, George called for new electoral reforms, which according to him, should be tailored at removing human intervention from the procedure of electing president, governors, federal lawmakers, senators and members of the states’ houses of assembly.

He said the democratic procedure of electing public office holders “is unimaginable. In every aspect of it, the procedure is flawed. That is why some political leaders have capitalized on the weak system to perpetually oil the palms of those who are in charge of election management.”

Citing different technical flaws that plague the country’s electoral system, George said he was “not too comfortable with the procedures of conducting election in Nigeria. The will of

the people is not respected. The procedure is nonsensical. We are not living in isolation.”

On this ground, he explained the need “to scrap INEC and start all over again with the single aim that the whole process will be technology-driven with very minimal human input.

In this era, we do not need to take election results to Abuja before we can announce them.

“We do not need to go from polling units to collation centres to announce election results. Once you insert your PVC, the system recognises it and transmits your vote automatically to the central server. Why can’t we add value to the PVCs in order to allow electronic voting in Nigeria?

“After presidential petition appeal is decided at the Supreme

Court, irrespective of who eventually wins, we must ensure we scrap the present system. We must redesign it or borrow the technology from the developed countries. How do they do it in France?

“I just told you about India.

Canada just had its election. Did you hear anything about it? What is our problem? They said there was no stable power. Solar panels are there. The procedure of electioneering in Nigeria is archaic. It is flawed. It is absolutely a sham.

“In India, recently, 800 million people voted. This is not the Indian population. India is the biggest democracy in the world.

The number of ethnic groups in India can form Nigeria. They conducted the election and no candidate went to court. It took

them two weeks to do the final collation. There was no crisis.

There was no tribunal.

“Why is our own process different? This is where the young generation comes in. When we were in school, computers were as big as this room. With all these new technologies, what are the problems? Why can we not use new technologies and remove human intervention in the system of our election?”

George asked rhetorically.

He expressed concerns about the forthcoming governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi, noting that he received reports that some aspirants left the PDP while other came back when they discovered that it was better to remain in the party.

He said: “I am very con-

cerned. I was told that some left the PDP. Some have come back when they found out they were moving from frying pan to fire.

I heard some things about what is going on there. I have tried to send people there. That is what I can do.

“I believe the managers of the PDP are working to calm the nerve of the aggrieved members. We cannot have an association where everything is going on well. That is why the managers of the PDP are there.

“I have spoken with Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde. He is the one leading the governorship campaign in Kogi State. I have prayed for him and advised him. The APC is divided heavily in Kogi State.”

210 Bandits Surrender in Sokoto The Sokoto State Government yesterday said that not less than 210 bandits had laid down their arms in the state in the interest of peace and security.

The Commissioner for Careers and Security Matters, Mr Garba Moyi made this known while commenting on the recent recovery of 102 arms from the bandits.

The state governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal had on Friday, handed over 102 arms and ammunition recovered from the bandits to the state police command.

Moyi said this was as a result of the peace and reconciliation initiative embarked upon by the state government.

He said seven groups of bandits, with about 30 members each, have surrendered.

He said the repentant bandits

have released their victims, and that nobody has been kidnapped in the past three months in the state.

“They have released more than 30 captives, including Nigeriens and those from other states like Zamfara and Kebbi,” he said.

The commissioner said: “We have been dialoguing with them for a very long time and we have entered into an agreement with them. The agreement was to release all captives with them and they have done that.

“For the past three months or more, nobody was kidnapped by the bandit and no village was attacked by the bandits as it used to happen.

“The senseless killings without any reason, all that has stopped. That is part of the agreement.”

African Judges Converge on Uganda against Human Rights Violations Tobi Soniyi Judges from across Africa and other stakeholders will meet in Kampala, Uganda to brainstorm on how the judiciary can further provide remedies for human rights violations in the continent.

The meeting, which holds as the Fourth African Judicial Dialogue, is scheduled for October 30 to November 1.

The dialogue, organised by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in collaboration with the Republic of Uganda will bring together over 300 delegates, including chief justices, presidents of supreme and constitutional courts as well as representatives of regional and international judicial bodies and other relevant stakeholders, from the 55 AU Member States.

The dialogue is a biennial event of the African Union aimed at improving networking amongst judicial officers, exchange of information and best practices and the proper administration of justice on the continent.

The theme of this year’s Dialogue is: Tackling Contemporary Human Rights Issues: The Role of the Judiciary in Africa, and is a build-up to the themes of the other three editions held in 2013, 2015 2017.

“The past three meetings have reaffirmed the importance of the Dialogue as a platform for African national judiciaries to discuss opportunities and continuing challenges relating to their functions,” said the President of the AfCHPR, Hon Justice Sylvain Oré.

He added that the 4th Judicial Dialogue “is expected to identify the major human rights issues currently facing Africa and what role the Judiciary could play to deal with such issues, among others.”

The Chairperson of the Uganda National Organizing Committee, Esta Nambayo said the overall objective of Uganda hosting the dialogue “is to enhance international judicial cooperation through sharing of judiciary challenges and best practices among states across Africa and beyond.”

ALL FOR FAGBOHUN ...

L-R: The Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, Hon Mudashiru Obasa; former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Abisogun Leigh, current Vice Chancellor of LASU, Prof Olarenwaju Fagbohun and Hon Yinka Ogundimu at the presentation of a book tittled, Reflection on Dynamics of the Law, in honour of Fagbohun... Friday

Exercise Patience with Sanwo-Olu, APC Chief Tells Residents

Judges Converge on Kampala against Human Rights Violation in Africa

Segun James

Tobi Soniyi

With the deplorable state of inner-city roads statewide, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Chief Lanre Razak has asked Lagos residents to exercise patience with the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Razak, also a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), assured the residents that Sanwo-Olu’s declaration of state of emergency on Lagos roads attested to his commitment to rehabilitate all deplorable portions across the state.

He made the call at a session with journalists in Lagos at the weekend, describing SanwoOlu’s decision to declare state of emergency on deplorable roads as “right step towards the right direction.”

At the session, Razak therefore urged Lagos residents “to exercise patience and show understanding over the poor condition of roads across the state”, enthusing that “Sanwo-Olu will fix them as he has promised.”

He explained that Sanwo-Olu’s declaration of state of emergency on Lagos roads “has shown that he appreciates the role of good road in the economic uplift of any society. Smooth movement of

vehicles would eliminate wasting of productive hours and enhance maximum human productivity.”

However, Rasak acknowledged the pain and agony Lagos residents had been experiencing on daily basis as a result of the poor state of the roads, assuring them that since the governor had promised “to fix them, he will surely do it as a man who always works his talk.”

Razak said much work might not be done now because of incessant rain falls, urging the people to exercise patience till rain subsided to avoid wasting money and resources on labour that would at the end of the day be a waste.

He, equally, urged the people to reciprocate Sanwo-Olu’s good gestures by doubling their support for him to encourage him to do more.

“With the steps he has been taking so far, he would surely deliver more democracy dividends to the good people of the state,” he added.

On the governor’s commitment to pay more than N30,000 minimum wage to the workers, Razak said it was an indication that welfare of the workers “is uppermost in his heart to encourage them to put in their best and thus enhance maximum productivity.

Judges from across Africa and other stakeholders will meet in Kampala, Uganda to brainstorm on how judiciary can further provide remedies for human rights violations in the continent.

The meeting which holds as the Fourth African Judicial Dialogue is scheduled for 30 October to 1 November 2019.

The dialogue, organised by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in collaboration with the Republic of Uganda, will bring together over 300 delegates, including chief justices, presidents of supreme and constitutional courts as well as representatives of regional and international judicial bodies and other relevant stakeholders, from the 55 AU Member States.

The dialogue is a biennial event of the African Union aimed at improving networking amongst judicial officers, exchange of information and best practices and the proper administration of justice on the continent.

The theme of this year’s Dialogue is: Tackling Contemporary Human Rights Issues: The Role of the Judiciary in Africa, and is a build-up to the themes of the other three editions held in 2013, 2015 2017.

“The past three meetings have reaffirmed the importance of the dialogue as a platform for African national judiciaries to discuss opportunities and continuing challenges relating to their functions,” said the President of the AfCHPR, Hon Justice Sylvain Oré.

He added that the 4th Judicial Dialogue is expected to identify the major human rights issues currently facing Africa and what role the Judiciary could play to deal with such issues, among others.

The Chairperson of the Uganda National Organizing Committee, Her Worship Ms Esta Nambayo, says the overall objective of Uganda hosting the Dialogue is to “enhance international judicial cooperation through sharing of Judiciary challenges and best practices among states across Africa and beyond.”

The dialogue will be preceded by the first meeting of the International Human Rights Forum from 28 to 29 October in Kampala. This meeting which is hosted by the African Court will be attended by the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights under the theme, “Operationalising the International Human Rights Forum and Enhancing Jurisprudential Dialogue.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 27, 2019

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Liverpool Welcome Tottenham in Reenactment of Champions League Final

T

marquee fixture of the Premier League weekend will have Liverpool playing hosts to Tottenham Hotspur, looking to continue their unbeaten start to their league campaign.

Mauricio Pochettino’s struggling side confirmed “they have not forgotten how to play football”, as Jürgen Klopp put it, when they demolished Red Star Belgrade in midweek but a reunion with Liverpool may reopen insecurities.

Tottenham faced Liverpool three times last season and lost on each occasion, with no reminder needed of what happened in the Champions League final in June.

The leaders are unbeaten in 44 league games at home and Spurs have won only once in their last 25 league visits.

Liverpool look like a team on a mission after missing out on winning the Premier League title last season by just one point. The Reds have been the runaway leaders in the top-flight this term, having not been beaten yet in their first nine fixtures. In fact, the only time they were unable to win a game was last weekend, when they held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have been in disarray in the first two months of the season. After a sub-par start to the season, things have only gone from bad to worse for the North Londoners, who have failed to win six of their last eight games, although Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be buoyed by their 5-0 win in the UEFA Champions League over Crvena Zvezda earlier this week.

Liverpool and Tottenham clashed three times last season, the latest being the Champions League final, wherein the Reds had triumphed. The Merseyside club also won the corresponding fixture last season.

Jurgen Klopp has only provided positive updates on the team news front ahead of the visit of Tottenham. Today, the Liverpool boss is only likely to be without two first-team players, namely Nathaniel Clyne (knee) and Xherdan Shaqiri (calf), although Joel Matip is a major doubt heading into the fixture.

The Cameroonian defender missed the midweek fixture against Genk due to a knee injury and will face a late fitness test to determine his availability for Sunday. But, first-choice full-back pairing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson are fit and likely to start.

Alexander-Arnold did not travel to Belgium for the Champions League excursion due to an illness,

Both teams will be looking to their strikers to carry the day with Firmino (left) for Liverpool and Kane in top form

but has recovered to make himself available for the visit of Tottenham. Robertson, on the other hand, has shrugged off a knock and will take up the left-back slot for Liverpool.

If Matip is not risked, Dejan Lovren could be the man to partner Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence once again, just as he did at Genk. Behind the defensive line, Alisson Becker will take his place in goal once again.

Up ahead in midfield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in contention to start a second successive game following his superb brace in the Champions League.

But, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson should

replace his compatriot in the starting lineup, with Georginio Wijnaldum expected to come into the side in place of Naby Keita.

Fabinho will hold the fort in front of the backline and will look to set the tempo of the game as well.

The attacking unit, meanwhile, picks itself, with Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane being certain starters for Liverpool.

Liverpool have dominated the recent history of this fixture, winning 10 and losing just one of the last 15 meetings across all competitions.

That includes victories in all three games last season, and should Klopp’s side win today then

it would be the first time they have won four games in a row against Spurs since 2015.

You have to go back to 2011 for Tottenham’s last winning visit to Anfield - a run of eight games which includes five defeats.

Pulisic Scores Hat-trick as Chelsea Beat Burnley Christian Pulisic yesterday scored a hat-trick to announce his arrival in English football in sensational style as Chelsea beat Burnley for a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

The 21-year-old American winger scored a ‘perfect’ hat-trick with a left foot, right foot and headed effort.

Pulisic Scores Hat-trick Lalong Promises Support for Nigeria Ladies Open Championship as Chelsea Beat Burnley

C

hristian Pulisic yesterday scored a hat-trick to announce his arrival in English football in sensational style as Chelsea beat Burnley for a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

The 21-year-old American winger scored a ‘perfect’ hat-trick with a left foot, right foot and headed effort.

He was the difference in an even first half, first of all winning the ball on the halfway line before running all the way and slotting home. His second was also a break from midfield after Willian won possession.

Burnley were in the game until that stage but Chelsea ran away with it in the second half.

Pulisic headed in from Mason Mount’s cross for his first career treble, before Willian blasted home a fourth moments later.

Jay Rodriguez’s long-range strike and Dwight McNeil’s deflected effort brought huge roars from the Turf Moor faithful but they had left their comeback far too late.

Pulisic, who has already been

dubbed Captain America in some parts, has had a slow start to life in England as he adjusted from the switch from Borussia Dortmund.

This was his first Premier League start since August, but there can be little doubt he is ready now.

It was not just his goals which were impressive. He caused so many problems for Burnley with surging runs down both flanks and through the centre, as well as some testing crosses. But what will clearly be remembered are his three goals.

His first was all his own work as he won it from Matthew Lowton before skipping past James Tarkowski and slotting home.

Then Willian stole the ball off a Burnley defender before finding Pulisic, who did the rest - albeit with the help of a deflection.

After the break, he popped up with an unlikely header to become only the second American to score a hat-trick in the Premier League.

Willian’s fierce drive into the bottom corner was merely a footnote on this game.

Wale Ajimotokan in Abuja

P

lateau State Governor Simon Lalong has assured organisers of the 2019 Nigeria Ladies Open Golf Championship of his total support to make the event a huge success.

He gave the assurance in Abuja when the members of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN) led the championship’s Organising Committee on a courtesy call on him.

“It is always my pleasure to contribute to golf development in Nigeria and also participate in the sport as a golfer. So, I will always be there for you,” Lalong said.

He added that because golf means a lot to many people, either economically, politically or physically, it needs a lot of support from many quarters.

The governor said this was why he would be supporting the championship with all he has, because he knows that golf makes enormous contributions to the Nigerian nation.

He also urged corporate bodies, governments and individuals to rally round LGAN in order to have a smooth and successful championship.

“When we all come round to support the championship, the sport will grow and individuals will improve, and Nigeria will reap a lot of benefits,’’

Lalong said.

Speaking earlier, the LGAN President, Ekanem Ekwueme had told the governor that players from at least 10 countries were being expected at the championship scheduled for Nov. 12 to Nov. 15.

Chairperson, Organising Committee for the Championship, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, said the visit on Lalong was in view of his position as a major stakeholder in the sport.

“You are one of our serious members, and we know that you are always there not only for the club in Abuja but the sport in Nigeria as a whole.

Mexican GP: Verstappen Loses Pole after Grid Penalty

RESULTS & FIXTURE

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Leicester Aston Villa Everton Bournemouth Sheff Utd Chelsea Athletic Bilbao

Newcastle Utd Liverpool Arsenal Norwich City

v Wolves 1.00 pm v Tottenham 5:30pm v Crystal Palace 5:30pm v Man United 5:30pm

Sunday October 27, 2019

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Bode George to INEC “In this era, we do not need to take election results to Abuja before we can announce them. We do not need to go from polling units to collation centres to announce election results” – A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George calling on INEC to adopt technology that will make it difficult for elections to be rigged in Nigeria.

SIMONKOLAWOLE And Four 2023 and the Ndigbo Question Other Things…

SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

A

fter the leadership elections of the ninth national assembly in June, one fact stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb — not a single Igbo man or woman would be counted among the top seven citizens of Nigeria: president, vice-president, senate president, speaker, chief justice of Nigeria, deputy senate president and deputy speaker. Senator Ike Ekweremadu failed in his last-minute bid to return as deputy senate president. That could have changed the situation. In a federation where Igbo are one of the three biggest ethnic groups, this is bad news for enthusiasts of national integration like me — and possibly a trigger for more rancour in an already fractured federation.

Obviously, if I were the one offering advice to the decision makers at the All Progressives Congress (APC), I would have suggested that since the core north had already produced the president and the south-west the vice-president, the positions of senate president and speaker should go to the two other zones in the south.

The north-east and north-central should take the deputy positions, I would have proposed. This, I think, would provide for a more balanced political outlook in the interest of national cohesion. If national assembly rules had to be changed to accommodate this arrangement, so be it. We need the right political atmosphere for peace and progress, I would continue to say.

Of course, I am not a politician so it is easier for me to sit down in my living room and start sharing political offices from my laptop.

Those who understand politics better than I do — having played it at the highest level — would say it is about risk and reward. I agree that things are more nuanced. I have listened carefully to both sides of the argument. From the Igbo side, the argument is that they are not wanted in Nigeria; they are still paying the price of the civil war; there is a conspiracy against them; they are being systematically pushed out of the federation through an unofficial policy of marginalisation. These arguments are widespread among the Igbo.

In a sense, therefore, it is easier to understand their choices: they would naturally bond with any political gathering that holds the promise of a better accommodation to give them a pride of place in the scheme of things. That would be a rational choice, in any case. Therefore, in February 2019, the Igbo naturally opted to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

As things turned out, the party failed in its bid to wrest power from the APC at the polls.

Had the PDP won, the No. 2 citizen would have been Mr Peter Obi, an Igbo, and you could also be sure many key positions in a government presided over by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would have gone to the south-east.

However, on the other side of the fence, I have heard that the Igbo would get their “constitutional dues” under Buhari but would not enjoy the luxury of picking what they should get. Buhari himself has consistently said he gave four senior ministerial positions to the south-east in 2015 despite the fact that they did not vote for him. The word in his camp is that no matter what he does, he can never please the Igbo. He finds it difficult to understand why the Igbo have never supported him since 2003 when he first ran for office. In

Ekweremadu

five election cycles, the south-east has made it very clear, through the ballot, that Buhari is not their kind of man.

It is also being argued in Buhari’s corner that he has been fair to the south-east in terms of projects — the biggest being the ongoing construction of the second Nigeria bridge which had only existed on the lips of previous presidents. Buhari made a bullet payment of N50 billion for the contract. That is probably the largest mobilisation payment for a construction job in the history of Nigeria, and work is going on steadily. This, it is argued in his camp, is proof that Buhari does not have anything against the Igbo. Regardless, the argument continues to go back and forth. I am not expecting the protagonists and antagonists to reach a consensus and shake hands today. Or tomorrow.

In all the arguments, though, we need to get something very clear: if we truly desire to make Nigeria great, it would be illogical and destructive to push Ndigbo to the margins.

In the first place, we will never be able to construct the kind of political consensus we desperately need for nation-building and national development. We definitely need all hands on deck to move the Nigerian project to the next level. Secondly, the Igbo have demonstrated their abilities and capabilities in virtually every field of human endeavour, locally and globally, so it would be a disadvantage to Nigeria — not just the south-east — if we lock them out of the room. Politics must never triumph over reason.

That said, and leaving Buhari and APC out of the picture, we need to interrogate some issues that have continued to shape the debate about the place of Ndigbo in the Nigerian arrangement. One, are the Igbo and Hausa/ Fulani permanent enemies — as the frosty relations between the two groups appear to suggest? Two, is there indeed a grand design to marginalise the Igbo? Three, if there is no such conspiracy, what are the chances that an Igbo would ever be elected president of Nigeria? These are not issues I can discuss in a 1,200-word article such as this and I honestly cannot claim to have unimpeachable answers to these questions, but I promise to put in a decent shift.

To start with, the impression you get today is that Igbo and Hausa/Fulani are enemies made from the foundation of the world. It is absolutely false. In the first republic, the two

blocs aligned to form government. The west was in opposition. In 1979, less than 10 years after the civil war, Dr Alex Ekwueme, an Igbo, was elected vice-president to a Fulani, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NPP, which controlled the east, officially aligned with Shagari’s NPN at the national level. Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke (NPP) was speaker of the house of reps. Those were No. 2 and No. 4 positions for the Igbo. That does not suggest eternal enmity in my books, despite all the bile and bitterness of the coup and countercoup of 1966. We need not be completely moved by the emotions of the moment.

In the annulled third republic, the NRC was portrayed as the party for northern conservatives.

Three of four south-eastern states were controlled

by NRC while SDP, cast as progressive and south-leaning, controlled all the five states in the west. It was an established pattern of alignment. In 1999, the Igbo were more comfortable with the PDP, which was portrayed in the AD-controlled south-west as the party of the “northern oligarchy”. The Yoruba used to tease the Igbo as playing “second fiddle” to the north. It is amazing how things change in Nigerian politics. It now looks like the Igbo and the north have never seen eye to eye, but that would not be the true position of history.

But there remains a million-dollar question: if there is truly no conspiracy against the Igbo, why then have they never produced the president?

If we are to set aside the conspiracy theory, can there be a plausible explanation? The Nigerian power matrix is constructed in such a way that one southern bloc will always be paired with the north. As we saw in 1979 and 1983, it was north/south-east. In 1993, it was south-west/ north, although it was annulled. In 1999 and 2003, it was south-west/north. Ordinarily, it should have been north/south-east in 2007 but the south-south had emerged as a third southern bloc — following the militant campaign for resource control. That was a major disruption.

The rise of APC in 2015 on the strength of a north/south-west alliance has further altered the balance, worsened by the party’s poor showing in the south-east. We are now confronted with a situation: the south-west wants to take a shot at No. 1 in 2023. That would leave the south-east completely out of the north/south power equation — yet again. Avoiding technical arguments, ignoring conspiracy theories and adopting the sense of political expediency, therefore, many would say that the rest of Nigeria should only think of a president from the south-east in 2023. I would give it to the south-east if I had the power — in line with my belief in federal character.

Though, I find it quite irritating that we are already discussing 2023 in 2019, but that is the way we are. We were created for elections and political intrigues. Nothing excites us as much as politicking. And with what I can see and smell so far, 2023 will be fiercely contested between the power blocs. The north will certainly have a go again (there is nothing like power rotation in APC). The south-west will also have a go. The south-east will definitely make a strong case that it be given a chance in the interest of “equity”. I am unable to predict how things would go, but something tells me whoever forges the fight alliance will get it. It is all about playing the politics that will deliver the goods.

CHILD RAPE Mr Adegboyega Adenekan, a school supervisor, has just been jailed for 60 years for defiling a two-year-old girl under his care.

Sentencing him on Thursday, Justice Sybil Nwaka of the Ikeja domestic violence and sexual offences court described the beast as “wicked, conscienceless and an animal who is not worthy of walking on the streets of Lagos”. I wish there were harsher words.

Cases of rape are so prevalent in our society but only a few states take this seriously.

There was a case I was pursuing in Ogun state last year. The animal was remanded in prison for raping a nine-year-old girl. He has since been quietly released and we can’t trace him anymore. Devastating..

EASY DOES IT Something cheery came from the World Bank last week: Nigeria has moved up by 15 places in the Ease of Doing Business ranking. Forget the fact that President Buhari recently carpeted IMF and World Bank statistics, describing them as “wild estimates” which “bear little relation to the facts on the ground”. This particular one is good for us and was promptly celebrated by the president himself. The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, deserves commendation for several initiatives that are easing things up a bit. We still have a very long way to go — indeed, small businesses also need to breathe with ease. Vital..

IRON WILL Nigeria has “struck” a deal with Russia for the completion of the Ajaokuta Iron and Steel Company Ltd, according to a scanty statement from President Buhari’s media office. This should be the highlight of the Russia-Africa Security Summit. The “ogbanje” steel company, once touted as the world’s fourth largest, was started by President Shagari in 1979 and has become Nigeria’s symbol of shame and a testimonial to our corrupt and inept leadership. It has produced more scams than steel. President Jonathan succeeded in legally rescuing the company from the asset-stripping Global Steel Holdings Limited in 2014. Let’s hope this new Russia deal is good for us and is for real. Optimism..

USSD WAR Nigerians, already paying so much for banking transactions, were jolted to receive yet another message from MTN recently that they would start paying N4 per 20 seconds for transfers done through USSD. Customers are already paying between N20 and N50 for such transactions. They even pay using USSD to check their account balances.

Good thing the proposed charge by telcos has been suspended. The banks and the telecoms companies should now sit down and agree on how they are going to share what customers are already paying, not how to add to the charges. The notion that Nigerians are docile and would take anything must not be overstretched. Caution..

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