BD Sunday 08 Jul 2018

BDSUNDAY BUSINESS DAY

When cow value outweighs human life (in herdsmen’s eyes), Plateau bleeds p . 12

Flour millers’ competition intensifies as Dangote

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p. 40-41p.

p. 35

Sunday 08 July 2018

Vol 1, No. 225 N300

Market & Commodities Monitor Brent Oil

5yr Bond

$77.09

0.20 13.57%

Gold

10yr Bond

$1,255.90

0.00 14.21%

Cocoa

$2,465.00

20yr Bond

-0.07 14.26%

inside 2019: Saraki’s Supreme Court dismissal gives him political advantage - Experts

p. 17

Rat race as 40 aspirants jostle to succeed Ajimobi in Oyo

p. 20-21

Majority of our prayer centres are far from the true God - Pastor Alade

L-R (Front row): Mustapha Tijani, DPO Ikoyi; Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, general manager, LASPARK; Adekunle Adebiyi, sales and distribution executive, MTN Nigeria; Gloria Okeze, market leader, Police Wives Association (POWA), Ikoyi, and Mrs. Buzugbe, welfare officer, POWA. (Back row): Tobechukwu Okigbo, corporate relations executive, MTN Nigeria, and Richard Iweanoge, general manager, brands and communication, MTN Nigeria, during the beautification of the POWA Shopping Complex in Falomo, Ikoyi, by MTN at the weekend.

The women who want Buhari’s job Observers see too many roadblocks ahead

CHUKS OLUIGBO & INIOBONG IWOK

U

nlike in 2015 when there was only one female presidential candidate, it appears that more women will be slugging it out with incumbent

President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and candidates of other political parties in the 2019 presidential election. This is as a handful of women have declared their intention to vie for the country’s top job next year.

While women have yet to get a fair deal in the Nigerian political space, the presidency has remained a far-fetched dream.

Until the emergence of Remi Sonaiya as the

p. 4

Dollar in the mills How small-scale millers make millions from palm oil ODINAKA ANUDU

p. 22

J

une 18, 2018. It is a sunny Monday afternoon in Umuagwo, 26 kilometres from Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Benson Umeh is in his usual blue shorts and sleeveless white shirt, with a

bowler hat to match.

Umeh is moving from one corner of his palm oil mill to another, issuing orders and directing his workers on what to do at each stage.

“Hey Obinna, put more water in the boiler. And make sure you turn it when it

reaches 100 degrees,” he shouts.

None of Umeh’s eight staff members is well educated or a scientist, but each of them knows when the water boiling point hits 100 degrees. This is the sophistication

P. 24

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Sunday 08 July 2018

IssueOfTheWeek The Macron effect CHUKS OLUIGBO

R

eports of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Nigeria dominated local and global headlines for much of last week. Whether it was his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, or his later evening outing at Afrika Shrine in Lagos, where he relived good old memories of his time as an intern at the French Embassy, Macron’s visit was well reported and documented in pictures and videos as well.

But perhaps, Macron’s greatest impact during his visit was his Wednesday meeting and interactive session with over 2,000 African entrepreneurs in Lagos, at the instance of Tony Elumelu, chairman, Heirs Holdings, chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, and proponent of Africapitalism.

In a country where young entrepreneurs brave the odds to succeed, not because of but in spite of government, any form of encouragement, especially from a young man who has risen to the apogee of the French society by dint of hard work, is welcome.

Indeed, since his victory in the May 7, 2017 presidential poll in France, Macron has been a source of inspiration to many young Nigerians, who now see him as the new face of possibilities.

Macron’s victory at the poll served – and still serves – as inspiration for the youth of Nigeria, spurring in them a new consciousness that with the right political mobilisation and action, they could still take charge and redeem their country; that they could, perhaps, replicate the Macron magic in Nigeria.

Macron’s interactive session with young entrepreneurs was, no doubt, expected to produce the same effect in the business circle as his political win has had in the political scene.

The meeting in Lagos with the entrepreneurs, who are alumni of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, was to discuss the future of Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The interactive session, which was moderated by Elumelu himself, was no-holdsbarred as Macron, a former investment banker, answered every question from the entrepreneurs with openness of heart and sincerity.

The Elumelu entrepreneurs sought advice from the youthful Macron on how to grow their businesses, reach European markets amidst rising nationalism and emerging trade wars, and the secrets of his political success.

“To young African entrepreneurs: never listen to people who are telling you to wait.

If you believe in your projects, just do it,” Macron said.

“Our role is to help the new generation to seize opportunities and rise to the challenge. This is what underpins a new, balanced relationship,” he said.

Macron, the youngest president to ever lead France, said his rise to the top political position was aided by the fact that too many people discouraged him and doubted his ability to be a president.

“But there is no one way for success. Take a risk and never stop at the first failure. No one succeeds without taking a risk,” he said.

Macron advocated a new partnership, prioritizing the role of entrepreneurship in driving Africa’s renaissance, highlighting the importance of the private sector and, most importantly, saying Africa’s future was and

French President Emmanuel Macron and Tony Elumelu, founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, at an interactive session with young entrepreneurs in Lagos.

should be in Africa’s hands.

“Africa is the one to take responsibility for Africa. Africa should speak for Africa.

Africa shouldn’t be lectured on what to do.

This is a new narrative that Africans should have,” Macron said.

“Issues of immigration are an example of the result of having a big number of Africans who are disempowered. If we don’t collectively address this and bring together business leaders to find ways through which Africa can thrive, we are not ever going to thrive,” he said.

He emphasised that it was through innovation and disruptions that Africa would arguably be able to lead the way, highlighting that the two are catalysts to fast economic transformation.

“Innovation means change. If we don’t embrace it, we risk missing on important change,” he told the entrepreneurs, adding that if Africa doesn’t grow, France and the rest of the world will hardly achieve their growth targets.

The French president also argued that the private sector is the answer to some of Africa’s biggest problems.

The Elumelu angle Macron’s submission is perfectly in consonance with Tony Elumelu’s concept of Africapitalism, a philosophy to advocate for the continent’s private sector to take the lead in transforming Africa’s economies.

With employment opportunities ever shrinking, and with governments and large corporates clearly lacking the capacity to provide employment for the millions of young Africans entering the job market every year, Elumelu sees empowering “our youths on the continent to create their own jobs and take charge of their future by starting their own businesses” as imperative.

“Many of them are so talented and merely need a chance to take off. They are designing apparel and apps, educational models and agriculture supply chains, etc. But they are shut out of the formal economy by bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles, policy gaps and lack of access to capital, markets and training,” Elumelu said in a keynote speech at the 2016 an-

nual Harvard International Development Conference (HIDC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“I believe that Africa has the potential to produce 1,000 more UBAs, more MTNs, and even our own Steve Jobs through private sector investment,” he said.

It is this ingrained passion “to ensure shared prosperity in African economic development and opportunity” by empowering young Africans to be self-sufficient that led to the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme.

The Entrepreneurship Programme, a 10-year, $100-million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs, is capable of changing the face of business across Africa.

The Foundation’s long-term investment in empowering African entrepreneurs is emblematic of Elumelu’s philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions Africa’s private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the continent.

So far, about 4,250 African brightest entrepreneurs have been empowered through the Foundation. But Elumelu’s long-term target is to change the current narrative that many people have towards Africa and Africa’s entrepreneurship landscape. And it was in view of this that he invited Macron to meet the young entrepreneurs.

“The French President recognises the critical importance of African entrepreneurs to sustainable economic development on the continent – he knows the African narrative is changing and will change.

His voice is refreshing and welcome,” Elumelu said during the interactive session.

“We want France and the rest of the world to realise that Africa is a continent of opportunities,” he said.

The event ended with TEF signing an agreement with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) establishing a research partnership to examine the entrepreneurship ecosystem in West Africa, with a special focus on francophone countries, a risk-sharing guarantee framework

and access to high-level mentors for TEF entrepreneurs.

Gauging impact On Thursday, Elumelu tweeted, “It was a great pleasure for me to host an interactive session with President @EmmanuelMacron of #France and 2000 young African entrepreneurs in #Lagos yesterday. #TOEWay #Africapitalism #macronatTEF #TEF2018.”

The avalanche of replies from young Nigerians said a lot about what impact the session must have had.

JoeMartins Emezie Atueyi (@always_ Zinga) said, “I was there and I must say that I really learnt a lot. Thank you, Sir, for such a high profile meet-up. God will continue to reward your kind gestures.”

“The session has further caused me to stop, think and re-evaluate my purpose.

We must build Africa, make her prosperous, let her children know they can prosper with limitless opportunities. I am glad I was there. #marconatTEF,” tweeted Olayemi Popoola through the handle @ yemoskipee.

Jude Ekwedike (@jekwedike) tweeted, “Great job to both of you!! You inspire the young to go for greater heights. @EmmanuelMacron thank you for visiting Nigeria.

You remind my people that the present the future belong to young people. You came at a crucial time. You give hope. I hope the Canadian PM visits as well.”

“It was indeed a great moment for me learning from these 2 Giants. I’m very much energized for the journey ahead.

We Entrepreneurs must keep working to provide Economic Hope & Jobs for the teeming youths while crafting out innovative Solutions to the many African challenges,” tweeted Falaye Sunday (@ Falaye_Sunday).

Some were simply blunt in calling on Tony Elumelu to run for the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to rescue the country from the doldrums.

In the end, it is hoped that these noble expressions by young African entrepreneurs translate into a better economic future for the continent.

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PhotoSplash

Willie Barkhuisen, project director, Hitech Construction Company ( 2nd right); Felicia Nnenna Agubata, president, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria,(APWEN) (middle); Laolu Adedapo –Aisida, chairman, APWEN Lagos Chapter; Funmi Akingbagbohun, national treasurer (APWEN) and others during industrial visit at the ongoing Construction of Agege Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge by (APWEN) held in Lagos. PHOTO CHINYERE IKEANYI .

L-R: Ifeloju Alakija , MainOne head of regulatory services; Omobola Johnson, TLcom Capital, lead partner; Niyi Yusuf, Accenture Country manager, Omowunmi Idowu, Ibile Holdings Limited Company Secretary/Legal Adviser ; Olusegun Babarinde, Ibile Holdings Limited, internal auditor ; Adebowale Sangosanya, CEO, ACT Marketing, at the Inaugural Meeting of the Industry Advisory Board for the Yaba ICT Cluster Project held recently at the Accenture office.

L-R: Nzekwu Bob Nnamdi, assist manager corporate marketing, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc; Toyin Sanni, group MD United Capital/special guest; Ebika Ogbor, managing director, Bixies Boulevard Ltd; Ifeanyi Ogbor, CEO, Leasehouz and Taiwo Shittu, group executive director, Lanre Shittu Motors Nigeria Limited during the Launch of Leasehouz in Lagos

L-R: Yaw Nsarkoh, CEO, Unilever Nigeria/Ghana/ guest speaker ;Chris Wulff-Caesar, marketing director, Friesland Campina WAMCO; Tony Agenmonmen , president, NIMN , and Udeme Ufot, MD, SO and U Limited, during the Marketing Edge national marketing stakeholders summit with the theme, marketing paradigms in the age of digitization in Lagos. Pic by Pius Okeosisi

Rotimi Ameachi, (right), minister of transportation, with Gilbert Langat, CEO, Shippers Council of East Africa, at the annual general meeting of African Transporters in Abuja recently.

L-R B Olukunle Akande, most outstanding Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) Officer of the year 2018, Junaid Ajadi, most dedicated officer of the year, Adebayo Gbemisola , executive director, Fatgbems Group, and Rita Omobovbude, people’s LASTMA officer of the year, at the 2018 Lagos Traffic Radio Lecture Series in Lagos .

L-R: Rita Omobovbude , speaker of Kebbi State House of Assembly, Ismaila Kamba; speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, at a consultative dialogue for the development of An Implementation Framework for the Financial Autonomy Bill in Lagos /NAN

L -R: Tom Ogboi, CAC Chairman; Fola Aguda, CPC chairman; Niyi Ogunnusi, RVP ; Clifford Onyeje. DC South West 4 District; at the official unveiling of 2018 Lagos National Convention Logo in Lagos Area Office of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International Nigeria recently.

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The women who want Buhari’s job

Elishama Rosemary Ideh

Continued from Page 1 presidential flag-bearer of KOWA Party in 2015, Sarah Jibril, whose aspiration to the presidency dates back to 1992, was the only known female presidential aspirant in Nigeria since the country’s return to civil rule.

The equation however seems to be changing, as BDSUNDAY checks show that currently, there are up to four women seriously aspiring to the presidency. Of these, three are likely to get their parties’ nod to fly the presidential flag.

This is even as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, said in September last year, that it would support Nigerian female politicians vying for elective positions in the 2019 general elections.

The candidates Elishama Rosemary Ideh Elishama Ideh, who is pursuing her presidential ambition on the platform of the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN), is convinced she would get her party’s ticket.

For her, Nigeria at this time needs “a leader who combines integrity with intelligence and a deep and vast understanding of the implications of the 21st century global economy and Nigeria’s place in it”.

She promises to reform the country’s revenue generation and allocation structure, including federal tax regimes; reduce the cost and simplify the processes and procedures of doing business anywhere in Nigeria, so that local and foreign investors will thrive; work to ensure fair remuneration in terms of wages, welfare packages and retirement benefits within the limits of available means, among others.

“I am a firm believer in the values, vision

Remi Sonaiya

and mission of this great party, and I’m committed to the actualisation of its ideology and its innovative roadmap for the regeneration of Nigeria and the creation of the material and social wealth that will secure the present welfare and future security of Nigerians living today and generations yet unborn,” she said while declaring her intention in Abuja.

Born and raised in Lagos, Ideh, who hails from Edo State, was educated at Mayflower Primary School Ikenne, Ogun State, Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Onitsha, and Bowie State College, Maryland, USA, where she studied Mass Communication.

Remi Sonaiya The 63-year-old retired professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, was the only female candidate in the 2015 presidential election, where she finished 12th with 13,076 votes.

Confirming to BDSUNDAY her intention to join the 2019 presidential race in an interview, she said, “Yes, I am one of the aspirants on the platform of my party.

I will run again.”

A firm believer in devolution of power, Sonaiya said at the 4thAnniversary Lecture of The Niche, a newspaper, in Lagos, that the role of the central government is to create an enabling environment that is propitious for prosperity, development and to manage the security of the state.

“The Federal Government has a role in managing interaction with the rest of the world. Leave the state to handle developments in their various states. I don’t believe that there is a one-size-fits-all for every state in the federation. Let each state determine what approach it will take

to develop. Let every state exploit what they have on their land. For those who do not have mineral resources, they can create intellectual resources. The whole essence is to create wealth, bring money.

The rest of us will contribute to the centre to run,” she said.

Even though she believes that parties like KOWA may not find it easy to square up with established ones, particularly the incumbent that deploys the resources that belong to everyone, to prosecute elections, she is not deterred. She believes with sufficient sensitisation of the voting populace, the desired change can be achieved.

“Well, definitely I will try and get my message across more to Nigerians. You know it was my first time in 2015. My first outing really opened my eyes to many things. This time I will be getting my message across and have more access to people.

“I am a little bit known now than was the case in 2015. I will have more support.

I did not have wide reach, but it is different now. Again, this time around, I hope more money will be at my disposal to do some of the legitimate things that should be done. I am hopeful of a better outing his time around,” she said.

Born March 2, 1955 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Oluremi Comfort Sonaiya was educated at St. Luke’s Demonstration School, Ibadan, St. Anne’s School, Ibadan, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), and Cornell University in the United States, where she bagged a PhD in Linguistics.

She started her career as assistant lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages, Obafemi Awolowo University, where she rose to become a professor

in 2004.

Eunice Atuejide This 39-year-old legal practitioner, businesswoman, management consultant, and entrepreneur is the founder and leader of the National Interest Party (NIP), a technology-driven political party which says it is “committed to fight, by all means necessary, the mismanagement of our national wealth, to recover as much of our stolen wealth as we can find, to eradicate the abysmal levels of corruption in our national life; the unequal treatment of our people at all levels”.

An online report on her says Atuejide “desires to form a government of passionate and patriotic Nigerians with undisputed integrity; leaders who are not moved by religious, ethnic, tribal, gender or any other differences; people who are ready to work together irrespective of their differences; people whose only collective purpose is to create a country which works for every Nigerian – born and unborn”.

The Enugu State-born mother of five says she believes firmly that a government of good leaders is the surest way out of Nigeria’s present quagmire.

Described as “a passionate Nigerian with unwavering faith in the country and people”, Atuejide has a background in Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Law, French, German and Spanish languages, and film-making, among others.

Being the engine-room of NIP, Atuejide is most likely to be the party’s flag-bearer.

Olufumilayo Adesanya-Davies A professor of Language and Communication Arts at the Rivers State University of Education, Olufumilayo Adesanya-Davies believes the solution

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Eunice Atuejide

to Nigeria’s current challenges is in the hands of women.

The 55-year-old professor and founder of Agape Bible Church, who bagged her degrees from the University of Ilorin, University of Port Harcourt, and Northwestern University, says she is still keeping the party under which she would run “under close wraps”.

“We don’t have a platform yet. We are just saying that officially, this is a presidential aspirant for 2019 and later we will take it to the next level,” she said. “As time goes on and as we are taking counsel from the youths, the family, mothers and the children, we will declare on which platform the next first female president will be coming from.”

Adesanya-Davies, who hails from Ira, Kwara State, says she began to nurse the ambition to contest the presidential election in 2015, though her interest in the race was boosted by the decision of political parties to make nomination forms free for women aspirants.

She says she has so far consulted with Sarah Jibril, who is also from Kwara State, as well as Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Both ladies have endorsed her aspiration, she says.

Roadblocks ahead But while the number of female presidential aspirants may have increased, and even though the League of Women Voters in Nigeria (LWVN) in May demanded, among other things, that all political parties in the country leave open the office of the vice president for women, field female governorship aspirants in at least 12 states, and ensure that all male governorship candidates have women as running mates, some observers say Nigeria’s political landscape is littered with mines that would always stop women from making headway, especially in the presidential race.

Ahead of the 2015 elections, for in-

Olufumilayo Adesanya-Davies

stance, the 100 Women Group, a club of some of Nigeria’s foremost female activists, issued a statement on women political participation decrying the rate at which women were being excluded from political participation.

The group, in the statement issued in December 2014, observed that most of the women were cajoled out of their aspirations, alleging that this amounted to emotional violence against women during the party primaries. The group said the instruments deployed to achieve this emotional violence included high financial intimidation with money being spent to influence the various delegates.

Remi Sonaiya, a professor and presidential candidate of KOWA Party (KP) in the 2015 election, agrees, saying increasing monetisation of the political system and violence associated with elections in the country have discouraged women involvement in politics in recent times.

“How many women are aspiring for elective positions in the country, or showing interest? They complain of violence, so they are afraid of the process. You know women; a lot of us could easily be intimidated. But what is happening now is

discouraging a lot of women from coming out to compete; we need to change the system,” Sonaiya said.

“Another challenge is money. Women may not have enough cash to offer bribe to the politicians, or buy nomination forms. Of course, I agree you do need some amount of money for travels and to print posters and some other things, but the current situation is not helping us,” she said.

Sonaiya said she was not really in support of a quota for women, adding that, perhaps, “we need some form of legislation to encourage women, but that may give space to all sorts of people; it is not the best”.

Ebere Ifendu, chairperson, Women in Politics Forum in Nigeria (WIP), said the difficult Nigerian political terrain remains a discouraging factor for women.

Apart from political violence, Ifendu said monetisation of the political process was another big problem.

“Women don’t have resources to match men, and don’t have the strength to be as violent as the men. There is no genuine internal democracy in the political parties and candidates are handpicked. Because there is no internal democracy in political parties, women are not able to come

Presently, out of 109 senators, we have eight women senators, and out of 360 members of the House of Representatives, we have about 14 women. We had far more numbers between 1999 and 2017

out as candidates,” she said. “Secondly, because of the tokenism of the free forms that the political parties give women, when it comes to consensus, it is the woman that is often asked to step down.

They will rather consider someone who paid for forms, and so they will scheme us out again. It is like giving you something with the right hand and taking it back with the left hand,” she said.

She called for more internal democracy, independent candidacy, as well as legislation for Affirmative Action to encourage women with quality and capacity to run for elective positions.

Tolani Animashaun, a former aspirant to the position of national deputy woman leader of the PDP, said the current political system was not encouraging women and that the progress achieved in previous administrations was because there were deliberate efforts by those administrations to put women and their issues in the front-burner.

“We would continue to see fewer women even in 2019 elections. What is happening is that women are not put in front in this APC/Buhari-led administration like in the previous governments of Obasanjo and Jonathan. We are now in the minority,” Animashaun said.

“Presently, out of 109 senators, we have eight women senators, and out of 360 members of the House of Representatives, we have about 14 women. We had far more numbers between 1999 and 2017,” she said.

Earlier in March, the Women Arise for Change Initiative (WA), a non-governmental organisation led by Joe OkeiOdumakin, renowned rights activist, reportedly called on government at all levels to establish a Women’s Trust Fund to support female politicians bidding for elective positions in the country, provide enabling leadership skill development for women aspirants, as well as organise community support for women in politics.

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APC set to take over Ekiti, accuses PDP of mopping up PVCs James Kwen, Abuja

T

he ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to take over the reins of power in Ekiti State in the July 14 governorship election.

This is as the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole announced that he would lead the party to a mega rally in the state on Tuesday to woo Ekiti people to vote for the APC candidate, Kayode Fayemi.

“I believe by Tuesday, another mega rally will be held to close campaigns and I believe that people of Ekiti State are now very much aware of what the issues are, they will go to make a sensible judgment and we are very certain that it will be in favour of our candidate,” he stated.

Oshiomhole, who briefed

journalists in Abuja ahead of the election, also accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of mopping up Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) which is evident that the party is panicking of obvious defeat.

“There is no better evidence than the fact that PDP is panicking. You must have heard the report that, in clear violation of electoral Act, the outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Fayose has instructed the civil servants, principal of schools, headmasters of schools to retrieve PVCs from civil servants because he’s afraid.

“I believe that the civil servants and the teachers in Ekiti state will not vote for him and their families will not vote for him and they will of course as enlightened people, they are helping to educate the other members of Ekiti community why Fayose was a disaster.

“You haven’t paid people

for one year, in spite of the fact that the Federal Government had given Fayose bailouts repeatedly and he chose to divert the money to other purposes.

“They are panicking, while we are asking them to collect PVCs, they are retrieving PVCs. We have evidence now that they have even issued queries to workers, including teachers for refusing to surrender their PVCs. “I don’t think you need any better evidence, that the sitting governor is panicking, we can’t wait to have him sweep away on the 14th of July, God willing by the good people of Ekiti State through a free and fair election on the basis of one man, one vote; one woman, one vote,” the APC National Chairman stated.

According to Oshiomhole, “Fayose who wasrigged into office with the support of the then PDP-controlled

Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman

Federal Government which took money from NNPC to fund his campaign and deployed military to coerced

Nigeria urged to train more surgeons for sustainable surgical plan UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

T

he leadership of Nigeria has been reminded that if the nation should witness a sustainable national surgical plan, it must strive to invest in training more surgeons.

Ikechi Emenike, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) Abia State, who stated this in Umuahia while presenting a paper titled, ‘Towards a Sustainable National Surgical Plan’ during the 14th Scientific Congress of Association of Surgeons of Nigeria (ASON), defined a national surgical plan as a healthcare recipe which ensures that every citizen

receives the necessary surgical care on a sustainable basis.

He pointed out that a national surgical plan should clearly spell out how a country could harness and marshal out human, material and diplomatic resources to ensure her citizens’ access to safe, affordable and optimum quality of surgical care, when needed, on a sustainable basis.

“Every country needs a sustainable surgical plan.

For this to happen in Nigeria, we must strive to invest in training more surgeons, and sustain the numerous supporting infrastructure such as quality medical facilities.

“We should also nurture a commercially viable sur-

gical equipment industry, which will include setting up equipment manufacturing plants, training of more equipment maintenance engineers and technicians,” he said.

Emenike however, noted that these would only make meaning to the Nigerian health sector if the doctors pursue excellence in their practice.

“Hospitals and surgery would benefit more by engaging professional administrators, as elsewhere, to viably manage their operations. More efficient time management and a deliberate policy of reinvesting in facilities is the way to go. Nigerian surgical theatres in particular and hospitals in general have a lot to learn from the 5-star, sparkling clean premises of their counterparts in Europe and America,” he said.

Emenike, who was represented by the Abia Central APC zonal chairman, Okezie Abarikwu opined that through diplomatic engagement and a robust maintenance and service sector, Nigeria could, as a first step, benefit from the huge array of used medical equipment clogging the second-hand market segment in the United States of America.

“All these must go handin-hand with a reliable and

Ekiti people to vote for him, was afraid that APC would use similar mechanism.”

He however, announced

that APC having dismantled the PDP rigging machinery would not replicate the rigging style of PDP but would wrest power in Ekiti through persuasion and with the tested and trusted candidate like Fayemi.

“After he (Fayemi) was made minister, the President has made it clear that he was very satisfied with his performance as a minister; so, Ekiti people are going to choose between a tested and trusted hand and someone who has done his apprenticeship under a very controversial personality, so, the issues are not complex at all.

The APC National Chairman also dismissed what he described as the campaign of calumny against the APC by PDP that, “a vote for Fayemi is ceding Ekiti land to herdsmen”, noting that Fayemi had managed stakeholders in Ekiti very well and there was no farmers/herdsmen conflict under him.

NAF redeploys 16 AVMs, 36 other senior officers efficient electricity system as well as boosting the overall productivity of the economy, which would guarantee higher wages and better disposable income in the country,” he said.

The Abia APC chieftain used the forum to call on Nigerians to learn from the success stories of countries such as India which is a preferred surgical care destination for many Nigerians and Nigerian medical tourists and Dubai, noting that with one $112 billion (One hundred and twelve billion US dollars) in GDP. He revealed that Dubai could afford to sustain a surgical plan which is dependent on import of medical professionals and equipment while India, with one billion people, encourages internally sustainable surgical plan.

Paul Dick Ekwere, a professor and president of ASON, who also spoke at the event, advocated for safe anaesthesia and obstetric practice to be included in safe surgery in rural setting.

“Logical reasoning is that safe surgery in a rural setting must necessarily include safe Anaesthesia and Safe Obstetric practice to positively impact the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs,” he said.

STELLA ENENCHE, Abuja

T

he Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has carried out a massive redeployment of 52 top officers comprising 16 Air Vice Marshals (AVM), 16 Air Commodores, nine Group Captains, seven Wing Commanders and four Squadron Leaders.

The redeployment came on the heels of clarion calls from different quarters for the sack of the Service Chiefs over unabated killings of Nigerians, including women and children across the country, particularly the recent bloodbath in Plateau State.

Prominent among those affected by the deployment are four Branch Chiefs at the Headquarters Nigerian Air Force (HQ NAF) and one Air Officer Commanding.

In a statement issued

by AVM, Olatokunbo Adesanya, Director of Public Relations and Information, the redeployment also affected other key appointment holders in the service, as part of a routine exercise aimed at further enhancing operational effectiveness and administrative efficiency.

“The newly appointed Branch Chiefs include AVM Charles Otegbade,

who was the Director of Plans at HQ NAF, and is now the Chief of Communications and Information Systems (CCIS). “ I n a d d i t i o n , AV M Kingsley Lar, who was the Chief of Standards and Evaluation (COSE), is now the Chief of Administration (COA). Others affected by the redeployment include AVM John Baba, the former Commandant, Air Force War College (AFWC), Makurdi, who is now the COSE as well as AVM Ibrahim Yahaya, the former COA, now the Chief of Logistics (CLOG).

“Also redeployed are AVM Napoleon Bali, who was the Director of Operations at the HQ NAF, and now the Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and AVM Charles Oghomwen, who is now the Commandant, AFWC, Makurdi.

“Others include AVM AS Liman, who is now the Commandant Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (AFRC), Lagos, Air Commodore BB Okunola, now the Pioneer Commandant, NAF School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine, Kaduna as well as Air Commodore James Gwani, who has been appointed as the Commander Air Task Force (ATF) Operation LAFIYA DOLE,” he said.

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News Policemen’s protest an embarrassment, security risk – Melaye Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja

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ino Melaye, a senator and chairman of t h e Se n a t e Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says the recent protest by policemen in Borno State, over unpaid allowances, was not just an embarrassment to the country but has further put the country’s floundering security at risk.

Melaye, who doubles as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) expressed this view on Wednesday, in a statement issued in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

He said the incident was unusual because policemen, who are deployed to prevent peaceful assembly and legitimate protests by Nigerians, resorted to the same method to vent their anger over five months’ unpaid allowances.

He likewise maintained that the excuse given by the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, that the delay in the payment of the allowances might not be unconnected with the late

Melaye

passage of the 2018 Budget was not tenable.

He posited that the executive arm of government was allowed to spend money to the tune of what was appropriated in the previous year under the same budget line for the first six months of a new budget year. Whereas the protesters claim was that they haven’t been paid for five months, which means since February 2018.

“There must, therefore, be

a different reason why these policemen were not paid, other than the purported delay in passing the 2018 budget.

“Obviously, other agents of government, such as ministers, civil servants and the Inspector-General of Police (IG) for instance, have been drawing their allowances within the same timeframe without the budget delay being a hindrance, which gives proof that the excuse offered

is nothing but a cover-up for glaring mal-administration.

“It is therefore an act of wickedness to use the excuse of delayed passage of the 2018 budget to deprive these valiant men sent to face death, on behalf of all of us and for our collective security, of their legitimate entitlements,” Melaye said.

He equally disclosed that it was on record that of Police IG, Ibrahim Idris, when ordered by his Commanderin-Chief to relocate to Benue State in order to effectively deal with issues of insecurity in that state earlier this year, flagrantly refused to comply.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the 2018 budget was delayed because some ministers and Heads of Parastatals failed to come before relevant committees of the National Assembly to defend their budget proposals in good time, until the president gave a directive to compel them to do,” said Melaye.

However, he suggested that the executive arm of government should stop passing the buck and face its duties of administering Nigeria properly.

Hilton opens first hotel in its $50m Africa Growth Initiative …sets to flag-off Curio in Nigeria this August OBINNA EMELIKE

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arely eight months after the launch of its Africa Growth Initiative with $50 million to be expended over the next five years to support the expansion of its subSaharan African portfolio, the Hilton has opened DoubleTree by Hilton Nairobi Hurlingham.

Formerly known as Amber Hotel, the 109-room hotel is the first in Africa to benefit from the $50 million fund intended to support the conversion of around 100 hotels in multiple African markets into Hilton branded properties, namely into its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand, the upscale DoubleTree by Hilton and the recently launched Curio Collection by Hilton, as well as providing instant benefits such access to over 69-million Hilton Honours members and leading innovative technology, including digital-check in.

The initiative which is expected to add about 20,000 rooms from the hotel conversion project in the next five years across Africa, hopes to deliver more hotels this year on the continent, with DoubleTree by Hilton Kigali City Centre opening later in the year.

The 153 room-hotel in the Kigali central business district, which is at the final stage of its conversion and rebranding process, was formerly known as Ubumwe Grande Hotel, and will be the Hilton’s first property in Rwanda.

However, the Africa Growth Initiative is also impacting the Nigerian hospitality landscape where Hilton has sustained only one hotel for over two decades. With the initiative, Hilton’s expansion, which is long overdue in Nigeria, is taking off with the launch of Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Curio Collection by Hilton in August this year.

Already, the hotel, according to sources from Hilton in Nigeria, has gone through all the approval stages, certifications, test running and is ready to open its doors to the discerning public this August.

The 54-rooms and suites hotel, which is rightly located within the Lagos Airport environment, with exclusivity, security and proximity to the international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, will be the first hotel in Lagos and among the pioneer 100 hotels under the Africa Growth Initiative. Furthermore, the Hilton is bringing its first African general manager of Nigerian origin to manage the Curio in Lagos.

Hard times await illegal miners in new law before National Assembly KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja

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igeria’s House of Representatives is expected to commence debate on the new legislative framework which seeks to rejuvenate and address myriads of challenges bedeviling the country’s mining sector.

The bill, seen by BusinessDay also provides for stiff sanctions for all forms of illegal mining being perpetuated by national and international syndicates across the country, as well as under-reporting of production activities in the sector, as identified in the ‘Roadmap for the growth and development of the Nigerian mining industry’, launched in 2016 by the present administration.

Nigeria is endowed with five categories of mineral resources, namely: industrial minerals, energy minerals, metallic ore minerals, construction minerals and pre-

cious stones.

As at 2015, the sector contributed about N400 billion (0.33 percent) to the country’s GDP, against about 4-5% contributions to GDP in the 1960s-70s.

According to the policy document, about 633 companies are involved in the quarry operations, through which 90% of government revenue came from in terms of royalties.

Section 182 of the legal framework which is expected to be gazetted for second

reading on the floor of the House, stipulates sanctions for ‘Mining without Mineral Title’.

It provides that: “Any person who carries out mining operations without mineral title, commits an offence and is liable upon conviction, to forfeit the minerals won and the equipment used in the illegal mining or to a fine of not exceeding N20 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both.”

Similarly, section 183 stip-

ulates that: “Any mineral title holder or person who carries out mining operation with an expired mineral title, commits an offence and is liable upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding N10 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both, provided that any mining operation after applying for renewal of mineral title and before the renewal shall not be construed to be an offence under this section.

For those in possession and purchase of minerals without licence, on conviction, they are at risk of forfeiting the “minerals purchased in addition to a fine not exceeding N10 million, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both fine and imprisonment.”

In order to serve as deterrent to sharp practices through the use of false or fraudulent scales, or weights for weighing ores, metals or minerals, or the use of any

false or fraudulent assay scale or weight or enriched fluxes used for ascertaining the assay value of minerals, such person found culpable shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than N100,000 or more than N1 million or to imprisonment for a term not less than one year, or to both.

On the bid to ensure sustainable investment into the mining sector, section 135 of the bill gives ample opportunity for any licensed holder in determining its total profits, to deduct from its assessable profits a capital allowance of 95 percent of qualifying capital expenditure incurred in the year in which the investment is incurred.

The bill also provides for exemption of licence holders from payment of customs duty and other benefits in respect of plant, machinery, equipment and accessories imported specifically and exclusively for mining operations; expatriate quota and resident permit, in respect of

the approved expatriate personnel; and personal remittance quota for expatriate personnel, free from any tax imposed by any enactment for the transfer of external currency out of Nigeria.

Conscious of the huge foreign investment to be attracted into the industry, the bill provides a window for operators in the mining sector to retain and use earned foreign exchange (forex) accruing from the sale of minerals as permitted by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Similarly, section 138 of the bill provides that a title holder shall be “guaranteed free transferability through the Central Bank in convertible currency of payments in respect of loan servicing where a certified foreign loan has been obtained by the holder for his mining operations; and the remittance of foreign capital in the event of sale or liquidation of the mining operations or any interest therein attributable to foreign investment.”

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Huawei named ‘Global Market Leader’ for 3rd consecutive years

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n the latest annual Gartner Market Share Analysis for Communications Service Provider (CSP) Operational Technology, Huawei has been identified as the market leader for the third year in a row. Building upon year-on-year growth, Huawei’s market share now stands at 13percent of the OT Software market valued at $16.3 billion.

Huawei’s OT product and services portfolio supports over 200 CSPs across the world, enabling their business to serve over 2.1billion customers in more than 114 countries.

In recent years, these numbers have grown further by existing customer service growth and new customers using Huawei OT products as part of their digital transformation programs.

Customers such as Hong Kong Telecom (HKT) who employed Huawei’s cloudbased Business Enabling System (BES) solution in “Project Earth” for the digital business transformation of HKT’s operations, aiming to enhance customers’ experience throughout the customer journey with HKT. A leading German CSP, who deployed Huawei Online Charging System (OCS) to transform their offering agility and monetization as a foundation of their Digital Transformation.

Market momentum and customer success has been underpinned by continuous innovation and sustained double digit (% of revenue) investment in R&D across the OT Product portfolio delivering new releases of Huawei industry leading Revenue Management and Customer Experience products, together with investments in driving and enabling industry ecosystems and standards.

Huawei cloud native software innovation accelerates high value transformation in domains such as Huawei’s Dealer Agent Cloud - Awarded ‘Best Solution Provider’ at MVNOs World Congress 2018 - which has transformed the dealer experience for a leading Malaysian CSP: reducing subscriber registration time by 90percent, significantly improving end-user experience, increasing operation efficiency with over 80percent of customer activations now processed online, and enabling revenue growth.

Huawei is the leading contributor to the development of 5G Charging (3GPP) Standards which has accelerated 5G-Ready enablement2 across its OT product portfolio - Huawei contributed 44percent of proposals for the Technical Report and 46percent of proposals for the Technical Specification so far.

Onyeizu set to declare for Senate in Abia Godfrey Ofurum

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he formal declaration of Chinedu Onyeizu, an engineer, for office of the Senate in the 2019 election has been scheduled to hold on 14th July, 2018 in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State.

A statement from the campaign organisation of the senatorial aspirant signed by Head, Media Committee, Nwaobia Chigbu, said that the event which holds at the popular Eldorado Event centre in Aba, will be preceded by a public lecture with the theme: ‘The Role of Youth in strengthening Nigeria’s Democratic Evolution’.

According to the statement, Distinguished Senator Abu Ibrahim, chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, will chair the occasion while Senator Ita Enang, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate) is among eminent dignitaries expected to grace the occasion as guests of honour.

Others include former governorship aspirant on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP)

Onyeizu

in the 2015 election in Abia State and petroleum marketing czar, Uche Ogah; Sam Nkire, a member of Board of Trustees of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, among other numerous stalwarts of the APC from across the country.

Onyeizu, who would be seeking Abia South Senate nomination on the platform of APC, is a seasoned petroleum engineer and quintessential grassroots personality. He holds Masters of Business Administration from the prestigious Machasseuchets Institute of Technology (MIT), United States. He is also a holder of

Post Graduate Certificate in Emerging Leadership Programme from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, which is a branch of Harvard University also based in the United States of America.

He is well travelled and possesses vast experience in politics and economy. After his programme at MIT, his focus has been on partnering with governments at state, national and continental levels in seeking solutions on how to solve challenging policy and economic problems on the continent with emphasis in Nigeria.

His entrant into partisan politics is informed by a burning desire to contribute his quota as a patriotic Nigerian in any genuine effort to move the country forward. Theyouthful- frontline- senatorial hopeful is of the firm believe that Nigerian youth possess the capacity to facilitate early break-away of the country from socio-political and economic burden through involvement with elective positions.

The statement further disclosed that youths that answer a number of randomly selected democracy questions correctly, on the floor of the event will smile home with instant scholarship awards at the instance of Onyeizu.

Monarch lists benefits of PPP arrangement in agriculture …Urges entrepreneurs in South-East to invest in the sector GODFREY OFURUM, Onitsha

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ntrepreneurs in the South-East zone of the country have been advised to support government’s efforts at boosting food production,

by investing in agriculture in the region.

A traditional ruler, Igwe Oranu Chris Chidume, Eze Anu Ukwu of Omor, in Anyamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State, made this call at the 11th edition of ‘The Perspective’, an annual lecture series of the Onitsha Chamber of Com-

Igwe Oranu Chris Chidume, Eze Ani-Ukwu, Omor Community

merce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) held in Onitsha recently.

He observed that private public partnership (PPP) in agriculture, will speed-up the mechanisation of the agric-sector, reduce drudgery and attract youths in modern farming.

He also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that farmers, especially, small holder farmers, have easy access to loans, by removing all bottlenecks that have impeded the process.

Eze Anu Ukwu commended the government of Anambra State for the giant strides it has made so far in giving agriculture a face lift, which according to him, is a good step towards the mechanisation of agriculture in the State.

He observed that improved infrastructure of good roads, constant electricity, would enable farmers in the rural communities to adapt modern farming techniques (mechanised farming) and reduce drudgery, associated with traditional

farming methods.

He urged the Chamber movement to increase its level of advocacy, to ensure that Government understands its role in the agric value chain.

“Government must prioritise infrastructure in rural communities, because a poor farmer in a rural community like Omor, cannot adapt to technology, unless there is electricity, good roads and market, for his/ her produce.

“Government must also support innovation, to enable rural farmers to catchup with trends in agriculture production,” the monarch said.

“There must also be guarantee that the produce from the hinterlands have off-takers. For instance, if you go to some villages now, assuming you come to Omor in different seasons, every season provides an opportunity. If the system guarantees offtakers, a lot will change”.

The theme of the lecture was “Overcoming critical challenges, through value chain management”.

Omor, is said to be the food basket of Anambra State, as almost all its citizens depend on farming.

It has good vegetation, fertile lands for production of food crops, such as rice, maize, yam, cassava and assorted fruits.

The Federal Government built the Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP) Rice Farm project at Omor, which has resuscitated the growing of rice in that part of the State.

40 hectares of Fadama land have been cultivated with rice in Omor, under the collaborative arrangement between the State government and farmers under the auspices of the State Rice Farmers Co-operative Union Limited.

In addition a new rice mill complex with units for parboiling, milling, destoning, and bagging capacity sufficient to produce over 10,000 metric tonnes of high quality rice annually, is enhancing production of the staple food for local consumption and export.

3SC launches N500m endowment fund, Ayefele pledges support Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan

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he Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan is to launch a N500 million endowment fund.

The fundraising is scheduled to hold on July 12, 2018 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

However, Gospel music icon and Chairman of Fresh FM Radio Station in Ibadan, Yinka Ayefele, has pledged his continued support to the club’s success.

He made this pledge when he played host to key officers of the Shooting Stars’ Supporters Club during the week in his office located inside the Music House, Challenge in Ibadan.

The supporters’ club officers, led by their chairman, Akinade Okediran were in Ayefele’s office to seek for his support Ayefele, in his address to his visitors said “I am one of the most ardent supporters of 3SC. I have been in love with the team for several years.”

According to him, “I am more in support of the club because it is the pride of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria and Africa. The football club is a legacy we must all be seen as supporting stressing that “In addition, 3SC is Ibadan, Ibadan is 3SC and Ibadan has done so much for me in the past 35 years or so.

This is why I will continue to appreciate the city and all its people.”

Youths’ involvement in betting blamed on greed UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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kilo Ozoemenam, a businessman in Abia State, has blamed the alarming rate at which some Nigerian youths engage in betting, on laziness; get-richquick syndrome and greed.

BDSUNDAY checks show that many youths are into football betting as a means of livelihood.

Ozoemenam said that apart from betting, many of the youth who do not want to engage in one handwork or the other seek solace in ingesting harmful/illegal drugs which include ‘juko’, ‘laca tom-tom’, Indian hemp, among others, adding that because laziness has overtaken many youths, they believe that betting with small amount of money could fetch them millions of naira without stress.

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News

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n an effort to alleviate the sufferings of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon, the Cross River State Government is set to deliver the first phase of 50 two bedroom flats next month to the Bakassi IDPs, who have been captured.

Governor Ben Ayade has taken a bold step towards fulfilling his campaign promises to the people of Bakassi.

Ayade on assumption of office promised that he would provide shelter to the weak in each of the three Senatorial districts of the state, commencing from the Southern Senatorial District.

This pledge culminated in the building of 50 two bedroom flats where every household will have access to portable water in a serene environment with a 3km access road and modern beautification to add glamour to the environment.

Edem Effiom, the state commissioner for Social Housing who is also an aspirant to the Federal House of Representatives for Bakassi­, CalabarSouthandAkpabuyo on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform, told BDSUNDAY that the construction of the 50 two bed-

Cross River to deliver 50 two bedroom flats to Bakassi IDPs MIKE ABANG, Calabar room flats for Bakassi IDPs was approved by Governor Ben Ayade through direct labour and labeled IDP which will be ready by early next month.

According to the commissioner, 80 percent of the job has been completed awaiting commissioning by the governor before moving to the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts of the State.

Effiom said the governor is doing so much for the people of Bakassi as it concerns Bakassi phase 1 and 2, stressing that initial plans was to construct 3000 housing units but because of huge work involved, the Ministry decided to carry it out on phases. The Commissioner disclosed that the Ayade Administration did not start the problem, stressing that the Federal

Government should come in at this point to alleviate the suffering of the people by creating more estate for

the people of Bakassi.

The Commissioner further revealed that the problem was created by the United

Committee on review of financial regulations submits report in A/Ibom ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

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he committee for the review of the financial regulations in Akwa Ibom has submitted its report to the state Accountant General.

The committee was set up to help the state government to facilitate the entrenchment of due process, transparency and accountability in the management of

public funds.

Presenting the report to the Accountant General of the state, Uwem Andrew-Essien, the committee recommended that the financial regulations be reviewed every five to six years for the state to be abreast with the public sector accounting practice and ensure strict observance of the financial regulations by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

It also called for the con-

tinuous training of public officers on the contents of the reviewed financial regulations.

Headed by Eduongo Offiong, the committee noted that he reviewed financial regulation is in compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), electronic accounting system, and global best practices.

Offiong is the head of an accounting firm noted that the exercise was conduct-

Akinpelumi Oladayo (2nd l), winner of the first out of two brand new 2018 Kia Rios by Opera News, with friends and family during Opera and Opera News World Cup Shake raffle draw at Lascofis Bar and Garden, Ogba, Lagos.

ed in line with the current trend of advancements in the public sector accounting practice.

He said wider consultations were carried out by the committee and wider consultations made with stakeholders in the financial sector within and outside Akwa Ibom State.

Offiong thanked the Accountant General for the opportunity given to his firm to serve expressed optimism that the reviewed financial regulations would help the State in the entrenchment of due process, transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

Receiving the copies of the report, the Accountant General, Andrew-Essien lauded the Committee for the hard work made to ensure that Akwa Ibom State is up-to-date in accounting practices saying the committee has not betrayed the confidence reposed in it by the State Government.

Andrew-Essien said the review of Akwa Ibom State Financial Regulations became necessary because the former was outdated and a lot of changes had taken place over the period since the financial regulations were reviewed.

Nation and not the state.

“We have a governor who cares; he has the people in his heart, and the people should

have hope”, he said, noting that in the coming days and months the houses will be delivered to the people.

BoICT explains why Glo won ‘Most Innovative Award’

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rganisers of the Beacon of ICT Awards, Communications Week Media, have said that Globacom won the Most Innovative Player Award at the 2018 edition of the awards because it pioneers most of the innovations in the nation’s telecoms industry.

Giving the explanation while presenting the awards to Globacom, Editor-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of Communications Week Media, Ken Nwogbo, reiterated Globacom’s consistent role as the pioneer in Nigeria’s telecoms space in the area of innovation and service quality.

“Glo has remained consistent in pioneering most of the innovations we have in the telecoms industry today, both in voice and in data services. Glo Café, Borrow me Data, Campus Booster, E-top Up and Easy Share are among the recent products which have offered unparalleled

experience for telecom subscribers on the Glo network. Many of the respondents who took part in the poll said this was why they voted for Glo as the Most Innovative Mobile Player,” Nwogbo said.

He further explained that winners in the various categories were decided by readers of Communications Week in an online survey conducted by the magazine from November last year to March 15, 2018.

Th e Be a c o n o f I C T Awards was instituted to reward the vision and efforts of individuals and companies that have contributed to the growth of the ICT industry in a particular year. The main objectives of the awards are to evaluate and recognise standards of excellence in the country’s quest for growth and development in the use of ICT and to ensure that ICT professionals are provided a basis for recognising and validating outstanding contributions.

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NewsFeature Touching widows’ lives, putting them first First Bank of Nigeria Limited recently put smiles on the faces of hundreds of struggling widows by empowering them to become financially independent as part of the innovative way the bank celebrated the 2018 International Widows Day, Angela Ndukwe reports.

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ost Nigerian widows find life tough following the death of their husbands. In addition to the emotional trauma of losing a confidant and partner unexpectedly, society traumatises them further through dehumanising practices.

In some communities, in-laws take over the husband’s property and wealth, leaving nothing for the widow and her children.

Some subject widows to debasing cultural practices that include shaving off their hair with a razor or forceful drinking of the water used to bath the spouse’s corpse, a custom to prove their innocence in the death of their husband. Some cultures prescribe solitary confinement for a month or in extreme cases a year for widows.

Though accurate information about their number is limited, the UN estimates that there are some 285 million widows around the world, and nearly one in 10 live in extreme poverty. Nigeria was recently adjudged the country with the largest number of extreme poor people as of 2018 by the Washington-based Brookings Institution, and widows face far worse situation. Their lives are a constant struggle against deprivation as they strive to make ends meet and train their children.

Happily, however, their plights have always attracted the attention of individuals, NGOs and corporates, who periodically intervene to assist them. One of the corporates lending widows a helping hand is Nigeria’s leading banking services solutions provider and the premier Bank in West Africa, First Bank of Nigeria Limited.

The bank recently reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of widows by making their empowerment one of the core initiatives of the second edition of its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) Week themed ‘Touching Lives; You First’ which held from June 19-23, 2018.

FirstBank, which commemorated the week across its business communities in Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea,

Jubilant women at the event Sierra-Leone, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo and United Kingdom, leveraged the commemoration of this year’s International Widows Day on Saturday, June 23 to bring smiles to the faces of widows.

The bank went beyond mere tokenism by empowering them to become financially independent at an empowerment programme in partnership with the International Women’s Society (IWS).

The palace of the Elegushi of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi at Lekki, Lagos, was a beehive of activities as hundreds of widows defied the rain and converged on its expansive grounds to celebrate the day and be empowered by First Bank. Their joy knew no bound as they sang and danced happily, and patiently listened as speakers after speakers encouraged them not to be despaired by their situation.

President of IWS, Abimbola Bawallah, while explaining the origin of the widows’ day, stated that the day was set aside to raise global awareness of the plight of widows and to rally support for them.

FirstBank’s Group Executive, International Banking, Bashirat Odunewu, disclosed that the empowerment initiative demonstrated the bank’s continued support for the less privileged.

She added that the partnership with the IWS was in line with the bank’s effort to further empower women while widows’ empowerment was one of the key activities for the Bank’s 2018 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Week.

“The CR&S week with the theme ‘Touching Lives; You First’ reflects our brand promise to always put our stakeholders first and is designed to offer employees and other stakeholders opportunities to give their time and resources to defined causes”, Odunewu said.

Odunewu assured that the bank would continue to partner with critical stakeholders to ensure that widows were able to take care of themselves and families after their husband’s demise.

“At FirstBank, we are passionate about supporting every segment of our stakehold-

ers to live a meaningful life by empowering them with the right resources they need, not by giving them token N100, N200, but by supporting them to become wealth creators. Therefore, we will continue to empower the widows with initiatives that will make you generate income and be able to take care of yourselves and your children,” she stated.

While disclosing that the bank has numerous products to empower widows, she advised them not to misuse the financial support they had received.

On the partnership with the IWS, Odunewu said it was “in line with FirstBank’s financial inclusion and financial literacy approach which promotes accessible and affordable financial products and services to disadvantaged groups with the goal of bringing these marginalised populations into the mainstream economy, improving their chances for resilient livelihoods and financial stability.”

In his brief remarks, Oba Elegushi, who hosted the occasion alongside his wife, Olori Sekinat Elegushi, hailed FirstBank for the empowerment. “How do we fund widows so that their children won’t become miscreants? It is not easy to be alone but God is with you,” he said before announcing his personal support for the widows.

Over 500 widows across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones were beneficiaries of the FirstBank’s empowerment programme, a key component of the 2018 CR&S Week that focused mainly on four key initiatives apart from the International Widows Day event.

They were: donating and visiting orphanages/less privileged homes and IDPs; career counselling for secondary school students; Staff Promoting Acts of Random Kindness (SPARK) aimed at encouraging people to be kind as well as the launch of the Bank’s partnership with Vision Spring focused on empowering people with impaired vision by providing eyes glasses and screening for low-income earners.

Grass production business could disrupt cattle rearing, address violence CALEB OJEWALE

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he prospect of readily available grass to feed cattle across the country has the potential to curb recurring violent clashes between farmers and herdsmen. It will also see the value of cattle improve as better feeding implies improved beef and milk quality.

“That is the only thing we need in Nigeria if we want to improve cattle, dairy and beef production,” said Ayoka Adebambo, a professor of animal breeding and genetics at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in a phone interview with BDSUNDAY. “We have the land required and instead of going to places like Brazil to import grass, many places in the north can be used to produce adequate high quality grass,” Adebambo explained.

Soji Apampa, CEO, the Convention on Business Integrity, explained that his organisation has introduced cultivation of Napier grass in the Laduga grazing reserve in Kaduna state, where cattle owners are reporting significant improvements in their livestock. The Laduga reserve, according to the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) has a size of 88,411 hectares, and was

officially gazzetted in 1996 by the Kaduna State Government.

The Grazing Reserve is divided into six blocks for settlement of nomads with trans-human corridors for temporary settlement.

Apampa told BDSUNDAY that before the introduction of the grass in the grazing reserve, milk production hovered around one litre (and usually less) per cow, but within weeks of feeding, cows could produce as much as three litres of milk in a day.

He also explained that the business of grass production is gradually gaining traction as rural dwellers around the reserve sold N6 million worth of Napier seedlings. This, he said can improve if deliberate efforts are made to encourage increase in production, making it a structured business, so as to attract the right investments.

Napier grass, also known as “elephant grass”, “Sudan grass” or “king grass”, is a fodder grass that produces a lot of high-protein forage. It is not entirely new in Nigeria, but now holds prospects of a profitable industry that could as well end years of violent conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.

The grass is suited to high rainfall areas, but is drought-tolerant and can also grow well in drier areas.

For a cow to produce well, it needs about 15kg of feed per day.

This implies that Nigeria’s estimated 19 million head of cattle will require about 285,000 metric tonnes of feed in a day. As many nomadic herdsmen may be unable to produce the grass required to feed their cattle, this opens an opportunity to grow grass in commercial quantity to meet the needs of this market, and improve cattle quality in the country.

Chryss Onwuka, a professor of ruminant animal nutrition and president of the Nigerian Society for Animal Production, in a previous interview with BDSUNDAY, had said “In their [nomadic herdsmen] tradition, once their fields start thinning out and water becomes less available, they start moving towards regions where there is enough food and water.

“And all these tell on their [cattle’s] energy, which in turn reflects on their weight; bringing about weight loss that they had hoped to gain by moving. The little potential they have for weight gain is lost in the course of transiting from one place to another. If they were sedentary, then their restricted movement would have translated into weight gain,” Onwuka said A report by Mercy Corps, which is sponsored by the British Department for International Development (DFID),

stated that the farmers-herdsmen conflict in Nigeria has lasted for more than a decade, with no gaze on a lasting solution. The conflict has further worsened the prevailing insecurity in the nation, contributing immensely to poverty and food insecurity, even in regions such as Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau and Taraba states, purported to be the food basket of the country. Since 2006, more than 1,400 people, including farmers, herdsmen, and locals from the host communities, have been killed as a result of the clashes related to cattle grazing (including more than 70 farmers recently killed in Benue - January 2018), and over 100,000 casualties in form of farms, houses and other valuables, have been recorded over the years with property worth $14 billion lost between 2013 – 2016 only.

Resolving these conflicts by providing an alternative to sourcing feed will eliminate the economic loss that comes with it, while also improving on the quality of cattle in the country. The increase in cattle productivity as experts have observed, will not only be for beef production but also dairy production, where Nigeria currently lags global averages. At one litre of milk per day from a cow, Nigeria is far behind other countries where 40 litres can be achieved.

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Feature

Rice production: A sad tale of Plateau farmers DESMOND OKON

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espite progress made in recent years in boosting Nigeria’s rice production, it has been a different story for farmers in Plateau State.

They have not fared well in this regard, despite their efforts.

While rice farmers in major producing states had a bumper harvest in 2017, Plateau State rice farmers experienced shortfalls owing to declining yields per hectare.

Various accounts of farmers in Mangu and Ndai, major rice producing communities in the state, reveal that farmers were unable to get adequate supply of key inputs such as fertilisers, and quality seeds to boost their yield as well as finance to expand their production areas.

For Ezekiel MangkoimShikse, a member of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria(RIFAN), Mangu, Plateau State Chapter, his 2017 rice harvest is one of the lowest he has harvested since he began rice farming 10 years ago.

“In 2016, the rice I harvested was over 140 bags, but last year I harvested a little above 40 bags. This is over 90 bags less than 2016 production. My harvest was poor because of substandard inputs and changing rainfall patterns we experienced in 2017,” Shikse said.

“The 2017 heavy rainfall affected my production because by the time the rice brings out grains, it does not require heavy rainfall. It needs moisture, but the rainfall was heavy and this destroyed the grains that were already formed. So at the end of the planting season, the output was not good”, he added.

Shikse’s case is similar to that of Francis Ossia, deputy chairman, RIFAN, a Mangu resident, who told BDSUNDAY that his bumper harvest of 2016 motivated him to expand his production line by two hectares for the 2017 farming season.

“After planting for the season the rainfall came so hard and I could hardly harvest anything from my rice farm after the planting season,” Ossia said.

“Apart from heavy rainfall, I could not get the adequate finance to purchase enough inputs such as chemicals, for my farm,” he added.

Shikse and Ossia’s cases are similar to what many rice farmers in the state experienced in 2017 planting season, leading to low rice output.

The scheme, which is already gaining traction in Kebbi State, provides loan to farmers at single digit interest rate in the form of farm inputs.

Simon FilibusLe’An, a retired civil servant, who resides in Ndai, now into commercial farming, is also the secretary, RIFAN, Mangu. He described his last planting season as unsuccessful, following a delay in getting a tractor for harrowing which was supposed to be carried out by Agricultural Services and Training Centres (ASTC).

The ASTC was created to introduce

Audu Ogbeh

principles of commercial agriculture in a rural subsistence agricultural setting through the provision of comprehensive, proven and state-of-the-art agricultural services to the farming community in Plateau State.

But checks revealed that the scheme has failed to provide farmers with the needed support to boost their yields per hectare.

Poor government support One of such initiatives the Buhari administration has used to increase agricultural growth in the country is the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP).

The government introduced the APB to provide credit in form of inputs for rice farmers to increase their production areas thereby boosting productivity.

The APB, which is being managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), started in Kebbi State and has since gained a lot of traction and recorded great success stories.

We get our fertilizers from the open market.

The procedure for getting the fertilizers from the government is a big mess, and a serious problem.

So, we always to go where we can get it, no matter the cost The ABP, which also increased the country’s rice production from about 4 million metric tons to seven million metric tons, failed when it was replicated in other key rice producing states in the country, experts told BDSUNDAY. Plateau state is one of such states where farmers who registered under

the scheme had received poor support.

The farmers told our correspondent that the process and procedures of getting inputs from the government was very rigorous, with many resorting to get their inputs such as fertilisers and seeds from local markets.

“We get our fertilizers from the open market. The procedure for getting the fertilizers from the government is a big mess, and a serious problem. So, we always to go where we can get it, no matter the cost”, Ossia said, with sadness.

Ossia commended the GoodluckJonathan administration for the model of distribution of inputs it adopted for farmers in the country.

“The government said we would purchase fertilisers at N5,000, but we are still not getting it at that price. And they said we must come together in order to buy a truck, and before we can do that it might be too late because fertilizers need to be applied within the first week of planting,” Ossia added.

Corroborating, Shikse said: “Before the farming season, the Plateau State Government said it would assist the farmers with seeds, fertilizers, herbicides and money through the ABP. People from the ministry even visited our farms to measure their sizes. We waited all through last year but nothing happened after the visit.”

Speaking on how he has been able to address the issue, Shikse said that “all farmers fund themselves through personal savings and sale of their produce.”

Lack of extension agents Despite the potential of Nigeria’s agricultural sector to diversify the economy, it is still fraught with a lot of challenges. One of such challenges is the collapse of agricultural extension services which has been seriously weakened by inadequate funding to support field extension agents.

“Extension agents hardly visit my farm. Since I got inputs from the Plateau State Agricultural Development Programme (PADP) in 2016 till now no extension agent has visited my farm,”

Ossia who was earlier quoted said.

“If you go to the agents, they will tell you they have no fuel for their motorcycle for them to supervise your farm.

The extension agents do not get money from the government, so how would they fund their transportation to farms? he lamented.

We are up to date at PADP in terms of supervision –Wakchin Godwin Wakchin, subject matter specialist, Crops PADP, Mangu Zone, said in a conversation with BDSUNDAY that the organisation is usually up to date in terms of supervision and described those saying otherwise as being economical with the truth.

“We have extension agents that usually visit farmlands across the state,” Wakchin said.

While explaining the duties of the extension unit, Wakchin said: “The agents usually train farmers on how to raise their standard of living and adopting new technologies.”

According to him, in constructing ridges, the new spacing technique inbetween ridges are 75 centimetres, but farmers make use of 90 centimetres.

Hence, farmers were usually educated on the new method and encouraged to use them.

Apart from the spacing in ridge-making, Wakchin said that farmers were also educated on planting spacing which leads to having enough planting population, that results in more yield for farmers.

He also listed Demonstration Plot, Management Training Plot (MTP), On-Farm Adaption Research (ONFAR), Small Plot Adaption Technique (SPAT) as programmes the unit executes for the benefit of farmers within the zone.

While confirming the engagement of the unit in the supervision of farms, he however, admitted that lack of funding which also impedes mobility was a challenge they are facing, and to beat this challenge, motorcycles were being used. He debunked claims that Extension workers ask farmers to fuel their motorcycles before going to supervise their farms.

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Feature When cow value outweighs human life (in herdsmen’s eyes), Plateau bleeds ZEBULON AGOMUO

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he recent visit of the Fulani herdsmen to communities in Plateau State has left the state in mourning mood. Two weeks after the massacre, the Plateau victims are still counting their losses.

Condemnation has continued to trail the dastardly act. The international community, as usual, has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to end the recurring blood-letting in Nigeria.

It is said that “the taste of the pudding is in the eating.”

Governor Simon Lalong must have by now realised the anguish Governor Samuel Ortom passed through when he lost over 70 people, in a single swoop, in his state, Benue. While Ortom mourned, he was accused of inviting the calamity by signing an “unpopular” law. Today, it is not yet known if Lalong also signed any law that angered the herdsmen.

In January, this year, Lalong of Plateau State chided his counterpart in Benue State. At that time, Ortom and all Benue people were in a mourning mood over the massacre of over 70 individuals in some communities in the state.

Lalong in Ortom’s shoes Lalong, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in an apparent display of good party man and, perhaps, wanting to please Abuja, had chided Ortom, saying he warned the Benue governor against implementing the state anti-grazing law that was passed by the state House of Assembly.

The Plateau State governor made the statement upon his return from Abuja where he had a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.

“To be honest with you, I advised him (Ortom); I told the governor of Benue State when

CAN leaders with President Buhari, during the visit he was doing the law; I said ‘look, why don’t you tread softly, just be careful, take other steps before you start implementation.’

“But you see, states are different. His own concepts are different and for us on the Plateau, it is different. I said I will not do the law before implementation. I have not developed the ranching areas so I cannot go and say I put a law, to stop who? If I stop the people, what is the alternative?”

This so-called advice by Lalong drew a welter of condemnation and criticism so much that he had to recant, and he apologised.

But like every careless word that sticks, although the Plateau State governor has since tendered an apology to the

I told the governor of Benue State when he was doing the law; I said ‘look, why don’t you tread softly, just be careful, take other steps before you start implementation Lalong

governor and people of Benue State, the utterances have not been forgotten, because it is said that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

Yesterday, it was Benue, today it is Plateau State. Plateau has also had its own share of the misfortune of Fulani herdsmen attack. But the recent massacre in the state was the mother of all the attacks it had ever receorded in the hands of the herdsmen.

In a single swoop, over hundred innocent indigenes of the state were mowed down in a most horrendous manner.

Unconfirmed reports said the blood-letting was sparked by the alleged killing and rustling of several cows belonging to the Fulanis. The reports further stat-

ed that the killings were reprisal.

However, some other reports alleged that it was a calculated attack that has both religious and political undertones.

Danladi Ciroma, chairman, the Northern chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, said in the wake of the attacks that the killings were “retaliatory”.

“These attacks are retaliatory.

As much as I don’t support the killing of human being, the truth must be told that those who carried out the attacks must be on revenge mission,” Ciroma said.

According to him, “Fulani herdsmen have lost about 300 cows in the last few weeks- 94 cows were rustled by armed Barom youths in Fan village, another 36 cows were killed by Barom youths. In addition to that, 174 cattle were rustled.”

Speaking on Sunrise Daily programme of Channels Television, Usman Baba-Ngelzerme, secretary-general, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, said the attack may have been perpetrated by some other groups that had nothing to do with his group.

According to him, there are some other cow breeders that were not captured under the umbrella of Miyetti Allah, who have their own different organisations.

Baba-Ngelzerme however, said that his group had suffered so much in the hands of the people he described as enemies, and that they have suffered loss of cattle and lives as a result of unprovoked hatred.

He noted that the Fulanis and their host communities had co-habited for over 17 years and wondered why they should be fighting now.

Istifanus Dung Gyang, a member representing BaruLadi/ Riyom Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives, believes the attacks were purposely to annihilate the

people and occupy their land.

He wondered why government looks the other way while the killers have a field day.

“The issue at stake is simply an agenda of land grabbing.

These attacks have been sustained over 10 years and in the process, villages have been overturned and the people displaced.

People are massively killed and the lands occupied by killer herdsmen.

“Over four villages have been added to the 45 that have already been overturned and are under forceful occupation. It is simply a game to ensure that a cattle colony carved and the land is grabbed for grazing. This is the reason behind the killings that we are witnessing in this constituency. It is harrowing that over 200 will be killed in cold blood. This is very unfortunate,” he said.

Gyang also indicted security agencies, saying that even when curfew was imposed on the state, the merchants of death were still moving around, slaughtering people and setting their houses ablaze; he wondered what type of security agencies operate in Nigeria.

He insists that justice must be done and seen to have been done to the victims who have lost everything. He urged government to ensure that those who have owned up to the killings must be brought to book.

He urged the security agencies to show professionalism in the discharge of their duties, calling on the international community to mount pressure on President Buhari to rein in the killer group, which has been rated globally as the 5th terrorist group in the world.

The lawmaker shared the same sentiment with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) which wondered the relevance of the intelligence gathering by the Department of State Services and other security agencies if communities can be overrun and attacked and hundreds of people slaughtered and displaced without security organisations providing rescue efforts.

It believed that the Nigeria’s security system may have been compromised.

Yinka Odumakin, a member of the Southern Nigeria Middle Belt Forum, expressed disappointment with the media, which he said may have misled the populace by its wrong narrative on the herdsmen’s murderous activities.

“The media must stop this wrong narrative that it is farmers-herdsmen crisis. There is nothing like that; it is purely Fulani herdsmen killing people.

There is an agenda to kill people and take over their land. The time has come for this country to stop chasing shadows and face the reality by addressing the problem of nationhood. We must address the issue of restructur-

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Feature

Miyetti Alla president, herdsmen ing of this country; there are some structural issues we must have to deal with,” Odumakin said.

On the reasons for the killings, he said: “This is about cow business. Those people value their cows above their own lives.

So, how do you expect them to value other people’s lives? It is not possible.”

He advised the Federal Government to jettison the planned establishment of ranches across the country, saying that whosoever that wants to build ranches should follow due process, by applying for land and paying for such land. It is his view that grabbing people’s lands in the name of establishing ranches is undemocratic and high-handed.

Is it a religious issue?

The pattern of the Fulani herdsmen attacks in all the states across the country appears to have some religious tinge, which is why some analysts describe the push as a jihadist agenda.

Alfred Okom, a Jos-based businessman, told BDSUNDAY that religious consideration was at the centre of the attacks.

“Look at the pattern, whether it is in Adamawa, Zamfara, Benue, Niger, Taraba or Plateau, the target is the Christian community. Remember, they invaded a Catholic Church in Benue last April and slaughtered two priests and other parishioners. In Adamawa, they have killed many Christians and burnt Churches. They carry out open killings of Christian faithful in the full glare of people and nobody challenges them. In the latest attack on Plateau State, they killed many people in the Church and burnt down many worship centres. The question is, what has Church got to do with grazing and herdsmen? But because they have an agenda to convert, by force, everybody to Islam and acquire more territories, they take advantage of a weak government or a government that may be sharing that agenda, otherwise this shouldn’t be happening in any country ruled by human beings,” Okom said.

The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) shared Okom’s sentiment in its response in the

wake of the Plateau killings.

It said the people were killed in Plateau because they were Christians. It claimed that the killings were aimed at eliminating Christians in the middle Belt to pave the way for Moslems to dominate the area.

Buhari: On a familiar turf President Buhari was his usual self when he paid a visit to Plateau to commiserate with the people. Like he had canvassed when he visited Benue some time ago on the same score, he told the people of Plateau to learn to accommodate others and “live peacefully to ensure that violence does not rear its head again.”

The President was quoted to have said: “We commiserate

However, critics say that this tune which the President always sings has a way of precipitating violence. They say that as the Commander-in-Chief he has everything it takes to end the crisis once and for all.

The critics pointed out that the President has always made such statements and given such assurances which never worked.

They accuse the President of setting the stage for anarchy when he made his lopsided appointments of the security chiefs, where almost all of them except one, come from the same part of the country and almost same religion.

“What has happened is that his security chiefs look at his body language before they react

Governor Ortom with the families of the victims of the unfortunate incident, and use this medium to appeal for peaceful coexistence among the various ethnic groups in Plateau State.

“We also solicit the support of the media in advancing peace in the state and call on affected people not to take the laws into their hands as the federal government is already taking necessary measures to bring the perpetrators to book. We believe that at the end of the day a lasting solution will be found to the problem.”

rendous episodes. And when they happen, we return to our usual reaction- we sigh, wring our fingers, let out some curse words, and government, as usual will condemn ‘in the most strongest term this wicked and mindless act’, and after few days we return to the status quo. What a nation!” the analyst further said.

A disturbing situation Speaking with BDSUNDAY recently in an exclusive interview, Ayo Opadokun, a former secretary of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), and the convener of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), had blamed the Federal Government for the worsening state of insecurity in the country, saying that the lopsided appointments and attitude of the security chiefs may have given fillip to the unfortunate state of affairs in the country.

“Come to think of it, I never imagined that it will come in my life time that the Nigerian security and intelligence will fail abysmally and will pretentiously not be able to deter herdsmen from killing and exterminating communities from their land and taking over their land and the Nigerian state has failed to be able to stop it and stamp it out completely in spite of the loud promises made by President Buhari. I even wonder why the Nigerian presidency has led itself to be so distrusted when his own minister of defence, his own interior (internal affairs) and the Inspector-General of Police claimed that the events in Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa

the president who presides over is from Katsina; the director of state security is from Katsina, and you also now have the newly appointed director-general of National Intelligence Agency also from Katsina. With all these, how can other people from other parts of the country be assured that they are safe?” he further said.

CAN visit to President reemphasises religious angle to killings The thinking that the killings by herdsmen across the country, particularly in the Middle Belt have some religious coloration was re-emphasized last week by the visit to President Buhari at the Presidential Villa by members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) from the 19 Northern States and Abuja, led

by Rev. Yakubu Pam. Governor Lalong, the chief mourner in Plateau State, was also part of the visit.

The leaders expressed concern over the unrestrained killings and demanded a review of the country’s security apparatus with a view to ending the killings.

They also urged Buhari to facilitate the release of Leah Sharibu, the Christian girl abducted by Boko Haram alongside other students from a school in Dapchi, Borno State. Leah is still being held for refusing to denounce her faith. The others, all Muslims, have since regained freedom.

Pam, the head of the delegation and CAN president for the northern states, said: “The security architecture of the country should be revisited to give it a new lease of life and responsive-

Inspector-General of police to any emergency,” said an analyst who preferred anonymity.

“It was this reason that the Inspector of Police refused to carry the so-called order to remain in Benue until he was directed otherwise, during the massacre of over 70 people there some time ago. The President told the whole world that the IG disobeyed him, yet nothing happened. So how can you take such a government seriously? We may not have seen the last of these massacres; nothing tells me that we are not going to witness more hor-

and Adamawa were communal clashes.

“Ordinarily, if there is sense of justice, equity and fairness; in this age, if there was nothing behind it; if there was nothing more to it; if there were no personal interests residing in the Nigerian security and intelligence and the presidency, all those ones ought to have been retired immediately to assure Nigerians that we are still together,” Opadokun said.

“But come to think of it how will that happen when you have a Nigerian security council where

ness to earn the required trust, confidence, and support of the general populace.

“All communities ravaged by herdsmen violence in the north should be rebuilt and adequate security put in place to enable displaced persons return to their homes and means of livelihood.

“The Federal Government should roll out a robust advocacy programme to enlighten the nomadic herders on modern cattle rearing, as against open-grazing and roaming across states and national boundaries.”

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Feature Global corporate good governance super highway FRC abandons use of ‘force’, now to ‘influence’ Nigerian firms into new growth path

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IGNATIUS CHUKWU he uproar over the ‘obey by force’ approach of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has since died down and a new board has come on stream which seeks to influence Nigerian companies and organisations into the much-cherished global corporate good governance super highway and a new growth path.

The former FRC began by forcing companies to remove long-serving chief executive officers (CEOs) and cause mayhem when it attempted to force general overseers of churches off the throne. The presidency intervened and suspended the order and later made away with the FRC board. A new board was set up with mandate to come up with guidelines that would be at harmony with Nigerian realities and cultures.

Now, after several months of work, the technical committee has submitted its new report with 28 principles that lead to 231 recommendations in seven chapters. The new draft code which was unveiled on June 13, 2018 in Lagos, is now being sampled in all the geo-political zones before top corporations and other experts.

According to the new Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (ES/CEO), Daniel Asopohkai, who led the FRC team to Port Harcourt last week, the new code has adopted the ‘Apply & Explain’ approach instead of the ‘Comply & Explain’ approach that caused uproar.

Asopokhai said the new objective is to be friends with corporate bodies and influence them to grow into respected global giants with integrity and prospect instead of rise today fall tomorrow syndrome.

Speaking at the public presentation of the new draft code at the Novotel Hotel in Port Harcourt, he said the target is boards of companies, saying they were critical in running a company. “International investors look at many issues before stepping in especially corporate governance which is a major function of any board.”

He said due to globalisation, the whole world has agreed on standards of corporate good governance so that there would be no much difference from country to country for ease of business across the world. “Nigeria never cared for this, instead, there were many regulatory bodies dishing out different sets of rules. This is why the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria was established. Before, each sector had its own code. Now, it’s unified and harmonised, except for certain sectors that must by law be regulated by specific bodies such as banks and the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he said.

He said issue of audit has been removed

Membre Otaji, PHCCIMA president

from the code so that another body would deal with it to avoid conflict of regulation.

“The issue of tenure has been made a mere recommendation so that companies that want to look good and attract international respect and partnership would on their own fix tenures for their CEOs.’ He read out 10 major differences and highlights of the new code with issue of tenure a major point of note. Now, he said, companies are advised and encouraged to set tenures for their CEOs and seek good image by doing so, instead of fretting over government clampdown.

The highlights include: “The draft code has resolved the issue of clarity on definition of public interest equity. This makes it easy for corporations to know what their responsibilities were. It has eliminated conflict of the code with existing legislations and sector codes. It also has reduced high costs of governance by reducing the minimum number of board to eight instead of 15, and reducing the number of independent non-executive directors as well as the ratio of executive to non-executive directors.”

Others include: “The concept of lead independent directors has also been made clear and resolved; The issue of tenure and re-election of directors has been resolved; 15 years for executive directors that have become managing directors; There is long cool off for engaging the former staff of regulatory agencies on board; Resolved issues of mandatory joint external audit which lacked proper definition of non-Nigerian partners; Resolved the issue of prohibition of outsourcing of internal audit services; and resolved the issue of short transition

R-L: Obianuju Othniel of Seplat with other members of the high table

arrangement. Now, the time to report application has been made far, up to January 1, 2020. Companies can however start earlier but reporting of how far is far.”

The ES/CEO said the decision to adopt the ‘Apply & Explain’ approach was made after careful consideration of several factors including the Nigerian legal system, culture and history, government structure and policies, state of the Nigerian economy, the global economic and political climate, and the levels of capital inflow or investment coming into the country.

According to the FRC CEO, the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018 shall apply to all public companies; whether listed or not, all private companies that are holding companies of public companies and other regulated entities, concessioned and privatised companies, and regulated private companies.

The Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018, he added, was developed based on a comprehensive review of the suspended 2016 Code of Corporate Governance by a fifteen-man technical committee, and extensive consultative and collaborative engagement with a wide range of stakeholders and other regulators.

Chairman of technical committee: M.K. Ahmad made it clear that the FRC would send staff to groups that want to take the enlightenment further such as the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce who said they would want to begin sensitisation of their members. He said there would be more public enlightenment sessions after this and at different stages of the code formulation.

Answering questions from the audience, Ahmad said the real objective was not to force companies but to create real success

R-L: CEO of FRC, Daniel Asopokhai, with head technical committee, M.K.Ahmad

stories and enduring corporate culture so companies could outlast their founders and expand abroad. “It is to influence and encourage companies to behave properly and protect the interest of shareholders and minority stakeholders. Cooperatives are encouraged to imbibe the codes to perform better. The FRC is looking at the idea of helping cooperatives to have codes too because they are very critical to the economic growth and mobilisation of capital.”

The president of the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), the medical doctor now CEO of a big corporation, Emi MembreOtaji, said the problem that FRC has come to solve was a critical one. He said he had been harping on the aspect of corporate good governance along with diversification so that member-companies of PHCCIMA could excel and live longer.

He promised to make the FRC code a regular refrain at their meetings.

The SEPLAT CEO, Austen Avuru, who was represented by the head of legal unit,

Obianuju Othniel, supported the drive for corporate good governance, saying it was the new way to go. She thrilled the audience with success stories of the experience of SEPLAT in embracing global corporate good governance standards to stand out in Nigeria and beyond.

She said: “Corporate governance is critical to the long-term interest and survival of any organization especially corporations.

It however takes discipline. For instance, it will no longer be easy to give business to an associate of the leader of a company. It is difficult to find Nigerian companies that have survived above 20 years. So, why do companies die in Nigeria? It is lack of corporate governance”.

The lawyer went on: “So, SEPLAT asked what it takes to also survive like those foreign companies. It was found that corporate governance was it. One of the things SEPLAT did was to aspire to be an international company and therefore pursue international practices to achieve international standards. In 2010, we listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in order to embrace national standards of a corporation; in 2014, we listed in the London Stock Exchange. This launched us onto the international arena and we also embraced international practices or corporate good governance standards.”

As the audience showed keen interest, Uju said: “It is difficult to achieve international corporate governance standards.

The benefits are however huge. If you go for loans abroad, they will say, oh, Nigeria: corruption, bribery, nepotism, related party patriotism, etc. The solution to all that suspicion is adoption of Corporate Good Governance. It is not about saying what you do but how you do it. SEPLAT has fought hard to meet corporate good governance and the gain is that it does not go through some hassles that those without standards must undergo. This is because of our sound corporate governance status. This ensures sustainability, access to international investors who are afraid of Nigerian companies.

We therefore fully support the national code. It is the only way for companies and organisations to survive.”

The Public Hearing was attended by Nigeria Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Culture, Austin Avuru, Chief Executive Officer, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, the media, and a host of other dignitaries. The event witnessed comments and reactions from stakeholders, public entities to whom the code will apply, the media, and public, all of which will be taken into consideration in finalising the Code.

The first leg of the Public Hearing was held in Owerri, Imo State, for the South East, the next was in Port Harcourt and next to be Jos, Gombe, etc. The FRC team will be visiting the Federal Capital Territory on Friday, July 13, 2018; later in Kano Kano, with final lap Lagos.

The Financial Reporting Council, FRC, of Nigeria is a federal government agency established by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act No. 6, 2011, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. The FRC is responsible for, among other things, developing and publishing accounting and financial reporting standards to be observed in the preparation of financial statements of public entities in Nigeria and monitor compliance with reporting requirements specified in the adopted Code of Corporate Governance for related matters.

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Politics The disintegration of APC INIOBONG IWOK

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he crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) took a turn for the worst last Wednesday when the nPDP members, a bloc which fused to form an alliance with other political parties to establish the APC in 2013 announced its decision to pull out of the party and form a new bloc, the “reformed APC”.

The former nPDP members, who were then led by a former acting national chairman of the PDP, Kawu Baraje, had in a strongly worded letter several weeks ago to the then national chairman of APC, John Odigie–Oyegun, complained of their marginalisation and persecution by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Leader of the rAPC, Buba Galadima, had at a news conference accused the APC of failing to fulfil its campaign promises to Nigerians, noting that the party lacked internal democracy and respect for the rule of law.

“I stand here before you as the Chairman of the reformed APC to remind you that preparatory to 2015, the nPDP merged with APC to wrest power, but the contents of that agreement were breached. The APC in the last three years has performed poorly and refused to sustain its core values. The APC government was a monumental disaster even worse than the government it replaced,” “The APC conducted the worst national congress so far

Oshiomhole

and it is likely that the outcome of judicial decision on the Congress would further lead to protracted crisis. There were crisis in four states. The National Congress Committee Chairman and governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru declared 18 seats unopposed contrary to the Constitution of APC,” it stated.

“The APC has run rudderless, inept and incompetent government that has failed to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people; it has rather imposed dictatorship, impunity abuse of power, complete abdication of constitution and statutory responsibility, infidelity to the rule of law and constitutionalism. The APC has failed to ensure

the security and welfare of our people and elevated nepotism to an unacceptable height.

“The APC has failed to deliver on its key promises to the nation.

There is no evidence of any political will to reverse the decline of our party, while leaders who have created these circumstances continue to behave as if Nigeria owes our party as a matter of right”.

Despite denial of the rAPC by the APC leadership hierarchy and its threat to sanction the rAPC actors; it is however, obvious that the APC is on the verge of precipice.

The current travails of the party did not come as a surprise to political observers in the country. In

2014, when the nPDP members moved from the PDP to form an alliance with other political blocs to setup the APC, analyst, had said that there was no ideology which bonded the politician together, calling the alliance a merger of ‘strange bedfellows’, predicting that the ‘marriage’ may not last long.

The disintegration of the APC did not happen in a day; this is as a result of series of crises which have hit the party since it won a historic election in 2015 and assumed power.

This failure of the leadership of the party to resolve crises in several state chapters across the country and the president’s lopsided appointments in which several party members who contributed to the party’s electoral victory in 2015 had been side-lined has further fueled the situation.

Recently, about 10 state chapters held parallel congresses, in which several factions emerged with cases still pending in courts.

Political analyst and National President of Voters Awareness Initiatives, Wale Ogunade, said that crisis was normal in a political group, especially in the run-off to elections in which members could be seeking relevance, stressing that the current crisis in the APC could either make or mar the future of the party depending on the way it is managed.

“Yes, the current crisis in APC is expected, don’t forget the way they came together, strange bed fellows, and it was predicted.

But I think crisis is part of politics, and even in a family setting there

is always crisis. As elections approach, members would be struggling for relevance and it may affect the party’s chances; anything can happen in politics. The APC has to deal with this issue well; the ability of the party to resolve this issue is crucial to its survival especially as the elections are here,” Ogunade said.

Fouad Oki, factional chairman of the APC in Lagos State, said the current crisis in the party was expected considering the alleged injustice which had existed and characterised its operations in recent times.

“The crisis in the party has been there for some time now; don’t forget I told you recently that there would be an implosion in the party; this is just the beginning of the game, very soon the Kwankwaso camp would come out with its position. It is good for democracy.

“But it does not necessarily mean it would lead to the end of the party; we would all come together, just that the voices that have been denied opportunity to speak for some time now are now talking.

But I must commend the national chairman of the party in its current effort, he gave a very good speech while coming in and he has been moving round to meet people,” Oki said.

Considering the political heavyweight involved in the rAPC, the APC should be ready to lose some states and large chunk of votes in several others.

Perhaps, the greatest mistake of the Muhammadu Buhari administration would be the underestimation of the splinter group.

produced the Ariaria Independent Power Project financed by the Rural Electrification Agency of the Federal Govt. The power project is giving an uninterrupted power at the market to 2,000 shops, on a pilot basis. A second power station that is under construction will provide uninterrupted power to another 34,000 shops in the market.

The construction of Faulks Road and the technology employed in combating the challenge of storm water is another all-important sign.

The Ifeobara artificial lake and the effort in recovering Ukwu Mango signify a sincere political will for the victory belies the long-drawn legend of buck-passing, a lazy resignation to fate and a substitute of reason with superstitious beliefs. The sign is that man is indeed the master of his fate.

The sign extends to the largescale work of comprehensive infrastructural renewal of the commercial city of Aba which has given a new lease of life to the residents. The achievement in fulfilling the primary obligation of government is the maintenance of law and order. The governor has excellently fulfilled this primary obligation of government by ensuring that there is adequate security in the state. His fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes

has yielded maximum result. There is also the strategic public-private partnership with various institutional agents in the area of human capital development and skill acquisition.

Significantly, the effort in developing the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Abia has produced great results in developing the latent ingenuity and creativity for which Aba is celebrated. It has led to a renewed attention to the artisans of Aba and a review of the future of the fabled Aba Made Goods. In the first year of his administration, 60 shoemakers were mobilised to Turkey to understudy modern technologies in shoe production.

And later another 30 youths were also mobilised to China as the first batch of 100 ambassadors selected for the training in China.

Today, the vision of the New Enyimba City, an economic hub for entrepreneurial integration of the South East and South-South regions with a free trade zone status is a landmark project that will raise the bar of development in Aba. Indeed, Ikpeazu charges his people to try to discern the signs. Today, the signs have come alive.

Ikpeazu’s proverbial signs in Abia

Y

GODWIN ADINDU ou cannot take it away from him: Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is a born humourist, a witty country boy that is groomed in the best of agrarian and cosmopolitan values. During the campaigns in 2015, he left his followers with a message: Unu ja akota sign. This message has since become a popular cliché in Abia State, transforming into a socio-political construct that recurs in every political discussion in the state.

For many, that message is an entry point into an understanding of the man and his politics. For others, it is the essential compass to discerning his moves, his hidden intentions, the intrigues, his priorities and his maneuvering patterns.

But, essentially, that message has been transmuted into the cardinal projects that have formed the signature of the man in his three-year strides in Abia. For the projects communicate signs and messages that are both connotative and literal.

In an attempt to interrogate the message, one begins to see a body of symbols, ideas and meanings in the footprints that have changed the narrative of Abia in a short time.

Take the case of the Osisioma Over-

head Bridge.

It is no more news that Governor Ikpeazu is building the first ever over-head bridge in Aba at Osisioma Junction. If you understand the science of semiotics, the Osisioma flyover in Aba must come to you with far deeper meanings that transcend value and convenience. To me, it communicates meanings that are somewhat esoteric. The first interpretation is that it is a project that will add value to the city of Aba and create convenience in transportation for motorists and other road users. Osisioma Junction is a hotspot for traffic jam, a place where madness is taken as part of the daily chore, a place where man and mermaids compete for space within a small radius. The overhead bridge will end this bad narrative.

It will add beauty and change the landscape of the entry point into the old city. The bridge will provide a warm atmosphere of reception to visitors driving into the city and for those driving across to Port Harcourt.

The bridge will improve the quality of our lives, create a whole new convenience and lift Abia to a new status. Call it dividend of democracy. It is one great thing, among others, for which Ikpeazu will be remembered.

But, beyond the aesthetics value and the structural importance, I see a message of transition from one milieu to another. I see a revolution but not of victory of arms but victory of change. Revolution is not just about taking up arms and overthrowing an existing political regime, it is also about taking drastic steps and actions that progressively expand the frontiers of our human existence.

In discerning the signs embedded in the Osisioma Overhead Bridge, I see a meditated intention at social transformation. Ikpeazu is looking beyond transportation values to creating a new world order for Aba and Abia State. He is creating a new life, a new man and a new season. Indeed, it was part of his campaign promises.

A little ride of about 400 metres and you are at Brass junction. Here a sign beckons on you. The newly paved T-junction and the median that leads to the famous Faulks Road resonate beyond the message of environmental design to a sign about the destination of this all-important road - the Ariaria International Market. There is a concerted effort to turn Ariaria into a great centre of business not only for Nigeria but for the entire West African sub-region.

This dream led to a synergy with the office of the Vice President which

* Adindu is Special Adviser on Media & Documentation.

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Only Atiku can salvage Nigeria, defeat Buhari – Col. Obi

Colonel Chinyere Obi (retired) is the founder of the Atiku House to House Campaign Organisation (AH2H), a grassroots mobiliser and advocate for peace.

In this exclusive interview with INIOBONG IWOK, she spoke on the presidential bid of the former vice president, the group and other issues. Excerpts:

I

How was the House to House Campaign Organisation conceived? nitially, I was the national women leader of the Hameed Makarfi campaign group; when we went for the national convention of the PDP last year, then Atiku came in and announced that he was returning to the PDP which is his original home and I said okay.

Personally, I have known Atiku since 2005 when I was a Colonel in the Nigerian Army. On the 25th of November last year, I established the House To House campaign group and we have been mobilising for Atiku around the country since then.

In 1995 when I was in Yola, Adamawa State and I visited Atiku’s residence. One of Atiku’s wives happen to be my friend; at a point I was hungry and I told her I wanted to eat but she said it was not time, that Baba the (cook) had not prepared the food. I said what is the meaning of that, does it mean when you are hungry you have to wait for Baba to cook for you? And she said; it was only Baba that cooks for the whole house.

I was surprised and said if this man can manage his three wives successfully like this, then there must be something special about him. I have been with Atiku for long.

I was at the last national convention of the party where I was one of the people who counted the votes.

I was formerly with Makarfi as the national women leader of his group and I know him well. I was the one spending and I know that he cannot rival Atiku for the presidential ticket.

Atiku is the only person that can salvage Nigeria. The only aspirant that can make give us roads, hospitals, good railways and bring the prices of rice back to N5,000.

You know Atiku was with them before he moved back to the PDP, so he understands them and they understand him as well, that is why they don’t want him to emerge because he is the only person that knows them well.

Atiku knows their power and immediately they give him the ticket you will see what will happen.

He is coming to change Nigeria. For now, he is the one that will take us to the Promised Land. Look at how people are being killed in Plateau State. What is the president doing?

But how do you react to the corruption allegation against Atiku?

Atiku is not corrupt, he has always been rich. He lost his father at a very young age and build a house for his mother. He went into business at a very young age, even when he was in Customs Service he was also into business. He has built a university and several other businesses across the country, so it is wrong to say the man is corrupt, it is his hard earned money.

How is the structure of your group in the country?

I have done inauguration for about six states in the country now. I just finished inauguration of the Akwa Ibom state chapter; and I am in here in Lagos for the inauguration of the Lagos and Southwest chapter of the group, tomorrow am going to Yola for their inauguration.

Anywhere I go, I wear the Atiku T-

Chinyere

shirt; people would remove my cap from my head even form the airport and ask; mummy how do we join this group? I was in Port Harcourt recently and the reception was massive.

Look at the situation in the country presently. There are no jobs. Imagine graduates riding Okada and if you go to school, there is no job after the NYSC programme and it is bad.

There is something I see with him. My son is not willing to come back to Nigeria; the president says the youths are lazy but they are not willing to help. What I have been doing is to go to the prisons to help people. I also go with a lawyer to the courts and bail them. We cook food for widows, hoping that when Atiku wins we can continue with this.

We printed Atiku’s branded books in thousands and we are giving them to all the tertiary institutions in the country.

How confident are you that Atiku would clinch the APC presidential ticket ahead at the national convention?

Atiku will get the APC ticket; I am extremely sure of that. Markafi is not a serious aspirant. Is it David Mark? I have been to one of his campaigns. He in the past; I know him very well. There was a time I went to his house I saw over 200 cars. He just uses the money we generate for him to buy cars.

He even lost in his poling unit. Nobody can rival Atiku among the aspirants. When I go around, I tell people to forget the money and fight for the man.

Nigerians are disillusioned that successive leaders have failed them, what would make Atiku different?

All the other ones may have failed us, Atiku

will not. Buhari was a soldier and a cattlerearer. It is only Atiku that is a businessman of all our recent leaders. He is coming to change Nigeria; he is coming to save us from slavery. Atiku is coming to salvage Nigeria with his resources.

What is your assessment of Buhari’s administration’s far?

There was so much expectation from this administration when he assumed office.

That is because he promised so much but he has failed so far. He was only desperate to rule; he did not come to save the country.

After all they have said about subsidy, look at what is happening, look at how snakes are said to be swallowing money. Money is being found in flats in Ikoyi without anyone been apprehended so far as the owners.

So what is the method of operation of your group so far?

I did a world press conference the other time in Abuja and I have been inaugurating state branches that would go and set up branches in wards.

What I am doing now is ‘operation show me your PVC’. Anybody who says they don’t have PVC, I go to INEC office to help them. I am not happy with the way the process is going in the country, in Abuja, if you don’t speak Hausa they will not answer you.

What is your view about restructuring?

It is important that the country is restructured. Atiku supports restructuring and he also said if after six months he does not deliver, we should remove him. He promised the youths 40 per-cent of positions.

Go to his house, he feeds Christians. Every Nigerian will be okay if he wins.

Rivers explains funding source for Wike’s school projects as APC boss tackles governor IGNATIUS CHUKWU

R

ivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, has called on Ojukaye Flag Amachree, whom he described as the Rivers State factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek knowledge about basic dynamics of government at all levels before making what he called a caricature of himself and office.

Okah was reacting to a statement credited to Amachree claiming that the recently commissioned Nyemoni Grammar School, Abonnema, and Birabi Memorial Grammar School (BMGS) were funded by the money received from the Federal Government through UBEC. The information commissioner said: “Again, Hon. Ojukaye Amachree has lied and ridiculed himself because the funding for the remodelling and reconstruction of these schools was provided 100 percent by the Government of Rivers State”.

Okah pointed out that Amachree has merely shown intellectual poverty.

Okah went on: “At no time did any kobo come from anybody or authority outside Rivers State Government and there was no need for it”. He noted that Ojukaye would have saved himself this intellectual embarrassment if he contacted the Ministry of Education or the Secondary Schools Board as he said diligent people do.”

The commissioner said it was important to teach Amachree and others he described as deluded minds that Rivers State Government stood tall in terms of project execution and there was no need to claim what it was not.

He said: “The truth is that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) as well as the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) pool some funds and offer them to states in Nigeria to promote only Primary and Junior Secondary education on certain stringent terms.

“One of the mandatory conditions is that the benefitting state must deposit a counterpart fund. This condition is onerous and most states run away from accessing the money.

“It takes a state governor with vision and determination to enhance quality education to raise the counterpart funding. It is for this reason that the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration avoided the funds for three years and refused to raise the accumulated counterpart fund of N2.8 billion before he exited in 2015.”

He said the Nyesom Ezenwo Wike administration came on board in 2015 and paid the accumulated counterpart fund of N2.8 billion and became qualified to access the funds.

“Consequently, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) was inaugurated to manage the subject matter. It is for this reason that the SUBEB designed its own programme and began the massive reconstruction of many primary and Junior Secondary Schools in the State. SUBEB has no role to play in Senior Secondary School affairs.

“So far, SUBEB is doing some work but the Rivers State Government has not started commissioning those schools and projects handled by SUBEB. “Furthermore, we wish to state that even though there are Junior Secondary School components in Nyemoni Grammar School and BMGS Bori as well as in GSS Onne, GSS Ogu, Western Ahoada County High School, GSS Abua etc the reconstruction, remodelling and furnishing of these schools have been exclusively funded by Rivers State Government with no kobo from any other source.

SUBEB also has no hand in those projects.”

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Politics 2019: Saraki’s Supreme Court dismissal gives him political advantage - Experts

“As a result of the war of attrition, various arms of government have wasted resources needlessly. It has been three wasted years across board in this country.

Three years that would have been devoted to tackling issues affecting Nigerians, including: economic recovery, insecurity, youth unemployment and strengthening national institutions – were wasted on malicious prosecution. People were ready to trade-off three years that would have been devoted to fostering cooperation, unity and economic progress for their selfish ends. It is my hope that those who are behind my persecution will see the handwriting on the wall and leave me to do the work for which I was elected, so I can continue to give my all to this great country of ours,” he stated.

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja

T

he recent Supreme Court judgment which dismissed the asset declaration case against Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) will serve as the needed impetus to boost his political aspiration ahead of the 2019 general election.

Soon after his emergence as Senate President in 2015, the nation’s Number Three Citizen has been having running battles with the APC-led Federal Government at the CCT over alleged false declaration of assets.

But in a unanimous judgment on Friday, the five-man panel of the apex court upheld Saraki’s appeal, by dismissing the remnant three counts, declaring the evidence led by the prosecution as hearsay.

Some analysts say now that the case has been laid to rest, the Senate President will have full concentration to pursue his political aspiration in the forthcoming general election.

“A baggage has been hovering over Saraki’s head before now. The Presidency had pronounced him guilty even when our constitution says an accused is assumed innocent until proven guilty.

“With this dismissal, Saraki will suddenly become the beautiful bride as the elections approach. But we all know that he is out of the All Progressives Congress.

What is left is his official announcement, which we may not get anytime soon. He will leave his foot soldiers to heat up the polity for his party,” a political analyst, Jide Adetula told BDSUNDAY. The development came at a time loyalists of Saraki are said to be perfecting their plans to rejoin the PDP, following their pulling out of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (RAPC).

Findings showed that senators who have opted to leave the party include Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, Chairman Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts Shehu Sani, his counterpart in Federal Capital Territory Committee Dino Melaye, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and Chairman Senate Committee on Navy, Isa Misau.

Others senators are: Senate Spokesperson Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream Kabiru Marafa, his counterpart in Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions Rafiu Ibrahim. Also included are Suleiman Hunkuyi, Sha’aba Lafiagi, Monsurat Sunmonu, Muhammed Shittu among others.

With just five weeks to the commencement of party primaries, it was gathered that Saraki loyalists may decamp to PDP any moment from now, with talks said to be at advanced stage.

Political observers have highlighted the grounds upon which Saraki would benefit immensely from the judgment.

According to a commentator who

Saraki

spoke on condition of anonymity, these include: giving him mileage while negotiating with political gladiators, winning the perception war in the eyes of the public and drawing the battle line with the Executive.

“It has given him (Saraki) a lot of credibility as an individual. It will embolden him when he wants to deal with them in the political negotiation.

“Secondly, he has now become free to engage the Federal Government. Because the basis upon which they were prosecuting him was that he is a corrupt person. And so in the eyes of the masses, he was losing the perception war. But with this, he has regained some political mileage as far as perception is concerned, which is a very important tool in politics.

“As it stands, he can look the Executive in the eyes and call their bluff”.

In the just concluded APC National Convention, Saraki’s political dominance came to bear after his camp defeated a faction of APC loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and Information Minister, Lai Mohammed.

This, observers say, gives a strong indication that he remains a force to be reckoned with in the political atmosphere.

Buhari’s anti-corruption war vindictive, insincere - Saraki In a swift reaction after the judgement was delivered, Saraki punctured the anticorruption war of the Buhari government, describing it as insincere, vindictive and targeted at political enemies.

In a statement personally signed by him, he carpeted the Buhari for wasting tax payers money for the past three years prosecuting him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), instead of focusing on the security and welfare of the electorate that voted him into office.

He reiterated his confidence in the judicial process and the ability of the Judiciary to do justice at all times.

According to him, “As many have rightly observed, it is plain to see that the

anti-corruption fight is being prosecuted with vindictiveness, to target perceived political opponents. I believe in the need to fight corruption, but I will never be party to the selective application of the law or the rhetoric of an insincere anti-corruption fight.

“This outcome has gladdened my heart and further strengthened my belief in this country and as well as my faith in the Almighty Allah, who is the righter of all wrongs. God has vindicated me today before the judgement of man, and I am most thankful and humbled at His grace and infinite mercies.

“Through it all, I refused to be shaken, knowing, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, that the arch of the moral universe may be long, but it bends towards justice. I knew the day would come when justice would prevail and I would be exonerated.

“I have always believed in the infallibility of our Judiciary, secure in the knowledge that our courts – the last refuge of the oppressed - would never condemn the innocent. This outcome is also a vindication of my belief in the rule of law.

“As I said in my first appearance at the CCT, this is a politically motivated case.

The case was trumped up in the first instance because of my emergence as the President of the Senate, against the wishes of certain forces. Ordinarily, I doubt anyone would be interested in the asset declaration form I filled over 15 years ago.

“What we have seen is the opposite.

Instead of working together in the interest of the nation and to seek to do better for our people, we are fighting one another and using legal instruments to mount baseless accusations against one another. Instead of exhibiting the need for unity and working day and night for that purpose, we are stoking the fire of division and rancour.

I maintain that, above all else, my CCT trial has been a flagrant vilification of my person, and shows that some people are after their personal interests rather than the national interest.

Saraki’s prosecution not in public interest - Tietie In a telephone interview with BDSUNDAY, human rights lawyer, Frank Tietie, has said the prosecution of the Senate President was not in public good.

According to him, Saraki was docked for disobeying the directives of his party which would not have favoured him in the first instance.

Tietie, who is the Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) said it shows how wasteful and unrestrained political leaders can be when in putting personal interest above national interest.

Reacting to the acquittal, he said: “It corroborates what we have always been saying that sensational prosecution would lead to nowhere, political prosecution will lead to nowhere.

“The issue of prosecuting anybody should be left for the law enforcement agent, subject to the direct control of either the Attorney General of the Federation or the various Attorneys-General of the states.

“The acquittal by the Supreme Court has corroborated the point that Saraki was just being witch-hunted or just being punished for not abiding by the party arrangement which would not have allowed him to be Senate President.

“It was an attempt to break him but he stood his ground. Not because I support Saraki but it has shown how wasteful it can be when government embarks in an adventure just to keep somebody who is perceived not to have been politically compliant”.

On the resources expended in prosecuting the case, the legal practitioner said: “From the outset, the motivation of the Prosecution was not in the interest of protecting or upholding the tenets and standards of the law with regards to assets declaration. But it was made to harass and possibly chase out Saraki from the Senate Presidency. The essence of prosecution is deterrence and to also uphold standard.

What you are not to achieve the actual purpose of prosecution any other motive becomes counter-productive”.

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Fireworks over Wike’s massive commissioning of projects …Amaechi: He is commissioning my projects …Wike’s aide: Amaechi deserves sympathy IGNATIUS CHUKWU

G

overnor Nyesom Wike lined up over 30 projects to be commissioned as part of his third year in office ceremonies. He told newsmen at a world press conference that he would not just go about campaigning for second term but would rather go to communities and commission projects. He dared his rivals to point to their own achievements.

As the train moved from community to community, often with national personalities to cut the tapes and say something, the former governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who in his first term said there was no need commissioning his projects but that the masses should use their legs to commission them, visited the state to take swipes at Wike. He said Wike was merely commissioning his (Amaechi’s) projects. This causes instant hit back.

Amaechi: Wike is commissioning my projects Amaechi stated this during a grand reception organised in his honor by the chiefs and people of Ishimbam General Assembly (IGA) in conjunction with the Free Rivers Development Initiative (FRDI) at the Freedom Square, Elele in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the State.

He said Wike was taking credits for his administration’s achievements because he (Amaechi) did not place priority in commissioning projects.

“Wike commissioned a project that I completed. He called the Speaker of the House of Representatives to commission a flyover I already completed. Tell him (Wike) that he should go ahead and keep commissioning; I have no problem with that. When I was Governor, I provided development for Ikwerre people just like I did for other tribes in the State,” he said.

Amaechi also criticised Governor Wike over his weak stewardship on infrastructure and human capital development in Ikwerre land since he became Governor in 2015 till date.

“Let Wike tell us what he has done in Ikwerre land. For me, if I have done nothing I have brought up one of your sons right from INEC and RISONPALM. But aside the human capital development, you also know that in Elele you have roads everywhere. I have given Elele primary schools, health centres and roads.

My mother is from Egbeda; I’m sure Egbeda people will agree that I did the road from Egbeda to Omerelu.

“As Governor, I did a road from Omerelu to Apani. I did another road from Ubima to Omerelu. I hear you’ve had no electricity for nine months. I will talk to the minister of power to fix it. You people should get the evaluation and bring it to my office for verification and necessary action.

“Please you people should ask Governor Wike what he has done

Wike

for you. Wike’s four years is gradually coming to an end. He has only from now till May, 2019. We’ll compare him to my first four years,” Amaechi said.

The former Governor also said he started attracting projects to his Ikwerre people when he was Speaker of the State House of Assembly. He recalled that he was at the verge of transforming Elele into a city before he left office as governor in 2015.

“In Elele, you have network of roads all over which were awarded during my administration and I nearly transformed Elele into another city to such an end that anybody can live and go to work from Elele. Please beg your Governor to give you water.

But for me, I have given Elele Health Centers, Roads, and also connected Elele to Omagwa.”

Amaechi also promised to revive the rice mill in Elele Alimini if the Ishimbam local farmers in the area could come together to form a cooperative to start the rice farm owned by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“The rice mill at Elele Alimini, ask NDDC, I brought it to that place. Go to NDDC and ask. But, if all farmers can come together and form a cooperative to start the rice farm I am ready to appeal to NDDC to come and hand over to you, so that you can have the rice farm,” Amaechi said.

The Ishimba Communities which comprises, Elele-Alimini, Omerelu, Egbeda, Umudioga, Akpabu, Itu, Apani, Ubimini and Elele communities of Ikwerre LGA, also honoured and decorated Amaechi with a Chieftaincy title of the ‘Ohna Ishimba 1 of Ikwerre Land’.

Amaechi deserves sympathy – Nwakauda On May 27, 2015, the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi made very disheartening comments about the incoming administration of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Amaechi said: ‘’ I’m not joking, we have no money anywhere. In Rivers State, there’s no money. I think Nyesom Wike is coming, we are waiting.

Amaechi

He will look for money for salary; there is none. But when he pays out salary, we will see if any of them can do what we did in this state: whether they can build the schools, the roads, even to get a loan’’.

He had looted Rivers State dry.

Raped her accounts beyond measures and crippled the finances of the state. Amaechi was so ashamed of his looting that he could not prepare a hand-over note.

After the prophecy of doom above, he ran to Abuja to await news of the collapse of Rivers State.

He was sighted at the Eagle Square happily playing the talking drum in anticipation of the failure of Governor Wike.

Since May 29, 2015, Amaechi has been waiting in vain. Rather than hear news of despair, he is hearing daily reports of celebration. Rather than hear tales of woe, he has been hearing stories of endless commissioning of projects.

The Third Year Anniversary Celebration of the Wike administration has become a major headache to former governor. Since May 23, 2018 Governor Wike has been rolling out key projects across the three senatorial districts.

As a statesman, Governor Wike has made it a point of duty to invite leaders from all political divides and interest groups to commission projects as part of the Third Year Anniversary Celebration. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, Obi of Onitsha, Oni of Ife, Former Plateau State Governor, Jonah David Jang, Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara top the list of those who have commissioned major projects in the five weeks.

At the weekend, a frightened Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi received a chieftaincy title at Elele. This time, his testimony has changed.

From Wike is doing nothing to Wike is commissioning projects that he (Amaechi) has executed up to

90percent. I like to see the positive side of everything, even the lies of a failed politician.

At least, Amaechi has admitted that Governor Wike has been paying monthly salaries and pensions, including the four months arrears of salaries and six months of pensions that he used in sponsoring the APC National Campaign.

For the first time, he admitted that Governor Wike is working, even though he tried in vain to belittle the work.

Amaechi’s gnashing of teeth on the Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge commissioned by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara is uncalled for.

He abandoned the bridge at less than 30percent and the contractor fled the site because the contract was not funded. This was acknowledged by Governor Wike during the commissioning of bridge and road.

Let me rehash a background of the all-important Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge that is giving Amaechi sleepless nights.

For two years running, the Nigerian Guild of Editors held their Annual General Conference in Rivers State. They were opportuned to see the different stages of the Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge first hand.

The Guild of Editors were opportuned to witness significantly, the progression of this major InterChange, abandoned at less 20 percent completion by the immediate past failed Amaechi administration.

On July 30, 2016, Governor Wike led the Guild of Editors to inspect work on the Woji-Elelenwo Bridge.

At this time, though the contractor had worked under the supervision of Governor Wike for over 9 months, the bridge was yet to get halfway.

From the point where the contractor had reached at the time, Governor Wike and the editors looked across the river into the virgin land and houses on the other side. It appeared as if the project will never be completed.

Aside the Nigerian Guild of Editors, another group that witnessed

the progression of the Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge was the Nigerian Bar Association. During their 56th Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt in August 2016, Governor Wike took them on a tour of projects. The Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge was one of the projects that were visited.

Still on that stretch is the Abuluoma-Woji Bridge which was abandoned by the previous administration at 30 percent, but completed

by Governor Wike. Both projects overwhelmed the immediate past Rivers State Governor because of their scoop.

All through the last quarter of 2015 when Governor Wike consolidated the process for the completion of Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge, the reason why the Amaechi administration fled the site was obvious. The project required commitment, strict supervision, dedicated funding and patience.

That failed administration lacked all these qualities.

The Woji-Elelenwo Dual Carriageway and Bridge was awarded by the previous administration in 2009 at N3billion. The same immediate past failed Amaechi administration revalued the road to N11billion.

It refused to fund the project after three years of inconsistency.

As a result, the contractor fled the site. Nothing much was done, even though the Inter-Change was critical to free flow of traffic.

Governor Wike personally supervised the paving of the new road which links Woji-Elelenwo through to Akpajo in Eleme Local Government Area. The governor debated with the contractors at different times, insisting on the best for Rivers people.

From 2015 to 2018, the administration of Governor Wike worked round the clock to deliver this allimportant project.

The project is now an architectural masterpiece. A beauty to behold and a golden manifestation of quality projects delivery. It is furnished with streetlights, flyover, under-pass, 750 meter bridge and a link road.

On June 8, 2018, the Rivers State Government delivered this brand new road to the good people of the state. It was a celebration of performance as men of goodwill gathered irrespective of party affiliation.

Conclusion Wike wants the elections to be fought on projects, hoping that the APC would not point to anything in the state. This was exactly what Amaechi used to fight Wike and Goodluck Jonathan. Governors are believed to have budgets to do projects in one state whereas ministers have less for 36 states. Amaechi may have to fall back on the ones he did between 2007 and 2015. He actually started many of them but lack of funds and other reasons stalled many of them. Wike had accused him of taking too much at same time. Now, it is about completing them, not starting them, Wike has always argued.

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Politics Aspirant sees job creation for youths fixing Nigerian economy CHUKA UROKO

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he fractured features of Nigeria’s social and economic fortunes will be fixed and improved tremendously if job is created for the country’s teeming youth population, Misbau Opeyemi Aminu, an aspirant to the House of Representatives in Ogun State, has said.

Aminu, who is aspiring to represent his people of Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency at the lower chamber of the National Assembly, believes that job creation holds the key to the growth and development of the nation’s economy.

A thorough-bred technocrat with a string of degrees and professional certificates, and over 30 years of working experience in public and private sectors, Aminu also believes that the development of any nation depends principally on the quality of its human capital, adding that a lot needs to be done in education, industrialisation, research and development to improve household income.

He said that as a legislator, he would bring this idea to the table and work with colleagues and people of like minds to “bring up a law that will create humongous opportunities for the people. Just as laws are passed for creation of commissions, we can equally use our law to create the economy at the bottom of the pyramid.

“Coincidentally, my constituents are the people at the bottom of the pyramid. I want to go in there and work with people of like mind to make law that will make Nigeria work for everyone, create an economy that will aid national growth, reduce poverty, reduce our dependence on imported goods and reduce our dependence on oil revenue. We will encourage innovation, production, and industrialisation which starts with cottage industries,” he said He said there were entrepreneurs in the country whose success story attests to the fact that people in the private sector can excel if given the right push through the creation of an enabling environment. “We need to be creative on the economic front. When we put such system in place, talents will be earnest, businesses will grow from scratch to medium size, employment will be generated, productivity will grow, inflation will drop, more goods will flow out and more money will flow into Nigeria, naira will appreciate, household income and consumption will grow,” he said.

Aminu stated that the House of Representatives is not a place to put charlatans. “We are getting it wrong by putting just anybody; it is the reason for poor leadership and mismanagement of our resources,” the aspirant said.

Another project Aminu plans to do, if voted as a legislator, is to bring up appropriate awareness on quality education. The world thrives on digital and quality knowledge, high technology employs 45 percent of work force in China, 28 percent on secondary economy and 27 percent on agriculture.

“We need to upscale our education system otherwise years down the road, the gap will keep widening with developed countries.

A notable sign in a nation moving in right direction is adequate attention on teachers and schools at all levels. When you put them at the back of the queue, what you get is a

Aminu

demoralised performance, but when you put them at the front of the pack, what you get is quality education. We should return the teachers to their pride of place within the scheme of things, because they are the minds builders”, he noted.

He said the nation needed to see the “students in secondary schools as the medium term goal of development and the pupils in primary school as the long term goal of our economy.

Speaking about his proposed activities in his constituency, which is made up of three local governments, Abeokuta North, Obafemi Owode, and Odeda, with two contestants in each local government, he said there were some programmes he had lined up to create wealth in his constituency.

“My empowerment programme will be spreading wealth and not liability; our present representative is spreading liability. When you give car to somebody who does not have tangible job, you‘ve increased his liability and poverty; the little money he has that would taken care of his family, will now be spent on car while he lives a fake life in town,” he pointed out.

Aminu said he would spread wealth by “helping people with training, trade implement and fund to develop their businesses.

When I add value to their businesses, this will transform to wealth in their lives. If their businesses do well, then they will be able to buy cars on their own.”

“Ogun State has about 400,000 farmers in all. If there are 60,000 peasant farmers in my constituency, four years farmer-assisted plan will be put in place to help in our modest training, implements and funding,” he said, promising to build community halls for farmers and monitor their progress regularly. He stated that there were benefits they could reap with their nearness to Lagos.

“Our farmers have untapped opportunities with nearness to Lagos; we have comparative and competitive advantage of supplying food at cheaper prices,” he assured.

Aminu further assured that tradesmen

would be assisted, be they tailors, mechanics, electricians, welders, etc., adding that these artisans would be gainfully employed by working on the construction projects of the state government. “I’ll sponsor a Bill of patronage in the State House of Assembly that will compel Ogun State contractors to hire our people at competitive wages. The bill will protect our contractors against unfair competition from foreign contractors, will reserve some works for the indigenes and attach our contractors to foreign company as junior partners on projects to transfer knowledge and expertise”, he promised.

“I feel Ogun State has competitive advantage, why don’t we develop it; commerce bill will compel the state government workers to use Adire once a week. This will generate over twenty thousand enduring customers for the trade. Talents will be developed and huge employment will be created along the value chain”, he said, promising qualitative leadership for his constituency.

The aspirant noted that looking at Nigeria’s economy today, which is less than half a trillion dollars and juxtaposing that with the population, “one would see that Nigeria has GDP per head of $2,700 which is far behind South Africa’s over $8,000, China’s over $15,000, developing nations like Nigeria, oil reach UAE like Nigeria of about $40,000,advanced countries like UK of $40,000 and United States, the biggest economy in the world, of about $55,000.”

“The economy is better in these societies because they do things differently. China has been able to utilise its huge population by putting 776 million people to work and United States with 3.8 percent unemployment rate compared to 42 percent youth unemployment among in Nigeria.

“Nigeria’s population is about 180 million with 60 percent youthful demography but operating under capacity. The productivity is very low with attendant poverty,” he said.

Aminu said few Nigerians are working to sustain a large number of people and the reason is because “we’re poor; of 1.3 billion

people in extreme poverty in the world, 10 percent reside in Nigeria. The economy cannot have significant growth unless we put people to work; whatever growth is being experienced is on paper and not in the people.”

He said if the system could be reformed to put the youth and the jobless to work, the productivity will improve, households earning will increase, households consumption will increase, the industries will flourish and lives will be meaningful, but when a minority is at work, household’s spending will be weak and the companies will keep struggling to survive.

It is easy to take people to employment, but the system makes it appear complex.

“Let’s take a look at the financial system; within the financial basket are big money banks, microfinance banks, few mortgage banks, few finance houses, merchant banks, venture capitals, few of different financial institutions.

The basket offers finances at exorbitant interest rates, microfinance bank offer finances at higher rate than deposit money bank, which strangles businesses. The basket has no space for Small and Micro Enterprise?

Ask small businesses where they source fund for development? They will tell you nowhere.

Aminu noted that microfinance banks and institutions were expected to serve that class of businesses, but that these institutions lend at very high interest rates because of their source of funds. “They source their funds way above the MPR of 12 or 14 percent which makes it impossible to lend at 3 or 5 per cent required by growing businesses. They rather lend at 5 or 10 percent a month. How many of these small businesses can survive with 60 or 120 per cent per annum? Therefore, the orientation of the microfinance banks is yet to be for those businesses. That’s where we get it wrong”, he said.

Imagine the CBN governor relying on microfinance banks to grow the economy of small and micro businesses. The question is, how many of such businesses have they run?

As an experienced entrepreneur on that field, I know small businesses cannot survive with the finances available However, Aminu said there is a simple solution to the challenge. “On one hand is the monetary policy and the other is the complementary fiscal policy. Monetary policy will facilitate cheap fund into microfinance banks and fiscal policy will provide infrastructure to facilitate growth of small businesses. The contributory pension fund stands at N8trillion in the first quarter of 2018; similarly a lot of fund is resting in the vault of Central Bank that can be channelled to microfinance institutions for micro and small businesses development. CBN seems to prefer intervention programmes than creating an enduring system - we don’t need intervention, it is momentary – we need to put a system in place that will address even development and not interjection.

If small businesses are financed with pension fund by act of parliament, through existing microfinance banks to serve its primary constituency, small businesses will take off their slumbering. CBN can as well dedicate certain percentage of its income by act of parliament to fund research and development in tertiary institutions, research institutions and private research centres. This will awake creativity, and then create space in high technology.

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Politics Rat race as 40 aspirants jostle to succeed Ajimobi in Oyo AKINREMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan

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he battle for the seat of power in Oyo State has begun, with over 40 governorship aspirants seeking to replace Abiola Ajimobi come 2019.

The battle runs across political

parties.

The 2019 general election, which is less than eight months, away has various gladiators scheming and declaring interest to contest.

Presently, the visible contenders are from the major political parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Accord Party (ADC) and aspirants from some of the new parties registered recently by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The ruling party in the state (APC) has the highest number of aspirants. The number of the aspirants is expected to grow as the clock ticks towards election.

As it is usual in every contest, there are serious contenders and there are also pretenders.

Moses Alake-Adeyemo He is the incumbent deputy governor of Oyo State. He is from Orelope Local Government Area of Oke Ogun, which has never produced a governor since the creation of the state about 42 years ago.

A retired banker, Adeyemo was chosen as deputy to Ajimobi on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which later transformed into APC and they have enjoyed a good working relationship. The deputy governor made his intention to succeed his boss known a few months ago, after Ajimobi at a function said he was poised to compensate the Oke Ogun people because of their support for him during the 2015 election that made him emerge as the first governor to win a second term in the state.

He is among some other aspirants jostling for the same position from the region.

Adebayo Alao-Akala He is the immediate past governor of the state, former chairman of the Ogbomoso North Local Government Area, where he hails from. He later became deputy governor under then governor Rasidi Ladoja between 2003 and 2007. He became governor after his principal’s historical impeachment, which was overturned by the Supreme Court after 11 months.

Alao-Akala was elected governor of the state in 2007 and was in the saddle till 2011, when Ajimobi defeated him. He re-contested in 2015 on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) but failed. The former governor, who later defected to the APC was earlier rumoured to be eyeing the Senate to represent Oyo North senatorial district. His governorship campaign posters have flooded the state, especially Ogbomoso, announcing his intention to return to the Agodi Government House in 2019.

Adebayo Shittu The present Minister of Communications hails from Saki in the Oke Ogun area of the state. He was a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state and had contested gubernatorial election in the state on the platform of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC). Shittu is currently at loggerheads with the outgoing governor over his governorship ambition and both have been locked in a war of

Moses Alake-Adeyemo

Adebayo Alao-Akala

Seyi Makinde

Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli

words of late.

Shittu, a lawyer, believes that Ajimobi is not favourably disposed towards his ambition, thereby alleging high-handedness and also accuses the governor of failure to allow for a level-playing ground in the process that will determine the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

As the chairman, Board of Trustees of the Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Group rooting for the second term of the President, Shittu recently inaugurated the South-West zonal campaign office of the group in Ibadan, during which some bigwigs in the party converged to drum their support for the re-election of the President.

Soji Akanbi. His defection was after he fell out with Governor Ajimobi. He is now back in the PDP with former governor Ladoja and eyeing the governorship come 2019. Lanlehin is one of the serious contenders for the party’s ticket.

Seyi Makinde The Ibadan-born Electronics Engineering graduate of the University of Lagos has been in the political arena of Oyo State since 2007, when he vied for the senatorial slot of Oyo South under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He later contested the gubernatorial seat on the same platform in 2015, but the adoption of former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, as the preferred candidate among 13 aspirants forced Makinde to defect to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to contest the poll in 2015.

He is currently in the same political boat with Rashidi Ladoja.

The “Omi titun” Group promoter is rumoured to be in alliance with Ladoja to contest the 2019 election on the platform of the PDP. Ladoja has formally dropped his ambition to re-contest in 2019.

Olufemi Lanlehin Lanlehin’s name was first heard in the present political dispensation in Lagos where he served as Special Assistant to Governor Bola Tinubu early in his first term in office. He was later to part ways with Tinubu and relocated to Ibadan, his home town. Lanlehin is the immediate past senator for Oyo South Senatorial District.

He ran against Ajimobi in the 2011 race before the party settled him with the senatorial ticket. He defected to Accord before the 2015 elections and contested again but lost to Senator

Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli Alli is a former local government chairman, former Secretary to the State Government, former Chief of Staff and former chairman of O’dua Group of Companies, has an intimidating political profile.

A lawyer, Alli is widely and highly regarded in the conservative political class. He was running mate to Alao-Akala in the 2015 election through the Labour Party. He has since joined the PDP seeking the ticket of the party.

Adeniyi Akintola He was born in Iddo Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State. After his primary school education, he lived in the northern part of Nigeria where he stayed for some years before he secured admission into the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

He left OAU to read Law at the University of Ibadan, where he bagged his LL.B degree. He also has a degree in Political Science from the same university. Akintola, who once served as deputy speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly is gunning for the Agodi Government House on the platform of the APC. He hopes to build on the legacies which Ajimobi will bequeath the state upon completion of his second term.

Abiodun Yunus Akintunde Born on the 6 March, 1962 at Onikanko Compound, Pakoyi, Oyo West Local Government Area on Oyo town. The former commissioner in the Oyo State Civil Service Commission between 1999 and 2003, was later appointed as Commissioner for Works and Transport in the first term of Governor Ajimobi, and later an Executive Assistant to the Governor between April 2014 and May 2015. He is a product of The Polytechnic Ibadan as well as Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo Campus, Lagos where he obtained OND in Physics with Electronics and

a BSc in Physics and MSc in Energy Studies as well as a Master of Public Administration.

He has just bagged a Ph.D in Energy Studies at the University of Ibadan, and he is the first with Ph.D in the course to be produced by the premier university. A staunch member of the APC, Akintunde was chairman, APC State Registration Committee for Osun State in January 2014; chairman, APC State Congress Committee for Kwara State in April 2014; member, APC House of Representatives (serving members) aspirants’ screening committee in 2014 and member, Executive Advisory Committee (EAC) for re-election of Ajimobi between 2014 and 2015, contesting under the platform of APC. Adeolu Akande He was born at Idi-Arere, Ibadan, but hails from Otu, the headquarters of Itesiwaju Local Government Area, in Oke Ogun, Oyo State. He is a holder of BSc, MSc and PhD degrees in Political Science, all from the University of Ibadan.

He had worked briefly as a reporter/feature writer and member of the Editorial Board of the Nigerian Tribune between 1991 and 1993 before he was elevated to deputy editor, Sunday Tribune between July 1995 and February 1997.

He left the journalism profession when he was appointed Special Assistant (Research and Communication strategies) to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo between May and December 2003 and subsequently, Chief of Staff to the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, between June 2011 and September 2013. The journalist turned politician is from the Oyo North Senatorial district of Oyo State. He was recently appointed a professor of Political Science by the Igbinedion University, Okada, in Edo State.

He is contesting under the platform of the broom party with his billboards a s posters adorning strategic places in state but recent event shows that he may contest under ADC. He is a member of the Unity Forum, a splinter group within the Oyo APC, they defected last week to ADC. Adebayo Adelabu A seasoned banker and Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), hails from Ibadan.

He was born to the family of Aderibigbe Adelabu Adegoke. He is a direct grandson of late Adegoke Adelabu (aka Penkelemesi), an articulate grassroots politician of the pre-independence political era. Bayo, as he is fondly called, is also eyeing the Agodi Government House under APC, he was an Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer, First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Plc. He holds a First Class degree in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Temitope Olatoye He was elected member of the Oyo State House of Assembly on the platform of the Accord Party in 2011 after which he defected to the APC. In 2015, he got elected into the House of Representatives to represent Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency.

He is the Chairman, House Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning.

Sugar as the lawmaker is fondly called, had a brief stint as a teacher at Sagamu High School, Makun, Sagamu and Orile-Ilugun Comprehensive High School, both in Ogun State before venturing into partisan politics. He was appointed Special Adviser to ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, having been the PDP Youth leader in Ogun

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Politics Central. He too has signified his intention to contest under APC with his billboards and posters everywhere in the city.

Zacheaus Adelabu He is from Iwo Ate in the Afijio area of Oyo Town.

A first class graduate of Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), he is an accomplished technocrat and consultant with Procter and Gamble company. He was the Finance Commissioner in Oyo State during the first term of Governor Ajimobi. He is also interested in governing Oyo State after his former boss by 2019. He is running under the APC. Abdulfatai Buhari Buhari, who hails from Ogbomoso was a former member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007 on the platform of the PDP. He was appointed Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources during the first term of Governor Ajimobi before winning election into the Senate for Oyo North senatorial district.

Currently, a member of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, Buhari is not seeking a return to the legislative chamber, but nursing the ambition of becoming governor of the Pace Setter State under APC. Rilwan Soji Akanbi Akanbi was a member of the House Representatives under the SDP during the administration of the late Governor Kolapo Ishola.

He was later appointed as a Special Adviser during the administration of the late Governor Lamidi Adesina. Akanbi, who hails from the same Oyo South Senatorial District with Governor Ajimobi was elected into the Senate in the 2015 election. He has shown interest in becoming governor under APC platform.

Oyedele Hakeem Alao He is a Structural Engineer with keen interests in the Oil and Gas sector. He is the CEO of OceanSalt Oil and Gas Engineering Ltd. Young and vibrant Alao is the leading aspirant on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD). He and many others are repositioning AD in Oyo State to take over from APC. His billboards, posters and jingles have flooded the state in recent months. Born in Ibadan from Akinyele Local Government, he is adjudged to be independent, without any known godfather/political investor as is common with the other aspirants. An insight into his campaign shows he understands issues confronting the state and has potentially effective solutions.

These can be deduced by the messages on his billboards, social media platforms and website.

Most of his supporters described him as a modern leader that can beat all other aspirants hands down in any debate on economy, education and other aspects of governance.

Although some of his admirers are claiming he is related to the late Aare Musulumi of Yoruba Land, Arisekola Alao.

Soji Eniade The former Head of Service in Oyo State is also a strong contender. He is banking on his civil service experience and rapport with Governor Ajimobi. Aside that Eniade is also believed to be the son of a foremost Ibadan politician. As a late entrant who recently declared his intention, he is said to be the favourite of Governor Ajimobi for the exalted office. He declared to run on the platform of the broom party in 2019.

Abideen Olaiya Abideen Olaiya is the only known Accord Party aspirant in the state. He may end up being the sole contender in the party.

Over the years, Accord Party has become depopulated as a result of incessant crosscarpeting by its major leaders.

shake-up of the senior staff of the newspaper in November, 2012. Prior to his elevation, he was the Editor, Daily and Deputy Editor-In-Chief of the newspaper.

Though he is yet to make public the platform upon which he wishes to realise his political ambition, speculations are rife that the Okaka, Oke Ogun-born guru of journalism may eventually bow to pressure and throw his hat into the ring as the race towards the Oyo State Government House gathers momentum under APC. Adebayo Shittu

Adeniyi Akintola

Teslim Folarin

Olufemi Lanlehin

Akin Onigbinde Akin Onigbinde is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The Ogbomoso-born legal luminary is a former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly. He is contesting on the platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Should Hakeem Alao not get the party ticket in the primaries, Onigbinde is widely seen as an alternative but he is reaching out beyond the party.

rooted in grass-root politics, he made his entry into the state politics when he was appointed the Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor Lam Adesina in 1999.

After an unsuccessful attempt to take a shot at the House of Representatives as the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) for Oluyole Federal Constituency in 2003, Olaosebikan was elected chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area in 2007 during Senator Ladoja’s administration. An adroit politician, he was also appointed

by Governor Alao-Akala as the chairman of the same local council in 2010. He recently decamped to APC and declared interest to run under the platform in 2019. He is the chairman of one of the Schools’ Governing Boards recently inaugurated by Governor Ajimobi.

Kola Balogun Kolawole Mohammed Balogun, who is contesting on the platform of APC was Commissioner for commerce and industries during former governor Akala regime.

Born on July 27th, 1956, he is from the famous Olubadan Ali-Iwo ruling house of Ibadanland.

His educational career took him through Ratibi Muslim Primary School, Oluyoro, Ibadan, St. Peter’s College, Abeokuta, Ogun State, and North Texas State University, Denton, Texas, USA. He graduated with both the Bachelor of Arts (B.A) and Doctors of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Political Science Isaac Owolabi Babalola The Ibadan-born medical doctor-cum politician is one of the strong contenders for the governorship race in 2019 under APC. Owolabi is a politician with a deep sense of history and deeprooted intellectual capacity. A former Commissioner for Health, twice, in the Alao-Akala administration (2006 and from 2007 to 2011), he is reputed to be one of the few personalities in the immediate past administration in the state who were bold enough to look at his boss face during Akala regime.

Dele Adigun A former permanent secretary in Oyo State, Dele Adigun, was a super civil servant who got to the zenith of career before he retired from the Oyo State Civil Service in 2002. He had variously served as the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and as a commissioner.

Adigun, a veteran in the governorship is second to none in terms of knowledge of government and governance.

He was a top chieftain of the Accord Party before, but contesting under the new African Democratic Party for the 2019 governorship race.

Kehinde Olaosebikan Olaosebikan is an accomplished journalist, tourism promoter and public relations expert. Well-

Remi Olaniyan A practising engineer, Olaniyan, is from Igboho in the Oke Ogun area of the state. He is said to be a gentle and soft-spoken new politician who recently retired from the Oyo State Civil Service as a permanent secretary. A former chieftain of the Accord Party who recently defected to APC, Olaniyan was the General Manager of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OSTROMA) where he was said to have made some significant positive contributions.

Olaniyan can be described in politics as a Senator Ladoja man but left him to join APC, he has shown interest to contest on the broom party platform next year. He is a member of splinter group, Unity Forum within the APC, the group last week defected to ADC. So he might likely contest under that platform.

Azeez Adeduntan Adeduntan is the Commissioner for Health and he is a respected surgeon from the United States of America and a brother of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Lamidi Adedibu. He is said to have been primed by Governor Ajimobi for the governorship seat in 2019.

The medical doctor had tried to realise his governorship ambition, using virtually all the available political platforms in the state, the last being PDP. But as soon as he could not get the ticket, he jumped ship and moved to APC. Debo Adesina A journalist, Debo Adesina, is seen as one of those political gladiators eyeing the highest political office in Oyo State, currently occupied

by Ajimobi. Described as the longest serving editor in Nigeria, he was appointed the Editor-InChief of the Guardian Newspapers, after a major

Bimbo Adekanbi The state Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development was the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Ajimobi in his first term. An indigene of Ibadan from Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state, he is said to be about the closest appointee in the government to the Ajimobi family and handles most of the big assignments in the government like the ‘Yes O’ youth employment programme, the SUBEB award of contracts, the state community development agency and many of the infrastructure projects.

He is eying the APC ticket.

Senator Teslim Folarin Folarin is a son of Hamzat Folarin. He is from Baale House in Oja Igbo area of Ibadan NorthEast Local Government area of Oyo State.

Folarin is the Head (Mogaji) of his family House and a ranked traditional Chief in Ibadan Land.

Folarin attended primary school in Lagos; his secondary education was completed at Nigeria’s premier secondary school, Methodist Boys High School. Folarin holds a B.Sc (Hons) degree in Political Science from the University of Ibadan and a diploma degree from Harvard University, USA. Folarin contested and won the senatorial seat to represent Oyo Central in 2003 at the age of 39 years on the platform of the PDP and was re-elected for a second term in 2007 on the platform of the same PDP. Folarin remains the only legislator in Oyo State who has served two terms at the Senate. At the Senate, he was appointed Leader of the Senate. Folarin also served on the Senate Committee on Business & Rules, Marines and Transport although his particular interests were in education, power supply and water resources. Folarin was involved in the Power probe in 2008. As the Leader of the Senate, he led debates on all Executives Bills and sponsored several private Bills himself.[2] These included the Insurance Act, Armed Forces Pension Act and several others.

Folarin won the gubernatorial ticket of his great party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014. He lost the election to the incumbent Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressive Congress.

Folarin, who is eyeing the Agodi Government House in 2019, defected to APC in December 2017.

Senator Ayo Adeseun Adeseun had been in the House of Representatives and the Senate. He has never hidden his intention to run for the governorship seat in the state and he was said to have parted ways with Governor Ajimobi, owing largely to his ambition for the office in 2015. His strength lies in his performance in the National Assembly which brought development to his constituency. He is also reputed to be a generous grass-root politician. Adeseun who is likely to contest in 2019,is still in the PDP. Isaac Ajiboye Omodewu Isaac Ajiboye Omodewu is the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development in the state.

He hails from Itesiwaju Local Government.

Omodewu is one of Ajimobi’s close associates from Oke-Ogun zone.

A business man and farmer, Omodewu hopes to ride on the party platform to emerge the governorship candidate of the APC in 2019.

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Politics

The new APC executive will resolve all disagreements - Basorun Olorunfumi Basorun, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) and former secretary to Lagos State Government in the Second Republic, was the pioneer Lagos State chairman of the People’s Democratic Party. In this interview with AUGUSTINE ADAH, he speaks on the recently concluded APC national convention and other issues. Excerpts: The National convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was conducted recently amidst protests by some groups; are you satisfied with the conduct of the exercise? participated in the convention because I went to Abuja on Friday and we all took part in the process that led to the emergence of the new national executive on Saturday and I left there. But apart from the pocket of protests before the convention, I did not witness any protest during the convention.

The whole exercise was celebration-like. Apart from some national officers that were returned unopposed, we queued to vote.

We voted according to states and the Lagos queue was led by our governor. Everybody that queued to vote must show his accreditation card which was punched at the point of commencing the vote and the point of voting for the last office because there were different boxes for the different offices. I remember that I did not vote for Adams Oshiomhole who is now the National Chairman of the party because before the convention, all his opponents withdrew from the race.

In that case, some of us felt it was needles to waste our time and effort voting for him since he is the sole candidate. However, we still voted for those that even came to the rostrum to announce their withdrawal from the race for their opponents.

The whole exercise went on smoothly; I don’t see any reason why some people should complain about that. One thing that the convention has shown is that if not all, about seventy percent of the grievances in the party were resolved. You know that Asiwaju was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party before the convention and both of them did not issue any press statement to that effect. There was a situation where a particular woman came to the rostrum and announced her stepping down for the opponent in due respect for the national leader of the party in person of Bola Tinubu.

I also want to mention a particular case here, the south-west vice chairman of the party is a close ally of Asiwaju, but when he discovered that the choice of Ondo State governor where he comes from is different, he withdrew from the race to allow the emer-

I

Olorunfumi Basorun

gence of the governor’s preferred candidate. It is part of the things that those outside would not see but pointing to the fact that the party is solidifying its base. If there are pockets of disagreements within the party, what happened that Saturday was a stepping stone for the party to go round and resolve every disagreement.

Even in Ikorodu, we have pockets of disagreements, but with what happened at the convention, there is indication that the party is moving to great heights and we must give the necessary support for the party to grow.

Leaders of Miyetti Allah claimed that the recent killing in Plateau State was retaliation for the missing cows, yet they were not arrested for questioning by security agents. As an elder statesman are you not worried over the spate of killings in the country which the government appears to close its eyes over?

I want to begin with the issue of arrest or no arrest. I think those in charge of the security in the country understand when it is appropriate to arrest and not to arrest.

You may arrest and aggravate the situation. But I am in total support that government should get those involved and prosecute them. What we are seeing in this country is not a new thing. I have been in this country for a long time now. What is happening now is like what happened in Benue State before the 1966 coup.

The killing that took place in the fight between the Hausas and the

Tivs at that time was one of the major causes of the 1966 coup.

The late J.S. Tarka was alive at that time. He was on one side and the people were on the other side during the crisis. I am not citing the instance to justify the killings, but there may be reasons for the escalating nature of the fight going on.

The one in Plateau State has been going on for a long time between the Hausas and the Berom natives; the same thing in Adamawa State. You find little of such killings in the southern part of the country but the common boundary clash between Ebonyi and Cross River states, recently turned into a bloody one and a lot of lives were lost. There is nothing new about the whole thing except the weaponry used which has become more deadly. In the one before the 1966 coup, bow and arrows were used. But in recent times, deadly weapons in most cases, the one procured by government machinery. I believe government should tackle the issue of new dimension introduced to the violence clashes in the country.

Some are alleging that opposition politicians are encouraging the festering of the whole matter, I believe it is the duty of the government to investigate the whole matter, identify those involved and nip it in the bud.

It is an embarrassing to the country if allowed to continue.

These crises have become a distraction to Mr. President in whatever strength and experience he

has for the growth of the country.

For instance, Monday after the incident, the Vice-President had to abandon whatever job he had in Abuja to visit the people involved. So, I support the clamour that those involved should be identified and dealt with accordingly. Don’t forget, we have the problem of Boko Haram facing us in the country.

These ones people call herdsmen we know in the past, only carry sticks to direct their animals, but now carting guns, some people said that they are carrying guns because farmers are also carrying guns to attack them. Whether it is true or not, I think the government should investigate the matter so that we don’t have a situation where another group is emerging like Boko Haram disguising as herdsmen. For a long time, throughout my stay in some parts of the north like Kano, Jos and Maiduguri. I don’t see herdsmen as posing any threat or danger, they go about with their cattle but now that they constitute threat, government should investigate the new dimension in order to know if the people that want to achieve a motive are masquerading as herdsmen. If it fails to do that, they would continue to kill innocent people.

Do you think political parties are getting set for INEC’s guidelines on 2019 general election?

They don’t have option, they must get ready if the umpire has set timetable for the election. But INEC also gave sufficient time for

parties to prepare for primaries slated between August and October this year. Some parties may not hold their own primaries in August or September but in October.

Like APC, I don’t see us holding the primaries in August or September because we just finished holding our national convention.

The new national executive has to settle down and get their bearings. They may even propose an amendment to the party’s constitution. If they do that, we may have to wait, but that may not stop from the party from fitting into INEC’s time table, especially as we have a very fast and dynamic man heading the party as chairman. I describe Oshiomhole and fast leader which other people must run after him. I have a great confidence in him leading the party very well, taking into cognizance anything that may distract him.

How do you think the party can resolve the crisis in some state chapters of the party before election?

The new national executive would set up a body to address that. Most of the problems came out of self-interest. Some people want to be in-charge in order to serve their personal interest. I saw an interview granted by President Buhari to the SUN Newspaper in 2012 and I decided to print it out.

In that interview, he said that it is God that gives power and that interest me most. He has been in the race since 2003 until he got it in 2015, so people should know that power belong to God. How do you feel when you heard that June 12 was made Democracy Day instead of May 29 as was the case before?

When former President Olusegun Obasanjo declared May 29 as Democracy Day I felt it was done as a result of the advice he got from his advisers. What is the idea behind May 29, the date he was sworn in instead of October 1 when we got our Independence.

However, in the wisdom of the present administration, it believes that the date which MKO Abiola won the election with an overwhelming support of the people should be the ideal date. I participated in that election and our voting centre was the secondary school close to my house here. We did not thump-print, we all queued and with the exception of one person who declared for Bashir Tofa, all of us were for Abiola. The day of that election is best to be declared as Democracy Day.

Sunday 08 July 2018

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Articulated vehicles and road carnage

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Frank Aigbogun EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Prof. Onwuchekwa Jemie EDITOR Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja ASSISTANT EDITOR Chuks Oluigbo NEWS EDITOR Patrick Atuanya EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING Kola Garuba EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIGITAL SERVICES Oghenevwoke Ighure ADVERT MANAGER Adeola Ajewole MANAGER, SYSTEMS & CONTROL Emeka Ifeanyi MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Patrick Ijegbai CIRCULATION MANAGER John Okpaire GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (North)

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Dick Kramer - Chairman Imo Itsueli Mohammed Hayatudeen Albert Alos Funke Osibodu Afolabi Oladele Dayo Lawuyi Vincent Maduka Maneesh Garg Keith Richards Opeyemi Agbaje Amina Oyagbola Bolanle Onagoruwa Fola Laoye Chuka Mordi Sim Shagaya Mezuo Nwuneli Emeka Emuwa Charles Anudu Tunji Adegbesan Eyo Ekpo

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TAYO OGUNBIYI Ogunbiyi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

N

ow that the dust is gradually settling on the June 28 Black Thursday carnage in Lagos is the right time to appraise the incidence with a view to averting future occurrence. The cost of the ill-fated incident is obviously enormous as many are still counting their losses. But then, the truth is that the carnage was mostly a product of human errors and carelessness.

Articulated vehicles drivers in particular need to be more careful and professional in their operation. Across the country, they are mostly notorious for the sloppy manner they function. Findings have shown that several carnages recorded on most roads in the country have been caused by their complicity.

A recent research has indicated that out of about 358 transport accidents recorded in Nigeria between 1999 and 2002, 70 % involved articulated trucks and heavy‐duty vehicles.

The survey further shows that about 32 per cent of truck drivers are below 30 years and probably immature and inexperience to handle such psychologically demanding task. Also, studies have

equally confirmed that 62 per cent of fuel trucks involved in serious road mishaps that resulted in monumental disasters were of poor quality which probably aided fire outbreaks whenever there was an accident. Study has also shown that about 54 per cent of fuel spilling that had led to fire outbreaks was as a result of negligence on the part of truck drivers.

For obvious reasons, Lagos will continue to attract articulated vehicles and trucks of all shades because of its prime socio-economic status. Lagos accounts for over 60% of Nigeria’s industrial and commercial activities; 70% of national maritime cargo freight, over 80% of international aviation traffic and over 50% of Nigeria’s energy consumption. The two seaports in Lagos account for 70 percent of the sea trade in the country.

With all these indicators, it would be difficult, for now, to banish articulated vehicles and trucks on Lagos roads. However, with the cooperation of major stakeholders in related sectors, the havoc being wrecked on lives and properties by articulated vehicles on residents in the State could be grossly reduced.

For instance, the continuous importation of locally consumed fuel in the country, arising from the inability of the Federal Government, over the years, to fix local refineries places serious burden on the State. With more than 50 fuel depots in Lagos alone, at least over 3,000 trucks travel to

the State on a daily basis with the intention of lifting petroleum products.

To redress the current trend, the Federal Government would need to urgently revive all national refineries or encourage investors to build new ones as Dangote is currently doing along the Lekki Free Trade Zone axis. Continuous importation of fuel, no doubt, will exacerbate the pressure on road infrastructure across the country.

Various stakeholders in the oil sector need to ingeniously look into the petroleum distributive arrangement to evolve a more scientific and less cumbersome order of distribution.

Equally, we need to invest massively in the infrastructure development of the transportation sector. Investment in transportation infrastructure enhances private sector activities as it lowers operational cost; enhances productivity, job and wealth creation through exchange of goods and services. Infrastructure development in the sector is, therefore, critical to achieving human capital development and safety in the country.

One vital way through which this could be done is for us to de-emphasise road transportation and revitalize rail transport.

It is rather clumsy and amusing that in the 21st century Nigeria, a tanker has to travel from as far as Sokoto, Kano, and Maiduguri etc on road enroute Lagos, just to ferry 33,000 liters of fuel. If we had developed a viable rail

mode of transportation, most of the road carnages that result into monumental loss of lives and properties could have well been avoided.

The rail option is cheaper, effective and less cumbersome alternative through which millions of liters of fuel and, indeed, people, goods and products could be effectively and effortlessly transported across the country.

Hopefully, if an ongoing effort by the Buhari Administration to revamp rail transportation sees the light of the day, things would considerably improve.

While commemorating with those who lost loved ones and valuables in the ill-fated episode, kudos should be given to operatives of the Nigerian Police, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA; Lagos State Fire Service; the state’s Ambulance Service; Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the Federal Road Safety Commission among others who worked tirelessly and endlessly to coordinate rescue and emergency operation that mitigated the effects if the gory episode.

Finally, our compatriots need to be more passionate about preserving human lives, especially in times of grievous emergencies. It is absurd seeing that a few people were more interested in recording the scene of the gory Black Thursday event on their mobile phone rather than taking steps to assist in saving lives. This is wrong and inhuman.

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Investigation Continued from page 1 that goes with light manufacturing.

Umeh is in a hurry. He has an order from a palm oil trader in Lagos to produce 4,000 litres in 24 hours. Thirty percent of the payment has been made. It is a bit sudden for a small-scale palm oil miller like him, but this is the nature of the business.

Palm oil is priced in 25-litre gallons in Umuagwo and many communities in the country.

So, Umeh must produce 160 gallons to meet the demanded 4,000 litres.

Each 25-litre gallon costs N7,000 to N9,000 to secure. But Umeh and his new-found customer have settled on N7,000 for a 25-litre gallon.

If Umeh succeeds today, he will go home with N1.12 million.

So, this is a marathon. His palm fruits, also known as fresh fruit bunches (FFBs), are ready to go into the boiler now.

Umeh gets his oil palm fruits from his community, Umueru, one of the villages in Umuagwo.

He used to get them from a company known as Risonpalm Limited, but this company, now known as Siat, has been acquired by a big player, Presco, and no longer supplies FFBs to smallscale millers like Umeh.

His biggest challenge is that the supply of oil palm fruits is not regular. He goes to other villages and several plantation owners in search of his most important raw materials.

Umeh is lucky to have a semimechanised Mercedes milling machine, which he bought after selling his piece of inherited land. It cost him N2.5 million five years ago. It is not a typical motorised machine often procured by wealthier smallholder farmers and millers, but it has an interconnection of critical parts such as boiler, conveyor, presser and digester.

Cooking of oil palm fruits starts in the boiler. Ebuka, one of Umeh’s workers, turns the mash.

Five minutes after, the conveyor moves the fruits to the digester to release palm oil in the fruit. It does this by breaking down oil-bearing cells. Minutes after, the axle rotates and powers the blades in the digester.

Next is pressing. The presser applies mechanical pressure on the digested mash to squeeze oil out of a mixture of oil, moisture, fibre and nuts.

With the help of hydraulic press, the oil moves to a pelling or dump pit. This is the final process in Umeh’s mill, but it is certainly not the last in a fully-mechanised mill, where a pump would move the oil further into clarification tank.

In fact, in a fully-mechanised mill, there is always a room for the second pressing to recover residual oil for use as soap stock or by manufacturers. For Umeh, this means procuring another piece of equipment, which he

Dollar in the mills

… How small-scale millers make millions from palm oil

Two staff members turning the milling machine at Daddy Ik Palm Oil Mill

cannot afford at this point.

At 7pm, Umeh is only able to produce 2,880 litres. The staff members are tired because they are applying so much energy.

The generator powering the machine has been on since morning and is showing signs of breakdown. Umueru has not had power supply from its energy distribution company in the last 23 days and every small-scale miller is using one or two electricitygenerating sets. Umeh himself is tired and needs to stop at this point. He punches his calculator and discovers that over 115 gallons are down. That is N806,400 in the bank.

“If I had had a motorised milling machine, I would have fin-

Benson Umeh in his palm oil mill

ished this job before 2pm,” Umeh tells this writer, who has waited all day to learn how this business works.

“This mill looks small, but I can tell you that people from Kano, Abuja and Lagos place orders here,” he discloses.

Five minutes into the interview, the Lagos-based palm oil trader calls.

An agreement is reached that Umeh will continue the next day, but he must deliver the rest before 3pm. A truck will be available around 3.10pm to ferry the gallons to Lagos.

However, this comes with a cost. Umeh’s price is reduced to N6,850. The trader is ready to pull out for the breach of agree-

ment except N150 is deducted from each gallon. Umeh is a sad man, but he is still going to have N1.096 million in his account.

“So sad, but at least, I hope to get a profit of over N400,000,” Umeh says.

No businessman openly discloses his profits, but Umeh and I have established a bond.

“It is stressful and can be heart-breaking, but it is also a good business,” he explains.

“There is so much potential in small-scale milling, but the problem is that land and plantation owners are often different from millers. I look forward to acquiring some hectares of land to plant my own fruits,” he says.

Umeh explains that another

major reason he is not able to meet his target is that many plantation owners use species of oil palm seed known as ‘Dura’.

“This type does not produce much oil. The other species, called ‘Tenera’, produces much more oil, but it is not always easy to find,” he says.

“I can produce 75 litres in one press if I am using Dura, but this number rises to 125 to 150 litres if I am using Tenera,” he discloses.

“This is where the research institutes come in. The biggest challenge we have in the agriculture sector is the seed. Imagine what is lost every day on the back of poor seedlings,” he laments.

Umeh is particularly not a newbie in palm oil business. He won the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) award on palm oil milling in 2012, and has been visited by many organisations that wanted partnerships.

“Sometime in 2013, UNIDO and another organisation promised to invest over $50 million in palm oil milling in the country. I was selected as one of the beneficiaries, but one commissioner in Imo State bungled the whole thing, because he wanted 10 percent,” he tells me.

‘Ten percent’ in public or civil service in Nigeria is a synonym for bribe. Once you get a financial favour or contract from a government ministry, department or agency, public or civil servants would automatically demand 10 percent of the gross amount.

Raw material supplier In spite of that, Umeh believes

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Investigation

Palm oil traders at Anambra/Imo Produce Association in Ihiala

that there is so much money in the business.

“Once you produce oil, someone will buy. There is a market for it everywhere. In fact, there is money in the mills,” he says.

He is also a raw material supplier to many firms in Nigeria.

Firms producing margarine, ice cream, beverages, and detergents buy oil, which they use as a raw material, from him.

“There is a company called New Planet in Onitsha that buys oil from us. In fact, companies send individuals to come here and buy oil on their behalf. Some big companies buy palm oil from us and process it further to get olein, vegetable oil or palm kernel oil,” he adds.

Checks show that palm olein is mainly used for the manufacture of margarine, cosmetics, candles, personal care products and agrochemicals, among others. Also, palm kernel oil (PKO) is often low in fat and is applied on foods, confectioneries and bakery products.

Remi Emeh Enterprises It is Tuesday morning in Umuogbuanu, another community in Umuagwo, where Remi Emeh Enterprises is located.

This is where Remi Emeh makes his daily bread through palm oil milling.

Emeh’s business is registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission and he has over 10 workers. He pays taxes to the government and operates a business account in a commercial bank.

But unlike Umeh, his milling machine is small and crude.

“When people, banks and government look at my books, they wonder how a small-scale miller like me, who uses a crude milling machine, can be so good in keeping his books,” he tells me.

Emeh’s machine may look obsolete and crude, but it is a typical example of an old wine which tastes better with age.

The machine has the capacity to churn out 150 gallons (of 25 litres), if there is no breakdown.

However, one major finding is that the machine requires a lot more human energy to accomplish a task, meaning that much more people are often engaged during production.

The dollar connection Emeh explains that his small machine feeds a lot of manufacturers. According to him, manufacturers in Ibadan, Lagos, and Onitsha place orders from time to time.

“A company from Isele-Uku in Delta State has always been here to buy its raw material,” he says.

But this is not the whole story.

Two years ago, Emeh and many small-scale millers around made huge sums of money. The secret was an upsurge in demand for the product. There was a cutback on smuggling and importation of palm oil into Nigeria. The result was that demand overshot supply. Nigeria produces 900,000 to

1.3 million metric tonnes (MT) of palm oil, but national demand is above 2.1 million MT. This leaves a huge gap of 800,000 to 1.2 million MT. For smallholder palm oil farmers and millers who were in business two years ago, this was an opportunity.

“What we did was to produce much more and store in big warehouses. Before the scarcity of 2016, a 25-litre gallon of oil cost about N5,000 to N7,000. But when the scarcity started in the middle of the year, the price rose to N25,000. This was almost 500 percent increase.

“Manufacturers, households and even foreigners were all over the place looking for it. This was when dollar-to-naira exchange rate was almost $/N500. So, manufacturers were looking for local alternatives.

“One of us made N52 million within two months. In fact, some of us were paid in dollars. We had to open domiciliary accounts,”

Benson Umeh’s semi-mechanised palm oil milling machine

he discloses.

“This village smelt like palm oil. We engaged more youths to work in our mills, but some of them even left us and started theirs,” he adds.

Women are an integral part of the value chain, Emeh explains.

They are the ones buying the fresh fruit bunches, he says.

He regrets that the business was, at some point, hijacked by middlemen, who were then making more money than millers.

“The industry is not organised.

If it were, many of us would be far richer,” he quips.

He says that small-scale millers are the ones satisfying over 80 percent of the market today.

The Adapalm challenge Emeh and many small-scale millers would have been better off had they not suffered a setback in the hands of Adapalm, a palm plantation owned by the Imo State government.

Adapalm was managed by Imo State government prior to November 2011. But it was handed over to Roche Group through a public private partnership by Rochas Okorocha, Imo State governor.

Before the handover, smallscale millers had depended on Adapalm for the supply of their biggest raw materials – fresh fruit bunches. Adapalm itself had appointed some agents to act as buyers for small-scale millers. So, these millers would pay through the agents and get their oil palm bunches through them.

But when Adapalm was handed over to Roche Group, the new company claimed it was not aware that many small millers had paid money for the raw materials.

After interventions by leaders of communities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area and government officials, Roche Group promised to supply raw materials to those who paid earlier.

But the company made little progress in meeting the inherited obligations, leaving in 2016 without meeting many of them.

Adapalm was later handed over to Imo-VTU in 2017, but this new owner is not interested in any negotiation.

When I contacted Jude Oparah, operations manager, Imo-VTU Oil Palm, he said the deal was not between Imo-VTU and smallscale millers in the first place. This may imply that the company will no longer listen to these heavilyowed small-scale millers.

“I have over N2.5 million trapped there,” Emeh says.

“This shows you how much policy inconsistency can hurt businesses. Many people who were in palm oil business are no longer in it now because of this shock,” he says.

On leaving Emeh’s mill, a man walks close, clutching some papers. Emeh introduces him as Chukwu Egbuaba, who was one of the agents. Egbuaba has some invoices valued at over N25

million, given to him by many smallholder farmers and smallscale millers.

“This says a lot about how bad politics here can be,” Egbuaba, who owns CD Palm Oil Mills, tells me.

“This is a big problem for communities in Ohaji/Egbema. A lot of youths and millers lost interest in palm oil business after the new owner decided not to do anything about the humongous debts,” he adds.

Business suffering The business of palm oil is suffering. This is because smugglers are having a field day, bringing in Malaysian and Indonesian oil through Ghana.

International data show that palm oil worth 400,000 tonnes per annum are smuggled into the country annually.

Due to smuggling, Romanus Oguegbu, managing director of a palm oil mill in Uburu, another community in Imo State, is cutting down production. He owns a machanised mill and usually produces 400 gallons (of 25 litres) each week. But this has dropped by half. This also affects the number of workers he employs. The number of workers has fallen to eight, from over 15 during peak demand. The reason, according to him, is not basically because June is not a peak season.

“It is about low demand. People still buy from us, but I learnt that they bring Malaysian oil to Kano. Some people who used to come here now buy Malaysian oil,” he says.

The small players are not the only ones facing this challenge.

“This discourages further huge investment by investors like us and creates unhealthy competition in the market,” Felix Nwabuko, managing director of Presco, tells me.

Santosh Pillai, managing director, PZ Wilmar, another big palm oil producer, tells me that there are illegal and questionable imports into the country, which means that genuine investors do not have a level playing field.

“Visit any supermarket or traditional market in Nigeria and you see that plenty of imported vegetable oil, which is banned in the country, is easily available.

The current policies are only aiding cross-border trade and smuggling. The leading domestic refineries in Nigeria are facing a crisis and many in the country are not operational,” he says.

Palm oil is currently one of the commodities restricted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from accessing the foreign exchange market.

Buying smuggled poison?

The situation is a bit different at Anambra/Imo Produce Association in Ihiala, Anambra State.

There is palm oil here but no one is buying.

“You see that everywhere is empty because no customer

Continues on page 26

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Sunday 08 July 2018

of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) within the three-month period, with Indonesia accounting for 76 percent of the total import. For the avoidance of doubt, CPO is the red palm oil which is sold in the open market and used in daily meal.

Solidaridad Networt, an international organisation facilitating the development of sociallyresponsible, ecologically-sound and profitable supply, released its data last year showing that Nigeria imported 552,000 MT of CPO in 2016.

This has always been Nigeria’s story since crude oil boom of 1970s. With crude oil market at its peak in the 1970s, successive military governments abandoned palm oil mills and withdrew support for the industry.

Kilby’s research shows that the country had 67 oil palm mills in 1964 across the country, with fruit capacity estimate of 201,000 tonnes.

Old plantations race back to life However, things are gradually changing. Okitipupa Oil Palm Plc is now ready for business after five years of closure.

Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State governor, has handed the company over to the owner, Mobolaji Osomo, Nigeria’s former minister of housing and urban planning.

The firm has two mills – one at Okitipupa and the other at Ikpokemuyi in Ondo State. The former has 20 tonnes per hour capacity while the latter’s capacity is estimated at 22 tonnes per hour, senior officials of the firm tell me.

The mill is currently old and needs total overhauling. The board of the company sat two

weeks ago and is expecting an investor to take over the mills and resuscitate them.

Already, Victory Crystal Investment, a multinational oil company, is interested and wants to pump $13m to resuscitate the mills, BDSUNDAY gathered.

Okitipupa has plantations at Ikoya, Ilitutun, Igbotako, and Omotosho, all in Ondo State, and the plantations have been active even while the mills were abandoned.

Firms in the food and beverage sub-sector buy oil palm from the plantations, a senior official said.

“It needs total overhauling because the mill is old. It was established in 1984 and there are certain technologies that need to be brought in,” the official said.

BDSUNDAY also gathered that Araromi-Ayesan Oil Palm, which was a shadow of itself early last year, is now on. It has 10,468 hectares of plantations and already has a board chaired

by Femi Okunniyi.

The old players – Presco, Okomu and PZ – are expanding investments too.

Rising production Around 2013, Nigeria’s output stagnated at 900,000 to 950,000 MT, but in the last five years, output has raced to 1.3 million MT, experts tell me.

With national demand standing at 2.1 million MT, it is only investment and consistent policy that can see the country plug 800,000MT gap in the industry, experts say.

Henry Olatujoye, national president, National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NIPPAN), tells me there has been increase in palm oil production in Nasarawa, Adamawa, Cross River, Ondo, Edo and many states, and many large firms are organising farmers into clusters and providing them with highyield seeds.

What Nigeria needs to do Experts say because of the huge demand-supply gap, the country must provide incentives to investors to plant more trees.

Olatujoye of NIPPAN says that Nigeria needs to plant 2 million more hectares.

“Large and established firms are only cultivating 400,000 hectares, which are insufficient. Smallholder farmers are doing above 900,000. However, established enterprises need to cultivate up to 2 million hectares to plug the gap,” he says.

This may require over N700 billion investment.

Experts add that there is a need to train smallholders constantly on modern agronomic practices and spacing, while designing a specialised funding scheme for them.

Investigation Dollar in the mills...

Continued from page 25 is here. People used to come from Kano and Lagos to buy, but where are they now?” Lazarus Ifeanyi, a palm oil trader, asks, rhetorically.

“They buy oil smuggled into the country. But the truth is that they are buying poison, because chemicals are added in the preservation and storage of such oil, but ours is natural. More so, palm oil is native to Nigeria,” he says.

Rose Ikechi, a woman who owns a small-scale mill, says that she has tasted palm oil sold in Lagos and notices a clear difference with hers.

“Something has to be done about this,” she admonishes.

A visit to Uli Palm Produce Beach says a lot about the state of palm oil business in the country. No one is there and no transaction takes place. But this place used to be a beehive of activities.

Similar tale in Akwa Ibom It is even worse in Okim-Ejijor village, Ikom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Gift Uduakabasi plants cocoa and palm on the same piece of land. But she now wants someone to buy each of her palm trees for N20,000.

She believes that her money is stuck in those palm trees.

‘CBN not interested in funding us’ Many millers claim that the CBN and commercial banks have no plans to fund them.

“A bank here tells us to borrow and repay every week,” Ahamefula Onyekachi, a smallscale miller, says.

Small-scale millers say they can refund loans in two years as long as it is single-digit.

But the case of smallholder plantation farmers is different.

This set of farmers is not satisfied with CBN’s funding approach.

The CBN runs a programme known as Anchor Borrowers Scheme, which is targeted at funding over 12 crops, one of which is oil palm. The CBN held several meetings with them in the past, but there is a disagreement over tenor of funding.

CBN wants them to take its loans and return it in five years, but players want more time as it naturally takes 10 to 13 years to even make a profit.

Nothing is lost in oil palm Experts say oil palm is so significant that nothing is lost in it.

Apart from palm oil, it can serve as biofuel, which is economical, says Malaysian Palm Oil Board.

Some other by-products of oil palm include fertilizers, animal feed and phenolic antioxidants.

From palm pressed fibres (PPF), it is possible to get deoiled fibres, fuel, phenolics, and pharmaceuticals. In fact, almost all food and beverage manufac-

Remi Emeh in his palm oil mill

turing firms need palm oil as raw material.

Where is Nigeria?

Nigeria’s palm oil story is that of pratfall, similar to falling from grace to grass. By early 1960s, Nigeria had been producing 45 percent of global palm oil output, but today, the country only scratches 1.7 percent.

According to Peter Kilby, a United Kingdom-based researcher, who is now 82, Nigeria earned £40 million in foreign exchange from export of palm oil

and palm kernels in 1965.

But today, the country is fifth on the ladder, producing between 930,000 metric tons (MT) of palm oil and 1.3 million (MT) annually, behind Indonesia’s 36 million MT output; Malaysia’s 21 million MT; Thailand’s 2.2 million MT, and Colombia’s 1.3 million MT. Recent data make matters worse. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in the second quarter of 2017 that Nigeria imported N7 billion worth

Romanus Oguegbu sitting on his palm oil mill’s pavement

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Sunday 08 July 2017

AssemblyWatch From the Red Chamber With

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE

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roponents of state police heaved a sigh of relief last week when the Senate resolved to amend the 1999 Constitution to accommodate the creation of state and community police.

Consequently, it directed the Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, to come up with a draft amendment to the section of the constitution relating to state police and report back within two weeks.

The development came at a time the global human rights group Amnesty International said it had independently verified that since January 2018, no fewer than 1,813 people were murdered in 17 states in Nigeria.

To become law, the proposed legislation must be passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, approved by at least

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State police and Buhari’s opposition 24 states of the Federation and assented to by the President.

Interestingly, some opponents of state police like former Kebbi State Governor and senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero, had a change of heart following the killing of his Senior Legislative Assistant in the recent Jos crisis.

In July last year, Aliero was among the leading voices in the Senate that vehemently kicked against the bill that sought to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow for the devolution of powers from the Federal Government to the states.

It therefore implies that if he had not been personally affected by the escalating killings and insecurity across Nigeria, he wouldn’t have supported the creation of state police.

I have come to realise that most times, political office holders turn a deaf ear to agitations of their people until their family members, aides or close associates become victims of such clamours.

For instance, in 2017, following the temporary closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for the repair of its runway, the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris, ordered the deployment of 300 policemen, three helicopters along the Abuja-Kaduna highway to stem the tide of highway robbers and

kidnappers because VIPs would ply the road.

The same scenario played out at the just concluded All Progressives Congress National Convention where over 5,000 policemen and two helicopters were deployed to provide security for the governing party at a time the nation was confronted with serious security challenges.

The import of Senate resolution is that when amended, policing which is one of the 68 items on the Exclusive Legislative List in the constitution will be moved to the Concurrent List to enable both the National Assembly and state assemblies to legislate on it.

Rather than treat the issue of state police in isolation, I believe lawmakers should also use the opportunity of the amendment to take a holistic look at the country’s ‘feeding bottle’ federalism by reviewing the Exclusive Legislative List with a view to whittling down the powers of the Federal Government. Many of the items in the Exclusive List like mines and minerals and stamp duties are better handled by the federating units rather than the central government. While Nigerian states have a long list of obligations and expectations from citizens, unfortunately they possess a short list of exercisable powers and available tools to meet these

obligations.

I strongly believe the amendment will enable states to be financially stable to pay backlog of salaries owed their workers and allay the fears of opponents that states do not have the capacity to pay police officers when they are eventually engaged at the state levels.

However, a major hurdle for pro-State police lawmakers is President Muhammadu Buhari who has never hidden his disdain for agitators of state police in particular and restructuring in general.

Speaking while receiving some traditional rulers and members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from Urhobo land (Delta State) at the Presidential Villa recently, the President had observed that those clamouring for the restructuring of the country do so for selfish motives.

He has also thrown the report of the 2014 National Conference, which among other recommendations, called for the creation of state police, into the ‘archives’.

Meanwhile, it is no longer news that pro-Saraki senators are on the verge of dumping the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) for PDP. Some members of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction in the APC, said to be

Thumbs up for Reps

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he recent resolution passed by the House of Representatives to halt the sharing of the $322 billion proceeds of late General Sani Abacha’s loot, has continued to receive commendation from professional bodies in the Built Environment and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who also called on Federal Government to use its share of the fund for housing development, which has the potential of providing thousands of jobs and create value from such investment. I actually align with the concerns raised by the members of the House, who observed that it will be frivolous for President Muhammadu Buhari administration to embark on disbursement or sharing of whopping sum of N101.26 billion to 302,000 poor households in 19 states without database. The issue at hand actually further buttresses the need for social security scheme that will give room for over 200 million citizens to ensure effective distribution of resources.

While venting opposition against the sharing of the Abacha loot among the

27

‘poor’ which I consider as ‘faceless’, Timothy Adewale, Deputy Director of SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), in a statement, argued that the move was “mis-targeted and will not bring any tangible benefits to the beneficiaries.” Rather, he urged Federal Government to “create a central recovery account/ trust funds, with oversight mechanisms to ensure repatriated funds are transparently and accountably spent to invest in tangible projects that would improve access of those living in poverty to essential public services such as water, education and health.”

The l a wm a kers arg u ed that move by Buhari to share the recovered loot was in breach of section 12(1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) which provides that the treaties and agreements reaches by Federal Government must be ratified by the National Assembly.

The counsel by various stakeholders was in order and should be adhered to by Mr. President knowing full well that there is need for appropriation of the funds

accruing to the country as provided for by the 1999 Constitution. I strongly believe that Mr. President can take advantage of the window provided by section Chapter V, section 83(1 & 2) of the constitution which provides that: “The National Assembly may by law make provisions for the establishment of a Contingencies Fund for the Federation and for authorising the President, if satisfied that there has arisen an urgent and unforeseen need for expenditure for which no other provision exists, to make advances from the Fund to meet the need.

(2) Where any advance is made in accordance with the provisions of this section, a Supplementary Estimate shall be presented and a Supplementary Appropriation Bill shall be introduced as soon as possible for the purpose of replacing the amount so advanced.”

For me, there’s nothing to hurry about in expending the fund either by Federal or State Governments! As we speak, some states are yet to be captured in the social investment scheme of the present administration.

Rather than use the fund as bait to attract votes for the forthcoming elections, the funds should be spent judiciously to build infrastructure that will impact on the economy, than give to the 302,000 poor out of over 200 million Nigerians.

Meanwhile, on resumption from the three weeks recess, the Lower Chamber passed some resolutions.

Specifically at the Thursday plenary, the House mandated the joint Committees on Public Accounts and Finance to investigate the $2 billion allegedly spent by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) annually without commensurate results and report back within two weeks for further legislative actions.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Iboro Ekanem (PDP-Akwa Ibom) on the “need to account for funds spent on Information and Communication Technology by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

On the same day, the House also urged Shell Pe-

Saraki’s loyalists last week announced the formation of a new faction, Reformed All Progressives Congress (RAPC).

Coincidentally, while the group was addressing a press conference in Abuja, announcing their pulling out from the party, the new APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, was meeting with APC Senate Caucus, urging them not to dump the party.

But in a classical case of one man’s poison is another man’s meat, some PDP senators who have fallen out with their governors, may have technically dumped the PDP for APC. One of them is the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sonni Ogbuoji (PDP, Ebonyi State) who showed up at the meeting between the Oshiomhole-led APC National Working Committee and the APC Senate Caucus.

When it was time for introduction by senators and Ogbuoji described himself as a ‘new catch’, it led to murmurings by most senators, especially those who have made up their mind to exit the party. To complicate issues for him, the immediate past Edo State Governor did not make any reference to Ogbuoji’s statement, insisting that his leadership was more interested about quality and not quantity.

From the Green House With

KEHINDE AKINTOLA troleum Development Company (SPDC) to relocate its western operational headq u a r t e r s t o Wa r r i , D e l t a state without further delay.

The resolution was passed following the adoption of a motion sponsored

by Lovette Idisi (PDP-Delta) who argued that peace has returned to Warri and the entire Niger Delta region.

In his lead debate, Idisi said that Warri is affected by the unpleasant decision by Shell to temporarily relocate its western headquarters from Warri in 2013 on the excuse of a hostile business environment.

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TheWorshippers ‘Majority of our prayer centres are far from the true God’ Pastor Isaiah Olaoluwatoyin Alade is the District Superintendent of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Prayer Mountain of Mercy, (Ori-Oke Aanu), Igbo-Oloyin, Ojoo Ibadan. In this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, the Ibadan-based cleric advises Nigerians on the need to give love a chance, as he calls for prayers for the forthcoming elections in Ekiti and Osun states. Excerpts: Prayer Mountain of Mercy has been established for over three decades. How has the journey been so far? must let you know that I was not the one that started this prayer mountain but my dad. I can remember he left us at home around 1980s to come and be living on this prayer mountain. It wasn’t so easy.

I remember when we were growing up, so many people that were mentally disturbed came here. Dad believed so much in praying for the sick but when we had a challenge, precisely in 2006, since that time, some people instructed us that if anybody wants to do that, such person should go and collect the license.

I personally don’t have interest in that. I have interest in breakthrough, I have interest in giving hope to the people; I have interest in teaching them the principles of God. There are uncountable miracles that have taken place on this mountain that I cannot remember again. Is it those that have leprosy that have been healed? Or is it those that have stroke that have been healed? A lot. It is the mercy of God that has been working here. A lot of politicians have visited this place and God has given them the office that they desire to the glory of God. Why is it that our religiosity as a nation has not produced the needed fruits of nation building?

My people perish because they lack knowledge. These days, nobody really wants to serve anyone but everybody wants to get there in one day. So many people that we call leaders, especially the spiritual leaders are causing confusion. I read a story in one of the dailies early this year that a particular man of God took some of his church members; mostly ladies to the waterside in Lagos that he wants to go and anoint them naked, so that they can have their own husbands. People don’t really have the understanding of God. We can have churches, mosques, spiritual places but majority of them don’t know God. What you don’t have you can’t give. So, until the leaders have the knowledge of God, until the leaders teach the people the knowledge of God not the knowledge of themselves.

He said by his stripes they are healed. So, why we have problems in this generation is because people prefer deceit. They want

I

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he Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), an umbrella body for Catholic Bishops in Nigeria has again urged President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency save Nigeria from further pain and avoidable chaos, anarchy and doom, reiterating its earlier call on the president that, “If the president cannot keep our country safe, then he automatically loses the trust of the citizens. He should no longer continue to preside over the killing field and mass graveyard that our country has become.”

The CBCN in a statement jointly signed

by Augustine Akubeze, President, CBCN and Camillus Umoh, Secretary, CBCN, and made available to BDSUNDAY said it vehemently condemns any shedding of human blood and asked the police to speedily arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes across the country.

Pastor Isaiah Olaoluwatoyin

quick method. God is not a magician. God is a miracle worker and before you can receive from him, you have to follow his principles.

The Bible says “the Father loved the son and he gave everything to his son”. Jesus is the son.

I don’t practise religion. I practise the life of Christ. I don’t discriminate on the mountain I pastor. Though, am under CAC, I am ordained in CAC and I work according to the principles of CAC but at the same time, I work according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. So, Jesus is the first one in my life, he showed the Holy Spirit to me and I accepted the Holy Spirit and I operate in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will tell me this person has problems, this is how he is going to do to come out of it. The reason we are often having problems in this nation is that majority are not showing them God. They show them gold, they show them themselves.

They tell them I cursed so so person and he

ran mad. They threaten them and that is why people are not getting their solutions from God. They are getting their solutions from fallen angels and that is why there will be persistent confusion unless we all go back to the genuine God through Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

What other approach can be adopted to tackle the insecurity in some parts of the country?

To the best of my knowledge, my advice to the Federal Government and to other Nigerians is that they should start declaring love to others. On the issue of amnesty to the Boko Haram, the Fulani herdsmen - is a sign of love. Let us show love to those people that do not love themselves. Some people don’t mind killing themselves but when you show them love, and making them know about Christ, it is only Christ that can remove crises. Don’t

let us preach religion. Let us preach the one that displays love. The Federal Government should show love to Nigerians by sacrificing what they have been endowed with by giving to the people that are poor. They should not concentrate only on the urban areas but the rural areas. They should go to the deep North.

There are some places in the Eastern part of Nigeria that do have water, light and other social amenities. They should stop talking corruption. Let them do things that will make this nation come out of all these problems. Let the government start by investing in the life of the hopeless.

What is your stand on this administration’s anti-corruption crusade?

Sincerely, to my own level of understanding, I will not say anything about it. But, if all the looted money seized from the former Head of State, General Sanni Abacha is well invested in this nation, the whole thing would have turned around for the better. One person has the money that can finance the whole nation, what are we talking about? I am not really keen about that because things are not getting better. So, as a result, corruption will continue to increase at a higher rate but if we make it available for everyone,nobodywillgetcorrupt.WhatIwant to say is that they should work on the people by making their life better.

Finally, as we approach the 2019 general election; what is your advice to politicians and the voting public?

I want to advise Nigerians to get set; they should go and collect their PVCs. They should avoid voting for any sugar coated mouth politicians. They should vote for people based on what you have seen them do. Vote for people by what God is telling you and what you have known about them. The only person I want in the position is the person God wants there. I want to specifically advise the people of southwest geopolitical zone, the Yoruba people of the zone to go and get their PVCs and get ready for next year’s election. They should seek the face of God in choosing their political leaders in 2019. I also want to implore the people of Ekiti and Osun States to pray fervently for the peaceful conduct of the governorship elections in those states. They should pray to avert bloodbath and violence during the polls.

Catholic Bishops urges president Buhari to save Nigeria from doom SEYI JOHN SALAU “We, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria are devastated by these acts of insensitivity and disrespect for dignity of human life. We are equally sad that the Federal Government continues to find it difficult to proactively address the issue of these wanton killings.

We have said it before and it bears repeating that it can no longer be regarded as were coincidence that the suspected perpetrators of these heinous crimes are of the same religion as all those who control the security apparatus of our country, including the president himself. Words are no longer enough for the president and his service chiefs to convince

the rest of the citizens that these killings are not part of a larger religious project,” part of the statement said.

The CBCN who made a similar statement two months ago after the gruesome murder of two of its priests along with 17 other parishioners in Benue State on 24 April, therefore expresses its grave concerns about the spate of violence in Nigeria and the inability of the Federal Government to deal with the situation.

“The latest horrendous massacre of scores of innocent Nigerians, especially children and women, including pregnant women, in Plateau State, by the same rampaging and murderous terrorists who now seem to be operating without any hindrance in the Middle Belt and other parts of Nigeria shows that our last statement, like all others before, has been

completely ignored by those, whose primary responsibility it is to protect the lives and property of Nigerians.

“Again, the country is likely to witness another mass burial of innocent Nigerians as a result of the serial murderous activities of a group who clearly seem to be above the law in our country and who, by their actions and words, have insisted that human lives are worth less than the lives of cattle. This shameful inversion of values portrays our country as barbaric and our society as brutish,” said the CBCN. The statement also pointed out what it called the double standard approach to tackling the insecurity in the country by the police whenever herders are attacked in parts of the country.

Sunday 08 July 2018

BDSUNDAY 29

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Inspirations Cultural Christianity (1)

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PASTOR I.S JAMES TEXT: LUKE 15

his message is more of an instructional than a teaching. Today, I will probably be saying some things that I would rather not say and you might find offensive and I would like to apologise upfront for this.

Some of the behavioural patterns I have seen exhibited by people under my care as a pastor have been rather troubling & I would like to address some of them in this message in instructing us to help us measure up and conform to the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ.

John 8:20-24 Here Jesus is having a discourse in the synagogue (today, we’d refer to this as being in Church). We can also conclude that He was speaking to Godly people in the synagogue.

Let’s list some of the main points of this passage of Scripture that we’ve read: 1. Jesus in this passage was telling the unbelieving Jews listening to Him that they’d die in their sins except they believe that he was the Messiah.

2. He also made clear that He is from above, while the listening audience is from beneath/below.

3. That they’re from this world while He wasn’t from this world.

(John 17:14) “I have given them Your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the

world, just as I am not of the world” In this passage, Jesus is praying for His disciples. Here we see that a disciple is someone who’s received God’s word into his life. They are believers.

He then points out that the world will hate you (because you’re not part of them) if you’re a believer. If you’re not hated by the world, then it’s probably because you’re no different from them yet.

The disciples (just like the Jews) were part of the world before, but when Jesus came and brought them the word, they stayed with Him & believed in His divinity. They thus became called out of the world.

So, generally speaking believers in Christ who have received His word & believed in His substitutionary death for their sins, burial & resurrection, have been called out of the world (separated from its lifestyle & mannerisms) and don’t belong to it anymore. It means they live in the world, but they aren’t of & don’t belong to the world anymore.

So, where then do we belong if we aren’t of the world anymore?

(Phil. 3:20) “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 2:19b) “… but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” Our citizenship is of heaven, and we are of the Household of God – God’s family. We don’t belong to this world anymore, when Christ called us, our citizenship was transferred from the world to heaven. You are now a member of God’s family.

However, you can’t belong to two families at the same time. You can’t claim to be a part of God’s family while still behaving like you belong to the world.

(Psalm 68:6a) “God sets the solitary in families…”

If you don’t accept this call of God to join His family means you’re still in the world. There

are also some people who’ve apparently answered this call of God, but their lifestyles are no different from that of the world as they still THINK and ACT like they belong to the world and not heaven.

What is Cultural Christianity? It’s a brand of Christianity practiced by those who claim to be in Christ, but they think, act & have a mindset like the people of the world.

Everything they feel, see & understand is interpreted in the light of their traditional upbringing. These are Christians who have left the world, but their minds are still imprisoned by the world. They are saved, but they still are not saved.

They are supposed Christians who have come out of the world, but they are controlled by the mindset that’s from the world and not

by God’s word. As mentioned earlier, this is as a result of their upbringing - education, culture, tradition, etc.

Man is a spirit, who has a soul & dwells in a body. The spirit is that part that resembles God; it’s that creative spark from God that brought man to life. The soul is another spiritual aspect of man; it’s the seat of your mind (conscious and subconscious), emotions and will.

A quick flashback to one of our previous topics Paradigm Shift will remind you that the mind is split into the conscious & subconscious parts. The conscious part of our minds is the one we have control over and with which we think & reason. It’s the part of the mind that can be educated & empowered intellectually.

Everything that you store in the conscious part of your mind eventually seeps into your subconscious and most involuntary actions we make issue from the subconscious part of our minds.

You can consciously reprogram your mind to receive or reject the information you obtain; you make judgments in the conscious part

of your mind. However, once information is stored in (the conscious part of) the mind, it tends to seep into the subconscious.

How Do You Feed The Subconscious?

1. By becoming aware of it with your conscious mind 2. By staying long enough with that thought, idea or practice (continuous meditation & repetition) 3. By involving your emotions (either positive or negative) You (as an individual) are the sum total of your subconscious. Your subconscious is shaped by what you have been exposed to, from what you’ve carried over from the world, been taught by your parents, learnt by watching others, the media and cultural influences.

The combination of all these factors & influences is what has shaped your subconscious and personality; they’ve made us what we are today. This as you can see is a result of a lot of influences over a long period of time, so it definitely can’t be changed instantaneously.

How do you change the wrong notions that are in your subconscious?

1. Make a conscious effort to learn & focus on the right thing.

2. Practice the new things you’ve learnt to be right repetitively.

3. Love the new notion/action.

Following these steps will see you superimposing a new way of thinking on the wrong notions in your subconscious and this will lead to your acting out the new, right way of life subconsciously.

Dr. Iruofagha James is the Founding Pastor, Glory Christian Ministries, Odo-Olowo Street, Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, Ijeshatedo, Lagos. www.isjames.org Tel: 08060599144

Guguru and Epa

REV. YOMI KASALI

@rev.yomikasali

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everal years ago, while growing up in the middle-class community of Surulere in Lagos, my brother and I used to snack on locally made popcorns with groundnuts (Guguru and Epa) regularly. The ladies that sold them to us were from the northern stock; very enterprising and quite

industrious. The snack then was derided by our father because he felt it was meant for the less privileged and also may not be hygienic for us, but we enjoyed the snack so much that we defied him.

One thing we knew though was that Guguru and Epa was at best snacks for young growing boys in their late teens. We were still going to eat our meals (Lunch and dinner) as always with or without the snacks; the meals were usually heavier and larger on the plates than the snacks. I learnt early enough that snacks could never take the place of a real meal, and that has helped me in choosing delicacies for my meals.

Many Christians are snacking on the gospel and taking that for meals. There are many Guguru and Epa sermons that believers have mistaken for the real meal. Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Preachers that do not spend time with the word have served their members Guguru and Epa as meal for the day, hence

we have people feeding on snacks weekly without tasting the real meals ever.

The multiple service mentality is a good

place to look and observe the kind of meals being served weekly ‘in a hurry’ Sunday service, it looks more to me as Guguru and Epa (gospel snacks) not full lunch that should have several nutrients. We have become lazy cooks as preachers hence serve 25 minutes sermons on Sundays to undiscerning members of our flock. The outcome is that they aren’t strong enough for life challenges and so marriages are failing, morals are declining, ills are on the rise, crime on all-time high, fear has gripped the hearts of men, man is being worshipped and so on.

Be inspired this morning to know that Guguru and Epa are at best snacks and not the real meals. Get the real meal by studying scriptures, buying CDs and DVDs of messages, supporting the spread of gospel, attend Word conferences, read Christian literatures, etc. May God continue to bless and keep you as you do so.

Blessings and Be Inspired.

Rev. Yomi Kasali is Senior Pastor, Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA), Surulere, Lagos

30 Inside Lagos

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Sunday 08 July 2018

How Lagos CDAs attracted N500m to deliver self-help projects Stories by JOSHUA BASSEY

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lusola Esan, chairman, Ipaja Community Development Association (CDA) and members of his association, were in a joyous mood, on Thursday, July 5, 2018.

Their disposition was, however, not unexpected.

For years, they had struggled to complete a self-help community electrification project, and came to a point where the project was being abandoned, as contributions from members towards the project ebbed significantly.

Clad in colourful uniform, they had come to the Blue Roof building of the Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja, to receive a grant from the Lagos State government that would enable them complete the electrification project.

The venue was filled to capacity, as thousands, drawn from various Community Development Committees (CDCs), and Community Development Associations (CDAs) across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas, gathered, expecting to be rewarded, in recognition of their efforts in furtherance of development at the grassroots.

An elated Esan told BDSUNDAY that the Ipaja CDA decided to undertake the project, as a way of driving development into

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (l), presenting a cheque to Kuponu Ebenezer, chairman, Sowhekoji CDA, Badagry, while Lagos APC chairman, Tunde Balogun (m) watches.

their community, but had the challenge of funding midway into the project, before the state government’s intervention.

“Our members are very happy and encouraged by the grant extended by the state government. It will go a long way in achieving our goal of completing the electrification project we’re embarking upon. We’re assuring the government that we will use this money judiciously,” Esan, whose CDA received a cheque of N1.5 million, said.

Seyido Hundeyin, chairman, Sowhekoji CDA, Badagry, was also seen in ecstatic mood.

Hundeyin led several of his CDA

members to receive a cheque of N9 million. The intervention was also in recognition of self-help bridge project being executed by the Sowhekoji CDA. According to chairman, CDA members have been contributing towards the construction of bridge that would link them with five other neighbouring villages.

Hundeyin said they decided to embark on the project with an initial estimated of N10 million, in order to link their community with five other villages, as well as to shorten the distance their children have to trek to school.

“Because of the importance of this bridge, we have been

Adebule seeks end to ‘wicked’ cultural practices against widows

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agos State is stepping up measures to end deprivation, social and economic neglect experienced by vulnerable widows and their children in the state.

Idiat Adebule, the deputy governor stated this at an empowerment seminar for widows, on Friday, just as she called on the society to shun old cultural ‘wicked’ practices that dehumanise widows and deny them of their rights and inheritance.

Adebule, represented by Yetunde Odejayi, a permanent secretary, expressed concern over the plight of widows and the economic hardships they faced.

She said: “Bereavement is always a period of grief, sorrow, psychological trauma and sometimes despair. How relatives and the society in general react to it, especially in relation to widows and orphans, calls for concerns from all.

“The Lagos state government is committed to explore ways to minimise the hard-

ships of widows and orphans in the state. We will continue to protect you and put in place policies and programmes that will benefit you.”

She urged Nigerians to do away with all forms of practices detrimental to widows and orphans.

Speaking also, Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly committee on the judiciary, human rights and public petitions, challenged the widows to utilise free legal services provided by the state government to protect their rights and get justice.

“In Lagos state we have the office of the public defender, we also have the citizens mediation gate to help the less privileged such as widows and orphans in our society get speedy legal mediation,” she said.

Tejuosho also called on husbands to write and update their will periodically since no one knew when he would die.

“The society should welcome and embrace widows, while the government should

start educating men to write their will for their families.

This is imperative to forestall avoidable hardships for the family left behind in the event of death,” she said.

Omolola Salako, a consultant, radiation oncologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) educated widows on the need to embrace healthy lifestyle.

Lola Akande, commissioner, Lagos State commissioner for women affairs and poverty alleviation, also encouraged the widows to avail themselves of the various opportunities and empowerment programmes provided by the government.

“There are 17 vocational training centers in the state, where you can learn how to start up small businesses such as poultry, fish farming, making of earrings and necklaces, baking, hairdressing and tailoring and many others.

“The training is free of charge. Avail yourselves the opportunities to be self-dependent and self-reliant,” Akande said.

taxing ourselves. So far, we have contributed N6 million, and today, we have received N9 million from the government. We would deploy the money to make sure that the project is completed.

“With the bridge, the social and economic life of our community would be enhanced.

Currently our children find it difficult to reach their school because of the absence of the bridge. By the time we complete the project, they will be able to connect their school directly, and we the community people will easily link five other surrounding villages.

“We thank the government

and appeal to them to do more to drive development to the grassroots,” said Hundeyin.

The state governor, the state governor, who presented the grants to the CDAs said the self-help projects, ranging from community halls, street light, transformers, police post, drainage and health centres by these communities would complement the efforts of the state and local government to engender growth and development.

According to Ambode, the grants represent a commitment to support CDAs in the initiation and implementation of community-based projects, adding that apart from being in line with his administration’s policy of inclusive governance, the approach would guarantee ownership of such projects by the communities.

“Self-help projects have contributed to making our communities more liveable for the residents. I must commend them for the various projects they have initiated and funded from their voluntary levies and donations by members.”

Ambode explained that the decision to assist the CDAs was based on the reports gathered from the monitoring of the communities, which indicated that some of the projects were on the verge of being abandoned due to paucity of funds, noting that the intervention was therefore compelling.

“Today’s occasion is historic.

Let me emphasise that this will

be a continuous exercise. Other deserving CDAs will also be considered in the next phase of this presentation,” Ambode said, adding that the CDAs and CDCs were partners in governance and would always be supported.

“I congratulate the leadership and members of the CDAs that are benefitting from this support initiative. It is my expectation that all the self-help projects covered by this grant will be completed as soon as possible for the usage and benefit of residents,” he said.

He charged residents in the various communities to take ownership of the projects and protect them against vandalism and acts that could result in the reduction of the lifespan of the facilities.

Tunde Balogun, chairman, Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), described the intervention as unprecedented and urged the communities to make judicious use of the grants.

“What is happening now is awesome and unprecedented because this is the first time we’re seeing this level of intervention in the state. Please take ownership of the projects and ensure durability in your locality.”

Muslim Folami, commissioner for local government and community affairs, said there has been increase in the number of registered CDAs in the state from 2,012 in 2015 to 3,935 in the last three years.

Police to crackdown on cult groups

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his may not be the best of times for cult groups in Lagos, as the state police command has vowed to crackdown on any illegal gathering of cultists in any part of the state.

The warning was contained in a statement issued by Chike Oti, spokesperson of the Lagos police command, in which he quoted Imohimi Edgal, Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of Lagos, as warning unlawful secret societies like Aiye, Eiye, Black Axe, Buccaneers, etc planning to converge in several undisclosed locations within Lagos to “shelve their plan or risk arrest and the full weight of the law.”

The CP in a statement said the command received credible intelligence that some mem-

bers of cult groups were going about town serving notices to rival cult gangs on their planned meeting.

Edgal, warned that any such gathering by members of the unlawful society would be viewed as an unlawful assembly with the intent to commit felony, adding that those who go ahead would be visited with the wrath of the law.

“The authorities of the Lagos police command have received credible intelligence that members of some unlawful societies such as the Aiye, Eiye, Black Axe, Buccaneers, etc, are going round town serving notices to rival cult gangs in the neighbourhood that they would be converging on Saturday, July 7, 2018 at yet to be disclosed locations within their domains.

“According to available information, the 7th day of the 7th month is sacred to these outlaws. It is also a day they settle scores with rival cult groups and a day of outright brigandage and anomie,” the CP said.

He warned that no cult group would be allowed to compromise the peace daily nurtured by men and women of goodwill in the state and maintained by the police.

The police therefore urged members of the public not to hesitate to blow the whistle on these brigands anywhere they are found.

The police boss urged parents to warn their children who are members of the nefarious associations not only to renounce cultism, but denounce it in all its ramifications.

2,500 private schools undertake unified examination

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bout 2,500 private schools in Lagos State are participating in the newly introduced unified examination by the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS).

Wasiu Adumadeyin, the president of Lagos chapter of NAPPS, said the exami-

nation was to ensure maintenance of high standard of education by such schools.

According to him, the examination questions were set by professionals in different subjects, in line with the curriculum of the schools.

“The Federal Ministry of Education syllabus and

the Lagos State Ministry of Education scheme of work were also used to set the questions. The unified examination was introduced to ensure that teachers complete the syllabus as the content of the examination questions is not disclosed,” he said.

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SundayBusiness StarTimes and new strategies to stay tops Jude Okon

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s Africa’s digital TV industry blossoms and the pay-TV industry becomes increasingly competitive, StarTimes Group has adopted a variation-and-balance strategy to meet the increased subscriber needs while positioning the brand as a leader in the African market.

It has managed to achieve this through different strategies which include the following: New device introductions – Real Digital TV sets In November 2016, the firm unveiled its ground-breaking product – the real Digital TV, this being a new business unit that marked the entry of the StarTimes digital television sets in the African market.

The development complemented the pay television offering the brand has operated in the past years which saw the introduction of the StarTimes 24, 32, 40, 42, 43 and of late 55 inch television sets.

“Our commitment to research and development is unwavering, we continue to explore ways and means to not only introduce the latest technology in the market but also provide affordable solutions key in ensuring majority of households have access, can afford and enjoy StarTimes digital television,” notes Hans Han, Group Marketing Director of company.

One of the key features that stand out for the StarTimes Digital TV sets is the ability to receive both satellite and terrestrial television signals without connecting an external set top box. The new television product has proven to be very popular in the market in as it is also designed to decode digital signals by itself while utilising a single remote control to manage both the content and the television set thereby saving customers valuable resources which would have otherwise been utilized to acquire a separate set top box.

StarTimes Digital TV adopts intelligent operating system, which supports remote system maintenance and upgrade. The intelligent operation system will ensure that the digital TV can always run in optimum state and upgrade the latest services of StarTimes.

Comparing with traditional CRT TV sets, StarTimes Digital TV is designed to save up to 50percent power, allowing subscribers to enjoy better viewing experience with less living costs. It also comes with full High Definition LED screen, Dolby audio system, wide voltage input, HDMI and USB ports that extend an array of options to the user.

Spearheading affordability in the Pay-TV industry As leading Pay-TV operator in Africa, the vision of StarTimes is to make digital-TV products and service affordable for every African family. StarTimes’ content is comprehensive in an effort to meet the diverse television viewing preferences across the African markets.

With over 480 channels in various

genres including News, Sports, Music, Entertainment, Documentaries, TV series, Movies, Religion, Fashion, Children’s programming as well as the local channels.

For over 20 years, digital television in Africa was out of reach for the majority of African households however, the entry of StarTimes in 2008 changed this situation by introducing affordable cost of entry including the cost of acquiring set top boxes as well as subscription fees as low as $ 2.

This has facilitated more and more households to not only access information but also entertainment key in bridging the digital divide that has been in existence. StarTimes Digital TV continues to enable more and more households have access to the digital TV network on terrestrial and satellite services.

Changing people’s perception of digital migration StarTimes continues to enhance digitization and development of the digital TV industry in Africa. With a majority of African countries having already transitioned from analogue to digital broadcasting, StarTimes is now the key partner in Africa in her effort to progressively migrate from analogue to digital.

The introduction of digital television sets, StarTimes light set top boxes and Combo set top boxes are some of the efforts geared towards ensuring households have access to the latest technology in their access of digital broadcast services.

The new decoders of StarTimes now have been upgraded with the advanced H.265 technology.

With H.265, half of the bandwidth of the video transmission can be saved, without compromising video quality. This enables StarTimes to provide more high quality video contents to customers with an affordable cost.

Today, through these affordable devices, more and more households have access to crystal clear television channels ensuring perfect reception of their audio visual television content. As a result of digitization of broadcast services, households now have access to more channels with relevant content genres such as farming, religious, educational as well as

entertainment.

StarTimes has equally taken a step ahead and ensured the provision of high definition services with the set top boxes having HDMI ports where subscribers with access to high definition television sets can enjoy crystal high definition images while connecting the devices using a HDMI cable and watching an array of StarTimes high definition channels.

Enhanced service delivery Another area where StarTimes has put a lot of emphasis is the after sales service. The establishment of 24 hour 7 days a week call centres across the brand’s African operations has gone a long way towards instilling subscriber confidence in the company’s products and services as in the event of relevant queries or challenges, the same is able to be attended to in shortest time possible.

The company has equally set up brand halls these being a one-stop service devised to ensure the perfect subscriber experience based on the brand’s precise service arrangement plan and professional staff to solve potential service requests in the process guaranteeing friendly and efficient service from professional Customer Service Representatives.

Aftersales engineers are equally professionally hired and systematically trained to ensure the highest level of after-sale service. This enables customers to receive specialised technical assistance at no extra cost thereby ensuring uninterrupted television viewing experiences.

Keeping up with latest trends and innovation - OTT With the popularisation of smartphones and mobile internet access in Africa, more and more people, especially the young are streaming videos on phones. To fulfill the demand, Africa’s leading digital TV operator, StarTimes, has pioneered its video streaming service in the African market.

StarTimes Mobile Application has seen over 60 premium television channels available on mobile devices in Africa.

The StarTimes Mobile APP which is compatible to the Android

and iOS systems is now available for download on Google Play and Apple App Store will feature live television channels, electronic program guide as well as enabling users to catch up on their favorite programs that they could have missed.

The APP also features Standard Definition (SD), High Definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (UHD) content in four languages namely English, French, Portuguese and Kiswahili. This will allow users to access diverse content genres including local content, sports, telenovelas, movies, documentaries, news and music.

“At StarTimes, we want to progressively grow avenues where users can access our content anywhere at any time. The introduction of the StarTimes APP is therefore strategic in that we will be in a position to reach our subscribers across Africa at their convenience ensuring they do not miss their favorite content when away from the screen,” noted Mr. William Masy, StarTimes Overseas PR Director.

The StarTimes APP is designed to be user friendly under 2G/ 3G or 4G networks enabling users to enjoy smooth streaming service under any network.

According to an annual report released by global digital agencies, Africa has seen the fastest growth rates in internet penetration, with the number of internet users across the continent increasingly by more than 20% compared to 2017. And a statistic showed that average mobile connection speeds in Africa increased by more than 30 percent over the past year.

And IDC’s research shows that 4G phones are growing in popularity in African market with accounting for a majority share of the smartphone market at 52.9percent.

A drop in prices for entry-level 4G phones and an increase in the number of 4G networks across the continent are driving this growth in 4G devices.

Masy said: “Africa is progressing towards greater connectivity, prices are falling and StarTimes App will be a convenient platform that will provide rich contents to Africans.”

Opening a window for African rural villagers to learn outside world

On December 4th, 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would implement satellite TV programs for 10 thousand African villages, when he was delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

The China-African Cooperation project, known as “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages”, aims to enable people in African rural villages to watch satellite TV. As Africa’s leading digital TV operator, StarTimes is honored to undertake the project of “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages” and accomplish the project under the guide of Chinese and African governments.

Chinese government will aid each village with two StarTimes Projector TVs, one 32 inch Digital TV set and 20 DTH decoders and satellite dishes. Projector TVs and Digital TV set will be equipped with solar power systems and DTH access units.

The Projector TVs and Digital TV set will be laid out in the public area of the village, like school or village clinic, which could allow all villagers, especially kids, to enjoy the wonderful digital TV programs.

For the 20 families who accept the DTH access equipments for free, they can watch more than 30 TV channels with a minimum subscription fee, which will include news, sports, entertainment, music, cartoon, education, documentary, etc. And all subscription fees will be fully used in maintaining the operation of the project, covering costs of man power, transportation, after-sale service and other functions. And the projector TVs and digital TV that are laid out in public areas will be open to all villagers for permanent free.

The implementation of the project will open a window for African rural families to learn outside world.

People can not only be able to watch wonderful TV programs, but also acquire more useful information to expand their horizon and change their destinies. To popularize satellite TV in African rural areas, in which information resources are very limited, will help people there to learn knowledge and get rid of poverty.

Through the satellite TVs, African governments can popularize knowledge of agriculture, science, sanitation and so on in rural villages.

By watching TV, people can learn more useful knowledge and skills.

The project can also create huge job opportunities and sustainably contribute to the growth of economy. To ensure the long-term operation of the project, a mast of local staffs will be hired to fulfill different duties.

Digital TV used to be luxury in African market with a very high price, but the project of “Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages” makes it possible for people in African rural villages to enjoy the beauty of digital TV. The project will not only help break the monopoly of digital TV industry in African market, but also promote the balanced development in African region.

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SundayBusiness Nutritional benefits of whole wheat meal (Part 2) Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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et it be noted that there are many kinds of whole grains, including oat meal, popcorn, millet, quinoa and brown rice. Others are whole rye, wild rice, wheat berry, bulgur, buckwheat, freekeh, barley and sorghum. Products made from these foods are also considered whole grain foods.

These include bread, pasta, some breakfast cereals and of course, whole wheat meal.

People eating whole wheat meal should therefore, be rest assured that are gaining many nutrients because whole grains contain all three parts of the grain and therefore, highly nutritious.

For instance, they’re high in nutrients and fibre, obtained from the bran. They are particularly high in

B vitamins, including niacin, thiamin and folate. They also contain a good amount of minerals, such as zinc, iron, magnesium.

Whole grains provide several grams of protein per serving. Also, several compounds in whole grains act as antioxidants. These include phytic acid, lignin and sulfur compounds. Similarly, many types of plant compounds that play a role in preventing diseases are found in whole grains. These include lignans, stanols and sterols.

In summary, whole grains have higher phyto-nutrient content and antioxidant activity than refined grains which have been stripped of their bran and germ leaving only the endosperm. For instance, refined wheat flour loses 83percent of total phenolic acids, 79 percent of total flavonoids, 93 percent of ferulic acid, 78 percent of total zeaxanthin, 51 percent of total lutein, and 42 percent of total -cryptoxanthin compared with whole wheat flour.

As a result of this, Kerri-Ann Jennings has advised that people purchasing processed whole grain products, should make sure that they read the ingredients list, to give the assurance that they are made entirely from whole grains, not a mixture of whole and refined grains.

They should also keep an eye on the sugar content, especially in the case of breakfast cereals, which often contain large amounts of added sugar.

They lower your risk of heart disease. One of the biggest health benefits of whole grains is that they lower your risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of

death worldwide. A 2016 review analysed the results of 10 studies and found that three one-ounce servings of whole grains daily may lower the risk of heart disease by 22 percent.

Another recent Spanish study looked at the types and amounts of grains and other carbs eaten by 17,424 adults and followed them for over 10 years.

Those who ate the highest proportion of whole grains in relation to their total carbohydrate intake had a 47 percent lower risk of heart disease. While most studies lump together all types of whole grains and make it hard to tease apart the benefits of individual foods, whole grain breads and cereals, as well as added bran, have been specifically linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

They reduce your risk of obesity.

Eating fibre-rich foods can help fill you up and prevent overeating.

This is one reason high-fibre diets are recommended for weight loss. According to Olu Malomo, a professor of biotechnology, Kings University, Odeomu, Osun State, Nigeria some popular diet books say you should ditch wheat or gluten to shed pounds. But this is wrong as the USDA recommends eating grains daily, and at least half of those should be whole grains. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the department of the United States government that manages various programs related to food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development and nutrition.

Whole grains and products

made from them are more filling than refined grains, and a lot of research suggests that they may lower your risk of obesity. In fact, eating three servings of whole grains daily was linked to lower BMIs and less belly fat in a review of 15 studies including almost 120,000 people. BMI means Body Mass Index. Another study that reviewed research from 1965 to 2010 found that whole grain cereal and cereal with added bran were linked to a modestly lower risk of obesity.

They lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating whole grains in place of refined grains may lower your risk of type- 2 diabetes. A review of 16 studies concluded that replacing refined grains with whole grains and eating at least two servings of whole grains daily could lower the risk of diabetes. In part, this is because fibre-rich whole grains can also help with weight control and prevent obesity, a risk factor for diabetes.

They support healthy digestion.

The fibre in whole grains can support healthy digestion in a couple of ways. First, fibre helps give bulk to stools and prevents constipation.

Second, some types of fibre in grains act as prebiotics. This means they help feed the healthy, good bacteria in the gut, which are important for digestive health.

They reduce chronic inflammation. Inflammation is at the root of many chronic diseases. Fortunately, some evidence suggests whole grains can help tame inflammation.

In one study, women who ate the most whole grains were least likely to die from inflammation-related

chronic diseases. Also, in a recent study, people with unhealthy diets replaced refined wheat products with whole wheat products and saw a reduction in inflammatory markers.

They can reduce the risk of cancer. Research on whole grains and cancer risk has provided mixed results, although they do show promise. A 2016 review of 20 studies on the topic reported that six of the studies showed a reduced risk of cancer, while 14 studies showed no link. Current research suggests that whole grains’ strongest anti-cancer benefits are against colorectal cancer, one of the most common types of cancer in men and women.

Additionally, some health benefits linked to fibre may help lower the risk of cancer. These include its role as an antioxidant and a prebiotic. Lastly, other components of whole grains, including phytic acid, phenolic acids and saponins, may also slow the development of cancer. They’re linked to a reduced risk of premature death.

When you lower your risk of chronic disease, you often lower your risk of dying prematurely. The current hoopla for people who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance is being disputed. According to David Anderson and Jessica Orwig writing for the Independent on November 28, 2017 “your gluten sensitivity may not be caused by gluten. A recent study shows that the real culprit could be fructan, a type of carbohydrate.”

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media

First Bank innovates, launches SPARK CRFFN ex-governing council chairman, initiative to promote kindness Olanrewaju, picks holes in Council’s elections

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s a way of promoting sound moral values and rekindling the kindred spirit, Nigeria’s oldest financial institution, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has launched SPARK, an initiative aimed to restore the fading age-long culture of being one another’s keeper.

SPARK as an acronym for ‘Start Promoting Acts of Random Kindness’ is a value-based initiative designed to raise consciousness on the need to be kind. The initiative, which was launched in 2017, espouses reigniting our values, especially acts of showing kindness which appear to be eroding fast.

It is an empowerment programme that offers both staff of the bank and external stakeholders the platform to support humanitarian causes through crowd-funding by enabling and encouraging them to make small contributions and donations in aid of members of society in critical needs.

“SPARK will help drive goals such as promoting acts of random kindness by meeting the needs of people and touching lives”, explained FirstBank’s Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, in a statement obtained by BusinessDay. According to her, the framework of SPARK is a three-year approach which started last year during the Bank’s Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Week (CR&S). AniMumuney stated that the employees were encouraged to participate

by nominating those they thought were deserving of acts of random kindness “FirstBank is pleased to announce that 10 beneficiaries have emerged from over 100 nominations based on the criteria of community/individual’s emotive story and the significance of the individual/community need”, she enthused.

The beneficiaries include Baby Ijeoma, who was in dire need of cardiac surgery to correct her congenital heart disease and forestall irreversible and life-threatening complications, got over N1.5 million assistance. Also, Mary Pius, a widow with five children and fruits seller who was unable to send her children to school, received N100,000 and this gave her business some boost.

Others are Lawal Seun, a boy and the third child of a blind woman in Ondo town whose husband abandoned with the four children some years ago. Seun is now able to pay his school fees in his secondary school due to the N150,000 SPARK offer.

AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

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akeem Olanrewaju, past chairman, Governing Council of the Council of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN), has picked holes in the modalities put in place for the election of members into the council, held on Saturday in Lagos.

The council, which came into being with the enactment of the CRFFN Act 2007, had Tony Iju Nwabunike as the pioneer chairman and Olanrewaju as vice. Upon the expiration of Nwabuinike’s tenure, Olanrewaju was elected as chairman.

At the end of Olanrewaju’s tenure, there was a lull in the activities of the council as efforts to resuscitate the governing council with the election of a new leadership, failed woefully.

In a press statement issued in Lagos last week, Olanrewaju faulted the sharing of the 15 electable seats to the governing council to each of the freight forwarding associations including the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN); the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC).

He said that sharing CRFFN seats was deceitful, even as he alleged that those currently championing the course were opposed to the success of the council in the recent past.

He described their action as “interesting and indeed deceitful” and coming from most of the critical elements that brandished themselves as industry gladiators, who sworn that as long as they are not elected, the CRFFN governing council should be crushed.

Olanrewaju further alleged that those kinds of people resort to blackmails, insinuations, incessant court actions, propaganda, and organised protests against the regulatory policies. “My take is that we should not have come up with electoral guidelines for the governing council elections in the first place. The simplest thing to do to save money and time was to write each association directing them to pay an agreed amount for electoral expenses. Then, hold an internal election among their contesting members in their respective secretariats base on the sharing formula.”

According to him, it was absurd for any practitioner to pick a nomination form with a mind-set of profiting or making money from the council, rather than contributing to the effective passage of regulations for the development and sustenance of the freight forwarding profession.

“Freight forwarders intending to

step into the council via an electioneering process must do so with the resolve to serve both other freight forwarders and their fatherland.

This was information that was not available to those of us, who served in the first council. Before we contested election in 2008, most of us spent so much money to be elected into the council with the illusion that the more money we spend the more influence we shall command and more money we shall recoup but upon election, the revise was the case,” he advised.

Olanrewaju enjoined elected forwarders to be sure that they were reasonably established and have time to execute the governing council assignments.

He also cautioned the management team to lean on the provisions of the CRFFN Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic 1999, even as he enjoined supervising ministry to watch the processes that led to the election closely, to ensure that the CRFFN will not turn out to be an extended secretariat of the freight forwarding associations.

“I did not contest the CRFFN 2018 governing council election for personal reasons. My intervention is predicated on principle. However, that does not foreclose my interest in the electioneering processes, knowing that the future of my profession is in the hands of those who get in there to formulate and make regulations to guide freight forwarding practice.

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SundayBusiness Why mortgage business risks need to be insured

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ike many other business enterprises, mortgage is also risky venture and the need to insure the risks associated with transactions is as important as the business itself.

Apart from the high incidence of poverty, income sources, especially paid employments, have no security guarantee.

In an environment where the mortgage industry is functional and effective, insurance is a must because it serves as a lubricant on the engine of growth. This is why mortgage and insurance must go together because while mortgage is risk-prone, insurance is a hedge against risks.

Mortgage insurance is one policy that protects a mortgage lender or title holder in the event that the borrower defaults on payments, dies, or is otherwise unable to meet the contractual obligations of the mortgage.

Investopedia identifies three aspects of mortgage insurance, including private mortgage insurance (PMI), mortgage life insurance, and mortgage title insurance. What these have in common is an obligation to make the lender or property holder whole in the event of specific cases of loss. Private mortgage insurance may be called ‘lender’s mortgage insurance’ (LMI) if the premium on a PMI policy is paid by the lender and not the borrower.

For these reasons and more,

Spiritonomics

Debo Atiba

www.spiritonomics.org

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ow do we fare when it comes to forgiveness?

What is forgiveness?

What does God call forgiveness? These and many other questions exist for us to solve. A man has rightly spoken about the selfish nature of man, how we judge others by their actions but judge ourselves by our intentions. What a double standard way of living! Probably if we judge others by their intentions as against their actions we would not be too quick to condemn them. Do we remember how we feel when we are judged unjustly by our actions by others, even though our intentions

an active insurance industry is needed for the growth and development of a functional mortgage industry. The mortgage industry in Nigeria is still a fledgling and fingers are frequently pointed to an insurance industry that is not an active participant as it should be.

For some reasons, in this country too, in spite of everything the people have learnt, policy is still shaping the industry whereas, in advanced economies, it is the other way round- industry shapes policy because people in the industry are the ones implementing the policy every day.

The mortgage industry in United States, for instance, has been robust for decades and it is with continued activity. One is not however, saying Nigeria should replicate what happens in the US here, because Nigeria has its own unique characteristics which must be recognised and respected.

What the mortgage players in Nigeria should do, however, is to make the US system a base-line because this system represents the global standard. Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja, a mortgage and finance consultant, advises that “we have to start learning that system and adapt it to meet our own unique cultural system and unique needs”.

Nigeria needs to lay a very good foundation for mortgage industry growth to ensure that

what happened in America in 2006 with sub-prime mortgage crisis does not repeat itself here.

The Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) is a big possibility that can change and shape the mortgage system in this country and could also be an umbrella for the industry.

One of the high points of NMRC, as a secondary mortgage institution, is its long term, low rate global funds and, because the mortgage industry here is not yet buoyant, NMRC, whether it is succeeding now or not, can be a significant tool in achieving these attributes of a working mortgage industry.

Fasanya-Osilaja believes that the mortgage industry should be shaping NMRC and not NMRC shaping the industry, advising that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through the NMRC, should be listening to the voice of the industry. “Experience has proved to me that the CBN is quite ready to listen and learn.

The problem here however, is that the industry has been rather passive,” she noted.

The advisor who is also a Housing/Mortgage Finance Consultant to the CBN on the Nigeria Housing Finance Programme (NHFP) noted recently that NHFP is creating the enabling environment for strengthening the Nigerian housing sector by setting up sustainable framework for mortgage originators, which include financial institutions

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com)

that provide housing finance, to access long-term refinancing.

She added that the framework is setting up mortgage guarantee/ insurance as well as a housing microfinance scheme for strengthening Nigeria’s housing microfinance sector.

She revealed that the NHFP intervention included a mass literacy campaign on consumer education, protection and responsibility with regards to housing finance in Nigeria. “The campaign is aimed at educating every Nigerian on the right to own a home, the cost implications, advantages of taking loans to finance a home and to ultimately serve as a catalytic programme to jumpstart the housing market in Nigeria,” she said.

But the mortgage industry has to be standardized so that global players, from global perspectives, could view the local industry from the perspective of NMRC and mortgage banking association of Nigeria (MBAN) and see something to hold on to in their investment decisions.

Despite the current challenges, the Nigerian economy could conveniently support the growth

of the mortgage industry as the country is one of the fastest growing economies in the world where talent resource is amazing.

The mortgage consultant advised that Nigeria needs to understand there is time for competition and also time for association and each is as critical as the other. “The only thing that will stop this industry from growing is over-regulation by people who are not in the industry and therefore, will not understand the effect of their policy on the actual market”, she said, emphasizing the urgency of an active insurance industry to drive the needed growth in the mortgage industry.

As a step forward, mortgage insurance could come with a typical ‘pay-as-you-go’ premium payment, or may be capitalised into a lump sum payment at the time the mortgage is originated.

For homeowners who are required to have PMI because of the 80 percent loan-to-value ratio rule, they can request that the insurance policy be canceled once 20 percent of the principal balance has been paid off.

Forgive us our trespasses... (Matthew 6:12) were right? At such times, we experience the loneliest period of our lives, we feel let down and abused. We are sober and discouraged for such act of brutality meted against us.

If only we can remember those times, we would be slower at judging others. I am not surprised God has to give this as a condition for us to receive forgiveness. He knew the nature of man, the hardness of man’s heart to never want to FORGIVE when hurt. However to save us from ourselves he had to make this conditional.

Peter wanting to quickly get the issue on forgiveness over with asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” The answer of Jesus to the question shows that forgiveness is not a game of numbers but a heart of love. The issue of forgiveness is a very important issue in our lives. We err many times, and

this inadvertently damage our relationship with one another and consequently affect our relationship with God. The whole issue of this discuss is about how easy we receive forgiveness from God, but difficult to give it to others. And the above scripture is meant to grant us forgiveness from God because we have forgiven others. Our inability to do this precludes us from enjoying the mercy of God in the area of forgiveness. When men hurt us and leave us shocked in disbelief by their evil act, do we remember to pray for them or we just assume eternal judgment is theirs? In what way do we show love after we have been let down? Of course, to most us they should fall down and die. That is usually our first response to such events. However we must never forget the fact that the mercy of God still seeks them out for more chances. On no condition must we give up on anyone,

and assume that they can never change. You will only be right if you are their God. You and I have hurt other people too knowingly or unknowingly, and here we are today holy and called of God. Whoever gave up on us because of our foolish way of thinking and behaving, forgot the place of God and his love that God has for us. Our God is a God of many chances.

The fact that it is a possibility that we ever hurt others shows we are not different from others.

When we conclude on a man as being past forgiveness, we automatically underestimate the love of God for humanity.

God does not love us because of what we did right, he loves us unconditionally because he is a God of love. God has asked us this question in Romans 14:4 “who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s

help, they will stand and receive his approval.”

When we refuse to forgive others, we hinder our prayers from being answered. We can pray and fast intensively, however this does not move God’s hands.

Fasting is meant to change you, by making you more responsive to the leading of God. (Mark 11:25) And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Satan knows this very well so he cooks up reasons why we must never see eye to eye and why we should never forget but retaliate. You will do yourself a lot of favor by abstaining from pre-judging anyone. Your sole responsibility as a child of God is to love unconditionally.

Remain blessed as you forgive others as they trespass against you. @spiritonomics

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Sunday 08 July 2018

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

Apple Cider Vinegar product enters Nigerian market to boost healthy living among consumers DANIEL OBI

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n furtherance of its objective to promote healthy living, Pharmacy Plus Ltd is deepening the delivery of healthcare products to Nigerians with the launch of WhiteHouse Apple Cider Vinegar.

The launch formed part of the activities at the 37th annual national conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) which attracted participants- Community Pharmacists from several parts of the country.

Unveiling the new product, Pharmacy Plus Ltd also stated its benefits to the delight of participants at the conference.

Chief Operating Officer, Pharmacy Plus Ltd, Chukwuemeka Obi stated

that Apple Cider Vinegar is an ancient folk remedy, and has been used for various household, natural health remedies and cooking purposes. He further said that the WhiteHouse Apple Cider Vinegar has been in existence since 1908 and it is very popular among the natural health community because of its acclaimed benefits, which include weight loss, reduced cholesterol, skin rashes, lower blood sugar levels and amongst others.

“WhiteHouse Apple Cider Vinegar is a widely accepted drink in the United States owing to its long standing tradition of serving American homes with their brand of organic, raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar with “Mother” since 1908.

“Through this launch, we’re keen on making White-

House Apple Cider Vinegar the choice health drink for health conscious Nigerians considering the numerous benefits to be derived from the product”, Obi said in a statement.

WhiteHouse Apple Cider Vinegar comes in three sizes of 500ml, 1000ml and 2L, and it is available at all leading pharmacies nationwide”.

Other deliberations at the conference featured contributions from Community Pharmacists who converged on Benin, the capital of Edo state to harp on abuse of drugs and medications and its attendant harmful effects.

Participants offered suggestions on dissuading people from engaging in drug abuse, with the young and old not exempted from the pangs of the disturbing

trend.

Leading the discussions, Chairman of ACPN, Alkali Kelong appealed to stakeholders to support collaborations and stringent measures to curb medicine abuse in Nigeria.

He said, “As the technical group of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, we’re miffed by growing cases of drug abuse in the country.

Youths are the major culprits of this act as they throw caution to the winds just to satisfy their dangerous obsessions as against healthy living”.

“Thus, we selected this theme to bring to the forefront challenges of addressing drug abuse. Through collaborations among stakeholders and more stringent measures, we can curb drug abuse to the barest minimum in Nigeria”.

PwC Nigeria admits three professional new Partners

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wC Nigeria says that it has admitted three professionals into the firm’s partnership, effective 1 July 2018. The new partners are UdochiMuogilim, Adedamola Yusuf and SeunAdu. Udochi is of the firm’s Assurance practice while Adedamola and Seun are of the Advisory and Tax practices respectively.

UdochiMuogilim, is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and holds MBA from the Manchester Business School. She has several years of experience providing audit and other assurances services to indigenous and multinational companies in various industries including Telecommunication, Technology, Entertainment, Media, Hospitality, Manufacturing and Gaming. As partner, she will be focused on delivering assurance services to clients in Nigeria and within other markets across West Africa. She will support in developing new service offerings and pursuing other opportunities across lines of services in selected in-

Senior Executive with deep industry knowledge and many years of Technology consulting experience across multiple industries and jurisdictions. As partner, he will be leading and developing business streams focused at bringing PwC’s Technology Consulting capabilities to bear in helping clients in Nigeria and within other established and new markets across West Africa, realise tangible value from their investments in Technology.

Congratulating the new partners, Uyi Akpata, Country Senior Partner, PwC Nigeria said in a statement “PwC is known for developing top talents and these three professionals are great examples of what it means to be a leader at PwC. Each new partner brings a unique set of experiences, perspectives and ideas to help our clients innovate and solve important problems. Their admission to the partnership is no doubt, a very significant personal milestone for each of them and the start of a new career journey.

dustries.

SeunAdu is a Chartered accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He has several years of experience providing tax advisory and Transfer pricing services to Multinational groups in various industry sectors including the energy, financial services, telecommunications, retail and consumer sectors.

He will partner in leading the Tax and Regulatory Service team in Nigeria focusing on Transfer Pricing for Multinational groups operating in Nigeria and the West Africa region as a whole.

Adedamola Yusuf is a

It is also a reflection of our strong belief in this market as well as our commitment to making the right investments in our people in order to continue delivering quality service to our esteemed clients.”

The three new partners in Nigeria are among 35 new partners admitted by the firm across Africa with 40% being female. This the firm says is a demonstration of continued progress in its strategic priorities of developing the next generation leaders and a commitment to accelerating gender diversity and transformation at leadership level.

L-R: Jane Eleodi, clinical dietitian, JSprings Nutrition & Dietary Health Services; Elijah Mohammed, Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm; Monica Eimunjeze, director, Registration & Regulatory Affairs, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Chukwuemeka Obi, chief operating officer, Pharmacy Plus Limited; Iziele Asogun, permanent secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health and Ahmed Yakassai, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), during the launch of WhiteHouse Apple Cider Vinegar in Benin.

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iding on the s u c c e s s e s recorded in 2017, Nigeria’s foremost 4GLTE and internet services provider, Spectranet 4GLTE hit the ground running in 2018 with a parley with stakeholders including technology experts. With the parley as an avenue to unveil the brand’s annual plans and programmes, Spectranet through its Chief Executive Officer, Ajay Awasthi extensively rolled out the brand’s propositions for the year.

As part of its strategies to identify and nurture potential segments to expand the market, Spectranet, in recognition of women’s contributions to societal advancement the world over, joined the world to celebrate Nigerian women in commemoration of the 2018 International Women’s Day themed #PressforProgress.

To commemorate this day,

Spectranet targets broadband internet market expansion through innovations EVO MiFi was launched and presented to lady golfers at the Ladies Section, Ikeja Golf Club. Chairperson, Oby Jolayemi and an ex-captain of the club, Iyabo Ogunnaike received the devices on behalf of the section.

Building on strategic steps in the first quarter of 2018, Spectranet rolled out a special drama series, Adventures of Bona to trigger the need for Broadband connection by highlighting the occasions for using a MiFi modem. The 11-episode drama series, with lot of humour rolled into it was a great hit on social media and helped brand Spectranet to reach its target audience in a cost effective manner, a statement said.

“With humorous storytelling, Adventures

of Bona aptly captures real life scenarios of troubles encountered by Nigerians in the search for internet connectivity.

Set in a middleclass neighbourhood, lead c h a r a c t e r s , Bo n a a n d Sammy vividly explore the embarrassments and troubles caused by not having a fast, affordable and reliable broadband internet connection. In order to associate with and trigger the need to watch football, while on the move, Spectranet rolled out ‘Win Big in the World Cup Bonanza’ to effectively drum support for the nation’s male football team, the Super Eagles. Through the promotion, the brand’s customers and prospects would be rewarded with gifts

ranging from data bonuses to bluetooth speakers and trip to Dubai.

The promotion was also structured to show the brand’s solidarity to the national team’s participation at the 2018 World Cup by offering customers 1GB data for every goal scored by the Nigerian team and 5GB for every win. This innovative promo attracted huge high balls on social media and was widely appreciated by the customers.

The rationale behind the promotion according to Head of Marketing, Mike Ogor is “to strongly associate with the things Nigerians love to do and make more Nigerians connect to their world through fast and reliable internet at affordable prices”.

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Equity Market Flour millers’ competition intensifies as Dangote Flour, Honeywell increase market share TELIAT SULE

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ompetition among the three leading flour milling firms in Nigeria intensified in 2017 as Dangote Flour Mills and Honeywell succeeded in increasing their market shares, even as Flour Mills of Nigeria still controls over 70 percent of the market.

The market shares of the three listed flour millers exclude revenues realised by other millers that are not listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) such as Crown Flour Mill, a subsidiary of Olam; Eagle Flour Mill in Oyo State; Gombe Dadaka International Flour Mill, Gombe as well as Valloumbra Flour Mills Limited in Enugu State.

Measured by gross revenue, the combined gross earnings of the three millers rose by 8.21 percent from N683.46 billion in 206/17 to N739.59 billion in 2017/18.

Flour Mills of Nigeria realised N542.67 billion in FY18 as against N524.46 billion in 2017, representing an increase of 3.47 percent. This implies that its market share of 77 percent in 2017 declined to 73 percent in 2018, as its financial year ends in March of every year.

Dangote Flour Mills made N125.44 billion in 2017, an increase of 18.61 percent over

N105.77 billion made in 2016.

With that, it was able to raise its market share from 15 percent in 2016 to 17 percent in 2017.

Ho n e y w e l l Fl o u r Mi l l s i n creased its gross revenue by 34.3 percent from N53.23 billion in 2017 to N71.48 billion in 2018.

This implies that its market share rose from 8 percent in 2017 to 10 percent in 2018.

Operating profit of Flour Mills of Nigeria increased by 3.13 percent from N41.44 billion in

the previous period to N48.42 billion in March 2018. Honeywell recorded an increase of 14.70 percent as its operating profit stood at N9.48 billion in March 2018 as against N8.26 billion same period last year. However, Dangote Flour Mills’ operating profit declined by 2.11 percent.

Profit before tax rose by 58 percent for Flour Mills of Nigeria; 89.9 percent for Dangote Flour while Honeywell Flours’ PBT fell by 10.9 percent.

Flour Mills of Nigeria posted the highest growth in profit after tax(PAT) during the period. From N8.34 billion in 2017, its PAT rose by 54.09 percent to N13.62 billion by March 2018. For Dangote Flour, its PAT increased by 43.14 percent from N10.57 billion in 2016 to N15.13 billion in 2017.

Growth in Honey Well’s PAT was marginal as it rose by just 2.83 percent from N4.30 billion in March 2017 to N4.43 billion in 2018.

Paul Gbededo, group managing

director, Flour Mills of Nigeria, attributed the performance of the company in the year that just ended to resilience in the face of a challenging environment.

“Our 2017 year end result shows a remarkable growth in group’s revenue of N542 billion, which represents an impressive 3.5% year-on-year growth. This was achieved through a combination of resilience in the face of a challenging environment, volume growth and product mix from our food and agro-allied businesses.

The results are a clear indication that our efforts to continually push for improved efficiency and synergy in the group, are yielding the expected results”, Paul Gbededo, GMD, Flour Mills of Nigeria said.

“In an effort to strengthen the company’s capital base, deleverage our balance sheet and support our working capital needs, we embarked on, and have completed a Rights Issue program during the past months.

With the successful completion of the Rights Issue program, we have now position the company to exploits value-accretive opportunities, whilst giving greater operational and financial flexibility to ensure business growth and continuity”, Jacques Vauthier, CFO, Flour Mills of Nigeria said.

Year to date, the share price of Flour Mills rose by 5.9%, while hose of Dangote Flour and Honeywell declined by 17.7% and 3.8% respectively.

C&I Leasing N7 Billion Series I Bond Issuance records a success

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Redemption of 8.25% US$300m FBN Finance Coy B.V. Subordinated Callabe Note Due 2020

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irst Bank of Nigeria Limited, the largest subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc intends to exercise its options to redeem the fixed rate subordinated Note held by FBN Finance Company B.V. Accordingly, FBN Finance Company B.V. will exercise its option to call the US$300 million 8.25% subordinated notes, raised from the

international debt markets, due in August 2020.

The bank seeks to call and prepay holders of the Note at the next callable date of August 7, 2018.

This liquidity management exercise demonstrates the strength of the bank’s foreign currency liquidity and robust capital base, while further enhancing the efficiency of the balance sheet.

&I Leasing Plc’s N7 Billion Series I bond which opened on Monday the 21” of May and closed on June 4, 2018 recorded a success as the issue was fully subscribed.

The bond which is a 5-year bond will mature in December 2023.

This was revealed at the issuance signing ceremony which held on Monday, June 11, 2018 at the company’s head office in Lagos. The ceremony was attended by the Board of Directors of the company, the issuing houses, trustees and other stakeholders involved in the process.

The bond which is the first series in a N20 Billion debt issuance programme is a Senior Secured Bond with a fixed rate of 16.54 percent and was issued at a price of N1, 000 per unit. According to Efe Akhigbe, Managing Director, Planet Capitalthe Lead Issuing House: “The offer was very successful because of the

track record of C & I Leasing Plc as a business with over 25 years of operations in Nigeria. The company’s investment in marine assets serves oil and gas companies in various mid to long term contracts, which was attractive to investors. In addition, the timing of the issuance was instrumental to the success of the bond which was largely patronized by top pension fund managers and insurance companies. ” At the ceremony, the Managing Director of C & 1 Leasing Plc, Andrew Otike-Odibi stated that the N7 Billion will largely be invested in business expansion and restructuring of the company’s debts over a period of five years therefore relieving the current debt profile on the group’s balance sheet while increasing profit margins and returns for shareholders. According to the MD, “The success of the bond is indicative of the market’s confidence in our business, they

have seen our structure, focus and consistency with corporate governance in 27 years of operations and they can tell we have a good story unfolding. There is a niche market for Nigerian businesses in the maritime sector to serve oil and gas companies, but it is not enough to be a Nigerian company.

Proper structure is also very critical, and this is one of our strengths at C & I Leasing Plc”.

C&I Leasing Plc has evolved to become a valuable resource and business partner for several indigenous and multinational blue-chip organizations. The company currently provides support services along three lines; fleet management, personnel outsourcing and marine services. The C&I Leasing Group of companies which has its operational offices in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja also has two subsidiaries – Leasafrica Ghana Ltd and Epic International FZE.

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Arts President Macron’s visit to Afrika Shrine, a boost to cultural renaissance OBINNA EMELIKE

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n July 3, 2018, the campaign for African culture renaissance took another turn at the Afrika Shrine, a popular club in Ikeja, where the music and lifestyle of Fela Kuti, the late legendary afrobeats maestro are regularly replayed to discerning fans.

The campaign was led by no other than Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, who came on a working visit to Nigeria. The visit was unique because it was the first time a serving president and also from an European country, visited, relaxed and enjoyed himself alongside others in the popular shrine without watching his back. No British prime minister has ever been this close, despite colonizing Nigeria.

Back home, no Nigerian president has done that even Olusegun Obasanjo with his acclaimed showmanship. Probably, it may also be the first time Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State, entered the place, just by his backyard. The funny thing is that most high profile Nigerians hardly visit homegroomed attractions for the sake of status symbol and fear of integrating with the commoners, yet they will visit such places while on holiday in Europe, US, France and other developed countries.

Imagine if 20 percent of Nigeria’s elites, corporate and business executives patronize clubs, restaurants, theatres, museums and other local attractions. When such happens, beyond the swelling patronage, security will improve, more hands employed to carter to the many visitors, lesser crime on the streets and the economy will be better for it.

It is ironic that it took the interest of President Macron to drag most elites to Afrika Shrine for the first time. At least, it demystified the fact that the place is all about marijuana, sexy dance, alcohol, protest music, activism and fighting. The good melody from the stable of Fela’s afrobeats, which most visitors serenade and also echo across the whole place is the most important reason to visit.

Macron performs at Afrika Shrine

Again, Afrika Shrine is heavily themed with African culture heritage promotional and hence is a culture hub, meeting place for like minds and networking platforms for visitors.

But why did President Macron visit the shrine, if one may ask.

Well, the youthful French president said he visited the Afrika Shrine in Lagos because of his nostalgia for the good memories of the iconic place.

Great memories, of course!

The French President was trained as a senior civil servant at the French Embassy in Lagos in 2004, seven years after Fela died.

While here for over a year, he visited and saw the Shrine as a cultural and iconic hub. So, he was not a stranger to the shrine, which he described as an importance place for lovers of African culture.

While speaking at the Afrika Shrine, the French president jokingly said, “I have to

confess at a time that there was no president around, I hope I will not spoil the party”. Of course, he did not, rather added flavor to the flow of ‘things’.

Explaining further on the reasons for his visit to the shrine, the president said, “I wanted to find a good occasion to come back there. I know the place and I have some memories. I think that is such an iconic place for a lot of African people and African culture”.

Beyond the success of Fela, who is the reason for the Afrika Shrine, President Macron said, “The Shrine is a cultural hub, an iconic hub and is very important for me first on a personal level, and that is why I want to say with a lot of humility that I recognise the importance of this place, and I recognise the place of culture here’’.

The French president decried the fact that African culture and heritage legends such as Fela are less known and celebrated in their homeland unlike their folks in Europe who are

almost worshipped by the people.

“When you speak of the African culture in Europe, those who succeeded in Europe and in France are not very famous in Nigeria or in Africa. There is a bias because you know people are absolutely not the same. I mean Fela, Femi, Seun Kuti are obviously very famous in France and Europe”, President Macron explained.

In his parting words, the French president said, “We have to build a new common narrative” in Africa.

But the narrative will start by Nigerians and Africans at large recognizing their own first before foreigners, including patronizing their own more than foreigners. The big question on the lips of many culture enthusiasts is; Will elites including Governor Ambode return visits to Afrika Shrine after or will it take a visit by another president to get high profile Nigerians to look within?

Time and interest will tell!

Gallery 1957 presents Chidi Kwubiri’s motionEmotion in Ghana

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his summer, SMO Contemporary Art is delighted to curate a major solo exhibition motionEmotion,

by Germany-based artist Chidi Kwubiri, which is being presented by Gallery 1957 in Accra. motionEmotion is the culmination of a lifelong dream of Kwubiri’s, in which he speaks to the power of music on the creative soul. The exhibition of 18 spectacular large canvases and a performance piece reflect the spirit dance of celebration, joy, melancholy, energy, hope, and protest that music evokes in people wherever they gather.

In motionEmotion, Kwubiri takes us on a journey across sound, rhythm, performance and dance, by presenting paintings which speak to the outer and inner mani-

festation of music on identity, the rise of freedom movements, and the impact of lyrics on society across different generations.

The worksintroduce a multi-layered, almost opaque world of colour and silhouette that gently seeps into visual consciousness.

Utilising his characteristic dripping paint technique on large canvases, Kwubiri reveals expertly rendered hazy outlines of figures in motion and dance, in a sea of minute dots and drips.

Kwubiri presents a new monochromatic body of work with minimalist colour highlights alongside his signature colour palette, which reinforce the power of unity and hope against the socio-political tensions surrounding global immigration issues. His bold interpretations also touch on the impact of music on global youth movements by inter-

preting cross-generational rhythms, culture and political consciousness.

The exhibition at Gallery 1957showsK-

wubiri on a journey of sensory memory through paintings of cultural crusaders such as afrobeat legend FelaKuti and reggae prophet Bob Marley - juxtaposed against contemporary dances with their roots in Africa,including twerking, popping & locking, hip hop, and rap. motionEmotion is set against a backdrop of live music, freestyle instrumental and art based performance.

“We are delighted to present Nigerian art to a broader audience across Africa,” said Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, the Founder and Artistic Director of SMO Contemporary Art. “We need more art institutions to collaborate across the continent, so that our amazing artists have a wider pool of collectors and supporters of their work.”

The exhibition opened is on June 28, 2018 and runs until July 30, 2018.

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Arts Open Doors Series unveils WSICE 2018 … as 84 students set to analyze Soyinka’s poems

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OBINNA EMELIKE he producers of Open Door Series Project WS is pleased to announce commencement of 9th edition of the annual Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange Project, (WSICE 2018), which will hold July 12 -15, 2018 in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The theme for this year is The Pursuit of Truth (Truth And The National Psyche), otherwise interpreted as “The Pursuit of Truth in our Country.” The theme, according to Teju Kareem, executive producer of the project, is inspired by the observed intense preoccupation of Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, with the devastating consequences of lie in our national psyche, which also extends to global discourses, especially the invention of the term fake news, which now seems to pervade public discourse and information flow.

Kareem continued that Soyinka’s engagement with the pursuit of truth “has been consistently captured in his latest publications -- The two new Intervention series (Vol. 6 &7) and the earlier volume, InterInventions, from which the quote below has been excerpted: “My commitment to the belief in the fundamental right of all human beings NOT TO BE LIED AGAINST

Wole Soyinka

remains a life obsession...I despise that species of humanity whose stock in trade is to concoct lies simply to score a point, win an argument, puff up his or her ego, denigrate or attempt to destroy a fellow being” Top among the programmes slated for the fourday event is the annual essay competition, which will feature 84 students writing analyses of three of Wole Soyinka’s poems -- in a reality television-like setting at the 1000-seater amphitheatre situated in the neighbour-

hood of the laureate’s Autonomous Residency Ijegba (ARI) in the forested part of Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta. The particular poems will be unveiled to the participants only minutes to the commencement of the essay writing exercise.

Sample entries have been collected from senior secondary schools around the country for the essay competition. All submitted entries have been marked and the 84 students with the highest scoring essays have been invited for the final competi-

tion holding on July 13, 2018.

In addition, 1000 students from Ogun State schools will join the 84 finalists, where they would participate in workshops to varied creative endeavors. The workshops will be conducted by poets drawn from writers organisations domiciled in Ogun State. The students will also be given opportunity to showcase their individual talents and skills during the workshop and a free expressive creative session called Do Your Own Thing.

Ibikunle Amosun, gov-

ernor of Ogun State, has confirmed his visit to the participants in the course of the second day of the workshop on July 14, 2018 where the results of the final essay competition will be announced, and awards (for winners) and certificates will be given to all participants.

The participants would be privileged to have a oneon-one encounter with Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, whose distinguished personality and accomplishments as a global citizen and eminent promoter of the good of humanity, inspired the project. The encounter is a mentoring session that marks a highpoint of events for the students as they can ask the distinguished dramatist, poet, political and literary activist and professor of Comparative Literature any question about his life, career and situations in the local and global polities.

The WSICE84 will also feature guest participants from the Southern Illinois University in the USA, who will also be on a weeklong tour of key culture and tourism facilities around the country, The WSICE is a yearly programme initiated in 2010 by the management of ZMirage Multimedia Company led by Teju Kareem, technical theatre exponent, and businessman, and the US-based Global New Haven headed

by Professor Segun Ojewuyi, theatre director and culture scholar.

Scoop Network extends reach into Africa with Kwesé TV

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f r i c a ’s n e w e s t entertainment c h a n n e l Sc o o p Network Africa will launch on pan-African satellite TV broadcast network Kwesé TV on July 26, 2018. Scoop Network’s programme schedule will consist of a mix of light entertainment magazines with movie, music, fashion and celebrity news. For a truly pan-African feel, the channel will be fully localised with African Voice Overs, a daily locally produced entertainment news show and other local productions.

Scoop Network, which is already available in multiple territories around the world, will join Kwesé TV’s exciting entertainment lineup with an exclusive tailor made feed produced by a dedicated editorial team from Dutch Indie FCCE

based in Nairobi, Kenya for English speaking African territories. In addition to the Daily Entertainment News, other programing highlights include a weekly Saturday Night’s ‘Spotlight On’ magazine show showcasing celebrity events, awards shows, fashion weeks and so much more. Kenyan audiences are in for a real treat on Scoop Network which will boast a whole host of local shows namely, ‘Snoops’, an all-African gossip show presented from Nairobi, and ‘Entertainment Catch Up’ both anchored by African talent.

Watch this space because in the near future Scoop Network Africa will launch a talent search campaign for presenters and reporters under the banner ‘I am Scoop Network’. The channel will be supported with social media and a website www.

scoopnetworkafrica.com “It is the first fully localized feed of Scoop Network and we’re very confident the local audience will enjoy the mix of national and international content”, said Justus A. G. Verkerk, CEO of FCCE. “Around the world we meet cable- and mobile operators, all looking for new and exclusive options.

We offer an affordable turn-

key solution. We’re really proud to work with Kwesé as a partner in 18 African countries. The new editorial team in the FCCE Nairobi office, our own studio facilities, local crews and local presenters and reporters will guarantee the local tone of voice and content. The talent search campaign is something that is really in the DNA of our company; we hope

we can give young people from the African continent a platform to show case their talent. And maybe, we even facilitate a spring board to the international markets.

We already received screen tests that can compete in any other market. We’re very excited about all these new opportunities.”

Joseph Hundah, Econet Media President and Group CEO said“Kwesé prides itself in offering exclusive cutting edge entertainment programming to cater for our dynamic young audiences.

Scoop is a channel enjoyed by many across the globe and we are excited to be the first TV network to introduce it to the African market.”

Scoop Network will be available on Kwesé’s pay TV satellite platform available in 13 Sub-Saharan Africa countries

Castle & Castle, Africa’s first legal series, debuts globally this July on EbonyLife ON New, original EbonyLife drama to be available via mobile-on-demand platform

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bonyLife TV is proud to announce that Castle & Castle, the first African legal drama series, will have its worldwide premiere this July on its digital service, EbonyLife ON. Starring Nollywood heavyweights; Richard MofeDamijo and Dakore EgbusonAkande, the series is primarily about the story of a striking couple, ‘Remi Castle’ and her husband ‘Tega’ – lawyers who run a successful practice in Lagos.

A former law professor, ‘Tega’ is passionate about human rights. However, as the years have gone by and the nature of the firm has changed, he has had to fight extra-hard to get such cases.

‘Remi’ is a beautiful, brilliant woman who loves her husband, despite their different legal interests – she prefers commercial clients that pay huge retainers. They met 20 years ago when he taught her in law school. Their marriage is put to the test, as a host of family issues crop up and affect their work. Viewers will see the couple stand together against outsiders and fight each other when their individual desires clash. Will their relationship survive Castle & Castle or will it succumb to the pressures of work?

Mo Abudu, executive producer, is thrilled about the series. “Castle & Castle is a project we are quite proud of.

The first of its kind in Nigeria or even Africa, we look forward to presenting it to the world. Sharing it on our globally available, digital platform is an added reason for our excitement. It will be accessible to everyone with a mobile device, for them to enjoy onthe-go, at their convenience,” she said.

Produced by Isioma Osaje and Temidayo Abudu, the series features a star-studded cast and three outstanding directors, Niyi Akinmolayan, Tope Oshin and Kenneth Gyang. Each episode will give a unique take on the legal world and show what happens when there is a collision of family issues, personal desires and business. Viewers will be kept at the edge of their seats with the drama that unfolds every week.

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Kiddies Group partners NNPC to ignite passion for STEM in school girls NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE

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n order to ignite passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in young girls, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), has organised a one-day forum for the pupils of Atewuare Primary School Benin City, Edo State.

The event, which came under the theme ‘Invent It, Build It’ was held in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

President of APWEN, Felicia Agubata, who spoke at the forum, said the event also aimed to showcase the socioeconomic value and application of engineering in everyday life.

Agubata further explained that the target group was girls aged 8-10 years in the six geopolitical zones of the country, adding that “APWEN is confident that early contact with Word Searchthe Puzzle target group will indeed spark a desire and an ambition of the girl child to study the sciences and ultimately pursue

The awardees of Makainti Baru Engineering Scholarship for Girls with the APWEN President, Felicia Agubata and the representative of the GMD NNPC, Dora Umoetok, executive director operations, IDSL NNPC.

engineering as a profession.

According to her, APW“As the girls begin to imagine EN’s role is to mentor, point great careers in Engineering the way forward and partner and diligently demonstrate with the would be champions https://www.puzzles.ca/wordsearch/kids_fruits.html passion under the right guid- to midwife their careers by ance, the sky will be their limit,’’ way of providing learning aids, she said. seminars, scholarships at some

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points and above all, inspiration.

She recalled that a similar forum was held by the association recently at Misua Primary school in Bauchi.

“Inspired by the successful launch and overwhelming positive energy generated by the maiden edition of the event at Misau, Bauchi State, we use this medium to really appreciate management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for adopting the ‘Invent It, Build It’ programme as NNPC’s nationwide corporate social responsibility (CSR) project. “ Th i s c o m m i t m e n t b y NNPC will make it possible for the project to be replicated in all the six geopolitical zones of the country. Misau’s programme will be used as a prototype for other geopolitical zones,” she added.

Enumerating the objectives of APWEN, the President said it include, to continuously increase awareness that engineering is also a career for girls, thereby improving the strength of female engineers; and to encourage

women to achieve professional excellence as engineers and leaders.

While STEM, she said acts as a positive force in enhancing the quality of life as well as provides a forum for promoting sorority amongst females in STEM. “It encourages Engineering studies and practice amongst female Nigerians”, she noted.

During the forum experiments were performed by the pupils with guidance by APWEN members along with an interactive and sensitisation session for parents, guardians and teachers to inspire positive attitude and support for females in the pursuit of STEM .

High point of the event was scholarships awarded to ten pupils of Benin origin who were desirous of studying Engineering from primary to university level.

Some of the parents who spoke at the event lauded the organisers, saying that such effort will go a long way in encouraging young girls to develop interest in studying engineering and other science courses in the university.

Story of the Selfish Giant

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very afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant’s garden.

It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the spring-time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them.

“How happy we are here!” they cried to each other.

One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years.

After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.

“What are you doing here?” he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.

“My own garden is my own garden,” said the Giant; “anyone can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.” So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a noticeboard.

TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED He was a very selfish Giant.

The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to

play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it.

They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside. “How happy we were there,” they said to each other.

Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds.

Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass, but when it saw the notice-board it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. “Spring has forgotten this garden,” they cried, “so we will live here all the year round.” The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Wind to stay with them, and he came.

He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimney-pots down. “This is a delightful spot,” he said, “we must ask the Hail on a visit.” So the Hail came. Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could

go. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice.

“I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming,” said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; “I hope there will be a change in the weather.

“But the spring never came, nor the summer. The autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant’s garden she gave none. “He is too selfish,” she said. So it was always winter there, and the North Wind, and the Hail, and the Frost, and the Snow danced about through the trees.

One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the King’s musicians passing by.

It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world. Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement. “I believe the spring has come at last,” said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out.

What did he see?

• To be continued next week

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Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted - Supergal Olori Supergal is an influencer and social media brand that broadcasts news, entertainment and lifestyle. It is one of the most successful new media companies to come out of Nigeria and is owned/directed by Tosin Ajibade; a new media enthusiast, natural hair lover and convener of the New Media Conference. In an interview with Ifeoma Okeke, she speaks on her achievements as an entrepreneur and her upcoming project.

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hat inspired you to start your blog?

My passion for information and knowledge drew me to hosting a blog. Sometime in 2008, I would post entertainment gist and the likes to Facebook until in 2010 a friend introduced me to blogging and that was the beginning of my journey as a blogger.

How did you source for funds/capital to run your blog?

While there are a number of other sources of funding the blog, more of that revenue comes from adverts.

How is your business/blog contributing to reduce unemployment in the country?

In our little way we have a huge number of young people in our employ whose skills have in no little way reduced unemployement Tell us about your upcoming project?

The #MisfitToHero project is coined from my first ever book as a published author titled, OloriSupergal: Social misfit to Social Media Hero. The book details some of my struggles as a young business owner and my life as a regular girl to social media. Following my passion despite the distractions, challenges, personal struggles and the also a never-say-die spirit. The book talks about my entrepreneurial journey, abuse from my previous relationship, social media tips and the creation of the annual event, New Media Conference. It has only nine chapters but is packed with lessons. It is a book everyone should get.

What projects have you organised to empower young Nigerians?

I have organised and spoken at a countless number of trainings. With regards to the ones I have organised, of note is the annual New Media Conference - a conference which brings together thought leaders, influencers, digital agencies, bloggers, new media enthusiasts and more, to discuss the issues in the digital industry. We started this in 2015 and so far, we have done four editions in Lagos and Nairobi. The fifth edition will hold this July 2018. I have had testimonies of people getting jobs after the conference and that just gladdens my heart.

Who would you say has been a major influence in your life?

Cliche as it might sound; God is the most influential person in my life. I have mentors and people I look up to, but where their efforts and capacities reach is where God’s starts. That kind of influence cannot be rivaled.

deal with all the challenges, though.

What are some of the challenges that you faced since you started running your blog?

Content creation. This is the nerve centre of my business and sometimes, putting thoughts, experiences and events to words can be a challenge.

Also, getting the right team to achieve set goals can be hard. Some get it, some don’t. Patience has helped me

How many hours do you spend per day working?

I work every hour, I sleep when I get tired and get back to work once I am up. I spend most of my time online.

How would you describe your experience so far?

My experience has been an interesting one; following your passion is also an interesting thing because no one knows where it will lead to.

Let’s talk about the media moguls you admire?

Business moguls that I admire include Mo Abudu, Tara Fela Durotoye, Ayeni

Adekunle, Uche Pedro, Linda Ikeji, Taju Adepetu, Chris Ubosi. Most of them are in the media industry.

How do you relax?

I watch movies and TV (shows) a lot.

What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs, especially those interested in social media?

First, do not go into blogging and social media because of the hype or the attraction that comes with it. It’s a lot of work and dedication. My advice is never to give up, yes the challenges will come and you will fail a lot. Do not feel bad, learn from your own failures and get back into action. Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted.

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THINGS TO DO IN LAGOS Tried Indoor Gaming?

Image by Rufus ‘n’ Bee

Playzone

Rainy season tends to remove the fun vibes of the fear of getting drenched. weekend because one has little or no motivation This is also a mood killer for those who are fans of beach’ing about; but hey, regardless of the rains, to go anywhere, do anything (fun) due to the

Events Happening Today: LARA AND THE BEAT (MOVIE PREMIERE)

Date: Sunday July 8, 2018 Venue: Lagos Intercontinental Hotel.

52 Kofo Abayomi St, Victoria Island, Lagos

you can still have fun. This is where ‘’Indoor Gaming’’ comes in. I’m not talking about sitting in your house and playing games o! (Boring!!!)

There are fun indoor game spots in Lagos.

Play Zone, located in Ikeja city mall is an example of such game spots.

They have a variety of games available for your play-pleasure.

Another spot is the most talked about Rufus ‘n’ Bee located here TwinWaters, Okunde Bluewaters Scheme, Off Remi Olowude, 2nd Roundabout Beach.

If you have had intentions of going bowling, here’s a good spot for you.

CAKE FAIR 2018 Venue: Grace Land, Plot 9, Lateef Jakande

Rd, Ikeja, Lagos Date: Sat, Jul 8, 2018, Time: 10:00 AM – 8, 2018,

THE FASHION SOUK BY EVENTFUL Date: Sun, July 8, 2018 Time: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Venue: Harbour Point 4 Wilmot Point Road, Lagos

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BusinessDay MarketPlace with CEO Utopia Media Group, Akintunde Marinho Join us on this interesting conversation with the Camera not so shy CEO of Utopia Media Group, Akintunde Marinho

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ell Us A Bit About Utopia media group Utopia Media Group is made up of 4 companies, there’s the strategy company, the business development company, the production company and there is content of distribution.

We have consolidated to be Africa’s premiere content providers and we are working very strongly to achieve that particular vision.

is robust but I think for everything in Nigeria we need to actually build infrastructure. We always wing our ways through it, we never really structure it.

So I think in 2 years, there’ll be a lot more innovators that will come into it, that will help make it a lot better than it is today. And hopefully creatives will start getting paid for what they give.

How Do You Make Profits?

Simply because we are 4 companies in one, there are many ways we make profits. We shoot TV commercials, we develop and sell content internationally and locally, we offer digital media execution, business strategy and so on.

How Do You Deal With Competition?

With our new vision, I wouldn’t say there is no competition but I just don’t think anybody is where we are at now or doing what we are doing, the exact same way we are doing it. We are focused on what we are doing, we understand the local and international market and we know where the demand is too.

What Challenges Do You Face As A Content Business?

There are no proper channels for content monetization, we need to always figure it out. Content creation is at its infant stage in Africa, we’ve only cracked the cinema aspect of it and there are many more other aspects.

In terms of how you generate income, we are working on our own strategy to reinvent the market and make it a lot more sustainable.

Where Do You See Utopoa Media Group In 5 Years?

Utopia Media Group in 5 years will be Africa’s number 1 media house.

What are you doing to achieve this?

That’s confidential, but watch out for us.

I n t e r v i e w By Uz o c h i k w a Akumah

Where do you see the Nigerian entertainment industry in 2 years?

The Nigerian entertainment industry

Everything that went down at the hospitality industry conference

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wenty2 is a high-profile Hospitality And Allied Services Limited Company that specializes in management and consulting services for hotel, restaurant and resort industries and on the 30th of June 2018 hosted her first ground breaking hospitality conference tagged: The New Frontier for Hospitality Enterprises”.

The Hospitality Industry Conference, fondly called THIC, is indeed Nigeria’s first platform set for sharing relevant information and fostering discussions amongst decision makers, employees, and managers.

Here is what a couple of speakers from the event had to say; “Hospitality as a business sector in Nigeria has been greatly misunderstood. There’s a lot that people can actually tap into, not just for the women but men too.

People believe that hospitality is for the uneducated or those who lack jobs. While this might be true to some extent, in all

riculum and we must do a good job to tap into our resources”.

Also speaking about hospitality in Nigeria , the key note speaker, Mr Emmanuel Ele (managing director of Six Region Hotels), said “the future of hospitality in Nigeria is very high but government needs to do around security and infrastructural

honesty it’s people actually make a living from this business because they just have a passion for it” said Barrister Uganze Ude Kalu.

Uganze is a practising lawyer and also reviews restaurants. So for her, “hos-

pitality is beyond hotels. It’s actually hotels, restaurants, resorts and so on. But Nigeria is not harnessing into the hospitality sector.

Courses need to be part of the school cur-

development to make it a lot more greater”.

The convener of the event, Yvonne Midi said that the conference was in honour of 2wenty2’s first year anniversary and also was set up to bring exposure to the public about hospitality. She said it’s going to be a yearly conference and she hopes to cover more grounds next year.

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Bliss with Nonye Ben-Nwankwo

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Email: chiwuagwu@yahoo.com Phone number (SMS only) 08057511893

I almost quit music before Osinachi – Humblesmith

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ven though his music, Osinachi, became an instant hit as soon as it was released few years ago, singer, Humblesmith, said he almost gave up music because of what he went through before he became a success.

Speaking to Bliss on phone recently, the singer revealed it wasn’t rosy at all for him when he started as a musician.

“I was almost at the verge of giving up music because I had suffered a lot. I felt music wasn’t meant for me but God used Osinachi to change my destiny. So, I believe God can bless you at anytime as long as you are working. Each time I reflect on then and now, I always feel blessed and it inspires me to do more. I believe anything can happen at any time judging from the success of Osinachi.

To me, it came as a surprise.

I didn’t see it coming. I was almost at the verge of giving up music because I had suffered a lot,” he said.

And even as he followed up on the success of Osinachi with a remix where he featured Davido, some criticisms followed the remix with many people saying the lyrics of the songs were watered down considerably.

However, while defending the remix, Humblesmith said music is not just all about lyrics but about business as well.

“Music is music and music is entertainment. Music is about your life and what you are going through. It is also business. You need to put a story in your music. Davido was going through some stress so the best thing he could do was to bring it

into music so that people could understand what he was going through,” he said.

And as much as some had thought Humblesmith was going to be a ‘one hit’ artiste, the artiste, who eventually released his debut album recently, explained why it took him this long to do so.

“I believe in getting it right than just rushing into it. After Osinachi, we tried our best to work on a good album that would last forever. I have always believed in the little I know and open to learn more to add to the little I know. People will always talk; it is left for you

to take what you want from what they say and leave the rest. At the end of the day, what will speak for you is the music.”

Born Ekenedilichukwu Ijemba, Humblesmith disclosed how he got his stage name.

“People kept saying I was too humble when I was growing up and from then, it became my name. I was actually known as Humble smart. But I remember I went for a show and when the MC was introducing me on stage, he called me Humblesmith. I felt the name was better than Humble smart and I decided to use it and somehow it has stuck,” he said.

Why I returned G Wagon my ex bought for me – Ruth Eze

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ctress, Ruth Eze made headlines when her Malaysian boyfriend gifted her brand new G Wagon some time ago.

However, in a recent chat with Bliss, Ruth admitted that she has returned the car to the guy after they broke up.

Explaining her reasons, Ruth said: “Material things can’t buy

love. I am out of that relationship.

You cannot buy a car for me and you then start misbehaving. Right now, I need a calm and God fearing guy. All that glitters is not gold and I have realised it.”

The actress insisted it wasn’t the guy that asked her to return the car.

“He didn’t ask for the car back.

He is even pleading that we reconcile. But there comes a time in your life when you do what you have to do. You cannot live your life based on what you see in the movies. You have to be realistic,” she said.

Why revealing she is currently not in a relationship, Ruth said her folks want to see her married.

“I want to give myself some time. I just hope that any relationship I go into now will lead to the altar. My mother is not putting me under pressure to get married but she will be very happy to carry her grandchildren,” she said.

Now a businesswoman, Ruth explained why she had to set up a hairline.

According to her, “Nothing good comes easy. I am so satisfied being an actor. I just opened my hairline. I don’t believe in doing one thing. Dangote did not just concentrate on one business. I don’t make up and as such, I always wear lovely hair. So somehow, it got me into the business.”

D’banj breaks silence after child’s death

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ince the unfortunate incident of his little son’s demise, singer, D’banj hasn’t said much until he broke the silence few days ago in a recent post.

Thanking his fans via his instagram handle, D’banj posted, “We want to use this medium to thank everyone that has extended a hand of support to us during this period. On behalf of myself and my family, we are awed by the demonstration of love and care from both near and afar. May God bless you all.”

The post attracted so many

comments as fans, colleagues and friends also used the medium to condole with the singer and post warm messages to him.

In her post, dancer, Kaffy said: “Like Job, you shall be happy again. We love you bro.”

Peter of Psquare also condoled the artiste saying, “We love you bro, stay strong.

My son is your son. Remain blessed.”

His son, Daniel Oyebanjo III, reportedly drowned at a pool in the singer’s residence in Ikoyi, Lagos just recently.

Dapo releases Necessary visuals

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apo came into the music industry just recently and the young man is set to break records and outshine his peers.

When Dapo said he was going to shake the music industry in Nigeria with his incredible talents, the young man wasn’t mincing words as he has just

released the powerful visuals of his hit single, Necessary.

Dapo, the young X3M music newest kid on the block, is a product of music reality show, Project Fame, where he was among the finalists.

The video was shot in Lagos and directed by RCube of Capital Dreams Pictures.

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Life&Living Why there’s no gender division in homemaking JUMOKE AKIYODE-LAWANSON

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omemaking is defined in the English dictionary as the creation and management of a home, especially as a pleasant place in which to live. So who says homemaking is the job of a woman?

Culture, society and maybe religion has lead us to think for longest time that the role of a wife, mother or woman is to care for the home while the man should have no business in the making and management of the home.

It is somewhere in our subcon-

scious that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. Everything around us reminds us that it’s the woman’s duty to cook, clean and care for the home. Even cook books, home management magazines and housekeeping journals are published with pictures of women in apron’s or brooms of the cover page.

The role of a man, as we were taught was to be the provider.

Traditionally, a husband or man of the house was expected to make sure that he provides for the family to be cared for as the head of the home.

Today, however, the world has evolved and traditional roles have been swapped in many households where the woman has become the provider and the man cares for the home and children as the house husband. There goes the equality in humanity that women have always fought for.

“Today’s mum is everything encompassed; she wears the cap of a home maker and also a working / career woman. It is very unfair to seclude a woman’s role to solely being a home maker, as a I know a lot of women today who provide for their families, raise their children and work hard in their businesses or work place,” Tolu Oyebamiji, a female top management staff at a reputable company told BusinessDay.

According to ‘Focus on the Family’, an online lifestyle magazine, homemaking happens when we fully understand the value of home in our lives. Homemaking happens when we intentionally make home a safe house, a trauma unit, a pep rally, a playground, a school and more. Somebody has to have the time and energy to bring those roles alive in a family’s life. Somebody has to make

a house a home. Homemaking is majoring in family relationships.

Therefore, it is only right to say that homemaking is the duty of the whole family including both parents.

Although there is a stigma in the society, most modern women find peace when they stop aiming toward what society expects from them, and instead, simply act on what the desire for their

lives. The internet is also making it easier to work and rear children at the same time, so working from home while caring for the children may also be an option for both men and women.

A lot of Nigerian men say they cannot marry a woman who cannot cook, clean and care for the home and children, but what if reverse was the case? What if women say they can only marry men who can change baby diapers?

“Of course all women will want their husbands to provide for the family which is traditionally his role but that doesn’t happen as often as we would want it to. The income of most Nigerian men is barely enough to cater for the family and that is why women also have to work to contribute to the upkeep of the family. Hence, roles should be shared, there is no one size fits all for all families,” Chidinma Obi, a business women told BDSunday.

Choosing what is best for your unique circumstances, whatever society says; is the difficult but wiser path where this decision as to who is the homemaker and who is the provider or whether to be both is concerned. And sometimes it’s not just general society, but a friend, parent, boyfriend or spouse who is pressuring you in one direction or another.

Private space, public art: Urban Art Series debuts at Montaigne Place

A IFEOMA OKEKE

rt from the past holds clues to life in the past.

By looking at a work of art’s symbolism, colors, and materials, we can learn about the culture that produced it.

We also can compare artwork, which provides different perspectives, and gives us a well-rounded way of looking at events, situations, and people. By analyzing artworks from the past and looking at their details, we can rewind time and experience what a time period different from our own was like.

Looking at art from the past contributes to who we are as people.

By looking at what has been done before, we gather knowledge and inspirations that contribute to how we speak, feel, and view the world around us.

Leading luxury fragrance, skincare, cosmetics and lifestyle company, Montaigne Place is leveraging on arts to deliver top services to its customers, as it unveiled its art development project tagged the ‘Montaigne Place Urban Art Series’.

Montaigne Place Urban Art Series was conceived as a platform to

bring to public view and enjoyment exciting modern and contemporary works of Nigerian artists by commissioning and installing art works in a variety of media by offering free access and viewing to the public.

The first artist commissioned to kick off the series is a renowned artist whose love for art and innate desire to express himself turned him into a full-time studio artist.

Born on the 7th of February 1976, he has been a gifted artist from a young age.

He started his journey towards becoming a professional oil pastel, and acrylic painter through selftraining, after graduating from the university with a degree in Mass Communication. As an emerging

artist, he discovered his distinct style and fondness for painting deeply personal subject matters.

He began to exhibit his works steadily, and his stylized figurative compositions, and landscape subjects drew attention from established artists, art collectors, and art galleries around the world, which immediately propelled him to national recognition as a leading contemporary master painter, while his career grew and moved him into the celebrated realm of solo exhibitions in Lagos, Nigeria, and in Lisbon, Portugal.

Most of his works have found its greatest expression when addressing the concept of Passion; Love, Music, Family and everyday social interactions.

“Art creates a beautiful and Kinetic dimension to everyday Life. It can Educate, enlighten and uplift the mundane to the extra-ordinary”Alali Hart The maiden edition of the Urban Art Series took place at the Montaigne Place store at The Palms shopping Mall, Lekki, Lagos on 31st May 2018 and was an exciting experience for curators, collectors, enthusiasts and lovers of art where an 8ft by 11ft oil painting has been

installed on the side windows overlooking the common areas.

Montaigne Place already delves in the creative arts with extravagant and sublime perfume creations from some of the world’s greatest artists whose palettes are olfactive notes that transport the senses into different dimensions.

Montaigne Place is also a major force in bringing luxury brands to the Nigerian public including such world-renowned brands such as Creed, Amouage, Black Up, Yves Rocher, Murad to name a few.

Le Connaisseur is drink sponsor for the maiden edition of the Montaigne Place Urban Art Series.

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Travel Royal Senchi Resort, melting pot for tropical leisure OBINNA EMELIKE

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f you desire a room its windows are open to the fresh wild, a place where you are very comfortable with Mother Nature without watching your back, and yet treated like a royal, then you have a deal.

All you need is a trip to The Royal Senchi Resort. Set in the historic kingdom of Akwamu, West of Akosombo, Ghana, the 84-room and suites resort is a bold undertaking on the west bank of the Volta River overlooking the eco-island locally called Denkyenyam.

You will not ignore its true wild tropical feel and pristine offering. Its location is distant from the hectic city life, yet near enough for easy commuting.

Built in 2011, the barely new resort offers guests beyond the serenity of the Volta Lake.

Over 80 rooms and suites were designed to blend with the appealing, balmy environment of the Senchi River and the surrounding rich forestry.

Its 74 standard rooms aptly tagged ‘Riverview’ offer more than a panoramic view of the Senchi River. They are also sizeable, with a private patio area and even a view from the bathtub. The colours, the architectural curves, as well as, the shapes of the buildings, blend to the ‘nature look’ and feel of the entire property.

Guests who want something different can ask for an upstairs room for the airy high ceilings.

The nine suites are large too, and the Presidential Suite has a private plunge pool. Those not willing to splash out quite so much can splash around the

lovely pool that also overlooks the river.

To optimise your stay at the resort, you need to experience the pleasure at the opulent Picahartes Suite.

Named after a rare rockfowl or bald crow that is found in the rain forest of West and Central Africa, the Picahartes Suite will blow your mind. The suite is made up of two floors to support all comfort and luxury with a wooden staircase that leads you from one floor to the other.

There is a private outdoor swimming pool and a double door entrance and a spacious balcony.

With a wide and spectacular view of the Volta River, the Picathartes suite offers luxury you cannot imagine. The suite is also furnished with a private kitchen.

A day at the resort without visiting the restaurant to indulge your culinary tastes, and Nsu Bar for rare and local wine menu is unmemorable. The bar offers both residents and nonresidents alike the platform to network a great deal.

For the adventurous guests who want something beyond the comfort of the room, there are canoes and launches for playing on the crocodile-free river.

There are plans for a nine-hole golf course, a football pitch, basketball court and kids’ play area, among other attractions.

Yet, it boasts of the usual amenities: spa, shop, business centre, restaurant, lounge bar, and the conference suite with two well-equipped breakout rooms and meeting areas. The ballroom hosts up to 200 guests, while an attractive event outdoor event space hosts more.

Of course, with all its quality offerings, Emmanuel Mensah,

Aerial view of the resort

sales and marketing manager of the resort, was excited to introduce the first four-star resort in the Eastern Region of Ghana to West African delegates, especially Nigerians who lodged at the resort last month. The delegates who came for the recently concluded Accra Weizo, a two-day travel expo in Accra, were earlier at the resort on a familiarization trip sponsored by the Ghanaian Tourism Board.

On the reasons a guest needs a night rest in the hotel, Mensah

notes: “Our luxurious Riverview rooms are well-equipped with modern facilities, lovely décor and a view. These rooms are designed to inspire. Each room has a spectacular view of the Volta River that makes you feel like you are actually living on the Volta. Again, guests enjoy the freshness of the environment while they sit at their balcony or terrace.”

For him, the concept of the hotel is to offer a destination that fuses into the relaxed na-

ture of the environment while providing hospitality standards that befit a four-star establishment. These, according to him, are the features that have made the resort in recent time, a hub for Nigerian occasions in Ghana - from weddings, honeymoon, birthday parties, among others.

Having generously taken care of his guests, Mensah earnestly asked the delegates from across West Africa to repeat visits for more business.

Some exciting attractions to enjoy in Dubai this summer

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amous for its array of options of things to do and see, Dubai’s plethora of attractions and world-class developments continue to excite and amaze every season.

The start of 2018 has already seen a wide variety of exciting new additions join the city’s must-visit list, and looking ahead, there is plenty more to come for the rest of the year. Below are some of the attractions, and experiences that are set to leave travellers enthralled and wanting more…

World’s largest Rolex store Dubai has long been a leading global player when it comes to luxury retail, and now there is another truly impressive status symbol in the UAE: The world’s largest Rolex store, found in the new Fashion Avenue extension in the Dubai Mall. Opened in May this year, the 850 metre store boasts three storeys of beautifully designed retail space bedecked with mid-century décor, and takes high-end shopping to another level. Here, the pleasure of purchasing some of the world’s most prestigious watches is an experience to be savoured as much as the item itself. Watch fanatics will also delight in The Rolex Experience, an immersive ode to the brand that tells its story and honours everything from its heritage, watches, manufacturing processes, sponsorships, philan-

thropic activities, and more.

Laguna Water Park Dubai is no stranger to exciting water-based playgrounds, but its latest addition, La Mer’s Laguna Water Park, is sure to entertain even the most seasoned thrillseeker. The water slide complex features a number of adrenalinepumping rides, a lazy river, and a children’s zone and a flow-rider surf simulator. Then when you’re ready to catch your breath, you can either relax in the pool lounge, on its beautiful beaches, or in one of its funky cabanas. It’s even a foodies haven, unlike many other water parks that feature food courts within the park’s grounds, visitors to Laguna Water Park can take advantage of any of La Mer’s highly coveted and diverse dining options, from restaurants and cafes to gelato shops. Thanks to its clever day pass ticket system, you can leave the waterpark for lunch

Laguna Waterpark

and return later that day without having to purchase another ticket, giving you the freedom to enjoy its perks tailored to your own personal schedule.

TEPFactor Adventure For Nigerians looking for a truly unique way to stay entertained, the UAE’s newest challenge experience, TEPFactor Adventure, is a must-do. With a promise to put your mental and physical skills to the test, the game sets its teams of participants a number of challenges split into four categories.

The teams are made up of 2-6 people, and there are four challenges in each category, covering physical, mental, team-working, and co-operation ability. This can involve anything from puzzles to mind games, balancing acts and feats of physical strength, tests of courage and patience. Once a team completes the challenges in every category, they’re then given

the chance to put together clues from the previous challenges, to win the ability to take on a fifth and final challenge category. It’s a great way to stimulate both your mental and physical strength, while promising plenty of fun memories, whether you’re going as a group of friends, family, or even colleagues.

Jamie’s Pizzeria When Jamie Oliver’s name is attached to a restaurant, it tends to come with a stellar reputation – and in the case of the brand-new Jamie’s Pizzeria, the fanfare is welldeserved. The very first of Jamie’s Pizzerias in Dubai opened in JLT this May and promises a laid-back and welcoming environment in which to enjoy delicious but affordable cuisine – with its authentic, handstretched pizzas as the star. In addition to the pizzas – which are made with a sourdough or wholegrain dough crust, in flavours ranging from the classics, including margherita and pepperoni to more unique options such as paneer picante and chicken tikka – the restaurant also serves up salads, hot appetizers and other “al forno” meals such as garlic bread, chilli chicken wings and burrata.

With Jamie’s passion for simple and wholesome food with a focus on quality nutrition, this is a great spot for everyone from friends and couples to families.

El Mostacho With a couple of award-winning venues already under its belt, the Bystro Group’s ventures have become synonymous with delicious, authentic, wholesome food that offers something different from your run-of-the-mill dining option – and its latest offering, El Mostacho which opened in May this year, is no different. The JLT-based restaurant is led by Mexican-born chef Isaac Mendoza, and promises genuine, home-style Mexican fare at restaurant standards. While it will offer classic favourites such as burritos and nachos, it also shines a light on some of Mexico’s less mainstream dishes.

Caesars Palace Bluewaters Hotel, Bluewaters Island Dubai has long been a place where iconic brands come to set up keep in the Middle East, and now, the legendary Caesars Palace is the latest to join these ranks. The famous Las Vegasbased hotel brand is set to open not just one but two luxury hotels, encompassing a conference centre and beach club, on Dubai’s new Bluewaters Island off the coast of JBR. With more than 450 metres of private beach, hundreds of top-notch rooms, a number of indoor and outdoor pools, spas, health centres, restaurants and stunning views, it’s bound to be the pinnacle of luxury.

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BDSUNDAY 45

Travel

Airpeace makes history with indigenous female crew on high performance aircraft Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

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here are responsibilities that are traditionally given to men and most often when women dared to engage in such activities men spook at them and sometimes, men feel threatened. Piloting aircraft is one of such responsibilities.

While it could be said that women over the years have broken the ice as successful pilots and aeronautical engineers in advanced societies, not many men feel at ease when they learn that the pilot that has taken them to the skies is a woman, especially in our society.

But despite the advancement made by women so far in aviation, it is not every day that that passengers are flown by all female crew. In fact, it is a rarity in our part of the world. But on Thursday Air Peace reached another milestone by successfully organizing all female-crew, from the cockpit to the cabin in an exciting flight from Lagos to Abuja and to Owerri.

In a chauvinistic society, it was not surprising to see apprehensive male passengers whose anxiety ebbed when the perceived the deftness and dexterity exhibited by the pilot in command and her flight officer counterparts.

Air Peace also made history as the first indigenous airline in Nigeria that operated

an all indigenous female crew with a high performance aircraft Boeing 737-300.

While Arik and Aero Contractors have in the past operated an all-female flight, however, this was done with foreign pilots and a lower capacity aircraft, such as the CRJ and Dash 8 aircraft, respectively.

The arena was changed with Air Peace giving command to Sinmisola Ajibola, who made history as the airline’s first female captain.

The female crew took full charge of the carrier’s four-sector flights on the Lagos-Abuja, Abuja-Owerri, Owerri-Abuja and AbujaLagos routes.

Sinmisola, who was assisted in the cockpit by Senior First Officer Quincy Owen told BDSunday that she had flown for seven years and it has been an amazing experience especially succeeding in a profession that has been

dominated by men, adding that she is glad that most people are beginning to embrace having women as captains.

On her growing up, she disclosed that it wasn’t too hard for her to follow her dream of becoming a pilot since her dad is also a pilot.

“Growing up with my dad, I saw the job every day and I picked interest in it. It was easy to follow my dreams with him. I trained in a school in Florida, USA and it was good to see things in a different perspective.

“Our schedule is such that when you are working, you are working and when you are off, you are off. I actually have a lot of time to do other things. The girl child should not be discouraged but continue to follow their dreams,” she said.

Speaking at a brief ceremony in Abuja, Hadi Sirika, the Minister of State for Aviation, commended Air

Peace for joining the league of airlines that had operated flights with an all- female cockpit, cabin crew members, engineers and flight dispatchers.

Sirika who was represented by Talba Alkali, Director, Safety and Technical Policy, Ministry of Transportation, said the feat had shown that the airline was gender friendly.

According to Alkali, this is the first time a Nigerian airline is carrying out an allfemale flight with a high capacity aircraft, adding that lower capacity aircraft were used by both Arik Air and Aero Contractors in previous occasions.

“Air Peace has made a tremendous impact on the industry and we as regulators and the ministry will continue to create an enabling environment for the airline and other domestic airlines to thrive.

“Today’s event is yet another testament of the safety of our airspace and we will continue to work with the airlines to make it safer,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Allen Onyema, the Chairman of Air Peace, said over 85 per cent of key positions in the airline are held by women, who had demonstrated that they had the capacity to deliver.

He further disclosed that the airline’s chief operating officer, the Chief of Administration and Finance, Vice chairman, Head of Maintenance, Training coordinator, Head of Port Harcourt Station, Head, Abuja station; Head, Enugu Station; Cabin Services manager, Human resources manager, Business Development Manager, Customer Services manager, Head of Legal and Head of Engineering maintenance planning are all women.

Onyema said the airline

had employed about 2,000 workers since it began operations over three years ago, stressing that about 1,500 of the employees were women.

“Air Peace is an airline run by women. We are very proud of giving women opportunities to excel because we believe that there is nothing that men can do that women cannot do.

“We want to encourage our female children that they should aspire to be whatever they want to be by emulating what our female flight and cabin crew members have done today,’’ he said.

The Air Peace boss commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for the support given to domestic airlines, especially the recent removal of the Value Added Tax on transportation and waivers on the importation of aircraft spares.

“We call on government to continue supporting the indigenous airlines and give us more priority. The jobs Air Peace has provided in three and half years, none of the legacy airlines flying in Nigeria have provided in one year.

“We thank the government for giving Air Peace all the international destinations they gave us to fly to represent this country as their flag carrier in China, America, India, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and South Africa,” Onyema added.

Sports journalist Bolarinwa Olajide emerges winner of #FlyLufthansatoRussia contest

Emirates to operate extra flights for busy Hajj season

ports journalist Bolarinwa Olajide (@iambolar) has emerged w i n n e r o f t h e “ # Fl y LufthansatoRussia” contest and is already on the allexpenses paid trip to Russia.

The popular social media influencer competed with tourism expert, Chiamaka Obuekwe (@socialprefect) and Nigerian comedian, Nosa Afolabi (@lasisielenu) t o w i n t h e Lu f t h a n s a Premium Economy ticket and more to Russia.

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“We say a big Thank You to all who voted in our “#FlyLufthansaToRussia” contest and of course to our three amazing social media personalities,”Adenike Macaulay, Lufthansa Group, Sales Products and Programs Lead for Sub-Sahara Africa said.

Bolarinwa Olajide won with over 1.9k public votes and has started posting from Russia: “I was surprised to see foreigners wearing the Nigerian jerseys and also singing along with the supporters.”

Bolarinwa Olajide is a trained journalist and broadcaster with a special hang for sports. He works with Cool FM, Wazobia FM, Nigeria Info FM, Wazobia TV and Wazobia Max. Olajide has been a member of the sports team ‘Femi and the Gang’ since inception.

…over 1,314 Nigerian passengers to travel for Hajj Epum Somtochukwu

mirates will be operating extra flights to Jeddah and Medina to help facilitate travel for pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

Emirates will be operating 33 additional f l i g h t s t o Je d d a h a n d Medina from 6 to 31 August to support the journey for pilgrims expected to travel to the Holy City of Mecca during Hajj this year.

These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina. These additional flight services are available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa.

This year, top inbound

destinations Emirates is expecting Hajj pilgrims to come from are Pakistan, Senegal, the United States, the UK, Australia, Indonesia, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, Middle East and Iran said: “Hajj travel is an extraordinary journey for Muslims which leaves them with a lifetime of memorable experiences, and we expect over 25,000 pilgrims to travel with Emirates this year.

“With the significant demand for air travel during this period, Emirates is deploying extra flights to ensure more seamless connections for the scores of pilgrims making their way to the Ho l y Ci t y o f Me c c a .

D u r i n g t h e i r j o u r n e y, we aim to provide our customers with the best experience that is aligned with the pillars of their faith, particularly during this significant period.”

On the ground in Dubai, Emirates has a dedicated airport team whose purpose is to seamlessly facilitate the passenger ground experience for Hajj. In addition, dedicated check-in and transfer counters will be set up for Hajj passengers transiting in Dubai.

I n t h e a i r, s e v e r a l initiatives have been planned in keeping with the values and traditions that pilgrims uphold when travelling for Hajj.

Extra provisions will be made to accommodate Hajj traveller needs such as performing ablutions,

advising passengers about Al Miqat and Ihram (the phase when pilgrims enter a state of sanctity) and other arrangements that will help ease their journey.

Emirates’ award winning ice system will also feature a special Hajj video that c o v e r s s a f e t y, Ha j j formalities and information about performing the Hajj pilgrimage. Pilgrims will also be able to tune into the Holy Quran channel.

On flights from Jeddah, Hajj passengers can bring up to 5 litres of holy water (Zamzam) which will be placed in special areas in the cargo hold. As with all Emirates flights, Hajj passengers will enjoy extra generous Emirates baggage allowance of up to 35kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class.

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Health&Science Nigeria’s poor health system goes beyond budget financing – Experts

403 Ogun public servants benefit from government medical programme

CYNTHIA IKWUETOGHU & MICHEAL ANI

RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta

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igeria’s budgetary allocation to the health sector overtime has been abysmally low when compared with peer countries in other African region.

However, experts in the health care space say the problem goes beyond just budget funding but on way in which these funds are channelled that will help spur investment in the sector.

Health expert made this at a 2018 healthcare Nigeria conference, on the need for sustainable healthcare- the road map held in Lagos on 4th July.

“The Nigeria healthcare market has failed economically in the area of universal health coverage, maternal mortality, life expectancy, infant mortality to mention but a few and unless we apply the Laws of economics to Healthcare, it will continue to fail,” Olamide Okulaja, Director for advocacy and communication at Lagos-based PharmAccess.

“The solution with the Nigerian health sector is not on the financing, but in building frameworks and ecosystem that can absorb such financing.”

Okulaja was of the view that a mandatory health insurance scheme is of a good initiative, as this will help increase the demand for health services which in turn will necessitate the supply of health care services.

The World Health Organization (WHO) during the BAMACO initiative instructed countries of the world that their health care expenditure to GDP should be up to 15 percent.

This is because an improvement in a country’s health care will result in an improvement in the health of its citizen which will thereby, improve productivity as there is a

link between health and economic performance.

Statistical data polled across several African countries shows that in 2016, Rwanda allocated 18 per cent of its national budget to health, while Botswana and Malawi have allocated 17.8 per cent and 17.1 per cent respectively.

Zambia is 16.4 per cent, while Burkina Faso is 15per cent. Meanwhile, Nigeria which hosted the “2001 Abuja declaration”, where it pledged alongside other member states of the African union to commit at least 15per cent of their national budget to health, is still at 4.3 per cent, with no trajectory towards achieving the 15 per cent target.

A BusinessDay survey, that captured the 2018 health budgetary allocation of these two countries, shows that Africa most populous nation(Nigeria), given her rapid level of population growth, should play catch up in terms of health funding when compared with a country like south Africa.

South Africa proposed a health budget of R205.446 billion ($17.1 billion) in 2018, this represents $299 per head when compared to its population of 57million, Nigeria on the other hand, home to some 193 million inhabitants, the highest in the African continent have planned a health budget of N340 billion ($946 million), this amounts to $5 per person when shared to each citizen of the country.

A case study that was raised during the conference on budget financing and how it affects the health system was the Tanzanian economy that spent an average of 10 percent of their total budget on health from 1990 to 2010, according to data from Tanzania budget office.

During this period, the economy recorded it lowest maternal mortality rate at 454 in 2010. However, in 2011, after it increased its health budget allocation to 10.5 percent, maternal mortality rate rose by 22 percent to 556 in 2015.

Abimbola Adebakin, CEO, Ad-

vantage Health Africa said that although there is need for increasing funding but it goes beyond increasing funds to getting the foundation right in the issues of system, processes and people.

“On the issue of system, we must introduce system that works in other industries like the financial sector, telecommunication, and art to health sector space”. Adebakin furthered.

Health experts further concluded that mandatory health insurance is the viable solution to Nigerian health system and no nation can achieve universal coverage without subsidization and compulsion as both elements are essential.

Subsidies without compulsion will not work; indeed, they could make matters worse since the healthy flee from the subsidized common pool, only to return when they expect to use a great deal of care. Compulsion without subsidies would be a cruel hoax for the millions of poor and sick who cannot afford health insurance.

The experts concluded.

Adamawa govt, FMC Yola receive Nigerian healthcare awards ANTHONIA OBOKOH

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he Adamawa State government and Prof. Auwal Abubakar, chief medical director of federal medical centre (FMC) Yola were given separate awards recently at the 5th Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA 2018) in Lagos for health care schemes targeting the poor in the state.

Adamawa State received the outstanding State government healthcare programme of the Year award for their active strides towards a mandatory health insurance scheme. The scheme implementation which is supported

by PharmAccess Foundation is aimed at achieving universal health coverage as well as promoting access to quality and affordable healthcare services.

Auwal M. Abubakar, was given a Special Recognition Award for establishing the hospital paupers fund meant to cover the costs of hospital services for indigent citizens who are poor and cannot afford to pay for common ailment

such as malaria.

The fund ensures that nobody is denied care in FMC, Yola based on inability to pay. The Fund is managed by a volunteer committee made up of reputable members of the community and hospital staff for objectivity.

Abubakar was nominated for the award by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Ehanire Osagie.

Reacting to the award which was keenly contested, the Adamawa State commissioner for health, Fatima Atiku said, “The Adamawa

State Mandatory Health Insurance is a demonstration of the state’s renewed commitment to reducing the financial burden on the citizens seeking quality healthcare and productive healthy lives.”

She also expressed gratitude to NHEA for the recognition which she said will encourage the state government to continue to do more.

Njide Ndili the country director for PharmAccess foundation congratulated the State team stating that Atiku has shown great lead-

ership and adopted appropriate policies and governance structures for long term sustainability of the scheme, ensuring that all citizens regardless of their economic status have access to quality healthcare services.

Speaking on the award received for the paupers’ fund, Abubakar stated that, “The Committee started disbursing fund to needy patients since June 2016 and since then, hundreds of indigent citizens have benefited from it.” He also stated that there is a steady increase of the number of indigent patients accessing the Fund.

Wale Alabi, NHEA Project Director in a statement congratulated the winners, following their various projects which will provide succor and access to good healthcare services to those who are poor and can’t ordinarily afford to pay for their care. In addition, he pledged NHEA commitment to continue to celebrate excellence in the Nigerian healthcare services.

NHEA is an initiative of Global Health Projects and Resources and Anadach USA.

o fewer than 403 public servants have benefitted from the medical outreach carried out by the Ogun state government through the State Hospitals Management Board (HMB) to mark the 2018 Public Service Day. In a report made available to BDSUNDAY by the Permanent Secretary of the Board, Adesanya Ayinde in Abeokuta on Friday, showed that the screening exercise which included, blood pressure, malaria parasite, blood glucose, eye, dental and HIV test, were aimed at checking and improving the health status of the workforce.

Ayinde revealed that 100 per cent of those examined for dental related matters were referred for further treatment; 23 per cent out of those screened for medicals were found to have rising blood pressure that required further investigation and management; while 60.3 per cent of them were referred for further eye treatment.

He added that 87.5 per cent of those examined for physiotherapy, were referred for either overweight, under weight or obesity management, while 100 per cent of them were screened for HIV, but were tested negative.

Ayinde recommended that treatment should be made affordable and at a discounted cost for those referred for further treatment at designated government facilities, saying, there should be a follow up to ensure that patients were given appropriate care.

He however, suggested that lipid profile, physical fitness assessment including the provision of medication for complicated conditions, should be included in the scope of service.

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BDSUNDAY 47

Sports

FIFA says no anti-doping violations registered at 2018 World Cup ANTHONY NLEBEM, Reporting From Moscow/Russia

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hat makes one a hero? Is it the person who is simply admired for his outstanding achievements and courage or a person who has the can-do spirit and encourages others to accomplish the extraordinary? Whichever way one decides to look at it, a hero will always be one who is celebrated and recognized for exceptional feats or attributes appreciated by the society. This is the message International Breweries Plc, a proud part of the world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), sponsors of the 2018 World Cup and makers of Hero lager beer “Nigeria’s only red caped beer”, is advocating for the national team despite losing out in its final match against Argentina which ended their World Cup dream. They may have left the game early but they have indeed captured the hearts of the world.

Despite being the youngest squad in this year’s edition of the games, the team played gallantly and went past the initial defeat

by Croatia to beat Iceland 2-0 in its second round match. At that moment, they captured the heart of the world and gained more fans all over the world who wore the colour green just to identify with the team. With the display of the Eagles during the match, it was obvious that the next World Cup outing will bring in better results and we daresay the trophy.

The message ‘BeFearless’ sent by over 2,000 Super Eagles fans from the King’s Courtyard, Ikpeazu Stadium, Onitsha in Anambra State, in support of the Super Eagles who displayed their ‘fearless’ attitude against every team they encountered,

was not an exercise in futility.

In fact, the message has continued to trend even as the team returned to base, regardless their last match defeat, a match which they played with so much gusto and spirit. This has been evident in the way Ahmed Musa, one of the Super Eagles highest goal scorer, was received at the national mosque when he went to pray on his return.

Speaking from one of the match viewing centers, Okoli Obum, Marketing Manager, Hero Lager, said, “We at ABInBev have always been proud supporters of our national team which is why we threw our weight behind them and hoped they will surpass the mark of their predecessors and finish what they started. Even though they left the 0competition early, we still stand solidly behind them and urge them to continue to be the heroes that they are.”

“The World Cup journey began with the US ’94 squad who captured the world with their performance and this current squad has also captured the heart of the world with their never say die spirit. Heroes never quit and we will continue to persevere until the day we bring home the trophy,” Obum said.

Nigeria’s participation in the prestigious tournament began in 1994, when the United States of America hosted the Mundial. Led

by Dutch man coach Clemens Westerhof, the team boasted of names like the late Rashidi Yekini, Steven Keshi, Emmanuel Amunike, Ben Iroha and Augustine Eguavoan, to mention a few, and though they were eliminated in the second round, they were fearless and impressive for a first time outing. They earned the respect of the nation and the continent and some people will even say that in their hearts, the Super Eagles won the World Cup.

At USA ’94, the Super Eagles were grouped with Bulgaria, Greece and Argentina. We will not forget in a long time how Nigeria’s first World Cup goal was scored by the great Rashidi Yekini after a fluid pass which started from the mid-field. The match ended with the Super Eagles beating Bulgaria 3-0. The same feat was recorded against Greece where the Super Eagles won the match 2-0. The match against Argentina was likewise impressive. Argentina had participated in several world cup tournaments and won two editions; 1978 and 1986.

They however discovered that first timers, the Super Eagles, were not a walkover as the Eagles scored the first goal of the match. Unfortunately, the match ended 2-1 against the Eagles. Although their World Cup campaign ended at the second round, Super Eagles were ranked the 5th best national football team in the world by FIFA, making it the highest FIFA

ranking position ever achieved by an African national football team to date.

Aside from the 2006 edition hosted in Germany which they missed, the Super Eagles of Nigeria is the only African team that qualified for the 2014 and 2018 editions of the World Cup. They have also won the Africa Cup of Nations thrice, with their last title in 2013, after defeating Burkina Faso in the final. There is no doubt that this new crop of Eagles will do the nation proud, which is why they deserve our full support.

It is not unusual to see thousands of soccer fans gathered at viewing centers cheering on the national team and urging them to bring home the trophy. Typically, football is followed with so much passion and it can be demoralizing when your team fails to win a crucial match, just as Nigeria’s quest for the cup ended early in the game.

However, this has not deterred die-hard fans and lovers of

team spirit who still believe that the tables can still turn for the country one day and we will clinch the title of World Cup champions.

Regardless of all the predictions and going forward, Nigeria need to step up its game and put all necessary preparations in place for the next tournament in another four years.

There is a clarion call for Nigerians to continue supporting the team regardless of if they win or if they lose. This current crop of players is the youngest squad in the tournament and we should all be proud of them.

The coming together of over 2,000 fans and indeed over 180 million patriotic Nigerians says a lot about the faith in the Super Eagles, our heroes.

We are hoping for the best for our ‘dream team’ and with one voice, one heart and one spirit. We urge the team to remain fearless and strive to be HEROes. There is indeed a hero in every one of us.

GTBank has helped us to discover football talents in Ogun - OGSG RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta

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he Ogun state government has declared that the timely intervention of GTBank PLC on football talent hunt and discovery of football young stars through sponsorship of GTBankOgun State Principals Cup had changed sporting activities in the state, especially football at the secondary school level, for better.

Afolabi Afuape, Commissioner for Youths and Sports, stated this at the Semi Finals of Season 6, GTBank-Ogun State Principals Cup played on Thursday at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto in Abeokuta, adding needed supports would always be given to the organizers of the tournament.

Afuape, who was represented

by Permanent Secretary of the

Ministry, Joseph Fabi, disclosed that GTBank had helped the

state to discover some young football talents who now play in the Junior National Team, just as he appealed to other Corporate organizations to support sports development in the state.

Meanwhile, Pakoto High School, Ifo and Alamuwa Grammar School, Ado-Odo have both qualified for the Finals of the competition in the male category.

While Pakoto High School, Ifo defeated Ositelu Memorial College, Ogere with 2-0; Alamuwa Grammar School, Ado-Odo thrashed Ijebu-Ode Grammar School by 3-0.

In the female category, Muslim High School, Isolu qualified for finals having beaten Ishara Secondary School by 2-0, while Ajogbo High School, Ota secured

qualification for finals after defeating Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode by 5-3 on penalties.

Speaking on the performance of the players, Modupe Phillips, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Department, GTBank PLC, said the initiative was to develop the interests of sporting activities in students across all levels of educations.

While lauding Ogun state government for the provision of enabling environment for sports to thrive in the state, she added that the young football talents discovered during the process would be closely monitored and followed up by the management of GTBank PLC for better future performance.

BDSUNDAY

NEW YOU CAN TRUST

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SUNDAY 08 JULY 2018

The economic costs of election cycle politics

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n 2015 Nigeria’s general election reportedly cost the economy an estimated $625million for 67 million voters according to a certain infographic by Ali Geidam. In the previous year (2014) India’s election reportedly cost $600million for 815 million voters. This comes to about $9 per voter in Nigeria and 7 cents per voter in India.

There may be something fundamentally wrong with Nigeria’s pattern of election cycle politics and it clearly does not befit a sinking nation. What does elections cost a nation? In practical terms who really bears the cost?

If we prove that elections could lay the negative precedents for economic stagnation/regression - at least in our own context - then it becomes very imperative to rework it. The real economics of elections may be of little consequence to the political class from a strategic perspective, but a patriotic review of some of its hidden impacts on citizens and the economy, justifies a thoughtful inquiry.

On the frequency and form (scope if you like) of elections, a nation in Nigeria’s shoes should ask many questions.

It appears that the only reason Nigeria holds general elections every four years is because it’s the practice in US, Britain, France and any old democracy you may think of. That constitutional culture may have worked for those who originated it, but its proofing too expensive for those who now copy it. A school of thought in political economy opines that “elections lead to income redistribution, less capital accumulation and lower economic growth”. That could be Contestable? But If we were to proof this, then why should a developing and economically regressing nation organize this party every four years.

INEC’s budgetary allocation in 2014 valued at N87.8 billion is projected to be enough to build 110 cancer radiotherapy centers at N800million each (Nurudeen Abdallah). It’s obvious that if the interval

for elections in Nigeria were farther spaced, there will be apparent cost savings. These costs reflect only direct costs. There are indirect costs of election as well, which include the developmental opportunity cost (reflected in the time lost) and the strategic distraction from governance- in which cases Nigeria is a top scorer.

While social scientists and political economists are still exploring the summative impact of election cycle politics on national economies, with divergent schools of thought postulating progressive and regressive impacts in some cases; It’s more obvious that majority of the available literature/data will represent studies conducted in the West, (or at least other developed nations) where national development is neither an exigent nor a critical task and where available finance, time and resource can be conveniently earmarked for secondary concerns.

There is no gainsaying that elections are the bedrock of modern democracy and it provides a framework and vehicle for delivering and sustaining certain institutional elements of society and governance. However, exploring the real economic cost of election cycle politics in Nigeria brings a lot of questions to fore. It challenges the economic justification - in a developing economy -of a four year term that ends as soon as it starts; it strongly questions the size of government at the major tiers, with respect to their roles and impacts.

Now we are the poverty capital of the world; has one of the world’s poorest qualities of power supply (being second only to war-ravaged Yemen) and one of the world’s worst education and transport systems. But we still believe it makes sense to reconvene every four years to elect new leaders at all

CHIJIOKE MAMA Mama is the founder of Meiracopp Nigeria Limited (MNL) and a Doctoral Researcher at University of Port Harcourt (m.chijioke@meiracopp.com)

It appears that the only reason Nigeria holds general elections every four years is because it’s the practice in US, Britain, France and any old democracy you may think of

levels. And that, within a chain of activities that typically takes no less than 12 months to prepare for, which aptly mirrors a yearlong party or jamboree.

On a cursory look, it appears that the about $625million that was reportedly spent/circulated in 2015 general election within Nigeria, should have nudged the economy forward. But the truth is that those expenses or redistributed income that could have positively contributed to improving the Social Overhead Capital (SOC) – infrastructure, road, communication systems and other utilities that directly aid business – are rather targeted at frivolities, often under very corrupt circumstances that will largely elude the lawful market. This amounts to desirable income redistribution without capital accumulation which becomes undesirable.

For those who argue otherwise, to prove that Nigeria’s huge election expenditures help grow the economy will require a Difference-in-Difference study that compares economic indices before and after the election. Until that hard data emerges, experience and visual econometrics is already providing us some scary outputs.

We see electoral violence and its costs, (contrast this with more peaceful conducts in saner climes), We see distractions from governance and its costs, comatose enterprises and its unemployment cost and limited appetite for local and foreign investment that is fed by the fear of policy shocks and political instability. The list could actually be longer.

Quick Takes

Off the Cuff

Femi Adesina’s uppercut to bewildered folks

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ince Wednesday last week when the Special Adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, urged Nigerians, particularly those in the states that are vulnerable to the herdsmen attack, to choose between releasing their land for the Federal Government-proposed ranches or be killed by herdsmen, Nigerians have continued to scream “et tu Adesina”.

They had expected Adesina, being a pastor and from the South to be emotive and show some level of understanding.

Adesina was speaking on an AIT morning programme, and in response to a question on ancestral attachments to land, said: “Ancestral attachment? You can only have ancestral attachment when you are alive. If you are talking about ancestral attachment, if you are dead, how does the attachment matter?”

He further said: “The National Economic Council that recommended ranching didn’t just legislate it, there were recommendations. So, if your state genuinely does not have land for ranching, it is understandable; not every state will have land for ranches. But where you have land and you

can do something, please do for peace. What will the land be used for if those who own it are dead at the end of the day?”

In the estimation of many Nigerians, his observation was very insensitive.

Some critics insist that Adesina’s barefaced utterance in this regard is very dangerous given the country’s current situation.

A lot of meanings have been read from his statement and many believe that there is need for him to apply restraint going forward, in the interest of the country.

A group known as International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety) accused Adesina of insensitivity and escalating the crises by his utterances.

The group also deplored Adesina’s recent statement on 28th June 2018, comparing deaths under former President Goodluck Jonathan administration (2010-2015)/Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) and his boss’, Muhammadu Buhari (29th May 2015date (June 2018).

It said: “Yet, Mr. Adesina did not provide answers

to the following questions: (a) how many other defenseless Nigerians did Yoruba citizens kill on account of Obasanjo’s Presidency?; (b) how many other defenseless Nigerians did Ijaw citizens kill on account of Jonathan’s Presidency?; (c) which ethno-religious section of Nigeria have been responsible for non State actor killings in Nigeria: Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen and Zamfara Bandits?; (d) how many Christian armed opposition groups are there in Nigeria and how many of the death statistics are masterminded by Christians in Nigeria?; (e)Boko Haram declared war against Christians and Nigerian Government of Goodluck Jonathan; killing thousands of Christians and other collateral Muslims and destroying several Government facilities; are terror Fulani Herdsmen also at war with Buhari Government or solely against Nigerian Christians and their sacred places of worship?”

A few observers however, rationalised, saying he has to do his job, anyway. According to them, “It is either he does his job or ship out; there’s no pretence.”

N500m

This is the amount of money that the Tony Elumelu Foundation donated to support the Delta State Wealth Creation programmes

Rolling stones The breakaway last week of a group that calls itself “Reformed All Progressives Congress” (rAPC) did not come as a surprise to watchers of political happenings in the country. Such characters are in every party to make profit and when the milk is no longer flowing, they check out. Talk of portfolio politicians.

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