BusinessDay 03 May 2020

More mysterious deaths hit Kano, causes yet unknown

Politicians’ views on relaxation of lockdown

Nigeria lags behind SA, Ghana in COVID-19 testing after 5 weeks of 15 lockdown

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Persons with disabilities cry out over neglect in season of lockdown

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Vol 1, No. 311

Cautious optimism

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As Lagos, Ogun, FCT residents return to business Danger still lurking as COVID-19 numbers spike ‘Security agents must live up to their responsibility’ Our major problem is testing - Sam Amadi See page 2 Experts warn of consequences of violating guidelines

Working with Emirates has brought amazing opportunities that I could never have imagined – Odigie 23

COVID-19 couldn’t stop us from shooting ‘Alone Together’ – Arnold, MTV boss 30

Premier League clubs discuss plans to resume season

Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor, (l) receiving award of excellence from Titilola Sodo, Oyo State chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), during the 2020 Workers Day Celebration held at NLC State Secretariat, Ibadan.

PHOTO: Oyo State Government.

Tony Allen, Fela’s chief drummer, passes on ‘Demise not related to COVID-19, but heart attack’ as music stakeholders pay respect to the afrobeat co-founder Obinna Emelike

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midthelockdown, the global music c o m m u n i t y, particularly the

Nigerian music industry and fans are mourning the demise of Tony Oladipo Allen who died on April 30, 2020 in Paris, France.

Allen, who died of heart attack, was the greatest

drummer that ever lived in the world, and most importantly, the co-founder of afrobeat music genre with Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the late afrobeat music legend.

Born in Lagos in 1940, Allen, an ace drummer, composer and songwriter, would have been 80 years this July. He met Fela in 1964, and they went on to record dozens of albums

in Africa ‘70, including ‘Gentleman’ and ‘Zombie’.

As the drummer and musical director of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s band See page 7

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Cautious optimism CHUKA UROKO, OBINNA EMELIKE (Lagos) and INNOCENT ODOH (Abuja)

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ike captives in dire need of freedom, Nigerians resident in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States who have been on lockdown ordered by the Federal Government are looking forward to tomorrow, Monday, May 4, 2020 with uncommon optimism.

These residents can also be likened to soldiers quietly coming out of their bunker, fully aware of lurking danger of enemies in an ambush.

From tomorrow, these locked down Nigerians will begin a gradual return to business following the relaxation of the lockdown as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari during his third nationwide broadcast on Monday, April 27, 2020.

After five straight weeks of being forced to stay at home as part of measures to curtail further spread of the dreaded coronavirus, these hapless Nigerians are optimistic that in line with government’s gradual easing of the lockdown, they will start going to their offices and shops once again.

But that optimism is one laced with caution and apprehension.

The day itself will be an acid test to the courage of many who ordinarily would not dare but for the need to breathe air of freedom.

Freedom is priceless and in all ages people cherish freedom not for its own sake, but for the end it is used to achieve. Some people hardly realise the value of the freedom they have until they are confined, in which case the freedom is taken away forcefully from them.

This explains why the five-week lockdown means different things for different people. While some people see it as a form of punishment spewed out by the government to squeeze them to death, many others see it as a worthwhile measure aimed at saving them from an invisible enemy.

To the later group, though good, this coming day of freedom is one they hope for with caution and trepidation. The fear and caution are not out of place because, according to Mike Ejiofor, former director of State Security Service (SSS), “everybody and everything, including security and road challenges, had been on lockdown. Now, all of them will be out on May 4. It is going to be a chaotic situation in the first three days.”

Ejiofor said that the greatest challenge is that the lockdown is being relaxed at a time when the number of confirmed cases are spiking, posing a huge risk to all stakeholders including the government, the security agencies who will be enforcing safety guidelines, health workers and the people themselves.

To Daniel Eshiet, a self-employed electrical and electronics engineer, who described the lockdown as the five longest and most tortuous weeks of his life, “it is good that government has decided to embark on gradual easing of the lockdown, but like many other Nigerians in

this mess, my fear and concerns remain.”

Thompson Okpoko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), agrees, noting however, that at no time has government been in a more critical dilemma than it is today.

The decision to ease the lockdown, especially in Lagos and Abuja, must have been a tough and difficult one given that these are the ones with highest number of confirmed cases.

The two cities, Lagos and Abuja are the most strategic destinations in Nigeria as commercial and administrative capitals respectively.

Arguably, Lagos is a mini-Nigeria just like William Shakespeare would say, “There are no Verona Walls without the Caplets” (Romeo & Juliet).

Whichever way one looks at the present situation, one sees that the government is really in a difficult situation because, while the government is alarmed at the daily rise in the number of confirmed cases and even deaths, the people are complaining of hunger and the economy is dying gradually.

Nigerians have, in the last one month, seen frightening rise in the number of confirmed cases and even deaths from the deadly virus.

From a total of 174 confirmed cases, nine discoveries and two deaths on April 1, 2020, the numbers have galloped to 1,932 confirmed cases, 319 recoveries and 58 deaths on April 30. Indeed, the month ended with 209 cases which is the highest number recorded so far.

In its apparent confusion, the government wants to save the people and also save the economy which is why, according to Okpoko, “it had to strike a very delicate balance between the need to remove the restriction so that people can get what they can eat and the need to restrict and prevent further spread of the virus.”

But, however tight the situation is, both the government and the people have to be cautious in their hope. It is clear from the body language of the government that it is being ruled by fear. Government is as concerned about public health as it is about the economy which, indeed, is not misplaced.

Nigeria needs good public health, but having a sound, functioning economy is also a good thing.

But as many countries including Nigeria, prepare to ease the lockdown, they should consider the events in countries that have just lifted their restrictions. For instance, Ghana, which eased three weeks lockdown in major cities of the country on April 20, 2020, cited progress made in containing the virus and impact on the poor and vulnerable as reasons for the action.

Unfortunately, from 1,043 cases record as at April 19, 2020, Ghana has 1,671 cases as at April 30, 2020, implying an increase of over 600 new cases within 10 days. A day before easing the lockdown on April 30, 2020, South Africa reported 354 new cases, the highest number of cases in a 24-hour cycle, and a 73 percent increase on the day before, the health department said in a tweet. The country is now seeing spike in the numbers with 5,350 cases as at April 30, 2020.

L-R: Tope Oguniyan; Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State deputy governor; Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor, and Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, during the opening of Isolation Centre for the Coronavirus treatment at the Gbagada General Hospital, on Friday, May 1, 2020.

Germany is also regretting easing the lockdown as infection rate, which sank as low as 0.7 since midApril has started inching up again after the easing. With 156,337 cases, Germany fears that one person could infect 1.1 others making the country to reach the limit of its health system before October.

The country is mulling a new round of lockdown with decision to be taken May 6, 2020. Going by Germany’s experience, it seems better to endure the pains of the lockdown than to open the doors to more deaths in the land.

Obviously, the spike in the number of new cases should give grave concerns to countries at the verge of easing their lockdown.

Moreover, if they fail to learn from the spikes across countries after easing restrictions, then history will sadly repeat itself.

The influenza pandemic of 1918 is a case study. The 12,000 people who died within six weeks, would have lived if the rally for Fourth Liberty Loan Drive where 200,000 people gathered to celebrate an impending allied victory in World War did not hold. Despite the increased infiltration of the disease among the civilian population, medical officers and government allowed the parade to hold resulting in the affliction of an estimated 45,000 Philadelphians with the influenza in week before the huge death toll in six weeks.

This is exactly the precarious situation the world is in today with the decision to ease lockdown now and reap deaths, or tighten further to save lives.

Also, the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720 proved that relaxing the guards now can cause the world its peace as it did in some centuries ago in Marseille, France.

Like most governments now who are lifting restrictions to aid the economy recovery, in 1720, the deputy mayor of Marseille lifted the quarantine on a ship at the port in Marseille to ‘help the economy’, but at the peril of the inhabitants.

According to history, a strange infection was killing people on the ship and it was quarantined. But

the government of Marseille felt they could not afford to lose all the valuable goods on the ship as it would destroy the economy, hence lifted the quarantine to save the economy.

Sadly, as they lifted the quarantine and moved the goods into the city of Marseille, they moved in the infection, many got infected and 100,000 people died, more than half of Marseille. It is like 10 million people dying in Lagos just because of taking the wrong decision.

Are governments across the world taking wrong decisions in easing the lockdown?

But this may have come at a cost, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, noted that countries should ensure they have the capacity to detect, test, isolate and care for any confirmed cases as they ease restrictions.

“Lifting so-called lockdown restrictions is not the end of the epidemic in any country, it’s just the beginning of the next phase,” he said.

Amina Musa, a telecom engineer, decried that with the spike in Lagos and Kano and new cases in states that have no case before now, she expected the Federal Government to extend the lockdown for another two weeks with stricter compliance.

“I was hoping for a national lockdown because the country cannot afford to handle huge numbers when the pandemic spreads like wildfire across the country. The rising cases in Ghana and South Africa should warn us from relaxing too soon”, she alarmed.

Toeing same line, Emeka Onyenonachi, a commercial lawyer, noted that despite the pains and sufferings, especially by the masses during the lockdown, the best decision would be extension as that is the only way to cut the curve and reduce the spread of the virus.

“We are all, suffering the impact of the lockdown. I think government should extend it beyond May 2 going by the spike and realities in countries that have eased the lock-

down. But government should look out for the poor and cushion the impact while extending it”, he said.

As well, Willie Boatah, a Ghanaian businessman, faults his president’s decision to ease the lockdown on April 20th.

“The President’s announcement was a surprise to me because I was expecting an extension following a spike in the number of confirmed cases across the country. Now the numbers are rising again and they may reconsider their decision on easing the lockdown”, Boatah said.

Meanwhile, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the body that co-ordinates pandemic responses across the continent, has confirmed that the lockdowns have played a role in reducing new cases in Africa.

“Without the lockdown, we would have seen a more explosive outbreak,” John Nkengasong, director of the centre, disclosed.

According to him, it is not just the lockdown itself, but also what else you do during that period.

“You intensify your testing, your isolation and your contact tracing so that when you unlock the system at least you have created a huge impact on the virus spread.”

On the reason for the spike in places where lockdown has been eased, Matshidiso Moeti of the WHO said that, “We have observed that physical distancing, including the prohibition of mass gatherings, took some time to happen”.

Sam Amadi, a senior lecturer with Baze University, in Abuja, said: “There is credible fear that we might see a spike in the number of infection. First, we should note that we are ramping up testing. This means that we will have more cases. More tests generally mean more cases.

The difference is the rate of infection.”

“So, we will see a lot more cases in the future whether we unlock or continue to lockdown. The issue is whether the unlocking will aggravate the rate of infection. I think the answer is yes. We will see a lot more infection primarily because the social distancing rule and Continues on Page 5

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News COVID-19: Businesses must embrace tech solutions to cut cost, optimise performance

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only drive these costs down by working with an MPS provider of repute. Arit of Africa is a renowned leader in MPS. We have proven competence and technical expertise to help businesses drive down costs and improve savings. “ Th e b e n e f i t s w i l l drastically reduce inefficiency on the part of the staff as a considerable part of their time will be focused on the goals and objectives of the company, ultimately increasing staff productivity levels. Information and print security are guaranteed with MPS”, he explains.

According to Ogunsola, the goal is to achieve a reduction in expenditure and free up capital to invest in areas that will increase competitiveness, productivity and profitability.

MPS provide these reductions, as it involves taking control of a company’s printing in order to save costs and allow a company to focus

on her core competence.

Ogunsola explains that MPS is a comprehensive solution guaranteed to transform a company’s printing operations. The services are flexible enough to allow organizations to adopt solutions best suited for them. The main objective of MPS is to save money.

He informs that like most businesses and organizations will experience unprecedented behavioural changes in the market, customers, employees’ expectations, technological innovations and security threats post COVID-19, these changes would necessitate a budget cuts and the need for cautious spending by organisations.

The business goals and modern networks are now interwoven and technology powers new digital transformation initiatives and processes. Because of this, he emphasised another solution worthy of adoption

is the Business Process Automation (BPA).

Since today’s automation platforms employ innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Le a r n i n g t o p e r f o r m increasingly complicated and repetitive tasks in businesses that require a greater degree of human engagement.

“BPA is the better and more intelligent approach to cost containment and reductions for businesses while increasing efficiency across board. Businesses in Nigeria must leverage different areas of BPA to reduce operational costs and increase productivity, availability, reliability, performance and efficiency”, he says.

According to him, IT professionals need to bridge the gap between what the businesses really need and what the network delivers in terms of scalability, operational effectiveness and security.

Provost hails Ikpeazu on post Covid-19 Committees Godfrey Ofurum

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he Provost of Abia State College of Education ( Te c h n i c a l ) , Arochukwu, Philips Nto, has described as visionary the constitution of two post COVID-19 Economic Committees by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to prepare the state for the end of the pandemic.

Nto noted that the Advisory and Technical Committees empanelled by the governor were proactive measures intended to insulate the state from the economic vagaries of post COVID-19.

In a statement he signed and released in Arochukwu,

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Gbemi Faminu usinesses and organisations must embrace technology that will promote costsaving, operational efficiency and increase performance as the country prepares for the impending economic recession post coronavirus.

Fo r e m o s t i n d u s t r y analyst at Gartner has revealed recently that by implementing a technology solution like the Managed Print Services businesses can provide immediate savings of up to 30% on print-related expenses. These cost-saving tactics can be achieved when businesses and organisations pay less for paper, ink, consumables and purchase fewer devices as well as use less energy and maintain or repair fewer devices.

Olusola Ogunsola , chief technology officer/ executive director of Arit of Africa, has lent his voice to this report, saying that organisations and business owners must deploy technology solutions that will help their businesses to survive the post-COVID-19 economic recession.

He says that to survive the expected economic recession, businesses and organisations need to cut down on their expenditure, both operational and capital. “ Th e c o s t - c u t t i n g measures derivable from MPS boils down to the cost of the machines, consumables, repair, replacement of parts and maintenance. You can

DBN donates N100m towards COVID-19 fight

N t o, w h o i s a f o r m e r Commissioner for Finance in the state, noted that Abia was gifted with a governor that not only thinks and plans ahead but also is worried about their economic future.

It is exhilarating that in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Ikpeazu is still forging ahead with state matters including the delicate issue of securing the economic future of Ndi Abia, he said.

According to Nto, by reaching out to world-class economists and financial experts like Ngozi OkonjoIweala and Arunma Oteh to be on the Advisory Committee, governor Ikpeazu has demonstrated to the people that he is serious with the project.

Nto also commended the

choice of Aham Uko as the chairman of the Technical Committee, and described him as a world-class financial expert who had brought back confidence to the state’s economy as the current Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning.

Ikpeazu

The Provost said the governor’s unparalleled commitment to the welfare of Abia people had also been demonstrated through prompt payment of salaries and pensions as well as release of subventions, even in the midst of the COVID-19 challenges.

The former commissioner enjoined all technocrats in the state to research and submit papers to the government and the technical committee on practical ways to insulate Abia State from the effect of the Post COVID-19 realities.

He also pleaded with the people to continue to support the Ikpeazu’s administration in all the measures it was taking to safeguard them against the rampaging pandemic.

he Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Plc, a development finance institution, established by the Federal Government in collaboration with global development partners to address key financing challenges faced

by Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, has announced a donation of N100 million towards the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

To n y O k p a n a c h i , managing director and chief executive officer of the bank, who announced the donation, said it was a demonstration of the bank’s commitment to the fight againstCOVID-19pandemic that has infected over 2.6 million people globally.

“I wish to express the bank’sprofoundappreciation for the measures introduced by the Federal Government and the initiatives of mobilisingresourcestowards controlling the spread of the disease in Nigeria.

“The donation is borne out of our sincere concern and commitment towards

curtailing the spread of the deadly COVID-19 and finding a lasting solution to the pandemic,” Okpanachi said.

H e d e s c r i b e d F G ’s invitation to all Nigerians to support the fight against the pandemic as a clarion call that must be heeded for a better Nigeria.

According to him, the fight against COVID-19 is indeed a fight for all of humanity, hence the need to heed the clarion call to come together and demonstrate commitment towards eradicating the deadly pandemic for a better, safer and more resilient country.

While expressing his optimism for a quick and successful eradication of the disease, not only in Nigeria, but in the world at large, the DBN’s managing director prayed for all those who, in one way or the other, have been affected by the pandemic.

“Our prayers are with the infected persons, those who have lost their lives to the disease and their bereaved families, the medical personnel at the forefront of this battle, as well as, all those who are managing the efforts of the government in the fight against this pandemic,” he stated.

Abia inaugurates special COVID-19 mobile court UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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bia State government has inaugurated a s p e c i a l Covid-19 mobile court to try those who infringe on government’s directives regarding the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

Justice Onuoha Ogwe, Chief Judge of the state, while inaugurating the courts which are to cover the three zones of the state, disclosed that mobile court was not a new court in itself but meant to handle cases arising as a result of the corona virus in the state especially movement of people.

According to him, the focus should be on noncustodian sentences, stressing that the court should concentrate on those who breach on the state’s Covid-19 law.

To t h a t e f f e c t , h e charged the Magistrates of the mobile court to impose reasonable fine

or community service on offenders as the essence of government in setting up the mobile courts was to ensure that government laws were respected.

Ogwe implored the Magistrates of the court to be sensitive and patriotic as well as to keep an eye on their supportive staff to ensure that they do not make corrupt arrangements.

The chief judge, who reminded them that they were chosen because of their credibility, also told them to pay into the state government account all revenues realised.

Responding on behalf of others magistrates, Lawrence Okite of Ohafia zone thanked the chief judge for finding them fit to serve and promised to discharge their responsibilities to the best of their abilities and in line with the aspirations of the state government.

Magistrate Emmanuel Ukaegbu is in charge of Aba zone while Magistrate Chuks Nwankpa is in charge of Umuahia zone.

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News

NCDC commends Uzodinma’s effort in fighting Omogiafo, Transcorp Group CEO, unveils COVID-19, calls for more tests on Imo people new strategic vision at company’s AGM SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

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hikwe Ihekweazu, the directorgeneral of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has commended Governor Hope Uzodinma for the measures and efforts so far taken in fighting to stem the spread of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 in the state. He also urged that more tests should be done on the people.

Ihekweazu, who was in the state to inspect facilities on ground for the containment of the coronavirus in the state, said he was confident that necessary things had been put in place in the state for the fight.

On his part, Governor Uzodimma, who noted that the coronavirus pandemic has made great nations look helpless, expressed satisfaction with the level of work and success recorded by the NCDC despite the medical and health constraints of the nation.

He noted the need to test more people for the virus,

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Uzodinma

calling on the NCDC to establish a test Centre in the state to expedite the process of testing the collected samples.

The governor also said that the Orlu Teaching Hospital, which presently has a 200-bed ultra modern Isolation Centre and other facilities could be used to house a laboratory for COVID-19 test and

solicited for more support and help from NCDC, just as he urged the agency to partner with the state government in strengthening the system to be more prepared and alert.

The Governor thanked the NCDC DG for sending a team which is presently doing great job in training some medical and technical personnel in the state.

Cautious optimism Continued from Page 2 other preventive measures are more difficult to enforce when people return to normal business and social life. Is that policy the right one in the present circumstances? Well, many people take different views,” he said.

According to him, “We can argue that perhaps, we could have left the lockdown for more weeks to further observe the spread of the disease. But the problem is that our increase in testing is too slow because of logistics and resources constraints. So, locking down will mean that people will suffer endlessly. The NCDC is projecting three months of testing. Will you lockdown till three months?

Impossible! The truth is that lockdown is almost a deathly option for very poor countries and those that don’t have strong systems of social security.”

Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Ibrahim Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, lamented that there was no scientific research done in Nigeria to establish whether the lockdown had hindered the spread or is even helping the spread of the virus.

“So, the easing of the lock-

down and the lockdown has not been scientifically and medically proven in Nigeria; we are only copying what other countries are doing,” he said, adding that the Nigerian health system is struggling with the pandemic because of the protracted corruption in the Nigerian health system.

“What has happened in Nigeria is that because of the protracted corruption and mismanagement in the health care system Nigeria is not proud to talk about its own initiative, its own efforts because they have corrupted the healthcare system,” he said.

Rafsanjani however, enjoined government to ensure that no mass gathering is taking place in all the states and in all the local governments and in the communities. He tasked Nigerians to imbibe sanitary and healthy living and wear the masks, practise social distancing and avoid large gatherings.

Contributing, the Executive Director of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Ibuchukwu Ezike, told BDSUNDAY that the nation could not have coped with another option of lockdown, saying, “no sane and conscientious person would have suggested extension of the lockdown.”

He noted that coping with pandemic has been a difficult

and serious issue, more so, as the government and its institutions are weak, not coordinated and not committed to serious business of good governance.

“If we should be able to address this big challenge, the NCDC, Presidential Task Force, medical personnel, especially those in the public health institutions, including retired but not tired ones both federal and state, should be recalled and moved into the field. Duty posts should be established in strategic places in all the states say, for example, at market and office gates, and in all places where there is mass movement of people where these medical officers will be running tests on the people as they pass,” Ezike said.

“This is how it is done in most places in the world where successes against coronavirus are being recorded. China is a typical instance in this case. All para-security agents like neighborhood watch, forest guards, Boys’ Scout, Girls’ Guide, Man O’ War etc should be mobilised to assist in this emergency.

Like I said earlier, it is a herculean task but with this and other credible approaches that other Nigerians and government would propose, if judiciously executed, will help us out,” he added.

wen Omogiafo, president/Group CEO of Transcorp, has set out a strategic ambition, whilst also committing to safeguarding shareholders’ interests by ensuring improved dividends.

Omogiafo, who was recently appointed as the Group CEO with a team of subsidiary CEOs, stated that the new management team was dedicated to delivering and exceeding the strategic objectives of the company, rooted in its founding vision and expressed in its corporate purpose of ‘Improving Lives, Transforming Nigeria’.

She made this known during the company’s annual general meeting (AGM), saying, “In Hospitality, we will deepen and expand our market share by deploying an asset light strategy, leveraging best in class technology and continuously drive the highest service standards. In Power, we target completing the ongoing transaction for the 100percent acquisition of another power plant in the gas rich Niger Delta Region of Nigeria – Afam Genco, this year.

“This will enhance our play in the power space, with increased generation capacity, revenue and profitability.”

According to her, “Our drive to diversify our energy mix will also continue, with a focus on renewable energy and off grid solutions. We will continue to monitor developments in the oil and gas

space, while making the best decisions in the interest of the company and its shareholders regarding the development of our oil and gas asset, OPL 281. Working with the MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Dupe Olusola and the MD/CEO, Transcorp Power Ltd, Chris Ezeafulukwe, and all our highly committed staff and partners, we are well positioned as a group to continue to deliver great value for our shareholders”.

Addressing the shareholders, the Chairman, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, Tony O. Elumelu, commended the efforts of the government in combatting the scourge of COVID-19 and reiterated the importance of synergy between the private sector and government, in stemming the spread of the global pandemic.

“I’ve often said that our commitment to improving lives and transforming Nigeria is a lifelong one. Those words are truer today than ever, as we partner with State and Federal authorities to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, while our businesses seek to cushion

Omogiafo

its impact for Nigerians in their course of operation,” Elumelu said.

Shareholders congratulated the Board and management for the resilient performance achieved in 2019, despite the challenging environment. They welcomed the diversified earnings provided by the Group, Nigeria’s leading listed conglomerate, the largest power generator in Nigeria, operator of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest hotel and a growing natural resources player.

It was the 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Group. It was held online, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a corporate first in Nigeria. Shareholders participated in the meeting through proxies and a total of 129 proxies representing holders of 21,450,062,121 ordinary shares of the company voted on the resolutions proposed by the directors to the shareholders.

The meeting was the first full virtual AGM to be held by any listed company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Shareholders viewed the decision to hold the AGM virtually, as a demonstration of the proactiveness of the company, efficiently and effectively channeling company resources.

The Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Boniface Okezie said in his comments during the meeting, “This virtual AGM - the first of its kind for a publicly listed company in Nigeria, reflects the level of innovation and technology adoption in our company.

This is truly exciting!”

Group condemns increased cases of human rights abuse Ngozi Okpalakunne

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he South Eastern Human Rights Situation Room, a coalition of NGOs, has expressed concern over escalating cases of human rights abuses by the security agencies in the country.

A statement signed and made available by the coordinator of the coalition working in the South East Nigeria, Prof.

Ngozi Ezeilo, observed that the abuse has been on the increase since the coronavirus lockdown order.

The release also stated that there have been reported cases of extrajudicial killings, extortion, maiming, unlawful arrest, torture, and incessant intimidation of Nigerian citizens by men of Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Correctional Service, COVID-19 Task Force and men of vigi-

lante services.

Quoting a report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), it said: “18 persons have been killed by security agencies extra-judicially in the guise of enforcing the lockdown order. This whooping figure is double the figure killed by the pandemic for which Nigerian citizens are being protected.

“In the document released, out of this number, 12 deaths were recorded in Kaduna State. Abia State also recorded 2 deaths arising from 2 incidents while Delta, Niger, Ebonyi and Katsina States recorded 1 death each, in comparison to the death of about 11 patients recorded as of 14th day of April 2020, in Nigeria.

“The report further shows that out of the 18 deaths, the Nigeria Correctional Service was responsible for 8 deaths while the Nigeria Police Force was responsible for 7 deaths.

The Nigeria Army, on the other hand, was responsible for 2 deaths while the Ebonyi State Task Force on Covid-19, Afikpo South LGA was responsible for 1 death.”

Since the release of this report by the NHRC, the statement noted that the incidences of death from extra-judicial killings and other human rights violations have shot up in the South East Zone and elsewhere in Nigeria.

The release further read, “This shows that law enforcement personnel killed citizens in some states of the South Eastern states that have not even recorded any death attributable to coronavirus pandemic.Thisisunacceptable in a 21stcenturysocietypracticing constitutional democracy.

“Of particular mention is the killing of a middle-aged man identified as Friday Arumsi at Ebem Ohafia in Ohafia L.G.A. of Abia State on Saturday 18th April, 2020 by a trigger-happy officer.

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News

Structural defect cause of East Street road failure - Contractor

Nigeria, Jamaica celebrate 50 years of bilateral ties, strengthen efforts against COVID-19

…Pledges to deliver road in two weeks

Innocent Odoh, Abuja

GODFREY OFURUM, Aba

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ngoing rehabilitation work on the failed portion of East Street road, Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, will be completed in the next two weeks, Stanley Ubani, an engineer with Track Care Global Construction Nigeria Limited, contractors to the project, says.

Ubani in an interaction with BDSUNDAY in Aba, attributed the failure of the said portion of the road, which has an underground water channel to structural defect.

He observed that the

original contractors raised the water channel with a hole-block and without reinforcement.

According to him, “It was structured with nine-inches-hole-block with a slab without reinforcement. For a layman, they did not use iron-rods to reinforce the drain. They used only blocks, chippings, cement, sand and water to construct the water channel.

“So, the road has served the users for a long time and this is the time for it to tell them that it was not properly built.

“It was a mistake by those that constructed the road.

There is no way someone will do a road like this without

reinforcement. So, that is what made the road to fail”, he stated.

He however, noted that they were awarded the contract to fix the road and correct the mistake made by the original builders.

“We will build it with reinforcement, so that it will not happen again. We are doing it to standard and we are guaranteeing that it won’t fail again”.

He promised that the road would be ready for pedestrians before the end of the week, while motorists can access it in the next 14 days.

He advised traders and other residents to desist from dumping refuse into the drainages to allow easy flow

of storm water, to sustain the drains and prevent flooding of the area.

Recall that a commercial bus had fallen into the ditch two weeks ago, after that portion of the road caved in following a heavy downpour.

Although the driver of the vehicle came out unhurt, he lost the day’s proceeds and mobile phone, to hoodlums, who attacked him rather than rescue him from the accident.

The incident, which occurred at a point where East Street storm water connects to the Aba River, has prevented commuters and other residents from accessing Aba city centre, from Aba/IkotEkpene road.

Daniel Victor, driver of the vehicle, explained that the incident occurred at about10.00pm on Saturday, when he was going home after the day’s work.

In his words, “Actually this incident happened around after 10.00pm, when I was returning from work. The rain was very heavy. The first rain came and stopped and I decided to go home before the second rain catched up with me.

“I passed through the road in the day and when I was driving, I never had it in mind that the place had demarcated. I was not on a high speed, because it was raining, but I didn’t see the hole, because I wasn’t expecting such.

“When I saw it suddenly, I held my break, but it was too late, then water dragged me in and I fell into the ditch.”

Abia COVID-19 taskforce intercepts vehicle loaded with suspected cannabis UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

T

he Abia State combined team of the Covid-19 taskforce and youths of Ogbudiukwu have intercepted a Siena car conveying bags of weeds suspected to be cannabis at Ogbudiukwu in Umuahia South Local Government Area.

Chris Ezem, secretary to the State Government and Taskforce on Inter-ministerial Committee on COVID-19, while briefing the press on

the development, said that investigation had shown the identity of the driver of the car that was accosted before he abandoned the vehicle and fled. He said that the law would take its course on the victim.

Ezem disclosed that apart from the suspected Indian helm, there was a cash of 102 thousand naira found in the car. He urged all to continue to support the efforts of the State government in the lockdown. He equally informed that the inter-state traveling has already been banned.

Also speaking, Dan Okoli, the State Commissioner for Homeland Security, and the Transition Committee Chairman, Umuahia South LGA, Ndukwe Adindu said they were happy with the men at the borders as they were committed to their duties which made them to accost the vehicle.

They called on the youths to shun all forms of crime and live according to the laws of the land and saluted the security agencies for the collaboration that resulted to seizure of the illicit drugs.

Akinbede Bamidele, the State Commandant, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in his speech, stated that the samples of the materials would be taken to Abuja for forensic analysis while trial would commence soon.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations in the State, Alfa Jibril said that the DPO in charge of Umuopara, Helen Nze led a team to hunt for the driver, who abandoned his vehicle and flew away.

N

igeria and Jamaica have pledged to strengthen collaboration against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic as both countries commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between them, which was established on 29 April 1970.

Indications to this development emerged when Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and his Jamaican counterpart, Kamina Johnson Smith, exchanged congratulatory messages in Abuja recently.

Speaking during the brief ceremony,Onyeamalamented that the occasion was held against the backdrop of global catastrophe and disaster of COVID-19 pandemic that is devastating the whole world.

“It is really a source of great joy to celebrate this milestone against a sad backdrop. Nevertheless, throughout the year, we will be organising other events to mark this occasion and certainly we would seek to work together to find a way to overcome this great scourge on humanity that is the COVID-19 pandemic,” Onyeama said.

The Minister noted that 50 years of diplomatic relations between Nigerian and Jamaica is something both countries are proud of because the two countries

share common blood ties, cultural and historical ties, trade and investment, technology, tourism and arts.

Both counties also collaborate also on multilateral levels being members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

“In the area of tourism, Jamaica is a world leader and this is one area that Nigeria more and more is very keen to get involved in. We will be looking at people- to-people contact, shared history and common route. It is only appropriate that we should be seeing more of each other and visitingeachother’scountries.

In the area of trade we will like to see an increase in trade relations between our two countries and also greater cooperation in multilateral areas,” the Minister said.

The 64-year-old Enugu state-born Foreign Minister said that this year there would be all kinds of celebrations, which include the 4th Joint Commission and also trade commission between the two countries.

The Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was represented by the High Commissioner of Jamaica to Nigeria, Esmond Reid, said his country values the relationship with Nigeria tremendously at the bilateral and multilateral context in various arenas and will continue to do so even now at this time the world is facing the global coronavirus pandemic which is a big challenge.

Covid-19: JOHESU demands equal hazard allowance for health workers Ngozi Okpalakunne

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oint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has called on the Federal Government to be dispassionate in the approval and disbursement of wages to health workers in Nigeria.

A statement singed and made available by the chairman of the union, Joy Bio Josiah also called for more reliable template for the structuring of hazard allowance for health workers in the post Covid-19 era.

It could be recalled that on April 21, 2020, the FG facilitated a temporary memorandum of understanding (MoU) with some health sector professional bodies based on a proposal tabled by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) which brought in some of its affiliate professional associations on the table.

According to the statement, JOHESU, which was

not originally slated to be a part of the meeting, was invited to the latter stages of the deliberation which was to sign an already formulated MoU by the NMA. It frowned at NMA’s decision to present selective list of Health workers that will benefit from COVID-19 hazard allowances, insisting that the entire value chain of health workers including non-clinical staff must be beneficiaries of the hazard allowances.

The release also observed that not all doctors are equally exposed to the air, surfaces and persons carrying coronavirus and therefore, demanded equal pay per hour.

It alleged that NMA, aimed to structure a continued dominance as well as create new exclusive benefit packages for its members and claimed that the professional Associations that teamed-up with NMA were not aware of the details of the meeting.

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News

Kwara to focus on high-impact projects, cut cost of governance

K

SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

wara State Government will now focus on projects with immediate impacts on the wellbeing of the people, including social investment programmes, healthcare, and school rehabilitation, Finance Commissioner, Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi has said.

Oyeyemi, who spoke with reporters in the state capital Ilorin against the backdrop of the just concluded budget review sessions across the MDAs, said Kwara is aligning government spending with available resources in the face of dwindling allocation from Abuja and internally generated revenue (IGR).

“The focus will now be on projects that would have instant impacts on the living standard of the masses.

There will be cut in the cost of governance especially overhead costs and some capital projects,” she said.

She linked the revenue drop to the global COV-

AbdulRazaq

ID-19 pandemic and the recent price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, adding that the review means that there would be sizeable cut in overhead cost and capital projects in line with the economic realities.

“We had a budget of N162.84bn for 2020. But it is clear now that our allocation and what we expected will no longer be feasible, it is better we cut our coat according to the available cloth.

“All we are doing now is preserving the state’s

ACPN calls for engament of community pharmacists in data gathering, Covid-19 testing Ngozi Okpalakunne

A

ssociation of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to engage their members in community data gathering and COVID-19 testing with Rapid Molecular Diagnostic stripe.

A statement signed and made available to B D S U N D AY b y t h e chairman of the Association, Samuel Oluwaorompin Adekola also stressed the need for the community pharmacists to benefit from the distribution of the personal protective equipment (PPE) and every other palliative designed for the healthcare sector in this Covid-19 era.

According to the statement, today in Africa, Nigeria has conducted less than 15,000 tests compared to Ghana, which has done close to 70,000 tests, South Africa with over 100,000 tests and Egypt with close to 60,000 It however, attributed

this set back to the Nigerian government failure to engage the private sector, particularly community pharmacies and the preponderance of private laboratories.

“The healthcare sector, especially in the downstream prominently positioned Community Pharmacies as a veritable instrument for positive healthcare interventions in our nation just as in other economies.

“Finding a favourable and low-priced funding has been a big barrier to the growth and continuous existence of Community Pharmacy endeavours in Nigeria, worse still is the challenge of products prices astronomical increase that has characterised the COVID-19 era across the globe”, the statement added.

While appreciating the recent federal government intervention through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the N100billion intervention fund established for essential services, Adekola in the statement said,

wealth to take care of major expenses of the state like first line expenses - salaries and taking care of the poor and provide for the completion of the ongoing projects,” she said.

According to her, “Area that we will still look into is education sector because we will be providing alternative for classroom learning. Also, the present administration has embarked on several water projects which must not stop because at such a time like this, our people need potable water.

“As a government, we have decided to reduce the cost of governance and there will be a sizeable reduction in our overhead cost to focus on other pressing areas.”

She explained that the report from the budget review is being collated to a whole document that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq will then forward to the House of Assembly for passage.

Oyeyemi, however, disclosed that the state government has resolved to release allocation figures from Abuja and IGR on a quarterly basis to coincide with the statutory issuance of quarterly budget implementation report.

“In this wise, the $5m (N1.8bn) that we have just received on Monday on account of our compliance with the World Bank-assisted State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability for Result (SFTAS) will be captured in the second quarter budget implementation report as required under the law,” she said.

NVRI confirms outbreak of African swine fever in Abia GODFREY OFURUM, Aba

T

he National Veterinary Research institute (NVRI) Vom, Plateau State, in collaboration with the Federal and State Ministry of Agriculture, has confirmed the outbreak of African swine fever in Abia State.

The Director Vet. Services and Chief Vet. Officer Queen. N. Nwokocha who disclosed this in a statement issued on behalf of the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ikechi Ngboji, said the disease is not a zoonotic one, but can cause very serious economic and production losses.

The statement asked farmers and vendors of pig/ pork to report cases of African Swine fever (ASF) to veterinary Service Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Umuahia for rapid response.

“The under-listed signs

should be watched: fever, lack of appetite, purple discolorations of the skin, cough, diarrhea and sudden abortion in pregnancy”, it said.

It further directed all road side pork vendors to discontinue selling at their various points and temporarily relocate to the disinfected pig market at Apumiri Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area (LGA), to avoid further spread of the virus, to enable the ministry disinfect such areas to stem further spread of the disease.

According to the statement, “The present administration under the able leadership of Governor Okezie Victor lkpeazu, through the ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with relevant agencies are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the total prevention of further spread of the virus to other pig farms in the state.”

Structural engineer suspects adverse environmental conditions, others as causes of Imo building collapse SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

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hukwudi Obasi, a structural engineer and the managing director/ chief executive officer of OBCHUKSUM Engineering Nigeria Limited, has attributed “over exposure to adverse environmental conditions” among other factors that may have caused the recent collapse of an eight-storey building under construction in Owerri, Imo State.

Recall that about 50 persons were trapped inside an on-going eight-storey build-

ing project last Thursday, evening as the building collapsed at Musa Yar’Adua Drive, near Everyday Supermarket, World Bank Housing Estate in Owerri, Imo State capital.

At the time of filing this story, four persons had been confirmed dead, and rescue operation was still going on.

BDSUNDAY gathered that the collapsed building belonged to an Oguta-born man, simply identified as Victor, who is said to reside in France.

He was said to have visited Nigeria two months ago and was also at the site to

see the extent to which the project was progressing.

According to Obasi, “This structure in question has been abandoned for the past eight years and had not been roofed, thereby exposing the structure to severe adverse environmental conditions which have not been considered during the design stage.”

The structural engineer also said that the structure may have been overloaded more than what was proposed during design stage.

“The underestimation of loading during design stage may have cause the col-

lapse,” he said.

According to him, “Improper use of structure; the structure might have been put to use for an unintended purpose with loads greater than what was assumed for it during the design stage and use of substandard materials”. The expert further suspected that several other factors which might have combined to cause the huge damage, include, “Improper supervision during the construction; use of quacks for supervision, faulty structural design, negligence, bribery and corruption from approving authorities.”

Gregory University Uturu donates medical equipment, food items to Imo SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

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ugustine Uwakwe, a professor and Acting Vice Chancellor (Ag.VC) of Gregory University Uturu, in Abia State has led a delegation with gifts of mercy to the Governor Hope Uzodinma in Imo State to help it to give in a frontal battle to the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.

The delegation from the Gregory University, Uturu

(GUU) delivered 250 COVID-19 Test Kits, Two Thermal Digital Infra-Red Thermometers, 600 bottles of GUU Comprehensive Hand Sanitizers, 150 bottles of GUU Sniff-Sniff, 50 bottles of GUU Herbal Honey, 50 bottles of GUU Adonis Yellow, 50 cartons of instant Noodles and 100 pieces of Nose Masks.

The delegation also comprised the GUU fumigation team, kitted with chemicals

for decontamination of public places for four days as part of efforts to help the state in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Uzodimma thanked the University and its Chancellor, Gregory Ibe for the gifts and show of love and support given to the state at this trying time.

Uzodimma described the Chancellor and proprietor of the University as a worthy

son who has always been available anytime there is a challenge confronting the South East, not only through financial support, but also services.

While assuring the management of the institution that their donation will be put to good use, the governor reiterated his resolve to fight the coronavirus disease to a standstill in the state by engaging in proactive and resourceful measures.

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BDSUNDAY 7

NewsFeature Tony Allen, Fela’s chief drummer, passes on Continued from Page 1

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frica ‘70 from 1968 to 1979, Allen was one of the primary cofounders of the genre of afrobeat music and Fela once stated that “without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat”.

He has also been described by Brian Eno, a music icon, as “perhaps, the greatest drummer who has ever lived.”

Aside being the inventor of the rhythms that underpinned Afrobeat, Allen recorded more than 30 albums with Fela and Africa ‘70, as well as, three solo recordings: Jealousy (‘75), Progress (‘77), No Accommodation For Lagos (‘79) before leaving Africa ‘70 in 1979 in search of his own sound. In 1980, he formed No Discrimination, his own group.

He recorded and performed in Lagos until emigrating to London in 1984, then later moved to Paris where he lived until his death on Thursday April 30, 2020.

Last December, Allen was in Nigeria for three weeks, and hosted live performances for his forthcoming 80th birthday anniversary in July 2020.

Speaking on the demise of Allen, Benson Idonije, ace broadcaster, music critic and first band manager of Fela Kuti, noted that Allen was the leading Afrobeat drummer with unmatched dexterity and that with his death, that phenomenon has disappeared.

“Tony Allen was the pioneering rhythm maker for Afroabeats as the ace drummer of Fela’s band. While Fela Kuti was known as the reference point in Afroabeats, Allen created the rhythm and rhythm plays

Tony Allen performing in Lagos last December

a very important part in Afroabeats”, Idonije said.

According to the former band manager of Fela Kuti, all the people Allen had influenced with his drumming skills will miss him, while the music world would miss his contributions to quality rhythm and music.

In his tribute to the late legend, Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, legendary Nigerian musician, former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and old associate of Allen, said, “Tony Allen was a great human being, a good musician, very helpful and wonderful friend. We will miss a five-star

Tee Mac with Tony Allen during his visit last December

drummer who was out there in the world making Nigeria proud. He was professional and not like the jokers we have today”.

Tee Mac recalled his last encounter with Allen on December 26, 2019 when he performed alongside Allen in his prebirthday party show in Lagos.

“He was in Nigeria last year for three weeks to celebrate his forthcoming 80th birthday, I performed with him as a friend and that was the last time I saw him. It was a reunion and great fun for both of us”, Tee Mac said.

Tee Mac further described Allen, who had been his friend since 1970, and also worked for his band for a year when he

Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Tony Allen years ago

left Fela in 1983, as “a five-class human being, and a great musician”.

Also in his tribute, Ayo Sadare, CEO, Inspiro Productions and organiser of Lagos Jazz Festival, noted that Nigeria and the world has lost an authentic music icon of the afrobeat genre, an influential cultural and musical ambassador in Tony Allen.

The CEO of Inspiro Productions, who partnered with Zome International & Metroventures to organise a tribute concert on December 29, 2019 in the honor of Tony Allen at Reserve Lounge, Restaurant & Bar in Victoria Island Lagos, described Allen as a fantastic soul. “Allen was a legend who was active with a career that spanned over six decades and was relevant on the global jazz scene right till his recent passing having just released a posthumous album with another African Jazz Legend Hugh Masekela on Nick Gold’s world circuit records”, Inspiro Productions CEO said.

Speaking on the tribute concert, Sadare said, it was a resounding success.

“Uncle Tony was elated. He was happy to be back among his people and celebrated like that. He announced to the crowd that he wanted to do this more often.

We planned to bring him to the Lagos International Jazz Festival 2020, which we dedicated to him, Victor Olaiya, & Manu Dibango.”, Sadare further said.

For Gboyega Adelaja, a veteran musician and contemporary of Allen, a whole book would not be enough to talk about Tony Allen. His greatest achievements, according to Adelaja, are found in his profound contributions towards Fela’s afrobeat, which has now become a music genre and, of course, his own personal development and success as one of the greatest drummers ever.

“Allen is a straight forward person who never exploited no one. We are going to miss Tony Allen tremendously, first as a great drummer and artiste and as a very humane person who got along with everyone that cherished dignity and good character. Rest in Peace Tony Allen”, Adelaja said.

Allen is among African music legends that died in Paris in recent time. It would be recalled that Manu Dibango, a Cameroonian music legend also died in Paris on March 24, 2020 at 86 years after catching coronavirus.

How to pull Nigeria from the brink Continued from back page capable of becoming the food basket of the rest of Africa, and in the process, it can capture a sizable portion of the $48 billion that goes towards food imports in Africa. That money should be circulating within Africa, strengthening our currencies, growing our GDPs, and enriching our people.

I was in Benin Republic recently and I was informed by one of the most successful industrialists in the country that Benin buys its cement from China.

Why should a country that shares land borders with Nigeria have to import cement from China 7000 miles away, when Dangote cement is perfectly able, and I am sure willing, to provide the same product at a competitive price?

Is this not what the AFCTA agreement is meant to promote? Why would Nigeria maintain an insane policy of border closures at a time it desperately needs them open to promote trade?

Now is the time for Nigeria to make those hard decisions it has postponed for far too long otherwise the alternative is an apocalyptic scenario we would rather not entertain.

We must, as nation, begin to invest our resources wisely in order to maximise dividends. We must liberalise our land tenure system to make it possible and easy for some of the 27 million unemployed Nigerians to become farmers, even as sharecroppers.

Last year, Ethiopia mobilised its 100 million strong population to plant 350 million trees in 12 hours (a world record).

Nigeria can similarly mobilise its population of twice that number to plant billions of cash crops through the planting season.

It is possible. I have repeatedly charged my farm associates to sow seeds and they have done so successfully.

When the huge opportunities of agriculture are combined with a rejuvenated manufacturing and MSMEs sectors, then a new era of sustainability and prosperity beckons for Africa.

Nigeria is at the lowest point we have ever been as a nation. We have over indulged on seemingly cheap loans and have quadrupled our foreign debt in just four years. Taking more of such loans will just sink our country deeper and deeper into a quagmire. What is certain is that we cannot continue with things the way they are now, except we want

to ensure an implosion of our dearly beloved nation.

We must cut our coat, not according to our size, but according to our cloth.

Our Presidential Air Fleet of almost 10 planes should go. Our jumbo budgets for our legislature must go. The planned $100 million renovation of our Parliament must be cancelled. We cannot be funding non necessities with debt and not expect our economy to collapse.

Our civil servants must come to the realisation that Nigeria cannot sustain its size and profligacy. The same cost saving measures must be adopted by the states and councils government.

From henceforth, our energies, resources and focus, must be on how we can diversify our economy, not on how we can increase our expenditure.

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COVID-19: Choosing between life and bread

Frank Aigbogun

editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STRATEGY, INNOVATION & PARTNERSHIPS Oghenevwoke Ighure ADVERT MANAGER Ijeoma Ude FINANCE MANAGER Emeka Ifeanyi MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (South East, South South) Patrick Ijegbai COPY SALES MANAGER Florence Kadiri DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Linda Ochugbua GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (North)

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

E

lucidating his fears about plan to gradually ease the lockdown put in place by the Federal government in some parts of the country as part of efforts to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the country, Kelvin, a long standing friend, wondered how some of our compatriots, who blatantly contravened the lockdown order, would comply with fresh measures put in place to herald the gradual easing of same. With the tone of someone that has resigned himself to an unavoidable fate, he said: “I am afraid for my country. I really hope we aren’t playing with fire”.

Well, Kelvin does not seem to be alone in the anxiety over the presidential nod to gradually ease the lockdown and partially open up the economy. Not a few public affairs commentators, public health experts and other stakeholders

have expressed similar concerns.

But then, when critically scrutinized, the President did not seem to have many options. Lagos, the economic nerve centre of the country has been on lockdown for over four weeks during which economic activities were totally paralyzed. The FCT, the seat of the Federal Government, was equally on a lockdown. Steadily the economy was bleeding. Many families can no longer genuinely cope with the prospect of an extended lockdown.

Perhaps, worse hit were members of the informal sector who depend on daily earnings for economic sustenance. In-spite of several strategic economic intervention initiatives designed by both the Federal and State governments, ably supported by many corporate organisations and spirited individuals, many still scream of hunger.

Indeed, just as efforts were being made to frontally address the palliative matter, a major security challenge also came up. This occurred, particularly, in both Lagos and Ogun States where there were reported cases of security breaches by hoodlums who were on rampage at some satellite communities of the two States.

The grudge of these criminals, according to reports, was hunger.

It has, however, been argued that those hiding under the unfortunate COVID-19 crisis to foment trouble were nothing but common crooks and shameless opportunists.

The dilemma of government, therefore, became multifaceted.

One, it has to remain focussed on the battle to contain the deadly pandemic via establishing more testing and isolation centres, providing necessary care and attention to patients, embarking on aggressive enlightenment campaigns on the threat of the virus, providing necessary support for frontline health workers among others.

Second, extra security measures have to be made to ensure safety of lives and properties across the country, especially in the light of growing security concerns. Third, the feasibility of keeping an obviously restless populace at home for another couple of weeks isn’t really a fascinating option.

It was, indeed, a tough call for the government. But then, a decision has to be made. And one has been made. So, for now, that is what we have to live by. Consequently, Nigerians need to come to term with the precarious situation by taking proper responsibility. Except this is done, no matter the efforts of government and its partners in containing the virus, the success level will be insignificant.

As at Thursday, April 30, total COVID-19 confirmed cases in the country were 1932 with 58 fatalities. Lagos remains the epicentre while Kano’s figure remarkably surges. This implies that we are not yet out of the wood. Hence, Nigerians, especially those in Lagos, and the FCT, must not mistake

the easing of the lockdown as a declaration of victory.

Caution must, thus, remain our watchword. No soldiers celebrate in the midst of an inconclusive battle. Even the World Health Organisation, WHO, has warned about the need to be extra careful in relaxing lockdown across the world.

It is, thus, imperative, in our own interest, to willingly comply with all regulations designed by national and State authorities to contain the spread of the virus.

Those that have no business going out are strongly advised to remain indoors. And for those indoors, this is not the time for partying. It is scary to read about the arrest of scores of youths partying away at a place in the Abule-Egba area of the State. Such thoughtlessness!

There is time for everything.

Time for socialising would definitely come again. But this is the time for warfare. Yes, we are in a war against a fiery and potent enemy. What makes this particular enemy rather vicious is that it is an unseen adversary. It has killed over three million people worldwide.

Yes, it is true, our compatriots need to go out and eke a living.

Securing daily bread matters, no doubt. But then, preserving life is more precious than securing bread. The logic is simple. It is those that are alive that seek after bread. A word is enough for the wise. Seek not yet repose, dear compatriots, we are contending with a perilous and venomous foe.

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Inside Lagos

9

Covid-19 changes face of public transportation system

…as new guidelines take effect in Lagos JOSHUA BASSEY

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ublic transportation system in Nigeria’s commercial city of Lagos will for weeks and months ahead no longer the same as new guidelines take effect from tomorrow, Monday, May 4.

No thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic that has led to the death of several thousands, with millions others still infected battling for their lives in isolation centres and hospitals across the word.

As at April 30, Nigeria had 1932 confirmed cases of the virus out which 319 had been discharged and 58 deaths according to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Lagos, being the epicentre of the disease in the country, as at the same date, had recorded 931 cases out of which 718 were active, 192 recoveries and 21 deaths.

Amid continued increase in the number of confirmed and community transmission, the state government, in line with the decision of the Federal Government to gradually ease the lockdown earlier imposed, has reeled out new rules guiding public transportation system as

Standing now prohibited

a measure to contain the spread and ultimately kick the virus out of Lagos.

According to Frederic Oladeinde, the commissioner for transportation, the new guidelines would be in operation until further notice.

“The guidelines are aimed at curtailing possible spread of the deadly virus among commuting public through transportation activities as the gradual ease of lock down commences,” said Oladeinde.

He explained that effective from Monday, May 4, all commercial/commuters operations within

the state shall be between the hours of 6am and 7pm, while it is mandatory for all passengers/commuters to wear nose covers, wash their hands with soap under running water and sanitize with alcohol based sanitizers before and after each trip.

The commissioner explained that the state government would not allow inter-state operations so as to effectively manage and control movement within the metropolis and measure the level of success achieved with various the strategies being put in place by the government to control further spread

of the highly contagious disease.

Oladeinde re-echoed that the ban on the operations of motorcycles (Okada) for commercial activities, as they do not support social distancing rule directed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Hence, their operations would not be allowed in any part of Lagos at this period.

He warned public transport operators against activities capable of undermining the government’s efforts at eradicating the Covid-19 pandemic, stressing that it has become compulsory

for all transport operators / companies to regularly disinfect their vehicles, parks and garages while also collaborating with the state ministry of the environment and water resources on the standard of disinfectants approved by the government for use.

Citing the danger that abandoned vehicles constitute to the security of the society, the commissioner warned operators of various mechanic villages to evacuate all abandoned vehicles in their premises and ensure that their environment is kept clean. He said failure to comply with this directive would compel the use of task force to tow such vehicles away.

Oladeinde also warned that all commercial passenger buses/taxes must stick to the 60 percent loading capacity earlier announced by the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He warned operators of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme and Lagos Bus Services Ltd (LBSL) against exceeding 21 passengers max while their air conditioning system must also be switched off, with no standing allowed on transit.

The commissioner added that the yellow buses popularly called ‘Danfo’

must stick to eight passengers max (two on a row), tricycles: two passengers at the back, while private car owners must also observe the social distancing.

He further explained that trucks and individuals transporting foods, raw materials and other agricultural products to the state must not carry more than seven passengers in their vehicles at a time, while the driver and all other occupants must wear their nose covers.

On water transport operations, Oladeinde said no water transport operators would be allowed to operate beyond 6 pm during the lockdown easing period, while they must also ensure their passengers wear life jackets in addition to compulsory hand sanitisation on every trip.

The ministry sought for the full co-operation of all stakeholders within the public transportation space in the state. Some of the stakeholders include National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Ni g e r i a Au t o m o b i l e Technicians Association (NATA), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Yellow Taxi/Eko cab Association.

Strict protocols to apply as Lagos workers resume Monday …secretariat to remain shut to members of public JOSHUA BASSEY

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trict Covid-19 protocols including handwashing with running water, sanitisers, wearing of face masks, social distancing are to apply as select officers in senior cadre of the Lagos public service return to work on Monday, April 4 after more than one of lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.

Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the head of service (HOS) in a circular, said the governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved that all offices at state secretariat, Alausa, as well as other government

establishments, be opened for activities tomorrow.

The circular dated April 30, with the reference number CIR/HOS/’20/ Vol.1/046, followed an earlier notification by Governor Sanwo-Olu that Lagos would begin a gradual easing of the lockdown in line with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to that effect.

Muri-Okunola said: “It is worthy of note that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had in a statewide broadcast, issued some specific directives to public servants in the state on modalities for resumption after some weeks of the total lockdown of activities across the state”.

The HOS added that the re-opening of the offices “would be subject not only to the conditions earlier specified prior to the announcement of the lockdown, vide circulars ref. Nos.: CIR/ HOS/ ’20/Vol.1 / 031, 037 and 039 of 3rd, 20th and 22nd March, 2020 respectively, on measures to contain the pandemic, but also on some new protocols as well”.

Some of the new protocols are that officers on grade levels 12 and below would continue to work from home, unless otherwise directed by their accounting officers, with the exception of frontline responders and other

essential health workers, irrespective of grade, as well as enforcement agencies.

The HOS further directed the accounting officers to carry out a needs assessment of critical staff, identify essential officers and draw up a flexible work roster for officers on grade levels 13 and above, in compliance with the physical distancing principle as stated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to Muri-Okunola, sanitisers, as well as washable and reusable facemasks, must be distributed to officers who are required to wear them in the office and all public spaces while

hand gloves and protective gears should be provided for cleaners.

He stressed that non-usage of the items will attract strict penalties.

The HOS in addition, directed all directors of administration and human resource to ensure that the entire office environment is disinfected and kept clean always.

The circular directed officers in need of medical assistance to do so via consultation through telephone or online in order to minimise and eliminate visits to the staff clinic and hospitals. It also advised sick persons to stay away from the office.

Muri-Okunola urged all public servants to abide by the 8 p.m to 6 a.m curfew pronounced by the governor, pointing out that the secretariat and other government establishments would remain shut to members of the public and non-staff who must conduct their affairs through other channels such as telephone, emails and online platforms.

The HOS also encouraged ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), to ensure adequate personal hygiene by providing liquid soap with running water at all entrances and in toilets for regular and thorough washing of hands.

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Sunday 03 May 2020

Politics X-raying the scorecard of Benue Assembly’s majority chief whip BENJAMIN AGESAN, Makurdi

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homas Mlanga is the member representing Ukum state constituency and Majority Chief Whip of the 9th Benue Assembly.

He has spent barely a year in the House, and has no doubt played his cards well. His excellent performance in the Assembly is due to wealth of experience he has acquired in politics over the years. He is a grassroots politician, having served as councilor representing Tsaav ward in 1999 when he was just 27 years old and was elected leader of the Council by his colleagues in the Council even as he was the youngest person at that time.

He was appointed Director of Mobilisation and Contacts, Suswam Governorship Campaign Organisation in 2007, a position second in command after the Director-General.

In that capacity, he was in charge of all funds that accrued to the campaign organisation and according to him, he was very transparent in handling it.

The young Thomas Mlanga was appointed Special Assistant to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Special Duties on assumption of office as governor of the state throughout the two terms his administration lasted.

As a member of the 9th Assembly which came into power in June 3rd, 2019, Mlanga and his counterparts have passed so many resolutions including appropriation bill of 2019 which was to take effect in 2020. This achievement he said is the first of its kind since the history of Benue Assembly.

The early and timely passage of the budget according to the state legislator was intended to enable the Executive carry out its projects without hindrance and that accounted for why in a recent interview with BusinessDay, he debunked the allegations that the legislature was coerced into hastily passing the budget last year without scrutiny.

He said the Executive did not rush them. “The truth is that, before you can pass any budget, it has to go in line with the Executive and the Legislature to harmonise their concept in any decision that they want to take. That’s why if a budget is passed, sometimes it comes back and goes again because of some mistakes.

Budget has a process and once that process is followed, there is no problem. It is not about how long it takes. We acted fast in the interest of Benue people”.

Hon. Mlanga also cleared air on the rumour that the 9th Benue Assembly is nothing but a rubber stamp and is absolutely controlled by the Executive.

He explained that the present Assembly has multiple party affiliations: the PDP, APC and other parties but PDP is the majority and as governor, that fact cannot be ignored. “It is only when opposition has many members that people think it is vibrant. But the party that puts us there has ideology and we are following it, we are working for the government

Thomas Mlanga, Benue Assembly majority chief whip

and for the party. If things are working fine, why should opposition make noise again?” he asked rhetorically.

Another achievement Hon. Mlanga said he has recorded is a motion he moved on Jootar Jukun militia attack.

According to him, as Majority Whip charged with the responsibility of calling back members from recess, he caused a session after the Jukuns launched an unprovoked surprised attack on part of his constituency.

He said his people were under severe attack by people suspected to be Jukuns who besieged the area around 3-4am and he deemed it pertinent for them to sit and take a position over the matter since the Tiv people of Benue state were not at war with Jukun or Taraba State but rather a crisis between Tiv and Jukun in Taraba.

He said there was no basis for such attack on Jootar, a town in Benue as if the Tiv people were fighting with the Jukuns and most worrisome, the threats that the military commander up there has continued to issue to Jootar residentS over loss of their officer.

On account of the above, Mlanga called members back from recess with permission from speaker of the House and moved a motion during plenary for members to remember what happened in 2001 when similar threats were issued by the Army over missing of their officers and were subsequently executed which resulted in massive killing of armless locals in Gbeji, Vaase, Kyado, Zaki Biam and Tse Adoor.

The House after due deliberations, urged the state government to call for an emergency security meeting to alert the public about what was going on.

The state Governor, Samuel Ortom in his usual proactive manner, summoned a meeting as soon as he got the resolution and the situation was averted.

Hon. Mlanga said he also appealed that relief materials be given to victims of the crisis from SEMA and it was done accordingly.

In terms of constituency briefing which is the statutory duty of any lawmaker to his or her constituents, Hon. Mlanga has not left his people in doubt.

He told our correspondent that he was already heading towards constituency briefing which he intends to be doing at the end of every Legislative year.

This, according to him, is possible as going by the calendar, members can brief their constituents within three to four months depending on how it is arranged in a session as recess takes place three times in a year.

Mlanga said he believed he had so far

Hon. Mlanga went to the market himself and bought children’s clothes, forty bags of garri and two thousand yam tubers to give the victims of Tiv/ crisis again because he knew that what BSEMA gave was not enough

done well as can be seen in his constant touch with Ukum people as expected of every good representative.

He said he had identified their problems as that of insecurity and has been able to broker peace as well as provide security in Zaki Biam and its environs.

The state lawmaker told BDSUNDAY that he has taken displaced people from Vaase and Igbongom back to their ancestral homes, a project he said took a huge financial toll on him especially to connect them with security to enable them go to the markets. He has also installed security light (solar panels) for the people in his home town of Afia and he is intending to do same in Zaki-Biam which happens to be the biggest yam market in the world. He made it known to newsmen in an interview recently that he would have installed security light in the yam market since, but he decided to hold on because the market was taken over by the Federal Government and so he would wait and see what they will do at the end of their work in the market so as not to duplicate the project. He however, assured that he was watching them keenly so that if the security light was not installed at the end of the day, he will do it.

Mlanga has also proposed a bill which is yet to be passed but it has crossed second reading and he is part of its sponsorship.

As government is about continuity, Hon. Mlanga followed up a motion which was moved in the 8th Assembly by Hon. Kester Kyenge on the crisis between Tiv and Jukum in Taraba State. When he discovered that the resolution was already made, he searched for the clips and took them to Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), and he was able to get relief materials for the victims of the crisis and handed it over to Ter Ukum and set up a three-man Committee to supervise its distribution to the intended beneficiaries. The Committee comprised one member each from the affected blocks of Torough, Ucha and Mbaterem.

Hon. Mlanga went to the market himself and bought children’s clothes, forty bags of garri and two thousand yam tubers to give the victims of Tiv/crisis again because he knew that what BSEMA gave was not enough.

It is said that health is wealth and in corroborating this, Mlanga has given his people adequate orientation about the outbreak of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic so that they will be extracareful not contract it.

The former Councillor representing Tsaav ward and former Special Assistant to Governor Suswam is leaving no stone unturned in his determination to unite Ukum political elite across party lines.

He is very prudent in managing both personal and public resources; hence his seemingly fast growing wealth and the ability to perform creditably. He believes in solving the problems of his people. He feels that there are people who are suffering and so it is better to help them than to squander wealth on irrelevant things.

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Politics Why we advocate for immediate restructuring of Nigeria, Constitution change - Adebayo Mark Adebayo is an activist and the immediate past acting national chairman of the recently deregistered Kowa Party. In this exclusive interview with INIOBONG IWOK, he reacted to the delisting of the party, reveals the next line of action and what needs to be done to give credibility to election in the country. Excerpts:

Before you know it they would say they have spent trillions that is uncounted for and fraudulent. It is unacceptable the lockdown is necessary, but the lack of palliatives for the people would make it fail and it as failed.

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How do you react to the deregistration of the Kowa party by INEC? e received the news with shock and disappointment; because judging from section 552 of the constitution as amended it is clearly started that the minimum requirement for you to remain a registered political party in Nigeria is for you to win a councillorship seat, and Kowa party won a councillor seat in Amo ward of Okigwe Local Government Area in Imo State. We have written to them, but with their characteristic institutional arrogant they are yet to respond to our letter reminding them that we wrote to them with the certificate of returns of our councillor in July 2019 just to avoid this kind of situation but that was not taken into cognizance in their illegal act.

Kowa party was illegally deregistered, if not for this Corona virus thing we would have been in Court. We would go to Court after this lockdown to get our party to be enlisted. Though, INEC defend that they do not recognised LG election because it is not conducted by them, which is a futility it is an unambiguously creation of law.

The state Independent National Electoral Commission is the creation of law, and the constitution is very clear that if you win a councillorship seat you would remain listed as a political party in Nigeria. What INEC did was illegal and unconstitutional to set the record straight.

Some stakeholders said deregistration was inevitable due to the pressure on INEC because of the poor performance of several small parties in the 2019 general election?

Whatever pressure they are under does not mean they should be acting under illegality. I have no problem if a party is deregistered if such party did not meet up with the law requirement so be it.

If you don’t have a national secretariat, don’t win 35 percent of votes in governorship election, if you don’t have a member in the House of Assembly, or a councillor.

But why deregister a party like Kowa party that meets that condition? Whatever makes them to act like that is a minus to our democracy. Their actions is illegal, is bad; you can only deregister party that does not meet up with the law. We cannot allow that to stand, ones you register a party and the party wins a councillorship seat, it cannot be deregistered. Who cares if it is not INEC that conducted that election, it is what the law says, and that is what matters. We won a councillorship election in a state and it is the state electoral body that conducted that election, we do not accept this.

But have you thought about merging with bigger parties?

No, that is not even in our thought whatsoever. We are working; if we are not working hard we would not have won councillorship election in 2018 and House

Could that be the reason for the increase in criminal activities in Lagos and Ogun States in the last few days?

Yes, it is happening in my area too, there is no sleep in the night and in the afternoon too you have to be vigilant. They are going around with PoS; if you claim you don’t have cash they empty your account with it at gun point. People had to organise and attack them. It was after they left that police came with their siren. Honestly, there is no name to what is happening in Nigeria now than to say it is a failed state. With the coronavirus, people have to stay at home; it is unfortunate that the government is not providing palliatives to help people in this lockdown. The Police is rather extorting the people, some of the governors are already complaining about this. Imagine, somebody travelled to Kaduna State from Lagos, how he passed through all the roads, because he had to bribe the Police officers.

Mark Adebayo

of Assembly in 2011. There is no election conducted in the country that we have not participated in.

Our argument is that we have won a councillorship position and INEC has no authority to deregister us.

It is presumed that large number of parties was part of the problems that bedevilled the 2019 election. Stakeholders say delisting number of smaller parties is part of the way to sanitise the electoral system towards 2023, do you agree?

You seem not to believe what I am saying, that a minimum requirement of the constitution is that you should win a councillorship position, I am telling you that we have a councillor, if we are not working hard how come the party won the seat?

We have no problem with INEC delisting parties who do not meet up with the law; but why delisting a political party that has met up? The issue of party being too many is a function of the constitution; for you to prune down the number of parties you have to amend that chapter of the constitution that says that any party that meets that condition should be registered

by INEC. So, now we have about 200 parties waiting to be registered.

So, don’t be surprised that if in the next three or four months, INEC registers more political parties, until it gets to 1,000. Let me tell you registration of parties would continue until there is an amendment to the law which would say; that Nigeria cannot have more than two, three, or four political parties.

The issue of whether the ballot is long is immaterial, it is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of law. It is the fault of the constitution; that says any group that apply to INEC and meet certain condition should be registered.

It is the fault of the 1999 constitution and not INEC’s. The constitution is a cause of major problem now, which is why a lot of us, including Kowa party are advocating for a restructuring and a new constitution.

We need a people’s constitution, we cannot continue with the decree 1999 we are using.

What is your view about the current lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and FCT? What is happening is a function of irresponsive government, incompetent government. The lockdown though is necessary; we know that, the way it is being done by the government of Buhari shows high level of irresponsibility. You want to lock people home for a months, you need to give them palliatives and that is where the local government comes in. You cannot have a Minister of Humanitarian affair going round the country carrying cash and saying she is giving palliatives and giving one loaf of bread to a street; that is not palliatives; that is madness. The best institution that would have distributed the palliative should be the CDA’s working with the people. The CDA knows the street, the entire tenants, they don’t know this, but because we have incompetent people in the helm of affairs; look at what they are doing.

Do you think the current lockdown may affect the Edo and Ondo States gubernatorial elections slated for October and November?

If the coronavirus extends beyond May, INEC would have no choice than to reschedule those gubernatorial elections.

I hope it would not lead to constitutional crisis in this country. Because even the United States presidential election is this year, because we cannot put people’s lives in danger by asking them to go out and vote. So, there has to be doctrine of necessity, which as to be activated to get things done, it is a necessity here. I am not among the people that would endanger the lives of Nigerians; the elections can stay for now till all this is over. Doctrine of necessity would come in so that governance does not stop in these states.

The process to amend the 2010 Electoral Act has started; what changes would you like to see?

Power of the president to appoint the chairman of INEC must be remove, whoever becomes the chairman of INEC should be within the commission and it should be remove from political appointment. Secondly, there should be creation of a commission that would punish votebuyers and election offences.

I also want a situation where we have electronic voting; that you can vote from your house, and vote from your phone, electronic voting should be use.

Our party used that electronic process to elect its presidential candidate for the 2019 election. So, with this method there would be zero opportunity for manipulation of the votes, the 2019 election was not a reflection of the will of Nigerians.

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Sunday 03 May 2020

Issue of The Week When ‘repatriation’ of Almajirai breeds rancor between Kano and Kaduna Adeola Ajakaiye, Kano

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s the incidence of Covid-19 continues to mount in Northern Nigeria, the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in Kano State, has denied the on-going claim that it dumped infected Almajiri kids, on its negbouring state of Kaduna.

The Ganduje administration said none of the 155 Almajirai it evacuated to Kaduna carries Covid-19, arguing that evacuees were fully screened medically and were well profiled before they were moved out of the state.

The Kaduna State commissioner for health, Amina Mohammed-Baloni, had last Thursday said the new cases were Almajiri kids that returned to the state from Kano, noting that the test results returned positive from the samples of 40 of them tested.

However, Sanusi M. Sa`id Kiru, state commissioner for education, who doubles as the chairman of a special task force in charge of the Almajiri evacuation, while speaking exclusively to BDSUNDAY, disclosed that the preliminary test run on the Almajiri kids before they were repatriated from Kano indicated that none of them were carrier of Covid-19 virus.

“We are surprised by what we are hearing from Kaduna government about the Almajiri kids evacuated to the state.

It was yesterday that I received a WhatsApp message from the Kaduna State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, complaining that five of the Almajiri children repatriated to the state tested positive for Covid-19.

“I then asked her to send me the forms containing detailed preliminary information about the five involved persons, and she only sent in those of three.

The next thing we are hearing in the media was the issue of the 16 Almajiri kids.

“Honestly, the issue is strange to me, because the first thing that we usually do before any of the Almajiri is repatriated was to screen them healthwise; I have a copy of the entry forms here, I can show you a copy. Honestly, this issue is strange to us.

“And I think there is nothing to be surprised about because, if these children later tested positive for Covid-19, when they get to Kaduna. Anybody can be infected with the disease at anything,” Sanusi stated.

The commissioner said it was disheartening that some people

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje

are trying to make issue out of the incidence, noting that the matter of Almajiri evacuation was started by the current administration in Kaduna State.

“This issue is very disheartening because the whole matter of almajiri repatriation was started by the Kaduna State Government, which first moved about 2000 Almajiri from the state to Kano without proper handing over to us.

“The 155 we evacuated to the state, were properly screened, profiled and well documented before we handed them over,” Sanusi pointed out.

Amina Mohammed –Baloni, Kaduna state commissioner for health, had argued that one of the 17 cases announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) last Wednesday was a repeat test from an existing patient and that the agency has been notified of that.

“The Kaduna State Ministry of Health has confirmed the sad news that there are 16 new COVID-9 cases in the state. These new cases are Almajiri who came from Kano,” she said.

“Their test results returned positive from a sample of 40 persons whose test results were released today. These latest cases have raised the number of active COVID-19 cases in Kaduna state from nine to 25.

“The high number of positive results from persons with travel history from outside the state confirm the Kaduna State Government’s fears about the danger of infection from neighboring states and the role of interstate

Nasir El-Rufai

travel in facilitating the spread of COVID-19 across state lines.

“One of the 17 cases announced by NCDC was a repeat test from an existing patient.

Their attention has been drawn to it and it will be remedied.”

The commissioner added that health officials are monitoring suspected COVID-19 cases believed to have sneaked into the state despite the ban on interstate travel.

She asked residents of the state to report returnees from states with high infection rates to health officials and to maintain high level of personal hygiene.

She said: “The Ministry of Health wishes to draw the attention to the appeal the State Standing Committee on COVID-19 has

This issue is very disheartening because the whole matter of almajiri repatriation was started by the Kaduna State Government, which first moved about 2000 Almajiri from the state to Kano without proper handing over to us

made to the security agencies to accelerate the blocking of entry points into the state. Effective enforcement of the prohibition of entry into Kaduna State as outlined in the Quarantine Orders is clearly a key success factor in efforts to avert the nightmare scenarios of community transmission.

“We wish to draw the attention of the public to the provisions of the Quarantine Orders and the penalties for any willful contravention. We appeal to the public to be vigilant and to kindly report returnees from states with high infection rates by contacting officials of the Ministry of Health.

We also encourage such persons to contact the ministry officials so they can be monitored.

“Failure to do so may make such persons liable to the processes prescribed for violators in the Quarantine Orders.

“The general public is reminded of the importance of hand washing, personal hygiene. Social distancing and the avoidance of large gatherings in helping protect us all from COVID19. It is important to stay home, stay safe and save lives.”

Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum has decried attempts by many State Governments to play politics with numbers for what appears to be expectations that more funds from the federal government and foreign donors will be allocated to them in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Convener, Northern

Elders Forum Professor Ango Abdullahi.

According to the statement, it is public knowledge that what the entire nation needs are good policies that protect all Nigerians; equipment and facilities for testing and treatment and resources to support people who will find it hard to stay at home without some palliatives.

The statement added that these requirements can be met with resources currently available, but they need to be put at the service of the public in a transparent and professional manner.

It further stresses that, policies that waste progress in some parts of the country and others which trample on the rights of vulnerable groups must be discouraged and that states should adopt policies that suit their peculiarities, but the nation as a whole must agree on, and implement basic policies that protect the entire population.

On Kano’s issue, the statement stated that the forum commends the decision to deploy a strong medical team too, among others, verify the causes of many deaths that are being popularly attributed to the pandemic, as well as assist the government of Kano State to improve its facilities, investigations and treatment of suspected infections and those who are infected.

“We further commend the decision of the federal government to source for equipment’s and facilities on behalf of the Kano State government and we urge that this is done with speed and openness,” it said.

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Focus

More mysterious deaths hit Kano, causes yet unknown …Coronavirus queried ...Oral autopsy ongoing Adeola Ajakaiye, in Kano

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he Kano State government has urged indigenes and residents not to panic over the rampant deaths that have continued to occur in the state in the last few days, assuring that “we shall overcome.”

Although medical experts are still battling to unravel the real cause of the deaths, speculations are rife that they may not be unconnected with the coronavirus pandemic.

The assurance by the state government was contained in a statement released by Muhammad Garba, commissioner for information, saying that a combined team from the state Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been drafted to eight Local Government Areas within the Kano Emirate Council to perform oral autopsy exercise on the corpses of the deceased to unravel the real cause of the mysterious deaths.

The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje had directed the state Ministry of Health to carry out oral autopsy of those who lost their lives to various strange ailments.

“I am pleased to inform the good people of Kano state that verbal autopsy to determine the real cause of the deaths of our citizens who lost their lives over the weekend has begun in earnest.

“Following the directive of the Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, health experts from the state Ministry of Health and the NCDC have been drafted to visit the families and relatives of the dead so as to trace their medical history, with a view to ascertaining what really led to their death,” Garba stated.

According to him, the state Ministry of Health is also working round the clock to ensure adequate availability of drugs for common ailments such as malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis, among others.

“Our primary healthcare system has also been re-activated across the 44 Local Government Areas to guarantee easy access to healthcare delivery, even as we continue to battle the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic,” the Commissioner added.

Garba, who called for calm, urged residents to continue to strictly adhere to the advice from health experts on how to avoid contracting the COVID-19.

“At this point, all of us must come together, irrespective of religious and political affiliations, to overcome this health challenge facing our great state.

“We solicit for the cooperation of religious leaders, political leaders, opinion leaders, community leaders, traditional rulers and every other stakeholder to enlighten our people on the need to stay safe and stay healthy.”

The commissioner further said: “The state government also wishes to passionately appeal to residents to religiously observe the lockdown order, stay at home, observe personal hygiene, wash their hands regularly, observe social distancing and also pray fervently for the end of this dark era of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.”

He expressed the optimism that “Together, we shall win this war. This turbulent time shall pass away. We shall come out stronger and better; and our dear state will be great again.”

It all began as a rumour making the rounds like one

of the fake news on the social media, then followed by a confusing confirmation from some grave diggers in several of the grave-yards in the city, where the dead bodies were alleged to have been buried; then the denials from the state government, and institutions, the fear and the COVID-19 angle to the deaths.

That eventually gave rise to what is now known as “Kano mysterious deaths”. At the time of filing in this story, a number of high profile indigenes of Kano, northern Nigeria biggest commercial and economic city, had died as a result of unknown illnesses.

It started precisely on Thursday the 23rd of April, when the news started filtering in the social media of the mysterious death wave in Kano, which moved Governor Ganduje to direct the state ministry of health to investigate the claim.

Just as the investigation was on-going, the death of some 23 highly placed citizens in the state started rolling in. That of Kano-based economist, Professor Ibrahim Ayagi, who was head of Nigerian Economic Intelligence Bureau, and until his death, the chief executive officer of Hassan Gwarzo Group of Schools, was very devastating.

Ayagi was 80 years old before his sudden death. Some of other notable deaths recorded in one day were those of the former Grand Kadi of Kano, Dahiru Khadi, and Dr. Musa Umar Gwarzo; Musa Tijjani, editor of the State Government-owned Triumph Newspaper; Adamu Isyaku Dal, former executive secretary, SUBEB; Salisu Lado, Nene Umma, Garba Sarki Fagge, and the mother of a prominent businessman, Ado Gwanja, as well as Professor Aliyu Umar Dikko of the Department of Physiology, Bayero University, Kano. There was also Dr. Nasiru Maikano Bichi, secretary, Students Affairs, North West University, Kano.

As the state was mourning the deaths of these high profile citizens, the following day, many others were declared dead also. They include, a Professor in the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Balarabe Maikaba, who died last Sunday.

Maikaba’s death was announced by the management of BUK same day. Before his death, the former head of Department of Mass Communication at BUK was known to be managing a health issue, diabetes. However, there is as yet no evidence that his death is connected with the corona-

virus pandemic.

BDSUNDAY checks indicate that the death wave which the state is experiencing has continued to generate controversy and apprehension among residents of the state, as many of them are attributing the rising cases of deaths in the state to the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.

What is primarily fueling the assumption was the fact that the increasing death wave was occurring at a time when there was also an escalating number of people testing positive to the Covid-19 in the state. So for many of the people, naturally, it must be linked to the disease.

One of the major reasons the submission was gaining ground was the fact that the deaths were occurring at a time when the only Testing Centre in the state which is situated at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital suspended operations.

Operations at the Kano testing centre at the time was suspended, according Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to enable it carry out fumigation, having detected that the Centre was infected with Covid-19 and the centre has been fumigated and has since resumed fully testing operation.

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COVID-19

Politicians’ views on relaxation of lockdown

INIOBONG IWOK

Adelaja Adeoye, Action Democratic Party (ADP) National Publicity Secretary

Balarabe Musa, politician and second republic governor of Kaduna State

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overnment must give a guideline for the whole country to follow. As you can see this is an international problem, you don’t know how far it would go; the best thing is to care for humanity and the nation. So, personally I think it was a mistake closing down Lagos, Ogun and FCT only.

I think there would have been restriction for the whole country, this is a global problem; Nigerians must listen to what the Federal

Government is saying whether you doubt or not because there is no alternative.

But we have to make sure that government is aware of the opinions of Nigerians, particular in this kind of country where religious inclination always come into everything. What we know is that whatever you say at the end, what is known is either you are a Muslim or Christian. We can’t ignore this; we are dealing with human beings. We have to listen to the scientific leaders, informed experts in the medical field too; we have to be aware of international reaction to this issue. You must be aware that epidemic of this magnitude have happened in the world before, there are history that you can check.

We must also realise that after this pandemic there would be consequences. We should deal with these, the system controlling all development. In the third world they may not achieve much success, because they have a system which the social organisation cannot control. In the advance countries there may be significant success because the system is controlled.

T Wale Oshun, former lawmaker, national president of Afenifere Renewal Group, (ARG)

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he lifting of the lockdown is welcome. Personally, I think we cannot lockdown the economy totally forever, we have to come to some level of middle ground. The lockdown is particularly injurious to the common man, especially as you know we have a society where poverty is high here. Unfortunately, the palliatives provided by the government failed, so we must balance and find a way to keep the economy run-

ning. I think, we have to watch it so that we don’t fall into another recession. Yes, the partial lifting of the lockdown poses a danger, but the government must also be more vigilant with the guidelines they have released, put more men out to enforce these guidelines and laws. The fear is that infection should not increase with the relapsing of the lockdown, but that is why government must be vigilant and people follow the procedure to stay safe.

heActionDemocraticParty (ADP) is one of the loudest voices that prevailed on the Nigerian government led

by President Muhammadu Buhari, to ease the lockdown, so as to avoid the economy from crashing totally. Not only that, there have been rising cases of crimes and other criminal activities going on around the country, since it was so obvious that the government cannot provide palliatives for majority of the needy. As we all know, we run a kind of economy that, if people don’t go out daily to make money, they cannot feed themselves and their families, therefore, the need to allow them, under some preventive conditions, such as compulsory use of nose/facemasks, maintaining social distancing, washing their hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap etc.

However, Nigerians must work in line with the reasons this lockdown was relaxed, as we know, this is not a time for people to be gallivanting around the town. If you don’t have any business out there, it is advisable to remain at home, and if at all you have business activities out there, ensure that you make use of your face mask, and follow other guidelines against the

Abimbola Ogunkelu, chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Minister of Cooperation and Integration

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Chekwas Okorie, former national chairman of the recently deregistered United Progressive party (UPP)

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he relaxing of the lockdown is a welcome development to me.

Though, we have seen increase in the number of infected persons; but it is a partial lifting of lockdown, it is to enable the people move around the place.

Lockdown is still enforced; it is just for the movement of some essential commodities. Is a good approach the lockdown had existed for some weeks now, it has started biting hard among the masses because the palliatives targeted at the people are not getting to them and most of these people depend on daily income to survive.

The economy is not buoyant, what they are saying is that from 6am-8pm you can move around;

when you do that the economy would begin to pick again. So, the danger is if you sustain the previous lockdown procedure, people were beginning to create some kind of protest that could lead to revolt, and that revolt would overwhelm the security people.

You can see what happened in Lagos State, criminals took advantage of the situation and began to torment people, going into their homes to rob them of their valuables. The virus is here; we have to find way to live with it, because all these problems that would arise from the lockdown can overwhelm the government. I commend them but we as citizens have a responsibility to comply with the guildlines in our own interest

ell, I would want to assume that the government of Lagos State, in conjunction with the Federal Government and the taskforce has done their home-work well before they arrived at that decision and studied the situation before they decided to do the partial lockdown. But in any case it has been very tasking for the people of Ogun and Lagos States under the lockdown without any form of relief to the people, particularly market women, traders and people who earn a living with their daily income for them to be out of job for five weeks.

It is very tasking in the absence of any form of relief to them; but government must study the situation, such that we don’t have a rebound; that is the worry so far among the people here. The number of infection spiked, which to my estimation may be less than the actual number of infected people. What we have is manageable, but we don’t want a rebound; when people would not observe social distancing, it would be terrible. Well, if they have partial lockdown they must insist that people go around with face masks. Social distancing, washing of hands, and use of sanitizer must still be there too.

pandemic.

On the other hand, the Federal Government should not be carried away by the few accolades, for listening to those who wants the lockdown be relaxed, due to the dwindling economy. This is the time they must be working round the clock, and show more capacity that they can roll back Covid-19.

What we are doing now is like a controlled experiment, which must be carefully handled, so that it won’t turn out into what is more chaotic. What I mean is that, while the lockdown is now relaxed, the government must put in place more test kits, isolation centres, treatment bays, and carry the medical bodies such as Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) along.

National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) alone, cannot handle this pandemic, due to the shortage of manpower on their side, they should not play politics with the lives of Nigerians, all hands must be on deck so that we can sort ourselves out as quick as possible.

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COVID-19

Nigeria lags behind SA, Ghana in COVID-19 testing after 5 weeks of lockdown …Concern, doubts as FG targets 2 million tests in 3 months

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AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE fter five weeks of stay-at-home order imposed on Lagos and Ogun States alongside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja to contain the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to contact-trace suspected cases, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has only managed to carry out about 13,689 tests as at 29 April 2020.

This shows that Nigeria is lagging behind in COVID-19 surveillance, contact tracing and testing when compared with its peers such as Ghana and South Africa that have conducted over 100,000 and close to 200,000 testing respectively as at 29 April 2020.

By implication, medical experts are of the opinion that countries like Nigeria that are behind in COVID-19 testing do not know the extent of the coronavirus spread among their citizens, which explains the recent explosion of outbreak and COVID-19-related deaths in the northern part of the country, such as Kano.

According to data from the NCDC, the COVID-19 situation report as at 39 April 2020 shows that Nigeria, a country of nearly 200 million people, has managed to test 13,689 persons in five weeks of lockdown, which came out with a total of 1,728 positive cases with 51 deaths. Comparatively, statistics from Ghana Health Service stated that the situation updates on COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana as at 28 April 2020 shows that Ghana has been able to test a total of 113,497 persons with a total of 2,074 confirmed cases.

A breakdown of this number shows that about 26,162 persons were tested through routine surveillance resulting to 709 confirmed cases, another 85,313 persons were contacttraced, which resulted to 1,250 confirmed cases while a total of 2,022 persons were tested under mandatory quarantined and 115 persons came out positive.

Commenting on this, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana said on Wednesday 29 April 2020 that the country adopted a rigorous programme of testing for coronavirus and tracing the contacts of those found positive, which has helped Ghana to avoid an explosion in cases that could have overwhelmed its health system.

Akufo-Addo, who stated this at a conference about Africa’s response to the crisis via video from Accra, said that around 110,000 people had been tested, in a population of about 31 million, and the share of

positive tests has remained consistent at around 1.5 percent.

Akufo-Addo further stated that the emphasis has been to go out and look for those who are infected and deal with it through aggressive testing. In South Africa, a total of 197,127 people have been tested for the coronavirus in both the private and public sectors, said Zweli Mkhize, Health Minister on Wednesday 29 April 2020.

According to him, South Africa now has 5,350 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 103 coronavirusrelated deaths.

BDSUNDAY check shows that South Africa has one of the speediest responses to the COVID-19 pandemic such that its government had to shut down its borders and put residents into lockdown even before it announced its first COVID-19-related death.

It was also discovered that South Africa was able to drive mass testing and increased COVID-19 surveillance, due to the country’s existing health research and disease-tracing machinery built over the years, which enabled it to cope with its HIV epidemic.

Consequently, as South Africa ramps up its COVID-19 testing, other African countries are lagging behind and do not know the extent of the novel coronavirus’ spread among their citizens.

BDSUNDAY can recall that President Muhammadu Buhari announced Nigeria’s first 14 days movement restrictions which started on Monday 30 March 2020, when the country had already recorded about 97 confirmed cases of COVID-19. This was over one month after the country confirmed its first case on February 27, 2020.

This puts Nigeria among countries that were slow to react, and this was among the reasons the country is seeing some higher number of deaths due to the virus.

Nigeria has also been deficient in testing as tiny number of the population has been tested such that NCDC had also raised alarm that testing kits are grossly inadequate in the country. This is why experts strongly believe that there are many Nigerians going about with full blown coronavirus and such people remain asymptomatic.

However, as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria continues to rise amid no vaccine, experts believed that the most vital strategy to tackling this virus remains to test and isolate confirmed cases as early as possible to avoid explosion of COVID-19, which would overwhelm the nation’s fragile healthcare system.

Currently, the need to conduct more testing is being advocated due to increased cases of community transmission in Nigeria.

In line with this school of thought, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general, World Health Organisation (WHO) said earlier last week that the United Nations organ has a simple message for all countries which is “test, test, and test.” BDSUNDAY research has revealed that while Nigeria is struggling with testing, forward-thinking countries are beginning to look inward to enhance testing, surveillance and other efforts towards containing COVID-19.

For instance, Senegal’s Institut Pasteur de Dakar in partnership with Mologic, a British biotech

company, recently developed a COVID-19 testing kit that costs $1 and can deliver results in about 10 minutes.

Also, the institute was able to achieve this by drawing from a wealth of experience gathered from developing vaccines and treatments for several illnesses including yellow fever and dengue.

However, it was said that the test kits won’t be ready for distribution until June, after necessary testing must have been concluded.

It was also confirmed that the testing kit can be used at home for a simple test using the saliva or a blood sample of the individual similar to how pregnancy test kit works.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, directorgeneral of NCDC, while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing of last Tuesday said it has set for itself a target of testing 2 million people in the next three months To achieve this, the NCDC recently published the national testing strategy to rapidly scale up diagnostic testing for all 36 States and the FCT. The strategy uses a five-pronged approach that include: Firstly, expanding existing NCDC laboratory network with molecular RT-PCR. This aims to increase testing capacity from nine laboratories in states to 15 laboratories in 12 states. Currently, NCDC has a network of 17 COVID-19 testing laboratories in the country.

Secondly, the centre hopes to leverage capacity within the high throughput HIV molecular Testing Private laboratories. This is expected to increase national testing output from 3,000 tests a day to at least 5,000 tests per day.

Thirdly, repurpose point of care

tuberculosis testing GeneXpert machines for COVID-19 testing.

The objective was to decentralise testing to state level and improve equitable access to testing for all Nigerianstherebyreducingtheturnaround time by 50 percent.

Fourthly, ensure private laboratories with molecular testing capability are engaged and supported to provide COVID-19 testing as well as to ensure future use of antigen and antibody tests to learn more about the disease.

Pundits however, believed that these targets would be difficult for Nigeria to meet, judging by the fact that government had not only managed to only test just about 13,000 persons in more than one month but had also failed to meet its previous targets.

It would be recalled that on April 1, the Nigerian government said the national testing capacity was increased from 500 to 1,500 to expand coverage. But the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS) said the country was not meeting the daily target.

“They are not meeting the target of 1, 500 testing per day,” said Usman Abdulrahman, an official of NIDS, in a chat with an online newspaper.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have reacted to the nation’s poor responses to the outbreak of the dreaded disease.

While paying tribute to Nigerian workers in his Workers’ Day message, Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of Nigeria, (1999-2007) said on 30th April 2020 that the outbreak of this pandemic has vindicated organised labour’s long time agitation for improved investments in the nation’s healthcare system.

“There is no doubt that when the world comes out of this depressing anguish, governments will look around and see the absolute necessity to increase spending on healthcare, human capital development, better standard of living for the people and all those other topical issues that Labour has long called our attention toward,” he said.

According to him, “We are all witnesses to the reality today that governments across the world have fallen short of the requirement to keep people safe and healthy if there is a sudden and unexpected shock.

Arunma Oteh, who commended Senegal’s effort on her twitter handle @aoteh, said Senegal leveraged on its past experience and innovative solutions in the war against COVID-19.

She stated that Senegal has set great example by producing $1.00 quick diagnostic testing kits and 3D printed ventilator that costs $60.00, which is more cost effective compared an imported one that could cost $16,000.

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Feature Marking the World Malaria Day 2020 amid COVID-19 pandemic

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ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo igeria, and indeed, the world is currently being ravaged by a deadly disease, coronavirus (COVID-19), which is at the moment without any known cure.It has left close to three million people dead, across the world.

The world has never been thrown into a pandemic of this nature since the 1918 Spanish influenza that reportedly killed millions of people.

Several countries have since shut their borders; the lockdown that has been introduced will now be joined with a dusk-to-dawn curfew in many parts of the country. Many are worried that the country may not return to its manner of engaging in socio-economic activities anytime soon.

The world has been shaken to its very foundation. There is anxiety, panic and fear that the world might not be the same again. The thought that someone would die of the virus without his or her loved ones by the side of the deceased, is heartbreaking and devastating. In Nigeria, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is inching towards two thousand and the tally is still rising and this has resulted in the death of over 45 people, cutting across all strata of the society. Though concerted efforts are made by the governments at all levels including the adoption of social distancing guideline in addition to hand washing as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), there appears to be no end in sight.

In Akwa Ibom State, it has claimed the life of a medical doctor, Dominic Essien who was said to have contracted the disease while treating a patient in his private clinic in Uyo, the state capital. Essien’s death, which was confirmed by the chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), NsikakNyoyoko in a statement, brought home succinctly the dangers posed by the pandemic.

According to Nyoyoko, his colleague, a physiotherapist and lecturer in the Department of Physiology, University of Uyo, died after showing symptoms of the coronavirus.

“I was called in the night by a colleague who intimated me that one of our colleagues was sick with a week’s history of fever, cough and shortness of breath which worsened yesterday.

“I immediately called upon a member of the state CVOVID-19 response team to swing into action and somehow, later, our colleague was admitted into Ibom Specialist Hospital and managed by specialists in

respiratory medicine,’’ he said.

This shows the devastating impact of the virus which knows no race, no religion and no position in the society. Across the world, medical personnel in the frontline of the battle are falling victim.

Many of them have lost their lives in the line of duty. If medical doctors could fall for the virus, it means nobody is spared.

Currently under lockdown which began on 1 April, Akwa Ibom State like many other states are battling the pandemic amid criticism that not much has been done in terms of providing health facilities including ventilators for those that might need them but the state government says it prepared for the fight.

Governor Udom Emmanuel recently at a media briefing with journalists said the preparedness of the state government could be seen in the attention it has paid to the health sector, remodeling manager secondary health facilities and re-equipping a good number of them.

Specifically, he said the state government has spent over N1billion in the fight against COVID-19 in procuring Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the construction of a 300-bed isolation centre at General Hospital, ItukMbang in UruanLocal Government as well as the buying of consumable. However, there has been much wrangling among the health workers on how the fight against

coronavirus should be carried out in the state.

As the squabble in the fight against COVID-19 continues, the state government announced the redeployment of AniekemeUwah, an epidemiologist who had been leading the fight against the virus and this generated much furor not only in the health sector but in the entire state. It raised questions about the direction the state government is pursuing. A new epidemiologist, NtienseUmotte has since been named.

Nevertheless, with the lockdown still in force in the state, this year’s World Malaria Day usually marked on 25 April could not take the course; it was envisaged after many preparations had taken place.

It is usually an opportunity to create “mass and social media awareness on malaria prevention and treatment” and alsoto highlight the responsibility “we all have to end malaria within a generation and an opportunity to urge leaders to step up the fight and get closer to a malaria free world.”

The theme for this year’s WMD was ‘Zero Malaria Starts with me,’ and the outbreak of COVID-19 appears to be threatening the progress that has been made over the years, but experts believe concerted efforts are needed now more than ever before with an urgent call on leaders to act as well.

Despite the pandemic which became more severe in March

this year, there had been top notch preparations by several groups, spearheaded by the state ministry of health, the Malaria Elimination Programme unit of the ministry, many non-governmental organisations (NGO) including Breaththrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) and several other groups working in advocacy and awareness campaign services and provision of malaria commodities.

However, due to the pandemic, most of the activities planned for the WMD were restricted to radio and television programmes to raise awareness on the disease, ensure community participation in the fight and why malaria is still a major health challenge in the country which should not be ignored.

John Orok, a medical doctor and manager of the state Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP), says Malaria remains a serious public health challenge because it is a life threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes predominately found in Sub-Saharan, including Nigeria.

According to him, Malaria if not prevented will continue to be a public health challenge as long as mosquitoes are still around and need to feed on human blood to survive. There were estimated 228 million reported cases of malaria and 405,000 deaths worldwide according to the World Malaria Report of 2019.

With children aged under 5 years being the most vulnerable group affected by malaria, accounting for 67 percent of all malaria deaths worldwide in 2018, many other groups including pregnant women, people with sickle cell anemia, positively living people and people from non-endemic areas, for malaria cases to be reduced, experts say the prevention and control of malaria need to be consciously addressed.

“Appropriate case management of malaria is important because it will prevent uncomplicated malaria from progressing

to severe malaria, it will reduce malaria burden and death in the country, prevent malaria drug resistance , reduce waste of both income and drug usage and increase health outcome,’’ Orok said.

He said community involvement in malaria prevention and control would promote ownership and sustainability, adding that programme managers could help to build the capacity of communities to plan and evaluate approaches recommended by WHO which he said include use of long lasting nets, taking Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) by pregnant women from 13 weeks, testing every fever before treatment and promoting case management using recommended drugs.

BasseyNsa, coordinator of BA-N in Akwa Ibom State, says with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI), the elimination of malaria is being pursued vigorously.

“Malaria prevention and appropriate treatment are now high in the state due to consistent community dialogues, home visits and referrals of people to health facilities.

“There is now the general belief that mosquito is the only cause of malaria, because misconceptions about the cause of malaria are reducing due to effective fight against malaria in the state,”Nsa said.

He further said that collaboration with religious and traditional leaders has resulted in integrating into religious programmes and community meetings contributed to shifting norms in favour of malaria prevention and appropriate treatment, adding that over 90 percent of households now have mosquito nets distributed in 2018 in the state.

Though the emergence of COVID-19 has raised the debate on the general health behavior, experts believe that while COVID-19 messages are encouraging people to go for testing and improve hygiene, malaria core messages also encourage people to protect themselves by sleeping inside mosquito nets, go for testing if one has fever and improve hygiene by eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

“So, as we imbibe COVID-19 prevention messages and behaviour, in the same vein, we can also eliminate malaria, both have the same doable action,’’ Nsa said.

While the fight against COVID-19 is being intensified from all fronts, experts are saying that “sustainable global investment to end malaria, prevent 100 million cases of malaria and to save nearly 600 thousand lives each year,” are required if we are be the generation to end malaria.

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Feature ‘I won’t be surprised if some people opened foodstuff shops from palliatives of COVID-19’ ... Wants all persons in Rivers to obey directives in the fight against the virus ... When we survive this biological war, we can return to party politics IGNATIUS CHUKWU

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he man carefully selected by former governor of Rivers State to lead the task of sharing 12,000 bags of rice as palliative in the COVID-19 crisis, Chukudi Dimkpa, made startling revelation, saying by his experience in the field, some food distribution agents may open foodstuff shops after the pandemic.

In an exclusive interview with BDSUNDAY, the engineer and project management expert who hails from Isiokpo in Ikwerre local council area of the state his finding is that the people who ought to get the various palliatives floating about in the state were not getting them, even if he agreed that no single authority or organisation can meet the huge demand for food or palliative in the populace.

On who he considered the poor or who should get the Amaechi palliative, Dimkpa said the poor right now is every single person who is unable to eke out a living. “The reason is because we are at war; this is biological war.

Even able-bodied persons cannot go out there to make a living.”

He objected to any observation that he was doing for the APC what Desmond Akawor (newly elected PDP state chairman and chairman of the Rivers State government palliative committee) is doing for the Rivers State government and PDP. He said he was sure that party politics would not be uppermost in Akawor’s mind in this sensitive task.

He stated: “I doubt if Desmond Akawor is doing party with palliative distribution. We are first people before political party, religion or tribe. We are giving to people resident in Rivers State.

If you are resident here, you have to survive first before party or ethnicity.”

He however agreed that bringing out bundles of palliatives for the poor is not the problem but how to make it get to the real needy. He said he would not know if other groups sharing palliatives were speaking the way he (Dimkpa) was speaking.

From what he sees in the field, however, Dimkpa said: “People do not get what is supposed to come to them. From inquiry, we find that some people are not doing the right thing. Gesture to give is the first thing, next is the gesture to distribute. That is where we see the difference because some people are not giving to those who ought to get.”

He threw the bombshell: “I would not be surprised to find some people who would open

We’ve not approved any product as cure for COVID-19 - NAFDAC GODSGIFT ONYEDINEFU, Abuja

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Amaechi palliative being distributed

shops from the proceeds of the palliatives of COVID-19. If you have witnessed war, you will know that this is like food ration in war times. People must survive and after that, we can come back to doing anything called politics or ethnicity.

“Where the problem is, is distribution. That is why we got a non-governmental organization (NGO) to go to the least places.

You see that some people who never believed they would get it are getting it. That is our objective.

We want people to know we are first people.”

Giving insight into how his team tackles the sensitive task, the engineer, said: “What we have done is to use NGO to mobilise people.

They do not disclose the location they are coming to. This is because once people see a truck, they are watching. Immediately the truck is open and they realise its food, they rush. So, the NGO gets people to ensure social distancing.

“You know about food; at first,

people will be calm, but when they realise it may not reach them, they will rush. We are running jingles telling people not to rush. If one group does not get to you, wait for the one from the other group. And, if you get once, do not come again. This way, we are educating the people.

“Another strategy is by switching the visits. Look, there is nothing anyone can do to feed all the people. We can do the little we could. This is being done so others can be encouraged to add. That is the only way we can get out of this desperate situation.

If this lockdown continues to the next one month, what happens? That is where governments have a duty to help people feed.

That is the main difficulty.”

Giving advice from his raw experience, he stated: “The people are our citizens, so government must be proactive, must make sure that distribution channels are open and the right things are being done.

We monitor the NGOs, because they are human beings. It is just

Order in sharing Amaechi’s 12,000 bags of rice

like project management, so you must monitor. If you map out any figure, you must deploy persons who monitor to ensure they have given them to the people. You must be sure that this thing gets down to the people, not to stop in the house of one leader or one big man. Individuals and all must help.

“All we need to say is together we can pull out of this situation.

We all need to adhere to government directives. We need to follow what the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is telling us; we need to follow what the state government is telling us.

We can play politics tomorrow but right now; let all hands be on deck.”

On why Amaechi (now twotime transport minister) picked on him to handle such a sensitive task, Dimkpa said: “You have to ask others, but the truth is, if it is about process and procedures, consider it done. I do not know any other reasons. What we do know is that His Excellency (Amaechi) has a vision; he has always had. He is always proactive, as if he saw tomorrow.

“During his time as governor of Rivers State, he focused in agriculture, healthcare and education. Today, we are seeing the deficiency in those key areas in the state such that if there had been continuity, if the Songhai Farm and other farms had been allowed to function, Rivers State would be feeding itself today. If the healthcare centres were allowed to survive, they would have come in to help. If proper education was allowed to thrive, we wouldn’t have had a populace that still doubts if corona virus was real. He saw tomorrow.’

he Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye has refuted reports claiming that the agency has approved a cure or vaccine against COVID-19 in the country.

The DG, in a statement on Friday, expressed concerns over the reports. She maintained that NAFDAC has not granted any approvals to any product.

“To put the record straight, no drugs or vaccines have been given approval in the country for cure of COVID-19,” she said.

Adeyeye urged that while the Medical Researchers globally, the Nigerian government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are working tirelessly on the discovery of vaccines and drugs to cure COVID-19, Nigerians should desist from making unsubstantial claims.

She said NAFDAC is the only authority in the country to grant approval to such drugs and vaccines.

The DG also assured that NAFDAC will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to safeguard the health of Nigerians and in the event of any approved drug or vaccine for the cure of COVID-19, the Agency will not hesitate to inform the public accordingly.

She further advised the public to comply strictly with measures issued by NCDC to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as the use of face coverings/masks in addition to social distancing, washing of hands and use of alcohol based sanitizers.

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Ogun Watch Abiodun rolls out bumper incentives for Ogun workers in housing, health, others

...as workers get unprecedented 200% hazard allowance to health workers

Stories by RAZAQ AYINLA

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espite the cancellation of annual May Day Celebration otherwise known as Labour’s Day, Ogun state government has rolled out several incentives to workers under State Civil Service with a view to boosting their morale.

Although, there is a forecast of financial crunch owing to twin international crude oil and Coronavirus pandemic shocks which are expected to further deplete foreign reserves and government coffers, Ogun state government has pledged to devise means to fulfil financial obligations amid looming economic recession.

Speaking in Abeokuta on Friday at 2020 Workers’ Day Commemoration, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state declared that government was working on a couple of incentives, ranging from housing, health and several allowances as well as regular payments of salaries and emoluments meant to spur workers to contribute more meaningfully to the State Civil Service.

He said, “Let me say in a loud voice that, on behalf of the Government and entire people of Ogun State, I specially congratulate all the workers of our dear State, in particular, and Nigeria, in general, under the two Labour Houses, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); and, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) - on the commemoration of yet another Workers’ Day. “The commemoration of the 2020 Workers’ Day is to appreciate and honour the many sacrifices of our dear workers to the continued development of our dear State, in general, and, in the recent fight against COVID-19, in particular. Your individual and collective efforts, in recent years, have provided the

L-R: Arole Oduduwa and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Deputy Governor and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state at the presentation of two motorised modular fumigators each donated to all Southwest states, including Ogun state government who received theirs in Abeokuta on Thursday.

strong foundation on which the implementation of our Administration’s Building our Future Together Agenda has continued to be built upon.

“Let me also assure all the people of Ogun State and all those who have made our dear State their home that our Administration will continue to prioritise their welfare and wellbeing at all times. The Government will continue to ensure that the distribution of the relief packages and other items are taken to all communities across our dear State, we, therefore, urge our people to be patient and support even distribution of the packages. This is a difficult time no one foresaw nor wishes to last. Tough times, they say, do not last, but tough people do.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the celebration of our great workers, particularly at this period of global emergency, is a symbolic representation of our Administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare. I acknowledge the level of commitment, cooperation and understanding

that you have continued to demonstrate, particularly, in the last one year of our Administration.

You have shown that there are many successes we can achieve together in the development of our dear State.

“As an Administration, we have continued to demonstrate our commitment to the welfare of our workers, because they are the nerve centre for the policy formulation and successful implementation of Government’s programmes and projects. It is noteworthy that Ogun State remains one of the few States that completed the negotiation for the implementation of the Minimum Wage without rancour. Amongst other initiatives, we have put in a place: “Regular and prompt payment of salaries before the end of every month; improved work environment by regular release of Running Cost to our Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and our Public Schools for administrative efficiency and effectiveness; “Downward Review of sell-

ing price for A.A.K. Degun Estate from N7m to N5.5m for a 3-bedroom semi-detached and N5m to N4m for a 2-bedroom apartment.

“Refund of N1.5million to some allottees who had completed payment of N7million initial purchase price for the 3-bedroom apartment. Also, relaxation of terms and conditions of sale, including reduction of interest rate from 18% to 6%.

“The On-going construction of 400 units Prince’s Court for workers at Kemta Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, of which the first phase of 150 units will soon be delivered.

Absorption of over 1,000 2018 ASCON Officers into the Civil Service and payment of their 9 months salary arrears; “Re-absorption of 28 Community schools and 578 teachers in the Teaching Service; Pardon and re-absorption of some Education Officers in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology whose appointments were terminated by the immediate past administration in the wake of the controversial joint ses-

sional examination in 2015.

“Release and approval of promotion arrears of years 2016 & 2017 of over 1,500 teaching and non-teaching staff of the Teaching Service Commission; Appointment and posting of new Principals and Vice Principals in Public Secondary Schools for seamless administration; “Payment of COVID-19 Special Hazard Allowance of 200% increase to all Health Workers in the State as well as Special Risk allowance and life insurance for personnel treating COVID-19 patients at the State Isolation Centres.

“Despite all these, I cannot pretend that I do not understand that our great workers expect an official pronouncement on some issues concerning their career progression and welfare. Some of these issues predate this administration, nonetheless, we are committed to partnering with labour to address them within the available resources.

“We have in arrears the promotion exercises of 2018 and 2019, while that of 2020 is due in next few months. There are also the arrears of payment of gratuity to our retirees who have served our dear State meritoriously in their prime years. By far the most pressing however, is the commencement of the payment of the new minimum wage as agreed between Government and Labour, and some others related matters.

“As part of our Administration’s sincere commitment to fulfil our part of the agreement on the payment, we have set up a joint committee with labour to assess the impact of COVID-19 on staff welfare and identify all the outstanding issues and how these could be addressed in the wake of COVID-19. In the meantime, we are also setting up Staff Loans Board that will, amongst others, facilitate access to loans from banks at very concessionary interest rates and terms.”

COVID-19: Ooni of Ife donates motorised fumigators to Ogun

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he Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi has donated two motorised modular fumigator to Ogun State government, with a call on Nigerians to protect themselves against the spread of Covid-19, which he said was indeed real.

Speaking at the presentation at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Oba Ogunwusi, said the gesture was an initiative of the House of Oduduwa

machine tools, assuring that the motorised modular fumigators, which were locally made, would be given to the 36 States of the Federation.

“Corona virus is real, and for a lot of people that probably think it is not real, it is real.

People on social media are saying, why is the Ooni wearing the face mask? I have to lead by example, to tell the entire world that indeed, the virus is real and we should all protect ourselves”, he said.

Th e Oo n i a d d e d t h a t h e was ready to personally deliver the fumigators to states across the federation, saying he might need help when he meets with any form of obstacle in the process. “ Fo r t h e m o t o r i s e d m o l e c u l a r f u m i g a t o r, w e a r e looking at the 36 States of the Federation, but the major challenge is logistics, so, we are trying to cover the ones we can within our ambit, when we get to the point of

meeting a brick wall, I will shout to the whole world for help”, the Monarch stated.

Re s p o n d i n g , t h e S t a t e G o v e r n o r Da p o Ab i o d u n , described Oba Ogunwusi as a 21st century Monarch, who was passionate about the cause of the Yoruba race and welfare of his people, noting that he was glad that the local economy was empowered through the motorised modular fumigator, which was locally manufactured.

“Your Royal Majesty, you are very much endowed with lots of wisdom. You’ve risen up to the occasion as usual, to support us with this equipment.

We are very impressed that you’ve looked inward, engaged research people from the Obafemi Awolowo University to consult with you, provide the c h e m i c a l s , t h e k n o w - h o w, you’ve put our people together and this again speaks volume of the stuff you are made of, we are very grateful”, he said.

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DESMOND OKON

f one had told Damilare two years ago, that by this time, his life would experience a downward slide; that hunger would be a major problem other than discrimination, he would probably have rejected it.

However, he faces a difficult reality, courtesy of the outbreak of COVID-19.

Damilare has lived with a congenital deformity for two decades.

Under normal circumstances, and unlike other persons with disability who see begging as a means of survival, he gets his livelihood by attending programmes on advocacy, sensitisation and sometimes empowering other persons with disabilities (PwDs).

Since the compulsory lockdown took effect to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, his life has only grown from bad to worse as such programmes no longer hold.

“I now stay indoor 24/7 without going for programmes and events.

Even the little business I ventured into has stopped yielding any returns for the past weeks. Life is halted,” he complained.

Despite his disability, the Ekiti State-born Damilare has never lacked food, but with his source of income depleted by government measures to contain the spread, he now finds it difficult to feed as prices of foodstuff have ballooned beyond proportion.

“I feed with the little income I have saved over time together with my parents and siblings,” he said.

“Soon, if this ban is not lifted, maybe I will go on debt or credit. And if caution is not taken, hunger, starvation and eventually death will set in. I struggle to get two square meals per day now,” he further lamented.

Lagos State is estimated to have two million persons with disabilities (PWDs), who in the normal setting, are discriminated against. PWDs are not considered in normal day settings and the pandemic situation has only worsened their plight and further promotes inequality.

Damilare bitterly complained about the lockdown, saying that it is doing more harm than good as the governors and the president restrict movements without making any provision for the vulnerable and PwDs in the states.

“It is so unfortunate,” he said.

In a phone interview, David Anyaele, founder of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), said the lockdown has exposed this vulnerable group to hardship and hunger by reason of their inability to fend for themselves. He said even those that normally beg to feed cannot beg, those that depend on their family members, and friends to support them cannot because their family members are also struggling to feed.

“And we’re told we should not move around. An average person with a disability needs to move around. If you’re on a wheelchair, people support you to push your wheelchair. If you are blind, somebody helps you to move around.

So, it becomes extremely difficult to live in this starvation,” Anyaele said.

Citizens living with disability fall under the vulnerable people category who, according to Lagos State officials, that would be on the priority list during the distribution of the

Persons with disabilities cry out over neglect in season of lockdown

Group of lame people

Group of blind

palliatives the state introduced for their sustenance as the lockdown progresses.

Sources said the distribution method was faulty and PWDs were not getting anything contrary to the promis by the state, leading to the exclusion of many people.

“Initially, they contacted all the disabled people through the LASRRA data by sending them SMS that they should confirm if their addresses are still valid that they would bring food to those addresses. That, they did not do.

“I don’t know how many they claim to have done, but for my own cluster, I’m not sure we got up to 120 food packs for registered members of about 300, and unregistered

Group of lame people

members of about 500,” a source told BDSUNDAY. Speaking on the distribution process, Anyaele said many disabled Nigerians were unattended to because the framing process of the response did not prioritise disabled fellows despite the law stating that they should be prioritised in a situation of emergency.

He said PWDs were not part of the expected outcomes in the distribution of relief materials by Lagos State government, adding that what the state ought to have done was to earmark a portion of the materials specifically to the disabled community.

In a statement released two weeks ago, the Coalition of Persons

with Disabilities Groups Against Persons with Disabilities MarginalisationdemandedthatThePresidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 presented a clear-cut plan on how to provide palliatives for persons with disabilities at this time, urging them to start immediately on the claims that persons with disabilities are the most vulnerable among other social groups. They threatened to revolt, defy all lockdown orders, and disrupt daily briefings by the PTF if their demands were ignored.

“We resolved to defy all government orders to stay at home and risk our lives to disrupt the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Briefing on Monday, April 6, 2020.

The same shall be carried out at state and ward levels in states that have no plans for PWDs. After all, what is a life worth living in a terrible nation as ours? Everyone must die someday,” they said.

But what later followed was a flop in the distribution both at the national and state levels leading to more exclusion.

The overwhelming calls Therefore, with the lockdown in place, shutting down all centres where PWDs go to beg for help, their leaders are bearing the brunt as they mount pressure on them for food.

Tunde Mohammad, chairman of the National Association for the Blind, Lagos Chapter, said he gets calls every hour by hungry members, an overwhelmingsituationforsomeone whoisalsoaffectedbythelockdown.

“Before your call came in, one of them called just to say, ‘chairman, have you heard anything? At times, I feel sad in my soul because what do I want to tell this person because for this person to be calling you, he’s hungry or she’s hungry and a lot of calls like that”, he decried.

Mohammad told BDSUNDAY that he receives over 50 calls per day—that is, over 50 disabled Ni-

gerians calling to request for food or money daily, and the calls could come in at any time of the day.

“You’ll pity me for the kind of calls I receive,” he said. “People telling me they need money, they need food and I don’t blame them. It’s me they know. They don’t know who to call again. I claim to be their chairman, so they have always asked me for one thing or the other. So, when things like this come, they don’t know that I don’t have any power. Nobody has given anything,” he said.

Mohammad added that, “They don’t care if it’s 12 midnight or 5 a.m.

For them, it’s the earlier the better, or the later the better.”

Looking inwards for survival From the trajectory of Covid-19 events, especially with a possible national lockdown proposed by the 36 states governors, their predicament seems to be just beginning.

As a result, Mohammad said they are now looking inwards and coming up with “in-house means to survive” the harsh condition they find themselves.

“Some of our members are helping one another. I had to help a lot of people initially when the thing started. So, I had to give money, some of the other blind people too did the same things,” he said.

Apart from helping themselves in-house, he said they also receive help from NGOs, philanthropic Nigerians, and institutions like the Institute of National Transformation, which gave 35 packs of food to their members in Alimosho, as well as, a women’s group, which donated N7, 500 to five members.

At CCD, awareness is being raised and calling the attention of the public to the lingering excruciations in the community. They are also looking at alternative means to do fundraising, as organisations and different groups are also raising funds to support their members.

The Centre is also partnering with other groups that are also supporting vulnerable people to draw their attention and ensure that their materials target them, BDSUNDAY was told. Anyaele said PWDs are poor people, less than two percent of PWDs have meaningful jobs. And the cost of living with disabilities is even very high under normal circumstances, let alone this pandemic situation.

They struggle to save because all his resources go back to taking care of himself if he has something doing.

Those that do not have something doing rely on their neighbours, on their friends and those that are close to them for support, the founder reckons.

“So, looking inwards to support themselves means that they have to activate their network by looking for philanthropists around them to see how they can support them to support others. Those of them that have social capital are also trying to activate it to support people with disabilities,” he said.

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BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

The puzzle over Covid-19 cures, recoveries This is the best time to assemble best Nigerian virologists to brainstorm on possible local ways to tackle Covid-19 instead of always looking towards Europe and the West for possible solutions.

DANIEL OBI

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here is no discovered drug yet for Covid-19 treatment. Though series of information is circulating in the social media and other cycles about possible treatments for the pandemic, the international regulatory bodies have warned that “there are currently no vaccines or drugs approved to treat or prevent Covid-19.”

It is reported in the international media that even Remdesivir, a drug thought to be one of the best prospects for treating Covid-19, failed to have any effect in the first full trial. “The drug is in short supply globally because of the excitement it has generated. It is one of the drugs Donald Trump claimed was ‘promising,’” the report said.

But the puzzle here is that in Nigeria as well as other countries, some people are said to have recovered from coronavirus and have been discharged from hospital. How were they treated and with which vaccines?

In Nigeria, there are close to 2,000 (two thousand) cases of coronavirus out of which close to 300 persons have been discharged while close to 50 have died as at Friday, May1st, 2020.

As at Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in South Africa, there were 4,793 cases with 1,494 recoveries and 90 deaths. USA has one million cases with 114,000 recovery and 57,000 deaths.

Globally, there are three million cases with 895,000 recovery and 211,000 deaths.

Last Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State told Nigerians that 143 persons have been treated and discharged in Lagos. “I am pleased to announce that today alone we are discharging 49 people -48 Nigerians and one foreigner” The question therefore is: if there is no cure yet, why are there recoveries, discharges of those who have contracted the virus.

Tom Duszynski, director, Epidemiology Education at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indiana (IUPUI), explained this in his write-up published in The Conversation website: “Once a person is exposed to coronavirus, the body starts producing proteins called antibodies to fight the infection.

As these antibodies start to successfully contain the virus

and keep it from replicating in the body, symptoms usually begin to lessen and you start to feel better. Eventually, if all goes well, your immune system will completely destroy all of the virus in your system. A person who was infected with and survived a virus with no long-term health effects or disabilities has ‘recovered”, he said.

According to Duszynski, “once you have recovered from a viral infection, your body will keep cells called lymphocytes in your system. These cells ‘remember’ viruses they’ve previously seen and can react quickly to fight them off again.

If you are exposed to a virus you have already had, your antibodies will likely stop the virus before it starts causing symptoms. You become immune. This is the principle behind many vaccines”.

He warned that unfortunately, immunity isn’t perfect.

“For many viruses, like mumps, immunity can wane over time, leaving you susceptible to the virus in the future. This is why you need to get revaccinated – those ‘booster shots’ – occasionally: to prompt your immune system to make more antibodies and memory cells,” he further explained.

This simply means that those who are said to have recovered have developed strong immune system that fought the Covid-19 off. Development of strong immune system therefore, doesn’t come only from vaccines but healthy living.

The Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade underscored this recently in an interview when he underlined healthy liv-

ing as antidote to viruses.

The various testing going on around Nigeria should therefore, be to identify early carriers of Covid-19 with intention therefore, to boost their immune system or anti-body against the pandemic. Instead of testing to establish figures.

Again, it could be possible, through research, to replicate the anti-body systems of those who have recovered from coronavirus and mass-produce it for Nigerians. “We can take the serum of those who have recovered, because they have displayed strong immunity against the virus, do a synthesis of the serum and mass produce the

Though, scientific solutions are being sought globally, traditional medicine must also be considered and embraced as a way to tackle the pandemic

vaccines”, Ayade advised.

Surprisingly, Nigeria has over the last two months fought Covid-19 from exterior perspective of providing palliatives and testing Nigerians of the pandemic when there is no established cure for the virus. Some of those who have tested positive have suffered stigmatization, while some die because of fear.

It is however, important to identify carriers early enough for provision of vaccines that could improve their immune system. But it is more important for Federal and state governments to make available to many citizens the vaccines and products that could boost antibody systems against any virus, including Covid-19. Healthy living in Nigeria is almost zero and that is why Covid-19 will be hard to be stamped out, according to experts.

Again, this is the best time to assemble the finest of Nigerian virologists to brainstorm on possible ways to tackle Covid-19 instead of always looking towards Europe and the West for possible solutions.

This is also the opinion of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, a former university don. In the recent address to the media, he urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to look inwards for the solution to the pandemic.

Similarly, in their character, states who have only adopted lockdown as possible solutions are looking up to Abuja for solutions. Nigerian states can also assemble trado-medicine operators, virologists to seek solutions to this pandemic. As it is, states can only begin to face their challenges when they feel

a sense of independence and this can be achieved through restructuring. But, today, states are behaving like babies, crying and being fed by Abuja’s feeding bottle.

States need to be allowed to think. Many individuals across the nation’s six geo-political zones, believe in this new economic paradigm to liberate Nigeria from economic strangulation that has bedevilled it for years. Nigeria needs to free itself from central control that has not enabled innovation and development of key sectors.

World Bank’s former management specialist, LadipoAdamolegun, in a lecture re-echoed the challenge of Nigeria’s overcentralisation of federal system.

He noted that it was a major explanatory factor for poor development performance of the country.

Further giving credence to restructuring, former president of Institute of Directors (IoD), ChikeNwanze in his lecture at the Nigerian Institute of Management believed any effort towards economic development cannot be achieved without restructuring of the country.

It is important to note that states now hold the key to regional and national development as Federal Government is constrained with many challenges but low revenue, especially as Abuja feeding bottle is not only drying up but has many mouths to feed.

For coronavirus, Nigeria should not concentrate on external sources for solutions.

States should not fold their arms and wait on FG as they can embark on researches for local solutions too. This is also important as reports from famous traditional stools indicate that possible cure for the Covid-19. In a report, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi was quoted as saying that there are efforts on traditional cure for the pandemic.

“Though, scientific solutions are being sought globally, traditional medicine must also be considered and embraced as a way to tackle the pandemic” Since anti-body systems or strong immune system have been identified as resilient weapon against coronavirus, it is therefore rational that Federal and state governments should make efforts, through research to provide more food and vaccines that are rich in building immune systems of Nigerians.

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Arts Kadara Enyeasi: The artist with guts

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OBINNA EMELIKE n the Nigerian seemingly ‘conservative’ society where nudity is seen as a taboo, a few visual artists have gone out of their ways to capture the unspoken visuals.

The youthful Kadara Enyeasi is among the few who have drawn the society’s attention to what is beneath the cloth through his works.

While some artists reveal more of the female body, Kadara chose the male body in a provocative way that most people will never imagine.

In the early days of his artistic career, the self-taught photographer took the Nigerian art scene by storm with the unveiling of some thought-provoking nude portraits of himself before engaging models as his subjects. The development, which drew more critics and few commendations testified to his guts, inspired him to dare more and later won him popularity in less than five years of practice.

“My work centres on the black male nude specifically. In a highly religious and traditional country like Nigeria, the male figure is seen as a taboo, and its exploration in art is minimal.

My work challenges that”, he explains.

But despite the critics back home, Kadara enjoyed the most commendations from the exhibition of his self-portraits with Nataal

House of Oduduwa dissasociates itself from statement on Moremi Musical streaming

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Afolabi Oke

at Red Hook Labs. “People seem to appreciate my works better when they travel outside the country”, the artist says.

For his love for photography, Kadara, a graduate of Architecture from the University of Lagos, abandoned his profession to follow his passion. Aside photography, he is a multidisciplinary artist whose creativity ingenuity cuts across various fields; sculpture, fashion, and digital

art. His versatility and guts make him an upcoming artist to watch in the Nigerian art circle.

On the rationale for selfportraits, Kadara says, “I use self-portraits to see myself. It was all about understanding myself”. But he later decided to use models as his subject on discovering that he was either honest or telling lies with his pose. With models, he says, “I try to reveal the reality of my subject’s mood

behind the lens”.

Trailing his works is a fantastic endeavor. From 20102014 he created works he tagged ‘Human Encounters’ due to his focus then.

Lately, his interests have gone beyond photography to travelling, fashion, social documentary work, looking at architecture from a cultural perspective among others.

“I have been working on collage. I enjoy juxtaposing

images, colours and text. And I continue to take fashion commissions with brands in Nigeria and Ghana. Fashion comes easily to me because I like form, silhouette, line and perspective”.

In his less than a decade practice, Enyeasi has many exhibitions and collaborations to his credit. His feats include; the Africa Centre in London, Bozar Festival in Brussels, La Triennale expo in Milan, Odessa/Batumi Photo days in Ukraine and A White Space in Lagos. The artist was also a 2017 participant in the Arthouse Foundation residency programme.

Trailing his journey to artistic stardom, Kadara recalls his encounter with photography when he was 13 years, photographing his sister (who then was an aspiring model) to practice.

“I starting by taking my sisters photographs with a 2MP Nikon camera, and later moved on to take my family members, myself and the public much later”.

Kadara is truly progressive in his career. He has learnt the rope as a curator at the African Artists’ Foundation, which he showed off to his collages sometime ago at Foam 3H in Amsterdam, a collaborative exhibition between AAF and Foam, alongside Bob Muchiri Njenga and Osborne Macharia. Besides taking up painting, he is also working on a book.

he House of Oduduwa has dissociated itself from unauthorised statements allegedly issued on its behalf, which condemned the streaming of the Moremi Musical and also seeking for court redress.

Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, cleared the air over the issue in statement he signed recently, insisting that there is no dispute among the descendants of Oduduwa on Moremi matters.

The monarch urged detractors to stay off the matter and “let us focus on developing the great heritage of our ancestors.”

It would be recalled that recently the media reported that the House of Oduduwa wrote a warning letter through its lawyer, Citadel Partners, to Bolanle Austen-Peters, Theatre Director, restraining her from streaming the musical on YouTube on last Sunday.

Oba Ogunwusi said in the statement that, ”House of Oduduwa has come to learn of a dispute between QMA under the House of Oduduwa and BAP Productions over the right to stream Moremi the Musical on YouTube. The House of Oduduwa dissociates itself from unauthorised statements purportedly issued on its behalf, seeking to condemn the streaming of the play or seeking court redress.

“Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters (she is a princess indeed from Awujale Royal Dynasty, Ijebu-Ode) (née Afe Babalola, one of the most respected families in the entire House of Oduduwa), is a daughter of Oduduwa and as such we cannot be in dispute with her, more so that the House of Oduduwa had a fruitful working relationship with her in creating and producing the very successful Moremi the Musical.”

“Ronke Ademiluyi is a princess from the source and a descendant of Oduduwa, who is the ambassador to QMA initiatives. We recognise the value Mrs. Austen-Peters has brought to the cultural space in Nigeria, especially in Yorubaland, and we look forward to constantly working with her in future, to continue to propagate the advancement of culture, tradition and heritage of the entire Yoruba race.”

“The House of Oduduwa also recognises the impact Princess Ademiluyi has made in the fashion/culture industry space and also working along with the expertise of Mrs. Austen-Peters to bring this outstanding theatre to the public space with the great assistance of Chief Funsho Amosun -The Moremi of the entire race herself.

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Travel Lockdown: Drawback to Eugene 1’s takeoff Obinna Emelike

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arlier this year, many funseekers desirous of an enthralling cruise experience on Nigerian waters, were delighted with the announcement of a new cruise ship, which was preparing to berth on Lagos Lagoon.

Eugene 1, Nigeria’s unprecedented cruise boat ever, courtesy of Hi Impact Cruise, was due to take-off last April, during the Easter period, but the lockdown occasioned by efforts to curtail the spread of coronavirus did not allow the epoch ceremony to take place.

However, the cruise ship is still berthing by the Lagoon and patiently waiting for normalcy to return for discerning guests to visit, savor and have a taste of its many offerings.

Rightly berthing on the Marina, Lagos, opposite the Lagos House, Eugene 1 will sail across Nigeria waters while offering guests unique opportunity to savour luxury on water.

Of course, it is aptly the new thrill on Nigerian waters because of its unique offerings.

The ultra-modern super yatch, which is owned and operated by Hi-Impact Cruise; a tourism on sea outfit, has a great balance in terms design, volume and performance.

It is a 140ft three-storey yatch with top of the range features such as exquisite interior design fully airconditioned interior with chilling capacity of 528,000BTU. It has automated sunroof, automated sensor door and much more.

On the splendid Hi-Impact Cruise, gusts can enjoy fun relished in an exceptional ambience that offers a unique unprecedented experience in Nigeria.

The lovely automated roof-top yatch is three leveled sophisticated piece, with an exclusive presidential lounge where thrills are at their peak.

Moreover, the four hours nonstop extraordinary fun cruise boosts individual, friends and families bond, and further creating long-lasting fun memories. Aside individual guests, corporate organisations and government agencies are also invited to take advantage of Eugene 1 to enjoy more relaxable and impeccable atmosphere for team bonding, conferences and corporate dinners.

As well, Hi-Impact Cruise is the preferred destination for events such as destination weddings, luxury cruise, birthdays, conferences, club parties among others.

The luxury boat is truly an entertainment on the sea, full of humour and splendor. It offers exquisite and thrilling treats, which includes: a magnificent and exciting on-board scenery, fabulous music from a live band or reputable DJ, sumptuous full three course meal and drinks, and elegant well-stocked bar with array of exotic drinks. It also has a leading edge on-board amusement rides and games, fully airconditioned gallery and hygenic toilets, as well as, a well secured

and serene environment.

Considering its sheer size, 39.1.5 metres long, 10 metres wide, and 12 metres high, Eugene 1 is big enough for any excitement you desire on a cruise.

You need not watch your back while on the cruise boat. CCTV cameras are in place with standby staff for security checks, as well as, boats that helps marine police to do security checks where ever the yatch is moving to. Rescue and

exit plans, sufficient jackets are all provided for any emergency case.

However, Hi-Impact Cruise is another arm of business of the Solution Media and Infotech Limited, established in April, 2011.

The company is into tourism and entertainment and has taken its business in and outside Nigeria.

Adeyanju Lipado, chairman and visioner of the cruise boat, explained the rationale behind the acquisition of the yatch say-

ing, “Hi-Impact Cruise is acquired to give Nigerians and Africans the true cruise experience that is obtainable anywhere in Europe and America. The facility is encouraging Nigerians to stay at home instead of travelling abroad for a day cruise”.

Lipado remarked that the yatch would reduce the number of Nigerians who travel abroad for cruise service, whereas the number of people who cannot afford it over-

seas can now enjoy the facility in Nigeria still with the international best practices.

The visioner noted that with Hi-Impact, the company has been able to distinguish itself, creating the same service people seek when they travel abraod. Comparatively, the kind of cruise boats in Nigeria are small in size when one assess Eugene 1, which has between 500 - 700 capacity (banquet arrangement).

He stressed that, the edifice is brought in line with the Federal Government of Nigeria and Lagos State Government vision of enhancing tourism as a means of generating revenue to the country.

He assured that Hi-Impact Cruise has met the requirements of the relevant authorities such as Nigeria Maritime Management and Safety Authority, Lagos State Water Authority, among others.

In terms of training, all the entire management officers are trained based on international standard on safety, security, operations, among others.

It is worthy to note that Eugene 1, built in 2017 is manufactured in Turkey and acquired at the cost of $700,000.00. The cruise is captained by a Nigerian, indigenous chief engineer and crew members as well.

Hi-Impact cruise is owned by a Nigerian, managed by Nigerians and awaits Nigerian patronage.

With the easing of the lockdown, there is hope that the cruise, which couldn’t start operations in April, will begin to sail soon on Nigerian waters.

Sunday 03 May, 2020

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BDSUNDAY 23

Travel

Working with Emirates has brought amazing opportunities that I could never have imagined – Odigie Magdalene Odigie is a Nigerian Economy class cabin crew, working with Emirates for over a year now. She always aspired to become a cabin crew ever since she met an Emirates cabin crew on a flight. Working with Emirates has instilled skill sets both professionally and personally, that she attributes to her training and working in a diverse environment. Magdalene enjoys researching new destinations and is always excited to try local cuisines, learn the language and be immersed in the culture. Her favourite destination is Ghana, where she spends a considerable amount of time and loves the hospitable people and food. Top on her list of favourite destinations is Dubai, which is where she currently resides. In this interview with IFEOMA OKEKE, she speaks on her experience in the last one year as staff of Emirates.

I

What routes do you fly to? don’t fly to the United States currently but I fly everywhere else. My journey so far with Emirates has been an exciting one and one filled with amazing opportunities that I could never have imagined especially coming from Nigeria and moving to the UK and then ending up in Dubai that is such an exciting city. For me, it has been an incredible journey, filled with opportunities.

W h a t d i d yo u s t u d y i n school?

I studied fashion journalism in the UK. At what point did you leave Nigeria for the UK? I left Nigeria when I was 15 years old. I got the job while I was in the UK. I do come back to visit. I have two sisters in Nigeria.

One lives in Lagos and the other in Abuja. So, I always come back to see my family.

Did you ever think you will be a cabin crew and at what point did you take the decision?

Being a cabin crew is something I have always dreamt of, especially when I first moved to the UK and I travelled on an airplane for the first time and I just looked at these people and I was wowed by just imagining what they did for a living. I also thought of the places they will have visited. So, when that opportunity came and I applied, I had to be patient and I am glad it was the best decision I ever made.

Are there times you have been harassed by passengers and if there has been a time like that, how has Emirates helped you manage the situation?

I, personally haven’t encountered anything to do with harassment or discrimination but Emirates offers an incredible amount of support 24 hours. They have a peer support group, which anyone within the company can seek. So, there is always that help. It is a company that always support their staff.

Do you make extra plans when you are travelling to certain destination or are there certain instructions from Emirates to guide you?

With any destination, I make plans. Emirates is very respective with people’s cultures and they always keep their crew in the know so that we are not offending anybody else’s culture but I have never been put in a position where I have to be worried about a country I am going to because there is always that safety guaranteed by Emirates.

Do you intend to continue with the job when you get married considering the demands of the job?

We still have a lot of crew who are married and they still fly.

There is no interference in their personal life, in terms of difficulty keeping a balance in the home.

So, I have a lot of friends who are married to crew and some who are not married to crew and they have a lot of opportunities because their spouses can get the chance to travel all around the world with them and if they work together, it is even better because both of you can get to travel together most of the time.

It is so exciting.

What is the unique selling point of Emirates Airlines?

I think the unique selling point is that it is such a cosmopolitan airline. Every day I work with someone from a different culture and it gives me the opportunity to learn about where they are from. For instance, today I might work with someone from Brazil and whenever I go to Brazil, I don’t feel strange because I have gotten to meet people from that culture. It is such a multi-national company.

At the time you applied for this job, given the competitiveness of the recruitment process, did you feel that you may not make it through the process?

I didn’t feel that way because I knew what I had to offer with the company being a Nigerian as well as having that awareness because I felt when I was in the UK, I may probably be the only Nigerian applying. For me, that was my selling point. To be honest when I joined Emirates, I didn’t know how big of a multinational company it was, so I was just going with the idea to try this

Sani

out. To my surprise, they took me and I probably had all they were looking for. You have to be very patient with the whole interview process with Emirates. You have to also know that it is not just an opportunity for them to hire you but it is also you knowing what you can offer the company, just like any other job.

For people who would like to work with organisations, they look for organisations that train and retrain their staff. Does Emirates train and retrain staff?

If they do, how often?

We are trained rigorously.

When I joined, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. The first eight weeks was training all through and it wasn’t just any kind of training. They train you on security, how to deal with hostage situation, things to know about an aircraft, amongst others. So, it is not just the pilots that know about these things. Also, you as

I, personally haven’t encountered anything to do with harassment or discrimination but Emirates offers an incredible amount of support 24 hours

a crew will know certain things that passengers wouldn’t know.

They train you on how to deal with medical cases, so we are trained on almost everything. So, in that eight weeks, you are learning, you have exams and if you pass the exams, then you start flying.

Every year, you get retrained and you have to go in for an exam. So, you are constantly learning about your job role. When you go for a flight, you have a briefing. During the briefing, they ask you questions about the aircraft. So, constantly, your mind is constantly alert which is such a good thing because it means that passengers know that they are safe because you are aware at all times.

Can you tell me some of the efforts by Emirates to ensure they have a gender balanced work place?

They have a lot of women that are pilots and I am very moved by them. As a cabin crew, if I see a woman who is a pilot, I am wowed by it because it is such a male dominated section. So, Emirates is very accommodating. I don’t think they are biased in gender equality.

How has been a crew member influenced your fashion sense?

It has given me the opportunity to go to different countries, meaning I get the opportunity to get access to fashion from all around the world. So, I can go to UK, Ghana or some other countries. You can go to the markets in these countries and get your fabrics and give them to tailors in Accra or Lagos. You sew your attire. So, the job has had a lot of impact in my fashion sense.

So, it plays a lot of role in how I dress. I get nice dresses for the weather, which depends on the destination.

When you are off duty, what are the things you like to wear?

Because I have this fashion background, I love a lot of dresses. I love anything that is comfortable especially when you fly and you are walking on an aircraft, for me comfort is important, so I wear my snickers and nice oversize dress or nice pants and blouse to go with it.

24 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 03 May, 2020

SundayBusiness Nigerian Breweries and CSR on COVID-19 Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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he unexpected nature of the onslaught of the Coronavirus pandemic and its deleterious effects on the quality of life of the citizens of several countries has informed the act of giving by endowed individuals, Non-Governmental Org a n iz a t i o n s ( N G Os) a n d corporate organizations to the needy sectors of the society.

The noble aim is to mitigate the deleterious effects on the victims by the scourge of the virus. Also negatively affected is the running of government machineries across the affected countries. Such kind gestures have therefore, come in form of the distribution of the much-needed raw cash, face masks, hand sanitizers, ventilators and of course, food items.

Not left out of the corporate organizations that have reached out to governments is the nation’s leading brewery giant, Nigerian Breweries Plc.Recently, it announced the donation of six hundred million Naira(N600m) to the federal and some state governments as announced by Ms. Sade Morgan, the Corporate Affairs Director of the company.

Details of this commendable gesture are contained in a letter to Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the federal government who also happens to be the be the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. Details were however provided by NB Plc’s Managing Director, Jordi Bel. As indicated, the sum of N250m donation goes to the federal government through the Coalition Against COVID19(CA-COVID). N250m cash donation goes to eight state governments’ Task Force against COVID-19. Lagos and Ogun states are to receive N100m and N50m respectively as the frontline states in the fight against the virus.Five other states such as Kaduna, Oyo, Enugu, Abia and Imo will each get N20m.

Furthermore, relief materials worth N100m have also been provided. These include the provision of 5 double-cabin vehicles meant to be used by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for their operations involving the movement of materials and personnel in states such as Lagos, Ogun and Kaduna

states.

Interestingly, the cost of fuel, maintenance and drivers’ salaries will be made available by NB Plc. Not done, it has gone ahead to make available Personal Protective Equipment including face masks, 500 gowns and 141,000 units of hand sanitizers to be distributed across the states most affected by the coronavirus. Added to these is the supply of malt, energy and soft drinks to several COVID-19 NCDC Centres across the country.

And in the face of uncertainty with regards to jobs, the MD, Bel has given the assurance of the protection of that of its 3,000 staffers.

It is worthy of note that the HEINEKIN, the parent company of NB Plc has also reached out to the International Red Cross for the supply of relief materials to the victims of COVID-19 in countries across Africa, Asia and America.

And here in Nigeria it has advancedtheconceptbyadvocating responsible consumption of its people-friendly products.On education, it has supported Felix Ohiwerie Education Trust Fund, it has supplied potable water to several communities, encouraged youth empowerment and talent development.

Over the decades, it has come up with spectacular talent shows in the fertile fields of music and dance, movies and essay writing to discover hitherto unknown talents.

Its Gulder Ultimate Show (20042014) remains one of the most

memorable. Back in 2004, the spellbinding and thrilling reality search made a millionaire out of Ezeugo Egwuagwu who smiled home with the sum of N3m as the first-ever first prize winner.

Its Star beer promotions brought iconic crooner, KCee into the music limelight. Its Maltina Dance All competition is Nigeria’s premier Dance TV reality show. Beginning from 2006, participating family members go through highly creative yet energetic dance training as provided by professionals.

At the end, the winning families smile home with mouth-watering and prestigious prizes with the first prize winners getting brand new, exotic car and counting millions of Naira. At the regional level, winners boast of clinching home theatre, flat screen TV sets and high tech phones.

Its Legend Extra Stout Real Deal promotion has gone a long way towards boosting consumer experience. Faithful fans are hosted across different cities courtesy of its flagship consumer engagement platform. There they are thrilled by A-list artistes such as Harry Song, Timaya, 9ice, OritseFemi to small Doctor from Aba to Ibadan,Abuja to Abakaliki, Onitsha to Jos, Umuahia to Owerri.

In addition, its brand ambassadors such as the delectable Nollywood diva, DakoreAkande and iconic musicianBurna Boy have not been found wanting when it comes to connecting NB Plc’s top brands to the teeming consumers.

The point being made here is that predicated on its strong bond between the corporate giant and the Nigerian public what it has done in reaching out to both the governments and the public deserves much commendation.

And it serves as a source of inspiration to other companies operating in Nigeria.

Looked at from an enlightening perspective, it is noteworthy that the donations came from thorough, thinking through processes. Giving out gifts that span the spectrum of money, face masks, fuel, vehicles, and payment of salaries make them much more useful to the recipients.

As we pray for the end of the coronvirus, the states and federal government should be ready to reciprocate these great gestures by way of providing stable power supply, good access roads and sustainable security to all the companies involved. The money and items so donated should be judiciously expended. The company pays taxes, so reaching out with additional relief measures to the needy at this time, is worthy of emulation.

Kudos to NB Plc! You have proved that a friend in need is a friend indeed!

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media ayobaje@yahoo.co.uk; 07068638066

Doing more beyond lockdown with First Bank’s ‘magic’ service code Obinna Emelike

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hile the five-week lockdown lasted in Nigeria, it reechoed the import of cashless banking, redirecting many to several cashless transactions, services and merchandise options available out there.

From the comfort and safety of their homes, many ran their businesses, settled bills, sent money to their loved ones and made others payments using e-channel banking service tools.

However, foremost of the echannel services is First Bank’s USSD*894#, which has become synonymous with convenience and quick banking.

The *894# is a quick banking service aimed at delivering power to the bank anywhere and at anytime. Top among the features that endear it to First Bank customers are its quick, convenience and easy to use, while the beneficiary accounts are credited instantly with alert notifications.

Speaking on the service, Chima Ezirim, group executive, e-Business & Retail Products, First Bank, explained that, “At First Bank, we are excited about the impact our innovative solutions are making in Nigerian payment landscape. Our *894# USSD banking has been a viable platform through which we take our banking services to the doorstep of our customers, right

on the palm of their hands without the limitation of an internet connection”.

According to Ezirim, First Bank is committed to creating various avenues to enable Nigerians carry out various financial activities conveniently, safely and securely anytime and anywhere in Nigeria.

More importantly, the *894# is part of the Bank’s financial inclusion drive, in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) target of 80 percent financial inclusion by 2020. The target was expected to get Nigerians who do not bank or do online transactions to get onboard.

The target was also necessitated by the sad reality that 40.1 million, almost half of the about 96.4 million adult population of Nigeria, are financially excluded in a digital age where ePayment, eCommerce, among other hassle-free financial services, products and banking innovations are trending.

With the *894#, First Bank has made banking a lot more fun, anytime and everywhere for its customers even in the remote areas across the country, and contributing in bringing many into the financial scene.

The intrigue of the quick banking service is that it makes banking services available across all GSM networks, on any type of handset or device; iphone, android, blackberry and even simple feature phone famously referred to in Nigerian lingo as ‘kpalasa’.

Another selling point is that the *894# service requires no internet service connection and can be used in remote locations across Nigeria.

It is delivered on the customers’ registered phone numbers linked to their FirstBank accounts.

Going by the many services a customer can enjoy without visiting the banking hall, the *894# practically turns a mobile phone into a mobile branch of the bank.

“With the service, customers can transfer money to FirstBank and other banks in Nigeria; buy airtime for themselves and their loved ones; check account balance on

their phones, and do lots more wherever they are”, the bank disclosed.

While Personal Identification Number (PIN) reset on the service requires only a quick dial of *894*0#, First Bank customers can activate the service in three steps.

First, by dialing *894*0#; enter a four digit PIN linked to the debit card; create a five digit PIN, and the registration is complete.

Explaining further the services on offer, the bank noted that customers can send money by simply dialing *894*Amount*Account Number#; select beneficiary bank;

Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, managing director/Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Limited

confirm amount, beneficiary name and enter five-digit PIN; then select account to debit.

For airtime recharge, customers can simply dial *894*Amount# to recharge for self; to recharge for others, dial *894*Amount*Phone Number# and enter five-digit PIN. Moreover, with the service, the bank’s customers can transfer up to N100,000.00 per day and recharge airtime up to N10,000.00 per day.

More demanding activities such as generating mini account statement can also be done using the service.

All the bank’s customers need is to dial *894*Account Number#, and to check account balance.

Truly the *894*00# is the magic code for convenient, yet secured banking anytime and anywhere in Nigeria.

The bank is also adding more offerings to the *894# quick banking service bouquet; for utility bill payment, payment for goods and services at any retail store in Nigeria, opening of savings account and linking customer BVN to the new accounts.

While First Bank has always been at the forefront of seamless banking transaction in a convenient and secured manner, First Bank’s group executive, e-Business & Retail Products, assured that the bank is also committed to ensuring that its customers are fully served with the USSD service, which implies that banking is lot more fun now for everyone, everywhere and anytime.

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BDSUNDAY 25

SundayBusiness Remote working and cyber security: How MAN Chairman sets postto stay cyber safe amid global lockdown COVID-19 economic recovery Ifeyinwa Afe

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s the COVID-19 pandemic continues its rapid global increase, and Nigeria’s federal and state governments impose a partial lockdown in addition to social-distancing and other measures to contain its spread, most businesses have sent their employees home to work. This massive, unprecedented shift to remote working brings with it a whole new set of cyber security challenges.

When workers are sent outside the normal perimeter, IT resources can be inconvenienced as many organisations move to enable remote strategies.

Managing device spread, and patching and securing hundreds of thousands of endpoints, become a much bigger challenge.

As consumers, we want high-tech companies and government agencies to protect us from cyber threats, and these companies certainly bear some responsibility given each has had a hand in the widespread adoption of connected technology.

Connected people pose a potential cyber threat to themselves and those around them In a March 2020 report titled ‘COVID19’s Impact on Cyber security’, the Lagos office of global consulting firm, Deloitte, revealed that cybercriminals around the world are already capitalising on the pandemic. It disclosed that it had observed a spike in phishing attacks, Malspams and ransomware attacks as attackers are using COVID-19 as bait to impersonate brands, thereby misleading employees and customers.

Deloitte noted that this will likely result in more infected personal computers and phones, and that not only are businesses being targeted, end users who download COVID-19 related applications are also being tricked into downloading ransomware disguised as legitimate applications.

The firm further noted that there would be increased security risk from remote working/ learning, potential delays in cyber-attack detection and response. The report concluded that COVID-19 will change our lives forever with new work styles,

new cyber security issues, new proposed policies and personal hygiene and that post COVID-19, organisations will need to rethink their cyber risk management measures.

Nigerian enterprises are no stranger to the phenomenon of cybercrimes, with the most popular forms being fraudulent electronic mails, identity theft, hacking, cyber harassment, spamming and Automated Teller Machine spoofing. But the biggest cash cow is still fraud emails.

The Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) revealed that bank customers lost a total of N3.6billion to cyberfraud in two years (2017 and 2018). Data released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) also showed attempted fraud in 2018 alone was valued at about N9billion.

Taking insiders into account Th e r e a r e n o e a s y solutions for combating rising threats. Most of us see the advantages of working from home and overlook the need to protect ourselves against related threats — both at home and work.

In our personal lives, we do dangerous things.

We click on hyperlinks in emails from unknown people, opening the door to malware that could take control of our devices. We use simple passwords or fail to update them regularly, making it easier for hacking software to find its way into our systems. We even leave laptops open for all to see as we log into personal and financial accounts, allowing thieves to steal our money and identities with relative ease.

We a s s u m e t h e I T department has everything under control and do not always exercise as much caution as we should, putting our employers and customers in jeopardy.

As such, most security professionals say insiders — employees, partners and contractors — are the single largest cyber threat to most organisations. In fact, according to a recent Gurucul survey, more than 70 percent of companies are vulnerable to insider threats, and user error is driving most of that problem.

With 1,337 reported cases of the virus in Nigeria so far and thousands being traced, there is no doubt users will continue to try to seek more information as the number grows.

Users are urged to seek out trusted sources as people

share false cures, hoaxes and conspiracy theories online, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has increased its efforts to tackle myths and rumors to curb the circulating misinformation.

Companies can help by recognising employees are people and unlikely to change on their own. They can seek to build cyber security cultures, combining strong policies and procedures with ongoing education and training for staying digitally safe in the office, at home and while online remotely.

Embracing cultures that put cyber security first About 80 percent of organisations are already doing this on some level, this is according to an ISACA Cyber security Culture survey of about 4,800 international business and technology professionals.

However, 95 percent of organisations say there is still a gap between their current and desired cyber cultures.

Until these endeavors become more successful, business leaders must make every equipment purchase decision a security decision.

Companies—both large and small—have numerous options when buying endpoint devices to help employees avoid making potentially catastrophic blunders. For instance, some PCs are now built with hardware-enforced security features and layers of protection, above and below the operating system, to proactively prevent threats and quickly recover in the event of a breach.

With cyber threats becoming more prevalent, no organisation should disregard the added safety these types of features p r e s e n t . Ev e r y o n e — from business leaders to individual consumers — must come together to combat this threat or risk being overtaken by it.

.Ifeyinwa Afe is managing director, Nigeria/ District Manager, Central Africa, HP Inc.

agenda for Uzodinma, Ikpeazu

SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

J

ude Eluma, chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Imo/Abia branch has said that there was an urgent need for Imo and Abia States’ governments to enter into a partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the MAN to ensure that there would be massive industrial and commercial activities in the two sister-states because the country would soon get out of the recent shutdown of commerce.

Eluma,whospokethrough the Executive Secretary (ES) of MAN, Imo/Abia branch, Henry Cyprian told our Correspondent that in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, business would no longer be as usual, saying that there should be proactive measures, and steps needed to be taken to improve the manufacturing sector of the two sister-states and also to improve the friendly business relations.

According to Eluma , “ Is s u e s o f e l e c t r i c i t y, should be looked into, road

infrastructure, security, extortion by policemen and other security agencies at numerous checkpoints do not tell good about the business environment of the two states.” “ Ev e n a s w e a r e experiencing lockdown, members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria producing essential goods and services which are on the exemption list of the Federal Government are not finding it easy with the security personnel; the police extort N1000 to N2000 from truck drivers conveying the essential goods before they are allowed to pass the check

Jude Eluma

points,” Eluma, who also is MD/CEO ELCHEM Limited, said.

He decried the untold hardship the masses are facing, saying that while the masses are suffering and languishing in hunger, and destitute of money, food and other necessities of life, which keep the body and soul together, “the citizens are locked down while the pockets of the security agents are booming”.

To r e s u s c i t a t e t h e economy of the South East, especially economies of Imo and Abia States, after the end of the COVID-19, he said, “the economic recovery of the two states must be fasttracked by the government through setting up postCOVID-19 economic agenda.”

The Chairman suggested that various forms of credit facilities could be made available to manufacturing firmsandthatthegovernment could attract into the states, single digit loans from the Bank Of Industry (BOI), AFREXIMBANK and CBN and counterpart funding could also be made available by the states governments to make it feasible.

Coca-Cola Foundation donates to supports Red Cross COVID-19 response in Nigeria SEYI JOHN SALAU

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he Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Coca-Cola Company, has provided a grant to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help curb the spread of COVID-19 across Nigeria.

This intervention is to scale up community sensitisation and procure essential protective kits such as medical masks, face shields, hand gloves and hand sanitizers which are increasingly needed for healthcare workers and other frontline actors in the battle against the pandemic in the most affected states in Nigeria.

Helen Smith Price, the president of the Coca-

Cola Foundation, said as a longtime partner of the IFRC, the Foundation was proud to support critical relief efforts in impacted communities.

According to Price, the Foundation is concerned about the coronavirus outbreak across the globe.

“Through The Coca-Cola Foundation, we are supporting the IFRC and their efforts to distribute medical supplies to frontline workers in Africa,” said Price.

Simon Missiri, IFRC’s regional director for Africa and special advisor to the Secretary-General said the potential humanitarian impact of the partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation is significant, as it aims to directly impact 1.3 million people in Nigeria and other countries in the region.

“With 1.4 million volun-

teers and over 12,000 local branches across Africa, the Red Cross and Red Crescent, in collaboration with partners, communities and national authorities, can help even the most remote marginalised populations to protect themselves from COVID-19,” Missiri said.

Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) and Chi Limited have separately donated over 216,000 bottles of Eva premium table water and 15,000 packs of Evap milk to provide hydration and nourishment for healthcare workers and their patients at the quarantine and treatment centres across Nigeria.

According to the Foundation, both companies will continue to donate these products through the duration of the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

26 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 03 May, 2020

SundayBusiness What implementing ‘My Own Home’ scheme means to economy post-Covid-19

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s the Federal Government thinks of its economy and new ways of generating revenue beyond Covid-19, now is good time for implementing existing housing schemes that have been waiting to be attended to.

Housing has been identifies as one of the growth areas and that must have informed the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to include affordable housing among the four key sectors of the economy it wants to make funding intervention in as part of efforts to save the economy.

In recent time, the federal government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has been intervening in the housing sector with programmes, policies and initiatives that are aimed at getting more Nigerians, especially the low income earners, on the property ladder.

One of such interventions is the Family Home Finance (FHF).

Another is the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) and then the new My Own Home scheme which is an offshoot of the Nigeria Housing Finance Programme (NHFP) set up by the Federal Government and implemented

by CBN with the support of the World Bank.

Report has it that part of federal government’s plans for the housing sector is to introduce public private partnership scheme that seeks to increase access to hous-

ing finance. To achieve this, the CBN once selected 34 primary mortgage banks (PMBs) and four commercial banks to facilitate access to housing finance for lowincome earners in the formal and informal sectors.

That move was meant enable those banks along with nine other micro finance banks to drive the My Own Home scheme whose main objective, in line with the parent NHFP, is to catalyse the growth of the housing sector through derisking housing finance value chain and improving access to finance.

The scheme is also aimed to increase access to housing finance and housing in Nigeria and to inspire young Nigerians to key into mortgage process and start owning homes.

The 34 selected PMBs and others were to benefit from a Housing Micro-finance Fund estimated at $15 million, and also from a $10million Technical Assistance Fund.

Unlike the conventional mortgage, My Own Home allows beneficiaries to use the loan for purchase of land, incremental building or renovation.

There is need now, more than ever before, for strengthening the housing sector by setting up sustainable framework by mortgage originators such as financial institutions to access long-term refinancing and NHFP is expected to create the enabling environment for that. It is also expected to scaleup mortgage and housing finance awareness through mortgage

SAPIENCE: Rethink with

Toluwanimi Osinowo info@cantab-associates.com Obinnae-mail: Emelike LESSON 1: Learn to redefine your business (CONTD.) The essence - your real business (contd.) our real business is the content carried by your vehicle.

And this content is NOT the goods you produce and/or supply. You are probably wondering “what then is the content I am delivering if it is not the goods I supply or the services I deliver?

What your business has to give is intangible. Your real business is delivering meaning to people. This is your true product whether you make soap, help people procure airline tickets, build houses or you make offices clean. All these products are really the means to deliver something that is much less tangible than we like to imagine.

Human beings are creatures of meaning – the map of our lives is drawn in our minds and what matters to us is not what takes up the most space around us but what takes up the most space in our men-

Y

tal real estate. The real experience centre of a person - where wants and needs are catalogued and accounted for in real-time is the mind. Even the most basic biological needs are maintained and modulated in the mind.

Your real business is about the meaning you are able to register in the mind of your target. And all your goods, services, business structures and processes are simply the ways and means to serve this end. Your aim of course, is to register positive meaning and not negative meaning in the mind of your target. In other words, the object of your business is to bring true delight (meaning) to a predefined set of people (your target).

True delight is defined by the beneficial aspects of what you are doing for your target and the joy they receive as a result of it. We can consider something beneficial when it provides a functional advantage. It is a true benefit if you would want it for yourself and objectively recommend it to family and friends (many

literacy, customers’ right, responsibilities and education.

Adeniyi Akinlusi, the MBAN President, is of the view that the scheme will revamp the housing finance sector and also make access to housing finance a lot easier. He says that NMRC will be providing long-term refinancing of mortgages and standardising mortgage procedures.

According to him, most initiatives that are solely funded and run by the government as social housing programmes are usually not successful and sustainable. “My own Home, being a PPP is likely to succeed going by our experience with other PPP programmes such as NMRC, infrastructure provision and even the pension scheme reform, which also have private sector stakeholders.”

The beauty of this scheme is that it offers mortgage guarantee that allows borrowers with insufficient or no equity contribution to access mortgage for home ownership.

Besides, it will increase lending to low-income earners in the formal and informal sectors through microfinance banks for incremental housing construction or housing improvement.

The scheme has its challenges but Akinlusi reasons that, despite the challenges, public awareness is gradually being created, although there is no available statistic on the extent of coverage yet, adding that more would still need to be done in this direction.

Government believes that this

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com)

scheme has the interest of every Nigerian, but being a new initiative, there is still no statistics to quantify the response of Nigerians to it. It still needs some time to take firm root and have imprint on the minds of the public.

The major challenges of initiatives like this are funding and sustainability which, in the opinion of the MBAN president, will depend on the NHFP and how it will be able to synchronise the scheme to generate public interest that would make it run on “auto-pilot.”Expectation is that this product will provide a platform for potential mortgage clients who do not have the required equity contribution, that is, initial deposit of 20 per cent of the value of a property, for a mortgage but have the capacity to make the regular payments, to access a mortgage on the basis of a third party guarantee.

The good news then is that homeowners with insufficient or no-equity contribution can approach their lenders for a mortgage guarantee and the mortgage guarantee firm will insure only the

equity contribution required so that the lender can advance the full value of the mortgage loan for the property.

Fears, however, remain that the country’s unfriendly investment climate, which is affecting the mortgage industry, could impact this scheme negatively. Akinlusi shares this view, listing high and volatile exchange rate, traditionally stringent operational guidelines for mortgage banks and general difficulty in doing business in Nigeria as potential risks, adding also issues of Foreclosure Law and inhibitions from the Land Use Act 1978.

Nigeria’s very low mortgage penetration, which is less than one per cent, is affecting the operators and factors responsible for this include dearth of titled property on which mortgage could be created as mortgage creation is always hinged on the certainty of title to land; high cost of title registration/ transfer, usually 15 per cent of property value, but as high as 22 per cent in some states, as well as non-automation of government process in registration and land titling.

How to turbo-charge your business through turbulent times (part4) times, you can only truly answer this question by trying it yourself). The joy effect can only be determined by the one who is receiving it.

The simple matrix below helps outline the basic parameters with which to judge true delight. You will need to consider it closely in order to accurately apply it to your own unique business situation [see questions at the end of the article].

It is important to note that the scale of benefit and joy does not just range from low to high but can also be negative! In other words, your business can have a negative joy effect on customers on one hand or provide a functional disadvantage (even be harmful) on the other.

There are quite a few businesses, especially in this part of the world, that provide positive benefit but negative joy. Sometimes because the customer has limited choice or is locked in for some other reason - this is bad business. Even if it is making

profit today, this business is failing [by our definition] and will prove it sooner or later.

It is important to note that the meaning your business communicates to its customers finds its origin in you, not your business vehicle. If your business is bringing people joy, it means you are bringing people joy.

If your business is causing people to curse under their breath, it means you are doing it, albeit unwittingly.

It is true that the organisation intermediates whatever you may be doing and so vendors, colleagues, processes and the environment can contribute to turn a good intention into a sour outcome. The point still remains that the essence of your business - meaning - originates in your mind and has its effect in the mind of the customer. The vehicle is simply the apparatus to help you deliver it from source to destination.

Questions to consider In what quadrant does ●

your business fall in the matrix above? Why? ● If you do not know, what do you need to do to find out? _____________________________ The diagrams in this article may not be reproduced, copied or used in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of the author.

Dr. Osinowo is a thinker and teacher: coaching high-potential leaders, advising organizations and originating breakthrough ideas. He is the founder of CANTAB Associates and the pioneer of SAPIENCE which is both a philosophy and methodology of thinking. He previously worked in the London office of the leading global strategy consulting firm Bain & Company. He studied Medicine at the University of Cambridge where he was a Cambridge Commonwealth Scholar.

He can be reached for your questions and comments.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ toluwanimi-osinowo Dr. Toluwanimi Osinowo is a thinker and teacher: coaching high-potential leaders, advising organisations and originating breakthrough ideas. He is the founder of CANTAB Associates and the pioneer of SAPIENCE which is both a philosophy and methodology of thinking. He previously worked in the London office of the leading global strategy consulting firm Bain & Company. He studied Medicine at the University of Cambridge where he was a Cambridge Commonwealth Scholar. He can be reached for your questions and comments.

Sunday 03 May 2020

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Sunday Business Business Clinic with The Start-Up Doctor with MUNA ONUZO Instagram: @startupdoctor | @munaonuzo Mobile: +2348077701104 Email: thestartupdocto@gmail.com

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have seen many people who, inspired by the great benefits of entrepreneurship, decided to launch their business. As good as their intentions were, many of them failed because they didn’t know how to make the transition or ventured into entrepreneurship without checking the business plan box. On Startup Talk this week, I will share with you the seven steps on how to make a hitch-free transition from your paid employment to entrepreneurship.

Transition is good The mainstay of every economy is a thriving small and medium enterprise community. These are the companies that service the everyday needs of society. There is much to say about the benefits of starting your business. However, it is not always the most uncomplicated feat to achieve as it is fraught with many challenges. Therefore, I applaud your resolve to leave the comfort of paid employment to the unpredictable life of entrepreneurship.

Below are the seven critical steps to follow as you prepare to launch out into the deep waters of entrepreneurship.

Think before you leap • Why do you want to become an entrepreneur?

• Think carefully about your desire to quit your job. Why do you want to quit your job? Why do you want to start your business? Finding your Why, the reason propelling this desire to start your business will centre and keep you focused through turbulent tides.

• What is your state of mind? You have to first succeed in your mind before you can win in your business.

I say this because building a business is like going to war and standing on the frontline. You must make sure you are bulletproof and develop a thick skin and tenacious personality to succeed.

• Do you have savings? Many people have jumped out from their paid employment and into bank-

Seven steps to go from paid employment to entrepreneurship ruptcy, hurting their families in the process. All because of the allure of being your boss and how promising the business idea looks.

•So, can your savings meet your family needs for six months or one to two years post entrepreneurship?

• How will you take care of your family or personal needs while you pursue your entrepreneurial goals?

• Where will you get your startup capital?

• Do you have the skill to start this business, or would you need to go for training before you start? It would be best if you had the requisite skills and expertise to be able to run your business. Like I pointed out earlier, having a business idea is not enough; you need more to be able to translate that idea into a business.

• Make no mistakes about this; I am not saying everything must be perfect before you start. Some big businesses today started in someone’s sitting room and garage. It would help if you weren’t ignorant of the reality of starting your business. It would help if you didn’t jump out from your job with the delusion that all that matters in successfully running your business is your expertise.

What idea do you have?

So now you have ticked the boxes above, let us start from the top.

• What are you passionate about? Think deeply about what type of business you want to build.

• What excites you and gets you talking non-stop twenty-four hours, seven days a week?

• What problem are you trying to solve?

• At the heart of any new business venture, is an innovative idea.

The catch here is this; if your business idea has no Unique Selling Proposition, then, your new venture would be just like any other one in your industry without a differentiating factor. This situation, in its entirety, is not a terrible idea; it won’t matter if your intent is not about scaling or gaining a chunk of your sectors market share. However, if you do care, then you have to make sure your idea is innovative.

Define your market and craft your message • Who are you trying to help?

• Who needs this solution?

• Identify your target market.

Can they afford to pay for your solution?

Whoelseisalreadyinthismarket?

How much are people willing to pay for your solution? Define your price point and design your product or service to meet market needs and expectation.

Validate your business idea • Create a model of your dream business. In a lay man’s term, start a side hustle of your big idea.

• Test out this idea within a small circle of your defined market.

• This new product trial in the market is where you are allowed to make all your mistakes.

• Assess how it was received, survey the price, content and branding.

• Conduct opinion polls to get feedback from consumers.

• Take all the feedback and information gathered back to the drawing table.

• Redesign or tweak your business model based on the report gleaned from the research earlier conducted.

Create a sales funnel and marketing strategy • Your idea alone cannot market your business profitable on its own.

• It would help if you had an airtight marketing strategy and a badass sales team to drive traffic

to your business.

• For now, as you are just launching out and might not have the considerable budget required for a 360-degree media and marketing campaign, creating an online marketing system should be okay.

• An online lead magnet, sales funnel, and conversion system will promote your brand well enough to generate consistent sales.

• This strategy is the life force that will sustainably keep your business profitable.

Plan your exit from paid employment Planning: Now that you have found your market, tested your idea and identified the sweet spot for pricing your service or product, it is time to start planning your exit from paid employment.

Timing: This is a critical step.

Your exit must be timed with precision and adequately planned. This step is essential more so if you have a family depending on your salary for survival, and you are funding your startup capital.

Re-asses the reason you are quitting paid employment: One of the reasons many people want to

Implications of Akwa Ibom 2020 budget slash ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

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he Akwa Ibom House of Assembly recently amended the 2020 appropriation law from N598 billion to N366 billion after it received a request from Governor Udom Emmanuel to that effect.

The reason was due to the sharp drop in the price of oil following the coronavirus pandemic that has hit almost all countries around the world, killing thousands of people.

Th e b r e a k d o w n o f t h e amended bill showed that the recurrent expenditure now stands at N98,224, 509,700 excluding the Consolidated Rev-

enue Fund charges ,down from , N111,224,509.700 after N13 billion had been slashed from the original approved budget..

For the consolidated revenue fund charges for 2020, it was N166,933,505,020 but has now been reduced to N80,833,504,020 after a total of N36 billion has been cut off from the original budget.

“The capital expenditure approved in the 2020 Budget stood at N369,576,986,280. The assembly approved a reduction in the sum of N182, 635,000,000 for the capital expenditure, as part of the amendment. The approved capital expenditure now stands at N186, 941,986,280.”

“From the foregoing, the total Budget size approved in 2020

which was N597,735,000,000, has now been reduced to N366,000,000,000, for the 2020 fiscal year. This represent 38.8% reduction of the original budget,” Dennis Akpan, chairman, house committee on information, was quoted as saying.

According to experts, the implication in the reduction of the budget by 38.8 percent means less money will be available for the implementation of projects as earlier listed by the Governor under the his completion agenda.

One of the projects envisaged under the completion agenda which are part of the programmes contained in the Governor’s manifesto for his second term include the Ibom Industrial City, planned

as part of the “long term economic strategy which on completion will be a modern state of the art industrial city.’’

The industrial city comprises many other projects including the Ibom deep seaport, which the Governor had pledged that in the next four years “will commence full operation as his completion agenda.”

With the budget cut, many people believe that it would be near impossible for the capital projects contained in the completion agenda which may have been provided for in the budget to have enough financial backing again that would enable them see the light of the day. And this, observers say will have a negative impact in

jump out from their job is because they have figured out how their company makes money. Some even quit because they claim that their bosses are using them to make money when they see how much the organisation makes.

You need to understand that if you are working in an organisation, thirty days might be enough for you to figure out how the business runs. However, you may need in the minimum, 30 months to develop the capacity to run that business profitably on your own.

The reason is that there is an entire network behind the scene running the affairs of the business. The work you do for the organization is only a small part of this network.

You are simply a part of a whole.

You are a part of the system, and while you think you are the best asset the business has, the other junior employees and their supposed insignificant jobs also make all the difference in the organization.

As much as your contribution adds to the global bucket of the business, so does the janitors, security guards, tea boys and girls, accounts department, marketing teams effort play the same role.

Every department’s contribution and not just an individual no matter how valuable, make up the profitable system within the organisation.

So, take time to articulate your reason for desiring to become an entrepreneur. Get your affairs in order by putting in place and following the strategy you have designed, and when it is time, make your exit with dignity and the blessings of your bosses.

1. Launch into the deep!

As you consider stepping out to run your business, don’t be blinded by the reality of the business environment or by the projections you made on how profitable the market might become.

Be sure that you have ticked all the boxes above.

Ensure you have what it takes to launch, grow and profit from your business before you leap.

Don’t forget to write and tell me all about your entrepreneurial journey at thestartupdoctor@gmail. com or ask@startupdoctor.ng To your continued success.

Keep Sparkling!

Muna Onuzo The Startup Doctor.

Twitter: @startupdoctorng Instagram: @startupdoctor creating job opportunities.

For instance, both the Ibom deep sea port and the Ibom industrial city projects were expected to create over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs between 2021 and 2050, according to the completion agenda, this may now be put on hold due to the cuts.

Akwa Ibom is known to rank high in the country’s unemployment index according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics.

So, apart from the big projects that are likely to be affected negatively, the minor items like renovation of schools, health facilities, rural roads and other infrastructure are mostly like to suffer setbacks, analysts say.

According to them, it is likely to have a greater implication in that hundreds of jobs that go with these projects would no longer be available.

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Sunday 03 May, 2020

TheWorshipper Why the Church is not silenced in any way by reason of lockdown - Rev. Idowu Rev. OlusolaIdowu of The Ajayi Dahunsi Memorial Baptist Church, Lagos, in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU speaks on the major challenge experienced since the lockdown; need for church leaders to constantly be in contact with brethren at this time; the propriety of donations to government by some churches, among other issues. Excerpts: Could you share with us your experience since the lockdown began? ell, we are admonished in the Bible to be thankful to God at all times. All times, of course, include this very challenging period of COVID-19 pandemic. So, the experience has been that of looking up to the Lord, trusting Him for solution even with grateful heart. In relation to our church members, particularly, the older ones, we have been reaching them online through our Social Media platforms. In addition, we also reach them through SMS and phone calls. We are privileged to have many of them who could either use the internet on their own or through their children. So, to a very large extent, we have been in touch as we often receive feedbacks after each online service. The only major disadvantage is that we are not able to meet physically for our usual and joyful fellowship.

Some mega churches were accused of misplaced priority due to their donations to the government; what is your take on this?

The fact remains that the government has larger coverage than the Church, whether mega or otherwise. Not everyone in the society belongs to the Church but everyone is related to the government in one way or another. So, these churches might have made donations to the government with the expectation to reach more people in the society. Again, this is also a way of showing support to the government at a very critical time like this. However, the donations may indeed be a major misplaced priority if these churches did not reach out to their members first. We are enjoined by the word of God to do good to all people as we have opportunity with preference to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). So, there is nothing wrong about churches giving to government for onward distribution to members of the society; but, it may be an exercise in futility when their members are not first catered for. It is like a man trying to feed his neighbours when his children are dying of hunger. We are to love our neighbours as we love ourselves not more than we love ourselves.

What is your assessment of efforts by Christian bodies like CAN, PFN and others in supporting members this period?

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OlusolaIdowu

For me, I believe CAN and other sub-umbrella bodies of the organisation like PFN, CCN and others should do more of outreach on behalf of the Body of Christ in Nigeria at a time like this. In other words, I am of the opinion that CAN should support non-church organizations, particularly the government more at a time like this. CAN should coordinate the efforts of various churches in reaching out to the society at large. This is not to say that CAN and these other bodies cannot reach out to their memberchurches. In light of this, I think CAN has done well by reaching out to many state governments and even some churches. It must also be noted that CAN has done very well in the area of sensitising her member-churches to seek the face of the Lord through prayer and fasting, and also to abide by the guidelines of the federal and state governments as well as the NCDC. Some preachers have viewed the lockdown as a means of silencing the church. Do you think otherwise?

I wouldn’t know why any pastor would think that this lockdown is meant to silence the Church.

How would anyone think that lockdown can silence the Church?

The questions we may need to ask ourselves are, is it only the Church that is affected by the lockdown?

Is it the Church of Christ or church-

es of men that would be silenced?

Are many other places other than the Church not affected? Is the Church being censored on electronic, print or social media?

Again, is the lockdown also meant to silence the Schools, Mosques, Banks, Sports, etc? Honestly, I can go on and on. When people make allegation like this, one cannot help but laugh. Let us even for a moment admit that this allegation was true. Have we not read from

We cannot talk government into leading people with COVID-19 or any ailment to some pastors.

I believe government is doing what it is set up to do, that is, provide health services for the citizens

the Bible that the Church would be persecuted? Have we not read about how the disciples of old and the Church in Jerusalem were persecuted? So, what are we afraid of? Our ‘empire’: or the Church of Christ of which the owner clearly stated that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). So, I do not share the opinion that the lockdown was meant to silence the Church. Rather, I believe it was the right thing for the government to do. The Church is a public place which is open to all and sundry and one can never tell when someone who has contracted COVID-19 would walk in and then spread the virus to others. The Church is not silenced in any way. We are still reaching our members for worship. It may not be as desired, but it is the sacrifice we all have to make. This terrible season of COVID-19 pandemic shall soon pass away.

Some preachers are seeking government permission to heal persons who have caught the virus; is that a welcome development?

I do not think anyone should be asking the government to allow him/her to heal COVID-19 patients. In the first instance, was it the government that gave licence or approval for people to come to Church? Again, did anyone ask the government to allow him/her heal people with other ailments?

If people believe that they can be cured of their ailments by the ministration of a Pastor, it is left to them to follow their hearts. We cannot talk government into leading people with COVID-19 or any ailment to some pastors. I believe government is doing what it is set up to do, that is, provide health services for the citizens. We need to remember that Jesus Christ remains our perfect example.

We do not read of anytime He asked Herod or Pilate or even the religious leaders for permission to heal the sick. People came to Him out of their own volition and they were healed because of their faith in His power; and faith cannot be legislated. By the way, I think we need to remind ourselves that medical science in itself is a miracle from God. If malaria drugs were available some 150 years ago as we have them now, some missionaries who came from the Western countries would not have died the way they did. Furthermore, no one stops anyone from praying for COVID-19 patients from where he/she is. We must not forget that it is God who will do the healing

and He is everywhere at the same time. So, my admonition to those who are seeking permission to heal the COVID-19 patients is to do so from their various locations and let the health workers also do their bits as neither is contracting the other.

Does it matter if some choose to catch up with online services from their comfort zone?

In actual fact, before the lockdown, we always livestream our worship service and other special programmes of the church.

Consequently, we are mindful of those that may not join us in the four walls of the church due to circumstances beyond their control. I mean circumstances like being on a journey; being at work; or even being sick. I guess, we would still be having situations like these and we would need to be responding to them. However, I do not think it would be proper for anyone to be catching up with online services from their comfort zone without being in a circumstance beyond his control. It is important for us to be united in worship and take seriously fellowship of believers as we are admonished in Psalm 133 and Hebrews 10:25. Even at a time like this we never stopped praying that the Lord should unite us in spirit as we worship from our various homes. Furthermore,we need to remember that we found ourselves in this circumstance in order to stop the spread of a pandemic. When this is over, we should try our best to always unite with fellow believers to worship God in spirit and truth.

Finally, what are your postCOVID-19 projections for the church?

First, I look forward to leading God’s people to really give praise to God Almighty for total victory over COVID-19 pandemic.

Again, the Church will also be structured in a way to minister to the needs of the people even after this challenging period. Though, the Church is currently doing a lot in that direction, I think we would still need to do more even after the lockdown. Thirdly, the Church would also take more seriously and as well encourage personal hygiene among members both in the Church premises and outside.

Before now, as a Church, we have always conducted health talk and medical outreach, we would need to do more after this period. More importantly, we would need to minister to the soul and spirit of people as many are already traumatised by this experience.

Sunday 03 May, 2020

Inspiration With Rev. Yomi Kasali

info@yomikasali.com

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remember back then in school, for every lesson learnt on a subject (maths etc), there was always a test to prove one’s knowledge of those long hours of lectures and those tests usually carry 2030% of the total examination score. Over the years, we have received lectures on different subjects from the pulpit from great preachers and the great churches we attend. Now, it is time to test our knowledge on a particular subject and everywhere is quiet just like the test hall (be-

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he Catholic Ar c h d i o c e s e o f Lagos has debunked reports that the church was unresponsive to the plight of the masses in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and that it abandoned those affected by the fire explosion on March 15 in the Abule-Ado area of Lagos State, where lives and properties were lost including Rev. Sister Henrietta Alokha, SSH, who was the administrator of Bethlehem Girls College and seven other members of staff of the school run by the Archdiocese.

Alfred Adewale Martins, the Archbishop of the diocese through a communique signed by Anthony Godonu, director of social communications, Ca t h o l i c Ar c h d i o c e s e of Lagos, said the church through its different arms has been making efforts in compensating victims of the explosion while awaiting the fulfilment of government’s promises.

Ac c o r d i n g t o h i m ,

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Covid-19 and the test result cause the whole world is on a pause due to COVID-19) and we have all been handed papers to live out or write out what we have learnt over the years. Now is the time for the big test and only those who have been taught right and assimilate same will pass this test because, unlike school days, it is not the teachers(preachers) that have set the test but the education board (God).

With the rise and spread of this virus comes along with it economic hardships that will hit most countries hard or harder and now more than ever, when we are expected to fill out our answer sheets, Christians are puzzled and oblivious on how to react or give answers to these test questions which is why we have homes falling apart, rift, rivalry and bitterness on the rise because we have not been taught right on this particular subject. Most preachers have dwelt on the ‘prosperity message’ forgetting to teach their teeming members on how to live during a time of adversity.

Apostle Paul puts it so succinctly in Philippians 4:11-12 ‘Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned…I know both how to be abased (adversity), and I know how to abound (prosperity): every where and in all things I am

league or friend just posted on their social media handle.

Be wise!

instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’ Success is not about being affluent but knowing how to manage your wealth and how to survive in the time of adversity. The wisest man that ever lived admonished us to be like the ants in prov. 6:6-8; Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

The ants understand the relevance and meaning of seasons and what they represent, and as such, prepares herself for those seasons. So also, there are always two (2) main seasons in the life of man, season of prosperity and season of adversity.

I will be sharing with you five (5) keys on how to survive in the days of adversity.

Catholic Church debunks reports on abandoning victims of Abule-Ado inferno SEYI JOHN SALAU

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about N10million has been committed so far in giving succour to members and the masses in alleviating the lockdown effect geared to curbing spread of the COVID-19. While it appealed to government to look into proper distribution of palliatives. “ Ou r a t t e n t i o n h a s been drawn to a trending article that alleged that the Church in the Archdiocese of Lagos has not shown any concern towards the plight of those who were affected by the explosion i n Ab u l e - Ad o a b o u t a

Alfred Adewale Martins

month ago. This piece is for no other reason than to put matters in due perspective and correct the error in the perception of one of the daughters of the Church,” said Martins.

Ac c o r d i n g t o t h e Archbishop, the Church does not blow her own trumpets.

H o w e v e r, i t b e c a m e necessary to correct the impression created in the article under reference that the Church in Lagos has not been responsive to the plight of her children.

He said that the Church considersbeinginpartnership with government in taking care of people and so she feels obliged to support government initiatives that are directed to the welfare of the society.

“It is part of the tradition of the Church to make her own contributions to social welfare as she deems it fit and is able to. We urge Lagos State government to ensure that it continues to review the process that she is using in providing assistance to the most vulnerable, especially at this time of the lockdown due to COVID-19 in the state,” Martins said.

Five (5) keys to surviving in the days of adversity Do not live above your means: You may have received a pay cut from your employers or your salary may have been withheld throughout the duration of this lockdown/pandemic or you may have lost your job, it is important that you do not live in the illusion that you still earn what you were earning before the lockdown.

It is important that you do not begin life after the pandemic settling debts owed during the pandemic.

Do not try to please and impress others: it is pertinent to note that you do not need the approval of anyone to be termed successful or to be ‘balling’ (using the terminology of the new agers). If you have garri at home, drink your garri with joy without thinking about the chicken, sharwarma or pizza your col-

It is temporary: this season will not last forever, do understand that this is only a temporary setback not permanent. God has His plan for you and that is still going to come to fruition, so you have to trust Him at this time to pull you through these trying times. So do not stop praying, singing, and laughing because things are tough, rather be joyful because you have a much tougher backbone (God). Be cheerful and be of good spirit.

Do not worry about what you cannot change: this is the trap most people are falling into during this lockdown. Jonah slept through the storm when he was running away from God because he knew he could not change what was happening with the storm (Jonah 1:5). The curve is not being flattened, the numbers are rising by the day, the whole world is on lockdown, the price of oil has crashed; so, what? One thing is sure, you cannot change any of the things happening in the world right now so why do you worry?

Trust God and believe that He is faithful and just to deliver you from this pandemic.

Do not transfer your anger to your loved ones: this is another trap that the devil wants you to fall into.

This lockdown is an opportunity that should be used to play with your family and loved ones; play (ludo games, playstation, ayo games, card games) and pray for and with your loved ones and strengthen that family bond.

They are not the cause of this pandemic or lockdown, they can do nothing about it either so why take out your anger on them? Rather, embrace and bring them closer to yourself and you may find out that they are more important than your workbecausetheywillalways love you unconditionally.

I hope I have been able to inspire you to put the above simple keys on surviving in the time of adversity to practice in these times.

Drop me a note of acknowledgment and encouragement and also follow me on my Social media handles below: Instagram: @yomi_kasali Twitter: @yomi_kasali Facebook: www.facebook. com/revyomikasali Youtube: www.youtube.com/ revyomikasali Be Inspired!

Rev Yomi Kasali is Senior Pastor, Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA), Surulere, Lagos.

PFN urges Christians to pray for Nigeria to overcome coronavirus pandemic

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he Pentecostal Fe l l o w s h i p o f Ni g e r i a ( P F N ) has urged Nigerian Christians to continue in fervent prayers to redeem the nation from further loss and hardship arising from the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Felix Omobude, the national president of the PFN, urged Nigerians to support government’s efforts in combating the virus, stating that with the support of the citizenry it would be easier to have the nation return to normalcy.

Omobude made the appeal while commiserating with President Muhammadu Buhari on the death of his Chief of Staff (CoS), Mallam Abba Kyari. “ Th e Pe n t e c o s t a l Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has received with sadness the death of Mallam Abba Kyari, t h e Ch i e f o f St a f f t o President Muhammadu Buhari,” said Omobude in a statement signed b y Si m b o Ol o r u n f e m i

Felix Omobude

on behalf of the PFN president.

While urging the President and the family of the deceased to take solace in the fact that Ma l l a m Ab b a Ky a r i ’s record was one of sacrifice to the nation in public service, Omobude prayed for comfort for the President and members of the Kyari family at this difficult time.

Omobude however, urged Nigerians to continue to support the initiatives by the

government towards the management of COVID-19 pandemic so that the country can attain full recovery soon and life can return to normal.

He equally expressed the appreciation of the PFN to all health workers for the great sacrifice they are making in the fight against the spread of the virus, and appealed to all Christians to continue to lift up the country in prayer and observe all the advised safety protocols on hygiene.

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Bliss with Nonye Ben-Nwankwo

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Sunday 03 May 2020

Email: chiwuagwu@yahoo.com Phone number (SMS only) 08057511893

COVID-19 couldn’t stop us from shooting Fans, friends mourn ‘Alone Together’ – Arnold, MTV boss Picture Kodak

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n as much as so many countries all over the globe have been on lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia Arnold of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation has said they were still able to come up with the latest MTV Shuga series, ‘Alone Together’.

In an online interview with Bliss, Arnold, who is the executive director of the Foundation, said all the cast of the series, which was filmed in Nigeria, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya, had to selfshoot because of the lockdown.

“Alone Together is a unique series: we’re producing 60 bite-sized scripted episodes of MTV Shuga.

The idea of the series is to give our audience public health messaging about Covid-19, but delivered in a scripted format that will keep them entertained, on a daily basis.”

Explaining how the cast were able to “self-shoot”, Arnold said: “This has certainly been the biggest challenge that we’ve ever faced – but in the end, it’s been (relatively) simple. We knew that we couldn’t get a production team together, so we’ve shot the entire production on zoom and on our cast’s phones.

“The actors are directed down the line on zoom, we recess their homes before we film with them, so we can figure out the best location, discuss wardrobe and make up (but everything has to be doable by the actors themselves – the actors have all been in lockdown themselves so we can’t ask anyone to come in to help them).

“We know that the quality isn’t the same as you would normally see when you have a full production team behind every shot, but since lockdown, it seems that the whole world is very used to seeing things through zoom, and that’s what we’re reflecting in the drama.”

Talking about the major theme for this Shuga episode, Arnold said: “The main message is public health messaging about Covid-19 (hand-washing, social distancing, lockdown & quarantine) but it also covers the issues that so many of

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us are experiencing: struggles with our mental health; the increased threat of domestic violence; and of course, it tackles the many myths that have grown up around the pandemic.”

While explaining the series’ partnership with the United Nation’s Every Woman Every Child Foundation and UNITAID, she said: “Both EWEC and UNITAID have been concerned that there’s been very little messaging directly to young people; and while young people may not be the most at risk of dying from Covid-19, they need to understand that they can get infected and pass the disease onto others; both EWEC and UNITAID know that MTV Shuga is able to reach this demographic with these messages, and that we can help to inform young people how to look after themselves, their family, and the communities they live in.”

On how they came up with the cast members for the new series, the artiste said: “We knew we wanted to work across all four countries that we’ve produced MTV Shuga in before, which gives us a lot of cast to choose from.

Once we knew what stories we wanted to tell, it was pretty easy to figure out which character suited which story; but we have 60 episodes to make, so there are plenty of cast that we haven’t yet seen that will be making an appearance.”

And as quite a number of the stars who got their break on Shuga have gone on to do big things locally and globally especially, Lupita Nyongo who is currently one of the most popular actresses in the world and Timini who recently won an AMVCA, Arnold said turning the actors into superstars was not part of their agenda.

“It was never part of our agenda when we started: I think that if you set out to “discover” stars, than you’re likely never to do it; but we always knew that we wanted to work with the best talent in each country, and also to discover talent that hadn’t yet been given a chance. Our open auditions have been an incredible source for finding ‘unknown’ talents for us, including Uzoamaka Anuinoh who plays ‘Cynthia’ in MTV Shuga Naija and Samkelisiwe Makhoba who plays ‘Khensani’ – both of whom were discovered in our open auditions.”

Ebuka’s ‘Judging Matters’ kicks off

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rained lawyer turned Media Personality, Ebuka ObiUchendu is ready to set another pace in the entertainment industry with his reality show, ‘Judging Matters’, which has eventually kicked off last week and it is the talk of the town.

The TV show aimed at addressing small claims and minor cases in Lagos hit the screen on the Africa Magic Showcase channel 151 with two exciting cases.

The first case was quite interesting; a man decides to seize the gifts he bought for his exgirlfriend because she was deceitful by hiding the fact that she has had two kids for another man, in her previous marriage.

When he asked her whose kids they were, she claimed they were

her sister’s. The item seized was a generator which is what the plaintiff is requesting for so she can carry out her business. After much deliberation between the counsel and the judge, their case was dismissed.

The second case was a usual case of borrowed money not returned. The plaintiff lent some money to his friend in December 2019, who bought a Keke Napep and has refused to return the money he borrowed. The case was a home run as the accused was asked to pay up what he owes.

It is obvious from this first episode that viewers will not only laugh and be entertained, they’ll also have quite a lot to learn from the cases that come to the courtroom.

o the friends of the late video vixen, Picture Kodak, it is still a shock that the young lady has passed on.

The popular dancer also known as LD or Love Divine, was reportedly electrocuted while she was charging her phone. She was said to have been rushed to a nearby hospital where she eventually died.

Her fans besieged her social media pages to pay tribute to her with so many of them in a state of shock as they claimed the young lady had spoken to them few hours before the untimely death.

Among those who commented on her Instagram page are Funny Toheeb, Broda Shaggai,

Don Flex.

Simi, the singer, also posted on her IG page, a video of the deceased dancing. Simi wrote, “Her energy was always the biggest thing in the room.”

Mercy, Ike unite in another show

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ercy Eke and Ike Onyema became an item when they featured in the last edition of big Brother Naija and they hit it off in a super romance.

Even with speculations and counter speculations concerning the status of their relationship, the duo stunned many when they came up with an interesting show titled ‘The Mercy & Ike Show’ which premiered last Sunday.

The Mercy & Ike Show follows the love story of the couple, how they met and bonded in the BBN house. But the Mercy & Ike show is proof that their love did not end there.

The show opens with Mercy and Ike reminiscing about their time in the BBN house and how they formed an alliance to ensure that either of them won. It then goes on to draw us deeper into their personal lives.

Mercy opens up and talks about growing up in a poor household.

“My mum used to sell Akara, so from there, she graduated from selling Akara to ‘Mama Put’, so maybe that’s why I know how to cook... Then I used to sell fuel and I roasted corn while helping her.”

Emotional laden Mercy also revealed that while her mother was pregnant with her, she repeatedly tried to lose the pregnancy because of the extreme poverty they faced at that time.

Ike talked about having a regular upbringing in the United States. Life was going well for him until 2017 when a hurricane in the U.S. affected his business and destroyed the apartment he was living in at that time.

In Ike’s interview session, he said because of their popularity, social media has a lot of impact on their relationship because whatever they do as a couple gets online, and sometimes gets misinterpreted.

Rumours about Mercy and Ike’s true relationship status have been flying around since the Big Brother Naija show ended.

However, Ike put those rumours to rest by saying that he definitely envisioned himself committing to marriage with Mercy.

Mercy playfully told him to be sure he was ready to commit before popping the question because she didn’t plan to wear an engagement ring for longer than one month.

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BDSUNDAY 31

Sports

Premier League clubs discuss plans to resume season

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remier League clubs have discussed “the first tentative moves forward” in plans to resume the 2019-20 season.

Clubs reiterated a commitment to resuming the season “when safe and appropriate to do so” during a video conference on Friday.

The conference followed a separate meeting, hosted by culture secretary Oliver Dowden, involving medical experts from several sports organisations, government and Public Health England, about “stepping up planning” for sport’s eventual return.

Representatives from football, rugby union, cricket, racing and funding body UK Sport were present.

Dowden introduced the meeting and said elite sport would return behind closed doors “when, and only when, it is safe to do so on the basis of expert medical advice”.

BBC Sport understands that sports have accepted that the return to competition is going to be a “long, detailed process” and the discussions in Friday’s conference were largely based on the resumption of training.

‘No decisions taken’ at Premier League meeting The Premier League said in a statement it would “only return to training and playing with gov-

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ernment guidance”.

“No decisions were taken at today’s meeting and clubs exchanged views on the information provided regarding ‘Project Restart’,” the statement added.

“It was agreed that the Professional Footballers’ Association, the League Managers’ Association, players and managers are key to this process and will be further consulted.

“The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019-20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the government’s support.”

The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of coronavirus but all clubs remain committed to playing this season’s 92 remaining fixtures.

All games are expected to be held behind closed doors and the league is considering making

some available on free-to-air TV. If training is resumed before social distancing rules are relaxed, BBC Sport understands players will be tested for coronavirus twice a week and would be screened for symptoms every day. All tests would be carried out by health professionals at a drive-through NHS testing facility that each club would have access to. Training grounds will be optimised for social distancing and high hygiene levels.

Players must arrive at training grounds in kit and wear masks at all times. They must not shower or eat on the premises. If clubs want to provide players with food, it must be delivered as a takeaway to players’ cars.

Only essential medical treatment would be allowed, with all medical staff in full PPE. All meetings and reviews must take place virtually and off-site.

PSG crowned Ligue 1 champions as French football season ends

aris Saint-Germain (PSG) have been awarded the Ligue 1 title after the season was declared over amid the COVID-19 crisis, the French League (LFP) said on Thursday.

French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, recently announced that no sporting events will take place until at least September.

The league has confirmed PSG have been awarded a ninth title after the division was decided on a points-per-game system.

Marseille finished second with Stade Rennais third while Lille are fourth and Nice fifth.

PSG had been 12 points ahead of Marseille with 11 games to play when the season was suspended in March.

Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi told PSG’s official site: “We would like to dedicate this 20192020 Ligue 1 title to healthcare staff and to all the everyday heroes on the frontline whose commitment and self-sacrifice over many weeks have earned our deepest admiration.

“We understand, respect and support the decisions taken by the French government to end

the championship. Health, as the government has always said, must be everyone’s priority.

“I would like to thank the players, the coach, the technical and medical staff as well as all the club’s employees for their tremendous work. This trophy is a reward for their hard work every day.

“In these difficult times, I hope that this trophy will bring a little happiness and hope to all our supporters, and I am grateful to them for their unwavering support which helps drive Paris St

Germain forward.

“I would also like to also thank all our partners for their loyalty throughout, and I look forward to being able to celebrate this title with all the PSG family when the conditions allow.”

Toulouse and Amiens have been relegated while Nimes survived having finished third from bottom.

Lorient have won Ligue 2, also on points per game, with Lens second and both teams will be promoted.

Aguero warns players scared over EPL return

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anchester City striker Sergio Aguero has revealed Premier League players are “scared” ahead of a potential return amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Premier League has been postponed since March 13 due to the Covid-19 outbreak with June 8 touted as a potential return date.

Matches would be played behind closed doors but questions still remain regarding the practicality of resumption with the abundance of testing required just one pertinent issue on an extensive list.

Speaking to Argentine TV station El Chiringuito, Aguero revealed his team-mates are particularly worried about their family members and will be “quite nervous

and extra careful” on returning to training.

“The majority of players are scared because they have children and families,” Aguero said.

“I’m scared but I’m with my girlfriend here and I’m not going to be in contact with other people.

I’m locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend.

“They’re saying that there are people that have it and don’t have any symptoms but still infect you.

That’s why I am here at home.

Maybe I have the illness and I don’t even know.

“When one person is ill we will think ‘oh what’s happening here? I hope a vaccine will be found soon so that this all ends.”

Barcelona in need of €70m to cover sales budget

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arcelona set a budget at the beginning of the season that they would have to sell players for a total of €124 million.

This is a sizeable figure, but it’s in line with what had been set the previous campaign.

Last year, Barcelona were just about able to meet their desired target, but despite their troubles, they didn’t make as much money as they likely would have liked in the summer.

The only departures were Malcom and Sergi Palencia, who brought in a combined €10 million, as well as the loan of Philippe Coutinho, which cost Bayern Munich €8.5 million with an option to buy for €120 million.

At the time there was optimism that Bayern would take up this option, but the reality is that will not be the case.

And this would have been important for Barcelona because it would have accounted for €40 million.

The summer was relatively weak in terms of sales, the January transfer window was a bit more productive.

Players were sold, or mandatory purchase options were included, for approximately €30 million, as Abel Ruiz, Carles Perez, Alejandro Marques and the departure of JeanClair Todibo on loan.

Marc Cucurella will bring in, with Getafe having already informed Barcelona that they will pay €6 million for him.

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How to pull Nigeria from the brink

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n Monday, April 27, 2020, British oil and gas giant, BP, became the latest in a growing number of energy firms to declare a massive quarterly loss. Their loss was in the region of $4.4 billion dollars. Bear in mind that this was a conglomerate that posted a $2.6 billion profit in the corresponding quarter of 2019.

The challenges that are already engulfing the oil and gas sector will continue to plague that industry for at least the rest of the year, and may reach apocalyptic levels sooner than we expect.

As I write this, there are hundreds of crude oil laden ships, all filled up, with nowhere to berth, and accruing daily charges of an average of $30,000.

We have also seen crude oil prices plunge to record lows, to the extent that some variants of the product have been given out for free, or worse still, producers have paid storage facilities to take their products.

As at today (May 1, 2020), Nigeria is pricing its very low sulphur sweet crude at $10 per barrel, yet buyers are balking.

Our sweet crude is becoming a little bitter.

I had earlier warned that Nigeria needs a Strategic Reserve to store unsold crude.

Now, we have so much crude and no one to buy it, nowhere to store it, and little idea what to do with it.

Barely three years ago, I had also alerted that the “crude thinking” promoted by our dependence on crude oil will lead to a rude shock.

“If you are still talking about oil, you are in the past. As far as I am concerned, the era of oil is gone. If you want to believe it, believe it. If you do not want to believe it, you will see it. It is crude thinking to continue to talk and base development projections on crude oil”, I had said at a public event in the nation’s capital.

We must face the fact that reliance on crude oil is failing Nigeria and other mono product economy crude oil exporters. Now is the time for Nigeria and her contemporaries to cure their addiction to sweet crude. For far too long we have grown high on our own supply, to the extent that we have neglected almost every other sector of our economy.

This present rude awakening should be seen as a blessing in disguise - a blessing that compels us to take those drastic actions that will free us from the crude oil trap.

We need to diversify our economy, and yes, it is easier said than done, but that does not mean it is an impossible task.

Prior to Nigeria’s October 1, 1960 independence from Great Britain, not only were we a nation self reliant in food production, but we also exported food to other countries, earning precious foreign exchange in the process. Who can forget the great groundnut pyramids in Northern Nigeria? For example, in 1957, agriculture formed a whopping 86% of our export revenue. By 1977, agricultural exports had dwindled to 6%, and today, the figure is less than 3%.

How did our country go from being a net exporter of agricultural products to a net importer of food products? How did we go from a country that could feed itself to one that desperately depends on foreign imports for survival? The answer to these questions is leadership focus.

During elections, Nigerian politicians spend a significant amount of their campaign time discussing how they will manage the nation’s resources. However, the fundamental difference between a leader and a manager is that while a manager focuses on managing existing resources, a leader sets out a creative vision which the country must follow to chart a course to political and socio-economic greatness.

Certainly, what is abundantly clear is that Nigeria is never going to become an industrialised nation by selling more oil, even if the oil market recovers. The lessons from Venezuela’s current predicament come to mind. If oil and gas could have saved any nation, that nation would be Venezuela.

Unfortunately, Venezuela is bankrupt and insolvent.

Saudi Arabia, despite its huge reserves and a highly publicised listing of Saudi Aramco, is feeling the pinch and working rapidly towards its Vision 2030, which requires Saudi Arabia to diversify from its dependence on Oil. Other prudent countries facing the same predicament are doing the same.

Oil economies need to learn a thing or two about economic diversification from the United Arab Emirates.

Despite being a young nation, the leadership of the UAE has managed to diversify the economy of this country from an almost complete reliance on oil in the 1970s, to a country where 72% of the GDP comes from the non oil sectors of the economy such as aviation, tourism and services sectors.

In Nigeria , our diversification should embrace agriculture as the primary sector earmarked for development, because agriculture is a low hanging fruit, is key to ensuring food subsistence, and with the recent signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AFCTA), which favors Nigeria’s economy greatly, Nigeria can take advantage of this to become an agricultural powerhouse in Africa.

For example, Africa has the lowest intra regional trade amongst the seven continents. Indeed, 68% of Europe’s trade is within the continent.

However, Africa does more trade with

Off the Cuff

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.Abubakar is a former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 election.

non African nations than we do amongst each other. Our intra-continental trade is an abysmal 18%. This must change and Nigeria is key to altering this sad state of affairs.

Within the Agricultural sector, the African continent in 2014, earned $2.4 billion from the export of coffee to Europe.

That sounds impressive. However, one country alone, Germany, made $3.8 billion from re-exporting Africa’s coffee in 2014.

This trend continued into 2015, 2016 and has not changed to date. What is it that Germany does to add value to the coffee, cocoa, and other produce that they buy from Africa that we cannot do in Nigeria?

Nigeria can easily become a value-added re-exporter of African coffee to the world.

Ditto for tea, cocoa, wheat, sugar cane, and other cash crops. There are none of these products that I have mentioned that Nigeria cannot either grow in commercial quantities or add value to, in the same way other industrialised economies are doing.

I should know because I am already practicing what I am advocating. I have multiple profitable farms and other businesses in the agricultural value chain.

With about 60% of its land assessed as arable, I truly believe that Nigeria is

Continues on page 7

Quick Takes

Who monitors the spending of Covid-19 funds? ince the outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19), a lot of money has been donated and raised in Nigeria to fight and curtail the spread of the virus.

Earlier, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced that it has set out a number of measures to tackle the impact of coronavirus, including establishing a fund of N50 billion to support the country’s economy, targeted at households and micro and small enterprises.

The Federal Government and states have been approving and doling out billions of Naira for the fight of Covid-19 too.

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari approved N6.2 billion for the fight against Covid-19 in Niger Delta, amid huge sums already given to other geopolitical zones.

Again, on April 20, 2020, the executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved US$ 3.4 billion in emergency support to Nigeria to address the pandemic. The support raises question on the billions raised for the fight and if we have exhausted the funds.

Interestingly, the private sector is also in the game of donating huge funds.

The foremost of the many private sector donors is the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID).

From N127 billion financial donations

ATIKU ABUBAKAR

it received from 270 contributors when it was launched few weeks ago, the fund has increased to N145 billion from 395 contributors recently and is expected to increase further in coming weeks.

Nigerian billionaires, top business leaders, politicians and even the religious organisations have been doling out money into Covid-19 fund as well.

But the question remains, how judicious is the fund deployed to address the problem for which it was donated, amid the increasing suffering in the land following the lockdown?

So far, CACOVID said it has spent over N16 billion of its donations on procuring essential medical resources to fight the pandemic, the coalition has commenced distribution of food items including rice, garri, beans, noodles, and more to reach at least 1.7 million families in need.

The government also claims to have spent billions so far in the fight; but where are the evidences? Sadly, billions were spent on the relief materials for the lockdown, but the materials did not get to the people who truly need them.

So, one is right to ask if the acclaimed huge sum was truly spent on the procurement of the relief materials or if the funds were diverted into private pockets.

Obviously, there is so much money out

there for Covid-19, but there seems to be less impact, implying that something may be happening to the fund against its original purpose.

If the funds are siphoned into private pockets, it would be the worst thing for Nigerians as the virus would spread and likely get to the households of those who siphoned the fund and there is no Europe to run to Someone should monitor the deployment of the funds and their appropriate usage because billions are borrowed, approved, donated, and raised everyday all in the name of fighting Covid-19.

The doubt about the transparency over the use of the funds arose following the alleged mishandling of the palliative programme, which has since drawn the attention of the leadership of the National Assembly.

Nigerians are asking question over the use of the huge donations towards the fight against Covid-19 because they have seen situations where individuals became richer overnight by virtue of handling distribution of relief materials. If people can divert food and pharmaceutical supplies meant for the internally displaced persons (IDPs), there is no limit what they can do.

3,256

A total of 3,256 individuals and small businesses have received funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) N50 billion targeted credit facility (TCF) to cushion the effects of COVID-19.

Abubakar Kure, managing director of Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), said the disbursement marks the first phase of the facility.

“While we are told that our ratio of debt to our GDP is a moderate 21 per cent, the more relevant ratio is that of revenue to debt servicing which is in the region of 60 per cent or more. This means simply, that nearly two-thirds of our country’s revenues go to debt servicing.

Nigeria is entering a dangerously vicious cycle.”

Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) advising Nigeria to begin extensive restructuring and repositioning its economy.

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