BusinessDay 05 May 2019

We must move away from politics to governance – Oshun

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ale Oshun, chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), does not believe in playing politics with everything. He is one man that thinks that after elections, the country should move ahead and

No end in sight for security challenge as inter-agency rivalry impedes efforts Stella Enenche, Abuja

governance takes its rightful place.

He however, does not see anything wrong in aggrieved politicians approaching the tribunals or courts to seek redress if they feel so strongly that they were robbed of their mandates. He spoke with INIOBONG IWOK, in an exclusive interview.

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hat Nigeria is daily being threatened by the rising spate of insecurity across the country is not in question. But of utmost concern is what is being described as the reluctance of security agencies to share in-

telligence in order to combat the menace. As kidnappings, killings, rapes and other forms of bloody campaign by insurgents and bandits increase across the country, agencies, saddled with the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of citizens, have continued to work at cross-purposes.

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Market & Commodities Monitor Brent Oil

5yr Bond

$70.79

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Gold

10yr Bond

$1,279.80

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inside X-raying Liverpool’s 2018 financial status

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L-R: Ayo Teriba, vice chairman, technical committee, National Council on Privatisation (NPC); Alex Okoh, DG, BPE; Valentine Ozigbo, president/group CEO, Transcorp Power Consortium plc, and Babatunde Obaniyi, MD/CEO, United Capital Investment Banking, during the opening of commercial financial bids for the privatisation of AFAM Power plc and Yola Electricity Distributing Company, held in Abuja.

Pic by Tunde Adeniyi

Criminalising the poor

There is increasing outcry over the jailing of minor offenders in Nigeria. Many prisons across the country are filled with people who are said to have committed minor offences. Many are traffic rule breakers, hawkers, pick-pockets, those caught roaming the streets, those caught sleeping under bridges, those who stole domestic animals belonging to others, among other minor, minor cases. But while these are sent to jail, “big” thieves who by virtue of

their criminal acts have deprived the country the opportunity to make infrastructural progress are walking the streets freely. Nobody touches them.

The question many are asking is, are the poor being punished just because they are poor? Why punish a man who stole a sachet of pure water for instance, while the law closes its eyes to another that stole state allocation meant for developmental projects in his state?

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Ishaku’s score card in Taraba: Setting agenda for a second term

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New minimum wage: Fight ahead as implementation poses fresh hurdle

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JOSHUA BASSEY

ince the signing into law of the new minimum wage by President Muhammadu Buhari, some state governors have continued to raise the alarm that given the economic reality in their domain, implementation may not be feasible; but the leadership of Labour insists it is either

full implementation or nothing.

They say there will be no half measures. This is indicative of fresh standoff between labour and governors.

Labour is particularly unhappy that some states that had received bailout funds a number of times are even the ones with worse cases of unpaid salaries.

Already, in matching action with their expectation, there is

an overwhelming demand by labour, as encapsulated in the various speeches delivered by labour leaders during the 2019 May Day. From Abuja, the nation’s political capital, to Lagos, the economic hub, and across the 36 states, the demand was the same- immediate implementation of the new minimum wage.

Repeatedly, organised labour

has explained why the wage increase is not only necessary but compellingly so. According to labour unions, although there has been a marginal drop in official inflation figures from 11.44 percent in December 2018 to about 11.25 percent in March 2019, the economic realities, as they affect an average Nigerian,

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New minimum wage: Fight ahead as...

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still leaves much to be desired, and requires urgent intervention.

Justifying the need for the immediate implementation of the new wage, at the May Day rally in Abuja, Ayuba Wabba, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said: “In reality, life has become increasingly excruciating today for the average worker and citizens.”

According to Wabba, the phenomenal hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol in 2016, the devaluation of the naira in the same year and increase in the cost of electricity in the past five years have sustained high inflationary rates. He further argued that the persistence of double-digit inflation and stagnant remuneration for workers has wiped off the purchasing power of Nigerian workers.

He believed that the impact of the prevailing hyper-inflation on pensioners and workers is, to say the least, traumatic, as working families are unable to meet up with basic costs of living, especially feeding and decent accommodation, thus plummeting living standards to an all-time low.

“The worse is that most Nigerians are not even enjoying utility services such as public power supply, potable water, public education and healthcare despite very high user access charges. In the absence of cushioning palliatives, it appears that workers have become the sacrificial lamb on the slab of all that is not working in Nigeria. This is indeed very unfortunate.”

Wabba’s assertion runs concurrent with Joe Ajaero’s, president of United Labour Congress (ULC).

Ajaero, while speaking on the May Day, in Lagos, said there was an anxiety in the economy and this stems from the feeling of despair, frustrationandhunger.Accordingto him,anaveragefamilyoffourcanno longer afford a balanced diet.

“The welfare of the citizenry is mainly a function of the health of a nation’s economy but unfortunately, the nation’s economy has become parasitic on the citizenry.

“It is so because our economy is tending backwards with all the major macro-economic indices heading in the negative direction.

All core Human Development indices (HDI) are not returning favourable figures and the nation is placed among the worst in the world. The misery index leaves us almostat thebottom whilepoverty has decided to make its headquarters in Nigeria,” he said.

With these, Ajaero argued there was a compelling need for the government and private sector employers of labour to hasten the implementation of the new national minimum wage, as it will not only benefit paid workers, but will also have multiplier effect on the overall economy due to higher purchasing power.

Abdrafiu Adeniji, chairman, Trade Union Side (TUS) of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), and Alade Lawal, the general secretary, are no less concerned.

The duo have asked the Federal Government to kick-start negotiation with the joint council towards the consequential adjustments arising from the new national minimum wage.

The labour leaders said millions of workers, especially civil servants, expected the implementation would commence immediately after the N30,000 monthly minimum wage law was signed by Mr. President.

“This is the more reason why we urge the Federal Government to immediately meet with the Trade Union Side of the Joint Council to work out the consequential adjustments and produce a fresh salary structure in line with the new national minimum wage.”

Both leaders noted that the normal practice was that once a new minimum wage is fixed, a fresh salary table is generated so that employees in all salary grade levels will benefit from the new emoluments.

“This is the standard practice all over the world and Nigeria should not be an exception,” they stressed, even as they noted that the generation of a fresh salary table in line with the new minimum wage would also prevent distortion and overlapping.

“The TUS recalled that after the 2011 National Minimum Wage was fixed, the consequential adjustment was not properly handled. Instead, the government decided to award N900 across board for all the other grade levels in the civil service thereby distorting the salary chart. This led to a lot of crisis, a scenario that should not be allowed to repeat itself this time around.

“The government should not continue to generate avoidable crisis in the civil service and this is why we are now urging it to do the needful by urgently inviting the joint council with a view to commencing negotiation on a new salary table that will meet the aspirations of workers.”

They posited that once a new salary table was generated, it would help to maintain the current relativity among all grades in the civil service, adding that “the new table will also go a long way to assisting the state governments to have a seamless implementation of thenewminimumwage and where negotiation will be required at all, it will be a minor exercise.”

However, as the agitation for the immediate implementation of the new benchmark rages, there are concerns about the ability of government especially at state level to pay and to sustain the payment, especially given the fact that majority of them have been unable to pay N18,000 or managed to pay in distorted forms.

Although some governors, including those of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Kano, Edo, Enugu, Ogun, Oyo, among others have indicated they would pay the N30,000 minimum wage, there is the thinking in some quarters that their statements might be political, as the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) had be-

Leonard Umunna (m), bishop and founder of Bible Life Church, flanked by his son-in-law, Divine Ifeanyi Ezeigwe, and daughter, Jerusalem Chisom, during the solemnisation of the holy matrimony of the new couple at the headquarters of the church at Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, yesterday.

fore now denounced the N30,000 and opted for N22,500.

“Governors have collectively made it abundantly clear that they would have been happy to pay workers the N30,000 but times are hard and because of financial constraints and other limitations, many states cannot afford it, for now,” Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, head, media and public affairs of the NGF said in an earlier statement issued on behalf of the governors.

Some pundits are of the view that many of the Nigerian 36 states can, however, afford to pay the new wage if the governors prioritise their spending. In 2018, the Federal Government, 36 states and the 774 local government councils reportedly shared a total of N8 trillion from the Federation Account; out of which the state and councils were said to have earned a total sum of N4.5 trillion. To some of the analysts, developments in the

various states of the federation do not reflect the humongous sums, which mean that the monies are not properly channeled.

According to Adetokunbo Mumuni, executive director, SocioEconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), state governments have been unable to set their priorities right.

“Let me say straight away that at any level in the Nigerian polity, if prioritiesareorderedright,ifweputour focus where it should be, there is no basis for any government not to be able to pay the new minimum wage.

“Look at what they pay their political hangers-on. You cannot say any of those governors do not pay more than N30,000 to political hangers-on. So, I believe that it is a question of cutting our coat according to our cloth; ordering our priorities right and everything will be okay,” Mumuni said.

Indeed, if pronouncements by the workers and their umbrella

organisations- NLC, TUC and ULC, are anything to go by, labour is not prepared to take excuses from the state governors.

“Anystategovernorthatcannot pay the minimum wage is not ready for governance, and therefore, should resign,” Bobboi Kaigama, president of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), said.

It would seem that the organised labour is battle-ready, as it is already calling for vigilance from members.

“We want to appreciate all Nigerian workers for their doggedness in the struggle against the forces that wanted to deny us a new national minimum wage. Collectively, at every stage of the way, together we engaged them at the barricades and on the streets until the committee’s report became an executive bill which was expeditiously passed by the National Assembly and later given assent to by the President.

Committee rules out cross-border LCDAs creation in Ondo YOMI AYELESO, Akure

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he Committee for the creation of Local Council Development Areas has said they are not considering cross-border creation of the LCDAs in Ondo State.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu had in March 19, 2019 while inaugurating the committee urged them to submit their reports within three months.

Addressing journalists in Akure, the state capital, the chairman of the committee,AdelankeOdogiyonsaid that it would be unconstitutional to bring together communities across border to make up the LCDAs.

He revealed that a total of 94 memoranda were received from communities and towns.

AccordingtoOdogiyon,thecommitteewouldmeetTuesdaytodeliberate on the memoranda received, adding that communities would be invited to defend their proposals.

Hesaid:“Wehavereceivedatotal of 94 memoranda from communities across the state. Members had been given copies of the proposals tostudyandwewillreconveneTuesday to deliberate on them.

“Also,wewillbevisitingcouncilareastoseeforourselvestheproposed headquartersandpeoplecomingout to defend their proposals.

“Let us state here that it will be

unconstitutional to go ahead and createLCDAsacrossbordertowns and communities. It will not work and this committee is not going to do that because all local government areas we have now are in the constitution including communities and towns.”

He pointed out that the state government was determined to create the LCDAs, saying the gesture would enable people have more stake in governance.

Also speaking, the secretary of the committee, Deji Akinwalere said with the LCDAs, there would be decentralisation in government which would benefit the people at the grassroots.

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Kogi’s months of unpaid salaries claims one, as judiciary staff slumps, dies Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja

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our days after judiciary staff of Kogi State resumed duty after five months of industrial action following the dispute with the state government, Magistrate Court 11, Lokoja has been thrown into mourning mood, over the loss of one of its dedicated staff, Fatimah Noah.

Noah, a widow, popularly known as Mama Danlandi in her working place, slumped and died around 8.pm on Thursday at her residence in Lokoja, over a yet to be established illness.

She was said to have resumed work on Monday with her colleagues, as JUSUN called off 5-month old strike, after National Judicial Council (NJC) resolved the trade disputes between the judiciary and Kogi State government; and has been consistently on duty without complaint of any health issue.

But a colleague of hers said

she was seen on duty on Thursday hale and healthy until she closed and left for home.

A family source said since her

husband died years ago, the burden of family upkeep has been on her, but that the situation became compounded when her

L-R: Uja Tor Uja, executive secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), being welcome

by Sani Mahmud, manager, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport during the Executive Secretary’s courtesy visit to strengthen the relationship between the Abuja Airport Authority and the Commission at NAIA in Abuja.

Nigerian Community cries out over death of fellow in South African Police custody Innocent Odoh

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he President, Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), Ben Okoli has raised alarm over the circumstances surrounding the death of a Nigerian, Ebuka Udugbo in South African Police custody.

Okoli said this in a letter to the Consul General, Nigerian Consulate, Johannesburg, South Africa a copy of which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

The president, who claimed that Udugbo was killed by the police, described his death as recurring pre-meditated murders of young Nigerians in South Africa by the South African Police.

He explained that Ebuka Udugbo was arrested by South African Police over a quarrel with his girlfriend, one Miss Linda, on April 28 and later pronounced dead by the police.

“The information we got initially was that he committed suicide while in the South African Police custody in Cape Town. We conducted our own preliminary investigation over the circum-

salary was not paid to her, for almost a year now.

“Mama Danladi who had not taken salaries for the past

stances surrounding his death. ``What we discovered was really shocking and disheartening from our findings.

“The late Udugbo had a quarrel with his girlfriend, Miss Linda, and left the house at about 9 a.m on April 28 to avoid further altercation with his girlfriend,” he said.

According to Okoli, the girlfriend called the police and along with the Police they had gone out in search of Udugbo. He was later found by the police while he was driving on the road in town.

He said that Udugbo vehicle’s was stopped, and he was arrested and handcuffed.

“The police took his car keys, left the car by the way and drove with him back to his house in the Police car along with the girlfriend. ``He was severely beaten by the cops in his house and he fainted. At this point the landlord’s son feared and told the Police to take him to the hospital. ``The police refused, and instead they took him to the Police Station where they claimed that he had allegedly committed suicide.”

According to him, at about past 10 a.m. one of Udugbo’s relatives went to the station and

was told that Udugbo had committed suicide. ``We do not accept this police story, we believed that he was killed right in the Police Station and hanged afterwards. ``His case was that of domestic violence, and does not warrant the Police to beat him since he did not in any way resist arrest,” he said.

He said that all circumstances surround his death was a clear indication of bias, hate, xenophobia and premeditated action and police high handedness. ``We believed that the late Udugbo was killed and to cover it up the Police hanged him to make it look like suicide. `The police cell is not a police place for anybody to commit suicide. It is meant to be a place of safety and protection. ``The South African Police service had considered Nigerians as inconsequential and unimportant. They tend to always get away with it because they had been allowed to go free in numerous murder cases where they had killed Nigerians. ``NICASA shall protest this unnecessary police brutality, bias, death in police custody, xenophobia and high handedness against our nationals,” he said.

one year, and a widow with children in tertiary institutions, was said to have scouted for just N20,000 three days ago to address pressing need of one of her sons in the school without success,” the source stressed.

Speaking to journalists, most of her colleagues at her work place extolled her virtues of humour, and said they have lost a rare gem whose dedication to work endeared her to the high and the low at her place of work.

Meanwhile, the remains of the late Mama Danladi has been taken to Idah, her country home, and buried according to Islamic rites.

Speaking on salary as promised by the state government, some of the judiciary staff revealed that nothing has been seen or done apart from a meeting with its agents this week, adding that the seemingly lull in respect of the payment of salaries of workers by the government since resumption from strike is causing uneasiness among the workers.

Kogi guber: Aspirant pledges to reposition state’s civil service Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja

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ix months to Kogi State gubernatorial election, aspirants have started presenting their manifestoes to the masses. One of the aspirants, Sani-Lulu Abdullahi, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has assured Kogi State workers that his coming out was to reshape and reposition the civil service in the state with genuine reforms if given the mandate to be at the Lugard House come November governorship election.

Abdullahi, in a press statement signed and issued by his media committee chairman, Sylvester Ojogbane (former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, in Lokoja, said that with the introduction of genuine reforms aimed at training and retraining of staff and non-interference in council funds, the workers would regain their pride of place.

He also promised to re-engineer the state’s financials which is presently in crisis by dispensing all outstanding salaries and pensions owed to both workers and pensioners in the state.

NACCIMA unveils prepaid debit card provide a safe, secure and universal business tool for members in their financial transactions wherever they ational Association Cham- go in the world, adding that it would bers of Commerce, In- also provide a new, unique and what dustry, Mines and Agri- she termed as a common means culture (NACCIMA) has of identification for all NACCIMA unveiled NACCIMA Prepaid Debit members.

Card. The project was done in colAccording to her, in pursuit of its laboration with the First Bank of Ni- objectives to promote, protect and geria (FBN) PLC and the Unity Bank. develop matters affecting business, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, out-going and encourage orderly expansion president of NACCIMA, said, the and development of all the segments prepaid debit card was packaged of the country, NACCIMA will conto enhance business transactions tinue to seek new ways to empower for city chambers’ members, using the businesses of its members which Interswitch, Mastercards and Visa may probably put NACCIMA in the financial exchange platform. forefront of the policies of the FedShe explained in an interview that eral Government and government the prepaid debit card would also programmes also.

SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

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News Xtralarge Farms to launch the first agritech city in Africa

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ll is now set by Xtralarge Farms to launch the first agritech city in Africa.

The proposed modern, technologically-driven city will be spread over 3,000 acres of land at the Idi-Iroko axis in Ogun State. The privately owned company that is into crop and animal farming, investments, services and land sales for farming is poised to launch the concept of the city on June 12, 2019 at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

This was made known by the Chairman/CEO, Seyi Abimbola Davids and Moji, the MD, who is his energetic, goal-getting wife at prelaunch event which took place recently at No 82, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos. It drew over 300 members referred to as the Xtralarge Family.

These are people who have keyed into the major packages of Xtralarage Farms, either as members of the Food Network Project or Super Farmers. The latter, who invest between N100,000 and N1 million into farming without getting physically involved, as the farm carries out all processes from planting to harvest and processing, make 100 per cent returns over 24 months. As their testimonies go, all of them have been smiling all the way to the bank.

The proposed city will boast of office complex,

shopping malls, country homes, banks, swimming pools, beach, 20,000 capacity stadium, children’s playing ground and a helipad. Other features include a Miracle Hospital where treatment will be based on food and drinks, without any drug and of course, the First AGRITECH University in Africa.

Interestingly all the structures will be powered through environmentally-friendly power plants and green energy.

The university is expected to train students in the three aspects of their chosen field of study, practical farming of organic foods and vocational training. Thereby, the degrees will be given in fashion and design, carpentry and other technical studies.

The Chairman/CEO also unveiled XTRATOKEN billed to be the first Agric backed Digital Currency in the World!

As the world economy goes cashless, XTK as it is called will be traded online and appreciate.

Unlike Bitcom it has a face and value, it can be tied to a business (agriculture) and can be traded in the bank and used as collateral.

The Digital Certificate has been obtained from the US and members are enjoined to brace up to key in, beginning with a token of 100 Dollars.

For now members are to register online via the website:www.xtratoken. com and bring in investors.

WIMBIZ advocates for more women in selective position SEYI JOHN SALAU

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group, Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ) has called for more women in elective positions in Nigeria.

This position was made known at the recent interactive luncheon on the theme ‘Women’s Political Leadership in the post 2019 elections: The Road Ahead’, organised by the United Nations (UN) Women Nigeria in collaboration with WIMBIZ. Hansatu Adegbite, executive director of WIMBIZ, said women need to present a voice representing all the women in the nation before the leadership of the country, to increase the representation of women in elective positions.

“I believe that it is time for all women irrespective of the platform they belong to, to come together. Women in politics, business, and women in the grassroots to come together and have a discussion on womanhood,” said Adegbite.

According to her, Nigeria is a peculiar country with lesser women on the party

politics level representing in the leadership and decision making stage within political parties’ structure.

“Political parties have not made it easy for women to occupy some positions because of the huge amount of money they put forward for forms,” she said.

She further said: “I think finance has played a big role in disqualifying and limiting a lot of women, because women don’t have enough resources that are required to influence quite a number of things.

“But in all, I think legislation in this country is what is actually working against us and policies – we need policies that will ensure that a certain percentage of women are compulsorily put in leadership position. And I think it is time for credible women to step up to influence some of the things that this nation needs in terms of change,” Adegbite said.

Olubunmi AboderinTalabi, chairperson, executive council, WIMBIZ, said Nigerian democracy would be stronger and the development agenda would grow faster with more women in active politics.

Election tribunal affirms Leke Abejide`s House of Reps victory Adeola Ajakaiye

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he Kogi State Election Tribunal sitting in the Federal Capital, Abuja has affirmed the election of Leke Abejide of African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the duly elected representative of Yagba people in the House of Representatives in the recently concluded general election.

The petition, which was instituted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the election, Henry Abimbola, was struck out last Wednesday, on the ground that it lacked diligent prosecution.

Delivering the verdict of the Tribunal during its sitting at the premises of Wuse Magistrate Court in Abuja, Justice Chijoke said that the petitioner was unable to produce credible witnesses as required by the Tribunal to prove his case.

The APC`s candidate, Henry Abimbola, after the general election, had approached the Kogi State National Assembly Election Tribunal in Kogi State, asking it to cancel the election on the ground that it was characterised by fraudulent practices.

The sitting of the Tribunal earlier fixed for Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has to be

Leke

moved to the Wuse Magistrate Court, Abuja, due to the worsening security concern in Lokoja.

The petitioner during several appearances at the tribunal in Abuja, had asked the court to among other things determine whether Elder Leke Abejide of the ADC, who won the election was lawfully elected in accordance with the electoral laws of the country.

The APC`s candidate had also asked the court to void the Yagba House of Representatives election on the ground that it was characterised by irregularities,

such as stuffing of ballots, and therefore, order a rerun election immediately The petitioner want the tribunal to cancel the concluded election because it violated the mandatory provisions of the Electoral laws 2010 as amended.

However, in what can be described as a landmark judgment, the tribunal dismissed all the claims of the petitioner against the election of the ADC`s candidate, Abejide.

The tribunal went ahead to affirm the ADC`s candidate as the duly elected representative of the people of

Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the ground that the election was conducted in line with Electoral laws, and that Leke Abejide won the election according to the demand of the law.

The Tribunal also dismissed the case in its entirety particularly, due to absence of prosecution witnesses from the petitioner as requested by the tribunal.

Reacting to judgment, one of the frontline ADC leaders in Yagba Federal Constituency, Dare Mayegun, commended the ruling which he described as “a brilliant judgment” couldn’t have gone otherwise.

In his response to the judgment, Counsel to the ADC`s candidate, Oluwole Aladedoye said the petition did not only lack diligent prosecution but also lacked common sense in its entirety.

Also, reacting to the judgment, Abejide thanked God for the ruling and also extended olive branch to his opponent, Henry Abimbola, calling on him to join him in the task of bringing dividends of qualitative legislative representation to Yagba federal constituency.

“I want to use this medium to appeal to Henry Abimbola and the APC to join hands with me to bring the needed development to our federal Constituency,” he said.

Agbami group donates 2 storey classroom block to Abia school UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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s part of its social corporate responsibility, the Agbami Parties have donated and handed over a multi-million Naira model two-storey classroom block to Community Model High School, Isieke Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State while commissioning the project commended the group for the gesture to the state.

He noted that the model school building has all facilities for conducive teaching and learning, adding that one of the five pillars of his administration was in education.

He promised that the state government would not only provide security for the

facilities but also adequately engage qualified staff for the school.

Ikpeazu, who was represented by Ude Oko Chukwu, his deputy, appealed to members of the community to take care of the facilities as their own property and avoid hoodlums coming into the school premises.

Th e g o v e r n o r a l s o charged the students to optimise the use of the facilities as an appreciation of the good gesture so as to make Agbami group proud.

Rick Kennedy, director, Deepwater & Production sharing contracts of Deepwater Petroleum Limited, a Chevron Company, earlier in his speech, said the project was an integrated learning centre, designed to provide quality secondary educational services.

He said the model class-

room block is fully furnished and equipped two storey building, with 12 classrooms, three laboratories each with a prep room, a computer room, a Fine and Applied Arts studio, a library, sick bay, staff rooms, offices and other corresponding facilities.

He said Agbami parties support the view that education is the key to unlocking the potentials of youths and developing their capacity for social relevance.

“The drive behind our support is to improve access to education for all Nigerians through the donation of hybrid libraries, science laboratory complexes and scholarships,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy, who was represented by Michael Dabo, manager, Policy, Govt. and Public Affairs of the company, disclosed that apart from

the classroom block being commissioned, the Agbami group still has several projects across the country either ongoing or completed.

He hinted that since the inception of the Agbami Scholarship scheme in 2009, about 1087 students from Abia have benefited from the scheme while in 2014, a total of 51 students from the state have equally benefited from NNPC/CNL JV scholarships.

He encouraged the beneficiaries to effectively manage the facility to ensure its sustainability.

Also speaking during the occasion, Modupe Alakija, Chairman/CEO of Famfa Oil Nigeria Limited, noted that education was the key for the development of any nation and sound education, the bedrock of development and advancement in every sphere of life.

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Photo Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) matriculation for 2018/2019 session

Blessing Igboanugo and friends during her matriculation

Emem Asenyi, Solomon Sunday and friend at the matriculation

Some other matriculating students

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News

Ex-APC spokesman backs Yoruba leader over non-recognition of Buhari as president-elect James Kwen

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former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank has supported the leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo on his recent comment that President Muhammadu Buhari should not be recognised as President-Elect.

Frank, who said until the Supreme Court determines the true winner of the 2019 presidential election, Buhari should not be addressed as a president-elect, stressing that, “he is an illegal President-elect.”

Adebanjo had expressed optimism that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would retrieve his stolen mandate in the court of law.

The Yoruba leader also said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), wrongly declared Buhari as winner of the election.

Speaking through a statement he made available to newsmen in Abuja, Frank who commended the elder

Frank

statesman for his courage in speaking truth to power, added that no matter how long it takes, the will of people would surely prevail.

“It is unfortunate that Nigeria has very few men like Pa Adebanjo, who can boldly say it as it is. Even at their very old age, hypocrisy is still a meal ticket for so many and that is why illegality reigns supreme in Nigeria.

“Under the watch of Buhari, there is no governance and that is why his appointees are taking advantage

of his incompetence to loot public funds. Gen. Buhari has taken the country from bad to worse, and democracy is now getting another meaning under the nose of a failed President,” Frank stated.

The erstwhile APC National Officer further decried the worsening security situation across the country, and insisted that all the money meant to buy equipment has been stolen by a clique inside APC’s administration.

“Where is the motivation? All the money meant to

purchase weapons has been stolen by the APC government. The President cannot sack the tired and long due for retirement Service Chiefs because the secret of his illegal second term is in their (Service Chiefs) hands.

“A caring President cannot abandon the country when the nation is on fire.

Gen. Buhari does not care and that is why he chose to travel for a private matter when his subjects are dying in large numbers to banditry, kidnapping and hunger.”

On the economy, Frank said the country is now back to recession, adding that unemployment has also gone through the roof with 33.5percent of the total population practically begging for their daily bread, adding that the government of the APC has ran out of ideas on how to take the people out of poverty.

“Nigerians should take note that the #NEXT LEVEL Buhari promised the country is now being implemented fully, where insecurity reigns supreme, where hunger and poverty stare Nigerians in the face, job loss and begging is the order of the day, and lack of respect for the rule of law has become the badge of honour for the government of the day.”

Electricity tariff in Nigeria too low to sustain steady power supply – Society of Engineers MIKE ABANG, Calabar

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gainst the backdrop of poor power supply in Nigeria, the trend will continue to be elusive until the tariff paid by consumers is reviewed upwards to sustain high revenue inflow to power production and distribution companies.

En g i n e e r Ad e k u n l e Mokuolu, President of Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, disclosed this in Calabar while speaking at the 3rd memorial lecture in honour of Engineer John Egbe, a former national vice chairman of the Society.

He said power distribution companies have to undertake estimated billing of customers in order to raise revenue to keep them afloat. ‘standards in this country are bastardised so the distribution companies are using that to break even because the overhead cost for the production and distribution of electricity is very high while the tariff is very low so the distribution companies which deal directly with the consumers have to rely on estimated billing to increase their revenue”.

Engineer Mokuolu said electricity production and

$5m rubber processing plant in Cross River to be commissioned in July - Usen Umoh MIKE ABANG, Calabar

Ondo election petition tribunal to resist frivolous applications by counsels YOMI AYELESO, Akure

T

he 2019 Election Petition Tribunal for the National and State Assemblies elections in Ondo State has said that the Tribunal would not tolerate frivolous applications by counsels to draw back proceedings.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Nuhu Adi who spoke in Akure, the state capital at the inaugural sitting noted that the panel would work in accordance with the mandatory period stipulated by the law.

Justice Adi assured all petitioners and respondents that they would exercise their duties in good faith without any form of bias, adding that all forms of inducement or influence would be resisted.

The chairman of the Tribunal added that hearing of petitions would be done on daily basis including public holidays in order to meet up the 180 days period provided for hearing and determina-

tion of each petitions.

He said : “ We therefore solicit the maximum cooperation of all that involved in this exercise , particularly the legal representatives of the parties in all the petitions. “ The hearing of the petitions shall be on a day to day basis , including public holidays in order to meet up with 180 days period provided for the hearing and determination of each petition. “ The parties are hereby enjoined to be ready to work within the mandatory period stipulated by the law.The panel shall remain in absolute and firm control of the court until the exercise is over. “ On this note, the Tribunal shall not condone or allow frivolous applications calculated to draw back the proceedings. Unnecessary application for adjournment of a matter would not be entertained,as undue delay would portray the Tribunal as unserious. “ Any ploy by any counsel to waste the precious time of the Tribunal by en-

gaging in asking irrelevant questions during crossexamination of witnesses shall not be tolerated. “ We assure you that in the quest to get the truth of the matter before us, we shall exercise our judicial function in utmost good faith and we shall work with open mind , without any form of bias.

We also pledge not to lend ourselves to any form of influence or inducement.”

Speaking, Kola Olawoye SAN, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for

Justice said the Tribunal must be supported by all stakeholders saying “ they are handling a very sensitive assignment in our democracy.”

Olawoye assured that members of the Bar would abide by the Tribunal’s guidelines for the determination of all suits in record time.

The seven petitions before the tribunal include that of Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) against Ajayi Boroffice, APC, INEC over the omission of the party’s logo from the ballot.

distribution companies are business enterprises and not humanitarian organisations so there is need for power sector policy review to update existing laws and policies in the sector to engender efficient power supply.

“The Challenge with power sector in Nigeria is not principally with the engineers but the problem is on how we manage the various components that make up the sector like the finance, policy, management and infrastructure and what we intend to do is begin a dialogue with stakeholders to review and update the power sector policies”.

The NSE President stated that what Nigerians want is clean electricity supply and are willing to pay for it but the outdated power sector policies cannot deliver the quantum of electricity Nigerian consumers need at the moment.

Delivering the lecture ‘Provision of Sustainable Power Supply in Nigeria- the way forward’ , Engineer Otis Anyaeji stated that the 4000 megawatts power generated currently in Nigeria is far below what is required by Nigerians to engender economic growth compared to other countries of the world.

A

rrangements are in top gear to commission a $5 million rubber processing plant by a private investor in July this year in Biakpan, Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State. General Manager of Royal farms and Estate Limited Usen Umoh dropped the hint in Calabar while speaking to our correspondent.

Umoh further disclosed that the minister of state for industry, trade and investment, Aisha Abubakar who has been instrumental to the success of the commissioning has also expressed happiness at the establishment of a rubber processing plant in the state.

His words: “She sent two delegations on different occasions to inspect both the groundbreaking as well as the actual installation of the heavy machines at the rubber factory owned by Royal Farms International and Estates Limited, a big time rubber sector player in Nigeria.

“The minister at each of those visits described the investment by the farm as a very bold attempt at impacting the national economy

through massive employment of Nigerians and generation of foreign exchange to the country.”

She acknowledged the challenges which private owners of rubber plantations in Nigeria are facing such as high cost of operations, saying these result from epileptic power supply in areas of production, low technology and use of crude implements for tapping rubber, paucity of tractors as well as poor access to funds.

Umoh praised the minister for the concern and encouragement extended to them and disclosed that their rubber plantation sits on a 2187 hectares of land, and has began replanting another 1000 hectares of young rubber trees.

According to him, they have already provided employment for 500 Nigerians with potentials to engage another 600 directly and indirectly.

Umoh however, appealed to the federal government to include rubber among the five cash crops which are to benefit from the 9% single digit interest bank loans incentive from the government, adding that rubber has more challenges but with greater benefits to the economy.

Sunday 05 May 2019

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BDSUNDAY 7

PhotoSplash

L- R: Andrew Nevin, chief economist, PwC West Africa; Femi Adeniyi, CEO/CSA Simplex Business Solutions; Olakanmi Anjola, member of YPCC Team, Ibilola Adefope, managing partner, AVID Global Consulting; Olakunde Olanrewaju, founder, Tribe Leader of YPCC; Temple Asaju, Senior Business Producer, Channels Television, at the Young Professionals Career Conference 2019; The conversation topic was ‘THE FUTURE OF WORK AND HOW YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CAN THRIVE’

L-R : Maiden Alex Ibru, publisher, The Guardian Nigeria; Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi, convener of the Akada Children’s Book Festival, declare the Akada Children’s Book Festival at the British Council, Lagos open!

L-R: Gboyega Oyetola, governor of the State of Osun; his wife: Kafayat Oyetola; Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, supervisor of finance /Balogun Musulumi of Irewole, Isokan and Ayedaade; his wife, Sekinah Bola Oyebamiji; and Ayo Omidiji, member, House of Representatives, at the inauguration of Ultra-Modern Mosque built by Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, in Ikire, Osun State.

Happy Onuwa,CEO, sweat it Fitness and dance; Olaobaju Omotayo, junior brand manager, Three Crowns Milk, and Abayomi Oke, commissioner of youth and sport, Oyo state, at the sweet it fitness session at Adamasingba stadium in Ibadan, Oyo

Rotimi Amaechi (2nd l), minister of transportation; Ibrahim Alhassan (m), board chairman, Nigerian Railway Corporation; Fidet Okhiria (l), MD, Nigerian Railway Corporation, and other members of the board after the inauguration in Abuja. NAN

L-R: Adegbolahan ‎Olugbemi, head compliance and examination, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU); Adamu Sambo, head, monitoring department, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); Shotunde ‎Biola, head, capital market and insurance analysis, NFIU, and Francis Okafor, head, anti-money laundry and financing terrorison, SEC, at the opening ceremony of GoAML training for CMOs in Lagos. NAN

Kabir Barkiya (r), senator-elect, Katsina central federal constituency, presenting award plaque to Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano State, at the conference on the achievement of President Muhammadu Buhari in last four years organised by Awareness for Good Leadership, Peace and Development in Abuja. NAN

Theophilus Ndubuaku (l), national secretary-general, Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), presenting a “request for support letter” for the establishment of National Research and Innovation Council (NRIC), to Theresa Tybergs, representative of minister of women affairs, at the visit of Ayuba Olugbenga (2nd r), secretary-general of ASURI to the ministry in Abuja, with them is principal admin officer in the ministry, and other members of ASURI. NAN

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Sunday 05 May 2019

Tinubu’s daughter extends influence to Computer Village, Ikeja …as she installs ‘Babaloja, Iyaloja’ Stories by JOSHUA BASSEY

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olashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of Bola Tinubu, national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who goes with the title ‘President-General’, Association of Commodity Market Women and Men in Lagos, has taken over the leadership of the popular Computer Village, in Ikeja, Lagos.

Tinubu-Ojo installed Adeniyi Olasoji and Abisola Azeez as Babaloja (man market leader) and Iyaloja (woman market leader) respectively, on Thursday, May 2. The two market leaders are under the direct supervision of Tinubu-Ojo and are expected to refer to her on matters concerning the Computer Village, said to the largest market for computers, phones and related Information Technology (IT) accessories in West Africa.

The installation of Babaloja and Iyaloja in the Computer Village took place notwithstanding protests by traders in the market, who argued that the Computer Village is a specialised market and does not fall into same category like other markets in Lagos, where the ex-governor’s daugh-

Traders during their recent protest against installation of Babaloja and Iyaloja at Computer Village, Ikeja.

ter holds sway.

The traders who staged wide protests around the market on Tuesday, April 30, also claimed that Computer Village is an international market and that the titles of Babaloja and Iyaloja were suited for markets where commodities like pepper and onions are sold. They had also argued that people outside of the market have no right to choose leaders for them.

But Tinubu-Ojo waived aside

the traders’ position and described the protests as ill-informed.

She claimed that, as the leader of all commodities traders, it was within her powers to appoint leaders for any market, including Computer Village.

She also alleged that some officials of Computer Dealers and Allied Products Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), whose tenure she claimed had expired, were behind the protests. She

BRI: New buses begin commercial operations

T

he new buses acquired by the Lagos State government under its Bus Reform Initiative (BRI), have commenced full operations.

Under the scheme which is aimed at changing the face of public transportation in Nigeria’s commercial city, 5,000 medium and high capacity buses are targeted to be injected into the system in the long run. However, to start with, the state government in the first phase has introduced 820 buses.

The new buses come with wi-fi

which allows passengers onboard free access to the internet for browsing. Other special features of the buses are First-Aid box, dedicated USB port to each seat for charging of phones, emergency exit, television and Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras which are linked to Lagos Central Control Centre to monitor occurrences within the buses.

Operators of the buses charge a flat rate of N100 per trip from Oshoidi to Ikeja as well as other routes.

Recall that the state govern-

Passengers boarding one of the newly introduced buses en-route TBS from the Oshodi Transport Interchange.

ment on May 1, rolled out the buses on some specific routes to ferry workers who were celebrating the May Day free of charge. The routes include Berger to Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Berger to Oshodi, Oshodi to TBS, Ikeja to Alausa and Ikeja to Oshodi preparatory to commencement of full commercial operations across the metropolis.

Timi Olajide, an official of the Lagos Bus Services Limited, the operator of the buses, said on Friday that the buses have been finally launched for commercial operations.

According to him, aside the intelligent transport system component of the initiative which will aid Lagosians to plan their journeys, comfort and safety of the people have also been factored into the whole process.

“In each of the buses, we have six emergency exits and First Aid Box, while every seat has a dedicated USB port for charging of phones, free Wi-fi, television and CCTV cameras which are linked to our control centre to monitor everything going on in the buses, among other features.

“We have also taken the issue of people with disabilities specially and there are seats reserved for them in the buses,” Olajide said.

also claimed that the objective of the sponsors of the protests was to perpetuate themselves in power.

While inaugurating the new leadership on Thursday, TinubuOjo tasked to see their installation as an opportunity to serve the traders.

She urged them to give their best to impact greatly on the traders and the market and also pledged her support for the installed market leaders to enable

them to succeed.

Speaking to newsmen after the ceremony, she said the aggrieved CAPDAN officials had visited her on issues surrounding the installation of the new market leaders.

She said discussions to iron out all issues with the other party were still on-going.

“I don’t have any issues with them (protesters), they have been here; they came yesterday after I addressed the press and they related their position.

“I have had discussions with the former president of CAPDAN. I don’t have issues with them. The only thing was that, they should have come here instead of carrying placards when they got the information that there was going to be installation.

“They should have come to have a chat with me and perhaps, we may have ironed out issues and understood each other. Disagreements are bound to happen, there is no way we won’t step on each others’ toes in offices, markets and so on, but the ability to manage the crisis is what matters, which is the next line of action.

“I have even told the Iyaloja and Babaloja I installed to revisit the issues with the other people at a round table,” she said.

LASPARK to seal corporate bodies over failure to beautify setbacks …mobilises for enforcement of law

L

agos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) says it is mobilising to seal off corporate organisations operating in the state over their failure to beautify the setbacks around their premises in line with the provision of the law.

Bi l i k i s u Ad e b i y i - Ab i o l a , the general manager of the agency, who issued the threat, said the enforcement order has the backing of the state government.

According to Adebiyi-Abiola, this has become imperative to ensure total compliance with the state’s greening law aimed at preserving the environment.

Section 19 of the law establishing LASPARK states “all tenement owners and occupiers shall landscape and beautify the perimeter areas of their properties. Failure and refusal of which shall warrant the penalty of N250, 000 or such sums as the state shall incur in doing same on behalf of the tenement, or six months imprisonment or other

noncustodial sentence.”

Adebiyi-Abiola said that the agency’s resolve was to curtail increasingly negligence of the greening requirement by private establishments and other property owners across Lagos.

She said this was frustrating government’s efforts to ward off the negative effects of climate change in the state.

According to her, commercial property owners with setbacks will be compelled to do the needful and the agency will be locking up premises for noncompliance.

She advised owners of petrol stations to adhere strictly to the approval received from the ministry of physical planning which stipulated that 20 percent of their properties be reserved for greening.

“We have noted with dismay the attitude of owners of petrol stations, especially, the new entrants who have made it a habit of concretising their entire domain while neglecting the provisions of the law.

“The law specifically states

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Comment

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Nigeria, malnutrition and child mortality

Frank Aigbogun editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

Tayo Ogunbiyi

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STRATEGY, INNOVATION & PARTNERSHIPS Oghenevwoke Ighure GENERAL MANAGER, ADVERT Adeola Ajewole ADVERT MANAGER Ijeoma Ude FINANCE MANAGER Emeka Ifeanyi MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (South East, South South) Patrick Ijegbai CIRCULATION MANAGER John Okpaire DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Linda Ochugbua ASSIST. SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Florence Kadiri GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (North)

Bashir Ibrahim Hassan

GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (South) Ignatius Chukwu HEAD, HUMAN RESOURCES Adeola Obisesan

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha

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

D

uring the Great Depression, malnutrition was of the leading health issues.

Victims of malnutrition are easily vulnerable to ill health. Child nutrition and malnutrition could be a major threat to the population of any society.

Its symptoms include weight loss, tiredness, dizziness, brittle nails, constant diarrhea, slow wound healing, bone or joint pain and confusion. Children might become extremely thin, have stunted growth or have a swollen gut.

In Nigeria, the malnutrition situation, especially among children, is quite alarming. According to a UNICEF 2015 report, about 1.7 million severely underfed children are in ominous need of treatment in Nigeria. Experts have, indeed, revealed that malnutrition is a principal cause of death among children in the country. The problem with malnutrition in children is that it leads to diarrhea-related problems which make most children to lose immunity thereby making them vulnerable to any disease attack.

Generally, when a child loses im-

munity, the possibility of losing such a child is high.

A recent study affirms that a great proportion of Nigerian children experience defective growth as a result of malnutrition.

Similarly, a data from the Summary of Findings of National Nutrition and Health Survey conducted from 9th February to 5th May, 2014, showed that Nigeria has a stunting incidence of 32 percent among children that are under 5 years and about 21 percent underweight. Another report says that the proportion of children, who are wasted, or too thin for their height in the country, has progressively increased in recent years.

Experts have equally revealed that about 4 out of 5 Nigerian children fall below the WHO’s approval for exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life, while 70 percent of children ages 6 to 23 months are not receiving the minimum suitable diet. According to a UNICEF data, 1.1million Nigerian children are in danger of adverse malnutrition. Another report has revealed that chronic malnutrition is rampant among children in the northern part of the country. This, of course, has adverse effects on the learning ability of the children.

Having been established that poor nutrition negatively affects the mental development and intellectual capacity of children, it should not be startling that we presently have poor educational culture in the country.

As previously stressed, malnutrition occurs as a result of too little food or a diet lacking in nutrients,

but it could also be caused by a variety of other factors which could be physical, social or psychological. Other crucial causes of malnutrition could be a chronic illness, use of definite medications, difficulty swallowing or absorbing nutrients, a recent hospitalization, or a weakened sense of taste or smell.

Good nutrition is critical to the overall health and well-being of every human being. And unlike what many erroneously believe, it does not actually cost so much to imbibe a consistent balanced diet culture. What is really essential is for everyone to; first and foremost, appreciate the necessity for a balanced diet. Therefore, it is imperative for all and sundry to have a modest knowledge of why we eat what we eat, knowing the health benefits that various foods possess, how they affect our bodies, and how our bodies react when these types of foods become insufficient.

Malnourishment is not about the quantity of food a person eats, but actually about the nutritional quality of what he eats. A person can eat relentlessly, be obese, and still be malnourished, because the idea of proper nourishment is really about giving the body what it requires to function appropriately.

Consequently, a malnourished person might need to steadily boost calories intake through numerous little meals at regular intervals during the day.

All tiers of governments, through relevant MDAs, must continue to collaborate with all

major stakeholders in order to effectively deal with the problem of malnutrition. This could involve strategic use of communication for development as a vehicle to drive public enlightenment campaigns and achieve expected behavioural change. Equally, the Health and Information organs of all states and local governments in the country need to come up with the required enlightenment strategies that could speedily stem the tide of malnourishment in the country.

Recent partnership between UNICEF and the Federal Government which gave birth to a community based management of acute malnourishment (CMAM) for severely malnourished children in 11 northern states is a step in the right direction. However, necessary funding that is needed to properly drive the initiative should be adequately provided. This is particularly necessary in view of the not too exciting reports that that 2 out of every three children in the 11 northern states presently getting CMAM are yet to receive the treatment because of lack of fund.

Corporate bodies and other well meaning individuals could also come up with similar initiatives. The Bill gate polio initiative is a pointer to the fact that nothing should be spared in upholding the sanctity of life. This is the only investment that endures forever Ogunbiyi is of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

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Sunday 05 May 2019

VOX POP

Is suicide an option for depression? their families into sorrow. The only way out of depression is to talk about it with someone, especially a psychiatrist.

JONATHAN ADEROJU

I

n a data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year; this means one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is a global phenomenon.

Research suggests that depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems.

Attempt has been made to identify these which could be segregated to particular gender, age group or lifestyle, not much research has been done on the growing trend of suicides.

It is important that people should begin to take every abnormal behaviour or violent remarks seriously. Careless statements of frustration should not be ignored but watched closely.

BDSUNDAY seek the opinions of some social workers on how depressed victims can desist from thinking of suicide as an option to escape depression.

Onuoha Blessing Depression isn’t written on the face and most times it’s covered by smiles and fake strength. Most times, the most lively persons, those that appear to have it all in place go through this and I tell you nobody notices. My point is that this depression can be solved in three ways. One is to speak out about one’s problems to people, then secondly, family and friends noticing and we social workers creating awareness. The third part is for everybody to become an intentional helper, no matter how strong anyone is, still show love, still reach out; we social workers making the world know that care is something that is needed to be given to everyone and anyone, regardless. If mothers are going through depression, children can help; wives are going through depression, husbands can help; brothers and sisters are going through depression siblings and close cousins can help. They might not talk but when constant love is shown you break the matrix and get them talking. We are living in a society where emotions are masked and the world shows their happy moments only. Let’s not be guided by that philosophy, let’s know that once you have life you are still prone to challenges and also because you’ve gone through something and survive, that doesn’t mean every other person has your kind of strength, instead give care and encouragement and don’t just stop there, follow it through till you see healing.

Alawoki Zainab For me, I think depression is a stage of hopelessness. A stage where one is made to believe there’s not a thing that can be done about whatever it is one is going through.

There’s no one that doesn’t have one or two issues faced with them. The thing is when a person is depressed; they mostly tend to not want to talk about it because they believe you can’t and won’t understand it. But the fact still remains that the signs are still there. As a social worker, if you by any chance notice an active person changing attitude or enthusiasm towards

Julius Chijioke I will start by saying nothing is over until it is over. A youth thinking suicide is the only way to solve a particular problem is not the way forward. Any youth that is going through difficult challenges today must have to be patient with the trials and tribulations coming his or her way. So, I will advise every youth out there to never use suicide as an escape route; it won’t help.

Iwuorie Chioma It is not an escape route. Just like people resort to alcoholism to escape the reality; it doesn’t change anything order than making it worse. They should learn to speak up. When situations are getting out of hands or you’re in a big problem, learn to speak up like an adage that says ‘a problem shared is a problem half solved.’

They say that even if the individual you told won’t help you in relation to the matter, at least it helps in reducing the way you think about the issue. You may never know, you may get one or two ideas on how to solve the lingering issue or become motivated. Most people know what to do but most times, as a result of re-currence of a particular issue, they lose hope. So, there is an avalanche of things to gain by speaking up.

day to day life or an extrovert becoming down day by day, we should try to talk to them about how people have gone through worse times and still came out stronger.

Sometimes, we have our own demons to fight. Social workers are human too but, I think depression kills people faster because of ignored signs not suicide.

Omotoke Ajidagba First of all, the honest truth is each and every single person as long as you are breathing goes through one thing or the other. The only problem is how well you as an individual is able to handle those issues you go through. And the irony is that some people go through just very little issues and they can’t handle it and that leads to serious depression for them. Which leads to some of them thinking death is the only solution. In my opinion, I think friends and family who are the first contacts to an individual should be more aware of them because most of them won’t talk about it and some of them give hints about it but they’re ignored. As a social worker, we should encourage families to pay more attention to their children and family members generally. If you sense a person is going through something, try to talk to such a person, encourage the individual.

If you’re in a position to help them with whatever is bothering them, help them.

You would be surprised what leads to some people’s depression is really not a major thing but because they refuse to talk about it and the problem begins to deteriorate. This is what leads some people to commit suicide.

Adeyemi Oluwadabira The thing is that most youths of today do not have clear distinction of what depression is. The social media has sadly not helped matters, and the rate at which cyber bullying is going on; this are the things this thing we call suicide will grow. But as social workers, how do we help youths suffering from depression? Firstly, a youth who believes he is suffering from depression will have to speak out and reach out to someone for help or refer him or herself to a professional worker in the area of mental illness, then you would have to interview him and know the extent to which he or she is depressed because there are levels of depression. And considering that depression is a mental illness, there may be need for the person to meet psychiatric doctors then drugs will be given to him. As much as I am against giving drugs, it’s one way to help them manage the illness. As a social worker, you make sure the youth is in a good environment, has good social support and is judiciously using the medication to suppress the depression.

Then there’s psychotherapy, constant counselling and finding out his or her hobbies to help clear their mind. Is it listening to music, writing, playing a sport? Something that gives them joy or hope.

Dada Opeyemi Depression itself is a period of unhappiness or low morale which lasts longer than several weeks and may include the use of self-inflicted injury or suicide. Some people are unable to manage depression well that’s why they resort to committing suicide. They believe suicide is the solution but it’s not, instead they also put

Gabriel Faith I think it is slowly becoming a common thing in our society today. Depression does not start in a day; it is something that grows with time, the same with suicidal thoughts. I know there is a saying that the end does not justify the means. Suicide is not a solution for depression but on the other hand many of us have failed to see the symptoms of depression as something that needs to be worked on. People hardly have time for depressed people which is why those affected fall deeper into depression. I think friends should be supportive of their depressed friends; they should encourage them without making them feel useless. People should also start acknowledging that Depression is real.

Olubokun Omoronke Virtually most Nigerian youth go through depression every day, and it can be observed through different stages. The final stage is when a person decides to end his or her life, but before this final stage, a depressed person must have been showing some symptoms, such as being moody at all times, withdrawal from peers, not interested in any fun activities , etc. It is therefore, expedient that close friends and families should be very observant to this attitude in order to be able to know what the issue is and find a way to proffer a solution.

A lot of depressed persons don’t always find it easy to discuss about what they are going through because they feel that they will be mocked.

In a nutshell, everyone has a role to play in each other’s lives by reaching out to them as often as possible As a social worker, adequate awareness should be made to the general public about the dangers of depression, by telling them how they can seek for help by meeting with a social worker or a counsellor so that their secret can be kept in strict confidence.

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Politics Wike seems to change gear, veers into empowerment and job creation N200m loan to traders, N100m to civil servants begin New minimum wage ready Ban on recruitment of workers and promotions lifted But embezzlers of N35Bn medical fund would go to jail Ignatius Chukwu

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overnor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who delved fully into project execution that gave him the sobriquet of ‘Mr Projects’ seems to listen to calls to focus on the economy starting with empowerment and job creation.

He kick-started soon after winning the protracted re-election battles by permitting the Rivers State University (RSU) to recruit new academic and non-academic workers.

On May Day (Wednesday, May 1, 2019), he lifted the embargo on recruitment of workers into the state’s civil service.

Next, he lifted the embargo on promotions.

The governor has now ordered the disbursement of the N200m revolving loans scheme per month.

Thus, workers in Rivers State welcomed the packages as the labour leaders told newsmen that they believed that the governor would carry out all the promises he made because he is known to fulfill promises.

The workers jumped for joy all through May Day when the Rivers State government unfolded the packages said to be to reduce suffering and unemployment in the oil state.

Top on the packages is lifting of ban on recruitment into the state’s civil service. The recruitment into the Rivers State University was approved a week earlier and is now in progress. Other mouth watering packages announced at the Yakubu Gowon International Stadium are lifting of embargo on promotions, readiness to pay new minimum wage, N200m loan fund to civil servants in the state, and construction of secretariats to two labour unions.

Represented by his deputy, Ipalibo Harry

Nyesom Wike

Banigo, the governor said the chairman of the Civil Service Commission had already been directed to conduct interviews and effect the promotion of Civil Servants to their next salary grades, noting that he has also approved the recruitment of Rivers indigenes to fill existing vacancies as part of efforts to strengthen the Civil Service for effective service delivery to the Rivers People.

Governor Wike said the government under his watch is committed to tackling social issues by creating the enabling environment for the private sector to create jobs and empower our youths.

He said: “We are also strengthening our educational system to ensure that our graduates are imbued with appropriate skills and the mindset to become job creators rather than

job seekers and will also continue to implement effective policies and programmes that will address and lift our people from poverty to economic prosperity”.

The governor also disclosed that government has started implementing the N100m interest free-loan to civil servants in a bid to advance their welfare and wellbeing.

He promised to pay the new minimum wage as soon as he receives the official transmission from the Federal Government while noting that the Pension Reform Bill before the Rivers State House of Assembly when passed into law would bring into existence a seamless and positive scheme for workers in the State.

Wike who described his administration as worker-friendly one said despite financial challenges his administration is up to date in the payment of full salaries and pensions to working and retired civil servants, stressing that his promise to construct befitting secretariats for the state chapters of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has been fulfilled and will soon be handed over.

In her address the state chairman of the NLC, the comrade, Beatrice Itubo, who congratulated Gov Wike and his deputy for their victory at the election said the election was a referendum on the performance of Governor Wike in the past four years, noting that the victory was an indication that a large number of the voting public in the state is happy with the governor.

Also speaking, the chairman of TUC, Comrade Austin Jonah, reiterated the commitment of the labour movement to continually seek improvement on existing working conditions of workers.

In line with the pledge to begin the loans, Gov Wike has commenced the disburse-

ment of interest-free loans to traders and entrepreneurs.

The State Government also announced that it will prosecute those indicted by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated the management of funds of the Integrated Medical Industries (IMI) Limited.

The resolutions of the Rivers State Government were made public by the State Commissioner of Information and Communications, Emma Okah, the State Attorney General, Zaccheus Adango, and Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on Politics and Strategy, Emeh Glory Emeh, on Thursday, May 2, 2019, after the State Executive Council meeting at the Government House Port Harcourt.

Okah said that the State Government has also disbursed interest-free loans to civil servants under the first phase of the programme.

He said that empowerment programme will run on a monthly basis for civil servants in the state.

Also speaking, Emeh said that the interestfree loans for entrepreneurs and traders have been disbursed for 12 local council areas.

He said that under the second phase of the exercise, 11 council areas will benefit from the scheme. Emeh said that 600 traders and entrepreneurs have benefited from the empowerment scheme, while N200m shall be disbursed monthly.

He added the list of all beneficiaries will be published for Rivers people to know the beneficiaries.

On IMI Limited, the Attorney-General of Rivers State said that N34.5Bn invested by the Rivers State Government in the company was squandered. He noted that those indicted by the Justice Constance Green Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the embezzlement of the IMI funds will face the full weight of the law.

Shock as Amaechi APC agrees Wike’s reconciliation offer Emmanuel Umohinyang

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he unexpected acceptance by the Chibuike Amaechi section of the All progressives Congress (APC) of the olive branch offered by Gov Nesom Wike of Rivers State has rather come with some shock. The shock is measured in the silence that has greeted it in both sides. Some segments of the society however are calm, praying it would be real whereas some political jobbers and aides who may have made deep enemies in opposing camps may be shocked that they would have to face each other soon.

Although few leaders have made comments, but key persons leading the three big political families in the state are yet to make public statements. Some of their followers have maintained subdued silence.

Some aides had said few hours to the

turnaround that their master would never consider reconciliation. They now appear stunned.

Amaechi has not made a statement denying or endorsing the press briefing given by his trusted ally and senator, Andrew Uchendu. Gov Wike has not made any statement welcoming Amaechi’s camp, while Magnus Abe, an APC senator, who led the court wars that denied the party of any candidate in the 2019 elections, has not said a word. It appears both Abe and Wike did not anticipate the move to accept peace by Amaechi’s camp, and thus may not have prepared how to react.

Wike had made a statewide broadcast on April 17, 2019, offering the APC and Amaechi in particular the olive branch, saying it was better to work together to move the state forward. Many say no single collaborative project between the FG and Rivers State Government has taken place since 2012 when the PDP family ran into

crisis and broke up because of personal ambitions.

Amaechi followed in his Easter Monday radio statement and called for reconciliation and forgiveness, but he left it open to guessing whether it was spiritual reconciliation or political one he had in mind.

His aides clarified that he never meant to accept the Wike reconciliation offer.

Wike had offered to pull back state judicial actions targeted at Amaechi and his followers.

While the aides were hitting each other, Andrew Uchendu summoned a press briefing and announced unbelievably that the Amaechi camp had decided to give peace a chance and support Wike to succeed for now.

Most members of the public did not believe the breaking news of the acceptance of reconciliation until the full text was released.

See below:

Andrew Uchendu Good morning, our dear friends, ladies and gentlemen of the media. On April 17, 2019, the world woke up to a live broadcast by His Excellency, Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike, CON, Governor, Rivers State in which he extended his hand of fellowship to Rivers people, including all political parties which have been engaged in the struggle for power to guarantee a better life for the people of Rivers State About two weeks have passed since this broadcast was made and as stakeholders in the Rivers project, we have waited with bated breath in the hope that we would see deliberate actions arising from that broadcast geared towards rebuilding our state and restoring the dignity of every Rivers person. Although we are yet to see indications of any intent in this direction, we are Continues on page 13

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Sunday 05 May 2019

Politics Ishaku’s score card in Taraba: Setting agenda for a second term Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku will on May 29 take a fresh oath for a second term in office as the governor of Taraba State. Our Correspondent in Jalingo, NATHANIEL GBAORON chronicles his achievements in the last four years and what the people of Taraba expect from him in his second term.

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or many in Taraba, the Rescue Mission of Arc. Darius Ishaku has restored hope and raised the bar of expectations of better things to come as he is reelected for a second term of four years in office.

Amina Abdul, who resides in Shauya area of Jalingo and makes her living through sales of cucumber, told our reporter that the people of Taraba did not make a mistake of electing Governor Ishaku into office in 2015.

Amina, who was full of smiles while speaking with our reporter said the governor’s achievements had surpassed many across the country. She enumerated prompt payment of workers’ salaries, rural and urban roads construction, provision of water, youth empowerment among others as the key areas the governor has changed the lives of Taraba people in the past nearly four years.

“Before, I used to sell provision, but since I ventured into the business of selling cucumber, my profit has doubled what I used to make.

“I still maintain my provision store close to Aungwan Fulani where I also sell cucumber, green pepper and Irish potatoes, but as you can see I am hawking cucumber and what I make in a day is far more than what I used to sell in the shop,” she said.

For Sani Mahmoud, the 7.6 kilometre road network commissioned by the Governor Ishaku administration in Magami was one of the best things that happened to him in the life of this administration in the state.

Mahmoud said driving on the Magami roads before Governor Ishaku’s Rescue searchlight was beamed on the area used to be a nightmare because of the deplorable condition of the roads in the area.

His words: “With the construction of these road network around Magami here, our community is liberated and we are very happy with this administration.”

For Sarah Maina, a mother of eight, there can never be a better rescue than the construction of Magami road, the liberation of the people of Ngada, the construction of the Agro Green House and opening up of rural areas through road construction. This she considers a positive development.

In the same vein, a local government worker from Zing who simply gave her name as Felicia said: “Today, the Biometric Verification Exercise carried out

by Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under the leadership of the Permanent Secretary, Bello Yero has cleared up the mess in the system, saving millions of Naira for the state government to execute other projects.”

For Dila Thomas, a local government staff who was shocked that so many names on the payroll of his local govern-

Jalingo during his first year anniversary.

In the area of Youth and Women Empowerment, the permanent secretary said: “In a bid to check youth restiveness and empower women in the state, the governor in June 2015 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bank of Industry (BoI), where both parties committed N700 million for disbursement to micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs targeted at creating at least 10,000 jobs in the state, especially among youth and women.

“The Governor’s Skill Acquisition Training Programme has so far trained over 1,400 youths and women across the 16 local governments in various skills, making many of them employers of labour in various like soap making, carpentry and woodwork, welding and fabrication, cloth weaving and dying, tailoring among others.”

Economic experts including the Managing Director of Bank of Industry, Rasheed Ola Oluwa have commended the governor for the initiative, saying that the Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) accounted for half of Nigeria’s labour force, contributing over 50 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and urged the beneficiaries to take the scheme very seriously to grow the country’s economy.

Concurrently, the office of the First Lady through her pet project, Hope Afresh Foundation Taraba, has also done a lot in women and youth empowerment, with the support of the governor.

Darius Ishaku

ment were ghost workers, said: “Ishaku is a God-sent to Taraba.” He commended Governor Darius Ishaku for having the brave mind to embark on the exercise.

The expressions by Mahmoud, Amina and Dila represent the general feelings of the people of the state on the administration of Governor Darius Ishaku.

Bello Yero, the permanent secretary Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs “Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku is God-sent to the people of Taraba”.

According to him, “When he took over the mantle of leadership, in a keenly contested election in 2015, Governor Darius Ishaku promised that he would rescue every sector of the state. Since then, he has executed people-oriented projects to better the lives of Tarabans who overwhelmingly voted him into power.

“Top on the Governor’s mind when he assumed office was the restoration of peace, provision of water, youth and women empowerment, education, health and Agriculture, among others.”

He further stressed that, “Concerned that, water, a God-given commodity was so scarce in the state, Governor Ishaku sank boreholes in more than five com-

munities even before he was elected governor. To further consolidate on this gain in the water sector, Governor Ishaku in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AFDB), has completed the first phase of the water project in the state capital which is expected to supply 47,273m3 of water per day by 2035. The first phase of the project was commissioned in 2017 alongside the N2billion Taraba Agro Green House project and the 6.75 dualised Jalingo Kona road by the Vice President, Prof.

Yemi Osinbajo during his official visit to the state.

“Between 2016 and 2017 the governor sank 100 boreholes across communities in the state and more communities are to benefit from the 150 boreholes project under the Rescue Watch Initiative, all in a bid to provide more communities with potable water. We hope that his second coming is to wipe away the remaining tears of Tarabans,” Yero said.

“Many of the diseases affecting our people are as a result of constant intake of bad water and we are determined to change that through provision of potable water for our rural and urban dwellers,” Governor Ishaku stated this at the inspection of water projects in

Roads construction In the area of road infrastructure, the governor has consolidated on the projects of his predecessor, the late Danbaba Suntai. Today, despite the lean resources and dwindling Federal allocation coming into the state, Ishaku is not only up to date in the payment of workers’ salaries, he has continued the funding of the road projects he inherited and has embarked on new ones to open up the rural areas of the state.

For instance, the Jalingo-Kona-Lau road which was awarded by the Federal Government eight months before Ishaku assumed power was still begging for attention. But on assumption of office, the governor took over the construction of the road because of its importance to the people of the state.

The 6.5 kilometre single lane road awarded without drainage construction has now been taken over by the State Government. The contract was reviewed and expanded to a dual carriageway with super drainage system considering the large volume of water and vehicular traffic on the road.

Jalingo Township has been completed and commissioned. Today, the Jolly Nyame way in Jalingo wears a new look,

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Politics the neglected Magami road network has also been completed. Contract has also been awarded for the construction of 4.9 kilometre TSBS-Aungwan-Kassa-NNPC Mega Station road still in Jalingo the State capital.

Another 6.5km Takum-Katsina-Ala road, a Federal road has also been commissioned. Wukari Tsokundi road construction is ongoing, same as Mararaban Pantisawa-Lacheke road connecting the Yorro Local Government headquarters. Work on the section B of the Takum Peva-Chanchanji-Wukari road is also receiving attention.

Health Health, education and the judiciary also enjoy the attention of the governor.

The Taraba State Specialist Hospital benefited from the governor’s rescue mission as funds were approved to maintain the facilities at the hospital.

During the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the state, the Governor released funds which helped in containing the spread of the virus.

The Governor has accorded the health sector the needed attention it deserves, bearing in mind that a healthy society is a productive society. Today, Wukari General Hospital has been remodeled and commissioned, while work is progressing steadily at the Bambur General Hospital in Karim Lamido Local Government and Gembu General Hospital in Sardauna LGA. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Innocent Vakkai said the two projects have been completed and commissioned to enable people of the zones access quality medical care without necessarily traveling down to Jalingo with all the risks involved with traveling especially with patients.

The Judicial staff who were on strike before the governor came into office down tool and smiling to banks, even as he also procured new vehicles for senior judicial workers.

Education In the educational sector, the State Government has embarked on training and retraining of teachers in public schools leading to improvement in the result of the state in external examinations. In 2017, Taraba came first in the North and 8th in Nigeria among states with good results in WAEC. This is even as the state government has continued with the funding of the State University to make it one of the best in Nigeria.

In 2017, the Governor recruited 3000 teachers, procured and distributed instructional materials to schools in the state to boost teaching and learning.

Tourism To unlock the keys of investment opportunities in Taraba and woo investors and tourists to the state, Ishaku opened up commercial flight at the Jalingo Airport, the first of its kind since the creation of the state in 1991.

The Airport project which was conceived in 2005 by former Governor Jolly Nyame’s administration did not commence commercial flight until Ishaku came on board in May, 2015. On December 7, 2015, six months into his administration, the governor, in partnership with Overland Airways commenced commercial flight operations at the airport.

With Overland Airways now operating on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fri-

Shock as Amaechi APC agrees Wike’s reconciliation offer Continued from page 11

Darius Ishaku

days every week, conveying passengers to and fro Abuja and Lagos, Taraba has now been launched into the new world.

Ishaku’s Chief Press Secretary, Hassan Mijinyawa believes that with the Jalingo Airport now functional, investors and some of the governor’s friends outside the country would soon begin massive investment in the state, jumping in and out easily using the airport.

Culture and Tourism is having its fair share of the rescue mission intervention.

According to State Commissioner for Tourism, Hon. James Gani, “Taraba State has a lot of Tourism potentials” and the government was working towards developing a Tourism master plan that would put the state on the global tourism map for the good of the state and the country.

Digitisation of the state media outfits The rescue mission ship has also berthed on the shores of the state’s media outfits with an appreciable level of intervention.

On assumption of office, the governor awarded a N1.7 billion contract for effective switch over from analogue to digital broadcasting of the Taraba Television, TTV, and Taraba State Broadcasting Service, TSBS. This, the governor, said is to make sure that the state broadcast media outfits are not left in the planned digital switch over. Already, procurement and installation of digital equipment has commenced and work on the TSBS transmitting station along Mile Six is in progress.

A new studio for the state television has been completed and the station is now fully digitalised. With this, Taraba came next after Plateau State to switch over to digital broadcasting in the country.

Resuscitation of Kakara Tea and other moribund companies The beverage industry has also received a boost. Today, the story of Kakara Tea has changed, courtesy of the rescue mission of the Governor. Ishaku pushed for the completion and commissioning of Tonga Dam Small Hydro Electric Power Plant which now supplies power 24 hours to the factory.

The governor also procured and

commissioned new machines at the tea factory to maximise productivity. The Taraba Oil mills company in Baissa, Kurmi LGA and the Vival feed mills in Zing LGA have been revived and are now operating optimally.

Security In all, the success story of the Ishaku administration, analysts have continued to point in the direction of security as the administration’s trump card. The governor came on board when the entire central and southern parts of the state were under siege of armed herdsmen. But he worked to make sure that all displaced persons returned to their homes.

However, security remains the challenge of the administration. Despite his persistent call on the people of the state; “give me peace and I will give you development,” attacks and killings have continued unabated in some parts of the state.

As part of efforts to check incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state, the governor sent an Executive Bill to the State House of Assembly prohibiting open grazing which was considered and signed into law. The people’s governor, who always listens to his people, has opted for gradual implementation of the law.

Ishaku has also upgraded and created new Chiefdoms which will go a long way in addressing some of the security concerns in the state. This will no doubt help in curtailing cases of influx of strange people into communities in the state and help in checking threats of insecurity.

Though killings in the state have taken a different dimension similar to Boko Haram style, the governor has not relented in ensuring that there is lasting peace in the state. His famous call to the people of the state, “give me peace and I will give you development” is legendary. Indeed, the Rescue Mission has restored hope in Taraba in the nearly four years of his stewardship.

As the governor is preparing to be sworn in for another round of four years, Tarabans expect him to consolidate on the achievements of the first four years of his administration.

still resolved not to give up. We believe Gov. Wike is very sincere in this initiative. It is for this reason that we want to commend Governor Wike’s call for collaboration and peaceful coexistence.

Happily enough, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, in his Easter Message re-echoed Gov. Wike’s position on the fact that Rivers State has suffered enough and that every true son and daughter should be prepared to make the necessary sacrifice for the return of peace in our land. His clarion call we hope is one that should signal the end of politicking and the beginning of governance. It is our considered opinion that Rivers people must now become the centre of all politics and governance. We cannot continue to toy with the lives of our people or take them for granted any longer. A key indicator of good governance is the return of peace and security in the State.

Thankfully, Governor Wike can draw from the experience of his predecessor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who inherited a state that was plagued by massive insecurity and infrastructural decay but within the first few years of his administration had addressed these challenges and set the state on the path of recovery.

Then, Governor Wike was the Chief of Staff (CoS) and can attest to the massive investments in men and materials by former Gov. Amaechi in the security sector to enable the state gain respite.

As it stands today, life in Rivers state has become brutish and worthless with kidnapping and killings occurring daily. Only last week, four youths were beheaded in Ovogo, Emohua LGA. This is the narrative our reformed Governor must change. We can offer some more areas of immediate intervention: revitalization of the C4i Security architecture of the previous administration. b) Rehabilitation of sons and daughters that are roaming the streets of foreign lands because of the cancellation or stoppage of their scholarship awards. c) Re-activation of the Greater Port Harcourt Project and, d) Completion of some of the laudable pro-people projects embarked upon by the administration of the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. These done, we can expect to begin to see some changes.

Perhaps another critical area deserving of the governor’s attention is unemployment and closely linked to that is education. Agriculture has been identified as the next big earner and a major generator of employment opportunities. Sadly all the agriculture infrastructure put in place by Governor Amaechi as a means for ensuring fiscal and physical security have all been jettisoned. Worse still Rivers state government has failed to take advantage of numerous federal government initiatives by the Buhari Administration to create jobs and support micro businesses for others at the bottom rung of the ladder.

Let us assure Governor Wike that the All Progressives Congress has never and will never shy away from doing all it can to ensure a more secured, purposeful and prosperous Rivers State. Indeed this has been our ethos and mantra ever since we began elections. We abhor the thought not to mention the fact that any Rivers resident should be killed. We therefore join our voices to the call for a peaceful and united Rivers State. One in which every stakeholder is treated equally and no one is held as a pariah for holding a different political view.

We thank you for your kind attention.

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Sunday 05 May 2019

Politics Imo communities move to shape Ihedioha’s policy focus to avert deviation Imo Marshal Plan, consensus approach top agenda as Mbutu-Nweorie storm governor-elect’s home

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Ignatius Chukwu

ost communities in Imo State seem no longer willing to allow the elite to form cabal and hijack the agenda of the incoming administration in the state or allow the next governor to be so power-drunk to operate a strange governance system that would look like a runaway government.

Instead, they seem to resolve to embark on participatory approach and help to formulate policy focus of the in-coming administration to be led by Emeka Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). To this end, most communities now beckon home their sons and daughters to help articulate community-interest policies and programmes to be submitted to the Governor-Elect, his think-tank, and his transition committees.

This came to light when one of the early ones to make such move, Mbutu-Nweorie Autonomus Community in Aboh Mbaise Local Council Area paid a visit to Ihedioaha’s Arunta country home in Mbutu Mbaise at the Easter weekend. The delegation was led by the Mbutu-Nweorie Stakeholders’ Forum (MNSHF).

Another important group that also paid a visit to Ihedioha same day is the Mbutu Peoples Assembly (MPA) along with other communities from far and near that trooped to Arunta.

A source said most communities including Mbutu-Nweorie people have demanded for an Imo Marshal Plan to draw a blue print for the development of the entire Imo State along an ordered pattern in a particular fashion instead of dumping of ideas and projects on the state without direction.

Some elders that were on the team were said to have also advised Ihedioha to tread on the path of consensus to govern Imo State so that most groups and communities would have a sense of belonging and reduce unnecessary acrimony usually caused by division and marginalisation.

In a speech signed by leaders of Mbutu-Nweorie including the Eze Uboha 1 (Michael Okpara), former deputy mayor (George Ohaegbule), and the convener of the Mbutu-Nweorie Stakeholders Forum (Christian Anyanwu, the people said Ihedioha had already launched a consensus approach to governance by the composition and size of the transition commit-

Emeka Ihedioha

tee he recently set up.

In a speech read by Anyanwu, the MNSF expressed the hearty gratitude of most Imo communities and Mbaise in particular for governorship to rotate to Mbaise people this time around. “The overwhelming support of Imo people during the electoral campaign and the massive turn-out of voters on the Election Day are indicative of acceptance of your incoming administration’s mission and vision of recovering and re-building Imo State. Your humility, calmness, patriotic and all-inclusive government approach are eloquent testimony that there is hope for Imo State and her people.”

He went on: “Mbutu Nweorie people before now have always thrown their unflinching support behind your governorship aspirations. You are not only an illustrious son of Mbutu community but the God-sent Governor of Mbaise extraction for all Imo. Your emergence shook the whole of Nigeria and you are indeed ‘Governor for All’. You made waves when you served meritoriously as Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives during the 6th Assembly. Your achievements remain visible for all to see. Our autonomous community was not left out in your numerous landmarks of achievements especially in the re-construction of the Airport – Uvuru Road, construction of the Nkwo – Mbutu – Amawo – Ihitteoha – Ubahi – Nnorie Road (still-ongoing) and the renovation and reconstruction of the 5 – class-

Michael Okpara

room block in Group School Mbutu that was de-roofed by storm.

“Now that much has been given to you by Imolites, much is being expected from you. Imo people have in recent times desired to have a credible governor like you; a man of impeccable character. We are happy you have made it.”

In an interview, Anyanwu told BDSUNDAY: “As his kinsmen, our first duty is to watch his back especially by always asking him to watch the fly by his feet, each time we think caution is needed on any matter. This is an Mbutu proverb.”

He had told Ihedioha; “Save Imo from insecurity and restore our land to a 24-hour economy.

Make vast use of vigilantes that are nonpartisan so that they can work with the security agencies to restore stability and the sanctity of life in Imo State. Help our brothers in the Diaspora who have stopped visiting home due to insecurity

... our first duty is to watch his back especially by always asking him to watch the fly by his feet, each time we think caution is needed on any matter

to resume the annual Christmas home-coming that Igbo people are known for.”

He added in his speech: “We the Mbutunworie people are saying remember us when you would be in your kingdom’, as you have done previously. It is not the requests we can make here today that would be important but the open door we have between us that would enable us chip in requests from time to time. After all, every man knows exactly what his kinsman needs. The peculiar needs of the Mbutunworie community are well known to you.”

In his response, Ihedioha urged communities to shun violence and avoid criminal acts, saying any community that wanted government attention must join hands to chase away insecurity in the land.

He said Imo State can no longer habour insecurity and crime and hope to develop and grow.

He called on those who may have committed crimes in the past to turn a new leaf and hold on to legitimate handiwork and means of livelihood.

He charged communities that would need developmental projects or any social amenities to fight off insecurity in their areas and urged the youths to behave well and not to indulge in crimes and criminality. He made it clear that his administration would not condone crimes and would not shield any person that is implicated in crimes.

“Those who are caught in crimes will go in. We cannot con-

done crimes and this is the time for those who indulge in committing crimes to repent because you will go in for any crime you commit.

I have the best intention for our people and I know what to do for them to be happy. We will provide jobs for our people”.

For communities demanding for amenities, he said he would not be part of marginalising any community or diverting what was due to any community. He made it clear to the kindred-communities that he knew what was good for them but demanded loyalty to constituted authorities at all times.

He particularly promised to develop Mbutu Mbaise his home town and ensure that all autonomous communities in Mbutu Mbaise got equal share in terms of developmental projects and that attention would be given to all communities in Imo State.

He promised that he would do what the people of Imo State asked for and that his administration would be people–oriented.

He added; “I will not put shame or bring shame on the people of Imo State”.

He described the courtesy visit on him as a thanksgiving to God in another form, and told Mbutu Mbaise people to always be happy and thank God for his emergence as governor. He said only God made this election possible. If it were in the hands of men it would have failed. “We fought principalities and powers, because they prepared evil for us, therefore, let us not lose focus”.

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SundayBusiness PMBs and difficulty in creating mortgages

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rom the N18 billion it has raised from the capital market between 2015 and 2019, the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) is said to have refinance mortgages originated by its 12-member primary mortgage banks PMBs and three commercial banks, leading to the creation of 900 mortgages.

But it remains to be seen where those mortgages so created are being used as their impact is not felt in both the housing and mortgage sector. After the consolidation and recapitalization of the primary mortgage institutions (PMIs), leading to their name change, reduction in their number from 83 to 40, at the time, and increase in capital base, expectation was that their impact would be felt considerably in the housing sector.

However, even though the capital base of the PMIs which became primary mortgage banks (PMBs) was moved from the statutory N100 million to N2.5 billion for those licenced to operate at regional level and N5billion for those with national operating licence, Nigeria’s housing problem still persists.

When the NMRC was set up by the federal government, part of its mandate was to increase liquidity in the mortgage market as a critical step towards increas-

ing housing affordability.

With its N18 billion, only a few of PMBs had mortgages for refinancing because, according to Kehinde Ogundimu, NMRC’s CEO, the PMBs that did not get refinanced were not viable. “We don’t refinance any PMB that is not doing well”, he said.

From the consolidation and recapitalization time to this moment, many of the PMBs have been struggling, unable to originate mortgages or give housing loans. Not even the revised operational guidelines by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which stripped them of other business concerns and compelled them to focus on their core business of providing mortgages and housing finance for home ownership and other forms of property acquisition, has helped matters.

“The problems of mortgage banks revolve around their small capital base and so there isn’t much they can do. For all the money I have, unless I raise additional capital, I don’t think I can do 1,000 mortgages”, Ayodele Olowookere, the CEO, Omoluabi Mortgage Bank, explained.

“I think mortgage banks need to do self-enlightenment and education to grow the industry,” Olowookere added and explained further that, over time, there has been wrong perception

Procurement and Supply Chain

with Gob-Agundu Uche Branch chair (CIPS), Nigeria

Ajayi Alfred Agboola

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eing the concluding part of a speech presented at the 2019 Summit of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, Nigeria Branch held at Radisson Blu Ikeja on April 17, 2019 Roles of procurement and supply chain professionals in national development It is important to emphasize that because of the assumed capacity of professionals in various fields of endeavour, their contributions to national development would be effective. The professionals make important contributions to the economy, both from the direct value addition to economic output from the work they do, and the contribution of the sectors in which they individually work. The role of Procurement and Supply Chain professionals in the economy will be used as a case study.

It is an established fact that over 70% of organisations spend passes through procurement

professionals. Therefore, their role in adding value to the economy cannot be over emphasized.

Procurement function is a facilitator and enabler of every value chain. Procurement function is the bridge and link that connects the supply and demand sides of the public services delivery systems.

It links the customers of the government and the public services delivery systems in the government enterprise wide. In the Procurement profession, we understand that the main objectives of a procurement and supply chain function are namely: to provide inputs of the ‘right quality’, delivered in the ‘right quantity’ to the ‘right place’ at the ‘right time’ for the ‘right price’.

These are often called the 5 Rs of procurement or the Five rights of procurement. Meanwhile, we can identify other general objectives or procurement operations or other primary tasks of procurement to include Internal Customer service, Risk Management, Cost Control and reduction as well as Relationship and Reputational management.

of the mortgage industry which is understandable because a lot of mortgage banks have also done what is not right like collecting money from people and not giving back.

A lot of people say they will never go near mortgage banks because of some unethical conducts like this. Though Rose Okwechime, CEO, Abbey Mortgage Bank Plc, attributes some people’s apathy to mortgage banks to the “newness” of the mortgage system, Olowookere insists that it is as a result of lack of self-education by the operators.

Besides these reasons, analysts observe that some of these PMBs are not doing well because the Nigerian business environment is both hostile and risky. So, if these banks are not originating mortgages or giving housing loans, it could be for either of two factors or both.

One is that a lot of people who would have taken mortgage or subscribed to mortgage products are unemployed. Many of those who are employed are either not mortgageable or suffering from job insecurity. The second point is that the money that many of these PMBs is short-term deposits and, therefore, cannot be given out to borrowers on long term basis.

Paul Onwuanibe, CEO, Landmark Group, adds what he calls

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com) “the big issue” which is that there is clear absence of mortgageviable properties out there in the market on which mortgage could be created.

“The basic principle of a mortgage is that you must have steady income and be in gainful employment. You must be able to provide income in multiples for the property that will be built for your use.

If your income is N4 million per annum, for instance, and the cost of the property is N30 million, unless you want to steal, you cannot afford that property and there is no mortgage for you at that rate given your income”, he explains.

In other economies, the mortgage sector is a huge contributor to economic growth, but in Nigeria, the sector’s contribution to GDP is less than 1 percent which is why the industry operators are canvassing government’s intervention as has been done in the agric sector.

According to them, government needs to know that if the mortgage industry is well run and there is a good policy thrust to support its operations, it will diversify the economy with job creation. “The focus on other nonoil sectors, especially agriculture, is good because Nigerians need to feed themselves, but everybody also needs shelter and this can only be possible if the mortgage sector is made functional”, Olowookere said.

“The mortgage industry has to improve, and developers have to be encouraged to build mortgageviable and ready properties; mortgage interest rates have to be reduced to single digit and made available; the whole process of securing mortgage has to be made clearer and more transparent, and the mortgage has to be available on the ‘retail high street’ such that every time you go out looking for it, you see it,” Onwuanibe affirms.

The roles of professionals in driving and growing Nigerian economy (2) Why is procurement function important?

I n t h e p r i v a t e s e c t o r, procurementisviewedasastrategic function working to improve the organization’s profitability.

Procurement is seen as helping to streamline processes, reduce raw material prices and costs, and identifying better sources of supply. Babs Omotowa, former MD/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, has opined that procurement professionals in Africa must be ready to use their role to improve society and the economic prosperity of their nations.

In a paper presented in September 2014, Babs Omotowa noted that as the profession’s status is improving in both the public and private sectors, it is critical to use this influence and power for positive national development ends. He gave the following as specific contributions of procurement professionals to national development: 1. Ensure value for money. With spending power limited for many African nations, the importance of making the most of budgets and buying on whole life cost is vital.

“The procurement function must be involved right from the defining of the need and specification as lots of value is lost if procurement function is involved late.

2. Develop local capacity and

employment. Affirmative action by the procurement profession is important to ensure that local capacities are created and developed, especially considering the several millions of people in developing nations that are still unemployed.

3. Drive innovation.

Procurement is in a great position to develop new ideas, because of its close relationships with suppliers. These innovations will surely lead to socio-economic development.

4. Be role models of ethics and transparency. Far too often, we witness massive cost overruns, outright fraud, and the absence of oversight and accountability.

In some cases, contracts are awarded without competition.

In others, award committee members double as contractors!

Procurement should expose and address ethical breaches in the supply chain, and develop systems to prevent them.

5 . En s u r e s u s t a i n a b i l i t y.

Procurement should encourage and support improvements in environmental, social and economic sustainability. However, there should be a balance between economic/social development, environmental protection and business needs.”

Other ways the procurement professional can play major roles in the economy are designing

socio-economic processes and or products in compliance with the needs of the people for human development, effective and efficient contracts management and administration and so on.

Specifically, in the public sector, procurement professionals apply sound public procurement practices as a panacea to the ailing economies of Africa thereby helping to curb corruption, reduce wastage, enhance the effectiveness of government spending, ensure infrastructural development, enhance the welfare of the people and overall, add value to the country. This is the essence of the Public Procurement Act of 2007 in Nigeria.

Recommendations At t h i s j u n c t u r e , I w i s h to recommend as follows: Professionals need to develop broad fundamental understanding of their professional responsibilities in the society; Students in tertiary Institutions need to begin to see themselves more as potential ambassadors and prepare for the challenges of participating in the socio-economic activities in the country (their focus on campus should move from activism to development and innovation in various professional fields of endeavour.

Hon. Ajayi Alfred Agboola, Esq, Deputy Governor of Ondo State

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Sunday 05 May 2019

SundayBusiness Sweet takes from GTB Food and Drink Fair, 2019 Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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hebeautifulexperience derived from the determined drive by Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) to enhance Small and Medium Scale (SME) industry, with a focus on Nigeria’s potentially lucrative Food and Drink sub-sector of the economy is most welcome. Tagged GTBank Food and Drink Fair it entered the Third Edition from Sunday 28th April and stretched for four days to Wednesday, 1st of May. It took place at Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive Oniru, Lagos.

In fact, the compelling annual event is a food exhibition and sales event that aims to project the diverse angles of the food industry. This is achieved “by connecting various businesses involved in the production and sale of food-related items to a cosmopolitan audience of food enthusiasts”. By that,

immense values are added to food business through the exposure, sales, contacts and connections between them and customers as well as meeting their varied culinary expectations and nutritional needs.

Th e w e l l p l a n n e d a n d executed format encompasses Exhibitions, Master Classes, Pop-up Restaurants and Kids Arena. In specific terms, the Exhibitions is meant to increase brand visibility and sales, whilst showcasing the latest products, trends and innovations in the food industry. On its part, the Master Classes achieves the objectives of fostering knowledge and capacity building for all, featuring cooking lessons from top Nigerian and foreign chefs.

Through the Pop-up Restaurants customers get to enjoy a variety of tastings from casual to gourmet traditional Nigerian dishes and continental specialties. The Kids Arena provides a cozy, family- friendly ambience as an event for the kids. Through it children have the opportunity to engage in fun and thrilling, educational activities.

For yours truly, a personal visit to the Fair became an imperative.

The aim was to have a first-hand view, knowledge and experience of the aforestated promises made by GTB Bank. Also, the essence was to meet with and engage some of the participants as to know what they do and what leverage, if any, the Food and Drink Fair has brought to their variegated businesses. What an exciting moment it turned out to be!

Fo r in s t an ce , yo u n g an d enterprising Mr. Victor Adesanya of Vicdam Farms beamed with smiles as several customers besieged his stand for his unique presentation of several spices.

These include thyme, black pepper, white pepper, peppersoup spice, suya spice, grill mix and a variety of powder from ginger, garlic, fenugreek, chilli, curry, cinnamon and turmeric.

In addition to these, the other products from his Akute, Ogun State-based farm include rabbit, eggs, fresh vegetables, guinea fowl, mixed grains, fonio (acha) and fresh milk. He was full of praises for the GTB Food Fair as it provided him the opportunity to showcase and sell some of these products to many customers. But he was not alone in his gratitude.

In a similar vein, Mrs. Temisan Dawodu, from Ijegun, Ikotun, Lagos state, who goes by the name of the Chief Snail Slayer and the CEO of Shellcrop Farm paraded not a few sizes of snails which she boasted is potent as cure to high blood pressure, if taken regularly.

As for Aisha Ime-James, who runs her food processing outfit at the Technology Incubation Centre, Pen Cinema, Agege, also in Lagos her company’s services are much sought-after. And what could they possibly be?

Th e y a r e i n t o t h e f a s t developing waste recycling and food processing businesses.

Others include compounding of herbs, provision of ethnic soups and stews made available in bowls, outdoor catering as well as coaching. The Fair, to her

was a good launching pad for her products and services.

Another fruitful contact made was with the Dolapo and Graceled Ikorodu, Lagos-based Grace Aion Farms. The focus is on fish farming as the company produces catfish, from hatchery to grow out to processing .It is into the processing of the popular, spicy killishi snack and deboned fillet.

Apart from adding plantation and production of seeds, it is involved in farm set- up, management and consultancy.

And what about Applecart Nigeria? It comes on board as a provider of sundry food items boasting that the customers should “say goodbye to market wahala”! But why, you may ask?

This is because it does not only produce but supplies beef, live chicken, catfish, stockfish, goat meat, different vegetables and seafood right to the customer’ table.

The same goes for SwanCape Fa r m s w i t h t h e i r f a r m - t o door provision of AuntieGeez vegetables, eggs and fish. Going by their words they are farm fresh and hygienic produce delivered within a day of harvest.

As far as creativity goes, two other companies wowed the customers with their products and services. The first is Grandma’s Hut with uniquely bottle-packaged fresh palm wine and some finger foods. The second is the Holo Crunch Shop with its variety of multi-coloured, crunchy and tasty pop-corn that got the kids jumping for more!

Adding these to the great knowledge shared by highly

experienced facilitators for the masterclasses was one tasty treat to be savoured for years to come. Thought-provoking lectures such as “ Blogging and Burgers; From Street Food to Global Cuisines” by Chris Fynes and Tom Reaney, “ Building and Maintaining a World Class Restaurant” by Phil Howard, “The Secrets to Blending Seasoning to Perfection” by Matse Uwatse got customers salivating for more. And so did others such as “Creating Evergreen Content for Food” by Kinora Awini, “Acting your Cakes” by Duff Goldman, “Reinventing Traditional Recipes” by Thitid Ta s s a n a k a j o h n a n d “ W h a t grows together goes togetherA Lesson from Mother Nature”

by Luke Whearty.

In all, the GTB Food and Drink Fair is a brilliant idea that has come at the right time. Firstly, it falls in tandem with the call for the diversification from the oildominated economy. Secondly, its focus on SMEs is auspicious and it is poised to grow the local food and beverage industry, if sustained.

Furthermore, it has shown that Nigerian foodpreneurs have a lot to offer the world but they need stable power supply, access to fertile fields, low interest loans as GTB offers at 9 per cent and a sustained media exposure to connect the businessmen with the public. Well done GTB!

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media ayobaje@yahoo.co.uk; 08057971776

BATN rewards 322 farmers, reaffirms determination to end Child Labour

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ritish American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has rewarded 322 farmers for driving responsible production and championing efforts to put an end to child labour in the agricultural sector. This gesture was expressed at the BATN 2019 Farmers’ Productivity Awards ceremony held at the BATN Leaf Head office in Iseyin, Oyo State, on April 18, 2019.

This year’s award ceremony, which marks its 14th edition, is themed ‘End Child Labour.’ The awards is an initiative of BATN designed to recognise tobacco farmers for attaining and delivering the planned tobacco leaf volumes through sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices, and their commitment towards the eradication of child labour.

In an opening address, the Operations Director, BAT West Africa, Waseem Hayat, identified compliance with activities focused on ending child labour as one of the key measures of success for the farmers who received the awards at the occasion. ”The choice of the message for this year’s Farmers’ Awards reflects our unyielding advocacy against the

use of school age children in any form within the value chain involved in the production and sale of our tobacco products,” he added.

Speaking further, he said that the BATN tobacco farming partners were motivated to deliver on agreed volumes for the planting season, noting that “the company encourages its farming partners to engage in food crop production alongside tobacco production, while protecting and conserving the natural forest.”

In his address, the Legal and External Affairs Director, BAT West Africa, Freddy Messanvi, commended the farmers for their longstanding partnership with the company and resilience in the face of the socioeconomic challenges in the country.

He said that the 2019 Farmers’ Awards was the company’s way of appreciating successful farmers for their compliance with set guidelines.

“Our farming partners are the heart of our business. They have

consistently shown their dedication and resilience towards meeting our high production standards despite the constantly changing environmental, social and economic realities of the country and the difficulties they sometimes encounter as tobacco farmers,” he remarked.

Also speaking at the occasion, Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, Victor Adewale Atilola, described BATN’s gesture as a source of motivation for farmers and expressed the Oyo State government’s satisfaction with the partnership and in particular the assured market that BATN provides for the tobacco farmers. He said that the sustainability of agricultural development lies in the hands of the private sector, noting that government is established to provide the enabling environment for the agricultural sector to thrive.

“BATN has always been a household name when it comes to tobacco growing and has even extended that to some food crops. The most important thing in farming business is to have an assured market and this is being provided by BATN. This will encourage them to do better,” he said.

The Secretary, Nigeria Independent Tobacco Association (NITA), Abiodun Fagbemi, in a note of appreciation expressed satisfaction with BATN’s provision of essential items for the farmers’ business.

While describing the award as a further demonstration of BATN’s desire to reward diligent and compliant tobacco farmers, he noted that the beneficiaries were drawn from several other towns and communities in Oyo State and beyond.

The criteria for this year’s awards are: tobacco volume contribution, adoption of efficient tobacco curing systems, growing of food crops, zero usage of natural forest for tobacco production, attendance to child labour eradication meetings, successful child labour spot checks scores and evidence of children’s school attendance. The items awarded include: motorcycles, refrigerators, generators, standing fans and mobile telephones. A pickup van was also donated by BATN to the Forestry Department of the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development to support the day to day official and business activities of the Ministry.

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Focus No end in sight for security challenge as inter-agency rivalry impedes efforts Stella Enenche, Abuja

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here are concerns that the seeming reluctance of security agencies to share intelligence, may not have helped the security situation in the country, as the development has the tendency of making the agencies work at cross-purposes.

Considering the dynamic nature of crime, and the tendency of criminals to evolve new ideas and strategies, many are of the firm belief, that intelligence sharing as well as joint review of strategies, remain the best way to proceed amongst the security agencies in the country.

This has become more compelling, against the backdrop of the emerging challenges of kidnapping, armed banditry, and other violent crimes across the country.

There are, however, divergent views on the phenomenon of inter-agency rivalry in the country.

While some stakeholders believe the issue may be a thing of the past, others insist that more needs to be done, to address same.

For instance, Acting Director of Defence Information Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, , argued that the era of the military and security agencies discordant tunes, was gone.

To buttress his position, Nwachukwu drew attention to the just-concluded international military sports council day, which he noted, drew participants from security and relevant para-military agencies.

According to him, the idea was to promote synergy, cooperation and comradeship among the agencies. The end result being an enhanced atmosphere for crime fighting and prevention.

“I don’t think there is any discordant tune coming from the Armed Forces and other security agencies. We just had international military sports council day run and all the personnel of the armed forces ,Nigerian police, road safety, immigration ,fire service were all involved .The idea was to promote synergy and friendliness amongst the services and other security agencies .

“A lot is been done in that regard so I don’t think there is any institutional rivalry.

We are working very cooperatively Talking about tackling insurgency, the chief of defence staff has held several meetings with the service chiefs, and the inspector general of police and other security stake holders at the defence headquarters in respect of the security situation in the country.

“They have all been having sleepless nights because of the security situation particularly in the north western region that is Zamfara state in particular. And they were able to identify the gaps in the ongoing operations and they resolved to harmonize their efforts. If there is any grievance between a soldier and a policeman, i think that is on a personal note”, Nwachukwu said.

Speaking in a similar vein a retired State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, said there was now a robust synergy among primary agencies responsible for security and intelligence in the country,

Ejiofor maintained that inadequate funding, rather than inter-agency rivalry, was the actual problem that these agencies have to deal with.

According to him: “There is more synergy now especially the police and the SSS who are primary agencies charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order.

As you know, the military is in the forefront now especially with this insurgency.

“I don’t think that is the problem. The problem is that, the agencies are not properly funded and if you don’t have funds, you can’t do training and this fight against insurgency has gone beyond the issue of just using human beings.

“It should be technologically based by the use of drones and other advanced technology like other countries. If we continue to rely on the human angle, we might not make success and besides, we also need to work on the major causes of the problems like unemployment, economic hard times. It is the war of the mind it is not a physical war that will be fought through the guns alone.

I think there is more synergy now amongst the agencies but it can be better.”

On his part a security expert, Ben Okezie, said though there was rivalry, the situation was “slowing down” considerably.

He cited the example of the “present” security chiefs, whom he noted, recognise the place of synergy in the national security equation.

“There is rivalry but presently it is slowing down. Like the present security chiefs are well exposed .they are not naive .They know the importance of synergy amongst security outfits .There used be such infractions in the past where by inspector general’s of police, security chiefs see themselves as an island that doesn’t need help or assistance from any other person.

“They believe that they can do it all and that is why most times, when intelligence is gathered and they know that the information will be relevant to their sister agency, because of the publicity or recognition that they think such agency will get they will not want to pass such information .They will feel that they are the ones that will lay the egg and another will hatch it.

“It all boils down to the type of leadership that we have. If the president for instance puts his feet down from day one, calls all the security chiefs and gives them a standing order that henceforth everyone of you must share intelligence apart from the one they send to his table. You will see that many things will change.

“Many things will change in the sense that, when the DSS is doing their job and they come across a situation where they have information that some boys are planning to go and rob, they will just pass it to the police chief and then the police chief will send his boys to go and arrest them and then during his press conference, he will then give credit to the DSS because most times, they do not want to commend the other agency that assisted them in carrying out the operation, which is not the best”, Okezie said.

He added that: “Many incidences that took place in the country would have been nipped in the bud if information was shared. Like the Boko Haram issue when it was happening if all the security agencies had given information it would not have gotten to where it is today. The police wouldn’t have supervised the killing of Yusuf. Army did their best to have handed him over to the police but because

What we need is a total overhauling of the security sector .which includes recruitment, financing for the defence, accountability in the defence sector, enhancing professionalism and ethical conduct of security personnel

the police did not handle it very well, the whole thing escalated and that is what we are suffering today.

“This inter rivalry is not just a Nigeria issue, it is global but the other countries are overcoming their own. Many countries are beginning to understand the importance of security agencies working together that is why you see for instance our police men going to other countries to train. Even internally, you see the civil defence going to military training camp to train. So you see all those kind of rapport there is no way that the civil defender will go to the military camp and not make friends with them and when they come out that friendship will continue”.

The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, begged to differ as he insisted that the rivalry was allegedly responsible for the delay in winning the counterterrorism and counter-insurgency war in the North East.

His words: “It is part of why we are not winning the war against insurgency criminality, armed banditry as well as kidnapping that has become rampant. The rivalry is not about patriotism or commitment to the nation it is rivalry about access to resources or trying to make sure that whatever happens its only one agency that will succeed so ,there is no effective intelligence sharing no cooperation, no exchange of ideas no opportunity to review success and strategies. This is why we are not able to succeed in dealing with insurgency .

“What we need is a total overhauling of the security sector .which includes recruitment, financing for the defence, accountability in the defence sector, enhancing professionalism and ethical conduct of security personnel. There is a whole lot of things to be done that will address the issues going on in the country.

“There is no way you can deal with the rivalry If you don’t reform the security sector which will ensure more professionalism ,proper funding, ethical conducts of the personnel, which will also eliminate corruption that is in the security procurement , proper remuneration for personnel including life insurance. Except we deal frankly with it, whatever we do is window dressing.”

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Sunday 05 May 2019

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

Ambode takes shine, as Sanwo-Olu task increases Daniel Obi

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kinwunmi Ambode, the out-going Lagos governor is smart.

He governed Lagos for four years between 2015 and 2019 and struggled to come back for second term, but it never materialised for alleged reasons of deviating from the master plan created for the development of the state.

Whatever other reasons for not winning the heart of his APC party members to endorse him for second term is now forgotten but what will not be easily overlooked is his place in the development of the state. He embarked on various projects. As his tenure ends, Ambode who continually faced oppression was resolute in ensuring that his legacy is not obliterated.

His achievements were concentrated on health, tourism, security, education and transportation to improve the travel time of Lagosians. As accountant General of the state at various times, Ambode was well equipped, in terms of financial decisions, to govern the state.

Thirty six days to the end of his tenure, Ambode who tried to improve the quality of life of Lagos residents and grow the economy, invited President Buhari to commission various significant projects in the state.

He will be handing over to new governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on May 29,2019. Though, some of the Ambode initiated projects, such as Oshodi Transport Interchange, commendable Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road and many more are nearing completion but with their commissioning, the credit goes to Ambode.

Today, he is facing public criticism for commissioning some uncompleted projects which he could have left for the in-coming governor; Sanwo-Olu to perform as Babatunde Fashola, the former governor of the state did to him, (Ambode), such as Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Centre at Cappa, Oshodi.

However, those criticising him, should equally blame President Buhari handlers for allowing their boss to undertake such assignment of commissioning, for public use, uncompleted projects. It is believed that the understanding behind the commissioning is that the projects had gone up to 80-90 percent.

President Muhammadu Buhari (2nd right), with Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode (right); Governor-elect of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (left) during the unveiling of the plaque to commission the newly reconstructed Institute of Maternal and Child Health (Ayinke House), LASUTH, Ikeja.

It is true that some of the projects are not completed, and what that means to Sanwo-Olu, as governance is a continuum, is that he will devote funds to complete projects he will not take credit for as Buhari and Ambode have already commissioned the projects.

This also means that he will hit the ground running from day one, speed up governance, complete Ambode’s projects and embark on new projects that will be associated with his administration.

He is therefore expected; on his assumption of duty on May 29, 2019 to roll up his sleeves for work. This is because Lagosians expect better administration from him and his team as there is much work to be done.

The governor is expected to immediately tackle waste which has given the city a new coloration. Lagos, Africa’s biggest city, and the economic capital of Nigeria has become filthier with waste dumps at every corner which does not create a positive image for it.

Though the challenge of waste management is a global issue but some cities have become successful in dealing with the issue with good planning while others like Lagos is still struggling. Lagos is said to be overpopulated as a report indicated that it was planned for about 17 million people but now houses 5 million more people. This therefore calls for more responsibility and pro-activeness on the city

managers.

The state may need to reintroduce the monthly environmental sanitation exercise as part of efforts of creating consciousness among Lagosians on waste disposal as it puts other plans in place for adequate waste management in the city.

The Ijegun, Ikotun residents will shower blessings on Sanwo-Olu if he links them with closer Festac through a bridge. This will decongest the only accessible Isolo road

Another annoying issue in Lagos is heavy traffic on Lagos roads which has worsened in the past few years. Ambode made some efforts in this direction but the deteriorating traffic situation is giving both the state government and commuters’ serious concern. Sometimes, commuters invest over 3 valuable hours for about 10 kilometres journey within the city. The cost of the traffic which has become perennial is not only on precious time but also on health and economic development.

A report published in MedicalNewsToday states that cars waiting in traffic jams contain up to 40 percent more of air pollution than those that are moving. “Air pollution contributes to lung cancer, asthma, and other respiratory diseases, and it has been associated with heart disease and stroke”. The report further quotes World Health Organization (WHO) as describing outdoor air pollution as a “major environmental risk to health,” linking it to 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide in 2012.

Traffic also costs man-hours which ordinarily could have been deployed for productive activity.

When there is heavy traffic, commercial vehicles increase fares to the detriment of commuters.

All these are unquantifiable economic costs to both individuals and the state.

A recent research by JCDecaux Grace Lake, an outdoor advertising firm reveals that Lagos

commuters spend 30 hours on traffic weekly. This is huge when compared to weekly 40 working hours in some companies. The hours spend on traffic impairs productivity.

The outgoing governor, Akinwunmi Ambode tried in his ‘Itesiwaju’ slogan, interpreted to mean ‘Lagos is moving forward’ by constructing laybys and filling potholes to ease gridlock, but narrow roads, indiscipline by motorists and congestion at Apapa which has reverberating effect in other areas have assisted to compound traffic in Lagos.

Lagos State needs to assist to mount pressure on Federal Government to open other sea ports to decongest Apapa so that the city can breathe with flowing economic activity.

Indiscipline by motorists, driving against traffic and menace by ‘Okada’ riders are other issues Sanwo-Olu must look into towards creating a modern city. It is crazy that in some instances, it has become ‘lawful’ to drive against traffic in Lagos.

This cannot continue in Lagos’ quest to position itself as tourist destination.

Today, Lagos which is home to many Nigerians and foreigners has physical planning defects. Roads have been taken over by markets; some buildings have unapproved attachments; some residential building are constructed without proper supervision and approvals leading to collapses; churches, mosques and filling stations are sited within residential areas with external very loud speakers and its attendant noise pollution; and kiosks in various ugly shades have taken over gutters and roads which assist in congesting the pathways leading to traffic jams.

Lagos cannot continue this way and still attract the expected respect, brand and tourism within competing international cities.

Sanwo-Olu may take a second look at kiosks that are built on gutters, which, apart from their ugly looks, make it difficult to clean the drainage for easy passage of flood. It will be interesting if he re-visits Makoko in Yaba for proper re-planning.

The view of Makoko from Third Mainland Bridge is not really good enough for Lagos brand.

The Ijegun, Ikotun residents will shower blessings on Sanwo-Olu if he links them with closer Festac through a bridge. This will decongest the only accessible Isolo road.

BDLife Sunday 06 May 2019

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BDSUNDAY 19

Criminalising the poor

There is increasing outcry over the jailing of minor offenders in Nigeria. Many prisons across the country are filled with people who are said to have committed minor offences. Many are traffic rule breakers, hawkers, pick-pockets, those caught roaming the streets, those caught sleeping under bridges, those who stole domestic animals belonging to others, among other minor, minor cases. But while these are sent to jail, “big� thieves who by virtue of

their criminal acts have deprived the country the opportunity to make infrastructural progress are walking the streets freely. Nobody touches them.

The question many are asking is, are the poor being punished just because they are poor? Why punish a man who stole a sachet of pure water for instance, while the law closes its eyes to another that stole state allocation meant for developmental projects in his state?

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Sunday 05 May 2019

SocietyWatch Criminalising the poor

…The Nigerian poor bear the brunt of the law, the rich are untouchable CHUKA UROKO

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overty is a universal phenomenon that exists in all economies including the developing, developed, undeveloped, emerging and frontier. Poverty is a class and those who belong here, known and labeled as ‘the poor’, have varied definitions depending on place and circumstance.

Whereas the Holy Book called the Bible celebrates the poor, especially the poor in heart, as people who are meek, gentle, honest, pure in their thinking, reasoning and dealing with fellow human beings, man looks at the poor from a variegated prism as the have-nots, humiliated, vilified and deprived.

The poor who populate these new faith centres are assured of prosperity on the condition that they sow so that they can reap and so, from tithe to seed faith, covenant seed, self-denial, contacting the pastor’s anointing with special but substantial offering directly proportional to expected wealth, the poor is stripped bare, and clothed with great expectations.

The poor are, indeed, a pitiable lot and, in the Nigerian society, given the way it is configured and run today, they are not only deprived, but also criminialsed. They are deprived of basic needs of life including food and good shelter for reasons of affordability. They are also deprived of the freedom and right to even suffer, as they do, to remain alife.

Here is a country where government has no provision whatsoever that caters for the poor, yet is always out hounding and criminalizing many of them who have decided to live, in spite government, by hawking, riding commercial motorcycles (okada), and doing sundry things to keep going with life.

Nigeria is also a country where the poor are confirmed criminals, always hounded and oppressed by the government, for peccadilloes or minor offences including even being able to afford to seek refuge in the slums, which the government have already marked out for demolition and allocation to the rich who are, unfortunately, in the minority.

It is common knowledge that it is the honest poor that get arrested by overzealous police officers on patrol on the mere suspicion that their haggard, hungry look suggests they might be criminals, or even for such trivial offences as wandering and loitering. And from there, they are dumped and forgotten in detention camps for being unable to buy their freedom.

Arguably, Nigeria is a very difficult country to live in. Economic hardship, made worse by hyper

inflation, unemployment and low purchasing power, is making life and living unbearable in the country and the poor are at the receiving end of it all. Many of them have been tempted to, against their conscience, commit minor offences for survival.

But, unlike their rich counterparts, the government and its ‘law’ usually frown upon such offences and punish them heavily while looking the other way in the case of the rich and mighty who empty national treasury or keep for themselves and their families money meant to execute public projects.

Cases abound of people who are languishing in prison or detention camps today for minor offences such as wandering, loitering, hawking, pilfering, stealing food items, livestock, etc as in the case of one Audu Mustapha who was reported to have been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for stealing a cow belonging to one Julie Idi. According to the report, the estimated cost of the cow was N60, 000. The police had accused Mustapha of selling the cow and using the proceeds to purchase a small truck with which he conveyed ‘liberated’ cows to either where he sold them or hid them.

Though nothing can justify Mustapha’s despicable action because even people poorer than he have resisted the temptation to steal, it is easy to see that his action as a mere peccadillo and the following punishment as a case of killing an ant with a sledge hammer, more so as nobody talks about the huge criminal offences committed by the rich and mighty.

So many of the ‘big people’ in Nigeria today rose to where they are through stealing government money. Everybody, including the government, knows this but nothing is done to them. In this country, a giant generator meant to power a

national stadium was once stolen, but till today, nobody has been arrested in connection with that national crime.

A couple of years ago, a large sum of money estimated at $13 million was discovered in an apartment in Ikoyi area of Lagos. Till date, the ownership of that huge amount of stolen government money is yet to be established. No arrests have been made and not much is even being said about it.

It follows, therefore, that there is something wrong with a country like ours that severely punishes small thieves and celebrates bigger criminals which lends credence to the argument that, in this country, someone is a criminal, or treated as one, not because of his offence against the state, but because of his status in the society.

This explains why, despite several factual and verifiable allegations of graft levelled against serving and former public officers, the government’s anti-graft dog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agents do not even bother to investigate them unless such persons find themselves on the wrong side of power.

It is a sad story that some state governments make life very uncomfortable for the poor in their domain. Lagos, Abia, Anambra and some other states places where the poor who struggle to feed with their okada and wheel barrow businesses are harassed and extorted mindlessly by agencies of government who, most times, even impound those ‘machines’ and force the owners to pay heavily to get them back.

In many other states, especially in those ones where there are insurgent activities, the poor who are major victims of frequent attacks are suffering. The population of the

internally displaced persons (IDP) camps is swelling by the day with increasing insecurity in the land and the governments that provide the ‘safe haven’ for them have practically abandoned them to their fate.

Government makes no provision for housing the poor yet ‘punish’ them for living in squatter houses, shanties, swamps, slum areas and other sub-human habitations where there are no basic facilities such as water, electricity, good roads, etc. Even at that, they are frequently sacked from their ‘homes’ when government’s bulldozers come with their angry prongs destroying, demolishing and taking over the land.

Nigeria, unlike Brazil, has neither plan nor clue on how to build for the poor. The country has a yawning housing demand-supply gap with a conservative estimate of 17 million units. An analysis of that deficit shows a strong leaning towards the low income class. It is a bottomheavy pyramid with a tapering top.

Like Nigeria, before now, mortgages barely existed in Brazil because interest rates were too high and evicting defaulters was almost impossible. The poor built on their own land without title, often in precarious spots on riverbanks or steep hills. A 2010 census found 11.4 million Brazilians living in slums. Millions more squeezed in with relatives or lived in formal but substandard housing which is a common feature of most Nigerian cities, especially Lagos, today.

A little over a decade ago, Nigeria was classed along with Brazil as frontier economies, but today the story is different. Whereas Brazil has moved on to become an emerging economy, Nigeria is still struggling at the spot where Brazil left off.

The Economist magazine once told a story of an Adriana Palugan, a Brazilin native, which is similar

to that of Johnson Onyebuchi who has lived in a rented apartment in Ajegunle, a sprawling slum in Lagos, for over 18 years. But unlike Palugan, there is no government scheme anywhere for Onyebuchi that guarantees home ownership for him.

Palugan, a mother of two, rented a home in Balneário Camboriú, a seaside town in southern Brazil.

Now she has bought her own house from Colina do Cedro, a new development on a hill overlooking the town.

She extols her new home’s wonders in its bright and spacious rooms with a pool, gym and multigames court, 24-hour security, and altitude. Her old place was flooded in 2008, and she lost much of what she owned just as it happened to Onyebuchi following the 2012 nationwide flooding in Nigeria.

Without Minha Casa Minha Vida (MCMV—My House My Life), a federal government programme started in 2009 to fund housing for Brazil’s poor and middle classes, Palugan, who works for a car dealership, would have struggled to buy such a home which, perhaps, she couldn’t have.

The price was 100,000 reais (about $51,000). Caixa Econômica Federal, a state-owned bank, gave her a subsidised mortgage; the repayments are less than her rent used to be. Caixa has also granted the developers, Abramar, cheap financing for the project’s second phase, two apartment blocks. The funding comes from a workers’ compensation scheme and the federal budget. The lowest earners get the biggest subsidies.

MCMV is shifting home-builders’ interest away from the rich minority to the poor. This is the kind of thing that Nigerian government can also do to house the poor and close the housing demand-supply gap in the country.

Big private developers like the UACN Property Development Company (UPDC) should be encouraged, through government schemes such as Brazil’s MCMV, to shift interest from building for the rich to building for the poor.

To say that Nigeria is, today, on the brink and that the poor are living on the fringes is simply to emphasise the obvious. The country is under siege by armed bandits, Boko Haram terrorists, militants, ethnic irredentists seeking self determination with separatist agenda, kidnappers, killer-herdsmen, etc.

All these are reflections of poverty in the land. The clan of the poor is growing by the day and it is feared that if this continues unchecked through a viable government policy that will create jobs to absorb the large army of the unemployed, the country will only be postponing the doomsday.

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SocietyWatch Who will speak for the poor in Nigeria?

AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

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ust few weeks back, BDSUNDAY caught up with one Dapo Rasheed (not real name) a 26-year old young man, who was recently discharged after serving prison term in Maximum Security Prisons in Kirikiri, Lagos State.

Rasheed was taken into custody in 2014, for unfortunately being found in the midst of an unknown group, when the officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), raided a notorious community in the Mushin area of Lagos State.

On that fateful Saturday afternoon in September 2015, I was in a Viewing Centre where I was watching a Premier League match with some crop of other football fans and viewers without knowing that there had been a fracas that led to serious fight among some group of ‘bad boys’ around the same Viewing Centre, said Rasheed.

Before, I knew what was happening, the Police men came with their van and took few of us (about 10 guys) that were at the Viewing Centre at that moment away.

Though, few boys were able to escape but I was among the unfortunate ones.

The saddest aspect of my story was that, I was not only innocent of the crime committed by the guys, who run the Viewing Centre, but there was no way to prove my innocence.

“My friend and relatives were not even aware of my whereabouts for three years such that my poor mother became terribly ill out of heartbreak. It was after spending two years behind bars that I was able to discover that the guys, who run the Viewing Centre, also have some other dirty businesses like ‘Yahoo, Yahoo and drug business they were doing using the Viewing Centre business as a cover up with-

out people knowing, and that was why the Police raided the place,” Rasheed said.

This was the testimony of a poor Lagos-born young man, whose future was cut short by the faulty Nigerian Justices System. Rasheed, though not in a regular employment back then in 2015, because he was doing one menial job or the other.

He did not have formal education because his family did not have the resources to fund his tertiary education after his secondary school education.

According to him, he was arrested at the age of 22 and spent close to four years in custody, and only was able to reunite with his family members four months ago and that was when his poor parents were able to raise money for his bail.

“Many innocent Nigerians are wasting their productive and youthful age behind bars due to one reason or the other. An inmate spent close to 10 years in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons for just report-

ing an armed robbery incident in his area to the Police. Another boy spent over two years behind bars for hawking on the highway,” Rasheed narrated.

Going down memory lane to the campaign promises of President Muhammadu Buhari back then in 2014 and early 2015 before the general elections, one will recall that President Buhari assured Nigerians that his administration would cater for the interest of the poorest of the poor in the society.

After his swearing in May 29, 2015, President Buhari continued to assure Nigerians that his administration under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would defend the defenseless citizens in the society.

Despite these promises, today, many Nigerians especially jobless youths are languishing in the prisons such that many state prisons are presently congested.

Ironically, prisons are supposed to be correctional facilities where criminals not only serve their sentences but are also remolded to be adequately prepared to be integrated back into society.

Precisely, President Buhari’s administration launched several programmes such as N-Power, which is Federal Government’s social investment programme for job creation and empowerment initiatives; Home Grown School Feeding Programme, which aims at providing free school meals to pupils and Trada-Moni, a non-interest loan initiative of the Federal Government, created specifically for petty traders and artisans across Nigeria.

Ultimately, these programmes were set up to alleviate many Nigerians from poverty, who are presently finding it difficult to provide themselves with the basic amenities including putting at least two

decent meals on their tables daily.

In spite of the above mentioned programmes, many Nigerians are presently going through hell in state prisons for either being found guilty of one minor case or the other such as running foul of traffic laws, hawking on the street during school hours and breaking environmental sanitation rule, among others.

BDSUNDAY findings show that many other innocent Nigerians serve prison sentences for cases they knew nothing about. Some of these crop of Nigerians were people, who happen to be in a wrong place at the wrong time.

Also, there seem to be the existence of many cases of innocent and wrongfully convicted inmates while many others spend years (close to five years) behind bars still awaiting trial.

“Eighty-five percent of inmates in Nigerian prisons are Awaiting Trial (AT) and about 35 percent of these are believed to be innocent. Many of them are languishing in detention because there was nobody to speak on their behalf as a result of poverty,” said Centre for Justice Mercy & Reconciliation.

Another inmate, who gave his name as Christopher Okafor (not real name) was reported to have been languishing in one of Nigeria’s prisons in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

“Nobody knows my whereabouts,” he told a member of a right group that visits the prisons regularly.

Okafor said that his vehicle was involved in an accident and people died in it. The police arrested him and he could not get bail because his relatives and his boss were unaware of what happened to him.

“Each time they took me to court, the judge will adjourn the

case for one reason or the other and I have been here since my arrest,” said Okafor, who is one of the tens of thousands of inmates kept in Nigerian prisons for years, who are still awaiting trial till date.

Statistics according to the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS) shows the summary of inmate population by Convict and Awaiting Trial Persons as at 15th April, 2019 stands at 73,241 persons.

A breakdown of this shows that 71,774 of them stands for total male population while the remaining 1,467 stands for the total female population in Nigeria Prisons today. Out these numbers, only about 23,482 of them are convicted prisoners.

Pundits believed the Nigerian Police Force should be blamed for failure to deliver on their mandates as should. Police today charge innocent people to the court for offences like armed robber which they did not commit.

To the pundits, issue of prison congestion as it relates to awaiting trial inmates have been with us for a long time despite the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

According to them, the main challenge is that at the magistracy level, the issue of bail even for the most minor cases is mishandled because many magistrate courts grant bail with stringent conditions.

“Police have been quite culpable in charging many innocent people to the magistrate court on serious offences like armed robbery, just to secure remand when such suspects have nothing to do with the alleged crime, Richard Akinnola of the Media Law Centre, reportedly disclosed to newsmen.

Since this is not a bailable offence, such remands inevitability exacerbates the challenge of congestion in prisons, Akinnola added.

Therefore, Nigeria Justices System and Police should look beyond pretending to do their jobs by prosecuting innocent poor Nigerians to arresting the real criminals, who still work freely on the street and have continued to perpetrate their ugly acts without anybody prosecuting them while the innocent ones languish in prisons.

Government should go beyond Trader Moni and N-Power to create jobs real time jobs for Nigerians through investment in economic development programmes and opening the economy to investors.

Nigerians need gainful employment to enable them make the ends meet.

Also, government needs to find a way of subsidising education especially at the tertiary level to accommodate more Nigerians who want to make career in different profession but were unfortunate to come from poor background.

22 BDSUNDAY

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Bolatito Adebola Mobile: 08053859391, email - iambolatito@gmail.com twitter - @iambolatito

Bank boss, Tony Elumelu Sheds Toga to celebrate UBA @70

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t the UBA 70 years’ celebration, many were wowed at how the management committee came out to make the day a unique event. In a very unusual manner, Tony Elumelu went ga-ga during the event and actually threw off his jacket in celebration of the mood, which brought out his wife, Dr. Awele, in ecstasy to jubilate with others, energizing the bank’s MD, Kennedy Uzoka to join the fray, as shareholders identified with the winning spirit of UBA. The platinum anniversary of UBA was combined with the bank’s annual CEO Awards ceremony, as members of staff from all 23 countries of operations that had excelled over the past year, were rewarded in the midst of thousands of guests.

The event, that was tagged, ‘Call it a Tribe,’ had dignitaries like Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, former governor of Cross Riv-

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ers State, Donald Duke and present governor, Prof Ben Ayade, Governors-elect of Lagos, Ogun and Kwara States, Babajide SanwoOlu, Dapo Abiodun and AbdulRahman AbdulRazak . Also present were Pastor Tunde Bakare, Chief Emeka

Anyaoku, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Chief Segun Osoba, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Dr. Jim Ovia, Oba Otudeko, Nnamdi Okonkwo, Rasheed Olaoluwa amongst many others. Clients, friends and well-wishers from all walks of life joined

the UBA Group, led by its Chairman, Tony Elumelu, to commemorate the 70 years of legacy–inspired UBA organization, which has over the decades, emerged as Africa’s topmost financial giants.

At the celebration, that was held at Eko Hotel Convention Centre, the story of UBA, was told and revealed as the Tony Elumelu’s Award-winning Broadway musical of the ‘Lion King.’ It’s about what Serengeti depicts the story of the young cub that grew into a strong Lion, in spite of the odds, and empowered all the other animals in the jungle. Great performances by A-list artists such as ‘science students’ crooner, Olamide, Phyno, Patoranking, Dbanj and female sensation, Tiwa Savage entertained the audience of over 2500 guests.

The surprise act which ended the night on a high was the performance by award-winning Nigerian artist, Wizkid who delivered nothing but the best in entertainment.

and industrious Ishola is a marketing communication guru and owner of Communication Network, whose first emergence into the business 25 years ago, with a particular interest in Public Relations and Corporate Communications.

His clientele cuts across multinational companies, vintage industries and hospitals. As expected, one was likely to find a motley business activity of crowd

of persons, high and low, young and old, all of whom he welcomed with open arms, as well as those he has known all his life and has studiously refused to discard, even now that he has risen to the top. At 50, Lekan Ishola is on a roller coaster in his career and has every reason to rejoice.

He has a rich pedigree of having worked in a number of top PR firms, which culminated in his becoming a brand name in the industry.

Dr. Chizobi Wigwe’s Visits To Makoko

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eligion that is pure and undefiled before God, is to visit orphans and widows in their afflictions and to keep oneself unstained from the world and anyone that strives to help a widow or the poor is like one who struggles in the cause of God, but there is only one way to console the needy, which is by being able to remember those that are at risk.

At the Worker’s Day, wife of the generous and benevolent bank Chief, Herbert Wigwe, the

MD/CEO Access Bank, Chizoba, was at her best to identify with the people of slump Makoko, a community in Lagos, as she led her hubby’s nongovernmental organization, HOW Foundation (Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe,) on a courtesy visit to Hope Center School in Makoko to donate educational materials and antimalaria relief materials to the community, just as she engaged them in the spirit of World Malaria Day celebration, which was celebrated around the globe.

PR Guru, Lekan Ishola @ 50

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hen one is doing well in his job, he will surely celebrate milestones in his life. Golden Jubilees are moments of glory and they are worth celebrating, especially in these days of the average mortality rate of those under 40.

That conceptualization is perhaps most apt when defining the life and times of Public Relations practitioner, Lekan Ishola, who turned 50 yesterday, May

3 this year.

The insightful, prudent

Sifax boss, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi agrees with 57th

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ow else can one advance in age without making good an inch towards attaining 60. Dr. Taiwo Afolabi is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most generous and benevolent businessmen.

The Executive Chairman of Sifax Group, Taiwo Afolabi, is marching on strongly at 57, and he is not leaving anyone in doubt about his stout age. There’s no gainsaying about this man’s benevolence.

The Sifax boss is the toast of the moment and is celebrating his 57th birthday with the birth of a new baby in his business empire. Never tired of breaking new grounds

in his vast business empire, billionaire business tycoon, through his multidimensional SIFAX Group has again launched a new

subsidiary, Sky Capital and Financial Allied International Limited.

This new venture is an investment and asset

management firm that will offer wealth creation opportunities through a unique blend of traditional investment management and alternative investment services which include but not limited to strategic financial planning advice to SMEs, investment portfolio/funds management, bureau de change operations, foreign exchange, insurance brokerage, credit assessment and analysis. To boot, lawyer-turned-businessman Taiwo Afolabi is also into the hospitality business, and will soon be opening his 5-star, 251 Hotel in Ikeja, GRA that would be called the Marriott Ikeja GRA.

Philanthropist Dr. Onyeka Eze Honored In London

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e has a knack for giving to the needy and he has always done this from time immemorial. Dr. Eze Onyeka, founder of one of Africa’s leading humanitarian agencies, was through his Prince Osisioma Foundation enamoured with a distinguished international merit Award held at the House of Lords in London days back. Dr. Onyeka was honoured at the Euro Knowledge Award for his humanitarian and philanthropic impacts and actions across communities in the African continent.

He was recognized for his distinguished commitments to underprivileged persons in Nigeria and beyond.

The award occasion of the Euro Knowledge Award had the impressive presence of prominent personali-

ties across all sectors of life.

This distinguished honour came few days after the launch occasion of the founda-

tion’s new branch in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Prince Onyeka Eze has been one of the most decorated philanthropists in Africa, especially with roll-out of support programs that have continued to leave relevant impacts in the lives of people who are challenged in several ways.

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Life&Living Home care dilemma: What happens when you don’t wash your bed sheets

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ith a million and one things we have to do each day, from making it to the gym before work, to working all day, to spending time in traffic, to finally getting home, who has time to make the bed every day, let alone wash their sheets every week?

If you’re guilty of letting too much time pass before washing your bedding, you might want to reconsider skipping that chore because if you don’t, and you find yourself sleeping on dirty sheets night after night, you’re going to have to deal with some seriously concerning side effects.

Breakouts Do you keep falling asleep with makeup on too many nights in a row? You’re doing a disservice to your face! When you do this, think about the repercussions, such as; dry skin, early signs of aging, inflammations, and possibly infections. Not only will you get stains everywhere, but bacteria can start to build up in the fibers which can cause annoying whiteheads and patchy pimples, or exacerbate already existing acne even if you have cleaned your skin. Dermatologists suggest washing your face and body with a good cleanser before bed in addition to washing your sheets every seven to ten days.

Skin irritations or eczema In addition to attracting bacteria,

cumulate in any location that isn’t regularly cleaned. In fact, there are probably around 1.5million in your bed each night and they’ll leave their mark in the form of welts on your neck, face, arms, and upper body, or problematic and tough-to-cure breathing issues. The longer you wait between washings, the harder it is to truly get rid of mites or even worse, bed bugs. Wash your bedding regularly and remember to store them in a cool dry place away from moisture to avoid any bacterial build-up.

dirty sheets rub against your skin while you sleep and that friction can lead to skin irritations.Did you know that self-treatment with greasy ointments or heavy creams can actually add to the problem of skin irritation? This is because those products are harder for your skin to absorb and will transfer to your linens, where they’ll stay even longer, putting you at risk for more bacteria. If you need to treat a skin condition like eczema, doctors’ advice speaking to your dermatologist about medications that won’t rub off and can be quickly and fully

absorbed, so as not to worsen the skin condition.

Fungal and bacteria infections Sweat don’t evaporate during all those sweaty nights, instead they are absorbed into your sheets.

Infact, sweat is just one reason your bed can be a prime place for fungus to grow. One type of mould, ‘ Cladosporium’, grows on damp mattresses and can lead to asthma or pneumonia. While a fungal infection called ‘ Onychomycosis’, can cause skin lesions and crumbling toenails. Several infections can be

transferred through dirty bedding, such as; Tinea Cruris, a fungal infection that affects the skin on the genitals, inner thighs, and buttocks; Tinea Versicolor, a fungal infection that causes small, discolored patches of skin; or the tough-to-treat super bug ‘ Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus’ or MRSA, caused by a type of staph bacteria that’s resistant to most antibiotics.

Dust mites These mites are part of the spider family and feed on flakes of skin that you can shed in your sleep, ac-

Allergies Unsurprisingly, bacteria and dust mites can cause or worsen allergies, targeting a weakened immune system. The three main things you want to avoid on your bedding are dust mites, mould, and mildew, since they activate allergies or worsen existing ones. Invest in bedding made from hypoallergenic materials, which wick away warm moisture so mould and mites can’t breed. Washing your linens will kill any bacteria that’s already on them, but make sure to replace synthetic pillows every two to three years and feather pillows every five to six years so bacteria or bugs don’t have a chance to build up. You can also wash most down or synthetic pillows as well. Just make sure to check the care label before doing so.

Article by: Bingi Alheri, brand executive, E’sorae luxury.

How good food and drinks bring people together

A BUNMI BAILEY

lthough food and drinks are seen as an essential commodity, it can also be seen as a fun thing that connects families and friends together.

And that is what Guaranty Trust Bank; one of the top banks in Nigeria did in its annual food and drinks exhibition event that ran through April 28th-May 1st, 2019.

I guess the way to every man’s heart is through his stomach, and in this context, the saying applies to everybody including women and children, as the venue for the food festival was packed with traffic jams at the entrance and the stalls full to the brim. On social media, hashtags like #FoodMakesMeHappy, #Foodismybestfriend and #GTBfoodanddrinkfestival trended all through from Sunday 28th of April till the last day of the food fair.

From sweet to savory, to healthy food options, small chops, shakes, cocktails and all sorts of drinks were available to tickle your taste buds at

the food festival. It also gave chefs and food connoisseur’s the opportunity to showcase their talent for the thousands of attendants to see, taste and enjoy or critic.

Food vendors like JK foods, Frozen Rolls, Big Barn Foods, Victoria treats. Chops and Grills, Pop Munch,

Luxe Bars Cocktails, Irindu Nutrition etc were all present to serve delicious food items.

The fair, in its fourth edition, is an annual event which took place took place at the GT Centre, Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, saw a massive crowd

at the last day of the event which was a public holiday.

The fair which was created in 2016 to become the premier culinary event in Africa, has over the last three years hosted more than 450,000 people, featuring entrepreneurial master classes by international chefs and food business experts to help launched or propelled the businesses of hundreds of Nigerian entrepreneurs in the food retail industry.

Damola Oriade, an accountant who came with his family said that he enjoyed the festival. “My kids dragged me here because they came last year and enjoyed themselves and want to have that same experience again.”

Over the last four years, this event has become the perfect opportunity for family and friends to come together to share what they love – good food. The fair also featured exciting games and fun exercises designed to thrill and entertain children all day long.

On Wednesday evening, you could see large queues at food court

as more people came in.

“I went to CMS market to buy some clothes with my friends and I didn’t want to go back home early and be bored at home on a public holiday. So we decided to go to the most happening and fun place in Lagos which is here,” Daniel Okafor, a businessman said.

Irinen Adeba, a quantity surveying student from the University of Lagos who came with her friends to eat and have fun said that the fair was very nice and exciting as she enjoyed herself with the sumptuous roasted plantain and chicken with a cocktail drink.

This year, alongside adding an extra day to the event, the food fair offered free retail stalls to over 300 small businesses; more than double the number from the previous year.

The event also featured a series of masterclasses and cookery classes facilitated by renowned food and drink experts from around the world.

In addition, there was a farmers’ market for the sale of fresh and organic produce as well as a showcase of some of the finest street foods in Africa’s largest city.

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Sunday 05 May 2019

Arts

Sixty years in the arts …Bruce Onobrakpeya celebrates with 36 rare prints Stories by OBINNA EMELIKE

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his, Bruce Onobrapkeya , Nigeria’s foremost visual artist, is 60 years in his chosen profession. The legendary artist and professor is set to celebrate once more for the feat.

To mark the 60 years stellar career as one of Nigeria’s most celebrated pioneer contemporary artists, Onobrapkeya is showcasing 36 rare prints in a special commemorative exhibition titled, ‘Eni! You Can Always Tell Where the Elephant Has Passed by!’. The exhibition is curated by Sandra Mbanefo Obiago of SMO Contemporary Art and hosted by the Wheatbaker in Lagos.

Eni! You Can Always Tell Where the Elephant Has Passed by! marks sixty years since Onobrakpeya’s first exhibition in 1959 in Ughelli, during his student days at the Nigerian College of Arts Science & Technology in Zaria. The rare prints presented in the exhibition provide highlights of not just the artist’s life and works but are an important chronicle of Nigeria’s post-independence era.

Onobrakpeya (born 1932) grew up in Delta State and is one of Nigeria’s most important artistic pioneers. He obtained a Diploma in Fine Arts and a Teacher’s Certificate from the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology (now called Ahmadu Bello University) in

Bruce Onobrapkeya

Zaria in 1962. Onobrakpeya was a member of the famous Zaria Art Society, a student group which sought to develop a new aesthetic language deeply rooted in African tradition and philosophy. The group included Uche Okeke, Yusuf Grillo, Demas Nwoko, Oseloka Osadebe and other students who drew strength from the post-colonial independence movement.

These aspiring young artists were later called the “Zaria Reb-

els” and quickly made their mark internationally with their strong visual philisophy. “We were not rebelling against anything as such but thought that the idea of just using the western art technique without relating it to our culture wasn’t right, ” commented Onobrakpeya, who began to experiment with diverse media including painting, sculpture, prints, low relief foils, large scale installations and mixed media works created out of found objects.

Onobrakpeya has received many awards and his works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1990, the Tate Modern in London, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Malmö Konsthall in Malmö, Sweden and the National Gallery of Modern Art, Lagos to name a few.

He received the UNESCO Living Human Treasures Award in 2006.

“We are excited to be exhibiting

Okpogho (The Hornbill), a print which dates back to Prof. Onobrakpeya’s first exhibition in Ughelli in 1959, alongside Chibok Girls, a recent print he created in 2017, as an homage to the kidnapped Nigerian school girls, as well as prints from his Niger Delta environmental protest series ,” said the exhibition curator, Sandra Mbanefo Obiago.

“Prof Onobrakpeya is not just one of our finest artist’s, his works are also important historical documents which showcase Nigeria’s rich history and culture, alongside socio-political events of the past sixty years.

“We are extremely proud to host this internationally significant exhibition of Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya’s prints, “said Mosun Ogunbanjo, Director of the Wheatbaker. “It is important to us that both our international and local guests enjoy some of the best art Nigeria has to offer, as we confirm our commitment to using our platform to celebrate the best creativity of our master artists as well as emerging talent.”

The ENI exhibition is supported

by Louis Guntrum Wines and will run from April 27, 2019 until the end of July 2019, with a special reception and artist talk held during the month of June. Another important exhibition of Onobrakpeya’s installations and sculptures is currently being exhibited at Freedom Park in Lagos, with a third exhibition planned in Agbhara-Ottor in August, all to commemorate his prolific career.

Ike Ude’s photography exhibition opens June 1 at Alliance Française

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ké Udé, Nigerian-born, New York based photographer, will break new ground this June when he holds his first photography exhibition in Nigeria. The exhibition will take place at Alliance Française at Mike Adenuga Centre, 9, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos from June 1 – 16, 2019.

Titled ‘Nollywood Portraits: A Radical Beauty’, Udé will be offering a substantial presentation of his portraits of members of Nigeria’s vibrant movie scene, Nollywood.

In the solo exhibition, Udé will orchestrate a dramatic cinematic atmosphere of light and colour, whereby the industry’s illustrious veterans, in company with the next generation of emerging talent pose in classically staged shots. Pictorial representation will include personalities such as actress Genevieve Nnaji, director Stephanie Okereke Linus and filmmaker Kunle Afolayan.

In all, 64 Nollywood personalities captured in the elegant style of the artist will feature in the exhibition The thematic thread that intertwines this body of work, cul-

minates in the centrepiece of the collection titled ‘The School of Nollywood’. The title is both play on, and departure from the artistic opulence of one of Raphael Sanzio Urbino’s notable fresco, The School of Athens (1509). The painting is of a grandiose architectural framework, depicting prominent philosophers of Greek antiquity, posed in a manner whereby they dominate but do not crowd their environment.

With these works of portraiture, Udé complements the discourse on the representation of Africans in cinema, from colonial domination and inferior stereotypes to one of intellect and creative agency in telling our own stories.

Udé is an aesthete, dandy, writer and founder of the seminal artfashion print magazine aRUDE, 1995-2009. In addition to the accompanying coffee table book, Nollywood Portraits: A Radical Beauty published by Skira in 2016, he is also the author of Style Files: The World’s Most Elegantly Dressed, published

by Harper Collins in 2008 and Beyond Decorum published by M.I.T

Press in 2000.

Vanity Fair included him in the magazine’s International Best Dressed List in 2009 and 2012. He

Ike Ude

has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions and has been reviewed in a number of publications including Art in America, The New Yorker,

Art Daily, L’UOMO Vogue, Flash Art, and The New York Times. His articles on fashion and art have been published in magazines and newspapers worldwide.

Throughout his innovative career, Udé’s work has been exhibited at Leila Heller Gallery, New York (2013), the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence (2013), the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis (2014), the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam (2014), the Palm Springs Museum of Art, Palm Springs (2015), and the National Academy Museum and School, New York (2015), amongst others. Udé’s work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum, Washington D.C., The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Museum of Art and Design (MAD), New York, the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT, the Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, NE and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum, Providence, RI. He currently lives and works in New York.

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Arts Arts meets tourism through storytelling at Africa’s Travel Indaba

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Stories by OBINNA EMELIKE

he unveiling of a wall mural at the African Tourism Indaba 2019 represents a big step forward in driving the opportunities culture can bring to tourism.

The wall mural was unveiled by Derek Hanekom, the South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, following the opening of the trade floor at this year’s Africa’s Travel Indaba at the Durban International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) in Durban, KwaZuluNatal.

Speaking at the unveiling, Michelle Constant, a member of the South African Tourism (SA Tourism) board, says one of the great challenges for South Africans is unlocking the great potential of its’ extraordinary historical and present culture.

“If we think about the five pillars of tourism, one of these is cultural roots and through this we can drive

creativity. Today’s unveiling of this mural is an opportunity for we to demonstrate this,” said Constant.

She adds that art is key to opening the door to science,

technology and engineering.

“We are seeing a move from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) to STEAM, which is the inclusion of art because art is key

to opening those spaces.”

Four artists came together to create the mural, which took a year to plan and 10 days to create.

“It was very pressurised

to get it done, but it was exciting to come together with the other artists and produce something we are very proud of,” says artist Samora Chapman.

He adds that while the mural represents Durban and its inclusive spaces, this extends to the broader South Africa.

“It includes symbols of South Africa and represents an inclusive not exclusive space.”

Mural artist, Sphephelo Mnguni says it was a great experience being part of this mural and working with other artists. For him the mural welcomes the world and opens its’ arms to everyone. “I would like people to view it and feel a sense of unity, peace, love and positive vibes.”

Kev Seven, another of the artists involved has been a graffiti artist for 12 to 15 years. “This mural is significant not only because it is one of a kind, but because it is the first mural of this kind in the Durban ICC.” Constant encouraged visitors to the Africa Travel Indaba 2019 to find the time to stand in front of the mural, take a selfie and share it to the world. “We need the rest of the world to acknowledge our extraordinary culture.”

Lagos Theatre debuts to boost creativity, theatre culture

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ith the debut of Lagos Theatre, lovers of homegroomed theatrical performances now have opportunity to watch exciting stage plays in their neighbourhood.

Lagos State is offering four new theatres, starting with the recently commissioned one at Oregun in Ikeja

by President Muhammadu Buhari, Beyond providing infrastructure that will aid creative minds, the Lagos State government, the promoter of the four new theatres across the state, is looking at further promoting the creative economy in the state with the theatres.

The 400 guests capacity theatre at Oregun offers discerning youths and the artistically endowed across the state and the country at large opportunity to take advantage of the facilities to boost their creativity and reach their target audience.

The Oregun Theatre is one of the four theatres conceived and executed by the administration of Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State, in line with the vision of making tourism, hospitality and entertainment, as well as, sports the cornerstone of his development.

The Lagos Theatre in Oregun, like the others located at Igando, Epe and Badagry, sits over 400 guests with a standard furnishing, a gallery, artistes dressing room, re-

hearsal hall, restaurant space, rest-rooms and alternative power generating set.

Speaking at the commission, Governor Ambode noted that the theatre is conceived as a strategy to absorb many Lagosians with the ability to be innovative and imaginative, especially the youths, as well as, provide a platform for artistic expressions in film-making, stage theatre, poetry, dance and other stage performances. This according to the governor, will also set the stage for their experience in the strategic locations across the state. ‘’The Lagos Theatre located at Oregun and replicated in other areas of the state, which includes: Igando, Epe and Badagry in its first phase, is to expand arts and promote a thriving creative economy within the communities where these projects are located”, the governor said.

He also said that the Lagos State initiative to bring

theatre experience closer to more neighbourhoods across the state would also generate positive excitement among the teeming youths of the state.

For Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Arts, the Lagos Theatre will increase the arts space, as well as, provides an opportunity for youths to showcase their talents in music, comedy, play and poetry.

The commissioner noted that the theatre has tremendous economic viability for the government and stakeholders in the entertainment industry because both parties would recoup their investments.

He assured that the government would provide support for users of the facility to enable them achieve their aims through regular maintenance of the theatre, adding that nobody would be discriminated against using the facility.

Kunle Afolayan, veteran Nollywood film director and producer, expressed delight over the projects, saying it would add economic value to both the government, producers/actors in terms of income generation.

“This theatre will benefit both government and producers/actors in the film industry through income generation.’’ Afolayan said.

In comparison, Afolayan boasted that the Lagos Theatre surpass any other theatres on the mainland, considering the facilities and security that define the edifice.

The Nollywood film producer stressed on the multiplier effect of the theatre in terms of job creation for young people, as well as, inspire creativity among young people.

For Bolanle Austin-Peters, founder of Terra Culture, an arts theatre oufit in Lagos, ‘The ‘Lagos Theatre will encourage the local arts community to grow because they now have a home, where they can showcase what the have. music artistes, movie producers and even poets can come here and showcase what the have.’’

Also commenting on the edifice, Akeem Lasisi, a poet, said the theatre facility would provide opportunities for the entertainment operators and even poets to showcase their potentials in the creative business and make a living.

Bovi Man On Fire available on Kwese Iflix app

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ans across Africa can now watch the final performance of Bovi Man on Fire, a standup comedy show by one of Nigeria’s biggest comedians, free only on the Kwesé iflix app.

Africa’s fastest growing mobile entertainment app, Kwesé iflix, partnered with Flytime Promotions to live stream the last ever performance of ‘Bovi Man on Fire’ to audiences across Africa. The highly-anticipated fourth and final edition of the popular comedy show thoroughly entertained fans in Warri and London before the grand finale in Lagos. The Lagos event called ‘The Final Showdown’ certainly took Lagos by storm, and it is now available to watch free on the Kwesé iflix app.

Bovi Ugboma fans who could not make it to the Eko Convention Centre and missed the live stream can now simply download and register on the Kwesé iflix app

to watch the show without paying a subscription.

Ngozi Madueke-Dozie, general manager, Kwesé iflix (West Africa) says, “Local content remains a key component of our content strategy. That’s why we have partnered with Flytime Promotions to bring this show to our audience. We are very excited about this collaboration and our audience can only expect the best.”

Lovers of homegrown African shows will also enjoy Kwesé iflix original productions like the social gossip show ‘The Tea Room’, crime-drama ‘Nganya’, and telenovela ‘Nyavu’. Kwesé iflix offers viewers Africa’s most extensive combination of live sport, entertainment and highly acclaimed local African and international series and movies, as well as popular local and regional content. Viewers can also enjoy Kwesé iflix via mobile web by visiting www.m.iflix. com.

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Sunday 05 May 2019

Entertainment JC Records: Healing the Garden City with gospel music ...Gospel music too is big business; 50 artistes line up to thrill PH on June 23

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IGNATIUS CHUKWU

ort Harcourt, Rivers State, has been seized by the forces of violence for some years now. Then, JC Records stepped into the city and mobilised a 500-man choir and 50 gospel singers pumping positive vibes into the Garden City in preparation to a world-class music concert. Just then, even before the trumpet would sound, the political warlords and antagonists that had defied all entreaties suddenly on their own decided to make peace and end the wars.

Now, there is high expectation of peace and

Marketers fear to invest in beginners Charles Nelson

Harcourt manager, the choice of the Garden City is to prove that there could be where the likes of Mercy Chinwo come from. He said many talents abound in undiscovered singers.

The operating plan of JC Records is to crack open this iron shield that covers God’s talented children so they break out.

Addressing the artistes at Silver News conference hall at Plaza on Trans-Woji last week, Emma said artistes must double their efforts to hit success in Nigeria of today.

Voices of singers Some of the artistes spoke to BDSUNDAY showing the agonies of budding artistes in the Niger Delta.

We must use songs to snatch our world back from Satan – Frankba

Vivien Ebix stability in Rivers State, probably because Jesus Christ Records stepped into the Garden City. Now, people say politics has caused its harms, but gospel music has come with its balm to heal the land.

While the political wars lasted, many good programmes and events previously lined up in Port Harcourt suffered shifts and outright cancellations. Crisis seized the Garden City for a couple of months over the 2019 elections.

The panic continued to spread as relations out there kept urging their people in Port Harcourt to make haste and flee.

Killings happened, fracas occurred freely, hatred grew to high heavens, and brother shunned brother. There were outcries in Abonnema, Khana, Bonny, Emuohua, Isiokpo, Ubima, Obio/Akpor, and many other places.

Now, the Garden City is coming back to peace and love. JC Records is also unleashing angels of songs on the city to heal the land. The record label has confirmed what it calls a mega gospel music concert to hold on June 23, 2019, at the Hub, said to be the biggest and most prestigious event centre in the Niger Delta.

The over 50 gospel artistes waiting to be unveiled would take turns to present the songs they have laboured to record. Family and friends plus church members and lovers of music would wipe away their tears and file out at The Hub to sweep away the tension in the land and welcome peace and love.

Songs like Incredible God; Great and Mighty God, etc, would waft through the mega speakers at The Hub to bathe the troubled city and seep through to the roof of heaven, hoping to please God enough to send down the rain of love and forgiveness upon the Garden City.

The political godfathers in the land have asked for forgiveness already.

According to Steve Emma, JC Records’ Port

“I believe that the gospel will not be complete without spiritual songs added to it. So I take the scriptures and turn it to song. I have been singing since childhood and was a choir master.

It is in the blood.

“What attracted me to JC Records is their name and their noble objective. Learning that JC Records means Jesus Christ Records got me interested. If you look around, you will notice that Satan is taking over the entire place. This platform is for Jesus alone without

Chioma Salvation I sing a lot of worship, R&B, etc, began to minister around. My song with JC Record is ‘Incredible God’. The song says Jesus loves us more than we can say we love Him. His love is incredible. I have other songs such as Reign of Glory, My Shepherd, Echezolam, etc. They are online.

“On major challenge is that many upcoming artistes are not patient. By God’s grace, I started as a keyboardist. Some instrumentalists seize the keyboard if pastors did not pay them after performance but I never did it. For this, God has been blessing me from one level to another to this level.

“My name is Charles Ihenacho or Charles Nelson. I am part of a show coming up on June 23, 2019 and I am full of expectations. I have been in music for years and I made it to the studio as far back as 2007. I saw the JC Records platform and decided to identify with it.

“I do both native gospel and classical gospel songs. The people matter most in the choice of song to do. My expectations is that after the unveiling, I take a step further in music and perform at higher platforms. I want to make music a full career.

“There are lots of difficulties for upcoming artistes. There many songs waiting with marketers to listen to. Marketers are afraid of investing in upcoming artistes because they are not sure the market will receive you.

That is why we are grateful to JC Records for believing in unknown artistes. Many top singers today were choristers. It shows that talents abound in the choirs around Nigeria.

Give them a chance.”

I want to tell people about God with my songs - Chioma Salvation I love singing and I specialize in worship songs and I started from my church as a chorister. My pastor recommended me to JC Records and that has taken me to another level because it has been dream to sing. I want to sing to inspire people and tell them about God. I have a passion for singing. It’s God that gave me that talent. I look forward to the big show in PH on June 23.”

Charles Nelson contamination. So, I delved into it. I want to be a part of it, not just a member.

“God has actually given me many songs but JC Records took one for this special unveiling. Frank Edward is my idol because he has a humble beginning and remained attached to God, undefiled. I want to stand with such people to take the war to the devil. The unveiling on June 23, 2019, in Port Harcourt is very important in this battle.

I never seized any pastor’s keyboard for sake of money - Sam Praise “I worship with Gateway International Church in PH pastored by George Izunwa. I count this as a privilege as JC Records is out to project us all over the world. We can only thank them.

Frankba

Sam Praise Music therapy is where I want to be; music can unite the world – Vivien Ebix “I have been singing from childhood. I found I had a strong passion for music that has the ability to give life to men. Music is universal language that can bring the world together like football does.

“I decided to use the word of God to blend into music and strive to bring out man’s faith. It is a battle of the mind and music can penetrate the soul and mind of man. So, I just put the word together as music therapy to change the mind of someone. Music can stop suicide. Music therapy is where I want to operate. You can be healed through music. It is that music that transforms your soul and make you who God wants you to be.

“The very first day I learnt about JC Records, I was so happy because before this time, I had gone to many persons for help to break out without success. Labels only want you when you succeed but how do you succeed without being discovered? I see its God that is behind JC Records. They are solely for gospel music and we thank God for the opportunity.”

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Travel

Again, African travel industry pushes ahead at Indaba ...as travel businesses tell success stories OBINNA EMELIKE

I

n 1995, Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically-elected president, opened the first edition of Africa’s Travel Indaba, a travel exhibition, in Durban.

Then, his desire for tourism to count in the new South African economy was captured in his words.

“It is in tourism that nature and humanity meet most equitably and profitably…. It also provides the resources for the conservation of our natural heritage. Furthermore, tourism is making an important and valuable contribution to the South African economy”, the late president said.

However, 24 years after, Mandela’s words still echo throughout the tourism sector in South Africa and Africa at large, calling on tourism stakeholders to collaborate in conserving natural heritage and aiding tourism to contribute valuably to the African economy.

Since then, Africa’s Travel Indaba keeps getting bigger and better every year. The 2019 edition of the travel expo, which held on the theme, ‘Africa’s Stories’ also surpassed previous editions in participation, product offerings, innovation, meetings, organisation and the overall experience.

Over 20 African countries participated amid several travel and tourism related companies across Africa and the world.

Impressed with the good turnout of African countries at the travel fair, Derek Hanekom, tourism minister of South Africa, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the fair on May 2, 2019, said, “I am delighted by the increasing

Exhibitionstands at the fair

Derek Hanekom, tourism minister of South Africa, declaring the exhhibition open number of exhibitors from across the African continent, displaying such amazing products and making this a truly African event”.

Explaining significance of this year’s theme, ‘Africa’s Stories’, the minister said that Africa’s Travel Indaba has become synonymous with storytelling because often the real stories of Africa are not told and not heard. Hence the travel exhibition dedicated time to tell African stories and to showcase the successes across the travel industry.

“This continent is teeming with stories and folklore, which are woven into all the products and experiences that are showcased here”.

Speaking on the state of tourism in Africa, the minister said Africa attracted only 67 million tourists, about 5 percent of the 1.3 billion people that travelled across the world for tourism in 2018, pointing to the need for improvement.

As well, the minister also decried that fact that tourism contributed 8.5 percent to African GDP in 2018, below global average of 10.4 despite supporting more than 24 million jobs on the continent, or 6.7 percent of all jobs.

“The overall tourism contributions to GDP in Africa is still well below the global average of 10.4 percent of GDP. What this tells us

is that we have huge unrealised potential to unlock”, the minister said.

Looking beyond, the shortcomings, he offered reasons tourism should be on the front burner in Africa saying that the continent has indisputable competitive and geographic advantage. “We have the base of what the world’s tourists are seeking. The seasoned markets of North America and Europe, and the rapidly maturing markets of China and India, are all seeking new and different experiences – different cultures, different heritage, different and stunning scenery and landscapes.

This is what we have”, he insisted.

According to him, Africa has an innate ability to respond to the desire of tourists for experiential authentic travel, exuberant welcomes, big-hearted hosting, catering for their needs professionally, and sharing our cultures in memorable ways.

“We offer what tourists are increasingly looking for: meaningful experiences, meeting real people in their homes and communities, experiencing local traditions and customs. This kind of tourism generates real community benefits”, Hanekom said.

Our offer of this unique blend of culture, heritage, naturebased, rural and urban experiences make Africa a rich and varied, all-year destination, which can offer real value for money, and a quality visitor experience that is diverse and unique to the world. We can and are continuing to attract and grow the traditional markets, whilst at the same time driving growth from the large and fast-growing emerging markets.

Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Sihle Zikalala, provincial minister (MEC) for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature, disclosed that growth and sustainability of tourism depend on forging strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships, which the Indaba platform offers to stakeholders at the fair.

“We are confident that Indaba will go far in strengthening the historic bonds and trade between South Africa and the people of our continent. The future of our country is tied with the future of Africa. Of all international tourists that land on our shores, 60 percent come from sister African countries, the provincial minister assured.

In line with the provincial minister, Hanekom, urged travel buyers and sellers to see the African continent as their own market. “All countries in Africa have potential for domestic tourism growth. Intra-continental tourism from Africa’s rapidly growing economies and growing middle class are among numerous opportunities begging to be exploited. We need improved collaborative efforts between our countries to achieve this”, Hanekom urged.

To improve tourism numbers in Africa, the tourism minister called for the need for action on the AU Agenda 2063, especially with respect to free movement of people everywhere on the continent, and the easing or dropping of visa requirements in the next few years to enable this.

“We need to work on all countries signing the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), signed by only 23 countries so far. It is intended to drive down airfares by allowing more airlines to freely access and increase frequency of flights to more countries. We need to be united in our aspiration to build and brand Africa as a continent of successes and opportunity”, he conclu Indaba is the biggest travel and tourism exhibition in Africa.

Some of the highlights of this year’s edition include the launch of Jurni South Africa, a visitor information gathering and management platform, sharing of success stories by some innovative tourism entrepreneurs amid several networking opportunities, negotiations, signing of deals among others.

Sthembiso Dlamini, acting CEO, South African Tourism, thinks the Sustainability Village is the major highlight of the fair because it paraded products made by local black-owned businesses.

For him, the Africa’s Travel Indaba 2019 was a huge success.

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Sunday 05 May 2019

Travel Building relationships with colleagues reflects in your work output - Emirates staff George Ikpekhia is the Emirates Airport Services Manager in Nigeria. In this interview with IFEOMA OKEKE, to commemorate the past Workers Day, he speaks about the experience and benefits of working the airline.

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How long have you been working with Emirates? have been with Emirates Airline for over 15 years as the Airport Service Manager. Before joining Emirates, I had worked with several other airlines within the industry.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I manage and ensure a safe and efficient airport operation and ensure that the highest standards of Customer Service levels are maintained. I implement and periodically review strategy to ensure that all procedures, standards and instructions laid down by Airport Services and other departments are complied with by airport staff in Lagos. Also, I’m involved in negotiation of Ground handling contract and standard and ensuring that Ground Handling performance targets as set by Airport Services such as punctuality, check-in standards and baggage delivery times are achieved.I manage employees through a combination of guidance, training, support, motivation and delegation with successful monitoring and promotion of teamwork so as to aid staff development.

Lastly, I perform all administrative tasks in an accurate, timely

George Ikpekhia

manner and control of Station expenditure in order that it remains in the predefined parameters of the station budget.

Do you receive any form of training from the airline?

Yes I do. Emirates has put processes in place to train us to be at

British Airways announces Abuja terminal move

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n line with its drive to provide premium services to its passengers, British Airways, has announced the relocation of its terminal to the new Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The change took effect on 30th April 2019.

The move comes after the opening of the new Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, a result of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) goal to create an ultramodern facility which would ensure efficient processing of passengers and improve the experience for travellers flying through Abuja.

Both airlines and passengers will experience a vast difference in both space and processing technology for passengers. British Airways new terminal relocation is in line with global efforts to ensure seamless,

safe, and convenient travel for passengers.

Speaking on the move, Kola Olayinka, British Airways Regional Commercial Manager for West Africa, said, “British Airways is pleased about the new Abuja International Terminal, we embrace any opportunity to improve our services to passengers. Our newly upgraded lounge and terminal will ensure a seamless travel experience for our passengers. We’re excited to share these new developments with our Abuja passengers.”

Buttressing these sentiments, Saleh Dunoma, the managing director, FAAN, says the newly inaugurated international terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was designed to give maximum comfort to air travellers.

par with Emirates and international standards. They organize trainings all over the world, which I have attended in Dubai and online via conference calls. I have also attended several technical, management and professional courses within Nigeria and abroad.

I am passionate about the aviation industry and work towards personally excelling in education and learning. I received my Masters in Business Administration (Aviation Management) from Coventry University, United Kingdom and have a Diploma in Airline studies from International Air Transport Association (IATA), a Diploma in Aviation Security from the Edith Cowen University Perth Australia.

Being in this industry and as my role as an Airport Services Manager.

Do members of your team receive training or direction for their roles?

Yes they do receive training and their job roles and functions are clearly defined.

How many people are in your team and how many are Nigerians I have 11 people in my team and they are all Nigerians.

How do you motivate your team? Any tips?

I have an open communication system whereby I encourage my team to come to me at any time and encourage them to express themselves and make decisions that are built within the Emirates standard.

It’s important to build relationships with your colleagues and in doing so is reflective of their work.

Based on your experience, how is Emirates your employer of choice?

Emirates is known to be a customer centric organization, but to me, it’s the same focus they have for their employees. They do care about their employees and they put up policies that take care everyone without worrying. Me working for Emirates for 15 years is testament on this, I can categorically say that Emirates is an Employer of choice.

I have so far noticed that happy employees are far more productive in general, because when employees are happy, the general level of morale in the workplace is high. It hence creates an environment in which collaboration and productivity can thrive and develops a healthy workplace culture, which is very important. Emirates has over the years lived up to my expectation, we get attractive benefits and travel opportunities. Emirates appreciates their staff through series of internal awards, and even on international celebrations, they usually role out messages for employees.

What is a good work ethic or motto that you live by?

What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. There is nothing impossible.

Anyaoku commends Air Peace over support for youth development

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ormer Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku has hailed the commitment of West and Central Africa’s biggest airline, Air Peace to youth development in Nigeria.

Anyaoku made the commendation on Sunday during the finals of the 12th edition of the Annual Under-16 Inter-State Emeka Anyaoku Cup in Lagos.

He urged Air Peace to sustain its support for youth development projects, saying the nation needed to invest more in its young people to ensure its well-being.

Anyaoku affirmed that the tour-

nament instituted in his honour by the National Youth Soccer Association and supported by Air Peace had continued to positively impact the youth. He said some of the participants had been exposed to life-changing opportunities.

He presented a medal to Air Peace as a symbol of recognition of its role in youth development in the country.

Speaking at the event, Allen Onyema, Air Peace Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, said the carrier would continue to distinguish itself as a pro-youth organisation.

Onyema, who was represented

at the event by Chris Iwarah, Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, said the airline had provided massive opportunities to positively channel the creative energies of the youth.

He said the airline, which would soon launch its international flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai, would continue to support efforts aimed at projecting a positive image for Nigeria.

He described Anyaoku as a worthy Nigerian who had brought honour to the country and should be celebrated.

AIB Commissioner clinches exceptional leadership award

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kin Olateru, the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has been honoured with the award of the ‘Exceptional Leadership Award in Aviation Accident Investigation and Prevention.’

The award was given to Olaeru by the Transportation and Tourism Industries Combined Summit and Expo at the Tourism Transport Summit and Expo 2019, held Wednesday in Abuja.

Rotimi Amaechi and Hadi Sirika, the Ministers of Transportation

and Minister of State for Aviation, respectively were also among the dignitaries awarded at the event.

The organisers said that Olateru was recognised for his ability to instill changes in the Nigerian aviation industry since his appointment about two years ago.

The organisers declared that through the bureau’s safety recommendations, AIB had been able to contribute its quota to improved air safety in Nigeria, stressing that its activities had gone beyond the shores of the continent to Europe

and America.

Recalled that Olateru at a press briefing last week at its Safety House at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, disclosed that the agency had released a total of 46 final reports and 178 safety recommendation since the inception of the agency.

He further stated that AIB had released a total of 27 final reports since January 2017 when he came onboard, which represents 58.79 per cent of the 46 final reports released since inception in 2007.

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Interview We must move away from politics to governance - Oshun Wale Oshun, chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in this interview with INIOBONG IWOK, spoke on the genesis of the crisis that led to the division in the pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere in 2007, the 2019 general elections, among other issues in the polity. Excerpts:

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What is your view about the just concluded general elections? n Nigeria, I think there must be time for politics and time for governance.

No matter what we feel about the general elections, the constitution and law is clear about resisting election, going to court and if you point out the weakness in the election and your evidence must be obvious, and tribunals are empowered to take decision.

This is because government all over the world understands that no election is perfect and that there would always be weaknesses. If there are weaknesses, the judiciary system is there and available, people can take advantage of it.

For me, I would rather not talk about the quality of elections; I would rather talk about the availability of the system that enables those who are aggrieved to seek redress.

By now, what we need to be talking about should not necessarily be the quality of election but availability of system where people can seek redress in court.

The court is there.

I believe that no system is bigger than the people who evolved it. That is to say whether you are talking about election or the judiciary; they are only a reflection of the people themselves.

In terms of expectation, in terms of the outcome, it is the kind of people that we are that would reflect in the kind of elections we conduct.

The Judiciary system is there to checkmate, no institution can be totally faultless, but all I can say is that the system checkmates itself. I am not saying the electoral process cannot be made better.

I don’t want to begin to talk about the election because saying this election went that way or that way, because we have agreed that the judiciary system is there to always determine the final outcome of elections.

That is rather than talking about the election, at the end of the day there must be a government in place; whether the party that won the election or the party that expects to win in court. Either way there must be government.

So as ordinary citizens, we must talk in terms of the governance that we expect; are we really setting target for ourselves? Is the government meeting its target? I will not want to engage my time in talking about that.

not serious. Go to the market, the women are using telephone.

So which is to say if we are truly interested in applying electronic voting the capacity is there. I mean the capacity to develop it and make sure it works is there.

Do you think the 2019 general elections would have been less controversial if INEC had been empowered by law to use card reader?

I don’t have the means of assessing the general elections; the election has been held and result declared. It is only an institution that will look at the election and say this is what happened; I can’t do that. Though there were violence and disruption in some parts of the country.

Wale Oshun

a gun and bottle to fight for it. So that is why when some people get judgment and they are not satisfied they still abide by it; because that system is not total faultless.

If on the balance there is some measure of conflict it is acceptable to us.

But a government must have legitimacy?

Yes, that is what I said; that at the end of the day the judiciary process will give judgment which could go either way.

Whatever government emerges from that as its own legitimacy and any government that comes out it we believe it is legitimate.

How do you react to the statement by some leaders that the 2019 general election was the worst in the Nigerian history?

Yes, but the election you have to take it from when it is organized; for instances; I will say the best election we have had in Nigeria’s history is the June 12, 1993 election. I will say that confidently. Some others may say that it is another election.

What I am saying is that there is always this subjective assumption that is bound to take place. It all depends on your education, exposure and political beliefs. When you start comparing elections, I would say that some people would see this election and say something good about it.

What I am saying is that we have to agree that this system must evolve, the constitution is there to guide us; if you are not satisfied by what went on, you can go to the court, let the court take decision. In recent years, there have been precedents.

But I think Nigerians agreed that instead of being concerned about election issues why can’t we show concern about governance?

Do you believe in the present set up of the judiciary in Nigeria; do you see that independence in their ruling?

Yes. But for a Nigerian, in spite of the seeing failures, shortcomings, if you don’t believe in the judiciary then you are talking about creating anarchy all over. Then you must always talk about investing in the judiciary, if there are problems Nigerians would have to point out what the problems are.

We need to do this and at the end of the day; whether we believe in the judiciary or not, the judiciary needs to put its house in order. I personally think at the end of the day it is still left for everybody to take

But if you don’t have credible election, how do you produce good leaders?

That is what I am saying; once an election has been held and you have the opportunity for challenging the result; a final decision would be taken by the court. I have said it before, the institution created it. Even when you have flaws you still have to determine how you can get the best out of it. That is how we can set the pace for governance by talking about it in your media houses.

That is when you talk about it, you ask how many people get employment; when you talk about government providing quality education for the people and so on. Look

at American election, I think Clinton had the larger support votes from the people, but Trump won and Americans were not held down by election litigation ones a final decision had been taken. And of course, they keep on saying how can we make this system better? Did Russia intervene in the election? Governance was not related to the background.

The times have come now that there must be a government in place come May 29, and that government must govern us and make sure that the interest of the common man predominates other issues.

Do you believe President Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential election?

I am a member of his party, so what do you expect me to say? Because in any case I am a politician, I belong to a party and I worked for my party to win the election.

In any case, does any individual have any methodology of who won the election?

That is why the party has to work together to challenge the system. They have the resources; an individual like me may have prejudices assumption. Apart from that who has the capacity to determine the outcome of elections?

That is where the judiciary comes in; I am still saying whether an election went bad or not it is the fault of everyone including the security agencies and political parties.

That is why I am saying that Atiku has the right to challenge election result; every decision given by the court he also have obligation to respect the decision of the court. That is why I am saying the judiciary is the last hope to determine the result of election and conduct election.

Don’t you believe Nigeria is ripe for electronic voting?

If you look at the issues of telephone for example in Nigeria we have all been using and applying our telephone now, when you think of this you want to say those saying we are not ready for electronic voting are

I spoke with Chief Ayo Adebanjo recently; he said your group and other Afenifere factions were impostors; how do you react?

Well I think it would not be a time wasting effort to say how we emerged starting from 1998, after the D Rovals Hotel experience when Olu Falae was chosen ahead of Bola Ige to be the candidate of the AD in the 1999 presidential election.

I mean the story had been said that the crisis was what polarised Afenifere; that crisis made it possible for the differences in Afenifere to blow to the open.

Because by 1999, we had the new governors coming in and Bola Ige accepting to serve in the government of Olusegun Obasanjo, and all this help to further polarised Afenifere; this polarisation has affected the Yoruba nation as a whole. Me, and the present Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, Ayo Afolabi, Yinka Odumakin, Jimi Agbaje, Demola Oyinlola and some others were worried by the seeming polarisation in the Afenifere and especially among the elders, by that time Bola Ige had passed on. We have said it so many times.

We decided that we want to bring all the sides together; that is how we the young people decided to convene a conference in Ibadan; it was a three-day retreat at the IITA. We brought all the sides together; Bisi Akande, Ayo Adebanjo, governors in the region and we all agreed that it was time to move on because we had achieved our aim to unite everybody.

But when we came out of the conference, I can remember it was in 2007, approaching 2008.

When we came out of the conference, an elder of Afenifere who was in his 80s then was seen in an interview with the Guardian newspaper lambasting all the state governors of the region, the governors were unhappy with this.

But we the young element in Afenifere, most of us then were relatively young we were in our 50s, 40s, 60s. We said how can we be engaging ourselves with all this crisis of confident, and then we decided to set up our own group, because we know the importance.

At that time, the problem among the leaders was about their egos. We were worried about ideology of the group; and that is how we evolved. We decided to establish Yoruba Academy in Ibadan and so many other projects across the Southwest region.

At the 2014 constitutional conference, there were members of Afenifere who

Continues on page 30

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Interview We must move away from politics to governance...

Continued from page 30 were there and we had agreed on common issues such as restructuring, we made a joint presentation on state police and common vision that would help the Yoruba people, we were there. We are more engaging. We have no ego to massage and we are no rival to anybody because what we are doing is different from what the rest are doing.

Atiku said he was confident of reclaiming his mandate in court, he is at the tribunal challenging the presidential election result; do you see any reason for this?

We must develop. We must move away from politics to governance; and we have had election no matter what you feel about the election, the constitution and the law is clear on how you can resist an election.

That is by going to court and if the judiciary is dissatisfied about the election, they can take action.

Why is the APC opposed to restructuring of the country since some of you so much believe in it?

That is not true. I can say that even APC went round the whole country and came back and presented their report; that Nigerians have said that there should be political restructuring in the country. They came back and say that; so for anybody to say they are opposed to it I don’t know. The issues is that the country has no alternative to restructuring, if it is not now, it must be in the immediate future, if it as not happening now, it does not mean it would not happen.

Are you in an alliance with the Ayo Fasanmi-led faction of Afenifere?

We are pushing for the restructuring of the country, if we are doing different things; we also agreed that restructuring is at the centre piece of the whole country.

See, in recent time at the Senate, the issue of insecurity was put on the front burner; they spoke on the issue of state police and people are condemning the present structure that we have.

Even the people of country are clamouring that nobody can stop restructuring of the country. No body. We at Afenifere Renewal, being the younger elements; we know the kind of future we would want to leave for our children and it is important for us to protect that future and that is why I have to say this.

But your group was silent during the herdsmen crisis in the region?

Many years back we prepared a document after an extensive research and came up with report on the consequence of unhealthy migration in the country and if you want to see it is there for you to see. What is important is what we have been able to accomplice in recent time. The government in Osun State conceived a stakeholders’ meeting on how to control it and to make sure it does not become a calamity for the state. What this group is doing with like minds is to lobby state governors to take action.

But there is the allegation that your group is being used by Tinubu to accomplish his self-interest?

But they themselves know it is not true.

Those who even started the rumour know the truth. No single individual can say he is the one influencing us. What we have are people of my age-group who are concerned about the region and meet regularly, and to take decision regularly.

How Abdul-salam, others allegedly looted NAMA’s N2.8b - EFCC Witness Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nurudeen Bello, in the alleged N2.8billion fraud trial involving Ibrahim Abdulsalam, former Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, and others, on Friday, May 3, 2019, told Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos how the defendants looted, laundered and converted to their personal use N2.8billion, belonging to the agency.

The EFCC in a statement issued on Friday by its Acting Spokesman, Tony Orilade, saidAbdul-Salam is facing trial alongside Nnamdi Udoh (still at large), Adegorite Olumuyiwa, Segun Agbolade, Clara Aliche, Joy Ayodele Adegorite, Randville Invesment Limited and Multeng Travels and Tours Limited for conspiring to induce the agency to deliver the sum of N2.8billion to Delosa Limited, Air Sea Delivery Limited and Sea Schedule Systems Limited under the pretext that the money represented the cost of clearing NAMA’s consignments.

At today’s sitting, Bello, an investigator with the EFCC, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, identified the statements of the third defendant written on February 15, 16, 18, 22 and 24, 2016 as well as on March 12, 2016.

Bello also identified the responses to the letters written by the EFCC to the Nigerian Customs Services, NCS. The prosecution counsel tendered the statements of the third defendant, which were admitted in evidence as exhibits E 1-7 and F, respectively.

When asked to read out the statement of account of Randville Invesment Limited,

the witness listed various sums of money received by Belosa, withdrawn from NAMA account.

According to Bello: “The money was transferred to Randville Investment, which shared them among Multeng Travels and Tours Limited, Multeng Engineering, Multeng Aviation, NNPC Retail Limited, Airspace Delivery and some Bureau De Change operators.

“Cash withdrawals were mostly done

by Segun Agbolade and Joy Ayodele Adegorite, for onward transfer to Segun Agbolade. Also, some cash payments were made to Mr. Alaba Odulani.”

Further in his testimony, Bello told the court that less than N9, 000,000.00 was transferred in tranches in one day and several days in different months.

This, he said, “was done to avoid triggering the reporting requirements of banks, if the money transferred was up to N10, 000,000.00.”

The witness also stated that withdrawals made by Agbolade amounted to N3million in tranches, adding that “the transfers to Multeng Travel and Tours, Multeng Engineering, Multeng Aviation were made in order to facilitate withdrawals because of the cashless policy introduced by the CBN.” According to him, “Several millions transferred to the NNPC Retail Limited were to supply petroleum products to the filling station owned by Agbolade.

“The money transferred from Randville Invesment Limited to Mr. Odulani was for the purchase of a filling station in Egbeda, Lagos State.”

Bello had, during the previous sitting on Thursday, May 2, 2019, told the court that, on February 5, 2016, his team was assigned to investigate a petition against the defendant.

The prosecution counsel tendered the petition and the attachments which were admitted in evidence as Exhibits D. Explaining what he did after receiving the petition, he said: “My team and I wrote to the bank, requesting the financial records of all the defendants. We also wrote to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, to obtain the records of importation made by the Nigeria Airspace Agency, NAMA, from 2010 to 2016.

“We wrote to Guaranty Trust Bank, attaching the NCS’s acknowledgement of payment receipt, seeking the authentication obtained by the bank. We received all the responses and same were analyzed.

“We proceeded to NAMA office, within Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, where we conducted extensive search and invited some of the defendants to the EFCC office.”

Also, when asked to identify exhibits A-C series and why the team wrote to the bank, he said the exhibits were some of the responses his team received from the letters sent to the bank.

“We wrote to the NCS based on the petition and subsequent investigations carried out. Various documents were analyzed and it was discovered that the sum of N2.8billion was carted away from the account of the National Airspace Management Agency by the defendants.

“The money was transferred at various times to the accounts of Randville Invesment Limited, Multeng Travels and Tours Limited, Air Sea Delivery Limited and Sea Schedule Systems Limited, belonging to some of the defendants and diverted for personal use under the pretext of using the said money for clearing of imported items for NAMA.” The case was adjourned to June 13 and 14, 2019 for continuation of trial.

You are patently wrong, BMO tells Governor Yari …Says, alarm on fresh recession misguided

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he Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has joined the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (NCCI) to debunk the statement credited to Governor of Zamfara State at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum that the governors should brace up for another recession in 2020.

BMO, in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, recalled that the CBN had assured Nigerians that there are no indicators suggesting an oncoming recession, and that the alarm raised by Yari who is chairman of the Governors’ forum is patently wrong and misguided.

“Nigerians should dismiss the false alarm raised by Governor Yari because the Buhari administration runs the Nigerian economy on an economic template of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) with a robust roadmap towards sustainable growth.

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when there is a tight monetary policy which has seen an increase in the nation’s foreign Reserves to $44.3 billion dollars from $22 billion dollars left by the PDP administration?

“How can Nigeria slip back into reces-

sion when there are deliberate attempts at revamping Nigeria’s rail system, deepening road networks and giving facelifts to airports across the country?

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when reforms like Treasury Single Account (TSA) have been actively pursued to cut down on the leakages from the public treasury?

“How can Nigeria slip back into recession when the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund (NSWF) managed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) grew by $350 million?

“Despite concerns,” the group added, “Nigeria’s Central Bank forecast shows that the country’s GDP will record a sustained growth trajectory from its present 1.9% to 3% in 2019 and attain the single digit inflation target encapsulated in the ERGP. “Yes, Nigeria’s population growth currently outpaces Nigeria’s economic growth of 3.2% year on year with the population rising higher than the country’s GDP growth forecast of 3% for the year 2019. But then, Nigeria, after exiting recession in 2016, has shown growth potentials from policies targeted at diversifying the economy, to courting foreign direct investments (FDI) and

reducing inflation rate from a high 18% to a manageable 11.2%. The country has also improved per capita income, consumer price and manufacturing index,” the group added.

The pro-Buhari group noted that the CBN recently issued five new banking licenses which is a testimony to the viability of the economy. The consequences of home-grown fiscal and monetary policies have created an enabling environment for risk takers to source capital locally to acquire the banking licenses.

“What Nigerians stand to gain from new banks operating either regionally or nationally include access to credit for small and medium enterprises and jobs for the pool of Nigerians in the labour market.”

According to BMO, the indicators are easily verifiable; there is a deliberate policy direction to lift more Nigerians out of poverty, it is evident from the impact assessment and independent report of the administration’s social investment programmes (SIP) that have touched 13 million Nigerians across the youth, women, and children demography.

The group described as shocking “that some leaders would offer comments based on unverified reports and lacking insight as well as background information.”

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BDSUNDAY 31

‘How I meet clothing needs of people through my online store’ AJIDAGBA OMOTOKE OLABISI is the founder and CEO of CRÈME by Toke Lagos, an online clothing store that deals in made-in-Nigeria outfits. Designed, sourced and tailored by the brand. In this interview with JONATHAN ADEROJU, she speaks about her passion, how she started, among others. Excerpts:

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an you tell us about yourself and your business?

I am Ajidagba Omotoke Olabisi, a graduate of social work of the University of Lagos. I am the founder and CEO of CRÈME by Toke Lagos.

My company is an online clothing store, we source for fabrics and design into beautiful wears for people. We are people who believe in made-in-Nigeria products so as to improve our economy and bring about employment for Nigerian Youths.

My business focuses on meeting the need of clothing in the country, as clothing is part of the basic needs of every human.

We are always at the beck and call of our customers; you really do not need to see us before you get satisfaction; all you need to do is make an order and viola, it is at your doorstep.

ness, especially during recession?

Basically, it’s been God. His grace has been what has been helping. I’m also really grateful for the customers I have. And times I don’t even get orders, it pushes me to do better and try to upgrade and work harder. And also my ever-trusted clients who stuck with me during the recession it really got me pushing on. This is because I strongly believe in Nigeria.

What plans do you have to expand your business?

I have lots of plans. The first is on getting a physical store in a nice location so people can also walk in and see the clothes in the store.

They would also be able to fit them before buying. I also plan on going to fashion school so I would be able to create extra creative designs that my customers would love. I also look forward to doing runway fashion shows to help boost my brand.

When was your business founded?

I have been in this business for over six years, assisting others who are into the business too.

I was gaining a lot of experience during that period even if I was not getting some money from it by then; I knew I would get there someday.

So, I started the business officially on the 2nd of June, 2018. Although I had always wanted to start earlier but I didn’t get the push until May, 2018 when I decided it was time to start.

What is the inspiration behind this business?

I would say I am a fashion lover. I have always had an interest in going into fashion (clothing) to be precise. I was in a fashion school in 2014 but I didn’t complete my training because I gained admission into the university that year and I didn’t go back because I really did not know how I was going to mix my academic studies with something else. That was one of the reasons I started my business in my final year.

Most times, I move around and see the way people mix the kind of dresses they put on for outings; sometimes it is unpleasant to the eyes.

I said to myself ‘TOKE’, what makes you think you cannot do something to help people dress better. By this time the hunger to push my fashion sense into play started coming.

When my friends want to go out they also come to me for dress advice and I give them a perfect look that makes people talk about their outfit all day.

That began to give me the inspiration to have a clothing store and help support people to look good.

What was your initial start-up capital and how were you able to raise the fund?

Hmm; this is a serious question. Well, according to my calculations, I would say about N130, 000. This includes the fabrics for the first designs I came up with, my graphics, cloth labels, paper bags and business cards, and a few other things.

I was able to raise this money from my personal savings; I went hungry most times because I wanted to achieve my dreams. I had to cut my expenses. Today, the hunger has paid off.

How will you evaluate your business growth since you started?

Honestly, it has not been easy. There are bad days. There are even times I might not get any order in a week but I don’t get discouraged.

That alone pushes me to do better and so far,

Ajidagba Omotoke Olabisi

it’s been great especially when people have good reviews about what they ordered for, that makes me really happy. The support has been great so far and I have God to thank for that.

When I started I was getting like 5 to 6 orders in a month, but today in the past few months I can boldly say I receive nothing less than 40 to 50 orders a month; that I will say is a tremendous growth in my business.

Do you have employees?

Well, I won’t say employees per say. I have a co-creative director who helps come up with designs as well. His name is Kitan, he was my course mate and he is a fashion illustrator; so we usually come up with ideas most times and he’s really good at what he does. I don’t pay him like a salary or something but I always appreciate his work for me with a little token. By the time my business grows properly by God’s grace, I’d definitely start paying him what he truly deserves. Also, I have a tailor that works for me, I give her my designs, and she sews them. I pay for those services so I won’t say she’s my employee, I rather call them my business partners. I plan on going back to fashion school though so I would start making the clothes myself. I would definitely have proper employees if I get a physical store to add to the online store.

your business?

Of course, if everybody is asked same question they will definitely say finance, I am no exception. The major challenge any small business owner faces is usually finance. It is a fact that finance helps build the business. There are so many ways I can expand my business but finance is always a barrier sometimes. Expansions like getting a physical store here in Lagos. We all know how costly rent is in Lagos.

Coming up with a great and creative collection requires great minds and having this persons in your team all require proper finances.

How can the government address some of these challenges?

I can say that Nigeria is one of the countries that have a lot of entrepreneurs. We graduate from the university but we end up setting a personal business due to the massive unemployment rate we have in the country. In countries like Australia, United States, and so on, the government helps with financial aids. The government should try to create funding and support programmes that would help starting and already started businesses to grow further.

That way we will gradually begin to diversify from the oil means of boosting economy and attracting more investors into the country.

Where do you source your raw material from?

I get my fabrics from the renowned Yaba market in Lagos. I have a supplier there and sometimes I go there myself to source for the fabric. I like to feel them and see them by myself before buying because the choice of fabrics really matters and seeing them by me also inspires the designs I come up with sometimes.

What do you do differently in this field that makes you and your products/services stand out?

Unlike some other ‘clothing brands’ we have online, we make our dresses ourselves. We also sell t-shirts with designs created by our brand. All the clothes have the ‘CRÈME by Toke Lagos’ labelled on it. Everything we produce is our creation, our brand, our designs. I decided to do this because I wanted to create something unique and that helps me interpret my love for fashion in my own way.

What are some of the challenges confronting

How have you been able to sustain your busi-

What advice can you give to other entrepreneurs?

First of all, never give up on whatever it is you are doing. Do not be discouraged especially at the start of the business. You would expect so many supports especially from people you know really well and trust me; most times you won’t get that support. I once read something where someone said she got to her restaurant and it was so full and she didn’t personally know any of the customers and she was really happy about that because it means they’ve been doing something right. So just pray for your business to be known to the world and not just people you know personally. Consistency is also key as well. God should be put first in everything you do as well.

Who is your mentor?

Kika and Chioma (owners of Good Hair Ltd and Brass and Copper Restaurant). Their business sense is really impressive and enviable. Also, I pick one or two things from every entrepreneur I know as well.

What are your life values?

I believe in consistency, loyalty, honesty, reliability, belief in God, family is important, motivation, passion and education. I find all of this important and I try to input them in my everyday life.

Do you attend trainings or workshops?

Yes of course, I attend a lot when I have the opportunity; I attended when I was in school. It was workshop/training that was organised by GTBank and Mrs Lanre Dasilva Ajayi took the fashion class. I usually register for them though but things always come up on the dates they’re being held so I usually miss them. I’ll definitely try going for them more often though.

Do you have any certification regarding your business?

Yes of course. In Nigeria or any part of the world, no one would like to do a deal with a company that is not registered. I registered my business in November 2018.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I see my brand being known globally. I definitely would have expanded really well and definitely gone internationally because I’m working really hard towards that. I believe God would make that happen

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EquityMarket

Healthcare, tourism post unimpressive Q1 results as profits decline to N156bn Stories by TELIAT SULE

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he combined profit after tax of 46 companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange fell by 7.78 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2019, a development that analysts, researchers and other stakeholders have attributed to the current bearish runs in the market. The decline in profit after tax was more prominent among the firms listed in tourism and hospitality as well as in healthcare sub sector.

The analysis which covered 46 firms featured five stocks from the banking sub sector; two cement firms; three conglomerates; six in food and beverages sub sector; five in healthcare; nine insurance and re-insurance firms; three in IT; four manufacturing firms; five oil and gas; four from tourism & hospitality business, and paints and chemicals; as well as two from the transport sub sector.

The combined gross revenue of the 46 firms rose by 8.47 percent within the period to N1.28 trillion at the end of March 2019 as against N1.19 trillion realised in similar period in 2018. Finance costs for the coverage firms increased by 3.66 percent to N32.75 billion up from N31.59 billion during the reference period.

Meanwhile tax payment declined by 23.07 percent from N66.56 billion same period last year to N51.20 billion by March 2019. Profit after tax (PAT) for the coverage firms declined by 7.76 percent from N169.33 billion in March 2018 to N156.19 billion

by March 2019.

Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) recorded the highest revenue growth of 219 percent among the firms covered in the analysis as demand for its products saw its revenue for the period rise to N16.89 billion from N5.29 billion during the reference period. It was followed by Julius Berger and E-Tranzact which grew their revenue by 78.13 percent and 68.27 percent respec-

tively. On the contrary, Okomu Oil, Premier Paints, SUNU Insurance recorded decline in revenue in the first quarter of this year.

Eterna , CWG , Fidson and AXA Mansard paid the highest finance costs during the current period compared with 2018. Eterna paid N293.6 million as finance cost in the first quarter of 2019, higher than N116.45 million in 2018 by 152.13 percent. CWG paid N24.21 million as finance cost representing an increase of 142.64 percent over N9.98 million it paid in the first three months of 2018. Similarly, Fidson Healthcare paid N393.32 million as finance cost in the first three months of this year, amounting to an increase of 57.34 percent over

N249.99 million same firms paid in similar period in 2018.

Cadbury Nigeria and CWG gave shareholders hope which 2,200 percent and 1,121 percent increase in the profit after tax respectively. Cadbury Nigeria’s PAT rose to N506.75 million up from N22.03 million in corresponding period in 2018. CWG’s PAT increased to N48.81 million from N4 million in similar period in 2018. The share price of Cadbury ended the week at N11.80 per share representing 18 percent YTD increase, whereas at N2.54 per share, CWG remained unchanged YTD. Meanwhile, our coverage firms in the healthcare sub sector include Ekocorp, Fidson, GlaxoS-

mithKline (GSK), May & Baker and Union Diagnostics, and all of the reported a decline in profit after tax at the end of the first quarter. Ekocorp continues to reel in losses as it posted a loss after tax of N53.92 million which was a bit lower than loss after tax of N66.18 million at the end of q1 2018.

With a profit after tax of N144.89 million, Fidson Healthcare’s Q1 bottom line was lower than its corresponding period of N202.80 million by 28.55 percent.

GSK posted a PAT of N102.44 million which was a 60.34 percent decline when compared with N258.29 million made same period last year.

May and Baker recorded a PAT of N133.59 million in the first

quarter of 2019, lower by 66.98 percent when compared with N404.57 million it realised in the first quarter of last year. And Union Diagnostics’ PAT for the first quarter of 2019 fell by 67.56 percent from N101.21 million last year to N32.83 million this year.

Analysts and stakeholders in the market have attributed the bearish run in the nation’s capital market to flat results reported by most companies at the end of the quarter. “ Q1 earnings have been a mix bag. Whilst companies like UBA, Access and CNN showed strong growth in top and bottom lines, others reported flat and or negative performance. Hence, it may be right to partly attribute the broadly bearish market to the relatively weak Q1 earnings.

“Albeit, investors are on the sideline ahead of the announcement of new cabinet and leadership of monetary authority, particularly as such appointments may have notable influence on monetary and fiscal policies, going forward. For instance, the orientation and policy drive of the CBN Governor can potentially influence monetary policy around exchange rate management, which remains the domino variable for the market”, said Abiola Razaq, head investor’s relations, the United Bank for Africa.

Furthermore, companies listed in the tourism and hospitality sub sector recorded decline in profit after tax. Ikeja Hotels’ PAT fell by 42 percent; Capital Hotel recoded 46 percent decline in the same metric; Transcorp Hotels’ PAT fell by 50 percent while that of the Tourist Company of Nigeria ended in a loss for the quarter.

‘The unimpressive earnings across stocks in most sectors have been a major drag on the market sentiment in this period.

Despite analysts’ predictions and expectation for a market rebound after Q1 2019, the recent companies’ performance, especially when you look at the heavyweights in the market, have made us changed our outlook”, said Chinonye Nnewuihe, senior analyst with Meristem Securities.

Forte Oil enters into share sale and purchase agreement with Calvados

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he management of Forte Oil Plc has notified the authorities of the Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE) that it has entered into a share sale and purchase agreement with Calvados Global Services Limited in line with its Amperion divestment.

According to Forte Oil, this step was taken towards the divest-

ment from and sale of its shares in Amperion Power Distribution Company Limited.

In addition, Forte Oil has equally entered into a share sale and purchase agreement with Gbonka Oil and Gas Limited in relation to its divestment from and sale of shares in Forte Upstream Services limited.

“ That the Amperion Divestment and the Forte Upstream Divestment are subject to the fulfilment of relevant conditions as specified in the respective share sale and purchase agreement including obtaining relevant contractual and regulatory approval, and that the company has concluded the divestment from

the sale of its shares in AP Oil and Gas Ghana Limited to Cobalt International Services Ghana Limited”, a notice signed by Akinleye Olagbende, Forte Oil’s general counsel ,stated.

On December 24 2018, Forte Oil notified all its stakeholders through the Nigerian Stock Exchange that its majority share-

holder, Femi Otedola, reached an agreement with Prudent Energy team to divest of his full 75 percent direct and indirect shareholding in the company’s downstream business. According to the notice, Otedola took that decision to explore and maximize business opportunities in refining and petrochemicals business.

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Perspective

Lifting the Nigerian youth: The Ejike Ugboaja Foundation approach CHIGACHI EKE Email: chigachieke@yahoo.co.uk

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madou Gallo Fall is an empire builder. Upon attaining success as student-athlete in far-away America he did what real greats are known for: He bent low to lift the Senegalese youths from the dust of defeat. His weapon is the Sports for Educational and Economic Development (SEED) project. Since 1998 when he established this basketball academy, hundreds of young persons have attained unassailable heights in education, playing basketball in America.

By contrast, it was frustration for Nigerian teenagers desirous of education, playing basketball in the West. All that dramatically changed the day Christopher Ejike Ugboaja was drafted “directly” into the American National Basketball Association, NBA, to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fame and fortune beckoned but his heart remained in Nigeria. The talents wasting back home made him restless and he decided to do something.

Like Gallo Fall, Ugboaja understood challenge and response.

The Nigerian youth, especially that vulnerable group called sportsmen, must be timely supported to achieve their envisaged dreams.

What he did was to fund his own Ejike Ugboaja Foundation, a charity organisation committed to youth education through sports. That was in 2006, the very year the Cavaliers recruited him.

Born 1985 in Kaduna, Ugboaja grew up in poverty. Lea Primary School Tudun Wada gave him his initial education. Next, Government College Kaduna accepted him as a Junior Secondary School student.

As an inward looking teen, his mind was settled for basketball, which he gave his best. He rose through the ranks by dint of hard work and good character to represent his fatherland in international basketball engagements. At sixteen, he played for Nigeria in the world cup; repeating the feat at eighteen and twenty-one. He also played in the 2012 Olympic and Commonwealth Games in Argentina.

Since inception, the Ejike Ugboaja Foundation has sponsored130 Nigerian youths to realise their dream of world-class education in America through sports.

Its vehicle is the annual Basketball Summer Camp. By rotating its camp round the six geo-political regions, the organisation ensures that youths in every part of this great country are carried along.

Apart from basketball, the foundation invests heavily in youths keen in playing American football.

It is telling that a disproportionate number of female athletes showed up at the 2018 camp that took place in the University of Lagos Sports Complex. By bringing in Mfon Udoka, former Women National Basket Association (WNBA), to mentor them, the organisation demonstrated its core value as

Ejike Foundation giving equal opportunity to teen girls. In the words of Ugboaja, “The foundation is not gender biased even though the girl child continues to receive the highest attention in our programmes.”

The 2019 Ejike Ugboaja Foundation Basketball Summer Camp comes up from May 5th to 10th.

Venue is the National Stadium, Lagos. Successful youths who excel in athletic abilities with good academic results will be offered scholarships to study in America while playing basketball and American football.

Interested young persons should consult ejikefoundation.org.

Victims or victimisers Ugboaja’s immense effort contrasts with the less than salutary contribution of the Nigerian state to youth development. Abuja disputes the just released figure by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), putting the Nigerian population at 201 million; young persons constitute the overwhelming majority. One is forgiven mistaking Abuja as Pater Remotus too remote as a father to appreciate its burgeoning progeny. The Federal Government’s incredulity must be weighed against the lofty achievement of certain non-state actors who correctly read the red light long ago and are doing something.

Special commendation goes to the Ejike Ugboaja Foundation, MTN Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Rotimi Amaechi Centre for Empowerment (RACE), The Albino Foundation, etc. Thousands of youths who could have completely missed out are given a second chance by these organisations to garner tertiary education and special skills. Yet, not minding the milestones recorded by these associations, the fate of our young persons remains abysmal.

In April 2019 alone, five Nigerian youths allegedly hatched a robbery in far-away Dubai. As their mug

shots were flashed by satellite televisions there was not aself-respecting Nigerian who did not feel humiliated. In the US nine Nigerian youths were apprehended by the FBI for alleged wire fraud. And in South Africa, a Nigerian youth pumped two bullets into the head of another Nigerian killing him on the spot.

Back home in Choba, Rivers State, three youths were beheaded by rival cult members. Still in the same Rivers, stolen phones were openly exchanged for Tramadol at Hotel Presidential Junction in broad daylight. At the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, three male undergraduates died while their female partner survived a Tramadol-induced sex orgy.

The above is also true of events last year. Nine youths were in June 2018 cut down in their prime following a renewed cult war in Yenagoa.

The same number died within the same period in Cross River State when two cult groups clashed. In Abia State, desperation drove a teen mother into selling her baby.

The gory tales of young Nigerians, whether at home or in the Diaspora, must prick the conscience of any fair-minded person.

The question must be asked: Are the youth victims or victimisers? In other words, how culpable are they

...Nine youths were in June 2018 cut down in their prime following a renewed cult war in Yenagoa. The same number died within the same period in Cross River State when two cult groups clashed

in their own defeat? To answer this question we must look at what the statistics are saying. A 2018 United Nations, UN, report on illegal migration details that of the 37,000 Nigerians who tried crossing the desert to Europe in 2016, 68percent of them constituted of young graduates.

The remaining 32percent was still young persons, some as young as fifteen. A June 2018 media report was not dissimilar: 186 youths fleeing poverty and violence in Nigeria were deported back. Of this number 99 were female below 25 years of age, 75 male and 12 children.

A forensic interpretation of the above shows that (1) The girl child is a sought-after “commodity” by criminal gangs involved in human trafficking (2) Wrong values, rather than poverty, are a strong factor in crimes associated with young persons, and (3) Crimes associated with young persons, like phone snatching, kidnapping and cultism, peaked with the advent of betting shops and sports gambling.

Steve Biko argues that to be a victimizer, one must be in a position of power. In other words, you can never victimise someone stronger than you. We now ask, how many offices in Abuja are manned by young persons? None. On the contrary, it is the adult, who calls the shot. Therefore, those who control the national and state budgets cannot escape the blame for what is happening to the youth today as they could do things differently to help this vulnerable group.

Solution must cover home and away. The South East governors should build Igbo markets or shopping centres in the Diaspora, especially in South Africa, as a way of helping young Igbos go legitimate.

The Nigerian problem in South Africa is an Igbo problem. I was secretary to the Smart Okeugiri-led 2009 Presidential Panel constituted

by Chief Baldwin Obasi, President

of Ohaneze Ndigbo South Africa, to look into the Igbo problem. Our recommendations are contained in ‘Igbo Lives in South Africa,’ Google.

You can also, see ‘Investing in Igbo Economy in the Diaspora.’

Many Igbos sell hard drugs in South Africa. But Yoruba boys, understandably not all, do not sell drugs. Their specialty is fraud and Pretoria is their headquarters. We wail when a Nigerian is killed by South Africans. But who cries when South African secondary school students are killed by lethal drugs sold them by Nigerians? Who suffers when South Africans take their own lives having been cleaned out by Nigerian fraudsters? Build Igbo/Nigerian markets in America, France, Dubai, Botswana, etc; as a necessary step in curbing crimes among our expatriate communities. China and India did same for their citizens who prospered.

As long as home solution is concerned, nothing short of national emergency will do. President Muhammadu Buhari truly means well for young Nigerians. He must now find a way to deal directly with them without passing through faceless consultants. Where are the billions he released as agricultural loans for young farmers? From January to December, one consultant to another and pillar to post; commercials bank managers and their consultants dissipated the fund.

One intellectual with practical understanding of causative effect is the Ijaw nationalist called Arc. Esoetok Ikpong Ikpong Etteh Snr. On the dangers of not training restive Niger Delta youths, he warned, “If we develop infrastructure without developing the youth, these youths will destroy the infrastructure we so cherished.”

The Ejike Ugboaja Foundation is developing the youth and saving us from a morbid destruction predicted by no less a thinker than the eminent Arc. Etteh Snr.

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Health&Science Household dust may be contributing to childhood obesity epidemic

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ew research has found that chemicals found in household dust may promote fat cell development and contribute to increased weight gain in children.

The researchers observed endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in dust particles accumulated in fat cells, causing them to fill up with triglycerides and forcing more fat cells to be created.

“This is some of the first research investigating links between exposure to chemical mixtures present in the indoor environment and metabolic health of children living in those homes.” Christopher Kassotis, Lead Researcher.

The findings were recently presented at ENDO 2019, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.

EDCs, which disrupt or mimic body hormones, are known to affect reproductive, neurologic and immunologic functions, but preclinical studies have also suggested that early exposure to the chemicals can promote triglycer-

ide accumulation and weight gain.

The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that children inhale, ingest or absorb between 60 and 100 milligrams of dust each day.

Study author Heather Stapelton says the current study found that “amounts of dust as low as 3 micrograms - well below the mass

of dust that children are exposed to daily - caused measurable effects.”

The effects were ‘irreversible’ For the research, Stapelton and colleagues extracted chemicals from 194 dust samples collected from 11 households in North Carolina and tested them for their ability to promote fat cell

development.

The extracts were placed alongside a pre-adipocyte mouse cell model that has long been used to test substances for their potential effects on triglyceride accumulation.

As reported in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, very low amounts of the

extracts promoted precursor fat cell proliferation and seven of the samples triggered pre-adipocytes to mature into fat cells.

Furthermore, once the process begins, it cannot be reversed and once the fat cells reach a certain size, more new fat cells start to develop.

“This suggests that the mixture of these chemicals in house dust is promoting the accumulation of triglycerides and fat cells,” says Stapelton.

EDCs could be linked to childhood obesity The team found that several of the dust EDCs were significantly elevated in the households of children who were overweight or obese.

Now, the researchers will continue to investigate the chemicals, some of which are commonly found in products such as detergents, paints and cosmetics, to establish which of them may be associated with weight gain and obesity.

• Culled from News Medical LifeScience.

ExxonMobil commits $5.7m to continue Ogun solicits support against child killer supporting fight against malaria RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta

ANTHONIA OBOKOH

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xxonMobil said today that it is committing $5.7 million in support for local and global organizations working to eliminate malaria around the world.

This year’s grants, announced in conjunction with World Malaria Day, will continue the company’s nearly 20year effort to reduce the global burden of malaria, a disease that still causes an estimated 435,000 deaths annually despite being preventable, treatable and curable.

ExxonMobil’s malaria initiative has worked to advance progress against malaria though partnerships focused on developing the next generation of global health leaders and building health system capacity by supporting education and improving access to tools for malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

“We focus our attention on local and global organizations that deliver health services and supplies directly to affected communities,” said Kevin Murphy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. “While great

progress continues to be made in saving lives from malaria around the world, important work remains to prevent the disease’s resurgence.”

ExxonMobil works with partners in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Nigeria and Papua New Guinea to identify and promote solutions to fight the disease. Activities and public events planned in those countries to commemorate World Malaria Day include voluntary testing and counseling sessions, mosquito net distribution, community events and public awareness campaigns.

2019 grant recipients include ADPP Angola, Africare, Baylor College of Medicine, Corporate Alliance on Malaria

in Africa (CAMA), Friends of the Global Fight, Grassroot Soccer, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Jhpiego, Malaria No More, PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, Seed Global Health, Special Olympics, Tchova Tchova, ExxonMobil Global Health Scholars at the University of Oxford and Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN).

Since 2000, ExxonMobil has invested a total of $170 million, supporting the delivery of 15 million bed nets to prevent mosquito bites, the administration of 5 million antimalarial treatments and the distribution of 3.9 million rapid diagnostic kits. The company has also supported the training of 700,000 health workers.

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s part of efforts to increase acceptance and uptake of immunization, the Ogun State Government has called on parents, caregivers, religious and community leaders to embrace vaccination in order to prevent child killer diseases.

Elijah Ogunsola, Physician and Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, made the call during a health talk to Mark the 2019 African Vaccination Week with the theme, “Protected Together: Vaccines Work”, held at Oke Ilewo Health Centre in Abeokuta, the State capital on Thursday.

Ogunsola said the essence of the week was to call on the attention of parents, caregivers, religious and community leaders on the need to work together and ensure that all children between ages of 0 and 5 are immunized, saying unvaccinated children were a potential danger to the health of others as they could still be infected with preventable diseases.

He noted that according to National Health Information Survey, the state had a marked reduction in under five deaths compared to other years, adding that the state had not recorded

any vaccine preventable diseases such as Yellow Fever, Measles, Tuberculosis, among others.

In his address, the Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organization (WHO), Matshidiso Moeti represented by the State Coordinator (WHO), Sunday Abidoye underscored the need for increased human and financial investment in immunization as a fundamental part of strengthening primary healthcare system, stressing that vaccines were one of the most effective public health interventions available.

He emphasised that there was the need to move from commitment to action by increasing domestic investment in immunization and strengthening access to vaccines in hard to reach areas and communities, charging all stakeholders to keep immunization on their agenda.

The duo of the State Coordinator, National Primary Health Care Agency and the State Immunization Officer, Olatunde Adebiyi and Suraj Olayinka respectively, noted that some diseases conditions were better prevented through immunization, advising parents and caregivers to give priority to the vaccination of their children and wards.

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BDSUNDAY 35

TheWorshippers All glory must be to God - Odedeji, Johnson, Kolawole ...As All Saints Ikosi marks 40th anniversary SEYI JOHN SALAU

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he Bishop of Lagos West Diocese, Church of Nigerian, Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. James Olusola Odedeji, has said that the 40th anniversary of All Saints’ Parish Church calls for a joyful noise to the Lord, just like the expression of the Psalmist.

“As your bishop therefore, we are so much delighted to be part of this epoch making event,” he said in a goodwill message to the parishioners of the church.

All Saints’ Anglican Church Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos started to exist on 11 March, 1979. It turned 40 on March 11, 2019 although officially celebrated last week, Sunday, April 28. The shift of the celebration, according to the anniversary committee, was to allow for the passage of the season of lent into which the anniversary had fallen.

According to Odedeji, history has it that the idea of establishing an Anglican Church around IkosiKetu, was born out of the need to save the newly relocated members of the Anglican Church to Ikosi area the stress of having to travel a long distance to worship on Sundays.

As at the time All Saints’ Parish Church was established, the nearest Churches to the people of Ikosi-Ketu were at Lagos Island, Ikeja, Ebute-Metta, Yaba, Surulere, Mushin and Agege. However, the newly constructed Lagos-Ibadan express road attracted relocation to Ikosi-Ketu axis then.

“The idea that was muted like a mustard seed by thirteen members, who pulled their resources together to build a temporary structure, far back in April 1978, has today become a giant oak tree, to the glory of God. Our parish has today doubled as an Archdeaconry seat,” Odedeji said.

Speaking with BDSUNDAY, Ariire Ayo Kolawole, the Vicar/ Archdeacon of All Saints Parish

Rt. Revd. Samuel Oludele Ogundeji- Bishop of Egba West Diocese; Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji, Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West and Rt. Revd. Akinpelu Babatunde Johnson, the Lord Bishop of Lagos Mainland, at the 40th anniversary of All Saints’ Parish Church, Ikosi-Ketu and 6th enthronement of Bishop Odedeji in Lagos

L-R: Mogaji Olukayode Taiwo; Ven. Ariire Ayo Kolawole, Vicar/Archdeacon of Ikosi Archdeaconry and Otunba Yemi Odutayo tossing to the 40th anniversary of All Saints’ Parish Church, Ikosi-Ketu

Church, Ikosi-Ketu, said the 40th anniversary celebration is very significant and symbolic to the life of the church because ‘number 40’ is divine. According to him, the children of Israel walked in the wilderness for 40 years before crossing over into the Promised Land. “It is also important to put on record that battles were fought and wall of Jericho had to be brought down to possess the Promised Land. But in all, God proved himself by providing for their needs, protected them and granted them victory,” Kolawole said.

The Vicar opined that the church no doubt, must also have its own wilderness experiences to share.

According to him, “The church found it expedient to show her heartfelt gratitude to God for his wonderful works. His undividing love and glory that continually radiate and hover over the church.

We bless the name of the Lord and thank every individual God has used at one time or the other to sustain this God’s glory in our midst.”

Akinpelu Babatunde Johnson, the bishop of Lagos Mainland, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, earlier in his sermon urged the congregants to continually seek God just as the Israelites did in the wilderness.

“As believers, we have to continue to grow until God’s faithfulness and goodness comes upon us,” Johnson said, stating that “the story of your journey for 40 years is that God has been with you”.

Adesina Sanni, one of the parishioners of the church while speaking on his experience said: “One of the things that comes to mind very often is the transformation of the church; how it started small and became a reference point because the church is known for its ‘banner’, which is for evangelism to other churches”.

Expressing his views on the youth ministry, Sanni said: “The youth ministry started very strong, along the line there was a little bit of decline. We thank God for today, especially under the present leadership things have gradually started to look up. I have been in the church ever since and am still in the church and thank God for his glory in my life, and we encourage all others that have left for different reasons to please come back – things have really challenged”.

The anniversary committee of the church in a statement said the first 40 years of the existence of the church is comparable to the 40 years it took the children of Israel to worship God in the desert on their way to the Promised Land after escaping from Egypt. According to the committee, the history of All Saints’ Anglican Church, Ikosi-Ketu shows that God has a special plan for the church on its 40th anniversary in the same way He did for the Israelites.

“The celebration of the 40th anniversary of our church is therefore, the congregation’s recognition that we have, in the past 40 years, had fellowship with the God of exodus who is still the same today; a God who has specially planned and established our church in a strategic location at the ‘toll-gate’ axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and thereby ‘placed before it an open door of opportunity that no one can shut.

“Our own promised land is now the new creation and the new heaven promised by our Lord Jesus Christ. As God has used Moses, Joshua, Caleb and other leaders to mentor the Israelites during their 40 years of desert wondering to reach the Promised Land, so he has used our Bishops, Vicars, Priests and other leaders to mentor our church during these past 40 years, and our hearts are full of gratitude that the God of Exodus is still the same today,” the anniversary committee said.

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TheWorshippers The cross of Jesus; A gift card available to all

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he Cross of Jesus Christ as a gift card reminds me of an experience I had a while back during my vacation in the United States of America. Someone gave me a gift card saying that I could go and pick items at a particular store to the limit of the card. Out of an abundance of caution that I could get embarrassed for using the card, I simply kept the card without using it for a long time. Indeed, I thought I was being trapped into a discount deal. To my mind, I would get to the store, pick the things I want and most likely be told to still pay, albeit at a reduced cost.

After more than six months, the person who gave me the card asked if I had used it. I told him that I refused to take up the offer because I truly did not believe it was possible. After much persuasion, I decided to go to the store although worried. On arriving at the store, I cautiously asked if it was true that I could pick whatever I liked from the attendant.

To my surprise, I really could take whatever I wanted as far as the

gift card covered the cost.

The cross of Jesus Christ is symbolic to our faith. Had it not been for the fact that Jesus went

to the Cross of Calvary for our sakes, we would not have Christianity today. It was on the cross that Jesus shed the precious blood

Catholic Sisters United marks silver jubilee

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he Society of Catholic Sisters United in Christ is 25 years having evolved from St. Agnes Maryland Lagos in 1994 and has now spread to over 50 Parishes across 11 Dioceses in Lagos, Abuja, Warri, Abeokuta, Bayelsa and Asaba.

With the aim of promoting spiritual growth, fostering sisterhood, inculcating leadership and giving support for the Church and the community at large, the Society embraces ladies between the ages of 25 to 45 years.

Chiddy Ibiam, the national publicity secretary, said the climax

of the Silver Jubilee celebrations themed “Building a New Standards of Hope” will be the conferment of awards and recognition of sisters who have in various ways contributed immensely to the growth and success story that is being told today.

She confirmed that Ngozi Agboegbulem, the national president is excited at the week-long event in Abuja which will end with a thanksgiving Mass on Sunday, 12 May, to herald three core activities.

These are the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM), election of

new national officers that will pilot the affairs of the society in the next two years, and the 25th anniversary celebrations as the grand finale, planned to hold on Saturday May 11, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja.

All roads lead to Abuja come May 7, as the sisters are gearing up to be part of this great celebration. Some of the activities lined up for the anniversary include charity visit to Jabi School for the Blind, courtesy visit to the Bishop of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, excursion and mountain climbing.

Pilgrimage: NCPC to build N559m camps in Nigeria, Israel Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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he Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has said that as part of the improvement in its pilgrimage activities, it will set up pilgrims’ camps in Nigeria and Israel with N559 million budgeted for the Commission to build these projects by the federal government in 2018.

The Executive Secretary of the NCPC, Tor Uja, made this known during a thanks giving service organised by the Commission to mark the success of the 2018 pilgrimage, held on Sunday at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David Worship Center, Abuja.

He noted that the camps will be built in May this year, adding that they will provide the pilgrims with the faclilities that will make the exercise enjoyable. Uja said further that his vision for the 2019 pilgrimage was to build virtues of

good leadership and productive development among Nigerians to help exploit the potentials of the country to enhance its economy.

He stressed that his vision is also to move pilgrimage from too much government into a more privatedriven enterprise even as he called on Nigerian Christians to invest in pilgrimage either by sponsoring somebody or sponsoring a group or some of the pilgrimage activities as government may no longer subsidize pilgrimage from this year.

Tor Uja in a statement on Monday intimated that 2018 came with so much difficulties and challenges, but God saw the Commission through it all and gave NCPC the best pilgrimage ever.

According to him, “despite the Challenges we faced as a Commission we had the best pilgrimage ever and ended the pilgrimage with surplus.” He added “no live was lost and every activity of the Commission in 2018 recorded a huge success”. He thanked the Staff of the Commis-

sion for standing with him in 2018.

He stated that Nigeria is the only country that goes on pilgrimage to the State of Israel and holds prayer convocations yearly. In his words, “I want us to build a prayer convocation ground, through this prayer convocation ground, the whole world will know that the Church in Nigeria is alive”.

He further informed that the Commission has registered over 120 Christian Pilgrimage Operators (CPOs). He challenged the northern Christians to set up CPOs and take up their responsibility so that they can own the land and endear people’s attention to the north.

The NCPC helmsman said that the major goal of the Commission is that Christ should be at the center of pilgrimage and to use pilgrimage activities to preach the gospel in Nigeria and the world at large.

According to him, “we want our pilgrimage to be such that everyone who goes on pilgrimage should have an encounter with Christ.”

that atoned for the sins of the world once and for all. The gift of salvation that appeared to all men was given on the cross. This

indeed is the ultimate gift that guarantees forgiveness of sins, access to God and the inheritance of faith to everyone who chooses to believe.

How amazing is it that we have a gift card through the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross! Even more glorious is the truth that this gift card has no price limit. Your salvation is fully paid. Jesus paid the full price.

Our faith is the gift card we must present at the store of life to make guaranteed purchases for free.

The benefits of accepting that the work Jesus did on the cross are yours are all encompassing.

Health, wealth, peace, righteousness, joy and all the others are available for those who know who they are.

There are many more gift cards waiting to be collected; Jesus actually paid the price for all. The popularisation of the cross of Jesus Christ is for us all to do. Make it a habit to tell others to use their gift cards too.

Be Inspired!

Rev. Yomi Kasali

Christian Aid donates non-food items to 2,100 households in Kaduna, launches contingency plan Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi Kaduna

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hristian Aid, a non-governmental organisation, has handed over nonfood items to the Kaduna State government as a support on the state’s disaster mitigation plans.

While presenting the relief materials to the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA) during the launch of Kaduna State Contingency plan, the Country Manager, Christian Aid Nigeria, Charles Usie disclosed that the contribution is to improve dignity of citizens in Kaduna.

He added that the relief items were estimated to reach about 2,100 households in the state.

The Country Manager, who was represented by the Programme Manager, Governance and Gender, Temitope Fashola said, the contingency plan is an initiative to improve early warning and early response systems to strengthen disaster preparedness in Kaduna State.

According to him, the contingency plan project is to build community resilience and preparation to flooding disaster.

“This intervention is very timely, a big moment for all of us and we are proud about it. We wish we could provide NFIs for more households, but we are sure that working very closely with the state and other groups we will be able to

support more households.

“We cannot stop the rains from falling, but we can reduce the damage caused and lives lost. That is why Christian Aid is taking this step now at this crucial time to support the state government to ensure a reduction of flood in Kaduna State”, he said.

In his address, the Executive

Secretary, SEMA, Ben Kure assured of judicious distribution of the relief materials.

He stressed the need for collective efforts to put an end to the insecurity in the country.

“We must gang up against this evil. Before now, we were one, but suddenly things changed. Politics separated us, and without unity there can never be peace, and without peace there would not be progress,” Ben Kure said.

Earlier, the Programme Officer, Christian Aid, Emmanuel Danjuma explained that 490 blankets, 490 mosquito nets, 450 buckets and 200 mattresses were donated to SEMA.

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37

Zainab Aliyu’s ordeals resonate calls for improved measures to tackling drug trafficking at Nigerian airports IFEOMA OKEKE

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fter putting so much hard work into his spare parts business at ASPAMDA market, Lagos, Chukwuemeka (not real name) still fed from hand to mouth.

The business environment seemed rather hostile for him to break even. Rather than making gains, he discovered he started eating into his capital, then he thought it was time to seek other legitimate means to earn a decent living.

So, it was with excitement and optimism that he received the ‘good’ news that his uncle would love to sponsor him to Indonesia to hustle and earn something reasonable. Being an orphan, he thought this was God’s way of compensating him for his losses.

He had set out for the journey with his luggage, including one given to him by his uncle to help deliver to a friend at Indonesia. Getting to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) with his uncle to bid him farewell, he was met by security agents and at every point his uncle would tip officials with a sum of N1,000 to N3,000, just to ensure his nephew isn’t searched.

At some point, Chukwuemaka had to ask his uncle why he didn’t just allow the security officials search him, rather than waste money at multiple security points, just to avoid search. His uncle grinned,

tapped his shoulders and said, ‘Son, you won’t understand. In any case, I won’t want to stress you at all. It could be tiring having to bring out everything inside your bag just for search purpose.’

After getting through the Lagos airport, Chukwuemeka arrived Indonesia airport. While waiting in the queue to pass through the immigration, his name was called out at the terminal for questioning and he innocently rushed out.

This was where his trouble began. The bag his uncle gave him had methamphetamine and tramadol. There was no amount of explanations Chukwuemeka gave to the security agents that was good enough, as his uncle refused to pick his calls or reply his sms (messages).

With no relatives or friends to testify on his behalf, in less than two weeks, after his arrest, poor Chukwuemeka was tried and sentenced to death by hanging.

This case is not an isolated case as many innocent people have died without knowledge that drugs have been planted in their bags.

Zainab Aliyu’s case The recent case of Zainab Aliyu, a Nigerian student, who some Nigerians at an airport were said to have deliberately planted drugs into a bag tagged with her name without her knowledge, has brought to the fore the evil being perpetrated by some airport staff, ground handlers and airline workers.

Aliyu was arrested in Saudi Arabia

on suspicion of trafficking Tramadol, a banned drug, in December 2018. She claimed it was planted in her luggage by unknown persons.

President Muhammadu Buhari had directed Abubakar Malami, the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to intervene in the case. After four

months, the Federal Government successfully secured the release of Aliyu.

While Aliyu was lucky to have been snatched away from the snare of death, several other innocent Nigerians could not live to tell their own stories. Why Aliyu embraced freedom, there are many other Continues on page 38

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Feature Zainab Aliyu’s ordeals resonate calls for improved....

Continued from page 37

people, who had been condemned and are waiting for the hangman, yet they are innocent.

Recently, Abike Dabiri, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Relations and the Diaspora, had expressed sadness at the execution of Kudirat Adesola Afolabi, a Nigerian lady, in Saudi Arabia after the country’s courts found her guilty of drug trafficking.

Afolabi was executed as a result of an alleged delay by the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the Saudi authorities of an investigation which had established that she was not the owner of the luggage tagged in her name in which the drugs were said to have been discovered.

“We have had cases where truly they didn’t commit the offence. We have appealed to the Saudi Authorities to make the trials fair, open and ensure that justice is done. Even if you are going to die, you will know that you die for an offence you committed,” Dabiri was quoted as saying.

“So, while we appeal to Nigerians going to Saudi Arabia, we know it is tough, obey the laws of the land. Even Kolanut is treated as a drug.

“We have 20 of them in Saudi, this

(Afolabi) is the eighth to be executed and we are hopeful that maybe we will be able to save the others.”

Illegal modes of drug trafficking Drug couriers have continued to deploy new tactics in packaging the drugs to avoid suspicion by officials at the airport.

The illegal mode of taking these drugs out of the country include the use of false bottom, electronics, stocking them inside food stuff and most recently the use of starched cloths.

The drug couriers starch the cloths together with the drugs and if they are successful, they are able to detach the drugs from the starched cloths after processing them.

Explaining the mode of operation of the criminals, Ambrose Umoru, commander of the Aminu Kano International Airport command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said they “usually claim that they have excess luggage. They, therefore, bribe airline baggage handlers to help them tag bags with names of passengers who do not have enough luggage.

“Sometimes, even the airline staff may not know they are being used for drugs but because bribe money is involved, they

do it for them,” Umoru said.

He said travellers should not allow anyone to handle their luggage except such a person has the official mandate to do so.

Top destinations of drug couriers Top destinations of drug couriers arrested include Nigeria, South Africa, Indonesia, DR Congo, India, Mozambique, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Ahmadu Garba, the MMIA Commandant, NDLEA, revealed that 30.14percent of the suspected drug couriers arrested during the year 2018 were coming into Nigeria and the remaining 69.89percent were destined to different countries of the world with 13.70percent of them going to South Africa, which has the highest number.

Garba disclosed that most of the drug deportees came from South Africa with 30percent, Thailand 23.75percent, United States of America (USA) 12.50percent and Ethiopia 10percent.

Airport Authorities respond Following Aliyu’s case, authorities of the Nigerian Airport agencies had adopted fresh measures to deal with the reported incidences of hard drugs found on innocent travellers in foreign countries.

Airlines are now required to design a

document for each of their passengers to sign, stating the number of luggage they are checking in and what they contain.

There will be an increase in the monitoring of airline staff members that are directly or indirectly involved in the checking in of passengers’ luggage.

Also, plans are on the way to dismantle shops in the general area of departure halls which experts say could be used to harbour the hard drugs.

Umoru said that “the agency was determined to put a decisive stop to the criminality of the few who smuggle drugs into and through the airport”.

Number of drugs impounded by NDLEA A recorded a total of 5,377.125kilogramms of drugs impounded at MMIA, Lagos in 2018, representing over 400percent increase.

In 2017, the agency impounded 1,266.400 kilogramms of drugs; however, the number quadrupled in 2018 as a result of the significant increase in the number of tramadol seized at the Lagos airport . https://ecp.yusercontent.com/ mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fssl.gstatic.co m%2Fui%2Fv1%2Ficons%2Fmail%2Fima ges%2Fcleardot.

How FG saved Zainab Aliyu, Ibrahim Abubakar from death in Saudi Arabia Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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he Federal Government has disclosed the intense diplomatic efforts that it initiated to rescue two Nigerians, Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar, who were arrested in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia allegedly on drug-related offense punishable by death in the Kingdom.

Zainab was released on Tuesday while Ibrahim Abubakar was released on Wednesday to the Nigerian authorities in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after enormous efforts by the Federal Government.

A statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friday Akpan, recalled that Zainab Habibu Aliyu was arrested

by Saudi Security Officials on Wednesday 26th December 2018 in a Hotel in Medina. This was following the discovery at the Airport of a bag containing illicit drugs purportedly bearing a tag with her name, while Ibrahim Abubakar, not related to Zainab but travelling on the same aircraft, was also arrested on the same day as Zainab.

“On receipt of the information on the arrest of the two (2) Nigerians, the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah intervened and requested for full investigation to ascertain the innocence

of Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar. Investigations conducted by the Airport Authorities and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano discovered a drug cartel at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano that specialises in planting illicit drugs on innocent travellers without their knowledge.

“It was also discovered that the bag tagged in Zainab’s name was planted by the cartel without her knowledge.

“Following the arrest of members of the cartel, the Federal Government is currently prosecuting the suspects in the Federal High Court, Kano.

The outcome of the investigation and subsequent trial of the suspects confirmed the innocence of the two Nigerians,” the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry noted that the Consulate General of Nigeria in Jeddah, upon instruction from headquarters, therefore, sent series of Diplomatic Notes to the Saudi Foreign Ministry informing the arrest of members of the syndicate in Kano and forwarding the report of the NDLEA investigation and court proceeding.

As a follow-up in Nigeria, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, accompanied by the Director, Air Transport had meetings with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry

President Buhari

of Foreign Affairs on the matter and submitted documents relating to the Kano Airport investigation, NDLEA report and court process.

“These documents were forwarded to the Consulate in Jeddah to further support the innocence of the two Nigerians and also resolve the issue of luggage tag numbers.

Following these efforts, officials in the Consulate secured appointment and met with the Director General of the

Saudi Foreign Ministry, Jeddah Branch and requested him to forward the NDLEA report to all concerned Saudi agencies with a view to releasing Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar.

“All these processes followed were consistent with the usual diplomatic channel of engagement,” the statement added.

To maintain the diplomatic pressure, another Note was sent by our Embassy in Riyadh conveying the same message to the Saudi Authorities. On Friday 26 April 2019, a Note was also sent to both the Saudi Embassy in Abuja and its Consulate in Kano, forwarding court documents relating to the trial of members of the Kano syndicate, the statement added.

The government pointed out that thereafter, the Legal Adviser of the Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed that relevant agencies and departments in Saudi Arabia were going to meet to consider all the Notes and reports submitted by Nigeria in order to facilitate early resolution of the case of Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar.

While all these efforts were ongoing, Habib Aliyu, the father of Zainab appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Saudi authorities and the international community as well as well-meaning individuals to intervene in his daughter’s case and save the ‘innocent’ lady

from possible execution.

It should be noted that the resolution of this case required the convergence of the Diplomatic process and the judicial procedure, leveraging on President Muhammadu Buhari’s goodwill and international standing. “The judicial/legal process in Nigeria provided the critical documentation that aided the diplomatic efforts to establish the innocence of both Zainab Aliyu and Ibrahim Abubakar,” the FG said.

The ministry emphasised that the intervention by President Buhari directing that all efforts be exerted to secure the release of the two Nigerians facilitated the expedited final favourable resolution of the matter.

“Fortunately, these silent diplomatic efforts in the past few weeks culminated in the release of Zainab Aliyu on Tuesday 30 April 2019 and Ibrahim Abubakar of Wednesday 1 May 2019. The Consulate-General of Nigeria in Jeddah is currently processing travel documents for the two individuals to facilitate their return to Nigeria,” the statement added.

The Ministry also commended the Saudi Government, through its Embassy in Abuja and officials of Saudi Foreign Ministry, for cooperating with Nigeria in the eventual resolution of the matter.

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CWEIC is working to attract investment to Nigeria - Gemmell The new Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Enterprise Investment Council (CWEIC), Alan Gemmell, OBE, on his first visit to Nigeria to launch the CWEIC Nigeria International Advisory Council which has its Nigerian Strategic Partners as members of the council, also met with Nigeria’s vice-president and the governor-elect for Lagos. In this interview, Gemmell speaks on CWEIC programmes in Nigeria and how the council is working to promote Nigeria businesses among the Commonwealth. Excerpts by SEYI JOHN SALAU:

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n 2018, Lord Mayland said the Commonwealth is in the business of promoting Nigeria’s products and investment.

What has the Commonwealth done in the past one year to achieve this feat?

We are a business network for the 53 countries that make up the commonwealth and we were placed for publicprivate engagement across the commonwealth and we are really excited that Nigeria is the hub of the work we are doing around the world and under the leadership of our country director; Obinna Anyanwu, our network in Nigeria is growing and we have signed up seven new brilliant Nigeria business instituted partners over the course of the year.

We now have 17 businesses and governments which are Africa Law Practice; Akwa Ibom State Government; Chimons Gas Ltd; Custodian Investment Plc; CZAR Projects Ltd (promoters of Periwinkle Life Style Estate); Famfa Oil Ltd; Genesis Group; LADOL; Lagos State Government; L. A. T Cleveson; Mainstream Energy Solutions; Marine Platforms; Next International Nigeria Ltd; Nigerian Shippers’ Council; Pan African Capital Holdings; Starzs Investment Coy Ltd; Zenith Bank Plc, as part of our network.

We are here on this visit to see how we will take our partnership with Nigeria, the government and Nigerian businesses to the next level.

We have launched the new international advisory council and we just had the first meeting of the council and we were delighted that the GovernorElect for Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, presented to us and told us about the priorities he has for investment and business and creating opportunities for business in Lagos and I hope that we will develop a new partnership with him to help deliver his ambitions for the economic growth in Lagos.

We were with the Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, in Abuja and similarly talked with him about how this commonwealth network, the businesses that we have got together from countries of the commonwealth and the network and insight that we have and how it can support the ambitions that he has for Nigeria’s economic growth.

I hope that this would mean that we continue to take vari-

ous businesses from Nigeria around the world. I hope that we would work on attracting investors into Nigeria and into states like Lagos and I also hope that we would launch a programme that will support Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) because we know that SME’s are such a critical part of the Nigerian economy.

We have an SME accelerator programme called Commonwealth First and we are very keen to bring Commonwealth First here in partnership with the state government of Lagos, Akwa Ibom, and the Nigerian government.

What is the transaction cost of doing business amongst commonwealth nations?

The Commonwealth secretariat published some research about a year ago to look at the benefits of trading between the commonwealth and we found out that because of a number of things and because the Commonwealth countries share a number of things, principally a common law/legal system, the rule of law, but also the use of the English language in some official context but also because the Commonwealth countries have some cultural and sporting connections and share certain values; it is 19 per cent cheaper for businesses in Commonwealth countries to do business together and we call that the Commonwealth advantage and that is really important to my organisation.

We are trying to build a network of businesses across the Commonwealth and hoping that the network would lead to more business and more trade.

Nigeria being more of an import base economy; where is the advantage for Nigeria businesses?

We are here to be a platform for Nigeria’s export businesses but also for the inward investment opportunities and ambitions that the governments and businesses have here. The advisory council went on a tour around Lagos; we’ve seen and talked about the opportunities for investment in Nigeria. I had a great presentation from up and coming free trade zones and looked at the opportunities there for Nigerian businesses that other businesses can also take advantage of the free trade zone. So, we are trying to build a network where businesses understand and know the ambitions of politi-

Alan

cians here and their appetite to attract investors and really we hope that our members and Commonwealth members respond to that ambitions and appetite of being an attractive place for investment.

On the African Free Trade Agreement, experts have urged the Nigerian government to sign the agreement, saying it gives Nigeria great benefits. What’s your view on this?

Our organisation here is deepened by its membership and our Nigerian members.

What we are really trying to do is to create the most attractive platform for those businesses to know one another and trust one another, and to build an ambitious network of businesses across the commonwealth. We think that if businesses know one another and trust one another better, then they will do more trade.

That’s the thing that we can do to try and incentivize more economic activities.

As the new chief executive of the CWEIC, what would be your target for Nigeria in the next one year?

Our need is for one to be responding to the ambitions of the federal and state government that we work with and that was why we met with the Nigerian Vice President, and also the reason why we were privileged to have the governor-elect in our meeting and also have Akwa Ibom state as a partner. So, number one target post-election, is to work very close with the country directly; with the federal and the state governments, to see how the Commonwealth businesses, Commonwealth investments and the Commonwealth first programme can help support those government economic growth ambitions and then

also to build this network of businesses that we have in Nigeria. It’s great that we have seven new members and 17 Nigerian businesses and we would like to see that number grow, and for more businesses to benefit from the relationship and the network that we’ve built around the Commonwealth.

The Nigerian hub was established in 2017; what impact has it made since its establishment?

For us it allowed us to put Nigeria at the heart of our network. We had an integral offer and relevance in one of the most important countries in the world. In addition, since that time we’ve had a Commonwealth business forum in London and the president of Nigeria attended that and spoke in two sessions, while close to 300 business people from Nigeria were in attendance. So, this is about us making sure that where there are opportunities for Nigeria to be in the Commonwealth conversation that we create that avenue so Nigeria is at the front of those conversations.

Are you looking at more initiatives later this year for Nigerian SMEs? The number one thing for us is to get our Commonwealth first programme here. We think it’s a great accelerator and a really nice product. We think it can respond to the ambitions of the Lagos State government but also other state governments can support the ambitions of the Federal Government and the Vice President.

Is Nigeria being a hub beneficial; because all eyes are focused on Ghana and if you have to consider the size of both market, Nigeria has an edge but FDI is moving to Ghana. In what ways will your visit to Nigeria intervene in attracting FDI to Nigeria?

Again, our job is to build a network of businesses that have common interest, and our common interest is: they are exporting or want to export to other Commonwealth countries; and we want more businesses from across the Commonwealth to think about investing in Nigeria. And we want to work with businesses in Nigeria to help them think about investing in other countries of the Commonwealth.

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Feature

The Dome, the exciting dream place in the heart of Abuja INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja

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he entertainment industry in Nigeria may have shown high promises with magnificent edifices to suit the culture of leisure especially in Nigeria’s burgeoning capital, Abuja. But The Dome announced its presence barely a year ago in the hospitality industry with splendor, which speaks of the extraordinary investments made by its owner, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, a high chief of Igbo extraction from Anambra state, to change the face of entertainment in the country.

The Dome is Nigeria’s iconic prime entertainment and hospitality centre located in the heart of the Federal Capital City, it is proudly Nigerian private initiative created as an indigenous brand to offer varieties for dining, relaxation, fitness, business meetings and entertainment.

Situated in Abuja’s Diplomatic Zone, in the Central Business Area, The Dome, which first began operations in 2005, is now reloaded, and repackaged to become a world class luxury destination for recreation, leisure and conferencing.

The tastefully furnished and fully air-conditioned Ogidi Hall with approximately a sitting capacity of 150 is an attraction to international conferences.

The United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) Department for International Development (DFID) African Union (AU) among others have all hosted events in this exquisite hall and confirmed its quality.

The Dome was officially opened for business in May 2018, by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with pomp and pageantry but it has before then been a household name. This purely 100 percent privately owned investment has been the brainchild of the Anambra-born chief, who is a pioneer of night entertainment in Nigeria with the intention of providing value for entertainment and creating the necessary job opportunities for the teeming youth of this country. The 1,000 square meter magic hub of entertainment currently employs nearly 200 persons working as professionals in different sections of the complex fondly described by admirers as “the dream place”.

The growing attraction of Abuja entertainment seekers to the Dome is predicated on the imaginative array of services provided by the management and staff of The Dome, making it a cynosure of all eyes because of the distinctive and unique treats available at affordable prices.

Head of Corporate Communications of The Dome, Achellius Uchegbu gives more insights into the irresistible world of the Dome. ‘’Basically we have been promoting this place even before it was officially opened in May 2018 by the Vice President. So far the feedback has been great because people come here and experience the ambience and beauty of this place. There is also a high percentage of customers who come by merely going to Google or people who go to our Facebook.

“So the business is growing and people don’t bother to ask about the distance. From every part of Abuja you can access this place. We are doing a whole lot online, we are doing a whole lot on the traditional media and we have a lot of responses.

In Abuja, you hardly can find anywhere better than this, the market is growing and our prices are pocket friendly. It can only get better,” he said.

Variety of services Bowling Alley and Arcade ‘fun for all’ The bowling Alley at The Dome offers options to enjoy a game of bowling over a10 pin six lane alley which frees the customer to express himself and reignite his passion for games, music and bar. With table games to support, the Bowling Alley at The Dome comes in as the best there is yet in Nigeria. It is also built to accommodate large groups sharing fun together and brings absolute fun.

Victor Ebo, a floor supervisor at the Bowling center, said the fun-filled centre witnesses its peak period between Wednesdays and Sundays, adding

The well-equipped Fitness and Health Centre

The Bowling Alley at The Dome

The bowling alley at the dome

that the Bowling Alley attracts family and friends every weekend and it is filled to capacity at the weekends such that people have to call to make reservations and is also affordable.

The Camelot SPA The Camelot SPA is a delight with a touch of perfection. Experts are trained to give the customers that special care which they need to help bring out the beauty in them. It returns customers to their selves and Immerses them in exotic therapies that rejuvenate their body in a sanctuary filled with creative aroma from the orient. According to Charles Afolabi, the attendant at SPA, the Camelot SPA, is an international franchise berthed at The Dome for the pleasure of customers.

Variety of services at the SPA include; Specialty Massages, Facials, Ice fountain, Sauna, Rasul, Floatation pool, Jeth bath, Hydrotherapy, Mud bath salt scrub, Manicures and pedicures treatments, Paraffin treatments, Unisex hair salon for African and European Hair, Seawee body wraps, Body masks, Reflexology and Waxing.

Wesley Snipes Lounge The Wesley Snipes Lounge is the perfect spot to unwind and calm nerves over brandy and soothing music. It is made for the bigger boys of society with extra touch of luxury for their relaxation. When the need is a hangout that offers the customer opportunity to also network on deals while enjoying the finest of bars, The Wesley Snipes Lounge comes in handy alongside the Eagle Private VIP room.

The Summit Lounge and Bar The Summit Lounge and Bar is The Dome’s perfect offering for cosmopolitan dining. Backed by a cool bar, the customers are sure of the quality time at The Summit Restaurant and Bar, where chefs will tickle them with taste buds with culinary specials, continental and African, which will make them salivate the day after. The Summit also gives options for romantic diners where the lighting re-ignites the romantic life in the customers. The ambience is simply inviting.

The Body trust Fitness and Health Centre The well-equipped Fitness and Health Center at the Dome makes the customer fit again as experts work on their physique to burn the calories and get shape again. That‘s what the BodyTrust Fitness and Health Center at The Dome offers. With state –of- the –art- facilities, the customer is invited to a world of fitness which comes with a well-equipped Health bar that allows the customer to select from

a variety of wellness drinks.

The fitness centre offers options for membership and walk-in. it’s a centre the customer will love to like either as an early riser or late-night fitness buff.

Chief Instructor of the center, Adebayo OlusegunTehidi , said they have a streamlined programme to help people to release stress, reduce weight, build their bodies, do tummy exercise, and with different kinds of training which is personalized to keep them maintain their health.

The fitness centre is fantastic in the sense that it has created boxing and dancing sessions to keep people going. The gym is connected with the swimming pool. So it is a whole lot of fun developed and housed in within the 1,000 square meters complex.

Paradiso Gardens, Restaurants, Bar and Lounge The Paradiso offers the best in outdoors with a poolside view. The lush green grass brings nature closer to the customer while the evening breeze, which blows like the breeze in Shanghai, helps the customer to calm nerves after the day’s work is done. It is designed to also welcome the customer into special events like pre-wedding photo shoots, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, poolside parties and more. The Paradiso also offers options for buffet at launch time. It is a perfect place to unwind over whiskey on the rocks while observing the stars twinkle away the night.

The Twins Café and bakery The Twins Café offers a cosmopolitan setting with tastefully baked pastries. Coffee tastes better in The Twin Café where the customer has options for different flavours of freshly brewed coffee and tea. The customer can also work with 24 hour every high speed WIFI while the aroma of coffee helps through tasks. The Twin Café opens for breakfast every day at 6 am making it the perfect place to start your day.

Aisha Isi, a supervisor at the Bakery center says the bakery products are purely homemade and they exhaust almost all our products because the products are delicious and the prices are affordable. “We have pastry, we have coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, French juice, we have different types of bread, we have coconut bread, meat pie, chicken pie, fish pie, chips, vanilla, cakes, and red velvet white forest and many others.

This section also provides services to customers doing get together, anniversary, reunion, wed-

ding homemade services. The bakery is close to us. We work together we offer complimentary breakfast to our clients,” she said.

The Satchmo/Cigar Lounge This impressive place gives the customer time for self-expression with the finest cigar over brandy on the rocks at the Stachmo Lounge. It enables him to free his soul and relax after the day’s labour. It is surely a place where the ambience not only invites but arrests the customers’ sense. That’s what The Stachmo Lounge at the Dome is designed to do.

Francis Hotel When the need is a get-away that shields the customer from noise and allows him to relax in the comfort of a home that is away from home, the delectable Francis hotel inside The Dome receives customer with warmth as well polished attendants bringwhole new dimension to leisure. The Francis Hotel is the luxury boutique offering which pampers the customer to a touch of royalty. It lavishly furnished for comfort and relaxation. It has the superb Dilux room that goes for N60, 000 per night, the Superior room that goes for N70 per night and the exquisite 2 bed room pent house that goes for 250 per night. So Travelling on business, the Francis Hotel gives the right gestures.

Noni’s Pizza Parlour The Noni’s Pizza is designed for those who want pepperoni or margarita. According to one of the attendants “Whatever your choice, your child will have the most fun decorating his/her pizza. Noni’s pizzeria is the ideal place for you and your family.

We have our in-house staff to tend to your kids from 4 to 14 years of age. There is so much to do at Noni’s, how much more would your kids enjoy their pie if they go to put it together themselves?”

Maintenance culture The Dome is conscious of maintaining its facilities such that the management has invested much human efforts and resources to keep the edifice clean and refreshing.

Head of the maintenance department, Attah Abdul, says they embark on preventive maintenance in every section as well trained technicians, electricians have been employed to maintain the equipment while they have a rich store of replacements for those equipment that may wear our adding that the management has been very supportive.

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BDSUNDAY 41

LifestyleHomes&Suites

Paul Ojenagbon

pauloje2000@yahoo.com

Bayview Estate beckons in Lekki

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eated beautifully on a prime site measuring approximately 23,800 square meters just behind the Oando Filling Station at Ikate on the 4th Roundabout along the Lekki Expressway, Bayview Estate is a well secured, gated residential community conceived with full compliments of excellent infrastructure and seamless services round the clock. It is a fascinating ongoing development that comes on the sublime stable of Misa Nigeria Limited that is set to alter the character of the neighborhood for good in a remarkable way. Bayview Estate offers 100 housing units consisting of 32 units of 3-Bedroom apartments and 68 units of 4-Bedroom Terrace house inbuilt with large living spaces, comfort and conveniences in a family-friendly and peaceful environment. The highbrow project which commenced since November 2017 and runs through a two year duration period to November this year is currently at the finishing stage. The title on the land is registered deed of assignment.

The development boasts of

state of the art infrastructure such as paved roads (with functional drains) and grounds. The outdoor recreational facilities include communal club house, swimming pool and gym. There

is a central generator complementing mains power supply that comes through a dedicated transformer for the estate as well as pre-paid meter for each unit to stave off crazy bills.

There are nine blocks of Terrace residences each containing a specific number of units. While blocks 1, 4 and 5 have 8 units each, blocks 2, 3 have 10units each, 6,7,8 and 9 have 6 units

each. Similarly, for the apartments, each block marked A-D has 8 units. The Terrace house is on 3 floors while the apartment is on 1 floor.

The ground floor of each Terraced unit consists of living/ dining room, kitchen, courtyard, terrace, anteroom, visitors’ toilet, store, Boys’ quarters with toilet. The first floor consists of family lounge, bedroom and box room. The second floor consists of master bedroom, bedroom, and terrace. All bedrooms are ensuite.The total floor area is 276 square meters. The 3-Bedroom apartment unit covers 170 square metres.

Each unit of the 3- Bedroom apartment attached with 1room boys’ quarters carries a price tag of N45 million while a Terrace house sells for N75 million. Upon acceptance of offer, an initial payment of 30 percent is required; the balance is spread instalmentally according to certain milestones over the construction period with the balance 10 percent to be settled upon handover of the keys. The available car park capacity holds 220 cars with 2 parking spaces allotted to a unit of residence.

Work, live and play at the Pacific Lagos

T

he Pacific Lagos is an outstanding tower showcasing unique blend of commercial, residential 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments with penthouse suites and play spaces on 14 floors strategically located at Plot 2 of the famous Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue in Victoria Island, Lagos. The luxurious mixed –use high rise structure is creatively designed to live, work and play. Floors 8-12 are earmarked for residential

purpose, floor 7 is for recreation, floors 2-6 are open office space while the ground and first floors are for car park.

The Pacific Lagos is designed for exclusive taste, contemporary masterpiece interiors and guaranteed value at a premium.

It offers ultra-modern elevators, suspended mosaic-tiled swimming pool, generous parking spaces, 24-hour power supply round the clock, reliable security system and seamless facility

management. There is Recreation floor equipped with gym, spa/ massage facilities, game room, shopping mart, restaurant and bar.

The 1 bedroom apartment on the 8th floor carries a price tag of N2million, the 2-bedroom N170million. On the 9th floor, 1 bedroom is sold for N125million and 2bedroom for N180million. A unit of 1 bedroom on the 10th floor sells for N130million while the 2-bed-

room sells for N185million, 1 bedroom carries a price tag of N140million on the 11th floor while the 2-bedroom sells for N190million. On the 12th floor, 1 bedroom sells for N150million while the 2-bedroom sells for N200million. Apparently, the higher the floor, the higher the price of the unit of apartment. By the same reasoning, the penthouse suites on the 13th and 14th floors attract

the price of N900million each.

An initial deposit of N40million is required while the balance is spread out over 30months.

However, one off option is also available at a discount. Workis currently at the preliminary stage on the project but formal construction work will kick off in the shortest possible, just as off plan sales are going on now.

42 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 05 May 2019

Sports Flying Eagles tackle S/Arabia ahead of FIFA U20 World Cup Sports business soar as global

sponsorship deal hits £35bn

… As Ayegbeni visits Flying Eagles camp

… As banking, airline, gambling sectors account for 14%, 13% and 12% of UK sports

Stories By ANTHONY NLEBEM

G

N

igeria and Saudi Arabia U20 squads are at each other’s jugular in Vienna, Austria on Sunday evening as both teams continue to perfect their preparations for this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Poland.

Both teams were scheduled to clash in a friendly in Jeddah earlier in the year but unforeseen events led to the cancellation.

That meeting was meant to prepare seven –time African champions Nigeria for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations finals in Niger Republic in February.

With both teams having qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals, Sunday’s encounter has even higher relevance, only weeks before the World Cup opens in Poland.

The match will take place at the Sportschule Lindabrunn in Vienna, capital of Austria, according to Team Administrator, Aliyu Ibrahim Lawal.

While the Flying Eagles will confront Qatar, USA and Ukraine in Group D at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals, Saudi Arabia will battle things out with Panama, Mali and France in Group E. In Saudi Arabia, Nigeria will be looking to have an idea of how Qatar set up and do the business on the field, while in playing Nigeria, the Saudis hope to gain knowledge of what to expect from Mali in Poland.

The Nigeria U20 boys, the Flying Eagles got a surprise visitor at their Germany camp when former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Ayegbeni paid a visit to the team.

Ayegbeni, who played for Nigeria at the 2000 Olympics in Australia said he decided to

visit the team to motivate the players ahead of the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Poland.

The former Everton and Portsmouth striker was also happy to reunite with his former teammate Wilson Oruma who is the welfare officer of the team.

“I have played in the youth sides for Nigeria and I know what it means to these young lads (the Flying Eagles) to represent their country, “ the former striker said.

“It was a pleasure to come here and speak with the boys and also encourage them goes all out and does the country proud.

“I am happy with what I’ve seen in training and I urge them not to rest on their oars. They have the quality to do the country proud.”

Ayegbeni also applauded the technical crew for the blend of home-based and overseas-based players in the squad. The former Portsmouth striker opined that the blend will do Nigeria good as he also expressed happiness in

lobal sports sponsorship is set to hit £35bn by 2019, according to fresh research from by Two Circles.

The analysis predicts sports sponsorship will grow by 4% this year as businesses dig deep to stake a claim to popular sports, thanks largely to demand from the banking, airline and gambling sectors which account for 19%, 14%, 13% and 12% of UK sports sponsorship activity respectively.

However, the figures have sparked a warning that industries are placing too many eggs in too few baskets, with the bonanza also masking some glaring missed opportunities; with rights-holders under-exploiting sponsorship opportunities to the tune of £14bn.

Two Circles boss Gareth Balch said: “Most rights-holders continue meeting his former Super Eagles to package and sell sponsorship just team-mate Wilson Oruma. as they did 20 years ago - offering

Airline - 13% Gambling - 12% Alcohol - 9% Soft drinks - 7% Other - 26%

Source: Two Circles In April, Coca-Cola announced it was to sponsor Channel 4’s new show Women’s Football World and Barclay’s inked a multi-million pound three-year deal of the Women’s Super League.

Even more recently Boots revealed plans to sponsor all of the national teams in the UK and Ireland.

In 2018, Mars renewed its own FA deal and Budweiser signed its first-ever women’s football sponsorship deal.

Gambling concerns The report comes amid concerns in Europe that marketing restrictions

brand exposure through linear (TV) broadcast coverage as the main benefit for brands.

“Rights-holders are adapting and we predict a sports sponsorship correction By embracing the power of digital and data to create sponsorship assets that better satisfy the objectives of brands, rights-holders will realise the true value of their sponsorship businesses.”

The bump in sports sponsorship spend comes as brands are increasingly investing in women’s games.

UK sports sponsorship by sector Financial services - 19% Automotive - 14%

on gambling firms, which currently account for 12% of sports sponsorship spend in the UK alone, could have a considerable negative impact on the sports sponsorship market.

In the UK, health bodies, charities, regulators and businesses are being brought together to tackle problem gambling.

The Gambling Commission has drawn up a three-year strategy that focuses on prevention, education and treatment and support for problem gamblers.

GVC Holdings, which owns Gala, Ladbrokes and Coral, has said it is stopping all football shirt sponsorship, as well as stopping perimeter advertising at matches.

“The blend is good and I hope the boys will bond well before the tournament starts. The technical crew has done well with what I’ve seen and I believe Nigeria will go far in the competition. I urge them to win the Cup to celebrate President Buhari’s victory in the last elections. I am also very happy to meet Wilson (Oruma). He’s my former teammate and brother and it is nice seeing him today. I wish the team all the best in Poland and hopefully they win the trophy for the first time,” Ayegbeni added.

The Flying Eagles are currently in Germany for the final leg of preparation for the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup to be hosted by Poland, 23rd May – 15th June.

The Flying Eagles will take on Saudi Arabia U20 team on Sunday, 5th May in their second preparatory game after drawing 3-3 in their first test game against SC Freiburg.

Super Falcons not scared of any team- Dennerby

T

homas Dennerby, Head Coach of the Super Falcons, has assured Nigerians that the African champions is prepared to take on any team at the FIFA World Cup finals in France.

Speaking during a press conference preceding the WAFU Women’s Tournament starting in Abidjan next week, Dennerby said he believes the Super Falcons have now gained enough confidence to stand their ground against European, American and Asian opposition any time the need arises.

“The team now has confidence to play against any team, whichever continent they come from. That is the benefit of the several training camps and friendly tournaments we have had this year.

I definitely don’t think that

it’s some kind of mental block when we lost to Canada in Spain. We know the reason why we lost the game and the biggest lessons are not to do tactics that the team have not practiced in training, and also to stop playing only when the

referee’s whistle goes for the end of the game.

“The WAFU tournament is very important for the domestic players as it will avail the team an opportunity to play five really good games.

Honestly, the most important thing is not to win the tournament but to have good performances and to have a good environment because some of them will participate in the final camping in Austria.”

Dennerby, who said he is excited at the numerous talents in the Nigeria Women Football League, said he has plans of taking some of the domestic players who perform well in Abidjan to the World Cup, noting that he cannot be exact on the number for now.

“It’s a little bit early to know the exact number, but definitely about eight or 10 domestic players will make the team”.

Former team captain Evelyn

Nwabuiko, while fielding questions from journalists, said the team has improved over the past few months. “Honestly, the team has really improved under Coach Dennerby because he is introducing a new formation for us. He wants us to play 3-5-2 formation and that has been our best formation for now.”

Also, veteran midfielder Osarenoma Igbinovia said Nigeria has the team and quality to stand up to any opposition in France. “We have a very good team. There’s a lot of competition among the players. I think we have the players to do it, so with determination and hardwork, we are good to go”.

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BDSUNDAY 43

Sports

X-raying Liverpool’s 2018 financial status

L

ANTHONY NLEBEM

iverpool FC released their 2018 financial results recently with record profits, growing revenue and a competitive wage structure were all reasons for Liverpool fans to get excited. Among all this excitement the composition of their revenue went under the radar.

Half of the club revenue came from TV money and prize money, which shows success in a season, but its something that can be relied upon each year. Unless your Real Madrid or Barcelona, Champions League finals/trophies are a rare occurrence due to the strength of the competing rivals.

Liverpool’s revenue also came from matchday earnings, which has remained fairly stable, but is increasing as the capacity of Anfield increases.

This leaves around a third of Liverpool’s revenue being from commercial revenue. Commercial revenue is made up of sponsorship deals and merchandise sales. This is the area where Liverpool are below Europe’s top table and an area that has significant room for improvement.

The Problem The graphs above shows the

potential Liverpool have to grow this area of revenue and boost income significantly to boost their financial muscle. Liverpool’s commercial revenue is the 8th highest in Europe according to Deloitte and is less than half the amount Real Madrid command. Although no one is saying Liverpool are as big a club as Real Madrid, the difference is much bigger than it should be.

Liverpool lag compared to their rivals in Manchester significantly too, by more than £100m in Manchester United’s case. This gap needs to shrink if Liverpool are

serious about mixing with Europe’s finest.

The reason Liverpool have so muchpotentialandarecurrentlyunderachievingwhenitcomestocommercial revenue is the growth the club has experienced in popularity and appeal worldwide under Klopp.

Liverpool have struggled over the past couple of decades to ‘get with the times’ and match their rivals in digital popularity as football moved into the modern era. Manchester United perfectly exploited and channelled the new commercial era and as a result saw their finances explode with Liverpool playing catch up ever since.

However, Liverpool are catching up and are ahead of many

Liverpool currently earn roughly £28m from their kit manufacturer New Balance annually. This is almost a third of the amount Manchester United attract in their £75m deal with Adidas and 5 times less than Barcelona’s high of £140m from Nike.

Liverpool should be entertaining offers from the likes of Adidas and Nike as they look to match, if not exceed the amount earned

by Manchester United when their deal with New Balance runs out at the end of next season.

Liverpool should be able to increase their kit deal significantly as Manchester United negotiated their deal a few years ago so by now, this should be well within the grasp of Liverpool considering the growth in popularity the club has sustained of late.

Their current deal is also below the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, clubs of a similar stature social media wise however Liverpool also have a larger fan base outside of this and would therefore hope to command at least in excess of the £50m Manchester City recently negotiated with Puma.

Liverpool have stayed loyal to their shirt sponsors historically,

for the future.

Training kits Liverpool’s training kit is sponsored by BetVictor and their current deal expires at the end of the season, making it an opportunity to bring in a more lucrative deal.

For comparison, Barcelona have reportedly the highest training kit deal (with Beko) at around £16m a year, which offers a sizeable boost in revenue should Liverpool get anyway near that figure, either by improved terms of a new sponsor.

Naming Rights Stadium naming rights are a

in terms of social media followers. The club have the 6th highest number of twitter followers of the twenty teams to make up the Deloitte Money League. They also have 9th highest number of followers on Instagram which could be improved upon with more engagement and is an area for growth.

The club only has the 10th highest number of Facebook ‘likes’ and should look at these platforms as areas that could grow significantly.

In all these areas they aren’t far of moving further up the social media chain as the club engage to

a greater extent with the fans and their success on the pitch attracts more digital fans.

The importance of this nowadays cannot be underestimated, a club’s social media pull gives companies a great way to advertise directly to their target market being football fans or geographical location. A greater number of followers makes it much easier to negotiate lucrative sponsorship deals, especially the smaller club partners who can make up a considerable amount of a club’s commercial revenue.

seemingly married to Carlsberg until they parted ways a few years ago and Standard Chartered took their place. Liverpool chose wisely and have recently renegotiated their deal on £40m a year for four years, up from £30m. This was a shrewd move and Liverpool are doing well in terms of their shirt sponsor and there is not much room to improve in this area.

The club should focus on maintaining a good working relationship with Standard Chartered and negotiate at the appropriate time to improve the terms, maybe by incentivising additional performance related bonuses that will reward the club on the back of successes on the pitch.

Financial Opportunity Knocks Liverpool have many additional areas that could enhance commercial revenue with some controversial and others just sensible.

Sleeves Liverpool currently have a 5-year deal with Western Union as their sleeve sponsor, mainly in line with their rivals. Arsenal are currently leading the way with an £8m-a-year deal, something Liverpool should consider exceeding considerably when their current deal expires in 3 years, something

controversial topic in England among fans with many opposed to the idea of ruining club traditions all for the sake of a few quid. However, recent studies have shown it is no longer a few quid with valuations in excess of £10m being placed on Anfield and other famous stadiums. A boost of even £10m in commercial revenue would by over 5%.

Club Partners Liverpool could attempt to go a different way and go for volume with sponsors. Club partners can add small multi-million-pound deals here and there however if this was scaled up, could run to the tens of millions. The main drawback here is the time it may take and the devaluing of their main sponsor who may not be best pleased to see all these deals that take the shine of their large deals.

What if Liverpool find the newest trend like the sleeve sponsor?

This is an option for the creative.

How about shorts sponsors? Press conference sponsors? These are all options and many more. The club could also develop a new medium to share their content that substantially boost their social media following and attracts more lucrative deals.

Course on sports photo-journalism underway – Pixels AKINREMI FEYISIPO, IBADAN

A

fter being certificated by the Oyo State Board for Technical and Vo c a t i o n a l Ed u c a t i o n (BOTAVED) to run it photography school, one of the respected digital photography outfits in Nigeria, Pixels Digital has unveiled its plan to include a course of study for Sports photojournalism.

The Chief Executive Officer of the outfit, Omolaraeni Olaosebikan said “photography has long becomes an integral part of any sporting activities, which made pictures an essential component of a sports’ meet and Pixels has a lot to contribute into the proficiency of this vocation”.

She added that their management has entered into discussion with the department of Communication and Language Arts of the University of Ibadan with a view to collaborate and work out course outline for Sports Photo-journalist that would be run at the newly government approved Pixels International Photo Academy Ibadan.

Olaosebikan who explained this while speaking with newsmen at its Bodija head office in Ibadan, where she described Pixels International Academy as an arts school designed

toenablepeopledevelopprofessional confidence, technical proficiency, explore and define their own divergent creative vision.

“This announcement by the government’s agency came at a time the company is putting measures in place to celebrate its 16 years of building global standard creative capacity for young people and contributing to the socio economic development of Nigeria through technical and vocational training.

She stated further that the academy is laced with goal of helping the populace to discover career in photography, adding that Pixels has always been involved in many major sporting events in the city of Ibadan.

“Over the years we have been partnering with Splash FM and Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports, the organizer of the annual Ibadan City Marathon, we gave this year’s edition a good coverage by flying drones to capture the aerial view of the distance runners.

“Wearealsooneofthesponsorsof 2019 Ibadan Golf Club’s Lady Open, where we captured great golfing actions. We believe the program would be of great benefits to many sports’ journalist that aspired to widen their knowledge in digital photography world”, Pixels CEO noted.

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Imperative of maximising Nigeria-made inventions for economic growth

F

or the umpteenth time, one is compelled to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to institute a policy, for Nigeria to identify and maximise the huge potentials of scientific and technological feats by citizens, both within and in the Diaspora. If done, this will certainly boost our economic growth.

It is worthy of note that the world has been dazzled, over the decades, by the sheer intellectual ingenuity of Nigerians whose inventions/innovations have assisted in solving seemingly intractable infrastructural, security and transportation challenges. But their impacts have been felt more outside our shores than within. Now is the time for a positive paradigm shift.

For instance, back in 2007 the car manufacturing world was amazed by a new car, Chevy Volt designed by the then 24 yearold, Nigerian-born, US-based prodigy, Jelani Aliyu. It was considered one of the best in terms of meeting the needs of a changing world given the style, engineering and energy requirements.

According to the car manufacturer, General Motors, GM, one of the biggest car makers in the world, the car “uses a gas engine to create additional engine electricity. The technology behind the Volt concept, GM’s Eflex System, allows electricity to be produced from gasoline, ethanol, bio-diesel or hydrogen, helping to provide a global solution to diversifying transportation energy sources.”

But has Nigeria benefitted from Jelani’s creativity? The answer is obvious, more so now that our distinguished lawmakers are versed to cars that promote clean energy!

The story is no different from that of Silas Adekunle, the founder and CEO of Reach Robotics, a company developing the world’s first gaming robots. This has earned him the enviable status of becoming the highest paid in the field of robotic engineering. Adekunle achieved the feat after signing a new deal with the world’s reputable software manufacturers, Apple Inc. at the age of 26 years in 2018.

He was also named as “Someone to Watch in 2018” by the Black Hedge Fund Group. The initial launch of Mekamon sold 500 robots, generating $7.5 million.

Furthermore, he received support from various organisations including London Venture Partners ($10 million) and Reach Robotics signed a deal with Apple securing exclusive sales in Apple stores.

And the question pops up again: Has Nigeria tapped from his fountain of unique technological invention? No is the answer!

We may have lost him to the US just like we did with Prof. Gabriel Oyibo, the Kogi state-born, Nobel Prize nominee in Physics, Professor Phillip Emeagwali , one of the founding fathers of the internet and Damian Anyawnu. Remember him? He is the highly enterprising Mbaise-born inventor who in 1979 built the first privately-operated Radio Station known as Radio Mbaise.

And what was unique about that? His radio transmitters were made from herbal granules, stuffed with empty tins and wires were improvised from local materials.

Though it is good to note that he was honoured by the former, late President Shehu Shagari and former US president Gorge W. Bush the truth remains that we have not maximized his immense potentials. Rather, it is that country that gains more from the Damian Anyanwu Research Centre, Inc. That is one’s worry.

In fact, precisely in 2018 the media was awash with the enthralling tale of the five Anambra girls from Regina Pacies Secondary School, Onitsha who represented Nigeria and Africa at the World Technovation Challenge in the Silicon Valley in San Francisco, US and clinched the prestigious Gold Medal.

The team, led by Uchenna Onwuamaegbu Ugwu, the CEO of Edufun Technik STEM and made up of Promise Nnalue, Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo and Vivian Okoye defeated representatives of other technological giants including the USA, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China

to clinch the gold medal.

They developed the FD-Detector which swept through over 2000 competing applications to get to the finals in San Francisco. The noble aim is to help tackle the Challenge of fake pharmaceutical products in Nigeria. And one cannot but ask if the federal government through NAFDAC has begun to enjoy the tremendous benefits from their hi-tech application?

Similarly, in 2012 some four teenage Lagos school girls, Duro-Aina Adebola (14), Akindele Abiola (14), Faleke Oluwatoyin (14) and Bello Eniola (15) wowed Nigerians with their invention of a urine- powered generator at the Maker Faire Africa Exhibition. For it to work, urine is put into an electrolytic cell, which cracks the urea into nitrogen, water, and hydrogen. Eventually, 1 Liter of urine gives you 6 hours of electricity! Talk about the benefits of recycling what we term as a waste.

Other young Nigerian students at the Lagos State Polytechnic, LASPOTECH have come up with yam pounding machines and cowpea threshers.

Little Pamela from Plateau state has invented a device which could be used to cook and dry. It is named Multi Energy Dual Purpose Device. While Collins from Abia state produced a solar-powered digital DC to AC inverter, his colleagues from other states have produced a power generating device by wind and the prototype of fuel generating machine.

In a similar vein, 25-year-old US-based Nigerian, Jessica Matthews, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Unchartedplay, invented a power-generating football called Socket Ball. It is already on sale in New York and the cost is equivalent to what people pay for a solar inverter. This was shown to former President Goodluck Jonathan at the

AYO OYOZEBAJE Baje is Nigerian first food technologist in the media and author of ‘DRUMBEATS OF DEMOCRACY’

Presidential Villa, Abuja to the amazement of many. The ball can generate three hours of light from 30 minutes of play. Jessica studied at Harvard University; she went to Business School and actually taught herself Electrical and Mechanical Engineering! So, she is an inspiration to every Nigerian. Or, should be!

To get to the next level, we must take the critical issue of educational development at all levels more seriously. Nigerian universities (both private and public) should be provided with the enabling infrastructure, including adequate grants for research. Our research institutes should be well funded.

Furthermore, we must borrow a leaf from the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Cuba, Brazil, the Asian Tigers and China for a sustained workable synergy between research institutes and the private sector.

The recurring ugly decimal of inventions and innovations which have the potential of transforming Nigeria into an economic giant being stalled at the pilot stage is inimical to our collective future. This should be a challenge for the Ministry of Science and Technology and that of Trade and Investment to resolve.

It is a crying shame that we still import all manner of used clothes and malfunctioning electronics, just like we do for refined petroleum products from Europe and Asia all in the name of globalisation. Why must the trade wave be skewed in favour of foreign countries? Government must ban whatever we can produce locally. The culture of buying made-in-Nigeria goods should be drummed into the ears of every citizen, with our politicians laying a good example.

Quick Takes

Off the Cuff

Why Buhari/Labour romance endures

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resident Muhammadu Buhari’s overwhelming victory in the February 23 Presidential election and his enduring rapport with the labour movements are consequences of his people-friendly policies.

We believe that this is why the labour movements opted to use May Day to celebrate the President rather than a day for protests and workers’ agitation which is the hallmark for Labour Day world-wide.

This relationship is a fitting testament to the manner President Buhari had been operating in the last four years.

That the President is a friend of the average Nigerian is incontestable. No one would forget in a hurry how Buhari looked state governors in the eyes and wondered how they could afford to sleep at night knowing well that they were owing workers several months’ salary arrears!

This was what led to the disbursement of approximately N1.75trillion as extra-statutory bail-out funds to the states since the advent of the President Buhari administration, to enable them pay a backlog of salaries.

That singular act saved the jobs of millions of civil servants across the country that could

have been retrenched as a result of the inability of states to pay salaries.

There is also the $5.4billion Paris Club refund paid in three tranches and which was meant to re-inflate the economy in states that were too broke to carry out several of their official responsibilities.

We make bold to say that President Buhari’s focus was solely on the people when he approved the disbursement of bail-out funds and Paris Club refund, and invariably stopped what could have been mass retrenchment of workers especially in the aftermath of the 2015 recession.

It is worthy of note that President Muhammadu Buhari directed that all sorts of outstanding arrears must be paid to the workers, including those stretching as far back as the Obasanjo’s years.

There is also the payment of pension to former Biafra policemen who were pardoned by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000 who commuted their dismissal to retirement.

Their years of waiting for respite ended in 2017 with President Buhari directive to the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to commence payment of pension benefits to the retired personnel and their next of kin.

Another set of beneficiaries were the retrenched Nigerian Airways workers, numbering over 5000, who were practically abandoned by successive administrations, until President Buhari said enough was enough and subsequently ensured the settlement of their outstanding benefits.

Then there was the arrears owed to more than 100,000 pensioners from the civil service and 76,310 others from about 186 agencies who have also been paid in the last 4 years. So it is no surprise that the President got a resounding endorsement for a second term in office.”

The added that the President’s affinity with the masses has been further boosted with recent international affirmation of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as the largest of its kind in Africa.

There is no way any assessment of President Buhari’s first term in office would be conducted without a mention of schemes like Trader Moni and Market Moni which have provided several billions of naira to over 2 million petty traders across the States of the Federation.

• Buhari Media Organisation (BMO)

60,000

This is the number of drivers’ licences yet to be collected in Lagos by applicants. Which means that 60,000 drivers may be plying the Lagos roads without valid licences.

Stately commitment!

“The efforts of the trade unions towards the promotion of the interests of Nigerian workers have not gone unnoticed and I wish to reiterate the determination of the state government to pay workers the N30,000 new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.”

– Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State

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