BusinessDay 06 Sep 2020 by BusinessDay

Why confusion still trails plan to reopen schools ...PTF insists coast not yet clear

Abia oil-producing communities accuse NDDC, ASOPADEC of neglect

Nigeria will make progress only when we begin to offer new solutions to our problems - Koshoedo

Hope for oil sector reforms, as Buhari gets PIB Bill

BDSUNDAY BUSINESS DAY

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N300

Vol 1, No. 327

International flight resumption

Covid-19 test: Bumper harvest for medical laboratories

See page 2

to rake in about N742m weekly

operators upbeat, say ‘we are prepared’

Niger Delta: Militants without guns give Nigeria ICT breakthrough

6 Throwing it all the way back to Folake Coker’s timeless pieces from the runway

16 Why we want proper domestication, implementation of Child Rights Act, 2003, by Seaman 18

L-R: Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor and chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for Ondo Governorship election; Mai Mala Buni, the party’s caretaker committee chairman and governor of Yobe State, and President Muhammadu Buhari handing over the APC flag to Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo State and the party’s candidate for the gubernatorial election scheduled for October 10,2020, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja at the weekend.

Edo: Convoy accidents, alleged assassination attempts as new campaign strategies ZEBULON AGOMUO

do gubernatorial election slated for Saturday, September 19, 2020 is really setting new records in the history

of elections in Nigeria. Since the campaigns kicked off, no day ever passes without throwing up fresh worries over the coming election. It is safe to say that the election has become unique in more ways than one.

But what seems to have caught the attention of many Nigerians is the number of accidents involving or targeting only the big shots in their campaign train. First, it was Governor Godwin Obaseki’s convoy

on August 14, 2020, in which he was said to have escaped assassination. N o w, i t i s Ad a m s Oshiomhole’s convoy that was involved in what the All Progressives Congress (APC) strongly believes was an assassination

attempt.WhileOshiomhole escaped unhurt, two policemen on his entourage were not so lucky. Pundits have condemned the frequent loss of lives as a result of a

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International flight resumption

Covid-19 test: Bumper harvest for medical laboratories tor, Clinix Healthcare, told BDSUNDAY that as airline resumes, Clinix Healthcare is fully prepared with machines and a purpose-built lab for Covid-19 tests, adding that “it is a lab built outside other labs not within our main lab.” According to Ejiofor, “We have also gotten a collection centre and what it means is that we do not expect people coming for Covid-19 tests to come to the original facilities. We have six branches of Clinix Healthcare in Lagos but we do not expect them to come to any of our branches. We have a delegated collection center, which has a big space. The Clinix boss further said: “We also have room for home collections if need be. Staff wise, we have enough staff strength. We have stocked our stores hoping to get more numbers, we are already doing some and, of course, from tomorrow the numbers will increase. “Clinix and other labs are in tune and we are working together, which is been coordinated by Lagos State. So, they have not said that the test will be coordinated at the airport.” “At the moment, the information I have is that people will come to us for the test. But if they make provisions for the tests to be conducted at the airport, they will create a space and I do not think that is something that cannot be worked out because once they create the space and give everyone a stand, we have our staffs to collect samples and send to us,” Ejiofor said. She said there are 11 centres in Lagos that are ready and willing to conduct the tests. She also clarified that only accredited labs can run the tests for travellers, and that “once you get to the airport, the authorities will login to check if the result is from an approved lab.” The Federal Government has also released schedules for flight operations for Lagos and Abuja airports from Monday to Friday to help in coordinated check of test certificates by officials.

IFEOMA OKEKE and OBOKOH ANTHONIA

ith the resumption of international flights, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 has mandated all airlines to request for Covid-19 certificates from each passenger before they are allowed to board flights. This means bumper harvest for medical laboratory operators who say they are prepared for whatever it takes to render services to passengers. Expectation is that this development will boost patronage of laboratories certified to conduct Covid-19 test across Nigeria as well as make them rake in over N742 million every week. According to the PTF, all intending travellers to Nigeria must have tested negative for Covid-19 by PCR in country of departure preboarding and PCR test must be within seven days before departure and preferably within 72 hours preboarding. For certain countries, Covid-19 PCR tests will only be acceptable from specified laboratories and tests done more than seven days before departure are not valid and such persons will not be allowed to board. However, for the 72-hour minimum, this is only advisory and will not preclude boarding. With the approval of Murtala Mohammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the Lagos State government and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have accredited some laboratories for Covid-19 tests. BDSUNDAY’s checks show that in Lagos, major labs charge N50,400 for each Covid-19 test while major labs across Abuja charge N45,000 for each test carried out.

L-R: Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Lagos Head of Service; Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor; Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, managing director/CE, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health; Victoria Shin-Aba, regional general manager, South West/Airport manager, MMA, and Olajumoke Oni, general manager, operations of FAAN, during an inspection of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport ahead of international flight resumption.

In a bid to reciprocate flight operations between countries and reduce the number of passengers, airlines will be taking on board, in line with Covid-19 protocols, the PTF on Covid-19 has deliberately reduced the number of flights that will be operated in Lagos airport daily to seven and five in Abuja. BDSUNDAY’s checks show that daily limit of passengers that will be lifted at the Lagos airport on a daily basis are 1,280 and 925 at Abuja airport. This implies that with the cost of N50,400 for Covid-19 tests carried out on 1,280 passengers daily, laboratories across Lagos will be raking in N64.5 million on a daily basis, on estimate. For Abuja airport, with the cost of N45,000 for Covid-19 tests carried out on 925 passengers daily, laboratories across Abuja are estimated to rake in N41.6million on a daily basis. This implies that on a daily basis, labs across Lagos and Abuja will be

realizing about N106 million. This brings the sum for Covid-19 tests in Abuja and Lagos to N742million on a weekly basis. Lagos State has given list of accredited private laboratories for Covid-19 testing to include; SynLab, Ilupeju; 54 Gene, Lekki Phase 1; Medbury Medical, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja; ClinaLancet, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way; BiologixMedicals, Anthony Village; O2Diagnostics, Festac Access Road, Amuwo Odofin; VcareDiagnostics, Victoria Island; ClinixHealthcare, Alhaji Adejumo Avenue; AfriglobalMedicare, Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way by Unity B/Stop Ikeja; and Reddington Zaine Laboratories, Bendel Close Victoria Island, Lagos. According to Sola Oluwole, incident commander, Armoured Shield& Medical Director, Reddington Zainlab, the whole issue around testing at the airport is still evolving, adding that the presidential task force is thinking of instituting some

testing at the airport. Oluwole noted that currently, there is no capability established at the airport yet, as labs are on their own and a lot of labs have been getting requests from individuals who want to travel abroad and those who are coming back into the country for scheduled tests. He disclosed that test results will be ready between 24 and 72 hours. “The Reddington Zaine Laboratories currently have the capacity to test 500 samples a day. We are ramping up that capability to 1000 a day. We are mindful of the fact that there are lots of people who are coming back, or people who are travelling. There is going to be a surge of numbers. So, we are getting ready for that. “Right now, we have been handling 20 to 30 people who need to travel, and we will be able to get their results within 24 hours, even though we say 48 hours,” he said. Uche Ejiofor, chief medical direc-

News Hope for oil sector reforms, as Buhari gets PIB Bill …Expert seeks avoidance of previous pitfalls Tony Ailemen, Abuja

Federation and minister of Justice, late Thursday. Ibrahim Gwandu, the special assistant to Malami, confirmed that the Bill has been transmitted to the President. According to Gwandu, “The office of the AGF presented to Mr. President the PIB for consideration as an Executive Bill and onward transmission to the National Assembly to consider”. The President had in 2018 rejected the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), passed

by the National Assembly on the grounds that, if signed into law, the 10 percent revenue to regulatory commission would unduly increase the funds accruing to the Petroleum Regulatory Commission to the detriment of the revenue available to the federal, states, federal capital territory and local governments in the country, among others. Ita Enang, the then senior special assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, noted that the Bill expanded

scuttled efforts to successfully ensure passage of the Bill into law, noting that the government has realized that the issues of subsidy removal cannot be done successfully without the law. “I want members of National Assembly to act fast once the Bill gets to them. Now that the government is determined to deregulate the downstream sector and bring in capital funds through investor, lawmakers must put national interests above sentiments”, he said.

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News Imo-born neuropath claims discovery for Covid-19, HIV/AIDS cure UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

udemary Olekanma, an Obowu-born in Obowu LocalGovernmentAreaof Imo State has claimed that he has invented a drug, Aqua Vitae (Water-of-life) Gold Medicine which is capable of curing various bacterial, virus and fungi diseases, including coronavirus disease. A neuropath is one who takes nervous conditions solely or mostly into account in his pathology. Olekanma, who made the claim in Umuahia while speaking with journalists, said the Aqua Vitae (Water of Life) Gold Medicine has been tested, trusted and approved for the cure of coronavirus and other deadly diseases such as tuberculosis, kidney illness, malaria/Typhoid, HIV/ AIDS, among others. He also claimed that his drug could as well correct abnormal health conditions like sickle cell anemia, mental retardation and also nourishes the body for healthy living. The neuropath, who revealed that he studied and qualifiedin1994asNeuropath s u p e r i n t e n d e n t (n o n

surgical) at the Neuropratic Institute NY\USA, Lagos Nigeria Annex, said what was needed to tackle the global dreaded scourge was genuine sponsorship/partner that would enable him in the production of the medicine in large quantity which he claimed has permanent cure for coronavirus. He called on state and Federal Governments as well as wealthy Nigerians to partner him for the production of the medicine, adding that for many years he has been financing the drug with few help coming from good-spirited people. He maintained that Water of Life Medicine (Aqua Vitae) had been clinically and scientifically researched by most erudite scholars and researchers from different Universities and science institutions globally. Giving insight into the efficacy of the drug, he hinted that in all the research works carried out, none of the teams found anything negative about the “water of life”, rather it was all approvals and recommendations of the medicine as a product that is very helpful to human life.

ACE Charity advocates better health systems for Waru Community

CE Charity has expressed deep concern over the poor state of health care system in Waru Community, located in the suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja. Kiki James, the founder of the foundation advocated for the strengthening of health care system in the community which is home to over 3000 people. “Warucommunity,whichis locatedinthesuburbsofAbuja, is home to 3000 people, and has a camp for the Internally Displaced Persons. The community is plagued with malaria and typhoid cases, resulting in out-of-pocket expenditures, a heavyfinancialburdentoWaru community members. “A needs assessment conducted by ACE Charity at the Primary Healthcare Centre in Waru revealed an insufficient number of wards and beds for patients, thin and worn out mattresses, and a lack of necessary medical equipment including a PCV machine,” said James. The statement also quoted one of the nurses to have revealed that the health center was in need of “an autoclave, a steriliser and a suction machine. We need delivery equipment. The delivery bed we have is bad and is also very low, which is inadequate for the baby.” James continued that “primary healthcare centres are essentialtoachievinguniversal

healthcare, and are a crucial part of the health system that provide essential and comprehensive health care to patients. “They serve as the first pointofcontacttoimprovethe health, wellbeing and quality of life of community members. Additionally, PHCs provide antenatal and postnatal services to women, and are thus vital for the prevention of maternal and neonatal deaths. “Therefore, our Nigerian government must strengthen the health systems in rural communities like Waru, primarily because of the high maternal and neonatal mortality in Nigeria.” Relating how they found the deplorable state of the PHC, she said, “our team initiallywenttoWarucommunity for a mobile clinic project. We usuallygotoruralcommunities with volunteer doctors and essential medical supplies to set up mobile clinics, and provide free and essential medical services to community members. “However, when we got to Waru, we realised that the situation needs more than a one-off health outreach. “One of our health projects is the Soap for Hope project where we recycle soaps discarded by the Hilton and donate them to women in rural communities to improve personal hygiene among the women and financially empower these women who can sell these soaps for some income.

FG urged to harmonise CAMA with other laws …As Pwc holds capability enhancement workshop for journalists Zebulon Agomuo

he Federal Government has been called upon to harmonise Companies and Allied Companies Act (CAMA) 2020 with other laws such as the Companies Income Tax Act which still requires audited accounts by all companies regardless of size. Taiwo Oyedele, Fiscal policy Partner and West Af r i c a Ta x Le a d e r a t PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), made the call in his presentation at a capability enhancement workshop for journalists in Lagos, organised by the company. Speakingon‘CAMA2020, Nigeria’s competitiveness and ease of doing business’, Oy e d e l e a d v i s e d t h a t more flexibility is required for foreign companies who wish to operate business in Nigeria such that a branch registration should be permitted while incorporating a subsidiary will be optional. According to him, “It is also necessary to ensure that the new law is kept under constant review with more frequent amendments or re-enactment, say, every five years.” Oyedele, who provided an overview of the new law which he noted is the most important business regulation in Nigeria especially as it has significant impact on doing business, competitiveness, attracting investments, and economic growth, lamented that many people have only focused on certain aspect of the Act

Buhari

while ignoring the huge benefits it has to offer. He stated the need to Gazette the law with a future commencement date to facilitate ease of transition, while emphasising the importance of effective implementation. Andrew S. Nevin, partner and chief economist, PwC Nigeria , who spoke on ‘Economic sustainability: Tracking and reporting the metrics that matter’, observed with examples, the problem of merely regurgitating data and statistics without providing sufficient context or insights, which readers often find to be of little use. He pointed participants to track key metrics such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and other policy pronouncements of governments which they can use to benchmark their analysis with the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) statistics and enrich their

general reporting on the economy. Tokunbo Afikuyomi, editor-in-chief at Stears Business, who facilitated a session on ‘Journalism and the new normal: challenges and opportunities’, shared the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on news consumption patterns and what this means for the fortunes of journalists and their media houses. Afikuyomi noted that in times of uncertainty, trustworthy reporting becomes even more important than the speed to break the news. He noted that with the shift to digital platforms by consumers, reporters must balance the rush to be the first to publish with providing factual information written from a unique angle that adds value to the readers. He also emphasised the need for clarity of thoughts and clarity of expression for excellent reporting.

Capability Enhancement Workshop for journalists is an annual event hosted by PwC Nigeria, a leading professional services firm. The half-day workshop, which held virtually in line with Covid-19 protocols around large gatherings, had participants from traditional broadcast, print and new media platforms. The annual workshop, which is now in its seventh year, is a key component o f Pw C ’s C o r p o r a t e Responsibility strategy. It was instituted in recognition of the very important role of the media in society and in particular, the role that the media in Nigeria has and continues to play in informing and educating the public. Explaining the raison d’être of the event, Oyedele said: “Our support for the mediathroughthisworkshop and the media excellence award is in line with our purpose which is to build trust in society and solve important problems. It is a demonstration of our strong belief that for the Nigerian people to enjoy good governance, the media must perform its role optimally and professionally and this is reflected in the quality of reporting, in the capacity of individual journalists to carry out research and investigations, in the independence of editorial judgments, and in their ability to use technology as an enabler. As a firm, we have been supporting various stakeholders in their responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and this is one of such interventions.”

Nigeria can reduce unemployment rate by exploring potential in forex, blockchain technology, ICT - Ogumbe MIKE ABANG, Calabar

gainst the backdrop of rising unemployment and the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, Theophilus Ogumbe, a foreign exchange market (forex) expert, has called for full exploration of the potential in forex, blockchain technology and information and communication technology (ICT) in order to create more employment opportunities across the country. Ogumbe, who is the managing director and chief executive officer of Activecode Business

Hub, noted that foreign exchange trade and digital marketing can gainfully engage many unemployed Nigerians, while blockchain technology and ICT present numerous opportunities that would impact lives and the economy. Speaking to a select media in Calabar recently, the forex expert noted that with the transfer of knowledge and needed skill set to ambitious Nigeriansontheopportunities in foreign exchange market coupled with ICT knowledge, unemployment would be drastically reduced in the country. He also emphasized on the need for cyber space development and using blockchain technology to

secure digital future of the country. For technology to work and boost employment opportunities, Ogumbe said that government must look into existing blockchain technology, regulate and guide them, as well as, forex trading and ICT in order to help business entities to network globally and benefit from the numerous advantages of the technology. The regulation, according to him, is imperative in order to check the activities of fraudsters who use forex and blockchain technology to defraud the public. “The blockchain and forex market in Nigeria are growing, but they are also unexplorednow.Goingbythe

level of funding in the market, the level of unemployment can be drastically reduced because the market gives stakeholders alternative source of income and opportunity for employment”, he said. S p e a k i n g f u r t h e r, he said that addressing unemployment through the forex market, blockchain and digital marketing would be mainly through transfer of knowledge because they are skill-based businesses. However, Ogumbe is offering training on forex trading and blockchain technology at Activecode Business Hub as his own way of curbing unemployment and also giving back to the society.

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ActionAid Nigeria condemns hike in fuel price

…says, development sad, ill-timed, shocking VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

h e Ac t i o n Ai d Nigeria , a nongovernmental organisation, has totally condemned the hike in pump price of petrol, saying the development is ill-timed.The group noted that Nigerians are reeling from the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, and should not be pushed into further suffering by government. Ene Obi, the Country Director Governance, said: “We are not out of Covid-19; a lot of citizens are losing their jobs, people are getting poorer, more responsibility with school closure, young people roaming the streets unemployed and fuel hike at this time is shocking.”

Obi said the expectation was that of easing the pain and burden of the common man, “but it seems the Nigerian government is not in touch with the reality on ground.” She said that the organisation is on ground as it has been dealing with the less-privileged, and has noticed that times have been so rough and tough for

Nigerians. The group pointed out that Federal Government was dealing with too many increases at the same time, stressing that with the way government is going, it has introduced so much inflation into the lives of the citizens. It urged the Federal government to first deal with insecurity that has been heightened by Covid-19

which has plunged people into serious poverty. “We dealing with too many increases at the same time and this is introducing so much inflation into our lives. Governance is about the people. Instead of dealing with insecurity, we are taking actions that will further heighten insecurity because as the inflations go up and more people are plunged into poverty, there will be more conflict in our society. With the volume of energy we have in the country, it is disappointing that we are still not refining crude locally,” Obi said. “ActionAid Nigeria will be working with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and relevant stakeholders to amplify the voices and demands of the common man. The fuel hike is a disappointing move at this time,” she added.

Hope for oil sector reforms, as Buhari gets PIB Bill Tony Ailemen, Abuja

r e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari has finally received the long awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), a good development, which gives hope for reforms in the Nigerian oil sector. BDSUNDAY gathered authoritatively from the Presidency that the Bill was transmitted to President Buhari by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the Federation and minister of Justice, late Thursday. Ibrahim Gwandu, the special assistant to Malami, confirmed that the Bill has been transmitted to the President. According to Gwandu, “The office of the AGF

presented to Mr. President the PIB for consideration as an Executive Bill and onward transmission to the National Assembly to consider”. The President had in 2018 rejected the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), passed by the National Assembly on the grounds that, if signed into law, the 10 percent revenue to regulatory commission would unduly increase the funds accruing to the Petroleum Regulatory Commissiontothedetriment of the revenue available to the federal, states, federal capital territory and local governments in the country, among others. Ita Enang , the then senior special assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, noted that the Bill expanded

the scope of Petroleum equalisation fund and some provisions in divergence from this administration’s policy and indeed conflicting provisions on independent petroleum equalisation fund. He also disclosed that “ There are legislative drafting concerns which, if Assented to in the form presented will create ambiguity and conflict in interpretation.” A public Affairs analyst, Mojeed Dahiru, appealed to lawmakers to avoid previous pitfalls which scuttled efforts to successfully ensure passage of the Bill into law, noting that the government has realized that the issues of subsidy removal cannot be done successfully without the law. “I want members of National Assembly to act fast once the Bill gets to them. Now that the government

is determined to deregulate the downstream sector and bring in capital funds through investor, lawmakers must put national interests above sentiments”, he said. “Let us believe that ending the subsidy regime is a deliberate effort to end the challenges. Just passing it into law may not translate into better fortunes for the petroleum sector. Proper monitoring of the provisions, avoiding undue politicization, and ensuring that everything is done in line with national interests, are imperative to achieving the needed success”. Speaking on the interests of the host communities, Dahiru noted that Nigeria is a “resource sharing country” and urged lawmakers to ensure the protection of the communities.

Akwa Ibom manufacturing firm eyes West African market to boost foreign exchange earnings ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

ubilee Syringe Manufacturing company in Awa, Akwa Ibom State says it is expanding its market reach to cover the West African sub-region to gain optimally from its daily production of one million syringes and to boost foreign exchange earnings. The company, which began operations barely three years ago, has a production capacity of 1.5 million syringes daily and

is diversifying into the manufacturing of Personal Protection Equipment such as facemasks, hand gloves and single needles in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Akin Oyediran, managing director of the company in an interview with BDSUNDAY, said expanding into the West African regional market would help the company to earn foreign exchange and to benefit from incentives by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council. “ We e m p l o y i n g t h e locals, we are training them,

it is a sustainable company, we are doing very well in terms of market reach, our market reach is throughout Nigeria and West Africa, we are expanding into different products. For a company that is just three years old, it is a success story,’’ he said. “The reason we are focusing on exportation is because of foreign exchange, the current exchange rate of the dollar makes it quite attractive and every dollar of products we export we get some incentives from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council,” he added.

Oyediran, who allayed fears of the company being sustainable, identified dependenceongovernments by firms as one of the reasons firms fold up, adding that the company has remained selfsustainable since it began production. “By the time, start ups run for two or three years and enjoying tax holidays from the government, with many things happening in the market including the value of the Naira which happens every three years, it makes some companies to fold up.

Bread going beyond reach in Kaduna Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi

esidents of Kaduna metropolis have expressed concern over the hike in the prices of bread, saying that the item is now beyond the reach of the ordinary man. They lament that the hike is coming at a time when government has increased the pump prices of petroleum products and has also hiked electricity tariff. Market survey by BDSUNDAY revealed that a prime loaf of bread is now N350 against its old price of N300, while a premium size loaf is now N300 as against N250. The premium plus size that was sold N250 is now N300. As well, the loaf that sold for N100 is now N120, while the small size loaf is now N80, as against its previous price of N70. Considering the hike,

some Kaduna residents told BDSUNDAY that bread is no longer for the common man. For Adamu Attah, one of the residents, eating bread as a family is no longer economical, as the hike has put pressure on his pocket. “A family of six like mine would be spending nothing less than N1,000 for breakfast because we have to buy two loaves of bread at N600 with other items such as sugar, milo, milk and egg at N400. But there is no money anywhere,” he lamented. Attah called on Kaduna State government to come to the aid of the people as prices of consumable goods are going up. Halimat Nasirudeen, a bread seller, disclosed that the increase in the prices of bread has affected patronage. A bakery manager, who pleadedanonymity,attributed the hike to the high cost of flour and other ingredients used in baking bread.

Health practitioners’ associations threaten strike; give FG 15 days’ ultimatum Ngozi Okpalakunne

he Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have threatened to embark on a strike action if the Federal Government fails to attend to their demands. In a letter addressed to the Minister of Health, the associations gave notice of 15 days’ ultimatum to the government to review the defective implementation of Covid-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance, pay all withheld salaries of their members, including the withheld April and May 2018 salaries as well as to adjust Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) as was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) since 2014. They also called for the implementation of National Industrial Court of Nigeria (ADR) Consent judgment and other court judgments. The letter reads: “You will recall that up till the time of

writing this letter, the federal government has not deemed it fit to honour the terms of settlement entered into with JOHESU on 30th September, 2017, especially the upward review of CONHESS salary structure as agreed, to be completed within five weeks from the date of agreement (30/09/2017) amongst other requests. This is both distasteful and condemnable because it is three whooping years after the conclusion of this agreement. “You will also recall sir, that at the meeting of JOHESU and your good self with the Minister of State for Health, Permanent Secretary and other top functionaries of your Ministry, held on Wednesday, 1st July, 2020. Your Ministry agreed that a mistake was made by government in the implementation of COVID-19 special inducement and hazard allowance and consequently promised that the shortfall in the payment of 50 percent basic of consolidated to all those health workers was a mistake on the part of government and that the shortfall shall be paid accordingly.

MTN partners cloud service providers to support SMEs SEYI JOHN SALAU

TNNigeriaplans to collaborate with cloud technology service providers to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria as part of its ongoing response to the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. “We have the interest of SMEs at heart and whilst we do not provide all the services that are applicable, we

are willing to partner with organisations that provide access to technology tools that are relevant to SMEs on a platform that makes it easy for them to access at the right price,” Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief enterprise business officer for MTN Nigeria, said. Saint-Nwafor stated this at The Revv Programme masterclass organised by MTN to support SMEs with the theme, ‘Setting Up Your Business for Success: The Technology Advantage’. According to her, SMEs are the bedrock of the economy.

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News Feature

Why confusion still trails plan to reopen schools KELECHI EWUZIE

ivergent views have continued to trail the call for the reopening of schools across the country. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March, schools were shut down. Many stakeholders have however, called for the reopening of the learning institutions. The more the calls, the more some divergent views advance arguments why the doors of the schools should remain shut for now. Already the pronouncement by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, that tertiary institutions in the state would resume September 14 has already been followed by the Osun State government, which has announced September 21, 2020 as a tentative date for reopening of schools. While Nigerians expect other state governments to toe this line, the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, last Monday, urged state governments making preparations for the reopening of schools to be guided by the experience of countries where reopening of schools led to a rise in confirmed cases of the virus. Boss Mustapha, chairman of the task force, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, while giving the advice, listed the affected countries to include Germany, France, United States of America and the United Kingdom. “As we plan to re-open more sectors, we must stay the course and stick with our winning strategy which is anchored on the ability of our health institutions to contain the virus while we as citizens wear our masks properly, stay away from crowded places, avoid mass gatherings, maintain simple hygienic practices and as much as possible protect the elderly and most vulnerable to this pandemic,” he said. According to him, “It is in the above context that the PTF appreciates the ongoing calls for re-opening of the education sector and indeed some sub-nationals are already making preparations for such. “Whilst the PTF does not discourage making such preparations, we need to be guided by experiences from countries such as Germany, France, the United States and the UK where opening of schools in some cities led to an increase in confirmed cases and fatalities.” Following Sanwo-Olu’s announcement, Olanrewaju Fagbohun, a professor and vice chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), said that students of the institution would resume in batches. Fagbohun, who also said that lectures would hold between

...PTF insists coast not yet clear …PTA urges Sanwo-Olu to tread cautiously ...Students share divergent views

9am and 3pm on the university campus, did not give a specific resumption date. The vice chancellor said that students in 200 and 300 levels would resume two months before the commencement of their examinations. “A gradual phasing has been done for our students’ resumption. Students in 400 to 600 levels would resume for a duration of two months with an intensive lecture starting from 9am to 3pm for those that reside off-campus. “After the completion of 400 to 600 levels’ resumption, students in 200 and 300 levels are to resume for a two-month lecture before the commencement of their examinations,” he said. According to him, “Resumption of the students in 200 and 300 levels is divided into different days of the week. On Mondays and Wednesdays, 300-level students would be on campus for lectures. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, 200-level students would be on campus. This is in order to maintain social distancing and to protect the lives of the students of Lagos State University and the staff.” Parents, teachers, students in divergent views Parents, teachers and students across the country have continued to express mixed

reactions on school resumption date. While some hailed the resumption announcements and looking forward to some of relief, some others have continued to remain apprehensive, doubting how Covid-19 guidelines and safety protocols would be met when necessary arrangements had not been made in some public and secondary schools. Some parents expressed fear that it was too sudden for states like Lagos and Osun to announce school reopening, giving that there is no known cure for the virus and the experimental vaccines are not yet here. Ayodeji Dada , a father of three, told BDSUNDAY that schools should not be in a haste to reopen, saying he is in total support of the position of presidential task force on Covid-19. Dada observes that even though Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State and his Osun State counterpart may have acted in the interest of the students of their states, such decision was a hasty one. Uchenna Ukaegbu, another parent insists that government should remain more combative in dealing with the health pandemic instead of succumbing to the pressure of powerful school proprietors, arguing that “For

our children to go back to school while Covid-19 cases are still being recorded in different states, the Federal Government should post health officers to different states to keep the states under surveillance.” Ibironke Ajayi, a mother and civil servant, lauded the Lagos State government’s decision, describing it as a step taken in the best interest of the education future of students in the state. Ajayi said that Covid-19 has for six months affected the academic programme as contained in the curriculum of the Ministry of Education, adding that it was therefore, a wise decision by Sanwo-Olu because it is something that pertains to getting the education economy back on track. Reacting from a teacher’s perspective, Adedoyin Adesina, Lagos State chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), said the resumption date might not be realistic, adding that the union had submitted a memorandum to the state government on what must be put in place before schools could resume. Adesina observed that the government had just started to fix the water system in public schools in preparation for resumption and wondered if they could meet the resumption date. The state chairman of NUT suggested that schools should resume in phases, depending on the government’s level of readiness. On his part, Haruna Danjuma, chairman, National Association of the Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) called on Sanwo-Olu to tread cautiously. On their part National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) members said they were ready to resume as they have put in place all the necessary safety protocols required for school resumption. Yomi Otubela, NAPPS president, stated that safety would be a matter of very high priority, pledging that students, staff members, and visitors will comply with safety protocols and Covid19-related guidelines that help reduce the chance of infection. For students who are at the receiving end of this situation, their views were also divergent. While some insisted that schools be immediately reopened, others called for caution. Tobiloba Abiodun, a 200-level student of Engineering, University of Lagos, insists that he and his fellow students are tired of sitting down at home and called on the government to re-open the campuses. Abiodun maintains that education is a right, not a privilege, describing the delay in school resumption as injustice on students and lecturers. Onyeka Igbokwe, another student, told BDSUNDAY that

although he and his fellow students were worried about the impact the prolonged school closure would have on their academic programmes in terms of graduation, he said it would be unwise to allow schools reopen and risk the lives of students. Universities react Ayodeji Adesina, assistant public relations officer, McPherson University, said the university management was ready to resume physical classes because they have complied with the safety protocols required by government in response to coronavirus pandemic. Adesina told BDSUNDAY that all was set to receive students back to campus to carry on with blended learning, which he said was a combination of brick and mortar and online classes. “Management and students are anxiously awaiting the go-ahead from government for school to reopen because all the things required are in place,” he said. ASUU vs FG unresolved issues BDSUNDAY check shows that even if the Federal Government were to reopen tertiary institutions today, most public universities may not reopen for physical teaching and learning until the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) calls off the strike they embarked since March 23, 2020. Recall that the university lecturers had embarked on industrial action over the Federal Government’s decision to withhold the February salary of their members who refused to enroll on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Giving the situation report, Biodun Ogunyemi, national president of the association, affirmed that the strike would continue in as much as the Federal Government does not fulfil its pledges to the ASUU. Ogunyemi said even if the government eventually reopens schools, it has nothing to do with universities battling with series of crises. The ASUU said that the current crises pre-date Covid-19, adding that there are fundamental crises that will make reopening of universities longer and impossible for now. “We had long told government our position and until they meet necessary conditions, universities are not resuming even after Covid-19,” he said emphatically. Ogunyemi further pointed out that there are outstanding issues and government is not ready to fix our universities and provide enabling learning environment. “You cannot talk about social distancing in universities without talking about additional lecture rooms. So, we have two crises delaying resumption. The health crises and the refusal of government to make our universities standard,” he further said.

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Feature Niger Delta: Militants without guns give Nigeria ICT breakthrough IGNATIUS CHUKWU

an anything good come out of the Niger Delta, no? Yes! One information and communications technology (ICT) product alone out of the fantastic brains of four Niger Delta youths is taking school to people that cannot go to school, especially in regions such as North East. This has attracted attention around Nigeria, Africa and beyond. These creations emanated from a group of university students who shunned armed militancy in the Niger Delta but took up soft weapons to engage the world. The group has developed various products that now transform the way government offices run and the way learning and teaching are conducted. The latest innovation is BrainFriend, an application that now brings schools to homes where people cannot go to school. It is making waves around Africa in particular. This product is ready for unveiling in the coming weeks. Ikechi Nwogu: How it all began One of them, Ikechi Nwogu, who is now the director of finance and administration in their company, Cinfores, gave the background of their accidental but exciting beginning. “Cinfores is an amazing story, a story that began in our final year in the university. It began from a point of distress, now to a point of testimony. It was distress because we had to come together not just as undergraduates and friends but we came together from a very long strike. “Nothing was happening and we couldn’t conclude our project to graduate. After losing our father, we came together in a mournful mood. We came together and resolved to push education in our own way. We began to solve past questions from 1978 to 2001 at that time. We began to put together as much of these as we could, starting from the basic subjects that cascaded to this very moment. “It was from a point of distress (even politically). We were known as Niger Delta people; nuisance of the nation, militants. But we felt there could be good message. We came up with a new message of ‘oil of change’. We said our weapons were not gun and knife but brains and ICT to change our world.” Nwogu further said: “We began to put our solution in whatever technology form we could lay our hands on. We began to contact whoever we could meet, registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), registrars of universities, etc. We were doing all

Governor Nyesom Wike

Ikechi Nwogu

Ibifuro Asawo

of this with our pocket money. We bought some computers, recorder, etc. “ We w e r e b l e s s e d w i t h friends who could spare us their knowledge by solving past questions. Our parents were strongly behind us in motivation, but we were prayer warriors. Together, we shared our food and broke bread. We did not know such act bonded us together in integrity and trust. Today, these are the things that have kept us together.” He said they shifted into the government of that time; “The linkages and access were created, giving us a certain type of voice. It gave us an opening and thus, parents and school owners could listen to our story. Institutions could listen. Word of mouth and other connections took us to places; to state governments, to the federal government, and even outside Nigeria.” On how their applications

can help fight insecurity, he said it is through awareness creation. “There are two videos we can talk about. One is Rape. It has been converted to animation such that children can now know what Rape is; with use of colours, children can know what to beware of. They would know how to react when any person (outside dad and mom) touches them in some parts of the body. Also, they would know how to identify a criminal. These come in curriculum format. The more they learn, the more conscious they would be. Over time, it becomes a new culture where everybody is aware of his environment.” Ibifuro Asawo, CEO: We can make school come to you One aspect of our security product is awareness creation component in security education which is one of the subjects under Religion and National Values in school curriculum.

That’s where the lesson on Rape is explained, knowing who is a criminal, etc. “In the other part, we are looking at how our people in the North East would cope in these violent times. We have done a lot of deployments of this app in Nigeria including the North East where schools are not functioning. “When we are deploying around Nigeria, when we get down to the North East, you see that schools are not functioning. You would have to look for where to drop the computers and other equipment you needed to deploy. You have to make do with houses of emirs and school heads. “ We a r e s a y i n g , t h e r e i s virtual learning environment. School must not be physical all the time. You can use tablets and online learning to deliver the teaching and learning. That is where we are moving to. It’s an avenue to address insecurity challenges in some parts of the country where children are no longer going to school.” Electricity: You need power for every gadget and we have told this to the government at every moment. Just the way we charge our mobile phones, that’s how we are going to look at this. With the DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) system coming up, it allows you to study at your own time whenever light is restored in your home. We are not saying you must go and buy generators, but as lifestyle changes, people may buy things that would help schooling in their homes. People will begin to look at alternative sources of energy. Economy: As we speak, we have got companies all over the country asking questions about our products. We have five West African countries that are part of WAEC (West African Examinations Council) showing interest. Companies are speaking with us and even asking us to develop content for them in as far as East Africa. We can outsource and now create jobs. We have a large number of people in this place and that is job being created. This scheme will create numerous jobs in Nigeria. BrainFriend out soon Today we have come to do a pre-launch of BrainFriend which is Nigeria’s foremost e-learning and exam preparatory software conceived some 17 years ago. It has evolved in the past 17 years and today we are calling the world to come and see some of its new features. This is an educational software that encourages effective teaching and learning by offering e-books, questions, answers (with explanations), videos, animation, games, edu-social media, etc, as well as career guide and the national curriculum for

Sunday 06 September 2020

teachers. Features and benefits of the solution app include over 70,000 questions and answers, over 25,000 theorems, definitions, formulae; over 60,000 subjects in primary and secondary schools including the three major Nigerian languages and entrepreneurial studies; prototype questions, Advance level questions in key subjects, etc. We have now included what we call ‘Study Groups’ for collaboration, live classroom, etc. The pandemic taught us that we could do things differently. So, we now have the live classroom. We have educational games all bundled together in the new BrainFriend. It is something that we think would bring school to our homes. We always say we go to school, but we are thinking that more than ever before, school can come to our homes. We are looking at opportunities where students, schools, parents and others would embrace this solution after the launch next month and use this to solve their problems. We started as four friends but now we are seven directors. We are now over 150 in the organization, but one third of this number is made up of people developing the solutions. More prospects The much desired BRACED Commission (Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Edo, Delta) is coming back, this time, through IT Union. There would be huge collaboration through IT to make all the states in BRACED to work in synergy and be on same page. It is demand that drives improvement. Hacking: This initiative helps to push the youth to positive IT activities instead of hacking as the most attractive proposition in IT. For instance, ours is 17 years journey with zero capital. The vision will continue because of the strong business model which is an enterprise. Schools use our product and we have over 2000 partnerschools all over Africa. Many states in Nigeria, schools, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), are working with us. It’s really an education support app. It is about ICT for development with such benefits as efiling now being done in the Rivers State judiciary. There is e-affidavit system, and an entire system of automating the judicial processes. The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital is now to do e-booking e-consulting, etc. Land administration is also to be on e-system. The Rivers State Internal Revenue system is automated and digital. Filing is now done electronically and even tax certificates are processed online. These areas are exiting the pilot stage. Conclusion: There is the need to show the world that beyond violence and militancy, there are positive things happening in the oil region, the Niger Delta, and in the southsouth of Nigeria. We must show that Nigeria is making headways as leaders in some areas.

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Feature A/Ibom property firm CEO identifies major flaw blocking FG housing stocks from adequate patronage

Chivita 100% rewards consumers

hivita 100percent fruit juice has rewarded winners with exciting prizes in its just concluded Chivita-United social media promo. The Promo drew excitement from enthusiastic soccer loving fans and consumers across Nigeria as they participated to get rewarded. The month long promo which began on June 15, 2020 created a platform for soccer loving fans to express their passion for the team they love, Manchester United, while enjoying healthy nourishment from their favourite fruit juice brand Chivita 100percent. Participants were required to follow Chivita Juice on all social media platforms, and predict the final scores of the Manchester United matches one hour before they commenced. The first six fans with the correct predictions were selected as winners and rewarded with authentic Manchester United jerseys signed by some of the club’s top stars. The competition saw over 1,000 participants taking part throughout its duration. One of the lucky winners, Elizabeth Isaiah, expressed gratitude to Chivita 100percent for the promo and its exciting reward. “Thanks to Chivita 100percent, I can now proudly say I own an authentic Manchester United jersey. It is always a welcome development when brands reward their loyal consumers. While I enjoy watching Manchester United play, this was an extra incentive for me to support the club, as well as get the very best of nourishment that Chivita 100percent juice gives me,” she said. Brand Manager, Chivita, Ademola Mafikuyomi, stated that the tremendous response from social media users to the promo and their enthusiastic participation in the competition was a reflection of the affinity Chivita 100percent fruit juice enjoys amongst consumers in Nigeria. “We congratulate winners of the Chivita-United social media promo. We realise that football is the number 1 sport in Nigeria, and as such, this consumer promotion presented us with an opportunity to reward Nigerians for making Chivita 100percent their favourite brand for everyday nourishment. We will continue to identify the best platforms to connect with, engage, reward, and delight our numerous consumers whilst providing them with products that contain all the essential nutrients and vitamins the body needs. Consuming natural, high quality, healthy, and nourishing foods and drinks is especially important during this pandemic to enable the body stay well nourished, build strong immunity, and stay protected against infections and diseases,” he stated.

IGNATIUS CHUKWU property investment expert in Akwa Ibom State has discovered the flaw that holds the much-relied upon federal housing scheme from winning the heart of the workers. Patrick Udonfan, a lawyer and managing director of Akwa Ibom Property and Investment Limited (APICO), believes that the offtaker flaw is what is holding the scheme from being a hit-success. In an exclusive interview in his office in Uyo, the expert speaking on investment opportunities in the state and Niger Delta, the federal housing scheme has a huge problem getting workers able to raise the 10 percent required to join the scheme as owner-occupier. He told BDSUNDAY that the scheme was a good intention but not well planned because of the 10 percent down payment. “The category of civil servants for the two-bedroom houses of about N7million; 10 percent is N700,000. So, how many civil servants can bring out N700,000 and collect the key before you talk of monthly remittances,” Udonfan said. The lawyer, who is also the national legal adviser of the Housing Cooperative Society Limited, has already tabled a proposition to replace the 10 percent deposit demand. He said: “I raised this issue at a national meeting. We must look into the issue of off-takers fund so we can spur the enthusiasm of the workers. Yes, there have been monthly deductions as a kind of savings for them to have access to these houses but there is another clog in the wheel of succeeding because of this 10 percent off-takers fund. “That is the clog. If it is N5m, it will be N500,000. Nobody can give the solution because the Federal Savings Bank said they cannot go lower than that, but there are other schemes and initiatives we know. There is one we call ‘Rental Buildings System’ where a developer will build the house and then a beneficiary will move in like a tenant and deducted every month. It could be N20,000 and he would be paying this amount as long as he remains in the house. This amount is part of the cost. If at the end of 35 years and he retires, and he has not completed the cost of that building, he has an option. He may decide to step aside and the money so paid is forfeited; he may look for lump sum to offset the balance; Or, it is taken from his gratuity/ pension. The bottom line is that at the end of it all, the house is his. This is the suggestion we put on the table and it may come up one of these days. The ‘Family

Governor Udom Emmanuel

Homes Scheme’ is believed to be coming up with that strategy.” On whether Akwa Ibom State would adopt the suggestion he submitted at the national level, Udonfan said the state has no power to deviate from the national format because it is centrally controlled. “Some of us are saying why civil servants seem to be uninterested is because of this off-takers approach. If there is a way the governments can ameliorate that by way of loan to the civil servants to pay the initial deposit (10percent), it will be a good way of assisting workers to own houses. “The workers even have options of where to collect the forms from: APICO or Federal Savings Bank. The land is provided by the Akwa Ibom State government for the ones in this state. “APICO is an agency of government established by law for the purposes of overseeing housing development in the entire state; government estates, building residential estates, opening estates, and partnering with developers to build affordable houses in the state for the citizens and those who may want,” he explained. On the activities of APICO, the CEO said: “Before now, the agency had the Ewe Housing Estates, Shelter Afrik Estate, Akwaima 1, 2. Still in progress is the Civil Service Housing Scheme in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank which is strictly for civil servants. It is still under construction. We have a number of developers approved to undertake development of affordable houses. We have Aba Road Housing Estate which we manage. “We are open to investors and developers. We provide

Patrick Udonfan

land and partner with them. We map out the modalities on how to put the houses to use after they had been developed, how the off-takers would pay and acquire their property. The property would come under the maintenance of the Akwa Ibom State Government through APICO. “We encourage any investor to look into this very formidable area of investment in Akwa Ibom. We are in partnership with Shelter Afrik for that housing estate.” Housing needs in Akwa Ibom, targets, projections? Udonfan gave details of the various schemes and updates thus: “Ewe Housing we have 1205 units of houses; duplexes, other categories; Shelter Afrik: we have over 800 units; Akwaima 1, 2, we have about 150. At Abak Road Housing Estate, we have about 50 units. The Civil Service Housing Scheme Phase One in Ibiono LGA, we are looking at about 2000 when completed. This is a total of 2,205 in phase one at different stages, plus 5,000 targeted in next phase.” He went on: “We are concentrating on the civil servants and that was why we earmarked 2000 in the first phase. You cannot build all in Uyo capital city. We have a site in Abak for residents in that area and for people who may not afford the ones in Uyo capital city. Costs vary from city to sub-urban areas. You can drive in 20 minutes from Abak to Uyo. So, some persons may prefer Abak due to cost variation. “In Uyo LGA and Eket, we have land also where we may start construction soon. Eket is a developed area because of Mobil. There has not been any government housing scheme in

that area, so we intend to kickstart something there soon. “Civil Service is about 30,000: The land space can take up to 5000 units of houses in the various locations we have, but with the FG housing for all monitored through the Federal Mortgage Bank, the problem is the offtakers. You cannot push in the developers when you know the off-takers are not fully committed. The people who initiated this idea had good intention but there are issues.” “Some ask what use the APICO would be to any investor that steps into the state, or where AKIPO would play a role for incoming investors? If an investor comes and wants to invest in the housing sector in this state, the responsibility of the state government through APICO is to provide enabling environment such as land and infrastructure such as access road, electricity and water. “There are some developers that may say, no, I do not want delay. No matter how fine a building is, if infrastructure is not there, it would not attract allottees. The investor may say to avoid delay, he would provide the infrastructure and build it into the cost of the houses. For land, we know it would be ours because we are the origin of the investment. It is a business and after the off-takers have taken over the buildings, it is under our own custody to maintain the estate. We must sure the investor gets the worth of his investment.” Conclusion: The essence is for Uyo to play the new role of investment destination of the Niger Delta by providing adequate and affordable houses for investors to reside in and face other tasks.

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Editorial Publisher/Editor-in-chief

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editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja MANAGING DIRECTOR Dr. Ogho Okiti EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STRATEGY, INNOVATION & PARTNERSHIPS Oghenevwoke Ighure ADVERT MANAGER Ijeoma Ude MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (South East, South South) Patrick Ijegbai COPY SALES MANAGER Florence Kadiri DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Linda Ochugbua GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (North)

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Water Resources Bill: Government courting controversy

gainst the will and wish of Nigerian people, and in a manner that smacks of lack of respect for their feeling and sensibilities, the federal government has reintroduced the National Water Resources Bill for consideration and passage by the lower chamber of the National Assembly. In more ways than one, the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari lends itself as one that relishes going against the current, and in the process, stokes anarchy and courts controversy in a very volatile society that is ruled by ethnic and religious sentiments. The reintroduction of the objectionable bill after it was roundly rejected and thrown out of the window by the 8th Senate means there must be a sinister motive for pushing it at all cost by the executive arm of government which is using black legs in the chamber to see it through. The despicable Bill seeks to give the Federal Government powers to take control of lands and water resources in the country. That is not all. The Bill also allows the government control of about three kilometers radius of the water bodies, meaning that it will control both the water and the land resources.

The Bill is structured in such a way that, if passed, it will give government unfettered access to water and land resources which, ordinarily, belongs to states and local communities. Section 13 of the Bill provides that “in implementing the principles under subsection (2) of this section, the institutions established under this Act shall promote integrated water resources management and the coordinated management of land and water resources, surface water and ground water resources, river basins and adjacent marine and coastal environment and upstream and downstream interests.” Section 2(1) of the Bill caps it all, saying, “all surface water and ground water, wherever it occurs, is a resource common to all people,’’ which means that the affected states will become no man’s land. These, among other reasons, explained the controversy that greeted the Bill when it was first introduced, giving the impression that it was government’s tacit way of advancing the interest of the cattle herding population in the country, known to be quarrelsome and hostile to neighbours. We recall that the same government once introduced what

it called the Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) policy which was a controversial policy aimed at resolving the conflict between nomadic Fulani herdsmen and sedentary farmers in the Southern part of the country. It is becoming, increasingly, clear to us and, indeed, to other well meaning Nigerians that the Federal Government under President Mohummadu Buhari likes to stoke anarchy and court controversy in a volatile society that is ruled by ethnic and religious sentiments. It is unimaginable that the government of a country with a disturbing security situation could contemplate such a Bill that will separate the indigenous peoples, especially those in the South and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria, from their God-given water resources and make it a national cake which everybody and anybody have right to cut from. Such an action is always resisted. Perhaps, government means well with the Bill but it is difficult to believe them more so with the trust deficit that defines governance in Nigeria. Because of its antecedents, every move or pronouncement the government makes is treated with suspicion. In this particular case, the so called Executive Bill is allegedly expected to grant Fulani herds-

men and Miyeti Allah cattle breeders unfettered access to land and water resources in Southern Nigeria which can only trigger national upheaval that could lead to avoidable loss of lives and property. Everywhere and anywhere in the world, land and water resources are owned and their exploitation controlled by states and local authorities. Nigeria is tending to be different from this grand norm because some people are pursuing parochial interest and looking at the country from a narrow prism. The greater danger which the protagonists of this ungodly move don’t seem to consider is that, if allowed to pass, the Bill will consume states like Lagos, Rivers, Benue, Anambra, etc who have large water bodies in their domain. Such states will literally fizzle out. In the light of the above, we join the clarion call on the National Assembly to return the Bill to the trash can where it had been before some ethnic jingoists exhumed it and are effortfully trying to foist it on the rest of us. We call on Nigerians to resist the Bill for all it stands for and urge the government to desist from promoting acts capable of dividing the country or pitching the citizens one against another.

Imo Itsueli Mohammed Hayatudeen Afolabi Oladele Vincent Maduka Opeyemi Agbaje Amina Oyagbola Bolanle Onagoruwa Fola Laoye Chuka Mordi Mezuo Nwuneli Charles Anudu Tunji Adegbesan Eyo Ekpo Wiebe Boer Paul Arinze Boye Olusanya Ayo Gbeleyi Haruna Jalo-Waziri Clement Isong Konyin Ajayi

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BDSUNDAY 9

Perspective Oshiomhole, do all Edo people look like fools? TONY USIDAMEN Usidamen, a public affairs analyst, writes from Benin.

t wasn’t that long ago, 2016 to be exact, when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole—the then-governor of Edo—traversed the state with Godwin Obaseki urging the people to support his governorship bid. But this was no random act of gratuitousness. Obaseki had earned it. For seven and a half years, he had served as the chairman of the state’s Economy and Strategy Team. Drawing on his experience as an investment management expert of more than 30 years, he midwifed the major development projects of the Oshiomhole government. The Comrade himself has

corroborated this fact on different media platforms and public fora. While addressing a mammoth crowd at one of the campaign rallies four years ago, Oshiomhole noted: “Godwin has worked for seven and a half years for the people of Edo state using his brain, using his creativity. Quietly—not making noise, not appearing in the newspaper or radio—he sits in the office of the economic team, which he built using his network of friends, inside the heart of Government House without demanding one naira.” Just as Oshiomhole extolled the virtues of Obaseki as the campaign train moved across the 142 units in the 18 local government areas of the state, he also warned the electorate about the main opposition candidate in that election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The professed pastor had served as director-general of Oshiomhole’s campaign organization in 2012 when the latter was running for a second term in office. So, the Comrade knew him well enough to offer a firsthand assessment of his

character and values. His qualification and experience too. Speaking to supporters at the campaign stop in Uromi, Oshiomhole described IzeIyamu as a man of questionable character. He began his speech thus: “We are liable if we say anything that is libelous. I bear full responsibility in my personal capacity. I wave my immunity. I set my immunity aside. And I declare as follows before God.” He then proceeded to call Ize-Iyamu out as an acid bather who got rusticated from school. He referred to him as a fake pastor who only resorted to carrying the bible because he could not practice as a lawyer. Oshiomhole also stated that Ize-Iyamu was unfit to be governor because he had no record of professional enterprise or public service besides his stint in the government of Chief Lucky Igbinedion. He called him a treasury looter who had cases to answer at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and could not be trusted with public funds. “It’s true we found ourselves in

the region of politics working together, but I never gave him government job…I didn’t want to spend my time watching his files,” said Oshiomhole. Now, four years after, Oshiomhole is singing a new song. Kneeling before traditional rulers in Benin, he pleaded for support of the candidacy of Ize-Iyamu in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial elections. The very same person that he had described as a thief and unfit to govern, he presented to the Council of Chiefs as “a man who understands the workings of the state and who has a clear manifesto that will bring the dividend of democracy to Edo people.” And he has, since, been actively promoting Ize-Iyamu to the electorate as Edo’s messiah. What could have informed the sudden change in tune? When he swore by God that the damning revelations he had earlier made about Ize-Iyamu were true? How come Obaseki, who—in Oshiomhole’s words—has “an uncommon capacity to think, to create, to

mobilise and to challenge us to put resources to the public good” has now turned a “bad product” in the Comrade’s new track? No one makes such a dramatic turn unless driven by creed or by greed. Edo people are not fools. And I’m sure they can tell what the real motivation is. Indeed, this election is a struggle for the “heart and soul” of Edo. Political buccaneers are staking a claim to the state’s treasury. But power lies in the hands of the people. And only we can determine our fate. No! We will not return to the Edo of old where a few self-acclaimed godfathers and career politicians held the reins and stole the state dry. Rather, we will continue on the journey to a new Edo, where government works for the people, with policies and programmes that benefit the majority rather than a few—the kind that Obaseki has modeled over the last three years. Come 19th September, Edo people will line behind Obaseki and join hands with him in Making Edo Great Again.

Achieving effective time management

EMEM NWOGWUGWU ???????

lot of us end the day wishing we had more hours to carry out tasks. From top executives at an organisation, to employees, entrepreneurs, and personal assistants. Until we understand time management, we will always face the challenge of “no time” for anything. To also have the best work life integration, we must learn how to manage our time effectively and efficiently. Time management includes a variety of skills that will help you manage your time well. Some of the most important time management skills include: Prioritisation Assessing each of your responsibilities for priority is key in being a good time manager. There are many ways to prioritise what you need to accomplish. You might decide to complete fast, simple items followed by longer, more involved ones. Alternatively, you might prioritise your tasks starting with the most time-sensitive, or a combination of both. By organising a list of easier tasks first, you can get the smaller stuff out of the way and give more of your attention and effort to the bigger projects. Also, by doing this, you

won’t have to worry about those smaller tasks that could end up getting in the way of the ones that really matter to you and your organisation. Let’s say you have a list of twenty tasks that you have to get done in a given day. If you can eliminate five quickly, it won’t seem as bad and it can be very motivating to accomplish several items in a short period of time. It’s intimidating having so many tasks sometimes, so eliminating the easier tasks first can take away much of the stress that the length of the to-do list caused in the first place. Goal setting Setting goals is the first step to becoming a good time manager. Goal setting allows you to clearly understand your end goal and what exactly you need to prioritise to accomplish it. Setting both short and long-term goals can lead to success in your career. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when you have a major project to complete as a goal. To confront this, you should take that project and break it down into a few smaller tasks that you can do without much stress. You can also batch similar tasks together. For instance, if you have to work with a client and write a blog post on the same topic, they can be batched together and counted as one item. Start creating your to-do list for tomorrow, today. Before you go home from work, the last thing you should be doing is to create a list of things you

need to do for tomorrow. This way, when you head into work tomorrow, you are ready to go! This is usually not a lot of work because you can just take your list of things you didn’t accomplish today and prioritize them for tomorrow. By doing this, you are setting yourself up for success for the next day, which takes stress off and gives you something to strive for. I use my iPhone calendar to run my life, I put everything in there. If there’s someone I know I should call in two months, I’ll mark it down to send them an email then. If I have a speaking engagement or a potential client I must follow up with, I’ll mark it down. This makes life much easier and you end up not forgetting anything, making you more efficient. Another trick I do is to set two reminders for every event; one that occurs a day before and the other that happens fifteen minutes before. This way, I never miss anything important. Ignore distractions as best as you can by organisation There are so many things that can get you off-track. You could get phone calls or instant messages; your co-worker might bother you or you might have Facebook open. You need to ignore as many distractions as possible so you can stay focused on completing your to-do list. A simple way to do this is to block off a half hour each day when you can just focus on the distractions and nothing else. The more you distract yourself, the harder

it will be to complete your goals and the more stress you will end up having. Staying organised can help you maintain a clear picture of what you need to complete and when. Being well-organised might mean maintaining an up-todate calendar, being able to locate certain documents easily, having a tidy environment and taking detailed, diligent notes. Try not to multitask and delegate if you can I fall into this trap all of the time and most people my age do as well. We try to do multiple projects at once and end up not getting anything done at all. Research shows that multi-tasking decreases productivity. If you focus on each individual task separately, you will be more effective in all that you do. Being a good time manager means only completing work that will help you and your company accomplish goals. While this skill is most often done by managers, you can also practice delegating tasks if you are managing a project. While it can often be difficult to say “no” when someone asks you to do something at work, it is important to practice having boundaries to manage your time well and ultimately accomplish your goals. Planning and Communication A fundamental part of time management is planning. Being efficient in planning out your day, meetings and how you will accomplish things will help you stick to your schedule.

Developing strong communication skills can allow you to make your plans and goals clear to people you work with. It also allows you to delegate, which lets you focus on completing the most important, relevant tasks that align with your goals. Stress management When practicing good time management, you should also be attentive to your mental health. Handling stress in a positive way can help you stay motivated and perform well when going through your schedule. You might do this by including small breaks throughout your day, or by rewarding yourself in small ways as you accomplish tasks Try these tips and let me know how if they have helped you. Do you already follow these tips? How has it been? Do you have increased productivity? At La Pax Life Project, a 360 human development company we have products and services for organisations, top executives and Families. We have templates to help you stay Organised, work hourly tracker, our Parent Organiaer book and many valuable resources to help you ease stress and live productively. We offer tailored Trainings, Life Coaching, Consulting and Project Management services. We are just one call away. You can reach us on ememnice@ gmail.com or call/WhatsApp 08033455364, 08172379659 to book a session today. Until next time, stay organised, safe, healthy, and productive.

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Sunday 06 September 2020

Perspective The unending massacre of Igbo youths

DONS EZE Dr. Eze, a public affairs commentator, writes from Enugu

ince the dawn of the present constitutional democracy where every free citizen is supposed to have unfettered freedom to associate with whoever he wants, within the ambit of law, it has become customary for Nigerian security agencies to be sniffing for wherever Igbo youths are gathering with a view to attacking them. It may not be possible to offhandedly enumerate the number of such instances, or to give the accurate number of people so far felled in such attacks, but suffice it to say that their number counts in dozens, while the casualty figures run into four digits. Nigerian security agencies are usually apprehensive, or highly sensitive to any form of gathering by Igbo youths, whether it is for discussing common issues that affect them, or to engage in prayer session. They will put on their combat gear, arm to the teeth, and begin to hover around

the area. Once they suspect any form of movement on the part of the youths, they will strike, open up arms, and begin to spray their bullets sporadically, thus descending on the people in cruel and ruthless manner. The resultant outcome has been the littering of corpses of Igbo youths everywhere, severed limbs and broken heads of some lucky ones. This would be followed by indiscriminate arrests and detention of every Igbo young man found on the street. Many of these detainees would be tortured to death inside their cells, and later buried in shallow graves or thrown inside the rivers for the fish to feast on. This unfortunate state of affair has become a recurring decimal, year in year out, or regular occurrence. In every major Nigerian city, particularly in the South East and South-South geopolitical zones, in such towns like Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi, Enugu, Aba, Umuahia, Okigwe, Owerri, Abakaliki, Port Harcourt, Asaba, etc., it happens every now and then. Unfortunately, the Nigerian Federal Government would not do, or say anything about these killings. They would keep their eyes and their ears shut, or would look the other way. Till today, we have not heard of any single security operative that was arrested or charged to court for extrajudicial killing of innocent Igbo youths. This makes some

people think that perhaps, the government was privy, or might have sanctioned these killings. Some people blame the Igbo youths for their present predicament, for being the architect of their own misfortune. They accuse the Igbo youths of irresponsible behaviour and of undermining the authority of the Federal Government, by openly challenging the authority of the Federal Government, asking for a separate country of their own. But the Igbo in Nigeria appear to be in a precarious situation. They are made to believe that they belong to a country which, however, does not recognise them; a country where they are treated as second class citizens, which excludes them from occupying every sensitive position, and which denies them their rightful place in the scheme of things. This has made many Igbo people become hedgy on issues concerning Nigeria, and putting themselves in a position of “monkey dey work and baboon dey chop”. They labour and put in a great deal of their time, energy and resources, yet get nothing in return, and are hardly recognised or rewarded. This is demoralising. The Igbo youths, in particular, are equally not happy with this state of affair. They are pained that the Igbo have been schemed out from many good things in

the country; that the Igbo could not hold any top position in the armed forces, the police and other security agencies; that the Igbo are not considered capable of being President of Nigeria, and that the country which they see as their own could not protect their lives and property. For them therefore, the option would be to opt out of the country, and take their destiny in their own hands, to begin to chart a separate course of existence, than their present state of enslavement. That is to say, to seek for a place that would give them comfort and accommodation, a place where they would be free to order their living, without let or hindrance. But those who put them in their present state of hopelessness would not let them be. They continue to harass them, to bully them, to pursue them, and to chase them like rats, from pillar to post. The Emene killings, a few days ago, was not surprising. It followed the usual pattern. The youths had converged on their normal place of weekly meetings. They were not touching anybody or disturbing public peace. Everybody was going about his normal business. At least, many residents of the area who attended their Sunday services on that day came back without anybody harassing them. But some security agents,

or rather some operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS), in their usual manner, were not comfortable. They became worried, apprehensive. Hysterically, they decided to invade the venue of the meeting, to disturb the boys. We have not been told when it became a crime for people of like minds to come together to discuss issues affecting them. May be, it is because these were Igbo youths of whatever name called, and who are in a country that does not want them. How does it look like that hundreds of people who once had taken up arms against the Federal Government, killed and maimed thousands of people, destroyed government property worth billions of naira, would later be addressed as “repentant Boko Haram members”, given redcap reception and government employment, while the other people who did not bear any arm, but merely calling for a separate country of their own, would be visited with the most cruel weapons? Is this not injustice, a case of one country, with different destinies? Perhaps, we do not think it would be a crime if the Federal Government invites these “recalcitrant Igbo youths” to a meeting, listen to their grievances, and begin to address them. We believe that this would make a big difference, rather than always visiting them with iron rod.

management, flood control, vegetal control and high standard of home and personal hygiene, sanitation, control of environment pollution (air, water and noise), beautification and advertisement control. Consequently, its approach to tackling flooding is multifaceted and multi-dimensional. It includes dredging, massive construction and expansion of drainage channels, desilting and excavation of silts to dumpsites, regular repair, clearing and cleaning of drainages, canals and collector drains across the state. Currently, the government is combining public enlightenment strategies to sensitize Lagosians on this development and had taken the time to proffer solutions so that the volume of rains being expected won’t have devastating effects on lives and property. Whenever it is observed that the intensity of the rains is much, it is advisable that people vacate flood prone areas. Equally, it is also important for the citizenry, especially children to stay indoors in order to reduce movement to the barest minimum. In fact, if it could be avoided, it is better not to drive while it is raining heavily. Similarly, residents should maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene at

all times to avoid being victims of water borne diseases. Since we now live in a hitech information age, it is also imperative that people listen to news reports and information on weather situations from various available credible mediums. This will really aid in planning movements and avoiding flood prone locations. Also, in view of likely destructive thunder strikes that usually accompany windy rainfall, residents are strongly advised to always disconnect all electrical appliances whenever they want to sleep or go out. This will go a long way in checkmating rain induced electrical debacles. Similarly, children should be discouraged from touching electrical equipment when wet. In as much as it is beyond human powers to stop rains, being a natural phenomenon, we should, at least, do things that are in our powers to lessen the negative consequences of rains. Residents are enjoined to call 767 in case of emergency as well as report all cases of drainage blockages, dumping of waste into canals and other unauthorised places to the appropriate authority. It is only in doing this that they would be complementing the government efforts on the environment.

Lagos and the coming rains

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

t the outset of the year, experts had predicted that Lagos would witness more rains than it has even experienced. Surprisingly, however, it is like the heavens have shut its windows against rains in the past two months. Considering the attendant challenges of rainfall in the metropolis, many residents would be quite relieved by the situation. Experts have, however, cautioned that the current situation might not last for too long. Consequently, the State government has forewarned residents on imminent heavy rainfall from the beginning of September, with a

pledge that it is intensifying actions to minimise the effects on Lagosians. According to the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, work is ongoing on more than 200 secondary channels with over 80 percent at various stages of completion, just as 46 primary channels are presently receiving attention. Bello further disclosed that the ongoing projects are in addition to the continuous work of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang (EFAG) deployed round the State to undertake quick fixes to free manholes or clogged drains manually. The Commissioner affirmed that one of the new measures put in place to combat flash flooding is the provision of pumping stations, with a pilot model being planned for Ilubirin in Lagos Island, explaining that the stations will promptly pump out of the water from flooded Neighbourhood to reduce the risk of damages to property. Major flood-prone areas in the State that are natural buffers to the lagoon, like Isheri and its environs, Owode, Agboyi-Ketu, will also benefit from the initiative. The efforts of the government in taking calculated precautionary measures to mitigate the

effects of rains would best be appreciated by the discerning residents, considering Lagos’ peculiar topography. For a coastal metropolis as Lagos, once it rains constantly for a minimum of eight hours, there is bound to be flashflood caused by the increasing inability of effective discharge into the lagoon, which is brought about by a rise in the ocean level. This naturally leads to drainage obstruction and, until the water level goes down, the drainages would be unable to discharge. This is what happens in most global coastal cities, including those who have adopted the best of technological advancements to curtail flooding. Experts are of the view that while States like Ogun and Ekiti suffer from urban and river flooding, Lagos is at the receiving end of three types of flooding coastal, urban and river flooding because of its unique location. It has, thus, become imperative for residents of low-lying areas that are contiguous to the Ogun River to be prepared for the possibility of their homes being flooded. As always, the government is committed to a cleaner environment and quality public health through implementation of community based solid waste

Sunday 06 September 2020

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Politics Edo: Convoy accidents, alleged assassination attempts as new campaign strategies Continued from Page 1

a result of a few individuals’ ambitions. They noted that it is unfortunate that people do not learn any lesson in what happens around them. The media is awash with stories of how policemen attached to politicians consistently pay the supreme price. After they die, their poor families begin to experience real hardship as the politicians, who their bread winners died to protect, move on with their lives and totally forget, because out of sight is always out of mind. The vibrations coming from Edo is scary. The two major political parties involved in the coming election could be said to be toying with the head of a cobra, mouthing assassination as though the battle for governorship was everything there is in life. And come to think of it, all of them alleging assassination had in the past wined and dined together when they were in the same political party or when they had cause to work together, and knowing the life of politicians, their coming together again is not ruled out giving their rolling stone nature and the principle of no permanent friend or enemy but permanent interest. The probing questions remain, why then must policemen continue to die for politicians? Why must youths sacrifice their lives for politicians who have mortgaged their future? At every election, youths who serve as thugs are killed and everything about them forgotten even by those who hired them. Recently, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu had alleged that there was a plot to assassinate high-profile personalities in the state. Speaking at a press conference in Benin City, the Deputy Governor called on President Muhammadu Buhari to charge security agencies to “do their work because Edo will not be a theatre of war if these things are dealt with.” Shaibu had claimed that “We have intelligence that some individuals are in Edo State and their assignment is to come and assassinate some known individuals in the state. “So, I am hereby bringing to the notice of the general public that these people are in town and we’ve communicated to the security agencies about their activities and

Godwin Obaseki

Osagie Ize-Iyamu

why they are in town.” “For us, we will continue to appeal to our people not to look for trouble, not to disturb any programme. We are law-abiding. We have a duty to protect lives and property; that we will continue to do,” he added. Recall that a recent meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja between President Buhari and Oshiomhole generated a controversy. The PDP alleged that the meeting was to perfect rigging plans for the broom party. Within that period also, the umbrella party had alleged that it obtained a video wherein Oshiomhole and Professor Ibrahim Gambari, chief of staff to the President, were in talks over how to “take care” of certain powerful elements in the PDP in order to have a smooth sail in the September 19 poll. Since last month, it has been one accident or the other, which are being interpreted as the handiwork of political foes. On August 13, Obaseki’s campaign train was alleged to have been attacked by hoodlums allegedly stationed in Ward 10, Apana, Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area, where Oshiomhole comes from. Reports had it that the attack lasted for over five minutes as the security agents attached to the governor and the campaign train engaged in a gun battle with

the hoodlums. Obaseki said of the attack: “You see what has happened now, Oshiomhole allegedly hired thugs to attack us so that we will not campaign in Apana.” On August 31, the governor again narrowly escaped death at Erua village near Jehovah’s Witnesses International Headquarters in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the state. On September 1, Oshiomhole was said to have escaped death by a whisker. He lost two of his aides in the auto crash. Oshiomhole was on his way to Usen in Ovia South-West Local Government Area. It was gathered that a trailer rammed into the travelling campaign convoy, hitting the back-up vehicle that the police were riding in. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu said the accident was a plot to kill Oshiomhole. He emphatically said: “I want to show my deepest sympathies to households, buddies, and all who knew the two distinctive policemen we lost in the tragic and disturbing crash involving the convoy of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole travelling with different leaders to a marketing campaign occasion in Usen, Ovia South East LGA.” According to him, “The circumstances of the crash have been certainly curious

and have left us deeply involved, because the truck liable for the crash, in keeping with witness accounts of these within the convoy and different street customers, appeared to have intentionally rammed into the convoy.” Twice in one week, the Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare ll, expressed his concern over the heightened political violence ahead of the September 19 gubernatorial election in Edo. Last Wednesday, the monarch called on political actors in the state to prevail on their foot-soldiers and supporters to stop heating up the polity. Oba Ewuare ll made the call at a peace meeting with the chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and their governorship candidates in his palace. “Please let the shooting stop. There is a way you can communicate through your foot-soldiers and they will listen to you,” he said. “The purpose of this meeting is to strongly appeal to politicians to control the youths and thugs that are against one another. I am not concerned about the sides they are but they are all one family,” he said. The highly-rated crown head further noted that, “Family can quarrel but there must be resolution and that is what I want us to achieve today. I look at you all as family, as part of the palace family and I cannot have all of you fighting against one another. I have been harbouring a whole lot of unhappiness and the state has been in the news for some time for the wrong reasons.” “I want to ask the political actors in Edo State, why are you all doing this? The office is four years, why do you want lives to be lost? Why are you arming thugs? At the end of the day the thugs keep those guns with them,” he queried. “We must show to develop countries that Edo State can surprise them. Please, let the shooting stop,” he added. Recall that before Governor Obaseki eventually dumped the APC, the Oba had made several attempts to reconcile him and Oshiomhole without success. The monarch was recently quoted as saying that he was still in shock that despite his efforts at reconciling the two politicians, they have stuck to their guns, hence the heightened apprehension as the election approaches.

Can signing of peace accord guarantee violence-free election in Edo? James Kwen, Abuja

he Edo State gubernatorial election holding on the September 19, like any electoral contest in Nigeria, is sending strong signals of war that could not only be a threat to the process but lead to the loss of lives and property. Already, there are pockets of violent clashes, particularly between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supporters and actors. While the APC is fielding Osagie Ize-Iyamu for the election, the PDP is fielding the incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki. Both men cross-carpeted to their present parties in the build up to parties’ primaries

in the reverse order they contested for the same seat in 2016. Worried by this ugly trend, the National Peace Committee, headed by a former Nigerian Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar and the vocal Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah has resolved to visit the state for the signing of peace accord before the election. This would be the first time the exercise would be carried out at the state level. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu who was in Edo recently on peace building mission disclosed this at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Benin. Yakubu said though the National Peace Committee engages political parties at the national level, for the first time, it will

ensure that all political parties and their candidates are committed to a peaceful process, given the significance of the election in Edo State. He expressed worry that: “We have being receiving reports of the Security situation in Edo State and it is part of what we are going to discuss with members of ICCES. The environment ought to be secured for the Commission to conduct election. “We are taking every step to ensure that the environment is very conducive for us to conduct election. I trust that security agencies are fully prepared to deal with potential problem areas”. The INEC Chairman, during the stay in Benin, also visited the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II and pleaded with the Monarch to prevail on his subjects, especially the policy actors to give peace its chance before, dur-

ing and after the election. Yakubu had said: “Like many Nigerians we are concerned about some of the statements and actions through their members and supporters that sound like a threat to peace during the election”. Ewuare II heeded the call of INEC immediately and summoned a meeting with Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu, the main gladiators and admonished them to sheath their swords in order not to turn the state to a land that flows with blood. The royal father said at the meeting that: “For some time now, Edo State has been in the news politically for the wrong reason as political gladiators have been fighting dirty with their war of words. “Please don’t turn the state into the city Continues on page 14

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Sunday 06 September 2020

Politics Igbo presidency, Uzor Kalu, Uzodinma and the allegory of ‘Tower of Babel’ Iniobong Iwok

hree years to the next round of Nigeria’s general election due 2023, the turn-by-turn gentleman agreement or what has come to be known as rotational presidency appears to have thrown the country into a “Babel” of sorts. For those not familiar with the story about the Tower of Babel, as recorded in the Book of Genesis 11:4-9, it was at that project that, according to the scriptures, God frustrated the desire of the builders by causing them to misunderstand one another. The builders had said to one another, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” When the Lord saw the city and the tower which mortals had built, He said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So, the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth and they left off building the city. Therefore, it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. In recent times, there has been raging clamour on the need for the presidency to be zoned to Southern Nigeria, specifically to the Southeast geopolitical zone of the country. Some political leaders and other stakeholders across the country have argued that it would be unfair to continue to deny the region the presidency even after the other major ethnic groups had occupied the position since the return of the country to civil rule in 1999. They say for the sake of equity and justice power should automatically shift to the Southeast in 2023 when the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari would complete his second tenure in office. Although rotating the presidency is not constitutionally backed in Nigeria, political leaders say it is, however, necessary considering the heterogeneous nature of the country as a way out of complaints of marginalisation by the three major ethnic groups of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa. But the idea of a rotational presidency has become contentious ahead of the 2023 presidential election, with prominent Nigerians openly supporting or opposing the proposal, those against it say that Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, should be able to aspire and contest for the presidency when the need arises. Last month, Mamman Daura, President Buhari’s nephew, had in an interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC, recently kicked against the rotation of the Presidency, saying that zoning arrange-

Nnia Nwodo

Orji Uzor Kalu

Hope Uzodinma

ment should stop since it had been rotated thrice in Nigeria. “This turn-by-turn, it was done once, it was done twice, and it was done thrice, it is better for this country to be one, it should be for the most competent and not for someone who comes from somewhere,” Daura had said. Daura’s comment, however, did not go down well with the apex Igbo socio-political groups in Nigeria, Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Nnia Nwodo, president-general of the group a few days later said the comment by Daura was out of selfish interest, insisting that Igbo presidency was actualisable. “Buhari came into power in 2015 because the North felt they had been deprived of their turn. Having benefited enormously, he now wants zoning jettisoned because it is the turn of the South. “Talking about competence or the most qualified, was President Buhari the most qualified Nigerian when he ascended the Presidency?” According to him, “Has he proved to be the most competent? Are the service chiefs the most competent among their colleagues to warrant their being retained beyond their tenure? “Obviously, no; because occurrences in the country since he became President have proved him to be incompetent, now that it is the turn of the South, precisely the Southeast, he is mouthing the most

qualified and competent.” Nwodo emphasized that “Equity is a constant flagship for peace and good governance. Without it, there will be continued agitation and crisis.”

By the same token, Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo State, speaking last week after a meeting with President Buhari, said that the choice of who emerged presidential candidate in 2023 would be based on political party and not by tribe. “You know that the position is not vacant now; there is a sitting President and we are practising partisan democracy and not tribal democracy,” he said. “So, the emergence of a presidential candidate will come on party by party basis, not tribe by tribe basis,” he espoused. “But if there are other internal factors that will form part of the considerations for parties taking decisions, of course, that will be entirely the job of the leadership of those political parties and I think that is the right thing to do,” he further said. Reacting to Orji Kalu’s comments, the Southeast for President 2023 Movement (SEFORP2023) asked him to “embrace realities”. National Coordinator of the group, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, in the statement expressed the group’s disappointment that the representative of Abia North in the Senate said any person in the APC was free to contest the 2023 presidential election. Obioha said: “SEFORP2023 is grossly feeling disappointed that the above statement is coming from a supposed representative of people of the South East as a senator and no less a position as the Chief Whip of the Senate. It is to say the least very unfortunate. “SEFORP2023 must remind him that he is ignorant of history to note that till date, the six zonal structures which are now the basis for revenue formula, political, economic and social sharing are not yet embedded in our constitution; yet it is an acceptable formula and a norm.” According to the group, “The Senator, we regret to say, is economic with the truth and realities here. If he will forget so soon what and how he secured the position of Chief Whip in the Senate, let us remind him that he had argued and canvassed vehemently that the South East must be given a principal office in the red chamber as part of zoning before this position was given to him. Is that in the

The real ‘Babel’ But what many observers have considered as worrisome are the comments by some notable politicians of Igbo extraction, who appear to see things differently from the perception of many of their people in relation to the sacrosanctity of the Igbo presidency project. This variegated stands among the Igbos themselves, analysts say, is the real Babel; a case of a house dividing against itself. Last week, Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Abia State governor and chief whip of the Senate, warned those clamouring for power shift that there was no zoning in the constitution of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). He said it was erroneous to believe that after the eight-year tenure of the President, Muhammadu Buharis, power would automatically be transferred to the South. “Most people are not aware that there is no zoning of the position of the President in the constitution of the APC; Nigerians from every part can contest for the office of President,” Kalu, who recently braced the rope of freedom from prison, stated.

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Politics constitution of the APC? “We advise him to reconsider his position as stated and know that the Presidency residing in the North will come down to the South and that it will morally be the right and turn of the South East zone. Kalu should better embrace realities and stand for what is right for the collective interest of Nigeria than play the ostrich.” The group argued that electing the President of Nigeria has been done on zoning procedures since 1999, stressing that the South East should be allowed to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023. Obioha said: “This is the position of SEFORP2023 and why we debuted since February 2019, telling Nigerians, particularly the likes of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, political parties and the powers that be to do the needful. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. The South East zone is not a spectator in this country. Come 2023, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must come from the zone. This is equitable and justifiable in all fairness.” The genesis Recall that the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), then the ruling party started the zoning arrangement in 1999, in which the nation’s number one position was zoned to the Southwest in which Olusegun Obasanjo won the presidential election and emerged the president after defeating a

Chekwas Okorie

fellow Southerner, Olu Falae, incidentally both men also hailed from Ogun State. Obasanjo had earlier ruled the country as a military head of state from 19761979. After Obasanjo left office in 2007, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, also from the Northwest, former governor of Katsina State won the presidential election and assumed office to succeed Obasanjo. He had defeated several other candidates which included Atiku Abubakar, who was candidate of the the Action Congress (AC), among others in an election he admitted was poorly conducted, promising electoral reforms. However, Yar ‘Adua’s stay in office was cut short after he died in 2009. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who was his vice, and who hailed from the oil-rich state of Bayelsa took over as president of Nigeria. After winning a fresh four-year man-

How far can the New NBA go? Iniobong Iwok

Ayo Adebanjo

date in 2011, Jonathan’s bid to win re-election after six years in office was stopped; he lost the presidential election in 2015 to the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari who was the candidate of the then newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC). However, the Southeast geopolitical zone has only produced a vice president since after the end of the brutal Nigeria’s civil war in 1966, in which the late Alexander Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme was the first elected vice president of Nigeria from 1979 to 1983 during the Second Republic serving under the late president, Shehu Shagari. Observers believe that the continued marginalisation of the region for the nation’s president position may have given rise to groups such as Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), both of which are agitating for the same thing- secession. Chekwas Okorie, a former national chairman of the Unity Progressive Congress (UPP) in an interview with BDSUNDAY, said that for fairness and equity power should shift to the Southeast in 2023, stressing it was, however, necessary that the region put its house in order if it wants to win. “2023 is for Igbos to win and lose. If they put their house together they may win, if they don’t they may lose it; because they have risen to the occasion before. And I can tell you that when it matters most Igbos always unite and there is nothing that says Igbo cannot unite in 2023, when things come to a crunch and when they unite, it would be like a movement,” Okorie said. “Look at the type of unity they showed even when we had Peter Obi as a running mate to Atiku, Atiku won in FCT because of Igbos’ votes,” he added. A call for justice, fairness A leader of Yoruba pan-socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo recently supported the clamour for Igbo presidency in 2023, saying that it was necessary for the unity of the country. According to him, “We are talking about people who want Nigeria to stay together. How can anybody who loves Nigeria be talking about the presidency coming to the Southwest in 2023. That is why I said all these people are not serious, why should you exclude the Southeast? Is the Southeast not part of Nigeria”?

ecently, a group of lawyers from the North announced its decision to pull out of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and set up a splinter body called the New Nigeria Bar Association (NNBA). The group’s decision was as a result of the withdrawal of invitation of the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, as speaker at its just concluded 60th annual general conference. In a statement by the conveners of the new group, Barristers Nuhu Ibrahim and Abdulbasit Suleiman, respectively, the duo disagreed with the decision of the NBA to withdraw the invitation to Governor, Nasir elRufai, while accusing the NBA of sectionalism and violating the right of lawyers in certain part of the country. Part of the statement reads: “What has been happening recently has exposed the inability of the NBA to manage and contain the heterogeneity of its members as well as their various interests. Its penal powers have been deployed discriminatively on the basis of ethnicity and regionalism. “As a body of lawyers who have undergone training towards ensuring the promotion and protection of Human rights and liberties, the NBA is supposed to live above sentiments, regionalism and discrimination on any basis and of any kind. “Therefore, the NBA cannot afford to be seen not to be upholding the rights and freedom of its own members if at all, it should be seen to be practising what it preaches.” The group further said, “No wonder, NBA NEC, which is the highest decision-making organ of the Association failed to uphold the fundamental principles of fair hearing which in itself, is the fundamental aspect of Rule of Law, on the allegations against the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai as were contained in a petition by Chidi Odinkalu Esq., a long-time foe of His Excellency and a lawyer of eastern extraction, but the NBA failed to extend the same treatment to Southern invitees who were also petitioned and are also alleged to have committed similar or more human rights abuses than those alleged against Mallam El-Rufai.” The splinter group further said: “The New Nigerian Bar Association members, gleaned from the above Constitutional provision feel that their interests are no longer taken into consideration in major decisions of the NBA, hence the formation of this association. “What has been happening recently has exposed the inability of the NBA to manage and contain the heterogeneity of its members as well as their various interests. Its penal powers have been deployed discriminatively on the basis of ethnicity and regionalism.” The new body of lawyers has since notified the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami of its existence. But the group pronouncement however, came as a surprise to lawyers and Nigerians and has continued to generate divergent views in the country. The question on the lips of many people is how possible those behind the new group hope to sustain the faction. An analyst, who spoke to BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity, said it was not the first time Nigerians were seeing “new this and new that” which just fizzled away with passage of time. “We saw New PDP in 2015 just after the general election that year. Some party members felt so aggrieved that they named themselves nPDP; where are they today? Again, after the 2019 general election, some people in the APC, who felt hard-done-by, floated a splinter party. They called themselves New APC (nAPC); today, that has faded into oblivion. So, experience has shown that such associations, formed out of anger

and malice, do not endure. We are watching,” the observer said. Founded in 1900, the NBA is a non-profit, umbrella professional association of all lawyers admitted to the bar in Nigeria. Over the years, it has engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Nigeria. The NBA is made up of 125 branches, three professional sections, two specialised institutes, six practice-cadre forums, and high level leverage in the political society in Nigeria. A particular mention could be made of the crucial role the NBA and its members played during the fight against military rule and enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. However, observers say the emergence of the New NBA group could also be linked to discontent which trailed the recent national NBA election which produced Olumide Akpata as the national president. There have been calls for reforms. The NBA leadership had been dominated by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) until Akpata, 47, caused an upset and won the presidential race by a landslide. In a move to prevent controversy in future elections, Akpata after assuming office set up an Electoral Audit and Reforms Committee to audit the body’s 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections. The committee, headed by Ayo Akintunde (SAN), is expected to also recommend reforms for future electoral systems and processes. Meanwhile, some lawyers have expressed doubt on the ability of the New NBA founders to actualise their dream of being a rival national body considering that it would require legislative backing from the national Assembly, while membership strength would have to cut across the country. This is not the first time aggrieved members would try to pull out from a rival national body. Speaking in an interview with BDSUNDAY, Jhon Bayesha, an Ilorin-based lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), condemned the move by the founders of the new NBA, stressing that the group would not see the light of day. According to him, “The New NBA action is trash that can’t survive, there is absolutely no need for that, and it is done in bad faith. “Their major reasons are because Kaduna state governor’s invitation was withdrawn in the just ended national conference, though I did not agree with that decision but it was the views of the majority of the members and the NBA NEC and we have to respect that. “But I am happy that some of our colleagues, even those from the North have spoken against it, that it is wrong. If every aggrieved lawyer is going to set up the NBA how many are we going to have?” Also speaking in similar vein, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former commissioner of Justice in Abia State, Awa Kalu, expressed confidence that the NBA is not going to split despite the on-going crisis rocking it. Kalu, who is also a professor of law, said the association is a body recognised by law and therefore, cannot break. “The withdrawal of the invitation of the Kaduna State Governor as panelist at the conference should not be seen as sectional. For you to accuse the NBA of sectionalism, you need to know how many speakers were invited and where they come from,” he said. According to him, “You need to know the geographical spread of the invited guests and panelists. Except that is done, the accusation of sectionalism is baseless. “The NBA is not going to split; it is a recognised body both locally and internationally. The withdrawal of an invitation should not be a sole cause of anger.”

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Sunday 06 September 2020

Politics Nigeria will make progress only when we begin to offer new solutions to our problems - Koshoedo

Can signing of peace accord guarantee...

Setonji Koshoedo, a former member of the House of Representatives from Badagry, also a former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Lagos State, in this exclusive interview with INIOBONG IWOK, assesses the state of the nation, spate of insecurity, among other issues. Excerpts:

of blood. I appeal to the two gladiators and all politicians to ensure peace and stop the shooting and violence in the state. “I want assurances from you people, to me and the people of the state, of a peaceful atmosphere in Edo State. Your homes and families are here, so give peace a chance”. As laudable as these peace moves may appear, the worry is whether they can guarantee non-violent polls as similar efforts ahead of the 2019 general elections and the November 2019 governorship elections in Kogi did not yield positive results as there were widespread violence. To demonstrate that the peace moves made no meaning to political actors, there was alleged shooting of 13 PDP members who were said to be having a meeting in Ekpe community, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State about 72 hours after the INEC Chairman disclosed plans for the signing of peace accord. The drumbeats of war in Edo have also worried the Police high Command which recently identified a high likelihood of violence, attacks by opponents, and misinformation as security threats to the polls in the State and Ondo where election is holding October 10. The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, consequently warned politicians and their supporters to conduct themselves properly by playing by the rules. According to a statement issued by the Police Spokesperson, Frank Mba, the Police Boss issued the warning having reviewed the election security threat assessment reports submitted by the commissioners of police from both states at a meeting held on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. “The Election Security Threat Analysis reveals amongst other indicators: arming and movement of political thugs, use of inciting statements during political campaigns, high likelihood of violence and possible cross attack by political opponents, misinformation/disinformation aimed at heating-up of the polity and deliberate efforts at delegitimizing government institutions involved in the electoral processes. “The IGP has therefore ordered the Commissioners of Police in the two states – Edo and Ondo – to rejig their preparations for the elections to accommodate and address the threats and emerging trends as contained in the security report,” Mba said. Fears as to whether the peace moves could change nothing with regards to violence at the Edo governorship election have also been justified by a pre-election survey conducted by Yiaga Africa and NOIPolls which shows that voters are worried about electoral violence and intimidation. According to the report, respondents expressed major concerns about violence by political parties and security officials during the elections and with less than three weeks to the poll, approximately one-in-ten respondents said they had directly experienced violence and intimidation related to the elections. The report lists potential hot spots of violence where the electoral battles are expected to be fierce, including Etsako West, Etsako East, Etsako Central, Owan West and Akoko-Edo in Edo North Senatorial district. And in Edo South, Oredo, Orhionmwon, Egor, Ovia North East, and IkpobaOkha LGAs while in Edo Central Senatorial district, Esan Central, Esan North East and Esan West are potential hot spots.

Muhammadu Buhari has spent more than five years in office; what is your assessment of the administration? hat a question! Does anyone need to waste time answering that question? Even a blind can see the failure of this administration. They have failed and it can be seen in every aspect of life of the people.

What is your take on the state of insecurity, killings in the country? When the systems and institutions of security of a government have broken down, insecurity expresses itself in various ways. Frauds, killings and other disorders become the order of the day. In my view, our security architecture has collapsed and until we begin to think outside the box to foster solutions, we are going nowhere. As long as we continue to offer the same old solutions to our security problems, we cannot have a solution. We need a new and better approach. Things need to be done differently to solve this problem. There is the view in some quarters that Nigeria is not making progress in its democracy. What is your take? I agree with them. We are not. In fact, it’s getting worse. Our democracy has been bastardised. Politics is now business and not service. What do you expect from a democracy that only the moneybags can practise? But I blame the electorate too. A situation where no money or no vote is the order of the day, what do you expect? We need to get back to the basis. Our democracy must be able to usher in credible individuals into government. That is when we can expect meaningful democracy. They are the ones that will give our politics the kind of principles that can make democracy make sense. What are your expectations about the forthcoming Edo and Ondo gubernatorial elections? If elections are held free and fair, I expect PDP to win, though I have my reservations about how the primary in Ondo was handled. People are generally tired of APC, and that is a good opportunity for PDP. But my fear is that what happened in Kogi could repeat itself. You know what I mean. There are agitations for zoning of the presidency to the South in 2023. Some people have also said occupying the position should be on the basis of competency. What is your take? There is no geo-political zone that can’t produce competent candidates. Politics to me goes beyond the basic rules. There are many hidden norms and traditions that determine such a sensitive issue in all nations of the world, Nigeria is not an

Setonji Koshoedo

exception. We need to first of all define what we want. Are we electing another president to continue the way things are? We all know the way things are. We also need to consider our need for peace and unity which can only come from fairness. And that’s where the tradition of zoning emerged. For me, 2023 must consider our truthful resolve to live together as an indivisible nation to decide who the president becomes. Whatever selection that is just and fair to all Nigerians is what we should go for therefore. That’s my view on the issue. What is your take on raging agitations for Igbo presidency in 2023? As I said, there is no zone that can’t present a president of Nigeria. In fact, if we are to consider the potentials of an average Igbo man in trades and industries, they are very qualified for it. And they can get it if they play their game well, because it’s also a game. However, there are many other hidden factors at play. I’m indifferent, as long as Nigeria is united and good. You were a former federal lawmaker; what is your assessment of the 9th National Assembly so far? Well, as I said earlier, the products of politics depend on the products of elections. The 9th National Assembly cannot

do better than the expectations of the process that created it. I leave the assessment of it to you to decide. Are we likely to see you vie for elective position in 2023? Well, that is in the hand of God. My approach is to take each day as it comes. The days ahead will dictate what will happen eventually. It is believed in some quarters that the PDP in Lagos is not doing enough in terms of playing the active role of opposition. What is your take? People are free to make their judgments, but I can say that Lagos PDP cannot be performing miracles to satisfy their critics. Lagos PDP is facing numerous problems, and until the National Arm of PDP sees Lagos as a main project that is worth national attention, they can’t do anything. Members in Lagos are most resilient despite all odds. The party needs to be encouraged and helped. Winning Lagos can’t be left for the remnants, with due respect, that are remaining to handle. The big wigs that have been over fed by PDP have left the party. A frantic effort needs to be put into it by all. That’s where the confidence of members can be regained to play their role as the main opposition party in Lagos and beyond.

Continued from page 11

Sunday 06 September 2020

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Travel How tourism can lead COVID-19 recovery as Africa is well-placed to benefit A round the world, countries are steadily shifting from responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to the recovery phase. For many, tourism will play a key role here and not least because of its importance in job creation, supporting livelihoods and driving inclusive development. But tourism itself has been hit hard by this unprecedented crisis. During the first five months of the year alone, the world welcomed 300 million fewer international tourists than in 2019, UNWTO data showed. This translates into around US$320 billion in lost revenues, triple the amount lost in 2009 during the global economic crisis. Looking at Africa, there has been a decrease of 47 percent in international tourists. The sudden and unexpected fall places many millions of jobs and people’s livelihood at risk. Moreover, as Antonio Guterres, secretarygeneral, United Nations, made clear in his landmark Policy Brief on “COVID-19 and Transforming Tourism”, it also places the progress we have been making towards using tourism as a driver of the Sustainable Development Goals, including those relating to gender equality and the conservation of our cultural and natural heritage, in jeopardy. So, how can we get tourism moving again? Above all, it is a matter of trust and confidence. People will only travel again if they feel safe. Moreover, they not only need to be confident that they will not bring the virus home with them, many also feel a responsibility to not spread it themselves. In this regard, Africa has certain notable advantages over

Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general, UNWTO. other global regions. For most international tourists, Africa is a prime destination for nature tourism – to see wildlife or to experience unspoiled landscapes and habitats. This lends itself to social distancing, making it relatively easy for every part of the tourism value chain to introduce strict hygiene protocols. Furthermore, Africa, as the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show, has been the least affected of all global regions. Due to a combination of factors, infections across the continent have been considerably lower than those recorded elsewhere in the world, and new cases continue to slow. All this presents an opportunity for African countries to market themselves as safe destinations, as governments across the continent are increasingly realizing. Indeed, when we asked our African Member States how they would

like to see UNWTO adapt our 2030 Agenda for Africa (a plan of action for growing tourism over the next decade) to better reflect the changed circumstances caused by the pandemic, many singled out promoting ‘Brand Africa’ as a key priority. On the back of this feedback, we have launched a special Branding Africa Challenge to identify the best marketing ideas and strategies that will allow prospective tourists to see a different, more positive side to the continent. This practical assistance in marketing and promotion is being rolled out alongside other areas of support that UNWTO is offering all our Member States, including helping to train and up-skill tourism workers so that they can adapt to the new reality. At the same time, we are working closely with Members to promote innovation and entrepreneurship,

recognizing that overcoming unprecedented challenges often requires new ideas and new voices. However, even as countries lift travel restrictions and confidence returns, international tourism will not return overnight. That is why UNWTO is also working with Member States to help them realize the potential of both domestic and regional tourism. With more than 1 billion citizens, the youngest population of any continent, and a growing middle class, there is a significant market for this kind of travel. Capitalizing on this will not only help support those jobs who are dependent on a strong tourism sector, it will also protect tourism businesses, 80 percent of which are small enterprises. Furthermore, across Africa, the revenues generated by tourism are a key source of funding for conservation

projects, as well as, a source of livelihoods for rural communities and particularly for women and youth. Growing domestic tourism while at the same time preparing for the return of international tourism will, therefore, allow the many social and economic benefits the sector provides to return. Just as individuals have a role to play in getting tourism moving again – by travelling domestically and by being a responsible tourist – so too do governments have a responsibility to support a sector upon which millions of people depend. There is a pressing need for financial assistance and fiscal policies that support tourism businesses, especially small enterprises. Governments also need to work together to reopen borders in a coordinated manner. This is no time to go it alone. Looking ahead, the Open Skies Policies being implemented by the African Union should be embraced fully, another example of where strong and determined leadership will make a real difference. In conclusion, the ability of the tourism sector to bounce back has been proven time and again over the years. The sector has also shown an ability to adapt and respond to challenges. Learning from the lessons of the past while also embracing innovation and new ideas will be pivotal, as we restart tourism across Africa, and so reestablish the sector, as the ultimate driver of growth and opportunity for all. This article is courtesy of Zurab Pololikashvili, secretarygeneral, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

We want to make tourism sustainable business in Nigeria – DG, NIHOTOUR

ura Sani Kangiwa, the newly appointed director general of National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), has declared that he is committed to improving on the training capacity of the Institute in order to achieve sustainable tourism development in Nigeria. He made the revelation on September 1, 2020, in a meeting with a section of NIHOTOUR management team at their headquarters in Abuja, after his official resumption. “We want to make tourism a sustainable business in Nigeria by increasing the training capacity of the Institute to international standards. This is because, without hands-on training, people cannot successfully create and market competitive tourist products and destinations”, Kangiwa said. It would be recalled that on August 25, 2020, President

Muhammadu Buhari appointed Kangiwa as the substantive director general of NIHOTOUR. His appointment was announced by Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture. Speaking with NIHOTOUR management team in his office, Kangiwa equally praised Kabiru Momoh, who was the acting director general of the Institute until Kangiwa’s appointment. In the exchange, Kangiwa appreciated the efforts of the erstwhile director general stating that, “You have set a formidable template for me to work with. Hence, you and I shall work very closely together to improve the processes and operations of NIHOTOUR for the long-term benefit of Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sector. Accordingly, the new DG of NIHOTOUR encouraged the entire staff and members of the Institute to support him, without fear or bias, in his drive to

Kabiru Momoh, outgoing acting director general, and Nura Kangiwa, newly appointed director general of National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), during the handover ceremony at the institute’s headquarters in Abuja recently

reposition the hospitality and tourism professionals’ training institution. He said, “You may need to be assured that I work within the cherished principles of the United Nations of being nonsectional. As such, I am fully gender-blind, religion-blind, tribal-blind and decidedly nonparochial in life and in my work ethics. I have always been true to this principle in my previous appointments, both in the public and private sectors, and this time around I shall be much more so”. NIHOTOUR is the premier hospitality training school in Nigeria. The Institute has been operating since 1987, with training centers spread across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Presently, NIHOTOUR is affiliated to several international training schools in the USA, Europe and African regions. NIHOTOUR was established in 1987, following a tripartite

project agreement NIR/85/004 signed that year between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) as part of a comprehensive approach to tourism development in the country. Kangiwa is a renowned tourism technocrat, who hails from a royal family in Kebbi State. Prior to his appointment as DG NIHOTOUR, Kangiwa held different positions in Nigeria’s tourism public and private sectors including being the vice president, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), North West Zone; and also, a senior Special Assistant on ‘Tourism Matters’ to the Governor of Kebbi State between 2016 - 2019. However, his appointment has been roundly received and celebrated by hospitality and tourism business owners, travel traders and practitioners across Nigeria.

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My MYpoints...Exactly! POINTS...EXACTLY! Children…they want what they want Especially from age 4-10, where you would be thinking they do not know much…brethren, be fully informed, they know a whoooooole lot! I promise you. A woman once shared that one day, her young son walked up to her to ask where babies came from. She felt he was too young to know but was glad she had him by caesarian operation. After the sigh of relief that she was not going to discuss other options, she gladly and willing told him “From my stomach my son, just like you, babies come out of the stomach”. And just as she was about to walk away, thanking God for an ‘escape’ from a question she dreaded because according to her, he was too young to know. The next question he asked left her dumbfounded. He asked “Mum, is there another place babies come out from?” Brethren, mummy was ‘shook!’ (‘Shook!’ in 21st century parlance as being said…She was indeed… ‘shook!’) There certainly wasn’t any escape route and she knew there was no plot twist that would solve the matter, so after a quick processing of what to say, she responded “Yes

KEMI AJUMOBI

rior to now, back in the days, when a child was born, I remember clearly how the mothers would have to squeeze breast milk in the eyes of the baby so the baby’s eyes can open. I saw it several times. These days, things have changed. The babies come out looking at the doctor straight in the face like “I am here, what can I do for you?” Then they begin to grow and back then, not many were bold to ask the kind of questions they ask today.

Hatfield Ground Sausage Suya Meat Balls Game party what comes to mind are delicious snacks to munch on while you watch. INGREDIENTS • • •

MEALS TO ENJOY BY CHICHI UGURU 1.

he big Game is here again and my thoughts keep drifting to Suya Me a t b a l l s. We l ov e having friends over to watch the game because it’s so much fun to watch the game with family and friends. When you think of a big

• • • • •

1 lb Hatfield sweet Italian ground sausage 1 onion divided 1/2 grated and 1/2 chopped into squares 3 Tbsp Suya Spice divided see notes 1/2 tsp bouillon powder 2 Tbsp oil + 1 cup for frying 3/4 cup bread crumbs 1 large egg 1/2 Tbsp flour

TEAM: Desmond Okon Osaromena Ogbeide Designed by Aderemi Ayeni

full onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 3. When you have scooped out all the meats, roll each scoop of sausage into a smooth ball by rolling the sausage in between your palms. Place smoothly rolled sausages back on the baking sheet. 4. Mix 1/2 Tbsp of flour and 1 Tbsp of Suya Spice in a small bowl. Coat each meatball with the flour suya spice mix . Transfer back to the sheet.

• •

1 medium green bell pepper ( chopped into 1 inch squares ) 1 medium red bell pepper ( chopped into 1 inch squares )

1. Grate half of the onion then add the grated onion, 2 Tbsp of oil, egg, 2 Tbsp of Suya spice, bread crumbs and bouillon powder to the ground sausage and mix thoroughly till well combined. 2. With a Table spoon scoop out mixed sausage by the tablespoon

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not seen me in a while and here he is on his birthday giving me ‘back to back’…there was certainly nowhere to hide. Aunty Kemi always answers his questions so I was not going to back out… Aunties don’t back out (wished I could) so I answered “It really isn’t comfortable always combing my natural hair daily, so I love to plait it and wear wigs if I have to go out and remove it when I get home so fresh air can blow my hair and rest till the next day, but I do not wear it all the time” I said. After my epistle of explanation, ask me what his response was? “Okay”…that was it, he was done… off he went to doing something else and I am on the phone wondering “So ‘okay’ is all I get to hear after my epistle?” I asked myself. He left me there and went off to do something that his attention craved for…for a few minutes only (that is), only to come back to interrupt my conversation with his mother… as always. Children are truly amazing, wise and quite inquisitive. You must find a way around giving them answers to what they ask you…you must. Because if you do not, they may go ahead to ask someone who might take advantage of their naivety or inquisitiveness. Children? They want what they want when they want it…God help

• • • • • • • •

1/2 Tbsp ground cayenne Pepper 1 Tbsp smoked Paprika Powder 1 Tbsp Onion Powder 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder 1/2 Tbsp chicken bouillon powder Baking Option These can be baked too. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 mins.

• •

Put on a food safe glove, insert an onion square, a red bell pepper square and a green bell pepper square onto a cocktail stick leaving a little space at the bottom of the cocktail stick to insert meat ball. Repeat process till all the meat balls are inserted . Serve with more suya spice. NOTES

• • • •

For suya spice mix: Mix the following ingredients together and use 2 Tbsp groundnut powder 2 Tbsp Ginger Powder

you to be fully equipped when they come asking you questions you dared not ask your parents when you were their age. Back then, when you go to vist a friend and you are acting like you no longer want to go back home, all you needed to get the ‘memo’ was what was called the ‘corner eye’. African parents understand this. Once your mum gives you that look, you know you better get up and start heading to the door. These days, it really doesn’t work that way. A friend told his son the other day to give him the remote; he wanted to watch another program, the boy said “Daddy no” and the next thing his own mother said was “Dapo leave him, let him just watch it for a few minutes”. He turned and looked at his mum and said “Eheeeen!!! Really? Mum…really? Back then, all you did was look at us in a certain way and we dared not disobey, now you are supporting your grandson?” to which she responded “That was then”. He couldn’t stop laughing. “Times have changed oooo” He exclaimed. Back to the core of this story, do not be shocked at their questions or reactions, you see children of this age, trust me when I say they want what they want.

2. A d d v a n i l l a a n d g r o u n d cinnamon, mix to combine 3. Add the flour to mixture then mix till cohesive dough ball is formed. 4. Divide dough into two equal parts, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour 5. Bring out one chilled dough ball. 6. R o l l o u t i n b e t w e e n t w o parchment papers 7. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters of choice. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and return to the refrigerator. 8. Bring out second chilled dough, Preheat oven to 350F 9. Repeat same process above. Bring out first batch and pop into the preheated oven while you pop second batch into the refrigerator.

GARNISHING •

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THROWING ITway ALLback THE WAY Coker’s BACK TO Throwing it all the to Folake FOLAKE COKER’S TIMELESS PIECES timeless from the runway FROM pieces THE RUNWAY

5. Heat up oil and fry meatballs till golden brown. Place on paper towel lined tray to absorb excess oil then transfer to a platter.

GARNISHING

INSTRUCTIONS Kemi Ajumobi Associate Editor, BusinessDay kemi@businessdayonline.com

my son, I promise to tell you when the time is right”. I trust she did. He is all grown and a teenager now, I can guarantee he knows more than enough. Still on children and always wanting to know. I called my 10 year old Nephew last week to wish him a happy birthday. I won his heart when I told him he was birthday mate with the dynamic and highly talented worship minister and trumpeter, Nathaniel Bassey. He kept screaming and I could picture him running around their house as I heard his movements through the phone. Shockingly, all of a sudden, from nowhere, underline the word, nowhere, he threw the shot at me “Aunty Kemi, Tosin (his elder sister) said your hair is long” he stated. “Easy question” I thought to myself so I answered “Yes”… brethren, he wasn’t done with me. Then he brought out the real missile “So why do you still wear wigs” he questioned…brethren, again, I was ‘shook’! “Where did that come from?” I asked myself again. “Are we not meant to be discussing him on his birthday?”. This young man has

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HOWto TOmake MAKE How CINNAMON COOKIES cinnamon cookies INGREDIENTS • • • • •

3 sticks of salted butter 1 cup Truvia Brown Sugar Blend 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cream butter and Truvia Brown Sugar Blend till light and fluffy

10. Bake for cookies for 15-18 mins. When cookies are done, bring out of oven and pop second batch right in and bake for 15-18 mins too. 11. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 8 mins before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely. NOTES These cookies come out soft but harden a bit as it cools. They are soft on the inside with crisp outer edges. I highly recommend you chill the dough it makes it easier to handle.

iffany Amber is a Nigerian fashion design brand launched in November 1998 by Folake Coker, who is the Founder/Artistic Director, Tiffany Amber Nigeria. The brand was the first ready-towear label in Nigeria, revolutionizing the Nigerian fashion and paving the way for the industry we know and

love today. Tiffany Amber has become an iconic label in the Nigerian fashion industry. The Brand has four standalone stores and boutiques in Lagos and Abuja. She has staged several fashion shows in Africa, Europe and the United States. In 2008, she made history as the first African-based fashion designer to stage a show twice at the New York Fashion Week. By 2009, in addition to her main line, Folake extended her creative borders by adding two more lines under Tiffany Amber Nigeria: TAN by Tiffany Amber (a Diffusion line) and Folake Folarin (a Couture line). Each line is distinctive but represents the designer’s iconic style. She was the first recipient of the “Designer of the Year” award at the African fashion week in Johannesburg in 2009.

In 2012, Franca Sozzani, Editor of Vogue Italia, met with Folake on her visit to Lagos, and was so impressed with the brand; she invited Folake to be a part of the Fashion for Development Project. In the beginning of the covid pandemic, her response and support was truly commendable. Being aware of the Nigerian healthcare challenges, especially in the areas of medical supplies, she took the decision early in March 2020, to temporary halt their production of ready-to-wear items and converted the production to that of medical a p p a re l s i n c l u d i n g ov e ra l l s, coverings, sheets, masks, specialist garments and so on. 20 years going, Tiffany Amber remains one of the strongest forces in the African fashion industry.

Sinach, Yemi Alade join list of Most Influential Women in Africa DESMOND OKON

e re I a m reminis cing on how life used to be, how it was to have a family, a real family. Meredith was all that I had after the tragic death of her mother. Her mother was a quintessential personality crowned with her indefatigability, if only death didn’t snatch her away from my hands. Meredith’s fortitude was what gave me courage for a better future. Her smiles could light up the world or even save a life. Although she was just eleven years old, she was indomitable. Watching her grow up was one of the best things any father could ask for. Having long walks on the beach with the sun smiling down at us, pushing her on a swing, watching her play and above all, her determination to become a doctor just like her father were all memories now. I was fast asleep when I felt an unusual urge to check on Meredith. My heart skipped a beat as I tiptoed along the hall. The hoots of owls and the whistling of the wind only made me more agitated in the silent house. All of a sudden, I heard screams from the kitchen and shattering of glass. My hearing didn’t fail me, the screams grew louder and louder until they suddenly became faint. I moved further towards the kitchen only to see blood and broken glass on the floor. It was too late. Amidst the blood and glass was Meredith’s rosary. I was right, someone did break in. Meredith was gone. I sat amidst the mess, wondering how and why the unspeakable had

happened. How are kidnappers operating even in this lockdown? I quizzed myself with endless questions and choked on the fact that I didn’t have a palatable answer to any of them. All these happened in seconds but it seemed like time was still, still enough to bounce me back into reality. My feet moved faster than my thoughts, I was running through the streets hoping to rescue my daughter from the clutches of those that took her not even bothering to take a weapon to protect myself from any possible combat. My journey was fruitless. I made way back to my house, treading every step lifelessly until my blurry eyes identified a picture piece. It seemed familiar. “No,no, it can’t be, Noooo!” It all made sense to me. One of the patients I had been treating a week ago begged me to save his life at all cost. He showed me a picture he shared with his son, that same picture, telling me his only son won’t take it lightly if he didn’t survive the deadly virus. My senses couldn’t clarify if that was a plea or a threat. The man died later that week, his age and immunity were too weak to keep fighting. Now they’ve taken Meredith. They blame me for the deed of the virus. This was more than a pandemic, it was tragedy. I immediately jumped back into reality with beads of sweat competing for a position on my face. It was a dream. My heartbeat was irregular as I skimmed through the house for Meredith. When I got to the kitchen, it finally hit me. “I don’t even have a daughter” I blurted.

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Women’s World Why we want proper domestication, implementation of Child Rights Act, 2003, by Seaman Carolyn Seaman is a trained lawyer with over 15 years at the Bar. She has spent almost 20 years advocating the rights of women and girls in society. In this interview with NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE, Seaman, who is a TechWomen Fellow as well as the brain behind Girls Voices Initiative, called for the domestication of Child Rights Act, 2003 in the states that are yet to domesticate the law and proper implementation in the states that have passed it into law. She also spoke on other issues. Excerpts:

May we know why the advocacy on women and girls? am interested in the education and empowerment of girls and women because I believe it is a critical element of national development. And I mean education in a broad sense to include formal and informal education as well as vocational skills training. Statistics show that girls are still excluded from education opportunities. Statistics reveal that 13.2 million children are out-of-school in Nigeria with 60 percent of this being girls. And if Nigeria is to advance in achieving gender equality and providing equal opportunities for girls and women to access opportunities and have their rights upheld, then education and empowerment of girls and women cannot be overemphasised. We focus our work on rights education for girls. Our research in 10 public secondary schools in the FCT showed that 92.3 percent of the girls had a vague idea of the existence of laws that provide for them as only 7.7 percent of the girls we engaged in the research could articulate some of the rights they believe they have or the names of the laws that provide for those rights. This shows that the education of girls even in the academic environment needs to be strengthened if our society is to produce girls and women who have a good knowledge of their rights and can demand the protection of those rights were violated. This underscores my interest in the education and empowerment of adolescent girls and women in Nigeria. Another reason I am interested in girls’ education and empowerment is because I am passionate about really changing the lives of girls and women permanently. We needed to look for sustainable interventions that will produce lasting results beyond the 2-3 days’ workshops that are conducted for women and are expected to magically make them political leaders or corporate leaders of repute. To change the narrative, we had to change the approach. We believe in targeting adolescent girls early so investment in their education and leadership skills can guarantee a sustainable impact that transcends generations. This underscores my belief that girls are a force for change in our society. Child marriage has been a major challenge particularly to girls in the Northern part of Nigeria; what has your organisation done to end the age long practice? Child marriage is a major chal-

Carolyn Seaman

lenge in Nigeria and not only in the Northern region. Research reveals that 44 percent of girls in Nigeria are married before their 18th birthday and 18 percent before they turn 15. Although extensive research is still needed to provide specific data to show the prevalence of child marriage in various regions of Nigeria, I believe that in-depth research will expose Child marriage to be a major challenge across Nigeria. There are communities in the east that also marry off their girls from 9 years old and rising research in the south-south has recently exposed the practice of money marriage which also a reflection of child marriage where girls are given out in marriage as a form debt repayment. We consider child marriage to be a major challenge in Nigeria as we can estimate that almost half the population of girls in Nigeria is married before they turn 18 which is the minimum age of marriage according to the Child Rights Act, 2003. Child marriage not only disrupts the education of girls, but also impacts girls’ health when they get pregnant early and give birth early. They could encounter complications in childbirth and even become affected by advanced challenges like cervical cancer and

other health issues. Child marriage tends to complicate the development of a girl and interfere with her dreams and aspirations and no girl deserves that. In our work with and for girls, we have carried out some projects to address child marriage in Nigeria. From 2018-2019, we implemented the Supporting Women and Adolescent Girls (SWAG) through empowerment programme as part of the Right of a Girl Programme funded by Mundo Cooperante. The programme targeted married adolescent girls and young women in Kaduna, FCT, and Gombe states which respectively represent the North West, North Central and North East of Nigeria. The programme reached married girls whose education had been stalled because of marriage and provided them with vocational skills in tailoring. They also received apprenticeship and entrepreneurship training to support them to build cooperatives and help them raise sustainable incomes to support their families. The women have built personal agencies, have strengthened their experience in tailoring and are building their businesses to sustain their livelihoods. A recent report by the Unicef

shows that Nigeria is one of the countries of the world with the highest number of out-of-school children; is your organisation doing anything to ensure that some of these children, particularly the girls, are enrolled back to school? Girls Voices Initiative is proud of the platform it provides for girls to champion advocacy for their rights because it is the backbone of our work. We started out educating girls about the Child Rights Act, 2003 and the various provisions that provide for their rights and welfare in Nigeria. The girls have found their voice and are passionate about championing advocacy for their rights, particularly ending child marriage, ending genderbased violence, and promoting girls’ education. Some of the platforms we have created for the girls have provided them the opportunity to engage with policy makers and key influencers to share their experiences and demand policy actions to better protect girls’ rights. And we are working to expand those interactions so girls can better monitor policy makers and their commitments to girls. We believe that there is need for additional models, success stories of girls and how education has transformed their lives and empowered them to transform their communities. So, we work with vulnerable girls in the public secondary school system and target them with rights education, leadership, and skills training to expand their education and their capacity to access opportunities that improve their livelihoods. We reach girls that are unable to access such training like house helps, orphans or girls and these girls know about their rights, know where to go to demand the protection of their rights. They have also learned various technology skills including coding, digital art, and illustration, and the like and they are using these skills to carry out advocacy projects on girls’ rights issues in Nigeria. This is how girls are supporting ongoing efforts to promote girls’ education in Nigeria. Our organisation also works extensively across national, regional, and international levels. On the international level, as members of the Girls Not Brides global partnership, we contribute to the global partnership to end child marriage. On a regional level, we are members of the Africa Action Group to end child marriage and we are also members of the Civil Society Organisations Reference Group to African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage. On a national level, our organization co-chairs the Coalition of Civil Soci-

ety to End Child Marriage in Nigeria. Our membership and engagement on these platforms empower us to share learning and explore innovative interventions to address child marriage and promote girls’ education in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world. In what ways can women and girls explore technology and digital media to catalyse social change in Nigeria? We are in a technology-driven world today and technological skills are the most valuable skills to possess in these times. This influences our work to promote Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) education for girls. We invest in tech advocacy programmes for girls. I will highlight our coding programmes for girls as our hackathon programmes particularly targets girls with training in design thinking, research and coding that empowers the girls to empathize with social issues that affects girls in society so they can carry out research that influences their innovative solution to those issues. The girls in our hackathon programmes have designed mindblowing technology innovations including web and mobile applications and even prototypes of chips to address kidnapping and trafficking in children, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. To mark the recent International Girls in ICT Day, the girls engaged an online hackathon where they explored technology solutions to problems thathaveworsenedforgirlsbecause of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultinglockdown.Thegirlscreated mobile applications to empower girlstoreportgender-basedviolence and another app to empower girls to report school dropouts and child marriage in Nigeria. This is targeted at addressing the estimated 10,000 daily gender-based violations that girls and women are at risk of as well as the girls that are feared to be married off during the pandemic and may not return to school as the schools resume. Media is also a powerful tool for awareness and enlightenment. Today, media has moved beyond entertainment to include edutainment. And to promote advocacy through media, our organisation launched the Girl Nation project, a social impact film project targeting female undergraduate students with technical filmmaking skills and support their production of compelling stories about girls’ and women’s rights issues in Nigeria. The premier edition empowered 213 female students from the Bayero University Kano and the University of Abuja with filmmaking skills and they produced documentaries and short films that have and continue to screen online and offline to challenge social norms and mobilize community action towards the empowerment of girls and women.

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BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

Media: Dealing with authorities’ confrontations The recent outburst by Fani Kayode, a lawyer and a former Minister of Aviation over a question by Daily Trust reporter on who is ‘bankrolling’ his trips for inspection of projects in some states, has brought to the fore the usual global confrontations between authorities and journalists. Daniel Obi looks deeper into reasons for these feuds.

he position of authorities, either in public or private sector with position of journalists globally is usually at variance. High placed individuals are cultured to perform certain deals covertly while journalists are trained to uncover the deals and present the information as news reports for public consumption and in the interest of the nation. This is the critical meeting point between journalists and authorities. It often generates feud. This meeting point where authorities sometimes try to deal surreptitiously with certain issues or cover some facts and where journalists, within the law of freedom of expression, privacy, defamation and national interest, dig deep to unearth those issues have led to confrontations. Some of these confrontations have resulted in the death, incarceration and sack of journalists all over the world, Nigeria inclusive. In the recent time, these incidences of intimidation, incarceration and murder of journalists have escalated on the account of growing quest to cover rising sleaze, spurious deals and corruption among authorities. Forty-nine journalists were killed across the world in 2019, according to Reporters Without Borders. Washington Post in December last year reported that over the past decade, at least 554 journalists and 49 media workers were killed around the world. Within the same period, hundreds more media workers were arrested, threatened or attacked because of their work. The assassination of Jamal Khashoggi—a Saudi Arabian journalist for The Washington Post, former general manager and editor-in-chief of the AlArab News Channel, on 2 October 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, allegedly perpetrated by agents of the Saudi government was simply gruesome. In fact “being a journalist has never been more dangerous”. Nigeria has had its share of journalists’ intimidation, harassment and killing. Buhari, as military Head of State in 1983-85, promulgated Decree 4, which did not take kindly to press criticisms. This saw two Nigerian journalists jailed. Drafted on March 29, 1984, Decree No. 4 was repressive. Section 1, sub-sections (i), (ii) and (iii) of the Decree - provided that: “Any person who publishes in any form, whether written or otherwise, any message, rumour, report or statement, being a

message, rumour, statement or report which is false in any material particular or which brings or is calculated to bring the Federal Military Government or the Government of a state or public officer to ridicule or disrepute, shall be guilty of an offence under this Decree. Two journalists, Nduka Irabor and Tunde Thomson were incarcerated under this decree. On 19 October, 1986, Dele Giwa, the founding editor of the Lagos-based weekly Newswatch was killed through a parcel bomb. In 1995, Kunle Ajibade of The News and Ben Charles Obi and George Mba of Tell, were convicted and sentenced to 25 years in jail for their alleged involvement in a phantom 1995 coup plot to overthrow Nigeria’s former dictator the late Gen. Sani Abacha. Since then, there had been attempts to muscle the media by various governments through various actions and legislations. The recent was the Hate Speech bill sponsored by a law maker who is also deputy chief whip in the senate, Aliyu Abdullahi, to keep critics quiet. The bill proposes that any person who uses, publishes, presents, produces, plays, provides, distributes and/or directs the performance of any material, written and or visual which is threatening, abusive or insulting or involves the use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour commits an offence if such person intends thereby to stir up ethnic hatred, or having regard to all the circumstances, ethnic hatred is likely to be stirred up against any person or person from such an ethnic group in Nigeria. According to the bill, any person who commits this offence

shall be liable to life imprisonment and where the act causes any loss of life, the person shall be punished with death by hanging. Weighty! The death penalty was later expunged from the bill. Few months later, a credible intimation of the Hate Speech bill found its way into the 6th Amendment to National Broadcasting Code unveiled by Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information on August 4, 2020 in Lagos. This is as the bill delays in seeing the light of the day. This time, the Code stipulates that those who fall foul of the provision of the broadcasting code on hate speech shall pay a fine of N5m, which was raised from N500,000. According to the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, this will compel media houses to scrutinise adverts and reports before publishing them. He said an offender who violates this law on three occasions will have the operating licence suspended. While NBC and ministry of information are facing criticism over certain provisions of the Code, an outburst from the former Minister of Aviation, Fani Kayode against a reporter, Eyo Charles of Daily Trust was in the air. The entire media saw this, again as an attack against the media. The Daily Trust reporter in Calabar had allegedly asked the former minister who was ‘bankrolling’ his trip around some states for inspection of certain projects in some states. Fani Kayode took offence against the word ‘bankrolling’ and started insulting the reporter. “I could see from your face before you got here, how stupid you are. Don’t ever talk to me like that. Who do you think you’re talking to. Bankroll who?

You think I am one of those ones you… from who, when, how? You have a small mind, very small mind. Don’t judge me by your own standards,” he said. The insults on the journalist did not go down well with some well-meaning members of the society who had criticised the former minister for such outburst. Reacting to the incident, Chris Isiguzo, NUJ president, said the action of the ex-minister exposed him as an intolerant and unstable person who will not want his activities closely scrutinised by the media. Isiguzo said it is disappointing that Fani-Kayode, who holds leaders to account, is the same person attacking a journalist for doing his job. “It is instructive to remind the likes of Fani Kayode that it is the Constitutional right of Journalists to monitor and keep a check on people and institutions in power. “By delving into politics and holding political office, Fani Kayode is very conversant with the watchdog role of the media. For him to have embarked on assessment of projects in some states, even though we are yet to be told under what platform, he is doing so, it is proper for the media to hold him to account for his actions and decisions. “His reaction was totally unacceptable, dishonourable and reprehensible and we demand for retraction of his untoward, irritating and awkward utterances which negate simple decorum and civility. “We are more shocked that the same Kayode who had in recent times, used his social media handles to call leaders to account is at the same time attacking a Journalist for a simple demand for him to unmask those behind his

nationwide tour. He had already visited six states. This is indeed, terribly disappointing.” The former minister has since said to have apologised for his outburst. Confrontations, vexations and intimidations against journalists for investigations and asking pertinent questions is a global phenomenon. Donald Trump of USA in May this year described a question on coronavirus as ‘nasty and snarky’. The CBS reporter had asked Trump why he laid so much emphasis on US being the first when it came to testing for coronavirus. She said, “Why is this global competition to you if every day Americans are still losing their lives and we’re still seeing more cases every day?” Other world leaders have taken various actions to intimidate journalists and frustrate their jobs. This has led to kidnapping, warning of journalists. “I will report you to your publisher”, is often the threatening sentence. Fortunately, many publishers have backed their reporters as the case with Daily Trust. To raise awareness about press freedom, the United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 every year to be observed as World Press Freedom Day or just World Press Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in Windhoek in 1991. Enough is enough on intimidation and killing of journalists. It is high time, authorities respected journalists and understand that journalists’ role is that of society good. In a recent letter to Buhari, NUJ said “the role of the media in national development has become more elaborate and clearer more than ever before”. The letter expatiated that the social duties of journalists in Nigeria include the advancement of the right to freedom of expression, access to information, conflict transformation and peace building. “These are prerequisites for open governance and development, the fight against corruption among others which ultimately serve the public interest. There can be no freedom of expression and freedom of the press where journalists work under precarious situations and are exposed to poverty, intimidation, harassment, killing and fear.

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Olusegun Osoba, others honour BBN: I didn’t have sexual relationship with Ka3na - Praise Azuh Arinze’s book launch

hat many people would likely remember about Praise in the ongoing Big Brother Naija reality show would be his relationship with evicted housemate Ka3na, whilst they were in the house. However, Praise, who could not escape the eviction hammer last Sunday, has said he did not have any sexual relationship with the female housemate. Referring to the time he was seen in bed with Ka3na, Praise said that they only cuddled, adding that it was an “Intense cuddling session, nothing happened.” Praise’s eviction was unexpected because he had consistently been one of the most interesting housemates, generally liked by fellow housemates and viewers. However, he was one of the four housemates with the least votes along with Wathoni, Trikytee, and Vee, and the others voted for him to leave the house. Now that he is out of the show, Praise said: “Housemates are beginning to get more serious with the game and are systematically removing potential threats. The contestants are getting smart. The game has

started and threats have to be eliminated.” While he was not surprised about getting voted out by housemates like Nengi, Kiddwaya , and BrightO, Praise said seeing that Neo voted him out was shocking to him, especially because of Neo’s emotional reaction when he was leaving the house. Talking about his fianceé, Praise admitted to being engaged before coming into the house. However, with his close relationship with a couple of female housemates, he

Gwenivere Ifeanyieze now Miss Earth

he life of young Miss Gweniv e r e Ch i o m a Ifeanyieze may likely not be the same again as she has become the current Miss Earth beauty queen. Serendipity Media Limited under the direction of its National Director, Ibinabo Fiberesima , organised the 19th edition of the pageant and Gwenivere, who represented Enugu State, clinched the crown. Due to the current pandemic, the pageant was held via virtual platform; however, it did not take away the fun and excitement. Having won the crown, Gwenivere will have the privilege of representing Nigeria at the Miss Earth pageant. Th e El e m e n t a l Queens forming Miss Earth’s court include

Olajumoke Becca Adetunji as Miss Earth Air, Chidiogo Mbanusi as Miss Earth Water, Tammy Andoya as Miss Earth Fire, and Catherine Beredugo Miss Earth Eco-Tourism. They make up the runners-up accordingly.

acknowledged that he had “messed up” and would have to make things right with his fiancée now that he is out of the house. Praise thinks Laycon could win the BBNaija grand prize. “Laycon is underrated, but he’s a shark. Prince has a good shot because Prince has a lot of potential,” he said. Winning the Betway Arena Games twice was one of Praise’s favourite memories from the house, but now that he’s out, he plans to build a brand in dance and fitness.

ollowing the unveiling of his two new books, Publisher and Editorin-Chief, Yes International Magazine, Azuh Arinze hosted media professionals, dignitaries and avid readers to an exclusive virtual book launch recently. At the event, Azuh Arinze announced the release, to the general public, of his books titled, ‘Success Is Not Served A La Carte’ and ‘Encounters - Lessons From My Journalism Career’. Compered by multiaward-winning Nigerian actor, comedian, radio and TV presenter, Gbenga Adeyinka, the event had in attendance, dignitaries like former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba who also chaired the occasion; the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Orangun of OkeIla, HRM Oba Adedokun Abolarin; Special Adviser, Media And Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina; GMD SO&U Advertising, Udeme Ufot; EVC, Verdant Zeal, Tunji Olugbodi; and General Overseer, Revival Assembly, Apostle Anselm Madubuko. Other notable individuals at the event include; Vice President Corporate C o m mun icat io ns a nd CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah - who reviewed the books and Chairman Bison Communications, Bisi Ola-

tilo - who was the Chief Host and Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Dele Momodu - who presented the new books. Azuh Arinze’s first book, ‘Success Is Not Served A La Carte’, is an enlightening collection of one-on-one interview sessions with 30 high-profiled individuals in the country including; Christopher Kolade of Cadbury/LBS, Tony Ezenna of Orange Drugs, Anselm Madubuko of Revival Assembly, Steve Babaeko of X3M Ideas, famous footballers Kanu Nwankwo and Austin Okocha; Film director, Tade Ogidan; veteran actors, Olu Jacobs, Pete Edochie and Dele Odule, to name a few. The book explores the success stories of these individuals, and also provides critical insights into their lives. The second book, ‘En-

counters - Lessons From My Journalism Career’, chronicles the experiences of the author throughout his career. Speaking at the book launch, the author, Azuh Arinze expressed his appreciation to guests for gracing the occasion, saying, “I’ll like to express my gratitude to everyone here today and everyone that made this event a success. I do not take your contributions for granted.” Before founding ‘Yes International!’ Azuh Arinze served as the Editor of Encomium Weekly from 2003 to 2011. Before that, he had edited Reel Stars Magazine. He is also the proud publisher of three other books – ‘Tested and Trusted Success Secrets of the Rich and Famous’, and ‘The CEO’s Bible’ volumes 1 and 2.

I’m shocked some people say Covid-19 is fake – Svensson

molara Svensson, the Managing Director, OOK Group Nigeria Limited, has said she cringes each time she hears anybody saying there is nothing like Covid-19. Sv e n s s o n , w h o w a s speaking during the launch of Health Monitoring Services, an app to monitor Covid-19, pleads with Nigerians to take the virus seriously. “Covid-19 is real. I am pleading with every Nigerian. It is not going away anytime soon. A part of Manchester was put on lockdown again. The grace of God is massive on Nigerians. I don’t understand it. I have been around for a couple of weeks and I see how people are taking this virus lightly. My body is shivering. There is nothing like Covid doesn’t happen to black people. Even if the cure is found, people should take precautions. The fact there is a cure for malaria doesn’t mean I have to expose myself to mosquito bites,” she said. Regarding the app which was launched in Lagos recently, Svensson said it was a pocket-friendly digital tool that helps organisations and individuals to monitor and

consequently fight against the spread of Covid-19. She hinted that there are individual subscription and corporate subscription of the programme, saying, “If you are a member of staff in a company, the human resource department or whoever is in charge does the subscription for all staff members. A link will be sent to every staff, so that they do their subscription themselves and so that company does not have access to your (personal) data. The only thing the company has done is to pay for the subscription and get notifications to say ‘Staff A’ has gone from Green

to Amber or to Red- an indication of the staff’s level of exposure to the virus. What that information does is to protect ‘Staff A’ from coming to work and expose the rest of the staff to Covid-19”. Reiterating the importance of the app, Svensson said: “A lot of people are getting tested because of the fear of Covid-19. You have fever, headache or slight sore throat, the first thing that comes to your mind is that you have Covid-19. But you may genuinely not have Covid. This health monitoring service helps us all to take away the panic, which is what kills most people more than the virus itself. It also helps to save time and money. If you are not having Covid, the health monitoring service will tell you that you don’t have it.” Subscribers, she said, are required to input data twice daily for about five to seven days to be able to determine if they have been exposed or contracted Covid-19. According to her, “The system is built in a way that ensures adequate security. Data ownership is taken very seriously with the HMSN. This is the reason that we

have integrated such a hightech personal identification system. The registered client of the service is the owner of all of their own data. They assign viewing rights to their personal data via the platform. No data is emailed or electronically transmitted by the platform to any third party that is not agreed to HMSN privacy policy and only after permission is sought by the owner of the Data and/or the client.” The app, according to Svensson, can be customised. “A company can decide to customise it for diabetic patients. You can customise this ‘decision tree’ for Malaria. We customise to suit what you want to monitor.” In shedding more light on the security of the App, Development Service Director, OOK Group Nigeria Limited, Adetayo Olagbegi, noted that, “this is artificial intelligence and mathematics, it can’t be manipulated, once a subscriber stop imputing data and later starts again- the graph shows. And if a subscriber continues to manipulate her data, the result points her out as a danger to members of the organisation.”

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Arts Book publishers helping to make the world become a better place Stories by OBINNA EMELIKE

s the world looks to Nigeria this week for the Nigerian International Book Fair at its 19th edition being held virtually, experts have canvassed the need for the country’s challenged book industry to embrace technology amid Covid-19 to realise its full potential. This year’s book fair conference has the theme ‘Information Technology as Panacea for the Book Industry Sustainability amidst Covid-19 Pandemic.’ Activities that usually mark the fair at the MultiPurpose Hall of the University of Lagos such as conference, book exhibition, Authors Groove in collaboration with Association of Nigerian Authors and many more will now hold online via Zoom. According to Gbadega Adedapo, chairman, Nigerian Publishers Association, and main organizer of the fair, “The world was not exactly prepared for the devastating effect that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, but we have had to adjust nonetheless. Several companies had to shut down and others surprisingly or maybe not surprisingly, thrived. Most of the companies that thrived are those that embraced technology or those that continued their operations virtually. “For instance, Zoom Video Conferencing experienced an overnight success amid the COVID-19 pandemic because of the surge in Zoom users due to the compulsory stay-home policy. Before

Gbadega Adedapo, chairman, Nigerian Publishers Association

the pandemic, Eric Yuan, the founder of Zoom, saw that one day, people would need to hold meetings without meeting physically, and with technology, he made it possible. I know many of us in the book industry appreciate the joy of holding a paperback. “In fact, some might enjoy the smell of old books in a room. But it is becoming clearer that we do not only have to acknowledge the role of Information Technology in sustaining the book industry, we also have to gladly embrace the tide.” Although Adedapo expressed regret that the fair could not hold the usual way, he was glad that the virtual opportunity also presented itself for the 2020 edition of the book fair. He commended everyone who lent a hand in making this year’s fair possible. “When we started planning for the 2020 edition of the Nigeria International

Book Fair sometime last year, we scheduled it to hold in May, not expecting that a global pandemic will overtake the world. We are so disappointed not to be welcoming you in person to this year’s edition. However, I am so pleased to welcome you to the 2020 Nigerian Book Fair, our first virtual book fair. COVID - 19 has impacted every aspect of our lives and over the past 5 months we have really been exploring and accelerating the potential of online events. We will like to thank all players in the book industry for their support and encouragement as we find new ways to engage with you in this virtual world.” While presenting his keynote speech via virtual means, Hugo Setzer, president, International Book Association, also harped on how technology had altered the way we work, and urged publishers to rethink their

business and adapt to the changing times to be relevant. “The theme of your fair is perfectly chosen, and perhaps a little provocative,” Setzer said. “It is constructive and forward-looking. It does not dwell on the difficult times now, but looks at how our sector can adapt to overcome our current challenges. “On the other hand, I have to say that I am reluctant to use the word “panacea”. Panacea was the Greek goddess of healing and is associated with universal remedy. But we have to be careful, since no all-healing medicine has been found yet. “It is perhaps unique that we are all facing globally such a dramatic challenge at the same time. The realities of each region and the structure of each national or regional publishing industry affect how those challenges are felt and what solutions are available.”

Setzer stressed the importance of digitized publishing that somewhat overcomes traditional publishing, but argued that both models of publishing should be blended as research has shown that both have their advantages. He urged publishers not to abandon content in pursuit of shiny technological devices that could actually detract from the substance of educational pursuit. “In regions that had either been reluctant or ill-equipped to embrace digital publishing, we have seen that digital publishing enables us to overcome many of the challenges that lockdowns and limited freedom of movement created. Beyond the pandemic, digital publishing also enables us to tackle accessibility challenges for visually impaired readers. “Digital publishing and on-demand printing enable us to overcome distribution challenges. Digital technology enables these sorts of interactions and makes the world smaller. Digital publishing is clearly an integral part of our industry, but no matter how important new technology may be, let us not forget content. “The importance of our work as publishers is our role of ensuring quality and of curation. We must guard against governments who confuse budgets for shiny devices with budgets for quality educational resources. We must also ensure that governments understand that the attraction of copyright exceptions for educational uses is shortterm thinking.

“Let us also note that research suggests that pupils don’t necessarily learn best through screens and that the future of education will probably be blended. There is so much scientific evidence backing this, like the one presented by Maryanne Wolf in her absorbing book “Reader Come Home: The Fate of The Reading Brain in a Digital World”. In her book, Wolf proposes, and explains why this is so important, the development of a biliterate reading brain, using both print and digital.” Setzer also praised how publishers around the world rose to the challenge posed by Covid-19, saying, “I have used the word ‘challenges’ many times today but I believe that it is a testament to our industry to see how publishers around the world have risen to those challenges. We have been innovative, finding new ways to bring books to readers, teachers and students. “We have been generous and responsible citizens, often making educational or scientific resources available for free. I have always been proud to be a publisher, but the last six months have made me prouder still. Parker Palmer, writer and educator says that:“In books I find gifts of many sorts -comfort, challenge, excitement, insight, inspiration, visionthat I can bring back to the world to help me become a better person, and maybe help the world become a better place.” “Let us not forget that we publishers made these possible. We help the world become a better place.”

Bisola Aiyeola gets producer badge in TMPL Motion Pictures movie

MVCA winner, Bisola Aiyeola has hit a new career milestone as a first-time movie producer on the feature film by TMPL Motion pictures, a full-service video and still pictures production subsidiary of Temple Company. Entitled ‘Introducing The Kujus’ (ITK), the movie, which is set in Badagry Lagos, has been lensing for the past few weeks. It stars Nollywood block-boxer actors including its co-producer Bisola Aiyeola, Timini Egbuson, Femi Jacobs, Bimbo Ademoye and eccentric comedian, MC Lively. Others are Kunle Remi, Mimi Onalaja and Ronke Odusanya. On day one, Bisola Aiyeola disclosed, “It is a major thing for me. It is an important

event for me. This is the first time your girl, Bisola Aiyeola is co-producing a movie. I have added a new title to my name; actor, singer, host and now producer. I am really excited. I cannot wait for you all to watch what we are cooking”. ITK is directed by acclaimed filmmaker, Biodun Stephen and co-produced by Winifred Okpapi with Adeoluwa Owu as director of photography. Th e m o v i e u n r a v e l s around the Kuju siblings who are tricked by their youngest sister into visiting the village (Badagry) for the remembrance of their late mother five years after her death. The loss of their matriarch left a gaping hole in the family due to her role as a unifying factor. The tension

between the siblings was underestimated as they soon found out. According to Winifred Okpapi, project manager and co-producer, the cast selection of the movie is a

big win that viewers would resonate with. “The energy on set was infectious as both cast and crew fed-off each other’s creativity. By all filmmaking standards, I think we have made a great movie that

A scene from the movie Introducing The Kujus

would keep lovers of good movies glued to the screens,” enthused Okpapi. Executive Producer, Idris Olorunnimbe, group chief executive officer, Temple Company, reckoned that it has been a roller-coaster of a year and ITK film would do us a lot of good. Idris enthused, “We all need a generous shot of happiness that a lot of people would sure find in a movie such as ITK. It is a feel-good movie made for the family, there is a part of us all in the movie. It is a story about how an estranged family decided to come together. It has been a long year. ITK would ensure we all end the year on a high when it hits the screens this Christmas.” Introducing The Kujus will go into post-production after the shoot and is being ex-

pected to hit the box-office this Christmas just as the movie industry prepares for a grand reopening of cinemas across Nigeria. A COVID 19-forced lockdown since April 2020 has grounded the Nigerian box office but ITK will be top among the movies to help the industry restore confidence. TMPL Motion Pictures is a full-service video and still pictures production division, focused on the conceptualization, development and production of creative content for the Temple Company, her clients and independent parties. It focuses on developing new full-budget theatrical films, branded content production, music videos and television shows based on the best projects, for a global audience.

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TheWorshipper ‘Politicians should stop the killings across the country and stop pretending they are helpless’ For the first time ever, the Baptist Convention was held in clusters away from the usual Convention ground due to the Covid-19 safety protocols. Rev. Olusola Idowu, pastor, The Ajayi Dahunsi Memorial Baptist Church, Ilasamaja, Lagos State, in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, speaks on the theme of the Convention and other issues in the polity. Excerpts: The theme of this year’s Convention is ‘Moving Forward: Becoming a More Disciplined Church’. Can you explain this better for our readers? heNigerianBaptist Convention is the umbrella body of Baptist Churches in Nigeria. This body basically coordinates the joint mission endeavours of the Christian denomination and other missionary organisations. We meet once every year as Convention to exhort one another to be more fervent and committed to the task of mission and evangelism under a particular theme. As you rightly noted, the theme of this year is ‘Moving Forward: Becoming a More Disciplined Church’ with the text taken from Hebrews 12:5. The theme suggests that we are though disciplined but we could improve in this area of our Christian life as disciples of Jesus Christ. This is simply because as long as we are on this earth, there is always room for improvement. So, with this theme we were encouraged to be more disciplined in our daily living and endeavours. The idea of discipline in this context has to do with aligning ourselves more with the prescriptions of the Bible; growing in our self-control; being able to tame our cravings; being committed to perfecting character; and being committed to perfecting godliness. We believe that as we become more disciplined we shall be better positioned to play our primary God-given role which is to be the ‘Salt of the earth and the Light of the world’. Similarly, we believe that as citizens of this country, we all need to become more disciplined so that our country can become a better place for all of us to stay. Taking a close look at today’s church, the question would be, are some

church leaders really making money their god? Well, while situations around us may seem to suggest this, I think we should not make such a conclusion. It is true that money has taken the centre stage in the worship and even the sermons of some church leaders, but there are still those who are passionately committed to preaching the undiluted word of God and are also faithfully pointing people to God. I guess it is not out of place to call our attention to the fact that this is not a new development as the apostles of old also witnessed situations like this. A very good example is in the New Testament letter to the Philippians where it was noted that the attention of some so-called preachers was on earthly things and that their belly was their god. Again, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ warns His disciples to be very careful of those who claim to be His servants but are actually servants of self, sin, and Satan. So, while we need not deny the fact that some church leaders seem to be making money their god, we also need to affirm that there are those who are genuinely serving God’s purpose in our generation. We need to further note that this is one of the major signs of the end-time. That means, we are likely to witness increase of such development in the world over as many would become pastors not because they are called by God but because they want to make money. Despite the fact that a pastor is the Vice President of Nigeria, some section of the church still believes there is alleged prejudice against the church; why is that so? The first thing I like to say on this is that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was not elected to serve as a pastor; he was elected to serve as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nige-

Olusola Idowu

ria. If all he wanted to do was to serve as a pastor, he should have remained in his parish. While we believe that every child of God, including pastors, are expected to serve Divine purpose wherever they find themselves, we must understand that the Vice Presidentwasnotelectedjust for the church but for every Nigerian whether Christian or not because Nigeria, by her constitution is a secular state. So, whether the Vice President is a pastor or not, there should not be any prejudice against the church or any group in Nigeria. We need to try as much as possible to de-emphasise our different affiliations which always create problems for us and even lead to unnecessary tension. To start with, it was even a Muslim presidential candidate that chose him to serve as his running mate for 2015 and 2019 elections. I am sure, he did not choose him to be a ‘Church Vice President’ but for the entire nation. Having said this, I think those who allege prejudice should clearly state what the prejudice is,

with or without a pastor as Vice President. We may also need to redefine our expectation from the government so that our pressure on political leaders will not lead them to be biased in the discharge of their duties. How can the church in Nigeria stop the alleged continuous persecution of Christians in the North? This is a very difficult question to answer in light of the word of God. I am not sure any of us can stop the persecution of Christians whether in the North or South. Jesus Christ clearly told us that the world will hate us and persecute us because our standard of living, worldview and values are different from those of the world. He further stated that the world will do all these to us because they did same to Him and they would think that by doing so they are serving God. Persecution comes in different forms. People are denied promotion because they refused to compromise their Christian values. Students are failed in schools because

they refused to compromise their Christian values. People are sacked because they witnessed the Gospel to others in their workplaces. These and many more are persecutions. I do not think we can stop these and many others as long as we are willing to be true children of our God. However, if we are talking about the killings of Christians and others in the North, I believe we can stop these killings by praying to God and also engaging our political leaders, knowing that these killings are political killings with religious undertone. Politicians should stop pretending as though they are helpless. The primary assignment of the government is to secure the lives and property of the citizens even when you do not agree with their worldview as the case with the Christians in the North. If a government cannot provide this basic need then such government has failed. Furthermore, we may also need to encourage the Christians and others who are being killed in the North to be more vigilant but avoid violence. Southern Christian leaders have been accused of playing the ostrich over the continuous attacks on Northern Christians; what is your view on this? I think such accusation is totally unfair because there may be different denominations there; is still one church. This is because the churches we have in the Southern Nigeria are largely the churches we have in the Northern Nigeria except for few denominations that are unique to the two major areas of the country. So, to accuse the Southern Christian leaders of looking away from the continuous attacks on Northern Christians is unjustified because they have led and still leading churches in South to pray and even assist in other ways. The President

of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) recently led a delegation of Christian leaders largely drawn from the Southern Nigeria to visit different parts of the Northern Nigeria. In addition, they are also engaging the political leaders on ways to finding lasting solution to these crises. I am of the opinion that Southern Christian leaders are trying their best. We should all, in one voice, address the government at all levels to protect not just the lives and property of Christians in the North but all Nigerian citizens everywhere. There is the allegation that obscene dressing are promoted in churches today? Again, this is another clear sign of the end-time. It is so unfortunate to note that this is not limited to church members but some pastors are also involved. Many pastors become involved by their active or passive participation or approval of the practice. According to them, it is the heart that really matters and not the physical appearance. The truth is simply that whatever we see in the physical appearance is usually the reflection of the heart. When one considers the prevalence of obscene dressing in churches and the society at large today, it is as though the devil has taken over the fashion industry. It is so disturbing that though people dress yet they appear almost naked. The most painful aspect is that when you try to correct them they take offence and may even decide to leave the church. I believe churches and the society at large should rise up to this challenge. We must all speak against obscene dressing. There is nothing to gain in obscene dressing but much to lose both socially and religiously. What should be kept should be kept and what should be revealed should only be revealed.

Anglican clerics call for pragmatic approach in tackling Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges SEYI JOHN SALAU

nglican clerics have called for a move pragmatic approach to solving the socio-economic challenges facing the country amid the coronavirus (Co-

vid-19) pandemic. The clerics made the call at the end of the first session of the fifth Synod of the Diocese of Ogbomoso, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, held at the Cathedral of St. David, Agbonin, Ogbomoso, Oyo State. A communiqué was is-

sued at the end of the Synod on the state of the Nation; Oyo State; LAUTECH and Covid-19 pandemic, where suggestions were given to guide politicians and government on likely workable solutions to nation’s challenges. Th e Sy n o d t h e m e d ,

‘We are well able to possess the land’, was initially scheduled for May but was moved due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Titus B. Olayinka, the Bishop of Ogbomoso Diocese, said the theme of the Synod was adequately challenging and very relevant, especially

in the face of Covid-19 pandemic with its devastating social, economic, political and religious effects on the society. According to him, the diocese so far has been showing great faith in the God of all impossibilities without fear; hence the church has

been able to possess the land through Christ. “This is evident in the increased number of new disciples resulting in new number of churches increasingly springing up in the diocese, growth in faith, and progress of workers and laity in the diocese,” Olayinka said.

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TheWorshipper Inspiration With Rev. Yomi Kasali

info@yomikasali.com

’m very concerned about how we ‘Play the game of Life’ as believers in today’s secular world. I look at what is going on in America and wonder if there are believers still there and what Book is being used to play the game today. We are all players in this game of life and many people Do NOT play by the Book anymore. Someone told me recent-

PLAYING BY THE BOOK ly not to back a wrong horse in a dispute I’m involved in. I was meant to be an unbiased umpire but got involved as a player in the game, the fellow told me that the Political Leaders may not support the person I was backing hence I should not back the wrong horse if I have to win. I told the person, it’s not always about Winning but about doing what is Right, so I’m willing to back the wrong horse and lose the game and in the end go to bed knowing I did the right thing. In the bible, you will recall what God told Joshua the Judge when he started to lead Israel, God simply told him to Play By The Book in Joshua 1 v 8; ‘This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written therein, for then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall have good success.’ What a word, God asked him to play by the book, but the challenge is which book are we to play by. There are so many books out there

today, like many games, the rule book determines the way we play the game. We all see this Game of Life differently, so we have different books guiding our steps and charting our paths. Some see this as a Game of Thrones and Power while others do not, but one thing is clear for believers, let’s all Play By The Book. 5 Books influencing people today Political book: some individuals make politically correct statements because that’s the way to play the game of politics. It’s a Game of Thrones and players al-

ways engage in lies, deceit and diplomacy. The rule book is political correctness and permanent interests not permanent friends, that’s why people with moral consciences don’t go too far in this game. Tribal book: The race war going on in America can be described as people playing the Game of Life using the Tribal Book and it’s very dangerous. The most influential civil rights leaders of all time spoke against playing by the ‘colour of your skins but by the content of your character.’ Martin Luther King Jr would want us to judge men by their character not

colour or tribe. Some think all blacks are bad and all whites are right while others flip it around as well...both are wrong in my opinion.

many people hardly cross the former hurdle before getting to the latter. The Bible is the book I play by in playing the Game of Life.

Secular book: This is what I call Philosophy without Morals. I am appalled with many believers who go to secular churches where sin is hardly mentioned, gay rights are preached, secular education is preferred above theological education, speak less about Jesus and more about secular heroes, ashamed of tilting to the right but being dragged to the left constantly etc. the secular book is good but the problem with it is that it’s difficult to define Right and Wrong when using that book.

Moral code: There is a Moral Code out there that those who aren’t religious know fully well and Play by The Moral Book. They have a stronger sense of Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Truth and Falsehood, they make decisions based on the Moral Codes that many of us have thrown away. I choose to Play by The Book and Rules. I hope you have been Inspired and please don’t be fixated on winning but on doing what is right. I don’t mind losing the game if I can sleep well and my conscience is clear.

The Bible: The Bible is both a Spiritual and a Moral book but many who don’t know, want to see it from one angle only and deride the second theme in the book. The Bible like most religious books teach men to be better moral creatures in pursuit of spiritual excellence though

Drop me a note of acknowledgment and encouragement and also follow me on my Social media handles below: Rev Yomi Kasali is Senior Pastor, Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA), Surulere, Lagos.

NEWS 48 hours after Obasanjo’s peace visit, armed thugs invade Ishofin Village in Ogun EMMANUEL UDOM

e d n e s d a y, Au g u s t 1 9 , 2020, former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo paid a visit to Ishofin, a developing village located in Itori, Ewekoro area of Ogun State, on a peace mission. Sources said before his visit, suspected land grabbers had been disturbing residents of the area as well as the neighboring villages. While at the village, Obasanjo sermonised on the need for the villagers and indeed all people in Nigeria to imbibe the spirit of love, tolerance, unity, progress and friendship, in their dealings with themselves and others. Baale Oshofa of Guduga, Kehinde Oluwole as well as other Baales within the three neighboring villages of Ishofin confirmed the visit of the former president on a peace mission to Ishofin village in a telephone interview with our correspondent. It was further gathered that the former president spoke during a weekly service at The African Church, located within the village,

when authorities of the Church asked him to speak on the state of the village, the state and the nation. Like most communities across the federation, Ishofin, it was further gathered, has come under tumultuous times from the activities of suspected land grabbers, leaving most villagers at the mercy of these Omoniles, as they are popularly called. Bu t , w h e n t h e h e a t unleashed on the villagers by the suspects for close to three hours died down, some people at the village were critically injured while

Obasanjo

properties estimated at thousands of naira were allegedly destroyed. Our correspondent gathered that the villagers immediately reported the matter at Itori police station in Ewekoro, where the police worked with the local security groups in the area to fish out eight of the suspected thugs. It was gathered that the IGP monitoring team attached to the Ogun State police command, led by one Abulsalam Abdulfatai, working with police officers from Itori police station, stormed the village and succeeded in arresting the suspects. The suspects are Jamui Ejaola , Kekinde Sunday, Akeem Orunsola, Bashiru Wasiu, Rasaq Akinyele, Akeen Shodipo, Adewale Oyode and Saheed Olamilekan. B D S U N D AY a l s o gathered that the police on August 24, 2020, dragged the suspects before Magistrate Court 1 in Itori, Ewekoro, Ogun State, where they were slammed with a three-count charge by the court. According to the court, the suspects on August 21, 2020, between 1000hrs1200hrs at Ishofin village in Itori, conspired among

themselves to commit felony to wit: “threatening violence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 81(2) of the criminal code Laws of Ogun state of Nigeria, 2006.” The court also accused the suspects of conducting themselves in a manner that was likely to cause a breach of peace, which is contrary to and punishable under section 81(2) of the criminal code laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006 Em o r u w a Jo h n s o n , Police prosecutor also told the court that three of the suspects- Akeem Shodipo, Adewale Oyede and Saheed Olamilekan on the same date, time and place threatened with violence one Sunday Adepoju Akinrinkan family with cutlasses, forcing the man to run away from his land in the village. The accusation is contrary and punishable under section 86(2) code laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006. Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Police C o m m a n d , Ab i m b o l a Oyeyemi while speaking with our correspondent on the matter, said that the former president should not be dragged into such an issue.

Covid-19: Monarch distributes food items to less-privileged in Abia community UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

n his resolve to cushion the effect of Covid-19 in Ihechiowa, Eze Linus Nto Mbah, the traditional ruler of AtaIgboukwu Autonomous Community, Ihechiowa, in Arochwukwu LGA, Abia State and a philanthropist, has distributed palliative materials to about 1000 indigent persons drawn from the 17 villages of his community. Eze Mbah, while speaking during the ceremony tagged, ‘Cushioning the Effect of Covid-19 in Ihechiowa’, disclosed that the day was actually meant to celebrate his New Yam festival but instead he decided to use the occasion to distribute palliatives to all indigent persons in the various villages in his communities. The business mogul and philanthropist disclosed that he resolved to shelve this year’s New Yam Festival so that he would not violate Covid-19 protocols

which the state and Federal governments have put in place. He also disclosed that effect of Covid-19 made some of his subjects to flee home thereby making them jobless. He expressed the optimism that Nigeria would surely survive the effects of the global pandemic, noted however, that it would only cause temporary setback for the economy. He asserted that the way forward for the country to cushion the effects of Covid-19 was to go into fulltime Agriculture to sustain the economy. He hinted that people of his community were predominantly farmers but regretted that Agricultural produce were being wasted as a result of bad roads that has hindered farmers from accessing markets outside their domain. He appealed to both the Federal and state governments to come to the aid of his people for the rehabilitation of the UmuahiaOhafia-Arochukwu federal road.

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Interview

To succeed as a business in Nigeria, you must have passion and pray very hard – Ngadi Kenechukwu James Ngadi is the chief executive officer of Kaycee Lightings and Energy. In this interview with IFEOMA OKEKE, Ngadi speaks about how passion drove him into his business and how the government can help keep small businesses alive amid the economic downturn. Excerpts:

hile introd u c i n g y o u r s e l f, you said you deal in sounds and lightings; what does that mean? Sounds are categorised as Musical instruments such as: drum sets, key boards, guitars, Mixers, Speakers, Amplifiers, microphones amongst others while lightings are either stage Lightings (entertainment lightings) or landscape lightings, examples of Stage Lightings are :moving head, wall wash, LED par cans, strobe lights, lasers, profile lights, effect lights, logo lights amongst others. While landscape lights are street lights, solar lights, under water lights, moving head, flood lights, laser lights, linear lights amongst others. These products have their different classifications and functions. How easy was the decision to go into the business rather than seek a white-collar job? Growing up, my dad had always been in the business. He was into the importation of musical instruments and he had a shop in Alaba international market. So, during school breaks and holidays he would take me with him to his shop and while I was there, I would watch and observe. I even learnt how to play some instruments and sometimes when I was alone at the shop, I would make very good sales. Those little things made me realise that I have a bit of business in me so it wasn’t a difficult decision for me after school, also considering my size that I can’t even think of working the regular 9 to 5 job because I tried it once after school for a couple of months and it wasn’t my thing. It was just like going back to something I have been trained all my life to do and based on the Igbo man that I am, it was an easy decision. So far, what are the benefits that you have enjoyed being self-employed rather than being an employee of someone or government? Well, one of the benefits of being self-employed is that I get to take vital decisions for the growth of my business without

Ngadi having to run it by anyone. Secondly, I take the risks myself. Risk is a very vital part of every business because sometimes you might want to try out new things and you don’t know if it will come out good or if you will fail, so when you work for someone you won’t be able to try out new ideas that come to mind but as a sole business owner you can do so at any given time with the hope that it succeeds. The benefits are numerous and like they say to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What were some of the teething problems you encountered in the first few years in business? The first few years wasn’t easy at all for me, in as much as I recorded tremendous growth, I also faced some challenges that gave me reasons to want to quit; such as debts. Being a young man in business, some individuals and organisations took advantage and just owed me because they felt I wouldn’t do anything, even when you see they are well financially, they still give excuses not to pay. Raising capital to start up wasn’t easy at all because then the dollar rate wasn’t stable; so getting products sometimes for me was a hassle and cus-

tomers won’t want to give you money if they don’t see what they are paying for and even test it because that’s one of the cons of electronics. Having a showroom was also a problem because as a start-up I couldn’t afford one, I did my marketing myself going to clubs in Abuja to ask if they were interested in fancy lightings for their clubs and churches. I also met up with engineers and event technicians but one of the first things they always ask is ‘where is your showroom’? And when you say you don’t have one, they feel you got nothing to offer. That’s extra work trying to gain their trust and assuring them you will deliver. What lessons have you learnt about being a business owner in Nigeria? I have learnt a lot in my years doing this business and also in a country like Nigeria. One has to know that the currency exchange is never stable so you always have to be prepared for the worst because you might buy an item at x-amount, after sales you want to buy back same item for stock and you realise the amount you sold it isn’t up to the new cost of the item. There is always reward for hard work no matter how hard it seems sometimes. In Nigeria one day business can

be bad and the next day you are all smiles. So, one has to be up and doing at all times and hope for the best. With the benefits of your experience, what sorts of preparation do you think will help those who want to venture into a business to make a success of their endeavour? From my experience, to succeed in any business first you have to be dedicated to the cause. Have true passion for what you want to do and read well about it. You also need to study and do a lot of research about the business you want to venture into so much that even if someone wakes you up and asks you anything you will be able to answer with ease. Even the Bible says study to show thyself approved. Another thing is to have a proper saving habit because in order for a business to grow and succeed one really has to be frugal in one’s spending. Tell us about the nature of the lighting and sound business, it’s peculiarities, prospects and pitfalls? This industry is a vital aspect of entertainment that a lot of people are yet to acknowledge. This importance is recognised around the world at large and not just restricted to Nigeria because there is no event or gathering without proper audio and lighting system as that’s what brings life to any occasion. It can either add vibes to any event or even kill the vibes of the event if it’s not used at all or applied properly. It’s a very unique market. The year 2020 has been a challenging year for businesses, how has coronavirus, inflation and rising forex affected the business and how do you think it is likely to affect Nigerians? Year 2020 has been a very challenging year to say the least, as coronavirus literally shutdown every business, from importation to sales. I think the entertainment world was hit the most by the pandemic and as expected every establishment that uses our product was shut down, such as churches, clubs, event centres, indoors and outdoors, lounges, cinemas etc. When these places

are shut, there is no demand for the products. Rent keeps running and products are just stored and no sales so you can imagine the level of stress that brings to us. Just recently businesses are beginning to open up but not to full capacity and then we are faced with the issues of the dollar rise, how do you explain to a customer that the item that was sold at x price is now sold at double the previous amount. The challenges are numerous. I think the government has a very big role to play in ensuring that the forex is stabilised so that it can be easier for us to carry out our business activities. This whole situation has really affected Nigerians in the sense that the prices of things only goes up, it never comes down even when things change for the better and it’s a hassle for average Nigerians struggling to meet up with daily needs. We just have to brace ourselves for the future because as the dollar rates keeps going up the price of items will keep increasing considering the fact that we are not a producing economy. Where do you see your business in the next five years? My goal is to have a lighting production company here in Nigeria where lights will be made in Nigeria, by Nigerians, for Nigerians, and even be exported to neighbouring countries and for Kaycee Lightings and sound to be a household name and also the choice of every event. What is the most important advice you can give to anyone about how to overcome the challenges of doing business in Nigeria? Well as Nigerians, I think we are born strong and resilient; in my opinion I think Nigerians are hardworking people. We just need proper reorientation. The most important advice I’ll give anyone about how to overcome challenges of doing business in Nigeria is to keep the faith alive and just keep doing that business you have a passion for persistence and everything will definitely fall in the right places. Secondly, be prayerful, because it works wonders in a country like ours.

Sunday 06 September 2020

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BDSUNDAY 25

Interview ‘With more women coming into leadership in insurance, consumer confidence, trust will be restored’

Nike Anani, speaker, author and mentor to NextGens, has been chosen to speak at the forthcoming ‘Dive In Festival’ being organised by Lloyd’s Insurance UK here in Nigeria, to discuss the importance of gender diversity in helping the insurance industry tackle some of the world’s greatest problems. In this interview with MODESTUS ANAESORONYE, she shares her vision in driving NextGens’, how the festival will change leadership mindset for players in the insurance industry among other issues. Excerpts:

e understand you have played major roles in helping the next generation of family businesses. Could you paint a picture of a normal family business in Nigeria and how you have been able to help them in building legacy enterprises? I am passionate about the potential of family businesses in Nigeria, as they are our economic engine. However, they have been largely overlooked. Historically, only 2 percent of family businesses in Nigeria have survived beyond the founder and critical to ensuring that our family businesses are sustainable is the preparation of the next generation (“NextGen”). So, I help NextGens with entrepreneurial leadership skills. This entails equipping them with the right entrepreneurial leadership skills to ensure that they can take the family business to greater heights, through establishment of new products/services, entry into new markets and/or identification of new investments. It is important that we are building businesses that will be relevant in our fast-paced disruptive world. I also help NextGens in becoming effective change agents: those that can identify new opportunities and implement them so there is a lasting impact on the business. Lastly, I help them in collaborating with their parents and siblings in cocreating legacy enterprises. What has been the problem affecting generational transition of family businesses in Africa and particularly Nigeria? There is a dearth of data in this space, so I cannot speak categorically, but however, I can comment based on my observation. Family Businesses tend to be centered around the founder, where the businessoperatesaroundhis/herconvenience, and he/she is surrounded by helpers and not co-labourers. Thus, thebusinesstendstobelargelyinformal as opposed to be professional. So, we tend to see highly centralised structures, minimal corporate governance and minimal formal documented planning. This creates a high key-man risk and so once the founder passesaway, it isdifficultfor the NextGens to pick up where they left off in the absence of a plan and in absence of preparation. According to a PwC study, only 10 percent of Nigerian family businesses have a succession plan in place, despite 77 percent of them desiring legacy businesses. Lack of succession planning and consequently lack of preparing the NextGens for ownership and leadership of the business is a huge factor. This is why I am dedicated to helping NextGens in being prepared for the roles of ownership and leadership

Anani

such that we facilitate a generational bridge. You have been chosen as speaker in the forthcoming ‘Dive In Festival’ being organised by Lloyd’s Insurance UK here in Nigeria, to discuss the importance of gender diversity in helping the insurance industry tackle some of the world’s greatest problems. Could you please, identify some of these problems and how this festival can tackle them? Women are underrepresented in leadership positions (senior management, executive and board level) in the insurance industry. At entry level, the disparity is not as stark; however, as we look higher up the career ladder, women are underrepresented. Key issues to consider and shine a light upon in the Dive-In include: Social networks for women – both formal and informal, e.g mentoring and coaching of upcoming leaders so that they have sponsors within the organisation, as well as cultivating a community of aspiring female leaders in the industry; engaging highest levels of leadership in the importance of gender diversity in their companies, encouraging them to engage organisations such as The BoardRoom Africa whose mission is to promote exceptional female talent to boards; and companies systematically developing policies to ensure that high-performing women are promoted into roles that ensure that they are given exposure to the business. How will gender diversity help achieve economic growth and social balance in our society? Our 21st century Volatile Uncertain Complex and Ambiguous (“VUCA”) world has given rise to a need for a new breed of enterprise leaders that possess empathy, humility, influence and resilience. A lot of these qualities come naturally to women. Many studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between female involvement

and business performance: For instance, the 2016 “Women Matter Africa” study by McKinsey & Company saw that African firms with highest numbers of female representatives on the company boards had, on average, 20 percent higher levels of profits compared to the industry standard. In addition, women tend to be more inclined towards philantrophy and social enterprises than men. In a country where we have vast inequities, empowering women empowers the nation, as economic development in Africa is hinged on community grassroots activities. Yes, the insurance industry is still a male-dominated sector; how can a balance be achieved given that some women are held back by cultural background and societal norms? This has strong parallels with the Black Lives Matter Movement we saw earlier this year in the US, where African Americans were running an unfair race that they could never win due to systemic racism. 2020 was a year of reckoning, where we started having conversations on the importance of those with privilege amplifying the voices and allying with the less-privileged. Similarly, women cannot fight this war alone: they will not be able to strike this balance alone. We will need those with privilege, male allies, to champion the cause, whilst women become more courageous, individually and collectively discover their voices, to negotiate the obstacles that face them in the sector. TheInsuranceindustryisbattling with image and brand problem, caused by loss of confidence and trust of consumers and the insuring public,whichcanbeattributedtoan age-longimpressionaboutnonpayment of claims. Do you think this event will help address this? I think the event will help restore the industry as one that cares about women, seeking to develop

a solution to a very important social issue. 21st century consumers are not functional consumers, but experiential ones: We have a rise of purposeful consumerism, where consumers are seeking to understand the purpose of brands and the causes that they support prior to making purchasing decisions. Furthermore, women tend to drive the majority of consumer purchasing in households. Being aligned with such an event will help in the restoration ofconfidenceandtrust. What would be your expectation after this event in terms of impact on market and how employment opportunities for the working age are handled in the insurance industry? I would expect that there would be an increase in awareness of the deep societal conditioning against women in corporations and a willingness to correct that bias. I would expect that insurance companies institute policies to improve the identification and development of female leaders in their companies. Are there other issues you wish to discuss about this event? The importance of age diversity in the business sphere: Nigeria’s median age is 18, yet a lot of our leadership, both in the political and business spheres, is dominated by the elder generation. Millennials make up approximately 30 percent of our population. That means approximately 80 percent of the African population is below the age of 38. Projecting ahead, our population is set to double to 2.5billion by 2050. The implication of this trend is that increasingly, we will see a younger workforce. We may see more incidents of ‘young’ people managing older subordinates. We need to brace ourselves for this, and encourage young people to have a voice, instead of the dominating culture choking their voices. We need to give room for them to practise their leadership. The challenge we currently face is that we have an elder-dominant culture, whereby the young are not to criticise or challenge authoritative figures in leadership. Therefore, we need to cultivate environments of safety, where young people feel respected, trusted, seen, heard and that their opinions are valued. What should the audience look out for at the ‘Dive In Nigeria’ 2020? Dive-In will be enlightening, inspirational and authentic. The audience should be on the look-out for a change in orientation and a mental reset following this event. Do you think the insurance sector needs more eye-opening events like this? Yes! I am looking forward to further engagements on diversity and inclusion. Conversations like this need to be had and the more we do it, the faster the growth we seek.

Agency to invest N100m in PR industry digital resource SEYI JOHN SALAU

igerian Public Relations (PR) company, BlackHouse Media (BHM) says it plans to invest N100 million over the next couple of years, in a digital resource to deepen knowledge, research and resourcefulness of PR practitioners. This intervention, according to the company, is an important step in solving identified industry’s challenges, hence, it announced the introduction of Qomms to replace existing BHM App which was introduced in 2014. The announcement was made at the recent public presentation of the 2020 PR Industry Report, which is the fourth edition of the annual industry report. According to BHM, the initiative is designed as a problem-solving application to make PR resources accessible to professionals in the industry. In 2012, BHM raised a team of software and content developers to develop the BHM App, which is the pioneering PR mobile application in Nigeria. The BHM App is an interactive app which offers information at the fingertips. The App aids PR practitioners to access media directory, agencies database, news hub, workshop videos and others. Adekunle Ayeni, founder and CEO, BHM, said the initiative was to activate resources towards solving problems in the field of PR. “Qomms is set to revolutionise the industry and we are excited to be at the forefront of this”. According to him, Qomms will serve as a pool of resources for PR practitioners as it is an upgraded application designed to meet information needs of practitioners across the continent. Ayeni further said that with the digital intervention, BHM is repositioning itself to solve some of the most painful problems facing public relations and communications including education and training, recruitment, measurement, standardisation, compensation, and networks. The agency has consistently put out a compendium of research pieces which include four editions of Nigerian PR Report as well as two editions of the ‘Concept of Virality’ published in 2016 and 2020. BHM Group is also the parent company of Info Digital Africa (ID Africa), a creative marketing communications, digital media and technology company and Plaqad, a tech startup that uses marketing, technology and a community of social advocates to solve marketing communications problems.

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Sunday 06 September 2020

Interview ‘To create economy of the future, Nigeria must focus on other value-creating industries’

Adeboye Fajemisin is the executive director, Cynthian Consulting Limited, an African focused consultancy supporting the rise in Africa-owned infrastructure. In this interview with KELECHI EWUZIE, he speaks on the marginal oil fields licensing rounds and how financial institutions and investors can unlock the challenges of investment in the oil and gas industry. Excerpts:

n 2010, an Act was enacted to encourage local content in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, what’s the impact of the act so far? The essence of the Local Content Act was the advancement of Nigerian owned entities and their increased participation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry. The Act is aimed at not only ensuring Nigerians own major stakes across the oil and gas value chain, but also to contribute significantly to the Nigerian economy by creating avenues for technology transfer, jobs for Nigerians in Nigeria, and reducing capital flight. Since 2010, we have seen an increased participation of Nigerian entities across the value chain from Indigenous E&P to tier 2 Service providers, however, we are yet to realise the full potential of the Act. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) have actively pursued local participation in major projects across the industry, and that is evident in the completion of recent mega projects like Total’s 200,000 barrels per day Egina FPSO, where its six (6) topside modules were fabricated and integrated in Nigeria. We have also seen the rise in local operatorship with the likes of Seplat and AMNI Petroleum, which has encouraged the continued enthusiasm in the Marginal Field Licensing structure. While we still have quite some grounds to cover in terms of technology and resources, I think the Local Content Act is helping the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry travel intherightdirectiontoself-sufficiency and sustainability if we follow through the process and support same with transparency and forward-looking government policies. How would you describe its effect on the economy of Nigeria? AsImentionedearlier,theeffectis enormousontheNigerianEconomy. Increase local participation in the Oil and Gas industry would create more jobs for Nigerians, reduce capital flight which in turn reduces thepressureonNigeria’sFXrevenue andcreatesanentirevaluechainthat is robust enough to attract Investments from local and foreign investors and financial institutions. That said; there is a huge role and a direct link between local value creation and the economy. If you look at countries like Norway, local value creation has resulted in the birth of tier1 service providers and large E&P companies that can compete on a global scale with the likes of the Shell, Exxon Mobil, and Schlumberger of this world. It is only through local value creation that Nigeria can fully realise and enjoy its Oil and Gas resource potential.

Fajemisin In what ways have the financial institutions assisted local investors and what should be the roles of financial institutions? Financial Institutions play an indispensable role in the economic development of a Nation and they equally have a huge role to play in local value creation. Beyond providing finance across the Oil and Gas value chain, they have also successfully acted as aggregators of resources and have provided a gateway for local and foreign investor to establish confidence in the Indigenous oil and gas operators and Asset owners in Nigeria. A number of Commercial banks in Nigeria today are known to be big players within the Oil and Gas space and they continue to be innovative with various financial structures to ensure Local Operators and Service providers can access the required financing be it operational or project related. We also have a number of multilateral agencies like the African Finance Corporation (AFC), Africa Export Import Bank (AFREXIM) etc. who are committed to the development of Africa owned infrastructure. Are they playing their roles effectively? The Oil and Gas Industry is a capital-intensive industry with very little or zero room for mistakes. While sometimes the reward is commensurate with the risk, in other cases, if not done right, the risk outweighs the reward, hence the attitude of a number of financial institutions, especially commercial banks towards funding Oil and Gas projects. As we began to navigate the era of increased local participation in the industry, the need for local financing becomes even more important than ever. While I would say the financial institutions are playing to their strength and doing

what they can to encourage local value creation, there is room for improvement in their approach to ensure maximum value-add for themselves and the Oil and Gas Industry. At Cynthian Consulting for instance, our role has become inevitable in the last few years in helping Financial stakeholders understand the technical intricacies of oil and gas investment, identifying risks and mitigation, and supervising the successful execution of resulting projects to ensure all parties i.e. the Financial stakeholders and operators derive the most benefit from the lending or investment relationship. Are there policies, interventions which the governments need to come up with so as to create an ease of doing business for these local investors? Absolutely. Economic policies are a major factor to consider for bothlocalandforeigninvestors.The reality is that the Nigerian Government are continually working on improving investor confidence in Nigeria as a whole, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resourcesassisted by the various agencies and associationswithintheOilandGasindustry continues to play a huge role in identifying what policies are required to ensure Nigeria’s Energy Security. Key areas for the government remain the tax regimes looking at incentives for new entrants with projected huge CAPEX outlay, Infrastructure spending, Trade policies etc. The overall objective is to be able to mobilise local and foreign investment that support economic growth and sustainable development. Furthermore, the Government needs to be more decisive and deliberate in its actions without giving off indications that stares up the level of uncertainties for a long time. An example of

this is manifested in the much debated and anticipated Petroleum Industry Bill, which is expected to reshape the oil and gas industry, however, Government’s lack of ingenuity in synchronising the timing of the development and its implementation has caused a lot of uncertainties, which is a huge turn-off for investors. How would you describe the 2020 marginal oil field licensing rounds coordinated by the Department of Petroleum Resources? This is a welcomed development and if done properly, it is expected to help achieve some of the objectives of the local content act by increasing local participation and increasing the contributions of Indigenous operators to Nigeria’s production profile. As an organisation, we have taken time to analyse all the fields available for the licensing rounds, study the process and requirements to qualify and we can conclude that the intentions are right, and it is expected to further embolden and create a new frontier in the indigenous oil and gas ownershipandoperatorshipspace. The reality is that some of the fields we call marginal here in Nigeria are major developments elsewhere. For instance, in the United Kingdom, some major independents don’t enjoy the kind of daily production volumes that our Indigenousoperatorsenjoy,andthe UK has managed to put Aberdeen on the map as the Oil and Gas capital of Europe where the rest of the world look to for innovations and operational excellence. With the MarginalFieldrounds,wecandothe same with Warri and Port Harcourt. What are the areas or things our local oil producing companies need to do or know to thrive in the Oil and Gas business? Corporate Governance remains a big deterrent to inflow of capital into many Nigerian owned businesses. The Oil and Gas industry is capital intensive, and many times the local Banks are not able to support the various stages of development especially exploration in a debt capacity. To be able to attract the required capital, these businesses need to tidy their processes, ensure there is a clear separation between the Business’s money and personal wealth, and engage competent hands in running the overall operations. One of the things we do at Cynthian Consulting for instance is to help viable opportunities become even more attractive to investors and lenders by ensuring all potential risks are evaluated and possible mitigations identified, thereby creating a win-win environment for all operating, non-operating and financial stakeholders.

Another major challenge is technical competence and technology. One way to overcome this challenge is to not shy away from spending on trainings, both local and international. As for technology, there is always a place for collaborations across the sector for resource sharing and idea pool. There are speculations that the inventions of Electric Vehicles and other machines will have diverse impact on Nigeria’s economy, what’s your take? We live in a world today where it is a given that we protect the environment from degradation and unfortunately, fossil fuel has been largely identified as a major culprit. Globally, there is a shift from Oil to cleaner source of energy like Renewables. While Europe plans to be Carbon-neutral by 2050, A number of Countries within Europe have even more ambitious plans for reaching Net-Zero quicker, and the United Kingdom recently announced plans to ban Petrol and Diesel engine cars by 2035. The European Investment Bank announced in 2019 that it will no longer support Oil and Gas Investment and Black Rock, one of the World’s largest investment powerhouse with over $7Tn in Asset have decided to go green with its investments. There is no doubt this has gathered momentum and has seen a number of automakers led by Tesla shifting their focus into Electric Vehicle manufacturing (EV). So indeed, the end is near for Oil and Gas and you begin to wonder what would happen to countries like Nigeria that practically survives on Oil and Gas revenue. Thatsaid,OilandGasisexpected to continue to contribute a sizable portion of the global energy mix for in the medium to long-term. Also, thereisthetalkaboutEnergyTransition, which considers Gas as a cleaner form of fossil fuel thereby leading the road to greener energy sources. SinceNigeriaislargelyconsideredas acountrywithabundanceofGasresources, coupled with the immense domestic demand, Nigeria needs to shift its priority to satisfying local consumption from its Oil resources foraslongasitisfeasible,whilethere is commensurate investment in the Gas infrastructure to aid the development and utilisation of its Gas resources. To create an economy of the future, Nigeria needs to also focus on other value creating industries like Services, Agriculture and Technology, there is a need for investment in diversifying the economy’s revenue stream. Nigeria’s heavy reliant on imports has necessitated its high drive for FX revenue, which Oil and Gas seems to provide in the region of 95%, however, this is no longer sustainable.

Sunday 06 September 2020

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BDSUNDAY 27

SundayBusiness The benefits of anti-aging diet Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

s people grow old, several changes take place both within and without, altering the way they look and behave. On the surface, they spot grey hairs, some hairs fall off, skin sags, wrinkles appear, some lose their teeth as bones weaken too. Generally, aging is associated with various diseases and disability, most of which could be reduced by taking the right diet.But first, let us look at the severe changes that take place, their symptoms and dietary solutions. Organs/symptoms/ preventive measures Bone Skeleton may lose calcium. Joints suffer from arthritis, rheumatism and osteoporosis (thinning of bones). Take calcium-rich foods such as milk, soft fish bones, vegetables.

But research has shown that plant proteins are healthier sources because they slow down the loss of calcium through the kidneys. It is interesting to note that our body’s cells constantly renew themselves. The average age of a bone cell is 10 years, intestinal cells 5 days, gut 9-15 years, skin, two weeks, red blood cells 120 days, cerebellum slightly younger than your real age but that of the cerebrum is your real age. Diet against arthritis For painful joints squeeze half lemon in one glass of hot water and drink thrice a day. Also, apply raw potato juice or use the water used to boil potato to rub the joints. Alternatively, massage your joints with neem oil and camphor. Drink coconut oil. Pineapple juice when consumed regularly assists in the health of bones at joints. Brisk walking is a must daily. Regular activity makes the marrow to produce more blood cells. A gentle massage with warm, olive oil is very effective to relieve pains caused by arthritis. Ginger has been found to cure arthritis. Garden egg, when applied externally is potent in the cure of rheumatism/ arthritis. Avoid all foods (fried fatty fast food, sugary soft drinks) and sedentary lifestyle that could lead to overweight, and cause pains at joints. Lime is effective against arthritis because it has citric acid that dissolves (as solvent) the uric acid which is the major cause of it. Brain Brain-related problems include stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, dementias and Parkinson’s disease. Older people tend to forget things more easily and less sharp at

reasoning. They are also slow at speech. Senses deteriorate, sights fail. Cataracts become common. Deafness takes place. Ea t p l e n t y o f f r u i t s a n d vegetables. French scientists discovered that out of the 1,640 adults monitored over 10 years, those who ate flavonoid-rich fruits, vegetables and drank tea stayed the keenest. One-sixth of a grapefruit is recommended daily. Two cups of green tea daily. Liver is a fantastic source of protein, iron and B-vitamins, all essential for brain functions says Dr. Alan Steward. So eat liver. Muscle Muscle cells weaken due to degeneration or wasting away. Old people move more slowly, sometimes stopping. Skins sag. Body tissues are damaged from exposure to radiation and mutagenic chemicals. Take oat meals like Quaker Oat, or carbohydrate-rich ogi. They are a great source of complex carbohydrates which keep the sugar stable for sustained energy. Red meat is super-rich in iron for making rbc which transport oxygen round the body to release energy. Protein-rich foods such as milk, poultry, fish, eggs would assist in building body cells or replacing weak and worn-out ones. Blood circulation The heart beats slowly as old people cope with narrowed arteries duetowhatiscalledarteriosclerosis. They have stiff blood vessels. If unchecked, all these could lead to high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. A combination of onion and garlic is found as the best blood vessel cleanser. Garlic stimulates immune functions and lowers blood

cholesterol level. Sweet potatoes also reduce blood cholesterol level. Onions are a rich source of flavonoids that protect against cardiovascular disease. They also kill worms and parasites in the stomach. Take dark, green vegetable that boost the intake of folic acid, B-vitamin essentials for the prevention of heart disease and possibly cancer. Endocrine system Hormone systems begin to break down in old age. The body cells become less sensitive to insulin, leading to diabetes. In women, after menopause, there is lower level of oestrogen leading eventually to weaker bones. Replace meat with beans several times a week to increase intake of phytoestrogens that lower the risk of cancer. The fibre in beans lowers blood sugar and fats, thus reducing the incidents of heart disease and diabetes. Also, whole grains possess trace element of chromium to boost immunity and regulate blood sugar. On a general note: (a) Increase intake of fruits and vegetables. Recommended is 5 to 8 servings for optimal intake of vitamin C, betacarotene, fibre and phyto-chemicals that assist in the prevention of various diseases. For instance, bananas prevent intestinal disorder, constipation, diarrhea, dysentery, arthritis, gout, anaemia, tuberculosis, overweight and kidney disorders. (b) Limit the intake of excess calories. Reduce the intake of useless calories from fried fatty food, sugary drinks and alcohol. (c) Exercise regularly

Early morning walk, bicycling and swimming are good. A weekly routine of weight-lifting maintain strong bones, reduce heart-disease, cancer risks, boosts the immune system and maintain desirable weight. Research has shown that old people who exercise regularly look and feel 20 years younger than sedentary people. Daily intake of one ounce of walnuts, ounce of cocoa-based chocolate, 14 ounces of cold water fish, salmon, tuna groups, oranges, onion, garlic, tomatoes. Honey is rich in nutraceuticals and effective against free-radicals that cause ageing. A mixture of honeydew, grape, water melon and milk-rich in vitamins C, B2 increase cell activity and boost immunity. Spinnach is known to be an anti-aging vegetable because it reverses age-related breakdowns, making you to look youthful and fresh. Against back ache Old people are susceptible to frequent backache. If you have a chronic type, keep yourself warm and eat hot food. Also, include garlic in your diet and try massaging your back with Eucalyptus oil. Lemon is another useful remedy. Lemon juice, mixed with a pinch of common salt and taken twice daily gives relief. Oats To strengthen heart, bones and nail.Oats are low in fat and salt; they are good source of natural iron. Being a good source of calcium, they are ideal for heart, bones and nails, more so, for those aging gracefully.

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media ayobaje@yahoo.co.uk; 07068638066

‘Technology has helped to solve challenges plaguing recruiters in Africa’ Ogugua Belonwu is the founder of MyJobMag, a technology-driven career company with a mission to connect candidates to great employers. In this interview with BUNMI BAILEY, he talks about the inspiration behind the company, how it is helping to bridge the unemployment gap in Nigeria, among other issues. Excerpts: Could you please tell us about your company? yJobMag is a technology-driven career company with a mission to connect great candidates to great employers. The idea was birthed in 2010 with the launch of myjobmag.com in Nigeria. Subsequently, MyJobMag replicated its success in Nigeria to Kenya and Ghana. Currently, over one million users improve their lives and businesses with our offerings monthly. Beyond providing job search tools, recruitment and advertising services, the company has a deep focus in people and business improvement. It is an agile, innovative and stakeholder-centric organisation that believes that through effective, efficient recruitment and deployment of smart, ethical and competent talent; organisations, Nigeria and Africa; could win. What inspired you to set up the company? MyJobMag was founded to educate young people and help them find jobs easily. At inception, MyJobMag’s vision was ‘Job search made easy.’ There is a lot to be done in Africa to help young people improve their lives and have better careers. From career coaching, mentoring, search to tools, young people in Africa still need so much support to get started. Success for MyJobMag is

about having young people find their paths, get jobs, become successful in their careers and help organisations to achieve their goals effectively and efficiently. MyJobMag was conceived when we realised that organisations are not optimising their social-economic performance due to the dearth of a credible platform in which they could source for skilled and competent human resources. We believe that through our services, we are contributing to nation-building by stimulating inclusive growth, addressing societal ills due to unemployment and ensuring that African organisations build firms that endure. As a career company, how has it leveraged technology to solve human resources and education needs in Africa? With technology, we reached out, at very short notice, to job seekers and recruiters in Africa. Using technology as a driver, we have succeeded in solving a series of challenges plaguing recruiters and candidates in Africa. Some of the solutions we have developed and are in use include; candidate filtering tools for recruiters; CV builder for job seekers to quickly build their CVs, choose a template and download CV; MySalaryScale - for comparative salary research and company reviews; and Career Matcher for career path discovery and advisory.

In the coming months, we will be improving on existing tools and further launch new tools to solve human resources needs in Nigeria and Africa in general. We have also deployed technology to encourage young Africans, to enable them to explore legitimate and sustainable sources of earnings instead of using their technical skills and talent for cybercrimes. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria has a high unemployment rate of 27.1 percent as at the second quarter of 2020.

Ogugua Belonwu

What can you say about this and what can be done by the government to reduce this rate? Nigeria’s mono-economy, lack of diversification and poor necessary infrastructure (power, roads, interstate rails, etc.) discourage local and foreign investments. Also, educational courses in Institutions are not synchronised with industries’ demand for the modern workforce. This results in limited demand for labour and a limited supply of skilled human resources. To solve this problem from its roots, the government needs to build the necessary infrastructure, ensure the security of lives and property, guarantee sanctity of agreement and create stable policies that will encourage foreign investment and invest in education and its reforms. How has Covid-19 affected your business? Covid-19 came as a shock to the world in 2020, and MyJobMag was not exempted. However, due to our agility, rigorous scenario planning activities pre-Covid, it has prepared us to identify scarce opportunities and explore them. Covid-19 has us given us time to rethink and realign to ensure that we are focusing on the most critical aspects of our vision. It also allowed us to emphasise our organisational purpose, train our colleagues, help our stakeholders to address their strategic needs and

position the organisation for success now and in the future. In the face of the confusion created by Covid-19, we built a career matcher tool to assist people in discovering their careers and realigning their interests. We are also automating more processes, while not losing the personal touch in what we do. How will you evaluate your business growth since you started? MyJobMag has experienced steady and increased growth over the years. MyJobMag bootstrapped its way since inception. We have grown organically both from a user base and financial perspective. We pride in our resourceful and growing team that consistently delivers topnotch products and services for our teeming users. What do you do differently in this field that makes you and your products/services stand out? We put our stakeholders’ needs and satisfaction first. MyJobMag is a for-profit social enterprise that is driven by love for the people and businesses we serve. Our daily decisions at MyJobMag are people-centric and exude passion for our vision and the success of our great country. This can be seen in the vast volume of bespoke resources, content and tools we make available to our users on MyJobMag; from free templates, CV Builder to our salary research platform and Career Matcher.

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Sunday 06 September 2020

SundayBusiness Driving new initiatives for increased liquidity in mortgage market

ver the years, illiquidity has been a dominant feature of the mortgage market in Nigeria and this, more than anything else, is reason for the country’s low home ownership level and wide housing demand-supply gap. From different fronts, initiatives are being brought up as means to solving the liquidity problem that has held the market down for ages. The driving force, perhaps, is the understanding that the inequality created by lack of affordable housing in Nigeria places a moral obligation on all housing stakeholders to use every tool at their disposal to find solution to providing access to sustainable affordable housing finance. Though there have been interventions by the federal government to create a thriving mortgage market in the country for purposes of making housing finance accessible and affordable for home buyers, the desired result is yet to be achieved. The establishment of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) is one such intervention. The National Housing Fund (NHF) which provides mortgage finance, through the primary mortgage banks (PMBs) at interest rate as low as 6 percent, is another.

The latest intervention is the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) which, as a secondary mortgage institution that is private sector-driven with the public purpose of developing the primary and secondary mortgage markets, is aimed to raise long‐term funds from the domestic capital market as well as foreign markets for providing accessible and affordable housing in Nigeria. The last four to five years have seen spirited efforts by the new refinance company to not only reposition the country’s mortgage sector, but also to break down barriers to home ownership by providing liquidity, affordability, accessibility and stability to the housing market. The company has the vision to be the dominant housing partner in Nigeria by providing liquidity and access to affordable housing finance and, in line with that, it has come out with ambitious and innovative initiatives aimed to improve mortgage market transactions and also fast-track affordable housing delivery. When the company was established, the mandate given to it was to promote wider spread of home ownership, accessibility and affordability which explains the setting up of what the company calls ‘Housing/Mortgage Market

Information Portal (MMIP)’ aimed to enable it to gather data for intelligence and profiling of federal, states civil servants and informal sectors (off-takers) for affordable housing. This is an effective policy and decision making tool on land allocation, infrastructure and concessions and, according to the officials of the company, “MMIP enables decision on creating polycentric cities in order to decongest major urban centres”. The pilot implementation of this initiative, they say, is already taking place in six cities including Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Bauchi, Enugu, Port Harcourt. Another initiative the company has come up with is the NMRC Mortgage Market System (MMS) which is a transformational change that integrates the entire housing market, covering construction finance, primary and secondary mortgage. The system which is available to all players in the housing industry has the benefit of removing duplications of effort in gathering data and documents; improving the turnaround time, reducing the cycle time of transactions and helping in making homes more affordable. Described as a world class system that aims to bring all players in the mortgage and housing market

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com)

into a centralised technology ecosystem, MMS allows a systematic market to operate and concentration of activities to take place. What the system seeks to achieve, besides bringing credibility and attracting investors to the mortgage market, is also to let players and sundry individuals know what is going on in the market. “People come here asking about the market but they cannot get verifiable and dependable information”, said an official of the company, noting that the system creates a marketplace where there is information flow and people can see what is going on. The system is a national market that is not only about mortgage but also the entire housing finance and so the new system allows NMRC to see the pipeline projects and know who is bringing what to the market, and as refinancers, it also allows the company to time and determine when to go to the market to raise bonds. MMS also allows market operators to track all the activities

within the construction industry. With it they can see which developer is doing what and in which location. It also allows them to begin to compare prices and know which property is being sold and in which location. This way, the developers will begin to be more competitive in the way they do their thing. For the mortgage banks, the new system allows them to begin to manage their own systems by themselves using the uniform underwriting standards which NMRC has produced and, with that, they can evaluate their applications based on the underwriting standard. It is hoped that the use of these systems, especially the MMIP, for federal and state governments, mortgage asset registry will reduce cost of homeownership, eliminate breaks in the chain of title, improve hard naira savings on each loan for homeowners and lenders, and reveal identity of servicer and investor available to homeowners via phone or internet.

Path to purchase: The power of children in determining household buying decisions Solafunmi Oyeneye

he collaborative process of purchase decisions within homes can no longer be denied. Long gone are the days when there was a top-down hierarchy in households, and the decision-making was the sole preserve of parents. These days, especially in homes with millennial parent’s aged 25 to 35, children are more actively involved and have more influence on decisions made in households. The research revealed four key drivers behind the shift to a more inclusive, collaborative decision making in households. Unprecedented tech access: In recent times, with nearly 12 devices per household, kids have unprecedented access to information and parents are no longer the gatekeepers of information in the home. In

fact, parents are more likely to leverage their children’s knowledge in making more informed purchase decisions for the family; as children are likely to be more aware of brands and are able to filter that information into whether or not they want to purchase products from these brands. Millennial Upbringing: This is the second key driver attributed to the shift to a more inclusive, collaborative decision making within the home. Majority of millennials attended daycare, participated in playgroups, played organised sports, making them more accustomed to collaboration and teamwork. They infuse this into their style of parenting in their willingness to see their children as teammates in the success of the family. Young parents have reimagined the roles of kids in the family; as a result, decisions are made as a family, with kids playing a significant role in the outcome.

Financial awareness Millennial parents have also made it a priority to teach their kids about financial awareness, informing them on the financial situation of the family. Children are no longer shielded from the economic realities of their family. Research conducted by ViacomCBS on families with children aged 6 - 14 revealed that over 60percent of the kids were aware of household budgets, and about 45percent were aware of how much things cost. With this knowledge, kids can balance the information they have of brands with the economic realities of their family in order to manage their expectations. With a collaborative effort of parents and kids, decisions can be made more easily acceptable by every member of the household. Family closeness: This is the last driver identified in the study. Families are closer than ever, kids are no longer

looking up to just athletes and celebrities, they’re also beginning to look up to their parents . 78percent of Nigerian parents say they want to be best friends with their kids. Parents are able to better connect with their children, by having more open conversations and sharing more amongst themselves. Sharing ranges from health, financial and even household purchase decisions. Family sharing has become automatic and unconscious. Do children however have opinions on all categories of purchase? Out of 25 categories tested in Nigeria, most kids are involved in at least 14 out of these 25 categories; their greatest influence being over entertainment, food and groceries, restaurants, electronics, vacation and telecommunication. This means that in households with kids, they play a significant role in the final purchasing decisions that concern any of these six

categories. The path to purchase in households has become a collaborative process of negotiations between parents and children, who are influenced more by emotional than rational factors. Parents are influenced by how happy a purchase makes their kids, while kids are influenced by how happy they’ll be with a product. Both parents and kids consider if a product will enable the family to spend more time together. Parents are also likely to spend 60% more when their kids are involved in decision making within the household. Understanding these paths to purchase will enable brands to engage and provide for different members of the family. Th e r e f o r e , b r a n d s i n creating their messages must reach both parents, especially moms and kids, as they both play critical roles in purchase decisions. It is

ideal for targeting kids and moms where they can be found at the same time, and this is where kid channels come in. Fo r e v e r y o n e k i d watching any Nickelodeon channel, there are at least four females aged 25 and above watching at the same time. With over 245,000 kids (aged 7-14) on the Nickelodeon channels monthly, the majority of viewers per month are moms 25 and above, which are over a million viewers monthly. Though parents (Moms) usually make the final purchase decisions within households, the role that children play in these decisions cannot be denied. These influential members of the home should be treated as important by brands in determining and communicating their message to target families. Oyeneye is Senior Channels Ma n a g e r a t V i a c o m C B S Networks Africa

Sunday 06 September 2020

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BDSUNDAY 29

SundayBusiness Abia oil-producing communities accuse NDDC, ASOPADEC of neglect

…say there are abandoned projects everywhere GODFREY OFURUM, Aba

il-producing communities in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State have accused Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Abia State Oil Development Commission (ASOPADEC) of abandoning several projects in the area. They explained that the area has not benefited meaningfully from NDDC and ASOPADEC since the two bodies were establishment by the Federal Government in case of NDDC and Abia State Government in case of ASOPADEC. Onwubiko Dike, a don and president-general, Asa Development Union (ADU), the apex socio-cultural organisation of indigenous people of Asa, in Ukwa West Local Government Area in an interview with BDSUNDAY, observed that ongoing probe of NDDC activities was long overdue, hence, the need to carry it out properly and conscientiously. H e d e s c r i b e d Ab i a ASOPADEC as a conduit pipe, used in siphoning monies meant for the development of oil producing communities. A document made available to BDSUNDAY,

by ADU listed some NDDC abandoned projects in Asa that include construction of district Hospital Obokwe-Asa , construction of UmuakaObokwe-Asa internal road, construction of ObokweUmuguru internal road and construction of Ahia EkeOza Umuiku road. Others are Umuituru Ozar Central School Link road, construction of Umuituru Ozar Central School road (awarded twice and not executed), Umuiku-

Mkporobe road and Orie Obokwe-Umuikukor road. Also abandoned are Umuokpara/Umuekechi/ Omumauzor road, Obingwu/Umuugo/Asa Nnetu road, Obokwe Solar Powered Water Scheme, Umuadienwe Solar Powered Water Scheme, Ukwa West Local Government Area regional water scheme at Umuorgu, Asa Civic Center/ Multipurpose Hall at ObehieAsa, 132/33KV substation at Ikpokwu-Asa, UgwuatiOzatta road and Umudobia-

atrick Oriyomi, a real estate developer and the founder of Photizo Properties Limited, has tasked the Federal Government to make the process of property registration seamless and address other numerous bottlenecks besetting the Nigerian real estate sector. According to him, this will create a regulatory guide to address issues of land grabbers and local extortionists, solve low-cost housing problems and spur investments into the real estate industry. Oriyomi, who said this recently in Lagos, believes that only a strategic government intervention would go a long way in tackling major housing challenges in Nigeria, especially in major cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. “Tedious land registration

laqad, a leading marketing and public relations (PR) Tech startup, has launched the second edition of its influencer compensation report. The report, which was announced at a virtual launch on Saturday, August 29, 2020, is Sub-Saharan Africa’s first and only report focused exclusively on researching and sharing insights on the workings of influencer remuneration in Africa’s largest economy. This year’s edition of the report features data and insights from more than 10,000 influencers, marketers and consumers exploring in detail topics ranging from influencer remuneration structure, products compensation, influencer marketing ROI, consumer perception, fraud in influencer marketing and more. According to the report, more than 80percent of

influencers surveyed prefer monetary compensation as against receiving products as compensation. Of the influencers who opted for products, 16percent of influencers say they will accept products or services from luxury brands only. Speaking at the launch, Gbenga Sogabike, CEO, Plaqad Limited, said: “The Influencer Compensation Report 2020 is the most robust piece of research on the topic of influencer compensation. This year, we surveyed more than 10,000 respondents encompassing all stakeholders, from consumers to brands, agencies to influencers “The report will undoubtedly help industry stakeholders and the general public make better sense of how payment and compensation work in the influencer marketing industry in Africa’s largest economy.”

Mouka reaffirms commitment to consumers’ wellbeing, quality product Anthonia Obokoh

M L-R: Umar Ahmed, Commander, Ogun state sector of Federal Road Safety Corps; Ayinla Balogun, NTA staff; Niyi Ojekunle general manager, Paramount FM Abeokuta; Funmi Wakama, general manager, NTA Abeokuta; Bidemi Falola, Chairman Sweet Estate Union Properties and Facility Management Limted and Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, former Zonal Secretary of NUJ at presentation of Toyota Camry to NTA Abeokuta by Sweet Estate Limited in Abeokuta recently.

Expert tasks FG on ease of doing business Josephine Okojie

Umuaku road. They also listed Umudobia-Owaza Housing Estate, Ukanafun (Akwa Ibom) - AzuminiO b e h i e - O w a z a ( Ab i a State) - Etche (Rivers) dual carriage highway, abandoned at the boundary between Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs. Onwubiko explained that their experience with the NDDC in particular, has been very painful, as lots of projects that are on paper never existed in real life.

Plaqad launches ‘Influencer Compensation Report’ 2020

process in Nigeria is quite frustrating and this poses a major challenge in the real estate sector in the country,” he said. “The process of registration can last up to two years or more with tedious procedures thereby forcing investors to spend more than they budgeted for,” he further said. “The omonile menace is of great concern in the sector which ranges from extorting money from investors developing their properties to selling half way developing houses to buyers resulting in the continuous battle for possession of the land,” he added. He notes that issues with property registration and more usually end up in court and hoodlums sometimes abscond with the money. “They demand levy on everything from the digging of the foundation to the finish, making outrageous demands that discourage

investors,” he said. Oriyomi noted that investors in the sector are usually subjected to multiple taxes, listing some of the taxes levied against them to include development levy, income tax, building plan approval levy, property tax, and land use tax. The country’s real estate sectorial growth declined by 21.9percent in the second quarter of 2020 owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows. Despite the recent negative growth, Oriyomi, however, is optimistic about the country’s real estate market. “Inasmuch as the coronavirus pandemic has affected every sector of the economy leading to the price hike of goods and services, including the real estate sector, we are optimistic that things would come back to normal,” he said.

o u k a Fo a m s , Nigeria’s foremost manufacturer of mattresses and beddings, has restated its commitment to consumers’ wellbeing by delivering quality products, which enhance sleep and sound health. Raymond Murphy, chief executive officer, Mouka Foams, gave the assurance recently during a virtual stakeholders’ engagement where he unveiled some of the plans of the company’s fiscal year.

Murphy said the frontline company would continue to engage its stakeholders, which comprises consumers, employees, business partners, agencies and the media, to ensure Mouka delivers on its promise to add comfort to life. According to him, Mouka in its giant stride would keep on innovating and renovating its product portfolio to keep it exciting and appealing to consumers. In addition, the company will continue to give its teeming consumers more value for money by deploying value-added promotions and producing durable products.

NEPC commends Cross River’s ‘Green Money’ initiative in Agriculture MIKE ABANG, Calabar

he Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has commended the Cross River State Government for its Green Money Initiative in Agriculture towards revamping the state economy through diversification in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Olusegun Awolowo, chief executive officer of NEPC, made the observation during a two-day capacity building workshop with the theme, ‘Enhancing Global Market Access for Cross River Green Money Initiative’ by the Council in collaboration with a Cross River State marketoriented Agriculture Initiative held at Marian Hotel Calabar. Awolowo noted that undoubtedly, Cross River State is rich in agricultural production with huge potential in Cocoa and other exportable

products, which he said can generateemploymentforthe teeming youth and women population, support wealth creation and further boost the economy of the state. The CEO, who was represented by Uduak Ekukowoh, director, International Export Office Abuja, further disclosed that exporting can “increase your ability to compete in the domestic market while also allowing you to diversify your markets in such a way that you will no longer be dependent on any particular market for success.” According to him, “At the national level, it is necessary for Nigeria to diversify its export earnings and move away from its over-dependence on oil as the only source of foreign exchange revenue. We are living witnesses to the challenges the recent global crash in oil price has created in the implementation of the 2020 budget apart from the distortions and structural

imbalance we have seen in the past.” In his remarks, Governor BenAyadewhiledeclaringthe workshop open said the state government has completed plans to decouple the state from over-dependence from Federal allocation; hence, the construction of the Bakassi deep seaport, a cargo Airport and the Superhighway. Ayade, who was represented by the director of Agricultural Services, Gabriel Ofono, said the state government was promoting agriculture as a way of diversifying itseconomyandprovidingjob opportunities for its teeming youths who are unemployed. “We need to export goods produced from Cross River, that is why we are constructing a deep seaport, a cargo airport, we want the Federal Government to key into this projects; we will appeal to NEPC to take this message to the Federal Government,” the governor said.

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Sunday 06 September 2020

Health&Science 64% of Nigerian employees at high risk of ‘burnout’, severe mental health – Study

ANTHONIA OBOKOH

t least, 64 percent (twothirds) of Nigerian employees are at increased risk of ‘burnout’, a medical condition caused by excessive and prolonged stress and usually resulting in significant mental health difficulties among other diseases, a new report has found. According to the report released by WellNewMe on Wednesday, people suffering from burnout often experience emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, which can have serious physical and mental health-related consequences, from which it can take a long time, and a lot of treatment, to recover. The report revealed other consequences of the condition to include heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, vulnerability to illnesses, such as colds, malaria. Others are excessive stress, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, anger or irritability. “People with burnout can be irritable, unpredictable, isolated, frustrated, confrontational, irrational and very hard to be with. This can have catastrophic consequences for a family, in the workplace, or for friendships,” the report said. It noted that women have a slightly higher risk than men. The report also found that the condition leads to presenteeism (working when unwell), absenteeism and increase in turnover of staff, which costs companies much more; it warned that nearly two in 10 employees will require immediate assistance as when demonstrating behaviours that indicated they were at crisis point. Further breakdown

of the report found that about six in 10 employees were at an increased risk of suffering from physical exhaustion; 49 percent were at an increased risk of emotional exhaustion with an increased risk of suffering from depression; three in 10 of all employees are at an increased risk of mental exhaustion and about 40 percent of Nigerian employees were found to be at an increased risk of spiritual exhaustion. It noted that the condition is often ignored as studies on burnout among Nigerian employees are very limited,despitethedevastating impact it could have on individuals, businesses and the society at large. “Despite its serious consequences for employers, burnout in the workplace

ment,” he said. Igbokwe added that there were significant mental health difficulties in the workplace in Nigeria as indicated by the results of the survey, stating that mental ill health arising from burnout is one of most significant factors that underpin absenteeism and presenteeism. “Companies in Nigeria need to foster mentally healthy workplaces and there needs to be an organisational approach to preventing and managing the risk of burn out which can be identified and encapsulated using the Energy Management Assessment Tool developed by the digital health company, WellNewMe,” he advised. The report stressed that

is one of those conditions that companies across the world are struggling with. Its effects are even more telling in resource low countries like Nigeria, when often mitigation of the risks and treatment of burnout is not very commonplace,” Obi Igbokwe, one of the co-founders of WellNewMe said. “WellNewMe has developed a tool to help companies in determining the risks and have partnered with Green Oaks Consulting to provide a comprehensive and more holistic approach to managing individuals who need treat-

treating employees at risk of burnout is beneficial, not only to the wellbeing of the individual but also to the organisation in terms of their return on investment due to improved productivity. “It is important that companies invest and equip their Line Managers and Human Resource Teams to be able to support good mental health in their employees,” it added. The report is a result of a survey on 1,323 Nigerian employees, conducted over a 4-month period from May 2019 to August 2019.

Endometriosis: Dealing with pain before, during and after sexual intercourse

ABAYOMI AJAYI, MD/CEO Nordica Fertility CENTREINFO@ABAYOMIAJAYI. COM.NG,

f your spouse or partner has abdominal cramping around or beyond the time of her period, you need to realise that she is in no way just being oversensitive. Having a partner who suffers from severe abdominal pain on several days every month often affects intimacy and your life together as husband and wife in general. It is not an easy situation to deal with by any measure, however, effective relief is often available. Severe abdominal pain and cramping can force you to make changes in everyday life. This is a challenge with women that have endometriosis. Endometriosis is a medical condition where the kind of tissue that usually lines the womb also grows in other parts of the woman’s body. These growths are called endometrial implants, and may be small or larger in size. Like the lining of the womb, they build up and are shed every month. But, unlike menstrual blood. The tissue shed from the endometrial growth has no way of leaving the body, hence resulting in internal bleeding, inflammation that may result in pain, adhesions and bowel problems. The endometrial implants may grow on a woman’s ovaries and in her Fallopian tubes, which can lead to fertility problems. Endometriosis also causes damage and blockage to the fallopian tube by impeding the journey of the eggs down the

Ogun revamps healthcare system as Abiodun moves to access N2.5bn CBN intervention fund

RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta

s part of effort to revamp healthcare system in the state, especially as regards fight against Coronavirus pandemic and other infectious diseases, the Ogun State government has shown interest in accessing N2.5 billion Central Bank of Nigeria health intervention fund at a single digit interest rate for a 10-year tenor. This was contained in an executive request submitted before the Ogun State House of Assembly where

Governor Dapo Abiodun sought the Assembly’s approval to access N2.5 billion intervention fund provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria towards strengthening the state health sector to enable state government meet up with the rising demand for sound healthcare delivery and services as part of effort to ameliorate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other health challenges. Speaking during the plenary on Thursday, Olakunle Oluomo, Speaker of the House of Assembly, who read the Governor’s letter dated 12th August, 2020 before the lawmakers at the Assembly Complex at

Oke-Mosan, said the correspondence was received 27th of August, 2020 and the request was in line with the programme of the present administration’s commitment at improving healthcare delivery across the state. “In line with the program of our administration to improve health care delivery across the State, by providing effective and efficient healthcare facilities to the good people of our dear State, it becomes necessary for the State to participate in the ongoing intervention fund of the CBN which is given at a single digit interest rate for a tenor of ten

(10) years, the letter partly read. According to the Governor, the objective of the scheme which was offered at a single digit interest rate for a tenor of ten years was geared towards reducing health tourism to conserve foreign exchange, while providing long-term, low cost finance for healthcare infrastructure development that would lead to the evolvement of world-class healthcare facilities with provision of shared services through one-stop healthcare solution to enhance competition, thereby reducing the cost of healthcare delivery in the nation.

fallopian tube to the uterus, hence leading to infertility. Up to 50 percent of women with endometriosis complain of painful intercourse while at least 75 percent suffer from sexual painful menstrual periods that make normal chores impossible. The reason for the painful intercourse is because deep penetration can put pressure on areas where endometriosis occurs, such as the ligaments attaching the uterus to the pelvis or the lining of the pelvis. Any touch to those areas can be extremely painful. You may feel this kind of painful intercourse as sharp, stabbing, jabbing or a deep ache. It ranges in intensity from mild to excruciating and you may feel it during intercourse, for up to 24–48 hours after intercourse, or both.Correct and prompt diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis is vital. It is a significant contributor to the problem of unexplained infertility and chronic pelvic pain, and so it is being given more attention within medical circles. Unfortunately, endometriosis is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, leading to delays in treatment sometimes for several years. The surest way to diagnose endometriosis is by laparoscopy, an operation performed under general anaesthetic, where a small instrument called a laparoscope (a tube like telescope with light in it), is inserted into the abdomen through a cut in the belly button. The goals of endometriosis treatment include pain relief and/ or enhancement of fertility. There is up to 30 percent chance that if you have the problem of infertility you may be diagnosed with endometriosis, which as a result of its genetic nature, is common amongst sisters and even cousins. If you have it, there may be no symptoms, and if there are symptoms, the most common symptoms are pelvic pain and infertility. Endometriosis can be one of the reasons for infertility in otherwise healthy couples. As a woman with endometriosis you need to explain to your partner the nature of your pain, and how it affects you, physically and emotionally. Talk about your fear of intercourse and fear of intimacy that may lead to intercourse. If you experience pain during or after sex, you are likely to try to avoid sex altogether and often feel bad about doing so. If painful sex is a problem, trying out different positions or techniques might improve things. It is better to be open and honest so you and your partner can learn which situations create pain. That way you can learn which situations to avoid, so you can both have pleasurable and

satisfying intimacy together. For the man, it is easy to feel a little rejected or dissatisfied, particularly if you do not understand why your partner does not want to have sex. Knowing that sex is painful for your partner could definitely make you feel guilty or uncomfortable, but not being able to get pregnant often adds to the burden. If you experience pain during intercourse, it is important to tell your partner. Trying to conceal the pain will usually result in you unconsciously withdrawing, which may be perceived as rejection. You and your partner need to talk about such things. Once you have discussed and resolved some of these issues, you will have the foundation for moving on and finding ways of resolving the problem. However, even with the most sensitive experimentation, some women will not be able to experience total painfree intercourse because of their endometriosis. If this is the case, you need to seek a more permanent solution and treatment. You may need to see a sex therapist as a couple. Some women are able to enjoy intercourse if it is shallow, or if slow and gentle penetration is used. You may like to try experimenting with foreplay and artificial lubricants. Some women are able to have pleasurable intercourse if there is plenty of foreplay to stimulate the natural lubricants in the vagina or if a special lubricant is used. It may be appropriate to try experimenting with the timing of intercourse. You may find intercourse is pleasurable at certain times of the month, such as in the week after ovulating or in the two-week period after having your period. If you can identify the times when intercourse is pain-free, you can make that time of the month a special time to enjoy intimacy together. While some women experience unbearable pains with any form of intercourse, others experience it only with deep penetration. If you feel pain only at certain times of the month, such as around the time of your period, it is not unusual even though there are women who may feel it throughout the month. Dealing with painful intercourse can be a difficult and emotional task. It needs open and honest communication between you and your partner. It also needs both of you to be patient and understanding towards each other. In particular, you need to develop an awareness of each other’s predicament and feelings. Without these efforts, dealing with the problem can quickly degenerate into an emotional battlefield.

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BDSUNDAY 31

Sports

AFCON trophy missing in Egypt Messi confirms

staying at Barcelona

Stories by ANTHONY NLEBEM

he Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophy has reportedly been stolen from the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) headquarters in Cairo. The trophy was retained by Egypt permanently after the Pharaohs won the title three times in a row , with former federation member Magdi Abdelghani explaining that the AFCON cup was destroyed in a fire at the Association’s Cairo HQ in 2013. Ex-Egyptian Football Association vice-president Ahmed Shobeir earlier revealed that the trophy was discovered missing during preparations to build a museum to house all of the silverware won by the North African nation. Former FIFA Board Member and Pharaohs great Abdelghani later confirmed that the AFCON trophy was one of several items of silverware that had been lost in a fire seven years ago. “Officials of the committee which meets every five years and currently manages the Football Association were surprised that the trophy was not available, in light of their desire to create a museum at the federation headquarters, which would feature the trophy and the national team’s kits,” Shobeir said on the ‘On Time Sports’ TV show. “However, [they] were surprised to find that the Afcon trophy was lost, and decided to open an investigation.” It was initially claimed that former captain Ahmed Hassan – who skippered the team to success at the biennial tournament in 2006, 2008 and 2010 – was in possession of the trophy, although he subsequently denied the claim. “The committee searched for

the trophy, but then an employee told them that Ahmed Hassan, the former captain of the Egyptian national team, who won the cup three times in a row, has kept it,” Shobeir added. Later, ex-Egypt midfielder Abdelghani clarified in a press conference that the trophy had been lost in a fire seven years ago. “After the burning of the Football Association headquarters, some cups were lost, and the matter was investigated,” the former FA member began, “including the Africa Cup of Nations that we retained. “Some said that the cup had been with Shawky Gharib, the former general coach of the Egypt national team, and some say it had been with Hassan, the former captain of the Pharaohs.” After learning of the trophy’s disappearance, Hassan took to social media to express his dismay at the loss. “I wish I had kept the cup in my house instead of it being lost,” he posted on his @AhmedHas-

san Twitter handle, “and I am surprised that I’m being questioned about the cup after nine years, despite the presence of two FA boards, and the fiveyear committee for a year and two months…but they’re only now looking for the cup! “One of the members of the five-year committee contacted me and told me that they would put a picture of me with the African Nations Cup on the wall inside the federation,” Hassan continued, “and he asked me about the cup. “I told him that I had delivered it back in 2011, and he said to me: ‘I wish you had not handed it over, as the cup is not at the association now.’” Egypt are the most successful country in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, having won the trophy seven times since 1957. Their trio of consecutive successes between 2006 and 2010 is an unprecedented feat in the history of the African game.

Premier League face £1bn revenue shortfall due to coronavirus

remier League clubs are facing a cash hole of up to £1billion because of the coronavirus pandemic, a financial expert has said. The warning about a cash crisis comes after the Premier League terminated its £564million Chinese broadcasting deal, its most lucrative overseas contract. The Premier League last season agreed a £360m rebate to all its rights holders over the threemonth suspension of football. Coupled with estimated losses of £35m in match-day revenue each week, the potential losses suffered by clubs could reach £1bn. “£800million losses would be on the conservative side,” football finance expert Kieran Maguire told Standard Sport. “If we anticipate that two thirds of matchday income goes, then the rebate as well as £180m a season for China, that comes to just shy of £1billion.” The Premier League pulled the plug on its Chinese TV contract on Thursday following a dispute with

Suning Holdings over an unpaid £160m rights fee during the Covid-19 crisis. Meanwhile, the Premier League is set to bow to pressure from both the Government and fans and agree to televise all top-flight fixtures while matches stay behind closed doors. A final decision is expected early

next week, ahead of the season starting next Saturday. The Premier League initially refused to continue blanket live TV coverage of games for the new season. A spokesman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has urged the Premier League to “follow the spirit of Project Restart”.

ionel Messi, Barcelona’s all-time goalscorer and sixth-time Ballon d’Or winner, has changed his mind concerning his future at the club. The Argentine star says he is staying because it is impossible for any team to pay his €700 million release clause and he does not want to face the club I love in court. Messi had informed Barcelona of his desire to leave via an official note last Tuesday, and did not turn up for the team’s first five days of preseason training under new boss Ronald Koeman. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner says he wants to leave

season,” he added. “There was another way and it was to go to trial. I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived. “It is the club of my life, I have made my life here.” Messi’s father Jorge has held talks in Barcelona this week and insisted his son could leave for free, only for La Liga to back Barcelona’s stance over the release clause. Clubs including Manchester City were instantly linked with Messi when he made clear he wanted to end his 20-year stay at the Nou Camp nine days after an 8-2 aggre-

Barcelona to compete at the “highest level” after a disappointing season, which culminated in a 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. But the club said his €700 million release clause would have to be met. “I thought and was sure that I was free to leave,” Messi told Goal. “The president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not. “And this is the reason why I am going to continue in the club. Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the 700m clause, and that this is impossible.” Messi, whose contract expires in 2021, says the fact he did not tell Barca he wanted to leave before June 10 was crucial, and had he done so his release clause would not have had to be met. “Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before 10 June, when it turns out that on 10 June we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the

gate defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals. That result meant Barca ended the season with no silverware, and they replaced manager Quique Setien with former Everton and Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman. Messi has so far not trained with his team-mates under Koeman and admits the club’s lack of recent success influenced his decision. “I looked further afield and I want to compete at the highest level, win titles, compete in the Champions League,” he said. “When I communicated my wish to leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal drama. “The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona , nor did they want to change schools. “I love Barcelona and I’m not going to find a better place than here anywhere. Still, I have the right to decide. “I was going to look for new goals and new challenges. And tomorrow I could go back, because here in Barcelona I have everything.”

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Fuel price increase and the people’s elasticity limit

igerians are angry, disenchanted and disillusioned with the current President Muhammadu Buhari administration over the recent increase in the electricity tariff and also the pump price of petrol. While the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) raised the tariff by over 100 percent from N30.23 for 1 kilowatt unit per hour to N62.23 per Kw/hr, the Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC) jacked up the fuel price to N151.56 per litre, up from N148 per litre. This was the third time in three months! For an oil-producing country, and with the hindsight that the costs of consumables are indirectly tied to the fuel price the increases lack any human face. Worse still, coming at a time that people are still battling with the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, when virtually the cost of living has skyrocketed, it smirks of insensitivity on the part of the government to inflict more pains on the hapless citizens. In better climes, governments have come up with various palliatives, as buffers to cushion the deleterious damage the disease has done. Against this dark backdrop, many Nigerians now recall with glee that under former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua the cost of petrol was at N65 per litre, that of diesel stood at N112 per litre and other essential items cost far less than we have it as at today. For instance, a bag of rice then was N3,500 but now it stands at N25,000 or thereabout, depending on the type. The equations make no economic sense, at all. How do we explain the fact that the nation’s three comatose refineries located in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri recorded a combined loss of N50 billion in five months from January to May of this year? That is according to Energymix Report of May 30, 2020.

‘‘I get worried when people go against the sale of the refineries. I get worried because those who maintain such positions are ignorant and not in tune with current realities or the state of the refineries. What is in a national asset that does not return value on investment?” -Mr. Joseph Nwakuwe, chairman, Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Yet, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) reportedly spent over N535. 9 billion on subsidy and Federation Account Allocation Committee in the first quarter of 2020when no drop of fuel was produced! This was disclosed by the corporation in its Monthly Financial and Operations precisely in July, 2020.Nwakuwe said the refineries post an average of N10 billion on a monthly basis, saying the country cannot afford to record losses in that huge number. ‘‘That is the loss figure recorded by the refineries on a monthly basis. Even in this current month of May, that is the loss figure that will be posted.’’ The situation informed the oil expert’s warning that should the country fail to sell the refineries now, they may not get value for it anymore. He said the refineries have outlived their usefulness. He reiterated the fact that the amount of money spent on the endless rehabilitation of the refineries was no longer sustainable. It would be recalled that when exPresident, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration increased fuel price from N67 to N97 in 2012, it sparked mass outrage with the Save Nigeria Group led by Pastor Tunde Bakare spearheading rallies at the popular Gani Fawenhinmi Park. “My government was severely criticised for increasing the pump price of petroleum

from N67 to N97 at a time that global crude price was going for over 100 dollars. The pump price was later reduced to N87 when the price of crude oil dropped and they attacked us that it was supposed to be lower. Those who criticised my administration are not talking again now that the global crude oil is about 53 dollars per barrel and the pump price of petrol is N143.” Jonathan said so in October 2017. But now, it has jumped to N151. 56 per litre. We should all be wiser now, shouldn’t we? Expectedly, the scary economic situation has triggered various reactions. Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and his party, the PDP say that the increase would lead to more economic hardship for the people and want it reversed. But the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) maintains that the Buhari-led government was working for the overall interest of Nigeria. In fact, some of them are blaming the PDP for Nigeria’s current woes and asking affected party members to return the looted subsidies. On his part, Timi Frank who has seen both sides has his own agitations. The former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC wants organised Labour to mobilise Nigerians and shut down the country! These include the Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC), Trade Union Congress(TUC), Nigerian Union of Teachers(NUT), NUPENG, PENGASSAN, the NBA, NMA and ASUU and other Civil Society Organisations(CSOs) to do the needful. One would say that what is good for the good should be sweet for the gander. If they did it against Jonathan, why not against Buhari? But people are afraid of him. But why? Is it all because of his military background or that freedom of expression is be-

AYO OYOZE BAJE Baje is Nigerian first food technologist in the media and author of ‘Drumbeats of Democracy’

ing muzzled under him? His admirers say that he is a ‘saint’ that does no wrong and must therefore, not be criticised! But the President is not the country, is he? For me, it goes far beyond all that. Many of us have not been groomed to place the national interest above our personal and pecuniary interests. Still blaming the PDP for our current woes is an admission of leadership failure, after five years in the saddle. True leaders do not give excuses for failure but find the reasons to succeed. Both Lee Kuan Yew (of blessed memory) of Singapore and Paul Kagame of Rwanda never met their countries in a state of paradise. The opposite was the situation. Instead of blaming past administrations for the redolent rot in the system they rolled up their sleeves and did the needful, with uncommon vision, passion, courage and commitment. What the recurring ugly decimals of fuel price, electricity tariff, labour matters, salaries and sundry taxes, mostly controlled by a powerful centre teach us is to restructure this country, once and for all. Let the federating units utilise their resources based on the most pressing needs of their people and do so in their best interest, as well. We have had enough of this self-deceit! One’s fervent hope is that all the increasing charges on essential commodities would not stretch the patience of Nigerians beyond the elasticity limit.

Enugu Airport opening: Absurdity of a city mourning the dead and celebrating in one week IKEDDY ISIGUZO .Isiguzo, a major commentator on minor national issues, writes from Abuja

he shattering rattle of gun shots that cut short lives of young Nigerians in the serene setting of Emene, on the outskirts of Enugu, joined a long list of security agents mauling down Nigerians. They do not need to have any reason. That was two weeks ago. In the same Emene vicinity, close enough for some of those who survived that attack to hear the pelting of drums, dancing, and the ululation of a people who get so little that they celebrate nothingness, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is being re-opened, after being shut down for 440 days, just to repair its run way. People are celebrating. What a day? What an event? The undried tears for the young people murdered only seven days ago, in the same Emene, where the airport is located, mock smiling faces that thank the Federal Government for repairing the airport with such speed. Have we just forgotten the dead? The gaiety would not accommodate mourning. Or we have prioritised issues? How do

pasted smiles look with tears streaming down faces? Do we pause the mourning to open an airport, so that we can continue thereafter? What is more important than an international airport? What is more important than the sustenance the airport provides for the South East? In our cultures, nothing is more important than life. We mourn the departed deeply as part of the respect we accord life, and the living. We are more saddened when the young die in tragic circumstances, especially when the cause of their death remains foggy. We never suspend mourning for anything, unless to save another live. When we mourn everything waits, even things more important than an international airport, without which we have survived for 440 days. The Very Important Personalities who represent the South East could not ask that the opening be delayed for some days, at least not to be on the exact day that the young men were felled in Emene. We are carrying on as if we are celebrating the first week of their killing. Usual personalities in the macabre dances that are defining our people have not disappointed even in this dreary period. Prince Arthur Eze, also known as Ozoigbondu, loosely translated as the Protector of Ndigbo, could not miss the opportunity of showing how he protects Ndigbo by

making a landing at the airport, to claim being the first aircraft to use the renovated airport. Ceremonial dousing of an aircraft with water was done for him, a ritual reserved for the official opening of an airport. Was the airport opened on Saturday, August 30, 2020 when Prince Eze landed in his private jet with the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, reportedly from Abuja? Simple things are important to billionaire Prince Eze. He celebrates them as he pleases. He has his rights to his choices. In August 2013, when the airport’s status was raised to international, Prince Eze pulled a similar stunt, landing a few days before the 24 August 2013 official opening. His bragging rights were cut when he was reminded that an Angolan football team had used the airport by May 2013, three months before he did. Of course, it was the Ethiopian Airline Boeing 737-300 that landed on August 24, 2013, and operated the inaugural flight to Addis Ababa on the same day, that was accorded the official protocol of the water dousing. Prince Eze, on arrival, preached President Muhammadu Buhari’s love for Ndigbo. The evidence was the renovation of the airport. He does not comment on issues like the killing in Emene. More of messages of gratitude were heard at the opening of the airport. We

would celebrate that we have an airport. We would cease mourning those who died in the neigbourhood of the airport. An airport wipes our tears in seven days! It is unimportant whether those killed on Sunday were members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB). Once those killed were tagged IPOB members, the security agents had done a great job. They move on to new areas to enforce the law. Nobody is concerned that mistakes could have been made. No effort is made to forestall such loss of life. Do lives matter? Do IPOB lives count? Would the security agents have acted differently if IPOB members were considered human beings? Do they have rights? The killings were meant to sound like additional statistics to loss of lives that has become so rampant these days that few are interested in counting. What happened in Emene? Would we ever know? The sketchy accounts have been doused with propaganda as each side claims to be the victim. The generally accepted account is that security men invaded an IPOB meeting and shot them. Who was the aggressor? What was going on in that meeting that warranted maximum use of force? Who ordered the operations? Was the instruction to shoot to kill? We are still asking these questions without answers. Is the reopening of the airport the answer that we will get?

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