BusinessDay 08 Mar 2020 by BusinessDay

Progressives Governors Forum’s DG blames Oshiomhole for APC crisis

NSE Bond market capitalisation surpasses equities’ by N100bn 39

There should be no limitations for women in today’s world - Lynda Madu 22

N21bn duty slows Lagos’ roll out of mass transit buses BUSINESS DAY

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Vol 1, No. 303 N300

Coronavirus: Nigerians adopt lifestyle changes Fight breaks out in bar over handshake in Taraba

The Sunday Magazine

Top women in the arts

L-R: Abimbola Olulesi, Ag registrar; Fatokun Johnson, a professor and deputy vice-chancellor; Afolayan Joseph, a professor and vice-chancellor; Pastor Philip Oluwi, chairman, Board of Trustees; Silas Dada, a professor and pro-chancellor, and Dr. Stella Kpolugbo, Ag dean, Humanities, during the 4th matriculation ceremony of Anchor University, Lagos, at the weekend.

It’s NFF decision to retain or sack Rohr - Mutiu Adepoju

Despite global campaigns, implementation of gender equality still work in progress expert says closing gender gap will lead to additional 1.25% growth in Nigeria’s GDP Kemi Ajumobi

he new campaign for UN Women is Generation Equality, which easily

aligns with the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day theme, “I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights”. It is the 25th celebration of the Beijing Declaration and

Platform for Action, however; the world still has a lot of catching up to do or the reality of gender equality may remain a wish. The UN says gender equality is a fundamental

human right and a muchneeded foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. The question is, “Is that the case?” According to the 2020

Best Countries Report, the general conception is that, Arab nations, countries like India and South Korea among others, have a long See page 31

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Nigerians adopt lifestyle changes amid coronavirus threat Anthony NlebEm, Ifeoma Okeke, Anthonia Obokoh AND Nathaniel gbaoron, Jalingo

s Coronavirus spreads beyond Ch i n a t o o t h e r parts of the world, the global economy is beginning to be impacted negatively. While many fear the spread of the virus to Africa because of the assumed lack of proactive measures, adequate skills and facilities to handle emergency situations, the virus is finally here with us. Since it was reported that an Italian national brought the virus to Nigeria, people no longer live their lives at ease as many are taking precautionary measures to safeguard themselves from the dreaded virus, which has killed thousands mainly in China where it started. Most importantly, Nigerians are changing their lifestyles to boost their safety, and the change is not funny as many are confessing already. Before now, many Nigerians do not take the simple hand-washing culture seriously. Many hardly use sanitizers even when they are provided for free. Today, is becoming compulsory to wash hands in public places and corporate offices as hand sanitizers are stationed at the entrance and a prerequisite for entrance. At cinemas, shopping malls, retaurants, churches, airports, sports venues, even in private homes, hand-washing is now the order of the day. However, many prefer staying indoors, avoiding contacts with others and covering nose and mouth as the virus spreads faster with contact from persons infested or touching surfaces the infected persons have contact with. Of course, it means less patronage at restaurants, bars, cinemas, match viewing centres and is gradually getting to schools and places of worship. A survey by BDSUNDAY revealed that many are grudgingly changing their lifestyle. “I read that I should wash my hands for at least 21 seconds and on a running tap. I am used to washing my hand in a bowl and not for up to 20 seconds, so I am finding it difficult following all the preventive measures,” a shop attendant who simply identified himself as Earnest said. “The more we learn and practise hygiene habits, the better chances of curtailing the spread of the virus,” Oladoyin Odubanjo, chair, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Lagos Chapter, said. For Odubanjo, Nigerians should make all necessary sac-

Babajide Sanwo-olu, Lagos State governor and Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor, in a special leg greetings recently

rifice to curtail the spread of the virus because its spread would pose significant challenges to health care facilities across the country. To contain the spread, medical experts have urged Nigerians to wash their hands regularly with flowing water, soap and use hand sanitisers where they cannot easily access water and soap to wash. They also say that Nigerians should avoid rubbing their hands on their face, nose and mouth to prevent the virus from entering the body. But these basic hygiene practices have been very difficult for some Nigerians to maintain. So far, businesses are beginning to count their losses. Following the confirmed case in Nigeria, football viewing centres have been experiencing low patronage as many soccer fans have opted to stay at home and watch the games in a bid to avoid contact and getting infected with the virus. Church attendance has also been negatively impacted. Many worship centres have reported sharp drop in attendance at weekly programmes. Some worshippers now prefer to listen to messages on Television, radio or online. Many churches now have hand sanitizers at the entrance where members are urged to make use of them before entering the church auditorium. Recall that following the discovery of the coronavirus in the country, the social media was inundated with posts, calling on religious leaders, particularly, those with large congregations to cancel their meetings. The Nigeria’s aviation sector has seen about 20 percent decline in passenger traffic as a result

of Coronavirus (COVID-19), Bankole Bernard, president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents, (NANTA) has disclosed. Bernard said since the spread of the Coronavirus from China, the travel industry has been affected, especially because Nigeria is an import-driven country but Nigerians however, are now diverting to other countries such as Turkey to import their goods. The NANTA president said the level of resilience and tenacity of Nigerians is second to none as Nigerians now go to Turkey to bring in their goods instead of China. “Yes, there have been decline in traffic but we see Nigerians changing their movement. If Nigeria operates the open skies approach, some of the international carriers will apply to fly two or three aircraft into Nigeria because Nigeria is doing all it can to curtail the spread of the virus. “None of the foreign airlines that fly into Nigeria have cancelled their flight since the spread of the virus. We are still selling tickets, although not as much as we used to. Corona virus did not affect local flights,” he said. Considering the fact that airports are major contact points, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed all airlines to issue Health Declaration Forms to their passengers including crew members before arriving Nigerian airports. The order is to all airlines operating international and regional flights into Nigeria. With the development, airlines have been made to remind passengers to provide factual address and phone numbers to enhance contact tracing in case there is need to do so. The Health Declaration forms

(Passenger self-reporting forms) are collected and evaluated by the personnel of Port Health Services on the arrival of the passengers and crew members alike. On arrival at the airport, health officials are on standby to check body temperature of arriving travellers and any traveller with high temperature will be required to stay behind for further screenings. The airport authorities have since intensified screenings on passengers coming from high risk countries where the virus has spread substantially. Victoria Shin-Aba, manager, Murtala Murhammed International Airport, (MMIA), said the thermal cameras had been increased to ensure that every passenger was well screened and no one escapes screening. Shin-Aba said that with more cameras, they would be able to capture the temperature of the passengers, thereby helping to reduce long queues and attend to all the passengers. The airport manager assured Nigerians that if there was a confirmed case, the airport authority has in place an area where such one can be attended to. People have had to cancel or delay their travel plans to other countries especially high risk countries. The hospitality sector is already impacted as many flight cancelations are resulting in cancelation of accommodation bookings. The situation, according to most hoteliers, is precarious as both international and local guests are cancelling hotel bookings even when the spread is curtailed. The fear for many of them is that the hospitality sector, which is just recovering from the tradi-

tional January low season, is about being plunged into another low season occasioned by the scare for the coronavirus. “We usually run below 40 percent occupancy during the low season, which last till early February. Now bookings are beginning to be impacted negatively and things might get worse if the spread of the virus is not curtailed on time,” Timothy Obla, a hotel manager explained. Martins Okike, a rooms division manager is an international brand, noted that occupancy may fall below 20 percent if the virus spreads in the Nigeria because everybody including local and International guests and even hotel staff are conscious of their safety now. If that happens, Obla noted that the situation in the hospitality industry would be worse than the Ebola and recession cases. For him, occupancy rate has not been stable considering the hovering between 40-60 percent for a long time now, and anything that will make it fall below 40 percent should be avoided. “We don’t pray for the virus to spread because nobody will visit your hotel, government and corporate guests are already drawing back. It is not going to be funny as revenue target for the first quarter has not been met and subsequent quarters will be more difficult to meet”, he lamented. Friends fight in bar over handshake in Taraba The panic level in Nigeria is so high that many citizens no longer tolerate certain level of geniality, particularly when it comes to body contact. At a bar opposite Mobel Link, a popular night club in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, two persons, known to be friends for many years, engaged in fisticuffs Friday evening following handshake offer made by one of them and the rejection of same by the other. It was gathered that one of the friends, Abdul, has stretched his hand to Musa, to greet him, but the latter declined, saying he didn’t want to shake Abdul. Thinking he was joking, Abdul, who was said to have returned to Taraba the previous day from Lagos, touched Musa, and that ignited a fight. When asked while he refused to shake hands with his friend, Musa told our correspondent that he read in the news that “coronavirus was on the spread in Lagos and anybody coming from there might have contacted it and Abdul came in from Lagos yesterday (Thursday), hence I refused to shake hands with him.” See additional story on page 19

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Enugu airport may not meet up with Easter deadline over slow pace of work Regis Anukwuoji, Enugu

h e h i g h expectations of completing and inaugurating Ak a n u Ib i a m International Airport, Enugu by April 2020 deadline, may not be realised following the amount of work yet to be done and materials needed to complete the project. Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, led by the Nnoli Nnaji expressed disappointment over the snail speed of work at the project site. “Let me be frank with you, we are not happy with the pace of work and it is not acceptable to us, if you don’t complete this thing before the Easter. This is because, I have discussed with the consultant and we have also promised the governor, the people of South East and

everybody using this airport that it would be completed and commissioned before Easter,” Nnaji said. Nnaji said that the contractor, PW, must double its efforts towards ensuring the airport is reopened by Easter, as earlier promised and that they must make sure it is of international standard because they would not be happy to revisit the airport on the ground of poor quality of work. The team that was in Enugu for oversight function, mainly to ascertain the extent of work done on the runway visited other important sections for safe landing of aircraft which include the Very High Frequency (VHF), Omni-Directional Range (VOR) site, Distance measuring equipment (DME) and meteorological facilities behind NNPC depot at Emene surrounded by bush inside swamp-prone area.

H o w e v e r, I f e a n y i Ugwuanyi, the governor of Enugu State had earlier promised to construct the road. The consultant, Sari Baba said the runway has been expanded to international standard both at length and width. BDSUNDAY’s checks however, show that every other section has not seen serious changes despite the N10 billion approved for the reconstruction of the airport since last year, hence the committee demanded from the contractor the Bill of Quantity which was not made available immediately. Nnaji, the committee chairman, at the end of the inspection appealed to the contractor and consultant to kindly ensure that the rehabilitation of the runway and installation of necessary equipment such as landing lights are ready before Easter. He disclosed that Governor Ugwuanyi and

South-East governors have made lots of commitments towards the reopening of the airport, and that the entire South East people as well as all those using the airport are eagerly awaiting the completion of the project as promised. “We are asking you to apply all necessary means to facilitate this all-important project. You promised us that even if it means working at nights, that you people will achieve it. Double your efforts so that this airport can be used before Easter. There are certain things you complained about; the consultant said they have been taken care of. So, I don’t think there will be issues. “We are pleading with you to deliver quality work as scheduled. We don’t want to disappoint our people. We want to make sure that we live up to our promise,” he said.

Media practitioners urged to promote peace, de-emphasise violence VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

non-governmental organisation, Community Initiatives for the Promotion of Peace (CIPP), has called on Media practitioners to embrace words that can deescalate violent conflicts and reports programmes that will build peace and stability in the country. The call was made at a one-day seminar organised by USAID in collaboration with Mercy Corps and Africa radio Drama Association (ARDA). The training, according to the organisers, was aimed at equipping journalists to embrace the best approach to set their reportage during violence in their localities. Obinna Chukwuezie, the resource person, while presenting his paper with the title ‘Skills for conflict sensitive reporting’, noted that journalists and broadcasters are faced with the challenges of either using the words thatwill escalate conflict or those that have credence to

peace building. Chukwuezie pointed out that conflict in the societies are influenced by political, ethnic, religion,government and the governed mindsets, adding that they should as much as possible report early stage of misunderstanding so as to bring about early response for early solution. He emphasised that as watchdogs of the society journalists should know when, what and how to use words that would not endanger the peace of the society, adding that conflict cycle begins with the belief of the people, their responses and if the story were not properly handled may lead to conflict in the society, stressing that Media institutions are double-edged sword which can be used to prevent occurrence of violent extremism or promote peace building. He advised journalists to dish out right information at the right time, saying they ought to be abreast with the complexities of their environment, different values and interests.

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News Sterling Bank partners Lasgidis Recyclers to clean Lagos

L-R: Ebi Okoh-Esene, branch manager, Lekki, Sterling Bank; Ngozi Elueze, project coordinator, John Sixtwelve Solutions; Godwin Ibeabuchi, group head, Lekki Victora, Sterling Bank; and Idu Okwuosa, founder/managing Partner, LasGidis Recyclers, during a Lasgidi Recycles Drainage Clean-up powered by Sterling Bank in Lagos..yesterday. Photo: Sterling Bank

FG urges Int’l community to help repatriate more Nigeria’s looted funds …Reiterates commitment to human rights in fight against terrorism Innocent Odoh, Abuja

he Federal Government has called on the international community to do more to help Nigeria repatriate more of the country’s looted funds stashed in banks across the globe even as the current government said it has intensified the fight against corruption. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, made this call while delivering his speech at the just concluded 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, stressing that the concerted effort should be made to combat illicit financial flows. “There is no doubt that corruption hampers development, as it impedes and

frustrates the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). My Delegation therefore calls for continued international cooperation in the effort to repatriate looted funds stashed in foreign jurisdictions back to Nigeria,” the Minister said. Recall that Nigeria, the United States and the Island of Jersey, on February 3, 2020 in Washington DC, signed an agreement that will paved the way for the repatriation of about $308million of Nigeria’s wealth, looted by late former Head of State, Sani Abacha. Nigeria’s collaboration with the international community has led to previous return of money looted by the late Abacha to the tune of $322 million. On Nigeria’s adherence to the standards of Human rights, Onyeama pointed

out that the fight against terrorism remains a priority for the Federal Government of Nigeria. He added that in light of the need to ensure respect for human rights and professionalism, President Buhari has committed to the retraining and human rights awareness of the Nigerian military in engaging the growing exigencies of security in the country. “The President has underscored the point that professionalism, and a culture of respect for human rights among the armed forces and other security agencies are essential policy thrusts of his administration in the fight against terrorism, the Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities that have bedevilled Nigeria. “In prosecuting the fight against terrorism, Nigeria recognises the importance

of adherence to international human rights obligations,” he said. The Minister also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to the protection of the rights of the most vulnerable members of the society, which he said will facilitate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “We must recognise that the achievement of society’s full human potential and sustainable development will not be possible if vulnerable members of our societies do not enjoy their full human rights and opportunities. “Women and girls, for instance, must enjoy equal access to quality education, economic resources, political participation, as well as equal opportunities for employment, leadership positions, and participation in decisionmaking at all levels,” the minister added.

Urhobo won’t tolerate further attacks from Fulani herdsmen - Taiga

he Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide has reiterated its call on the Federal Governmenttourgentlytame the activities of marauding herdsmen across Urhoboland and other parts of the country, warning that it will no longer tolerate any further attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen in their communities. It also called on the Delta State House of Assembly to immediately revisit and enact anti-grazing law to

halt the continued killing of farmers and locals by terrorists operating in the name of herdsmen particularly in the state. UPU, apex socio-cultural umbrella body of Urhobo people worldwide, decried the killings in Uwheru communities as a sad commentary and urged all relevant agencies both at the state and Federal Governments to ensure that the marauding herdsmen vacate Urhoboland.

Olorogun Taiga, accompanied by Orho Obada, UPU Board of Trustees Chairman, Wilson Ibodje, Emma Okumagba, Dame Christie Siakpere, Abel Oshevire and other executives of the union, demanded justice for families of the victims. According to him, “We are here in solidarity with the entire people of Uwheru Kingdom, and more importantly to assure Uwheru People that you are not alone in this; the UPU and Urhobo

Nation are with you and share in your grief and pains. “Truly, words cannot compensate for your losses and the lives that have been changed forever. Words cannot fill the vacuum in your lives caused by the death of your loved ones that have turned you into widows, made you fatherless, orphans, and, possibly, left some without heirs. But, I want to assure you that our thoughts and prayers are with you, now and always.

terling Bank Plc, a Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, has entered into partnership with Lasgidis Recyclers, a Lagos-based environmental social enterprise, to clean up Freedom Way and Admiral Ayinla Way in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos at the weekend. Speaking on the exercise, Godwin Ibeabuchi, Business Ex e c u t i v e , Re t a i l a n d Consumer Banking in charge of Victoria Island Area Lagos for Sterling Bank, said, the bank had been promoting environmental sustainability, good sanitation, and hygiene across the country for about 10 years, ensuring that Nigeriansliveanddobusiness in a clean environment. “We are motivated by the understanding that it is difficult to live a healthy life, conduct business and create wealth amidst waste or in a toxic environment. Without clean air, water, land and energy, our collective humanity is endangered. This makes it necessary for us to keep our environment orderly and functional through sustainable living actions and regular cleaning,” Ibeabuchi said. Idu Okwuosa, managing partner of Lasgidis Recyclers, said: “I live in this neighbourhood and I

normally take early morning walks. Also, when I am driving around, I see drains blocked by plastics and other wastes and this usually breaks my heart.” She said Lasgidis decided to make the Lekki area clean by cleaning one street at a time and this gave her the opportunity to reach out to volunteers and to some of the women who receive stipends from Lasgidis to help in the cleaning of the environment. Ok w u o s a d i s c l o s e d that besides Freedom Way and Admiral Ayinla Way, Lasgidis has plans to organise another major cleaning exercise, tagged ‘Lagos Sweep’, before the end of the month. Thereafter, two staff members from Lasgidis would be assigned to clean one street daily in the Lekki area, she said. She said Lasgidis would be working with housing estates in the Lekki neighbourhood in a bid to sustain a clean environment, adding that they are also working on an app that can be downloaded by residents so that when they have enough wastes they can easily contact Lasgidis through the app. The founder said her goal was to pick up and dispose waste before they get to the drains.

Nigeria-Korean vocational and advance technology institute gets legal backing VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

bill to provide legal backing for the establishment of the Nigeria-Korean Friendship Institute of Vocational and Advance Technology has been passed in Kogi State House of Assembly. The passage of the bill followed adoption of a report ofHouse’s joint Committee on Education, Science andTechnology and Judiciary, Justice and Legal Matters onthe Institute by the House at plenary. The bill titled, ‘NigeriaKorean Friendship Institute ofVocational and Advanced Technology Law 2020’, waspassed after third and final reading at plenary. Powered by RubiQube Ad Network, Kilani Olumo (APC-Ijumu), chairman of the committee on Education, while presenting the report said the philosophy and general principles and merits of the bill had earlier been exhaustively debated on in the House. According to the legislator, the institute,is set to revolutionise scientific and technological advancement in Kogi through scholarship and training in various field-

sof technology. He disclosed that the term of office of the Rector, DeputyRector, Registrar, Bursar, Librarian, Academic AffairsOfficer and Director of Works shall be four years. “They could, however, be reappointment upon unsatisfactory performance for a second and final termof four years.” The joint committee, therefore, urged that the various recommended amendments to the bill be considered to enable easy implementation of the law when passed, and assented to. Hassan Bello-Balogun (APC-Ajaokuta), the House Leader, moved for the adoption of the report and was seconded by Moses EdokoOdodo (APC-Dekina- Biraidu). The House, then, dissolved into a Committee of the Whole where the bill was considered “clause-byclause.” at the end of which the Clerk, Ibrahim Amoka, took the third and final reading. Recall that the Institute which is to function as a fullfledged tertiary institution was established by former Governor Idris Wada in 2015 and got full accreditation of its programmes in 2018.

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Kogi begins Stamp Duty Act implementation …says, it will open up opportunities VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

I L-R: Ajibola Chokor, Head of Service; Khaled El-Dokani, Country Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Africa PLC; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state; Tokunbo Talabi, Secretary to the State Government and Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Director of Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, Lafarge Africa PLC during the Lafarge Africa’s visit to Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office in Abeokuta on Thursday

PDP woos female voters, promises more leadership positions ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

he People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has initiated moves to woo more female voters given their numerical strength and has promised them more leadership positions in all levels of the party’s governance structure. The party which had been in power for 16 years lost the last two general elections and appears set to broaden its leadership base ahead of the next elections in 2023. Before now, women occupied an insignificant percentage of the party’s leadership positions as there was only one position for a female at the ward level of the party. But according to Paul Ekpo, chairman of the party in Akwa Ibom State stated this in Uyo, the state capital adding that six out of

the seventeen positions in the executive committee of the party at the ward level would be reserved for women in the forthcoming congress of the party. Similarly, he said the party would also reserve 6 out of the 18 positions in the executive committee of the party for women at the Local Government level while 13 out of the 39 positions in the Exco would be reserved for women at the state level. “It is the desire of our party to get more women involved in the process of leadership in our party. In accordance with the approved amendments to our constitution,” he stated. According to the him, the party will also set aside 3 out of the 10 positions in the Exco for women at the Zonal level while 9 out of the 28 positions in the Exco will be reserved for women at the National level He said: “Events and emerging realities in the

past few years in our nation have only proven that our party, the PDP holds the assurance for the kind of people-centric leadership that our nation needs at this time. “At all levels, our party will continue to strive towards producing men of credible character and competent standing to step into the task of providing purposeful leadership at all levels.” Ekpo, who is stepping down as party chairman in the state after completing his tenure expressed sincere appreciation to all the stakeholders and members of the party who had continued to keep faith with the PDP adding that the faith and sacrifices have been the reason for the party’s successes. He promised that the party would continue to “hold to produce responsible leadership capable of delivering democratic dividends to our people.”

Ogun partners World Bank to combat negative effects of climate change Razaq Ayinla, Abeokuta

gun State is set to partner the World Bank through Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) to mitigate climate and environmental challenges. While inaugurating the Steering Committee of the World Bank assisted project, at his office in, Abeokuta, the Commissioner for Environment, Abiodun Abudu-Balogun said its implementation

would cut across different agencies of government, noting that the Committee would ensure that the objective of the project was fully implemented. The Commissioner noted that the setting up of the Committee was one of the steps to enable the Ogun State government access the 5million dollars World Bank grant, to help government combat some of the effects of climate change. Also, the Commissioner for Forestry, Tunji Akinosi, explained that the State, being

one of the industrial hubs of the nation, was susceptible to pollution due to carbon emissions from companies, noting that the NEWMAP project would enable his Ministry tackle the issue through planting of trees. Making some remarks on the proposed partnership, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Olaolu Olabimtan said, with the NEWMAP project, government would be more encouraged to focus on flood prone areas for a lasting solution to erosion challenge.

n a bid to shore up her revenue, the Kogi State government has embarked on operation of Stamp Duty Act. Kingsley Fanwo, the state commissioner for Information and Communication, disclosed this through a statement, saying government will embark on a massive sensitisation to orientate the people on the Act, adding that it will open up opportunities. The statement also read: “The KGIRS has a mandate to take in billions into our coffers on monthly basis to enable government meet the aspirations and need of the people of Kogi State. “As a government rooted in the hearts of the people, it is not our idea to impose heavy taxes on the people. But we are looking at areas where previous administrations did not see”. According to the statement, “The Stamp Duty Act is a massive revenue pot that the administration will explore to generate as much as we can for the welfare and development of our dear

state. “We cannot continue to rely on the dwindling revenue from the Federation Account. The situation has taught us to invent ways of generating more revenue internally without heaping heavy burden on our people. “We wish to inform the general public that the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service will immediately activate the hitherto dormant Stamp Duty Revenue line in the state. Every revenue is important to the Government as the Governor is working hard to fulfill his social contract with the people of Kogi State”. Fanwo also pointed out that the activation of the Stamp Duty Act was in line with the New Direction Agenda of the Governor Yahaya Bello administration to diversify its revenue source in the face of the dwindling inflow from the center. The commissioner also said some of the stamp duty items include the following: Flat Rate Charges, Ordinary Receipts, Ordinary Tenancy Agreement, Certificate of Occupancy, Affidavit affirmations, statutory declaration, declaration of age,

declaration of loss of items and declaration of ownership of properties. Others are Collateral security, Bond(Ordinary), Agreement (Memo of any agreement), Appointment of Trustees or attorney, Proxy forms or cards and J. Notories Act. Others are Advalorem Charges(Varying charges) include the following: Contract agreement, Land agreement, Lease agreement, sub lease agreement, Lease hold agreement or Rent agreement, Deed of assignment, Deed of ratification and Deed of confirmation. Deed of release, hire purchase, Legacy(immovable), Promissory note/IOU and many others. Recall that the state government under the leadership of Governor Bello assented to the Bill to create the Act in 2016, becoming the second state after Lagos to domesticate the act, adding that government will do further sensitisation to carry the people along and ensure the people have a buy-in to make the operation seamless and successful, while assuring that it is in the interest of the state development.

IWD 2020: Rise above inferiority complex and low self-esteem. Identify your innate talents ANTHONIA OBOKOH

pportunities abound for women looking into Nigeria’s economy as an investment destination as the country joins the rest of the world to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) today 8 March. IWD 2020 with this year’s theme ‘I am generation equality #eachforequal highlights several initiatives to help forge a gender-equal world. #EachForEqual is at the centre of this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations. It seeks to draw attention to the idea that gender inequality isn’t a women’s issue, but a global economic issue as gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive. “Women should rise above every form of inferiority complex and low self- esteem, identify their innate talents, build self-confidence, and step uptotheplate,”sayssaidEbere Agbogun, MD/CEO, Nova Merchant Bank Capital Market Subsidiaries while speaking at the commemoration evenofIWDatthebank’shead office in Lagos. According to her, March 8 was set aside by United Nations and its member states as official day to celebrate wom-

en’s rights and world peace. However, the first IWD was observed on March 1914after it was proposed in 1910. This special time of the year emphasis gender equality among other values that promote the inclusiveness of women in the workplace, society, and politics. “The event which spans March 8 of every year stresses the need to recognise and reinforce the potential of women in every sphere of life; from the family units to the larger society units stating that while gender inequality appears a subsiding issue among societies and culture (Western Europe recording the highest gender parity at 76%), with remarkable improvement in recent years as women take on roles and job functions hitherto considered as the specialpreserveofmen,”there is still room for improvement as the world may not attain the full objective in leads than 108 years from now Ebere maintained. Gender parity is highly regarded as a benchmark of progress and has a direct bearing on whether or not economies and societies thrive. According to Ebere, gender parity is a collective responsibility. Women as much as men have the responsibility of ensuring a greater sense of

acceptance of the female folks in the society by encouraging one another through advocacy for girl child education, empowerment, and inclusion of women across endeavours. “Equality is a global enabler which means that the world can never be fully enabled without women. A positive sense of self, doggedness, undaunted disposition and achiever mindset are some attributes that parents, guardians and value formators should inculcate in the girl-child so that as she grows up with these attributes, she is better equipped to compete favourably with the male folks and together gender parity can be achieved while the world becomes the better for it,” she said. Also speaking Funke Okoya, head of corporate bank in NOVA Merchant Bank Limited said that getting women into power will help achieve and stabilise gender parity in the society, women are responsible, extremely special and can multi-task. “Women are engaged with jobs that are very demanding and they thrive very well when they see support, she said. Funke advised that younger ladies should be deliberate in getting a man who is very supportive saying the woman will be more successful and is an achiever.

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Sketches

With Zebulon Agomuo’ 08054691823

These slaughterings, are we talking about chickens or human beings?

ike a helpless mother hen that watches but makes all the noise each time a hawk carries away a chick among her brood, Nigerians, including the government, have been reduced to perpetual wailers. Those who grew up in villages where the predator hawks ply their wicked trade would recollect how the mother hen would always make a hell of noise and grandstand each time a hawk steals away her chick, but in a matter of minutes she resumes her wandering with the remaining ones. The same circle of agonising cry and prancing resumes when next another wicked hawk comes calling again. This has been the attitude of the Nigerian government and the helpless citizens each time news breaks that the Islamist sect, Boko Haram has slaughtered dozens of Nigerians, or that herdsmen have sacked a village, killing and raping hapless women, or whenever bandits invade a community with fury and leave a trail of blood and tears, or whenever kidnappers mindlessly waylay travellers, abduct them, demand ransom, and slaughter the victims even after collecting the ransom. In Nigeria, it has been a circle of hisses, agonising cries, outpour of emotions and curse words on perpetrators of such dastardly acts. Unfortunately too, government has become the “chief mourner” and seems to have lost new words of consolation for the obvious traumatised and crest-fallen citizens. It now engages in rehash lines. This apparent loss of new ideas by government to put the enemies to rout appears to have eroded the confidence citizens have in their leaders. In today’s Nigeria, it is every man to himself! In the last few years, the media have been awash with headlines that make the heart quake in climes where life is valued. Nowadays, the followings are some headlines that daily appear on the print and online publications in Nigeria: Boko Haram kills 30 in Borno’; ‘50 killed in Kaduna’; ‘Bandits slaughter 20…’; ‘Herdsmen sack community, kill 20’; ‘Boko Haram kills soldiers’; ’20 worshippers killed in…’; ‘Over 40 persons killed in dawn attack..’; and ‘Kidnappers abduct travellers, kill 5’. Apart from the increasing number of citizens who are being killed on a daily basis by the various classes of elements waging war against the country, many more Nigerians are being held bondage in various camps of these dangerous elements. Killings have become so normal in the country

LifeGuide

with Emem Nwogwugwu

A hawk stealing away a chick

One of the numerous mass burials that no matter the number of people slaughtered in a single swoop, apart from the initial

08033455364

noise, government seems to bother no more. It has become business as usual for the Federal

Government to issue a press release condemning the killings and reassuring the citizens of its commitment to protect their lives and property. There is a video currently circulating on the social media, of dozens of lifeless and semilifeless bodies lumped together in what looks like a pit. Up till this moment, no one has heard anything from government whose bodies they were. In the days when government was for the people, inquest would have been instituted to find out where and when the gruesome murders were carried out, with the aim of bringing the perpetrators to book. In the days when government knew its onions, criminals were not so brazen as to invade villages, kill everyone and walk away without consequences. Today, it is a daily occurrence in Nigeria. Although a lot has been said on the need to deploy intelligence in the fight against terrorists, little or no success is being recorded. This also questions the commitment of government towards finding a lasting solution to the menace. At a recent Google training in Lagos, the resource person had explained the limitless possibilities in deploying technology in every aspect of human endeavour. He had also given instances where technology had been deployed to unravel the mysteries behind some crimes that could have gone undetected. A particular case in point was the use of mapping to trace where a crime was committed or where criminals are hiding. He emphasized that through mapping, any crime committed anywhere on the face of the earth could be tracked and perpetrators nabbed. It was the device that led to the unravelling and tracking of the soldiers who carried out the extra-judicial killing of innocent citizens in Cameroun some years back, as reported by the BBC. The trainer was however, unable to explain why Nigeria’s situation appears to have defied all logic. Inquisitive minds at the training session wondered why Nigeria has been unable to use such technology in the fight against the insurgents whose operating base has been the Sambisa forest, as in the case of Boko Haram. They also wondered why the Chibok girls, and the likes of Leah Sharibu are still being held in the same Sambisa without being rescued by the Nigerian Armed Forces. The way senseless killings are being trivialised, it creates an impression that the powers that be are overwhelmed by the huge population that they want it reduced by every means possible.

Emem Nwogwugwu is an entrepreneur, author, life coach and certified project manager. For over a decade she has been working to motivate people to live their best lives.

What’s your behavioral management strategy for your organisation?

lot of the challenges we go through in life comes from our upbringing and our behavior. For us to be excellent people at home, at work or in any society, it’s important that we get trained on how to develop a behavioral strategy that is respectful and effective. Today my focus is for organisations. As they engage their employees with this training, this enables the entire organisation to build a safe, professional work culture in the workplace. There are few tips to take note of when training your employees on how to develop a healthy behavioral management strategy. 1. Take Responsibility for your BehaviorYou are the C.E.O of your life and you have the power to learn good behavior, you have the power to change the way you behave if it’s affecting you at work, causing you friction with your bosses, business partners, co-workers or your employees. You are first a leader of your own life. You have to first be willing to make necessary positive changes in your mindset and your behavior. It’s for your own good. Developing the will power to accept where you need to cut back on your excesses, it’s the first step of responsibility. •Maintaining a Positive & Unbiased ap-

proach - In handling issues in the workplace, you need to develop an unbiased mindset, a professional and balanced approach will go a long way in dealing with different people. Try as much as possible, not to take things too personally so you don’t get emotionally exhausted when they do things that cause offenses. Understanding that some people are difficult to work with. Spare yourself the stress to respond aggressively but rather deal with it objectively. •Be a kind Observer - Being a kind observer enables you to understand the people you work with from a place of empathy. Understanding that you all have shortcomings will give everyone a team spirit mindset. A kind observer knows when a colleague or employer needs help at work or on a project. They observe the body language of others and know when to reach out or to cut back on being pushy on a project. It’s important that everyone in your organisation is trained and constantly reminded of the importance of these behavioral management techniques. •Create Daily Positive Work Affirmations - We have to be intentional about how we think, our mental health is the bedrock of any human being. If you don’t accept or believe in

yourself how then can you be a change agent in your workplace? Creating daily positive affirmations enables you to create the life you want with your words and that includes your behavior management strategy at the workplace. •Know your strength and Weakness - Being an excellent professional does not mean you can do everything. Know when to ask for help, as a leader, know when to delegate duties and remember it’s teamwork. I would say know your strength and improve on your weaknesses. Don’t stay stuck, unwilling to learn and adapt to new changes. Your weakness might be that you are not yet digital in your approach to your work or maybe some sort not completely yet, so you can ask for help, delegate but still create the time and goal to learn how to work digitally. Now in another case, you still can’t know or do everything to avoid being burnt out, which can affect your mood at work. Selfawareness and self-mastery are important to operate at your highest level of potential. I gave two examples of knowing your strengths and weaknesses. We can focus on our strengths, build on it while we find ways to reduce the knowledge gaps. •Give Report- With a clear communica-

tion strategy in place, employees should be encouraged to share their experiences after any incident. It allows them to distress, it enables them to express their entire experience. In your report acknowledge what went well and areas where there is a need for improvement. When you are equipped with effective, respectful, positive behavior management strategies in your organisations, everyone will be able to handle difficult people with professionalism and confidence. It’s possible to have workplaces where even top managers and leaders are trained with these techniques. We need to be practical during this training making it easy for everyone to understand and apply it daily. Another way to build this into your organisation is to train your entire organisation periodically and create uniformed affirmations that create a positive, respectful and effective behavioral management strategy. Until next week where we will talk more about another interesting topic. Let me know if you love these tips and how you plan to implement them. Remember to speak to us at La Pax Life Project if you need our service for this training.

Sunday 08 March 2020

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Sunday 08 March 2020

N21bn duty slows Lagos’ roll out of mass transit buses

…as commuters suffer effect of ‘Okada, Keke’ restriction JOSHUA BASSEY

he roll out of more mass transit buses to cushion the effect of the recent restriction on the operations of commercial cycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke) in some parts of the Lagos metropolis is being hampered by a N21 billion import duty on a chunk of the 820 high capacity buses imported by Akinwunmi Ambode, the immediate past governor of Lagos State. Several months after arriving Nigeria, a larger chunk of the consignment has remained at the Apapa Port, adding to further clog the already congested port. The state government has been unable to raise the import duty just as more funds are piling on demurrage. Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor to Babajide Sanwo-Olu confirmed that the current administration has been unable to offset the N21 billion attracted on the buses. According to

Lagos mass transit buses

Hamzat, the state government has escalated the matter to the presidency for a waiver. But a former commissioner in the Ambode’s administration, in a telephone interview with BusinessDay, hit at the current administration in the state, describing it as ‘highly insensitive to the plight of Lagosians’ suffering from the biting effect of

the restriction slammed on Okada and Keke. “Ambode’s plan was to implement the Bus Reform Initiative in phases such that every part of the state over time would benefit from the scheme. It was carefully designed to gradually replace the rickety buses plying the Lagos roads. “It should have been expected that those buses

Lagos to commission inquiry into recurring tanker accidents JOSHUA BASSEY

agos State plans to commission an inquiry to ascertain that accidents involving petroleum tankers and articulated vehicles on highways, which seem to have developed a consistent pattern, are not deliberate acts of carnage within Lagos and its environs Gbenga Omotosho, the commissioner for information and strategy, who disclosed this in a statement, said observation over time has shown that accidents have consistently happened midweek, specifically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and often leaves

traffic tailing onto the Third Mainland Bridge, Agidingbi, Ikeja and Oregun, in many instances. The state government also warned that it would no longer take light reckless driving by truckers in the state. This followed recurring truck accidents in the state, some of which have led to loss of lives and property over the last few months. “Over the last three months, Lagos State has experienced an upsurge in the number of trailers/tankers involved in major accidents on the expressways and major arteries. We will continue to encourage people to do business in Lagos, but we will not allow the lives of Lagosians

and visitors to be put at risk.” The statement directed the Vehicle Inspection Services (VIS) to scale up its activities in the bid to stop such accidents. Omotosho in the statement said the state government was also particularly curious about the persistence of tanker accidents at the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the resultant gridlock that often spirals through the entire Ikeja axis of the state, traumatising motorists and commuters. Recall that recently, two incidents, one involving a tanker that fell and exploded in flames on Kara Bridge on the outskirts of Lagos and the other involving a heavy-duty truck carrying farm products around Magboro, left motorists and commuters stranded on the LagosIbadan Expressway till the early hours of the following day. The commissioner said that Lagos State would continue to engage the Ogun State government and the relevant federal agencies to identify the cause(s) of the recurring LagosIbadan Expressway accidents and fashion out solutions.

would be cleared and deployed before enforcing the restriction on Okada/ Keke. But no! The buses are left at the wharf while millions of Lagosians continue to suffer untold hardship resulting from the Okada/keke restriction. This is highly insensitive,” said the ex-commissioner who did not want name in print. But Hamzat confirmed

to journalists that the state government has written to the presidency and that President Muhammadu Buhari is favourably disposed to the waiver request which would facilitate clearing the buses and subsequent deployment in the state public transportation system. “Mr President has approved the waiver and we’re working on it,” said Hamzat, who had also served in the capacity as commissioner for Science and Technology, as well as Works and Infrastructure, in the former administration of Babatunde Fashola (now minister of Works and Housing). Governor Sanwo-Olu had on February 3, 2020 directed the release of 65 mass transit buses from the fleet of the buses purchased by his predecessor in office, to help stranded commuters in the wake of the restriction on operations of Okada and Keke in some parts of the state metropolis, including Surulere, Ikeja, Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Apapa. The buses which are being operated by Lagos Bus

Service (LAGBUS) were deployed on the following routes with the fares as follows: Ik e j a - Og b a , N 1 0 0 ; Berger-Ogba, N100; IkejaCMS, N200; Oshodi-Ajah, N500; Obalende -Ajah, N250; CMS-Ajah, N250; Inner Marina-Ajah, N250 per trip. Idowu Oguntona, managing director of LAGBUS, had said “extending the services of the company to these locations will help reduce the vacuum created by the restriction order of Lagos State Government on Okada and Keke operators in some areas.” However, the effect of the release of the buses has not been deeply felt by suffering the commuters, as they (buses) seem like a drop of water in an ocean. A commuter in Ikeja, the state capital, who identified himself as Mutiu Adewale urged the state government to make haste in clearing chunk of the buses lying waste at the Apapa and deploy them on more routes across the state to truly cushion the biting effect of the Okada and Keke restriction.

Women have capacity to solve Nigeria’s challenges- Sanwo-Olu

agos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday acknowledged the role of women in nation, saying they have the capacity to solve myriad of challenges confronting Nigeria. Sanwo-Olu, who declared open a three-day workshop on protocol, ethics and security for members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, said women were multi-talented and naturally equipped with capability to handle multiple tasks concurrently with positive results. “This country has many challenges that we believe God has given women the capacity to help us take this country to another level. We know that whilst we have many things to deal with, we can only do one thing at a time but women are multi-talented; you are multi-skilled; you are the ones that can breastfeed and be making pounded yam while also preparing Egusi soup and

ensuring that kids go to school. Above all, you make money for the family and your businesses are still thriving,” said the governor. He noted that the country was at a state that requires everybody joining forces to tackle rising insecurity as well as prevent disasters especially in terms of avoiding acts that could lead to devastating consequences on the general public. “We have seen harsh weather and when we started in December, we brought out notices to the people in the markets to be careful because it is a season where we are going to have back to back fire incidents. So there is a need for people to be more safety conscious.” The governor, however, commended security operatives for making the state stable security-wise despite the challenges in that regard, just as he urged women to take cleanliness of their homes and environments more seriously as a check against Coronavirus and other diseases.

“Covid-19 (CoronaVirus) is a global health issue. We are thankful that God has helped us to curtail it because we don’t need such distraction in our country. But more importantly, this is just a wakeup call that we should live a healthy life; we should live a life where we raise the cleanliness of our environment and our personal hygiene higher. As mothers, you must teach the children to learn how to keep the environment clean and wash their hands well; don’t sneeze anyhow, clean up the environment always,” the governor admonished the women. Deputy governor of the state, Obafemi Hamzat commended the leadership of COWLSO for continuing with the tradition of excellence of the organisation, saying it was on record that the organisation initiated laudable programmes in the state, including the Spelling Bee competition, One Day Governor, annual National Women Conference, among others.

Sunday 08 March 2020

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As we await the rains

Frank Aigbogun

editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

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

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

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

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niversally, rain is considered a major blessing of nature. In rural Africa, where farming is a major pre-occupation, the coming of rain brings joy to the farmers. However, like other natural blessings, rain could become a problem when it is in excess and with horrendous effects. The previous year was particularly bad news for the world in terms of the volume of rains experienced and its attendant consequences. For instance, millions of people were displaced by deadly floods resulting from torrential rains in China, Australia, Japan, United States of America, Indonesia and Brazil. In Australia, in particular, torrential rainfall brought the whole nation to its knees with major flooding, damaging winds and dangerous surf and severe thunderstorms. In Nigeria, in view of its topography, Lagos also had its fair share of distressing rains. Last year, the heavens opened up in an unusual fashion, leaving in its trail pains and heartaches. In view of its peculiar topography, like other such coastal

cities, the rainy season is usually challenging for Lagos residents. A critical feature of Lagos landscape is that it is essentially made up of low lying terrain up to 0.4 percent below the sea level. This is logically the source of huge drainage challenges for the State. If this is added to the volume of rain that was experienced last year, it would be realized that there is possibly no way there would not be flash flooding in Lagos. Understanding this scenario is quite crucial to our overall perception of Lagos’ flooding concern. Understanding the threat of global warming- deforestation, greenhouse gasses emission- and its damaging effects on the world is equally essential. It is as a result of this that the Lagos State government has been in the fore-front of combating the challenge in the country. It has held several international global warming conferences, in addition to making several advocacy campaigns on the subject in recent time. Being a natural occurrence, flooding often time defies scientific solutions. While upgrading environmental infrastructure is important, engineering fixes alone will not suffice. According to renowned Ecologists, Donald Hey and Nancy Philippi, despite the massive construction of levees throughout the upper Mississippi Basin during the 20th century, annual average flood damage during that time more than doubled. In Nigeria, we don’t appreciate preparedness and prevention of disaster but wait for problem before

taking action despite our weak infrastructural development. Tackling natural occurrences such as climate change and flooding is a collective responsibility that must involve every segment of the society. Therefore, as we await the rains this year, we must all be ready to embrace positive attitude to the environment. In Lagos, for instance, certain negative practices easily aid flooding. This include turning canals, streams and drainages into refuse dumping sites. It is so bad that while it is raining, people come out to toss their refuse into the flowing water body. This is wrong and must be discontinued. Lagos residents, especially, need to be more affirmative concerning proper waste disposal, compliance with building regulations, embracing alternative energy use, paying necessary attention to sanitation issues and not building structures on drainage channels, flood plains and on water pathways. Also, those living in flood prone areas as identified by the government must seek alternative accommodation before the rains. Indeed, all human induced activities that aid flooding must be stopped. With the prediction by experts that the world would witness more rains this year, we all must be ready to play our part to avert devastating consequences. The federal government, through its relevant agencies, should collaborate with States that have peculiar flooding challenges to determine areas of assistance. This must be done as a

regular preventive measure, and not after the havoc has been done. As always, the Lagos State government is committed to a cleaner environment and quality public health. It is demonstrating this through the implementation of community based solid waste 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, the State government’s approach to tackling the issue of flooding is multi-faceted 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. Being a natural occurrence, no known scientific device is capable of stopping rain. It is, however, possible to mitigate its adverse effects, if we all resolve to do the right things. The struggle between man and nature has for long been a protracted one. The airplanes, the Panama Canal, the European tunnel, the Pyramid of Egypt among others remain clear testimonies of the indefatigable depth of human capacity for survival against the threat of nature. Therefore, to mitigate the effects of the rains this year, we must all work together as one and do the needful. Together we can make our society a safer and better place to live.

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

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Sunday 08 March 2020

The Sunday Magazine With emerging number of female crane operators, women now break bounds in male-dominated shipping industry

AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE r a d i t i o n a l l y, s h i p ping has been a maledominated industry, apparently due to the fact that the industry makes use of heavy duty machineries, equipment and vehicles that “can only be operated” by men. This equipment comes in form of cranes, containers, trucks, reach stackers, among others. Worried by the low participation of women in shipping, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), in 2019, launched a global campaign for gender equality, which was geared towards promoting the involvement of women in the business of shipping vis-à-vis the maritime sector. Firstly, IMO started the campaign by making sure that the 2019 Day of the Seafarer was held globally with the theme: ‘Gender Equality’ and with special focus on the empowerment of women in the maritime sector. Secondly, the global maritime regulatory body, continued the campaign on the 2019 World Maritime Day also held with the theme, ‘Empowering Women in the Maritime Community’. This provided the global maritime community the opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to highlight the important - yet under-utilised- contribution of women in the maritime sector. According to IMO, empowering women has the potential to fuel thriving economies, spurs productivity and growth, and benefits every stakeholder in the global maritime community. Therefore, IMO’s Women in Maritime gender equality and capacity-building programme encourages its member states to enable women train alongside men in their maritime institutes, and to acquire the high-level of competence that the maritime industry demands. Meanwhile, Dakuku Peterside, director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said during the 2019 World Seafarers Day, that aside being a fundamental human right, gender equality is essential to achieving peaceful societies and sustainable development. According to him, women equality and empowerment is not only an objective that must be achieved but is part of the solution. Peterside pointed out the need for government to develop policies that would lead to equal opportunity and fair treatment of women. Stating that NIMASA in addition to 304 female cadets trained

under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), would going forward, pay greater attention to training female seafarers in specialised courses to enable them take up professional responsibilities in specialised vessels. Similar to the conscious effort to increase women participation in shipping business, some sustainable companies in Nigeria, are succeeding in building crop of women with successful career in shipping such that Nigeria today has female crane operators, who are competing favourably in a male-dominated profession. BDSUNDAY can recall that in 2017, the Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), one of the major container terminal operators in Nigeria, made history by becoming the first to unveil the first set of female harbour and Rubber Tyred

“

What a man can do, a woman can do better. Once you put your mind in it, you can do it. So, men should not feel they are the only ones that can do such jobs, I think women can work better on it too

Gantry (RTG) crane operators in Africa. At the official presentation of these female crane operators at the Tin-Can Island Port Complex, Lagos, Etienne Rocher, managing director of TICT, said the operators - Oni Taiwo Omotayo; Tina Onwudiwe; Adewale Adegoroye; Adeniran Maltida and Ajayi Oluwaseun, were the first set of women to be trained in heavy duty crane operation in Africa. “What is interesting is that we were able to bring in women operators into our industrial equipment conduct, which means that it is an additional opportunity for women in Nigeria and also a role model within and beyond the continent that women can actually turn into

equipment operator in what has traditionally been a man- dominated industry,” he said. According to him, “Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and Nigeria is also showing the way for women employment into the port industry. So, it is setting the pace for others within Nigeria and Africa as well. It is showing that there is a way to show the mindset not on gender but on capability merit.” Rocher disclosed that TICT invested 15,000 Euros (N6.5 million) in training each of the female operators in Ivory Coast, bringing the total for all five operators to 75,000 Euros (N32.5 million). “The initial training was six weeks from the trainers that we took from overseas and after six

weeks, there was certification. Direct training cost was 15,000 Euros but obviously you will have the power on the job which will not be optimum initially but will get better as the person develops the skill,” he explained. Hadiza Bala Usman, managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), who was guest at the unveiling of the women crane operators, expressed delight and commended TICT for the initiative. “I will like to see more women being engaged in port operation. TICT has done something very impressive with the fact that they have realised the skill and capacity of women and they have trained them and engaged them to do this job. I believe Nigeria as the giant of Africa is trail-blazing today by having women operating RTGs,” she stated. While calling on other terminal operators to do same and have women engaged in port operations, Usman, who also the first female NPA MD, said that she looked forward to seeing more women actively engaged in port operation. One of the newly trained operators, Oni Taiwo Omotayo said she was happy on the job and considered it a great opportunity being the first female in Africa to operate a harbour crane. “What a man can do, a woman can do better. Once you put your mind in it, you can do it. So, men should not feel they are the only ones that can do such jobs, I think women can work better on it too,” she added. After TICT had set the pace, APM Terminals, the biggest container terminal in Nigeria, followed suit by showcasing its six female crane operators. The most important thing for these women was the fact that all of them are enjoying their jobs- operating Reach Stackers and other heavy cargo handling equipment, with ease. “Yes, I am married; but that’s not going to pull me back,” Cynthia Gobo Mac-Pepple, one of the female operators and a mother of three, was reported to have said in ‘Top Maritime Women in Nigeria’, a publication of Ships & Ports Communication. According to Cynthia, a Chemical Engineer by training, the difference in operating the Reach Stacker is its transmission which is different from that of a car. “The car is more of front while the reach stacker is more of the back wheel. Every time you move the plant, it’s more of the back wheel.” To Enobong Udofot, an Agric Engineer, the Reach Stacker is something to play with and enjoy. “RS or Reach Stacker is like toy. I play with it and it’s cool. Ladies need to take away fear and focus their mind, make up their minds that they can do it, there is nothing

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The Sunday Magazine

IWD 2020: Not yet uhuru for Nigerian women …As indicators point low on education, health, political empowerments BUNMI BAILEY

s the world marks 2020 International Women’s Day today, education, health and political challenges still continue to stagnate the gender gap in Nigeria. Every year in March, nations all over the world celebrate the achievements of women. It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights. The theme for this year is: ‘I am Generation Equality: Realising Women’s Rights’. The campaign theme is hash-tagged #EachforEqual. This means that an equal world is an enabled world, which presupposes that everyone can help create a gender equal world. But Nigeria may still have a long way to achieve a gender equal world. According to data from a recently released 2020 Global Gender Gap index by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the country ranked 128th position out of 153 countries scoring 0.635 point in 2019, an improvement from 133th position in 2018. A further analysis from the reportwhich measures the progress made towards gender parity also showed that out of the four indicators- economic, education, health and political empowerment- used to benchmark the ranking, the country only had an improvement in its economic empowerment, while the rest regressed. MemunaFalade, a financial adviser, said that there had been a lot of women going into different businesses due to the support from banks, corporate and government organisations supporting women through capacity building programmes and provision of loans. In the economic participation and opportunity category, the country moved up by 41 places to 38 position from 79; for educational attainment, it dropped by five places to 145 from 140; for health and survival, it fell three places to 135 from 132, and for political empowerment,

it dropped by 7 places to 146 from 139. “It is good that we have made some progress to thrive and that the advocacy efforts towards achieving more inclusion of women participation in businesses is moving in a positive direction,” Fabia Ogunmekan, executive secretary, Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), said. “But we still need to do more to make sure that we still continue to make a positive increase in our ranking,” Ogunmekan further said. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), gender equality means that women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections. Globally, women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. However, there are lots of challenges women go through when fighting for equality.Unfortunately, in some parts of the country, the woman is still seen as one who should be relegated to the kitchen only. And it is no news that Nigeria, Africa’s most populated nation, has been recording low participation of women in decision making areas.For close to nine years,

the gender equality bill which is designed to eradicate gender inequality in politics, education and employment has been sitting in the Nigerian Senate. Jennifer Chukwujekwe, founder, Jenniez School of African Interior Design (JSAID), said: “Based on my experience in the business world, I see women daily who bring a different perspective and impact to the industry they find themselves in be it male-dominated industry or not.” “And despite all the gender awareness talks and forums worldwide, some still believe the man should be more educated than the woman, this we can relate to poverty, lack of exposure, geographical location and other varying factors which result in disparities in education, hence relegating women to lower positions in the society,” Chukwujekwe added. For a very long time, women were considered inferior to men. However, the role of a woman in society has significantly changed during recent decades. And it is believed that women now play a very vital role in human progress and have a significant place in the society. Women’s equality and empowerment is one of the 17 Sus-

“

It is good that we have made some progress to thrive and that the advocacy efforts towards achieving more inclusion of women participation in businesses is moving in a positive direction

tainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations (UN) to be achieved by year 2030. It requires urgent action to eliminate the many root causes of discrimination that still curtail women’s rights in private and

public spheres. “I do strongly believe that if women have a fair say in decision making, there would be a tremendous increase and development in the economy.For us to genuinely advocate for equality, we must spread our tentacles through every sector such as agriculture, politics, business, entertainment etc,” Tinu Mabadeje, a non-violence training consultant, said. Prior to independence, and even before the advent of colonial rule, Nigeria had an admirable array of women who had done great and inspiring deeds and even conquered territories. Glaring examples were Margaret Ekpo, a women’s rights activist and social mobiliser, who was a pioneering female politician in the country’s First Republic and a leading member of a class of traditional Nigerian women activists, many of whom rallied women beyond notions of ethnic solidarity. There was Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a teacher, political campaigner, women’s rights activist, traditional aristocrat and the first woman to drive a car. Her political activism led to her being described as the doyen of female rights in Nigeria. She was also regarded as “The mother of Africa”. Another example was Oby Ezekwesili, who served first as minister of solid minerals and later as minister of education under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. She also served as the Vice-President of the World Bank’s Africa division from May 2007 -May 2012 and was a 2018 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian-born economist and international development expert, who served two terms as the finance minister of Nigeria under Obasanjo and former president Goodluck Jonathan. According to Osayuwamen Saleh, the creator of ‘What Are You Saying’ (WAYS), an evocative panel talk show, her thoughts on gender equality is one that is very clear as both the country and people need to engage young girls and drive a vision of personal growth and aspiration to them. “That perception that girls or women need to be adored, cared for and protected predisposes the female gender to some high level of venerability if not clearly understood,” Saleh observed. “We have to build systems that consistently produce a competent and skilled female labour force and this involves us taking a stand on child marriage, make available a quality standard of education and build strong belief systems within the females that they can aspire to be all they can be,” She further emphasised.

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Sunday 08 March 2020

The Sunday Magazine

IWD: Where is the equality? Nigerian women ask government

Gift Wada Abuja s the global community takes stock of progress made for women’s rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, women in Nigeria have expressed displeasure over government’s seeming insensitivity to the issue of gender equality. This ranges from low representatives in government, abuse of human right, poor economic status, child marriage, Sexual violence, Female Genital Mutilation among others, the Nigerian woman still suffers some set back in the society. Concerns are being raised as the world marks the 2020 International Women’s Day (IWD). IWD is celebrated annually on 8 March. It offers an opportunity to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. Speaking with BDSUNDAY, the Director of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan, said Nigeria in the past five years has taken a nosedive and has not achieved close to 10 percent of the 35 percent affirmation which were hoped could be improved on. Stressing on the need to close the gender gap in Nigeria, Hassan condemned the decline and the under representation of women in governance: “Now we are joining the world to celebrate the International Women’s Day (IWD) with the theme: Each for Equal and I ask where is the equality in all of this? “Look at the National Assembly, for instance, we have only 21 women which represent 4.48% out of 469 lawmakers representing various constituencies and senatorial districts. At the State level, no woman was elected governor. They formed 3.07% of the total contestants. Of the 275 women forming 11.40% of candidates for the Deputy Governorship, four (in Enugu, Kaduna, Ogun and Rivers) have been elected. Thus, the number of female deputy governors has similarly declined from six in the 2015-19 regime to four. While women have consistently held the Lagos Deputy Governorship since Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan (2007-11), the APC’s winning ticket fielded a man (Obafemi Hamzat) for the post, bucking the trend. “The State Houses of Assembly was not left out as a decline from 55 females from previous the 2015 election to 44 women,

representing 4.66% of the 944 members have been elected into the states’ Assembly. The representation of women at the state legislation dropped from 5.83% in the current legislative year to 4.66% in the forthcoming,” she stressed. She equally noted that today, the president’s cabinet can only boast of seven female ministers out 43 in the whole country, and that is three female ministers, down from what we had in 2011. That does not sit right especially at a time when other countries are pushing for greater opportunities for women.” Hassan condemning the patriarchal structures of job opportunities and paychecks in Nigeria, said there is need for the general public and the government to repent and ensure the protection of women’s right as this would only lead to a better society. She said: “In terms of job opportunities and paychecks in Nigeria, the Gender Gap Africa projects that a Nigerian male earns on the average 36 per cent more than a woman in the same workspace. These are the anomalies we must correct.” “The Patriarchal structure we operate is not helping the situation of equality, we might do this directly or indirectly, but I think the government needs to do more in terms of advocacy and civic education to eradicating this, the office of the National orientation, Ministry of Education, Nigerians in general needs to be educated for this change to happen and it will have a relevant impact.” She urged that the Nigerian government on its own, “must encourage and protect the rights of women and girls and provide them with equal access to education, health care, decent workspace and representation in political and economic decisionmaking processes which will not only positively affect our economy but the society at large.” While acknowledging government’s efforts towards closing gender gap, Joy Nkiru, National Coordinator of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWBN) said although policies are made regarding women, they are not properly executed. According to her, some policies in the country are not gender sensitive, hence the need to include women in policy making and decision processes. “We can’t deny the fact that there are some windows being opened, some provisions being made, but in terms of implementation, in terms of proper touch are the women really getting the lead, No we are not,” she emphasised. “Nigeria has not done so well

President Muhammadu Buhari

Ahmad-Lawan- Senate president

Femi-Gbajabiamila, speaker, House of Reps

in terms of gender equality, they are trying but when you look at Issues and the percentage of policies, you see that instead of moving forward we are moving backward” She stressed that when it comes to economic empowerment for women, there are many windows said to be open for women but that the question is how many women can actualise it? “You find out that the number is so not encouraging, to use we are yet to do something great.” She also noted that some social protection policies that are being rolled out, but that some of them are not gender sensitive. “Women are not involved in public procurement, there are lots of policies made regarding women yet these women are not involved.” She noted that in the area of intra African trade, women engage more. “About 70% of them are women, a lot of policies and protocols are coming up to help coordinate the African nation, but the issue is that in other countries, their women are been brought forward to air their opinion so that when they go on international trade and negotiations, their views will come to the fore and be protected. “When protocols are been drafted, they are gender sensitive, but when we go on negotiation, we don’t even seek the opinion of our women who are in that trade. How do you seek to expand the economic status when you are not seeking their opinion? She said it is not just about policies being made, it’s about making proper actuallalisation.” For her, “Policies need to be addressed. The difference between a man and woman is huge; there are natural, political and sociology political things holding her back” Nkiru urged that the society and its machineries undergo an orientation to help her understand the need for gender equality. “Nigeria is a public sector led economy, we need lots of sensitisation to be done in those public sector operators, government agencies, the executive, the legislatives, even the judiciary to understand the need and benefits that humanity would enjoy if the woman is empowered economically, politically and empowered socially as well. “We need to create avenue for proper orientation of the men to understand that it is a man’s world and it is a woman’s world, the woman is not competing with you but rather complimenting you, so that there would be a better society for everyone,” she said.

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Politics ‘Immunity for legislative presiding officers to promote impunity, corruption’

James Kwen, Abuja

he move by the House of Representatives to amend section 308 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to extend immunity for presiding officers of Legislative Houses has been seen as promotion of impunity, corruption and abuse of office which is already prevalent in government. According to public affairs analysts who spoke to BDSUNDAY, extending immunity to the Heads of Legislature will not benefit Nigeria, a country which suffers from highest level of impunity as utterly displayed by holders of offices of President and Vice, Governors and Deputies to the detriment of the country’s democracy and development. Their reactions are followed the passage for a second reading, a Bill seeking to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, to extend immunity to the Presiding Officers of the Legislative Arm of government. Idayat Hassan, director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) told BDSUNDAY that the proposed extension of immunity clause will not benefit Nigeria as impunity remains the biggest challenge as a country. Hassan said that the introduction of immunity clause for Heads of the Legislative Houses would strengthen impunity, stressing that the immunity clause is something Nigerians want expunged from the constitution. “There is hardly any democratic country that has it, even America that we claim we copy its democracy. We all are witnesses to the impeachment process commenced against Donald Trump. It is not the outcome that we should look at but institutions that safeguards democracy,” she said. Sponsored by Odebunmi Olusegun (APC, Oyo), Section 308 (3) of the Principal Act is being amended to apply to those holding the office of President or VicePresident, Governor or Deputy Governor, Presiding officers of the Senate, Presiding officers of the House of Representatives, Presiding officers of the State Assemblies; and the reference in this section to “period of office” is a reference to the period during which the person holding such office is required to perform the function of the office.

Femi Gbajabiamila

This is contrary to Principal Act which provided that: “This section applies to a person holding the office of President or Vice-President, Governor or Deputy; and the reference in this section to “period of office” is reference to the period during which the person holding such office is required to perform the functions of the office. Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, interlia, said: “(a) no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against a person to whom this section applies during his period of office. “(b) a person to whom this section applies shall not be arrested or imprisoned during that period either in pursuance of the process of any court or otherwise; and “(c) no process of any court requiring or compelling the appearance of a person to whom this section applies, shall be issued”. In a lead debate on the general principles of the bill, Olusegun said, in spite of the uninterrupted concentration required for

carrying out effective legislative duty, the institution has suffered serious distractions in the past. Hassan argued that whether genuine or not, “such distractions have had serious negative impact on quality of legislation, as well as discouraging Presiding officers of the Legislative institutions at National and State levels from taking the bull by the horns or taking certain critical decisions when necessary for fear of the unknown”. “The introduction of any immunity clause either in 2020 or 2023 will open the door of impunity for elected public holders but also make politics more zero sum. Then everybody will want to ascend to office to protect themselves from prosecution on corrupt practices. In fact, all the former governors will want to be Speaker and Senate President or Deputies in their retirement home, which is National Assembly”, she argued. Christian Okeke, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe

University, Awka said the bill which he described as rapacious targets to legally empower plundering of national resources by the elite and is simply a disservice to the Nigerian state. The Political Scientist said that it was an overt show of insensitivity to the populace who today are faced with utter hopelessness, insecurity, unemployment, hunger, starvation, poverty and internal displacement. He suggested that since the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila felt strongly against the bill, men of conscience in the National Assembly must cash in on this, rise up in unity and kill the rapacious bill. “No argument suffices to the needfulness of the bill. Argument that it will serve to cut-off distraction for the principal officers of the parliaments while in office, just as applies for the executive at national and state levels, is a sham. Parliamentary leadership both at the national and state levels must set good standard and live above board, be transparent and accountable. “In fact, it is a shame and national tragedy for that matter that a parliament at such a critical time that Nigeria finds itself in, would condescend to such an ignominy of seeking parliamentary immunity. “What we need now is for the parliament to channel its energy towards resolving our internal contradictions and making the country a powerful player in the international system. More so, we even need to expunge immunity from our constitution and not contemplate adding more”, Okeke added. Solomon Gbenga, National Youth Director, Young Progressives Party (YPP), is of the view that legislating immunity for Presiding Officers of the legislative arm of government is not a bad thing but immunity given to people is being abused in this part of the world. “It is good that when you get to a certain level as a government official, you should be given some immunity to serve better but here people use immunity to steal from public funds. “Right now, the set of legislators we have are not trusted legislators. They are legislators that are going there to see how they can make money for themselves. They are not actually going there to serve the people”, Gbenga observed.

APC crisis: Progressives Governors Forum’s DG calls for appointment of acting chairman ...Blames Oshiomhole for party’s woes James Kwen, Abuja

he Director-General of Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), an umbrella body of governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman has declared that pending the settlement of all the cases around the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole’s membership, provisions of Article 17 (vi) of the APC Constitution should be invoked to appoint an acting Chairman. A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Jabi, Abuja last Wednesday ordered Oshiomhole to stop parading himself as APC National Chairman following an interlocutory injunction, but

another Federal High Court in Kano the following day, Thursday, upturned the earlier judgment as Oshiomhole continues as the party’s National Chairman. But Lukman, in a statement, titled: ‘Injunction against Comrade Adams Oshiomhole: The Big Opportunity for Party Building’, made available to journalists in Abuja Friday said APC needed to invoke provisions of Article 17 (vi) which provides that in the event of a vacancy, “the relevant Party organ (NEC) shall appoint another person to act in his place pending ratification by the National Convention or Congress.” He queried that given all the vacancies about six so far, including National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman (South), Deputy National Chairman (North),

National Vice Chairman (North West), National Secretary and National Auditor, who would convene the NEC? “This is where the organising, consultation and negotiating capacity of our leaders will be tested. Combinations of majority of the remaining members of the NWC in consultation with President Buhari, governors, other party leaders who are leading members of the National Caucus can resolve all these issues and convene the NEC to appoint an Acting National Chairman. “With the appointment of an Acting National Chairman, the next would be to seek to invoke provisions of Article 25 A(i) of the APC constitution, which stipulate that the “National Convention of the party shall be held once in Two

(2) years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by the National Working Committee and approved by the National Executive Committee subject to the giving of statutory notice to Independent National Electoral Commission and at least fourteen (14) days notice given to members eligible to attend.” “Already, this is the second year since the last Convention in 2018 where Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC was elected. What this means is that with or without our current challenges we are actually due for a National Convention. “Once a NEC is convened, all these processes should therefore, be activated. The other issue is the question of what

Continues on Page 16

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Politics Supreme Court judgment on Imo is a slap on Nigeria’s judiciary - Onyeagocha Uche Onyeagocha served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under the short Emeka Ihedioha administration in Imo State. In this monitored television interview by INIOBONG IWOK, he reacted to the Supreme Court decision that dismissed Ihedioha’s application seeking a review of its earlier judgment nullifying his victory at the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial election. Excerpts: You said that the Supreme Court judgment was not going to move Imo State forward; are you saying that Emeka Ihedioha is not ready to give any suggestion or advice on how to move the state forward if there is an opportunity for him to do so? f course, the Imo State people knew what he was able to do in the eight month period he was there. If the unelected Governor, Hope Uzodinma is interested he is free to copy whatever he can lay his hands on in the Government House. But the truth remains that we would not work with Hope Uzodinma, the unelected governor; and he should feel free to run the state as he likes and understands. The truth is, we know this is not about Imo State alone, it is about 2023. APC is determined to steal a state from the Southeast so that they can now say they have made an inroad into the Southeast. Because it is about the preparation toward 2023, and we know all the players involved in this. This is because immediately after the general election, APC was grossly demoralised and disappointed that they could not win any state in the Southeast. It was open and glaring and now they have confirmed it with the Supreme Court that they would steal a state from the Southeast by force, by every means, and that state is Imo State where they felt they already had a presence. So, why are we going to cooperate with that kind of attitude? We have come this far before; this is about dictatorship trying to reign supreme in the country. Whenever they are about to fall they start showing their excessive greed for material acquisition and excessive greed for political power acquisition in Nigeria. And it is already being displayed at the highest level.

You said earlier you have accepted the ruling. Are you now saying that the APC arm-twisted the five or six Supreme Court judges in the panel? I am not just saying that, I am also adding that there were no five Supreme Court judges; it was APC intimidated judges, their judgment can’t stand any test of time, and their judgment can’t stand any law school examination. All those Supreme Court judges should be ashamed of themselves with the judgment that they passed and in fact, we dared them by going to challenge them with a review and if they had the courage like they displayed in the Bayelsa State case they should have imposed on us the kind of fine they imposed on the lawyers in Bayelsa State case. But they could not; because they have found out that they are complicit in the earlier judgment they passed. They can’t impose any kind of fine like they did in Bayelsa State on us. That judgment is bad and to say that you cannot over rule yourself means that you do not recognise your role as judges in which you are to prevent injustice;

Uche Onyeagocha

nothing more or less. You are a lawyer also; these are some of the most senior and finest justices that we have in the bench in Nigeria. Don’t you think the comment is not charitable? Yes, I am saying that, I am placing my wig and gown on the table to say that if the judges had the slightest degree of integrity they would not have gone head to dismiss this application. It is interesting that they could not have the courage to assert their mind to the submission made by counsel to Emeka Ihedioha but to simply throw up their hands in the air to say that they don’t have the power to review is like saying that for example; there is a law in Nigeria that no pregnant woman can be executed. But what if the Supreme Court in error sentences a pregnant woman to death and then the woman is about to be executed and then you suddenly realise such a woman is pregnant, would you say, because the law does not allow me to review or overrule myself she should be killed? The law says that nobody under the age of 17 who commits a criminal offence can be sentenced to death or executed, but if the Supreme Court in error gives a judgment for the execution of the person, are you going to say because you are a Supreme Court you cannot over rule yourself? Justice Oputa and many other justices of repute in the past have said that we are humans and we are entitled to make mistakes, and when we do make mistakes we have a right to overrule ourselves and even in such

circumstances it is better to correct the error than to preserve it; and to show you that this Supreme Court justices have done a great disservice to the people of Imo State, I challenge them to allow this judgment to stand in the future. But many members of the PDP have moved to the APC including lawmakers and are now willing to work with Hope Uzodinma. Is it only Emeka Ihedioha that is not willing to work with the governor of Imo State? There are loads of people who worked with Emeka Ihedioha and are not interested in working with Hope Uzodinma, all the commissioners who served under Ihedioha are not interested in working with him. All the Advisers are not interested in working with him. We believe he should have his team; we should not struggle with him, he should have his people to go and show the Imo State people what he really has in stock. But we must look beyond that and get back to the issues at stake; why are the Supreme Court justices afraid of addressing the issues raised in the substantive argument in Emeka Ihedioha case? Why were they playing the ostrich to hide their head under the armpit and say; sorry we can’t overrule ourselves when the law allows them as a court of justice at all the time to do justice, whatever it takes to do justice, the Supreme Court has a right to take that step and do just that and they have refused to do justice in this particular instance and rather chose to give a 419 judgment in Imo State.

APC crisis: Progressives Governors Forum’s DG calls ... Continued from page 15

are the other steps or decisions needed to ensure the emergence a new atmosphere in the party that will promote reconciliation and re-orient the party to regain its political profile as a party commanding mass appeal.” According to him, “Part of the requirement may have to include a decision by the NEC to set aside all cases of disciplinary decisions taken by the party organs at different levels in the last two years. This is important in order to basically promote reconciliation based on a strategy to ensure internal harmony”. The administrator of the APC Governors’ body however, said it was important that the Bisi Akande-Reconciliation Committee set up by the Oshiomholeled NWC is allowed to proceed with its assignment and should be strengthened such that its reports and recommendations are presented for consideration at the National Convention. According to him, the Committee has already called for memorandum from APC members which may have been disrupted by the current challenges, adding that any NEC meeting convened to address the problem of leadership arising from the interlocutory injunction against Oshiomhole should review and renew the mandate of the Akande Reconciliation Committee. “May be, as part of the terms of reference of the Bisi Akande Reconciliation Committee, the issue of reviewing processes of candidates’ selection with all the allegations of financial misdeed against the Oshiomhole-led NWC during the 2019 elections should be included as part of their terms of reference. There is no way we can make progress in our fight against corruption if in the end our NWC is turned into a harbinger for corrupt practices during elections. “In addition to the Chief Bisi Akande Reconciliation Committee, there is the need to setup a Constitution Review Committee. All the gaps associated with discipline and leadership succession need to be addressed based on either amendment of existing provisions or formulation of new provisions. This is very important in order to ensure that we are developing necessary safeguards against future recurrence of our current challenges,” he said. While heaping blames of the party’s misfortunes in the 2019 general election and other off-season elections on Oshiomhole, Lukman said: “assuming in all of these, Comrade Oshiomhole remained as the National Chairman and proceed to organise primary elections for Edo, Ondo and Anambra, how advantageous will that be to APC? “Let us also assume for the purpose of analysis that undisputed candidates emerge from the primaries in which no one within the party is contesting the results. Whether those undisputed candidates include Governors Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of Ondo State is immaterial. “The Zamfara and Bayelsa judicial cloud would appear to have already gathered with any opposition party led by PDP just positioned to harvest what will come with such clouds”.

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Politics

Tanko Muhammad

Hope Uzodinma

Emeka Ihedioha

Imo: When fallible Supreme Court made an infallible judgment

Innocent Odoh, Abuja n Tuesday, March 3, 2020, the Supreme Court dismissed an application filed by former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, seeking the reversal of the apex court’s January 14, 2020 judgment, which sacked him as governor and installed Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor. A distraught Ihedioha and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had sought reversal of the Supreme Court’s decision but a seven-man panel of Justices, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, in a split six-to-one verdict on Tuesday, dismissed the application. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who delivered the lead judgment, noted that Ihedioha’s application cannot stand because the apex court’s judgment was final, adding that the court cannot be compelled to sit in appeal over its judgment. “It is settled law that this court has no power to change or alter its own judgment or sit in appeal over its own judgment. “There is no doubt that the court has inherent powers in respect of matters within its jurisdiction, it certainly has no inherent power to assume jurisdiction in respect of a matter not within its jurisdiction. “It is clear from the tone and the body of the instant application that what is being sought is asking the court to sit in appeal over its judgment already delivered and executed. That is certainly beyond the competence of this court,” he said. “No constitutional powers for Supreme Court to sit in appeal over its decision. This court does not have the competence to review itself. The justices of this court are fallible, but their decisions are infallible,” Ariwoola said.

However, Justice Chima Nweze, who was the only dissenting voice, in the Supreme Court panel, rebuked his colleagues, saying it was “preposterous” for the court to award the “electoral victory” to Uzodinma who, he claimed, misled the court. He noted that the apex court in the January 14, 2020 judgment wrongly declared Uzodinma winner of the March 2019 governorship election. “In this circumstance, I take the humble view that this court has the inherent jurisdiction of redeeming its image by setting aside the judgment,” he said. Nweze, who pointed to apparent irregularities in the apex court’s January 14, 2020 judgment, warned that “The reasoning in the judgment will sooner or later haunt our electoral jurisprudence.” The question the apex court has not answered was how it came about the number of votes with which it declared Hope Uzodinma, who came a distant fourth, in the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) winner, when recorded number of accredited votes by INEC was less than what the Supreme Court apparently declared. The Supreme Court had ruled in favour of Uzodinma based on his claim that his votes in 388 polling units were cancelled and that if the votes were collated he would have won. Not minding whether it was only the votes of Uzodinma that was cancelled in the said polling units, the court did what appeared to be an inexplicable arithmetic by apparently declaring results higher than accredited votes, with which it declared Uzodinma winner. This has remained like a mystery yet to be resolved but the verdict is final in the case of Imo State. Putting the matter in clearer perspective, an aggrieved citizen of Imo State

had queried the court judgment using INEC figures. He said: “From my own calculation, the total number of votes cast was 675,000, total accredited voters was 823,000 and cancelled votes was 25,000, how come what the Supreme Court passed as accredited number of voters came to 913, 854, far more than the total accredited voters. So, there is something wrong with the judgment. If INEC accredited 823,000 how come you have 913,854 in the Supreme Court judgment? He asked. He attributed the judgment to alleged desperation of President Buhari in collaboration with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, to capture at least one state in the South east region in order to give the APC a national spread it failed to obtain after the 2019 election. Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s decision, it appears though that the apex court might be fallible, but its judgment is infallible. How this fallible institution can make an infallible judgment, opens another vista in the quest to enrich Nigeria’s jurisprudence especially on electoral matters. The Supreme Court decision not to sit in judgment against itself in the case of Imo has apparently been seen as an error. But according to legal experts, who spoke to BDSUNDAY, even if the Supreme Court errs in law in a particular case like that of Imo, that error becomes the law, until it is perhaps corrected with a different case entirely. Abuja-based lawyer, Ajibola Jimoh, said: “The truth is that it is a trite position of the law that the Supreme is constitutionally the highest court. When they commit error, the error becomes the law, so any body that is so affected, it is just unfortunate that the person will go and make his appeal to God Almighty. We don’t have any other court where you can

appeal Supreme Court to.” On why the Supreme Court would seemingly refuse to correct itself even if it made a glaring error, he said: “That is the democracy that we operate that the Supreme Court would be the highest court of the land, may be if another case comes up like that, they may now correct that error but not with this Imo case.” Also speaking to BDSUNDAY, another legal mind, Ajayi Olatunji Olowo, said: “In the jurisprudence, Supreme Court is the last court of the land and by virtue of the provisions of the constitution any decision taken by the Supreme Court is not appealable. The only situation you have is in criminal matters where the President or governor under the principle of the prerogative of mercy can pardon somebody that has been convicted by the highest court. But beyond that no decision of the Supreme Court is appealable.” He clarified that the Supreme Court is a fallible institution and just like any institution run by human beings, and that there is bound to be error. He noted however, that by virtue of the fact that the Supreme Court is the last court, whatever they decide is the final, because there must be end litigations. When asked about why the Supreme Court had refused to accept its errors in Imo, Olowo said: “The Supreme Court has not told you it made error; it only said we can review our decision if there were clerical error, and not fundamental error. “The application of Imo was not talking about errors, they were asking the Supreme Court to review its decision in a manner that is tantamount to an appeal over their earlier decision. It won’t happen.” He warned Nigerians not to allow desperate politicians to destroy the temple of justice.

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Analysis

Maritime: When the world stood up for reforms in Nigeria The global community is increasingly acknowledging the accelerated transformation of the country’s maritime sector since the last three years. IKENNA ASOMUGHA writes:

auging the mood of players and stakeholders across the Nigerian maritime industry, there is a generally optimistic view that an unprecedented transformative spirit and pragmatism have, indeed, kicked in. Answers are rapidly being found to previously debilitating issues and the effects are becoming increasingly visible. The changes are taking place across all levels of the maritime industry, from safety and security, to financial administration, ocean health, and maritime labour relations. With the recent flood of commendations by international stakeholders, just before Nigeria hosted the Global Maritime Security Conference (GMSC) in October last year, it is obvious that the country’s maritime sector is in the middle of a profound transformation. The GMSC was held between October 7 and 9 last year in Abuja to seek coordinated solution to the issue of insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea maritime domain. But just before the conference, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) sponsored a Maritime Security and Facilitation (MSF) meeting in London, chaired by the Secretary-General, Kitack Lim, who led other officials of the United Nations specialised maritime regulatory agency. The meeting had in attendance the management of NIMASA, led by the Director-General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, as well as representatives of Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), and President of Chevron Worldwide, Mr. Mark Ross. The attendees, comprising key players in the international oil and gas as well as shipping businesses, praised NIMASA’s transformational initiatives and efforts to ensure security in the Gulf of Guinea. They also pledged their support. The general tone of the meeting was one of objective commendation, intelligent inquiry, wholehearted encouragement, and unequivocal optimism as the maritime industry under NIMASA’s watch built on better profitability prospects into the future. The IMO Secretary-General

Dakuku Peterside

called on the stakeholder to collaboratively and frontally deal with the challenges in the Gulf of Guinea. Lim acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts to tackle insecurity in the region and pledged IMO’s support for the country. Trying to muster the world behind Nigeria’s effort to secure the Gulf of Guinea, Lim stated, “We at the IMO are very much interested. It’s gladdening to note that something is being done about the issue of security in the Gulf of Guinea. Something is happening much more than ever before. We want to cruise together. I think we can make a big difference with collaboration from all stakeholders. “The global maritime security conference in Abuja is also very important. It is a groundbreaking conference to chart a way forward for securing the Sam Megwa of OCIMF, who had led a team to Nigeria last year, spoke in a similar vein. Megwa acknowledged steps by the Nigerian government to stem piracy and maritime crimes. He urged NIMASA to put in place appropriate strategies to ensure sustainability of the security projects.

“Our visit to Nigeria was quit inspiring. The most important thing is that Nigeria has acknowledged that there is a challenge and actions are being taken now,” he stated. “NIMASA was open to us as we saw all equipment for the C4i, among others. The Agency is doing so much but emphasis must be placed on sustainability of the project through proper governance. All we want is improved security situation in the Gulf of Guinea.” It was in pursuit of improved security on the country’s territorial waters up to the Gulf of Guinea that Nigeria hosted the global security conference from October 7 to 9 last year. Themed, “Managing and Securing Our Waters,” GMSC 2019 was a high-level meeting of world maritime, shipping, and oil and gas stakeholders meant to facilitate a clearer understanding of the challenges of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea region and develop tailored solutions as well as coordinate efforts at strengthening regional and international collaborations to eliminate maritime threats in the region.

The conference came out with deliberate strategies to deal with maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) and create a conducive environment for business and leisure. It resolved that there should be conscious efforts by the GoG states to establish strong legal and institutional frameworks for tackling the security issues in the region. The conference called for synergy among the GoG states and their international partners in the war against piracy and other maritime crimes. The GMSC also resolved, “GoG States and the international community should put mechanisms in place to ensure that resources that are illegally harvested/explored in the GoG, including stolen oil and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishery, are intentionally banned, as was the case with the ‘blood diamonds’.” The security conference was part of a broad reform agenda, which Dakuku initiated at the inception of his tenure in 2016 to reposition and restructure NIMASA under five pillars, namely, Survey, Inspection and Certification Transformation Programme; Environment, Security, Emergency Search and Rescue Transformation Initiative; Digital Strategy Reforms; Capacity Building and Promotional Initiatives; and Structural and Cultural Reforms. Similarly, in pursuance of the goal of maritime security, Nigeria recently became the first country in West/Central Africa to have a distinct antipiracy law. The Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act 2019, signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 24, 2019, provides a legal framework for the prosecution of piracy and other maritime crimes through the country’s maritime security enforcement agencies: the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA. It fulfills a critical international requirement for standalone legislation on piracy, as against the approach of using the Maritime Operations Coordinating Board Amendment law to criminalise piracy. The drafting of the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Bill in 2012 had been facilitated by NIMASA, in collaboration with the IMO. The law gives effect to the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, and the International Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Navigation (SUA), 1988, and its Protocols. Nigeria is also playing a lead-

ing role in furthering international maritime law, with the ratification of many conventions. The country has ratified 40 conventions passed by IMO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) covering Maritime Safety, Labour, and Marine Environment. Nineteen of the conventions have been domesticated by way of regulation, adoption or incorporation under the Merchant Shipping Act of 2007. In addition, NIMASA has forwarded to the executive arm of government for ratification six IMO instruments. They include the Hong Kong International Convention for safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships 2009; International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties, 1969, and the Protocol relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances other than Oil (Intervention Protocol 1973); International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F); and 1996 Protocol on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC). Others are the 2002 Protocol relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea (PAL) and Protocol of 2005 to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation. NIMASA is working with the Federal Ministry of Transportation under the auspices of an Inter-Ministerial Committee to realise the ratification of these instruments. Besides the legal and institutional mechanisms, a comprehensive maritime security architecture, the Integrated Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, popularly called Deep Blue Project, is being deployed to boost stakeholders’ confidence in the Nigerian maritime environment. It is a multipronged project involving the training of personnel from the military, security services, and NIMASA; establishment of a Command, Control, Computer Communication, and Intelligence systems centre (C4i) for data collection and information sharing to facilitate targeted enforcement; and acquisition of assets, such as Special Mission Vessels (SMVs), fast intervention vessels and surveillance aircraft. Asomugha is a Lagos-based Business analyst

Sunday 08 March 2020

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NewsFeature

Hope rises as Nigeria moves to battle coronavirus ...As FG begins release of approved funds ...Centre for disease control to be ready soon

Innocent Odoh, Abuja

s the Federal Government continues to put measures in place to dispel palpable fears over its readiness to contain the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) from spreading into the country, some perceived inadequacies in the Nigerian system may have called for more concerted efforts. The Ni g er i a n h ea l th a u thorities have risen to the occasion, after the first positive case in Nigeria, when an Italian came into the country via Turkish airline over a week ago. He a l t h Mi n i s t e r Os a g i e Ehanire told a news conference in Abuja on Friday that a tranche of the N620 million earmarked by the government to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), had been released to the agency by the Ministry of Finance. The NCDC appeared to have done a great job to contain the virus in Nigeria so far. This measure followed the alarm raised by the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, who on Wednesday decried the apparent ill-preparedness of Nigeria. Lawan had expressed disappointment over the sorry state of the temporary isolation centre for victims of Coronavirus (COVID-1 9) on his visit to the centre in Gwagwalada, Abuja. He reportedly described the centre as a sorry sight, and wondered why not a single room can be called an isolation centre in Abuja and the whole North-central. He said the centre “is not in good shape and does not look ready to receive any patient – which is something that should be fixed by Thursday. “We are in an emergency even if we don’t have people who are affected; we shouldn’t just rest on our oars. We have to do everything and anything possible to fix that temporary isolation centre to be prepared and ready to receive any one who falls sick in this respect,” he said. He also expressed sadness about the non-release of the N620 million meant to tackle the scourge as of Wednesday, saying “we are indeed sad that the N620 million that was supposed to be released to the NCDC for fixing of everything here, not a kobo has been released. We are going to get across to the Minister of Finance and all the other authorities who have anything to do with this to release this money between today and

Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire

tomorrow latest. “There’s no way that Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa, with a population of 200 million, and yet the Federal Capital and six surrounding states of the North-central, you don’t have one room that you can call an isolation centre, where anyone who unfortunately falls into this crisis

will be taken to. This is not acceptable.” The Senate president further said: “Let’s spend money on our people; we waste money on some things that are less important. This is about the health and lives of the people of this country, and therefore, no investment is too much.” The Minister however, said

o n Fr i d a y t h a t p a r t o f t h e money had been released, adding that at the time the President of the Senate visited on Wednesday, work was still in progress at the centre. He said that the “centre is nearing completion and would be ready in April,” adding that the contractor had been tasked to hasten the work. He also assured that a temporary centre has been equipped with the requisite materials and professionals to handle the scourge, stressing that there is no need to panic. But the nation may face tough times, ahead as it looks as though the measures and the funding might not meet the challenge of the dreaded virus which has also posed serious challenges to even welle q u i p p e d Ch i n a a n d s o m e other developed countries of the world. China had built immense capacity to tackle the menace but so far, nearly 3,019 people have died of the virus in China and over 80,000 infected in the country, where the virus broke out. Nigeria appears to be grappling with building one isolation centre, which would be ready in a month, in the face of the rapid spread of

the disease. In the last one week, the virus has engulfed about 60 countries and threatening more. Nigeria appears to be the first case in Africa and Senegal has been hit, Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia and South Africa have now confirmed cases and all together about 26 cases of infections in these six African countries have been reported. Countries around the world have intensified effort to fight the scourge, which is regarded as perhaps, the fastest epidemic. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has already declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency - largely because of fears that poorer countries may not be able to cope with an outbreak. “The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems,” WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is from Ethiopia, told the BBC, some days ago. Michael Yao, WHO’s head of emergency operations in Africa , however, noted that some countries on the continent “have the minimum to start with - they’re not starting from scratch”. “We know how fragile the health system is on the African continent and these systems are already overwhelmed by many ongoing disease outbreaks, so for us it is critical to detect earlier so that we can prevent the spread,” he said. Many have, however, commended the NCDC for their efforts in tackling the disease so far in much the same way they tackled the Ebola virus. But despite winning the war against Ebola , experts have said that when it comes to detection, Ebola is different from the Coronavirus. “Ebola only became in fectious when symptoms showed, however there have been reports that in some cases, the coronavirus may have been transmitted before patients were showing symptoms,” a BCC report said. The respiratory disease is said to spread through humanto-human contact, droplets carried through sneezing and coughing, and germs left on inanimate objects. Symptoms of the disease include a sore throat, runny nose, fever or pneumonia and can lead to multiple organ failure or death in some severe instances.

20 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Interview Women in key positions at Air Peace have greatly contributed to success of the airline - Olajide Oluwatoyin Olajide is the Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace Limited. In this interview with IFEOMA OKEKE, she speaks on how women can achieve their dreams irrespective of limitations around them. She also speaks on how the airline’s deliberate decision to keep women in key positions has contributed to its success. Excerpts:

ould you briefly tell us about yourself; your background and the role you currently play as the COO of Air Peace? My name is Oluwatoyin Olajide, a native of Ogun State, and by the grace of God I am the Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace Limited. I have a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Lagos and have several certifications from the prestigious Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, Harvard Business School, USA and Sheffield School of Aeronautics, USA. I have multifarious certifications in aviationrelated disciplines and am licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States. Apart from aviation, I have taken stabs at Banking and Marketing. A lot of people do not know this, but I actually started my career in banking. I worked in various departments before I decided to take a huge step to follow my passion which is to make the air transportation safer and more efficient and this spurred me to further educate and develop myself. I have worked with other airlines in Nigeria before I finally joined Air Peace. I am a result-driven person, who believes in creating solutions to problems. In an industry that can be male-dominated, Air Peace has made deliberate efforts to put women in key positions in the company. How has this worked for Air Peace as an airline? Let me tell you that 90percent of Management Staff are women. These are not just women but professionals with vast experience in their respective specialties. The Chairman and founder of the airline, Barrister Allen Onyema, is a proponent of female empowerment and gender equality and to this end, he has provided a conducive environment for all to flourish. Women in key positions in Air Peace have greatly contributed to the success of the airline because we have diversity of thoughts which leads to increasing productivity, enhanced collaboration and inspiring organisational dedication which result in greater business benefits. You will recall that on 5th July, 2018, we had our first all-female crew flight as led by Simisola Ajibola which was an epochmaking event in the history of aviation in Nigeria and would not be forgotten in a hurry. This is one example of an historical event that our chairman has helped realised with his empowerment of women. The decision to saddle women with key positions is a strategic one and has been paying off. Women make terrific mentors which can be incredibly important for carrier growth and job satisfaction. There is nothing like a great mentor, someone who can guide you and provide honest, real-time, practical advice. If it takes only women to take your company to the next level, then engage only women. Let us stop having this impression that women should only occupy subordinate positions. At Air Peace, we do not discriminate on gender basis. We give the job to whoever is qualified and can perform. So, I will say

Yes, by actively engaging women in the activities of the airline, Air Peace has brought into the system a lot of passion and commitment to the success of the organisation. There are great improvements in the area of essential soft skills such as professionalism, collaboration, critical thinking, etc. These are well entrenched in the system in addition to technical skills, experience and knowledge required for a successful organisation. There are better decision making and ultimately greater success for the airline. If there’s one thing we have gained from our female-dominated Management, it’s their painstaking and careful approach to tasks. And this has positively impacted the growth of the airline over time. How many female pilots and engineers does Air Peace have at the moment and any plan to increase the number anytime soon? We have 13 female engineers and seven female pilots in our employ. They are doing very well. And, yes, we plan to increase the number. It’s part of our expansion drive.

Oluwatoyin Olajide

yes, the policy has worked for us As the COO of Air Peace, which makes you the second in command, how have you been able to manage affairs at the company, knowing the peculiar nature of women to be very careful in making key decisions even if those decisions are needed urgently? To manage any organisation, you must know and understand the business. You must be fully seized of all the processes. My knowledge of the aviation industry coupled with years of cognate experience prepared me to be able to manage Air Peace. Another thing that has helped me is the dedication to my job and my leadership strategy. I am a result-oriented person, very assertive and I do not believe in impossibilities. If we need to get work done within a set timeframe, then we must get it done. Time is too precious just to be spent, it must be well invested. My fantastic team and colleagues are well aware of this and they know that all hands must be on deck. Aviation is real time, you can’t afford to waste time in taking decisions, it could cost you dearly. You must be proactive and sometimes predictive to ensure you sustain the momentum. When discharging my duties as COO, I neither think like a woman nor like a man. I think and discharge my duties like a COO who has a business to run and ensure she is running a profitable and sustainable business. How have you been able to manage work-family-life balance, such that none suffers? A lot has been said that a career woman cannot have a home but I thank God for making it possible for me to have a career and a beautiful home. For a woman to successfully be able to combine a home and

a career, some factors must be present because it can be very challenging. First, she must have a strong support system to ensure that the home front does not suffer. I am very lucky to have an understanding husband who is very supportive and understands my responsibilities at work. He is always there whenever I cannot. Another factor which has been beneficial to me is that once I get home, I become a loving wife and a caring mother. My being a Chief Operating Officer extends only to official duties, while at home, I am a different person. I give my all to my family and this has helped keep my home together. I’ve intentionally set strategic, as well as realistic career and personal goals that work together to create a healthy lifestyle for me and my family. I also have an understanding chairman. When your husband and boss are understanding, it’s easier for you to plan well and achieve some semblance of work-home balance. Could you please mention some of the positions in Air Peace that are being headed by women? A lot, actually. Some of them are- Chief of Finance & Administration; Cabin Services Manager; HR manager; Head of Legal and Corporate Services; Director of Engineering & Maintenance; Production & Planning Manager; Head of Procurement; Deputy Head of Procurement; Deputy HR Manager; Country Manager, Dubai; Marketing Manager; Head of Commercial & Business Development; Customer Relations Manager. These are all extraordinary women producing extraordinary results to grow the brand. Has Air Peace achieved anything differently by actively engaging women in activities of the airline?

Do you think gender can be an obstacle to women doing exploits in their various professions? Well, that depends on the resolve, mind-set and attitude of the woman. The Nigerian corporate environment is male-dominated. This tends to limit the woman in her chosen career. Notwithstanding, she has to resolve to overcome this barrier. She must be consistent and resilient and may in some cases have to work twice as hard as a man to earn her seat at the top. Some men will display chauvinistic proclivities, but this should never discourage the woman. I have had my own share of this in my career. Women should arise and change the narrative. Women have a critical role to play in engendering this paradigm shift. We are the future. What is your advice for women who are trying to pursue their dreams in life but have financial and societal limitations? First, there is no impossibility in my dictionary. I have always believed that with God, all things are possible and I could achieve whatever I set my mind to achieve. Young women should be focused, determined and goal oriented. ‘The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.’ Never give up and do not allow anyone to make you feel inferior because you are unique and have special talents. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Don’t let anyone or one setback derail your career success. I charge any woman who wants to have a career in the aviation sector and indeed any sector to, by all means, go for it. Determination is key to success. Times will come when you will feel like giving up but just hold on to your dream; chase it, work towards it and one day it will pay off. Remember, Women are the future. We are special, and reshaping the world.

Sunday 08 March 2020

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Business interview

‘ITA will collaborate with local businesses to strengthen Italian/Nigerian trade relations’ The Italian Trade Agency Director for West Africa, Alessandro Gerbino, in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, speaks on the trade imbalance between Nigeria and Italy and emphasises the need for the two countries to collaborate in the areas of raw material and technology to boost both countries’ economies. Excerpts:

he Italian Trade Agency has been in Ghana for quite a while, and now you are coming to Nigeria. So, what influenced that movement? Actually, we are not moving, the Accra office is the headquarters for West Africa and now we are developing our network in West Africa. This is why we came up as soon as we could with opening a branch in Nigeria because it is a priority to be in Nigeria as it is the biggest economy in Africa. The size of the economy requires our direct presence here. Looking at the trade balance between Nigeria and Italy, what is the agency going to do to balance the trade differences? Closely related to that would be what areas can Nigerian businesses explore? I think that at this stage, the trade between Italy and Nigeria is at a point where it still offers an ample emergence for growth. On the other hand, we rely on raw materials supply from Nigeria to Italy, while we export from Italy to Nigeria mostly technology and other goods that are typical from Italy, such as furniture, building construction materials etc.. but still, the market share we have in Nigeria is below the average market share we can enjoy by the market. Because of the dynamics of Nigeria, we want to catch the growing demands that are in Nigeria for quality finished products. Nigeria is seeking to rebalance its economy gaining independence from Oil and Gas and diversifying into other industries and putting value to its raw material. Putting value to raw materials is what Italy does best and Italy has developed technology to do it. So, I suppose such technology will be of interest to Nigeria so as to be able to produce for itself high-level goods not only for the Nigerian Market that is going to grow in size but also for exporting to meet the demands for other markets in sourcing for quality. You need to have the equipment to match the standards that are required from the industries overseas starting from the European ones. All of this is happening at a very strategic time when the Nigerian Government is striving towards backward integration and Local Content. How is the ITA going to key into this? It is a very understandable policy from the Nigerian Government, to adopt these measures

that have the objective to develop the local industry. What we offer is to serve such development with our technology and possibly with our investments as well and we act on both directions but our companies can bring both technology and capital. From the feedback you have received from Italian companies in Nigeria, what is your view about the business environment? There is a large community of Italian companies in Nigeria that has been working here for a long time but the feedback I got is that we need to bring both countries together. They are here because they believe in the Italy-Nigeria relationship, they believe in the success of this strategic partnership. However, there is still too little knowledge about Italy / Nigeria business opportunities on both sides, and that is an area that need to be addressed vigourously. Considering the fact that information is the basis of business, this should be taken seriously. You don’t build a business relationship without proper information. We need to build information infrastructure because information is key to decision. Can we now say the agency is coming to Nigeria to bridge the communication gaps? We will do everything we can

“

We want to bring people to have experiences about what we can do in Italy. We offer them experiences in the sense of Italian exhibitions and bring them to our production sites to see how things are done

Alessandro Gerbino , the Italian Trade Agency Director for West Africa.

to bridge the communication gap. Our number one priority is to establish a network so we can convey messages about opportunities and possibilities. That is the very first thing but of course, we do not want to limit our activity to bring only information. We want to bring people to have experiences about what we can do in Italy. We offer them experiences in the sense of Italian exhibitions and bring them to our production sites to see how things are done. We are also bringing more Italian companies here for the first time and this I would like to highlight is a lot because it is also very important news from us. For us, we will have the first National Pavilion at the Plastprintpack Exhibition that is taking place in March in Lagos. The ITA in partnership

with the Italian Industry Association of the machinery producers is going to be there along with a group of Italian companies to display and offer the equipment that eagerly produces and is for the plastic processing industry and for the printing industry. It is also worth mentioning that Italy is certainly a world leader for the recycling industry technology. Nigeria a few years ago witnessed an economic recession and two years ago, Italy witnessed the same thing that affected both local and international trading activities in business and economy. What strategy do you think this new drive will play in advancing the economy of both countries? Italy is a very export oriented economy. Foreign trade generates 30percent of our GDP and it

has been the most dynamic part of our economy, always been growing at a faster pace than our economy. So it is the driver of our economy. We have suffered the weakness of the Italian demands, but the foreign demands, despite it varies in intensity due to the World Economic cycle, has remained important. The Italian growth drive and exports have always been faster than that of the National economy, and that proves that even in harder times, our companies have been able to continue to sell and sell more in all the clients markets where they are playing because they have been very constant in delivery, quality and in assistance to clients. Lately, Nigeria has been aggressive about exploring the agricultural sector with everyone seeing it as the way to go, what role do you think the agency and Italy can play to further deepen the agricultural development? I mentioned that Italy is very famous in the world for fashion, food, and furniture, but in fact, we are stronger in technology which is our first source of export. Within production technologies, there are areas where we are the undisputed leaders, and agriculture machinery is one of them. And if I have to name the number one priority for us, it is exactly all the technology related to the agricultural processing from the field, to harvesting, storage, transformation, everything along the value chain of the agro-industry is what Italy can say a lot about. We have already sent a delegation last January to an exhibition in Italy. Another one just came back on Saturday from another exhibition in Italy and it is an exhibition plus side activities and more to come. What is the significance of the Italian Trade Agency launch to both countries’ economies? I think the key thing is to create a platform for Nigerian and Italian companies to engage to trade with each other and I think it will create more opportunities for both sides in terms of identifying new clients, new industries, new markets. But also, for Nigerian Companies, it will provide additional opportunities as it would present an alternative; another option in terms of sourcing technology, sourcing equipment etc. So, I think it’s very beneficial to both sides and it will also allow to better support the business partnerships with financial support.

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Sunday 08 March 2020

The Sunday Interview

There should be no limitations for wom

Lynda Madu is the Associate Director, Corporate Development and Services, Nestoil Group, and also a member of the Advocacy/CEO and Policy M commemorate the 2020 International Women’s Day (IWD), Madu speaks on a number of issues, including, the role of organisations in the sensitisation of t

y way of introduction, may we know who Lynda Madu is? I am the Associate Director of Corporate Services and Development for Nestoil Group. In the late 90s,I started my career as a consultant with Arthur Andersen, which later became Andersen and then KPMG. I have a background in Mathematics and Computer Science.I am a wife and a mother, of twenty-two years and counting. At KPMG, I did Business Consulting, providing services for clients across various industries and sectors of the economy. From there, I left in 2010 to work for MainOne Cable Company, the year it launched its operations. The CEO of the company, Funke Opeke, was a previous client and project sponsor on one of my assignments a few years earlier. I was quite fascinated by the MainOne story and decided to join in it, worked there for a little more than eight years before I left for Nestoil. Since the focus of this interview is on women; at what point did you begin to speak for women and women matters? I would say for as long as I have been a woman. Of course, as we get older and more mature, we get more and more conscious of it. It is something I am very passionate about. I have four daughters, and perhaps that even makes it more of a passion for me. Some of the challenges are quite evident in the corporate world, coupled with the cultural issues and societal pressures. And I know for sure that it is not just a Nigerian or African issue, it is a global one; I have read several books and articles on it and have also related with other citizens from across the globe, especially women, that confirm this. So, as you get into it, it is right in your face; you have discussions with people, and can relate with the issues, and therefore, you are encouraged to make your own contribution at whatever level, particularly if you think you have the opportunity to do that. Feminism has become rather controversial. What does it mean to you? Feminism, for me, simply means that you recognise and treat me as a person, first. Consider my work purely on its own merit and based on my results and the quality of my output. As a woman, it is a quest for fairness, even if we know the world is not necessarily a fair place. You are probably right to say issues about feminism could be controversial but that is because sometimes people, including women, subconsciously have their own idea of where the woman should be, and so see feminism as a threat to that ideology. I do not think that women are asking for any special favours or such. Women are simply saying, see them first as human beings, judge their work based on quality and not gender. As women, they are entitled to their human rights. We are saying ‘remove the biases and judge my work especially in the corporate environment based on its merits, and please do not deprive me of my rights, just because I am a woman’. Over the years, International Women’s Day (IWD) has been marked in Nigeria. In your assessment, can you say it has achieved or it is achieving the purpose for which it is being marked? It is work in progress. We may not be

where we want to be yet, but the awareness is being created and people and corporations are taking necessary actions. There are still a lot of required interventions:at the global level,at national levels; and even within organizations in Nigeria and everywhere for that matter. Year on year, people are more aware of the relevant issues; they see attempts to fix some of the issues, they know that something can be done about them, and so are encouraged to change styles and approaches and even define processes and policies that address the gender issues. It is reflected even in the way certain organisations now hire. They know the benefits of gender balance and personally when I have to make the choice and all things being equal, I am more likely to select a qualified (quality cannot be compromised) woman over an equally qualified man. And that is because several studies have been done on the impact of women in management and business. McKinsey, in a recent one (study) showed a clear correlation between gender equality and an increase in GDP. Countries like Japan are therefore, beginning to make deliberate efforts to fix gender inequality knowing the value that brings to the economy. Some other countries and organisations insist on gender quotas, both in management and Boards. Even in Africa, Rwanda is doing very well in that regard, ranking in the top 5 countries for gender equality. South Africa also has a very good representation of women in government and in their parliament. There is great value in gender balance. And by that I do not mean equal, absolute, numbers like 50-50; no. That would be unrealistic in many places. Looking back at your career trajectory and social standing; do you think being the other gender would have made any difference in whatever you have achieved? No, not necessarily. I do not think that growing up in my career, that I got any special favours or particular deprivations just because I am a woman. Of course, many times in my life, I have been blessed with a lot of favours and also sometimes have faced difficulties/challenges and did not get certain things I wanted at the time, but those did not happen because I am a woman. And I say this because there were also other women in similar circumstances who perhaps, did not get the favours or those deprivations. I think a lot of this stability had to do with the sort of companies I have been privileged to work in. In KPMG for example, the Partner in charge of Business Consulting at the time was a woman– Bisi Lamikanra– a great woman and mentor to me. She was not there to give us any special favours, we had to do our work. What it did for us, the younger women, was daily interacting with a woman who was making a success of her career. It was a daily learning experience for us in a very practical way and safe environment. It was more than any seminar could ever give. And when in my 12th year, I left KPMG for MainOne, it was another company led by a woman– Funke Opeke– a phenomenal woman. In her own case, she did something completely new and radical

Lynda Madu

towards the adoption of technology and internet solutions in West Africa. Before her, as a country, we were mainly reliant on SAT-3 and we know the issues we had at the time and now we see how far we have come as a people. And coming here to Nestoil, again, I am blessed to work closely with another woman– Nnenna Obiejesi– together with the Chairman of the Group and a seasoned entrepreneur, from both of whom I am getting a whole new topnotch Busi-

ness School experience. It is incredible what an indigenous company can achieve from scratch in this environment. So, working in these types of organisations and with such people have made it easy for me to see that gender could not have been a limitation; one can do whatever one sets one’s mind on to do. Are you satisfied with the gender balance in work places in Nigeria and what would you expect, say in the next 10 years, going by the

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BDSUNDAY 23

men in today’s world – Lynda Madu

Makers Interactive Series Group of the Women in Management, Business and Public Services (WIMBIZ). In this interview with ZEBULON AGOMUO to the populace on the true meaning of gender equality. She also speaks on the expectations from this year’s IWD campaign with the theme: #EachforEqual. out that there are more women in the engineering and technology classes than you had in our days. In our Math or Abstract Algebra classes in those days, women made up just about 20percent of those classes. And the ratios were even much lower in the Civil Engineering classes for example. But all that is changing, and rapidly too. Which is why I talk about the deliberate effort we have to make if we must change the situation. Waiting for it to happen organically would mean waiting a very, very long time; it may not be in our lifetime. So, everyone has a role to play. And women in particular, have to support other women. Those in leadership positions have to encourage other women to speak up and let their voices be heard, because they have great ideas and their concerns are valid. You said you were not advocating for equal proportion of opportunity for women. One area some people frown at is the insistence by some women that they must be equal with men or that equality is absolute. This appears to have created problems in some homes. How do some of your organisations preach the message to let every woman know the real message of feminism and gender equality? It is continuous education and making people understand what the real issues are and to see the benefits that come with resolving them, and in doing that, we have to be realistic in our demands and expectations. People and culture do not change overnight. We need to be conscious of the realities. So, for some companies, looking at a particular senior level – you could have, say, 20 men and four women on that level. Now, if you want to make a selection, there is no way you are going to have equal numbers of both genders because you do not even have enough women available at that level, pointing to a more fundamental issue - preparedness of enough women for senior roles. So, it is not about the number, but about a decent proportion that will bring out the value that you can get from having women in these places. And there are several interventions and groups where these engagements happen and knowledge is shared – advocacy groups having ongoing discussions with decision makers, ongoing conversations up to government levels, round table conferences designed by women and for women, full-fledged conferences with thousands of women participating and developing themselves and others. It is ongoing work.

campaigns people like you are doing? No, not at all. We are not satisfied at all, we are not there yet. But we are making progress, given where we are coming from. Fact is, it also depends on the industry, it is more difficult to achieve in some than others. For example, our companies like the dredging subsidiaries or the fabrication or pipeline construction may not be able to achieve that balance because of the types of jobs that exist in those areas. But things are changing and the numbers are improving. In the average university today, you would find

Down here in the South, the number of out-of-school children may be far less compared to the North; how seriously are your groups taking the advocacy to ensure that girl-child education is promoted in the north? We hear about high percentage of poverty in that region as a result of lack of Education. How do your associations ensure that this negative narrative is changed? It is the same engagement both with the government and the people, and attacking it at every opportunity. The damage is deep and can seem overwhelming. But we cannot lose hope; the struggle continues. And it is not only in the north (it is definitely worse over there) but you may

be shocked at the huge threat to girl-child education even here in the south, especially in the rural areas. There are young girls in this day and age, who are not able to go to school at certain times each month just because they are on their periods and have no access to sanitary towels. That is what led bodies like the Obijackson Foundation get into what they call the ‘One Girl, One Pad’ programme. Like I said, the problems do not go away overnight. Changing that narrative is a slow, and could be a painful, process and providing that support through that process goes a long way. We cannot solve the entire world’s problem but we can start somewhere and make our own inputs wherever we find ourselves. At every opportunity, structured or not, we can and should continue to educate our people; educate our men; educate our women to understand what their responsibilities are and perform them.

The little successes here and there add up. Sometimes, it is as little as having a few minutes conversation with a woman, and sharing a perspective that helps her to change the way she sees the world. May we know what you think is unique about this year’s International Women’s Day? What should Nigerians expect different from what has been happening? This year’s campaign theme is “#Eachfor Equal’’ and really, it is a call to action, not just for that day, but all year long and beyond. The IWD on their website says the theme is drawn from a notion of ‘Collective Individualism’. Each of us, male or female, has a role to play to make the world a better place. We spoke about the impact of gender equality on businesses and the economy of nations. So, this year, we are reminding everyone that each of us has a part to play in our own little space. What we say and think and do, whether positive or negative, makes an impact on the larger society. Therefore, we can choose to make the change. How involved is Nestoil in this. You are a staff of Nestoil and for you to authoritatively speak on the IWD shows you must have gotten the express permission of your company to do so? Nestoil has always been a strong advocate of women in the workplace and in her own way usually celebrates IWD using it as an opportunity to educate all its employees. Nestoil understands that IWD is a collective effort towards gender equality. And knowing the value this brings to any business, Nestoil ensures active participation of its employees in initiatives like the IWD. On IWD, there are usually events where successful women in the society are invited to speak and share their experiences with the employees. It will happen again this year, we have not announced our special guest yet, but we have full confidence in our Corporate Communications team and everyone here is looking

Continues on page 24

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The Sunday Interview

BDSUNDAY 23

There should be no limitations for women in today’s world – Lynda Madu Lynda Madu is the Associate Director, Corporate Development and Services, Nestoil Group, and also a member of the Advocacy/CEO and Policy Makers Interactive Series Group of the Women in Management, Business and Public Services (WIMBIZ). In this interview with ZEBULON AGOMUO to commemorate the 2020 International Women’s Day (IWD), Madu speaks on a number of issues, including, the role of organisations in the sensitisation of the populace on the true meaning of gender equality. She also speaks on the expectations from this year’s IWD campaign with the theme: #EachforEqual.

out that there are more women in the engineering and technology classes than you had in our days. In our Math or Abstract Algebra classes in those days, women made up just about 20percent of those classes. And the ratios were even much lower in the Civil Engineering classes for example. But all that is changing, and rapidly too. Which is why I talk about the deliberate effort we have to make if we must change the situation. Waiting for it to happen organically would mean waiting a very, very long time; it may not be in our lifetime. So, everyone has a role to play. And women in particular, have to support other women. Those in leadership positions have to encourage other women to speak up and let their voices be heard, because they have great ideas and their concerns are valid.

You said you were not advocating for equal proportion of opportunity for women. One area some people frown at is the insistence by some women that they must be equal with men or that equality is absolute. This appears to have created problems in some homes. How do some of your organisations preach the message to let every woman know the real message of feminism and gender equality? It is continuous education and making people understand what the real issues are and to see the benefits that come with resolving them, and in doing that, we have to be realistic in our demands and expectations. People and culture do not change overnight. We need to be conscious of the realities. So, for some companies, looking at a particular senior level – you could have, say, 20 men and four women on that level. Now, if you want to make a selection, there is no way you are going to have equal numbers of both genders because you do not even have enough women available at that level, pointing to a more fundamental issue - preparedness of enough women for senior roles. So, it is not about the number, but about a decent proportion that will bring out the value that you can get from having women in these places. And there are several interventions and groups where these engagements happen and knowledge is shared – advocacy groups having ongoing discussions with decision makers, ongoing conversations up to government levels, round table conferences designed by women and for women, full-fledged conferences with thousands of women participating and developing themselves and others. It is ongoing work.

Lynda Madu

Continues on page 24

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The Sunday Interview ‘There should be no limitations for women in today’s world’ Continued from page 23 forward to the occasion. How comfortable, or are you satisfied with the quota of representation women are having at the political leadership level in Nigeria. If you are not happy about it, how can things improve in this area? No, not at all! We are only scratching the surface. Right now, we have an abysmal representation of women in politics or in the membership of the cabinet in most states. The one person we should give an award to on a day like this is the Governor of Kwara State. He has gone way beyond the 35percent representation promised by the government to have a cabinet with 56percent women membership! I do not know of anyone who is doing such. Certainly not at the national level! We are way behind. For improvement opportunities, we may want to do a study on Kwara State and learn from them. How are the women groups addressing the poverty level among women in the country? Things no doubt, have improved in terms of earnings among the women; but it appears the poverty level among that gender is still high? Yes, the poverty level among the female gender is still high because of the lack of opportunities that women have. It is worrisome and sometimes, shocking that we are not able to do more even though we all know the saying that ‘train a woman and you train a nation’. It is worthwhile and sustainable to equip a woman because it goes all the way down to her children and directly impacts on the society at large. Providing opportunities to women would help a great deal. The opportunities

poverty problem, not just for the women; but for the society.

Lynda Madu

include skilling them up and educating them knowing that education greatly contributes to reducing poverty. Women are greatly limited because they do not have access to the funds that they need. Some banks do have special programmes

for supporting women who are in small businesses, which is good but we can do more. Beyond giving money, helping them to acquire the skills that they need; helping them to put those skills into practice. That would go a long way to solving the entire

From your own experience as a wife, mother and corporate executive (professional), how do you strike a balance to ensure that you are not found wanting in any of your roles (at home and at work place)? That is always a tricky one but somehow I do not think that one can strike a perfect balance. It is one of those ongoing things. I think it begins with understanding one’s responsibilities as a professional, as a wife and as a mother, and living up to them. No excuses. There are sacrifices that have to be made along the way. The home and work are both very important. There are times the family will take the back seat; by that I mean, there’s work to be done and it has to be done. Even the family, from my own experience, would support through it. At such times, they understand and you can see every other person bending backwards and doing what you know to be your usual responsibilities, just for that period. At other times, the family would take the full precedence, and the work must wait because then, family comes first and it cannot be compromised. The issue arises when we struggle to balance these priorities. Work cannot always come in the way of family and family cannot always come in the way of work. The balancing is key and is continuous work. Once it becomes lopsided, issues arise, regardless of which side is up. Even in our spiritual lives, there has to be a healthy balance. The extreme is not a good place to be. Aristotle teaches that ‘Virtue lies in the middle’. It is about finding that appropriate middle ground always.

Pictures by Olawale Amoo

‘Relationship Toolkit will help Nigerians start and keep a good relationship’ Adesola Momoh is an author, a vlogger and content creator with thousands of followers on Instagram. She is also an on-air-personality at the UNILAG FM for over four years. In this interview with Josephine Okojie, she spoke about her new book titled ‘Relationship Toolkit and Guidelines of Good Relationships’.

What influenced your writing? rowing up I have always wanted to write a book. I really did not know what I was going to write on, but I knew I enjoyed writing short creative pieces. During my university years, I found myself vlogging and that just created the push I needed in putting something out there because of the tons of messages circling around the same stream of questions I get every now and then on my Instagram page, I decided to answer the most recuring questions I was being asked as a book for my audience as well as for everyone who seeks answers to similar questions. My father, being a journalist also inspired me and the need to generate an income through my knowledge. Also, over the years, I have built a growing audience cumulating thousands that constantly watch and interact with my contents; I have also been able to help hundreds of romantic partners stir the course of their relationship in the right track. How do you describe a right-fit relationship? The foundation of a right-fit relationship is friendship. A relationship where both parties respect each other; one where love is expressed in actions and not only words and one where both parties communicate

appropriately about every and anything is a right and healthy one. Other qualities a right-fit relationship possesses are, trust, honesty, support, loyalty, affection, care and its likes. What are the strategies needed to build the right relationship? In order to build a right-fit relationship, you must express love, be truthful, be committed, make compromises, sacrifice time, have effective communication, be

respectful, be loyal, be trustworthy, accept differences, develop empathy, always give a listening hear... the list is endless. But, the ones I mentioned are the major building blocks in setting up the foundation of a relationship that you want to be right. Some person will argue against sliding into your partners DM for any reason; but, in your book you are encouraging your readers to slide into a partner’s DM to get a reply. Why is that? Because we are in the millennial generation and one of the easiest ways to meet people is via social media. And, the truth is, a lot more individuals are becoming more receptive in meeting their life partners through this means. Relationship Toolkit not only teaches people how to slide into that DM, but how to slide in and get a swift response. You can rest assured that people will always raise arguments about everything possible, but that does not undermine its efficacy. So, many love stories started on the DM, so, go ahead and slide into that DM cause that might be your only chance in meeting the love of your life. How can a heart-broken person bounce back from a recent relationship brouhaha? My book answers that extensively, one

major reason you should grab a copy. But one tip I would share here is, let that heart be broken into pieces and let a new one form itself. Do not try to get healed in a day, because you certainly did not fall in love with that person in a day. So, just let your heart go through the hurt. In that, you will find strength to rise above the hurt and move on. What do I need to spice up my relationship as an individual? They are a whole lot of ways you can spice up your relationship as an individual. But, I would rather not spill any of those spices because my book, ‘Relationship Toolkit’ shares ways in which you can spice up your relationship and make it last forever. And one thing I can categorically say is all those ways have been practically tested and trusted to work and produce positive change in any relationship. My book teaches people how to get over a heartbreak swiftly, how to slide into that DM and get a reply, how to toast a girl and get her to say ‘Yes’, what you must know before going on that first date and how to spice up your relationship and make it last forever. So, I basically want everyone to achieve all that and inadvertently, ignite a beautiful love story with a happily ever after for themselves.

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Arts Top women in the arts

the early 2000s as a member of the music group Kush. Beyond music, she has also built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s foremost photographers and is a member of the talented photography collective Depth of Field. Her evocative portraits never fail to rouse strong emotions and have made her one of the most applauded and keenly sought after portrait photographers in the country. Indeed she has the unique distinction of having photographed three sitting Nigerian presidents. TY Bello organizes an annual photography exhibition to raise funds for orphans in Nigeria. She is also the director of Linka-child, an NGO dedicated to proliferating information on orphanages in Nigeria and seeking sponsorship on their behalf. In July 2011, TY Bello was honored by the non-profit Communication For Change organization in a five-part documentary film series titled RedHot.

OBINNA EMELIKE

n March 8, the world celebrated women across the globe and their achievements, as well as, reflected on their challenges. Bearing in mind the many challenges women face even today, especially violence and need for gender balance, the International Women’s Day 2019 campaign was themed; #BalanceforBetter, a call-toaction for driving gender balance across the world. However, BDSunday is celebrating the International Women’s Day by spotlighting top Nigerian women in the arts. Below are some of the amazons in no particular order: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Born on 15 September 1977, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, writer of short stories, and nonfiction. She considers herself a feminist and is committed to the wellbeing of the female folks across the world with her writings. “I think of myself as a storyteller, but I would not mind at all if someone were to think of me as a feminist writer... I’m very feminist in the way I look at the world, and that world view must somehow be part of my work”, she said in an interview. Adichie is on the list because of her blossoming writing career. She published a collection of poems in 1997 (Decisions) and a play (For Love of Biafra) in 1998. She was shortlisted in 2002 for the Caine Prize for her short story “You in America” and her story “That Harmattan Morning” was selected as a joint winner of the 2002 BBC World Service Short Story Awards. In 2003, she won the O. Henry Award for “The American Embassy”, and the David T. Wong International Short Story Prize 2002/2003 (PEN Center Award). Her stories were also published in Zoetrope: All-Story, and Topic Magazine. Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus (2003), received wide critical acclaim; it was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction (2004) and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (2005). Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), named after the flag of the shortlived nation of Biafra, received the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. In 2014, Half of a Yellow Sun was adapted into a film of the same title directed by Biyi Bandele, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton. She publishedThe Thing Around Your Neck in 2009. In 2010 she was listed among the authors of The New Yorker’s “20 Under 40” Fiction Issue. Adichie’s story “Ceiling” was included in the 2011 edition

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Omawumi

Bolanle Austen-Peters

Peju Alatise

of The Best American Short Stories. Her third novel, Americanah (2013), was selected by The New York Times as one of “The 10 Best Books of 2013”. In April 2014, she was named as one of 39 writers aged under 40 in the Hay Festival and Rainbow Book Club project Africa39, celebrating Port Harcourt UNESCO World Book Capital 2014. In 2015, she was co-curator of the PEN World Voices Festival. In March 2017, Americanah won the “One Book, One New York” programme. In April 2017, Adichie was elected into the 237th class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the highest honours for intellectuals in the United States, as one of 228 new members to be inducted on 7 October 7, 2017. Her most recent book, Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, published in March 2017, had its origins in a letter Adichie wrote to a friend who had asked for advice about how to raise her daughter as a feminist. Bolanle Austen-Peters She is the daughter of Chief Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. While many thought she would continue in the family craft, she followed arts; her passion. Today, the lawyer turned artist, theatre guru and art entrepreneur is a voice to reckon with in the Nigerian art scene. In 2003, she founded Terra Kulture, the Nigerian arts, education and cultural organisation. She created the Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions (BAP) in 2013. Through BAP, she furthered her passion for theater production with stellar plays such as SARO the Musical, which received a number of accolades and reviews from the BBC and Sky news. Since then, BAP has produced five

additional commissioned plays. In December 2014 and April 2015 BAP Productions produced SARO the Musical at the Muson Centre involving music, drama and dance. Austen-Peters further produced a Broadway-style musical production titled Wakaa The Musical from December 30, 2015 to January3, 2016 at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. BAP Productions’ Wakaa the Musical was the first Nigerian musical to be staged in London’s West End, playing at Shaw Theatre from July 21-25, 2016. She produced Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, which premiered in December 2017. Beyond world class theatrical performances, she produced 93 Days, a feature film on the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, which premiered on September 13, 2016 in Lagos. One of her remarkable feats was on March 26, 2017, when she opened Terra Kulture Arena, the first purpose built private theater in Nigeria, which she conceived and built. Austen-Peters worked as a Consultant to the Ford Foundation Lagos and helped raise millions of dollars for the Museum through Arts and Business Council. Nike Davies-Okundaye No doubt, Nike Davies-Okundaye is a household name in the African arts landscape. She is one of the internationally acclaimed female artists from Nigeria, who has made astounding strides in textile, visual arts and mixed media painting in the global arts scene. An Amazon in her own right, Nike is the woman behind the Nike Art Empire with galleries, art shops and training centres across Nigeria and the world. There is hardly any important museum in the world that does not have Madam Nike’s

work. She is an artist of many parts - she drums, directs plays, dances, paints, and trains young adults to do all of the listed. However, this year 2019, marks her 50 years of promoting and exhibiting traditional and contemporary African art across the world. Sandra Mbanefo Obiago Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, a social activist, art collector, and filmmaker. She runs SMO Contemporary Art, which specialises in showcasing contemporary art in non-traditional exhibition spaces, focusing on established and emerging artists based in Africa and the Diaspora. SMO holds cutting edge art exhibitions, which showcase masters and exciting new talent expressing their creativity through art, performance, film and new media. SMO is experienced in organizing symposia, conferences, training and events, which provide a platform for the creative industry to inspire and strengthen humanity’s aspiration for the good society. Peju Alatise Peju Alatise is a household name in the contemporary African art. The foremost Nigerian female artist, who holds a degree in Architecture, is a mixed-medium artist, poet and published writer whose interdisciplinary work has garnered attention on the global art stage. She is known for her largescale, sculptural works tackling contemporary themes most recurring of which is gender and its associated politics. With her works, Alatise transcend§s barriers and questions status quo in her country and Africa at large. Her guts is commendable and obvious with the passion she addresses social, political and

gender-related issues as her primary subject matter, through artistic work that also captures the joys and pain of womanhood in modern-life-African traditions. Alatise is a 2016 fellow at the Smithsonian Institute of African Art. She has participated in several international solo exhibitions and her works are in private and institutional collections around the world. Horses, one of her works, and a triptych piece of artwork, sold for over £30,000 at Bonhams, the foremost British art auction house in London, a few years ago. At 2014 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair, her work was generally adjudged to be the standout piece created in response to the kidnapping of 234 Chibok girls. It featured a series of panels of anonymous Nigerian girls using the Ankara fabric. It was titled, ‘Missing’. Again, she was among the three Nigerian artists, who helped the country to rewrite her story at the Venice Biennale’s 57th edition in Venice, Italy, which Nigeria participated for the first time since the 122 years history of the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, also known as the Olympics of the art world. At the exhibition, Alatise mirrored the future with her installation tagged, ’Flying Girls. The installation was eight lifesized sculptures of girls with wings and birds in mid-flight. As well, the Nigerian female artist was announced as the 2017 recipient of the highly coveted FNB Art Prize at the 10th installment of the FNB JoburgArtFair. TY Bello Toyin Sokefun-Bello, better known as TY Bello, is one of Nigeria’s most recognized artists. She came to public attention in

Omawumi Born on April 13, 1982 as Omawumi Megbele, the top female music artiste who stages as Omawumi, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and actress of Itsekiri ethnicity in Delta State. Omawumi rose to prominence as a contestant on Idols West Africa. Omawumi, with her strong voice and out-going personality, was voted the 1st runner-up of the competition when it ended in May 2007. Since then, she has had numerous performances on the stage with musicians such as P-Square, 2face Idibia, D’Banj, Banky W, M.I, Sasha, 9ice, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Carl Thomas, Angie Stone and Donell Jones, Angelique Kidjo , among others She gained attention as the 2007 runner-up on West African Idols, a reality TV show part of the Idols franchise. While her first album, Wonder Woman, a 17-track album, made impact, The Lasso of Truth, her second album, was a commercial success in Nigeria. She also played roles in movie in the Nigerian film industry. Omawumi played a minor role in the 2009 edition of the V-Monolugues, a play that reflects the negative issues affecting women in Nigeria. She also starred in the musical play Olurombi. She had a minor role in the movie Inale, a Hollywood/ Nollywood Bongos-Ikwe production, starring Hakeem Kae Kazeem, Dede Mabiaku, and Ini Edo. In 2011, she starred in Funke Akindele’s Return of Jenifa. Moreover, she starred in Yvonne Nelson’s House of Gold (2013) alongside Majid Michel and Ice Prince. She’s also part of the campaign called “Rise with the Energy of Africa”. The songstress is also the Lifebuoy Brand Ambassador for Nigeria and leads Lifebuoy’s hand-washing campaign in Nigeria.

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Hotel A look at some indigenous hotel brands that are changing the narrative

OBINNA EMELIKE ospitality business on the African continent is becoming more impressive everyday with improvements, exciting innovations, sustained service culture and even corresponding facility offerings, which combine to point to the fact that African hospitality has come of age. Now, some international brands are finding it difficult to compete with some indigenous brands, which have turned the tables and are even expanding outside the country. There are a few of these innovative indigenous hotel brands with outstanding success stories. One of them is Tsogo Sun, a South African based hotel chain and management company. With over 100 hotels and 13 casinos across Africa and now in the Middle East, Tsogo Sun is one of the largest indigenous hotel groups in Africa. The success story is evident with its many brands that appeal to a wide range of guests. From Maia, Beverly Hills, 54 on Bath, Sandton Sun, Suncoast Towers, Palazzo, Southern Sun Hotels and Resorts, SunSquare, Garden Court, StayEasy and SUN1 (formerly Formula1 Hotels), Tsogo Sun has a bouquet of exciting accommodation options. As well, it also manages InterContinental Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport, InterContinental Johannesburg Sandton Towers, among others. Of course, a group, which

Scene from Elevator Baby by Niyi Akomolayan

is one of the largest listed companies in Johannesburg Stock Exchange in the hotel and tourism sector, with a market capitalisation of R30.8 billion and an operating income of R5.4 billion, is truly as Africa giant in the hotel business. A visit to Southern Sun Ikoyi in Lagos, where Tsogo Sun has majority shares, tells of commitment to quality assurance. It would be recalled that Southern Sun Ikoyi, took the Lagos hotel business by storm when it crashed room rates five years ago, forcing major international brands to crash rates as well. Some of the masterpiece properties of the brand across architecture, quality of service, facility offerings and innovations are 54 on Bath, Sandton Sun and SunSquare, all based in South Africa. It is of note that Southern Sun Al Manzil Hotel Dubai, UAE, keeps claiming top spot

on TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index for hotels in Dubai because of the well-grown African hospitality culture that is exported to the Middle East and the world. Yet, Sun International is another indigenous brand to be proud of. The success story is good to hear and retell. With over 20 resorts, luxury hotels and casinos across Africa and in Latin America, Sun International is one of Africa’s largest tourism, leisure and gaming groups. The group’s approach has been to differentiate its hotels, resorts and casinos in architecture, service, experience, location and the mix of entertainment and activities, while creating lasting memories for its guests and customers is a core part of its DNA. This is evident in some of the world’s most iconic hotels it has created. From The Palace of The Lost City at Sun

City to The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, The Maslow in Sandton, and Federal Place Hotel and Casino Lagos, the creative architecture of these properties and the blending of their designs with their local environment make each property unique. The intrigue for many is the group’s ability to export African brand to the Americas. “Our entry into Latin America began in Chile in 2008 and has been a success story for the group, giving us the track record and confidence to look for more opportunities that offer gaming opportunities in the region”, the group said. Sun International’s Latin American profile include; Monticello Grand Casino in Chile and the Ocean Club Casino in Panama. Also from Kenya, the Icon Hotel Group (IHG) is kicking across major destinations in Africa, and changing the hospitality narrative as well.

Obviously, the group is a fast-growing end-to-end African-grown hospitality hub that serves as a resource base for diverse core hospitality competencies across Africa and beyond. ICON is also spreading its reach beyond its Kenyan base. From Mount Meru Hotel or Palace Hotel both in Arusha, Tanzania, Osotua Luxury Resort Naivasha, among other hotels in East Africa, IHG’s presence is now felt in West Africa starting with Nigeria. The turnaround at Best Western Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, and quality service at the Royal Spring Palm Hotel in Owerri, the Imo State capital, are strides ICON is committed to replicate across other destinations in Nigeria and West Africa. However, another group is also rising from Nigeria. Since opening its doors to the public at Goshen Estate, along Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos, the Citilodge Group is committed to a nationwide expansion. From the Lagos hotel, it opened Citilodge Abuja and recently Citiheight Ikeja, Lagos, targeting high-end travellers with its world-class facilities at the Ikeja hotel, which is close the airport and along the Ikeja hotel corridor, where Sheraton, Radisson Blu are located. At the opening of the Ikeja hotel, Olufemi Talabi, the chairman of the hotel, noted that the group is carving a niche for itself and is not following after any brand. For him, the brand is in the growing stage and would be ready to expand outside the Nigerian shores soon

after it has established an impeccable service culture, standard and quality that are at par with global standards. Surprisingly, Mangalis, a new indigenous African hotel group, has joined the race to close the gap in quality offerings. Yerim Sow, a Senegalese entrepreneur, and founder of Mangalis Group, is investing €315m to build 15 hotels across four new brands in West and Central Africa. Already, Managlis’ three brands are out there; Noom, Seen and Yass. Noom Hotel Conkary, Noom Hotel Naimey Niger, and Seen Hotel Abidjan Plateau are opened to the public, while Yass Hotel Dakar, Noom Abidjan, Noom Hotel Cotnou, Seen Ivory Coast and Seen Sierra Leone are either under construction or due to open later this year. Fahrenheit Hospitality Group seems to be the new entrant in the Nigerian hospitality industry that is pushing strongly for indigenous branding. With two brands in less than five years, Maison Fahrenheit and Fahrenheit Loft, Fahrenheit Hospitality Group is eyeing brand expansion across the country. Going by the quality of the offerings, the premium locations, facilities and target market, Fahrenheit Hospitality is already changing the narrative with some hotel investors desiring to get its franchise. As expected, more indigenous brands are hoping to join the scramble for market share within the continent, but many will also fall by the wayside if quality and standards are doubt.

COVID-19: UNWTO calls on tourism to be part of recovery plans

n an update on the sector’s response to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) offers a first assessment pointing to a decrease in international arrivals and receipts in 2020. Public health measures need to be implemented in ways that minimize any unnecessary disruption to travel and trade. Since the start of the outbreak, UNWTO has been working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure this is the case. UNWTO has revised its 2020 prospects for interna-

tional tourist arrivals to a negative growth of 1 percent to 3 percent, translating into an estimated loss of US$ 30 to 50 billion in international tourism receipts. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, UNWTO predicted a positive growth of 3 percent to 4 percent for this year. This first assessment expects that Asia and the Pacific will be the worst affected region, with an anticipated fall in arrivals of 9 percent to 12 percent. Estimates for other world regions are currently premature in view of the rapidly evolving situation. UNWTO

underscores that any estimate must be treated with caution, and is likely to be updated. UNWTO calls for financial and political support for recovery measures aimed at tourism, and to include support for the sector in the wider recovery plans and actions of affected economies. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak will be felt across the whole tourism value chain. Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, further stresses that “small and medium sized enterprises make up around 80 percent of the tourism sector and are

particularly exposed with millions of livelihoods across the world, including within vulnerable communities, relying on tourism”. Political and financial commitments are key to ensure that tourism can lead wider economic and social recovery, as proven in past disruptions on the back of the highly resilient nature of the sector and its ability to bounce back strongly. In recent decades, tourism has come of age, and is now firmly established as an important contributor to sustainable development, economic

growth, employment and international understanding. As the UN agency responsible for tourism and sustainable development, UNWTO stands ready to provide guidance and support for recovery measures of its members, the private and public tourism sector, including organizers of tourism events and fairs. Tourism faces up to the COVID-19 challenge and public health is paramount due to the fundamental people-topeople nature of the sector, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said.

According to UNWTO, a cross-cutting economic activity unlike any other, and an integral part of the Sustainable Development agenda, tourism will play a key role in future recovery efforts. Therefore, UNWTO has called on governments, international organizations and donor agencies to include tourism as a priority in recovery plans and actions. The World Health Organization continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.

Sunday 08 March 2020

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Life&Living What does International Women’s day mean to various people?

the achievements of women, but to continue to call for action supporting greater gender parity.

IFEOMA OKEKE

nternational Women’s Day is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. International Women’s Day celebrates women’s achievements worldwide. International Women’s Day means different things to different people, but the global focus on equality and celebration is clear. Throughout ancient and modern history, women have collaborated and lead purposeful action to redress inequality in the hope of a better future for their communities, children and themselves. Whether through bold welldocumented action or through humble resistance that never made it into the history books, women have united for equality and achievement forever. And along the way, one particularly powerful collaboration lead to the formation of a globally united moment for women across countries to come together in hope and action. That moment is “International Women’s Day”. Values that guide International Women’s Day provide direction for the type of action, behaviour and ethos associated with this critical and globally-supported day. These values are as follows: Justice While the concept of justice may differ across cultures, the notion of justice is based on respect and equality amongst people. Justice means being afforded the same equal rights and

Tenacity Tenacity was a key principle of both the Suffragists and the Suffragettes, and their tireless effort in fighting the good fight changed history. “Deeds not words” was the Suffragettes’ motto and they devoted considerable attention and effort to forging the rights of women. Appreciation International Women’s Day provides a specific and designated moment each year to identify and celebrate the successful achievements of women. Respect Respect for others and respect for self-play an important part in forging gender equality.

opportunities as men. Today through International Women’s Day, the call for justice across the world still prevails as women seek equal treatment, conditions and opportunities to that of men. Dignity Dignity, as a value, refers to the idea that all people have the right to be valued, respected and receive ethical treatment. The word is derived from Latin dignitas meaning worthiness. Hope Hope is the feeling of expectation and

desire for a certain thing to happen. The Suffragettes campaigned tirelessly for a better world, one where they trusted that women would receive equal rights and opportunities. The Suffragettes symbolised the value of hope with the colour green. The Suffragette colours were used on banners, flags, rosettes and badges. Equality Gender equality refers to women receiving and accessing the same opportunities and benefits as men - but throughout history, women were deemed to have no place in politics.

They couldn’t stand as candidates for Parliament and they weren’t allowed to vote as it was assumed husbands would take responsibility for political matters because a woman’s role was seen to be child-rearing and taking care of the home. Collaboration Strength in numbers and voice are critical in driving change. International Women’s Day was founded on collaboration, and continues to be a key element of its power to this day. Across the world individuals and groups unite, not only to celebrate

Empathy International Women’s Day calls for global understandings about the plight of women - the challenges faced, obstacles endured and changes desired for an inclusive and progressive world. Forgiveness Throughout history women have been mistreated - and still to this day women suffer harsh and inhumane treatment through to continuing discrimination in the workplace. Focusing attention and effort on the way forward, reconciling discrimination through encouraging awareness and banding together to affect positive change is all part of what International Women’s Day stands for.

Preventing harassment and violence in the workplace

IFEOMA OKEKE

he belittling or threatening behaviour directed at an individual worker or a group of workers can make anyone unstable and affect their output at work. As today marks the International Women’s Day, there is no better time to discuss issues that affect women and workplace harassment is definitely one of such issues. Recently, matters of workplace harassment have gained interest among practitioners and researchers as it is becoming one of the most sensitive areas of effective workplace management, because a significant source of work stress is associated with aggressive behaviours at workplace. In support to help end violence at the work place, The Girl child Art Foundation, recently held a workshop discussion themed, “workplace harassment” that bothers on causes, prevention, rights, and several others. According to Adaobi OnyejikeAnanaba, founder of the Girl Child Act Foundation, “we believe that the causes of sexual harassment, gender inequality and poverty amongst women and girls, cannot be addressed without providing those affected with a voice and space to participate in decisions affecting them.

“Therefore, we understand and identify discrimination. Hence, we ensure we use friendly strategies and programs to educate girls, young women and their families on various developmental issues using all forms of artistic activities. Like dance, painting, poem, Art exhibitions and graffiti by young women and other forms of advocacy etc.” She said, “Today the centre of the discussion is to see what can we do, the causes, how can we prevent it. So this is a conversation to hear and learn from other women their views. The general essence of the workshop is to share and rub minds together to, reduce absenteeism at the work place, increase staff turnover, increase productivity, as well as increase job satisfaction and staff morale at the workplace of our beneficiaries.” Olakanmi Amoo-Onidundu, CEO, OMP Consult Ltd during his presentation said that workplace harassment is a belittling, aggressive, threatening attitude directed at humans. He revealed that based on the data on mental health statistics, one in three women and one in five men face or are involved in harassment. He also said that 11 percent of workers experience unfair treatment due to gender. Amoo-Onidundu further revealed that 20 percent of workers say they

have experienced discomfort due to sexual humour and 22 percent of workers report being physically assaulted or threatened by patients or clients. He also opined that work harassment leads to poor productivity, reduced motivation and disengagement, noting that the women are usually the victims of these situation hence the need for a preventive measure to help stop harassment. He conclusively suggested that, “Introduction and implementation of policies at the workplace will help reduce harassment at the workplace.”

Nkechi Mordi, one of the guest speakers at the workshop, she said that there are subtle ways harassment happens, and it is getting more and more wide spread. “Sexual harassment as well as work place harassment is more widespread than we are willing to acknowledge. So, Workshops like this gives us an avenue to rub minds and address these issues. She further said that there are more than enough policies put in place to address harassment but the issue is implementation of these policies. “Young girls should know that

it’s a jungle out there. You must arm yourself with knowledge and information. That’s the only way u can win this battle,” Mordi said. Olajumoke Oke public health physician vehemently spoke on the effects of harassment on victims. In her words, “harassments can have a lifelong effect on victims. It goes from physical to psychological as well as mental. It can affect ones career negatively.” She further said that Sexual harassment is of two sides, the victim and the employer. “The employer has the responsibility to protect the employee. Ideally, workplace should have policies in place that affects sexual harassment. Human resources department should ensure that those policies are put into effect and every worker should be educated on these policies and what would happen if not adhered to.” Oke said. “Another thing is to get people to support victims of harassment and prosecute the harasser effectively. Matters of harassment should be thorough investigated and followed through to see that the harasser is prosecuted and the act doesn’t continue. Women have to learn to support each other and also to speak up whenever such cases rise,” Oke added.

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Sunday 08 March 2019

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Travel New dawn for Uganda tourism

…as intra-African travel gains tractions at POATE 2020 OBINNA EMELIKE

aving invested so much in infrastructural development in the last two decades that has wooed domestic, regional and international hospitality chains and consequently lifted the country to a livable and desirable destination, Uganda is now inviting the world for a taste of her numerous offerings. From the 10 national parks that represent the beauty and diversity of the country’s dynamic array of ecosystems and wildlife, best safari and game experiences, luxurious lodges and hotels, aquatic fun on the Nile, exciting city nightlife, enthralling cultural diversities, hospitable people, amid peace and pocket-friendly offerings, Uganda has so much to offer to visitors. However, the East African country is not relenting in her efforts at creating the needed awareness of her natural endowment; hence Uganda is taking advantage of every opportunity or platform to market her tourism and goodwill to the world. One of such platforms is the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE), which has held five successful editions. Organised by Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), POATE is a tourism and trade exhibition, which brings together regional and international tour operators, travel agents, destination agencies and various players in the tourism trade to network and to facilitate tourism business with Uganda’s own domestic tourism trade that is composed of largely the tour operators, the hoteliers, conservationists and the government. However, POATE has come of age. The fifth edition, which held from February 4-6, 2020, at the magnificent lakeside Speke Resort Munyonyo, was refreshed and also ushered in a new dawn for the tourism and trade exhibition. Obviously, this year’s edition was probably the largest POATE to date, going by the high level of attendance. With over 200 slots for domestic players and exhibitors all booked out, more than 57 hosted buyers from across the world, several international

media, and more than enough familiarization trips across all the national parks and other attractions in Uganda, POATE 2020 truly set standards subsequent editions have to build on. According to UTB, “Those who attended the 4th edition will notice that POATE 2020 is now bigger- nearly twice the number of exhibitors and thrice the number of hosted buyers with a richer mix from African and overseas players. We also have players from emerging tourism markets- emerging for Africa, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, China- who thankfully are already our big trading partners”. Notably, POATE 2020 featured series of mutually beneficial business to business and business to consumer engagements that resulted in hundreds of business relationships as well as hundreds of thousands of tourists and most importantly, hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to everybody involved in the chain. Again, the theme of this year’s edition was in line with the desire of Uganda to connect more with tourists and travel related businesses within the continent and also outside the continent. Aptly themed, ‘Promoting Intra-Africa Travel’, the theme, according to UTB, is aimed at raising Uganda’s profile as a preferred destination in the region and internationally. Also, UTB is committed to actualizing the theme, especially as outbound traffic from Africa in 2018 reached 42 million with four out of every five tourists, travel within their region and more Africans are likely to travel and do travel within their regions. With the POATE’s new dawn, Uganda, which has existing ties and is already doing business in Africa, hopes to double efforts at wooing more African arrivals and reap from the benefits of African integration, especially the EAC Tourist Visa and the upcoming African Continental Free Trade Area (AFTA) that will open up more African borders, skies and more opportunities to cooperate rather than compete. Of course, Lilly Ajarova, CEO, Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), is excited that her country is positioning for the right things and at the

right occasions. She was happy that her country was able to host and impress the world for many days with breathtaking natural endowments, hospitality and peace of mind. For her, POATE is the right platform to truly connect for success in anything the participants are doing. Explaining the rationale for the exhibition, the UTB CEO said, “We are basically through this creating an opportunity for our domestic tourism players to connect to the rest of the world, so as to showcase what we have to offer as Uganda and in so doing, help the world to discover Uganda, the Pearl of Africa”. “POATE is an experiential awareness creating knowledge, familiarity and believability through involvement and creating real life experience” she added. Considering the fact Africa outbound travel reached 42 million in 2018 and the continent currently receives a little over 6 percent of the global tourism traffic, the organisers noted the expo was aimed at gathering stakeholders to network and collaborate in driving up the tourist numbers across the continent. The need to grow tourist numbers also necessitated the choice of the theme for this year’s event. For the UTB CEO, the theme is unique and was chosen with a clear understanding of what it will be for destination Uganda and the continent at large. For Daudi Migereko, board chairman, UTB, it was exciting see-

ing many people, travel businesses, exhibitors, government representatives and media connect, discover and showcase Uganda to the world for three days. He noted that with the current figures, Uganda’s tourism is on a positive growth trajectory and UTB’s aim is to sustain the growth. POATE, according to him, amplifies the opportunities for Uganda to market itself as a competitive tourism destination. Exhibitors also had impressive outing at the fair going by the many deals they sealed, MoUs signed, among other opportunities. Earlier at the official opening ceremony of POATE 2020, Yoweri Museveni , president of Uganda, who was represented by Ali Moses, Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister, lauded tourism’s contribution to the Ugandan economy, stating that as a leading revenue generator, the sector is responsible for over $1.6 billion in foreign exchange earnings and contributes 8 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. The President disclosed that the tourism sector “is creating a great number of jobs in the services industry like hotels, transport among others and with the restoration of Uganda Airlines, visitors numbers will be shored up as the airline continues to expand its routes. One of the highlights of the three-day exhibition was the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Uganda Airlines and Uganda Tourism Board on

collaboration in promotion of destination Uganda. Of course, the familiarization trips across the national parks and other attractions in the country were the major highlights for those who participated in the enthralling exploration of Ugandan landscape through tours. While UTB believes that AFTA will build on existing initiatives like the East African Tourist Visa to further enhance the value of tourism to Africa, it also noted that to win in the new age, knowledge is going to be key, hence it organised a number of knowledge and best practices sharing and networking sessions on key subjects at POATE 2020. From topics like sustainable tourism development, sustainable tour operations & accommodation, accessibility within and to Africa, transport & connectivity and to emerging global trends in tourism & hospitality, the participants benefited from the insightful discussions led by seasoned speakers and industry experts. At the POATE 2020 closing ceremony, which held at Serena Hotel Kampala, Lilly Ajarova, CEO, Uganda Tourism Board, commended the UTB team for their individual and collective sacrifices that resulted in the successful fifth edition, despite having few months to plan for the event. “It is our sincere hope, that this refreshed POATE does create genuine and real business opportunities and set a foundation for even bigger things to come”, Ajarova concluded.

Corona Virus: How does this affect your travel plans?

ith the Corona virus Disease (COVID-19), many travellers are confused about their travel plans. It has had a major effect on the global travel industry, hardest hit has so far been the trillion-dollar corporate travel industry. Kahera Travels strongly believe that knowledge is power. It appreciates that it may be somewhat churlish to talk about travel packages for the upcoming Easter holiday but we have to remember that holidays are so vital to healthy work-life balance and give travellers, families and couples a chance to recharge. That is why it is imperative to equip oneself with verified facts about the developing situation with COVID-19 as it aids in

dispelling fears. Globetrotters should be well informed about the virus and take the necessary preventive measures that would enable them to avoid the flu and other illnesses. Here are Kahera Travels’ top travel tips: Travel decision is a personal decision: Ultimately, the decision is yours; we suggest that travellers take extra precautions or steer clear of heavily impacted areas with a high reported case of COVID-19. Various countries have advised against non-essential travel to China. If you are sick, stay at home: Nothing is more important than your health, so if you are sick, please stay

home and contact your doctor. Research: Familiarise yourself with the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), your local health professional, airlines/travel agents; in case of flight disruptions. Do not wear masks: This is a false sense of security and the World Health Organisation (WHO) advises that you only wear a mask when coughing or sneezing, looking after a sick person and are only effective when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcoholbased hand rub or soap and water. Do not touch your face: Ensure your hands are fully sanitized before touching your face as that is one of the quickest ways for the virus to spread,

especially when wearing a mask as you would need to adjust it often. Stay in contact with your airline/ travel agent: Be sure the airline and your travel agent have your contact details should any change occur. Travel Insurance: Due to the ongoing situation with the virus, be sure to protect yourself with the relevant upgraded travel insurance in case of last minute cancellations as most travel insurance options do not cover an outbreak of a virus. There have been no official travel bans to certain countries apart from non-essential travel to China, extra precautions to affected countries such as Italy and Iran. This virus should not deter you from booking that all

important vacation. Your favourite destinations are still very available for you to enjoy. The WHO advises you to continue with your travel plans but take extra measures regarding hygiene. Destinations with a lower population density: beach holiday or close to the sea (as the air has 100 times less germs than in a city center) is still a fantastic option! Top travel destinations for Easter vacations: Kahera Travels has excellent travel packages to top beach destinations such as: South Africa: Cape Town, Durban; Mauritius; Kenya, Lamu Island; Cape Verde; Dubai and Barbados (most of the Caribbean).

Sunday 08 March 2020

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BDSUNDAY 29

Travel

How Coronavirus is disrupting travel plans globally IFEOMA OKEKE with Associated Press

he fast-spreading coronavirus is forcing travellers to reconsider their trips. As of Wednesday, the virus has sickened more than 92,000 people and 3,100 have died. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding all nonessential travel to China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, and says older adults or those with chronic medical conditions should postpone travel to Japan. In response to this new reality, some airlines and hotels are adjusting their usual cancellation fees. And more people are beefing up their travel insurance coverage. For the airlines, the situation is fluid and flight cancellations and policies differ, so travellers should check airlines’ web sites for updated information. Most major airlines — including Delta, Emirates, Lufthansa, United and American —- have suspended flights to mainland China through the end of April. Some have also suspended flights to Hong Kong, while others are flying there but

on reduced schedules. Airlines have also reduced or suspended some flights to Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and northern Italy. Delta and American have suspended service to Milan through the end of April. Delta’s summer flights between New York and Venice, which usually begin April 1, have been pushed back to May 1. Airlines will refund money for cancelled flights, waive change fees for one-time itinerary changes or let customers use the value of the ticket toward future travel. But watch the fine print: If travellers switch to a flight this summer, for example, they could be charged the difference in the

fare between their old flight and the new flight. To ease travellers’ minds, some airlines — including British Airways, Delta, United, JetBlue and American — are waiving future change fees for tickets bought in the next two weeks. Cruise Ships: Cruise lines have been moving Asia-based ships to other destinations such as Australia and Alaska and are turning away potential travelers who have recently travelled in Iran, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Macau, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group. Some cruise lines, including Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, are also denying boarding to pas-

sengers who traveled through northern Italy. Cancellation policies vary. Royal Caribbean says U.S. guests on cruises in Asia departing before March 23 can rebook their trips to a later date with no penalty. Guests who can’t board because they have traveled in certain regions will get refunds, Royal Caribbean said. Norwegian Cruise Lines is letting guests transfer a reservation to another cruise up to 60 days prior to departure for cruises sailing on or before June 30. It usually requires changes 120 days before departure. Those who decide not to sail can transfer the reservation to someone else up to 45 days before departure. Hotels: Big hotel chains are waiving cancellation fees for guests who had planned to travel to or from affected areas. Marriott which has temporarily closed 90 of its 375 hotels in China — is waiving cancellation fees through March 15 for hotels in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Italy. Guests travelling from those countries can also cancel without a fee. Hilton has closed 150 hotels in China due to the virus. It is waiving cancellation fees for China, South Korea and Saudi

Arabia through March 31 and Italy through March 8. Hyatt has waived cancellation fees through March 31 for hotels and guests in China, South Korea, Japan and Italy. Home sharing: Airbnb is letting travellers going to and from China cancel their reservations without a penalty through April 1. Fees will also be waived for guests traveling to or from South Korea through March 9. The company says it will also waive cancellation fees in other locations if government or health authorities restrict access to cities, if flights are canceled or if guests are diagnosed with COVID-19 or suspect they could be ill. Travel Insurance: More people who are sticking to their travel plans are paying extra for the right to get reimbursed after cancelling a trip for any reason. InsureMyTrip said there has been a 60 percent spike in ‘cancel for any reason’ riders since late January, shortly before the World Health Organization called the outbreak a global health emergency. Any-reason policies usually reimburse buyers for 50 percent to 75 percent of the non-refundable cost of their trip. They generally must be purchased at the same time the buyer pays for the trip, or soon after.

NANTA’s 44th AGM to focus on leveraging national carrier for tourism, economic development ..as foreign airlines see 20% decline in passenger traffic IFEOMA OKEKE

he National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents, (NANTA) is set to hold its 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM) where it will critically look at the subject ‘National Carrier: A remedy to tourism and economic development’, which forms the theme of its AGM in Kano. At the event which will hold on March 25th to 27th, 2020, the agency will also be looking at the role of the aviation industry in Nigeria’s economic development and the impact of technology on travel business and the emerging tourism sector. Speaking during a press conference to announce NANTA’s elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, Bankole Bernard, president of NANTA said as drivers of the down-

stream sector of the aviation industry and critical facilitators of tourism end posts, NANTA shall look at how tax policies affect the agency’s interventions and presence, with a view of birthing new narratives on our very pioneering engagements and its ability to generate visible employment profile, given a workable tax regime with a human face. “Our AGM in Kano promises to live up to our established protocols in terms of quality attendance and discussions on notable industry issues. “With respect to the Coronavirus and other health related matters raging across the world, NANTA supports the very systematic approach of the health organizations and the Aviation agencies at our airports. We also commend the airlines for standing strong at a period like this despite operational challenges initiated to address and halt the spread.

“As professionals, we have advised our members to consider the safety and health of any intending passengers in all travel solutions they proffer and share information to all intending passengers in order to guide them where necessary,” Bernard said. He stressed that at the AGM, the agency hopes to launch an awarenessprogrammedrivenbythe World Health Organization and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Management to disperse information which is critical to managing the situation. “We are looking to set up a special call line to help those who want to reach out to NANTA on the issue, as it affects their travel to high-risk countries. I am using this opportunity to thank Aliko Dangote who donated 200 Million Naira to the government to help address any impact and prevention of the outbreak,” he added. The NANTA president disclosed that Nigeria’s aviation sector has seen about 20 percent decline in passenger traffic as a result of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Bernard said since the spread of the Coronavirus from China, the travel industry has been affected especially because Nigeria is an import driven country but Nigerians however are now diverting to other countries such as Turkey to import their goods.

Emirates SkyCargo, Accuity set new standards in global trade compliance

mirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, announced that it is working with Accuity, one of the leading global providers of financial crime compliance, payments and Know Your Customer (KYC) solutions, to help automate and streamline its regulatory compliance screening operations, increase efficiency and improve the speed of service to its customers. Emirates Sky Cargo has implemented Firco Trade Compliance, an Accuity solution that efficiently screens shipment documentation (such as airway bills) against sanctions, dual-use goods and regulatory watch lists, within a single interface. The new solution enhances Emirates SkyCargo’s current process, enabling the business to automate approximately six million compliance checks each month. This will significantly improve efficiency, while enabling Emirates to uphold the extremely high compliance standards that sit at the heart of its ethos. Henrik Ambak, Emirates Senior Vice President, Cargo

Operations Worldwide said, “Our top priority is to continue to adhere to regulatory requirements and manage our screening obligations accurately. Working with Accuity has enabled us to screen our very high volumes of shipments more efficiently ensuring that we comply with all international regulations.” Firco Trade Compliance is an award-winning solution that was originally developed to enable banks to detect sanctions risks in trade finance transactions. Through collaborative innovation with clients, Accuity has adapted the offering to cater to the freight industry’s large-scale and highly complex operational requirements. Cargo operators are responsible for conducting due diligence on the parties and items involved in every shipment they facilitate. This includes verifying the legitimacy of the sender and recipient, checking for dual-use or controlled goods (for example, those that could have a military purpose), and ensuring the shipment is not going to or coming from a prohibited location.

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Perspective

Ndigbo in search of capable leadership (3) gerians, while presenting this Igbo, to help us decipher him. The Yoruba said in 1999 that they wanted a Nigerian president of Yoruba extraction and Nigerians helped them produce President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. His emergence healed the wounds of June 12. A Nigerian president of Igbo origin is what Ndigbo want. We are not saying he’s going to develop Igboland. He might come and refuse to develop Igboland. But in life, perception is as strong as reality. So, if you allow the Igbo man to rule, it will address his perceived exclusion and marginalisation.

UCHE OKWUKWU

The King Jaja approach digbo must go back and understudy the negotiation skills of King Jaja of Opobo, 1821-1891. We might think that we are disadvantaged but it is not true. We’ve had Igbo slaves who negotiated themselves to freedom, wealth and prominence. You can be a slave and move yourself to the ladder of a king, depending on how you handle your negotiations. King Jaja was born in Amaigbo and sold into slavery; finally finding himself in Bonny. But the interesting thing is that he was hard working and determined to secure a future for himself and his people. In order to do this, he did not completely isolate himself from the indigenous Igbani people of the Bonny Island. He had allies among them. Finally, when he decided to found a homeland for himself, he left with even Igbani people who agreed with his own ideals of freedom. Therefore, he reduced confrontation against himself. The Igbo leader of today must learn how to negotiate in times of victory and defeat. A leader must be conscious of the complex nature of his environment. At no time must he take his people to war (the battle field) as the loss is always enormous and huge in terms of men, resources, opportunities and finance. The Equiano approach Olaudah Equiano, 1745-1797, was an exemplary Igbo leader who committed class suicide to free his people. Unlike King Jaja, he was unfortunate to cross the Middle Passage into the Western Hemisphere as a young slave. For a ten-year-old Igbo child finding himself in a hostile white environment, he worked hard manually and intellectually to regain his freedom. The means to freedom, he was smart to realise, were money and literacy. So while saving every farthing to buy his freedom from his master, he also taught himself to read and write. The point is, on purchasing his freedom in 1766 Equiano did not turn his back on his fellow enslaved and endangered Africans. He confronted slavery through superiority of argument as an abolitionist and man of substance. Rather than conforming to the preferences of the English Middle Class to which he belonged, he worked against its morality that thrived on slavery and black exploitation. His classic, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano;” as well as his activities as member of Sons of Africa, an abolitionist movement, helped in no small measure in the passage of the British Slave Trade Act of 1807 that ended the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. The 21st Century slavery could be sports betting, fraud, baby factory, etc. Who is speaking out against these ills? Igbo traders lock up their stores during business hours for evangelisation while customers waited. Who is telling them that such action would speed up their displacements by the Chinese and Indians? China Cities will soon

Nnia Nwodo expand to Igbo business districts to cater for unappreciated customers. Today’s Igbo leader must toe the line of Equiano by speaking out against debilitating practices capable of destroying the will to work and invest in young Igbos. He must encourage our market leaders to abolish the gambling table and evangelization tent in our markets. In collaboration with our market leaders, Ohanaeze must canvass for the establishment of the Nwodibo School. Fulanis have their Nomadic Education and Muslims the Almajiri School funded by the Federal Government. Likewise, our own Nwodibo School, to cater for the formal education of the barely educated Igbo apprentice, must be funded by Aso Rock. The Buhari approach The Igbo leader must be willing to accommodate those whom he presumed to be more intelligent than him. He must have the qualities of President Muhammadu Buhari who, though has no university degree, took the best minds from across the country to be his running mates. Only very few would like to work with those who are more “educated” than them. First, he picked Chuba Okadigbo, former Senate president and university lecturer. Second, Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, lawyer and former speaker of the House of Representatives. Third, Tunde Bakare, erudite lawyer. And fourth, Yemi Osinbajo, a professor of law and Senior Ad-

vocate of Nigeria (SAN). How many people would like to bring these calibre of men on board? Very few persons would like to bring a professor of law, when they are not lawyers, to work with without thinking of being cheated. We say kudos to Buhari. He has qualities lacking in his opponents. The Igbo leader must be patient and consistent. Again, He must learn from Buhari who was patient and consistent running for elections four consecutive times before winning. Ndigbo should not be in a hurry. That we did not get it today does not mean we cannot get it tomorrow. How many Igbos would run for the presidency four times before getting it? They would chicken out and say, “Oh, Nigeria hates the Igbo man and that is why they don’t want to give it to us.” But did Buhari say that Nigeria hated him? He was patient, firm and resolute. He didn’t say that the world hated him. The moment you say that people hated you then you’re finished. The famous Igbo Bongo musician called Saro Wiwa sang thus, and it is important Ndigbo listen: “Iweiweiwe/Iweiweiweonuma oh/ Iweiweiwe/ Iweiweiweonuma oh/ Okankemmereya/ Okolankeomeremweremiwe?” If you are crying over what I did to you, have you also cried over what you did to me? So, when Nnia Nwodo and Ndigbo say that Buhari hates them, have they also said what they did to Buhari? This is a man who in 2015 wrote

to the Ohanaeze leadership that he wanted to come and discuss his presidential ambition but was rebuffed. In 2019 Atiku Abubakar was adopted by Ohanaeze the very day Buhari was in Onitsha to commission the Zik Mausoleum. What an insult. He was in Igboland to honour Zik but that was the day Nwodo decided to adopt Abubakar. So, we must revert our minds to Saro Wiwa’s music. You fight a man because he’s Fulani but when he fights you back you begin to complain. We must be patient with Buhari. Righteousness of Igbo Presidency I asked Buhari when I met him in Aba and Aso Rock if the Igbo man deserved to have a bite of the cherry. It is incumbent on him to ensure that an Igbo man succeeds him. A Nigerian president of Igbo extraction will restore national confidence in addition to healing the wounds of the war. Right now, the Igbo believe they are excluded. The Ijaw man can never again say he’s excluded because he has ruled Nigeria. If you rule Nigeria and you cannot help yourself then who will do it for you? Nigerians should allow the Igbo man rule. But we must be careful. The Igbo to rule Nigeria must not be the Igbo of the South East. A Nigerian president of Igbo extraction could come from Rivers, Delta, the Igbanke of Edo, the South East or Akwa Ibom. We must allow Ni-

Conclusion I draw the attention of Ndigboto the activities of Igbo political merchants who masquerade as Igbo leaders in Abuja. They reap political appointments and multibillion naira contracts bargaining with their people’s miseries. Armed police protecting them tolerate other Nigerians while scaring away ordinary Igbos, on instructions. The last person your Igbo federal appointee would like to see is the ubiquitous young Igbo who beg, flatter, smile at every joke and shut their eyes to insult to get a recommendation letter for employment, to paraphrase WEB du Bois. But the moment Aso Rock turns these political merchants away empty handed, they rent the air with cries of Igbo marginalisation. There is a total lack of sympathy for the struggling unemployed Igbo graduate by today’s Igbo leader. This is so because the latter does not even live among his people while in power. When a leader does not live with his people, he hardly knows their problems. The Yoruba girl goes home to see her leader who is a federal appointee. But who does the Igbo girl turn to even after taking the risk coming to Asokoro to see her own leader only to be turned away ignominiously? Our envisaged Igbo leader, therefore, must show genuine sympathy for his suffering race. In Abuja he must be courageous enough to stop in his haste and ask in Igbo, just as his Hausa and Yoruba counterparts do, “Onwereonye choro Ihum? Bia ka anyikpaa.” He should ask in Igbo, “Who wants to see me? Come and let’s talk.” Whoever the Igbo bring out of Imo as the next President-General of Ohanaeze in 2021 must be one who is a product of the people. He must be humble enough to realise that his personal vision could be at variance with that of his people. So, he must consult them to know what they want. But if indeed he has a dream, such must emanate from Ndigbo and not the other way round. For instance, you don’t wake up one morning and say that what your people wanted was an airport and start building one when there is no road. No. First build roads and develop the people. There must be a middle class and upper class to use the airport else it becomes a white elephant project. DimmUcheOkwukwu is secretary-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. Phone: 080 3708 7483. Email: uokwukwu@yahoo.com.

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BDSUNDAY 31

Feature

Despite global campaigns, implementation of gender equality still work in progress Continued from Page 1 way to go. From the report, worst countries for gender equality, ranked by perception, using the gender equality metric has only two African countries in the top 10 and they include Morocco and Egypt. This, however, does not presuppose that other African countries are not lagging behind in embracing equality. There is no denying the fact that progress is being made but the momentum needs to increase and not merely accelerated during International Women’s Day celebrations or other days in the year when women are celebrated. It should be a continuous exercise. All around the world, majority agree that despite the slow progress, the desired result has been worryingly slow. Do you know that regardless of the activism and sensitisation, there is no country in the world that has attained gender equality? There are obstacles, such as tradition and misconception that ‘women should be seen and not heard’. Sadly, women do quite well but many are unrecognised, some suffer ferocity at home and work, many, through their horrid experiences misunderstand the path of feminism and misconstrue its essence as a way out of being maltreated. “The potential of the African continent is intrinsically linked with the potential of its women and we must work together to ensure that this potential is realised”, said Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi. It therefore, means that for a nation to thrive, women cannot be neglected. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, complete gender parity across the world is still about 100 years away. The Global Gender Gap Index has been measuring the extent of gender-based gaps among four key dimensions and they include: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The 2020 report targets 153 countries and gives classifications that allow for operational comparisons across and within the stipulated areas. The report states that globally, the average (populationweighted) distance completed to parity is at 68.6 percent, and as such, till date, there is still a 31.4 percent average gender gap that remains to be closed globally. It also shows that the largest gender disparity is the political empowerment gap. This cannot

be far from the truth as in Nigeria, the ratio of men to women in governance and leadership is desolately lopsided. For instance, there are only seven female senators in the National Assembly (out of 109) and 10 women in the House of Representative (out of 360). Some see this as a ‘welcome development’ after all; the numbers have not been this “good’. All is not bleak as the report shows that in terms of economic participation and opportunity, Nigeria, despite ranking 128 among 153 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index 2020 rankings, is one of the countries listed to have improved. Others include Cape Verde, Mali, Sierra Leone and Indonesia. They all improved their performance by 5 percent and beyond. The report further states that in 2020, the Global Gender Gap score (based on the populationweighted average) stands at 68.6 percent. It therefore means that, on middling, the fissure is narrower, and the remaining opening to close is now 31.4 percent. There is a lot to be done in closing up on gender gaps if we ever dream of its actualisation. Among others, the government and companies must take lead in charting this course. “Companies must treat people with dignity and respect and offer equal opportunities to all members of the society, leveraging gender diversity and investing in all of their talent

through on-going up-skilling and reskilling”, Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman, World Economic Forum, said. He further added, “Governments must create policies that provide talent development, integration and deployment opportunities for all genders, diversify the leadership pool and provide support to families and caregivers, in both youthful and ageing societies alike.” In closing gender gaps, Ibukun Awosika, chairman, First Bank Plc and founder/CEO, Chair Group, has said there is a lot going on in terms of getting women on to boards, either by deliberate policy decisions or choices made by the institutions themselves. She therefore, in agreement with Klaus, submitted that it is in the interest of institutions to have diversity on their boards to the best that they can. “You can’t be looking at issues from a 180 degrees view, you need a 360 degree view to look at matters and except you have men and women together at the table, you can never have a 360 degree view on anything because we look at things differently”, Ibukun said. There have been various submissions globally on the importance of girl child education which presupposes that getting a girl educated is a positive walk towards the path of achieving equality. “Issues like girl child education begin to really affect the

ability of women to progress because if in the first place you are not given an equal opportunity at education, your chances are already affected,” Adepeju Adebajo, CEO, Lumos Nigeria, said. However, in an article by Funmi Para-Mallam, a professor of Gender and Development Studies, she begged to differ. Her article draws on empirical qualitative data from interviews with educated Nigerian women, religious leaders and principal actors in women’s rights groups to demonstrate that merely increasing female access to education is an incomplete development strategy for reducing gender inequality. According to her, “This is owing to the strong influence of pervasive cultural and religious gender bias.” Her article employed a redemptive‐movement hermeneutic within a Christian faith ethic to argue for a critical interrogation of sexist interpretations of biblical texts. It concludes with culturally sensitive and practical action steps within the education sector to promote a gender‐friendly learning environment and more equitable outcomes. Obviously, there is a lot to be done in closing the gender gap, which according to Abimbola Ogunbanjo, president of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, “Will lead to an additional 1.25 percent growth in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while equally improving national productivity.”

It is his opinion that if we joined the committee of nations in the attainment of sustainable development goals, closing gender gaps would be vital to creating equitable and fair access to economic resources. For Abimbola, “Solving the challenge of gender equality in Nigeria requires a multi-dimensional approach, which includes education and awareness, national policies on gender issues, setting specific diversity goals for businesses, mentorships and access to networks”. Given the statistics on global and local reports, despite the slowly increasing momentum on the importance of women inclusion, gender balance or equality, the result of a gender balanced society can only be achieved if everyone collectively champions this course whether male or female. The commonwealth has stated that there is now broad support for tackling gender inequality through the adoption of gender-responsive budgeting. The Commonwealth says that this tool can be used to analyse the impacts of spending on men, women, boys and girls to promote gender equality and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of national policy implementation and public expenditure. However, while progress has been made to increase women’s participation, many countries are still falling short of global targets to close the gender gap.

32 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Kiddies ngnwaogu@yahoo.co.uk

Proprietress urges pupils to embrace sports …As Goldenline schools hold inter house sports competition Ngozi Okpalakunne

hildren have been advised to show interest in sports as it encourages physical activity and could be a source of livelihood in the nearest future. Speaking at the 6th biannual inter house sports competition of Goldenline Schools, Ajah, Lagos, the proprietress of the school, Helen Nkwo also stressed the need for parents to encourage their children to participate in sports activities, adding that such effort will help the young ones discover their talents in sports early in life. Highlighting importance of inter house sports competition, Nkwo explained that it encourages higher standards of achievement, adding: “It is only natural to apply more effort when the stakes are higher and less effort when the outcome is of less importance. With greater effort in sport comes greater improvement in a variety of different areas like skills, fitness, teamwork and potentially awards. “It encourages physical activity. It is obviously possible to participate in physical activity in a noncompetitive environment and many people do so on a regular basis. However, in a competitive environment, students will often

push themselves harder in training and in matches. This extra effort results in improved fitness levels as well as extending an individual’s boundaries about their perception of what they are physically capable of.” According to her, “It builds discipline and improve goal .Competitive sport amongst students requires dedicated training and practice. Setting part in such training and seeing improvement helps students to understand that with hard work, often comes results. When they experience these improvements, their self-esteem grows and they broaden their limitations of what they can achieve. Goal setting is also an important part of competitive sports. “Inter house sports competition teaches how to lose well and deal with disappointment .Losing well is a skill best learnt early and learnt well. Competitive sport is the perfect place to develop this skill as many students are at an age where they are maturing and deciding what type of person they want to be. Engraining good sportsmanship early can ensure students carry these good practices across every aspect of their lives and into their adulthood. Equally as important is teaching students to win gracefully in competitive stake are high and emotions are invested.”

Nkwo further said: “Inter house competition builds teamwork spirit. Team sports are one of the best examples to showcase the need for teamwork to achieve success. Regular training and competition provides regular community bonding.” On the standard of education in Nigeria, she observed that the sector was beset with myriads of problems which according to her include, poor funding, poor educational infrastructures, inadequate classrooms, teaching aids, paucity of quality teachers and polluted learning environment. In addition to these inadequacies, she said that most school system is plagued with numerous social vices such as examination malpractices, cultism, hooliganism and corruption. For visible development to take place in the educational sector, she stressed the need for government to re-address the issue of funding. “Private educational investors, teachers, parents/ guidance and students/ pupils need a reorientation towards achieving the goals of education. Also education must be made affordable for all and sundry. Technical education and innovation/ adaptation centers must be encouraged and well funded, government and the organised private sector must as well

Proprietress Goldenline Schools Ajah, Helen Nkwo, presenting a trophy to captain of Marigold -Yellow house, the winner of the 6th biannual inter sports competition of the Schools held recently in Lagos.

fund research programmes just as it has been seen in foreign countries”, Nkwo added. On the other hand, she noted that the current technologies have brought massive transformation in the educational system. In her words: “We have moved from black board and chalk to marker board and even interactive boards. Some years back we only had the Nigerian curriculum in schools, but private schools and diplomatic schools emerged and introduced foreign curriculums which most schools have now adopted. Today, we have more opportunities for teacher training, some even go abroad to study and return for schools who are really in for excellence. So, education today is better than before”. Considering the impact of social media on the young ones, the educationist said: “As good as social media is, it also has its bad sides. It is a source of distraction to many Nigerian children who ought to be studying.

Students designed recycled art

s part of efforts to combat the effect of plastic pollution globally, year 7 Integrated and International students and year 10 British studentsofCalebInternational School Lagos, have designed a recycled Art titled, ‘Endangered species under water and plastic pollution’. The project is the school’s entry for the DSWF’s Global Canvas 2020 that will be displayed at the Natural History Museum, London in March 2020. A statement signed by an Art teacher, Caleb British International School, Lagos, Olusegun Adeniyi, said the school worked collaboratively to complete the project so as to help put the arts at the heart of education, inspiring their students to create and participate in high quality artistic experience (SDG 4). “We are helping our students to develop the 21st century skills which include; creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration as well as how to protect the

L-r) Prince Olusegun Adeniyi, Daniella Ayeyemi, Portia Ogbuja, Osaretin Daniel and Morenike with their 3D recycled Artwork

lives on the planet”, it added. “The school is taking climate action (SDG 13) towards protecting the underwater endangered species (SDG 14. Life below the water) by creating a recycled 3D artwork through STEAM to campaign against plastic pollutionandencouragingeveryone toreducetheuseofplastic.The artwork is to call attention to pollution crisis in the oceans and how it affects the endangered species under water”. Quoting global report, the release stated: “Globally,

100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of plastic pollution. This includes whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions. “There have been so many records of how plastic pollution affects the marine lives: A beached whale found in the Philippines recently died with 88 pounds of plastic trash inside its body, an unusually large amount even by the grim standardsofwhatisacommon threat to marine wildlife. Seabirds are starving to death on the remote Lord

Jokes Q: What does a cloud wear under his raincoat? A: Thunderwear. Q: What did the traffic light say to the car? A: Don’t look. I’m about to change. Q: What did the fisherman say to the magician? A: Pick a cod, any cod. Q: What did the snowman say to the other snowman? A: Do you smell carrots? Q: Why can’t Cinderella play soccer? A: Because she’s always running away from the ball. Q: Why can’t you give Elsa a balloon? A: She will Let It Go. Q: Did you hear about the kidnapping in the park? A: They woke him up. Q: Why is there a fence around a cemetery? A: People are dying to get in. Q: What music frightens balloons? A: Pop music. Q: How does Darth Vader like his toast? A: On the dark side. Q: What room doesn’t have doors? A: A mushroom. Q: What do you say when you lose a Wii game? A: I want a Wii-match. Q: What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common? A: The same middle name.

Howe Island, a crew filming for the BBC one documentary Drowning in Plastic has revealed. “Their stomachs were so full of plastic there was no room for food. Plastic pollution has killed half a million hermit crabs, study says… Kelsey Vlamis, BBC News, 5 December 2019. “From reports we gathered, if we continue dumping plastic in the sea at the present rate, measured by weight, there will be more plastic than fish by 2050. If we all can take action, we could help to preserve, protect, and restore the world’s oceans and aquatic resources”. To take action against plastic pollution, the statement gave the following tips: Recycle everything you can; use your own cutlery, food containers and keep cups when getting takeaway, rather than using disposable alternatives; participate in beach or community clean-ups and ;tell the waiter to ‘hold the straw’ when purchasing drinks.

Q: Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants? A: In case he got a hole in one. Q: What did the policeman say to his belly button? A: You’re under a vest. Q: Why is Peter Pan always flying? A: Because he never lands. Q: How do you make a tissue dance? A: Put a little boogie in it. Q: Why was the broom late? A: It over-swept. The 137 Most Hilarious Jokes for Kids

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BDSUNDAY 33

SundayBusiness Healthy steps of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

utrition, described as “the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth” is an important aspect of human life. But it is often taken for granted. Its effects become obvious when people fall ill from preventable causes, especially those related to inadequate intake of quality, yet cheap and available food items. That brings to mind the popular quote by Hippocrates, the famous 5th Century Greek physician. He stated that: “May your food be your medicine and your medicine your food”. Indeed, if we eat right everyday, we would spend less money, time and resources visiting the hospital to be treated for one ailment or the other. As reflected in my upcoming book: ‘Food for Health-Eat Right, Every Day’, good, nutritious food is undoubtedly man’s most basic need, ranking above shelter and clothing. It is man’s constant contract with life. Simply put, we

cannot do without it because it is the fuel that powers the body for everyday’s activities. And it is essential for growth and all-round health too. Promoting this within our country’s context therefore, is the cardinal objective of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN). So far, it is the only and largest gathering of stakeholders in Nutrition in Nigeria. It is a professional, non-governmental association founded in 1963 at the University of Ibadan. Amongst its laudable aims is to promote and foster the study and practice of nutrition in its widest sense. Similarly, it provides a commonforumforNutritionistsand Public Health professionals to liaise and co-operate with universities, research institutes and government departments. Others include national commissions, corporate organisations and similar bodies for the exchange of professional and relevant information in the promotion of Nutrition, and National Development. For instance, on annual basis the NSN invites nutritionists, dietitians, food scientists and related professionals for its Annual General Meeting. These erudite professionals come from tertiary institutions, health institutions, research institutes, government ministries and agencies. Some grace the important event from industries, organized private sector and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Fo r i t s 4 9 t h A n n u a l General Meeting and Scientific Conference which held at NAF Conference Centre, Abuja from the 10th to 13th September, 2019 the theme of the Conference was the“Promotion of Nutrition for Sustainable Development:

Current Trends and Innovations”. To underscore the importance of adequate nutrition to a country such as Nigeria, the Sub-themes included: ‘Infant and Young Child Feeding in Nigeria: Challenges and prospects’, ‘School Age and Adolescent Nutrition’, ‘Maternal Nutrition and Health as well as Geriatric Nutrition: Neglected or Forgotten?’ The problem with our eating habits, however include the fact that we sometimes do not choose wisely, when it has to do with what to eat and in the right combination. Too often we look down on some important food items, especially fruits, nuts and vegetables, not knowing the significant functions they perform to keep us healthy, hale and hearty. Such ignorance undermines our overall wellbeing. For instance, UNICEF with its Unite For Children Initiative has over the decades, raised concerns over the prevailing malnutrition of under-5 children in Nigeria. These are characterized by stunting, wasting , low mental acuity arising from deficiencies of micronutrients such as iron, iodine, calcium magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and zinc in their daily diets. UNICEF insists that “malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause of 45 percent of all deaths of under-five children. Nigeria has the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 32 percent of children under five years of age. Seven percent of women of childbearing age also suffer from acute malnutrition”. In addition, here in Nigeria, 37 per cent of children, or 6 million children, are stunted (chronicallymalnourished or low height for age), more than half

of them severely. In addition, 18 percent of children suffer from wasting (acutely malnourished or low weight for height), half of themseverely. Twenty-nine per cent of children are underweight (both acutely and chronically malnourishedor low weight for age), almost half of them severely. Trends in stunting (low height for age) prevalence MICS 2007, MICS 2011 and DHS 2013). Stunting prevalence remained relatively stable between 2007 and2013, whereas wasting has increased significantly, from 10 per centin 2011 to 18 per cent in 2013. Although underweight rates were stablebetween 2007 and 2011 at around 25 per cent, the rate increasedslightly to 29 per cent in 2013. It has also identified disparities in malnutrition related to various backgroundcharacteristics are significant in Nigeria, but are often morepronounced for stunting. Children from rural areas are almosttwice as likely to be stunted than children from urban areas. Its observation goes further to state that “a child whose mother has no education is four times more likelyto be stunted than a child whose mother has secondary or highereducation. Children from the poorest 20 per cent of householdsare also four times more likely to be stunted than children fromthe wealthiest 20 per cent of households”. The NSN should therefore, be commended for considering thematically relevant topics during its Annual Conference in 2019 such as ‘Micronutrient Deficiency and Control in Nigeria: Current Strategies and Challenges’,‘Social and Behavioural Changes for Improved Nutrition’ as well as ‘Information and Communication

TechnologyforImprovedNutrition’. One’s candid observation however, is that the NSN should ensure that it is not seen as an elitist organization. It should do much more in engaging our politicians in government at the federal, state and local council levels. It should go on mass public enlightenment, in partnership with NAFDAC, using the local languages to caution food vendors on unhealthy practices. This has become important, especially in these days that there are increasing allegations of owners of public eateries using adulterated chemical preservatives, using steel and even banned drugs in cooking food items! Let us note that the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, an arm of the UNO reminds us that:improved nutrition can assist to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).But malnutrition reduces productivity through reduced physical and mental capacity. Hunger reduces performance at school.Well-fed girls would stay in school to learn to become better mothers. Lack of good food leads to the death of over 50 percent victims. It contributes to diseases as malnutrition becomes part of the risk factors.Malnutrition weakens resistance to infections. The time for more robust and impactful engagements, especially ones that would benefit the ignorant members of the society, down to the rural areas is now, not tomorrow!

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

A/Ibom speaker wants youths to imbibe entrepreneurship skills ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

he Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, An i e k a n B a s s e y h a s urged youths to imbibe entrepreneurship skills that would enable them explore various employment opportunities available in the state. Bassey gave the advice when he presented a cash prize of N500,000 to winners of the first edition of the Aniekan Bassey Youth Entrepreneurship Support Scheme (RHAB-YESS) which held at the Conference Room of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Uyo, on Wednesday. Represented by the member representing Ibesikpo Asutan, Aniekan Uko, the Speaker noted that RHAB-YESS is to complement Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Enterprise Development Drive in the state and his contribution towards boosting existing small scale businesses in the state and ending youth unemployment. According to him, “The best thing a leader can do for his people is to teach them how to fish not just give them fish. This scheme is to mentor and support

young entrepreneurs to financial independence and greatness as enshrined in the Dakkada philosophy of the Governor Udom Emmanuel, who wishes every youth to rise up to his/her faith in greatness He however, observed that many youths remain unemployed or stagnated in life because they have not toed the path of self-discovery, adding that even in disability there is the ability to attain greatness in life. “Knowing who you are is crucial for success and your personality matters a lot everywhere, whether in politics or business. Many youths leave potentially lucrative businesses which they received years of training to become commercial motorcyclists because

they don’t know themselves. Even your disability isn’t the end of your story. These days, we see online, wonderful achievements recorded by people with disability. Even in my local government, we had a physically challenged person who was bold enough to purchase form for councillorship election, contested and won.” He, therefore, encouraged participants at the event to see themselves as winners, considering the fact that they have learnt a great deal from business talks by two prominent and accomplished entrepreneurs from the state. “What you’ve learnt today will make you position yourselves to become successful entrepreneurs

and accomplished people in life. I congratulate the winners and advise you to put the prize money to good use,” he said. Earlier in his opening remarks, one of the Programme Coordinators, Darlington Udobong, said that RHAB-YESS was an initiative of the Speaker, meant to contribute towards boosting the economy of Akwa Ibom State by making it a thriving business hub for small and medium scale enterprises. Udobong, who is the Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media and Communications, revealed that the catchment of the programme covers the whole state and will run throughout the tenure of his boss. “Entry for the RHAB-YESS is open to every young entrepreneur in the state. The strategy is to give opportunity to every business startup in the state. This is in support of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s enterprise development drive to create employment opportunities everywhere in our state “The best videos will be selected and posted on our Facebook page for voting. Videos with the highest comments will be shortlisted and the best three will become winners. There is actually no loser because if you don’t emerge a winner the first time, you can keep trying with a

different video,” Udobong said. Th e e v e n t a l s o f e a t u r e d 10-minute business talks by two prominent online entrepreneurs from the state, namely Hanson Johnson of Google Developers Group, Nigeria who talked on ‘Reaching Remote Customers’; and Uduak Inyang of Kemmy Business School, Ireland who talked on ‘Understanding your Personality.’ Highpoint of the event was presentation of cash prizes to winners of the first phase of RHABYESS by the Speaker. The winners were Mkpoikana Israel Eshiet from Onna LGA, who won N100, 000 as third prize; Emem Aniekan Amos from Mkpat Enin LGA who won N150, 000 as second prize and Enobong Dickson from Eket LGA who won N250, 000 as first prize. In his vote of thanks, Dickson, a shoe maker, who is physically challenged, thanked the Speaker for initiating such a wonderful empowermentprogrammethatcuts across the whole state, describing it as innovative and unbiased. He thanked the organisers of the event for their transparency and thanked his employees for their support and commitment to work, adding that the prize money will help him expand his shoe making business.

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SundayBusiness Why FMBN seeks state govts’ collaboration on affordable housing

or reasons bordering on stronger support and participation of states in the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, provision of unencumbered land, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) is seeking collaboration with state governments. This, the authorities of the apex mortgage bank explain, is to enable them to deepen the impact of the bank’s affordable housing delivery programmes to a greater number of Nigerian workers within the low and medium-income bracket nationwide. The collaboration also seeks support from the states for the elimination of high costs and systemic bottlenecks in title perfection and governor’s consent to mortgage transactions at the state level amongst others. Ahmed Dangiwa, MD/CEO of FMBN, made this plea when he briefed the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) on the activities, programmes of the bank in Abuja. “FMBN is strategically positioned to energise state governments’ efforts to deliver affordable housing to their citizens in a sustainable and cost-effective manner on the back of its wide portfolio of affordable housing products.

“This includes the NHF housing loan of up to N15million payable over a 30-year period at best market interest rate of 6 percent per annum; and NHF individual construction loan at 9 percent interest rate per annum with a 15-year tenor,” Dangiwa assured. The bank has, in the past three years, under the leadership of Dangiwa, sustained a trajectory of impressive performance, notching several milestones in a renewed drive to turnaround the country’s foremost mortgage institution and position it on the path of efficiency and greater impact. Some of the bank’s footprints include the launch of the FMBN Digital Mobile Platforms which now provide real-time access to information by contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and the massive downward reduction of equity for accessing NHF loans from 10 to zero percent for N5 million and below and 10 percent for loans of between N5 million and N15 million. Others are the introduction of the individual NHF construction loan product, under which contributors to the NHF can access up to N15million and pay back over a 15-year period at single digit interest rate of 7 percent and the collaboration with labour unions to deliver decent, afford-

able and quality housing to Nigerian workers under the National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme (NAHDEP). FMBN has many housing loan products, including rent-to-own scheme which allows beneficiaries to move into FMBN-owned houses and payback in monthly installments over a 15-year period at single-digit interest rates with no equity requirement and the home renovation loans where up to N1 million is given to NHF contributors who already own their homes to carry out necessary improvements and payback over five years. Dangiwa told the governors that partnering with the bank has advantages which include zero equity contributions for housing loans below N5 million and a maximum of 10 percent for loans from N5 million to N15 million. “This partnership will enable state governments to take advantage of its strategic financing windows for real estate construction and decades-old institutional experience in social housing provision. Some of the affordable real estate financing windows which Dangiwa listed are Estate Development Loans and the Cooperative Housing Development Loans both available at best market rates of 10 percent interest rates and the Off-taker Guarantee

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

Scheme at 0.5 percent interest rate per annum. The CEO, in soliciting the support and partnership of the state governors, informed them that the current executive management has set the FMBN on a new path of reform, innovation, accountability, efficiency and high performance. He noted that within the last three years of the current management - April 2017 to date - they had recorded major milestones with the notable ones including increased public sensitisation that has led to a spike in registered contributors to the NHF Scheme to 5,026,777; increased NHF collections totaling N134bn to bring the cumulative collections on NHF since inception 26 years ago to N366bn. The three-year performance represents 36 percent of total collections in the 26-year life span of the scheme. Other milestones include increased NHF refunds to retired contributors to the scheme total-

ing N21 billion within three years to bring the cumulative since inception to N32 billion, representing a-66 percent increase in refunds within three-years. There are also other milestones such as increased number of housing units by 7,740; increased number of mortgage loans to 3,749, and home renovation loans for 39,458 beneficiaries. Dangiwa solicited that state governments should reduce title perfection fees from the current 5-10 percent to a flat rate of 0.5 percent for mortgage affordability and expeditious treatment of consent to mortgage transactions by governors to improve turnaround time. Kayode Fayemi, chairman of NGF and governor of Ekiti State, thanked Dangiwa for his insightful presentation, noting that he had made a convincing case for the collaboration. He said that the governors were keen to engage further with FMBN as a strategic affordable housing partner.

LG rewards Gaming Challenge grand finale winner with product, cash prizes …Showcases G-sync powered OLED TVs

G Electronics (LG) recently took the gaming experience of its customers to a new height as the company staged the grand finale of its OLED TV Gaming Challenge at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. LG is the first consumer electronics brand to independently launch a gaming campaign-LG OLED Gaming challenge, making it one of the largest e-sports competitions in Nigeria for game lovers. It was initiated in 2018 which marks the 1st season of the competition for gamers. The challenge has since then turned out to be an annual contest for gamers to show their skills, experience the fantastic features of OLED and battle with one another for a prizeOLED TV. The company thrilled its teeming customers with its newest OLED TVs which offer blazing speed and stunning colour reproduction through NVIDIA G-SYNC. LG’s OLED TVs are the first and only in the market today that are G-SYNC Compatible. The grand finale event saw the contestants- winners of the 6 seasons compete for an OLED65c9 TV and a cash prize of one million naira.

Vanjamin Kim, general manager, Home Entertainment Division, LG Electronics West Africa, said the initiative was for lovers of video game to demonstrate the beauty and the uniqueness of the ‘depth of black’ in OLED TV, especially when gaming on it. “We intend to have more of this

kind of gaming challenge to engage more of our consumers who love gaming. It’s an avenue to reward our customers and promote LG OLED TVs as the best TV for gaming. With exceptional picture quality, low input lag and an ultra-fast response time, LG OLED TVs have already earned a reputation for delivering an opti-

mised gaming performance”, he said. Hari Elluru, head of Corporate Marketing, LG Electronics West Africa, said: “The addition of NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatibility raises the bar once more, guaranteeing even more immersive big-screen PC gaming on the company’s industryleading 4K OLED models, available

in 55 to 77 inch screen sizes. G-Sync and other VRR technologies help eliminate flicker, tearing or stuttering on displays when used to play games that are built using VRR”.

The company’s latest OLED TV models support a variety of popular HDR formats that further elevate the gaming experience. Users can play compatible titles in dynamic HDR10 or Dolby Vision (at up to 120 frames per second for Full HD content) taking advantage of HDMI 2.1 specifications such as auto low latency mode (ALLM), enhanced audio return channel (eARC), and variable refresh rate (VRR). “With the G-SYNC firmware there is no lagging, tearing or stuttering while playing super-fast Games and watching fast moving contents”, he mentioned. The grand winner, Junior Imaji, pro-gamer said, “It was quite tough and an interesting battlefield but I am elated to emerge as the winner. The 0ne million naira cash is the in-thing and the OLED TV is dope! I hope this platform that LG has created for L-R: Hari Elluru, head of corporate marketing, LG Electronics West Africa Operation; Junior Imaji, Pro-Gamer, winner of the season 7 gamers continue to grow stronger LG’s OLED TV gaming challenge; Bolanle Ninalowo, Nollywood Actor/producer and Taieck Son, managing director, LG Electronics, and birth more opportunities for professional gamers and amateurs.” at the just concluded season 7 LG’s OLED TV Gaming Grand Finale held in Lagos.

Sunday 08 March 2020

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BDSUNDAY 35

SundayBusiness Lafarge Africa pledges to construct lowcost, mass housing for Ogun residents RAZAQ AYINLA

rompted by the robust corporate social responsibility and corporate governance which have become hallmarks of Lafarge Africa’s operations wherever its plants are located in the World under LafargeHolcim, the building materials and construction solutions firm has pledged to embark on massive construction of low-cost Housing for Ogun state residents, especially those residing within its host communities. The soon-to-be-taken off low-cost housing scheme of Lafarge Africa will be second in the series of affordable housing scheme in the last seven years, having partnered one of the microfinance banks in NigeriaLAPO Microfinance Bank on the nationwide N1.3 billion affordable housing scheme started in 2013 with a view to reducing the then 18 million housing deficits in the country. Speaking specifically on Lafarge Africa’s mission to construct low-cost housing units for its host communities in Ogun state, Khaleed El-Dokani, the new Country Chief Executive Officer, Lafarge Africa PLC, declared that the building materials and construction firm is ready to offer people housing units in the areas of its operations as part of effort

to reduce housing deficits in Ogun State and Nigeria generally. El-Dokani, who led Lafarge Africa’s team on courtesy visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state on Thursday, said his company operates two factories located in Ewekoro and Sagamu in the Ogun Central and East Senatorial Districts respectively, with combined assets worth of $1.3 billion, employing more than 500 people in both cement plants. He reiterated that his company is looking at ways of providing affordable houses to the people in its areas of operation, just it the firm had invested in a power plant at Ewekoro, Ogun Central Senatorial District capable of producing 90 Megawatts out of which 40 Megawatts would be available for the national grid. Responding, Governor DapoAbiodun,whoacknowledged that the company has the first cement factory in the state, said that Lafarge Africa PLC had contributed

to the state’s economy in the area of employment and corporate social responsibility as well as tax remittance to both Federal and State Governments, but asked Lafarge Africa and others to do more by helping government to maintain roads where their trucks ply. While lamenting the deplorable condition of some roads due to the use of heavy duty trucks owned and controlled by the major companies, including Lafarge Africa, the governor pleaded with companies to look at ways of collaborating with the State government in maintaining those roads. “The failure of some of these roads, like the Abeokuta-Ifo-Lagos road, is due to heavy duty trucks. This road was not built to accommodate such trucks. Please look at the way you can collaborate with government in maintaining this road which is probably the second busiest in the country to alleviate the suffering of the people”, the governor pleaded.

Lessons from my life – go for who truly satisfies Kemi Adeyemi

love watching swimmers in the pool and I always wish I could join them especially when the weather is so hot, but growing up, I never had the opportunity to learn swimming. When the opportunity presented itself about five years ago, I only had a week to learn before I left that location and never had the time to continue the lessons again. I have read that swimming is the best form of exercise, especially for pregnant women as it enables working out almost every part of your body and my desire to be able to swim increased. Recently, my family and my sister’s family decided our children should be given the opportunity we never had at swimming. I am yet to come across any child who doesn’t love to play with water hence having had the opportunity to also watch other kids swim, my children and their cousins were elated to hear the great news that all was set for them to start their swimming lessons. I was particularly amused at my two-year-old daughter who kept asking for her swimming trunks every other day and really started looking forward

MindBody & Soul

with Chioma Nwosu

When you feel you are not good enough

Capri-Sun maintains its edge with natural ingredients “

o o d c o n s t it ut e s one of the most important factors for achieving and maintaining general well-being. The choices we make determine the quality of our physical, mental and emotional health. This is so because of the nourishing substances in food that are essential for the growth, development and maintenance of body functions. Hence, the popular saying, ‘we are what we consume.’ It is important for individuals to be conscious of the foods and beverages they consume. Specifically in the case of children, because they are not able to make informed decisions, it is the role of parents to ensure that their children are consuming foods and beverages that are safe for consumption and of high quality – this refers to foods and beverages that have a ‘Clean Recipe’.

A ‘Clean Recipe’ essentially means foods or beverages made from natural ingredients with no artificial colours, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial flavors and no added preservatives. For some time now, the introduction of several unwholesome fruit drinks made for children have been generating conversations around the benefits these drinks offer. It is important for parents to know that when their kids consume these unwholesome fruit drinks, they not only miss out on all the benefits of taking fruit drinks made from premium natural ingredients, but they also leave their children’s health vulnerable to the long term implications from the ingredients within these products. Concerns have been raised on the possible link between food additives and neurological development

deficiencies, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. A number of recent studies have been performed worldwide to explore the possible relationship between food colourings and ADHD in children. A 2012 analysis of studies co-authored by Joel Nigg, professor of psychiatry, pediatrics and behavioral neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University showed that studies support the link between additives and hyperactivity. The study also stated that food additives may also be a source of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis and asthma. Noting that hypersensitivity reactions to certain foods are appearing more often than ever, particularly in children, it called for further exploration of the possible links between allergic reactions and food colourings and flavourings.

to starting the lessons. If you asked her how she was going to swim when she starts, she would move her arms in circular motion as though she were swimming. Well, I was as excited as she was and happy that she was eager to explore. On the first day, though tired, but excitement got the better part of me, I went with them as I wanted to capture the moment. The lesson started with sitting by the pool and kicking into the water which was fun for them. The next was to be dropped in while all the floaters and other gadgets keptthem allafloat.Itwasthen that everything changed. My daughter, scared she would fall through the floater and have nothing to support her beneath her burst into tears.

She screamed at me to help her out of the pool while the instructor asked me to leave her to overcome her fears. Mother instinct kicked in at that moment but I was not allowed to do anything about it. It was however hilarious afterwards when I compared her previous eagerness and excitement to her reaction when she eventually entered the pool. It took a lot of motivating together tosubsequent classes and get her overcome her fear of swimming. Reflecting back at the whole turn of events, a very big lesson came to my mind. As humans, insatiable and ever wanting more, Maslow’s theory of needs defines our attitude to life. There is always a need to be satisfied. Now if it stayed at just being satisfied it would have been better, but we always think life will make meaning, happiness and fulfilment will come when we get one thing or the other. From experience I have come to understand that this is contrary to what we think. We want to get a good paying job, it comes and we start to think we would be made if we only get prince charming or beautiful Cinderella.

o one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”- Eleanor Roosevelt “You have been criticising yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”- Louise L. Hay. One of the biggest complaints, when I speak to people, is this: the fear that they are not good enough. The fear that you’re not good enough is a fear routine that affects everyone, though it shows up differently for each person (for some of you, “not good enough” expresses itself as going into workaholic over-achiever mode; for others, it shows up as comparisons; for others, it shows up as procrastination and avoidance and not finishing what you start). The question you should ask your self is what qualifies as ‘good enough’? Can you define what makes a person “enough”? Can you define what makes you “enough”? For example: If someone makes plenty of money and is the “perfect” weight and is deeply committed to her spiritual practice and never

procrastinates, these would identify as her being good enough right? …how do you know for sure that those factors make her “enough”? Or what if she does all of those things–but she also yells at her kids. What if she has a massive rage-fest, once a year, and she’s a perfect mother every other day of the year? What then? I’m sure you see the point I’m getting at–that this “enough” idea is essentially indefinable. The boundaries are loose and impermeable. When you don’t feel good about yourself, you feel that you are being watched and judged, which increases your sense of not feeling good about who you are. This becomes a vicious cycle in which you are constantly under-valued and shamed by both yourself and others As an emotion, shame is a reflection that you believe yourself to be worthless, damaged, and no good. And when you feel shame regularly, you begin to behave the way you believe others expect you to. To end this self-harming pattern and stop saying, “I’m not good enough” to yourself,

here are ways to refocus your thinking and find the value in loving yourself. Have a Dialogue with Your Inner Critic Stop getting stuck in the comparison trap Choose Self-Empowering Language Social media is just the tip of everyone’s real life Be Authentic Stop over-identifying with Circumstances Practice Being Present Love and Accept Yourself Practice Self-Care Celebrate all wins Sending you love and light always. Chioma.

Chioma Nwosu is a mental health/positive psychology advocate, speaker and founder of Olamma Cares Foundation an NGO focused on encouraging the social acceptance of developmental disabilities and mental disorders, finding and implementing long term solutions of these conditions through training, capacity building, advocacy and intervention. Email: cnwosu@olammacares.com Instagram: _olamma_

36 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 08 March 2020

TheWorshippers There’s need for sincerity of purpose in government – Archbishop Ojo When the Christian missionaries came into Nigeria one of the key instruments used in propagating the gospel was Western education with the likes of the CMS and others. In this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, Archbishop Joseph Ojo of Calvary Kingdom Church (CKC) Lagos, speaks on the palliative measures the church uses to accommodate indigent pupils/students and how Nigeria missed out on its vision. Excerpts: Past administrations in Nigerian have always talked about their vision for the country. We have heard about ‘Vision 2000’; ‘Vision 2010’, and ‘Vision 2020’, yet Nigerians are not seeing the fulfilment. What in your opinion is the matter? think my Vision 2020, is Acts of the Apostles chapter 20 vs 20. That’s my Vision 2020, not government’s own. Like I was saying in one of my services here; I think few weeks ago, people can’t understand it. The bible says ‘we are in the world, but we are not of the world’. Though we are here in Nigeria, but the Central Bank governor for us is in heaven, our citizenship, the bible says, is in heaven. ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.’ So, it is this Acts 20:20, ‘How I hid nothing from you, but have declared unto you publicly from house to house,’ that is my vision 2020. This year, we want to take the gospel from house to house. I am not waiting on government policy, their own is ‘chop, chop and chop’. I have not seen a government that is sincere, including this one we are in now. I have not seen somebody that has come to serve, all of them put together, they are just coming to get. Until you see somebody that has a policy, a ten-year vision that can really affect the generality of a population, then we can’t move forward as a nation. My own vision 2020 is Acts chapter 20 vs 20; it says: ‘And how I kept back noth-

ing that was profitable unto you…’ I wish the government will not keep back what is profitable to the people of this country. Keeping it to themselves is not helpful. ‘I kept back nothing that is profitable unto you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly from house to house…’ As someone who stays close to one of Nigeria’s land borders; what is your view on the continued border closure? I think it has an advantage and disadvantage. The advantage is, for someone like me who does not eat frozen food, of which most of the items from the border nation are frozen chicken, turkey and rice, which are the basic three commodities that they bring, Nigerians should learn to manage what they have, if our country can produce enough rice and make it more tasteful. I have tasted some Nigerian rice, you would want to throw up; it does not have taste and it is not like the Nigerian rice we ate in the 50’s and in the 60’s. I was privileged to be a rice farmer way back in the 60’s, I had rice farm. And the way it is being done now, whether it is the chemical that they are using in production that makes it tasteless. They should learn from those people, see how they parboil their rice and how they make it edible. So, positively, I think it will help us to look inward. But it’s affecting the livelihood of the people. Whether you like it or not, there are people that are suffering, those are people who survive on whatever they get from there. So, government should

Archbishop Joseph Ojo

be able to use wisdom to manage the border thing so that people will not over-tight their belt till they die. That’s my counsel. It’s good in a way; it is bad also in a way. Is that a way to say Nigerians need to look inward and let go of some of their foreign taste? It is the same thing; we take all things with levity, that’s why today we are having problem in knowing our exact population. Because in other civilised places, they plus

and minus. They don’t do all this census we do here often. They take data from hospitals because there is nobody born that his birth is not registered. There is no person that dies that is not registered. When you calculate the number of death plus the number of birth, you add it to last year’s own; you will know your population. But here in Nigeria, every five years or so they are doing census because we lack planning and God someday, some-

how will give us leaders who are reasonable and sensible enough that will not put money first but will put service first. Back to the issue of education and mission schools; how come many of the members can’t afford to have their children in mission schools today? It is the perception of the outsiders; people who are not close, they think like that. You know from Genesis Chapter 1, God made man with moral choice. If I cannot choose, for example, a big university, I can choose the one I can afford. Most people when they see churches, they say it is the tithe and offering. Most times it is not true. Like what I have here, 100 percent of this structure is my personal money not church. But, members that are there, what we do is that we give them rebate. If you are a member of this church and you have a child there, you pay less. If you are a member, and you have three children there, you pay for two and you leave one. Every one of these ministries has their different palliative measures that they give to people but the outsiders will not see it. They don’t even understand that the people saying all those things, their penny is not in the church. You have deacons, pastors, elders in some churches and when you bring record, their name is blank; they don’t pay anything. They are just there. And most of those people make a lot of noise like the saying that says ‘an empty vessel makes the loudest noise’.

Leveraging the media to propagate the gospel SEYI JOHN SALAU

ocial communications according to Joseph Faniran, dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, tend to multiply contacts within society and deepen social consciousness. As a result, the individual is bound more closely to his fellow men. “In the Christian faith, the unity and brotherhood of man are the chief aims of all communication and these found their source and model in the central mystery of the eternal communion between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who live a single divine life (1971, no.8),” Faniran said at recent conference organised by the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN) Lagos Archdiocese tagged, ‘Mobilising Catholic Media Practitioners for

the Mission of the Church in the Digital Era.’ The primary aim of the conference held last weekend was to establish an army of media professionals who would expand the horizon of the communication apostolate in the Lagos Archdiocese and help propagate the gospel of Jesus. This can be said to be timely considering the various attacks on the church in Nigeria, and the Catholic Church in particular. Faniran, the keynote speaker, stated in his presentation that the dominant form of communication when Jesus came into the world was oral, and as a perfect communicator; Jesus utterly identified himself with those who were to receive his communication and gave his message not only in words but in the whole manner of his life. “He spoke from within, that is to say, from out of the press of his people. He preached

the divine message without fear of compromise. He adjusted to his people’s way of talking and to their pattern of thought,” Faniran stated. In other words, Faniran noted that by being receptor-oriented in his communication, Jesus made contact with his audience, entered their frame of reference by moving into the cultural and linguistic water in which they were immersed. “He spent quality time with his disciples to maximise the person-to-person nature of his interaction. He used stories, questions, riddles, allegories, parables, metaphors and even confrontation to connect and reconnect with his audience. He used words in a powerful way and above all, he spoke love,” Faniran said. For media professionals in the church, there is a need to not just possess but also profess a singleminded commitment to proclaim the ‘Good News’ borne out of a

personal encounter with the risen lord. “We see that in the example of Paul of Tarsus and, of course, in the supreme example of Jesus Christ Himself, who on several occasions would go off on his own to commune with the Father. “Without a strong interior life of faith and prayer, and a message coming out of this experience, Christian communicators cannot really transmit the experience of the Good News of redemption into the lives of the people, who today sorely need that Good News,” he further said. Adewale Martins, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, on his part charged Catholic media professionals to utilise their respective platforms to promote the mission of the church, as ambassadors of Christ and that of the Catholic Church in Nigeria. According to Martins, the conference was organised to sensitise media professionals by creating a

forum they could leverage to fulfil their role in the church. “To foster and deepen the propagation of the Gospel, the teachings of the Catholic Church, particularly her Social Teaching, leveraging on the digital media, with the advantage of the resources of a multimedia centre that we hope will emerge sooner than later. “To drive the communications and media outreach of the Archdiocese in order to strengthen the faith of our people, entrench Catholic values in the society as we assist the faithful in the understanding and tackling the challenges that secularism foists on the Church and society today,” Martins said, adding that it would contribute to the enrichment of the content of the Catholic Herald Newspaper, which is presently the print medium of the church for effective and efficient dissemination of the gospel and teachings of the Catholic Church.

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BDSUNDAY 37

TheWorshippers Inspiration With Rev. Yomi Kasali

info@yomikasali.com

ice cars, nice watches, beautiful house, lovely family, good life, designer clothes, fat bank account, and many more material things like the above may be what most people in capitalistic society live for but should

For me to live is Christ there be a better reason for living? Life is heavily complicated and those who have a philosophical approach to it aren’t respected in deeply materialistic societies. Many will never like the life lived by the likes of Mandela, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jnr, Mother Teresa and so many moral leaders in the world. In fact, many people may not like to even make Jesus their role model if He wasn’t our saviour and Lord because of the power of materialism in today’s world. Paul mentioned one of the most powerful words in the Bible and we should use it as our signature on yahoo mails like I have done for some years now; ’For Me To Live Is Christ…’ (Philippians 1 v 21). This is what should give your life a meaning and define purpose of living. I believe that we should give deep thoughts to redefining our

values by moulding them around Christ as believers. Allow me to Inspire you on how to live for Christ without being fanatical or eccentric in life. This is very important for those who want to Live for Christ who may not necessarily be a Pastor, Deacon, Evangelist, Missionary, or some far right Christian. They are just some simple tips that can aid you to Live For

Christ, by Living For Why Christ Came. 5 Ways to live for christ Love people: Christ loved people and lived for those around Him. I marvel at those who profess to be Christians and Hate people. It is amazingly strange because that’s so ‘UnChrist’ because it’s Love that defined His life

and ministry. Fight for the weak: Jesus spoke up for the weak and feeble, helped the widows and orphans; that is how to Live for Christ. How many of us are really fighting for the weak in society and speaking up for the oppressed yet we say we are Christians but don’t reflect His values. Feed the poor: i am sure you remember that Jesus actually Fed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, we should do similar things today like Paying the school fees of children whose parents cannot afford cannot afford to send them to school, helping those who don’t have accommodation, and supporting with our resources regularly. That is what it means to Live for Christ. Live a legacy: Everything we say today about Jesus was done 2000 years ago yet we still mention His

works today because He Lived for the future and left a Legacy behind. I am tired of seeing our church leaders living today like that’s the only reason to live. Simply do good: This actually summarizes the Life of our Lord and Saviour, it’s so captured in one of my favourite verses for doing good, ‘How God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who went about DOING GOOD...’ (Acts 10 v 38). Just do good and you will be Living for Christ. Don’t break the law, don’t run red lights, don’t jump the queues, don’t steal, don’t be corrupt, don’t tell lies etc. Just do good! I hope you have been Inspired to Live for Christ and make the above your mantra for life. Rev Yomi Kasali is Senior Pastor, Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA), Surulere, Lagos.

NEWS

NUC approves 14 new programmes for Anchor University Lagos …As varsity matriculates 122 students AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

he National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved 14 new programmes for Anchor University Lagos (AUL), thereby bringing the number of programmes offered by the school to 29, from 15 it started with in 2017. Speaking in Lagos on Friday at the fourth matricu-

lation ceremony of AUL, Joseph Olasehinde Afolayan, vice chancellor of the university, who disclosed that the school management was working towards getting more programmes approved, said AUL was hopeful of achieving excellent result from its first accreditation exercise that took place late 2019. According to him, the school facilities are growing immensely as new ones are

being built and old ones upgraded such that Anchor Language Lab, Mass Communication Studio and Science Labs, e-library and physical library are now world-class. “We have continued to prioritise excellence in teaching and research with an unrelenting drive to attract world-class faculties across all disciplines. Furthermore, we are proud our international partnerships and collaborations, which are grow-

ing every sessions. Many of these will not only promote the University but will confer international relevance and acceptance on our students,” Afolayan said. On the matriculation, he stated that a total of 122 students from Faculty of Science & Science Education, Faculty of Humanities as well Faculty of Social & Management Science were inducted into the school.

Children of late Deacon Isaac Adeyemi Ajayi; Grace, Taiwo, Faith, Kenny and Femi with the Snr. Pastor of Foursquare Gospel Church, Mushin, Pastor Kehinde Abiodun and former General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, Rev. Dr. Wilson Badejo during the outing service of their late father in Lagos.

In Anchor University, the VC said, students are not just admitted for academic purposes, because their experiences through the next four years are expected to be anchored around Character, Competence and Courage. “Be assured that everything you need to be competent, global players in your chosen fields will be made available by the University. But, beyond that, our teachings, training and culture will carefully instill in you the character expected from godly men and women coupled with the courage to stand for the right,” he said. Continuing, he stated that “AUL was established not only to focus on academic learning and excellence, but to harp on character development and mitigate the tide of moral degradation and delinquency that pervades our national life. The philosophy of Anchor University is the one that realises that the light of knowledge illuminates the mind, liberates the man and upgrades human qualities. Afolayan further advised the newly matriculated students to start building the future they desire from their first day in campus, adding that with discipline, hard work, prayer and faith, the

skies will be the students’ springboard. While recognising the parents and guardians of the students, the VC assured them that choosing Anchor University is one of the best decisions they have made for their children as it is guaranteed that, if the students imbibe the training given to them, they will return as young men and women, who are fully prepared to drive leading trends in their chosen fields in the next four years. “The last three years have proven that we meant business in Anchor University. Our students have distinguished themselves in different external examinations. Some of them won awards from international institutions. Last year, three of our students returned from a scholarship training with the New Horizon Systems Solutions Ltd with notable testimonies,” he disclosed. According to him, “Anchor University is driven by discipline and spiritual mentorship that takes the living Word, Christ, to the core of academics and learning. The vision of this citadel of learning is to have men and women who, beyond their head knowledge, have the power of the Cross backing them.”

38 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 08 March 2020

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

Women’s Day: It is time for women to look back and celebrate their wins - Jumia manager As the world celebrates the 2020 International Women’s Day today with theme ‘EachforEqual’, Content and Quality Control Manager at Jumia, Nigeria, Gbemisola Ero-Philips, in this interview with Daniel Obi called on more women to step out of their comfort zone to take up more leadership positions. She also spoke extensively on the nature-nurture stereotype about women, and how Jumia’s gender equality policy is engendering career growth of female employees. Excerpts

May we know more about you? am the Content and Quality Control Manager at Jumia Nigeria. I’ve worked with Jumia for 7 years and I have grown through the ranks. When I resumed at Jumia in November 2012, a few months after the company started, I was a content writer. From there, I grew to become the Senior Content Editor and then Content and Quality Control Manager. So far, I have spent 7 years and 4 months at Jumia, and it has been a very defining experience for me. For you to spend seven years, you must have understood and studied the trajectory growth of Jumia. Could you tell us about that? Jumia is a very fast-paced workplace where if you do the work, you’ll get the result; you will grow through the ranks. For me, I had an advantage because I joined when the company was still very young so I grew through the ranks. On Sunday, (today) will be marked as International Women’s Day, what does the celebration mean to you? For me, it’s a time for women to look back and celebrate their wins and how far they’ve come; then look towards tackling obstacles forestalling women from reaching their full potential. Some years ago, women couldn’t work away from their homes, couldn’t vote, go to school, and many other things women couldn’t do. But now we have women who lead industries and countries. So women have come a long way, yet there are still a lot of obstacles: child marriage, access to education for women, health care and many others. Some women don’t even have access to parenting leave, which affects their career. While there are obstacles, it’s also time for women to look back and celebrate their wins. Why do you think we live in the world of gender inequality? There’s always the conversation of nature versus nurture. Women are naturally seen as nurturing people. So because of that they naturally take up roles around the house i.e. taking care of the house. Now, combining that for women who have decided to step outside that role to take more responsibilities in a workplace can be challenging for women. There’s also our customs and traditions. Some cultures and societies are patriarchal, such that compel women to stay in the background.

Those roles and biases still exist today. So do you think gender equality is achievable? It is achievable, but I feel that for us to achieve gender equality, women need to accept that there’s slight imbalance and there’s support to women that are strategically positioned in their line so that they can reach their full potential too. Some organizations led by men have been supporting women empowerment. Can this help in achieving gender equality? Yes, to a large extent, when you support women, when you create a level playing field regardless of gender, women automatically know that there’s no bias for them. So they know that if they continue to push hard and prove themselves, they can reach full potential. There is this expectation in society. A man feels he’s the leader. Women feel like I’m in the kitchen, I’m the home maker. Do you think these biases are creating distortions in achieving equality? Yes. But to fight it, women need to step out of their comfort zones, step away from the stereotypes and take leadership positions. As the world celebrates Women’s Day, what advice do you have for the women folks? My message for young women is that it’s okay to not have it all figured out from the beginning. It’s possible that you don’t know your next few steps. But what you should do is step outside of your comfort zone. Then you start to learn, and take on new challenges. If you do that, there’s certainty that you would grow. For me, there’s nothing impossible. I understand that sometimes, the limits we have are just perceived limits. For a long time when I had children, I felt there’s no way I could combine taking care of them with the work and study. But I’ve been able to prove myself wrong over again. Last year, with a 4-month old baby, I was able to start and complete a course while still coming to work. So there’s so much more you can do if you just challenge yourself. Some women think equality can be achieved by swaying instead of competition. Is that the way to go? Honestly, I don’t agree. I think that women are just as qualified as men for most roles. At times, there are some roles that are physically ascertained so you wouldn’t naturally recommend women for such

Gbemisola Ero-Philips

roles. But when it comes to intellectual capabilities, I feel Jumia is a great example of what women can do when given the opportunity and level playing field. If you look at Jumia Management and Executive, you will find women there and it has never been about let’s put a woman here, it has been about this woman has proven her worth, and she can do the work. Can you tell us more about initiatives Jumia has embarked on for Women empowerment and growth? There is mentoring and coaching for younger women that are

You still need to bring your game, because women also want a seat at the table. And after a while, there won’t be an automatic seat at the table

growing through the ranks. Sometimes it’s structured and at times unstructured. So you have someone in senior management who walk you through the ropes on how to navigate your career in Jumia. Sometimes it is as mundane as how to communicate and craft your words via email. We have those who you talk through your project, and they guide you on what to prioritise to move your career forward. They also teach you about visibility because sometimes visibility can be hard for women. I think women tend to shrink back and be humble about their achievements. Women are trained to be modest. So visibility at the workplace becomes challenging to them. So we have coaching programs for visibility. We also have strategic partnership with Women in Africa (WIA) for career development. With Jumia’s role in Gender equality, where do you see the company in the next 8years? Currently Jumia is the top equal opportunity employer in the country. So I see Jumia as where women who want to reach their full potential without obstacles will gravitate towards in the future. Is there any woman that inspires you globally or here in Nigeria or even at Jumia? In Jumia, there are two women who have inspired me directly. One is my direct Manager, her name is Marylyn Oruwari. She is

someone that has coached and mentored me through my career. And it’s amazing to see how she handles responsibilities, takes on matters and makes it seem effortless. I don’t know how she does it but she’s able to combine everything. Her career growth is a testament to the hard work she puts in. A lot of organizations are focusing on women empowerment. Is there any fear that men may be crowded out as time goes on? I don’t think that will ever happen. For instance, Jumia has a strong policy on gender equality and women empowerment, yet men still have the higher percentage of people in leadership positions in Nigeria. If you look at Access Bank board, a year or two ago, it was almost exclusively male. So women are literally just getting a leg in. I don’t think men are ever going to take the back seat. I think what we would have at best is an equal playing field. As a career woman, what is that piece of advice for every young girl out there? For the young girl, once you get married, combining marriage and career takes a lot of prioritizing. You have to learn to put value on your time. Outsource as much as you can so you can have time to do the things that really matter to you. So you can be at your best for the projects that matter. You can’t be at your best when you spend the night washing clothes and cleaning the floors. I’m going to be honest; it’s not easy combining marriage, career and life outside of work. It’s hard but it’s doable. Make sure you have a network of support around you. I have friends who just come help with the shopping and do the cooking with me. And be married to someone who wants to see you succeed. Marry someone who understands what you want to do, so at the end of the day, there’s no conflict of interest. For the young boys, I want to say it’s easy to be caught up in the thought that you are a man and entitled to a seat at the table automatically. You still need to bring your game, because women also want a seat at the table. And after a while, there won’t be an automatic seat at the table. What’s your message to women for International Women’s Day? My message is that there is still a lot of ground to cover, but we are making progress.

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CapitalMarket 16 firms lift market sentiment with N644bn dividends

TELIAT SULE n spite of the bashing the Nigerian capital market has received, on account of the likely impact of coronavirus on the global economy, as Nigeria is seen to feel the impact of poor growth in China, sixteen listed firms have so far declared N644.28 billion dividends in the on-going dividend season, Dividend Monitor of BusinessDay Research and Intelligence unit (BRIU) has shown. But for these mouth-watering dividends, the mood in the Nigerian stock market could have become significantly bearish. The All Share Index of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) c l o s e d l a s t w e e k Fr i d a y a t 26,279.61 points, signifying that equities listed on the Nigerian bourse have cumulatively declined by 2.10 percent year to date. The bearish sentiment has weighed heavily on stocks listed in the consumer goods sub sector, resulting in the NSE Consumer Goods Index closing at -27.27 percent, the worst performing sub sectoral index in the entire market. This is followed by NSE Meri Growth Index, -16.50 percent; NSE Main Board Index, -11.80 percent and NSE Oil & Gas Index, -10.15 percent. The firms that have so far declared dividends include Nigerian Breweries, Transcorp, United Capital, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, GTB, UBA and Access Bank. Others are Custodian Investment, Africa Prudential, Zenith Bank, Transcorp Hotels, Vitafoam, Nestle, Dangote Cement and MTN Nigeria. Meanwhile, three institutions accounted for over two-thirds of the dividends so far declared by the listed firms. The firms are

Source: NSE, BRIU

Dangote Cement, Zenith Bank and GTB. With N272.65 billion as the final dividend, Dangote Cement accounted for 42.3 percent of the dividends so far declared on the NSE this year. Zenith Bank will pay shareholders N78.49 billion, representing N2.50 per share, and this amounted to 12.2 percent of the total dividend declared so far. GTB will pay shareholders N73.58 billion which implies that 11.4 percent of the dividends declared since the beginning of this year came from Guaranty Trust Bank. When combined the three firms-Dangote Cement, Zenith Bank and GTB accounted for 66 percent of the dividends for shareholders as at March 6, 2020. On why the dividends so far declared have not lifted up market sentiments, a senior analyst in one of the leading investment firms attributed this development to the

expected impact of coronavirus on the global economy. “We have seen some blue chip companies such as Dangote Cement attempt to maintain a steady pay-out despite weaker performance. The general sentiment in the market in the last few weeks is less about the declaration of dividends and potential pay-out, but driven more by macro indications of softer oil prices and the consequence for the economy. While there will be pockets of gains here and there, the bigger picture will communicate a risk off sentiment from investors driven by expectations of weaker economic performance”, Olumide Ibikunle, senior analyst, Meristem Securities, said. Nestle Nigeria has declared N35.67 billion as final dividend representing 5.5 percent of the listed firms under coverage. And by recommending N27.4 billion and

N14.2 billion, United Bank of Africa and Access Bank accounted for 4.2 percent and 2.2 percent of the total dividend declared year to date. When BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU) ranked the sixteen firms by dividend yield, five firms stood out of the pack. A dividend yield gives an investor an idea of which stock can consistently generated income, and it is seen as a measure of the productivity of an investment. If all the sixteen firms were to represent the Nigerian capital market, the nation’s stock market would have posted 7.5 percent dividend yield, that is the measure of the productivity of market as at Friday, March 6, 2020. United Capital, one of the leading investment banks in the country, closed last Friday at N3.10 per share, which translates to 16.1 percent dividend yield. Africa Prudential closed last Friday at N4.70

per share, indicating a dividend yield of 14.9 percent. Zenith Bank ended the week at N18.80 per share which translates to 13.3 percent dividend yield. The United Bank for Africa (UBA) ended at N6.90 per share last Friday which represents 11.6 percent dividend yield, while GTB closed the week at N24.60 per share representing 10.2 percent dividend yield. Vitafoam and Dangote Cement posted 9.3 percent and 9.4 percent as their dividend yields respectively Other dividend yields are below the market average. Nigerian Breweries recorded 3.7 percent dividend yield; Transcorp, 1.2 percent; Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank, 2.5 percent; Stanbic IBTC Holdings, 5.7 percent; Access Bank, 4.7 percent; Custodian Investment, 6.4 percent and Transcorp Hotels, 1.7 percent. Others are Nestle Nigeria, 4.3 percent and MTN Nigeria, 4.3 percent.

NSE Bond market capitalisation surpasses equities’ by N100bn TELIAT SULE

he Nigerian capital market is now tilted towards bond, as the market capitalisation of the bonds listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed at N13.79 trillion on Friday March 6, 2020, accounting for 50.17 percent of the overall market capitalisation of equities, bonds and exchange traded funds(ETF) which stood at N27.49 trillion last Friday. This is due mainly to the downward trend in the market, which forced investors to look for safe haven in fixed income securities. Market capitalisation of equities listed on the NSE closed at N13.69 trillion representing 49.81 percent while ETF market capitalisation was worth N6.64 trillion last Friday, representing 0.02 percent of the market.

Market heavyweights such as Dangote Cement, Nigerian Breweries and MTN Nigeria have recorded mixed fortunes year to date when measured in terms of share price appreciation. Dangote Cement’s share price gained 19.7 percent year to date; MTN Nigeria posted 9.5 percent while Nigerian Breweries and Nestle Nigeria have lost 30.8 percent each from their market capitalisation year to date. This is coming as 11 Plc, formerly known as Mobil Oil notified the Nigerian Stock Exchange of its plan to delist from the NSE, further reducing the equity market capitalisation. The board of directors of 11 Plc at its board meeting held on 27 February, 2020 considered and approved a proposal for 11 Plc to voluntarily delist from the Nigerian Stock Exchange and would be tabled before the shareholders at the next AGM to be held on June 3, 2020.

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Women’s World

Wunmi Olufeko, creating demand versatility from popular Ankara fashion

s Nigeria joins the rest of the world today to celebrate the International Women’s Day, someone is thinking how to make women more successful and value-adding to their families and the larger society. In this personality interview, Wunmi Olufeko, founder and creative director, Design for Love (DFL), shares with MODESTUS ANAESORONYE her passion, love for women independence, and starting a new business in Nigeria. Excerpts:

as means for extortion. Can you share some success habits or tips that have helped you? I constantly read and research. It doesn’t mean I always take myself seriously or feel the need to share the things I know but the truth is, I dislike being Ignorant so I am constantly learning. Being in the industry this long, how were you able to cope with all the competition? I literally face my front. Laughs. I have learned to just ‘do me’. I am my authentic self. Even though I am studying what competitors are doing, I don’t allow it derail me from what I want to achieve.

Who is Wunmi Olufeko? Oluwunmi Funbi-Olufeko is the founder and creative director, Design for Love, one of the fastest growing Nigerian fashion brand started fifteen years ago out of sheer love and passion. Wunmi is spurred by a desire to drastically reduce poverty and unemployment by expanding her value chain to include more women who produce local fabrics as well as increase factory production. Her desire to continue to challenge the statuesque has expanded her vision to infuse African prints into daily work wear by scaling up their current business through collaborations and investor opportunities on the African continent. Wunmi is as vivacious as the colours on her prints and is happily married with three kids, and because that clearly isn’t enough chaos, she also enjoys travelling and still manages to read one book a month How was growing up like for you? Growing up was fun as my parents actually allowed me have some level of artistic expression, and being the first, I was very independent. I was also exposed to business early in life as both parents were business owners. My dad had a fleet of buses and ran a transportation company while my mum was a trader at the Idumota market and every night she would let me count the money she made from her day’s sales. So, that was how I developed a flair for trade or selling which eventually led me to running DFL. What or who inspired the creation of Design for Love (DFL) and why the name? My inspiration simply to express myself differently in the workplace by creating African inspired fabric pieces that could serve as everyday work wear. The name was a play of words, being for the love of design because I have always loved anything that has to do with designing or creating. Could you briefly share your startup story? I started in 2014 in Abuja. Initially, I was selling Ankara fabrics and part of my selling strategy was showing my po-

Have you at anytime had second thoughts on DFL or guessed its potentials? Yes, definitely, many times. Business is never one smooth journey. It is a bumpy twisted trip. There are times I wish I could just throw in the towel but those times eventually pass and I have found that there is something to learn from your low moments. I guess the downs help you appreciate the ups. I mean, I have cried and I have been overwhelmingly happy too.

Wunmi Olufeko tential customers what they could make with my Fabrics, so I always had a sketch pad with me. This eventually evolved into me creating Ankara work wear shirts for both men and women. I was doing this and working a 9-5 and after a year and half of juggling both, I called it quits with my day job to learn pattern drafting at a tailoring school in Lagos. After my training, I just kept going one day at a time. Asides financial value, what else was your mission from the outset? I wanted to build a business for women, run by women. I was raised largely by my mom who was a single mom for the most part and I saw how financially stressful it was for her to raise 4 kids alone; and she gave up a lot to ensure we were all okay. So, when I started employing staff, I wanted more women because I realised that women needed to be more financially stable as the task of raising their children fell largely on their shoulders. I particularly want more young women to develop themselves and be independent. And this is what I have been able to do in the last 16 years, encouraging the young women that work with me and ensuring that I

can be a motivation for them to achieve all they aspire to. What would you say is unique about your brand? Oh that’s simple. We have a keen eye for colours and patterns and we are able to mix prints and patterns effortlessly So, DFL would be celebrating its 16th anniversary this year; what would you say is your greatest achievement so far? I have got a couple. I was able to execute a contract for producing 1200 laptop bags at my factory in Lagos within one month. Our laptop bags are quitted and involved a lot of print matching and handwork. And this was important because of the time frame involved. By my estimation, it’s the same time it would have taken a small or medium Chinese factory to make and deliver the same bags to Lagos. The second is setting up and managing 2 retail spaces in Lagos. Both of which stock our Ankara outfits and anyone can walk in to make a purchase. Research has shown that most businesses fail within the first 2 years. How have you been able to stay in business in these 16 years and what has been your biggest challenge? We have thrived by con-

stantly studying the market in order to understand trends and competition. But really, it’s not about what others are doing. For the large part, it’s about staying focused and not being scared to reinvent oneself. As a business, you must experiment a lot and while some experiments will turn out bad, a few will be good and make up for the failed experiments The biggest challenge has been government policies that are often times unfavorable to local businesses and then I think that the system can intimidate you, if you don’t know your rights. I’m referring to certain bogus taxes that you could be asked to pay for by local government officials. What are your recommendations to the various governing bodies about the aforementioned challenges? I think that stakeholder participation is required before certain policies are made. Our opinions need to be taken into consideration and they need to provide accurate information regarding things like taxation and government levies. Business owners should be able to access up to date information easily on agency websites because some government officials use this lack of information

If you could offer a piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? Three nuggets: 1. Lean startup. 2. Test the waters and 3. Scale up. If you weren’t in the fashion business, what would you have been doing? I would have still been designing. May be, houses. If you could have a do over, what would you do differently? Nothing, everything in life has a reason for its happening What are some long term projections you have for the business? Expanding the retail space for made in Nigeria fashion and making it more accessible even outside Nigeria. My goal is to make DFL a global fashion brand. Hoping this does not sound cliché. But we are working hard at this even at the moment. Entering the new decade, what should we be expecting from you and DFL? From DFL, more options in terms of styles and service delivery. We keep encouraging people to shop via our website because the internet is the future of service delivery. From me, I guess being more vocal in the fashion industry and helping newer fashion businesses weather the challenges of running their business in Nigeria.

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BDSUNDAY 41

LifestyleHomes&Suites Future of Nigeria’s economy depends on real estate - Odusolu With a housing deficit of about 17 million units by some estimates, problems confronting Nigeria’s Real Estate sector seem to defy solutions. Jide Odusolu, CEO of Octo5 Holdings and erstwhile special adviser to former Ogun State governor, in this interview with SEGUN ADAMS,sheds light on the challenges of Real Estate in Nigeria and the way out for the country, drawing from his rich public and private sector backgrounds. Excerpts: What is the biggest challenge that Nigeria is facing with providing adequate and affordable housing units for its population? n order of importance, I will say expertise/capacity constraints; limited access to medium-term funding and the huge infrastructure deficit which make properties more expensive. Some real estate practitioners have blamed low investment in the sector on the land use act. What would you say about that? The Land Use Act (LUA) while a bottleneck is NOT the problem. The disconnect between state governments’ understanding of how to truly raise IGR and the over-reliance on the use of high tariffs is the true challenge. What that has done is to create a virtual alternate title transfer where people bypass transaction titling costs. Since most properties are purchased for personal use, most buyers are willing to take that risk. That said, Land Use registration costs, planning approval costs and such statutory expenses on their own are at best 5percent to 10percent of development cost. Conversely, infrastructure, on the other hand, takes a minimum of 25percent, while the high cost of finishes adds averagely another 30percent at the minimum. Let me hasten to add, that the titling system in many western climes is dependent on a public record of deeds which enables you to track property history. Nigeria cannot be an exception, but the provisions that make it mandatory for agovernor to give consent which has become a tariff toll must be modified and simplified. States can and should still generate revenue,but we must move away from the present unwieldy and dysfunctional approving processes. The real estate sector according to NBS data continues to underperform; what can be done to unlock value in the sector? The Nigerian Real Estate Sector is under-reported; poorly understood and overtaxed. Real Estate ought to be a top-three sector for the economy especially noting our huge deficit.In Ogun State, during the homeowners charter programme instituted by the Amosun administration, over 35,000 properties without title and/or documentation were successfully codified and issued

Jide Odusolu

Certificates of Occupancy. Essentially, that meant, people could unlock the dead capital locked in the properties. According to PwC, Nigeria holds in excess of US$300 billion in unrealisable undocumented property.Try and imagine the economic impact, if by creating an enabling environment, we can generate 10percent of that in new real and realizable assets. Now, how can this be done speedily? One, we need to improve access to medium-term capital for structured developers; this will go a long way to unlocking value in the sector. Two, we must recognise the high cost of infrastructure and provide fiscal concessions for developers who invest in utilities which in itself boosts urbanisation; Three, we must publicise the real tax advantages of owning mortgages!When we do these three, we broaden the economic base of the country dramatically. How much of an impact would the recent infrastructure investment in Nigeria have on the real estate sector? If replicated for developers especially in semi-urban neighbourhoods, the impact would be huge and immediate. As presently structured, it seems to favour just the mega-companies. What policies or government initiative are critical to

supporting the real estate industry? I personally believe that vocational skills is an ignored but vital weapon to address our growing rate of youth unemployment. Next to agriculture, that is the only way to take millions out of poverty and unemployment speedily. Sadly, no one is incentivised to do it and we keep exporting jobs to our ECOWAS brothers and sisters. You were recently a special adviser to a former governor of Ogun State and MD of the OPIC. What was that experience like for you? I call it my 6-year post-graduate programme. As a fairly successful private developer, nothing prepared me for the

Having survived, as a full-grown tested company, our new challenge is the unique opportunity to lead the charge to create affordable luxury homes in a truly viable manner

huge dichotomy between public and private practices.However, I am eternally grateful to my boss – Senator IbikunleAmosunand my former colleagues at OPIC. Together we left indelible marks as far as development in Ogun State and Nigeria at large is concerned. Under your leadership, OPIC, though a state company, was recognised as being on the frontier of development of Nigeria’s real estate sector. Can you share how you were able to achieve that, alongside some of the challenges you were faced with? That’s an entire epistle, seriously; though, after the initial massive culture shock, I recognised that there were lots of good people in the public sector. The challenge was our perennial national bad habit of subordinating merit in making appointments. As such many of them required motivation and encouragement to be willing to take risks in a system designed to be anonymous and simply maintain the status quo. The successes recorded during my tenure was firstly due to having an uncommon leader and champion in the governor; he gave unequivocal backing to all our initiatives and often thrived on pushing us to be bullish. The political cover provided enabled the team and me to break many barriers and make progress without fear or favour. Second, as I said was the innate quality of my colleagues, most of whom were highly trained professionals with years of practice knowledge but very low motivation to take chances. When they were confronted with a committed leader, most signed up and supported the various initiatives introduced to transform OPIC. Conversely, a huge challenge was the negative impact on personal family life and my personally having to willfully forgo so many personal business opportunities for the greater good. But as you attested, the great joy was that we successfully transformed OPIC, created many award-winning landmark projects and ensured that OPIC within six (6) years was a topthree internally generating agency in Ogun State and easily one of the top five active large scale developers in Nigeria. What informed your deci-

sion to return to the private sector and how easily adaptable to private sector practice is the experience you bring from your time with Ogun State government? My foray into public service was not planned and neither did I envisage that I would be there for that long. As I said, it was exacting a huge personal cost and so the first chance I had to return to base – I grabbed it. That said, the major eye-opener to me was the huge potential market that extends beyond Lekki-Victoria Island and Ikoyi for property development. Until OPIC, I would have laughed, if you told me that one could create several multi-billion naira projects in Abeokuta, Agbara, Isheri, Makun – Sagamu, all without government subvention or borrowing. My public service made me confirm that Nigeria is truly an ocean of opportunity that favours only the brave. What can you say has been some of the landmark accomplishments for Octo5 Holdings till date? Between 2000 and 2010, it would be pioneering the development of that whole area around Novare Mall now known as Monastery Road, Sangotedo. Nothingexisted there when we initiated Heritage Place in 2000/2003. The same applies to Ocean Bay, Lafiaji, between 2003/2007, when we created it. The only viableneighbouring communities were VGC and Chevron itself. As a matter of fact, our collective sanity was queried for many years during the development phases of both communities. Having survived, as a fullgrown tested company, our new challenge is the unique opportunity to lead the charge to create affordable luxury homes in a truly viable manner. We intend to be that company that gives investors and families the freedom to own homes. We intend to do this using our STOW App, the Vocational Skills Initiatives and the various partnerships being fostered to support the industry. With several awards and honours to your name, it would be interesting to know what drives or motivates you? I am motivated by challenges. Being able to boldly say nothing is impossible and then walking that talk!

42 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 08 March 2020

Health&Science

Coronavirus: Tips to protect yourself

When seeking infertility treatment, informed decision is best Contributor

ANTHONIA OBOKOH

oronaviruses are a large family of viruses that may cause illness in animals or humans and includes other severe diseases from the past like MERS and SARS. The coronavirus’ spread is similar to the flu, according to World Health Organization. Whenever someone with the virus coughs or exhales, they release droplets of infected fluid that can land on nearby surfaces and can infect another person who comes in contact. Here are number of actions people can take to help prevent the virus from spreading, which are nearly identical to preventing other viruses like the flu. Wash your hands frequently: Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcoholbased hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands. Maintain social distancing: Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease. Avoid touching eyes, nose

and mouth: Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick. Practice respiratory hygiene: Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health

authority. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections. Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider: Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

Medical expert calls for screening test for newborn to prevent hearing loss CHURCHILL OKORO, Benin

aul Adobamen, Head of Department of Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), has advocated for hearing screening test for newborn to detect hearing loss at an early stage. Adobamen made the call on Tuesday during the 2020 World Hearing Day with the theme, “Don’t let hearing loss limit you”, at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City. The medical doctor, who however, appealed to the federal government to incorporate hearing loss into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), noted that hearing loss is a silent handicap. The Professor of ENTH and surgery, in a lecture titled: “Management and rehabilitation of hearing loss”, opined that early hearing screening of newborn will help in the early detention

of hearing loss in advance so that treatment can commence immediately. He identified drugs such as chloramphenicol and quinine; ageing, earpiece usage, ear trauma from domestic violence as factors that induces hearing loss. He therefore, advised Nigerians to go for hearing checkups annually as well as patronise qualified medical practitioner for drugs and treatment when the need arises. “Newborns need to do hearing screening with otoacoustic machine and every general hospital should have it. When we find out at that stage that the child have hearing loss, we refer to a specialist Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon. That surgeon will monitor the child within the next six months, treat and intervene. “If they are not able to correct the cause of the hearing loss, then they have to check the child

often depending on the cause of the hearing loss. “For work-related noise we expect workers to go for checkups at least twice a year,” he said. At the event, 10 pairs of hearing aids were donated to indigent and hearing impaired persons by a South African woman, Osemwenkha Tsepo. Tsepo said the hearing aids will help to amplify sounds thereby making impaired persons to hear well. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Eromosele Kingsley commended the donor for the gesture. He however, pleaded with Edo state government to pass the disability bill into law and employ sign language interpreters in hospitals. World Hearing Day is marked every March 3 to raise awareness on how to prevent hearing loss as well as promote ear and hearing care across the world.

Abayomi Ajayi

f you have not been able to get pregnant after about one year of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse, either you or your spouse may have a fertility problem. Concerns about being pregnant should not be ignored. Don’t wait. About one in four couples have difficulty conceiving naturally, so If you have been trying for a baby for a while you should see your personal doctor, especially if you’re at least 36 and you have been diagnosed with a cause of infertility or you have a history of problems which may affect your fertility. Consult a qualified medical doctor who will refer you to a fertility specialist that will investigate the reason why pregnancy is not occurring. It begins with a medical history, physical examination and recommended tests or lifestyle changes. A woman that has been trying to get pregnant for over a year should generally be offered a test to check that she is ovulating. If these tests don’t reveal a problem, further tests are done to check that the fallopian tubes are not blocked. Generally, fertility tests for women include a cervical smear test if you haven’t had one recently, urine test for Chlamydia which can block the fallopian tubes, preventing pregnancy, and blood test to see she is ovulating. This is done by measuring progesterone in a blood sample taken seven days before her period is due. Other tests include a blood test to check for hormone imbalances. This test can also identify possible early menopause as a cause of subfertility. The man should also have sperm test checks for abnormalities as well as urine test for Chlamydia, which, in addition to being a known cause of infertility in women, can also affect sperm function and male fertility. If one or both of have a condition that affects fertility more tests could be necessary, but if the test results are normal and you have been trying for a baby for less than 18 months, you may need to make lifestyle changes and continue trying to conceive naturally. Lifestyle can affect chances of conceiving significantly, particularly if you are a heavy smoker or overweight or underweight. In 10 -15 per cent of cases, despite investigations, a clear cause of infertility is never established (unexplained infertility). Whatever the diagnosis, the clinician will explain the best treatment options that are available to you. Before taking the next step in your journey to become pregnant, it’s worth seeking out a good fertility clinic. Couples challenged by infertility need to be meticulous in choosing their preferred treatment clinic as their choice goes a long way in determining their chances of achieving pregnancies. Do some homework first. When it comes to choosing a clinic, do thorough research ahead of time. Look out for clinics that have high pregnancy and birth rates, high quality management system, as well as strong ethics, good experience and cutting edge technology and infrastructural setup to boost your chances of getting pregnant. Assess your eligibility for treatment. How much will your treatments cost? How convenient is the location? What are the waiting lists like for treatment? If you are using donor sperm, eggs or embryos in your treatment,

it is worth contacting a few clinics to research how waiting lists compare for donor treatments. Appearances matter and the first cut is often the deepest. When you contact or visit the clinic, how do you feel there and about the way the staff treats you? Ask a lot of questions of every fertility clinic you’re considering. How long has the fertility clinic’s medical director or embryologists and other key staff been there? How long have the doctors and technicians been there? What are their antecedents? High staff turnover can be a sign of bad management and can contribute to mistakes. Be sure the clinic has a wide range of infertility remedies available and is familiar with the latest technology. How concerned is the clinic about ethical issues? If you call the clinic and they’re too busy to answer your questions, try elsewhere. They may not have time for your questions once you’re a patient, either Ask lots of questions so you feel fully informed about the treatment they are recommending. If possible, talk to other patients to hear their personal experiences of the clinic. Find out how many cycles (rounds of treatment) are attempted before trying another approach or stopping treatment altogether. Is there a support group and are there qualified counselors? Having emotional support is very important when going through fertility treatment. A good clinic must offer you an opportunity to talk to a counselor about the implications of your suggested treatment before you consent to it. When researching clinics, you may want to ask about this and whether they have any support groups you can join. What are the success rates? It’s only natural for you to want to know your chances of success. Check data on success rates for the clinic. Ask about the number of treatments carried out in a particular year and the number of pregnancies and births that resulted. These success rates should be used only as a general guide and not as a personal prediction of your own chance of success. Directly comparing the success rates of clinics is not useful because all clinics treat patients with different diagnoses, which affects the average success rates. Also, most clinics carry out too few cycles each year to reliably predict a patient’s future chance of success. Choose a clinic that shows the type of patients each clinic treats, including their age and diagnosis and how long they have been infertile. This may help identify clinics that treat patients with similar needs to you and also puts the success rates for that clinic in context. Success rates are broken down by treatment. Before you step into the fertility clinic, find out what kind of invasive tests or procedures might lie in wait for you. Keep in mind that some fertility centres that looked great several years ago may have had high staff turnover and declined in quality. In a nutshell, the most important thing you can do when making decisions about fertility treatment is to ensure you are well informed. Read all you can, don’t be afraid to ask questions, talk to other people, including considering joining a patient-led support group. When you’re choosing a clinic, success rates are important but they aren’t the only thing that matters – location, cost, what treatments are offered and even the atmosphere can all make a difference.

Sunday 08 March 2020

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Sports

It’s NFF decision to retain or sack Rohr - Mutiu Adepoju Mutiu AdepojU, former Nigerian international who played most of his career in Spain, amasses LaLiga totals of 175 games and 22 goals over the course of seven seasons and mainly representing Racing de Santander and Real Sociedad. In an exclusive chart with BusinessDay’s Anthony Nlebem spoke about the competiveness in LaLiga, Gernot Rohr’s contract saga with the NFF, among other issues.

hat can you say about the quality of El Clasico now compared to your playing days? The quality is still the same and more business. It’s still the same, but improving and it’s interesting to see what has been happening. Before now, Real Madrid and Barcelona are miles ahead of other clubs, but that has changed Real Madrid and Barcelona are not struggling. The fact is that other teams are catching up and LaLiga is trying to make all the teams important and now all the teams are important, anybody can beat anybody and that is why LaLiga is more competitive. So, it’s not as if Real Madrid and Barcelona are struggling, the league is more competitive and other teams are coming up.

Like I said earlier, LaLiga is competitive. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo left, everyone would have loved Ronaldo to keep playing in Real Madrid colours, nevertheless, there are other players that have come. Eden Hazard has come and because of injury he has not had many games for Madrid. Real Madrid has been playing and has been winning and that is football for you. So, football is different and LaLiga is competitive and I think the competitiveness is what is making it solid and very interesting.

Since Ronaldo left, Real Madrid have been struggling, could it be the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo?

Which team are you tipping to win the LaLiga title? It’s going to be difficult and if Real Madrid wins the El Clasico, we’re still not going to know because there are still other matches to be played. But if Barcelona wins, we’d be thinking that they’re probably leading with 5 points. But until the last game, the league

is still going to be disputed between them and we have other teams coming behind too. Do you think that LaLiga is ahead of other leagues? LaLiga is without any doubt the best league in the world. It’s ahead of other leagues. All the successes that LaLiga has had in the past 10 years is a prove and we have seen the kind of players the stars that come to LaLiga. So, I believe that LaLiga is the best. I’m talking from an insider because I played in LaLiga, it’s the league that made me and I know the quality in LaLiga and the kind of players in LaLiga. What can you say about the appointment of Joseph Yobo as Assistant Coach? It’s a good development and Yobo has played so many matches both international matches and in with the national team.

So I think he’s going to bring his wealth of experience, both in how to manage the and how to help the team. So, I think it’s a good development. Gernot Rhor appointment is on the line. Will you advise NFF to renew his contract or get another coach? Well, that is not my own job. I think the NFF is there to say whether to renew it or not. But with what I’ve seen, Gernot Rhor has really tried so it’s now left for NFF to decide either to retain him or not. What can you say about Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for 2021 AFCON and 2022 World Cup? Well, the chances are bright. We have players that are playing in various clubs we have young players, so, I believe the chances are bright if everything is managed like it should be...

Premier Cool renews sponsorship of HiFL

Star Lager celebrates Man City’s Cup Win with thrilling fan experiences

Anthony Nlebem

igerian football fans were treated to a thrilling experience last Sunday as they enjoyed an exclusive viewing of the Carabao Cup Final between the current champions, Manchester City and Aston Villa, courtesy of Star Lager Beer on March 1, 2020. The match was the third time both teams have met this season, with Manchester City winning all three games. The final was hotly-contested as both teams slugged it out for the trophy, but Manchester City’s quality in squad depth and ability proved to be too much for the men in Claret and Blue, who put on a spirited display. Hosting fans at the recently launched Star Live Arena, Nigeria’s foremost beer brand, Star Lager, gave fans the perfect atmosphere to enjoy the brilliance of a Manchester City side who predictably dominated the Villa side. The Star Live Arena is a new platform in partnership with Man. City in which Star Lager Beer offers fans an immersive experience of the Premier League as well as other competitions involving Manchester City in bars around them. The initiative — which kicked off with the Carabao

Z Cussons, makers of Premier Cool, recently restated its commitment to supporting the growth of sports and youth engagement as it renewed its sponsorship of the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) for the second year running. The renewal was made known at a press briefing, which held at Radisson Blu in Lagos to launch the 2020 season of league. Premier Cool was a major sponsor of HiFL season 2 and proved to be a valuable sponsor as they were quite instrumental in the training and development of not just the players but also every stakeholder in the spectrum. Premier Cool in partnership with Manchester City Football Club, sponsored the first of its kind ever Coaching Clinic for Collegiate Coaches in Nigeria and in the history of the league. Many of the coaches who participated in that memorable capacity development session clearly benefited from the program as the impact became quite evident as the season progressed. At the press briefing which was organised to review as well as showcase the achievements of the previous seasons and also intimate the media on its plans for 2020, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing, organisers of the novel Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL), made it known that they are gearing up for an even better third season as they look to consolidate on their successes thus far. Speaking at the event was the Brand Development and Activation Manager, Premier Cool, Eniola Ogunlade, who commended the organisers for a job well done, as the growth of the HiFL has been quite impressive, which is why Premier Cool is happy to once again be part of another emerging

success story. “For us at Premier Cool, the Higher Institution Football League has lived up to expectations and we are proud to be identified with the brand. This year, we are once again happy to announce the renewal of our sponsorship deal with HiFL. In the last two seasons of the Higher Institution Football League we have seen and are proud to be a part of the emergence of several stars like, Ebuka Odenigbo of Kano Pillars, Emmanuel Ogbolee of Nassarawa United, and Osas Imade of Bendel Insurance amongst others. We are confident of the numerous talents that are yet to be discovered in our various campuses and so we are encouraged to provide opportunities for these talents to grow and express their abilities to a teeming population and scouts for possible career advancement. Rest assured that Premier Cool will continue to support laudable sports and youth development initiatives, such as the Higher Institutions Football League while creating remarkable impact in the lives of the Nigerian youth with sports as the enabler. So everyone should stay chilled and stay Premier Cool” she said. Also speaking at the event, Chief Operating Officer, PACE

Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Olamide Adeyemo, thanked all the stakeholders involved in the continuous achievements and growth of the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) which is now in its third season. He was particularly full of praise for Premier Cool for its support and immense contribution to the league. “I am particularly grateful to all our major sponsors especially Premier Cool who came on board last season and has added so much value to Higher Institutions Football League. The Coaching Clinic for Collegiate Coaches, facilitated by their partners, Manchester City Football Club, turned out to be one of the major highlights of the 2019 season. They have once again restated their commitment to us for the 2020 season and we are super excited to have them on board as we look forward another rewarding season” he said. The organisers mentioned as part of the achievements and growth of Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) following its success of 2019, 2020 season is set to feature no less than 52 Higher Institutions across the country, having featured 32 the previous season. The league preliminary matches are due to kick off in April.

Cup Final at select bars in Abuja and Jos — is one of Star Lager’s many sports initiatives to connect with its consumers through passion points, like football. In the past, Star Lager has supported the Super Eagles of Nigeria at various tournaments and signed major deals with top European sides including Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea during the 2016/2017 season. The brand also became the first official beer partner of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) in the same year. The first game of the new campaign proved to be a huge delight for football fans as it bore all the things that one could expect from a cup final, involving Manchester City. While some of the fans came for the goals and love for the Carabao Cup, everyone got a good taste of the entertainment, rewards and of course, ice-cold Star Lager Beer. There were more side games at halftime and the final whistle, with fans also sharing their reactions from the game. Portfolio Manager, National Premium Brands, Sarah Agha, who made remarks at the viewing said she was happy that everyone had a good time, and looks forward to more weeks of premium football viewing experiences.