BusinessDay 11 Aug 2019 by BusinessDay

INVESTIGATION

How loopholes in online property marts helped fraudsters rob renters of over N20m TEMITAYO AYETOTO

oopholes arising from displaying unverified vacant apartments on online property marts have been helping fraudsters scam and rob unsuspecting house hunters. Over 75 renters who picked interest in a yet-to-be-completed

one-storey-building on 11 Abeni Close, Asha Estate, Gbagada, Lagos were defrauded of a total payment of over N20 million in June. The property was listed mostly on various property websites which are considered to be non-classified marketplaces because of the loose framework of operation and lack of ac-

countability to users in the event of a bad transaction. Through agents who subscribe to these platforms including Jiji, Nigeria Property Centre for widespread promotion, renters including those outside Lagos got in contact with a certain landlord named Mr. Bobby and Olaleye Continues on page 6

Waiting for Buhari’s ministers

...They must be ‘magicians’ to retool Nigeria CHUKA UROKO

n a space of four years, Nigerians and their friends have witnessed twice a perfect re-enactment of Great Expectation orchestrated by their president who, it seems, has the penchant for creating prolonged suspense before selecting ministers Continues on page 4

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#RevolutionNow: Anxiety grips Nigerians over creeping tyranny

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THE PROLOGUE

Lawmakers or law-breakers?

here is the maxim that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands”. By implication, he who comes to law-making must come with clean hands. Observers however, believe that quality of leadership in Nigeria is fast dropping as people who should ordinarily have nothing to do with governance are now sitting on the driver’s seat of policy making. Many of those whose cases are running in various courts over gross abuses of their previous offices and unbridled

malfeasance are sitting at the highest level of lawmaking chamber in the land. Some are today heading committees that will make them have oversight function of the EFCC. The AMCON DG recently said that heavy debtors, who were responsible for the failure of many government institutions and companies, are the same people calling the shots in this government. Many people are wondering if Nigeria’s lawmakers have suddenly become law breakers. OBINNA EMELIKE and AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE, in their separate analyses agree that Nigeria is at a crossroads.

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Oyo/Osun customs made 7,951 seizures, generates N23.87bn, arrests 35 smugglers

Crash of RSU and urgent need for another rescue mission

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Vol 1, No. 275 N300

Insurance firms gain from engineering, oil & gas as gross written premiums hit N53bn

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Strange times in Nigeria

Suffering fueling violence Soldiers killing policemen Good governance on holiday Economy adrift Peace of the graveyard BY OUR REPORTERS

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hese appear to be strange times in Nigeria, when everything seems to work against the country. With high unemployment rate currently around 23 percent, according to data from the National Bureau of

Statistics, many Nigerian youths have become easy preys to people who recruit them for unwholesome activities. Lamenting the worsening unemployment rate in the country, a member of the Faculty at the Lagos Business School, who spoke with BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity, said: “Anybody doubting about negative things happening in the

country may be making a serious mistake. If Nigeria has 28 to 30 million unemployed youths and every year about 700,000 (seven hundred thousand) others are added to that number, it is getting to a tipping point.” Nigerians have also expressed shock at the level of lawlessness and seeming hijack of the country by hoodlums who operate with

reckless abandon. These illegally armed men have taken over the entire country, abducting and killing at will. They carry out their nefarious acts without hindrance, and it appears they have no regard for constituted authorities. Speaking with our correspondent, Anthony Imoh, a senior manager with a commercial bank Continues on page 2

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Unlucky Nigerian babies can’t find breast milk banks in key formative months

... Kenya, South Africa lead in WHO compliance in Africa

ANTHONIA OBOKOH

oyosi Jane, 30, a single parent of one, feels less qualified as a mother, not because she can’t afford her new-born the joy of being cradled and raised under the unity of a loving couple. She believes her inability to breastfeed her Continues on page 6

Rev. Uja Tor Uja, executive secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), in a warm handshake with Bishop Nathan Inyom, chairman, Benue Christian and Church Leaders Consultative Forum, who also is the bishop of Anglican Church Makurdi Diocese, and others during a courtesy visit by the members of the Christian forum, Benue State to the executive Secretary NCPC, at the Commission’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.

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Strange times in... Continued from page 1 in Lagos, expressed sadness that it appears the present administration may have failed in its major reason for being in office, which is protection of lives and property. “We used to hear about all the negative things that are happening now in the days of the military. Talk about human rights abuses, oppressions, and extrajudicial killings. It was for these ills that the then civil society organisations fought the military jackboots to a standstill. These struggles helped to establish democracy in Nigeria. But with what is happening today, Nigeria has lost it. Even though we pretend that we are in a democracy; we are in the worst form of military dictatorship. I do not need to mention such indices; they are there for everybody to see,” Imoh said. Imoh further explained that a situation where the security agents forcefully deny citizens their rights to show their displeasure over what they think is absence of good governance or oppressive government signposts a dangerous time and an eloquent testimony that Nigeria is yet to be free. “I can tell you that the fight for freedom is still on. If at this stage of Nigeria, 59 years after independence, we are still experiencing this level of impunity by government and their agents, it then means that the fight for freedom is not yet over,” Imoh further said. He also blamed what he described as excruciating suffering in the country for the violent reactions by some citizens. “The principle of cause and effect is at work in Nigeria. There is failure of governance, leading to hunger, poverty, unemployment, under-employment, depression and deaths. The Nigerian people are reacting to these, and I had expected the government to take pro-active decisions to ameliorate the suffering, but I am not seeing something positive.” He also noted that the rate at which war songs are being sung, and war drums being beaten by various ethnic nationalities are a pointer that all is not well with Nigeria. “Many groups in the country are not happy with government and they are not hiding it. They are reacting to the negative behaviours of government. There seems to be no synergy between government and the people. At best, I can say there is that peace of the graveyard in Nigeria at the moment,” Imoh said. Speaking with BDSUNDAY on the negative developments in the country and the need for government to convince Nigerians that it has come to serve and not to kill, a cleric, who craved anonymity, said he never imagined things would be such bad in Nigeria and for the masses.

“Before the 2015 general election, I never imagined that Nigeria would return to this sorry state. When I look back to the pre-civil war days; I still see a replay of those things that led to the avoidable civil war in Nigeria. With what I am seeing, the country is inching, every day, closer to that unfortunate episode. I hear people say, ‘nothing can make us fight again’. But I laugh. I laugh because; we are very close to that point. All is needed is a trigger. It could be a minor provocation. If we sing ‘let there be no war’ song with our mouth; we must also work and pray towards that; because, mere wishing, may not help us,” he said. The cleric pointed out that, “a country where hundreds of people are being killed and the corpses decapitated by the killers; a country where many people are being kidnapped on a daily basis; a country where ethnic and religious consciousness, and hate speech have become a national anthem; a country where government is so opaque that the people do not know what is going on; a country where government prides itself in nepotism and citizens appear to have lost confidence in their government that live in denial of everything; there is no trust anywhere; then, there is danger. I hope we survive it.” Ex p r e s s i n g f e a r o v e r t h e strange happenings in society, Cheta Nwanze, lead partner, SBM Intelligence, said: “Every society serious about progress aims towards equity. Arresting those that point out the rots in the society, while negotiating with those that carry out violence, sends a message.” Calling on the Federal Government to restore peace and tranquility in the country, and win back the confidence of citizens, Ariyo Badmus, a member of the civil society group, said: “I am of the opinion that government has not applied itself well in the area of governance. Things have continued to move from bad to worse. Government must show capacity to arrest the ugly situations of killers overrunning the country to the point that there is no part of the country that is safe.” Recall that soldiers had last week killed three policemen (one inspector; two sergeants) and a civilian). The policemen, who were murdered along Ibi-Jalingo Road, Taraba State, were conveying a kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu, to the command headquarters in Jalingo. The soldiers were said to have also released the suspect, who is now on the run. Last week also, an Okada rider, Chimaobi Nwogu of Umuokereke Ngwa in Abia State, was shot dead by a military officer. It is the belief of analysts that something has gone wrong with governance and the current government must as a matter of urgency stem the tide of bestiality in the country.

Seyi Makinde, Oyo State governor (right) in handshake with Muhammed Ibrahim, head, Emergency Communication Centre of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), while the South-West Zonal Director, Yomi Arowosafe (second left) and others look on during the NCC management team courtesy visit to the Governor’s Office, Ibadan.

1st edition of Glo-powered CNN African Voices Change Makers features Nigerian artificial limb makers

Foundation, which has over the years taken responsibility for several children whose limbs had been severed due to health issues. On the programme, Crystal, explained what she went through, alongside her husband to raise their daughter who was born with congenital limb deformity, expatiating on the difficulties and pain involved in making a decision on whether to amputate or not She said “seeing other children and families go through the same process without a clear view on how to adapt to the challenges of living with limb loss gave vent to the creation of Irede Foundation which has, since inception, restored hope to children living with loss of limbs.” “We understand that children can help educate their friends in school; that way we can educate a whole nation – and we can reduce societal stigmatization. In addition, when a child starts using prosthesis from childhood you are helping in shaping the beliefs of the child and his or her ability to believe they can do anything. More importantly, they can live their lives to the full-

est not minding the limb loss they must have gone through,” Crystal explained. Over the years, Crystal and Irede Foundation have been recognised by different organizations in appreciation of their humanitarian activities. They include Naija Diamonds Award (2014) sponsored by Diamond Bank, the Ebony Life TV sponsored Sisterhood Award for Philanthropist of the year (2014) and the Life Transformation Award from Wise Women Awards. The second guest on the programme is Gbolahan Sasona, a Prosthetist and Orthotist and also the President of America-based Delta Orthopaedic Laboratory. In its bid to help transform the lives of amputees with prosthetics/ orthotics, spinal braces and fracture bracing of different kinds, the Laboratory established The Ability Prosthetic and Orthotic Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State. A well-equipped centre with computerised prosthetics and orthotics experience, it fits perfectly the professional medical rehabilitation advocacy of Sasona. It’s also the first of its kind in Nigeria.

We won’t shield criminals in our midst, NANS vows REMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan

he National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said it would never provide cover for the criminally-minded youth within its fold in order to give proper effect to the fight against crimes and criminality in the country. The umbrella body of the Nigerian students made the pledge in Ibadan at the weekend during a courtesy visit to the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC). Led by the Chairman of its Joint Campus Committee, Oyo State Chapter, Olujuwon Asubiojo, the team conveyed the association’s satisfaction on the Commission’s effort at ridding the Nigerian society of economic and financial crimes, pledging its readiness to use its influence to expose all forms of corruption across the nation’s higher institutions of learning.

“Though, it is our responsibility to protect the interest of students, we will not protect the interest of criminals,” he said. While stating the purpose of the visit, Asubiojo noted that the association had always wanted to relate with the Commission on how best the two bodies could collaborate to change the disturbing trend of increasing rate of youth involvement in criminal activities. According to him, the trend has reached a worrisome level that calls for strategic collaboration between their association and the anti-graft body with a view to finding the means to change the narrative in the interest of the future of the country. “If we do not join hands with this Commission to fight corruption, corruption will come back to fight us. Fight against corruption is not just the duty of the EFCC, it is a patriotic effort we must enlist in,” he said. Asubiojo also disclosed to the EFCC some of the areas where

NANS wanted to join in the campaign, adding that his members were willing to feature in any capacity that will extensively address issues of corruption in the academic environment. “We are already planning programmes to sensitise youths in the tertiary institutions on the ills of corruption to the nation. We would also implore the Commission to beam its searchlight on issues of corruption at the administrative level in our tertiary institutions. A lot is going on there which the EFCC needs to show more than passing interest on,” he added. While receiving the NANS delegation on behalf of the Commission’s acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, the Ibadan Zonal Head, Friday Ebelo, described the Commission as a youth-friendly body, adding that the sustained crackdown on internet fraudsters in recent times was to dissuade the youth from starting out their lives as criminals and exconvicts.

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Nigeria cannot continue to run like unitary government, says Agbedi SAMUEL ESE, Yenagoa

spondents’ Chapel Media Forum for Bayelsa State Governorship Aspirants. He stressed that if elected governor, he would annex whatever federal assets he could to Bayelsa State, noting that Lagos State has continued to do so for the betterment of their people. Agbedi said he would be ready for any backlash saying, “If elected governor, whatever is federal that I can corner to Bayelsa, I will corner it. If you want to overrun me, come and overrun me. Nigeria cannot continue to run like a unitary government.”

On the plight of oil producing communities in the state, he stated that he was disposed to the establishment of oil producing areas commission since such a commission would warehouse funds for the development of critical communities. He disclosed that he had once trekked about two hours to Okunu community where he is building a primary school, fell down several times and arrived muddied to the surprise of the villagers. According to him, it is such communities he would want to visit, saying, “I want to go to those

villages that are producing oil, those villages that are not benefitting from IOCs, not benefiting from projects. That is what I want to do, the things I know and not what somebody prepares for me to read.” Agbedi promised to turn Bayelsa environment around to be attractive to tourists and not necessarily make the state Dubai, explaining that his Onward Restoration and Transformation Campaign Organisation is aimed at restoring, sustaining and transforming the state, arguing that there would be no remodeling.

Agbedi

He assured on the dredging of the Epie Creek, creation of local flavor to attract tourists and that he would pay attention to Yenagoa, the state capital, as it is the face of the state and create both vertical and horizontal canals to drain it.

Waiting for Buhari’s ... Continued from Page 1 that form his cabinet. The story of Great Expectation as recorded by Charles Dickens, a celebrated English novelist, is that of reversal in expectation, dashed dreams and disappointment, all culminating in despair and frustration. In his first term in office, President Muhammad Buhari spent whole six months looking for saints and men without blemish who would work with him as ministers. That raised hopes and expectations among Nigerians who thought that those saints would be the messiah Nigeria had been waiting for. When eventually the president unveiled his list of saints and wouldbe drivers of the change mantra that gave him victory at the polls, it was not only a rude shock, but also a testament to Nigerians that, truly, perception is different from reality. The list was not just that of regular, ordinary Nigerians, it was also a reflection of the thinking that went into their selection. That was Great Expectation Part 1. The second part of the story is still playing out. In February this year, fate smiled on the president and he emerged the winner of the presidential elections held that month, although the result is still being contested at the tribunal. Nigerians thought some lessons had been learnt from the heavy price both the country and its economy had to pay for the long delay in setting up the cabinet in the president’s first term. But they missed it. It was another Great Expectation up to the president’s inauguration three months after election. The explanation by the president and his managers was that he was looking for extraordinary men and women that would do extra-ordinary things in line with his Next Level agenda. Eventually, four months after winning election in a country that is hungry and in dire security situation, the president unveiled his list of ministers that kept many lips agape, wondering whether they were in fool’s paradise or theatre of the absurd. It was another reversal in expectation and shattered dreams. But the list has come to stay and those selected, 43 in all, among them seven woman, have been screened.

They have all been cleared. Nigeria is a country ruled by hope and so, its people are always hopeful. This is because they are used to long suffering which, according to the Christian Holy Book, is a fruit of the spirit and the only virtue that oils suffering. Against all expectation that the minister-nominees, who were screened without any portfolio affixed to them, would be inaugurated as soon as the Senate ritual was over, the President again shifted the goal post, announcing that the swearing in ceremony will hold on August 21. The announcement was followed with criticism as Nigerians wondered “what’s in appointment of ministers?” Abuja appears to be glamourising what is regarded as inconsequential in most countries of the world. An analyst, who spoke with BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity, said: “It appears that appointment of ministers in Nigeria in this dispensation has become a rocket science.” Much hope is therefore, tied around Buhari’s ministers as many Nigerians believe that a lot of things have gone wrong, needing to be fixed. But the very discerning citizens, those who reason beyond pecuniary interests and clannish considerations, sincerely believe that these ministers must be magicians to drive the speedy change and the ‘Next Level’ flight to the Promised Land. About 12 of the new ministers are returnees from Buhari’s first term and many analysts converge on the understanding that whatever that was responsible for their below-par performance could also hamper their input this time around, especially, as there has been no indication that the impediments have been removed. Obviously, there were impediments to effective performance of Buhari’s ministers in his first term in office. These impediments included a rigid and inept leadership, macroeconomic challenges, mundane issues such as lack of political will, and placing ethnic and religious considerations above national interest. Admittedly, the Buhari government inherited a very weak and fragile economy but failed, contrary

Buhari

to their electoral promises, to do something about it. The action and inaction of government, which compelled some foreign investors to leave the country, hastened the slip of the economy into recession. The attendant hyper inflation, low industrial productivity, loss of jobs and crimped consumer purchasing power all combined to cripple both the economy and governance. This was made worse by what became a ‘third force’ in government-the president’s body language-which made it difficult for anybody, including the ministers, to do or say what could be done to salvage the situation. It was such that when the economy eventually crawled out of the 15-month recession in the second quarter of 2017, economists contended that it was not because of any known action of government, but those of private sector operators, especially those in the manufacturing and services industries. The leadership was so inept that rather than think of how to create an enabling environment that would create economic activities, it was busy chasing stolen money. How much that has helped the economy remains a matter for the imagination. Because of these and a lot more, most of the ministers were just spectators and the very few whose ministries were pivotal to the economy and governance were operating at “half installed capacity”. Some of the ministers who had

record of good performance like the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, struggled to prove their mettle. Fashola was saddled with three key ministries because of his superlative performance as governor of Lagos State from 2007 to 2015. Though it is said that he did well in both power and works, the housing ministry under Fashola had never had it so poor. It is a popular belief, especially among private sector operators, that the government shouldn’t have any business in direct housing production but provide the enabling environment for private investors to do so. But Fashola appeared so overwhelmed that even his brilliant national housing roadmap remains a day-dream till today. The roadmap, which focused on home seekers who are in the majority and those who are most vulnerable, placed much premium on planning which, the government reasoned, was key to successful execution, requiring a clear understanding of those who houses were to be provided for. Fashola insisted that government must lead the change that was needed in the housing sector, recalling that, over the years, Nigeria had embarked on a series of housing initiatives but not one of them had been pursued with consistency or any measurable sustainability. “We are convinced that this change must be led by government and subsequently driven by the private sector”, he said, citing the public housing initiative of the United Kingdom which was started by government in 1918 and, as of 2014, it had recorded 64.8 percent of the people who were home owners. He also cited Singaporean initiative in housing which, he added, was started by government in 1960 and has provided housing for 80 percent of its people, pointing out that what was common to both models was that there was a uniformity of design, a common target to house working class people, and not the elite; standardisation of fittings like doors, windows, space, electrical and mechanical, and also a common concept of neighborhood. As lofty as this idea was, it was never followed through and housing sector analysts blamed it on the

interplay of a tottering economy and a socialist government that did not believe in the power of private capital to catalyse economic growth and development. Both the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Buhari have promised Nigerians that they will be taking both the country and its economy to the Next Level which, by skewed and conservative interpretation, means the ‘Promised Land’. But it remains to be seen how the Next Level agenda is to be realised when all the impediments, as aforementioned, are still intact. Though analysts say the economy has recovered and even grown, that still remains a theoretical construct, because the impact of the growth is yet to cascade to the homes of average Nigerians. Furthermore, investment interest and investor-confidence are still edgy. The government is yet to give clear signal to investors that it is ready to do business. Government policy on key sectors of the economy remains foggy and does not give investors, foreign and local, enough comfort to move cash into Nigeria markets. Another major impediment on the way to the Next Level is the security situation in the country. Deliberately, government has decided to concentrate the management of the entire country’s security architecture in the hands of people from one section of the country where, incidentally, the greatest threat to the country’s stability emanates from. In light of the above, Nigerians are concerned that the next four years, in spite of the ministers, may not be different from what they have seen in the last four years of Buhari and APC. The ministers need an enabling environment for their role in government to be seen and felt. Government has to be less rigid; it has to be less-intolerant; a lot friendly and accommodating enough to open its doors to private capital to come into the country and thrive. The government has to be more proactive than reactive. It has to start thinking out of the box because it is only then that the stuff of which the ministers are made will start manifesting in their respective ministries for a common goal.

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How loopholes in online property... EFCC worries over moves by politicians to ignore asset declaration Continued from Page 1

ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed worry over attempts by some politicians to ignore the declaration of their assets as required by the country’s constitution. The anti-graft agency said the move was working against efforts at eliminating corruption and corrupt practices among politicians. Alex Ebbah, head of EFCC in Akwa Ibom State, stated this at a workshop on ‘mobilising stakeholders for improved accountability and good governance through asset declaration’ organised by Human and Environmental Development Agenda. According to him, politicians are declaring their assets in anticipation of what they hope to acquire while in office, adding that assets declaration should be seen as an instrument in the fight against corruption which must be complied with. He urged Nigerians to ‘run away from the get-rich-quick syndrome’ and pleaded with the Code of Conduct Bureau to enforce its guidelines

on asset declaration while pledging to partner with other anti-graft agencies in the country. In a communiqué at the end of the workshop, participants noted that corruption cannot be isolated from economic exclusion and lack of opportunities, especially for younger people and indigenous communities who face poverty and despair. They also resolved, in conjunction with civil society organisations and anti-corruption agencies, to strengthen alliance and solidarity by increasing the tempo of working together. They promised to promote public awareness and education on the activities of the CCB and the imperative of compliance by public officials.

Aderonke, his supposed sister. The duo interfaced with renters and pressured them into paying upfront or risked losing out to the rush. In less than a month of flooding the Stanbic IBTC bank account of Olaleye with payments, she disappeared without a trace, her account balance empty. Upon arrest by officers of the Ifako-Ijaiye Police Station in Gbagada, Bobby the property owner disclaimed having any family tie with Olaleye, saying she is a trusted developer whom he has worked with for a long time. The police charged Bobby to court, with the case adjourned till the 23rd of this month for further hearing. According to the police, they lack the resources to track Olaleye who is at large with renters’ money. Yet they are unwilling to hand the matter over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as requested by the victims. Already, some angry renters have forced their way into the uncompleted building despite resistance from local security personnel. The building consists of two mini-flats, two two-bedroom flats and a bed-room flat popularly termed self-contain. Among the victims are Priscilla, an immigration officer, Tosin Lamina, a photographer and Fisayo Ajayi, a music studio worker.

“I feel terrible. I’ve only been in Lagos for like a year and a half. I’m still in shock. We have all been duped. I don’t know how smart we are but she actually messed us up. My agent took me there and I thought this woman is nice,” Fisayo Ajayi said. Ajayi, who was looking to rent a bedroom flat, works as an assistant to Uche Obi at Chocolate City Music studio in Gbagada. Obi, being familiar with Gbagada, took interest in following up on the house and realised it belongs to Bobby, his family friend. “We’ve been to the place to be sure that work is going on well. The next thing that happened was that we got a call from the agent that took us there who happens to be my barber. He said the house is involved in a case of fraud and they have incarcerated the Uncle Bob,” Obi explained. “The house was initially handled by someone else introduced to us as his sister, who we now are discovering that she is a developer. We’ve paid in full for one year. We paid N300,000 in addition to an agency fee of N50,000. We paid to the developer who we thought was his sister. We started with a N200,000 down payment on the 22nd of June. The landlord now says the lady is a developer whom he met through a third party.” Tosin Lamina was set for work with his camera at a wedding when information reached him that the

N640, 000 he paid for a two-bedroom flat might have fizzled into air with no apartment to show for it. He blamed himself being too trusting and ignoring the red flags. “I spoke to him last week and he told me I was going to move in by the end of this month. There were a lot of red flags which I think I see now. I think I trusted him too much and it didn’t make sense for me not to trust him again at that point. I don’t know what to do. I was supposed to have moved out since June but I’ve been pleading with my landlord to give me more time. I don’t know what to do,” Lamina said. For Priscilla, it is neither her first or second experience of renting an apartment in Lagos but it is definitely, the first mistake that has cost N425,000. She is particularly pained by the fact that the agents who introduced victims did little research on the building. “How can you register a property and not know the owner? I found this property on Nigerian Property online and the numbers of the agents are switched. Now, the house is guarded by security personnel. They don’t properly check the houses they take their clients to. While the victims await the arrival of 23rd of August, they hope the police will rise to assist them in tracking Olaleye and that closer monitoring is done on their activities online.

Unlucky Nigerian babies can’t... Continued from Page 1 daughter eliminates her from the category of tier-A mothers who can. Jane dearly wished her baby could gulp abundantly from her chest for the first six months as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). She longed to see that expression of utter fulfilment, bliss and laughter from the countenance of a well-breastfed child. But the HIV-positive condition of the Lagos-based mother condemns her breast milk to waste. There is no respite for motherchild such as Jane and her daughter currently in Nigeria as breast milk banks- a depot of alternative natural milk which is sourced from the donation of other mothers - are unavailable. Although WHO recommends donated breast milk as the next preferred option where a mother is unable to breastfeed, cultural barriers, religious bias, individual beliefs, attitude and lack of institutional support stand in the way. Poor awareness among gynaecologists and mothers also grossly limit the adoption of this feeding method. “When I gave birth to my daughter, two months ago as a preterm baby, she could not be breastfed because I am HIV positive. Whenever I remember that I cannot breastfeed my baby, I feel less proud as a mother. I cannot even afford the HIV drugs,” Jane said with a gloomy tone. “My baby was losing almost 10 percent of her body weight because I couldn’t breastfeed her. I would

feed her with formula milk.” 28-year-old Doris almost perfectly understands the pain of Jane. After giving birth to her baby seven weeks earlier at 34 weeks, she couldn’t lactate until after seven days. “I had severe pains; my breast was aching and the breast milk was not flowing. My baby did not suck for those days. I was worried that my baby could not eat and I was in so much pain,” Doris explained. “If Nigeria had a breast milk bank, I do not think there is anything wrong. In that case, I could go to ask the hospital to supply me some of the milk,” Doris said. Breastfeeding challenges highlight Nigeria’s need for breast milk. Of the estimated seven million children born every year, only about 25 percent are exclusively breastfed from age 0 to 6 months. The strong belief influenced by culture and religious practices has set Nigeria back and slowed progress in people’s attitude towards breast milk banks as an intervention for breastfeeding. There is no breast

milk bank or specific regulatory frameworks instituted in the country, experts say. Breastfeeding is the most natural and best way to feed new-borns. Many babies lack access to their mother’s milk due to the mother’s sickness, temporary health challenge or death. Larne Yusuf, a Lagos-based medical practitioner, ranked cultural belief top among reasons breast milk banking may not work in Nigeria. He fears that without mass sensitisation on breast milk donation, banking in Nigeria might lack people to supply milk. “We have strong cultural and religious beliefs that see as taboo any move to consider breast milk from another woman. It is only in a few exceptional cases that someone will take someone else’s child to breastfeed,” Yusuf said. Kenya is the second, after South Africa to have established a human milk bank in sub-Saharan Africa, upon WHO’s recommendation. Breast milk banks are growing rapidly in South Africa, combating

a climate where breastfeeding rates are low, formula is fashionable and premature babies die every 20 minutes. The government is introducing the banks at public hospitals and hopes that a shift in attitudes and mindset will follow. At present, only eight percent of South African women, exclusively breastfeed their babies during the first six months of their lives. Similarly, Kenya recently launched a breast milk bank which is meant to help make a dent in Nairobi’s neonatal deaths during the first 28 days of life, which stand at 38 deaths per every 1,000 live births – the highest in the country. It does this by providing life-saving breast milk to babies who are born premature, those born underweight or severely malnourished, those who are orphaned, and those who otherwise, have no access to their mother’s milk. Uzoma Onuoha, a gynaecologist at the Federal Medical Centre Keffi, said culture has a question already for any woman in Nigeria who fails to breastfeed her own baby. She notes that some illnesses are also hindrances that prevent some mothers to breastfeed. “In the cases of HIV patient, especially of a woman who is not on drugs, active tuberculosis infection, breast cancer, breast abscess and women with psychosis (puerperal psychosis) might have challenges of breastfeeding their babies,” he said. HIV patients, for instance, are commonly advised against breastfeeding except on their drugs. Breast milk, established as the most optimal source of nutrient for infants, contains bioactive substances that are essential to the

development of the newborn’s immature immune system. Thompson Kobata, public health nutritionist at the Federal Ministry of Health told BDSUNDAY that adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood was fundamental to a child’s survival, growth, and development to full potential. “Inadequate nutritional practices beginning with poor universal breastfeeding practices result in 33 percent of deaths of the newborns due to initiation of breastfeeding within two to 23 hours of birth. In Nigeria, malnutrition contributes more than 50 per cent of death and occurs in the first years of life,” he said. “Breast milk substitute poses the risk of not having breast milk’s protective qualities through the high risk of contamination that can lead to life-threatening infections in young infants,” Kobata further explained. The World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the Code in 1981 as a global health public strategy to protect breastfeeding from aggressive promotional campaigns by milk formula manufacturers. The Code recommends restrictions on the marketing of breast milk substitutes, such as infant formula, to ensure that mothers are not discouraged from breastfeeding and that substitutes are used safely. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), improving breastfeeding can help Nigeria reach its full human and economic potentials, preventing 10 million cases of childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia, saving 103, 742 children’s lives each year and reducing the cost to the health care system by $22 million a year.

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News Nigeria cannot continue to run like unitary government, says Agbedi Samuel Ese, Yenagoa

hree-time member of the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Frederick Agbedi has stated that Nigeria cannot continue to be run like a unitary government. Agbedi, frontrunner for the PDP governorship candidature in Bayelsa State, said this while addressing correspondents in Yenagoa at the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel Media Forum for Bayelsa State Governorship Aspirants. He stressed that if elected governor, he would annex whatever federal assets he could to Bayelsa State, noting that Lagos State has continued to do so for the betterment of their people. Agbedi said he would be ready for any backlash saying, “If elected governor, whatever is federal that I can corner to Bayelsa, I will corner it. If you want to overrun me, come and overrun me. Nigeria cannot continue to run like a unitary government.” On the plight of oil producing communities in the state, he stated that he was disposed to the establishment of oil producing areas commission since such a commission would warehouse funds for the development of critical communities. He disclosed that he had

Agbedi

once trekked about two hours to Okunu community where he is building a primary school, fell down several times and arrived muddied to the surprise of the villagers. According to him, it is such communities he would want to visit, saying, “I want to go to those villages that are producing oil, those villages that are not benefitting from IOCs, not benefiting from projects. That is what I want to do, the things I know and not what somebody prepares for me to read.” Agbedi promised to turn Bay-

elsa environment around to be attractive to tourists and not necessarily make the state Dubai, explaining that his Onward Restoration and Transformation Campaign Organisation is aimed at restoring, sustaining and transforming the state, arguing that there would be no remodeling. He assured on the dredging of the Epie Creek, creation of local flavor to attract tourists and that he would pay attention to Yenagoa, the state capital, as it is the face of the state and create both vertical and horizontal canals to drain it.

We won’t shield criminals in our midst, NANS vows REMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan

he National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has said it would never providecoverforthecriminallyminded youth within its fold in order to give proper effect to the fight against crimes and criminality in the country. The umbrella body of the Nigerian students made the pledge in Ibadan at the weekend during a courtesy visit to the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC). Led by the Chairman of its Joint Campus Committee, Oyo State Chapter, Olujuwon Asubiojo, the team conveyed the association’s satisfaction on the Commission’s effort at ridding the Nigerian society of economic and financial crimes, pledging its readiness to use its influence to expose all forms of corruption across the nation’s higher institutions of learning. “Though, it is our responsibility to protect the interest of students, we will not protect the interest of

criminals,” he said. While stating the purpose of the visit, Asubiojo noted that the association had always wanted to relate with the Commission on how best the two bodies could collaborate to change the disturbing trend of increasing rate of youth involvement in criminal activities. According to him, the trend has reached a worrisome level that calls for strategic collaboration between their association and the anti-graft body with a view to finding the means to change the narrative in the interest of the future of the country. “If we do not join hands with this Commission to fight corruption, corruption will come back to fight us. Fight against corruption is not just the duty of the EFCC, it is a patriotic effort we must enlist in,” he said. Asubiojo also disclosed to the EFCC some of the areas where NANS wanted to join in the campaign, adding that his members were willing to feature in any capacity that will extensively address issues of corruption in the academic environment. “We are already planning pro-

grammes to sensitise youths in the tertiary institutions on the ills of corruption to the nation. We would also implore the Commission to beam its searchlight on issues of corruption at the administrative level in our tertiary institutions. A lot is going on there which the EFCC needs to show more than passing interest on,” he added. While receiving the NANS delegation on behalf of the Commission’s acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, the Ibadan Zonal Head, Friday Ebelo, described the Commission as a youth-friendly body, adding that the sustained crackdown on internet fraudsters in recent times was to dissuade the youth from starting out their lives as criminals and ex-convicts. He thanked the student leaders for the visit, their suggestions and offering to be part of the effort to make Nigeria a crime-free society. “The image of this country has been heavily battered by the nefarious activities of the corrupt few. We are a hardworking people and it is just a few that are denting the image of the country,” he said.

1st edition of Glo-powered CNN African Voices Change Makers features Nigerian artificial limb makers

his week’s edition of CNN African Voices, Change Makers will showcase two artificial limb makers who have helped to transform the lives of many Nigerians living with disabilities. The guests on the new edition of the 30-minutes magazine programme, CNN African Voices, Change Makers which debuts this Friday includes a Nigerian prosthetics maker, Crystal Chigbu and another limb restorer, Gbolahan Sasona. The programme comes up CNN broadcast on DSTV on Friday at 9.30 a.m on Saturday at 12.30 a.m., 4.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. Other repeat broadcasts come up on Sunday at 5.00 a.m., 9.30 a.m. and 8.30 p.m. with more repeats on Monday and Tuesday at 5.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. respectively. Crystal Chigbu founded Irede Foundation after she recovered from the trauma of caring for a child whose congenitally malformed limb had to be amputated. The 2002 Biochemistry graduate of University of Lagos, thus became the Chief Executive of the Foundation, which has over the years taken responsibility for several children whose limbs had been severed due to health issues. On the programme, Crystal, explained what she went through, alongside her husband to raise their daughter who was born with congenital limb deformity, expatiating on the difficulties and pain involved in making a decision on whether to amputate or not She said “seeing other children and families go through the same process without a clear view on how to adapt to the challenges of living with limb loss gave vent to the creation of Irede Foundation which has, since inception, restored hope to children living with loss of limbs.” “We understand that children can help educate their friends in school; that way we can educate a whole nation – and we can reduce societal stigmatization. In addition,

when a child starts using prosthesis from childhood you are helping in shaping the beliefs of the child and his or her ability to believe they can do anything. More importantly, they can live their lives to the fullest not minding the limb loss they must have gone through,” Crystal explained. Over the years, Crystal and Irede Foundation have been recognised by different organizations in appreciation of their humanitarian activities. They include Naija Diamonds Award (2014) sponsored by Diamond Bank, the Ebony Life TV sponsored Sisterhood Award for Philanthropist of the year (2014) and the Life Transformation Award from Wise Women Awards. The second guest on the programme is Gbolahan Sasona, a Prosthetist and Orthotist and also the President of America-based Delta Orthopaedic Laboratory. In its bid to help transform the lives of amputees with prosthetics/ orthotics, spinal braces and fracture bracing of different kinds, the Laboratory established The Ability Prosthetic and Orthotic Centre in Ibadan, Oyo State. A well-equipped centre with computerised prosthetics and orthotics experience, it fits perfectly the professional medical rehabilitation advocacy of Sasona. It’s also the first of its kind in Nigeria. 67-year-old Sasona’s clinical laboratories in Dover and New Jersey, USA, employ advanced technology with an advanced medical rehabilitation centre which provides prosthetic services including sport orthotic, limbs/elbow/finger replacement with bionics while his passion became the catalyst for the passage of the regulatory licensing law for prosthetics practitioners in the United States of America.. “Patients don’t have to travel to South Africa, United Kingdom, India or United States to be able to get the kind of effective treatment and care they desire. Whatever we do in the Nigerian office is of the same standard with that of the United States”, Sasona explained.

Ikpeazu’s wife tasks stakeholders, lawmakers on promotion of breastfeeding rights UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

kechi Ikpeazu, wife of the governor of Abia State, has urged stakeholders in the health sector to partner government in promoting exclusive breastfeeding of babies between zero to six months in order to achieve optimum growth and quality health for children. In a statement to mark this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, Ikpeazu advocated for the extension of the maternity leave period to a more realistic timeframe for the benefit of the mother and child, because according to her, breastfeeding is

the best nutrition a mother could provide for her baby in the first six months of life. She called on employers to set up breastfeeding corners in work places and for labour unions, women rights groups, and lawmakers to galvanise action to guarantee breastfeeding rights for mothers. The First Lady advised mothers to start breastfeeding their babies 30 minutes after birth. She emphasized that breast milk is cheap, readily available, highly nutritious, and contains all the food and water that a baby needs for the first six months of life, including ingredients that make babies strong and capable of resisting diseases, adding that it also helps the brain.

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News

We will run an inclusive government – Kwara Dep Governor SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

he Kwara State government says it is set to run an inclusive administration to take care of the interest of all stakeholders and the people. Kayode Alabi, the state deputy governor, stated this in Ilorin while receiving Oke-Ero Local Government All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward Chairmen during a visit to his office. Alabi noted that the present administration would ensure that development spread to all nooks and crannies of the state to make life meaningful for the people.

The Deputy Governor commended them for their support, urging the party men to sustain it and always pray for the success of the present administration. Olabode George Towoju, APC stalwart in the area, appreciated the support of the chairmen to the success of the party, advising them to be united and not to allow division hamper their progress. Towoju called on them to join hands and work together with the government to move the state forward. Earlier, Anthony Afolabi, spokesman for the chairmen, prayed for the success of the present administration in the state.

CNN’s African Voices enters new era, introduces new host, format Ifeoma Okeke

aving just celebrated a decade on CNN International, African Voices is entering a new era in its quest to profile outstanding individuals across the continent with a new name, a new host, a new format and a renewed multi-year partnership with long-term sponsor Globacom. Experienced Nigerian TV presenter, Arit Okpo, is the new host of the show and will lead the programme with a fresh direction to focus on changemakers across Africa. Okpo has an excellent track record, having produced and presented content for EbonyLife TV and hosting the web talk show Untold Facts, produced by The Initiative for Equal Rights. As host of AfricanVoices Changemakers, she will meet entertainers, creatives, athletes and members of the public who are trying to make a difference, finding ways to impact their communities and making cultural contributions. In addition to airing on CNN International, African Voices Changemakers will also grow its digital footprint through a series of bespoke online videos with each guest from the show, housed on a dedicated destination on CNN Digital. There will also be a new feature produced specially for social media called My Drive, where personalities from the series will share memorable stories, explain what drives them and talk about their own life-changing moments.

Posted on the CNN Africa Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts, My Drive will also be targeted to reach key audiences in North and West Africa using WarnerMedia’s Launchpad technology. Moreover, CNN International Commercial and Globacom are continuing their long-standing collaboration with a cross-platform campaign around African Voices Changemakers. As part of this campaign, Globacom will continue its sponsorship of the show and new digital features in a renewed multi-year commitment. New branding and logos for African Voices Changemakers will feature across the billboards for the programme and digital advertising. Zara Driss, Account Director, CNN International Commercial, said: “We are thrilled to be increasing the longevity of our partnership with Globacom. We are proud to work with such a committed, longstanding sponsor of a show that shares our passion about the diverse culture of Africa. Together with Globacom, we look forward to this new era of African Voices and its TV and digital programming that will raise the profile of the continent’s change makers amongst our international audience.” Globacom’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Bisi Koleosho said, “CNN African Voices, sponsored by Globacom, afforded the continent the opportunity to project its stars to the world. We are proud to further deepen this association by continuing to showcase more continental gems to the world through this platform.”

Human rights lawyer demands handover note from Udom, accuses him of shielding Akpabio ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

nibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer and activist, has demanded that the handover note of former Governor Godswill Akpabio to Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State should be made public to enable the people ascertain how much was spent by the government on the execution of many of the white “elephant projects in the state.” Describing Akwa Ibom State as the world capital of white elephant projects, Effiong said the publication of the handover note would be a boost to the fight against corruption in the country. According to him, the Ibom Tropicana entertainment centre gulped N180 billion yet it has to be completed, the abandoned science park project initiated by former Governor Victor Attah administration was constructed at a cost of N5.6 billion with N5.3 billion paid to the contractors yet it has

Udom

to be completed while huge amount of money has been spent on the Ibom Specialist hospital as well. Effiong, who spoke at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on corruption, organised by ActionAid in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said

while Nigerians were talking about the fight against corruption, issues of corruption were commonplace, adding that the Federal Government has yet to publish the names of the beneficiaries of the loot recovered from the former military dictator,

Sani Abacha. “We are in court for a certified true copy of the handover note, the governor has refused to give it to us. We have been in court since January 2019, the current governor has continued to shield the former governor,’’ he said. Effiong, who urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom State chapter, to revisit the collapsed Reigners Bible Church in which many worshippers lost their lives while attending the ordination of the founder of the church accused the state government of a cover up by refusing to implement the recommendations of the white paper on the incident. According to him, Reigners Bible church was act of corruption, adding that though the white paper had recommended that some people should be prosecuted, the state government has yet to implement any aspects of the recommendations by the white paper.

‘Abia Polytechnic best technically-driven institution’ …TETFUND restores interventions, says Rector UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

riday Ezionye Eboh, a professor of management and Rector, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has said that his Institution was the best technicallydriven in the country. Eboh said that National Board for Technical Educational gave a standing ovation last year to Abia Polytechnic as the best Polytechnic in Nigeria that is

technically driven. Eboh made this Known in his office at Aba when the leadership of African Students Union Parliament led by Kewood Yesule (speaker) paid him a courtesy visit. The Rector noted that it was not a mistake on the founding fathers of the Polytechnic to choose Aba because the ingenuity of the artisans in the city. He revealed that Aba, being the commercial nerve centre of the South-East and

home of SMEs, the Polytechnic provides the needed training for the artisans to ensure that they meet up with the needed quality and standard of modern technology. Eboh revealed that when he assumed office as the Rector of the Institution in February 2017, he met a decayed system on ground. According to him, some of the challenges he included staff strength of 1,400, monthly wage bill of

N180million, monthly average pension, arrears of honorarium to part-time lecturers to the tune of N5.5million, and three abandoned TETFUND interventions that led to the suspension of TETFUND intervention projects. Others included overdue bank facility of N164million with Union Bank Plc., a court judgment debt of N119million in favour of EO Jonas & Associates, and gratuity debts of over N300million as well as liabilities to contractors.

Aisha Buhari names Ikpeazu’s wife as TB champion, ambassador UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

isha Buhari, wife of President Buhari, in collaboration with the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria has nominated Nkechi Ikpeazu, the First Lady of Abia State, as TB Champion and Ambassador. In a letter dated July 22 2019 and signed by Aisha Buhari, the choice of Nkechi IkpeazuasTBChampionwas determined by the latter’s sense of responsibility and commitment to “ensuring the health and wellbeing of our people”. Aisha Buhari said that she had recently accepted to serve as global champion

and ambassador for TB in order to address global, regional and national

Nkechi Ikpeazu

challenges presented by the disease, adding that to succeed she would require

the support of Nkechi Ikpeazu at the Abia State level. As T B Am b a s s a d o r, Ikpeazu would help to create awareness, mobilise stakeholders, and advocate for more funding, the scaling up treatment centres and strengthening of TB screening structures in the state. It would be recalled that Aisha Buhari and her Foundation’s Future As s u r e d Pr o g r a m m e has worked successfully with Nkechi Ikpeazu’s Vicar Hope Foundation on several programmes that bordered on nutrition, maternal and childcare, and care for internally displaced persons.

Sunday 11 August 2019

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News

Delta promises to provide best venue for U-20 Women’s World Cup Mercy Enoch, Asaba

S Nigeria bids to host U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2020, Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has assured Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) that Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, would provide best venue for the tournament. Okowa gave the assurance in Asaba when FIFA team on inspection of facilities in the stadium visited him, and said that his administration was determined to put in place, any further facility that would be needed for the competition. While recalling that such international events as the 21st Africa Senior Athletics Competition, Super Eagles matches with Seychelles and Egypt, among others had been hosted at the stadium without any hitch, he said that hosting the world cup would be a great event that would be welcomed by football enthusiasts and all Deltans. “I am glad that you are here to inspect sporting facilities in our state; as a government, we have continued to do the best we can to develop sporting facilities and we have done very well in that area. “It is good that you are happy with the facilities we

Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor (left) and Kaj Heyral, during courtesy call on the governor by the FIFA Facility Inspection Team for the Under-20 Women World Cup.

have on ground and the compliments from you will help us to continue to do the best that we can; Asaba and our state generally is peaceful and I want to reassure you that we will do what we have to do if there are areas we need to improve on. “Asaba is the place to be for this kind of championship; we have the crowd to cheer the teams, receptive people and friendly environment.

“As a state government, we will do everything that we can within our reach, to ensure that we have a successful event,” the governor said. Earlier, the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, had said that the FIFA team was impressed with the facilities they met on ground at the stadium and commended Okowa’s administration for

its commitment to sports development, especially, football. He disclosed that the team would meet and appraise its findings for necessary observations and approvals to be made. The FIFA delegation, which is led by Christopher Exley, is billed to visit Asaba, Uyo, Lagos and Benin City to inspect facilities for the 2020 world female football fiesta.

Groups petition VC, NUC over planned reopening of Fed Varsity Wukari Nathaniel Gbaoron, Jalingo

he Community of Tiv Students (CTS) and Tiv Staff Forum at the Federal University Wukari have petitioned the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abubakar Kundiri and the National Universities Commission (NUC) over the planned reopening of the institution. In a petition obtained by BDSUNDAY dated 6th August, 2019 and signed by Patrick Tion for Tiv Staff Forum and Shihon David for the CTS, the groups said reopening the university slated for August 14th will affect the Tiv students and staff because of threat to their lives in Wukari. The groups noted that the issues that led to the closure of the university, which was later revised to a mid semester break to serve some vested interests, had

not been addressed and that opening the university now will further escalate the situation. The groups, while condemning the killing of three Tiv persons in the university, called for thorough investigation into the killings and making sure that the perpetrators are brought to book. “The true position devoid of sentiments is that there ex-

ists a serious security breach at Federal University Wukari, following the crisis between the Jukun and Tiv in Wukari where the university is situated. “The killing of Emmanuel Msughter Vihiior with Matric No. PAS/MCB/18/025, a 100-level student of Micro Biology and Fater Ayatse Felix, Matric No. HMA/ SOC/18/112 Department

of Sociology, 100 level as well as Mark Tsav, a staff of Student Affairs Department with ID N0. JP00104 on 30th July, put paid to the security of Tiv staff and students in the university. “We are surprised that the university has remained silent on the killing of the students and a staff and has gone ahead to fix August 14 for reopening of the school. “This move will affect over 1,500 Tiv students who were evacuated by the Benue State government and other Tiv students from Taraba as well as staff whose security is not guaranteed in Wukari at the moment.” The groups called on the university management to stay action on the planned resumption of academic activities at the university, pending when adequate security measures are put in place to guarantee the security of lives and property of Tiv students and staff in Wukari.

Wike cries out over non-refund on federal projects, oil wells to other states Ignatius Chukwu

overnor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has lambasted the Federal Government for refusing to refund funds expended to execute federal projects. He has also cried out over Rivers oil wells ceded to other states. Wike also noted that Rivers State is the only state that the FG has failed to pay funds that accrued to it from PAYEE. Speaking in Port Harcourt to traditional rulers at the Government House, Wike regretted that politics has been placed above due process under the current dispensation. He said: “I am not one of the governors who will sell their people because they are struggling for relevance. Of all the 36 states of the federation, it is only Rivers State that they refused to refund resources used to execute federal projects. “Rivers State is also the only state that they refused to return PAYEE funds that accrued to the state “. The governor said despite the refusal of the FG to pay funds that are due to Rivers State, he would not bow to anybody. He said even if the funds were not remitted

during his tenure, the state would ultimately get it from the Federal Government. Speaking further, Wike said that his administration has resolved to fight for the restoration of all oil blocks belonging to Rivers State. Ironically, Amaechi fought the Goodluck Jonathan administration supported by Wike then on these points, and seemed to receive no backing because many saw it as fighting a fellow Niger Delta man. Wike however, announced goodies he would dish out to traditional rulers recognised by his administration including cars and certificates plus staff of office. There have been cries that recognition of traditional rulers toes party loyalty. Governor Wike reiterated his declaration that the State Government has no land for RUGA settlements. He urged traditional rulers to work with the Rivers State Government to improve security of lives and property. Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Amayanabo of Opobo, King Douglas Dandeson Jaja, said they were in the Government House to congratulate the Rivers State Governor on his victory at the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal and the Supreme Court.

We created AWADEC for women’s self-realisation, economic empowerment – Abia First Lady UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHIA.

kechi Ikpeazu, wife of Abia governor, has said that her conception of the Abia Women August Delegates Conference (AWADEC) is to create a paradigm shift that would propel women in the community level and groups to seek self-realisation, become empowered psychologically, socially and economically in the society. Ikpeazu, who stated this at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia during this year’s AWADEC meeting, noted that the annual August meeting that takes place in various communities were perfect vehicles for distilling ideas and for social osmosis, adding that it is to gather community women leaders, female opinion makers and leaders of thought from all parts of the state under one roof to discuss progress and development for womanhood. She hinted that each of the AWADEC had featured erudite Igbo women who had distinguished themselves in their chosen careers, presenting well-researched papers pertaining women and children. “Some of the subjects dealt broadly with at various editions of AWADEC include;

women and children’s rights, spirituality and morality, economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, leadership skills, interpersonal skills development, community mobilisation strategies, home management skills, child rearing skills and money management among others,” she said. She disclosed that beyond just talking to women, the fora had also been used to enrich lives directly by empowering several lucky women, setting them up with small businesses and equipping them from thescratchwithrelevanttools of their trade. A c c o r d i n g t o h e r, AWADEC had instituted a revolving, zero-interest loan scheme which had been adjudged successful. “Hundreds of women from the 17 LGAs of Abia have had fifty thousand Naira (N50,000) injected into their businesses. For small businesses, it is a huge lifeline,” she added. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in his speech, commended Nkechi, his wife, for conceiving the idea of AWADEC, noting that the initiative has impacted positively on Abia women. Chinedum Orji, speaker of Abia House of Assembly in his speech noted that women August meeting in Abia was a forum used for social and economic development of various communities.

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PhotoSplash

L-R: Sami Alnuaim, petroleum engineering application services department manager, Saudi Aramco; Debo Fagbami, chairman, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria Council; Chioma Nwachuku, general manager, external affairs and communications, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, and Effiong Okon, executive operations director, Seplat Petroleum, at the Seplat booth during the 2019 SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition in Lagos recently

L-R: Mrs. Bose Adams (mother of the bride), Mr. John Ogunleye (Groom), Mrs. Grace Ogunleye (Bride) and Pastor Adams Umoru (father of the bride), during the recent wedding at Aqma Event Centre, AIT, Road, Agbado, Lagos.

L-R: Aderemilekun Durojaiye, Nigerian representative; Tina Weisinger, Founder; Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo Land; Adeola Odunowo, producer, and Ademola Smith, all of Hollywood and African Prestigious awards, at the HAPAwards 2019 courtesy visit to kingdoms in Nigeria recently L-R: Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, marketing director, Africa, PZ Cussons, Leo Babarinde DaSilva, campaign ambassador, Premier Cool, Giannopoulos Christos, CEO, PZ Cussons, and Joyce Coker, human resource director, at the official Premier Cool relaunch in Ilupeju, Lagos. Pic by Pius Okeosisi

Lion Wesley Kafidiya (m), newly presented District governor, installs Lion Ademola Adesoye (r), as the 1st vice District governor, and Lion Kayode Oshinuga (l), as the 2nd vice District governor, respectively, at his public presentation as the District governor 404B2 Nigeria in Lagos

L-R: Taiwo Ajetunmobi, BOI GEEP representative; Kelvin Iroka, vice president, Tombia Market Association; GEEP TraderMoni beneficiary; Felicia Ukuedojor, president, Tombia Market Association; GEEP TraderMoni beneficiary, and Ladi Amosun, BOI GEEP representative, at the TraderMoni Town Hall meeting at the Tombia market, Yenogoa, Bayelsa State.

L-R: Olanrewaju Yusuf, business manager, Shomolu Business Unit; Chantelle Abdul, MD/CEO, Mojec Meter Management Company, Folake Soetan, chief operating officer, Ikeja Electric, and Mojisola Abdul, chairman, Mojec International Limited, at the IE Customer Engagement Forum on Meter Asset Provider (MAP) in Lagos. Pic by Pius Okeosisi

Godwin Obaseki (2nd r), Edo State Governor; Yinka Omorogbe (r), commissioner for justice/attorney general; Comfort Lamptey (m), UN Women country representative to Nigeria, and other officials of UN Women, at a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House in Benin City.

12 Inside Lagos

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Concern grows over absence of pedestrian bridges on Lagos airport road …as residential bemoan danger to lives, LASG targets October JOSHUA BASSEY

here is a growing concern among the residents of Ajao Estate and the adjoining Mafoluku neighbourhoods, near Ikeja, over the absence of pedestrian bridges on the reconstructed Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) road, linking Oshodi on the Lagos mainland. The concern stems from the danger associated with crossing the road, as the pedestrian bridges planned for the road have been left uncompleted, a development that leaves the residents totally at the mercy of drivers plying the road. On Tuesday, August 6, a woman in her forties later identified as Gracia, narrowly escaped being crushed by a commercial bus (Danfo) some metres away from the 7/8 Bus Stop. Gracia was crossing to Ajao Estate from Mafoluku when she

suddenly sighted the approaching vehicle. A confused Gracia was said to have hurriedly retreated but ended up colliding with a motorcycle and sustained some injuries. Juliana Adegoke, a resident of Ajao Estate, who witnessed the incident, said such is their fate on the road. According to Adegoke, the joy and excitement that greeted the reconstruction of the once neglected road, has

given way to lamentations, as the residents of the neighbourhoods are daily exposed to dangers trying to cross the road. “We appreciate the fact that after years of neglect, the last administration of Akinwunmi Ambode took the initiative to reconstruct the federal road, but the non completion of the pedestrian bridges has left us competing with fast-moving vehicles on the road.

Amuwo Odofin offers free surgeries, medical screening for residents

muwo Odofin local government area, in Lagos State, will be offering free surgeries and screenings for over 2000 residents during its medical mission week. The programme is one of the activities slated for the celebration of the second anniversary of the council chairman, Valentine Buraimoh. Seyi Ipinlaye, secretary of the council, who disclosed this on Friday, added that the programme will hold between 19 and 24 of August. According to Ipinlaye, the services which include free consultations, dental, eye, blood sugar and blood pressure checks, cervical screenings and free fibroid surgeries were not limited to residents of Amuwo Odofin community alone. Ipinlaye said the initiative would be a con-

tinuous project due to the magnitude of healthcare needs observed during the previous screenings. “We’re going to attend to 2,000 people in each of the categories while the fibroid surgeries, which was targeted at 20 has been increased to 30 people. The free medical mission is an initiative that has come to stay; hopefully the second phase should come up in Nov. 2019. “We had people who came from outside Lagos State; you need to see the number of people that registered for the free

fibroid surgeries, you’ll be moved to tears. The chairman, seeing the number of people that came, increased it to 30 and promised to have a second phase because he believes that is one of the best ways he can touch lives,” he said. The council secretary assured that the beneficiaries would get the best care from a competent medical team. “The fibroid surgeries will be carried out at the Amuwo Odofin Maternal and Child Centre (AOMCC) while other medical services will be carried out at the council,” he said. Other activities planned to mark the anniversary include visit to orphanages, meeting with captains of industries, town-hall meetings, inauguration of five schools and a road.

We’re even worried that since the administration of Babajide SanwoOlu took over in May, nothing has been done to salvage the situation,” said Attah. When contacted, Olujimi Hotonu, the permanent secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, said that the government was aware of the situation was working to complete the bridges.

“There are action plans on the governor’s table to complete the work. We have four bridges on the airport road. But the plan is also to extend the reconstruction work to Toyota Bus Stop where additional bridge would also be constructed,” said Hotonu. The permanent secretary, who however, cited funding as the challenge, assured that the government would mobilise the

contractors back to site and work to complete the bridges by October this year. It would be recalled that the airport road was inaugurated with fanfare by President Muhammadu Buhari on April 24, 2019 amid criticisms against its non completion. In the company of Buhari was the host governor, Ambode, whose administrated took the initiative to redesign the road from its former four lanes a 10-lane expressway with two flyover bridges at Mafoluku and the Haji Camp and four pedestrian overhead bridges. Th o s e w h o j o i n e d President Buhari and Ambode in the show of excitement were former governors of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosu; governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, among other high profile politicians. The reconstruction has eased gridlock on the road and boosted Nigeria’s image locally and internationally.

Water disruption: LSWC undertakes repair works on Onikan Waterworks

ollowing the water disruption being experienced in some parts of the Lagos Island, the Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) has appealed to customers to remain calm, as it undertakes repair works on Onikan Waterworks that supplies the island. Managing director of the corporation, Muminu Badmus, made the appeal, saying the normal supply would be restored upon completion of the repair works. According to Badmus, the areas to be affected

while repair work is carried out include Awolowo Road, Broad Street, Marina, Ikoyi and other adjoining streets in that axis. “There has been a fire outbreak at the Lagos water corporation, Onikan Waterworks on August 7. The fire started from the waterworks Independent Power Plant (IPP) point, and it spread to the gate house. “Unfortunately, it destroyed the underground cables and burnt the operational vehicles packed inside the waterworks.

“Luckily, the Lagos State Fire Service, Onikan Station, came on time to put out the fire and curtailed it spread to other major facilities. “Operations will be discontinued in that station to enable the c corporation carry out further investigation to ascertain the real cause of the outbreak,” he said. Badmus assured that water supply would soon be restored as efforts were in progress to repair the affected cables and ensure full operation of the waterworks.

Clergy arraigned over N180,000 UK visa fraud

c l e r g y m a n , Ak i n Ajagbe, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court for allegedly cheating a housewife of N180,000 for a UK visa. Ajagbe, who appeared in court on Friday, is charged with obtaining money under false pretences and stealing. The prosecution counsel, Ishola Samuel, told the court that Ajagbe, 52, who resides in Agege area of Lagos, with another person at large, committed the offence, on August

10, 2017. He alleged that Ajagbe fraudulently obtained N180,000 from the complainant, Biliki Adesope, to procure a UK visa for her. The prosecution counsel alleged that after Ajagbe collected the money, he “disappeared”. The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Section 287 prescribes

three years jail term for stealing, while Section 314 attracts 15 years for obtaining money under false pretences. The magistrate, A.I Abina admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N300,000 with one surety in like sum. Abina ordered that the surety must be gainfully employed and show evidences of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government. The magistrate adjourned the case until August 28 for hearing.

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Children as endangered species

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Frank Aigbogun EDITOR Patrick Atuanya DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

TAYO OGUNBIYI

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

aturally, childhood represents a sensitive period that requires cautious handling. This readily explains why parents, guardians, nannies, teachers and others in the business of child mending often go the extra mile to care for and protect the interests of children. Obviously, this is quite understandable as children are expectedly quite vulnerable. It is in view of their vulnerable nature that the United Nations, UN, and its affiliated bodies spare nothing to ensure the safety and general well being of children all over the world. Consequently, since 1979, when the UN decided to focus more on children’s rights, the attention of the world has shifted towards child’s protection, care and security. Hence, several rights have been proclaimed as indispensable for the child. These include rights to love and understanding, adequate food and health, free education, play, an identity and special attention of handicapped regardless of colour, sex, religion and other social-cultural divides.

As with other such heinous tendencies, child abuse has grave consequences. For one, it can lead to emotional distress, dejection and frustration. It could also lead to unplanned pregnancy which could result into abortion and possibly untimely death. Other effects include uncontrollable aggression, bitterness, anger, depression, disorderly lifestyle, unfulfilled dreams among others. In Nigeria, the poor state of the economy remains a major factor in the predominance of child abuse. The implication is that young girls from poor homes are easily forced into the domestic labour market or lured into both local and cross-border prostitution under the guise of gainful employment. Boys in the same predicament, on the other hand, are deluded into escaping to other countries where they erroneously believe that the streets are lined with gold. By the time the scales drop from their eyes, they realise that they have been tricked or misled by shylock agents and profiteering intermediaries. In the process of the self-deception and greed, many of these victims lose their lives in mysterious circumstances. For some of these incidents, the rank unemployment in Nigeria could be a predisposing factor. Like other members of the global community, Nigeria has been involved in making concerted efforts to frontally confront the evil of child abuse. In order to provide a legal and

institutional framework to confront this menace in our country, the National Assembly passed the Child`s Rights law in 2003. Most states in the country have equally domesticated the law. In Lagos state, for instance, the Child Rights bill was signed into law on 28th May, 2007. Since the law came on board, the Lagos state government has been in the forefront of child` rights protection and development. All the cases of child abuse in Nigeria are manifestations of economic slavery, brutality, physical and psychological manipulation and cruelty. Rape, beatings, torture, starvation, physical exhaustion, isolation, control, and deception are all tools used to intimidate helpless persons. Therefore, governments at all levels must work hard to cushion the effects of economic problems in the country by creating a conducive environment for parents to meet the responsibility of caring for their children. This will discourage the disruption of family life that leaves younger ones prone to abuse. Even within families, parents need to be helped to have the right work/life balance to be able to care for their children. Also, parents, guardians and other stakeholders must work together with relevant government and non-government agencies. This is important because effecting a positive change in the condition of the children entails that everyone must stand up to be counted. Parents, in particular, must take extra pre-

caution to ensure that those that they employ to take care of their children are psychologically and emotionally stable. It is dangerous for parents to entrust their children to people whom they hardly know much about. Similarly, parents must pay quality attention to the education of their children. The idea of engaging children in street trading and other such demeaning tendencies must be discouraged. Most parents that engage in this act often argue that they need to raise extra money for the education of their children. It is, however, difficult to justify such viewpoint as almost every state in the country offers free education that covers primary and secondary education. Continuous enlightenment by relevant authorities and agencies on the dangers of child abuse is equally vital. But then, as it has been previously stated, all hands must be on deck in this bid to protect and defend children from abuse. Everyone in the society has a role to play in this respect. For instance, faith based organisations, community leaders, social activists and others must come on board this lofty campaign to respect and restore the dignity and rights of the child. The media equally has a crucial role to play in the crusade against child abuse. Being special gifts from God, everyone must be involved in defending and protecting the rights and interests of children. This is the least that expected of a sane society.

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Politics #RevolutionNow: Anxiety grips

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

n Monday, August 5, the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria and their partners under the #RevolutionNow, made good their threat and staged protests in some states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja against what they called “oppression and bad governance” under President Muhammadu Buhari. The protesters were visited with heavy security clampdown and multiple arrests, which raises fear that the Buhari government, which was a beneficiary of protests when he was in opposition, may be descending into tyranny against Nigerians because they decided to express their democratic rights. The protests were preceded by a controversial arrest of one of the key proponents of the #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, who was picked up on Saturday, August 3 in his Lagos residence by the Department of State Security (DSS), on alleged charges of “threat to peace, public safety and social harmony.” Sowore had participated in the last general election as the Presidential candidate of the Africa Action Congress (AAC). A court in Abuja on Thursday, August 8, had also granted the DSS 45 days order to detain Sowore. Public Relations Officer of the Service, Peter Afunanya, told reporters on Sunday, August 4, that Sowore’s planned action constituted serious threats, which include “threats of sabotage, threats of subversion, threats of terrorism and of course, threats of espionage and all others including ethnic agitations, economic sabotage and all of that.” The DSS went ahead to warn the protesters to abandon the idea or face serious backlash from government. On Saturday, August 3, 2019, two days to the planned protest, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had warned that the ‘revolution’ march was tantamount to treasonable felony and acts of terrorism and vowed to disrupt the protests. “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to a video circulating on the social media by the ‘Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria and others’, inciting Nigerians, home and abroad, to join a planned ‘revolution’ march against the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Monday, 5th August, 2019 with the sole aim of forcing a regime change in the country. “The Force wishes to state unequivocally that the call amounts to treasonable felony and acts of terrorism and will therefore not stand idly by and watch any individual or group in the social cause anarchy in the land. “While acknowledging the rights of Nigerians to embark on protest, the Force wishes to note that such rights should not translate to a violent and force-

ful change of government which clearly is the meaning of ‘revolution’ the IGP said in a statement. The security agencies appear to be uncomfortable with the appellation of ‘revolution’ which was the operating word of the protesters and have interpreted it as an attempt to violently change the current democratic structure and cause mayhem and chaos in the country. But the Third Force Movement of Nigeria under the umbrella of Nigeria Intervention Movement, (NIM) countered the government’s position, saying the protest is purely against bad political system and mis-governance even as they condemned the arrest of Sowore and demanded his immediate release. NIM in a statement issued on Saturday by its Publicity Secretary Olusegun Obe noted that the historic nationwide ‘Revolutionary Action’ initiated by Nigerian masses is purely aimed at overthrowing the corrupt and warped political system being operated by the country as well as changing the oppressive ruling class in Nigeria. NIM stated strongly that peaceful protest or public demonstration against State or government policies is a Constitutional right of every citizen of Nigeria and so, it is illegal to criminalise or victimise any Citizen of Nigeria for openly expressing contrary stand against government’s policies and programme as done by the Nigerian Presidency against the Monday mass protests of the Nigerian peoples. Despite the threats of clampdown by the security agencies, the protesters defied heavy police presence to stage protests despite early morning downpour in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Monday, August 5. The nation was enveloped by palpable tension over possible clashes between security forces as the protesters marched in some parts of the country chanting anti-government slogans with the main theme of the protesters being the demand for the release of Omoyele Sowore. In Abuja, the nation’s capital, the protesters converged on the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) office chanting antigovernment songs and calling for a ‘revolution’ in Nigeria to register their displeasure with the state of the nation. Adebayo Raphael, who was one of the leaders of the group, while speaking, said that the country was in danger even as he urged all Nigerians to be part of the revolutionary process. He added that there must be freedom for people to voice their opinions and let the government know when things are not going well for them. “We are here solely for #RevolutionNow protest, we have decided to begin the process. We know very well that this process will begin a revolutionary process in Nigeria that will liberate every suffering people in this country. “Today marks the beginning of a series of demonstrations of civil resistance against oppression and bad governance in this country. We are here at the human rights com-

mission and our purpose here is to awake a sleeping public institution, that Nigeria is a gun powder waiting to explode. He condemned the clampdown on dissenting voices stressing that it is a violation of fundamental human rights of the people. He also condemned the arrest of Sowore, adding that it would only worsen the situation. Not much of security clampdown on protesters was recorded in Abuja. But in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, the Army, Navy, Air force, Police, mobilised their men to the National Stadium in Surulere to disrupt the protests According to reports, clashes soon ensued between the protesters and the security as some protesters reportedly sustained injuries as they were tear gassed. Many were also arrested. A protester told AFP that officers made several arrests and fired live ammunition to disperse the crowd, wounding at least two people. “Police officers and soldiers were shooting indiscriminately, we have at least two people I saw who were shot in the leg,” Femi Adeyeye, an activist at the demonstration ground said. The #RevolutionNow protest turned violent in Osun State following the alleged police brutalisation of a 70-year-old woman as

well as the alleged harassment of some journalists who had gone to cover the protest. The security operatives had stopped the protesters from embarking on procession across the streets of the state capital, Oshogbo, restricting them to the correspondents’ chapel, where the protesters earlier addressed journalists. Meanwhile, some of the protesters were equally, allegedly stopped by a team of security operatives including the DSS and the police, from heading back home after the protest. In Ondo State on Monday, the police aborted the RevolutionNow protest which took place in Ore city, Odigbo council area of the state. Armed security chased away the protesters who had gathered on the road away. One of the coordinators of Coalition for Revolution (Core) in the state Abiodun Oyekan described the action of the policemen as ‘barbaric.’ Oyekan told newsmen that “We condemned the action of the police to disperse law abiding citizens who are agitating for an egalitarian society in Ore today. “They have shown force against us but nothing shall discourage us in agitating for freedom and we use this medium to also call for release of the journalist who was arrested

by the police in Ore. “We have all gathered to raise our voice for a free, quality and compulsory education at all levels. We also want a democratic end to the issues of insecurity in the country and asked the government to pay the minimum wage while also placing all politicians on minimum wage,” he said. In Cross River State, reports have it that the Cross River State correspondent of the Nation newspapers, Nicholas Kalu, was on Monday, arrested at the Cultural centre, Calabar venue of the #RevolutionNow protest in the state. He was later released. In Rivers State, however, the #RevolutionNow protest was aborted with the help of Governor Nyesom Wike, who had warned against the protests in state and ordered security operatives to ensure his order was carried out. About 10 vans with security agencies made up of Police, Department of Security Service, DSS and the Civil Defence had condoned off Isaac Boro Park, one of the take-off points for the protests. At about 11am, there were no protesters in sight as the entrance gates to the Isaac Park were securely locked. Anxiety mounts Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, condemned the arrest of Sowore and the repression visited on the protesters, saying it is reminiscent of the brutal years of former dictator, General Sani Abacha. Soyinka, in a strongly-worded statement, also berated the Inspector Gen-

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Politics Nigerians over creeping tyranny eral of Police for propagating a false narrative that the use of the word “revolution” implies violence. Wole Soyinka said that deployment of alarmist expressions such as “treason”, “anarchist”, “public incitement” etc. by Security forces have become so predictable and banal that they have become meaningless. “Beyond the word ‘revolution, another much misused and misunderstood the word, nothing that Sowore has uttered, written, or advocated suggests that he is embarking on, or urging the public to engage in a forceful overthrow of the government. “Nothing that he said to me in private engagement ever remotely approached an intent to destabilise governance or bypass the normal democratic means of changing a government. I, therefore, find the reasons given by the Inspector-General, for the arrest and detention of this young ex-presidential candidate contrived and untenable, unsupported by any shred of evidence. His arrest is a travesty and violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to congregate and make public their concerns,” Soyinka said. He said that the ready recourse to arrests, incarceration and threats to civilians are ultimately counter-productive. “They alienate the citizens, erode their confidence in governance responsiveness, and thereby advance the very extremist nightmare that security agencies believe they are acting to thwart. “If we cannot learn from the histories and experiences of other societies, let us at least learn from ours. Freedom is not so glibly qualified. It cannot be doled out like slops of charity from soup kitchens. Let the Police stick to their task of protecting and managing protests, not attempt to place their meaning and declaration of intent on bogey words like – revolution!” he said. The Nigeria Labour Congress NLC also condemned the police and other security agencies in the country for the attack and arrests of protesters during Monday’s RevolutionNow march in various parts of the nation. In a statement on Wednesday by its General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, the NLC said that there was nowhere in the Nigerian constitution where security agencies were empowered to attack protesters. The statement read, “It is with deep consternation that we view the attacks and arrests of peaceful protesters in some parts of the country by security agencies and military personnel on Monday during a protest by some Nigerians in Lagos, Osogbo, Ibadan, Abuja and other cities. “There is nowhere in our constitution or laws that the security agencies are empowered to so brazenly attack peaceful protests and hound its organisers into detention as the right to peaceful protests, assembly and association is fully guaranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under sections 39 and 40. “We view the violent attack on the peaceful protesters by security forces as a total viola-

tion of the fundamental rights of not just the protesters but all Nigerian citizens as guaranteed by the constitution as well as various reported judgments of our courts. “Besides, peaceful protests against bad governance or perceived anti-people government policies, is one of the critical fundamental rights that expands the entrenchment and growth of democracy and our security agencies must not be allowed to continue to portray themselves as antidemocracy forces as the Monday attacks so clearly demonstrated. “It is much more worrisome that soldiers were deployed to attack protesters especially in Lagos. “To us, soldiers have no role whatsoever in the management of civil protest and they must be called to order by the Federal Government. “We also view the midnight arrest of one of the organisers of the protest, Omoyele Sowore, as an affront on his fundamental

rights as well as our collective rights to freedom of expression and association as enshrined in all the international and national instruments that strengthen democracy. “His continued detention by the State Security Service lacks any justification as his actions were neither a threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria nor the democratically constituted government of Nigeria. “We therefore, demand his immediate release unconditionally, including all others arrested during the protest.” Despite the clampdown on protesters, the organisers are not giving up. A civil Society activist, Deji Adeyanju, expressed satisfaction that Nigerians had the courage to come out against bad leadership in the country; and called for the continuation of the protests. He however, expressed disappointment at the repressive attitude of the Nigerian state against peaceful protest in a democracy. In a related development, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, described police brutality as an “affront to decency,” while praising the courage of Sowore as the “highest form of bravery”. The IPOB members had been tagged ‘terrorist’ organization by the Buhari administration and proscribed after they staged multiple protests demanding the independent state of Biafra from the Nigerian state. Nigerians may have developed the culture of protests against government policies and the state of the nation in general. As clear as the matter is spelt out in the constitution over freedom of protests and peaceful assembly, the Buhari government appears averse to protests. All over the world people have used peaceful protests to demand government to change unfavorable policies and conditions or even used protests to change government. In Nigeria, the economy has deteriorated in the last four years. The GDP growth rate is at less than 2percent for a country

with a population of annual growth rate of 3.4percent. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s inflation stands at unfavourable double digit of 11.22percent, while unemployment has increased as over 20 million people are said to have lost their jobs in the last 4 years. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), about 98 million Nigerians are living below poverty line making the country the poverty capital of the world and according to the World Poverty Clock, 6 Nigerians are plunged into poverty every minute. Capital inflow and Foreign Direct Investment have reduced by 50percent in the last four years in Nigeria. But perhaps the interminable insecurity in the country marked by kidnapping, armed robbery and the most devastating of them all the Boko Haram insurgency and the herdsmen killings took the biggest chunk of the people’s angst as the situation has become unbearable for Nigerians and hence the protests. Protests have happened recently in Sudan where persistent protests by organised civil society and the citizens, despite police brutality, changed the 30-year-old regime of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir. The country is still in transition as protesters continue to demand for proper democratic governance. The Arab Spring protests that toppled age-long regimes in North Africa and Middle East were other examples that caused political changes in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, and Yemen. The Nigerian government under Buhari has been rocked intensely by protests recently. It was besieged by protests of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise called Shiites over the detention of their leader Ibrahim El-Zak Zaky. Before then it was the Bring Back Our Girls Protests for the release of Chibok school girls still under Boko Haram captivity. The BBOG group has been hounded and deprived of their usual venue, the Unity Fountain. Then the latest #RevolutionNow protest hit the government. Although the government secured a court order to proscribe the IMN, tagging it ‘terrorist’ group, its consistent use of force to clampdown on protesters is bringing some embarrassing moments to the Buhari government before the human rights community. The government may also have acted strategically by releasing the Shiite leader to seek medication abroad to reduce tension, but arresting Sowore has attarcted serious criticism to the government of Buhari. According to a source, “There are palpable fears that the Buhari government has become paranoid about the reactions of citizens over the poor economy and the worsening insecurity and social disharmony in the land. Protests serve to warn the government about perhaps of bigger crisis ahead but its attempt to use repression may worsen the matter for the Buhari government .Things could be dicey in the coming days, especially if Nigerians continue to face bleak economic future and spiraling insecurity.” An analyst, who spoke with BDSUNDAY accused Sowore of crossing the red line by playing with ther word ‘revolution.” The observer also said that Sowore was merely reaping the fruit he had sown in 2015. “While we condemn the intolerant disposition of President Buhari, we must not forget the principle of sowing and reaping. Sowore worked for the enthronement of Buhari in 2015 against the then president Goodluck Jonathan. He reaped hugely by so doing. We know that those who ride at the back of a tiger end up in its belly. That is what is happening to him. He sowed the wind and he is now reaping the whirlwind. It is what some people call the law of karma,” the analyst said.

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Politics Nigeria still lags African peers in gender parity in politics …Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda point the way BUNMI BAILEY

igeria, Africa’s most populous country, continues to lag its African peers in women inclusion in both elective and appointive political positions. Of the 43 ministerial nominees recently submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari and cleared by the National Assembly, only seven are women, representing only 16.2 percent of the total number. Even though this is a 2.4 percentage increase from the five female ministers (or 13.5 percent of the total) in Buhari’s first term (2015), it is still 25 percentage points lower than the 41.2 percent of female ministers appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. This is coming at a time that Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Africa have made an unprecedented push for gender parity in politics by ensuring that women made up half of their countries’ ministerial cabinet. On October 16, 2018, Ethiopia became the first country in Africa to have genderbalanced cabinet with 50 percent of its members being women. Out of a total of 20 members, 10 were female. Two days after Ethiopia followed suit by also announcing 50 percent of its cabinet to be women. And in June 2019, South Africa also made such announcement too. Motunrayo Alaka, centre coordinator, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), said that this just shows that the government is behaving unintentional towards gender balance and that African countries like Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Africa have become curious of the quality and importance of women to the growth and development of their society. While Amina Oyagbola, founder, Amina Oyagbola, Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) said: “It is quite disappointing that Nigeria the self-acclaimed ‘Giant of Africa’ is lagging so far behind. Countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia realised the importance of having fair representation of women in governance and have taken decisive steps to address it.” “Nigerian women are grossly underrepresented in government even though they make up 50 percent of Nigeria’s population. This underrepresentation of women in political life contributes to exacerbate inequality in the country. It is quite alarming that the situation

seems to be retrogressing, going by the last election which held in February, where only 62 women were elected to the legislature- a mere 4.14 percent, which is a significant decrease from the 2015 election when women comprised 5.65 percent of lawmakers,” Oyagbola further said. The importance of women in the scheme of things, governance inclusive, can never be over-emphasised, as witnessed in the many roles they take on at the immediate and extended family levels. Generally, it is believed that women around the world work more than men in total (including both paid and unpaid work), they earn one quarter less, on average, hold only one quarter of executive positions in the private sector, and occupy less than one quarter of all seats in national parliaments. Tinu Mabadeje, a nonviolence training consultant, said: “I was actually looking forward to the list but unfortunately, it was not impressive enough and like we know politics in Nigeria is all about money and most women have not been able to play politics with money because we don’t have money. We can’t compete with the male gender.” Great women who have played significant role in the society have all proved their mettle. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for instance, served as finance minister under both the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency and the Goodluck Jonathan presidency. Under the Obasanjo presi-

dency, Okonjo-Iweala was at the forefront of the negotiations that led to debt relief granted to Nigeria by the Paris Club. Others are Oby Ezekwesili, who served first as minister of solid minerals and later as minister of education under Obasanjo; Esther Nenadi Usman, served as finance minister under Obasanjo; Kema Chikwe, a topnotch member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), served as aviation minister; Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke headed the Nigerian Stock Exchange; Omobola Johnson served as minister of communication technology in the Jonathan presidency and others. “There are qualified women in Nigeria who can hold their own and are technocrats and people in government who understand the issues in the country. So, for a government to do 7 out of 43 is totally unbelievable. It shows that the government lacks the intention to make things right,” Alaka said. For close to eight years, the gender equality bill which is designed to eradicate gender inequality in politics, education and employment has been sitting in the Nigerian Senate. And so far, nothing has been done about it. According to the 2018 Global Gender Gap report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Nigeria ranked 139th position out of a total of 149 countries in political empowerment. “I believe that the President deliberately, chose his cabinet with a low representation of women. This is his 2nd term; so, it isn’t that he

is unaware of the implications of his actions,” Edobong Akpabio, executive director, Living Green Farms and Garden Foundation, said. “Unfortunately, the nation is bedevilled with many difficulties at the moment, from a struggling economy to a high level of insecurity and criminality. A gender-rich cabinet, made up of competent people would be in a position to guide Nigeria out of this mess. When our decisions are political instead of patriotic, the nation loses,” Akpabio further added. Women advocates have said that if they were represented more in political positions or ministerial ones, it would lead to greater investments in education, increase a country’s GDP growth and help foster the overall quality of governance in terms of boosting accountability and transparency, reducing corruption, and protecting the interest of marginalised sections of Nigeria. In order to ensure and build a well-established, quality political or governance system, Oyagbola suggested that government should protect the rights of women to make them active participants in the economic, social, political, cultural, and other arenas of the country, thereby bringing about development. “Empower women and providing them with fair representation across different decision-making levels of the government structure to better protect women’s interests and to achieve quality governance,” she advocated.

DG APC Governors’ Forum to Oshiomhole: Don’t destroy Edo, Kogi like Zamfara, Rivers

he Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, has lashed out at the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and other leaders of the party of failing to discharge their responsibilities, stating that the party chairman must not enforce his inconsiderate attitude in the forthcoming Kogi, Edo governorship elections. In a letter dated August 6 and titled, ‘APC: Appeal for Reconciliation,’ and addressed to Oshiomhole, Lukman queried why superior organs of the party had not been meeting and also questioned the capacity of the former Edo governor to lead the ruling party. The APC Governors Forum Director-General cited the losses of the party in the just concluded general election in some states, the suspension of some key members, and possibility of defeat in the coming elections in some states. He said: “We had challenges that deprived our party the opportunity to contest 2019

election in Rivers, stripped our party of electoral victory in Zamfara, engendered highest levels of leadership animosities in Imo, Ogun, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Ondo, Oyo, etc. Today, with Kogi and Edo elections approaching similar leadership animosities are defining political life of the party in those states. “My distant observation is that there is hardly any difference between your approach in managing the party and the way Chief Oyegun had managed it during his tenure. Instead, things have really got worse and painfully, it would appear, you are in denial of this reality,” he stated. According to him, the internal wrangling in APC resulted in the suspension of three serving governors (two of them now senators) and two members of National Working Committee (NWC) in the build up to the 2019 general election. He disclosed that he had earlier made efforts to draw Oshiomhole’s attention to the growing problems in the party, but said

the move was rebuffed. “Kindly recall that sometime in June this year (2019), I sent what I called a private memo on the issues of reported disciplinary actions against Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State by the NWC. “Of course, the memo noted that before the 2019 elections, the NWC had similarly suspended former Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun of Imo and Ogun states, respectively. Between June and now, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, APC deputy national chairman, North and Inuwa Abdulkadir, APC vice national chairman (North-West) have also been similarly suspended. “It would appear that the leadership problems facing the party are getting deeper and in the circumstances, the business of building the party will be sacrificed. “Since emerging as the National Chairman of our party, I have had cause to review decisions and actions you have taken as the

National Chairman and often I have difficulty reconciling many of the decisions and actions you took with the leadership standards you upheld,” he said. According to the DG, “It is a painful reality that we have found ourselves in situation of near stalemate in many states under your leadership. Embarrassingly, our leaders, including your very self, appear to be stubbornly inconsiderate of other options of resolving these challenges.” “If the electoral loss of Oyo, Imo, Zamfara, Adamawa and Bauchi are not a wakeup call to the dangers that lie ahead, what could have been? Is it that our leaders are indifferent to the possible return of People’s Democratic Party (PDP)?” he queried. The Progressive Governors’ Forum DG added: “In all my years of association with you, I never imagined that one day you will be so comfortable as to be indifferent to challenges that could threaten our national democratic development.”

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Interview ‘We will work with government to ensure peaceful coexistence in Taraba’

ISAIAH MAGAJI JIRAPYE is the newly elected chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Taraba State Chapter. In this interview with some correspondents in Jalingo, shortly after his swearing in, he spoke on his programmes, how he would lead a dialogue to end the Tiv/Jukun crisis, among other issues. NATHANIEL GBAORON was there. Excerpts:

ou were recently elected the chairman of CAN Taraba State chapter, how do you feel? First of all, I give God the glory because he is the owner of life; he controls any activity that happens both in heaven and on earth. It is only God that enthrones and dethrones; it is only God that gives people the opportunity to become something and to get to any position. I appreciate God for the process of the election that happened last Saturday, how peaceful and calm it was. I also want to thank the Christian community in Taraba for trusting in me. I see this election as a trust; I see it as people agreeing with you and am still seeing myself as not qualified to have been voted if not for the mercies and grace of God. So, I want to thank the Christians in Taraba State for the trust they have given me and I want to put it on record that I will not betray the trust by the grace of God. What agenda do you have for CAN in Taraba? Talking about my agenda for CAN in Taraba State, I have only three issues to look at even though they may be simple; they involve and include so many things. Number one is to build on the unity of the body of Christ in Taraba. When people live in a society they may have their differences but to some extent and by the grace of God, the body of Christ in Taraba is still one; whether we have challenges or not, the body of Christ is still the body of Christ. So I will build on the existing unity and take it further. The road map to achieve that, to me, is to call first of all the heads to a round table so that together we can decide the way forward and God will lead us. I believe he is the God of unity; he will give us the way forward; I am sure. Number two is to look into the holistic development of the Christian community in Taraba. Holistic development in the sense that we will work towards revival That’s on the spiritual aspect, to make sure that the church in Taraba is repositioned on the spiritual platform to please God and to be what the body of Christ is supposed to be on the spiritual realm. This can be achieved by organising crusades, seminars and revival programmes that will involve all Christians. On that note, I am also targeting the singing groups that we have in CAN, talk about the choir, the music aspect of it, the boys’ brigade and any group that exists within the body of Christ, how we can bring them together and try to hold programmes from time to time to see how we can bring revival because once these people catch the fire of revival, it will go everywhere. On the infrastructural aspect, we have the guest house, offices and the church. I will try to make sure that we put some infrastructural touches to them to look the way they should. From my administration we will also look into the empowerment of our women and youths. Women and youths are the livewire of society, neglecting them will amount to messing up the whole thing. My own ministerial life in the church, I have always focused on empowerment because if you teach people spiritual things and their bodies are weak, they don’t have food to put on their table and they don’t have anything to do, they may be sitting there physically but not connected with you. So, I believe in a holistic approach to issues that a man is a connection of the spirit and body, if you deal with the spirit only and leave the body you still have a lot of work to do and you may not even achieve anything reasonable. So, the two must come together. We must make sure we look for ways to raise resources to create small, small businesses for our women and our youths and any amount that we are able to get must be used for that purpose. We will also try to see how we will organise them and train them on certain skills that will

and I will give you development’. Without peace, there will be no development of any kind, we must pursue peace. I am using the word ‘must’, because it is a necessity; if we really want to sleep with our two eyes closed.

Frank Okiye

empower their lives so that people will be engaged in doing some things. When somebody is properly engaged he will not allow himself to be used by anybody to foment trouble. We will look into that aspect with all seriousness by the grace of God. And then we will try to look at the case of IDPs, many of our Christians are displaced, not only the Christians, including Muslims. When it comes to benevolence we will reach out to even the Muslims because we are Tarabans; we are not here to fight each other; all these fights here and there are misplacement of priority because God has not authorised anybody to take up gun against his brother, but there are some motives that move people into this kind of thing and we will make sure that those things are removed from our society by the grace of God. No man can achieve that without God helping him. We will also have to look into the holistic development of our Christian community to make sure that where Christians are not in agreement with each other, we will bring to their notice to know that peace is the most important thing to pursue because if everybody lives in peace, people will go about their normal businesses to earn a living. But if we keep fighting each other, we will be losing, and if we finish Killing ourselves in Taraba, strangers will come and occupy the land; that will mean that we have lost. There is no gain in fighting one another. Number three is to make sure there is synergy between the church of God and the government in Taraba; that will be that whatever government wants we will bring it to the table of the church and what the church wants we will also communicate it to the government so that there will be peaceful and robust relationship between the church and the government. There will be no rancour or nasty criticism here and there. Sometimes, government does something that the public doesn’t understand, they complain and say so many negative things about it, because there is communication gap; but where that gab is bridged, people will have understanding and where government also understand the desires of the church; what the church wants the government to do that will also be carried out and when it is well communicated, the government will also know that I am dealing with people and this is what they think. For now, these are the three basic things I will do, God helping me; but as time goes on I will be expanding my scope and all these things must

be gradual. By the grace of God, before our tenure runs out, we will achieve and Taraba will see progress. You made mention of unity, and in other societies the church is used as a platform to bring people on the roundtable to discuss peace; is that part of what you’re thinking of doing? Yeah; if I talk about unity, definitely we must start from somewhere and the church is my base. I cannot jump into any religion and just take authourity and begin to handle things without starting from my base, and where I am coming from, there must be proper understanding of what we want to achieve. If I am able to pull the Christian community together, I will have peace; it is only when you have peace in your own heart and in your own family that you can go out to reconcile other people. So, my starting point is the church, beginning with the church leaders expanding gradually to all the Christians. Taraba is a multi-religious state. What kind of relationship would you want the Christians to have with the Muslims and other religious faiths? Normally, in the state, being part of the exco, in the years back, I know that there is a great unity or synergy between the Christian community, especially the CAN with the Muslim council. We have worked together. In fact, I can cite an example of where doctors in the Federal Medical Centre went on strike that was like an unending one, the nurses joined and all the staff were to join, CAN and the Muslim council came together and invited the managing director and other management staff. We sat down and pleaded with them that if there was anything to be done to curtail the level of the strike and to bring these people back to their duty post it should be done. We thank God that after that meeting, so many good things came up. I have in mind strongly that in no distant time, I will connect with the Muslim brothers and we will start planning on how we will work together. One of the plans is to select some key ministers and some key Imams, bring them on board and have a sensitisation seminar with keynote speakers both from the Christian and Muslim sides that will educate us on the steps we need to take so that we can live in peace. Since the government of Taraba is out for peace with the slogan ‘give me peace

For some people, your emergence as CAN chairman is a welcome development; however, for some people believe that CAN, for some time now has appeared politicised; its romance with government is no longer secret. Now, the question is, with your closeness to the government of the day, how successfully carry the mandate of your office? There have been misconceptions, people do not understand what CAN stands for and if you see a man that doesn’t understand what an organisation is set up for, he will always have misconceptions and talk out of the line. For me, I don’t see government controlling CAN; so, if people say the relationship with government and CAN is overwhelming, I keep wondering, what do they mean by that? Do they mean that CAN should be fighting the government? Because I believe that CAN and the Muslim council are people who are indigenes of the state therefore, they should be able to cooperate with government to bring dividends of democracy down to the man on the street. But I cannot sell my conscience for anything, if I cannot thank God for how far he has brought me, then I cannot thank God again. I believe that there will be a robust relationship, but where government will bring some things that will be against the citizens I can’t take it. I have been relating very well with the governor of course, but that has never stopped me from telling him the truth; what he should do for both Christians and Muslims. I can’t shy away from that; that is a responsibility. If you love a man, you tell him the truth. I don’t know whether those who are saying that would want CAN to always be insulting the government. CAN was originally set up to relate and intervene between government and the Christian community. People should be able to know this. CAN was not established to go out as an evangelism team; CAN was set up primarily to meddle between the government and the Christian community so that the Christians will also get their benefit from government and there will be peace and the voice of Christians will be heard in the corridors of power. CAN is not meant to be an enemy to government; it will be an enemy only when the government deviates. You talk so much about peace, but unfortunately, the situation in southern Taraba is degenerating; what do you think can be done quickly to bring succour to the area? Shortly after the election, I collected the number of the CAN chairman of Benue State. I want to call him so that we will start talking. In fact, immediately after the election, I spoke to the chairman of CAN, in the 19 northern states; that same day, I had a brief meeting with some Tiv brothers who came to greet and congratulate me. We have already begun our plans how we will meet immediately to begin to move into this matter. They will have ideas, I will also have ideas and it will not be only me and few people. I believe in dialogue because even in your family if you don’t have peace everything you have will scatter. At this critical time, Christians must embrace each other; we must say no to violence, especially violence against each other as children of God. What are we gaining from what is happening in southern Taraba if not losing lives and property here and there? By the time the Jukun man and the Tiv man finish killing themselves, what will be left? This issue of peace is non-negotiable and nobody can bend my mind out of it. It is something that we must pursue and it is something that the public will know that we must pursue because it is only peace that will bring progress to us all.

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Perspective

Sex testing of female athletes and the many unanswered questions Collins Okeke

aster Semenya, the South African two-time Olympic champion at 800 meters will not be eligible to participate at this year’s world track and field championships. The Swiss Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, reversed its earlier suspension of the ‘Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification for athletes with differences of sex development’ imposed by the International Association of Athletes Federation (IAAF). The IAAF after failing repeatedly to disqualify Semenya on account of the controversy surrounding her sex testing introduced the eligibility regulation. The eligibility regulation requires athletes with and above, and certain androgen sensitivity to take medication to lower their testosterone levels, effective beginning 8 May 2019. Caster Semenya is appealing the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport which upheld the IAAF eligibility regulation. This article highlights the many questions sex testing (especially for female athletes) throws up. But First, I will provide a background on sex testing. Sex testing was designed to eliminate intersex conditions or hormone imbalances that could give an unfair advantage to a competitor. It is seen as a medical issue and not one of sex or gender or male or female. This practice is not new; it dates back to the sixties when there were complaints or allegations that Soviet-bloc countries were entering male athletes in women’s events. The tests found several athletes who were born with genetic defects that made them appear to be men, at least according to lab results. In 1967, the Polish sprinter Ewa Klobukowska was barred from the sport because she failed the chromosomal test. In the 1980s, the Spanish hurdler Maria José Martínez Patino was disqualified because the test revealed that she was born with a Y chromosome. Her eligibility was reinstated in 1988. The Indian runner Santhi Soundarajan lost her 800m silver medal after failing a sex test at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. Complicated sex disorders abound and can confuse sexual identity, for example, a disorder known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia gives women excess testosterone from a source other than the testes — the adrenal glands. In mild cases, genitals may appear normal and often no one suspects the problem. Women with the disorder are allowed to compete as females. Some genetic males, for example, have mutations in a gene needed to form testes. Although they look like women, genetically they are men, with an X chromosome and a Y. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) should be allowed to investigate sex ambiguity. I do however have reservations with the method adopted for the test and the shoddy management of information by the IAAF in the case of Semenya. Herein for me lie most of the questions. Why single out an athlete for sex testing? Wouldn’t it be fairer for everyone

Collins

to be tested in the same way and at the same time? The IAAF should not be able to pick and choose who undergoes this kind of testing, especially given that most of the female athletes are muscular. If one woman has to undergo this kind of test, shouldn’t all of them be tested? To single out one athlete for testing raises the issue of discrimination which is why some persons have alleged racism on the part of the IAAF in the Caster Semenya case. The issue of waiting until there is an allegation. Could the test not be done before a Competition? Why wait until there are innuendos and allegations? The allegations could not have been new. They must have followed the athlete for some time. Was it necessary for these deeply personal issues to be paraded before the world, subjecting an athlete to forensic scrutiny and speculation of a kind that must have led not merely to deep anxiety but also intense embarrassment? Could these investigations not have taken place in private with the authorities refusing to

comment on whether they were even taking place? Should confidentiality not be part and parcel of IAAF procedure? In short, could this not have been handled with infinitely greater sensitivity, given the incalculable trauma the athlete has to endure? This raises privacy concerns. What if a man is born with XX chromosome instead of XY and he breaks every male record in the books? Is he a man or do we create a new gender category of our species just so he does not embarrass the rest of us too much? What would happen with transgender individuals? If a male had had their sex organs rearranged and entered for the Olympics and won but that win was called in question what would happen then? Would the IAAF not save itself a lot of trouble if it adopts the visual inspection since at the genetic/chromosomal level any answer provided will only prove inconclusive? Will it be right to ascribe to the IAAF powers to determine who meets the male or female test and can compete considering the hazy nature of the results? Are we saying that women

can only improve slowly, shouldn’t be muscular, and should always have a high pitched voice? What is the sense in compelling an athlete to take medication to lower performance? Does it not go against the spirit of the sport which is that athletes compete at their most natural state? Do performance-limiting drugs not hurt sports? These questions may never be answered. They will continue to agitate the minds of experts. What is, however, clear is that privacy rights have been abused, reputations damaged by the sex testing? No female athlete sex tested ever really recovers. If she is cleared, she certainly will still have to live with doubts as to her true position. If she is not, suspicions as to the real motive for her disqualification will no doubt live with us for some time. While I can’t help agreeing with the idea that the application of sex testing is hardly consistent, at the same time I would hesitate at the idea that men should be able to compete in women’s events.

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BDSUNDAY 19

THE PROLOGUE

Lawmakers or law-breakers?

20 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Sunday Magazine

Making laws with unclean hands? I

Obinna Emelike f you go by the anti-corruption mantra, which the present administration keeps echoing to vulnerable ears since its first tenure in 2015, one would have thought that by now corruption would have been a thing of the past. But the reverse seems the case asthemulti-headedmonsterthrives even more in spite of the so-called fight against it. It is ironic, though, that more public funds have been stolen now than when the corruption war was not in full gear some years ago. Yet, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the anti-graft agency, prides itself of many milestones, including prosecutions, recoveries of funds and properties, among other feats, which many argue are mere grandstanding. However, it is more worrisome that the legislature, which ordinarily should be for people who are aboveboard, is now being seen as an abode of people of questionable character. This questions the legitimacy of the mandate of the legislators and even the Senate and House of Representatives. Of course, no sane constituency will vote in a corrupt leader, it is obvious the elections were rigged, votes bought and the people remain poorer after the vote-buying. Sadly, about 10 percent of the senators in the newly inaugurated 9th National Assembly are facing corruption probes; some are already being prosecuted, while many are trying to repay without disclosure. The intrigue is that the EFCC, which is the corruption watchdog, seemed to be eating soft bone while the corrupt people sneaked into the Senate. As well, the DSS, which screens would-be public office holders before assuming any office, cleared them despite the many files they have on them. Though the EFCC keeps prompting the alleged senators

that they still have cases to answer, in a sane society such people do not get anywhere near public offices, as such cases are dealt with and concluded usually in favour of the state and not for those warming seats in the Senate and looking for committees to head and steal more from the public purse. I n Fe b r u a r y, a n o n l i n e newspaper,PREMIUM TIMES, listed about eleven names (11) of elected senators with corruption allegations and cases hanging over their necks. Today, they are making laws for Nigeria! The list include Orji Uzor Kalu, a former governor of Abia State; Gabriel Suswan, a former governor of Benue State; Chimaroke Nnamani, a former governor of Enugu State; Ifeanyi Ubah, Peter Nwaoboshi, Abba Moro, a former minister of labour and productivity; Stella Oduah, a former minister of aviation; Ike Ekweremadu, Danjuma Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State; Aliyu Wamakko, a former governor of Sokoto, and Dino Melaye. Many observers consider as shocking that Orji Uzor Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, is not only in the Senate, but also holding a prominent post there. The EFCC has been prosecuting Kalu for allegedly stealing N7.7 billion Abia funds while in office. He is being prosecuted alongside his former commissioner for finance, Ude Udeogo, and a company, Slok Nigeria Ltd, said to be owned by him. Kalu’s original trial started just after he left office in 2007. In October 2016, EFCC renewed its prosecution and preferred 34 count charges against Kalu. But he and Udeogo pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail. The EFCC ultimately reactivated Kalu’s case in 2017, filing amended graft charges of up to N7.7 billion against him. In November 2018, Kalu traveled out of the country without the permission of the court and the EFCC and

returned to Nigeria to contest and win a senatorial election. Yet the case is still on. Also, if you recall the fraud over a botched recruitment drive, which led to a stampede that left 20 people dead in 2014, Abba Moro, former minister of Interior under ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, should not have been close to public office again. But despite being arraigned by the EFCC at the Federal High Court for his role in an alleged $2.5 million fraud, involving missing application fees, (though he pleaded not guilty), Moro is representing Benue South Senatorial district in the upper chambers. The case of Danjuma Goje, former governor of Gombe State, is revealing. The EFCC alleged that Goje conspired with four officers of his administration to defraud the state of N25 billion via illegal acts, contrary to, and punishable under sections 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2011, as amended. Goje, who is currently facing a fraud charge filed against him by the EFCC at the Federal High Court in Gombe, on May 29, 2019, was inaugurated to represent Gombe Central Senatorial District for the third time. He is now chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport. Recall that many Nigerians had in June expressed displeasure over the withdrawal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from the prosecution Goje and the taking over of the case by the office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. On Friday, June 7, the EFCC announced its withdrawal from the case against the Gombe senator, which fueled suspicion that the lawmaker was subjected to be a deal to coerce him to drop his ambition of running for the position of the President of the Senate against Ahmed Lawan, who was the preferred choice of the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The EFCC through its spokes-

man Tony Orilade, confirmed on Sunday, June 9, that it had withdrawn itself from the fraud case against Goje, stressing that the Attorney General has taken over the case because he has the constitutional powers to do so. The question is, why couldn’t the EFCC, the courts and his senatorial district stop him all these while from contesting, and not to talk of wining an election? Recall also that in 2010, Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, was arrested by the EFCC for allegedly misappropriating N15 billion alongside 18 others. He was subsequently arraigned on a 149-count charge of fraud to the tune of N15 billion alongside his co-accused. Though the case is yet to be concluded, Adamu is in the Senate representing the Nasarawa West senatorial district. Moreover, the most shocking and mockery of the fight against corruption is the recent naming of Aliyu Wammako, former governor of Sokoto State, as the vicechairman of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes. Sadly, Wammako, who is representing Sokoto-North in the National Assembly, is under probe by the EFCC for alleged misappropriation of N15 billion. But going by his new role, Wammako and other members of the committee will be expected to carry out oversight functions on the EFCC, which means the EFCC will have to rest his case at least for now, or he could lead his committee to move for actions against the commission. Displeased with Wammako’s appointment in the Senate, Malachy Odeh, a senior lecturer at a private university in Lagos, who also is a public analyst, said it was morally wrong because Wammako, alongside other senators who have pending corruption cases, are likely going to frustrate the anti-corruption campaign because the hammer is waiting to fall on them any time.

“What an irony, the hunted has now become the hunter in the same jungle. He would have vengeance in mind starting with the probe of EFCC activities and expenditures”, he said. Odeh insisted that the EFCC, the high courts and other related parties in the corruption case, should expedite action to end the cases within a short time to ensure timely prosecution of the culprits, deter others from fraud, save the name of the EFCC and the mockery corruption fight has become. A source at the Centre for AntiCorruption and Open Leadership, who pleaded anonymity, said that Wammako’s new role signals danger as the fight against corruption is being punctured by the development. “All that Wammako needs is support from other senators, House of Representatives members, ministers, and other public office holders with corruption charges to whittle down the power of the EFCC. It could be by amending some laws and that is it”, he said. But the concern of Ogabi Emeh, a criminologist and lawyer, is that there is no mention of the cases of someex-governorswhowerebeing prosecuted by the EFCC but had their cases dropped, just because they joined the ruling party. “The fact that the ruling party claims to uphold integrity and the fight against corruption means that it should not harbor people already charged to court for fraud. It should deny them election tickets to make others sit-up”, he decried. The criminologist insisted that more governors will steal from their state coffers and will also use the stolen fund to buy tickets to the Senate as the National Assembly has become a retirement home for ex-governors and people running from prosecutions. In the same vein, Odeh thinks that the younger generation is learning and getting stronger in their resolve to make money “by all means” as corruption thrives and corrupt leaders suppress and rub the stolen funds in their faces.

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BDSUNDAY 21

Sunday Magazine

What manner of law-making?

AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE uring his campaign, President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians that if voted into office, his administration would pursue the fight against corruption and would go all out to hunt looters of national treasury. Buhari, throughout his first tenure, went on to say that the anti-corruption war of his administration was not negotiable, and that it was a must for him to fight graft because that was one of the reasons he was elected. The promise to fight corruption became a sing-song throughout the first term of Buhari’s administration such that economic watchers accused the present government of abandoning pressing economic matters to ‘fight against corruption.’ BDSUNDAY can recall that it was on this premise that the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said earlier in May 13, 2019, that the Federal Government has resolved to deal ruthlessly with institutions and individuals indebted to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). Osinbajo, who noted that one of the measures to be deployed against the debtors was stopping them from doing business with government, also vowed that government would not fold its arms and allow AMCON debtors walk the streets free. “I think the time has come for us (Federal Government) to set some examples with some of these top debtors of AMCON, which I believe will set a good example and serve as deterrent to others. The debtors are holding the entire nation to ransom with their bad behaviour,” Osinbajo said. He further disclosed government plans to set up an interagency collaboration framework that would comprise relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to be supervised by the Office of the Vice President to ensure that institutions and individuals that were indebted to AMCON were not allowed to do business with government henceforth. The big question is, has this government been able to set examples with these top debtors of AMCON as promised? And has it also been faithful with the war against corruption? Keen observers see contradictions between government’s vaunted sing-song about corruption fight and the goings-on in the corridors of power. At one of the campaign rallies of President Buhari in Benin, Edo State, which took place on Thursday, January 17, 2019, Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) told politicians, who dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the ruling party, that their sins

were forgiven. Oshiomhole promised that he would help Buhari to defeat their former party. “I’m told that there are a lot of very senior people from PDP who have decided to join forces with President Buhari to take the broom to sweep away PDP.” After reading out the names of former PDP members, who joined APC, Oshiomhole said: “All sins are forgiven once they teamed up with the ruling party. In fact, once you have joined APC, all your sins are forgiven.” This explains why President Buhari’s anti-corruption fight has been mired in controversy and allegations that Mr. President persecutes opposition candidates alone while shielding members of his party from the law. The PDP has claimed that the corruption war is being used mainly as a political weapon to intimidate and frustrate members of the opposition. It has become very worrisome that despite the noise over the present administration’s determination to rid Nigeria’s political space of corrupt politicians, the opposite seems to now be the case. Just like Oshiomhole promised, many politicians especially the members of PDP, main opposition party, who at one time, had one question or the other to answer with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over corrupt enrichment of selves, but defected to APC, had their cases closed or such files are still with the EFCC just gathering dust. Surprisingly, some politicians, who were at a point found guilty of corrupt practices are presently dining and wining with the present government as lawmakers and members of the kitchen cabinets. C o n f i r m i n g t h i s , Ah m e d Kuru, managing director/CEO of AMCON, as a guest speaker at the July 2019 edition of the breakfast meeting, organised by the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, said that chronic debtors of the corporation were occupying top

government positions. He also said that the corporation was working with other agencies such as the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to produce a full-length television documentary of notorious and recalcitrant obligors of AMCON. Kuru said the idea was to document in a permanent format for generations yet unborn, to know the so-called big men and women behind the over N5 trillion debt burden, which AMCON was battling to recover. He lamented that unlike what happens in saner climes, these obligors still manipulated their

way to emerge as members of the National Assembly, ministers, chairmen and women of big organisations and pro-chancellors of universities. “Sadly, these are the calibre of people we respect in Nigeria but these people are not role models. How can you be a role model when you cannot honour a simple obligation? That is why I have been consistent in the call for the return of the Failed Bank Act. The way we are handling the issue in the country suggests that we are encouraging a lot of financial rascality. People have to be held accountable for their actions, which I believe would serve as deterrent to others,” Kuru said. “All economies all over the

world depend on the financial infrastructure for growth. If we allow or encourage the destruction of the basis of our financial structure, then the economy would not grow. These are men and women who go to banks, borrow monies with no intention to pay and in the process bring down banking institutions,” Kuru decried. In Nigeria today, membership of Senate, which is the red chamber of the National Assembly, the nation’s highest lawmaking body, is filled with people who have pending court cases following the allegations of gross mismanagement of public funds while in their former offices. Few days back, Nwambu Gabriel, director-general of the Global Centre for Conscious Living against Corruption, warned that the Senate should not be turned into what he described as “a retirement home for suspected looters.” Speaking to newsmen in Abuja in a conference tagged, ‘Before our esteemed Senate becomes a safe haven for some corrupt ex-governors,’ Gabriel expressed concerns that the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, is “deteriorating to a safe haven” for former governors, who he said, are currently being prosecuted by the nation’s anti-corruption agencies. He said the Senate has been confronted with lots of integrity questions because of the development. Another serving senator and former Governor of Nasarawa State, is also one of the President’s allies in the Senate. He was also a member of the National Advisory Committee of the Buhari 2019 Presidential Support Committee. He is being prosecuted alongside 18 others for allegedly stealing N15 billion from the treasury through contracts awarded when he was governor for eight years. Another Senator, who was in charge of Buhari’s campaign in Sokoto State, and held massive rally on behalf of Buhari in order to prove to the President that Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s defection would be of no effect, is also in the Senate despite the allegations of financial rascality against him. He served as governor from 2007 to 2015, and was under investigation over allegations of theft of public funds and money laundering totaling N15 billion, an allegation he has vehemently denied. But this was confirmed by EFCC in April that the commission was investigating allegations contained in a petition against the ex-Sokoto State governor. It is doubtful if anything meaningful can come out from a corrupt ruling class that goes about grandstanding amid the stench of its malfeasance and hypocritical lifestyle that has collectively made Nigeria a laughing stock in the comity of nations.

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BDSUNDAY 23

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Arts A day with Ore-Oluwa Solana, the ‘fix it’ Amazon

Stories by OBINNA EMELIKE

n a rainy Monday evening, the Abraham Adesanya Roundabout along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, IbejuLekki, Lagos, was so flooded that many motorists were trapped in gridlock. The gridlock was so much that many were still trapped by 2am. But someone who couldn’t dare the stress of traffic jam heightened by the flood, stayed at the comfort of her home to monitor and direct others to take alternative routes or delay their return in order to save time and the stress of being trapped; thanks to technology. All she did was to get updates from people trapped and post them on social media to alert many who are members of his social media group on the situation on the road. Beyond that, she offers useful updates on a whole lot things and issues on her social media group; from updates on electricity supply, real estate, where to shop, among other useful information, which she gladly disseminates to people who need them free of charge, while enriching her data base at the same time. Welcome to the world of Ore-Oluwa Solana, founder of Ibeju-Lekki Connect, otherwise known as IBLC, an online plat-

form that helps new residents in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos to settle down without difficulties. Ore-Oluwa, a trained Pharmacologist at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and certified entrepreneur from Enterpreneurship Management, Lagos Business School, has rightfully earned the title

‘Mr. Fix It’ within her vicinity through the useful update on Ibeju-Lekki Connect. The social media enabled project, which started in March 2016 with a few people, now has almost 400 members who are benefiting from free services. Recalling how the project started, she says it started by

mistake. “I would say that IbejuLekki Connect started by mistake. It started in March 2016 when I moved into the area, and I found out that I had problems and needed someone that could help. Now, somehow, I am finding solutions to the problems of many residents, and it has become a project. Today, we have presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram group of close to 400 people”, she explains. The platform is truly evolving. It now has a website, lists real estate properties, most importantly, ‘when someone sends us a real estate request, all we do is connect him with people that provide such services, she says. To get all the necessary updates, she says, “I have to be a super observer”. But while IBLC was a personal problem she tried to solve, she is now solving many people’s problems to a point she thinks that the Ibeju-Lekki Connect is ripe for paid membership, and hence she is organising a Meet and Greet Programme this September to discuss the paid membership with the members. “I have been running the service free of charge for over three years now. Gradually, we have gotten to a point of upgrading our services and instituting paid membership for the group in order to sustain the project. Right now almost

400 members of the group are benefiting from free services. But we need to re-strategise and restructure what we do”, she explains. She is optimistic that the paid membership will work because of the many projects she has handled in the past and in the present that are still successful, especially Bedazzle Innovation Multi-Services Company, which is based in Lagos. “IBLC is a trademark under my company. We are proudly a fashion brand. So, I do fashion. I write embossment on T-shirts; I brand t-shirts with stones since 2011. I also do business advisory for small businesses and startups under a platform called MarketFacebook with close to 10,000 people in the group. I have been doing this before I started IBLC, but right now, IBLC seems to be the biggest selling project”, she says. Solana, a self-confessed knowledge junky, is happy that life is becoming easier for more people in the area of coverage. “With IBLC, life is a bit easier because once people in the area know the platform exists, they tap into it. New residents in the area can meet on IBLC platform to find out where to get what they want and, and I direct them. When people get the right information, they feel safe and happy. By the time we cover the whole community, people will benefit a lot”, she concludes.

Ekiti beckons culture lovers with Udiroko festival From August 12-20, 2019, AdoEkiti, the capital of Ekiti State, will be hosting culture lovers, tourists and indigenes to colourful outing in this year’s edition of the annual Udiroko festival. The festival, which was established around 1310 AD during the reign of Oba Awamaro, the first Ewi of the present day of AdoEkiti, is a cultural celebration to showcase the historical, cultural and traditional potential of AdoEkiti people. It also marks the beginning of the year for the town’s inhabitants and is usually set aside by people to give thanks to their creator. However, the government and indigenes are partnering in this year’s edition to make it bigger and seek bigger platform to further marketing the heritage potential of Ado-Ekiti people to the world. Speaking at a world press

conference heralding the festival at Lagos Airport Hotel Ikeja recently, Wale Ojo-Lanre, director general, Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture, said the festival holds on the Theme of the festival is: ‘Enforcing and Sustaining the

Solidity of our History, Culture and Tradition’ and that the state government had decided to partner Ado-Ekiti people to rebrand the festival, globalise its celebration and seek marketers for the festival.

Ojo-Lanre said this was to make the festival become selfsustaining and involve Ado-Ekiti indigenes in the diaspora, as well as, those outside the shores of Ekiti. “We have noticed the energy and vigour with which the Ewi and the people of Ado prepare and celebrate Udiroko annually and want to build on that to market the festival globally,’’ he said. Also speaking at the briefing, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti reiterated the fact that the festival is a cultural celebration to showcase the historical, cultural and traditional potential of AdoEkiti people and not idolatry as believed in some quarters. The royal father, whose visit to Lagos for the event was after a long while, said indigenes of AdoEkiti also use the opportunity of the festival to pray for themselves and the town for remarkable

achievements recorded over the years. “Through this festival, we constantly celebrate our ancient past and showcase the rich cultural heritage of Ado people in ways that give currency to the past and precisely situate the present for the productive future,’’ he said. The monarch explained that Udiroko is a euphemistic expression of the significance of the first meeting of the Ado-Ekiti people under the Iroko tree to celebrate the founding of Ado Kingdom. He said this was under the kingship of the Ewi, who thereafter, gave a royal proclamation of the first gathering under the Iroko tree as the first day in the AdoEkiti calendar year. “It is our hope that from now on, the Udiroko Festival will gain further international recognition that would propel it amidst its cultural peers in other kingdoms and climes,’’ he concluded.

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Travel Why South Africa is the ultimate vacation this summer- SAT West Africa OBINNA EMELIKE

vacation to South Africa is always a refreshing and relaxing one! With South Africa only 6-hours away, you can give your mind a little retreat from work overload. With a welcoming environment, an accommodating host, an amazingly diverse culture with beautiful scenery and tasty food that soothes the soul, treat yourself to the perfect vacation this year. From wildlife spotting on safari to exploring lush vineyards and immersing yourself in city life, there is a new discovery to be made around every province in South Africa. In the ultimate vacation of the year, Radio Presenter and Media starlet Toke Makinwa, with renowned fashion designer Mai Atafo, celebrity photographer Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Ghanian writer and blogger Ameyaw Debrah, musician, Sister Deborah, Chidera Mouka, Kola Oshalusi, Folu Storms and the MTV Base crew, explored South Africa on a 7-day vacation itinerary in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces courtesy of South Africa Tourism and amazing host; media personality Bonang Matheba. The itinerary featured a power boat cruise on the breathtaking Knysna Lagoon, an adventurous quad biking through the safari at the Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve, bungee jumping from Bloukrans Bridge the worlds’ highest bungee height, and an aquarium tour of the uShaka Marine World. The group was also treated to an exclusive lunch date at the Cargo Hold Restaurant known as the most famous restaurant in Durban. In commemorating one of the biggest fashion and sports festivals in Africa; The Durban July, the influencers went with their fashion A-game. Mountains are some of the most beautiful of nature’s structures and very few mountains in the world come close to those of the Western Cape. From Table Mountain, Lions Head and Signal Hill to the Simonsberg mountains, the breathtaking views are picture-worthy. The inner city combines with an effortless choice of white sandy beaches and mustvisits like Robben Island, Cape Point and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The Western Cape has an effortlessly warm climate that makes the Cape a logical destination throughout the year. Looking to get inspiration for your next vacation in South Africa? Here are some astounding activities you can experience in the Western Cape and KwaZuluNatal regions this vacation season in the Rainbow Nation. Accommodation at the Fancourt Resort Hotel It is an exceptional blend of modern luxury and classic elegance. With only 4 KM away from George Airport, Fancourt Resort Hotel offers a soothing home away from home feeling.

Boat cruise on Knysna lagoon The Fancourt team understands the customer journey and how to connect and satisfy your needs. From booking to departure they just get it right. The restaurants are superb, facilities well kept and suites are generous and fully kitted. The influencers were spoilt beyond belief, including some wine tasting. If you fancy a spot of Golf, this is the perfect spot in South Africa to have a golf holiday. Power boat cruise on Knysna lagoon An adventure through the infamous Knysna Heads will be the ultimate boating experience, with the wind blowing through your ears and the water splashing beside and behind you. You will enjoy exclusive and unique

sailing cruises that showcase the natural beauty of Knysna Lagoon, whilst you sit back and soak it all up. Watch a magnificent sunset whilst sipping on chilled bubbly and crunching on some sea oysters! Sit back and enjoy the splendour and combination of salt, air and scenery! South Africa is a power boating mecca with so many beautiful and exciting locations to choose from. Make sure to include South African power boating in your next South African holiday itinerary. Aquarium tour at uShaka Marine World At uShaka Marine World, you will experience an adventure, with dolphin shows, seal shows, penguin presentations, shark dives, ray feeds and so much more! A

visit to the largest aquarium in the southern hemisphere, with underground viewing galleries, extending 500 meters through a series of four superbly designed old shipwrecks is breathtaking and excitingly fascinating. Each and every display was designed to represent not only the natural habitat of the sea creatures but to depict a story that ties in with the Phantom Ship theme. The influencers went on an Aquarium tour around the uShaka Marine World. Bungee jumping from Bloukrans Bridge Bungee jumping off the Bloukrans Bridge was sincerely one of the best, most rewarding moments of this vacation. If you are brave enough to take the plunge, Bungee jumping offers you the ultimate adrenaline rush. From high up above the ground, you will feel the breeze through your hair, breathe in the cooler air and prepare to dive off the platform, before experiencing a few moments of free-fall and bouncing back high into the air. If you have the guts, Bloukrans is an incredible place to experience your first jump. It gives you an unforgettable experience by jumping 216 metres (709 ft) over, above the Bloukrans River. Explore the safari on a quad bike at Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve Tsitsikamma National Park is an area of the Garden Route National Park, on South Africa’s southern coast. From start to finish, the tour was filled with energy, fun and sights that are so beautiful, you will just want to stop and take it all in. The route takes you through the heart of the forest, which is encompassed by skyscraper trees and beautiful ocean views. This hiking and

water sports paradise is a perfect place to experience the outdoors, marine life and an adventurefilled vacation without leaving a dent in your pocket. For just R690 approximately N17,000 you can experience the highlight of this adventure in the safari. Segway at the Moses Mabhida Stadium Gliding through the famous Moses Mabhida Stadium is an experience of a lifetime and certainly, a very different way to explore Durban’s beautiful stadium. Durban on a Segway has a way of telling you how you are in control of the moment, taking in amazing scenery. Durban is really beautiful and lush with a lot of colours to match its beauty. It is the perfect photo op, take a photo, one for the books on the Segway in the city known as the ‘Place of the Bay’. Easy to use and safe! This penny friendly experience will have you wanting more as awesome tour guides point out key sites and give you fun facts about the city. Durban July 2019 The stars of Africa came out to shine at the Durban July 2019 in South Africa. The excitement of Durban July Day cannot be experienced on television there is no substitute for being right there, right in the thick of things to experience the sights and the sounds, that come with liveaction. On the first Saturday of every July, nearly 60 000 people head towards Greyville Race Course to experience “July Fever”. It is not all about the horses! It is a fashion and entertainment extravaganza where everybody wants to be seen. Durban plays host to various events throughout the year, check out the Durban timetable for activities during your holiday time.

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Travel

Going cashless this summer with First Bank OBINNA EMELIKE

aving worked round the clock since the beginning of the year, it is ideal to take out time to relax and rejuvenate. Well, you do not need to wait until the end of the year to unwind as summer is already beckoning on discerning holiday makers to seek refuge in top destinations across the world. If you have not jetted out yet due to the stress of traveling, especially the trouble of settling your travel bills, tickets and sundries, you can now do so and seamlessly too with the First Bank Visa Multicurrency card, which allows you to go full cashless this summer in anywhere in the world. The Visa Multi Currency Card, introduced by First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, is an all-in one-card and first of its kind to be offered by any financial institution in Nigeria. Most importantly, it can be linked to all of the four major currencies namely: NAIRA, USD, EURO and GBP accounts. Beyond the international passport, the card is handy for the Nigerian business traveller and holiday makers, especially this summer period, which comes with lots of expenditures on airfares, hotel accommodations, tour bookings, shopping,

theatre/concert tickets among others. The card holders enjoy many benefits including; Point of Sale and online purchases, access to and use of ATMs worldwide, as well, there is no cash collateral requirement prior to its issuance. As expected, First Bank is delighted in the innovative card, which offers seamless transactions to users, especially holiday makers frolicking in top destinations across the world this summer. Chuma Ezirim, group executive, e-Business & Retail Product, First Bank, sees the card as a milestone in the bank’s innovation, saying that, “First Bank takes pride in pioneering the Visa Multi Currency Card in the country, as we remain committed to providing products and services that are designed to ensure the banking convenience of our customers regardless of their location.” For Ezirim, the card is designed to make traveling fun for the bank’s customers and to ensure they have a seamless transaction experience during their vacation, tourism and other business-related trips around the globe. Having tested the card himself, he enjoined the bank’s customers traveling abroad for summer to walk into any First Bank branch for their Visa Multi Currency Card. While abroad, the bank’s customers can enjoy improved daily withdrawal limits of $1,000 on

ATM, $2,500 on POS and $6,250 on web-based transactions. At home, they can withdraw as much as N150 on ATM, N500,00 and N2, 500,000 (from savings and current accounts respectively) on POS – N500,000, and N1,000,000 on web transactions locally. Also customers who use the bank’s Naira Master Card (NMC) have no need for BTA/PTA and stand to enjoy seamless transactions this summer with $5000 monthly spending limit and $300 daily ATM cash withdrawal limit. The seamless experience continues with the Visa Gold Card, which offer higher daily spending limit on ATM ($1,000), POS ($10,000) and WEB ($5,000) anywhere in the world. To ensure seamless transaction while on holiday this summer, the bank urged customers to change their PIN before travelling out of the country to avoid transaction failures/invalid card. However, the bank assures its customers of safety with additional protection for webbased transactions with “Verified by Visa” (VbV) and Chip & PIN technology with a lifespan of 3 years. Aside the safety, the bank is consolidating on its huge strength, which it thinks the customers should rely on to further do business with it, including transactions outside the country without watching their back. Presently, First Bank is the first financial institution in Nigeria to issue a whopping 10 mil-

lion cards to customers across the country, and now among two other African banks to achieve the milestone. The 10 million cards issuance follows other feats such as the first financial institution in the country to achieve sustained alternative channels transaction volumes of 100 million transactions in December 2015 and May 2016. The most excited in all the achievements is Adesola Adeduntan, managing director/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Limited. For him, delivering the Visa Multi Currency Card feat at this time is a testament to the bank’s drive in delivering to its brand promise of putting customers first and continuously improving its business to serve them better. “One of the ways by which we were able to sustain this winning edge is the use of our instant issuance/instant activation technology, which we pioneered about 10 years ago. We have also consistently maintained the highest active card ratio in the industry. “This feat also implies that our customers are becoming more technology savvy and we would continue to encourage this attitude with our commitment to world class service delivery. Therefore, we must work to ensure optimal performance and availability of all our channels such as ATM, FirstMobile among others to guard against customer dissatisfaction”, explained the First Bank CEO.

However, the feats are being recognised from outside the bank and even by the industry regulators. FirstBank recently bagged a hat trick of awards at the Interswitch Connect Sales Dinner & Awards Night in Lagos recently. The awards are: Most improved Mobile Application, Highest Transacting Bank (across interswitch’s solution) and Highest Number of Verve Transacting Cards (Unique Cards). Speaking on the awards, Folasade Femi Lawal, the bank’s head, Card Business, said the awards are indeed a reflection of the trust by Nigerians on the bank’s digital channels as it leaves no stone unturned at reinventing itself, products and services with a view to remain steadfast at being a frontrunner at promoting digitization of the industry. With 125 years of experience in the banking industry, servicing over 15 million customer accounts, over 750 business locations and banking technologies that are well aligned to the fast paced technological advancement in modern day banking, First Bank assures customers the best of service, security and experience even this summer. Once again, the bank urges customers traveling abroad for summer to walk into any First Bank branch for their Visa Multi Currency Card for a seamless holiday experience anywhere in the world.

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BDSUNDAY 27

Travel We hope to improve travel, tourism in Nigeria through Osadebe fest - Oranu Hilary Ikechukwu Oranu and Afam Kings Dozie are the brains behind the proposed Osadebe fest, a festival that will bring together locals and foreigners from all over the world to celebrate Osita Osadebe the late Nigerian highlife musician and promote Nigeria’s travel and tourism. In an interview with IFEOMA OKEKE, Hilary Ikechukwu Oranu speaks on how the festival will uphold the travel and tourism industry.

Tell us about the Osadebe fest verybody would agree with me that traditionally, it is good to fall back home at some point but we are not falling back home at this point because we are old but we are taking back our culture. We want to recognize what is rightfully ours; we want to put the Igbo culture and the Igbo tradition where it is meant to be. Basically, the whole idea about the Osadebe fest is not a child’s play. It’s a project we intend to sustain for years and if possible for a life time because at the end of the day whether you like it or not, Osadebe is meant to be celebrated even in death. He is the biggest highlife artist from the eastern part of Nigeria. So we felt this man shouldn’t just turn to dust, go through the water and just flush down the Niger like that. So we need to sustain that name, he needs to be on the map. Now bringing him into the map, a whole lot of culture and tradition needs to take place for that to happen. That’s exactly why we are doing this. We are not from his village, we are not his family members but we are just a group of Igbo guys who understand our culture and who know where we want to place the Igbo tradition and culture and we understand the importance of highlife and music in our tradition too. That is why we are doing this. It is better we have this understanding and understand the direction and vision of where we are going to. When would you be having

Hilary Ikechukwu

the event? We are looking at next year because it is good for events like these to be significant with a figure. In the sense that, you are either doing it on his birthday or you’re doing it in the period he died, which we don’t intend to celebrate it around the period he died. He died in May, he was given birth to in March so we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping

that around March, we would be having the whole event. Is the family giving their support towards this event? We are not just doing this on our own accord, we have the family involved in this, we have the traditional rulers of their village and also the council of traditional rulers and Igwes with the Ohaneze Ndigbo with us. So what we are doing is traditional, it is not just

a comedy or musical concert so there is no way you can take that out. Permit me to mention that with time, this will get to the stage the Felabration vent has gotten to. We are not family but we have the family involved because we want everything to be done peacefully and squarely. What do you think Nigeria should do to make tourism add substantially to its GDP? I think the government needs to take it serious. They need to pick up the tourism industry, focus on it, milk out of it, because whether you like it or not a couple of countries all over the world survive with tourism. A typical example is Dubai. There is no week that people don’t travel from all around the world into Dubai and if you go to Dubai, you would understand what tourists pay and how much they put in into the economy of Dubai. So I think the government needs to just pick it up, make it serious, blow it, have a projection about it and put it into good use. Tourism is an industry that is not fully utilised by the Nigerian government and I think we need to put our heads into that direction and of course entertainment too. Entertainment and tourism go hand in hand. So the whole idea for us in the Osadebe fest is a situation whereby it would also impact and improve tourism in Nigeria because we intend to have people travel from all over the world to come and attend this event. So we are starting with a three day

ceremony for now, with time it will extend. Are there other African countries you know that Nigeria can emulate from in terms of promoting our culture and tourism? I keep hearing people say they are travelling to Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya but those people don’t talk about coming to Nigeria to spend their summer or do other things. Even Ghana, if you go to Ghana you would understand that people still travel from Nigeria on a weekly basis to Ghana, why? Because they just want to go have fun. What is tourism? You go, understand the culture and tradition of those people there, you have fun and you come back to your base. Are there any specific government policies you think should be put in place to further promote our culture as a people, our tourism and travel industry in general? Like I said, all the government of Nigeria needs to do is to understand the importance of tourism. Nigerian government needs to fully understand the importance of tourism. We are trying but we are not there yet. Like once in a while I still travel to Obudu cattle ranch to spend a weekend or two to three days and I come back to Lagos. So we need to really understand. This is all about branding and projection. We need to brand and project our tourism sector the right way, so as to attract foreign investors and also attract foreigners into the country. That’s basically what government should do.

Ways Delta, TSA are speeding up security lines for safe, hassle-free international travel

ustomers are making their way through security lines more quickly this summer at Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal at Delta’s hometown airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport thanks to the airline and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) introducing two newlydesigned automated screening lanes. In addition to the world’s first dual-tray load that improves the efficiency of the security screening process, most notably are the computed tomography (CT) scanners that allow travellers to keep electronics in their carry-on bags. The partnership with TSA reflects Delta’s commitment to helping customers enjoy a seamless and stress-free travel experience in the airport long before they board their flight.

“Making these additional investments with TSA to enhance the security process is part of Delta taking ownership of every aspect of the travel experience to help reduce stress and improve the overall customer experience,” Gareth Joyce, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Airport Customer Service & President – Cargo said. This is the latest way Delta is investing to make travel through the airport easier as the airline is no stranger to partnering with government agencies to improve airport processes. In 2016, Delta became the first airline to invest in the first generation of more efficient and high-tech automated screening lanes. This move in the international terminal of the world’s busiest airport comes on the heels of Delta working with U.S. Customs

and Border Protection to launch the first fully biometric terminal in the U.S. Travelling through Atlanta’s International Terminal soon? Here’s how these new lanes will benefit you: Know when to step up: Before travellers approach the security lanes, a light at each position will glow green to signal that a station is open. The light provides a new way of knowing when to approach the lane so travellers – seasoned and occasional, alike – can move more efficiently into the screening process. New technology brings enhanced security: Industry-leading CT scanners feature improved X-ray technology for enhanced security and detection. Leaving more in your bag, plus new features make the process

easier: Three key process enhancements build on feedback from customers about the first generation of automated screening lanes: Customers save time by leaving laptops and other electronics in their bags thanks to technology enhancements. The world’s first dual-tray load feature means customers simply push their loaded bins forward and go — no more waiting to push. The new feature auto-inducts bins in the order they are placed on the belt so you can move through security without worrying about waiting for other customers. Designed with customers in mind, the fully automated bin return stacks bins so you don’t have to — it even scans bins before they’re stacked to make sure a customer hasn’t left any personal

belongings behind. “The safety and security of travelers is the number one priority of TSA and our partnership with Delta is critical in helping develop innovative security enhancements,” TSA Assistant Administrator for Requirements and Capabilities Analysis Austin Gould said. This new technology is the latest advancement in Delta and TSA’s partnership to continue improving the customer experience “Delta people provide an unparalleled experience and we want our customers to feel that same innovative care from the moment they book their flight to the time they arrive at their destination,” Joyce said. “That’s why partnerships with TSA and other groups are so important as we pioneer the future of air travel.”

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Life&Living

Understanding your partner’s love language

JUMOKE AKIYODE-LAWANSON

heneverpeople meet a couple that have lasted more than 10 or 20 years in marriage, the first question they tend to ask is, “what’s the secret to your lasting marriage”? Well, according to many marriage councilors and relationship experts, the only secret to keeping a healthy and happy marriage or relationship is to really understand the ‘Love Language’ of your significant other by knowing exactly what ticks their boxes. There are times when you feel like you and your partner are not on the same page even though you love each other. The most common issue in any relationship is the communication barrier. Everyone experiences love differently and it is very easy to miss the mark when it comes to showing your partner that you really care, especially when your partner does not understand or appreciate your communication method. So what are the love languages, and how would I know which best suits my partner? You may ask. According to Gary Chapman, the author of 5 Love

Languages series, there are five ways we express and experience love (he calls them “love languages”): Gift Giving, Quality Time, Physical Touch, Acts of Service (Devotion), and Words of Affirmation. We all “speak” one of them most fluently in each of our relationships - especially in a marriage. • Words of affirmation: Ijeoma Okeke, a 23 years old Law

graduate says she loves it when her boyfriend reassures her of his love for her by actually telling her. “I like it when he tells me that I’m beautiful, when he tells me how much he loves me and wants me to be his wife. However, some men do not usually like to be expressive by saying mushy things,” she told BDSunday. Here, we can see that Ijeoma’s primary love language is ‘words of affirma-

tion’. Appreciation and love for her are best affirmed through words from her partner. • Receiving gifts: A lot of people usually mistake this love language on materialism; the receiver of the gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness and effort behind the gift. Women or men who speak this language fell more prized and cared for when they are given the perfect gift and no matter how much you tell them that you love them, giving a gift would be more affirmative and acceptable to them. • Act of service: If this is your partner’s love language, then nothing speaks louder and truer than nice and thoughtful acts of service. Things like making them breakfast in bed, helping out with house chores or doing something that you typically wouldn’t do, would make them fell super special. • Quality time: This is by far, the most common love language for both men and women. Nothing says “I love you” than full, undivided attention and time together with your lover. For some people, quality time is their primary love language and if they don’t get that from their partner, then they don’t feel loved. If your husband or wife’s love language is quality time,

then try as much as possible to give it. Spend more time cuddling up in bed, gisting, sitting to watch a movie together and just being around and focusing on your partner. • Physical touch: A person whose primary language is physical touch is, not surprisingly, very touchy. Hugs, pats on the back, holding hands, and thoughtful touches on the arm, shoulder, or face – they can all be ways to show excitement, concern, care, and love. Just the physical act of a kind and warm touch lowers one’s blood pressure and releases the “love hormone,” oxytocin. And it goes both ways, those that give hugs for example, also have a similar physiological reaction. Touching is also a key factor to a lasting relationship. In a relationship, you need to constantly study your significant other to identify his or her love language or languages, as individuals may speak more than one love language. Love language can also change depending on circumstances in life. You and your partner can take a short quiz on https:// www.5lovelanguages.com/ to identify your love languages and work on building an everlasting marriage.

Here’s what you should know if you have menstrual blood clots IFEOMA OKEKE

lot of women still know very little about periods despite experiencing the monthly ritual for several years starting from puberty. Anna Druet, science researcher at Women’s health app Clue, talks about one of the most common yet least talked-about subjects when it comes to periods: heavy bleeding. Or, to be more specific, menstrual blood clots. What are menstrual blood clots? Menstrual blood clots can appear during the heavier days of your period, and as such, are completely normal. Anna says: ‘The period happens when the body sheds the uterine lining, which can vary in flow – from light on some days, to heavy on others. Menstrual blood clots typically happen at times when the flow increases in speed and volume,

you are suffering from HMB, they should investigate the reason behind your heavy menstrual bleeding, and address that whenever possible. In some situations they may prescribe hormonal contraception, to make bleeding lighter”’

but are a normal part of the period. The clots are exactly the same as the blood you lose on other days, which over the period typically adds up to 2-3 tablespoons.’ So, where do they come from? Well, blood clots happen as a result of coagulation, which changes the blood from a liquid to a semi-solid state. During the period, the body produces anticoagulants, which are meant to prevent your blood from clotting. It’s thought that when the flow is at its heaviest, they often don’t have enough time to work, which results in blood clots.’ When to worry about menstrual blood clots Typically, menstrual blood clots aren’t a problem – especially if they occur during the heaviest days of your period. However, if you are experiencing multiple blood clots that are larger than a 10 pence piece,

then you might be experiencing HMB (heavy menstrual bleeding). Anna says: “While this isn’t life threatening, HMB can be tiring and disruptive for your daily life. If you think this might be the case, make an appointment with your GP to discuss the

symptoms.” In some instances, HMB can also cause iron deficiency – often resulting in tiredness and dizziness. “You yourself can’t do anything to control menstrual blood clots, but if you speak to your GP, they might be able to help. If your GP agrees that

Signs your period is considered ‘heavy’ You bleed for more than 8-10 days, and this is repeated every month. Bleeding makes it difficult for you to go about your normal dayto-day life, like going to work or attending social events. You are anaemic. You often notice menstrual clots during your period. You experience ‘flooding’ – a term describing the sudden onset of periods. In younger women, heavy periods can often be attributed to a temporary hormone imbalance, which corrects itself over time.

Sunday 11 August 2019

BDSUNDAY 29

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Feature

Crash of RSU and urgent need •••Shooting, robbing, killings back •••Sorting returns as way of life ••• Decline of ICT centre; results no more instant ••• Where sacked VC got it wrong Ignatius Chukwu

fter two students were killed at the Rivers State University (RSU formerly University of Science and Technology, UST) last week, the vice chancellor, Blessing Chimezie Didia, was queried and thereafter sacked. His sack, along with his first deputy, Magnus Oruwari, and the replacement with Opuenebo B. Owei, brought to a climax series of happenings and decline that set in the very day Bariname B. Fakae (former VC) left after eight years of two successful terms. The killings opened a pandora’s box as students began to reveal their trauma in the university. This showed that security had broken down irretrievably with daily robberies and attacks. Ladies called into radio stations narrating how armed boys easily sauntered into classrooms and robbed them. They said reports to the security unit brought no sense of alarm. “At best, they recover your item and ask you to forget it”, one lady said. Students have since complained that “sorting” is fully back, something that was driven far away from the then UST. A graduating student said most students would be busy with phones right in class without bothering with what the lecturer was teaching. “They were sure to pass, no matter”, he said. The biggest crash seemed to be the e-system of the then UST. This was said to have helped the university to become Nigeria’s number one by wed-ranking carried out by a EUorgan. Lecturers were made to turn in results within two weeks after each exam. They were to submit marking schemes after setting exams, such that any other lecturer could mark any paper. By this, students were no longer able to be held at ransom by any single lecturer. This was said to have freed students from lecturers. “All of this crashed”, a student said. Another sector that seemingly crashed was the ICT centre which was manned by CINFORES, a group of young IT boys and girls that wowed the nation with digital technology innovations. They, at a point, were said to be providing consultancy services to the Federal Ministry of Education, JAMB, NUC, and private institutions. They were relied upon to conduct competitive exams and tests for bodies such as the NDDC, SPDC, etc. Under Fakae, the UST became a model and others copied, radio callers said last week in Port Harcourt. As shooting and killing returned to the UST (now RSU), many students began to recall the days of BB Fakae with huge nostalgia. Fakae is a UNN-trained veterinary doctor and researcher of international repute while Didia is a Uniport-trained pathologist. Fakae is in the mould of reformer and academic rebuilder who was brought from the UNN to first rebuild the Polytechnic, Bori (now Saro Wiwa Polytechmic) and was later moved under heavy persuasion by then Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to the UST (now RSU). Didia, on the other hand, is perceived as an easygoing peace-builder with popularity within university unions. Before Fakae The UST was seen as a den of evil

Wike before rescue came. It was dubbed university of stress and tension. Students were shot right inside exam halls or while defending, with lecturers fleeing. Discipline broke down, and academic work almost ground to a halt. Ethnic rivalry took over from academic contest, according to those who worked there then. At a point, almost all courses lost accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC). Finally, the university stopped graduating students. It was at this point that then Governor Amaechi used Ogoni-born Magnus Abe (then SSG) to woo Fakae (who was wooed from the UNN to Bori Poly by Peter Odili) to leave the Poly and come rescue the UST in PH. Amaechi, as Visitor, had signed out that the UST was dead and buried. Amaechi had appealed to the professor emeritus, Nimi Briggs (two-time VC of Uniport) to come to the UST on rescue mission, but the professor of Gynaecology was said to have rather recommended Fakae as a young person with sound head and ideas and energy to go for the battle. The problem was that Fakae fought hard not to move over to the UST, until Amaechi allegedly demanded for his resignation letter at the Poly, if he was insisting on rejecting government order. He broke down and accepted, many said. That night, according to a book,

‘The Priest of Two Temples’, Fakae’s wife and children cried openly over their father’s agreeing to go to the UST. Fakae was said to have called his Nsukka residence to console them, pleading that the same God that saw him through in Bori would do it in dangerous UST. The family revealed later that they did not only fear for their father’s life but for his reputation because he would not compromise. UST during Fakae By the time Fakae was leaving after eight years (when no VC in recent history had survived beyond one term), the UST had become the first stateowned university in Nigeria by 2014 ranking and 12th over all; all courses were accredited, lecturers earned the highest salaries in Nigeria, admissions were given with automated system, registration of courses was with automated system, sorting died, cultism was driven away, discipline returned fully, lecturers fought for academic excellence, foreign research grants began to come from hard work, strikes ended, graduation of four sets took place, and academic calendar was restored from September to July every year such that an entrant knew the exact date he would graduate. The UST became an enviable academic centre as many companies began to partner with them. Pride returned. Impact of Amaechi-Wike political rivalry

The greatest harm to the UST came through the bitter rivalry between the two Ikwerre-born godfathers of the UST. Wike was said to be part of those who appreciated what he did in Bori and thus pressed Fakae to accept to come over to the UST. When Wike became minister in education ministry, he is said to have worked very closely with Fakae to bring goodies home; such that the forum of VCs saw Fakae and Joseph Ojienka (Uniport VC then) as minister’s brothers during meetings. When Amaechi and Wike fell apart, the entire Rivers State was polarised, such that every public figure was expected to fall behind either Amaechi or Wike. The ASUU of the UST divided into two along this line, leaving the likes of Fakae in the middle, a place too dangerous and suspicious to be. The ASUU had refused to accept Fakae from day one as VC and Amaechi tried to pacify them with goodies. Many accepted but about 50 refused outright. These ones refused to return to duty after a deadline. They were declared as having resigned. For all the years of Fakae’s second term, they stayed away from classes and new lecturers were engaged. When the Amaechi/Wike fight became open and fierce, the 50 were believed to have joined the Wike side. The moment Wike won, he ordered that they should be reinstated immediately. Paying

them for years of no work and no salary took almost N800milion. It also looked like a moral victory to them. Didia steps in From the day Wike took over as governor, the sacked lecturers began to hover around the university and many expected Wike to sack Fakae. The day Wike visited the university, Fakae seemed unaware and had to hurry out to receive his guest who inspected abandoned buildings and ordered work to resume immediately at the Law Faculty Building. Many expected to hear Fakae’s sack that day and celebration shoes were on some legs. As Wike made to leave, some shouted sack him, sack him. Fakae was not sacked; he finished his term in August of same year, 2015. The appointment of Blessing Didia elicited jubilation in ASUU and in some antiFakae camps because they saw a pro-ASUU VC coming. Didia swiftly implemented the governor’s directive of recalling the sacked lecturers. He did not stop there. He listened to aggrieved persons and recalled 710 expelled (WAFfed) students, said to be mostly cult-implicated persons and those not serious in academics, according to insiders. Didia’s achievements in a short period Didia’s regime made effort to create relationship with the outside community. Thus, the UST created advancement and linkages centre: Bridging the Town/Gown Divide with ‘Actionable’ Solutions to Real Problems of Society. It is not clear if this continued. He also rolled out a N40billion five-year strategic development plan, but nobody knows where the money would come from. He carried out suspension of the ‘Guideline for Appointment and Promotions of Staff’. The unions said they made no input. Restoration of check-off dues system for all the Labour Unions; ASUU, NASU, NAAT and NASU and subscription for Senior Staff Club; Release of delayed and denied staff promotions, some of which dated back to 2007; Refund of Alumni dues deducted by the University since 2009, not remitted to the association and the establishment of an Alumni Office to track Alumni World-wide; Re-allocation of offices of the former Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Registry blocks, to Faculties to ameliorate the inadequate office spaces; Investigation Panel on CINFORES and Computation of Semester Examination results, with a view to returning to the standard University practice of consideration of results through Departments, Faculties to Senate for approval. This brought powers on results to faculties. Many said this was where sorting was incubated. Others were; Purchase of brand new Toyota bus to replace the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) vehicle allegedly damaged by students during the strike. Also for NASU, Library and Consultancy Unit- a Hilux Van; Reconciliation church service was organised for general forgiveness, rededication and reintegration of staff and students; Return of Prof. Nimi Briggs’ Specialist Hospital formerly contracted to International Trauma and Critical Care Centre back to the University’s Health Services Department; Constitution of a committee to work out a five year strategic development plan for the University; Completion/Commissioning of the portion of Law Faculty in the University; Granted one-year pardon to 710 students formerly deregistered by the University to complete their educational pursuit in the 2015/2016 academic session without payment of fees; Promotion of six addi-

Sunday 11 August 2019

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Feature

d for another rescue mission tional Deputy Registrars; Re-construction of Institute of Pollution Studies Building, Senior Staff Club and University’s viewing centre; Equipment of Computer Laboratory for Department of Computer science and a Language Laboratory for Mass Communication Department; Commissioning of NDDC prototype hostel; and Equipment of Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room 2. From the above, it was clear that every single group that had grievance with Fakae was compensated and everything Fakae did was reversed, if possible. The aim was to create peace, but by 2019, the same peace led to killings and shooting. What Didia may have done wrong By 2015, insiders predicted that any new VC that continued with Fakae’s legacy would make Fakae a hero, but trying to destroy it would make Fakae a legend. It was to be the burden of any new VC to choose what to make Fakae be. Though Didia always said he was not interested in competing with anybody or out to destroy Fakae, many Fakae supporters said almost everything he did was to undo Fakae. First, Fakae’s service had been transferred from the UNN to UST, meaning he was to remain as lecturer thereafter. The Didia-led UST stopped this move and stopped his salary and said the transfer was unacceptable. This seemed to be the wish of the anti-Fakae camp. Fakae was said to have told his admirers that he wrote protests to the governor but no word was heard, so he went to court. The case is still in court, but it was enough to rob the UST the experience and strategies found in Fakae that rescued the UST. Didia may have created the impression that he dreaded any person who worked closely with Fakae and brought closer any person who disliked or fought Fakae. This created the impression that it was Didia versus Fakae in the UST politics. In the process, Didia seemed distracted. It became easy to get a request from him, so long you said it would help prove Fakae bad. Many said the best option would have been to sustain what Fakae did and build on it. There was no need to start a FakaeDidia battle line or perception, some said. The recall of 710 sacked students also created the impression that failure was not a bad thing, after all. It created the meme that anybody who failed was due to Fakae and that Didia represented exam success. Making Fakae to look like Wike’s enemy may have worked for a while but the effect seemed to have peeled off. Many said Wike began to look deeply and began to see more than was said about Fakae and rather began to see rots everywhere in the UST. He began by changing the name. In 2017, Wike exploded when he came for convocation at the UST and lambasted the VC and council. Return of executive anger At this point, the days of governors being angry at the UST resumed. By April 1, 2017, on the 29th convocation event, the Visitor, Governor Wike, took time to lambaste the management of the university. His anger began right at the gates where rowdy traders were hawking their wares to give the UST a bad image. He ordered for immediate action. Before then, the UST offered exquisite imagery and scenery right from the gates with lush garden and well dressed fields. Buildings had good and bright colours and the grasses that once hid bad men were cut while trees were cut down. Next, the governor who inspected ongoing projects for which he had released N500million said he was not impressed. Wike said he was not satisfied with the quality of job done on building projects at the faculty of Environmental Sciences and Faculty of Management Sciences for the completion of the projects that were long abandoned. Fuming, the governor ordered the university governing council and the man-

Prof Owei

Prof Didia

Prof Fakae

agement to ensure the buildings were not commissioned until the proper job was done. The governor equally ordered the contractor handling the buildings to report in the Government House by Tuesday, April 4, 2017, to explain why he was not performing to expectation despite funds released. Insiders said governors used this approach to uncover deals that may be hampering execution of projects. That must be what he meant by challenging the UST Management (headed by the VC) to shun every temptation faced by it but endeavour to come up with innovative researches that would impact on the development of the state in positive ways. That was where Governor Wike announced the formal change of name of the then 35-year-old university from Rivers State University of Science & Technology (RSUST) to Rivers State University (RSU) with effect from April 1, 2017, as contained in the amended law setting up the pioneer science and tech institution. On the state of the environment that was once a tourist delight loved most by the governors that visited, Wike now decried what he described as poor sanitation status and the environment. He said the VC and the management must rise up to their responsibilities by keeping the environment clean at all times. The next day, cutting of bushes began. Employment racket Signs that the Governor was still angry were rife. The chairman of council, Iche Ndu, also an Ikwerre man like Didia, was said to be at daggers-drawn with the VC. Situations like this usually inundate the governor’s desk with gossip and petitions. Most chairmen of universities usually demand for large quota of construction jobs (whether they had expertise or not), plus admission and employment quota. What seemed to break the Carmel’s back may be the governor’s approval to carry out mass employments at the RSU as requested by the VC when Wike won re-election. This was advertised and all manner of applications flooded the place. Wike, himself a down-to-earth grassroots man, chose the moment of the visit of the Governing Council of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt at the Government House Port Harcourt, to warn that the UST and others should not dare employ outside merit. He said: “Fresh employments into the Rivers State University (RSU) and the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt must be based on merit.” He added: “We shall closely monitor the process, so that it is not hijacked and made an all-comers’ affair.” It is not clear whether this warning sent enough signals to the VC or not. Tragic ending When ‘operation deconstruct Fakae’ seemed to become the preoccupation of the new management, some persons were said to have predicted that where Fakae left in a blaze of glory, it may not be so for his successor. Thus, when killings began in the last week of July 2019, the governor issued a terse query giving the VC mere 48 hours to explain the killings, sorting and employment rackets. By Saturday of August 3, 2019, the tragedy went from gunshots to sacks. The governor sacked the VC and his first deputy. This was contained in a statement by Dagogo Adonye Hart, permanent secretary, Ministry of Education.

It said: “Rivers State Governor and Visitor of the Rivers State University, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has relieved the Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, Prof Blessing Chimezie Didia of his appointment with immediate effect. “Also relieved of his appointment is the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Magnus Oruwari. Accordingly, Governor Wike has approved the appointment of Professor Opuenebo B. Owei, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University.” The statement added that Governor Wike has suspended the ongoing employment exercise at the university. Furthermore, a committee has been set up to investigate the employment exercise and report to the Rivers State governor in two weeks. Fate of ICT Many said the Didia administration ruined the ICT and that the 1000 computers have been vandalised. BDSUNDAY investigations however, showed that the computers are intact. What may have happened is that the powers and relevance of the centre have gone. The power to decide results, which many lecturers kicked against, has been stripped off it. Some persons have been sacked. Pro-Fakae people said they were being haunted because of Fakae but insiders told BDSUNDAY that it was not so; that some of the IT boys were found to manipulate scores at a fee and were implicated. At the moment, the centre is largely idle as the faculties have taken back handling of results. If any sorting is to happen, it would happen at the faculties and departments. This seems to give joy to the departments but fear to students. Also, exams are said to be no more CBTs (computer-based tests) except screening tests for admission seekers and tests for clients such as the NDDC. The unit is said to have collapsed in activity and relevance. Funding is said to be difficult for the centre at the moment. Again, it was seen as a Fakae heartbeat. Owei has some Fakae traits? Insiders hint that the acting VC, Owei, has some Fakae traits and is keen on ICT too. Nobody has said why her up liners (VC and first vice) were sacked and she was retained. It could only be that she was not deeply involved in running the university and thus could not have been implicated in any secret report. Now, however, she would be on the spot. Some say she would need to bring all factions and camps together, show anger at cultism and sorting, and allow merit to determine those to be employed (as the governor demanded). Others say the Fakae era allowed the PH press in the task of rebuilding the physical, academic and reputation capital of the UST now RSU instead of cultivating media enemies in a war that media does not ever lose. Owei and any future VCs may be persuaded to toe that line. Hopes are high that the ICT would bounce back because any attempt to restore credibility would need to remove a lot of decisions away from human hands. Conclusion After Fakae, the RSU may dither but it would never fall to pre-Fakae years because people would raise alarm and would recall the Fakae years. Then, government will surely strike.

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Sunday 11 August 2019

TheWorshippers Nigerian leaders must be held accountable for the insecurity in the country Pastor Matthew Abayomi Aiyegunle is the president of Unique Ministry and general overseer, Unique Evangelical Global Christian Ministry (UEGCM), with a vision of preparing people for the advent of Jesus Christ. Aiyegunle, who was ordained as pastor by C.A.C worldwide in 2002, pastured a church in the C.A.C between 1998- 2012. In this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, Aiyegunle who retired as assistant chief coach of the Lagos State University (LASU) in 2012 bears his mind on the state of the nation. Excerpts: The Federal Government recently proscribed the IMN; what is your view on the development? have nothing against the administration’s action provided the action geared towards moving the organisation forward. What is your view on the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day? Declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day is a medicine after death. The deed had been done and cannot be undone. MKO Abiola lost the opportunity to lead this country. This act of June 12 was a Kangaroo experience to appease the Yoruba race and cannot be equated to the denied throne. As believers, are we just called into ministry for Church planting? People that repent from evil work, give their lives to Christ and are following Jesus Christ are called Christians. However, the act of a minister establishing church building is regarded as church planting. But, the real duty of all Christians that are called of God is to win souls, disciple them and get them prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ for his elect. Why is the country drifting apart with all the religiosity in Nigeria? Nigeria’s solution is still God. As Christians, pastors we have a charge to pray for those in authority for us as a nation to live a peaceable life because if they are not doing the right thing, it will affect both the Christians and the unbelievers. For leaders to succeed, there must be good followership that will be willing to speak out whenever they are going

Pastor Matthew Abayomi Aiyegunle

astray to call those in leadership to order. God is still the solution to whatever is going on in Nigeria and nobody has any magic wand than for us to pray for those who are there so that they will be able to see and do what is right in the presence of God. Do you support Christians going to politics? Politics is a game of numbers with some un-Christianly qualities and characters. In view of this, anybody that is heavenly-conscious should not go into politics, especially in Nigeria. Christians ran away from politics for many years and that has been the major challenge with Nigerian politics. Nigerian political landscape

is replete with vote-buying and kickbacks; should we accept this as the new order? No; Money and religion cannot go together. Some people are using religion when it pleases them, just to win the heart of the people because they know that majority of the people are gullible; so they use religion, sentiment in some parts of the country and use money in other parts. Because of the high poverty level in the country, many Nigerians settle for their belly first before any ideology. So, the two cannot go together and I pray that the regulator of the electoral system of this country should be able to enforce that, that money should not be used to

compel the electorates’ decision because when you use money you are mortgaging the lives of those who are going to vote; and when you vote for those you have collected their money, it is obvious that they will want to recoup their investment. Politicians attract the electorates with peanut and the poor people are the ones that mainly vote, hence politicians can use those things to appeal to the electorate. What is your view on former president Obasanjo’s open letters to the President? I’ll appreciate a good working relationship between the incumbent leaders and past ones; this will enhance peace and growth in government. What is your view on Nigeria being the poverty capital of the world? If Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world with the abundance of mineral and human resources, only those who are qualified and tested should be appointed to position of leadership. The nation should avoid putting round pegs in square holes. Nigeria should embrace transparency, accountability and honesty upon which we should place our economy, then the poverty capital will naturally shift. Besides, all infrastructural decadence, roads, power, transportation and maintenance culture should not only be upgraded but overhauled. How can the nation address the current insecurity in Nigeria? The leaders in the areas where insecurity are prevalent should be held responsible. The military and paramilitary forces should not betray their oath of allegiance to the nation. Government should

provide adequate security for the citizens especially Christians in the Northern part of the country. There must be equality in handling herders/farmers crisis, and especially religious cases so as to avoid rancor from other parties. Those perpetrating evil should be severely punished under the law; this will go a long way in stopping others who want to do such. True democracy should be practised. For instance, why should the police remain at barely over 300,000 for a population of 200million people? Why can’t we have state police? Certain things we ought to do should be handled objectively if the nation will move forward. By the grace of God we will not let the nation down. We must speak reality. There must be justice. Everybody deserves respect. There must be fairness and people must be able to get appointment on merit. As someone in the academia; what in your view is wrong with our education sector? There is nothing wrong with the structure of Nigeria education. Products of Nigeria education are outstanding outside Nigeria. Nigerian leaders should give education good attention and better welfare like Germany, Finland and others. Good funding, better remuneration of teachers and workers in the educational sector are very important. Workers in this section should be proud to be workers in the educational sector. Some churches are doing well in the area of education; however emphasis should be laid on entrepreneurship. If the churches invest in education and entrepreneurship, our economy will certainly boom.

Adeboye commissions intensive care unit facility in Ogun ANGEL JAMES

he General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye on Thursday commissioned the Enoch and Folu Adeboye Intensive Care Unit facility at the Redemption Camp Health Centre, Ogun State. The ultra-modern Intensive Care Unit facility is the third in the country to be set up under the auspices of the Christian Social Responsibility (CSR)

arm of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, His Love Foundation. In ensuring that qualitative healthcare is brought closer to the people across Nigeria through the global charity arm of the church, His Love Foundation, Adeboye had in 2017 commissioned the first Intensive Care Unit at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos while a second was commissioned in May 2019 at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos. Idowu Iluyomade, the special assistant to the General Over-

Adeboye

seer on Christian Social Responsibility, said the intensive care unit is part of the church’s global commitment towards ensuring that there is help for the helpless, strength for the weak and food for the hungry. According to him, for this reason has church continued to provide the necessary critical intervention in six sustainable focus areas; education, prison, health, social enterprise, rehabilitation and hunger. The recently-commissioned medical facility will provide premium medical services to all

those living in the environs of the redemption camp and Ogun State at large. It is equipped with a 3-bed fully equipped Intensive care unit, 2 bed Highly Dependent Care unit, a Mobile digital X-Ray Unit, an Operating Theatre, an Oxygen Generator, a 30kva Generator, 80 KVA UPS, two Executive fully equipped suites, two private wards for the Health centre, Surgery preparatory rooms, a paediatric ward at the main health center and all beds are directly piped for oxygen from the Oxygen generator.

Sunday 11 August 2019

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BDSUNDAY 33

TheWorshippers Inspiration With Rev. Yomi Kasali

@rev.yomikasali

check my IG handle and some other social media handles regularly, to follow the responses to my thoughts and videos. The likes and dislikes have ways of encouraging me and measuring the im-

Likes and dislikes pact of my posts. Somehow I found out that many of the Dislikes and Likes have ways of affecting my mood as I noticed that negative (dislikes) responses affect my mood more than the positive (likes). This trend also happens to many people also, especially young ladies who are obsessed with the likes they get online to the point that they portray fake lives on those handles to attract ‘likes’ and also allow the dislikes to affect their esteem of themselves. Opinions of many people about us have ways of affecting us negatively if they are unpleasant, even though many of those who share those opinions do not really know us and may not be as intelligent as we think, yet their simple click of the ‘dislike’ icon affects us deeply and has capacity of causing depression to the weak hearts. The Bible tells me we

should like what God likes and dislike what He dislikes. We should not be sad when people like what we dislike especially if they are things that God dislikes as well. I have had to look to scriptures for affirmation and not men so that I do not get trapped in the social media world and lose the gift of a sound mind from God. Solomon advises us on what we should like by telling us what God dislikes and hates; we should also

build our dislikes around those things as enumerated in Prov. 6 v 16-18 remedy. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief… Let me inspire you today on what how we should respond to likes and dislikes in this world today.

4 Rules about likes and dislikes Is god okay with it? This is the most important question you should answer before you allow the dislikes to arrest your heart and slay you with depression and plunge you into sadness. Once God is happy with your thoughts, you should not bother with how many dislikes you get but be sure God ‘likes’ the thought and view. Why did you post and share it? The real reason you shared and posted that thought should be clear in your mind and you should be convinced it was not to slight or pull down someone doing well in life. Some of my thoughts against false preachers do not give me sleepless nights at all because I know it is not personal but rather doctrinal towards correcting errors out there. Does it align with your values? You should not be

moved negatively by the dislikes to your posts and thoughts when they align with your values; we should be value driven in sharing thoughts on social media and posting videos as well. Most of my videos are to instruct people on Righteousness and morally driven than money centered. It is their opinion: We live in an age of freedoms and liberties; the most precious in democratic societies today is the freedom of speech. Hence, I have decided not to get annoyed when someone is simply expressing their opinion about my videos and posts. My attitude towards those views are; ‘it is simply their opinion’ and I should not get bogged down by it. I hope you have been inspired today and I do expect to read your feedback on how this article has blessed you. Be Inspired!

Church holds special dedication, affirmation service today

amous Gospel Proclaimers Church is celebrating the affirmation of Reverend Ngozi Oluwagbemiga as an Apostle, as it dedicates its church in a special service today. Called to ministry in 1988, she has been actively into liberation activities that have delivered many through the church’s regular faith clinic programmes. “In the history and practice of the Church, ordination has become the means by which ministers that have put in some years in the ministry and have met the stipulated requirements put in place by the organisation are recognised publicly, officially and institutionally. It is a public recognition and approval that such ministers can now carry out some important functions in the Church that those who are not ordained cannot do,” said Ngozi Oluwagbemiga on the significance of being affirmed as an apostle. According to her, affirmation is different from ordination in that it is the means whereby an individual minister with a proven ministry over several years of service is affirmed that he or she has thrived and succeeded in that area of ministry. “It is not based on meeting denominational

requirements; it is based on results from the field. Until a thing is confirmed and established it cannot be affirmed. Those who are ordained but not confirmed are far from being established. Rom 1:5 says, ‘By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name,’” she stated. However, she posits that the church is being dedicated today to render more service unto God as it strives to serve mankind. “Famous Gospel Proclaimers Ministry was birth, years ago as a ministry that reaches out to various human needs through different platforms and arms. Having done these successfully for years we believe it high

time for us to have the work dedicated officially,” Ngozi concludes. In 2000 she founded Charity Mission Empowerment Foundation (CMEF), a faith-based multi-cultural NGO registered in Nigeria to serve Africa rural regions. CMEF is a support provider committed to philanthropic activities in Africa for African rural grassroots to achieve self reliance, selfproductivity and stable psychological future. Oluwagbemiga, who is the treasurer of Food for the Hungry Nigeria, believes that information is power and with a team of gifted partners has developed the Kingdom with specialised programmes that foster a zero culture in the spirit of charity and enterprise.

Rev. Ngozi Oluwagbemiga, who is today affirmed as an Apostle

L-R: Bishop of Ikeja Diocese, Bishop Stephen Adegbite; First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; National President of Women’s Fellowship of Methodist Church Nigeria, Nneoma Florence Uche and National Vice-President of the Fellowship, Sis. Queen Ojidun Obeka during the 87th/43rd Biennial National Conference of the Fellowship at Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Church, Yaba, Lagos, at the weekend.

First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu (middle); National President of Women’s Fellowship of Methodist Church Nigeria, Nneoma Florence Uche and President of Ilesa Diocese Women fellowship, Mrs. Lola Akindepo during the 87th/43rd Biennial National Conference of the Fellowship at Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Church, Yaba, Lagos, at the weekend.

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Tony Elumelu and his modest revolution crusade! J ust like revolution is a very sharp change made to something or shift from an agrarian society to an industrial one. And this is what this mercurial businessman has been silently doing, leading a revolution crusade among African youth and young entrepreneurs, to drive poverty, unemployment struggle out of Africa and to make it a continent to be a force to reckon with in terms of job creation and youth empowerment, infrastructural development and locally-made products to the global world. The enigmatic Chairman of Nigeria’s game-changing bank, UBA, Tony Elumelu, and his foundation has been at the forefront of advocating for entrepreneurship as the catalyst for the economic transformation in Africa. Recently, Tony convened over 5,000 participants from 54 African countries, including repre-

sentatives of the 7,521 beneficiaries against poverty and joblessness which have been threats to everyone, everywhere in the Africans countries.

He concurred thus that if our leaders understand the reason and rationale for our youths to succeed, they will do everything they can to support them. More

than 60 global speakers from the public and private sectors across 3 continents participated in interactive masterclasses, plenary sessions, and debates geared towards generating ideas and defining concrete steps Africa must take to empower its youth and accelerate the continent’s development. The TEF Founder, Tony Elumelu, CON, who is now on the threshold of history as the first African to make such an indelible mark on the continent, is making strong statements. Anthony Elumelu is enigmatic and quintessential in all ramifications, and this is no exaggeration. Today, his Tony Elumelu Foundation, TEF, has over the years been giving succor and relief, via empowerment to youths, not only in Nigeria but throughout the continent of Africa, for sustainable growth and development.

Business mogul, Victor Mbanisi in celebration mood

es, becoming an entrepreneur extraordinaire is not mere lip service; it takes consistent effort and focus to grow from just being an entrepreneur with interest in a particular business to becoming a respected and renowned empire builder. Bishop Victor Mbanisi is one of the few blessed businessmen who started from the scratch , kept their nose to the grindstone and turned seemingly insignificant ideas into behemoth industries. Banex Beach Hotel and Suites last week saw a turn up of the high and

mighty in various sectors of the Nigerian society as Lagos stood still for the 60th birthday celebration of the chairman of the

Banex group, Bishop Victor Mbanisi, a business mogul turned religious leader. The three-in-one event;

which consist his 60th birthday celebration, conferment as Bishop and the official opening of Banex Beach Hotel and Suites. Bishop (Dr) Victor Mbanisi also launched a book titled “My Journey to the Top”, which explained how his sojourn in life is from a shop attendant to a business mogul. In attendance were Enyinanya Abaribe, Oby Ezekwesili and her husband, ex-IGP, Sulaiman Abba, Chief Eric Umeofia, and wife, Nmachukwu, Bishop NE Moses, Arch Bishop John Praise among other notable dignitaries.

Wale Tinubu remains unstoppable

e was in the eye of the storm few months back, and he has not shown any sign of being defeated by the scathe. It is no longer news about the recent travails of Oando boss, Wale Tinubu, but the mercurial oil and gas merchant has remained undaunted and even unscathed. Since the oil and gas giant boss started out as a businessman, he has always turned away from anything that can drag

his name into disrepute. His family knows he detests negative publicity. His friends even say he is genteel and gentlemanly. So also his business associates admire him for being business-minded. It was revealed that the silent billionaire has proven to the world and those who believe in him that he is indeed a man who does his businesses with open mind. Recently, he was spotted outside the shores of the country

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Sunday 11 August 2019

Serial investor, Ayodeji Karim, expands frontier

e is one of those to be counted as the Avanteguard guys. No doubt, the billionaire businessman, AyodejiIsmailKarim,hasmade anameforhimselfincorporate Nigeria and even beyond. His antecedents, over the years, precede him anywhere he goes and he is considered one of the most visionary corporate leaders in the country, with several awards in his kitty. But the Managing Director of Costain West Africa was given a baptism of fire recently when he made known his intention to contest the number one job of Oyo State, through the then ruling party in his state, All Progressives Congress, APC during the last general elections. Despite his gallant loss at the primaries, the Ibadan, Oyo State-born businessman, seems to be undeterred. Itdidn’ttakeKarimsomuch time to get over the defeat in spite of the huge war chest he committed into the aborted project. The polo-loving dude has since gone back to the drawing board to make his dream come true in the next 2023 election, thus he has been canvassing for more awareness of the stakeholders and party faithful, with a bid to giving the populace a re-assurance that the PDP victory at the last poll was only momentary. Given his astute

corporate experience, he was able to pick the pieces of his life and immediately went back to his original boardroom job, which suffered a temporary setback during his political foray. He has not only stepped in back to regain his position within the boardroom circuit, Karim has expanded his horizon by investing heavily in the agro-allied business with focus on livestock. It was gathered that Karim’s multi-billion naira farm with a ranch is called Winchester and is situated on a large expanse of land in Egbeda area along Ibadan-Ife Expressway where they bred hundreds of cows, rams, goats and lambs. The farm also has a large poultry farm where they offer from stable to table service as well as prepare minced beef and sausage for many superstoresinLagosandother cities across the country.

Rabiu Abdulsalam adds a year

e has every reason to be a birthday boy. He just added a year to his impressive and chequered career as a very entrepreneurial man; he would not celebrate it but was surprised by his staff, who wowed him with a pleasant surprise, much to his amazement. Abdulsalam Rabiu is one man that cannot be relegated when it comes to making the BUA Group a veritable corporate citizenl he makes sure at all times that BUA is always at the forefront of what they do as their business concerns. His 59th birthday, it ap-

pears, may just be a grand opportunity to expose him as a 60 year-old-boy next year, and trust him; he will give all it takes to celebrate it. As he marches to the next year as a brand new six score man, Abdusalam is telling all that matter that his 60th birthday will come with a surprise.

OPIC top shot, Yemi Adesoye celebrates mom

where he was said to have seen to his other ventures and quietly returned to the country days back without anyone noticing that he is in any-eye of any storm. Wale Tinubu is one person that can face all odds whenever the goings get strong for him and he’s proving this meticulously. Those who are alleging him guilty of what he did not do will now be asking themselves whether he is actually perturbed of any accrued offense.

he ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo state’s capital, recently was shaken to its very roots, when friends and well-wishers of Abeokuta celebrity woman, Yemi Adesoye, stormed Ibadan to celebrate the life and times of her beloved mother, Late Deaconess Bernice Omoboladale Solanke, (nee Odubiyi,) who slept in the Lord at the ripe age of 73. The atmosphere was cozy, the setting was right and there was a touch of class everywhere. Late Deaconess Solanke’s journey to eternal life started on Wednes-

day 10th, July 2019 with a service of songs at her Ibadan residence behind Police barracks in Orita Challenge axis. The highlight of the burial was the classy reception held at the popular Mauve 21 Event Centre in the precincts of Ring Road in Ibadan. It was a classy and befitting party in honour of a doting departed mother of woman of substance. Yemi Adeoye. Those who attended the funeral party swore to heavens that it can only be Yemi Adesoye that will stage that kind of party with an overflow of high-flying guests.

Sunday 11 August 2019

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BDSUNDAY 35

SundayBusiness Harnessing mortgage industry potential to grow economy

he mortgage industry in Nigeria has got a lot of potentials that close industry watchers say, if harnessed, could lead to the growth of the industry and the wider economy. A lot still needs to be done for the mortgage industry in Nigeria to get out of the woods. Apparently, the industry is in perpetual growth challenge that has kept its contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) at a very low level. Many factors have been fingered for this slow growth, including the Land Use Act of 1978 which rests land ownership rights on the state governors, the right to easily foreclose on delinquent borrowers, ease of creating a legal mortgage and perfecting titles and the ease of falling back on one’s collateral to recover bad loan, etc. The relative newness of the industry, lack of understanding of its dynamics and operational models by many Nigerians, and poor appreciation of the need and the ultimate benefits of keeping money in a mortgage bank are other militating factors. Another major impediment to the growth of the sector is low investment in the industry. This accounts significantly for the low contribution of the industry to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP). In advanced economies

of the world, the mortgage industry makes significant contribution to economic development, but in Nigeria, this is not the case. Mortgage finance as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is as low as 0.5 percent which is several steps behind other economies including Mexico, Malaysia and South Africa where mortgage contributions to GDP are as high as 10 percent, 25 percent and 29 percent respectively. However, notwithstanding the industry’s low contribution to GDP coupled with the challenging business environment, the industry has all the potential to stimulate the economy when all the identified obstacles inhibiting its growth are removed. An economy like Nigeria’s can benefit a lot from a flourishing mortgage industry as it will help in directing the economy in the desired direction. As part of efforts at growing the economy, government can make the necessary investment aimed to grow the industry. Enabling policies should also be put in place, leading to reduced high interest rate that can encourage more people to embrace mortgage loans. Operators are of the view that on account of the identified obstacles, some primary mortgage banks (PMBs) are going through very difficult times, such they are

Procurement and Supply Chain

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

…… concluding Part

Agility in supply chains gile supply chains allow organizations to react faster to surges in demand and, therefore, beat their competitors to an opportunity. One way agile supply chains can do this is by holding more s t o c k . Fo r e x a m p l e , Ra c a l El e c t r o n i c s c h o s e t o h o l d inventory for its customers in order to respond on very short lead times; for them the inventory, in this respect, is not a waste as it is a value adding activity to the customer. Although there will have been a cost to Racal in providing the service to the customer, its margin was sufficient to absorb this cost. It is a truism that for some companies to be operating ‘just in time’

it is often true that someone else in the supply chain has to be operating ‘just in case’ (or holding stock). CIPS believes, therefore, that it is essential that an organization has a sound and comprehensive picture of its value chain in order to understand where inventories and capacities should be in place, to know which links are most at risk under certain circumstances and to plan where quick responses will be vital in order to see commercial opportunities3. Having an agile supply chain also means that organisations are able to react faster in order to mitigate risks. For example, agile organisations were able to assess and reallocate resources where necessary during the fuel protests in 2000 in the UK, while less agile organizations were unable to. For example, Honda had to stop production at its Swindon plant.

not able to meet loan applications from home seekers. The operators insist that until all those issues are resolved in a way that encourages the provider of capital, in this case, the mortgage bank, to give out loans, the sector will not grow as desired. But they hope that when these obstacles are removed, the supplier of mortgage will allocate more funds towards the provision of home loans while home buyers will better appreciate the implication of prompt interest and capital repayments as well as ensure discipline on the part of the people. Some finance experts argue that limiting a mortgage institution to a fixed capital base of, say N10 billion, is wrong because that amount is too meager; even N100 billion is also meager given the kind of projects they finance. For this reason, the Federal Government needs to come in, look at what is happening in other civilised world and copy because, these days, “copying is no longer an act of deception but actually something that is done even in the civilised world,” says Okika Ekwem, a USbased realtor. Ekwem says that in the advanced economies like US and UK, there is a secondary market for real estate financing where commercial banks or individual brokerage banks lend money to people and thereafter

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com) sell the securitised certificate to the secondary market and come back again to lend to individuals. Mortgage industry growth that can impact the economy, according to Meckson Innocent Okoro, is possible if the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) plays the role of a regulator while the federal government, through the CBN, should empower the PMBs. To have a viable mortgage industry that can have significant impact on the economy, more PMBs have to be licensed such that there could be as many as 40 in each of the big cities, while each of the smaller cities could get as many as 10. This is to discourage the concentration of these banks in urban centres and when this is done, access to housing finance will be increased. The PMBs must be positioned to champion the whole issue of affordable or social housing for the low income earners in the country. Mortgage finance as it is today,

is not particularly established as a structure and as it exists in developed economies. The culture of mortgage finance is just gradually catching on with Nigerians and mortgage is financed the same way as every other commercial financing. It is curious that after the recapitalisation and consolidation of the PMBs, Nigerians are yet to feel the impact in the economy. As at today, the interest rate as it is cannot mobilise the industry and the situation is such that even at 10 percent, the level of income in the country cannot still support mortgage growth. There was a time in this country when the economy and the financial system were highly regulated, there was different interest rates structure for different sectors of the economy and within that period, lending to the housing sector was as low as seven to eight percent which underscored the importance attached to the sector and the government needs to look into this.

Lean and agile thinking in procurement Agile supply chains are also well placed to offer bespoke products with the lead times of mass- produced goods, as they have the capability to respond promptly to the customer’s need. An example of how this can be done is provided by Martin Christopher, who describes ‘delayed configuration’. This is where products are designed “using common platforms, components or modules but where the final assembly or customisation does not take place until the final market destination and/or customer requirement is known”. Risks of agile thinking The principal risk inherent in agile supply chains is the increased cost when compared to lean supply chains. If the increased cost is not being offset by an increase in sales and profit due to the organisation’s responsiveness, then a leaner system may need to be adopted. An additional risk may be the need to rely on a limited number of suppliers who can provide the necessary goods or services quickly enough that the buying organisation can remain agile. This can put the buying organisation at risk if a supplier fails to provide an acceptable service. However, C I P S a d v i s e s Pr o c u r e m e n t

professionals to remember that the best supplier is the one that responds to your needs at the most difficult times and does not let you down. Lean and agile The CIPS’ view is that lean thinking and agility must exist side-by-side in organizations, and many of the underlying tools support both objectives. Organisations should carefully consider their objectives and desired outcomes when deciding which approach to apply where. It is quite possible for departments within an organisation to focus on different approaches, ie. a lean department and an agile department can coexist within an organization. It is important to note that these approaches should not consider only the immediate or annual targets, but also through-life costs and profitability. Organizations and departments which are most looking to cut costs will apply lean philosophies, whilst those that prioritize customer service will use agile approaches. Additionally, the potential damage to the organization’s reputation and business from a failure in service should also be considered. Procurement professionals need to understand their

o r g a n i z a t i o n ’s n e e d s , a n d recognize the needs of individual departments, and develop a model which reduces costs as much as possible while remaining agile enough to respond to customers’ requirements. It is also essential to evaluate the degree to which all the key participants in the relevant value chains are themselves lean and agile. Conclusion The Procurement professionals should seriously consider adopting and integrating both lean and agile principles, whilst taking risks into account. The extent to which either or both of these principles should be implemented should be based upon the joint agreement of senior management and the Procurement professional on the needs of their organization, founded on the organization’s specified objectives and strategies. CIPS POSITION ON P R AC T I C E r e p r e s e n t s t h e opinion of the Institute on respective professional practices in the business of Procurement and Supply Chain. Its objective is to further the growth of the industry and provide useful tools for individuals and organizations alike for the establishment of sound professional practices.

36 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 11 August 2019

SundayBusiness JuiceTech Solutions and fruit processing techniques Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

s several Nigerians seek to get selfemployed in the face of the worsening unemployment menace, some have taken to fruit juice processing. The reasons are obvious. These include availability, affordability and access to local processing techniques. As far as availability is concerned it is a favourable factor, as at one point or the other there are fruits-in-season all over Nigeria. A trip to Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Benue, Edo, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Enugu, Kogi and Kwara states would reveal the abundance of a variety of fruits. Unfortunately, lack of modern preservation techniques expose a quantum of them to rot away at the farm centres. It is therefore, important to know much more about the basic science of fruits, why they are important to human nutrition and how to go about their processing and preservation. According to Adel Kader and Diane Barrett in their publication,

‘Classification, Composition o f Fr u i t s , a n d Po s t h a r v e s t Maintenance of Quality’ fruits are not only colorful and full of flavor components of our diet, but they also serve as a source of energy, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines encourage consumers to enjoy “five a day”. It means that people should eat at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables each day. In some countries, consumers are encouraged to eat up to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The authors explain that: “quality of processed fruit products depends on their quality at the start of processing; therefore, it is essential to understand how maturity at harvest, harvesting methods, and postharvest handling procedures influence quality and its maintenance in fresh fruits between harvest and process initiation.” The much desired quality attributes of fresh fruits include appearance, texture, flavour and nutritive value. Appearance factors include size, shape, colour, and freedom from attacks by pests, defects and decay. The factor of texture is significant, in both the handling and preservation techniques to be employed. These include firmness, crispness, and juiciness. Talking about the flavour components include sweetness, sourness (acidity), astringency, bitterness, aroma, and off-flavors. Nutritional quality is determined by a fruit’s content of vitamins (A and C are the most important in fruits), minerals, dietary fibre, carbohydrates, proteins, and antioxidant phyto-chemicals (carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phenolic compounds).

To preserve for a reasonable length of time and for processing safety factors are to be considered. This is because they may influence the quality of fresh fruits. Amongst these are residues of pesticides, presence of heavy metals, mycotoxins produced by certain species of fungi as well as microbial contamination. Generally, losses in fresh fruits between the period of harvest and processing may be of serious consequence to its nutritional value. It is however, measurable or quantitative (e.g., water loss, physical injuries, physiological breakdown, and decay) or qualitative (e.g., loss of acidity, flavour, color, and nutritive value). Some other factors may influence fruit quality and the extent of postharvest losses. These include the ones that can occur in the orchard, during transportation, and throughout the handling system (sorting, sizing, ripening, cooling, and storage). Experts agree that the total time between harvesting and processing may also be an important factor in maintaining the quality and freshness of fruit. Minimising the delays throughout the postharvest handling system greatly reduces quality loss, especially in highly perishable fruits. What nutritional values do we gain from fruits we eat every day? One is that of the energy (calories). Carbohydrate-rich fruits include banana, breadfruit and plantains. Thos blessed with proteins and amino acids are mainly the nuts. As for fats, avocado, olive and nuts have them. Vitamin-endowed one are mainly the fresh fruits and vegetables. On a general note, virtually all fruits and nuts contribute to dietary fibre. Dietary fiber consists of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin,

and pectic substances, which are derived primarily from fruit cell walls and skin. Dietary fibre plays an important role in relieving constipation by increasing water-holding capacity of faeces. Its consumption is also linked to decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease, diverticulosis, and colon cancer. Not left out of the health benefits of fruits is the presence of antioxidants. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables in the daily diet have been strongly associated with reduced risk for some forms of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases. This is attributed, in part, to their content of antioxidant phyto-chemicals. Red, blue, and purple fruits are good sources of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. They are positively correlated with antioxidant capacity of the fruit. Orange-flesh fruits (such as mango, orange, pawpaw and pineapple) and some red-flesh fruits (such as tomato, watermelon, and pink grapefruit) are good sources of carotenoids. Availability of lycopene to humans is increased during tomato processing. Food scientists note that maturity at harvest is the most important factor that determines storage life and final fruit quality. Immature fruits are more subject to shriveling and mechanical damage, and are of inferior quality when ripened. Overripe fruits are likely to become soft and mealy with insipid flavor soon after harvest. Fruits picked either too early or too late in the season are more susceptible to physiological disorders and have a shorter storage life than those picked at mid-season.” With very few exceptions (e.g., pears, avocados, and bananas), all fruits reach their best eating

Pre-paid meter manufacturing firm pledges to end estimated billing system …As Nigeria grapples with 24.7m prepaid meter deficit ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

igeria is grappling with a deficit of 24.7 million prepaid meters as electricity consumers continue to face estimated billing from distribution companies despite power outages across the country. While the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Company (NERC) says 4.7 million Nigerians are in need of prepaid meters, real estate developers put the metering gap at 20 million, an indication that a total of 24.7 million Nigerians may be requiring pre-paid meters. Adebisi Adeniyi, chief executive officer of Metering Solutions Manufacturing Services Limited, a limited liability company based in Awa, Onna Local Government of Akwa Ibom, who made this known in an interview with BDSUNDAY, said his company has commenced the roll out of pre-paid meters for Port Harcourt, Eko and Kano Electricity Distribution companies as part of deliberate efforts to eliminate estimated billing system. “It is what you use that you ultimately pay for. You do not pay for

what you do not use. I have been a victim. So, it is my responsibility now as a product champion to ensure that others do not fall victim,” he said. Adeniyi, who described the company as not only the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa but on the entire African continent in terms of metering solution, said with a capacity of three million pre-paid meters per annum on a single shift, it is capable of producing six million working in two shifts in a year. “Our facility is clearly and arguably the biggest in Africa in terms of metering solution. People always say we are the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa, but I have since come to realise that we are actually the biggest in Africa. That’s the truth. “We work in three major activities. We assemble SKDs which is a semi knock down component for prepaid meters, two and three phases. We also go into what we call Injunction Molding for the manufacture of meter boxes, because all our boxes are pole mounted. “So, we need boxes to accommodate them when they are out-

side because of the weather. And the third thing we do is to assemble those metals, the assembled SKDs into the manufactured metal boxes; that is why we call it Metering Solution Manufacturing Company,” he said. According to Adeniyi, “There are two modes of manufacturing SKDs. In SKDs we bring in components in modular form and assemble them together, which in this case, is the MCU and CIU, the one that goes to the pole which is MCU and the one that is at the customer’s premises, which the CIU. That is where you vent or recharge your meter when you run out of credits’’. He described as false, the insinuation that the company was owned by Governor Udom Emmanuel, explaining what the governor has done is to create an enabling environment for investors, adding that by so doing, jobs are being created for the youth to keep them away from restiveness and criminal tendencies. “The governor is trying to make the environment work, create jobs, take off our youths from the streets and reduce crimes. That

is why they say that Akwa Ibom is the safest in Nigeria. Mid last year, I hosted 27 Generals from Nigeria Defence Academy, and they said they wanted to know why Akwa Ibom is the safest state and I said there is no magic, create jobs, take youths out of the streets and keep the environment safe because they are the ones who are involved in most of the crimes. “What the governor in his magnanimity has done is to invite investors; give us the enabling environment in terms of the land, access road and everything you see is as a result of the efforts of the state government. “We have a 33KVA sub-station which is also from the governor. They are giving dedicated 24/7 power supply direct from Ibom Power so that we don’t have to be using diesel, which to a business man is not sustainable. What he has does is to bring investors. This is a government that has brought almost twelve to thirteen companies to Akwa Ibom and that is phenomenal. And who knows what would happen in the next four years. Maybe we are going to have about thirty companies,’’ he said.

quality when allowed to ripen on the tree or plant. In general, fruits become sweeter, more colorful, and softer as they mature. When it comes to processing conventional preservation technologies such as thermal processing ensure the safety and shelf life of fruit-derived products. They can however, result in the loss of physicochemical and nutritional quality attributes. One company that has made an in-road into the Nigerian market (at Circle Mall, Jakande Roundabout, Lekki Expressway, Lagos and Sarki Crescent, Utako, Abuja) to provide the technical know-how on fruit processing is JuiceTech Solutions. It has in place is a modular system for processing fruit and vegetables that adapts to every need. The ideal solution for small and medium juice productions with citrus fruit, pomegranates, fruit with or without stone, and vegetables. With one extraction unit it has a wide range of equipment for processors to adapt to the juice company. JuiceTech Solutions opens up its doors to new business opportunities: long and medium life pasteurised juices, freshly squeezed juices, organic, multi-fruit, smoothies and cold press. Its machines do not require a lot of space for operations. With just 18 m2 and two people to operate them, they are able to offer many different blends of flavours and possibilities. The company easily adapts to the customers’ needs, since the modular system has been created to easily solve the process that the customers’ business requires.

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

Group warns beauticians against unregistered products, launches Osun chapter

he leadership of Confederation of West African Beauticians (COWAB) has warned its members not to produce or buy in markets beauty products that were not certified by the regulatory bodies. Apart from health hazards that users of uncertified products are exposed to, COWAB also stressed that production and usage of uncertified products contravene Nigeria’s Constitution. Speaking in Osogbo during the maiden meeting of the group, which compromises barbers and hairdressers from all parts of Osun State, COWAB Nigeria National President, Elizabeth Koleade, explained that the body registered in Ghana, has since been recognised by the Federal Government. She said to safeguard health of customers and to help National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the agency empowered by Constitution to fight fake products, stamp out unregistered beauty products in market, COWAB would continue to discourage members from both production without getting necessary certification or usage of unregistered products.

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SundayBusiness Bohncynth Hotel GM urges Imo to address problem of multiple taxations SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

ospitality industry and other businesses in Imo State are facing lots of challenges, ranging from epileptic power supply to absence of supply at all and to multiple taxations which have combined to hamper development of businesses in the state; Joachim Chika Nwachukwu, general manager (GM) Bohncynth Hotel and Suites, has said. Nwachukwu, who spoke with BDSUNDAY in Owerri, Imo State capital, noted that as a result of the aforementioned factors, a lot of money goes into buying of diesel and servicing generators. According to him, the amount spent eats deep into the profit made which could have been used to improve the welfare, salary and emolument of workers. “Power supply is a major problem confronting the hotel and hospitality sector. Most times, you have to work extra hours to break even; so the cost of energy, buying diesel and servicing generators is on the high side; it is a big challenge that eats deed into the profits made,” the general manager said. Decrying multiple taxations from those who claim to be agents of the government, Nwachukwu called on Governor Emeka Ihedioha

to wade into the matter by working closely with the Imo State Hoteliers Associations (ISHA). According to him, “The hospitality industry is the second largest employer of labour after government in the state and it is important that government fixes a roundtable discussion with the operators to address the problems.” New Owerri axis in Imo State capital is known for its world class hotels, which dot every nook and cranny of the area, and this accounts for the influx of people from other towns like Aba, Umuahia, Onitsha, Enugu and Port Harcourt to Owerri. These world class hotels have made the state the hub of leisure and tourism in the Southeast and South-south geo-political zones of the country. One of these hotels is Bohncynth Hotels and Suites, which is strategically located on Bonbolini Road, close to Imo Concorde Hotels. People, who are conversant

with such class of hotels in the state, see Bohncynth as having carved a niche for itself. Nwachukwudescribedthehotel as a world class hotel because “it is unique and has carved a niche for itself. It is a place where people experience tranquility of an urban side and where beauty is merged with class and quality of service with luxury accommodation and service attractions.” Nwachukwu further said: “We offer luxurious services and we have luxurious rooms, very beautiful and lavishly furnished, it is secured and we offer delicacies for guests”, Nwachukwu said. He said that Bohncynth is a home away from and at Bohncynth hotel and suites; all the 27 rooms are designed and furnished specially for quests that are fond of special things. The suites are designed for those that like good. Nwachukwu disclosed another category called ‘Suites’ which are about four in number and each one of them has a bedroom and a living room, each of these living rooms is fully furnished and equipped with modern electronics and internet gadgets. Also in the bedrooms “everything you want that can make you comfortable is there.” And each of these rooms from the least in terms of rate or price to the highest goes with a complimentary breakfast, and varieties of wines and drinks, depending on which one appeals to the quest.

CFTZ (FDI) stood at $7bn as at 4th quarter of 2018 - Ekpe MIKE ABANG, Calabar

odwin Ekpe, head Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ), has said that the foreign direct investment (FDI) from CFTZ stood at 7billion U.S dollars as at 4thquarter 2018, leading to the transformation of Cross River State’s economy in particular and Nigerian economy in general. Ekpe said this at the weekend in a welcome address to the governing board of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) led by Segun Oni, a former Ekiti State governor, and some top management staff of NEPZA during an interactive session with investors at the CFTZ. “So far, the zone has licensed seventy two companies of which forty two are operational, carrying out different activities with additional line of investment opportunities such as trading, warehousing, assembling, services, oil and gas,” he said. “The Calabar free Trade Zone has transformed the economy of the host country and state through revenue generation to the Federal Government and the state in terms of PAYE, rents,” he further said. According to the Head of

(CFTZ), since its inception, the zone has attracted over 12, 000 direct and indirect employment to teeming youths in the country and is still attracting. He appealed to the governing board for sustainable power supply to the Calabar Free Trade Zone and then completion of ongoing renovation of the administrative block. Other demands include the suspension of CFTZ and Kano Free Trade Zone privatization, considering the poor outcome of privatised companies in Nigeria. Responding, Segun Oni, the board chairman, promised to look into the issue of power supply in the zone, saying, “we are determined to make the zone work; we must resolve as quickly as possible the issue of power supply in Calabar CFTZ.” David Nongo, managing director of NEPZA, promised that the lingering issue of power supply in Calabar Free Trade Zone will be put to rest before the end of the year, as management was working hard to ensure regular power supply in the zone. The governing board of NEPZA and its top management staff were in the state for a three-day strategic meeting at Transcorp Hotels after paying a courtesy call on the Obong of Calabar.

6th AFRIMA: 8,157 entries set new submission record … Nominees’ list to be unveiled August 14

he 6th edition of All Africa MusicAwards,(AFRIMA), in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), has received 8,157 songs/ videos on its online portal as entry submission closed at 1159 hour (WAT) on Friday, August 2, 2019. This year’s submission continues in the record-setting precedent of previous editions amassing the highest number of entries from African artistes, music producers, songwriters, Disc Jockeys (DJs), video directors, among others, since the inception of the biggest music event in Africa. The 2019 submissions, which opened worldwide on May 15, exceeded the 2018 submissions by 148 entries. Of the 8,157 entries submitted this year, Western Africa leads the pack with 38percent of the total entries followed by Southern Africa with 24percent. Eastern Africa, Central Africa and Northern Africa have 20percent, 14pecent and 4percent, respectively. Meanwhile, following the end of the 6th AFRIMA entry submission, the 13-man International Jury of AFRIMA arrived Lagos, Wednesday, August 7, 2019 for a week-long adjudication process from Wednesday, August 7 to Tuesday, August 13. The AFRIMA Jury’s responsibility involves screening, categorising, assessing, grading

and selecting into the 36 different Regional and Continental awarding categories nominees who will vie for the 23.9 carat gold-plated AFRIMA trophy. AFRIMA hospitality partner, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, will provide a secure venue for the eminent International Jury members who represent the five regions of Africa, the Diaspora (Europe and North America) and the African Union Commission. Guided by transparency and fairness, each of the Jury members will bring their span of experience and professionalism to play and utilise their boundless knowledge of African music, culture, and entertainment, to collectively arrive at artistes and/or recordings on the 6th AFRIMA Nominees’ List that reflect the creative energy and output of African music talents between the music review period of August 1, 2018 to August 2, 2019. After this process is concluded, the 6th AFRIMA Nominees’ List would be unveiled during a World Media Conference scheduled for Wednesday, August 14 at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The AFRIMA Jury member occupying one of the slots for Eastern Africa is Tanzania’s Joett, a veteran vocal coach and artiste development manager whose song writing skills earned him registered mem-

bership of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). On the other hand is Tabu Osusa from Kenya. The veteran music professional has spent more than three decades in music production and promotion. He has chaired several musical projects within and outside Kenya. Representing Central Africa from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is Charles Tabu, a music executive, with wide experience in artiste management and promotion. Charles has worked with major record labels across the continent including Sony, Universal and Warner. The second jury member for Central Africa is Bob Ekukole, a renowned Cameroonian media and music professional with 29 years of

experience in media and broadcasting. He is currently the Director, TV Programmes and Production, Cameroon Radio and Television, CRTV. Northern Africa is represented by Omar Essaidi, a Moroccan music programmer and artistic director. He brings to bear his practical experience as judge/juror for several musical contests in Northern Africa. Zimbabwean radio DJ and Lawyer, Delani Makhalima, takes up one of the two slots for Southern Africa. The entertainment & media executive has also honed his professional experience in song writing and music composition in the region. Filling the other slot is South Africa’s music professional and concert promoter, Chris Syren who is the co-founder and director of Making Music Pro-

Angela Martins, AFRIMA international jury member representing AU

CHARLES TABU, AFRIMA international jury member representing Central Africa

ductions (MMP), a music production company that has played a vital role in music promotion in South Africa. Western Africa representatives include Olisa Adibua, prolific broadcaster, music executive and talent manager from Nigeria and David Tayorault, a Côte d’Ivoire music legend, whose work in the music industry has influenced the jazz, blues, soul, zouk and Brazilian samba genre in Western Africa countries. Representing the DiasporaEurope is Rita Ray, a UK-based BBC Radio 3 presenter, International Music Curator and popular Club DeeJay. Her counterpart representing Diaspora-North America is Hadja Kobélé Keita, a music executive whose career spans experience in Artiste and Repertoire management and Public Relations with Universal Music Africa/Island Africa. The African Union Commission is represented by Angela Martins, the Head, of the Culture Division of the AUC. Mrs. Martins, who is a citizen of Mozambique, is a professional African Culture Analyst and an African music enthusiast. Speaking on the 2019 entry submission and adjudication process: Angela Martins said: “AFRIMA, the Pan-African initiative and music platform is gaining greater momentum, continental visibility and recognition.

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Sunday 11 August 2019

a courtesy call on the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde on the 17th July, 2019 where the controller appealed to the governor to prevail on Kishi people to refrain from their perceived activities and eschew the avowed hostility to Nigeria Customs Service so as to save themselves from the long arm of the law. “We will continue to dia-

logue, engage and educate the local and business communities on the security and economic implications of smuggling, while carrying out the statutory functions of enforcing compliance with the government fiscal policy. “At this juncture, let me express my appreciation to the governor for admonishing Kishi people on the repercussions of making their community inaccessible to officers of the service through age-old hostility. I also appreciate the resultant effort made by the leadership and people of the community to foster a healthy rapport with officers of the service in the course of discharging the enormous task of suppressing smuggling, facilitating trade and making business environment congenial for men and women in legitimate business. “My message to the general public is, smuggling is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Stay away from it. Do not aid and abet it.”

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SundayBusiness Oyo/Osun customs made 7,951 seizures, generates N23.87bn, arrest 35 smugglers REMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan

yo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recorded 7,951 seizures between January and July this between January and July this year with total duty paid value put at N210.826milion. The command arrested thirty five (55) suspects in connection with smuggling of some prohibited items into the country. The Customs Area Comptroller in charge of Oyo and Osun States, Abdullahi Zulkifli Argungu who disclosed this said that five of the thirty five suspects arrested had been charged to court while thirty are on administrative bail. Addressing journalists at the command’s headquarters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the customs boss said the seizures included,

six thousand, and sixty seven (50kg) bags of foreign parboiled rice; ninety three vehicles, seven hundred and thirty kegs of vegetable oil (25 litres), thirty nine bales of second hand clothing, nine hundred and sixty six used tyres, fifty bags of sugar (50kg) and six bundles of textile materials within the period under review. In his breakdown, he revealed that the command in the second quarter of this year made seizures of 50 kg of 3,252 bags of imported rice, 25kg litre kegs for vegetable oil, thirty six bales of second hand clothing, sixty one pieces of used tyres, one used blue colour Peugeot 406, one used ash colour Toyota corolla, one used black colour Toyota Sequoia, one used white colour Toyota Highlander and thirty eight means of conveyance with total duty paid value of N105.744 million. Argungu however, said the command, between January and July, generated the sum of twenty three

billon, eight hundred and seventy eight million, three hundred and ninety five thousand, nine hundred and eleven naira, eight kobo (N23,878,395,911.08). He stated that the revenue collected between January and July, 2019 surpassed what was collected for the year 2018. “It is worthy of note that the command in its efforts

to combat smuggling, on the 30th July, 2019 commissioned a Customs outpost at Kishi community in Irepo Local Government of Oyo State. Kishi community has long been perceived to engage in smuggling with impunity because of their hostility to officers of the Nigeria Customs Service. “The outpost was commissioned in the wake of

Nosak haulage expands operations with acquisition of new fleets Chivita Ice Tea rebrands, excites SEYI JOHN SALAU

s part of efforts to expand its operations and serve a wider range of customers across the nation, the management of Nosak Haulage, a strategic business unit (SBU) of Nosak Group recently announced the acquisition of new trucks to boost its operation. Osaheni Ogunbor, the group executive director, operations and production of Nosak Group, said the ac-

quisition became necessary as a result of the increasing demands for haulage and cargo services. “The increased demands from our sister companies and other corporate organisations within the private and public sectors of the economy prompted the group to mandate the SBU to increase its fleet operations in order to meet up with the growing demands for services,” Ogunbor stated. The new range in the fleet includes Foton branded trucks as well as enclosed bodies and sided

trailer trucks of 20 to 30 ton capacity and tankers of 45,000 litres capacity for local and inter-border delivery across West Africa. “These trucks are well built to international standards with all the safety measures in place because we are very particular about the safety of our personnel and the goods of our customers,” said Ogunbor. Explaining further, Ogunbor opined that Nosak Haulage has been excellent in its operations despite the rigors faced in the industry

as a result of bad roads, rising activities of extortions on heavy duty trucks especially in the outskirts of Lagos. According to him this has not changed the operation of the SBU as it has consistently demonstrated expertise in managing industry based challenges. Ogunbor assured existing and prospective clients of Nosak Haulage to demonstrate a higher level of trust on the management team as they provide haulage services to cater for their goods across the country.

Ecobank moves to recover over N25bn debt from indigenous oil firm, MD

c o b a n k Ni g e r i a Limited, one of the leading commercial banks in Nigeria, has instituted debt recovery actions against Rahamaniyya, an oil and gas company in Nigeria. The debt, in the sum of N25, 900, 959, 351. 88 (Twenty five billion, nine hundred million, nine hundred and fifty-nine thousand, three hundred and fifty-one naira and eighty kobo), was loan availed to Rahamaniyya for the purpose of financing the importation and local purchase of petroleum

products. The bank, through Olisa Agbakoba Legal, its solicitors, has instituted actions at the Federal High Court and the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to recover the indebted sum. In vigorously pursuing the recovery of the said indebted sum, Ecobank has deployed a wide range of legal actions. So far, an order of interim injunction restraining Rahamaniyya and its directors from interfering or tampering with the petroleum products in their

Tank Farms, which were financed by Ecobank, has been granted on August 7, 2019 by Justice (Prof) Chuka Austine Obiozor of the Federal High Court. Additionally, an order for the issuance of a bankruptcy notice against Abdulrahaman Musa Bashir, managing director of Rahamaniyya, has also been granted on June 27, 2019 by Justice A.O. Faji of the Federal High Court. The action against Musa Bashir in his personal capacity is based on his personal guarantee to repay the loans, which

said obligation, Bashir has failed to meet following his company’s huge indebtedness to the bank. However, the recovery actions are come on the heels of the Ecobank’s resolve to ensure that debtors fully honor their obligations after benefitting from credit facilities, which helped to grow their businesses. The bank by the actions filed, seeks to enforce collateral agreements, wind up the company for inability to pay its debts and obtain an order of court, adjudging Abdulrahman Musa Bashir bankrupt.

consumers with new pack

longwithitspromise of refreshingly natural goodness, Chivita Ice Tea’s recent visually disruptive packaging design that is modern, aspirational and trendy is helping the brand stand out in a competitive marketplace. A cross-section of consumers who offered their perspective on the new look Chivita Ice Tea noted that they were excited by the brand’s new positioning under the Chivita Masterbrand. Its new package design is a bold statement of its premium quality, health benefits and consumers’ benefits that has made the product visually appealing to consumers as it maintains its front shelf space and preference. For Tomiwa Adeleke, a Lagos based lawyer, the rebrand of Chivita Ice Tea was an innovative strategy that connects with consumers because of the pack’s unique imageries which is visually attractive and differentiating from competing brands. “I drink Chivita Ice Tea very often whenever the need for refreshment arises. For me, its great taste and unique blend of natural tea leaves and real fruits, as well as health benefits, make it a preferred choice for rejuvenation and refreshment.Thebrighterand bolder rebranded product

pack was a pleasant surprise to me and is triggering positive product enquiries from my friends who are excited about its renewed appeal,” he said. Martha Ogunseye, a mother of four, who works as a nurse in the Lagos General Hospital stated that the new look Chivita Ice Tea is a welcome development. “There is no ambiguity as the new design means the product announces itself from afar on the shelf. Its refreshing benefits are well captured by the persuasive imageries and content on the new product pack. As a health conscious consumer, I love the exciting blend of premium natural tea leave extracts with real fruits which makes Chivita Ice Tea a natural choice for me and others who care about their health,” she said. Commenting about the product rebranding and the positive feedback from consumers, Marketing Director of Chi Limited, Mr. Probal Bhattacharya stated that it was pleasing to see consumers resonate with the product’s fresh visual identity, which keys it into the Chivita Masterbrand. The new design also reinforces its promise of rejuvenation through moreappealingelementsthat evoke its refreshingly natural goodness.

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BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

Retooling mechanics to meet high tech auto maintenance …Car manufacturers can set up training centres in Nigeria to drive sales Daniel Obi

henever vehicle and maintenance is discussed, you will hear plethora of complaints from many vehicle owners. Some of these complaints range from extortion, fixing of wrong parts, buying inferior spare parts and lack of skill to handle the cars resulting in trial and error and many more cases. There are also deliberate wrong diagnoses of car problems to make the car owner pay more or mistaken diagnoses based on lack of knowledge. A vehicle owner narrated how an auto repairer fraudulently obtained N11, 000 from him. “There was sound in my car. I complained to this mechanic. He said it was a hub problem and it needs to be changed. The cost was N11, 000. In my pres-

ence, he called the seller of the hub and we bargained but the seller maintained N11, 000. I produced the money. He loosed the hub, pretended that he was going to the market. I left the scene. He later came back and fixed the old hub. While fixing the hub, he called me that he has identified another problem in

the tyre compartment. This, I believe was the real problem. He fixed that one with another cost. I later demanded for the replaced old hub, and up till now, he has not produced it” The conclusion in some circles is that there are many auto repairers who don’t have the necessary skills and experience on the job

of car repairs. This conclusion is justified as some auto repairers find it extremely difficult to handle the latest, modern and technological vehicles. “What they do with some of these new cars that thrive on buttons is trialand- error and at the end, they create more problems for the owners.

“Vehicle manufacturers have upgraded, introducing many systems and controls in cars but some mechanics are still stuck to the old order of what they learnt”, says Kenechukwu Ajumobi, a businessman based in Lagos. With the influx of modern and sophisticated vehicles in Nigerian market and the need to maintain them, Ajumobi said mechanics need refresher trainings on how to handle these cars. At present, many of these mechanics still apply old methods in identifying problems in cars while car manufacturers have moved to the next level. According to him, without this training, there will be abandoned new vehicles that have caused the owners millions of Naira to acquire. At the end, the streets will be littered with unused vehicles. This challenge is not peculiar to vehicles as other artisans such as refrigerator repairers, plumbers and

others need to upgrade their skills to give value to the society. However, it must be appreciated that some auto repairers have acquired latest computers to assist them to detect faults in mostly electrical vehicles effortlessly as vehicle owners now incline to patronise mechanics that deploy computers for their job. Th e w o r l d i s t o d a y largely driven by technology and what is important as technology grows, is for businesses, no matter how big or small to identify the significance of technology to their business. What all auto repairers need to do to catch up with the present is by upgrading their skills with the aim of offering more value and remaining in business. In addition, latest car manufacturers need to set up training shops in Nigeria to train the mechanics. This way, there will be huge market for their products as buyers will be confident on repairs.

Premier Cool soap re-launches brand, introduces new line of variants

remier Cool, one of the foremost personal care brands manufactured by industry giants, PZ Cussons, recently held a colourful ceremony at its company headquarters at Ilupeju, Lagos, to re-launch the brand. With an innovation process driven by consumer research, reflecting consumers’ lifestyle attributes and desire for attractive and effective offerings, Premier Cool soap is now in new range of alternates such as Odour Defence, Ultimate and Sport. Furthermore, as opposed to its previous promise of 24 Hours Freshness, Premier Cool soap now promises ‘25Hr Freshness’ with the signature icycool feel. Group Brand Activation Manager, Personal Care, PZ Cussons, Charity IlevbareAdeniji said “This is an exciting time for Premier Cool as we continue to evolve and improve to meet and satisfy

the needs of our consumers. Premier Cool is one of the leading brands in its category and has continued to evolve over the years. This relaunch is in continuation of that tradition and also in

line with the brand’s strategy to differentiate itself in the market and also sustain its drive to maintain its position as one of the leading soap brands in Nigeria,” she said. Also speaking at the

event was the Brand and Activation Manager, Premier, Eniola Ogunlade,who expressed her excitement and enthusiasm as regards the initiative to relaunch the brand:

L-R: Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, marketing director Africa, PZ Cussons; Leo Babarinde DaSilva, Campaign Ambassador, Premier Cool; Giannopoulos Christos, chief executive officer, PZ Cussons; and Joyce Coker, human resource director, at the official Premier Cool relaunch event in Lagos recently.

“At PZ Cussons, we have made it our responsibility and purpose to help Nigerians by constantly improving the brand to meet their lifestyle attributes. It is why we are re-launching the Premier Cool brand which is an initiative that recognises the hectic lifestyle of young Nigerians and seeks to keep them refreshed through it. As a brand that seeks to consistently connect with its stakeholders, we love finding ways to continually evolve and improve to exceed expectations, satisfy the needs of our consumers, and create unique experiences with them. Premier Cool soap now comes in a trendier packaging and consumers now have the luxury of choice with three variants. We believe these product improvements in performance and aesthetics reflect the brand’s penchant for consistent and superior offerings to Nigeri-

ans and we are certain that they would be quite pleased to experience it,” she said. Th e c e r e m o n y h a d the leadership team of PZ Cussons: CEO and PZ Cussons Consumer Managing Director, Christos Giannopoulos; Human Resource Director, Joyce Coker; Corporate Affairs Director, Alex Goma; Head of Marketing, PZ Cussons Consumer, Charles Nnochiri; Group Brand Activation Manager, Personal Care, PZ Cussons, Charity Ilevbare-Adeniji; and other dignitaries in attendance. Guests present at the relaunch event were treated to a day of brand showcase, entertainment and excitement. The event was also not short on star power as it had in attendance, comedian and compere, Otolorin Kehinde aka Kenny Blaq, who entertained the audiences and directed the event masterfully, and former reality TV star, Leo Babarinde DaSilva.

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Equity Insurance firms gain from engineering, oil & gas as gross written premiums hit N53bn ...premiums from oil and gas contracts under threat over declining prices

TELIAT SULE

nsurance industry’s gross written premium rose by 8.40 percent at half year 2019 following significant increase in gross written premiums from engineering, marine and aviation, as well as oil and gas non life insurance services. Gross written premium of eight insurance firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) at half year 2019 increased to N52.81 billion up from N48.71 billion in corresponding period in 2018. The firms in question are Sovereign Trust Insurance, Regency Alliance, NEM, Consolidated Hallmark, Cornerstone, WAPIC, AXA Mansard as well as Universal Insurance. A written premium shows the amount an insurance client is expected to pay on insurance coverage provided to him by an insurance company. Sovereign Trust Insurance earned N7.27 billion as gross written premium by June 2019, an increase of 2.03 percent over N7.13 billion earned by June 2018. However, when compared with the industry, Sovereign Trust Insurance accounted for 14 percent of the industry grow written premium at half year 2019 compared with 15 percent industry share in June 2018. Regency Alliance recorded 8.30 percent in gross written premium, from N3.41 billion in June 2018 to N3.70 billion at half year 2019, accounting for just 7 percent of the insurance industry’s gross written premium in both years. NEM Insurance increased its market share from 19 percent in June 2018 when it earned N9.16 billion as gross written premium to 22 percent in June 2019 when it posted N11.8 billion as gross premium, resulting in 28.7 percent growth in premiums during the comparable periods. The share of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance in both period remained at 8 percent of the entire industry. That was despite increasing its gross written premium by 16.4 percent from N3.74 billion at half year 2018 to N4.36 billion at half year 2019. Further, Cornerstone Insurance lost a bit of its market share from 10 percent in June 2018 to 8 percent in June 2019. This was attributed to a steep fall in its gross written premium for the period which fell by 13.02 percent to N4.28 billion at half year 2019 from N4.92 billion in similar period last year. Wapic Insurance accounted for 12 percent of the insurance industry in June 2018 but that market share slightly fell to 11 percent same peri-

Index

All Share Index(ASI) NSE Premium Index NSE Main Board Index NSE ASeM Index NSE 30 Index NSE Banking Index NSE Insurance Index NSE Consumer Goods Index NSE Oil/Gas Index NSE Lotus Islamic Index NSE Industrial Index NSE Pension Index

Market Returns Jan 31, 2019

Market Returns Feb 28, 2019

Market Returns Mar 29, 2019/Q1

Market Returns June 28, 2019(H)

Market Returns July 31, 2019

Market Returns Aug 9, 2019

Market Returns Aug 10, 2018

-‐2.78%

0.93%

-‐1.24%

-‐4.66%

-‐11.81%

-‐13.12%

-‐7.31%

-‐3.05%

1.21%

0.40%

9.17%

4.17%

3.32%

-‐2.01%

-‐2.57%

0.71%

-‐1.37%

-‐13.11%

-‐22.55%

-‐23.56%

-‐6.91%

-‐0.60% -‐4.04%

0.87% 0.53%

1.69% -‐1.73%

-‐1.45% -‐11.39%

-‐1.80% -‐19.60%

-‐1.80% -‐22.41%

-‐25.51% -‐8.27%

-‐2.49%

3.05%

1.26%

-‐8.04%

-‐16.49%

-‐22.74%

-‐4.20%

-‐3.26%

5.37%

-‐0.40%

-‐2.16%

-‐8.49%

-‐14.73%

2.58%

6.91%

-‐2.61%

-‐5.15%

-‐16.89%

-‐26.74%

-‐27.16%

-‐13.40%

-‐7.27%

-‐1.20%

-‐3.87%

-‐16.21%

-‐25.26%

-‐26.20%

-‐9.13%

0.72%

2.41%

1.51%

-‐12.03%

-‐20.11%

-‐20.27%

-‐5.37%

5.77%

2.84%

0.14%

-‐12.12%

-‐13.26%

-‐12.17%

-‐14.21%

-‐3.12% 0.31% -‐1.16% -‐12.35% -‐19.85% -‐21.53% -‐3.15% Market Capitalisatio -‐2.78% 0.93% -‐0.41% 12.67% 15.25% 13.54% -‐4.91% n Computed by BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU). For enquiries, please call 08098710024 or teliat.sule@businessday.ng ; biodunteliat24@gmail.com

od this year. Gross written premium Marine and aviation grew by 18.9 reduced revenue for oil firms. This Insurance firms gain from engineering, oil & gas as gross written premiums hit N53bn was N5.70 billion at half year 2019 as percent during the period from would feed into the prices they ...premiums from oil and gas contracts under threat over declining prices against N5.82 billion last year June. N3.65 billion to N4.34 billion this will be willing to pay for insur In spite growing its gross writ- year’s June. ance coverage. Meanwhile, the TELIAT Sof ULE ten premium by 3.97 percent from From N17.04 billion in June underwriters on the other hand N13.95 billion as at June 2018wto embrace such contracts 2018, oil and gasby gross Insurance industry’s gross ritten premium rose 8.40 written percent at may half still year 2019 following N14.51 billion in June 2019, AXA as most of they are willing premium rose by 18.7 percent to significant increase in gross written premiums from engineering, marine and aviation, as to lower Mansard market share fell slightly N20.22 billion at half year 2019. premiums in order to attract busiwell as oil and gas non life insurance services. Gross written premium of eight insurance from 29 percent in 2018 to 27 per- Its industry share rose from 35 nesses”, Akinyele added. firms listed on the itNstill igerian Stock percent Exchange (NSE) at half year the 2019 increased to Ninsurance 52.81 services cent in 2019, although remains Engineering to 38 percent during billion up from N48.71 billion in cperiod. orresponding eriod of in renewed 2018. the market leader. declined by 18.8 percent from This is apsignal Universal Insurance recorded the interest in oil and gas insurance bol- N7.63 billion in June 2018 to The firms in question are Sovereign Trust Insurance, Regency Alliance, NEM, Consolidated highest growth of 110.03 percent stered by increasing prices of crude N6.20 billion as at June 2019. It Hallmark, Cornerstone, WAPIC, Aoil XA ansard as well amarket. s Universal Insurance. A written during the period. Its gross written presently accounts for 12 percent atMthe international premium rose from N579.2 million “Oil and gas insurance record- of the market share. in June 2018 to N1.22 billion at half ed improvement at half year 2019. year 2019. Nonetheless, it controls While this signals the financial Oando appoints Irune as exthe least market share of just 2 per- strength and capital adequacy of ecutive director as Osunsanya cent at half year 2019 as against 1 market players, it is also a rein- resigns percent same period in 2018. surance that policyholders (big Oando Plc has notified the NigeThe contribution of each of the corporations) now have renewed rian Stock Exchange (NSE), its services provided was analysed to confidence in the sector. valued shareholders, key stakeassess their relevance to the gen“We can attribute this to the holders and the public of the eral pool. By services provided, optimism of the market players changes to its Board of Directors. motor insurance’s gross written that the imminent capitalisation In a release sent to the NSE, the premium of the eight insurance will drive premium growth. Hence, company in accordance with Secfirms under coverage of this analy- upon the successful implemen- tion 249 of the Companies and sis rose by 5.6 percent during the tation of recapitalisation plans, Allied Matters Act, Cap 20, Law period from N9.40 billion last year premiums in the coming periods of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 June to N9.93 billion in June 2019. should grow higher”, said Ahmed and Article 88 of the Company’s Year-on-year, motor insurance Akinyele, insurance analyst at Articles of Association said it has services accounted for 19 percent Meristem Securities. appointed Ainojie Alex Irune as an of the industry gross written preBut in the last few days, crude executive director of the company miums in both periods. oil prices have headed south- effective August 9, 2019. Fire and property insurance wards and for the first time fell Ainojie Alex Irune is the Chief Opservice increased by 5.3 percent below Nigeria’s 2019 budget erating Officer, Oando Energy Refrom N7.9 billion last year June benchmark. This is also a source sources (OER), the upstream subto N8.32 billion same period this of concern to industry analysts. sidiary of Oando PLC. A proponent year. In both periods, its share of “The falling crude oil prices of transformational leadership, rune the industry gross written pre- would impact pricing of those con- joined the company in 2011 and miums amounted to 16 percent. tracts; declining oil prices indicate OER’s management team in 2018.

Over the last year as COO, he has successfully redefined OER’s business model, creating a clearer vision and alignment of focus to achieving the company’s objectives. To date his actions have positively impacted the business; specifically the consolidation of existing assets and operations, improved partner relations, a 21% reduction in Company debt profile, a 99% reduction in Reserve Based Lending, increased daily oil production by 10% to 16,967 and 2P Reserves position by 2% as well as secured over $1.5 billion in international financing. Prior to assuming this role, he was the group chief strategy & corporate services officer at Oando Plc from 2016 to 2018. Following the fallout from the crash in oil prices in 2015 he was responsible for spearheading strategic initiatives aimed at restructuring the business and reducing the Group’s debt obligations, with an overall objective of re-positioning the Company towards a path of sustainable growth. These initiatives included partial business divestments to Vitol and Helios Investment Partners that generated inflows of over US$330 million – part of which was used to significantly reduce the Company’s overall debt obligations. He also served as the Head of Corporate Communications from 2013 to 2016, where he oversaw all internal and external brand-building efforts across the Company’s business entities. Irune spearheaded the global communications strategy following Oando’s successful $1.5bn acquisition of ConocoPhillips Nigeria’s upstream assets. Prior to his time at Oando Plc in 2011, Irune worked in the United Kingdom as an In-Vehicle Systems Researcher and Designer with global leading car manufacturers (Honda, Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover) and the University of Nottingham. He graduated from the University of Nottingham with a B.Sc. in Computer Science in 2002, and attained his PhD in Computer Science from the same university in 2009. Meanwhile, Mobolaji Osunsanya, a non-executive director of the company has resigned from the board with effect from August 9, 2019. Until his resignation, he was a member of the audit committee, strategy and finance committee and the risk, environmental, health, safety, security and quality committee. the board and management of the company appreciated Osunsanya’s positive contributions and meritorious service over the last 12 years as a director of the company.

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Health&Science High blood pressure: Food to avoid

ANTHONIA OBOKOH

imple lifestyle changes or some diet could help to prevent and lower your risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is often known as ‘the silent killer’, as there are usually no symptoms of the condition at all. However, changing eating habits and an increase in sedentary lifestyles among an expanding middle class have contributed to a rise in the prevalence of NCDs like hypertension (high blood pressure) Expert says this lifestyle of unhealthy diet has caused millions of Nigerians disease such as high blood pressure, overweight, respiratory diseases, high cholesterol level and it is a huge burden. Individuals need to take caution of their lifestyle and be aware to carry out more exercises in order to reduce the high blood pressure and curtail the sugar level. Below are some of the foods to

Government reinstates commitment to Kwarans’ healthcare SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

he Kwara State government has restated its determination to give priority attention to health care of the people. The State Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi stated this Friday during an unscheduled visit to Oro-Ago General Hospital. Alabi who was on an official assignment to Oyatedo before stopping over at the hospital explained that the various medical centres would be adequately taken care of to make health delivery services accessible to the people. On the shortage of health personnel in the hospital, the Deputy Governor directed the Doctor in charge to write immediately to the Ministry of Health for necessary attention. He noted that the present administration would not toy with the health care of the people for them to contribute to the economic development of the State. Earlier, the only Medical Doctor in the Hospital, Adams Omotosho complained lack of personnel and requested for one more Doctor, four Nurses and one laboratory technician.

be avoided Salt in your diet One of the best ways to lower your high blood pressure is to cut back on the amount of salt in your diet. Eat less salt to lower blood pressure. Eating too much salt is the biggest cause of high blood

pressure - the more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be. Salt makes your body retain water. If you eat too much, the extra water stored in your body raises your blood pressure. A focus on eating whole foods that are prepared fresh at home can

go a long way in your quest to limit dangerous salt. An adult should eat no more than 6g of salt a day, but most of us eat much more than this To avoid hidden salt and cut down your salt intake, it is best to eat foods that are low in salt and stop using salt when cooking or at the table. Caffeine Caffeinated beverages, like coffee, tea, energy drinks, and caffeinated soft drinks can increase your blood pressure. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and one action of caffeine is to constrict your blood vessels, which will raise your blood pressure. In addition to the sugar found in many soft drinks, caffeine poses an additional risk. Alcohol Alcohol is another beverage to consume in moderation. If you drink more than three drinks at one time, your blood pressure may rise. Chronic use of alcohol can lead to blood pressure increases over time, and even one drink can

change the way your blood pressure medication works. If you are a chronic drinker, you should also be aware that alcohol can cause you to pack on the pounds: there are a lot of calories in alcohol, and if you are overweight, you are at a greater risk of developing hypertension. Fatty foods (High in saturated fats) Hypertension (high blood pressure) is likely to happen when you’re overweight. One good way to lose weight is to reduce your fat intake. One gram of fat contains 9 calories. Carbohydrates and protein contain less than half these calories. Therefore, you can reduce your calorie intake by cutting down on deep fried foods, cream and pastries. It’sespeciallyimportanttoreduce saturated fats which increase the risk of clog arteries. Saturated fats are found in red meat, full-fat dairy productsandoilsrichinsaturatedfat forexamplecoconutoil.Choosefish, lean cuts of meat, skinless poultry and low-fat milk instead.

Asthma and common triggers

sthma is a non-communicable chronic inflammatory disease of the airways affecting people of all ages. Asthma could be diagnosed at either younger or older age. Asthma is one of the world’s most common long-term conditions and currently affects over 300 million people worldwide with a projection to increase by another 100 million people by the year 2025. As a non-curable disease, management strategies are geared towards controlling the disease to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality. With a prevalence rate of 5-18% in Nigeria, asthma costs USA economy over $80 billion annually. Reducing exposure to environmental factors, such as indoor and outdoor asthma triggers is important for asthma management. This is more important in Nigeria given the inadequate facilities and other resources for asthma management. In a review of 68 tertiary hospitals in Nigeria in 2011, it was found out that only twenty (26) hospitals representing 38.2% of the reviewed hospitals had peak expiratory flow rate meter (PEFR) in the emergency rooms, while twenty (20) hospitals representing 29.4% had spirometer and ten (10) representing 14.7% had skin allergy test facilities. In addition to lack/inadequate facilities and equipment’s, there is inadequate expertise to manage asthma

the most common asthma trigger in children and include such infections as colds, flu (influenza), sore throats, sinus infections, pneumonia and others. Exercise Exercise may trigger asthma; especially in cold air. In some cases, the symptoms may not appear until after several minutes of sustained exercise. However, with proper treatment, physical activity may not need to be limited.

in Nigeria. In a recent study carried out in 2015, only 34% of the respondents could perform full spirometry on patients, and none had the capacity for performing a methacholine challenge test. Asthma can be triggered by certain factors or objects and these triggers vary from person to person. While some persons may react to few of these triggers, others may react to many. To effectively manage your asthma, it is important to keep track of the causes or triggers that you know provoke your asthma and avoid them as much as possible. Some of the common asthma triggers include the allergens, irritants in the air, respiratory illness/infections, exercise, weather, medicines, stress, feelings and strong emotions amongst others.

Allergies (Allergic Asthma) Common allergens that cause allergic asthma include dust mites, cockroach, pollens, moulds, pet dander, rodents and others. Irritants in the Air Irritants in the environment can bother inflamed and sensitive airways; hence, lead to asthma exacerbation. Irritants in the air are mainly second hand smoke and include the smoke from cigarettes, wood fires, charcoal grills, strong fumes, vapours, or odours (such as paint, gasoline, perfumes and scented soaps), dusts and particles in the air, chemicals and air pollution such as smog, ozone, and others Respiratory Illness Respiratory infections are

Weather Changes in weather, dry wind and cold air can bring on asthma episodes. Feeling and Expressing Strong Emotions: Strong emotions such as anger, stress, fear, excitement, laughter, yelling, crying, etc have been identified as one of the triggers of asthma because during such period, breathing changes. Medicines Some medicines can also trigger asthma. This occurs in those who are sensitive to medications such as aspirin, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and other medications known as beta blockers. In addition to medicines, hormonal changes during menstrual cycle, sulphites in food (including milk, eggs, nuts, shellfish) and other medical problems like reflux may be an asthma trigger. • Article by Chiwuike Uba, AmakaChiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF)

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BDSUNDAY 43

Sports

Nigeria government ready to host FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup – Osinbajo T

Lagos Lawn Tennis Club elects new officers

Stories by ANTHONY NLEBEM

igeria government says 100 per cent in support of the bid by the country to host the 10th edition of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in 2020, His Excellency, Vice President,YemiOsinbajostatedthis in Abuja on when a team from FIFA, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and members of the Bid Committee paid him a courtesy call at the Presidential Villa. “The Government of Nigeria guarantees to back the bid 100 per cent. We are actually excited with the prospect of hosting the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in 2020. For us, football is a unifying force. Government interest in hosting is beyond commercial; football is a measure of unity and well –being of our people as diverse as we are.” Osinbajo promised that the Government will mobilize every apparatus to ensure a successful hosting, in the areas of infrastructure, security and other logistics. Osinbajo also stated that His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) is an ardent football lover and is excited about Nigeria hosting the tournament

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, vice president (middle); Amaju Pinnick, NFF President (left) and Heyral Kaj Jurgen, FIFA team leader, when a team from FIFA, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and members of the Bid Committee paid him a courtesy call at the Presidential Villa, recently.

and is in full support of the bid, while thanking NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick and the Bid Committee for putting forward a strong bid for Nigeria. Earlier, NFF President Pinnick had informed Vice President Osinbajo about the excellent facilities present in the four proposed host cities – stadia, training sites, hotels,

hospitals, road network, security and seamless air travel. “We had warm welcome from the governors and people of the four States, who had worked tirelessly to put in place the appropriate structure to host a successful and memorable tournament. Hosting the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in 2020 will leave a lot

X-raying Premier League’s summer transfer spending

… Spent £1.4 bn from recruiting 115 players … Racked in £806.5m from sales of 291 players

s expected, Premier League clubs splashed a whooping sum of £1.4billion recruiting 115 players during the summer transfer window. Manchester United recruit, Harry Maguire, is the most expensive acquisition during the window and became the world’s most expensive defender after Red Devils splashed out £80m for his signature. Arsenal were also active in the summer market after paying £72m on Lille forward Nicolas Pepe, with other top deals including Tanguay Ndombele (£63m to Tottenham) and Manchester City drafting Rodri (£62.5m)andJoaoCancelo(£60m). Manchester United topped the spending chart with £148m after Maguire’s record-breaking fee followed the signings of Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£50m from Crystal Palace) and Daniel James (£18m from Swansea), newly promoted Premier League side, Aston Villa, where the second biggest spenders, with a £144.5m on 12 players. Arsenal broke their transfer policy with a £138m spree, signing Pepe, William Saliba (£27m, loaned back to St Etienne for the season), Kieran Tierney (£25m), David Luiz (£8m), Gabriel Martinelli (£6m) and loaning Dani Ceballos. Manchester City invested £134.8m on defensive midfielder Rodri (£62.5m) and full-back Joao Cancelo (£60m) - in addition to

Zackary Steffen (£7m) and Angelino Jose Angel (£5.3m). Everton’s expenditure hit £118.5m after drafting Alex Iwobi in a late Deadline Day deal, in addition to Moise Kean (£27.5m), Jean-Phillippe Gbamin (£25m), Andre Gomes (£22m) and Fabian Delph (£9m). Tottenham were the only other club to surpass £100m after prising Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham for £30m in the final hours of the window, having signed Ndombele and youngster Jack Clarke (£8.5m). Leicester (£91m), followed by West Ham (£78m), Newcastle, Wolves (both £65m), Brighton (£58.5m), Southampton (£50m), Bournemouth (£45.7m) and Watford (£45.5m). Newly promoted Norwich spent a league-low £1.1m, while Liverpool (£4.4m), Crystal Palace (£11m), Burnley (£15m), Chelsea (£40m) and Sheffield United (£43m) remained more frugal. Premier League clubs also racked in £806.5m from sales of 291 players compared to £359m recouped in 2018. Chelsea top the list of clubs that made money from outbound play-

ers. The Blues got £213.2m from selling Eden Hazard to Real Madrid for £130m and Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid for £58.3m. Leicester City collected the next biggest sum from Maguire’s £80m move, followed by Manchester United (£74m), Everton (£60m), ManchesterCity(£58.1m),Arsenal (£55.5m), Crystal Palace (£50m) and Bournemouth (£36.5m). West Ham (£33.25m), Newcastle (£31.7m),Tottenham (£29.7m), Liverpool (£28.82m), Southampton (£26m), Watford (£18.2m), Burnley (£8.5m) and Wolves (£3m) also received fees for outgoing players. The total number of Premier League signings in the summer fell for the sixth year in a row. Eleven Premier League clubs broke their transfer record this summer, with Sheffield United smashing theirs four times. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Leicester (twice), Manchester City, Newcastle, Southampton, Tottenham, Watford - on deadline day - West Ham and Wolves are the other 10. Dan Jones, partner Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “With this level of net spend, combined with a more modest increase in Premier League broadcast rights values for the coming season than we have seen previously, we would expect wages to increase at a greater rate than revenue, returning to a wages to revenue ratio of over 60%.

of legacies beyond the physical; it will impact on humanity.” Pinnick traced the history of the U20 Women’s World Cup, saying Nigeria had been an ever-present, and highlighted how the competition served as discovery forum for players like Asisat Oshoala, Desire Oparanozie and Rasheedat Ajibade who are now the leading lights of Africanwomenfootballandareknown globally, and are also giving back to the next generation of young girls through NGOs and direct investment in the Nigeria economy. He thankedFIFAforconsideringNigeria as a strong contender to host. Leader of the FIFA team, Heyral Kaj Jurgen praised Vice President Osinbajo for the warm welcome the team received in all cities visited. With him were Christopher Exley (Security) and Kliment Taseski (Tournaments and Events). The FIFA team, which arrived in Nigeria through Lagos on Monday evening, inspected facilities in Lagos, Benin City, Asaba and Uyo, meeting withGovernorsBabajideSanwo-Olu, GodwinObaseki,IfeanyiOkowaand Udom Emmanuel, who variously assured them of the keen interest and desire of their various governments and peoples to meet FIFA requirements for hosting the competition.

he Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan recentl held its 2019 election to choose its next executive officers. Ademola AkinTaylor was elected unopposed as president, while Kola Peregrino became vice president also unopposed. The post of the Honourary Secretary went to Olumide Odusoga unopposed and Apatira A. Akeem won Honourary Treasurer seat. The newly elected president, Ademola Akin-Taylor, enjoined the new executive members to work hard in uplifting the great club to the highest realm it belongs. Other elected officers include Sunday Igbinovia, Tennis Captain; Henry Shedrack as Assistant Tennis Captain; Ogundare John Campus as Social Secretary; Akanji K. Olansile as Bar Secretary; A. Y. Laja as Publicity Secretary, unopposed. Olugbenga Macgregor was elected Squash Captain; Sadiq Abiodun as Table Tennis Captain; Matthew Odili as Darts Captain; Captain Muftau K. Adigun as Billiard and Snooker captain and Captain Ibrahim Olanrewaju as Other Games. The ex-officio members elected include Bassey Alfred Udu, Kanimodo Abdulrasaq, Remilekun Talabi, Henry O. Jacintho, Kenneth O. Oboh, and Uzor G. Okiti.

Premier Cool, Man City partner HiFL to organise coaching clinic

s part of measures to make the 2019 Higher Institutions Football league (HiFL) season, bigger and better, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing and the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) recently partnered Premier Cool and Manchester City to host an allimpactful Coaching Clinic in Lagos. During the two-day session, top varsity coaches across Nigeria were exposed to the latest developments in player development, preparations, and tactical innovations among others. Speaking on the groundbreaking event, Chief Strategy Officer, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Olamide Adeyemo expressed his excitement with the initiative and praised Premier Cool for its efforts in partnering the growth of Nigeria’s collegiate sports. “From the outset of HiFL, we have always emphasized our hopes and dreams that the platform will provide opportunities for growth and development not just for the players but also for every stakeholder in the spectrum. As such, we are excited to have coaches from a top club like

Manchester City FC on ground to train the coaches. This, we believe will improve them personally and by extension the quality of play in HiFL. We are grateful to Premier Cool and will continue to work with them on the quest to develop collegiate sports in the country.” Olamide enthused. In a statement, Head of Marketing, PZ Cussons Consumer, Charles Nnochiri revealed the rationale behind sponsoring HiFL and the 2019 coaching clinic as a part of the company’s vision of delivering sustainable value to everyone, everywhere. “One of our values at PZ Cussons has always been to add value wherever we find ourselves, as such we thought it best to merge the best of both worlds – our sponsorship of HiFL along with our partnership with global football powerhouse, Manchester City FC. Hence “Coaching the Coaches” is here as the first of its kind experience for the best collegiate coaches in the country to be globally relevant and competitive. We are proud to be at the forefront of this wave of change blowing across collegiate sports”. He concluded While speaking on the involvement of Manchester City, Technical Director, Mancity Football Schools, Andy Smith admitted that although it is the first time Mancity will be partnering to deliver a coaching clinic in Nigeria, the club is very glad to impact the coaches with Manchester City’s playing philosophy.

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Hadiza: Anchoring NPA ship on operational efficiency

mongst the attributes of effective and impactful leadership in any field of human endeavour are the unfailing factors of vision, character, compassion, integrity and the courage to do the right thing when it matters most. Others include humility, honesty of purpose, the ability to carry people along and of course, always sustaining the element of Trust between the leader and the led majority. It is therefore, instructive to note that barely a week after Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman’s appointment as the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) by President Muhammadu Buhari, precisely on 18th July, 2016 she had this to say:“Everyone one in NPA has a role (to play) in promoting best practices, in upholding governance standards and in delivering quality services”. Not done, she made the following solemn pledge: “We will work hard, with integrity and zero tolerance for corruption. We will listen to our customers; importers, exporters and other agencies working in the Port to improve on our service delivery to the Nation”. Some two years after, it is exciting to note with pride that Usman has kept to the tenets of her promise, to focus on “operational efficiency” anchored on capacity building to succession plan, port master plan, staff welfare and revenue generation. But that is not all. She did also make the promise to ensure the blockage of revenue leakages, institute synergy and collaboration with the ports’ business partners. And what could the goal be? That is the million-Naira question. The goal, in her words “is to position NPA as the preferred cargo destination in the sub-region”. As if to prove her critics wrong, who had opined that she was a young woman known for activism and politics, without any pedigree in the ports industry who could not make the desired difference, she hit the ground running. First came the implementation of open budget system and that of a public data dissemination programme. The salutary aim is to rid the agency of corruption. To strengthen this noble and patriotic policy, the NPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BudgIT, an information technology network firm.

This falls in line with the Freedom of Information (FoI), Act, 2011 and it is meant to provide Nigerians with all the necessary, credible information during its budget preparation as well as its implementation. In a similar vein, the NPA under her launched the harmonised Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) as well as the Port Service Support Portal (PSSP). Both are carefully articulated to rein in the rampaging monster of corrupt practices, towards making it a user-friendly port. While the SOP comes in as a collation of operational procedures of all maritime governmentagencies,includingshippingcompanies, freight forwarders, terminal operators, related associations and other stakeholders, the PSSP is a management portal for operators to lodge complaints, if any agency fails to follow the SOP. This is anchored by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC). What makes both timely and profound is because the former Minister of Transport had complained bitterly about the report on Nigerian seaports released in 2013 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) labeling NPA then as the most corrupt port in the world! It therefore means that the SOP and the PSSP are a direct response to a Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA). Another giant stride taken is to put an end to the monopoly in the provision of oil and gas logistics. It is noteworthy that this querulous issue delayed multi-billion dollars of investments. Usman has given the assurance that no organisation serving the NPA would be accorded the monopoly in the supply of oil and gas logistics. Gladdening too is the concerted and sustained effort made by the Usman-led NPA

“The price of greatness is responsibility” — Winston Churchill

to align it with the best global practices. For instance, prelude to the maiden International Association of Ports and Harbours(IAPH) African Regional Conference in Abuja in September, 2018 she announced the readiness of the Agency to attain the highly regarded but elusive ISO 9001 Certification. The other is the OHSAS 18001 Certification. According to the Country Director of Renner and Renner Training and Consulting Service, Ibby Iyama, ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS).Organisations use it to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. This is hinged on the three main pillars of Process approach, Risk-based thinking and continual improvement. As the MD, NPA rightly noted during the afore mentioned Conference, the ISO Certificate would not only improve the nation’s seaports rating on the world’s maritime map, it would encourage them to be more competitive and efficient in the discharge of their services to the customers. One good aspect of the ISO Certificate compliance is the sustained training and comprehensive human capacity development the NPA has engaged its staff in, for its facilitation. Members have been made to understand its benefits to the top management as well as other cadres of staff. These include the imperatives of time sensitiveness to discharge its duties to clients such as shippers, consignees, retailers and manufacturers. Others include elimination of waste, provision of full-fledged vessel communication system, conducive work environment, cost effective service delivery, adoption to international best practices, ensuring the workers’ health and well-being and increase employee motivation. On its part, the OHSAS 18001 Certificate is an Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series. It is

AYO OYOZE BAJE Baje is Nigerian first food technologist in the media and author of ‘DRUMBEATS OF DEMOCRACY’ 07068638066

officially known as BS OHSASA 18001 as a British Standard for occupational health and safety management systems. It provides a framework to identify, control and reduce the risks associated with health and safety within the workforce. Apart from preventing work-related incidents such as accidents, ill-health and fatality it improves legislative compliance. A stickler for rules, Usman has insisted that trucks are not parked wrongly. So, to find lasting solution to the seemingly intractable Apapa/Oshodi Road gridlock she convened a well attended stakeholders meeting. There she presented a more all-encompassing plan to free the road of its choking traffic. This will eventually enhance efficient operation at Apapa ports and improve on revenue generation for the federal government. The NPA is also working on a port development master plan with the aim to provide competition amongst the on-going Lekki Deep Sea Port, Badagry Deep Sea Ports and existing ports. It is significant to note that the achievements recorded so far under the MD, all fall in tandem with the NPA’s statutory duties. They are also important as we diversify from the long focus on the oil industry. These include, the need to develop, own and operate ports and harbours, provide safe and navigable channel and offer cargo handling. Others involve storage services, maintenance of port facilities and equipment, ensuring safety and security.

Quick Takes

Off the Cuff

Kidnappers, killers overrun Nigeria amid uncountable security meetings

resident Muhammadu Buhari has held uncountable number of security meetings with the highest security apparatchik; yet, kidnappers and killers have continued unhindered in their evil campaign. No day ever passes without news of people being abducted, raped or killed, even after hefty ransom had been paid and collected in some cases. The Federal Government appears overwhelmed and only offers same castrated consolation each time such an incident, particularly of a known figure is reported. “We are on top of the situation” has been the usual refrain. With the unbridled massacres of innocent Nigerians on nation’s highways by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, many Nigerians today seem to have lost faith and confidence in government. Although Nigeria is not in a defined war situation, the setting appears war-like. People are wantonly murdered in broad day light. The escalation of insecurity appears to have justified the condemnation that trailed the recent extension of the terms of the Service Chiefs by the President. Many Nigerians had wondered why Abuja would reward failure. They also wondered why President Buhari would go against the popular maxim that reward for good job is more work; why rewarding mediocrity then? If it were in some countries, those who have failed

the people, by allowing bandits make a mince meat of people’s lives on a daily basis, should have been fired since. Nigeria’s situation defies every logic. Last week, news broke that Jeremiah Omolewa, a pastor with Winners’ chapel, Kaduna, was kidnapped alongside his wife and son. Story had it that after service last Sunday; he had left for an event in Abuja with his wife and son. On their way back, uniformed men stopped them along Abuja/Kaduna Expressway. It was said that he had stopped, thinking they were security personnel as they wore military uniform. He became curious as they were being ordered into the bush, and he reportedly questioned why they were being taking into the bush. His question riled the kidnappers, who allegedly shot him twice, and then used their knife and butchered his chest in the presence of his wife and son! The wife and son were being marched into the bush by the hoodlums. Along the line, the son escaped, but the mother was still in their custody. The young man said that, at the time he escaped, the mother was lying unconscious in the bush as she was hit by a bullet. Same last week, Eze Chikamnayo, a former commissioner for information, escaped death by a whisker in Enugu when his vehicle was riddled with bullets. According to him, the incident happened before the University Teaching Hospital (UNTH)

after Awgu junction. “Suddenly, this hooded person jumped out of the bush in front of me and started shooting at my car. Before I could make anything out of it another three appeared a bit in front and bullets started flying everywhere. I have been hearing about Fulani herdsmen but what I saw yesterday is better imagined than experienced. “About one kilometer from there, just before UNTH and NNPC Mega Station was a military checkpoint. I heaved a sigh of relief and slowed down. I told the Army guy what was going on just behind their post. He casually told me that they were aware. That the driver in front of me just told them. I asked him why he was still standing there without making any move to save the vehicles behind, and he just looked at me blankly and waved me on. “It was then it dawned on me what happened. There were over 20 bullet holes in my front fender. Most of these bullets hit directly at my radiator and other things in front of the engine. The tyres which they were after didn’t get a scratch. There were also two bullet holes on the passenger side of the car, and few others around the booth. Let God be praised!” he said.

$11billion

This is the amount of money said to have been invested in Nigeria, over the years, by the World Bank. Education, health, agriculture and other sectors are beneficiaries.

On a serious note! “As regards the insecurity in the South-West, there is an emergency. There should be a declaration of security emergency throughout the land and measures taken accordingly.” -Wole Soyinka, a professor and Nobel laureate, calling for state of emergency in SouthWest.

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