BusinessDay 17 May 2020

‘Telecoms/ICT sector should be considered part of critical national infrastructure in 15 Covid-19’

Nigerian state governments and the politics of COVID-19 fight 10

Kidnappers nearly removed my body parts for N25m ransom - Catholic Priest 30

Airtel gains market share in data, voice services as MTN consolidates other revenue sources

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Vol 1, No. 313

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COVID-19: Journey to Madagascar Over 30 research institutes, 150 varsities unable to help Nigeria Ohuabunwa calls for coordinated research See page We should think globally but act locally - Soludo Nigeria lacks needed discipline to manufacture, dispense certain pharmaceutical products - Amuta

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Rivers: Demolition of hotels, auctioning of vehicles threats to investments?

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Why Covid-19 impact mitigation committee is tearing the creative industry apart 18

Emotional challenges will cause more havoc than Covid-19 Olusola

R-L: Patrick Okundia, Edo State commissioner for Health; Governor Godwin Obaseki; Faith Ireye, Edo coordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO), and Eze Emmanuel, team lead, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), during the signing of the state’s Incidence Action Plan for COVID-19, at the Government House, Benin City

Sanwo-Olu, Fayemi, Obaseki, Sule outlay plans to resuscitate economy, tackle coronavirus pandemic .. Seek more support in battle against Covid-19 Iniobong Iwok

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o v e r n o r s Babajide SanwoOl u , Go d w i n O b a s e k i , Ka y o d e Fa y e m i a n d

Adullahi Sule of Lagos, Edo, Ekiti and Nasarawa, respectively, have pledged to increase support for small scale businesses and diversify the economy to boost the economy of their states amid the threat of

Covid-19 pandemic.

The governors also urged Nigerians to abide by guidelines put in place by various state governments across the country to check the spread of the pandemic.

The state chief executive

officers stated this on Friday while featuring in a Covid-19 webinar interactive session organised by the Emmanuel Chapel Methodist Church.

The programme was an opportunity for the

governors to share experience and narrate efforts put in place to tackle the pandemic in their various states.

Speaking at the event, See page 27

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Cover

COVID-19: Journey to Madagascar ZEBULON AGOMUO and CHUKA UROKO

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rom their utterances to actions and even body language, the government of Nigeria has left no one in doubt that they are at their wit’s end in what is clearly a lame-duck fight or posturing against the prowling invisible enemy called coronavirus (Covid-19).

With the lamentation on lack of funds, leading to passionate appeals for support from individuals and corporate bodies, and complaints about inadequate isolation centres, bed space and test kits, the government has also demonstrated lack of capacity and unwillingness to think or cause people to think of a local solution for the deadly virus.

As it is today, there is no known government coordinated or sponsored effort in terms of research aimed at finding a vaccine for known and yet-to-be discovered patients of coronavirus in Nigeria.

Like a woman always waiting for a ready-made home, Nigeria is waiting for other countries to produce for it to consume.

This explains why, a few days ago, the country, like a swimmer in a turbulent sea struggling to swim ashore, decided to import the Madagascan herbal cure called ‘Covid Organics’ (CVO) for use in treatment of coronavirus.

“Our country does not want to do anything; it is always waiting for others to do something and then it will import for consumption. Up till now, nobody has been commissioned by the government to carry out research to find a cure for Covid-19,” noted Sam Ohuabunwa, president of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria at a media programme in Lagos on Thursday.

Madagascar, one of the very small African countries, is just an island country lying off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is the fourth largest island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.

The agrarian country, with 22 million population of which is slightly larger than that of Lagos, is one of the world’s poorest countries that took humans 300,000 years to discover.

This island country, the economy of which has been based on the cultivation of paddy rice, coffee, vanilla and cloves, is so poor that it depends on foreign aid. Ironically, this is where Africa’s most populous nation and the continent’s selfacclaimed largest economy, has decided to look up to for its health emergency.

Ohuabunwa lamented that with over 30 research institutes and more than 150 universities, Nigeria is unable to initiate activities that could lead to developing a vaccine for treating infectious diseases such as Covid-19, pointing out that research is not what an individual could undertake without a grant or government support. “Research is usually capital intensive, takes time and could fail,” he noted.

Obi Adigwe, DG/CEO, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Re-

search and Development (NIPRD), agrees, stressing that research is heavily capital intensive and takes a long time from conception to conclusion.

Adigwe noted that collaboration is grossly lacking among research institutes and other scientific bodies, adding that Nigeria has got enough capacity to carry research and come out with results whose efficacy can be attested to anywhere in the world. “But the funding is not there,” he pointed out.

He is of the view that there should be a lot more collaborative efforts by research institutes, the federal ministry of health, NAFDAC, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and other allied bodies for research purposes that will place the country in good stead to fight diseases such as Covid-19.

Unlike Nigeria that thrives in a waiting game, Madagascar, about three weeks ago officially launched a locally produced medicine it believes can prevent and cure patients suffering from COVID-19 ailment.

The drug, according to Andry Rajoelina, president of the country, was developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research and branded COVID Organics (CVO).

While presenting the drug to the media, President Rajoelina said it contained Artemisia, a plant cultivated in the country to fight malaria. “All trials and tests have been conducted and its effectiveness in reducing symptoms has been proven for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in Madagascar,” President Rajoelina said.

“This herbal tea gives results in seven days,” the president assured and has been magnanimous enough to share this herbal cure with other African countries, including the continent’s Big Brother, Nigeria.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, told Nigerians at one of their daily briefings that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the airlifting of Nigeria’s allocation of the Madagascan herbal cure.

“This means that this government is already tired of this Covid-19; it means they don’t know any other thing to do. So there was nothing they were doing before in terms of finding a cure for this virus,” Anthony Chukwu, a clinical psychologist and researcher, asked rhetorically.

Chukwu stated that it was clear that the government did not know what to do again when it decided to ease the lockdown on the country’s major cities “when it was clear that we were not getting better with the number of confirmed cases and deaths spiking on daily basis.”

In many respects, it is obvious that Nigeria is not serious with fighting the dreaded virus. But one good thing Nigerians say Covid-19 has done for the country, even if by default, is to further expose and emphasise the emptiness in the country’s healthcare system.

According to them, the country and its managers were caught pants-down by this pandemic and this is largely because this is a global

Rauf Olaniyan, deputy governor, representing Oyo State Governor, signing the condolence register during the condolence visit to the family of the late Kehinde Ayoola, commissioner for Environment and Resources, in Ibadan.

PHOTO: Oyo State

problem that has blocked all escape routes for those managers, forcing them to confess they never knew the system was so deep in the mess they have seen it.

Apart from the personal responsibility citizens are being compelled to take, the next best approach to dealing with the virus is testing. But Nigeria is not doing enough here because it is incapacitated. The country folks in the Eastern part of the country are gloating over the low infection rate in the region, apparently unaware that it is lack of testing that puts them under that illusion.

For a country of 200 million people, there are only 24 laboratories nationwide for Covid-19 testing, according to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Even at that, the distribution is a source of worry as it covers only 15 out of the 36 states of the federation.

There are seven laboratories currently located in South West, including Lagos (4), Ogun (1), Oyo (1), and Osun (1) while the SouthSouth has five laboratories in Edo (2), Delta (1), and Rivers (2).

The North Central has three laboratories in the FCT (2) and Plateau (1), while the entire and vast North East has only one laboratory in Maiduguri.

The North West Region has six laboratories located in Kaduna (2), Kano (3) and Sokoto (1) while the South East had one (1) in Ebonyi before the designation of Everight Diagnostic Laboratory Services, a private laboratory in Owerri, Imo State, as a Covid-19 testing centre, bringing the number to two.

Although a new state government laboratory is being developed for Anambra, it remains a puzzle that a medical Centre of Excellence like the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu is not being considered for a Hitech laboratory.

The University of Nigeria is the second (and first indigenous) university in Nigeria designated as a Centre of Excellence in medicine

and surgery, yet that has not qualified it for a federal medical laboratory.

These lapses and a lot more unsubstantiated reasons account for why, as at 5:04 pm on Friday, 15 May 2020, the giant of Africa has been able to test only 30,657 persons since it began testing in March 2020, in a country of 200 million populations.

In his well-publicised article recently, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, a professor of economics and a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), advised that “We should think globally but act locally and opportunistically to survive and prosper, and exploit the global opportunities offered by the crises.”

According to the renowned economist, “Our western and local (herbal) medical experts and research institutions should all be mobilised to come up with solutions.

Those with pre-existing conditions might receive special treatment.

The President of Madagascar is reported to have announced that his country has found its own cure for COVID-19 and has ordered schools also to reopen. The West is still in a trial-and-error mode, and why shouldn’t we experiment as well? Africa fought and survived Ebola without lockdowns and we can do even better this time.”

Speaking in tandem, but insisting that there must be world approved laboratories to come up with remedies, a renowned pharmacist, Victor Amuta, chairman, VIVA Chemist Limited, warned that Nigeria should not, out of desperation, begin to concoct anything in the name of COVID-19 cure as that would prove detrimental.

Reacting to an observation that Nigeria must not depend on Europe, America or China but to seek ways to find remedies for the pandemic, Amuta said Nigeria has not got the needed discipline for manufacturing and dispensing certain pharmaceutical products unlike what obtains in other climes.

“Medical/pharmaceutical scientists all over the world are making efforts to find a cure. They are not hoping to use herbal remedies.

High level research efforts are being conducted in state-of-the-art laboratories in many first world countries.

“Nigeria is a third world black African country where ethical Pharmaceutical products are sold in open markets with the connivance of government authorities,” Amuta said.

“What do you want Pharmacists in Nigeria to say? We should manufacture crude herbal concoctions for treatment of coronavirus, to please semi-illiterate uninformed Nigerian masses, so that they will praise us?

“Pharmacists are trained to research and manufacture ethical Pharmaceutical products in standard world class laboratories.

Pharmacists in Nigeria are welltrained professionals; some of us were trained in the best universities in the first world countries. Some of us who trained in Nigeria also get out to first world countries and are accepted to practise pharmacy in such climes,” he said.

According to him, “We are not herbalists and will not practise alchemy/herbal medicine to please uninformed Nigerians. Informed educated Nigerians know that we need world approved laboratories to produce ethical Pharmaceuticals.

No individual pharmacist can set up such laboratories.

“I am a very well trained pharmacist and I am confident that I can hold my own anywhere in the world as far as pharmacy practice is concerned. Many Pharmacists in Nigeria including me are registered members of Federation of International Pharmacists, and attend the meetings and follow the proceedings at meetings. Pharmacy is a profession which is controlled by international standards.It is not about what obtains in Nigeria where controlled drugs are sold in the open markets!”

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News Revealed: Under-reported gas flaring leads to over $1bn losses

COVID-19: NGO distributes palliatives to women, widows in Lagos

…As coalition set to petition FG to probe almost 100% underreporting by NNPC

s part of efforts to alleviate the hardship being experienced as the COVID-19 ravages t h e c o u n t r y, a n o n governmental organisation (NGO), the Centre for G e n d e r a n d Cu l t u r a l Development(CGCD), has distributed palliatives worth millions of naira to women, especially widows in Agbado/Oke Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

The items distributed to over 500 women included rice, beans, tomato pastes, Garri, Vegetable oil, among others.

Executive Director of the NGO, Ayoola Ogunjobi stated that African women had suffered untold hardship from the Corona Virus pandemic.

According to her, women are the worst hit by the pandemic because they make up the poorest and most vulnerable members of the society who should be catered for.

Ogunjobi said there was the need to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the real people who cannot afford to feed properly.

“So, the Centre needed to provide palliative to mitigate the debilitating impact of Covid-19, a gesture like this at this critical time, is

Ignatius Chukwu

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igeria is believed to be declaring about half of what the oil explorers were actually flaring, thus paying far less than they should pay to the government as fines, an amount that may have hit $1bn as loss.

This is said to have emerged since new penalty regime emerged about two years ago. Now, a shortfall of almost 100 percent has been reported in declaring gas flares in Nigeria, according to a study released Wednesday afternoon by a team of researchers monitoring Nigeria’s gas sub-sector.

This is as not less than 20 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have declared their readiness to sign a petition to the Presidency demanding an urgent probe of how the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) reports about half of what is actually flared as confirmed by international satellite system monitoring flared gas around the world. The discrepancy or underreporting is said to have started since 2018.

An e x p e r t o n g a s commercialisation, Jesse Martins Manufor, said in his presentation at a webinar on Wednesday that since 2013, gas flares in Nigeria have been monitored from two

sources; the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on behalf of the NNPC and the international satellite system for Gas Flare Tracking (GFT).

Whereas the NNPC reported 228 billion cubic feet of gas (bcf) flared in 2018, the GFT reported 472bcf, a difference of almost 100 per cent. In 2019, the presentation revealed, the NNPC reported 325bcf while the GFT reported 475bcf. The difference since 2018 is said to have alerted international and local observers and investors.

So u r c e s c l o s e t o t h e NNPC are said to have also expressed surprise.

Manufor, who made the presentation at the web-

based training for NGOs and media groups organized by the African Initiative for Transparency,Accountability and Responsibility Leadership (AFRITAL) with support from FOSTER, said the surprising thing is that since 2013, both the NNPC and GFT had been reporting almost the same figures, only for sharp discrepancies to creep in since 2018.

Speculating on reasons for the sharp underreporting since 2018, some resource persons revealed that the new gas policy became known in 2018 and was signed in July 2018 to take effect in 2019.

The new policy imposes $2.50 penalty per cubic feet of gas flared instead of the

previous penalty of $0.50.

The sharp increase may have motivated underreporting in recent years to reduce the penalty to be paid and accounted for.

The ugly scenario in the Nigerian gas sub-sector is believed to be due to absence of independent monitors in the industry. It was revealed that it is the oil corporations that also submit figures of gas flared.

M a n u f o r h o w e v e r, wondered how the independent gas buyers that have submitted bids to take over the gas flare fields would get accurate figures for business planning and bidding since the NNPC figures have sharply disagreed with satellite reports.

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he African Development Bank ( ADB) has debarred China Zhonghao Limited, employer of the two Chinese recently arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Cr i m e s C o m m i s s i o n , EFCC, for offering a bribe of N100million (One Hundred Million Naira) to one of its officers, for 18 months, for fraudulent practices.

According to a

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necessary to be there for the poor and the needy, “Women in Lagos, being one of the largest cities in Africa, constituted the focal point of the centre, in realising this, the centre is touched and moved to do this in order to see that women especially widows are taken care of,” he said.

The Executive Director of the Centre, however, implored women to demonstrate a high degree of compliance by regularly washing their hands, maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks.

Stephen Orowole, the Director of Programmes and Logistics of the Centre and coordinator of the Relief Package, said another round of the palliatives would soon be distributed to include men.

Orowole said the gesture was to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 on the vulnerable, and that many people presently lacked the funds to cater for their basic needs especially to feed.

He however, urged all Nigerians to respect the protocol of the coronavirus such as social distance, regular hand washing, use of face masks and staying at home order so as to eradicate the scourge.

El i z a b e t h Oj e b i y i , a coordinator, said the distribution of the stimulus was to put smiles on the faces of many people who are finding it difficult to feed as a result of pandemic.

Ogah commiserates with Abia community over murder of son by police L-R: Eze Kingsley Ogundu; Alex Antonia Ally, CEO, Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe (HOW) Foundation; His Majesty, Blessing Wagor; Nye Nwe Ali Isiokpo, and Wobodo Amadi, chairman Council of Chiefs, Isiokpo community, Rivers State, at the distribution of palliatives to the community.

Fraudulent deals: ADB Debars China Zhonghao Limited for 18 months Innocent Odoh, Abuja

REMI FEYISIPO

statement issued on Friday by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, the company was debarred for fraudulently misrepresenting its year of incorporation, value of its reference contracts and cognate experience of its key personnel while bidding for two tenders under ADB-financed Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project for Oyo and Taraba States in Nigeria.

Debarment is the shutting out or exclusion of a company, an individual, an

entity from certain rights, privileges or possessions owing to allegations of fraud, mismanagement or impropriety.

Reports available to the EFCC showed that ADB’s office of Integrity and AntiCorruption established that China Zhonghao Limited committed the fraudulent deals and debarred it from participating in projects, financed by the bank for a period of 18 months.

Aside the 18 months exclusion from the bankfinanced projects, China Zhonghao stands debarred

by other multilateral development banks like the World Bank group; Asian DevelopmentBank,European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank, owing to Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions among the banks, the statement said.

The EFCC arraigned Meng Wei Kun and Xui Kuoi, two Chinese, working with China Zhonghao Limited at the Sokoto State High Court on Friday, on an allegation of bribery.

UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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cheOgah, minister of state for Mines and Steel Development, has commiserated with Ohafia Community in Ohafia Local Government Area, AbiaState over killing of one of her son, Kingsley Arunsi by triggerhappy policeman at Eni Njoku Road, EbemOhafia recently.

Ogah, while condoling the community at the Palace of the Traditional Ruler, Udumeze of Ohafia, Eze E. Imaga, a professor, noted with dismay the incident that led to the gruesome murder of the 20-year-old son of the Community, Arunsi on the 18th day of April, 2020, describing it as painful, traumatic and colossal loss to the entire community.

The minister, who was represented by a delegation led by Joshua Ogbonna, his Media aide and Publisher of Rising Sun Newspapers, advised youths to show restraint and pursue the

matter constitutionally and also admonished the police to exercise caution in the use of arms against defenseless citizens who they are meant to protect.

Oga further commended the Royal father of the Community for maintaining peace and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

T h e R o y a l f a t h e r, EzeImaga in his response describedOgah as a friend of the community who had always identified with the community over the years and prayed God for longevity and fulfillment of his dreams.

The delegation, which later visited the deceased family, was received by Ubani Ukpai, uncle to the late Arunsi, who in an emotion-laden voice described the death of his nephew as painful and untimely.

Ogah urged the family not to weep like people who did not have hope but to have solace in the Biblical injunction of God, “I will not leave you comfortless”.

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BDSUNDAY 5

News

How we got data of our modified school feeding programme - FG

Mouka urges Muslims to uphold Islamic virtues at Ramadan

…Says N607m not spent daily on the scheme …Over 3m household targeted in participating states …Governors involved in the plan

Seyi John Salau

HARRISON EDEH, INNOCENT ODOH & JAMES KWEN, Abuja

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mar Farouq, minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, on Friday explained how the data for the modified school feeding programme during the pandemic was collated, stating that school registers and state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were used for the collation.

The Minister also noted that Nigeria’s country director for World Food Programme was also available to provide technical support for the programme which commenced last week among the benefitting states, stating in addition that over 3 million beneficiaries are on target for the programme.

“For clarity, the programme which is funded by the federal government of Nigeria is implemented by state Governments and facilitated by the federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development,” She said.

She explained that the programme as modified is targeted at the heads of the Households, guiders, and

Umar Farouq

care givers of these children of primary schools; stating emphatically, “We are not spending N607 million per day as alluded to.”

“That number is inaccurate. The take home rations are worth N4200 per household and are planned as a monthly COVID-19 intervention for 3.1 million households in the participating state,” she clarified.

Speaking on data collation for the beneficiaries, she said: “How we got our data with the children at home is another big issue. When children enrolled in schools, as part of registration processes, a detailed register which contains the address of every parent and guardian of every pupil is kept with the schools and

the class teachers.”

“We also obtained those from State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and other sources. More so, in the communities where these children live, every child and household could easily be identified.

To ensure full transparency so that the programme is not compromised, she said: “We are submitting the full list of all the vendors to the EFCC, and let me also state here that these vendors have been in the strictures since 2016. So, we are using existing structures and not beginning an entirely new programme.

“It is the vendors that have been in the programme, that we’re using because they are used to giving these items to the cooks to cook. We’ve also invited other agencies of the government including the EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau and a host of NGOs and CSOs to help us monitor.

“We ask Nigerians to support this initiative at the time of this pandemic, so that the objective of this school feeding programme is not compromised: having children being fed with good and balanced nutritious food as well as boosting the local economy of these communities.

Abala elite group distributes COVID-19 palliatives to 107 indigent persons UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

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n a bid to complement the efforts of Abia State Government in the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of Covid-19 pandemic within the state, a group known as Abala Elite in Obingwa LGA has distributed food items and face masks to 107 indigent persons in Abala community.

While distributing the

items ranging from bags of rice, tubers of yam and face masks at Abala Community Secondary School, Adiele Loveday Azubuike, secretary of the group, and Chiemela Ulelu, public relations officer, in their separate speeches, advised the beneficiaries to absolutely adhere strictly to the government precautionary measures in curtailing the spread of the novel virus in Abala Autonomous Com-

munity.

Also S.A.Ahuka, chairman of Abala village heads; Chinedu Okechukwu, Abala Community youth president, and SundayNwulu, Abala electricity committee chairman, on behalf of the entire people of Abala commended the members of Abala Elite for their humanitarian service to indigents of the community and prayed that God Almighty would bless them abundantly.

Police seek support of residents to better secure Aba GODFREY OFURUM, Aba

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bia State command of the Nigeria Police has once again appealed to residents of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State to furnish it with vital information that would lead to better policing of the area.

Janet Agbede, the state’s Commissioner of Police, made the plea during her familiarisation visit to Aba Area Command on Thursday.

Agbede, who is the first fe-

male Commissioner of Police in the state, explained that the police need vital information to function properly and to tackle crimes, stressing that her command, would welcome useful information that would help to secure the city.

In her words, “If we don’t have information, it might seem as if we are doing nothing, but giving police information is important to us, because information is the heartbeat of security in every community.

“Commanders and divisional police officers (DPOs) should ensure they work

with local vigilantes and be on the lookout for the local vigilantes, because they are not trained, you need to know them and help them to function properly”.

Responding to request for additional manpower, by Kabiru Ibrahim, commander, Aba Area Command, Agbede promised to send men to the command, when the force headquarters, sends personnel to Abia.

She advised the Aba Area Commander to seek the assistance of local and state governments, to help provide vehicles for the command.

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ouka, the frontline company in the manufacturing of mattresses and beddings in Nigeria, has urged Islamic scholars, leaders and believers to remain devoted and also sustain Islamic virtues of love, brotherhood, tolerance and care during this period of Ramadan.

It is a period of fasting, prayer, reflection and communal co-existence is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which begins with the sighting of the crescent moon.

Commenting on the sacred period which is in fulfilment of the fourth pillar of Islam, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Raymond Murphy, said Muslims should see it as a time of peace and harmonious coexistence for a more united and prosperous nation Murphy affirmed that in

this period of penitence and self denial, Muslims should demonstrate what they preach for others to emulate and to be seen as epithet of uprightness.

The Mouka boss enjoined Muslims to use the fasting period to pray to Allah for the speedy containment of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which has infected hundreds of persons and cases of fatalities, a situation that has led to lockdown of some states in the country.

“This is crucial at this time of the deadly disease for socio-economic advancement and we strongly advocate preventive measures on (COVID-19) pandemic for a more robust Ramadan period and to avert increase in infection as well as death cases,” he said.

He called on them to keep to a healthy sleep culture which the company advocates, especially on Mouka quality mattresses.

“A healthy sleep after fasting is necessary to ensure physical fitness for effective

work performance,” Murphy advised.

Mouka has remained committed to worthy initiatives that ensure the wellbeing of the people as they are at the core of its mission.

Recently, the company donated 500 mattresses to Lagos State government for the enhancement of its COVID-19 isolation centres and another 200 to victims of the Abule Ado gas pipeline explosion which occurred in Lagos.

It also aided Ogun State government with the donation of 200 mattresses for its COVID-19 isolation centres, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

On its stables are quality brands such as Wellbeing orthopaedic mattresses, Dreamtime water-resistant mattress and Mondeo Spring mattress. Other products on its stables include Mouka Mozzi, a three-variant brand of innovative insect repellent and wide range of pillows for a comfortable sleep.

Eleme hotel demolition:

Youth leader declared wanted by Rivers government wants to meet Wike to spill the beans …Says he was framed up; governor was misinformed Ignatius Chukwu

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ince the demolition in Eleme Rivers State by government of two hotels over the alleged flouting of lockdown directive, there have been divergent views on the issue.

The state government went ahead to declare wanted a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) youth leader, Princewill Osaroejiji who was said to have lodged at one of the hotels and also attacked members of the Rivers State Covid-19 Task Force.

But, the youth leader at the weekend spoke from his hideout, explaining that Governor Nyesom Wike was grossly misinformed.

Below are his words: When I was called upon by the manager of the hotel (Prodest Hotel), and was told that there were some men that came there who demanded for money from him, I was surprised because that place was shut down.

I went there. When I got there, I saw people I had nominated into position. I saw the person I nominated, John Nkolowa Saka who is my personal CSO (chief security officer). I nominated him for the job of Rivers State Covid-19 Task Force. They were just four persons that came there.

They said I led thugs to the

Eleme youth leader

hotel. How will I lead thugs to beat up people I nominated? I said to them, this is not what governor asked you people to do. Why would you go and ask for money? Is the hotel in operation? Even if it is in operation, you have to stop it.

Because he (Finance Commissioner, Isaac Kamalu) wants to fight me, he has vowed not to forgive me. He is close to Governor Wike, that’s why he misinformed the governor. That’s why I want the governor to call all the chiefs and all the leaders of PDP in Eleme.

Nobody beat anybody.

Most of the people that were lying down in the hospital (as injured task force members) ...Governor brought food palliative to Eleme people on Sunday, (May 10, 2020) that’s the same day they demolished the hotel, those people (people lying down in the hospital) were the same people

that shared the foodstuffs out to ward representatives; every ward went with their own.

On Monday they shared the food in the wards; these same people were sharing food and people where seeing them. Nkolowa Saka was the one that shared items in their own unit that Monday.

So, do you see? For them to go and just lie down in the hospital, bandaged themselves in the evening of Monday, that’s a wrong information.

If these persons were beaten up earlier, they could not have been the same persons there during the demolition of the hotel on Sunday, and that same Sunday they went to the Area Command where they shared food. On Monday they were sharing food in the community and people were seeing them. Let’s even assume they were beaten up and they were hospitalised, will people be seeing them?

I married 17 years ago, I have six children, I have never been handcuffed before. I have never been indicted somewhere, I have never been invited anywhere for criminal issues. How could I be part of...to lead thugs? I fight against cultism, criminality. So why will it be Covid-19 something that they will declare me wanted everywhere?

I want the governor to see me one-on-one with the whole leaders. Please this is my plea to you.

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Sunday 17 May 2020

News Feature IGP intervenes in Rivers’ COVID-19 wars, orders free passage of essential workers, foods Ignatius Chukwu

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he recently posted Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Joseph Mukan, has been directed by his boss, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to take over the security aspect of the war against the COVID-19 in the oilrich state. Before now, the governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, had been the chief enforcer of all orders used to prosecute the war against the invisible virus.

The methods and actions applied by Wike seem to have brought the state government in conflict with oil multinationals, helicopter companies, and the federal government (or some of its agencies). Governor Wike has used the police and other security agencies to arrest pilots, air passengers, 22 Mobil oil workers, as well as confiscation of trucks, vehicles and demolition of hotels that may have violated the lockdown order.

The arrest of pilots and later 22 Mobil workers coming in from Eket in Akwa Ibom State may have stirred some pens in high places in Abuja. The signs came when the Minister of State for Aviation, Sirika Hadi, backed Carveton Helicopters, saying they had federal permit to operate the flights. Although Gov Wike later freed both the Carveton detainees and Mobil men, the actions seemed to lay foundations for discord between the state and the FG. The straw that may have broken the Carmel’s back could be the threat to auction trucks impounded by Rivers State and the demolition of two hotels (Prodest and Emeteteh) in Eleme LGA last Sunday.

Also, a police man attached to one of the many task forces operating in the state had shot a fellow police officer, a female, at Eneka, near Port Harcourt. Several other pockets of violence and conflicts highlighted the enforcement of the orders on COVID-19.

Governor Wike is the chairman of the highest task force where heads of security agencies in the state are mere members.

Wike personally stated to newsmen last week that it was the reason why heads of some security agencies in the state were redeployed same week including the particular police commissioner, Kastina Stateborn Mustapha Dandaura, that seemed to work very closely with him.

Dandaura’s replacement, Plateau State-born Mukan, seems to come with clear directives on many issues especially the prosecution of the war against the virus. This could be because the President was issuing orders which required the various commissioners of police in the states to implement nationwide, whereas Governor Wike was issuing his own orders which also needed

…Are Wike’s ‘wings’ being clipped?

Governor Nyesom Wike the same police command to implement. When there is conflict in these two sets of laws, the commissioner of police would have to decide which to obey.

Now, the IGP seems to clearly direct which orders to obey. In carrying this out, the new CP has charged members of the police enforcing the lockdown to ensure that human right abuses were eliminated. They should also give access to journalists throughout the period of the lock down.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a DSP, warned officers in Rivers State to ensure that no journalist or doctor was molested or harnessed covering the lock down.

“I just got the signal of those on essential duties and journalists are number one on the list.

IGP Mohammed Adamu

I think because the police work hand in hand with the media and government, so the commissioner of police, CP Joseph Gobum Mukan, has warned all units, tactical heads, area commanders, divisional police officers, etc to call their men to order.

Any policeman who breaches this order and is reported to the command will be dealt with. All journalists must have clear identification (Identity Card) stating so on him or her at all times. If at the point of arrest, you do not have identity card, as journalist or doctor or medical personnel you may need not to blame our officers,” he said.

Nnamdi Omoni also emphasised on the need to respect human rights of every citizens and residents of the state. No

CP Joshua Gobum Mukan policeman should be seen harassing any residents who are not armed, may also warn police men to remember we live in a digital world, videos are so easy to make now, anyone caught in such videos will face disciplinary action from the command.

The IGP and the commissioner of police CP joseph Mukan does not play with issues of human rights abuses.

Nnamdi Omoni also hailed the court judgment sentencing a police sergeant, Johnbosco Okoronze, for aiding the escape of Ifeanyi Dike. Okoronze who was found guilty of aiding and assisting the escape of Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell-Dike from police custody was sentenced to one-year imprisonment.

The judge had ruled that he decided to sentence Okoronze to one-year imprisonment because of the fact that he has served two years in prison already and has been dismissed from police force.

He warned officers serving in the command to take their job seriously.

Omoni said police is one organisation that does not shield its own. “If you are found culpable in any crime or criminal matter, we do our investigations and orderly room trial and that is the end for that police officer, just like the case of Johnbosco.

Upon interrogation, he was found culpable for aiding and abetting and was summarily dismissed and handed to court

to face trials.”

The several orders being issued in Rivers State seemed to have created opportunities for officers to extort members of the public. A petition was written a DPO for illegally detaining a pharmacist and later demanding for N100,000 but allegedly got N20,000 to free the pharmacistlecturer.

Task forces striped?

Now, talks are rife that the IG has decided to relocate to Port Harcourt to enforce the orders.

This could not be confirmed.

What seems very true however is the talk that all policemen serving with task forces have been redeployed.

This was said to be no new directive as they were withdrawn after the killing of the police woman by a trigger-happy policeman attached to a task force at Eneka.

A visit to the headquarters would show many of them waiting to be posted. In that case, it was said, the task forces are no longer operating with police attaches. In this regard, any gun found on them would be illegal.

It is not clear if that is the reason why the task force men were thoroughly beaten up by the youth leader of Eleme LGA and his team who has been declared wanted.

Many now wonder if this could be the beginning of the clipping of wings of the state governor who has consistently picked fights with the centre.

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Person In The News

Gambari: A diplomat in the saddle ZEBULON AGOMUO

O

f all the appointments made last week by President Muhammadu Buhari, that of Professor Agboola Ibrahim Gambari has continued to make newspaper headlines. The reason is not far-fetched.

Before Tuesday, May 12, 2020 when the news broke and Wednesday, May 13, 2020 when he was officially unveiled to the nation by President Buhari during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, speculations had been rife over the possible replacement of the late Abba Kyari who died on April 17, 2020 from coronavirus complications.

Apart from the personality of the successor, Nigerians bothered about the nature of the individual given the stories that milled around the personality of the late Kyari, particularly his approach to the office.

Before the appointment, many names had been bandied as possible candidates. Mohammed Hayatudeen, Amb. Babagana Kingibe; Ismaila Isa Funtua, Mallam Adamu Adamu, minister of Education; Hamid Ali, a retired colonel and director-general of Customs; Buba Marwa, a retired general and former military governor of Lagos State, among others.

Nigerians have continued to task the new Chief of Staff to put the interest of the country above his principal’s, although they appreciate his promise to serve the President with all loyalty.

“I expect Professor Gambari to avoid anything controversial.

The late Abba Kyari was very controversial. Many of those who ordinarily should have worked closely with him for the good of the country did not do so. We read and heard a lot about his frosty relationship with some ministers.

This should not be the case this time around,” a political analyst said on condition of anonymity.

Gambari had pledged to serve the “President to the best of my ability. I think he needs my loyalty, competence and support.”

Filled with excitement over Gambari’s appointment, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, governor of his home state, Kwara, took to his twitter handle last Wednesday to congratulate Gambari.

He scripted: “I congratulate Professor Ibrahim Gambari on his appointment as the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. It’s a befitting development that is rooted in dedication, loyalty, and history.

“The appointment is clearly fit for purpose and is deserving for our own Professor Gambari whose record of service as a diplomat and global statesman is unblemished.

“We pray the Almighty Allah to guide and protect Professor Gambari on this delicate national

Ibrahim Gambari

assignment and to not stop his blessings and protection for President Muhammadu Buhari whose administration continues to impact positively on the lives of the masses. On behalf of my family, the government and people of Kwara State, I congratulate the Wambai Ilorin for this historic appointment.”

Commenting on Gambari’s appointment, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), said it was befitting.

According to BMO, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the President deserves commendation for his choice of another man with a global reputation as his Chief of Staff.

“We acknowledge that the choice of the international diplomat and strategist to replace the late Malam Abba Kyari may have taken so many Nigerians by surprise.

“This is against the background of wide speculations since the death of the former Chief of Staff on the likely occupant of the seat.

“But the President has again proved that he is his own man with the choice of a largely apolitical personality with an international reputation as his key aide.

“As with the late Malam Kyari, President Buhari has had a longstanding relationship with his new Chief of Staff who was also the Minister of External Affairs at the time the President was military Head of State in 1983, so he has a good knowledge of Gambari’s pedigree.

“We have no doubt that Professor Gambari will bring a lot of administrative experience and acumen, not different from that of the late Malam Kyari, to bear on his new role,” the statement added.

The former Nigeria’s former permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) has been around and has seen it all. And he is expected to bring his years of robust experience and knowledge in the management of men and resources to bear on his new job.

Now, working with a President who has just lost a very close friend,

Gambari is expected to fill in that gap in every sense of the word. He must be a close confidant, dependant, and a friend indeed.

It is worth recommending and to draw the attention of the new chief of staff to the wordings of the tribute written by President Buhari at the exit of Kyari. This could help him to have a good idea of what his principal may be expecting from him.

Abba Kyari was uncompromisingly loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari, and the President did not mince words when he said so in his tribute.

“Mallam Abba Kyari was the very best of us. He was made of the stuff that makes Nigeria great.

Rest In Peace, my dearest friend,” the president wrote on his twitter handle.

The President had further recalled: “Becoming my Chief of Staff in 2015, he strove quietly and without any interest in publicity or personal gain to implement my agenda.

“There are those who said of him that he must be secretive – because he did not have a high public profile. But Abba was the opposite: he simply had no need, nor did he seek the cheap gratification of the crowd; for him, there was nothing to be found in popular adulation.

“He secured instead satisfaction and his reward solely and only from the improvement of the governance of this great country.”

Gambari has the dual responsibility of serving the President conscientiously, and at the same time ensures he carries the entire country along.

He is not expected to have any problem with his job description.

He is saddled with the main responsibility of managing the Executive Office of the President (EOP), including selection, supervision and management of the key staff of the presidential office.

As the principal gatekeeper, he will be controlling access to his boss and managing the flow of information and communications to and from the Presidential Villa.

He will be negotiating with the

nation’s bicameral legislature and coordinating agencies such as the Office of the National Security Adviser, Council of Economic Advisers and the Office of Management and Budget.

Obadiah Mailafia, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), who had served as a Chef de Cabinet (Chief of Staff) of the 79-member African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States based in Brussels from 2010-2015, said: “Being a CoS is not a dinner party – and certainly not a job for the fainthearted.”

According to Mailafia, “You have to be a jack of all trades and a master of all; a hands-on economist, finance expert and administrator with a nose for power and diplomatic statecraft. It requires patience, high ability, energy, discretion and tact. But you must also be tough — ready to swim with the sharks and to graze with the bulls.

Above all, your loyalty to the boss must be total and unassailable.”

Part of the misgivings some Nigerians had with the tenure of the late Kyari in office was the enormous powers he allegedly arrogated to himself and his cronies, which were said to have impacted negatively on the country.

An observer said: “If he (Kyari) had had a more enlightened mind, we would have expected him to have used such enormous power to uplift our country from its current morass.”

The man Gambari He was the first Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa (1999-2005). In that capacity, he worked closely with heads of government, key policymakers as well as institutions in the continent to develop the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

During this period, he was concurrently the Resident Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral and Head of the United Nations Mission to Angola (20022003). He has been a delegate to the Assembly of the African Union as a national delegate (1984-1985) and as a member of the UN Secretary-General’s delegation (2000-2012).

Ambassador Gambari is currently the Founder/Chairman of Savannah Center External link in Abuja, Nigeria, a think-tank for research, training and public policy debate on the nexus between diplomacy (conflict resolution), democracy and development in Africa.

His last assignment at the United Nations was as the Joint Special Representative of the Secretary General and Chairperson of the African Union Commission/Head of the UN and AU Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from January 2010 to July 2012. During Ambassador Gambari’s tenure, UNAMID was the world’s largest international peacekeeping mission.

The Ambassador has held several leadership positions at the national, regional and international

levels and has built extensive contacts with governments as well as public and private institutions, especially in Africa.

He was the Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid (1990-1994) during which he worked closely with African governments to coordinate UN policy to eradicate apartheid, thereby building trust and confidence with governments and policymakers in member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

At the global level, Gambari was Under-Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (2005-2007). In that period, he also operated as UN SecretaryGeneral’s Special Envoy on Cyprus, Zimbabwe and Myanmar. On 22 May 2007, the Secretary-General entrusted him with the Good Offices Mandate on Myanmar.

He was also appointed in 2007 by the Secretary-General as Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Iraq Compact and Other Issues, positions he held until 2009. Before joining the United Nations, he served his country as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations (1990-1999).

He was also Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria (19841985) and worked closely with regional leaders, institutions and governments, particularly within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the economic and political development of the sub-region.

He was born on November 24, 1924 in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. He will be 76 years old in November. He attended King’s College in Lagos then proceeded to the London School of Economics where he got a degree in Economics.

For his Masters and Doctorate Degree, he attended Columbia University. He majored in Political Science and International Relations. He was the Minister for External Affairs between 1983 and 1985 under the then military Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari.

As an academic, Prof. Gambari began his teaching career at the City University of New York. He also taught at the University of Albany while he was also served as a Visiting Professor at three universities in Washington DC: Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Georgetown University and Howard University.

In Nigeria, Prof. Gambari was also a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was the pioneer Chancellor of the Kwara State University. He was appointed in 2013 by former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed Before his appointment as the new Chief of Staff, he was the Special Adviser on the International Compact with Iraq and Other Issues for the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations.

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Abacha loot as a metaphor

Frank Aigbogun

editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

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

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

T

he social media is an exciting space, always buzzing with life. One moment, guys are swearing at one another, the next instant they are making peace amid unusual comradery.

The social media is a place of unending puns. Jokes, both cruel and mild, are the norms in the social media. Whenever I am in search of a good laugh, the social media is the place to be because it offers plenty of laughter.

Right in the midst of the COVID-19 induced lockdown and all its attendant stress, I came across a joke that really got me reeling hysterically with laughter. It was about the image of late Military dictator, General Sani Abacha, in an ATM. The ATM was copiously bringing out US dollars like an uncontrollable running tap. Then came the catch. A wretched looking chap, putting on a tattered dress with the inscription, ‘Naija Masses’, says: “Thank you our loving ancestor for always coming

to our rescue in time such dreadful national emergency”.

The above is a social media wry reference to the recently repatriated $311m Abacha loot from the United States of America. As flippant as the anecdote is, it is a sad reflection of the ugly state of primitive greed in our nation. The late Abacha died in office on 8th June, 1998, but his astonishing greed reverberates.

In what is now famously referred to as the Abacha loot, subsequent governments since 1998 keep retrieving millions of dollars from the late general’s interminable reservoir of pilfered booty.

He stole so much that the plunder he left behind has somehow become a source of steady national revenue.

Now, the main gist isn’t really about the person of the late general and his insatiable greed. It is about the unsophisticated thirst for thieving national treasures in our nation.

Many a times, we mischievously zero in on past and present military/ political leaders as the major architects of our national misfortune.

But our leaders are merely a reflection of our society. Almost every segment of the society is represented in the nation’s political landscape. There are lawyers, bankers, economists, accountants, doctors, university dons, priests, engineers, journalists, actors, sheikhs, retired security personnel, farmers, artists, comedians, comrades, sportsmen

and a host of other professionals among the politicians. Since they cut across every sphere of the society, their action or inaction could easily be taken as a picture of who we really are.

The reckless pillaging of our national resources, over the years, images our collective obsession for primitive accumulation of illicit wealth. We are a people that worship money at the detriment of our souls. Therefore, the crude tendency to always amass wealth, whether it is desirable or not, is virtually a culture in our clime. It is easy to keep pointing accusing fingers at those in government because they are mostly in the glare of the public.

But in this country, we have had individuals whose brazen acts of preposterous theft ruined hitherto solid financial institutions, thereby throwing hapless depositors into utter despair.

Similarly, we have had instances when highly placed religious leaders betrayed divine trust by mugging celestial coffers. Equally, in the higher institutions, there have been reported cases of lecturers demanding financial gratification to offer students desired grades.

Imagine what such hypocrites would do if they find themselves in the corridor of power!

Recently, I read that a SouthWest governor gave out millions of naira facemask contract to tailors in his state, but the leadership of the Association of Tailors swindled

their miserable members, who would actually do the job, by offering them peanuts for the job.

In-spite of the ban on unauthorised inter-State travel, scores of Lorries full of cows and human cargoes, on transit from the north, bypass various ‘security’ checkpoints to get down south. In as much as the defiant itinerants could do away with a few cash, the ‘security’ officials would simply look the other way. It is not their concern whether all the commuters are certified COVID-19 patients or not.

We can mock and denigrate Abacha for all we care, he was only a torch bearer in the game we love so much. Pray, how much money does a man really need to be happy in life?

Well, it doesn’t really matter. For us, money comes before everything, even life. Or how else does one explain the ignoble act of a Professor of medicine who defiantly kept a COVID-19 patient in his care, pretending he was being treated for another ailment?

Take it or live it, the average Nigerian is gravely obsessed with money. To save our nation from the consequences of this culture of unbridled greed, we need to urgently heed the following words of an anonymous writer: “When the blood in your veins returns to the sea and the earth in your bones returns to the ground, perhaps then you will remember that this land does not belong to you. It is you that belongs to this land”.

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Feature Private sector’s dominant contribution to Covid-19 fight in Kano Adeola Ajakaiye, in Kano

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he outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria, which Kano, northern Nigeria foremost economy is gradually becoming one of the epicenters in the country, has brought to the fore the muchtalked-about need for PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) in the delivery of public good.

What seems to be a direct step geared at actualising this thinking, since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Kano, has been the efforts by private players, in the provision of practical solutions to the curtailment of Covid-19 in the state.

In Kano State, private sector players have made significant contributions in cash and materials running into billions of naira, in support of the state government response to the outbreak of the virus in the state.

So far, businesses and individuals have contributed over N500 million in cash to a fundraising campaign on COVID-19, championed by the Kano State Government, as part of on-going efforts to help vulnerable persons in the state.

The biggest contributor to the fundraising is an elder statesman and Kano based billionaire and business mogul, Aminu Alhassan Dantata, who made a donation of N300 million to the campaign.

Yahuza Bello, co-chairman, who is the vice-chancellor of the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), also revealed the contribution of N28.5 million made by the management of United Bank for Africa, one of Nigeria’s most successful commercial banks.

Meanwhile, Africa’s leading entrepreneur, Aliko Dangote, donated a 500-bed Isolation Centre, situated inside the playing turf of the Sani Abacha Stadium, while two Kano-based businessmen, Abba Sumaila and Abubakar Dalhatu, chairman Al-Amsad Group, donated 500 sacks of spaghetti and N5 million respectively to the state fund.

Other contributors to the fundraising are Senator Barau Jubrin, who donated N4 million, while, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, and Senator Kabiru Gaya, who are both former governors in the state, each made a contribution of N2 million.

In addition, 11 of the 24 members of the House of Representatives from the state have promised to contribute N1 million each, while, the remaining 13 members made a commitment of N250, 000 each.

According to Yahuza, all political appointees, including commissioners, and all the 44 Local Council Chairmen in the state, has made a commitment to donate 50 percent of their salaries in the month of March, to the cause.

Recently, Kano State Govern-

Mohammed Garba (c) Kano State commissioner for Information, receiving the relief materials donated

by Gala Investment Limited, while, on the left side, is Oke Godwin, human resources manager; Ali N. Abdallah, admin manager, and Muhammad Danazumi, marketing manager of the company. ment commissioned a 66-bed capacity Isolation Centre fully refurbished and equipped by the Private Sector Coalition against Covid-19 (CACOVID), to serve as a receiving facility for individuals that test positive for Covid-19.

The facility, which is situated at Abubakar Imam Urology Centre, is one of the six Isolation facilities being put in place in the state, to complement the on-going efforts by both the federal and state governments in handling the rising cases of Covid-19 in the state.

Apart from the physical overhauling of the building of the centre, CACOVID also provided new set of hospital beds, airconditions, refrigerators, and other medical accessories, as well as re-creation and sporting facilities including a Table Tennis Court.

Speaking before handling over the donated centre to the state government, Abdulkadir Sidi, representative of the chairperson of Dangote Foundation, who performed the presentation on behalf of CACOVID, said that the gesture was part of an on-going intervention by the partners geared at assisting the government to confront the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

Sidi expressed the determination of the partners to continue to support the state government in every way to bring an end to the disease.

“On behalf of CACOVID, we in Dangote Foundation are glad to hand over this 66-bed capacity fully equipped centre to you. As you know, the refurbishing and other facilities put in place here is at the instance of the partners.

We want to assure you that the CACOVID is prepared to continue to support the state in whatever way required,” Sidi stated.

Earlier, Ibrahim Tsanyawa, commissioner for health, commended the CACOVID for the initiative which, according to him, was a great boost to the fight against Covid-19 pandemic disease in the state.

The commissioner called on the residents of the state to complement what the government and private bodies that constitute CACOIVD are doing, by complying with all the directives given by World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to curtail the disease.

Also, the Dangote Foundation also made specific donation of a Mobile Testing Centre, which the head of Dangote Foundation, Zuwaira Yusuf, said was conceptualised, designed and built by Nigerians in Nigeria.

“The testing capacity of the Mobile Testing Centre is 400 per day, and we will increase it to 1,000 per day in the next two weeks. In addition to this, we are also donating 10 ambulances and other materials specifically for Kano state,” she said.

Conversely, the BUA Foundation also made a significant contribution of N3.3 billion for the purpose of equipping the existing health facilities in Kano and Lagos states, as part of the Foundation’s support towards curtailing the spread of Covid-19, in the country.

Abdul Samad Rabiu, founder/ chairman of the Foundation, made this known in a press statement made available to BDSUNDAY, in Kano, and observation has shown that the Foundation has since honoured its commitment with the donation of ambulance and vehicles to the Kano State Government.

Stating that the donations were geared at boosting testing

capacity of the centers in Kano and Lagos states, Rabiu stated that the Foundation would be making available two grants of N2 billion for the Kano –based intervention, and N1 billion for Lagos state, the two epicenter of the pandemic in Nigeria.

“The Foundation will also be making the sum of N300 million available immediately to the Presidential Task Force to assist with logistic and operational activities of the task force, according to the Foundation, this is in addition to BUA earlier contributions to the private sector led CACOVID Coalition and donations to other states,” Rabiu added.

BDSUNDAY understands that the working groups are expected to use the resources at its disposal to ensure these facilities are fully equipped in the shortest possible time, and it is believed that the provision of the grant will help expand the scope of the on-going interventions, research, as well as support the already stretched medical facilities being use for the fight against Covid-19 pandemic in the two states.

However, Gala Investment, one of the leading investment firms in northern Nigeria, also donated relief materials worth several millions of Naira, to the Kano State Fund Raising Committee on Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking while, presenting the items, Aseriabo Godwin, head, Human Resources, disclosed that the company resolved to donate the items as part of its corporate support Kano State Government effort to cushion the effect of the harsh impact of Covid 19, on residents of the state.

According to Godwin, the donated items, includes, 50 units of 75 X 36 size mattresses, 300 car-

tons of indomie, and 100 cartons of superghettii, among others.

Commenting, Mohammed Garba, commissioner for information, who received the items on behalf of the Kano Covid-19 committee, commended the company for the gesture.

The commissioner thanked the company’s management staff, led by Ali Abdallah, administrative manager of the company, and Muhammad Danzumi, marketing manager, for taking their time to personally ensure they follow the donation to the delivery warehouse.

However, the only known public contribution to the fight against Covid-19 in Kano state, was the one made by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, who ordered for the release of N285 million to the Kano COVID-19 Fund Raising Committee, which was to be used for providing palliatives to vulnerable individuals in the state.

The sum was to enable the Committee complete the ongoing distribution of palliatives to over 300, 000 households targeted in the state.

Yahuza Bello, chairman of the Committee, who is also the vicechancellor of Bayero University, Kano, revealed that so far, the Committee has expended over N100 million out of the initial money collected in the first phase of distribution of the palliatives.

He pointed out that the sum of N170 million was required to complete the second phase of distribution of the palliatives.

According to him, governor Ganduje has also directed the Committee to distribute the 139 truckloads of grains released to the state by the Federal Government from the strategic grain reserve, noting that the items contained 6,000 bags of 50kg rice, 42, 600 bags of maize, 17, 400 bags of sorghum and 17, 400 bags of millet, including 2,000 Jerry cans of 20 litre vegetable oil.

He added that the Committee was targeting another 50, 000 households in the second phase of the distribution, in addition to the first 50,000 households that benefited under the first phase.

“The Committee has been monitoring distribution of the palliatives to ensure that those who benefited in the first phase do not come back to collect when the second distribution starts. The state government has also given the committee the directive to supervise the distribution of Ramadan Feeding programme, which we are going to discharge with all sense of transparency and equity,” Bello stated.

He however stated that apart from the 300, 000 households targeted, the committee was also extending palliatives to correctional facilities, remand homes and motherless babies’ homes.

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Politics Nigerian state governments and the politics of COVID-19 fight

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ZEBULON AGOMUO

s the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to remain a huge public health issue in Nigeria, state governments have also continued to view the fight from different perspectives.

For some governors, the pandemic presents an opportunity to allegedly make some money from donors and from the Federal Government, especially with the shrinking allocation that comes from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) on a monthly basis.

Yet, for some others, they genuinely would not want to entertain the virus in their states and are not interested in whatever amount of money they stand to make by having COVID-19 cases in their domain.

Whereas some state governors had openly demanded some billions of naira from the Federal Government to enable them fight the pandemic, some others have also boldly said that their states were free from COVID-19. And this has continued to breed controversy.

These appear to be a testing time for the 36 Nigerian state actors, who won gubernatorial elections at one time or another on the crest of robust manifestoes. Since they were elected into office as governors, many of them have not been seriously challenged to deploy their political sagacity. The “political-juggernaut” appellation they arrogate to themselves had not been put to test until now. The outbreak of the coronavirus seems to be doing just that.

Over the years, the Nigerian masses have always accused the political class of amassing the common wealth and running the affairs of their states or the country as if it were their private fiefdom.

In many states, the governors do not know the real population of the people under them. They extrapolate from the equally unreliable figures being bandied on the strength of which freebies are distributed in Abuja on a monthly basis.

Most of the states in Nigeria were caught napping when the pandemic broke out. They had no money kept anywhere for the rainy day. For them, every kobo that comes their way is for immediate expenditure while they wait for the next allocation from the centre. Nigeria runs a federal system of government, in which all the 36 states and 774 local governments solely depend on federal allocation to survive. As a result of the faulty arrangement, whenever the Federal Government is cashstrapped, the other tiers of government automatically go atrophied.

For many years, some of the states that have huge population have only played politics with the numbers. The numbers attract huge financial allocation to them, but such does not reflect on either the quality or quantity of projects in those states, executed with the huge funds.

What is evident is a situation where the masses of these states live in abject poverty whereas the political elite revel in opulence.

Lagos State, for instance, has, over the years, managed to remain financially formidable. It has continued to increase her internally generated revenue (IGR).

However, despite her prosperity, it has

Mai Mala Buni, Yobe state governor

Abdullahi Ganduje, Kano state governor

Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor

Benedict Ayade, Cross River state governor

become increasingly difficult to meet her needs with over 20 million people living in the state. Lagos is said to be the second largest state after Kano.

Why COVID-19 cases in Kano is high The coronavirus outbreak met a hugely populated Kano with equally high level of poverty, hence, the increasing number of cases in the North-West state.

An expert, explaining why the coronavirus is spreading fast in Kano, said it was because of the level of poverty in the state and their communal lifestyle.

Reeling out data, the expert said: “It took Lagos 36 days to record 100 cases, but it took Kano 17 days to record 100 cases. It took Lagos 47 days to get to 200 cases, whereas it took Kano 19 days to get to 200 cases. It took Lagos 51 days to get to 300 cases, but it took Kano 20 days to get to 300 cases. Whereas it took Lagos 54 days to record 400 cases, Kano recorded 400 cases in 25 days. Lagos recorded 500 cases in 55 days whereas Kano recorded 500 cases in 28 days.”

The statistician further said that Nigerians must understand the peculiarities of Kano State.

“Among the North Western states,

Kano has a small land area with highest population. What it has is population density. Why the situation spiked in Jigawa is that it does not only share a common boundary with Kano, Jigawa was created out of Kano. Over 65 percent of those in Kano live in poverty. Now, with high population rate combining with high level of poverty, the pandemic has found a breeding ground,” the expert said.

Since the outbreak of the virus, there has been a serious frenzy in all the states.

Leaders are running helter-skelter, which shows, they have never been prepared.

Whereas a few state governments have been pro-active, this cannot be said of majority of them. Some governors have alleged that they were being stampeded into accepting that there were cases of coronavirus in their domain.

Kogi State government, for instance, said it would not bow to pressure to report a case of the pandemic.

The Commissioner for Health in Kogi State, Saka Haruna Audu, said the Governor Yahaya Bello administration was under immense pressure to announce coronavirus cases.

Kogi in the North central and Cross River in the south-south geo-political zone

of the country are the only states yet to report COVID-19 cases.

There have been reports that Governor Bello chased away staff of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) who had visited his state to assess the state’s preparedness, facilities and medical procedures.

Bello was reported to have ordered the medical professionals to be isolated for 14 days-the period it takes for COVID-19 to incubate in most patients before symptoms become visible.

In a statement, the Health commissioner, Audu had said: “Our Isolation centers are open for inspection from appropriate quarters and the insinuation by the said report needs not be given any attention.

“The lame notion that all the states surrounding Kogi already have COVID-19 will not cause us to bat an eyelid, but rather increase in us the conviction that if some other states gave in to pressure, we wouldn’t. We will continue to take samples from appropriate patients and members of the public in line with the laid down principles.”

The government said that it had developed one App to track symptoms of the virus.

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Politics ‘To cushion effects of COVID-19, FG should give all contracts to indigenous firms’ Bassey James, a political analyst, security expert and president of the Southern Youths Development Forum (SYDF), in this interview expresses concern about what becomes of Nigeria post-Covid-19 and believes that much is needed to be done to put the country back on a sound footing after the pandemic. INIOBONG IWOK was at the briefing. Excerpts: With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and the consequent lockdown, what is your assessment of the way government is handling the situation? incerely, I want to commend the Federal Government on the way it has handled the situation so far.

To tell you the truth, things could have been worse; what we have on our hand is very dangerous. So, I want to thank the Federal Government and the state governors for acting on time, because you saw how the thing was coming from one state to the other, one person to the other and it kept growing to other parts of Nigeria, but they have tried in curtailing its spread.

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There are security concerns in some states as a result of the lockdown; as a security expert what do you think the government did wrong to have warranted this security concern?

It is a very sad situation for one to be in and you know that there is no amount of palliative that the government will bring that will be enough for people. The government can do more, some people may say they are trying, some may say is not good enough, because they may not have really met the individual needs of the people.

Remember that many people are on the road every morning, afternoon and night, struggling to make ends meet for their families, and there is no amount of palliative that can meet these needs, because we have millions of people struggling to get food; I commend the police and the military for what they are doing, but there is really nothing much that can be done to help the situation, because the number of people out there looking for food is much; that is the major problem.

When the coronavirus started many people thought it was an elite problem, especially since it started from abroad

Bassey James

and is brought into the country by those who travelled abroad, but now it seems to have broken the status barrier and it is becoming clearer that everyone is at risk; do you think the people are taking enough precaution?

Yes, initially it was seen like that, that it came from China, Italy, America and the rest of it, but really, human beings are human being whether a rich man or a poor man, this virus does not distinguish all that.

Look at the man who came in either from the USA or so to Ekiti, he is a rich man, but the driver, who is not a big man, also caught it. From what has happened there is a need for us to understand the sickness, it does not look at a rich man or a poor man, it af-

fects everybody, so there is the need for everyone to be conscious, because there is no one that is safe.

After the coronavirus and when the current lockdown in some states is over, there will still be Nigeria, the people will still need to survive; going forward what do you think the government should do in trying to bring the country back on the right track?

I want to commend the President for the revolution in agriculture; imagine that food is coming from all parts of the country today, 99 percent of the food that we eat in the country today is produced in Nigeria. But I want to appeal to the President to please

return agricultural programme to the local government areas and direct the funding of agriculture by the Bank of Agriculture. I also want to appeal to the President to speak with the governors to issue certificate of occupancy to Nigerians, for easy access to loans for the purpose of development in the country. Nigerians are not lazy people, if they have certificate of occupancy for their lands it will be easier for them to have access to loans as they can use the certificate as collateral in the banks. Also, on the issue of the palliatives being given to the people, especially the financial support, it should be given through the banks and not cash at hand, because it is open to abuse. I commend the President for the initiative, but it can be done better. Another appeal I also want to make to the President is that at this time, all contracts should be given to indigenous contractors, either from federal, states and local government areas and also for the President to order the Central Bank of Nigeria to direct other financial institutions to fund small business owners and entrepreneurship development centres, this is because there is no nation that can develop without these small businesses; after all, how many people can the government actually employ? These small businesses are those that take the burden of unemployment off the shoulders of the government and they should be supported to do better.

I believe that there is also the need for a periodic meeting on small scale business funding support programme with the President, governors, banks at all levels and even at the local government areas.

This will assess what these small business owners are doing and advise them where necessary; I believe that if the measures are put in place they would facilitate the creation of employment for Nigerians in less than six months and the country will be able to quickly bounce back and erase whatever negative effect this coronavirus would have on the people.

Nigerian state governments and the politics....

By the same token, Cross River State Health Commissioner, Betta Edu in a widely publicised address to the media, had claimed that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was trying by all means to declare coronavirus cases in the state, even though there were no such cases.

The Commissioner was reacting to a statement credited to the DirectorGeneral of the NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu that the coronavirus would get to every state in Nigeria.

Ihekweazu premised his prediction on the fact that some states are yet to send in enough samples for tests. He averred that some states which are yet to record cases of COVID-19 are either negligent in testing and tracing, or actively hiding the disease within their territories.

His observation could be said to be in tandem with a joke in the social media that the health minister of Burundi was asked to explain the miracle in his country, whereby the number of infections was reported as zero. His response was: “it is simple: we don’t have any testing kits”.

plenty masks for the people.

Some observers alleged that some state governors were just over-dramatising the fight against the pandemic.

The approach being adopted by Governor Nyesom Wike, leading to the demolition of two hotels in his state has been given different interpretations. Whereas some believe it was a joke taken too far, some say it was in line with the executive order signed by the state government, yet others are of the opinion that it was a displaced aggression.

Yahaya Bello, Kogi state governor

But Commissioner Edu of Cross River said she wanted the pressure on Cross River State to stop. She also alleged that some residents of the state had been receiving text messages in which they were promised millions of naira if they could claim they were coronavirus positive.

The state government said it was well prepared for the virus and had produced

Endless verbal autopsy amid rising deaths in Kano, Yobe Up till now, it has continued to remain a mystery the high level of deaths being recorded in Kano and Yobe States. Although the states claim they were awaiting the verbal autopsy being carried out following the unexplained deaths in their domain, there are no indications that much is being done to halt the carnage.

While the Yobe State government (in North East) confirmed 471 mysterious deaths in five weeks, it however, claimed

the deaths were unconnected with the COVID-19. It said that the state usually experience such carnage some periods of the year.

How states can tackle the scourge Observers say that to properly handle the pandemic, there should be a random sampling of the tests done in all local government areas across the country that have high population density because the coronavirus thrives in areas where there’s high population density. An analyst suggested that the quality of leadership in all the states needs to be taken seriously.

“The peculiarities of demography should also be taken into cognisance. The average household size in Lagos, for instance, is different from that of Kano. The communal life in Kano is also quite different from what obtains in Lagos. Each state has to understand its own demographics to be able to come up with its own solution, and must work in cooperation with the ministry of health and Presidential task force on Covid-19 and also the NCDC,” the expert said.

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Interview Jack Ma Foundation is committed to boosting Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem – Pau The Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI), set up by the Jack Ma Foundation to give entrepreneurs across Africa a platform to develop their talent and business ideas, and inspire others to pursue entrepreneurship, returns with the second edition of the ‘Africa’s Business Heroes’ award. In this interview, Jason Pau, senior advisor for International Programmes, Jack Ma Foundation, speaks with BDSUNDAY on what to expect at this year’s event, lessons from the 2019 edition, as well as the Foundation’s long-term plans for African entrepreneurs. Excerpts:

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hat are some of the lessons you took from the maiden edition o f t h e A f r i c a’s Business Heroes (ABH) prize competition that you have incorporated into the second edition?

The response to our inaugural edition of the Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition was remarkable - with 10,000 applications from 50 African countries and an outstanding group of 10 finalists with businesses that were both inspiring and innovative. When we first kicked off the competition last year, our aim was to give entrepreneurs from across Africa a spotlight in which to showcase their talent and businesses.

Today, that mission remains as true as ever but we are also committed to making sure we improve and make strides forward with every subsequent competition. This year, that means increasing our grant prize pool from US$1 million to $1.5 million; making sure we are as inclusive as possible by opening applications in English as well as French to entrepreneurs regardless of country, sector, age or gender; and embed new opportunities for collective training and learning throughout the Prize.

The show itself is an incredible learning opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. There is immense educational value in being able to watch talented entrepreneurs pitch legendary global business figures such as our finale judges from last year – Jack Ma, Strive Masiyiwa, Ibukun Awosika, and Joe Tsai. But we are also going to provide more opportunities for training and support for participants. Even if applicants do not make it as a top 10 finalist, they will have the chance to take part in the program’s training, education and networking opportunities.

The prize p o ol for the 10 finalists has been increased to $1.5 million from $1 million; can you explain the reason behind this?

Because of the incredible, positive response we saw from last year’s Prize, we were moved to commit additional resources and support for the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) – our Foundation’s flagship philanthropic program in Africa which organises the Africa’s Business Heroes competition. This expansion in support is reflected in the increase of the prize pool $1 to $1.5 million, as well as a long-term commitment to allocate $100 million to support the broader African entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Is there any sort of monitoring mechanism for the previous winners to ascertain if their grant was well utilised for the

the health and safety of our applicants, partners, and team. But most importantly, we know that it is in difficult times like these that we will need entrepreneurs with resilience and courage to come forward. It is not only physical health that is in danger, it is also economic wellbeing. We need entrepreneurs to do what they were born to do – solve problems, turn challenges into opportunities, and envision a better future. With this Prize, we hope that aspiring applicants will seize this chance to create hope for the future and overcome the challenges that are facing us today.

Jason Pau specified project?

We are really proud to see how our 2019 finalists have been able to benefit and grow from the Prize. In a few short months, our first-place winner, Temie GiwaTubosun from Lifebank, grew her business to become truly pan-Nigerian, and now has plans to expand beyond her Nigerian headquarters. Tosan Mogbeyiteren from Black Swan attracted new talent and upgraded their WeMUNIZE system, so they could begin operating at scale and offer immunization programs in more states across Nigeria.

During the Covid-19 crisis, we’ve also seen finalists apply their talents and businesses in the fight against the pandemic in Africa.

Especially LifeBank, as a leader in the healthcare sector, has stepped up to open an online registry for critical medical equipment such as ventilators, respirators and ICU Beds within Nigeria. In addition, they have worked to promote social distancing by distributing floor stickers to hospitals, pharmacies, and grocery stores.

Do winners get any other benefits apart from the grant?

Our top 10 finalists are all winners in that they all come away with a piece of the prize pool. But they also get value from the Prize far beyond mere financial gain.

They have found significant value from the expertise and insights that they can leverage from our ANPI community of business leaders, and finalists have also been able to benefit from training programs run by Alibaba Global Initiatives which span topics from digital transformation to e-commerce.

Few entrepreneurs operating in Africa are able to do business

across the continent, given the complexities and individualities of each individual market. But as a result of the Prize, our finalists have begun building partnerships and cooperating with peers from across Africa and from around the world. Several have also gone on to receive multiple investments and grants from other investors and partners.

Do they have to give anything back to the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI)?

We only ask that they continue exercising the leadership and vision which propelled them to become a Top 10 finalist. We know our finalists are truly representative of the limitless potential in entrepreneurs in Africa, and we look forward to seeing how they will continue working to solving the most pressing problems of society and uplifting their local communities.

Considering the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with lockdowns across Africa, is there a possibility of extending the application deadline beyond June 9?

Yes, the plan is for applications for this Year’s prize to close on June 9, but we are monitoring the evolving situation closely and we will endeavour to be as flexible as possible however needed.

Businesses have taken a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic and entrepreneurs are not exempted. How will the prize proceed post the pandemic?

These are incredibly challenging and unprecedented times. As the Prize proceeds, we will do everything we can to prioritise

Are you doing this alone or does the Jack Ma Foundation have collaborators or partners?

Our underlying goal with the Prize has been to be as grassroots and inclusive as possible. For this year’s Prize, we are proud to work with a strong group of Anchor Partners, including Ashesi, Dalberg, Janngo and RiseUp to identify and support African entrepreneurs from across the continent, and we will announce more partners going forward. In addition, Anita Erskine who serves as a UN SDG Advocate and is the Founder of the STEM Woman Project, joins us as a Brand Ambassador and host for the Prize. Her advocacy for social good reflects the boldness, creativity and strength we’ll be looking for in our entrepreneur applicants.

We are also extremely grateful for the exceptional support we have received from the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; and for the long-standing collaboration with Ibukun Awosika, Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, who served as judge during the grand finale last year, and with NINE (Network of Incubators and Innovators in Nigeria).

Also, we are lucky enough to have global leaders Graca Machel, Chair of the Graca Machel Trust Board and Ban Ki-moon, Former UN Secretary- General and Cochair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens serving on the ANPI advisory board.

Though this is just the second edition, I’m curious to know what will happen after the tenyear sunset period of the prize?

Our ANPI program represents a long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship in Africa. We are focused on continuously improving and making the Africa’s Business Heroes prize competition a success. For the long-term, we aim to highlight 100 outstanding African entrepreneurs and allocating US$100 million over a 10-year period for grant funding, training programmes, and support to foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Africa.

CBN approves Agric loan for Kogi workers VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

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bout 10,000 workers of Kogi State government are expected to benefit from an Agric business Retirement Loan worth N10 billion which was approved for the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to Joseph Idoko, consultant in charge of the scheme who disclosed this while addressing journalists, pointed out the significance of the scheme in Lokoja, adding CBN has already approved fund and it is expected to take off soon.

Idoko hinted that the programme, an off-shoot of the CBN Anchor Borrowers Scheme, was specifically an indirect cluster farming investment for the workers, with Oil palm and its value chain as mandate crop.

He emphasised that the broad objectives of the Agrib u s i n e s s p ro g ra m m e , d e signed under the CBN real sector support facilities, include the diversification from oil to non-oil sectors and to provide retirement investment farms for workers, adding that the scheme, fashioned under the CBN Real Sector Support Facilities, “is designed as a retirement investment scheme for government workers and workers in the organised private sector.”

He said that the scheme also planned, among other objectives, to enroll the participating workers in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) under the Organised Private Sector.

He explained further that beneficiaries would cut across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as staff of the state Judiciary and institutions of higher learning in the state.

The Consultant equally hinted that land for the 10,000 hectres Oil-palm estate had been provided at Amaka in Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area with partners from Florida, USA. He said: “The idea is for government workers to retire into a particular business that even when they are no more in government work, something can be coming to them to be able to take care of their families”.

“The pilot scheme being launched in Kogi was a demonstration of Governor Yahaya Bello’s commitment to providing workers with a new lease of life and also guarantee their wellbeing after retirement,” he said.

He further said that “The scheme comes in form of a loan of N1million to each participant at nine percent interest and payable in nine years after a two-year moratorium.

“The benefitting workers would begin to receive a N240,000 each as annual dividend after a four-year gestation period before the oil palm starts producing and from then, the dividends would service the loans and liquidate them”.

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Interview ‘Donations toward COVID-19 must not be wasted, should be used to build resilient, responsive health system’ Felix Obi is a health systems policy and financing expert with over 15 years of experience in the design and implementation of public health programmes and initiatives to advance universal health coverage in Africa. Obi, also a senior programme officer/health financing engagement officer at Results for Development, is a key member of Nigeria Health Care Financing Technical Assistance Project and coordinates R4D’s technical support to the Government of Nigeria on the implementation of the basic health care provision. He currently serves as the media and communication officer of the African Health Economics and Policy Association. In this interview with DESMOND OKON, shares his thoughts on donations by the private sector in support of the fight against Covid-19. Excerpts:

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hat are your thoughts about the donations from the private sector and Nigeria’s rich class to the fight against the virus?

The donations have been some sort of silver-lining, considering that the government’s oil revenue has been hit badly by the economic crisis occasioned by COVID-19. So, it’s commendable that the private sector and corporate Nigeria have responded by contributing billions of Naira and medical equipment and supplies to support the national response; even though Lagos appears to be the main beneficiary of the donations for now. It’s, however, understanding since Lagos is the commercial centre of Nigeria but we can see how Dangote and the BUA Group have extended the help to their home states and others where they have operations.

Their donations began immediately Jack Ma’s came into the country. As of then, Nigeria had recorded 44 cases. Do you think they are coming too late?

It’s sad that corporate Nigeria waited for Jack Ma to spur them into action and it’s also a reflection of the way most governments and businesses view investments in health sector; which is seen as ‘non-productive’ sector that contributes little to the growth of the economy, save for the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industry. Before we judge the private sector, we need to ask how much did the Federal and state governments invest to prepare NCDC and the State Ministries of Health to respond to COVID-19.

Before COVID-19 hit Nigeria, NCDC had spent a major part of 2019 and early 2020 fighting Lassa Fever, but corporate Nigeria didn’t notice or look the other way; but Lassa Fever has killed more people this year than COVID-19 might possibly do.

Save for Jack Ma’s aid, NCDC might not have been able to test many Nigerians and if they had requisite funds to acquire enough test kits before the index case, we probably would’ve been able to test more people in March. You’d notice the case definition for testing was revised after NCDC’s testing capacity improved with support from Jack Ma, and the additional funds from the President and private sector.

Overall, the gesture by the private sector is commendable. More importantly, we must think strategically on how these donations can

Felix be used to not only fight COVID-19, but deliberately channelled towards a holistic strengthening of our weak health system; by focusing on revamping and improving it from the lowest level of primary care way up to the secondary and tertiary levels.

That way, we’d be better prepared to face other epidemics, pandemics or other health challenges and not face the anxiety and hysteria that came with COVID-19.

ments from private investors.

The Federal Ministry of Health developed a National Policy on PPPs for Health and another on Incentivising Investments in the Health Sector, but it’s obvious the implementation has not recorded any significant progress, and if the private sector had participated actively by investing, we probably could have made more progress.

What is the implication of this?

For now, we can only measure the impact of these donations from the number of people that get tested or treated in the isolation and treatment centres and lives saved, due to the contributions of the private sector. In essence, if there was no coordinated effort by the private sector to support the COVID-19 response, how would the situation have turned out? Would we have tested more people had NCDC only relied on government funding to fight the virus?

One takeaway from the private sector response is that corporate Nigeria are probably one of the key stakeholders that the health policy makers have neglected for too long. If the CBN Governor and Dangote can mobilise them within a short time and get them to commit to donating N1billion respectively within a short time, then it’s possible to mobilise their resources to strengthen our health sector, which gets little invest-

Do you think we could have achieved much more if they donated earlier?

First of all, I want to commend the private sector knowing they’ve been running a lot of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to support the health sector. The impacts of these have not all been felt prior to COVID-19 since they’re disparate and individual efforts, save for some interventions through the Private Sector Health Alliance for Nigeria where Dangote and other bank chiefs have been active players. We can see the impact of the joint investments by Dangote and Bill Gates which have helped to strengthen primary healthcare and immunization services in states like Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, etc.

I said that to show how investments by the private sector can catalyse forward movements and bring results for the health sector.

It also shows we’re not necessarily doing enough to build a resilient and responsive health system that

can withstand epidemics and other shocks, like we’ve faced over time.

NCDC had developed a detailed and costed epidemic preparedness and response plan long before the current Lassa Fever outbreak but didn’t quite receive as much funding from government, and neither did the private sector come to the aid of this important government agency, until recently. Though belated, I believe these donations have come handy and increased the epidemic war chest available to fight the battle against COVID-19.

Notwithstanding that these donations have been the largest in terms of volume, it’s imperative we recognise the excellent works some members of the organised private sector especially Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) have been doing to advocate for policies to improve and attract investments into the health sector.

We all know how reluctant private investors are about investing in the health sector; and only a few private hospitals or laboratories are able to get loans and investments from the finance sector to build, upgrade or expand their facilities.

Maybe, lessons from this COVID-19 reality check will stimulate the interest of both the government and private sector to invest more towards building the health sector of our dreams as a nation and people; who will not rush to India, Dubai or UK for treatment.

With cases now close to 2,000 and projected to rise to 39, 000, do you think these donations would have any impact in containing the spread?

There are lots of variables that need to align to halt the spread of the virus and this is beyond financial and in-kind donations from private sector and philanthropic individuals. While the additional resources will go a long way to prepare the health workers at the frontline to fight the virus and treat those that are infected, the good old maxim of prevention is better than cure is more important in these times we are in. Social distancing is a testedand-tried strategy used centuries ago in preventing and controlling the spread of infections during epidemics, and we must listen to and follow the guidelines given by NCDC and others involved in the medical response.

Having curtailed the importation of the virus from high-risk countries of Asia, Europe and America, the current battle will be around making sure our people follow the public health guidelines of social distancing and other preventive measures

like hand washing, good respiratory hygiene, amongst others to avoid community transmission which might overwhelm our fragile health system. Updates from some parts of Nigeria and rural communities indicate that majority of citizens are taking the pandemic for granted and living life as normal, while the virus lurks around waiting for communities to ravage.

What are your concerns regarding the utilisation of the funds and accountability?

To build trust, the government must be seen to be transparent and accountable in how they make decisions about the use of the funds. I’d imagine that the Central Bank of Nigeria will work closely with the private sector to deploy the resources to areas where they are needed the most, and also be used to alleviate the sufferings of individuals whose daily livelihoods have been impacted by the ongoing lockdown. I have no fears that the private sector will keep an eye on the monies they have raised and not allow individuals to pilfer or misuse them.

To ensure accountability in the use of the funds, government owes citizens the duty to provide regular updates and details of how the funds were disbursed and used, and allow citizens public access to the detailed data such that it will be clear to all that the funds were used judiciously. In addition, it’s important for government to have credible representatives of civil society in the committees and task forces that make decisions on resource allocation and use during this pandemic; these can serve as the voice of the citizens and conscience of the society.

If these measures are not taken, the government stands the risk of being accused of misuse and management of the funds like it was during the Ebola outbreak. We’ve also had cases of funds donated to handle infectious diseases that were misused and Nigeria have had to pay these back to either Global Fund or GAVI. If funds mobilised locally are misused and stolen by our own people, how do we get them to repay; and more importantly, how do we account for the lives that would have been saved?

It is important we take advantage of the opportunities presented by COVID-19 to mobilise and efficiently use these resources to improve and strengthen our health system. That way, we can look back after the COVID-19 is over to count our blessings, albeit in disguise!

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Interview

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he 4GLTE service has become a household name in Nigeria such that everybody talks about it nowadays.

What in simple terms would you like users to know about this service?

There is quite a bit of technicality with this subject. However, as you suggested, to put it in lay terms, 4G means ‘fourth generation’, and the term is used to generally refer to cellular communications that offer speed levels that are about 10 times faster than what is obtainable on ‘third generation’ otherwise called 3G networks.

LTE, on the other hand, stands for Long-Term Evolution, which is a measuring standard for benchmarking wireless broadband communication using mobile devices and data terminals.

So, taken together, 4GLTE is a mobile broadband internet technology that enables high-speed connectivity on mobile devices and data terminals. It is currently the fastest data network technology commercially available in Nigeria.

Your network recently announced the expansion of 4G into 16 cities across the country.

Other networks had launched theirs at various times in the past, why is the 9mobile 4G network different or unique?

Yes, different players in the industry have brought their 4G service to the market, and we launched our 4G in 2018. But to your question of why our 4G service is unique and gives the user more compared to other providers, I will provide you with several reasons.

Firstly, all our SIM cards come 4G-ready and enabled. Unlike other networks, if you are a 9mobile customer, you do not need to get a SIM swap to upgrade your line to enjoy 4G service; and it does not matter for how long you have been using that SIM card. Insert your SIM card in a 4G-enabled device, and you are set up to use 4G. This is because, even though we joined the industry in 2008 when 3G was what was available, we already set up our network for LTE compatibility. That is why we say we are an LTEnative network. What this means is that whether it is 4G today or 5G tomorrow, we are already set up from the start to evolve along with the prevalent broadband technology of the day.

Secondly, apart from bringing 4G to these new cities, our 4G Internet comes with one of the best Internet speed levels in the market. You can enjoy fast and real-time experience with our Internet service without worrying aboutdelays.9mobile 4G comes with this advantage because of what is called low latency.

Latency in data network terms means the delay time before data transmission begins after the action is initiated. In other words, how long does it take for your YouTube video to start playing after you press the play button? Or how long does it take for a Facebook photo to

What we are doing now is expanding 4G services to several other cities - Onafowokan

As part of its initiatives to deliver superior and quality services, 9mobile, one of Nigeria’s frontline telecommunication companies, has expanded its 4G LTE service to 16 Nigerian cities and towns, and still counting. The company’s Acting Director, Marketing, Layi Onafowokan, in this interview with CHUKA UROKO, speaks on the benefits of this new initiative. He also speaks on their unbeatable new and enriched data bundles; and explains what makes the 9mobile brand a preferred network and a destination for telecom services users. Excerpts:

Layi Onafowokan

display after you click to view it?

The shorter the time, the better your experience, which is low latency. So, if what you need is high-speed connectivity, you should be on 9mobile.

Thirdly, by intentional design, our network is purposely set up with what the experts call ‘redundancies.’ This is referred to as the allowance you intentionally make to take on emergencies.

Redundancies are like spare engines or backup systems. These redundancies were built into our network to guarantee uninterrupted service during downtime situations like the recent WestAfrica fiber cuts experienced across the industry. 9mobile was least impacted because our network redundancies kicked in.

Also, we are prioritising network Quality of Service (QoS), Innovation and Customer Expe-

rience as part of our new strategic direction. The new financing we received in Q4 of 2019 is allowing us to inject new investments into our network and general infrastructure base. So, our customers are in for a great experience on our network.

How is 9mobile positioning its existing and potential customers to plug into this data revolution you are describing?

As I mentioned earlier, we launched our 4G service in 2018 in select cities. What we are doing now is to expand 4G services into several other cities across the country.

After we broke this 4G expansion message in Lagos on February 24, 2018, we have been in various cities with our 4G LTE Family Funfair to announce the launch and take the message to every nook and cranny.

This expansion is covering cities like Lagos, Ogun (Ifo, SangoOta, Akute, among other cities), Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria, Sokoto, Kano, Maiduguri, Awka, Onitsha , Calabar, Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Uyo, Port Harcourt and Jos. If you live in any of these cities and you are yet to see us, then expect us soon, and we are coming with loads of exciting prizes for everyone as we treat you to live entertainment by the best of both national and local artists.

It might also interest you to know that we recently revamped our data packages to give more data volume to our customers for the same price. We did this because, as a caring network, we want our customers to enjoy their data experience to the fullest so that having given them great 4G network, we needed to provide them with more pocket-

friendly data to go with it.

What would you say were the factors that determined the choice of cities connected to your 4G network?

If you take a good look at the list of cities, you will observe that we reflected a pan-Nigerian outlook. We ensured to be 4Glive in all geo-political zones of the country. Moreover, we also felt we didn’t have to only be in ‘major’ cities because we did not want anyone to be left behind.

We wanted everyone on board, and we will continue to switchon more cities in due course.

That sounds interesting. But, most times, some customers are constrained by cost of data.

Can you shed more light on your new data plans?

We’ve created some unbeatable new data bundles to enrich our overall data offerings. For instance, customers will be enjoying exciting new data plans like 1GB plus free access to social media sites (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) valid for one day at just N300. We now have 2GB plus free access to social media sites valid for three days for only N500. With just N1500, we now offer a whopping 7GB plus free access to social media sites valid for seven days.

For heavy data customers, we now offer a 30-day 75GB plan plus free night video streaming for only N15,000.

For existing data bundles, customers who purchase N10,000 data plan will now enjoy 40GB plus free night streaming, representing over 150 percent increase from the previous 15GB at the same price. Customers will now get 15GB plus free night streaming for just N5,000; this is over 100 percent increase in data volume from the 7.1GB at N5000 previously, and this increase in value applies to all data bundles in the 9mobile data portfolio – Moreblaze— as we call it.

No doubt, this will be music to the ears of your customers.

But what more can subscribers look forward to besides data and quality network?

Our customers come first in all that we do at 9mobile.

We are here because they are always there for us. In the spirit of reciprocity, we will be doing quite a bit of giving back to reward loyalty and continued faith in our brand. These rewards can come in the form of giveaways; more value-added services, more efficient processes, and a whole lot more.

As we are widely known for, we will innovate around many of the things we are already doing to make them better and deliver improved value to our customers. We will also create and announce some new firsts soon, especially in reward programmes and products and services. So, I invite everyone to watch our brand very closely as there are very exciting times ahead. An effective way to do this will be to get a 9mobile line if you’ve not had one before or reactivate your idle or existing 9mobile line and start using it again.

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Business Interview ‘Telecoms/ICT sector should be considered part of critical national infrastructure in Covid-19’ The Covid-19 pandemic sweeping across the globe has affected economies and businesses in the ICT industry, leading to uncertainties, unemployment, cost increase and operational difficulties and more. Arinze Chukwudile, chief operating officer of Infravision, a telecommunications service provider, in this interview with journalists opens up on how his organisation is dealing with the challenges and the kind of support they need to cope with the current situation. MODESTUS ANAESORONYE was there. Excerpts:

A

s a Nigerian business enterprise operating in the ICT industry; how has your organisation been able to cope during this Covid-19 pandemic?

Our organisation provides Managed Services to Telecom Operators (that is supporting the Telco operators to manage their network infrastructure). Our staffers are widely distributed across many states in Nigeria, providing Field Operations Support that requires moving across several sites to resolve network issues. In addition, we have some dedicated employees at our headquarters to provide back end support to the Field Team.

In view of the nature of our business, we started making some preparations in advance, like purchase of material stock required for operations, Purchase of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for Regional Field Staff. The back end staff supporting the field operations team are accommodated in hotels close to their working facilities.

In all, our planned forecast was just for few a weeks, but since the Covid-19 Pandemic is now extending for long time, we still need government support as our stocks will run out soon, which means the telecom network quality will be impacted soon. As at today, we have sent a letter to the Hon. Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, duly signed off by 16 MDs of Telecom Service Providers to make our appeal officially known.

What are the key challenges being encountered by your organisation while providing service to the Telecoms/ICT Industry in Nigeria during this Covid-19 Pandemic?

The main issue is that Telecoms Operators have reduced their investments/the planned telecoms investment is being cut. This affected Service Providers like us due to decrease in the network rollout. This negatively impacted our gross revenue and decline in business opportunities. Despite this decline, the operational costs keep on rising because of an increase in material costs, service purchase costs and other unanticipated costs.

Under such circumstances, it is most likely that Service Providers like us will go in high debt and might go into a state of bankruptcy as well. We are therefore, appealing that the appropriate authorities in the government provide us some kind of relief to sustain our business and keep the job for our people; then, we can continue providing Quality

investments in the sector. In addition, the Telecommunications/ICT sector should be considered by the government as a part of critical national infrastructure investment in order to ensure speedy economic recovery/growth.

Arinze of Service for the ICT industry.

There have been fears among employees of many organisations in the private sector of possible job losses should the Covid-19 persist.

This can dampen the morale of such employees. How does your organisation continue to motivate its employees during this period?

Although there has been news circulating around of some organisations firing their staff, our organisation has ensured that all our employees so far still keep their jobs, and salaries have been paid up to date in time.

Considering that we have our staff widely distributed across different states of the federation, we have tried to stay in touch with our employees through regular emails/video/audio conferences including myself and other management team members to continuously keep them in touch about the situation and enquire of their well-being. Honestly speaking, the situation is bleak at the moment as we don’t know how long we can sustain this.

However, we hope that with the anticipated intervention of the government in the Telecoms/IT Sector, we can jointly create an enabling environment for the ICT Industry investment, which will ultimately protect the employment of our staff.

What are the likely impacts on the National Economy due to the risks posed by these challenges?

The obvious impact is reduction in staff overhead which will lead to job losses in order for businesses to stay afloat. This would result to slower response

times thus causing poor network quality and increase in customer complaints. Other sectors that rely on Telecoms/ICT network to provide internet services to them such as banks, insurance companies, hospitals etc will also be affected. As you can see, this would have an overall negative impact on the Nigerian economy and bad user experience.

It is widely believed that the Covid-19 pandemic will plunge the world economy into recession. Many countries including South Africa, South Korea, and the Middle East have made investing in the Telecommunications/ICT sector as a top priority and part of their strategy towards ensuring that they speedily recover from recession. This is because Telecommunications/ ICT has the potential of helping the Nigerian economy to speedily recover from the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our plea to the government and private sectors is for them to consider more

Despite this decline, the operational costs keep on rising because of an increase in material costs, service purchase costs and other unanticipated costs.

Under such circumstances, it is most likely that Service Providers like us will go in high debt and might go into a state of bankruptcy as well

Since the imposition of the lockdown, there have been reports of increased crime rates in many parts of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja. What measures has your organisation taken to protect your field staff?

This is a big challenge we are facing as an organisation operating during this period because we have many Field Operations staff that are at risk while going to site to resolve network issues. We had to make special budget for Security of our staff this period which has greatly increased our operational cost. Although we have robust collaboration with law enforcement agencies and the local community, we still encounter this problem.

For example, recently one of our engineers was attacked by hoodlums on his way to site.

Fortunately, he did not sustain serious injuries. However, his phone and wallet containing money and ATM cards were stolen. The underlying reason for this is because, many people who earn a daily living cannot go out as a result of the pandemic. Many people are hungry. We are asking the Federal and state governments to put in place adequate security measures to protect lives and property during this pandemic period.

How do you think the Nigerian government can be of help in resolving these challenges?

The government can help by making available loan/intervention packages to support struggling businesses or other supportive policy as the incentive for investment, this will motivate the Telecoms Operators to carry out new investments which would in turn provide new revenue stream opportunities for other providers like our organisation in this sector.

As a Maintenance Team Leader, what are the major challenges encountered by your team while carrying out Field Maintenance Work during this Covid-19 period?

The first challenge is that many of the Engineers are afraid of contracting Covid-19 despite wearing PPE to site. This fear has made some of them delay in responding to and resolving network issues at their sites.

The second problem is difficulty to move around. In view

of the movement restriction imposed by the Federal and state governments, there are many check points manned by security operatives who will always stop them to make enquiries and check if they have authorised pass or not. These cause lots of delays at the check points, making it difficult for the engineer to arrive to site within the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) The third issue is difficulty of the engineers to access sites located in residential homes, offices and estates. Many homes, offices and estates have placed strict access restriction in place for non-residents or non-employees. As such, the engineers find it difficult to access these locations to resolve network faults.

This causes long fault resolution time (MTTR) and results to poor network service and bad user experience in the affected areas.

We therefore call on the Government, Organisations, Residential Estates Office Organisations and individuals, having network equipment installed at their premises to give special consideration to Telecoms/ICT managed service engineers to enable them resolve issues timely.

As a Field Team Leader, what are the major challenges encountered by your team while carrying out Telecoms Network Rollout/Expansion Work during this Covid-19 period?

The first problem is non-availability of new network to roll out jobs. Even some of the previously awarded contract jobs were stopped and withdrawn by the Telco Operators. As a result many of Installation engineers who work on contracts are without jobs. Many of them have been placing calls to me and lamenting about the situation. How they find it difficult to feed themselves and their families.

The second challenge has to do with difficulty to move around during this period. Some of the few engineers still having jobs to do have complained bitterly as to how difficult it is to get public transportation and how they have been subjected to endless checks by law enforcement agents at the checkpoints. These have resulted in delay to arrive to site within the estimated time of arrival (ETA).

The third issue is difficulty of the engineers to access sites located in residential homes, offices and estates. Many homes, offices and estates have placed strict access restriction in place for nonresidents or non-employees. As such, the engineers find it difficult to access these locations to carry out new installations/upgrades that would help to improve telecoms network quality.

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Focus

Rivers: Demolition of hotels, auctioning of vehicles threats to investments? …As demolished hotel owner cries for justice

C

IGNATIUS CHUKWU

ould the demolition of hotels accused of violating lockdown order and threat of auctioning trucks and vehicles send negative signals to investors in Rivers State? Could the absence of judicial process and fair trial affect the confidence of investors in the oil-rich state and Nigeria as a whole? These are the questions that are making the rounds in Rivers State.

On the other hand, the Rivers State government has posed some questions: Are these two demolished hotels the only ones in Rivers State? Why would only two of them be the ones to meet such fate? Does the demolition represent a pattern in a state that enjoys deep and huge relationship with the organised private sector led at this moment by Nabil Saleh?

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State first announced that hotels violating his shutdown order would be confiscated and auctioned. As members of the public were still debating how such a drastic action could be possible, the governor announced he would rather demolish them.

Between Thursday May 7, 2020 when the extreme lockdown began and Sunday morning, May 10, 2020, two hotels in Alode in Eleme town and Onne in same Eleme Local Government Area had been brought to rubbles.

Over 20 trucks and other vehicles were lined up for auctioning. Many business persons and residents are languishing in detention awaiting trial for daring to show face on the streets. No clear penalty seemed to have been stipulated while drafting Executive Orders One to Six that now rule the state in the face of the coronovirus pandemic.

This has caused nationwide uproar regarding the safety of investments in Rivers State; if by fiat, an investor’s property could be reduced to rubbles without investigation, trial, and due process, some business owners have been whispering amongst themselves.

My hotel fell to intra-party rivalry – owner of Prodest The owner of one of the hotels, Promise Gogolobari of Prodest Hotel in Alode, issued a statement through the spokesman, Dae Legbara, denying most of the charges and insisting that the hotel owners and staff members were never part of the fighting between two task forces.

Details When news broke of the demolition of Prodest Motel, a half-star hotel owned by a friend and an Ogoni, located in Alode Eleme, the

public had been inundated with a lot of misinformation.

The truth is that Prodest Hotel is a victim of an Eleme LGA PDP intra-party and LGA leadership tussle. The hotel was unfortunately caught in a crossfire and entangled with web of community crisis. Simple! The hotel was under lock and key and not in operation.

The fight was between rival task forces loyal to different tendencies within the PDP in Eleme and this took place outside the hotel. It had nothing to with the hotel.

This is the simple truth, but rather than deal with the real issues all together, lies are been bandied about: An alleged Prodest Motel violation of the Wike’s lockdown order of hotels to suspend operations; An attack on the task force

“

The truth is that Prodest Hotel is a victim of an Eleme LGA PDP intraparty and LGA leadership tussle.

The hotel was unfortunately caught in a crossfire and entangled with web of community crisis. Simple

enforcement team allegedly carried out by the hotel staff members and or hired thugs; That the hotel owner is a member of the PDP; That the PDP youth leader is the hotel owner; and that the hotel is used to aid criminality.

As the public continues to grapple with the confusion of differentials in the stories emanating from the Prodest demolition saga, it has become compelling that the public must be told the untold story, the real and factual story. And in doing so, I will try to deal in the order that was falsely peddled, just as outlined above.

First is to clearly say that Prodest Hotel did obey the Rivers State government’s Covid-19 lockdown order. The hotel was never in operation and never violated the order of government from the day lockdown commenced, and until the time of the facility was raided.

This is authoritative.

The said Eleme PDP youth leader is the chairman of the Covid-19 Lockdown Task Force team in the LGA, constituted by the local council authority. He also triples as Alode community youth leader; aspiring to be General Eleme Youth leader. Prodest Hotel is situated in Alode, his community.

Himself and key members of his Covid-19 lockdown enforcement team had reservations earlier booked and were staying in Prodest Hotel, where they normally rendezvoused after the day’s work.

The chairman of the Eleme Covid-19 Task Force, Princewill Osaro Ejiji, belongs to the Tendency group of the PDP that is believed to have taken over key positions in the party structure of the LGA, even though they were seen to be

new comers into the PDP. The other forces, those who claimed to be real (old) owners of PDP in Eleme seemed not to be pleased with the development.

They would leave no chance to strike at every opportunity. There has been a cold war between both tendencies. There is no denial to these facts. They are open facts.

Wike inadvertently made matters worse in the process. Recall, the governor, in a bid to further strengthen the lockdown enforcement, had met with traditional rulers and council chairmen across the state on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, where he instructed them to set up similar task forces in their various clans and villages.

Alode community is in Nchia clan. Eleme Local Government is made up of two clans; Nchia and Odido. There are communities and villages in these clans.

Nchia and Odido, including villages under them, had in response to the governor’s directives set-up their various tasks forces, necessitating a situation where there seems to be a multiplicity of task forces, command controls and differences in communication channels.

Now, most of these community-based Task Forces were created with underlined sentiments among different leaders with rival political interests and agenda to pursue within the PDP and the community. It was an opportunity to advance the interest of their various factions in Eleme.

Alode, where the LGA task force chairman comes from, did have her share of the task force rivalry.

Immediately the governor made his broadcast, the Prodest Hotel manager drew the attention

of the LGA task force chairman to the latest order, asking that his guests be evacuated from the hotel following the government’s ban.

But, based on the governor’s directives, the task force chairman told him not to bother, that he is in charge. He said to the hotel manager that since he and his guests were already lodged before the broadcast, there would be no problem. He reaffirmed Wike’s position that hotels must inform the task force of such situation, and he was in charge anyway.

The hotel, believing that they had thus secured permission to keep their existing guests, who in any case were supposedly the enforcers, kept the existing guests but did not admit new guests. They had to keep their gate ajar, but only for the usual evening rendezvous of Mr. Ejiji and members of his task force. The hotel had become more like their operational point of departure.

As the political rivalry continued to widen between the LGA task force and the newly formed community task force members, one day, the community team having noticed that the hotel appeared open to the LGA’s Ejiji team, they had to come when others had gone out for work and demanded N100,000 from the hotel manager, else, he would be dealt with.

The manager didn’t have any such money to give. This same team had collected N7,000 from another nearby hotel and allowed them to operate. Angered by the refusal of Prodest Motel to pay the N100,000 and the perceived habitation in the hotel of Ejiji, their rival, the community-based team now hinted their bosses, who then informed the governor. It was an opportunity to hurt their political rival and get Ejiji out of the way; Prodest was now their battle ground. It was on that note that the state task force team was drafted in.

On the alleged attack on the police and the enforcement team last Saturday, it was as a result of a fracas between the visiting state team and the LGA team, but this was outside the hotel.

It is obvious that the LGA task force did not know that the police and those who came with the community team were actually coming from the state to enforce the governor’s directives. They also did not know that the matter had been reported to superior authorities. The hotel learnt that when the new team (state) got to the community, the rival factions engaged each other and fracas erupted. No member of staff of Prodest Hotel was involved in altercation that took place outside the facility. They were just watching from afar with disbelief of what was going on.

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Focus

Princewill Osaro Ejiji

“So, when we say that Prodest Hotel is an innocent victim of Eleme PDP internal wrangling, you can now understand what we meant,” Dae Legbara, spokesman of the hotel, said.

According to Legbara, “The hotel owner is a good friend of mine.

He is from Khana LGA, not Eleme.

He is not a politician neither is he a member of any political party. He is a private sector worker based in the western part of Nigeria. Mr. Princewill Osaro Ejiji is not the owner of Prodest Motel; he and his Eleme Covid-19 task force were only hotel guests.

“The members of management of Prodest Hotel were never aware of the fact that Mr. Osaro Ejiji was having any criminal record hanging on his neck, not until the press release by the commissioner of information Saturday evening prelude to the Sunday morning demolition.”

All that is known about him is that he is Covid-19 task force chairman and president of Alode youths, Prodest hotels’ host community. The hotel does not harbour criminals. Prodest, I am aware, maintains one of the best crimefree relationships with the police

in Eleme LGA. Wike’s decision and eventual demolition of Prodest Motel, I still maintain, was hasty and too harsh.

It wasn’t a criminal matter. Destroying people’s sources of livelihood in the face of dwindling world economy is to the extreme. There should have been a thorough investigation and fair hearing granted to the hotel management before whatever action. Prodest Hotel never committed such a crime that should warrant such punishment.

The avalanche of condemnation that had greeted the action by the Rivers State government is a clear pointer to the fact that the decision is unpopular and shouldn’t have been in the first place. I sincerely hope that the governor will come to terms with reason and find an ameliorating way out of this.

Wanted youth leader reacts, says, “If I was a wanted criminal, they wouldn’t have made me PDP youth leader.”

According to a statement from Alode Community Development Movement, Osaroejiji, said contrary to the governor’s accusation, he was not the owner of Prodest Hotel demolished by the governor.

Ejiji, who said he was also a member of the Covid-19 task force in Eleme, said he could not have been elected and inaugurated the PDP youth leader and member of the Covid-19 task force if he was a wanted criminal.

He recalled that he had worked hard for the victory of the governor in the 2019 general election and ensured that the party won all the elections in his ward in the local government area.

Wike had on Sunday demolished Prodest Hotel, Alode, and Edemete Hotel, Onne, for defying his executive order that all hotels in the state should remain closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

That was just a few hours after he declared Osaroejiji wanted for alleged criminal activities and placed a ransom of N5 million on him.

Eleme indigene flays demolition of hotels by Wike

A

IFEOMA OKEKE

concerned indigene of Eleme in Rivers State, Michael Osaro has frowned at Governor EzenwoNyesonWike’s recent demolition of two hotels in Eleme Local Government Area for allegedly breaching the lockdown rules intended to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state.

In statement made available to newsmen, Osaro said: “To all intent and purposes, it can be argued that Ezenwo Nyeson Wike, the executive governor of Rivers State, has no regards for the political leaders from Eleme who are working with him or Eleme traditional rulers that claim to be his friends.”

According to him, “We are all aware of the Covid-19 case in a hotel in Rumuomasi and the spread that singular case had caused. But a leader who has regards for his people and claims to have friends among them, would carry those friends along in some cases that would affect their people.”

Osaro was quick to add that the Eleme community did not approve of the actions of the Eleme PDP Youth Leader who allegedly mobilised some persons and fought withthemembersofStateCovid-19 Task Force who went to monitor compliance with the governor’s order in one of the hotels.

“The fight against this pandemic is something that needs all hands to be on deck. But the Governor’s action of demolishing the hotel is clearly a case of two wrongs not making a right. The hotel, which the governor assumed belongs to the Eleme PDP Youth Leader is actually an investment of an Ogoni indigene who took advantage of the position ofElemeinNigeria’seconomytosite a hotel in Alode. Neither the hotel

owner nor any of the skeletal staff managing the hotel was involved in the fight that is said to have occurred in the hotel between the Youth Leader and members of the task force,” Osaro said.

In his view, “The governor has already done the right thing by declaring the Youth Leader wanted and offering a N5million reward for useful information about his whereabouts. By going further to demolish the hotel, the governor is scaring off foreign investment and investors from the state.”

Heaverredthatthegovernorhas more regards for and values his Ogu andOkirikafriendsthanhisso-called Eleme friends, adding that, “If the Eleme political and traditional elite that say they are friends of the governor had any value in his eyes, he would not have demolished hotels that are source of income for sons and daughters of Eleme.

Hewondered:“Howelsecanone explain the fact that the governor who has not once driven to Ekporo to see things for himself and think of how to relocate one of his constituencies to their homes, wasted no time in driving bulldozers all the wayfromGovernmentHouseinthe centreofPortHarcourttoAlodeand Onne, where he demolished two hotels in Eleme land for violating his Executive Order which banned the operation of hotels in the state’s battle against Covid-19; without taking those who say they are his friends into consideration?”

“Eleme occupies a vital place in Nigeria. It is the host community to so many national, state, foreign and privateownedcompaniesoperating in the oil and gas sector of Nigeria’s economy; including the Onne Port and the Onne Free Zone. Hotels in the area provide necessary lodgings and accommodations for a lot of those who do business in the area.

Rivers’ hotel demolition: Wike urged to mind pains of citizens DESMOND OKON

B

iokpomabo Awara, the 2019 governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers State, has strongly condemned Governor Nyesom Wike’s leadership style in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the globe.

In a telephone conversation, Awara condemned Wike’s demolition of two hotels in the state and further described the incumbent governor’s overall strategy in the fight against the virus as “dictatorial” which has unleashed untold hardship on the people.

“I condemn it. It is actually an act of dictatorship because whether we like it or not, that property would have been used for other things. There are better ways of dealing with things like that. They have violated an order; it’s to arrest the violators, not the buildings because two things

are involved: once you destroy a building, you have destroyed the economic power of a particular people, and you have destroyed the source of livelihoods of the workers” he said.

“So, the two cardinal points of governance (protection of lives and property) were gone against, and I felt the House of Assembly should have taken it up, but I don’t know what is happening,” Awara further said.

“

It’s actually painful that we would have dictatorial leadership that would be doing that

Nyesom Wike, penultimate Sunday, ordered the demolition of two hostels in the state for allegedly flouting the COVID-19 lockdown order, and personally monitored it.

The two hotels—Prudent Hotel, Alode, Eleme, and Etemeteh Hotel, in Onne—were brought down after Wike issued an executive order banning hotels from opening for business in the state

to curtail the viral spread, and repeatedly warned that any hotel that violateed the order would be demolished.

But, Awara, a member of an opposition party, said the demolition was not the right way of applying laws, adding that there are always caveats to every law or directive that every government gives.

“It’s actually painful that we

would have dictatorial leadership that would be doing that. We have a system where the aim is not to stop spreading the virus, but punishing the people. So, to me, there might be a preconceived anger that he is actually bringing out,” he alleged.

Awara urged Wike to do a peer review of the strategy deployed by his brother governors across the federation, on how best they are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic without causing the citizens more pain, adding that the deployment of a macho-style approach on Rivers’ people in the course of fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic should not be accepted by all men of good conscience.

He also urged Wike not to undermine the pains of the people in order to avert a total breakdown of law and order, stating that he needs to mind and consider the real people who are supposed to be beneficiaries his decisions.

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Sunday 17 May 2020

Arts Why Covid-19 impact mitigation committee is tearing the creative industry apart OBINNA EMELIKE

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ince May 8, 2020, when Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, announced the appointment of a committee of creative industry stakeholders to advise the Federal Government on the best way to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the industry, there have been cold war and protests among stakeholders.

The terms of reference of the committee include assessing the expected impact of the pandemic on the industry in general and advising the government on how to mitigate job and revenue losses in the sector, as well as, to create succour for the industry small businesses.

According to the minister, the committee is also to suggest the type of taxation and financing that is best for the industry at this time to encourage growth and also advise the government on any other measure or measures that can be undertaken to support the industry.

Looking at the diverse and technicality of the job ahead, concerned industry stakeholders doubt the competence of the advisory

committee appointed by the minister.

Many question the rationale for the appointment of the members of the committee led by Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, an ace comedian known as Ali Baba and Anita Eboigbe of the News Agency of Nigeria, as secretary.

They also argued that other members of the committee including: Bolanle Austen-Peters, Charles Novia, Segun Arinze, Ali Jita, Baba Agba, Kene Okwuosa,

Efe Omoregbe, Prince Daniel Aboki, Chioma Ude, Olumade Adesemowo, Dare Art Alade and Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim, are not the best representatives of the industry, while accusing the minister of choosing his friends and undermining the import and seriousness of the work to be done.

Already, a coalition of 18 guilds and associations in the creative industry, recently issued a statement saying that it was unfortunate that the government would take such

Turn Up Friday With Pepsi launches on Africa Magic channels

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ollowing the restriction of social gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to carter to the entertainment needs of subscribers, “Turn Up Friday With Pepsi”, a special music programme, has launched on Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv. The programme, which is a collaboration between Africa Magic and Pepsi, commences on May 15, 2020 and will air for the next 10 weeks on Africa Magic Urban (DStv Channel 153) and Africa Magic Family (DStv Channel 154 & GOtv Channel 2) at 9pm.

The music special will provide viewers the opportunity to turn up, dance and have a good time in the comfort of their homes.

Speaking on the new programme, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, channel director, Africa Magic, said: “As Nigerians spend more time at home amid the pandemic, ‘Turn Up Friday with Pepsi’ is bringing DJ music party to everyone right in their living rooms

and Africa Magic remains at the forefront of giving them a great time of fun and excitement. We consistently look for innovative ways to thrill and entertain our viewers and to this end, we are pleased to announce a new DJ music and dance party coming to your TV screens this weekend.

‘Turn Up Friday With Pepsi’ will ensure that our viewers have all they need to dance to their favourite music and have fun in their living rooms, with the best selection of exciting music and club mixes. We are glad that Pepsi is sponsoring the Friday night of unlimited fun and excitement, doing it the Naija way.”

Also speaking , Segun Ogunleye, marketing manager, Seven-Up Bottling Company, said: “As a brand that is at the forefront of music and contemporary pop culture, Pepsi is proud to collaborate with Africa Magic to bring the best of music and entertainment to our millions of consumers now

more than ever with Turn up Friday with Pepsi.

“Our consumers are always the life of the party, an experience they have missed while they adhere to the safety precautions due to the pandemic. So, we decided to bring the musical experience to them as we continue to refresh them the way we know how to. We are particularly excited as the premiere edition is with our own Pepsi DJ ambassador, DJ Obi. We are indeed in for great times in the next 10 weeks.”

Hype man extraordinaire and self-acclaimed Energy folk, Do2tun, will host the refreshing party on television.

The event will also feature DJ Obi, DJ Neptune, DJ Sose, DJ Lambo, DJ Consequence and many more on the wheels of steel for three hours every Friday during the duration of the programme.

Song requests and messages sent in by viewers via social media will be displayed on the screen during the show.

action without considering the leadership structure of the industry.

According to Israel Eboh, president, National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), the appointment without wider consultations is a proof of government’s insensitivity to the creative industry. He further queried why government refused to get the stakeholders involved in such an issue of policy formulation.

As well, a member of the

Association of Movie Producers (AMP), who pleaded anonymous, noted that considering that the Nigerian creative industry with over 20 guilds, employs about 2.5 million Nigerian youths and is recognised globally as the fastest growing creative industry, the federal government should have consulted with the leadership in such a serious matter requiring ways to help the sector out of the challenges posed by the impact of coronavirus.

“The minister in his statement on the appointment noted that the creative industry is a very critical sector of the nation’s economy and a major plank of the economic diversification policy of the Buhari administration. He should have followed that with the appropriate action by consulting the right people than divide us”, the source lamented.

More also, CORA/Arterial Network Nigeria, leading civil society groups in the country, which have spearheaded various capacity building activities and developmental programs for the Nigerian creative economy, applauded the initiative by the Federal Government, but are concerned that rather than deploy a quick action and remedial mode of managing the crisis, the advisory commit-

tee set up by the minister is not currently peopled by the lead representatives in the creative sector, hence would constitute unnecessary delays in meeting the objectives of the desired interventions.

Fola Martins, chairman, steering committee, CORA/ Arterial Network Nigeria, observed that, “Strategizing for the survival and sustainability of the creative economy under the rampaging threat of the pandemic, has to be, first and foremost, as all-inclusive as our broadly defined creative expressions are laid out. For instance, Cinema Exhibitors Association who as owners of cinema outlets are reporting losses to COVID 19 in the region of N2b, yet the association like so many other strategic stakeholders, is not represented in the Ministerial Advisory Committee”.

However, the stakeholders insisted that government should reconstitute the advisory committee for quality, wider and result-oriented representation because the sector creates the highest number of jobs after agriculture, while Nollywood alone is one of the priority sectors identified by the government for its Economic Recovery and Growth Plans with a projected US$1 billion export revenue in 2020.

Nigerian writer wins Deborah Rogers Foundation Award 2020 with The Suicide Mothers

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emi Aguda, a Nigerian writer, has won the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award 2020 with her novel titled The Suicide Mothers.

Excited at the successful process of the awards, Ian Ranking, the chair of the judges of the awards, disclosed that Aguda, who is also an architect, received a prize of £10,000 for her feat, while the two runners-up received £1,000 each.

“We had a long-list of eight from which to choose.

All eight had their strengths.

We encountered a series of unique and powerful authorial voices from many corners of the globe. As a reader I found myself challenged, enthralled, amused and given fresh insights into the casts of characters and their individual world scapes.

“And to our winner: first prize goes to ‘Pemi Aguda for The Suicide Mothers.

This novel begins with a real wow moment and sustains momentum as it draws us

into a world that is utterly contemporary yet has room for the mythic and the supernatural. The politics of Lagos, environmental concerns and the coming of age of the young and pregnant protagonist make for a wonderfully kinetic and gripping story”, he said.

On her win, Aguda made a shout out to Lagos, the marvelous and strange city and the people that inspired her and suffuse every single story she wrote.

“Thank you to Lagos.

Thank you to the women that raised me. The judges have said many lovely things about this work in progress and it’s so encouraging that writers of this caliber who I respect so much have seen both beauty and worth in a manuscript so young.

“As I continue to work on this project, every time that I stall or I am fearful, I will look back and think on your words and hopefully that will push me right along,” enthused.

Aguda came to limelight

after winning the Writivism Short Story Award in 2015 and the Stellenbosch residency that came with the prize.

She has an MFA from the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan, where she is currently a Zell Fellow. Her short stories appear in Granta, American Short Fiction and Zoetrope: All-Story, among others.

Deborah Rogers (19382014) was a literary agent renowned for her taste, her loyalty and her immense generosity in the support she gave to authors. The UK agent’s particular genius lay in identifying and supporting talented young people considered one of the most influential of her generation.

The Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award was set up to support an unpublished writer to enable them to complete their first book in 2016. Previous winners have been Deepa Anappara (2018) and Sharlene Teo (2016).

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Staying Alive Emotional challenges will cause more havoc than Covid-19 - Olusola

The Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world today has created a new world order that requires couples and families to more than ever before learn to bond, because the situation and its fallouts have compulsorily stuck everyone together. Here Lanre Olusola, founder and chief catalyst at the Olusola Lanre Coaching Academy, reviews the different scenarios, how couples can manage their emotions and even get closer to each other. SEYI JOHN SALAU reports:

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hat are the biggest challenges of this situation for couples and families who are suddenly stuck together 24/7?

I believe that many couples and families are currently overwhelmed and stressed. They are daily bombarded by the negative news about the coronavirus. The media reports are causing fear, anxiety, worry and panic. These emotions will cause many conflicts and affect people’s immunity which in turn will create other diseases beyond the effect of the coronavirus. We must be aware of the fact that our psychology influences our biology. According to Bruce Lipton, a doctor, ‘95 percent of disease is caused by stress and 100 percent of stress is caused by wrong beliefs’. World Health Organisation (WHO) says ‘8090 percent of health challenges are preventable and accounts for approximately 90 percent of healthcare costs on individuals, organisations or nations while 95 percent of this is stress-related’.

Stress will cause more havoc long term than Covid-19.

Are there particular kinds of people who will find this situation (all the uncertainty and being stuck at home) particularly tough?

Apart from everyone and every nation globally feeling the pain of being stuck at home, in my own opinion people who are extroverts will be particularly challenged with being stuck at home. Extroverts need constant stimuli to stay interested in one particular thing, they get bored easily. They derive their livelihood and generate their energy from networking and connecting with other people daily and if alone for too long, they become very sad and lonely.

Teenagers will also have an issue staying at home as they get bored very easily. Parents and guardians should learn to not judge or criticise their feelings or thoughts during this period. Parents should be sensitive towards their teens’ range of emotions such as tantrums, anger, confusion, jealousy, non-compliant attitudes and most importantly they will show their dislike and irritation towards their parents or elders at such a time as this. With the level of fear, anxiety and panic today the intensity of these emotions will trigger defiant behaviors.

Finally, people who live with violent and abusive partners who can’t leave will particularly have it diffuse during this period

How can couples and families make it easier on each other?

Could you share a few tips, strategies or practical things they can do every day to make things easier for themselves and their partner?

As a result of the pandemic, many couples are stuck with each other at home; this will evoke and amplify their underlying conflicts, especially with the fact that offices (an excuse for escape from our partners daily) are closed.

Many couples have forgotten what they love and like about their partners. They’re now faced with and stuck with their partner’s quirks, annoying nuisances 24 hours a day, seven days a week and to make matters worse nobody knows how long. To this end, let me share a few practical tips for couples and families to make the best of being stuck together; Develop a renewed interest in each other; show interest and participate in what your partner is interested in; find common fun activities to do together, listen to music, dance, exercise etc; recommit to each other and intentionally work towards developing a deeper personal and intimate relationship; improve intimacy; communicate with each other and laugh together; be extra kind to and be patient with one another; be best of friends and forgive each other (Because you’re stuck together); understand each other better and speak each other’s love language, and tell each other daily how much you care about and appreciate each other and show it.

There will be couples out there who were planning to separate but who are now stuck together – perhaps for months. What advice would you give to them?

For couples who are planning to separate during this Covid-19 pandemic I will say rethink your decision, do not separate because of the following reason; No lawyer or court will be able to fully work on your separation and divorce matter now as they will all be focused on their own family and personal safety at this time;

Lanre Olusola

except in the case of violence and abuse (Physical and emotional) you should stay at home with your partner because you’re safer there. Wait out this storm and be calm, don’t provoke the abuser.

Don’t leave home because leaving will further expose you to danger.

Where will you go anyway as most hotels are shutting down. Also if you have children now is not the time you want to separate your family because you never know how your children will react to and manage this reality amidst the anxiety, and fear caused by the coronavirus.

Unfortunately, some people will be stuck with partners who are physically or verbally abusive

“

Many couples have forgotten what they love and like about their partners. They’re now faced with and stuck with their partner’s quirks, annoying nuisances 24 hours a day, seven days a week and to make matters worse nobody knows how long

– what (if anything) can they do to stay safe? Do you have any advice on how to defuse tension?

Approximately 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe physical violence, and abuse. The intensity and frequency of the violence in my opinion will spike at this time because people are confined to the same space without the liberty of going out, which can be very frustrating. Financial issues can also be a trigger for violence at such a time as this.

Abuse is simply about power and control. So victims must do the following: Break the silence and tell someone. Give yourself the permission to leave, move back to your family or a good friend who will want you safe and appreciate spending quality time with you at this time. Seek professional help from life coaches, therapists and psychologists.

If you are going through any of these issues right now, please go to CoachME Online - a digital coaching app with about 100 coaches available to work with you in real time. Download the app from the Google store if you’re an Android user or go to http://www.coach-

meonline.com to access the web platform if you’re an iOS user. Our coaches, specialised in different areas of life, are waiting to help you through this stressful time. I also read recently that the South African government is making a safe place available for women who face abuse to be able to stay during this time. I think this is something other governments can emulate.

Are there any tactics/strategies people living in cramped conditions can use to have a break from each other – where there is not enough space to physically retreat into another room, for example- What kind of thoughts can help people to support each other and get through this together?

For this to happen, couples should agree to give each other some emotional space. They should do things like exercising alone, reading, listening to music with headphones, connecting with friends and loved ones - talk to them on the phone and use various chat apps or devices that allow you video call people.Also observing “me time” is key.

Another category is the people who live alone and are battling mental issues like depression. How should they manage themselves at this time?

For this category of people, I will advise that they work on boosting their dose of D.O.S.E. daily. D.O.S.E is an acronym I coined for the 4 happy hormones Dopamine; Oxytocin; Serotonin; Endorphins.Here are some practical tips to BoostYourDoseofDOSE. Dopamine boost tips: Eat foods rich in Tyrosine (Fish, Avocado, Almonds, bananas etc.); Exercise at least 3 times a week; Meditate; Get good regular sleep; Listen to good soul music, and take food supplements.

Oxytocin boost tips: Be content; Increase your creativity; Enjoy interactions online (Join online social media communities); Increase your empathy, warmth and trust. Serotonin boost tips: Reduce your sugar intake; Take Vitamin B Complex during stress; Eat Healthy and balanced; Eat high protein foods like turkey, and stay emotionally calm.

Endorphins boost tips: Eat dark chocolates; Eat your favorite food; Avoid sitting for too long stand up, stretch and walk around every 55 mins for 5 mins; Laugh more; Smile more; Eat spicy foods; Use natural fragrances like lavender on your pillow; Drink a glass of wine, and get online Emotional Freedom Therapy (EFT).

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Travel UNWTO pushes for global tourism recovery with technical assistance package Obinna Emelike

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he World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released a Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package to offer guidance to Member States in response to COVID-19. The package is structured around three main pillars: economic recovery, marketing and promotion and institutional strengthening and resilience building.

With tourism among the hardest-hit of all sectors, UNWTO has identified three possible scenarios for the months ahead. Depending on when restrictions on travel are lifted, international tourist arrivals could decline by 60-80 percent in 2020.

This could translate into a decline in export revenues from tourism of between US$910 billion to US$1.2 trillion and place 100-120 million jobs directly at risk. The social ripple effect is also feared to be at least equally challenging for many societies the world over.

The UNWTO is insisting that stakeholders must support the tourism sector now with real actions while preparing for it to come back and be stronger and more sustainable.

Against this backdrop, the COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package is designed to support governments, the private sector and donor agencies face this unprecedented socioeconomic emergency.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili says: “We must support the tourism sector now with real actions while we prepare for it to come back and be stronger and more sustainable.

Empty beach Recovery plans and programmes for tourism will translate into jobs and economic growth, not just within tourism itself but across the whole of societies. This package of support will help governments and business implement our Recommendations for Recovery”.

Alongside the set of recommendations already released by UNWTO to call for action to mitigate the socio-economic impact of COVID and endorsed by the UNWTO Global Tourism Crisis Committee, the package identified three potential areas of intervention to accelerate the recovery of tourism: economic, promotional

and institutional.

The COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Technical Assistance Package makes the case for policies and measures to be introduced to stimulate the economic recovery of the tourism sector. These should be introduced alongside the development of impact needs assessments and country-specific plans for tourism recovery, among other measures, according to the UNWTO. The secretary general also assured that in terms of marketing and promotion, UNWTO stands ready to provide technical assistance to identify markets that can

help accelerate recovery, addressing product diversification, and (re)formulating marketing strategies and promotional activities.

The third pillar, institutional strengthening and resilience building, is particularly aimed at enhancing public-private partnership and promoting collaborative efforts for tourism recovery, and, enhancing skills in crisis management and recovery.

Tourism for Sustainable Development The technical support offered

by UNWTO is designed to help Members work towards the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several of these Goals directly relate to tourism, most notably the SDGs 8, 12 and 17, on ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’, ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’, and ‘Partnerships for the Goals’.

UNWTO is also working as part of the wider UN response to COVID-19, emphasizing the role tourism can play in shielding developing countries and the most vulnerable members of society from the worst impacts of the current crisis.

Park Vega Water Park attracts global commendations

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ark Vega Water Park, the largest water park in West Africa, has continued to attract more accolades from within and outside the country. The recent is coming from Ignace Woinin, coordinator, membership, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), who sent an appreciation mail to the management of Park Vega Water Park on the landmark construction of the largest water park in the African sub-region.

Woinin stated in his mail: “We are impressed by your dedication to pioneering the attraction industry in Western Africs”.

Also, some indigenes of Agbor community where the waterpark is situated paid an unscheduled courtesy visit to the water park facility to see for themselves the status of work and extend their appreciation to the management for the community empowering

Park Vegas project.

Emmanuel Tibi, spokesman for the visiting team, said: “We are happy that this project was sited in our community and we thank Park Vega Water Park for this initiative. For our immediate

community, for Agbor Kingdom, for Ika South, for Delta State, and Nigeria, this is a great investment. These are the types of investments that will open up the economy of this community and the country as a whole. We

expect this hospitality facility to attract people from across the globe to Nigeria with forex and even our sons and daughters who are in the diaspora will be proud to come back home because of the development this waterpark will bring.”

Speaking about the endorsements, Anthony Elikene, public relations officer, Park Vega Water Park, said Nigerians deserve the best-in-class service the park is offering.

According to Elikene, “When the construction of Park Vega Water Park started, the major focus wasn’t to build the largest waterpark in the sub-region, rather the aim was to offer Nigerians, and West Africans the highest quality they can get anywhere in the world. Our families and loved ones deserve nothing but the best.

“The commendations are further testimonies that people will always appreciate quality. This is

a positive insight into Nigeria as a country that aspires to build its tourism sector and diversify the economy.”

He further disclosed that when the park is completed and open for public patronage, it would ensure families and loved ones have happy memories as they bond, and share the best day ever experiences together.”

Globally waterparks are exciting and healthy ways for families, and friends to bond and create happy and unforgettable memories. One of the salient messages Park Vega is directly sending is that; Nigerians need not travel out of the country to experience world-class waterpark facilities with their families and loved ones.

Park Vega is located in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria – a transit town that connects South Western to South Eastern, Nigeria.

It is close to Benin, Asaba, and Warri airports.

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Travel

COVID-19: Latest travel advice for frequently visited destinations across the world Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

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oliday’s don’t seem to feel like a real concept anymore as thousands of people have had their summer plans scuppered.

And travellers are to face further problems following the government’s announcement that all those that all international air passengers in the UK must quarantine for 14 days.

In his ‘road map’ plan to easing lockdown, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that all international arrivals not on the pre-decided “short list” will be required to self-isolate for 14 days in their accommodation.

They will be required to supply contact and accommodation information and will also be “strongly advised” to download and use the NHS contact-tracing app on their phones.

It has also been confirmed on Tuesday (May 12) that all visitors to Spain from abroad must also quarantine for 14 days if they arrive in the country after May 15.

The new Health Ministry order, published in Spain’s official gazette, said the goal is to “limit the risks derived from the international traffic of people” during the rollback of the coronavirus lockdown.

Travel agencies and transport companies must inform their customers about the new regulations before they sell their Spain-bound tickets, and airlines need to make sure that passengers fill out a “location card” in case they need to be contacted after their trip.

But what is the likelihood of

holiday’s this year at other popular destinations?

Cyprus - June Cyprus has extended a ban on all inbound and outbound flights for another two weeks until May 28.

The government first imposed a flight ban on March 21 as part of a strict lockdown.

Authorities have said that airports could reopen in June - depending on the situation.

Scientists are still trying to come up with ways of safely bringing back travellers to the tourism-reliant country - which is estimated to face losing 60 percent of its visitors this year.

Officials have previously said, with optimism, that they may reopen their border in June.

Cypriot deputy tourism minister Savvas Perdios told The Sun Online that Brits would be welcome to visit once measures are relaxed, adding: “At first the policies shocked our source markets but we thought the earlier we

took this strong-handed approach, the earlier we could draft an exit strategy.

“The results have been very positive. And now as part of that exit strategy we are readying for full opening of the island as a tourist destination in mid-June. That is the vision.”

Dubai – July Dubai has told how it would like to start letting tourists back into the country as early as July - but has stressed this could change.

Helal Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism, said on television: “Many countries remain closed and it’s more about the bilateral discussions, “Is it going to be July when things start slowly opening up?

“Is it going to be September? We just need to make sure we’re ready if things come earlier than expected.”

And he expressed optimism that the industry will bounce back as it will turn its focus to “health and hygiene.”

Greece – July The country acted quickly after recording its first case of coronavirus on February 26.

And in late April, the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the plan to relax lockdown measures.

Beaches reopened on May 4 and cafes and restaurants will open on May 1 but with outdoor seating only.

But the country is grappling with what this will mean for tourists.

Theoharis, who is set to hold talks with his EU counterparts, told The Guardian: “If we are to think of the possibility of travelling this year it has to be under specific new rules.

“We have to have new rules for hotels, new rules for beaches, new rules for pools, new rules for breakfast buffets, new rules for tour buses.”

Italy – July Italy was forced to impose a strict lockdown, which banned walking or exercising more than 200m away from home, after it was one of the hardest hit countries.

But now, some measures have been relaxed and people can travel for longer distances and visit some relatives.

Bars and restaurants are expect to reopen for dine-in services in June, and now the country is tentatively considering its tourism sector.

Giorgio Palmucci, president of the Italian National Tourist Board, ENIT, told local media that European tourists will be the first international group to be allowed to visit.

He said: “I am ready to sign bilateral treaties between European countries to encourage the arrival of foreigners as well, while waiting

for the emergency to be definitively behind us “We will only start (with tourists) from the European Union, and at the earliest, in July or August.

“The problem is that, unlike other sectors, tourism relies on reservations, so the window of time open for operators will be really tight.”

Spain – August Spanish residents saw one of the strictest lockdowns across Europe, with the mandatory closure of all restaurants, and adults only permitted out for essential business.

This is set to continue until May 24, when the state of emergency is due to end.

Speaking earlier on, the tourism minister hinted that there would not be a simple return to normal for tourists.

Spanish tourism minister Reyes Maroto told local newspaper El Pais: “We have to guarantee, when international tourism opens, that the person who comes to Spain is a safe person...

“The issue of borders will be accompanied by the evolution of the health crisis.

“Therefore, I do not have the solution of when [they will be able to open].

“On how you will be able to enjoy our beaches, we are defining different scenarios.

“It is very important that the sanitary recommendations are maintained, we are going to have to internalise what we are already doing now, hand washing, social distancing ... even on the beaches.

“Those patterns will be in our day to day for a time, you cannot take a step back.”

Canada High Commission responsible for delay in evacuation of Nigerians from North America - Sources

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t has been confirmed that the Canada High Commission is responsible for the delay of the evacuation of Nigerians from the North American country by deferring Air Peace flight right and positioning Ethiopia Airlines to operate the airlift at a higher fare.

The Federal Government last week designated the Nigerian carrier, Air Peace to conduct evacuation flight to bring Nigerians who are stranded in Canada with the flight plan to bring back Nigerians from Toronto and Cagliari back to the country.

But informed source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that the Canada High Commission opened talks with Ethiopia Airlines, which has been airlifting Canadian citizens from different parts of Africa to Canada to deny a Nigerian carrier the opportunity to airlift its own citizens.

But the Federal Government through the Ministry of Aviation

and Foreign Affairs has waded into the matter, insisting that the Nigerian carrier has to operate the flight in tandem with its new position that all evacuation flights must be conducted by Nigerian carriers.

A document sourced from the Canada High Commission directed that passengers should pay $2, 500 to Ethiopian Airlines; while Air Peace charged $1, 134 and 319 passengers have paid to the Nigerian airline, which has concluded plans to operate full flight to the North American country.

The directive from the Canada High Commission asked the wouldbe passengers to pay for Flight ET3900 from Lagos to Addis-Ababa that would depart from Lagos by 1:00 pm Nigerian time on May 18, 2020.

The directive asked the passengers to use the booking code: ”LOSYYZ”, valid only for May 15, 2020.

The delay in allowing Air Peace, an indigenous airline to conduct the evacuation flight has upset officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Nigerians who have been monitoring the proceedings since last week.

Some of the Nigerians who have booked and paid Air Peace for the flight were already complaining about the insistence of the Canada High Commission to choose a foreign airline when a Nigerian carrier can carry out the evacuation exercise successfully, as it had done in the past.

Shocked at the decision of Canada High Commission, an official of the Nigerian carrier said that Air Peace has successfully flown to 40 countries, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, noting that it was the airline that evacuated Israeli citizens from Nigeria late March.

“We have done many international flights, including landing in

Canada. We have made 19 flights to the United States of America since 2014. We have flown to TelAviv several times and in March we evacuated over 200 Israelis from Nigeria back during this COVID-19 lockdown. We have scheduled flight operations to United Arab Emirates. We have also flown to UK, Ireland, China, Turkey, Germany, Iceland, Switzerland and other countries.

“We have IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification and we are member of IATA. We have also evacuated Nigerians from South Africa during the Xenophobia attack of Africans there. We are grateful to the Federal Government and the Ministry of Aviation for all the support it is giving Air Peace and other ingenious carriers,” the Air Peace official said.

Reacting to the incident, Benedict Adeyileka, former director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), described

the action of the Canada High Commission as political and urged the Federal Government to stand firmly on its position that a Nigerian carrier should conduct the airlift.

“I don’t agree with what is happening. It is very political and Ethiopian Airlines is playing a dangerous game. Ethiopian has new aircraft but it was Boeing 767 it deployed to airlift Nigerians from the US and some of the passengers complained, even as they paid higher fares to the airline. But Air Peace is deploying Boeing 777 for the evacuation.

“I am a nationalist to the core.

Anything Nigerian is good enough as long as it is qualified to carry out the operation and Air Peace has international operation experience.

I insist that the Nigerian government should put its foot down on this. Nigerian carriers should not be stopped from conducting international operations,” he said.

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BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

COVID-19 and the future of work: The personal branding imperative Tony Usidamen

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OVID-19 is a humanitarian and societal crisis of unprecedented speed and scale. Since the outbreak was first documented in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the novel coronavirus has spread to more than 170 countries around the globe, claiming thousands of lives, sickening millions and forcing billions of people into confinement.

Expectedly, the World Health Organisation declared the situation a pandemic. But this isn’t just a public health problem; it is also an economic one with cascading impact. As the global search for a cure or vaccine continues, and governments evolve new intervention approaches, businesses are adapting ways to maintain continuity and minimize operational risks—now and in the future. With most employees working remotely, experts predict that the home office and dispersed co-working spaces will be the “new normal” when the pandemic subsides.

Death of the 8-Hour Desk Fact is: remote working isn’tnew!Sincethemid-90s— thanks to advancements in communication technologies—anumberofbusinesses have embraced some degree ofagileworking.A2011study commissionedbyofficechain Regus, concludes: “In the future, companies will focus their strategy on a more flexible working model, where

employees find their own office space.”

Trends were, indeed, heading that way even before COVID-19 pushed the population of remote employees at most organizations from about 10 percent to nearly 100 percent of the workforce in just a matter of days. While this shift is by no means final, it offers governments and business leaders a real sense of what can, and cannot, be done outside their conventional systems.

Evidently, the key to survival and long-term prosperity is adaptability. This experience will fast-track the digitalization of the workplace and entrench the “work from anywhere” ideal in the evolving organizational culture. The traditional office desk—long considered the epicentre of productivity— will shrink in value, as the 9 to 5 work trend loses currency and remote work soars.

Rise of the Gig Economy The gig economy is part of the shifting cultural and business environment. In

contrast to the traditional employment structure, it is a free market system in which organizations hire freelancers and independent contractors for specific tasks on a part-time, short-term basis—usually through an online platform. The trend has been on the rise, and it will continue to grow postCOVID-19.

Since work is “something you do, not a place”, employers can contract experts for specific projects from a geographically diverse talent pool: they are finding that there is no commercial justification to retain many staff full-time, and that they can make savings on benefits and training. Individuals are also able to take on jobs better aligned with their preferred lifestyle (think work-life balance).

Need for Personal Branding Just as consumers are confronted with many good product choices, employers and potential clients or business partners also have a

wide pool of jobseekers and service providers to select from. Having a strong personal brand will differentiate you from other experts in your field and increase the chances of selecting you over competitors with similar (if not better) qualification.

Simply put, your personal brand is the unique combination of personal qualities, skills and experiences that make you unique, and the deliberate work you put into defining and communicating this personal brand is known as personal branding.

Know Yourself: Begin with an honest assessment of the brand assets you have.

These include your values & beliefs (what you stand for or against), passion & interests (the industries or topics you’re most interested in), skills & credentials (useful skills or training you’ve acquired in line with these interests), grooming & deportment (how professional or appealing your overall look is).

It is important to note that

personal branding isn’t about crafting a different public persona but a reflection of who you really are. The above exercise is critical because it helps you connect with your authentic self. Not only does it aid in identifying what your unique strengths and most marketable attributes are, it also brings to light areas where improvements or changes are needed.

Position Yourself: Piece together the key elements of your personal brand. What area of expertise do you want to be known for? What specific needs do you want to address and whom do you want to influence? What is your unique value proposition and why should anyone believe you? What personality traits do you want to be associated with? Refer to my personal brand positioning statement: “My passion is to help individuals, businesses and governments tell their stories in the most compelling fashion, and build powerful, enduring brands; always inventing new, more efficient

and cost-effective ways to get their messages out - a path that such diverse brands as Afrinvest, METKA Power, Total Oil, KIA, Dana Air and South African Tourism have walked with me.”

Project Yourself: You know who you are and what you can offer but if your audience doesn’t know this, it does nothing for your career or business. Hence, the need to communicate, and constantly reinforce, what you stand for. I recommend you use LinkedIn actively. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ and personal blogs are also good communication channels.

Whatever image you portray online must be consistent with real life, else you will be sending confusing signals to your audience and raising suspicion about your authenticity. Spot a clean and smart appearance at all times—especially at publicfacing events—and seize every opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise. Remember, there is no second chance to make a first impression!

As Jeff Bezos famously said: “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

Whatever content you put out there—each discussion thread you contribute to, each blog post you write, each tweet you send—adds another piece to the puzzle that is your personal brand.

Take the steps to ensure that the image people end up with is the best reflection of you.

Tony Usidamen is Lead Consultant of Uburu—an integrated marketing communications consultancy based in Lagos, Nigeria.

FoodCo donates Covid-19 palliatives to orphanages, widows, vulnerable communities

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s part of efforts aimed at providing succour to vulnerable members of the society affected by the COVID-19 p a n d e m i c , Fo o d C o Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) affiliate of FoodCo Nigeria Limited, has distributed care packages, comprising food items and essential supplies, toorphanages,widowsaswell as low-income households in Lagos and Ibadan.

The gesture comes on the heels of an on-going

initiative by the Foundation to provide daily refreshments for personnel of the Oyo State COVID-19 Emergency Response Team as well as a recent donation of medical equipment to the University Teaching Hospital, (UCH) Ibadan.

Speaking on the motivation behind the donations, Ade Sun-Basorun, CEO of FoodCo Nigeria Limited and a Trustee of the Foundation, in a stattement said: “With the effects of the COVID-19 disease affecting various segments of society,

low income households have been particularly hit as many have had their source of livelihoods disrupted. “ The United Nations estimates that over 1.6 billion people working in the informal sector where this group largely belongs, and which represents over half of the global workforce, have lost their source of livelihoods since the pandemic started.

It is our intention, therefore, to support as many people as we can within the category in line with the overall mission of lessening casualties from the

pandemic.

“Also, we wish to use the opportunity of this donation to call attention to another vulnerable group, which is, the children in orphanages.

U n d e r s t a n d a b l y, t h e economic impact of the pandemic has affected the flow of goodwill donations to them. While we acknowledge that these are challenging times, we will like to emphasize that the children need our support now, more than ever. We therefore appeal to corporate bodies and kind-hearted individuals

who are able, to spare the much they can, to support these little ones”.

He said the company “appreciates the efforts of the Oyo State COVID-19 Emergency Response Team who, like their counterparts across the country and globally, continue to do outstanding work at the frontlines, which informed our decision to supply them with daily refreshments. We thank you for the hard work and sacrifice you put in to ensure that this disease is contained so that we all can

return to normalcy as soon as possible,” he added.

Over 600 households in Elesan and Lafiaji, Eti-Osa Local Government Areas, in Lagos and Oke-Ado, Idi-Ishin and Odo-Ona in Ibadan, Oyo State, were reached by the initaitive.

According to the statement, some of the beneficiaries of the FoodCo COVID-19 care packages include Tabitha Homes and Living World Mission Children’s Home orphanages as well as widows and Dabira Women’s Network.

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CapitalMarket Airtel gains market share in data, voice services as MTN consolidates other revenue sources

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TELIAT SULE

irtel Nigeria stepped up the battle of reclaiming more market share from the market leader, MTN Nigeria, in 2019/2020 financial year, as the strategies put in place by the former succeeded in moving its market share from 25 percent in 2018/19 to 27 percent in 2019/20 financial year. Airtel Nigeria’s financial year ends in March why that of MTN Nigeria ends in December.

In the last financial year, MTN Nigeria realised N1.169 trillion revenue from voice, data, SMS, roaming, handsets and accessories as well as from digital, VAS and other revenue. When compared with the revenue of the previous year, it was 12.57 percent higher than N1.039 trillion revenue made by the company in 2018.

For Airtel Nigeria, the firm made $1.373 billion as revenue during the financial year that ended in March 2020, representing 24.1 percent increase over $1.106 billion revenue made during the financial year that ended March 2019. Using Central Bank of Nigeria’s average exchange rate of N312.28/$ for January 2019 to March 2020, total revenue made in naira amounted to N428.76 billion in March 2020 while that of the revenue made in the previous year translated to N345.38 billion. The earnings came from voice, data and other revenue sources.

The above figures imply that Airtel succeeded in moving its voice market share from 25 percent to 27 percent within the period while

the market leader, MTN shelved 2 percent of its voice market share which was 73 percent in 2019 as against 75 percent in 2018.

Airtel Nigeria gained more market share in the data market. In 2019, Airtel controlled 34 percent of the data market share, but that has risen to 38 percent by March 2020. On the other hand, MTN Nigeria’s data market share which was 66 percent in 2018 declined to 62 percent by December 2019.

The two telecoms firms made money from other sources regard-

ed as ‘other revenue’ which mostly came from SMS, interconnect and roaming, handset and accessories, digital, value added services among others. MTN Nigeria remains the undisputed leader in this sector.

In 2018, MTN Nigeria which accounted for 86 percent of the revenue from other sources ensured that its share of that market further increased to 89 percent whereas Airtel Nigeria’s market share of other revenue sources shrank to 11 percent from 14 percent in the previous year.

In terms of contribution, voice services contributed 62 percent of MTN Nigeria’s revenue in 2019 as against 66 percent in 2018. Data services contributed 19 percent of its revenue in 2019 compared with 15 percent in 2018. Interconnect and roaming services generated 11 percent of its revenue in 2019 in contrast to 10 percent in 2018.

Those three business segmentsvoice, data and interconnect and roaming accounted for 90 percent of MTN Nigeria’s revenue in both 2018 and 2019.

For Airtel, 62 percent of its revenue was derived from voice services in 2020, even as it was lower than 67 percent which was the contribution of this source of revenue to the overall revenue in 2019.

Data sources contributed more revenue which rose to 32 percent in 2020 from 23 percent in 2019.

Other revenue sources contributed 6 percent in 2020 down from 10 percent in 2019.

“More recently, the markets where we operate have begun to be impacted by the COVID 19 and the related actions that governments have implemented to reduce the risk of contagion. Our policy has been to keep our colleagues, suppliers and customers safe whilst supporting the communities which we operate. Telecoms businesses provide strategically essential services to ensure the functioning of economies and communities and are, therefore, more resilient compared to some other sectors.

“In Africa, the spread of the Covid 19 has lagged the rest of the world, and therefore, it is difficult to precisely forecast what the impact of this will be on customers and business. However, our performance during the month of April has been resilient as the business continued to deliver constant currency revenue growth, although at a lower rate”, Raghunath Mandava, CEO Airtel said.

On the Nigerian bourse year to date, Airtel Nigeria’s share price remained unchanged at N298.90 per share while MTN Nigeria has gained 4.8 percent to close at N110 per share last week.

Total Nigeria posts N163m losses on reduced sales in Q1 …appoints a new director TELIAT SULE

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otal Nigeria Plc a loss after tax at the end of the first quarter ended March 2020. The first quarter loss after tax, was because the oil and gas firm made N70.24 billion in revenue in March 2020, which was 9 percent lower than N77.42 billion realised same period in 2019.

Revenue was from two major sources-sale of petroleum products, and lubricants and others. In March 2020, Total Nigeria generated N57.18 billion from the sales of petroleum products, 11 percent lower than N64.004 billion it generated from the same product line in similar period in 2019. The continuous decline in petroleum products’ sales was partly attributed to the ban on the sale of petroleum products within certain radius of

the Nigerian borders with other countries.

Lubricants and other products earned the firm N13.06 billion in the first quarter that just ended, representing a decline of 2.7 percent when compared with N13.42 billion the firm generated in similar period in 2019.

Gross profit was N7.75 billion for the period as against N8.14 billion in corresponding quarter in 2019. Loss after tax was N163.22 million, which was better than a loss after tax of N474.09 million in 2019. Its share price has shed -7.3 percent year to date to close at N102.8 per share las week.

Meanwhile, the company has announced the appointment of Lucile Badaire as a non-executive director, effective May 13, 2020, a notice signed by Bunmi PopoolaMordi, company secretary, indicated.

“This is to inform the investing public that Lucile Badaire has

been appointed a Non-Executive Director of Total Nigeria Plc with

effect from the 13th of May, 2020.

Badaire is a graduate of Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris and is an Engineer of the Corps des Mines.

She began her professional career in 2003 and held various positions in French ministries and public administration covering Digital, Market Regulation and Public Policies Reforms. From 2010 to 2012, she was appointed Advisor to the Minister of Industry.

“Badaire joined the Total Group in 2012 as Field Development Manager, on African projects for Total Upstream, based in Paris. In 2014, she was promoted to the position of New Business & Planning Director, based in Abu Dhabi. In 2017 she became Supply, Pricing & Hedging Director (Marketing & Services) based in Paris and in 2020 was appointed Supply & Logistics Director for the Africa division (Marketing & Services)”, Popoola-Mordi said.

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Sunday 17 May, 2020

TheWorshipper COVID-19: There is no hope of survival anywhere but in God - Rev. Aremu

Rev. Sola Aremu of Yaba Baptist Church in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, says that whatever the situation is; Covid-19 or not, the church is marching on and the gate of hell cannot and will never overcome her. Excerpts: The coronavirus has changed the way things are done globally; what is your opinion on the postCOVID-19 church in Nigeria? he church and the entire society must be ready for post COVID-19 challenges. Things will definitely not remain the same. I can see the church coming out stronger in terms of expressing her faith in Christ. One thing that COVID-19 experience has created in the heart of people is fear of the unknown. Many people have discovered that there is no hope of survival anywhere but in God. I see people moving closer to God and holding on to the faith they profess. I equally see the post-Covid-19 church as a digital church. The probability is high that people find it more convenient and comfortable to worship God in the confine of their homes. This, of course, has been happening, it’s happening now and is likely to come more after Covid-19.

Religious bodies have been under attack for not doing enough to support members as the lockdown persists; what’s your take?

I can’t really point to what CAN or PFN or any other Christian body has done in supporting members.

What I see is churches making special arrangements for their needy members to cushion the effect of the lockdown. This is not to absolutely conclude that Christian bodies didn’t do anything. The fact remains that I do not have such information.

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Rev. Sola Aremu

So, can we consider donations made by some churches to the government as misplaced priority?

I really do not want to consider donations by some mega churches to the government as a misplaced priority. If other circular organisations and some other individuals are donating, then the church should not be

left out. In fact, if nobody does it the church should. Giving is part of Christianity and biblical injunction. Doing it is to fulfil the law of Christ. What crime is there if the church supports the government? Personally, I don’t see anything wrong in it.

The battle against COVID-19 is a collective one not just about the government.

Isolation centres: Martins clarifies position on Catholic hospitals in Lagos SEYI JOHN SALAU

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lfred Adewale Martins, the Catholic archbishop of Lagos has clarified the position of the church on the availability of its hospitals in Lagos to be used as isolation centre in the fight against COVID-19.

According to Martins, the clarification became necessary because of the growing anxiety among users and managers of the health facilities, especially in Lagos. “We would like to state clearly that the health facilities would be used for that purpose only if states governments formally request for their use from the jurisdictions concerned

and if it is mutually agreed that the facilities are suitable for the purpose,” Martins said.

While urging users of the health facilities, management and staff to continue to go about their normal duties, Martins assured that the facilities remain open as they continue to offer quality services in a safe and secure environment.

“Let no one entertain the fear that they would contract coronavirus by using any of our facilities,” he said.

Speaking further on the availability of the health facilities, Martins said that so far, the Archdiocese has not been approached for the use of any of its health facilities. “If and when the request is made and there is

an agreement for its use, there would be adequate information given to everyone concerned,” he explained.

According to Martins, while the church awaits further development, Catholic faithful shall continue to pray that God would grant success to the ongoing efforts at containing the spread of the pandemic.

Recall that Boss Mustapha, chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, during the daily briefing on Monday, May 11, 2020, announced that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria had offered its 425 health facilities across the country to be used as isolation centres in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

What is your view on the lockdown and closure of churches?

On the question of whether the lockdown was meant to silence the church or not; I am of the view that such is erroneous.

It’s obvious that COVID-19 is real and that the lockdown does not only affect the church. It affects the church, the mosque and probably even the shrine. It affects business organisations, financial institutions, educational institutions, to mention few. So, it’s not just about the church but the entire society.

Do you think the church has a role to play with the pandemic, especially with healing people who caught the virus?

To those prophets who feel they have the spiritual power to heal the victims, let them be given the opportunity. I personally believe the church has a role to play. There is both the physical and the spiritual approach to solving human problems. I believe in divine healing because the scriptures confirm it. However, such prophets should be careful. They must not be manipulative and/or diabolic about it.

Looking at actions taken by the federal and state governments on easing the lockdown in some parts of the country; is it the right move considering the increasing rate of COVID-19 in Nigeria?

I personally commend the effort of the government to ease the lockdown. I want to believe

the government is sensitive to challenges that go with the lockdown. People are crying and dying in silence because of the hardship that the lockdown has brought on them. With other measures put in place, I believe we can overcome the pandemic if and only if people will obey simple directives by the government.

Would you like to share your personal experience on the lockdown?

Praise be to the name of the Lord who by His infinite mercy has sustained His own people.

To Him alone be all the glory. The lockdown has not really been a good experience to many people because of the associated challenges.

To me, it is a ‘not-want-to-have’ experience. It has been frustrating, discomforting and inconveniencing for many. However, it became necessary to abide because of the positive motive behind it.

As a church, we have absolutely complied with the lockdown order. Most times our programmes are online. We connect with our people through social media. There is no opportunity for us to visit our members so we decided to reach out to them through phone calls and WhatsApp messages. We made provisions of food materials available for those who might need assistance at such a time like this. Generally, it’s been a trying time not only for the church but for virtually everybody.

It’s the responsibility of the church to look out for members - Apostle Aigbogun

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he Senior Pastor of Grace Outreach Global Church, Apostle Segun Aigbogun has stated that it is the responsibility of the church to look out for its members, pointing out that the Church exists for the people.

He stated this recently when the church extended a hand of fellowship to its members to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

According to Aigbogun, it was easy for the church to carry out the gesture of giving out palliatives because it has a database of its members. “We were able to reach members through our data base and through the leaders of the groups in the church. That is why we are able to observe social distancing. There is no crowd around where the distribution is being done,” he said.

Mopelola Aigbogun, a resident pastor of the church in Akure, Ondo State, and founder of Hands of Grace, a non-profit organisation,

reiterated the reason the church is giving out palliatives to its members.

According to her, the church was giving out palliative for the second time in two months, stating that churches should be at the vanguard of reaching out to the vulnerable always and should not wait till crisis time.

“Religious worship centres should also cater for the physical welfare of the people apart from their spiritual lives. The way we can give back to them is to give what they have given for the common good,” she said. About 100 members of the Church in Akure, Ondo State were given sizeable food items including garri, rice and palm oil that will last them for days.

Some members of the church who spoke at the event testified to how the church has been responding to needs around even when there was no crisis, stating that the Church has demonstrated the love of Christ over the years.

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TheWorshipper Inspiration With Rev. Yomi Kasali

info@yomikasali.com

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wise man once said, ‘the person who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after.’ Hence, schooling is continuous, and learning is progressive.

I have found out that many people have stopped learning the most important things about life and display their ignorance when it matters most.

I want to take my readers back today to school to learn a course we probably

Back to school carried over and ensure we are Inspired to pass the course no matter what. This is one subject that even our Saviour had to learn and pass, but, I wonder why we would want to ‘skip’ that class and hope to please God as believers. This is what the writer of Hebrews revealed to us about the subject the Master himself had to ‘learn’ even though He was the Son of God. Though He was a Son, yet LEARNT He ‘Obedience’ by the things which He suffered’ (Heb. 5 v 8)​.

Our Lord Jesus being the Son of God couldn’t skip the class on ‘Obedience’, in fact he learnt that subject in the school of life and ministry through the things He ‘Suffered’, yet, many of His followers and disciples want to skip the class on obedience and hope to get over to the next level in life. We conveniently forget that ‘obedience is better than sacrifice...’ I’m worried sick about the kind of believers we are churning out from the Church.​ A few things happened in the last week or so about the closure of churches in the country to curb the spread of this deadly virus in our Land. By the way, it’s something happening in other countries as well, the

WHO and medical experts (Christians inclusive) advised against social gatherings of more than 20 people if we could help it, yet some church leaders are crying wolf where there is none.

To Obey simple instructions have become difficult because we ‘failed’ the class on obedience.

Le t m e s h a r e m y thoughts on 4 areas of Obedience that God wants people to ‘learn’, even if we have to learn that Course through suffering and pain; it’s something we have to do like Jesus did in the scriptures above​ 4 Areas to learn obedience Civil obedience: I’m not sure if there is something​like ‘civil obedience’ because what we all know

NEWS Omor/Umumbo not at war, says Igwe Chidume …condemns killings, destruction of properties over farm cluster GODFREY OFURUM

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he traditional ruler of Omor Community, in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State, His Royal Highness, Igwe Oranu Chris Chidume, Eze Ana-Ukwu, Eze Igulube of Omor, has condemned the abduction, killings, and destruction of properties in a clash between farmers in clusters E71, E72, E8, E9 and E10 at Lower Anambra Irrigation Project in the community.

He explained that the people of Omor and Umumbo communities are not at war, as reported in the media, noting that the crisis arose from farmers at the cluster, who were contesting over allocations of farmland.

“The crisis was between farmers from Omor and Um u m b o e x t r a c t i o n s .

These farmers were at the

clusters of the developed areas of the Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP), who had issues over farm land allocation at the cluster.

“This matter came to my knowledge on January, 2019.

I personally took it upon myself to ensure that the problem was nipped in the bud, by raising a committee from Omor Royal Cabinet, to mediate in the matter and ensure that the issue did not snowball into a major crisis. With that and other preventive measures we took, we were confident the matter had been resolved,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I only got to know that the matter was still on when, on May 5, 2020, we received reports of fresh crisis, resulting in abduction, killings and destruction of properties.

Sadly, lives have been lost, some people are still missing, while some

sustained different degrees of injuries and properties destroyed during the skirmishes,” he further said.

Th e m o n a r c h , w h o maintained that human life is sacred, admonished the indigenes of Omor and Umumbo, to desist from any further action that will breach law and order in the communities.

He asked the people to always seek redress for any grievances, using appropriate channels and legal process, rather than resort to self help.

He appealed to the government of Anambra State to look into the root cause of the matter to determine the issues surrounding the allocation of spaces at the cluster, streamline the relationship between the host communities and the Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP) and find a lasting solution to the crisis.

is the philosophy of civil disobedience popularized

by Mahatma Ghandi and his protege, Martin Luther King Jnr. The latter encourages peaceful protests on laws of the land that may be perceived as injurious to the rights of citizens. Those protests are right when the laws infringe on the rights of citizens but God admonishes us to ‘obey’ those in authority when they make laws to protect and keep us safe like the covid19 restriction of movements (Rom 13 v 1-4; Titus 3 v 1).

Spiritual obedience: This is the part many preachers like to teach including myself, especially when it comes to areas around finances like ‘tithing and giving of offerings.’ Truly so, non payment of such is an act of wilful disobedience

that must be discouraged and I would appeal to my readers to give towards the things of God and Charity as well. Paul said we should not have ‘relationships’ with people that don’t obey the gospel (2 Thess. 3 v 14) Parental obedience: We have a major challenge today in raising our children.

The parents in the last few years in Africa are unfortunately releasing rebels into the society from homes.

The Bible teaches home training and demands that children MUST obey their parents (Eph. 6 v 1; Col 3 v 20), because it’s the only commandment with a blessing. ​ Workplace obedience: This is a tricky one on scriptures because they hadn’t abolished ‘slavery’ in the

days of the Bible and the Apostles taught the believers to ‘obey’ their masters in all things as unto the Lord (Col. 3 v 22). I believe we can contextualize the same today as corporate obedience for believers. ​ Have you noticed that we don’t really struggle with the last one because we earn a living from there but challenge the Government when the laws are sometimes even beneficial to us? I know for a fact that, most pastors (including me) loathe disobedience in church but wonder why we teach the same to those in authority....it simply shows the NEED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL and learn obedience.​ Drop me a note of acknowledgment and encouragement and also follow me on my Social media handles below: Instagram: @yomi_ kasali Twitter: @yomi_kasali Facebook: www.facebook.com/revyomikasali Youtube: www.youtube.com/revyomikasali Be Inspired!

Rev Yomi Kasali is Senior Pastor, Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA), Surulere, Lagos.

Edo guber: ADC will take advantage of APC, PDP crisis to clinch victory IDRIS UMAR MOMOH & CHURCHILL OKORO, Benin

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h e Ed o St a t e chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) says the party will cash in on the lingering political crises rocking the All Progressives Congress ( A P C ) a n d Pe o p l e ’s Democratic Party (PDP) to win the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Th e g o v e r n o r s h i p election comes up in September 2020.

Vincent Okoawo, the state chairman of the party, made the remarks at the weekend, during a meeting with the party stakeholders across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

Okoawa said the factions existing within the main opposition parties would afford the party the opportunity to not only test its strength but also to clinch victory at the poll.

While noting that the party will soon embark on sensitisation to inform the electorate of the party’s vision, he assured that with a united front against opposition parties, there will be a new dawn in the political history of the state.

According to him, “We already have two aspirants who are interested in

contesting and we are doing our best to showcase them to ensure that Edo state regain its lost glory.

“APC is in disarray, you can see they have various groups which include EPM, GGO and others. A house divided against itself cannot stand and cannot wrestle for power with us.

“ADC is a united party, APC does not have the unity and at the end of the day they may not field a candidate because of the faction in the party.

“Look at PDP, they had issues in their Congress and they have not been able to resolve their issues,” he said.

Earlier, in his remarks, Fr i d a y Mu s a , f o r m e r chairman of the party, said they would comply with the party’s guidelines to determine who emerges the flag bearer.

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SundayBusiness FMBN and NHF loans in time of coronavirus

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ecause it is part of the Nigerian economy in particular and the global community in general, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) is not insulated from the unfriendly impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic which has been described as a global health emergency.

But the apex mortgage bank says it is on top of its bit, especially in ensuring that efforts of the government to increase access to affordable housing post Covid-19 does not suffer setback.

To do this, authorities of the bank say efforts are on to ensure the inclusion of the informal sector in affordable housing schemes in the country using their banks BVN to guarantee them.

“Efforts are also on to open up Diaspora mortgage market; documentations for this are being worked out and will be presented to the housing minister soon for further development. We are not unmindful of the importance of technology to review the current mortgage application process,” said Ahmed Dangiwa, the bank’s CEO, who spoke in Abuja recently.

The National Housing Fund (NHF) whose operation is supervised by the FMBN is one area that people worry about, chiefly because of their contributions and commitments to the fund.

With businesses generally experiencing a slowdown and the income of individuals and firms being reduced, the payment of rents, rates and loans are already suffering defaults as people channel their

financial resources to sustaining themselves and their families. This makes them less likely to fulfill loans and mortgages obligations, leading to possible decline in the growth of the sector.

However, Rahimatu AminuAliyu, Executive Director, Loans and Mortgages at FMBN, says the bank is committed to growing the housing sector through its strategic and well-thought plans. “We are aware of the situation in the economy and would do our best by providing loans and refunds to NHF contributors.

“FMBN will be at the forefront of stimulating growth in the housing sector through our activities. We will continue to provide loans for real estate construction and to NHF contributors. Due to the prudent management of NHF resources, we have adequate funds to meet our own loan applications for the time being,” she assured.

Aminu-Aliyu allayed the fears of NHF contributors with regards to resuming full operations and processing of existing loan applications, assuring further that, as an institution, FMBN is working hard to resume full operations as quickly as possible.

Their focus, she revealed, would be on loan applications that are under process so that they can conclude and disburse as quickly as possible. “This is to, therefore, assure NHF contributors with existing loan or refund applications that we will ensure that we conclude their request in good time,” she said.

On the issue of loan repayment, the executive director says the

SAPIENCE: Rethink with

Toluwanimi Osinowo info@cantab-associates.com Obinnae-mail: Emelike Lesson 2: Reorder your priorities (Contd.) our business is not about you. People generally go into business with themselves in mind. The focus of a lot of businesses is their own survival. The business exists to maintain its own existence and, if possible, to increase its size in the process. This is folly. You may raise your arms in protest at this assertion, but on closer examination you will find it to be true. We have “customer service” but we do not mean true service. Instead, we have come up with this scheme in realising that the customer is an important agent in our self-centered agenda.

For many businesses the customer is a means to an end, a tool to be “used” to achieve our end of selfsustenance and self-promotion.

Your business is about other people.

This is not primarily a change in

Y

activities but a deep change in mindset. You are in business to serve. Not just to join the trend of “service” as a business buzzword, but truly serve another person. To care for them like you would like to be cared for, to seek their wellbeing and welfare.

Your business does not exist to perpetuate its own existence – it exists to improve the welfare of someone else. Your customers do not exist to make you great; you exist to make them great. Your priority should be the customer (if we can call them that at this stage).

Re-ordering your priorities in this light means you have to move from away from a profit-centered business model. Now, this is the crux of the matter –profit is not the aim of your business, profit is simply a consequence of your business. Many people struggle with this concept because we have generally accepted that profit is the true primary aim of a business

bank understands that some borrowers may experience challenges with repayment due to the economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic, advising that those with NHF mortgage loans, in private and informal sector should talk to their primary mortgage banks (PMBs) on their challenges.

“We are all aware that CBN has taken the initiative to provide bank loan forbearance measures to ease the burden on customers who are facing repayment challenges. We also want to follow that initiative since our corporate goal is to provide housing to Nigerians,” she said.

She, however, cautioned loan subscribers who are able to make repayments to do so in their best interest and avoid deferring their repayments.

“For borrowers who are still able to make repayment, I will strongly advise that they continue making regular repayments as it is in their best interest. Forbearance does not mean that you will not be required to pay. It is only that repayment is postponed to a later day. This kind of arrangement means additional cost to the customer because the missed repayments are added to future payments,” she noted.

Aminu-Aliyu pointed out that government, as part of its efforts to get things running in the country, did not default on paying workers’ salaries and, therefore, no default is expected in this area.

“As we are all aware, so far, there is no federal or state agency or parastatal that did not pay its salaries so we expect that in all the formal

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

sectors, all the repayment is made.

So far, we have not seen a challenge on the formal sector. So we are expecting that the PMBs will liaise with the beneficiaries and continue the repayment,” she said.

For some time now, the federal government has been talking about diversification and this applies to its agencies including FMBN. The bank on its own is working towards diversifying its sources of funds, but according to the executive director, the current effort is to see how the bank can be recapitalized.

“Our source of funds is from the NHF contributors and we are, as much as, possible trying to see how we can improve on that source of fund. Away from NHF contributions, other source of income are commercial banks and insurance companies; we are trying to see how we can access them,” she said.

The bank, according to her, is also making efforts to recover nonperforming loans owed by defaulting estate developers. “When we resumed office in 2017, we met a huge number of non-performing loans on projects that have been started and been stagnant,” she

revealed.

Continuing, she said, “It was the fault of the contributors that have been held there. The approach we took was to have an interaction with those developers who have at various stages collected money from FMBN to build and, at a point, for one reason or another, were not able to complete the project.”

Aminu-Aliyu , said that, on case by case basis, they have been able to get some review, some exit and this is what they have been doing since the first and second year they resumed.

“That is what gave birth to the relaunching of Rent-to-Own because we have had many sites abandoned, some completed some were not completed; we had to complete so that we could get people into the houses without paying a dime. So we have tried as much as possible to get all those loans performing again,” she said.

The executive director assured that FMBN would not relent in its efforts at creating products that attract investors and also move away from the one digit interest rates as part of efforts towards allowing investors make profit.

How to turbo-charge your business through turbulent times (Part 6) (whatever else we may say to mask this). People often wonder, how do I run a business without profit? After all, staff need to be paid, expenses need to be covered and products need to made. And herein lies the confusion – we do not understand the real place of profit.

If your business were a human being, then profit would be like the air you breathe. Like profit in a business, air is essential for the human being to live and function. When air is in short supply or cut off altogether, the body lives on borrowed time – working from internal storage and finding alternative means to make up for the shortfall - until it can no longer continue and death ensues.

This is true about profit in a business; a loss-making business can survive for a limited time only. Even though air is so important for the human body, it is not the primary aim of the human body. Air is the natural reward for the work of movement.

Your body is made to move and as it moves, it draws in more oxygen.

This is the same for your business and profit. When we have the genuine benefit and joy of our target in mind, we have the foundations for good profit. Profit is the fuel in the

car of our business. It is important to get us to our target but is not the aim of the business. Instead it is a reward for a job well done.

This idea is something the global tech industry has understood better than most others. Facebook made profit for the first time five years after it was founded while Amazon, founded in 1994 did not make a profit until 2001! Both these companies guzzled a ton of cash on the road to profitability. What is the underlying logic that permitted and sponsored these profitability timelines? Simple: “If you can bring true delight to more and more customers and can prove that customers are benefited by and happy with you, you will eventually make profiteven if you are not making a profit now.” This is not a tech-specific idea even though it has become a theme in the tech world, with Uber, Snapchat, Slack and others yet to make a profit.

It is a fundamental idea that if well understood, can be adopted and adapted across industries.

The tech industry has simply taken hold of this fundamental idea and worked it out in the tech space.

Before they did this, most investors/

industries would simply not allow you move far without showing profit, regardless of true delight provided. Unfortunately, most business people across other industries have still failed to learn this lesson, explaining it away as a quirk of the tech industry. One of the biggest mistakes you could make is to explain it away for yourself too.

You should not underestimate the transformative potential of this mindset change. It lies at the root of everything.

Join me next week to find out more about how you can adopt and apply this mind shift.

Dr. Osinowo is a thinker and teacher: coaching high-potential leaders, advising organizations and originating breakthrough ideas. He is the founder of CANTAB Associates and the pioneer of SAPIENCE which is both a philosophy and methodology of thinking. He previously worked in the London office of the leading global strategy consulting firm Bain & Company. He studied Medicine at the University of Cambridge where he was a Cambridge Commonwealth Scholar. He can be reached for your questions and comments. e-mail: info@cantab-associates.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/toluwanimiosinowo

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SundayBusiness Jumia Q1 2020 performance and what it portends for the Nigerian economy Boniface Oke

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s the world and indeed individuals, governments and businesses grapple with the wrenching effect of coronavirus pandemic on socioeconomic activities, Jumia – the leading pan-African e-Commerce company with presence in 11 African countries, on Wednesday, 13 May announced its financials for the first quarter of 2020.

One salient point worthy of note about this financial report is that, despite the challenges occasioned by the outbreak of the coronavirus, Jumia has again affirmed stronger potentials of e-Commerce system as a key driver of the digital economy that countries can one, leverage to buoy social distancing thereby containing the increasing community transmission of the virus, and two, reflate their economies both during this crisis period and post COVID-19.

Analysis of the financial report, for instance, shows Jumia is smart on cost efficiency across four key metrics including a rise in Gross Profit after fulfilment expense by a record €2.5 million to close at €18.4 million, a year-over-year increase of 21% by Q1 2020. This is up from €15.2 million in Q4 2019. The second area is adjusted EBITDA loss (€35.6 million), which decreased by 10% year-over-year from 5.4% in Q4 2019, reaching its lowest level

in the past 6 quarters.

On the third metric, Sales & Advertising expense in Q1 2020 was €8.9 million, the lowest level since 2017, and a year-over-year decrease of 25%, while 12-month Sales & Advertising expense per Annual Active Consumer decreased by 26% from €11 in the first quarter of 2019 to €8 in the first quarter of 2020. On the fourth, operating loss in the period in the review was €43.7 million, a 4% decrease year-over-year.

Further, in terms of user growth Jumia Annual Active Consumers in Q1 2020 reached 6.4 million, a year-over-year increase of 51% compared to 6.1 million in the last quarterof2019with49%year-overyear growth. With orders reaching 6.4million,ayear-over-yearincrease of 28% in the first quarter of the year, Jumia further bolsters the capability of e-Commerce operation to exponentially reach more people faster than any other channel.

The report also examined the impact of COVID-19 on businesses – a combination of short-term supply and logistic challenges with unique e-commerce adoption opportunities. Lockdown and shutdowns resulted in cross-border business disruption with local sellers’ ability to import negatively impacted by cargo disruption. Confinement measures also restricted sellers’ ability to drop off their packages for delivery.

Similarly, shutdowns of restaurant kitchens in a number of coun-

tries, including large QSR chains and logistics challenges limited the capacity to fulfil consumer demand.

Curfews made it challenging to fulfil orders. In South Africa, processing and delivery of fashion orders were suspended for a few weeks. There was also reduced warehouse order processing capacity due to safety measures (safety distance, shift splits etc).

In fact, the report indicated that Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) was €190 million, a year-over-year decrease of 11% compared to GMV adjusted for perimeter changes as well as previously reported improper sales practices of €214 million in the first quarter of 2019.

This trajectory was attributable to the continued effects from the business mix rebalancing initiated in 2019 as well as the supply and logistics disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting, Jeremy Hodara and Sacha Poignonnec, Co-Chief Executive Officers of Jumia, said: “The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2020

brought about a complex combination of health, economic and operational challenges. Our first priority was to help our employees, consumers and communities stay safe. On the operational side, we took prompt action to ensure business continuity and adjust our logistics to meet high standards of safety and hygiene.”

The pandemic notwithstanding, Jumia has proven that e-Commerce and e-payment adoption opportunities can increase demand for brands, put essentials in the hands of more people while they are keeping safe and maintaining social distancing; help sellers to sell on Jumia faster. In the quarter in review, more brands and sellers were eager to join the Jumia marketplace by Jumia cross-border.

Strong demand from offline convenience retailers to join the Jumia on-demand platform and increasing advertisers’ interest for online channels were also reported as consumption shifted towards online. The surge in online demand for essentials starting in the second half of March, demand strength supporting Sales & Advertising expense efficiencies and opportunity to accelerate consumption shift towards online also helped to accelerate e-payment adoption. Jumia contactless delivery has also promoted the usage of JumiaPay and provides an opportunity to drive digital payment adoption.

JumiaPay in fact bolstered company growth in the quarter with

the Total Payment Volume (TPV) reaching €35.5 million, a year-overyear increase of 71%, taking onplatform TPV penetration from 10% in the first quarter of 2019 to 19% in the first quarter of 2020. On the whole, JumiaPay Transactions for the new quarter reached 2.3 million, a year-over-year increase of 77%, representing 35% on-platform penetration in terms of Orders.

This is a slight contrast to 71% yearover-year TPV growth and 77% year-over-year transactions growth in Q4 of 2019.

Hodara and Poignonnec have this to say: “We believe the COVID-19 pandemic proves that ecommerce has a key role to play in helping consumers safely access essential goods and providing an efficient distribution channel for brands and sellers, at a time when offline channels are disrupted.

We are more than ever confident about the relevance of Jumia and the gradual adoption of e-commerce by both consumers and sellers. In 2019, we focused on what is proving to be crucial to navigate this crisis: affordable, high purchase frequency product categories and cost-efficiency. We are driving Annual Active Consumers growth, which was up 51% year-over-year, and orders, up 28%, at the same time as reducing Sales & Advertising expense by 25% over the same period. Our Adjusted EBITDA loss decreased by 10% year-over-year, reaching the lowest level in the past 6 quarters, as we make progress on our path to profitability.”

Sanwo-Olu, Fayemi, Obaseki, Sule outlay plans to...

Continued from Page 1 Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State eluded to the fact that if the nation’s international airports and other entry points into the country were shut as early as possible, the number of the cases in the state may not have been as high as it is.

He said his administration had adopted another strategy in the distribution of palliatives to vulnerable people in the state because of the criticism which trailed the initial exercise.

Sanwo-Olu further disclosed that his administration had initiated strategies to check loss of job and support Small Scale Business (SME’s) with grant, stressing that he had further initiated meetings with top employers of labour in the state to regularly share ideas on how to sustain the economy.

“Every two weeks I hold meetings with top employers, with NECA to review, agree and look at what they want government to do. I have been telling them not to sack any worker; let’s keep the staff afloat; this year would come and go and we would all come back to our position,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State, said the state had achieved significant level of success in the management

Sanwo-Olu

of Covid-19 patients because it started preparation early by setting up a committee which he chaired. On methods adopted in the distribution of palliatives in the state, the governor said the administration had been able to distribute palliatives to 100,000 households and 60,000 people because it adopted a unique strategy which had been a success.

Fayemi said governors across the country had recently come together to devise a common strategy and develop a framework for the tackling of the pandemic in the country unlike in the early days when the pandemic was first discovered in Nigeria.

Fayemi

“Since the virus came into Nigeria we started preparing early; we set up a committee which I chaired with political and community leaders also involved,” he said.

According to him, “We have a unique way of sharing the palliatives; for now 100,000 households and 6000 people have benefited from our palliatives,” Fayemi added.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki said his administration had been able to distribute palliatives to 10,000 households because the administration worked with religious and traditional institutions in the state to identity the poorest people in

Obaseki

the society.

Obaseki further canvassed for a diversification of the nation’s economy, hinting that his administration had initiated programmes to support SMEs, boost agriculture across the state in a bid to also boost the economy, while covid-19 test open centres had been created across the state.

“We had to contact the scho o ls a n d t h e ch u rch e s and traditional institutions to identity the vulnerable people to share palliatives to. We would be focusing on agriculture, supporting SMEs to create jobs and investment,” Obaseki said.

Governor of Nasarawa State,

Abdullahi Sule said the state had just taken delivery of millions of face masks and had begun the sharing to indigenes of the state.

Sule said the state had not enforced lockdown because most indigenes of the state were farmers and small traders; he however, added that repatriation of Ahmajirai to their states of origin was necessary because some of them had tested positive to the coronavirus.

“We can’t just lock down; our people are farmers and traders; we are on top of the situation, and we are carrying out testing.

We have also ordered face masks which we would distribute across the state,” he said.

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Sunday 17 May, 2020

SundayBusiness

Simple ways to make mothers feel special this period Seyi John Salau

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t’s time to get creative and start thinking about gift ideas and fun activities to show Mom how loved and appreciated she is. And while one day a year is not enough to properly celebrate our mothers, it is the perfect opportunity to do something special for a truly special person.

A great option, and possibly one that isn’t often considered, are smart home appliances or AI-equipped devices as an ideal present for Mom’s big day, offering a unique way to show how much you care while making life easier for her at the same time.

A thoughtful gift that is also practical Gifts, while not everything, can be a nice way to express your heartfelt gratitude to Mom. Something she can both enjoy and make practical use of will always be well received. You might be thinking about an item she’s long wanted for a favorite hobby or a present that can help her start a brand-new one.

For the avid reader, an Amazon Kindle is a great choice, while a mom interested in wellness may love a Fitbit or a VegeBox Indoor Hydroponic Garden. A Spotify Premium subscription could be just the gift for a mom that loves listening to music.

Another option is a smart speaker like the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ, which not only serves up high-end audio (great for Spotify playlists and podcasts) but also enables easy control and monitoring of other AI devices and appliances in the home, including the TV, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner a n d t h e r m o s t a t . Ab l e to understand verbal

commands and requests, the speaker lets Mom effortlessly select and play her favorite songs, search for answers to practically any question she may have, and manage everyday tasks all from one place.

A perfect afternoon to herself Everyone needs some alone time, and that includes Mom! Give her a peaceful afternoon to enjoy her hobbies whether it be practising yoga or watching a movie.

Smart TVs like LG’s latest AI-infused models can quickly find a selection of yoga instruction videos for Mom to choose from and follow along with, or recommendmoviesbasedon her favorite actors or genres.

LG’s TVs can further enhance the viewing experience by sensing ambient light levels and automatically adjusting brightness for the best contrast and colors any time of day or night.

Or, if outdoors is more to your mom’s liking, create a backyard oasis complete with a comfortable lawn lounger and cozy blanket and pillow. Then set her up with some true wireless earbuds such as a set of LG’s outstanding TONE Free models. Should the battery run low after many hours of listening to music and enjoying the outside air, she can simply place the earbuds in the UVnano Charging Case to recharge and refresh (the case uses UV light to remove bacteria from the earbuds) while she enjoys her cool beverage with a book.

Tidy the home for an ideal day Get the chores done and out of the way so the house is in perfect shape for a celebration. To conquer all of the tasks that need doing quickly, and with confidence, an app like the LG ThinQ App for smartphones can be a big help.

Connecting wirelessly with LG’s smart appliances,

the app lets you set the laundry going, get last night’s dishes clean and have the robot vacuum cleaner take care of any crumbs or dust on the floor in far less time than if you were to run from room to room doing it all yourself.

The app is also useful for staying on top of household inventory, keeping track of and reordering key supplies like laundry detergent.

Speaking of laundry, smart washing machines like LG’s washer with AI Direct Drive can automatically discern the softness of garments and select the optimal cycle for each load to prevent fabric damage, so you don’t accidentally ruin Mom’s favorite shirt.

Treat her to a lovely dinner at home Want to surprise Mom with a perfect home-cooked dinner but are worried your culinary skills aren’t up to scratch? LG’s smart ovens with ThinQ technology can help, thanks to several intelligent features and compatibility with a range of smart recipe apps including Innit and SideChef. Once you’ve found a suitably delicious dish, the app provides easy-to-follow instructions while the oven preheats itself to the right temperature.

As t h e f o o d c o o k s , you can track its progress via smartphone as you simultaneously set the table and set a pleasant mood by asking the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ speaker to dim the lights and play one of your mom’s favorite artists.

Three words, eight letters Last but certainly not the least, here’s the simplest, quickest, and most important thing you can do! It can be slightly embarrassing if not difficult to actually voice our feelings and appreciation, but simply saying those three special words is one of the most heartfelt ways to express your love for Mom.

Yes, I insist that #ChinaMustPay Africa damages for COVID-19 Continued from back page afraid of full disclosure that can help the world learn vital lessons on how to manage global threats and risks better?

Fifth, this global New Normal requires faster prevention of cross-border risks and threats. The best antidotes to minimise global negative externalities that harm the weak and vulnerable are absolute transparency and removal of information asymmetries by countries.

As part of this New Normal, the global community has a duty to learn and correct past failures to penalize bad behavior. My #ChinaMustPay article is a call therefore to innovate global mechanisms that compel countries to start now to do the right things whenever risks and threats emerge.

Innovation is what China rode on to economic greatness. What then is wrong with asking for such as a legitimate part of our global New Normal?

Sixth, it should be in China’s historic and conscientious national interest to prevent future exploitation of vulnerable countries by

economic superpowers. I did acknowledge previous global risks that similarly emanated from other rich and powerful countries and injured Africa’s economic growth and development. I find it hard to believe that China, given its history and experience with colonial mistreatment, would want this cyclical pattern to continue. Do the authorities in Beijing really want Africans to simply accept harmful actions of rich and powerful countries?

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in an April 2020 report on coronavirus pandemic stated that “over 300,000 Africans may lose their lives due to COVID-19.” According to the Africa Union Commission, the coronavirus is already collapsing many economies in Africa and worsening poverty. Already, the livelihoods of hundreds of millions on the continent, especially children, young people and women are already lost to the damaging economic disruptions caused

by COVID-19.

The IMF calls the impact of the pandemic on Africa as “the worst reading on record”. It went further to state that Africa’s “Fiscal space is

limited, and fiscal financing needs to address the crisis are large - at least $114 billion for this year”. International rating agencies have massively downgraded the credit ratings of African countries making investors more skittish.

I proposed a penalty system in the form of a Global Risk Burden Tax that will from now be payable to weaker and more vulnerable countries and their people whenever forced to bear a disproportionate burden from preventable global risks that emanate from rich and powerful countries. Such penalty tax would also serve as a disincentive to prevent the kind of unbecoming actions and decisions that escalated the spread of the deadly virus out of Wuhan.

China must know that where our lives and livelihoods are concerned, no country, regardless of how powerful it may be, can intimidate us Africans ever again.

Beijing should do the right thing now and accept the debt it owes Africa as a result of its failures on COVID-19. That is how responsible world powers should behave in the 21st Century if they are to be taken seriously.

NEWS 2020 World Press Freedom Day: NGO highlights media’s critical roles in democracy VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

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ctionAid Nigeria has observed that the Nigeria media is yet to be totally free from attacks and clampdown by the ruling class and that Nigeria still ranks low on the table of countries with conducive atmosphere for free press operation.

This is coming on the heels of the national media Virtual Roundtable meeting jointly organised by ActionAid Nigeria and Journalists Against Poverty on the theme ‘Between survival and existence: Media objectivity in the face of the dwindling fortunes’ in commemoration of the 2020 World Press Freedom Day. According to the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting which was attended by 68 participants including media, public relations practitioners, communication executives, and representatives of civil society organisations, it pointed out that the financial crisis that is rocking the Nigerian media has now been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and that

massive retrenchment in the industry was possible if there were no urgent and deliberate intervention by stakeholders.

The meeting equally xrayed the danger behind lack of innovation which would be a major threat to the Nigerian media existence, stressing that beside physical and operational innovation, a mental shift front the way journalism has been practised needs to occur to address current operational realities.

It emphasised that digitised operations are no longer an option for media owners and manager considering the current financial constraints, overhead costs and the increasing digital advertising, adding that manager and acquisition will not be a lasting solution to survival but financial and operational innovative strategies must be urgently be developed.

“Mass downsizing and job losses in the media industry may pose a security threat as unemployment is a key driver of insecurity. Hence, the Nigerian media might consider an urgent bailout structure that will not compromise its independence bearing in mind the large number of Nigerians

employed by the industry”.

“The public and private sector need to see investment in the media as an investment in the nation and its people not a favour to the practitioners.

Despite its watchdog role, the media has been ignored to fizzle out, and this is most glaring in face of the current pandemic”.

“Responsible journalism must be encouraged to fulfil its mandate as enshrined in Section 22 of Nigeria’s constitution.

“The public interest must be defined by the media to align with the constitutional provision which states that ‘The press, radio, tele is ion and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objective contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people”.

They equally recommended that government at all levels must come to terms with the reality of the media’s importance to the growth of democratic tenets and that attacks on the media should be halted if the nation desires to come out of the woods.

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Sunday Business Business Clinic with

How to run your company when you are the only staff

Start-Up Doctor MUNA ONUZO

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ast week on Startup Talk, I had posed the q u e s t i o n , Ar e Yo u Building a Company or Side Hustle? The essence of that post was to make you shake off complacency and reach for the full potential of your business.

But, most importantly is that as a Startup, you might have little to no funding. This lack of financing, unfortunately, will make it difficult for you to hire the staff you need from the onset.

I also struggled in the early days of starting my business. I was the one sweeping, opening and closing the office for the day. I became the accountant, salesgirl and front desk staff. I was everything in my business.

As you might guess, the proverbial one-man squad. This situation was an exhausting and demoralising experience, especially for a new startup with little or no funding. I had a choice, to either quit and see the cup as half empty or to see the situation as an opportunity to get intimately connected with every aspect of my business from bottom-up. I chose the latter. I decided to see the glass as half full. This dose of optimism helped me create the system and structure that worked for my business. To this end, I want to show you the three things you can start doing from today to cope when you are the only staff in your company.

Set realistic timelines Being the only staff in your company implies that you will be the one that will implement your service delivery system from beginning to the end—or at least be in charge of the process. The downside is that if for health reasons or unforeseen circumstances, you are unable to meet up, you will disappoint your clients.

Disappointing your customers is not the best practice.

It erodes credibility and the trust customers have in your business. This lack of trust will affect future jobs from the customers you disappointed.

Therefore, you need to find a way to ensure you don’t disappoint your customers.

One way to do this is to give realistic timelines for project closeout or delivery date. If you know you can deliver a job within three days, the wise thing to do would be to extend this by 48hrs to cover for any

Instagram: @startupdoctor | @munaonuzo Mobile: +2348077701104 Email: thestartupdocto@gmail.com incidentals or unforeseen circumstances. Moreover, if everything goes well as you have planned, you will register your name as the organisation that delivers ahead of projected time, which will be a bonus for your business.

But then, some customers will come to you and tell you that they are time-strapped and would compel you to agree to unrealistic delivery time.

This rushed briefs usually happen to service organizations, that is, printers, advertising agencies, experiential marketing firms etcetera. As a startup, I would not advise you to reject any opportunity. However, be sure that you have made contingency plans to meet the deadline and are willing to pull in an all-nighter by making the required sacrifice. Otherwise don’t agree to the time. You can charge them extra for express service delivery. The additional charge is not about being greedy; it is to make up for all the adjustments and extra cost you will incur to be able to deliver quality products or service in record time.

However, there are times where the challenge is not about delivering on time; but executing a specific task which you do not have the technical know-how to deliver. What you do at such point is to outsource.

Outsource Outsourcing your service is one way to satisfy your customers, even when you are the only staff without the risk of losing them to your competitor.

For example, while working for an experiential firm, we had extreme deadlines to submit briefs. There was no way we would meet the stipulated time without outsourcing some of

the work. We did this all the time, and this method helped us win many accounts with minimal mistakes. The rush of it, the adrenaline while you are working. The uncertainty and intensity of brainstorming and ideating under pressure can negatively affect your output if you do not have the right expertise in-house or on the table. In the manufacturing sector, take the fashion industry, for instance, as a designer, you can partner with several tailoring outfits to produce your designs along the value chain. A protégé of mine runs a publishing company, but, he doesn’t own a printing press.

However, this is not a deterrent to him. What he does is to partner with a print house to handle all the heavy lifting, while he does all the design, editing and ISBN. Therefore, when you get a

“

Do not just outsource to anybody. It is your name that is on your final product. So, be thorough when selecting your outsourcing partner. Your name is important, and as a startup, you do not want it associated with poor quality and missed deadlines

contract to do a job, and you know that all the skillset required for the timely delivery of that job is not available. The wise thing to do is to outsource the work to your partners. This method is cheaper than hiring a full-time staff whom you may not be able to sustain due to the sporadic nature of jobs coming into your business.

A caveat: Do not just outsource to anybody. It is your name that is on your final product. So, be thorough when selecting your outsourcing partner. Your name is important, and as a startup, you do not want it associated with poor quality and missed deadlines.

You want to do jobs and create products that will attract more customers. So, do not compromise on quality!

One of the realities of outsourcing is that you may experience loss of time between job commissioning and delivery.

To save time and increase your income, you may need to acquire ancillary skills.

Acquire ancillary skills There are times when you may need to finish specific tasks at the same time. A case in point is that if you run a digital marketing startup, you may not be able to hire a graphic designer full time to augment your content development strength. If you have to wait for a graphic designer to do a design and send back to you each time a job comes in, you might not meet up with your deadlines. In such a situation,

what you need is to acquire ancillary skills.

To be clear, it is not every skill you can acquire. For instance, I cannot tell that protégé of mine whom I spoke of earlier who owns a publishing firm to learn how to operate a press machine. Asking him to acquire this skill may distract him from his core. But assuming he is a skilled writer but does not know how to do graphic design, I will advise him to learn graphic design skill or use Apps such as Canva or Designrr to augment. This skill will help him finish his work in record time without suffering the delay of having to call a graphic designer and the ensuing back and forth that would inevitably follow.

So, as you run your business, do not allow your limited staff strength to keep you from soaring. Give your customers a realistic job delivery time, outsource certain services and acquire any skill or machinery you can combine with your core to make you consistently meet your timelines.

Don’t forget to write to me on ask@startupdoctor.ng or thestartupdoctor@gmail.com.

Please send in your business issues let us resolve them together on this page. I would love to read from you.

To your continued success.

Keep Sparkling!

Muna Onuzo The Startup Doctor.

30

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Sunday 17 May 2020

Crime Watch Kidnappers nearly removed my body parts for N25m ransom - Catholic Priest Reverend Father Augustine Ashigabu Aba’eslah, a Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Lafia, Nasarawa State, and the Vice Principal, St. Peter’s College, Garaku in Kokona Local Government Area who was kidnapped on the 7th April, 2020 in Gudi, near Akwanga Local Government Area, is now a free man. But the experience has left him emotionally scared. Speaking with Correspondent Solomon Attah, the cleric explained the risk Christians and members of the clergy are exposed to and why government should be more proactive in security matters. Excerpts:

R

ecently, there were reports about your abduction by gunmen; can you tell us about it?

It was a horrible experience, one that you would not even wish your enemy. It happened on the 7th of April 2020. I went to Akwanga on an errand, and I was coming back between the hours of 7:30 and 8pm, just close to GSS Gudi on the hill; I heard gunshots. Initially I didn’t understand what was happening. But before it became clear to me it was already late. I saw six men heavily armed. I tried to reverse my vehicle and run away, but they started shooting at the vehicle.

Out of fear, because I had not had this kind of experience before, I just put the car on, parked right in the middle of the road. I left the engine running. I just stayed inside the car waiting to see what God will do for me. Then all the six of them approached the car pointing guns towards me. I was alone in the car. They asked me to come out. I came out. I lay on the ground. They asked me to stand up. Initially, I thought they were armed robbers and they wanted the car or money or something.

The leader just held me on the hand and started running. Now, that was around 7:30pm or so when we left Gudi, but by the time I checked my wristwatch it was 12 mid-night. We trekked all night to Moro, under Akwanga Local Government Area. Now, we passed Moro on foot and we went on top of a mountain. And they don’t even have any form of shelter. They were sleeping openly on the ground.

When they started negotiating for my release they were very, very harsh. They will hit me to say all sorts of things about me, about my work, and the likes. But by and large, I came out to the glory of God. While you were in their custody, what did you hear them say about your abduction, or to themselves?

Most of their discussions were done in Fulani. It was only when they wanted to talk to me in particular that they turned to Hausa.

Initially, they were talking in English but they were not fluent, I told them I understand Hausa.

So, they now switched to Hausa.

My discussions were with them directly, because they asked me what kind of work I do. I told them I am a priest and I am working in a school. They said how can a priest be working in a school?

Augustine Ashigabu Aba’eslah

Is he not supposed to be in the church preaching? I said well, there is also a church inside my school. Secondly, they said, they are looking for 25 million naira and they know the church has the money. After all, we do collections in church; we gather it and we do all sorts of wicked things with them.

I said well for me, for these four years I have served in the church, I have not at any point seen anyone in the church carrying what the community has put together for something good and is now translated to a wicked act. In fact, they do a lot of charitable works with the money from the church point of view at least to better the lives of the citizens. That is the human

face of the church. During that time they will slap and insult me, and say certain things I will rather not mention here. But they were very harsh when they knew that I was even a priest.

How much was the amount paid as ransom to secure your freedom?

You know, the Catholic Church does not pay ransom for priests.

So, the church said she is not going to pay. But my own biological parents through the efforts of friends and well-wishers were able to raise some money. I asked my dad how much? He said, I should not worry about it. So, for me now, I don’t know how much was paid.

But I saw money. They brought money and they counted their

“

They asked me to come out. I came out.

I lay on the ground. They asked me to stand up. Initially, I thought they were armed robbers and they wanted the car or money or something. The leader just held me on the hand and started running

money. When it was complete, they asked me to go.

Now that you are freed from the hands of the kidnappers, how do you feel?

Oh Jesus! I feel very happy.

One, I was scared, because, some two months ago, my own classmate was kidnapped. He is also a priest in Benue, from Otukpo in particular. I took time to post about him and to beg people to pray for him, because in that same diocese three years ago, a priest of ours was kidnapped and then killed, even when ransom was paid. So, I became scared. This was somebody who didn’t like creating problems.

Let me use this opportunity to thank the state Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, who tried a lot in my own case. I was told he was frequent, since the day I was taken; he tried to call my immediate boss here, the principal of the college. And on hourly basis he was calling to encourage them that the security people were working seriously for my release.

This kind of support gives a lot of courage that someone somewhere cares.

Was there any form of severe threat or maltreatment on you?

Yes! There was threat to my life. When they noticed I had a car, they assume I must be a rich man. So, when they discovered that I was a priest, it was like a plus for them. When they called the principal of the school and they demanded for N25 million, the principal said all of us here are working for the Bishop of Lafia and nothing can be taken or done except the Bishop says go ahead, and that even if it were me, it is the same thing. So, by virtue of our calling, we take a vow of obedience. That obedience is tied to the Bishop. The Bishop officially told him the mind of the church that ransoms are not paid for priests whatever the conditions may be.

He apologised and begged them, and then he told them that the church cannot pay them. At this point, they were very angry in that bush.

They didn’t want to attract attention to themselves, if not, they would have shot me. So, what they did was that they laid me on the ground and they removed cutlass. And they said they will remove my private part and my eyes. That they have people – whether it is inside here or outside, who will buy them for N30 million and that the money would be brought to them in the bush.

They actually removed the

cutlass. They were six, two persons held my legs while two persons held my hand. So, they spread me, ready to do something. I struggled, I cried, I begged, and they gave me three hours.

They threatened that if they called my people again and they talked rubbish, they would not waste their time in the bush. That was when the principal handed over the negotiation to my biological father.

What is the distance in kilometres from where they took you, and where the negotiations were going on?

Yes. On kilometre level I cannot actually calculate because I don’t know, but the distance between Gudi and Moro is very far. But in terms of kilometre, honestly I cannot say. From Moro, we moved up to the mountain. They did not allow me to rest a bit.

Now, these young people were very smart, that was one thing I noticed with them. My wristwatch was with me all along till the last day. They never stayed in a place for more than four hours.

Sometimes, we moved and we returned to the former location we were but we would never stay there for a long time.

What age range were your abductors?

If I am to grade them I will put them at 30 because they looked very young. They could even be less than 30 because their faces were not covered, neither was mine. They should be between late 20’s and early 30’s. They were very young except one that I did not see his face specifically.

With this development, do you see safety for Christians, particularly the clerics in the northern part of Nigeria?

You see, Nasarawa as a state we have not recorded what you may call serious religious crisis as we hear in parts of Kaduna and maybe in the far north. But of late, I think within last year and this year, about two or three clergymen have been kidnapped. These are signs of danger for us. And I am afraid that this may continue if nothing is done. I will call on Christians to pray.

The only weapon we have is prayer. The bible does not teach us violence. We can’t take that.

We need to be watchful of our environment, especially now, not just for the clergymen but for the security of everybody. If there is no peace we can’t even express our faith as we should. These are dangerous times that require serious prayers.

Sunday 17 May 2020

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BDSUNDAY 31

Sports

Mourinho desperate for Premier League return

Eunisell Boot: The five men giving their best shots ANTHONY NLEBEM

T

he lockdown has meant that the race for this year’s Eunisell Boot remains under wraps, though the battle for the biggest individual prize in Nigeria’s top division is expected to resume soon.

This season, strikers in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) are proving to be prolific in front of goal. With the season just past the halfway mark, four players are already in double figures so far and the projection is that one of them could reach the 20-goal mark.

The most goals in a season in the NPFL still stands at 23, a feat which was achieved by a former winner of the Eunisell Boot, Mfon Udoh, six years ago.

However, the field for this season throws up different contenders with

Rangers forward Israel Abia, the frontrunner with 12 goals. On his heels are Ndifreke Effiong of Akwa United, Auwalu Ali of Kano Pillars and Plateau United’s Ibrahim Mustapha on 11 goals apiece while Enyimba’s Victor Mbaoma is on 9 goals.

Fisayo Dairo, sports journalist, believes only three of the five players are frontrunners in the Eunisell Boot race. He picks Abia, Effiong, and Mbaoma ahead of others and posits that Abia looks likely to reach 20 goals this term.

“The front runners for me will be the trio of Israel Abia, Ndifreke Effiong and Victor Mbaoma. Abia because he was already settling in perfectly at Rangers and scored twice in his last game, the unfortunate death of Ifeanyi George also avails him the chance to play all games so you can fancy him to get up to eight goals in the remaining 14 matches for Rangers.” “ Nd i f r e k e Ef f i o n g seems to have mastered

ANTHONY NLEBEM

T

how to score in the nooks and crannies of the league.

Having to play with a forward together, sometimes Akarandut Orok or Saidu Salisu has also helped him to do less physical work and concentrate on finishing.

“For Mbaoma, Enyimba have now gelled under Fatai Osho, his manager when he was one of the top scorers three years ago. I believe with the number of chances that Enyimba create each game, especially from someone like Cyril

Olisema, Mbaoma and Dimgba will still score plenty more goals before the season ends,” Dairo said.

W i t h t h e Le a g u e Management Company (LMC), a few days ago stating its plans to restart the top division and run it within six to eight weeks following the lockdown by the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the battle to claim the Eunisell Boot this year will take shape as the run-in to the season looms.

ottenham manager Jose Mourinho says he is desperate for the return of Premier League action despite mounting concerns about the English top-flight’s restart plans.

Several stars including Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose have gone public with fears about resuming the season during the coronavirus crisis.

Some top-flight bosses are also understood to have expressed concerns about the plan to play from mid-June when they spoke during a League Managers Association meeting on Wednesday.

But Mourinho said he would relish the chance to get back to work despite the challenges and risks posed by the pandemic.

“I have not asked for any delay,” Mourinho said in a statement.

“I want to train, and I am desperate for the Premier League to return as soon as it is safe to do so, particularly now we are seeing other leagues preparing to return to action.”

Mourinho was forced to apologise in April after being spotted breaking lockdown restrictions to hold a training session with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele in a public

park.

Serge Aurier and Moussa Sissoko also had to say sorry after the Tottenham pair flouted social-distancing guidelines to train together.

Despite those incidents, Mourinho is happy with the way his squad have kept themselves fit during the lockdown.

“I am extremely proud of the way my players have maintained their fitness,” he said.

“They have shown great professionalism, passion and dedication.

“We have all been working extremely hard through remote squad training sessions and isolated running now the pitches are available to use again at the training centre.

“Every player has been extremely committed in terms of their individual work and now we wait for clearance to commence working in small groups again, which I will fully support.”

LaLiga partners SuperSport to begin countdown to return of Spanish league

ANTHONY NLEBEM

ANTHONY NLEBEM

B

arcelona star, Lionel Messi, believes he is better off not to think too much about the risk of being infected by the coronavirus as Spanish soccer clubs step up their return to activity, saying he looks forward to getting back to playing matches.

Messi and his Barcelona teammates have been back at the club’s training ground conducting individual sessions since last week, following LaLiga’s fourphase protocol for returning to activity since it was halted in March due to the pandemic.

All 11 remaining rounds of fixtures in LaLiga will take place without spectators, with President Javier Tebas saying last week that matches could start as soon as 12 June.

While some players and clubs have spoken out against football returning out of fear of picking up the virus or passing

‘There is risk everywhere’- Messi happy to resume training it on to others, Messi said returning to matches was no riskier than leaving home for any other reason.

“There’s a risk of infection everywhere, when you leave your house there’s a risk, so I think we shouldn’t think too much about it because if you do you won’t want to go anywhere,” Messi told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo today.

“But we must understand that it’s essential we comply with the protocols and follow the prevention measures as much as we can. Returning to training is the first step but we shouldn’t get complacent and we must take all precautions necessary.”

Messi said he is excited about returning to matches but voiced his opposition to LaLiga’s proposal for teams to be quarantined together, away from their families, once matches resume.

“Personally I’m looking forward to the competition returning. We know it’s going to all be very strange, without anyone in the stands, I’ve done it before and I found it out,” said the Barca captain.

ANTHONY NLEBEM

L

aLiga and SuperSport have started the countdown to the return to action of the Spanish league by launching a special series called #BacktoWin, episodes of which will be shown on SuperSport 13 on DStv. The shows will reveal the major news stories from across LaLiga, including the umbrella strategy behind the return of LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, kick-off times and the new audiovisual broadcast features set to be rolled out between now and the end of the current campaign.

The weekly, 30-minute episodes of #BacktoWin

will be aired up until Spanish league competitions resume. LaLiga president Javier Tebas will feature in the first of the programmes, which will be shown on Friday, 15 May at 20:00 WAT. Each edition will see a leading figure from within LaLiga take centre stage and will involve the participation of several LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank players who will share their experiences of the quarantine period and their expectations for when the competition gets up and running again.

Football-related content focusing on the return to action will dominate this new show, with viewers set to be entertained with fascinating stats and

storylines such as the race to be crowned LaLiga’s top scorer at the end of the season and the latest news, including the new audiovisual features set to be incorporated into match broadcasts. Meanwhile, LaLiga Ambassadors will get involved by taking part in a football shirt challenge, competing with each other to see how many shirts they can put on in the space of a minute. #BacktoWin is a show for all LaLiga fans around the world and will be available for all international broadcasters to air exclusively in their territories. Fans will also be able to catch the episodes on 24-hour channel LaLigaTV, which is available in a number of countries across the world.

BDSUNDAY

NEW YOU CAN TRUST

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Economy: Modern agriculture as the way forward

S

ome of the bitter lessons of the coronavirus pandemic include the facts that the social, health and economic paradigms of the world would not be the same again. The productive capacities of several countries, via the manufacturing sector have drastically dipped. International trades are in serious peril. Investors are fast losing confidence. Job losses loom!

So, where do we turn to for solace and sustainable solutions, if not agriculture, that is renewable and generally less costly to venture into?

Butthen,suchagricultural practiceshave to be driven by availability of fertile land, modern technological practices, sustained human capital development features, genuine interest from the public and the private sectors. They could do this through guaranteedsecurity,adequatefunding,supply of steady electric power, potable water, technicalsupportwithtillers,harvestersand pesticides. But that is not all.

Other factors that could facilitate success in the agric sector include proper planning that would be predicated on creditable data base. Such data could be on the number of registered farmers as per the type of farming practices they are engaged in on zonal basis, funds required to catalyse their production and access to available markets. All these would assist the policy makers and those who implement them to focus on areas of comparative advantage, as Adesina once did. That was while he was the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development under the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

Moving forward, we have to learn valuable lessons from the mistakes of the past.

For instance, as at political independence in 1960, agriculture accounted for 68% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

It employed 70% of the labour force especially at the rural areas. It provided not only food but generated employment and contributed 38% of the non-oil foreign exchange earnings.

Indeed, the First National Development Plan, after independence (1962-1968) was anchored on agriculture. Within that period, over 80% total export earnings

‘’By 2030, the size of food and agric business in Africa will reach $1 trillion. So, if you are thinking of how to make money, that is the sector to be in’’.

-Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina of the African Development Bank (AfDB) came from the sector as gotten from cocoa, cotton, castor, cow hide, oil palm nuts and rubber. But how much of these products do we produce locally and how much do we export as at today? The answer is obvious.

With true fiscal federalism firmly in place back then, the Chief Obafemi Awolowo-led Western Region (now defunct) funded the laudable Free Education Policy. The Cocoa House remains a great testament and symbol of the power of home-grown agriculture. But what do we have these days? The despotic, military government-imposed centralised structure, backed by the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) controls resources that should ordinarily belong to the states or federating units. So often, I have asked the compelling question-what is the federal government’s business with agriculture, education and healthcare delivery?

Yet, the state governors, who should be attheforefrontaskingforResourceControl only plead for more percentage of federal allocation! They gleefully go cap-in-hand to collectpeanutsfromAbujaattheendofeach month. By so doing they deny themselves and the citizens what would have encouraged positive economic competition at the state level. Unfortunately, the oil-boom era of the ‘70s and ‘80s killed that dream.

Just imagine what would have happened if the South-Western states still control their God-given resources, including the cocoa beans as it was done during the First Republic? They would have gained between 25% and 40% more revenue from cocoa beans and coffee, using mod-

ern processing technology because countries in Europe, Asia and America are eagerly waiting for the processed varieties. But what do we do here?

We joyfully allow for exports of our raw agricultural products (cashew nuts, cocoa, coffee, yam, cocoyam, cassava, ginger, garlic, oranges, mangoes) only to buy the processed forms at exorbitant rates. That is just like we do with our crude oil. Sadly, we erroneously focus our attention at borrowing billions of Naira from the same countries that should be begging us for loans!

Perhaps, the German national who recently alluded to the notion that Africa, and particularly Nigeria holds the key to the global economic feats of the near future certainly knows his onions. With a vast land mass of 923,720 sq.km, a water area of 13,000 sq.km, an annual rainfall of between 250mm (North) and 300m(South), a clement climate blessed with abundant sunshine and the vast Atlantic Ocean to the South, why not? Why not, what with the Rivers Niger and Benue as well as their tributaries traversing the landscape from the fringe of the desert, through the Sahel Savannah down to the tropic rain forest?

The answer of course, lies with the missing leadership factor. The ones we have had gave us policy flip-flops on agriculture, ranging from the National Accelerated Food Production Programme(NAFPP, 1972), through the Operation Feed the Nation(OFN), the Green Revolution(GR) before the springing up of the River Basin Authorities. After that came the Agric Banks and eventually the Directorate of Foods, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRII) during the IBB era. But all refused to put food on the common man’s table. And so did the highsounding NAPEP and NEEDS that could hardly identify, not to talk about meeting our daily needs.

It was therefore, not surprising that the food importation issue metamorphosed from the Rice Armada during

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

the Alhaji Shehu Shagari tenure in the ‘80s to Nigeria becoming the highest importer of fish in 2005! Back then, the country was spending some staggering N50 billion on fish annually. Still on importation, it jumped from N3.47 billion in 1990 to N113.63bn in 2002. Between 1981 and 2019 it recorded N217.76bn according to Trading Economics Report. As at 2005, Nigeria, with the capacity to save N100 billion on 18 mmt of rice, was producing a paltry 3.2mmt!

The piece of good news is that Nigeria has become Africa’s largest producer of rice under the current Buhari administration. But rice is not the only food we eat, or should concentrate on. According to Cleaver and Shoebar (1994) Nigeria that boasts of fertile land of 91.07 million hectares lacks the requisite knowledge in food processing, preservation and packaging.

This has led to post-harvest losses ranging from 25% to 40% and something urgent needs to be done to reverse the drift.

With the COVID-19 rampage, we need modern agricultural practices to succeed.

But let it be made a way of life. Let the study of the subject be made more attractive; right from the primary school level up to the university stage. Governments and the private sector should collaborate to wage a concerted war against Climate Change, terrorism and all forms of insecurity.

Farmers should be registered and trained through well-paid farm extension instructors. Anyone interested in farming but has not got the time should engage Xtra-Large Farms company to do it on their behalf and enjoy mouth-watering returns in cash and kind, including all expenses -paid trips to Dubai! The time to act is now!

Yes, I insist that #ChinaMustPay Africa damages for COVID-19

OBIAGELI EZEKWESILI Ezekwesili is the former vice-president for the Africa region at the World Bank and the former minister of education for Nigeria. She is the co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls Movement.

I

n their prickly reaction to my April 16 Washington Post #ChinaMustPay article (a response published in the Guardian Newspaper of May 3, 2020), the Government of China through their Embassy in Nigeria missed the opportunity to responsibly address the serious issues raised.

I must repeat that Africa deserves to be paid a compensation for the damages COVID-19 pandemic is inflicting on lives and livelihoods.

Unfortunately and unfairly, my country, Nigeria, is one of fifty-four countries in

Africa that are struggling to respond to the disruptive effects of China’s failure to take responsibility for a pandemic that could have been easily contained and localised to avoid the ruin it has caused our continent and the world at large.

Since Beijing failed to adhere to basic scientific and research transparency in the critical early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, it must accept responsibility with humility.

Therefore, a legitimate demand for accountability and payment of penalties by rich and powerful countries for damages their behaviors do to vulnerable people ought not to attract the kind of sour response China released.

There are six points that authorities in Beijing ought to humbly consider.

First, it is now clear to the world that China’s opaque handling of the pandemic is costing my country, our continent and people too much in lost lives and livelihoods. The unjustified suffering of the poor and vulnerable brought on by the actions of a comparatively rich and powerful country demands a new system for

addressing global inequities.

I maintain that information in the public domain points to the fact that China suppressed vital information from the rest of the world on COVID-19. The burden to present convincing counter-factual information lies with China and, so far, it has failed to do so.

Second, I assert again that China owes Africa yet-to-be-estimated compensation. Its acts of negligence in December and early January resulted in a fast-spreading global pandemic that collapsed the continent’s economic growth from 2.9% in 2019 to negative 5.1% in 2020. Most importantly, China should, in the interim, take responsibility and ease the severe fiscal pressure on our countries, by announcing a cancellation of over $140 Billion in loans its government, contractors and banks have advanced to Africa over the last two decades.

Following this debt cancelation, an international consortium made up of the G20, China, Africa Union

Commission and global institutions like the United Nations, World Bank and IMF should be constituted to assess the full extent of damages and the compensation due.

Third, Chinese authorities should know that we are Africans who are not lackeys of any power. Laying a baseless charge of “dancing to the tune of others” to an African reveals an appalling mindset toward our continent. It may in fact be this same sort of attitude that frames the extremely offensive profiling of Africans who are resident in China.

We do not dance to the drumbeat of any country or any continent -- our sole tune is the African Beat.

Fourth, the spirit of transparency ought to be in China’s own interest. It is intriguing that Beijing has so far failed to embrace my suggestion to allow an Independent International Panel of Experts to review and assess China’s handling of the COVID19 pandemic. Why? Is China Continues on page 28

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